{"id":65122,"date":"2022-06-18T08:32:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-18T12:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=65122"},"modified":"2025-03-14T03:51:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T07:51:44","slug":"release-arc-review-court-of-blood-and-bindings-fae-isles-1-by-lisette-marshall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=65122","title":{"rendered":"ARC Review: Court of Blood and Bindings (Fae Isles, #1) by Lisette Marshall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The first book in the Fae Isles series, and a 5-star fave!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Releasing Wednesday 22 July<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

They call him the Silent Death, because he kills without sound and leaves none capable of speaking in his wake\u2026<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

When the empire\u2019s deadliest fae murderer catches her wielding forbidden magic, twenty-year-old Emelin believes her hour has come. Instead, her inhumanly beautiful captor spares her life, but carries her off on his velvet wings \u2013 into the one place from which no human ever returns.<\/p>\n

The heart of the Fae Isles. The treacherous Crimson Court, where the Mother of faekind has ruled unchallenged over fae and humans for decades.<\/p>\n

The Silent Death is supposed to be the Mother\u2019s loyal servant, her invincible warrior, her ruthless, soulless killer. But in the shadows he is playing a game of his own, and he needs Emelin\u2019s magic to win it.<\/p>\n

If she agrees to work with him, she could free all of humanity. But can she trust a fae male with so much blood on his hands? Worse, when his smouldering dark eyes and dangerous secrets reveal glimpses of the heart behind his murderer\u2019s mask\u2026 can she trust herself?<\/p>\n

Court of Blood and Bindings is the first book of the Fae Isles series, an enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring a strong-willed heroine and a broody, morally grey hero. This adult fae romance is perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout and Raven Kennedy.<\/p>\n

Note: Court of Blood and Bindings contains a generous dose of smouldering glances, angry yearning, and midnight meetings of the illicit type, as well as other mature themes.<\/p>\n

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Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Review<\/b><\/h4>\n

5 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n

Wow, what a read! Lisette Marshall has delivered a powerful start to the Fae Isles<\/i> series, a wonderfully intense fantasy story with magic, intrigue, politics, all sorts of supernatural beings, and an absolutely kickass lead couple (brave and feisty heroine, a broody, almost-anti-hero with secrets), enemies-to-lovers, fake-romance, and so much chemistry and sexual tension, I almost couldn\u2019t stand it. This book has so much, and I loved it all!<\/p>\n

Note – There is a prequel novel to this series (Heart of Silk and Shadows<\/a>). At this stage, you don\u2019t have<\/i> to read it first, this book is a very strong series starter, with more extensive world-building than the prequel. But I would imagine that in later books I\u2019m going to be happy to have the background information that the prequel provides.<\/p>\n

Emelin is a 20-year-old human living in fae-controlled land, born with powers she shouldn\u2019t have, and living a secluded life to hide the fact. When the brutal fae assassin known as the Silent Death sees her using her magic, he doesn\u2019t kill her on the spot as she expects, instead, he whisks her away from her remote island home to the centre of the fae empire, the Crimson Court. He moves her into his home, pretending that she is his human lover, which gives her some protection from those who would hurt her, while he works with her to hone her powers. Because the Silent Death is not who he seems, and he has a plan to take our the ruling fae Mother and free those under her control, and he needs Emelin\u2019s help to do it.<\/p>\n

OMG, this book is all intensity right from the very beginning, and I was instantly sucked into the story. The whole book is written from Emelin\u2019s POV, so we get to experience everything with her \u2013 learning about the world and figuring out her place in it. She is a wonderful heroine \u2013 strong, brave and intelligent. She very quickly understands the reality of her new situation and plays her part well, but with her irritatingly stunning captor, she is her true self, and this is where she shines.<\/p>\n

After centuries of being the fae Mother\u2019s most trusted assassin, Creon\u2019s reputation is well-deserved. He is brutal and cold, and very little surprises him\u2026 until Emelin comes into his life. It doesn\u2019t take long for us to see a different side of him, firstly in sparing Emelin, and then when he sets her up in his home and she starts to snark at him, and he snarks right back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll keep your hands off me in that bed, too.\u201d
\n\u201cAs I was planning to.\u201d He looked up from his writing, eyes mocking me. \u201cUnless you change your mind of course\u201d.
\n\u201cI\u2019d rather fuck a cactus,\u201d I informed him.
\n\u201cInteresting. Let me know how you like it.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a great dynamic from the very beginning, full of aggressive banter and threats of violence, but there\u2019s this underlying attraction that creates delicious chemistry. Neither of them act on it as Creon teaches Emelin about his world and they begin her training, but it\u2019s always there. And when he begins to reveal his secrets and they truly start to learn about each other, their connection only deepens when Emelin promises to work with him to bring down the Mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather be your equal in danger than your toy in safety.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The book\u2019s timeline is actually pretty fast moving, but the romance feels like a slow burn, and I was revelling in every little moment between these two. The banter is epic, the glances and touches are so meaningful, and I absolutely love the way they handle the way they are feeling. They don\u2019t hide from each other, they tease and they flirt, and every moment between them feels like it\u2019s dripping with anticipation. The chemistry is electric and the sexual tension is off freaking charts, and the feelings are right there alongside of the mad lust, which makes the whole thing even more intense.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes it make me a monster?\u201d I managed, the fears falling over my lips at last. \u201cWanting you?\u201d
\nHis smile\u2026it wasn\u2019t a smile. It was an open wound. It was a wistful darkness that spread over his face and transformed into something hurt and haunted and utterly heart-breaking.
\n\u201cDoes it make me innocent, wanting you?\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The emotion is beautifully written, and I loved these two together so much. And when all of that tension becomes too much, the sexy time is hot, passionate and so profound as they come together, completely undone for each other, and I loved the intensity of their undeniable connection.<\/p>\n

Uncaged, undone, he was power and beautiful and death, and he was mine. <\/i><\/p>\n

I leaned into that fall. I let myself plummet, into the unfathomable, bottomless depths of my heart, and trusted his arms to catch me.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As amazing as Emelin is, God, I love Creon! He\u2019s the most powerful of his kind, and though he has that broody, cocky arrogance that I love so much in my romantic heroes, he\u2019s also wonderfully witty and he has this quiet vulnerability about him that is absolutely irresistible. We see it as he beings to open up to Emelin \u2013 there is so much of him to uncover, and Marshall does it piece by piece, at just the right pace for maximum impact. And I loved watching him fall for Emelin, feeling things for the very first time, and bravely embracing it. I feel like there is so much more of us to discover about him, and I am here for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not fully sure what you are to me. I\u2019m not sure if I dare to figure it out. But I know you\u2019re a first.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alongside the love story, Creon and Emelin are in a dangerous situation, facing many enemies, and if anyone uncovers their plan it will mean instant death for both of them. There are more secrets to be uncovered, and Emelin understandably wrestles with whether she can trust the man she\u2019s falling so hard for. Her struggle is real and understandable, and brings some great drama to the story as it builds to its unpredictable and heart-poundingly exciting climax that had me madly flipping pages, desperate to see how it was going to finish.<\/p>\n

Yes, there is a cliffhanger. It\u2019s not a really bad one, but it still leaves us on a critical point, and I\u2019m so invested in these characters and their story, I\u2019m absolutely desperate to get my hands on the next book of the series.<\/p>\n

I freaking love this book. It’s beautifully written, the fantasy world is well developed and fascinating, and the concept of color-magic is so clever. It\u2019s such an amazing read \u2013 especially when you consider that Marshall is still a newly-published author. I rate this book up among fantasy reads by Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout (which is high praise from me indeed), and I can\u2019t wait for more.<\/p>\n

5 stars!<\/p>\n

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n

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The Fae Isles series<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Heart of Silk and Shadows (#0.5 – Prequel novella)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Court of Blood and Bindings (#1)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Lord of Gold and Glory (#2)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Ruins of Sea and Souls (#3)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Queens of Mist and Madness (#4)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

In Love and War (#4.5)<\/strong> (Spin-0ff prequel Thysandra & Anaxia)
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

With Wing and Claw (#5)<\/strong>\u00a0 (Spin off – Thysandra & Anaxia)
\nTo be released 25 November
\nPre-order:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall The first book in the Fae Isles series, and a 5-star fave!   Releasing Wednesday 22 July Amazon\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback     Blurb They call him the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":64696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,1132,522,9,29],"tags":[59,1389,1270,48],"class_list":["post-65122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-enemies-to-lovers","category-fake-relationship","category-fantasy","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-fae-isles","tag-lisette-marshall","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Court-of-Blood-and-Bindings.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-gWm","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/64696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}