I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

A young woman recruited to be a soldier discovers an ancient connection to a daunting prophecy in author Daria Tince’s “Blood Names Her,” the first book in the What the Wound Wakes trilogy.

The Synopsis

She enters the Citadel to become a soldier.

The blood knows better.

In the Archives, a quiet life waits for Lyra Veynmar: clean hands, silent halls, and a place where every sharp edge in her can be filed away, contained, and forgotten.

Instead, she chooses Flint—the lowest rank within Davraeth’s Citadel. Behind its walls, obedience is survival. Recruits are shaped by discipline and fear until even instinct learns to wait for command. Lyra has never been good at waiting; her body moves before orders, and her temper burns before caution.

Assigned to Aeron Halvik, an Obsidian captain built from restraint and cold control, Lyra is forced to confront the flaws she cannot master. He should be nothing more than command and consequence, but each order cuts deeper than it should, and every silence begins to feel like a choice. He sees too much, demands too much, and stands far too close to the dangerous fracture opening inside her.

The harder the Citadel tries to shape Lyra into a soldier, the more the buried thing beneath her skin begins to wake. Ancient stones seem to recognize her. Dreams open where they should not. And in the dark, a stranger waits as if he has been expecting her, his voice carrying the first whisper of something older than the Citadel itself.

What stirs within Lyra does not feel like a gift. It feels like a wound. And once it opens, everything around her begins to demand a price. Power. Loyalty. Truth. Even love.

Blood Names Her is an adult dark fantasy romance about brutal training, forbidden power, slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers tension, dangerous secrets, and old prophecy. It begins the WHAT THE WOUND WAKES trilogy, a story of power, devotion, and the cost of becoming what the world was taught to fear.

THE REVIEW

This was a powerful and compelling dark fantasy romance novel. Right out of the gate, the world-building the author brought into the narrative was astonishing, as were the citadel and everything tied to the prophecy’s unique mythos. The main character felt fully realized and fleshed out through the author’s unique, immersive writing style. The slow pacing helped the world-building take hold in readers’ minds and let the complex relationships and antagonistic actions the protagonist faced hit readers emotionally.

The heart and foundation of this novel really was in the story development and character dynamics. The mythos was intriguing, and the protagonist’s connection to this prophecy and ancient power was something readers could really invest in. The trauma and heartbreak of the protagonist’s background, and how it shaped her anger and impulsiveness, gave readers a better understanding of where she was coming from and let them connect with her on a deeper level.

THE VERDICT

A memorable, engaging, and thoughtfully written dark fantasy romance novel, Author Daria Tince’s “Blood Names Her” is a fantastic novel and a great entry into the What the Wound Wakes trilogy. The shocking twists and turns that the narrative takes, including the revelation of what the prophecy spoke of and the emotional weight of not only the bonds the main character formed, but the enemies-to-lovers romance angle, will not only get readers invested in the story, but also emotionally attached to the protagonist’s journey through this incredibly well-developed world the author has brought to life on the page. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Daria Tince writes adult dark fantasy romance about impossible choices, dangerous devotion, and the people who keep walking long after the world tells them to stop.

She is drawn to stories where love has teeth, power has a cost, and becoming who you are always leaves a mark.

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