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A Body Not Her Own
Every generation, Eos is reborn. Every generation, she dies at his hand.
The women of Nora are dying. Hunted, for over two hundred years, by an immortal man seeking to kill the Goddess Eos and her reincarnations.
As the current reincarnation, Enid's death was predicted. Being brought back to life wasn't. Caught between the weight of her past lives and her second chance, Enid finds herself tasked with the impossible: kill the Immortal Man and end his violent hundred-year streak before countless more women are slain.
To ensure her survival, she is assigned a bodyguard—the flirty and infuriating Elven woman named Locke—to guard her on her journey and see her assignment through to the end. An ancient rage is simmering under the surface of her skin, demanding blood. Death. Vengeance. Enid only has to stay alive long enough to satiate it.
The women of Nora are dying. Hunted, for over two hundred years, by an immortal man seeking to kill the Goddess Eos and her reincarnations.
As the current reincarnation, Enid's death was predicted. Being brought back to life wasn't. Caught between the weight of her past lives and her second chance, Enid finds herself tasked with the impossible: kill the Immortal Man and end his violent hundred-year streak before countless more women are slain.
To ensure her survival, she is assigned a bodyguard—the flirty and infuriating Elven woman named Locke—to guard her on her journey and see her assignment through to the end. An ancient rage is simmering under the surface of her skin, demanding blood. Death. Vengeance. Enid only has to stay alive long enough to satiate it.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2025
12 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Farren
1 book6 followersEileen Farren is a Southeastern Tennessee novelist, film lover, and historical fashion enthusiast. Raised in the rolling valleys of the Southern Appalachia, she developed a love for reading at a young age, taking home as many books as her school library would allow every week.
After graduating from college with a degree in creative writing, Eileen has combined her interests in gender and women’s studies, historical fashion, writing, and fantasy into the start of a career with her sapphic debut, “A Body Not Her Own".
After graduating from college with a degree in creative writing, Eileen has combined her interests in gender and women’s studies, historical fashion, writing, and fantasy into the start of a career with her sapphic debut, “A Body Not Her Own".
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 10, 2025
Thanks so much to the author, Eileen Farren, for providing me with a pre-ARC copy.
All thoughts/opinions in this review are my own.
✨ Sapphic Adult Fantasy
✨ Third Person
✨ 3/5 Spice Level
✨ Unique Magic System
✨ First in a Series
> micro-tropes and content warnings after review
I am somewhat at a loss for words (in a good way). I was extremely excited to read A Body Not Her Own since a lot of the themes resonated with me. Swore wielding FMC? Yes, please! Feminine rage? Give it to me. I love reading books with strong FMCs.
I really enjoyed the main character, Enid. I appreciated her strength and her strong sense of justice. While there were times I found myself begging Enid not to do the thing she was about to do, I was able to understand where she was coming from and her motivations. Was it always the right choice? Probably not. However her heart was always in it and being able to understand where she was coming from made these choices less frustrating. I really just wanted her to succeed and have all the good things.
The teamwork between the main characters and side characters was great to see. There are so many lovable characters within this book. At a certain point, the characters split off into several groups and the chapters start to switch between each of these story arcs which I quite liked. I was flipping pages wanting to find out what happened next and felt very invested.
I love the romance between Enid and Locke. It starts as a one night stand, and of course feelings start to grow. But the flirtation between them is great, and I love their dynamic. There is absolutely a touch her and die theme, but at the same time there is this dynamic of them working together and helping each other (as opposed to the damsel in distress dynamic). I thought this dynamic was refreshing and made for a very enjoyable romance.
On a fundamental level, the writing is solid. This is Eileen’s debut novel, but it is clear she knows what she’s doing and is well versed in writing. The pacing of the story worked well for me, especially since there will be a second book.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say when I finished A Body Not Her Own I immediately had to tell everyone about it. I felt so strongly that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, and I am looking forward to the second book to see where the story goes. I cannot wait to see what Eileen does next on this and other projects in the future. I highly recommend A Body Not Her Own if you’re a fan of fantasy, strong (sword wielding) FMCs, feminine rage, and unique magic systems.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Micro-tropes:
✨ Hair washing
✨ A bodyguard just trying her best despite her client
✨ jealousy/possessiveness
✨ “Look at me”
✨ “So eager”
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
de*th, graphic violence, mild g*re, t*rture, m*rder, violence against children, s*xually explicit material, d*smembering, d*semboweling, su*cide/ideation, PTSD/trauma
All thoughts/opinions in this review are my own.
✨ Sapphic Adult Fantasy
✨ Third Person
✨ 3/5 Spice Level
✨ Unique Magic System
✨ First in a Series
> micro-tropes and content warnings after review
I am somewhat at a loss for words (in a good way). I was extremely excited to read A Body Not Her Own since a lot of the themes resonated with me. Swore wielding FMC? Yes, please! Feminine rage? Give it to me. I love reading books with strong FMCs.
I really enjoyed the main character, Enid. I appreciated her strength and her strong sense of justice. While there were times I found myself begging Enid not to do the thing she was about to do, I was able to understand where she was coming from and her motivations. Was it always the right choice? Probably not. However her heart was always in it and being able to understand where she was coming from made these choices less frustrating. I really just wanted her to succeed and have all the good things.
The teamwork between the main characters and side characters was great to see. There are so many lovable characters within this book. At a certain point, the characters split off into several groups and the chapters start to switch between each of these story arcs which I quite liked. I was flipping pages wanting to find out what happened next and felt very invested.
I love the romance between Enid and Locke. It starts as a one night stand, and of course feelings start to grow. But the flirtation between them is great, and I love their dynamic. There is absolutely a touch her and die theme, but at the same time there is this dynamic of them working together and helping each other (as opposed to the damsel in distress dynamic). I thought this dynamic was refreshing and made for a very enjoyable romance.
On a fundamental level, the writing is solid. This is Eileen’s debut novel, but it is clear she knows what she’s doing and is well versed in writing. The pacing of the story worked well for me, especially since there will be a second book.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say when I finished A Body Not Her Own I immediately had to tell everyone about it. I felt so strongly that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, and I am looking forward to the second book to see where the story goes. I cannot wait to see what Eileen does next on this and other projects in the future. I highly recommend A Body Not Her Own if you’re a fan of fantasy, strong (sword wielding) FMCs, feminine rage, and unique magic systems.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Micro-tropes:
✨ Hair washing
✨ A bodyguard just trying her best despite her client
✨ jealousy/possessiveness
✨ “Look at me”
✨ “So eager”
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
de*th, graphic violence, mild g*re, t*rture, m*rder, violence against children, s*xually explicit material, d*smembering, d*semboweling, su*cide/ideation, PTSD/trauma
June 5, 2025
asdfghjkl the ending?! 😱 This has me at the edge of my seat and wanting more
April 20, 2025
«How wonderful and terrifying it was to have someone so close to your heart.»
This was an enjoyable read. We follow Enid the current reincarnation of the goddess Eos who has been hunted by an immortal men for over two hundred years, Enid has known all her life that her destiny is to die at the hands of this man but what she didn’t know was that she was gonna be brought back to life with the mission of finally killing the immortal men and that to ensure her survival she was going to be assigned a bodyguard whose name is Locke.
I found the worldbuilding interesting and I really liked the idea of the hunters and magicians and their different types of magic, we even had necromancers. We also had an ample cast of characters with different points of view which helped to have a better understanding of the world.
The relationship between Enid and Locke was one of my favorite things, their dynamic and how their feelings developed from a one night stand to forever felt natural. In short I definitely recommend this book and look forward to the next book since this was the author debut and I think she’ll only get better from here.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
This was an enjoyable read. We follow Enid the current reincarnation of the goddess Eos who has been hunted by an immortal men for over two hundred years, Enid has known all her life that her destiny is to die at the hands of this man but what she didn’t know was that she was gonna be brought back to life with the mission of finally killing the immortal men and that to ensure her survival she was going to be assigned a bodyguard whose name is Locke.
I found the worldbuilding interesting and I really liked the idea of the hunters and magicians and their different types of magic, we even had necromancers. We also had an ample cast of characters with different points of view which helped to have a better understanding of the world.
The relationship between Enid and Locke was one of my favorite things, their dynamic and how their feelings developed from a one night stand to forever felt natural. In short I definitely recommend this book and look forward to the next book since this was the author debut and I think she’ll only get better from here.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
April 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editting NetGalley Co-Op for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have to open this review by saying I did not finish this book. I got a little over 20% in before I DNF'd. I stopped reading this book because I was having trouble following the storyline. It felt very choppy and like we were RUSHING through the story, which was confusing given that I was only 20% through the book. I at first chalked this up to the main character having just been resurrected (that's gotta do something to you brain), but as it continued in this herky jerky fashion, I found it too much to keep up with. I felt like that first 20% could've been its own story, not crammed into the beginning of this one. I was initially really hooked with the way it started, I was intrigued by Enid's position as a reincarnated god and how we began with her murder (how often does a story start with the main character's murder?? that's NEAT). But from there its just felt like a bunch of loosley connected scenes strung together without much reason. The introduction of Carta felt dropped in and unexplained.
The writing style and pacing just isn't for me. I think the concept of this story is really interesting and I hope people as loving the sapphic knight energy. However, it isn't enough to get me past the disjointed structure.
I have to open this review by saying I did not finish this book. I got a little over 20% in before I DNF'd. I stopped reading this book because I was having trouble following the storyline. It felt very choppy and like we were RUSHING through the story, which was confusing given that I was only 20% through the book. I at first chalked this up to the main character having just been resurrected (that's gotta do something to you brain), but as it continued in this herky jerky fashion, I found it too much to keep up with. I felt like that first 20% could've been its own story, not crammed into the beginning of this one. I was initially really hooked with the way it started, I was intrigued by Enid's position as a reincarnated god and how we began with her murder (how often does a story start with the main character's murder?? that's NEAT). But from there its just felt like a bunch of loosley connected scenes strung together without much reason. The introduction of Carta felt dropped in and unexplained.
The writing style and pacing just isn't for me. I think the concept of this story is really interesting and I hope people as loving the sapphic knight energy. However, it isn't enough to get me past the disjointed structure.
April 26, 2025
I really wanted to like this, but it really wasn't a cohesive story. Everything felt rushed, there were too many characters that served no purpose, the romance was underdeveloped, and I couldn't find myself caring about anyone. This was all action, not introspection, no delving into anything deep, and the world-building only muddled up everything more. The magic system was both over-explained and lacking in clarity. The concept was very interesting, but poorly executed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2025
thank you to NetGalley for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.
✨sapphic historical fantasy (1920s)
✨third person
✨feminine rage
✨first in a series
✨ Reincarnated Heroine
in this book we follow enid who is the reincarnation of the goddess Eos and every time she is killed by the same immortal man.
i’ve just finished this and i already can’t wait for the next one. i want to see where the story goes after reading it. kept me hooked from the start:) i loved the romance between Locke and Enid, their dynamic was amazing. i can’t wait to see more of them.i really liked the world building and all the different types of magic and mystical creatures.
✨sapphic historical fantasy (1920s)
✨third person
✨feminine rage
✨first in a series
✨ Reincarnated Heroine
in this book we follow enid who is the reincarnation of the goddess Eos and every time she is killed by the same immortal man.
i’ve just finished this and i already can’t wait for the next one. i want to see where the story goes after reading it. kept me hooked from the start:) i loved the romance between Locke and Enid, their dynamic was amazing. i can’t wait to see more of them.i really liked the world building and all the different types of magic and mystical creatures.
May 18, 2025
this book was such an interesting and unique concept I couldn't wait to read it and it didn't disappoint especially starting the story with our main character's death.
the world building was a bit hard to follow at first since I couldn't properly visualize the setting from mentions of both 1920s vibes and also skyscrapers??(after that I just imagined the towns like altissia lol) but once you get more in the story it gets easier to follow the actual concept of what the author was going for. and for the politics, it is well written as well and its definitely something to get a good grasp on throughout the story for later, I especially enjoyed the branches of necromancy and hope we can see more about different magic types in more depth.
the character were great, likeable and without feeling dull plus I liked how some of their past can be seen through how a part of them acts.
and without spoiling, the ending was unexpected and had me blankly staring at 'the end' page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
the world building was a bit hard to follow at first since I couldn't properly visualize the setting from mentions of both 1920s vibes and also skyscrapers??(after that I just imagined the towns like altissia lol) but once you get more in the story it gets easier to follow the actual concept of what the author was going for. and for the politics, it is well written as well and its definitely something to get a good grasp on throughout the story for later, I especially enjoyed the branches of necromancy and hope we can see more about different magic types in more depth.
the character were great, likeable and without feeling dull plus I liked how some of their past can be seen through how a part of them acts.
and without spoiling, the ending was unexpected and had me blankly staring at 'the end' page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
A Body Not Her Own is a rather darker, adult debut fantasy book, about a woman, who's hunted for being a reincarnation of the Goddess, Eos.
The base idea of this book is really good:
🗡️ A goddess reincarnated, being hunted for hundreds of years
🗡️ Female rage
🗡️ Elemental magic
🗡️ Sapphic romance sub-plot
🗡️ Magicians, necromancers, monsters
I genuinely liked the characters and the way they connected. But at the same time, I kept wishing we got to see more of that journey, more little moments showing how they built that closeness, how their bond grew over time. It would've made their relationships feel even more meaningful.
The magic system is based on elemental magic with different sub categories, which is really interesting, with a little more work the this system could have been even more awesome. I missed reading a little bit more about this topic, for example what determinates your magic powers, what The Great River is, how's magic used etc.
The story itself is actually fun and enjoyable i didn't have a hard time picking the book up. Even though there were some pacing issues and a few parts that were a bit hard to follow, it still managed to keep me engaged overall.
Locke's and Enid's relationship is nice, would have enjoyed to see more of them, see more interaction between them, how their one night stand (more multiple nights) turned into the love they ended up sharing.
The book let me want to know/learn more about Eos, the reincarnation (the hows, the whys), her relationship with Tithonus, about the magic system and about the characters.
A Body Not Her Own is a rather darker, adult debut fantasy book, about a woman, who's hunted for being a reincarnation of the Goddess, Eos.
The base idea of this book is really good:
🗡️ A goddess reincarnated, being hunted for hundreds of years
🗡️ Female rage
🗡️ Elemental magic
🗡️ Sapphic romance sub-plot
🗡️ Magicians, necromancers, monsters
I genuinely liked the characters and the way they connected. But at the same time, I kept wishing we got to see more of that journey, more little moments showing how they built that closeness, how their bond grew over time. It would've made their relationships feel even more meaningful.
The magic system is based on elemental magic with different sub categories, which is really interesting, with a little more work the this system could have been even more awesome. I missed reading a little bit more about this topic, for example what determinates your magic powers, what The Great River is, how's magic used etc.
The story itself is actually fun and enjoyable i didn't have a hard time picking the book up. Even though there were some pacing issues and a few parts that were a bit hard to follow, it still managed to keep me engaged overall.
Locke's and Enid's relationship is nice, would have enjoyed to see more of them, see more interaction between them, how their one night stand (more multiple nights) turned into the love they ended up sharing.
The book let me want to know/learn more about Eos, the reincarnation (the hows, the whys), her relationship with Tithonus, about the magic system and about the characters.
April 28, 2025
Thank you to Victory Editing for the opportunity of reading this ARC!
I was really drawn into the premise: a reincarnated goddess, various elemental magics, and a sapphic romance on top - but unfortunately, I found the execution lacking. It was all a bit underdeveloped and difficult to connect with, and I would dare say (although who am I to say) this isn't ready for publication in it's current state. The 2 stars is a round up for the sheer potential - and could easily be a 5 if given a rework.
The pacing, character development and worldbuilding all felt very shallow. I often found myself confused by the setting: at times it's giving medieval fantasy (swords, small villages you can hide away in, ancient gods) but then there are modern elements thrown in (phones, vehicles, guns, cities) without any explanation. The overall world didn't feel cohesive and I found it very hard to picture, let alone become immersed in.
The FMC being a Goddess reincarnated, despite being the story's main focus point, is also incredibly unclear. It's given to us as a reincarnation, yet it feels more like the FMC is a "chosen one" rather than the Goddess herself. It is not explained what happens when the Goddess "awakens" - are they meant to be the same person, or separate entities? Does the FMC lose control of herself and the Goddess move in and take over? (Although, FMC has very little personality or distinct traits to speak of as is, so if this would be a detraction I'm not sure!) She doesn't seem to have any bonus powers or anything, just labelled to die? Considering it is the main premise of the book, a bit more explanation would go a long way.
We are also introduced to a wide range of characters very quickly, and the story starts splitting into their POV's and side quests before we are even given a chance to be interested in them. The way it jumps between them, and their lack of depth, made it incredibly hard to stay emotionally invested, and really distracted from the actual goal of the book for no payoff.
The romance is also rushed through - bearing in mind the short duration of the main arc (about 2 months if I remember) between the duration and the skipping POVs, the dynamic doesn't have time to develop naturally, and the love doesn't seem genuine. It would have been wonderful to have more breathing space for the casual side of things, I think it could have been a fun dynamic to grow with, and would have made it more compelling and enjoyable given the chance.
The magic system is interesting enough, different elements and mastery of aspects of it gave me "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vibes - with the addition of Necromancy. However, the spectrum of abilities titled under "necromancy" is broad and I wonder if they really work under that title - foreseeing people's demise, and healing don't feel very necromancy? I feel there is a more appropriate label out there for it. Again, some more clear definitions and background around the magic system would really benefit the book. Like who gets what powers and how, does everyone have powers or are there normies too?
There were also a fair number of inconsistencies and grammatical issues (including tense shifts, incorrect words, spelling and what not) that disrupted the flow of reading, although I recognise this is not a finalised version, it contributed to the sense of needing another round of edits.
I do genuinely really appreciate what the book attempts to be - a diverse, sapphic, mythic, epic fantasy - but it would really benefit from a more in-depth worldbuilding, clearer character arcs and overall a bit more polish and such, it could be incredible.
Thanks again for the ARC, I really hope this gets the chance to become what it has the potential to be.
I was really drawn into the premise: a reincarnated goddess, various elemental magics, and a sapphic romance on top - but unfortunately, I found the execution lacking. It was all a bit underdeveloped and difficult to connect with, and I would dare say (although who am I to say) this isn't ready for publication in it's current state. The 2 stars is a round up for the sheer potential - and could easily be a 5 if given a rework.
The pacing, character development and worldbuilding all felt very shallow. I often found myself confused by the setting: at times it's giving medieval fantasy (swords, small villages you can hide away in, ancient gods) but then there are modern elements thrown in (phones, vehicles, guns, cities) without any explanation. The overall world didn't feel cohesive and I found it very hard to picture, let alone become immersed in.
The FMC being a Goddess reincarnated, despite being the story's main focus point, is also incredibly unclear. It's given to us as a reincarnation, yet it feels more like the FMC is a "chosen one" rather than the Goddess herself. It is not explained what happens when the Goddess "awakens" - are they meant to be the same person, or separate entities? Does the FMC lose control of herself and the Goddess move in and take over? (Although, FMC has very little personality or distinct traits to speak of as is, so if this would be a detraction I'm not sure!) She doesn't seem to have any bonus powers or anything, just labelled to die? Considering it is the main premise of the book, a bit more explanation would go a long way.
We are also introduced to a wide range of characters very quickly, and the story starts splitting into their POV's and side quests before we are even given a chance to be interested in them. The way it jumps between them, and their lack of depth, made it incredibly hard to stay emotionally invested, and really distracted from the actual goal of the book for no payoff.
The romance is also rushed through - bearing in mind the short duration of the main arc (about 2 months if I remember) between the duration and the skipping POVs, the dynamic doesn't have time to develop naturally, and the love doesn't seem genuine. It would have been wonderful to have more breathing space for the casual side of things, I think it could have been a fun dynamic to grow with, and would have made it more compelling and enjoyable given the chance.
The magic system is interesting enough, different elements and mastery of aspects of it gave me "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vibes - with the addition of Necromancy. However, the spectrum of abilities titled under "necromancy" is broad and I wonder if they really work under that title - foreseeing people's demise, and healing don't feel very necromancy? I feel there is a more appropriate label out there for it. Again, some more clear definitions and background around the magic system would really benefit the book. Like who gets what powers and how, does everyone have powers or are there normies too?
There were also a fair number of inconsistencies and grammatical issues (including tense shifts, incorrect words, spelling and what not) that disrupted the flow of reading, although I recognise this is not a finalised version, it contributed to the sense of needing another round of edits.
I do genuinely really appreciate what the book attempts to be - a diverse, sapphic, mythic, epic fantasy - but it would really benefit from a more in-depth worldbuilding, clearer character arcs and overall a bit more polish and such, it could be incredible.
Thanks again for the ARC, I really hope this gets the chance to become what it has the potential to be.
April 22, 2025
This book was not ready to be published. The vast majority of my critiques are going to circle back to this central point.
We follow Enid, a woman who is the reincarnation of the goddess of magic Eos. In every incarnation she is killed by the same man, however following her murder Enid is raised by a necromancer and set a task: kill her hunter and end the cycle. We then spend the rest of the book on an unrelated fetch quest, answering none of my many many questions about this interesting premise.
I really struggled with the world of this book. Having read the entire thing, I still don't understand what is meant by 'goddess'. Eos doesn't seem to be actively worshiped by anybody, she is not immortal (as evidenced by her repeated murders), and if she has magic or power it is not explained how it differs from other magic users. This is emblematic of the world building in this story. I was 100 pages into this book before I realized there were non-human characters (elves, orcs, etc). I have finished the entire thing and I still don't understand the magic system (there are elemental magics, but also necromancy, except 2/3 of the necromancers don't do necromancy? One of the necromancers summons a demon to tell the future? Enid accesses her magic by calling on 'the great river', but it is not explained if this is unique to her because she is a water worker, or if it is Eos, or if this is how everybody accesses magic?). There are many countries, but I fundamentally don't understand how they relate to one another. There appear to be multiple governing bodies, but I don't understand how they relate to one another either. Additionally the time period felt uncanny. Enid fights with a sword, people seem to travel via horseback, and most people are referred to as 'My Lady, My Lord', all indicating a standard vaguely Arthurian medieval fantasy setting. However, every once in a while they reference early 20th century technology (radios, headphones, gaslamps, electricity, telephones). The fashions also feel very 20s inspired.
The characters in this story felt under-developed and thin. They were very one dimensional, and I didn't feel connected to them at all. They seemed to make decisions based on plot-convenience, and we were told that they were developing important relationships with one another without that feeling true.
Finally, the structural elements of this book needed at least 3 more passes with an editor. The text was riddled with incomplete sentences, internal contradictions (she was stabbed in the throat, but the knife slid between her ribs?), and concepts being referenced with no context. Pronouns are used very awkwardly throughout the book, with proper names often being used where a pronoun would flow better, or both being abandoned in favour of an epithet (the sword-magician, the waterbearer, the immortal man). These epithets are not referencing unknown characters, but being used interchangeably with the names of known characters, including Enid. In a few memorable scenes, Enid is referred to as 'the sword magician' in the middle of a smut scene. Additionally, chapter and page breaks happen seemingly at random, with a few chapter breaks interrupting the middle of a scene which simply continues at the start of the next chapter.
This book has a interesting premise, but it reads like a first draft that needs a lot more editing before hitting shelves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the digital arc of this book.
We follow Enid, a woman who is the reincarnation of the goddess of magic Eos. In every incarnation she is killed by the same man, however following her murder Enid is raised by a necromancer and set a task: kill her hunter and end the cycle. We then spend the rest of the book on an unrelated fetch quest, answering none of my many many questions about this interesting premise.
I really struggled with the world of this book. Having read the entire thing, I still don't understand what is meant by 'goddess'. Eos doesn't seem to be actively worshiped by anybody, she is not immortal (as evidenced by her repeated murders), and if she has magic or power it is not explained how it differs from other magic users. This is emblematic of the world building in this story. I was 100 pages into this book before I realized there were non-human characters (elves, orcs, etc). I have finished the entire thing and I still don't understand the magic system (there are elemental magics, but also necromancy, except 2/3 of the necromancers don't do necromancy? One of the necromancers summons a demon to tell the future? Enid accesses her magic by calling on 'the great river', but it is not explained if this is unique to her because she is a water worker, or if it is Eos, or if this is how everybody accesses magic?). There are many countries, but I fundamentally don't understand how they relate to one another. There appear to be multiple governing bodies, but I don't understand how they relate to one another either. Additionally the time period felt uncanny. Enid fights with a sword, people seem to travel via horseback, and most people are referred to as 'My Lady, My Lord', all indicating a standard vaguely Arthurian medieval fantasy setting. However, every once in a while they reference early 20th century technology (radios, headphones, gaslamps, electricity, telephones). The fashions also feel very 20s inspired.
The characters in this story felt under-developed and thin. They were very one dimensional, and I didn't feel connected to them at all. They seemed to make decisions based on plot-convenience, and we were told that they were developing important relationships with one another without that feeling true.
Finally, the structural elements of this book needed at least 3 more passes with an editor. The text was riddled with incomplete sentences, internal contradictions (she was stabbed in the throat, but the knife slid between her ribs?), and concepts being referenced with no context. Pronouns are used very awkwardly throughout the book, with proper names often being used where a pronoun would flow better, or both being abandoned in favour of an epithet (the sword-magician, the waterbearer, the immortal man). These epithets are not referencing unknown characters, but being used interchangeably with the names of known characters, including Enid. In a few memorable scenes, Enid is referred to as 'the sword magician' in the middle of a smut scene. Additionally, chapter and page breaks happen seemingly at random, with a few chapter breaks interrupting the middle of a scene which simply continues at the start of the next chapter.
This book has a interesting premise, but it reads like a first draft that needs a lot more editing before hitting shelves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the digital arc of this book.
April 25, 2025
The concept of “A Body Not Her Own” was incredibly intriguing, especially given that the book started with the murder and resurrection of the main character. Though I was initially put off by some editorial flaws in the book, the potential pay-off of the plot kept me reading. Unfortunately, these problems were not really resolved throughout the book, which really would have benefitted from an additional developmental edit and copy-edit.
The prologue alone set me off on the wrong foot. The tone was very casual and conversational, which detracted from the dramatic impact of what was being said. Additionally, there were already problems with past tense and past participle, an absence of necessary punctuation, and inconsistency in capitalisation of fantasy elements (Devil Cat vs devil cat). Some words were just outright used incorrectly, such as “corralled” in the prologue. I totally understand that these issues will occur in an indie published book. But given this book was published by an editing co-op company, I wouldn’t expect to see quite so many errors in the first few pages alone.
The prologue also lacked impact in terms of the plot and the fantasy elements. Regarding the latter, we’re introduced to a fantastical creature called the Devil Cat, which is described simply as a combination of a mountain lion and wild boar. In order to immerse the reader in the world being created, I would have enjoyed more specificity, a vivid description—what elements of the boar does the Devil Cat have as compared to the mountain lion? Regarding the plot, I felt that it felt quite passive, which was a shame because there was an opportunity for more action and tension, which would have hooked the reader more. The interaction between Enid and the Devil Cat has already ended by the time it begins, doing away with all the possibility of tension that would arise from their fight. Such a fight would also establish the perils of the world, as well as Enid as a character capable of defending herself. This missed opportunity exemplifies a recurring problem throughout the book, where the chance to characterise or augment the world/plot was passed over. This is especially important at the beginning of the book, however, which is why I’ve highlighted this instance.
The book felt choppy and rushed, both in its plot, in Enid’s internal life, and the world-building. Her thoughts felt quite disjointed from one another, transitions from one thought to the next not always making obvious sense to the reader. In regards to the plot, scenes lacked fluidity, both in a self-contained manner and from one scene to the next. I was also repeatedly confused by the world-building and the occasional references to 20th century technology (photograph), despite the book having more of a medieval setting.
The last thing I’ll mention is something really trivial, yet I think it exemplifies the carelessness in writing this book. At one point, Enid feeds her sheep intestines from a Devil Cat. Now I’m not saying everyone needs to know off the top of their head that sheep are herbivores, but I feel like this is just something that could have been double-checked, given Enid has a farm. And it’s not said at any point that these are fantastical sheep that eat meat. I wouldn’t say that individually issues like this are a big deal, but recurring errors such as this one can really take the reader out of the story!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book!
The prologue alone set me off on the wrong foot. The tone was very casual and conversational, which detracted from the dramatic impact of what was being said. Additionally, there were already problems with past tense and past participle, an absence of necessary punctuation, and inconsistency in capitalisation of fantasy elements (Devil Cat vs devil cat). Some words were just outright used incorrectly, such as “corralled” in the prologue. I totally understand that these issues will occur in an indie published book. But given this book was published by an editing co-op company, I wouldn’t expect to see quite so many errors in the first few pages alone.
The prologue also lacked impact in terms of the plot and the fantasy elements. Regarding the latter, we’re introduced to a fantastical creature called the Devil Cat, which is described simply as a combination of a mountain lion and wild boar. In order to immerse the reader in the world being created, I would have enjoyed more specificity, a vivid description—what elements of the boar does the Devil Cat have as compared to the mountain lion? Regarding the plot, I felt that it felt quite passive, which was a shame because there was an opportunity for more action and tension, which would have hooked the reader more. The interaction between Enid and the Devil Cat has already ended by the time it begins, doing away with all the possibility of tension that would arise from their fight. Such a fight would also establish the perils of the world, as well as Enid as a character capable of defending herself. This missed opportunity exemplifies a recurring problem throughout the book, where the chance to characterise or augment the world/plot was passed over. This is especially important at the beginning of the book, however, which is why I’ve highlighted this instance.
The book felt choppy and rushed, both in its plot, in Enid’s internal life, and the world-building. Her thoughts felt quite disjointed from one another, transitions from one thought to the next not always making obvious sense to the reader. In regards to the plot, scenes lacked fluidity, both in a self-contained manner and from one scene to the next. I was also repeatedly confused by the world-building and the occasional references to 20th century technology (photograph), despite the book having more of a medieval setting.
The last thing I’ll mention is something really trivial, yet I think it exemplifies the carelessness in writing this book. At one point, Enid feeds her sheep intestines from a Devil Cat. Now I’m not saying everyone needs to know off the top of their head that sheep are herbivores, but I feel like this is just something that could have been double-checked, given Enid has a farm. And it’s not said at any point that these are fantastical sheep that eat meat. I wouldn’t say that individually issues like this are a big deal, but recurring errors such as this one can really take the reader out of the story!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book!
May 9, 2025
This book included so many things I love: sword-wielding sapphics, a unique magic system, and a message about female rage and autonomy. So much about this book was really cool and I had a great time following all of the characters as they navigated monsters, sketchy agencies, necromancy, romance, and the incarnations of goddesses. A fun read that had an interesting tinge of urban-fantasy (or maybe better described as 'bureaucratic fantasy'?) and a lot of female rage.
Locke and Enid were a great couple and I loved their dynamic. Even though the romance in this was only a subplot I thought it was really great and there were lots of interactions between the two that had me super invested. Enid as a main character was really great too, and I thought her sense of justice and bravery was really great.
However, there were a few issues that I had with the pacing and world-building. I know authors can tend to throw too much exposition at the reader at once, but I feel like it's equally easy to go too far the other way and provide too little context, which this book did in my opinion. There were so many moments when I just didn't understand what exactly was going on or this world and society functioned, and it wasn't always clear to me whether the characters knew what was happening either. The world seems super interesting and like I've said I feel like it had an interesting urban-fantasy sense to it, but I just didn't learn enough about it to feel truly immersed or fully enjoy it.
Another problem that stemmed from the limited world-building was that I felt like the plot was often being rushed, especially with the side characters. While I adored Enid and Locke's relationship and thought they were both great characters, this did make it more jarring whenever the POV switched to a character I felt like I didn't know or understand nearly as much. This created issues with the pacing and interrupted the momentum of the story in my opinion.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book! I think it had so many elements that I loved and hinted at so many interesting ideas I would love to revisit and learn more about in the future. It had a very unique world and magic system and, again while I would have liked to understand them a little more, I still had a great time reading about them and liked the way they were written. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy unique fantasy settings and stories, especially with sapphic characters and romance!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this eARC in return for my honest review.
Locke and Enid were a great couple and I loved their dynamic. Even though the romance in this was only a subplot I thought it was really great and there were lots of interactions between the two that had me super invested. Enid as a main character was really great too, and I thought her sense of justice and bravery was really great.
However, there were a few issues that I had with the pacing and world-building. I know authors can tend to throw too much exposition at the reader at once, but I feel like it's equally easy to go too far the other way and provide too little context, which this book did in my opinion. There were so many moments when I just didn't understand what exactly was going on or this world and society functioned, and it wasn't always clear to me whether the characters knew what was happening either. The world seems super interesting and like I've said I feel like it had an interesting urban-fantasy sense to it, but I just didn't learn enough about it to feel truly immersed or fully enjoy it.
Another problem that stemmed from the limited world-building was that I felt like the plot was often being rushed, especially with the side characters. While I adored Enid and Locke's relationship and thought they were both great characters, this did make it more jarring whenever the POV switched to a character I felt like I didn't know or understand nearly as much. This created issues with the pacing and interrupted the momentum of the story in my opinion.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book! I think it had so many elements that I loved and hinted at so many interesting ideas I would love to revisit and learn more about in the future. It had a very unique world and magic system and, again while I would have liked to understand them a little more, I still had a great time reading about them and liked the way they were written. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy unique fantasy settings and stories, especially with sapphic characters and romance!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this eARC in return for my honest review.
May 5, 2025
Thank you to the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this E-Arc, all opinions are my own.
A Body Not Her Own has such interesting story elements but it felt incomplete and as if it was one half of a longer book. In the book we meet Enid a farmer who is not what she seems. She is actually the reincarnation of a killed goddess and has been murdered throughout centuries by the same man.
The world seems to have deep and considerable amount lore but unfortunately, we get bits and pieces but not a larger picture- I do recommend using the glossary and character sheet located in the front and back on the book respectively to help with the world building, it is nicely detailed. The book has an extremely interesting magic system, and I wish we would have gotten more background on it/explanations-learning more about necromancers in particular was one of my favorite details. The characters are lovely and all uniquely standout, but their respective relationships are undeveloped, and I wish we could have seen more interactions.
The story itself progresses a little choppily and I had to stop and reread several times some paragraphs to understand sudden jumps in narration/thoughts. The beginning 1/4 of the book is a little slow but I had a great time with the world building. The last 1/4 felt rushed which was a pity because it had so much potential from all the buildup in the rest of the book/ I wanted answers. Instead, we get a cliff hanger which made me feel somewhat invalidated for reading the whole book as we got teasers of what the background to everything actually is and were left like that.
All that to say I think this series has potential and as I want answers, I will keep my eyes out on any follow up books- I need to know. I would recommend this book if you're into vague but cool magical systems, the story concept itself is compelling, the characters likeable, and the overall mystery will force me and you by extension to pick up the next installment.
A Body Not Her Own has such interesting story elements but it felt incomplete and as if it was one half of a longer book. In the book we meet Enid a farmer who is not what she seems. She is actually the reincarnation of a killed goddess and has been murdered throughout centuries by the same man.
The world seems to have deep and considerable amount lore but unfortunately, we get bits and pieces but not a larger picture- I do recommend using the glossary and character sheet located in the front and back on the book respectively to help with the world building, it is nicely detailed. The book has an extremely interesting magic system, and I wish we would have gotten more background on it/explanations-learning more about necromancers in particular was one of my favorite details. The characters are lovely and all uniquely standout, but their respective relationships are undeveloped, and I wish we could have seen more interactions.
The story itself progresses a little choppily and I had to stop and reread several times some paragraphs to understand sudden jumps in narration/thoughts. The beginning 1/4 of the book is a little slow but I had a great time with the world building. The last 1/4 felt rushed which was a pity because it had so much potential from all the buildup in the rest of the book/ I wanted answers. Instead, we get a cliff hanger which made me feel somewhat invalidated for reading the whole book as we got teasers of what the background to everything actually is and were left like that.
All that to say I think this series has potential and as I want answers, I will keep my eyes out on any follow up books- I need to know. I would recommend this book if you're into vague but cool magical systems, the story concept itself is compelling, the characters likeable, and the overall mystery will force me and you by extension to pick up the next installment.
May 6, 2025
Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me to have a copy through NetGalley.
I was immediately interested in the concept of the story through the brief description I saw on NetGalley. It sounded unique so I was prepared for a deep story with exploration and a book I couldn’t put down, I was right to think this.
We meet Enid at the end of her life but the beginning of her story. We follow her through her adventure of finding the man that ends her life in every new body she inhabits. I like the way Eos is someone totally new, yet somehow seperate from all her other lives. In some ways Eos seemed like a mini possession, living with Enid in her body in the far background rather than her just being Enid which I enjoyed.
This book had amazing writing and a solid plot that kept me unable to put it down. I did find it hard to get into as it felt like a rush of information in the beginning but once I understood the magic system, the roles and the laws of the universe I LOVED it. Eileen is a fantastic writer, the writing style is so well done and you can tell she is amazing at what she does.
I love a found family story and this was such a heart-warming one. Each character was so fleshed out and I couldn’t help but grow attached, Locke being the obvious favourite. I was so immersed in the story I felt like one of the group, they will genuinely always hold a tiny piece of my heart.
I would have rated it higher but the ending just wasn’t for me. It made sense and fit the story, I just wish it were wrapped up in a more satisfying way. I’m assuming there must be another book coming since it ended on a cliff-hanger, which I hate. I will be devastated if I don’t see more of what happens to the characters I have come to love.
I’ll be picking up any books this author writes in future, I guarantee it.
I was immediately interested in the concept of the story through the brief description I saw on NetGalley. It sounded unique so I was prepared for a deep story with exploration and a book I couldn’t put down, I was right to think this.
We meet Enid at the end of her life but the beginning of her story. We follow her through her adventure of finding the man that ends her life in every new body she inhabits. I like the way Eos is someone totally new, yet somehow seperate from all her other lives. In some ways Eos seemed like a mini possession, living with Enid in her body in the far background rather than her just being Enid which I enjoyed.
This book had amazing writing and a solid plot that kept me unable to put it down. I did find it hard to get into as it felt like a rush of information in the beginning but once I understood the magic system, the roles and the laws of the universe I LOVED it. Eileen is a fantastic writer, the writing style is so well done and you can tell she is amazing at what she does.
I love a found family story and this was such a heart-warming one. Each character was so fleshed out and I couldn’t help but grow attached, Locke being the obvious favourite. I was so immersed in the story I felt like one of the group, they will genuinely always hold a tiny piece of my heart.
I would have rated it higher but the ending just wasn’t for me. It made sense and fit the story, I just wish it were wrapped up in a more satisfying way. I’m assuming there must be another book coming since it ended on a cliff-hanger, which I hate. I will be devastated if I don’t see more of what happens to the characters I have come to love.
I’ll be picking up any books this author writes in future, I guarantee it.
May 5, 2025
This is going to be much of the same complaints as other reviewers. The idea itself was intriguing, the execution was not good. Enid is the reincarnation of the goddess Eos, forever doomed to be killed by Tithonus. This in and of itself could have been explored through more flashbacks or really giving us ANY history between the two!! Don't expect any real information before the 75% mark, which to me is not nearly enough.
If there was any depth at all to characters or the story, this would have been at least somewhat enjoyable, but instead we get more dismemberment than I may have ever seen in a book. There are a ton of characters introduced which also means a ton of characters that have no personality or development at all. The romance is the same, boring and unconvincing.
The settings all feels haphazard, the world ranging wildly between no technology to technologically advanced. We are not given much time in any one place to really feel the surroundings. Then there is the magic systems (yeah, multiple??). There is a brief moment around the halfway point that a character asks about magic and we get a 2 sentence explanation followed by that character being like "yeah I don't understand that so I'm not going to ask further" AKA you as the reader shouldn't think too much about it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
If there was any depth at all to characters or the story, this would have been at least somewhat enjoyable, but instead we get more dismemberment than I may have ever seen in a book. There are a ton of characters introduced which also means a ton of characters that have no personality or development at all. The romance is the same, boring and unconvincing.
The settings all feels haphazard, the world ranging wildly between no technology to technologically advanced. We are not given much time in any one place to really feel the surroundings. Then there is the magic systems (yeah, multiple??). There is a brief moment around the halfway point that a character asks about magic and we get a 2 sentence explanation followed by that character being like "yeah I don't understand that so I'm not going to ask further" AKA you as the reader shouldn't think too much about it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review. All opinions are my own.
This story so enthralled me, and the world-building was fantastic. In fantasy, world-building can sometimes feel like a wall of text before the story starts. In this book, world-building is woven into the story. I was never confused or lost. The world is so fascinating; it is set in a 1920s world with a highly regulated magic system. Eileen builds tension beautifully and creates an action-packed story with moments that remain soft and pull at your heartstrings. It was so interesting to watch how magic was treated in this world. The lore is fantastic and so intricate that it leaves you wanting more in the best way. I loved every character we met; they had so much depth to them, and I always wanted to know more about their stories and what was happening with them. I am so excited to learn more about the world and the characters in the sequel. The romance in this book is fantastic. I highlighted many quotes because they made me giggle and kick my feet or scream. The relationship in this book is built so well, and I love them together. Their dynamic is EVERYTHING to me.
🗡️One Night Stand to Lovers
🗡️Revenge
🗡️1920s
🗡️Angry Goddess
🗡️High Fantasy
🗡️Only One Bed
🗡️Sapphic
I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review. All opinions are my own.
This story so enthralled me, and the world-building was fantastic. In fantasy, world-building can sometimes feel like a wall of text before the story starts. In this book, world-building is woven into the story. I was never confused or lost. The world is so fascinating; it is set in a 1920s world with a highly regulated magic system. Eileen builds tension beautifully and creates an action-packed story with moments that remain soft and pull at your heartstrings. It was so interesting to watch how magic was treated in this world. The lore is fantastic and so intricate that it leaves you wanting more in the best way. I loved every character we met; they had so much depth to them, and I always wanted to know more about their stories and what was happening with them. I am so excited to learn more about the world and the characters in the sequel. The romance in this book is fantastic. I highlighted many quotes because they made me giggle and kick my feet or scream. The relationship in this book is built so well, and I love them together. Their dynamic is EVERYTHING to me.
🗡️One Night Stand to Lovers
🗡️Revenge
🗡️1920s
🗡️Angry Goddess
🗡️High Fantasy
🗡️Only One Bed
🗡️Sapphic
April 18, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Body Not Her Own is a sweet and simple romantasy set in a modern-ish world with magic, where gods are real and they can be killed and reincarnated. The focus is of course on the romance between the main character Enid and her bodyguard Locke, but there's some attempts at a bigger worldbuilding. The world feels like a generic fantasy world, not very developed, but the premise of the book is intriguing enough.
The relationship between Enid and Locke grows organically, from a heated one-night-stand to a love that defies all. The two of them have an easy banter that's fun to witness, but there's also drama and more serious moments. I love the bodyguard trope, and the book does not disappoint in that regard, with many istances where Enid has to be protected. But she's not a helpless damsel in distress, on the contrary she can defend herself. Locke on the other hand is the typical grizzled warrior who thinks she cannot have what she wants, and it's fun to see her lower her walls.
The supporting cast is big and varied, and from a specific moment forward we also have a few new povs, which was unexpected and a welcome change. A good number of characters are necromancers, which brings some novelty to the narration.
A Body Not Her Own is a nice debut.
A Body Not Her Own is a sweet and simple romantasy set in a modern-ish world with magic, where gods are real and they can be killed and reincarnated. The focus is of course on the romance between the main character Enid and her bodyguard Locke, but there's some attempts at a bigger worldbuilding. The world feels like a generic fantasy world, not very developed, but the premise of the book is intriguing enough.
The relationship between Enid and Locke grows organically, from a heated one-night-stand to a love that defies all. The two of them have an easy banter that's fun to witness, but there's also drama and more serious moments. I love the bodyguard trope, and the book does not disappoint in that regard, with many istances where Enid has to be protected. But she's not a helpless damsel in distress, on the contrary she can defend herself. Locke on the other hand is the typical grizzled warrior who thinks she cannot have what she wants, and it's fun to see her lower her walls.
The supporting cast is big and varied, and from a specific moment forward we also have a few new povs, which was unexpected and a welcome change. A good number of characters are necromancers, which brings some novelty to the narration.
A Body Not Her Own is a nice debut.
April 26, 2025
This book follows the story of Enid, a reincarnation of the goddess Eos. Every generation a new Eos is born and killed by the ‘immortal man’. When Enid is killed however she is brought back to life by a necromancer who tasks her with killing the immortal man and ending the curse of the Eos women. Enid begins this journey with her Elven guard Locke.
I mostly enjoyed this story, I thought the main premise of Eos was a unique one and I’ve not read a story like this before. The lore behind this was explained well and explored throughout. The magic system is different but could have been explained better, I didn’t realise there were different magical beings until about 15% in. It wasn’t too clear who could or would not do certain things and I wish Enid’s magic was explained a little more: was the river a unique thing to her, or was she just water affiliated?
I particularly enjoyed the 1920s setting and I think the characters were well developed and explored in enough depth that I liked and understood them all.
I loved having a little sapphic knight in shining armour trope and I think the author did Enid and Locke justice in their love story. I would read what this author published next.
I mostly enjoyed this story, I thought the main premise of Eos was a unique one and I’ve not read a story like this before. The lore behind this was explained well and explored throughout. The magic system is different but could have been explained better, I didn’t realise there were different magical beings until about 15% in. It wasn’t too clear who could or would not do certain things and I wish Enid’s magic was explained a little more: was the river a unique thing to her, or was she just water affiliated?
I particularly enjoyed the 1920s setting and I think the characters were well developed and explored in enough depth that I liked and understood them all.
I loved having a little sapphic knight in shining armour trope and I think the author did Enid and Locke justice in their love story. I would read what this author published next.
April 25, 2025
"I'll paint the ground red with your blood," She seethed, a deep viciousness leaking out with every word. "And then I'll do it again. And again. Until nothing is left of you."
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
A Body Not Her Own is a really intriguing fantasy novel about a goddess who is reincarnated only to be killed by an immortal man — but Enid, the most recent reincarnation of Eos, finally has a chance to stop him for good.
I thought the cast of characters were the real standout part of this book, and the time dedicated to the side characters as well as Enid and Locke made the world feel a lot more fleshed out than other books I've read (plus I'm a sucker for a found family!) And Enid and Locke's relationship was super sweet, I love them both 💕
Unfortunately some of the plot fell a little bit flat for me, as I felt like things were just happening to Enid rather than her being a proactive heroine trying to hunt down this man who very much deserved to die (promise I'm not just salty over That Death 😅), and that made it a little hard for me to get through this.
A solid 3 stars overall though!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
A Body Not Her Own is a really intriguing fantasy novel about a goddess who is reincarnated only to be killed by an immortal man — but Enid, the most recent reincarnation of Eos, finally has a chance to stop him for good.
I thought the cast of characters were the real standout part of this book, and the time dedicated to the side characters as well as Enid and Locke made the world feel a lot more fleshed out than other books I've read (plus I'm a sucker for a found family!) And Enid and Locke's relationship was super sweet, I love them both 💕
Unfortunately some of the plot fell a little bit flat for me, as I felt like things were just happening to Enid rather than her being a proactive heroine trying to hunt down this man who very much deserved to die (promise I'm not just salty over That Death 😅), and that made it a little hard for me to get through this.
A solid 3 stars overall though!
June 19, 2025
I really, really wanted to love this. Sadly, this ended up being subpar for me. The intent was there as I was immediately drawn to the story, but the delivery fell short and there was a lack of detail and organization regarding the magic system and worldbuilding.
I liked the idea of known reincarnation and having to fight against the immortal protagonist with a multitude of characters. There is a pretty in-depth system of magic, religion, and politics which at first amazed me. It became pretty clear that with so much going on with worldbuilding that everything was given half effort. To me it felt like everything was touched on, but nothing was described. I would have loved nothing more than a complete deep dive into all the worldbuilding. Without it the book felt very 2-D and it was hard to immerse myself.
I did enjoy the numerous characters along with their mult pov throughout the story. Each of the characters were entirely unique from their magic to their personalities. My only wish is that the characters were also more developed as I felt nearly no attachment to them reading and wished I learned more about who they were.
I liked the idea of known reincarnation and having to fight against the immortal protagonist with a multitude of characters. There is a pretty in-depth system of magic, religion, and politics which at first amazed me. It became pretty clear that with so much going on with worldbuilding that everything was given half effort. To me it felt like everything was touched on, but nothing was described. I would have loved nothing more than a complete deep dive into all the worldbuilding. Without it the book felt very 2-D and it was hard to immerse myself.
I did enjoy the numerous characters along with their mult pov throughout the story. Each of the characters were entirely unique from their magic to their personalities. My only wish is that the characters were also more developed as I felt nearly no attachment to them reading and wished I learned more about who they were.
April 24, 2025
The idea is great. The FMC, a goddess, dying at the beginning of the book, and being rescued by a necromanser. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this. The beginning introduces us to a world that seems like typical medieval fantasy and they call each other “lord” and “lady” and ride on horses. Later Tobias takes her to other cities which are more representative of modern day with skyscrapers, trains, electricity, radios, headphones and showers. I couldn’t picture the world. The magicians were also described as wearing more outdated clothes (even armour and chainmail) but others wore more modern clothes like short dresses. I could not picture the world at all.
The magic system was also not really refined enough in the beginning. I had no idea why Enid was different from the others and elves and monsters being introduced just seemed very disjointed. The pacing was also weird and some scenes just felt longer than they should have been compared to more important ones.
Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The magic system was also not really refined enough in the beginning. I had no idea why Enid was different from the others and elves and monsters being introduced just seemed very disjointed. The pacing was also weird and some scenes just felt longer than they should have been compared to more important ones.
Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2025
A Body Not Her Own introduces a compelling concept—a reincarnated goddess hunted through centuries, set against a backdrop of elemental magic, necromancy, and sapphic romance. Enid’s journey, resurrected to break a curse, is rich with potential and intriguing lore. However, while the characters and premise shine, the execution falls short. The pacing feels rushed, relationships underdeveloped, and the worldbuilding inconsistent—swinging between medieval fantasy and modern elements without clarity. The magic system, though creative, lacks explanation, leaving core mechanics and character abilities vague. Editorial issues further disrupt the experience. Still, the book’s ambition and representation are commendable, and with more polish and depth, this could evolve into a standout fantasy series.
June 15, 2025
I think the best way that I could describe this book is clunky. Every aspect of it was done in such a disjointed way that made it hard to parse. I found the prologue a baffling way to begin the book when we could have begun with the high octane scene of Enid's death. There's a lot of telling instead of showing which made the reader experience somewhat lackluster. However, I think there are some interesting ideas here specifically the reincarnation plot. I think the concept of being forced into this role of reincarnated goddess and knowing that you will be murdered is so interesting. I'm gonna cut this author some slack because this is her first book and it is self pub. If she gets some more practice under her belt and a really solid developmental editor I think there could be something here.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 20, 2025
This one's for the sapphics!
I LOVE the world-building in this book! It's set in a world where technology is akin to the 1920s, and magic is widespread and highly regulated.
We get to see a lot of the world, but it still feels like there's more to explore (and hopefully we will in the sequel!). The magic system is SO intricate! I got excited every time we met a new magician. There's rich lore encompassing gods, goddesses, demons, and magical beasts, and I really want to learn more!
The romance element is SO sweet! I love the dynamic of the relationship. ❤
If you love fantasy but want something that breaks the mold of dragons and fairies, definitely check this book out!
I LOVE the world-building in this book! It's set in a world where technology is akin to the 1920s, and magic is widespread and highly regulated.
We get to see a lot of the world, but it still feels like there's more to explore (and hopefully we will in the sequel!). The magic system is SO intricate! I got excited every time we met a new magician. There's rich lore encompassing gods, goddesses, demons, and magical beasts, and I really want to learn more!
The romance element is SO sweet! I love the dynamic of the relationship. ❤
If you love fantasy but want something that breaks the mold of dragons and fairies, definitely check this book out!
July 19, 2025
Thank you Netgalley, and Eileen Farren for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
DNF at 50%. This book was so confusing, that even halfway in I still don't understand what is going on. There are so many characters and POV's that I can't keep anything straight. There are a ton of inconsistencies, and barely any worldbuilding. The mix of medieval fantasy and modern was strange, and made it even harder to get into the book.
This was a hard pass for me, and needs some serious editing to make it readable.
DNF at 50%. This book was so confusing, that even halfway in I still don't understand what is going on. There are so many characters and POV's that I can't keep anything straight. There are a ton of inconsistencies, and barely any worldbuilding. The mix of medieval fantasy and modern was strange, and made it even harder to get into the book.
This was a hard pass for me, and needs some serious editing to make it readable.
June 18, 2025
Great concept, I feel like this could have been 2 books, also you get a point in the book then everything starts happening, felt like Eileen was told wrap it up and rushed the end
June 6, 2025
- necromancy
- elemental magic
- adult fantasy
- sapphic subplot
- elves, magicians, monsters
- third person
- hair washing
- reincarnation
An incredibly intriguing concept with sapphic knights in a dungeons & dragon-esque setting where the main character is the reincarnation of a goddess murdered for centuries by the same immortal.
My favourite part was the romance subplot -- which doesn't show up till quite a percentage of the book, and wasn't something I was expecting. There are elements of found family, and the mixture of 1920s tech with magic breaks the regular mould of high fantasy.
However, the introduction of multiple magic systems and characters creates a disconnect -- you can really not connect with a proportion of the characters, and the pacing felt rushed, which is tragic as a good dev edit could have polished away the jarring elements of the story.
- elemental magic
- adult fantasy
- sapphic subplot
- elves, magicians, monsters
- third person
- hair washing
- reincarnation
An incredibly intriguing concept with sapphic knights in a dungeons & dragon-esque setting where the main character is the reincarnation of a goddess murdered for centuries by the same immortal.
My favourite part was the romance subplot -- which doesn't show up till quite a percentage of the book, and wasn't something I was expecting. There are elements of found family, and the mixture of 1920s tech with magic breaks the regular mould of high fantasy.
However, the introduction of multiple magic systems and characters creates a disconnect -- you can really not connect with a proportion of the characters, and the pacing felt rushed, which is tragic as a good dev edit could have polished away the jarring elements of the story.
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