Everything I expected and more. I love this world Stacia created and everyone in it.

I received an ALC via NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

This Vicious Dream takes place after the battle in Stacia's other series, Kingdom Of Lies, with dual POV (and narration for the audiobook) following FMC Medinia and Calysian. It is not necessary to read that series, however, I do highly suggest it not only because it's very good, but also it will help to know some characters mentioned in this book and make more sense, but also understand what the FMC went through prior to this story.


Medinia was given an important task. Keep the grimoire safe and out of the enemy's hands. It is filled with powerful magic, and if the enemy gets it, the kingdom will suffer. She hid it, and the power to it called to her, and she was given access to some of its power while imprisoned. Two things she wants to do. Keep it safe, and seek revenge on the man who has kept her prisoner and tortured her for the last 3 years, trying to get her to reveal its location. No matter what he did, she refused. Little did he know that she had access to power, and his next "visit" to her prison, he held her, she would be ready and would fight back and escape.


The last person Calysian expected to see while seeking the magic that was stolen from him was the dangerous and powerful, yet stunningly beautiful, fiery redhead Medinia, when he was called to the area where she was being held. He found that she knew the location of what he was seeking and insisted on her taking him to it. It was his, and he would stop at nothing to get it.

Medinia tries to trick Calysian and get away from him because she doesn't trust him. She doesn't trust most people due to the pain many have caused her over the years, and she refuses to let someone hurt her like those people did. However, as time progresses, both find that it is hard to resist each other and protect one another from mutual enemies. Medinia had put a steel shell over her heart and believes she doesn't want or need anyone. Still, the charismatic and undeniably handsome, strong, and powerful Calysian makes it very hard to resist.

"You never should have let me taste you. Now I'll stop at nothing to make you mine."

This book has powerful magic, stubborn main characters, a prophecy, slow-burn romance, a grand adventure, spice, and more. It all makes for a fantastic fantasy story.

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

I’ll preface this by saying I didn’t know this was a spin off of another series and had I read the other series first a lot of my critiques may not have been a problem. I don’t think this book works as a stand alone there’s a lot of references to the previous events which will leave you confused if you’ve not read it. Because of this I think there’s a particular lack of world building.

It’s pretty fast paced which is good but again without that background knowledge you feel like you’re fighting to catch up all the time. I did like the characters individually but I didn’t really buy their chemistry together and the side characters could’ve done with a bit more development.

I wasn’t keen on the male narrator sadly and equally whilst I liked the female narrator I didn’t love her ‘male’ voice which was a bit cheesy and really took me out of the story.

I think this middle 3rd of the book was probably my fave but then it lost me again for the last third. There were occasional bits of cringey dialogue and the plot just dwindled a bit. I’m sad, I really wanted to enjoy this and it’s likely entirely my fault for not knowing it’s an interconnected series.

I absolutely loved returning to the author’s world. This is Madinia’s story, and oh my heart! I love how she’s a fierce and strong FMC. Quickly, we discover that Calysian is in the story and I just love this broody man. I laughed so many times at their fragile alliance. The distrust between is palpable and hilarious all at the same time. This is a page turner, and will leave you wanting more! The hatred and rage that Madinia has for her captor can be felt. Oh, and the rescue. I lost it, I was cracking up! The hunt for the dark grimoire is an adventure. I already wish book 2 was out! Meg Sylvan, and Tim Paige are the narrators and their performance is outstanding! I felt like they both portrayed Medinia and Calysian very well. AHHH, it was just perfection!!

Madinia you fiesty, spicy, flame haired queen of a woman! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of her personality in the first installment of Kingdom of Death. The banter, the sarcasm, the steamy scenes, again THE STEAMY SCENES! This Vicious Dream is a must read! Stacia is one of my top 5 Romantasy authors. She has written Madinia to a truly independent, take no prisoners FMC. Even through all that Madinia suffers she refuses to be broken and her determination is inspiring to say the least. If you like dual POV, morally grey MMC, powerful independent FMC, and loveable side characters- this us a book for you!
Netgalley was kind enough to grant me an arc of the audiobook, I swear I could listen to Tim Paige read the dictionary, he captures Calysian perfectly. Run dont walk to get this book!!

Okay I might get hate for this but I didn’t love Madinia in the Kingdom of Lies series, yes she helped save the kingdom but like she didn’t need to be that mean about it lol. However this book explains more into Madinias character and I now LOVE her. Yes she is still her closed off gruff self, but we understand why and still love her. Madinia is sneaky and smart and the mutual pining in this book was amazing. 
Now Calysian, he was possessive, matched Madinias energy which I loved, and the twists made me love this book even more. 
If you’re wanting action packed, secrets and twists, sassy horses, a STRONG FMC, another book bf, and a jaw dropping ending. You will adoreee this book. 
This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year, and yes I listened to the audio and read the ebook and highly suggest both! 
Thank you SO much Dreamscape media and Stacia Stark for the arc, I’m foaming at the mouth for book 2 🥰

Stacia Stark is the queen of cliffhangers and I’m not even mad at it. This was such a fun listen and a great extension of the world created in the Kingdom of Lies series. You don’t have to read it first but it might help with the back stories of some of the side characters.

I love when side characters get their own series. Madinia is such a bada$$ and has been through so much it makes sense that she has a “I don’t need your help” attitude. But bless our dreamy, complicated MMC Cal because he’s here to convince her she’s wrong.

The banter and chemistry between these two was great and the narrators made it a really easy listen. I never felt like I was lost in the story.

I need to learn more about Eamon. There is definitely a story to be told there too.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Stacia Stark for an early listening copy. These are my honest thoughts.

I applauded the narrators. Meg Sylvan and Tim Page. On their flawless and spectacular narration of this amazing book.
After their beautiful narration of the kingdom of Lies series. They picked up with these characters and brought them to life in a spectacular way. Both these narrators in-body and voice these characters with such flawless grace, easily transporting you into this fantastical universe.

This is a action packed, fast paced rollercoaster ride from the outset. Fully engaging, this storyline is beautifully complex and imagined with a delicate hand, eliciting spectacular visuals as we traverse through wondrous lands. A riveting narrative from the very first page right to the last... I am left only wanting more of this fantastic storyline, these beautifully constructed characters.

I cannot wait for the next audiobook.

Firstly, A HUGE thank you to Stacia and her team for the opportunity to read this early, and to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC! The audio was perfect! I love both narrators and the quality is excellent!

My Ratings:
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️ 5🎧

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

This was an ADVENTURE from page one and I throughly enjoyed myself the entire time! It gives fun banter, intriguing side characters, twist & turns, secrets, angst and longing, one bed, saving each other 🫶🏻, always finding each other vibes!

Madinia is a fiery, strong-willed, “I need no man” kind of FMC. And Calysian is ALL ABOUT HER! Protecting her, saving her, WORSHIPPING HER. The two have to navigate accomplishing their own goals while warring with their feelings for each other, wanting and NEEDING to be together (as much as they try - Madinia tries - not to be)

I also REALLY feel like you *should* read Kingdom of Lies series prior to digging into this one! Having that backstory on Madinia really helps you already have that connection to her! I don’t think I would have felt as much reading this without that context ❤️

I am SO ready for book 2! I can tell it’s going to be SOOO AMAZING! But I will say, this was a nice soft cliffhanger, which I can appreciate! 🤣

I’ll leave you with this one liner:
“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎.” 🥵

Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige are two of my favorites narrators and they did such a great job as Madina and Calysian. I was able to feel completely immersed in the story with their spot on characterizations and their intonation and pacing really kept me engaged.

In regards to the story itself, I knew as soon as I finished Kingdom of Lies that I needed to know more about The adventure Madina was embarking on. She was such an interesting character in that series and she deserved her own spotlight! Medina is not without her trauma in this book but her strong-willed fortitude shines through!

Medina was sent off on a journey to protect an ancient grimore filled with more power than any one person in their world should ever hold. But things go horribly wrong and our sassy, witty take no sh!t girl is put through more than anyone should have to endure!

When Madina and a certain dark smexy man that she may have had run ins with in Kingdom of Lies shows up the stakes are raised and the tension is tight.

Madina and Calysian have such amazing banter and chemistry. Their dynamic is perfect and gods their history is heartbreaking. These two are drawn to each other and you just can’t help but to keep reading to see where the story goes.

I am ravenous for the next book. This is an absolute must read. Trauma, adventure, lust, the makings of love, spice, a dark god that is so so yummy. It’s got it all!!!

5⭐️

This was such a fun and entrancing listen!

Were thrown into action right from the start. The story is told from two povs; Madinia and Calysian.
The story does a great job of explaining a bit of each character’s backgrounds to understand how they got here - and can I just say, the character building was *chef’s kiss*.
I will admit I haven’t read any of the previous books, but I didn’t feel left out at all - although probably would have helped!
There was so many twists and turns, a lot of action, romance and tension - once you pick this up you won’t be able to put it down!

I love this book! I loved getting Madinia's story, I love her sass and she is one strong FMC!
The multiple POVs was so good. I was drawn to the characters and was invested in this book from start to finish!
I loved the tropes,
🩷rivals to lovers
🩷forced proximity
🩷one bed
🩷'who did this to you'?
🩷magic
🩷battles
And more!

The audiobook is brilliant. The voice is perfect and it was so easy to be lost in the story! I loved it so much!

This book is a spinoff from The Kingdom of Lies series (which was a solid 5-star read for me), but you don’t need to have read it to dive into this one.

The story follows Madinia, our fierce and no-nonsense FMC, who has sworn to protect a powerful grimoire from the ruthless fae who would do anything to claim its power. She alone knows where it’s hidden—and that makes her a target.

Enter Calysian, our swoon-worthy MMC, who’s chasing something he can’t quite remember. But deep down, he knows that helping Madinia might be the key to finding it.

Neither of them trusts easily. There’s tension, sparks, and an undeniable pull between them as secrets unravel and betrayals cut deep. This book will keep you on edge, guessing until the very last page—and craving more.

Stacia Stark fans prepare yourselves, she has done it again. It’s time to make room in your heart for a new romance, one with so much yearning you will be crumbling one chapter in for our fiery FMC and down bad dark daddy MMC! Medenia IS BACK and sassier than ever, and even more powerful too. If you thought she came into her power in Kingdom of Lies, Stacia Stark said HOLD MY BEER!

The plot was clearly painstakingly paced to perfection. As with all Stacia books, you are given the right amount of time to fully understand the world, the stakes and become wholeheartedly invested without feeling like you were bogged down with details of the world and complex magic systems. She walks the fine line of building an intricate world and letting you truly feel like it’s alive, without ever feeling like you’ve been dropped into an overly complicated world bogged down by detail. I think her ability to properly pace out information is so key here! It’s also perfectly crafted in a way both new to the world readers can understand it, and lovers of KOL won’t feel like we are being re-fed a bunch of information we already know. I really loved the choice Stacia made here for a plot device to deliver this information, so smart! This results in a beautifully crafted adventure that will undoubtedly have both new and old fans absolutely engrossed! As a die hard fan, I certainly was!

Madinia’s story was everything I had hoped for, this tough as nails FMC has always had my heart, and I ended my last Stacia review with all the hope that our girl Madinia would be next. So, I went into this with so much hope and anticipation, and I was floored, truly floored. Her journey made me feel seen in ways I never could have expected, and I absolutely LOVED peeling back all of her layers. The complexity we see here, and growth is both beautiful and haunting. The range we see with Madinia is what made it truly special for me! She’s always been so much more that the exterior she wears like armor. Spending more time in her thoughts has been such an incredible joy, and I cannot wait to see where this all heads next.

Our MMC Calysian, oh how I longed to get into his head and oh boy did Stacia serve! One of my favorite things about Stacia’s writing is she knows how to write yearning, longing, and a down bad man who is conflicted by his own darkness. It’s absolutely delicious and will leave you feral for this brooding man who is truly able to match the ferocity of Madinia. I absolutely dare you to not fall for this man in chapter one, because it’s impossible!

This was my most anticipated read of the year and I will call it, this will be my favorite book of the year. It’s complex, honest, and filled with the kind of raw emotional journey that is exactly the reason why I read this genre. The tension we are given is exactly what makes me clear my schedule and forgo sleep every time I pick up a Stacia Stark book. I am floored by her ability to still shock me, and leave me begging for more! This was a complete triumph and some of Stacia’s best work, and all I want is to read it all over again!

Now on to the audio, what can I say, my dream duo for this came to freakin SERVE! And serve they did! We’re back with Tim Paige and Meg Sylvan which was so lovely as someone who hoped we’d get the matching voice we’re used to for Madinia from KOL audio. Meg’s voice for her is truly unmatched and she’s spent several books voicing her so she has her down perfectly. I absolutely devoured this audio with zero notes. It’s like stepping through a portal into your favorite world and saying, I AM BACK! What a smart choice this was! Tim Paige also brought us another stellar performance as Calysian and I loved all of the humor he brings to side characters. The range of these two seasoned narrators make this audio the peak of why audiobooks are just such an unmatched medium!

Thank you to Stacia Stark for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book is EVERYTHING we want and more! An enchanting and enthralling masterpiece of seduction, darkness and of course power! The pacing, writing and story are all top tier romantasy! The dynamic between the MCs is tension filled and juicy! ALL THE STARS!

The audiobook is perfection! The narration was dynamic and made me feel sucked into the story! Thank you for this ALC!

This Vicious Dream by Stacia Stark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶

What I loved:
🥀 Madinia & Calysian
🥀 feminine rage
🥀 end twist

Audio review: The narrators are the same as the Kingdom of Lies series. I both love and hate this. I dislike that Calysian's voice is the same as Lorian's. However, I love Meg Sylvan's voice for Madinia. She did a great Madinia in KoL, and she was just as great here. Overall, both of these narrators are phenomenal, so audiobook listeners are in for a treat!

This was everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved Madinia in Kingdom of Lies, and I loved her even more here. The feminine rage was on point. Madinia and Calysian were incredible leads. The pacing was perfection and addicting. I couldn't put this down if I wanted to. And I very much didn't want to.

Madinia was a striking character. I loved her POV. She was unapologetically ruthless, and I lived for it. Like when she made that plan to escape Calysian?! It was so devious and had me cackling! She made poor Calysian work the entire novel, and it was highly entertaining. Their banter was phenomenal. These two complemented each other perfectly and had such great chemistry. I couldn't get enough of them together. I had high expectations for them because of the prior series, and their relationship lived up to every single expectation.

This novel was set in a whole new land than the KoL series, and the ways in which Stark built this world and grew the magic system was captivating. I loved seeing new creatures and towns. The history of the new land added so much depth to the story. The new villains were perfect, and the identity reveal at the end! Stark wove so many good threads into this story, and I am dying to see how they play out in the next book.

I am actually blown away by that ending and the twists. I'm truly shocked. I did not see the twist with Madinia's history coming, and I loved every bit of it. Stark wove all these new elements together seamlessly. Every bit of the end hit so hard. Every time I think about it, a new aspect jumps out at me and blows my mind. So many of the twists were subtly hinted at throughout the novel, and I still didn't see them coming. The writing was brilliant. That cliffhanger was brutal!

The only thing I disliked was how much Madinia and Calysian pushed each other away. They frequently had my heart hurting for them. It left me frustrated. I truly feel that if they had just 2 scenes that ended without them pushing the other away, I would be happy. Or even some apologies! They both said awful things to each other, and in the whole book, only one apology was ever given. As is, I think the next book has a lot of ground to cover with the development of their relationship.

If you loved the Kingdom of Lies series, this is a must-read. Madinia and Calysian are compelling characters, and they stole my heart. The world and history were so well-written. Plus, the cameos! The end set up the next book impeccably. I need the next book asap! I cannot wait to see how everything plays out!

YES! That is the whole review… YESYESYES

Is this a fantastic fantasy book? YES!
Is this a heart clenching emotional book? YES
Is this a spicy book? YES
Is this a book with a one of a kind spectacular romance? YES!!!!!!

I adore this book so much and I absolutely cannot wait until book 2!! The depth of the characters is amazing. The author really brought these characters and their flaws and strengths to life through her words. This is a 10/10 must read!!!

I listened to the audiobook and I can’t recommend it enough. If you are wanting to choose your next great romantasy listen then This Vicious Dream is for you!!!

The narrators were casted perfectly and their performances deserve a round of applause 👏👏👏👏

First, thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC.

I am giving this book three stars (even though I haven’t finished it). I will definitely be reading this e-book, but I have to DNF the audiobook. It comes down to the male narrator. This novel has dual narration. Meg Sylvan performance brings life to Madinia’s character (even though some words are emphasized with sultry tone that doesn’t feel quite appropriate), but Tim Paige’s performance feels more appropriate for a Louis L’Amour book or a David Baldacci. It’s very western in its style. It was reminiscent of listening to Hondo or Chick Bowdrie, not fitting for Calysian. His voice breaks the narrative flow.

I’m 30% in and really enjoying Stark’s writing. I think the inclusion of the maiden in the tower was a fun nod to fairy tales. The premise is intriguing and I can’t wait to see how it ends.

3.5⭐️ Revenge and betrayal take center stage in This Vicious Dream. It’s one backstab and angry argument after another. The plot in the grander scale of the series is appealing but this story became predictable and repetitive. Action packed in places and slow and grueling in others.

I absolutely DEVOURED Stacia Stark's This Vicious Dream! It was so easy to get back into this world - and I loved that Madinia got her own story. She was so intriguing and I LOVED Calysian in the Kingdom of Lies series. Madinia has sworn to protect a grimoire with her life - and Calysian will stop at nothing to get it.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
One bed.... and one horse (obviously!)
Slow burn
Touch her and die
Animal sidekicks

Stark's worldbuilding is excellent - It was like coming home and I was so, so happy. Warning - it does on a cliffhanger and I need that second book immediately, please!!

Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige did a phenomenal job with the narration - the pitch, speed, ability to play multiple characters was all so perfect.
I am so grateful to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Advanced Lister Copy - this was so good.

As soon as I saw a new audio arc from Stacia Stark, I immediately requested it without reading the synopsis because I love her books I was excited to learn it was a spinoff series featuring Madinia and Calysian! I really love their chemistry and can't wait to continue this story! The Narrators were great and easy to listen to!