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The Queen and the Heiress #1
The Curse of the Goddess
The eyes are the windows to the soul.
The Oracle foretold that Princess Valda Aither of the Sky Kingdom would discover her mate on her twenty-fifth birthday. They would lock eyes and find each other, as has happened since the dawn of time. Valda desperately wanted to believe the Oracle, but her hopes of finding her soulmate were shattered when she inexplicably lost her vision during her birthday celebration. Needing time to heal and adapt to her new reality, she was assigned an assistant, a young woman named Maris Era, who set her body and mind ablaze.
Maris just wanted to navigate life as quietly as possible. After her home in the Sea Kingdom was destroyed, she was adopted as a baby by a Skylian soldier and his wife. Maris was kept hidden for most of her life until tragedy struck. Alone and struggling to survive in a kingdom where Sealians are unwelcome, Maris found herself working in Oberon Castle, face-to-face with the man she believes is responsible for her suffering, while also caring for the next queen of the Sky Kingdom.
Despite her reluctance to accept a mate, Maris cannot resist her attraction to Valda and the need to be with her at all times. Yet, she must uncover the truth about who was behind her family’s demise, but how can she do so when Valda consumes her every breath?
TRIGGER
Explicit sex between two women
Violence
Xenophobia
Mention and description of someone finding out a loved one committed suicide.
The Oracle foretold that Princess Valda Aither of the Sky Kingdom would discover her mate on her twenty-fifth birthday. They would lock eyes and find each other, as has happened since the dawn of time. Valda desperately wanted to believe the Oracle, but her hopes of finding her soulmate were shattered when she inexplicably lost her vision during her birthday celebration. Needing time to heal and adapt to her new reality, she was assigned an assistant, a young woman named Maris Era, who set her body and mind ablaze.
Maris just wanted to navigate life as quietly as possible. After her home in the Sea Kingdom was destroyed, she was adopted as a baby by a Skylian soldier and his wife. Maris was kept hidden for most of her life until tragedy struck. Alone and struggling to survive in a kingdom where Sealians are unwelcome, Maris found herself working in Oberon Castle, face-to-face with the man she believes is responsible for her suffering, while also caring for the next queen of the Sky Kingdom.
Despite her reluctance to accept a mate, Maris cannot resist her attraction to Valda and the need to be with her at all times. Yet, she must uncover the truth about who was behind her family’s demise, but how can she do so when Valda consumes her every breath?
TRIGGER
Explicit sex between two women
Violence
Xenophobia
Mention and description of someone finding out a loved one committed suicide.
455 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 13, 2024
611 people are currently reading
3448 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
July 10, 2024
4.5 Stars
I am bowled over by the details of the story. It is every bit a courtly story with deception and back back stories that are all so interesting and captivating. The highly sexual part was ok and didn’t feel like a lot just for the sake of smut, you know? It felt justified and not overdone. I am very much looking forward to book 2!
I am bowled over by the details of the story. It is every bit a courtly story with deception and back back stories that are all so interesting and captivating. The highly sexual part was ok and didn’t feel like a lot just for the sake of smut, you know? It felt justified and not overdone. I am very much looking forward to book 2!
January 30, 2025
Everyone in the book made the stupidest decisions I swear. It got so frustrating that I don’t even want to continue the series so I’m stopping here
Also, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, there was TOO.MUCH.SMUT.
Like my god can they go two seconds without tangling? And the scenes were so long, I just ended up skipping them after the second time
Also, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, there was TOO.MUCH.SMUT.
Like my god can they go two seconds without tangling? And the scenes were so long, I just ended up skipping them after the second time
August 30, 2024
One of the things I love about mated/bonded couples is the difference in certain sayings. Like she gives me life or whatever vs like being with her is the first time i felt alive. With that I think Gonzalez did an amazing job showing the affects of meeting your soulmate and differences of contemporary couples.
Now these two… so much screaming. The backstory for Maris is so strong while Valda’s current story and nee discovery is strong. Of course for that she is also discovering herself with MARIS! Like screaming.
These two have such strong backgrounds and development. They are extremely different from each other yet so similar which is why they work so well together.
I also ended up writing down 40 quotes that made me feel everything.
PS The strap scene in this book is one of my favorite strap scenes if not my favorite. The depth of it like 🥵 i cant tell you , you have to read it. and it probably ruined strap scenes for me.
PPS This book ends on a cliffhanger.
Now these two… so much screaming. The backstory for Maris is so strong while Valda’s current story and nee discovery is strong. Of course for that she is also discovering herself with MARIS! Like screaming.
These two have such strong backgrounds and development. They are extremely different from each other yet so similar which is why they work so well together.
I also ended up writing down 40 quotes that made me feel everything.
PS The strap scene in this book is one of my favorite strap scenes if not my favorite. The depth of it like 🥵 i cant tell you , you have to read it. and it probably ruined strap scenes for me.
PPS This book ends on a cliffhanger.
June 2, 2025
3.25 ⭐
May 12, 2025
2,75 ⭐️
Ugh, I'm sad to say that I was disappointed with this one. I was really looking forward to reading it and with all the good reviews, my hopes were high. But unfortunately there just ended up being too many things that annoyed and frustrated me with both the story and the characters.
The story was a little boring and the twists were predictable, which can be okay but ended up being frustrating because none of the characters were able to spot anything before it was too late. It seemed obvious from the first chapter who would end up being the bad guy, and yet Valda is so blind (no pun intended) to it and refuses to even consider it until the truth is thrown in her face. And even then she still tries to make sense of what they are saying and believe that maybe they could be telling the truth.
Which leads to more issues I had with Valda. She was aggressive and childish and I didn't like the way she treated Maris in the beginning. And then she just makes so many weird and sometimes downright stupid decisions throughout the book. She has just been told that her country might be weeks from a civil war and yet she thinks it's a good idea to leave the palace so she can help Maris connect with her people? I understand that she (for some weird reason) trusts Arwin to fix it, but she still should prioritize talking to advisors and figuring out what to do in the meantime. Try everything, be active, have meetings. And also, why do you trust Arwin? Queen Rionach specifically said that she was unsure if she could trust him and she already showed some doubts in the past with his sword wounds after the hurricane. Why on earth was she then fucking him and taking his advice? It seemed inconsistent. And odd that Valda never thought to ask more questions about Rionach's comments, but instead just trusted him completely.
And since I've been ranting for a while now, I'm just going to list the next few issues quickly so the review doesn't get too long:
- I did not like the very casual joking about Kayden using his mind manipulation abilities to get laid. That sounded incredibly problematic and rapey and not at all like something people should be laughing at.
- It felt a bit weird that you can't know if you have a soulmate and "connect" with them unless you can make eye contact. It left a bad taste in my mouth that no blind people in this world would ever be able to find their soulmate, and I feel like that could have been done in a better way.
- It didn't make any sense to me that the law states that anyone can challenge the king/queen and if they win, they become the new ruler, when the entire concept of the royal family lines is their link to the gods and therefore the magic. It didn't fit with the rest of the story and how important the family line and their magic is, and how they are "chosen by the gods". Then why would that law ever exist?
I have a few other issues as well but these points definitely felt the most important and were the main reason for my low-ish rating. Many things also worked really well and even though the romance felt a bit rushed, it was still fun and hot most of the time. So it had parts that were definitely a good time, but there were also many times I wanted to slap some sense into these characters, and overall I had too many questions about the reasons behind many of the choices throughout that just felt weird and inconsistent. So unfortunately, I'm not able to rate it higher.
The review itself will have any potential spoilers hidden. However, the following quotes will be fully visible and quite possibly full of spoilers, so read those at your own risk.
✨As she uttered her name, Maris couldn’t help but notice the way the princess’s voice caressed it, drawing out every syllable with a gentle touch. It was as if Valda had taken Maris’s name and transformed it into something more, something magical and alluring.✨
✨She felt dizzy and lost, but the only anchor was the firm, callused hands of the warrior spreading her legs.✨
✨"I will use your face as my throne eventually," she murmured, her hands brushing tantalizingly close to the juncture of Maris’s legs. "But right now, I need to taste you again before I lose my fucking mind."✨
Ugh, I'm sad to say that I was disappointed with this one. I was really looking forward to reading it and with all the good reviews, my hopes were high. But unfortunately there just ended up being too many things that annoyed and frustrated me with both the story and the characters.
The story was a little boring and the twists were predictable, which can be okay but ended up being frustrating because none of the characters were able to spot anything before it was too late. It seemed obvious from the first chapter who would end up being the bad guy, and yet Valda is so blind (no pun intended) to it and refuses to even consider it until the truth is thrown in her face. And even then she still tries to make sense of what they are saying and believe that maybe they could be telling the truth.
Which leads to more issues I had with Valda. She was aggressive and childish and I didn't like the way she treated Maris in the beginning. And then she just makes so many weird and sometimes downright stupid decisions throughout the book. She has just been told that her country might be weeks from a civil war and yet she thinks it's a good idea to leave the palace so she can help Maris connect with her people? I understand that she (for some weird reason) trusts Arwin to fix it, but she still should prioritize talking to advisors and figuring out what to do in the meantime. Try everything, be active, have meetings. And also, why do you trust Arwin? Queen Rionach specifically said that she was unsure if she could trust him and she already showed some doubts in the past with his sword wounds after the hurricane. Why on earth was she then fucking him and taking his advice? It seemed inconsistent. And odd that Valda never thought to ask more questions about Rionach's comments, but instead just trusted him completely.
And since I've been ranting for a while now, I'm just going to list the next few issues quickly so the review doesn't get too long:
- I did not like the very casual joking about Kayden using his mind manipulation abilities to get laid. That sounded incredibly problematic and rapey and not at all like something people should be laughing at.
- It felt a bit weird that you can't know if you have a soulmate and "connect" with them unless you can make eye contact. It left a bad taste in my mouth that no blind people in this world would ever be able to find their soulmate, and I feel like that could have been done in a better way.
- It didn't make any sense to me that the law states that anyone can challenge the king/queen and if they win, they become the new ruler, when the entire concept of the royal family lines is their link to the gods and therefore the magic. It didn't fit with the rest of the story and how important the family line and their magic is, and how they are "chosen by the gods". Then why would that law ever exist?
I have a few other issues as well but these points definitely felt the most important and were the main reason for my low-ish rating. Many things also worked really well and even though the romance felt a bit rushed, it was still fun and hot most of the time. So it had parts that were definitely a good time, but there were also many times I wanted to slap some sense into these characters, and overall I had too many questions about the reasons behind many of the choices throughout that just felt weird and inconsistent. So unfortunately, I'm not able to rate it higher.
The review itself will have any potential spoilers hidden. However, the following quotes will be fully visible and quite possibly full of spoilers, so read those at your own risk.
✨As she uttered her name, Maris couldn’t help but notice the way the princess’s voice caressed it, drawing out every syllable with a gentle touch. It was as if Valda had taken Maris’s name and transformed it into something more, something magical and alluring.✨
✨She felt dizzy and lost, but the only anchor was the firm, callused hands of the warrior spreading her legs.✨
✨"I will use your face as my throne eventually," she murmured, her hands brushing tantalizingly close to the juncture of Maris’s legs. "But right now, I need to taste you again before I lose my fucking mind."✨
September 28, 2025
This book/author doesn't seem to understand how a difference in power impacts consent. Honestly, the author has issues with consent in general.
Valda is a princess, gifted with magic, and is also quite physically strong. She also loves "fucking the maids" Don't worry though, cuz she never forces the maids. She just flirts with them and asks them to have sex. While being physically stronger and in a position of power over them and is known to have a temper. The author just expects us to take it at face value that all these women are willing. And also capable of consent. Which they are not.
It gets worse though because the Princess has a best friend who has the "gift of Aphrodite" which is the grossest thing the author does, and also doesn't address it at all beyond a little finger wag. This power makes people want to fuck him. Even if they don't want to. Even if they're gay women. And he uses this power to get women to have sex with him. It's beyond gross. Especially when the only comment made about it is "hey, you aren't supposed to do that." No moral objection to the sexual assault super power this guy uses all the time.
The rest of the book is badly written and under baked. "fated mates" AKA "lazily written love story." Characters make every dumb decision possible for the story to slog along.
Terrible book. Gonna read Discworld to cleanse my palette.
Valda is a princess, gifted with magic, and is also quite physically strong. She also loves "fucking the maids" Don't worry though, cuz she never forces the maids. She just flirts with them and asks them to have sex. While being physically stronger and in a position of power over them and is known to have a temper. The author just expects us to take it at face value that all these women are willing. And also capable of consent. Which they are not.
It gets worse though because the Princess has a best friend who has the "gift of Aphrodite" which is the grossest thing the author does, and also doesn't address it at all beyond a little finger wag. This power makes people want to fuck him. Even if they don't want to. Even if they're gay women. And he uses this power to get women to have sex with him. It's beyond gross. Especially when the only comment made about it is "hey, you aren't supposed to do that." No moral objection to the sexual assault super power this guy uses all the time.
The rest of the book is badly written and under baked. "fated mates" AKA "lazily written love story." Characters make every dumb decision possible for the story to slog along.
Terrible book. Gonna read Discworld to cleanse my palette.
July 25, 2024
Good book overall
I liked the book but there were several times that it just stalled. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen so I pushed on. It really picked up near the end. I’m looking forward to the next one.
I liked the book but there were several times that it just stalled. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen so I pushed on. It really picked up near the end. I’m looking forward to the next one.
July 23, 2025
I am SO sorry to everyone who is in my life currently as I read this. I have not shut up about female knights ONCE. Not once. Every corner I turn I am telling the individuals on the other side how much I love women who command the army. I have one type and one type ONLY and that is women in knight armor. The story kept me entertained the entire time and I pouted my lip more than once at some of the quotes in here. Rating it three stars though because it had horrible grammar issues (girl if you’re the author of this series and you want me to proofread your stuff for free you let me know I love you queen) but other than that I was captivated and I have dreamt of short haired women who wield swords every night since🕯️⚔️ 🐚
July 2, 2025
4.5 stars
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It did take me a couple chapters to get into it. But I really liked it! This author is new to me and I’m looking forward to reading me!
A selling point for me- When your bestie gifts you a magical strap that allows the wearer to feel, everything….. Sold 🤣🤣
Written in third person with 2x Main POV’s. The Queen and the Heiress series, Sapphic Fantasy, Fated Mates, Maid/Royalty, Opposites Attract, Masc/Femme. Narrated by Ava Flynn. 9x Spicy Scenes.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It did take me a couple chapters to get into it. But I really liked it! This author is new to me and I’m looking forward to reading me!
A selling point for me- When your bestie gifts you a magical strap that allows the wearer to feel, everything….. Sold 🤣🤣
Written in third person with 2x Main POV’s. The Queen and the Heiress series, Sapphic Fantasy, Fated Mates, Maid/Royalty, Opposites Attract, Masc/Femme. Narrated by Ava Flynn. 9x Spicy Scenes.
July 3, 2024
Loved it! Can’t wait for the second book. Tho I do hope it gets a better proofreading as there were numerous grammatical errors but it didn’t take away from the story at all and didn’t dissuade me from finishing. Lots of spice but still kept an interesting story line perfect mix of both! Loved Maris and Valdas relationship and how they balanced eachother out.
June 23, 2024
Need book 2!!!! It was wonderful sapphic read with a good amount of spice. There were a few grammatical errors but the plot out weighed those
April 11, 2025
Actually a fire book stayed up most of the night to finish this only thing a lot of unnecessary 🌶️ scenes I feel like but other than that good story can’t wait for book 2
October 12, 2024
Are all of those 4 and 5 star reviews paid for? Because this was the clunkiest, most unnatural, most poorly paced and confusing book I have ever tried to read. This was bad bad.
September 4, 2025
this was plenty entertaining and passed the time super well when I was traveling! I can't say I'd recommend it, though. can't imagine I'll be continuing with the series.
May 27, 2025
Amazing sapphic fantasy romance! So well written, I felt like I was right there with the characters! The tension and emotions, ups and downs, push and pulls, whew! The world building was exciting and interesting as well as the character development and prose. The spice was scorching. Cerebus needs more page time.
I loved it and I am ready to see how Valda and Maris will continue on this wild journey! Highly recommend!!!
I loved it and I am ready to see how Valda and Maris will continue on this wild journey! Highly recommend!!!
August 9, 2024
4.5 first book by this author, really good!
April 1, 2025
3.75 🗡️
Arwin’s backstory? Rionach—crazy parallel in a way to Maris’s fear—??? Wow, that’s so fucked and I get it, trust me. BUTTT I still hate the cunt deeply. He’s literally doing the same shit that was done to him!
I guess #HurtPeopleHurtPeople for real.
Besides me calling that from the start. I oh so love Valda and Maris likeee their love is THE EPIC love that Elena and them always babbled about in TVD!! Heart mates and soul mates!?
The news broke me and them ending off at such a rocky spot before we are thrown into ending pages of no conclusion for them, had and has me stressed! (Don’t wanna read the sneak peak.. well.. trying not to)
My departing words are some of the errors in the read kind of threw me out of my immersion.
Where did Kayden go? (Even though I don’t like him).
I wish we got more exploration and little special moments to substitute some of the spicy scenes, but maybe that’ll be seenin the next book hopefully!
I can’t to read the next one!
Arwin’s backstory? Rionach—crazy parallel in a way to Maris’s fear—??? Wow, that’s so fucked and I get it, trust me. BUTTT I still hate the cunt deeply. He’s literally doing the same shit that was done to him!
I guess #HurtPeopleHurtPeople for real.
Besides me calling that from the start. I oh so love Valda and Maris likeee their love is THE EPIC love that Elena and them always babbled about in TVD!! Heart mates and soul mates!?
The news broke me and them ending off at such a rocky spot before we are thrown into ending pages of no conclusion for them, had and has me stressed! (Don’t wanna read the sneak peak.. well.. trying not to)
My departing words are some of the errors in the read kind of threw me out of my immersion.
Where did Kayden go? (Even though I don’t like him).
I wish we got more exploration and little special moments to substitute some of the spicy scenes, but maybe that’ll be seenin the next book hopefully!
I can’t to read the next one!
September 22, 2024
Dudeee this book made me feel alive.
I feel like I haven’t read something I thoroughly enjoyed in a while. I actually sat down and read this one for HOURS on end. Can’t tell you the last time I got so captivated and lost in a book. I loved the tropes in here. Also the blind jokes??? Died dead. I seriously loved this so, so much. The plot was intriguing and well balanced, along with the pacing. Honestly, it could use a good proofread, but the emotions I felt while reading far outweighed any of the mistakes. I live for destined mates.
Also...Valda, hear me out...💍
I feel like I haven’t read something I thoroughly enjoyed in a while. I actually sat down and read this one for HOURS on end. Can’t tell you the last time I got so captivated and lost in a book. I loved the tropes in here. Also the blind jokes??? Died dead. I seriously loved this so, so much. The plot was intriguing and well balanced, along with the pacing. Honestly, it could use a good proofread, but the emotions I felt while reading far outweighed any of the mistakes. I live for destined mates.
Also...Valda, hear me out...💍
January 16, 2025
One of the best sapphic romantasies I’ve ever read. I absolutely loved it!
March 17, 2025
I love my spicy books with some actual plot mixed in and this definitely delivers. The world building is fun, the magic system is simple but still solid. I absolutely adored how much spice there was in here and that the plot was strong and made sense. Albeit the plot was a bit predictable but I’m not sure that really matters to me when reading these types of novels. I did find that it did have a slow start and the pacing could have been a bit better. Aside from that it was an incredibly enjoyable spicy romantasy read!
I do wish the writing had been a bit more gripping & descriptive, and in general in fantasy I’m not a fan of a lack of originality in naming (such as triton, Ariel, Vulcan etc) but I did really enjoy the Greek mythos tie in. However these are simply personal preferences for reading and regardless of that I am excited to read the sequel.
I do wish the writing had been a bit more gripping & descriptive, and in general in fantasy I’m not a fan of a lack of originality in naming (such as triton, Ariel, Vulcan etc) but I did really enjoy the Greek mythos tie in. However these are simply personal preferences for reading and regardless of that I am excited to read the sequel.
July 3, 2024
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I really enjoyed this story so much! I liked how the world has some Greek mythology inspired details and how uniquely Gonzalez utilized them! The world building was so seamless and vivid so it was easily to slip into this story and get lost.
The main characters stole my heart! It was insta lust but their love formed slow and tender. I liked the caretaking in the story from Maris. The protective and possessive way Valda was obsessed with Maris also stole my heart. I absolutely loved Valda’s nickname for Maris 🥰 Seashell 🐚 It was perfect! The spice was plentiful and just chef kiss delish!
I would recommend this one to my romantasy lovers! I am looking forward to what is to come for this couple in the next book!
3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I really enjoyed this story so much! I liked how the world has some Greek mythology inspired details and how uniquely Gonzalez utilized them! The world building was so seamless and vivid so it was easily to slip into this story and get lost.
The main characters stole my heart! It was insta lust but their love formed slow and tender. I liked the caretaking in the story from Maris. The protective and possessive way Valda was obsessed with Maris also stole my heart. I absolutely loved Valda’s nickname for Maris 🥰 Seashell 🐚 It was perfect! The spice was plentiful and just chef kiss delish!
I would recommend this one to my romantasy lovers! I am looking forward to what is to come for this couple in the next book!
March 26, 2025
I really don't know whether to give it 3 or 4 stars.
I felt like often there were scenes and details that were definitely unnecessary, but at the same time, other details that I did consider were more important were pushed to the background. The romance is pretty fast-paced, I'm not gonna lie, if you want a detailed slowburn you won't find it, what you will find is too much smut lol. Sometimes I didn't understand where the story was going because of some irrational decisions the characters were making.
Howeverrrr, I don't know what this book had that made me read it in a single day. I was really interested in it, especially with that ending. That's why I'll read the next book because I can't stay with that cliffhangerrrr
I felt like often there were scenes and details that were definitely unnecessary, but at the same time, other details that I did consider were more important were pushed to the background. The romance is pretty fast-paced, I'm not gonna lie, if you want a detailed slowburn you won't find it, what you will find is too much smut lol. Sometimes I didn't understand where the story was going because of some irrational decisions the characters were making.
Howeverrrr, I don't know what this book had that made me read it in a single day. I was really interested in it, especially with that ending. That's why I'll read the next book because I can't stay with that cliffhangerrrr
December 2, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the romance, but also found the plot and the events happening to be very disconnected and contrived.
Valda is the heir of the Sky Kingdom, and she was prophesied to meet her soulmate, the heir of the Sea Kingdom, on her 25th birthday. But the Sea Kingdom was destroyed by a storm years before and the princess was lost. Maris is a Sealian who was orphaned as an infant and adopted by a Skylian soldier. While the Sky Kingdom sheltered the nation-less Sealians, the Sealians were also strongly discriminated against in the kingdom. Maris, with the help of her childhood friend, gets a job at the palace to help with the festivities celebrating Princess Valda's 25th birthday, but when the princess is cursed and left blind, Maris is tasked to assist the now-blind princess. Without her sight, the princess cannot establish a soulmate bond, but she cannot deny the attraction growing between her and her assistant.
The plot made zero sense, and that messed with my reading experience. One of the things that was so confusing to me, is how a lot of relevant things just happen off-screen when the book spends so much time on events that seem not as important.
SPOILERY RANT:
Maris is a Sealian, working in a tavern. It's explicitly said that Sealians have a very hard time finding work because of rampant discrimination. Somehow, her best friend who works as a maid at the palace, manages to get Maris hired, even though no Sealian is really allowed to work there. Then, right as she was going in to work, she stumbles upon the neighbouring country's prince who decides to just bring her to the Queen to fast-track her application. The Queen is said to distrust Sealians but right that moment she's like "ok let's hire her", for no reason (especially since she was shown to get angry when Valda hired a Sealian soldier). Then Maris, despite having worked there for one day, is sent to take care of the birthday festivities. And of course, when Valda is being cursed, Maris is the only one who can?? tackle Valda??? and that prompts the Queen to order Maris as Valda's assistant????? No one looked into this girl, no background check nothing she was just tasked to assist Valda who is now blind. Maris is a Sealian without any known family background who appears on Valda's 25th birthday, the day Valda was supposed to meet her soulmate, the princess to the Sea Kingdom. Hmmmmm, I wonder who Maris could actually be. But also, Maris is almost 21, and of course the soulmate system only reveals one soulmate after their 21st birthday. This felt sooo contrived and random, only made to fit the story. Anyway, the politics of this book sucked, oh, the General who was splattered with blood when Valda's dad died and who has been openly hostile towards Valda and literally threatened her & Maris multiple times is the villain??? No way. I feel like the book should've either hidden his agenda for the surprise, or used him as a red herring to hide another villain, because this felt so lazy. The side characters were flat and uninteresting, I wanted to like Maris' maid best friend, and I was excited to see she had a love character, but this was all off screen and only a mention and I was so disappointed. Kayden, the neighbouring country's Prince and Valda's best friend was fun as hell too, I wanted to see more of him but nope.
The romance was fine, but the fact that the plot was so disappointing ruined it a little for me. Also at first, Valda feels a little too comfortable using her power and status to order Maris around and I was like ew no, but then they start to have sex and be whipped for each other and that was cute as hell.
But it was just not enough to make me forget the whole debacle of the plot, plus the huge amount of typos and editing mistakes, kinda killed the hype I had for this book. I will probably keep the next book in my PTR for now (it's coming out next year) but I'll see how I feel then. I do want to see more of the other characters, though...... but yeah, plot-wise, the "twist" at the end was pretty obvious and I'm not really all that invested in the main story, oops.
Valda is the heir of the Sky Kingdom, and she was prophesied to meet her soulmate, the heir of the Sea Kingdom, on her 25th birthday. But the Sea Kingdom was destroyed by a storm years before and the princess was lost. Maris is a Sealian who was orphaned as an infant and adopted by a Skylian soldier. While the Sky Kingdom sheltered the nation-less Sealians, the Sealians were also strongly discriminated against in the kingdom. Maris, with the help of her childhood friend, gets a job at the palace to help with the festivities celebrating Princess Valda's 25th birthday, but when the princess is cursed and left blind, Maris is tasked to assist the now-blind princess. Without her sight, the princess cannot establish a soulmate bond, but she cannot deny the attraction growing between her and her assistant.
The plot made zero sense, and that messed with my reading experience. One of the things that was so confusing to me, is how a lot of relevant things just happen off-screen when the book spends so much time on events that seem not as important.
SPOILERY RANT:
Maris is a Sealian, working in a tavern. It's explicitly said that Sealians have a very hard time finding work because of rampant discrimination. Somehow, her best friend who works as a maid at the palace, manages to get Maris hired, even though no Sealian is really allowed to work there. Then, right as she was going in to work, she stumbles upon the neighbouring country's prince who decides to just bring her to the Queen to fast-track her application. The Queen is said to distrust Sealians but right that moment she's like "ok let's hire her", for no reason (especially since she was shown to get angry when Valda hired a Sealian soldier). Then Maris, despite having worked there for one day, is sent to take care of the birthday festivities. And of course, when Valda is being cursed, Maris is the only one who can?? tackle Valda??? and that prompts the Queen to order Maris as Valda's assistant????? No one looked into this girl, no background check nothing she was just tasked to assist Valda who is now blind. Maris is a Sealian without any known family background who appears on Valda's 25th birthday, the day Valda was supposed to meet her soulmate, the princess to the Sea Kingdom. Hmmmmm, I wonder who Maris could actually be. But also, Maris is almost 21, and of course the soulmate system only reveals one soulmate after their 21st birthday. This felt sooo contrived and random, only made to fit the story. Anyway, the politics of this book sucked, oh, the General who was splattered with blood when Valda's dad died and who has been openly hostile towards Valda and literally threatened her & Maris multiple times is the villain??? No way. I feel like the book should've either hidden his agenda for the surprise, or used him as a red herring to hide another villain, because this felt so lazy. The side characters were flat and uninteresting, I wanted to like Maris' maid best friend, and I was excited to see she had a love character, but this was all off screen and only a mention and I was so disappointed. Kayden, the neighbouring country's Prince and Valda's best friend was fun as hell too, I wanted to see more of him but nope.
The romance was fine, but the fact that the plot was so disappointing ruined it a little for me. Also at first, Valda feels a little too comfortable using her power and status to order Maris around and I was like ew no, but then they start to have sex and be whipped for each other and that was cute as hell.
But it was just not enough to make me forget the whole debacle of the plot, plus the huge amount of typos and editing mistakes, kinda killed the hype I had for this book. I will probably keep the next book in my PTR for now (it's coming out next year) but I'll see how I feel then. I do want to see more of the other characters, though...... but yeah, plot-wise, the "twist" at the end was pretty obvious and I'm not really all that invested in the main story, oops.
February 23, 2025
This book weaves Greek mythology into a rich fantasy world, creating an immersive setting that feels both familiar and fresh.
Valda and Maris are compelling protagonists with undeniable chemistry, and their journey from reluctant allies to something deeper is both believable and engaging.
The plot strikes a great balance between romance, mystery, and political intrigue, keeping things dynamic without ever feeling overwhelming.
It’s a must-read for fans of sapphic narratives and those who appreciate stories that balance passion with profound thematic exploration.
I love that there’s plenty of smut throughout.
If you prefer less smut or only want it at the very end after a long buildup, this might not be the book for you. I don’t enjoy stories where there’s endless tension just for the characters to finally have sex after chapters of waiting—I’d rather see that passion woven naturally throughout, and this book delivers on that. Which is why I like it.
Valda and Maris are compelling protagonists with undeniable chemistry, and their journey from reluctant allies to something deeper is both believable and engaging.
The plot strikes a great balance between romance, mystery, and political intrigue, keeping things dynamic without ever feeling overwhelming.
It’s a must-read for fans of sapphic narratives and those who appreciate stories that balance passion with profound thematic exploration.
I love that there’s plenty of smut throughout.
If you prefer less smut or only want it at the very end after a long buildup, this might not be the book for you. I don’t enjoy stories where there’s endless tension just for the characters to finally have sex after chapters of waiting—I’d rather see that passion woven naturally throughout, and this book delivers on that. Which is why I like it.
May 16, 2025
4.75 stars rounded up
✨ Sapphic Romantasy
✨ Third Person, Dual POV
✨ 4.5/5 Spice Level
✨ Queen x Maid
✨ Fated Mates
✨ First in a Series
I’m not even sure where to start with this… (I feel like I’ve said this many times before lol) BUT this book just might be the spicy sapphic romantasy I’ve been waiting for. And when I say spicy, I mean sizzling hot. Pretty much a central part of the book (and I’m definitely not complaining). But beyond that, it’s got a plot with all the tropes that feel so characteristic of the “romantasy” genre. (Not to be confused with romantic fantasy or fantasy romance, apparently.) There is a good balance of romance/spice and fantasy without being TOO fantasy (iykwim). This book feels like a guilty pleasure (because my mom would be horrified by the amount of spice, fr…), but in the best way. I ended up convincing several of my friends to read the book while I was because I kept sending them screenshots (okay it was mostly the spicy parts… can you blame me?).
I’m just obsessed with the dynamic between Valda and Maris. Valda is rough around the edges… but I like it? And Maris likes it. I really enjoy that Maris doesn’t give “damsel in distress” and obviously has her own wants and desires (and one of those is, well, Valda). She doesn’t come off weak despite being in a less powerful position, and I think Valda’s condition also makes the playing field a bit more even. The way they won each other over (in different aspects) was nice to see.
Anyways, if you’re looking for a sizzling hot sapphic romantasy that feels like it has all the elements that made the romantasy genre popular, well…. Here it is.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Micro-tropes
✨ Magical Strap
✨ Can’t keep their hands off each other
✨ Face sitting
✨ Bathing
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
explicit sexual content, violence/de*th, xenophobia, suicide (loved one, description of finding them), “fantasy injury” causing blindness
✨ Sapphic Romantasy
✨ Third Person, Dual POV
✨ 4.5/5 Spice Level
✨ Queen x Maid
✨ Fated Mates
✨ First in a Series
I’m not even sure where to start with this… (I feel like I’ve said this many times before lol) BUT this book just might be the spicy sapphic romantasy I’ve been waiting for. And when I say spicy, I mean sizzling hot. Pretty much a central part of the book (and I’m definitely not complaining). But beyond that, it’s got a plot with all the tropes that feel so characteristic of the “romantasy” genre. (Not to be confused with romantic fantasy or fantasy romance, apparently.) There is a good balance of romance/spice and fantasy without being TOO fantasy (iykwim). This book feels like a guilty pleasure (because my mom would be horrified by the amount of spice, fr…), but in the best way. I ended up convincing several of my friends to read the book while I was because I kept sending them screenshots (okay it was mostly the spicy parts… can you blame me?).
I’m just obsessed with the dynamic between Valda and Maris. Valda is rough around the edges… but I like it? And Maris likes it. I really enjoy that Maris doesn’t give “damsel in distress” and obviously has her own wants and desires (and one of those is, well, Valda). She doesn’t come off weak despite being in a less powerful position, and I think Valda’s condition also makes the playing field a bit more even. The way they won each other over (in different aspects) was nice to see.
Anyways, if you’re looking for a sizzling hot sapphic romantasy that feels like it has all the elements that made the romantasy genre popular, well…. Here it is.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Micro-tropes
✨ Magical Strap
✨ Can’t keep their hands off each other
✨ Face sitting
✨ Bathing
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
explicit sexual content, violence/de*th, xenophobia, suicide (loved one, description of finding them), “fantasy injury” causing blindness
May 15, 2024
A promising begging. The story had me completely hooked up until the last word.
The pacing is easy to keep, and even though the story moves on rather quickly, I also speed ran it, so, I can't really tell.
The characters were easy to like, and easy to hate. I hope that the upcoming book brings even more developments to get to know all of these characters even more.
The steamy scenes were an absolute treat, and the author must be commended for that. Thank you C.C. for giving the sapphics such a dreamy couple.
The world building was very interesting to uncover, I hope that we can see even more of it, and the vastly different cultures that were based on the greek pantheon.
The pacing is easy to keep, and even though the story moves on rather quickly, I also speed ran it, so, I can't really tell.
The characters were easy to like, and easy to hate. I hope that the upcoming book brings even more developments to get to know all of these characters even more.
The steamy scenes were an absolute treat, and the author must be commended for that. Thank you C.C. for giving the sapphics such a dreamy couple.
The world building was very interesting to uncover, I hope that we can see even more of it, and the vastly different cultures that were based on the greek pantheon.
October 24, 2025
Another engaging premise that was disappointing in production. The plot dragged on so much, the characters all felt/behaved like children. No one communicated well, and the storyline greatly suffered for it.
July 12, 2024
5 ⭐'s because it earned every single one of them!. Just brilliant!!
September 6, 2024
Okay wow first off this book needs more attention as it’s bloody good and I can’t wait for the sequel.
A fantasy world of destined fates and mates 👌🏻😉
Velda, heir to the sky kingdom suddenly has her life changed in a big way and Maris, a maid who was adopted and has yet to discover who she is
The world building is pretty good and I do have to agree sometimes the story felt slightly lacking is it stalled a couple times however it’s easily overlooked as this is a very well written fantasy story.
Tropes: Masc x bisexual pairing, swords, soulmates, forced proximity, powers from gods, love at first sight, spice🌶️🌶️🌶️
Honestly I was not prepared for just how much spice this has, like it’s a lot 😅 like ahem straps
A fantasy world of destined fates and mates 👌🏻😉
Velda, heir to the sky kingdom suddenly has her life changed in a big way and Maris, a maid who was adopted and has yet to discover who she is
The world building is pretty good and I do have to agree sometimes the story felt slightly lacking is it stalled a couple times however it’s easily overlooked as this is a very well written fantasy story.
Tropes: Masc x bisexual pairing, swords, soulmates, forced proximity, powers from gods, love at first sight, spice🌶️🌶️🌶️
Honestly I was not prepared for just how much spice this has, like it’s a lot 😅 like ahem straps
Read
September 11, 2024smut with a plot lol wasn’t expecting it but I’m not mad
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