When a fae with a grudge kidnaps a princess, he discovers true love is better than revenge.Grim Ni Brennan lost his leg, and his sister, to the enemy. Now, all he wants is to resurrect the past and save his sister from the dead. To fulfill the spell, he must get a princess to spin straw into gold. When the perfect enemy princess falls into his hands, he’ll sacrifice anything—even the princess … anything—even the princess herself—to see his sister again.
Ana isn’t sure she’s a princess any more, not since her step-sister Ella took over the throne. All she wants is a new purpose in life. Just as she gets up the courage to find out what that is, she’s kidnapped by a man intent on revenge. Now, all Ana wants to do is stay alive, and get back to her old life as fast as she can, but to do that she can’t do the one thing Grim needs her to do: turn that straw into gold. For as soon as she does—she knows she’ll be dead.
But Grim wasn’t counting on liking the enemy, nor was he counting on how attractive she’d be and as the hours roll into days, and Ana becomes more than just the enemy, Grim has a choice—at what point do you sacrifice the future to save the past?
Discover Jessica Aspen’s GRIM:
A Fantasy Romance with a Rumplestiltskin Twist
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Grim and Ana were both great characters. This has a touch of fairytale with some great characters. Grim kidnaps Ana and the two go through a lot together. Ana was one of Ella’s stepsisters. Although Ana was the nice stepsister it didn’t make life easy for her as everyone wanted her mother and sister dead. Loved seeing Ana get more magic. Grim was also dealing with a lot with his grief and need for revenge for his sister. Lots of action and magic while the two grow closer. Some steam and an interesting plot. Loved it!
5 stars
A sword and sorcery romance with an awesome antihero!
I loved this fantasy romance! First of all, the world-building is everything I could hope for. The novel takes place in the magical world of Underhill, populated by many Fae species of magic-wielding people. The elf-like Tuathans rule various royal courts scattered throughout the world. Centuries ago, the Tuathans had conquered the previous rulers, the Fir Bolg, who look more like humans. The few Fir Bolg survivors fled into the Old Forest, which is murky, alive, and full of shifting paths and grasping tree limbs. This series (Tales of the Crimson Court) as well as the Tales of the Black Court and The Dragons of Underhill series all take place in Underhill. There is an intricate tapestry of connections and shared characters among the books. All three series are very internally cohesive with an accurate timeline and references to the events of other books. For instance, Solanum, the amoral puca from “The Dark Huntsman” appears in this book. Awesome!
This novel has a delicious antihero who turns into a hero. I had sympathy for Grimalkin Ni Brennan (AKA, Grim) even when he plotted to kill Ana. His story is a clever spin on Rumpelstiltskin, but Grim is attractive, not ugly. He always had a conscience that pricked at him, so I could tell that he was never irredeemable. Grim certainly has his flaws (obsessed with revenge and often drunk) and a few great qualities (loyalty). He is a wounded war hero who is racist against Tuathans like Ana. I really love Grim and his lady Ana. Ana, whom we met in “Ashes” really grows as a person in the book. It is so sweet how Grim boosts Ana’s confidence in her magical abilities.
The novel is dark but not too dark. There is a small amount of bedroom scenes, but it is steamy and quite original. Grim has some unique skills in that department. I also adore the edge-of-my-seat magical and/or sword battle scenes. They are so exciting and perfectly written. The novel was also a great length: satisfyingly long. I highly recommend it to all fans of paranormal and fantasy romance.
I received a free advanced reading copy from the author, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Masterfully written, poignantly told, happily resolved, Grimalkin and Ana shine like the gold he needs spun. Grim, Book 3 of the Tales of the Crimson Court, is a wonderful fantasy romance with more than a nod towards Rumplestiltskin. The author weaves that fairytale into her tales of Underhill and gives it new life and a new spin. A perfect standalone, however, your enjoyment would be enhanced by knowledge of what came before. This is a story in a series that should be read by fans of fantasy romance. Highly recommended.
Overall rating: 4.6
With a touch of fairytale twist, book 2 gives us an intriguing look into hard choices these characters make towards their futures. The path we think we are on doesn’t necessarily mean it is the path we stay on. With great characters we have met from before plus new additions, this author keeps this storyline interesting and entertaining! Of course there are hints of things to come! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.