If you love your romance tangled up in political schemes, and just a dash of supernatural danger, this book should absolutely be on your TBR. ~ Under the Covers

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A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake is a gritty prison break romantasy where trust is a weapon, and your cellmate might just be your fated mate. This one is tailor-made for fans of morally gray vampires, slow-burn tension, and witch-vampire animosity that smolders until it combusts. And yes, you’ll scream at the last page.

Prefer to listen? Hit play on our A Bargain So Bloody book club discussion below:

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What Is A Bargain So Bloody All About?

Samara, a young witch, is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit in the magical prison Castle Greymere, a brutal place where the promise of release is a lie and survival is not guaranteed. With her freedom stripped and her hope of getting out crumbling, Samara makes a deal with Raphael: a vampire, a sworn enemy of witches, and easily the most dangerous prisoner in the castle. If she frees him from his enchanted shackles, he’ll help her escape.

But Raphael isn’t just any vampire. He’s powerful, secretive, and seems a little too interested in Samara. And while he agrees to help her leave the prison, he never promises to let her go. Their uneasy alliance begins with distrust and tension but slowly shifts into something much more dangerous, for both of them.

As they navigate betrayals, ancient grudges, and the truths Samara was never supposed to learn, their connection deepens. The lines between enemies and lovers blur in a story packed with slow-burn tension, a gritty and unique magic system, and the kind of political worldbuilding that promises even more in the sequel.

Does A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake deliver on dark fantasy romance?

Oh yes. And then some. A Bargain So Bloody does the thing we crave but rarely get anymore: a romantasy that actually commits to its worldbuilding without skimping on the emotional tension.

Samara is naive at first, almost too naive for someone who’s spent years in a torturous magical prison. That raised some eyebrows during our book club chat. But her arc makes sense when you remember she’s been kept ignorant on purpose. Her journey into power (and truth) is one of the book’s most satisfying threads and the one we’re most looking forward to in the next book. As for Raphael? This is your man if you like possessive, very alpha, scheming vampires who are 100% hiding something.

The prison setting is a bit overused in the genre, but the magic system is refreshingly original. Bonus points for avoiding the dreaded info dump. It keeps you hungry for more, especially with how the book ends (yes, there’s a cliffhanger, and yes, we’re still mad about it).

One minor thing to note? The spice is low in this one. So if you’re here for the steam, temper your expectations. But if you want a layered romantasy with bite, A Bargain So Bloody gets the job done.

Book Club Chat: Why Did This Work So Well?

We had a lot to say in our chat with long-time Under the Covers contributors Jen and Angela. The consensus? This shouldn’t work as well as it does. A vampire-witch forbidden romance in a prison escape plot feels like a recipe for trope soup, and yet it slaps. We all agreed the slow-burn dynamic between Samara and Raphael hit just right, especially Raphael’s alpha tendencies and “do everything for her behind the scenes” energy.

Angela loved the alpha energy and emotionally guarded heroine, even if Samara’s ignorance about basic things raised questions, as did her prejudices. Jen pointed out how the naive heroine trend is making a comeback, especially to balance experienced, dangerous heroes like Raphael. Francesca noted that the plot and worldbuilding were what elevated this beyond your average romantasy fluff.

We also loved the comparison to Carissa Broadbent’s Nyaxia series and Clare Sager’s Kiss of Iron (with vampires instead of fae). And the theory that Raphael got himself imprisoned just to meet Samara? That’s our book club’s official headcanon now. If that gets confirmed in Book 2, we’ll be insufferable.

And speaking of the ending, we break down A Bargain So Bloody ending explained if you missed anything and want to revisit. Full warning, spoilers ahead!

Final Thoughts on A Bargain So Bloody

A Bargain So Bloody isn’t trying to reinvent the romantasy wheel, and it doesn’t need to. What it offers instead is a dark, angsty, plot-driven escape filled with tension, secrets, and that addictive will-they-won’t-they energy. Samara and Raphael’s chemistry works because it’s rooted in mistrust, fear, and the kind of forced proximity that breeds real conflict.

If you love your romance tangled up in political schemes, and just a dash of supernatural danger, this book should absolutely be on your TBR. We can’t wait to read Book 2 the second it’s available. And loudly recommending this one in the meantime.

But now it’s your turn! Have you read the book? What did you think of it and are you all in with the paranormal alpha making a comeback?

In the meantime, if you want even more book recommendations, check out all our fantasy romance books to stack your TBR even longer. And if you hate cliffhangers, maybe try diving into these completed romantasy trilogies you can binge right now.

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