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Stray Feathers: Extras from The Chaos Cycle
Not all love stories begin in the stars. Some begin in blood.
Miya and Kai were fated to cross paths, but that doesn’t make their shared road any easier. After the horrific events of Black Hollow, Miya Delathorne finds herself alone. Her only friend and ally: Kai Donovan, a man with a brutal past and a vicious streak to show for it.
They barely know one another, their future as murky as their roots, but the scorching chemistry between them leaves little room for doubt and even less for clothing. Love isn’t always pretty, but sometimes, it might be worth the trouble.
Miya and Kai have bested ancient gods and sinister hauntings, but can they conquer their greatest challenge yet: living together.
Stray Feathers is a collection of seven spicy slice-of-life stories from The Chaos Cycle Duology. Five stories take place after The Hollow Gods (#1) and two are slotted after The Echoed Realm (#2). Familiarity with at least book 1, The Hollow Gods, is strongly recommended. Available only on author's website.
Miya and Kai were fated to cross paths, but that doesn’t make their shared road any easier. After the horrific events of Black Hollow, Miya Delathorne finds herself alone. Her only friend and ally: Kai Donovan, a man with a brutal past and a vicious streak to show for it.
They barely know one another, their future as murky as their roots, but the scorching chemistry between them leaves little room for doubt and even less for clothing. Love isn’t always pretty, but sometimes, it might be worth the trouble.
Miya and Kai have bested ancient gods and sinister hauntings, but can they conquer their greatest challenge yet: living together.
Stray Feathers is a collection of seven spicy slice-of-life stories from The Chaos Cycle Duology. Five stories take place after The Hollow Gods (#1) and two are slotted after The Echoed Realm (#2). Familiarity with at least book 1, The Hollow Gods, is strongly recommended. Available only on author's website.
- GenresFantasy
135 pages, Paperback
Published August 26, 2022
2 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Vrana
8 books299 followersA. J. Vrana is a Serbian-Canadian academic and writer from Toronto, Canada. She lives with her rescue cats, Moonstone and Peanut Butter, who nest in her window-side bookshelf and cast judgmental stares at nearby pigeons. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, and her doctoral research examines the supernatural in Japanese and former Yugoslavian literature and its relationship to modern nation-building and historiography. A. J. Vrana's published works include the Indie Author Project-winning Chaos Cycle Duology: The Hollow Gods (2020) and The Echoed Realm (2021), the companion novel Wildblood (2024) from Parliament House Press, and the romantic short story collection, Stray Feathers: Extras from The Chaos Cycle (2022). Her short fiction includes “These Silent Walls” (2020) printed in Three Crows Magazine, and “Sapling” (2023) from Clan Destine Press’ horror anthology This Fresh Hell.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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April 16, 2023This little book has been out for a bit, but I have been slow to put it on Goodreads! This is the perfect companion piece for those of you want more from Miya and Kai's relationship from The Chaos Cycle.
Stray Feathers is a collection of seven spicy slice-of-life stories from The Chaos Cycle Duology. Five stories take place after The Hollow Gods (#1) and two are slotted after The Echoed Realm (#2). Familiarity with at least book 1, The Hollow Gods, is strongly recommended. Stray Feathers is only available on my website, linked below!
https://thechaoscycle.com/product/str...
The stories include:
- Wrecking a fancy hotel room
- Bar bets and backstory
- Body and sex positivity
- Risque liaisons
- Haunted house shenanigans
- Emotional processing
- Banter, banter, banter.
Stray Feathers is a collection of seven spicy slice-of-life stories from The Chaos Cycle Duology. Five stories take place after The Hollow Gods (#1) and two are slotted after The Echoed Realm (#2). Familiarity with at least book 1, The Hollow Gods, is strongly recommended. Stray Feathers is only available on my website, linked below!
https://thechaoscycle.com/product/str...
The stories include:
- Wrecking a fancy hotel room
- Bar bets and backstory
- Body and sex positivity
- Risque liaisons
- Haunted house shenanigans
- Emotional processing
- Banter, banter, banter.
April 17, 2023
This is all the extra bits you need and want after the main duology. It's like a spicy day in the life tidbits that give you insight into how Kai and Miya get on together. The first 5 chapters take place in between The Hollow Gods and The Echoed Realm and give you an idea of what the 2 were up to during that time and how their relationship was beginning to grow. Yes these are technically "extras" but they offer so much in terms of helping us get to know Kai and Miya on a much more personal level when they're not saving people and each other.
May 15, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
April 16, 2023
AJ Vrana did us the biggest solid ever writing this book. Its cozy in a way you can expect with a near feral wolf man. Seven chapters with adventures that leave you with a better understanding of the MCs and your face feeling hot. 😅
So if you have been looking at The Chaos Cycle, make sure you don't skip Stray Feathers to complete your romance puzzle. Because there's always questions with these two!
What happens when fated mates don’t have a potentially fatal mystery to solve? A different sort of chaos. Can Miya and Kai handle the ins and outs of mundane life? Let’s find out.
Read if you like: The Chaos Cycle Duology (a requirement), adult paranormal romance, adult fantasy, slice of life, shifter romance, witchy romance, spicy stories, bonus scenes, personal growth
Stray Feathers is a compilation of seven slice-of-life adventures with Miya and Kai. This novella is spicy and sweet, it covers a lot of little relationship quirks that don’t quite fit within the chilling tales of The Hollow Gods and The Echoed Realm. Possession really does take priority, you know. Follow our dangerous duo as they navigate life in their own unique ways and learn about each other as they go.
I adore this book. She is small and mighty and does a lot of heavy lifting with Miya and Kai’s relationship. We get to see them in their awkward beginnings where they learn each other’s limits. How this fresh attraction opens into something deeper than they expected to find. And yes, it’s spicy. Every chapter gives us the perfect setup to see a glimpse into the variation of their lives and their growth as a couple. And their physicality is never the problem.
We get fun times, tough times, crazy times, and even some friend times. With each story you see another facet of this couple and can’t hope but wish for more. So yes, it hits all the right spots and satisfies a craving for romance. BUT, in her compelling way, AJ leaves us wanting more of these poignant and real characters. And lucky for us, there’s more on the way!
So if you have been looking at The Chaos Cycle, make sure you don't skip Stray Feathers to complete your romance puzzle. Because there's always questions with these two!
What happens when fated mates don’t have a potentially fatal mystery to solve? A different sort of chaos. Can Miya and Kai handle the ins and outs of mundane life? Let’s find out.
Read if you like: The Chaos Cycle Duology (a requirement), adult paranormal romance, adult fantasy, slice of life, shifter romance, witchy romance, spicy stories, bonus scenes, personal growth
Stray Feathers is a compilation of seven slice-of-life adventures with Miya and Kai. This novella is spicy and sweet, it covers a lot of little relationship quirks that don’t quite fit within the chilling tales of The Hollow Gods and The Echoed Realm. Possession really does take priority, you know. Follow our dangerous duo as they navigate life in their own unique ways and learn about each other as they go.
I adore this book. She is small and mighty and does a lot of heavy lifting with Miya and Kai’s relationship. We get to see them in their awkward beginnings where they learn each other’s limits. How this fresh attraction opens into something deeper than they expected to find. And yes, it’s spicy. Every chapter gives us the perfect setup to see a glimpse into the variation of their lives and their growth as a couple. And their physicality is never the problem.
We get fun times, tough times, crazy times, and even some friend times. With each story you see another facet of this couple and can’t hope but wish for more. So yes, it hits all the right spots and satisfies a craving for romance. BUT, in her compelling way, AJ leaves us wanting more of these poignant and real characters. And lucky for us, there’s more on the way!
April 16, 2023
Stray Feathers is a companion piece of short "spicy slice of life" stories that is absolutely wonderful from front to back.
Each story is takes a different look at the relationship between Miya and Kai, putting them in new (though very normal) situations as they get to know each other and work through the every day drama of being together. Although each story has its own spicy content, the amazing star of the show is the absolutely pitch perfect character work. You get to know Miya and Kai, individually and together, in a way that only adds to the enjoyment of the main novels.
The stories range in focus from these two getting to knew each other in the wake of the first book, simply having a great time enjoying each other's company, to fighting it out as they learn how to get along. The story where they absolutely *demolish* a fancy hotel room is a personal favourite!
It is best read after having at least gone through The Hollow Gods, and makes a great in-between piece before picking up the sequel, The Echoed Realm!
Each story is takes a different look at the relationship between Miya and Kai, putting them in new (though very normal) situations as they get to know each other and work through the every day drama of being together. Although each story has its own spicy content, the amazing star of the show is the absolutely pitch perfect character work. You get to know Miya and Kai, individually and together, in a way that only adds to the enjoyment of the main novels.
The stories range in focus from these two getting to knew each other in the wake of the first book, simply having a great time enjoying each other's company, to fighting it out as they learn how to get along. The story where they absolutely *demolish* a fancy hotel room is a personal favourite!
It is best read after having at least gone through The Hollow Gods, and makes a great in-between piece before picking up the sequel, The Echoed Realm!
October 6, 2023
I snagged a copy of this book at Apollycon and just got around to reading it as part of my October spooky reads challenge. I devoured The Choas cycle last year and was eager to jump back into the world of the Dreamwalker and her Wolf. This collection of short stories delves deep into the relationship between Kai and Miya and how they navigate each other without a possession and angry townspeople.
Some of these stories take place after the events of The Hollow Gods and helps solidify the relationship between Kai and Miya. They're like little slice of life stories that set up the events of The Echoed Realm but they also continue on after. These two have to maneuver around each other's quirks and wants out of the relationship and each other. Because deep down? Is their shared trauma enough to keep them together or is there a deeper understanding of each other under that keeps them together?
I really enjoyed this. If you're a fan of the Chaos Cycle then you will love this like I did. Kai and Miya are the perfect amount of weird and endearing and I loved being able to see them doing day to day things (and not so day to day things). 10/10 if you can snag a copy do it!
Some of these stories take place after the events of The Hollow Gods and helps solidify the relationship between Kai and Miya. They're like little slice of life stories that set up the events of The Echoed Realm but they also continue on after. These two have to maneuver around each other's quirks and wants out of the relationship and each other. Because deep down? Is their shared trauma enough to keep them together or is there a deeper understanding of each other under that keeps them together?
I really enjoyed this. If you're a fan of the Chaos Cycle then you will love this like I did. Kai and Miya are the perfect amount of weird and endearing and I loved being able to see them doing day to day things (and not so day to day things). 10/10 if you can snag a copy do it!
August 20, 2025
This book wasn’t exactly a necessary read for the duology, but I just wasn’t ready to let go of Miya and Kai after finishing The Chaos Cycle. This read really just made my heart feel good, and it was a nice way to spend a little more time with these characters I’ve grown attached to, and get to know them a little better—as a couple, and as individuals.
If you’ve read the duology and find yourself missing the world and its cast, I definitely recommend picking this up. It’s not essential to the main story, but it makes the goodbye a little easier and it's a pretty quick read. I paced myself a bit so I didn't fly through though, reading a chapter every few days when the mood struck. Now, I’m finally ready to dive into Wildblood—though I already know I’ll be sad all over again when it’s over.
If you’ve read the duology and find yourself missing the world and its cast, I definitely recommend picking this up. It’s not essential to the main story, but it makes the goodbye a little easier and it's a pretty quick read. I paced myself a bit so I didn't fly through though, reading a chapter every few days when the mood struck. Now, I’m finally ready to dive into Wildblood—though I already know I’ll be sad all over again when it’s over.
March 1, 2025
This is literally just seven short stories of times when Kai and/or Miya are finally not possessed and/or imminently in danger of being murdered, so, they be fuckin. And good for them. I was a big fan of the one where they absolutely demolish the expensive hotel room, and the haunted house one. We love a good haunted house scene, am I right?
Most of these take place during the three years between book one and two of the duology, so if you were wondering how we went from Miya being a not-so-shy virgin near the end of book one to Kai tying her up with his belt in a motel room at the beginning of book two...this is how lol.
Most of these take place during the three years between book one and two of the duology, so if you were wondering how we went from Miya being a not-so-shy virgin near the end of book one to Kai tying her up with his belt in a motel room at the beginning of book two...this is how lol.
November 19, 2024
4.5 stars
Kai gave a joking wince. "Don't know how to tell you this, but I'm pretty sure your propriety's been MIA since you visited my den of sin out the woods. "
Miya snickered. "More like your ramshackle of sin."
"Whatever. Same shit, just less durable."
She grinned ear to ear. "Like your table?"
Kai's eyes narrowed to slits as he snagged her bottom lip with his teeth. "My table was made for sandwiches, not blasphemies."
Kai gave a joking wince. "Don't know how to tell you this, but I'm pretty sure your propriety's been MIA since you visited my den of sin out the woods. "
Miya snickered. "More like your ramshackle of sin."
"Whatever. Same shit, just less durable."
She grinned ear to ear. "Like your table?"
Kai's eyes narrowed to slits as he snagged her bottom lip with his teeth. "My table was made for sandwiches, not blasphemies."
September 28, 2025
The last bit to wrap up Kai and Miya’s origin story. This is a novella that builds a little more depth with our lovebirds and includes a closer look at scenes in between the Chaos Cycle duology chapters. Spice in every chapter! I honestly loved this and it shows these two growing even more in their journey. Super fun little extra! 5/5 ⭐️
April 17, 2023
Such a great addition to the Echoed Realm duology! It adds so much more depth to the characters and emotion to their relationship. The added spice is also a tasty treat!!
The duology is amazing on its own but these extras give that little bit more that I didn't know I needed from the story!
The duology is amazing on its own but these extras give that little bit more that I didn't know I needed from the story!
October 25, 2024
I love this added look into Kai and Miya’s growing relationship when they’re not in dire situations or fighting for their lives. It’s cozy, it’s sweet, and delectably spicy. A wonderful little novella that enhances the reading experience in between or after reading the Chaos Cycle duology.
July 15, 2023
my absolutely favorite book ever
September 10, 2024
As someone who’s a manager at a haunted house I would not let Kai enter the building 👏 as a personal fan of Kai I would very much like for him to take me to a haunted house 🥵
October 27, 2024
Love it! Kai’s sense of humor and monologue is hilarious and adorable. I love his relationship with Miya. And Cheeto was the perfect touch in the book.
November 28, 2024
DAMN THIS WAS HOT.
January 1, 2025
Holy shit, that was HOT. All the sex, all the stars.
January 26, 2025
Kai Donovan I’m so in love with you.
November 19, 2024
These extra's are what made me fall in love with this couple!
I read them on patreon and just knew I needed this book for my home shelf I was over the moon when I saw the cover and the physical release.
It's raw, unhinged and so so sexy. To finally have those intimate moments when you can see them get closer made me wish the regular series was spicy.
I read them on patreon and just knew I needed this book for my home shelf I was over the moon when I saw the cover and the physical release.
It's raw, unhinged and so so sexy. To finally have those intimate moments when you can see them get closer made me wish the regular series was spicy.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews