4 stars for This Vicious Dream by Stacia Stark! Madinia and Calysian's story was such a ride. There were tons of twists and turns and I enjoyed the story. The dual narration by Meg Sylvan and Tim Paige was excellent! I feel like any romantasy that does an audiobook should at minimum give us dual narration, and at best, duet—my fave! It adds soooo much to the experience.

Unfortunately, I had not read the Kingdom of Lies books that precede this one, so a lot of context was missing, but I am not knocking a star for that. I do recommend reading the other books first so you won’t have the plot holes I did. I felt it was very long, but again, I’m pretty sure if you are invested in this world from reading the other stories, you would relish all of the details. Also, this ends on a major cliffie, tragically! Be warned!

Tropes:
Forced proximity
Romantasy featuring a GOD
Enemies to Lovers
Revenge
Cat and Mouse games
Feisty FMC and overprotective alpha MC

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

Not finishing but enjoyed what I listened to so far! I knew this was connected to the other series, but thought there would be slightly more information at the start and felt quite lost from the beginning. I've read the first two of the other series quite a while ago, and found this one a little confusing. However, the writing was great and I think had I known more about the characters going into this, it would have been a fantastic read. Reviewed based on the writing. Think a note to say they're a connected series and to read the other one first may be helpful for readers!

Staci really popped off- From start to finish… My Gods. You fr don’t know who to trust!! This was such a fast pace, action packed quest. Straight away we’re in a frenzy & it just keeps that same momentum from there 📈 I literally ate this up in one sitting, such a fun Romantasy!! Apparently Calysian & Madina are apart of another series?! *I must research 👹 ‘Cause the characters were great.

Meg Sylvan & Tim Paige did an amazing job narrating this, but Meg especially impressed me!! Def became a fan 🤍 Overall, I enjoyed this a lot. It def carried a lot of tropes every fave Romantasy has, I will be looking forward to book 2!!

3.75✨.

When I began This Vicious Dream by Stacia Stark, I felt a little lost. We were dropped into memories and backstory with very little to ground us, and for the first 20% or so, I found myself muddled, trying to piece things together. It was a lot—almost too much—but once I got past that point, I eased into the storyline and was happily along for the ride. 🥰

I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics, both romantic and platonic. I could feel the tug-of-war between her mind and her heart, and that internal conflict made her choices and relationships feel all the more real.

The world-building was intriguing, especially the layers involving fates, gods, and their intricate plotting. It was fun trying to tease apart everyone’s agendas and seeing how it all wove together.

As we got closer to the end, the twists took me by surprise—and then came a sprinkle ✨ of my favorite trope ever, which immediately got me so hyped. But just as things started really picking up… it ended! 😭🫣 I’m definitely intrigued by this story and excited to see where things go in the next book.

Thank you so much to Stacia Stark, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for this ALC.

Thank you to Dreamscape media, Stacia Stark, and NetGalley for an Advanced Listening Copy of this audiobook! All thoughts expressed in this review are my honest opinion.

I saw this book advertised as still being able to read it and understand everything without reading the Kingdom of Lies series first, so while the Kingdom of Lies series is on my TBR, I didn’t worry about completing it before reading this book. In hindsight, I wish I had waited, read that series, and then read this later on (not as an advance copy/when it is already out).

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the writing style, and it makes me want to read the original series. However, there were a few times when I was a little confused, and I think things would have been clearer if I had read the Kingdom of Lies series first. I still enjoyed Madinia’s story, but I’d be interested in rereading this book after reading the four Kingdom of Lies books first and see if that changes anything or what additional context I might have going into Madinia’s story!

Even without reading the initial series, I enjoyed it enough and want to know what happens next that I am planning on reading (or listening to) the next book when the time comes. Ideally, I will have the original series read by then!

Thank you Stacia Stark for the opportunity to review this book early. All these thoughts are my own.

So, I think I am in love with Calysian? Anyway… I loved this book. Madinia was one of my favorite characters from the Kingdom of Lies series, so this spin off made me so excited to see. I loved the action from the very beginning, Madinia was fiery and fierce, it was fantastic. The banter and tension between Calysian and her was so good, it had me kicking my feet and curling my toes. I loved it. The twists and turns of this story had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I cannot wait for book 2!!!

When Stacia Stark announced a Kingdom of Lies spin off series with Medinia and Calysian, every molecule in my body rejoiced. A huge part of me had not been ready to let go of KOL and the intrigue between those two characters promised to provide toe curling tension that I could not wait to read. This Vicious Dream was one of my most highly anticipated releases and it certainly did not disappoint. It felt like a seamless continuation of the story that I've come to love, while keeping its own identity in the process. Stacia has done a truly amazing job with crafting this incredibly intricate world. She writes all the plot twists and heartache you could ask for, while still managing to bring all pieces together in the most satisfying way possible.

The relationship dynamic in This Vicious Dream progressed from intrigue between Medinia and Calysian, to a true cat and mouse, to all the tension and banter, before erupting in the most satisfying way. I am happy to report that the love story did not overwhelm the flow of the book, however. The story was fast paced and very plot driven, with the budding relationship tension coming through as a very happy bonus.

Medinia is a force to be reckoned with and seeing her brought low at the beginning of the story did something to me. I was ready to go to war on her behalf. Her character has already endured so much that I was ready to board a ship, find Kyldare, and tell him in no uncertain terms that he could count his days. Fortunately for me, Calysian stepped up to the plate. He brought Medinias spark back and helped her to realize her potential, before Asinia, Demos, Rythos, and Daharek stepped in to ensure she never forgot it again.

I loved the character development on Medinias character as she sought to find her place in the world, and the journey that Calysian went through at her side to discover who he was as well. Their journey tested their limits and brought them out the other side very much changed. The dual POV was excellently done, providing the perfect amount of insight into each character, while preserving the suspense and anticipation of the conflicts. The action never let up, and the ending only managed to make me more excited for the next book because I know that reunion is going to bring out all the fireworks.

I was so excited that the original audio narrators from Kingdom of Lies came back to perform This Vicious Dream because they did such a wonderful job in bringing the characters to life. Their perfomance only heightened my enjoyment of the story and helped to immerse me into the minds of the characters.

While this is technically a standalone series, my enjoyment of the plot was only heightened by the "foreplay' between these two characters in Kingdom of Lies and I highly encourage everyone to check out that series before jumping into this one.

I was lucky to receive an ALC of This Vicious Dream by Stacia Stark from NetGalley and dreamscape media. This was my first novel by Stark and it will absolutely NOT be my last! I loved how this book was paced, the world and character development and the overall story. I could not stop listening (my poor sleep schedule), the narrators did an amazing job portraying all the feelings the characters were going through. The magic system was one I haven’t seen a lot of and I loved it! The FMC was sassy, strong, and fierce. The MMC was morally grey, possessive, and a bit of a cinnamon roll for her. I was left staring at my device begging for more at the end because that plot twist was definitely not one I saw coming. I cannot wait for the next book!

I am absolutely floored! Madinia is a character I really fell in love with in the Kingdom of Lies series. I loved the way her mind worked and I loved her arc. Madinia getting her own story is such a dream, and it absolutely did not disappoint.

She is a fierce protector for those she feels needs protecting. She is ready to absolutely destroy herself if it means others will be better off. And then enter Calysian. Calysian is captivating from his first moments in this book. I was intrigued by him in Kingdom of Lies, but he is a force to be reckoned with, and you can feel their chemistry in every interaction.

What I love about Stacia's writing is this story takes place in the same world as the Kingdom of Lies series, but it is a total departure in the very best way. You have a few crossover characters, but this is not a continuation of the that series. We are introduced to new territories, new rules, new baddies, and new power. I love all of her books, but I am just wildly impressed and completely obsessed with the way this story went. The ending left SO many questions and possibilities and I cannot wait to see where this will go! This is definitely a top book of 2025 for me.

Thank you to Stacia for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, honey. I read it, I gasped, I highlighted like a woman possessed, and now I’m here to tell you: if you’re not ready for a tale of knife-sharp banter, soul-searing pining, and feral god-complex alpha energy that makes you question your standards—run. Or better yet, don’t. Buy the book. Strap in. Let’s go.

I Came for the Plot, Stayed Because I Was Chained There by a Dark God

There are few things I hate more than the rain. But finishing this book? Intolerable. My skin is still tingling, my standards for men are now mythical, and I’ve developed a mild psychological dependence on the phrase:
 “You never should have let me taste you. Now I’ll stop at nothing to make you mine.”
Let’s start with our heroine, Madinia Farrow: she’s fiery, untouchable, and about as likely to stab you as kiss you. Which, naturally, makes her the kind of woman which this brooding, power-drunk god wants to bind in enchanted chains and worship from his shadowy altar of angst. And no, that’s not a metaphor. That’s just divine foreplay in this book.

Meanwhile, our leading man—part broody protector, part villainous god, part walking red flag—has the emotional intelligence of a pissed-off war general and the love language of "I will murder every living thing that looks at you sideways."
 He says things like:
* “As you die, your last thought will be this: Harming Madinia Farrow was the biggest mistake of your life.”
* “Fiercely independent Madinia is mentally barring me from her bed. She has decided I’m too much of a threat to the freedom she holds closer than any lover. I nip at her ear. ‘Keep thinking such thoughts. I’ll merely fuck them out of you.’”
I read this. I giggled. I kicked my feet. I questioned the line between feminist empowerment and “yes, Daddy, more threats, please.”
Plot-wise? There's war. There's betrayal. There’s a scene where someone gets slapped on the ass and another where someone refuses to die because they “haven’t been given permission.” And honestly, isn’t that just what we all want in a book?
 Also, this gem:

“I'm not in love with him. He's simply the first man to keep his promises, the first man to see beyond my face and care about who I am as a woman.”

Don’t ask. Just know it sent me.
But it’s not all violence and smoldering. There’s soul in here. Tenderness that creeps up between the blades. When the brooding chaos god says:
 “Because when someone like you takes an interest… worlds change,”
 I, too, changed. Into a pile of swooning goo.
And by the time the story ends, you're no longer sure who you want to win the war—you just know you want Madinia to survive, thrive, and possibly step on you a little.

Final Thoughts: This book is not a romance. It’s an emotional hostage situation.
 You will feel feral.
 You will text your friend “he chained her…and it was HOT.”
 And you will be crawling back for the sequel whispering, “I wasn’t aware you had so many other books lining up, ready to ruin my life.”
10/10. Would chain myself to it again.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

No spoilers ARC review:

This is the best fantasy book I’ve read in 2025, and one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. AND this is now my favorite Stacia Stark book. 

This book used some of my favorite fantasy elements from Lord of the Rings and The Mummy (but not Egyptian mythology). It is the only other book outside of Serpent and the Wings of Night to deliver bored, callous, and envious gods with interesting motivations and complexity. This is some of the best world building I’ve seen in a standalone within an existing universe. It would be easy for an author to lean into what they have already presented, but Stacia expands on the entire universe while giving new and creative possibilities. 

Our main character Madinia is a leading lady we very rarely see. When we meet her in the original series she’s very unlikeable, prickly, and difficult to work with. And for a lot of the series you never really know if you can trust her. One of the things I praised Stacia for in the Kingdom of Lies series is giving us complex, realistic, and unlikeable women. Getting to see someone like Madinia become the focus of the story and see how she navigates the world and the types of decisions she makes, was truly enjoyable and necessary. Readers often ask for complex women and Madinia leads the pack. 

One of my favorite things about our two leads is that for the first portion of this book they play a game of cat and mouse. They’re not enemies. They’re two people who want the same thing, have a hard time trusting others, and are very clever. It was so much fun getting to see them outsmart the other and develop a new level of respect. 100% hate the game but respect the player. 

This audiobook was so good that I binged it in a day. There were several times I stopped what I was doing because I was completely sucked in. Several times I gasped. I laughed out loud. I felt numb at the end. I couldn’t believe it was over and yet it was the perfect ending. Looking forward to the next one.

Tthank you to Dreamscape Media for the advance listening copy.

This is my favorite Stacia Stark book so far. I absolutely loved Madomoa and Calysian. And that ending!!!! Stacia Stark is a queen of cliffhangers. I am now in immediate need of the next book. Immediate need.

I flew through this book. I will say that although this can be read as a standalone, I think you are going to have a much better time if you read the Kingdom of Lies series first. Stacia Stark does such a great job at world building. Her writing is easy to follow but you still get lost in the story. I was so consumed with the main character’s tension and storyline. I thought the pacing was right in that sweet spot that made you want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen, but it didn’t drag you along.

-Dual POV
-Fierce Female Main Character
-Magic
-Slow burn tension
-Who did this to you?
-One horse

If you love a fierce and prickly FMC who loves as fiercely as she fights, then I think you’ll really like this book.

I fell in love with Dreamscape audio’s production of The Kingdom of Lies Series and when I saw it was the same narrators for This Vicious Dream, I knew that I HAD to listen to it. Meg Sylvan is such a strong narrator. She really brings you into the story. An audiobook narrator can be make or break for a book, but I know that I am always in good hands with a Dreamscape production. They somehow manage to always get it just right. Meg was Medinia.

I have been waiting for Madinia’s story since the moment she helped Prisca in the KoL series. She is a total badass and Kalrissian is her perfect enemy to lover. This story was amazing and I can’t wait for book 2.
The narrators were amazing, Tim Paige is one of the best narrators out there and they brought the story to life.

Thank you @staciastarkauthor and @netgalley @dreamscape_media for the ALC! I read this while listening to the audiobook and... where do I even begin?!
You know how Stacia's tagline is "Romantasy that rips you apart and puts you back together"? Yeah... well consider me emotionally shredded..
Stacia, I'm gonna need you to start the "putting me back together" part ASAP because I am NOT okay!

This book is set in the Kingdom of Lies world, but don't worry.. you can dive into this one without needing to read the previous series!

* Dual POVs
* Forced proximity
* Only one horse and one bed!
* Who did this to you?
* A strong heroine and a hot, dark MC!

The characters? Obsessed The pacing? Perfect
I was hooked from start to finish. No slow moments, just constant tension, action, and the best chemistry between the MCs

Madinia's guarding a powerful grimoire. Calysian's after it.
They don't trust each other, but fate throws them together!

The narrators brought the characters to life in the most amazing way, capturing each voice so beautifully.

I'm one of those readers who loves to catch little details and try to predict where the story's going... well, I was WAY off.
I did not see that ending coming, but I loved every twisty second of it!

I seriously can't wait for This Ancient Feud!

3.75 🌟 🌟 🌟 💫
Rounded up to 4

This is a spin off following Madinia and Calysian from the Kingdom of Lies series. I highly recommend reading that series first as it will help you understand the characters better in this one.

This new spinoff series follows Madinia and Calysian 3 years after Madinia is captured and escapes. They must “work together” to find the grimoires. In reality they both want them for themselves for different reasons but are forced to help each other.

You will like this book if you enjoy:

✨ Forced proximity
✨ Reluctant allies
✨ One bed/horse
✨ Spicy scenes
✨ Adventure
✨ Strong FMC
✨ Twists and turns
✨ Dual POV chapters

Overall it was a good start to this next series! It ends on a cliff hanger and has lots of twists and turns! Something was missing in it for me to really make it a full 4 star book but I can’t quite place my finger on what it is. It just didn’t grab me into the story as much as I had hoped, but I think a lot of people are going to love it!

I did listen to the audiobook version and both narrators were very good! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio arc. All opinions are my own.

Woah. Woah. Woahhh! This Vicious Dream was SO MUCh more than I expected!! I loved & enjoyed Stacia Stark's KOL (Kingdom of Lies) series & This Vicious Dream is set in the same world. Just Holy COW ! the twists & fill-ins at the ending of this book was amazing!! I was blessed with an ARC from the author + an ALC from Dreamscape Media. I was so excited to be able to enjoy BOTH for early reviews. I enjoyed the ALC, both FMC & MMC narrator were great. However, I feel like the narrations being a dual & not duet (meaning the voices read their POV chapters, not the characters) really takes away at how incredibly awesome this story is! Both narrators were great, it just did not do the story justice with the character voices changing. & the story... Y'ALLLL 👏🏻 I loved this so freaking much!! i can't believe I have to wait for the next book in this duology!! but I'm super satisfied with the cut off of the story until book #2. the ending & twists still have me spinning in the best way possible! I have such high hopes for the FMC & MMC.. & all the other characters coming back into the story. Just WOW on all those awesome twists & exposures! I was gasping & yelling "What?!?!"/"No way!" in the end! I love a full freaking circle with multiple characters in a world like this! Freaking WELL DONE, Stacia Stark ! WELL Freakin' DONE!.

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As someone who hates smut especially when theres so much of it that it starts to take over the actual plot, i highly dislike this book. I mean, it is totally my fault. It’s advertised to be in the same world as kingdom of lies which was full of smut and one can assume that this will be full of smut as well.

This was my first Stacia Stark book.
When I signed up for the audio ARC, I had no idea that this was a companion series to a previous series. So, I’m reading this one without having any knowledge of the previous series.
It is definitely possible to read this book as a standalone series.
There are a few inner thoughts and dialog that you feel as if you don’t know the full story, but because the writing is so good it doesn’t leave massive glaring plot holes, or such big questions that you can’t figure out what’s going on.
Just the feeling that you’re missing Easter eggs. No big deal.

The world building is so immersive that I can only imagine what it would be like to read the previous series and then move to this series. The same with the character interactions, and motivations, each character is so uniquely themselves, the personalities are so clear. Stacia is certainly a master and character development.
The way the relationships develop within the book. You almost feel the way the characters feel. Especially our FMC, when she is so torn, you feel ripped apart with her. When she feels comfort, joy and relief you feel it too.
When it comes to the MMC, it’s almost unsettling. His temperament, his mood swings, his goals, and the revenge he so desperately wants, feel dark in comparison.

This book was so interesting and has really created a thirst to read the previous series. I’m so glad that I got to read this one.

I LOVED this (audio)book. I ate up the Kingdom of Lies series and This Vicious Dream did not disappoint! (Technically you don’t have to read Kingdom of Lies first, but you definitely should. I don’t think you’ll enjoy this book as much if you don’t.)

It has so many things I love:
-Dual POV
-2 narrators (same as Kingdom of Lies and they’re great)
-Complex characters
-Only one bed
-Only one horse
-“Who did this to you?”
-“Touch her and die.”
-Rivals to lovers
-A fantastic MMC
-A not annoying FMC
-Quests and side quests
-Animal sidekicks

I really love Madinia. To me she’s similar to Nesta but so much better. She has the trauma and the issues that make her an interesting character but she still has such a good heart. And she doesn’t make stupid decisions or annoy me like a lot of FMCs, which is so refreshing.

Calysian is just *chef’s kiss.* I loved getting more of him and learning more about him and his back story.

The story gave me ALL the feels. I laughed, I cried, I was excited, and I was on the edge of my seat. It’s such a good, interesting story and a fun, easy listen.

I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC. 🖤

3.75 ⭐️

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC!

My first book from this author. This was a lot of fun and has all the romantasy aspects one could want: adventure, magic, and romance. I didn’t realize this was a spin-off of the Kingdom of Lies series, and I don’t think it hindered my reading experience at all.

I really liked the main characters. Madinia is sassy, strong, and with all the feminine rage. Calysian is so charming, which made for some entertaining banter between them. Although I wasn’t truly convinced of them as a couple until towards the end. I loved Eamon and would love to see more of him. The plot with the grimoires was engrossing and I wasn’t sure where it was headed or the paths the characters would take, but I did not see the twists coming!

This didn’t exactly sweep me off my feet but it was enjoyable. I liked the narrators, and it took some time to get used to their theatric tones, but overall very enjoyable with various voices for multiple characters.

Read if you like…
✨ rivals to lovers
✨ reluctant allies
✨ found family
✨ who hurt you?
✨ one bed
✨ one horse