The Serpent’s Bride is a darkly intoxicating romantasy that blends mafia intrigue, vampire politics, and a revenge-driven heroine into a story that’s impossible to put down. From the very first page, the tension is razor sharp—blood-soaked vendettas and forbidden attraction intertwine in a way that keeps you hooked straight through to the last line.

At its core is Nadi, a fae shapeshifter who hides her true nature while plotting vengeance against the vampire who destroyed her family. That vampire is none other than Raziel—her betrothed, a ruthless, magnetic mafia heir whose very presence exudes danger. Their dynamic is electric: enemies bound by an arranged marriage, drawn together by lust, hate, and a dangerously twisted chemistry that never tips into insta-love but burns with delicious intensity.

Kathryn Ann Kingsley excels at building a lush, gothic underworld brimming with betrayal, secrets, and razor-edged family politics. Raziel’s family is brutal, witty, and dripping with dark humor, making the mafia backdrop both terrifying and addictive. The pacing is sharp, the world vividly realized, and every exchange between Nadi and Raziel crackles with menace and desire.

This book delivers everything a dark romantasy promises: enemies-to-lovers tension, betrayal, forbidden attraction, and a heroine as cunning as she is deadly. It’s ruthless, sensual, and utterly gripping—I devoured it in one sitting and was devastated to reach the end, desperate for the next installment.

Fans of gothic romantasy, mafia politics, and morally gray characters will find The Serpent’s Bride a dangerously satisfying read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love the mafia vampire vibes!

This was my first time reading Kingsley, and I’m hooked! The story and world-building are fast-paced and immersive, with the perfect balance of mafia vampires and fae assassins. One of my favorite aspects was how Kingsley crafted the characters’ personalities. Nadi, our FMC, is a total badass hellbent on revenge, yet still layered with vulnerability. Raziel, who at first might have seemed straightforward, revealed more depth as the story unfolded. I also loved the dual POV, which gave great insight into both characters and added richness to the story’s development.

I’m loving the authors writing style so I’m going to be adding her backlog to the TBR while wait for book 2!

Okay first thank you for the opportunity to read this book.
Personally I love it, I love lots of things about the story. The characters (fmc & mmc) written very well. Its not a wow story but simply interesting and entertaining

I love how the fmc not a "all talk" one, when she says she want to kill, she kill. How she able to bring herself good writing.

Overall the storyline was great and the ending ohhhh I expected that but still Im curious more about Raziel.

Overall: 3.5 ⭐️

I have mixed feelings about this book because overall I really enjoyed it. This book is in 3rd POV and where we follow both Nadi and Raziel. And it has marriage of convenience, a deadly assassin and vampires. Nadi is an assassin who just found a way to infiltrate the Nostrom family by disguising herself as Raziels bride.Then we have Raziel who’s a vampire who’s known as the serpent. I immediately loved that we had a strong fmc and the fact that she wanted revenge. After going through with the wedding Raziel slowing starts to become intrigued by her when it’s never happened with anyone before. My problem with the book is we’re suppose to have this badass fmc who’s an assassin but in the end she just molds to whatever Raziel wanted. And I know at some point they were gonna start to fall for one another but I hoped she would at least fight him a bit. I also understand that she had to play her role but even when she had opportunities to fight back she didn’t. Either way that cliffhanger has me wanting to read more. So I can’t wait to see if the series gets better.

I did listen to the audiobook as well and it was really well done. It’s narrated by Desireé Ketchum. She did a fantastic job switching between Nadi and Raziel! I loved the way she brought Raziel’s cocky attitude to life. And the way she handled Nadi when she was wearing a disguise and her true identity. So if you love audiobooks I highly recommend this one.

So this dark delicious tale is amazing.

The fae for once aren’t beautiful and I love it. They’re absolutely amazing and the world is intriguing.

The love story is true enemies to lovers and it’s …just true to the name, enemies to lovers.

The vampires are insane which always fits with how I see them.

I can’t wait for the next book.

This is my first book by Kathryn and I liked!

Nadi is an interesting and badass FMC. She has gone through a lot that has made her have to be tough in life. But her sole purpose is to get revenge against the person that killed her family, Raziel aka the Serpent. She ends up learning he is getting married so she switch places with the fiance in order to marry him and get close to kill him. But with forced proximity and him being a hot vampire, attraction blooms and she is second guessing if she should go through with her revenge. Does she still act on it? Read to find out!

The storyline is quick moving but not super detailed so easy to follow. I wish it was a bit more detailed as I was craving more! The spice was good but the ending?! Was not expecting that.

Thanks you Kathryn and Second Sky for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

ARC review of The Serpent’s Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley: 4⭐️ 2 🌶️

Nadi has spent 80 years plotting revenge against the people who killed her family. When the opportunity to marry into her killers family arises, she takes it and it doesn’t quite go as she planned.

This book was not what I was expecting but in a good way! It’s a unique world. Modern day with Vampires running the city with the help of humans while Fae fight to regain their place. The prominent vampire family running the mafia are completely insane. Like off their rockers! The MMC is psychotic for sure but you can’t help liking him. Morally black 100%.
The FMC reminded me a lot of Aelin from Throne of Glass. Strong, independent, takes shit from no one assassin but also has a soft spot for helpless people.
Couldn’t get enough of the banter and tension between the FMC and MMC. I am a sucker for Enemies to Lovers trope and this book gave it so good!
The ending of the book…… 😳😱🤯. I did not see that coming at all. But I am here for it! Give me, give me, give me more!


The only thing negative I have is that during the first 60 pages, there was a lot of information and it felt alittle all over the place which made it hard to follow but after that I was hooked and a smooth read.

This was a cool storyline! First off, our FMC is a badass shapshifting fae, whose actual body has that of a black, oil- slick fishtail (I picture a mermaid tail?). Our MMC is a cruel vampire whose family is the mafia. She is out for revenge for something he did, so what does she do? Oh you know, marries him 😎Don't worry, that's not the
whole story... at all 😉This is an enemies to lovers who
are still enemies🔥
I thought this story was unique, a bit on the dark side, and cool mix of something that felt from the past and modern/contemporary at the same time. The idea of mixing mafia with fae and shifters was creative. There are a lot of characters who seem charming but irredeemable at the same time lol. But that ending?!? Yeah, very much looking forward to the second book!
I ended up doing immersive because I have the audio and eArc, and I have to say I think the audio is incredible!
Desireé Ketchum does a fantastic job throughout as well as switching between male and female narration
Thank you to @netgalley@thenerdfam and @secondskybooks for the awesome ARC and ALC

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book had several things working in its favor for me: vampires, fae, vengeance, dual pov, and did I mention vampires?
However, I was hesitant upon starting reading because, in my mind, how could anyone be attracted and fall in love with someone who killed their whole family in cold blood in front of them? This is completely a 'me' thing. Still, I wanted to give it a try and see how the story would justify this: it didn't, she fell in lust with the MMC instantly. That made me much less invested in the development of the story, unfortunately.

The MMC, though, I liked: he's a monster and he doesn't hide it, his actions make sense for the type of character that he is.
I also liked the ending, which would be the only thing making me interested in picking up a sequel, since the 'love' story's premise doesn't work for me, personally. I see how it would work for other readers, though.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘 𝕭𝖗𝖎𝖉𝖊 By @kathrynannkingsley

Tropes:
• Enemies to lovers
• Assassin bride
• Arranged marriage
• Fae x Vampire romance
• Very Morally grey
• Touch her and die
• Forced proximity
• Mafia-style vampire politics
• Hidden identity
• Revenge mission
• Antihero x antiheroine
• Dangerous attraction
• Slow burn
• Supernatural society
• Dark fantasy romance
• Shape-shifter fmc

Triggers:
• sexually explicit scenes
• violence
• death

The Serpent’s Bride introduces Nadi, a fierce fae shapeshifter trained to kill, infiltrating vampire society by masquerading as a sacrificial bride to Raziel Nostrom.
Her mission: revenge.
His nature: ruthlessly magnetic.
Together, their sizzling chemistry and the dangerously grey moral landscape make for an exhilarating read.

The world-building cleverly blends mafia‑style vampire intrigue with fae magic and urban romantasy. The suspense is constant, driven by both the high-stakes revenge plot and the growing emotional turmoil between Nadi and Raziel. Their inner voices are sharp and emotionally complex, with touches of dark humor that enhance their believability.

The romance unfolds with unrelenting tension: they’re supposed to kill each other, yet the simmering attraction keeps shifting in unpredictable ways.

Perfect for fans of dark fae-vampire enemies-to-lovers romance, morally grey characters, and stories that sting and seduce in equal measure. I’ll be first in line for what comes next in book 2!
.

ARC Read: The Serpent's Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

I'll be honest, I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. As a huge fan of high fantasy books, I haven't always liked books with a more modern setting. But Kathryn Ann Kingsley did it SO WELL. I mean, hello?! Vampire mafia? Fae out for revenge? Shapeshifting? MERMAIDS?

And the SPICE!! I haven't read many books with a BDSM/power dynamic vibe, but I may have just unlocked something within myself? I need book 2 like YESTERDAY!

I love Raziel and Nadi's relationship (enemies to lovers to ???) and cannot WAIT to see more of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky Books for the ARC!

I massively enjoyed this book - the first few chapters pulled me right in and the ending!! Jeeze!

Love the characters, plot - the world building was great glad we got a different storyline for fae/vampires but the FMC using marriage for her own selfish reasons but then falling for the husband is becoming a more common theme. However I still enjoyed the book.
I wouldn’t call this a dark Romantasy either - the spice is there but it’s nothing dark

The Serpent's Bride is a deliciously twisted descent into darkness, where love bites hard and danger seduces deeper. Kathryn Ann Kingsley crafts a gothic world of bloodlust and obsession that’s as intoxicating as it is terrifying. I couldn’t put it down—this vampire romance is pure, shadow-drenched magic.

4.5 🌶😍 Wow, that cliffhanger was amazing. I was gobsmacked, I didn't expect but loved it. I need book 2 now !

This dark fantasy, vampires and fae in a mafia style romance marks the first of her new Bloodlines series, and I devoured it in a day. I love any interpretation of vampires that take them in this direction. She gets right to the action and drops us right in the middle of the action, with secret identities and arranged marriages and more delights.

Nadi makes for an interesting, morally gray protagonist posing at Raziel’s arranged wife Monica, and their love (most like lust) created and enemies to lovers dynamic that is intriguing and really pulls the plot along. I look forward to reading more about these two as they continue their deadly story together.

This is probably Kingsley’s best work to date. Nadi and Raz are the ultimate dark power couple. I cannot wait for book 2! The ending of book 1 was the ultimate unexpected cliffhanger.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely phenomenal! This book had me hooked from the very first line—revenge, blood-soaked mafia politics, and a heroine willing to risk everything for vengeance? Yes, please. The premise alone is brilliant, but the execution is even better.

The tension between the heroine and Raziel is explosive. Every interaction is laced with danger, attraction, and the kind of forbidden chemistry that keeps you glued to the page. I loved how ruthless and magnetic Raziel was, and how torn the heroine became between her mission and her heart.

The world-building is lush, gothic, and deliciously dark—the perfect backdrop for a revenge plot that slowly twists into a dangerous love story. The pacing is sharp, the stakes feel sky-high, and the emotional payoff is so worth it.

This is everything I want in a dark romantasy: enemies-to-lovers, mafia vampires, betrayal, forbidden attraction, and a heroine who’s as deadly as she is vulnerable. I devoured it in one sitting and I’m already desperate for the next book!

I could not put this book down! I finished reading this marvelous piece of work in 2 days whilst working. I kept wanting to know more and more. Kingsley creates an interesting tale of a heroine wanting revenge but turns out she likes the monster who haunts her waking thoughts. The plot twist at the end had me wanting to read the second book on what happens next with our heroine!

We follow Nadi who is a shapeshifting, fae assassin who’s parents were killed by the royal, vampire mafia prince Raziel when she was young.

She has been spending her years preparing herself to act her revenge. She comes to find out that the prince, Raziel, is meant to marry his sacrificial bride in a week’s time and decides to intervene by infiltrating as the sacrificial bride to get close to the family and kill them off one by one.

This was such a ride! Raziel is so hatable but also a little part of you just wants to see him come undone and see if there is a soft side to him. Nadi clearly thinks so too, even though she tries to resist as much as possible. There were definitely some shocking parts in this book and A LOT of steaminess (but check your triggers!). I am so excited for the next book. I think it's going to be even better than this one.

This was really easy to get into, fast paced and I enjoyed how it lured me in straight from the start. The FMC and MMC are equally morally grey and don’t try to pretend otherwise - I actually like they just own it. Nadi could sometimes be a little repetitive with her internal dialogue but I do appreciate it was showing her internal struggle with the situation. There was what I’d probably call insta love which was quick for me given the circumstances but I’m also a sloooowww burn girl😅. But then my god, the last chapter happened and I was like say what?! Sooo yes, I definitely will be reading book 2 to see what happens next!