A Dawn of Onyx: The Sacred Stones Book 1

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Let’s talk about one of the most crucial elements in this book: the ROMANCE. It was quite fast-paced in my opinion, I would have like it to be more slow-burn, but it wasn’t instalove. I’m glad that their feelings grow along with the development of a beautiful friendship. The dialogues do a lot of justice to this two.

We truly have an original, round character in here, a strong woman who’s brave while still being soft and feminine, a girl who loves deeply but is specially loyal to herself. The last chapter was devastating but incredible when it comes to Arwen’s mentality shift.

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Arwen and Kane were such a fun pairing with a delicious banter and steamy slowburn that had me curling my toes and crave for more. There were instances I was annoyed by Kane mostly for how cryptic he turned sometimes and thought the attraction between was a bit rushed but it was Arwen's easiness and Kane's naughtiness I found entertaining. 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. the banter is what initially sold me with this book, bc honestly it is SOO good ngl. and the way i loved the dynamics between Arwen and Kane - i really did. i wouldn't say i loved Arwen in most part of the book - in truth, i found her to be extremely naive and stupid sometimes (no offence, little bird). but, i had to excuse that fact bc she hadn't truly been exposed to the real world all that much. i do think she's gonna become a lot more vengeful and badass in the next book and I SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT for her to take revenge and kill people (or maybe i just want more killing people to happen in general). I definitely recommend this for any fantasy romance reader who are looking for an entertaining and immersive fantasy romance with a sprinkle of spice. I 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.

I liked Kane as a character he was surprisingly level-headed and protective when it came to Arwen. I initially thought this was going to have a much darker vibe mostly because of the beginning scenes but the building bond between these two was actually very sweet and Kane was patience personified when it came to Arwen's many mistakes. 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 play The author didn't neglect the worldbuilding in this book. On the contrary, it was masterfully crafted and left me in awe. I particularly enjoyed discovering the rich history of the fae and how their magic and world operated. Kane, the king, is burdened with the responsibility of leading an entire kingdom, with the weight of its fate resting on his shoulders. Despite his position of power, he's tormented by an unknown past and is fighting a battle shrouded in secrecy. With a multitude of secrets hidden behind his enigmatic demeanor, Kane is a complex character that's difficult to read. Despite this, he's a great man who possesses a soft spot for the main protagonist, demonstrating a protective nature and genuine care for her well-being. Throughout the story, he constantly encourages her, urging her to develop her strength and hone her skills so she can better protect herself.

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I love to listen to you explain medicinal practices,” he purred. “And I’d love to listen to you fall off a cliff.” Looking ahead, I have some definite expectations for the sequel. I especially hope the author carefully works to differentiate the cultures and buildup of each court, so that they aren’t all basically the same with just a different gem color scheme *cough pathetic don't do it* A Dawn of Onyx is another amazing debut fantasy romance that I devoured. Arwen is a human living a kingdom at war with Onyx, a dark and violent kingdom. When her brother escapes battle with stolen Onyx coin, Arwen is caught in the crosshairs and offers herself to the Onyx kingdom in exchange for her family’s lives. When thrown in the dungeon next to a handsome af stranger, she knows he’s the only one who can help her escape.

Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King. Moving on…. I wanted to make a point to really speak on the originality here. Yes, it’s true that this is an enemies-to-lovers, and yes it’s a “chosen one” fantasy story, and sure, some of the twists were arguably a little predictable. But Kate knew what her readers were looking for, and she gave it to them. This is not the type of originality I’m talking about. Instead, I wanted to talk about the settings and the mythology/lore of the story. For one, I found the idea of kingdoms named off of, and based upon, gems and stones to be really interesting. I was especially intrigued by the way that the kingdoms seemed to reflect the traits and even physical descriptions of the stones (gems? idk) in question. It was a great take on world building in my opinion. And then the mythology of the world. I found it really interesting that there was a unique blend of human versus fantastical. Unlike some stories where there may be two worlds or a veil of some sort, in this case, the humans learned about fae and creatures and such, but were so far removed from them, that they were taught about almost the way we are mythology. Like it was believed to exist, but there was not really concrete evidence to prove it. Idk, something about it really brought in my attention, and I found myself curious to learn more as the world was built up. The dialogue between Arwen and Kane felt really cheesy and unnatural. They had no spark and I don't know what they saw in each other. I really wasn't convinced of their chemistry. Soon, amidst enemies, she will have to find her inner strength to survive, using her enigmatic power. Somewhat a coming-of-age tale, but some things may be more suitable to adult readers, including child abuse and s3xual assault. Love the elements of personal sacrifice without martyrdom. Too often, we read characters like that!!!Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including: 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 😉 Although I didn't find this book through Tik Tok... This book is basically your typical Tik Tok read - a bunch of tropes thrown together with no care for actual substance. For example, the only reason there was abuse was so that the hero could have a "who did this to you" moment, which is super contrived and shallow!