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Untempered: An Epic Fantasy Romance
One rejected destiny. Two lives magically bound in blood. A quest for freedom that will topple a kingdom.
Audrey has long endured the cruelty of her father, the Duke of La’Angi. Infamous for his brutal suppression of the masses, the Duke holds Audrey's fate, and the kingdom, in his fist.
Driven by rage at insidious social conventions known as the locways, a fierce warrior takes up the role of Audrey's handmaid. In secret, Audrey trains in the ways of the half-myth, all-women, nomadic Matri’sion—who stand for everything the Duke despises.
“The deadliest weapon is the shattered blade” ~ Matri’sion proverb.
Audrey finds herself at the center of alliances and assassination attempts as rebellion looms, but after a chance encounter with a dark and brooding knight, her deadly secrets may be her undoing.
While a mysterious plague ravages the land, the Duke leads the kingdom into another era of deadly war. Audrey must choose whether to seek her own freedom, or risk everything to help the people of La’Angi.
Can Audrey escape her father’s blood-soaked shadow, or will the locways prevail?
Untempered is book one of Fate Untethered, a romantasy trilogy for readers who love slow-burn romance, loathe the patriarchy, and understand that survival is not enough.
Untempered explores themes of family violence, so reader discretion is advised. A full list of content warnings is available on the author’s website.
Audrey has long endured the cruelty of her father, the Duke of La’Angi. Infamous for his brutal suppression of the masses, the Duke holds Audrey's fate, and the kingdom, in his fist.
Driven by rage at insidious social conventions known as the locways, a fierce warrior takes up the role of Audrey's handmaid. In secret, Audrey trains in the ways of the half-myth, all-women, nomadic Matri’sion—who stand for everything the Duke despises.
“The deadliest weapon is the shattered blade” ~ Matri’sion proverb.
Audrey finds herself at the center of alliances and assassination attempts as rebellion looms, but after a chance encounter with a dark and brooding knight, her deadly secrets may be her undoing.
While a mysterious plague ravages the land, the Duke leads the kingdom into another era of deadly war. Audrey must choose whether to seek her own freedom, or risk everything to help the people of La’Angi.
Can Audrey escape her father’s blood-soaked shadow, or will the locways prevail?
Untempered is book one of Fate Untethered, a romantasy trilogy for readers who love slow-burn romance, loathe the patriarchy, and understand that survival is not enough.
Untempered explores themes of family violence, so reader discretion is advised. A full list of content warnings is available on the author’s website.
521 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2024
18 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Elisse Hay
10 books37 followersElisse lives on the unceded land of the Kulin Nation in Australia. She has become the cat lady everybody promised she could be; her next goal is swamp hag.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 12, 2025
the blurb had nabbed my full, undivided attention. a tribe of nomadic, warrior trained women, who are focused on the destruction of the patriarchy, is more than half myth. a feared and violent duke oppresses his kingdom in an unbreakable hold. within the shadows a rebellion is forming and assassination attempts are looming. war and its endless darkness is waiting in the distance. untempered screamed feminism and feminine strength that appealed to me on multiple levels however, it was anything but.
untempered follows audrey’s journey, a woman who has been abused and terrorised emotionally and physically by her father, the butcher of wolfswail, as she focuses on surviving in the world she desires to escape. isolde, audrey’s handmaid and a matri’sion warrior, has dedicated herself to training audrey in secret and vowed to protect her at all costs. there’s a rebellion forming in the shadows and war has started burning in the distance, but what was the main focus and initial concern in this narrative is overshadowed by an unknown illness that’s resolved in the quickest and weirdest of ways.
this book was one of the most difficult stories i’ve ever read. it had a slow pace and due to the writing, reminiscent of earlier fantasy novels, was hard to follow and oftentimes understand. i shouldn’t be feeling as if this book is wanting so hard to present like renowned fantasy novels but with unfinished characters and underwhelming world-building. a modern released romantic fantasy shouldn’t be this frustrating or tiresome to read and there’s a certain expectation that it will be delivered as such—a modern read. it wasn’t the subject matter or even language that made this an effort to read, (i understand that this features a fantasy medieval setting, so certain language is to be expected) but rather the way sentences were constructed. i haven’t encountered an overuse of commas or convoluted sentences in a long time, it created an overall terrible reading experience. i won’t give too much detail on this, but isolde and thomas’ perspectives were unnecessary and didn’t provide anything to the narrative. i started skipping their chapters in the end—all they revealed was nothing as they would often remark on something happening to another character, however we wouldn’t know what actually happened from the affected character’s perspective.
♡ audrey
told from isolde’s perspective, when we meet audrey she’s a terrified and withdrawn little girl who’s scared of her father. with time, audrey has been trained under isolde in the methods of the matri’sion warriors, a group of women who are nomadic warriors. i wanted to witness audrey transform into a cunning woman with time; a woman who has built walls around herself as she withstood the suffering at her father’s behest and strengthened herself emotionally and physically in an effort to survive. i wanted feminine rage, but audrey was back and forth in her thoughts and feelings—one moment, she’s this well versed and trained warrior (she was forward with isolde during their interactions); the next she reverted back to that same anxious girl terrified of her father. i understand that everyone suffers from trauma in different ways, but the constant inconsistencies in her characterisation were jarring and frustrating.
♡ chay
chay shieldbreaker of west grenvele is audrey’s blood oath knight, a man who has sworn his unwavering allegiance to the daughter of the man he’s working towards assassinating. i'm not sure what kind of man chay is supposed to be, but he was dull and bland. in the beginning he's more or less frothing at the mouth over a woman who tried to slit his throat, who later is found to be audrey, and then later hates her, all because of who her father is. his affection towards audrey is established by mutual experiences in sustaining familial abuse, but the moment he becomes oathbound to her all of that understanding evaporates as if it never existed. towards the end of this book he does another drastic personality switch and has started frothing over audrey again without hesitation. i demand this man’s inconsistencies are ceased, for the love of all things/
to summarise my thoughts and feelings on this book, it was my second last read of november and this book threw me into an awful slump that felt endless. the fact that it took me almost two months to write this review, i feel, reiterates my unfortunate experiences when it comes to this horrendous fantasy romance. i realise these statements are somewhat harsh, however with better writing, a finessed narrative and well established characters this would have been worth reading.
────────────────────
˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
i love the acknowledgement to australia’s indigenous people. there’s an extensive content notes and trigger warnings section where the author goes into detail and even summarises what happens in the chapter for those who decide to skip them. always love a book with a nice map and slow burn romance, so can’t wait to read elisse hay’s debut novel!
a massive thank you to elisse hay and haus of fables for the gifted e-arc
follow me on: instagram
untempered follows audrey’s journey, a woman who has been abused and terrorised emotionally and physically by her father, the butcher of wolfswail, as she focuses on surviving in the world she desires to escape. isolde, audrey’s handmaid and a matri’sion warrior, has dedicated herself to training audrey in secret and vowed to protect her at all costs. there’s a rebellion forming in the shadows and war has started burning in the distance, but what was the main focus and initial concern in this narrative is overshadowed by an unknown illness that’s resolved in the quickest and weirdest of ways.
this book was one of the most difficult stories i’ve ever read. it had a slow pace and due to the writing, reminiscent of earlier fantasy novels, was hard to follow and oftentimes understand. i shouldn’t be feeling as if this book is wanting so hard to present like renowned fantasy novels but with unfinished characters and underwhelming world-building. a modern released romantic fantasy shouldn’t be this frustrating or tiresome to read and there’s a certain expectation that it will be delivered as such—a modern read. it wasn’t the subject matter or even language that made this an effort to read, (i understand that this features a fantasy medieval setting, so certain language is to be expected) but rather the way sentences were constructed. i haven’t encountered an overuse of commas or convoluted sentences in a long time, it created an overall terrible reading experience. i won’t give too much detail on this, but isolde and thomas’ perspectives were unnecessary and didn’t provide anything to the narrative. i started skipping their chapters in the end—all they revealed was nothing as they would often remark on something happening to another character, however we wouldn’t know what actually happened from the affected character’s perspective.
♡ audrey
told from isolde’s perspective, when we meet audrey she’s a terrified and withdrawn little girl who’s scared of her father. with time, audrey has been trained under isolde in the methods of the matri’sion warriors, a group of women who are nomadic warriors. i wanted to witness audrey transform into a cunning woman with time; a woman who has built walls around herself as she withstood the suffering at her father’s behest and strengthened herself emotionally and physically in an effort to survive. i wanted feminine rage, but audrey was back and forth in her thoughts and feelings—one moment, she’s this well versed and trained warrior (she was forward with isolde during their interactions); the next she reverted back to that same anxious girl terrified of her father. i understand that everyone suffers from trauma in different ways, but the constant inconsistencies in her characterisation were jarring and frustrating.
♡ chay
chay shieldbreaker of west grenvele is audrey’s blood oath knight, a man who has sworn his unwavering allegiance to the daughter of the man he’s working towards assassinating. i'm not sure what kind of man chay is supposed to be, but he was dull and bland. in the beginning he's more or less frothing at the mouth over a woman who tried to slit his throat, who later is found to be audrey, and then later hates her, all because of who her father is. his affection towards audrey is established by mutual experiences in sustaining familial abuse, but the moment he becomes oathbound to her all of that understanding evaporates as if it never existed. towards the end of this book he does another drastic personality switch and has started frothing over audrey again without hesitation. i demand this man’s inconsistencies are ceased, for the love of all things/
to summarise my thoughts and feelings on this book, it was my second last read of november and this book threw me into an awful slump that felt endless. the fact that it took me almost two months to write this review, i feel, reiterates my unfortunate experiences when it comes to this horrendous fantasy romance. i realise these statements are somewhat harsh, however with better writing, a finessed narrative and well established characters this would have been worth reading.
────────────────────
˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
i love the acknowledgement to australia’s indigenous people. there’s an extensive content notes and trigger warnings section where the author goes into detail and even summarises what happens in the chapter for those who decide to skip them. always love a book with a nice map and slow burn romance, so can’t wait to read elisse hay’s debut novel!
a massive thank you to elisse hay and haus of fables for the gifted e-arc
follow me on: instagram
November 11, 2025
3.5 rounded up. I really like the premise and where it’s going. It felt like at times there was so much going on and different things happening that I wasn’t entirely sure what was even happening. Bonus points because f the patriarchy and I think this lays a really good foundation for the rest of the series. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this arc
November 1, 2024
I tend not to review books that I’ve worked on, but this one has such a special place in my heart!
If you are a long time reader of fantasy and are looking for something that somehow feels both nostalgic and fresh, Untempered may be for you. It is multi-POV and throws you into the world in a way I find so immersive.
This book is for people who know that while there absolutely are people-shaped villains, the true enemies are the underlying systems and structures of oppression we all participate in.
There are some dark themes, so please check the extensive CW notes, including a guide at the back of the book if you’d like to skip specific chapters. Look after yourself please!
While the MMC can be grumpy, he is a walking green flag (which frankly the FMC deserves after everything she has been through—and don’t we all?). This is something I love about Elisse’s writing: it’s laced with rage at the patriarchy, but the romance is a safe space. These men written by excellent women are my favourite thing about this sub-genre as a whole, and I can always count on Elisse to deliver.
In no particular order, my highlights:
💪 Matriarchal warrior nomads (the Matri’sion)
🐎 Equine therapy
❤️ ND rep (FMC)
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Character driven
✍️ The epigraphs! (glimpses into the world at the top of each chapter—often hilarious if you make the connection!)
🙊 The banter (and I live for Isolde’s acid tongue)
😷 Magical deadly plague
🥶 Body heat to survive (see: magical deadly plague)
⚡️ Prophecies and rejected fates
👊 Fighting the patriarchy (sometimes literally)
🗺️ Fantasy world politics
🐺 Worgs
⚔️ Knight protectors and magical blood oaths
🌶️ Spice! (and don’t miss the bonus bathhouse scene 👀)
🇦🇺 Aussie author!
If you are a long time reader of fantasy and are looking for something that somehow feels both nostalgic and fresh, Untempered may be for you. It is multi-POV and throws you into the world in a way I find so immersive.
This book is for people who know that while there absolutely are people-shaped villains, the true enemies are the underlying systems and structures of oppression we all participate in.
There are some dark themes, so please check the extensive CW notes, including a guide at the back of the book if you’d like to skip specific chapters. Look after yourself please!
While the MMC can be grumpy, he is a walking green flag (which frankly the FMC deserves after everything she has been through—and don’t we all?). This is something I love about Elisse’s writing: it’s laced with rage at the patriarchy, but the romance is a safe space. These men written by excellent women are my favourite thing about this sub-genre as a whole, and I can always count on Elisse to deliver.
In no particular order, my highlights:
💪 Matriarchal warrior nomads (the Matri’sion)
🐎 Equine therapy
❤️ ND rep (FMC)
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Character driven
✍️ The epigraphs! (glimpses into the world at the top of each chapter—often hilarious if you make the connection!)
🙊 The banter (and I live for Isolde’s acid tongue)
😷 Magical deadly plague
🥶 Body heat to survive (see: magical deadly plague)
⚡️ Prophecies and rejected fates
👊 Fighting the patriarchy (sometimes literally)
🗺️ Fantasy world politics
🐺 Worgs
⚔️ Knight protectors and magical blood oaths
🌶️ Spice! (and don’t miss the bonus bathhouse scene 👀)
🇦🇺 Aussie author!
October 26, 2024
Untempered is Book 1 in Elysse Hay's Fate Untethered series, an epic fantasy romance set to be released on November 1st.
What I loved most about this story was the way Elysse talked about several serious topics, such as the dire effects of the patriarchy, the survival of one's body and soul in the most challenging circumstances, and fighting and trying to conquer one's innermost demons. Still, above all, it is a story of survival and challenging the definitions of that concept—the main idea being that there isn't a black & white definition of it; survival can be so many different things. It can be the skill to adapt, to remain hidden while bidding your time; it may be the need to rise above and fight back; it can be all that and none of that.
Elysse has masterfully depicted the intricacies of a world where power and strength reign, and blood flows freely. She has peeled back the layers of her characters, revealing a tapestry of pain, rage, hate, devotion, and love. Elysses's characters are not just complex; they are enigmatic, existing in shades of grey. Audrey, Chay, Isolde; each of them is a unique entity, yet together, they form the heart of the story, inviting us to delve deeper.
Elysse has crafted a tale rich in world-building and lore, providing answers to some of our questions while leaving other mysteries for future books. Untempered is not just a dark fantasy; it is a unique, character-driven narrative that will captivate anyone who enjoys intricate storytelling. As an ARC reader, I was engrossed in Elysse's world and am eagerly anticipating the journey that lies ahead.
What I loved most about this story was the way Elysse talked about several serious topics, such as the dire effects of the patriarchy, the survival of one's body and soul in the most challenging circumstances, and fighting and trying to conquer one's innermost demons. Still, above all, it is a story of survival and challenging the definitions of that concept—the main idea being that there isn't a black & white definition of it; survival can be so many different things. It can be the skill to adapt, to remain hidden while bidding your time; it may be the need to rise above and fight back; it can be all that and none of that.
Elysse has masterfully depicted the intricacies of a world where power and strength reign, and blood flows freely. She has peeled back the layers of her characters, revealing a tapestry of pain, rage, hate, devotion, and love. Elysses's characters are not just complex; they are enigmatic, existing in shades of grey. Audrey, Chay, Isolde; each of them is a unique entity, yet together, they form the heart of the story, inviting us to delve deeper.
Elysse has crafted a tale rich in world-building and lore, providing answers to some of our questions while leaving other mysteries for future books. Untempered is not just a dark fantasy; it is a unique, character-driven narrative that will captivate anyone who enjoys intricate storytelling. As an ARC reader, I was engrossed in Elysse's world and am eagerly anticipating the journey that lies ahead.
October 26, 2024
There were several elements of this book that I did enjoy, and I do plan to continue the series. I absolutely loved the character development, especially Chay and Isolde. I also think the world and the political intrigue have a lot of potential! I do think this book was trying to do too much, but all great elements just maybe too much in one book?
This is a very slow burn, which I don't mind.
Thank you to the author and Haus of Fables PR for this ARC opportunity
This is a very slow burn, which I don't mind.
Thank you to the author and Haus of Fables PR for this ARC opportunity
October 25, 2024
Untempered is the first book of the Fate Untethered trilogy by Elisse Hay. There are multiple POVs and shifts in narration which was jarring for me. The pace matches the action of the book but it was also a bit of a challenge for me to keep up. Between everything going on with the characters, narrators, and plot, I found myself getting a bit lost, especially at the beginning of the novel, however, I also figured that a lot of this was likely due to the world building for the reader. That being said, there are elements of the story that I still enjoyed such as character development, the world building, and the different chapter epigraphs.
The character development for the FMC, Audrey, is interesting because while she's learning about the situation that she's in, the reader is learning alongside her. The exploration of the world feels a bit chaotic at times because of the various events in the story and shifts in perspective based on the different narrators. The detail that are the chapter epigraphs are a really nice touch. I love the different selections and there were so many different lines throughout the book that I just loved!
All in all, despite my struggles at the beginning, this book was a good read and I am curious as to what is going to happen in the upcoming books in the series! It is a longer read and it is a slow-burn romantasy, so if you are able to stick with it, it'll be worth it.
Thank you for this gifted ARC from Haus of Fables! All opinions are my own.
The character development for the FMC, Audrey, is interesting because while she's learning about the situation that she's in, the reader is learning alongside her. The exploration of the world feels a bit chaotic at times because of the various events in the story and shifts in perspective based on the different narrators. The detail that are the chapter epigraphs are a really nice touch. I love the different selections and there were so many different lines throughout the book that I just loved!
All in all, despite my struggles at the beginning, this book was a good read and I am curious as to what is going to happen in the upcoming books in the series! It is a longer read and it is a slow-burn romantasy, so if you are able to stick with it, it'll be worth it.
Thank you for this gifted ARC from Haus of Fables! All opinions are my own.
November 26, 2024
*2.5 stars*
*Digital copy provided by Haus of Fables*
When looking at the tropes of this book I really thought this would be a book I would just eat up but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
It’s described as a slow-burn romance but this slow-burn pretty much applies to the plot as a whole. I felt as though nothing happened. Audrey, our FMC, kept saying and thinking she wanted to leave and escape her abusive father but just never did. I understood that it was her home and she wanted to get rid of her father but her father is away for most of the book so she just does nothing.
Audrey really confused me. One minute she’s a meek little mouse then she’s throwing a man off a bridge then back to being meek again. I just couldn’t be bothered to care for her. There are multiple POVs but they are not more interesting than Audrey. At times the writing really confused me and I found it hard to picture what was happening in my head.
The relationship between Chay & Audrey started out promising but then it just fizzled and didn’t have that angst and tension that I love with slow-burn/enemies to lovers. The epilogue was probably the most interesting part of the story.
*Digital copy provided by Haus of Fables*
When looking at the tropes of this book I really thought this would be a book I would just eat up but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
It’s described as a slow-burn romance but this slow-burn pretty much applies to the plot as a whole. I felt as though nothing happened. Audrey, our FMC, kept saying and thinking she wanted to leave and escape her abusive father but just never did. I understood that it was her home and she wanted to get rid of her father but her father is away for most of the book so she just does nothing.
Audrey really confused me. One minute she’s a meek little mouse then she’s throwing a man off a bridge then back to being meek again. I just couldn’t be bothered to care for her. There are multiple POVs but they are not more interesting than Audrey. At times the writing really confused me and I found it hard to picture what was happening in my head.
The relationship between Chay & Audrey started out promising but then it just fizzled and didn’t have that angst and tension that I love with slow-burn/enemies to lovers. The epilogue was probably the most interesting part of the story.
December 18, 2025
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this especially after seeing the title include "epic fantasy romance" here on goodreads. I was a bit concerned about where the story would go, but it worked out in the end. This book primarily followed Audrey and Chay, but included perspectives from two additional characters; Isolde, Audrey’s friend and handmaid, and Thomas, a guard sworn to Audrey who is working through PTSD and anxiety for his family who allowed events to be viewed through a lens unclouded by romance.
That out of the way, I do think that realistically, this is a 3.5 star read I am choosing to round up to 4. I do agree with a handful of the other reviews that say the pacing for most of the book was slow, but this isn’t something that bothered me. To me it emphasized the monotony of life in the keep under intense scrutiny and lockdown.
I did not like the sudden swing in the relationship between Audrey and Chay. They go from disliking each other to horny very quickly near the end. While this was easy to predict given the nature of the book and (somewhat) understandable given other factors at the time, I wish there was a bit more buildup. If in the middle of the book they had spoken more instead of purposely avoiding each other I think this would have felt more natural.
A big strength of the book was the political intrigue that was set up for the remainder of the series. I am excited to hear more about Raider's Ban and events in the west.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Untempered. I think I will stick with the series due to interest in the world as a whole, and waiting to see the Butcher unseated.
*SPOILERS*
The one big gripe I have is a personal issue. To build on the sudden shift from relative hatred to sex, I can’t imagine feeling so sick you’re aching and cold and thinking to yourself “now would be the perfect time to bone.” This was where I struggled the most to stay immersed and is another reason I don’t think there was enough buildup to justify the characters getting together when they did. The mentality of thinking any day now could be your last? I understand why they would choose to be together while thinking it’s their last chance. However, the descriptions of discomfort and pain before and after they become intimate make me second guess the believability of jumping to physical intimacy while dying of plague.
That out of the way, I do think that realistically, this is a 3.5 star read I am choosing to round up to 4. I do agree with a handful of the other reviews that say the pacing for most of the book was slow, but this isn’t something that bothered me. To me it emphasized the monotony of life in the keep under intense scrutiny and lockdown.
I did not like the sudden swing in the relationship between Audrey and Chay. They go from disliking each other to horny very quickly near the end. While this was easy to predict given the nature of the book and (somewhat) understandable given other factors at the time, I wish there was a bit more buildup. If in the middle of the book they had spoken more instead of purposely avoiding each other I think this would have felt more natural.
A big strength of the book was the political intrigue that was set up for the remainder of the series. I am excited to hear more about Raider's Ban and events in the west.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Untempered. I think I will stick with the series due to interest in the world as a whole, and waiting to see the Butcher unseated.
*SPOILERS*
The one big gripe I have is a personal issue. To build on the sudden shift from relative hatred to sex, I can’t imagine feeling so sick you’re aching and cold and thinking to yourself “now would be the perfect time to bone.” This was where I struggled the most to stay immersed and is another reason I don’t think there was enough buildup to justify the characters getting together when they did. The mentality of thinking any day now could be your last? I understand why they would choose to be together while thinking it’s their last chance. However, the descriptions of discomfort and pain before and after they become intimate make me second guess the believability of jumping to physical intimacy while dying of plague.
October 22, 2024
A new Elisse Hay Series! Yes please! I just adore the style and way Elisse writes and this was no exception.
Her storytelling was enchanting and even through some aspects were confusing for me, it kept me wanting more.
The way she writes it so unique to her and I just love the way she makes me think.
I ALSO think I found my favourite line ever “he’d make excellent fertiliser”
It was at times confusing. The magical elements I really couldn’t have a picture of and the world around the storyline/backstory did at times have me really thinking.
However it was a great storyline even when it was a challenge to read but I loved the ride. I kept wanting to know and wanting to understand. The characters and unknown kept pulling me in and making me turn that page.
I loved the dynamic between our main characters, plus the addition of the side characters.
When the slow burn hits, omg that fire burns!!! So well written.
It was probably one of my favourite written scenes and written with such care and love.
I love how Elisse Hays books make you think, even about things in our real world. How trauma, life, experiences can influence us. I love how we get to see our characters raw and unfiltered. The realities of expectations, of who you are meant to be or act, what’s socially right and trauma.
The plot and characters were wonderful.
THAT ENDING WTF ELISSE WHAT! Can’t wait for book two!
“We are only conquered when we believe ourselves to be.”
I will add that I read this whilst getting treatment, so it is understandable that it was harder for me to read. It was complex and I do love that, however I did take into account when reviewing that I was quite brain impaired when I did read this. I still bloody loved it, just my brain was confused.
“Until. My. Heart. No. Longer. Beats.”
Tropes
Fantasy Romance
Slow burn
Girl power
Multi POV from several characters
Prophesy
Banter
Triggers
Plague
Death
Unaliving of children
Family violence- all aspects
Physical violence
Death of parent
Thanks to Books and Bitches ARC team, these are my totally honest and awesome opinions.
Her storytelling was enchanting and even through some aspects were confusing for me, it kept me wanting more.
The way she writes it so unique to her and I just love the way she makes me think.
I ALSO think I found my favourite line ever “he’d make excellent fertiliser”
It was at times confusing. The magical elements I really couldn’t have a picture of and the world around the storyline/backstory did at times have me really thinking.
However it was a great storyline even when it was a challenge to read but I loved the ride. I kept wanting to know and wanting to understand. The characters and unknown kept pulling me in and making me turn that page.
I loved the dynamic between our main characters, plus the addition of the side characters.
When the slow burn hits, omg that fire burns!!! So well written.
It was probably one of my favourite written scenes and written with such care and love.
I love how Elisse Hays books make you think, even about things in our real world. How trauma, life, experiences can influence us. I love how we get to see our characters raw and unfiltered. The realities of expectations, of who you are meant to be or act, what’s socially right and trauma.
The plot and characters were wonderful.
THAT ENDING WTF ELISSE WHAT! Can’t wait for book two!
“We are only conquered when we believe ourselves to be.”
I will add that I read this whilst getting treatment, so it is understandable that it was harder for me to read. It was complex and I do love that, however I did take into account when reviewing that I was quite brain impaired when I did read this. I still bloody loved it, just my brain was confused.
“Until. My. Heart. No. Longer. Beats.”
Tropes
Fantasy Romance
Slow burn
Girl power
Multi POV from several characters
Prophesy
Banter
Triggers
Plague
Death
Unaliving of children
Family violence- all aspects
Physical violence
Death of parent
Thanks to Books and Bitches ARC team, these are my totally honest and awesome opinions.
October 27, 2024
A huge thank you to Elisse and Haus of Fables pr for an ARC of Elisse's new Romantasy 'Untempered' to read before release!
This book and the way Elisse writes reminds me of the traditional fantasies I grew up on, and it took me a minute to adjust to the prose and slow pace, but once I did, I fell into the world so completely.
Her story brings you incredibly complex characters, brutality at the hands of family, a magical plague bent on destroying everyone and a slow burn that's so glacial it sneaks up on you and smacks you right in the heart.
Audrey and Chay, as main characters, are thrust together due to circumstances beyond both of their controls, and they fight against it every step of the way, hell bent on not working together - until... they do. I loved how they didn't just fall into an instant trust relationship, and although the attraction simmers between them from the get-go, it naturally grows into something intense and real.
The side characters of Thomas, a guard thrown into a senior position and Isolde, a secret warrior, gives a break in POV and allows you more insight into the world Elisse is creating, and I hope they both play a larger role in upcoming books.
If you are looking for a new fantasy that is gearing up to be an epic that includes:
🔸️Slow burn
▪️Enemies to lovers
🔸️Survival
▪️Complex personalities
🔸️Protective MMC
▪️Feminine rage
🔸️Multiple POV
I suggest you check it out!
Don't forget to look up the TW before embarking on this journey! Can't wait for the next instalment!
This book and the way Elisse writes reminds me of the traditional fantasies I grew up on, and it took me a minute to adjust to the prose and slow pace, but once I did, I fell into the world so completely.
Her story brings you incredibly complex characters, brutality at the hands of family, a magical plague bent on destroying everyone and a slow burn that's so glacial it sneaks up on you and smacks you right in the heart.
Audrey and Chay, as main characters, are thrust together due to circumstances beyond both of their controls, and they fight against it every step of the way, hell bent on not working together - until... they do. I loved how they didn't just fall into an instant trust relationship, and although the attraction simmers between them from the get-go, it naturally grows into something intense and real.
The side characters of Thomas, a guard thrown into a senior position and Isolde, a secret warrior, gives a break in POV and allows you more insight into the world Elisse is creating, and I hope they both play a larger role in upcoming books.
If you are looking for a new fantasy that is gearing up to be an epic that includes:
🔸️Slow burn
▪️Enemies to lovers
🔸️Survival
▪️Complex personalities
🔸️Protective MMC
▪️Feminine rage
🔸️Multiple POV
I suggest you check it out!
Don't forget to look up the TW before embarking on this journey! Can't wait for the next instalment!
October 31, 2024
Untempered is the first book of Elisse Hay’s new romantasy trilogy, Fate Untethered. It is a remarkable start to her new series as readers will feel drawn to the immersive story of a kingdom fighting for survival and a growing rebellion against the forces of which that has consistently oppressed them through the eyes of various characters.
The expansive world-building and the rich history of La’Angi is complex and may be difficult to follow along at the beginning, but once the story continued to blossom, the pieces slowly fell together easily to form a more cohesive narrative that would make the story even more compelling to read.
There are a wide variety of different and extraordinary characters that share their perspectives on what survival means to them as survival, as it turns out, can be done differently than simply fighting back. While I believe that having a diverse cast shedding light on what trauma and life experiences can affect a person, I do feel at times there were some chapters dedicated to a POV that felt unnecessary and confusing.
As for the romance, it is slow, like REALLY slow, as it takes a long time for our two lovers to confess and connect with each other. But once they finally did, FIREWORKS. So worth the wait.
While there were some parts that had felt confusing and out of place, Elisse Hay had done a masterful job in creating a captivating and entertaining story and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧.
The expansive world-building and the rich history of La’Angi is complex and may be difficult to follow along at the beginning, but once the story continued to blossom, the pieces slowly fell together easily to form a more cohesive narrative that would make the story even more compelling to read.
There are a wide variety of different and extraordinary characters that share their perspectives on what survival means to them as survival, as it turns out, can be done differently than simply fighting back. While I believe that having a diverse cast shedding light on what trauma and life experiences can affect a person, I do feel at times there were some chapters dedicated to a POV that felt unnecessary and confusing.
As for the romance, it is slow, like REALLY slow, as it takes a long time for our two lovers to confess and connect with each other. But once they finally did, FIREWORKS. So worth the wait.
While there were some parts that had felt confusing and out of place, Elisse Hay had done a masterful job in creating a captivating and entertaining story and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧.
November 10, 2024
ARC Review
Untempered by Elisse Hay @elisse.hay
Rating: 4 🌟
Spice: 🌶
Untempered is the first instalment in Elisse Hay's Fate Untethered romantasy trilogy, marking a strong start to the series, especially as I had not yet read a book written by her. Readers are quickly drawn into a gripping narrative about a kingdom's struggle for survival and an uprising against long-standing oppression, explored through multiple character perspectives.
The world-building is detailed, and the history of La'Angi is complex, which can be somewhat difficult to grasp at first. I love it when an author creates this whole world and lore that just blows my mind! As the story progresses, though, these elements come together to form a more cohesive and engaging narrative.
Our FMC Audrey is a fiery character who grows more badass and confident as the story progresses. I enjoyed that we, as the reader, are along for the entire ride of her personal development. Our MMC Chay is our broody protector who ends up in a blood bond with Audrey. The romance develops slowly—very slowly—but when the two protagonists finally connect, it proves to be an intense payoff.
The diverse cast of characters offers various insights into the concept of survival, revealing that it can manifest in ways beyond just fighting back. Having multiple POVs was a drawback and quite jarring for me, hence the 4 stars, whilst the diversity added depth, some chapters from certain points of view can feel unnecessary and confusing. It's almost like filler episodes.
I want to thank Haus of Fables PR @haus.of.fables_pr and Elisse Hay for allowing me to read this ARC! It's such a pleasurable read and will be continuing the series!!
Untempered by Elisse Hay @elisse.hay
Rating: 4 🌟
Spice: 🌶
Untempered is the first instalment in Elisse Hay's Fate Untethered romantasy trilogy, marking a strong start to the series, especially as I had not yet read a book written by her. Readers are quickly drawn into a gripping narrative about a kingdom's struggle for survival and an uprising against long-standing oppression, explored through multiple character perspectives.
The world-building is detailed, and the history of La'Angi is complex, which can be somewhat difficult to grasp at first. I love it when an author creates this whole world and lore that just blows my mind! As the story progresses, though, these elements come together to form a more cohesive and engaging narrative.
Our FMC Audrey is a fiery character who grows more badass and confident as the story progresses. I enjoyed that we, as the reader, are along for the entire ride of her personal development. Our MMC Chay is our broody protector who ends up in a blood bond with Audrey. The romance develops slowly—very slowly—but when the two protagonists finally connect, it proves to be an intense payoff.
The diverse cast of characters offers various insights into the concept of survival, revealing that it can manifest in ways beyond just fighting back. Having multiple POVs was a drawback and quite jarring for me, hence the 4 stars, whilst the diversity added depth, some chapters from certain points of view can feel unnecessary and confusing. It's almost like filler episodes.
I want to thank Haus of Fables PR @haus.of.fables_pr and Elisse Hay for allowing me to read this ARC! It's such a pleasurable read and will be continuing the series!!
November 2, 2024
Let me tell you, this book was not at all what i expected it to be. First i thought that to be a bad thing but i turned out to not be at all.
I expected this to be your usual fantasy with a bad ass fmc that was just misunderstood and is now turning into a fierce warrior and conquering the world. But this book is about a duchess to be with a big goal. To kill her father, the butcher of la'Angi and probably one of the most feared and hated men. But before she can even get the chance to fulfill this goal she has to conquer different problems at court. As her father is going to war to the south the court errupts into chaos. Corruption, People dying of a plaque and little rebellions now and there. It is Audreys time to learn how to be a duchess. Rather than escape the chaos and train with her handmaid, and hidden warrior she decides to stay and fight for her people.
This book has a little subplot romance story and i enjoyed it but i wouldn't say it is the reason this book is a good read.
I really see great potential in this story as we will probably still get to the part when Audrey will get to be the badass fmc and conquer the Court but this felt like a great pre story that is probably left out in a lot of other fantasy books.
If you are in search of something different but still hooking this is the book for you. (And also if you love to read about court)
I expected this to be your usual fantasy with a bad ass fmc that was just misunderstood and is now turning into a fierce warrior and conquering the world. But this book is about a duchess to be with a big goal. To kill her father, the butcher of la'Angi and probably one of the most feared and hated men. But before she can even get the chance to fulfill this goal she has to conquer different problems at court. As her father is going to war to the south the court errupts into chaos. Corruption, People dying of a plaque and little rebellions now and there. It is Audreys time to learn how to be a duchess. Rather than escape the chaos and train with her handmaid, and hidden warrior she decides to stay and fight for her people.
This book has a little subplot romance story and i enjoyed it but i wouldn't say it is the reason this book is a good read.
I really see great potential in this story as we will probably still get to the part when Audrey will get to be the badass fmc and conquer the Court but this felt like a great pre story that is probably left out in a lot of other fantasy books.
If you are in search of something different but still hooking this is the book for you. (And also if you love to read about court)
November 15, 2024
When I first heard about this book I was excited to read it and dive into this new world but sadly this book wasn't for me.
Untempered is set in a world where partriachy is alive and kicking (tbh when is it not) and women don't really hold any power. The book follows Audrey, the daughter of a Duke (who is also known as The Butcher), who wants a better way of living for all those who call Arcanloc/La'Angi home. With the help of her loyal handmaid & a knight from a neighbouring province can Audrey accomplish finding a way to take down the patriachy and achieve her goal for a better world?
The concept of the book sounded really cool, but I personally felt like it failed to deliver on some of on some of the elements/themes it's being marketed under. I'm thinking though since this is the first book in the series the elements/themes I was expecting to find will make an appearance later in the series.
I also struggled a bit with the writing style, there were a few times where I had to re-read a scene over again because I was a bit confused as to what was going on 😅
I did really like how the author managed to capture that helpless feeling we humans sometimes can have when we know that something isn't right but you don't know how to go about fixing it. I also really liked Audrey's handmaid, Isolde, and loved that we got POV chapters from her #teamisolde
Untempered is set in a world where partriachy is alive and kicking (tbh when is it not) and women don't really hold any power. The book follows Audrey, the daughter of a Duke (who is also known as The Butcher), who wants a better way of living for all those who call Arcanloc/La'Angi home. With the help of her loyal handmaid & a knight from a neighbouring province can Audrey accomplish finding a way to take down the patriachy and achieve her goal for a better world?
The concept of the book sounded really cool, but I personally felt like it failed to deliver on some of on some of the elements/themes it's being marketed under. I'm thinking though since this is the first book in the series the elements/themes I was expecting to find will make an appearance later in the series.
I also struggled a bit with the writing style, there were a few times where I had to re-read a scene over again because I was a bit confused as to what was going on 😅
I did really like how the author managed to capture that helpless feeling we humans sometimes can have when we know that something isn't right but you don't know how to go about fixing it. I also really liked Audrey's handmaid, Isolde, and loved that we got POV chapters from her #teamisolde
October 28, 2024
Untempered
By Elisse Hay
Fate Untethered Book One
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶
🥀 Slow burn
🥀 Fantasy Romance
🥀 Multi POV
🥀 Banter
🥀 World building
🥀 Feminine rage
🥀 One horse
🥀 One Bed
🥀 Knight protector
🥀 Prophecies, tournaments & a magical plague.
First off Thanks Haus of Fables and Elisse Hay for this incredible read. This Epic Fantasy Romance literally has it all!
"Two lives magically bound by a blood oath, a quest for freedom that will topple a kingdom."
Audrey the main FMC total badass with a knack for being fiery.
Chay the main MMC who ends up with a blood bond to Audrey bound to protect her.
Both of them enemies until they are not 😉
The Banter in this book is incredible between all of the characters while they embark on the epic adventure for freedom and topple the kingdom. Because fk the patriarchy! The Butcher (Audrey's dad) is a complete tool! It's about time change happening, and these guys, THESE GUYS are going to be the ones that bring the changes.
There is slow burn enemies to Lovers, epic adventure, multi POV (several), feminine rage, Knight protector and so much more filling the pages of this romantasy. I mean the intricate world building alone is a masterpiece in itself!
The reason it didn't get 5 stars was that I feel it had too many POVs it got a little too much/too confusing in parts. I think some of them could have been left out to make ot a better read. But for the most part I enjoyed it.
Untempered By Elisse Hay releases November 1st 🖤
By Elisse Hay
Fate Untethered Book One
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶
🥀 Slow burn
🥀 Fantasy Romance
🥀 Multi POV
🥀 Banter
🥀 World building
🥀 Feminine rage
🥀 One horse
🥀 One Bed
🥀 Knight protector
🥀 Prophecies, tournaments & a magical plague.
First off Thanks Haus of Fables and Elisse Hay for this incredible read. This Epic Fantasy Romance literally has it all!
"Two lives magically bound by a blood oath, a quest for freedom that will topple a kingdom."
Audrey the main FMC total badass with a knack for being fiery.
Chay the main MMC who ends up with a blood bond to Audrey bound to protect her.
Both of them enemies until they are not 😉
The Banter in this book is incredible between all of the characters while they embark on the epic adventure for freedom and topple the kingdom. Because fk the patriarchy! The Butcher (Audrey's dad) is a complete tool! It's about time change happening, and these guys, THESE GUYS are going to be the ones that bring the changes.
There is slow burn enemies to Lovers, epic adventure, multi POV (several), feminine rage, Knight protector and so much more filling the pages of this romantasy. I mean the intricate world building alone is a masterpiece in itself!
The reason it didn't get 5 stars was that I feel it had too many POVs it got a little too much/too confusing in parts. I think some of them could have been left out to make ot a better read. But for the most part I enjoyed it.
Untempered By Elisse Hay releases November 1st 🖤
December 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ .5
A neurodivergent daughter of a Duke, secretly trained by her Amazonian tribe like warrior “maid”. A broody, grumpy Knight that has Bloodsworn to protect her. A plague that rips through the kingdom indiscriminately. Rebellion group trying to assassinate the brutal Duke Butcher whose cruel ways are more often than not focussed on his daughter.
I am so grateful to have stumbled across @elisse.hay’s account and signed up for the arc reading of the second book in this series which I will be devouring shortly.
I have never felt such a connection to a character like I did with Audrey. Neuro 🌶️ characters (especially females) aren’t represented much that I have seen in the literary world and I was in tears by the similarities and challenges I face along with Audrey (unfortunately the similarities end with combat/fighting training 😆). Her faithful and incredibly intuitive “maid” Isolde has an amazing connection to Audrey and has honed her into a fierce, strong and intelligent woman.
I highly recommend starting this series, it’s a great fantasy book with difference highlighted in pockets of the population widely ignored or poorly written.
🩵 Neurodivergent FMC
🩵 Protective warrior posing as hand maid
🩵 Broody Bloodsworn knight MMC
🩵 Rebellion
🩵 Deadly plague
🩵 Ancient magic
🩵 Suppressed female rage
A neurodivergent daughter of a Duke, secretly trained by her Amazonian tribe like warrior “maid”. A broody, grumpy Knight that has Bloodsworn to protect her. A plague that rips through the kingdom indiscriminately. Rebellion group trying to assassinate the brutal Duke Butcher whose cruel ways are more often than not focussed on his daughter.
I am so grateful to have stumbled across @elisse.hay’s account and signed up for the arc reading of the second book in this series which I will be devouring shortly.
I have never felt such a connection to a character like I did with Audrey. Neuro 🌶️ characters (especially females) aren’t represented much that I have seen in the literary world and I was in tears by the similarities and challenges I face along with Audrey (unfortunately the similarities end with combat/fighting training 😆). Her faithful and incredibly intuitive “maid” Isolde has an amazing connection to Audrey and has honed her into a fierce, strong and intelligent woman.
I highly recommend starting this series, it’s a great fantasy book with difference highlighted in pockets of the population widely ignored or poorly written.
🩵 Neurodivergent FMC
🩵 Protective warrior posing as hand maid
🩵 Broody Bloodsworn knight MMC
🩵 Rebellion
🩵 Deadly plague
🩵 Ancient magic
🩵 Suppressed female rage
October 31, 2024
Rating: 4⭐️/5
“Only the rich can afford to be kind.”
Under the brutal rule of her father, the Duke of La’Angi, Audrey’s life seems destined for darkness. But when a warrior disguised as her handmaid secretly trains her in the ways of the legendary Matri’sion, she glimpses a chance at freedom. As rebellion stirs, Audrey crosses paths with a dark knight, forcing her to choose: escape her father’s bloody grip or risk everything to save her people. Will she break free, or be consumed by her father’s violent legacy?
This gripping fantasy novel follows Audrey, the daughter of a brutal duke, who secretly trains with a legendary warrior sisterhood while wrestling with loyalty and rebellion. The story’s rich world-building and complex characters, especially Audrey’s journey from obedience to defiance, keep you hooked until the end. With a mix of dark family legacy, forbidden alliances, and rebellion, this book delivers a thrilling blend of intrigue and suspense. A must-read for fans of dark fantasy with strong female leads!
A big thanks to Haus of Fables and Elisse Hay for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Release date: 11/01/2024.
“Only the rich can afford to be kind.”
Under the brutal rule of her father, the Duke of La’Angi, Audrey’s life seems destined for darkness. But when a warrior disguised as her handmaid secretly trains her in the ways of the legendary Matri’sion, she glimpses a chance at freedom. As rebellion stirs, Audrey crosses paths with a dark knight, forcing her to choose: escape her father’s bloody grip or risk everything to save her people. Will she break free, or be consumed by her father’s violent legacy?
This gripping fantasy novel follows Audrey, the daughter of a brutal duke, who secretly trains with a legendary warrior sisterhood while wrestling with loyalty and rebellion. The story’s rich world-building and complex characters, especially Audrey’s journey from obedience to defiance, keep you hooked until the end. With a mix of dark family legacy, forbidden alliances, and rebellion, this book delivers a thrilling blend of intrigue and suspense. A must-read for fans of dark fantasy with strong female leads!
A big thanks to Haus of Fables and Elisse Hay for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Release date: 11/01/2024.
November 9, 2024
Thank you for this gifted ARC from Haus of Fables!
I want to preface this with the fact that there are quite sensitive themes in this book, and readers should definitely take care before jumping in.
I was instantly drawn to the storyline of Untempered and I was stoked about it. I love unique fantasy stories and this is definitely one of those. Seeing someone struggle in an ab*sive situation is something I can relate to, so it really resonated with me! It’s very obvious in the writing that the author was connecting the characters and their trauma so we, as readers, could see their struggle even if we couldn’t understand their position personally.
Sadly it was quite difficult for me to follow which doesn’t happen often. There were fair sized gaps during transitions from perspectives (this book is multi pov) which threw me off almost every chapter. I found myself having to play catch up mentally quite frequently.
I loved the characters, sans a certain Duke for obvious reasons, and I hope book 2 is a bit easier to follow!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I want to preface this with the fact that there are quite sensitive themes in this book, and readers should definitely take care before jumping in.
I was instantly drawn to the storyline of Untempered and I was stoked about it. I love unique fantasy stories and this is definitely one of those. Seeing someone struggle in an ab*sive situation is something I can relate to, so it really resonated with me! It’s very obvious in the writing that the author was connecting the characters and their trauma so we, as readers, could see their struggle even if we couldn’t understand their position personally.
Sadly it was quite difficult for me to follow which doesn’t happen often. There were fair sized gaps during transitions from perspectives (this book is multi pov) which threw me off almost every chapter. I found myself having to play catch up mentally quite frequently.
I loved the characters, sans a certain Duke for obvious reasons, and I hope book 2 is a bit easier to follow!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 5, 2024
The structure of this story was fantastic. The heavy topics mixed in the humorous banter of the characters was balanced well. I was incredibly impressed with how much information was put into this book without overwhelming me.
Every page had you learning something new, or discovering another piece of the puzzle that these characters are trying to solve. I'm just in awe. I felt that this book was really setting the stage for book two. The author was placing prices down that are going to be picked up in the next book. Which I can’t wait for!
This slow burn epic fantasy will have you itching for more. I loved the relationship that blossomed and truly this was a wonderful slow burn. I couldn't put this book down once I started and I am waiting for the next book excitedly. I cannot get over these characters or the set up of this world.
Every page had you learning something new, or discovering another piece of the puzzle that these characters are trying to solve. I'm just in awe. I felt that this book was really setting the stage for book two. The author was placing prices down that are going to be picked up in the next book. Which I can’t wait for!
This slow burn epic fantasy will have you itching for more. I loved the relationship that blossomed and truly this was a wonderful slow burn. I couldn't put this book down once I started and I am waiting for the next book excitedly. I cannot get over these characters or the set up of this world.
October 27, 2024
Since I enjoyed this author’s series she just finished, I thought I’d try this series starter even though I’m getting really tired of “romantasies” (I am ok with them, but I am not fond of books that take place in a past-like setting). We are immediately thrown into the action, which did confuse me for a little bit, but it didn’t take long at all to figure things out. Once in a while, this same thing happened, but again it didn't take long to figure things out. However, I really enjoyed the characters and the plot, and Audrey is my hero. LOL! Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
December 8, 2024
Untempered
By Elisse Hay
4 🌟 1 🌶
A political dark fantasy with a side of slow slowburn romance. This book was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be your typical romantasy but it is so much more. Audrey is the daughter of a horrendous man, and all she wants to do is kill him and save her people. But it's complicated. She needs to do it in a way that will ensure she can be duchess in her own right. Not just as someone's wife. This is a complex plot driven story. The book is chunky!!! And the cover is beautiful. This is a heavy read but worth it.
By Elisse Hay
4 🌟 1 🌶
A political dark fantasy with a side of slow slowburn romance. This book was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be your typical romantasy but it is so much more. Audrey is the daughter of a horrendous man, and all she wants to do is kill him and save her people. But it's complicated. She needs to do it in a way that will ensure she can be duchess in her own right. Not just as someone's wife. This is a complex plot driven story. The book is chunky!!! And the cover is beautiful. This is a heavy read but worth it.
October 21, 2024
First, thank you to haus of fables for the arc!
What I liked about the book
- the world
- the bada$$ women fighters tribe
- the plotting (rebellion)
- blood oaths
- forced proximity
- he is her knight/body guard
-the banter between the mmc and fmc
Our main female character Audrey, during her pov she seemed smart, fierce, and capable of taking care of herself. During other pov, she felt more like a spoiled dumb brat. I think this was purposeful since she has some evil plans I don't want to spoil.
What I didn't like
It feels like we are thrown in the middle of the book, and there is no beginning. It was hard to figure out what was going on at the beginning.
There were way too many povs, with 2 povs.
I didn't see a point of having more than maybe one chapter each, or maybe they should have been bonus chapters. The multiple povs made it hard to determine what was going on. Definitely should have been 2 povs
I definitely think the confusion is worth it, I loved the world, the story, and characters! Definitely need more fantasy with strong fighters fmc.
What I liked about the book
- the world
- the bada$$ women fighters tribe
- the plotting (rebellion)
- blood oaths
- forced proximity
- he is her knight/body guard
-the banter between the mmc and fmc
Our main female character Audrey, during her pov she seemed smart, fierce, and capable of taking care of herself. During other pov, she felt more like a spoiled dumb brat. I think this was purposeful since she has some evil plans I don't want to spoil.
What I didn't like
It feels like we are thrown in the middle of the book, and there is no beginning. It was hard to figure out what was going on at the beginning.
There were way too many povs, with 2 povs.
I didn't see a point of having more than maybe one chapter each, or maybe they should have been bonus chapters. The multiple povs made it hard to determine what was going on. Definitely should have been 2 povs
I definitely think the confusion is worth it, I loved the world, the story, and characters! Definitely need more fantasy with strong fighters fmc.
November 11, 2024
Easiest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!! Absolutely loved Elisse’s writing style and how she makes the characters come to life!!
Ahh I absolutely loved this book!! Gave me ‘ A Knights Tail ‘ feels through out the book!!
Every chapter there was something happening or some plot being worked out and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next!!
Elisse did an amazing job with this book and I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
Ahh I absolutely loved this book!! Gave me ‘ A Knights Tail ‘ feels through out the book!!
Every chapter there was something happening or some plot being worked out and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next!!
Elisse did an amazing job with this book and I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
October 17, 2024
I had the absolute pleasure of proofreading this story, and it did not disappoint!
I think Audrey is the perfect example of a young woman who doesn’t know what she doesn’t know, until circumstances show her ugly truths that she can no longer ignore. Once she starts questioning things, she finds that she doesn’t like the answers she’s given. Audrey was so strong and a fierce warrior, while also being soft and empathetic, sometimes needing time to process the harsh realities of her world. But when it all comes down to it, she decides she would rather fight for her people than flee for her own safety.
I found Chay to be a refreshing MMC as well. The handsome knight was just so damn grumpy! But he’s not morally gray and has a heart of gold. The slow burn truly feels authentic where they grudgingly start to admit they might tolerate and even like each other before their passion ignites.
The world building and magic are super interesting, and there are many players on the board of this rebellion. The epilogue has me wondering where Elisse will take us on this journey next!
I think Audrey is the perfect example of a young woman who doesn’t know what she doesn’t know, until circumstances show her ugly truths that she can no longer ignore. Once she starts questioning things, she finds that she doesn’t like the answers she’s given. Audrey was so strong and a fierce warrior, while also being soft and empathetic, sometimes needing time to process the harsh realities of her world. But when it all comes down to it, she decides she would rather fight for her people than flee for her own safety.
I found Chay to be a refreshing MMC as well. The handsome knight was just so damn grumpy! But he’s not morally gray and has a heart of gold. The slow burn truly feels authentic where they grudgingly start to admit they might tolerate and even like each other before their passion ignites.
The world building and magic are super interesting, and there are many players on the board of this rebellion. The epilogue has me wondering where Elisse will take us on this journey next!
November 21, 2024
Elisse has the ability to weave stories that are extremely relatable in world, but also working through and overcoming trauma (regardless of genre/setting).
This isn’t a skim-read fantasy.
It deals with heavy topics and deep character issues.
But I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Chay and Audrey
This isn’t a skim-read fantasy.
It deals with heavy topics and deep character issues.
But I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Chay and Audrey
November 18, 2024
This was a heavy read. Beautifully written but just a lot to process for my brain.
Such a slow, but worthwhile, burn.
“I want you to burn for me, Embers.”
Such a slow, but worthwhile, burn.
“I want you to burn for me, Embers.”
December 29, 2025
This is a slow….slowwww burn romantasy with a complex storyline which was a bit difficult to follow along with in the beginning but as the story progressed, it was easier to piece together.
This was a multi-layered story with epic world building, great character development and plenty of action and political intrigue.
Can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes!
This was a multi-layered story with epic world building, great character development and plenty of action and political intrigue.
Can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes!
April 11, 2025
DNF at 40%
It's unfortunately long with gaping holes in its constitution.
All of the important information, like any details at all, is missing.
The book leads to you believe that it is about Audrey, the daughter of the infamous Duke "The Butcher" of La'Angi and leader of the king's militia. However, it very quickly decides to inundate the reader with POV chapters of every single other person and their mother in the book.
Audrey doesn't have a clue what she is doing, what she wants, or what is going on around her.
I couldn't tell you what this book is about. The Duke, who we barely meet, is being nefarious in nondescript ways and a bunch of people have unspecific designs on killing him but they keep getting distracted and also they don't like him because he's just a bad bad man.
This entire book lacks context. We understand very little about the pressures and rules of this world and the motivations of the characters in it. Elisse would rather tell us that things are bad, vaguely gesture at what Audrey's interaction is like with her father, than actually writing a descriptive scene of the two of them where we can see it for ourselves and get to understand the characters and their plight on a deeper level. For example, at the beginning of the book, I almost didn't even understand what had happened because Elisse skipped over all description of it and only offered a riddle of details in the aftermath (I think she was trying to be poetic) that were supposed to substitute for actual helpful context, tension building, urgency, and emotional provocation in the moment of the event itself.
I have zero idea why any character does anything. There is one character who is meant to be a part of a prophecy that is never fully explained and he is just trying to avoid this prophecy for no clear reason. Another character is deeply passionate about leaving their home to go on a dangerous mission for over a decade with no explained reward or incentive. A third character enters into a dangerous agreement with no context as to what motivated him, what he would get out of it, or why the agreement was even offered to him in the first place! It doesn't make any sense. One of the characters is literally doing things because he's just stressed that someone will kill him if he says no.
It's all so weak!! None of the motivations are compelling or give any sense of direction towards what this book is about or what the heroes want the new world order to be! WHO EVEN IS THE HERO? WHICH ONE IS THE LEADER? It's surely not Audrey.
We're led to believe that Audrey's timidness is a product of her father's treatment, but she never grows as a character and she has no guiding internal framework to keep us invested. Literally the entire book is her deciding if she should run away from home. (A decision that she has been thinking on for several years with no rationale for why she would want to stay. "But it's my home..." Girl, you've been hanging out in your room and abused for 70% of this book.) There is no commitment to a deeper mission, or passion for social justice, or desire to fight evil out of a sense of altruism or revenge. She is a completely flat and intentionless puppet waiting for direction from others. What a compelling arc it would have been if this had changed. It does not. Unfortunately Audrey does not qualify at all a protagonist. In second place is Isolde, but the closest we get to a lead is Chay, considering his POV never shuts up and he actually seems to be the most connected to the action.
The book is 65% plot holes. The writing is self-indulgent, it's vague and yet pompous, assuming its meaning should be obvious to the critical thinker and yet making no effort at being smart or clever in its prose, no effort at any kind of relevant research or any forethought dedicated towards the plot. The lack of self-awareness has infuriated me into this one star rating.
A LOT is happening in this story and I mean A LOT. There are so many people and they all have indications of complex backgrounds that never end up playing into the larger plot or being fully explained but still providing a convolution that Elisse doesn't have the time to resolve and which misdirects us into thinking there is a plot, but then a plot never surfaces.
I can't believe I wasted so much time reading this.
It's unfortunately long with gaping holes in its constitution.
All of the important information, like any details at all, is missing.
The book leads to you believe that it is about Audrey, the daughter of the infamous Duke "The Butcher" of La'Angi and leader of the king's militia. However, it very quickly decides to inundate the reader with POV chapters of every single other person and their mother in the book.
Audrey doesn't have a clue what she is doing, what she wants, or what is going on around her.
I couldn't tell you what this book is about. The Duke, who we barely meet, is being nefarious in nondescript ways and a bunch of people have unspecific designs on killing him but they keep getting distracted and also they don't like him because he's just a bad bad man.
This entire book lacks context. We understand very little about the pressures and rules of this world and the motivations of the characters in it. Elisse would rather tell us that things are bad, vaguely gesture at what Audrey's interaction is like with her father, than actually writing a descriptive scene of the two of them where we can see it for ourselves and get to understand the characters and their plight on a deeper level. For example, at the beginning of the book, I almost didn't even understand what had happened because Elisse skipped over all description of it and only offered a riddle of details in the aftermath (I think she was trying to be poetic) that were supposed to substitute for actual helpful context, tension building, urgency, and emotional provocation in the moment of the event itself.
I have zero idea why any character does anything. There is one character who is meant to be a part of a prophecy that is never fully explained and he is just trying to avoid this prophecy for no clear reason. Another character is deeply passionate about leaving their home to go on a dangerous mission for over a decade with no explained reward or incentive. A third character enters into a dangerous agreement with no context as to what motivated him, what he would get out of it, or why the agreement was even offered to him in the first place! It doesn't make any sense. One of the characters is literally doing things because he's just stressed that someone will kill him if he says no.
It's all so weak!! None of the motivations are compelling or give any sense of direction towards what this book is about or what the heroes want the new world order to be! WHO EVEN IS THE HERO? WHICH ONE IS THE LEADER? It's surely not Audrey.
We're led to believe that Audrey's timidness is a product of her father's treatment, but she never grows as a character and she has no guiding internal framework to keep us invested. Literally the entire book is her deciding if she should run away from home. (A decision that she has been thinking on for several years with no rationale for why she would want to stay. "But it's my home..." Girl, you've been hanging out in your room and abused for 70% of this book.) There is no commitment to a deeper mission, or passion for social justice, or desire to fight evil out of a sense of altruism or revenge. She is a completely flat and intentionless puppet waiting for direction from others. What a compelling arc it would have been if this had changed. It does not. Unfortunately Audrey does not qualify at all a protagonist. In second place is Isolde, but the closest we get to a lead is Chay, considering his POV never shuts up and he actually seems to be the most connected to the action.
The book is 65% plot holes. The writing is self-indulgent, it's vague and yet pompous, assuming its meaning should be obvious to the critical thinker and yet making no effort at being smart or clever in its prose, no effort at any kind of relevant research or any forethought dedicated towards the plot. The lack of self-awareness has infuriated me into this one star rating.
A LOT is happening in this story and I mean A LOT. There are so many people and they all have indications of complex backgrounds that never end up playing into the larger plot or being fully explained but still providing a convolution that Elisse doesn't have the time to resolve and which misdirects us into thinking there is a plot, but then a plot never surfaces.
I can't believe I wasted so much time reading this.
November 1, 2024
📚 Untempered by Elisse Hay📚
Overall Rating:⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating:🌶️🌶️
✨Tropes✨
🗡️Banter
🗡️Feminine Rage
🗡️Mental Health rep
🗡️Court Politics
🗡️Forced Proximity
🗡️Bodyguard
🗡️LGBTQIA+ rep
Untempered is about a girl, Audrey, who has been physically and mentally abused by her powerful father her entire life. Her companion, Isolde, is a trained assassin of sorts and takes Audrey under her wing at a young age. Audrey learns to fight, but not when it comes to her father, the Duke. When a group of men come to Audrey’s home to try to plot the assassination of the Duke, one must swear his allegiance to Audrey and stay behind while the rest leave, mission uncompleted. When Audrey’s father leaves to fight in a war and a gruesome plague breaks out, Audrey finds herself having to fight to manage the situation as best as possible.
I wanted to like this book, the premise sounded so promising. My main issue with this is just how confusing the story is and the incomplete the world building. I usually enjoy multiple POVs when it makes sense, and the POVs of Thomas, and even Isolde at times, just didn’t make sense. Things would happen off page to a particular character and instead of getting the complete story from that character, it was simply remarked upon by another character. This created the most confusion for me.
This is a slow burn story, which again, I normally enjoy. I can’t tell if I didn’t enjoy the romance between Audrey and Chay because of the characters themselves or because the romance, when it happened, didn’t make sense. For example, when Chay meets Audrey, he is completely transfixed by her. He recognizes that she is physically abused just as he was and he has so much understanding of that for her. Yet when he becomes oath bound and sees his friends leave, all of that understanding goes out the window. He hates her (which I do understand to a degree) and acts like he no longer understands her. Meanwhile Audrey oscillates between a meek little girl around everyone (accept Isolde) to a badass assassin trained woman. There’s almost no in between with Audrey. My other issue is that there was this great premise of taking down Audrey’s father, the Duke, and a rebellion forming. That comes to a screeching halt and the story is thrusted into a world of plague. During the plague, not much happens at all except for a few blips of mild action. It’s just Audrey complaining that she doesn’t know what to do and Chay being cruel to her for no reason. Even Isolde, who is a fairly interesting character, is isolated so she doesn’t get much action either.
All that to say, there were a few things to recommend this book. One being some of the banter. It was really good and worked. The second being the feminine rage, when it happened, was good too.
Thank you to Haus of Fables and the author Elisse Hay for the gifted eARC and the opportunity to read and review this book.
Overall Rating:⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating:🌶️🌶️
✨Tropes✨
🗡️Banter
🗡️Feminine Rage
🗡️Mental Health rep
🗡️Court Politics
🗡️Forced Proximity
🗡️Bodyguard
🗡️LGBTQIA+ rep
Untempered is about a girl, Audrey, who has been physically and mentally abused by her powerful father her entire life. Her companion, Isolde, is a trained assassin of sorts and takes Audrey under her wing at a young age. Audrey learns to fight, but not when it comes to her father, the Duke. When a group of men come to Audrey’s home to try to plot the assassination of the Duke, one must swear his allegiance to Audrey and stay behind while the rest leave, mission uncompleted. When Audrey’s father leaves to fight in a war and a gruesome plague breaks out, Audrey finds herself having to fight to manage the situation as best as possible.
I wanted to like this book, the premise sounded so promising. My main issue with this is just how confusing the story is and the incomplete the world building. I usually enjoy multiple POVs when it makes sense, and the POVs of Thomas, and even Isolde at times, just didn’t make sense. Things would happen off page to a particular character and instead of getting the complete story from that character, it was simply remarked upon by another character. This created the most confusion for me.
This is a slow burn story, which again, I normally enjoy. I can’t tell if I didn’t enjoy the romance between Audrey and Chay because of the characters themselves or because the romance, when it happened, didn’t make sense. For example, when Chay meets Audrey, he is completely transfixed by her. He recognizes that she is physically abused just as he was and he has so much understanding of that for her. Yet when he becomes oath bound and sees his friends leave, all of that understanding goes out the window. He hates her (which I do understand to a degree) and acts like he no longer understands her. Meanwhile Audrey oscillates between a meek little girl around everyone (accept Isolde) to a badass assassin trained woman. There’s almost no in between with Audrey. My other issue is that there was this great premise of taking down Audrey’s father, the Duke, and a rebellion forming. That comes to a screeching halt and the story is thrusted into a world of plague. During the plague, not much happens at all except for a few blips of mild action. It’s just Audrey complaining that she doesn’t know what to do and Chay being cruel to her for no reason. Even Isolde, who is a fairly interesting character, is isolated so she doesn’t get much action either.
All that to say, there were a few things to recommend this book. One being some of the banter. It was really good and worked. The second being the feminine rage, when it happened, was good too.
Thank you to Haus of Fables and the author Elisse Hay for the gifted eARC and the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 7, 2024
I have been reading this book for several weeks and finally finished it. If you know me, you know that it never takes me that long to read a book. I signed up for an ARC of this book because there was a promise of feminine rage, matriarchal warrior women, forbidden love, and treason in the first book of this romantasy trilogy. I must say I was highly disappointed and do not feel this book delivered on its promise. I hate to write bad reviews and rarely do but I think this one is warranted.This book is over 500 pages and I was expecting the first couple hundred to be tedious just like most fantasy books because they have to introduce the world. The first 100 pages held my interest with some foreign characters coming into the scene and the main character Audrey was subtly rebelling against her father. Then an assassination attempt happened and the father went off to war. For me this was the beginning of the end. I felt that the story did not have enough momentum. It moved so slowly through Audrey trying to take over and deal with her newly assigned knights. Her lady in waiting was a member of the warrior women and she taught Audrey what she could to be tough. So every now and then we get a fun view of what Audrey could be with her training and if she stopped overthinking or even hesitating over making decisions. Another aspect I did not enjoy was that Audrey and her people kept talking about leaving the territory but then never did. It just felt like in 400 pages not much happened with the story. Yes Audrey had to deal with a magical plague but even the plague was boring. Audrey literally fixed the plague but it was glossed over and abruptly switched to another POV which also happened to be a flash forward after everyone was healed. One of her knights, Chay, who is also the love interest, hated her until like the last 75 pages. I did like Chay in the beginning but felt he was being a baby about everything and blamed her for no reason later on. Once his friends left, I felt like he lost what made him likable until once again the end of the book. I am all for an enemies to lovers trope but I don’t even think this qualifies. There was very little emphasis on the romance in this even with the spice at the end. It didn’t feel genuine to me. I was also so tired of the POV changes. I felt that they were unnecessary and made the book more confusing than it needed to be. Some characters really didn’t need to have their own POV. They didn’t offer enough insight to anything that I could tell in this first book. And with the POV switching I feel like we lost a lot of what could have been really great character development of Audrey because she did have to make some tough decisions.Overall, I just thought it was boring and I probably won’t read the rest of the series. But everyone has different opinions so if you have read this book or do read it, please let me know what you think about it.
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