I honestly couldn’t make it through very much of this book. The writing was just very juvenile and the story felt derivative, which took me by surprise because these types of books re usually right up my alley.

I unfortunately had to DNF this title at 42%. I had a hard time getting past the FMC; and then the blood magic without consent to the MMC (which like is that blood truly willing at that point?) - I just maybe am not the right reader for this.

Born of Blood and Shadows by Jamye Smith is a dark and captivating romantasy that blends romance, magic, and morally complex characters. The story follows Ameris, a strong yet flawed heroine who faces major challenges that lead her to make questionable choices. While her decisions can be frustrating, they keep the story engaging, and I was hooked by her evolving character.

The world of fae, witches, and dark magic adds depth to the plot, and the slow-burn romance is full of tension and chemistry. Smith’s world-building is immersive, and the twists kept me on my toes throughout. The supporting characters are equally intriguing, each contributing to the story in meaningful ways.

If you love fantasy with a mix of romance and morally grey characters, Born of Blood and Shadows is a must-read. It’s a thrilling, unpredictable ride from start to finish.

I loved this book so much! It had everything I love, fantasy, magic, and all the swoony romance. The world felt very grounded, and I loved the tension. I cant wait to read the next book!

this was a good book, an easy read to get me out of a slump! would recommend for all my fellow fantasy readers 💞💞

I loved the story, the plot, learning about magic and the lore of the fae world, seeing ameris grow and the dynamic between the two male characters. I loved how fast paced the story is, and the writing style as I flew through this! I can't wait to find out what happened next

I enjoyed the book, felt a little too fast paced for me. It felt like alot of details between scenes were missed.

Ameris and Xander were ok, I enjoyed them as a couple, but felt like the chemistry was lacking. I'm hoping to do a re read and see if my mood was off when i did the first read.

Lot's of potential, i'm hoping to enjoy the other books in the future.

I struggled to connect with the characters. The plot itself felt quite repetitive and unengaging to me. I wish there was more world building

This was a little harder than usual to rate for me. While I really enjoy the plot and the overall direction of the story, there were points that felt a little rushed and made it harder to connect.

I enjoy the characters and did like that Ameris doesn't instantly fall for our male lead but did start to get a bit over her behaviour towards him. This may be because the story was moving fast while their relationship was being built slowly.

I was definitely hooked through multiple parts and I'm excited to see where this story could go and how the relationships grow.

Unfortunately I DNF at about 30%. It was interesting enough in the beginning and I was enjoying the writing a lot. I didn’t love the banter between the main characters but I also didn’t hate it. I just started to lose interest quickly. It felt like the plot wasn’t progressing as quickly as I wanted it to. I might have loved this at another time.

I am struggling to write a review for this one because I didn't love it but I love the potential of where it can go. There were so many good qualities in the book, so I am going to start there. I think the plot was strong and well done. The FMC was *chefs kiss* such a badass (I am biased because I truly love a normally grey anti-hero character). I also really loved the magic system within the story. I felt like the weaknesses of the book were in the pacing as well as the writing style when it came to world/character building. However, that ending!!!! I am very interested to see where the rest of the series goes I truly believe this is going to be a great series.

The cover really drew me in, but I stayed for everything else!
Honestly, this has all of the bones of a fun romantasy but even better a pinch here and there of seasoning that kept it really interesting.

First, I am usually the girl who picks a side (or man) and stays there BUT the chemistry between Ameris and Xander looks endgame until Oberon comes into the picture and now I don't know anything. Second, the fact that Ameris does what she thinks is right regardless of outside opinions is confidence in a FMC that I love. Even if she goes mad at any point, she will have my support!

The found family in this is so good, the side characters are well developed and you care about them as much as the main characters. I really like that everyone has their own opinions, even being on a certain side they do what they must for the bigger picture.

I think this series has a lot of potential, with the ending I am very interested to see how the story is going to develop!

I really liked the morally grey FMC, and the push and pull dynamic between the heroine and villain. I think the characters in themselves were quite unique, and I enjoyed reading about them. My attention was held throughout the book, and I was excited to keep reading. I think the love triangle was done well, and it didn't annoy me as much as it normally would.
I love the plot, but it felt more tell than show which was a downside however I'm still intrigue to know what happens next. Can't wait for book 2

My review has been pretty based on vibes, but that isn't a bad thing. It just means this book was decent throughout


I enjoyed the book enough that I've bought the SE version from the author's website :)

Holy feminine rage! This book was a dark horse. Our FMC, Ameris, is an orphan whose parents are killed because her mother was a witch and her father was complicit in knowing his wife was a witch. Ameris’ mother, as her last act, binds and dampens Ameris’ magic so that the same fate won’t happen to her. Years later, Ameris is desperate to unbind and release her magic. As fate would have it, she stumbles upon a ship wreck. After investigating further, she discovers a fae male, Xander, who is dying. She rescues him, but little does she know, Xander is a banished fae prince who is desperate to return to the fae world to reclaim his throne. Ameris makes a bargain with Xander to assist his return to the fae world in exchange for Xander to help her release and use her magic. Both parties get what they desire, but things don’t go exactly to plan.
This book wasn’t perfect, but it was extremely enjoyable. The twists and turns of the story makes it feel fresh and it is completely unpredictable. I highly recommend this book if you’re in your feminine rage phase or if you just enjoy surprises and strong FMCs. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. The book ends in a massive cliffhanger.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the gifted copy.

I really love it. It was well planned, and it had great timing. The characters were riveting and fascinating. The magical system was unique and diverse. All of the storylines added up in a way that just added a layer of complexity to the plot. I enjoyed the vampires and the whole way the author kind of set up a realm of magical creatures. I also enjoyed the push and pull between the main characters. The side characters added value to the plot in ways that either had me laughing or cringing or hoping that we could see more of them. I hope that we get more within this universe and also that the whole magical world can be more explored in the future.

Watch the full review: https://youtu.be/VN6HM85opv4

I wanted this one to work for me so much. Unfortunately, I did not vibe with it. The characters felt very one dimensional and I didn't feel any chemistry between out main characters. The plot was full of conveniences and repetitive. I needed more world building and explanations. I did like the second half better when Oberon was introduced, but I won't be continuing the series.

i'm really on the fence with this book. The vibes for me where primarily there. I did like that the FMC Aremis was a take no nonsense gal but she was also so selfish. The pacing of this book is light speed, everything happens so fast and there wasn't enough time for really anything to be flushed out or developed to a point where my interest was more than just surface level. I was hoping at some point to be able to really connect to any of the characters but that just didn't happen for me. I had zero interest in the romance part of this story, and while I do enjoy when the romance is a subplot instead of the entire drive of the story this just fell really flat for me. I mainly attribute this to the fact that I just never connected to any of the characters. I also really did not understand the magic system, I feel like a little more back story or explanation would have made it more understandable and thus more interesting. All and all I will say this was a surface level read with well intentioned vibes.

This book has something for everyone! Loveable sidekicks, witty banter, steamy romance, found family, hard fought battles, and an MC with an actual personality vs just a bunch of tropes thrown in with no substance!

I took this book on vacation and I couldn't put it down, I was hooked from the first chapter. The characters, storytelling and world are amazing and hook you and keep you in. I can't wait to read more by this author and am actively looking to see other books available.

Bravo keep it going

Thank you to NetGalley and Jamye Smith for the ARC copy of Born of Blood and Shadows.

I enjoyed reading this book and am excited for the second book, that said I do hope for some more world building in the second book as I was looking for just a bit more.

The storyline kept me hooked and the ending shocked me, it left me wanting more.