This was my first audio book and it did not disappoint. I liked the Arthurian theme throughout the story and the elemental magic. Typically I don't enjoy the blend of our world with fantasy but I think this was done well as it added more depth and realism to the MCs interactions in this unfamiliar world.

The characters were intresting and the small cast made it easy to follow what was going on, which I really appreciated. About halfway through I started finding Mordred a little grating, some of his thoughts or trains of thought weren't very sensical or were simply a little annoying. I also got a little confused with descriptions because apparently he has silver hair but this isn't clear in the cover art.

I thought the crystal was a very interesting concept but, that being said, I was very confused about what happened at the end. I understand it's to build another book but I think it really doesn't work with what we know about the characters involved.

I'm interested to see what will happen next especially how the tonal, more high stakes, shift is dealt with - especially with the FMC anxiety (which I thought was depth the character definitely benefited from)

I love the whole alternate reality enemy’s to lovers thing that this book had going for it. While our MFC does some wild shit, she is definitely entertaining. Plus this retelling of Avalon and its dark prince definitely entertaining.

I am planning on picking up the sequel to see what Gwen gets up to next.

I received an ARC of the audiobook, and while basic was an enjoyable experience.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!

Ehhh, not my favourite I must admit, but to huge romantasy fans I'm sure this would be great!!

This was fine. Easy to read. Some of the dialogue made me laugh. It’s an interesting take on Arthurian legend mixed with elemental magic. I’m not certain if I will continue the series at this point or not, but it was alright. I liked the iron/metal magic and the idea that you can reanimate souls and put them into suits of armor and the metal creatures like dragons was cool as well.

The audiobook is simply good. The FMC made me giggle. The storyline and plot are good. It's a slow burn, but it was a good read.

4.5⭐

"To Charm a Dark Prince" is just how the title says...charming!

Kathryn Ann Kingsley does a really good job building her fantasy world and making and amazing slowburn romance between the two MC´s.

Modred and Gwen are definitely a good pairing that would want you go for the sequel just to know how all goes! I enjoyed the book and the narration was on par with its quality.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kathryn Anne Kingsley for the opportunity to enjoy this Audio-Arc in exchange of my honest review.

3.5
I enjoyed this fantasy novel and listened to the audiobook in less than 24 hours it was easy to get lost in the story! We have our FMC who lives a boring life on a farm and one day it catches fire and the only way out is to follow her cat Merlin through a portal and they end up in a new magical world, and to her surprise Merlin can talk and be tells her they are in the land where he is from and that people like him are trapped in a crystal and he needs her help to get it and let the people free. But the only problem is it is guarded by the Prince of the land and what they have to say about him isn’t good. Our FMC becomes imprisoned by the Prince and as she gets to know him she really doesn’t believe all that is said about him, and does a lot of Contemplating of what is right and wrong. This one has has so many fun things, prisoner and captive, a love triangle, a
Magical land and a pretty big Clift hanger! I am looking forward to reading the next one!

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Audiobook narration: single reader, but still enjoyable
HEA: yes-ish – cliffhanger but book 2 is out!
spice: 1 mildly open-door spicy scene – VERY SLOW burn
TWs: violence, abuse, murder, torture, kidnapping, house fire (no casualties), manipulation
standalone: yes
final thoughts: the fantasy in this book was so cool and not overwhelming at all – reminded me of a bridge between YA and NA reading (but in a good way). Fun world building, interesting characters, unique magic, brooding MMC, age appropriately unsure 19 year old FMC (does he like me, am I good enough, what do I do – not annoying and crying 100% of the time)

read this book if you love

🏝️ forced proximity
😡 grumpy/sunshine
💓 slowburn
🌀 plot twists
🔮 supernatural creatures- fae, shifters, witches
🪄 magic
💖 paranormal romance
🤜 enemies-to-lovers?
🔎 adventure
❓ mystery
📖 retelling (King Arthur vibes)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for honest review.

I loved this story! I love a good Arthurian retelling and this was just wonderful! Mordred is such a morally grey character and I felt for him throughout the book. He even has moments where he questions his actions and what he has done to Avalon. Gwen was funny and I loved the banter between her and Merlin the cat. Her interactions with all the characters in the book were great. I could not put this down and cannot wait for what comes next.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my advanced readers copy of To Charm a Dark Prince by Kathryn Ann Kingsley.

Wow oh wow was this book amazing. Right from the beginning I was hooked. It was full of magic and wonder AND a steamy romance. I got an audio book version of this novel and even the narrator was really good. I could barely tell it was one person reading the whole thing. The narrator and the writing made you feel transported into that magical world. Not to mention the characters are written so well. I connected with Gwen so quickly, I felt like we were in the story together.

Overall I would recommend this book to those who love fantasy, action, and a hot romance with a bad boy.

I'll be honest, I was definitely not expecting this to be that amazing and romantic. I had this thought that it would be those kinda cheesy, stereotypical pieces you read in between those fantastic books, but I was utterly wrong. This is your sign to not judge a book by its cover, it actually made me physically pause in shock and smile widely at their interactions. It is a King Arthur-inspired story with fantasy elements that leave you wanting more. Additionally, it's a villain gets the girl, did I mention how much I wanted to have my own Mordred? I also fell in love with Gwen, she's vulnerable but is able to think for herself too. However, I did notice that the conflict on breaking the Iron Crystal kept going back and forth in the end after we've already been convinced it needs to be broken for the majority of the book, this felt odd to me. But, I'll still be reading that second book!

Gwen needs to save the Kingdom of Avalon and in order for her to achieve this she must charm a monster. Gwen finds herself in the clutches of the Prince in Iron, Mordred. As she is trapped in Modred's court, she tries to find a crystal to break. If she can just get to that crystal and break, then she'll be free to go home and she will be able to change the kingdom.

I've been really enjoying romantasy books lately which is why I decided to request To Charm a Dark Prince off of NetGalley.

When it comes to the world building I thought it was good and I liked Modred’s morally gray character. Gwen is said she is 19, but honestly she sounded more younger than 19.

For the romance it is definitely a slow burn which I really appreciated since I enjoy a good slow burn.

I really enjoyed most of this book but as it was hearing the last quarter of the book, I found it to start to really drag and Gwen was annoying me with her thoughts and actions.

I will pick up the sequel in the future to see where it goes. If you enjoy romantasy, morally gray characters, revenge, royalty, grumpy x sunshine, and enemies to lovers then I think you may like this. But I think this is a book you should borrow or get it through kindle unlimited.

What a charming romance!

To charm a dark prince is a fantasy romance perfect for fans of well build fantasy worlds! Seriously the world building is so detailed and makes for such a great intro into the world. The characters are also well written although I feel like the next book is going to do them more justice, by developing them more! The fmc already is showing some sass so I can't wait to see what Kingsley does with the story!

I love this almost as much as the book itself. The narration is done so well and is such an upgrade in my opinion from past audiobooks. Im not a big audiobook person in general but I would very much recommend this to anyone interested.

Received in audiobook format via NetGalley free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Gwen the main character was very relatable and I loved the slow-burn 'are they, aren't they' attraction between her and Mordred, and well as the comedic moments scattered throughout. I won't reveal too much more other than the ending was not what I had expected and the cliffhanger has got me hankering for the next book in the series (To Bind a Dark Heart) which is due out November 2023. Until then, I shall explore what other books Kathryn Ann Kingsley has to offer. I would highly recommend this book to fan's of the Sarah J Maas ACOTAR series and Fourth Wing by Rebecca

This Arthurian fantasy kicks off with the female lead character, Gwen, ruminating over the fact that her boyfriend has been unfaithful. To add insult to injury, despite getting into many colleges her lack of financial aid and her debilitating anxiety prevents her form attending. She feels lonely and sad enough to let the surly farm cat enter her home. Big mistake.

In waltzes Merlin the cat, a mangy black cat that only good for delivering scratches and Cattitude, but for some reason Gwen loves him anyway.

Merlin knocks over a candles causing an inferno in the house and out of nowhere a portal to another world opens up. Gwen has no choice what to jump into it.


To Gwen’s shock and horror, she’s transported into the land of Avalon where apparently the cat can talk. Merlin proves to even more the cantankerous gremlin she always expected. He very rudely demands she get close to Avalon’s Prince in Iron’s, Mordred, in order to steal his crystal and free the magic he has trapped there.

I truly enjoyed the bickering between Merlin and Gwen and found myself laughing out lout during their exchanges.

Gwen also finds that Merlin has transmitted his powers to her causing her to burst into flames whenever she feels panicked. When she finally meets the prince she is made of fire and completely nude. The meeting is insta-lust for them both.

Mordred, The Prince of Irons, is a tortured soul who believes he is doing the right thing for his people by locking magic away. His inability to lock Gwen away despite his distrust of her plaques him throughout this novel. His POV chapters were my favorite as I found his internal struggles captivating.

Gwen, on the other hand, had a bit too much sunshine in this grumpy vs. sunshine trope. The prince repeatedly mentioned that he was considering locking her in a crystal prison for eternity yet she remained perky throughout. That and the juvenile manner of speech was off-putting to read.

Their romance didn’t resonate with me as there was no real connection. The prince sound like a grisly old man and Gwen sounded very much like an immature, helpless teenager. That and the fact that he was both physical and verbally abusive to her was not a turn-on.

I did appreciate the true inner conflict that Gwen faced. Almost everyone Gwen encountered described Mordred as a tyrant, yet the more she got to know the more his action defied these rumors. Gwen was faced with the choice of betraying the man she was falling for or liberating a kingdom he ruled with an iron fist.

As we get to peel back the layers of Mordred, we find that is tyrant-like behavior may have been for the greater good which complicates things for Gwen.

The ending was well-executed and left an intriguing cliffhanger.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed this story. I just feel as though the character of Gwen, especially her dialogue needed a bit of work. It felt overly juvenile for a novel meant to be targeted for new adults.

‘To Charm a Dark Prince (The Iron Crystal Book 1)’ by Kathryn Ann Kingsley was a quick, fun read. I enjoyed the Arthurian elements and the slow burn romance. The audiobook performance by narrator Madeline Pell was fantastic. Definitely recommend!

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 (𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬-𝘺𝘰𝘶!). 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

"To Charm a Dark Prince" offers a promising premise and a unique take on Arthurian legend, but it ultimately falls short due to its reliance on overused tropes and a lack of character depth. While it may appeal to readers seeking a quick, indulgent read, those looking for a fresh and innovative twist on the genre may find themselves disappointed.

This was not good, it was too light on all things except tedious tension. It felt like Alice in wonderland poured itself over Arthurian Legend

Gwen is having a pretty tough day. She has been dumped by her boyfriend, decided to have a quiet night, and then her house (parent's house) catches on fire. All because of some old cat, called Merlin. Now she is stuck in some weird kingdom called Avalon with elemental powers she has no idea how to control, and the only way to get out of there and back home is by making nice with the grumpy prince.

Mordred didn't really want to be the bad guy but he was. The whole kingdom thought he was. He was only doing what he thought was best for the kingdom. Keeping the magic in one place, in the crystal, and stopping the fighting between the elementals, by trapping them in the crystal. But he has no-one he can trust. Not even his knights.

Who is right? Is it really best for the kingdom to keep anyone with elemental magic in the crystal? When it comes to the crunch, which side with Gwen pick? Will she end up in the crystal herself?

This is the first in a series that I could see myself finishing. I mean, the angst is not huge and it is rather funny in some areas, but it is still a good read. I especially liked the cranky old cat, Merlin, but poor Gwen! Merlin was not very forthcoming with details at the start of the story. Spice was nice but a bit light on consent in some parts.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, Second Sky books and Kathryn Anne Kingsley for this early release audiobook.