Nymph Totem

by Brittni Chenelle

They should've known when they damned me... Hell makes monsters of us all.

Nova has lived all her life in The Garden, an island that floats above Earth, undetected. Her secret friendship with the Prince changed to something more and all that stands in the way of the life she’s been dreaming of is her Totem Ceremony–an age-old rite that assigns one of four elements she'll spend her life protecting.

When Nova's ceremony goes horribly wrong, she's placed in a fifth Totem located in the Underworld. Humiliated and cast out, her only hope is to convince her true love’s arrogant, moody brother that there’s been some kind of terrible mistake. But the longer she spends in the darkness battling the salacious urges brought on by the Underworld’s ruler, the closer she comes to unleashing her true nature and making the world that betrayed her burn.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Ebooks

Audible Audio

First published March 26, 2024

About the author

Brittni Chenelle is a USA Today Bestselling Multicultural Fantasy Author who specializes in multi-POV romances and the angsty enemies-to-lovers trope. She loves to explore the blurred lines between good and evil and believes wholeheartedly in a great story's ability to bring people together.

When she's not writing, she can be found at her home in South Korea where she spends far too much time consuming coffee, dark chocolate, and videos of animals doing human things.

Visit www.BrittniChenelle.com to browse her complete catalog, including upcoming books.

Reviews

[Brittni Chenelle]

Nymph Totem is FREE everywhere this week!
Listen to the Audiobook FREE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qts4IMg6bSY?si=xtNRg...

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nymph Totem unravels the story a young woman who dreams of being a Slyph. It’s all she wants – to be able to protect the stars, the sky. She lives her life in the Garden, but the time has come for the selection ceremony that will determine her placement. But something goes...horribly (or rightly) wrong. Instead of getting what it is that she thought she desired...she gets something else all together.
Nymph Totem details Nova’s story as she looks forward to her Selection Ceremony only to have her dream seemingly ripped away from her. What’s more? The Prince that she was so enamored with has all but turned his back on her. Now what?! Well, prepare to be swept away into a fantasy story that shows that sometimes...what you wanted...isn’t what you needed.
Nymph Totem is engaging and takes you along for the ride as you watch Nova struggle with the twist that Fate has thrown her way. But she’s not the only one. We’ll just ignore the oldest Prince for now, because if you can turn your back on someone simply because their appearance changes...you never loved them to begin with.
Are there dragons in this book? Yes, there are as mentioned in the blurb. Do they play an intricate part of the story? Unfortunately...no. If you’re going to mention dragons...please, give us dragons as an intricate part of the story.
The romance angle is interesting as Nova has to decide where she’s going to allow her heart to lead her. Steamy? None on page. You get to use your imagination on this one. HEA? Yes. You get a nice ending, but there is the potential for more. But for now, this book is classified as standalone.
4.5 out 5 stars

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars

I have been telling myself for years I would never ever read a love triangle story again, because most of the time I have to admit I'm just shouting at my ereader that she shouldn't have to choose. That being said, the blurb of "Nymph Totem" just spoke to me, and demanded me to give it another chance. And I have to say: I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this paranormal story, with a girl torn between two princes and the growth of her character making her slowly realize who fits better with who she is.

While "Nymph Totem" is a standalone with a love triangle trope, I do feel there was only one real choice to make for Nova. Luckily, this isn't the only part of the story that kept my attention. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story, the Totem ceremony, the view on the underworld and the place of reaping souls within. There are some cute side characters I really enjoyed, and I believe there is real potential in discovering more of this world in the future. Not sure if there are any plans like that in the works, but it won't hurt to put the idea out there.

So yeah, this was an enjoyable standalone, not too long but with a storyline that kept my attention from start to finish. Just be aware that this isn't the book for those who prefer their books spicy, because that might be the only reason to end up disappointed along the way.

[Jeanette George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore it when I'm pleasantly surprised by a story. Nymph Totem was nothing like I expected and it was great to just kick back and see where Brittni Chenelle's imagination would take us. She is one of three authors I can think of right now that have engrossing writing styles and if that wasn't enough on the gift lottery, they wow you with these fantastic imaginations that led to phenomenal world-building. I mean seriously! So cool!

[the_bibliophagist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little different but enjoyable. I like Nova and how strong she is during this book. I like the little angst between the brothers. It kinda reminds me of God and the Devil. The only thing I didnt like was I wish there was more of a backstory to this. Like exactly what each Totem does, what and how there system works, and maybe what the gardeners are??? Gods?? Overall good read.

[Ashley Narine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has so much potential! Enjoyed the concept, but the universe and romance needed a bit more depth.

[Helga Spotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting take on the Persephone myth

Very good story. I admire writers who can deliver the story through multiple viewpoints. Good world-building and like the HEA.

[Sia01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this author! So easy to get into !

[Jane]

DNF @20%

I may not be as fair as possible due to a reading slump that does not want to let go... But in any case, I liked the premise of the book a lot more than the execution of it. Yes, even the part where they say it will be a love triangle sounded a lot more appealing in its description than in reality, because I really did not understand beforehand that the triangle will be between BROTHERS.

[Megan » Hello Book Bird! · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 33%.

Suckered by a gorgeous cover and interesting premise but the writing doesn't deliver (seems fairly juvenile) and the execution was sloppy between three POVs. Shame. :C

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nova has had feelings for her friend, Lan, who is a prince of The Garden. Turns out that he likes her as well. They finally act on their feelings the night before Nova has to dance for her Totem. (I'll discuss the world more later.) When Lan gets home, his father tells him that he's ready to pass the crown to Lan and that Lan needs to choose a wife. Because he's just shown his feelings to Nova she is his obvious choice but marriage is a big jump from just friends a few days before.

Lan's father seems willing to allow his chosen bride. But for some reason that was never explained, the Queen opposes Nova. I thought she might have some knowledge the others don't know. But that was never shared.

I should probably stop to introduce Prince Castor, Philando's brother. The same day that Lan is told he'll become the new King, Castor is assigned a new position as well. He will become the king of the underworld. The underworld had previously been left alone. But it's become chaotic and needs someone to take it in hand. Castor isn't thrilled with his new post, but he has always been a supportive brother. And he will do as he's told.

Nova dances at the Totem ceremony and is assigned a totem no one has ever heard of. The Nymph Totem, which belongs to the Underworld. People freak out because the unknown weirds everyone out and even Nova's mother rejects her. Castor knows how it feels to be sentenced to the underworld so he takes Nova under his wing. Meanwhile, Lan is doing everything he can to get Nova's assignment changed.

Perhaps here is a good place to discuss the world. Apparently, The Garden is an island above Earth. But the people who live there can travel to Earth. They have dragons--ride dragons. But yet the dragons are just accessories and don't serve any actual purpose to enhance the plot. They just exist. Missed opportunity if you ask me. There are totems (I can't remember how many) that are guardians or something. The ones most mentioned had to do with the water, the sky/stars, and the forest. Aside from the underworld of course.

When Castor and Nova arrive in the Underworld they are greeted by a goblin essentially. He's basically the only creature around. And the entire underworld is dark because souls are needed to power everything and no one has been reaping souls. Nova is so excited about reaping souls which makes no sense. So much is undefined or illogical. Who are the souls? Are they good or evil? Or do all souls need to be reaped despite being good or bad? And is it a good thing that they're reaped and then used to power the Underworld? Why is no one asking these questions? And the reaping gone wrong that results in a sidekick of sorts. Makes no sense.

The Totems almost seem like diety for the story. They are sentient of some sort and choose who to go to which Totem. Indication is present that the Totems choose based on who people really are inside. But yet Nova began to change after she was assigned the Nymph Totem. So was that who she really was inside all along or did the Totem change her once she was assigned a specific one? The story wasn't clear and an argument could be made for both sides.

Nymph Totem includes a love triangle. The description tells you about it and because I've discussed so few characters you can probably guess who between. I don't want to discuss this in too much detail. I don't mind triangles too much when the main character is transitioning from one person to someone who fits them better. But the back and forth of this triangle and how the characters handled things was not as enjoyable as one could hope.

Nymph Totem gets 3 Stars which is a decent rating considering all the pieces of this book that weren't explored or explained. It felt like weak writing to not have even considered--and explained--some of the questions one might ask. I will say that the story felt like a guilty pleasure book to me. One where the substance isn't going to win any awards but you can't seem to stop reading it. Have you read Nymph Totem ? What did you think? Let me know!

[Kalypso · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

This was a no thoughts head empty read. I had downloaded this for free on my Kobo forever ago just because I thought the cover was cute. And for the purpose of just turning my brain off and reading an entire book as if I were reading a bad fanfic at 3am when I was 14, this was great. As a book? Not so much.

The writing is…not good. So many points where I was like…ok?? Is this in here for a reason or is it plot for plots sake?? World building where?? There's dragons that I believe choose their riders (idk I think it was brought up once in the beginning of the book and it doesn't matter anyway) but like those aren't really that important other than giving our MC a vehicle for thrill seeking. The language would be beautiful and flowery and metaphor filled one sentence and then felt like it was written by a preteen the next. The characters were also dreadfully inconsistent. Like, I get that the totems do change or bring out certain aspects and traits after you get assigned to them, but it really felt like we were having characters do things that didn't make sense with what we have already established. It also very heavily relied on manufactured cliffhangers. Like “if I had known what I know now I would've never done that” which is fine, but when it is used as frequently as it is here it ends up feeling cheap.

I think a lot of these problems (other than the writing style itself) kinda correct themselves after the 70% point. Which, if I wasn't looking for a no thoughts head empty experience, I wouldve never made it that far.

I think where I find this interesting is the concept. Like yeah, I didn't like this book, but the whole guardians of element totems suddenly getting a new underworld totem and having to figure out what the hell (no pun intended) that means for the world and the people assigned to it is deeply intriguing, and I wish I could also give this concept to a different author who was more equipped to explore that element rather than this messy love triangle that only barely makes sense.

Also Connor is a deeply relatable character 😂 like I, too, would probably take being a ghost and helping reap souls in stride if it means no pain and I get to meddle in the messiest romance of the century.

Another saving grace is that this is a ridiculously fast read. I read this in like an hour and a half we were zooming.

I don't like giving negative reviews cause I feel like I'm always so mean (may be a little harsher than normal cause I am currently in a metric buttload of pain and my threshold for candy-coating is so low it's in the underworld with Nova and Castor), so here's the part where I say that if you loved this, I am truly glad and you should disregard my opinion because that's all it is-an opinion.

[Zeynep · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could say this book and I simply didn’t click, but that would be giving both of us too much credit.
The narrators were fantastic. In fact, these two stars belong entirely to them because they somehow managed to keep me listening long after my sanity had packed its bags and left.
The premise had potential, but somewhere between the endless reminders about Nova’s hair, a kidnapping that somehow became romantic, and characters making decisions that had me questioning reality itself, I completely lost the ability to predict what was happening—or why.
Castor kidnaps Nova from her wedding because he’s lonely. Nova is understandably scared. Then she gets comfortable. Then she falls for him. Then he lies to her. Then he sends her back. Then she promises to marry Lan. Then she immediately starts thinking about Castor. Then Castor realizes he’s in love somewhere around chapter 43 and runs after her.
Meanwhile, Lan spent this entire book being blamed by the narrative for crimes he barely committed. If anything, I left feeling sorry for him. Imagine having your bride kidnapped by your brother, only to be expected to smile and bless their relationship at the end.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I had increased the audiobook speed to 2.0x. Not because I was excited. Because I needed answers. Unfortunately, the answers only created more questions.
This book didn’t make me emotional. It made me confused.
Would I recommend it? Probably not.
Would I stop talking about it? Also probably not.
The true heroes of this audiobook were the narrators. Thank you for your service.

[Miki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was original...Nova is a gardener..she leaves on an island in the sky "the garden", ride her own dragon and soon will get her totem. Each young during a ceremony get placed in a totem , their version of divinities, and they get magical power to protect the totem real ( the sky, the forest and mountains, the oceans etc) .....you can't choose your totem and once selected you must go their for a ten years service....
Nova is a bit sauvage, she loves her independance and has a crush on the prince......she dreams to be selected in sky totem.....

However this year is different a new totem for the underworld appears....and Nova to her dismay is the first ever Nymph totem..the underworld even get its own king different from the Garden, Castor younger brother of Prince Philandro, who asked Nova to marry him. When Nova is found to be a Nymph totem everything change she is shunned, Philandro can't look at her disgusted....and Nova is feeling lost and alone.

A new dynamic with Castor takes place as their discover their role in the underworld......but bases on lies....new friendship are made, new power are discovered...and romance can be built

Really it was interesting and new but the lies and deceits bothered me so while it's a good book i don't think i would want more, i like where teh story stop letting us imagine the future. Nova is a great character and i would have loved to see more of her dragon.

[Heather Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nymph Totem by Brittni Chenelle is an engaging and creative fantasy that draws you into a vibrant world of elemental magic, political intrigue, and self-discovery. The story expertly balances action, emotion, and romance, making it hard to put down.

Seren, the protagonist, is a strong and relatable character whose journey to uncover her Nymph heritage is both captivating and empowering. As she faces prejudice and danger, she also forges meaningful connections—especially with Kade, whose charm and complexity add depth to the story. Their interactions feel natural and add a nice layer of romance to the high-stakes plot.

Chenelle’s world-building is one of the book’s biggest strengths, with vivid descriptions and thoughtful details that bring the Elemental Fae world to life. The pacing is mostly solid, although the middle section lags slightly. A few supporting characters could have been explored further to enhance the story’s impact, but this doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment.

Nymph Totem is a compelling read that blends magic, adventure, and heartfelt themes of identity and resilience. It’s perfect for readers who love diverse fantasy with strong characters and rich storytelling.

Thank you to Brittni Chenelle for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion—I can’t wait to see what you write next!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool and different story!

I really enjoyed this book since it was so different from other books in its genre. The Garden (I would assume to be based on the Garden of Eden) is where “angels” live as gardeners and live based on the Totem – Zoi (wildlife), Atmos (water), Gin (earth), and Sylph (air). When they hit 18, they are to be part of a ceremony where they discover their totem placements and be sent to work for 10 years doing that work. Nova has always dreamed of joining the Sylphs but also dreams of being with her long-time friend Lan who is the crown prince. Right before her ceremony, Lan tells her that he wants her to be his queen when she is done with her 10 years, but no one was prepared that a 5th totem would arise during the ceremony – the Underworld – and that Lan’s younger brother, Castor, would be King there.

Initially fighting against her placement and with nowhere else to go, she leaves with Castor to the underworld and discovers that she is able to be free and herself there… but Lan is fighting to get her placement changed. She also realizes that she is falling for Castor.

Can't go into any more details without ruining the book, but this is a MUST READ!

I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light-hearted and emotionally deep take on a pantheon of gods. Whose pantheon I am not sure as there were many influences. But it was beautiful and exciting and colorful and did I mention the dragons? Nova had the dream life, a wonderful future ahead of her, and a best friend -maybe more at her side. But things changed in an instant. How Nova and the two princes reacted to this upturning made for an exciting read! Brittni's writing is so engaging, this was a very fast read - I just wanted to spend more time in this world - especially with Nova's new friends in the underworld.

Yes, there is a love triangle, but Nova isn't flirting with two nearly indistinguishable boys, rather the pull is between her past - the complacent acquiescing girl she was, and the feisty powerful woman she is becoming. In some ways she reminded me of Zora Neal Hurston's Janie - eschewing other's expectations and throwing herself passionately into who she truly is.

This is a standalone with a satisfying conclusion, but there are still a lot of questions left unanswered and we are just at the beginning of some stories so I really hope there might be more stories in this world.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of magic and dragons, everyone has to get through the Totem ceremony at the age of 18 to be assigned to a Totem, a magical realm, where they serve for ten years and fulfill their mission. Nova has high hopes to end up in the Sylph totem and stay with prince Philandro, her dear friend and potentially more, yet fate decides to send her as the fist Nymph totem to the Underworld with prince Castor, a man full of lies and mischief. Despite having her doubts at the beginning, she starts the discovery journey of her new world, a journey of self-discovery too.
Nice and fast standalone read that slightly resembles the story of Hades an Persephone, but only slightly. It is interesting to watch Nova outgrow the naivete of her youth and find her true self, although I have to say I did not feel particularly fond of any of the two princes so I wasn't able to fully dive into the romance aspect of the story. Yes the depiction of the underworld was beautiful and I enjoyed it very much, as well as the dragons... and Connor. That guy was cool.

[Tierra Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Nova and how she already stood out as different and somewhat of a free spirit, but instead of evolving into something more I felt like she completely changed into someone who had zero connection to who they were before. It wouldn't have been an issue if that was what everyone did, but that wasn't the case for any of the rest of the characters no matter that totem they were assigned to.

Poor Nova has one prince that she has been in love with most of her youth that now seems to suddenly have no interest in her now that she has drastically changed and too wicked, but on the other hand she has another prince that in only interested in her now that she has drastically changed and is now no longer too boring. Maybe if I had liked either of the guys I wouldn't have wanted to dive into the story myself to find her some better options because we know that some of those people can see ya'll. I think it was the lying and deceit that irked my nerves more than anything.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora is a nymph but not the typical nymph most have read about in myths. They are guardians and once they come of age bond and become part of a certain totem. There have been four and Nora has plans she will be in Sylph with her friend and once her ten years of service are done she will be with the king who she loves. But during her ceremony a fifth torment shows up and she has no idea where to go but ends up there in the underworld. Her entire plans have fallen apart and the brother of the guy she loves is the king over the underworld. She’s not thrilled at first but then sees she can actually be herself and begins to form other attachments even as a certain someone tries to get her reassigned. I loved the depth of world building in this story. The relationships were well developed along with the characters.

[Book Life With Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nymph Totem by Brittni Chenelle was an intriguing dive into a new magical world with phenomenal world building and captivating characters that suck you right in until the very end.

Living in The Garden, island that floats above Earth, Nova has lived her life with one focus: the Totem Ceremony. A ceremony that assigns one of four elements someone will spend their life protecting. However the ceremony doesn’t go as she expected and she soon finds herself as part of the fifth Totem…a total located in the Underworld. And while at first she doesn’t understand, she soon realizes that the darkness may be what she’s needed all along…

Overall this was a fun captivating dive into a new magical world full of secret friendships, live triangles, dragons, royalty, intrigue, and so much more and needless to say, i need more of this world!

[Arabia Raye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was worth every penny! I enjoyed it from beginning to end ! Although after the 50% mark it seems like the pace started go a little too fast (this could also be because I wasn’t ready for it to end). I loved Nova and Cas. Their relationship was entertaining and had me rooting for them since the beginning. Naz was such an unexpected character but I loved him and Conner too. LAN on the other hand, I grew to dislike because of his judgmental ways . He wasn’t willing to grow with Nova and love her throughout all her changes but I’m so glad she had Cas who was more than willing to. This book was great . I honestly want more . I’d love to see how the four of them change the underworld into a more bright place . I hope we can get another book of them ! Oh and I wish they incorporated the dragons in the book more.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nymph Totem was an exceptional read! I enjoyed the uniqueness of the characters and storyline, and the underlining tones of mystery throughout. Nova expects one pathway for her life to go, but when her Totem ceremony takes a turn, her life as she knows it changes in an instant. Now the love she thought would be her one and only has thrown a curveball in the form of another, and to top it off, she is cast into the Underworld. I really didn't want this story to end as there is so much to explore, but I also appreciate that since this is a standalone, everything came together in a way that satisfied my curiosity. I would not be opposed to spinoffs or a novella though. All in all, a wonderful read!

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m certain I fell in love with Cas from the first time I read his name- Lan on the other hand? Serious Tamlin vibes (iykyk)

I enjoy a Persephone x Hades retelling as much as the next, and this was no different. I would rate this book a .5-1 out of 5 for spice- plenty of tension and heat between the characters, however.

My only complaint was that the end felt a little rushed. I would have loved to have seen this book drug out a little longer, perhaps even with a sequel. There are so many things about the world that I would have loved to have seen more of.

At the end of the day, I still enjoyed this book very much and thus finished it quickly.

*I received a free copy of this book and I’m leaving this review of my own volition.

[Anita Hanekom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great book and an excellent start to a series which promises to be absolutely brilliant. Nova's best friend is the future king of her realm and she is hoping that when her Totem Ceremony comes round she will be placed where they can maintain their friendship and maybe build it up into something more. When he declares his feelings for her before her ceremony she is absolutely thrilled but it doesn't last as her ceremony goes horribly wrong and a hidden side of her nature is revealed which results in her being to a fifth totem that no-one has been assigned to before, alongside the younger son of the current King, her love's younger brother. What follows is a hugely entertaining story with characters that evolve and learn a lot more about themselves and each other and who are so well-crafted they leap off the pages.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Julorie Siefert · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you turn 18 you do a dance and how you dance, one of the four totems, Zoi, Atmos, Gin or Sylphs will select you to serve them for 10 years. Nova was 18 and she was to do her dance to see which totem would call her for her 10-year service. Tonight she was to have it all the Prince Philandro (Lan) soon to be King had indicated he wanted to marry her,and if she was selected by the Sylph totem perfect. As she danced something happened and what we hope for, or think we want is not usually want we need. What of Prince Castor? How, what he has been tasked to do impact, himself, Nova and Lan. Very interesting the turns of events.

[Samantha Silensky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely thrust into this story from the start. The first chapters grabbed me by the shirt and YANKED me in, then dropped me unceremoniously into the garden. I. Loved. It. I want more so much. I just finished and almost want to start it again. The world building alone was BEAUTIFUL. Then add in the was the author brought the characters to life and made the inner turmoil so relatable or believable. I was blown away, in the best way. I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t more dragon scenes, but despite my love and obsessions with dragons, the book was so well written and enrapturing, all is forgiven. Please ma’am, may I have s’more?

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nymph Totem follows a young woman named Nova, who lives in the Garden, her only dream in life is to go to her selection ceremony and be placed with the sky totem, protecting the stars and sky. When something goes wrong, instead of getting the totem she wanted, she ends up with something else.. the Nymph totem.. Not only does she lose her dream totem, she is also sent to the underworld where she is shunned by her crush, who just asked her to marry him, prince Philandro, leaving Nova feeling lost and alone. But will Castor, Philandro’s brother and king of the underworld, be able to help Nova find her place? And maybe how to reopen her heart?

[Shelves · Rating 1 out of 5]

No no no no noooo! I didn't like the way the story went. And when people talk about love triangles that aren't really triangles because the love interest that the author wants is made so obvious, and leaves the other love interest in the dust, i see it with this book. It definitely felt like the love interest that wasn't supposed to be just had all the wrong traits so the FMC could be with the "real love interest." There just wasn't enough of anything for me to even ship the final coupling. I just - maybe if this was longer it would make more sense for me. But yeah. I think this is a good book for some but it just wasn't for me.

[WyoGal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stopped at 51%

When the protagonist and her love interest end up in a new setting, things take a dark turn. I lost interest at this point. There are too many lies, betrayals, jealousy, and hormones. In addition, there are almost 50 errors in the writing, many of them comma problems, but there are also incorrect words and several awkward sentence constructions—all of which trigger my editor brain and suck the joy from reading. The setting details were confusing in the new kingdom. It’s dark…but there’s lava and furniture? Any emotional misgivings? I’m just not believing the level of nonchalance.