Grace Draven

Radiance (Wraith Kings) (Volume 1)

The Prince of No Value~Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.~The Noblewoman of No Importance~Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn't just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she's known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.

A Novel

Radiance

Megan BV

“I’m not human, wife,” he whispered into the darkness. 

Shock rounded his eyes at Ildiko’s response, slurred with sleep and nearly incoherent. “But you’re still mine, husband.”

“You make a very handsome dead eel, my husband,” she said and winked. Sinhue and Kirgipa both gasped.

 “For a boiled mollusk, you wear black quite well, my wife,” Brishen shot back, and his smile stretched a little wider.

“You’re very clever, wife and have a talent for saying much while saying little.” The lines at the corners of his eyes deepened, and the corners of his mouth turned up. “This will more than do.”

He kissed her forehead. “No, you’re going to eat. We still have a formal dinner to suffer through in a few hours.”

 “You’ll need it,” he cheerfully replied.

Her hands jerked in his grasp before she arched an eyebrow. “Wolf,” she said softly. 

“Horse,” he replied just as quietly. Ildiko’s lips twitched before she finally gave in and let loose a peal of laughter. The sound was magic, more powerful than any sorcerer’s spell, more startling than the roll of a Gauri’s eyes. Both the Gauri court and the much smaller Kai contingent visibly relaxed. Hands dropped from pommels, stiff shoulders relaxed and nearly everyone stared at the newly wedded couple as if they were mad. 

Brishen took her in his arms and squeezed her until she squeaked. “Well done, princess,” he whispered in her ear. “Well done.”

Their quick friendship and playful banter is soooo good!

“We’ll manage well enough together, Ildiko of Gaur.” 

She briefly touched his shoulder. “I believe you, Brishen of Bast-Haradis.”

 A hard pounding on the door warned them their private meeting was over. Brishen presented his arm to Ildiko. “Ready to get shackled, madam?”

She rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Try not to smile too widely, Your Highness. You’ll scare the children in the crowd.”

Simple, sweet, finally a non-toxic relationship that isn't enemies to lovers

Hill

abi a

one of my favorite reads. The romance, magical elements, and world building are so good. It’s become a comfort read 

Monserrat Navarro 

Ildiko, a Guari human, and Brishen, a Kai prince, have an arranged marriage based on political alliances, but they meet each other and both agree the other is hideous and become fast friends. This is such a fun book. I love their banter and their relationship is so cute! 

Overall, it’s a great fantasy romance with fantastic banter, a bit of political intrigue, some steamy moments and lots of sweet moments where they learn about each other. I even like the cover. This book just brought me so much joy and was the perfect escape. 

I really loved this book. 

Ildiko, a Guari human, and Brishen, a Kai prince, have an arranged marriage based on political alliances, but they meet each other and both agree the other is hideous and become fast friends. This is such a fun book. I love their banter and their relationship is so cute! 

Overall, it’s a great fantasy romance with fantastic banter, a bit of political intrigue, some steamy moments and lots of sweet moments where they learn about each other. I even like the cover. This book just brought me so much joy and was the perfect escape. 

Glenda

this is the cutest, fluffiest enemies to friends to lovers romance 😭 i loved every second of it

dija

Jasmine

I loved it and all the political intrigue and the beautiful way the story unfolded. The slow burn from mutual respect and admiration, to friendship, and eventually to a deep love was nearly flawless! I love both these characters so much for the intelligence and strength the way they tackled so many obstacles together was incredible. There actually very little not to like, from the first scene with them bantering back and forth in the garden before their arranged marriage I knew I would enjoy this one and I wasn't wrong!! Can't wait for book two!

Lover of Romance 

Summary
Ildiko, as the niece to the King of Gauri, knows that her husband would always be chosen for her. That it would be a match for political reasons only. But what she never imagined, was to be mated to a Kai prince. This marriage will be a pact for power and safety for both of their people. Both the Gauri and the Kai find each other distasteful and ugly. When Ildiko finds herself seeking peace in her garden before the marriage, she meets a Kai, and although not the handsomest of creatures, there is something fascinating abou tit, and he makes her laugh. Then she learns that Kai that made her life, is Brishen, her future husband. Ildiko and Brishen start out in their marriage, knowing that there isn’t much of a physical attraction present, but they have a connection that they can’t explain. Both Brishen and Ildiko learn that their marriage can be whatever they make of it. It doesn’t have to be just a political alliance, but a merging of hearts.

The Hero
Brishen, is the spare of the king and queen of the Kai. He grew up in a home of parents that were cruel and viscious…most especially to each other. Brishen somehow has managed to keep a heart of gold, despite where he came from. Brishen is considered less important to his family. Brishen is a able leader and fighter, and lives on the edge of their territory. He is respected and admired by many. Brishen is quite the character….and I just adored him. Now he isn’t any pretty boy, but there is quite a bit of substance to his personality. He is honorable, loyal, and dedicated. He is protective of those under his care, What I grew to really admire about Brishen, is the way that he handles conflict and the way that he treats Ildiko.

The Heroine
Illdiko, will do whatever duty demands of her. She lost her family a long time ago, and she is considered to be not as important because she is the daughter of the King’s younger sister. She is then told to marry a Kai Prince. She knows that her future isn’t too bright, and that she will have to be away from the only things that are familiar, but when she realizes who is to be her husband, she is more than willing to take charge of her life and embrace her life with him. Illdiko is passionate, sweet, and funny. She has a charm to her that isn’t easy to resist, she is accepting of other, and she is very compassionate. I adored her as the heroine. She was quite endearing and very easy to relate with. I could see myself being her, and she faces challenges in the most patient way. She has spunk and the perfect blend of spirit.

Plot and Story Line
Radiance is the first in the Wraith Kings. I had heard so many great recommendation of this story, and so I decided to get it, especially since it’s at a great price for the quality of the story that you get. Radiance is a fantasy themed romance, and I don’t get to read these two often. Radiance begins with seeing two people from opposite lifestyle, being joined in matrimony. Ildiko and Brishen are as alike as fire and ice. They are completely different from each other in every way, from looks, personality, culture and even food tastes. But there is one thing that they do well…they become good friends and make each other laugh with insults. The insults…oh they were hilarious. These two definitely have some sparks from the very beginning, but they are more of an emotional connection at first. Both characters are determined to make the best of the situation that they find themselves in. But from the moment that they discover desire for each other…whew…watch out or you may get burned. These two can create some heavy fireworks. The romance is so sweet and tender yet passionate. I really love the whole “marriage of convenience” theme we have here, and the author does a splendid job of blending together a beautifully crafted plot, with in depth characters and some intense intriguing elements that add a certain depth to the story you don’t expect. Reading Radiance, made me realize how much I have missed reading this genre. I don’t get a chance to read it too often, and so this book was such a treat for me…and what delicious one it was too.

Cover
The cover matches the story line pretty well I would say. Now if I had looked at the cover before the blurb or any ratings… not sure I would have picked it up. But I have grown to love it now. I love the pose that they are in, has that poingnat yet sensual hint to it.

Overall View
Radiance is a powerful fantasy themed romance, a story of sacrifice, danger, and love. A tale that will leave you wanting for more…This is a must read for any romance lover…ASTOUNDING!!

Andrea Rodriguez

Alright I know I am super generous with my ratings, but this was most def 4.5 stars. Like, a well deserved 4.5 stars.

Can we just talk about the banter?? It was my absolute favorite thing about this book. I found myself laughing and smiling like an idiot from the very beginning.

Friends-t0-lovers is not normally my jam, but this author did it so damn well. This book could have easily been an enemies-to-lovers, but after reading it, I don't think the whole enemies thing would have worked as well. I loved how, from the very beginning, they were open to accepting their physical differences while being very honest about how unattractive they found each other lmao. Them going back and forth roasting their looks was the cutest thing in the most absurd way.

They were just so sweet and precious - I am obsessed with them.

So glad I randomly decided to work through my physical tbr and picked this one up. It's a fairly quick read and a beautifully written fantasy romance.

Catalina

I did really enjoy how honest they were with each other and their banter, but having expected a slow burn coming in, this was anything but that.

Aditi

This was so different from what I was expecting, in the best way possible. I don't usually like fantasy romance but this one was a good mix of both. The world, the court politics, and the characters were all interesting and engaging, and the romance was so cute and very steamy. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to trying more fantasy romance especially by Grace Draven.

Zoe P

Friends to lovers…a new concept for me. I don’t hate it. It was actually kind of…nice? I appreciated that this book was short, sweet and to the point. Excited for the next two books! Also we love a man (Kai?) that lets his woman be independent 👏🏼

DNF i stopped around 86%

What i absolutely loved was Draven’s writing style ,which is probably one of my favorites now.

The book was fine. Nothing major would really happen ,so you could focus on the characters’ relationship. I did get bored towards the end tho because I knew what would happen in the last chapter and didn’t find it necessary to finish.

Overall: 
•AMAZING writing style
•great enjoyable book
•4-4.5 stars

(oh and the start and finished dates are wrong)

Kayla

The book centers on an arranged marriage between a human woman named Ildiko and a Kai prince named Brishen. Humans and Kai are very different from each other in appearance, food, culture and even whether they can see in the day or the night. They tend to find the appearance of members of the other species very off-putting.

From the moment they meet, Ildiko and Brishen acknowledge how hideous they find each other in a fun and playful way. They might find each other revolting to look at, but they are both easy going and have great chemistry. They are fast friends and accept the arrangement with ease, partners and allies in a duty neither asked for but find to be actually not all that bad.

As the story develops, they slowly but surely fall in love with one another's minds, wit, fortitude and courage. As each falls for who their spouse is on the inside, they begin to see the beauty in one another. Their romance is refreshingly healthy and honest. The mutual respect they hold for each other and the chemistry-filled banter they they exchange shows just how good a match they really are.

The political intrigue and world-building are intriguing, even if at times they slow the plot down a bit. The other characters are interesting and it adds a lot to Brishen and Ildiko's character development to see how they react to and treat others. Brishen's mother is so awful she made me exclaim out loud. I hope to learn more about Ildiko's family in the sequels. 

When there is action, it is engaging, especially during the ending sequences. I hope the next books have more exciting moments like that. But the main focus, the romance, is a delight. It's impossible not to root for these two.

Maggie Hepditch

Grace Draven's writing is so enchanting that once I got into this book I just couldn't put it down. Minus the epilogue this ended perfectly so I'm not sure if I will continue the series since I'm happy about how it ended.

Becky

My second foray into the AAR Top 100 Romance was far more successful. I had actually had this book on my TBR list for a while after seeing a review for it over on Nosegraze I think. It sounded interesting, a marriage between people's who each have different ideas of beauty and live very different ways. I liked the idea of the opposites coming together and the struggle of them learning a new definition of beauty, but also that beauty is more than appearance but character. It seemed interesting and although I wasn't enamoured with the cover I liked the concept.

This book easily met and succeeded expectations. I got my two characters, Brishen and Ildiko, coming together and slowly becoming friends before something more and each of them slowly learnt that appearance is not everything. Neither is what the other expected of their partner for marriage but they ended up being perfect for one another. I'd actually expected a more antagonistic meeting that you get in the book. These two meet by chance before their marriage and there is a brief connection from there of respect if nothing more and that grows throughout the book. I really loved how they made each other laugh and smile and unlike many romances I've read there isn't a lack of communication between our couple. I've never been so happy for characters to keep on using their words. There was never conflict due to misunderstandings because these two spoke to each other and were clear and honest and when they weren't ready to use their words they each knew the best way to interact and keep their distance. I've never appreciated that kind of interaction and partnership before but yes, totally right in this book.

I liked that the conflict at the end (which might have been a little rushed but I didn't hate on the rush to the end because I was rushing through too because it was so good!) and that there was not a perfect ending to that conflict. Not everyone comes out unscathed and hopefully, the next book will explore some of the long-term effects of what happened both physically and mentally. Some of the physical impacts were explored and I'm excited to see how that will progress.

I did find the pacing a bit weird in this. It's way more about the characters growing closer and their relationship at first. It wasn't until about the last quarter of the book that a larger storyline became apparent. It could have been offputting for some but I quite enjoyed seeing Brishen and Ildiko grow closer together and their friendship grows to romance and a stronger bond. I'm excited to see where the next book will go. I know the things I've enjoyed of these two using their words may not be so great in the next one with some of the issues that I know are going to be coming up, but after reading this I know whatever happens in the next book it will be well written.

Kelly Casey

So flipping good. Phenomenal. Loved it. Two characters from different species who find the other species UGLY get married for a political alliance. They immediately enjoy each others company, and become friends. A few kisses to the hand or forehead, and a deep adoration and respect for each other evolves into a beautiful romance. What once were ugly features are now beautiful or radiant, and the two characters find love, pleasure, and companionship in each other. It was literally so sweet and adorable. The plot was very subtle, but I imagine the next book will be very plot heavy. The epilogue was crazy. I can't wait to continue and I fully recommend this book to everyone.

Olivera Mitić

Samo molim vas, molim vas, molim vas zanemarite korice. Nemam drugi komentar na konto toga osim da je sadržaj jedno 70 puta bolji od onoga kako deluje na prvi pogled. 

Ako tražite fantastiku čiji je osnov odnosa koje istražuje baziran na ugovorenom braku gde se vremenom zapravo zavole, našli ste apsolutno savršenu stvar. Ovo je najbolje odrađena verzija te ideje na koju sam ja do sada naišla i ispunjava sve kriterijume. 

Ne samo da ima savršeno odrađenu ljubavnu priču (sa evenutalno najboljom predstavom zdrave veze koju sam ikad čitala u bilo kom žanru), Radiance je još i usputno jako smešna knjiga, što definitivno nisam očekivala. 

Ne znam šta drugo da kažem, osim da Grejs Drejven zna šta radi i svaka joj čast, jer lagano zasenjuje sve druge autore koji pišu u ovom žanru i bezuspešno pokušavaju da urade ovo što je ona uradila i to pritom još na malom broju strana.

Michelle Xu

4.25-4.5 stars

Such a good slow burn, friends-to-lovers fantasy romance.

Carmen Hew

ugh i love this book!!!! it even made me stay up till 3am ;-;

Morgan Kinney

I had this book just sitting on my TBR for whenever. However, I was watching Riley Marie on book tube and she convinced me. And she was right!!!! I love this relationship. Friend to lovers. Arranged marriage. Great banter! Already want to reread.

Jayarna La Bozzetta

Hmm... I think this was good? It lacked so little intrigue that I had absolutely no desire to pick it back up. Yet it wasn't bad? There was just barely any tension and a lack of mystery. However this was a lovely pairing and I don't regret reading it.

celeste

WOW, the characters in this book were able to melt my cold, black heart. I honestly can't remember when was the last time I read about two characters being this soft, and cute, and caring towards each other. If I could, I'd give this a million stars solely for Ildiko and Brishen, but I kinda was expecting a bit more when it came to the plotline so I'm taking one star for that.

I'm not kidding when I say that Ildiko and Brishen are the softest and most domestic couple I've encountered in a while, especially in a fantasy book. Even though the book is not heavily focused on the fantastical elements, they do move to the forefront of the story towards the ending, while the rest of the book is focused more on the development of the main characters' relationship. I just can't stop grinning like an idiot every time I think about these two; they literally left me shooketh to my core. I wanna gush about them non-stop: the way Brishen always respected her wishes and took the time to learn about her and about what she was feeling, and the way she always cared and worried about him, FUCK I CAN'T DEAL WITH THEIR CUTENESS!

If you are looking for a fantasy romance book that it's mostly focused on the romance with a bit of smut, then pick this one up. It's totally worth it for the characters and the political and court intrigue as well.

Radiance (Wraith Kings) (Volume 1)

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