To Bind a Dark Heart

The Iron Crystal, Book 2

By: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Narrated by: Madeline Pell

A steamy enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance.

“Run, Gwen. Run as far and as hard as you can. Because when I catch you.... You will belong to me.”

When she shattered the Iron Crystal and returned magic to Avalon, Gwen also shattered Mordred’s heart. Torn between her passion for Mordred and his rage at her betrayal, she fled into the wilds.

Gwen’s choice has transformed Avalon, and the island teems with magical wonders freed from the crystal. But Gwen also released the vicious and chaotic elementals. Desperate for revenge against Mordred, some of them see Gwen as an ally, others as a hostage.

Now, the Prince in Iron hunts Gwen relentlessly, though at night he visits her in dreams, unable to break the desire that binds them. She is his weakness. If his enemies captured her, he knows that he would make any deal, break any vow to return her to his side.

As the elementals prepare for battle, Gwen will face an impossible choice. Can she stand by as Avalon’s magic is destroyed once again? Or will she fight to overthrow the man she loves?

Building from slow-burn to steam, the Iron Crystal series is packed with alluring villains, dark magic, and heart-stopping twists. If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas, Laura Thalassa, and Carissa Broadbent, To Bind a Dark Heart will have you listening late into the night.

©2023 Kathryn Ann Kingsley (P)2023 Second Sky, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

This female lead has yet to blossom, but she will.

So many books by this author have left me nearly frothing at the mouth at the timid, meek nature of the main female leads at the very start, and that's why I love her books. She has a way of evolving the characters that makes you feel a sense of peace as a woman by the end of the series, and I have faith she will do the same here.. I've learned by now about the importance of patience with her books, and I am just so unbelievably excited to see Gwen lay waste to all of these idiot males in this world. Of course, she won't actually kill them, because she's too kind, but I truly hope she makes them soil themselves in fear, and not just Mordrid and Grim, but also Percival specifically. Screw that guy in particular and hardest.

Anyway, I wait with baited breath and hands steepled as I imagine Gwen's reckoning on Avalon's elemental brats and hope she literally rocks the world of these guys while her self-fulfilling prophecy of a bf realizes he's included in that category and hopefully gets a small dose of the pain he has inflicted on others. I do wish to see him brought low but I just couldn't care much about Lancelot. Gwen has suffered very minor indignities and major injuries, along with very real consequences for her inaction and naivety, but if I were her, I would be beyond livid regardless, it would be a word I can't fathom. If I would sacrifice myself for my partner without a thought only to hear my partner say they wouldn't do the same for a world that hates them in memory of their father figure uncle... ok cool you have principles, but we don't read these books for guys with principles. That kind of thing could break her, and in a small way I hope it does because I want to see her rise from the ashes as an absolute badass and also I kinda want to see the demon get a mildly happy ending regardless of being a jerk. Here's hoping KAK offers a fulfilling end to the series like usual!

Great!

Definantly could ease up on the swearing but awesome story. I love the story and the slow burn of the main characters. I can’t wait to listen to the other books in the series

SHORT AND EPIC

AHHHH. I am OBSESSED with this cover.

I am convinced that Second Sky doesn’t put out a bad book.

The chokehold Gwen & Mordred have over me is INSANE. This was an epic follow up to book one. I love this short romantasy series & I am so happy I found this through NetGalley!

My only complaint is that I wanted more smut 😮‍💨

Huge thank you to the publisher, author & NetGalley for a copy of the Arc.

Love their Love

To Bind a Dark Heart delivers a moody, slow-burn romance that's rich in tension and world building. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the leads was compelling and the dark fantasy elements had real potential, but the deliberate pacing sometimes made the story feel weighed down. Especially with having multiple POVs to keep up with. Just when I felt the romance and stakes were gearing up for a big payoff, the plot reached a satisfying conclusion a bit too soon, leaving me wanting even more depth and momentum. Still, for readers who savor immersive fae worlds and slow-build emotional tension, this one has a lot of strong, memorable moments.