An addictive, page-turning read filled with secrets and revenge, action and romance. I really enjoyed the instructor/trainee dynamic, but I'm not sure if I approve of Daegel and Phoenix together. I hate that neither person can give the other honesty. I was also shaking my head at Daegel, wondering how he can be so delusional with all of his "don't worry about it" reassurances WHEN WHAT PHOENIX WAS WORRIED ABOUT KIND OF CAME TO FRUITION. Also why is he making such idiotic, impulsive, reckless decisions (and how a person making such decisions came to be in that position of power at the Academy?!). Revenge plans are discussed very vaguely, how becoming an Ezkai and rising in ranks will allow Phoenix to take her revenge against the king, but I'm still very unsure what this entails? Why is THIS the only way to do it? I was left with more questions than answers at the end of the book which is frustrating but hopefully they will be answered in book 2! Despite my qualms about the relationship (and I guess Daegel in general) and various plot holes, I really enjoyed reading this -to the point where I couldn't put this book down- and am interested to see where the next book goes. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

This was really interesting, but I felt like it didn't flow very well. The timeline was unclear and it felt like there was a lot of circling. I liked the magic system and honestly I'll keep reading because of the weaponry alone. I felt like Phoenix's character wasn't very well developed, but part of that is just the character itself I think. Daegal is interesting, but I didn't really know what to think about the way he navigated things.

If you haven't met Phoenix yet, get ready to. Phoenix is complicated, stubborn, and up for virtually any challenge. In a world that took away what she loved most, she's taking back her future. SO good! Great if you love books with forbidden romance, fighting, politics, action, tension, and a plot line that will suck you in and keep you guessing until the very end.

There are a number of spoiler free things to love about this book. The first few chapters will kick you straight in the gut, but you'll understand Phoenix's perspective in such an important way. Who doesn't love to break the rules? As hard as she tries not to, I love a good storyline where breaking the rules just feels like the right thing to do. Wilde does a great job building up her side characters. I loved the banter with Rowan. Our MMC is not only complicated, but he has a whole set of secrets that just keep on coming. Finally, Phoenix navigates an arch-nemesis (or two) who fight dirty and don't play by the rules, because in this school boarding like setting, the drama is real folks and there's plenty of it

Fast-paced and fun,

The story follows Phoenix on her journey to become Ezkai, an elite and legendary soldier, in an attempt to avenge her family's murder. The academy only has 3 main rules and if you’ve read the book blurb you’ll know she technically broke one of those rules before she even started … oops!

I loved that this just got right in to the story, no mucking about, fast-paced and fun throughout, it was actually really refreshing, I had loads of stuff I should have been doing today but what I actually did was sat and read the whole book because the momentum meant I didn’t want to put it down.

This definitely has Fourth Wing vibes, but is an entertaining story of it’s own too and felt like an ancient warrior x mafia mash up which was great, there are human, fae, dwarves and some are “gifted”, an introduction to dragons, a badass FMC, a hot, protective MMC, academy setting, forbidden romance, spice, secrets and politics, overall I really like the two main characters Phoenix is determined, talented and works hard for what she wants, Daegel is just yummy and the relationship between them was delicious,

It ended up 4 stars for me as I felt some things that were introduced weren’t answered but I’m sure they will be in the next book, which I will absolutely be reading, the FMC felt a little immature at times and I’d like to see some of the side characters explored more (I really liked Roman) but again I’m sure that’ll come in future books, a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish though and I can’t wait for the next book.

🌟4.5🌟

Thank you so much Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC of this book!!


I almost made a big oopsie but thanks to Karolina Wilde's ability to write a truly addictive read. The crisis has been averted. I had gotten so wrapped up in a series and almost forgot I had this book expiring in my Netgalley shelf. Honestly I never ever thought my ADD, squirrel brain- riddled, self would be able to read a 429pg book in a single night. But here we are. I do take my Netgalley "career" very seriously. I know Authors and Publishers rely on early readers. So I do everything in my power to never skip a book I request. And I'm so glad I squeezed this one in!


Hoolyyyyyyy #$&@.. My 90's babies/early 2000's kids.. this is not a drill (no pun intended) & I have a comparison to end all comparison for YALL.. Cadet Kelly, with Fae & flippin DRAGONS! Is exactly what we have here! 🫢🫠And of COURSE Spice, OOOO and a cliffhanger?!?!? What's not to love?? Literally.

This was so good! And is definitely worth checking out if you like:

Forced proximity with your spicy time
A fan of forbidden love/lust
Trails and or games
Academia setting (specifically military)
Good Catfights
Annoyingly good cliffhangers

This was a Netgalley read. Vicious Princess is a fast-paced fun read. It's over 400 pages and I read it in a handful of days, which is saying a lot. The action starts and never stops, the stakes are high, violence and brutality are all around, and the spice is spicing. This isn't exactly one of those oh this human is special and is stronger than all the fae, because there is a particular group chosen (human or fae or any other creature) - the Decarios - who have exceptional strength and abilities. Our FMC, Phoenix, is strong and completely driven by her need to avenge her family's murder. And no one will get in her way. So she joins the fae academy as the only human, to try to complete to join the Order, for her personal vendetta. And yes, she gets beaten up and nearly unalived quite often, but she perseveres. She also has a special affinity to the bow as her primary weapon, and she spends a lot of time training with her bow to bond with it, and to learn its name. (Though why the cover is a dagger and not a bow, I won't ever understand. Why do so many fantasy covers have to have a sword or dagger, especially when it doesn't play the main weapon role in the book?) The MMC, well, apparently is a tough softie for her. You see, she has a no strings situationship with someone she meets at a bar, who - oops - turns out to be her instructor. That's a fun trope! But I wanted more yearning and tension in their forbidden relationship. It was instalove and that was that, with him putting way too much at risk - both their career goals, his family, everything - for his feelings for her. I enjoyed it until the very end, when the book got confusing. It jumps "two months" into the future, and the POV changes. But it stays in first person narrative, and it took me a hot second to figure out we were inside the head of someone completely different, not Phoenix. I don't know if that was meant to set up the next book, but I think it would have made more sense in an epilogue with a change to 3rd person narration. Very confused at who this new character is but also very curious to get to the next book. Also, I joined the author's list to get a chapter POV from the MMC's perspective. I was wanting to get more of the vengeance plot, but I get that will need to be an overall series plot and not an individual book plot. I can't wait to see her get her revenge.

Tropes you may enjoy: 

Strong/revenge quest FMC
Elite Fae military academy
Instructor/Cadet forbidden romance
Insta-love
unique magic system
touch her and die
intense trials and missions "try not to die"
he falls first
nickname "princess"

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the published for providing me with this ARC!

This book was action-packed, and I really enjoyed it!! I like that there was some spice but that it was actually 100% relevant to the story, rather than just thrown in there without context, so that really impressed me!

I found the main character to be a bit annoying and juvenile at times, which is why this book JUST fell short of being 4-stars for me. However, this book overall was great and I would definitely recommend it!

If you're looking for a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat while simultaneously fanning yourself from the heat, then look no further.
At the heart of this compelling plot is an FMC (Female Main Character) who is truly exceptional. She is not just strong; she is fierce, intelligent, resilient, and wonderfully complex. Her journey is incredibly engrossing, and you can't help but root for her as she navigates the dangerous world she finds herself in. She's a force to be reckoned with, and her character arc felt authentic and deeply satisfying. This isn't a damsel in distress story; it's about a woman finding her strength, fighting for what she believes in, and facing her fears head-on.

The tension between the FMC and MMC (Male Main Character) was nothing short of electric. Their chemistry sizzles off the pages from their first interaction, building with a delicious push-and-pull that is expertly crafted. It's the kind of slow-burn tension that leaves you desperately wanting them to finally give in, making their eventual connection feel incredibly earned and profoundly impactful. Their dynamic is multifaceted, evolving through shared danger, moments of vulnerability, and undeniable attraction, making their relationship feel organic and deeply believable.

In conclusion, this book is a triumph. It successfully blends a thrilling, suspenseful narrative with deeply engaging, well-developed characters and some seriously steamy romance. If you're looking for a romance novel that offers more than just a love story – one that will keep you guessing, cheering for its strong heroine, and fanning yourself from the red-hot chemistry – then this is an absolute must-read.

4.75⭐️’s!!
𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 — 𝘼 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙬. 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧-𝙢𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙨.

A pleasant surprise!! It seems like I really scored with my first arc because I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it THIS much. XD This was exactly the fun that I needed after exams. 😌 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁: 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗘𝗭𝗞𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗦. 🤩🤤

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Though there were some 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 parts (🤨), this was so. Much. Fun‼️ 𝗠𝘆 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹. 👹 Definitely gives the vibes of Fourth Wing in terms of their training, the relationship between the Order of Ezkai and their cadets, and just the whole academy vibe, which I obviously ate. Up!! (There are even dragons, but they weren’t the main point. :)) Also has a bit of Quicksilver in terms of the fae’s characteristics (𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 🙏👀). 🤭 I would totally recommend, especially if you’re looking for a fast-paced read that is literally unputdownable. 🔥

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽:
🏹 training in academy
📜 out-of-place fmc
🏹 insta-love
📜 forbidden romance
🏹 instructor x cadet
📜 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 sexy fae

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓟𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂:
Phoenix Wildarrow leaves her hometown to apply for training at Ezkai Academy for vengeance after the tragic passing of her family. A day before her training starts, she has some fun with a particularly hot Ezkai she never thought she would encounter again. But as the only human Decarios, almost every cadet mocks her, sure that she won’t even survive the training. An Ezkai Major, Daegel Talbot, sees her for her talent and offers to mentor her. As Phoenix trains vigorously and twice as hard just to be as good as the fae, many different opportunities open up for her, leaving her more than shocked with what she has managed to achieve. She faces a lot of conflicts, with one being about whether to risk her future for her relationship with her mentor.

Now, reading the blurb of this book probably already has you predicting which rule she breaks. Just know that 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 🌚 The blurb is also in 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯! So I was quite a bit confused when I started reading, and the fact that there was a 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 at the front had me even more nervous. 😵‍💫 But!! Once she really started her training, the ball got rolling and we got a feel of what it’s like to be in this strict academy, where they have only three rules (which the cadets don’t actually take seriously) and are very insistent on punctuality. 😮‍💨 Overall, it is definitely a very captivating plot that will keep you up binging it late at night. 😆

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰/𝓟𝓪𝓬𝓲𝓷𝓰:
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲. 𝗗𝗮𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗹’𝘀 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘆, 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁.

Simple writing! Reading the interactions between Phoenix and Daegel though, I swear. 🙈 Great pace, but maybe sometimes I felt like things moved a little too quickly, but that’s probably because this book isn’t a big one! The spice was also yum (😋), but ngl, I was surprised to see it already in chapter two. 😅 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆) 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁! 😌 And also, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗲?? Literally all the fae in Ekios are described in different ways, but in 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘺. 🫦

────୨ৎ────

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓟𝓱𝓸𝓮𝓷𝓲𝔁 𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀:
“𝗔𝗵, 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲,” 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘄. “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴.”
—> ICONIC. 🙂‍↕️👏

𝗣𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗠 𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥. 🏹😍 I love her attitude and how she shows to the other cadets that she’s just 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦. Omg that scene when she compares herself to Kata and is so smug because they both have the bow and arrow as their chosen weapon, but Phoenix—the human— 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, unlike the fae. 🤭 AND ALSO, 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘌𝘕𝘋. (my reaction: 😬😱🙊😆😍💅🙇‍♀️) 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻!!! Well deserved, for sure. ✊ (I knew she was the best, so I kinda already expected more than one though hehe.)

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓓𝓪𝓮𝓰𝓮𝓵 𝓣𝓪𝓵𝓫𝓸𝓽:
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲?

Our MMC whose name rhymes with 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗹. 🥯 (I’M SORRY HELP. I just could not get the image of bagels out of my mind every time I read his name. 🤡) Interesting name, though. 🤭 Ahhh I love his vibe so muchhhhh. 🤭🤭 Hehehe the way 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁. AND OMG. After they impulsively kiss again during their training on 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 (!!), he 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 he would control himself in the future. But guess what? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 🤡🤡 (I’m not complaining, of course. I’m here for it all.) Ug I just love him so much, I NEED MORE. 👹

ᢉ𐭩 𝓟𝓱𝓸𝓮𝓷𝓲𝔁𝓓𝓪𝓮𝓰𝓮𝓵:
𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗹’𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲. “𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅,” 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀. “𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗟𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.”

HEHEHEH 😆🤭 The way Daegel was “𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲” when he claimed the nickname “princess”, but heard Roman, Phoenix’s friend, calling her that. eeee 😝 I love how Daegel is so gentle and caring with Phoenix. 🥺🥺 And when they slowly open up to each other, sharing their pasts. 🥺❤️ 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮-𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘆. Was it meant to be like that? 🧐 Like, I’m not really sure about the main romance trope in this one. It was insta-love, but also had a bit of enemies-to-lovers imo? 😖 Dang idk. 🤷‍♀️ I thought he seemed really angry at Phoenix on the first day of training. But then he explains that he actually wasn’t? 🤨 Grr whatever. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading their interactions. 😝🤭

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓢𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼:
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹 -> 𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗠𝗖. 😮‍💨 (Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if he was. 😙 He seems so 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦. A funny guy too.) He’s the type of best friend you read about in books and wish you had irl. 🙂‍↔️ I’ll be forever grateful to him for being the only fae Decarios that didn’t mind being in Phoenix’s company and actually spent time with her.
𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗲 -> 😒 𝗟𝗺𝗮𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗲. 😭🙏 But she was just a bitch the whole way through. Like, p l e a s e . Just accept that there are human Decarios wayy better than you and stop trying to kill off your competition. 🙄
𝗘𝘇𝗸𝗮𝗶 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 -> OKAY. 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗿. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿-𝗜𝗻-𝗧𝗵𝗲-𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗢𝗳-𝗘𝘇𝗸𝗮𝗶 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁. 🤡 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗺 HELP WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. But in my defence, his character’s first impression didn’t reveal that he was the Ezkai General; just that he was 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 sexy fae. 🙂‍↕️

────୨ৎ────

𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 “𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆” 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔:
1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. Hm, do I need to explain this? I’m just not the biggest fan of that trope. 🤷‍♀️
2. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 😔 But mainly the one from the blurb. I already knew who was going to be the mmc, but still, I was always holding my breath and expecting it would be someone else for some reason.
3. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝗔) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 (𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻) 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘀 “𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀”. Goodbye. This bathroom was obviously made to cause trouble. Though it’s a miracle nothing has happened there yet. 𝗕) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀/𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮… 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?? Like primary school, bruh. Instructor changes seats because students are talking during his lesson and not paying attention. 🤡 Maybe also because of the second-hand embarrassment. 🙈 𝗖) 𝗨𝗵𝗺… 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗼𝗽?? (We shall forget about Phoenix sleeping on a rooftop earlier on in the story.) I can’t imagine how they didn’t roll off in their heat.

────୨ৎ────

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹, this was a very enjoyable read and I’m so glad I found this book!! I can definitely see myself rereading this. XD
𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 ended in a way that perfectly sets up the plot for Blood Queen, the sequel, and I can’t wait to read it!

────୨ৎ────

𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖷𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈 𝖡𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖳𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗏𝗂𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖱𝖢 𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝖦𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐!

This book was such a fun, fast read that I couldn't put down! Vicious Princess is everything you want in a romantasy but with the action of an epic fantasy. As the only human in an all-Fae academy, Phoenix is out for revenge but she needs to complete the intense training and courses to be able to join the elite group, the Order of Ezkai. We love a vengeful queen! So the FMC out for blood box is checked, the war academy box is checked, did I mention that there's also training montages, spying and obviously, a very hot, very off-limits instructor who is Fae?
I loved the determination shown by the FMC and giggled at her internal monologue. She's very relatable and doesn't give off the "not like the other girls" vibe like some romantasy leads. The book was shorter than I would have wanted because I was really hoping to delve deeper into the revenge storyline. The motivation for her joining the Order was glossed over a bit but she was decisive and went after what she wanted without regrets so we love the vibes regardless of the vague, "it will give me power" storyline. I know leaving me wanting more just means that I'll obviously be back for the next book but I'm a little pouty about there not being more *now*. Overall, a great time and I can't wait to watch the relationship between Phoenix and Daegel deepen as we continue their stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Karolina Wilde for the chance to read this in exchange for my review.

BOOK: VICIOUS PRINCESS
AUTHOR: KAROLINA WILDE
PUB DATE: AUGUST 2025
🥷🏻🧝🏻‍♀️
REVIEW- 3.3 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🧝🏻‍♀️🥷🏻
THINGS I LIKED
1. The world building, it was amazing and exciting
2. The FMC, her strength, resilience, and diligence
3. Ezkai Academy, I liked the system there, kinda harsh, but interesting, I also loved the author's description of the rigorous testing.
🥷🏻🧝🏻‍♀️
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. The romance between the FMC and love interest Daegal. I just didn't feel any vibe, and I felt it happened too soon
2. Nothing much happened except Phoenix becoming an Ezkai guard, I expected more, especially with the mystery surrounding her family's death.
3. The morally grey parts of the book
🧝🏻‍♀️🥷🏻
The book was okay. It was easy to read, but I was expecting more, especially with the prologue. However, I'm willing to continue the series because Phoenix is an engaging character, and I'm really curious about what happened to her family and the Wetran and Ezkian history.

This book had me by the first chapter. It is giving off Forth Wing vibes and I love it! The main chapter is literally fighting for her life and trying to avenge what was done to er and her family. When she arrives at her destination she realizes that this was going to be a lot harder than she thought. There will be friendships made, people murdered, relationships formed, and secrets revealed. I loved being able to read the first chapter from the second book, which comes out in January. I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Vicious Princess had me hooked from the very first page. Karolina Wilde delivers a darkly enchanting story full of sharp politics, forbidden romance, and a heroine searching for revenge.
Our FMC is the only human in a ruthless fae acadmey, and she’s driven by one thing—revenge for her family. I loved her strength, her cleverness, and how unapologetically fierce she is, even when surrounded by dangerous enemies who underestimate her. The forbidden romance was perfectly paced and layered with all the “we shouldn’t but we can’t stop” moments I crave.
The worldbuilding is lush and atmospheric, filled with danger, secrets, and enough intrigue to keep me turning pages late into the night.
If you enjoy:

✨ Only-human-among-fae stories
✨ Forbidden romance with crackling chemistry
✨ Strong heroines seeking revenge
✨ Academy politics and betrayal

…then Vicious Princess should absolutely be on your TBR. The only reason I have it 4stars was because I do wish it was a little more of a slow burn!

I absolutely loved Vicious Princess. This a fantastic novel, full of twists, intrigue and excitement.

It is one of the best written fantasy books I've read this summer and I highly recommend buying it and reading it as soon as it is published.

The main female character, Phoenix, is witty, brave and fierce.
You will not be able to resist her, and her strong will and determination as her story unfolds at the Ezkai Academy.

It's a wonderful book,and I loved her chapter. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I did not like the beginning. There were just too many swear words (up until the point where she started at the Academy). If used appropriately, they can be effective but overusing them makes the writing seem immature. Maybe that was why I couldn’t get into the book?

I get the first couple of chapters are needed for world building and setting the scene but were they really necessary? I’m assuming the lover from the boat and the old lady from the inn come back later? Otherwise….

I love a good forbidden romance but the MMC is the instructor yet he’s the one who doesn’t care for the rules? Especially given the fact he acts all strict in class? I did not like that aspect at all, and I don’t think it went well with his character.

I found the last 20% or so a lot more enjoyable. The missions helped to add in some much needed action.

Overall this book was okay. I’m not obsessed with it or any of the characters but I would probably continue the series. But I’m not sure whether I would recommend it. For me, it would really depend on the next book.

Vicious princess what a read wow!
I loved this book, so much. It was fantastic
Lets start with what I loved about this it..
I enjoyed the plot of the book very much, the characters and in most cases the writing were really good. I was hooked from start to finish and i found myself thinking about it when I wasnt reading it. I am excited to read the next book as I cant wait to see how this story continues.

My issues and they are small was the spelling mistakes which I know were addressed in the beginning but there were a few and in some cases I found the word ezkai felt really repetitive which I understand its part of the book but I felt in some case it was used alot and slowed the pace of the book. Overall i loved vicious princess alot and think the author had a winning book.here.
Definitely would love it when a map comes.(as mentioned) and even possibly a glossary to share how to pronounce the different names.of the towns and characters.
Thank you netgalley and karolina wilde for sharing this wonderful book with me and allowing me to review it, this would definitely be a book I buy for myself when I see it in the shops.

I will also be reviewing this on my IG and tiktok accounts as deesbookspace

Tropes:
🗝️Dark academia
📜Mentor x mentee
🔒Forbidden romance
❤️‍🔥 hate to love
⚔️ training together

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. I loved how hot-tempered the FMC was (I def relate!) I didn’t like the fast burn romance, and the writing style didn’t bring me in. I had to DNF

Devoured this book in a few short sittings. It really does has some of the non-logic logic of a Rebecca Yarros Romantasy. I felt that the main female character could have more growth and strategic thinking because her continuous focus on vengeance clouded all her other thoughts and judgements. Sometimes, you need to think logically without emotion, just saying. I liked the preview into the next book and I will read it because the story is good, even though there are some holes in it, but only if you think too logically.

This was an intriguing read - the military academy setup felt familiar at first, but the story quickly became more engaging, and less time and focus was spent on the actual training/schooling than others in this theme, mainly because it was a very fast paced book and there was only so much space to discuss that element. I liked how Phoenix is a well rounded and fleshed-out character. She is so clearly struggling from the events of her past and still bears the emotional and physical scars she is trying so hard to hide. I really felt for her but found her at times a bit frustrating - she holds secrets close to her chest, and then is incredibly angry when another does this same, despite her having done the exact same thing. That hypocrisy frustrated me at times, but it made her feel more human.

The romance was felt a bit rushed and it doesn't feel like there is that much of a basis for it outside of respect & physical attraction. It is still compelling though, and the forbidden human/fae love element is central to the story.

Daegal as an instructor and badass fighter adds tension, though I wish we had learned more about him and the Caligos (I might be slightly off on the spelling). Side characters like Roman were okay, and Kata is deliberately unlikeable. I wished we had learnt a bit more about Daegal, I wanted to see the side of him that dating brings out - learning what hobbies the other likes or what their favourite place to visit is, for example. It didn't feel like that every totally came through, but I still absolutely bought into their love story and the difficulties in their way.

In terms of spice, it was maybe 2 or 3 out of 5 with open door scenes and the pacing is pretty fast. Despite this, the writing is solid and engaging. The settings are vivid and felt fully formed; and the politics within and between their realms was really interesting. The setting of a military academy is familiar to many of us, but this one didn't feel 'tropey' - instead it was just like a favourite hoodie (feels familiar but well loved for a reason).

The biggest themes of Vicious Princess are definitely revenge, secrets and forbidden love and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark academia, powerful female protagonists, and fae/human relationships with a sprinkling of he fell first.

🔥⚔️ Vengeance, forbidden romance, and a military-academia setting that had me hooked from page one! ⚔️🔥

I was completely engrossed in this book.

The story follows Phoenix, a girl trained to be a soldier whose life shatters when her home is burned down with her family inside. Consumed by the need for vengeance, she sets her sights on joining the Ezkai—an elite, fae-led military order—to gain the strength and power she needs.

But before training begins, she has a one-night stand with a mysterious, dangerously attractive soldier… only to later discover he is none other than Daegel, one of her instructors. With only three strict rules in Ezkai training—and one being “Never sleep with your instructor”—Phoenix finds herself walking a razor’s edge. When Daegel offers to mentor her, she accepts for the sake of her goals, even if it means risking everything. From there, the tension between revenge, forbidden love, and survival only intensifies.

What I liked:
💫 Military-academia setting
I loved the trials, training, and magical tests; it gave me that dark academia-meets-fantasy vibe.
🔥 Mentor/mentee dynamic
The push-and-pull between Phoenix and Daegel was delicious. He’s tough on her but still respects her space and strength.
🗣️ Clear(ish) communication
Even though they keep secrets, they talk about their physical boundaries and needs, which made their relationship feel more realistic.
👊 Daegel’s attitude
He doesn’t waste time just pining. He’s direct, protective, and takes action without manipulations. And I swoon!
🌟 Phoenix as a character
Stubborn (sometimes to the point of frustration), but her fierceness and determination drive the story forward.
📖 Character-driven focus
This book leaned more on character growth than plot, which worked here. I can already feel the groundwork being laid for juicier conflict in future books.

What fell a little flat for me:

🌍 World-building
The setup of humans, fae, and dwarves was intriguing, but I wanted more depth about their history and tensions. It felt surface-level compared to the character work.
🧩 Too many loose threads
Between the General’s schemes, Phoenix’s revenge, the underground criminal organization, and her romance with Daegel, I wanted to see the connections more tightly woven. Hopefully, the sequels will pull everything together.

Overall, this was a spicy, forbidden-romance romantasy with great characters and sizzling tension. I’m already excited for book two.

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶.75

Tropes:
🛡️ Protective MMC
📚 Mentor × Mentee
⚔️ Badass FMC
🧝 Human × Fae
🏰 Military academia setting
🚫 Forbidden romance
🤫 Secret relationship
💪 He trains her

Thank you NetGalley and Karolina Wilde for this ARC! 💜