ARC Review – House of Bane and Blood by Alexis Menard

I went into this one with really high hopes—the premise is everything I usually love: two rival magical families forced into marriage to save their city. On paper, it’s the perfect setup for an enemies-to-lovers romance. But somewhere along the way, the tension and spark between the characters got lost, and the plot veered sideways.

It ends on a cliffhanger, and honestly, I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue the series. That said, there were parts of the worldbuilding and dynamics I did enjoy, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for it—or maybe there really are some holes in the story. Either way, it left me a little conflicted.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

*He's a mistake, the most gorgeous one I'll ever make*

*"Evil little heiress"

Agggggghhhhh my God fk off, why did I have this on my tbr for so long lol
Get it read folks, I loved every minute of it and Nico is now on my book Bf list and I'm not sorry.

If you are a fan of peaky blinders, grishaverse, 1920s mafia, 1920s industrial, steampunk vibes and magic then this is for you.

With a marriage of convenience and rivals to lovers for an added bonus.
I've had the pleasure of already reading this before being traditionally published and this book is just something else. One of my fave reads this year, hands down no joke get it read guys

This book was thrilling and so addictive!! A book that gives the best Peaky Blinders vibes mixed with an intricate and unique magic system. The world-building was so well written and really sets up perfectly for future books in this series. And the romance?! A marriage of convenience, rivals to lovers slow burn that had me in a complete chokehold. A refreshing romantasy read that I’d highly recommend.

This is a plot heavy Romantsy. Set in an Urban setting. The writing means that I had to read quite closely in places. Throughly enjoyed this twisty turning book. Arranged Marriage, enemies to lovers, one bed.

2.5 ⭐

I had beef with this book since Chapter 2. Camilla's brothers sold her off in marriage. I've read plenty of arranged marriage books that weren't this irritating. In other books the king or someone made the decision and the bride was powerless. I think what made this so frustrating is that Camilla is supposed to be the heiress, the person her father designated as the owner. So just say NO! Fire your brothers. Disown them. Throw them off the family train. But no. Camilla not only goes along with her brothers' plans, she takes their spy with her. Then one brother decides to "donate" her shares of the company. C'mon Camilla that's theft.

I didn't understand why Nico and Camilla couldn't be together. Nico offered to null the arrangement after the six weeks, but her brothers don't know that. They didn't communicate the entire book. Camilla thought Nico didn't want her, Nico thought Camilla didn't want him. It was annoying.

Ultimately, everyone stomping on Camilla's agency is what made this book so irritating. I read another review say Camilla takes no bs. Well she was taking it from her brothers every single day. Besides that, I had no emotional attachment to the characters. Nico was obsessed since day 1, but why? The magic was interesting, but not enough to save my feelings for this book.

3.5 ☆

I really loved the premise of this book, and it felt a lot like Peaky Blinders but with magic, which as a plot seems incredible on the surface. Sadly I had a lot of issues with the pacing. The first 10% I was pretty hooked, then it was medium interest until about 75% when I realized it was so slow. Then the last 10% was AMAZING. I wish the whole book pulled me in as much as that ending!

Lots of tropes we all know and love in here, rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, touch her and die, found family. Camilla and Nicolai had a great romance and also I just really loved Camilla from start to finish. The yearning, incredible. The ending, incredible. I will probably still continue the series after reading this one!

Thank you fo netgalley for the opportunity to read thus one!

House of Bane and Blood is a darkly addictive blend of mafia intrigue, magic, and slow-burn romance that had me hooked from the start. The world feels gritty and alive, with just enough danger around every corner to keep the tension sharp. Think Peaky Blinders meets romantasy, with a unique magic system layered in.

The highlight for me was the chemistry between Milla and Nico. Their banter is sharp, their mistrust palpable, and the gradual build from reluctant alliance to something much deeper is handled so well. It’s a romance that simmers rather than rushes, which makes the payoff that much sweeter.

If I had one critique, it’s that the worldbuilding was occasionally a little dense in places, and I wanted a bit more clarity on the magic system. Still, the atmosphere, character dynamics, and constant undercurrent of tension more than made up for it.

With its gritty blend of dark magic, cartel politics, and a marriage of convenience that evolves into something far more, House of Bane and Blood captivated me from the start. The atmosphere feels alive and dangerous from the very first chapters, as though every shadow in the city hides a secret.

The push and pull between Milla and Nicolai was what kept me hooked. Their chemistry is undeniable—their sharp banter and simmering tension leapt off the page. It’s a gradual build, with mistrust, attraction, and constant high stakes all layered in. Because their relationship wasn’t rushed, the emotional beats landed with even more impact.

The story itself is packed with twists, some I saw coming and others that completely blindsided me. That balance kept the pace sharp and the stakes high, making this a dark and twisty romantasy I didn’t want to put down.

Recently I have felt like I have been in a bit of a reading slump. This book pulled me out of it and really brought out the romantasy lover in me. It's very different from all the other romantasy books I have read in the past. I'm obsessed with the urban Peaky Binders vibes. Combined with the war between humans and magic users, guns and politics, this might become one of my favourite romantasy.

The banter between our main characters is great, and I always love an mmc who is ruthless but a softie for his family and love interest.

I'm so excited to start the next one and find out what happens next!

I went into this one with probably unreasonably high expectations because of BookTok, but I must say, this is definitely one of the better BookTok book obsessions.

The vibes of this book are absolutely impeccable. It felt like a combination of Peaky Blinders (one of my favorite shows ever) and Romeo and Juliet. It feels like a modern classic with an older book style. The vibes were immaculate.

I’m absolutely going to finish this duology (I think it’s a duology?). I had a really fun time reading. It felt cozy in a dark world, which makes zero sense, but it just feels like a comfort book to me.

Overall, this book is really fun. Whether you love or hate the characters (you’ll definitely love and hate some characters), this book is still an incredibly fun time.

Thank you very much to Second Sky/Forever and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in e change for an honest review.

ALL THE STARS! A MILLION STARS! This book was so so good!

Enemies to lovers, romantasy, adult, unique magic system, Industrial Revolution and mob vibes, excellent banter, found family (done right!)

I haven’t read the second book yet so I’m holding my recommendation for the series but honestly if the next book is even half as good as this one, it’ll still be highly recommended.

This was one of my favorite books of the year! I cannot rave about this book enough and I can't wait for its trad publishing date. Highly recommend.

5⭐

Thank you to Alexis L. Menard and Noelle Holten at Second Sky Books for the ARC.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬.”

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 is the first installment in the 𝑽𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 series and the first book in 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒊'𝒔 𝒅𝒖𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚. It is a fantasy romance book with a marriage of convenience between two rival mafia families — set in the backdrop of a post industrial world, dipped in family secrets and betrayals.

It is a brilliantly written and rendered novel powered by the steampunk setting which takes us to a brilliant post-industrial setting, a world like Peaky Blinders but with a magic system unique like the Grishaverse.

From the vibes to the narrative to the wiring style, everything about this book was immaculate. I finished reading it in less than five hours and was completely engrossed into the world.

The world-building and setting was absolutely lush. The descriptions were written in a way that I was able vividly see the scene through my mind. The magic system in something I haven't seen before and there is so much lore explored through the book in this city that is divided by magic. The igniting passion, backstories and plot twists kept me on the toes the entire time.

There are such amazing and complicated family dynamics explored. Nico's family is initially unwelcoming and skeptical with Camilla but they warm up to her and would protect her for everything she did for them. Camilla's only remaining family is her brothers and all of them have a complicated dynamic with her — with a lot of family secrets and resentment simmering between them.

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 is such a brilliant and strong female lead. She is the is the sole heiress of a multi-generational railway company. She deeply cares for her family and would do anything for them — even if it meant marrying their enemy. She went through a lot and doesn't take anyone's shit to the face. She would do anything for the people she loves and cares about — even it physically hurt her. She's head strong and smart, making the reckless but right decisions. She's not a fragile princess who needs a saviour but rather a head strong and stubborn queen who would save and defend the people she trusts and cares about. Reading about her character and behaviour was so relatable.

𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨 is the arrogant, heartless and devastatingly handsome man who Camilla was raised to hate, who leads a group of criminals with lethal magical abilities. He's broody, mysterious, and most importantly — a family man who would do absolutely anything for the ones he loves. He was protective of Camilla without being toxic or a jerk. His commitment to his family — the commitment and devotion he had for Camilla was truly the thing that made me love reading about his character. He's been through so much from the very first page to last and my heart broke for his character. I'm so excited to see his journey in the next book to see him get what he deserves in his world.

Camilla and Nico has such great chemistry and tension between them — which fuelled the spark of romance between them. They're in a marriage of convenience but both of them are from rival families — who might as well be enemies — with a lot of grudges and anger between them. Their romance was always between a line of love and hate, with hilarious banter and a lot of yearning and angst.

The last part of the book was filled with non-stop action, adventure and emotional scenes with so many twists and revelations that I had not at all theorised. The ending absolutely shocked me and I cannot wait for 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞!

I don't even know how to put into words how much I loved this book. I was pulled into reading it because fantasy + Peaky Blinders inspiration + the fan art spoke to my soul. But the way this book had me in a chokehold at 26% (IYKYK) - I just *delightful shiver*.

This book has banter, this book has rivals to lovers, this book has intrigue, twists, bad ass fighting and my personal favorite "where is my wife?" as well as found family, starting to self heal, and a cliff hanger that I'm still kinda mad at Alexis Menard for. I can't even say "if you're a fan of x, then read this" because it's just such good writing, and a great story - that if you are a fan of reading - read this! cannot recommend enough and cannot wait to preorder the next book as soon as I can.

The steampunk vibes of this book are immaculate. It also has an element of Italian mafia family feuds that, paired with a very interesting magic system, makes it all quite unique. This book was a surprise, it was nothing like I expected. I love Camilla and her stubbornness, and Nico’s cheeky, irreverent self makes for fantastic chemistry between the two. The burn is slow, but worth it. The plot twist at the end had me gasping. I absolutely love the elements of found family and redemption arcs in this book, and I can’t wait for the next one…the cliffhanger left me hanging!!!

▫️ Found family
▫️ Morally grey MMC
▫️ Rival mafia families to lovers
▫️ Marriage of convenience
▫️ Adult romantasy
▫️ Peaky blinders inspired
▫️ Spicy
▫️ Magic, powers & alchemy

“𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔.”

A romantasy inspired by one of my all time favourite series, peaky blinders? Yes please!

This was MAGICAL 🥹🫶🏽 Tension, action-packed, high stakes, danger and drama, with a cast of morally grey, unique & intriguing characters, plus powers? I’m sold!! There was never a dull moment and the pacing was rock-steady throughout.

The writing was stunning, the creation of the powers & magic system was done flawlessly & the slow burn to spice was brilliant. EVERYONE was hiding something here which kept the plot twisty and fresh. Not to mention, the PB inspiration was palpable and bold, which I loved SO much!

Nico & Miller were a badass couple—— Nico gave me huge Tommy Shelby vibes (aka absolutely cutthroat but soft as hell for his wife) & Milla was a complete firecracker who would do anything in the world for her family. I loved the angst & chemistry between the two as they navigated a true enemies to lovers dynamic.

I’d highly recommend this if you’re looking for a dark, slightly spicy romantasy with heavy 1900s vibes, a unique magic setup & lots of found family!

Heard such good things about this one but it fell into average territory for me. The concept and tropes are full of so much potential but the world building was convoluted in places and left me a little bored in others. I wish we got more depth but still enjoyed the overall feel of the story and beginning of the series. Hopeful its moving in a good direction!

I really tried to get through it, but I was SO BORED. It didn't flow for me either. This is supposed to be a dark romance, but there is barely any interaction between the main characters.

A captivating combination of magic, scheming, mafia vibes, and warring families for influence and power. Milla is an heiress to one of the most powerful families, but now…in order to save them from their debts, she is forced to make a marriage alliance with the same family that killed her dad and hurt their position. Nicolai Attano has his own mission—to find the one abducting people and at the same time work his way towards his so-desired revenge.
Working together turns out to be a challenge with all the secrets and the past that sits like a rift between them, but along the way they have no choice but to trust and help each other or fall victim to their enemies.
The thing that I loved the most is the wonderful way the relationships were made—be they family ones or romantic ones, they changed and evolved naturally one step at a time and in such a good way that led to the characters healing process that you can feel with them.
The way Milla realized that there is another way than the toxicity she got from her closest people and gained extended family through love and loyalty.
How Nico and Milla not just healed their souls but helped close a long-lasting feud that took too many lives and caused too much pain.
One thing that I would've loved as a fantasy addict is a bit more about the magic because it was interesting how it was connected with the world and affected who held more power. But as I mentioned, the prominent things in the story are family, loyalty, and the strong relationship, so the magic is the tool that steers the story.
Definitely intrigued to continue their story.

Hmm.. There were definitely a lot of parts that felt familiar at first, but, the time period aspect gave it a unique twist that differentiated it from other stories. That said, the world building did feel a bit confusing at times.

Honestly, I just don’t think this is my cup of tea. If you like Peaky Blinders, though, I’m sure you’d enjoy this. It felt like that + magic, but again, I just don’t think it’s my thing.

The right audience would eat this up & I don’t think it’s a bad book, so take my review with a grain of salt. 🧂

5 stars!! ⭐️ My feelings about this book = ‼️❤️‍🔥‼️❤️‍🔥‼️ I ate this up!! I’m not a mafia girlie but I am a fantasy girlie that loves a marriage of convenience trope and this absolutely delivered!! Camilla is an absolute badass and I love her so much. Nicolai is our morally gray MMC, protective and witty! I truly can’t wait for Book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky / Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼