Engagement of Chaos

by Rebekah Margaret Doss

The new prophecy started the single worst day in Caliessa's life. Being the only child of the king of the gods made for an easy life. That was until the king decided to make drastic changes in the lives of Caliessa and those sitting on his council.

The changes necessary to prevent the prophecy, are what he claimed.

Caliessa was not of the same mindset.

One of the best ways to show your disapproval? Trash the god's temple in the mortal realm.

Caliessa hadn't expected her father to react as he had or to attempt to restrict her abilities. But, she also hadn't expected to follow a path of schemes and deception before the day had ended.

All because of one prophecy.



* * *

This is a 22k-word novella. Though this story is not, it is a prequel to an upcoming Why Choose.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Ebooks, Paranormal, Spicy

91 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chaos? Yes. Immediately jumping in and getting to the action? YES. SO GOOD. Ready for book one!

[Jordynn Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Arc Review✨

Chaos is such a great way to explain what’s going on in this book! And chaos starts immediately which hooks you in! I loved Caliessa and Theos will to fight for what they want even til the end!

[Despina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short but punchy novella setting up a book series which follows Caliessa (heir of Chaos) and Theo (heir of a different family). A prophecy comes to the attention of the Council of the strongest families which brings about complete change and, ironically, chaos. Caliessa is more than unhappy, and will not allow this mess to happen (_quietly or not_).

There are plenty of warnings that the series will be a 'Why Choose' which I haven't actually read before, but this book is a very 1-1 kind of dynamic. It is *slightly* on the spicier end, but I honestly think this will end up being spicier in later books - I haven't read them yet, just an assumption based on the pacing of this one. We pretty much jump straight into the action and if you enjoy political intrigue this was kind of perfect. I also find political issues can take absolutely ages and dry out in books, but this was thankfully somehow able to stay interesting throughout, very nicely done!

I read this in a single sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it, the characters are morally grey but generally speaking you can support their position even if their actions are a bit questionable. Genuinely think this is going to shape up to be an interesting series, hoping the fast-paced writing style continues!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this novella by the author in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily. This has not influenced my review.

[Anaïsu Anaïsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter was not a good start for me, it really put me off and the first impression was awful. I didn't like the main characters at all. I don't mind morally grey characters as I do read dark romance sometimes but cruelty to people who were doing their jobs just for the sake of it... it doesn't sit well with me, so it was hard at the beginning of the story to care about the main characters. They were cruel, entitled, and just plain a**holes to pretty much anyone around them.

However, I kept reading and even though the main couple doesn't get necessarily better, the story does. The storyline and that ending is what makes me want to read the rest of the series. Hopefully, in the next books, the main characters would have matured a little bit more, and/or the addition of new characters to the storyline (it's RH after all) would make me like or care about them.

Did I love it? no, I did not but it interested me enough to give it another try to the next installment.

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel did precisely what it’s supposed to do: wet my appetite for a lot more of this story! I always love a storyline filled with violence, deceit and betrayal and I was at the edge of my seat to watch it all unfold… I was truly engrossed in this book from the very start and I can’t wait to see what comes next for these characters!

Also; what an epic love story this is between Theo and Caliesse. It has some Shakespearean vibes how their love is stronger than anything else, and I’m really curious to find our how more men will fit into that… Add to that the fact that Caliesse is a badass with a take-no-prisoner attitude and something tells me this series has the potential te become one of my favorite hidden gems this year!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a group of powerful gods/beings who live in a different realm. When the heirs are forced into marriage against their wills what could possibly go wrong? Destruction, chaos, plotting oh my.

All in all this book was decent. I was a pretty quick read but as it's a novella I felt like it wasn't enough. There were some flow and pacing issues I had with it. I loved the characters and the idea behind the story. I know additional books are coming but I'm personally not sure how I feel about reading the actual book when it is released but I do kind of want to know what happened. A good book just not really my pace!

[Ghoulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short book, great for those who just want to sit and finish a book in one sitting. This book will appeal to you if you enjoy strong willed main characters. Mouthy, prideful, and impulsive are some description I'd give the main character. You quickly find that action always follows fast behind the words they speak. I think this book in the short amount of time lays out basic world building aspects pretty well. The building blocks to the world don't feel like they halt the story but flow and help guide us as we read. If you enjoy violence, supernatural abilities, morally grey characters, and splashes of spice this is a good read.

[Melissa Khang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit confused when first reading this since it just jumped right in. But the plot started fast, and you couldn't have missed a beat. I can not believe this prequel was jam-packed and held so much of my time with so much less kinky stuff. Like, there were no details at all, and it ended on a bad cliffhanger, which made me sooooooo OMG. I need the next book like crazy. Can't wait for it to come out!!!

[Toubob · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

For a prequel there is a lot of important things that aren't explained. Proper nouns would be thrown out with any explanation of what they meant. Was that word referring to a civilization, a person, or a fruit? Who knows.

There are a lot of interesting things presented in the book and I definitely am looking forward to reading book 1 but the prequel did not do a great job setting up the worlds (?) realms (?).

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first this novella took me a minute to get into. I wasn’t a fan of the short sentences, but once I looked past that and focused on the story I became immediately enthralled. I devoured this prequel in one sitting. The author did an excellent job of setting up the characters and left me excited for the series.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was what I was expecting from a time of chaos prequel, it does what I was hoping for from a fantasy novella. I enjoyed the use of magical powers and getting to know the characters within the world. I can't wait to read more in this series and from the author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberley Fairchild · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this novella quite hard to get into at the beginning and the main characters took a while to grow on me, as they were quite abrupt people. For a short book it was packed with action though, and I'm hoping the first book is here soon.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kirsten Van Hooland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just a mindblowing and exciting begin to start a new series. The author did such a great job to make you look forward to it! I literaly can not wait to dive into these books once they’re published! Amazing job!!
5⭐️
I received a copy of this book (ARC) from Booksprout.

[Lisa Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I need more!!!

Just when the story was getting real good it ended! The whole prequel was interesting, but the way it ended left me hoping that the first book isn't far behind.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight to the good stuff

This novella immediately grabbed my attention, and left me wanting to read more. Loved the morally gray characters, the drama, and the scheming. I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

[Courtney Kuni · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as i started reading I was hooked. I read it in about an hour. Fast with the "chaos" and kept it going until the end. I'm ready for the rest of their story. I need to know how they live with the mortals and if/when the truth comes out.

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it .

[Liv]

DNF at 57%.

An intriguing premise, but the petty nature of a supposed ‘adult’ was frustrating, and there was too much lore shoved into less than 100 pages.

[Jessika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! Couldn’t put it down

[The clumsy Valkyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a whole lot going on right from the start. A whole lot of names and titles thrown at you and I found it to be a little confusing at times. BUT it's a prequel novella so yeah a lot has to be shared in a rather short period so I'm okay with it 😆

It does seem to set up for a really good story so I'm looking forward to book 1 and very curious how everything will play out 🙌🏼

Also curious how the why choose will be implemented and the non-MF relationship(s) as mentioned by the author 'cus I do like Theo and want him to stay 😋

[Stacy Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel was exciting from the beginning. Its thrilling and the story keeps you enthralled and wanting to read more. The writing is amazing and kept me on my toes. I can't wait for the rest of the story!! Loved it!!

[Kimberly Rahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Hooks you from the start. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.