✅ What Worked
Magnetic Protagonists & Emotional Stakes
Serafina’s —from orphan to warrior to prisoner—brings both grit and emotional realism. She’s fierce, deeply vulnerable, and compellingly human. Tristan, hiding his shapeshifter secret, adds layers of tension and internal conflict. Together, they anchor the story in high emotional stakes.

Cleaner, Court Intrigue & Fantasy Worldbuilding
The setting—Court of Dusk—feels dark and elegant. Elements like political plots, arena fights, fae magic, and forbidden bonds create a vivid atmosphere reminiscent of classic fae-romance worlds.

Fast‑Paced Plot with High Tension
The story moves quickly: unexpected ancestry reveals, harsh battles, forced bonds. It’s ideal for readers who love action-heavy romantasy with high emotional intensity.

❌ What Didn’t Work
Underdeveloped Romance & Abrupt Emotional Shifts
The enemies‑to‑lovers feels rushed, with emotional shifts happening without enough buildup. The so‑called “mating bond” shortcut created a feeling that the romance just happened, rather than earned.

Plot Holes & Underexplained Twists
Key events—like Serafina’s abduction, the royal heir’s death, or the way the magic system works—sometimes feel glossed over or inadequately explained. These gaps left me uncertain about character motivations or the consequences of major actions.

Pacing Issues
Some plot transitions felt abrupt, resulting in confusion rather than clarity.

📝 Final Thoughts
This book has all the ingredients: a fierce heroine, dark court politics, fae magic, and a high-stakes bond. It’s a promising series opener, especially for fans of romantasy who enjoy action-packed stories with emotional undertones. But for the sequel, I hope to see more emotional layering, deeper world logic, and a romance that takes its time.

Throne Of Dusk has everything I want in a fantasy romance. It is fast paced, action packed, immersive world building, court politics and an interesting magical system. Serafina is a badass, Warrior which I love in my fantasy FMCs. I would have liked to see a little more consistency in the pacing of the story, there were some moments that left me with whiplash. All in all I enjoyed this book and give it a solid 3⭐️s. I can’t wait to see what E.R. Jensen comes up with next.

A world full of Fae, human-fae hybrids, Dragons and shapeshifters pulled me in from the beginning. There are alternating chapters from the two MC's POV and there was plenty of action in the form of training, battles, arena matches and the obligatory political subterfuge!

Serafina had a lot to prove. As a Fae-Human hybrid she can't rely on magic as other warriors do and must learn to use her other talents instead. Tristan is also hiding a couple of secrets of his own and is hiding in plain sight whilst earning the respect and gratitude of his lord and his colleagues in the Guard.

There were a few plot holes that niggled and some key scenes happened "off-page" which left me a bit confused, I actually thought I'd managed to skip a chapter or two and went back to make sure I hadn't missed something. Serafina’s role as newly-discovered heir and her kidnapping were kind of just dropped into the narrative and I was left wondering why there was no one coming to her aid.

This was so close to being a 4 star read for me. My only gripe was the world building, I got a bit lost in the timeline before I realised they were essentially counting down to the two MC's meeting! I could have done with a bit more on the lore of the world and why the fae and humans were so opposed to one another. However I still really enjoyed the story and the characters themselves were well thought out and weren't 2-dimensional. I would definitely read more in this series!

Set in a fantasy world of fae warriors and shapeshifters, Throne of Dusk delivers a fast-paced romantasy told through dual POVs.
It did take me a few chapters to figure out that AQ was the year and that Serafina was years behind Tristan. So, I was super excited as her years started getting closer to his.

While Throne of Dusk is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers romantasy, the romance fell short for me. Despite the fast pace, the emotional buildup between Serafina and Tristan felt rushed. One moment Tristan despises her, and the next, they’re in love and bonded as mates, with little tension or development in between.

Given that Serafina is half-fae/half-human, I expected at least some internal conflict from Tristan. Especially since her half-bloodness had been brought up numerous times before as something other fae didn't like; I mean other fae tried to kill her because of it...
That kind of dynamic could have added layers of tension and depth, but it never fully materialized. Tristan and Serafina were suddenly mates, and the past 70% of the book was ignored.
Some moments could’ve been powerful, but they were told rather than shown, which dulled the emotional impact.

BUT I still really enjoyed this book, and the ending did leave me wanting more! I have to know how this prophecy comes to fruition.
Why did they just send Serafina back to Gaskal? Why not with her fae grandfather?
How exactly does that tea work? And was Commander Meriel in on it to some degree? (seemed weird that she also gave Serafina tea-but maybe that was just tea?).

Anyway, I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book! Thank you Net Galley and Gryphon Publishing for the ARC!

This unfortunately, left me way too confused to want to continue it. I DNFed it although I tried really hard to like it. As I read, I just kept having way too many questions with no answers and some of the scenes didn't make sense. The pacing was also way off, some chapters and scenes were kinda developped while others were super rushed or just explained with a sentence.

I can't comment more on the book as I DNFed it but these are the reasons why.

DNF@36%

Unfolding across alternating POVS and years, this follows half Fae/half human Serafina as she enters the fae army against the human kings for...reasons... and finds she is the granddaughter to the fae king she serves. Years earlier, shapeshifting fae Tristan is exiled to the court of a shapeshifter-hating prince and must hide his abilities while serving the prince without question due to a blood oath.

While the premise was interesting, there was sadly very little worldbuilding to let me figure out what the war was about. Tristan also willingly signed his life away for no reason as he was given a choice in that aspect. He fell for the "just trust me" when given the contract and tbh I didn't really feel sorry for him because he signed away his life with his eyes wide open.

Serafina, alas, was quickly becoming overpowered as she is the best warrior ever because of her untapped magic, apparently, and that made her struggles as a half-fae warrior all go away.

Also, I was this far into a supposed romance and the love interests haven't yet met. (Though Tristan did have two spicy scenes with another random Fae for reasons that escape me.) The pace leading up to it is very slow. I quit in the middle of Tristan fighting a dragon in an arena because, despite it being a 1st person POV, I didn't really have any feel for him or why I should care.

Readers who like slow build stories and have patience to stick through may enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

💀 “I was promised fae-fueled chaos and dragons. I got emotional whiplash and a mating bond I didn’t order.”

Okay, so listen… I wanted to love this. I tried to love this. It had all the right ingredients: fae courts, elemental magic, blood oaths, hot shifters, forbidden romance, a warrior queen moment, even some good ol’ arena combat.

BUT.

Somewhere between page 1 and page “What just happened?”, I got lost in the fog of vibes-only storytelling.

🧝‍♀️ Serafina? Badass potential, cool backstory, but her emotional arc went from “who are you again?” to “I would die for you” with zero warning.
🐺 Tristan? Broody, mysterious, apparently has a tragic backstory but mostly serves as Bonded Male #47.
💔 Romance? Imagine walking into a room and suddenly someone says you’re soulmates. No tension. No build. No banter. Just… boom. You belong to me now. Okay???
🌀 Magic system? At one point I gave up trying to understand it and just accepted that it exists like a mysterious vapor.
🫥 Plot holes? Let’s just say… certain events happen and no one reacts. People die. Characters vanish. Emotional impact: ✨crickets✨.

There is something here—like I can kind of see the potential through the narrative mist—but this story needed more time to breathe, more emotional grounding, and way more development in the relationships and world rules.

BUT I did love the setting and worldbuilding ideas, and the cliffhanger kind of makes me want to peek at Book 2… cautiously… with snacks and a notebook for the inevitable confusion.

⚔️ TL;DR: A fae romantasy that throws you into the deep end without checking if you can swim. Gorgeous cover, spicy premise, but emotionally undercooked. Proceed with curiosity and low expectations.

Thank you, E.R. Jensen and Gryphon Publishing for the ARC!

The story is there I liked the characters but it felt rushed with no buildup for me. The pacing wasn’t there. Enemies to lovers then bam now lovers so quickly. I was missing parts and it moved around so fast I was getting confused as to what was going on. This book has extreme promise and I love the tropes and the storyline. I feel like if the pacing wasn’t fixed and not so many gaps it would be an insanely amazing book! Thank you for letting me read! -Kerin

Throne of Dusk by E.R. Jensen
Throne of Dusk: The Lost Fae Queen
by E.R. Jensen
CinnamonStorm 's review Jun 15, 2025 ·
bookshelves: netgalley

Set in a fantasy world of fae, shapeshifters, and dragons, Throne of Dusk offers a fast-paced romantasy with dual POVs and all the right ingredients: magic, arena fights, forbidden blood bonds, and royal secrets. Serafina, a half-fae warrior, begins her arc with a brutal almost solo victory in a battle and a shocking revelation about her heritage. Tristan hides his shapeshifter nature and is bound to the Court of Dusk by a blood oath, setting the stage for inner conflict and political intrigue.

Despite an exciting premise and high stakes, the story feels rushed in places. The romance lacked buildup—I reread one key passage three times, confused by the abrupt emotional shift from enemies to lovers. There’s no tension or real development; the bond just… happens. The use of a “mating bond” shortcut made the emotional arc feel unearned, and some plot elements (like the heir’s death, Serafina’s role in it or why nobody seems to care when she is abducted) were glossed over or conveniently unresolved. I also found myself questioning how the magic system works—sometimes it felt like a tool for quick plot movement rather than a fully fleshed-out element.

That said, I did enjoy the worldbuilding ideas, and the cliffhanger leaves me curious for the sequel. With more time spent on character depth and relationship growth, this could have been a standout.

Fast-paced romantasy with great worldbuilding potential, but underdeveloped romance and rushed arcs held it back. Still, I’m intrigued enough to read the sequel.

DNF @ 53% 6/17/2025

I'm sorry. I tried to push through for the arc of it all but nothing about this makes sense. Every new chapter, I'm left with more questions that never get answered. You're immediately dropped into this world where the fae hate the humans but there's no further explanations given and that was the beginning of the end.

Why do the fae hate the humans and think of them as weak while regularly trading with them and acknowledging that human weapons are STRONGER than fae weapons?

Why does AQ mean and why is it only shown for half the book underneath the chapter headers? The male pov chapters had 400s AQ and the female pov chapters have 300s AQ and it's never explained wtf that means. Tristan's count down and Serafina's count up. Why? Is a year passing? It is an hour passing? Clearly it has to have a meaning because it shows up regularly???

A lot of things happen off page and you come to the next chapter having skipped entire scenes. Tristan is going to war with humans? You wont see it. Next chapter the war ended 3 weeks ago. Serafina is training? You don't see it. She went training 2 nights ago.

Serafina is related to the strongest king fae in this universe but she gets kidnapped and no one comes after her? And according to her, everyone knew this about her, except her. So...she's the granddaughter of the strongest fae in universe, but when she goes missing not even he cares?

The animal shifting magic is not explained and doesn't make sense when half of the fae have it, but they also have elemental powers. The other fae hate shape shifters? Do they also have elemental magic?

Do you see what I mean? So much of this made no sense. I wanted to see if I could eventually make sense of it but I didn't have the energy to push through after reading half of it already. I'm not sure how I came across this but.....I can sort of see the vision? A little bit? Execution left more than a lot to be desired unfortunately.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Gryphon Publishing and NetGalley!

This book was honestly so good, I don’t even know where to start. I enjoyed every page and couldn’t stop reading once I started. The fantasy vibes were strong, with dark court drama, secrets, and a lot of tension, just how I like it. Serafina is such a powerful character. She’s strong but also has real emotions and moments of doubt, which made her feel very real to me. And Tristan, well, he’s intense in the best way. Their connection had me holding my breath sometimes, so much tension and chemistry. The world is built with care but not too complicated, and the pace keeps moving. It has action, emotion, a bit of romance, and enough twists to keep things exciting. I will definitely read the next one. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

Throne of Dusk is a deliciously dark fantasy full of sharp-edged secrets, fierce half-Fae attitude, and enough tension between warrior and commander to set the whole court on fire—and I am here for it!

Throne of Dusk is a fast-moving fantasy with just the right mix of tension, romance, and layered world-building. Serafina’s journey from orphan to warrior to prisoner was so gripping, and I loved how her strength and vulnerability were both on display. The push-pull between her and Tristan had me torn between trust and suspicion the whole way through. I enjoyed this book because it gave me action, emotional depth, and those fantasy court politics I love without ever dragging.

Serafina es mitad humana y mitad fae que ha sido entrenada durante once años en el campamento Jade Wilds, donde ha luchado no solo para dominar las artes de combate sin poseer magia, sino también para ser aceptada en una sociedad que desprecia su linaje mixto. Su vida da un giro cuando es seleccionada para ir a la batalla en el Valle Esmeralda y, al mismo tiempo, empieza a tener sueños recurrentes con un misterioso príncipe fae de piel teal y corona de astas. La aparición de este mismo príncipe en su campamento, el temido Tanyth, gobernante de la Corte del Crepúsculo, siembra dudas sobre su origen, y despierta una antigua profecía sobre una reina perdida que podría cambiar el destino del mundo fae.

En paralelo, seguimos a Tristan, un fae con la habilidad prohibida de transformarse en leopardo de las nieves. Tras romper una regla sagrada para protegerse, es enviado como castigo a Embergate, el campamento más peligroso, regido precisamente por el príncipe Tanyth, quien odia a los cambiaformas. Allí, Tristan deberá ocultar quién es en realidad si quiere sobrevivir.

La novela se desenvuelve en dos frentes que eventualmente convergen: uno centrado en el descubrimiento personal, el valor y la lucha contra el prejuicio, y otro en la tensión política y las intrigas que cruzan los reinos fae.

___


Se supone que Serafina es la mejor guerrera, la de la profecía, la más poderosa. Pero cuando es capturada, no puede contra Tristan y apenas logra ganar algunas peleas. Se le olvida todo lo que ha vivido y entrenado, y de repente necesita que la traten con delicadeza. Una vez capturada, todo lo que habíamos visto de ella hasta ese momento desaparece, y su personalidad da un giro de 180°. En lugar de pensar en un plan para escapar, se la pasa fantaseando con Tristan.

Luego, los capítulos finales resultan extraños, porque de la nada ocurren eventos importantes fuera de página, imagino que para generar misterio en el siguiente libro. Sin embargo, hay algo en específico que debería haberse explicado: ¿en qué momento se dio esa alianza? Porque tal como se presenta, no tiene ningún sentido.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

Move over, Fae boys—Serafina’s taking the throne (and my sanity)

Okay, THIS is the kind of fantasy chaos I live for—warrior girls with secrets, broody boys with shapeshifting issues, and a dark Court where every vibe is deadly and delicious. Throne of Dusk came at me like a dagger dipped in sass and longing. I devoured every twist, every near kiss, every betrayal. Serafina is fierce, flawed, and absolutely addictive. If you’re not obsessed by chapter three, are you even fantasy-reading right? 🗡️🌫️🔥