The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle was exactly the thrilling, action-packed read I was looking for. From the first page, I was hooked. The chemistry between Seraphine and Ransom is off the charts, and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is done to perfection. The banter between them is sharp, funny, and downright addictive—seriously, their back-and-forth had me kicking my feet and grinning the whole time.
The action is fast-paced and full of twists, but it’s the emotional tension between the characters that really drives the story. Doyle nails the perfect balance between heart-pounding moments and character growth.
If you're a fan of intense romance, witty dialogue, and high-stakes adventure, this book is a must-read. I’m definitely picking up the sequel!

I'm so happy to have found a YA that actually reads like a YA!
While I'm an advocate for adults reading YA, there has been an increasing trend (and demand) for YA to feel more adult to suit an older readership but that's not what YA is for. Age appropriateness is essential and that's one of the reasons I loved this so much.
I also found this to be the case with Catherine Doyle's co-authored Twin Crown's series and so I was delighted to find it continues in this new fantasy series.
Firstly, what incredible world building! The city of Fantome was so atmospheric and The Dagger and the Flame gave some serious Romeo and Juliet vibes with the rival factions and star-crossed lovers.
I loved that we were drip-fed the politics of this world and learned about it's magic and history slowly alongside Sera.
That plot twist left me stunned and craving the sequel!

An incredible enemies to lovers story with the perfect slow burn! As those are two of my favorite tropes, this book ended up being right up my alley.
I did find that it was a little bit slow at times and some of the spice was unnecessary. But other than that I thought it was really good and definitely worth the read.

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

This book started off a bit slow for me, but I'm not sure if that was due to a reading slump or the pacing itself. However, once things picked up, I was completely hooked. I’m a sucker for a thieves vs. assassins dynamic, and the added layer of a slow-burn, forbidden romance was the perfect touch. Doyle did an amazing job making me love every character, even the antagonists—though I definitely didn’t like them, she gave them so much depth and sharp dialogue that I could appreciate their role in the story. The plot was well-paced, balancing action with world-building in a way that kept me engaged from start to finish.

I give The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle 5 stars. It was a fun and unique story with an interesting magic system that pulled me right out of my reading slump! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Unfortunately, I really struggled to get into this one.
I didn’t enjoy the main character at the start and it was really difficult for me to get past it.
I didn’t finish the book due to this.

Also the formatting of this copy was really difficult to read it pushed all the paragraphs together and chapters so it was difficult to keep track.

I am going to look at the audio version of this book to see if I can get into it as the sound of the story really intrigued me.

Within the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake is falling in love. What more would you ever need to know about this fiery enemies to lovers story?

You’ll find yourself swept away to a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplights leaving shadows following in your wake and secret catacombs that hide the most deadly of secrets. Will one’s secret abilities be a match for the one with quicksilver eyes who follow her around the city?

There are rumours of monsters stalking the street and rival guilds grappling for control of the kingdoms underworld. These characters will discover that they are drawn together by something more than just magic. This is everything I could ever want from a romantic fantasy novel. I’m already eagerly awaiting when I can dive back into the shadowy underworld with the next novel.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐲𝐥𝐞

Firstly, this book was long and it felt it. Some books I feel like I fly through them no matter the page count, others feel like it takes forever. This unfortunately was the latter.
The romance between Sera and Ransom didn’t feel fully fleshed out. Like, I got the attraction but I always like to feel the emotions as well. They felt pretty non-existence here.
The premise of the book sounded promising. Two guilds, one for thieves, one for assassins. It sounded interesting. I did enjoy the first quarter of the story then it went a little off the rails and I didn’t care anymore. There is a cliffhanger but I’d have to hear great things before I’d decide to pick it up.

5 Stars: Utterly Addicting and Unputdownable!

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle is everything I could ever want in a romantasy. I devoured this book in record time and already want to dive back into the shadowy world of Fantome, where danger lurks down every cobbled street and magic flickers beneath the surface. Doyle weaves an intoxicating blend of action, intrigue, and romance, and I found myself completely entranced by the electric tension between Sera and Ransom.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was executed to perfection, with all the longing, tension, and fiery chemistry I crave in this trope. Sera’s fierce determination for revenge and Ransom’s cold-blooded intensity make their interactions absolutely addictive, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. Doyle’s writing is vivid and atmospheric, capturing the magic and danger of Fantome with lush prose that had me hanging on every word.

The plot itself is masterfully crafted, full of thrilling twists, dark secrets, and complex characters who are as morally grey as they come. The rivalry between the Cloaks and the Daggers, the whispers of monsters, and the eerie underbelly of the city add so much depth to this world. And the choice Sera and Ransom face—whether to seek vengeance or forgiveness—had my heart racing right up to the final pages.

The Dagger and the Flame has a tight grip on me, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting any book Catherine Doyle releases next. If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers, forbidden magic, and richly built worlds, do not miss this book. It’s a breathtaking ride that’s impossible to put down!

This is a FAB enemies-to-lovers read that really delivers on the enemies part. The banter that comes from the animosity was epic and I was hanging on to every Seraphine and Ransom interaction. The romance was top tier and I couldn't get enough of how angsty things could be and then also SO cute?!

If enemies-to-lovers, found family, morally grey characters, forced proximity, forbidden romance, and an intricate magic system sound like your thing, add this one to your immediate tbr!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For a YA book, this was quite enjoyable. I understand why this book has been promoted in quite a few Australian bookshops.
The chemistry between the two main characters is addictive and while violent in the beginning, their friendship becomes believable.
I am interested to see where this series leads.

In the underground of the city of Fantome we have two gangs who use Shade Magic to enhance their criminal activities, the Cloaks for their thievery and the Daggers for the assassinations. At the heart of the story is an enemies to lovers romance with Seraphine from the Cloaks and Ransom from the Daggers.

I found this book a struggle to get into and a struggle to keep reading. It read like a young YA but with spicy scenes. So although I was not the right reader for this book I know that there will be many readers out there who will love it.

The Dagger and the Flame could be for you if you like:
- Romantasy
- Enemies to lovers with a quick change
- An interesting magic system
- Main character focused story with a slower plot
- No complicated world building
- A long but easy read
- A touch of found family

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF @ 22%

Sadly this just didn't grip me as much as I hoped, but to be fair, I believe I'm starting to be very picky with YA reads lately, so it could definitely be a me case considering I've seen so much love for this book! I just didn't connect with the characters and felt no investment for the story at all, so I had to DNF before I fell into a slump😭

Thank you Simon & Schuster (Australia) for sending me the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! I finished it on Friday night and I literally have not stopped thinking about it since! It was a magical from start to finish and I can not wait to see what happens next for Sera and her friends, and especially Ransom who I grew to love.

I will write a more in depth review once I've gathered my thoughts a little more.

The ENEMIES, this was right up my alley!

I love a badass FMC that isn’t afraid of a little dagger action. The dual POV really allowed us to see the character development throughout this book and our MMC growing feelings.

It had an intriguing plot and world building, and a good old city rivalry between the Cloaks (thieves) and the Daggers (assassins).

It’s great for those who love:
- enemies to lovers
- found family
- REVENGE
- a little 🗡️ to throat
- shadow daddy’s 👀

This one hooked me in so fast. Such a good enemies to lovers story. Will definitely be reading more from this author.

The Dagger And The Flame story may for most young adults be extremely enjoyable. It is romantic fantasy with lots of imaginative magic. With the two gangs of the story being termed guilds and the use of many saintly place names in the city of Fantome, it creates something of a medieval Mediterranean atmosphere. The story is seen from the two POVs (sides) of the two main protagonists Ransom, the handsome Dagger assassin and Sera the lovely vengeful Cloak. This morphs into love with shared consequences, as they work together to a lively crescendo. It is good drawn out romantasy, so on the basis of readability for its genre, I give it four stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

The Dagger and the Flame is set in the magical city of Fantome where we are introduced to two rival assassins, Seraphine and Ransom from opposing guilds known as the Cloaks and Daggers.

Following her mother’s murder, 17 year old Serpahine seeks refuge with the Cloaks hoping to avenge her mother’s death.
She unexpectedly crossed paths with Ransom, the heir of the Daggers who has been instructed to seek her out.

I loved this book so much and devoured it in one sitting. The banter between the main characters was entertaining and there were many laugh out loud moments.

The friendships formed were fantastic and the side cast need to be mentioned as they made the story enjoyable.

Overall a great start to the series and the ending had me wanting more!!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of the ebook to review.

Absolutely loved everything about this fantasy YA adventure. Had the tropes I love and enjoy when reading fantasy as well as something unique. Always enjoy Catherine Doyle.

It was a little bit of a slow start but after I got into it I ended up loving this book!
I found the characters super loveable, particularly Theo, Bibi, and Val; I just wish we got more of all of their backstories, however, it is looking like that is very likely to come in book 2.
I also found the magic system really intriguing.
There were a few areas where the world building could have been stronger and where the story line felt a little repetitive but was overall a great read and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book two