A Dawn of Onyx: The Sacred Stones Book One Author Kate Golden

Book Review

5 out of 5 stars!

"Bastards like me are the least of your concern." - Mysterious Man


Arwen's loyalty to her family and her brother, who may or may not have stolen some gold, is intense. She has traded her life for that of her brother's and her family's. Stationed within enemy territory and their keep she's forced to heal their soldiers. . . Arwen wants nothing more than to escape and find her family, but the woods surrounding the keep are known to be extremely dangerous!


She cannot trust anyone, yet some are slowly breaking through her guard that surrounds her heart. Can she fully open up to these people and allow them in? Should she trust them? Which side is the correct side to be on? Who's the liar in all of this?


"And I'd love to listen to you fall off a cliff." - Arwen


Oh, the enemies to lovers trope is becoming my number one trope! The banter between the two is just fantastic and I have to say it, Arwen wields a lit, candlestick against him in one scene!


Arwen's been ripped from her small, country village and placed into a keep surrounded by her enemy or the enemy she's supposed to hate. Having a sheltered life hasn't helped anything and it's blaringly obvious to everyone how small of a bubble Arwen has come from. She's beginning to realize just how big and vast the world is. Figuring things out for herself and forming her own opinions about her surroundings.


I loved her arc and enjoyed seeing the entire book through her POV! Can relate to Arwen a lot about matters and coming from a small-town setting. Having anxieties about the world and unknowns, but you soon reach a point where you don't let that control you anymore. Newness can be scary, but it can also be very freeing and worth so much more than remaining in the comfort zone. 


I really loved Arwen's abilities and the descriptions that went into how her magic worked. All the fantasy and wonder of this read along with the different creatures, beasts, and so much more. Plus, there's a dragon! Arwen discovers so much through her journey and is trained on various things. I loved all the growth that happened with her character and how she actually had to learn how to do things. People coming to her aide even if she didn't want to get close to them. 


I loved Dagan's character so much and Mari's! Dagan was a big part of this read and I don't want to give too much away. Mari and I would be best friends and I knew that instantly after I read this quote from the book:


"There are three things I love in this world. Reading, a challenge, and proving others wrong." - Mari


All three of those things can honestly describe me in a nutshell! Mari's exactly who Arwen needs, even if Arwen doesn't fully know it yet!


This read is a SLOW burn! Sorry, the most MF action that happens is an almost spicy scene and some passionate kissing. I was frustrated several times when the tension and chemistry were about to peak and then. . .something more important "had" to happen. I love the dynamic between the two and how Arwen's trying to figure him out. Really loved the pet name he gave to Arwen!


This is a darker read and there's a war going on. So, expect violence, gore, blood, and aftermath of what happens. There's language in the book and mention of "grape". Hint at and intent of a SA but it was stopped before anything could happen. Just implication of what would transpire. . . Anxiety attacks on page, mention of past physical abuse, and the MMC is very much "touch her and you die".


The pacing of this read was very good and all the mystery behind things. No one wanting to fully give answers and Arwen having to seek them out on her own. The cliffhanger of this read left my heart a little broken and I am very much ready for the next installment! And just there are so many scenes I thoroughly enjoyed but I cannot give away the details! Read this book, it's Kate's debut novel and it's phenomenal! She also spoils us with a map at the beginning of the read!


Enjoy the dark fantasy with romance, magic, a dragon(!), and so much more! Don't forget to give the author some stars!


A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones Book 1) - Kindle edition by Golden, Kate. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)


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