4.5 ⭐️ Shadow and Bone meets Mafia: I am not a Mafia fan. I find them cheesy and outlandish but I adored this. The fantasy elements to this were so gritty and subtle and the world was neat. I've never read anything quite like it. I still have some questions about how the descendants work but I foresee my questions being answered in the next one for sure.

This book was such a ride. I went in with zero expectations and ended up absolutely devouring it. Think mafia family drama, post–industrial revolution magic, enemies-to-lovers, and an arranged marriage that’s pure chaos—in the best way possible.

Camilla’s forced into marrying Nicolai for family business reasons (because, of course, morally dubious rich people gotta make deals), and he’s from the rival family she’s supposed to hate. Naturally, that plan falls apart once they’re stuck together and the tension starts sizzling. Nico and Milla’s dynamic was addictive—banter, longing, and just enough angst to keep me glued to the page. I swooned, I yelled, and I may have muttered “just kiss already” more times than I can count.

The characters were the real hook here. I loved them, hated them, and wanted to shake some sense into them—but I couldn’t stop reading about them. The Marchese family? Awful. Made me want to throw something. But it made me root for Milla even harder. Nicolai was just chef’s kiss levels of infuriating and irresistible.

The worldbuilding is fascinating—steampunk vibes, magic, and a political system with remnants, descendants, and island history. I’ll admit, some of the lore had me a little lost at first, but honestly? I didn’t care. The romance and drama were so good that I just went with it and enjoyed the ride. The pacing hit perfectly, especially once the romance really got going, and the plot twists kept things spicy.

Final verdict: This is tense, dramatic, swoony romantasy with magic and mafia vibes. If you like enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage drama, and morally messy families, you’ll fly through it. And that ending? Yeah… I need book two yesterday.

Arranged marriage? Mafia-inspired and set in a fantasy world? Two characters who start out wary of each other and then fall in love? All of that sounded like my jam when I read the description of this book.

Sadly — and this might be because I’ve read a lot of stories with similar setups in this genre — this one mostly bored me and didn’t manage to hook me at all.
Camilla, the heroine, was the typical sassy FMC who verbally spars with the MMC, Nicolai, who immediately becomes protective and possessive without much buildup or relationship development.

In a marriage of convenience/arranged marriage setting, you get a golden opportunity to build tension and create an environment that forces proximity and gradual discovery of the two main characters’ different sides, helping them fall in love. That’s one of the best parts of the dynamic (at least for me!), but here it felt like the author skipped straight to the male lead being devoted to the heroine’s safety. It made the relationship feel unearned and drastically diminished my interest as the story went on.

Adding to that, everything else surrounding the plot felt similarly generic: a fantasy world with shifters and people with different powers, some action and danger from warring families, but at its core, the storyline and the worldbuilding felt pretty thin. And because the romance didn’t work for me either, I basically coasted through the rest of the book out of sheer willpower.

I think this would appeal to readers looking for a relatively easy, trope-heavy read. But if you’re after an intense dynamic or something fresh, it might leave you wanting more.


Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

Mafia fantasy romance - it caught my interest immediately!

We follow Camila who is forced into a marriage of convenience to a rival family in order to secure the funds her family needs to secure their future.

I loved the romance and the tension in this, it was fun to see Camila and Nicos relationship progress throughout the book.

The action was fun, if not a little predictable, but I still enjoyed it anyway. The fantasy side with the magic system didn’t blow me away but it did fit with the story.

The ending captured my attention and I will be picking up the next book as I’m looking forward to what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the arc!

I requested this arc solely to be Alexis Menard’s hype girl. I read House of Bane and Blood at the beginning of 2024 and it was one of my favorite romantasies of the year. It is so underhyped, but deserving of all the praise. I loved the gritty, industrial world that Menard created with its complex characters, mafia culture and swoon worthy, slow burn romance. It absolutely gave me Peaky Blinders vibes from the jump. I still think about this duology often and I’m so happy that Alexis is getting traditionally published!

I read this book a year or so ago when it was self published and I thought it was fantastic.
Now I was able to get an ARC from Netgalley and I'm excited to review it.
I love the unique magic system and mystery to solve. The twists and turns are so well done us readers stay in the dark and I'm delighted to say I did not figure everything out before it was revealed.
Nico is strong and protective and the way he goes all out for those he loves makes me wish I had a Nico.
Milla is a bit spoiled but mostly because her family kept her in the dark not because she wasn't capable of being more.
I love that Nico and Milla saw the worst in each other and still managed to find their way to love.
I loved it even more this time around and thank you to Netgalley and second sky for the copy. These thoughts are my own.

BK-17
1🌶️
POV: First Person, Dual POV
Vibe: 1920’s, steampunk, Peek Blinders, Mafia
Category: New Adult

What a crazy ride for Camilla! With her being the heiress to a nearly bankrupt steam train company, a marriage of convenience will save her and her family.

Nico steps in as a husband quicker than he thought. But when people start to come after his wife he becomes protective of what is his. He is my top book boyfriend right now!

This tale is full of twists and turns with unexpected results.

I love the vibes and tabbed so much out of this!
•
•
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Spicy Chapter: 35

A fantastic blend of steam punk fantasy and slow burn romance!! I absolutely adored this book. It immediately hooked me in and I loved the chemistry between Nico and Milla. I can't wait to read the next book and see how their relationship progresses. The magic system was also really unique!! Its a fun steam punk fantasy and I definitely adored the tropes in here!! It's got : rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, action packed pages and a morally grey mmc with a robot hand, seriously what more do you need? I will absolutely be reading the next book!

Thank you to Second Sky for providing me with an arc of House of Bane and Blood.

This book is a thrilling and unique steam punk fantasy with a slow burn that will have you positively frothing at the mouth. The flirty banter between Nico and Milla will have you biting your fist and screaming. I found the magic system interesting and unique. Even though it was my first steam punk fantasy, it was easy to follow. Each page was action packed and it felt like Milla couldn't catch a single break. It kept me coming back for more at the end of each chapter.

If you love rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, super slow burns, action packed pages and a morally grey mmc with a robot hand, House of Bane and blood is definitely going to hit all the high marks for you.

Okay so I was gifted this book on Kindle before I was accepted by NetGalley for the ARC so I read it earlier but am doing the review now- thanks so much to NetGalley for this one!

House of Bane and Blood was such a ride. I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in, but I ended up absolutely flying through it. Mafia vibes, magic, enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage chaos, I mean, what more could I want?

Camilla’s being forced into marriage for family business reasons (classic morally questionable rich people drama), and Nicolai’s from the rival family she’s meant to hate. Obviously, that goes out the window once they’re stuck together and the tension starts simmering. Their dynamic was addictive and Nico and Milla had me totally hooked. I was living for their moments, swooning over the tension, and screaming inside whenever they were apart for too long.

The characters were the strongest part of this for me. They felt real. I loved them, hated them, shouted at them… and kept turning pages to find out what they’d do next. The Marchese family, though? Absolutely dreadful. I felt so bad for Milla and how much she kept trying with people who clearly didn’t deserve her. But it made me root for her even harder.

The world is really interesting, it’s like sort of an industrial fantasy vibe with magic and politics thrown in, but I did find myself a bit lost in the early parts. The stuff about remnants, descendants, and the island’s political history could’ve used more explaining upfront. But to be fair, I didn’t care that much because I was way too into the characters and their drama to stop. I just skimmed past the bits I didn’t fully get and carried on enjoying the chaos. Haha!

The writing itself hit a nice balance, there is enough detail to build the world and make it feel real, but not so much that it slowed everything down. And the pacing was pretty solid. Especially once the romance kicks off properly. I didn’t want it to end. That last page came way too fast and now I’m desperate for book two.

Final thoughts: Tense, dramatic, swoony, and a bit magical—this is my kind of romantasy. If you like enemies to lovers, arranged marriage drama, and mafia-style fantasy families with serious issues, give it a go.

Rating: 4 stars. Easy.

Wow! What did I just read?! House of Bane and Blood is the start of a new romantasy series. I loved the title and the blurb, so I couldn't wait to start reading!
We are introduced to Camilla Marchese, a young woman who has to marry for the good of the family business. Nicolai is a member of a family that is sworn enemies to The Marchese family. That is until the day he sets himself and Camilla on a path of no return.
The world building had me right there, and the characters snatched my heart immediately. I do love an enemies to lovers trope and House of Bane and Blood had it in spades!!
Alexis L. Menard is a brand new author to me, and after this book, she is right at the top of my favourite authors list. Characters I could invest in and ones that I hated too. I was so immersed in Camilla and Nicolai's story that I felt like I could be with them.
I loved, loved this book! I loved it so much I was gutted when I reached the last page. I hope the second book is coming soon!! I really need to know more!!

Peaky blinders wannabe, but make it romantasy with a marriage of convenience.

Camilla, the city’s darling Railway heiress, enters into a marriage contract with her family’s rival Nicolai to secure funds for her family’s debts. Nico wants to use her bourgeois contacts to track down the person responsible for stealing people and fanning the flames of a war between descendants (who have powers) and natives.

This was cringey, but very addicting.
Milla is naive and innocent, but is she really?
Nico is possessive and obsessive, but hides a softer side around his family and Milla.

This wasn’t really enemies to lovers, it was more of a family feud which both love interests very easily set aside as they weren’t personally responsible.

<b>“Your safety has expanded the boundaries that used to contain me. A safe house, a freezing train car, beneath the city in a tunnel of sewage, no matter where we are, I’m always home when I am with you. Now, I’m navigating this new freedom you’ve given me, and I’m bound to get it wrong more often than right. But I will work at it if you are willing to wait for me. Because I want to feel like this every day. I want you, Nico.”
</b>
Expect waaaay too many ‘princess’ nicknames, ‘daddy’ jokes, and a lot of ‘who did this to you’, ‘touch her and you die’.

I would have wanted more politicking or gang activity and more world building as the idea of remnants and the different magics available was so intriguing to me.
Mixing magic and science. Moving tattoos. Vampire-like users. Benders of the elements (Nico). Mind readers etc.

I needed the change of pace and easy turn your mind off popcorn book.

This was a fun mafia romance mixed with magic. It’s a marriage of convenience to save her family. I really enjoyed the family in here and watching the relationship develop. I feel bad for the FMC for how terrible her family is to her and how she seems to refuse to accept it. This is a very interesting world! The writing is the perfect balance between enough world building to be able to picture it well without being so much as to drag down the pacing! It’s set in an industrial age/ setting. Overall definitely a fun, enjoyable read would recommend!

4⭐️ 2.5🌶️

This was a lot of fun to read. The world was unique and interesting. I absolutely loved the MMC Nico. I loved that Milla gave Nico a hard time, and Nico took it so well!

This book is such a fun ride! Like Peaky Blinders with magic and romance. I love the world and the magic system. The dynamic between the main characters is hot and I'm only a little obsessed with MMC. Also, plus is that its a duology. I'm excited that this book got picked up for trad publishing and look forward to seeing what this author does next!

The magic system with a peaky blinders vibe is really cool! I am not sure if the plot was really twisting yet or if I somehow missed a few very important details, but either way my mind is shocked and trying to keep up. That ending was explosive, I need book 2 asap please!!

The characters banter and reluctant allies to lovers vibes made the romance side a lot of fun. I was kicking my feet and cheering and giggling while reading this. Nico is swoony and toes that morally grey line amazingly. Camilla is so sassy and strong, exactly what I want in ever fmc.

Note - I've only seen a few episodes of peaky blinders, and picturing those scenes with this was fun but not necessary to enjoy it.

The characters, their relationships and the storyline in this book was incredible. They hooked me and reeled me in to the point where I felt like I was living the story with them. I was reading with baited breath, gasping and shouting at my Kindle, and excitedly messaging friends who had also read this book with theories and swoony quotes.

The worldbuilding is the only thing I struggled with, and there were some aspects that I'm not sure I fully understand still. I would have appreciated a little more explanation earlier on the book about the remnants and descendants, explaining the history of the isle's politics.

However, usually something like this would really bother me but the characters and the writing was so overwhelmingly excellent that I just skimmed words I didn't understand because I needed to get more from the story. I absolutely adored every moment between Nico and Milla and I cannot wait for book two!

Read this when it first released and absolutely adored it. Alexis pulled at my heart strings when it came to the Italian essence and mafia - vibe!! Such a great ending to a witty, spicy, and fantasy-filled story.

Tropes and Vibes:
💍 Marriage of convenience
💔 Enemies to lovers
🖤 Morally gray MMC
🔮 Dark/urban magic
🏙️ Mafia houses & cartel politics
🗡️ Serial‑killer hunt
🏠 Forced proximity (newlyweds)
♟️ Power plays & intrigue
🔥 Slow-burn tension with spice

I have no idea why this book isn’t getting more attention, it’s a hidden gem that absolutely deserves a place on BookTok! House of Bane and Blood sucked me in from the start with its gritty, magical world and fast-paced plot. If you’re into dark fantasy with political intrigue, family secrets, and steamy tension, this is one you need to read.

The dynamic between Milla and Nico is everything. The banter? On point. Their chemistry? Electric. It’s the perfect slow-burn, (supposed to be) enemies-ish-to-lovers setup, but with real emotional depth that makes you root for them beyond just the romance.

There are several plot twists throughout the book—some I saw coming, but that only made the reveal more satisfying because it was so well-executed. Watching everything unfold, especially with the mystery of the Collector and the stakes of Milla’s family legacy, made for a really immersive reading experience.

The worldbuilding feels like Peaky Blinders vibes, full of arcane science, political tension, and a post-industrial magical landscape that’s both gritty and lush. I’m dying to see more from this world.. especially if Alexis decides to build the series out more!

Highly recommend for anyone into dark, twisty fantasy with strong heroines, morally gray love interests, and a whole lot of secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for an ARC!

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬 𝐋. 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝
~ 𝑶𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔 #𝟏
♾️⭐ | 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

"𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬.”

House of Bane and Blood is an adult fantasy romance, set post-industrial revolution — powered by the steam punk sub-genre, perfect for fans who love the atmosphere and tone of Peaky Blinders with magic and unique lore.

This was an immaculate book. I cannot believe that I read this in less than a few hours. My rating went from 5⭐ to 6⭐ to ♾️⭐ because the more I thought about this book, the higher my rating kept going every minute.

The world building was absolutely phenomenal. I was drawn to the story from the very beginning. The post-industrial setting server a perfect backdrop to the city divided by magic.

The magic system is entirely unique and nothing I've seen before. The authentic and unique lore of the book, the fuelling backstories, the jaw dropping plot twists and unexpected twists and turns in this book kept me on the edge of my seat every single moment.

Nicolai and Camilla are from rival families who have great amounts of tension and grudged between them. Their chemistry was cracking and sizzling the entire time and was intense. Their romance dancing a fine line between love and hate. Their banter was one of the best parts of the book and kept me entertained.

The family dynamics was something i really enjoyed. The relationship between Camilla's family and Nico's family were different experiences and I came to love their dynamics in the end.

🐍 Marriage of Convenience
🖤 Post - Industrial Setting
🐍 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Adult Fantasy Romance
🐍 Unique Lore & Magic System
🖤 Slow Burn Romance
🐍 Rival Families