A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal: Stars and Shadows, Book 2

Name: A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal: Stars and Shadows, Book 2
Rating: 4.1 (16600 reviews)
Author: Holly Renee

by Holly Renee

4.1

About this book

Adara’s existence remains tethered to a lethal duality, bound by fate to two princes who represent conflicting forces of blood and power. Marked by a celestial curse etched into her skin, she finds herself trapped in a precarious bargain with the dark prince—a man whose cruelty is matched only by the intoxicating pull he exerts over her. This union is intended as his instrument of revenge, positioning Adara as a sacrificial pawn in a kingdom teetering on the brink of collapse.

While the dark prince hides behind layers of deception and a tortured history, he is driven by a desperate need to shield his people from his own kin. Adara recognizes his treachery, yet she cannot escape the magnetic intensity of his touch or the undeniable, sinful chemistry that complicates her survival. As she navigates a web of palace intrigue and shifting loyalties, she must determine if the prince is her greatest adversary or her only path to salvation.

In a world where trust is a liability and desire is a death sentence, Adara holds the key to the kingdom’s future, even as the man she is destined to hate threatens to destroy everything she is.

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What readers are saying

Hannah

Just a great read.. makes you not want to put the book down!

"Holly Renee strikes again, I just love her. This is the third time I've read this series. The two times before were BEFORE the Veiled Kingdom series came out, so this was my first introduction to Holly. The first two reads made me completely addicted to this series. I finished all of the books in a matter of days. Evron and Adara and great characters, I just wish they had more depth. After this 3rd reread I can see that Holly hadn't really hit her stride yet on the character building and world building like she did for Veiled Kingdom. Adara's repetitive dialogue can get on the nerves. Don't get me wrong, I love her, ESPECIALLY as she comes into her own in the 3rd book, but reading her same 'Please, Evron' over and over is maddening at times. A little side note, I wish we knew a little more about their magic and the world. I know there is SOME building there but I need to read the book that Thalia gave her on the starblessed to understand them more haha. The book is also a constant back and forth of her hating Evron and then suddenly can't be without him. It can be frustrating to the point where you just wanna yell at her through the pages lol. COME ON GIRL. So we could've done with a little less of that and more world understanding and character building, giving her more depth than just being angry at Evron all the time for no reason as this point. This book really hits its stride and the end and it's a great mix of action as well as romance. I wish the rest of the book had more of it! The spice is a 5/5. Holly does an amazing job as always. The 'don't touch her or you'll die' and 'she's my mate' tropes always have me kicking and screaming. It's why I keep coming back to romantasy and to Holly. If you want a spicy, fun read OR introduction into romantasy, this is a great place to start! And then immediately run to the veiled kingdom series. ["

March 20, 2025 Verified Purchase

Stephanie M.

Better than the first

"This book was better than the first thanks to some character development and a little more plot progression than I feel happened in the first one. In the first book, I tried to even remember what actually happened in the story once the spice was removed and I was having a difficult time with that. Adara’s anger and frustration with Evren from the ending of the first book continued on through a decent portion of this book but that didn’t keep them apart physically for very long. The book is much shorter when you skip through all of the times they need each other. Thalia and Sorin are definitely lovable characters and really helped Adara when she wasn’t in the constant company of Evren. I feel like Adara is a likable character but she becomes so needy whenever Evren is around. Chalk it up to them being mates but I feel like they should be able to be around each other without constantly needing to be intimate. Maybe that’s part of the fantasy? The constant lying and deception (whether intended or not) seemed overdone and while the characters actions and reactions are understandable and valid, they still annoy me. The cliffhanger at the end though has me excited that the next book comes out tomorrow because I need to know what happens though. 3.5/5 stars for this one ["

March 22, 2023 Verified Purchase

Ms.VioletGlikestoread

“You are to be my wife, Adara. You are everything to me."

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance 📖 🎧 ✨A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal is the second book in the Stars and Shadows series by Holly Renee and it is everything you want in a deliciously steamy, fast paced, and swoon worthy fantasy romance. I listened to this story on audio as I read along and the narrators were absolutely wonderful! I fell in love with our two main characters even more as the narrators brought them to life. The personal histories explored, the continued character development, and the new side characters introduced were all amazing. I loved the emotional intimacy, vulnerability, and intensity that develops between the love interests as they navigate life in the Blood Kingdom. ✨The romance in this story remains a consuming one, full of passion and possessiveness, all while transforming into something even more beautiful, more devoted, and more tender. My heart broke a bit for both of our main characters throughout the story as their relationship struggles after the betrayals revealed at the end of book one. In our MMC’s attempts to salvage their relationship and their bond, we learn more about his past, his intentions, and future hopes and dreams for his Kingdom and his Princess. ✨I absolutely love this series and highly recommend A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal to those who enjoy steamy romances, and fantasy/ paranormal romances. ["

June 14, 2023 Verified Purchase

Diana

Fulfilling

"The second book concentrates more on character development than plot but it’s still amazing nonetheless. The chemistry between Adara and Evren is still intoxicating like in the first book and the spicy scenes did not disappoint. I loved seeing their relationship grow deeper as Evren’s true self comes to light. The finals events of the book felt illegal and I can’t wait for book three! Spoilers ahead: There is a few frustrations I have with the series. Adara…I was getting really, really, really annoyed with her character in the beginning and it lasted all the way about 3/4 of the book for me personally. After Evren’s truth about his mother and plans came to light I understood Adara’s emotions and confusion however I felt like she didn’t give him a chance to redeem himself. In the first book all she wanted was a chance to get away from her fate at the hands of the fae prince/queen and now that she is free from their grasps and has the opportunity to become something bigger and be with Evren..her reaction contradicts herself. I guess her lack of exposure to the world and fear of “vampires” made her hesitant to follow Evren’s side but I still find her to be selfish and naive which isn’t how I first felt about her when I started the series. One moment she’s strong minded then the rest she’s stubborn and immature but I guess it was put that way for character development. I tried so hard to sympathize for her but I couldn’t. Her stubbornness outshined her trauma and I personally think she faced little to no adversities in her life to be reacting that way. She is blessed not just by the stars but in life yet she belittles her destiny and doesn’t want to take the responsibility that could end bloodshed between vampires and fae. I am most annoyed that she pours her victim mindset onto Evren when it’s very obvious that he is devoted to her and he’s the good guy. I felt so sorry for Evren whenever he reached out to Adara. I also feel that the magical powers and the strengths of both vampire and fae kingdoms are underwhelming especially when the events in the end took place. There is so much hype about powerful magic especially in Evren but it doesn’t commit to the plot. I realized now the action (fighting, war, magic etc) in the series is mellow but I think it’s fitting. Can’t wait for book three ["

November 29, 2022 Verified Purchase