The cover art of this book was beautiful and that drew me in, even though we aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover.
The premise of the story was good and something I normally enjoy reading about. There were some issues for me with the world building and the flow of the book overall. I didn't love the main character either which makes it hard to love a book. She was a little all over the place and then had such a negative, poor me attitude.
The storyline was there but didn't love the execution of the book. It was a good start, I'm sure at some point I will finish the series when it comes out, but not in a hurry to do so.
Overall, it was a fine read but not a favorite for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Alexandra Kennington's debut, Blood Beneath the Snow, is perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout. I was hooked from the opening scene in which Revna, our FMC, disrupts a sacred ceremony that's meant to appease the gods.

Revna is part of the royal family, but she's treated as an outcast because she is godforsaken (without magic) instead of godspelled (with magic) like the remaining members of her family. She doesn't let her lack of magical ability hold her back. She's feisty, slightly sarcastic, and most importantly, hell-bent on changing how her and her found family are treated in their country.

Her family has arranged a marriage for Revna in order to gain an ally in the current war, but you should know with feisty characters determined to make a change, they'll do anything but what you tell them to do. Revna turns down the arranged marriage (and I totally understand the reasoning, but her almost husband is the sweetest man I've seen in a romantasy book in some time) for the opportunity to participate in The Bloodshed Trials, a competition where she will fight her four brothers to the death for the throne.

Revna's father is raging mad at her decisions and brings her to the front lines of the war to change her mind. Again, wrong move. Revna is committed to following through to save herself, her found family, and the rest of the godforsaken. However, she never makes it to the front lines as she's kidnapped by the Hellbringer, the terrifying general that's alluded her father and the other members of his army. She's convinced the Hellbringer kidnapped her just to kill her, but instead, he's kidnapped her in order to train her to win The Bloodshed Trials. Revna is skeptical about his motives, but eventually finds herself warming up to the man that has quite the persona surrounding him.

I don't want to give too much away, but I could not put down this book once Revna starts training with the Hellbringer. They spar not only with swords and daggers, but also words. I was left in shock by the ending and am absolutely in need of the conclusion to Alexandra's Blood & Souls Duology.

Thank you so much Berkley for the e-ARC in exchange for the honest review!

I was really interested in the premise of this book! The world was unique, and the idea of trials to the death between siblings was very intriguing! The brutal treatment throughout Revna's family was jarring at first, but I did really enjoy the dark and ruthless nature of the book in general! I would have love more time with world building, developing side characters, and exploring the family dynamics. The ending was really satisfying and I'm so curious where things will go next.

The pacing was a bit off, starting off strong and steady, then slowing down throughout the entire middle, for the end to pick up again. I struggled with the romance, it lacked depth and development. The personality of the love interest was not really there. The trajectory of their relationship felt predictable and inevitable, and I wasn't surprised by any of it. I feel like it would have been stronger without the emphasis on the romance, or without it at all. I found most of the other plot predictable as well, aside from a few specifics. The book is well-written. Revna's development into her true self was something I looked forward to and it delivered in a cool way.

All in all, I feel like this was a promising debut and I'd read more from this author!

3.5 rounded up

GAH. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. I loved everything about it. It is such a fantastic debut, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Thank you for giving me a romance fantasy without a massive icky age gap and where the main female character isn't automatically overpowered AF. Instead, we have a world with the godtouched and the godforsaken. I actually thought calling the nonmagical people godforsaken was very funny. I know it probably wasn't meant to be especially given the horrible abuse and prejudice they face. Revna is the only godforsaken in her family, and it isn't any family, it's the royal family. As the godforsaken Princess she endures abuse by most of her family.

Her father has been at war with a neighboring nation and to help win the war he has promised Revna off in an arranged marriage. She defies her family and rejects the marriage proposal to fight in the Blood Trials and try to become Queen. From her she gets kidnapped by the fearsome Hellbringer, a godtouched man who can steal your life by looking at you. Insert training and enemies to lovers montage. Was this a little too trope filled for me? Yes, but I still liked it. I also really liked the magical system. The main story was also something that felt a little stale, a "powerless" princess and an overpowered male who come together to bring down her tyrannical family isn't exactly a new story.

I did like the queer side characters and how normalized queerness was. Some of the dialogue both spoken and internal was really clunky and out of place. There's a point where Revna is talking to Hellbringer about past lovers and it's just so uncomfortable. Like no natural flow to the conversation.

The is a fun romance fantasy, it isn't like super groundbreaking, but if you enjoy the genre you'll enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkely Publishing Group - Ace for the advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Berkley publishing group and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC!

Let me just start with this, I ABSOLUTELY loved this book. I was hooked from the get-go, there was constant action. You immediately understood what inspired these characters, their motivations are so clear. Which I appreciated so much, the world building was explained in a very concise way that left no questions unanswered. The writing was beautiful and so poetic. I was able to feel as if I was in the world itself, the imagery of the scenes came to life so easily in my head.

The plot was excellent, I have zero complaints. The tension and the angst were written so well. I don't tend to have such vivid emotions when reading a book, but tears streamed down my face while I was reading this. And I LOVE a book that can draw out emotions from me.

Now, let's get into the romance, because wohooohooo. It did not disappoint. This was a true enemies to lovers / star-crossed lovers. I loved the development of their relationship. These two characters who have been broken apart multiple times in order to fit the mold of their keepers were able to find solace in the company of each other. It was very sweet and heart-wrenching to read about, and I loved every second of it.

I read this in one sitting, overnight into the early hours of morning and I do not regret it a bit.
READ IF YOU LIKE:
♡ Villains in masks
♡ Deadly competition
♡ badass fmc
♡ only one bed
♡ enemies to lovers
♡ she teaches him how to dance
♡ he teaches her how to fight

2.5 Stars - Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved the beginning. I was eating it up from page one. It was suspenseful and exciting. I thought it was going to be exactly like Powerless but it changed quickly so that was good. I liked the tropes first off, I love a trials and arranged marriage trope but thats all it was. The trials were like 10 pages in the end and it felt very rushed considering that was what we were waiting for. The marriage was a unique one and caught me off guard I will admit but for the enemies to lovers, there was no yearning. I felt like I was inside Revna’s head and it was annoying and there was no inkling that she had these feelings or even the enemy (no spoilers). I wished there was more yearning from both parties because it felt a little like insta love and the entire book felt like all of the most popular books people love but like all in one? There were several moments where I was like oh, this feels like Daughter of No Worlds or Serpent and the Wings of Night, or Powerless. I feel this book could have cut out a lot of the repetition in training and going back and forth and added more yearning. Also, it could have been way longer to develop the characters of her family so we are sadder when something happens to one of them and then hate the villain in her family even more. I needed the trials to be like 40 pages longer to feel the anguish, like I feel it started and it was over. Also, I feel like in the beginning, she met all of these characters and they arent really relevant later, and when something bad happens I feel like it could have broken me to shreads but I didnt really know that much about them so I wasnt really connected to them. I will read the secone book because I am curious to where this is going and what the prophecy will hold for them.

There was no better way to spend a snowy Boston weekend than reading some romantasy set in a snowy, magically land. Blood Beneath the Snow is a fabulous debut from @alexkenningtonwrites. I LOVE when a main character lives in a magic world but has no magic themselves. From the beginning, I felt immersed like I was with our MC, Revna, as she stops a ritual, defies the all expectations of her, and endures the imprisonment by the Hell-bringer.

This story has battles, love, complicated relationships, self-preservation, betrayal, and everything else you could want in a romantasy.

Thank you for the free book, Berkley Romance and Ace!

In this heart pounding romantasy, the main character, Revna, is a princess without magical ability in a royal family that has deemed her an outcast. She is determined to right the wrongs of her heartless family and decides to compete to the death for the throne against her brothers in the Bloodshed Trials. Before she can, she is taken against her will by the terrifying masked legend known only as the Hellbringer. Revna doesn’t know what he wants with her, but she has no choice but to go along with him.

This book surprised me in the best way! I am not a big fantasy reader but I wanted to take a chance and branch out a bit, and the synopsis intrigued me. I’m so glad I gave it a try, except for the fact that I have to wait for the next book to find out how this story will continue! I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers, and be careful reading too many reviews because the last half of the book is so great when you don’t know what’s coming. I really loved the unexpected direction the story took and the character development that our main character undergoes. It definitely gets dark, violent, and fast paced in the final third of the book. I’m eager to see how the duology unfolds from here! I think fantasy and romantasy readers will love this fast-paced read.

I absolutely inhaled Blood Beneath the Snow, I couldn’t put it down it was so good!! A fiery and rebellious FMC, a morally grey villain, enemies to lovers, lots of magic and queer representation… I was mesmerized. If you enjoyed Shadow & Bone or the Red Queen series, this book is for you.

Centering around Revna, the only daughter and non-magical member of the royal family, she is fated to an arranged marriage to secure alliances amidst a years-long war. She rebels against her father’s wishes and enters The Bloodshed Trials instead, forced to fight her brothers to the death in a battle for the throne. Enter Hellbringer, the masked general of their enemy who kidnaps her with ulterior motives.

My mind is blown that this is a debut. I highly recommend checking this one out when it releases March 11. I will be anxiously waiting for the second book in this duology!

Thank you Ace Books Publishing & NetGalley for the gifted ARC.

I loved the premise...but it felt like a lot of build-up to just have the trial aspenct wrap up in the last 12% of the book. I will continue on with the series though because I am invested an curious to see where the author takes the Hellbringer and Revna!

This Enemies-to-lovers Romantacy starts with a bang!

A princess, Revna from a family of powerful magic welders who doesn’t have any magic herself, is fighting in a secret rebellion. Her father the King has been ashamed of her behavior and doesn’t hide the fact he wants her dead.

In order to save her friends and protect her people, Revna is forced to compete for her crown against her powerful brothers in a deadly competition.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and Revna is forced to ally with her enemy the masked Hellbringer for training on how to defeat her brothers.

There’s political corruption, bullying within her family, people fighting starvation, and war!

A lot happens the last 10% of the book and I finished with many questions. It’s the first book of a duology so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for answers!

Good job as a debut novel!

Romance content: 2 Open-door scenes with some language



First of a duology by a debut author!
Pub. Date: March 11, 2025

This had everything you want in a romantasy. It was so well written. I am beyond thrilled to get a physical copy on release day.

This book was pretty good! I enjoyed the premise of it as well as the writing style. I was mostly connected to the main characters but the FMC was my favorite. I really enjoyed the way that this book ended: strong and powerful!

What a great debut! The world building was rich and unique, and I kept turning pages to find out what was going to happen next. The writing was evocative and immersive, rich in details without bogging down the story. You really feel for the plight of the godforsaken and root for Revna to save the day. The romance with a forbidden enemy was well executed. I think romantasy readers will love this one.

Fun world building with a good plot, although it was a bit disjointed at times. The first 70% of the book felt a little too YA for an adult novel, and the MMC was giving Edward Cullen in the broodiest of ways. But that ending! Phenomenal. Some twists I'd seen coming, but there were still multiple surprises in the last 30%, most of them heartbreaking. I wasn't a huge fan of the main character for the majority of the book, but I'm intrigued by the changes she goes through in the last few chapters. I'll be reading the sequel when it comes!

Alexandra Kennington is a brand new author to me, so I was very excited to dive into this. I think a lot of romantasy lovers will enjoy this. There's a lot of popular topes in here but it's not overdone. The tension and plot were engaging enough that I never felt bored. The ending was great, so overall I enjoyed this!

Okay, I LOVED this. This is what I had wanted Quicksilver to be!

Revna is one of my favorite FMCs in the modern romantasy era. She's a princess, but she's also godforsaken--meaning she doesn't have magic, and her family despises her for it. She's angry and full of rage (my favorite!!), wanting to bring down her own family in a fight to the death just to make change. When she's kidnapped by the Hellbringer--the most deadly warrior on the opposite side of the war, able to kill hundreds with a thought--everyone rejoices. Little did they know, their problems are just getting started.

This being marketed as being centered around deadly trials is a bit of a misnomer--there is a set of deadly trials, but it happens in in the last 15% of the book for less than 50 pages. This is really a book centered around the training and preparation for said trials with extensive world building and character development. But I ATE. IT. UP. The foreshadowing of the twist at the end is a little heavy handed (or maybe I just read too much fantasy?) but I found that I really didn't care, I was so invested in seeing HOW it came to fruition, I didn't care that I already knew WHAT was coming.

If you love found family and are just in general tired of men--this is going to be incredibly satisfying. Not to mention no one in this book has plot armor, so if you're tired of reading fantasy books where main side characters somehow never die because they're main characters, you'll be very pleased with this one!

I can't believe this is only a duology, because I definitely would read a whole trilogy or cycle of this series! I can't wait to see what happens next, and I'm so bummed I have to wait even longer for it now.

Oh man, where do I even start here? I don't normally rate or review my DNFs, but after finishing 50% of this I feel like I can give some of my thoughts on it.

To start with what I liked - we started off with a bang, rebellion and a chase that showed us a snarky and headstrong main character, and a bunch of interesting side characters that I was excited to get to know. Her brothers were interesting, and the idea that they will all eventually fight to the death for the crown made me wonder how invested in everyone I would end up being.

Then the main character gets kidnapped by the Hellbringer and we spend literally at least 30% of the book stuck in a cold, dreary location with just the two of them in repetitive training scenes where the main character refuses to learn and be anything other than annoying. But the love interest also refuses to give her any information about what's happening outside of their little bubble and so the world building that was so promising at the beginning (along with ALL THE SIDE CHARACTERS) ceased to exist. I'm not sure how long the training goes on for, but after 30% of it only like, a week had passed and she still had 6 more weeks to go until the trials, so I'm guessing probably a majority of the book is spent in a training montage.

Another sticking point for me was how generic the love interest was. He's dark and broody and of COURSE smells like pine and snow. There was ZERO chemistry between the two, and once she had her sex dream about this guy she just met and then instantly acted like she was in love with him I was out. After that her stomach was always ""swooping"" around him (literally, never any other descriptor than swoop/swooping), and I just totally lost interest in reading the rest of the book.

Sadly I was really excited about this one and I ended up really not liking it, and after reading other reviews I don't think that the issues I was having get any better in the second half of the book. This wasn't for me, but I do hope that it finds its readers!

The plots twists and surprises were great, along with the political intrigue but it didn’t quite hook me or have me emotionally invested. Might pick it up again at another time and try again. This had potential to be a great fantasy though.