Court intrigue, simmering passion, thieving and spying, sensual banter, fae, dancing, betrayal, consent, and adoration. All woven together in a chonky chonk of a book.
Kiss of Iron is another story released in Clare Sager’s Sabreverse, and it has connections to a notable figure from Beneath Black Sails. Even so, it stands on its own.
Kat is an impoverished lady of standing whose husband has been missing and nearly lost everything, putting even their home in jeopardy. To say it’s a loveless marriage is an understatement. She’s had to take to thieving at night on her sabrecat to even attempt to make ends meet. And one night, she robs a fae lord of the Dusk Court.
Of course, things go from bad to worse when she is summoned to court by the queen and then soon after conscripted into being a spy within the court. Her task in particular is to spy on certain members of the Dusk Court as suitors vie for the queen’s hand.
And who should her primary assignment be?
Why none other than Bastian the Dusk Court fae she robbed that night and who swore vengeance.
Obviously, this leads to quite a great deal of tension as well as lies and intrigue and growing passion. This might be one of my favorite meet cutes, both for the first meeting and the second meeting. The dance sequence and the tension that builds between Kat and Bastian is fantastic. And Clare definitely pours the tension on thick.
I’ve seen some folks comparing this to Bridgerton plus fantasy, and yes, that’s a fair assessment so long as that comes with murders and threats of war as well as otherworldly fae abilities that elevate the sexual tension and influence the course of the story.
The worldbuilding draws on quite a lot of fae lore as well as Clare’s own creations.
This one is not a standalone. And it does end in a little bit of a cliffhanger. In fact, while the majority of the story is told from Kat’s perspective, the epilogue is from Bastian’s. I absolutely loved that, and I loved the change in tone.
As usual, I want to avoid spoilers. This one is layered with all manner of intrigues, but it’s the journey that makes it worth it. Without revealing too much, what I’ll add here is that Kat’s struggle with PTSD and social anxiety and the manner in which it
Bastian likewise is a character who unfolds into a more nuanced individual. Hints of him appear early on. And there is an odd sort of security that comes from his character, particularly as we see him interact with Kat. Yes, even when we get to the “liar revealed.”
So definitely make sure that you get a copy of this steamy fae romance that’s every bit as rich as your favorite cake. (Be sure to have a slice while you indulge in this story!)
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