Book: The Death-Made Prince by Lisette Marshall
Reviewed by Weird | weird.reads.books
Rating: 5/5
Imagine a brisk autumn morning with nothing on the agenda. You pour a hot coffee (or a hot beverage of your choice), grab your favorite blanket, and sink into your cozy spot. The mug warms your hands; a few slow sips send heat down your throat and through your chest. Your shoulders drop, a small smile tugs at your mouth, and you feel your body unwind. That deep, settling comfort? That’s exactly how the slow burn in this book felt.
We open on our runewitch FMC, Thraga, staring down a death sentence when a necromancer is tossed into her cell the eve of her execution. The tone is grim and tense, but there’s a thread of humor as this dastardly necromancer takes charge like he owns the place—an attitude that instantly gets on Thraga’s nerves and will have readers kicking their feet at their mutual irritation. They strike a truce, break out, and set off as reluctant allies.
Our pompous necromancer MMC, Durlain, needs a runewitch’s talents to rescue his sister from an enemy kingdom. What follows is a journey full of action, sharp banter, and sticky social detours. Durlain’s suave, courtly manners charm the upper echelons wherever they go, while Thraga has to pose as his servant. Along the way, they peel back each other’s defenses and insecurities, earning real, mutual respect, and some chemistry left to simmer.
The worldbuilding drops you into a Norse-tinged realm threaded with rune-craft, grave magic, and the very real costs of both. The magic has rules and a price, which keeps the stakes tight and believable. I also appreciated the OCD and anxiety representation in Thraga; it’s woven into the narrative as an integral part of her character, not an afterthought.
There’s a brief lull where the main plot steps back, but it gives the characters room to breathe and grow together. Since this is book one, those travel beats read like groundwork for what’s coming. Then the final hundred pages hit hard and end on a cliffhanger. Some readers might be devastated; I savored those last chapters. They were freaking delectable. …Maybe I’m a masochist at heart.
If you want an adult romantasy with a satisfying, character-driven build-up, grounded magic, and a helluva ending, add this to your TBR. I’m eagerly awaiting book two.
Thank you to Behind the Pages LLC and Lisette Marshall for the ARC. All opinions are my own.