What if your spell for love called someone from the stars? ✨

The Starlight Prince turns one on 25 March, and to celebrate, Clare Dugmore is running an anniversary Countdown Deal from 25–28 March.

Starts at 99p / 99c 💫

A hunted witch on Earth.
A shapeshifting alien prince bound by fate.
A love story for outsiders trying to find where they belong.

Grab it here: https://books2read.com/TheStarlightPrince

#TheStarlightPrince #SpaceRomantasy #FantasyRomance #RomantasyBooks #KindleDeal

Tarot, Revenge, and the Cost of Assimilation: Why A Vow in Vengeance Hit Deeper Than I Expected

There is something wildly satisfying about a romantasy that entertains you and quietly challenges you at the same time. A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez does exactly that.

At its core, this debut in the Immortal Desires series follows Rune Ryker, a young woman on a revenge mission. She infiltrates the Immortal Realms, specifically the Druid Kingdom, determined to tear it down from the inside after her family is taken. What she finds instead is far more complicated: a dangerous magical academy, a reluctant alliance with the powerful Prince Draven, political secrets, shifting loyalties, and a war simmering just beneath the surface.

And yes, there is enemies-to-lovers tension. Deliciously so.

But what stayed with me was not just the romance or the revenge. It was the theme of assimilation.

Compulsory Immigration and the Weight of Being Chosen

In this world, there is a kind of forced migration built into the system. People must present themselves to be chosen by other kingdoms. Imagine that. Your future tied to whether someone else selects you.

Rune makes a calculated choice to show herself, to be picked by the Druid Kingdom, not because she longs for it but because she needs access. She needs answers. She needs proximity to power. She needs to find her family.

That hit me.

As an immigrant, I did not choose to come to the United States. My parents did. And from that single decision unfolds an entire life shaped by assimilation, both unconscious and conscious. The subtle bending. The code-switching. The internal negotiations about who you are allowed to be.

Watching Rune step into a kingdom she plans to destroy, only to slowly recognize its complexity, felt honest. She begins to see the pros and cons. The humanity and the corruption. The benefits and the cost. It mirrors what so many of us experience when navigating systems we did not design but must survive within.

That layered tension elevated this book for me beyond entertainment.

A Tarot-Based Magic System? Yes, Please.

Let’s talk magic.

The tarot-based magic system is one of the most creative fantasy mechanics I have read in a while. As someone who owns multiple tarot decks and uses them for clarity and reflection, I appreciated the way Rodriguez wove arcana into power, hierarchy, and identity.

It did not feel gimmicky. It felt researched. Intentional. Symbolic.

There is something deeply satisfying about watching archetypes from tarot take shape within a magical academy setting. It adds educational depth without slowing the pacing. If you are a tarot reader, you will smile at the nuance. If you are new to tarot, you will probably end the book Googling Major and Minor Arcana.

That is good fantasy. It expands your curiosity.

Enemies to Lovers That Actually Makes Sense

Rune and Prince Draven are not just thrown together for drama. Their alliance is born out of necessity. Suspicion. Strategy.

And that is what makes the romantic tension work.

Draven is powerful, controlled, politically aware. Rune is strategic, guarded, fueled by vengeance. Their dynamic is not insta-love. It is layered. It is charged. It is built on survival first.

When enemies-to-lovers is done well, it forces both characters to confront their own biases. Their own assumptions. Their own inherited narratives.

This one delivers.

Complex Family Dynamics and Buried Secrets

You already know I am a sucker for complicated families. Give me generational secrets. Give me unspoken truths. Give me siblings and parents and fractured loyalties.

This book does not shy away from that.

The family dynamics feel real. Messy. Incomplete. Not everyone has the full picture. Not everyone is innocent. Not everyone is villainous either.

That gray space is where this story thrives.

The secrets ripple outward into the broader political conflict, making the brewing war feel personal rather than abstract. When war threatens, it is not just kingdoms at stake. It is people. It is history. It is bloodlines.

Entertainment With Substance

Is this book entertaining? Absolutely.

Magical academy setting. Revenge plot. Political intrigue. Slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. Tarot magic. Brewing war.

But what I loved most is that it made me think.

It made me reflect on assimilation. On belonging. On what it means to enter a foreign system with no clue what one is getting themselves into.

Rune begins with a single objective: bring it all down. What unfolds instead is growth. Complication. Moral recalibration.

And that is the kind of character arc I respect.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a fresh romantasy debut with:

• A unique tarot-based magic system
• A revenge-driven heroine
• Political intrigue inside a magical academy
• A compelling enemies-to-lovers dynamic
• Complex family secrets
• Themes of assimilation and identity

A Vow in Vengeance deserves a spot on your TBR.

It has a little bit of everything, but it does not feel overcrowded. It feels intentional.

And honestly? For a debut, that is impressive.

If you love layered romantasy that balances heart, power, and politics, this one is for you.

Author Spotlight: Queer Romantasy Author Ian Haramaki

Ian Haramaki (he/him) is an author of queer fiction and illustrator of twinks and creatures.

When not writing, he is peddling his wares at fan conventions across the country.

His debut novel is titled MERCY, and he has been included in Devout: An Anthology of Angels edited by Quinton Li, as well as A Queer and Cozy Winter by Rainbow Crate.

Author Links:

Website: cometkins.com

Mercy: books2read.com/MercyNovel

Bluesky: @cometkins.bsky.social
Instagram: @cometkins
TikTok: @cometkinsart
Tumblr: @cometkins

What drew you to writing queer, dark, romantasy for your debut, and can you share some of your writing influences?

I was drawn to this genre in specific because of the origin on these characters. They were originally player characters in a Magic the Gathering based Dungeons and Dragons game.

Ilya was part of the Orzhov guild, while Danya began life as an ex-Boros-turned-Izzet tinkerer. They were very different in that game, but the dark, gothic vibes of the Orzhov guild became the biggest influence for the book.

I’ve always enjoyed the dark and gothic anyway, but that was the main draw of inspiration. My biggest writing influences, on the other hand, are my friends. They’re all so incredible and skilled, and I keep pushing myself to match their caliber of work. I’ve found enjoying their stories and examining how they string words together has done wonders for me.

What are the main themes in Mercy and did these evolve organically through the writing process, or were they deliberate choices?

I think the biggest takeaway from Mercy that I hope other people have, is that there’s always hope for a better future. Sometimes it takes the right person or circumstances to force you forward, but there will be something good on the other side.

I never set out with particular themes in mind when I wrote Mercy, truly the only thought was spite initially, but as the world and characters evolved, I think this became evident. I try to not be too blatant with these things, since it can sometimes feel annoying when the message is too hand-hold-y personally, but I hope that much is clear.

What queer rep can be found in your work, and how do you approach the combination of queerness, Gothic lit, and religious themes?

Mercy specifically contains Gay and Bisexual rep, and my short story for Rainbow Crate, Sir Gawain and His Green Knights, contains a trans masculine character.

I think queerness and the gothic have always gone hand in hand, being that it often deals with the taboo.

While I don’t find queerness itself taboo (as I hope is evident), exploring the feelings that come with being considered taboo, something to be shoved down and aside, is important to me.

A conversation with Oyuna in the book is almost word for word one I had with my own grandmother when it came to her grappling with my transness.

The religious aspect of Mercy has also been fun to explore, speaking as somebody who is actually an atheist.

My own conclusions that I’ve come to over the years are that religion can be a powerful tool for good and evil both. I try to condemn only those that abuse their faith, not those that hold it at all. I also find that there’s divinity in queerness, in self discovery. Love is the most divine thing in the world, and being able to love when the world at large doesn’t want you to is the greatest expression of it.

What did you draw upon in terms of influences, research etc., for the worldbuilding and the angel’s character?

The aforementioned Magic the Gathering is still my greatest influence pull for sure; the biggest thing to know is that the city of Ravnica, where that original DnD campaign took place, is based primarily on eastern Europe.

I took my research to these locations and scoured articles for what I thought would best fit the story.

On top of that, I took acquired knowledge from documentaries and my own antiquing for the late 20s setting.

Danya can be quite anachronistic (on purpose, because I think it’s funny the divine being is so odd and modern), but I swear, everything else is period accurate! They had phones and showers and electric stoves in the 20s! Post industrial revolution tech moved shockingly quick, and I didn’t watch old men repairing radios on youtube for nothing, lol.

What romance tropes can readers expect to find in this book, and what are your favourite tropes to write/read?

The main tropes are probably hurt/comfort (love me some whump), forced proximity, “touch him and die”, and what I like to cheekily call “slow burn for impatient people”.

It’s not actually slow burn, but the way people yell at me about Ilya and Danya’s immediate chemistry, you’d think I’d been edging everybody for 300 pages before they kissed!

I’m personally fond of anything that involves protector/protected as well, and things like friends to lovers. I enjoy when people have a bond together before they get involved.

What are your favourite reader responses to the novel?

Any time somebody tells me they’ve cried because of the book, honestly. It’s always a shock!

One of the first influencers I sent the book to told me she cried twice! I’m a bit emotionally stunted, and it takes a lot to get strong emotion out of me like that, so it’s fascinating to hear.

It’s also really moving to have something you’ve written stir such a powerful response in somebody.

My writing may not be for everybody, but for those it appeals to, it REALLY appeals. It’s completely irreplaceable, and I hope every writer can find at least one reader who responds to their work so strongly.

Like This? Try These:

Have you met Faelen and Maxen? Read their story in The Merchant’s Love.

http://www.antoniaaquilante.com/the-merchants-love.html

#romancebooks #fantasyromance #fantasyromancebooks #romantasy #romantasybooks #lgbtqromance #lgbtqbooks #queerromance #queerbooks #bisexualromance #bisexualbooks #demisexualromance #demisexualbooks #chroniclesoftournai #themerchantslove #throwbackthursday

Have you met Bastien and Corentin yet? Read their story now in The Dragon’s Devotion.

http://www.antoniaaquilante.com/the-dragons-devotion.html

#romancebooks #romancereads #fantasyromance #fantasyromancebooks #romantasy #romantasybooks #lgbtqromance #lgbtqbooks #queerromance #queerbooks #bisexualromance #bisexualbooks #dragonshifter #dragonshifterromance #thedragonsdevotion #chroniclesoftournai #flashbackfriday

Have you met Loriot and Savarin yet? Read their story now in The Sorcerer’s Guardian.

http://www.antoniaaquilante.com/the-sorcerers-guardian.html

#romancebooks #fantasyromance #fantasyromancebooks #romantasy #romantasybooks #lgbtqromance #lgbtqbooks #bisexualromance #bisexualbooks #chroniclesoftournai #thesorcerersguardian #throwbackthursday

Have you met Loriot and Savarin yet? Read their story now in The Sorcerer’s Guardian.

http://www.antoniaaquilante.com/the-sorcerers-guardian.html

#romancebooks #fantasyromance #fantasyromancebooks #romantasy #romantasybooks #lgbtqromance #lgbtqbooks #bisexualromance #bisexualbooks #chroniclesoftournai #thesorcerersguardian #throwbackthursday