A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden: A Review

Hey guys! I managed to find a break in my schedule to write a review for a book I have looked forward to reviewing for a while. This one is A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden. It was a lovely read that I enjoyed and I found it very easy to pick up and put down without getting bored. I'm not normally a fan of slow-burn books either but the execution of this cliche was so well done.

After falling into a reading slump I decided to look at my Kindle Unlimited and see what I could find, low and behold I discovered this little gem that I am thrilled to have discovered. To be completely honest I don't remember when or where I first heard of the book, but I'm pretty sure that it was probably from one of my online friends. This novel is Kate’s debut novel and the first in the Sacred Stones trilogy.

Personally, I found this book to have a very easy writing style which I really enjoyed reading whenever I could. All of the characters felt very fleshed out and believable which I really enjoyed because sometimes you just need a believable escape at the end of the day. For me, it was the perfect marriage of mystery and fantasy, slow burn and warfare, Topics that I would normally not mix together all strung out into a perfect picture.

The slow-burn romance between Kane and Arwen Is written very well, just the right amount of cliche without being outright cringe. I also adore Mari and Arwen’s friendship as it is a picture of happiness and I kind of friendship I imagine myself having if I ever read academic books. 

I had read some reviews saying that this book was quite predictable, however, I don't think that was the case at all. Yes, it follows some typical and predictable fantasy romance motifs, But the plot itself was unpredictable and perfect for keeping me reading.

It kind of makes my heart hurt knowing that I'm going to have to wait until I can read the second book. But I totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed ACOTAR, The Cruel Prince, or even Shatter Me. The combinations of tropes are just so fantastically written that I don't really have anything negative to say about it. I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too!

Happy reading,

- Mei