Smoke and Scar
“With epic trials, powerful world-building, a badass older heroine with wings, and an MMC with pure Disney Prince energy, Smoke and Scar crackles with magic and heart. A fast-paced and fun romantasy read!” —Briar Boleyn, New York Times bestselling author of On Wings of Blood
An epic fantasy romance where enemies-to-lovers must brave the deadly trials of the Arcane Crucible, facing dark magic and impossible odds that could shape the fate of their world forever.
For centuries, humans and the magical races of Arcanis have been locked in conflict. The Arcane Crucible, a deadly trial held every twenty-five years, offers a glimmer of hope for peace—but at a steep cost.
Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, has been living in the shadow of her past. After losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, she has sworn to protect his sister from meeting the same end. To keep her promise, Elyria must find the strength to face the chaos she thought she left behind.
Cedric Thorne, hardened by grief and driven by vengeance, has devoted his life to conquering the Crucible on humanity’s behalf. To win, he’ll have to rely on the one person he despises most: Elyria, the fae warrior he blames for his parents’ deaths.
Thrown together by circumstance, Elyria and Cedric must endure brutal trials that test their strength, spirit, and power. Fragile alliances, shifting loyalties, and growing feelings between them threaten to tip the scales of fate.
Smoke and Scar is the gripping first installment in the Shattered Crown Trilogy, a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy filled with high stakes, dark magic, breathtaking world-building, and unforgettable characters. Perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, Throne of Glass, and Trial of the Sun Queen.
Will Elyria and Cedric survive the trials…or destroy each other along the way?
“An addictive ride that will have you racing through pages of brilliant world-building and angsty tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat. With captivating lore and a delicious slow burn, Smoke and Scar will fulfill your epic romantasy cravings in the most satisfying way.”—Melissa K. Roehrich, bestselling author of Rain of Shadows and Endings and Lady of Darkness
- Pages
- 496
- First published
- September 22, 25
- Language
- English
- Edition
- ISBN
- 9798347116072
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Shelved by 11 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished February 2, 2026
SHADOW MOMMY FAE WARRIOR FRTC but what more do you need add this to your tbr rn ... She's the 400-something fae warrior and he's the human who needs saving Honestly I love a man in desperate need of a woman, 5 stars for that alone! *enemies to lovers *dual POV *deadly trials *elemental magic *queer rep *forced proximity *found family *slow burn *WHO DID THIS TO YOU? Overall a super intriguing world and satisfying start to this romantasy trilogy! I loved the elemental magic and trials & I'm excited to read book 2 and 3! I see the audiobook is duet narration (which is my favorite!) so I'll definitely be checking that out to continue this series! Thanks to Scarlett Press for the eARC
Finished May 14, 2026
“The dagger he’s just used to pierce his own heart. He might as well have thrust it right into mine. I wish time had frozen.” ~ I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book but I’m so glad I finally read it because I am in love! I always love a fantasy book with a set of trials or challenges but the crucible took that to another level. Trials where no one has ever got out of them alive before 👀 sign me up. Elyria and Cedric were such amazing characters and seeing them both slowly start to change their minds and open up to the fact that neither or their peoples are inherently good or evil. 200+ shadow wielding fae warrior and it’s her! Ugh she really is that girl and I am obsessed with her. Not to mention all of the commissioned art for this series that is seriously the most stunning art I’ve ever seen. There were some things I seen coming and some things that took me completely by surprise but I loved every single second of this book and THAT ENDING! I can’t wait to see what happens next. (I am indeed already halfway through the next book) 🤭
Finished February 22, 2026
Finished May 31, 2026
This was a disappointing read for me. I've only heard good things and while not horribly written, I just didn't feel connected to the main characters at all. Cedric and Elyria felt forced. The author was telling me that they had this unbelievable chemistry instead of showing it. I enjoyed the side characters a lot and felt more concern for their wellbeing than the main pair. It's a somewhat interesting story but when I realised there would be trials involved, I was deflated. It's such an overdone trope and I don't feel like this book came with a fresh take on it. Nonetheless, it was an okay read and a decent way to pass the time. I've heard others say book 2 is better so I may consider reading on.
Finished February 25, 2025 · Read 4 times
Original review: 100⭐️ 5 is not enough!!! I am internally screaming, I am externally screaming, wow. I was NOT expecting that. This book had me feeling all the feels and I am not mad about it (okay maybe a little mad about one part but this is a spoiler free review). Imagine faery Hunger Games mixed with Throne of Glass vibes and throw in a good-humoured but foul-mouthed dwarf for good measure. Then add a prophecy, a purple haired shadow mommy and sprinkle in a healthy dose of betrayal, then you're getting close to this masterpiece! Elyria, Cedric, Thraigg and Zephyr will be living rent free in my brain for the foreseeable future. Go read this book. (Edit 26/6: they still are living rent free in my brain to this day) Top quotes: "Not the cider, you fools" - Elyria Lightbreaker "Well, fuck me right over the Chasm" "Honestly, Thraigg. It is first thing in the morning. Is that sort of language necessary?" - Thraigg Ironfist and Sir Grumpypants "Gaia's tits" - Thraigg Ironfist Second read updated review (2): Upon reading this for the second time, I found I noticed so many small little Easter eggs and hints which I missed or glossed over the first time, but even though I knew how it ended in the second read, it didn’t make the reveals and events any less impactful Audio review (3): The narrators did an absolutely incredible job, I loved all the different accents for each character and how both narrators were able to reproduce the same accents for each! Dan Calley and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker absolutely blew the audio out of the water and some of my favourite scenes just hit different when being read aloud (I may have cried a few times) Some more fav quotes: “I am Elyria Lightbreaker. The Revenant. And I may have been left broken, but I am not so easily shattered” “And amidst those shimmering threads of light, one glowed golden” “You were like a living aurora” - Kit Ravenswing “I got it straight from the source” - The Revenant “Hi. Hello. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight.” - Elyria Lightbreaker “Do as I say, not as I do” - Tenebris Nox “One simple truth, if you believe nothing else in this world, Elyria Lightbreaker, trust what I say next. You are the only one I would trust to do it.” - Cedric Thorne “He’s not a pyre. He’s a hearth. He is home. And he is mine.” Trad release update: Thank you to NetGalley for a free review copy! This book is my absolute favourite so when I saw it was being traditionally published by Scarlett Press I just had to get my paws on a copy! The story is almost entirely the same just some minor upgrades to formatting and some small changes to the interior 🫶🏼 I love the new chapter header art and the map!!! Elyria remains my favourite character ever, followed closely by Thraigg. The bonus content at the end is a wonderful addition, I love the Q&A part and the bonus chapters (one of which was actually requested by me, as a patreon birthday reward, so I am absolutely gassed to see it in print!!!) Dates read: • First read (ARC): Feb 22 - Feb 25 2025 • Second read: June 18 - June 26 2025 • Third read (ALC): Aug 25 - Aug 29 2025 • Fourth read: Jan 5 - Jan 8 2026 • Fifth read (NetGalley ARC): March 11 - March 12 2026