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The Realm of Wind #1

Chained: The Realm of Wind

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Unveil the Secrets
Follow Your Heart
Embrace the Danger

Ellyana Harrow is an outcast. Born in a world of the fae and offered to the military of the Human Realm, her heritage made her a second-class citizen.
But despite her hardships, Ellyana rose through ranks to become one of the most talented intelligence officers in the kingdom.

Her latest assignment is a subject named Galenor, a fae from the Realm of Wind. She needs to spend a month locked in the same quarters as the fae, befriend the subject and extract any information she is ordered to. Ellyana thinks it will be a challenge, but what she doesn't expect is the way her heart races every time he is near.

With each passing day, the stakes grow higher and the danger more palpable. Ellyana must decide whether to follow her heart or her duty. And whatever choice she makes, the consequences will be devastating.

294 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2023

22 people are currently reading
398 people want to read

About the author

Xandra Noel

11 books163 followers
Emerging from a world where mythical beings still weave themselves into everyday life and traditions, Xandra Noel's roots run deep with fairy folklore. From her earliest days, she was immersed in tales of enchantment, heeding her grandmother's warnings against the lure of fairy rings.

Enter the realms of Xandra Noel's faerie tales and surrender to a new adventure. Prepare yourself for an escapade where every twist and turn reveals secrets longing to be unearthed and hearts yearning to be entwined.

Discover Xandra Noel's stories:
Tales of Earth and Leaves
The Realm of Wind

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5 stars
60 (38%)
4 stars
55 (35%)
3 stars
25 (16%)
2 stars
9 (5%)
1 star
5 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
Profile Image for Gaby McNeill.
1 review
December 17, 2023
I’m never trusting TikTok for a book recommendation ever again. This was the worst thing I have ever read. I desperately wanted to DNF but mama didn’t raise no quitter and also I wanted to leave a review. So here goes.

There’s absolutely zero plot, no world building to speak of, no character development. I didn’t know anything about the characters or their motivations or why they were doing what they were doing. They basically just went straight into s*x. The writing is so bad it’s actually unreadable in places because the sentence structure and grammar makes no sense. The author uses “fowl” at one point instead of “foul”. She also uses the R-slur out of nowhere which was a horrifying ableist slap in the face. The spicy scenes are not sexy at all - they’re so vulgar and the word choices made me cringe. In all fairness there was a good plot twist at the end but the rest of the book was so bad I didn’t even care about it.

I think it’s safe to say I will not be continuing this series.
Profile Image for Scottish Bookworm.
78 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2023
I received an ARC for an honest review.

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I couldn’t put this down. If you’re a sucker for a fae romance then you have to add this to your TBR immediately. It’s spicy, fast paced and information is drip fed to you to keep you guessing.

It has all your favourite tropes:

✅ forced proximity
✅ one bed
✅ enemies to lovers
✅ forbidden love

And that ending. Argh!!! The cliffhanger is painful. I can’t wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Shauna.
29 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2024
The frustration I feel after reading this book… I hate a cliff hanger! So mad for the FMC!

As I wasn’t a fan at some points, I’ve given it 3 stars (it would have been a 3 1/2 but GoodReads doesn’t give half stars)

Edit: after consideration and calming down, I’ve changed my rating to 4 stars. There were so many sections I enjoyed and found myself laughing to in this book, including the boob flash scene (iykyk)

As someone who easily predicts plots, I was quite thrown by the ending, and was very much p*ssed for Ellyana. But now that I’ve stopped feeling so angry for her, I’m now ready to see what the next book has in stall for her - where do I sign up? ✍️
Profile Image for Hannah.
117 reviews3 followers
October 31, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of Chained by Xandra. I was honestly left guessing at what was happening the whole time and totally didn’t expect that ending. The world and concept for this book was really new and different, which really kept me on edge throughout. I loved the chemistry between our two main characters and the progression in their relationship.
I NEED the next book now after that ending 😩 Another fantastic piece of writing from Xandra Noel
Profile Image for Hanna  (lapetiteboleyn).
1,601 reviews40 followers
June 17, 2024
Despite being deeply, deeply, predictable, I did actually find myself relaxing and enjoying this. It's engaging and fast, and I think it's helping me out of my current reading slump, which is nice.
Profile Image for Alicia Dunsmuir.
2 reviews
March 19, 2024
3 stars purely for the plot twist at end, hopefully gets better in book 2. Lots of issues with grammar, no plot, no world building.
Profile Image for AbbyStar04.
8 reviews1 follower
April 26, 2024
I loved this book! I finally got some time off of work and managed to eat up the rest of the book (I had got to page 50 between shifts) in less than 3 hours 🙈 Onto the second one!
Profile Image for Rachel .
176 reviews10 followers
January 2, 2024
I may be the first to rate who isn't an Arc reader 😂

I so wanted to love this book but it all felt very rushed. It was all very insta lovey and cringey. And for a novel so short it dragged! No world building, very little plot.

But now I'm confused because by the 85% mark I was ready to DNF but decided to skim read the rest.
Now, after skim reading the rest I don't know how to feel! Because the ending is a big twist and throws into question all the l reasons I rated it 3 stars! So is this actually a 3 star read? I really can't say LOL.

I can say this though, after the big plot twist do I feel like I need to know what happens next though? Not really and probably won't continue.
Profile Image for leena.reader.
454 reviews29 followers
November 7, 2023
This book was kindly sent to me by the author as en Ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

« Claiming me with savage desperation, like I was only his. His to have, his to own, his to possess. »

« Whatever happens, » his emerald eyes found mine, « you offered me more happiness than I ever hoped, and for that I am grateful. »

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: ARC Ebook
Pages: 252
Spice: 2 🌶️
POV: First POV
S/S: The Realm of the Wind #1
Check trigger warnings for any book

What start!!! Such an interesting way to use the Faerie world! I have to say I was intrigued right from the start. Having the female character be a badass in the military? Slay. Also she has a deep backstory.

The writing is enjoyable and makes falling into the story easy. I will say the world-building is very light, even the description of the enclosed space was very vague. I don’t know if this was a deliberate choice, but it made it difficult to imagine the rooms besides big blank spaces.

As for the plot, overall I enjoyed it. It felt quite unique to me. The only thing was that there wasn’t much plot happening in the middle of the book. The romance took over, which I don’t mind in general, it just felt very light on the plot. The ending? Loved it. I did guess it but not to that level. My heart broke. I can’t wait to see book two.

The romance was lovely, the spice was there. It did feel very fast, but considering the circumstances, I’ll allow it. Also, the fae natural powers with touch? Very naughty naughty.

Overall a good book to start off a fantasy romance series. I am hoping to get a bit more depth from the characters, deeper relationships as well as more world-building. But I think the plot will really flourish in this second book! I feel angst coming!! Can’t wait!

Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram
Profile Image for ꧁ Brutally Honest ꧂.
916 reviews33 followers
February 24, 2024
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book. I am debating if it should be 2 stars or if I’m feeling generous to give 3 stars for effort.

I listened on audible and I don’t know if the narrator didn’t express things correctly or if it was the writing, but dots weren’t connecting for me. It was off. Not bad, just wish it was more. :/ I was very confused if the FC was supposed to be not human or what. She made it seem like she was different. There was also a lot of repeating things over and over again. I think the author ran out of things to talk about because man…. I started to get irritated with how much the FC commented on how sexually skilled male fae are. Like girl we get it, you picked terrible bed partners. But it was so not necessary.

I got to chapter 16 then I just started skipping lol it was weird at one point they had sex the first time (and holy drawn out, this author needs to work on her sex scenes) then literally the next chapter they professed their love? Huh? Also, what was the plot? What were they striving for? And why is the MC being a prince bad?

I was confused by the end as well, is this a series? What the heck?! Yah I won’t be picking up book two but maybe I’ll read another book by this author after she figures out her groove. Maybe, but I doubt it lol
Profile Image for sophslilbookcorner.
432 reviews
January 25, 2024
Ellyana is a human trained to interrogate and has worked her way up the ranks regardless of the dislike and opinions of her so called 'comrades'.

She is sent on a mission designed to test her skills to the max by spending a month with a Fae. She has to get as much information out of him as possible to complete her mission. However, when she realises what her superiors are doing to him, she is forced to rethink everything she knows. It soon comes to choosing between her heart and everything she has worked for these past few years.

The only thing is - Galenor isn't all he appears to be. Hidden behind his smiles, charm and sex appeal is one of the greatest betrayals Ellyana will experience. She just doesn't realise until it is too late.

Chained is the first in a brand new series by Xandra and I thoroughly ejoyed it. The love, protection and betrayal kept me wanting more and I will definitely be continuing this series in the future.
Profile Image for Tazmin Thomas.
2 reviews
May 5, 2024
The twist at the end made it worth the read but lack of world building and the main characters are just not well developed.

Ellyana is meant to be the best or at least the top of her unit and she gets abused in her work place and then basically becomes the subject herself.

The twist is probably the only thing that saved this book, didn’t like the love interest he comes into the scene almost dying and then when she heals him he acts like a dick ?

I didn’t understand how Ellyana was in this facility with this guy she was meant to get information out of and he knew that’s what her job is ? Like I know this was a different trial but we don’t even know what the previous ones are like.

Lack of world building really let this book down, being this is my first fae book I really didn’t understand these realms and how the world operates ? Is this modern day or what?

I was able to push through it because it’s quite a small book luckily but I’m not sure if I’ll continue to book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gigitec.
4 reviews
May 30, 2024
Well after a very long reading slump I was recommended this book by and wow this book did not disappoint it this is a beautiful work of art characters that are so well written that you can't help but be drawn to them as you follow along.... in this spicy story that is story driven rather than having spice for the sake of it just being there . This book had me enthralled in its pages of in that when I finished this book, I cursed grabbed the second book from my book shelf and dove right back into this epic dark fae romance story this book series is quickly becoming my new favourite. The author is an absolutely beautiful person, so kind, and I am lucky enough to have spoken with her over live chat about her book. I urge anyone who likes dark fantasy romance or is just getting into them to buy this book it will not let you down, and itis so well written that you will struggle to put it down and have you on the edge of your seat .
Profile Image for Mel.
142 reviews9 followers
November 21, 2023
A book that hooked me right from the beginning!

Xandra has sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review and what can I say, I absolutely enjoyed this book!

‼️Before you start with the book I recommend checking the TW / Trigger Warnings‼️

Tropes:
-Forbidden romance
-Enemies to lovers
-Forced proximity
- One bed 🔥

This book follows the story of Ellyana Harrow, born in a Fae world and offered to the Human military.
Ellyana is one of the best and quickly rose through the ranks. Her latest assignment is Galenor, a Fae from the Realm of Wind. Her task is to spend time with him locked in the same quarters to befriend him and get as much information out of him as possible.
Catching feelings for him was definitely not on her list. The task she believed to be easy, turns into a tricky situation. Will she choose her heart over her duty? But one thing is for sure, whatever she decides it’s going to have devastating consequences.

The author transports me right into the faerie world with her tension-filled plot, beautifully written characters and plot twists that had me gasping for air!!
Ellyana is such a badass female lead. Once I’d started the book I really couldn’t put it down and was glued to the story!! I really can’t wait to see what will happen in the next book since this book finishes with a cliffhanger.
11 reviews
November 2, 2023
This book was an absolute delight, leaving me utterly captivated from start to finish. A delectable blend of fantasy, romance, and suspense, it's an effortless read that will keep you eagerly turning the pages. The chemistry between the fearless female main character and her enigmatic counterpart will leave you feeling hot under the collar, and the plot's twists and turns will keep you on a thrilling roller coaster ride. If you have a soft spot for Fae lore, a badass female lead, and a tension-filled, one-bed trope, this book is tailor-made for you. With a cliffhanger that leaves you yearning for more, I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment to discover the fate of Galenor and Elyanna in book 2.
Profile Image for Aminat.
45 reviews
January 20, 2024
5⭐️ 3🌶️


EXCUSE ME??????

Guys I have not much to say…read the damn book😭
This book was is beautiful and heart breaking at the same time, the spice was so worth it too.

It didn’t take me long to get into it to be honest, I would have finished this in one sitting if university and work did swamp my time.

I loved it so much, I finished it this morning, I haven’t had breakfast or NOTHING, I grabbed it and ATE up the last 100 pages I had!

I can’t say too much but oh my god! Oh my god!

All I can say is I never expected it at all, it’s so worth the read to find out why I’m in pain and currently in tears.

I need to get my hands on the second book, I’m not even joking!!!! I need it now!!!
Profile Image for Sammy Dodger.
2 reviews
February 12, 2024
I came across this author on TikTok & I had never purchased a book so quickly in my life.
I didn’t know what to expect all I knew was that it was a genre I liked.

This book was soo easy to read, the way the words flow together on a page as if they’ve came from my own brain was so satisfying!
The development of the characters from start to finish created a whole space in my brain & my heart.

I hated the cliffhanger but that’s because I didn’t want to have to wait to read what happens next 😂 what can I say I’m a selfish greedy girl!

I already have a few more books (the entire first book series) by this author & I can not wait to get started 💕
Profile Image for Veilofpain.
60 reviews2 followers
April 5, 2024
Wow wow wow wow wow I ate this up omg so good . I did message the author there is a wording in the book I feel really does not need to be there and is can be viewed as a slur to a certain demographic.

The story is amazing smut aside there is. Flowing story with more turns than a demented rollercoaster with no gps and a few tracks missing . Am I invested absolutely this book needs to be picked up by a bigger publisher and put everywhere. Would I love to be a beta reader omg yes ! I feel the font used in this printed is a bad choice it out spaces in whole words as someone with dyslexia it was hard to read at times .

Story wise it is brutal raw emotion and a sprinkle of insanity
Profile Image for Shannon Crichton.
19 reviews3 followers
November 17, 2023
First of all I need to say a huge thank you to this author for kindly sending me an ARC of this book.

Second of all, WOW.

I read this book in one sitting and I could not put it down, I will say that there were a few parts of this book that confused me and left me with a tonne of questions however the main character was equally confused which made her a whole lot more relatable but don't worry all of the questions do get answered well except one HUGE question but that is for the next book to explain to us.

The ending of this book left me literally gobsmacked and I had to re read the last chapter about 10 times to make sure that I was reading it properly! I cannot wait until I can get my hands on the next book because I need to know what on earth just happened!

Now onto the characters, when I tell you that I fell in love I genuinely mean I FELL in love, I loved the character development a lot but especially the way that the author established their relationship with each other which I felt was really important because for the most part of this book all the characters had were each other, and let me say, the spice was 👌.

If you are looking for any of the following then this book is for you:
Forced proximity
Dark fantasy
One bed trope
Nightmare troupe
PLOT TWISTS!
Bonded mates
Spiceeeee
Touch him and you unalive.

I would absolutely recommend this book and I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on it!
Profile Image for Jadenicreads.
123 reviews8 followers
November 17, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ I want to start of by saying thank you for letting be a ARC reader for this book! I will be giving my honest review.

This is a fantasy/romance book with human realms and faerie realms. You have a FMC and a MMC. Please check trigger warnings when comes to reading this book there is mention of abuse and abduction. This book does also contain smut.

I really enjoy this book, the plot, the characters, the story build up. The mention of the characters back stories was amazing. I loved the authors writing style and the storyline in general. I fell in love with the FMC and the MMC. I finished this book in a day I enjoyed it so much. But the plot twist near then end!! Did not expect this at all. I cannot wait for the second book to come out. Release date to this book is the 17th November I highly recommend this book if you love Romantasy and smut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lacey.
94 reviews4 followers
November 30, 2023
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Edit: Changing my review from 3.75 stars to 4 stars. This book was really good and I feel like I was a little harsh...

Yet again Xandra Noel has written another amazing book! Thank you for the ark copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, and managed to devour it in only a handful of days! The concept was really unique.

We follow Ellyana, a human in the human realm, who was desperate to be promoted to Major from Captain in the Military. Ellyana was super hardworking to try and get where she wanted to be and found herself on her next appointment trail assigned to a faerie. We follow her through her journey on this appointment trail with this faerie.

I didn't give this book 5 stars as I would've liked for the ending to have been a little longer to allow for us (the reader) to understand what was going on a little better. Maybe I'm just super slow, but I had to reread some of the last pages to grasp what was going on.

Would 100% recommend to lovers for fantasy/romance!
Profile Image for Maya.
2 reviews
December 21, 2024
After seeing this book all over my fyp on tiktok, I decided to give it a read.

I like the idea of the story, but I did struggle to not roll my eyes at some of the scenes in this book. It felt very rushed, one minute the two main characters are strangers the next they're in bed having sex. There's no tension build up between these characters and I feel everything could have been explored a little more.

The plot twist at the end was exciting, but I'm unsure if I want to continue the series if the second book is going to be as rushed.
Profile Image for Ali (Taylor’s version).
308 reviews12 followers
November 9, 2023
4,5⭐️

Ha sido el primer libro que he terminado tras un mes.
Estaba super enganchada desde el principio. La dinámica de la trama y los personajes me ha encantado.
Es como si juntaras lo mejor de Shatter me y The cruel prince y naciera Ellyana (FMC).
Por otra parte, no había leído ante nada igual en cuanto a SPOILERS —>estar encerrados juntos y no saber realmente lo que sucede fuera.

Por otro lado, sí que el romance TAN apasionado se me hizo súper rápido. Entiendo perfectamente porqué debe de ser así, pero bufff

Yyyy, lo más importante, el final. Me esperaba que terminaría de alguna manera parecida. Me ha gustado igualmente, pero no ha sido SUPER sorprendente…

Aunque no debo mentiros, ha sido una de las mejores colabs que he leído desde hace mucho y me ha encantado.

**He recibido una copia adelantada por parte de la autora a cambio de escribir una reseña fiel al libro 🫶
Profile Image for Dawn Morrell.
19 reviews
December 20, 2023
I received an ARC for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this book down. If you enjoy fantasy/fae romance then you have to add this to your TBR list.

It’s spicy, fast paced and information is fed to you throughout the book to keep you guessing but also easy to follow.

The cliffhanger at the end of the book will leave you begging for more!

This book contains the following tropes:

Forced proximity with one bed, enemies to lovers, forbidden love.

Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️
2 reviews
November 16, 2023
Arc read

I struggled to get into the book to begin with. However, the more I read, Chained the more I wanted to finish it.
I felt that the relationship between Galenor and Ellyana developed somewhat suddenly and a bit too quick for my liking, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I am looking forward to when the next book in this series comes out.
Profile Image for Liz Harrison.
13 reviews
November 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, I read it in a day as I couldn’t put it down, it’s really unlike anything I’ve read before, but if you love a spicy fae romance then this book is for you
📚forbidden romance
❤️enemies to lovers
📚forced proximity
❤️one bed

Be prepared to fall in love and have the ground pulled out from beneath your feet, that cliffhanger 😳 I need the second book now 😭
Profile Image for Victoria Showalter.
14 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2023
I received an arc of this book and loved it. 😍 I love a good fae romance and this one didn't disappoint. It was fast paced, some of my favorite tropes (one bed, for ed proximity, enemies to lover's), and spice. And the cliffhanger was 😫😳. Camt wait for the next book. Would definitely recommend if you like fae romance.
Profile Image for Kayla Thurlby.
36 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2023
This book surprised me completely! I went into it think it’s would be an average fantasy book, but hell was I wrong. I think this storyline is so original, and it was written so well. I honestly did fall for galenor, and now I don’t know what to believe from that ending!!! Definitely excited for the next ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Hannah.
31 reviews
December 14, 2023
The plot seemed really minor to begin with, I didn’t feel like I really clicked with the main character for a little while. It was clear she was a strong FMC but it didn’t really come through for a a few chapters for me. The absolute twist at the end though BAFFLED me and now I really am excited to read the next one.
Profile Image for Catarina.
42 reviews3 followers
February 19, 2024
This book... If I had known how good this book is, I would have read it a long time a go. I am not one for certain words (if you know what I mean), but the writing and the story itself wouldn't be the same without them. Fell in love with the characters, the plot, everything!!! Highly recommend it! Very easy to read, couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews

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