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The Shades of Sanctuary #1
A Polar Expedition and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities
She has everything she needs for a solo trek through the Arctic: a sledge heaped with supplies, a little magic, and evidently, the eye of a polar bear shifter–who shouldn't even exist.
Sirin is determined to find the source of magic, and nothing is going to stop her. Not expulsion from her guild, not their warnings about her “certain death,” and certainly not the damned polar bear stalking her through the taiga.
Berne is a simple bear. He likes spending time shifted, a good meal, and apparently, round little scientists. When his duty to protect a thousand-year-old secret is tested against the strange pull he feels toward her, Berne can't help but sink his teeth into the one solution that might let him keep his adorable prey.
For fans of determined plus-sized heroines and cinnamon-roll bear shifters, A Polar Expedition: and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities is the first standalone novella in The Shades of Sanctuary, where the vibes are cozy, the heat is high and the mates are monstrous. Grab a cup of tea and snuggle in, because while the burn might be slow the HEA is still only a few hours away! CWs and a list of tropes are available soon. Actual Est release date Summer '23
Sirin is determined to find the source of magic, and nothing is going to stop her. Not expulsion from her guild, not their warnings about her “certain death,” and certainly not the damned polar bear stalking her through the taiga.
Berne is a simple bear. He likes spending time shifted, a good meal, and apparently, round little scientists. When his duty to protect a thousand-year-old secret is tested against the strange pull he feels toward her, Berne can't help but sink his teeth into the one solution that might let him keep his adorable prey.
For fans of determined plus-sized heroines and cinnamon-roll bear shifters, A Polar Expedition: and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities is the first standalone novella in The Shades of Sanctuary, where the vibes are cozy, the heat is high and the mates are monstrous. Grab a cup of tea and snuggle in, because while the burn might be slow the HEA is still only a few hours away! CWs and a list of tropes are available soon. Actual Est release date Summer '23
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2023
852 people are currently reading
3347 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
February 6, 2025
you just know this author had a sexual awakening reading the golden compass.
March 14, 2024
- eARC from the author -
3.5 / 5 ✨
- shifter x magical human
- polar bear shifter MMC
- historical fantasy
- marriage of convenience
- spicy epilogue
- scientist FMC
I have written and rewritten this twice, but it keeps on getting accidentally deleted, so I’m going to keep it short and fairly sweet. (And then this ended up being really long 🙃.)
This was a really adorable, cozy, & atmospheric romance, that I thought I had some really great potential, however; there were a couple things that fell flat for me.
But first, I want to talk about how adorable the male main character, Berne, was. I loved how dedicated he was to ensuring that he was respectful and gaining Sirin’s consent even when it was getting incredibly hairy. There were quite a few moments where I was pleasantly surprised because the author took a turn that I didn’t think was typical for it’s genre.
I have been reading a lot of (spicy) fantasy romance in the past few months and this was a very original an interesting fantasy world. I really enjoyed how the author used the worlds science and mixed it with elements of spirituality and mythology, to create the magic system, and the world that the entire story was setting. I really really liked the idea of Sanctuary and I’m very excited to read book to to learn more about that society, and the magic system that was established in this first book.
Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy the female main character, Sirin. While she was really smart and independent, I really didn’t think that her reactions were realistic, and she didn’t seem to acknowledge the genuine danger that she was in the beginning of the book or as the conflict was panning out. I also don’t think that she react realistically to the marriage of convenience aspect of the plot and I don’t think at that that aspect of the plot had a good pace. It really seemed like it was glazed over way too easily by both characters— but especially Sirin.
Overall, however, I quite enjoyed this book. I think that I had a lot of promise. It was a really excellent debut! I think that the author did an excellent job of establishing a new world, and establishing an interesting magical dynamic between shifters and other mythical beings while incorporating them into such a new and interesting world. I also really really enjoyed the religious aspects of this story as well. I really liked how it was integrated into such a vast magical system.
I genuinely anticipate this author continuing to grow in her craft, and find her space in the spicy romantasy genre and building on her skills to create an excellent sequel. I’m very much looking forward to book 2 which involves second chance romance, a single mother, orcs, and an older FMC.
3.5 / 5 ✨
- shifter x magical human
- polar bear shifter MMC
- historical fantasy
- marriage of convenience
- spicy epilogue
- scientist FMC
I have written and rewritten this twice, but it keeps on getting accidentally deleted, so I’m going to keep it short and fairly sweet. (And then this ended up being really long 🙃.)
This was a really adorable, cozy, & atmospheric romance, that I thought I had some really great potential, however; there were a couple things that fell flat for me.
But first, I want to talk about how adorable the male main character, Berne, was. I loved how dedicated he was to ensuring that he was respectful and gaining Sirin’s consent even when it was getting incredibly hairy. There were quite a few moments where I was pleasantly surprised because the author took a turn that I didn’t think was typical for it’s genre.
I have been reading a lot of (spicy) fantasy romance in the past few months and this was a very original an interesting fantasy world. I really enjoyed how the author used the worlds science and mixed it with elements of spirituality and mythology, to create the magic system, and the world that the entire story was setting. I really really liked the idea of Sanctuary and I’m very excited to read book to to learn more about that society, and the magic system that was established in this first book.
Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy the female main character, Sirin. While she was really smart and independent, I really didn’t think that her reactions were realistic, and she didn’t seem to acknowledge the genuine danger that she was in the beginning of the book or as the conflict was panning out. I also don’t think that she react realistically to the marriage of convenience aspect of the plot and I don’t think at that that aspect of the plot had a good pace. It really seemed like it was glazed over way too easily by both characters— but especially Sirin.
Overall, however, I quite enjoyed this book. I think that I had a lot of promise. It was a really excellent debut! I think that the author did an excellent job of establishing a new world, and establishing an interesting magical dynamic between shifters and other mythical beings while incorporating them into such a new and interesting world. I also really really enjoyed the religious aspects of this story as well. I really liked how it was integrated into such a vast magical system.
I genuinely anticipate this author continuing to grow in her craft, and find her space in the spicy romantasy genre and building on her skills to create an excellent sequel. I’m very much looking forward to book 2 which involves second chance romance, a single mother, orcs, and an older FMC.
September 10, 2025
REVIEW
Rating: 3/5
POV: 3rd, dual
Tropes: STEM FMC; Cinnamon Role MMC; Magic; Paranormal; Shifter;
Heat Level: 2.5/5
Kinks: Primal Chase;
Likes:
* I felt like the plot was fairly unique. All humans/creatures benefit from the magic but in different ways.
* I liked the MMC. I just wanted to give him a big cuddly hug lol
Dislikes:
* I don’t think I really liked the FMC. I’m somewhere between indifference and dislike.
Conclusion:
I found this paranormal shifter book to be fairly unique. The FMC is human who benefits from the magic they get from their rivers. The way she benefits from the magic is by using it make herself incredibly intelligent which she then uses to be a scientist.
The MMC is a bear shifter, specifically a polar bear, and he’s able to be a shifter because of his location to the original magic source.
The beginning of the story quickly grabbed my attention but by 30% it got a bit boring, then around 65% until around 80% it was good again, and then I really didn’t like the ending. The ending was very rushed and then there’s a very long epilogue that probably should’ve been the ending of the book and then some other scene after that could’ve been the epilogue, if that makes sense.
The story was interesting enough that I am curious about the 2nd book but I would never reread this book.
3/5
Rating: 3/5
POV: 3rd, dual
Tropes: STEM FMC; Cinnamon Role MMC; Magic; Paranormal; Shifter;
Heat Level: 2.5/5
Kinks: Primal Chase;
Likes:
* I felt like the plot was fairly unique. All humans/creatures benefit from the magic but in different ways.
* I liked the MMC. I just wanted to give him a big cuddly hug lol
Dislikes:
* I don’t think I really liked the FMC. I’m somewhere between indifference and dislike.
Conclusion:
I found this paranormal shifter book to be fairly unique. The FMC is human who benefits from the magic they get from their rivers. The way she benefits from the magic is by using it make herself incredibly intelligent which she then uses to be a scientist.
The MMC is a bear shifter, specifically a polar bear, and he’s able to be a shifter because of his location to the original magic source.
The beginning of the story quickly grabbed my attention but by 30% it got a bit boring, then around 65% until around 80% it was good again, and then I really didn’t like the ending. The ending was very rushed and then there’s a very long epilogue that probably should’ve been the ending of the book and then some other scene after that could’ve been the epilogue, if that makes sense.
The story was interesting enough that I am curious about the 2nd book but I would never reread this book.
3/5
September 7, 2023
This was a great time!! I loved the world-building and I loved the characters! Plus, Berne is so freaking adorable!!!!
I did wish it was longer though, because I wanted to read more of them.
I'm excited for the following books in the series!
For anyone interested: the female main character is bisexual! It's subtle and not central to the story, but it is there and it made me really happy :)
I did wish it was longer though, because I wanted to read more of them.
I'm excited for the following books in the series!
For anyone interested: the female main character is bisexual! It's subtle and not central to the story, but it is there and it made me really happy :)
January 12, 2024
Fave version of bear shifter
I LOVED that this version of a bear had the lumbering thought patterns of a bear as well. Berne was the sexiest cinnamon roll and Sirin had the enthusiasm and rapid paced thinking patterns to be his foil. He wasn’t grumpy, but was absolutely introverted.
Sirin was basically the adult version of a 3 year old who constantly asks “why”, complete with happy dances. She was intelligent and passionate.
Looking forward to the next book!
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: brain injury from fall, threat of execution, grief
I LOVED that this version of a bear had the lumbering thought patterns of a bear as well. Berne was the sexiest cinnamon roll and Sirin had the enthusiasm and rapid paced thinking patterns to be his foil. He wasn’t grumpy, but was absolutely introverted.
Sirin was basically the adult version of a 3 year old who constantly asks “why”, complete with happy dances. She was intelligent and passionate.
Looking forward to the next book!
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: brain injury from fall, threat of execution, grief
November 20, 2024
Very demure....very cutesy!!
LOL. Okay, for real, this was super cozy sweet. It's a new magical world. It was pretty good, but I felt like I was missing a prequel or something. I didn't understand what or who is the empire (and still don't) and other bits that weren't really explained well. Also, what the hell was up with the Lunula? Next time you want to make up a word for a magical substance please have people try to pronounce it out loud for you with no help first. It's kinda a tongue twister and it drove me nuts. Lastly, I don't know how I felt about the foot notes. I thought the idea was cute but in the thick of it, while reading it was somewhat disjointed.
I will say I did like Berne and Sirin. The story was good, in a sweet cozy mystery kind of way. But with monsters lol.
LOL. Okay, for real, this was super cozy sweet. It's a new magical world. It was pretty good, but I felt like I was missing a prequel or something. I didn't understand what or who is the empire (and still don't) and other bits that weren't really explained well. Also, what the hell was up with the Lunula? Next time you want to make up a word for a magical substance please have people try to pronounce it out loud for you with no help first. It's kinda a tongue twister and it drove me nuts. Lastly, I don't know how I felt about the foot notes. I thought the idea was cute but in the thick of it, while reading it was somewhat disjointed.
I will say I did like Berne and Sirin. The story was good, in a sweet cozy mystery kind of way. But with monsters lol.
November 20, 2024
I've been meaning to drop a few words about this delightful read. A Polar Expedition is admittedly my first foray into steamy monster romance, but Kass O'Shire lured me in with the promise of piles of science! Victorian explorers! A scholarly quest through the Arctic! Plus, of course, a thoroughly cozy polar bear shifter who falls first.
The result is an absolute bonbon of a read that perfectly melds historical adventure vibes with the coziest monster steam. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The result is an absolute bonbon of a read that perfectly melds historical adventure vibes with the coziest monster steam. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 20, 2024
I really wanted to love this book, but I struggled with it. The world building seemed non-existent at the start, there's words being used that took me ages to figure out what they were. The magic system was very confusing and barely any explanation.
I didn't particularly like either of the main characters. The book is written in dual POV but in 3rd person, so it was quite difficult to get my head around. There's also footnotes throughout (making it like a scientific textbook), but these were written in 1st person, and I felt they didn't add anything to the plot.
The idea was good and interesting, but I felt it wasn't executed well. The relationship felt flat, and I didn't find myself rooting for the characters. The book ended as the main story got going, so that was disappointing.
I don't think I'll be continuing with this series, at least not in the near future!
I didn't particularly like either of the main characters. The book is written in dual POV but in 3rd person, so it was quite difficult to get my head around. There's also footnotes throughout (making it like a scientific textbook), but these were written in 1st person, and I felt they didn't add anything to the plot.
The idea was good and interesting, but I felt it wasn't executed well. The relationship felt flat, and I didn't find myself rooting for the characters. The book ended as the main story got going, so that was disappointing.
I don't think I'll be continuing with this series, at least not in the near future!
June 10, 2023
This was truly a fantastic debut. It’s so cozy, wholesome and sweet. I am obsessed with this world the author created and the way the story is formatted. The FMC (Sirin) is a researcher so the book contains annotations from her. It was such a nice touch. The book is also dual POV and reading from the MMC’s (Berne) pov was so lovely. He’s so sweet and a literal teddy bear. No pun intended.
The slow burn was delicious and I can now add this author to the list of authors that actually get me to enjoy a slow burn. When you get to the spice??? My god. We get a scene with both forms of Berne. BOTH.
I’m just so pleasantly happy and I am so grateful the author reached out and asked if I wanted to read her book. I loved it so much and I can’t wait for more books in this world!
The slow burn was delicious and I can now add this author to the list of authors that actually get me to enjoy a slow burn. When you get to the spice??? My god. We get a scene with both forms of Berne. BOTH.
I’m just so pleasantly happy and I am so grateful the author reached out and asked if I wanted to read her book. I loved it so much and I can’t wait for more books in this world!
September 15, 2024
“I cannot recommend having a shifter for a partner enough”.
Primer contacto que tengo con la autora. La verdad es que una parte de mí no quería leerlo sobre todo por la portada y porque temía que fuese un libro furro. No lo fue en su totalidad. Menos mal. Hay limites a los que no estoy del todo segura de traspasar. Para gustos colores.
La historia ha estado linda, podría atribuirse el término que encontramos últimamente “cozy”. No es nada del otro mundo, sin embargo, lo que más me ha gustado es el trasfondo de la novela y el trabajo de la autora por detrás.
Creo que me encantará leer más novelas sobre este mundo porque lo que más me ha faltado es una explicación sobre la mitología y su cultura. Pero, siento que a medida que vaya pasando las novelas, poco a poco conoceremos un poco más.
Primer contacto que tengo con la autora. La verdad es que una parte de mí no quería leerlo sobre todo por la portada y porque temía que fuese un libro furro. No lo fue en su totalidad. Menos mal. Hay limites a los que no estoy del todo segura de traspasar. Para gustos colores.
La historia ha estado linda, podría atribuirse el término que encontramos últimamente “cozy”. No es nada del otro mundo, sin embargo, lo que más me ha gustado es el trasfondo de la novela y el trabajo de la autora por detrás.
Creo que me encantará leer más novelas sobre este mundo porque lo que más me ha faltado es una explicación sobre la mitología y su cultura. Pero, siento que a medida que vaya pasando las novelas, poco a poco conoceremos un poco más.
June 18, 2023
Real rating: 3.5 stars
I would like to lead off thanking O'Shire for the chance to be on the ARC team–even though my health circumstances right now ended up delaying me from getting finished and my review up by launch date. As always, opinions are my own.
This work is an interesting thought experiment that didn't fully hit for me.
Since my biggest issue is one that hits chapter one, let's lead with what didn't work for me in APE:aOSRO:
- I struggled the first Sirin POV chapters, because my brain could not reconcile the fact she is supposed to be telling her own story in 3rd person POV, but then all footnotes are given in her first person perspective. The first chapter was especially difficult as I tried to establish who to the author is versus the character, and the contradictions posed by this writing choice. I've noticed a couple other reviews very briefly touch on this, so I thought I'd be more explicit and state that if you pay attention to this sort of thing, it may cause you some vexation too. For future stories—and even Berne's chapters—the choice works rather well and is quite charming, filling out the frame that this is a work created by a fictional academic; I just feel it doesn't work on her own chapters with the 3rd person POV narration choice. Needlessly confusing.
-There isn't any real chemistry between the leads, and this leaned too hard into formulaic InstaMateLove/Lust for my own taste. I would have liked to see more of a build in Berne's feelings about Sirin, especially, as he observes her. I couldn't quite buy into what he saw that made him sure he wanted her for a mate. Maybe this work was a bit too focused on building the frame and world that it feels like the character development lagged in comparison? For a first work—and such an ambitious one—this was a solid effort.
-Inconsistent characterization of Sirin. In the first chapter, our lead is framed as a meticulous, detail-oriented person who has spent nearly a decade of her life planning for, and prepping to go on, this research mission she's obsessed with. But in the first chapter, she "overlooks"—or worse, actively ignores—large pieces of evidence that should have had her brain screaming to know what happened in the past, and this continues throughout the story. Sirin ignores and dismisses information that doesn't fit her pre-determined conclusion. The rest of the story, this person who spent over 8 years prepping for this trip is described as reckless (or more frankly, impulsive), and then TSTLs her way through, saved by her polar bear guardian. I struggled to decide what was going on here: is Sirin a really poor researcher, was this an attempt to write a neuro-spicy woman that veered into the stereotype that ND people are childish and child-like, or did the author fall into the usual romance pitfall that a Willful and Strong female lead will do stupid shit with no thought of consequences and ultimately need saving from a male love interest? I'm not sure.
+(Other parts of her characterization did really work for me, such as how she works through and processes her emotions pretty quickly and was able to move forward without needless drama and angst.)
What worked for me?
+ I felt O'Shire did a commendable job trying to create a nuanced and complicated world with the same issues our own has, without being too heavy-handed about it. Not explicitly saying so, we find ourselves in a world where Sirin, a non-white woman, comes from what we can infer is a colonized island nation, and was forced to give up her culture to blend into the melting pot. Melting pots do not retain the unique characteristics of the individual parts; they homogenize everything, blend to the predominant more powerful culture, and erase everything else. She's queer. She's heavier in build—maybe even properly fat. She may be gender non-conforming, though that isn't so much touched on; all we know is that apparently AFABs usually wear skirts in this world.
+I really did enjoy the idea of the frame and did find it mostly charming. The blend of science and mythos in this world is interesting, and I feel it was a stronger draw and focus than the romance in this story.
+I appreciate that O'Shire Went For It with the shifted sex scene. That one will be...polarizing. Haaaa. I will show myself the door now.
Overall, I think that for readers who appreciate a more rich world for a story, this will work well. Future installments promise to be interesting and continue to further fill it out. The romance isn't anything new or novel, but it will get the job done.
I would like to lead off thanking O'Shire for the chance to be on the ARC team–even though my health circumstances right now ended up delaying me from getting finished and my review up by launch date. As always, opinions are my own.
This work is an interesting thought experiment that didn't fully hit for me.
Since my biggest issue is one that hits chapter one, let's lead with what didn't work for me in APE:aOSRO:
- I struggled the first Sirin POV chapters, because my brain could not reconcile the fact she is supposed to be telling her own story in 3rd person POV, but then all footnotes are given in her first person perspective. The first chapter was especially difficult as I tried to establish who to the author is versus the character, and the contradictions posed by this writing choice. I've noticed a couple other reviews very briefly touch on this, so I thought I'd be more explicit and state that if you pay attention to this sort of thing, it may cause you some vexation too. For future stories—and even Berne's chapters—the choice works rather well and is quite charming, filling out the frame that this is a work created by a fictional academic; I just feel it doesn't work on her own chapters with the 3rd person POV narration choice. Needlessly confusing.
-There isn't any real chemistry between the leads, and this leaned too hard into formulaic InstaMateLove/Lust for my own taste. I would have liked to see more of a build in Berne's feelings about Sirin, especially, as he observes her. I couldn't quite buy into what he saw that made him sure he wanted her for a mate. Maybe this work was a bit too focused on building the frame and world that it feels like the character development lagged in comparison? For a first work—and such an ambitious one—this was a solid effort.
-Inconsistent characterization of Sirin. In the first chapter, our lead is framed as a meticulous, detail-oriented person who has spent nearly a decade of her life planning for, and prepping to go on, this research mission she's obsessed with. But in the first chapter, she "overlooks"—or worse, actively ignores—large pieces of evidence that should have had her brain screaming to know what happened in the past, and this continues throughout the story. Sirin ignores and dismisses information that doesn't fit her pre-determined conclusion. The rest of the story, this person who spent over 8 years prepping for this trip is described as reckless (or more frankly, impulsive), and then TSTLs her way through, saved by her polar bear guardian. I struggled to decide what was going on here: is Sirin a really poor researcher, was this an attempt to write a neuro-spicy woman that veered into the stereotype that ND people are childish and child-like, or did the author fall into the usual romance pitfall that a Willful and Strong female lead will do stupid shit with no thought of consequences and ultimately need saving from a male love interest? I'm not sure.
+(Other parts of her characterization did really work for me, such as how she works through and processes her emotions pretty quickly and was able to move forward without needless drama and angst.)
What worked for me?
+ I felt O'Shire did a commendable job trying to create a nuanced and complicated world with the same issues our own has, without being too heavy-handed about it. Not explicitly saying so, we find ourselves in a world where Sirin, a non-white woman, comes from what we can infer is a colonized island nation, and was forced to give up her culture to blend into the melting pot. Melting pots do not retain the unique characteristics of the individual parts; they homogenize everything, blend to the predominant more powerful culture, and erase everything else. She's queer. She's heavier in build—maybe even properly fat. She may be gender non-conforming, though that isn't so much touched on; all we know is that apparently AFABs usually wear skirts in this world.
+I really did enjoy the idea of the frame and did find it mostly charming. The blend of science and mythos in this world is interesting, and I feel it was a stronger draw and focus than the romance in this story.
+I appreciate that O'Shire Went For It with the shifted sex scene. That one will be...polarizing. Haaaa. I will show myself the door now.
Overall, I think that for readers who appreciate a more rich world for a story, this will work well. Future installments promise to be interesting and continue to further fill it out. The romance isn't anything new or novel, but it will get the job done.
January 16, 2026
Okay, this is my first read by Kass O’Shire and I love it! It was cute, funny, and bit steamy (tbh)
I also love that the FMC is bold and in a science career and she is still relatable and kind.
Berne is so sweet 🥹 and affectionate to Sirin and his nieces.
“I am so sorry you had to experience that. It’s never easy to lose people you love.” “No,” he whispered. The pain had lessened with time, but it would never be gone.2 “But that wasn’t the only reason, I think. Yeh sparked my interest, I s’pose. Yeh were so vibrant. The more I watched yeh, the more it seemed a shame to lose that, like the world would be less for your absence. Eventually, I felt like I knew yeh, and by then it just wasn’t an option, no matter what I tried to tell myself.” Sirin blushed and he sucked in a breath. She was beautiful, with her deep eyes and lush curves, but when she blushed, she seemed to glow with it. “Thank you. For saving me,” she said. She smiled, looking away from him. “And to be honest, I am grateful I get to stay and continue my research. I’m not sure how to navigate—this.”
“It’s also just extremely useful to have a bear around that can lift or pull heavy things, and is as smart as a human for complex instructions. I cannot recommend having a shifter for a partner enough.”
I also love that the FMC is bold and in a science career and she is still relatable and kind.
Berne is so sweet 🥹 and affectionate to Sirin and his nieces.
“I am so sorry you had to experience that. It’s never easy to lose people you love.” “No,” he whispered. The pain had lessened with time, but it would never be gone.2 “But that wasn’t the only reason, I think. Yeh sparked my interest, I s’pose. Yeh were so vibrant. The more I watched yeh, the more it seemed a shame to lose that, like the world would be less for your absence. Eventually, I felt like I knew yeh, and by then it just wasn’t an option, no matter what I tried to tell myself.” Sirin blushed and he sucked in a breath. She was beautiful, with her deep eyes and lush curves, but when she blushed, she seemed to glow with it. “Thank you. For saving me,” she said. She smiled, looking away from him. “And to be honest, I am grateful I get to stay and continue my research. I’m not sure how to navigate—this.”
“It’s also just extremely useful to have a bear around that can lift or pull heavy things, and is as smart as a human for complex instructions. I cannot recommend having a shifter for a partner enough.”
did-not-finish
July 1, 2025DNF at 2%.
Wow, that was boring!
Wow, that was boring!
January 4, 2024
wow wow wow. Kass this was.... WOW. Sirin is such a fun FMC. I love her voracious appetite for research and her footnotes were everything. Berne is... delicious. A bear shifter, polar bear I might add, and a total dreamboat. Listen, I'm obsessed with him. His human member is literal perfection and then you also get a polar bear member with special, perks too? SOLD. SIGN ME UP. GIMME. There's magic that is complex but simple which I appreciate. The slow burn was mouth watering and the spice even better. This was such a fantastic read. I can't believe it took me so long to discover Kass and pick this up! I cannot wait for book two.
September 13, 2024
The worldbuilding and characters were so good, I forgot it was a romance book. The world and magic system were so unique and interesting, I would've been totally fine with a fade to black and a full-on fantasy novel where they research the Lunula and the scientific workings behind it.
June 20, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
Summary:
She has everything she needs for a solo trek through the Arctic: a sledge heaped with supplies, a little magic, and evidently, the eye of a polar bear shifter–who shouldn't even exist.
Sirin is determined to find the source of magic, and nothing is going to stop her. Not expulsion from her guild, not their warnings about her “certain death,” and certainly not the damned polar bear stalking her through the taiga.
Berne is a simple bear. He likes spending time shifted, a good meal, and apparently, round little scientists. When his duty to protect a thousand-year-old secret is tested against the strange pull he feels toward her, Berne can't help but sink his teeth into the one solution that might let him keep his adorable prey.
----
This was a highly anticipated read for me, and oh wow did it not disappoint!!! Right from the getgo you could feel the love that was put into this book. The clever chapter titles reminded me of Friends, and it made me so happy. Also immediately there was a (to me) obvious pun that made me giggle.
🌶️🌶️
Summary:
She has everything she needs for a solo trek through the Arctic: a sledge heaped with supplies, a little magic, and evidently, the eye of a polar bear shifter–who shouldn't even exist.
Sirin is determined to find the source of magic, and nothing is going to stop her. Not expulsion from her guild, not their warnings about her “certain death,” and certainly not the damned polar bear stalking her through the taiga.
Berne is a simple bear. He likes spending time shifted, a good meal, and apparently, round little scientists. When his duty to protect a thousand-year-old secret is tested against the strange pull he feels toward her, Berne can't help but sink his teeth into the one solution that might let him keep his adorable prey.
----
This was a highly anticipated read for me, and oh wow did it not disappoint!!! Right from the getgo you could feel the love that was put into this book. The clever chapter titles reminded me of Friends, and it made me so happy. Also immediately there was a (to me) obvious pun that made me giggle.
June 15, 2023
First of all, thank you so much to the author for reaching out and providing me an ARC of her debut novel! I’ve recently become obsessed with the genre of cozy fantasy, so when Kassie described her book as a cozy, gaslamp monster romance I was 1000% on board!
One of the first things I loved about this book was that it’s written as a dual P.O.V. recount of events that has happened in the past and is sprinkled with footnotes provided by the FMC, Sirin, which likens it to more of a scientific journal. This works so well to draw you more into the world of the story while understanding the character of Sirin.
The two main characters Sirin and Berne are an absolute delight! Sirin is a feisty, independent, crazy intelligent plus size scientist on the hunt for the source of the magic in her world and won’t let anyone, especially old men in authority or the northern wilderness, stop her. Berne on the other hand is a polar bear shifter tasked with protecting a thousand year old secret from people like Sirin but can’t help but be drawn to her as both a protector and, hopefully, something more.
I really enjoyed this book!! I only wish I had more! It’s fairly short and I would have loved more of an elaboration of the story as well as a more drawn out slow burn between Sirin and Berne! However, this is coming from a woman who likes around 300 pages of slow burn before the characters accidentally touch so take that with a grain of salt haha
The spice scenes were *chef’s kiss* and THERE IS SHIFTER SEX so be warned lol but it’s delicioussss
Read if you like:
❄️Plus size independent scientist FMC
❄️Burly cinnamon role MMC
❄️Cozy Fantasy
❄️Dual POV
❄️Marriage of Convenience
❄️Unique Magic System
❄️Spicy scenes (especially shifter spicy scenes)
One of the first things I loved about this book was that it’s written as a dual P.O.V. recount of events that has happened in the past and is sprinkled with footnotes provided by the FMC, Sirin, which likens it to more of a scientific journal. This works so well to draw you more into the world of the story while understanding the character of Sirin.
The two main characters Sirin and Berne are an absolute delight! Sirin is a feisty, independent, crazy intelligent plus size scientist on the hunt for the source of the magic in her world and won’t let anyone, especially old men in authority or the northern wilderness, stop her. Berne on the other hand is a polar bear shifter tasked with protecting a thousand year old secret from people like Sirin but can’t help but be drawn to her as both a protector and, hopefully, something more.
I really enjoyed this book!! I only wish I had more! It’s fairly short and I would have loved more of an elaboration of the story as well as a more drawn out slow burn between Sirin and Berne! However, this is coming from a woman who likes around 300 pages of slow burn before the characters accidentally touch so take that with a grain of salt haha
The spice scenes were *chef’s kiss* and THERE IS SHIFTER SEX so be warned lol but it’s delicioussss
Read if you like:
❄️Plus size independent scientist FMC
❄️Burly cinnamon role MMC
❄️Cozy Fantasy
❄️Dual POV
❄️Marriage of Convenience
❄️Unique Magic System
❄️Spicy scenes (especially shifter spicy scenes)
January 25, 2024
A scientist with burning questions leaves behind her academia to venture into the frozen north looking for answers about the source of her continent’s magic.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
This book is amazing! The world-building is incredibly creative and unique, and the protagonist’s occasional footnotes help immerse the reader in her world.
With the monster romance or fantasy romance genre, I’m used to very loose world-building without much detail, so I was quite pleasantly surprised by this book. I love the scientific details about every little thing. It is so clear this world is a labor or love, and one that the author most certainly deserves to be proud of. I am absolutely fascinated with this world and I will definitely be reading the other stories that take place within this same world as soon as I can!
Sirin and Berne’s romance is adorably sweet. I love that they don’t beat around the bush and drag things on forever. Sirin is a strong woman who knows what she wants and takes it. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and she is a huge inspiration.
The side characters are so interesting! Even the council members who only appear for a single chapter have caught my eye. I need a side story for every single side character ever at this point. Everything is just so fascinating and I can’t help but crave more!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
This book is amazing! The world-building is incredibly creative and unique, and the protagonist’s occasional footnotes help immerse the reader in her world.
With the monster romance or fantasy romance genre, I’m used to very loose world-building without much detail, so I was quite pleasantly surprised by this book. I love the scientific details about every little thing. It is so clear this world is a labor or love, and one that the author most certainly deserves to be proud of. I am absolutely fascinated with this world and I will definitely be reading the other stories that take place within this same world as soon as I can!
Sirin and Berne’s romance is adorably sweet. I love that they don’t beat around the bush and drag things on forever. Sirin is a strong woman who knows what she wants and takes it. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and she is a huge inspiration.
The side characters are so interesting! Even the council members who only appear for a single chapter have caught my eye. I need a side story for every single side character ever at this point. Everything is just so fascinating and I can’t help but crave more!
June 14, 2023
I loved this book so much ahh, it was really lovely and warm and wholesome. It's a shifter romance with a very chaotic FMC and really soft polar bear shifter MMC, and their dynamic and banter were so fun. I loved their individual thought processes in the first many chapters, and things became extra fun when they started bantering. Also the FMC is who I aspire to be okay, the quirkiness and the enthusiasm is exactly who I wanna be 😭
The writing was also super cool, I was gripped from the very first chapter! I'm super excited for the next book(s) set in the world, and in general by this author!
TWs (lifted from the author's note, I did not find any new ones) (also note that this is a very extensive list, and most of these were pretty mild on page - as I mentioned, this book is very warm and fun to read) - traumatic brain injury, including amnesia, medical treatment/ blood talk, threats and mentions of capital punishment, off-screen presumed death of a minor, non-con mating bond, shifted sex. primal play, discussion of breeding (without pregnancy), somnophilia, lies by omission , stalking, power exchange without explicit consent, references to classist society created by preferential treatment of magically gifted individuals.
-- ty to the author for an advanced copy!
The writing was also super cool, I was gripped from the very first chapter! I'm super excited for the next book(s) set in the world, and in general by this author!
TWs (lifted from the author's note, I did not find any new ones) (also note that this is a very extensive list, and most of these were pretty mild on page - as I mentioned, this book is very warm and fun to read) - traumatic brain injury, including amnesia, medical treatment/ blood talk, threats and mentions of capital punishment, off-screen presumed death of a minor, non-con mating bond, shifted sex. primal play, discussion of breeding (without pregnancy), somnophilia, lies by omission , stalking, power exchange without explicit consent, references to classist society created by preferential treatment of magically gifted individuals.
-- ty to the author for an advanced copy!
November 17, 2023
The book had been staring at me from my nightstand for a few months now… I finally found some downtime and SERIOUSLY, WHY HAVE I NOT READ THIS SOONER?! Monster gaslamp romance? ✔️More than capable, driven, and brilliant FMC? ✔️ Polar bear-shifter, cinnamon role MMC? ✔️ Slow burn to absolutely delicious spice? ✨✔️✨
The story is more or less Sirin’s research account about her search for the source of lunula (magic) and how she came to find Sanctuary. Along the way, she meets Berne (the shifter), who saves her more than once, and discovers the truth of the magic as well as the people protecting it. I loved the footnotes throughout, just like you would see in a research paper, and it was something different that kept me actively engaged with the story. More than a few times I giggled at the little asides…
Back to Sirin and Berne. I LOVE a good slow burn with pining and steamy dreams. Berne is infatuated and Sirin is, too, but she doesn’t know it yet. 😂 And when that spice finally hits, IT HITS. And a primal chase at the end? Yes, please.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ No notes. Now I need to practice patience and wait for the next book - “On the Care and Keeping of Orcs” - to come out!
The story is more or less Sirin’s research account about her search for the source of lunula (magic) and how she came to find Sanctuary. Along the way, she meets Berne (the shifter), who saves her more than once, and discovers the truth of the magic as well as the people protecting it. I loved the footnotes throughout, just like you would see in a research paper, and it was something different that kept me actively engaged with the story. More than a few times I giggled at the little asides…
Back to Sirin and Berne. I LOVE a good slow burn with pining and steamy dreams. Berne is infatuated and Sirin is, too, but she doesn’t know it yet. 😂 And when that spice finally hits, IT HITS. And a primal chase at the end? Yes, please.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ No notes. Now I need to practice patience and wait for the next book - “On the Care and Keeping of Orcs” - to come out!
June 10, 2023
✨ARC Review✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I was really excited when @kassoshire reached out asking if I would like to review an ARC of A Polar Expedition: and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities! I fell in love with this cover when she initially posted it!
Sirin is our stunning plus sized FMC and she wants to find the source of magic out in the Arctic and prove her colleagues wrong at the guild.
Enter our cinnamon roll polar bear shifter Berne who is protecting this secret but then falls for this woman!
This is such cozy fantasy/monster romance that I devoured it in one night! The slow burn is totally worth it because he does take her in both forms 👀🐻❄️🫦 which is what all dreams are made of! Guaranteed HEA, I can’t wait to dive into the next book in this world!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I was really excited when @kassoshire reached out asking if I would like to review an ARC of A Polar Expedition: and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities! I fell in love with this cover when she initially posted it!
Sirin is our stunning plus sized FMC and she wants to find the source of magic out in the Arctic and prove her colleagues wrong at the guild.
Enter our cinnamon roll polar bear shifter Berne who is protecting this secret but then falls for this woman!
This is such cozy fantasy/monster romance that I devoured it in one night! The slow burn is totally worth it because he does take her in both forms 👀🐻❄️🫦 which is what all dreams are made of! Guaranteed HEA, I can’t wait to dive into the next book in this world!
April 20, 2023
Incredibly detailed world building with well thought-out magical system and communities of different peoples. I loved Sirin's devotion to her passion and her bold nature with Berne. She has been one of my favorite FMC's to date because she doesn't sit by and let things happen to her. She fights for what she wants.
Berne was a friggin sweetheart and so charming. I loved his heart and the love he had for his family and people. Him and Sirin have so much chemistry and their relationship was so fun to read. I cannot wait for everyone to read this book when it releases and to experience the world Kass has created!
Berne was a friggin sweetheart and so charming. I loved his heart and the love he had for his family and people. Him and Sirin have so much chemistry and their relationship was so fun to read. I cannot wait for everyone to read this book when it releases and to experience the world Kass has created!
November 22, 2023
Really Great!!
10/10 would recommend! I love everything about this book. If you’re someone in STEM or academia, I think you’ll especially appreciate this book. The romance between our main characters starts slow and then it reaches a fervour pitch. The spicy scenes are detailed, emotionally heartfelt, well written, and so cozy!
10/10 would recommend! I love everything about this book. If you’re someone in STEM or academia, I think you’ll especially appreciate this book. The romance between our main characters starts slow and then it reaches a fervour pitch. The spicy scenes are detailed, emotionally heartfelt, well written, and so cozy!
December 25, 2023
Absolutely amazing
The way the book is written is engaging and fun, and it almost has an autobiography feel to it (just a feeling that it was actually written by the character), but also not. The characters are extremely loveable and I cannot wait to read more of the series.
The way the book is written is engaging and fun, and it almost has an autobiography feel to it (just a feeling that it was actually written by the character), but also not. The characters are extremely loveable and I cannot wait to read more of the series.
March 17, 2025
In love with this series…
I can’t help but love Kass O’Shire’s writing in its complete uniqueness.
📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: A Polar Expedition by Kass O’Shire
📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Shades of Sanctuary character series. Book 1.
📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book on Kindle. 🆓 on KU.
📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Fantasy/paranormal romance
📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Strangers-to-lovers, adventure vibes, accidental mating bite, light but friendly stalking, slow burn.
📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Sirin is on a forbidden journey to track the source of the world’s magic. Berne is a guardian of that secret. But as he tracks her through the woods, and as she gets closer to an answer, he can’t help but fall for her.
🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: I feel a little unhinged by how much I like these books.
Kass O’Shire is a new-to-me author I discovered on the Instagram search page by some art I didn’t even understand at the time. It led me to read the third book in this series, and now I’m doubling back.
She writes in the most eclectic way. It’s hard to describe but it’s funny and FUN, and I absolutely love it. It feels like a fairytale from my childhood came alive and got an adult makeover.
Sirin and Berne were awesome to read. Berne is hilarious in a way that makes you wish you also knew a burly, funny polar bear shifter. Sirin is eccentric and adorable. There was almost no drama between them, and I loved that for myself.
I’m definitely going to finish this series, then wait patiently (read: not so patiently) for the new book in the series early next year.
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3.5/5 🌶🌶🌶
I can’t help but love Kass O’Shire’s writing in its complete uniqueness.
📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: A Polar Expedition by Kass O’Shire
📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Shades of Sanctuary character series. Book 1.
📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book on Kindle. 🆓 on KU.
📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Fantasy/paranormal romance
📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Strangers-to-lovers, adventure vibes, accidental mating bite, light but friendly stalking, slow burn.
📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Sirin is on a forbidden journey to track the source of the world’s magic. Berne is a guardian of that secret. But as he tracks her through the woods, and as she gets closer to an answer, he can’t help but fall for her.
🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: I feel a little unhinged by how much I like these books.
Kass O’Shire is a new-to-me author I discovered on the Instagram search page by some art I didn’t even understand at the time. It led me to read the third book in this series, and now I’m doubling back.
She writes in the most eclectic way. It’s hard to describe but it’s funny and FUN, and I absolutely love it. It feels like a fairytale from my childhood came alive and got an adult makeover.
Sirin and Berne were awesome to read. Berne is hilarious in a way that makes you wish you also knew a burly, funny polar bear shifter. Sirin is eccentric and adorable. There was almost no drama between them, and I loved that for myself.
I’m definitely going to finish this series, then wait patiently (read: not so patiently) for the new book in the series early next year.
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3.5/5 🌶🌶🌶
April 14, 2025
Read 12% and then skimmed. Mixed feelings on this one. I liked the idea of the characters but the book felt very rushed at the start with the inciting incident happening with the MFC in first 2-5% of the book. I barely know our main character so this felt way too soon cause I didn’t care about how the inciting incident changes her life for her to go on her grand adventure.
The story telling also felt… odd. I understand that the author is going for a sort of post research expedition vibe but the constant footnotes starting right in the beginning were distracting to me and disrupted the flow. The voice of the footnotes were written in felt very different from the rest of the book. Best description I have is like when fanfic authors in the early 2010s would have their main fanfic chapters and then bonus material with crack conversations with the characters and often themselves too. This could have worked but the rest of the story is not meta enough to mesh well imo
The smut was not what I usually look for, it was very very wordy and yet also didn’t actually use most of those words to describe the actions of the smut so any hot things just felt bogged down. 🤷♀️
The story telling also felt… odd. I understand that the author is going for a sort of post research expedition vibe but the constant footnotes starting right in the beginning were distracting to me and disrupted the flow. The voice of the footnotes were written in felt very different from the rest of the book. Best description I have is like when fanfic authors in the early 2010s would have their main fanfic chapters and then bonus material with crack conversations with the characters and often themselves too. This could have worked but the rest of the story is not meta enough to mesh well imo
The smut was not what I usually look for, it was very very wordy and yet also didn’t actually use most of those words to describe the actions of the smut so any hot things just felt bogged down. 🤷♀️
January 25, 2024
I want to start by saying I was OBSESSED with the second book in this series. The first book is a pretty different vibe.
⭐️ 3.5 “according to my research…” stars ⭐️
This story follows Sirin, a loner magician, who sets off on a potentially lethal quest to find the source of all magic. It also features Berne, a polar bear shifter who is sworn to protect the secret behind source of all magic. ✨ Insert sparks here.
This book is a slow burn (very slow) with very long chapters about walking through the woods — the main characters feeling each other out from afar. Berne is in his bear form for half of the story; it takes them a while to even meet.
Overall I loved the world and the concept, but not the pacing or the characters’ chemistry. But — I really have to say it again — worth it to get to book 2. 😌
High-level themes / tropes:
Cozy gaslamp fantasy
Loveable Himbo
Cinnamonroll characters
Mates / Mating Bites
Shifters
Magic system
🪢 ing
⭐️ 3.5 “according to my research…” stars ⭐️
This story follows Sirin, a loner magician, who sets off on a potentially lethal quest to find the source of all magic. It also features Berne, a polar bear shifter who is sworn to protect the secret behind source of all magic. ✨ Insert sparks here.
This book is a slow burn (very slow) with very long chapters about walking through the woods — the main characters feeling each other out from afar. Berne is in his bear form for half of the story; it takes them a while to even meet.
Overall I loved the world and the concept, but not the pacing or the characters’ chemistry. But — I really have to say it again — worth it to get to book 2. 😌
High-level themes / tropes:
Cozy gaslamp fantasy
Loveable Himbo
Cinnamonroll characters
Mates / Mating Bites
Shifters
Magic system
🪢 ing
February 21, 2024
I wanted to enjoy this book so much more than I did :( I love a dumb gas lamp fantasy, and there were so many elements of this where I was like oooh. But the execution and aesthetic choices of the world building, the romance and the pacing of the plot really dragged. Such a shame, this had the making of a book I could have really enjoyed reading
June 14, 2023
This was such an enjoyable read! Bern is such a precious bean and Sirin's quirks truly endeared me to her character. I'm intrigued to see what Kassie has in mind for the next book 🥰
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