Crystal Clear

by Lou Nova

Wyndeny’s government is made of the High Crystal Holders - nobles chosen by The Goddess to wield magic according to their assigned crystal - and the Caldwell Park Manor.

When his young nephew falls ill with a mysterious sickness, Nikolai Esterwick, Heir to the Manor, performs a drastic action to try and save him - he steals from the Holder of Healing. When he succeeds, Sahriya Misra contacts him with a deal he cannot refuse; if he gives her a piece of the healing crystal, she’ll take him to Constantine Arkola, the one who broke his heart three years ago when he left Nikolai to become a Holder. Their reunion is cut short, when the Lord of the Manor contracts the same sickness, his dying wish being that Nikolai seeks out The Dragon King of Dargmore.

Now shoved into a world he feels like he has never fit into, Nikolai must grapple with lordship, loose ends and love.

Genres: Fantasy

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 22, 2024

About the author

Lou Nova (she/her) is a neurodivergent gal living in a small country town in Australia. She is a hot chip fiend, number one capybara fan, and has been a lifelong reader and writer. Crystal Clear is her debut novel, the first in the Isles of Moonreignia series; a new adult queer fantasy series about crystal magic (but not limited to!) and the importance of platonic love when it exists alongside romantic love.
You can find her on Instagram @louisfullybooked

Reviews

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's start with what's awesome about this book: the autism rep is off the charts incredible! Lou Nova understands the depths of the lived experience without a question and gives us such a raw, honest, and unfiltered look at it that we get a radical, deeply vulnerable depiction of living with Nikolai's kind of autism.

Autistic people often experience a distance to interacting with the world, a kind of indirection. We're often trying to overcompensate for how we know we'll be perceived, and Lou reinforces that indirection with the prose. It also means that while the prose helps me understand what Nik feels, it doesn't make me feel it. It's more of an analytical look and that can be a hit or miss with readers. While I resonated with most of the comments Nik makes about fitting in and his brain in general, the rest of the prose didn't always gel with me.

On to the rest
I think the positioning of this book misses the mark as adult fiction. But, and I genuinely believe this, it would do great as YA or even NA.
We get a sprawling adventure with fighting and dragons, the beginnings of a Final Fantasy party, and a coming-of-age book.

I would not hesitate to shove this book into the hands of an autistic mid-to-late teen so they could find much-needed understanding in Nikolai and the truly unconditional love he receives from so many people.

I received a free ARC from the author (thank you!❤️) and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

[Leahna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crystal Clear was a fun read filled with a fantastic ensemble of characters that you couldn’t help but love. The LGBTQIA+ representation was a stand out for me, as well as the representation of people with autism through Nikolai, one of the main characters. I know that this novel will make so many people feel seen and heard!

Thank you so much to Lou for trusting me with an early eARC of Crystal Clear. You should be so proud of what you have achieved!

[☆~Shea~☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, a thousand thanks to Lou Nova for creating this incredible story, as well as for the eARC and the privilege of being an early reader. I truly didn't think I'd end up reading an entire book in one day today, much less in basically one sitting! But Crystal Clear is genuinely such a heartfelt, special read. I was captivated and emotionally caught up in its characters and narrative from page one in the absolute BEST of ways.

Lou's worldbuilding and system of magic are extremely well done and unique to read about. The story started you off with just the right amount of questions before slowly beginning to answer them and present more in a way that made me eagerly excited to be constantly learning about the world and cast within. And the use of a magic that revolves around crystals is SO fantastic, especially to someone whose real-world practice incorporates stones and their properties.

Character relationships and their personal growth throughout stories are always some of my favorite parts of any good book, and Lou delivered above and beyond in that regard! Nik and Con are the type of people you can't help but fall utterly in love with and root for. Everyone who entered the story, whether for one page or a hundred, felt so fleshed out and real to me. I loved how individual each characters' voice was and how there was imperfection and room to grow in all of their journeys. It made them feel so relatable and easy to connect to and find parts of myself in. And Nik's autistic traits were handled beautifully - I found myself feeling so seen and understand by his reactions to and perspective of the world and people around him.

Without saying anything in regards to the actual plot (spoiler free review here!), I will say that Lou's ability to weave a story has proven to be incredible. I adored the pacing. It was slow enough to give plenty of room for softer, gentler moments, yet fast enough to have lots of exciting twists and turns. I feel like many moments were so unexpected for me, which I LOVE in a book. Lou's writing flowed so nicely, too, making reading such a joy.

I've been waiting for this book and it did NOT disappoint. I'd highly recommend it to any fantasy or romance (or romantasy!) fans out there. Crystal Clear comes out June 22nd and can be pre-ordered right now!

[Brittany Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂

📖 - Crystal Clear by @louisfullybooked

Tropes:
🦋M/M pairing
🦋banter for days
🦋lord x Holder
🦋second chance romance
🦋modern fantasy world
🦋autism rep

Spice: 🌶️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The plot follows Nikolai and Constantine as they navigate their romantic past and the feelings that may still remain as they undertake a quest that is Nikolai’s father’s dying wish. Seeking out the Dragon King to right some wrongs.

This is Lou’s debut novel and she hit it out of the park. I absolutely adored all the characters, even the side characters stood out to me but didn’t overshadow the personalities of Nik and Con. These two have such sweet sweet moments in the book, certainly capturing the romance in the romantasy. The fantasy world building was easy to follow and the crystal magic element was very cool. My favourite part of all was how autism was shown and not told explicitly.

I recommend this book to those wanting to dip their toes into romantasy after reading romance, this is jam packed with romantic banter. Also lovers of FT Lukens writing, this will definitely be up your alley.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Clear is a queer fantasy that follows Nikolai, a lord thrust into ruling when his land is in peril, and Constantine, his ex lover who wields a magic crystal and governing position, as the two attempt to protect their people while grappling with their past.

With a villain looming and their kingdom in danger, Nik and Con are forced to work together to fight evil… and maybe rekindle their once discarded romance along the way.

This is an engaging fantasy in a queer normative world, with a wide range of characters that each have a unique voice. I loved the side characters as much as I loved the main characters, and I can’t wait to see more of them as the series continues! Sahriya is so badass, and Kienan is yum.

Nik is honestly super relatable as a reluctant ruler, with his heart in the right place even though he sometimes makes bad decisions (my favorite hero). He’s also some of the best autism rep I have ever read. I adore the relationship between him and Con, and you get the perfect amount of mutual pining in the story while DESPERATELY shipping them for their second chance. THEY’RE SO CUTE TOGETHER I think most of my notes for the book were just me screaming that they loved each other. But also there are dragons attacking and nefarious plots in the realm and battles!

The crystal based magic is really cool, and I loved the world. I found it easily accessible while still holding depth and mystery, and there’s definitely so much more to explore as the series continues. I feel like I just finished it and I already can’t wait for the sequel! You should treat yourself this pride and order yourself a copy bc it comes out this week 🥰

[Madeline W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

I met Lou through Bookstagram and have not looked back from our friendship since. After all, she is my honorary cousin from across the globe and an excellent deliverer of a postcard promise. I knew that I wanted to support her when it came to Crystal Clear. In particular, as I started seeing the revelation of different characters and edits through social media, I just know that I would eat this up. And I truly did.

Crystal Clear has so many highlights. From its stellar queer cast to it's phenomenal autism representation, the characters are standouts that remain appropriately differentiated from each other for the most part despite the large group. I was reminded acutely of the relationship in Red, White & Royal Blue, which is a high compliment because that is one of the few romances I can tolerate. Speaking of the romantic element, I feel like Lou really nails the balance of romantasy better than most authors I have seen. This is particularly impressive since it's her debut novel!

I have a handful of critiques; mainly, the present and past tenses felt a bit off to me at times, and the ending was somewhat rushed. I wanted more out of the trial and the fight! However, I am thinking we will get more answers in Book 2. FYI, I want it now.

I can't wait to get my grabby little hands on my signed copy. Love you, Lou <3

[cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, a massive massive thank you to Lou for gracing me with an eARC! I was so over the moon when i found out that i’d be receiving one & my expectations were well and truly exceeded.
(but thumbs down to goodreads for deleting my early review)

Crystal Clear is such a beautiful representation of queer x autistic romance, set in a beautiful fantasy world. The relationships are so well done; romantic, familial, platonic, even the holders relationships with their crystals, it’s utterly mesmerising.

There is so much feeling in this book, so much love and compassion and care and it creates an amazingly immersive reading experience. I felt like I got to know the characters and that I was feeling what they were too.

I am SO excited for what’s in store for the next books. Lou, you are so so talented and I can’t wait to watch you flourish and grow as an author ❤️

[Sarah ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t even know what to say about this.
The writing style/pacing of the events was incredibly weird - nothing happened for ages, and then everything happened, and then nothing again. The characters were immature and didn’t feel fleshed out, there was no background information or context about family/romantic relationships or any reason why I should care about them. There was no information provided on the kingdoms, the religion, or the magic system, and I had no context for more than half of why the events were happening.
Only giving it two stars because I liked the dragons.
I will not be continuing this series.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is so so refreshing to have an autistic rep that isn’t just a caricature. So many behavioural things Nikolai does that just resonates with me. So many philosophical thoughts of his that also just reflect how I respond to certain situations.

Nikolai shows emotion but in a way that others perceive as stilted (but it isn’t), he shows intelligence but not superhuman amounts of it, he struggles with social situations but still handles those with people he is comfortable with.
Stimming, overthinking, avoiding eye contact, all things that a neurotypical reader might feel get overstated in Crystal Clear but honestly do feel nice to get overstated. These happen constantly in real life, so why wouldn’t they be mentioned constantly here? ESPECIALLY since the people who do these things are probably also overthinking about their idiosyncrasies, so reading their POV should mention them all.

I’ve always stated some of the best autistic/neurodiverse reps happen because of neurodiverse people just making characters that reflect aspects of themselves, and not people who try and make ‘autistic rep’. This is definitely the case here.
On the topic of reps, everything here just felt so natural. Orientations, identities, races, all flowing smoothly into the world.

The majority of this book revolves around dialogue and character interactions. In fact, when there are battle scenes we usually just get the pre-fight and then post-fight scenes, not the fight scenes themselves. This is not bad, in fact it was a very interesting change of pacing compared to other fantasy books.

I feel the world building is, unfortunately, pretty poorly done. Even 70 pages in we know almost nothing about the world we’re in. Magic, holy orders… lordships?! Dragons?
When we are introduced to the Dragon King we don’t even know if the King of Dargmore is also the ruler of Wyndeny, or if these are two different countries and not simply territories.
By the time the book is over we still know very little about the world we’re in. There are cheques, there are films, there are tattooists, but how advanced is this society? How depended on magic in place of technology are they? We get tidbits of names of surrounding isles and places but no real geographical knowledge. I’m hoping book two takes a deeper dive into the world building.

Major spoilers, but something I quite disliked that happened at the very end that, sadly, did sour my experience:
The concept of soulmates REALLY damaged my perspective on the main pair. Predestined relationships feel like they take all of the love out of love and turn it into something choiceless. Luckily this is only brought up at the very, very end, so it didn’t dampen my enjoyment whilst reading. It is left ambiguous the extent being a soulmate means though, so if next book we find it doesn’t force people together I’ll be much happier! :3

I like to jot down typos when I read recent/indie books, in hopes it might help with reprints. So below are the (remarkably few!) typos I found:

Pg. 3 Has two different lines of dialogue within the same paragraph. This was an interruption, but is technically improper sentence structure.
Pg. 5 “…go the Temple of the Goddess under the guise of filling his spiritual well.” — Missing word.
Pg. 16 “Toget her” wraps around the page but isn’t hyphenated.
Pg. 42 “He has lay on his back many a times…” — wrong tense for lay
Pg. 54 “‘Maybe your father just missed his too much.’” — I think ‘wife’ or ‘family’ got forgotten. Feels incomplete.
Pg. 111 “You strike me as a leader who the people revolt against…’” — The Dragon King’s dialogue starts without any punctuation marks.
Pg. 178 “Constantine has always felt that he is little on the outer of the Holders.” — missing word, or maybe just written a little oddly. ‘A little’ would flow better.
Pg. 225 Two different people speak on the same line.

[Annalise Healey · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review:
This book was enjoyable and I quite liked the diverse representation that is presented. This is definitely a book that will allow people to feel seen.
The best thing about this book is definitely the unique world building. The magic system in particular and the crystals are interesting. It is an intriguing world that mixes modern and past technologies. The settings are cool, though I do wish more time and detail was spent exploring these.
The characters are interesting, though sometimes it felt like there were a few too many that just pass in for a scene that you think are important but then fade out before anything really happens with them (I am interested in seeing how these develop over the series though). The connection between the main love interests did feel somewhat awkward at parts and a little forced, but perhaps some of this is just due to their story line beginning prior to the book. The main character presents an interesting way to view the events and having autism (though it is explained in the author note about the exact terminology not being used in the book) unfolds the plot in a unique way that, whilst sometimes leading to the writing being a little hard to read smoothly, raises awareness for the condition and explores its complexities whilst also advocating for their perspective to be validated and the person to be seen as you would see anyone else. This same message is reflected in a few different characters and identities throughout too.
The plot feels a little glossed over in parts, with perhaps a few too many "filler" scenes being cut where it feels like it jumps parts too quickly which really doesn't allow the full range of tension to be explored (in particular, any part with the dragons could have been extended, as well as the grand final reveals pertaining a few characters and their relationships). Overall though the intrigue of these scenes did still make it interesting.
In all, this book will be something people enjoy, but having also read an earlier copy as a beta reader, Ia few things were lost from the earlier versions that I wish had stayed through that really strengthened things like character development. I would keep reading the series as Lou is a good friend, but I don't know if it would be something I would run out to buy if it were written by anyone else, as where the book is left off just didn't quite make me need to go into the next book. The writing itself seems pretty developed as is, so I can't say I could see development in this area in future books, and I would be more looking for deeper exploration of setting, character and especially lingering on the major plot events.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3,5 stars rounded up

Thank you to the lovely Lou for providing me with an e-arc. Life and a very persistent reading slump got in the way and I only just managed to finish it, so it's more of a regular review

This story had a really interesting premise with dragons, crystal magic, secrets and a sweet romance. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I though I would, but lets start with the positives:

The autistic rep is phenomenal, and paints such a raw and realistic picture of what it can look like and which struggles it can come with. On a similar note, it was really sweet to see the way Constatine loved him unconditionally, and just got him, his boundaries and everything else.

The way Nikolai got pushed into becoming Lord, and the way we got to see him struggle with it. It always sucks when the character just excels in situations like this, but we truly saw him mess up at times, which I really liked because of how realistic it was. He was grieving the loss of his father while also having to deal with all the responsibilities lordship comes with.

Great queer rep! We got to meet a lot of different queer characters throughout the story, and it was great seeing them just exist. The universe was relativley queernormative, and only having to focus on the dragons and betrayals instead of homophobia as well was very nice.

Nik being the sweetest uncle to August<3

Nik and Cons relationship in general, we love soulmates in this household

Badass women with and without swords, enough said

Now the few negatives:

The pacing felt a little off. Firstly it felt like not much happened, and things were progressing at a slower pace, and suddenly everything was happening at once.

As sweet as the different connections/relationships throughout the book were, I wish we had gotten some more background and explanation for them. Especially Con and Nik

Similarly as above, I wish the whole magic system and "kingdoms" had been explained some more, as I'm still a bit confused about the magic, but that might've just been me!

Overall this was a fun time and had me engaged enough (especially with that cliffhanger, damn) that I'm excited for the sequel! I'm interested to see where the story takes us and I believe that Nik will be able to defeat whatever he might face.

[Jade Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a stunning debut from Lou!! An absolutely phenomenal read that you won't regret picking up. Thank you for providing me an arc copy and I am so grateful to have been able to read this.
The strongest part of this stunning book HAS to be the characterisation for me. Lou did a fantastic job showing her characters through dialogue and their interactions with each other, in just a masterful way. There was minimal "telling" involved, which allowed for the reading pace of the book to remain fairly quick despite its length. I learned the characters through the way they spoke to each other, how they moved around each other and responded to external stimulus. The converstions were witty, quick and nuanced, driving the plot forward and building the definable traits of each character in my mind. Incredible job!
I can't say I'm usually a fan of second-chance romance but Nik and Con had a dynamic that was impossible to ignore. Their tension from pre-book history made sense and bled into their present day issues/discussions, their hyperawareness of the other had me truly believing in the chemistry and their styles of communication led very naturally to organic points of tension and discussion required.
I look forward to the following books because I just KNOW there is so much more to explore in this world, which is the only part I craved more of from book one (though this is very much a personal preference in my own reading). The magic system, the world, the political system, the dragons, the history and lore, all of it hints at some big things to come and some epic adventures ahead and I am IMPATIENT for more. The characters felt so grounded and real that they outshone every other element for me.
Nik's representation and the means he brings attention to his beautiful brain was immaculate.
I cannot wait to dive further in and would highly recommend this book to read!

[Jackson’s Books & Music · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was supposed to be an advanced review, but life got it the way! So it’s just a book review. I am very thankful to the author! I bought the ebook, in addition to receiving an early copy. I leave this review of my own accord!

Crystal clear is a New Adult queer romantasy!

What I loved:
-Great queer and Autistic rep!
-Cute Achillean romance!
-Multi-faceted and varied women characters!
-Great cast of characters in general!
-Cool magic system with crystals!
-A horse named Rose!
-Dragons!!!

I really wanted to give this book a higher rating! I think it needed some extra eyes on it and some more time. I do plan on reading the rest of the series!

[Whitney McGruder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I got to read an ARC and I'm leaving an honest review.

I really enjoyed the wide variety of characters; the whole cast is really loveable and the author gives nice details about each person even if they aren't the main character. I also loved the blossoming of a second-chance romance and how realistic the ups and downs can be. I also appreciated the way Nova handles LGBTQIA+ romance; the main characters are surrounded by neutral/supportive adults when they go public with their partnership. While the MC is bashful about PDA, there's no blatant homophobia depicted here.

Some parts confused me; we were in an intense moment and moved on relatively quickly. To me, it felt like a show-not-tell depiction of what happens when you follow an autistic MC and how they process things. I'd give that as a heads-up that this seemed intentional.

I do agree with other reviewers that this book is much more suitable for a YA (16+) audience due to the subject matter of the book. The main character struggles with being taken seriously, which seems very relatable to readers who are too old to be kids but too young to be adults.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to future books and returning to this world that Lou has created.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Clear is a romantasy that introduces us to two very important men: Nikolai and Constantine. They are trying to find their places in their world of magic while making sure they fulfill their duties and maybe even find some love along the way.

🔮m/m second chance romantasy
🔮neurodivergent and queer main characters
🔮 low fantasy with crystal magic and dragons
🔮 dual POV
🔮 quest
🔮 found family

Crystal Clear is the first in The Island of Moonreignia series

I cannot wait to see how these characters continue to grow and to discover more about this magical world!

[Vanessa]

Very sweet and character/romance-centric with a big focus on emotions, lovely & funny characters, and the second-chance relationship at its core. I'm eager to see more of the world & lore in future books :)