Genres: Dark Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy | Release Date: 26 November 2024 | Series: Celestials of Arcadia: Insurgency | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 440 | Indie Author | Review
“We’ll find each other. I promise.”
K. L. DeVore
Overview:
A *massive* thank you goes to K. L. DeVore for letting me read an e-ARC of The Embrace of Steel & Sorrow, a dark urban romantic fantasy! This beautiful book is the first instalment in the Celestials of Arcadia: Insurgency prequel trilogy, set a decade before the events in A Touch of Gold & Madness. I will note that the author encourages you to read that glorious book before diving into this one, to avoid some big spoilers! But what am I waiting for? Let’s give you an overview!
Charged with protecting the Kinetic princess, both Chrome Freyr and Slate Helair could never have imagined the cost would be so steep. But when the insurgency to remove the king is in peril, their one hope is keeping the princess alive. Because if she falls? There’s nothing left. Ever since a day on the playground, Chrome’s compulsion to protect Gray knows no bounds. But if King Forest discovers just how deep this bond goes? Chrome’s already traumatic life will grow even darker. How far can evil spread before the truth is exposed? Who can persuade the princess to keep fighting, even on the hardest of days? And at the heart of all things… What drove Chrome to become the infamous Griffin Silas?
Happiness Boost:
Glitterbugs, if you haven’t got K. L. DeVore’s books on your TBR already, *this* is your sign that you need to do that! The Embrace of Steel & Sorrow is a dark urban romantasy, filled with so much trauma and a number of impossible loves. My heart was in my throat the entire way through, even though I’d already dived into the aftermath, thanks to ATOGAM. But to actually experience these events first-hand? To witness the events that forged Chrome into who (and what) he’s become? Holy guacamole. His trauma is pitch black, and I couldn’t help but cry for everything he’s forced to endure.
This incredible fantasy not only highlights the importance of mental health, but the need for a support network. Without it, these characters couldn’t survive. And truthfully? I’m the first to admit I’m the same way. Chrome and Slate would go to the ends of the earth for each other, just as they would for Gray. I love how DeVore dives into these connections, exploring their strengths and weaknesses! The Embrace of Steel & Sorrow is murky with danger, and every interaction has the potential to hurt. I couldn’t stop reading, because I was aching for just one page of happiness. Just one! Maybe even a sentence, if it’s not too much trouble?! K. L. DeVore truly is a queen of dark fantasy.
I so badly want to tell you everything. I really do, because I need to let this inner fangirl out. But I don’t want to give away too much, as you’ll already have some spoilers ahead of you if you haven’t read ATOGAM. Let me just be clear about one thing, and then I’ll carry on… K. L. DeVore needs to be one of your auto-buy authors if you love dark fantasy, urban fantasy or romantic fantasy. Whichever sub-genre you love, or even if it’s all of them? You will thank me for telling you to do this!
Downside:
There is no downside for this exquisite story.
Final Thoughts:
The Embrace of Steel & Sorrow by K. L. DeVore is a dark urban romantasy full of magic, trauma and impossible dreams. I so, so badly want to read more in this world! Have I got notifications on, for when DeVore releases new books on Amazon? Of course I do! Until then, I think I’ll just have to go back to A Touch of Gold & Madness for another dose of magnificence. If you love what you’ve heard from my review? Just click on the link below to grab a copy of this wonderful tale! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can order The Embrace of Steel & Sorrow via this link: Amazon
