Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an advance reader's copy of this book. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I loved this book so much. The writing is amazing, and the story was engaging and captivating. It was very interesting reading about a female executioner, and I found myself getting easily sucked into the world. Can't wait to read the sequel!

⭐⭐⭐ / 5

Dive into a gritty, dark fantasy with All the Dark Souls!

I was a little conflicted on where to rate this but eventually I settled on 3 stars and think that should be a fair judgement. Everything about this novel had so much promise and all of it was <i>good</i>, I just didn't find any of it <i>great</i>.

The world-building was amazing and you could really tell that Dunnewin had done their research and knew exactly where they wanted their story to be placed! I felt like the world building could have been spaced out a little better so that we didn't get paragraphs of information dumped on us every second page. It might just me a me thing, but my memory is shot and I prefer being drip-fed lore throughout a story rather than being beaten with it all upfront.

The characters were great - particularly Joss and her assistant, but I would have loved to see some more genuine development across the board. All of the plot points we progressed through were standard for a fantasy in this genre so none of the plot twists really threw me for a loop. Not that it's <i>bad</i> to reuse these tropes, stacks of authors do and do it well, and I think that if Joss and the rest had a bit more meat to them the twists would have worked perfectly. The romance in particular really fell flat to me and I've got my fingers crossed that the sequel is going to throw a Rhysand plot-twist at us and yeet Alric out a window for someone actually worthy of how badass Joss is.

Overall the characters had promise and the world was great. I have high hopes for the sequel now that we (hopefully) had most of the worldbuilding out of the way. With the novel's short length this felt more like a setup than an actual installment and I'm really hoping that the sequel gives us exactly what I was missing from this one.


<i>Thank you, NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an arc copy of this book.

4/5 stars

Things I loved:
Loveee dark fantasy aspect
Two povs
Love that a woman is the executioner
Things I didn’t love:
Character development- felt like there was a lot of internal monologue rather than real life conversation between characters.
Action only happened in the last few chapters

I am excited to see what else this triology will bring.

Twisted, exciting, dark story to lose yourself in.
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Thank you NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


All the Dark Souls wasn't terrible - but it was, unfortunately, pretty boring. For being only 202 pages, it really dragged at certain points. I've never read another book by this author, but there were some odd moments to me. I think the author would've benefited from doing a bit more showing instead of telling - there were several descriptions of someone being annoyed/mad/sad, only for the author to then literally say that they were annoyed/mad/sad. While I understand getting the point across, it felt a little tiresome at some point.

I also had some qualms with their societal structure. Firstly, everyone is stunned that there is a women executioner - which is interesting because the author did not display in any way that the society was sexist, other than showing every man being surprised at a women executioner. I feel like we could've benefited from seeing why society cared, and showing some emotion about this. Instead, we just got a lot of people acting shocked and then immediately getting over it.

Secondly, why are executioners TORTURED and murdered when they can't kill someone in 3 tries? Why did they settle on THREE tries? Why do they have to be tortured? Why aren't they just fired, or excommunicated? I feel like torturing people who had a bad day is pretty dramatic, and I didn't feel like there was a satisfying explanation for why anyone would agree to these rules - and why executioners weren't running away left and right.

All in all, All the Dark Souls wasn't horrible, but it wasn't a book I'd necessarily recommend, and I will not be reading future books in this series. I would perhaps give this author another try, though. I did think they invested a lot of energy in their world-building, which I appreciate.

I loved this book! At 166 pages it was easily read in a day but A.M. Dunnewin did a fantastic job at building a world, characters, a little tension, and a lot of drama in this story. To be an executioner let alone a female and the last of her line Joss is one amazing woman. I won’t give spoilers but I will say the twists and turns this story took left me hooked from the first page!

i was pleasantly surprised by this read! the plot was intriguing but the author did a great job of telling this story. enjoyed it so much i preordered the sequel!

This was a really nice short read. It threw me right into the action and immediately into a world where nothing would go according to plan. There was lots of twists that I enjoyed and the characters were great.

Joss was an interesting character I wanted to know more about, she held a lot of burdens and I felt sorry for her. Then Aric, I didn't see much of his character but the parts I did see were interesting.

That being said, I kind of wanted more. I would have liked for the stakes to be higher, and to truly understand Aric's terror at failing. And more emphasis on the prince story line.

Overall, this was a fun read.

All the dark Souls is a fast paced dark fantasy which follows Joss, who is an executioner and Henrick her assistant . The pacing of this book is good as it sucks into the story quickly without being too wordy with the world building like most fantasy books. I liked Joss's character and I especially love her and henrick's relationship. I don't really understand the relationship between her and Aric. I understand Aric sees her as his beautiful saviour and that Joss finally found someone that learned who she was and didn't run away but I don't really feel the romance blooming between them.
Overall, it was an ok read. I look forward to the rest of the series, to see how the plot develops.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited to read this book after reading the summary. It has such a unique premise that I had never read before and I also liked reading the author's explanation at the end of how she learned about the subject. I enjoyed reading the story overall. But, I did have quite a few things I thought could be improved.

Things I liked:
- the atmosphere. I liked learning about the town, the jail, and the nobles. I liked that they went into a lot of detail about the logistics of her job as both a healer and an executioner. Although, I do wish we got to learn a little bit more about everything.
- I loved Joss and Hedrick. Joss was such a badass and I truly think she was a great main character. The way she took care of her family, held down a horribly depressing job, and still managed to care for others the way she did was excellent. Hedrick was also great. I loved hearing his story and how Joss's father saved him. You can really see the way that empathy was passed down from father to daughter. I also loved how protective him and Joss were of each other without adding any sort of romance. It was truly a great portrayal of a platonic relationship.
- I also liked Quinn's character and would have liked to learn more about him.
-The story of Joss's sister Celine was devastating and added so much to the respect I felt for Joss. It was a really creative idea from the author. I like that each of Joss's siblings/father had very different, unique stories and it felt authentic in the way they were described.

Things I think could be improved:
- Arin felt like a very boring character to me despite the fact that he was an assassin for hire. I didn't feel connected to him at all and I felt like his POV was my least favorite. Honestly, I felt more intrigued when we didn't know his story at all than when we learned about his other life.
- Honestly, I didn't need the romance subplot. I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between Joss and Arin and I think I saw Joss as more of an independent character. I really didn't like that she immediately forgave him for the betrayal.
- I also found it super unrealistic that Arin could barely get out of bed the chapters before and then all of the sudden was chasing his target around town, using a crossbow, and committing murders.
-the introduction of the royal family at the end was abrupt. It felt off to be introduced to so many new characters at the end, especially because at 96%, you learned about new troubled relationship dynamics that I felt we would have benefitted from hearing earlier. I would have enjoyed their POV from the start.
-I felt like this book was an odd length. I know there are more books to come, but I still think it would benefit from being shorter or longer. I think if it was longer, it would have made the romance subplot more authentic by giving it more time to grow and it would have given you more time to connect with the characters. Or, if it was shorter and some unnecessary details were cut, it would have had the makings of a great, direct short story.

Overall, I am giving this book 3 stars. There were a couple of critiques but I still really enjoyed reading it and it felt immersive. I will definitely continue the trilogy and there are a lot of things that I hope will be expanded on in the next book.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, in part because I can't resist stories about executioners and in part because I'd been seeing it all over my Instagram for the better portion of last year; the marketing for this book is beautifully done, and the back cover blurb is superb.

Joss is a female executioner. Aric is an assassin who failed to hit his last mark. When Joss finds Aric on the side of the road and nurses him back to health, neither reveals the truth...and as a new execution comes up, their secrets begin to collide, placing them on opposite sides.

Based on this, Joss sounded deliciously conflicted, Aric sounded broody, and their romance seemed like the star-crossed, lovers-to-enemies storyline of my dreams. I was delighted to get my hands on a copy, courtesy of NetGalley. And then I was, regrettably, really disappointed.

My main complaint was pacing. I still love the bones of the story, but felt it suffered due to its length. Coming it at just under 170 pages in my e-ARC, over half of that was backstory, spent fleshing out the day-to-day of Joss's job and Aric's slow piecing together of his memories. In a longer book, this could have worked, but in a book this short, it left me questioning when I was finally going to get to the "chain reaction" that the author promised would happen. Things definitely picked up in the second half, but by that point, I was already disengaged.

The one thing that kept me turning the pages was the amount of care Dunnewin put into crafting her world. In the author's note, Dunnewin credits a history book with sparking her interest in executioner families, dynasties, and politics, and I think her fascination with the subject shows. Her story is meticulously researched and rich with details; I admire her characterization of Joss and assistant Henrick, especially how she chose to give Joss a noble heart in spite of what people might associate with her profession. I think her portrayal of a female executioner was nuanced, balanced, and not too anachronistic within the medieval setting. I also think her writing style is compulsively readable.

Thank you to NetGalley and A. M. Dunnewin for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Joss is an executioner, Aric is a hired assassin. Finding Aric beaten within an inch of his life on the side of the road, Joss brings him to her home and nurses him back to health. A friendship and budding romance begins to develop, but then things go ary that put them professionally in each other's crosshairs.

I am so thankful this is part one of a trilogy because it left me on the edge of my seat wanting more of the story. I am fully invested in what happens to Joss and Aric.

I felt the character development was great but could have used a little bit more conversation between them. A lot was unspoken as the characters seem to be caught up in their internal monologues. What is shared about Joss's tragic backstory was insightful character building. Aric's past is shrouded in mystery.

I liked how the points of view alternated between Aric and Joss revealing what they are thinking about one another.

If you're a fan of dark fantasy, suspense, and a pinch of romance add 'All The Dark Souls' to your TBR. I'm anxiously looking forward to books 2 & 3 of this trilogy.

*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

When Joss and Henrik find a badly injured man at the side of the road, they take him home with them, as they have done countless times before,. It should be straight forward, heal up and move on. The only trouble is Joss is the town's executioner and he is an assassin. Unbeknownst to them, their next job happens to be the same man. What could possibly go wrong?!

I love the portrayal of Joss and her role within the town, the backstory which has led her to this point. The fact she isn't a hard faced executioner and the compassion she has within her is a very fresh take. The plot itself is great, drip feeding enough detail to make it a "just one more chapter" kind of read. The slow burn romance is so well written. Cannot wait for the sequel!

The premise of this book is extremely interesting but I feel like the author tried to cram too much in just 150 pages. Maybe if the book was longer the author could have elaborated and the book would've had a steady pace. Many situations also felt rushed and others that were unimportant dragged on. Many of the characters seemed one dimensional and lacked depth. Especially the main characters, their drive to do certain things made no sense. Aric's reason as to why he's attracted to Joss is non existent and how he ends up being picked up by Joss made no sense. There was a lack of introduction of characters who are important and the main drive for the plot. We didn't get much from them till the epilogue and had we had some of their pov things would have been less confusing. That being said I did enjoy reading because of the interesting plot but the execution made it difficult to read.

I really liked the premise of this book with a female executioner in the lead of a fantasy book with a romance angle in it. However, I unfortunately did not finish this book. I pushed myself to get halfway through it but that’s as far as I could go. There was so much backstory that was just missing, halfway through I still had no idea who the characters actually were and what their backstory was. Also, the romance angle, so far minimalistic and kind of ridiculous considering the main male character just all of a sudden was so intrigued by the main female character but the writing didn’t add up to that feeling, it felt like that feeling had no substance. And nothing really ever happened after the main male character was found and recovering. And the justification for different actions (trying not to say too much for those that haven’t read it) we’re very forced to keep the story going. So it’s a no for me, sorry. But a great premise.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review!

This was awesome. I'm not sure how A.M. Dunnewin managed to write a cozy fantasy about an executioner but she did and I am so here for it. The vibes reminded me of the game Graveyard Keeper (for any gamers out there).

I loved Joss as a main character. I feel like often we get the overly feminized, struggling to fit in female main. Master Brevyn, despite her own inner conflicts, doesn't strike me as such. Despite the discomfort she experiences with her role, there is a deep acceptance in it too (not approval, but acceptance). It made for a very real character. I also enjoyed the inner thoughts shared with the reader on her part, and Henrik makes for a wonderful side character. The plot felt homey and comfortable, and contained enough details to keep me interested, but not so many that I wasn't surprised at events or new information.

I don't want to share much more in order to keep this review spoiler free, but I highly recommend this read. I can't wait to see where we go from here!

Ugh! The cliffhanger! But truly this book sucks you in and is really interesting! I really hope there is a second book and soon so I can find out what happens!

Jocelyn is such a cool character, being a badass while also being so kind and compassionate you can’t help but root for her

I really enjoyed this book. I have been in a reading slump for a while now and strictly sticking to re-reading books I enjoy and love. That is until a couple weeks ago when I decided it was time to get back out there and read new books.

This book was dark and thrilling. The writing was simple, but in the best way possible. This was a fantasy book yes. However, it wasn’t high fantasy with 15.5 characters you have to read about and the 10 cities or towns they’re all from that are names you can’t pronounce yet alone remember.

I can’t wait to read the next book, it comes out this month and I’d like to read it as soon as possible.

This book was very thrilling and interesting with a good premise and fascinating characters and world building. I was a little confused by the changing POVs but it didnt take much away from the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book....I love the complex characters and would definitely recommend this. I wish we would have learned a little more about the male leads history to better understand his need to hide from Joss but other than that I am looking forward to the continuation of this story and to see where it goes.