Title: A Bargain So BloodyAuthor: Vasilisa Drake
Series: Kingdom of Dark Magic #1
Pages: 498
Publication Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Publisher: Scarlett Press
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
She’s trapped in a magical prison. To break out, she’ll make a deal with the most dangerous prisoner of them all.
Sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit, Samara is bullied by guards and tormented by the screams of her fellow prisoners. She’s resigned herself to enduring her fifteen-year term… until she learns that the freedom she's been promised is the cruelest lie of all.
Now she's faced with a choice: resign herself to dying in the cold walls of Castle Greymere, or do the unthinkable and escape. But no one leaves Greymere alive. So to break out of the prison? She’ll have to use one of the undead.
Raphael is the worst kind of a vampire with a thirst for blood, the mortal enemy of witches, the same breed that killed her mother. And most importantly, he’s unspeakably powerful, his supernatural strength tamed only by the enchanted cuffs forced on him.
He’s her only chance at a life outside the prison walls.
The deal is Samara unlocks his shackles, and he'll help her escape. But although Raphael agreed to help her leave Greymere, he never promised to let her go…
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I’ve read dozens of vampire romances, and I never grow tired of them. A Bargain So Bloody reminded me why I enjoy them so much. It’s a unique romantasy with a swoon-worthy, slow-building romance and fantastic world-building. The story follows Samara, a young woman who has been imprisoned for most of her life. When she finds out that her 15-year sentence is a lie, she makes a deal with a vampire, one of the very beings she hates, to escape the prison and work together while they flee.
The world-building is vivid and immersive, and it was easy to visualize from the start. The prison is stark and dangerous and sets the tone for much of the story. Secrets, danger, lies, and more plague the main characters, and nothing is as it seems. Unfortunately, even after they escape, the danger never lets up. Samara is thrust into a new environment and faces more danger than ever. All of it is so engrossing, the magic system and supernatural beings were unique and intriguing, and one dark and enigmatic character in particular stood out.
Raphael is everything I love in a romantasy MMC. Powerful, intelligent, and charismatic, he’s also pretty morally grey. Samara quickly realizes there’s much more to him than he shows to the world, and I think she learns a lot about who the real monsters are. Samara has had a traumatic and horrific life, so it’s not surprising that she’s got such a hard shell and so many incorrect preconceptions. She’s spent most of her life in prison trying to avoid the harsh realities of her world. She is slow to trust, suspicious, and kind of judgmental (about vampires, in particular). I liked seeing her slowly lower her guard. I also like how we learned about both characters’ pasts as the story progressed. There were a couple of interesting reveals about both of them!
The romance is, no shock here, my favorite part of the story. Samara and Raphael have a ton of chemistry, and their banter is great. I love the way he quietly shows how he feels about her, and the whole “touch her and die” vibes are super swoon-worthy. I’m curious about another potential love story with a couple of the secondary characters, too, and am hoping that that might develop as the series continues.
With an interesting plot, great characters and world-building, and a major cliffhanger ending, A Bargain So Bloody has me salivating for the next book! I can’t wait to see where Samara and Raphael’s story goes.
- only one horse
- he falls first
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- touch her and die
There’s no bravery without fear. No courage is born untested.
“Mine,” he snarled.
Vasilisa Drake is based in New England and is constantly bouncing from city to city while she tries to find her home amidst overpriced rental apartments. Forsaken Mate is Vasilisa Drake’s debut, though she’s written contemporary romance under another name for several years. Fantasy romance is her first love, closely followed by pet dragons and men who are obsessed with their women. She can be found staying up way too late reading, organizing her bookshelf for the millionth time, and winning the imaginary arguments in her head at least 30% of the time.
