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Shattered Crown #1
Smoke and Scar
A Splintered Kingdom
An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.
A Haunted Warrior
Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.
A Vengeful Knight
Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.
An Unwinnable Challenge
With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.
This is the Arcane Crucible.
An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.
A Haunted Warrior
Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.
A Vengeful Knight
Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.
An Unwinnable Challenge
With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.
This is the Arcane Crucible.
468 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2025
2686 people are currently reading
37897 people want to read
About the author
Gretchen Powell Fox
6 books649 followersGretchen Powell Fox spent her childhood in far-off places—figuratively and literally. She grew up with her nose buried in books and her feet on foreign soil. Both, she found, were essential in forming her deep fascination with stories.
Now, she crafts fantastical and futuristic worlds—along with the fiery heroines destined to change them for the better.
Her creative process involves copious amounts of Sour Patch Kids and sleeping fitfully. Her many interests include Taylor Swift, polka dots, reading fantasy novels, and playing the ukulele.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two wild, wonderful children.
Find her on Instagram at @gretchenwritesbooks.
Now, she crafts fantastical and futuristic worlds—along with the fiery heroines destined to change them for the better.
Her creative process involves copious amounts of Sour Patch Kids and sleeping fitfully. Her many interests include Taylor Swift, polka dots, reading fantasy novels, and playing the ukulele.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two wild, wonderful children.
Find her on Instagram at @gretchenwritesbooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,876 reviews
Want to read
March 11, 2025If you tell me a book is Lord of the Rings meets Serpent & the Wings of Night but she's the immortal, shadow mommy and he's the human who needs saving then I will be reading it.
September 6, 2025
What. A. Ride. Romantasy is one of my favorite genres, and the more I read the pickier I’ve gotten about which series get me excited to read and which feel like a slog to get through-and Smoke and Scar (book 1 of the Shattered Crown series) was absolutely un-put-downable. It has everything that I love-trials with super high stakes, world building that is *just enough* without feeling tedious, complex, morally grey main characters, and well-fleshed out side characters that leave you wanting to know more. Gretchen Powell Fox clearly knows how to develop a well-paced plot while investing the reader in the stakes of the MCs. This book has zero spice, but plenty of well-deserved yearning, and while I always appreciate 🌶️ I found I didn’t miss it at all while furiously speed-reading to find out what happens. I cannot wait for the next book, out later this year! Fingers crossed I’ll get to be on the ARC team for that too 😍
October 3, 2025
✩ 5 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Fae FMC x Human Knight MMC
➼ Deadly Trials
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Found Family
➼ “Who did this to you?”
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Elemental Magic
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Duet Narration
➼ Third Person POV
I absolutely loved this book! Don’t get me wrong, I love the morally gray heroes, but these two were so refreshingly wholesome and “good”. The FMC claims to have made her fair share of mistakes in her long life, but both her and the MMC’s moral compasses seemed to point due North. They were the type of people who would put themselves in harms way to protect others and do what was right. They started as enemies but that didn’t stop them from stepping in and saving each other over and over. They seemed destined to play a part in righting an ancient wrong, but they faced many obstacles and twists along the way. Some details were surprising and others were predictable, but all of it was written well!
So many books do enemies-to-lovers, but there was something really powerful about watching him overcome his prejudices towards her in real time. He was a good person who saw himself as a hero of his people and had been conditioned to believe that she was the enemy. But when her actions and responses went against his worldview and expectations, he didn’t go ten toes down and hold to his belief that she was evil, instead he began to collect new information and allowed his perception of her to be altered. How much better would the world be if we were all more open to allowing our world view to shift when we encounter new information? People seem to be much more likely to lean into hate these days than to look for common ground. Perhaps I was drawing too many real life parallels with this one, but I can’t seem to help myself these days.
If you need your books to have spice, this one may not be your favorite, but I loved it! This was easily one of the best books I’ve read this year! The ending set the stage for a fantastic book two and I‘ll be first in line to read it!
Thank you to the author, Simon Marverick, and Libro.FM for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I wasn’t sure which book to start today, but then Libro.FM came in clutch with a gifted copy of this ALC! Incredibly excited for this one!!
I’m also celebrating 2 milestones on my Bookstagram today. 🎉🥳🎂🤗 Today is my 1 year Bookstaversary and last night I hit 10K followers! 😱 Here’s the link just in case you want to check it out or show some love. 🥰
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Fae FMC x Human Knight MMC
➼ Deadly Trials
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Found Family
➼ “Who did this to you?”
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Elemental Magic
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Duet Narration
➼ Third Person POV
I absolutely loved this book! Don’t get me wrong, I love the morally gray heroes, but these two were so refreshingly wholesome and “good”. The FMC claims to have made her fair share of mistakes in her long life, but both her and the MMC’s moral compasses seemed to point due North. They were the type of people who would put themselves in harms way to protect others and do what was right. They started as enemies but that didn’t stop them from stepping in and saving each other over and over. They seemed destined to play a part in righting an ancient wrong, but they faced many obstacles and twists along the way. Some details were surprising and others were predictable, but all of it was written well!
So many books do enemies-to-lovers, but there was something really powerful about watching him overcome his prejudices towards her in real time. He was a good person who saw himself as a hero of his people and had been conditioned to believe that she was the enemy. But when her actions and responses went against his worldview and expectations, he didn’t go ten toes down and hold to his belief that she was evil, instead he began to collect new information and allowed his perception of her to be altered. How much better would the world be if we were all more open to allowing our world view to shift when we encounter new information? People seem to be much more likely to lean into hate these days than to look for common ground. Perhaps I was drawing too many real life parallels with this one, but I can’t seem to help myself these days.
If you need your books to have spice, this one may not be your favorite, but I loved it! This was easily one of the best books I’ve read this year! The ending set the stage for a fantastic book two and I‘ll be first in line to read it!
Thank you to the author, Simon Marverick, and Libro.FM for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I wasn’t sure which book to start today, but then Libro.FM came in clutch with a gifted copy of this ALC! Incredibly excited for this one!!
I’m also celebrating 2 milestones on my Bookstagram today. 🎉🥳🎂🤗 Today is my 1 year Bookstaversary and last night I hit 10K followers! 😱 Here’s the link just in case you want to check it out or show some love. 🥰
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
Connect with me on Instagram
December 8, 2025
⁀➴༯ 𝟒.𝟎/𝟓 ★ ★ ★ ★
𓂃₊ ⊹- ❝ 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘸𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘈 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦: 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.❞ ⋆.ೃ𐦍*:･⋆𐦍.ೃ࿔*:･
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I don’t know why but, I am SO shocked by how much I really liked this. I’m DYING to read Splintered Kingdom after this! I can be honest and say that with how weird things have been in the past two years with what’s being published, I do find myself weary of indie authors. But Gretchen Powell Fox? I assure you Smoke And Scar would go double platinum if it just had more widespread exposure. I might actually be the most critical with adult fantasy in particular because I find the genre to be the most lackluster these days but with small criticisms aside, I can’t put into words how much I truly enjoyed this.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- Honestly I’m in love with the dynamic of Ellyria and Cedric and here’s why. This author wasn’t afraid to flip the script. Imagine most romantic duos being Flynn Rider and Rapunzel, and in this story The Fae warrior Ellyria is Flynn Rider and Sir knight Cedric Thorne is Rapunzel LMAO. Crazy right?! But GOD it works SO well. Don’t get me wrong of course I enjoy the guy saving the girl but the girl saving the guy is slightly better. DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ. It’s banter, it’s playful, it’s everything you need it to be without too much happening too soon between them. And them starting off as natural born enemies but also having that natural pull towards each other from the very beginning was a normal but good touch. I think I liked it more here because Ellyria and Cedric didn’t even show actual displays of hate towards each other regardless of how much bad history existed between their people or Cedric’s own personal vendetta.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I think another few big reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because there’s plenty of representation for LGBTQIA+ as well as different pronouns and i’m always down with inclusivity. Being Bisexual myself, I really love when I get to read a Bi (or pan perhaps?) Female lead. (yes I was also thirsting for Ellyria the whole time but don’t tell anyone okay?) I also liked how the trials all represented something important. Without being open to unity there was just no way anyone would be worthy of the crown let alone make it through to even see it. They represented both personal struggles in our champions as well as struggles amongst their own people and I think it was nice having the unlikely gang form together for survival despite some obvious obstacles.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I think my biggest criticisms for this book and why i didn’t rate it higher is just that I feel like this would be SO much better if the book was longer. I find the fast pace movement of the story to be fine but I feel like the world that’s presented is so much deeper and I genuinely would’ve liked a bit more world building, on the fae, celestial, and mana magic. As well as the war, and more depth on what lead up to it. When the writing is good (which it clearly is here) I don’t mind more details at all. This is subjective because I know some people think certain detailing is “pointless” but I really like fully immersing myself into fantasy and at times I felt that way while reading this but other times not as much. I usually expect fast paced out of YA fantasy and adult fantasy tends to be longer and more drawn out and that’s my default expectation and prefer it that way if i’m honest. But I think this critique also just shows how much I really liked the story when i’m wishing it was longer LOL.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I need you to read, love, laugh this book immediately. Not only are you supporting a smaller author but um hello? This is your chance to experience a new world and a new journey so why not? Of course i’m going to tell you to read it. Why wouldn’t I? I won’t steer you in the wrong direction don’t worry. During a time where a reading slump or below average novels are few and far in between, you need this book in your life. ˘͈ᵕ˘͈⸝*
𓂃₊ ⊹- ❝ 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘸𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘈 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦: 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.❞ ⋆.ೃ𐦍*:･⋆𐦍.ೃ࿔*:･
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I don’t know why but, I am SO shocked by how much I really liked this. I’m DYING to read Splintered Kingdom after this! I can be honest and say that with how weird things have been in the past two years with what’s being published, I do find myself weary of indie authors. But Gretchen Powell Fox? I assure you Smoke And Scar would go double platinum if it just had more widespread exposure. I might actually be the most critical with adult fantasy in particular because I find the genre to be the most lackluster these days but with small criticisms aside, I can’t put into words how much I truly enjoyed this.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- Honestly I’m in love with the dynamic of Ellyria and Cedric and here’s why. This author wasn’t afraid to flip the script. Imagine most romantic duos being Flynn Rider and Rapunzel, and in this story The Fae warrior Ellyria is Flynn Rider and Sir knight Cedric Thorne is Rapunzel LMAO. Crazy right?! But GOD it works SO well. Don’t get me wrong of course I enjoy the guy saving the girl but the girl saving the guy is slightly better. DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ. It’s banter, it’s playful, it’s everything you need it to be without too much happening too soon between them. And them starting off as natural born enemies but also having that natural pull towards each other from the very beginning was a normal but good touch. I think I liked it more here because Ellyria and Cedric didn’t even show actual displays of hate towards each other regardless of how much bad history existed between their people or Cedric’s own personal vendetta.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I think another few big reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because there’s plenty of representation for LGBTQIA+ as well as different pronouns and i’m always down with inclusivity. Being Bisexual myself, I really love when I get to read a Bi (or pan perhaps?) Female lead. (yes I was also thirsting for Ellyria the whole time but don’t tell anyone okay?) I also liked how the trials all represented something important. Without being open to unity there was just no way anyone would be worthy of the crown let alone make it through to even see it. They represented both personal struggles in our champions as well as struggles amongst their own people and I think it was nice having the unlikely gang form together for survival despite some obvious obstacles.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I think my biggest criticisms for this book and why i didn’t rate it higher is just that I feel like this would be SO much better if the book was longer. I find the fast pace movement of the story to be fine but I feel like the world that’s presented is so much deeper and I genuinely would’ve liked a bit more world building, on the fae, celestial, and mana magic. As well as the war, and more depth on what lead up to it. When the writing is good (which it clearly is here) I don’t mind more details at all. This is subjective because I know some people think certain detailing is “pointless” but I really like fully immersing myself into fantasy and at times I felt that way while reading this but other times not as much. I usually expect fast paced out of YA fantasy and adult fantasy tends to be longer and more drawn out and that’s my default expectation and prefer it that way if i’m honest. But I think this critique also just shows how much I really liked the story when i’m wishing it was longer LOL.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ ₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
❥- I need you to read, love, laugh this book immediately. Not only are you supporting a smaller author but um hello? This is your chance to experience a new world and a new journey so why not? Of course i’m going to tell you to read it. Why wouldn’t I? I won’t steer you in the wrong direction don’t worry. During a time where a reading slump or below average novels are few and far in between, you need this book in your life. ˘͈ᵕ˘͈⸝*
October 24, 2025
SMOKE & SCAR MINI REVIEW
With epic trials, powerful world-building, a badass older heroine with wings, and an MMC with pure Disney Prince energy, Smoke & Scar crackles with magic and heart. A fast-paced and fun romantasy read!
TROPES / VIBES
Fae vs. Humans
White knight MMC with Disney Prince / Captain America vibes
Badass, take no shit FMC with wings
Age gap / she’s 200+
Elemental magic / earth magic
SHE’S the Shadow Daddy
Pantheon of deities
LOTR Fellowship vibes
Very slow burn (no steam in Book 1)
FAVORITE QUOTES
She swallowed, grimacing as she forced the too-large bite down her gullet. “I said, ‘Can I help you?’ ” “Ah,” said the knight, dragging his eyes from where they tracked the bob of Elyria’s throat with rapt attention. A flush threatened in her cheeks. “Well, yes, in fact,” he said. “You’re blocking the bacon.” “There’s bacon?” Elyria’s voice jumped an octave as she whirled back to the table and grabbed the entire platter of glistening meat. The salty scent wafted into her nostrils and her mouth flooded. Cedric coughed once more, and Elyria thought this time he might be covering a laugh. “May I?” he tried again, reaching for a slice. Elyria tightened her hold on the platter and shuffled back a step. “Stars above, woman,” he shook his head with a sigh. “You cannot possibly think yourself capable of eating that entire thing.” Elyria’s skin prickled with challenge. “I thought it was made clear yesterday that you have no idea what I’m capable of.” She didn’t understand the emotion that flashed across Cedric’s face in response.
The shadows didn’t define her. She defined them. Tell us who you are, demanded the darkness. Tears blurred her vision. Her voice strengthened. “I am Elyria Lightbreaker. The Revenant. And I may have been left broken, but I am not so easily shattered.”
His eyes widened as he took in Elyria, prowling toward him like a wraith sent by Noctis himself. She wasn’t just wielding her shadows. She was shadow. And she was pissed.
“One simple truth,” said Cedric, his voice thick. “If you believe nothing else in this world, Elyria Lightbreaker, trust what I say next.”
She’s crying. For me. I wish she wouldn’t. But she’s so fucking beautiful, even when she cries.
“Did Aurelia happen to say anything about how we would be able to leave this place?” “Oh, yes.” Elyria placed a hand on her hip. “She wrote down instructions, in fact. Numbered them. She was absolutely, one-hundred-percent crystal-clear and not cryptic or ambiguous at all.”
With epic trials, powerful world-building, a badass older heroine with wings, and an MMC with pure Disney Prince energy, Smoke & Scar crackles with magic and heart. A fast-paced and fun romantasy read!
TROPES / VIBES
Fae vs. Humans
White knight MMC with Disney Prince / Captain America vibes
Badass, take no shit FMC with wings
Age gap / she’s 200+
Elemental magic / earth magic
SHE’S the Shadow Daddy
Pantheon of deities
LOTR Fellowship vibes
Very slow burn (no steam in Book 1)
FAVORITE QUOTES
She swallowed, grimacing as she forced the too-large bite down her gullet. “I said, ‘Can I help you?’ ” “Ah,” said the knight, dragging his eyes from where they tracked the bob of Elyria’s throat with rapt attention. A flush threatened in her cheeks. “Well, yes, in fact,” he said. “You’re blocking the bacon.” “There’s bacon?” Elyria’s voice jumped an octave as she whirled back to the table and grabbed the entire platter of glistening meat. The salty scent wafted into her nostrils and her mouth flooded. Cedric coughed once more, and Elyria thought this time he might be covering a laugh. “May I?” he tried again, reaching for a slice. Elyria tightened her hold on the platter and shuffled back a step. “Stars above, woman,” he shook his head with a sigh. “You cannot possibly think yourself capable of eating that entire thing.” Elyria’s skin prickled with challenge. “I thought it was made clear yesterday that you have no idea what I’m capable of.” She didn’t understand the emotion that flashed across Cedric’s face in response.
The shadows didn’t define her. She defined them. Tell us who you are, demanded the darkness. Tears blurred her vision. Her voice strengthened. “I am Elyria Lightbreaker. The Revenant. And I may have been left broken, but I am not so easily shattered.”
His eyes widened as he took in Elyria, prowling toward him like a wraith sent by Noctis himself. She wasn’t just wielding her shadows. She was shadow. And she was pissed.
“One simple truth,” said Cedric, his voice thick. “If you believe nothing else in this world, Elyria Lightbreaker, trust what I say next.”
She’s crying. For me. I wish she wouldn’t. But she’s so fucking beautiful, even when she cries.
“Did Aurelia happen to say anything about how we would be able to leave this place?” “Oh, yes.” Elyria placed a hand on her hip. “She wrote down instructions, in fact. Numbered them. She was absolutely, one-hundred-percent crystal-clear and not cryptic or ambiguous at all.”
November 25, 2025
When he’s the damsel in distress and she’s the shadow mommy that dashes in to save him (multiple times) 💋💋💋
December 7, 2025
This 100% deserves more hype! What a fantastic romantasy!
January 8, 2026
was this a little predictable? yeah. however, did i eat it up faster than anything i’ve read in 6 months? also yeah. so. 10/10 for experience.
i LOVE a twist on the shadow daddy, and i LOVE that he’s the one being saved by her. the trials were action packed- so much fun! and there was a twist at the end that i didn’t really see coming. damn.
the mmc… y’all. he’s so golden retriever vibes, i’m down bad for this lil sweetheart.
i am dying to get to book 2 as soon as possible. 4.5 stars ⭐️ i am easy to please and i don’t care who knows!!!!
i LOVE a twist on the shadow daddy, and i LOVE that he’s the one being saved by her. the trials were action packed- so much fun! and there was a twist at the end that i didn’t really see coming. damn.
the mmc… y’all. he’s so golden retriever vibes, i’m down bad for this lil sweetheart.
i am dying to get to book 2 as soon as possible. 4.5 stars ⭐️ i am easy to please and i don’t care who knows!!!!
January 19, 2026
thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
i went into this with high hopes and they were met. this was refreshing, and honestly something different compared to some of the other fantasy books i have read.
i love some 'morally grey' characters and 'dark' aspects but it was such a breath of fresh air in a way with both the fmc and mmc because even though both have their fair share of mistakes, they both are GOOD and would do anything to protect those around them. even with their key differences between fae, human, dwarves, they don't care, besides aiding those in need.
i also love this story because i always love me a badass fmc who can be stubborn and so on, while our mmc seems to be more of the damsel in distress — more so due to his physical human qualities and how 'fragile' he is compared to the fae. not that he did not try to save the day, he was just limited.
i love also how the trials expressed unity and equality in this and how each trial had its own setbacks but made each of them grow and learn who they truly are. i hated my poor babies got tortured in different aspects between the past and present.
i also enjoyed the world-building along with both characters fighting their own inners demons and also fighting to right an ancient wrong that none of them truly knew the real story.
i laughed. i cried. i sat on the edge of my seat in certain parts. and then i was also pissed at the end.
the plot was plotting. the twists were TWISTING.
i hope we get more of some of the side characters because they really fit in with the story and give some relief when needed and just fit so good the fmc and mmc.
cannot wait to read book 2 and dive further into this world with my favorite characters!
i went into this with high hopes and they were met. this was refreshing, and honestly something different compared to some of the other fantasy books i have read.
i love some 'morally grey' characters and 'dark' aspects but it was such a breath of fresh air in a way with both the fmc and mmc because even though both have their fair share of mistakes, they both are GOOD and would do anything to protect those around them. even with their key differences between fae, human, dwarves, they don't care, besides aiding those in need.
i also love this story because i always love me a badass fmc who can be stubborn and so on, while our mmc seems to be more of the damsel in distress — more so due to his physical human qualities and how 'fragile' he is compared to the fae. not that he did not try to save the day, he was just limited.
i love also how the trials expressed unity and equality in this and how each trial had its own setbacks but made each of them grow and learn who they truly are. i hated my poor babies got tortured in different aspects between the past and present.
i also enjoyed the world-building along with both characters fighting their own inners demons and also fighting to right an ancient wrong that none of them truly knew the real story.
i laughed. i cried. i sat on the edge of my seat in certain parts. and then i was also pissed at the end.
the plot was plotting. the twists were TWISTING.
i hope we get more of some of the side characters because they really fit in with the story and give some relief when needed and just fit so good the fmc and mmc.
cannot wait to read book 2 and dive further into this world with my favorite characters!
December 10, 2024
[BETA READ]
Wow. This. Book.
I had the absolute privilege of getting to read Smoke and Scar in its beta form, and I will truly never be the same. The way this book brought me to laughter, gasps, squeals and tears can not be matched. If you need a book that is going to make you truly FEEL emotions and get absolutely attached to the characters... you better pick this up in March. The way I was brought through Elyria's grief and Cedric's fight was just breathtaking. I am so jealous of every reader who gets to experience this story for the first time. Also!!! The side characters are the BEST omg I am obsessed with Nox, I can't wait for you to meet them!
I have a video on my instagram @lilbookgoblin of a compilation of reaction videos that I sent to Gretchen while reading, where I am brought to literal tears, if you need more proof as to why you have to read this as soon as it comes out.
I don't want to share any big details regarding the plot because it's early, but here are the tropes:
Slowest of slow burns
Found family
SHE’S the shadow daddy
Stroonnnggg enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
HIGH FREAKING STAKES
The obsession I have for Elyria && Cedric is problematic at this point.
Just add it to your want to read, it's worth every second. I have such a love hate relationship with beta reading because I absolutely got it first, but I have to wait the longest for book two 😂🫠
Wow. This. Book.
I had the absolute privilege of getting to read Smoke and Scar in its beta form, and I will truly never be the same. The way this book brought me to laughter, gasps, squeals and tears can not be matched. If you need a book that is going to make you truly FEEL emotions and get absolutely attached to the characters... you better pick this up in March. The way I was brought through Elyria's grief and Cedric's fight was just breathtaking. I am so jealous of every reader who gets to experience this story for the first time. Also!!! The side characters are the BEST omg I am obsessed with Nox, I can't wait for you to meet them!
I have a video on my instagram @lilbookgoblin of a compilation of reaction videos that I sent to Gretchen while reading, where I am brought to literal tears, if you need more proof as to why you have to read this as soon as it comes out.
I don't want to share any big details regarding the plot because it's early, but here are the tropes:
Slowest of slow burns
Found family
SHE’S the shadow daddy
Stroonnnggg enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
HIGH FREAKING STAKES
The obsession I have for Elyria && Cedric is problematic at this point.
Just add it to your want to read, it's worth every second. I have such a love hate relationship with beta reading because I absolutely got it first, but I have to wait the longest for book two 😂🫠
October 2, 2025
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Smoke & Scar
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox
I’m not sure if it was just my mood, but I was really into this one. September was a stressful month and I needed the escape into a fantasy world, and this book gave me exactly that. The story follows Elyria, a once-celebrated fae war hero who lost her lover in the Arcane Crucible, a brutal series of trials meant to keep peace. When the trials return, she is determined to stop her late lover’s sister from competing. Then we meet Cedric, a knight sworn against her people, who ends up working alongside her in the competition despite being her enemy. This is a super slow burn romantasy, but I loved Elyria as a main character and was hooked by the plot almost immediately. The audiobook narration was great and kept me fully immersed. My book club read this in September, and not everyone loved it as much as I did, but I had such a fun time with it. Also… the cover is stunning. If you like slow burn romance mixed with magical trials, definitely give this a try.
Smoke & Scar
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox
I’m not sure if it was just my mood, but I was really into this one. September was a stressful month and I needed the escape into a fantasy world, and this book gave me exactly that. The story follows Elyria, a once-celebrated fae war hero who lost her lover in the Arcane Crucible, a brutal series of trials meant to keep peace. When the trials return, she is determined to stop her late lover’s sister from competing. Then we meet Cedric, a knight sworn against her people, who ends up working alongside her in the competition despite being her enemy. This is a super slow burn romantasy, but I loved Elyria as a main character and was hooked by the plot almost immediately. The audiobook narration was great and kept me fully immersed. My book club read this in September, and not everyone loved it as much as I did, but I had such a fun time with it. Also… the cover is stunning. If you like slow burn romance mixed with magical trials, definitely give this a try.
January 22, 2025
*Received an ARC from the author*
Okay, so I have a swirl of thoughts upon finishing the book.
First, everything I thought was done well:
- Fairly well written prose (rare for this genre sadly)
- Strong female protagonist
- Multiple well written female characters (also rare for this genre)
- World-building and unique magic system
- The relationship between Elyria and Kit
Somethings that fell flat for me:
- The male protagonist seemed one note throughout
- The book was more plot driven rather than character driven and felt like we just went from one point to another without exploring motivations which left me quite uninvested
- The pacing - when the characters faced major challenges, they were resolved so quickly that there were seemingly no ramifications.
Overall, I also think I’m a more skeptical reader than most so others may find it easier to suspend disbelief and get hooked.
Okay, so I have a swirl of thoughts upon finishing the book.
First, everything I thought was done well:
- Fairly well written prose (rare for this genre sadly)
- Strong female protagonist
- Multiple well written female characters (also rare for this genre)
- World-building and unique magic system
- The relationship between Elyria and Kit
Somethings that fell flat for me:
- The male protagonist seemed one note throughout
- The book was more plot driven rather than character driven and felt like we just went from one point to another without exploring motivations which left me quite uninvested
- The pacing - when the characters faced major challenges, they were resolved so quickly that there were seemingly no ramifications.
Overall, I also think I’m a more skeptical reader than most so others may find it easier to suspend disbelief and get hooked.
May 24, 2025
Elyria is introduced and within two pages I knew she was a heavy drinker with serious baggage. She’s got wings, powers, a tragic backstory, and somehow everyone either fears her or hates her. I was intrigued. I was ready. And then Cedric showed up.
Cedric. Is. So. Boring. He’s mad at Elyria for killing his family, which of course she didn’t do, but he decides to go on a dramatic revenge tour anyway. His chapters dragged. Every time I saw his name, my brain took a nap.
The plot moves through some magical trials that are clearly meant to be intense and suspenseful, but I couldn’t stop wondering when something new would actually happen. The pacing kept looping and the story felt like it was stalling for time. Hello goblet of fire budget remake?
There’s also a dead ex-boyfriend who might not be dead (but kind of is?), and I was about to throw the book across the room if it turned into a love triangle. Thankfully it didn’t, but the evil possession type twist was so chaotic I had to reread it just to be sure I understood what was happening.
Now for the “romance”: there was one kiss. One. After all that tension. After everything they went through. Just a single, dramatic kiss and then Cedric dies. And then he comes back and they go their separate ways like nothing happened. I’m sorry what kind of emotional payoff was that?
Honestly, the concept was cool, Elyria had real potential, and I did like how they started sticking up for each other. But it didn’t go far enough. The pacing was messy, the stakes kept getting reset, and the ending didn’t leave me eager for more
Cedric. Is. So. Boring. He’s mad at Elyria for killing his family, which of course she didn’t do, but he decides to go on a dramatic revenge tour anyway. His chapters dragged. Every time I saw his name, my brain took a nap.
The plot moves through some magical trials that are clearly meant to be intense and suspenseful, but I couldn’t stop wondering when something new would actually happen. The pacing kept looping and the story felt like it was stalling for time. Hello goblet of fire budget remake?
There’s also a dead ex-boyfriend who might not be dead (but kind of is?), and I was about to throw the book across the room if it turned into a love triangle. Thankfully it didn’t, but the evil possession type twist was so chaotic I had to reread it just to be sure I understood what was happening.
Now for the “romance”: there was one kiss. One. After all that tension. After everything they went through. Just a single, dramatic kiss and then Cedric dies. And then he comes back and they go their separate ways like nothing happened. I’m sorry what kind of emotional payoff was that?
Honestly, the concept was cool, Elyria had real potential, and I did like how they started sticking up for each other. But it didn’t go far enough. The pacing was messy, the stakes kept getting reset, and the ending didn’t leave me eager for more
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2026
I did like that this flipped some typical tropes and genre things on their axis. But too many plot conveniences and not enough character connection for me. I won’t be continuing.
December 5, 2025
Smoke and Scar (Shattered Crown #1) by Gretchen Powell Fox
Book Blurb: An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.
Rating: *****
Feels: Challenged, Amazed, Stunned, Triumphant
Style: Romantasy , Fantasy Romance , Fantasy, High Fantasy
First published March 11 2025: 468 pages
This is the kind of read that just pulled me in from the start. Deadly trials , a continent divided , bitterness bubbling up between factions and magic overflowing. Did I mention a cute winged fairy who saves the knight ! Love it !!! I adored the banter between Elyria and Cedric which just kept getting better. The trials had some pretty tense moments and sometimes I wasn’t sure who to root for. I really loved the world building and flash back scenes which built on the lore. The found family aspect of the book is sooo fun with some truely amazing side characters. Totally fell for quite a few of these characters and can’t wait to continue their story !!!
Favorite Quote: "I am Elyria Lightbreaker. The Revenant. And I may have been left broken, but I am not so easily shattered."
This book has:
Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
Slow Burn
Forced Proximity
Deadly Trials
She saves him
Cool magic system
Found family
Hers and his POV
Book Blurb: An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.
Rating: *****
Feels: Challenged, Amazed, Stunned, Triumphant
Style: Romantasy , Fantasy Romance , Fantasy, High Fantasy
First published March 11 2025: 468 pages
This is the kind of read that just pulled me in from the start. Deadly trials , a continent divided , bitterness bubbling up between factions and magic overflowing. Did I mention a cute winged fairy who saves the knight ! Love it !!! I adored the banter between Elyria and Cedric which just kept getting better. The trials had some pretty tense moments and sometimes I wasn’t sure who to root for. I really loved the world building and flash back scenes which built on the lore. The found family aspect of the book is sooo fun with some truely amazing side characters. Totally fell for quite a few of these characters and can’t wait to continue their story !!!
Favorite Quote: "I am Elyria Lightbreaker. The Revenant. And I may have been left broken, but I am not so easily shattered."
This book has:
Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
Slow Burn
Forced Proximity
Deadly Trials
She saves him
Cool magic system
Found family
Hers and his POV
Read
March 11, 2025omg?! it's release day???? honestly, still a little bit in shock that it's finally here and that Smoke and Scar is officially out in the world for all to read! it probably sounds cliche as heyyyyyll but this is truly the book of my heart and i am SO excited for you all to hopefully fall just as much in love with elyria and cedric as i am.
About the book: Haunted fae hero Elyria Lightbreaker forges an unlikely alliance with the human knight who hates her to conquer a series of legendary trials—navigating merciless rivals, deadly challenges, and their inexplicable pull toward each other—as a world-changing power lies within reach.
If you like the sound of:
🏰 epic romantic high fantasy
⚔️ hers & his dual pov
🧚🏼♀️ deadly trials
✨ unique two-sided magic system
🥷🏻 *she’s* the shadow daddy
🤺 enemies-to-*very* reluctant allies-to-lovers
❤️🔥 the slowest slow burn
🗡️ *she* saves *him*
💜 found family
🩹 he sees her scars
😏 anastasia and dimitri-level banter
👑 lotr x the serpent and the wings of night
then I think you’re probably gonna like this ☺️
Available to read on Kindle Unlimited or wherever you prefer to buy your books online!
About the book: Haunted fae hero Elyria Lightbreaker forges an unlikely alliance with the human knight who hates her to conquer a series of legendary trials—navigating merciless rivals, deadly challenges, and their inexplicable pull toward each other—as a world-changing power lies within reach.
If you like the sound of:
🏰 epic romantic high fantasy
⚔️ hers & his dual pov
🧚🏼♀️ deadly trials
✨ unique two-sided magic system
🥷🏻 *she’s* the shadow daddy
🤺 enemies-to-*very* reluctant allies-to-lovers
❤️🔥 the slowest slow burn
🗡️ *she* saves *him*
💜 found family
🩹 he sees her scars
😏 anastasia and dimitri-level banter
👑 lotr x the serpent and the wings of night
then I think you’re probably gonna like this ☺️
Available to read on Kindle Unlimited or wherever you prefer to buy your books online!
February 10, 2025
This feels like a sooooolid 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 to me! I had a lot of fun reading this & it had some really solid twists & turns that had me like “ohhh?” — plot, tropes, pros, & cons below 👇🏼
& THANK YOU to the author for sharing an ARC with me for my honest review in return.
PLOT & TROPES
Elyria — famed war hero of the fae & war criminal to the humans — is no longer fighting the war of 250 years ago that shaped the realm. These days she fights her mental battle, dealing with her trauma with all the good stuff like sex, drinking, & general avoidance. This doesn’t go great for her in a few ways, but things take a turn for the worse when her dead ex boyfriend’s sister decides to enter herself into the deadly trials of the Crucible, which is the reason she has a dead ex boyfriend in the first place. This book has:
- deadly trials
- he’s a broody warrior, she’s the snarky warrior
- humans, fae, dwarves, & more
- shadow mommy & shadow powers
- found family
- betrayals
- gods, prophecies, & lore
- slowwwww burn
- no spice but lots of tension
PROS
- Elyria, the FMC, is literally a gem. She’s so entertaining & she’s SMART.
- Cedric our MMC, is so good & broody — he’s really Chaol-coded in that he learned something & has to come to face the fact what he learned likely isn’t 100% accurate.
- Some genuinely good twists I did NOT expect!
- Really fun sound family, you really love them all. Obsessed with Thraigg who is basically Gimli & I’m here for it.
- I think the games & trials were done really well done & descriptive I really saw our characters in them. I liked the variation of them, & you felt in danger pretty much any moment.
- Couple moments tugged on ye olde heart strings.
MIDS
- Not a con yet since this is only book 1 in a projected trilogy but I’d like to understand more about Varyth.
CONS
- None really? Maybe my only complaint is I’d like some more romance but admittedly that’s selfish to ask while our characters are legit in deadly trials. But maybe a couple more of those stolen moments would have really had me feral for them though.
Can’t wait for more of this trilogy!
& THANK YOU to the author for sharing an ARC with me for my honest review in return.
PLOT & TROPES
Elyria — famed war hero of the fae & war criminal to the humans — is no longer fighting the war of 250 years ago that shaped the realm. These days she fights her mental battle, dealing with her trauma with all the good stuff like sex, drinking, & general avoidance. This doesn’t go great for her in a few ways, but things take a turn for the worse when her dead ex boyfriend’s sister decides to enter herself into the deadly trials of the Crucible, which is the reason she has a dead ex boyfriend in the first place. This book has:
- deadly trials
- he’s a broody warrior, she’s the snarky warrior
- humans, fae, dwarves, & more
- shadow mommy & shadow powers
- found family
- betrayals
- gods, prophecies, & lore
- slowwwww burn
- no spice but lots of tension
PROS
- Elyria, the FMC, is literally a gem. She’s so entertaining & she’s SMART.
- Cedric our MMC, is so good & broody — he’s really Chaol-coded in that he learned something & has to come to face the fact what he learned likely isn’t 100% accurate.
- Some genuinely good twists I did NOT expect!
- Really fun sound family, you really love them all. Obsessed with Thraigg who is basically Gimli & I’m here for it.
- I think the games & trials were done really well done & descriptive I really saw our characters in them. I liked the variation of them, & you felt in danger pretty much any moment.
- Couple moments tugged on ye olde heart strings.
MIDS
- Not a con yet since this is only book 1 in a projected trilogy but I’d like to understand more about Varyth.
CONS
- None really? Maybe my only complaint is I’d like some more romance but admittedly that’s selfish to ask while our characters are legit in deadly trials. But maybe a couple more of those stolen moments would have really had me feral for them though.
Can’t wait for more of this trilogy!
Read
September 29, 2025DNF 23%
November 22, 2025
I honestly really enjoyed this story & loved the characters!
I do think it felt a bit slow at times and dragged a bit but the plot was genuinely so good! The last 30% shocked me!! Elyria is hilarious I love her
I’m intrigued to see where this goes!
I do think it felt a bit slow at times and dragged a bit but the plot was genuinely so good! The last 30% shocked me!! Elyria is hilarious I love her
I’m intrigued to see where this goes!
April 29, 2025
co to byla za ksiazka, nie spodziewałam sie
November 22, 2025
This book gave major Celaena and Chaol vibes in the best way. Cedric, our handsome human knight, and Elyria, the immortal, battle-hardened, and hilariously badass fae warrior, made such a fun duo. Elyria absolutely stole the show: competent, sharp, and effortlessly powerful. I was hooked from her very first POV chapter; she’s fierce but layered, and I loved every moment with her.
The plot was fantastic, especially the trials — one of the most refreshing takes on a well-worn trope I’ve read. It starts a bit slow, but once it takes off, it flies. My only gripe? Cedric’s “damsel in distress” moments got a little repetitive, but honestly, the twists and pacing made up for it.
Unpredictable, fast-paced, and filled with heart, this quickly became a favorite trial-based fantasy!
The plot was fantastic, especially the trials — one of the most refreshing takes on a well-worn trope I’ve read. It starts a bit slow, but once it takes off, it flies. My only gripe? Cedric’s “damsel in distress” moments got a little repetitive, but honestly, the twists and pacing made up for it.
Unpredictable, fast-paced, and filled with heart, this quickly became a favorite trial-based fantasy!
January 1, 2025
6 * Read. That is all you need to know.
March 11, 2025
edit 11/03: Just a friendly reminder that today is the release day!!
4.5/5
I’ll be honest, the first 20% made me think I wouldn’t be able to finish this book. However, soon after I couldn’t put the book down (even though it took me 5 days to read it, but I was sick all that time and couldn’t even get to reading lmao), so maybe it was a me problem.
It was such a great story. Quite simple magic system but it was interesting and effective at the same time. I love the idea of sharing/merging magic with other people. Adored that there were so many races of characters and that they actually had to work together (UNITY) to get through each trial of the Crucible. It simply wouldn’t work without them helping each other. Thanks to that, the characters discover their people and one of my favourite tropes makes appearance, namely found family. I have to say I predicted the ending during reading, I didn’t like THAT person and knew there was something wrong with them.
I enjoyed the idea of reversing the typical roles of main characters. Because Gretchen gave us the most amazing Shadow Mommy (Elyria) who is 261 years old (REVERSED AGE GAP HAD ME SCREAMING) and saves our MMC a few times. Cedric is 28 years old and saves the FMC too, he was great as well. I loved loved loved how they actually helped each other with healing from the events from their pasts!!! This is so amazing. The romance is very slow burn, there wasn’t a lot of it in this book and I just know there will be more coming in the future. The small things happening between them were better than everything!! I mean, holding hands??? supporting each other??? yes!!! Give me even more of that. And when they finally kissed? Ohmygod, a chef’s kiss!
„Right now, in this moment, he was a man who knew without a doubt that the woman at his side was meant to do this. That he was meant to do it with her.”
I also NEED to mention the details of the book. The cover is gorgeous (so are the art you may find on Gretchen’s instagram). Please, pay attention to those small illustrations entering every chapter. I realised they’re changing too far into the book lmao. Chapters have titles, which is the thing I don’t really like in the books, but here they were suitable and made me laugh sometimes.
Thank you Gretchen for sending me the ARC. It was such a pleasure to be one of the first to read your newest book! I can’t wait to read next part of this series.
______________________________
I've got the arc!!! And I'm so so so excited to read this one!
do the pictures work? lmao its my first time with pics here (okay, they do but there were some difficulties)
4.5/5
I’ll be honest, the first 20% made me think I wouldn’t be able to finish this book. However, soon after I couldn’t put the book down (even though it took me 5 days to read it, but I was sick all that time and couldn’t even get to reading lmao), so maybe it was a me problem.
It was such a great story. Quite simple magic system but it was interesting and effective at the same time. I love the idea of sharing/merging magic with other people. Adored that there were so many races of characters and that they actually had to work together (UNITY) to get through each trial of the Crucible. It simply wouldn’t work without them helping each other. Thanks to that, the characters discover their people and one of my favourite tropes makes appearance, namely found family. I have to say I predicted the ending during reading, I didn’t like THAT person and knew there was something wrong with them.
I enjoyed the idea of reversing the typical roles of main characters. Because Gretchen gave us the most amazing Shadow Mommy (Elyria) who is 261 years old (REVERSED AGE GAP HAD ME SCREAMING) and saves our MMC a few times. Cedric is 28 years old and saves the FMC too, he was great as well. I loved loved loved how they actually helped each other with healing from the events from their pasts!!! This is so amazing. The romance is very slow burn, there wasn’t a lot of it in this book and I just know there will be more coming in the future. The small things happening between them were better than everything!! I mean, holding hands??? supporting each other??? yes!!! Give me even more of that. And when they finally kissed? Ohmygod, a chef’s kiss!
„Right now, in this moment, he was a man who knew without a doubt that the woman at his side was meant to do this. That he was meant to do it with her.”
I also NEED to mention the details of the book. The cover is gorgeous (so are the art you may find on Gretchen’s instagram). Please, pay attention to those small illustrations entering every chapter. I realised they’re changing too far into the book lmao. Chapters have titles, which is the thing I don’t really like in the books, but here they were suitable and made me laugh sometimes.
Thank you Gretchen for sending me the ARC. It was such a pleasure to be one of the first to read your newest book! I can’t wait to read next part of this series.
______________________________
I've got the arc!!! And I'm so so so excited to read this one!
do the pictures work? lmao its my first time with pics here (okay, they do but there were some difficulties)
December 11, 2025
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑
First and foremost, what a refreshing change to have the FMC be the ancient, strong “shadow daddy” (Shadow MOMMY).
If you’re looking for a slowwwwwwwee burn (🐢🔥), a traditional gender-role flip where the FMC is the baddie and the MMC is the “damsel in distress” - my friend look no further!
Did I mention the FMC has wings? That GPF requisitioned the most BEAUTIFUL character art that is all on her Instagram? How about that the sequel is coming in only a few months???
I can’t wait to read Splintered Kingdom! 🤩 (who am I kidding, I’m literally reading it now because I signed up to ARC read and GPF took pity on me and picked me because she’s a lovely purple-haired Queen 🫶🏼🥹)
Notable Tropes ——
🧚♂️ Shadow Mommy
⚔️ Enemies-to-reluctant-allies-to-lovers
🧚♂️ Slow Burn 🐢🔥
⚔️ Forced Proximity
🧚♂️ Deadly Trials
⚔️ “Who Did This To You?”
🧚♂️ She saves him (a lot)
⚔️ Queer Representation
Thank you to Scarlett Press for the gifted eARC and the opportunity to read the traditionally published & re-edited version of Gretchen Powell Fox’s trad debut! @scarlettpress.us
Spice: 🫑
First and foremost, what a refreshing change to have the FMC be the ancient, strong “shadow daddy” (Shadow MOMMY).
If you’re looking for a slowwwwwwwee burn (🐢🔥), a traditional gender-role flip where the FMC is the baddie and the MMC is the “damsel in distress” - my friend look no further!
Did I mention the FMC has wings? That GPF requisitioned the most BEAUTIFUL character art that is all on her Instagram? How about that the sequel is coming in only a few months???
I can’t wait to read Splintered Kingdom! 🤩 (who am I kidding, I’m literally reading it now because I signed up to ARC read and GPF took pity on me and picked me because she’s a lovely purple-haired Queen 🫶🏼🥹)
Notable Tropes ——
🧚♂️ Shadow Mommy
⚔️ Enemies-to-reluctant-allies-to-lovers
🧚♂️ Slow Burn 🐢🔥
⚔️ Forced Proximity
🧚♂️ Deadly Trials
⚔️ “Who Did This To You?”
🧚♂️ She saves him (a lot)
⚔️ Queer Representation
Thank you to Scarlett Press for the gifted eARC and the opportunity to read the traditionally published & re-edited version of Gretchen Powell Fox’s trad debut! @scarlettpress.us
June 23, 2025
Maybe it’s a case of “it’s not you it’s me”? I’ve been so far gone in my Calloway girls and I needed to read this for a romantasy break and my book club.
I wanted to LOVE IT. But I just kinda liked it? I thought the MMC was weak (I get that was kinda the point, but dude wasn’t even swoonworthy) and just one dimensional. He just added NOTHING to the story. Elle was alrighttttt but give me Aelin any day. I felt like it didn’t hold my attention and it wasn’t like until 70 percent where I felt semi invested in the plot.
That all being said, it wasn’t a painful read. The other characters I really did love (shout out to Nox and Thraig or however tf you spell it) and I’m semi curious to see where it goes so maybe I’ll read the next one?
I wanted to LOVE IT. But I just kinda liked it? I thought the MMC was weak (I get that was kinda the point, but dude wasn’t even swoonworthy) and just one dimensional. He just added NOTHING to the story. Elle was alrighttttt but give me Aelin any day. I felt like it didn’t hold my attention and it wasn’t like until 70 percent where I felt semi invested in the plot.
That all being said, it wasn’t a painful read. The other characters I really did love (shout out to Nox and Thraig or however tf you spell it) and I’m semi curious to see where it goes so maybe I’ll read the next one?
August 9, 2025
Sabéis eso de que un fanart puede hacerte querer leer un libro? Pues eso mismo me paso con este. Y la verdad, que me ha encantado!
Elyria es una guerrera hada de miles de años, Cedric es un joven guerrero. Ambos deben enfrentarse a unas pruebas mortales junto a otros participantes y del que solo uno puede salir vencedor.
Acción, aventuras, traiciones, pruebas por superar y un toque de romance.
Elyria es una guerrera hada de miles de años, Cedric es un joven guerrero. Ambos deben enfrentarse a unas pruebas mortales junto a otros participantes y del que solo uno puede salir vencedor.
Acción, aventuras, traiciones, pruebas por superar y un toque de romance.
March 14, 2025
I AM FULLY OBSESSED
This book is a huge reminder to how FUN reading can and SHOULD BE. Everything Gretchen promised while marketing this book, she delivered!!
Elyria is everything. And more. And then some.
just when you thought Gretchen was done... she wasn't.. found myself picking my jaw up off the floor several times!!! how she got me to LOVE so many characters is beyond me. but wow. Bravo 👏🏽 I am literally just finished and am still in SHOCK.
This book is a huge reminder to how FUN reading can and SHOULD BE. Everything Gretchen promised while marketing this book, she delivered!!
Elyria is everything. And more. And then some.
just when you thought Gretchen was done... she wasn't.. found myself picking my jaw up off the floor several times!!! how she got me to LOVE so many characters is beyond me. but wow. Bravo 👏🏽 I am literally just finished and am still in SHOCK.
July 25, 2025
Has anyone read this and also felt mad the whole time? Because I feel crazy.
I want to start out by saying I was really excited for this book and that even carried through for like a quarter through. The premise is fun: a bit of typical role reversal where we have a human mmc and a badass fae shadow-wielding fmc. Super interesting, right?
Well it was until I felt like I was missing key background, plot, character development the ENTIRE time. I actually searched this book up multiple times to check that it was the first in the series (it is). You are thrown into this really cool world with NO information and, guess what, the characters seem to know everything so you don't even get to learn with them. There are moments where they explain things (mostly to the human, duh) but it was always so out of left field that I didn't even want to know.
I just took it down a star, btw. Because I really almost didn't finish it! If this wasn't for book club, I don't know if I would have which is crazy because I did love the story and the characters.. the execution just wasn't my style I guess.
I guess one thing I can expand on a bit goes back to the whole "no information" thing. So one aspect I really liked was that the fmc had a first love who she thought to have died (yeah I was well aware he didn't, called that asap). Honestly, I wanted THEIR story half of the time and thought that there could have been a really neat love triangle situation there (which I usually hate so that's saying a lot). But no, he was suddenly some evil character that she killed cause he tried to absolutely murder his little sister... and then had redemption as he's dying? Whatever. My point is: she talked so highly of her previous relationship that the love story between the fmc and the mmc just wasn't believable to me. Enemies to lovers is great.. but not when you are constantly flipping from one extreme of, honestly, being a bigot, to oh my god I love her she's the only thing that matters to me.
The rest of my thoughts are jumbled and quick so here:
- Cedric is a little bitch and you know what? He did die to many times.
- Overall lack of knowledge/buildup/indulgence
- There were some great "gotcha" moments that originally had me giving 3 stars because again, the story was good
- When the mmc and fmc beat the shit out of each other towards the end.. that scene was my favorite so what does that say
- Highlighted a line from Cyren saying he was my favorite and then he fucking died so that was rude and also mean
- Thraigg is Danny Devito in my mind
I want to start out by saying I was really excited for this book and that even carried through for like a quarter through. The premise is fun: a bit of typical role reversal where we have a human mmc and a badass fae shadow-wielding fmc. Super interesting, right?
Well it was until I felt like I was missing key background, plot, character development the ENTIRE time. I actually searched this book up multiple times to check that it was the first in the series (it is). You are thrown into this really cool world with NO information and, guess what, the characters seem to know everything so you don't even get to learn with them. There are moments where they explain things (mostly to the human, duh) but it was always so out of left field that I didn't even want to know.
I just took it down a star, btw. Because I really almost didn't finish it! If this wasn't for book club, I don't know if I would have which is crazy because I did love the story and the characters.. the execution just wasn't my style I guess.
I guess one thing I can expand on a bit goes back to the whole "no information" thing. So one aspect I really liked was that the fmc had a first love who she thought to have died (yeah I was well aware he didn't, called that asap). Honestly, I wanted THEIR story half of the time and thought that there could have been a really neat love triangle situation there (which I usually hate so that's saying a lot). But no, he was suddenly some evil character that she killed cause he tried to absolutely murder his little sister... and then had redemption as he's dying? Whatever. My point is: she talked so highly of her previous relationship that the love story between the fmc and the mmc just wasn't believable to me. Enemies to lovers is great.. but not when you are constantly flipping from one extreme of, honestly, being a bigot, to oh my god I love her she's the only thing that matters to me.
The rest of my thoughts are jumbled and quick so here:
- Cedric is a little bitch and you know what? He did die to many times.
- Overall lack of knowledge/buildup/indulgence
- There were some great "gotcha" moments that originally had me giving 3 stars because again, the story was good
- When the mmc and fmc beat the shit out of each other towards the end.. that scene was my favorite so what does that say
- Highlighted a line from Cyren saying he was my favorite and then he fucking died so that was rude and also mean
- Thraigg is Danny Devito in my mind
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2025
DNF. Great concept, something unique and expectation-subverting, only to be desperate to be just like every other book and "fit in".
This book goes out of its way to try hit all the beats of a stereotypical rubbish romantasy, contorting itself from a challenging, potentially thought-provoking concept to something so predictable and transparent. The author not only treats you like an idiot, having to explain the same moment back to back in multiple chapters from other points of view, but tries so hard to make it as boring and palatable as every other cheap cash grab in this genre that it almost goes against the book's ethos or concept. This concept is meant to be challenging, is meant to go against the status quo just by the nature of having a 200 year old woman, grieving a dead partner, fall for a 20-something year old man. But the author does not deliver on this, frequently forgetting to remark on the fact that this is even something noteworthy at all.
It feels like the author is scared of their own concept. Like they don't want to make it too challenging for fear of putting off readers. The fact the FMC is over 200 years old is seldom mentioned, as if the author is trying to make us forget about it, turn off our brains, and absorb the same story we've heard a million times. I don't want to hear the same story! I want to hear this one! And it doesn't have to be like Eragon, where the female elf sees the human man as a child and therefore undesirable. Make it different but compelling. But instead we have a chicken shit author who is too scared to do something outside the box, despite the brilliant concept they've thought to come up with.
Often, bad storytelling is dumbed down storytelling. Having one POV to say that they could "feel their eyes on them" (which already spells out the feeling of the other character unnecessarily without having to go to their POV, and is often a lazy way of trying to get character emotion across when there are other far more nuanced, emotive and impactful ways of doing so) is one thing. But then to immediately switch to the next chapter, from this other characters POV, just to rehash the same moment again and tell us information we already gathered is mind numbing.
Every chance I thought this book could have to subvert expectations, it did not. Oh, the FMC is hundreds of years old and haunted by her past? She must feel like a weapon, entirely alone, and struggling to come to grips with the death of her loved one. Oh, no, she's just another "badass" FMC who occasionally is seeing visions of her late lover and sometimes feels sad about it. What was unusual, though, was the FMC's drowning herself in alcohol to forget; this is a trope usually reserved for male characters, and I appreciated this divergence. So why wasn't there more of it? Why didn't we see more of this difference?
She is 200 years old, a feared war veteran basically, and is just like every other girl except she yells a lot more. I'm fine with her being ancient and immature, that's an interesting concept - if you explore it. Show her complexity, show more of her haughtiness that comes with being this supposed "badass" archetype the author is desperate to stuff her into. Make her belittle humans or treat them as inferior. Don't tell me, mere chapters into the book from the MMC's perspective, that he immediately understands her and all her facial expressions, can read them perfectly, and that she is "relieved" when he escapes a danger. He hardly knows her - how can he tell that this obtuse, difficult, 200 year old person is "relieved" for him?
And this is the issue with the book. Rushing through to get to the "good stuff". Make your characters complex, make them difficult, make them yearn. Don't make them immediately attracted to each other, picking apart each other's smell, voice, and looks IMMEDIATELY after laying eyes on each other. Make them strangers to each other first that slowly begin to understand one another. If they immediately get each other, where is the suspense? The drama? It's obvious as anything that they will end up together.
So many times I kept reading, because I was like "This is the moment! Most of these books will make her enter the game to save her lovers sister, but she won't! She will be stubborn and steadfast and the story will play out in a different way!" But no. Of course she enters the game.
The MMC is the most lack luster character in this. I thought the arguments between the FMC and her (sort of) sister were compelling, but Cedric was unbelievably boring. I think this wasn't due to a lack of personality, but because the author revealed his hand of cards too early. If he hadn't stood up and announced to a crowd 5 minutes into the book that the FMC had "killed his family" the book would've been far more interesting. Even if he had just hung onto that tidbit for a few more chapters, being hostile towards the FMC without declaring why, the tension and stakes would've felt higher. As an audience, we would've wanted to understand him. But we do not care because everything was immediately laid out on the table and we were told everything on the first few pages of his chapters. No mystery, no story. It's hard to be engaged when everything is spelled out for you. It's hard to want to understand a character when the author makes it impossible for you to NOT understand.
So disappointing. So boring. And, despite my hopes, I'm not surprised.
This book goes out of its way to try hit all the beats of a stereotypical rubbish romantasy, contorting itself from a challenging, potentially thought-provoking concept to something so predictable and transparent. The author not only treats you like an idiot, having to explain the same moment back to back in multiple chapters from other points of view, but tries so hard to make it as boring and palatable as every other cheap cash grab in this genre that it almost goes against the book's ethos or concept. This concept is meant to be challenging, is meant to go against the status quo just by the nature of having a 200 year old woman, grieving a dead partner, fall for a 20-something year old man. But the author does not deliver on this, frequently forgetting to remark on the fact that this is even something noteworthy at all.
It feels like the author is scared of their own concept. Like they don't want to make it too challenging for fear of putting off readers. The fact the FMC is over 200 years old is seldom mentioned, as if the author is trying to make us forget about it, turn off our brains, and absorb the same story we've heard a million times. I don't want to hear the same story! I want to hear this one! And it doesn't have to be like Eragon, where the female elf sees the human man as a child and therefore undesirable. Make it different but compelling. But instead we have a chicken shit author who is too scared to do something outside the box, despite the brilliant concept they've thought to come up with.
Often, bad storytelling is dumbed down storytelling. Having one POV to say that they could "feel their eyes on them" (which already spells out the feeling of the other character unnecessarily without having to go to their POV, and is often a lazy way of trying to get character emotion across when there are other far more nuanced, emotive and impactful ways of doing so) is one thing. But then to immediately switch to the next chapter, from this other characters POV, just to rehash the same moment again and tell us information we already gathered is mind numbing.
Every chance I thought this book could have to subvert expectations, it did not. Oh, the FMC is hundreds of years old and haunted by her past? She must feel like a weapon, entirely alone, and struggling to come to grips with the death of her loved one. Oh, no, she's just another "badass" FMC who occasionally is seeing visions of her late lover and sometimes feels sad about it. What was unusual, though, was the FMC's drowning herself in alcohol to forget; this is a trope usually reserved for male characters, and I appreciated this divergence. So why wasn't there more of it? Why didn't we see more of this difference?
She is 200 years old, a feared war veteran basically, and is just like every other girl except she yells a lot more. I'm fine with her being ancient and immature, that's an interesting concept - if you explore it. Show her complexity, show more of her haughtiness that comes with being this supposed "badass" archetype the author is desperate to stuff her into. Make her belittle humans or treat them as inferior. Don't tell me, mere chapters into the book from the MMC's perspective, that he immediately understands her and all her facial expressions, can read them perfectly, and that she is "relieved" when he escapes a danger. He hardly knows her - how can he tell that this obtuse, difficult, 200 year old person is "relieved" for him?
And this is the issue with the book. Rushing through to get to the "good stuff". Make your characters complex, make them difficult, make them yearn. Don't make them immediately attracted to each other, picking apart each other's smell, voice, and looks IMMEDIATELY after laying eyes on each other. Make them strangers to each other first that slowly begin to understand one another. If they immediately get each other, where is the suspense? The drama? It's obvious as anything that they will end up together.
So many times I kept reading, because I was like "This is the moment! Most of these books will make her enter the game to save her lovers sister, but she won't! She will be stubborn and steadfast and the story will play out in a different way!" But no. Of course she enters the game.
The MMC is the most lack luster character in this. I thought the arguments between the FMC and her (sort of) sister were compelling, but Cedric was unbelievably boring. I think this wasn't due to a lack of personality, but because the author revealed his hand of cards too early. If he hadn't stood up and announced to a crowd 5 minutes into the book that the FMC had "killed his family" the book would've been far more interesting. Even if he had just hung onto that tidbit for a few more chapters, being hostile towards the FMC without declaring why, the tension and stakes would've felt higher. As an audience, we would've wanted to understand him. But we do not care because everything was immediately laid out on the table and we were told everything on the first few pages of his chapters. No mystery, no story. It's hard to be engaged when everything is spelled out for you. It's hard to want to understand a character when the author makes it impossible for you to NOT understand.
So disappointing. So boring. And, despite my hopes, I'm not surprised.
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