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Cover of Smoke and Scar

Smoke and Scar

by Gretchen Powell Fox

🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate·spoiler·Shattered Crown #1
Available on Kindle Unlimited

Why Read This?

You'll get a satisfying enemies-to-lovers arc with high-stakes action that leaves you desperate for the next book.

Synopsis

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire. A Splintered Kingdom An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace. A Haunted Warrior Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate. A Vengeful Knight Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths. An Unwinnable Challenge With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other. This is the Arcane Crucible.

At a Glance

4.06 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate
Endingspoiler
PairingM/F
Romance Pacingslow burn

Top Tropes

forced proximityhidden identityadventure romance

Mood

angstyintensedarksuspensefulromantic

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

4.06 ★

Page Count

466 pages

Published

2025

Primary Genre

Romantasy

Pairing

M/F

POV

Dual POV

Romance Pacing

Slow Burn

Cliffhanger

spoiler

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Standard

Narrator

Dan Calley|

Narrator Count

Dual

Narration Style

Dual

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

sign in to see all 6 tropes

Mood & Vibe

Mood

sign in to see writing style, pacing & more

Characters

FMC: athletic / warrior sign in to unlock

Spice Details 🌶️

intense / passionate sign in to unlock

deathgoregraphic violencetorturetraumaviolencebloodcaptivitywar

World & Setting

high fantasy sign in to unlock

Reading Context

tension finally satisfied sign in to unlock

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