The Best Secrets Are The Ones Hiding In Plain Sight.

Dark forest of tall trees with bare branches and a ground covered in grass and fallen leaves.

She's hiding a secret the king would kill her for. The prince can't stop looking at her, and he sees more than he should.

A romantasy of masked rebellion, deadly trials in a sealed forest, and a forbidden love neither of them can afford. With a twist that will send you back to page one.

Book One of the Costbound Series, available now!

The Cost of Blood and Bonds

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Check out the first four chapters free!

For readers who love

Powerless, Throne of Glass, and From Blood and Ash, with the deadly trials of Fourth Wing and the dark court intrigue of A Court of Thorns and Roses.

A slow burn, forbidden adult romantasy with a masked heroine hiding who she really is, a morally grey prince who falls first, a love triangle that hurts, elemental magic, shifters, and a rebellion against a corrupt king.

Book cover titled 'The Cost of Blood and Bonds' by Gracie S. Cole with a dark background, floral accents, glowing lights, and a decorative metallic mask.

What are readers saying?

  • I was hooked on The Cost of Blood and Bonds from the very beginning. It throws you straight into the action, and from there I became completely immersed in the world, the characters, and the relationships developing between them. One of my favorite things is the balance between the darker, high-stakes elements and the warmth of the friendships and found-family dynamics. The characters feel distinct and genuinely connected, and there are so many layers of tension, mystery, moral conflict, and little moments that had me forming theories about where everything might be headed. And THE BURN. 🔥 The tension and buildup were relentless in the best possible way. It just kept simmering and simmering until the spice finally hit, and those scenes absolutely delivered. 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵 All that buildup was worth it! The worldbuilding is vivid without overshadowing the characters, and I loved how much is happening beneath the surface. There were moments that made me laugh, moments that gave me chills, and others that had my villain radar going absolutely haywire. 😂 By the time I reached the end, I was completely invested and absolutely NOT ready to leave these characters behind. I NEED MORE. Like...now, please. 😂📚

    -Niki
    @moonlit.muse574

  • "I f***ing loved it! From the jump the pacing was 10/10, the spice was 10/10, the banter between the FMC and MMC were 10/10, it was easy to follow easy to understand!"

    -Stew
    @stew.is.booked

  • “Fierce, romantic, and utterly consuming. The Cost of Blood and Bonds pairs a dangerous, slow-burn romance with a kingdom built on shadows and secrets. A captivating new obsession for romantasy lovers.”

    -Sabrina

    @sabrinas.book.corner

  • “This was such a captivating romantasy read with plenty of magic, romance, and action! The perfect book when you’re looking for something intriguing and immersive.”

    -Tashia
    @tashiareads

  • “If you’re looking for the next best romantasy book look no further than The Cost of Blood and Bonds. Gracie S Cole has breathed new life into the genre. Hidden identities, magical trials, forbidden love, and love triangles done right. I couldn’t put this book down and you won’t either! Get ready for an adventure filled with secrets and heartbreak!”

    -Gracey
    @geekygracey

  • “I absolutely can’t wait for the next book! You have a reader for life in me lol…for whatever you write 😁 I was hooked from the first chapter and I can not wait to see what happens throughout the rest of the series…next book I’m taking vacation from work so I can just read it 😂”

    @tattdcntrygirl

  • “Gemma and Ryewood’s chemistry is absolutely electric! Their banter, forbidden romance, and slow-building tension had me completely hooked. The romance and the spice felt so beautifully earned, while the mysteries surrounding the characters kept me desperate for answers. There were moments that broke my heart, moments that made me swoon, and a reveal that genuinely blew my mind. That ending left me needing more!”

    -Robbie
    @robbie.reads.books

  • “The world building was done beautifully. The FMC (Gemma) was everything you could ever hope for, strong, smart, protective, and a complete badass. Our MMC Ryewood, wow, the way he fell so hard for the Gemma(FMC) at first sight was riveting. Their chemistry and banter was amazing! The side characters were absolutely lovable and added to the story’s depth. The Plot twist at the end was Brilliant, I never saw it coming! 5 star read! What a phenomenal Book 1 to this Romantasy series! I excitedly await Book 2!”

    @jkatstmar

  • This was a 6 star read for me!🖤 I loved the mix of the rebellion, the trials looming, the magic, all of the secrets and of course the romance😫 Gemma was such a strong FMC and I absolutely loved her chemistry with Ryewood. The other characters added so much to the story too I absolutely loved the multiple POV’s and I loved how there were constantly new secrets and reveals that kept me wanting to know more. This was such an entertaining read and definitely kept me hooked all the way through! And I can’t wait to read the next book too! If you are looking for a sign to read it you should listen to me when I say this is gonna be your next 6 star read

    @theghostgirlreads

  • “Magical, fast-paced, and spicy! Loved it!”

    -Mandy
    @mandysmagicallibrary

  • The romantic tension, the political intrigue, the uncertainty regarding magic, and the forbidden romance were absolutely BREATHTAKING throughout this entire book. If you are looking for your next Romantasy read, look no further. This is absolutely a must read, and I need to know what happens next!

    - Alana
    @alana.m.madison

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved this book! This dark romantasy completely pulled me in, and I was invested from beginning to end. The FMC was one of my favorite parts. She is strong, determined, and absolutely refuses to let everything she’s been through break her. I loved watching her strength come through, and she was so easy to root for. And then… THAT TWIST. 😳 I genuinely did NOT see it coming! The ending had me staring at the book like, excuse me?! 😂 I love when a book can actually surprise me, and this one absolutely delivered. The darkness, tension, relationships, and fantasy elements made this such an addictive read. And now I’m sitting here wondering how I’m supposed to wait for the rest of the series because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. 😭 If you’re a fan of dark romantasy, strong FMCs, tension, complicated bonds, and twists that leave you questioning everything, definitely put this one on your TBR!

    -Stephanie
    @stephaniebooks_blooms

  • This was an amazing first book of this series! I will definitely be reading the next book when it’s released. This first book is multi-POV, which made sense for this book and was done well. I did guess the big twist at the end, but not how it was going to happen so that was fun. This first book is definitely focused on character development, relationships, and world building. There is yearning, a sense of foreboding/mystery, trials, spice, romance, action, found family, and so much more. I highly recommend checking this out! This was such an amazing dark romantasy! I can already tell that the next book is going to have so much more happening now that the initial world building is set up. I look forward to finding out more of how the world works and what will happen next.

    -Autumn
    @celes7ial777

  • “The Cost of Blood and Bonds pulled me into a world of deadly trials, rebellion, secrets, and characters I couldn't help but become invested in. Gemma is exactly the kind of fierce, protective FMC I love, and Ryewood brings the “he falls first” energy with chemistry and banter that had me hooked. I'm officially invested in the Costbound world and can't wait to see where this story goes next!”

    -Seravyn
    @seravyn.reads

  • This story pulled me in with its dark atmosphere, complicated relationships, family secrets, betrayal, and the kind of tension that keeps you saying, “Okay… just one more chapter.” I loved watching the layers unfold and trying to figure out who could be trusted and what was really hiding beneath the surface. There’s plenty of drama, emotion, and intrigue, and the darker elements gave the story exactly the atmosphere I was hoping for. As the first book in The Costbound Series, it definitely left me wanting to see where the story goes next.

    @a..paige.turner

  • This is the kind of book fantasy romance lovers will devour!💗 Has all the perfect tropes for fans of fantasy romance! This book has it all, a strong FMC that can handle her own and then some, A dream worthy MMC, forbidden love, plenty of yearning and spice, two love intrests, magic, trials, a corrupt King, rebellion. This book had me hooked within the first few pages! So who will she choose the hot brooding commander of the royal guard or The hot charming Prince who she happens to meet? To say this is my new Obsession is a understatement! I was lucky enough to receive a arc read of this and I'm just blown away with how much I love this book. The world building/characters and writing were phenomenal! If you are a fantasy romance lover like me who loves a strong FMC & MMC who is possessive and totally drool worthy then this is the book for you!

    -Maria
    @mariastacy6

  • I received an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest review, but I genuinely wanted to be an ARC reader for this book. Thanks to Gracie S. Cole, I had the honor and privilege of reading the first four chapters beforehand and was already craving more. So I need to be honest. If you pick up The Cost of Blood and Bonds, be prepared to feel frustratedly impatient because you'll definitely want book two! This was such a fun read for me. It doesn’t start with lengthy world-building descriptions or information. Instead, it tosses you right into the story. You learn what you need to know as you go along. The lore is subtly revealed through the characters and events. The characters are beautifully diverse in personality and behavior, each bringing unique skills and talents to the table, leaving no room for damsels in distress. They are equally strong in their own ways, finding survival tactics that suit them best. It’s impossible not to fall in love with each character. Every time you turn the page, you can never predict what will happen next. You always get just enough information to piece things together, but never enough to solve the mystery fully. The twist at the end is so good that you’ll need to read it twice, leaving you eager for the next book. If you're not already hooked on the spare prince, the way Ryewood identifies and reacts to this twist will definitely clinch it for you. There is no greater love than the love of being seen so completely.

    @hufflemidget

The World of The Costbound Series

Leather masquerade mask with intricate floral and animal designs on a black background.
Person holding a lit candle in a dark room.
Close-up of handwritten letter with cursive writing, a red wax seal, and part of a wooden box with a handwritten quote about love.
Close-up of an open, old, and worn book with faded pages, lying on a dark surface with a black background.
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