Court of Blood and Bindings is book one in the Fae Isles series by Lisette Marshall.
Marshall had created an amazing fantasy story with magic, intrigue, politics, and an absolutely killer couple!
The world building is so well done and thought out.
I found this part of the magic system to be so interesting.
Honestly, this is the best book I've read in a while. Exactly what I needed right now.
I can’t wait to read book two.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I really enjoyed this Arc of Court of blood and bindings from Net Galley. I rated it 4 stars.

It was an easy read with what felt like a fast paced plot, full of a different kind of magic system to anything I’ve read before!

Creon might be silent death but I thought he was a really fun and interesting character. The book had tonnes of quirky and likeable characters

I’m excited to read the next book in the series.

I'm shocked by how much I liked this book! It's perfect for those who love a morally grey male, sassy heroine, fae court politics, a quest against evil, and magical training.

Blurb: "When the empire’s deadliest fae murderer catches her wielding forbidden magic, twenty-year-old Emelin believes her hour has come. Instead, her captor spares her life and takes her to the Crimson Court, where the Mother of faekind has ruled unchallenged over fae and humans for decades. The Silent Death is supposed to be the Mother’s loyal servant, her invincible warrior, her ruthless, soulless killer. But in the shadows he is playing a game of his own, and he needs Emelin’s magic to win it."

First of all, the magic system is based on colors. I thought that was unique and I am excited to learn more about the magic in the next books. One of the hardest things for me in a fantasy is when the story doesn't grip me from the very start. This book did that so well! It was easy to get into and understand. There wasn't a time when I was bored.

Although the male main character was magically mute, somehow there was still fun banter. The romance was a slow burn that felt earned. Fake situationship, reluctant allies and magic lessons - I'm all in!!

Check it out if you like:
Magical creatures
Completed series
Mute MMC, sign language
Enemies to lovers
Spice (2 open door scenes)
Reluctant allies
Single POV
Slow burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited. A perfect start to the series - onto book 2!

I absolutely LOVED this!

Bit late to the party with this series but it’s brilliant.

It has forced proximity, enemies to lovers , touch her and die trope with magic, fae and a bit of smut to go with it 🖤

Ok, so to be honest the title for this one had me feeling a certain type of way. I'm an absolute sucker for A Court of somethin' and somethin' but I honestly feel like those books are often hit or miss, leaning towards miss. This is NOT A MISS! I was pleasantly surprised. Fantastic world building and a story that is not just another "ACOTAR Dupe." Please look past the title because this book was fantastic and can stand on it's own without the Court of Blah and Blah label. I also love that we've got spice, but not so much that it becomes a 100% smut book (which don't get me wrong, those can be SO fun). It rides parallel with the storyline instead of becoming the storyline.

This book will satisfy your need for the favorite tropes without being too tropey too! Definitely worth checking out!

I'm a fan of Lisette Marshall, and this was an okay novel from her. It didn't hold me like I wanted it to and I struggled to finish it. I did love the unique magic system!

This book has been on my TBR for quite some time, and I'm happy I finally picked it up. This is exactly what most readers expect when they dive into a fantasy romance or romantasy. The fantasy world is filled with fae and humans, and other to-be-revealed species. The magic system is unique, and I enjoyed the color-based system. I found that it opened the possibilities in how magic can be performed and the world around you manipulated. Though, I did wonder why the color drawn seemed always to need to be from clothing. Why couldn't magic be pulled from trees, grass, walls, dishes, hair?

Overall, I think many, even most, readers will read this and continue on in the series happily. It has the same vibes as all the big romantasy series, so if that is what you're looking for then you won't be disappointed.

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing with the series. I found the first 60-70% of this book a a bit slow to get through before the real action started up. My biggest frustration was the minimal communication between the main characters due to Creon's loss of voice and his preference to communicate via shrugs, eyebrow raises, and glares. While he does use written, and eventually sign, language, even those are limited to a handful of words at a time. This resulted in the vast majority of the content of this book being Emelin's internal monologues. It was just too much for me, especially since I wasn't connecting with her as a character and therefore didn't enjoy being in her head that much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this so much. Fake dating, only one bed, enemies to lovers, a silent assassin and a heroine who's so much more than she realizes. The magic system is so interesting and intricate. And I love when there's plot with my romance. A very interesting mystery to solve.

Overall thoughts:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

‘I was his weapon now. His treasured unbound little mage.’

‘If someone doesn’t know there is a choice in the first place, can you really blame him for what he ends up doing?’

Tropes: Magic, Fae, He Falls First, Enemies to Lovers, Morally Grey MMC, Fake Dating, One Bed

Emelin has spent her life hiding herself & her magic away. Until one night when her city is destroyed & she is kidnapped by a [gorgeous] winged fae male known only as The Silent Death. An enemies to lovers fae fantasy with political intrigue.

If you like the above, you’ll have a great time with this one. The writing was easy to get into, not too lore heavy. The romance is evenly balanced with the other areas of the plot.
It does initially feel like a story you’ve read before but the MMC is so unique that once he’s introduced that changes everything.
Whilst we’re on the topic, the MMC was my favourite character, his sarcasm, his true character was great.

Good banter & unique magic system.

I did feel like I wanted more from the ending, it really was a ‘to be continued..’ ending but not quite a cliffhanger ending, if that makes sense.

Thank you to Net Galley, Lisette Marshall & the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Did I just start a new and long romantasy series? Yes! Is the Wings and Fae timeperiod over? NO! Action-packed, magic and a well written fantasy!

A Court of Blood and Bindings is a great start to the Fae Isles series, we follow our FMC, Emeline, a human who has kept her magic a secret all her life, is captured by the Silent Death, a feared fae warrior. Despite his reputation, he spares her life and takes her to the Crimson Court, a realm ruled by the Mother of faekind. The Silent Death offers Emeline a chance to free humanity in exchange for her magical abilities. However, as she spends time with him, she begins to question his true motives and her own feelings towards him.

There are a couple of really unique things about this book that really drew me in, Firstly, the magic system in this book was very unique and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the colour magic, I just wish we saw more of it and more of Emeline's training later in the book. Secondly, I loved how Creon and Emeline communicated, it's something I haven't really seen done before and I really fostered a sense of comradery and intimacy in their relationship.

The plot moves at a steady pace, with plenty of action and twists to keep you engaged. I love a forced proximity, enemies to lovers trope and this delivered with those! However I felt it to be a little rushed at time and I think Emeline's decision were a little childish and infuriating at time for a 20 year old women.

Overall, Court of Blood and Bindings is a solid fantasy read and I'm look forward to reading the next installment.

I really enjoyed this book, I think this has been totally under-hyped. It’s currently available on KU along with others in the series so I will definitely be reading on.

You have a winged morally grey (or so we are lead to believe) fae MMC and a half fae bad ass FMC.

The world is really easy to get into, I love the way the magic system works using colour. It was easy to understand as you learn along with Emelin as she realises her powers.

I absolutely adored the connection between her and Creon with the non verbal language barrier it gave that extra dimension to their relationship.

It leaves you wanting more and thank goodness we’ve got more ready to go in the series.

If you like ACOTAR, spark of the Everflame or fans of Carissa Broadbent I think you’d like this too.

The tea ☕️

⚔️- enemies to lovers
✨ - magical powers
🦇 - dark winged MMC
🌦️ - grumpy/sunshine
🙋‍♀️ - single POV
🌶️ - 2/5 spice

Highlights - a glimpse of the banter from Emelin

“Oh, Zera help me. I didn’t need another demonstration of corded muscle and gleaming skin”

“A blush stormed my cheeks. Considering how little I wanted to do with his body, it would really be better if he just didn’t acknowledge I had one at all.”

‘First of all,’ I said, a stab of fury momentarily trumping my fear, ‘piss off. The name is Emelin. Second of all, the unhappiness is mutual. Third of all, to what do I owe this charm offense?’

This was a very slow read for me. The first half was very slow, descriptive, and repetitive. The ending was great though. I wish that we had spent more time in the Labyrinth and that it had been a larger part but otherwise a pretty good book

Little dove 🕊️
The slow burn in this nearly killed me im not gonna lie- but it was worth every minute!
I am completely obsessed! Emlin & Creon are just absolutely beautiful & I love that she’s teaching him sign language!

Also can not wait to read more and find out the last between Creon, Tared & Lyn 🤎

If you LOVED the SJM universe & the shadow hunters series you’d really love this series! Ive only read the first book & I’m totally invested.

There is something about this book (and entire series) that scratches an itch I didn't even know I had. This book has so many elements that make an enjoyable romantic fantasy book for me. The main character and love interest were perfect lovers to enemies and both are flawed in ways that made me resonate with their characters. There was lots of found family as well as a unique magic system that Id never seen done before. There is fae, vampires, demons, and many more magical elements. If you’re looking for something that’s a quick, fun, and easy read this is the perfect book.

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall is a beautifully written enemies to lovers romantasy. The Mother of all Fae's ruthless mercenary, the Silent Death, catches Emelin wielding forbidden magic and carries her to his home on the Fae Isles. As Emelin gets to know the Silent Death she discovers there is a lot more to him than meets the eye and he needs her magic to finally end the dangerous game he's been playing for over a century. The world building was very well executed and the magic systems were incredibly unique. The characters are well written and well developed. This was my first book by Lisette Marshall and I'm excited to finish this series as well as read her other books.

I would highly recommend this book to any romantasy lover, especially those who love the enemies to lovers and morally gray MMC tropes. Thank you Victory Editing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I honestly give Court of Blood and Bindings the highest praise. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I absolutely loved it.

Fae Fantasy/Romance is my favourite genre, though it can often feel quite similar across many books. However, this story was refreshingly different. The male main character reminded me of one of my all-time favourites in terms of looks and vibe, but he still felt wholly unique.

The storyline and characters were captivating, and I feel like we’ve only just scratched the surface of their development, despite getting so much depth in this first book. Even the side characters were intriguing, each with distinct personalities that left me wanting to know more about them.

I’m completely obsessed with Emelin. Her sass, bravery, and sharp mind really resonated with me, especially her inner dialogue. I also loved the dynamic between her and Creon—how they navigated their struggles and ultimately came together, not only for each other but also for their mission.

The world-building, especially the labyrinth, was enthralling. I can’t wait to learn more about the how and why behind it. The magic system is another highlight for me, particularly how the fae draw power. It added a unique element that kept me fascinated throughout.

This book had everything I love—romance, action, a touch of brutality, suspense, intrigue, mystery, and magic. It’s beautifully written, and I was completely immersed from the first page. The scenes and characters felt vivid, like they were right in front of me. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

This book was really fun and much less predictable and unoriginal than I expected. We follow Emelin as she is kidnapped from her home and taken to a Fae court where she has to act silly and frivolous to avoid death and capture. She has a classic enemies-to-lovers storyline with the Silent Death (incredible name and character, truly), and her inner conflict about everything she knows about him in tension with her burgeoning feelings rung true and nuanced. The worldbuilding feels both easy to follow and really innovative - I'm excited to learn more about color magic and how it works - and the side characters are interesting. I was a little confused about the connection between the gods and the fae, but I'm sure the other books in the series will shed more light and expand the universe, and the Labyrinth was delightful. I'm excited to read the next books in this series!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

At first I was a bit nervous it was going to be another cringey acotar knock off wanna be book but IT IS NOT!!
This has such an interesting magic system I wanted to know all about, I mean it’s based off of colours? How cool.
Good plot and visible growth of the characters. Fake dating BUT MYSTERY?! I’m always down for that and it didn’t disappoint.

This was an easy read seeing as I finished it in a few hours, once I picked it up I did not want to put it down. It was fun, with enough depth to keep your interest. It had the perfect amount of detail and plot without getting out of control which I found pretty refreshing. It gave acotar vibes but not enough to feel like a rewriting, just enough to give you the feel of stepping back into that sort of world.

The magic is unique and easy to understand. I felt Emelin was understandable in her mindset though there were a few times when I wanted to yell, but I find myself wanting to yell at a lot of characters in a lot of books. She was good at playing along and wasn’t the shy about herself or her feelings, which I loved.

I liked the relationship between Emelin and Creon was pretty cute honestly. I felt almost giddy a few times while reading their interactions, and I loved the aspect of him being nonspeaking. There was a twist that I did not see coming that really surprised me.

Overall i liked this book and can’t wait to read the next one! I would also highly recommend the audio of this!