Harumi . (Author of Before the Lotus Blooms)

Harumi . rated a book really liked it Horizon Wars: Lovers by R. Relene (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
“Why would a Naran have come all this way to meet with a single Shade anyway? There was only one plausible explanation. One that came with the whispering word which taunted her. Which made her fist tighten on the axe she hadn’t even noticed she’d pul ...more
Jul 14, 2026 07:48PM · like · see review
Harumi . is now following R. Relene Author of Horizon Wars: Lovers
Jul 13, 2026 07:39PM · like
Harumi . rated a book really liked it Horizon Wars: Lovers by R. Relene (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
“Why would a Naran have come all this way to meet with a single Shade anyway? There was only one plausible explanation. One that came with the whispering word which taunted her. Which made her fist tighten on the axe she hadn’t even noticed she’d pul ...more
Jul 13, 2026 07:39PM · like · see review
Harumi . rated a book it was amazing Our Funny Love Story (Resistance, #1) by Byrd Koto (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
*“Maybe it was best to see Eizo as a large, slobbering dog. But dogs were loyal, Eizo, with his penchant for deception, certainly wasn’t.”* I was a beta reader for Our Funny Love Story, and also received an ARC, but the following review is left of m ...more
Feb 22, 2026 05:56PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Our Funny Love Story by Byrd Koto. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Our Funny Love Story by Byrd Koto <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Harumi . made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please create new series topic " Please create a new series: Tales of Angaride, which should include Dance on the Sun and Before the Lotus Blooms. Thank you! :) ...more "
Nov 19, 2025 06:07PM
Harumi . made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Can the two editions of my book be combined? topic " I released a second edition of my book with a new cover. The second edition did not get combined with the first, and it also doesn't even show under m ...more "
Oct 16, 2025 01:33PM

Harumi . rated a book really liked it

Horizon Wars: Lovers
by R. Relene (Goodreads Author)

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“Why would a Naran have come all this way to meet with a single Shade anyway? There was only one plausible explanation. One that came with the whispering word which taunted her. Which made her fist tighten on the axe she hadn’t even noticed she’d pul “Why would a Naran have come all this way to meet with a single Shade anyway? There was only one plausible explanation. One that came with the whispering word which taunted her. Which made her fist tighten on the axe she hadn’t even noticed she’d pulled from her back.
Traitor.
It was a word she was intimately familiar with. A word that was passed about in hushed tones amongst the Shades and the public. A word they used to describe her.”

I had the privilege of receiving an ARC for Horizon Wars: Lovers, and the following review is left of my own will and all thoughts and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

To begin, I’d like to thank R. Relene for providing the ARC copy and for creating such a pleasant world and story that I’ve been drenched in for the past two days, as I was too rapt to put it down once I began.

Relene weaves together a fantastical yet wholly believable fantasy world so grounded it felt familiar somehow, as though I myself was Thraeg. Between the magic system, the beasts and their bonds, and the historic war pervading every page of this book, I was thoroughly thrilled every time a new bit of lore was hinted at and then eventually explored, and I can’t wait to continue to learn more in volumes two and three.

The story smolders at the beginning, a tantalizing simmer that boils to a head in the final pages, leaving us with a perfectly unsettled ending to whet the appetite for the next book. The tension between every character was nicely balanced with plenty of banter and moments of “release” (if you know what I mean) and I found myself endeared to each of them very early on.

Thantress is incredibly strong, but not without weakness, and is soft as she is sharp. Her personality shines through her snappy dialogue and even snippier inner commentary, and I loved that the dynamic between her and Markarian had Thantress as the bolder of the two when it came to frank topics. I applaud that her badassery is not performative, nor is it out of the norm or framed as an exception to the rule when it comes to being a woman, pitfalls I feel often plague many romantasy leads. She’s well known for her combat prowess, and the reason why is proved clearly on the page.

Markarian was a lovely blend of broken yet reluctantly resilient, desperately clinging onto a hope he himself doesn’t seem to realize he has. While Thantress is ice and he is fire, I felt that his inner flame was often more contained than hers, a marked opposition to what one might typically expect of a fire-wielder. He’s honest and careful, and his attachment to his memories of a childhood Thantress made me root for him from the very start.

Belle’s sections routinely had me giggling under my breath and sometimes fully outloud, and though they were more infrequent than the narrative between Thantress and Markarian, I found myself drawn to his and Eris’ love story and their role in the overarching plot just as much. I do wish we got to see a little more of what has Belle so hopelessly in love with Eris, as there were moments when I wondered what his motivations really were, but I’m certain we will come to know more as the story continues in the next volumes.

The fight for peace will certainly be fraught with more perils, but Horizon Wars: Lovers was a fantastic opener, a wonderful debut, and I can’t wait to see what else Relene has in store for Thantress, Markarian, Belle, and Eris. ...more

Harumi . is now following

R. Relene

Author of Horizon Wars: Lovers

Harumi . rated a book really liked it

Horizon Wars: Lovers
by R. Relene (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

“Why would a Naran have come all this way to meet with a single Shade anyway? There was only one plausible explanation. One that came with the whispering word which taunted her. Which made her fist tighten on the axe she hadn’t even noticed she’d pul “Why would a Naran have come all this way to meet with a single Shade anyway? There was only one plausible explanation. One that came with the whispering word which taunted her. Which made her fist tighten on the axe she hadn’t even noticed she’d pulled from her back.
Traitor.
It was a word she was intimately familiar with. A word that was passed about in hushed tones amongst the Shades and the public. A word they used to describe her.”

I had the privilege of receiving an ARC for Horizon Wars: Lovers, and the following review is left of my own will and all thoughts and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

To begin, I’d like to thank R. Relene for providing the ARC copy and for creating such a pleasant world and story that I’ve been drenched in for the past two days, as I was too rapt to put it down once I began.

Relene weaves together a fantastical yet wholly believable fantasy world so grounded it felt familiar somehow, as though I myself was Thraeg. Between the magic system, the beasts and their bonds, and the historic war pervading every page of this book, I was thoroughly thrilled every time a new bit of lore was hinted at and then eventually explored, and I can’t wait to continue to learn more in volumes two and three.

The story smolders at the beginning, a tantalizing simmer that boils to a head in the final pages, leaving us with a perfectly unsettled ending to whet the appetite for the next book. The tension between every character was nicely balanced with plenty of banter and moments of “release” (if you know what I mean) and I found myself endeared to each of them very early on.

Thantress is incredibly strong, but not without weakness, and is soft as she is sharp. Her personality shines through her snappy dialogue and even snippier inner commentary, and I loved that the dynamic between her and Markarian had Thantress as the bolder of the two when it came to frank topics. I applaud that her badassery is not performative, nor is it out of the norm or framed as an exception to the rule when it comes to being a woman, pitfalls I feel often plague many romantasy leads. She’s well known for her combat prowess, and the reason why is proved clearly on the page.

Markarian was a lovely blend of broken yet reluctantly resilient, desperately clinging onto a hope he himself doesn’t seem to realize he has. While Thantress is ice and he is fire, I felt that his inner flame was often more contained than hers, a marked opposition to what one might typically expect of a fire-wielder. He’s honest and careful, and his attachment to his memories of a childhood Thantress made me root for him from the very start.

Belle’s sections routinely had me giggling under my breath and sometimes fully outloud, and though they were more infrequent than the narrative between Thantress and Markarian, I found myself drawn to his and Eris’ love story and their role in the overarching plot just as much. I do wish we got to see a little more of what has Belle so hopelessly in love with Eris, as there were moments when I wondered what his motivations really were, but I’m certain we will come to know more as the story continues in the next volumes.

The fight for peace will certainly be fraught with more perils, but Horizon Wars: Lovers was a fantastic opener, a wonderful debut, and I can’t wait to see what else Relene has in store for Thantress, Markarian, Belle, and Eris. ...more

Harumi . rated a book it was amazing

Our Funny Love Story (Resistance, #1)
by Byrd Koto (Goodreads Author)

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“Maybe it was best to see Eizo as a large, slobbering dog. But dogs were loyal, Eizo, with his penchant for deception, certainly wasn’t.”

I was a beta reader for Our Funny Love Story, and also received an ARC, but the following review is left of m “Maybe it was best to see Eizo as a large, slobbering dog. But dogs were loyal, Eizo, with his penchant for deception, certainly wasn’t.”

I was a beta reader for Our Funny Love Story, and also received an ARC, but the following review is left of my own will and all thoughts and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

To begin, as someone who was privileged enough to get to read OFLS before it was in its final form, I would be remiss to not mention up front just how much I enjoyed it during the first read, and how much that enjoyment skyrocketed even higher after reading my ARC copy.

Byrd writes with witty and sharp precision, while allowing descriptive paragraphs to breathe and flow with full essence. Each line of the prose has its purpose, and her style of writing is one I personally find myself drawn to. Her characters—both main and side—feel lived in and real, and no one person is mentioned flippantly.

Kamada Eizo and Miyamoto Ran are both explicitly ridiculous in their initial disdain for one another, but the smoldering burn of hostile feelings turned into hesitant curiosity into towing the line of unspoken attraction is so, so good. Their comedic banter and inner monologues while facing off with the other had me giggling aloud several times, even reading through it a second time.

Ran’s constant snark but honest-to-a-fault attitude made his poor first impression (something we learn is a common attribute of his) a distant memory as the story rides on, his particularity and no-nonsenseness endearing me to him. Eizo’s flux between someone who both knows what he wants and has the will to achieve it and an insecure spinner of yarns still chained by familial duty—while even ignoring the personal relatability—made my heart clench every time he chose not to tell the truth.

The titular love story, while currently only a glow of embers and brief flash of flame, is well worth the wait. The chemistry bubbles beneath the surface of the ongoing tensions of Ran’s editorial ambitions, Eizo’s relational pressures, and the mystery at the heart of it all (that I can’t share here. You’ll have to find out for yourself). (view spoiler)

To say I’m looking forward to Or So We Say is a massive understatement.

If you enjoy heart-pangs from the mere brushing of fingers, tasty foreshadowing and engaging prose, and imperfect characters facing their faults, fears, and feelings, you will love Our Funny Love Story. This is a fantastic debut, and I already know Byrd will deliver a fantastic conclusion in the next one. ...more

Harumi . made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please create new series topic

" Please create a new series: Tales of Angaride, which should include Dance on the Sun and Before the Lotus Blooms. Thank you! :) ...more "

Harumi . made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Can the two editions of my book be combined? topic

" I released a second edition of my book with a new cover. The second edition did not get combined with the first, and it also doesn't even show under m ...more "

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	Before the Lotus Blooms (Tales of Angaride #2) 4.85 avg rating — 13 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dance on the Sun (Tales of Angaride #1) 4.50 avg rating — 12 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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