Clare Sager

A Kiss of Iron by Clare Sager is the first book in the Shadows of the Tenebris Court. A woman on the verge of losing her home is tasked with coming to court to spy on a member of the Fae delegation. Thus starts a game of danger, deceit and desire. This is a book for adults only as it contains explicit content. Please read content warnings on the author’s website as this contains adult themes, including violence, punishment, bullying and primal play. Tropes include enemies to lovers, court intrigue, who did this, fake dating, touch her and die and, my favorite, a shadow daddy.

The Lovely: I liked both the plot/tension and the characters. This story had a unique plot that didn’t rely on common themes, which made this a read where I didn’t know what was coming next. The ending hit me in the feels and I’m anxious to find out what happens in book 2. I also love the characters, all the way from Kat and Bastian to Asher and Ella. Kat was complex - she had past trauma that she pushed down but she was brave and sassy. I appreciated her development as a woman in a “man’s world” over the course of the book.

The Mundane: The world building was ok. The author relied on a lot of common beliefs about the Fae (can’t like, promiscuous). The Sabre-cat riding was a fun and unique part though.

The Dreadful: Nothing. I mean, there are a lot of men in the book I want to punch but that seems on track.

Rating: 5/5 Stars 3/5 Flames

Recommendation: This is a book built upon feminine rage and empowerment. The story started off wild and never slowed down, which was impressive given the book’s length. I realized at the 85 percent mark there was no way everything would be wrapped up by the end and it did end on a bit of a cliffhanger. Book 2 is due to be released at the end of September 2023. On the wait!… (mehr)

Slaying the Shifter Prince by Clare Sager is a book in the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers series, a set of standalone books by different authors. This book takes place in the world in which some of her other books take place in. Main character Zita has had a singular focus for the 10 years since her sister’s death - gain access to and kill the Prince of Monsters. But, she fails and is imprisoned as the Prince’s “pet”, planning to wait for opportunity to knock again. This is a book for adults only as it contains explicit content. Please read content warnings on the author’s website as this contains adult themes, including violence, punishment, bullying and primal play. Tropes include enemies to lovers, banter, and morally gray characters.

The Lovely: I liked the female main character Zita as you could really see how her actions, including how she handled the Prince, were driven by her desire for revenge. And I appreciate that she was a strong female lead but wasn’t the common “female warrior” stereotype.

The Mundane: There wasn’t much in the way of world building. I understand this is set in the same world as some of the author’s other books, but since it’s billed as a standalone, I thought the world would be explained a bit more.

The Dreadful: First, I want to clarify I know the Prince is supposed to be morally gray and that this is a “bully romance.” I don’t have issue with either of those things and I think bully romances can be done well. But, the Prince’s actions and motivations didn’t make sense to me (like, he suddenly stops bullying her and is nice after a certain event) and the bullying came off as something to be laughed at, which I don’t think it was.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Recommendation: Again, I understand what type of romance this is written to be. However, I question the consent in some of the intimate scenes. The Prince did ask her if she wanted to stop but it really seemed like she didn’t think she could say no in those situations, and there was a significant power imbalance between the two which raises the question of consent. That all said, I do think the book should have a trigger warning for dubious consent. Thus, I would only recommend this book if you are comfortable with far darker romance and subjects such as bullying, primal play and dubious consent. If those are fine for you, this book could be quite fun and enjoyable.… (mehr)

Thank you, Paper Myths, for the chance to read and review the arc for A Kiss of Iron! This is the first book in a brand new series by Clare Sager and is absolutely perfect for fans of ACOTAR! Kindle Unlimited subscribers will be happy to know that the book can be read as part of the subscription!

I love so many things about A Kiss of Iron! It's a well-edited book that you can just dive right into! You read and read and just enjoy the ride!

Kat's been married to a nobleman who has been away for ten years, sleeping with other women and basically flaunting his marriage vows while she looks after his crumbling estate. She was taught to be obedient in horrible ways, which haunt her throughout this book. She also knows that she has to make difficult decisions and be practical; after all, what use is sentimentality when water is dripping through the roof.

I also loved the touch her and die trope and how sex can be wild, crazy, and passionate without trampling over someone else and their boundaries. I loved how much Kat grew as a character! She was reasonably determined at the start of things. Still, as things change and progress, she deals with many horrible people and things around her, makes allies, and becomes more robust and wiser.

And I have a crush on Bastien, for sure. He's my new book boyfriend, and I can't wait to learn more about his past in the upcoming books.
I can see that this series is set in the same world as Beneath Black Sails. However, that didn't make a difference to my reading experience, except it made me want to check out that series. I wish we had seen Avice interact with Uncle Rupert because that would have been pretty exciting.

The next book in the series, A Touch of Poison, comes out on the 28th of September, and I can hardly wait!… (mehr)

A great fantasy romance with some detailed sailing descriptions, classic enemies-to-lovers tropes, and a strong conclusion which sets up interesting dynamics for the sequel and honestly wasn't as sappy as it could've been.

Tbh, I have no idea how this ARC arrived in my inbox (I must’ve clicked a link somewhere???) but hey, magic and pirates? I’m down. Good call, past self.

Lady Vice is the most famed pirate on the high seas, but for all her notoriety, she is stuck sailing under a controlling captain. When the infamous pirate hunter Knigh Blackwood grants her captain a letter of marque, Vice sees this as an opportunity to finally get her own ship to sail and plunder in the name of her homeland. While pirate and hunter are drawn to each other, prejudice and secrets threaten to turn trust into bitter hate, and Vice's dreams might be sailing further out of reach.

Vice and Knigh's adventure takes place in an age of sail painted with Celtic fae lore. Names, magic, and colloquial expressions add to the setting, and I'm hopeful that this will be further explored as the series progresses.

II was a little disappointed by how much of the fighting/ship boarding seemed to happen off-page, either because of time skips or changes in perspective. If Vice was out there fighting, I did't wanna be stuck in Knigh's head...

Recommend for fans of Miranda Honfleur or Alex Lidell's Tides series.

**Big thanks to the Clare Sager for the ARC*… (mehr)