White Horse Black Nights

The Godkissed Bride, Book 1

De: Evie Marceau

Narrado por: Phillipa Miller, Walker Williams

We still worship the sleeping fae, though their magic only remains within a few of us.

Locked away for twelve years, Sabine Darrow's only friends are animals she communicates with using magic. Now, sold as a bride to a villainous high lord, her greatest fear is trading one prison for another. But a potential escape lies in the form of her gruff yet achingly handsome guard, whose loyalty she is determined to break.

A huntsman with heightened senses, Basten "Wolf" Bowborn has more important things to do than transport his master's new bride. With ancient creatures reawakening along the kingdom's border wall, he is torn between his duty and his desire to investigate—until a forbidden attraction becomes an unyielding obsession.

Welcome to Astagnon—a kingdom of cruel games and corrupted courts, where the only thing more dangerous than the secrets slumbering underground is falling for the one person you can't have.

Drawing inspiration from Snow White and the Lady Godiva legend, White Horse Black Nights is a dark enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance that will take you on a journey you'll never forget. This captivating story of a girl with a special gift is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout!

©2023 Evie Marceau (P)2024 Podium Audio

A Spellbinding Tale of Love, Magic, and Redemption

“White Horse Black Nights” by Evie Marceau, narrated by Phillipa Miller and Walker Williams, is a captivating dark fantasy romance that masterfully intertwines elements of classic tales like Snow White and Lady Godiva. 

The story introduces us to Sabine Darrow, a young woman endowed with the unique ability to communicate with animals—a gift marking her as “godkissed.” After being confined for twelve years, Sabine is sold as a bride to the formidable high lord, Rian Valvere. Her journey to his domain requires her to travel unclothed on horseback for 21 days, accompanied by the enigmatic huntsman, Basten “Wolf” Bowborn, whose heightened senses and complex persona add depth to the narrative. 

The novel excels in its rich world-building, painting the kingdom of Astagnon as a realm filled with ancient magic, political intrigue, and reawakening creatures. The chemistry between Sabine and Wolf is palpable, evolving from initial animosity to a profound, forbidden attraction that keeps readers engaged. Their dynamic is further enriched by well-crafted dialogue and a slow-burning romance that feels both authentic and enthralling. 

Narrators Phillipa Miller and Walker Williams deliver stellar performances, bringing the characters to life with emotive and nuanced portrayals that enhance the listening experience. Their narration adds an extra layer of immersion, making the audiobook a compelling choice for fans of the genre. 

Overall, “White Horse Black Nights” is a beautifully written tale that seamlessly blends fantasy and romance. It’s a must-read for enthusiasts of dark, enemies-to-lovers stories, offering a journey that’s both unforgettable and deeply satisfying.

The plot twist though……

A new twist on fae. I absolutely ate this one up. The pace of the book was really nice and I really enjoyed the writing style. I really enjoyed the FMC , she is an absolute baddie and so spunky. The banter is mouth watering and spice is well placed. Forbidden love, enemies to lovers, fae, magic.Fans of SJM and JLA will enjoy this.

Godiva-Inspired

Just like JLA, Evie Marceau has captured my Fantasy-loving soul with this beautifully written story. She also had me on the edge of my seat and guessing so much about what would happen next that I finished this work in less than two days! Now that's a great writer!

Loosely based on the tale of Lady Godiva and sprinkled with hints of Roman mythology (as well as others), this story follows a young girl tasked by her future husband to ride from her home village to his kingdom with nothing but her hair protecting her naked body. Traveling with his most trusted guard, Sabine must make this journey in 21 days, but of course, challenges arise—both expected and unexpected.

Great recommendation for JLA and Maas fans. It has spice in it, but it is well-written and intriguing.

slow start mid end

Half of what I have to complain about is the performance. Two different people is not the issue. In fact I like that. It's the fact that BOTH of the readers gave no emotion in their performances. Nothing. I'm more invested in the mouse not dying than I am about the actual story. This simple 8 ish whatever hour book took me more than a month to complete because the performances just sucked. Little to no inflection in their voices, almost no difference in characters, and just overall no passion in anything. I cannot say that it's a bad experience. The story has me thinking about but only rarely. I honestly listened to 2 other books before I finished this one, and one of those I've read at least 3 times by now.

I like the idea of this story plot. but unless the readers gain a few skills between this book and the next or are changed, I don't know that I'll continue this series at all.

Not Invested Enough to Keep Reading

I never DNF books because I have FOMO, like there must be something I’m missing or somehow a book will get better when the beginning is convincing me otherwise. This book is slow and the background plot is given in glimpses that you remain curious. However, the main characters just seem uninspiring. I don’t care if any of them die at this point. The love story is odd. I’m all for a love at first sight and enemies to lovers vibes, but these two characters seem obsessed after barely knowing anything except one knows how to talk to animals and can ride a horse naked and the other is normally good at following orders and is protective of a woman he was ordered to..protect. The tid bits sprinkled in of the mystery of what’s happening in the world and the ending made me just curious enough to know what could happen next, but this book was hard to stay invested in and to choose to keep listening to. The narration wasn’t terrible to me, but it didn’t help the book either. I don’t know if more emotions could’ve made it better. I just don’t think I liked the story focus in the first book. I have been in this situation before, where the first book just doesn’t do it for me, but I keep going. Not sure I will read the next book in this series though. I think it will just lead to further disappointment.