A Heart of Blood and Ashes -Blog Tour

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane

Berkley Paperback – February 4, 2020

*Book Review copy provided by Berkley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Hi readers! Is it just me or did January feel like the never ending month?! I’ve had a bit of a hectic schedule with travel and grad school starting again, but I’m looking forward to settling into a regular schedule again.

While I was traveling Milla Vane’s A Heart of Blood and Ashes kept me company and I’m thrilled that I had a chance to partner with Berkley to bring this epic fantasy romance to the blog. When I saw it teased on their Instagram a while back I knew I needed to get my hands on it! Hot barbarians, court intrigue, and steamy romance rolled into one novel had my name written all over it.

About the Book

His parents, the barbarian king and queen, were murdered.

She lured them to their deaths.

But is she the enemy he takes her for?

A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evil–until the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.

Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parents’ murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns it was the king’s daughter who lured his parents to their deaths, the barbarian warrior is determined to make her pay.

Yet the woman Maddek captures is not what he expected. Though the last in a line of legendary warrior-queens, Yvenne is small and weak, and the sharpest weapons she wields are her mind and her tongue. Even more surprising is the marriage she proposes to unite them in their goals and to claim their thrones–because her desire for vengeance against her father burns even hotter than his own…

My Thoughts

This may be an aside, but can I get an amen for romance fantasy that’s actually billed as romance?! I’ve read enough YA fantasy to know that if it had been billed as fantasy romance I would have understood what I was getting into. Also, fantasy fans can be a bit snooty with their fantasy and it is genre that is still rife “boys club” mentality. This is changing but is still a slow grind. So I found it refreshing to see a romance book that within the epic fantasy framework. I am here for it!

I will say that although I enjoyed the dark fantasy at play in the novel it was not the most original fantasy concept I’ve ever read. It clearly pulls on existing ideas in epic fantasy including the vaguely European setting, creatures like dragons, and an enemy of monstrous proportions returning. These kinds of tropes can be seen in everything from George R. R. Martin, to Tolkein, and even J. K. Rowling. So for fantasy readers this may not seeming that the most unique fantasy to hit market. But much like romance that plays off existing tropes, this novel nails a number of enjoyable fantasy tropes.

For romance readers it may be a bit more work to get into the worldbuilding if you’re not used to reading fantasy. Not everything will make complete since at first glance and as a reader you will pick up clues and details that flesh out the world as you go. I personally like this. I like with authors provide breadcrumbs and you piece things together as a reader. However, I know this can be difficult or tiresome for some folks. I think this is a fantastic book and I would encourage you to stick with it!

I found that Vane’s writing was engaging and that she created an intense enemies-to-lovers set up with dynamic sexual tension. And while the romance and relationship plays a central part in the story, I also thought her dark fantasy world was captivating and I was invested in the machinations as much as the budding relationship between Maddeck and Yvenne.

I would absolutely recommend this fantasy romance and I’m looking forward to the next book!

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About the Author

Milla Vane suckled at the plump teat of 80s fantasy movies and was never properly weaned. Under a pen name, she is also an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of steampunk and paranormal romance. Milla currently resides in Oregon.