Before I even finished this one, it became one of my top reads! It was heavy on Royal Politics, but not too much to make it boring. Roksana is one fiesty, mouthy and tough woman. Reynard is the King who was just trying to help a damsel in distress when he found Roksana and almost died by her hand. She is trying to learn who she really is. He is trying to keep his kingdom.The yearning and the angst and tension, ohhh it's so stinking good!! If you love high Fantasy and a strong FMC this one is for you!! Thank you

This book was absolutely amazing. Every twist and turn. Every character from the fmc to her best friends. This fmc is one of the few bad@ss ones in romantasy. There was never a point I found her annoying or weak. She put others ahead of herself in all the right ways. I loved the character growth and the banter was top tier. This is one of my favorites from this year and I’ll be reading all the books related to this one! A few of my favorite quotes:

“ ‘And next time you want to hit me, get that massive idiot to do it. I’ll stand still, I swear. Just don’t hurt yourself.’ “


“‘You are the light of hope in the deepest night, my Sanika.’”

Ate! Left no crumbs!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a must read if you love:
👑Kingdom political intrigue
🪄Unique forbidden magic
🏡Found Family
👩‍❤️‍👨Dual POV
🔥Slow-burn romance with a bit of spice
❤️He falls first
🕯️Older characters in their 30's

Roksana, our badass FMC, is a poisoner/assassin with forbidden magic who will do anything and everything to protect those she loves. Reynard, our duty-bound MMC, is a war king with wild magic that fall first and falls hard for our FMC. After a rough start to their relationship the pair ultimately work together and try to uncover secrets and betrayals from within their kingdom and the surrounding kingdoms.

The world building was descriptive, immersive, and easy to follow. The storyline was beautifully written and full of political intrigue, forbidden magic, tension, and a delicious slow burn romance. I fell in love with the side characters. Their banter had me laughing out loud. I can't wait to see how the story unfolds in the next book of the Secrets of Dagome series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the authors for the gifted eARC!

Left review on Goodreads and Fable

From the very first page, Poisoned Kingdom didn’t just pull me in, it seized me by the throat and refused to let go. Olena Nikitin has crafted a story so intoxicating, so exquisitely dangerous, that reading it felt like inhaling poison and begging for another breath. Every chapter was a pulse pounding dance between betrayal and devotion, vengeance and vulnerability, the sharp edge of a blade and the tender brush of a lover’s hand.

Sana is the kind of heroine that doesn’t just walk onto the page; she blazes. She is fire incarnate: fierce, wild, and unyielding. And yet, beneath the flames, there’s an unshakable innocence that clings to her despite the cruelties she’s endured since the tender age of fifteen. That contrast, between a girl scarred by pain and a woman unwilling to bow, had me aching for her every step of the way. She doesn’t just survive; she commands, and in her defiance she becomes unforgettable.

Then there’s Reynard. Gods, where do I begin? He is king, he is beast, he is everything your heart warns you against but cannot resist. There’s a darkness coiled inside him, one that even he fears, yet he rules with a brutal kind of righteousness that makes it impossible not to fall for him and fall he does, hard and fast for Sana. Their chemistry doesn’t just burn; it consumes, a wildfire that leaves nothing untouched. She doesn’t shy away from his monster, because she’s seen true monsters before and Reynard is not one of them.

But what really destroyed me, in the best way, were the bonds Sana built outside of romance. The friendships she forges, the chosen family she creates, and the loyalty she inspires all stand as proof of her strength. They are her armor as much as they are her heart, and watching her rise with their support had me cheering and weeping in the same breath.

This book isn’t just a story but a labyrinth of shadows and secrets, of passion and power plays. Every time I thought I had the answers, Nikitin ripped the ground out from under me and whispered, “Not yet.” And the ending? A dagger wrapped in silk. Equal parts devastating and exhilarating.

I closed the book with my pulse still racing, my heart still aching for more. Poisoned Kingdom is a masterpiece of romantasy: dark, dangerous, and utterly addictive and now, I’m left haunted by a single thought:

If this was only the beginning.… what storms are coming in book two?