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Oracles of the Gelid #1
Iris of the Crowned Flame
When Princess Lyla’s mother is murdered, she’s forced onto the throne—and bound by law to marry a man or lose her crown.
The only problem?
She’s already in love with her best friend.
Refusing to surrender her future, Lyla creates a public tournament where princes compete for her hand. It’s meant to buy time—but it also puts her at the center of a dangerous game. The longer the trials last, the more begins to unravel.
Princes arrive with hidden motives. A childhood ally returns with secrets of his own. Whispers of long-buried magic begin to surface. And the truth behind her mother’s death grows harder to ignore.
This was never just about a marriage.
Now Lyla must navigate power, desire, and a future no one else is willing to imagine—one where she refuses to choose between crown and love. But in a kingdom built on tradition, defiance comes at a cost.
And some choices don’t just change a life. They change everything.
Iris of the Crowned Flame is a political romantasy featuring forbidden sapphic love, forced marriage, royal trials, hidden magic, and a defiant polyamorous romance.
The only problem?
She’s already in love with her best friend.
Refusing to surrender her future, Lyla creates a public tournament where princes compete for her hand. It’s meant to buy time—but it also puts her at the center of a dangerous game. The longer the trials last, the more begins to unravel.
Princes arrive with hidden motives. A childhood ally returns with secrets of his own. Whispers of long-buried magic begin to surface. And the truth behind her mother’s death grows harder to ignore.
This was never just about a marriage.
Now Lyla must navigate power, desire, and a future no one else is willing to imagine—one where she refuses to choose between crown and love. But in a kingdom built on tradition, defiance comes at a cost.
And some choices don’t just change a life. They change everything.
Iris of the Crowned Flame is a political romantasy featuring forbidden sapphic love, forced marriage, royal trials, hidden magic, and a defiant polyamorous romance.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2025
47 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 7, 2025
5 ⭐️ This story pulled me in and has me begging for the next book in this duology!
I don’t want to give too much away, but if you enjoy books with:
💀Investigation into a mysterious death
👑Political scheming
✨Unique magic systems
🫶 Sweet and supportive MMC
❤️🔥FFM romance
🏔️Cliffhangers that leave you desperate for more
Then you’re going to want to read this book!
I somehow completly missed going into this book that it was a sapphic romance, so safe to say I was very surprised within the first few chapters when her initial love interest is introduced. I mean, it’s right in the description of the book, so that’s 110% on me not fully reading it; What can I say? I like to go in blind sometimes. ✌🏻Nothing like the adventure of giving something a try that’s outside of my typical reading. 🌈
Thank you Olivia Tildon for the early copy!
I don’t want to give too much away, but if you enjoy books with:
💀Investigation into a mysterious death
👑Political scheming
✨Unique magic systems
🫶 Sweet and supportive MMC
❤️🔥FFM romance
🏔️Cliffhangers that leave you desperate for more
Then you’re going to want to read this book!
I somehow completly missed going into this book that it was a sapphic romance, so safe to say I was very surprised within the first few chapters when her initial love interest is introduced. I mean, it’s right in the description of the book, so that’s 110% on me not fully reading it; What can I say? I like to go in blind sometimes. ✌🏻Nothing like the adventure of giving something a try that’s outside of my typical reading. 🌈
Thank you Olivia Tildon for the early copy!
June 21, 2025
The following is a 4/5 spoiler free ARC review:
This book got me out of a two year long reading slump. The story has very thorough world building, you never hear modern fantasy books' governments talk about finance, but you do in Iris of the Crowned Flame. It felt real and human, and made me actually care about their kingdom's economy lol. It was also so refreshing to see the FMC plan to enter her politically coerced marriage with the intention of staying with her previous love. You rarely see this, and I absolutely love Amyra and Lyla together.
The book is very fast paced, and you feel the haste and urgency of the characters to find a suitor all the while staying true to their hearts. Additionally, it has WOMEN WRITTEN RIGHT. It felt so authentic and true and genuine. No objectification or Mary Sue characters here. Moreover, the 1st person narration through Lyla was playful yet had a soul-felt energy to it. It's also very easy to read, great for getting out of reading slumps, and thematic but not too heavy to relax into.
Now to my favourite part, as much as this story is a romance, it is also a fantasy revolution. This is Princess Diaries but GAY. I adored the underlining message that women and queer people deserve to be heard, and our voices hold power even in the dark. Seeing the characters fight for their right to love freely healed something in little queer me. And witnessing such a healthy FFM relationship bloom made the why-choose poly reader in me melt.
All in all, a great read. Viva the revolution, and happy pride month!
This book got me out of a two year long reading slump. The story has very thorough world building, you never hear modern fantasy books' governments talk about finance, but you do in Iris of the Crowned Flame. It felt real and human, and made me actually care about their kingdom's economy lol. It was also so refreshing to see the FMC plan to enter her politically coerced marriage with the intention of staying with her previous love. You rarely see this, and I absolutely love Amyra and Lyla together.
The book is very fast paced, and you feel the haste and urgency of the characters to find a suitor all the while staying true to their hearts. Additionally, it has WOMEN WRITTEN RIGHT. It felt so authentic and true and genuine. No objectification or Mary Sue characters here. Moreover, the 1st person narration through Lyla was playful yet had a soul-felt energy to it. It's also very easy to read, great for getting out of reading slumps, and thematic but not too heavy to relax into.
Now to my favourite part, as much as this story is a romance, it is also a fantasy revolution. This is Princess Diaries but GAY. I adored the underlining message that women and queer people deserve to be heard, and our voices hold power even in the dark. Seeing the characters fight for their right to love freely healed something in little queer me. And witnessing such a healthy FFM relationship bloom made the why-choose poly reader in me melt.
All in all, a great read. Viva the revolution, and happy pride month!
August 2, 2025
I really enjoyed reading Olivia Tildon’s new novel. Iris of the Crowned Flame has a strong and fierce female lead, it has the right amount of fantasy that completely pulled me in. I love the themes of political intrigue, betrayal, loyalty and power being displayed.
The writing was very vivid and there was enough tension to keep the pages turning.
I really enjoyed the characters as well.
Well done, Olivia.
If you like tropes of slow burn romance, political intrigue, tournament of suitors, forbidden love, he falls first and brother’s best friend. This is the book for you.
The writing was very vivid and there was enough tension to keep the pages turning.
I really enjoyed the characters as well.
Well done, Olivia.
If you like tropes of slow burn romance, political intrigue, tournament of suitors, forbidden love, he falls first and brother’s best friend. This is the book for you.
May 19, 2025
A throne unwanted, a life led in secret, and love that can overcome the world. Nothing is more important than your inner circle.
Rating - 4: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A throne she never wanted. A love she cannot have. A kingdom on the brink of ruin.
Princess Lyla has spent her life avoiding the destiny forced upon her—until the sudden death of her mother, the Queen, changes everything. To claim the throne, Lyla must marry. But her heart already belongs to Amyra, her best friend and lady-in-waiting, a love forbidden by law.
Desperate for control over her fate, Lyla proposes a tournament where suitors will compete for her hand. The trials are meant to buy her time, yet they soon become a dangerous game of politics, deception, and power. Among the contenders is Prince Spencer—an old friend whose kindness and mysterious abilities stir emotions Lyla isn’t prepared to face. As tensions rise and secrets unravel, Lyla is caught between duty and desire, her forbidden love for Amyra and the unexpected connection with Spencer.
But when dark forces threaten the kingdom and whispers of magic begin to surface, Lyla must uncover the truth behind her mother’s death and claim her power before everything she loves is destroyed.
Perfect for fans of political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and heroines who fight for their own fate, Iris in the Crowned Flame is the first in a sweeping fantasy duology.
In this fiery and emotional start of this duology, the characters were all emotionally transparent. With great descriptions and body language cues, you can see the characters have such emotion through the page - and since page one you can feel the love each character has for each other, and that only grows when the book continues.
For me, Spencer in particularly stood out. I liked the fact he possessed magic from the beginning yet is a grounded gentleman. His powers fascinated me, perhaps it was because his powers were revealed first but I really connected to him over other characters.
I loveeeeed the slow-burn, forbidden love plot. I’d go as far as saying this is the most unique story and plot I think I’ve ever seen in a fantasy/magic book series/duology. It’s been really well done and thought out here with the plot.
This author’s writing style is really nice, descriptive without overly done, with whitty remarks and charged conversations. I did really enjoy the book, and did NOT expect so many aspect of the story to appear in the story, but I’m glad they did as it felt really enriched.
Favourite quotes: 💬
“Spencer stood up indignantly, attempting to hide his wincing as he did. “No, if you know this to be true, why haven’t they all been dealt with—murdered, exiled, or arrested?”.” - Spencer to the group
““Lyla, I will stay by your side for all of eternity. You are my heart, my everything. I would give everything up for your happiness. I just won’t give up your reputation. Please don’t ask me to sacrifice you. If you take this throne, and you marry a man, you could change the Council, and then change the laws, and allow others to live more freely than we have ever imagined. You are the change the country needs.” - Amyra
In conclusion, this series is unlike any book like that yet. I very much enjoyed the book, and thank you to Olivia for allowing me to peek into this book as an early copy. Thank you!! ☺️
Rating - 4: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A throne she never wanted. A love she cannot have. A kingdom on the brink of ruin.
Princess Lyla has spent her life avoiding the destiny forced upon her—until the sudden death of her mother, the Queen, changes everything. To claim the throne, Lyla must marry. But her heart already belongs to Amyra, her best friend and lady-in-waiting, a love forbidden by law.
Desperate for control over her fate, Lyla proposes a tournament where suitors will compete for her hand. The trials are meant to buy her time, yet they soon become a dangerous game of politics, deception, and power. Among the contenders is Prince Spencer—an old friend whose kindness and mysterious abilities stir emotions Lyla isn’t prepared to face. As tensions rise and secrets unravel, Lyla is caught between duty and desire, her forbidden love for Amyra and the unexpected connection with Spencer.
But when dark forces threaten the kingdom and whispers of magic begin to surface, Lyla must uncover the truth behind her mother’s death and claim her power before everything she loves is destroyed.
Perfect for fans of political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and heroines who fight for their own fate, Iris in the Crowned Flame is the first in a sweeping fantasy duology.
In this fiery and emotional start of this duology, the characters were all emotionally transparent. With great descriptions and body language cues, you can see the characters have such emotion through the page - and since page one you can feel the love each character has for each other, and that only grows when the book continues.
For me, Spencer in particularly stood out. I liked the fact he possessed magic from the beginning yet is a grounded gentleman. His powers fascinated me, perhaps it was because his powers were revealed first but I really connected to him over other characters.
I loveeeeed the slow-burn, forbidden love plot. I’d go as far as saying this is the most unique story and plot I think I’ve ever seen in a fantasy/magic book series/duology. It’s been really well done and thought out here with the plot.
This author’s writing style is really nice, descriptive without overly done, with whitty remarks and charged conversations. I did really enjoy the book, and did NOT expect so many aspect of the story to appear in the story, but I’m glad they did as it felt really enriched.
Favourite quotes: 💬
“Spencer stood up indignantly, attempting to hide his wincing as he did. “No, if you know this to be true, why haven’t they all been dealt with—murdered, exiled, or arrested?”.” - Spencer to the group
““Lyla, I will stay by your side for all of eternity. You are my heart, my everything. I would give everything up for your happiness. I just won’t give up your reputation. Please don’t ask me to sacrifice you. If you take this throne, and you marry a man, you could change the Council, and then change the laws, and allow others to live more freely than we have ever imagined. You are the change the country needs.” - Amyra
In conclusion, this series is unlike any book like that yet. I very much enjoyed the book, and thank you to Olivia for allowing me to peek into this book as an early copy. Thank you!! ☺️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2025
I really wanted to like this. From the dedication to the themes the author presented, I wanted to read this sort badly and love every but of it. Unfortunately that was not the case. It wasn't the story, it was the writing that ruined it for me.
This is written almost as if its an entire summary of a story and not an actual story. Like this was someone's very rough draft of what they wanted to happen and would go back later to fill out all the details, but then later never happened. It flips constantly back and forth into past and present tense, and is in serious need of a hood editor. That might just be because I read the arc, but I doubt the published version added at least 200 pages more of detail.
It's extremely slow and boring, mostly because of how its written, like I said, like a summary. There's a whole lot of nothing happening except meetings but when stuff does start to happen it lacks intensity because its just glazed by, a quick summary of events that leave you going...wait thats it?
Everything happens so conveniently its ridiculous. You see the entire plot right away, leaving you nothing to really look forward to. There isnt even a climax to this story, just a wrap up of what I already figured out right away. The author writes everything out for you so as the reader you dont need to think or come to your own conclusions about anything. She tells us how everyone else feels and thinks and it all just conviently works in her favor...cause life just works like that apparently.
The relationships were bland. There were no connections between the characters, at least nobe that are felt. We are just told how to feel about everything and we are all just supposed to go along with it. We are dragged along much like Spencer, just along for the ride. The smut was very cringy. Mostly because I felt little connections between the two characters, and the way it was written had me wondering if the authors ever experienced an orgasim in her life. It didn't reflect that way in the book, it had me cringing, rolling my yes and sighing in frustration. Actually the whole story did. Honestly I wanted to DNF this but it was an arc so I pushed through hoping I would like it by the end.
Im sorry I didn't like it, but this is my honest review. 2 stars for the underlying message and theme, but minus the rest because the execution wasn't done well. Thanks to the Author for the arc though...
This is written almost as if its an entire summary of a story and not an actual story. Like this was someone's very rough draft of what they wanted to happen and would go back later to fill out all the details, but then later never happened. It flips constantly back and forth into past and present tense, and is in serious need of a hood editor. That might just be because I read the arc, but I doubt the published version added at least 200 pages more of detail.
It's extremely slow and boring, mostly because of how its written, like I said, like a summary. There's a whole lot of nothing happening except meetings but when stuff does start to happen it lacks intensity because its just glazed by, a quick summary of events that leave you going...wait thats it?
Everything happens so conveniently its ridiculous. You see the entire plot right away, leaving you nothing to really look forward to. There isnt even a climax to this story, just a wrap up of what I already figured out right away. The author writes everything out for you so as the reader you dont need to think or come to your own conclusions about anything. She tells us how everyone else feels and thinks and it all just conviently works in her favor...cause life just works like that apparently.
The relationships were bland. There were no connections between the characters, at least nobe that are felt. We are just told how to feel about everything and we are all just supposed to go along with it. We are dragged along much like Spencer, just along for the ride. The smut was very cringy. Mostly because I felt little connections between the two characters, and the way it was written had me wondering if the authors ever experienced an orgasim in her life. It didn't reflect that way in the book, it had me cringing, rolling my yes and sighing in frustration. Actually the whole story did. Honestly I wanted to DNF this but it was an arc so I pushed through hoping I would like it by the end.
Im sorry I didn't like it, but this is my honest review. 2 stars for the underlying message and theme, but minus the rest because the execution wasn't done well. Thanks to the Author for the arc though...
April 19, 2026
I would call this a 3.8 star read.
What worked best: Lyla, our main character. She was easy to root for, and following a heroine trying to navigate power, duty, and love under this much pressure felt like a nice change of pace.
The romantic setup: The sapphic romance really worked, and I appreciated the broader theme of fighting for the right to love freely. It made me think a bit of Jacqueline Carey, particularly in its interest in strong women and the belief that love, in all its forms, is worth fighting for. I especially liked the healthy FFM relationship dynamic, which is still all too rare to find in books. This first book felt more like the beginning of that emotional journey than the full payoff, but it left me invested in where those relationships will go next.
The worldbuilding: The politics, government, and even the economics of the kingdom felt realistic in a way that added real depth to the story. That grounding made the setting feel more layered and gave the stakes more weight.
I thought the book struck an excellent balance between fantasy and romance. There was enough fantasy to keep the world and conflict engaging, and enough romance to keep the emotional thread alive.
Overall, this was a strong start to the series, and I am definitely interested in seeing how both the story and the romance deepen in book two.
What worked best: Lyla, our main character. She was easy to root for, and following a heroine trying to navigate power, duty, and love under this much pressure felt like a nice change of pace.
The romantic setup: The sapphic romance really worked, and I appreciated the broader theme of fighting for the right to love freely. It made me think a bit of Jacqueline Carey, particularly in its interest in strong women and the belief that love, in all its forms, is worth fighting for. I especially liked the healthy FFM relationship dynamic, which is still all too rare to find in books. This first book felt more like the beginning of that emotional journey than the full payoff, but it left me invested in where those relationships will go next.
The worldbuilding: The politics, government, and even the economics of the kingdom felt realistic in a way that added real depth to the story. That grounding made the setting feel more layered and gave the stakes more weight.
I thought the book struck an excellent balance between fantasy and romance. There was enough fantasy to keep the world and conflict engaging, and enough romance to keep the emotional thread alive.
Overall, this was a strong start to the series, and I am definitely interested in seeing how both the story and the romance deepen in book two.
February 26, 2026
The premise of this book is really interesting and the narrative promised to be intriguing. I really did want to like it.
It takes a lot of courage to create something and put it out into the world and for that, the author has my respect. But there appears to have been little to no editing.
Grammatically, the writing comes off as amateurish.
The tense shifts between past and present - sometimes in the same sentence, far too many statements start with “Ok,” and characters and concepts are mentioned in passing with great significance without prior introduction, preamble or any reasoning whatever about why we should, as readers, care.
Contextually, this book reads like a draft of an outline. There is no character development. The two love interests are effectively the same person who blindly follow the protagonist with ardent self-deprecation without any substance or reason. Finally, the premise promises a romantasy, but delivers a series of meetings. All the interesting moments happen elsewhere and the narrative is mainly a strung-together series of dinners, conferences and conclaves in which these other interesting events are relayed from one character to another.
It really is a bummer because I think with proper polish this could have been a good book.
It takes a lot of courage to create something and put it out into the world and for that, the author has my respect. But there appears to have been little to no editing.
Grammatically, the writing comes off as amateurish.
The tense shifts between past and present - sometimes in the same sentence, far too many statements start with “Ok,” and characters and concepts are mentioned in passing with great significance without prior introduction, preamble or any reasoning whatever about why we should, as readers, care.
Contextually, this book reads like a draft of an outline. There is no character development. The two love interests are effectively the same person who blindly follow the protagonist with ardent self-deprecation without any substance or reason. Finally, the premise promises a romantasy, but delivers a series of meetings. All the interesting moments happen elsewhere and the narrative is mainly a strung-together series of dinners, conferences and conclaves in which these other interesting events are relayed from one character to another.
It really is a bummer because I think with proper polish this could have been a good book.
June 16, 2025
*This review includes spoilers*
The story was extremely slow to get into for me. I felt like the details dragged on but the plot did not move forward until over 65% into the book. For the main love interest being Amayra there is so little character build up or inclusion. Also, the MMC is just dragged along and just thrown into the play. I really wish there was more interactions and build up. There were a few grammar errors that caught me off guard. Also, the ending just pops up to climax (again with minimal background info) and then ends.
The positives the book is really sweet and I do like the FMC. She is art and witty without all the excess tantrums many romantasy FMCs have. She has a decent amount of charact growth and I enjoyed following along her story.
I do believe I would give the sequel a chance and read it.
The story was extremely slow to get into for me. I felt like the details dragged on but the plot did not move forward until over 65% into the book. For the main love interest being Amayra there is so little character build up or inclusion. Also, the MMC is just dragged along and just thrown into the play. I really wish there was more interactions and build up. There were a few grammar errors that caught me off guard. Also, the ending just pops up to climax (again with minimal background info) and then ends.
The positives the book is really sweet and I do like the FMC. She is art and witty without all the excess tantrums many romantasy FMCs have. She has a decent amount of charact growth and I enjoyed following along her story.
I do believe I would give the sequel a chance and read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2026
I must talk about how much fun reading this story was. Not only was the world-building and magic system interesting, but we also had fantastic character development. I was a tad nervous when I first started reading about a princess, yet I was immediately put at ease with how she truly was in the story.
Lyla is a wonderful character who continues to grow within the story. Alongside her is a massive cast of characters who all make sense and fit well into the story. I absolutley loved the elements we had between the sapphic romance that built into something much more. Alongside everything else that was amazing, while this was a fantasy story we got so much more political intrigue. From seeing the inside of council meetings to event planning, I loved the attention to detail.
Thank you Oliva, and I cannot wait for book 2!
Lyla is a wonderful character who continues to grow within the story. Alongside her is a massive cast of characters who all make sense and fit well into the story. I absolutley loved the elements we had between the sapphic romance that built into something much more. Alongside everything else that was amazing, while this was a fantasy story we got so much more political intrigue. From seeing the inside of council meetings to event planning, I loved the attention to detail.
Thank you Oliva, and I cannot wait for book 2!
June 20, 2025
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily leaving an honest review. I enjoyed this read however, full disclosure it did take some time for me to get fully invested into it. By the time I got to chapter 12, I was all in and wanted to see how the story ended. I enjoyed it because the world building was nice and easy to understand and follow. Unlike some other novels I have to re-read certain chapters to make sure I understand what the heck is going on. I liked how the relationship between Lyla, Amyra and Spencer evolved. I would have enjoyed a little more oomph in the romance but perhaps we'll get more of that in book 2.
July 7, 2025
If you’re a romantasy lover, this is absolutely worth a try. The worldbuilding is fun and interesting, the subversion of tired tropes is excellent, and the spicy scenes are spicing.
I do wish it had gone through a few more rounds of edits, as the noticeable grammatical errors and lack of certain character and plot development did hinder my enjoyment. But that’s often a genre-wide issue, so this is still a great pick for anybody looking for their next KU romantasy.
I do wish it had gone through a few more rounds of edits, as the noticeable grammatical errors and lack of certain character and plot development did hinder my enjoyment. But that’s often a genre-wide issue, so this is still a great pick for anybody looking for their next KU romantasy.
June 18, 2025
Such a great read! Good world building, character development, and the pacing was good. Grabs you early on and doesn't let go. Definitely a cliffhanger. I only wish there was a little bit more romance and connection with the MMC in this first book, but the romance is still there! Looking forward to reading the next one, I have a feeling the heat will be turned up!
June 25, 2025
I didn’t expect this book to hit me the way it did. The characters felt real, the emotional beats landed, and I was completely pulled into the world. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you after you finish. I can't wait for the next one
July 18, 2025
Wow
I love everything about this story. The lve angle was very well done, with the perfect twist at the end.
I love everything about this story. The lve angle was very well done, with the perfect twist at the end.
June 13, 2025
If you enjoy a story with political plots, rebellion, friendship, and staying true to yourself- then Lyla’s story is for you! Join her on the journey of discovery, growth, and an unexpected rise to power.
May 14, 2025
Such a sweet set of characters who love each other with such passion. When staying true to yourself is what matters most our MMC ensures that happens. From political plotting, to mystery, to loyalty. This book hits all the markers!
May 26, 2025
Great set of characters with plenty of mystery and intrigue, the story immediately pulls you in and sets a pace that you can both keep up with and keep guessing at every turn, I would love a duology of this it's a book that I would love to read again because there is so many good twists!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews