If there’s one thing I love in a fantasy romance, it’s tension, mystery, and a story that doesn’t hand me all the answers right away—and this series delivered all of that and more.
Both The Path of Blood & Betrayals and The Crown of Shadows & Distrust by E. D. Crowe are 5☕️ reads for me, and I absolutely flew through them.
🩸 The Path of Blood & Betrayals
This book pulled me in immediately. The prologue gave just enough information to hook me without giving anything away—and that set the tone for the entire story.
Crowe does this thing where she feeds you small pieces of information just enough to make you think you understand what’s going on… and then proves you wrong. I LOVE that.
We follow Max, a blood witch who has lived a lonely, unaccepted life within a coven that never truly embraced her, and Kaden, a cursed dark fae with a brutal reputation and a beast lurking beneath the surface.
When they meet at a peace summit, the attraction is immediate—but confusing, tense, and very much fought against.
And when Max finally gives in?
Yeah… Kaden absolutely wrecks her.
(For “her safety,” of course. Sure, sir. 🙄)
💭 My Thoughts
This book had me on an emotional roller coaster:
- Loving characters → then questioning them → then wanting to shake them
- Constant tension and uncertainty
- Never fully knowing who to trust
Kaden? Still don’t fully understand him.
Max? Strong, resilient… and occasionally made me want to lovingly yell at her.
Side characters:
- Fee & Reid → obsessed, no notes
- Taylay & his coven → immediate dislike, zero regrets
What really stood out was the intrigue and pacing. Even without that all-consuming emotional gut punch, the story itself kept me completely locked in.
I finished this and immediately picked up book two.
👑 The Crown of Shadows & Distrust
And somehow… the intrigue just kept building.
Again, Crowe holds back just enough that you’re constantly questioning:
- What is Kaden actually doing?
- What is Max’s true destiny?
- Who—or what—is this mysterious “her” that keeps being hinted at?
This book also delivered a plot twist I did not see coming at all.
💭 My Thoughts
The same addictive elements carried through:
- Slow reveals
- Tension that never lets up
- Characters that keep you guessing
BUT:
- I wanted to shake Kaden for not communicating
- I wanted to shake Max for not trusting him
(even though I ALSO didn’t trust him… make it make sense 😂)
We also get:
- A deeper look into the dark fae world
- Kaden’s past and his monstrous father
- More about the curse and prophecy
And I loved seeing Max start to step into her power more confidently.
This one had a bit more emotional weight and a little more spice—but it’s still very much plot-driven fantasy first, romance second.
🌶️ Smutometer Rating
Level 3–4
(Medium spice with strong plot—my sweet spot, honestly 👀)
✍️ Quick Note on Editing
One thing I will say—there were quite a few typos and some grammar issues that occasionally pulled me out of the story. It didn’t stop me from devouring both books, but it’s worth mentioning.
💚 Final Thoughts
If you love:
- Morally grey (and confusing 👀) MMCs
- Strong but stubborn FMCs
- Slow reveals and layered plots
- Tension, betrayal, and “wait… what is actually happening right now?” energy
You’ll eat this up.
And I will absolutely be picking up book three the second it’s out.