Big thanks to Victory Editing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
5 Star book!
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would! This book has captivated my entire being for the days I read it and I need the next book NOW! The twist at the end was the last thing I expected and the Epilogue has left me needing so much more.

The transition from Little Dove to Little Viper had my heart exploding.

I have not read many vampire books since I was a teenager but this has ignited my love and I can't wait to see where Samara and Raphael's journey continues.

I was approved to read this but there is no option to send to kindle? If anyone sees this please can you fix it so I can read it 😅😅 thank you!

4.5 stars

That was a wild ride and had me reeling, especially the ending! I'm definitely excited for book 2. I felt this book had the perfect blend of a tension filled romance and a gripping plot. Even though some of the elements were not new concepts in the romantasy genre and didn't come as a surprise to me, I still ate it up and asked for more. This was a such an addictive read!

I went into this with no clue what it was about. Judged a book by its cover and it was a total win. My brain is going to hold on to this story until the second book comes out. The ending?! That slow burn?! 🔥 An MMC that will make you swoon so hard you forget your other book boyfriend’s names. Okay, not really, but it’s close! The audio was perfectly executed and I can’t wait to get my hands on this physical book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the chance to read this in return for my honest review.

*ARC – Release Date 30/06/2025*

This book was wonderful! We follow Samara and her daring escape from prison, where she was serving a 15-year term for a crime she didn’t commit. When she realises that it is likely she will never leave the prison – at least not any time soon - she engineers a way to escape involving a fellow prisoner – a blood thirsty vampire, Raphael.

The dynamic between Samara and Raphael is intense and powerful, you are left wanting to see what happens next after every interaction they have. The side characters are equally likeable, and they all interact with one another perfectly in a way that showcases each character's development.

The world building is great; it is dark, fascinating and very immersive. Raphael is a truly morally grey character, and I would argue that Samara can be considered morally grey too given some of her choices! This book is a very slow burn romance – kind of – and has the wonderful ‘touch her and die’ trope which I enjoyed very much.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, with many questions left unanswered. I am anxious to read the second story and hopefully resolve some of those questions! I will also be buying a physical copy of this book once it releases.

This was an easy and entertaining read with a unique magic system and lots of dark fantasy elements.

The book is written from the POV of our FMC, Samara, who has served 12 out of her 15 year sentence in Greymere prison. She learns that this means nothing and that they’ll never let her go, so she allies herself with a vampire, Rafael, who offers to help her escape if she sets him free.

The plot is fairly predictable but still enjoyable and there are some great tropes that are executed well.

- Touch her and die
- One horse
- Enemies to allies
- Vampire x Mortal
- Possessive MMC

I did start to find Samara a bit annoying towards the end as her inner monologue was quite repetitive and it felt like she was constantly taking one step forward and two steps back in regards to dealing with her emotions and her perception of the vampire kingdom as a whole. She is very naive and this definitely comes across.

Both Rafael and Samara have an air of secrecy about them as there’s a lot of unanswered questions so it was hard to connect with them at times. However, the side characters were a lot of fun and they added a touch of humour and lightheartedness to the story.

While the ending was predictable I still loved it and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us in book 2.

I tend to be fussy with books with Vampires, as that’s that my teenage self read once upon a time, and it mostly feels I’ve outgrown them.

The author has me absolutely rescinding that view and had me absolutely hooked from the start of this story.

The story starts in Greymere Prison, but we quickly join Sam and Raphael on their ventures to find the grimore and back to the West Vampire Kingdom. This story starts off at a quick pace, without sacrificing and of the story and character building, and keeps the reader guessing on what will come next.

There is still so much left to discover - Sam’s background, her new status - this story has SO much potential and I can’t wait to read the next book.

A Bargain So Bloody is the first in a new series by Vasilisa Drake. I've not read anything by this author before but I saw the cover and read the summary and was intrigued so decided to pick it up and am glad I did. Although fair warning...there's a cliffhanger on this one.

Samara is our fmc and we meet her right out of the gate by learning that she has been living in a prison for the last 12 years although we don't know why. And when a mysterious prisoner is brought in and she is tasked with treating his wounds, she finds out that he is a vampire. Samara's problem is that vampires killed her mother and she's not willing to trust this guy...that is until she learns that the freedom she was promised is just a lie and she realizes she will never be free again unless she can break out on her own but to do that she will need some help.

Raphael has secrets...that's clear from the moment we meet him in Castle Greymere but he's not willing to push Samara too far. He's always just right there when she needs him to be regardless of what she says or does and I think that is what makes the rest of the story so frustrating for me. Yes, he hid who he was from her until they got to his realm and he is in no way a good guy (he is a vampire after all) but there are definite touch her and die vibes here he tries everything to give her back her strength and power throughout the novel.

This one feels like it will be an extremely slow burn romance...I'm not sure how much is coming but there was next to nothing in this book outside of the tension between these two. It's clear Raphael feels something for Samara but Samara is fighting her feelings for Raphael based on the fact that he is a vampire so it will be interesting to see what happens now based on the ending of this book.

If you're looking for a new fantasy romance to pick up, consider this one. I will definitely be grabbing the next book in this series as soon as I can so I can see what happens next and I will also be checking out more books by this author.

Ummm, noooo! At 30 pages left, my mind raced to possibilities, and waved the red flag, warning that there wasn’t enough for a complete ending that my brain decidedly needed. So unnerved, I had to set it down for a few days before picking it back up to finish. Surprisingly, I was left both satisfied and miffed. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Overall, I am really impressed with this novel’s background work, imagery, character believability and likability, and plot. I stayed in and engaged with the female lead, Sam, the entire time. I adored Raphael’s protectiveness, even if it’s unhinged in this violent world of vampires and magic. The feels on this one are touch her and die, morally gray love interest, age gap, rags to riches, disowned, and orphaned.

Haha, I want more. Vasilia’s novel sets up a solid foundation for a gritty, marvelous series. Yes, from me.

Note: Be wary of violence, death, cruelty, fear, and sexual spiciness. ‘R’ Rating

4.5/5 stars
This was a sponsored ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to get both the eARC and the ALC of this book, (many thanks NetGalley and Victory) and I had a GREAT time with both. I opted for the immersive experience of combining the two and I’m glad I did. The narrator did such a great job and found her so easy to listen to, helped keep me immersed in the story.

I was hooked on this from the start, our FMC Samara has a history that hasn’t yet been fully revealed on page but there’s enough hints to guess, and I know the reveal is going to be amazing when it all comes out. She goes through so much growth over the course of the first book and I cannot WAIT to see what happens in the second.

We’ve got a deliciously morally gray Vampire MMC who after convincing Samara to release him in exchange for her freedom will burn the world just to see her safe. The cliffhanger at the end has me impatient for the second book and I’m about to go DEVOUR everything Vasilisa has already written - can see some
New favourite stories on the horizon.

NetGalley ARC Review: A Bargain so Bloody sated my craving for vampires. Samara finds an unlikely alliance in a vampire in order to escape her imprisonment. With this comes sacrifice. The setting is dark, the characters are intriguing, and the magic system is unique. I can’t wait to see how Rafael and Sam’s journey continues. This book is going to be the next TikTok sensation, I just know it!

This book was absolutely brilliant. The world building had me utterly immersed. The enemies to reluctant allies was so prefect. Love Raphael’s silent pining. The only issue I had was that this book left on a cliff hanger and now I’m DYING for the next book. 😭

Oh my gosh, you guys 😩🖤 I just finished this book and honestly, I’m not okay. If you love dark, morally complex vampires, a unique magic system, and those touch her and die moments, this has to be on your TBR right now. I couldn’t put it down, didn’t want to put it down. And that ending?! 😱 Still recovering.

Romantasy fans, listen up. Run, don’t walk. Add it, preorder it, tattoo it on your soul. I’m already counting down for the next one. Dark, delicious, and exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

Huge thanks to the author for letting me read early! 🖤

This book had my jaw on the floor the whole time. The character growth for our girl Samara is next level. the person she is at the beginning of the book to who she is at the end is amazing. She truly grows into her own skin. And Raphael what a vampire. He's so patient and kind with her and I love the agonizing slow burn between them. But what truly makes this book a five star read is the ending like WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK!!! I need book two like now!!

10/10 would recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶 (slow burn)🔥

Vasilisa Drake's new book, "A Bargain So Bloody" will undoubtedly be one of your next faves! This is the first book in her new series and will have you in a chokehold from the start. I did not want to put it down.. but also wasn't ready for it to end! The unique card-based magic system, whitty banter, exceptional character development, and unexpected plot twists are phenomenal🙌

Raphael and Samara will live rent-free in my mind until book 2 is in my hands, and this stellar story continues! If you loved Serpent and the Wings of Night, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, CC, or Heartless Hunter, then this is perfect for you!

✨Tropes✨
🦇vampire x "human"
⚔️enemies to lovers
❌️trauma
blood🩸drinking
touch her & 💀
🔥slow burn tension
🔮 card-based magic

This book had me in a chokehold from the first chapter and was a read-it-in-a-day, 5 star read for me. We enter at Greymere Prison, where void Samara has been imprisoned since she was a child of 8. After twelve years of captivity, an opportunity to escape presents itself in her mortal enemy: a vampire, Raphael. After discovering how bleak her future is truly going to be, Samara makes a deal with Raphael, she frees him in exchange for him helping her safely break out of the prison. Once on the outside though, Raphael isn't done with Samara. Together, the two go on a quest to locate what was believed to be a mythical grimoire of the witches. Though Samara has been raised her whole life not to trust vampires, she has to decide if trusting Raphael is worth the price of safety outside of Greymere.

Filled with witches, vampires, and hints of other magical creatures, Vasilia Drake weaves a story that is taunt with its tension between the two main characters. The character development is next level. Watching Samara slowly start to learn who she is and how strong she is after spending all of her growing up years in a prison was so good. The secondary characters introduced to us are as page-worthy as the main characters and I loved all of the interactions with them (besides Titus, he can go kick rocks...).

Raphael, our MMC, takes the whole 'touch her and die' trope VERY seriously, and honestly, if a man isn't bringing that level of devotion to our relationship, I don't want him. His caring for Samara while simultaneously giving her room to learn who she is outside of a prisoner is top shelf. I want his energy in all MMC I read from here on out. Even when he is withholding information from her, it's not in that self-superior 'I know what's better for her than she does' more than a true effort to try to protect her as she emerges from the shell she has been for the last 12 years. I love him.

I absolutely cannot wait to find out when we can get the next book in this series. The ending left me shook, and I need to know ASAP where Samara and Raphael go from here. In the meantime, I will be adding Vasilisa's backlist to my TBR pile with both of my grabby fists; if the rest of her novels are as engrossing as this one, I hope to be busy reading them for a while. <3

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Vasilisa Drake for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel.

Ok listen. I am also slowly getting burnt out of romantasy books. But THIS ONE made me want to devour it. I loved the way the magic system was handled. Raphael was the perfect morally grey love interest - and the slow burn of the romance was so well handled. I am not one for nicknames and pet names in books - but I swooned when he called her dove and when it switched to little viper, it was never overkill.

I am ready for book 2 already.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and Victory Editing. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

I have just finished this in one sitting and had one of my best immersive reading experiences ever. I could not put this down. The vampire aspect is what drew me in and it was a masterpiece. The story was so gripping from the very first chapter.

The ending has me so excited for the next book I was not expecting that at all and I’m so here for Samara and her journey in the next book.

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC I loved every minute of it.

Audiobook ARC is coming in hot, and yes, yes, yes! Read this if you're a fantasy lover. If you're in your vamp era. I loved the world, I loved our main characters. I loved how easy the story was. This was so far up my alley I don't even know what to say about it. What I do know is I CANNOT wait for round two. Shoot it into my veins Vasilisa!!!!

I flew through this journey. Please hold, I'm off to see if Vasilisa has a back catalog for me to raid.

Wow. This book was amazing! Vampires, slow burn, witty banter, and one bed/horse *chef kiss* The character development for both main characters was really good. Of course it ended in a cliff hanger. I cannot wait for the next book. GO READ THIS BOOK!!!