This book really drew me in with the romance in particular having the "we want each other but cant have each other" plot. I couldnt put it down. The ending truly has me so excited for the next book!

Perfect romantasy: fae, trolls, humans, slow burn romance, forbidden romance, and an ending that leaves more questions than answers. Chefs kiss.

Also I want to live where there are crystal palaces and mushroom forests!!! Such cool world building!!

This book was a whole lot of fun. I don’t read a lot of romantasy, and fae are not really my thing, But when I saw this book, and it seemed interesting I was like yeah lets do this. Boy, am I glad I did because this ended up being quite the treat. This book had me in its clutches from the start and that did not let up. In the beginning the pace was a little slower, but it makes sense because the author was starting to lay things out, but then after a little bit the pacing picked up and continued at a nice clip. I feel like as someone who struggles with world building, this book did a fantastic job and I did not get lost or confused at all. The romance in this book was a little mild, there is a lot of angst and I’m curious to see how this goes in the next book. I feel like despite being a romantasy this book was fairly light on the romance, or it felt like it was more an adventure book not necessarily a romance book, or is there a action book about romance? It just fell a little flat in this area for me but I did still really enjoy the book.

If you are looking for a romantasy that has delightful worldbuilding and a fast plot, then you should check this one out.

3.5 Stars

I've been on a bit of a fantasty/Paranormal kick lately, and Bride of the Shadow King does not disappoint.

This story is written well and entertaining. I enjoyed the world building and magic. The characters were intriguing and frustrating at the same time. The romance was a slow burn with an intense quality to it.

Overall, I think this series is off to a great start.  The action, chemistry, and betrayal will leave you begging for more. I can't wait to see where this series will go next.

I actually really liked how this story was going in the beginning. The world building was very interesting and I was curious to learn more about Faraine, the gifts that each sibling of the King had, the overall setting of Gavaria, and the troldefolk. The storyline was very promising, but I felt like as it progressed I became increasingly bored. The characters did not stand out very much to me, even Faraine and Vor, who are the main characters. They had no qualities that stood out to me and both annoyed me when they had feelings for each other but did nothing about it. I also felt like this story overall did not have any plot outside of the alliance that was necessary between Faraine’s father and the Shadow King, Vor. I understand the premise was based on Ilsevel and Vor getting married but this wasn’t enough for me personally, and I expected more from this book!

I originally thought Faraine and Vor would fight for each other, or at least that things would play out differently than they did. So, ultimately I’m sad to say I was disappointed and will not continue this series. I did not dnf this book because I was interested in finishing the story however, the ending made it clear to me that this series just is not for me.

Rating: 2.5 🌟

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley publishing for the arc!

I enjoyed this!
I prefer a faster pace, but this made sense for the storyline. I enjoyed the characters (and their flaws) and will enjoy getting to know them better!
The epilogue threw me, what a cliffhanger! I think I know who’s behind the bad things happening to Vor and his people. But only time will tell as I read the rest of the series!

I am really enjoying Sylvia Mercedes books lately. This book reminded me so much of a Deal with the Elf King and it was in a good way. Also the cliff-hanger...... AHHHH I need book 2 immediately. The whole premise of the book is wild and I really enjoyed it.

This was a pretty standard romantasy novel. It was sweet and the political story arcs were interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with Faraine as a heroine. I found the book mostly forgettable, but I could see why other readers might enjoy it. I give Bride of the Shadow King 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Co. for the opportunity to review Bride of the Shadow King. All opinions are my own.

I've had my eye on this series for awhile now, and was debating on getting KindleUnlimited in order to read it. I'm happy that I was finally able to read it.

I really enjoyed the characters and their reasons for their journeys. I really enjoyed that some of the world building happened through their conversations about their respective worlds. It definitely left off in a cliffhanger which makes you immediately want to start the next book.

While I really enjoyed it, there are pieces of information that I feel like need to a bit better explanation - Faraine talks about her dear sweet sister Ilseval and how much she loves her, etc, but you don't ever really see that sweetness. I wish we would have seen some more of the familial relationships - maybe from growing up? - to help develop the characters a bit more!

When King Vor the shadow King saves the life of Princess Faraine while she in on the road back home sparks fly. King Vor is visiting the human kingdom in order to marry a princess of the realm, however, while he may want Princess Faraine, the best thing to do in order to save his realm is choose her sister Princess Ilsevel. When disaster strikes princess Ilsevel, Faraine must take her place no matter how King Vor feels about it.

This was a really compelling story! I’ve read a few of Sylvia’s books and I would say this is the best one to date.

If you enjoy books by Danielle Jensen, this book is a fantastic choice for you! Faraine and Vor very much remind me of a couple that she would write. They're both complicated but drawn towards each other and have to work through their own difficulties to make the slow burn catch fire.
I'll always enjoy a romantasy story, and this one was no exception. I do wish that the pacing was a bit faster, but that's my only critique.
If you're wanting an enjoyable but easy to read fantasy book that has good romance and a unique plot, I'd definitely recommend this book.

This slow-burn, dual-POV romance is filled with twists and turns that build to an enthralling ending. Faraine, an exiled princess, has been sequestered in a convent after shaming her family in front of a potential ally. She possesses a god-given power that feels more like a curse than a gift.

Faraine is torn from her convent by her brother, as her sister is on the brink of making a similar mistake that could ruin a crucial alliance for their kingdom. After being attacked by dark fae riders, Faraine is rescued by a mysterious, handsome, and brooding fae man. As she rides close to him on his unearthly mount, she feels a calm and connection she's never experienced before. However, in a twist, he turns out to be the King of Shadows, the ruler of an underground realm, and her sister's suitor.
Ready for the next book!

Bride of the Shadow King is the first book in the series of the same name by Sylvia Mercedes and I grabbed this one on a whim. I was in the mood for something in the fantasy romance genre and I enjoyed it.

Princess Faraine has always lived separately from her family and court due to her illness. She's been a liability to the crown and been relegated to the background while her beautiful, younger sister, Ilsevel, has become the favorite in all things. And when the Shadow King, King Vor, comes to their realm seeking a bride and alliance, no one is surprised that Ilsevel is the one he chooses. With a twist of fate, Vor and Faraine, are bound together but the question is whether Vor can forgive Faraine for the

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I thought the world-building was well done and as a first book in the series, Mercedes laid the groundwork for the magic system and development of the worlds on a broader scale as they all move through them. The chemistry was great as well. This is a slow-burn so be sure to prepare yourself for the initial pull without the immediate satisfaction.

I also thought Mercedes did a solid job in developing these characters. Faraine could have been bitter but she wasn't. She was kind and patient and while I didn't agree with all her choices, I still liked her as a character. Vor was great too. He struggled with his identity and his role as King and I appreciated his relationship with those around him. The side characters truly helped drive this story forward - from Faraine's brother and sisters to Vor's brother and Captain...and so many more.

Like I mentioned, this was a good book one to lay the groundwork for the rest of the series. We get an introduction to the the Trolde Curse, a peak into what Faraine's father is up to, and of course, a little bit of the chemistry between Faraine and Vor to keep us interested in what will happen in book two. This one does end in a place where you will definitely want to pick up the next book so I highly recommend you grab it as soon as you can. I'll be reading through the rest of the series to see what happens with these characters and if you enjoy a fae / fantasy romance, consider picking this series up!

Bride of the Shadow King is an absolute delight. I was hooked from the first page! Faraine's character is so perfectly communicated, I was able to both root for and sympathize with her throughout the machinations of the forces around her. Her struggle to assert her own values and desires within the constructs of her societal role made her interactions with Vor so much more powerful to me.

Vor! The greenest flag of an ml that ever waved, King of my heart. Anyone who loves romance but also cringes at the consistent lack of consent and communication that the genre is often inundated with will fall immediately in love with Vor. The communication, the consent, the pure human DECENCY in every line of his internal monologue was a delight and I cannot get enough.

This book is a full, raving five stars from me and I cannot wait to get the other two books in my hands asap.

Great book. A great blend between fantasy and romance.

Thank you to Netgally and Berkley for allowing me to read this book

<b><i>There’s courage in her eye, unexpected and defiant. She may not be a warrior; that doesn’t mean she’s weak.</i></b>

<i>Bride of the Shadow King</i> takes places in a world where the Fae are ravaging the human lands, and the trolde (troll) people face a rumbling in the dark. Faraine is a character who struggles with a chronic illness due to her powers to read the emotions of others - I thought this was so interesting because rarely do powers cause bad side effects. Vor is the trolde king who is determined to marry a human bride in order to secure help for his kingdom. At first, there is a connection between him and Faraine, but in the end he must marry her sister who has the king's favor in order to secure the alliance. However, after tragedy strikes, Faraine must disguise herself and take her sister's place, unbeknownst to Vor.

I thought that the world was really cool! I had never read a book with troll people and I loved the concept of the underground world - the descriptions were beautiful. Sylvia Mercedes definitely has a talent for prose and world building! Faraine and Vor are an example of right person, wrong time, and it was cool to see that play out in a fantasy world.

My one gripe with this book was that essentially the whole plot was given away in how the book was pitched for social media. This isn't necessarily a fault of the book itself - but I was definitely frustrated while reading because I thought the events talked about on the author's page would happen much, much sooner in the novel, and that there would be more after that. I found that there was nothing more to the romance or plot that wasn't already given away, and that definitely took away from my reading experience. Of course, this gets in to a whole other discussion of how authors are forced to market their books to keep up with the trends (that may not be a best fit for their work), but alas that is a discussion for another day.

I didn’t like the flaws in the male and female main characters. The Shadow King chose his people’s well-being over his heart. Which makes for a noble leader but a terrible romantic partner. He also allows traitors to sit on his council, which means he’s spineless despite claiming to be merciless. The female basically let’s EVERYONE walk all over her. Her superpower is EMPATHY. :-(

Princess Faraine's gods-gift makes her susceptible to the emotions of others. Following a disastrous incident relating to her powers, her father sends her to live in a convent. Upon being summoned to return home, her party is ambushed. King Vor, also on his way to meet with Faraine's father to arrange a marriage alliance, rescues Faraine from the ambush and accompanies her for the remainder of the journey. Despite Faraine and Vor's growing feelings for each other, Vor is pushed toward selecting Faraine's sister as his bride to ensure the safety of his kingdom. This is a slow-burn fantasy romance with some political intrigue and a mysterious threat, with the romance storyline being the focus of this story. The plot felt rushed and I found the characters to be flat. I didn't quite find the urgency of the arranged marriage to be believable - it actually felt jarring in the wake of major tragic events that were quickly pushed to the background in favor of progressing the romance storyline.

I liked it until I didn't, it's hard to say but about half way through their is a bump in the road that I don't know how overall I feel about it. It was amazing and I was hooked, then when the situation / part happens, I was just turned off as a reader and it was hard to move past it.