Sadly I ended up dnfing this book. Just wasn't my cup of tea. I struggled in the beginning and couldn't push through. The authors writing was good I just didn't like the story line

I absolutely love the characters and their story. Definitely held my attention from page one. Another phenomenal read by Karina. I don’t think Karina can do no wrong.

I've really been enjoying a lot of Karina Halle books lately - and this was really good! I had a lot of fun with it, and I can't wait to see what's next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

I like Karina Halle’s books but unfortunately this is a no for me couldn’t get past 30% I kept trying to push through but I couldn’t. Will try again in the future, thank you Berkeley for this arc

Unfortunately I DNF'd this at around 45%. Once we were out of the dragon lands, the pacing slowed dramatically. I found I wasn't crazy about the hero because while we're told he's clever, that doesn't seem to be the case since he doesn't have a plan for anything. I didn't feel much chemistry between teh two and I wasn't really enjoying it unfortunately. The premise sounded really cool, but it didn't live up to the description.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I am forever in my romantasy era and I will never leave.

This book was so interesting!!!! I loved the whole concept of the illegal dragon egg trade. It felt very much…fantasy mafia???? I think that’s the best way to explain it.

Brynla is my bitch, okay. Not only is she strong as all fuck, but her name is almost the same as mine and that automatically gets her points in my book. She was such a badass and I really liked watching her basically beat the ass of all the men in the Kolbeck syndikat.

Andor in the beginning pissed me off. I wanted to punch him in the throat so bad, but he grew on me, okay? I learned to like him and then I loved him. I totally get his whole “searching for parental approval” thing. Been there, too, buddy.

The dragons were the winner in this book, though. It was so cool that there were different species, different sizes and colors and the eggs and their suen did so many different things. Truly, this was so fucking interesting I couldn’t help but GOBBLE IT UP.

I am SO ready for the next book and to see where this whole syndikat goes, especially after the end of this book!!!!!

Thank you so much to Berkeley for this ARC!!! 🥹🫶🏻

I tried for weeks to read this and finally had to DNF it because I was just too bored and the writing style didn't sit right with me.

Realm of Thieves is everything you want in a fantasy adventure—dangerous quests, forbidden romance, and a world so immersive you won’t want to leave. Karina Halle masterfully blends tension, wit, and heart, delivering a story that’s as gripping as it is swoon-worthy. A total must-read for fans of high-stakes heists and slow-burn magic.

i am so thankful i was able to read this early!! i loved this story and am really interested to see where the story goes from here!

Dragons are all the rage right now and I'm so happy to say that this doesn't get lost in the mix of all the other romantasy books. While this had a lot of tropes I love, they were done right. This was very action packed and Brynla was a very easy character to root for. Karina does what she does best, which is creating a very cool world that's so easy to get lost in but not hard to understand. I hope this blows up when it's released, because I really enjoyed this one!

4.5/5

I have really enjoyed reading books from Karina Halle so I was very excited to see this new story coming from her. Realm of Thieves is very unique and different compared to the other books I've read from her. First of all this book captured from the get go. I remember reading the summary and immediately adding this to my tbr. There are tons of books where the main character is a thief but I've never read a book where the premise focuses on stealing dragon eggs. The whole idea of there being rival houses competing to see who can acquire the most eggs was so interesting to me. I always love when the main characters are thieves so Brynla's character was so fun to read about. Especially when we get to her kidnapping by Andor.

This book had amazing world building and the twists and turns kept me invested all throughout the book. I'm a big fan of political intrigue so I really enjoyed seeing that with a good mix of adventure, mystery, and romance. For me the romance between Brynla and Andor felt natural. It was emotional with ups and downs and I thought the pacing was perfect. But in my opinion one of the best parts of Realm of Thieves was the representation of Brynla's chronic pain. You don't see this often in fantasy books and I wish we did. This part of Brynla really adds to the story and adds so many meaningful and empowering layers to her. I felt like this just added so much more to the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see more from this world! Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Karina Halle for an ARC!

Fans of Fourth Wing, rejoice! Realm of Thieves is your new, spicy, dragon romantasy with angst that just doesn't quit.

Brynla is the best dragon egg thief in town working for the scariest scyndicate. When warring clan rebel Andor kidnaps her and her pup to work for him the tension cranks and mounts to a firey level!

If you love your romantasy dragon-filled, angsty, and having chosen-one energy, then pick this one up! You’ll love it from the very first page. The lore is epic.

Thank you to the Ace/Berkley folks for this early copy!:)

This blog post includes affiliate links.
Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare. Fancy a sapphic time-travel romance? The threads of this one got too complicated for me & I eventually stopped trying to understand all of the time travel intricacies (probably a me problem!). But the romance is compelling & the sensuality between the leads is nice. 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out 06/03. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle. A resourceful, strong dragon thief falls in love with her kidnapper & vice versa, as they work to pull off a heist & research the fearsome beasts. This one has steam, a fighting heroine (one of my weaknesses!), a declaration of love, endo rep, & secrets—in short, so much of what I love in a fantasy—but the plot felt loosely held together. 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out 06/10. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J Penner. This is a cozy fantasy with a soft romance between an elf & a nonmagical human. The heroine develops confidence in herself, forms friendships with contestants, & challenges herself in a baking competition, all the while surrounded by a beta hero elf & a host of intriguing secondary characters. 4 ⭐️ ️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

Are any of these on your TBR or have you read any of these already?

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this arc.

3 stars.

DNF @ 75%

soooo you're probably wondering; if i dnf'ed it, why am i still giving it three stars?

well, because i probably would have finished this if i'd had more patience because this wasn't insanely bad. i actually quite enjoyed it up until a certain point, and then it turned into every cliché romantasy book you've ever read, and i just got tired of it. that's why.

it took so long for me to even get to the 75% mark for this exact reason. i would power through certain parts to just get stuck at others because i wasn't enjoying it anymore.

maybe i would've liked it better if i'd read it at a different time. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I went into Realm of Thieves not knowing much, and wowwww ; I was hooked! A heist involving dragon eggs? Yes, please! The dragons were such a cool part of the story, and I loved how they tied into the world.

Brynla was great, but Andor totally stole my heart. The dual POV made the story even better, and I couldn’t get enough of the banter and action. Plus, Andor’s brothers? I need more of them! Some parts could’ve gone deeper, but overall, this was such a fun, fast paced read.

Karina Halle delivers a high-stakes fantasy filled with danger, betrayal, and sizzling slow-burn romance in Realm of Thieves. At its heart is Brynla Aihr, a hardened thief who has spent years stealing dragon eggs—an illegal and deadly profession that puts her at constant risk. But when she’s kidnapped and blackmailed by Lord Andor of House Kolbeck, she’s forced into a treacherous game of power, politics, and prophecy.

The world-building is immersive, blending the intrigue of warring dynasties with the ever-present threat of dragons. While the novel starts off a bit choppy in its pacing, Brynla’s character truly shines in the latter half, evolving from a hardened survivor to a force to be reckoned with. Andor and Brynla’s dynamic is electric, delivering a molten-hot slow burn romance that crackles with tension and intensity.

With twists, betrayals, and a plot that keeps you turning pages, Realm of Thieves is a thrilling fantasy read that will appeal to fans of morally gray characters, intricate political schemes, and fiery romance. Just be prepared for the heat—both from the dragons and the romance.

i loved this book!! I was so fortunate to receive this book early - thank you netgalley & berkley!! i had an amazing time and am looking forward to reading more books by Karina Halle

so unfortunately i find myself very underwhelmed by this one 😭

i typically love karina’s books for how fast paced and thrilling they are, i feel like her stories are always super unique and addicting and while i felt that way for the front half of the book i certainly did not feel that way about the rest 😭

somewhere along the lines this book hit a plateau in almost all aspects for me, the characters and the romance became very one dimensional… almost boring? i kind of only stayed in it for lemi and to finally figure out where the plot was taking me.

as im super bummed out this book didnt hit for me the way i hoped it would i definitely do see myself giving it a try through the audiobook in the future… see if that helps bring some dimension and excitement back into it for me.

When it comes to high stakes plotlines with heavy twists and turns, we can depend on Halle to deliver!

A thief — captured by a rival house who wants to use her abilities for their personal gain. I feel like Brynla’s character truly blossomed in the second to last third of the novel and the first bit was a hair choppy and could’ve used some extra care. Little things like details that could have been explained further or better.

Brynla and Andor though? Chef’s kiss. Red hot, molten lava slow burn heat. Their chemistry was off the charts and at times had me reeling.

Overall this high stakes, slow burn fantasy had a great pacing that had me devouring this book quickly.

Thank you Karina Halle, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing Group for an e-arc of Realm of Thieves! Let me start by saying, I am a Karina Halle fan through and through. You cannot deny how talented she is at dreaming up stories and writing. This book is unique and stands apart from any of the other books I've read by her.

I think the premise of the book is so interesting. A dragon egg thief who steals for the highest bidder and is captured by a rival House who wants to use her skills for their gain. The twists and turns kept me invested and turning pages, but it felt like there were some essential details that were glossed over that I'd love to see cleared up or elaborated on.

While the first chunk of the book was a bit tough for me, the last 30% or so absolutely did a 180 and had me hooked. Brynla's internal growth, and the romance between her and Andor felt especially magical.

"𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒔."

By the end of my read, I felt like this book delivered on what I had wanted and more. Fast-paced plot, high stakes, unique world-building and a romance that lingered past the last page.

I'm eager to see where the Thieves of Dragemor series takes us next.