I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, but I decided to DNF after 30% and here's why...

This book follows Seraphine. She finds her way into the Cloaks (a thieves guild) and is looking to seek revenge on the dagger (assasin) that killed her mother.

I found that there really wasn't any substance to any of the characters. Seraphine was just a girl looking for revenge. She barely showed any signs of the grief and trauma she must have gone through right after losing someone. She joins the guild and immediately makes 2 close friends, which I found didn't get me a chance at all to watch their relationship grow. Ransom (mmc) just seems like another run of the mill shadow daddy with no actual personality most of the time.

The plot was so so dragged on. It didn't start to get anywhere until about 20% through, and even then I found that I just had no incentive to want to know what happened next. The magic system was kind of lackluster, and for an almost 600 page book, reading 30% of it isn't a small amount. You would expect for things to pick up much sooner.

I will say, I did really like the writing style and the prologue had me intrigued. This book just was not for me and I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

Regardless, I'm so appreciative to have been able to read this as an e-arc. I hope it finds the right audience.

‘It was midnight in the city of Fantome, and Seraphine Marchant was running for her life.’

In the dark underbelly of the beautiful city of Fantome, two rival guilds vie for dominance. The Cloaks are thieves, the Daggers are assassins. Both use an alchemical substance known as ‘Shade’ to aid them. On the night her mother is murdered, seventeen-year-old Seraphine seeks sanctuary with the Cloaks. She is determined to seek revenge. Ransom, an assassin with the Daggers, is being groomed to succeed as the leader of the Daggers. To prove he is worthy, he is ordered to assassinate Seraphine.

‘Magic was a game of restraint. To consume it all was to place one foot in hell.’

But the city of Fantome is under siege. There are rumours of monsters stalking the streets. Seraphine and Ransom are drawn together and need to make a choice.

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel. Yes, there is a fairly predictable element of romance, but both the main characters have intriguing backstories. Their loyalties to their respective guilds are tested and they each face danger. There are so wonderful supporting characters as well (particularly Theo) and a couple of puzzles to be solved.

The ending sets the scene for a sequel, and I hope that I do not have to wait too long to read it. Marketed as YA, I believe that this novel will also appeal to other readers of well written fantasy regardless of age.

‘All it takes is an enquiring mind and a dauntless spirit.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wowowowowowow!!!! Blown away. Probably one of my top reads this year thus far.

This fully met and exceeded all my expectations. I'm not normally much of a YA reader but this was just too good. I wanted more romance but I'll take any scraps I can get because the tension was *chefs kiss*

The writing, plot and pacing was perfect imo. There wasn't a huge info dump and the world was super easy to get into - I was initially worried since there were so many names introduced at the beginning but the story flowed effortlessly. I binged read this in two days - would have been in one sitting if I didn't have to go to work. The story was so engaging and I was literally squealing my way through the book from 35% in.

The romance was immaculately built and I loveeeeed the enemies to lovers to ???? development. It was executed flawlessly since the chemistry was so well written and imbued in all the scenes. There were no filler moments, all side characters felt properly fleshed out and the ending left me intrigued (aka desperate) to see what happens next.

Also: the fountain scene. That's all. Triggered some heart palpitations at 2am.

If I had to really nitpick on any flaws, it would be that majority of the plot twists weren't that surprising however it was built up so well that I totally ate up the reveals regardless.

Would read again, especially in anticipation for the next installment of the City of Fantome series. I hope I get an ARC because I cannot waittt! This will for sure be living rent free in my head for the next couple of months.

Overall rating: 5/5

The Dagger and the Flame
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this book and provide my unbiased opinion.

Amongst the criminal underworld of the City of Fantome, two rival gangs, the Cloaks and the Daggers- thieves and assassins respectively- utilise Shade; a rare magical performance enhancer, to carry out their wicked deeds.
Seraphine Marchant dreams of adventure from her peaceful farmhouse, the kind she likes to read about in books, despite warnings from her mother who is a Shade smuggler. So when her Mother is assassinated by a Dagger and her home burnt to the ground, Sera must seek out the protection of the Cloaks, and attempt to conceal herself from the hunter in pursuit.
A high fantasy enemies-to-lovers story, The Dagger and the Flame was an enjoyable read, if a little simple for my taste in fantasy. It read more like a young adult story in its complexity, dialogue and plot, and I wouldn’t have put it in the ‘romantasy’ genre without the one romantic scene. However, I liked the characters and the setting, which reminded me a lot of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves.
Not a slam dunk for me, but a pleasant light read.

ARC Review of The Dagger and The Flame by Catherine Doyle
* * * * *
An intruging fantasy read with enemies to lovers, a murder, monsters and magic and saints. You are taken for a journey and a spin!

Seraphine lived isolated with her mother, knowing there was more to what her mother was doing in the dark...because now she was dead.
All she could do was run.
Even as she finds a place to hide, she is far from safe.

Very detailed fantasy world that makes you want to grab a history book on the place.
Got a bit lost her and there with the plot and needing to remember everything that was given by the author with the magic, the people, and the saints. Still thrilling nonetheless.
Ransom is of course a dish we all want served.
Seraphine is strong and adaptable.
The found family situation is of course not great for one of our characters but of course it comes with an epic battle, some cheap shots at each other, and giving us some drama with our Sera and her Ransom.
But happily ever after is not even close for these two. OOH that ending!

I loved this book! I adored each character and every character was so complex. I love the rivalry and magic. My favourite thing would have to be the banter between Sera and Ransom as well as the banter each character has with others. I absolutely loved the paper planes scenes and the fountain scene! This was such a fun book as well as heartbreaking. I can’t wait to read the sequel!!

This book really surprised me. I didn’t like the cover (sorry but I can’t help but judge) and previous to this I’d read A Court of Thorn and Roses series, Fourth Wing/Iron Flame and then the Throne of Glass series, so my expectations were high. Initially I didn’t like the writing, it seemed to formal and names such as Ransom and Fantome made me question if this book was for me. I received this as an arc through NetGalley (THANK YOU) and so kept reading to give it a chance. I’m soooo glad I did. I’m not sure when it happened but this book hooked me and I needed more! And then I didn’t want more (but I did-you’ll understand when you read it) and then I wanted more again. It took me on a roller coaster of emotions I was not expecting.
What I am expecting is that there will be a book 2 and I will come back to see what happens in Fantome next.

It reminds me of OABH x Divine Rivals x The Serpent and the Wings of the Night.

There’s nothing like exceptional writing in a fantasy series. Big praise for Catherine Doyle’s creative writing. She made the entire book fluid, concise, and most of all entertaining. It’s definitely categorised into the fun and easy read.

Another big thing that makes this book stand out is that the entire world is unique (which makes it a bit like OUABH).

🧡 More things I love about this book:

🔥 Unique fantasy world (no faes and vampires here)
🔥 Unique magic system (think Harry Potter herbology)
🔥 Enemies to lovers (like real loathing)
🔥 The slow burn (I was almost dying)
🔥 Found family
🔥 Bad ass MMC
🔥 Smart, witty and sharp tongued FMC
🔥 He falls first and hard
🔥 So much adventures (not your typical trials or games storyline)

The Dagger and the Flame had me hooked from the first few chapters. An epic tale where the lines between enemies and lovers are blurred. Tensions are high and difficult choices need to be made. A book filled with assassin's, shadows, secrets and of course banter that will have you kicking your legs. I will definitely be first in line for book 2 of this series.

This is a great start to a series, loving the magical system and warring factions. Dual POV and enemies to loves who actually have enmity between them.

Can't wait for the next instalment!

If you haven't already guessed by my rating, I have a new favourite book. Within the first ten pages, I was already in love with Seraphine and her adorable pupper Pippin, and then Ransom showed up and I was GONE. Both Seraphine and Ransom are such complex characters and I rode every wave of anxiety and exhilaration right alongside them. I could talk at length about how clever the magic system is in this book (I'd put it firmly in the Hobbit-style "you can learn all that there is to know about it in a month, and yet after a hundred years it can still surprise you," and the story is all the better for it. The city of Fantome and the cast of characters that inhabit it have imprinted themselves on my mind and my heart forever. I can't wait to see what's in store in the rest of the series.

This book was a whole ass three course meal, and I ATE!!!!

Enemies to lovers where they ACTUALLY try and kill each other, but then pass hate filled love notes in the most youthful giddy way?!!? Adore.

I enjoyed the storyline and magic system so much, and Catherine took the term shadow daddy very literally.

I can’t wait to see where this story goes, and to find out about everyone’s baby Theo. Also if anything happen to Val, Bibi or Pippin I might pass away.


Thank you to net galley for this arc. I am so excited to get this in my FairyLoot later this month 🥰

The Dagger and the Flame ARC Review

My rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 2🌶️

I freaking loved this book so so much. The banter in the book was so fun and entertaining. Sera was such a strong character but was also quite cheeky and playful. Ransom on the other hand was quite cool and collected but was like a moth to a flame when it came to Sera! It was so sweet seeing the new found family that Sera created and the family Ransom had being in the dagger group. I’m sad with the ending of the book because now I have to wait patiently 😩Oh! Might I add, THE QUOTES!!! I’m a sucker for quotes that I resonate with and this book did not disappoint. My two favourite quotes:

“Her heart was shredded to ruins, but it was still beating.” 💔

“What right have you to decide anything for me.”

Oh my. Anyways, this book was wonderful. I highly recommend. It’s definitely a bit different to what I’ve read. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining read!

This novel contains violence and romantic themes.

If you like books that contain:
🔥 Magical elements
👫🏻 Found family
🔥 Feisty FMC
👫🏻 Enemy houses
🔥 And more

This book is for you.

🔥 The Dagger and the Flame releases 2nd of October 2024 🔥

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterau for the opportunity to read this ARC.

⚠️ Just a heads up, this book does contain violence⚠️

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle completely captivated me from the first page to the last. The writing style is lush and evocative, drawing me effortlessly into the vivid, intricate world that Doyle has crafted. The pacing is perfect, with each twist and turn keeping me on the edge of my seat. The world-building is nothing short of phenomenal, with every detail meticulously crafted to create a setting that feels both fantastical and real. The main characters are complex and compelling, and the chemistry between them is electric, simmering with tension and passion. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "In the darkest of flames, we find the brightest truths." This line encapsulates the depth and intensity of their relationship and the story as a whole. I was completely immersed in this world, and I can’t recommend this book highly enough definitely a 5-star read for me.

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle 🗡️🔥

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨-𝙩𝙤-𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧. 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙝 𝙅. 𝙈𝙖𝙖𝙨, 𝙇𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙪𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙧.

𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚…

This book was INCREDIBLE 👏🏻✨. Here’s some elements I loved:

🗡️ The romance was PERFECTION 🥹. When I say enemies to lovers I MEAN it with this one, like they almost kill eachother multiple times (and I ate it up). These characters had the best banter together and I was literally giggling out loud at their interactions 😭. Obsessed is an understatement 😍.

🔥 The fantasy world this was set in was so unique and intriguing and the fantasy plot line had me so hooked the whole time!

🗡️ The friendships and found family in this book were so sweet 🥹

🔥 The ENDING!!! The whole last 100 pages had me on the edge of my seat and then it ended in a way where I am dying to read the next one to see where the story goes!

🗡️ I couldn’t stop thinking about this book, when I wasn’t reading it I was just thinking about the next time I could pick it up 😤.

I really loved this. While it’s a fairly genre appropriate YA romantasy it’s also deeply unique. I enjoyed the voices of the characters and felt like this was a world and a system that was never seen before.

This made what could have been predictable completely unique and hooked me to devour this book.

Overall it’s well written, well paced and the characters were deeply likable which are all huge pluses. Can’t wait for the next book

Okaayyyy this was good!! One of the main things that stood out to me about this was the originality of it, I feel like I’ve not read anything similar regarding the concept of Shade magic and Lightfire. I feel as though there are so many magic systems in fantasy literature that already exist, but this had that originality and uniqueness and managed to stand out from the others. Alongside really enjoying the magic system, I thought the world-building was very well done and the pacing was spot on.

I thought the relationship (and the dual POVs) between Sera and Ransom unfolded well and at a pace that made sense (and is necessary, in my opinion) for the enemies to lovers trope. I did enjoy the two main characters; however, the on-page sexual content maybe felt a bit out of place to me for a YA read – perhaps it wouldn’t so if it wasn’t marketed as YA.

Very enjoyable read, looking forward to the continuation! Will be checking out Catherine Doyle’s other works too!

Fans of romantasies will be thrilled with The dagger and the flame and are sure to eagerly await the next in the series. The kingdom of Fantome is a strange wondrous place where Shade-magic is used by two enemy guilds, The Cloaks and the Daggers, the thieves and the assassins. After the murder of her mother, 17-year-old Seraphine leaves her farm and runs for her life to the home of the Cloaks, an order of thieves, and the place her mother told her she would find shelter. She is pursued by a dark-haired boy, Ransom, who has been ordered to assassinate her. Will he succeed in his wicked quest? Will Seraphine survive and avenge her mother’s murder?
Told in the voice of Sera and Ransom, the reader gets to know the motivation and skills of these two protagonists. The reader is dragged into the story right from the first chapter as Sera flees the scene of her mother’s murder. From then on, the tension is high as Ransom attempts to kill her, and she uses all her skill and magical power to repulse him. Gradually they begin to understand each other, with a slow burn enemies to lovers romance that will delight people who enjoy this trope.
The world of Fantome is unique. Shade-magic is fascinating and the idea of two guilds using it for nefarious purposes is engrossing. It is easy to overlook the morality of what is done as the action and tension of monsters and assassins stalking the streets is ramped so high by the author that the reader gets carried along. And then there is that cliff-hanger ending!
Fans of Leigh Bardugo, MA Carrick, and Lili Wilkinson, as well as readers of the romantasy genre are likely to enjoy this fast-paced story, although a spicy scene in the middle of a battle may make it more appropriate for older teens.
I look forward to the next in the series.

This was such a fun read!

From when these two characters meet I’m thinking okay, there is mutual attraction, so unlikely they are going to get to that stabby-stabby kind of enemies-to-lovers. I WAS SO VERY WRONG AND I AM SO THRILLED BY THIS OUTCOME. The TENSION between these two?? The CHEMISTRY?? Impeccable. I love it. I was cackling at the absolute murderous pettiness that follows. It got so very personal and my guy is OBSESSED. I want the next book PLEASE!!

Outtakes:
🟢POV - well paced
🟢Side characters 🔛🔝 (shout out to Pip)
🟢TENSION BETWEEN FMC AND MMC
🟡twists were predictable
🟡would love more world building in subsequent books: what is the lore of these saints?? What is this magic they possessed that you speak of??

Thank you so much to Simon & Scheuster for the e-arc, this was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year and I was so excited to see that my request was approved!

The Dagger and the Flame marks the beginning of the City of Fantome series, immersing readers in the unique Kingdom of Fantome. The story unfolds through a dual POV (my absolute favourite), following Sera as she finds refuge with the Cloaks, and Ransom, the successor to the Order of Daggers. Themes and tropes included in this book include;

Enemies-to-lovers
Rival Guilds
Unique Magic Systems
Monsters and Intrigue
Found family
Family secrets

I loved the quick start of this book, immediately immersing the reader in Sera's perspective as she races towards safety. While the pacing did slow down towards the end, I still found it enjoyable. The story reveals the Kingdom of Fantome and explains the distinct magic system as Sera integrates into the guild of Cloaks. The rivalry between guilds was a highlight, and we see diverse viewpoints as the narrative shifted between characters. The world-building could definitely have been fleshed out more, however, considering the ending of book one I’m hopeful that we get further insight in future books. I would consider this book to be 50/50 on being Romance and Plot driven.

I truly enjoyed our main characters and I am so pleased to say we have some amazing side characters on both Sera and Ransom’s ends! Furthermore, I am even more pleased to say we have a proper and authentic Enemies-to-Lovers romance which is perfectly suited to the rival Guilds aspect of this story! I must confess that I was somewhat let down by the romantic aspect. The sudden shift from characters trying to actively kill each other to becoming lovers in just a few chapters, without much development, left me feeling disappointed. Especially since the enemies part was portrayed so well!

My main criticism is that this YA Fantasy book unexpectedly featured an extreme spicy scene that felt out of place and unnecessary. While I adore spice in my books, it just didn't fit well with the overall story for me. In saying this, the writing and characters are definitely suited to the YA genre which circles the debate of whether or not Open Door Spice should be included in YA books, personally, I am not the biggest fan of this (but each reader is different, each to their own!).

I am absolutely going to continue this series as overall I truly loved the characters, plot, magic system and intrigue in this first instalment!