Review: ‘A Dawn of Onyx’ by Kate Golden
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A Dawn of Onyx
by Kate GoldenSeries: The Sacred Stones #1
Published by Berkley on December 15, 2022
SubGenres: Fantasy Romance
Format: AudioBook
Narrator: Ruby Cherise, Will Damron
Length: 12 Hours And 27 Minutes
Source: Library - Libby
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Captured by a king of darkness. Forced to find the light within.
Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King.
Arwen knows better than to face the ancient, wicked woods that surround the castle on her own, which means working with a fellow prisoner might be her only path to freedom. Unfortunately, he’s as infuriating as he is cunning—and seems to take twistedpleasure in playing on Arwen’s deepest fears.
But here in Onyx Kingdom, trust is a luxury she can’t afford.
To make it out of enemy territory, she'll have to navigate back-stabbing royals, dark magic, and dangerous beasts. But untold power lies inside Arwen, dormant and waiting for a spark. If she can harness it, she just might be able to escape with her life—and hopefully, her heart.
A Dawn of Onyx is the first book in Kate Golden’s Sacred Stones Trilogy. As a fan of fantasy and paranormal romances, I found this book to be exactly what I enjoy reading. The story is told entirely from the perspective of the FMC, Arwen Valondale. Arwen is a protagonist who can either frustrate readers or make them root for her. I felt a mix of admiration and exasperation with her decisions at times. Aside from that, the world-building and plot kept me engaged throughout, and I definitely can’t wait to continue this trilogy.
It’s a slow-burn fantasy romance, which I don’t mind reading, but it can be frustrating at times, especially when you can sense the growing attraction between the love interests. I could read Arwen’s frustration with her attraction to the one person who should hate for what he was doing to his kingdom and everything else. I would have loved to read more of the male character’s point of view. Instead, I only got a brief glimpse of his thoughts about Arwen at the end of the book, and that was only when he first met her.
I loved Arwen’s bravery and how she gave herself over to the Onyx soldiers because she didn’t want them to go after her brother and her family. She handled herself well during captivity at the Onyx Kingdom. She did frustrate me with some of the decisions she made that I mentioned earlier in my review, but other than that, she was a strong heroine. She held her own, especially toward the end when secrets were revealed.
The Onyx King was known for his viciousness, but he showed kindness to Arwen when he chose to. He was full of mystery, and I sensed that he was hiding something regarding Arwen, which he ultimately revealed at the end of the book. I hope to see more of his point of view in the next installment, as I know he has some making up to do with Arwen after the cliffhanger ending that Kate Golden left me with.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. I give it four stars and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
Standalone Or Part of Series: It’s the first book in the Sacred Stones Trilogy and needs to be read in order.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you’re seeking a slow-burn fantasy romance with enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity vibes, check out A Dawn of Onyx.
What to Expect:
💜Enemies to Lovers
💜Forced Proximity
💜Slow Burn
💜Who Hurt You?
💜Touch Her and I’ll ☠️ You
💜Fae & Dragons
About Kate Golden
Kate Golden is the USA Today bestselling author of The Sacred Stones trilogy. She lives in Los Angeles where she works in the film industry developing movies with screenwriters and filmmakers. When she isn’t telling stories, Kate is an avid book reader, puzzle addict, and game night enthusiast which she hosts with her husband and puppy, Milo. You can find her on Instagram at @KateGoldenAuthor and on TikTok at @Kate_Golden_Author.
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