When Vengeance Bleeds Royal
L.Z. Cathcart
Blood Descent, book one
ebook, 374 pages
Published November 12, 2025
ASIN B0FC2P62V4
ARC Review
She swore vengeance for her sister’s murder.
The gods demand a bloodier price.
Dark, addictive, and laced with forbidden desire, When Vengeance Bleeds Royal is the first book in the Blood Descent series—a brutal fantasy romance perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent and Sarah J. Maas.
In the fractured land of Cyrathea, every territory hides a cursed artifact, relics forged by gods who were betrayed and imprisoned. The Brotherhood of Eternal Shadow hunts them all, weaving lies through court politics and blood-soaked bargains.
Lumira Kyrvayne has only one goal: kill the man who murdered her sister. But her vow of vengeance drags her into a deeper game—one where secrets rot beneath every oath, magic bleeds from forbidden relics, and a hooded Shadowspire guard keeps crossing her path with eyes she cannot forget.
Enemies close in. Allies shift like smoke. And the man who should be her enemy might also be the one person who can unravel her resolve.
When Vengeance Bleeds Royal is a dark fantasy romance brimming with:
A morally gray heroine who refuses to be tamed
An enigmatic, hooded antihero with secrets of his own
Forbidden attraction, brutal magic, and deadly politics
Cursed artifacts and imprisoned gods
A slow-burn obsession that cuts as deep as any blade
Please note: This series contains dark themes, twisted loyalty, and romance with sharp edges. Check content warnings before reading.
My curiosity may have gotten the better of me with this one. A slow burn tale with a morally grey heroine is certainly at the height of my list of beloved tropes. Written by an author that promotes dark twisted fantasy with no HEA... not so much.
But intrigued I was, and so in I dived.
Only to nearly drown in a sea of metaphors.
Every paragraph. Seemingly every other sentence.
Stifling.
Smothering.
This like that. That as this.
And I can't attest that they always made sense to me.
Then, like a candle snuffed mid-laughter, everything haults.
I desperately needed more dialogue.
Twenty-five percent in and no MMC in sight. Other than one single fleeting appearance that was the equivalent of a figment of Lumira's imagination. A few chapters later, he finally deigns to be perceived by the readers. And dips a few measly pages later.
Unfortunately, after four days and finding myself loath to pick it up, I had to admit defeat.
DNF at 34%. No rating.
Available in ebook
