A Bargain So Bloody

Kingdom Of Dark Magic 1

De: Vasilisa Drake

Narrado por: Cecily Foster

She’s trapped in a magical prison. To break out, she’ll make a deal with the most dangerous prisoner of them all.

Sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit, Samara is bullied by guards and tormented by the screams of her fellow prisoners. She’s resigned herself to enduring her fifteen-year term… until she learns that the freedom she's been promised is the cruelest lie of all.

Now she's faced with a choice: resign herself to dying in the cold walls of Castle Greymere, or do the unthinkable and escape. But no one leaves Greymere alive. So to break out of the prison? She’ll have to use one of the undead.

Raphael is the worst kind of monster: a vampire with a thirst for blood, the mortal enemy of witches, the same breed that killed her mother. And most importantly, he’s unspeakably powerful, his supernatural strength tamed only by the enchanted cuffs forced on him.

He’s her only chance at a life outside the prison walls.

The deal is simple: Samara unlocks his shackles, and he'll help her escape. But although Raphael agreed to help her leave Greymere, he never promised to let her go…

A Bargain So Bloody is the first book in an exciting new romantasy series, perfect for listeners who love slow burn romance with morally grey heroes who fall first and hard and heroines who find their own strength.

©2025 Late Night Daydreams LLC (P)2025 Late Night Daydreams LLC

I couldn't finish

I hardly ever quit a book but this one I couldn't do it. the FMC is insufferable. She is so over the top about the vampire thing! She never ate an animal ever or killed rats. This had a great beginning and fell really flat.

I’m torn…

First- definitely an interesting plot with engaging characters. Unfortunately it seemed lacking in detail. Quite a lot of the plot just skips along to the next scene. They leave somewhere then it’s just 3days later they arrived at their destination or suddenly it’s the next day etc.. It made the story feel like it needed more fleshing out or perhaps a lot of less important connector scenes got edited out. It’s to bad because I did like the story. Just made it feel like the writing wasn’t that great.
Second- The blurb is a bit misleading. That may or may not be a good thing depending on your preference. Very little of the story actually takes place in the prison. *Small Spoiler*: They escape one day after the vampire arrives at the very beginning of the book. There is a lot of abrupt, not jumps, but “now on to the next scene” sorta feel throughout most of the book.
Third- I actually thought the fmc was decently level headed for most of the plot… but then towards the end she just starts being ridiculous. It had the overwhelming feel of forced misunderstanding/conflict/ drama for dramas sake to make a plot point. It bothered me so much I almost DNF.
Fourth- the romance is more a tease of potential that gets snatched away by the stupid conflict/drama that I mentioned. Definitely a slow burn. More a YA story than I would have liked. Hard to say if there will be anything graphic in the next book. But just to be clear (it’s what I would want to know)*Small/Maybe a Spoiler*: There is no sex, one bite, and only 2 kisses.
Fifth- Ends in a cliffhanger, that I thought was a bit stupid. One of those miscommunication drama things that seem so unrealistic. Forced drama to make the plot point work.
Sixth- The entire story is just from the fmc POV. The female narrator did a decent job. I would have liked to hear the MMC POV…
Finally- overall I liked the story concept but found it, and the writing, to YA for me. I can’t really say it’s worth a credit or recommend it…. But, I’m not sure I won’t be buying book 2 just to know what happens!

PLOT TWIST??

What the helly was the ending omg and the next book coming in 2026 is sickening💔I NEED IT NOW lol

Got very irritating toward the end

The mfc got pretty irritating. Despite all the mmc did for her she would always find reasons to decide he wasn’t worthy of being good. Always considering him a monster. To a point that it got eye rolling and I found myself thinking “enough already” I only have about an hour and a half left and I’m getting bored and annoyed not sure if I’ll read the second book when it comes out. Not sure I’ll even finish this one. I think when she decided to betray the mmc and give the book to his foe to “destroy the vampires” is about the time I decided she was a petulant child

Disappointing

I was really hyped up by booktok to read this and parts of it were good. My main issue was the FMC. I understood her horror of vampires and often related but as a drawn out conflict point it got tired and overused.

Fantastic!

Loved it! Vasilisa Drake doesn't just TELL you a tory, she REVEALS IT. It's like uncovering a silver platter full of delicious lues and morsels, and it's up to you to decide what everything means. The plot is impeccable. The way characters act according to their established personality traits and develop through the story, growing, yet without abandoning who they are. I love how by the end I STILL don't have all the answers, even answer I would have expected revealed by now. And the ending? *chef's kiss* Delicious. -- As to the audio, it is excellent in every way.--

Don’t care to continue

At first it was interesting; however, it quickly became repetitive. Her prejudices and the religious aspect I found off putting and we don’t get any payoff until a rushed epiphany in the epilogue. Narrator was very good though.

main character is boring

feel like its the same character in every book. im not sure if I'd listen to the next book when it comes out

He’s respected her

Love the story and very interested for part 2.

How many times does he have to say you’re protected but she seems to continue to make herself unsafe and like she with a king of vampire and to me - she have disrespected him so many times. She a woman thinks to much lol.

Not sure if I really like the narrator doing his voice that might be why she got on my nerves she did a good job for the woman sort of but she gave him no justice.

Sorry my Lord Raphael you were not done justice in the voice Narration.

Characters fell flat

I feel this story had a lot of potential but author didn't give the characters any development and storyline was very predictable. No originality, this was bits and pieces of other successful fantasy romances thrown together haphazardly. There was zero chemistry between the couple and though I liked the switch up of the FMC not being a baddie this one was just hateful and weak in body and mind. Honestly the MMC deserves so much better.