4/5 stars
For fans of Chloe Gong comes a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy in which a young Shanghai woman must work with her ex, the London prince, to save their rival courts—if she doesn't kill him or fall back in love with him first.
It’s been nine years since the accords were established and centuries of war between the Midnight and Dawn Courts settled into a cold peace. But when poison created to eliminate the Dawn Court royal bloodline is stolen, all signs point to the Midnight Court and that tentative peace threatens to break. To prevent war, the Emperor tasks Anna Liang, daughter of the Midnight Court's deputy, with working with Paris, the youngest prince of the Dawn Court, to find out who was responsible and prove Shanghai’s innocence.
But underneath it, the real assignment: infiltrate the Dawn Court’s school for espionage, win Paris’s trust, gain intel, and then kill him—Paris, her first love and heartbreak.
Despite this complication, Anna is determined to complete her mission. But as her bond with Paris deepens and the true culprit is revealed, Anna must decide what she's willing to sacrifice to fulfill her duty, and if she even wants to.

I loved this book. I loved the characters the story and the pace of the story. the only thing that I didn't love was the ending but still an amazing book.

Thank you Net Galley and Turner Publishing for this ARC.

The story starts off so promising and I was a little disappointed it mostly took place in the Dawn Court vs the Midnight Court for my own selfish reasons what I wanted to see more of the Chinese story.

Paris and Anna are basically star crossed lovers but only mainly due to their duties to their court. They work together to help their individual courts but are also internally conflicted by what is morally right vs what they were trained to do.

The story kind of fizz’s but comes sparks some fire with the plot twists at the end and the cliff hanger. Even though my interest waned a little, I still look forward to what would be a sequel to this book.

A great enemies to lovers fantasy full of tension and adventure. I absolutely devoured this one! 4 stars!

Fans of Chloe Gong will love THIS WRETCHED DAWN! It has political intrigue and high stakes spy missions, all with a fated, ruinous romance at its core. I thought I had gotten a grasp of where the story was heading, but I was NOT expecting that ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d give this 3.5/5. This was a really cool premise of lovers to enemies to lovers twisted with espionage and double agents MIXED with some Chinese lore. I enjoyed this book overall and found it a fun read. I personally did not care too much for the romance, but loved the mystery unpacking and the dynamic of the two Courts. Fun side characters and fun moral takes! The twist at the end though!! Cwazy

Thank you NetGalley and Melinda Gong for this ARC opportunity!

I will say, something weird happened with the formatting for me… it made it a little difficult to read, trying to ignore the formatting issues.

Unfortunately, this one simply wasn't for me. I couldn't connect to any of the characters, and the way the initial setup came about fell flat to me. The main character is sent to an espionage skill and told to kill her ex-lover when she's gotten all the information she can from him but...why? I feel there were a lot of elements that purely existed to cause tension between the main character and her love interest that just didn't feel natural to the story.

Overall, I think this one was just too generic and didn't add anything new or exciting for me to invest in.

While I do think that overall this book lacked depth and character growth, I did think it could eventually. be a great book

While I did finish it, it took me so long to push through this book because it was so hard to follow..

Why are Shanghai and London called 'Midnight Court' and 'Dawn Court?' Are other countries named similarly? As there was no world building, you don't really find out.

This book is marketed as YA and I would definitely say that's the right target group.

4.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Turner publishing for this arc!! Where do I even start?? I loved this book so much. I loved the relationships between the characters; the new found family in the college and Anna and Paris reconnecting and exploring their relationship. The last few chapters had me on edge and that ending 🤯🤯 I need to know if there is going to be a sequel?!

Amazing book, this is a mix of spy and also Chinese culture in which makes it more exciting. The only problem that I have is that the world building was lacking in some parts.

This wasn’t one of my usual fantasy picks, but I ended up really enjoying it!

Anna Liang, a member of the Shanghai Midnight Court, is assigned to work with Paris—the youngest son of the Dawn Court’s king and her ex-boyfriend. Together, they must track down a stolen poison before it's too late.

I loved the dual POV, and the characters were really well written. The blend of modern elements with mythology was honestly my favourite thing!

I really can't stop recommending this!

Thank you Netgalley and Turner Publishing Company for this ARC. Ooooh my goodness! This book was so good! I cannot get over that ending. Melinda, you knew what you were doing for your fans!
In a modern time story, we follow Anna, a member of the Shanghai Midnight Court, as she is sent to work with the Paris, son of the king of the Dawn Court— who is also her ex boyfriend from three years earlier. They are tasked with working together in order to save the rival courts as a poison is stolen and meant to be used against the other. Unfortunately, Anna is also tasked with killing Paris. She is torn between following her duty and her feelings that she harbors for him.
The angst, the childhood friends to lovers to enemies, and the betrayal is just too good to miss. I am still reeling over that ending and now I need to hold a physical copy of this book in my hands so I can shove it in everyone’s faces and convince them to read this masterpiece.

ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 Stars)

Let me start by saying that This Wretched Dawn is definitely something different from my usual fantasy picks—in a good way.
It combines modern settings, espionage, and a dash of Chinese culture that gives it a really fresh twist. Think of an undercover academy vibe mixed with reluctant allies, all sprinkled with second-chance romance and the tension of potential enemies. That premise alone was enough to hook me!

The story follows two former allies who find themselves forced to work together again after a betrayal tore them apart years ago. Now, they’re stuck in the same elite academy—where espionage, shifting alliances, and hidden motives are the norm. The modern urban setting, steeped in Asian cultural elements, makes everything feel both familiar and totally new.

• Reluctant Allies/Lovers Turned Enemies: The dynamic between Anna and Paris is equal parts tension, longing, and are they still angry? I loved how their past hurt kept flaring up, but they had to work together anyway.

• Second-Chance Romance: There’s something so satisfying about characters who once cared for each other but are now on opposite sides. You feel the unresolved emotions and the angst!

• Academy + Espionage Setting: This was such a fun combo. I enjoyed the sneaking around, the covert missions, and all the secrecy that comes with a spying while attending school. It added a layer of mystery that kept me turning pages.

• Modern World with Asian Culture: The blend of present-day elements—like skyscrapers and smartphones—alongside cultural traditions and mythology was so refreshing. It felt authentic and vivid, almost like you could hop on a plane and visit the same locations.

• Cliffhanger Ending: I know some people hate cliffhangers, but I honestly kind of love them. The final chapters definitely ramp up the stakes and leave you wanting more.


While I was so into the opening chapters and found the ending exciting, the middle dragged a bit for me. I felt like the pacing was slow during the second act. It wasn’t bad, just not as gripping as the beginning and end.

I liked our main duo— Anna and Paris—a lot, but I did feel like some of the side characters could’ve used a bit more fleshing out. There are a few potential allies and rivals at the academy who felt a little one-note.


Overall:

I’d rate This Wretched Dawn a solid 3.5 stars. It’s a good, decent read—something fresh if you’re used to strictly high fantasy or historical settings. If you’re looking for a blend of modern urban life, spying on a person who was once close to you, second-chance romance, and a dash of cultural flavor, you’ll probably have a great time.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you’re in the mood for a unique setting and you don’t mind a bit of a lull in the middle. The cliffhanger has me curious about what comes next, so I’ll definitely keep an eye out for a sequel. If you love the tension of lovers-turned-enemies, the thrill of espionage, and a fresh cultural backdrop, This Wretched Dawn is worth checking out!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.