Title: A Steep and Savage PathAuthor: J.J.A. Harwood
Pages: 384
Publication Date: Dec. 30, 2025
Publisher: Magpie
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
From the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE THORNS REMAIN comes an enemies-to-lovers journey to the underworld unlike any other, for fans of THE CRIMSON MOTH and THE CRUEL PRINCE
An immortal vampire. A mortal bride. A vow that even death can’t break.
Irina is about to be married to a dead man. She is the willing village sacrifice for the Wedding of the a desperate ritual designed to lay the hungry vampire that has been terrorising her Transylvanian village to rest. Irina’s beloved sister’s soul is trapped in the land of the dead. If Irina can retrieve it, she could bring her back – but Irina would need a guide, one who can walk between the living and the dead.
Irina strikes up a deal with her new husband – if he agrees to get her safely there and back again, then he can drink her blood as much as he wants.
They begin a perilous journey through the afterlife together, in which Irina realises Stefan isn’t the cruel and terrifying monster that she thought. In a land of three-headed beasts, winged creatures and walking corpses, the last thing Irina would have expected was to fall in love.
Only, Irina learns that by bringing Stefan to the land of the dead she has put him in grave danger, and will be faced with an impossible choice. Will they be able to make it out, undead or alive?
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
A Steep and Savage Path has such an interesting premise. It begins with Irina, the protagonist, marrying a vampire named Stefan so she can travel to the underworld and bring back her sister’s soul. She and Stefan have a difficult journey as they traverse this wholly new and dangerous world in search of Irina’s younger sibling.
Irina is a brave and determined protagonist. She is pretty fierce, and she loves deeply. I enjoyed her sharp wit and how discerning she is. I loved Stefan too, even more so as we learn more about him and his heartbreaking backstory. The banter between Irina and Stefan is fantastic! Ever aware, Irina sees the good underneath the monster. And Stefan is menacing when he needs to be, but there’s so much more to him, which Irina helps him see. They had a unique enemies to reluctant partners to lovers relationship that was so lovely. There are even some laugh-out-loud moments between them that were just perfect, especially because they contrast all the tension and danger surrounding them.
At its core, this is a story about sisterly love and the lengths we are willing to go for those we love. It’s about ignorance and the effects of abuse, ambivalence, and complicity. There are some powerful messages and thought-provoking plot points that added so much depth to the story. For me though, there was a bit too much religion. I’m not a religious person, and often when books delve into religion, I lose interest. Also, there’s one plot point that I didn’t overly enjoy. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
‘I could snap your neck right—’ Irina waved it away. ‘Yes, yes, you’re very scary.’
- Forced proximity
- Portal fantasy
- Vampire/human
- Enemies to lovers
- Only one bed
- That’s my wife
JJA Harwood is an author, editor and blogger. She grew up in Norfolk, read History at the University of Warwick and eventually found her way to London, which is still something of a shock for somebody used to so many fields.
When not writing, she can be found learning languages, cooking with more enthusiasm than skill, wandering off into clearly haunted houses and making friends with stray cats. THE SHADOW IN THE GLASS is her debut novel.
