This was really good dark fantasy Romance. It has a unique magic system. It’s the world that is based on stealing the eggs of the dragons. There are three or four different worlds, and they steal the eggs of the dragons to absorb their yolks for power. FMC is a thief from one of the sections and MMC is also a thief from another. He’s from influential family and he has this plan to become a stronger family to steal more eggs, which is why he kidnapped FMC their story starts from there I love their relationship and the development of their story of the found family of his siblings There are several tropes like a one horse trope I loved it. I can’t wait to see more in this world and to find out more about his siblings.

I had a great time reading this book! I have enjoyed a lot of Karina Halle's previous books, but this one felt different and new in a very fun way. I think I expected a little more action for it being one of my first Mafia romance type of books, but I still found the action parts to be very exciting. I enjoyed the romance between the two main characters and look forward to how everything will play out in the future. I also found the ending to be very satisfying and just right! Thank you so much for letting me read this!

This was unbelievably good. Fast paced, solid plot, full of action and a love story that made me feel gooey inside.
I loved it.

There’s an illegal egg trade where only the brave or desperate go into a ward where dragons are trapped and try to steal eggs.
Why? These eggs have what’s called suen that can manifest and change your body and various magical ways. You can gain power and magic. There’s even rumors that a certain dragons eggs can give you immortality.
Different houses are all vying for this egg.
For if the wards ever come crashing down and the dragons are released, only immortality will save them.

Brynla has escaped a really tragic past and rough life. She lives underground with her aunt and goes egg hunting with her magical dog who is freaking awesome. On a certain quest, she runs into another egg hunter.. who was actually on the hunt for her. And kidnapped her.

Andor Kolbeck is from a rival house. And honestly, you can’t help but love him. He gives off alpha teddy bear vibes. He needs her. Desperately. She’s one of the best hunters and he needs the best hunter.

🗡️ He Falls First
🥚 Rivals to Lovers
🐉 Dragons and Magic
🗡️ Only One Cave
🥚 I’ll destroy the World for you
🐉 Plot Twist
🗡️ Found Family
🥚 Spice!

We can thank Karina Halle for not giving us an intense cliffhanger. It sounds like the next book may be about another character. With the continuing plot. I am not sure, but whatever it is I am already so ready to read it!

Hmm I've loved this author's contemporary romances and even the more recent paranormal romances but this one felt a bit immature for me, writing wise. The first half was a lot of telling, not showing world building then it got a bit boring in the second half which made it feel really uneven. It felt like the author had a lot of ideas on world building but not plot. The romance didn't feel like it was well built, just very insta love. I wanted to love it but was just very underwhelmed!

Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle is a standout adult romantasy that blends elements of mafia with magic, ferocious dragons, a black market egg trade and a dragon-worshipping cult. Yet again, Karina Halle has flexed her imagination to deliver an original and unforgettable story. I had such a fun time and I'm so excited to continue this series!

Brynla Aihr is an outcast. As an escaped member of a fanatical dragon-worshipping convent, she's learned to survive by stealing and selling dragon eggs with the help and protection of her canine sidekick, Lemi. But stealing eggs is dangerous business, and she soon finds herself at the mercy of Lord Andor of House Kolbeck — a warring Syndikat to the one she's been working for — who turns her life upside down when he abducts her and blackmails her into working for his side.

Dragemor is a completely unique world with a creative magic system that instantly drew me in. I loved the depiction of dragons as ferocious beasts that can't be tamed and the volcanic island setting where they are trapped. The fanatical Saints of Fire had my full attention, and I am eager to see what role they play in the next books.

Brynla is so loveable and I really appreciated her strength, resilience and bravery despite having no magical abilities and shouldering chronic pain. Her backstory and upbringing tugged on my heartstrings and I loved how that influenced her motivations.

Andor was a bit of a wild card to me because I fully expected him to be more of a harsh and aggressive "mafia" type of man, whereas he was actually more of a cinnamon role... but it worked! He's the black sheep of his morally questionable family and though he makes some dodgy decisions, it's clear he believes he is doing the right thing. He is a man obsessed that falls first, bringing a ruthless edge when necessary to protect what is most important to him (aka his lavender girl). *SWOON*

Lemi stole the show many times and I just love that Karina gave Brynla a magical canine sidekick. As a girl who is dog-obsessed, this added a layer of comfort into the story that I didn’t anticipate.

Full of high-stakes adventure and sizzling romance, with a touch of unhinged chaos that only Karina Halle could dream up, Realm of Thieves is the perfect escape.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dragons, spicy romantasy, relatable main characters, creative fantasy worlds, morally grey characters, feel-good romance, and adventure.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this eARC! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

This started out with a lot of promise. The world building is really cool and the dragon lore was fairly intricate. But it falls pretty flat about a quarter of the way in. The writing often felt juvenile, the female main character's personality dissolves into nothing, the pacing is inconsistent, and the plot is frequently lost to the overdone romance. Plus, the male main character is a walking red flag. I didn't hate it, but I'd hesitate to recommend this.

This was an interesting read and concept. The plot was investing, and the dragon lore was definitely an interesting plot. The mafia backdrop/themes was interesting and new for the romantasy genre. Brynla was a bada$$ FMC and I really liked her storyline and the idea of her being a thief after everything she had been through. The end of the book definitely made the whole book and had so much happen I almost didn't want the book to end.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me to read this book ahead of time and review it, all thoughts are my own.

Realm of Thieves is such a fun adventure/romance story! In it we are following a young woman who only desires freedom and is trying to obtain it by stealing dragon eggs until she has enough money to get out for a better tomorrow. We also get the POV of a young man who is also a thief with an agenda and an obligation to his family. Enter a little bit of enemies to lovers and a revenge heist and you've got a book crafted perfectly for my specific tastes.

Spoilers about the book below:

I really enjoyed this storyline and overall felt the pacing went well. There were a few places in the story that I felt could have used a heavier editing hand/were a bit weak and took me out of the plot, but I still had a very good time reading it. I think the ending was where the pacing was the most rushed and is the biggest reason why this book was a 4 instead of 5 stars for me.

The characters were a lot of fun to follow, but admittedly TOO perfect at times. The communication in the book between the two love interests was SO mature that it almost felt unbelievable considering they were young adults with tons of trauma and no therapy to show for it. This also somewhat impacted the pacing because there were never really arguments between the characters. I did really love their romance though, "I want to you be your better tomorrow" is SO good.

I did really like the side characters as well, I think they were appropriately flawed/well-rounded characters that helped shape the plot. I do think that the king could have had more of a reaction/resistance to the marriage and that could've taken up more of the second book rather than them getting married and everyone seemingly okay with it.

I really enjoyed this book, I think it could use some tweaks on pacing and character traits but overall a very good fantasy. I would definitely recommend it. I think if you enjoy Shatter the Sky, anything by Tricia Levenseller or Abigail Owen, or fantasy with dragons you would enjoy this.

Thank you Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted arc!
This had a really strong beginning—I wanted to love this so much, but it unfortunately fell flat for me. The premise was super unique—a romantasy with mafia vibes, an illegal dragon egg trade, enemies to lovers, and a standalone.
I think my biggest issue with this was the romance. I truly didn’t feel like they had any chemistry, and I think skipping a month’s worth of interactions shortly after meeting was a HUGE disservice. I mean, the book started off with him kidnapping/blackmailing her, and after that month time jump they’re suddenly into each other. It made the romance feel superficial since we didn’t get to see how and why they fell for each other. It felt like they went to bed hating each other and woke up being into each other, despite having very few interactions prior to this point.
If the author had spent more time building the romance, I think I would’ve loved this book. I love Karina Halle’s books, so the writing style was on point. I also found the syndikats and the mafia-like elements to be super fun, and this take on dragons was unique too. This book was fun, but I just didn’t love it. I do think it will have its audience though, even if that isn’t me.

Karina has been an insta buy author for me for a while, but unfortunately this one fell a little flat. I had a hard time getting sucking into this book. It wasn't bad, it just didn't grip me and pull me into the story. I found myself bored at times and constantly looking at how much of the book was left. It might be a me issue. This book just didn't work for me and I can't figure out why other than I just didn't care about what was happening and where the story was going. I am so bummed because I honestly thought I was going to love this one.

I thought this book started very well, the first few chapters really drew me in, and I enjoyed the world and the history we are given with the dragons and how they ended up behind a magic ward. I liked Brynla right away; she is a survivor and wily, and I enjoyed watching her navigate this world. Lemi the dog is honestly my favorite character in this book! He stole the show!!
Andor, well, I liked him. He was fine. I didn't really get the whole enemies-to-lovers aspect; he totally kidnapped her, but they had some insta-love going on, and he treated her like a treasured guest, not a prisoner who would do what he said or get the hose.
While the very beginning piqued my interest, and I LOVED Lemi, I found the middle to be almost painfully slow, but the end did pick up a bit, and gave a few great twists I absolutely didn't see coming.
I really enjoyed the world-building and the dragons.. and while the characters' relationship didn't work, I will pick up the next one because I want to see what happens if/when the dragons get free.

⚔️ ℝ𝔼𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝕀𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕊 ⚔️ by Karina Halle

Tropes
🔥 Enemies to Lovers
⚔️ Only one horse
✨️ Touch her and die
🐉 Dragons
🥀 Prophecies
⚔️ Morally grey characters
🔥 Adventure!
✨️ Badass FMC
🥀 Deadly cinnamon roll MC
⚔️ The best doggo in the world

Do you remember The Mummy, Brendan Fraser? Ya, me too. The adventure, the high stakes and the romance was top notch. Realm of Thieves encompassed that cozy vibe for me. It gave me that nostalgic feeling of my cinnamon roll hero with a taste for darkness: Andor. Our strong and witty FMC: Brynla to balance out our main man. To top it all off with a sidekick *magic dog* – this made it so relatable for me as my dog Scully goes everywhere with me. I was right there with these characters and Lemi the dog wagging his tail along side them. This book has no mummies but a heist with Dragon eggs that give people gifts and supernatural abilities. I loved this unique magic system.

I was getting a very cozy fantasy vibe with this story and with true Karina fashion gore and dark elements took hold of the story and created a unique adventure that I can’t wait to continue. This will take twists and turns that you can’t even imagine.

This story will take you to incredible different parts of the world of Dragemor; a dark city dwelling in the depths of caves underground, volcanic islands, vast seas and lush green escapes. Enter the world of Thieves of Dragemor with the first book in the series: Realm of Thieves!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this eARC

Okay okay!! This BOOK!!! I was honestly intrigued from the start as Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors.

And a romantasy by her?! An absolute win that had me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely adored the FMC, Brynla. And can we TALK about Andor?! UHHH this man. This had plot, this had romance, this had everything we love in a romantasy and more.

Addictive, refreshing, and bingeable this is summer's hottest new read.

There are dragon books, and then there are *dragon* books. This one featured these creatures at their most dangerous and feral, and I loved it! This is a very cool fantasy world that blends magic with politics (think Mafia, not court), and the mix creates such an engaging playground for these characters. Everything feels very intense and mythical right off the bat, and it really sucks you in.

For such a fantastical world, though, there is a lot of emotional grounding. There are moments of intense grief and a very raw way of processing it. The characters themselves are also much more in tune with their emotions than I expected given the circumstances. Brynla and Andor gave a very clear sense of communication, and Andor actively works to process things with Brynla and talk things through. It's really refreshing to see this in a Romantasy, and I loved the upfront communication and relational development. The two also have a wonderful chemistry and sense of banter. Another absolute stand out was Lemi, Brynla's dog. (Spoiler alert for my fellow animal lovers: yes, the dog ends up okay!) Her love for Lemi and vice versa was so lovely, and I also adored getting to see Andor and Lemi's interaction and relational development.

The world itself has a lot of intricate details, and I'll admit that at first I was a little bit overwhelmed by all of the politics and dynamics between families and lands. This book features an illegal dragon egg trade, and there are many leading players and nations that have varying views on dragons, magic, and the trade. Sometimes, it takes me a second to fully understand complex political dynamics, but I will say that Karina did a nice job of reiterating and explaining everything so that I didn't feel too far in over my head. Honestly, in the beginning, I was loving it just for the *vibes,* but I ended up growing to understand the actual details. If you are someone that enjoys lots of conflict in the political/social realm, you will love this one and all of the intriguing details! There are many levels to engage with in this book, and I know the rest of the series will just get more and more intriguing.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay Karina!!!!

Loved this! I thought that this was a super unique story, it felt very different to me than most fantasy romance books out there now. The plot was great and the chemistry between our to main characters? phewwww! The pace of this book was great as well, I had a very hard time putting this one down!

Can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

This book was really quickly paced, and I feel like I was just tossed into this world cold turkey. It was a little bit jarring. Now, I really enjoyed Karina Halle's writing style and her character development, but the story itself I just could not get into as easily. It left me a bit to be desired in all honesty. I think I am going to try a different one of her books because I enjoy her writing and I feel like perhaps this just was not the one for me.

Unfortunately, this book suffered from false expectations from how it’s being marketed for me personally. I went into this book expecting a dark mafia-esque vibe set in a fantasy world with dragons and enemies to lovers. Instead, I read a “he falls first & harder” romantasy with dragons in the background. I would NOT consider this enemies to lovers AT ALL.

Giving this book 3 stars because as a story itself, it isn’t terrible. I couldn’t get past the fact that my expectations from how it’s being marketed were so different from the story that I read, and it severely and negatively affected how I received the book.

If you’re looking for an adult fantasy book with “how to train your dragon” vibes, dual pov, “he falls first”, you’ll love this book.

First and foremost I want to thank Karina & her amazing team for allowing me to read this book in advance! I’m a HUGE Karina Halle fan, and being apart of her RRS group has been one of the biggest highlights of this year!

Realm Of Thieves was definitely a fast paced, captivating read.This book has such a unique take on dragons and incorporating the eggs (suen) for power! Brynla the FMC is from Esland; she escaped the convent run by The Saints Of Fire and became an egg hunter/thief with her beloved Lemi; and now resides in The Banished Land with her aunt. She is working for the Dalgaard syndikat; collecting eggs for them. She is plagued by pains in her stomach, and even with ingesting suen herself she is resistant!

The MMC Andor is from Norland, he finds Brynla and wants her to work for his families syndikat yet they run into some obstacles…

I can easily see a book two being formed from this book, and I have sooooo many questions!

🚨 Spoilers 🚨
This book was very engaging but an area where it fell flat/ held me back from giving this book five stars is there was no connection/ no repercussions to Brynla switching sides. There was a lot of stress of Dalgaard syndikat finding out she switched sides and that they’d come for her but there was nothing! As well, the disease that Andor’s mother died from was so vague; would love to have found out more since it seems like it held a lot of significance!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
🌶️/5

There are so, so many dragon books in romantasy. To be fair, dragons were always pretty popular in fantasy/romantasy, even before “Fourth Wing.” But now it seems out of control! I honestly sometimes lose track of them all, which one’s I’ve read, how many new ones are coming out and what differentiates them, etc. etc. So, yes, here’s another dragon romantasy review!

Unfortunately, I’m still thwarted in this area. I’m starting to think that I may just need to stick with my more traditional fantasy books for my dragon kick, at least until it dies down a bit in massive popularity. As it stands, too often it feels as if authors and publishers may just be trying to cash in on a popular trope instead of following an organic story-making process. Such is the case here. While there were aspects of the world-building here with its use of dragons that I thought were interesting, as the story continued, this book ultimately seemed to turn more into a gangster/mafia romance story. Which I don’t dislike as a romance subgenre on its own, but wasn’t why I was picking this book up.

Ultimately, from early in the story, everything felt rather flat. The author was telling me a lot of things, but I wasn’t seeing many reasons to become emotionally involved. The characters were just kind of there, following along in many of the standard FMC/MMC archetypes that we’ve come to expect from books like this. The pacing was fairly stilted, with the book dragging significantly in the middle of the story only to fall through the floor with the almost bait-and-switch with the genre change from fantasy to mafia romance in the end. And over and over again characters and plot points operated in ways that didn’t make sense other than as quick resolutions to any challenges that presented themselves. Things happened because a problem needed to be solved. And solved quickly with very little conflict being given any time to brew.

Much of this only came to play as I continued reading, but I was already started off on the wrong foot by the way the romance was handled. When I say “fast” I can’t emphasize enough just how fast I mean. The characters meet and that’s pretty much it. Their insta-attraction/lust/love was so extreme that it felt totally unbelievable and threw me out of the book. True, I prefer a slow burn (typically even across multiple books!) but there are numerous romantasy titles I can point to that have an established romance in book one that I enjoyed (see “Shield of Sparrows.”) This book totally missed the mark for me in this department. As a bit of a side note, I’m very over the cutesy nicknames that the MMCs give FMCs. They are getting more and more ridiculous and over-the -top. If someone talked like this in real life, the cringe would be off the charts.

Sadly, this was a miss for me. I know that this author is quite prolific, so I might need to dig around her back catalog and see if I connect better with one of her previous books. I’m sure fans of her work will enjoy this, but if you want a well-developed romance or a book that focuses strongly on the fantasy elements, you may want to pass on this one. That said, if you like mafia romance, this may be the unexpected hit you’re looking for!

Rating 6: With a flat-feeling plot, lack of complex characterization, and a romance that went from zero to one hundred in two seconds flat, this one sadly wasn’t for me.

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on June 13

*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
0/5 Stars
(Dnf 74%)

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
🐉 Forbidden Romance
🥚 Captor x Captive
🐉 Enemies To Lovers
🥚 Dual Pov

💭 Thoughts-
In all honesty, I was just bored bored bored the whole way through this book. I thought the fmc and mmc had no real convection or anything, so I didn’t understand why they were together, and honestly the entire plot just wasn’t that exciting for me. I thought that it needed more of a plot and some sort of real connection between the main characters. They had about as much a love/relationship connection as me and the spiders I kill and hate on a daily basis. I honestly held onto hope about this book much longer than I should have because I just hoped it would get better, and it never did. So, I just got so bored that I couldn’t read on and had to dnf it for my own sanity. I would not recommend this book because I found it boring and a waste of my time that I could have spent reading an actually good book.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an