In this book we follow Jory (a princess whose father has weather magic), Asher (her childhood friend turned assassin) and Ky (a King with fire magic). Jory has been promised as a bride to Ky (sight unseen) to create a much needed alliance - for Ky’s land (Incendar) to renew their crops and for Jory’s land (Astranza) to protect them against the invading force of Draegonis. However, as they’re meeting for the first time, Asher receives the order to kill both Jory and Ky. With Asher seeking to protect Jory, and Jory not wanting an innocent man to die, the two kidnap Ky and attempt to escape before another assassin can finish the job Asher wouldn’t start. The more time the three of them spend together, the more secrets unravel and the more the attraction between all three of them grows…

It was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed this book, which I believe is the start of a trilogy. While there definitely is a plot, I’d say it’s very relationship centred (although slow burn, which I love), and reminded me a little of the Captive Prince trilogy by CS Pacat. Jory was a very likeable FMC, she’s naive and sweet, but also brave and resilient. The two MMCs also make for a nice contrast, with Asher bearing the scars of his post-palace life, and Ky appearing to be the strong, calm and capable commander. It’s multiple POV and each perspective made for an equally compelling read. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to our trio in the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.

Warrior Princess Assassin sets up a promising fantasy-romance premise: a fire-wielding warrior king whose magic is consuming his kingdom, a weather-magic princess hiding the truth about her fading powers, and a former childhood friend turned assassin tasked with killing them both. Add in the potential for a polyamorous romance, and there’s no shortage of emotional and romantic tension.

Where the book succeeds is in the trio’s relationship dynamic. The slow build of trust, respect, and genuine compassion between Jory, Maddox, and Asher feels authentic and avoids the shallow “enemies-to-lovers-because-hot” trap that so many romantasies fall into. The emotional groundwork for their eventual romantic entanglement is carefully laid, and the mutual care they show one another is refreshing.

Unfortunately, the surrounding fantasy elements feel thin. The political stakes and magic system are sketched in rather than deeply explored, leaving the world feeling serviceable rather than immersive. The plot itself is straightforward, often feeling more like a vehicle to move the trio from one conversation to another, and at times, the pacing stalls. Those hoping for rich, layered worldbuilding or complex fantasy intrigue may find themselves wanting more.

If you’re here for the romance, particularly a well-handled throuple dynamic, Warrior Princess Assassin delivers. But as a fantasy novel, it plays things safe, and the lack of depth in the setting keeps it from reaching its full potential. A solid start for readers invested in the characters, but not quite the epic it could have been.

ARC review
Publication date 12 August 2025 (US), 14 August 2025 (UK).

"Warrior Princess Assassin" by Brigid Kemmerer is the first book in the "Braided Fate" series.

I received an e-ARC from HarperVoyager (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

As soon as I heard about this book I was looking forward to reading it.

What you can expect:
- romantic fantasy
- political engagement
- multiple POVs
- friends to lovers / enemies to lovers
- very slow burn
- banter and tension
- betrayal
- magic

In this book, the story is character driven and the romance is main part of the plot.
The main characters are so well built and I love them very much.
In the order from the title we have:
- King Maddox Kyoran - the Warrior - he needs to save his kingdom from hunger and makes a marriage alliance with the neighbouring royal family. He has fire magic and a ruthless reputation.
- Jory - the Princess - her brother negotiated the alliance on her behalf
- Asher - the Assassin - is Jory's childhood friend that also has feelings for her.

I liked that we have chapters from all 3 POVs and we find out a lot about the characters.
The warrior is not a ruthless as Jory thinks and I loved the friendship that she has with his soldiers.
He is protective of Jory and they have a connection from the start.
Jory has a great character development during the book. She is a sheltered princess, manipulated by her brother, but she is not afraid to fight.
Asher is my favorite character and I did not expect his story to be this sad.
The romance is building slowly and is full of tension, chemistry and banter.
I am glad that there is not a love triangle and that all the interactions between them are written with so much care.
There is a great balance between the plot, character and romance development.

I will definitely reread this book before the sequel comes out.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.25 stars.

This romantasy is HEAVY on the romance, which really is the main theme of the book - but that doesn't mean the fantasy elements are lacking at all. There's enough magic and courtly scheming to keep you invested in the story beyond the romantic plot, but definitely go into this expecting plenty of emotional and sexual tension throughout. The world-building is very intriguing, plus the plot is fast-paced and keeps you engaged, and although I predicted a few twists and turns, I'm still very interested to see where the story goes in the next book. From the get-go, this is *not* a love triangle, but a throuple. So if that's not your thing, give this a miss.

Content warnings: slavery, false imprisonment, SA (off page, historical), trauma, torture, blood, injury detail, graphic sexual scenes

This book was excellent, one of my favorite reads of the read so far. I've read and loved this author before but this adult romantasy was by far my favorite. I loved the three POV characters and the world created here. It was well written and I enjoyed the slow-burn spice. The book is why-choose MMF so if that's not your thing, then this one might not be for you. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 and hope the waits not too long.

3.5⭐️

Let me start by saying that if you love character building, you should probably buy this immediately because our big three are going through some shit.

Warrior - Ky is a king with the power to summon fire and a fearsome reputation.

Princess - Jory sees the world through rose tinted glasses. She's in for a rude awakening

Assassin - Asher has lived a tough life, I don't think anyone was prepared for his story.

The warriors POV was definitely my favourite. He's so in touch with the people around him, able to sense their emotions so well that its almost beautiful. A complete juxtaposition to how he is presented to us in the other POVs. I also loved his friendship with the soldiers.

Plot wise, there wasn't a great deal going on outside of the "people are trying to kill us" thing. But you can tell the author was very focused on making sure we fully understand who each of the big three are as people. Plus, there's a lot of trauma to unpack. In fact, you could probably write a whole prequel just on Asher's.

Let's talk romance, though. I would like to preface this by saying this was my first foray into why choose. I always assumed I'd hate it but actually I'm kind of on board. My brain is definitely hardwired to love triangles and having to pick a side. To be fair, I wouldn't mind if the boys ditched jory because I didn't love her as a character. It did feel a tad lusty to me. Particularly between jory and Ky, they both have a stronger emotional connection to Asher.

All in all, I enjoyed it. It was a very fast read and I do think i went into it with an idea of what was going to happen and it kept switching gears on me and it threw me off. I am definitely in the next one now that the plot has been set up. I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

DNF at about 50%

I pushed through half of Warrior, Princess, Assassin but just couldn’t stay invested. None of the characters clicked with me, the plot felt like a hamster wheel. You read pages and pages, but almost nothing really happens. It all felt very circling instead of moving forward. And honestly the people in the book act more like moody teens than adults. Their decisions are immature and a bit frustrating.

I struggled getting into the world too. The fantasy setting lacked that spark or texture I’m craving, and the magic system mostly bored me. I kept waiting for things to kick in, to feel alive or imaginative, but it never did.

I just didn’t connect with it. At the halfway point I realized I couldn’t see myself finishing it and gave up. Not for me sadly, but I'm sure it will hit for other readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

hear me out – a fantasy book with three separate povs and a love triangle? sign me up immediately

warrior princess assassin follows three characters whose fates become dangerously intertwined.

king maddox kyronan is known for his brutal reputation and destructive fire magic - but now that same magic is threatening to consume his entire kingdom. the only solution? a strategic marriage alliance with the royal family of astranza, whose weather magic might be the key to saving them all

princess jory knows how much her people need this alliance, but there’s one big problem: her family’s magic is fading fast, and no one can know. marrying maddox means saving her home, but it also means living a lie - and falling for the man she’s deceiving

then there’s asher a once jory’s childhood best friend, now a deadly member of the hunter’s guild. when he takes on a high-paying contract, he doesn’t expect to be sent after jory and her future husband. and he definitely doesn’t expect to have to choose between duty and the woman he’s loved for years

i love an arranged marriage trope, but throw in the protective best friend turned assassin?? yeah, i’m gone. the tension between all three characters was unreal — the chemistry, the complicated loyalties, the emotional stakes. you just know someone’s going to get their heart broken and i was here for every second of it

personally, i needed a bit more in terms of world-building - the bones of the magic system and political landscape are there, but i wanted it to go deeper. i know there’s so much more beneath the surface, and i’m really hoping the rest of the series leans into that more

4.25⭐. Thank you NetGalley & HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

I wish more romantasies would handle their romances that start off adversarial the way WPA does. I've grown wary of most books marketed as Enemies to Lovers, because more often than not, the two parties of a planned couple are antagonistic towards each other yet sheer physical attraction is enough to overcome that gulf. They begrudgingly stay together for Plot Reasons despite outright dislike and/or distrust stemming from each other, but Hotness and One Bare Minimum Decent Act is enough to to toss all that out and forgiveness to settle in. Oh and the heroine is quick to look past her ~hot~ male love interest's condescension or paternalism towards her.

But WPA appealed to me because it simply does NOT do all that above. Jory, Ky and Asher all have very valid reasons to be angry at, disapproving of, or feel betrayed by the other. Yet when they finally start to trust one another for feelings to set in, it doesn't feel like it's fueled by lust. There's so much empathy and compassion that goes into their interactions, especially when all three have experienced some form of trauma—Asher and Ky more so given their respective PTSD from sexual slavery and war. These two men are also gentle and deeply respectful to Princess Jory. Even when her ignorance stemming from a sheltered and privileged childhood is displayed, there's understanding and patience rather than being patronizing. They don't talk down to her. So really, when we finally reach the part when all three acknowledge that they desire one another, it feels earned atop a solid foundation of friendship and kindness.

What makes it all the more impressive is that as this is a polyamorous romance with a throuple in mind, I had to be convinced of not just one pair, but THREE, as well as the final One Big Interdynamic between said trio. And bravo, Brigid Kemmerer does it impressively well. Out of all the other poly romances I've read and enjoyed, WPA is the one that undoubtedly handles the development of the polyamory the best in my opinion. It helps that we get to read the POVs of the 3 main characters, which means we gain insight on how they truly feel about the other two at any given time.

This is a very character-driven novel. At this point of time as the first book, the plot is simply straightforward and it's very focused on the trio bonding and growing close as they journey from Point A to Point B to Point C. This reminds me of Behooved wherein both novels technically take place over a span of less than a week, but it FEELS more of a slowburn than many other romantasies I've read that take place for longer because of how much communication and validation there was, while properly addressing the source of animosity & tension.

Romance aside, the supporting characters of Ky's soldiers and Charlotte, Jory's lady-in-waiting, were charming and I liked them too. Save for Ky's fire magic that's utilised using sigils of some sort, the fantasy aspect here is otherwise pretty bare. But I came for the polyamory and was very satisfied by it so I will be staying for the sequel!!

What a great adult debut for Brigid Kemmerer!

Warrior Princess Assassin is a compelling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I was glued to the pages, anxious to discover what would happen next!

The book is a fantasy with mix of political intrigue and a very captivating MMF romance.

The romance is so beautifully written, Brigid Kemmerer has a way of writing characters that have so many layers that makes you instantly connect with them.

To quote a famous character on TV show " It's ok to love them both, I did". And this is exactly what the characters do, all three of them have a connection with each other. The romance it's a delicious slow burn filled with tension, banter and a side of trust issues.

Now for our 3 main characters, I loved all them for different reasons, but during the course of the book they managed to bring the best out of the other and helping each other healing.

The Princess: while Jory was very sheltered I loved how bold she was with both Asher and Ky. She constantly wants to improve herself, she doesn’t just want to be a princess in distress. She is smart and very compassionate. She had to face some hard truths but she rose to the challenge and tries to be better not just for herself but also for her people and the people she loves.

The Warrior: Ky was the most level headed of the three, always trying to see the bigger picture and trying to understand everyone needs. His camaraderie with his men was a testament of his character. I loved how he basically thought of Jory and Asher as a chaotic duo. He pushed Jory out her comfort zone and understood Asher’s needs.

The Assassin: Asher is a tortured soul that will do anything to survive. He had to go through so much during his life , but despite his circumstances he never gave up. While extremely intelligent he was also very impulsive and somewhat chaotic at times. I absolutely loved his character and how nuanced he was. He deserves the world, his healing journey has just begun but it was amazing to see how he started to open up and re establish trust with people.

I’m excited for the next book!

I will end this review with one of my favorite quotes:

"No one will take you away from her. No one will take her away from you. Certainly not me. You are free. But if this is where you choose to remain, know this: no one will take you away from me.”

Thank you Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I was very excited for this one!! It’s triple perspective - the Warrior, the Princess and the Assassin.

Ky is the Warrior - King with fire powers and a ruthless reputation. Entering into marriage alliance with Jory as he needs her Kingdom’s resources to save his people. Grumpy and lovable, fiercely loyal to his family, friends & people. Formidable opponent to Asher and verbal sparring partner to Jory, he makes her brave.

Jory is the Princess - war on the horizon and her Kingdom needs the protection of Ky’s, so her hand in marriage used as bargaining chip for the alliance. Sunshine character. Initially anxious about the alliance owing to the King’s blazing reputation. Surprised to learn he’s actually kind, not brutal and may be more to him than the ruthless warrior king. Sparks begin to fly, and not just from his flame powers. Also loves her childhood best friend, their paths may have converged over the years but her love for him hasn’t wavered. She has a hidden inner strength, protecting herself and those she loves.

Asher is the Assassin - Jody’s childhood friend who once lived in the palace but was banished. His characterisation is one of the most heart wrenching I’ve read. He suffered so much! Part of the Hunter’s Guild - until he gets Jory and Ky as his next targets. Main goal was to protect Jory, didn’t expect to connect with Ky along the way.

“Even in Incendar,” he says. “I’d find my way to you. King or not, magic or not, I’ll do whatever needs doing.”

Once the assassination plot is uncovered chaos ensues, with plenty of tension and drama. A really intriguing fast placed story.

When I realised she didn’t have to choose, I was even more hooked. The dynamic and tension between the three main characters was perfection. This was such a character driven story - they were the focal point, with the main goal being us learning about them and their backstories, rather than an overarching plot driven narrative. This made me fall absolutely in love with the characters, and their love story - as it was a slow burn with so much development. This provided such a good base for the next instalment, as I’m so invested in them.

Adored the side characters, so interesting with their own development etc. Especially Ky’s men - I hope we get to see more of them in the next one. They were developed so well and added so much to the overall story.

This has really great world building - it was immersive and vivid and kept me completely hooked.

I need book two immediately, I’ll be counting down the days till it’s released. This is a new favourite for me!

ARC copy provided by HarperVoyager & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The warrior: misunderstood, bit grumpy but a sweet protector under all that black armour.
The Princess: Naïve, but not afraid to stand up for her people.
The Assassin: With a troubled past, but will do anything for the people he loves.

This book clicked! The writing style of Brigid Kemmerer is just right for me. The way she writes when it comes to banter and romance feels natural, without overdoing of pushing it to much.

This book is more about the romance and the characters, than about the plot. Both of them, however, came into their own and leave room for more exploration. Excited for the next instalment.

Thank you HarperCollins UK & NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.75 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book, I’ve never read a ‘why choose’ story before, so didn’t know what to expect, but I was hooked the whole time.

There is fantastic tension and banter between the three main characters and I very much liked the three points of view we got.
Each character was so individual, each with a different background but all of them struggling with their present situation. I loved seeing them all try to learn to trust, not just each other, but also themselves.

I do love a found family trope and there is obviously some of that here, but I really would have liked to see more and I am hopeful there will be more in the next book. I also wanted to learn more about the magic system, as that was just touched on.

There wasn’t a whole lot of plot, this is very character focused, and honestly for the first book in a series I don’t think that’s a bad thing. We met the characters and learned about them, there was some great world building without it being heavy and there was a conflict introduced, so all of that is acting as a beginning for what will hopefully be an awesome series.
I am invested and want to know what will happen next.

Kemmerer has become a must read author for me and I when I found out she was releasing an adult romantasy, I pre-ordered it straight away! So, you can imagine my excitement when I got the arc! The main thing I enjoyed about this book was the three main characters, Jory is a lonely princess, about to be married to the terrifying King Ky, (the eponymous warrior) when her heart yearns for Asher, her childhood friend who's been forced to become an assassin. The relationship between the three flows naturally and I adored the dynamics between them. My favourite was Asher's POV. He's been through so much and still maintains so much heart and courage despite all he's been through. He's shaping up to be a firm favourite for me, though I admired Jory and her bravery, Ky and his kindness. The second half of the book did slow down a bit, but I can see it's set up for a formidable second book which I cannot wait to get my hands on!
This is a true must for all romantasy fans. Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

Warrior Princess Assassin is Brigid Kemmerer’s newest novel and the first in her new Braided Fate series. I knew very little going into this one, other than to expect a general arranged marriage set up and it wasn’t until talking to a friend I realised it was a poly romance (MMF) and that made me excited to see where it would pan out to.

The novel follows alternating perspectives of the Warrior (Ky), the Princess (Jory) and Assassin (Asher) as they attempt to navigate the agreement agreed by Jory’s brother (Dane) and Ky and try to avoid getting killed by an order sent out to kill Jory and Ky. Honestly the overall plot is quite predictable but that’s not really why we’re here. The tension and interactions between the titular characters is why we’re here.

3 perspectives? Triple the yearning and journey of self discovery. Especially because in the just under 400 pages I wouldn’t say much happens. They only get to figuring out their relationship properly around the 90% mark.

It took me a little while to get into this, partially because of a couple of writing quirks that stood out a bit in the first 15-20%. Couple of examples are Ky’s perspective knowing Asher’s name before they were introduced - really not that big of a deal but something I noticed. And a description of her as a ‘blushing schoolgirl’ - an interesting one as it caused too many questions in my brain about schooling in this world and then I realised it wasn’t relevant at all. But all of these had dropped away by the 20% mark.

Overall, it was refreshing to see a poly romance explored the way this was and I really enjoyed my time with it. I look forward to the next instalment!

Thank you Harper Collins/HarperVoyager and NetGalley for the ARC. My review is my honest opinion.

Brigid Kemmerer has somehow wrote a perfect book, AGAIN. The yearning and the falling in this book had me right alongside each character, filled with earnest love and hope.

This kept me on the very edge of my seat. I’d finally fixed my sleep schedule and then I started this book. I’m going to need more, like, immediately.

I am in love with each of these characters, but I am irrevocably in love with Brigid Kemmerer’s writing. I think I could read only her books forever and never get bored.

This book is. It is perfection, I feel. I devoured this, I destroyed my routine, I stayed up til 2am, I screamed in HarperVoyager’s DMS (even before I was lucky enough to get an ARC!). Magnificent. Masterpiece.

I need more immediately pleaseeeee!!!!!!!!

6 STARS MINIMUM

Why choose in a fantasy book done to perfection!!
To be able to write something so intricate like multiple partners in a fantasy book is worth congratulating.
I was hooked with the story from the very beginning, I enjoyed the plot and the fact alone that we have a plot, because sometimes we get the romance in a fantasy book but we forget the plot, and this book really balanced both things incredibly well.

I LOVE BOTH MMC’s so much and im so excited to read more about them, im extremely happy i don’t have to choose between them, ill never be able to.
I hope i get to see Jory’s growth in the next book because the potential is there and i want her at her fiercest.

The crumbs of romance, the way the cliffy left me looking for me and ME REALISING I HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT??? Ugh talk about a good book hangover.

I absolutely loved Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer — it’s classic romantasy done in such a fresh and unique way. I was hooked from start to finish and honestly can’t believe I’ll have to wait so long for the sequel!

The story takes place over just about a week, but every moment feels packed with meaning. The three POVs — the Warrior, the Princess, and the Assassin — are woven together so perfectly that I couldn’t put it down. The tension and doubt between them kept me on edge, especially as their fragile trust kept getting tested by those around them.

One of the things that really stood out was the world-building. There’s so much depth here, and our characters only see a tiny piece of it. I loved the thoughtful commentary on indentured servitude and how each character experiences it differently — from Jory, who sees it as a way to make amends, to Ky, who finds it abhorrent, and Asher, who’s lived through it and carries that trauma with him.

The romance is everything — slow burn, full of yearning and so well done. The way Kemmerer builds the trust between these three is beautiful, and I found myself giggling and totally invested in their complicated feelings. The ending scene had me absolutely swooning and desperate for more. Plus, the story doesn’t wrap everything up neatly because these characters are all working through their own pain, which makes it so much more real and compelling.

I will say it had a slower start, focused on character and world-building more than plot, but honestly that didn’t bother me. The characters are so well developed with flaws and quirks that my heart genuinely ached for them all. Asher especially grew on me — from least favourite to my top fave by the end.

The twist at the end was perfect and left me counting down the days for book two. Brigid Kemmerer truly knows how to deliver fantasy that hits all the right notes, and this one is definitely a must-read.

~2 stars

I honestly really liked the first 10% of this but it went downhill very quickly. We follow 3 POVs: Jory (the princess), Ky (the warrior), and Asher (the assassin hired to kill them both) - which sounded like a pretty decent concept but it was just so poorly executed that I couldn't bring myself to give it any more than 2 stars.

To start off with the three main characters were actually quite likeable but as the book went on I just found them more and more annoying. Particularly Jory who is just so unbelievably ignorant to what's happening in her own country - which to be fair isn't completely her own fault. However, she also acts quite immaturely (she's supposed to be 25) which was at times a bit uncomfortable to read about because it made the other two characters seem a lot older than her.

There's also the fact that this book barely has any plot. The majority of the story is just spent travelling from one kingdom to another with nothing especially interesting happening. Also, the whole book takes place over about a week which made the romance seem so insta-lovey and undeveloped.

The one thing I actually did like about this book was the camaraderie between Ky and his soldiers. They gave found family vibes in the best way and honestly I would rather just read a book about them (especially Callum and Garrett).

Thank you to HarperCollins UK for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.

I loved this. This was quintessential romantasy, but done in such a creative and unique way. I devoured this book, and can’t believe that I will have to wait so long for the sequel!

What is really amazing about this book is that it takes place over a very short timeframe, I think it’s just over a week, but it feels like every moment is important and everything they say and do is crucial to the plot.

This book follows three POVs, the titular Warrior, Princess and Assassin, these POVs are delightfully intertwined in such a compelling way that I couldn’t put it down. I loved the elements of doubt between them, and how the tentative trust they were building was constantly being tested and toyed with by everyone around them.

This was a masterclass in world building, there’s a full world here and our characters know about only a fraction of it. This also contained a very important commentary on how policies are framed. For Jory the indentured servitude is a way of making amends and moving on, but that is the only way she has been taught it, she hasn’t seen the direct impacts and hasn’t spoken to anyone who would be willing to tell her this. For Ky the whole idea of it is abhorrent, whether it was indentured servitude or slavery, it has no place in society and shouldn’t be tolerated. Yet for Asher, it’s been his reality for the last 10 years. He was shaped by it, broken by it and shamed by it. He couldn’t tell Jory because she wouldn’t have understood.

The relationship in here is delectable. I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout, because the tension? The yearning? This was amazing. This is definitely a slow burn, even though it’s only been a week, they aren’t able to confront their own feelings because they are shared between the three of them, and they are having to reconcile their lives with this developing relationship. The scene at the end was perfect! ‘Do you want me to teach you?’ Yes absolutely, I can’t wait for more of this. What I also thought was cleverly done, was that everything has not been resolved just because they are the right people, they are each working through their trauma and they all need each other.