Summary
In this sweeping fantasy romance, a mortal girl, Aurelia, is unexpectedly pulled into a prophecy that binds her fate to a fae prince, Andar, in a world on the brink of ruin. With fated mates, duty, and a quest for identity at its core, this story unfolds against a backdrop of prophecy and war as light and darkness collide.

Review
“Blood, Iron, and Bone” is a spellbinding romantasy that weaves a tale of prophecy, fated mates, and self-discovery, all while staying within the realm of clean romance. The poetic prophecy, which serves as the story’s foundation, sets the stage for an enchanting narrative filled with romantic tension, intricate worldbuilding, and compelling characters.

The story itself felt unique in many ways, although it does tread familiar ground with its human heroine entering the fae world and uncovering hidden truths about herself. The writing style, which seemed to oscillate between third-person and omniscient narration, initially required some adjustment. At first, the multiple points of view felt overwhelming, but once immersed in the story, this became a non-issue, and I found myself deeply invested.

The worldbuilding is beautifully crafted, though the pacing at the start is slow. However, this deliberate approach allows the reader to ease into the world and understand its complexities. Before long, I found myself completely hooked, unable to resist reading “just one more chapter.”

The romantic buildup is exquisite, offering a satisfying emotional depth without any explicit scenes, making it a perfect read for fans of young adult fantasy. The diverse and intriguing cast of characters adds richness to the narrative, though many threads remain unresolved, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC.

I rated this book 4.5 stars because it's super good. I really loved this plot. The story is fantastic and the characters are so good. So so good. Totally recommend!!!

I loved this book! It’s full of mystery, deception, and intertwining fates across worlds. It is a story that is hard to put down as you try to fill in the missing clues. I am looking forward to reading the next book!

This story sets the tone perfectly right from the opening, drawing readers into its gripping atmosphere.

The world-building is exceptional—unique yet entirely cohesive, making even the most unfamiliar settings feel natural. The characters are deeply relatable, with motivations that ground them in reality. While I wish their relationships had been explored more, there’s plenty of room for growth in future installments.

The twists and turns are masterfully executed, giving every character a meaningful role in the unfolding destiny. Although the plot was occasionally hard to follow, when everything clicked into place, it was brilliant. The subtle foreshadowing had me wanting to scream at the characters (in the best way).

This book was an absolute joy to read, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

There is A LOT going on & once you understand the multiple POVs things start falling into place.

We get Fae as they were meant to be: assholes! All tricky, stealing babies and being self-centered.

All the women characters were interestingly complicated and truly moved the story forward. I want to go more in depth but SPOILERS.

The men ;/ dumb jock comes to mind as a general descriptor. But I see their potential.

The Cat: perfect. no notes.

I would say that the 1st 20% tells more than shows but I had no idea where in the world, or time, Aurelia was living. It wasn't until we get to the 80% mark that we find out where & I was WHAT?! Because she reads so American when she finally starts having conversations with other people. I did like her though, she's no shy violet.

There are formatting, grammar & editing issues throughout the book but considering that it's an ARC, hopefully they'll be caught & corrected.

I would totally read book 2

This book was absolutely incredible! It gripped me and pulled me in immediately! The perfect fantasy book for any fantasy lover!
A five star read easily!

Wow, this book was special! One of my faves all year even though I prefer romcoms and light stuff. I am just getting into the genre y of my favourite authors is moving to it so maybe I just need more time.

It took me a moment to settle in because I am used to first person and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to connect, but I don’t want to be a lazy reader, and I did my best. So glad bc the opposite happened and I connected to SO MANY characters equally! I loved the multi-perspective story, especially the found family and I need to know what’s next, especially for Lark!

Corny to say, but reading this book made me feel smarter. So many of the indie books are good but some I tried this year were not. Not to be mean, but they’re always full of clichés. I get the tropes, but I have been feeling like I am just getting the same stories over and over again and it’s annoying. This book was different.

I WAS lazy about starting because I had so many preconceived notions, but I am so glad I challenged myself with this one. It was anything but boring, but yeah, it’s not a mindless read for sure. Pay attention and you will love it! Thank you so much to the author for giving me a chance to read this early! But it was quite spicy and steamy. I think I need to go back to romcoms for a bit next.

It's like a fairy tale with a captivating story and lot's of mystery.
The dream-perspective is very catching and I really like how the different characters opend your eyes to an intriging world building.

Once again we meet a world with Fae, but in a new and brillante way.
It's a fastpaced action-packed fantasy with tension and romance!
- Forbidden love
- Fated mates
- Cursed country
- Twins
- Chosen one
- it's allways been you...

Post on IG 9.jan 2025 @one_fairy_tale_at_the_time

Thank you so much Agency Press and Netgalley for giving me this ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This book has a cool magic system with faeries, mysteries and an intriguing plot. It's written in third person with a fairytale narrator type of vibe, and i actually really enjoyed this as i felt like someone was telling me a fairytale. We also follow a lot of characters in this story from the very beginning, which is kind of unique as in alot of books we only follow a couple of characters perspectives. Many of the characters were also really funny and lovable.

I did however find it a bit confusing to follow so many characters from the start as i felt like i sometimes lost track of the plot and the pacing. There is also alot of world building going on in the beginning, so it took some time for me to personally get into the story. I also felt like when things paced up, it happened very quickly, so i wish the climax had been dragged out a bit more.

The plot however is really good and the book leaves you with alot of questions for what will happen next. It has romance, prophecies, faeries and lots of mysteries - and an ending that will make you want to know more! I would definitely recommend this to romantasy readers who love faeries, prophecies and fated mates.

This! This right here held me and had me gripped from the start!

Our FMC feels out of place, an outcast from the world that she is currently in. And out of the blue, from what she thought was a dream, she is pulled into a new realm where she meets someone who looks exactly like her. There are secrets, magic, and such a strong plot with a bit of romance. I'm so invested within this story, I am so ready to see where it goes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you, Sera Foxe and The Agency Press Collective, for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of Blood, Iron & Bone!

I absolutely loved the premise and intricate world-building in this book—there’s so much potential for an incredible series here. The story had me hooked with its blend of romance and fantasy elements, and the chemistry between the characters was compelling.

That said, I did feel that the pacing occasionally dragged, and the multiple points of view sometimes made the plot feel a bit disjointed and harder to follow. I think focusing on just two perspectives—Aurelia and Ander—would allow the story to shine even brighter and heighten the emotional depth. With some fine-tuning, this could easily become one of my favorite Romantasy reads of the year.

I’m excited to see how this story evolves and look forward to more from Sera Foxe in the future!

I thoroughly enjoyed the prologue; it immediately captivated me. While the beginning was excellent, I felt the story lost momentum. The characters lacked depth, diminishing my engagement, and I ultimately stopped reading. However, the underlying concept is original and intriguing and possesses significant potential.

I appreciate the opportunity for this but unfortunately I will not be finishing it. I struggled with the pacing and didn't feel like the world/characters had a lot of depth.

Good start to the series. I enjoyed the FMC Aurelia, she was an absolute delight. I would’ve liked more world building and details. The conflict scenes felt very short and didn’t add much to the story. Interactions between characters was engaging. I felt like the book was rushed and there was no real buildup. Hopeful for a continuation of the series though

Aurelia has always been lonely in her home, with emotionally distant parents and no friends. She's only had the boy from her dreams to keep her company. But one day, she goes looking to find him...and passes into another world.

I loved the plot device of having an omniscient narrator in the book - who clearly sees danger and intrigue ahead. It made the book interesting from the very beginning. The character of Maw (or, as I think she should be called as an Irish mammy, Ma) is fascinating and unusual. I really enjoyed that the book allowed for romance of minor characters (I want so much more Alasdair and Aife), as well as the Irish-related setting.

I'm excited for the next book in the series and hope it will give some more time and development to so many of the fascinating women in the book: Aife, Maw, and Ciorraithe.

As the first two star review for this book I feel terrible but I just can not give this any higher rating than that.

This was such a slow book, I really thought at some point it would pick up and actually start but the entire book felt like a backstory building up for another book. I did not see any action until about 85% of this book and that is just not acceptable for me.
Too many characters were introduced in this book where I could not fall in love with a majority of them because we did not get enough time with each.
I really enjoyed Aurelia and Lark in the beginning but found myself getting annoyed with both of them and their constant "woe is me" attitude after a couple of chapters.
I loved the concept of this book but did not love the execution. I will most definitely not read from this series but I will consider this author again in the future after their is more growth.

“The call that came out of the darkness was at once both a whisper and a scream. Pitched perhaps too high for most humans to hear, it was still loud enough to wake Aurelia Bartlett from her slumber.”

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Thank you to Netgalley and Sera Foxe for the ARC copy. This was absolutely fantastic.
There is something deeply and darkly prophetic about Blood Iron and Bone that has left me thinking about this book now that I've finished reading it. I'll be honest, I've got a book hangover, which to me is the sign of a very, very good read. The location of Áithrim is so well fleshed out, with creatures and unique magic and Aurelia is an incredible FMC. Sera Foxe... we need to talk about Lark - please... book 2... (brokenheart).

I have a soft spot for fate, prophecies and worldly veils and this book doesn't disappoint in how well it balances light and dark, desire and despair and speaking between minds. The last 30% of the book had me on the edge as the story takes a few turns that I just didn't see coming. I am already so very excited for book 2 and I'm already excited for a re-read!

- Visions & prophecy
- Fae (like you've not seen them)
- Growth in power
- Animal companions
- Rebellion & Royalty
- Telepathic communication
- Unique magic

A thrilling adventure with a well-built world, interesting characters, a fast-moving and surprising plot, and a really cool take on all things Fae. The chapters are so gripping you’ll be turning the pages quickly, eager to find out what happens next. The characters are incredibly captivating, each one bringing something unique to the story. I can't wait for the next book to see where their journeys take them. Thank you to #netgalley and @serafoxe and @agencypressbooks for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

An incredible ride with great world-building, complicated and well-executed characters, a fast-paced and unpredictable plot, and a very creative take on a Faerish parallel universe.