To Charm a Dark Prince: An addictive enemies to lovers fantasy romance (The Iron Crystal, #1)

by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

To trust him would be foolish—but to betray him would be deadly, in a decadent and dark fantasy romance between a tyrant and his captive for fans of Raven Kennedy, LJ Andrews, and Elise Kova.

Unwillingly transported to the magical realm of Avalon, Gwen finds herself in the hands of its dark and beautiful ruler—the reviled Prince in Iron, Mordred. Unlike his uncle, the King Arthur of legend, Mordred is feared as a tyrant, trapping anyone with magic in an enchanted crystal prison.

When Gwen is captured after discovering her own magical talents, she strikes a deal with Mordred's enemy, seeing no other way to escape. If she can seduce the prince, gaining his trust then breaking the crystal, they will show her how to use her magic to return home.

Only Mordred shows a strange gentleness to Gwen. He even allows her to join his court, treating her as a treasured guest. And despite promising each day to imprison her in the crystal, he only draws her closer, fanning the flames of desire between them into an inferno. But how long will his love last when he discovers her betrayal?

• ISBN10: 1837904642
• ISBN13: 9781837904648
• Publish Date: 18 August 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bookouture
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 300
• Language: English

Reviews

[Inkslinger]

'To Charm a Dark Prince' by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a dark fantasy re-telling of the Arthurian legend that focuses primarily on Mordred and Gwen. Other familiar names do make appearances, but the characters are definitely a modern take on their 'could-be' place in Avalon.

Mordred is tasked with a heavy burden, which of course leaves him generally grumpy and overall kind of intriguing. He's powerful and a bit oppressive, which makes him fun to read.. and he's definitely not lacking in the looks department either. 

For me, he was the best part of the book. Gwen I found to be just okay, moderately annoying and sometimes coming across rather clueless. The bones of the story are interesting. There are lots of neat concepts strewn throughout the pages, but the writing could use some development. 

The book is recommended for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Elisa Kova, and Danielle L. Jensen, but in my opinion it's far more Kova than Maas. If you liked Kova's A Trial of Sorcerers, this one is for you.

(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.In To Charm a Dark Prince, Kingsley transports readers to the Avalon. In this version of Avalon, King Arthur is dead and Mordred, the Prince in Iron, rules. The people of Avalon fear Mordred, but not in a good way. He imprisoned Elementals, hence entrapping magic. He had good reason to do so, as the Elementals became reckless, thus creating chaos. However, this action led to Avalon becoming a desolate and depressing city.

He faced opposition from many angles, one of which came from Gwendolyn, a nineteen-year-old from modern day Kansas. The manner in which Gwen got caught in this whole scenario was quite hilarious. I will not go into many details, but I will say this much. It involved a cat and fire.

It was interesting getting to know Mordred. The story portrays him as controlling, a tyrant, and brutal. However, it seemed he had a bit of a soft spot for Gwen, which may lead to his downfall. Also, there were times throughout the story when I kept wondering if Mordred was really the villain. Sticking to his convictions and not being easily swayed was his most admirable trait. Some readers may find Gwen’s behaviour annoying. However, given the sheltered life she lived, it came as no surprise. She shows some growth as the story progressed, but there is room for improvement.

Mordred and Gwen’s interactions reeked of sexual tension and humour. It was quite interesting, given the circumstances. Mordred doesn’t trust her, and with good reason. 

The world Kingsley created fascinated me and fed my desire for everything Arthurian. The story started out slow, and it took sometime for it to pick up. This was mainly because of the author introducing readers to the new Avalon, and providing information as it relates to the reasons for Mordred’s actions.

To Charm a Dark Prince delivered a fun start to The Iron Crystal series. I am curious to learn if Gwen will succeed in her mission to bring down Mordred, or will they join forces? So many questions, especially with that explosive ending. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading