In truth, bird, your cell is the last place I should be, but,” he sighed. “I can’t seem to keep away from you.” Honestly my favorite part was most definitely the ending, because I think Arwen made the best choices, they felt thought out, consistent with her character, and definitely created all the intrigue necessary to have book two be a highly anticipated sequel. Arwen has the gift of healing and it's this talent she ends up bartering with to save her life. Her handsome arrogant jailor Kane is determined she pays her brother's debt in his stead but he is also surprisingly kind to her and though Arwen tries so hard to hate him she also can’t help reluctantly falling for his many charms.

Firstly you may call me Kane. King Ravenwood is a little formal from someone I’ve made blush as many times as you.” Princess Amelia strolled inside and sat down on the bed. I scrambled to politely sit beside her, then tried to bow. It wasn’t pretty. She gave me a pitying glance. “No need for… whatever that is. I brought you clothes for tonight’s dinner.” There were some things that didn't make sense, like 1. How did Arwen's abilities remain hidden for so long when she displayed her powers in a daily basis to heal people, even if she lived in a small village? 2. Kane is a infamous womanizer that never falls in love, but he ends up falling for Arwen too swiftly(?The secondary characters felt very one dimensional as well. They didn't seem like real people because they all had such distinctive purposes. Once they were used, they were discarded. The writing in ‘A Dawn of Onyx’ is a fun mix of ACOTAR style world-building, but with it’s own flair. I could feel myself inside the gothic castle library and in the foggy forests. I absolutely loved the atmosphere created! I must confess that I guessed (part of)the truth about Arwen pretty early on. Probably as I read many fantasy. But we are still left with questions at the end of the story. I guess for book two now. But… I have a theory 😉 BONUS: Was I entertained, and therefore, can Kate be considered successful in her endeavor to charm a reader and gain a new supporter? Yes. + .5 stars. SO FAR, KANE IS not my favorite love interest. It’s hard for me to say exactly what it is… I think it’s that I couldn’t understand why he fell so hard for Arwen, other than he thought she was hot. Idk. I did love how flirtatious he was and there was definitely a lot of sexual tension between them, so I definitely still enjoyed the romance overall 🥰 It wasn’t really steamy but I have high hopes for the next books 🤞🤞

Kane Ravenwood. Kane motherfreaking Ravenwood. How to describe this hothead manipulative powerful man with a good sense of humor and a killer crooked grin? I just really enjoyed this book! The heroine was my kind of sassy and learned to defend herself. Seriously, any book where the MC is relucant to learn to fight/develop powers/ be a Nesta IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE.Why did you think your life was worth less than his?” His words were not at all what I was expecting.” I absolutely loved this story. With lies, betrayal, political intrigue, magic, and more, it is a brilliant epic romantasy and one I would highly recommend. Special thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book. I loved it so much, I plan to buy a physical copy for my bookshelf. And sure, there were other well-developed characters from Mari sassy BFF with her own storyline, Commander Griffin who constantly gives MC shit, Dagan grouchy old man, and a mysterious Lady Kleio who I think will return in sequel with larger part. the world-building i did have a few qualms with, but i have a feeling that's going to be rectified in the next book and i simply cannot wait! Furthermore, as for Kane Ravenwood, the love interest, there is nothing in particular that stands out about him in terms of fictional boyfriends. He is charming, flirtatious and says a few mildly swoon-worthy lines that I have found myself enjoying, in spite of the cheesiness and the cliché surrounding the story. Also, he has those tortured-hero vibes that, while not as attractive as those of a morally gray character or a villain, he pulls off with elegance. Basically, he is your average, sexy, fictional boyfriend. Nevertheless, I admit I delighted in the romance between him and Arwen. It can be cringy and unoriginal at times, but it's not nearly as constant or as intense as it can be in any other aspects of the book. There is even some light, soft-core smut that is tastefully done.

EDIT: I’m adjusting this to 5 stars based on the fact that I literally can not stop thinking about this book. It lives in my head rent free and that deserves a full 5 star rating for me ❤️‍🔥🫶🏼 Our MC Arwen pulls a whole bullshit martyr-move for her family, only to get pulled into the very war she was trying to run away from… and of course she has a larger part to playI think what made this book so entertaining to me are the characters. Arwen Lily Valondale is a healer from a small village in the Amber Kingdom. The continent named Evendell worship the nine Holy Gemstones and consist of kingdoms named after the holy stones such as Kingdom of Garnet, the Pearl Mountains, the Opal territories, the Peridot Provines, and the most ruthless of them all—the Onyx Kingdom.