In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, seventeen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before… Among rumors of monsters stalking the streets and the rival guilds grappling for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic and must face a deadly choice—forgiveness or vengeance? Kiss or kill? Dagger or Flame?

Every year when fall comes around, I tend to transform my space. Candlelight floods my apartment and my couch disappears beneath a pile of blankets and throw pillows. The change in scenery begs a new universe to lose myself in, and fantasy books start calling out to me. This fall, that book is Catherine Doyle’s The Dagger and the Flame. An intense and atmospheric read, it also features the best slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance I’ve read in a long time.

Upon opening the pages of The Dagger and the Flame, we enter the kingdom of Fantome. Cobblestone streets underfoot and oil lamps lighting the city, we meet our main characters: members of rivaling factions, Seraphine and Ransom.

Seraphine is on the run, and Ransom has been tasked with killing her. As the two play a game of cat-and-mouse, their relationship takes shape into something that neither of them could have seen coming. Trouble extends far beyond their chase, though, as monsters stalk the city and the competing factions fight for control of Fantome’s darkest secrets. As they weave in and out of each other’s lives, Seraphine and Ransom realize that danger—and love—are far more unwieldy than magic alone.

Doyle has crafted a perfectly immersive fantasy world with a plot that never loses its momentum and characters that will steal your heart. Fantome is the perfect place to spend crisp fall nights under a pile of blankets. So, I implore you—light a candle, open up The Dagger and the Flame, and lose yourself in these magical pages.