ALL THE STARS! A MILLION STARS! This book was so so good!

Enemies to lovers, romantasy, adult, unique magic system, Industrial Revolution and mob vibes, excellent banter, found family (done right!)

I haven’t read the second book yet so I’m holding my recommendation for the series but honestly if the next book is even half as good as this one, it’ll still be highly recommended.

This was one of my favorite books of the year! I cannot rave about this book enough and I can't wait for its trad publishing date. Highly recommend.

5⭐

Thank you to Alexis L. Menard and Noelle Holten at Second Sky Books for the ARC.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬.”

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 is the first installment in the 𝑽𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 series and the first book in 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒊'𝒔 𝒅𝒖𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚. It is a fantasy romance book with a marriage of convenience between two rival mafia families — set in the backdrop of a post industrial world, dipped in family secrets and betrayals.

It is a brilliantly written and rendered novel powered by the steampunk setting which takes us to a brilliant post-industrial setting, a world like Peaky Blinders but with a magic system unique like the Grishaverse.

From the vibes to the narrative to the wiring style, everything about this book was immaculate. I finished reading it in less than five hours and was completely engrossed into the world.

The world-building and setting was absolutely lush. The descriptions were written in a way that I was able vividly see the scene through my mind. The magic system in something I haven't seen before and there is so much lore explored through the book in this city that is divided by magic. The igniting passion, backstories and plot twists kept me on the toes the entire time.

There are such amazing and complicated family dynamics explored. Nico's family is initially unwelcoming and skeptical with Camilla but they warm up to her and would protect her for everything she did for them. Camilla's only remaining family is her brothers and all of them have a complicated dynamic with her — with a lot of family secrets and resentment simmering between them.

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 is such a brilliant and strong female lead. She is the is the sole heiress of a multi-generational railway company. She deeply cares for her family and would do anything for them — even if it meant marrying their enemy. She went through a lot and doesn't take anyone's shit to the face. She would do anything for the people she loves and cares about — even it physically hurt her. She's head strong and smart, making the reckless but right decisions. She's not a fragile princess who needs a saviour but rather a head strong and stubborn queen who would save and defend the people she trusts and cares about. Reading about her character and behaviour was so relatable.

𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨 is the arrogant, heartless and devastatingly handsome man who Camilla was raised to hate, who leads a group of criminals with lethal magical abilities. He's broody, mysterious, and most importantly — a family man who would do absolutely anything for the ones he loves. He was protective of Camilla without being toxic or a jerk. His commitment to his family — the commitment and devotion he had for Camilla was truly the thing that made me love reading about his character. He's been through so much from the very first page to last and my heart broke for his character. I'm so excited to see his journey in the next book to see him get what he deserves in his world.

Camilla and Nico has such great chemistry and tension between them — which fuelled the spark of romance between them. They're in a marriage of convenience but both of them are from rival families — who might as well be enemies — with a lot of grudges and anger between them. Their romance was always between a line of love and hate, with hilarious banter and a lot of yearning and angst.

The last part of the book was filled with non-stop action, adventure and emotional scenes with so many twists and revelations that I had not at all theorised. The ending absolutely shocked me and I cannot wait for 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞!

I don't even know how to put into words how much I loved this book. I was pulled into reading it because fantasy + Peaky Blinders inspiration + the fan art spoke to my soul. But the way this book had me in a chokehold at 26% (IYKYK) - I just *delightful shiver*.

This book has banter, this book has rivals to lovers, this book has intrigue, twists, bad ass fighting and my personal favorite "where is my wife?" as well as found family, starting to self heal, and a cliff hanger that I'm still kinda mad at Alexis Menard for. I can't even say "if you're a fan of x, then read this" because it's just such good writing, and a great story - that if you are a fan of reading - read this! cannot recommend enough and cannot wait to preorder the next book as soon as I can.

The steampunk vibes of this book are immaculate. It also has an element of Italian mafia family feuds that, paired with a very interesting magic system, makes it all quite unique. This book was a surprise, it was nothing like I expected. I love Camilla and her stubbornness, and Nico’s cheeky, irreverent self makes for fantastic chemistry between the two. The burn is slow, but worth it. The plot twist at the end had me gasping. I absolutely love the elements of found family and redemption arcs in this book, and I can’t wait for the next one…the cliffhanger left me hanging!!!

▫️ Found family
▫️ Morally grey MMC
▫️ Rival mafia families to lovers
▫️ Marriage of convenience
▫️ Adult romantasy
▫️ Peaky blinders inspired
▫️ Spicy
▫️ Magic, powers & alchemy

“𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔.”

A romantasy inspired by one of my all time favourite series, peaky blinders? Yes please!

This was MAGICAL 🥹🫶🏽 Tension, action-packed, high stakes, danger and drama, with a cast of morally grey, unique & intriguing characters, plus powers? I’m sold!! There was never a dull moment and the pacing was rock-steady throughout.

The writing was stunning, the creation of the powers & magic system was done flawlessly & the slow burn to spice was brilliant. EVERYONE was hiding something here which kept the plot twisty and fresh. Not to mention, the PB inspiration was palpable and bold, which I loved SO much!

Nico & Miller were a badass couple—— Nico gave me huge Tommy Shelby vibes (aka absolutely cutthroat but soft as hell for his wife) & Milla was a complete firecracker who would do anything in the world for her family. I loved the angst & chemistry between the two as they navigated a true enemies to lovers dynamic.

I’d highly recommend this if you’re looking for a dark, slightly spicy romantasy with heavy 1900s vibes, a unique magic setup & lots of found family!

Heard such good things about this one but it fell into average territory for me. The concept and tropes are full of so much potential but the world building was convoluted in places and left me a little bored in others. I wish we got more depth but still enjoyed the overall feel of the story and beginning of the series. Hopeful its moving in a good direction!

I really tried to get through it, but I was SO BORED. It didn't flow for me either. This is supposed to be a dark romance, but there is barely any interaction between the main characters.

A captivating combination of magic, scheming, mafia vibes, and warring families for influence and power. Milla is an heiress to one of the most powerful families, but now…in order to save them from their debts, she is forced to make a marriage alliance with the same family that killed her dad and hurt their position. Nicolai Attano has his own mission—to find the one abducting people and at the same time work his way towards his so-desired revenge.
Working together turns out to be a challenge with all the secrets and the past that sits like a rift between them, but along the way they have no choice but to trust and help each other or fall victim to their enemies.
The thing that I loved the most is the wonderful way the relationships were made—be they family ones or romantic ones, they changed and evolved naturally one step at a time and in such a good way that led to the characters healing process that you can feel with them.
The way Milla realized that there is another way than the toxicity she got from her closest people and gained extended family through love and loyalty.
How Nico and Milla not just healed their souls but helped close a long-lasting feud that took too many lives and caused too much pain.
One thing that I would've loved as a fantasy addict is a bit more about the magic because it was interesting how it was connected with the world and affected who held more power. But as I mentioned, the prominent things in the story are family, loyalty, and the strong relationship, so the magic is the tool that steers the story.
Definitely intrigued to continue their story.

Hmm.. There were definitely a lot of parts that felt familiar at first, but, the time period aspect gave it a unique twist that differentiated it from other stories. That said, the world building did feel a bit confusing at times.

Honestly, I just don’t think this is my cup of tea. If you like Peaky Blinders, though, I’m sure you’d enjoy this. It felt like that + magic, but again, I just don’t think it’s my thing.

The right audience would eat this up & I don’t think it’s a bad book, so take my review with a grain of salt. 🧂

5 stars!! ⭐️ My feelings about this book = ‼️❤️‍🔥‼️❤️‍🔥‼️ I ate this up!! I’m not a mafia girlie but I am a fantasy girlie that loves a marriage of convenience trope and this absolutely delivered!! Camilla is an absolute badass and I love her so much. Nicolai is our morally gray MMC, protective and witty! I truly can’t wait for Book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky / Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

4.5 ⭐️ Shadow and Bone meets Mafia: I am not a Mafia fan. I find them cheesy and outlandish but I adored this. The fantasy elements to this were so gritty and subtle and the world was neat. I've never read anything quite like it. I still have some questions about how the descendants work but I foresee my questions being answered in the next one for sure.

This book was such a ride. I went in with zero expectations and ended up absolutely devouring it. Think mafia family drama, post–industrial revolution magic, enemies-to-lovers, and an arranged marriage that’s pure chaos—in the best way possible.

Camilla’s forced into marrying Nicolai for family business reasons (because, of course, morally dubious rich people gotta make deals), and he’s from the rival family she’s supposed to hate. Naturally, that plan falls apart once they’re stuck together and the tension starts sizzling. Nico and Milla’s dynamic was addictive—banter, longing, and just enough angst to keep me glued to the page. I swooned, I yelled, and I may have muttered “just kiss already” more times than I can count.

The characters were the real hook here. I loved them, hated them, and wanted to shake some sense into them—but I couldn’t stop reading about them. The Marchese family? Awful. Made me want to throw something. But it made me root for Milla even harder. Nicolai was just chef’s kiss levels of infuriating and irresistible.

The worldbuilding is fascinating—steampunk vibes, magic, and a political system with remnants, descendants, and island history. I’ll admit, some of the lore had me a little lost at first, but honestly? I didn’t care. The romance and drama were so good that I just went with it and enjoyed the ride. The pacing hit perfectly, especially once the romance really got going, and the plot twists kept things spicy.

Final verdict: This is tense, dramatic, swoony romantasy with magic and mafia vibes. If you like enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage drama, and morally messy families, you’ll fly through it. And that ending? Yeah… I need book two yesterday.

Arranged marriage? Mafia-inspired and set in a fantasy world? Two characters who start out wary of each other and then fall in love? All of that sounded like my jam when I read the description of this book.

Sadly — and this might be because I’ve read a lot of stories with similar setups in this genre — this one mostly bored me and didn’t manage to hook me at all.
Camilla, the heroine, was the typical sassy FMC who verbally spars with the MMC, Nicolai, who immediately becomes protective and possessive without much buildup or relationship development.

In a marriage of convenience/arranged marriage setting, you get a golden opportunity to build tension and create an environment that forces proximity and gradual discovery of the two main characters’ different sides, helping them fall in love. That’s one of the best parts of the dynamic (at least for me!), but here it felt like the author skipped straight to the male lead being devoted to the heroine’s safety. It made the relationship feel unearned and drastically diminished my interest as the story went on.

Adding to that, everything else surrounding the plot felt similarly generic: a fantasy world with shifters and people with different powers, some action and danger from warring families, but at its core, the storyline and the worldbuilding felt pretty thin. And because the romance didn’t work for me either, I basically coasted through the rest of the book out of sheer willpower.

I think this would appeal to readers looking for a relatively easy, trope-heavy read. But if you’re after an intense dynamic or something fresh, it might leave you wanting more.


Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

Mafia fantasy romance - it caught my interest immediately!

We follow Camila who is forced into a marriage of convenience to a rival family in order to secure the funds her family needs to secure their future.

I loved the romance and the tension in this, it was fun to see Camila and Nicos relationship progress throughout the book.

The action was fun, if not a little predictable, but I still enjoyed it anyway. The fantasy side with the magic system didn’t blow me away but it did fit with the story.

The ending captured my attention and I will be picking up the next book as I’m looking forward to what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the arc!

I requested this arc solely to be Alexis Menard’s hype girl. I read House of Bane and Blood at the beginning of 2024 and it was one of my favorite romantasies of the year. It is so underhyped, but deserving of all the praise. I loved the gritty, industrial world that Menard created with its complex characters, mafia culture and swoon worthy, slow burn romance. It absolutely gave me Peaky Blinders vibes from the jump. I still think about this duology often and I’m so happy that Alexis is getting traditionally published!

I read this book a year or so ago when it was self published and I thought it was fantastic.
Now I was able to get an ARC from Netgalley and I'm excited to review it.
I love the unique magic system and mystery to solve. The twists and turns are so well done us readers stay in the dark and I'm delighted to say I did not figure everything out before it was revealed.
Nico is strong and protective and the way he goes all out for those he loves makes me wish I had a Nico.
Milla is a bit spoiled but mostly because her family kept her in the dark not because she wasn't capable of being more.
I love that Nico and Milla saw the worst in each other and still managed to find their way to love.
I loved it even more this time around and thank you to Netgalley and second sky for the copy. These thoughts are my own.

BK-17
1🌶️
POV: First Person, Dual POV
Vibe: 1920’s, steampunk, Peek Blinders, Mafia
Category: New Adult

What a crazy ride for Camilla! With her being the heiress to a nearly bankrupt steam train company, a marriage of convenience will save her and her family.

Nico steps in as a husband quicker than he thought. But when people start to come after his wife he becomes protective of what is his. He is my top book boyfriend right now!

This tale is full of twists and turns with unexpected results.

I love the vibes and tabbed so much out of this!
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Spicy Chapter: 35

A fantastic blend of steam punk fantasy and slow burn romance!! I absolutely adored this book. It immediately hooked me in and I loved the chemistry between Nico and Milla. I can't wait to read the next book and see how their relationship progresses. The magic system was also really unique!! Its a fun steam punk fantasy and I definitely adored the tropes in here!! It's got : rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, action packed pages and a morally grey mmc with a robot hand, seriously what more do you need? I will absolutely be reading the next book!

Thank you to Second Sky for providing me with an arc of House of Bane and Blood.

This book is a thrilling and unique steam punk fantasy with a slow burn that will have you positively frothing at the mouth. The flirty banter between Nico and Milla will have you biting your fist and screaming. I found the magic system interesting and unique. Even though it was my first steam punk fantasy, it was easy to follow. Each page was action packed and it felt like Milla couldn't catch a single break. It kept me coming back for more at the end of each chapter.

If you love rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, super slow burns, action packed pages and a morally grey mmc with a robot hand, House of Bane and blood is definitely going to hit all the high marks for you.

Okay so I was gifted this book on Kindle before I was accepted by NetGalley for the ARC so I read it earlier but am doing the review now- thanks so much to NetGalley for this one!

House of Bane and Blood was such a ride. I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in, but I ended up absolutely flying through it. Mafia vibes, magic, enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage chaos, I mean, what more could I want?

Camilla’s being forced into marriage for family business reasons (classic morally questionable rich people drama), and Nicolai’s from the rival family she’s meant to hate. Obviously, that goes out the window once they’re stuck together and the tension starts simmering. Their dynamic was addictive and Nico and Milla had me totally hooked. I was living for their moments, swooning over the tension, and screaming inside whenever they were apart for too long.

The characters were the strongest part of this for me. They felt real. I loved them, hated them, shouted at them… and kept turning pages to find out what they’d do next. The Marchese family, though? Absolutely dreadful. I felt so bad for Milla and how much she kept trying with people who clearly didn’t deserve her. But it made me root for her even harder.

The world is really interesting, it’s like sort of an industrial fantasy vibe with magic and politics thrown in, but I did find myself a bit lost in the early parts. The stuff about remnants, descendants, and the island’s political history could’ve used more explaining upfront. But to be fair, I didn’t care that much because I was way too into the characters and their drama to stop. I just skimmed past the bits I didn’t fully get and carried on enjoying the chaos. Haha!

The writing itself hit a nice balance, there is enough detail to build the world and make it feel real, but not so much that it slowed everything down. And the pacing was pretty solid. Especially once the romance kicks off properly. I didn’t want it to end. That last page came way too fast and now I’m desperate for book two.

Final thoughts: Tense, dramatic, swoony, and a bit magical—this is my kind of romantasy. If you like enemies to lovers, arranged marriage drama, and mafia-style fantasy families with serious issues, give it a go.

Rating: 4 stars. Easy.