Idk I feel this book tried very hard on many ends to be something amazing but only managed a 5 out of 10. Still a nice story with a magic system of darkness and light. I liked the characters that Sera met along the way and they made the reading worth while. However the tension wasn’t on the exciting level and the romance felt like it was a given from the start. I’ll probably listen the the second book, but I think I know exactly what the story will be and how it’s gonna end.

I had literally zero expectations for this book when I first got it, but I was delighted to read something other than fae and vampire romance for a change. The city of Fantome is ruled by two orders - the Daggers, expert assassins due to the power granted to them by ingesting shade and the Cloaks, thieves robed in shade-infused garments - and the rivalry between them. After her mother is murdered, Seraphine seeks refuge at House Armand to escape the Daggers assigned to kill her while solving the mystery behind the experiments that put her mother in the Daggers crosshairs. Ransom, second in command to Dufort, ruler of the Daggers, is sent to keep an eye on Seraphine, their paths crossing amidst an invasion of shade-borne monsters. Little did I know that Seraphine and Ransom would become one of my favorite pairings off all time. Both of them are witty, strong-willed and determined to finish their task. This enemies to lovers romantasy has everything. Banter. Pining. Steam. A menacing but equally haunted MMC with the most wonderful name and a fiery and headstrong FMC with a dark past she’s desperate to erase. The allies both of them have among their orders feel like real people and their friendships are so genuine you find yourself rooting for all of them. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next installment of the series.

The Dagger and the Flame was such a thrilling ride! From the very first chapter, I was drawn into the world and its characters, and it never once let go. What really stood out to me were the plot twists—there were so many moments that genuinely caught me off guard. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would take another sharp turn and completely flip the stakes. The characters were layered and complex, and I especially loved how their motivations unfolded over time. There were a few scenes where my jaw literally dropped because of how cleverly things were revealed. The pacing was strong too—it kept building tension without ever dragging. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is that a few moments felt a little rushed or could’ve used just a bit more development. But overall, it was such an exciting and emotional read. That ending? I’m still thinking about it—and now I’m counting down the days until book 2!

Es ist direkt ein spannendes, schneller Start in die Story, als wir Seraphine auf der Flucht begleiten. Nach und nach wird erklärt was passiert ist, wo sie hin will und was es mit den zwei rivalisierenden Untergrund Gruppen auf sich hat. Sie auf der Flucht vor den Daggers, hin um Zuflucht bei den Cloaks zu suchen. Random, der Dagger auf ihren Fersen, mit dem Auftrag sie umzubringen. Es geht um Shade-Magic und zwei Gilden, Trauer und Überleben, aber dann auch um Wahrheit und Rache, Gerechtigkeit. Mehr, als es auf den ersten Blick zu sein scheint. Generell geht die Handlung schnell voran, es wird nicht langweilig - lediglich im zweiten Viertel hat es für mich ein paar Längen gehabt, wo man aber absolut drüber hinwegsehen kann. Der Schreibstil hat mir sehr gut gefallen, auch die Charaktere und deren Hintergründe waren sehr nahbar und authentisch, genauso wie die jeweiligen Nebencharaktere. Ein paar Gedanken dazu: - Found Family ❤️ - Rivals to Lovers - Dagger to the throat - Light vs. Shadow - two POV - mild Spice - loss of (a) parent - cute companion Das Ende hat auf jeden Fall so viel Potential, ich bin richtig gespannt wann und wie es weiter geht 😍