Let me start off by saying that when I listened to this book, I had no idea that it was connected to the Kingdom of Lies series. That being said, you can read this without having read that series, as I didn’t struggle to understand what was going on in this book. But after going back and listening to that series, you definitely would have a better understanding of the world and the characters. I would recommend starting with Kingdom of Lies just so you have a full picture of the story. I did love this book though. Madinia is such a fiery woman. She is strong, feisty, and unafraid to be herself, yet she does still have some moments where she shows a softer side, which really helps offset her prickly outside. Calysian is a perfect pairing for her, his witty sarcastic personality is the best complement for Madinia’s fiery persona. It’s so clear from very early on that he cares for her so very deeply, even when his darkness takes control of him. The dynamic between the two is beautiful, and having Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige voice these characters is like the cherry on top. They do such a fantastic job of breathing life into Madinia and Calysian. I’d recommend this for anyone who likes an enemies-to-lovers tale, slow-burn, and spice that ramps up the more you read.

I really enjoyed This Vicious Dream. The story pulled me in right away with its fast pace, intriguing world, and high stakes. I loved the tension between Madinia and Calysian—their dynamic was full of sharp banter, slow-burn chemistry, and emotional depth. The way their relationship developed kept me hooked. The ending left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in the sequel!

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I love a good duet narration. It was perfect for this story!

Thank you to Stacia Stark, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF at 40%

While the narrators were engaging, I didn't connect with the story itself.

This is likely a me problem because I haven't read Stark's Kingdom of Lies series. I plan to revisit this book after trying KoL to see if it's just my lack of backstory.

This Vicious Dream is the first book in a new series set in the same world as the Kingdom of Lies series. While you don’t have to read that series before starting This Vicious Dream, I think certain scenes will be more impactful after reading the original series. I love that Stark decided to write a book about Medinia. I found her character fascinating in the Kingdom of Lies series and couldn’t wait to learn more about her. Stark did not disappoint with Medinia’s character growth and development. I also found this to be a very fast paced read that launches into the action right from the beginning. It was easy to get drawn into the story. If you have not read Kingdom of Lies, the world building and magic systems may be a little sparse in This Vicious Dream but for those familiar with both, its refreshing to not have to rehash all of the information. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Medinia and Calysian although, for me, the “this can’t happen again” moments between them got a little repetitive. I found the audiobook narration to be engaging, and the narrators were able to hold my interest. It did take me a minute to get used to Sylvan in the context of this book rather than some others I’m familiar with, but that was a me issue. I felt that Sylvan and Paige did great to capture Medinia and Calysian’s emotions. Overall, I’m excited to get my hands on book 2 in the series.

If you’ve read Stacia’s Kingdom of Lies series and loved it (like me), DO NOT HESITATE to read this one!! Even if you haven’t read KoL, READ THIS!! It's a standalone, but set in the same universe as KoL.

I loved this story so much. The plot, the magic, the emotion — but most of all, the MCs stole my heart, and honestly, they can keep it forever. This was an emotional journey that I could not put down. I laughed, cried, and fell in love within these pages, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. The tension, the banter, the spicy goodness — all of it had me hooked.

I'm already pining for more of this story and these characters, especially with the way this one ended. I can't wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Stacia Stark, and Dreamscape Media for the arc audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

The audiobook was excellent. Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige did a fantastic job with the cast of characters. I knew it was going to be good since they also narrated the Kingdom of Lies series audiobooks.


4.75 stars

I knew I would adore Madinia's story after the ending in Kingdom of Lies. I wondered where her journey was going to take her. I had a funny feeling we would see Calysian again. I hate to say it, but I love Madinia's story a bit more than Prisca’s. Madinia is a fiercely protective black cat FMC. All the things I love in an FMC. I was not expecting that plot twist. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2. I need to know what happens next. I highly recommend it! I recommend reading the Kingdom of Lies first, just to understand who Madinia is.

Before I even dive into the review, I would just like to preface this with the fact that I really wish I didn't pick this up until I finished the original series. This is a standalone that can definitely be read and understood by itself BUT my experience was definitely hindered by not having more background information.

This was my own fault for not doing so and after reading other reviews a lot of people recommend reading this after the original too. With that being said, I still had a decent time and did not heavily hold this against my review thoughts!

The story was interesting, if not a bit chaotic at times with many plot points transpiring at once, and I really enjoyed the dual pov narrators...until they voiced the other MC which is a hard thing and mostly a personal preference. I just don't feel that they fit the other character well, but again, didn't hold this against the plot or the events, etc.

I did have a small bit of trouble on audio with some very similar sounding names thrown in at first - once I picked them up it was better, but I actually ended up going back to refer to the ebook version when it was published last week after listening to make sure I was picking up the right characters.

The romance did fall a little flat for me at times and I struggled to feel the true connection between the MC's. Supposedly it was strong in the original series, but since I have not read it, I unfortunately cannot relate.

✧ Dual POV & Dual Narration
✧ Forced Proximity
✧ Cat and Mouse
✧ On the run together / shared "quest"
✧ Reluctant Allies
✧ Betrayal, betrayal, some more betrayal? lol
✧ Fueding forgotten Gods & Goddesses

TLDR; I have a feeling if you read and loved the original series you will like this. I think most of my faults were because I didn't truly understand the back story. I wish it had been promoted a bit more to be read after the original series (or that I had seen other reviews recommending this prior to requesting).

3.75★

Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for the ALC!! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. :)

I’m giving this a 3.5 stars Thank you NetGalley for this audio arc. This is my honest review. The narration was done quite well. I do however feel like this would’ve been a little better as a duet audiobook. I will definitely be picking up the second book, but I did feel a little lost. I probably should’ve read the previous series 1st. I read that you didn’t mean to read the previous theories before reading this one. I don’t believe that’s correct. I feel like I would’ve much more understood this world had I read that series 1st. I also feel like large portions of this book could have been taken out and it still would’ve made sense. It just felt too long. I did not see that trope coming in at the end. So I was pretty shocked with that. all in all a pretty decent book.

Huge thanks to Stacia Stark for the ARC of This Vicious Dream! As a long-time fan of the Kingdom of Lies series, I was beyond excited to return to this rich, emotionally charged world. Set three years after the events of KoL, this new duet follows Madinia - a character who intrigued me from the moment she appeared in the original series - as she finally steps into the spotlight with her own powerful, deeply personal journey.

While This Vicious Dream can technically be read as a standalone duet, but I highly recommend reading the Kingdom of Lies series first. Not only will it give you a better grasp of the world and its complex politics, but it’ll also help you fully appreciate the weight of Madinia’s choices and the subtle callbacks woven throughout the story.

Read if you love:
🥀 Stabby, sharp-tongued FMCs
🥀 Found family
🥀 Forced proximity (yes, there’s one horse/one bed)
🥀 Dual POVs that add emotional depth
🥀 Forgotten gods and ancient powers
🥀 Series like Quicksilver, Kingdom of Lies, ACOTAR, Legends of Thezmarr, and Lady of Darkness - basically anything featuring fierce fae/hybrid heroines, lush worldbuilding, and emotionally tangled relationships.

I absolutely loved following Madinia’s story in this first installment. It carries the same level of detail, slow-burn tension, and immersive atmosphere that made KoL so captivating. The dream sequences were particularly well done - ethereal, eerie, and full of clues - and I appreciated the way Stacia slowly unfurled key information with expert pacing.

I was lucky enough to receive both the physical ARC and the audio ARC, and I have to say - the audiobook was phenomenal. Narrated once again by Meg Sylvan, whose voice has become the voice of Madinia for me, the audio added a whole new layer of depth and emotion. I love that Stacia kept the same narrator from KoL, as it created a beautiful sense of continuity and helped carry Madinia’s emotional arc forward seamlessly.

I’m already counting down the days until the next book drops. This world still has so much more to give, and I cannot wait to see where Madinia’s path leads next. 🩷

Fast paced, fun characters and intriguing twists. I was so hooked from the very beginning. Gives a little bridgerton vibes with the best fantasy plot.

YOU DARE TAKE FROM ME! Stacia Stark 😉
Madinia, Calysian are my new favorite people! I love the Kingdom of Lies series so when I heard Madinia was getting her own story I was ecstatic! She was such a strong supporting character to Prisca I loved her right away.

The banter between Madinia and Calysian is chefs kiss. It is definitely a grumpy/grumpier enemies to lovers trope.

Poor Cal trying to tell Madinia what to do had me laughing each and every time. The part when it says she does the opposite of what he tells her and he says she speaks the truth had me dying!! 🤣 Also the spice is a slow luring kind of burn. I absolutely loved the hotness of it all.

This was a fantastic story line and the plot twist and “how dare you end the story like this” ending has me wishing book two would be coming out soon!! I need to know how it ends!

No spoilers but the info we get about Prisca and Lorian is priceless!! I would not be mad at all if an extra book was added to the Kingdom of Lies series! JUST SAYING! (Hint Hint 😉)

Also the narrators were top notch! The did a brilliant job bringing the characters to life as in the first series.

I highly recommend that you need to read the Kingdom of Lies series first since this is a spinoff and touches on a lot of what happened to Madinia in that series. Well done Stacia Stark! Well done indeed! 👏🏽

This Vicious Dream is the first half of a romantasy duology which I learned after starting was a spin-off from The Kingdom of Lies Series. I enjoyed it despite not having read that series yet, though I am sure it would have been better to go in with an understanding of the world and the characters. Regardless, I didn't feel lost and appreciated the character growth in this book alone. If you like a plot that is fast-paced plus a romance that is slow-burn, you'll probably enjoy this too.

This one ended on a cliffhanger, so I am grateful I can read Kingdom of Lies while waiting for book 2!

The audiobook was duet narration, and the narrators were both perfect for this. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Absolutely freaking phenomenal.

This is a book I would rate 10 stars if I could solely because I felt there wasn’t a single flaw in it. The narrators did an absolute phenomenal job yet again of bringing the characters from kingdom of lies back to life!

After finishing the kingdom of lies series I was gutted and left feeling empty as it was such a phenomenal series but then I discovered that there was a spin off and it was centred around Madinia. Madinia was a character I didn’t really feel anything about in that series, I liked her wit but there were a lot of other characters that I loved a lot however in this book it is definitely her time to shine and I loved her so much which rarely happens to me in spin offs (cough silver flames by Sjm where I was not a fan).

The tension and the chemistry and just the I should/shouldn’t plot between Calysian and Madinia was superb. I read this on audio and I freaking loved hearing the voices act it all out because damn there is so much sexual tension it’s unreal. But also the amount of twisty things in this book - some of them are easy to guess but it kind of makes sense as you have this perception and knowledge that the main characters don’t.

My issue at the end which isn’t an issue it’s more like how dare Madinia do what she did at the end. I mean damn Calysian is fine af. I’d be wanting him no matter what happens 🥵🤣

Thank you NetGalley for the audio for this!
Look I knew I was going to bloody LOVE this book ok!! But did I have high hopes that this wouldn’t destroy my soul yes. Was my jaw on the ground multiple times YES.
Was the audio sexy asf YES!
Am I now in a massive reading slump?! Say it with me now… yes.

Stacia has a way with words for world building and plots with twists and turns and I swear to the goddess ( not that one 👀 ) that I need book two YESTERDAY!

This book had me swooning, crying, goosebumpy and banging my fists! Yall have to read it ok! No regrets all love!
I shall have to re read so I can actually annotate!! Because there are some memorable lines in this book that I will remember FOREVER ! Madina Farrow is the best badass FMC like theeee best, she is witty, strong and bloody HOT!

A wicked hot god?! YES
smirky grin YES
CUTE HORSE ! Yes
The best sidekick yes!
Will he choose her or the world ?! yall I can’t with the ending I CANT!!

This is such a beautifully written and well paced romantasy but I don’t expect anything less tbh! 10 starts yo

Stacia Stark’s This Vicious Dream grabbed me like a nightmare I didn’t want to wake from. We meet our heroine locked in a living cage of thorns, nursing the one secret that can topple kingdoms: the whereabouts of a reality-bending grimoire. Enter the stranger—equal parts silk and steel—whose wicked grin promises freedom and betrayal in the same breath. Sparks? Try wildfire.

Why I’m obsessed

White-knuckle pacing. From prison break to dream-warped catacombs, every chapter feels like sprinting downhill—breathless, a little reckless, utterly thrilling.

Chemistry that crackles. She’s fierce and feral; he’s all lethal charm. Their forced alliance is a master class in slow-burn tension: dagger-to-throat banter, reluctant trust, and those charged almost-touches that leave you feral for the next page.

A world with bite. Living thorns that taste your fears, nightmare beasts stitched from shadow, legends whispering in forgotten tongues—Stark’s magic system feels fresh yet satisfyingly dark.

Twists on twists. Just when you think you’ve mapped the maze, a trapdoor opens. Betrayals hit hard, revelations hit harder, and the final turn left me howling for book two.

Tropes & treats you’ll devour:
🔪 Enemies-to-reluctant-allies
🖤 Morally gray hero who weaponizes charm
🌹 Cage of thorns & nightmare magic
📜 Heist for a world-breaking grimoire
🔥 Tension so thick you could cut it with a rune-etched blade

Clear your weekend, charge your Kindle, and prepare to lose sleep—This Vicious Dream is a deliciously dark ride that leaves thorn marks and demands a sequel. I’m already sharpening my anticipation.

Thank you NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media! Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige, thank you for taking this to the next level with your interpretation and narration!!! It really brought the story to life.

A classic ‘girl escapes imprisonment with lost memories’ mets ‘guy who happens to be dark god on a quest to find his grimoires’. Kingdom of Lies is on my top list of romantasy, so my expectations heading in were high. Boy, did Stacia deliver! The banter is bantering, the snark is snarking, and the plot is plotting. This story is the perfect plot to spice ratio. Can’t wait to continue the series!!

Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!

So going into this I did not read the original series Kingdom of Lies so it did take me time to get aquatinted with the world and characters. That is the only reason I did not give this book more than four stars. That being said I really did enjoy this book and I am looking forward to going back to read the original series before book 2 of this spin off is out.

I want to preface this by saying I did not read the Kingdom of Lies series before jumping into this book... this book can technically stand on its own but I can see where having read the first series beforehand would enhance some of the existing world building and some of the other characters. I still really enjoyed the book though. The banter and tension was GREAT. It's very action packed and a fast paced read. I can't wait for the second book!!

The audiobook is dual narration, and at first it was hard for me to get behind the narrators for the book bc I couldn't get a read on the characters' personalities (since this is a spin off series/I didn't know the characters beforehand since I did not read the first series). The actual book content was addicting, but it took me a little bit longer to connect to the narrators' voices for the characters.

I had received an advance audiobook copy, courtesy of Dreamscape Media on NetGalley, so thank you for the ALC!

great googly moogly this book.

I have been counting down the days until I got my hands on this beauty and was able to start it.
and it did not disappoint at all!!

I was introduced to Stacia with her Kingdom of Lies series. and absolutely adored the characters and world from that series. and when I heard Madinia was getting her own book, I may have freaked out just a touch haha.

Madinia is one of those characters though that I think you instantly relate to. she's fierce and spicy. Brave and stubborn. But there is more to her too. And even just the growth we saw through the KOL series was enough to hook me in for more.

And this book was everything and nothing like I expected haha.

The story was so unique. And do to reasons... We got to see a different side to especially Madinia.

The pacing was excellent in this book too.
as someone that flipped between the hard copy and the audio. I will say you cannot go wrong with either option.
typically I prefer fantasy books like this on audio.... the world building is always a bit easier that way, and gets me through the longer parts of it. And maybe it just because I was sorta familiar to it in this one (though believe me, this world had a lot of new caveats to ot too). But I enjoyed the actual hard copy of the book too. I never hit a part that's lowed me down or drug out too much. and I think that says a lot about Stacia's ability to create a world like that and give it to the reader in a way that doesn't just feel liks exposition.

The story itself is just so good too. There were parts that drive me absolutely crazy, and others that made me absolutely swoon haha. But it is one of those books you will just not want to put down too. I lost many hours of sleep while reading this beauty haha.

I mentioned Madinia earlier. And while it's usually known I'm not a big fan of FMC's in books. Madinia was an exception (I feel like I've had a lot of these recently. And I'm here for the good FMC revolution haha). but I honestly just love the spark of her personality. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and is so fierce and loyal once it is earned. she can be a bit rough around the edges. but especially knowing her from as far back as I do. she has grown and flourished in so many ways too. and seeing this new and powerful side to her was such a fun experience.

I should probably mention Calysian here now too haha. I'm not gonna lie. it took me a good minute to really get a better feel for him. yes he wasn't someone totally new to this universe. But he was completely different for me in this book. In a good way though. He still has the serious no BS attitude I enjoyed before. But seeing this new light to him was also a great change of pace. And evoked more emotions then I would have expected.

I will also say for all the KOL lovers out there. I think this book did a great job of letting us get a taste for all the characters we've come to love. without taking or adding anything that would have "ruined" that story. and made a great waybfor anyone new to the series to be able to start here with this book and not fele like they're missing too much or the pressure to read KOL first. Though I highly recommend doing so.

My biggest complaint from the whole book?? I will never get enough Daharak haha.

I really truly enjoyed this read though. And I cannot wait to see how things will go in the 2nd book of the duology.

I give THIS VICIOUS DREAM
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book....these characters....this story 🤌🏻

Stacia has done it again. Within the first chapter I found myself entirely captivated by the action on the page right away. I found myself not knowing exactly what was going on but desperate to read on and piece it all together.

Madina is the ragey, fiery, stabby FMC we all love and deserve ✨ I'm obsessed with her. the romance and banter we get with her and Calysian is TOP TIER

10/10 would absolutely recommend to a friend, I can't wait to get the next book in this duology.