*See all the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection HERE.*
Samson and Delilah meets Jack and the Beanstalk in this cozy, epic fantasy romance.
She's a Fae Enchantress who'll betray him for restitution. He's a Condemned Angel who will bewitch her for his freedom.
After the angels caused Daliah's family to flee Sèlie lands to seek refuge in Un'Sèlie, she understood why Fae never made bargains with the angels. So when the angels summon her for a hired job, she's quick to deny them.
Until they make her an offer she can't refuse.
In a tower above the angelic kingdom of Avari, is bound a Condemned angel, imprisoned for high treason. Before he's executed, the Sky Watchers need to know the secret to his power.
Daliah has one job to Betray the Condemned and her name will be cleared so she can return home to the Sèlie kingdom.
But what will she do when she's sent to the sky tower and the Condemned seduces her first?
Bound by Watchers is book 3 in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection. These books are all standalones written by your favorite fantasy authors and are the perfect read for your summer vacation. Prepare to be swept away into magical worlds with tropes you obsess over and swoon-worthy romance.
-3.75 stars I actually really liked this short story! The tension between the mcs was great and I liked the writing a lot. The only thing that is keeping me from a 4 star is the ending. It was a bit fast for my liking.
This is one of eleven novellas in The Starry Kingdoms of the Fae series written by different indie authors. They are all stand alones and can be read in any order. You need to know that this is a novella. It is meant to be a short story where the pace is fast and there isn’t a lot of in depth description of characters and world building. Yes, there will be unanswered questions and plot holes to get you to read other books by the author. I personally love novellas because they give you a taste of the author’s writing style and you can read them in one to two sittings.
This is a retelling of Sampson & Delilah mixed with Jack and the Beanstalk. I didn’t k now this going in and it made it even better because I had no idea what to expect. This fantasy romance features angels and fae. The vibe kind of reminded me of the Hush, Hush series in a way. I loved the enemies to lovers romance and the banter between the characters. I have yet to read any other of this author’s books, but I love the world she created. There were a lot of terms and different languages that she made up which is hard to do in a novella because you don’t have a lot of space to explain. I will definitely check out her other books!
So far I’m loving all the books in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae series. Each are a unique standalone book. This one features angels and Fae. Our main characters are Fae and angel. Daliah is a Fae. She is an enchantress. Zhèmson is an Angel. He used to be a judge before he was bound to the tower. The sky watchers want his power. They come to Daliah with a bargain. The bargain is to good to pass up. She must learn of Zhèmson secret to his power and report it to them. If she succeeds she will be able to go home. Zhèmson knows why Daliah is there. He likes to play games. His favorites are riddles. Daliah is going to seduce Zhèmson in telling her all of f his secrets. But this is proving harder than she thought. More so has they start to fall for each other. Will Daliah still betray Zhèmson or will her feelings for him change her mind? Check out this story to see what happens with Daliah and Zhèmson. Also check out the other stories in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae books.
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜ I liked Daliah so much. When we first met her, the encounter gives off a sensual air even tho there was nothing sensual in the scene, but the way she was thinking and doing things and handling the people was definitely out of the ordinary. She was sure of herself, she knew what she had to do and how to talk and I loved her job and the explanations she was offering regarding the job. Zhemson seems to be a different type of angel, he is in the beginning very mysterious, strong, and handsome and his past is clouded in so many shadows that are slowly revealed along the way. I loved how such a big strong and pretty murderous angel can be so soft and loving toward Daliah. These two characters grabbed my heart from the very beginning and I loved they had a happy ending.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜ The world is very rich and complex and when Daliah first entered the other cosm, the way she reacted towards that world was the same way I reacted too. I felt a bit emotional because it was described so beautifully, almost like entering heaven. I enjoyed getting the information about their strange creatures too which seemed pretty funny considering they could answer back and be sarcastic lol. And also the tower was so magical, magical scrolls that just show the text on them was making me want some for myself too.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜ I loved the characters and the way they were built. I felt they were already properly fleshed out without anything additional needed. Their banter was delicious, I loved the way Daliah was standing up for herself even tho Zhemson could've evaporated her with a thought if he wanted to. I loved how he fell first for her, how he was slowly losing himself in her own being, and how everything came to a happy ending. I loved their happy ending and how everything got resolved in the end. There were definitely some emotional scenes in such a short book, they were pretty emotional because they were experienced through Zhemson, a murderous creature, big and strong as him being brought to his knee was definitely a strong scene. I loved the Queen Charlotte vibes from the book even tho they weren't royalty (not all of them at least) but the banter between them when they'd rather tear their clothes off, the tower for themselves, and time spent in each other's company were delicious! You'll find tropes such as: enemies to lovers, pet name, he falls first
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜ There is spice in the books but there's no sex on the page, it is mentioned but nothing is explicit but the details are giving you enough to let your imagination roam, but the sexual tension was on point :>. Possible triggers are blood, killings, abuse, kidnapping, and also forcing themselves on Daliah (which didn't actually happen but it was implied it might).
Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “Bound by Watchers" by Stephanie Bwabwa
Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.
Daliah is an enchantress who, despite being the go-to enchantress in the Unseelie realm for potions, is often taken for granted and belittled by male customers. When the angels known as Sky Watchers offer a deal with the promise of being relieved from exile, she takes the offer without hesitation. The mission? Seduce an imprisoned angel known as The Dominant into revealing the secrets of his power before he's sentenced to death. Upon her arrival to the floating tower in which the Dominant resides, she soon realizes that the angel is far more cunning and harder to seduce than she thought. Will Daliah be able to complete her mission or will she find that this very angel completes her?
Stephanie BwaBwa is known for coming up with the most elaborate Fantasy Romance retellings and spins on biblical texts. Her work incorporates a combination of Christian Angelical Lore and Faerie Folklore/Fairy Tales. For this "Starry Kingdoms of the Fae" story, she effectively combines the biblical tale of "Samson and Delilah" and "Jack and the Beanstalk". Through her allegorical characters, Zhémson and Daliah, she translates an important lesson from the Bible in a way that connects with all audiences.The lesson? We are all prone to mistakes and errors in life.
What's important is how we learn from our mistakes and how we encourage our loved one to learn from their mistakes as well. We are not perfect, but we do the best we can to do good for the ones we love and ourselves, and whoever you believe in, they too will love you for being human and doing your best. Zhémson and Daliah's chemist was the perfect mix of complex and wholesome. The gradual enemies-to-lovers, while having their difficulties at first, effectively play off each other with their witty banter, sun/moon like personalities, and suggestively steamy tension. One can say that their relationship is equivalent to that of Hercules and Megara from the Disney animated film "Hercules". If you love a Fantasy Romance book with a powerful message and biblical retellings that promote a sense of inclusivity, patience, and love, don't miss this book in the "Starry Kingdoms of the Fae" anthology series when it hits online shelves June 16th, 2023!
Spice Meter: 4/5🌶🌶🌶🌶 Rating: 4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Tropes to Expect: Christian Fairy Tale, He Falls First, Forced Proximity, Magical Tower, Faeries, Angels, Angelic Kingdom, Secrets and Lies, and Enemies-to-Lovers!
- Trigger Warnings: Mentions/Implications of Harassment.
What an amazing portrayal of Jack and the bean stalk! Loved how this author did it, and definitely looking forward to reading more from her. Another low spice book, but extremely cute
Captivating retelling of Delilah and Samson & Jack and the Beanstalk.
Be prepared for a high paced, enemies to lovers, instant love, who did this to you, romantasy novella. Set in a complex but intriguing world with strong willed and interesting characters, this story is a refreshing take on two well known tales you don’t encounter often as retellings. I absolutely adored both main characters. Their characters are well fleshed out and will do whatever it takes to protect the ones they love (whether these actions and decisions are morally grey and filled with betrayal or not). There are also various spicy scenes to be found in this book. The way these are depicted is really fitting for the relationship development and their underlying feelings, attraction and struggles. The only downside was the complexity of the names and world system. As the story progress you get more and more information to understand everything, but some classifications and stuff remain a mystery even at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I really loved the complexity and depth of it, I just could have used some more explanations (maybe this could be resolved by adding some kind of glossary).
I will definitely check out some of the author’s other books, because she grabbed my attention with her writing style and made me very curious about the broader world of Elledelle.
Zhemson was shackled and chained to a tower after coming down to investigate fae who then betrayed him to Sky Watchers that chained him to a tower so that he could not escape and try to get the secrets of his power. Daliah is sent by these Sky Watchers to seduce and trick Zhemson into telling her his secret. Daliah is ready to do this and clear her mother’s name not realizing that maybe there’s something more going on here and that Zhemson may not be Condemned like the Sky Watchers claim.
This was a VERY fast read! At least for me! I really enjoyed it though! It’s a Samson and Delilah retelling which I don’t think I’ve ever read a retelling of that, and so it was very enjoyable to read this take on their story. I really liked the banter, and the world is very elaborate with its own language. I wanted to explore more of this world, but this novella gives you a nice taste of it.
The romance did feel a bit rushed for me and I know it’s a novella and so it will be quick, but this one did not really have a build up for me and Daliah was supposed to be with Zhemson for a year…it felt like a week and they were in love. So, it just wasn’t very believable for me. It is definitely the steamiest so far in this cleaner romance series. Nothing explicit, but those kisses! Definitely searing!
Aside from the rather fast romance, I really liked this story and look forward to reading more from this world! I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Enemies to Lovers ✅ Great Banter ✅ Forced Proximity ✅ Gorgeous Angelic Man ✅ Beautiful Fae Woman ✅ Touch her and die ✅ Spicy 🔥🔥🔥 ✅ Magical world & new language ✅ Falling in love in a library
I do not give 5 stars often but this novella had me hooked the very first chapter. Fantasy can be so hard to read at first because of the new language used and the world building but I felt none of that with this book. Stephanie has a beautiful way of easing you into the world that makes it understandable and exciting.
The witty banter and sexual tension between Daliah and Zhèmson had me 🫠🫠. Zhèmson is a protective Angel (literally) who is held prisoner in a tower. Daliah is a gorgeous temptress of a fae who is tasked with learning his secrets. His pet names and way with words had me SWOONING! And let's talk about the character art because wow is it amazing.
I wish I could have read this as a full length novel because I wanted to stay with this story for longer. I was so excited at the end to see that Stephanie would be expanding the world and writing more stories in it. I will absolutely be reading all her other series as well.
Thank you so much for sending me this arc and allowing me to share my honest review.
Bound By Watchers by Stephanie BwaBwa is book 3 in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection. These books are all standalones. This one is an Epic Angels & Fae Fairytale Fantasy Romance. This is the first time I’m reading a book by this author, it was so well done I highly doubt it will be the last. I also found this retelling to be really interesting… Samson and Delilah meets Jack and the Beanstalk. There was so much going with it from humor to banter. I love me some feisty enemies to lovers. This is a quick page-turning read that absolutely packs a punch.
I absolutely loved the characters of Delilah and Zhemson… She's a Fae Enchantress and he’s a Condemned Angel. I loved reading them come together! It was so good! You absolutely need to check this book out!
I didn’t ever think I needed a Samson & Delilah retelling mashup with Jack and the Beanstalk with vibes of Hercules & Meg and Beauty and the Beast but…. Here we are! I needed it and loved it! This novella is really a toe dip into a much bigger story but it sure does make you want to do a cannon ball right into it. The language is a bit more high fantasy than I expected and at times made the flow a bit difficult to follow or made me pause to figure out a word. Stephanie does provide context clues. I just wanted to share that this reads a little more like high fantasy than fantasy light. The love story is interesting, has nice pacing, and has good tension. Although this is a novella it has good build up. I recommend this read for a fairytale style retelling with a hint of spice.
What a good treat. Absolutely loved this story! The more I read from this stand alone series the more I keep loving it. Stephanie BwaBwa did a FANTASTIC job at creating such a beautiful imperfect world of angels and faes. I fell in love with Zhèmson and Daliah. Their story was based on a bargain, to fail from the beginning. Fate had other plans for them, through the pains and struggles they continued to come back to one another. Their love kept getting stronger. Daliah struggled with wanting to restore her family name and getting her store back in exchange for her betrayal against Zhèmson.
Will their love be stronger then her need to restore her family name? Or will she risk it all? Find out within the pages of this beautifully written fantasy story. I fully recommend this book.
This story has such wonderful characters and great world building! It’s a Samson and Delilah retelling and it’s funny and steamy! This is an enemies to lovers story and the banter is so good. I could see this story in my head as I was reading it. This is the 3rd book I’ve read for a booktour and every single book just gets better and better. The spicy scenes aren’t descriptive but you can absolutely get the point. Zhemson and Deliah are too cute and you will absolutely fall in love with these characters and there’s even a few you’ll love to hate! Highly recommend this book, well the entire series so far! Lol
I'm not sure what to say with this one. This is the second book I've read in the starry kingdoms of the fae world and my mind and heart are blown.
For starters, this is a Jack and the beanstalk retelling (which I have never read before so this was a first) and I loved the aspects of the fairytale mixed with this story. Even with fade to black scenes, the characters have so much tension between the two of them I never got bored (heck I finished this book in one sitting... that's saying something)
I think you'll find this story to be sweet and romantic with a little bit of spice and adventure. I throughly enjoyed this story and am so glad I had the chance to read it.
I received an ebook arc in exchange for my honest review. These are all my own thoughts and opinions.
Angels, fae, and Jack and the Bean Stock? Yes please. I enjoyed this read. It felt unique and interesting. This was my first book of Stephanie’s and I would definitely read more of her work. I did want the enemies to last a little longer until they were lovers. And the dialogue got a little cheesy for my taste, but it wasn’t too bad. I liked the little twists and how things in our world were similar, but tweaked a bit. Like “Yulnicorns”. I loved that. I loved the writing style and can’t wait to read another of her books.
Deliah is a Selie fae living in the Un’Selie lands as an enchantress. When Sky Watchers appear and offer to clear her name in the Selie realm if she does their bidding, she accepts. As a result, she’s taken to live with Zhemson, a condemned angel, and forced to uncover his secret. But will she be seduced by him before she can manage to uncover the secret that allows her to access her freedom?
Bound by Watchers is a novella in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae series. A fast-paced story with some twists and turns including two MCs with sordid pasts – bent on clearing their name. I loved the world and the creatures within it. Enemies to lovers, betrayal, forced proximity – this story has it all.
Special thanks to the author for this ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.
The third standalone fantasy-romance in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection, this story draws inspiration from the tale of "Samson and Delilah" and "Jack and the Beanstalk," this novella-sized adventure delivers a fast-paced story perfect for a summer beach read.
This is the story of Daliah, a fae enchantress and a Condemned Angel imprisoned for high treason. Seeking the secret of the Condemned's powers, the other angels send the fae woman into the tower to seduce the secrets from him. Given the story's brevity, the plot moves swiftly, which means there is an instant attraction between Daliah and the Condemned despite their lack of trust.
This novella succeeds in delivering an enjoyable reading experience, especially for those seeking a light-hearted escape or palate cleanser between heavier novels.
Thank you for the eARC, these opinions are my own.
Going back into the #starrykingdomsofthefae we have Bound by Watchers by Stephanie Bwabwa.
This one . . . the world building 🤌🤌🤌!!! It is on the shorter side, but this world was so beautifully fleshed out.
To help her family, Dahlia agrees to spend 1 year inside a tower with a Condemned prisoner and find out the secret of his ether (magic). Forced Proximity and a spicy FMC make this a great addition to the fantasy shelves. It was beautiful. I can't explain enough. The mix of classic fae and overall a new fantasy world to fall into ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
This is the third release in the eleven book series for the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae. I have been really enjoying all these books so far that I have read. This one was a retelling of Samson and Delilah and Jack and the Beanstalk. This made this story even more interesting to me. You have angels and fae, enemies to lovers, and banter to die for. This is a novella, just like all the other books in this series, so a fast pace is expected. There was unique languages and the world was amazing to read about. Definitely loved reading it.
Bound by Watchers is the third in the 11 book collection of standalone novellas, Starry Kingdoms of the Fae.
I absolutely loved it and could see the biblical themes throughout the entire novella.
Daliah is a fierce independent Fae who just wants what was wrongly taken from her when her mother was outcasted from the Sélie court.
Zhémson is a Domenent (Angel) who has been exiled into a makeshift prison while his enemies try to figure out the source of his ether.
This enemies to lovers is definitely a “he falls first” with forced proximity, which are three of my faaaave tropes. It’s the perfect mix of biblical retelling and fantasy romance. It’s now available to buy and is also on KU.
I adored this story so much! This is my first book from Stephanie and I really enjoyed her writing.
>>Enemies to lovers >He Falls First >> Possessive Male >Forced Proximity >>Why Are You Like This >Banter >>Fae and Angels >Magical Tower >> Samson and Delilah meets Jack and the Beanstalk
All the fun tropes and themes in this one! And the relationship between Zhèmson and Daliah was just *chefs kiss* so perfectly written between a stabby woman and a grumpy male. Also, their magical world just sounds, well magical. I want to live there.
My first time reading anything by Stephanie and I freaking loved it. The world building through the point of views of both Zhèmson and Daliah was well done and wonderful place to escape to.
I enjoyed watching these two go from enemies to lovers and the witty banter was extremely entertaining. I love it!
I will be reading more of Stephanie’s work and do highly recommend check this novella out. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this Samson and Delilah retelling. There was love, loss, revenge, and some betrayal. Daliah makes a bargain with the Angels to find out the secret to the Condemned Angels powers to gain her freedom back and return to her home. Along the way, these two enemies find love, albeit some betrayal, with one another they never knew could be.
A Samson and Delilah retelling mixed with jack and the bean stalk mixed with mystery, angels, and fae. Samantha does a great job building this world.
Daliah is a fae living in Un’sélie land sent to seduce Zhemsen. If she succeeds at her mission, she’ll be rewarded. What’s more important, restoring their former glory in the Sélie lands or her heart?
It was slow at first, but once the main characters started interacting, it was a very sweet and interesting read. I loved the romance between the characters and their internal conflicts that related to the story. This was a fun read and recommended when it comes out on Jun 16th!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was my first read by this author and I loved it! A fast, sweet romance that also had some suspense and a lot of action. Engaging from beginning to end. Can’t wait to read more by Stephanie Bwa Bwa!
I definitely enjoyed this book. It starts off immediately and pulls you in, wanting to know what in the world is happening. Fast-paced enemies to lovers with a lot of sass and playfulness. A beautiful world with beautiful characters.
This is my first read by Stephanie, and I absolutely love it. It was a fast-paced read. It quickly draws you in and keeps you wanting to know what happens next. I loved how Daliah and Zhemson relationship grows from enemies to lovers.
I received this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first time reading a biblical story retelling, and I found it quite cute and unexpectedly spicy. It also was not lacking in murder mayhem, banter, and betrayal. The world was pretty interesting, angels and fae and beanstalks. Oh my. A good one to add to your list.
As usual Stephanie delivers. I devoured this story, and the love these two have for each other and Alpha has for Zhemson was so… loving. Thank you for this story can’t wait for more.