Holy Wars and Shadow Daddies: A Review of A Crown of Blood and Magick by Amy de la Force
Hello, Book Nerds! Welcome back to Reading Has Ruined My Life or welcome if you are new. As always, my name is Hannah and I am your captain on this journey into my bookcases.
I have a very special review for you all today, Book Nerds. I received an advanced copy of this book months ago, but didn’t have the chance to review it due to Spooky Season. I won this book in a giveaway, I believe I received it from either Book Riot or Epic Reads but don’t quote me on that, regardless, thank you to whoever pulled my name out of the hat. Now that it’s November, let’s review a title that released back in September.
Please welcome to the stage A Crown of Blood and Magick by Amy de la Force! A Crown of Blood and Magick is the second book in the Fated for Hael series, and it released on September 15, 2026.
As always, a spoiler alert is in order. If you’ve read any other review on this site then you will know I simply love to spoil the entirety of the books I read. This is your one and only warning.
War is brewing in Hael’stromia. Having recently ascended the throne she didn’t know she was in line for, Empress Cahra is faced with ignorant nobles, untrustworthy envoys, and threats as far as the eye can see. Thankfully she has two faithful friends to help her run the kingdom. Wyldaern, Hael’stromia’s head Oracle, and Hael, the kingdom’s powerful sword and shield incapable of dying thanks to being created in a death god’s name.
Yes, this trio is sure to keep the kingdom safe. A feat they must prove right away in A Crown of Blood and Magick. Hael’s death god isn’t the only god out there, and certainly not the only one with followers. Followers with magical abilities, too. So yes, war is brewing once again in Hael’stromia. A war these three may not survive.
Spoiler, Hael is captured. He is defeated in battle. The once mighty, the once thought untouchable, has fallen very, very far. It is up to Cahra to save her beloved before the unthinkable happens to him.
Full disclosure, I have not read the first book of the series. I went into this book, this world, fully blind. I knew nothing about the characters, lore, or even the plot of the first book. I actually didn’t need to. I jumped into the middle of an ongoing series and was fully able to comprehend and follow the story. I don’t recommend doing what I did, but it is possible to read and enjoy this romantasy novel without reading the first entry. Claps for Amy de la Force for this!
Let’s talk about the main characters now and the romance between them. While I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book, the main characters fell a little flat for me. Cahra and Hael are your traditional romantasy protagonists. Cahra is your standard hard-headed, 18-year-old female protagonist who manages to wield magic perfectly with virtually no training. And then there is Hael, the moody, 1000-year-old Shadow Daddy hopelessly in love with the Chosen One. I have seen these characters time and time again. They are your standard romantasy fare.
The pair yearn, they have forbidden feelings, are constantly drawn to one another, flirt at questionable times, and I ate it up. Yes, the characters are nothing new. Yes, they are everything I expect from the genre. While I love the pair together, and I enjoy their romance, I have some issue with it as the genre has become incredibly formulaic. I want something new, something exciting. While the tried and true works for a reason, how many times can I read the same story with the same characters over and over again? Not necessarily an issue with A Crown of Blood and Magick itself, more so a critique on the genre.
Now while most readers of this series are likely here for the romance, I myself am drawn to the political intrigue. There is the fantasy genre standard of ignorant and untrustworthy nobles and envoys, but the more the story goes on Amy de la Force adds the beginnings of a holy war. Color me intrigued.
I cannot say much on this part of the story as it mainly comes in during the final third of the novel and I don’t wish to spoil it, but I must say it reinvigorates the plot. It adds something more to the story. Cahra struggling in her first few months as Empress is an expected storyline, and it’s also a necessary one as it helps to give readers a look into the empire’s politics, but the holy war, the holy war surprised me. It adds depth to the world; even while the new enemy is shrouded still in mystery.
I want to read the next book in the series. I want to read it right now! I do also want to read the first entry of the series, but that is not as pressing as reading the final entry in this trilogy. I can’t say how well A Crown of Blood and Magick lives up to its predecessor, but I do believe fans of the series will be happy with it; especially considering Hael and Cahra are officially together by the end of this book. A Crown of Blood and Magick enthralled me. While it adds nothing new to the romantasy genre, I gobbled the book up.
With that, I shall bid you all adieu. Thank you very much for joining me today, Book Nerds, I hope you had a wonderful time here. I will see you all again next week with another new review. If you can’t wait that long, then you can follow Reading Has Ruined My Life over on Instagram (@ReadingHasRuinedMyLife). I post there almost daily so come back often to revel in literary goodness. You can also follow the blog on Twitter and BlueSky (@RHRMLBlog). If you want something not related to books, then I highly suggest checking out my podcast Nothing to See Hear. The show stars me and two of my dearest friends. We talk about anything and everything. Seriously, we have episodes on Scooby-Doo, weird history, bad 90s wrestling, and my bestie Amanda is about to start a new series on art history; there is bound to be something that strikes your fancy. Nothing to See Hear can currently be found on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts with a new episode releasing every Wednesday evening.
Until next time, stay safe, wash your hands, and read some good books for me.
Comments