⚔️𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬⚔️
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Karina Halle
Format: tandem e-arc & audio

This was an interesting read. Definitely a unique storyline. Brynla is a dragon egg thief and Andor has been following her for months. It was rumored that she’s very good at what she does and Andor wants use of her skills. He takes her, against her will, to his kingdom to aid in his mission. In exchange is the promise of a better life for her and her aunt.

The more time they spend together the more he falls for her. It doesn’t take long for him to want her to want to be with him. He gives her the opportunity to return home and never see him again but it’s too late. She’s already fallen for him as well. They end up on a quest for the egg of immortality. Which turns those who ingest the “suen” of the egg immortal.

Their mission is unsuccessful but also successful at the same time. You’ll have to read in order to understand what that means. I don’t want to give away too many details.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵:
•Enemies to Lovers
•Forced Proximity
•Dragon Egg Hunts
•A Disappearing Dog
•Revenge Plot
•Magic
•Slow Burn
•Moderate Spice

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶.5

Dune meets Jurassic Park with Dragons meets Rival Mafia Houses!

If you love romantasy that is fast-paced, filled with danger, magic, and high stakes, Realm of Thieves is for you.

Karina can write anything! With excellent worldbuilding, an enemies to lovers romance paced so perfectly, and fierce dragons, this book exceeded all of my expectations.

Such a fresh take on romantasy with dragons, and I am here for it. I can't wait for the next books in the series.

Thank you, @authorhalle and @netgalley, for this amazing eARC!

Karina gave us such a unique twist on the dragon world with this one and I really enjoyed it! I’m a sucker for anything dragon related, and I was pleasantly surprised to see something new for me in the sub-genre. There was immersive world building, and the romance was paced perfectly throughout the book.
Brynla is a thief in a world where humans risk everything to steal dragon eggs for the magical substance within them. Her and her trusty side-pup have created quite the reputation for themselves at being one of the best at what they do. She catches the eye of Andor, who kidnaps her for her help in his epic heist. Naturally, there is some animosity between the two at first, but Brynla slowly comes around to Andor. The tension between the two was smoldering, and the heist plot only added to that. I wish we got more time with Brynla and Andor together in this book. The slow burn was BURNING y’all.

This is a very of unique and interesting book.
I haven't come across anything like this before.
I’ve never read a book about dragons, their eggs and thieves working for syndikats!
And yes I spelled that right! Lol.
The details and descriptions of the different landscapes, environments, people and dragons and their eggs are so freaking vivid and vibrant! It was like watching a movie instead of reading a story.
The detailing is just incredible! That alone is deserving of five stars.
The originality of the plot and storyline is entertaining and enthralling.
The world building is just outstanding.! Ms. Halle is a brilliant storyteller.
I was gripped with the story. Utterly captivated. And pulled into a world that was thrilling and saddening all at once.
Brynla is a fascinating young lady. Resilient and strong. Determination in abundance.
And a will strong as steel. Caught in a power play by two opposing rival families.
Andor is charming, unpredictable and goes with the flow.
Because he’s usually the cause of whatever flow is taking place.
But don’t be fooled by all his easy demeanor. There is more to him than meets the eye.
It was fun seeing Byla and Andor go from enemies to friends then to lovers.
There is lots of action and suspense, twist and turns to add to the excitement of the story.
And that epilogue had me sitting up straight. I certainly wasn’t expecting that.
I’m excited that there is more to come from this new world and it’s inhabitants.

This was an enjoyable, unique romantasy. The premise with an illegal dragon egg trade gave some mafia vibes, but make it fantasy. While I wasn’t exactly blown away, I did enjoy it, especially the last 30% or so. The HEA was surprising but welcome and I would definitely pick up book 2, which follows another one of the princes.

Thank you to Ace for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I don't really know where to begin with this review. This was my first book by KH and I'm definitely not impressed.
Buckle up 'cause this is probably gonna be long and rant-y.

My first problem with this book is the way it's marketed—I, as many others, expected dark fantasy with mafia-esque vibe, maybe slow burn dark romance with enemies to lovers (or at least rivals to lovers since it's supposed to be about 2 thieves working for different families) and dragons. The book doesn't really deliver on either one, though at least there were (some) dragons lol.

There were so. many. things. that made no sense to me or things that were so contradictory and not explained enough that i couldn't understand what the author was talking about.

If you don't wanna know anything about the plot or you haven't finished the book yet I recommend you read my review after so you don't get spoiled.

Let me start by saying that there is a Glossary in the very beginning and you definitely shouldn't skip it. I read it thoroughly before I started and even then I had to refer to it more than once until I remember what was explained.

Now about the MCs. I didn't care about any of them.
The book started off strong. I loved the prologue, the way everything was set up, the rage Brynla felt, the vow to escape—all fantastic. Aaaaaand that's it.
From chapter 1 I couldn't get into the story, it was dragging out, I wasn't connecting with the writing at all. At first, I thought it was me, maybe I wasn't in the mood, or I just needed to get more into the story. But the more I read, the more I realized that wasn't the issue at all. Neither the writing not the story was able to grip me.

Brynla and Andor are 25+ years old yet they didn't read older than teenagers, this could've so easily been upper YA or NA even with the spice. Actually, I have read YA with way more mature characters and darker plot. Both MCs were very 2 dimensional to me, and I didn't really connect with anyone. Brynla was better at the beginning, definitely think she was better fleshed out than the MMC but by the end I didn't care about either one anyway.

The MMC Andor kept complaining that no one ever takes him seriously when he didn't act in a way to be taken seriously. Especially in the beginning, there was this kind of a ... how do I say this, clown quality to him, like he was trying to be something similar to Cassian (acotar) but instead, because he wasn't fleshed out enough and there wasn't much depth to him, he just sounded like a fool.
Then there's this scene, it's kind of in the beginning of the book, where Andor's father was pointing out his reckless, foolish behavior in the past and all his failed plans and that also made him look like a child.

As I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of things that made no sense to me like calling the language they speak "English" in the first chapter but "Common Tongue of Dragemor" later on. I don't know if that "Common Tongue" was still English but given that this is a fantasy book and England is not a thing I have no idea where that "English" language even came from. Another thing was Brynla "sinking deeper into the water, breathing in and out through her nose to calm herself" (and no, she doesn't have fish powers). Something that even made me laugh was the FMC, again, saying she will "hold Andor to his promise. By any means necessary. Not caring if she has to kill him to get her way." 😂😂 Not only did she sound like a child throwing a tantrum but her statement was also ridiculously silly. Was he supposed to keep his promise from the afterlife if she had murdered him?! And there was no one else but him who could've helped her at that point since he was the one to make that promise.
One more thing I want to point out here, because honestly there were plenty more that made no sense, is the whole black market thing. So, this was something that really confused me because Andor and Brynla had this conversation in the first half of the book where Andor said this—

"Is [suen] really as widespread as you make it seem to be?Does every Norlander take it?"
"No," says Andor firmly. "It's reserved for the royals, for the houses, and for the armies. *Those are the only people we will sell the suen to*. Some people are able to buy it on the black market—a market even more discreet than *the one we deal with*—but it's very expensive and most commoners can't
afford it. Besides, the king has declared it illegal and people are thoroughly punished when they're caught taking it."

But then, later on, this was a part of Brynla's inner monologue—

"His father has a strong hold on him, whether Andor knows it or not, and I'm just some girl he took to give his family a better hold on the black market."

I have no idea what "hold" she is referring to when they don't deal with and on the BM at all.

There were some things about the world that I found to be contradictory, I just think some things needed to be explained better.

Like the syndikats which are supposedly these mafia families but they are not what I expected, for example I don't understand how they had their own illegal egg trade but they also worked for the king? It's illegal because the king had declared it so but they only sell to him and they don't deal on the black market for fear that the king will find out and he will punish and shun them and start buying from another House instead of the Kolbecks. So what's illegal about what they do when everything they do and sell is sanctioned by the royal family and they dont dare cross them even by selling any leftover suen?! And the Kolbecks are not royalty but several of them were/are engaged to princesses??? The Houses hold a lot of power yes, but are they noble?! Because they sure read more like nobles dipping their toes in some mild illegal dealings than as actual mafia or anything resembling that.
Realm of Thieves just did not read like dark fantasy romance to me at all. The atmosphere wasn't dark, most of the time nothing really was happening, at some point it even gave me cozy fantasy vibes because I didn't really feel any urgency. Occasionally, one of the MCs would try to make it seem like so much was at stake or whatever but there was like no imminent threat and there was no thrill at all about anything happening.
In the beginning, the dialogue was kind of weird and stiff in places. Andor made me cringe more than once and don't even get me started on that stupid "lavender girl" nickname.

The MCs were not enemies-to-lovers, they were strangers-who-didnt-trust-each-other to lovers, there wasn't really actual hate between them, even when Brynla was trying very hard to hate Andor in the first few chapters. She quickly started noticing the MMCs handsomeness, almost right away, even if it was reluctantly. So to me, this also didn't read as a slow burn, and I could've been fine with that if their chemistry was good or if I at least liked Andor but that wasn't the case.
Several scenes gave me the ick when it came to the romance, their relationship was more often than not weird to me. Especially when 47% in the MCs hadn't even kissed or admitted any feelings and out of nowhere Brynla realized "she doesn't want him to let her go, not now and maybe not ever" what?!

"I'm his fucking prisoner.
And now? Now what?
He gave me peace and suddenly the cage I'm in doesn't seem so bad anymore.
I don't know if that means I'm weak.
Or that I'm getting stronger."

*facepalm gif* how would this mean that she's getting stronger is beyond me LOL.

Everything that happened at the end was so anticlimactic, there were a few scenes I liked but altogether I was so done at this point I couldn't care less.
If you are wondering why I'm not rating this lower when everything I pointed out was what I disliked, honestly this wasn't the worst book I've read, at some point I was even entertained, I liked the idea behind the book just wasn't a fan of the execution. I also appreciated the endo representation, Brynla's grief was also represented in a very relatable way.

Even though this book wasn't for me I'm sure there are people who will enjoy it, even love it, especially if certain things were fixed in the final version.

I'd be willing to give KH another try but definitely with a different genre.

Eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
All quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication

Realm of Thieves has all of the components that make a fantasy great to me- magic, dragons/mythical, magical creatures, rivalry, and betrayal. It's a fun, fast-paced read, with lots of suspense and jaw-dropping twists. I loved each character individually, of course, for specific reasons. Every character, down to the supporting characters, had their own personality and unique characteristics, which I believe added to the book tremendously. The romance between Brynla and Andor was just alright. I felt it started a bit abruptly and was oddly paced. It just didn't flow for me. Overall, this is a solid 4-star read, and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Karina Halle for this read!

I dnfd this after 93 pages. It just wasn’t my vibe. Felt like it took too long to get the ball rolling. 93 pages is a long time to give to a book and not be attached. I saw all the hype for it and I wish I had loved it but we didn’t connect

The last 25% of this book is the most entertaining; not the first 75% is poorly done but I wished it had been a bit more flushed out. If you’re a fan of How to Train Your Dragon, Realm of Thieves is almost a fantasy adult version of the tale with a dose of romance. A new fantastical world where dragons exist yet are locked away to a secret island; their eggs are coveted to give magical powers, but the market to steal these eggs is the most dangerous task in the realm. Our FMC, Brynla (love that name) is almost too many characters. Not only is she an orphan from rebels, she was a captive of a spooky cult and now as an adult, she isa rebel again after escaping said cult. I almost feel like that plot line could have been its own story; I would have loved to see how Brynla’s aunt had helped her escape.

However, our main storyline comes into play when mid-thievery she runs into our MMC, Andor, and he offers her a new job as a thief for his family instead. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy Andor’s character. It felt like insta-love for him yet he continued to lie to her over and over. He felt boyish at times and I think it was meant to feed into his character’s penchant for not thinking and taking risks with little payoff. I can’t quite put my finger on why he felt off to me.

Our overall plotline revolves around Brynla and Andor stealing a rumored to exist egg with the ultimate power of immortality. I really enjoyed the main characters discovering how to accomplish and bringing together other characters from throughout the book. In the end we are treated to almost a pirate-esque looting story. The final 25% really felt like it held the weight of the story and truly had some unpredictable moments. With a teaser of a possible book 2, I’m not walking away from this series.

Thank you to Karina Halle and Berkley – Ace for providing a review copy.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I had a good time with this unique story. Andor and Brynla were cute and I loved Lemi.

I think I would have liked this to be 2 books where we go into a little more depth on some of the points but at the same time I love a fantasy standalone. I think this is going to be interconnected standalone since the next seems like it'll be about the brother.

This is like rivals quickly to lovers and I wasn't mad at it.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc.

Realm of Thieves || Karina Halle
⭐️4.5 ||🌶️3 || 🗣️ Dual POV, 1st Person

Read this if you like:
▪️Dragons
▪️Morally Grey MMC & FMC
▪️Enemies to Lovers
▪️Only One Cave
▪️Touch Her and Die
▪️Chronic Illness Rep
▪️He Falls First
▪️Mafia x Fantasy Romance
▪️Illegal Dragon Egg Trade
▪️Warring Crime Families and Dragon Worshipping Cults
▪️Loyal Dog Companion


Realm of Thieves is set in a world filled with warring mafia-esque families who run the illegal dragon egg trade. The FMC is a fierce survivor - she escaped a cult and survived as a dragon egg thief for years, before being captured by the MMC, who is the son of a rival family.

This was such a fun read! The world building, the dragons, the lore, all with the romance layered on top - chef’s kiss. Karina gave us the elements that we love from romantasy, but in an original way that felt fresh and new.

A thrilling, seductive, adventurous romantasy about dragon egg thieves. In this story dragons are NOT friendly but rather deadly, a subtle change in this genre I welcome. The two thieves, Brynla and Andor, are true enemies in this stories slow-burn romance. There's incredible chemistry, sexy scenes and incredible action.

Andor battles anxiety and his family while Brynla is a stubborn badass not looking for love.

Overall, a good start to a new dragon romantasy.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group | Ace

I've read, and enjoyed (very much), three Karina Halle books. Imagine my excitement when I saw that I was approved by Berkley/Ace to review one of my most highly anticipated books of the year!

The story had IMMENSE potential. A convent of corrupted nuns, a syndikat (mafia) romance, thieving, heists, Dragons, and magical eggs? I loved the premise, but I need to be completely honest in this review - I had an absolute crisis while reading this.

I recognize that this is an ARC, but this read like unedited first draft. The prose was so hard to get through and felt like a smattering of adjectives and commas thrown into a sentence. At one point, I counted a single sentence with 75 words and 9 commas.

It also felt confused about what kind of genre it was supposed to be. It tried to fit into the mold of fantasy with the inclusion of a glossary of world-unique terms, and using curses like "damnation" and "Blazes". But the dialogue otherwise sounded very contemporary and juvenile:
- a goddess is referred to as "the lava lady"
- at one point the MMC refers to "a cock-blocking doggo"
- the FMC refers to her plans as "improv"
- there were three too many un-ironic mentions of "hard-had dicks"

I did enjoy Lemi, the shifting dog, and appreciated the ADHD and endo representation in this book.

Honestly this wasn’t my favorite by Karina. I really enjoy her dark, paranormal romances quite a bit more. This one just didn’t keep me hooked & I ended up dnf’ing around 50%.

4.5stars. I just love Karina Halle so much. This is the first book in her new dark romantasy series and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a nice fresh take on a world with dragons and spice. Karina knows how to fully immerse you into a new world and I loved the world she created in this book. The dark mafia/thieving vibes added a new element that was a fun twist.

This first book is definitely a slower burn but don’t let that deter you. The FMC is so sassy and has no problem putting everyone in their place. The MMC gives it right back to her which makes their banter so great. I am so excited about this new series and I cannot wait to see where it goes!

This was an absolute thrill ride! The blend of dragon lore, mafia intrigue, and romance kept me hooked from start to finish. Brynla, a tough thief with a traumatic past, steals dragon eggs to survive in a world where it’s a dangerous, deadly crime. When she's kidnapped by Andor, a lieutenant of a rival syndicate, their slow-burn romance ignites amid political power plays and constant danger. I loved the rich world-building and the complex characters, especially Brynla’s fiery resilience and Andor’s surprising depth. The magical dog, Lemi, was a fun addition. The tension, action, and twists made this book an unforgettable read, and I eagerly await the next installment in the series.

I really enjoyed the world Karina created for this book. It's a unique take on a world filled with dragons and had a decent amount of action to keep you on the edge of your seat. The only thing that made me lower my star by one is that I felt the enemies went to lovers a bit too quickly. I would've loved for it to be a bit more drawn out. Like one minute she's devastated by something that happens, then they next they are banging. I was like wait what? The timing just felt a bit off there. What I loved most about this book is that the series will all be interconnected standalones, so we got that closure on the two main characters without it being drawn out with like 5 books. THANK YOU for doing this. I definitely want to know what happens next in this world but there are so many interesting characters that I'd love to know more of their backstories.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle is a truly enthralling & intriguing spicy romantasy that will captivate you right from the start as two dragon egg hunters start as enemies turned into captive, thieves & lovers in this wild adventure ride

This is book #1 in the Thieves of Dragemor series & what an eggcellent start it is.

Realm of Thieves is great for those looking to read…
🖤 Spicy Romantasy
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Illegal Dragon Egg Hunters
🖤 Chronic Pain Representation
🖤 He Captures Her
🖤 Heroine with Magical Dog
🖤 Jurassic Park Meets How to Train Your Dragon Vibes
🖤 He Falls First
🖤 Touch Her & 💀

I appreciated the world building along with the interesting magic as well as political intrigue. The author mentioned that they took inspiration from Jurassic Park meets How to Train Your Dragon, which I can totally see & could feel the similar tense atmosphere they created. They then added in a mafia-esque vibes, which created this depth & fascinating dark universe that also happens to have dragons.

If you are looking for an interesting romantic fantasy that will heal, hunt, bewitch & beguile you, I highly recommend Realm of Thieves!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.5 stars, rounded up)

I ended up DNF’ing Realm of Thieves around 40%—but it’s more of a “not right now” than a hard pass. I could absolutely see myself picking it back up in the future, because the concept and world have a lot of potential!

The world-building was gorgeous—rich, gritty, and immersive. The idea of dragon eggs being such high-stakes commodities that people risk their lives to steal them? Instantly gripped me. I saw someone compare the vibe to Jurassic Park, and honestly, that’s spot on. Also, huge shoutout to the dog sidekick—he was a standout for me (because who doesn’t love a loyal, clever companion?).

Where I struggled was the romance. I don’t typically mind a little insta-love, but something in the pacing of Brynla and Andor’s connection just didn’t land for me. It felt like we skipped several beats—going from tension to all-in intensity way too fast. I found myself feeling a bit of secondhand embarrassment as they rushed into it. Brynla’s shift in personality after their connection also made it hard to stay rooted in her character—I missed the fierce energy she brought early on.

Overall, this book has a lot going for it—it just didn’t vibe with me at the moment. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Any books with dragons sign me up! I really enjoy Karina Halle's books. Brynla and Andor are delicious in their rivalry and I look forward to reading more in this series.