A Fae whose family was murdered by vampires wants revenge, specifically against Raziel Nostrom. An opportunity to get close to him arises and disguise will be used to take the place of his future wife.

Well written and narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters and well paced. There s danger, tension and plenty descriptive sex scenes but will she kill him?

I really enjoyed this.
This is a classic romantasy, our FMC is full of female rage and out to kill a whole family of dangerous and powerful vampires who killed her family.
To do this she has to become a bride to one of them.
Aaaaaaaand I’ll leave the rest to you…
I loved the relationship between the FMC and MMC. And I really liked the banter/humour of our FMC.
I listened to this on audio, and I can definitely recommend as this was read so well and very addictive, I finished it in one day!

thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me early access, the following is an honest review. On Storygraph I gave it 4.5 and upgraded to 5 here.

Kathryn Ann Kingsley never disappoints and this is another favourite to add to my list.

Once again, she has devised a perfect villain MMC - I hate the term "morally grey" although of all MMCs in this genre hers are the closest to an actual definition. Simon Waite from Harrow Faire is at the top of the list of all time greatest MMCs, but what most writers miss when writing these types of characters is that FMC has to be as badass and morally slippery as the MMC. They don't act as a conscience to get him to the "good side". They complement each other perfectly.

The FMC - Nadri - is bent on revenge against the vampire who murdered her family and sets herself up to infiltrate the family by arranged marriage. Look, it's not the most unique plotline and if I didn't trust KAK to come up with the goods I probably would have shrugged and picked something more appealing. But I know better and even though the plot is trope ridden, the execution is top notch. The world is rich and detailed, and the plot makes sense. The characters are nuanced, meaning their choices are not predictable -even the characters are not sure why they make the choices they do. The FMC, while being villainous and cool on the surface have hidden depths and inspire the reader, even though they are not at all nice, have no secret heart of gold, are not 'misunderstood emo brooders'.

The story has some mafia/ mc elements to it . While it takes place elsewhere (2 moons, fae/vampires, magical elements) there are some modern conveniences - cars, guns, trains. But still lacking in technology like phones / TVs/ social media. So there is no sense of place and some readers who need to know 'when and where' will be disappointed. This has no impact on me. A magical world can be whatever it wants to be as long as the story holds together and no deus ex machina comes in as technology to save the day.

i have to take .25 off due to a bit of extra inner monologuing the FMC does when in her perspective (the novel is written 3rd person but switches between the MMC and FMC) I think her situation was quite evident. I would have liked to see more interaction between the characters as KAK does dialogue well, and can be quite witty. It's such a minor issue though. Maybe I only noticed because listening to an audiobook one is captive to writing that I might skim through if it's repetitive.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the latest book and can't wait for the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this book!

There was so much tension between Raziel and Nadi.
I loved that they are truly enemies at the beginning of the book.
Nadi is out for some major revenge against Raziel and his whole family for murdering her own.
As a shapeshifting fae assassin, Nadi was able to shapeshift into his mortal bride and take her place at the wedding.

With a marriage of convenience, vampire mafia, and enemy to ??, what more could you ask for!

For me, the pacing was really good at the beginning and stalled a bit in the middle.
However, the ending wow! Jaw on the floor twist with a cliff hanger.

I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for when book 2 is available.

I listened to this book. I thought Desireé, the narrator, did a fantastic job! I enjoyed her interpretation For me, I could really tell when we were in the two different points of view and the writing itself really made it distinct in the inner monologues of Raziel and Nadi.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky Books for the advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Serpent’s Bride by Katherine Ann Kingsley is a fast-paced dark fantasy romance where a fae assassin infiltrates a vampire mafia by posing as the bride of the prince who slaughtered her family. Nadi and Raziel’s cat-and-mouse dynamic is ruthless, and addictive, with intriguing world-building in the background.

Some of Nadi’s inner monologue felt repetitive, and Raziel’s cruelty made it hard to fully root for the romance. Still, the revenge plot, sharp banter, and tense ending makes me excited for book two.

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

4/5 ⭐
2 🌶

Oh, for God's sake! To be continued... 👀😮(me literally once I finished it..)

Prepare for a dynamic, morally grey packed characters, sassy FMC and MMC that you can easily fall for.

The book don't sparkle with a world building or any special magic system (I am really curious where all of the other reviews saw world building).

It is not even so dark as it intends to be. And the characters have no growth. I assumed that it will be a bit more smut that it was - there were only two spicy scenes. I even slightly lost interest between 75% and 85% of the audio. But the end compensated for all. The end is just jaw dropping!

Do I recommend it - oh, yes!

Honestly, I can't wait for book two.

Maybe in book two we can see a bit of the world building (particularly the Fae one), some character development and maybe just more information about the magic - why the vampires have different abilities, what exactly is the Fae magic. Just a suggestion to the author if she reads those comments.

The narrator did a spectacular job. It made the experience great and the story so vivid. The voice change was incredible.

Thank you to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this Audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Kathryn Ann Kingsley for the ALC!

If you like your fantasy romance to have danger, sass, and the occasional bad guy you root for, The Serpent's Bride will give you that.
We’ve got Nadi (fae, assassin, shapeshifter) who decides the best way to get revenge on vampire prince Raziel is to slip into the role of his human bride. Naturally, things don’t stay simple. The chemistry was immediate. The banter was delicious. The trust levels between the MC's were non-existent, which made every scene a little like watching someone juggle knives while blindfolded. The world-building was intriguing, fae aren’t the soft woodland sprites here, and the vampire mafia vibes added a dramatic flair.
Desireé Ketchum's narration stood out; her voices suited each character, easily capturing the ancient yet dangerous vampire tone.
Overall: bold, bloody, and addictive. The last chapter left me yelling at my audiobook app like it personally betrayed me. Book 2, you’d better be worth the emotional damage!!!!

The Serpent’s Bride is a deliciously dark and seductive start to the Bloodlines series. Kathryn Ann Kingsley weaves a tale of revenge, deception, and twisted romance that kept me hooked from start to finish. The world-building is rich and gothic, with a blend of vampire lore and mafia-style family drama that adds depth and danger to every scene.

Nadi is a fierce and complex heroine, and her dynamic with Raziel is electric and full of tension, power shifts, and emotional stakes. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, the plot delivered two major twists that completely changed the game. I loved how bold and unexpected they were, and they added real weight to the characters’ choices.

Desireé Ketchum’s narration is outstanding. She brings the characters to life with nuance and intensity, making the audiobook experience immersive and emotionally charged.

Desireé Ketchum’s narration is outstanding. She brings the characters to life with nuance and intensity, making the audiobook experience immersive and emotionally charged.

2.5⭐️ rounding up to 3⭐️

The Serpent's Bride is a story about revenge and falling for the enemy, nothing we haven't read before.

Everything about this audiobook is average. I enjoyed listening to it while on the treadmill but there was nothing special about it that kept me hooked. The twists and betrayals were not unexpected. The romance was exactly as I imagined - there was no swooning or anticipation which was disappointing.

I don't have much to say about this book other than it's a good listen/read if you're looking for an easy read.

❤️‍🔥THE SERPENT’S BRIDE❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥ARC❤️‍🔥

I want to thank Kathryn Ann Kingsley, Netgalley, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Serpents Bride.

This book was so fun to read! It’s been awhile since I have read a vampire book and this book definitely let me know I have been missing out!!

I think this story was not only well written and hard to put down, but the character development was also done incredibly well.

✨Nadi✨ is such a badass and I love her character. I enjoyed getting to know her story and watching as she adapted to obstacles in her path. It was also so engrossing to follow along as she battled her own inner conflict between revenge and her desire for Raziel.

🧛‍♂️Raziel 🧛‍♂️is a vampire mafia boss who despises fae. His character is smart, ruthless, and hard to resist. He’s a man that doesn’t usually lose control. We watch Raziel show more genuine emotion as the story unfolds which is fun to experience.

And…THE CLIFFHANGER…is off the charts!!! I honestly never would have expected that and now I’m dying to read the next book. I can’t wait for book 2!


Tropes:
Vampires X Fae
Marriage of convenience -Arranged Marriage
Revenge
Hidden Identity
Enemies to Lovers

🎧⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

Dudes. Dudettes. That ending?! I’m still emotionally flailing in the abyss.😵‍💫 I did not see that twist coming, and this is only book ONE?! And it’s not even officially out yet?! The audacity! 😤📚

Huge shoutout to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky Books for letting me dive into this early. I’m grateful, truly. But now I’m stuck in limbo waiting for book two, and I am not okay.😩⏳

Let’s talk Nadi. She’s on a revenge mission so savage it makes Kill Bill look like a bedtime story.🔪💀 After witnessing the slaughter of her entire family, she sets her sights on the man responsible: Raziel Norstrom, vampire prince and head honcho of the most vicious mafia clan to ever exist.🧛‍♂️🖤

So what does our girl do? She infiltrates his world by posing as his bride. She is not without her own talents. Bold. Brilliant. Batshit insane. And I was living for it.👰‍♀️🕵️‍♀️ Her plan? Take them all down from the inside. But what she didn’t plan for? Catching feelings. Ugh. Classic. Will her heart sabotage her mission, or will she stay sharp enough to finish what she started?

This book had me hooked from page one and gasping by the last line. I want more. No... I need more. Like, yesterday. 🧨📖

And Desireé Ketchum? Absolute queen of narration.👑🎙️ Her performance was so captivating, I couldn’t hit pause if I tried. She brought every scene to life with fire and finesse.

Thank you for a free ARC for this audiobook! Unfortunately, this novel was not for me. I did not find myself enjoying this one, but I'm sure there are people out there that would like this. It's a bit like a Wattpad smut, so if you like that then give this a try!

Vampire. Mafia. Romance. 🩸
If you read that and thought “say less,” then this one’s for you.

Nadia is a Fae woman whose family was slaughtered years ago by the vampire prince Raziel. She’s spent years training and sharpening her assassin skills, all for the sake of vengeance. When she sees an opportunity to slip into the vampire mafia under the guise of being Raziel’s sacrificial human bride, she takes it—hoping to get close enough to finally exact her revenge.

🖤 Tropes & Themes
-Morally grey characters
-Vampire romance
-Mafia romance
-SMUT (yep, capital letters)
-Revenge plot

At times a little tropey (in the best way) and a bit over-the-top, but honestly? This was pure entertainment. A quick, spicy, dramatic read/listen.

⭐ 3.5 stars → 4 on Goodreads

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Kathryn Ann Kingsley for the ALC, narrated by Desiree Ketchum!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio , and Second Sky Books for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

Story: 4 Stars
Narration: 5 Stars

It should be **criminal** to end on such a cliffhanger when I have to wait to devour the next one!! I can’t wait for Book 2!
Nadi, our fmc, is a shapeshifting fae assassin on a revenge mission on the vampire (Raziel our mmc) and his family that killed her family when she was a child. To get close to him she takes the form of the woman that’s been chosen to marry him and (unsurprisingly) killing him getting more complicated when they can’t keep their hands off each other.

The Good:
Nadi was awesome. I love a morally grey fmc and she didn’t disappoint. Engaging and well-paced story. The world building with the Wilds and underground fae was really interesting and I wanted more of that. Interesting side characters and good spice and ended on a killer cliffhanger. Definitely looking forward to the next one!

Things I wanted more of:
-More world building! I really liked hearing about the Wilds and want to hear more about it.
-More variety in the mcs internal monologues. Both are fairly repetitive so their characters felt a little underdeveloped/stagnant because of that

Narration: Desireé Ketchum did an excellent job with the narration! They did a great job capturing the characters – both the sass of Nati and the old-ness of the vampires, if that makes sense lol. I listen to audiobooks exclusively (s/o to chronic illness lol). I really liked Desireé’s voice for the mmc. It can be hit and miss for me when it is a solo narration or even a dual narration if the voices for the other characters pull me out of the story. Desireé did a great job with this and I definitely am looking up other books they have narrated!

Nadi & Raziel
Vampire Mafia Boss
Shape-shifting Fae Assassin
Enemies to lovers
Marriage of convenience
Hidden identity

I had no clue what to expect from this one, but I was sold from vampire and fae assassin!

This one did not disappoint! I loved the plot line and I couldn't stop listening, I needed to know what happened next!!

That ending 😱 I cannot wait for book 2!!

The audio for this one is all done by the female narrator, which isn't usually my favourite thing, but I feel like the narrator did a really good job with this!

Raziel and Nadi have an interesting dynamic throughout this. In some ways they appear to trust each other and their motives but in others they believe nothing but the worst. I really enjoyed the relationships in this and not completely knowing any vampires motives and how they would manipulate the situation to their benefits. Nadi provided a strong female character who was fun to watch how she handled each situation thrown at her.

The world building with Fae being the "bad guy" was a refreshing take but I don't think we know the full truth yet. I am very much intrigued to explore more of this world and how the two main characters move forward from where we left off.

This story was delightful.

The main characters inner monologue was a little but repetitive but I actually think it worked lending to her internal struggles. By the end of the book the writing had gotten more complex, and the story was even more engaging.

I bet book 2 is fantastic. I can’t wait to get further into the story, and get more of Raz’s POV.

I wish it was duel narrated. While the narrator did a fantastic job, it’s always nice when there is a male narrator for the male pov. That being said, listening to the audiobook was a fun experience! And I’ll likely continue the series in audio form!

vampire mafia boss x shapeshifting aqua fae assassin
Enemies to lovers
Hidden identity
Marriage of convenience
And that ENDING???


MAAM WHAT WAS THAT
YOU ALREADY HAD ME AT DARK ROMANCE AND VAMPIRES BIT THIS ENDING ….. I NEED MORE IMMEDIATELY 🫴🏻 💳

Love anything and everything vampires and that stood true with The Serpent’s Bride.

The plot is excellent. The FMC is so cool. And the MCM is so hot.

The narration was really good.

Ends on a cliffhanger, I cannot wait for the second book already!

3.5 star rounded up

The Serpent’s Bride is a strong first book in the series, with an intriguing mix of dark romance, danger, and mystery. I really liked Nadi as a character , she’s clever, determined, and easy to root for, even when her choices are questionable.

The set-up is gripping: Nadi poses as Raziel’s bride to get close enough to take her revenge, but as the story unfolds, their relationship becomes more complicated. Raziel is mysterious and hard to pin down, and I’m hoping we’ll learn much more about him and his true motives in the next book.

Desireé Ketchum nailed the narration. Her voice brought the characters to life, making the story even more immersive.

It did feel like something was missing, but I think it was the perfect set-up for the next book to be even more gripping. The atmosphere and tension kept me reading, and the ending left me curious for what’s to come. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.

A solid 3.5 stars – dark, tense, and with plenty of promise for the rest of the series.