The Dagger and the Flame was everything I hoped it would be, I can't wait to read the sequel! Would recommend this book.

I really enjoyed The Dagger and the Flame. It’s a gripping fantasy set in a magical city where Seraphine, after her mother’s murder, joins a thieves’ guild and seeks revenge against their deadly rivals. The enemies-to-lovers romance with Ransom, the heir of the rival guild, kept me hooked, and the slow-burn tension was brilliant. With its dark magic, city intrigue, and fierce heroine, this book is perfect if you love high-stakes fantasy with heart and edge.

3.5 stars

The Dagger and the Flame is a beautifully crafted, gripping read that swept me off my feet! From the very start, I was hooked by the rich world-building and the intense, magnetic chemistry between the characters. The blend of danger, romance, and heart-pounding action made this book such an exciting adventure!

The characters are strong and compelling, with so much depth to their personalities. I found myself rooting for them as they navigate a world full of danger, secrets, and unexpected twists. The romance is perfectly woven into the plot—intense but not overpowering—and keeps you eagerly turning the pages.

What I loved the most was how the author built this immersive world filled with intrigue, power struggles, and an emotional undercurrent that kept me invested in every moment. It’s a perfect pick for anyone who loves thrilling adventures, complex characters, and a little bit of romance to spice things up!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC for my honest opinion.

This book was such a fun read, I couldn't put it down.

-Enemies to lovers.
-Found family.

All wrapped up with an adorable dog side kick and an intriguing world and magic system and our FMC out for revenge.

The plot kept plotting too and the ending, wow. Sign me up for book two, I cannot wait to see what happens next.

The Dagger and the Flame
Catherine Doyle

Assassins and thieves. I’m already seriously intrigued…

This centre’s around a newly orphaned girl who joins a secret order of thieves called the Cloaks - who seek vengeance against the secret order of assassins.

Ironically it was the Daggers who caused the death of her Mum.

This has all the hallmarks for the perfect formula to an epic enemies to lovers and the magical world setting kicks it all up a notch.

If I could give this 4.5 stars, I would. The suspense. The intrigue. The utter callousness of the majority of the characters.

To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed this but also felt there was just something missing in the middle because it slowed right down and lost propulsion for a while. By the time it got to 3/4 of the way through, it picked back up and was honestly a rollercoaster ride until the final pages.

Would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good YA with a bit of romantic vibes while still being a great fantasy with tons of political intrigue

I was so excited to read this book but some parts of it just didn’t hit the mark for me unfortunately. I think the plot was amazing and had a lot of potential, but the story and details were slightly underdeveloped.

The book centers around a newly orphaned girl who joins a secret order of thieves called The Cloaks to seek sanctuary from and take revenge against the secret order of assassins, The Daggers, who caused the death of her mum. Throw in a bunch of mysterious deaths and monsters, a mysterious new magic that could be the answer and an enemies to lovers romance and you have a whirlwind of an adventure to read!!!

The book very much gave me Hunchback of Notre Dame meets Romeo and Juliet vibes. It has all the ingredients of a classic YA fantasy novel - an fmc forced into hiding to become more, an enemy mmc who can’t help but fall for her, a trio of friends who become her new found family and a new magic that could save or doom them all.

It felt like a comfort read to me, something to bury my head in and go along for the ride. I probably wouldn’t re-read the book, but I enjoyed the story enough that I would be interested to see how events play out in the sequel.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an online advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own.

The ending of this book was honestly INSANE! the last 100 or so pages had so many twists and turns that i didn't see coming at all! i really loved all the characters and their personalities, sera and ransom's chemistry and chat was EVERYTHING to me!!!

Thanks so much for allowing me to review this title!
I have loved Catherine’s other works and I was so excited to read this one!
I’m so pleased to say I loved it and I can’t wait for the next book!
Thanks again!

I was so drawn to the vivid cover of this book that I felt compelled to request the ARC, despite being unfamiliar with the author. Thankfully I was approved because I really enjoyed this book.

There is no shortage of enemies-to-lovers/Romeo and Juliet romantasy fiction. What I liked about this one is that the romance isn’t all-consuming, particularly for the female character, Sera. She has a lot going on and is very driven. The romance that is there is exciting and convincing, but takes a backseat to larger events.

I fell into the world of Fantome easily and enjoyed my time with Sera and Ransom and their friends. Catherine Doyle does witty dialogue well and the action passages had me on the edge of my seat. I’m looking forward to reading the second book…Am secretly hoping that Sera will have a cat companion to make up for the cats that her mother used in those experiments!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle is such a gripping and heartfelt story! From start to finish, it’s packed with twists, action, and just the right amount of romance. The characters feel so real, and the heroine’s journey is both inspiring and emotional. Doyle’s writing draws you right into the vivid settings and keeps you hooked with every page. The mix of love, danger, and loyalty makes it impossible to put down. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished. If you love a story full of passion and excitement, this is a must-read!

4.5⭐️ 1🌶️
This may be your next YA enemies to lovers obsession!
The city of Fantome is divided into two rival groups. Both are somewhat united in the magical substance called "Shade". If you wear it you are a thief and known as a "Cloak". If you ingest it you are an assassin and are known as a "Dagger". The sharp tongued no-filter FMC is neither of those things, well that's until her mother is unalived and so Sera ventures into the city and chooses a side. And then we have Ransom, our MMC, and of course he vouches for the other side. It's great!
This book has all of the good tropes:

- Enemies to lovers
- Stabby no-filter FMC
- Morally grey MMC
- Shadow magic
- Tension
- Banter
- Touch her and die
- Emerging powers
- Sprinkling of spice

It is so worth the read!

I enjoyed this book! Very YA (not a bad thing), but a good read nonetheless!
The storyline was gripping, very easy to understand as the same time.

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle was exactly the thrilling, action-packed read I was looking for. From the first page, I was hooked. The chemistry between Seraphine and Ransom is off the charts, and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is done to perfection. The banter between them is sharp, funny, and downright addictive—seriously, their back-and-forth had me kicking my feet and grinning the whole time.
The action is fast-paced and full of twists, but it’s the emotional tension between the characters that really drives the story. Doyle nails the perfect balance between heart-pounding moments and character growth.
If you're a fan of intense romance, witty dialogue, and high-stakes adventure, this book is a must-read. I’m definitely picking up the sequel!

I'm so happy to have found a YA that actually reads like a YA!
While I'm an advocate for adults reading YA, there has been an increasing trend (and demand) for YA to feel more adult to suit an older readership but that's not what YA is for. Age appropriateness is essential and that's one of the reasons I loved this so much.
I also found this to be the case with Catherine Doyle's co-authored Twin Crown's series and so I was delighted to find it continues in this new fantasy series.
Firstly, what incredible world building! The city of Fantome was so atmospheric and The Dagger and the Flame gave some serious Romeo and Juliet vibes with the rival factions and star-crossed lovers.
I loved that we were drip-fed the politics of this world and learned about it's magic and history slowly alongside Sera.
That plot twist left me stunned and craving the sequel!

An incredible enemies to lovers story with the perfect slow burn! As those are two of my favorite tropes, this book ended up being right up my alley.
I did find that it was a little bit slow at times and some of the spice was unnecessary. But other than that I thought it was really good and definitely worth the read.

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

This book started off a bit slow for me, but I'm not sure if that was due to a reading slump or the pacing itself. However, once things picked up, I was completely hooked. I’m a sucker for a thieves vs. assassins dynamic, and the added layer of a slow-burn, forbidden romance was the perfect touch. Doyle did an amazing job making me love every character, even the antagonists—though I definitely didn’t like them, she gave them so much depth and sharp dialogue that I could appreciate their role in the story. The plot was well-paced, balancing action with world-building in a way that kept me engaged from start to finish.

I give The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle 5 stars. It was a fun and unique story with an interesting magic system that pulled me right out of my reading slump! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Unfortunately, I really struggled to get into this one.
I didn’t enjoy the main character at the start and it was really difficult for me to get past it.
I didn’t finish the book due to this.

Also the formatting of this copy was really difficult to read it pushed all the paragraphs together and chapters so it was difficult to keep track.

I am going to look at the audio version of this book to see if I can get into it as the sound of the story really intrigued me.