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The Golden Children #2
The Steadfast One
A cross-country fantasy adventure where heart and soul are put on the line…
Ten years have passed since Marcia de Souza fled to the fae realm in search of freedom. With a new name and a place to call home, she fills her days doing odd jobs alongside a diverse band of misfits.
Things are going well… until a high-risk opportunity throws a wrench in things.
The job sounded simple: find the missing heiress, bring her home, and claim the substantial reward. But just as a plan comes together, the party is crashed by a flamboyant stranger wanting to tag along. While Luthri is initially candid about having shallow motivations, there may be more to him than meets the eye.
As Mar and her companions venture into unknown territory, dangers lurk around every corner, from magical burnout to creatures with a taste for flesh. And what in the world is going on with the remote island where their quarry disappeared? New bonds will be tested and long-held values challenged over the course of this daring search and rescue mission.
Dungeons & Dragons meets Romantasy in this light fantasy novel, perfect for those who enjoy found family and character-driven romance alongside adventure and rich world-building.
Ten years have passed since Marcia de Souza fled to the fae realm in search of freedom. With a new name and a place to call home, she fills her days doing odd jobs alongside a diverse band of misfits.
Things are going well… until a high-risk opportunity throws a wrench in things.
The job sounded simple: find the missing heiress, bring her home, and claim the substantial reward. But just as a plan comes together, the party is crashed by a flamboyant stranger wanting to tag along. While Luthri is initially candid about having shallow motivations, there may be more to him than meets the eye.
As Mar and her companions venture into unknown territory, dangers lurk around every corner, from magical burnout to creatures with a taste for flesh. And what in the world is going on with the remote island where their quarry disappeared? New bonds will be tested and long-held values challenged over the course of this daring search and rescue mission.
Dungeons & Dragons meets Romantasy in this light fantasy novel, perfect for those who enjoy found family and character-driven romance alongside adventure and rich world-building.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2025
42 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Levin
2 books156 followersHannah Levin (she/her) is a neurodivergent writer and dog mom from the East Coast. By day, she writes repetitive marketing copy to pay the bills, and by night, she writes fantasy romance to feed fellow romantics and dreamers. She has several projects in the works at any given time. You can connect with Hannah over Instagram and Threads @authorhlevin; she loves to hear from readers! :)
It takes time to develop a writing voice. However, Hannah would describe her style as fresh, easy reading with a balance of plot and spice, relatable characters, and gradual relationship development. She's a big fan of a slow burn and always strives to bring an element of realism to her books, no matter how far-fetched the plot. Additionally, she enjoys writing standalones for other readers with a short attention span who don't often have the energy for long, intensive series.
It takes time to develop a writing voice. However, Hannah would describe her style as fresh, easy reading with a balance of plot and spice, relatable characters, and gradual relationship development. She's a big fan of a slow burn and always strives to bring an element of realism to her books, no matter how far-fetched the plot. Additionally, she enjoys writing standalones for other readers with a short attention span who don't often have the energy for long, intensive series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
July 27, 2025
➳ 4 ★
This book was more interesting and exciting compared to the first book. The author definitely plotted more in this one and it was fun to follow along on Mar’s adventure.
In book two of this series, we follow a different character in the same universe. Marcia fled to the fae realm ten years ago and now embarks on a journey to save a fae princess for a remote island where curiously weird things are happening to the people. This quest comes with a big payout, which Mar and her found family need in order to live better lives instead of going town to town looking for odd jobs just to get by.
During their journey, Mar and her companions unwillingly recruit a new stranger named Luthri. As this unlikely group of misfits traverse the fae realm in search of the lost princess, traveling through dangerous lands, they all begin to feel like found family.
I really enjoyed this one, a bit more than the first book. The FMC is more mature and her relationship with not only the MMC, but her other companions, was funnier to read. I think because there were more obstacles on their journey and a bit more deeper conversations that occur between characters, it was easier to feel connected to them.
My only criticism, which hopefully is resolved in a third installment 👀, is not having been reunited with Avery. I reallyyyyy really hope that’s what happens in the next book because I need it.
Thank you so much to Hanna Levin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book was more interesting and exciting compared to the first book. The author definitely plotted more in this one and it was fun to follow along on Mar’s adventure.
In book two of this series, we follow a different character in the same universe. Marcia fled to the fae realm ten years ago and now embarks on a journey to save a fae princess for a remote island where curiously weird things are happening to the people. This quest comes with a big payout, which Mar and her found family need in order to live better lives instead of going town to town looking for odd jobs just to get by.
During their journey, Mar and her companions unwillingly recruit a new stranger named Luthri. As this unlikely group of misfits traverse the fae realm in search of the lost princess, traveling through dangerous lands, they all begin to feel like found family.
I really enjoyed this one, a bit more than the first book. The FMC is more mature and her relationship with not only the MMC, but her other companions, was funnier to read. I think because there were more obstacles on their journey and a bit more deeper conversations that occur between characters, it was easier to feel connected to them.
My only criticism, which hopefully is resolved in a third installment 👀, is not having been reunited with Avery. I reallyyyyy really hope that’s what happens in the next book because I need it.
Thank you so much to Hanna Levin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 30, 2025
I received an ARC for an honest review. I read The Treasured One last year and loved it so I was excited to have the opportunity to read an ARC of The Steadfast One and I’m giving it five glowing stars and a standing ovation.
It was well written, full of witty banter, the pacing was perfect, and it had a great and easy to follow plot.
The world and the characters were well built, relatable, and had depth. I found that I enjoyed the side characters just as much as the MFC & MMC and that is rarely the case for me but the dynamic between the characters was immensely enjoyable.
This book had it all and made me feel it all as though I were right there with the characters facing the same challenges. I laughed, held my breath, got goosies, and cried.
I love that The Steadfast One takes place in the same world as The Treasured One but focuses on different characters, plot, and areas of the world. This allows them to be read as stand alones, but I recommend reading both of these books because why deprive yourself of that pleasure? If you love romantasy with good plot, top tier banter, and amazing characters look no further.
Hannah Levin, welcome to my short list of always read authors 🫶🏼 thanks for sharing your talent with the world! 🤍
It was well written, full of witty banter, the pacing was perfect, and it had a great and easy to follow plot.
The world and the characters were well built, relatable, and had depth. I found that I enjoyed the side characters just as much as the MFC & MMC and that is rarely the case for me but the dynamic between the characters was immensely enjoyable.
This book had it all and made me feel it all as though I were right there with the characters facing the same challenges. I laughed, held my breath, got goosies, and cried.
I love that The Steadfast One takes place in the same world as The Treasured One but focuses on different characters, plot, and areas of the world. This allows them to be read as stand alones, but I recommend reading both of these books because why deprive yourself of that pleasure? If you love romantasy with good plot, top tier banter, and amazing characters look no further.
Hannah Levin, welcome to my short list of always read authors 🫶🏼 thanks for sharing your talent with the world! 🤍
April 24, 2025
4.25⭐️
3/5🌶️
I loved The Treasured One when I read it a while back so I was so excited to receive an arc for The Steadfast One, and it absolutely did not disappoint!
The FMC Mar is a human living in the Fae realm with a band of misfits who do odd jobs to get by. When they hear about an heiress who’s gone missing, they set out find her in hopes for a big reward.
I absolutely love the worldbuilding for this series and the whole idea of a rift connecting the human realm and the fae! The pacing and structure of the story was great and I had such a fun time reading. The banter and found family was amazing!
Mar and Lu were such a great couple and fit so well together! Lu was such a sweetheart, I loved him so much! There were some great side characters as well.
Overall I highly recommend this series. This can be read as a standalone if you want but I do recommend reading book 1 as well because they are both great reads.
Thank you so much to the author for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
3/5🌶️
I loved The Treasured One when I read it a while back so I was so excited to receive an arc for The Steadfast One, and it absolutely did not disappoint!
The FMC Mar is a human living in the Fae realm with a band of misfits who do odd jobs to get by. When they hear about an heiress who’s gone missing, they set out find her in hopes for a big reward.
I absolutely love the worldbuilding for this series and the whole idea of a rift connecting the human realm and the fae! The pacing and structure of the story was great and I had such a fun time reading. The banter and found family was amazing!
Mar and Lu were such a great couple and fit so well together! Lu was such a sweetheart, I loved him so much! There were some great side characters as well.
Overall I highly recommend this series. This can be read as a standalone if you want but I do recommend reading book 1 as well because they are both great reads.
Thank you so much to the author for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
April 9, 2025
ARC reader review:
I loved it this book. The adventure was paced and structured like a DND campaign which made it easy to follow, and the author was able to make everything relatable to the real world without breaking the fourth wall, or having to spend pages upon pages giving tedious descriptions of every new race, food, object, etc. I thought the romance was cute and sweet and the story was compelling and caught my attention and kept it. I found the main character to be very relatable and enjoyed the strength she portrayed on the outside while addressing the insecurities internally. She also is witty and decisive, creating a strong female lead.
I loved it this book. The adventure was paced and structured like a DND campaign which made it easy to follow, and the author was able to make everything relatable to the real world without breaking the fourth wall, or having to spend pages upon pages giving tedious descriptions of every new race, food, object, etc. I thought the romance was cute and sweet and the story was compelling and caught my attention and kept it. I found the main character to be very relatable and enjoyed the strength she portrayed on the outside while addressing the insecurities internally. She also is witty and decisive, creating a strong female lead.
June 16, 2025
“The Steadfast One” is a captivating fantasy adventure that follows a perilous quest to recover a missing heiress—a high-stakes mission with a reward worth fighting for. While the premise may feel familiar at first glance, Levin breathes fresh life into it with surprising depth, intricate world-building, and emotionally resonant characters.
At the heart of the story is Mar, a compelling female protagonist who crossed from our world into this fantastical realm ten years ago. Forced to navigate a land utterly foreign to her, she has not only adapted but also grappled with her own shape-shifting magic. Her resilience and complexity make her an unforgettable lead. Along the way, she forms bonds with a diverse cast of characters—friends and found family from various races—some of whom join her on this dangerous journey.
Among them is Luthi, an enigmatic and charismatic figure who brings both charm and unexpected emotional depth as the story’s love interest. Levin excels at portraying vulnerability in her characters, making them feel richly human (even when they’re not entirely human) and deeply relatable.
The pacing strikes a perfect balance, blending thrilling action with well-timed moments of respite, allowing readers to catch their breath before the next surge of excitement. Though the quest reaches a satisfying conclusion, Levin doesn’t shy away from emotional weight—some farewells are bittersweet, and one devastating loss lingers long after the final page.
I absolutely loved this book! With its dynamic characters, immersive world, and expertly crafted tension, “The Steadfast One” is a standout fantasy that will leave readers eager for more.
At the heart of the story is Mar, a compelling female protagonist who crossed from our world into this fantastical realm ten years ago. Forced to navigate a land utterly foreign to her, she has not only adapted but also grappled with her own shape-shifting magic. Her resilience and complexity make her an unforgettable lead. Along the way, she forms bonds with a diverse cast of characters—friends and found family from various races—some of whom join her on this dangerous journey.
Among them is Luthi, an enigmatic and charismatic figure who brings both charm and unexpected emotional depth as the story’s love interest. Levin excels at portraying vulnerability in her characters, making them feel richly human (even when they’re not entirely human) and deeply relatable.
The pacing strikes a perfect balance, blending thrilling action with well-timed moments of respite, allowing readers to catch their breath before the next surge of excitement. Though the quest reaches a satisfying conclusion, Levin doesn’t shy away from emotional weight—some farewells are bittersweet, and one devastating loss lingers long after the final page.
I absolutely loved this book! With its dynamic characters, immersive world, and expertly crafted tension, “The Steadfast One” is a standout fantasy that will leave readers eager for more.
June 17, 2025
✨𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞✨
by Hannah Levin
Release: 6/17/2025
✨𝓦𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭?
YES!!!
✨𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓲 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼
Mar, a rare human with shape shifting magic, is part of a crew of fae and other magical beings who complete jobs for money. When a high risk, high reward job is offered, the crew plus a new charismatic and handsome male named Luthri, begin a journey of adventure and self discovery.
✨𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
Wow! This is one of my favorites of the year. The Steadfast One takes the reader on an adventure similar to a Dungeons and Dragons game which completely immerses you into the story. Each character is so unique and well written, you really feel like you know them and are part of their crew! The banter is TOP TIER!! So many laugh out loud moments from this lovable group. The romance is so sweet to watch unravel and the emotional moments hit hard.
This new romantasy adventure will capture your heart.
𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮:
✨ Black Cat X Golden Retriever
✨ Epic Quest
✨ Found Family
✨ D&D Vibes
✨ Elite Banter
✨ He Falls First
by Hannah Levin
Release: 6/17/2025
✨𝓦𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭?
YES!!!
✨𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓲 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼
Mar, a rare human with shape shifting magic, is part of a crew of fae and other magical beings who complete jobs for money. When a high risk, high reward job is offered, the crew plus a new charismatic and handsome male named Luthri, begin a journey of adventure and self discovery.
✨𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
Wow! This is one of my favorites of the year. The Steadfast One takes the reader on an adventure similar to a Dungeons and Dragons game which completely immerses you into the story. Each character is so unique and well written, you really feel like you know them and are part of their crew! The banter is TOP TIER!! So many laugh out loud moments from this lovable group. The romance is so sweet to watch unravel and the emotional moments hit hard.
This new romantasy adventure will capture your heart.
𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮:
✨ Black Cat X Golden Retriever
✨ Epic Quest
✨ Found Family
✨ D&D Vibes
✨ Elite Banter
✨ He Falls First
April 8, 2025
ARC reader review!
I really enjoyed this book! It felt like I was literally in the world of this DnD campaign and the banter was so fun and REAL. I definitely think this book would be a bit confusing if you've never played DnD (or similar) before. I felt like the climax events could've been stretched out more and more detail provided, but otherwise I really enjoyed the journey this book took me on! It was an easy, lighthearted read, with some spice sprinkled on top
I really enjoyed this book! It felt like I was literally in the world of this DnD campaign and the banter was so fun and REAL. I definitely think this book would be a bit confusing if you've never played DnD (or similar) before. I felt like the climax events could've been stretched out more and more detail provided, but otherwise I really enjoyed the journey this book took me on! It was an easy, lighthearted read, with some spice sprinkled on top
June 16, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️
Thank you to Hannah Levin for the gifted ARC copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This book was truly a feel good DnD campaign in every way and was such a fun adventure. I had a great time!
The setting was not dissimilar to most fantasy words making it feel cozy and familiar. However it being its own separate realm separated from the human world made both it and the FMC more intriguing. It also offered multiple locations with lots of diverse creatures.
The female FMC Mar (Marcia) was strong in every sense of the word. Her unique shape shifting abilities allowed for some great story telling. I found her delightfully stubborn and enjoyed her exchanges with other characters quite a bit. Her back story is fascinating and I may go back and read to the first book just to understand more about the world she comes from. The MMC Luthri was your typical fun goofy golden retriever of a man so overall a pretty fun character albeit a bit pushy sometimes with his advances. There dynamic was fun and lighthearted although a little cheesy at times which is ultimately what lost a star for me.
I REALLY enjoyed all of the “campaign” characters a lot as well. They were such a fun diverse band of misfits of different races and walks of life. This is what really made it feel reminiscent of DnD. They all had well developed backstories and traits and offered fun banter and quirky personalities. Just really a lovely although slightly dysfunctional found family
My only major note for this book was the dialogue at times being a bit cheesy which can work for against a book depending on the reader. I also found the overall narrative a bit predictable but still satisfying earning it 4.25 stars.
Top Quotes: ❤️
“In my opinion, the world could use more people who love with abandon.”
“If I had a person like that in my life, I would cherish them. My priority would be to learn them so completely that I could anticipate their every need without a word. I would consider it a blessing to have them invade my waking thoughts and be the last thing I think of before sleep takes me. I would give everything I have and everything I am, even if fate itself stood against us, because there is peace to be found in that kind of surrender.”
“There’s no way to predict what the future holds, yet it holds so much power over us. Don’t give it more than it’s earned.”
3/5 🌶️
Thank you to Hannah Levin for the gifted ARC copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This book was truly a feel good DnD campaign in every way and was such a fun adventure. I had a great time!
The setting was not dissimilar to most fantasy words making it feel cozy and familiar. However it being its own separate realm separated from the human world made both it and the FMC more intriguing. It also offered multiple locations with lots of diverse creatures.
The female FMC Mar (Marcia) was strong in every sense of the word. Her unique shape shifting abilities allowed for some great story telling. I found her delightfully stubborn and enjoyed her exchanges with other characters quite a bit. Her back story is fascinating and I may go back and read to the first book just to understand more about the world she comes from. The MMC Luthri was your typical fun goofy golden retriever of a man so overall a pretty fun character albeit a bit pushy sometimes with his advances. There dynamic was fun and lighthearted although a little cheesy at times which is ultimately what lost a star for me.
I REALLY enjoyed all of the “campaign” characters a lot as well. They were such a fun diverse band of misfits of different races and walks of life. This is what really made it feel reminiscent of DnD. They all had well developed backstories and traits and offered fun banter and quirky personalities. Just really a lovely although slightly dysfunctional found family
My only major note for this book was the dialogue at times being a bit cheesy which can work for against a book depending on the reader. I also found the overall narrative a bit predictable but still satisfying earning it 4.25 stars.
Top Quotes: ❤️
“In my opinion, the world could use more people who love with abandon.”
“If I had a person like that in my life, I would cherish them. My priority would be to learn them so completely that I could anticipate their every need without a word. I would consider it a blessing to have them invade my waking thoughts and be the last thing I think of before sleep takes me. I would give everything I have and everything I am, even if fate itself stood against us, because there is peace to be found in that kind of surrender.”
“There’s no way to predict what the future holds, yet it holds so much power over us. Don’t give it more than it’s earned.”
June 3, 2025
4.75 ✨
Overall: I loved this!! It was so incredibly engaging from start to finish!! I really liked the FMC, Mar, and MMC, Luthri. Every supporting character was equally as wonderful as the leads! The plot-driven, Dungeons & Dragons-like storytelling was so engaging; I could hardly put the book down!
Tropes:
🖤 found family
🐈⬛ D&D vibes
🖤 adventure
🐈⬛ black cat x golden retriever
🖤 fae + magic
🐈⬛ interconnected standalone
Bookish Thoughts:
This is so incredibly well-written! I really truly enjoyed the overall story. I was so excited to see how the main plot would play out and how all the side quests and personal goals would be resolved!
Mar is absolutely the steadfast one! Her story is incredible from top to bottom. I liked her almost immediately. She has so much grit, spunk, and sass, is a strong leader, and shows solid character growth throughout.
Luthri had me charmed and cracking up from the very first page we met him. He’s truly such a lover boy and his witty remarks were everything!!
I loved the twins, Yrra, and Daethie, too!! I really appreciate when secondary characters get strong stories, goals, and personalities. Levin completely hit for all of them. Again with the great banter and really making me love the characters and actually care about what happens to them.
I always love a found family trope and Levin does this SO WELL in this book. You feel like you know these folks and could be part of their crew, their family.
Last but certainly not least, if you’re a D&D, Fate, or other RPG fan, this story flows just like a campaign. We play RPGs and I was thinking of running this campaign and what other quests, challenges, and “dungeons” the characters could face on their journeys!
Absolutely cannot wait to read another book by Levin. The Steadfast One (and The Treasured One!) was excellent!!
Massive shout out to author, Hannah Levin, for the ARC!! ❤️🫶🏼
Overall: I loved this!! It was so incredibly engaging from start to finish!! I really liked the FMC, Mar, and MMC, Luthri. Every supporting character was equally as wonderful as the leads! The plot-driven, Dungeons & Dragons-like storytelling was so engaging; I could hardly put the book down!
Tropes:
🖤 found family
🐈⬛ D&D vibes
🖤 adventure
🐈⬛ black cat x golden retriever
🖤 fae + magic
🐈⬛ interconnected standalone
Bookish Thoughts:
This is so incredibly well-written! I really truly enjoyed the overall story. I was so excited to see how the main plot would play out and how all the side quests and personal goals would be resolved!
Mar is absolutely the steadfast one! Her story is incredible from top to bottom. I liked her almost immediately. She has so much grit, spunk, and sass, is a strong leader, and shows solid character growth throughout.
Luthri had me charmed and cracking up from the very first page we met him. He’s truly such a lover boy and his witty remarks were everything!!
I loved the twins, Yrra, and Daethie, too!! I really appreciate when secondary characters get strong stories, goals, and personalities. Levin completely hit for all of them. Again with the great banter and really making me love the characters and actually care about what happens to them.
I always love a found family trope and Levin does this SO WELL in this book. You feel like you know these folks and could be part of their crew, their family.
Last but certainly not least, if you’re a D&D, Fate, or other RPG fan, this story flows just like a campaign. We play RPGs and I was thinking of running this campaign and what other quests, challenges, and “dungeons” the characters could face on their journeys!
Absolutely cannot wait to read another book by Levin. The Steadfast One (and The Treasured One!) was excellent!!
Massive shout out to author, Hannah Levin, for the ARC!! ❤️🫶🏼
August 9, 2025
Highlights 📝
• ‘If being the bigger person was easy, everyone would be a saint.’ 🤯
• ‘Love all creatures. Be fair always. Speak the truth. Be generous with what you have been given. Work without complaint. Protect those who cannot protect themselves.’ ❤️
• ‘sometimes you craved peace and quiet, even more so in times of uncertainty.’ 🙂↕️
• ‘There’s no way to predict what the future holds, yet it holds so much power over us. Don’t give it more than it’s earned.”’ 🥹
Rating ⭐️
3.25
Review ✍🏼
Got this book as an ARC, thanks for that! I thought it was… okay. Personally, I liked the first book way more, mostly because it had much richer worldbuilding. In this one, it felt like that part was rushed. There are little nods to the first book (which follows a different character), but I wish there’d been more of that, maybe even some overlap or connection between the two.
As a standalone, it works fine, but for me, it just didn’t have enough worldbuilding to really pull me in. The story itself was interesting, though: a group goes on a mission to figure out what’s going on with an island, do people stay because they’re genuinely happy, or because they can’t leave? Along the way, all sorts of things happen.
The journey back, however, felt like it dragged a bit, and I started losing motivation to read. Then the ending came along and, just like in the first book, it wrapped up pretty quickly. I think I was expecting more connection with book one, which is probably why I felt a bit underwhelmed.
Overall, the story and characters were fine. A nice in-between read , but I probably wouldn’t recommend it strongly (unlike book one, which I would recommend).
• ‘If being the bigger person was easy, everyone would be a saint.’ 🤯
• ‘Love all creatures. Be fair always. Speak the truth. Be generous with what you have been given. Work without complaint. Protect those who cannot protect themselves.’ ❤️
• ‘sometimes you craved peace and quiet, even more so in times of uncertainty.’ 🙂↕️
• ‘There’s no way to predict what the future holds, yet it holds so much power over us. Don’t give it more than it’s earned.”’ 🥹
Rating ⭐️
3.25
Review ✍🏼
Got this book as an ARC, thanks for that! I thought it was… okay. Personally, I liked the first book way more, mostly because it had much richer worldbuilding. In this one, it felt like that part was rushed. There are little nods to the first book (which follows a different character), but I wish there’d been more of that, maybe even some overlap or connection between the two.
As a standalone, it works fine, but for me, it just didn’t have enough worldbuilding to really pull me in. The story itself was interesting, though: a group goes on a mission to figure out what’s going on with an island, do people stay because they’re genuinely happy, or because they can’t leave? Along the way, all sorts of things happen.
The journey back, however, felt like it dragged a bit, and I started losing motivation to read. Then the ending came along and, just like in the first book, it wrapped up pretty quickly. I think I was expecting more connection with book one, which is probably why I felt a bit underwhelmed.
Overall, the story and characters were fine. A nice in-between read , but I probably wouldn’t recommend it strongly (unlike book one, which I would recommend).
April 19, 2025
okay maybe more of a 4.5/5 but Goodreads doesn't let you so half stars.
The writing was good, and engaging. I enjoyed the characters and how they all came to their own realizations about themselves or others gradually. It was more realistic and believable. it made me want to root for them more because I saw the struggle.
spoilers ahead? maybe?
a couple things that bothered me, mainly because I'm not just in it for the romance, which was great!
The stakes weren't very high, there weren't a lot of true obstacles, or I just didn't understand the world enough to be invested when it did happen.
I will be honest I didn't read the first one yet but I am going to. So that might have something to do with it.
The ending seemed rushed, regardless. it was such an interesting idea, a super important person suddenly decides to not come home and everyone who tries to find her never returns either. So much potential but their whole time there happened fast, no real investigation into what was going on.
not saying the sex wasn't great but it seemed like so much importance was put on that instead of trying to figure out why no one was returning, even in a failure to bring said important person, back.
it was such a cool idea and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a more fleshed story around it.
I still very much enjoyed the book, I was excited when I got the ARC notification. I would absolutely read more by this author
The writing was good, and engaging. I enjoyed the characters and how they all came to their own realizations about themselves or others gradually. It was more realistic and believable. it made me want to root for them more because I saw the struggle.
spoilers ahead? maybe?
a couple things that bothered me, mainly because I'm not just in it for the romance, which was great!
The stakes weren't very high, there weren't a lot of true obstacles, or I just didn't understand the world enough to be invested when it did happen.
I will be honest I didn't read the first one yet but I am going to. So that might have something to do with it.
The ending seemed rushed, regardless. it was such an interesting idea, a super important person suddenly decides to not come home and everyone who tries to find her never returns either. So much potential but their whole time there happened fast, no real investigation into what was going on.
not saying the sex wasn't great but it seemed like so much importance was put on that instead of trying to figure out why no one was returning, even in a failure to bring said important person, back.
it was such a cool idea and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a more fleshed story around it.
I still very much enjoyed the book, I was excited when I got the ARC notification. I would absolutely read more by this author
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2025
Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I was so excited to read The Steadfast One. Originally attracted by a Dungeons and Dragons style adventure with romance - What's not to love!? So I picked up the first book in this standalone (but related) series, The Treasured One, and devoured it.
This adventure follows another human who has entered the fae realm and is living a much different life than The Treasured One. FMC Mar is strong-willed, steely, determined, and a natural leader in her group of adventurers.
Luthri is a delight of an MMC. We meet him in a tavern, naked, after he's been kicked out of someone's room. His quest to sleep with someone from every species is admirable!
Having never met a human before, Mar obviously becomes a target of his affection, and he joins with her band of adventurers on their next quest.
Her travel companions are all great characters for their own reasons. I particularly liked the twins!
This story gave classic D&D vibes, with many hilarious (and typical) moments (looking at you - trek through a swamp only to find out after there was a bridge 🤣).
This one is definitely worth a read if you like D&D or romantasy!
I was so excited to read The Steadfast One. Originally attracted by a Dungeons and Dragons style adventure with romance - What's not to love!? So I picked up the first book in this standalone (but related) series, The Treasured One, and devoured it.
This adventure follows another human who has entered the fae realm and is living a much different life than The Treasured One. FMC Mar is strong-willed, steely, determined, and a natural leader in her group of adventurers.
Luthri is a delight of an MMC. We meet him in a tavern, naked, after he's been kicked out of someone's room. His quest to sleep with someone from every species is admirable!
Having never met a human before, Mar obviously becomes a target of his affection, and he joins with her band of adventurers on their next quest.
Her travel companions are all great characters for their own reasons. I particularly liked the twins!
This story gave classic D&D vibes, with many hilarious (and typical) moments (looking at you - trek through a swamp only to find out after there was a bridge 🤣).
This one is definitely worth a read if you like D&D or romantasy!
April 21, 2025
Thank you so much for the opportunity to receive this book as an ARC.
I absolutely devoured this, it was so interesting to start the story as a young human from Earth escaping the imprisonment from the US Government to a place with magic.
The world building was perfect, nothing to convoluted just the right amount of history and details.
The characters are all so likeable and the banter between all of them was so relaxed, obviously in fantasy/romantasy books our heroes find themselves on a mission and along the way they are met with other side journeys, but I feel like those side quests were all really meaningful.
I cried, I laughed, I squeezed my thighs together, just a great read.
Found family, magic, slow burn, quests, battle. I need to know what happens next.
I absolutely devoured this, it was so interesting to start the story as a young human from Earth escaping the imprisonment from the US Government to a place with magic.
The world building was perfect, nothing to convoluted just the right amount of history and details.
The characters are all so likeable and the banter between all of them was so relaxed, obviously in fantasy/romantasy books our heroes find themselves on a mission and along the way they are met with other side journeys, but I feel like those side quests were all really meaningful.
I cried, I laughed, I squeezed my thighs together, just a great read.
Found family, magic, slow burn, quests, battle. I need to know what happens next.
June 4, 2025
This was a cozy fantasy adventure with a dash of spice. I really enjoyed it.
This was described to me as a novel version of DND and they nailed it. It feels just like that with the adventurers stumbling through one thing and another, constantly having hints or prickles that something is wrong but unable to suss out exactly what without stumbling into it, and lucking into avoiding other things.
The writing is well done and the chapter titles are an especially careful touch that I appreciated. The characters are endearing and the banter is entertaining.
It was such an enjoyable lighthearted read.
This was described to me as a novel version of DND and they nailed it. It feels just like that with the adventurers stumbling through one thing and another, constantly having hints or prickles that something is wrong but unable to suss out exactly what without stumbling into it, and lucking into avoiding other things.
The writing is well done and the chapter titles are an especially careful touch that I appreciated. The characters are endearing and the banter is entertaining.
It was such an enjoyable lighthearted read.
April 9, 2025
*ARC reader review*
3.5 stars rounded up! I really enjoyed this fast paced, DND inspired romantasy, the characters were interesting and compelling and felt very real! I would have loved more depth to the romance plot, especially the ending, but appreciated the well written and not overwhelming spice. I think it is a great read for those looking for a quick and cozy, but still medium stakes adventure and those who don’t mind imagining what the future would hold for the characters beyond the last page rather than having it all spelled out! It was well written and the banter was fun, though I did find the use of more modern language by the main character sometimes a bit jarring in the fantasy setting, though this could definitely be intentional on the author’s part. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this before release and will be going back to check out the first book in the connected series (which can be read as standalones)!
3.5 stars rounded up! I really enjoyed this fast paced, DND inspired romantasy, the characters were interesting and compelling and felt very real! I would have loved more depth to the romance plot, especially the ending, but appreciated the well written and not overwhelming spice. I think it is a great read for those looking for a quick and cozy, but still medium stakes adventure and those who don’t mind imagining what the future would hold for the characters beyond the last page rather than having it all spelled out! It was well written and the banter was fun, though I did find the use of more modern language by the main character sometimes a bit jarring in the fantasy setting, though this could definitely be intentional on the author’s part. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this before release and will be going back to check out the first book in the connected series (which can be read as standalones)!
Read
June 11, 2025My soul hates to say it.... i did DNF @ 30%
July 12, 2025
I received the ARC.
1 star because this book needed a sensitivity reader.
TLDR:
I am inclined to believe this book didn’t have a sensitivity reader based on the following points:
1. The treatment of Ked
2. How Luthri, as the only character described as having brown skin and stitch braids, introduces himself to Marcia. His desires are given an explanation later, but the explanation is flimsy.
3. Luthri’s backstory and his mother’s occupational passion
4. The description of the farms in Munarzed evokes an image of Chinese rice farms. This, in addition to what we learn about Munarzed, feels a little off to me.
5. Waterfolk lore
I am not a sensitivity reader, but I wanted to list what stuck out to me for others to come to their own conclusions.
I wanted to stop reading at Chapter 3 due to the first point. The other points and the behavior of the potential love interests overshadowed the rest of the reading experience.
General review:
- Decently written.
- Reads like YA, including the “You snuck up behind me!” slap and all.
- Characters are largely archetypal.
- Our potential love interests (and supposed “heroes”) do not respect women saying “no.”
- The narrative doesn’t allow Marcia to show anger or desire.
OVERALL REVIEW
The book hits the story beats of a typical D&D campaign, with all of D&D’s fun and flaws. D&D is a lot of walking, a lot of travel, a lot of downtime, and a lot of side quests. The in-between stories are fun to play out at a D&D table, but the pacing might not be for everyone when translated into book form. For me, the pacing felt a little slow. The first chapter could have started where Chapter 4 begins. I think the preface wasn’t strictly necessary, either. What we learned from the preface is already explained throughout the book. There were also a lot of planning and travel scenes that I felt could have been trimmed.
There is a lot of unfortunate underlying racism in the sourcebooks for D&D as well, which I also feel was represented in this book, e.g. Waterfolk lore.
The end of their quest is predictable, which isn’t a bad thing. This usually means the foreshadowing was effective. However, how Marcia dealt with the quest villain felt out of character.
Overall, the felt like an excuse to justify the magic side quest, which could have also been trimmed in my opinion.
Warning for major spoilers in the next paragraph.
No Spoilers: The ending was predictable, rushed, out of character, and included a character death that did not feel necessary to the story.
SPICE
The spice is open-door, but it didn’t need to be. It could have been shut or cracked. I would have personally preferred a time skip. The scenes were wordy and transactional.
Two side notes:
1.
2. Luthri, our primary MMC, has talons. I’m not sure how he’s doing anything down there without tearing something. Rounded talons are still talons.
ISSUES
1. The book needed a sensitivity reader.
This book needed a sensitivity reader for many reasons, but my first is the character Ked. Ked is treated poorly by the other characters and the text itself. I was excited to see a character with a developmental disability get time in the spotlight. I wanted to see him be an adventurer. A hero. Or at the very least, a respected member of the group. Unfortunately, I think a lot of what we get with Ked is fraught with ableist tropes. And members of the group either say some unheroic things, or fail to call each other out on that behavior when they really really should. To make matters worse, he doesn’t even join in on the main adventure. Ked stays behind.
Luthri’s backstory also doesn’t sit quite right with me. I won’t spoil it. All I will say is that it touches on disability and a very sensitive, very complex subject. Luthri’s mother’s occupational passion treads a little close to eugenics, but so does the real world, modern day equivalent of what she’s trying to do. It is a complex topic, and one I am not qualified to discuss. As I’ve stated, I think this book could have benefited from a sensitivity reader.
2. The men act like predators.
I am no stranger to “dark romance” or “bully” tropes, but this book was not marketed that way. My review is based on the genres and tropes that were originally listed. Some of the relevant tropes listed for this book were: responsible black cat x flamboyant golden retriever, he falls first, and all the banter.
Men can be flirtatious and flamboyant without bulldozing boundaries. Banter can be playful without being dehumanizing. The advances of men don’t have to feel creepy. They can be forward without being predatory.
But there are two types of men in this book: men who don’t see women as people, and Ked. Vyrain doesn’t respect Mar’s boundaries or the word “no.” Luthri, the only one described as having brown skin, is trying to “copulate with one of every race,” which outside of the many many other implications with that (of which could be listed under issue #1), also implies he only sees her as a conquest. Both of them do.
A large part of my frustration, especially with Vyrain and Luthri, is that these men are supposed to be heroes. They are part of the main adventuring group. I think it’s odd to position a group as heroes with men like this in the crowd, and with bystanders that say nothing (or worse, tell Marcia that she should have had sexual relations with them a long time ago. And this is from another woman, no less!). Men should respect that “no” MEANS “no.” And if they don’t respect a woman’s “no,” they shouldn’t be considered a hero. Even disrespecting a “no” on the smallest scale only communicates that they can push further and harder, and bulldoze a person’s boundaries. Realistically, I understand that there will always be people like this in the world: in the workplace, in friend groups, et cetera. But that doesn’t mean you need to keep them around. That doesn’t mean their behavior should be accepted, ESPECIALLY not by our main character.
For this genre and how this book was marketed, it is a dangerous notion to posit that these men are heroes without it being a point of critique. Their behavior should be questioned and frowned upon, not accepted and tolerated. This is not behavior women should have to tolerate, let alone be TAUGHT to tolerate, by narratives like this.
3) Marcia isn’t allowed to show anger or desire.
Marcia is a character that has things happen to her without her ever taking part in her own story. She is not allowed to be angry at men or confront them for their mistreatment of her. She doesn’t outwardly express desire until sex has been or is about to be initiated. She feels like a non-entity, despite her being the main character.
Anger
Luthri is a powerful man who has shown he won’t take “no” for an answer. He declared his less than savory sexual intentions with Mar, AND stalked her to her camp. I wouldn’t feel safe with that man in any context, let alone needing to sleep in the same vicinity as him. The book mentions that she sleeps with her clothes on in case she needs to wake up to fend off unwanted advances. Why does she put herself through this? Why even let him into the group at all?
“Lu’s been honest about his motives. You can’t fault the guy for that.” You can and you should.
It’s repeatedly stated that Marcia has to “walk the line” and keep the peace between these men who repeatedly harass her. She is never allowed to be angry. Why? Why does she have to keep the peace?
I struggle to understand why Vyrain wasn’t kicked out of the group before the start of the book. The book mentions people coming and going over the years, and that the twins were a recent addition. Finding a replacement for Vyrain (and his brother if they both left) wouldn’t be difficult. Why not kick out the man who repeatedly makes unwanted advances?
Another quote from Marcia: “The best way to deal with an obstinate man in this case was to ignore him.”
Ignoring Vyrain didn’t work, and by this point in the book, it was already proven that ignoring Luthri didn’t work. Why would this be any different? Why not force him out of your camp? We’re working with D&D logic and magic powers. Why stay silent and deal with the terrible behavior of people you could so easily maneuver out of your life?
“... if I continued entertaining this, I’d lose it.” By this point, I was begging Marcia to lose it.
Vyrain and Luthri’s actions are barely addressed by the group or by Marcia. Marcia rarely stands up for herself against these two. But when she does, she’s usually standing up to Luthri, and Vyrain always jumps in before she can. In fact, most of the time, she’s feeling guilty for upsetting these men in some way, and usually after they’ve already wronged her.
An example of this is her reaction to Vyrain’s eventual apology. He apologizes for all of his behavior and declares that he will stop pursuing her (his behavior after this point does not suggest he truly honors this commitment). He acts as if there was something between them, and Marcia’s reaction in the face of his delusion is: “Regardless of where I considered us, his perspective deserved respect.”
The perspective of a man who harasses you does not deserve respect.
I think it’s also worth noting Vyrain’s change of heart only came once he believed she was interested in Luthri. He couldn’t respect her countless rejections, but he could respect another man as a competitor.
Desire
I read a lot of Regency romance, with “Fake Rake” and “Reformed Rake” tropes abound. Luthri could fit these tropes, but instead falls flat. What makes him incorrigible and creepy instead of swoony is that we don’t get any sense of Marcia’s attraction to him, however reluctant. There is no undeniable draw. In Regency romance, we ask why the main couple keeps finding themselves in compromising situations. Why do they fall for each other against all odds?
With the “Reformed Rake” trope, it is the emotional build-up and the overwhelming, uncompromising connection that allows for wiggle room in any unsavory behavior on the behalf of the MMC. It is the mutual attraction (or, in other words, when they match each other’s freak) that can absolve both characters of their faults, and it is the MMC’s growth over time that allows the reader to forgive him.
We only really see Luthri chasing Marcia. Marcia makes comments on Luthri’s physical attractiveness, but that’s not enough. Physical appearance alone doesn’t dictate draw! You can think someone’s a jerk and not want to engage with them while also considering their appearance attractive.
Marcia eventually banters back with Luthri, but the progression doesn’t feel natural, either. Luthri respects some of Mar’s wishes once he’s part of the group, but it only really gets better once Mar starts liking him out of nowhere. There’s no inkling of desire from Marcia until the lead-up to their sex scenes. They went from enemies to lovers without the necessary character development in between.
There’s no evolution to Mar’s attraction or her romantic feelings. They just appear, similar to Luthri’s change in behavior.
There’s no reason for me to believe Luthri has fundamentally changed when he starts acting sweet and starts respecting her boundaries. Because this change, like many others, is out of nowhere.
He stalked her, disrespected her, and made unwanted advances towards her. There simply isn’t enough in the text to overcome his behavior.
MINOR GRIPES
Spoiler for the ending:
Magic can work for birth control, yet Marcia still has to deal with a period? That just seems unfair.
CLOSING REMARKS
Reading this book was a journey. Whether or not you'd like to embark on that journey is up to you.
1 star because this book needed a sensitivity reader.
TLDR:
I am inclined to believe this book didn’t have a sensitivity reader based on the following points:
1. The treatment of Ked
2. How Luthri, as the only character described as having brown skin and stitch braids, introduces himself to Marcia. His desires are given an explanation later, but the explanation is flimsy.
3. Luthri’s backstory and his mother’s occupational passion
4. The description of the farms in Munarzed evokes an image of Chinese rice farms. This, in addition to what we learn about Munarzed, feels a little off to me.
5. Waterfolk lore
I am not a sensitivity reader, but I wanted to list what stuck out to me for others to come to their own conclusions.
I wanted to stop reading at Chapter 3 due to the first point. The other points and the behavior of the potential love interests overshadowed the rest of the reading experience.
General review:
- Decently written.
- Reads like YA, including the “You snuck up behind me!” slap and all.
- Characters are largely archetypal.
- Our potential love interests (and supposed “heroes”) do not respect women saying “no.”
- The narrative doesn’t allow Marcia to show anger or desire.
OVERALL REVIEW
The book hits the story beats of a typical D&D campaign, with all of D&D’s fun and flaws. D&D is a lot of walking, a lot of travel, a lot of downtime, and a lot of side quests. The in-between stories are fun to play out at a D&D table, but the pacing might not be for everyone when translated into book form. For me, the pacing felt a little slow. The first chapter could have started where Chapter 4 begins. I think the preface wasn’t strictly necessary, either. What we learned from the preface is already explained throughout the book. There were also a lot of planning and travel scenes that I felt could have been trimmed.
There is a lot of unfortunate underlying racism in the sourcebooks for D&D as well, which I also feel was represented in this book, e.g. Waterfolk lore.
The end of their quest is predictable, which isn’t a bad thing. This usually means the foreshadowing was effective. However, how Marcia dealt with the quest villain felt out of character.
Overall, the felt like an excuse to justify the magic side quest, which could have also been trimmed in my opinion.
Warning for major spoilers in the next paragraph.
No Spoilers: The ending was predictable, rushed, out of character, and included a character death that did not feel necessary to the story.
SPICE
The spice is open-door, but it didn’t need to be. It could have been shut or cracked. I would have personally preferred a time skip. The scenes were wordy and transactional.
Two side notes:
1.
2. Luthri, our primary MMC, has talons. I’m not sure how he’s doing anything down there without tearing something. Rounded talons are still talons.
ISSUES
1. The book needed a sensitivity reader.
This book needed a sensitivity reader for many reasons, but my first is the character Ked. Ked is treated poorly by the other characters and the text itself. I was excited to see a character with a developmental disability get time in the spotlight. I wanted to see him be an adventurer. A hero. Or at the very least, a respected member of the group. Unfortunately, I think a lot of what we get with Ked is fraught with ableist tropes. And members of the group either say some unheroic things, or fail to call each other out on that behavior when they really really should. To make matters worse, he doesn’t even join in on the main adventure. Ked stays behind.
Luthri’s backstory also doesn’t sit quite right with me. I won’t spoil it. All I will say is that it touches on disability and a very sensitive, very complex subject. Luthri’s mother’s occupational passion treads a little close to eugenics, but so does the real world, modern day equivalent of what she’s trying to do. It is a complex topic, and one I am not qualified to discuss. As I’ve stated, I think this book could have benefited from a sensitivity reader.
2. The men act like predators.
I am no stranger to “dark romance” or “bully” tropes, but this book was not marketed that way. My review is based on the genres and tropes that were originally listed. Some of the relevant tropes listed for this book were: responsible black cat x flamboyant golden retriever, he falls first, and all the banter.
Men can be flirtatious and flamboyant without bulldozing boundaries. Banter can be playful without being dehumanizing. The advances of men don’t have to feel creepy. They can be forward without being predatory.
But there are two types of men in this book: men who don’t see women as people, and Ked. Vyrain doesn’t respect Mar’s boundaries or the word “no.” Luthri, the only one described as having brown skin, is trying to “copulate with one of every race,” which outside of the many many other implications with that (of which could be listed under issue #1), also implies he only sees her as a conquest. Both of them do.
A large part of my frustration, especially with Vyrain and Luthri, is that these men are supposed to be heroes. They are part of the main adventuring group. I think it’s odd to position a group as heroes with men like this in the crowd, and with bystanders that say nothing (or worse, tell Marcia that she should have had sexual relations with them a long time ago. And this is from another woman, no less!). Men should respect that “no” MEANS “no.” And if they don’t respect a woman’s “no,” they shouldn’t be considered a hero. Even disrespecting a “no” on the smallest scale only communicates that they can push further and harder, and bulldoze a person’s boundaries. Realistically, I understand that there will always be people like this in the world: in the workplace, in friend groups, et cetera. But that doesn’t mean you need to keep them around. That doesn’t mean their behavior should be accepted, ESPECIALLY not by our main character.
For this genre and how this book was marketed, it is a dangerous notion to posit that these men are heroes without it being a point of critique. Their behavior should be questioned and frowned upon, not accepted and tolerated. This is not behavior women should have to tolerate, let alone be TAUGHT to tolerate, by narratives like this.
3) Marcia isn’t allowed to show anger or desire.
Marcia is a character that has things happen to her without her ever taking part in her own story. She is not allowed to be angry at men or confront them for their mistreatment of her. She doesn’t outwardly express desire until sex has been or is about to be initiated. She feels like a non-entity, despite her being the main character.
Anger
Luthri is a powerful man who has shown he won’t take “no” for an answer. He declared his less than savory sexual intentions with Mar, AND stalked her to her camp. I wouldn’t feel safe with that man in any context, let alone needing to sleep in the same vicinity as him. The book mentions that she sleeps with her clothes on in case she needs to wake up to fend off unwanted advances. Why does she put herself through this? Why even let him into the group at all?
“Lu’s been honest about his motives. You can’t fault the guy for that.” You can and you should.
It’s repeatedly stated that Marcia has to “walk the line” and keep the peace between these men who repeatedly harass her. She is never allowed to be angry. Why? Why does she have to keep the peace?
I struggle to understand why Vyrain wasn’t kicked out of the group before the start of the book. The book mentions people coming and going over the years, and that the twins were a recent addition. Finding a replacement for Vyrain (and his brother if they both left) wouldn’t be difficult. Why not kick out the man who repeatedly makes unwanted advances?
Another quote from Marcia: “The best way to deal with an obstinate man in this case was to ignore him.”
Ignoring Vyrain didn’t work, and by this point in the book, it was already proven that ignoring Luthri didn’t work. Why would this be any different? Why not force him out of your camp? We’re working with D&D logic and magic powers. Why stay silent and deal with the terrible behavior of people you could so easily maneuver out of your life?
“... if I continued entertaining this, I’d lose it.” By this point, I was begging Marcia to lose it.
Vyrain and Luthri’s actions are barely addressed by the group or by Marcia. Marcia rarely stands up for herself against these two. But when she does, she’s usually standing up to Luthri, and Vyrain always jumps in before she can. In fact, most of the time, she’s feeling guilty for upsetting these men in some way, and usually after they’ve already wronged her.
An example of this is her reaction to Vyrain’s eventual apology. He apologizes for all of his behavior and declares that he will stop pursuing her (his behavior after this point does not suggest he truly honors this commitment). He acts as if there was something between them, and Marcia’s reaction in the face of his delusion is: “Regardless of where I considered us, his perspective deserved respect.”
The perspective of a man who harasses you does not deserve respect.
I think it’s also worth noting Vyrain’s change of heart only came once he believed she was interested in Luthri. He couldn’t respect her countless rejections, but he could respect another man as a competitor.
Desire
I read a lot of Regency romance, with “Fake Rake” and “Reformed Rake” tropes abound. Luthri could fit these tropes, but instead falls flat. What makes him incorrigible and creepy instead of swoony is that we don’t get any sense of Marcia’s attraction to him, however reluctant. There is no undeniable draw. In Regency romance, we ask why the main couple keeps finding themselves in compromising situations. Why do they fall for each other against all odds?
With the “Reformed Rake” trope, it is the emotional build-up and the overwhelming, uncompromising connection that allows for wiggle room in any unsavory behavior on the behalf of the MMC. It is the mutual attraction (or, in other words, when they match each other’s freak) that can absolve both characters of their faults, and it is the MMC’s growth over time that allows the reader to forgive him.
We only really see Luthri chasing Marcia. Marcia makes comments on Luthri’s physical attractiveness, but that’s not enough. Physical appearance alone doesn’t dictate draw! You can think someone’s a jerk and not want to engage with them while also considering their appearance attractive.
Marcia eventually banters back with Luthri, but the progression doesn’t feel natural, either. Luthri respects some of Mar’s wishes once he’s part of the group, but it only really gets better once Mar starts liking him out of nowhere. There’s no inkling of desire from Marcia until the lead-up to their sex scenes. They went from enemies to lovers without the necessary character development in between.
There’s no evolution to Mar’s attraction or her romantic feelings. They just appear, similar to Luthri’s change in behavior.
There’s no reason for me to believe Luthri has fundamentally changed when he starts acting sweet and starts respecting her boundaries. Because this change, like many others, is out of nowhere.
He stalked her, disrespected her, and made unwanted advances towards her. There simply isn’t enough in the text to overcome his behavior.
MINOR GRIPES
Spoiler for the ending:
Magic can work for birth control, yet Marcia still has to deal with a period? That just seems unfair.
CLOSING REMARKS
Reading this book was a journey. Whether or not you'd like to embark on that journey is up to you.
April 14, 2025
OKAYYY I really loved this one! I received an ARC, and went and read Book 1 first just so I could be familiar with the world.
It's really interesting to think about what would happen if there was not only a rift in the world, but also if multiple different characters got to crossover into that new world with their different personalities. I clicked pretty quickly with Mar because I can sense a kindred sassy spirit when I read one on the page! I appreciate that so much of the world building happened in the first book, so that you could deepen and shift your understanding without getting bogged down. The found family aspect is done really well and those characters are so meaningful.
I definitely laughed, and cried (just a little), and then was SHOOKETH a couple of times thanks to Lu. What a dream!!! This is one you want to pick up when it releases.
It's really interesting to think about what would happen if there was not only a rift in the world, but also if multiple different characters got to crossover into that new world with their different personalities. I clicked pretty quickly with Mar because I can sense a kindred sassy spirit when I read one on the page! I appreciate that so much of the world building happened in the first book, so that you could deepen and shift your understanding without getting bogged down. The found family aspect is done really well and those characters are so meaningful.
I definitely laughed, and cried (just a little), and then was SHOOKETH a couple of times thanks to Lu. What a dream!!! This is one you want to pick up when it releases.
July 17, 2025
This was an enjoyable read, so don't let the 3 🌟 deter you!
The Steadfast One follows Marcia (Mar) and her group of misfits in their journey to save the long lost princess. Sounds simple right? It should be but all is not what it seems, with danger lurking around every corner, magical burnout and creatures who prefer to dine on flesh. Mar and her friends will have to be on high alert!
Throughout the book we get to know Mar and see her character develop alongside her friends. Opening up and taking everything in her stride she grows in confidence and truly comes into herself. With Dungeons and Dragons vibes this Romantasy is a light hearted read.
For me the book lost points as I personally prefer more action, romance and suspense. This book had snippets of this, but not enough for my personal taste.
Overall, did I enjoy this? Yes! I did enjoy and I am glad that I tried something new. So you definitely should too!
The Steadfast One follows Marcia (Mar) and her group of misfits in their journey to save the long lost princess. Sounds simple right? It should be but all is not what it seems, with danger lurking around every corner, magical burnout and creatures who prefer to dine on flesh. Mar and her friends will have to be on high alert!
Throughout the book we get to know Mar and see her character develop alongside her friends. Opening up and taking everything in her stride she grows in confidence and truly comes into herself. With Dungeons and Dragons vibes this Romantasy is a light hearted read.
For me the book lost points as I personally prefer more action, romance and suspense. This book had snippets of this, but not enough for my personal taste.
Overall, did I enjoy this? Yes! I did enjoy and I am glad that I tried something new. So you definitely should too!
June 11, 2025
ARC reader review
A pleasure to read, cozy fantasy with medium stakes and plenty of laughs.
When I first started I wasn't sure what to expect, I was a bit worried when I found out it was the second of the series as I have yet to read the first one (which is definitely on my tbr now!) but I was pleasantly surprised and got stuck into this world so quickly. Although there are very brief mentions of the other books plot, this edition is completely satisfying as a standalone and you don't feel like you're missing any info.
It was so refreshing to have a stong FMC in a leadership position who didn't make reckless and emotional decisions that put her companions in danger, and who took the group's opinions into account before making plans!
It's the perfect mix with found family, a quest surrounded by mystery, and the most satisfying slow burn romance I have read in ages! If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, but fancied a little more action, this should definitely be the next addition to your TBR when it releases June 17th!
A pleasure to read, cozy fantasy with medium stakes and plenty of laughs.
When I first started I wasn't sure what to expect, I was a bit worried when I found out it was the second of the series as I have yet to read the first one (which is definitely on my tbr now!) but I was pleasantly surprised and got stuck into this world so quickly. Although there are very brief mentions of the other books plot, this edition is completely satisfying as a standalone and you don't feel like you're missing any info.
It was so refreshing to have a stong FMC in a leadership position who didn't make reckless and emotional decisions that put her companions in danger, and who took the group's opinions into account before making plans!
It's the perfect mix with found family, a quest surrounded by mystery, and the most satisfying slow burn romance I have read in ages! If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, but fancied a little more action, this should definitely be the next addition to your TBR when it releases June 17th!
June 12, 2025
Instant five stars!! Honestly, this book is the BEST time. I squealed, gasped, kicked my feet, and laughed out loud. It is a cozy read and gives you all the feels.
The world is easy to understand and gave me open world rpg game vibes, especially Dragon Age. If you're a gamer girl, you'll absolutely adore this book.
The characters are loveable, and Lu is now one of my top 5 green flag MMCs. The banter and wit in this book is TOP TIER, and I wish I could live in this world. Cannot recommend highly enough!
The world is easy to understand and gave me open world rpg game vibes, especially Dragon Age. If you're a gamer girl, you'll absolutely adore this book.
The characters are loveable, and Lu is now one of my top 5 green flag MMCs. The banter and wit in this book is TOP TIER, and I wish I could live in this world. Cannot recommend highly enough!
August 12, 2025
📖 The Steadfast One
🧚🏻♀️ Hannah Levin
📚 The Golden Children #2
🪷 The Steadfast One 🪷 is the second installment in a series of standalone books with an incredible premise : A fantasy world with a portal separating the modern day human world from the fae realm. There are some humans who have magical abilities who are called the Golden Children, and they get rounded up to be studied and used by the government.
This book follows the Golden Child "Mar" our FMC .
You'll really enjoy the book of you like the following Tropes :
🪷 Fantasy Romance
✨ Epic Quest with D&D vibes
🪷 Found Family
✨ Fierce Human FMC
🪷 Sassy Fae MMC who is 90% s3xual innuendos 😏
✨ Banter
🪷 He Falls First
✨ Happily Ever After
🪷 Single POV
✨ Low Stakes
This book was a fun read with low stakes and easy to follow plot line .
I really loved the side characters: the ragtag group of people who had become FMC's found family.
The world the author has described is very interesting with a lot of different species of fae and other beings .
All in all, a fun , stress free , low stakes read with a sweet ending 🥰
Thank you so so much Hannah Levin for this eARC 🪷💛
🧚🏻♀️ Hannah Levin
📚 The Golden Children #2
🪷 The Steadfast One 🪷 is the second installment in a series of standalone books with an incredible premise : A fantasy world with a portal separating the modern day human world from the fae realm. There are some humans who have magical abilities who are called the Golden Children, and they get rounded up to be studied and used by the government.
This book follows the Golden Child "Mar" our FMC .
You'll really enjoy the book of you like the following Tropes :
🪷 Fantasy Romance
✨ Epic Quest with D&D vibes
🪷 Found Family
✨ Fierce Human FMC
🪷 Sassy Fae MMC who is 90% s3xual innuendos 😏
✨ Banter
🪷 He Falls First
✨ Happily Ever After
🪷 Single POV
✨ Low Stakes
This book was a fun read with low stakes and easy to follow plot line .
I really loved the side characters: the ragtag group of people who had become FMC's found family.
The world the author has described is very interesting with a lot of different species of fae and other beings .
All in all, a fun , stress free , low stakes read with a sweet ending 🥰
Thank you so so much Hannah Levin for this eARC 🪷💛
June 14, 2025
3 / 5 Stars
This book wasn't exactly right for me but I think you'll like it if you like: quests with found family, a fae who is 90% sexual innuendos, and a FMC who definitely had first daughter "I CAN DO IT MYSELF" energy.
The premise was really cool: In this fantasy world, there is a portal that separates the modern day world from the fae realm. There are some humans who have magical abilities, like Mar (our FMC), and like the X-Men, these humans get rounded up to be studied by the government. Mar escapes, travels to Niagara falls, where the portal is, and jumps through it. The book picks up 10 years later, where Mar is the leader of a ragtag team of magical folks who do work for hire. We have a half giant, two elves, goblins, a pixie obsessed with money, a waterfolk who needs to start a harem, and Mar, who is a shapeshifter. They find out about a big job with a big reward where they have to rescue an heiress who went to an island and sent a letter home that said "I'm good, don't look for me," which is, you know, highly suspicious. Along the way, they meet Luthri, a winged fuckboy who is literally trying to sleep with every race, and now has his eyes set on Mar. And the quest beings.
I was really bought into the side characters. Each of them felt fully formed and had their own fun personalities, which I enjoyed. I love a found family and this one was great. To me, Mar and Luthri lacked in comparison. They both felt kind of one dimensional at times. Mar was very stuck in her ways of not wanting any help, which is a popular trope, but I wish she had started to grow a little earlier in the book. To me, Luthri vacillated between being a walking sex joke (he was at this end of the range most of the time) to being deeply vulnerable and we didn't spend much time between. I would have enjoyed some shades of grey (boooooo to my sex joke) so that he felt like more of a nuanced character. His reason for being a fuckboy was actually pretty well explained which I appreciated, but again, I wanted more from the leads.
Also, at times, the dialogue felt too on the nose with the main characters saying everything that they were thinking as opposed to the author showing us through emotions or looks or actions. Maybe Mar and Luthri would have felt a bit richer with more show, not tell?
The quest itself was interesting, but sometimes, felt slow. There are folks who will love a side quest and they will love the side quests in this book, but I learned that I love sticking to the main mission. I don't know a ton about D&D (I once watched Drag Queens play D&D on YouTube if that counts) and maybe some D&D knowledge that would have added to the experience, but even still, I didn't necessarily feel lost. A love for D&D is nice but not a must have for this book in my opinion.
Thank you Hannah Levin for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
This book wasn't exactly right for me but I think you'll like it if you like: quests with found family, a fae who is 90% sexual innuendos, and a FMC who definitely had first daughter "I CAN DO IT MYSELF" energy.
The premise was really cool: In this fantasy world, there is a portal that separates the modern day world from the fae realm. There are some humans who have magical abilities, like Mar (our FMC), and like the X-Men, these humans get rounded up to be studied by the government. Mar escapes, travels to Niagara falls, where the portal is, and jumps through it. The book picks up 10 years later, where Mar is the leader of a ragtag team of magical folks who do work for hire. We have a half giant, two elves, goblins, a pixie obsessed with money, a waterfolk who needs to start a harem, and Mar, who is a shapeshifter. They find out about a big job with a big reward where they have to rescue an heiress who went to an island and sent a letter home that said "I'm good, don't look for me," which is, you know, highly suspicious. Along the way, they meet Luthri, a winged fuckboy who is literally trying to sleep with every race, and now has his eyes set on Mar. And the quest beings.
I was really bought into the side characters. Each of them felt fully formed and had their own fun personalities, which I enjoyed. I love a found family and this one was great. To me, Mar and Luthri lacked in comparison. They both felt kind of one dimensional at times. Mar was very stuck in her ways of not wanting any help, which is a popular trope, but I wish she had started to grow a little earlier in the book. To me, Luthri vacillated between being a walking sex joke (he was at this end of the range most of the time) to being deeply vulnerable and we didn't spend much time between. I would have enjoyed some shades of grey (boooooo to my sex joke) so that he felt like more of a nuanced character. His reason for being a fuckboy was actually pretty well explained which I appreciated, but again, I wanted more from the leads.
Also, at times, the dialogue felt too on the nose with the main characters saying everything that they were thinking as opposed to the author showing us through emotions or looks or actions. Maybe Mar and Luthri would have felt a bit richer with more show, not tell?
The quest itself was interesting, but sometimes, felt slow. There are folks who will love a side quest and they will love the side quests in this book, but I learned that I love sticking to the main mission. I don't know a ton about D&D (I once watched Drag Queens play D&D on YouTube if that counts) and maybe some D&D knowledge that would have added to the experience, but even still, I didn't necessarily feel lost. A love for D&D is nice but not a must have for this book in my opinion.
Thank you Hannah Levin for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
June 18, 2025
I was so excited to receive an ARC for The Steadfast One by Hannah Levin, not only because she’s an author local to me, but also because I enjoyed reading the first book in The Golden Children series- The Treasured One- so much! This series is such a fun intersection of modern day and fantasy, and these books will have you smiling, laughing, cringing, enthralled, and in the case of this book, likely crying. 😅
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
What you can expect…
🎲DND Vibes
🎲Cozy Fantasy
🎲Found Family
🎲Adventuring & Questing
🎲Black Cat FMC
🎲Golden Retriever MMC
🎲Witty Banter
🎲Slow Burn
🎲Plot Driven Fantasy w/ Romance & a dash of Spice
I really enjoyed reading this book, and totally understand the description of DND vibes. While much of the story has a comfortable degree of predictability, it is unique and definitely not like anything I’ve read before. And though this was distinctly a cozy read for me, it has moments that are very energizing and make the book particularly engaging. Overall, it is such a fun and comfortably balanced read, from pacing and intensity to characters and relationships.
The wild cast of characters is so much fun and has an excellent balance of personalities and representation. Marcia is lovably damaged, smart, and too strong for her own good. She’s the kind of FMC you absolutely want to see triumph and find happiness. And Luthri is a wonderfully rakish MMC that balances fiery passion to Mar’s icy disposition. [They are honestly such an adorable pair, once the initial bravado and posturing cools a bit.] The banter is SO witty and funny throughout, but especially with these two. The side characters are lovable and the perfect found family, working their way into her heart, and the readers’. Yrra is my absolute favorite- he’s so shy and strong (though silently so), and I want to hug him and protect him at all costs.
Everything about this book just made me happy, and I had such a good time reading. I am really excited to see what comes next in this series! If you’re looking for a book (or series of interconnected stand-alones) that you can kick back and just have a cozy and fun time reading, I’d definitely recommend this series!
Thank you so much to Hannah Levin for the ARC, and congratulations on another excellent release!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
What you can expect…
🎲DND Vibes
🎲Cozy Fantasy
🎲Found Family
🎲Adventuring & Questing
🎲Black Cat FMC
🎲Golden Retriever MMC
🎲Witty Banter
🎲Slow Burn
🎲Plot Driven Fantasy w/ Romance & a dash of Spice
I really enjoyed reading this book, and totally understand the description of DND vibes. While much of the story has a comfortable degree of predictability, it is unique and definitely not like anything I’ve read before. And though this was distinctly a cozy read for me, it has moments that are very energizing and make the book particularly engaging. Overall, it is such a fun and comfortably balanced read, from pacing and intensity to characters and relationships.
The wild cast of characters is so much fun and has an excellent balance of personalities and representation. Marcia is lovably damaged, smart, and too strong for her own good. She’s the kind of FMC you absolutely want to see triumph and find happiness. And Luthri is a wonderfully rakish MMC that balances fiery passion to Mar’s icy disposition. [They are honestly such an adorable pair, once the initial bravado and posturing cools a bit.] The banter is SO witty and funny throughout, but especially with these two. The side characters are lovable and the perfect found family, working their way into her heart, and the readers’. Yrra is my absolute favorite- he’s so shy and strong (though silently so), and I want to hug him and protect him at all costs.
Everything about this book just made me happy, and I had such a good time reading. I am really excited to see what comes next in this series! If you’re looking for a book (or series of interconnected stand-alones) that you can kick back and just have a cozy and fun time reading, I’d definitely recommend this series!
Thank you so much to Hannah Levin for the ARC, and congratulations on another excellent release!!
June 19, 2025
I really hesitated before requesting this ARC, because it’s different to what I usually read. (Usually I only request ARCs I’m certain I will like, because I don’t enjoy writing negative reviews.)
I often gravitate towards higher stakes and perhaps darker themes. Also I hadn’t read the first book in the series and never played D&D! However the blurb really pulled me in and I’m so so glad I took the chance. I had the best time reading this book, it completely pulled me in and it was pure fun and escapism throughout. I’ve never giggled so much reading fantasy/ romantasy before!
In case you’re concerned, it was absolutely not an issue that I was unfamiliar with both D&D and the first novel in the series. Although this book did make me want to try both!
Now for the plot: A band of loveable misfits goes on a quest to retrieve a lost heiress. They are joined by Luthrie, one of the most entertaining MMCs ever (I mean, honestly: he makes his first appearance, naked in the middle of an inn, after being kicked out by an angry bed partner… and it only gets better from there!) To be fair, I did want to clip him round the ears a few times, but he was just irresistible. Will Marcia, our steadfast FMC, find out whether there is more to him than a roguish Lothario? I’ll let you guess…
All the side characters are incredibly well-developed, with very diverse personalities. Yrra was probably my favourite and I’m rather hoping he gets his own book at some point (or a novella maybe?) What I liked most is that each of them has flaws as well as qualities, and they feel realistic and fully fleshed out.
There’s romance, self-discovery, banter, a dangerous quest, flesh-eating beetles, a goddess’s shrine complete with grumpy holy man, a giantess ship captain, a mysterious island… What more could we want?
!!The spice is spicy!! And happens fairly late in the book after a good amount of buildup and sensual tension - feels believable and not insta-love, so that’s a big plus for me. He falls first and pretty hard, she has to decide whether he’s trustworthy…
Anyway, this was a perfect palate cleanser for me, can’t thank Hannah Levin enough for letting me read it early, and will definitely read the rest of the series!
I often gravitate towards higher stakes and perhaps darker themes. Also I hadn’t read the first book in the series and never played D&D! However the blurb really pulled me in and I’m so so glad I took the chance. I had the best time reading this book, it completely pulled me in and it was pure fun and escapism throughout. I’ve never giggled so much reading fantasy/ romantasy before!
In case you’re concerned, it was absolutely not an issue that I was unfamiliar with both D&D and the first novel in the series. Although this book did make me want to try both!
Now for the plot: A band of loveable misfits goes on a quest to retrieve a lost heiress. They are joined by Luthrie, one of the most entertaining MMCs ever (I mean, honestly: he makes his first appearance, naked in the middle of an inn, after being kicked out by an angry bed partner… and it only gets better from there!) To be fair, I did want to clip him round the ears a few times, but he was just irresistible. Will Marcia, our steadfast FMC, find out whether there is more to him than a roguish Lothario? I’ll let you guess…
All the side characters are incredibly well-developed, with very diverse personalities. Yrra was probably my favourite and I’m rather hoping he gets his own book at some point (or a novella maybe?) What I liked most is that each of them has flaws as well as qualities, and they feel realistic and fully fleshed out.
There’s romance, self-discovery, banter, a dangerous quest, flesh-eating beetles, a goddess’s shrine complete with grumpy holy man, a giantess ship captain, a mysterious island… What more could we want?
!!The spice is spicy!! And happens fairly late in the book after a good amount of buildup and sensual tension - feels believable and not insta-love, so that’s a big plus for me. He falls first and pretty hard, she has to decide whether he’s trustworthy…
Anyway, this was a perfect palate cleanser for me, can’t thank Hannah Levin enough for letting me read it early, and will definitely read the rest of the series!
June 5, 2025
Dearest Unhinged Reader,
I love tabletop RPGs like Pathfinder & DnD. So when I saw an opportunity to ARC read for author Levin's second book in her interconnected standalones, The Steadfast One, I jumped on it.
This book is:
* Black cat with oldest daughter syndrome x flamboyant golden retriever
* Found family
* Cozy
Below contains light spoilers and one major spoiler (I’ll warn you again before that part).
I enjoyed this story. It read like many campaigns I’ve played in: a group of people brought together by chance, trying to survive. It felt like a hug, familiar and comforting as shenanigans and mishaps followed our ragtag group.
From man-eating beetles, to a mysterious shaman’s house (which they nearly set on fire while doing the dishes), creatures lurking in the deep, and a cult?
Mar, a human capable of shapeshifting magic, escapes the US via a portal. A brief time skip places her with the party. While it’s a bit slow at first, it’s necessary to establish all the unique personalities. Then chapter 3 hits, and in waltzes our mostly naked golden retriever character. Chaos ensues. If you’ve ever played a TTRPG, you know exactly what I mean.
Luthri is the best kind of exasperating: can’t take no for an answer (at first), but also forehead-kissing and thoughtful. He slowly breaks down Mar’s walls. The banter between the leads—and the entire party—had me dying.
Their quest made me feel like I was on the journey with them. The villains were a bit predictable in their methods, but their reasoning reminded me that not all villains are purely evil—some are just very misguided.
(MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD)
If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading now.
I love tabletop RPGs like Pathfinder & DnD. So when I saw an opportunity to ARC read for author Levin's second book in her interconnected standalones, The Steadfast One, I jumped on it.
This book is:
* Black cat with oldest daughter syndrome x flamboyant golden retriever
* Found family
* Cozy
Below contains light spoilers and one major spoiler (I’ll warn you again before that part).
I enjoyed this story. It read like many campaigns I’ve played in: a group of people brought together by chance, trying to survive. It felt like a hug, familiar and comforting as shenanigans and mishaps followed our ragtag group.
From man-eating beetles, to a mysterious shaman’s house (which they nearly set on fire while doing the dishes), creatures lurking in the deep, and a cult?
Mar, a human capable of shapeshifting magic, escapes the US via a portal. A brief time skip places her with the party. While it’s a bit slow at first, it’s necessary to establish all the unique personalities. Then chapter 3 hits, and in waltzes our mostly naked golden retriever character. Chaos ensues. If you’ve ever played a TTRPG, you know exactly what I mean.
Luthri is the best kind of exasperating: can’t take no for an answer (at first), but also forehead-kissing and thoughtful. He slowly breaks down Mar’s walls. The banter between the leads—and the entire party—had me dying.
Their quest made me feel like I was on the journey with them. The villains were a bit predictable in their methods, but their reasoning reminded me that not all villains are purely evil—some are just very misguided.
(MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD)
If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2025
Title: The Steadfast One
Author: Hannah Levin
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Pages: 376
Rating: 4⭐️/5
“Whatever you do not want left unspoken, I will keep the fire burning.”
Mar, a tough, closed-off shapeshifter, leads a lovable crew of magical misfits on a quest to rescue a missing noblewoman, and along the way, she slowly opens up to love, friendship, and finding her own happiness—stuck between two worlds—Earth and a wild magical realm that opened up after something called The Rift changed everything. Born with rare powers, she was kidnapped from her home in Brazil and forced to spy on a group of magical outcasts. Disguised as a soldier, she joins their mission to find a missing person from a powerful family. The group is made up of all kinds of misfits: polite elf Hohem, romantic twin Vyrain, quiet waterfolk Yrra, and Ked—a sweet, towering half-giant. Then there’s Luthri, the flirty and funny one whose goal to hook up with every magical species is both ridiculous and weirdly charming. As they face danger, tough choices, and unexpected feelings, Mar—who’s always been tough and closed-off—starts to change. What started as a spy mission becomes a journey about friendship, love, and finding where she truly belongs.
The Steadfast One gave off all the cozy fantasy vibes. It’s got that mix of soft adventure, light romance, and a quirky little found family with a bit more heart—and maybe a bit flirty. Mar and her gang of magical misfits are super fun to follow, and the slow-burn thing with Luthri? So worth it, even if I wished their romance had a bit more emotional weight. The danger didn’t really feel urgent until closer to the end, but honestly, the journey was still a blast. If you’re into soft magic, playful banter, and fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is one to check out!
A big thanks to Tales & Teacups and Hannah Levin for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Releasing 06/17/25 on Amazon, KU, and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy
Author: Hannah Levin
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Pages: 376
Rating: 4⭐️/5
“Whatever you do not want left unspoken, I will keep the fire burning.”
Mar, a tough, closed-off shapeshifter, leads a lovable crew of magical misfits on a quest to rescue a missing noblewoman, and along the way, she slowly opens up to love, friendship, and finding her own happiness—stuck between two worlds—Earth and a wild magical realm that opened up after something called The Rift changed everything. Born with rare powers, she was kidnapped from her home in Brazil and forced to spy on a group of magical outcasts. Disguised as a soldier, she joins their mission to find a missing person from a powerful family. The group is made up of all kinds of misfits: polite elf Hohem, romantic twin Vyrain, quiet waterfolk Yrra, and Ked—a sweet, towering half-giant. Then there’s Luthri, the flirty and funny one whose goal to hook up with every magical species is both ridiculous and weirdly charming. As they face danger, tough choices, and unexpected feelings, Mar—who’s always been tough and closed-off—starts to change. What started as a spy mission becomes a journey about friendship, love, and finding where she truly belongs.
The Steadfast One gave off all the cozy fantasy vibes. It’s got that mix of soft adventure, light romance, and a quirky little found family with a bit more heart—and maybe a bit flirty. Mar and her gang of magical misfits are super fun to follow, and the slow-burn thing with Luthri? So worth it, even if I wished their romance had a bit more emotional weight. The danger didn’t really feel urgent until closer to the end, but honestly, the journey was still a blast. If you’re into soft magic, playful banter, and fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is one to check out!
A big thanks to Tales & Teacups and Hannah Levin for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Releasing 06/17/25 on Amazon, KU, and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy
June 17, 2025
ARC review:
My understanding is that this is the second book in the Golden Children series, but functions as an interconnected standalone. I have not read the first book, the Treasured One.
Overall, this was a good “quest” kind of fantasy book. The pacing was pretty good - we start out be getting a brief background on the main character, we see her complete some odd jobs with her crew and get insight into their group structure, then the rest of the book focuses on the main quest, with all the derailments or side quests that includes.
This has a very unique magic system that was interesting to learn about. I appreciate how Levin had a list of characters at the front of the book and a glossary of terms at the end of the book (on an ebook it’s a bit hard to navigate but if I read it in a physical book, that would have been super useful).
This is a slow burn with spice in the last 1/4 of the book! When I say slow burn, I mean nothing between the FMC and MMC until 65%. The banter between them is funny and lighthearted at times, and deeper at other times. The FMC is a bit emotionally stunted from her past, which can come off a little annoying but very appropriate for her character, and the MMC is able to slowly start helping her through that. I didn’t love his motivation for joining the group but it worked out well in the end. The book ends with the start of their defined relationship, so quite a bit is left to the readers to imagine.
The only thing I didn’t particularly like about the book was that I just didn’t really understand the FMC’s backstory, but again, I have not read the first book so maybe it would have made more sense if I did.
While this book certainly had heavy moments, I really appreciated “the stakes” in the story. I feel like so many of these kinds of fantasies are overly emotional, high stakes, life or death intensity. The majority of this book just felt like an interesting quest that we got to watch this group of characters on, and I really enjoyed that.
Thank you Hannah Levin for such an interesting read!
My understanding is that this is the second book in the Golden Children series, but functions as an interconnected standalone. I have not read the first book, the Treasured One.
Overall, this was a good “quest” kind of fantasy book. The pacing was pretty good - we start out be getting a brief background on the main character, we see her complete some odd jobs with her crew and get insight into their group structure, then the rest of the book focuses on the main quest, with all the derailments or side quests that includes.
This has a very unique magic system that was interesting to learn about. I appreciate how Levin had a list of characters at the front of the book and a glossary of terms at the end of the book (on an ebook it’s a bit hard to navigate but if I read it in a physical book, that would have been super useful).
This is a slow burn with spice in the last 1/4 of the book! When I say slow burn, I mean nothing between the FMC and MMC until 65%. The banter between them is funny and lighthearted at times, and deeper at other times. The FMC is a bit emotionally stunted from her past, which can come off a little annoying but very appropriate for her character, and the MMC is able to slowly start helping her through that. I didn’t love his motivation for joining the group but it worked out well in the end. The book ends with the start of their defined relationship, so quite a bit is left to the readers to imagine.
The only thing I didn’t particularly like about the book was that I just didn’t really understand the FMC’s backstory, but again, I have not read the first book so maybe it would have made more sense if I did.
While this book certainly had heavy moments, I really appreciated “the stakes” in the story. I feel like so many of these kinds of fantasies are overly emotional, high stakes, life or death intensity. The majority of this book just felt like an interesting quest that we got to watch this group of characters on, and I really enjoyed that.
Thank you Hannah Levin for such an interesting read!
July 1, 2025
Thank you to Hannah Levin for providing this to me as an e-ARC!
This was a fun fantasy adventure with a strong FMC, endearing MMC, and a fun supporting cast of characters along for the ride. While the characters were endearing, I wanted to have a little more background on them, individually and as members of Mar's group. How did they come to join Mar? What made them stay with her? More information about their races would have been nice--lore is always appreciated in fantasy novels. I also wanted to have a little more background on Mar. To be fair, I did not read The Treasured One so I'm not sure if Mar is explained in any great detail, but since that book focused mainly on Avery, I thought that there would be a little more introduction and explanation of Mar--why was she chosen as a spy all the way from Brazil, her relationship with Avery, the government program she was part of and why the Rift exists. I felt like these characters just needed to be rounded out a little bit more. I also felt like the culmination of the quest was a little anticlimactic--it was definitely sad about Vyrain, but I just felt like it was a quick battle, a defeat of the antagonists, and then right back to claim their prize. They were set on this epic adventure for quite a while, so to have it over quickly was just a tad disappointing.
The slow burn between Mar and Luthri was a slow burn indeed, but I liked the development of their relationship and you were definitely cheering for them to finally just make their moves and it was a great payoff when they did. I was hoping to see a little more romance between them, but hey, they were in the middle of a quest! The respect between group-mates was realistic and their banter was funny, especially between Vyrain, Luthri, and Mar. The sense of found family was nice and the return after the completion of their quest felt like a fitting end to the story. All in all, the book was entertaining and fun. I give it 3.5 stars :)
This was a fun fantasy adventure with a strong FMC, endearing MMC, and a fun supporting cast of characters along for the ride. While the characters were endearing, I wanted to have a little more background on them, individually and as members of Mar's group. How did they come to join Mar? What made them stay with her? More information about their races would have been nice--lore is always appreciated in fantasy novels. I also wanted to have a little more background on Mar. To be fair, I did not read The Treasured One so I'm not sure if Mar is explained in any great detail, but since that book focused mainly on Avery, I thought that there would be a little more introduction and explanation of Mar--why was she chosen as a spy all the way from Brazil, her relationship with Avery, the government program she was part of and why the Rift exists. I felt like these characters just needed to be rounded out a little bit more. I also felt like the culmination of the quest was a little anticlimactic--it was definitely sad about Vyrain, but I just felt like it was a quick battle, a defeat of the antagonists, and then right back to claim their prize. They were set on this epic adventure for quite a while, so to have it over quickly was just a tad disappointing.
The slow burn between Mar and Luthri was a slow burn indeed, but I liked the development of their relationship and you were definitely cheering for them to finally just make their moves and it was a great payoff when they did. I was hoping to see a little more romance between them, but hey, they were in the middle of a quest! The respect between group-mates was realistic and their banter was funny, especially between Vyrain, Luthri, and Mar. The sense of found family was nice and the return after the completion of their quest felt like a fitting end to the story. All in all, the book was entertaining and fun. I give it 3.5 stars :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2025
When I first came to this world, it was a night much like this one. A bright moon. Humid. Lots of screaming. At that time, the screaming had been mine. Tonight, it was a pair of thieves who’d taken off with a large portion of a local lord’s livestock.
I liked this one so much more than the first one! Even though the first one was fine I struggled to connect with Avery or feel like she was actually her age. This book actually follows a new cast so technically you wouldn’t need to read the first one to read it. Although I might still recommend it even if I liked this book better, because I would be so interested if there was a crossover book later where the characters all meet.
I loved Mar from the beginning. She acts her age and is a badass. Even though there’s still action and romance I felt like the author did such a better job organizing the story this time. Despite the plot always moving there is enough time for things to develop between the characters and not just romantically. Everyone felt fully developed and so did the plot, which made this an easier read but also that much more impactful! I don’t play D&D but from what I know of it, I can see how this book would appeal to people who play it. It isn’t dark fantasy, more like adventure fantasy with romance and a cast of characters who is well written (and witty, which is just the cherry on top). Luthi and Mar are fantastic of course but the side characters weren’t glossed over or anything. I’m so happy I kept reading this series because the jump in writing, plotting, and character development between the first one and now is so satisfying and shows a lot of improvement on the author’s part. I really hope there are more books in this series.
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