Incidents Around the House, by Josh Malerman | Free Audiobook
27 July 2026
Vows of Blood and Deception (The Hirathean Path, Book 2), by Aria Ashbrook | Free Audiobook
27 July 2026
Audiobook details
Stripped of her magic, she still refuses to lose
Rose's family had a place at Court once, until Prince Kyor twisted the truth about his own mother's death and let Rose's family take the blame. Their magic was stripped away, their name ruined, and what followed was years scraping by in the slums while everything they used to be slipped further out of reach. Now her parents are gone, her younger sister is fading, and Rose has exactly one option left.
The Tournament of the Gifting happens once a century, and the winner receives a blessing directly from the goddess of life, powerful enough to undo what was taken from her family. The catch is that every other competitor already has the magic Rose was robbed of, and one of them is Kyor himself, who has no intention of letting her walk away with a win that could expose him.
Forced into close quarters with the very man who destroyed her family, Rose has to decide how far she is willing to bend, and to whom, to survive trials built to break competitors long before the final round. What starts as pure hatred does not stay simple for long, and neither does Rose's understanding of what winning would actually cost her.
Romantasy has a crowded shelf right now, and it takes something specific to stand out in it. Nineteen hours later, I can say the tournament structure here is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, and it works.
Rose is an easy heroine to root for precisely because the book does not oversell her. She has no magic, no advantage, and no safety net, and Aria Ashbrook keeps that disadvantage present in every trial rather than letting Rose suddenly discover a convenient power halfway through. Her stubbornness carries the story more than any twist does.
Kyor is the trickier character to sell, and mostly he lands. The book gives him real reasons for the choices that ruined Rose's family without excusing them, and the enemies-to-lovers tension stays uncomfortable in a way that feels intentional rather than accidental.
The Tournament of the Gifting itself is where the pacing shines. Each trial escalates the stakes without repeating the same beat twice, and the political maneuvering happening around the arena adds pressure even in the quieter chapters between rounds.
This is the first book in a planned series, and it ends on enough resolved ground to feel satisfying while clearly setting up more to come.
On the narration: Amanda Leigh Cobb and Anthony Palmini split the dual perspective cleanly, with Palmini giving Kyor a controlled, simmering quality that suits a character constantly weighing what to reveal. Cobb's read of Rose stays grounded even in the tournament's most chaotic sequences, and across all nineteen hours, the pacing between the two narrators never feels mismatched.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook is an immersive listen that follows Rose, stripped of her family's magic after a royal lie, as she enters a deadly century-spanning tournament to win back everything her family lost, alongside the very prince responsible for taking it.
Take advantage of the free trial, cancellable at any time, and let Amanda Leigh Cobb and Anthony Palmini guide you through all 19 h 22 min of this fantasy romance. Their dual narration keeps the tension between Rose and Kyor sharp throughout, while giving the tournament's escalating trials real momentum.
The audiobook remains yours forever, even after the trial ends. The free trial also gives you access to thousands of other titles, with no commitment. Start listening now.
More BookTok Audiobooks
US-based editor & staff writer focused on audiobooks. Honest reviews, curated “best of” lists, and practical guides with an accessibility lens.
