Soft DNF'd this book at 40%. I was reading too many other fantasy series at the time and everything is kind of blending together lol.

ARC Review
DNF at 48%.

𝘞𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘰'𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯. 𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘧𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨'𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬.

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆

It isn't that I completely disliked like this book. When I started reading, I felt intrigued and enjoyed the first few chapters, getting to know the characters. And I did have fun! The idea of the story interested me and sounded like something I would enjoy, and I didn't want to stop reading. But the more I kept on reading, the more I began to lose interest. It isn't that it's a badly written book, but it just wasn't holding my attention and enthusiasm as it did in the beginning. 

What I liked:
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ  We're following a group of characters, and I liked the banter, jokes, and dynamics between them. It kind of felt like a DnD party kind of feeling to me, which I liked. Each of the characters has their own personalities and quirks which set them apart from one another. I especially really liked Kronk and Drazen, Runa's brothers; they were just hilarious. And the book itself kind of had a DnD feeling in general to me. There are vampires, shifters, dragons...And the language of the writing is kind of witty, smart and arrogant at some points. There are many backstories to be found in this book, and it kept me curious and intrigued about what or who we would come across. 
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ  There are also trials in this book. I'm not a very big fan of trials (it's not that I don't like them, I've just read them a lot now...lol, and I don't really like if it's like the main focus of the book), but in this book, the trials were actually that what was making me excited to read further.
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ The book is full of action and the pacing was quite fast. The world also feels very expansive and immersive and has that typical ''fantasy feeling''. It also has dual POV!


What I didn't like:
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ The main reason for me DNF'ing this book is that the way the characters were written wasn't really working for me. They're lusting over one another A LOT, most of the time actually, and in a way that irked me and was just too much for me. It just was...very descriptive, and it just wasn't my thing. I wanted to learn more about the characters instead. I found Runa and Victor in general to be quite aggravating. Runa is often arrogant and Custodis dominant, and although I can see why many people like them for that, they just weren't really for me. I couldn't really make a connection with them, so they felt quite distant to me most of the time throughout the story. I feel like the characters were missing other emotions besides lust. I feel like these days, a lot of writers like to write or aim to write spicy books, but if you heavily invest yourself into the spice of the books and (I don't mean this in an offensive or harsh way at all!) forget that you also are writing human beings... I feel like they should feel more than only lust and ''wanting one another''.
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ The writing was a bit too vulgar to me. It snapped me out of the story many times and made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

If you like fated mates enemies to lovers between a vampire lord and a sorceress, forced proximity, forced allies, found family, a DnD kind of feeling, trials, rich worldbuilding, and if you don't mind a more vulgar writing style and a lot of lusting over one another, then maybe this might be something that you might like! It just wasn't really for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read and review this arc!

Such a fun read -- I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, and I think having it be dual POV was the right choice for this story. The world building was lush and honestly made me jealous that I live in the real world (boo!). While the first 10% or so was off to slow start, after that I couldn't but the book down. This book got me out of a MAJOR reading slump so I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review... and Stephanie Storm for writing such a great book!

Things to see/tropes:
☆ Dual 1st person POV
☆ Enemies to lovers
☆ Fated mates
☆ Forced proximity
☆ Prophecy
☆ Found family

Spice: ★★★☆☆
Plot: ★★★☆☆
Characters: ★★★★★
Overall rating: ★★★★☆

General thoughts
It took me a bit longer to get through this book, but only due to my own lack of motivation to read.
The story itself was intriguing and so beautifully written, it wasn’t too hard to get into it. The worldbuilding was rich and described in detail that was easy to understand, though I must admit some words for things were a bit tough for me to truly get the meaning of and some phrases seemed a bit overused and a bit out of place in my opinion (chosen, perhaps, to avoid cursing outright).
I LOVED the dual POV. Both MCs had such different voices, it was such a pleasure to get into their heads and see how they view the world around them. Victor and Runa both were amazing, I love them both equally.

Relationships
Victor and Runa!! A hundred times YES. Great start, great progression, fantastic ending! The banter was so fun to read haha. Wonderful pairing, I just enjoyed their relationship so much.
Drazen and Kronk, best brothers. I especially liked Kronk! Even in the very end he was still so protective of Runa, I had to laugh out loud.
Speaking of siblings, Runa and her sister. Oof what a story they had! So much pain and guilt and resentment, all of what made Runa the person she was.
Runa and Yaga. Yaga was such a joy to have around! And her relationship with the kids and specifically Runa was truly something special.

The twists and turns
Overall, some plot twists came absolutely out of nowhere and some had hints in the story beforehand, which are both equally fine and still fun when they actually got revealed. The ending of the book was quite nice and a great nod towards the next book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Kingdom of Stolen Crowns was overall and enjoyable read. It started off a little slow for me but once I got to the 15% mark it picked up. I really liked the main characters and their banter was so good! Definitely a good start to a new series and will read the 2nd one. Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for the opportunity.

This was one of the most humorous romantasy books I’ve read in a very long time. I am really a stoned faced biatch most of the time when reading. I don’t cry or show real emotion often, but it's probably easier to get a tear out of me than a chuckle. Kingdom of Stolen Crowns actually had me laughing out loud. Which says A LOT about the way the author's humor translates through her characters.
The story follows Runa, a sorceress and a vampire, Victor, that she kidnaps in order to pay off a debt. And I don’t know what I expected from this story, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. This story really reminded me that fantasy doesn’t have to be so serious. Runa and her fellow bandits had me cracking up and simultaneously I was on the edge of my seat wondering how they were gonna get out of their latest mishap. (I loved that they were infamous thieves in their town but they always seem to be in some mess).
Their current mishap was kidnapping a vampire they truly knew nothing about. Then being forced to fight in trials they’re truly not supposed to make it out alive of. While simultaneously battling a mad king (and his queen) to save the kingdom they hold dear... I was SAT. Runa’s meddling brothers and foster mother, the crazed royalty, and the tension between the two (Runa and Victor) made this story fun, while also keeping it serious with the deadly trials and such. I had a lot of fun with their chemistry. It was palpable and steamy in parts which I LOVED.
One of my favorite things about this story was the different mythical beings that Storm adds to the story. It felt so nostalgic while still being current and fresh… I haven’t read a book with a brownie in it in ages. It also made me happy to read about a vampire again.. we need more romantasy's about vampires again.. and Victor Custodis had a lot more to him but he was exactly what Runa and her kingdom needed.
I truly can’t wait for book two in this series to come out in December. Excited to see what’s going on with Thorne and his dragon in Curse of Ash and Flame. And I need to discover just who he ends up with. I hope thier story is just as fun as Runa and Victor’s.

Hilarious and a very well-written plot! Loved the dynamics between the MMC and FMC. Always love dual POV.

This book was a lot of fun! It gave me Guardians of the Galaxy vibes in a good way (minus the space travel).

We follow a family of thieves who kidnap a vampire and end up on trial for their lives. This cast of characters is hilarious their banter and chemistry are unmatched, and I could really see it all unfolding before me.

I’m a sucker for games and trials, and these were set up in an interesting way, though I wish there had been more depth to them. They became a bit convoluted as the story went on.

The same goes for Victor’s character. It felt like he went through too many reveals or changes, which became a bit much. I enjoyed Victor and Runa’s banter, but once he discovered they were mates, his personality shifted — he became less playful and more protective, which I didn’t love.

Some plot points felt too convenient, like Yaga having planned everything and being unable to die. There’s a lot to enjoy about this story, and it was a fun ride overall, but it was also predictable at times and felt like it had too much going on.

Vampire lord Victor Custodis is banned from our world back into the barbaric land he once left. His aim is finding a portal back home to reclaim what he worked for so hard and long. This is harder to achieve then thought as he is taken a prisoner first by a gang of bandits and soon after by the false kings men. They were hunting the bandits which only aim is to end the rain of the false king, stop him from further steeling the magical power of the country and destroying all.
They all are part of a tournament where the winner will get the privilege to live. So the group needs to learn trusting each other to survive these deadly games and soon ignoring the passion between Victor and the sorceress Runa Starborn as well as their pasts is not possible. Will the group archive to free the enslaved kingdom?


I enjoyed the book and like the writing style.

That Victor is sentenced to be brought via a portal back into the world he once fled was a good start for me. So together with him we learn where we are. His past in this world is not clear only the info from his dead mother never to return indicates there is more in his past than he knows.
Runa Starborn is a sorceress and has a well hidden secret which soon gets revealed explaining why she feels so responsible for the villages which can´t pay the taxes the false king insists on receiving. I really like her character and she is good described to understand her actions. The relationship she has to the woman who raised here and the two men she considers her brother is a strong bond I enjoyed reading about, how they all trust each other and have each other backs. So Runa and her brothers are an interesting pair of bandits and I really liked the bantering between the siblings.
Victor and Runa don´t have a good start but during the book their relationship is changing, their feelings for each other change. That both are not aware or better not willing to accept how deep their feelings for each other is for me good and believable written. I like their bantering.

There are several big secrets and destinies which get revealed here.
The deadly games are a known trope but I like how it is used in here and how this brings our group to work and most of all start trusting each other.
We have different kind of creatures which live in this world so we have different strengths and weaknesses which are in my opinion well worked out and are good for the story.

So for me a good start into a new series with action, friendship, love and well worked out characters.

It was a fun fantasy tale and I do enjoy the trials and the tension between Victor and Runa! Love Runa's brothers too they're so cute. The storyline was a bit confusing at first, but after a few chapters (and twists) I was able to enjoy it. A pretty good start for a new series!

3.75 stars rounded up
This book offers a gripping mix of fantasy, danger, and slow-burn tension.

The premise, a disgraced vampire lord and a tough-as-nails sorceress forced into an uneasy alliance delivers plenty of action, magic, and sparks. The world is rich and intriguing, and the survival game element adds intensity and suspense.

While the pacing occasionally lagged in places, and some emotional beats could’ve hit harder. The characters, especially Runa, kept me invested. The chemistry builds steadily, and the reluctant partnership is one of the story’s strongest aspects.

Perfect for fans of enemies-to-allies dynamics, morally gray characters, and high stakes fantasy with a romantic edge.

A solid start to a promising series, I’m curious to see where it goes next.

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

Kingdom of Stolen Crowns by Stephanie Storm was simply amazing!
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I can’t wait to read book two!

An interesting fantasy world with high stakes and enjoyable characters.

This was definitely a good read! I really enjoyed the first few chapters where you get introduced to the main characters. The world building was done well and I never felt overwhelmed with information. Sometimes I felt like I would've loved a bit more information about the world because it seemed quite interesting but was only touched very briefly and on the surface.

The romance was nice and I get why people like the couple. For me though, it just didn't work. I felt like the chemistry and tension between the characters were lacking and I did not get any vibes, that they were fated mates.

Also especially at the beginning, I felt like the humorous and funny parts/thoughts were forced too much.

But in general, I really enjoyed the book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ok so this one started slow but once I was about 15% init really began to pick up. Highly recommend this one. Please go out and pick it up.

This was really good! Once I got past the first 10% I was immersed into the world building and characters. I really enjoyed the banter and dynamics between the characters and the plot was consistent which kept me reading and reading

What would you give up? Runa & her brothers have to find a way to make enough money to save the villagers. But they are double crossed by their client and now their prisoner has them all captured. Can they trust the vampire?
This isn’t where Victor wants to be he needs to get back to the mortal to take back his life. He knows that he needs to work with Runa & her brothers. They need to win the trials and find a way to escape.
Victor never expected to find his mate and that it is Runa makes things complicated. He just wants to go home back he needs her help to open a portal. But will he be able to leave her behind?
Do they have a future together or will the prophecy pull them apart? Could it be true that Victor is the lost King and he needs to save their home?
A good read. Interesting storyline. Good characters. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

YESSS! The chemistry and banter between to the two leads of this story was to DIE FOR. I am a critic of dialogue, and I get cringed-out very easily by poorly written dialogue, so I am so happy to report that this was great.

A Darkly Fun Fantasy Romp with Fated Mates and Fierce Chemistry!
I had such a blast diving into this adventure with Victor and Runa!
While it took a couple of chapters to fully pull me in, the opening leans a bit slower—the moment Victor’s POV kicked in, I was hooked. His chapters quickly became the highlight for me, adding tension, depth, and just the right amount of edge.
The dual POV is handled seamlessly, offering balanced insight into both characters and keeping the story dynamic. Once the pacing picks up, it stays steady, with the plot delivering enough twists and intrigue to keep the pages turning. The world-building strikes a great balance, it’s immersive without ever feeling overwhelming, making it easy to settle into the universe.
Although you’ll catch familiar fantasy elements, vampires, shifters, dragons, an Empyrean, and a brutal trial, there’s still a refreshing originality in how it all comes together. It pays homage to beloved tropes while confidently standing on its own.
What to expect:
• ✨ Fated mates
• 💘 He falls first
• ⚔️ Mild enemies to lovers
• 🏠 Forced proximity
• 🤝 Reluctant allies
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found family vibes
If you're a fan of fantasy romance with a good dash of action, strong character dynamics, and just the right amount of emotional tension, this one’s worth the read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75 (round up)

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a true enemies to lovers story with a lot of tension, banter, and miscommunication... Honestly, a bit too much of miscommunication, which isn't really my favorite trope and got a bit frustrating.

That said, I really loved the dynamic between Runa and Victor. Their interactions were fun and the chemistry was definitely there. But as individual characters? They both kind of drove me a little nuts. Runa was so stubborn, and Victor was just out here being indecisive and confusing for most of the book. It felt quite repetitive at times.

The second half of the book picked up a lot in terms of pacing, which I liked. Things started moving quickly, and it was much easier to stay engaged once the plot really kicked in. The worldbuilding was intriguing, the side characters were entertaining, and there were some genuinely funny moments throughout. If you're into enemies to lovers and vampire love interests, I’d definitely say give this book a shot.

This book is a fun mix of Dungeons and Dragons and the Hunger Games. In the beginning it felt like a band of D&D adventurers going on a high stakes adventure with a little bit of Hunger Games mixed in.

I have to admit, the beginning to middle of the book were my favorite parts. Once the stakes got a bit higher it felt like the book started to fall flat and somehow felt both rushed and like nothing was happening all at once. I also struggled to get behind the romance in this book and personally I felt like I was being told they should love each other and it wasn't coming across on the page organically.

Though I did love Victor, Yaga, Kronk, and Drazen, I really struggled to like Runa. She had a lot of good things going for her and she had her moments but I just struggled to connect with her as a character.

Lastly, and I know it's a bit petty, I absolutely hated the use of the word 'Flark' as a replacement for the F-word. Given the fact that people from literal North America are sent to this fantasy world as exiles it really stood out as a sore thumb any time it was used. Might have been a better idea to just use the F-word as changing it to 'Flark' was just a bit awkward.

Overall, the book was cute and it definitely had it's moments but it felt a bit undercooked.