I have really enjoyed Brigid Kemmerer’s YA series so when I saw she had a why choose, MFM fantasy I jumped at it. Warrior Princess Assassin is a super slow burn with a great world building that ends with a big cliffhanger.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. When I say super slow burn,, I mean it. Be prepared for hundreds of pages of them traveling, talking, and longing glances. The beginning hooked me and I read the first 100 pages in one sitting but then it really dragged and I put it down for a few days because I was kinda bored. WPA falls into the SJM category of spending the last 25 pages just blowing things up but in this case, I kinda saw who the bad guy was. While the actual plot wasn’t super exciting, I really enjoyed the two MMC’s. Asher and Ky are both damaged in their own way and I love the healing moments between these two so much. I felt like the Princess, Jory, was not super needed. Just give me an Asher/Ky book.

I will read the next book and hope it starts off with a bang (hopefully a MMF one.)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy, all opinions are my own.

✨Book Review✨

📚 BRIGID. *chefs kiss* I love the way all three of the main characters (Warrior, Princess, Assassin) have a point of view for each of the chapters. I thought this story was weaved together so well. Each character brought interesting insight and backstory to the plot unfolding. Each twist and turn was expertly revealed, while not being rushed or too much. This book was the perfect start to a new series, clearly laying the foundation for the next book(s) while remaining engaging and keeping me up past my bedtime. This book was 10/10 for me.

🌟 This is a tiny bit spicy, with excellent fantasy roots that are developed at the perfect pace. If you’ve liked Brigid’s other books then you’ll want to order this one too!

More about: Warrior Princess Assassin - Brigid Kemmerer

📖 The Warrior is looking for a marriage alliance to help his kingdom’s crops and fields. In exchange he will use his fire power to protect the Princess’ boarders. The Assassin has been in love with the Princess for as long as he can remember, but when his assignment leads him to her doorstep it’s time to make a tough decision.

|| Romance, Fantasy, Romantasy, Book Review, Book Recommendation, Page Turner ||

Stars: 5

Beautiful cover, I think this author just doesn’t work for me unfortunately. I was expecting a love triangle rather than a why choose with primarily smut, so unfortunately this was not the book for me.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

3.5 stars because while i really enjoyed this, majority of this book could have been cut in half — the journey from astranza to incendar took entirely wayyyy too long, cutting on time our three mcs could have developed their relationships. the long journey felt like a cheap way to fluff out the first book into the next one.

i will admit i’m glad this was a slow burn and that the plot/characters were not sacrificed for the spice — considering the spice literally did not happen until 92% of the way into the book — but also it was not that spicy lol. although asher and ky totally kept me on the edge of my seat with their heated tension.

overall, i initially ate this up but also skimmed wayyyy too much of the middle, only to wind up with a cliffhanger. i will definitely return for the next book, but hopefully the plot progresses faster in book two.

This was amazing. Alternating POVs between our three characters, we enter a world with a shaky alliance and hidden secrets. Jory is the princess who's been promised to the warrior king, Ky. Asher is the assassin who has been sent to take them out, but he's also Jory's best friend from childhood.

This is a slow burn with tension, yearning, wit, charm, and steam. It's more character driven than plot driven, allowing us to really connect with each of our three main characters. Each one has their own demons to conquer. Asher's story is heartbreaking in so many ways. Jory is naive and sheltered, but I appreciated her willingness to face things head-on as she learns hard truths of life outside the palace. Ky is the perfect brooding warrior with a soft side for those he cares about. I loved them individually, and I loved them together. Kemmerer has a way of drawing you in so you feel each emotion right alongside our characters. Perfection! We also have a political alliance that's on the brink of shattering as secrets are uncovered, along with a conspiracy that impacts them all. It's captivating and I can't wait for the next installment of this series.

There was a lot to like/love here and I am excited to keep reading the series for sure.

The clarity and crispness in the first 40-50% where the fantasy plot started in strong form and the author was doing what she is great at made that section 5 stars.

The book lost momentum a bit in the second half, which focused more on building the MMF story (which was very New Camelot meets the author’s writing). Some of it worked for me, some of it didn’t. And then the fantasy plot slowed down in consequence with the shift in focus.

Still I LOVED the characters and am excited to see what’s next. 4 stars!

This book ATE and left no crumbs!

Warrior Princess Assassin is everything I never knew I needed from Brigid Kemmerer, bold, bloody, and beautifully twisted. If you’ve been waiting for the queen of YA Romantasy to go full dark and adult, this is your moment. And trust me, it’s a preorder MUST.

The plot is a heart-racing blend of vengeance, forbidden love, and courtly chaos. The political tension simmers beneath every scene, and just when you think you've figured it out, Kemmerer rips the rug out again and again.

And the characters? Don’t even get me started. Asher and Ky? Obsessed. Utterly feral for them. Their dynamic with the princess is everything. The tension. The devotion. The betrayal. The spice. If you're a why-choose girly who loves angst and loyalty layered with heat, this trio will own your soul.

Bottom line: This book is sharp, sexy, and savage in all the best ways. I’m already counting down the days until my physical copy lands in my hands—because I will be rereading, annotating, and losing sleep over this story again.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the review copy!

I am a big fan of Brigid Kemmerer's YA backlist, and was incredibly excited to read her adult debut. So excited that I read the entire thing in less than 24 hours, and if I didn't have a pesky job, and a need to sleep (insert eyeroll here), I would have finished it even faster than that. It was so good I even debated starting again immediately after I finished. I didn't do that, but I am anticipating MANY re-reads of this book and likely the rest of the series as they come out.

Jory, Ky and Asher are my dream team, my OTP, me EVERYTHING. They're journeys are largely unfinished, but Kemmerer accomplished immense character growth for all three of them as a unit, and as individuals while setting the stage and leaving me, as the reader, hungry for me. The story was so fun and exactly what I needed in this hellscape of a world. Kemmerer achieved the perfect balance of lightness, emotional trauma, political intrigue and danger for the story to remain face paced, but with plenty of details to introduce the reader to the characters, the world and create an intimate bond. But the true masterpiece of this story is the tension. Par for the course we were gifted a slow burn from one of the masters of the trope, but the tension is unlike anything else we've seen from her. The shift into the adult romance space has gifted Kemmerer even more language and tools to create tension that leaves the characters hot and wanting, and well the reader too. Only in the best way of course. Because trust me. It is unbelievably worth it. A truly fantastic debut into adult romance and a magnificent opener to what is set to be a hot and thrilling series.

As always, Brigid is a master at her craft and prose in storytelling! This was a fantastic setup to the rest of the series. As such, it was definitely a bit slow for me in parts, but the dynamic that ended up occurring between Jory and Ky and Asher was lovely to watch and the banter was just So. Much. Fun! The political intrigue in this was well done and kept me invested, and I was along for the trying to figure out who was behind the assignments, and while I had my suspicions as we went along, the climax was great! The side characters (looking at you, Incendran soldiers) were just absolutely entertaining. All in all, this is a really fun start to a series that I can’t wait to see more of as the characters dive deeper into their complex feelings about themselves and each other!

I think it is important to start by reiterating that this book is not about a princess who is both an assassin and a warrior (although I would 100% read that book), but about three characters who come together in the wake of an assassination attempt, a planned marriage alliance and war between countries.

This is Kemmerer's adult debut, and I had always enjoyed her YA books, especially the Cursebreakers series, and so I was excited to see how her books adapted for a more adult audience. I will admit, some YA writers seem to only add extra spicy scenes to their books (which...fair), but Kemmerer uses the sandbox to discuss the various forms of trauma and the effects of abuse in a very adult way. I'm not sure Kemmerer intended to be political, but the book feels like a pointed critique of how easy it is for the powerful to isolate themselves and the traps of constant militarism. I think it's also exciting to have such a mainstream release show a poly relationship. As romantasy gains in popularity, there is a chance to think portray a wider variety of relationships rather than just one MF. Glad to see someone as popular as Kemmerer showing the diversity of romtantasy. Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for the early copy. This is one for fans of Jade Presley or Sarah J. Maas.

Thank you for allowing the Romantasy Illustrated team to advance read and review Warrior Princess Assassin. I, one of the Chief Editors, really enjoyed this book. Warrior Princess Assassin tells the story of a childhood best friend turned assassin, a warrior king, and a princess who each have a goal and whose fates have been tied together - chef's kiss for the banter, betrayal, angst, soft touches, longing looks, and hatred between these three. While it doesn't bother me, I do think it can and should be better advertised that this is a 'why choose' book, which I love, but many readers don't. I loved the angst, banter, and building and development between each character - the plot is heavy, the pasts are tragic, the present is traumatizing, and the future is uncertain. This book's pacing is well done considering the whole book takes place over what, like, four days? I felt like I was a part of this story and did get to step into each character's storylines when I was reading their point of view. I was angry half the time with the princess, cheering on the king (who also taught me patience and that silence is a tool), and was feeling it for the assassin (it was pity, but I didn't want it to be). The story is tender, with trauma and healing elements, self-discovery, gentle touches, slow burns (and fast ones IYKYK), and it is high stakes with a lot of lies and betrayal. I highly recommend and am so excited for the Brigid and Harper Collins team release of this in August. You'll be able to find it in Volume 5 for sure (and it's already in Volume 4 on our Upcoming Releases Feature!).

Be sure to read the Trigger Warnings - there are some dark elements to this story. It also features MM and MFM moments in the spice.

Note: the comparrison of the Assassin to a wolf, with the chain elements and way that the Warrior holds, tocuhes and almost pets the Assassin gives slight "grooming" and very Dominant control vibes. It didn't bother me as a reader, but I did pick up on the choice or words and the reactions of the Assassin to the Warrior and understand that the Assassin needs to heal but there are almost stockholm like traumatic responses from him considering he allows the Warrior to touch him but fliches away from the Princesses touch. This is pretty minor and could be me misinterupting this, but wanted to make a note of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc ebook
This book was slow and at times infuriating but I enjoyed it non the less. If you want a book where by the end she has two boyfriends and her boyfriends are also boyfriends are boyfriends this is the book for you. Overall I thought this was an ok first book for the series. Some of the conflicts were unnecessary and long but I will be reading the next book to see how the story continues.

Spoilers ahead
I thought the plot was good and I enjoyed the twits even if they were a bit predictable. I took off two stars because I got so annoyed that they all didn't trust each other after a point. Ky is praised for how he can read someone yes when he realizes that all Asher wants is to be a free man he uses that against him and causes a whole mess of problems. I really feel like he could have offered asylum and they could have gone to hi home country and the story would have been the same and less frustrating. I understood that Jory is the sheltered good girl but she also frustrated me. She didn't even know what was going on with her own country and she left Asher to suffer. She literally knew about the slave system and thought "Well yeah they can work off debts" thinking that nothing bad would happen to people. She was almost always wrong but couldn't seem to grasp that. Asher was the one I might have liked the most. What happened to him made it so all of his things made sense.
Other than that I thought the romance was well done and the author made it so you did watch them all realize they all liked each other. The main plot of the story was done pretty well too and the ending was good in my opinion!

I absolutely loved this book!

I’ll be completely honest. When I was initially approved for this one, I was a little nervous. I often feel like romantasy has turned into a genre that feel repetitive and overdone. I crave originality and am often disappointed. This story was delightfully unique and so beautifully engaging.

I’ve not yet read Kemmerer’s other works. I’ve heard of them and seen talk of them online but this one was a first. The characters were so well developed and the storyline was gripping from the beginning. I didn’t want to put it down. I was reading a digital copy on my kindle and couldn’t tell you how FEW times I glanced down to see how far I was in the book (iykyk). I will absolutely be adding A Curse So Dark and Lonely (and others) to my TBR.

Also, that spice… it’s perfect.

Brigid does it again.

There is something about her writing that pulls me in and will not let me go. I started this book and each time I put it down, I counted down to reading it again. I love Ky, Jory, and Asher all separately and together as a unit. I am invested in this plot and what happens next. Truthfully, I am contemplating starting the book over from the beginning. It’s out August 12th and it absolutely should not be missed.

It's been a few days since I finished this book and I'm still not totally sure what I think. Overall, I did enjoy it, and it's fresh take on the dreaded love triangle. Unfortunately I didn't really like Asher and would have happily done away with him at pretty much any point in the book.

I'll pick up the sequel because I want to know how things get resolved, but the book wasn't quite the triumph I had hoped for.

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review

This was a fantastic opening to what will be an impressive new romantasy trilogy. In a crowded subgenre, it's sometimes hard to distinguish between books, but I thought the character work in this one really set it apart from others. It's a slowburn that's actually a slowburn with complex relationships and an exploration of trauma and PTSD that I thought was really well done. It's not a super magic-heavy fantasy as only a couple characters have magic, but I have a feeling we'll be getting more in future books. Brigid Kemmerer is an excellent writer in YA, and I'm so excited that her adult debut is this strong as well!

DID YOU HEAR THAT?!? IT WAS ME SCREAMING ABOUT THIS BOOK! I’ve never had a book pull me in so fully and completely as this one did! By chapter 3 I was sat and I couldn’t stop! When I think of a romantasy this book is what I WANT! 🙂‍↕️

This book is very character driven rather than plot driven so definitely keep that in mind but, the characters were perfection. We get to follow the povs of Jory, the princess, Ky, the warrior, and Asher, the assassin. Jory is a classic sheltered princess that lacks real work experience and sometimes I find this boring but, I felt her character was very well done and handled with nuance. I found her innocence touching and I can’t wait to see her become who she is meant to be. Ky was the classic king who holds the weight of his kingdom on his shoulders. Ky had so many different facets to him that it kept me intrigued until the very end. Asher, ohhhh our tortured soul Asher. He broken my heart. Shattered it really. The more and more we get to know him the more my heart hurt. Seeing him piece himself back together was worth it thought. 🥺

Every chapter had me hooked. I don’t think there was one time where I actively wanted to put this book down. I cared SO MUCH for these characters so getting to see their story intertwine and unfold was magic!

I really enjoyed Brigid Kremmerer’s writing! AGAIN, let me say that not much really happens in this book until the end! I felt the world building was simple and enough for the story that was being told. I felt like every pov switch was necessary and just! The twist and turns really kept me on my toes and in my feeling!

If you love a romantasy, the “good boy” trope, THE BEST SLOW BURN AND TENSION EVER WRITTEN, then I would HIGHLY recommend! 👀🤭

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the eARC! And for the opportunity to read and review honestly! 🫶🏻

This was so much more than I expected! I love BK's YA series and never miss a new book. When she announced an adult romantasy, I was grabby hands for it. This is the story of Jory and her impending marriage to the king of a rival country. She loves another. He needs her country's magic to save his people. Hijinks and adventures ensue. But the real fun happens when all three of them travel to his home for the wedding. It leaves us screaming for the next book and so invested in this romance.

Are you ready for it??? This is my FAVORITE book of the year. I am calling it now. This is not a five star read. This is a six star read. I loved every single thing about this book. I loved the characters. I loved the world. I loved the banter. I loved the tension…you could cut it with a knife. This book made my feet kick. It made me giggle. It gave me butterflies. This book was so much more than I thought it was going to be. And now I wish I had a physical copy becuase I want to hold it in my hands and stare at it. I need the second book like I need air. I need more Ky, Jory, and Asher! And while I do feel like I saw some of the things coming and predicted some of it, I really don’t care because I loved the journey of getting there and having what I thought I knew confirmed.
Also seeing who the cast is for this audiobook I am super freaking excited and I need the audiobook now I need to reread this again with the audio to feel like I’m experiencing it again for the first time because if you do not think I’m going to be rereading this over and over and over until I have the next book in my hands. You are crazy. This is a book you will not be able to get me to be quiet about!

Thank you so much Avon for the complementary copy all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Ah that was fun! I remember reading the description of the book months ago and I love how perfectly misleading the title is and also how on the nose it is for the story. This is definitely more relationship and emotional arcs than laying breadcrumbs for a giant plot, but I had such a good time reading. I cannot begin to describe the expression of smug satisfaction I realized it was in fact NOT a love triangle but a WINK TRIAD WINK.

I found it frustrating that the first half of the book took place in 48 hours with a naive, dumb princess and two very nice men with bad anxiety and trauma all being backed into figurative corners of a Spider-Man meme, reverse Uno-ing everyone at every turn. BUT! The depth of emotion, their arc in recognizing trauma in each other and how they so naturally are drawn to each other was perfection.