The plot and slow-burn romance is quite okay but it's also nothing really mindblowing. To be honest this isn't a book that comes to mind if someone asks for a recommendation though it's also not the worst.
In my opinion are the characters, especially the one of Princess Aurora, too inconsistent. For example, she's too afraid to speak up when people in fornt of her get tortured because she's scared of her uncle but she has no qualms verbally provoking said uncle every chance she gets otherwise.

I loved this world!! Omg
A truly unique world, like nothing I've ever read.
The plot is captivating, with plenty of mysteries still to unravel. The pacing was kinda slow.
The romance is a slow burn, and it’s clear from the beginning that he fell first. It doesn’t seem like she’s quite there yet. There are some misunderstandings, but they make sense given how she was raised. The intimate scenes are certainly steamy, though I’d bring up those unique word choices again—they didn’t bother me, but they might not be for everyone. Still, the romance felt sweet and genuine.

The one thing that didn’t sit right with me was the ending. It felt abrupt, more like the end of a chapter than the conclusion of a book. Maybe I just expected more, but that’s a personal take.

Overall, I enjoyed it. The world-building was one of my favourites!! I can't wait to read more.

This is a gripping and intense fantasy novel that will captivate readers who crave complex characters, morally ambiguous themes, and a richly detailed world, particularly those who enjoy stories of power struggles, forbidden alliances, and the struggle for identity and redemption in the face of trauma and darkness.

Where blood-soaked crowns, fierce fae, and enemies-to-lovers spice collide!

Aurora’s life? An absolute mess. Orphaned by her power-hungry uncle (aka the worst family reunion ever), she’s forced into an alliance that practically screams “RUN!”

Enter King Caelum—her new husband and the only man with a reputation as dark as her uncle’s.

But hold up! This brooding king might not be the heartless tyrant she expected.

Plot twist: he’s a protective softie with major touch her and ☠️ energy!

Aurora’s spent years flinching at every shadow, expecting the worst from everyone. But Caelum? He’s all about treating her like a queen.

Hello, slow-burn romance! It’s got everything: sizzling tension, miscommunication, and the kind of emotional baggage that makes you want to shake the characters while simultaneously rooting for their HEA.

The Fae world-building? Chef’s kiss.🤌

Think dark fantasy with ancient magic, a kingdom built on betrayal, and enough secrets to keep you guessing. But this is no fast-paced rollercoaster—oh no, it’s the kind of slow journey that savors every twist and turn. Trust me, you’ll want to hold on tight.

Why should you dive into this one?
🖤Enemies-to-lovers but with serious depth. (Caelum’s a ruthless k!ller to everyone but Aurora, and it’s giving major “I only have heart-eyes for you” vibes).
🖤Court intrigue, Fae politics, and a heroine who’s figuring out she might just be a QUEEN in more ways than one.
🖤If you’re into emotionally scarred MCs finding their way to love (and revenge), Aurora’s journey from scared pawn to power player is one you’ll eat up.
🖤That slow-burn tension is 🔥🔥🔥 – get ready to swoon!

A dark, brooding king who k!ll his way to the crown and a heroine who’s spent her whole life surviving? Yes, please.

If you’ve been looking for a fae fantasy that’s packed with romance, angst, and a touch of magic, this one will hit all the spots.

Grab it now, because trust me, Caelum’s dark heart (and swoony moments) will steal yours too!

It took me a little bit to really get into the story, but when I did, I couldn't put it down.

The story is written beautifully, with a clear plot, the information is easy to understand and the way it is presented, makes you really care about the characters. The vibes reminded me of Blood and Ash at some times. I loved the reveal at the end and while there were many hints, I liked the fact that my suspicions were confirmed.
It is not a very fast paced book, but it didn't feel too slow for me, I think it has the perfect rhythm.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received this eARC for my honest opinion.

In this book you will meet Aurora who is the last of the family to still be alive, other than her uncle. The viper is not a good man at all, he has beaten down Aurora since she was little, and she was the only one out of her family that survived the attack on her family. Her uncle is not a good man at all, and he sells her to the ruthless king Caelum to make the Vipers soldiers stronger and bigger to take over other kingdoms as well. Aurora is not happy about it and she makes sure that everyone in the king’s guard knows that, and she is noticing interesting things about this new king…. Something is not what it seems when it comes to King Caelum.

I have enjoyed Sweeney’s other series, and I know that I will love this one too, I loved that the plot was character driven but by the end of the book the plot was starting to shine through. I loved that Sweeney doesn’t waste the readers time, with an info dump. Instead, she takes her time to make sure that the readers know the characters and invest in getting to know them. I really liked that the plot was not fast paced, but it was steady. I found the characters to be easy to relate too and connect with easily. I liked that there was mystery, romance, magic and fantasy. The world building was done great for me, I could close my eyes and see what the author was saying.

With Aurora you will be taken down a slide with having to understand that not everyone is going to hurt you, but with her years of being beaten and treated with disrespect by her own uncle, that is not easy for her. You might find it to be a little repetitive but if you really understand the book and the reasons why the author wrote it like this you will find a strong woman that came out of her shell for once. I really can’t wait to see the Fae that she is going to become and to see her power run through her and her enemies and I am happy that Caelum is one of the good guys, even though he was saying that from the start of the journey back to his kingdom. This book is told in the POV of Aurora so you will see a lot about how she is dealing with all the knowledge that she is finding out and lies that she has been told. I really can’t wait to see what book two will bring us, and I hope that I get to see Caelum POV in the next book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Sweeney for the opportunity to review this book.

The Kingdom of Shadows and Wolves by Martha Sweeney is the story of a princess who is forced into a marriage, while at the same time thinking up ways to get her throne back.

It took me some time to connect to the story, but when I did, I could not stop reading. The writing is flowing, but maybe a bit slow due to lots of info, but I loved the story-line, the plot and the world-building is unique.

The Kingdom of Shadows and Wolves has surprised me in a good way and I am curious to see where the story will go. It is a good fantasy story, which I enjoyed reading.

This novel took a little while to get into. I paused and read another book, then came back.

I am so glad that I came back!

The characters are flawed and that makes the story so much better. There's no "perfect" character, just people who happen to be extraordinary in their world without them fully realizing it.

It was a slow build on the relationship front, which was absolutely what was needed in the situation of the story. I cannot wait to see how it all progresses between the Main Character and *her* King in the next installment!

💎💎💎.5 / 5 3.5 gems out of 5 rating

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review. The statements that follow are my own and no one else's.

Let me start off by saying that I really wanted to love this book so much. There are lots of parts of it that I did enjoy. It has a nice solid base for story line.

What happened is that... it was so repetitive that it kept throwing me off. I wanted to DNF various times throughout my readthrough but I stuck through it and finished.

The ending was a huge let down. I think there was a better way to finish the cliffhanger so we want to continue to the next book, which I do because I want to see how they get to the war but...

If you're hoping for something ACOTAR like, this is NOT it. This book is written in old Historical Romance style with words like 'lady garden' that also made me want to DNF.

Spice is low on the scale.

I might give the rest of the series a try. I'm unsure at the moment.

This was a good read. I liked the banter between the FMC and MMC. The flow of the book was also good as there were no flat spots. Although I was disappointed with the ending I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

3.5 ⭐️

I became quite invested in the story, realistic and that gives you lot of info to keep you guessing what’s to come for the rest of the series. Aurora was a bit annoying sometimes not gonna lie, also some parts I feel like were a bit rushed when they could have been made into something with a bigger impact. Still a good story that keeps me want to continue the journey and see where it all leads.

Really enjoyed this story! Lots of world building and possibilities of what's going to come out of the rest of the series. It's in first person POV of Aurora and really shows the level of abuse she's endured and how it makes her doubt everything/everyone. I would say she becomes a mighty Fae by the end and can't wait to see what happens next. Slow burn and slow healing from trauma but has some steamy parts.

This book tells the story of a princess who, after surviving the brutal murders of her family and takeover of her kingdom, is forced into an arranged marriage and must decide who she can trust and how to regain her throne.
I couldn’t connect with the characters. There were moments where I loved Aurora, Caelum, and others, but I didn’t feel like they were consistent or completely fleshed out as characters. Aurora would frequently show how she disobeyed her uncle by watching and trying to learn how to fight, even using a hidden weapon to defend herself, but would then act meek and scared as though she had no power or belief in her own abilities. She would frequently talk about wanting to die or hurrying her death along.
I also felt like the pacing was slow. There’s a lot of unnecessary description and exposition. I got lost and confused by much of the world building elements, simply because it was just a lot of information all at once. The long and large chunks of descriptions kept pulling me out of the story.
I loved the general setting and plot line of the story, and I think that someone who enjoys fantasy could like this book.

3 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

While I could have done without all the violence against the female MC for the first 20% of the novel, it ended up being pretty engaging and a good read. I really liked Aurora and her strength, even while terrified for her life.

I do hate that it ended so abruptly, but I'm excited to read the next in the series!

This is a solid 3.5 story because I became invested in the story and where the possibilities for book 2 may go although it has some odd descriptions and word choices as well as it ending abruptly so expect a huh? moment. What I did like was how the world was built - the scenery, the people, the culture as well as how this is a slower plotted journey that reveals some of the mystery and leaves more to be discovered. I will wait for Caelum and Aurora's journey to be continued in book 2

I received this book as an ARC.

It focuses on a young woman who is trapped in the kingdom/castle by her tyrant uncle, the king.

As we see the FMC face marriage to a king from another land, we watch her character grow into a stronger individual.

I enjoyed the story for the most part but found certain situations to be overdone. The two main characters have the same conversation over and over and over again. And while I understand the trauma that the FMC has gone through, I wish that the conversations could have been highlighted in a different way.

Additionally, I found it strange when female anatomy is referenced to as anything other than what it is. It seems juvenile to describe it as her “lady garden” but then paragraphs detailing out the sexual encounter.

The book ends so abruptly that I genuinely laughed and read the last page to my husband as it came out of nowhere. I will be reading book two as I enjoy the relationship between the FMC and MMC and look forward to seeing where it goes!

Good start to a series. Lots of world building and info dumping. I think we were given lots of nuggets of clues that will be revealed later in the series.

Slow pacing, but then smaller scenes felt rushed when I thought they could have had been fleshed out more for an emotional impact. The repetitive word choice is my biggest complaint and not just the spicy scenes.

Wish the ending wasn’t as abrupt but the extra chapter felt more appropriate.

Sweet, slow, and realistic

4.5 ⭐

This was such a unique world that I not only appreciate the time and effort put into the conceptualizing and delivery of the world, I appreciate the dedication of keeping the feel and word choices true to the setting.

Even if I found some of those

Word choices

A little bizarre

In specific situations.

But I’m chalking that up to their culture and the new world setting.

The plot was really interesting. There were a lot of mysteries yet to be revealed, but I not only mind the slow pacing, I adore it. There’s a lot of things that our main characters have to deal with, and while it would make for an entirely entertaining story if it were resolved immediately, it would take away the beauty of the journey leading up to the rewards. Not to mention, unrealistic. But of course, not that this isn’t entertaining. I atleast find that it is. But if one were to look for a fast-paced action-filled fantasy, then this isn’t for them.

Aurora oh I have so much mixed feelings about her. But everything she goes through is realistic based on the factors that we know. I love so many things about her character as well as dislike a lot of reactions, but I can’t say that it’s because of bad writing. No, she was written so well that I actually would have hated it if she was given an insta-transformation or at least had her progress been quicker. This is perfect.

Caelum is a sweetheart. It’s a bit hard to understand him early on, but he has good intentions. He’s doing so much for everyone around him, including for her. Sometimes I wish he actually told her a few things, but I understand his reasons as to why he hasn’t.

The romance was slow going, but he fell first, and that much is obvious from the start. From what I can tell, she probably hasn’t yet. There’s a bit of misunderstandings here and there, but that’s what she has nurtured growing up. The spice is definitely steamy, but where I would like to mention the choice words that I mentioned earlier. It didn’t bother me much, but might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It was sweet and intimate though.

One thing I will mention that felt off to me, is the ending. I'm not sure if I just expected more from that but it felt abrupt. It didn't feel like a place where one would end a book, but simply the end of a chapter. But that might just be my personal opinion.

To the author, Martha Sweeney, I love the world you made. You made it so unique and have made the lore that more interesting. This was a wonderful start to your series and I’m just waiting for more!