When I first came across K. F. Breene’s Deliciously Dark Fairytales series, I hadn’t realised I’d stumbled upon my next obsession. I couldn’t stop reading long enough to review each of the books and it wasn’t until the whole series had ended that I was able to collect my thoughts and put them to paper to express what I felt.
When Breene first revealed which one of the characters from the series was going to get a duet series of his own, I was overjoyed because this particular character has had my heart and attention from the first moment he appeared. Long story short, I could not wait to read about Weston, the Wolf Alpha.
If you’ve read the series, then you are well aware of the circumstances, pain and suffering the characters experience in it and A Cage of Crimson will only further delve into and develop on everything we already know, but adding in a fresh perspective and a new set-up. However, Breene promises that this series can be read as a stand-alone and I stand by her statement. You definitely can read this without having read the previous series, but as is always true for every spin-off series, it certainly adds to the experience immensely to read it all together.
When Breene first revealed the basic premise, I knew it was a dark Red-Riding Hood retelling. As a reader who has been anticipating this book for nearly a year, it’s rather typical for me to map out an idea of what to expect or see happen in it. What I found interesting was seeing some of my predictions come true and at the same time, some of the events completely blindsided me. The blurb for the book reveals next to nothing about how deep a rabbit-hole the readers are drawn into and I realised that must have been the intention. It worked, really well.
The plot has many layers to it. There’s one that can immediately be perceived and understood (for the most part) and there’s one that’s more sinister hidden beneath it. Then, there are several sub-plots whose threads are woven into the story as braids of emotional pain, humour and sparking chemistry that keep a firm hold of your attention and heart. The way that Breene executes the narration and unveiling of the plot creates a lot of mystery, intrigue, and emotion in the reader. In her own words, she certainly takes no prisoners and holds every character to their mistake and their virtues.
The blurb suggests that this story is going to pit the main characters against each other, even while they experience a deep-seated yearning within themselves that pulls them towards one another. Breene delivers on that promise with her strong, charming and heart-wrenching writing. I’ve always found Breene’s writing to supersede any wariness I may feel towards any trope or set-up; because she can take the most difficult circumstance and transform it into the perfect stage for her story. I’m infinitely curious to see how she achieves this in this duet given that the book ends at an emotionally charged moment.
I haven’t read Breene’s work outside of this book and its connected series, but from my little experience, her stories are heavily character driven. It’s her characters whose voices, lives, pain and humour draw you in and keep you with them every moment of the way. This is no different. Narrated alternatively by Weston and Aurelia, this delves into the lives and psyches of a Wolf Alpha with power equal to his pain and a small town woman with a horrific present and an equally heartbreaking past. Initially, I wondered why Breene had chosen the structure of a dual perspective for her book, but as I read I realised there was no other way we could possible understand the depth of the struggle and attraction the characters experience for/with one another without being in both their minds.
My favourite thing about the MMC and the FMC is their circumstance and how Breene has executed it. The theme in this book follows the route of “insta-attraction”, a very slippery slope of a trope that’s not easy to wrangle into place. I will agree that it being set in a fantastical land works greatly in its favour; however, how the author sells that storyline is what makes or breaks the connection a reader feels to the characters and the story. Breene found a fantastic way to balance how the primary characters interact in their present and how they learn and share their pasts (both to one another and the readers). I loved watched infallible Weston pit everything he’s built of (and for) himself against both fate and a very strong-headed Aurelia whose filled with more compassion and guts than most.
The secondary characters in Breene’s books hold a special place in all her readers’ hearts and seeing old and new characters that bring much value to A Cage of Crimson was one of my favourite experiences while reading. I remember Breene once shared the reason explaining why her secondary characters have so much personality and I don’t think it’s something I will ever forget. She has truly turned that moment she spoke about that sparked this into a great strength, giving her work and her readers such a vivid and heart-moving experience that can come as close to what one would experience while reading a book with an ensemble cast.
There was a certain point during my read when I broke down into tears, the emotions the author draws out of us sharp and painful. It was at that moment when I noticed how quickly I had progressed into the book. The pace is extremely even and very swift throughout. My advice to you as a reader is to savour every moment; the book will drown you and before you know, it will be over and leave you wanting for more.
This book is a ten on ten for me. I highly recommend it and wish you a very happy reading! Check trigger warnings as always; the author has them listed on her website.
A Cage of Crimson is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 27th 2024.
Will you be picking up A Cage of Crimson? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Of all the people in the world, why her?
It was supposed to be find the drug maker. Find her, and drag her back to the dragons to deal with. She deserves death for what she’s done.
For someone like Weston, the best alpha in the world, the one who shuts people up just by walking in the room, it would’ve been.
Until he learns what she is…
Finding a fated mate is nearly impossible. Very few are able to do it. But the call of their bond is unmistakable. Against all odds, and in the worst situation imaginable, he’s found his true mate. Her.
Worse? If there could be anything worse than a true mate that has brought the world to its knees – she doesn’t seem to realize what she is. Her animal is suppressed. Locked away, leaving her nearly without magic. She doesn’t know what the feeling is, and she doesn’t care. She claims innocence. She thinks he’s the villain in this story, and she aims to kill him before he destroys her.
It doesn’t change his duty. He must bring her in, nature be damned. Regardless of how much it hurts, he’ll resist the sweet taste of her lips and the heaven between her thighs. She must pay for what she’s done.
He just hopes he doesn’t die inside for the part he’s forced to play in the destruction of his true mate.
