Samara is a heroine who refuses to give in. She’s endured brutality for years, punished for a crime she didn’t commit, and yet in her coldest despair, she finds fire. Her journey from resigned prisoner to someone daring enough to bargain with the undead is emotional, raw, and utterly enthralling  .

Opposite her is Raphael, a chained vampire with a dangerous reputation and secrets deeper than his thirst. He’s the enemy of witches—like Samara—and yet he becomes her only hope. Their relationship is slow burn, layered with tension and mistrust that shifts, crackles, and ignites .

The worldbuilding is rich and immersive. The atmosphere inside Castle Greymere is oppressive—every page is heavy with dread, magic, and risk. The prison almost becomes a character itself. And yet, amidst the despair, there’s a fierce magic that pulls you in .

There are a few moments where pacing wobbles, and some magical mechanics felt slightly murky—but honestly, it barely slowed my heart rate. Because what kept me flipping pages was the emotional chaos: banter that made me grin, scenes that made me gasp, and an ending cliffhanger that left me screaming when is book two coming??

This audiobook had me questioning my life choices—and by that, I mean why I started listening at 10pm on a Tuesday when I had to be emotionally stable the next morning. Spoiler: I was not.

We open with our heroine wrongfully imprisoned (classic Tuesday), only for a vampire with the energy of a gothic CEO and a flair for dramatic entrances to swoop in like, “I’m your only chance.” Honestly, sir, calm down. But also never leave.

He gives her a job, which is suspiciously just “stand near me while I smoulder and make vague threats.” And you know what? I respect that.

Her mum? Tragically murdered by a vampire. Her taste in men? Still……vampires. Girl, I get it. Raphael is giving unhinged romantic threats and “don’t touch her unless you want your organs relocated” vibes, and I ate it up like the morally ambiguous garbage human I am.

The betrayal? Devastating. The twist? Rude. The narrator? A gift from the audiobook gods. Her voice delivered rage, heartbreak, and “I will not cry but I am crying” energy perfectly. She didn’t just read it she performed it like she’d been personally wronged by every vampire in the plot.

First-person POV? My beloved. Let me be the messy protagonist with trust issues and bad taste in undead men.

Would I listen again? Mentally, I already am. Physically, I’ve moved on to annotating the trauma in my brain. But if you love vampires, vengeance, slow burn chaos, and narrator who sound like they know exactly when to pause for your dramatic gasp go hit play

This story was so captivating! We have enemies to reluctant allies and then to lovers, forced proximity, high stakes and touch her and die. This story was dark and twisty and it defiantly kept my attention throughout. The Slow-burn romance was making me so giddy and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I live for all of the banter and tension between the characters and these two did not disappoint. I was a little sad about not having really any spice but I don't think that took away from the story. This was more plot driven with the romance as a subplot but maybe we will get more in the next book. the narrators did amazing and I really loved how they became the characters. I feel like not all narrators can do that and they did it well. Out FMC was quiet and reserved but so strong and we really see her character growth in the story. Our MMC was brooding and morally grey in the best way. I LIVED for it the whole time. I'm invested and excited to see when the author takes the story

I was completely swept away by both the book and the audiobook. The story is dark, gripping, and emotionally intense. Samara’s struggle for freedom and her reluctant alliance with Raphael, a dangerously powerful vampire, kept me hooked from start to finish. Their chemistry is magnetic, slow-burn, tense, and full of unspoken longing. The worldbuilding is rich, and the magic system felt fresh and original. The cliffhanger ending left me desperate for the next book! I listened to the audiobook, narrated brilliantly by Cecily Foster, whose performance brought both the vulnerability and fierceness of Samara to life. If you love morally grey heroes, found family, and dark romantasy, this is an absolute must-read (or listen).

This was a super fun and interesting series opener! I love a good well developed Romantasy and this book had many of my favorite themes. This is a dark, slow-burn romance filled with a unique magic system, political intrigue, action and an ending that had me begging for more!

FMC with past trauma, no power, enslaved and really just trying to survive/escape.
MMC is a powerful vampire, morally grey, dangerous, broody and does not let anyone get close.

Reluctant allies to lovers
High stakes
Forced proximity
One bed/horse
Touch her and expire
Prophecies
Secret identities

The romance was wonderfully done in my opinion. The tension, yearning, and SLOW burn allowed the plot to take priority and felt more "real" for me as a reader. Samara took a lot of time working through her prejudices of vampires and Raphael definitely tried to keep his distance. Once the pair started to give into the temptation, I was giggling like a school girl!

I am really excited to see where this story takes us in book 2 and hope we get a better picture of the larger world building.

Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Publishing for this audio arc. Let me stop by saying I thoroughly enjoyed the audio in this book. The narrator was great and added an extra touch to the story. And a big fan of vampire reads and this book did not disappoint me. I love the relationship between Samara and Raphael and the magical prison . This was a wonderful, romantic, slow burn story with a morally gray vampire who makes a bargain to not eat the one one releases him. My favorite tropes are enemy to lovers and touch her and die and they were done so well throughout this book. I felt for these characters and I wanted to know more about them. I will definitely reading the second book from this trilogy and I would definitely recommend it.

This audiobook was so easy listen to. Honestly, a slow burn with tension and a fun time. Easy to read but full of world building and angst.

I dont know how many books in the series this will be but i forego at least three. - because the second book is going to be a BANGER….lots of questions raised- lots of intrigue. This was a great time. I need more to read it because i need to debrief!!

This book was sloooow burn. Everything about it was slow burn. It was the perfect book as an introduction to the world of fantasy, with lots of character building. The narrator did a good job voicing all the characters. I can't wait for the second book because I feel things are about to get HECTIC.

Absolutely fantastic narrator! Enjoyed every minute I listening to this .

Excellent magic system! Very unique! Where can I buy a card for endless beauty or drinks that keep pouring !

It’s definitely a writer and series I will enjoy rereading, vampires , witches ! Now that’s what I’m into , loved the touch her and die and who did this to you moments .

Girl gone from feeling worthless and then gaining a new identity by escaping her past!

Would recommend this book for fans of Elise Kova. It had similar vibes and writing style !

Next book please

Samara and Rafael’s story is starts in a magical prison, where Rafael is in a cell and Samara is a servant forced there herself. They make a bargain, If Samara opens the cell Rafael must get her out of the prison safely and not eat her. Did I mention she’s scared of vampires because that’s how her parents died? And everyone has heard of one bed trope but let’s give it up for the one horse trope 👏 I love this trope so much. I am in dire need of book two because I saw part of the ending coming but not all of it and I am shoketh and need to know what’s going to happen next.

I absolutely loved the narrator. I was so engaged with the story and even though the FMC got on my nerves with her incessant need to list why she hated the vampires constantly, I had to know what happened next. I’m not sure if I would have continued the story if I had been eyeball reading it. The ending was very intriguing and I will most likely continue the series but will probably only continue on audio as I know if Samora continues with her incessant ranting then I will get annoyed quickly. Overall I feel like I have to rate it 4 stars just for the narration alone.

I devoured that book like a vampire devours their prey.

Sloooow burn.
Vampires and voids and I guess witches, but that shall come in the future.
Zero chili peppers for now which was great for me. But the tension. THE TENSION!
FMC and MMC who are true to their beliefs. She does not yield, my folks, and I think I adore that.
He's truly morally grey and she doesn't approve of that.

Great bulid up for the series. The world may not have been rich and it was slow in some moments, but it ended on a cliffhanger and makes me want to read more.

And the narrator! I loved Cecily's Foster interpretation and I on my hunt to listen to more books narrated by her.

Story was not quite for me but over all not bad.

I had a hard time connecting with the story. I can see though why others would really love it because it was well written. The narrators suited the story.

Dark, addictive, and full of slow-burn tension. This book had me hooked with its morally grey vampire MMC, magical cuffs, and gritty prison break setting. Samara and Raphael’s dynamic gave forced proximity a sharp edge, and the banter and angst were deliciously done.

The atmosphere was rich, the magic system creative, and that ending? Jaw-dropping.

🧛‍♂️ Recommend to: Fans of tortured vampires, “he falls first” dynamics, and romantasy with bite.
💬 Tropes: Enemies to lovers, magical cuffs, prison break, touch-her-and-die, morally grey love interest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narration, world-building, and storytelling were excellent. I'm very excited for the next installments—I truly want to know what happens next. The dynamic between those in power and those without was compelling and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book. A wonderful read, and I’m so glad I discovered this author.

📖 A Bargain So Bloody
🧚🏻‍♀️ Vasilisa Drake
📚 Kingdom of Dark Magic #1
🗣️📜 Cecily Foster

🥀A Bargain so Bloody🥀 is the first installment in a new Vampire Romantasy Series with some of my absolute favourite ✨ TROPES ✨ :

🦇 Fantasy Romance
🥀 Single POV
🦇 Vampire x Magicless Mortal (Void)
🦇 Enemies-to-reluctant allies-lovers 😏
🥀 Slow SLOWWW Burn🥵
🦇 Grumpy Morally Onyx MMC🧛🏼
🥀 He falls first and falls harddd ❤️‍🔥
🦇 Touch her and ☠️ (literally!!!!!)
🥀 One horse 🐎
🦇 Unique magic card system 🃏
🥀 Prison Break ⛓️‍💥
🦇 Secrets and Betrayals 🥀 Found Family
🦇 Vampire Court
🥀 Jaw dropping Cliffhanger!!!

I went into the story blind, didn't read the blurb, had no idea it would end in a cliffhanger that would rob me of a good night sleep 😭😭

This was such an unexpected surprise!!! I started listening and just COULDN'T STOP!

✨ The plot - INTRIGUING
✨ The pacing - LOVELY
✨ The narration - ENCHANTING!!

Vasilisa's writing was easy to follow and easier to fall in love with !

The main characters are beautifully flawed , and I love them for it !
🧛‍♂️ MMC Raphael is dangerous, grumpy vampire who is morally ONYX with a soft spot only for her.
🥀 Samara is broken, fierce, and refuses to bend—even when everything hurts.

And Gods was i unprepared for the ending (the gasp I GASPED !!!!!)

Sufficed to say , Book 2 cannot come sooner 😭

P.S. The narrator did such a WONDERFUL job with the story, making this book a 6 out of 5 ⭐ read!!!

Thank you so so much #vasilisadrake #netgalley and #victoryediting for this lovely ALC 💜

3.5 stars rounded up.

All in all, this was a decent book. I enjoyed the plot and felt engaged while reading. The narrator was <B>phenomenal</b>.

The book centers around vampires, witches, and voids (humans). There are vampire territories, witch territories, and lands beyond that contain other creatures.

I think the thing that annoyed me was some of Samara's decisions and inner monologue. At times, I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her for being so stupid, but then I had to remind myself of her past experiences and put myself in her shoes to make her decisions make sense.

Raphael, the vampire Samara makes a deal with, is the epitome of "touch her and die." He definitely fits in the "morally gray" box, making decisions according to his kind's laws and perspectives. He's a villain you can't help loving, despite his darkness.

There's a twist at the end that definitely makes me interested for book two. This wasn't a favorite read by any means, but it was certainly good enough that I'll pick up book two when it comes out.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Vasilisa Drake for an audio ARC of this book. My review is my own opinions.

Good story, characters and world-building but was pretty similar to other romantasy books I've read. I recommend to those who like this genre, but not many surprises.

Oh how i love a good vampire fantasy ! And this ALC scratched that itch ! Would 100% recommend this to friends and family

There were parts of this that were predictable as I"ve read so many romantasies, but it was still unique in its own and kept me entertained throughout! I am eager for the sequel to see how much devastation our FMC will cause knowing now what she is. There were times I was annoyed with her whining, but I can understand why she was designed so and can't wait to see how much growth she'll experience in the next book!