I absolutely adored 'Of Blood and Light.' This book seamlessly blends intricate world-building with compelling characters and a gripping plot. What hooked me from the start was the author's ability to create a richly detailed universe where every element, from the political intrigue to the magical lore, felt immersive and believable. The characters are complex and relatable, each with their own struggles and motivations that kept me invested in their journey. Add to that the perfect balance of action, romance, and suspense, and you have a recipe for a truly unforgettable read. I couldn't put it down!

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

When I tell you, I fell head over heels for Thule, capybaras and all!
The worldbuilding was so eloquently done, I was blindsided by how easy it was to follow. I’m someone who can sometimes get a little overwhelmed by too much worldbuilding, too many characters too soon, too much drama - but this was truly perfectly balanced.

River is a lookalike for the runaway bride of a duke and is subsequently swept into a world unlike anything she has ever known. Forced into a role that she knows very little about, this headstrong girl is suddenly the epicentre of a series of events that lead her down a very slippery slope. All the while, dealing with all the emotions that come from having a very unwell family member.

In my personal life, I am that family member, and I am very fortunate to have a beautifully headstrong sister who I see shares many of the qualities of River Greer. This book was relatable, beautifully crafted and had me sobbing at times.
It was the slow burn romantacy that I had no idea I needed.

Capybaras are my favourite animal in the world, and I’m brutally honest, that’s what I signed up for. I had no idea that my love of capybaras would lead to one of my favourite romantacy books of 2023.
Go and read it, relate to it, laugh with it and maybe even cry with like I did. She’s a tornado and I was the flimsy tree that was swept off my feet.

I’d give it a solid 🌶️🌶️ spicy rating. It has spice, but much more of a romantic type of spice, not so much dirty take me behind the bike shed.
Highly recommend to fans of Sarah J Maas!

-I received the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book on Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, these are my own personal thoughts about the book. Thank you for the opportunity.-

I really enjoyed this magical story that combines so many elements of different myths and legends that I love. I don't really know if I can explain this book well enough without giving anything away, so I will just say that the level of detail that has gone into the writing of this is phenomenal and is worth reading just for that! It's a great historical (ish) fantasy, with and engaging plot, interesting characters and romance!

4.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just start by saying I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought, and I devoured it in two days. The world building was delightful - original and in depth, which is something I always really like in any fantasy books. I especially liked that the author invented her own language for the book! The magic system was super interesting as well and not something I'd seen before.

The characters were all really likeable, and the romance was super cute, although if there's one thing I could say is that it went from 0 to 100 pretty quickly with the love story haha.

Overall I'm going to keep an eye out for more books from Camilla Monk as I really enjoyed her writing style!

The book had already been released, and I was too late to read it. So, I will make sure to receive a copy and still write my review on it on my website. My standard rating is 3, and I will edit it as soon as I read it.

It took me a few different tries to get into this one, and to be honest, it just ended up not being my thing. It was still a good book, just not really for me!

I don’t think I’ll be able to fully express how much I enjoyed this book. If I could give it more stars I would.

Arthurian, Greek mythology, Victorian era, CAPYBARAS?! All meshed beautifully.

Rivers mom and sister were taken when she was only 5, and it had been just her, her dad and her sister Sage.
River is kidnapped abruptly after taking Sage to the hospital, and taken to an entire new world, under the guise that she is someone else and going to be arrested.
Hadrian believed her to be his wife that had run away from him, for reasons he doesn’t understand yet.
As things slowly become uncovered they find out that you can’t trust everyone, even your closest friends and family, as well as the truth about her mom.

The details to the world building, intense, I know it’s not everyone’s favourite thing to have to fully think about how things work, but i thoroughly enjoyed it.


Thank you netgalley for the arc!

will be posting on my instagram Oct 3rd. 2023

I really enjoyed this. I thought it was a really good mash up of a magical world and the “real” world. It was easy to follow the plot, and I really enjoyed the main characters.

Thank you for providing me a opportunity to read this arc and am glad I requested for it because it was the fantastic world building and the character are equally amazing. The unique powers are amazing and I love it!! The portal world was soo good and the romance was lovely between the main characters! The secrets and mystery around the story was unlike I've ever read. I really loved and enjoyed. Of course, I am definitely forward to the upcoming books!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I received the ARC for an honest review. This story and it’s blurb drew me in immediately! The level of detail that went into the world building was incredible, the author really put in the effort. How we the characters felt one dimensional and I found it hard to emotionally connect to them. The saving grace for this book as I have said was the world building and the original plot line.

I started to read it, but it was archived before I was able to finish. What I read, however, was so cute and refreshing. I loved the capybara pet - he was so mischievous and CUTE! Definitely a slow burn on this one - the MMC was so cute - but the fact he was in an arranged married to her sister gave me the *ick* factor a bit. I really need to buy this from Amazon so I can go back and finish it. Loved the secret powers, found family, and I am really looking forward to see what happens next.

Sooo good. A little nerdy and a lot romantic. It’s kind of insta-lovey but it works for this story.
I think there were a few slow parts but the beginning immediately hooks you and throughout the rest of the story you keep getting hooked.
Loved the characters, fantastic world building (complete with an entire language with linguistic rules and everything!)
Really loved this story.

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 🌶🌶

I really enjoyed this portal/ historical fantasy romance. It had a really unique plot, great world-building, intriguing non-magic system, and characters that I connected to immediately.

But, as the story unfolded I got slightly confused with all of the Arthurian character names, especially all the ones starting with 'G' (though, full disclosure, while I enjoy Arthurian re-tellings, I'm not fully aware of the full cast of Arthurian characters).

There were also a couple of references to things completely unkown to me, such as 'a timbit dunked in double double', which really made the flow of the story stop at those points becuase I was asking myself wtf that was.

However, I loved all of the little plot twists, the capybaras, the humour, the secrets uncovered, the modern/ Victorian-era worlds, and the epic romance. I'm really excited to read more in this universe!

Read this if you love -- touch her and ☠, historical gaslamp fantasy, portal worlds, blood magic, Arthurian re-imagining, awakening powers, found family, a fiesty herione, and a hero who'll do anything for her.


💢 𝙏𝙒𝙨: violence, death, kidnapping, imprisonment, critical illness, grief, attempted murder, consensual sexual scenes (low detail)

☆I recieved an ARC of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own honest opinions.☆

The world of Thule features in this lovely fantasy romance, it was very engaging from start to finish. Full of all of the good kind of chaos and interesting take on a parallel universe that shut its doors (mostly) to Earth a. Our heroine River is well written and the romance is a little insta-love, which isn’t my fave but was pleasantly surprised, not particularly spicy. There was a lot of in-depth character building including some side character which was a little over whelming at times but over all really good. Worth a read if you like romantasy.

"Of Blood and Light" is an absolute gem! Despite not being a huge Arthurian lore fan, this book had me hooked from the start. The author's masterful blend of a unique world with nods to the classic legend is sheer brilliance. The world-building is vivid, and the plot is a breathtaking rollercoaster with unexpected twists that left me gasping. The scorching chemistry between the main characters is electrifying, making their instant love utterly irresistible. We love a true gentleman! I couldn't put it down! For readers who crave immersive world-building, thrilling plots, and passionate romance, this book is a must-read! Prepare to be enchanted and captivated!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this amazing eArc

The author, Monk, is undeniably brilliant, and what I love most is that she writes without compromising her intellect. I have never felt that she dumbed down her content or held back, a practice that often irks me in other authors. Instead, Monk keeps me engaged, alert and sparks curiosity and personal growth.

The perfect blend of fantasy and modern references captivated me from the start. The romance between Hadrian and River was a delight, and I appreciated how Hadrian's character evolved from being initially uptight and demanding to become a supportive and respectful partner. River, as a strong and intelligent protagonist, stood up for herself and her loved ones, which made her all the more compelling. The characters in the story charmed and endeared themselves to me. At the very least, they were quite likable. I wholeheartedly recommend complementing the reading experience by exploring the artwork on the author's website—it adds an enjoyable dimension to the narrative.

Their romance felt incredibly natural, given their shared loyalty and willingness to do anything for their people. Hadrian's selflessness in protecting his land and its inhabitants, even at the cost of his own health, was touching. Likewise, River's dedication to safeguarding her sister Sage, and her pursuit of becoming a doctor to find a cure for her, showcased her admirable strength of character.

As the story unfolded, I found myself becoming curious about the other characters in the world. I sincerely hope that future books will feature River's sheltered sister, Sage, and her journey toward finding her own path. Additionally, a book exploring River's other sister, Floe, and her experiences after living a traumatic life would be enthralling.

In conclusion, this series truly enchanted me. The fantastic world-building, well-crafted romance, and compelling characters made it an immensely enjoyable read. I eagerly look forward to any future installments in this captivating universe.

Engrossing and exciting. Really well done and an enjoyable read!

I have not read any books by this author, so I was excited to find another author that ranks with Maas and writers of her caliber. The story was complete and well-written, and I happily turned page after page.

I started this book but honestly it wasn’t for me and I could not continue. I’m sure the book was a good read for most people but it did not draw my attention in from the beginning.