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Ascent of the Nightingale: a fast-paced romantasy with cozy fantasy vibes
A high-fantasy story of star-crossed lovers and found family.
Princess Ramona’s life is idyllic only because no one knows she’s one magical outburst from a beheading. As the sole heir to a kingdom where magic is outlawed, Ramona knows that her magic must remain a secret. When an incident reveals the truth to her tyrannical parents, she and her best friend escape the kingdom together…but only Ramona makes it out.
While hiding from the Grimmhold guards, she’s rescued by the Prince of the Magi himself. Zephyrus is a brooding man with a secret of his own who takes her to a place where magic is Violet City.
With the help of her newfound magical allies, Ramona must return to the kingdom she fled from to rescue Lila, all while fighting her feelings for the rival Prince. The fate of her best friend rests in her hands.
You can expect...
A queernorm universe with a bi main character (and many other queer characters!).A cozy fantasy romance book with high stakes.An upcoming four book romantasy series of love, friendship, transformation, and healing!A spicy romance book for an 18+ audience.A dash of instalust/instalove, with plenty of banter and a mildly slow burn.A fast-paced fantasy book you can't put down!Readers are saying..."This book took the idea of a found family to a whole new level."
"Dare I say, my best fantasy read of the year."
"This reads so smoothly but is also dearly captivating."
"This made me giggle and kick my feet."
"I've never seen a magic system set up like this."
"We are seeing a fresh perspective on what magic can be and look like and this has me on the edge of my seat smiling with joy! What a wonderful perspective!"
Princess Ramona’s life is idyllic only because no one knows she’s one magical outburst from a beheading. As the sole heir to a kingdom where magic is outlawed, Ramona knows that her magic must remain a secret. When an incident reveals the truth to her tyrannical parents, she and her best friend escape the kingdom together…but only Ramona makes it out.
While hiding from the Grimmhold guards, she’s rescued by the Prince of the Magi himself. Zephyrus is a brooding man with a secret of his own who takes her to a place where magic is Violet City.
With the help of her newfound magical allies, Ramona must return to the kingdom she fled from to rescue Lila, all while fighting her feelings for the rival Prince. The fate of her best friend rests in her hands.
You can expect...
A queernorm universe with a bi main character (and many other queer characters!).A cozy fantasy romance book with high stakes.An upcoming four book romantasy series of love, friendship, transformation, and healing!A spicy romance book for an 18+ audience.A dash of instalust/instalove, with plenty of banter and a mildly slow burn.A fast-paced fantasy book you can't put down!Readers are saying..."This book took the idea of a found family to a whole new level."
"Dare I say, my best fantasy read of the year."
"This reads so smoothly but is also dearly captivating."
"This made me giggle and kick my feet."
"I've never seen a magic system set up like this."
"We are seeing a fresh perspective on what magic can be and look like and this has me on the edge of my seat smiling with joy! What a wonderful perspective!"
- GenresFantasy
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2024
9 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 27, 2024
Such a fun and fluffy romantasy that gives the coziest found family. I do feel the characters had a bit of insta-love in the beginning - but I think them pretending to be uninterested towards one another - and only seeing their inner dialogue convey differently made this incredibly enjoyable. I was lucky enough to receive an arc and would definitely read book two!
September 29, 2024
This has all the makings of a cozy, higher-stakes fantasy romance, but the execution left me wanting more. I really appreciated the queernorm universe—it's always refreshing to see more LGBTQIA+ representation in fantasy. Ramona’s struggle to hide her magic and the whole "on the run" premise felt familiar but solid, especially with the brooding Zephyrus coming to her rescue. There's definitely potential here.
However, one major drawback for me was the repetitive nature of the dialogue. It’s great to see different character perspectives in a scene, but repeating entire conversations and moments from both sides dragged the pacing down. A brief summary of the reactions would have sufficed without the word-for-word repetition in some of the scenes.
As much as I liked the premise and the core ideas, I just couldn't connect with the story. It’s got solid bones, but I was hoping for more depth to really pull me in.
If you enjoy cozy spicy fantasy, this might still be a relaxing, low-stakes read for you.
However, one major drawback for me was the repetitive nature of the dialogue. It’s great to see different character perspectives in a scene, but repeating entire conversations and moments from both sides dragged the pacing down. A brief summary of the reactions would have sufficed without the word-for-word repetition in some of the scenes.
As much as I liked the premise and the core ideas, I just couldn't connect with the story. It’s got solid bones, but I was hoping for more depth to really pull me in.
If you enjoy cozy spicy fantasy, this might still be a relaxing, low-stakes read for you.
October 7, 2024
3 out of 5 stars.
This book was such an interesting concept! I absolutely loved the found family aspect! I feel like it was the strongest part of the book. I also loved the world-building and the fantasy elements. The magic in this book is so unique - especially with Zeph’s. Honestly, I wished we got more of the world-building throughout the book.
It focused more on the romance between Ramona and Zeph. It was insta-love and I absolutely hate that trope, but it did take a while for them to admit their feelings to each other. I loved how their interiority didn’t match up to what they were saying, which is why I feel like the insta-love works and was bearable to read.
What I didn’t like most about the book was most of the time when they were alone after admitting their feelings, they would have sex. Especially the scene when they were in the woods. To me, it felt so rushed. It might have been because of the insta-love, but I felt like they didn’t have romantic chemistry, let alone platonic chemistry. I also didn’t like how some scenes felt like they moved too fast - like with Ramona escaping the castle. It came out of nowhere, there wasn’t much buildup to it, and for that kind of scene, I expected more action, especially because of what happened to Lila. Speaking of Lila, she was not mentioned much throughout the book or in Ramona’s thoughts until closer to the end of the book. I thought she honestly wasn’t going to make another appearance again with how little she was mentioned.
Overall, this was a good start to a longer series. I hate how it ended on a cliffhanger, but I am excited to see where the second book goes!
This book was such an interesting concept! I absolutely loved the found family aspect! I feel like it was the strongest part of the book. I also loved the world-building and the fantasy elements. The magic in this book is so unique - especially with Zeph’s. Honestly, I wished we got more of the world-building throughout the book.
It focused more on the romance between Ramona and Zeph. It was insta-love and I absolutely hate that trope, but it did take a while for them to admit their feelings to each other. I loved how their interiority didn’t match up to what they were saying, which is why I feel like the insta-love works and was bearable to read.
What I didn’t like most about the book was most of the time when they were alone after admitting their feelings, they would have sex. Especially the scene when they were in the woods. To me, it felt so rushed. It might have been because of the insta-love, but I felt like they didn’t have romantic chemistry, let alone platonic chemistry. I also didn’t like how some scenes felt like they moved too fast - like with Ramona escaping the castle. It came out of nowhere, there wasn’t much buildup to it, and for that kind of scene, I expected more action, especially because of what happened to Lila. Speaking of Lila, she was not mentioned much throughout the book or in Ramona’s thoughts until closer to the end of the book. I thought she honestly wasn’t going to make another appearance again with how little she was mentioned.
Overall, this was a good start to a longer series. I hate how it ended on a cliffhanger, but I am excited to see where the second book goes!
January 15, 2025
“Ascent of the Nightingale,” by Elle Lavendelle
I liked the Ascent of the Nightingale more than I thought I would. I thought the insta lust would bother me a little, but it really didn’t bother me at all, it was written well. The plot was solid, and I stayed interested the whole time. The characters were good, nothing I would change. All in all, it was an enjoyable book to read, and I’m excited for when I will be able to read book 2. 4 out of 5 stars.
-Starcrossed Lovers
-Insta Lust
-Magic
Thank you for the free copy, Booksprout.
I liked the Ascent of the Nightingale more than I thought I would. I thought the insta lust would bother me a little, but it really didn’t bother me at all, it was written well. The plot was solid, and I stayed interested the whole time. The characters were good, nothing I would change. All in all, it was an enjoyable book to read, and I’m excited for when I will be able to read book 2. 4 out of 5 stars.
-Starcrossed Lovers
-Insta Lust
-Magic
Thank you for the free copy, Booksprout.
August 30, 2024
Wow! I truly enjoyed this debut fantasy novel! The characters are lovely and the storyline is original! I’ve never seen a magic system set up like this and I WANT MORE! It’s so nice to see a FMC in a fantasy romantic novel that’s over the age of 20!
Ramona and Zephyrus have LOTS to do in the next book and I can’t WAIT to read it!
Ramona and Zephyrus have LOTS to do in the next book and I can’t WAIT to read it!
November 13, 2024
Easy world building, lovely characters, representation, and an enthralling plot.
Honestly the first 1/3 of the book was hard for me to get through — mostly due to my book slump but I felt as though the repetitive dialogue was also to blame slightly. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a different style of writing. One scene ends and the next pov began with that characters thoughts on said scene. It was generally done in <1 page, but, characters thoughts or plans would be often told In those moments rather than shown.
The last 2/3 of the books was much better in my opinion — with less redundant statements from characters thoughts and a lot more showing. POVS of scenes overlapped still but at this point I settled into this as her style and was fine with it. I want to adapt to more styles rather than close off new exciting authors because I’m not used to how they write. I simply couldn’t put it down for the last third of the book after that.
LET ME JUST SAY, HOLY CLIFF HANGER. I was like, um, Elle??? BABE?!?! I was shocked on how how Elle decided to end the book. I think it was truly smart for marketing/sales AND emotionally inviting to continue the story. It wasn’t such a cliff hanger that made you want to be mad for a week and forget the second book.
All her characters are lovely, cottage core-esc, and if you feel like you’re trapped in a glass house without a voice…this book is for you to heal that inner child in you. Ultimately that raised my rating of the book exponentially.
The plot and characters had be hooked, some small facets need work that slowed me down in the beginning, but were not problematic in the end. So happy I continued and will be buying the next one! Xoxo
Honestly the first 1/3 of the book was hard for me to get through — mostly due to my book slump but I felt as though the repetitive dialogue was also to blame slightly. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a different style of writing. One scene ends and the next pov began with that characters thoughts on said scene. It was generally done in <1 page, but, characters thoughts or plans would be often told In those moments rather than shown.
The last 2/3 of the books was much better in my opinion — with less redundant statements from characters thoughts and a lot more showing. POVS of scenes overlapped still but at this point I settled into this as her style and was fine with it. I want to adapt to more styles rather than close off new exciting authors because I’m not used to how they write. I simply couldn’t put it down for the last third of the book after that.
LET ME JUST SAY, HOLY CLIFF HANGER. I was like, um, Elle??? BABE?!?! I was shocked on how how Elle decided to end the book. I think it was truly smart for marketing/sales AND emotionally inviting to continue the story. It wasn’t such a cliff hanger that made you want to be mad for a week and forget the second book.
All her characters are lovely, cottage core-esc, and if you feel like you’re trapped in a glass house without a voice…this book is for you to heal that inner child in you. Ultimately that raised my rating of the book exponentially.
The plot and characters had be hooked, some small facets need work that slowed me down in the beginning, but were not problematic in the end. So happy I continued and will be buying the next one! Xoxo
September 25, 2024
Rating: 3.75 - would recommend
Spice: 3/5
This is a little fluffy fantasy romance and it was such an easy read to get caught up into. Our MMC, Zeph, is literally such a cutie and protective of Ramona (our FMC). It was very insta love, literally instantly, but it took a little while before it came to fruition - and they have good banter. And the spicy scenes? Top tier.
One thing this book does extremely well are the side characters, which I always thinks adds to the story. Zeph is the leader of this magical performance troupe and everyone has their roles. (Mor and Sam, I need more of them, please and thank you!).
Not quite a five star read because I didn't feel emotionally connected to these characters. Also, one of the main plotlines (Lila, Ramona's best friend that gets captured) is not mentioned for a good chunk of the story as Ramona gets used to being around the troupe. And while I enjoyed 95% of this writing style, one thing that got me in the dual POV is that there is overlap between the two sometimes. For instance, if Zeph's POV is 123, instead of Ramona's picking up at 456, it would really being 345 (does this make sense?). I didn't see the need to reread the speech twice from both POVs. Thankfully the overlap was only ever a few paragraphs or a page or two, but I would have liked to learned something new with that space instead.
Overall, I do think it set a good foundation and I would read the second :)
Spice: 3/5
This is a little fluffy fantasy romance and it was such an easy read to get caught up into. Our MMC, Zeph, is literally such a cutie and protective of Ramona (our FMC). It was very insta love, literally instantly, but it took a little while before it came to fruition - and they have good banter. And the spicy scenes? Top tier.
One thing this book does extremely well are the side characters, which I always thinks adds to the story. Zeph is the leader of this magical performance troupe and everyone has their roles. (Mor and Sam, I need more of them, please and thank you!).
Not quite a five star read because I didn't feel emotionally connected to these characters. Also, one of the main plotlines (Lila, Ramona's best friend that gets captured) is not mentioned for a good chunk of the story as Ramona gets used to being around the troupe. And while I enjoyed 95% of this writing style, one thing that got me in the dual POV is that there is overlap between the two sometimes. For instance, if Zeph's POV is 123, instead of Ramona's picking up at 456, it would really being 345 (does this make sense?). I didn't see the need to reread the speech twice from both POVs. Thankfully the overlap was only ever a few paragraphs or a page or two, but I would have liked to learned something new with that space instead.
Overall, I do think it set a good foundation and I would read the second :)
September 2, 2024
ARC review - This book really got me back into reading romance again!! Dual POVs to give us a chance to understand both Ramona and Zephyrus' motivations, but more importantly to me, their fears. I loved following Ramona's POV the most because of her adapting to a life outside the kingdom. A betrayal early one really hit me in the feels, and to watch Ramona go through that was devastating! The chemistry between Ramona and Zephyrus was pretty fast, but maybe that's just me. I will ALWAYS be a sucker for two people KNOWING they've caught feelings do what they can to resist---and fail! Zephyrus' POV was also enjoyable because of how alert he is to Ramona---kicking my legs and laughing at how, like, down bad he is. Enjoyable read if you love a fantasy setting with love interests who're sweet with everyone else but prickly with each other lol
November 24, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! It was an easy read in that it was entertaining with magic and fantasy elements that were not unnecessarily complicated and felt organic in the world. The whimsical nature and star crossed lovers aspects reminded me of Stardust by Neil Gaiman. But with a completely unique set of characters and a very well paced plot that made me glad I already had the next book! The side characters feel fully fleshed out and I was just as curious and invested into them as I was the two main characters. The spice was really well done, I won’t spoil anything but I thought everything was tasteful and entertaining. I can’t wait to see how their story progresses, I definitely recommend if you enjoy whimsical fantasy romance with high stakes and found family elements.
January 25, 2025
This is the first book in the Violet Uprising series. It is a beautifully written fantasy romance that gives off cozy vibes. It's more of an insta love romance story, but it's so well written that I didn't mind and actually really liked it. The magic system is unique, the worldbuilding was good, but I think there will be more of that in the second book. The characters are tightly written and well developed. Because the book is written from Ramona's and Zephyrus's point of view, you get to know the characters well and quickly grow to like them. I'm looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 6, 2025
It took me a bit to actually get into the story, and at first I was not a fan of Ramona. I stuck around as I liked the Magi theater aspect, and Zephyr. The two kingdoms that dont get along due to their views on magic is interesting. Once the story moved along a bit I actually started to like Ram and her budding relationship with Zephyr. This does end on kinda a cliffhanger, so I am interested to see in how this story progresses. Also, nice spicy bits as well.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 31, 2024
For me, this book felt so refreshing for the fantasy genre! I enjoyed the classic tropes of found family, a runaway princess, banned magic, and a romance that felt unique but cozy and familiar.
I’m also OBSESSED with the mmc. Having a dual POV can sometimes ruin the tension for me, but this just made me kick my feet and giggle LOL
I was so honored to have an ARC of this beautiful story, and I’m so excited for the next book! I’ve been thinking about this story for days 😭😭😭💜
I’m also OBSESSED with the mmc. Having a dual POV can sometimes ruin the tension for me, but this just made me kick my feet and giggle LOL
I was so honored to have an ARC of this beautiful story, and I’m so excited for the next book! I’ve been thinking about this story for days 😭😭😭💜
March 21, 2025
This was a strong start to the Violet Uprising series, it had that element that I was looking for and thought worked overall. Everything was what I wanted and that I was looking for. The characters were wonderfully done and worked in this universe. Elle Lavendelle has a strong writing style and am excited for more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 14, 2024
Fantastic, whimsical world!
I loved the world and magic created in this book. The story is both cozy and exciting with danger lurking around every corner. My only qualm is the ending was a cliffhanger and left me wanting so much more! I would recommend this book to all (adult) fantasy lovers. It gets very spicy toward the end!
I loved the world and magic created in this book. The story is both cozy and exciting with danger lurking around every corner. My only qualm is the ending was a cliffhanger and left me wanting so much more! I would recommend this book to all (adult) fantasy lovers. It gets very spicy toward the end!
September 6, 2024
I liked what this book sounded like it was going to be. But I did not like the execution. Instalove is not really my jam...and I just didn't even feel like they had much interaction or chemistry. But maybe that's just me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2024
This book took the idea of a found family to a whole new level. It ended on a crazy cliffhanger and I cannot wait to read the next book
February 25, 2025
Very cute and cozy! I did find myself wanting a bit more out of the descriptions and the character arc’s but overall it was a very enjoyable read. The storyline is original and some of the scenes felt right out of fairytale romance. Absolutely stunning for a debut novel and it really compels you to want to read the next one!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews