Review: A Court of Blood and Sacrifice by Kay Marrie
A Court of Blood and Sacrifice by Kay Marrie is a fast-paced, imaginative fantasy that blends classic vampire lore with fresh character dynamics. The premise immediately drew me in. Our heroine, Lilah, is an orphan who’s survived years on the streets before being taken in by a farmer. Haunted by the vampires who killed her father, she dedicates herself to training and ultimately becomes the first Huntress in her kingdom. The concept is compelling and sets the stage for a gripping story.
Lilah starts off as a strong and determined lead. I was excited by her quest for justice and the idea of a female warrior rising against the odds. As the story progresses, she faces intense emotional and physical challenges that cause her to question herself. While I initially struggled with this shift, I came to appreciate that her vulnerability made her feel more real, because honestly, who wouldn’t falter when facing supernatural enemies? It added depth and relatability to her journey.
Nyx, our male lead and the brooding vampire prince, was another standout. I loved his name and his layered personality. Outcast by his cruel father, the vampire king, Nyx walks the line between duty and his growing feelings for Lilah. Though he isn’t the most powerful vampire, his emotional complexity and determination made him a memorable character and a believable anti-hero.
Overall, this book sits comfortably at a 3.5 to 4-star rating for me. There were elements that I truly enjoyed and a few that I wished had been explored differently, but that’s part of what makes reading so personal. If you enjoy stories with dark royalty, reluctant heroes, and themes of revenge, redemption, and hidden legacies, this book is worth adding to your TBR. With tropes like forced proximity, insta-love, and hidden family secrets, it offers plenty to sink your teeth into.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book! I was hooked from the beginning and I love the writing style and the characters I felt like I was right there with Lilah. I can't wait for the next book.

This is my read by this author, and let me say it did NOT disappoint. I really enjoy the paranormal/romantasy scene. In addition the take on this story is your fae fantansy that is intertwined with Vampires, Humans, and Other Monsters, with some magic.

The book is fast paced, easy to followed, and PACKED with story. I could not put it down once I started it. From start to finish there is something happening, or a unexpected twist, that kept me at the only one more chapter, us bookworm usually find ourselves in.

"Dont Underestimate a woman raging in fury. She might just burn your world down". The story is about a girl who watched her dad get murdered and then vow revenge. There is great character development and world building throughout the book, however I wish that there was more insight on the "Monsters" as I just want to know more about them, hopefully more to come in book 2.

Tropes in this books I loved:
🔪Enimes to Lovers
🔒 Forced Proximity
🧛🏻‍♂️ Vampires & Humans
🌶 Little Spicy
💀Touch her and Die

This one was fun but slow moving. Uncovering secrets from her past, finding solace in who she believes to be her enemy, and having her whole life upended is only the start.

This book sounded so good when I saw the description for the arc. Unfortunately I struggled with this one. It felt as if it started with this great layout and plot planned out but then parts fell through due to flow errors or rushing development of characters. I liked them don’t get me wrong but it just wasn’t consistent with the how they were and how the story flowed. I felt like certain aspects were really cool like the forest system. How it was not just living like normal trees and such but actively a part of the way of protecting itself and others. I feel like if there was more time for the character development and their relationship and not the same exact problem happening every other chapter then I would be able to get more into the book. I really wanted to love this book but it just wasn’t for me.

I appreciate that this was a quick read. And I love a good vampire story. It was a pretty basic book with not much plot or character development.

I am going to try to read it again when the actual book comes out. The ARC format was so hard to look at and I found myself scanning many of the pages instead of really engaging with the text.

To be honest I think this has a really good making to be a really good book, unfortunately it felt more like I was reading a fan fic for a book. I felt like I was not given enough information especially in the beginning which led to many questions and the time jumps so quickly confused me and didn't understand the importance. It was a hard one to keep my attention, but over all it has potential.

ARC:
The concept was a cool idea, but executed badly. I liked how the forest and trees had character to them.

The pacing felt all over the place and the characters lacked any depth and felt stereotypical. Lilah (FMC) wants revenge against the vampires for killing her father when she was 12 years old, so she becomes the first female guard for the Sunfire Court. Nyx (MMC) is the vampire and basically saves her and kidnaps her for his own gain and to make a deal with her.

The start of the book, I was enjoying, untill I got to the 40% mark the romance was too quick and she was blindly trusting him, when he's given her no reason too, other than he won't hurt her because he needs her for something even though he won't say what.
The same stuff started to keep happening again where they would get attacked by the same people - she would get held hostage by them - he saves her and so on. To the point where I was bored and skimmed read. There was no real high stakes because they would be on the verge of bleeding to death about 5 times each and had no consequences, when the people could have died by the 2nd time easily.
The ending felt very rushed and I don't think it was fully explained or shown, this definitely could have been a standalone, if it was around the 500-700 pages, if the pacing and the plot was better.
Goodreads: "Megan’s review of A Court of Blood and Sacrifice | Goodreads" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7590052884
Fable: Check out this review of A Court of Blood and Sacrifice (Blood and Vengeance Book 1) on Fable. https://fable.co/review/24d3d814-2e01-4a09-871b-546aacc46a77/share
StoryGraph: megan_r1

I had such high hopes for this story. Vampires, magic, and enemies to lovers are all of my favorite things. But this just fell flat. The magic was never explained, and the enemies to lovers was just not what I hoped for. And while the FMC was supposed to be a strong character, the first female to make it into the Queens Guard, she just kept getting kidnapped by the same people over and over and over. It made the book repetitive, and made it hard to stick through until the end.

ARC Review

Enemies to Lovers
Vampires
Magic
Slow burn


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️

A quick read! Very suspenseful! A little hard to get into a first but once the story line started to develop I was hooked!

Can’t wait to read what will happen next!

I loved this book! It was constant action and suspense. I enjoyed trying to figure out Lilahs story while she also was trying to figure it out. And Nyx! He will be every ones new obsession. The author did an amazing job with visuals and creating this world. Im happy the author left it open for more books. I will definitely be reading the next one!

This was a really fun read from the beginning. I read it in 24 hours. This book had enemies to lovers, yearning, vampires, magic, spice and trials.

The book was a little repetitive, but it makes it easier to follow along.

Overall, I loved the book and can’t wait for the next one to come out!

I did not put this book down! It was extremely good and very original! The author takes typical fae fantasy and intertwines it with Vampires. It's like reading Quicksilver from the enemies side.

Spoiler Free Summary:
The story is about a girl who watched her dad get murdered and then vow revenge. As she enters the army ranks as the only woman and top fighter she is suddenly kidnapped by a dangerous stranger where she learns who is truly is and who is really cursing the kingdoms.

This book was such a fun ride—fast-paced, easy to follow, and absolutely packed with adventure. From start to finish, there was always something happening—whether it was a burst of tension, a near-revelation, or a clever twist that kept me turning pages late into the night.

I especially loved the FMC. She’s clever, cunning, and just the right amount of stubborn—strong-willed without veering into immature territory. Watching her navigate the challenges, especially when it came to reaching the captured vampire, was such a highlight. Her creativity and quick thinking really stood out.

That said, I do wish we got a bit more from the two men at the camp—some deeper insight into their perspectives or motivations would have added even more richness to the story. And those monsters at the beginning? I couldn’t help but picture a creepy, evil Ivysaur (yes, the Pokémon) because the descriptions were a bit vague. A little more detail there would’ve gone a long way.

Still, this was an exciting, imaginative read with a protagonist I genuinely rooted for. Definitely recommend it if you’re into fantasy with a clever twist and constant momentum.

Spice 3/5

“The need to claim, to mark, to make sure no one else would ever dare look at her the way I did.
Mine. She didn't know it yet, but she was mine.”

The pacing of this book was so strange, I wanted to love this book but I didn’t. I feel like it gave wattpad vibes. I liked the characters but the storyline was below average for me. I felt like I just wanted to rush through and finish it. I wish there would have been more character development and less filler. There’s definitely an audience out there for this book and it was a quick read!

Tropes:
🩸Forced Proximity
🩸Enemies to Lovers
🩸Touch Her and 💀

Absolutely LOVED this book! It grabs you from the start and is one I could not put down! Cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

Review of A Court of Blood and Sacrifice by Kay Marrie
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4.5 /5 stars)

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kay Marrie delivers a dark, seductive plunge into the world of vengeance, betrayal, and forbidden alliances in "A Court of Blood and Sacrifice", the first book in the "Blood and Vengeance" series.

Blending enemies-to-lovers romance with the sharp edge of a vampire fantasy, this gripping debut sinks its teeth into readers from the very first page.

We meet our fierce and driven heroine at the pivotal moment that defines her future: witnessing her father's brutal murder by a vampire cloaked in black.

From that trauma, a lifelong thirst for vengeance is born. Her determination fuels her rise through the ranks of the Sunfire Court guard—the elite vampire hunters feared across the land. But just when she believes she’s on the path to justice, her world is shattered by the very thing she hates most: a vampire who turns her mission upside down.

What begins as a capture quickly morphs into a reluctant alliance when the two are forced to survive in the perilous and mysterious Dark Lands. The tension between captor and captive crackles with intensity—his arrogance and dangerous allure clashing with her single-minded fury. Yet beneath their animosity lies a slow-burn chemistry that will delight fans of morally gray love interests and emotionally complex pairings.

As secrets unravel and truths about her past come to light, the story deftly shifts from revenge to revelation. The author creates a richly atmospheric world filled with danger, magic, and emotional stakes.

~A Court of Blood and Sacrifice ~ is a thrilling start to a promising series—perfect for readers who enjoy their fantasy dark, their romance slow-burning, and their heroes deliciously conflicted.

I look forward to the continuation of this journey and the deeper truths yet to be uncovered in the ~Blood and Vengeance~ series.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the opportunity 🙂

3.5 Stars
This book had a promising premise with vampires, magic, and a mix of fantasy creatures, but unfortunately, it didn’t fully deliver for me. One of the biggest issues was the lack of world-building. The story throws you straight into a world full of supernatural elements without giving you the background or structure to really understand it.

The pacing was also uneven; some parts dragged on while others moved too quickly, skipping over character development. At times, the story felt repetitive, which made it harder to stay fully engaged.

Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s the first installment in the Blood and Vengeance series and ends on a cliffhanger. All in all, it was an OK read and hope you enjoy it more than me!

Thanks to Kay Marrie, and Netgalley, for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. (Expected publication: Jun 15, 2025)

Give me Twilight but make it DARKER!

“He was a monster wrapped in moonlight—beautiful, deadly, and mine to survive.”

A Court of Blood and Sacrifice by Kay Marrie is a fast-paced dark romantasy with humans, vampires, and other monsters. It's fast paced, under 300 pages, has great worldbuilding, and enough spice. Now it may not be a true enemies to lovers where it's drawn out in a 600 page book but it's enough! It's also refreshing to read a book under 300 pages where you get enough an dit leaves you wanting more.

Morally gray characters, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension, and a world that feels haunting and real. The main characters do have character development through out the book, which is great given that this is only the first of the series. I definitely think the author did a great job of writing this book and I look forward to the next one in the series! This is an enemies to lovers, slow-burn(not too slow) fantasy romance novel that I do recommend!

This book is expected to be published on June 15, 2025! Pre-order it!

Tropes

-Romance / New Adult / Fantasy
-Enemies to Lovers
-Dual POV - Mainly FMC
- Mysterious & Dark Vibes
-Beginning of a Series
-Easy to Read
-Vampire/Human Romance

Thank you to NetGalley and author Kay Marrie for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved the premise of this book, but at times the pacing was off and the writing was very ya. It was dual pov but it felt more in the fmc viewpoint, and more back story on the mmc would have been great. It kept my interest enough and i probably will pick up the second book but it isnt unforgetable. The characters need a little more depth, and the story more in depth.

Loved the unique lore of vampires and magic. A few twists I wasn't expecting. Can't wait to read the next book!