Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley/Ace, and Ms. Halle for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. an honest review was requested but not required.

This is my second time writing this review due to a computer blip eating the first one and unfortunately my patience is long gone so this second one will be shorter. Lo siento

Realm of Thieves started out with a bang. Love a good dangerous theft to start off a story. LOVE a dog, magically enhanced or no, and Lemi is ADORABLE. There are not enough dogs in fantasy! (I will die on this hill.). And dragons - I am a *sucker* for a good dragon story. I liked the dinosaur-style spin the author put on dragons here.

I liked the characters of Brynla and Andor immediately and frankly was expecting some salty banter and a satisfyingly rancorous relationship, amidst the backdrop of dragons, dragons and more dragons. That... wasn't quite what I got though. I will say, Ms. Halle's writing is gripping and kept me glued to the pages even as the story's trajectory sat me back. I struggled a bit with the pacing for the middle third, and I found myself wanting less "romance" and more dragons. That could be a "me" problem though, as I would almost always err on the side of "more dragons." I think the bricks are laid here for a good overarching storyline with regards to politics and religion and I have enough faith in Ms. Halle to come back for book #2.

⭐⭐⭐

Everything I read by Karina Halle is always a hit, and Realm of Thieves is no exception! Packed with action, slow burn romance and dragons that will scorch you on sight, this book had me absolutely invested in the story from the beginning!
Stubborn and resourceful, Brynla and her sweet dog Lemi steal dragon eggs to survive their harsh world. When a rival finds himself intrigued by the competition, Brynla finds herself kidnapped and blackmailed into working for the enemy.
As the story evolved, I loved the complicated emotions between her and Andor, starting from enemies to reluctant allies and eventually to lovers. I felt like Andor showed a vulnerability instead of being a hyper-masculine alpha the entire time, and I appreciated seeing that in a MMC.
Overall this was a great fantasy story and (especially with that ending!) I can’t wait to continue reading the next book in the series!

Another great read from @authorhalle This was a nice new romantasy. I really enjoyed the illegal dragon egg trade and a dog with magic powers! The main characters were fantastic and I really liked the representation in this story too!

Thank you @berkleypub and @acebookspub for the gifted ebook.

This was first ARC! Thank you so much!!

Book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I absolutely loved reading this book! I usually prefer audiobooks, but I’m glad I took the time to read it. I’m not entirely convinced about Brynla and Andor’s romance! But I know there’s more to come because this is a series, and that’s what I’m most excited about. I also appreciate that she took the time to let us get to know each character individually before jumping into their romance… it’s a slow and realistic approach.

The world-building and history of the dragons and Midland really caught my attention, especially since we didn’t get much of it after the initial introduction. But I know more will come out as the characters’ stories develop.

Overall, I still enjoyed it and I’m fully invested in the story. I can’t wait for book two and I’m already looking forward to listening to it on audiobook!

Karina dropped us a dragon romantasy mixed with a mafia syndicate vibe so OF COURSE I was going to love it! Brynla is such an awesome FMC for this story. She's strong, independent, LOVES HER DOG, and is just trying to make her way in this world where the currency is dragon eggs. Plus, I really appreciated her endometriosis-like issues that the character deals with because I do not think chronic illnesses that affect women are represented enough in romance!
Karina sprinked in a little bit of "Dune" lore where the dragon yolks (suen) are harvested and are critical to the magic system for the lands. When Andor, our MMC, set his sights on Bryla to help his family's egg business, he pretty much met his match with this feisty thief. I loved the slow burn nature of their relationship as they navigate a pretty tricky enemies-to-lovers situation with his family dynamics. But don't worry, you get amazing spice from Karina as usual and a MMC that loves the dog as much as the girl. I thoroughly enjoyed the Heist portion of the plot and the incorporation of a corrupt Religious sect that Brynla is fighting against. I think there is so much more to explore in this world so I can't wait to see where Karina takes it with the rest of the interconnected series! Definitely a must for dragon lovers!

I was excited to see what Karina would give us with this book and it really sucked me into the story! The world building was easy to follow and I found myself wanting to keep reading and avoid my real life responsibilities! The banter between Brynla and Andor is so good and I'm always down for an enemies to lovers vibe! This was everything I enjoy reading in a romantasy and can't wait to see where the series goes!

Thank you so much to Karina Halle, Berkley Publishing, and Ace Books in addition to Netgalley for letting me read/review an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

This mafia fantasy about dragon egg thieves is thrilling, seductive and adventurous. many parts in this had me gasping "nooooo!" I loved that the dragons are dangerous and not your friend. I also loved the endo pain rep in this. and there was a specific quote about grief that had me highlighting almost a whole page. While I did find the "middle" (maybe 15-40%) a bit slower, the rest of the book was bang on.

One thing i noticed, which i'm not sure if it will be in the finished copy, was lack of content warnings. karina usually has this in her ARCS and final books but i didn't see one in this one. Hopefully it will be in the final copy but HUGE content warning for animal harm in the beginning of this. It is something people i think could potentially throw this book across the room for.

arc kindly provided through netgalley but all thoughts are my own.

***4 Stars***

As of late, I haven’t been reading lots of romantsy, I’ve picked one or two up here and there, but I’ve stuck to the more contemporary side of things with a dash of paranormal/urban fantasy for flavor. But when I had the opportunity to read Realm of Thieves I had to go through with it because I do fangirl over the author and I have to say that I am invested in this world and seeing how things play out for the various members of the House Kolbeck.

Brynla and Andor. I liked these two. Brynla is stubborn, resourceful and untrusting ~ which is totally understandable ~ and I enjoyed watching as she came into her own. Andor is kind of rebellious, kind of sneaky and actually a good guy. They are both stuck in their lives so when they collide, which definitely is not a meet cute situation, they end up changing each other's lives in more ways than one. In some ways there is kind of an insta feel, but in others, I feel like the prolonged proximity to each other just had them both seeing someone they knew was just it for them.

Now as much as I liked Brynla and Andor, I have to admit that my interest was really piqued by the inhabitants of House Kolbeck and their interactions with each other and how different and yet similar they all were, so yeah. I’m here for all of them.

As I said, I’m not a full blown romantsy girlie but I have my moments and this book definitely has me wanting more. I enjoyed learning about the world, the various peoples and belief systems. The pacing, overall was good, there was a bit of a slow down in the middlish part, but nothing that took away from the story. There were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming and am interested to see if/how the revelations will affect the series as whole. And as far as my fav character…Lemi. Definitely Lemi :)

While the premise of this story seemed exciting, it unfortunately fell completely flat in execution for me. It has some major plot holes, the world-building is almost non-existent, and there is MAJOR insta-love - all of which are some of my least favorite elements in romantasy novels. Brynla, the FMC, starts off strong and self-assured, yet devolves into a 2D caricature who just goes along with whatever the MMC wants throughout the book. Andor, the MMC, is so meh that I couldn't bring myself to care about him.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the chance to read this eARC.

ever since brynla aihr escaped the dragon-worshipping cult that controls her homeland, she’s been stealing and selling dragon eggs to survive. it’s this skill that leads lord andor to kidnap her for his own gain. though the two clash at every turn, brynla can’t deny the growing attraction between them.

this was an interesting book! i hear “dragons” and i’m sold. this book also had some drama between different families. this was explained a bit in the beginning, which i appreciated since it helped lay the foundation for this to be explored later in the book. of course, with this being a romantasy, there was also plenty of romance. i enjoyed how this played out and thought brynla and andor made an interesting pair. i’m eager to see where the next book takes them!

i am at a bit of a LOSS here to be honest (and like not the good kind)

I love Karina’s writing and was excited to read a romantasy by her and so color me super bummed. There were so many things I love about romantasy in this one but there were almost thrown in and not fully fleshed out?

Enemies to lovers? Never. A heist story line? Yeah but not until 55%. Dragons? It was honestly mostly about their eggs so…not really?

There’s a significant glossary at the beginning and I skip glossarys (as god intends amen) because I assume if it’s important enough I’ll pick it up from context clues. I can’t tell if my confusion about the gods, the religion, the worldbuilding is all because I didn’t read it or if it was because it wasn’t fully explained.

And I’m so sorry but don’t even get me started on the ending. Landing on 2.5 for this one unfortunately.

Everything else I’ve read by Karina I have l loved so if you want to check out her backlist please dive in!

Thank you to the author for an earc! Pub day is tomorrow!!!

I have mixed feelings about this book. Some parts were so strong while others left me wanting more. I loved the unique world building and the refreshing take on dragons in Romantasy with the addition of mafia but it felt like there was too much going on so a lot of it wasn’t fleshed out or thoroughly woven into the plot. The romance was good but not to the point where I was OBSESSED. The love interests meet and the MMC kidnaps her but then it’s like he’s immediately smitten and it’s kind of lost on why he kidnapped her in the first place. He also hides a few things from her just because and he does something lowkey wrong and there’s no groveling….she gets upset about it in the moment and then forgets and they have sex to get over her grief. This is the second Karina Halle book I’ve read and both have been good but not great. I am still willing to keep trying with her books because some of them sound right up my alley.

Review: REALM OF THIEVES by Karina Halle https://bit.ly/4dWagnF
Publication Date: 06/10/2025
Genre: Romantasy
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4.5 Stars

I binge read this one straight through. REALM OF THIEVES had a really unique take on dragons and great world building. It also had great chemistry between the characters, lots of action and steamy romance. I really got swept up in this new Romantasy series Karina Halle created. I think it will be one of my favorites this year. Go grab a copy.

*Review copy provided by Ace in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/3ZnEPwp

Karina Halle does it again, y'all!

This book is perfect for romantasy/fantasy lovers! It's got chemistry, plot, character development, and romance that all thrive on the pages. I mean, rival thieves in a black market dragon egg trade and a world full of magic and mysteries... what's not to love! And a magical dog, common *love it*!

Karina knocked this one outta the park and I had a blast reading it!

✨ Review ✨
***
Realm of Thieves was so good!! Karina Halle did it again with this story. The world building and characters were amazing. I loved all the action and dragons!!! Brynla and Andor were perfection. I loved the hate and back and forth between at the beginning. Seeing their relationship and love grow was awesome. I loved the spice and the ending was amazing. I cannot wait for the next book!!!
***
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Romance: 🩷🩷🩷🩷
***

Synopsis: Sparks fly between two rival thieves in the illegal dragon egg trade.

Thoughts: A solid first book in a new romantasy series! This one caught my attention from the very first page, and the pacing was excellent throughout. If you like lots of action and intrigue with a side of spicy romance, this one is for you. I thought the world building was very accessible and fairly unique, with an illegal dragon egg trade, interesting magic systems, and of course a teleporting dog. I did struggle with some of the dialogue being a bit clunky, and the big reveals were somewhat predictable, but overall I had a really good time!

Read this if you like:
🐉 dragons
🐉 enemies to lovers
🐉 illegal dragon egg trade
🐉 family drama
🐉 dog sidekick

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

So I was intrigued by the premise of this book. I love a good fantasy book, and this book definitely delivers on that front. The plot for this book was interesting and it had potential to be great, but it felt very underdeveloped. There wasn't a lot of world building or exposition and you're dropped kind of in the middle of everything with very little explanation. And the story doesn't really explain things to you either.

The romance in this book reads very much the same. Brynla and Andor were not interesting to me and I did not get invested in their love story. Similar issues as the plot - the romance was very underdeveloped. The reader does not get to see the feelings build up over time. It really goes from Brynla being upset about her kidnapping to them having relations in the span of days. It's unrealistic and boring.

This book had a lot of potential to be great, but it falls short of reaching that.

Loved the characters and the Dune vibes! Brynla is a strong FMC and has had a tortured life, but longs for her own freedom. Andor starts off as rather selfish, but as he falls in love, he becomes dedicated. I just loved his nickname for her, it was so sweet!

I really wish we had seen inside Andor's head more. I felt like we missed out on some depth of his character watching his mindset shift from selfishness to love. I also wish we had seen that with Brynla too, how she was able to overcome the guilt over the death she thought she caused. It seemed like that was just left out.

I also wish the ending had been less rushed. It kinda flattened the story line to "that's it?" I will probably read the next story (it seems like that will be Vidar's story) though I wish we were getting another Brynla/Andor book to close a couple small threads that felt like they were left hanging (like the monthly pains and more about her heritage).

Ty to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC!

Karina Halle did an amazing job creating an exciting and intriguing new world! There are a lot of fantasy books with dragons, but Karina did a great job setting this book apart from others. I loved how the dragon eggs were a big part of the storyline. The fact that the eggs could give people magic was such a cool twist to add to a dragon book.

I have to admit the book was a little slow for me at first, but it really picked up towards the end. Now I am fully invested in this series and I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group

I was so intrigued by the setup of Realm of Thieves—a gritty romantasy featuring dragon egg smugglers, crime syndicates, and a morally gray heroine trying to survive in a cutthroat world. The worldbuilding pulled me in right away, and the concept of dragon eggs as magical contraband was genuinely fresh and exciting. Brynla’s backstory, especially her escape from a dragon-worshipping cult, gave her a sharp edge and clear motivations. And her early dynamic with Andor? Tense, wary, and filled with promise.

But somewhere around the halfway mark, things started to unravel. The relationship between Brynla and Andor escalated way too quickly—going from mutual mistrust to full-blown lust in what felt like a single breath. It stripped the tension and buildup that had made their dynamic so compelling.

The real breaking point for me was the sex scene that took place while Brynla was grieving. Even though she gave consent, the moment felt emotionally dissonant and jarring. Instead of reading as comfort or catharsis, it read as a deeply misplaced scene that left a sour taste. A softer, more emotionally attuned moment—like a kiss or even just closeness—would have felt so much more appropriate and respectful to both characters’ arcs.

There’s no denying Halle’s talent for gritty, fast-paced storytelling, but this one needed a bit more space to breathe. The pacing in the back half felt rushed, and the emotional beats didn't always land.

Final Thoughts: A compelling world and premise with strong potential, but the rushed romance and tonal missteps kept me from fully connecting. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series, but I’m still curious to see what Karina Halle writes next.