⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ SHAPESHIFTERS AND VAMPIRES

The Serpent’s Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley completely hooked me from the very first page (and minute, since I immersive read with the audiobook and ebook). I devoured it in just a few hours because I genuinely couldn’t put it down. The pacing was sharp and fast, pulling me along without a single dull moment.

The characters were fantastic, and the dynamic between them had me grinning, gasping, and occasionally clutching my Kindle like it was gossip from a friend. I especially loved the FMC—her being a shapeshifter added so much intrigue, and her personality made her feel like someone I’d actually want to hang out with in real life.

By the end, I wasn’t ready to leave this world. I need more of its magic, danger, and charm. If the next book dropped tomorrow, I’d be reading it immediately.

4.5 ⭐️
I loved this so much. My jaw was on the floor & the spice. Wooo. This was so fun. It’s definitely an easy read. The pacing was exactly what I wanted. I would love to read more about the Wilds. I also found the fae in this one unique. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to The Nerd Fam & Second Sky Books for the gifted ARC! 🖤

Let me just start by saying. WOW.
When I started this book I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to like it as I was decently bored for the first few chapters but then something happened and it got me hooked! I couldn’t stop reading.
I knew something was going to happen in the end that would make me jaw dropped but that was NOT what I was expecting.
I’ll be over here not so patiently waiting for book two of this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Kingsley and The NerdFarm for allowing me to read this as an ARC

This is exactly everything I want from a dark vampire romance. I had the most incredible immersive reading experience with this book, only a few chapters in I realised this would be amazing but I never would have guessed that ending, an actual MASTERPIECE I need the next book like yesterday

A spicy vampire romantasy, you say?
A true enemies to lovers with a marriage of convenience, you say?
A fae assassin who disguises herself so she can marry the morally grey vampire who unalived her family and seek her revenge, you say?
Then say no more because what a hook!

I devoured this in a few bites because I was on my toes for most of it - there was always some sort of action going on and I kept wondering if Nadi was going to slip up or if this was going to be the moment her identify was revealed, ooo maybe it’s this one, or this one??

There were lots of things I liked about this - it’s a true enemies to lovers (not just rivals) and on top of that both Nadi and Raziel are toxic/morally grey, which was a refreshing change from the typical innocent FMC and bad boy MC. It has just a smattering of world building, so enough to understand the setting but not so much you have to keep flicking back to reread parts. And then there’s the cliffhanger ending that I did not see coming!

This book was seriously addictive! I’m OBSESSED!

The Serpent’s Bride follows Nadi, a shapeshifting fae, who disguises herself as the mortal bride of the infamous Nostrom family vampire, Raziel, who killed Nadi’s family decades prior. She plans to avenge her family’s deaths by killing Raziel and his entire family whilst undercover.

The storyline was so fast paced but really easy to follow and I really enjoyed the unexpected chemistry between Nadi and Raziel! The spicy scenes were well written and incredibly steamy!

I especially loved Nadi’s character! I am a huge fan of a morally grey FMC and Nadi did not disappoint! She reminded me of Dianna from Amber V Nicole’s Gods and Monsters series (a huge compliment).

I can honestly say I did not see that ending coming either and it’s made me even more excited for book 2!

😱📖 NO, WHAAATTT… you can’t end it like THAT… NOOO!!!!!!
That was me yelling into the void after finishing The Serpent’s Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley 🩸🖤
This book had me by the throat (and I didn’t mind one bit 😏).

✨ Dark romantasy? ✅
✨ Juicy tension? ✅✅
✨ A vampire, a fae, basically a mermaid?! 👌💋

I devoured this in one sitting and now I need the next one like… yesterday ⏳🔥

If you’re a sucker for:
🗡 Secret identities
🩸 Assassin & vampires
🔥 Kinky spice & murder
🖤 Morally black MMCs
…plus enemies-to-lovers where the “enemies” part is brutally real… this is your next obsession 💀❤️

💬 Do not expect our sexy vampire to have a change of heart. The only one changing will be you, dear reader. And yes, you’ll be saying: “So what if he killed everyone she loved?” 🤣

⭐ 5 stars of dark, delicious goodness… guaranteed to leave you swooning and slightly morally compromised 😈

🙏 Thank you @SecondSkyBooks for feeding my dark romantasy obsession with this early eARC 🩸

🎧 I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narration was fantastic. The narrator’s voice fit the dark, dangerous tone of the story perfectly and made the tension and chemistry between the characters even more addictive.

🗡️ Nadi’s plan to infiltrate the vampire mafia clan and destroy them all was deliciously bold, and the fact that she’s a fae shifting creature made her even more of a force to be reckoned with. She’s a total badass, and honestly, it’s easy to see why Raziel—the dark and dangerous vampire mafia man—starts falling hard for her.

🔥 The tension between them is razor-sharp banter mixed with dangerous attraction. While Nadi starts out hating him (and fully intending to murder him and his family), she falls for him almost instantly, giving the story an intoxicating push-pull dynamic.

🩸 One thing that pulled me out a bit was the constant reminders from Raziel’s vampire family that she wouldn’t survive in the end. I understood the point, but after a while, it took some of the suspense out because it kept hammering home the idea she wasn’t going to make it.

🖤 Still, I loved the mafia-meets-vampire world, with just enough intrigue, family politics, and danger to keep the stakes high. The pacing was quick, the tension was relentless, and the romance? Spicy, toxic, and exactly what dark romance fans live for. By the end, I was firmly on Team Nadi’s Revenge.

✨ Tropes you’ll find here:
🖤 “Enemies”-to-lovers
💍 Marriage of convenience
🧛‍♂️ Vampire mafia
🦊 Fae shifter FMC
⚖️ Morally gray characters
🗡️ Revenge mission gone wrong

Big thanks to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ALC! 🙌 I was later selected for the ARC as well, so I want to be sure to give another huge thank-you to the publisher for letting me experience this world in both formats.

I really loved this book!! I found it gripping and interesting and wanting more! I don’t normally chose a 3rd person written book but this one was perfect!! I loved how you still feel you get both sides and the twists and ending had me gripped and I can’t wait for book 2!!

Loved this book! It's dark, suspenseful and I could not put it down. I love when a story has you flying through the pages to see what is going to happen. It ends on a jaw dropping cliff hanger. Fantastic vampire book!

3.5 stars, light to medium spice but dark romance vibes. I really enjoyed this fast paced, dark romantasy book. Nadi, a shapeshifting Fae, wants to avenge her familys deaths by taking down the infamous vampire Nostrom family, starting with Raziel, who single handly killed them all. But as she spends more time with Raziel the more her [unwanted] attraction and magnetic pull to him grows. Nadi is ruthless and full of female rage and I am here for it! Raziel is a prick and sometimes it made it hard to root for the romance that you [hope to] see coming. The world building is very easy to understand as it's more urban fantasy. I found the ending to be the perfect cliffhanger and now I can't wait to read the 2nd book!

I was lucky enough to read the book and listen to the audibook, and I'd give the audiobook a 3 for performance. The narrartor sounded a bit robotic/AI-ish and didn't sound like I pictured Nadi.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC of The Serpents Bride in exchange for an honest review!

"Now and again, isn't it nice be who we truly are without pretenses?"

OH MY GOD!! I need the next book already! How can the book end there?!! I have so many questions. I wasn't ready for the book to finish. I was merrily going my way, and then the narrator said...to be continued!

I MEAN WTF!!!!!

This book is beyond epic and most definitely one of my favourites this year! I adore Kathryn Ann Kingsley's writing anyway. I first "met" her when I read the Mask of Under series (which I need to finish), and then this gorgeous-looking book hit my screen. The blurb was the second, and then I was sucked in straight with Nadi! I LOVE HER!! And Raziel, you have to hate him, but man, you can't and the things he does! Oh delish!

This book hooked me in, tore my heart out and stomped on me all the while laughing in my face, knowing I have to wait what feels like YEARS AND YEARS before I can find out what happens next. Who can I pay to give me the answers I crave now?!?!! Anyone!?!?!!? PLEASE!

A toxic family, vampires for the added bonus, a lot of Fae, and so much chemistry *sizzling is what I think, right off the page! The action was great. The inner conflict for Nadi was fascinating to read as we see her conflict of Monica, and how much everything was taking its toll on her.

It was everything I didn't realise I needed and so much more! It was addictive, like humans to a vampire; it left me wanting more. I can't tell you anything more about the story because I don't want to spoil it, but Nadi is one bad ass fae. Despite knowing her days were numbered, she does everything in her power to keep going and to take as many people down with her! The kidnapping after the wedding, well,l despite knowing it was deserved (the death scene) it was still sad.

I think if I were Nadi, I would be so frustrated, too. You have no idea who to trust, and everyone is just playing games with your head! Complete mind f**k.

Well, I think you need to go and buy this now, go on now. Well, only if you love morally grey MMC that leave you swooning in a dark fantasy world of humans, Faes and Vampires.

Now I will wait (I'm)patiently for the next one!

I seem to keep finding books where the FMC is trying to kill the MMC and is using marriage to get close enough to achieve that goal. This book is not an exception to this.

This book is easy to read, so I’m happy about that. I tore through it despite my efforts to pace myself. Not my best moment, to be sure. lol I guess it’s also a point in Kathryn’s favor that I tore through it quicker than I normally would.

I find the eye color of the vampires and the fae both to be really fascinating. I’ve never read a book where a vampire’s eye color could be orange. (I believe the eye color is orange, anyway.)

I also find the description of the fae to be interesting on its own. I love the idea of our FMC having a mermaid tail. At least, that’s how it’s described, anyway. I also like the idea of iridescent eyes. That’s just me, though.

The most annoying thing for me was the narrator (female throughout) voicing the male lines in a falsetto voice. This has always annoyed me but it was worse this time. I’m not sure why.

I’d also love more background on the Wild and the fae in particular. I have always loved the fae being mentioned in stories but it’s not always looked into more deeply and this book isn’t an exception.

And, what the hell was that cliffhanger??? I think that was honestly my favorite part of the entire book. I’m almost glad Raviel figured out who Nadi is in the end and that just made the cliffhanger even juicier.

Yes, I’d obviously recommend this book. It was so good and kept me riveted right from the beginning. I’m going to read it again before the sequel comes out because I want to find out what happens next.

Absolutely devoured this book!

Nadi, the shape shifting fae badass, wants one thing and one thing only- to kill Raziel Nostrom. To seek vengeance for the murders of her family members all killed in cold blood by an evil bloodsucking vampire. How does she plan on achieving this mission? By shifting into the man's willing bride and marrying him.

There was so much I found genuinely refreshing about this story. Not just the genius that is Nadi and her little manipulative brain, but the way the author was able to put these two very morally questionable people in the same room and had them fall in love in a way that felt genuine. Their actions weren't entirely influenced by lust as I so often see in similar enemies to lovers stories, we really had to play the long game with this one and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The tension, the WANT to hate each other but feeling the pull of desire and attraction and real true feelings that put them at war with themselves.

I cannot wait for book 2!!

The Serpent’s Bride is a fast-paced, addictive read that hooked me from page one. Nadi’s revenge arc is instantly compelling, and when she crosses paths with Raziel—a lethal vampire with secrets of his own—sparks ignite and vengeance suddenly becomes far more complicated.

I tore through this book in a single sitting. Both Nadi and Raziel are ruthless in their own right, and their dynamic crackles with tension. The cat-and-mouse game (one he doesn’t even realize he’s playing) is deliciously fun to watch unfold, especially as Nadi manipulates those around her with effortless precision.

The ending lands on a thrilling note, leaving me eager to see where the next installment takes them. If you’re into vampires, fae, enemies-to-lovers tension, and sharp-edged romance, this one belongs on your TBR.

Nadi has spent her life preparing for revenge. A fae assassin with a singular goal, she’s trained to kill the vampire prince who murdered her parents. When she learns that Prince Raziel Nostrom is set to marry a stranger in an arranged marriage, she sees her opportunity. Disguised as his bride, Nadi infiltrates his ruthless mafia family, determined to bring it down from within. But the closer she gets to Raziel, the more his lethal charm and an undeniable pull threaten to unravel her mission, especially as she starts to fall for the man she swore to kill.

I really enjoyed this mafia/fantasy/enemies-to-lovers mash-up. Fantasy is my go-to genre, and this story delivered a fresh twist on fae–vampire dynamics. The pacing ranged from moderate to fast, keeping me hooked, and I especially appreciated that both main characters were morally gray. The banter between them was sharp and addictive, with each constantly trying to outmaneuver the other. The cliffhanger ending has me eager for the sequel.

My only critique is that I would've liked more development with the side characters. I want to know more about Lana, Azazel, Ivan (is he being compelled?), and Volencia. This may come in future books, but I felt we know very little about them but they are integral to the story.

I recommend this to fantasy romance readers who love a mafia edge, morally complex characters, and enemies-to-lovers tension.

Thank you to @secondskybooks for the review copy via @netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Serpent's Bride is a bingeworthy dark fantasy romance with fae vs vampire mafia.

It starts with Nadi, a fae shapeshifter taking the place of a human woman who is in an arranged marriage with a vampire crime lord. Nadi's plan is to kill off his whole family in revenge for Raziel, the MMC, killing her parents 80 years ago. This isn't your classic misunderstood MMC who appears to be evil but is secretly working behind the scenes as a good guy. He is what he appears to be. Nadi isn't the good girl FMC either, she's an assassin who does a lot of murder along the way on her path to vengeance. She knows what she's getting into when she takes the place of his bride. And she definitely commits to the role, despite herself - the spice is definitely present in this book!

The Serpent's Bride is dual POV but Nadi's POVs are much more prevalent than Raziel's. After reading, I believe this is done for plot reasons, and that book 2 will possibly be more balanced between the POVs. Speaking of book 2, I'll definitely be picking it up because book 1 ends in a really strong way. Book 1 has set up the world, all of the side characters, and a genuine enemies-to-lovers relationship between the main characters, and I think book 2 will really up the action in terms of both plot and romance!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from Second Sky and NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

This was my first Kathryn Ann Kingsley book ever and IWAS NOT READY!! The ending? I nearly lost it! Genius!!

I love vampires, I love the shape shifting fae and the entire vibes of this book. Strong Mr and Mrs Smith with a hint of Mafia.

Now excuse me while I go read some of her backlog 😂

From the very first page, Nadi’s voice grabs you—sharp, determined, and utterly real. Her mission is clear: infiltrate the vampire mafia by posing as Raziel Nostrom’s bride and avenge her parents’ murder. But what begins as a cold, calculated plan quickly spirals into something far more dangerous… and seductive.

Raziel is the perfect morally gray love interest. At first, he’s pure menace—an untouchable prince of darkness with a reputation soaked in blood. But as the story unfolds, Kingsley masterfully peels back his layers. He remains ruthless, yes, but becomes understandable, even magnetic. His transformation doesn’t erase his evil—it reframes it, making the tension between him and Nadi all the more delicious.

This book doesn’t just flirt with the enemies-to-lovers trope—it dives headfirst into it, exploring what happens when your greatest enemy becomes your greatest temptation. The chemistry is electric, the stakes are high, and the emotional depth is surprisingly poignant.

What an introduction to a new series! 🤩

The serpents bride is an enemies to lovers vampire x fae romantasy and possibly my newest obsession 🤭

I really loved the dynamics in this book. For starters, the hatred Nadi had towards Raziel was so good. You can tell that when they finally become lovers, it’s going to be the most explosive relationship!

Raziel’s character was an enigma. There was so much about him that left me questioning him and wondering what his motives were and considering the brutal plot twist at the end. I really did not see that coming from him.

The only downer to this book was that it’s 3rd POV. It was a little bit more difficult to get into because I felt so detached from the characters.