The queen of cliffhangers leaves me speechless again. I'm left with more questions than answers with mixed emotions. I absolutely love Medina but I am unsure about the MMC. The storyline was intricate and kept me glued to the book. The pace and flow are done well with not alot of unnecessary filler. The audio was done well with a good cadence and noticeable difference in the characters that allowed me.to clearly know who was talking. I hope she releases the next book soon cause the wait is going to e torture to find out what happens.

I LOOVVVEEED this audiobook! Their voices were amazing !

The story itself is absolutely 5 stars!

I need more!

Being able to say hello again to Madinia is a dream come true. She quickly became my favorite side character after Priscia saved her in the Kingdom of Lies series. She's a witty woman who takes what she deserves. This book drops you in the middle of a pirate ship battle in attempts to protect Madinia from the wrong people gaining the location of the grimoire. I feel like the first half of the book was a little slow, but once the halfway point hit, it was all hands on deck, full speed ahead! The plot twists had me internally screaming almost nonstop.

While this book is set in the same world as the Kingdom of Lies, you aren't required to read the series first. However, in my opinion, reading the Kingdom of Lies makes the later half of the book SO MUCH JUICIER. You get to experience all the raw emotions Madinia experiences at the same time.

“As you die, your last thought will be this; harming Madinia Farrow was the biggest mistake of your life.”

I feel like I need 7 to 10 business days to process, but I also know that even though I only give out a 5 star review once or twice a year… this one’s for @staciastarkauthor and This Vicious Dream

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was perfection. Madinia was one of my favorite characters from the Kingdom of Lies series and I always looked forward to her POV chapters. Getting to read a book primarily from her POV was a treat - I loved getting to see a softer side of our sassy FMC and am so happy with this book overall. The attention to detail and consistency in Stacia’s storytelling is top tier and she makes you feel so many things.

The tension and the yearning between our FMC and MMC is 👩‍🍳 💋 and Calysian may have just made his way into my top five book boyfriends.

Notable Tropes/Themes (that won’t spoil anything):
- One Horse
- One Bed
- They save each other
- Strong FMC
- Fae, Half Fae, Humans, and Gods
- He carries her when she is injured
- Open Door
- Betrayal
- Friendship
- and so many other key things that I want to share but don’t want to spoil 😂

In terms of the narration, I love both Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige, however part of me wishes that different voice actors were chosen. My reason for this is that I listened to the Kingdom of Lies books on audio, and Meg and Tim use the same voices to voice Prisca and Lorian for Madinia and Calysian, despite voicing them differently in the Kingdom of Lies series.

I devoured Stacia’s Kingdom of Lies series earlier this year and I couldn’t wait to read her shared world spin-off. This world quickly became one of my new Roman Empires, and this book was nothing short of outstanding. Madinia is one of those characters that you can’t help but root for, and I needed more of her story. I love her sass, her feminine rage, the way her brain works. I was so curious about Calysian's back story, and could not wait to find out. There was so much action, I couldn’t put the book down or stop listening. The audio by Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige had me so entranced. I tandem read/listened. Stacia had me hooked from the very first to the very last line and I am absolutely FERAL for the next book!!!!

"𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓼 𝓘 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂. 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓼 𝓘 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓽. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓼𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓼𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓭. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽."

𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼:
🥀 Dark Romantasy
🥀 Rivals to Lovers
🥀 Reluctant Allies
🥀 Feminine Rage
🥀 Fierce & Fiesty FMC
🥀 Ruthless Game of Cat & Mouse
🥀 Forced Proximity
🥀 Found Family
🥀 Duology
🥀 One Bed / One Horse
🥀 “Who Hurt You?”
🥀 She Saves Herself 👏🏼

“𝓘'𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮, 𝓜𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓪, 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽... 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭𝓼 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮."

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️


This was a great start to the series! This is a dual POV with a lot of new world building on top of the already established world from Kingdom of Lies. Stacia should teach a master class on character development, because she made me CARE (seriously, note the emphasis on care) about these characters (and about the horses, I would 💀 for Fox and Hope).


“You will take me and beg for more” 😳

“Her hair is tousled, her skin flushed with sleep, and when she leans forward to press a gentle kiss to my chest. I almost claw through my skin, crack open my ribs, and hand her my beating heart.” 😮‍💨



Noteable Tropes —

🔥Enemies (ehhh sort of) to Lovers
🔥 “Who did this to you?!”
🔥 One Horse
🔥 Feminine Rage
🔥 One bathtub
🔥 Talking animal side character
🔥 Touch her and ✨unalive✨
🔥 Concept of soulmates
🔥 Tall, dark, & morally gray MMC



A huge thank you to the author of the hour: Stacia Stark! This Vicious Dream releases on May 13, 2025 and I was lucky enough to be granted an ALC to listen and give my honest review. Thank you also to Dreamscape Media!

(I was gifted a copy of this book from the author, but the review is my own)

This book ran the gambit of emotions: trauma, feelings of unworthiness, hope, desperation, safety, and reluctant romantic feelings. Stacia made you feel them all, not just for the character, but being able to relate because the feelings are ones we all struggle with. The amount of times I looked like an idiot because as I was listening to this book I was either chuckling or full on laughing out loud due to the banter or the knowing looks, the antics these characters got up to were really enjoyable. I wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did. The twists and turns had me all over the place, but I enjoyed every second and I cannot wait for the next book!

WOWWWWW. Madinia Farrow has always been a favorite. Truly. BUT THIS BOOK? She’s been bumped up to a favorite up with Prisca and Lorian. I loved Kingdom of Lies and I just know Kingdom of Death is going to ruin me. Calysian always was a wild card and had a “je ne sais pas quoi” feel to him even in the previous series. He was drawn to her and that’s solidified from HIS POV in this book. I so appreciate Stacia’s writing and how well she pushed the narrative. Learning more about the dark god in Madinia’s POV was a very tactical ploy and I hate Aemond. Period. He could have given her access to the memories at any time and while I understood his part, Madinia brought specific points to herself. I love the reincarnation piece, I adore the fact that he is the other piece to his soul and of course there’s a hag who wants him forever at every cost. Knowing Madinia has been angry in all her lives stemming from her first life is WILD and amazing. Highly highly highly recommend. I was blessed with the audio, but I 100% recommend the novel and audio because wow. READ THIS BOOK!

✨Tropes✨
⭐️ Rivals to Lovers
🌙 Reluctant Allies
💫 Slow Burn
⭐️ Found Family
🌙 Feminine Rage
💫 Forced Proximity

I was provided an audio of This Vicious Dream through Netgalley and Dreamscape media

I was really excited to get more Medinia and Calysians story! this could be it's own book series but i would recommend starting with Kingdom of Lies. This story picks up 3 years after the war.

Medinia is being held captive because of her knowledge of the grimoire to reshape the world. Calysian "rescues" her only to make her his captive as he is seeking the grimoires as well.

book 1 held a lot of promise. I really enjoyed getting to know both characters and I can't wait to see where this story goes and what others of Medinia's friends from Kingdom of Lies will play a part.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, Stacia Stark has done it again! I inhaled This Vicious Dream in a day, and let me tell you, it blew me away! I don't even know how to unpack what I just read; it was that good.

Madinia is back and out for vengeance after being cut off from the world for several years. She doesn't expect to hook up with the mysterious Calysian or discover their paths intertwine.

Stacia intricately weaves so many intrinsic details through the storyline, and as they came to light, I was begging for more!

The ending...Ahhhh! I cannot wait to see where book two in this duology leads. I NEED This Ancient Feud STAT!

NOTE: I read the eARC first but jumped at the opportunity to listen to an ELC of the audiobook, too. Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige are phenomenal, and their narration adds nuance to the story, which drew me in even deeper, even though I'd already read the book. It's so well done!

I enjoyed this!
I really liked the plot of the book! It was interesting and the mild cliffhanger at the end has me excited for the next book.
I also liked the two MCs, Madinia and Calysian and their relationship development.
When I had first requested the ALC, I made sure (or at least I thought I did) that it wasn’t connected to any current/previous series but then as I started to listen, I actually came across a review where the reader mentioned that reading Kingdom of Lies was recommended because this book was the start of a spinoff series set in the same world.
Thank goodness I saw that and decided to stop and listen to the whole Kingdom of Lies series before following through These Vicious Dreams because then I knew and understood way more of the backstory and world building. I think if I had listened to These Vicious Dreams without going through Kingdom of Lies first, I probably would have been a bit confused and find the world building a bit lacking. I also think having the character background also made all the character development for Madinia more impactful.
While I still wish that the different POVs were split up by chapters HOWEVER it didn’t bug me as much because there was only two POVs instead of multiple like in Kingdom of Lies.
Overall, I enjoyed this and look forward to book 2 in this Duology!
Audiobook Specific:
The narrators for These Vicious Lies are the same narrators from Kingdom of Lies. Just like in that series, I think they did a great job narrating this story! I actually felt like Meg Slyman’s voice was more fitting for Madinia which was a plus!

Release Date: May 13th, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this ALC in exchange for a review. A thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quotes I loved:
“You never should have let me taste you. Now I’ll stop at nothing to make you mine.”

“If you run, I will find you.”

“I’m not sorry that you care, Madinia. Because when someone like you takes an interest…worlds change.”

POV, Tropes & Highlights:
“Who did this to you?”
One bed, rivals to lovers, forced proximity
Fighting, magic, fast-paced and engaging plot
Strong, well-developed characters and expanded world-building
Spicy scenes paired with complex emotions (trigger warnings: past torture, imprisonment)
Note: This is a spinoff—it's recommended to read the Kingdom of Lies series first for better understanding and enjoyment.
Plot & Review:
Set over three years after the events of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly, Madinia and Calysian’s paths cross again. Madinia is now trying to protect a dangerous grimmoire she previously hid, while Calysian is on the hunt for it. Both are focused on retrieving the artifact first, though they’re secretly planning to betray each other — all while being hunted by the Queen’s soldiers and her top witch. The story kicks off strongly and keeps a quick pace throughout, making it hard to put down.
Madinia remains a layered, fierce character, but she’s also scarred by her past and seeking connection after years of isolation. Calysian’s backstory unfolds well, adding depth to his character. Their chemistry is a slow-burn, with undeniable attraction, though Madinia is cautious and resisting—that tension adds to the story’s tension. The book teases romance but keeps the focus mostly on action and character growth.
The narration by Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige is excellent, bringing the story to life and heightening the suspense. The ending introduces a major twist and leaves a mild cliffhanger, making me eager to dive into the next installment.
Overall, if you loved the original Kingdom of Lies series and enjoy stories about magic, strong characters, and layered relationships, this book is a must-read. It expands the universe nicely without feeling repetitive, and it leaves plenty of room for future adventures.

When I first started the Kingdom of Lies series with A Court This Cruel & Lovely, I was instantly a Madinia fan. If you have read the Throne of Glass series, Madinia reminds me so much of Lysandra who was also my favorite in that series as well. Both women are smart, conniving, caring, sassy, and will fight to the death and sacrifice themselves for their people. I was really hoping we would eventually get Madinia’s story and Stacia more than delivered.

As much as I adored the Kingdom of Lies series, I think this is her best book yet. The story was fast paced and kept you on your toes the whole time. It had so many favorite tropes like enemies to lovers, one horse/one room at the inn, and “who did this to you?” I loved the fire and banter between the main characters and just kept wanting more. I also loved the addition of different magical beings, mythology around ancient gods, and a new continent in this book as well. I am so excited to see more of all of that in the next book in this duology.

From the very beginning of the story, Stacia grabs your attention and makes it so that you never want to put this book down. I loved every minute of it and will be dying for the next book (which will also be the conclusion to this duology). Also, just a tip but if you haven’t yet read Kingdom of Lies and think you would like to, I would highly recommend it. You can read This Vicious Dream without reading the Kingdom of Lies books, but I definitely think knowing the characters and their backgrounds made the details of the story more impactful.

Also, I want to note that the audiobook was so well done by Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige! They really bring the story to life and Meg especially transforms her voice perfectly for all of the different characters.

This book was everything I was hoping it would be! Madinia, our favorite red headed spitfire, is back but without her memories. And Calysian is on a mission to discover his past. Basically a double amnesia trope but to different degrees, and done in a way that really works. They both feel a connection between them but are both fighting it which leads to delicious tension. Overall, I adored this book!!

Also the narrators were incredible. They truly brought the story and characters to life!

After a start that throws your right in, I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down. While some things were expected, there were also at least a few good twists that had me ready for more. I will definitely be looking up more of Stacia's books.

-Dual POV
-Fierce FMC
-Reluctant Allies
-Forced Proximity
-Rich World Building

My Favorite:
-"Who did this to you?"

I was really anticipating the release of this book— I absolutely ate up the Kingdom of Lies series, and loved the little taste of Madinia and Calysian we got in that.

Thing is 😅 it felt like the start of this duology really just threw me in headfirst. It’s been a while since I read the last Kingdom of Lies book, and I was a bit confused with where we were starting off. Because of this confusion and the quick pace, the beginning felt rushed and fell a bit flat for me. Once I adjusted to the pace, figured out who was who and what was going on (around 20ish-30%?), I started really getting into the story. I found the chemistry between Madinia and Calysian enthralling, and I enjoyed watching the two of them clash then fall deeper.

The whole thing really was very fast paced, so I was easily sucked in and couldn’t put it down. While some things were expected, there were also at least a few good twists that had me a bit gagged. Be warned, friends— this ends on a cliffhanger 🤭

Audiobook narration was very engaging. Both actors gave great performances— especially Meg Syvan. She really seemed to pour her all into the character. And Tim Paige has such a wonderfully clear and solid voice that always makes me swoon.

I didn't realize this was tied to another series and while it can be read as a standalone, I think the extra backstory would have helped.

Stacia does it again. Stacia’s writing is so enjoyable and creates such an easy read with great plot, good pace and fantastic characters.

This is set in the same world as Kingdom of Lies but can be read separately. I would highly recommend you read Kingdom of Lies though as it is a fantastic series and will help you to learn the journey of our charachters.

Madinia is a great FMC with a fierceness I love to see in female characters. Calysian is an intriguing MMC with his own complex back story which we go along with his journey to unfold this. The book has a good plot that stands well on its own if we took out the romance. The romance is well built and believable, we enjoy some of our favourite tropes. Stacia writes both characters well within the relationship, they can match each other’s energy without either feeling arrogant. The spice scenes are sprinkled in the latter half of the book, I felt they didn’t take over the story and were organically placed.

Now I’m just a sucker for a magic system that involves grimoires so It was inevitable I’d enjoy it. These grimoire’s work in mysterious ways, I enjoyed the exploration of these and the effects they had.

The audiobook narration was very well executed, this is dual narration, not duet so expect the actors to each do their own male/female voices. The narrators greatly convey the emotions through the book, build anticipation and tension,

The ending plot twist was great, leading us very well into a second book.

I was fortunate to receive an eArc and an ALC, all opinions are my own and honest.

Absolutely obsessed!! This book had everything I love: dual POVs, reluctant allies, one bed, “who did this to you?”, forced proximity, and just the right amount of feminine rage. I was hooked from the first page, the pacing, the tension, the banter, and the stakes were chef’s kiss. Madinia is a fierce, layered FMC I’ll be thinking about forever. The worldbuilding was rich, the side characters were incredible (the horses!!), and that ending?? I need book two immediately. You can read this without the Kingdom of Lies series, but reading that first definitely adds depth.

4.5 ⭐️ I already knew I’d be obsessed with this story after meeting Madinia and Calysian in Kingdom of Lies—that crackling tension between them was impossible to forget. (You can read this as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the other series first to fully appreciate their dynamic and backstory.)

Madinia is fiery, stubborn, and full of inner strength—yet there’s a hidden vulnerability beneath her armor that Calysian sees in a way no one else does. He is the perfect combination of grumpy, protective, and otherworldly (lol). Their banter? Sharp, flirty, and full of that delicious tension that makes a true slow burn so satisfying.

The pacing is quick without sacrificing emotion or depth. I felt so connected to both characters and completely immersed in their journey. The plot stands out in the romantasy space—original, high-stakes, and full of twists I didn’t see coming. That cliffhanger left me absolutely gutted, and now I’m counting the days until book two.

I didn’t totally connect with the audiobook narration for this one, but the story itself more than made up for it.