Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️ Rating: 2.75/5 (rounded up to 3)

This one was a bit of a mixed experience for me. I’ll start by saying I really enjoyed the world itself—it’s rich, packed with different magical beings (seriously, I think every possible type made an appearance!), and you can tell there’s a lot of creativity behind it. There’s definitely potential here for a series I could see myself wanting to continue.

But here’s where I struggled: around the 30-35% mark, I almost considered putting it down. The first chunk of the book is very heavy on world-building and backstory, with minimal dialogue or plot progression early on. While I understand laying the groundwork for such a complex world, I would have preferred if the plot and world-building had been more seamlessly intertwined, rather than front-loaded before the story really took off. At times, it felt more like a draft where the story was still being woven around the foundation.

On the POVs

I usually love multiple POVs, so I wasn’t expecting to feel thrown off here. There are six POVs in total, which isn’t too many, but what tripped me up was how the POVs were handled within scenes. There aren’t any indicators at the start of chapters to let you know whose head you’re in—which is fine for me—but the narrative often switches perspectives mid-chapter and sometimes mid-scene without a clear break. For example, a chapter would start in Aurelia’s POV and then jump into Andar’s thoughts without warning. It often left me unsure whose head I was in, and that pulled me out of the story. I think if there were clearer transitions—like a scene break—it wouldn’t have been as confusing.

The Plot

Once I got past the slower start, the plot picked up around the 35% mark, and I found myself more engaged. Most of the action happens over the course of a single night. A lot happens in that short span, but personally, I wished there was a little more time to develop both the story and the characters’ relationships—especially some of the bonds that formed very quickly. Even with the fated mates trope, I didn’t find the connections entirely convincing yet. Maybe with more time spent on their dynamics, it would’ve landed stronger for me.

Who I Think Would Enjoy This Book

If you’re a fan of stories with fated mates , humans and fae , and a world filled with magic and magical creatures , you might really enjoy this one. There’s a mysterious prophecy driving the plot, along with court intrigue , secrets , and betrayal to keep things interesting. Readers who love multiple POVs and stories about destiny , power struggles , and magical realms may find this a good fit.

Final Thoughts

This book has a lot of potential. The world is creative and has room for expansion in future installments. If the pacing evens out and the POV transitions are handled a little more smoothly, I can see this turning into a series I’d want to stick with. I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes from here!

The ending of the book was insane. I loved Lark and Aurleina a lot. I love that you included a pronunciation guide and a glossary. That helped so much while reading. This book has 6 different POV's. It might seem intimidating but once I learned everyone I didn't have any issues. I really enjoyed the world and seeing how all the different characters came together in the story. I was hooked on needing to know what was going to happen and how everything would work out! I could not get enough. 

Side note, I really need to see some of the dresses and that crown! Absolutely stunning. Such an amazing job with the description of the outfits, world, and characters. 

I can't wait to read the next book! Thank you so much Sera Foxe and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the ARC team!❤️

I will not be giving feedback for this book. I could not get into the storyline and DNF'd it. Thank you for the opportunity to read

This book was absolutely amazing! I found the pacing a little difficult at the beginning but once I was into it and started getting introduced to the characters, I was sold! This is probably one of the better fantasies I've read not in first person, which was weird but the world building, the lore, the character development, All of it was off the wall and amazing! I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and will be certainly keeping an eye out!

Just finished "Blood Iron and Bone" by Sera Foxe, and wow, what a ride! The world-building is top-notch, with fae realms and human worlds blending seamlessly. The characters are so relatable; I felt every twist and turn they went through. If you're into fated mates, found families, and epic fantasy romance, this one's a must-read. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

I would highly recommend this book to any romantasy readers that loves fae, fated mates, a unique plot, and in depth world building. The Multi-POVs can get a little bit confusing, but overall it really benefitted the entire story and I ended up feeling connected to each and every one. I could not put this book down once I picked it up. While it is complicated, the authors weaved an incredible story and I was very impressed with it. I look forward to reading more by these authors!

Blood Iron&Bone

4/5⭐️

This story is about Aurelia and Lark, two girls, two sides of the same coin, grown up in different worlds, and destined for the same fate, bound by an old and ancient prophecy.

Reading this book felt like reading a modern version of a fairytale.
I liked that the beginning of the book was more character driven, which gave me the opportunity to get to know the characters well, before the plot starts to become more important.
In total there was six different POV‘s in third person perspective. So, at some point the story followed six different people until their ways merged with each others.
I found it surprisingly easy to follow each character’s thought, as they‘re all have their own unique character traits and everyone had a different mission.
I really liked Aurelia‘s character in the human world, but unfortunately she fell a bit flat for me in the Fae world.
Lark is definitely my favorite character of the whole book. She‘s strong and fierce, she‘s not scared to face whatever is awaiting her and I have the feeling she might turn into a warrior princess in the next book! I really hope we will get to see more about her character and get to know her even better.
Even though the world building was a bit lacking in some places, I still enjoyed the world and was so happy to see some Fae world similarities with other worlds that I love. But still, this particular world had it‘s own unique touch.

In my opinion this book is perfectly imperfect and I had a great time reading it! I would recommend it to anyone who loves Hidden Identity, old prophecies and the fae world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Agency Press for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

This was a straight 4 star read for me, a multiple POV mortal to fae slow romantasy with an intricate plot. This story had me at the very beginning from a heart pounding prologue filled with a lot of mystery and gore.

I really enjoyed our FMC Aurelia, who is stuck in the mortal lands until she comes face to face with a path that may lead her to places and people she’s only dreamt of. She is determined and stubborn and born for a life filled with *more* and she knows it. She has a lot of gumption and curiosity and is even able to fly by the seat of her pants. I loved watching her discover her surroundings and finding herself within the story. Our MMC, Andar, has a lot to parse through in this novel and I feel as though he is our white knight, a loyal protector - I hope to see more of his growth and arc in the next novels of the series!

The plot was ever winding, and with multiple POVs, we sometimes experience the same scene, the same moment, from the point of view of different characters. This can make the novel feel a little cumbersome but it does give important details and insight into the characters. The plot and the intricacies and mysteries within were something I deeply enjoyed and am excited to see more of in the next installments of the series. Each point of view starts off somewhat separate and then converges together and it was so satisfying to read through that. I was worried that I’d find it hard to track each perspective, however, it felt easy for me to read and keep track of!

I also enjoyed the writing for the most part, but felt that some parts were a little prolonged and redundant and that there are many different “parts” and interludes to the story, whereas I would have preferred to see it in 3 larger segments instead of 8 or so smaller splits to the story. Even still, this didn’t take away from my enjoyment in a large manner.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would definitely love to read the next book when it comes out. I would recommend it to any romantasy reader who loves a *hot* slow burn romantasy with a mysterious curse and many moving parts to a story!

Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to review this masterpiece!

Oh. My. God!
What a book!!
I enjoyed the High Fae, political drama and outstanding world building!!! The characters were very beautifully written. I loved the inscriptions given before every part of the book. It definitely cured my fae-slump 😂😂 I am in love with the writing!! Eagerly waiting for its paperback to binge read it again!!
Super excited for the book 2
Sera Foxe....You have a gifted brain with beautiful world gifted to us!

DNF at 15%. there’s something about the writing style I’m not vibing with. I do think it’s a “it’s not you it’s me” thing because the plot seems interesting, the characters well fleshed out, & the writing is fine. but I’m just not enjoying it & keep soft DNFing it, so I’m calling TOD.

Thank you NetGalley and author Sera Foxe for the eARC of Blood, Iron & Bone.

This book was a multi-POV Romantasy with good world building and lot of characters. I really enjoyed Aife, Nova, and Cillian as characters. I did not feel I learned enough about Andar for him to feel like a fully fleshed out MMC. Aurelia, one of our two FMC’s, is an interesting character but her character development did not seem to change much over the course of the story.

The pacing was very slow and the multiple POVs gave the story a disjointed and sometimes repetitive feel. The movement of the story was dependent on discussion amongst the characters; however, this was often interrupted by character introspection. The main conflict of the story occurred after the 80% mark.

This book had some romance and some spice. There was angst and insecurity, and a focus on the impact a parent’s love has on their children. Also, discussion of caste and race throughout the story.

Some tropes: Fated mates, Found Family

Overall, this story was interesting and kept my attention. I would read the next book in the series.

ARC REVIEW ✨

Blood Iron and Bone by Sera Foxe

Rating: 2.5⭐️
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, (a smig of) Mystery
Yes, no, or maybe: Maybe!

Read if you like:
-The Chosen One
-Secret Identities
-Fated Mates
-Strong FMCs

This book had good bones! We are introduced to a new world, the Otherworld, where darkness has taken over the sky, humans are servants, and every Fae child has a prophecy spoken at birth. Aurelia is a human girl who has never felt like she belongs. Lark, the Fae princess, has been told all her life she is destined to be the high queen. Andar, the Fae soldier, has been prophesied to be mated to the High Queen. This story follows all three characters closely has their fates collide.

The world Sera Foxe is building is detailed and intriguing! We learn about each subspecies of Fae and their roles within the world. I loved the concept that every Fae child has a prophecy or destiny! The book does end with a segue into a second book, which I do intend to read.

Why wasn’t this a 5⭐️ read??
I very much understand that reading is subjective! My 5⭐️ can be another 1⭐️! In this case, I just wasn’t invested in the characters. Perhaps it was because this was the first book and there was a lot of focus on world building! But the narrative jumped around to a lot of characters and it felt like I didn’t really get to be invested in any of them. There were also I few times where I got confused.. and I am aware that could be a me problem! When the “big reveal” happened, I didn’t understand.

I still enjoyed the world that was presented and would like to see what happens next!

Unfortunately had to DNF this one around 28%, it is a dense book with a lot of POVs and I was just not able to connect. Anytime I felt like I was starting to connect with a character, they’d disappear for 5 chapters and meanwhile multiple new plot lines would appear.

I can see how sticking it out would make this a super cool story, it just sadly wasn’t it for me at this time!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This story has a large cast of characters with intricate world building. The Kingdom of Aithrim had been cursed to darkness, but there is a prophecy to end the curse. At first glance, it is simple and requires a marriage, yet the two supposedly dated to be together feel nothing more than friendship for the other. As the other characters are introduced, the feeling that there is more going on grows. I enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading what happens next.

Thank you to Agency Press, @serafoxe, and @netgalley for the advanced eARC.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book. I just couldn't get into it. The premise sounded so promising and maybe I just need to revisit at a later date.
I will give this another try later this year.

Book: Blood Iron And Bone (The Lightbringers Book 1)
Author: Sera Foxe
Publishing: March 21st, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (4.5/5)
Review:
I'm so happy this had a pronunciation guide. 😅
What to expect:
- Fated Mates
- Prophecy
- Magic
- fae
- Multiple POVs
- World-building
- found family(just starting)
- Some explicit content
At first, I had a rough time getting into this story. The characters are well-developed. The story flowed well for the most part. 6 povs were a little hard to keep track of, but it's worth the mild confusion. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Agency Press, & the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
*All thoughts & opinions are my own.*

#TheLightbringers #NetGalley #SeraFoxe

This was NOT an easy read! I struggled with the multiple POVs (there are 6!)! The Romance is more of a subplot in this one but the prohepcy and the Fae world were very interesting. I did find the authors (there are 2!) to be very engaging and they kept me wanting to push through even though I was struggling to keep up with some of the world building. There were plenty of twists, fated mates, prophecies. Also, this book is told in 3rd person.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Agency Press and Sera Foxe for this ARC!

In a kingdom on the precipice of the fulfillment or failure of its most famous prophecy, thrown together by fate and terrifying circumstance, a motley band of Fae and Human alike must come together for the good of the realm, even as the darkness that covers the land threatens to become permanent.

This was a fun and enjoyable debut novel. Like most fantasy novels it takes a moment to really get your bearings and understand what is going on and with 6 different POV you need to take your time digesting this story bit by bit.
Like many fantasies, this story is centered around Fae and humans alike, plus you get a good dose of world building, prophecies, curses, magic and fated mates.

Since this is a book that introduces the reader to a plethora of characters, I feel the need to purchase a physical copy to annotate so that I can prepare myself for the next book in the series once it is released.

I desperately wanted to love this book, but the many differing POVs were quite confusing for me. It had the bare bones of a brilliant story, but something just didn’t hit right. I’m sure that there’s definitely readers that will adore this book, but unfortunately for me it didn’t.
Good luck to the author and I wish her all the best in her endeavours! ☺️

Dnf at 30%

I liked it at first. The betrothed couple were really interesting and had a fun chemistry. The fae world had some fun elements with traditional lore that I really liked. I just really struggled to feel connected to the story since so many povs kept being introduced and I didn’t like the human girl (Aurelia) at all. The story felt a bit disjointed and I was left feeling very confused and asking myself why? the whole time, which didn’t really grab my attention. This is just my honest review and doesn’t mean it might not be for you😊 Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.