DEN OF SPIES

"Den of Spies" by RR Jones promises an intriguing blend of fantasy, historical fiction, and adventure. With its unique premise and fusion of elements from Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and Medieval Transylvania, this novel appears to offer a thrilling and imaginative reading experience.

The story introduces readers to a diverse group of characters, including a werewolf, a dragon, and a witch, who are brought together at the Spy Academy. The cutthroat trials and the idea of these characters pitted against each other add an element of suspense and competition to the narrative. As they are forced to work together to survive behind enemy lines, the book seems to explore themes of teamwork, trust, and the complexities of survival in a perilous environment.

The backdrop of Ottoman court and Transylvanian magic adds an intriguing historical and mystical layer to the story, promising a rich and immersive setting. The mention of Romania's national hero, who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, suggests that the novel may incorporate elements of folklore and legend, making it even more captivating for readers interested in history and folklore.

Overall, "Den of Spies" appears to be an epic adventure with a unique premise and an enticing blend of genres. Fans of historical fiction, fantasy, and tales of courage in the face of danger are likely to find this book an exciting and engaging read.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this eCopy to review

I wasn't sure what this book would be like and was pleasantly surprised. Den of Spies is much more of a historical novel with a bit of magic mixed in and no Vampires

Yes it was quite graphic in places, but the adventure and intrigue more than made up for it. The settings are wonderfully rich and detailed and liked having the different points of view to round out the story.

We follow Ana, as the only girl to take a place at Spy school when she ran away from her cruel mother. Here she manages to beat of all the other contenders to make it to the final 3. Ion becomes her first friend and after a tricky start Corbu becomes her protector. Can these 3 use their magic to help beat the Sultan?

Who will ultimately win control of the Ottoman Empire, and how did Vlad the Impaler come to be, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series to find out!

Rating: 4.4/5

Review: This barely made five stars as it was a push in either direction in favor of the story line. This is like the 100th straight fantasy novel I have read with YA MCs. Does it sell more? How about a thirty-sixty something MC for a change? Be bold, branch out into other age classes. This constant suspending of belief that 12-16 year old children somehow run the planet, are imbued with magical prowess via stumbling in the dark while directing the fate of the masses, takes a fairly believable novel straight into uninvested land. Yeah, fantasy is not real, but it is a dam good read when the magical flirts with the mundane in a delivery rich in a solid down to earth presentation. A question all writers should ask themselves is: “Would you trust a twelve year old to deliver the goods”? If the answer is no, build the little shjt with some real support or deus ex machina them to death.

That said, this was really good. The characters are deeper than a barristas ass crack due to the constant movement which drives an interesting, albeit somewhat historical story line. To push this novel as part historical fiction is like bending the rules to suit your game. It no longer is any game that others, whom play it, are familiar with. Like golf. You take an extra shot, do not count strokes, improve your lie and take mulligans. It is not longer golf but “Joe’s Ball and Stick game”. The unbelievable moment comes when Vlad has a tender spot for two little scamps hiding out. This from a guy who kills anyone and anything on a whim, and gets a boner torturing men. Wha??

A creative turn in the old fantasy genre that most should take a look at.

Honestly, I was expecting this to be some silly fantasy romance which sole purpose is to be entertaining and doesn't require much brain power to understand. And it was that but also surprisingly good and well-built. As a first installment, it really felt like a big intro to this series which can be off-putting for some, and not gonna lie, I was bored for a good chunk of it but it was worth it by the end and I'd be curious to se where this series goes. The world was especially interesting as it's heavily based on historical events in the Romanian and Ottoman Empire areas so it's borderline on historical fantasy and I really enjoy those type of books. The characters were all fine but I didn't get really attached to any of them but again, it's only the first installment so that's probably why. Overall, a solid 3.5 stars.

“Game of Thrones meets Hunger Games in Medieval Transylvania.” how could I not be engaged with a tagline like that. This was such a great start to this series, it had a great overall feel to it and enjoyed the use of Dracula, It does have triggering topics and deals with them in a respectable way. I liked that it was actually a historical novel with a bit of magic it was a nice change.

I really enjoyed this book was completely hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down definitely recommend

"Den of Spies" by RR Jones intricately blends fantasy and history as a werewolf, dragon, and witch enter Spy Academy, facing cutthroat trials. The narrative weaves magic into a real-world Ottoman court, where survival is uncertain. Inspired by Romania's national hero, the story explores teamwork and survival against a historical backdrop, posing whether the protagonists can outsmart the sultan's might. RR Jones skillfully combines courage, unsettling magic, and historical intrigue, creating an epic adventure for readers who enjoy a unique fusion of genres.

This book was awesome!! I loved it! However, some of you may wanna check the trigger warnings. But this was so flipping good! I didn't want to put it down to go to bed and it made me lose sleep!! I have to read the rest of thos mesmerizing series!!! 5 stars!!!
I just reviewed DEN OF SPIES by RR JONES. #DENOFSPIESATransylvanianHistoricalFantasy #NetGalley
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More and more of our patrons are reading paranormal romance with extra spice. I wanted to read this book to see if it would be a good fit with our current readers. RR hit the ball out of the park. This book was sexy, dramatic, and kept me on my toes!