Kate Golden

Captured by a king of darkness. Forced to find the light within.

Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King.

Arwen knows better than to face the ancient, wicked woods that surround the castle on her own, which means working with a fellow prisoner might be her only path to freedom. Unfortunately, he’s as infuriating as he is cunning—and seems to take twisted
pleasure in playing on Arwen’s deepest fears.

But here in Onyx Kingdom, trust is a luxury she can’t afford.

To make it out of enemy territory, she'll have to navigate back-stabbing royals, dark magic, and dangerous beasts. But untold power lies inside Arwen, dormant and waiting for a spark. If she can harness it, she just might be able to escape with her life—and hopefully, her heart.

The Sacred Stones 

A Dawn of Onyx

A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones Book 1)

Leena Isabel

         Kane looked like he could topple mountains. 

			“Who?” He gritted the word out.”

Page turning, but the writing and world building was a bit too simple, slow moving plot.

Hill

This is by far just a me thing. I did not like this book but pretty much all of my other friends did. I also have waited so long to write this review I don’t think I can tell you anything about the plot about the book. But my feelings of boredom and how I don’t think anything truly happened in this book that felt worthwhile for me was enough and I do still feel now. Like I actually can’t even remember the ending that would normally make me feel like I should give the second book a chance. I literally have nothing so don’t take my word for this one and please look at other reviews before reading this book if you are on the fence. 

Priscilla Stanfield

2/5⭐️ • 2/5🌶️

I’ll keep this short.

This is by far just a me thing. I did not like this book but pretty much all of my other friends did. I also have waited so long to write this review I don’t think I can tell you anything about the plot about the book. But my feelings of boredom and how I don’t think anything truly happened in this book that felt worthwhile for me was enough and I do still feel now. Like I actually can’t even remember the ending that would normally make me feel like I should give the second book a chance. I literally have nothing so don’t take my word for this one and please look at other reviews before reading this book if you are on the fence. 

Wowzers. That certainly came together in the last 20% and finished with a bang. Great start to the book, but then slowed slightly, but still kept you pretty interested. The banter was everything!! The twist towards the end was great! Excited to read the next in the series now :) 

Aims

Thank you to PRH Audio Influencer Program for the free audiobook. I love the narrator for this one, very 2x speed friendly as well. 

This book really caught me off guard. I went in a bit blind and can I tell you I was so relieved that there’s no love triangle. Finally a romantasy trilogy with no love triangle. I loved broody but surprising MMC Kane. And Awren- I love her healing and nurturing vibes. I know she acts in ways that aren’t always smart but I felt like they actually made sense as to her core values and wasn’t just action for the purpose of plot. I enjoyed the worldbuilding but also REALLY enjoyed the romance. They just have such good chemistry and I’m really excited for the next 2 books (and relieved they are already out)

Abigail

Thank you to PRH Audio Influencer Program for the free audiobook. I love the narrator for this one, very 2x speed friendly as well. 

This book really caught me off guard. I went in a bit blind and can I tell you I was so relieved that there’s no love triangle. Finally a romantasy trilogy with no love triangle. I loved broody but surprising MMC Kane. And Awren- I love her healing and nurturing vibes. I know she acts in ways that aren’t always smart but I felt like they actually made sense as to her core values and wasn’t just action for the purpose of plot. I enjoyed the worldbuilding but also REALLY enjoyed the romance. They just have such good chemistry and I’m really excited for the next 2 books (and relieved they are already out)

Moonchild

I want to thank @netgalley @kategoldenauthor and the publishers for the oportunety to read A Dawn of Onix and give it my honest review. 

Slow burn: 💘 5/5
Spice: 🌶 3/5
Tears: 😭 3/5
Haters to lovers: 😡/🥵 5/5
Magic:✨3/5
Politics: 🏛 2/5 
Worldbuilding: 🏗 3/5 it's not intense 

This was the best discovery I've made lately, it's right out of my alley, Magical hates to lovers, funny and sarcastic humor between the main characters, the slow burn was so good everything in the right measure. I love the haters to lovers trope, there were so many quotes that I love and interactions between King Kane and Arwen Valondale, the world is divided by kingdoms Arwen is from Amber where the life is simple and people are kind to each other, until war starts and everyone that can fight has no choice but having to join the battlefield. King Kane rules Onixis seen as the enemy the monster with no heart, seen as the one that caused the war, and I don't want to say much. Our main character Arwen slowly develops her strength self-love and the power of living in herself, with the help of the ones she once thought she hated. This was so good I had to savor it, I cried and laughed got angry, sad happy it was so well-written in my opinion the politics are easy and simple to understand, and the worldbuilding slowly unravels us throughout the story. I don't think it's a fast-paced read but it's glued me to the Kindle like nothing else.
The acknowledgments were so sweet and funny to read knowing what the Author Kate Golden went through while writing this book, I can't wait to be able to read the next one.

if a book has the tropes i like, i would devour it in a heartbeat.

Ellie

Interesting world and twists but the main character acts like she isn’t a peasant in an enemy kingdom. “Why are you keeping things from me?” Like girl he’s the king…of an entire nation, that you actively say you hate, and you expect him to tell you everything?

Jordan

I'm a little upset but that's fine I guess I'll wait till the next book. Google says June 2023 and it better be then or sooner! No further comment...

RacquelElizabeth

I could tell from the first few chapters that this book was going to be a 4-5 star read for me. Right away I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down.

The banter is SO GOOD! This book is a slow burn with tons of sexual tension. I am obsessed with the dynamic between Arwen and Kane.

“I was furious with the man. So, so furious. But I also wanted to lick his neck. It was complicated.”

I really look forward to seeing Arwens character develop and become more confident with herself and her powers in the future.

I LOVE Mari and can’t wait to (hopefully) get more of her in book 2.

The cliffhanger at the end👀👀 I NEED book 2 NOW. And amazing news: book 2 is going to be DUAL POV!! Can’t wait!

Great first book and I can’t wait to see where the rest of the story goes!

Taylor Goodban

I could tell from the first few chapters that this book was going to be a 4-5 star read for me. Right away I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down.

The banter is SO GOOD! This book is a slow burn with tons of sexual tension. I am obsessed with the dynamic between Arwen and Kane.

“I was furious with the man. So, so furious. But I also wanted to lick his neck. It was complicated.”

^^Arwen was so real for that.

This book is for fans of:

- enemies to lovers to enemies again?

- Forced proximity

- FMC comes into her power

- Slow burn

- Touch her and die

- New adult

- MC falls first

- Secrets, lies, and betrayal

I really look forward to seeing Arwens character develop and become more confident with herself and her powers in the future.

I LOVE Mari and can’t wait to (hopefully) get more of her in book 2.

The cliffhanger at the end👀👀 I NEED book 2 NOW. And amazing news: book 2 is going to be DUAL POV!! Can’t wait!

Great first book and I can’t wait to see where the rest of the story goes!

I didn't go in with many expectations - except for the enemies-to-lovers trope. And the lack of it didn't even disappoint me, other things did 

Our main character - Arwen, is a very passive character who wants to keep out of trouble and lead a peaceful life. In the beginning, I liked her character. There was something about it that felt relatable. But as the chapters continued, her personality started grating on my nerves. There was little to no development in her character and I couldn't believe how stupid she was. 

I did like Kane for a while, but eventually, his character just felt very one-dimensional. It's the same thing with every other character in this book. All of them had a very one-dimensional presence - even Arwen. Other side characters were there just to fulfil their role as the accessory to the main characters and I felt like they had no personality besides being a support to the main characters.

I really don't like it when the characters have some cheesy, cliche nickname for one another which doesn't even make sense in the context of the story. And Kane very conveniently had one for Arwen from their very first beginning. Also, can I just say that the dialogues were atrocious? Every time they talked it was just cheesy. There's fun banter which is enjoyable, and then there is Arwen and Kane's banter which is cringe shoved down your throat. 

The plot was very predictable. It was basically an amalgam of all the known tropes in the fantasy world in a book. I could see the "plot twist" coming from a mile away, and can I just say that everything is so convenient for the main characters? For eg, in the beginning when Arwen gets caught just felt so fake? It's the same for many of the other situations. Based on the one-dimensional personality that we are fed regarding these characters, it just felt so inaccurate. 

nuha ✨️

This book disappointed me. 

I didn't go in with many expectations - except for the enemies-to-lovers trope. And the lack of it didn't even disappoint me, other things did 

Our main character - Arwen, is a very passive character who wants to keep out of trouble and lead a peaceful life. In the beginning, I liked her character. There was something about it that felt relatable. But as the chapters continued, her personality started grating on my nerves. There was little to no development in her character and I couldn't believe how stupid she was. 

I did like Kane for a while, but eventually, his character just felt very one-dimensional. It's the same thing with every other character in this book. All of them had a very one-dimensional presence - even Arwen. Other side characters were there just to fulfil their role as the accessory to the main characters and I felt like they had no personality besides being a support to the main characters.

I really don't like it when the characters have some cheesy, cliche nickname for one another which doesn't even make sense in the context of the story. And Kane very conveniently had one for Arwen from their very first beginning. Also, can I just say that the dialogues were atrocious? Every time they talked it was just cheesy. There's fun banter which is enjoyable, and then there is Arwen and Kane's banter which is cringe shoved down your throat. 

The plot was very predictable. It was basically an amalgam of all the known tropes in the fantasy world in a book. I could see the "plot twist" coming from a mile away, and can I just say that everything is so convenient for the main characters? For eg, in the beginning when Arwen gets caught just felt so fake? It's the same for many of the other situations. Based on the one-dimensional personality that we are fed regarding these characters, it just felt so inaccurate. 

Ink and Sin

Arwen was a care-taker. She not only took care of her mother and her siblings but also those who found themselves in the infirmary. Even though she had a special gift, Arwen always seemed to fall into the shadows and let her brother take the spotlight. When her brother made a careless decision put their family in danger, Arwen was the one who paid the price. She was captured and taken to the Onyx Kingdom, where the king was notoriously cruel and his army just as wicked. 

Arwen's character began to change during her time in the Onyx Kingdom. She became more fierce, determined to better herself, and would do anything to keep her mind off the man who kept her prisoner. She did whatever she could to keep her mind off the king.

Kane was the ruler of the Onyx Kingdom and was allegedly a cruel and ruthless leader. He took to Arwen fairly quickly and even though he was deceitful, he found himself protecting her at all costs. 

This novel was definitely a slow burn, with a lot of secrets and truths being withheld. The sexual tension was pretty intense and is one of the things that makes this story so captivating. You are constantly wondering if and when they will finally give in to their feelings for each other. Will they be able to resist their desires, or will they give in to temptation? It is this constant guessing game that keeps you hooked until the very end.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Dawn of Onyx. The author does a great job of world-building and will keep you engaged from the beginning. All of the characters are well-developed, relatable, and likable (well majority of them anyways). If you’re looking for a fantasy read with lots of sexual tension, this is the book for you.

Lauryn Page

*** I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review!***


When I say I devoured this book, I mean I literally was like a girl at her favorite sushi restaurant! This book gave be excitement, butterflies, I laughed out loud, I was giddy, I was all the feels and more.

I absolutely loved Kane and Arwens relationship! I am a sucker for a good villain story, but an even bigger fan of enemies to friends to lovers vibes like this book was throwing down. I think it was all Arwens sassy and feistiness though that had me rolling at every page turn! 

Any reader who picks this book up will find joy, excitement, and surprises at every corner. I truly give this book an easy 5 stars! 

Spice level: 🌶️/5 

If you are a smut lover like myself I can say that this book does not have a ton of that. It had a total of two spicy scenes that didn’t get very far, but I’m not lying when I say it didn’t prevent me from finishing this book in its entirety and still craving more. I think that even though it didn’t have as much smut as I am used to reading, it was still a book that now that I’m finished I’m kinda mad that it’s an ARC and now I have to wait, what will feel like forever, for the second book. 

I’m so glad I was able to experience this wonderful world first and I’m now waiting not so patiently for the second book and all the goodness it has in store! 😏

I was lucky enough to received an advanced reader copy of this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. Multiple times while reading I found myself admiring the level of detail with which she sets the scenes. There were many moments where she would describe a smell and I knew exactly what she meant. There was no question about what the character was seeing, smelling, or hearing. It was truly a work of art.

I found myself convinced that I knew how it was going to end or that I knew what the big twist would be and I was right a few times but I was still definitely caught off guard majority of the time (I was right a couple times but that probably comes with strictly reading fantasy).

I found that I had a bit of trouble fully convinced of the FMC as I didn’t entirely agree with some of her choices, but I’m probably just biased 😏. I did love that Kate wrote the character realistically. Some fantasy stories seem far fetched when we have a naive FMC suddenly able to overpower highly skilled soldiers with little training, if any. That aspect helped make this fictional story more believable.

Taylor Crandall

I was lucky enough to received an advanced reader copy of this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. Multiple times while reading I found myself admiring the level of detail with which she sets the scenes. There were many moments where she would describe a smell and I knew exactly what she meant. There was no question about what the character was seeing, smelling, or hearing. It was truly a work of art.

I found myself convinced that I knew how it was going to end or that I knew what the big twist would be and I was right a few times but I was still definitely caught off guard majority of the time (I was right a couple times but that probably comes with strictly reading fantasy).

I found that I had a bit of trouble fully convinced of the FMC as I didn’t entirely agree with some of her choices, but I’m probably just biased 😏. I did love that Kate wrote the character realistically. Some fantasy stories seem far fetched when we have a naive FMC suddenly able to overpower highly skilled soldiers with little training, if any. That aspect helped make this fictional story more believable.

A Dawn of Onyx The Sacred Stones

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