In A Bargain So Bloody, Vasilisa Drake delivers a darkly compelling tale about survival, forbidden alliances, and the thin line between power and vulnerability.

Tropes you’ll love:
• ✨ Forced proximity
• 🗝️ Escape from prison
• 🧬 Hidden identity/power
• 💀 Morally grey hero
• 🔥 Slow burn
• 🖤 Monster romance vibes
• 👑 Vampire king x human heroine

Samara has spent years trapped in a magical prison, sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit. When she learns the promised freedom at the end of her term is nothing more than a lie, her only way out is to make a bargain with the most dangerous prisoner in Castle Greymere. Raphael, a powerful vampire with a tortured past and a deadly reputation. He’s everything she’s been taught to fear, especially as one of the same kind that murdered her mother.

But beneath his bloodthirsty exterior, Raphael is bound by more than just the enchanted cuffs on his wrists. As their deal pushes them closer together, unlocking both his chains and each other’s defenses. Samara is forced to confront the brutal truths of the vampire world, and her own unexpected connection to it.

The slow burn tension between Samara and Raphael is magnetic. One of the highlights for me was watching Samara wrestle with her internal battle, torn between her deeply ingrained hatred of vampires and her undeniable pull toward their enigmatic king. She’s tough, raw, and real. And Raphael? He may be morally grey and monster-adjacent, but the way Vasilisa wrote him made his care for Samara pulse off the page. His promises (or lack thereof)🩸are a masterclass in emotional torment.

And let’s just say: there are hints dropped along the way that gave me a glimmer of what was coming, but even knowing that, the reveal still hit in such a satisfying way.

This is book one in what promises to be an intense and emotionally rich romantasy series. If you like your heroines strong but vulnerable, your heroes powerful but aching to protect, and your romances laced with danger, this one’s for you.

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT – Favorite Quotes from A Bargain So Bloody
These moments wrecked me in the best way. 🫶🏽😭

He snorted. “I’ve worked too hard to keep you alive to let some snow destroy you, dove.”

Raphael lunged after the vampire, baring his teeth like a wild animal. He lifted the vampire with a single hand. “Mine,” he snarled.

Raphael said the last words I expected to hear from a king. “Let me serve you.” I didn’t have the heart to admit I’d already eaten half my weight in chocolate, so I dutifully put one of the truffles in my mouth.

“Samara…” His thumb stroked the side of my face. “If you tell me you want something with a clear head, anything in my power, it’s yours. But not tonight. Not when you would wake up hating me more than you already do.”

Check the bottom right corner.—R

“Samara, if you tell me you want something, I will do what I can to please you. Why do you struggle to believe that?”

“Samara, there is nowhere in this world I would not go if you wished me to.”

“I do not pity you,” Raphael repeated. “Little viper, I find you irresistible.”

Big thanks to NetGalley and Vasilisa Drake for the ARC! I devoured this and can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

Let this book take you on a adventure with a bit of romance and mystery on the side!

When I started reading this book I could not put it down. You start the Journey in the prison. It gave me anger and despair. But then Samara finds a way out. On the run with a monster. I love the traveling part. In the back of my mind I was wondering about Rafael and Samara. Are they who they say the are. Then we find out about Raphael . Who he is. It changes this between them.

I love the friendship with Amalthea. But there is something curious about here.

I would have like more details of the training parts with Demos.

The cliffhanger and plot twitst was nothing I could predict. It leaves me whining for book 2 in my hands now!

This book is fast paced, easy to follow world building, friendship, adventure and mystery.

As someone who hadn’t read anything by Drake previously, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the synopsis, but this surprised me in a great way. I think I predicted a book that was more spice than plot, and I thoroughly enjoyed being wrong in this case.
The story is a slow burn, it had intrigue, tension and intricate world building. The romance does have a big focus, but the plot is written well to the point where I was just as interested in seeing what would happen next with the stakes as I wanted to see more between the leads.

A Bargain So Bloody is a strong start to a fantasy series, and should be an instant tbr to anyone who loves vampire x human plots, and touch her and die-mmcs.

4 ⭐️ This book was soooo good! It had and kept my attention the entire time I was reading it. I did see where the story was going but the end still threw me for a loop. Can't wait to read book 2!

Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy!
It's been quite some time since I've read a fantasy that hooked me from the very start like this one.
This book was great! It pulled me in immediately, and I was unable to put it down! The story building was magical, characters were amazing and Samara and Raphael are a duo you just love to read about!

“To anyone who has ever wanted a monster who would burn the world for them.”

A Bargain So Bloody had me at the dedication. A Romantasy story involving a girl resorting to accepting help from a powerful monster? Sign me up. But what I got instead was a very elaborate world-building and characters that wildly differed from what I expected before I started reading.

Samara is naive, littered with secrets, and has been traumatized and exiled from society because of them. To me, she and her internal conflicts were infuriating, but I understand why struggles with parting with beliefs she had been taught from birth. On the other hand, Raphael is powerful, cunning, and speaks with a precision that would make any of the fae proud. Due to Sam's point-of-view, we are never quite certain of his motivations, but at least I desperately want to believe him.

This world's magic system is incredibly fascinating, with cards introduced to allow voids to channel magic they do not naturally have. Although the power scaling keeps the decks stacked (haha, sorry) in favor of certain groups rather than others, the plot makes it very clear that the author is aware and willing to subvert the natural order. Can't wait to see where the series goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Vasilisa Drake, and Andrews Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

This was a quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

2.75 ⭐️

Unfortunately, A Bargain So Bloody was not a great fit for me; and I ended up skimming until the end of the book after making past the 65% mark.

I found the premise to be quite intriguing. This story provides a fresh take on vampires and witches with a unique magic system. The concept had real potential, but the execution fell flat for me.

The story was fast-paced, and yet nothing seemed to be happening. The plot felt somewhat stagnant; and I struggled to stay engaged. I had hoped the prison escape would be a more central part of the story as it was promoted to be in the blurb. I also had difficulty connecting with the characters, especially the FMC with her repetitive inner monologue.

That said, the writing style is enjoyable and accessible, you’ve got a typical morally grey MMC, and the world-building is easily understood, which could make this a great choice for those who are newer to romantasy or prefer lighter fantasy elements.

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.

I genuinely hope booktok and bookstagram goes feral for this book and rest of the series.

Book: 5⭐️
Audio: 5⭐️

I made a journey over to #netgalley try my hand at reviews.
I've read alot of new to me authors this year and Ms. Drake joins the ranks of women authors who are not disappointing!!!!!

This is a paranormal fantasy. I listened and read this today. It's delicious.
Character development on point
Plot on point
There are no lulls in the story. Be prepared to devour this book. @cecilysexily gives every character life!

The FMC has been imprisoned since her teens. She believes she can handle the rest of her 3 years sentence and make her way to a religious organization to live her life in anonymity. Her jailer mocks her beliefs, the MMC makes her bargain and the story flows vigorously from there!

Pick this book and audio up on June 30 2025.

Meanwhile, I am already feening for the next book.

I'm very happy this was my first net galley ARC / ALC.

Ugh this was good! I really enjoyed how fast paced the story was. How dynamic and detailed the world. The mystery built up so well around the FMC, I still want to know exactly why she was in prison!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc, my review is my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for accepting me as an ARC reader!

The synopsis immediately drew me in, and I was really excited to explore this new romantasy world. While the concept had a lot of promise—especially with a morally grey MMC who falls first and a strong heroine finding her footing—it just didn’t quite land for me. The tone felt more YA than I expected, and while that’s not inherently a bad thing, it leaned a bit too immature for my taste. I struggled to connect with the characters, and the romance felt one-sided and underdeveloped. I typically love a slow burn and a “he falls first” dynamic, but without the tension or chemistry to back it up, it didn’t feel believable. I didn’t feel the burn.

The magic system was intriguing, but at times confusing, with elements like the magical cards and sudden name drops that needed more clarity or explanation. A map and a bit more polish in the world-building would’ve gone a long way. I truly admire the vision behind this story, and I think with a bit more development, it could really shine.

Those last 2 sentences!!!!! You could kinda tell it was leading up to that but damn. I wanted to know more of Samara's backstory the entire time reading this and we only get tiny glimpses. I can't wait for the next book to learn more. Raphael was an interesting character to have show up and I love his interactions with her. This book is great at sprinkling in bits of information; just enough to have you questioning and wanting to know what the heck it means.
The narration was great as well!
I'm definitely keeping this author in my TBR.

Samara has been locked up in a prison for years and is losing hope of ever getting out. But one day Raphael, à vampire, ends up in the same prison and makes a bargain with her: if she unlocked his shackles, he will help her escape.

First of all, I really liked the beginning of the book and found very interesting that the FMC, Samara, had to grow up in a prison after being locked up there when she was very young. I also loved the fact she had to team up with the MMC, Raphael, a vampire, while having a lot of prejudices against vampires and being afraid of them.

I also enjoyed the whole ‘journey’ part of the book. I loved the banter between Samara and Raphael and to see their journey through the kingdom whole learning more about the magic system who was very intriguing.

Sadly, for me, those two parts were way too short. I also feel the two main characters lack depths and complexity. Samara is the very cliché sheltered girl who had a difficult life and is very naive and Raphael the vampire who will kill you if you touch her.

There is very little evolution for those two characters and I preferred Thea, one of the side characters. The plot isnt really plotting and I kept waiting for more to happen or for Samara to let go of all her prejudices towards vampires.

I also wished I learned earlier about Samara’s childhood and background. Same for Raphael’s. We keep learning very few things and Samara’s internal monologues became very, very repetitive. I sadly wasn’t compelled to devour this book and won’t be continuing this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an earc copy of this book!

Samara has been living in Greymere prison since she was eight years old. Imprisoned for reasons that aren’t revealed in book one, she has been forced to serve the inmates she lives among. One day, a dangerous new prisoner is brought in. Samara must decide whether to make a deal with a vampire, the same type of creature that murdered her mother, or remain in the prison she would otherwise be stuck in for life.

This book hooked me from the beginning. I wanted to see Samara escape the prison that had been her entire world for so long.

As she and Raphael traveled, I found myself rooting for these two enemies to find common ground and learn to trust each other. Plus, Raphael is the very definition of morally gray and who doesn't love morally gray fictional men?

There are still a lot of unanswered questions at the end of book one, leaving me eager for book two.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars. It started as a 5-star read, but there were parts that brought it down for me. The section I’m referring to didn’t feel necessary to the story and started to drag a bit. If it had been shorter or omitted, it would have stayed a 5-star. I also noticed a tendency for certain words to be repeated three times in a row, which got a little irritating at times.

Despite that, I really enjoyed Samara and Raphael’s journey, and I’m excited to see where their story goes next!

Note: Review is live on Goodreads, with posts scheduled on Instagram, TikTok, and Amazon for the June 30th release.

Samara, or Sam, our FMC is a Human Void. Raphael, our MMC, is a vampire. They start off as enemies who utilize each other to meet their mutual goal, which, first and foremost, is escaping the prison. Sam is stuck working there to pay off a debt, and Raphael is a prisoner. After escaping, they go on an adventure where, along the way, they get very cozy. When they reach the kingdom, Sam starts to learn more about their world. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The ending leaves you with a cliffhanger that will bring you back for more- I cannot wait until the next book!
A Bargain so Bloody comes out June 30th and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed and will love the world as much as I did.
I received an ARC&ALC copy and will voluntarily leave an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Vasilisa Drake, for this opportunity

If you're fan of vampires, broody and morally dark MMC, this book is for you! Raphael just might be my new favorite book boyfriend!

"As long as you're here with me, dove, you're mine. And I protect what's mine. Ruthlessly."

Some of my favorite tropes:

🩸Touch her and die 🩸 Slow burn romance 🩸One horse🩸Vampire x human 🩸

Samara was sentenced as a child to serve 15 years in Greymere prison. After 12 horrid years, her desperation reaches the final straw and she wants to escape. Help came from Raphael, the most dangerous creature within the prison walls who made her an offer she can't refuse.

The story hooked me immediately. It's easy to read, well written, flows smoothly, indtroduces unique magic system within intriguing world. And that epilogue? I need next book right NOW!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op Publishing and author for this book for review. All opinions are my own

Raphael is THAT man! 100% “touch her and die”. He’s the epitome of that intense protector archetype.
He’s definitely not your classic hero, more like a villain in hero’s clothing LOL! But you can’t help being drawn to him. Whether you admit it or not, you’ll find yourself crushing on him just a little (or a lot).

I did enjoy this book a lot. There was just something I wasn’t totally in love with. The world building is amazing. I loved magic she created. It was different, but also slightly confusing. I was not to big on the lack of personal growth from the FMC. She kept going back to where she was. The lack of information of what she did to get to the prison was also frustrating. I can’t understand Sam’s pov. I will say I did enjoy Raphael. He was interesting. All in all, I did enjoy this book and look forward to the next one. I’m curios to see if my predictions are correct. I will say it will keep you on your toes.

I received this book as an arc. I was not paid for my review.

(Below is the review that will be posted by me to Amazon and I have already posted to Goodreads and Barnes and Noble. I will work on an Instagram/TikTok review and hopefully have them posted by Monday 6/30/25).

“That’s right. As long as you’re here with me, dove, you’re mine. And I protect what’s mine. Ruthlessly.”

“Because you remind me of a little bird, between the rapid flutter of your heart and clear desire to spread your wings.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I received this book as an ARC from the author and Net Galley.

I loved this book. I literally devoured it.
By chapter 4, I was hooked. I read this book in less than 24 hours and am in desperate need of book 2 in this series!

The main FMC is Samara, whom we meet as a prisoner catching rats for food and whose main focus is solely surviving. It’s in prison that she meets Raphael our main MMC who is literally perfect in every way and I will dream about him. He is also ,of course, a vampire which only increases his desirability.

Samara helps Raphael escape and their story is off. He needs her help (or so he claims) and in the name of survival she agrees.

The world is brutal and unforgiving and so well written. The main world revolves around witches, which includes Seers, Vampires and Voids (those with no magical powers). The world has magical creatures of all sorts including shape shifters, fae, ogres etc. and they are mentioned within the book even if not introduced (yet).

The reason I took off half a star was because by the end of the book, though one could surmise what happened and what was coming, we still don’t really know Samara’s back story.
Why was she in prison and what did her mother supposedly do to earn the title she did?

Also, frankly, I love Raphael and that she even considered betraying him despite EVERYTHING (which may or may have happened) just annoyed me. Raphael’s devotion is unwavering so I’m miffed at Samara.

I am a pick me girl now for this full on fictional vampire character.

“Raphael pick me, choose me, love me.”

Their banter and his dry wit was top notch and often had me smirking or giggling. For example:

“I call it food. Now eat, Samara. Your body’s healing relies on you using that mouth to masticate, not argue.”

How these two are going to overcome what happened, I do not know. Which is why this story will be living inside my head rent free and I need book two immediately.

Tropes you’ll find:

He falls first
Touch her and die
One horse
Forced proximity
Royalty
A Quest

I loved this book! The main characters are great! There were a lot of twists and turns and a lot happens in this book. A must read!