Thy Kingdom Come

by Ariana M. Tosado

Seven kingdoms. Seven monarchs. Seven keys. One race.

A centuries-old death curse claims the lives of the world's kings and queens once they bear an heir. The Last Kingdom is prophesied to break the curse and unite the seven kingdoms—but it stays locked away until a sovereign proves themselves worthy in the race for its key.

Outcasts within their own kingdoms, Princess Emberly Whitaker and Prince Leon Wales never dared to think that they would be the generation chosen to run the race. When the long-awaited portals open, they must force aside their self-doubt and assume leadership in full. A labyrinth of terrifying monsters and foreign lands awaits them and their friends in a race against time, the other monarchs—and each other.

​​​​​​​When the two teams unexpectedly cross paths, tensions rise as Emberly's fiery temper and Leo's reckless past collide. But in the midst of cutthroat competition, they're forced into an alliance where they must confront the past and fight their way to the end—if not for the sake of their kingdoms, then for their lives.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Clean Romance

536 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2024

Reviews

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up coming across this book because of the authors kickstarter. I wasn't sure about backing it, but the synopsis and cover intrigued me. Let me say, I didn't expect much, especially with a newish author. I didn't expect to bawl my eyes out. I didn't expect to fall so in love with all the characters and their idiosyncracies. I didn't expect to want to keep reading and not put the book down. This is the first book in the last couple of days that I truly loved everything about. I expected a 3, maybe 4 star read at best. What I got was an amazing, heartbreaking but beautiful 5-star read! If I could give it more stars, I would. Emberly simultaneously made me want to root for her and thrash her. She irritated me, but I loved her. Leo is just perfect. I love his idiotic, prankish nature. I love the growth of them both. They grew together as friends as more but also as monarchs and people. I felt such utter devastation, and the hits kept coming. I wasn't sure that there would be an ending that would make everything OK. The ending was beautiful. Exactly what those that were lost deserved and what they died for. I still cried, especially at the letters, but I know they would be so proud of what Emberly and Leon accomplished. Before I end this review, I do have to mention how fluid this author's writing is. Cliffhanger at almost every chapter that kept me wanting more. I am so excited for what else this author will create.

[ari [gin’s vrsn 🩵] [semi ia]]

clean romantasy indie author?!? SIGN ME UP

also my name twin so double points 💅

[Celestria]

DNF just cause I got bored

[Amelia E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I beta read this book and it was a Good Time TM 😌

the best part? Leo’s puns 🤌🤌🤌

[McKenna Rowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of beta reading this story, and it is SO GOOD. I absolutely adored everything about it. The world building was so immersive; I felt like I was there. And the characters are so realistic—I feel like they’re old friends. 10/10 recommend!

[Michelle the Magical · Rating 3 out of 5]

My enjoyment of this book was a perfect squiggle. Started in the middle, went down, climbed up and above, and went down and under again before climbing back and ending in the middle.

As a disclaimer, my all time favorite book is also indie-published, so I found myself comparing them a lot, which may not have been fair.

Prepare for many scattered thoughts!

Characters and events.
Emberly likes: nicknaming people, naming things that are not people, and calling people names. I was seriously quite impressed at her talent with insults. Other than that I kind of hated her. Her incessant self-loathing and uncertainty, and the overwhelming tide of blaming herself for things we the reader have no proof for, was kind of awful and not at all enjoyable to read. I found myself with no sympathy for her, even when she tried to kill herself. She had zero positive character development until the very end of the book.

I really liked Leo. I don't know why, I just did. He really helped carry the story for me!

The characters death scenes were impressively moving. I don't cry when I read books (I don't know why, and I wish I did!) but if I did, I definitely would have. It was so sad. And the grief that followed was also very powerful and moving. In the end I think it went on just a tiny bit too long, though. When Ambrose died, I was so sad I went into denial and became certain that because he could not be dead none of them were actually dead! At one point this certainty was the only thing keeping me reading. I was wrong. It was very sad.

The plot and the challenges were pretty good, and there were some scenes I enjoyed. The romance . . . was there, and it wasn't bad.

My editorial side crashes the party.
First off, I think this book needed at least one more run through by an editor. There were a number of errors, confusing sentences, and contradictions which I found distracting.

Many statements and references (especially in the prologue) seriously could have used clarification, but that clarification was mostly spoonfed, or even dropperfed throughout the book.

In other thoughts, I wasn't a fan of the narrative, and I might have enjoyed the book more if it was different. I also thought that some of the character's reasoning was ridiculous, and some conversations went on too long, and even some internal dialogue was over-discussed. Some wounds weren't fatal when they should have been, and--strangely--vice versa.

Final thoughts.
Ever wanted to read The Hunger Games but with royalty? If so, chances are you will really enjoy this!

Also, fabulous cover!



If you made it this far and are still reading this, Hi! Here is my favorite book ( Dragon Thief ) and you should really read it!

[Symbria Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not my book. I was taken in by a pretty cover and a blurb that sounds just about right. It did not live up to my initial expectations.

1. I’ve since discovered this is indie-published, which, frankly…makes sense. The lack of professional editing and strong direction is noticeable.
2. Nicknames from the Snowark crew were horrendously confusing… the inconsistency of characters using the real name versus the nickname made it hard to differentiate characters early on amid the lackluster dialogue. I eventually caught on, but I wondered who the heck Ginger and strawberry was for most of the first half. Decide on a name—real or otherwise—and stick to it when that character is talking.
3. The characterization is weak and interactions fall flat. I have no idea who these characters are supposed to be, and more to the point, I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about them.
4. Nicknaming the giant terrifying monster… it’s so frightening you’re afraid to carry on, yet you suddenly get warm fuzzy feelings in the course of it trying to kill you and have second thoughts about ending it to protect yourself and the friends you proclaim to love enough to die for???? I, the reader, am *confused*.
5. What the HECK does “kisses his/her teeth” (referring to self) mean? It was used MULTIPLE times and for the life of me I can’t reason out the physics of it.
6. The language style switches constantly. We get trite phrases and colloquial banter one minute that fits for teenaged characters, then eloquent monologues in formal tone within the next paragraph… the style and voice even in the same character weren’t consistent.
7. The protagonists are same-same but different? I’m sorry, but at the end of the day I don’t know I can believe these late-teenagers (who very much behave as their undeveloped frontal lobes might suggest) suddenly find solidarity in their life-debilitating trauma and magically put themselves together enough to confidently lead a kingdom. Each kingdom’s “team” felt cookie-cutter and didn’t inspire much love or sympathy for the ties between characters. Here’s one *dead* parental figure/mentor for you. And one *dead* parental figure/mentor for you. Your order of adults who unfairly heap unrealistic expectation and blame on your childhood self for total self esteem destruction, coming right up.
8. The dual POV switching every other chapter was not it for me. So poorly structured for pacing.

I don’t know exactly what element was missing in the prose, but I could not get invested with the world, these characters, or the bonds between them.
Still think it’s a promising idea—it just needs a lot of revision to create a strong dialogue and plot pacing.

Not the book for me, but genuine kudos for generating the crowd-funding to get your work out there!

[Katy Yeaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mental state at the time I read this book was a little all over the place so I shall present this as a list of my likes and dislikes of the book.

Likes:
-The book had a map! I love it when books have maps because then I can flip back and forth and know where the characters are and visualize things.
-Speaking of visualizing, the descriptions were also really good. I felt like i could visualize without it being over the top exposition.
-For a standalone book the world building was done really well.
-The banter between characters was done really well. The poor ginger in the group did not deserve all the teasing he got.
-The cover was REALLY pretty I would stop reading for a few pages and stare at it lol.

Dislikes: I'll start petty and then get more serious
- When Ember named the bear Teddy (Yes, like a teddy bear). Teddy Bears are named after Teddy Roosevelt, president of the US. This book does not take place in the US. It is like using Champagne when your world doesn't have a champagne region.
-The word "reckless" is thrown around a lot in this book but in reality the "reckless" acts by Leon are more of childhood foolishness.
-The ending being all part of the gods *excuse me* Mage's plan to unite the people. except they NEVER explained that part and the characters are convinced they have to Lightlark/Hunger Games fight to the death over a throne. I felt like the book was trying to be an allegory but in the end it made me want to thunder-punt the book across the room and scream at God.

Overall the book was pretty well written but I think part of my issues with it stem from my being an Ex-Vangelical who is jaded from past Church experiences. It wasn't exactly for me but maybe in the future I'll look differently on it.

[AyeLikeBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter into a fantasy world with magic, battle scenes, deadly trials, mystery, secrets, self-sacrifice, excellent world building, witty banter, hilarious jokes/puns, clean romance, deep, meaningful messages and very well written characters you grow to love.

I felt the characters were relatable and also felt real. Although it did take me a bit to like Emberly in the beginning because sometimes I wanted to strangle her when she was being selfish or a brat. But she came a long way throughout the book, making me start to really like her. I will say I did love Leo from the beginning, but I loved how he also grew just like Emberly did. ♥️

I was totally shipping Leo and Emberly when they were bickering or insulting each other. 😂 Those two cracked me up, especially Leo's jokes or puns. And Zenevieve calling them “children” when they were bickering amongst themselves was hilarious. 🤣

I loved everything in this book! And I highly recommend it!

A ✨️10/10✨️ book, Ariana!!! 👏👏

I'm looking forward to reading more of your books!! 😁

[Amanda Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a small author, I don't like to be hyper critical of other small authors. It's a tough world out there and I give so much credit to anyone who is able to publish. The feedback I give is only meant to help elevate future writing for the author or to help readers decide if this book is for them.

I adored the concept. The cover was eye catching, the title made me curious, and the description was enticing. That itself is hard to do and the author did it perfectly. Also kudos for the kickstarter, it's hard to find support for small authors so that's awesome. Overall plot wise, the book was very well put together. I understood the background (mostly) and the intention going forward with the trials. I think this book had so much potential and was so close to being absolutely amazing. There were a few things that really stood out to me.
- I loved the chapter names being highlighted lines from the chapter itself. Never thought of doing something like that before but it made me keep an eye out for them and helped me focus on more important parts of the story.
- The stages made sense and had a theme/rhythm to them. The keys added to what the "take away" from the level was supposed to be.
- Alternating POVs is hard to get right and I think the author did it well. It provided more context and gave more insight without dragging the story. They also converged nicely.
- The book overall addresses grief and bitterness a lot. I could see someone not necessarily liking it, but an important part about grief is you don't get to choose when it comes to you. Even in the middle of a death race. Even when it's inconvenient. Even if you don't feel safe right now. Etc. The characters are going through loss and can only hold on for so long before it catches up to them. I appreciated the humanity of that.
- Maybe slightly insta-love (2 week relationship) with a pseudo enemies-to-lovers intent, but the way the characters connect and understand each other in ways that other people could never hope to was able to bridge a lot of my issues with that. They were told growing up that they were enemies so they believed it. They didn't just blink and change their minds. Trust had to be earned in life-threatening (and life-saving) situations.

There's a piece of me that wanted to LOVE this book. However, there was a reason I couldn't do above 3 stars. I don't know if the book just needed another set of eyes but there were confusing parts.
- There were multiple points where the storytelling became jumbled. I couldn't quite make out what the author was trying to convey between the half sentences of dialogue, repetitive lines, and flight of ideas. It was worse at the beginning but it did get better.
- The tone felt overly colloquial. I understand some people like that, so this might just be my personal gripe. But the excessive use of nicknames was confusing not endearing. I couldn't figure out who was who for the first half of the book. The verbiage was too modern for the fantasy setting. I love a good pun, but there were too many and a lot of subsequent shoving/smacking each other because of them. Perhaps the author was trying to convey a long-suffering friendship with history of these types of interactions, but they were near constant at the beginning.
- Overall the author did a lot of "telling" and not a lot of "showing" if that makes sense. I'm all for internal monologue and dialogue between characters (that's obviously important) but these began to feel like a crutch to avoid describing the situation physically.
- Certain expressions ("kissing his/her teeth" was the main one but describing kissing as "taking his/her lips into my own" was also strange) I had never heard before. I have no idea what the author was trying to convey with that description. I've read hundreds of books and this was a first for me. I thought maybe the author was from a different background than me because of certain spellings or measurement uses but the About the Author says she's from California so I have no idea.

I still highly recommend this book for people who are able to overlook less formal writing because it was a good read that I felt was well worth my time. I don't normally leave long reviews like this (I have a book blog for a reason), but this book gripped my attention and I felt I had to give it it's due diligence.

And to the author: Never stop. Do not be discouraged. You are on your way to greatness. I can see it.

[Emma :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beta reader, I had the privilege to read this book before the rest of the world, to see it in one of its most raw stages and to witness the growth it has undergone since. I have so much admiration for this novel and for the author behind it. Ariana’s writing always inspires me, but the themes she tackled in this book left me in awe. Learning to forgive one’s self before being able to truly forgive others was a character arc that is so real and tangible and added a layer of depth to this story that Ariana worked very (VERY) hard to capture. The characters and world building were both done very well, and most importantly supplemented the theme of God’s mercy extending to all. I can’t wait to see this book’s success! Support indie authors :)

[Penelope Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a lot to say about this book, but let me start with how is it possible that this is so underrated? It was beautifully written, read like a blockbuster and the story was so gripping
The declarations of love made me believe in love again and the characters were believable and loveble. I really wish more people would read it.

[Noof · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a 💯 Clean read (just kissing) but still has deep themes and an interesting plot .. I think this book got you covered 😌👌

To sum it up the book is basically 7 contestants (technically princes and princess from 7 kingdoms) forced through a deadly trial and the gist is to survive all the stages until you reach the final phase, but the point of this trial is for the winner( or survivor hehe) to end the curse of the monarchs dying every time they bear a heir and to unite all the kingdoms together.

Honestly ever since I’ve seen about this book online I’ve been so excited to read about it.
In the beginning it was hard to stay a-bit focused into the book even though I was excited and pumped up about it. Fortunately, after a few chapters I became deeply engrossed :)

I hate to admit it but the book caused me to tear up and cry over several scenes (yes I am an emotional human being 🫡 , no I don’t cry at every single book I’ve ever read but this book is one of the few that caused me to feel some deep emotion and react more emotionally too it multiple of times not just once 🏃🏻‍♀️💨)
Also there were was some major plot twist that I could have never imagined but it did make sense after discovering it.

Trigger warnings:
Mentions of sexual assault, and contains a scene in which a character experiences severe depression and attempts suicide with a dagger.(no I won’t give spoilers to what happened after that because you need to read the book to find out ☺️👍)

Okay to me the main reason for reading the book changed from the interesting plot of the book to the spark and enemies to lovers vibe that happens between the Female main character (Emberly) and our male main character (Leon).
HONESTLY their relationship becomes so ADORABLEE ughhhhh (no one can change my mind I don’t care 😩🤍.)


I know I’m probably being nosy but now I’m dying for a bonus chapter or novella about the characters in the future .

In the end , I would probably rate the book 4.2 stars ⭐️. It was definitely a good read and if you haven’t read the book give it a go !

[Taylor G · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a clean (no spice) Christian based fantasy romance with a content warning at the start (explaining the types of violence in the book)
The book is essentially hunger games but fantasy the characters have depth and I loved the premise
The story is well done and bittersweet
Some parts are slow at times making the book feel a bit long at times
But honestly I’m in desperate need of clean fantasy books and this was perfect!
I’m excited to see what the author writes next!

[Jasmine Lavallee · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING TRAGIC AND BEAUTIFUL
The enemies to lovers....AHHHHHHHHH
But it was so sad. WHY DID YOU KILL THEM OFF

[Noble Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one. Despite a promising premise and the prospect of “good, clean fun,” I never quite found the fun.

Specifically, character descriptions and dialog both came off as amateurish. The multiple and constant nicknames were… weird, at least to me. The big reveals seemed to come out of nowhere, and at some point I felt like the book might be reduced by a third if you removed all the dialog telling us about something we just learned a paragraph before. One example that stands out is the narration of the characters finding a key, complete with what exactly the key looked like, followed by one of the characters declaring, “It’s a key!” This happened… several times.

Basically, there was always something happening, and then many times we were told it was happening in dialog. Dangerous things would happen, traumatic events took place, and then we brooded over it for several pages. At least the whiplash routinely returned to the same well-trodden ground of traumatized self-loathing. Plenty of descriptors (like the “kissing one’s teeth” mentioned in several other reviews) were overused to the point of aggressively reminding me that I was reading a book every time those precious words and phrases came up.

I think what I’m saying is the book could have used a bit of editing. Or maybe a lot. The romance was pretty cute, though, so if you are willing to look past the prose (which was, ultimately, still readable… it just took me a year) then I could see it being enjoyable. Unfortunately, for me, the main character was far too in her own head to the point of near-insufferability. She kept secrets from the reader, despite our being literally in her head, in a way that felt contrived. She’s bristly, and I appreciate that she doesn’t actually ever become un-bristly. But my word, woman, get a grip.

But, hey. She’s eighteen. Or twenty. Or whatever. They’re all just next door to kids is what I’m saying. Exactly what I’d like to not have on a magical death race, but if you like that and generally are of the opinion that this age bracket has more of the answers than the generation(s) before, then you might actually really like this book. (Though, to be fair, I’m not entirely sure whether this was the actual intended theme… I don’t know what it was if not.)

Either way… it was generally just mildly disappointing. Not bad enough to hate. But also not good enough to like.

[Alanna Getty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely AMAZING. It was a roller coaster of so many emotions in the best way possible.

Even without the captivating story within the book is gorgeous. In addition to the stunning cover, Ariana Tosado provides us with a map, a table of contents with intriguing chapter titles, a PRONUNCIATION GUIDE, and a book playlist. I was buying the book before I even knew what it was about.
I thought it was really cool how you could find all the chapter titles within the chapter as dialogue.

I enjoyed the new takes on popular tropes that were found throughout the book and the closed door enemies to lovers did not disappoint.

My absolute favourite chapter was “If you need to fall, fall into me” (chapter 21). Not only did we get some satisfying developments in Sierra and Ezra’s love story, but the romantic tension that was building between Ember and Leo in this chapter was stunning. And Tart. Obviously the most important part of this chapter was Tart, who needs no explanation.
The beginning of the next chapter had me swooning because Leo. Sir. Why is your unit of measurement Emberly’s palm when you a) have only known her a few days and b) don’t like her? And Emberly, ma’am, why are you mad at him for getting hurt?

Speaking of getting hurt, I thought Ambrose had plot armour. Yes, I’m aware I’m delusional for thinking this. Ambrose sinking had me sobbing for several minutes. And the loss stayed raw, I was still grieving him by the time I was reading the epilogue days later.

Needless to say I will absolutely re-read this book multiple times.

I ALMOST FORGOT! The nicknames! Firefly + cub/lion. Utterly in love with these.

[Abigail Harbison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book!!! I think we need more Christian authors like this, who instead of just making analogies of the Bible, just write a good story with Christian values. Not that the aforementioned is bad, and I know that these people are just trying to spread the Gospel, but I personally find books that are written with more focus on story more enjoyable. This book had a few things wrong grammatically, such as one page even having the first two words of a sentence that had been deleted, but these errors didn't occur often and didn't hinder my enjoyment. This is an amazing read, for Christians and non-Christians. I'm not going to go into too much detail on the good as other reviews do that much more eloquently than I can. Overall, just know that this book will make you cry, laugh, and kick your feet. You will grow to love these characters. You will most likely find yourself thinking about these characters even as you move onto other stories, just as I have. I can't wait to see what other masterpieces Arians Tornado has in store.

[Evangeline Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Page 51; this book is kind of cringe, I wouldn’t believe that it was written someone older than 12, the mfc is petty and is dumb, she picks her friends cause she likes them instead of picking people that could actually DEFEND her kingdom that she thinks she cares so deeply about. And it just doesn’t read like an eighteen-year-old, she thinks she and her friends are “not children, obvious because their age, and yet 18 is not very old and she is immature. Arianna also uses the same words to much “him and her would make a great pair— for me to punch.” Did she read à Wattpad book prior to writing this?
“His face was so punchable.” Okay we get it you don’t find him conventionally attractive and don’t enjoy his haughty attitude.
“I would kill you all myself if I wasn’t so greatly outnumbered.” This feels unearned, why would she say it outloud? This is something that gives away that oh her and her group can’t kill us causr they are to weak. It just doesn’t make sense.
Anyway I’ll update at pg 100, I think it will get better, and I hope so cause I was excited for this book 💋

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent adventure story!
Four kingdoms exist under a curse-the day on which an heir is born, both the queen and king die. If they do not product an heir, their kingdom will fall upon their deaths. Legend tells that at some point, portals will open to begin a race to the Final Kingdom.
That time has come. A portal opens in each kingdom, and the reigning prince or princess enters the race with a team of three.
The story switches points of view between Princess Emberly of Snowark and Price Leon of Seavale.
They have to overcome physical obstacles and their own interior obstacles in order to make it to the end of the race.

Negatives:
There were too many characters initially. Maybe it would not have been too bad if the characters didn't constantly switch back and forth between using given names and nicknames.
The writing style fell a little short a few times, but overall was good.

[Pebbles Bancken · Rating 1 out of 5]

I nearly dnf'ed this book. I decided to pull through because I was reading it for a book club. The start was horrible, the middle was ok, the ending was boring (but it's a book written for young teens so maybe that's fine)

The beginning of the book was horrible. I truly missed an editor in this part. The overload of nicknames made it hard to follow which character was which and therefore made me not care about the characters at all. By the time the nicknames calmed down the writing was as if you already knew who was who, which wasn't the case (for me).

The dual pov writing style is not needed for this book either. It leads to a lot of repeats, which makes the book slow and interesting.

Once the characters ended up in the same stage, the book got a bit better. I finally managed to figure out who was who and the story started to flow a little more. This did allow me to finish the book in the end.

[Kjb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Loved that book!!☺️

(I forgive the author, that she thinks 30 is old 😜 that's how much I liked it;)
Because of the title "Thy kingdom come", I expected a heavy faith-themed book - it wasn't. The virtues were there, a few references in the chapter names for example (loved the chapter names!), a strong moral compass and the strive to always become a better version of yourself (- which would've been a great possibility to involve God in some way, because here the characters rely on their own or their friends' strength. Which is about the only (and constructive) criticism I have.) But it wasn't preachy or "finger-pointing". the characters were human (whaaat??!), the fmc was sassy and so relatable (finally a girl who has depth!), the mmc her perfect counterpart🥰 and the other characters were awesome.

This book is not a superficial read. There are themes, which are heavy, but beautifully written and handled. There is a TW in the beginning, which I really appreciated.

so what can I say...
I laughed, I cried, it moved me😉
100% recommendation!

[Toralynd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book thanks to a Youtube Short from the author, still don't know why it was recommended to me but it got m at "death race to unlock another kingdom". Decided to put it first as my "next to read" once I was done with what I was reading and I've to say: My only regret is that I can't read this book for the first time ever again.

I can say with confidence that I loved every part of it, even times where I was feeling like trying to strangle Emberly I still was unable to really put the book down or not want to know what would come next. And despite being able to see the ending a mile away, I still was enchanted by it and loved to see the growth in the characters, even if I wish we had more time to spend with the "grown" version of Emberly (it certainly feels as if we saw far more of Leon's "grown" version than his "reckless" version actually).

[Paris Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of beta reading TKC, and it quickly became one of my favorite beta reads. Ariana nailed the "end every chapter with a cliffhanger" idea, and there was never a time I read "just one chapter" it was always "just one more..."

The characters, the plot, the keys, the secrets, the plot twists, the LESSONS. "Thy Kingdom Come" is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, action, or adventure.

Without revealing any spoilers, TKC is the first book in a looooong time that drove me to physical tears. I had to close my laptop to calm down and dry my tears. But, it also made me laugh out loud, brought me to the edge of my seat, and had me squealing when my favorite ships sailed. And Tart. Did I mention Tart?! I. Love. TART.

[Susie Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

My bookish Youtube algorithm fed me this book, and I am so thankful that it did because this is my first 5 star of the year!

I don't know what it is but people don't write books like this anymore. This story's heart and soul is its characters' bonds with each other, and it is so refreshing to genuinely care about every character you read in the pages of a book. This book gives you the same feeling as when you were 15 and hyperfixated on your first GOOD anime or video game where the motley crew of characters were truly unique and the plot is big and full of those fantasy high-stakes tropes that nobody write with anymore.

This book has heart. It's not a soulless cash-grab. The author really put a touch of magic in this story.

[Oriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me out of a month old reading slump. it has amazing writing, spectacular plot, great character development, a good enemies to lovers plot and a lot of great side characters. I can't even count the amount of times I cried, laughed or literally giggled and kicked my feet. I've seen the authors content which is what inspired me to read it but because of my reading slump I had very low expectations which I think further proves that this book is spectacular. Highly recommend and greatly upset it's more popular!

[V. Kay Perks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hits HARD. And it's a lovely book at that. Tackling heavy themes of PTSD and phobias and severe depression this book will make you cry. With an overall message of hope bringing this home to be a terribly satisfying read. Plus all that aside it's got some great characters and different dynamics that will make you laugh. Seriously, this book is phenomenal.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming…wrenching…stopping all of it. The characters all move together seamlessly. You can cut the emotion with a spoon. This no spice book keeps you wondering what will happen until the very end. I love the subplot of romance and the plot driven style.

[Ivory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can definitely see why many people like this book, and I applaud the author for indie publishing, but it's just not my jam.

The characters were hard to differentiate from one another and the description/adjective choice felt a little forced.

Then again, maybe my tastes have changed.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

very slopply written
this book needs some serious editing and also the characters made absolutely no sense whatsoever
I think the story idea is nice but the details could be more refined and the book could be better