This Vicious Dream

This Vicious Dream - 4.25-star Romantasy

Whispers & Pages am 19.12.2025
Bewertungsnummer: 2680888
Bewertet: Buch (Gebundene Ausgabe)

The story takes place a few months after Kingdom of Lies concludes, and we follow Madinia on her travels with Taharak in a distant kingdom. Madinia has successfully hidden one of the powerful grimoires entrusted to her by Prisca. However, word travels fast, and another formidable queen learns that one of the grimoires may be within her reach. She sends Caldair—one of her most powerful servants—to capture Madinia and retrieve the book. Madinia is held captive for three years before she finally devises an escape plan. During her flight to freedom, she runs into an old ally: Calysian. As it turns out, Calysian is also searching for the grimoire. They eventually join forces, fully aware that each of them intends to double-cross the other to reach the book first. Madinia was one of my favorite characters in Kingdom of Lies, and by the end of that series it was clear to me that there was something more between her and Calysian. I was incredibly excited to see where that path would lead—and I was not disappointed. This story is fast-paced and action-packed, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Madinia is every bit the feisty, fierce, and intelligent fighter we know her to be, but the last three years have changed her. She comes to realize that sometimes you can’t survive on your own—that the world is a better place with friends and people you love and care for. They give you strength in times of darkness. As a strong, self-sufficient lone wolf, her moments of uncertainty and vulnerability felt especially meaningful and beautifully done. It was also deeply satisfying to finally get Calysian’s backstory. We learn who the mysterious, powerful, yet lost stranger Prisca once saved from the dungeons truly is. I loved the way Stacia Stark fleshed out his character. He’s the perfect example of a cocky, clever, strong, and witty alpha male—and he hates being told what to do just as much as Madinia does. The moments when his gentler side shines through were absolute perfection. Together, Madinia and Calysian make a fearsome power couple. I thoroughly enjoyed their banter, their antics, and the dynamic tension between them. Both narrators did a fantastic job, and I can highly recommend the audiobook if you’re not in the mood to read. I was thoroughly entertained by this first installment of the spin-off series and can’t wait to see where the story takes us in book two. Since this is a spin-off, I strongly recommend reading Kingdom of Lies first. Both main characters are introduced in the original series, and much of the worldbuilding carries over. Without that background, you may miss important references and struggle to fully appreciate certain characters and plot elements. Story: 4.25 ⭐️ Spice: 2.5