A Heart Fierce and Blooming: A Sapphic Vampire Romantasy (Her Fangs in My Heart Book 3)

A Heart Fierce and Blooming is my third reading by Moira Darling and the emotional gradation in the works of the young indie author is palpable. This book undoubtedly differs from the previous two in the series in that it tells how some wars are not won with a sword, but with a smile, a good heart and a lot of love. The plot may seem soft, quiet to some, due to the lack of bloody fights and starving vampires, but it is rich in emotional obstacles and battles and I didn't miss the gore. Moira's trademark is to show that monsters are not who they seem. I fell in love with Marianne - a baroness, of vampire lineage living in the world of people - gentle, devoted, loving with fiery passion. She is all light colors and a huge underappreciated heart. Tamsin, for her part, is a woman taught to know her place, not to dramatize, just to adhere to order and follow the charter no matter what. Her stoic appearance does not reveal whether a heart beats under the armor. The two are like fire and ice next to each other, but fate brings them together under one roof with a common goal - to reintegrate the 6 surviving children of the Cult of Selene (a vampire sect that wanted to sacrifice the children as a gift to their goddess) into the human world, while some want them to fail. How difficult can that be just to love? Could love be enough? The children - Imara (14), Callen (12), Yla (10), Siven (8), Liri (6) and Vess (only 2 y.o.) are each developed with their own quirks, traumas from the…

I absolutely enjoyed how this story led directly from the events of the last book—and also that it didn't use the same writing style which leaned entirely too heavily on similes. It was nice to get to know the Baroness, who was mentioned mostly in passing in the previous book, and the slow burn romance was beautiful. I'm not typically a fan of books revolving around children, but these cult orphans were loveable (the whole cast was and Margot is the real MVP here), and I was invested in the well-deserved happily ever after.

“A Heart Fierce and Blooming” is Moira Darling’s third installment in her sapphic vampire romantasy. It’s the tale of Marienne of Bloomhill Manor, Margot her steadfast housekeeper, six vampire children from the Garden of Selene, and Ser Tamsin, a stoic knight assigned by the local council. The children, ranging in age from toddler to preteen, were rescued from the destroyed Garden. If you haven’t read “A Curse Bright and Breathing” I heartily suggest you do so. The backstory of the Garden of Selene, its cult, and its downfall is chilling. All of the children were greatly impacted by their experiences, have various idiosyncrasies as children do, and prove difficult to care for. But Baroness Marienne is an eccentric, determined woman. A born vampire, Marienne believes in the power of love and kindness to corral and care for the kids. The local powers disagree, of course, and assign Tamsin to oversee, discipline, and report back on Marienne and “her little bats.” The story that ensues is filled with Marienne’s efforts to nurture and guide the girls toward peace and happiness. She is hampered by the prejudices of the village residents and the arrival of Ser Tamsin. Along the way Tamsin and Marienne find mutual respect and support while building a relationship. It’s a very slow slow-burn romance. All involved, kids and adults, face a tenuous journey towards a happy ending. It’s a very satisfying ending for all.

Moira Darling has quickly become one of my absolute favorite sapphic romance authors, and A Heart Fierce and Blooming is the perfect example of why. Each book she writes just gets better and better! Her writing is beautiful, emotional, and immersive, and I seriously never want to leave this little world she’s created. This is the third book in the Her Fangs in My Heart series, but it can easily be read as a standalone (though trust me, you’ll want to read them all!). The story centers on Baroness Marienne, a vampire with a fiercely compassionate heart who has taken in six orphaned vampire children. Each of these children carries deep trauma from their past, and watching Marienne care for them with such tenderness absolutely melted me. But when the court decides she’s “unfit” to keep them (for reasons that are far darker than they appear) everything she’s built is put at risk. Enter Ser Tamsin, a stoic female knight sent to oversee the Baroness’s household. What begins as duty slowly transforms into something deeper, and so begins a breathtakingly slow burn between two women who are both warriors in their own right. Watching their walls come down, and seeing the love that grows not just between them but between them and the children, was pure magic.

I honestly think that this is the best book of the series so far. The six vampire children, who were rescued in the previous book, add a different depth to this story, and seeing Marienne and Tamsin interact with them is adorable. It's found family at its finest, along with a tale of finding love, finding that place where you really belong, and being able to make that decision for yourself, and claim it. The world-building for this series is curious, different from what I usually expect, and I recall saying as much for an earlier book. It also holds true in this one, with the court that rules the surrounding area, and the influence that they hold over even the influential families. But yes, thoroughly enjoy the story. It's cute and adorable, heartwarming, tasteful, and a pleasure to read.