This one is not for me. The writing style is clunky for me, and I can't get into the story. I feel like there is a lot of potential for Andor and Brynla, but I can't get into the story. I stopped reading at chapter 15.

This book was such a fun ride. Karina Halle gives us a new fantasy world full of dragons, magic, mafia vibes, and secret societies—and somehow it all just works.

Brynla is a badass dragon egg thief with a tough past, and Andor is the broody syndicate lieutenant who kidnaps her for her skills. Cue the forced proximity, danger around every corner, and a slow-burn romance that really pays off. Their chemistry builds over time, and I loved watching their relationship shift from enemies to something much more.

The world-building is super creative, and the side characters (especially the magical dog, Lemi!) add a lot to the story. If you’re into tropes like he falls first, enemies to lovers, and revenge plots with a dash of spice, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.

Plus, that epilogue? Total mic drop. I’m already counting down to the next book.

I enjoyed Realm of Thieves. I enjoyed the idea of a story about a thief stealing dragon eggs while eventually falling for someone totally out of her league. I liked that Brynla had personal issues that aren’t addressed in a lot of books, like her cycle and her grief. I thought Andor was a good main character to match Brynla. He was charming, funny and wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he wanted in the end. I loved when he took her to see snow for the first time!

After finishing the story, I feel like there’s a couple pieces Karina left unfinished to continue sequels. I was left with questions, especially about the Harbinger and the dragon down below.

Overall, I really enjoyed what Karina did with the story!

The world building of Halle's Realm of Thieves is definitely the biggest strength of this book. Halle's take on a world with dragons and magic is intriguing, detailed, and a bit different than anything that I've read before. With that being said, I do wish the characters were developed with just as much detail, especially our main characters Brynla and Andor. The romance between the two happened way too quickly for my liking and wasn't as developed as I would like, as well. Overall, it's an okay romantasy that will definitely find it's audience in this current climate.

I have been a huge fan of Karina’s work for a while now and I feel like this one was different! Usually her books are fast paced and super easy to read but this one felt more in-depth. Not necessarily a bad thing! I think she slowed this one down a lot but things were still interesting. I love the Jurassic park vibes. I didn’t really see the “mafia” part of it aside from the syndikats but that was fine.

I do wish we had more tension and burning from the MCs as I was hoping for a true enemies to lovers and it felt almost insta-lovey.

Nice entry into the Romantasy genre. Thieves, heists, dragon eggs, and a magical dog... this book had it all. The first 30% kept me glued to the page. There were times I actually did not care for the MMC and his decisions, but I kept reading. The relationship between Brynla and Andor was just okay for me, his falling so fast was very instaloveish. I did enjoy the ending, I would like to see where this author takes this world in the next installment.

An adventurous fantasy novel that will have you turning page after page late into the night to find out what happens next! The world building and depth of thought that went into the magic system were clear from the beginning, and yet it was never too complicated that I felt I didn’t understand. Perfect for those who are just getting into fantasy due to the depth of information supplied as world building!

Dragons and hot men? Sign me UP! I feel so sad that this release was nowhere near what Karina deserved, it breaks my heart that the big box bookstores missed out on such a cool book. My store only had one copy that wasn't even on the shelf on release day. It broke my heart for Karina. I can't wait to get my copy signed by her at Book Harvest!

I love Karina because she can write just about any genre. If you love low stakes fantasy, this is for you. It did read a lot more like YA (minus the couple spicy scenes). The romance happens fast and I didn't have much invested in it. Probably the best part is the dog.... but a quick read with a neat world, I'm sure the rest of the series will get to explore the magic and dragons, but it felt like way too much world building trying to cram into a single book.

Book: Realm of Thieves
Series: Thieves of Dagemore, Book 1
Author: Karina Halle
Completed Series: No
# of Books in Series: Unknown
Genre: Romantasy
Format: eBook (ARC)

First Thoughts/Summary:
I felt oddly seen in this book. I connected with the MMC more than I’ve really ever connected with a character before.. Weird. PS. I loved this book


Storyline/Plot:
This book is filled with so many feelings and plots within plots! It was a pure joy to read. I like how there are so many facets to how magic is gathered and the costs of said magic. The world-building was unique and fun for me. I really have no idea where this book is going, and I love that! You get equal parts emotion, chemistry, and adventure.
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Favorite Characters:
Andor is so real to me. I see myself in the way he feels about his relationship with his family and his place in the world. Still, he sticks true to himself, and I find that so amazing.

Spice:
There are a few scenes. It’s not crazy on the spice, but I liked it when I read it.

Triggers:
If you escaped a cult before and find it triggering, you may wanna skip this one. Physical violence, death of a parent, abandonment, and I really can’t think of anything else I would think could trigger you, knowing the type of books I read.

I was really excited about this one at first. An enemy-to-lovers fantasy with dragons should’ve been right up my alley. Unfortunately, I had to DNF it.

I gave it a solid shot, making it to about 60% before I decided to give up. It started really strong— the world-building was solid, and the story was intriguing. I was really enjoying the world, the magic system, and I was curious to see where the plot would go. It had so much potential. But as soon as the romance was introduced, things started to unravel.

That’s where it lost me. I just couldn’t take the romance seriously. Everything about it felt forced, and some of the scenes were downright cringeworthy. I genuinely feel like this could’ve been a great book if it didn’t focus so heavily on the romance. There was zero chemistry between the main characters, and all their interactions just felt off. I’m not sure how else to put it.

What I really wanted was more focus on the plot, the politics, and the world-building/magic system, instead of all the romance. It’s disappointing that this didn’t work for me, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t my thing.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Okay look, I haven't read any mafia romances, so I was nervous if I'd like this one and I'm happy to report that I did enjoy it! Whether you enjoy mafia romances or romantasy, I think you will enjoy this unique world with these Jurassic Park-esque dragons. We're dropped into the action immediately and the pacing felt pretty consistent to me.

Brynla and Andor's banter is fun and keeps things interesting! I really enjoyed both characters and wished we got to know the side characters better (fingers crossed for the sequel!). Also, Lemi, the magic dog? Fantastic. He is the moment!

The cherry on top for me was how Halle writes about loss, grief, and endometriosis. I noted so many sections where characters were discussing or experiencing grief and I think some sections could easily help readers experiencing their own grief.

You can certainly read this as a standalone, but the ending does hint heavily towards the next story and some things are left unfinished - as is expected in a series. I'm excited to see how this world continues to unfold! I'm hoping we get to see more of some side characters and see Brynla continuing to grow.

Look Forward To:
Forced Proximity
Only One Cave/Horse
Who did this to you?
Healing/Caretaking
Political Intrigue

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted advanced copy.

Realm of Thieves is ideal for readers who crave fiery romantic tension and high-stakes heists set against a backdrop of political intrigue and mythical danger.

This book was 6/5 stars! I am a huge Karina Halle fan and this was everything I was hoping for in a Karina Halle fantasy book. I loved the way the FMC has been made to rely only on herself and has to now struggle being in a position of relying on someone else. I love how the MMC admires the FMC and has no problem admitting he was wrong in her assumptions of her. I loved all the character growth and am dying for the next release in the series!

🩸🗡️Realm of Thieves 🗡️🩸

I really enjoyed this book! It was a different kind of romantasy with more mafia vibes than the royal houses that you would normally find in fantasy. That really works for me. It definitely played on the tension between Andor and his family and I really enjoyed that. It also set up some really great scenes where Andor got to defend Brynla against his family.

I also really liked that the dragons were not tailorable. They absolutely will eat you. They are wild creatures and you mess with them at your own risk. It also really put into perspective how dangerous it was for Brynla to steal the eggs.

I also really liked that this set up a series without it having to end on a cliffhanger. To absolutely no one’s surprise that was a big concern of mine when I started this book. But I’m happy to report that it ends as it should and I am excited for book 2 whenever that is due to arrive.

Definitely recommend this one for lovers of romantasy, dragons, mafia romance, and enemies to lovers.

A huge, thank you to @acebookspub and @authorhalle for a copy of this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(3.75)/🌶️
Realm of Thieves is a Romantasy set in a world with dragons.

The dragons were too powerful and overcame the lands, forcing humans to live on the coldest regions. Until one man went into the dragon lands, found magic, and created
wards to keep the dragons contained on Midlands, a land of volcanoes, perfect for their breading grounds.

The humans were finally able to take over the surrounding lands.

A religious group formed that believed the dragons were gods, so they fed the dragons and gave them sacrifices so that they would be protected from their wrath when the wards fall.

Humans discovered that if you consume a dragon egg, a substance in the egg called Suen would give you magical powers, that could then be passed down to your children.
A trade began for Suen, controlled by the syndikats (powerful families), causing rivalry between the different lands.

Only the bravest thieves would risk the volcanic activity and dragons on Midlands to steal the dragon eggs for the syndikats.

Brynla is a dragon egg thief for House Dalgaard, the Sorland’s syndikat. She has lost both her parents and escaped the Daughters of Silence with the help of her Aunt, where they now live as Freelanders underground hiding from the religious elite.

Andor is the second son of House Kolbeck, the syndikat of Norland. He has a plan to help his house, but he needs Brynla first. His plan requires the best thief in the land to pull off the greatest heist in history.

This was a fun Romantasy filled with:
Dragons, magic, religious sect, controlling Syndikats, goddesses, kidnapping, magical dog, betrothals, heist for magical item, enemies to lovers

In terms of Karina Halle books, this one is more mild than her dark romance books. It’s definitely more of a slow burn and lower on the spice ratings than her other books. It’s definitely different than her paranormal/shifter/vampire fantasies.

I loved the world building. It is very complex and a major part of the plot and storyline. There is a forward that explains the history of Dragemor at the beginning of the book that reads like a fairytale.

This storyline wraps up at the end of the book, but it looks to be a series with the next book following the older brother.

Critiques:
The pacing for a majority of the story was slow, a lot happens, but at the same time nothing was happening. However, that picked up during the last 25%.

The surprise with a certain character at the end was not believable (how they came to be who they are).

In all, I enjoyed the story, but I feel like the author toned down her style so that it would be trad published. It felt like she held back.

DNF at 44%. This one just isn’t doing it for me. I LOVE the world and the concept but the characters and plot are not keeping me interested. I definitely think some readers will eat this one up though!

This book is a fun time! I always enjoy Karina Halle’s books for how fast paced her stories are - and how unique her worlds are.

I enjoyed this world, its magic, its weird religions, and of course, the swords and fighting and egg stealing.

Not to mention the romance! From the get-go, Andor and Brynla are bantering and sniping at each other and sure, yes, maybe he ties her up as a captive and maybe she jumps off his ship to escape him. But their relationship can only go up from there!!
(it gets really sweet and spicy and they both stand up for and defend each other and fight by each others sides💕)

I will say that I found the romance a touch insta lust/instalovey, and also that this is definitely more of a reluctant friends to lovers than it is enemies to lovers (not complaining!!) - going into the story knowing that will make it a lot more of an enjoyable I think.

Which is more dangerous - a dragon, or those who would stop at nothing to get close to them? For thieves in the illegal trade of magic-drenched dragon eggs, the latter is always the correct answer. Brynla Aihr is no exception - having escaped a dragon-worshipping cult, she has spent her adult life sprinting head-first into danger, facing dire weather, magical enchantments, imminent immolation, and the expected human-based backstabbing that comes with thievery in pursuit of dragon eggs - worth their weight in black market gold. When a mission goes wrong and she is captured by the lieutenant of her employers rival House, she finds that there is something more dire than dragon egg hunting - the espionage of rival families. Navigating her safety, the wile of the enigmatic and charming Lord Andor, and the smoking prophecies that threaten to tip the balance of their realm will require every back-alley trick and skill Brynla has, and she may lose everything - her life, her freedom, and her heart - if she isn't careful.

You know a dragon tale hates to see me coming, and I was chomping at the bit to sink my scaly little claws into a new Karina Halle book. This tale definitely had everything I was hoping for - secret societies; dragon magic soaked in mystery and hidden abilities; charming and disarming (literally) MMCs, found family (threat); hurt/comfort that definitely leans into the hurt; a "if the dog dies we riot" goodest boy; religious trauma and the potential for sweet revenge; right and fantastical realms; and tricks on tricks to (still) be uncovered. I also loved the inclusion of endometriosis rep, which you wouldn't expect in a fantasy book but was wonderfully placed and of course a relevant topic in the real world as well. There were several twists I didn't see coming (or which blew up in ways I didn't expect), which I love in fantasy because it keeps me on my toes, and I m almost more excited for the sequel of this book because I have some questions for certain characters and can't wait to see where we leap with some of the cliffhangers at the end of this book! I am constantly in awe of Karina's ability to write across diverse genres and hope she continues to write fantasy in the future because I had a blast (dragon pun intended) with this book!

I’m feeling a bit underwhelmed about this one. The start was great, I was hooked and loved the idea of a high-stakes heist about stealing dragon eggs because who doesn’t love a dragon in their book. But, then we got to the middle and the end and I realized, not much really happened in this book?

Like everything that would have been a conflict in the story to push it along just got resolved (very anti-climactic actually) rather quickly. We also don’t see any, if that, personality from our characters in the story, fmc and mmc, included. It sucks because I truly think this book had serious potential to be a good fantasy romance but, it overall did not give that.

Thank you to netgalley and Berkley publishing for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review