The Details
Title: The Wolf and the Crown of Blood
Author: Elizabeth May
Series: The Broken Accords (#1)
Genre: Dark Romance, Fantasy
Publication Date: 2026
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (Aria)
Format Read: Audiobook
Source: Libro.fm
Reviewer: Allie
Score: 4.4/5 ⭐’s
Spoiler Level: None
Why I Picked Up This Book
I came across FantasticalBookworm‘s TikTok post about their Fated Mates picks that promised unique versions of this particular trope. They suggested several books, but I decided on listening to The Wolf and the Crown of Blood.
So many of the fated mates books I’ve tried have felt shallow or contrived, and I was hoping this one would finally change my mind.
The Premise
Princess Bryony Devaliant has spent her life sacrificing everything for her kingdom. When the immortal assassin known as the Wolf is sent to kill her, they become entangled in an ancient struggle of gods, magic, and fate.
The Broad Breakdown
Whew! 👀 Y’all, I went into this book completely blind, and it was not at all what I was expecting! The opening scene intrigued me, disgusted me, and pulled me straight into the story. It was like a train wreck I couldn’t bring myself to look away from.
I’m currently on book three of Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR series, A Court of Wings and Ruin, and there are definitely some familiar themes and romantasy DNA happening here. The Beauty and the Beast vibes are definitely vibing. The Wolf and the Crown of Blood is ACOTAR’s heavy metal 💀🤘 cousin, and the spice has teeth 🌶️🦷🩸.
There were other remnants of literary DNA throughout. I’m pretty sure I picked up on some Pride and Prejudice (2005) movie inspiration in one of the lines between Evander and Bryony, and one or two nods to Shakespearean literature. The Devaliant family is something akin to a tragedy that Shakespeare would be dying to write.
What Worked
Elizabeth May knows how to write an incredibly complex character. There were characters I loved and character’s I loved to hate, but all of them felt real in the sense that they all had their flaws, their strengths, their triumphs, and their traumas.
I teared up several times during this book. There were situations and feelings that I could either identify or empathize with. I thoroughly enjoyed the web of relationships that bind the characters together.
Since I listened to the audiobook, I have to give my props to the narrators. They both did a great job with bringing the characters to life. I do have to highlight John Hartley’s performance. Their characterizations and voices were solid and easy to distinguish from each other.
What Didn’t Work
I enjoy the spice of a book just as much as the next romantasy fan, but I have to be honest here. The spicy scenes were great, but there were one or two that I was like…”Okay, can we move on now?” But hey, that’s just me, and it truly wasn’t that bad. I just felt it slowed the momentum down a little too much for my liking.
There were some character POV changes that were a little startling and took me out of the story a bit. But knowing that this is the first book in a series that will follow other couples in the pool of characters we are introduced to, I get why the choice was made.
While I do like spice in my romantasy… for me, this was a bit much. Not enough to push me away from continuing to read the series, because honestly, I’m here for the worldbuilding and plot on this one.
Victoria Aston’s narration overall was great. The emotion and inflection their voice was an asset to the listening experience. I’m not sure if this was something that happened in editing, but there were moments where the inflection and volume of their voice abruptly changed for a few words then changed back. From time to time it was hard to differentiate between character voices.
Character Corner
Oh boy… where to start here?
The MMC, Evander, and MFC, Bryony, were great. Their dark and dangerous romance was intense and burned bright red. Their scenes together, and some where they are apart, brought heart-wrenching tears to my eyes.
Alexios, God of Storms… oooooh, do I love to hate that guy. I literally found myself making a disgusted huff anytime he showed up. When I ended up in his POV, I thought, “Noooooo! Don’t put me here…” but in the end…it’s worth it.
Amara, a demigod and friend of Evander’s, needs an honorable mention. She was a great equalizer between Evander and Bryony. With her we got some insight into how demigods and Eternals work, and if I’m not mistaken, a tiny peep into a future book in the series.
Bastien, the deadly and calculated brother of Evander, and Theodora, the cold stoic sister of Bryony, stole the show for me. They literally had one, just ONE, scene together and I was hungry for more! Their tension was giving Edward and Bella, if Bella was a boss-bitch queen instead of an awkward teenager. I’m a sucker for a closed-off stoic MMC.
And I must be a lucky girl, because the second book is their story, and I’m so ready for it.
Tropes & Themes
Tropes
- 🐺 Fated Mates
- ⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
- 🥀 Beauty and the Beast
Themes
- ⚖️ Duty vs. Desire
- 🩸 Sacrifice
- 🔮 Fate vs. Free Will
The Emotional Damage Report
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood was an all-around emotional rollercoaster. There were times where I thought, “I’m done,” only to go right back to it minutes later because I just had to know. I was moved, disgusted, pissed off, but overall enjoyed my emotional ride.
Favorite Moment
I unfortunately cannot share this moment as it is right at the end. But, what I will tell you is that all those emotions I experienced to get there paid off.
Who Should Read This?
If you like Shakespearean tragedy, the fantasy of the ACOTAR series, the longing of a Jane Austen novel, and heavy metal spice, then this book is for you.
The Broad Honesty
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It did take some time to acclimate to the Game of Thrones-level violence and intimacy, but once I was settled into what the book was, I enjoyed the story and the world.
This is not a book that I would be jumping to reread. However, I’m looking forward to the second book and will continue reading the series as they are released. I’m sticking around for the overarching plot of the series.
Shelf Status
📗 Keep It Around
Enjoyed it. Happy I read it.
Final Scorecard
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐
Worldbuilding/Setting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Emotional Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reread Potential: ⭐⭐⭐
Final Verdict
I definitely recommend The Wolf and the Crown of Blood for the characters, plot, worldbuilding, and the writing. I feel it was still unique even though it shares literary DNA with several books and authors. It still stands on it’s own, and the comparisons were not distracting.
Check it out on Bookshop.org or Libro.fm to help support your local independent bookstore.
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