Review: A Crown of Rime and Ashes by Gemma Pettinato

May 29, 2026

Synopsis:

He claimed me to save me. Now he must marry another to keep me alive.

I was bought from the dungeons to be sacrificed—until the Crown Prince of the Dark Court made me his. Now I wear his colors, fight at his side… and love him more than I should.

When the King forces him to swear an oath to wed another, I’m cast from his bed and left to watch him woo a rival who wants me dead. I should run. But the Dark Court is a nest of vipers, and leaving means losing him forever.

If I stay, I must survive treachery, deadly politics, and a collared god of nightmares who watches me with hunger in his eyes.
The Dark Court will break me—or I will burn it to the ground.

Review:

It took me a little while to settle back into the story, and a smoother transition linking the previous events to the current situation would have helped me feel more grounded.

After the journey of the first book, we arrive at court, where the king’s harsh and controlling rule quickly becomes clear. It is unsettling to see how this affects everyone around him, especially how easily people at court accept and even reflect his behaviour. When he decides to marry off the prince to someone else – simply because he can – it has an obvious impact on the central relationship, shaping their interactions and creating tension. Everyone seems to be scheming, each trying to escape their own difficult circumstances.

What I struggled with most was the dynamic between the main characters. I found it hard to fully understand how he could treat her the way he does while clearly having feelings for her. Their relationship often felt unbalanced, with her repeatedly bearing the consequences. There are moments where they open up, show unity, and act as equals, but these often shift again quite quickly.
In my view, this instalment is noticeably stronger than the first. Do their nicknames still feel a bit uncomfortable to me? Yes, and that did not completely change, although I did grow somewhat used to it.

Will this become one of my favourite series? Probably not. I don’t fully connect with the overall story, which ultimately comes down to personal taste. Still, I see it as a valuable experience in refining my reading preferences going forward.

🌙 Recension: A Crown of Rime and Ashes (The Witch and the One King #2) by Gemma Pettinato
📚 Genre: Dark Romantasy
📅 Release Date: February 28, 2026
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 416
⭐️ 3.5/5