I received a copy of Blood Iron and Bone by Sera Foxe from NetGalley. This romantic fantasy is the first book of the Lightbringer series. I loved the concept of the different worlds pressed together on top or below each other. The story follows Aurelia, who is a human and feels like she doesn’t belong in this world or with her parents. She hears strange noises at night that intrigue her. One day, she follows the noises and ends up in a different world.
The fae realm of Aithrim is kind of parallel to the human world. This world has been taken over by darkness, but there is a prophecy of a union of two fae that will help bring back the light to their world. Andar, a prince, and Lark, a high-born girl, seem to be the fae whose union will help their world. Andar feels a disconnect from Lark, who is supposed to be his fated mate, and Lark doubts if their match will fulfill the prophecy. They have always been friends, but the way they feel about each other doesn’t seem like anything fated. When Aurelia is drawn by the mysterious noises and ends up in Aithrim; there are revelations of their true identities and how the prophecy comes into play.

A fab story and well written. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. Enjoyed every second of reading.

I love romantasy and definitely found this book interesting. Even though I struggled a bit with the many POVs, the characters and storyline were captivating. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the series.

Fated mates ✔️
Spice ✔️
World building ✔️
Curses ✔️
Magic and fae ✔️

What more could you want?

I really enjoyed this, but my only struggle was that this book has a lot of different view points which for me was really difficult to keep up with. It makes sense in the end, when it all comes together.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review!

This book contains many tropes so it has a lot to offer in this romantasy. With starting this book I had to really give it a chance because there's six different POV's and more than one timeline, it's full of plot twists and slow-burn romance. I'm not the biggest fan of duel-POV's so six was a bit chaotic with just having been introduced to the characters in my opinion. It can be a fun challenge to keep up with the flow of the book if your up for that aspect in a story, especially because you aren't really made aware of who's POV your reading in every chapter. Also if you don't connect with a character your forced to keep reading about them to get through the story. This book is a whirlwind because it all happens within a couple days. I believe this story may be for some if these aspects intrigue you, but I wouldn't recommend this book if your looking for an easy to follow along read.

The world-building in the books is very well detailed along with the beings living within it. The side characters were intriguing which I always enjoy in a fantasy read!

I enjoyed this in the beginning, but as I continued it felt very predictable. I ended up not finishing. I may come back at a later date and try again, but for now this one just isn't for me. Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity of reading this.

When Amelia is drawn buy a stage call she finds herself in the fay world. Meanwhile Andar is due to marry but is conflicted as he does not feel that it right for him, but duty calls.
A wonderfully woven tale that kept the reader engrossed. The characters were well fleshed out and the storyline moved with a pace that kept the interest.
A great story by a new author to me.

3.25/5 stars! This was a good romantasy. It had an interesting world and I liked the MMCs. I just wish it offered something, anything, new to the genre. It felt predictable and like other books I have read. I definitely enjoyed it though.

I actually had no idea that I received this book as an ARC so now I’m sad I’m late to the party.

I enjoyed this book! The story follows six different characters and their perspectives. I am someone that is used to reading a lot of POVs throughout bigger fantasy books, however it was still a bit hard to keep up at times with which perspective I was following at times. However, I loved all of the characters and their different storylines that connected to the story!

I also enjoyed that this story wasn’t heavily focused on the fated mate romance (though it’s a central plot of the book). This felt more involved in the rest of the plot and bringing back light through the fated mates rather than revolving around just those two characters and the romance itself and that was refreshing!

Very thrilling, fast-paced and I’m excited for the next!

Was a fantastic book that i thoroughly recommend and will be buying as I need a trophy version lol. I enjoying the different dynamics at play between the main characters especially towards the end.

This was SUCH a pleasant surprise! This is Fantasy Romance with a heavy emphasis on the Fantasy. This fae world is rich and varied and the multiple POVs help flush it out even more. It's an ensemble story more than just an FMC and an MMC and they way it ends has left me ready for more. If you like The Cruel Prince series than I think you will really enjoy this one! Drink this book: grab something red but fruity like a carbonic Gamay for this one.

I did get a little whiplash from the multiple POT but overall did enjoy, Unfortunately, I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I would have liked but the plot kept me engaged the whole time.

I just adore a story with a parallel magical world! Aurelia had a perfectly boring, human life until she feels the pull of a parallel world and a handsome, mysterious stranger of her dreams. Immersing myself in this world along with her was such an adventure! The characters were well developed and the plot flowed at a good pace. The ending felt a bit rushed, but I am invested and anxious to see where this story continues. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting my an ARC of this book. All opinions here are my own.

Ambitious fantasy romance that bites off a little more than it can chew...

Blood, Iron, and Bone has all the makings of an epic fantasy romance—prophecies, fated mates, a cursed realm, and a sprawling cast of characters. The premise immediately pulled me in, especially Aurelia’s mysterious call and the hints of ancient magic and destiny. There’s so much rich lore and potential here, and I can definitely see fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout enjoying the familiar beats of found family, magical bonds, and high-stakes battles.

That said, the six different POVs made the story feel a bit too chaotic at times. Just as I was getting invested in one character’s journey, the perspective would shift, and it was hard to stay emotionally grounded. While I appreciate complex, layered world-building, the sheer number of voices diluted the impact of each individual arc and made it harder to connect deeply with any one character.

Still, there were moments that really worked—the atmosphere, the high fantasy stakes, and some great chemistry between key characters. I think this book will really resonate with readers who love intricate fantasy worlds and don’t mind keeping track of multiple storylines.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Blood Iron and Bone was giving modern Princess Bride meets Prince and the Pauper vibes and I’m here for it! The slow build up trying to introduce Lark, Aurelia and Andar was a little jarring. I really wanted the action to build and once it finally did, I could not put it down!

I related to the outsider feeling and just wanting to feel like you belong, Aurelia was the sweetest person ever and to hear what happens to Pan just breaks my heart. Luckily, there is a sweet storyline with Pan, so I was relieved.

Aife had me laughing so hard, she was the wisest smart a** in the world of Aithrim. I immediately need more of Cillian and Nova please! Overall, a great read and so happy for the journey they are all on and finding themselves and seeking their true needs, felt very validating for me. I hope to continue to see the series bloom and grow, definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Agency Press for the ARC!

I was sick when I was reading this and couldn't give a review in time, but honestly, I very wrongly assumed that this was going to follow the same vein of stories in the genre, I was very pleasantly mistaken.

The build up was a bit slow but the meat of it was pretty great, and this was a great book for the first in the series, this was a whole journey. I do have to say that this book should be marketed in a different vein because this needs to be read by more people. There's aN aspect of mystery and intrigue and the whole time I was myself trying to keep up.

The only thing I'll say is some of the changing POVs gave me some whiplash, but damn, I look forward to book 2 now!

This book could not keep me captivated. I would get sidetracked while reading it. I had put it down a few times. Just not for me

"I couldn’t put this book down! The story was gripping, the characters felt real, and every chapter pulled me deeper. Totally worth the read!"

I loved the concept - fated mates, the idea of a sinister fae world that actually took humans and exchanged them for changleings that just didn't function quite right in society, different types of creature like fae. Unfortunately this just wasn't for me - the first quarter of the book was very repetitive with too much telling not enough showing, and I really struggled to connect with the characters or beleive that they cared about each other.
If you like multiple POV, and slow paced books this might work for you.

What a good read! While it did seem average at times, Blood Iron and Bone brings very interesting back stories to each character. I did feel that the fated mates turned a bit into that desperation or insta love.
I will be continuing the series for sure! I look forward to seeing what's next for these characters.