4.25 stars

Very little actually happens in the book, but it's a fantastic romantasy. There's a lot of travelling and longing looks, so if you're looking for a book with an intricat plot then this wouldn't be the book for you.

However, if you're looking for a romantasy where a Warrior, Assassin and Princess (MMF) fall for each other then this is definitely the book for you!

I devoured this book in under 24 hours and had a wonderful time doing so. The main focus of the book is the three main characters (it's multi-POV):

Princess Jory, who has been bethroed to King Maddox Kyronan in exchange for military support for her kingdom, and is best friends Asher.

Maddox Kyronan, a warrior king who has bethroed himself to Princess Jory in exchange for access to weather controlling magic to help his kingdom.

Asher, an assassin and childhood friend of Princess Jory who receives order to kill the King and the Princess.

The romance is set to the backdrop of kingdom politics, but it's very much in the background. You learn information as the story progresses and there's enough that there's an overarching plot, but the focus very much is the growing relationship between the three characters.

Usually in a multi-POV book I come to favour as specific POV, but that wasn't the case in Warrior Princess Assassin. They are all such different characters, with very different histories and personalities, so I loved seeing their individual perspectives.

Honestly, the fact that it's a multi-POV romantasy should be shouted from the rooftops. It's really refreshing to actually understand what the MMCs are thinking and feeling.

I will definitely be continuing with this series, I had such a fun time! I want to see how the relationships continue to unfold and the overarching plot that's happening in the background peaked my interest throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

Two royals; Princess Jory of Astranza and King Maddox Kyronan aka Ky are pushed into a political engagement. King Ky has fire magic that will reinforce Astranza’s armies and Jory’s father, the King of Astranza, with his ability to manipulate the weather, shall be able to help the land of Ky’s kingdom flourish and provide his people with food. But nothing is as it seems and Jory’s childhood best friend, Asher, an assassin, gets thrown into the story as well.

This story is very character driven and it’s something I really loved at the beginning. We get the POV’s of the tree main characters; Ky (the warrior), Jory (the princess) and Asher (the assassin). I really enjoyed getting their différent point of views and being able to learn a lot about Ky, Asher and Jory. To me, Asher and Ky were the most interesting characters and my heart broke learning about Asher’s past 🥹

I also really enjoyed the fact that this book is a ‘why choose?’ and doesn’t fall into the more traditional ‘love triangle’ category.

Sadly, you very quickly discover their pasts and the story lacks depth. Jory in particular felt very one dimensional as a very sheltered and naive princess. The three différent POV’s also become very repetitive and it feels we are reading the same inner monologues over and over again.

Even though this book is an adult book, it has spice, it reads very YA and the characters feel very young and they lack complexity. The world building is very minimal but as it’s the first book of a series I’m sure we will learn more in the next books.

Even though the romance between the main characters can be considered a slow burn; it still falls in the ‘insta lust’ category.

This story had great potential and just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advanced copy of this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I thought I was done with Romantasy as I had gotten tired of the same storylines and toxic relationships. This however, I really enjoyed. Not only do all three prinicipal characters feel unique and well developed but the three POV's also work beautifully with each other. Even the side characters each had their own distinct personality and back stories. There was also a decent buildup to the relationship starting to form, no instalove to be found here. I also enjoyed the underlying story, and will eagerly await the next instalment.

This book had all of the tropes that I absolutely love - why choose, marriage of convenience, forbidden romance and just a dash of tragic backstory and trauma. I loved that we got POV’s from all three characters, the warrior, the princess and the assassin - it shows that all three are pivotal to the story and one character is not less to the others.

Was there predictable elements in this book? Yeah, but I still had a really great time with this book and it has kept my attention enough to want to tune in to the next book and see where the storyline goes - along with how the relationship between Jory, Asher and Ky develops further. Rated 3.75 ⭐️ as I feel it fell *just* short of 4⭐️ for me but rounded up.

It's books like Warrior Princess Assassin that make me regret being an ARC reader; the book hasn't even released yet, which means book #2 is no where near being on the horizon, and I can't possibly wait that long for the story to continue.

I loved everything about this book, Absolutely everything.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was ecstatic when I started my trip into the Kingdom of Astranza. I was gripped by the drama Prince Dane started. I immediately wanted to know whether his sister Princsss Marjoriana ‘Jory’, would accept her marriage to King Maddox Kyronan. I was thrown for a loop when she had all the feelings for her long time BFF, Asher the assassin. I started kicking my feet when there was an instant attraction between Jory and Ky and enjoyed the sizzling slow burn. Then I was kicked and stumbled when this turned into a throuple 🤣 I was caught unaware and haven’t ever read a “why choose”. With that being said, I really enjoyed the writing and the story 🙌🏼! I needed to know where the kidnapping went, what would come of the magic (which I couldn’t figure out - is it only for royal blood?), would Draegonis attack, how the hell would everything fall into place? I loved all the silly little tidbits and the banter, and I NEEDED to get to the ending!
*I am so grateful to @brigidkemmerer and NetGalley for my ARC, and the opportunity to read and review this book prior to release. It’s available on 12Aug2025!* HarperCollins
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Warrior Princess Assassin is a deeply character driven romantasy that had me utterly hooked. I went in blind, expecting the usual fare, but what I found was an unexpected gem that quietly stole my heart.

It’s the richly drawn characters that bring this story to life. Each one is distinct and multidimensional, with relationships that evolve in subtle, often surprising ways. Watching the dynamics shift, alliances deepen and tensions simmer was half the thrill.

The plot itself doesn’t gallop off at breakneck speed. It’s more of a slow burn, letting the characters take centre stage, and I was absolutely here for it. The story may not stray far from its starting point, but the emotional depth and character growth make every page worth savouring.

All in all, I devoured it. Sometimes it's the quieter tales that leave the loudest echo.

A perfect read for fans of slow burn romantasy with complex characters and simmering tension.

This is my first Brigid Kemmerer title, though I have seen her books around for a long time! Mostly, I enjoyed this book. I liked how the characters felt mostly individual and each of their chapters held my attention. The story was simple and easy to follow
I do feel like this story still feels a bit juvenile despite it being her branch out into adult (if I’m remembering correctly?) though there are some darker backstories and subjects touched on, the characters felt a lot younger than their ages, during their interactions and inner monologues
There wasn’t a lot of depth to the story, it’s okay for the general reader and honestly sometimes you’ll need a book like that but I’m not gripped enough with the information we were given
Honestly, I would not pick up the second book if it wasn’t for the romance, the story is pretty vague, and predictable, I believe this is going to be a trilogy and I could map out basically where the story is going (unless the author does a complete 180 on us)
I’m not 100% sure I’ll pick up the next one
Thank you for this arc!

Slow burn? More like slow torture—in the best possible way.

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟
Thank you HarperCollins UK for the eARC ❤️‍🔥

Warrior Princess Assassin delivers a triple threat: a fire-wielding king with secrets, a runaway princess with a spine of steel, and an assassin ex-bestie with killer instincts (and maybe feelings 👀). The tension? Immaculate. The angst? Delicious. And when the spice finally hits—it hits.

Brigid Kemmerer gives us a romantasy that’s equal parts magic, betrayal, and steam. The political drama had me hooked, the emotional buildup had me screaming into a pillow, and the chemistry between these three? Let’s just say if “Why Choose?” ends up on the menu... I’ll be seated.

Knocked off half a star only because I wanted a little more oomph earlier on—but by the end? I was fully feral.

Read this if you're into slow-burn longing, morally gray chaos, and a trio that makes you forget how to breathe

A fantastic new offering from Brigid Kemmerer!

As she so often does, Kemmerer transports us to a kingdom on the brink of collapse - where civil unrest is rising, treachery is rife and our characters must decide the sacrifices they're willing to make to save their people.

Princess Jory is expected to wed a King from the neighbouring land, known for his ferocity and the brutality of his fire magic. Having been excluded from the marriage negotiations, she has been left in the dark as to the expectations of the King, but her own cruel brother expects her to dutifully play her part and accept his proposal regardless.
Faced with the prospect of leaving behind her childhood best friend, now an assassin, she dreads the arrival of the fire king and her removal to a foreign kingdom.

Secrets, betrayals, hidden motivations - there are tonnes of twists in this one - and none of the characters are sure who they can trust.
It's a very character led book - while there are outside influences, its really the dynamics between the three leads that are propelling the story. With POVs from all three of them, it's interesting to see their motivations at play, and how their distrust of each other creates conflict.

This is an adult offering from Kemmerer, despite having similar themes to her earlier fantasy books. There are trigger warnings - frequent mentions of torture and injury, sexual abuse, slavery - as well as a steamy sex scene (though not particularly graphic in language). Definitely not recommended for younger YA readers.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Harper Collins - so thanks to them, to Kemmerer and to NetGalley for the chance to read ahead of release.

3⭐️(being generous bc the setup had potential and I loved the concept)
🔥 Spice: slowwwwwww burn, low on-page steam
🗡️ Tropes: arranged marriage, love triangle (ish) ( WHY CHOOSE) , political intrigue, morally gray assassin ex

Okay. So. I wanted to love this. I really did. The concept? Chef’s kiss. Fire magic, fading weather powers, a marriage alliance with ✨tension✨, and a morally gray assassin who’s clearly still in love with his childhood bestie? GIVE IT TO ME.

But this book… dragged. Like DRAGGED. Like, I was mentally speed-walking while the plot was taking a slow horse-drawn carriage through molasses. It’s the slowest of slow burns and not in the delicious “oh god just kiss” way. More like, “are we… still in act one??”

Now let’s talk about the FMC. Jory. BABE. You are a princess, a diplomatic chess piece, and yet somehow?? SO NAIVE. I mean… painfully inexperienced in literally everything. I get the sheltered thing, but this felt like a grown woman written with the brain of a 15-year-old. I wanted to root for her, I really did, but I was too busy yelling “girl, PLEASE” into the void.

As for King Ky? Hot, broody, tragic backstory. Fire magic daddy vibes. Carried most of this book on his back, tbh. And Asher, the assassin ex-bestie, was probably the most interesting character and he wasn’t even on page that much until way later.

The last 5%??? Absolute chaos. All the action, the emotions, the secrets, the spice (ish?) finally hit. Like someone slammed the gas pedal after idling for 400 pages. WHY wasn’t this energy sprinkled throughout??

Will I read book 2? I might, just to see where that ending goes. But you bet your ass I’ll be skimming like my life depends on it.

Thank you @netgalley & Harper Collins for the e-ARC of this book. The opinion i leave is my own

It is an interesting read that combined magic, political scheming, betraying, and complex emotions all in one.
The story is told via multiple POV's that catches perfectly the plethora of emotions and decisions by the characters.
— Jory is a princess who is bound to her duty to save her people by marrying and making a profitable alliance with a king notorious for his ruthless reputation. But things are not what they seem, and under that hard exterior, she is surprised by what she finds when she meets him.
— King Maddox will do anything to save his kingdom from hunger and his alliance with princess Jory and her kingdom should be the answer until secrets, political scheming, and complications get in the way of his plans.
— Asher is a former nobleman with a tough past that leaves him no choice but to become a paid assassin so he can survive the harsh reality surrounding him. The only bright light in his world is his love and friendship with Jory. I swear his story crushed me and made me so fond of him.
So different from one another, and yet, they fit so perfectly together like pieces of a puzzle that cover the complex emotional needs and complete each other and were intriguing to witness.
The way Maddox and Asher bonded through understanding trauma and the way Asher and Jory bonded through purity and what he is in her eyes no matter what. Ending with how they both not only didn't chastise her for being shielded all her life, but protected and loved her instead. I haven't read a polyamorous book until now, but I was surprised how well it was made.
Still plenty of questions to be answered and both their kingdoms in danger, it will be interesting to see how the story will unfold.

(More links to reviews and social media post will be added here near release date)

Thank you to Brigid Kemmerer, HarperVoyager, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

This is what I call ‘fairyloot fodder’ - it’s a poorly executed ‘adult’ fantasy with an oversimplified YA writing style and smut thrown haphazardly in. Characterisation made no sense, pacing was non-existent, and the plot was bad.

So, I couldn’t put this book down but I also feel that not a lot really happened 😂
As hinted by the title, this is a very character led book. Most of the book is moving from one place to another but through the different perspectives of the titular characters Warrior, Assassin, Princess.
I found the concept really compelling with an unexpected but welcome why choose element, which surprised me as I’m not usually a fan of why choose.
The star of this book for me is Asher who i just want to wrap up and keep safe at all times. I really liked Jory, but found the constant referring to her innocence a bit jarring. It made sense in the story but it didn’t sit well with me. Ky is intriguing and it was interesting see his character develop and learning how he ticks. All three are flawed and deeply loving characters, which I think is a winning combo!
I really enjoyed the experience of reading this hence the 4 stars but I do feel some bits were lacking. Saying that, I will most likely definitely read book 2!

ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ʜᴀɪʀᴘɪɴ?
ᴏʀ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴇʏᴇs sᴀғᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴛɪᴍᴇ?

❓ What’s the last Romantasy you’ve read?

Thank you so much to @harpervoyager_uk @brigidkemmerer for the arc of this book which I totally loved.

I was kinda in a slump mainly due to work but I decided to read this on holidays and guys I devoured this book.

The tension. The romance. The characters. The bickering. Are we really enemies trope. Why choose

I loved this. The 3 characters are so different in their own way with their personal traumas and they need each other to overcome their struggles.

The princess. She’s a force. She doesn’t know how strong she is until she leaves the palace and a certain king kinda of push her to be rebellious 😂

The king and the hunter my babies. They are perfection 💖 the understand each other perfectly and she needs both of them at the same time for different reasons.

Pheeew, the tension between the three main characters was scorching.

I really enjoyed the characters, their connections and the slow burn romance. The plot was fifty-fifty for me. Sometimes I was really invested and loving it, then the next I was bored which upset me because this has so much potential. The writing was beautiful but I think there was too much detail in scenes and not actually a lot happening and as we got closer to the end, there was a lot of repetitive sentences and it ended so abruptly?

I mean, obviously we're getting a second book and yes I will be reading it because I need to know what happens next, and also I found the budding romance between the three of them so intriguing and hottt!! I will be on that next book like Ky, Asher and Jory are on each other *wink wink*

Really enjoyed this. The world building was pretty vague but the storytelling was good enough that it didn't overly matter. Looking forward to book 2.

Warrior Princess Assassin is an adult romantasy debut by Brigid Kemmerer, following the story of Princess Jory, her childhood best friend Asher and Ky, the king she has been promised to. I think that it is very important to know going into this book that it is a poly romance, which is the main reason why I was so excited to read it!

The only Brigid Kemmerer fantasy book I had read prior to starting this one was A Curse So Dark and Lonely, which I DNFed, so I was somewhat sceptical going into Warrior Princess Assassin. I am so glad that I gave it a chance because I was hooked from the very first chapter! I cannot stop thinking about this book even days after finishing it and I am already so tempted to go back to the beginning and read it again. Warrior Princess Assassin is officially my favourite book ever!

I love literally everything about this book! The romance was full of angst and had me on the edge of my seat. The magic system was very intriguing and I am looking forward to it being expanded on in the sequel. The world building was not too intricate but kept me fully engaged and excited to find out more. The characters were beautifully written and I really enjoyed their growth throughout the events of the book.

There are not enough words in the English language for me to express how much I adore this book! I want to give it a thousand stars out of five!

I am beyond excited for the sequel but in the meantime, I fully intend on reading Warrior Princess Assassin again at least ten more times!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The characters are written so well I fully feel connected to Asher, Ky and Jory. I love all three separately and together and I absolutely cannot wait to read more about them in the next book.

Asher's story is heart breaking but seeing him heal is beautiful. Ky is going through so much its great to see him finally get help. Jory is sheltered but clearly has fight in her that I cannot wait to see come out.

This was a great first book in the series, I am invested in these characters and I cannot wait to see where the story takes them and how they each continue to work well together as a trio 😍

I usually don't enjoy a why choose, but usually it's because the characters have no depth. That is not the case here, all three of them clearly need and help each other. I want all three of them to be happy and I'm so glad I gave this a try 🥰

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

BRIGID! I am a melted puddle on the floor clutching my pearls.

When I say this was un-put-downable that is not just hyperbole, I devoured this book in hours of picking it up. The pacing was super fast, the tension was high and those inter character relationships were spicy even when they weren't being ✨spicy✨ (iykyk)

This book comes with a few TWs, I did feel they were explored well though, personally but at the same time with that exploration they were realistic, so just check those out if you need to and read safely.

I liked the princess, although not being my particular type of FMC I appreciated the journey she went on in the plot of this book. She genuinely seemed to grow...in some ways!

The two MMC's in my opinion are my stars. I'm a sucker for true enemies and these two really like to go at each other at times. Just adds great contrast to the other half of the enemies to lovers coin. 🤌

The time frame is short across the book, which if you like a slow burn, might not be your initial thing, but again, it's fantasy, they are at peril, you gotta crack on with your life! It didn't hinder my enjoyment of their journey and discoveries as they unpick the dangers they're all in together.

In conclusion, you get messy chaotic poly relationships, stabby feral but secretly soft cinnamon rolls and commanding HOT bossy royal alphas, what's not to love?!

Full reviews posted to GR, Amazon and Retails upon release.