Thank you to Victory Editing for providing this free advanced reader. The opinions expressed are my own.

Official blurb: A duty-bound prince of flame. A woman shrouded in secrets. And an enemy, deep in the shadows…
When a dark prophecy is stolen from the impenetrable Royal Archives of Emberlyn, Owen Sterling—Prince and Commander of the Ignis Guard—is dispatched with his team to retrieve it. They soon discover the thief is an Obscurem, one of the vicious shadow beasts that have plagued the kingdom for centuries. But how could a creature with such mindless, violent instincts breach their wards?
As they hunt the beast, Owen and his guard stumble upon a woman, battered and left for dead in the wake of an Obscurem attack. She’s secretive and scared, with a sharp tongue, and Owen finds himself drawn to her despite his better judgement. But as the trail to their prey becomes ever more treacherous, they realize that the growing number of Obscurem crossing the Dark Border may not be the only threat to the kingdom…

Robyn Jones’ Beneath the Burning Throne was such a great read! It honestly ticked so many of my favorite boxes: we’ve got a mysterious woman with a hidden past, a reluctant crown prince trying to balance duty and desire, a even more mysterious built kingdom, and some seriously top-tier sexual tension.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I was actually really surprised when the book opened from Owen’s POV first. As a fantasy romance reader, I am so used to diving into a story through the FMC’s perspective, so this was a bit of a curveball. But honestly? It made total sense for this story. Getting inside Owen’s head right off the bat grounded the stakes and made the whole world feel immediately urgent.

One thing I deeply appreciated was Robyn’s writing style. It feels very straightforward, and the plot develops quite fast. It felt like the book didn’t waste any time on overly lengthy descriptions or tedious world-building explanations that drag the pacing down. To be completely transparent, this was a massive win for my neurodivergent brain and my chaotic attention span! It kept me locked in from chapter one without that dreaded mid-book slump.

But beyond the fast-paced plot, what really stole my heart was the emotional core of the book. This story was just as much about the found family trope and being part of a loving, fiercely protective group as it was about hunting a mysterious shadow monster. The camaraderie between the characters added so much warmth to the darker elements of the story.

Admittedly, it wasn’t the most mind-bending or surprising plot I’ve ever read, but that didn’t take away from the experience at all, it was still incredibly. Plus, the romance? Chef’s kiss. Owen and “Dierne” (as he calls her) have such fantastic chemistry and watching their dynamic unfold was a massive highlight.

Overall, I had a blast with this one. I really look forward to reading the second book. HOPEFULLY SOON because I need answers!

4/5 Stars