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This books flirts the line between 4.5 and 5 stars but ultimately it kept my attention and had a good mix of everything. Excited for book 2!!!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: romantasy
Plot: slow burn romance with a fantasy core of blood witches and dragon shifters
Emotion: 🧡/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶��

Summary: set in a world of disease, oppression, and a tyrant king, a Crimson Shard holding ultimate power could right all the wrongs. But in the wrong hands, it could doom them all. Follow the journey of a fleeing princess, suppressed dragon shifter, and syndicate trio of thieves as they push to be the first to steal the Shard from the notoriously dangerous Blood Witches!

This is a multiPOV plot with predominately 3 storylines:

(1) Dragon shifters: this was probably my favorite storyline. The dragon shifters background / heritage was fascinating to learn. My only negatives about the MMC are his (1) appearance and (2) lack of knowledge at times. His dragon skills make him extremely perceptive but was really out of touch on what the world has to offer - not surprising given his oppression - but it made him a little less desirable.

(2) The princess: she’s a badass, knows how to fight, is intelligent, and her purpose is admirable. There’s not much to not like about her. Her background is typical for a princess whose father cares more about power/succession rather than the wants and wellbeing of his daughter. She did have me fuming at times.

(3) The syndicate: I didn’t really care about for most of the book, and often found myself disappointed when their POV chapters were up. Not that their storyline was bad, it just was my least favorite comparably. I will say, the syndicate had strong Six of Crows vibes but with vulgarity which I appreciated.

Takeaway: if you liked Six of Crows but wish it had more 🌶�� romance - give this a try. If you’re in your dragon era and really want a book heavy on the dragon side, this might not be the book for you. Dragon shifters are a component of the book but due to their oppression it’s not a huge component (not comparable to Fourth Wing). This is multi-POV following 2 to 3 storylines that don’t always overlap so if you get overwhelmed by multiple concurrent plots, be warned, but also still give it a try - it’s not overly complex to follow.

Thank you Victory Editing and NetGalley for the digital ARC!