4.5 stars

- forced proximity
- dragons
- who did this to you
- kidnapping

If Karina writes it, I am going to read it. AND this is a romantasy meets mafia with DRAGONS?! Say less.

This was such a good and different take on the dragon aspect- we aren't riding dragons or bonding with dragons. We are stealing their eggs and there is an illegal dragon egg trade because the stuff in the egg can give/enhance magical powers.

I was hooked from the start. Its mysterious, intriguing, suspenseful with just the right amount of romance and spice.

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

Karina Halle gives us a new fantasy world that blends adventure, romance, mafia, secret societies and dragons in a creative and novel way. This combination creates a backdrop for Andor and Brynla’s story. Brynla, a dragon egg thief, is kidnapped for her talents by Andor, a lieutenant for one of the syndicates that trade in suen, the magical substance inside the eggs. Their love grows over time and with each dangerous situation they find themselves in, the slow-burn heats up.

The book includes a lot of world building featuring magic, dragons and a world separated and ruled by syndicates who run the dragon egg trade. Brynla is a strong FMC with a traumatic past and a life of struggle, and I appreciated her fire and perseverance. Andor’s character surprised me both by his complexity and his development as the story continues. The story’s cast of side characters adds to the plot, and her magical dog, Lemi is one of my favorites.

With tropes including he falls first, revenge, forced proximity, enemies to lovers and a slow burn that delivers on the spice, this dystopian fantasy has something for everyone. Although ending with a HEA for the main characters, the epilogue sets the stage for the next book in the series and delivers extra plot twists.

Thank you Karina Halle and NetGalley for the ARC. As always, these are my own honest thoughts and opinions.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

4.5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 💫

"I've needed you, Brynla. I've needed you like nothing else in this world...and I've been so afraid we couldn't find our way back to each other."

Realm of Thieves is the first instalment in the adult romantasy series, Thieves of Dragemor. The series appears to be set up as interconnected standalones. Written in dual first person POV, the story follows Brynla and Andor, a dragon egg thief and a powerful lieutenant who find themselves in the unlikeliest of forced alliances.

See Brynla has lived through hell but continues to persevere. A gifted thief with a magical dog companion, she spends her time stealing dragon eggs for House Dalgaard. Within these eggs contains a magical component known as suen that imbues magical abilities into humans when consumed...which unsurprisingly had led to a massive black market trade. The problem? The dragons are vicious creatures bent on destroying and hunting humanity...so collecting these eggs is none too easy.

Now Andor is looking to prove himself and change his fate. He needs a special egg and he needs the right thief to steal it...so he decides to kidnap and blackmail Brynla to make it happen. Now Brynla finds herself in a political landscape she never faced with rival houses, secrets within religious zealot organization she wants to get away from, and prophecies that will change everything. She must decide who she will trust...for if she is not too careful she will find herself too close to the flames...

I had no idea what I was expecting when I started this but I had so much fun!

Brynla really has had a brutal childhood and I loved seeing how fierce she became because of it. She is a fighter and so resilient and while she may be distrustful initially, her love and loyalty is powerful once earned.

Meanwhile Andor is a fun MMC who has just a touch of brooding thanks to his oppressive and overbearing family. He can be impulsive and not fully think things through but he follows his instinct and they never seem to leave her astray. I loved his banter and teasing as well as his ability to stand his ground amidst everything. Sometimes you will have to trust the process with him but he will not steer you wrong.

I also want to give a shout out to Lemi who is the goodest good boy and I loved every moment of him. This magical dog is MVP.

“...you stand at the forefront of my life. Everything else falls to the wayside. Every thought, every feeling, it revolves around you, like you’ve embedded yourself under my skin, deep enough that I couldn’t get you out even if I tried.”

In terms of spice I would place this novel at around 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are around two spicy scenes and you will start seeing them around the 60% mark. The spice worked well for the romance as we got banter and connection built thanks to forced proximity. I liked seeing them come to trust each other before the relationship grew. The spice was detailed and explicit with Andor making sure Brynla had fun and I loved it. Also there is a balance between fun and feral spice as well as deep connection and emotion. It was so well done!

For the overarching story I will say it takes awhile to find the path. The first half of the book felt very much like it was laying down the lore and world and it was why I was surprised the ending gave off interconnected standalone vibes. I found the magic system, the dragons, the rival houses, and the religious zealots like Sisters of Silence really did a good job helping us immerse ourselves into their world. It isn't really until the second half of the book where we see progression in action with heists and missions. You do get a good amount of action, mortal peril, fiery dragons, and more to keep you on your toes. I also got hit with a few twists I was not anticipating. I found the dynamic between Brynla and Andor grew well throughout that made me feel invested in their success. The ending brings things all together really nicely but that epilogue??!?!? It has me itching for book 2!

Overall, if you love angry dragons, thieves, adorable dogs, and a MMC you can't help but like despite the fact he kidnapped the FMC in the nicest way then you need this series!

Thank you Ace Publishing for this arc!

3.5 Stars


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!

This story follows Brynla whose one of the best dragon egg “thieves” there is during these trying times. She has Lemi who’s some sort of teleporting dog who can help her locate these dragon eggs and just so ya know I’m obsessed with him. And then we have Andor whom is from another part of the world who’s been spying on our dead Brynla for almost half a year… for what you say??? That’s for you to find out :)
Anywho, I did enjoy the world building and it didn’t seem as complicated as I was thinking originally. I do feel like they were a bit insta-loving and I’m not a fan of it BUT i will say I was able to kinda look over that with this book. I do want more depth to some of these characters and I believe in the next book it will come. I did audibly gasp twice about the 85% mark just because I wasn’t ready! I was genuinely shocked and I live for that. Haha. Overall, it was a fun ride and it did suck me in from the very beginning. I believe it’s only up from here!!

I will always read books written by Karina Halle.

First off, the cover is stunning. I love the details, and the inclusion of multiple elements!

Also, endo representation?! You are speaking to my heart. I felt even more of a connection because of this, and I appreciate you so much for weaving this into your book.

I loved this book. Romantasy with dragons AND a mafia romance? Are you kidding? I was sold the moment I heard about it. Brynla is a fantastic FMC. Forced to be a strong woman in a world that's brought her nothing but pain mentally, emotionally and physically, she is a formidable character. Crime and survival go hand in hand for her, and she's been forced into stealing dragon eggs in order to survive. Obviously dangerous for many reasons, they fetch a high price, and keep her, her aunt and her dog fed and housed even if only meagerly.

Andor Kolbeck kidnaps and blackmails her into helping him steal the eggs for his realm which unfortunately makes her a enemy of all the others. She doesn't really have a choice, but it leads her down a path that she cannot come back from. Brynla and Andor have great banter and sparks from the moment they meet. You can feel the tension between them, and the build up is delicious.

Brynla's four-legged companion Lemi is an adorable addition to the story. While he is a strong, fearsome protector of Brynla, he is also a sweet reminder that animals can bring us such love and comfort when life gets difficult. The themes of grief and loss in this book really took me by surprise but in a great way. It's so hard to describe deep grief to people who have not experienced it, but I feel like Karina captured it in this book. I know she's experienced a lot of grief in her life (especially recently), and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it but it made me feel connected to her and the a characters in a way I did not expect.

Realm of Thieves was blurbed as an enemies to lovers dragon thieving tale with a special pet. I had to "not finish" this read at the 47% mark as I struggled picking up on the enemies vibes, instead getting MAJOR friends/companions. It had promise but, sadly this wasn't the read for me.

This was a fun read from Karina Halle which is one of my favorite authors. This book is very much a mafia game of thrones vibe. The premise was really good and we got enough tidbits of backstory to really make you want to learn more about the FMC. Andor was very much giving Flynn Rider vibes to me and he was a lovable interest. Overall the story was fun and I’d read the rest of the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 Stars for Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle

Realm of Thieves swept me off my feet and dropped me right into a gritty, magical world full of danger, dragons, and deliciously complex relationships. After a few introductory chapters to set the stage, I found myself completely immersed in this realm Karina Halle has so vividly built—it's one of those worlds that creeps under your skin and stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

The magic system? Simple, yes—but in the best possible way. It’s accessible without being boring, and it adds a unique layer to the story without bogging it down in too many rules. It allows the characters to shine, especially Brynla and Andor, who absolutely own this book with their slow-burn, emotionally-charged dynamic. I adored their relationship—equal parts tension, trust, and tenderness—and every interaction between them added so much depth to the plot.

Oh, and let’s not forget the dragons. 🐉 Yes, there are dragons! And there’s a twist toward the end involving them that had me grinning like a maniac. I won’t spoil it, but trust me, it’s good.

This is a story of rebellion, identity, and power wrapped in a cloak of fantasy adventure, and it delivers on all fronts. Whether you're in it for the romance, the world-building, or the creatures of myth and fire, Realm of Thieves offers a thrilling escape with heart.

Highly recommend for fans of character-driven fantasy with just the right touch of magic and mayhem.

Mafia mixed with dragons? I was intrigued by this part alone. I swear, Karina Halle can do no wrong with this. The Lore of the dragons was done differently and amazing. I loved how fast paced this book was and how the dual POV's were done. The world building was amazing, and after reading the authors note and seeing where the inspiration came from, I feel like it adds more character to the whole thing. Thank you, Karina for another amazing book!

Thank you NetGalley, the Author, and the Publisher for the eARC.

This was a quick read with no cliffhangers, but left me wishing there was a 2nd book already. A fun fantasy romance with a HEA, fun character banter, and an adorable dog (the dog lives for anyone who worries about the animal sidekicks). Love the FMC being portrayed as a strong and resilient but still curvy and soft. The endometriosis and neurodivergent representation was also a fantastic surprise! The author built a beautiful world that I hope I get to see more of soon!

I’ve been so very excited about Realm of Thieves since first hearing about it earlier this year. I immediately requested an ARC and preordered the audiobook and a physical copy. I was not disappointed. This was such a fun read. I love the world Karina Halle built, the magic is interesting and tied to the dragon lore, the dragons are wild and will eat your face off. These are not friendly dragons you ride on into battle. It was clear from the beginning that our FMC Brynla was different. She and the MMC Andor had a bit of an insta connection, which she adorably tried to fight, and I loved them together.

It’s clear there is a lot more to come for this world and these characters and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for them. Will the wards come down? Will there be a huge war between the various realms and the dragons? Betrayal amongst their ranks perhaps? I’m so excited to find out.

I listened to the last 20 or so % on audio after the audiobook was released. The narrators are perfection! Well done!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkeley for the advanced e-copy of Realm of Thieves. All thoughts expressed herein are my own. 💜💜💜

From chapter one, I was hooked. I love a FMC with a tragic backstory and somehow she’s a badass now? I eat it up every time! Also an animal companion? Love.

I loved the in-depth breakdown of WHY the dragon egg trade is such a big deal and it really set the tone for the rest of the book.

I enjoyed the mafia-aspects of the story and found that it set it apart from other Romantasys.

While I think the FMC started off soooo strong, she ultimately became a doormat for the MMC and there was just SO MUCH LIEING that I really had a hard time rooting for them. I felt satisfied by the ending, but it took me awhile to get there.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, and Karina Halle for the eARC of the book!

3.75 stars

This was my first Karina Halle book, although I’ve been aware of the author because of social media for a while…and I think I’ve had a few books on my never-ending TBR. Funnily enough, this is also the first time I’ve deviated from rating in either half or whole stars, but I really didn’t want to push this down to 3.5 stars and I didn’t think it quite reached a full 4 stars for me.

It was a good read. I think I read it in just a few hours over the course of two days at work, so it didn’t take long to fly through the pages. But there were parts where I just couldn’t sink into the writing. In the beginning the writing style of Brynla’s chapters didn’t really keep my focus and I actually kept getting distracted by how many commas connecting thoughts and phrases there were in practically every sentence. I don’t know why my brain kept latching onto the commas that way but it became distracting for me.

But after a handful of chapters I didn’t notice it as much, and I was able to sink into the story a bit more. Brynla and Andor were both interesting characters and I found each of their perspectives to be easy to follow. The problem was that this book is touted as a romantasy and I didn’t really connect with the romance aspect of their story. The lust for each other, yes, I definitely caught that. But I didn’t feel like there was much actual relationship building accomplished.

The first half of the book felt a little slow as the world and the characters and the conflicts were all set up and as readers we got to settle into the premise of this story. The second half is where a lot more of the action happened, and is honestly what took this book from 3 stars up to nearly 4 stars for me.

The magic was interesting, based on improved abilities and skills due to ingesting the suen within the dragon eggs, and I’d be curious to learn more about that. There are some characters who I’m curious to learn more about in future installments. And there’s enough going on with the creatures and beings and lands that I’m intrigued. I don’t know if I’ll rush out to check out the next book in this series, but I’ll keep my eye out for it, and depending on which characters are featured and what the synopsis is, I may move it up my giant TBR list a bit.

The start of a new romantasy series, The Thieves of Dragemor, from Karina Halle and if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t love Realm of Thieves as much as I thought I would. Normally her books grab me from the opening pages and pull me in, I mean we’re talking dragon worshipping cults, a rivalry between thieves and black-market shenanigans, all the elements were there but I just don’t feel I got lost in this story like I usually do. The world building as always was great, there is no doubting she creates magical worlds and the way she can paint vivid scenes with her words, it makes it easy to visualise scenes in my mind as they play out on the page. Where this book fell a little flat for me was with the characters of Brynia and Andor, she didn’t make me care what happened to them and I didn’t really get any real sense of a connection or chemistry between them. Also, while the overall story started strongly it then seemed to slow down and lose momentum. Perhaps I’ll give this one a re-read in a couple of months and see if I feel any different

i’m not yet done with this one but i already know this is a solid 5⭐️ read! i will read anything karina halle writes — which, i think, is saying a lot because she writes the most genre-bending, norm-defying stories ever — and this is pretty up there amongst my favorites of hers! this is a story steeped and magic and lore, ruin and betrayal, and rich with the most intoxicating romance. this book has been so addictive thus far, and i cannot wait to dive back in!

this is such a unique book! it’s like jurassic park meets mafia meets dune but with dragons, and i am loving it. this is the level of intrigue and sophisticated writing i yearn for in fantasy books! i do feel like the world-building has been a bit overwhelming. but outside of that, i’m really enjoying it! i also love the fmc — brynla— she is so fierce and kick*ss!

This fantasy book was so refreshing and AMAZING. I loved every second. The first few pages just hooked me in immediately. The worldbuilding was great and interesting. The dragons a la Jurassic style were my fav. Brynla and Andor had so much chemistry, especially when arguing over everything. I really loved those characters and THE TELEPORTING DOG. Ugh, chef's kiss. If you're looking for a fantasy that you can devour easily that will get your heart pumping and feet kicking, I definitely encourage you read this one. It gave me chills, thrills, all of it.

🗡️🐉Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle🐉🗡️

🗡️ This one is about Brynla, a dragon egg thief. She’s one of the best in the realm of Dragemor, where dragon eggs are a commodity, and the contents have magical properties. As a result of the dragon egg trade, several houses (syndikats) have formed, and they want Brynla. Enter Andor Kolbeck, who will stop at nothing, including a little bit of light kindapping, to secure Brynla’s skills. But as the two continue to clash, their fiery interactions mimicking dragonfire, something shifts. Can the two stay alive long enough to figure out what that is? 🐉

🗡️ This was a wild ride! I loved the way that this book combined the genres of fantasy, mafia, and romance into one book! Why isn't Romantafiasy a thing?? Brynla is mostly alone in the world, and she has been hardened by it. She has a shell that is difficult to penetrate. Andor is hotheaded and smug, which definitely rubs Brynla the wrong way at first. That and the kidnapping 😆 But Andor’s not a bad guy and he’s kinda hot! Their banter made this book even more enjoyable! The worldbuilding, magic system, and magical creatures all felt fresh and I'm so excited to see more of them! 🐉

Thank you so much to Ace Books/Berkley/PRH for the Advance Copy!!

🫖 I paired this book with Lavender tea from Murchie’s, it’s their version of a Lavender Earl Grey and makes an absolutely delicious London Fog. I chose this because of Brynla’s lavender hair, which is distinctive of the people of her island, making her stick out among Andor’s people.

Mafia-esque romantasy, and make sure there’s dragons. That description should not make for a compelling book and yet I was hooked. The twists never stopped coming. There’s some GOT inspiration but honestly my mental pictures stole a lot of scenery from these (like the convent/sisters, Banished Lands, etc). You’re hit with a lot of world building right out the gate but thankfully Karina provides a map and character/association breakdown at the beginning.

And MAM what a hook for book 2!

🔥⚔️ ᴀʀᴄ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴡ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ⚔️🔥

Title: Realm of Thieves
Author: @authorhalle
Release Date: June 10, 2025 - TODAY🎉
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🔥🔥

Happy Release Day, Karina! 🖤

"ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ. ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴀ ᴛʜɪᴇꜰ."

Thank you so so much for the gifted eARC copy of Realm of Thieves @berkleypub, @authorhalle, and team!

I can not express enough how much I loved this book. Karina continues to empress me with her work. What an incredible romantasy read with DRAGONS!

Please, please add this to your TBR if you love romantasy reads as I believe this may just be your next favorite! 😍

In a world where dragons exist and their eggs are highly sought after due to the magical abilities they provide to the ones who consume them. Dragons have been confined to the midland island by magical wards. But the dragons are not the only dangerous thing on the island.

Brynla is our fmc, who is a skilled thief, a complete badass, and her companion is a magical doggo! She works for one of the syndikats stealing dragon eggs. These eggs are illegal to steal, are worth a lot of money, and hunting them is incredibly dangerous! During a hunt, she gets kidnapped by this beautiful, strange male. Who is the outcast of his family, that also happens to be part of the mafia. Andor is on his own hunt when he runs into Brynla and kidnaps her, forcing her to help his family instead.

Realm of Thieves is an amazing romantasy read with dragons, dangerous dragon egg hunts, lots of tension, action, snarky banter, political intrigue, with a dash of spice and a slow burn that is sizzling! ROT gave Dune mixed with Jurassic Park vibes! This made for such a compelling and unique story!

Side note: Out of all the dragons, I wanna see a deathdrage so darn bad! 😍