The early reviews for Ledger of Souls are in. I owe several readers a box of tissues and at least one toddler an apology. Ledger of Souls is my Slavic dark romantasy and book one of the Bloodrite Chronicles trilogy. ARC readers have spent the last month telling me what they loved, what broke them and which side character they want to adopt. Here is the best of it, unedited, with stars intact.
What is Ledger of Souls? Ledger of Souls by Olena Nikitin is a Slavic dark romantasy and the first book in the Bloodrite Chronicles trilogy, releasing 27 January 2027. Exiled necromancer Vidiana Toraven investigates a murder, finds the stolen Royal Ledger that decides the line of succession and has to work with Prince Zoran Valentian, the man who got her exiled and the other half of their forbidden Bloodrite bond. As of November 2026 it holds a 4.61 star rating on Goodreads from 19 early reviews, with readers praising its competent heroine, slow-burn forbidden romance, murder mystery and devastating ending.
What Early Readers Say About Ledger of Souls
Ledger of Souls sits at 4.61 stars on Goodreads from 19 early reviews. Four of them kept coming up in my head at 3am, so they get the spotlight.
The heroine is the distress
After so much romantasy built around fragile, innocent 18-year-old maidens falling for 800-year-old men, she’s a breath of fresh air. She isn’t the damsel in distress; she’s the distress herself.★★★★★ Tetyana, Tati’s TBR, full review on Goodreads
Vidiana Toraven is a judicial death mage who reads corpses for a living and counts coins for a hobby. She has a job, a roof and a ten-year grudge she keeps polished. One early reader wrote her curses down on her phone in case she ever needs one. I approve of this plan.
Dark fantasy with a forbidden romance and zero fluff
If you’re looking for a fluffy romantasy, look somewhere else. This is a dark fantasy with murder mystery and the most excruciating forbidden romance. […] The romance is WORKED FOR, it’s beautiful, excruciatingly heartbreaking, the yearning and grovelling is EVERYTHING!★★★★★ Silvia, ARC reader on TikTok
The plot comes first. A dead healer, a stolen artefact and a succession crisis drive the story. The slow burn between Vidiana and Zoran runs through every chapter of it. Silvia also called the Slavic mythology an “amazing interweaving” with no info-dump. Perun’s Night, the Temple of Makosh and forbidden Void Walking all earn their place.
The bastard prince falls first
He’s the bastard prince, ridiculously smart, and honestly… a simp in disguise for Vida. He falls first and falls HARD.★★★★ Liliana, The Bookmarked Life, full review on Goodreads
Prince Zoran Valentian chose Vidiana for his Bloodrite bond, then humiliated her in front of the whole court. Ten years later he needs her help. He gets a necromancer who would rather kiss a corpse than trust him. He also gets his own POV, so you watch him try. Repeatedly.
That ending
Ledger of Souls was SO good that I had my toddler looking at me asking, “Mama, are you okay?” because I was SOBBING at the ending.★★★★★ Tawny, @tawnyreadsdarkly, full review on Goodreads
I take no responsibility for the toddler. I take full responsibility for the ending. Book two exists for a reason.
The Side Characters Readers Want More Of
Two names turn up in almost every review. Tomko, the young fae empath Vidiana took under her wing, collected adoption requests from readers. Armin, Zoran’s aegis, collected the rest of the fan mail for being loyal, funny and terrifying in roughly equal measure. Found family runs through Ledger of Souls as much as the forbidden romance does. These two carry a lot of it.
Books Like Ledger of Souls: If You Loved The Jasad Heir, The Foxglove King or Crown Me Dead
If you finished The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem and wanted a heroine hiding forbidden magic with an even sharper tongue, read Ledger of Souls. If The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten hooked you with necromancy and court politics, Vidiana works with the dead for a living. If Crown Me Dead by Liv Zander gave you a taste for dark fantasy romance with real yearning, Zoran has ten years of it banked.
Ledger of Souls fits readers searching for Slavic fantasy romance, dark romantasy with a murder mystery, forbidden bond romance, enemies to lovers fantasy with a competent adult heroine, necromancer romance, he falls first romantasy and new fantasy romance releases in 2027.
Is Ledger of Souls for You? An Honest Answer
Read it if you want plot first, a heroine who can fix her own problems, a prince who yearns in full sentences and Slavic mythology you will not find in every other romantasy. Read it if you like dual POV and a story that jumps between past and present.
Skip it if you want fluff. The early reviews agree on two warnings. The world-building lands thick in the first half, so use the glossary at the back. The ending will hurt. Several readers said so in capital letters.
Pre-Order Ledger of Souls: Every Edition
Ledger of Souls releases on 27 January 2027 and every edition is open for pre-order on one page:
- eBook: on Amazon or direct from my shop
- Paperback: at Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Bookshop.org and Books-A-Million
- Special edition paperback with sprayed edges: direct from my shop
- Special edition hardback: coming soon
Want the whole trilogy at a glance? The Bloodrite Chronicles series page has the world, the tropes and the characters.
Need Something to Read While You Wait?
Start with Bloodrite Queen, the prequel to Ledger of Souls. It is free when you join the newsletter, where Ledger of Souls snippets, art and release day chaos land first.
Get Bloodrite Queen FreeLedger of Souls FAQ
Is Ledger of Souls a standalone?
No. Ledger of Souls is book one of the Bloodrite Chronicles trilogy. Early readers describe the ending as emotional and open. The story continues in book two.
When does Ledger of Souls come out and in which formats?
Ledger of Souls releases on 27 January 2027. You can pre-order the eBook on Amazon or direct from the author, the paperback at Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Bookshop.org and Books-A-Million. The special edition paperback with sprayed edges comes from the author’s shop. A special edition hardback is coming soon.
What books are like Ledger of Souls?
Readers of The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem, The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten and Crown Me Dead by Liv Zander will find a similar mix of forbidden magic, court politics and dark romance. Ledger of Souls adds Slavic mythology, a necromancer heroine, a murder mystery and a bastard prince who falls first.
Is Ledger of Souls more romance or more fantasy?
Ledger of Souls is a dark romantasy that puts plot first. A murder investigation and a succession crisis drive the story, while the slow-burn forbidden romance between Vidiana Toraven and Prince Zoran Valentian runs through every chapter.
Ledger of Souls at a Glance
- Title
- Ledger of Souls
- Author
- Olena Nikitin
- Series
- Bloodrite Chronicles, book one of a trilogy
- Genre
- Slavic dark romantasy, dark fantasy romance with a murder mystery
- Tropes
- Forbidden bond, enemies to lovers, he falls first, forced proximity, second chance, slow burn, murder mystery, political intrigue, necromancer heroine, bastard prince
- Point of view
- Dual POV, past and present timelines
- For fans of
- The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem, The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten, Crown Me Dead by Liv Zander
- Content notes
- Murder, corpses and forensic scenes, blood magic, violence, political torture
- Release date
- 27 January 2027
- Formats
- eBook, paperback, special edition paperback with sprayed edges, special edition hardback coming soon
Thank you to every ARC reader who cried, cursed and still wrote a review. See you in the Borderlands.
Olena
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