Find Romantasy Books
Half City (Harker Academy Book 1)
Kate Golden
4.3
A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones Book 1)
by Kate Golden
Published Dec 15, 2022
Categories
About this book
Arwen Valondale lives a quiet, sheltered life until an act of sacrificial bravery lands her in the clutches of the Onyx Kingdom. Captured by the dreaded Onyx King, she is forced to serve as a healer for his ruthless army. Her rare magical abilities, once hidden, become the very tool her captors use to sustain their power.
Surrounded by lethal, enchanted woods and a court teeming with political betrayal, Arwen realizes that survival requires more than just compliance. Her only hope for escape lies in an uneasy alliance with a fellow prisoner—a man as cunning and infuriating as he is mysterious. As they navigate the dark corridors of the castle and the predatory beasts lurking beyond its walls, their forced proximity sparks a volatile tension that threatens to consume them both.
Arwen must learn to weaponize the dormant, ancient power swelling within her, even as she grapples with the danger of trusting the one person who knows her deepest fears. In a kingdom where loyalty is a death sentence, Arwen must decide if the spark growing inside her is the key to her freedom or the catalyst for her undoing.
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What readers are saying
Off Service Book RecsA prophecy, a dark king, and the girl in the middle of it all
"A life for a life, and small-town oldest sister Arwen Valondale finds herself a prisoner in enemy territory. When her brother steals gold from soldiers of the vicious Onyx Kingdom, Arwen offers to use her rare healing abilities to save one of their soldiers when they come to collect on his debt. Alone and despairing, an encounter with a handsome, if infuriating prisoner may give her the chance to flee and find her family. Facing vicious rulers, dark magic, and beasts beyond comprehension, Arwen flourishes in the Onyx kingdom and begins to craft her escape. There is something afoot in the kingdom, however, and bringing secrets - including her own - into the light may cost Arwen her life - and her heart. This was one of the first romantasy books that got me back into the genre, and I daresay it still holds up as a great romp - there's chosen ones, dark and brooding strangers, magical flourishes, hidden kingdoms, nothing-is-as-it-seems vibes, fun and spunky family AND found family, the author ripping your heart out, secrets on secrets, sizzling tension and sizzling reading (it IS romantasy, after all), comfort care, getting locked in a wine closet, side-eying characters who definitely don't hate each other, prophecy, and wanting to rattle the teeth of your idiot brother. I love the tongue-in-cheek moments Arwen has with herself and like that she manages to keep an upbeat attitude in the face of despair and revelation, and can't wait to see what havoc she'll wreak in Peridot! ["
March 3, 2025 Verified Purchase
Hanaeasy, fun fantasy romance read
"this was such a fun time. A Dawn of Onyx was a classic fantasy romance, nothing too complicated in the plot or characters or anything, nothing super unique; just a quick, heartfelt romantasy. I thought a few times that it is a really great starter fantasy romance. you’ve got your FMC with mysterious powers, the evil, shadowy king who may or may not be who you think he is, a secret prophecy, dragons, and tension you could cut with a knife. all the elements fantasy romance readers will eat up with a spoon ❤️ I can’t say too much about the MMC without spoilers but I really liked him. & I’m always a sucker for the “soft/healer” FMC so this was really a hit for me. it didn’t try to do too much, it just let itself breathe and take its time & not be something it wasn’t, & that made it shine for me personally. there’s almost nothing worse than a book trying too hard to be something it’s not. I do wish we’d been able to get the MMC’s POV; I feel like it would’ve made it much better. hopefully in the next books 🤞But I had no complaints, really. I’d recommend it to fantasy romance readers who know their tropes & what they like, & those new to fantasy romance to get a feel for what they can expect. 🌹high fantasy romance 🖤DRAGONS 🌹healing magic 🖤Shadow Daddy 🌹past abuse resulting in anxiety 🖤soft FMC 🌹there’s only one horse 🖤there’s a fine line between hate & attraction 🌹the Fae 🖤simple, straight forward writing style 🌹first person, single POV 🖤flirty banter 🌹misunderstood hero 🖤“I hate him but he’s just too pretty” 🌹surprisingly possessive FMC 🖤”who did this to you?” ["
March 9, 2025 Verified Purchase
Skylar Phaup4/5
"Wow, okay, Kate Golden — you’ve done it. A Dawn of Onyx was the best ride I’ve been on since ACOTAR. Evendell is a world stitched together from the finest threads of every romantasy lover’s dream — familiar tropes and beloved elements woven into something utterly fresh and mesmerizing. I’ve been deep in a reading slump lately, searching for a story that could remind me why I fell in love with this genre in the first place. Then I stumbled upon this gem — and suddenly, I was hooked again. It’s not just the lush world-building, or the intoxicating blend of fae magic, witchcraft, and mythical creatures. It’s not just the plot twists, the prophecies, the deception. It’s not even just how hard you root for Arwen (even when she’s being a little stubborn) — or the tall, broody male lead we all saw coming but still fell for anyway. Maybe it’s the combination of all of it — the alchemy of a perfect romantasy. Bottom line: this is hands down the best book I’ve read in ages. If you’ve been waiting for your next magical obsession — this is it. ["
November 6, 2025 Verified Purchase
TPUnfortunately Didn't Love It
"I wanted to love it so badly. I actually really enjoyed the author's writing; yes, it is simple but fast-paced and easily digestible. Plot was so fun! I loved the softer FMC. Arwen was sweet and I connected with her more than the "badass" heroines we see often in romantasy. However... the MMC felt very surface level and their love felt... lackluster? Banter was cringey and I didn't really buy their "connection." This book was fun, but I am not invested in the characters and their world to continue on with the series. This is a great book if it's your introduction to fantasy, but if you're looking for deeply layered world building or character depth, you won't find it here. ["
April 23, 2026 Verified Purchase
