Genres: YA Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Fantasy | Release Date: 26 September 2024 | Series: The City of Fantome | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 512 | Publisher: Simon & Schuster | Review
“It seemed a shame to kill her.”
Catherine Doyle
Overview:
A huge thank you goes to Net Galley, Simon & Schuster and Catherine Doyle for letting me read an e-ARC of The Dagger and the Flame! This YA romantic fantasy is the first book in a true enemies to lovers series (The City of Fantome) and I’m so excited for you to begin this adventure! So without further ado, let’s give you an overview!
When Seraphine’s mother is murdered, Sera knows there’s only one option which can now save her life: to seek sanctuary with the Cloaks guild in the city of Fantome. And when the guild of thieves grants her wish? Sera starts to plot her revenge against a member of the rival guild of assassins, the Daggers. But when she meets Ransom, she encounters a problem. Because Sera never expected to be drawn to him. He’s her enemy, despite her heart trying to tell her otherwise. As the underbelly of Fantome begins to tremble from terrible monsters lurking in the darkness, it soon becomes clear that things will never be the same. Can the magic unique to Sera help save the city? Why are Sera and Ransom constantly finding themselves flung together? And ultimately which is the more powerful motivator: love or vengeance?
Happiness Boost:
Although there’s a clear line between the guilds of Daggers and Cloaks, you know what I love most about The Dagger and the Flame? How easily we wander the murky grey area of morality when it comes to our main characters. A lot of the people you meet in this YA romantasy aren’t purely good or evil, and I love how we’re encouraged to figure out what motivates them! Add to that the history of the guilds, with the sister who was torn between the choices of her brothers? This. Is. Spine. Tingling.
I’m just going to say it…. Within The Dagger and the Flame, it’s actually Ransom who quickly became my favourite character. His backstory is a tragic one, and it’s easy to expect that this would blind him to the faults of his guild. After all, they took him in when he had no one. But our Dagger is a quick-witted young man, constantly assessing everything around him. And when things start to go awry? Let’s just put it this way: you desperately want him to receive a redemption/salvation arc. But because I don’t do spoilers (at least, not if I can help it), I’m not going to tell you if he gets one. Sorry. But also… Still not sorry enough to spill the tea.
In this YA romantic fantasy, we’re treated to a number of surprising events. And who wouldn’t love that?! Some of them hark back to the morally grey area I was talking about just before, but others? They’re just pure magic from Catherine’s creative mind and I am *so* thankful for it! This world is so rich in secrets, I’m already aching to read the next book and find out more. Seriously. I need it like I need to keep breathing.
Downside:
This has been such a wonderful return to YA fantasy for me, there’s no downside!
Final Thoughts:
The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle is a YA romantic fantasy full of unique magic, deadly power struggles and monsters galore. This is the beginning of something very, very special and I need you to add this to your TBR. You can never have too many books on there, trust me! Love what you’ve heard here? Just click any of the links below to grab your copy of this gorgeous book! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can order The Dagger and the Flame via these links:
