Alderson does it again with this fourth and final installment of his Realm of Fey series. From the very first chapter of A Betrayal of Storms, I've been hooked, and A Game of Monsters is no exception to this. For all the LGBTQ+ people out there who love the fantasy genre and the likes of ACOTAR, but crave more non-hetro represenration, this series is for you; you'll absolutely devour it.

Admittedly, and unlike the first book in this series, I did feel as though A Game of Monsters took a little while to find it's pace and really get going. However, in true Alderson style, by 30/40% I was fully engrossed and begrudged each time I'd have to put the book down.

The characters in this book have been expertly crafted, and after reading the previous three, are ones that I've become particularly attached to. It was a privilege learning what became of them and how their stories concluded.

I'd recommend this book to any fantasy lover, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community (and will be doing just that). Meanwhile when it comes to my own reading, I'll be picking up some more of Alderson's work. I don't know what he sprinkles between those pages, because it really is addictive.

A huge thank you to Ben for the ARC, for the escapism, and for perfectly concluding such a wonderful story! I'm incredibly grateful!

Thank you to Ben Alderson, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of A Game of Monsters in exchange for my honest review.

A Game of Monsters is the long-awaited conclusion to Alderson's Realm of the Fey series. This book was interesting for me to read. The character development in this book was great. As readers, we get to see Robin take a journey where he learned to open himself up to others and trust the connections that he has made. Robin has spent so long in survival mode that he does not know how to let his guard down, especially while in some ways he still is in survival mode in this book. While I am happy that Robin's romantic relationship ended the way that it did, I wish we had started to get a feel for that solution prior to this book. It felt like an easy way out rather than a meaningful solution that had been building up throughout the series. Regarding the plot, there were some elements that I loved, and some that were not my favorite. I did struggle with the pacing and with the writing at times; however, I do appreciate that some of the common themes, like a savior/chosen one theme, were taken from a new lens. In some ways, I wish this book were a little longer so some of those plot devices could have been explored further. All that to say, I did still really enjoy this book and this series as a whole.

A Game of Monsters picks up a couple of months after the cliffhanger of the previous book, with Robin wanting to rid Duncan and the world of Duwar, and doing everything he can. He ends up with his friends being deceived in a brilliantly evil way that I did not see coming, with people having to sacrifice either their life or someone that they love to save the realms from those using Duwar.
throughout the first 3 books, Robin has 2 love interests, Erix and Duncan, and while previous book has Robin feeling guilty about his love for both. A Game of Monsters has a why choose relationship between the 3, because end of the day, Erix and Duncan both love Robin equally and they just want everyone to be happy.
I very much enjoyed this series and would recommend to any friends who are interested in MM or fantasy romance books

It's a shame I hadn't signed up to Netgalley sooner as I would have loved to have read the other books in this series before this final one! However, thoroughly enjoyed what i did read! Im a huge fan of the sarah j mass universe - if you are.. then this is right up your street!

"I trust you, Robin. Fix this before we no longer have the choice."

After the major cliffhanger that book 3 ended on, the fourth and final instalment in the Realm of Fey series is finally here, and I cannot thank Ben Alderson, Angry Robot or NetGalley enough for giving me the opportunity to read and review it early!

The world is still in danger, and Robin is seemingly the only one who knows it. It doesn't take long for others to figure it out too though, and once they do, the action in this novel just does not stop. It's one thing after another after another... There is so much tension, nobody is safe, I've feared for the life of every single main and minor character that I care about at least once throughout this story, and Ben did an excellent job of ending chapters in such a way that I had no idea what was going to happen next!!

"Anything worth something comes with risks. I've learned that along the way."

Throughout the course of the novel, we go on a massive journey throughout Robin's world. The change in location is always for a reason, but it always made me fear for what was going on elsewhere that we didn't know about. It was an excellent technique for building tension! And can I just also applaud the final location in the epilogue and the effect it had on the series as a whole... Just, perfect!

"I love him with every fibre of my being. If it came to it, I would lay my life down for him happily, if it meant he got to survive another day."

Robin Icethorn, the character that you are... His strength, his determination, his courage, it's all so admirable. As the main character and narrator, I love him the most, but that is not to say that I don't love the others. Erix, the fierce protector, "Little bird, I came. I am here. [...] Because you are both my greatest weakness, and my greatest strength." ... I have no words. I hope everyone gets to find their Erix, someone who will protect them and love them like Erix has loved Robin throughout all of this story! And Duncan... "Home certainly sounds like something worth fighting for. And I've had so many homes in my life, and never one as alluring as the one with you both." I was so worried about him, even knowing that this story was going to turn into a "why choose" with all three of them together, I was so worried! But he came through, and the writing was so beautiful. These three characters work so well together! There are only a couple of smut scenes in the book, but when they happened, they were excellent, and I love the chemistry between them! "You deserve this. You deserve us both, and equally as we deserve you. Together. The three of us."... "I love you. Both. So much that it hurts."

And let's not forget about the rest of the found family. Althea - queen of my heart, and Gyah: every time they appeared, my heart sang with joy - even though I feared for their lives at various points throughout the book as well! But I absolutely loved Althea's last appearance in the book - she has not changed one bit and I loved that for her!!

"Althea, the fierce warrior. Gyah, the loyal protector. Erix, the guardian of my heart. And Duncan, the man who had hunted me down and captured my love. Four of the most important people in my life. People I'd give my life for, over and over."

All in all, this was an epic conclusion to the Realm of Fey series. I highly recommend it to anyone craving a plot based fantasy series with humans, fey, magic, political intrigue, romance, spice, danger, sass, angels, demons, monsters... You name it, this series has got it, pretty much!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars from me, no complaints, I loved this story!

Sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read this one early!

This book was okay, but ultimately the weakest in the series for me. The plot felt a little all over the place; nothing griped me in the stakes here, or the character reveals.

Robin’s character arc in the first few books (particularly book 2) felt like I saw growth and development from him - as a leader, and in his emotional and romantic relationships. I don’t really know if it’s just a result of the extended will they / won’t they with Erix or a natural element of spreading to four books but, I can’t really say much that I saw here that compelled me in terms of his growth.

Romantically, I continue to enjoy Erix the most - and as always, love the representation this series gives to the LGBTQ+ community. I’m not generally a fan of Why Choose, though, so I didn’t love where we ended in what I (maybe naively) hoped was more of a love triangle.

Sadly this didn’t gel with me. The pacing and everything f just felt a bit off to be. Ended up DNFing.

First, thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC. I truly appreciate being granted early access, and I can see the heart and effort that went into this story.

That said, I ended up making the decision to DNF this one. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the book. it’s well-written, and I can see it appealing to a lot of readers. For me, though, it simply didn’t click. The pacing and tone didn’t quite align with my personal reading tastes, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged.

I fully believe this is more about personal preference than any issue with the book itself. Sometimes a story just isn’t the right fit for a particular reader at a particular time, and that’s okay.

I still encourage anyone who’s intrigued by the premise to give it a try. It has all the elements that many readers love, even if it didn’t work for me personally.

An epic, heartwarming, spicy, and thrilling conclusion to the Realm of Fey series! I thoroughly enjoyed this series and can’t wait to dive into more of Alderson’s work. A Game of Monsters was a fast paced and kept me guessing until the very end.

Robin is keeping a huge secret.. colossal really. His partner and lover, Duncan, is possessed by a demon god. In his search for helping Duncan he seeks comfort in Erix his first lover in the series. I was glad to have Erix back and although I do like Duncan, I always kept a soft spot for Erix.

Ben Alderson is able to write the spice really well giving authentic and emotional scenes which i think have been done well throughout the four books. At times I found Robin irritating and there were some plans that felt to convenient.

Overall, The Realm of the Fey series has been a fun, easy series to pick up with lots of MM spice, some politics and fey.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic end to a fantastic series. It was great to see how much these characters had grown and also how much their decisions affected their endings. I’m really going to miss them!

What an absolutely fantastic conclusion to a gripping and intriguing series! The stakes are even higher in the fourth and final book of this series and Robin Icethorn is tested and challenged further than ever before.

As with the previous three books in this series, the world-building is great, the political tension between the courts is intense, and the characters are all extremely well-written and face their own individual challenges outside of the main narrative. I adore Robin Icethorn for his bravery, impulsiveness, and dedication to those he loves. Never before have I felt so much simultaneous frustration and love for a character, he is flawed but that what makes him realistic and likeable.

These books are extremely special to me and hold a dear place in my heart. I would have loved to read these when I was younger, as the queernormative world is lovely to see, and the books have several queer relationships. I was also a huge fan of the love triangle between Robin, Declan, and Erix being resolved in a poly relationship

You can never predict where the twists and turns are going to take you with these novels and that's one of the things that makes them so great. The tension is exceptionally well built and maintained throughout.

If you like fantasy/fae I really cannot recommend this series enough!

I´v realy enjoyed reading the Realm of fey series. The finale doesn´t disappoint.
Some things repeats itself, like how Robin will act, obviously he hasn´t learned much from previous mistakes. This makes a lot of parts predictable. However I still find myself totaly hooked in the story. The worldbuilding, characters and plot is well written. If I shall pick one thing that bothered me it´s how Robin one minute is handing out orders, he is really in charge, and the next minute he is treated like a child by those around him. Either they respect him and treat him like the adult and king that he is or they don´t, ..consistency please.
I do recommend this series, it has almost everything I want from the genre. Magic, battles, love, good and evil.

I absolutely ate this book up. This is a satisfying conclusion to the series and I am gutted it’s finished! I enjoyed Robins growth of character as we see him start to trust and rely on those around him, this book is action packed and fast paced and I was hooked from page one.
The smut was well written…
Sad to see Robin go but I am looking forward to seeing what the author writes next!

This book is the last book in the series and it was a great end to a series. The pacing was very fast and it made me want to keep reading the whole time.

An ending to a story I have been highly anticipating for over a year now and wow does it hit, unurprisingly it was a rollercoaster of twists and turns that sometimes took my breath away.

Robin has been on such a epic journey all leading to this moment looking into such power and distraction desperately trying to get to the peace promised. Playing the game of saving the innocent and also saving the ones he love is a thin line with everything to lose hanging in the balance.

Duncan my favourite in the series is also tested and put under so much that I was on tender hooks wanting him to be ok. Erix has to slow overcome all the changes he has gain over this series and accept himself which is so heartbreaking.

So many secrets and lies over this whole series slowing unfold, everything starts to snap into place as you see where all the story beats and clues have been there since the beginning.

The final book in the Realm of Fey series we find Robin Icethorn has been lying to and avoiding everyone he cares about while he keeps a dangerous secret. His consort, Duncan, body is now possessed by the demon god Duwar. He does eventually confide in his ex Erix and eventually to the two work together. All this while dealing with his old feelings for Erix and the upcoming marriage of his friend Althea to her love Gyah.
I will say once the action starts in this book it does not stop. This had a very satisfying ending.

Thanks NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The final book in the Realm of Fey series we find Robin Icethorn has been lying to and avoiding everyone he cares about while he keeps a dangerous secret. His consort, Duncan, body is now possessed by the demon god Duwar. He does eventually confide in his ex Erix and eventually to the two work together. All this while dealing with his old feelings for Erix and the upcoming marriage of his friend Althea to her love Gyah.

I will say once the action starts in this book it does not stop. The book is full of a really great cast of characters. Robin has some great friends and people on his side. I did enjoy seeing him realize that he can count on others to help him when needed.

The smut, when it happens, does be smutting! I do wish the story took a few more breathers from the action to let the characters rest a little.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Duncan, Erix and Robin. Duncan is such a cinnamon roll. It was nice to see all the characters have a part to play and show their strengths.

This had a very satisfying ending and was a fast and exciting read!

Thanks NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Perfect ending to the series and I'm sad to see it finish. The characters are incredible and the twists within the book are so enjoyable!
Fantastic book and fantastic series.

I really enjoyed this series, and was sad that it ended. This is the last book and it was a perfect conclusion. I felt it wrapped everything up nicely, and left you feeling fulfilled after another amazing adventure. Very much recommend and I can't wait to see what this author writes next!