Wow! What did I just read?! House of Bane and Blood is the start of a new romantasy series. I loved the title and the blurb, so I couldn't wait to start reading!
We are introduced to Camilla Marchese, a young woman who has to marry for the good of the family business. Nicolai is a member of a family that is sworn enemies to The Marchese family. That is until the day he sets himself and Camilla on a path of no return.
The world building had me right there, and the characters snatched my heart immediately. I do love an enemies to lovers trope and House of Bane and Blood had it in spades!!
Alexis L. Menard is a brand new author to me, and after this book, she is right at the top of my favourite authors list. Characters I could invest in and ones that I hated too. I was so immersed in Camilla and Nicolai's story that I felt like I could be with them.
I loved, loved this book! I loved it so much I was gutted when I reached the last page. I hope the second book is coming soon!! I really need to know more!!

Peaky blinders wannabe, but make it romantasy with a marriage of convenience.

Camilla, the city’s darling Railway heiress, enters into a marriage contract with her family’s rival Nicolai to secure funds for her family’s debts. Nico wants to use her bourgeois contacts to track down the person responsible for stealing people and fanning the flames of a war between descendants (who have powers) and natives.

This was cringey, but very addicting.
Milla is naive and innocent, but is she really?
Nico is possessive and obsessive, but hides a softer side around his family and Milla.

This wasn’t really enemies to lovers, it was more of a family feud which both love interests very easily set aside as they weren’t personally responsible.

<b>“Your safety has expanded the boundaries that used to contain me. A safe house, a freezing train car, beneath the city in a tunnel of sewage, no matter where we are, I’m always home when I am with you. Now, I’m navigating this new freedom you’ve given me, and I’m bound to get it wrong more often than right. But I will work at it if you are willing to wait for me. Because I want to feel like this every day. I want you, Nico.”
</b>
Expect waaaay too many ‘princess’ nicknames, ‘daddy’ jokes, and a lot of ‘who did this to you’, ‘touch her and you die’.

I would have wanted more politicking or gang activity and more world building as the idea of remnants and the different magics available was so intriguing to me.
Mixing magic and science. Moving tattoos. Vampire-like users. Benders of the elements (Nico). Mind readers etc.

I needed the change of pace and easy turn your mind off popcorn book.

This was a fun mafia romance mixed with magic. It’s a marriage of convenience to save her family. I really enjoyed the family in here and watching the relationship develop. I feel bad for the FMC for how terrible her family is to her and how she seems to refuse to accept it. This is a very interesting world! The writing is the perfect balance between enough world building to be able to picture it well without being so much as to drag down the pacing! It’s set in an industrial age/ setting. Overall definitely a fun, enjoyable read would recommend!

4⭐️ 2.5🌶️

This was a lot of fun to read. The world was unique and interesting. I absolutely loved the MMC Nico. I loved that Milla gave Nico a hard time, and Nico took it so well!

This book is such a fun ride! Like Peaky Blinders with magic and romance. I love the world and the magic system. The dynamic between the main characters is hot and I'm only a little obsessed with MMC. Also, plus is that its a duology. I'm excited that this book got picked up for trad publishing and look forward to seeing what this author does next!

The magic system with a peaky blinders vibe is really cool! I am not sure if the plot was really twisting yet or if I somehow missed a few very important details, but either way my mind is shocked and trying to keep up. That ending was explosive, I need book 2 asap please!!

The characters banter and reluctant allies to lovers vibes made the romance side a lot of fun. I was kicking my feet and cheering and giggling while reading this. Nico is swoony and toes that morally grey line amazingly. Camilla is so sassy and strong, exactly what I want in ever fmc.

Note - I've only seen a few episodes of peaky blinders, and picturing those scenes with this was fun but not necessary to enjoy it.

The characters, their relationships and the storyline in this book was incredible. They hooked me and reeled me in to the point where I felt like I was living the story with them. I was reading with baited breath, gasping and shouting at my Kindle, and excitedly messaging friends who had also read this book with theories and swoony quotes.

The worldbuilding is the only thing I struggled with, and there were some aspects that I'm not sure I fully understand still. I would have appreciated a little more explanation earlier on the book about the remnants and descendants, explaining the history of the isle's politics.

However, usually something like this would really bother me but the characters and the writing was so overwhelmingly excellent that I just skimmed words I didn't understand because I needed to get more from the story. I absolutely adored every moment between Nico and Milla and I cannot wait for book two!

Read this when it first released and absolutely adored it. Alexis pulled at my heart strings when it came to the Italian essence and mafia - vibe!! Such a great ending to a witty, spicy, and fantasy-filled story.

Tropes and Vibes:
💍 Marriage of convenience
💔 Enemies to lovers
🖤 Morally gray MMC
🔮 Dark/urban magic
🏙️ Mafia houses & cartel politics
🗡️ Serial‑killer hunt
🏠 Forced proximity (newlyweds)
♟️ Power plays & intrigue
🔥 Slow-burn tension with spice

I have no idea why this book isn’t getting more attention, it’s a hidden gem that absolutely deserves a place on BookTok! House of Bane and Blood sucked me in from the start with its gritty, magical world and fast-paced plot. If you’re into dark fantasy with political intrigue, family secrets, and steamy tension, this is one you need to read.

The dynamic between Milla and Nico is everything. The banter? On point. Their chemistry? Electric. It’s the perfect slow-burn, (supposed to be) enemies-ish-to-lovers setup, but with real emotional depth that makes you root for them beyond just the romance.

There are several plot twists throughout the book—some I saw coming, but that only made the reveal more satisfying because it was so well-executed. Watching everything unfold, especially with the mystery of the Collector and the stakes of Milla’s family legacy, made for a really immersive reading experience.

The worldbuilding feels like Peaky Blinders vibes, full of arcane science, political tension, and a post-industrial magical landscape that’s both gritty and lush. I’m dying to see more from this world.. especially if Alexis decides to build the series out more!

Highly recommend for anyone into dark, twisty fantasy with strong heroines, morally gray love interests, and a whole lot of secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for an ARC!

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬 𝐋. 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝
~ 𝑶𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔 #𝟏
♾️⭐ | 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

"𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬.”

House of Bane and Blood is an adult fantasy romance, set post-industrial revolution — powered by the steam punk sub-genre, perfect for fans who love the atmosphere and tone of Peaky Blinders with magic and unique lore.

This was an immaculate book. I cannot believe that I read this in less than a few hours. My rating went from 5⭐ to 6⭐ to ♾️⭐ because the more I thought about this book, the higher my rating kept going every minute.

The world building was absolutely phenomenal. I was drawn to the story from the very beginning. The post-industrial setting server a perfect backdrop to the city divided by magic.

The magic system is entirely unique and nothing I've seen before. The authentic and unique lore of the book, the fuelling backstories, the jaw dropping plot twists and unexpected twists and turns in this book kept me on the edge of my seat every single moment.

Nicolai and Camilla are from rival families who have great amounts of tension and grudged between them. Their chemistry was cracking and sizzling the entire time and was intense. Their romance dancing a fine line between love and hate. Their banter was one of the best parts of the book and kept me entertained.

The family dynamics was something i really enjoyed. The relationship between Camilla's family and Nico's family were different experiences and I came to love their dynamics in the end.

🐍 Marriage of Convenience
🖤 Post - Industrial Setting
🐍 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Adult Fantasy Romance
🐍 Unique Lore & Magic System
🖤 Slow Burn Romance
🐍 Rival Families

This book was everything and more. I devoured it and could not put it down - it was such a unique and refreshing fantasy and I found myself wishing I could live in this world. The witty banter in this book had me smiling and laughing more times than I can count, I fell in love with the characters and adored the Attano family, this book made me cry which I was not expecting. I loved the marriage of convenience and rivals to lovers aspect of the story. The tension and slow burn sizzle between Milla and Nico was perfection, I absolutely adore these two! This easily has to be one of my favorite books of all time and I cannot recommend it enough!

Just a casual reread for this sunny Sunday morning 😍 gosh I was so happy to dive back into the Attano Family world. It awaked everything that I loved originally in this book and brought it back to life. It’s giving Peaky Blinders Vibes and I promise you DO NOT want to miss this!! Thank you to NetGalley and @secondskybooks for the opportunity to re read this book in exchange for my honest review!

Wow wow wow! Whát a book! This sucked me right in and didn’t let go! It had me absolutely in a chokehold! The perfect book to battle the oncoming reading slump I was feeling, I just couldn’t put it down. Not a moment where I was bored or where I thought the book was slow, I absolutely ATE THIS UP
The banter, the yearning omg, totally kicking my feet and squealing.
Do you like:
- Enemies to lovers
- Fierce fmc
- Banter
- ‘Who did this to you?’
- Peaky blinders vibes
- Elemental magic
- Marriage of convenience
This book has it all!
I had a little bit of a hard time understanding all of the conflicts in the city and the power struggels between the families but that aside this book has a good amount of plot and romance.
I totally recommend this one!😍

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. An instant 5 stars for me. Can't wait for the next book to come out. Loved the characters.

“𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥.”

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌: House of Bane and Blood
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Alexis L. Menard
𝑽𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔: 🩸🖤✨💍🦾🐍

Dark mafia-style romantasy. Need I say more.

House of Bane and Blood immerses you in the story immediately. Milla and Nicolai come from two sides of the same coin- both of their lives woven into the grisly business ventures of their city. The premise of the book intrigued me and I am so glad I picked it up. There were all the tropes I love: a marriage of convenience, found family, and ‘where’s my wife?’!! You really cannot beat the ‘where’s my wife’ that comes out of Nicolai’s mouth, that’s all I’m saying.
I really empathized and loved Milla, our fmc. She is gritty and willing to do whatever it takes for her families business. She’s carrying a huge weight on her shoulders but she doesn’t let it keep her down. I loved watching her and Nicolia grow on one another- and the tension was perfect!! I read this book so fast and that’s a testament to the story! It has me needing to know what happens next!!
I rated it 4 stars because I got a bit confused with some of the story line. Being thrown into it so quickly I didn’t understand the bigger dynamics at play until a bit of a ways in and that hindered my immersion. But by the final chapters I was all in. The action and ending were crafted very well. I will definitely be picking up book two!!

4.5 stars

I loved this story. The characters are well written. Camilla is such a great, strong FMC. She is a businesswoman who knows how to handle most situations. Nico is the love interest who is a perfect match for her. He is also a businessman and will do anything to protect his family. Camilla has been through a lot of crap, but still comes out fighting on the other side. I can't wait to read book 2 to see what happens next. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC!

"I'm not the princess here anymore, Attano. I'm the f*cking dragon."

Is Milla one of my favorite FMCs ever? ABSOLUTELY.

I read this book when it was indie, and it was truly WONDERFUL to get to revisit it as it is about to be released in trade paperback!

The worldbuilding of this book is truly top notch, and I absolutely adored how you feel the inspiration from Peaky Blinders. You immediately get dropped into this world of crime and intrigue, and Menard continually builds up the world around you as you read (and does it so, so well).

The tension between Nico and Milla is truly so satisfying, and I love that this book contains action, crime, SUPER interesting magic and characters that truly stand on their own. I loved this book so much the first time that I read it, and loved it EVEN more when I was able to read it again.

I truly cannot recommend this book enough!

4.5 ⭐️

Wow. I LOVED this. House of Bane and Blood really nails everything I look for in a marriage convenience as a lover of that trope. The dynamic of Milla and Nico’s relationship is so perfect. They start with a bit of a contentious relationship, but as you see them settle into their marriage you see moments of softness between them. You also see that both of them are willing to burn the world down for each other in order to protect the other. By the end of the book I was so sold on their love. The characters were both great on their own as well. Milla was so badass and willing to march into danger. I found her “recklessness” justified and never thought she was being dumb. Meanwhile, Nico was dangerous, but he was doing everything he did for family, which made his actions valid and made me really enjoy his character.

This book also had a really intriguing world and setting. I’ve never read a romantasy that with this unique of a setting. I loved the vibe of the dueling crime families and the old timey-ness of the world. I will say that some of the world building as far as magic goes was confusing. A glossary of some sort might have helped because there were a few aspects of it that I was still foggy on by the end.

I can’t wait to read book 2!

I loved every single thing about this book. Oh the son and daughter of rival families have to enter into a marriage contract to pay off some debt and prevent a war? Sign me the F up.

Let's talk about our main characters Nicolai Attano and Camilla Marchese because I am obsessed with both of them. Camilla was an absolute badass with a snarky attitude. I loved that she could hold her own and had such a commanding presence wherever she went. Nicolai is book boyfriend perfection. He's broody, he's mysterious, he's a family man who would do absolutely anything for the ones he loves. The banter between them? Top tier. I was smirking and giggling the entire time. Their slow-burn romance? Again, top tier. We really got to see both of their walls crumble with each other and that moment of vulnerability where they finally let themselves admit what we all knew they were feeling. Ugh, so so good.

Romance aside, I also really enjoyed the magic system and thought it was incredibly intricate and unique. I am a massive Grishaverse fan and the magic here felt reminiscent of the Grisha and the 'small science'. I loved learning about the different types of magic as well as the history with the saints, the remni and the descendants.

The Mafia-style plot was gripping and kept me engaged the entire time. The gaslamp, steampunk, 1920s-but-make-it-fantasy vibes were immaculate. I had such a good time reading this and immediately picked up book 2.

Thank you to the author and Second Sky Books for providing me with an eARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

This was such a fast paced fun read! I did not want to put it down. Think mafia meets fantasy with Peaky Blinder vibes. I ate it up!The romance was my fav! The banter and tension between Nico and Camilla *chefs* kiss! The slow burn was perfect!!

I was equally invested in the side characters. Hopefully we get more in book 2. There was a lot of political movement and secrets that kept me turning the pages. The magic was interesting, I will say I still don't fully understand how it works. I think a chart with the saints and their magic would be helpful.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the second book. This does end on a cliffhanger.

Read if you love:
✨️Peaky Binders vibes
✨️Forbidden Romance
✨️Marriage of convenience
✨️Touch her and die
✨️Slow burn
✨️Political intrigue

“Whatever you want, princess. The heart in your chest, the air in your lungs, I’ll take whatever you offer me, and I won’t regret it. I never do.”

“I would do it all again,” he said in the absence of my denial. “I would run through fire and burn for you. I would lose arm and leg and limb. I’d do it all over, knowing what would happen to me, if it meant eventually having you as I do now."

“Wanting you isn’t hard, princess. It’s all the rest that makes it difficult.”

Overall 4.5⭐️🌶🌶

🗓Releases September 8, 2025

Thank you Secondsky for the ARC. All opinions are my own