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Green & Deadly Things
For fans of S.A. Chakraborty, Robin Hobb, and Martha Wells's Witch King, a page-turning standalone fantasy of necromancy and magical mayhem from Jenn Lyons, the acclaimed author of The Ruin of Kings.
Centuries ago, necromancy almost destroyed the world. That’s how history remembers it.
History remembers it wrong.
Mathaiik has trained all his life to join the sacred order of the Idallik Knights, charged with defending their world from the forces of necromancy. Only vestiges of that cursed magic remain, nothing like the fabled days of the Grim Lords, the undead wizards who once nearly destroyed the world.
But when an even stranger kind of monster begins to wake, the Knights quickly prove powerless to stop them. Whole forests are coming alive and devouring anyone so foolish as to trespass, as if the land itself has turned upon humanity.
It’s a good thing, then, that the Grim Lords were never truly destroyed. One of their number sleeps below the Knights' very fortress. And when an army of twisted tree monsters attacks the young initiates in his charge, Math decides to do the unthinkable: he wakes her up.
This is only the beginning of his problems. Because said necromancer, Kaiataris, knows something history has forgotten. The threat of this wild magic is part of a cycle that has repeated countless times–life after death, chaos after order. And if she and Math can’t find a new way to balance the scales, this won't just be the end of the world as they know it, but the end of all life, everywhere.
Centuries ago, necromancy almost destroyed the world. That’s how history remembers it.
History remembers it wrong.
Mathaiik has trained all his life to join the sacred order of the Idallik Knights, charged with defending their world from the forces of necromancy. Only vestiges of that cursed magic remain, nothing like the fabled days of the Grim Lords, the undead wizards who once nearly destroyed the world.
But when an even stranger kind of monster begins to wake, the Knights quickly prove powerless to stop them. Whole forests are coming alive and devouring anyone so foolish as to trespass, as if the land itself has turned upon humanity.
It’s a good thing, then, that the Grim Lords were never truly destroyed. One of their number sleeps below the Knights' very fortress. And when an army of twisted tree monsters attacks the young initiates in his charge, Math decides to do the unthinkable: he wakes her up.
This is only the beginning of his problems. Because said necromancer, Kaiataris, knows something history has forgotten. The threat of this wild magic is part of a cycle that has repeated countless times–life after death, chaos after order. And if she and Math can’t find a new way to balance the scales, this won't just be the end of the world as they know it, but the end of all life, everywhere.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2026
152 people are currently reading
16219 people want to read
About the author
Jenn Lyons
17 books1,687 followersJenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, three cats, and a lot of opinions on anything from the Sumerian creation myths to the correct way to make a martini. At various points in her life, she has wanted to be an archaeologist, anthropologist, architect, diamond cutter, fashion illustrator, graphic designer, or Batman. Turning from such obvious trades, she is now a video game producer by day, and spends her evenings writing science fiction and fantasy. When not writing, she can be founding debating the Oxford comma and Joss Whedon’s oeuvre at various local coffee shops.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
March 25, 2026
I was super thrilled when I started reading about magical knights fighting plant monsters, but then this turned into something else entirely and all my initial intrigue quickly vanished. I really was so hooked when a bunch of trees slaughtered a whole lot of lumberjacks in the first chapter and also when I learned that the main character is strangely connected to plants himself. You see, 22-year-old Mathaiik is sprouting plants from his body since he was a child, and no, that isn't a normal thing in this world. It's also not normal that he has magical powers but never rose above the rank of novitiate in the order of knights where he trains to fight undead beasts. He once showed great potential but is now considered a failure, but you can't fool me there: I recognize a special snowflake protagonist when I see one. Somehow the cool beginning turned into a story where everyone and their mother is after Mathaiik, because he got super important all of a sudden. Early on he solves a great mystery of the world by going to the library once and then he gets wrapped up with a 1400-year-old possibly evil necromancer lady. Don't get too excited about that description, because she simply reads like a teenage girl. And I couldn't shake the feeling that she reads like a teenage girl written by a man, even though Jenn Lyons is a female author. I lowkey hated her relationship with Math, because why were they playing a married couple and talking all suggestively after knowing each other for a single day? And don't get me started on one of the most out of place sex scenes that I have ever read. I was suddenly hit with descriptive smut. In a cemetery of all places. I ended up disliking every single character in this book. Because of that everything else was a hard sell too. I liked that the book was so action-heavy, but the character-focused moments in between the gory fights quickly lost me again. The story is set in an interesting world, but I didn't care about the characters exploring it. I just had a hard time with this book. I think I would have liked it more if the author had taken more time to explain everything better and to set certain things up in a proper way. Which is so ironic to me, considering that the books in Jenn Lyon's A Chorus of Dragons series are all huge. Overall, I really don't have much to say about this book. Not even the plant body horror saved it for me. It will not stay on my mind and I also can't recommend it as an entry point to the author's works. 2.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2026
3.75 🌟
This was a great stand alone! If you are looking for a story that feels like an epic fantasy but you don't want to commit to a big series, than this one is definitely for you!
The worldbuilding felt super magical en was filled with epic creatures, knights and an unique magical system. I felt instantly captivated by the characters and was really excited to see were the story was going.
The story was a bit predictable, I must say. About half way I could easily see how the story was going to end. But that didn't really matter for me. I still enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan publishing for this ARC! 💚💚
This was a great stand alone! If you are looking for a story that feels like an epic fantasy but you don't want to commit to a big series, than this one is definitely for you!
The worldbuilding felt super magical en was filled with epic creatures, knights and an unique magical system. I felt instantly captivated by the characters and was really excited to see were the story was going.
The story was a bit predictable, I must say. About half way I could easily see how the story was going to end. But that didn't really matter for me. I still enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan publishing for this ARC! 💚💚
March 1, 2026
Green & Deadly Things has a lot of jenny’s favorite things… Botanical magic, necromancy, a quest, and a yearn-y romance. Plus an interesting world with complicated political dynamics.
I had a good time with this book. The audiobook is phenomenal and probably (at least partly) responsible for my overall enjoyment of this book. A good audiobook can really take an OK book and make it great imho.
I actually read the first 37% of this book 2x. I was, admittedly, multitasking while listening and (notsoquickly) realized I was completely lost. I restarted the book, and you’d think listening a 2nd time would = boring, but nope. The audiobook performance makes it impossible not to be into this book (in the moment). (confession: I was still a little lost on the 2nd read) This is a “trust the process and enjoy the ride” kinda book.
All that said, I don’t think this is one that will stay with me. More of a—great in the moment—book.
If you’re a fan of a good audiobook, a yearn-y man, and don’t mind a slower plot, and being a bit confused at first, you might enjoy this one!
Also… it is single POV from the male’s perspective (& an m/f romance) and that was kinda fun? definitely different than what I’m used to!
Audiobook: 5/5 | Narrator: Torian Brackett | Length: 15 hrs 26 mins
I absolutely loved this narrator! His inflection and overall performance was top tier. I really enjoyed the variety of voices for the different characters and especially his ability to nail a BELIEVABLE female voice. The audiobook made this such an easy and enjoyable reading experience! The pace & pausing were perfect!
4⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to Tor & Macmillian Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I had a good time with this book. The audiobook is phenomenal and probably (at least partly) responsible for my overall enjoyment of this book. A good audiobook can really take an OK book and make it great imho.
I actually read the first 37% of this book 2x. I was, admittedly, multitasking while listening and (notsoquickly) realized I was completely lost. I restarted the book, and you’d think listening a 2nd time would = boring, but nope. The audiobook performance makes it impossible not to be into this book (in the moment). (confession: I was still a little lost on the 2nd read) This is a “trust the process and enjoy the ride” kinda book.
All that said, I don’t think this is one that will stay with me. More of a—great in the moment—book.
If you’re a fan of a good audiobook, a yearn-y man, and don’t mind a slower plot, and being a bit confused at first, you might enjoy this one!
Also… it is single POV from the male’s perspective (& an m/f romance) and that was kinda fun? definitely different than what I’m used to!
Audiobook: 5/5 | Narrator: Torian Brackett | Length: 15 hrs 26 mins
I absolutely loved this narrator! His inflection and overall performance was top tier. I really enjoyed the variety of voices for the different characters and especially his ability to nail a BELIEVABLE female voice. The audiobook made this such an easy and enjoyable reading experience! The pace & pausing were perfect!
4⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to Tor & Macmillian Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This review was originally published on Grimdark Magazine
Now, I will admit that I went into Green & Deadly Things with deadly high expectations, not only because of its killer premise, but also because Jenn Lyons is the author who gave me A Chorus of Dragons, which will forever live rent free in my heart and soul. This time, we get necromancers, a holy knight school, sentient killer trees, and the promise that history got it all wrong. On paper, this is the stuff I want injected into my veins, but in reality, it is just… aggressively fine, which somehow hurts even worse than if it had been a total trainwreck.
To give credit where it is due, Green & Deadly Things opens strong. A plant zombie attack at a magical knight academy is a bold introduction, and the early chaos is immediate and cinematic. The forests awakening and devouring the faithful have me genuine horror energy, and if you enjoy fantasy that hits the ground running and never looks back, this absolutely delivers. For me, though, the relentless pace came at the expense of emotional investment, and I soon found myself yearning for something to hook me beyond just the cool factor of it all.
It definitely helped that we got to experience this all through Mathaiik’s eyes though, who instantly gave me disaster golden boy knight energy. He is raised within the rigid doctrine of the Idallik Knights, trained to believe necromancy nearly ended the world and must never rise again, only to be confronted with the fact that history may have lied. I found his internal conflict quite compelling, especially as his magic and personal trauma started to intersect with a much older cycle of destruction. I do have to say that I felt like Lyons was going for more depth than I felt, and I just kept waiting for that gut punch moment where it would all click.
Enter Kaiataris, one of the allegedly destroyed Grim Lords, who has been napping under the fortress like a very dangerous secret. The second Math reawakened her, the book significantly improved for me, and their dynamic quickly became the highlight of Green & Deadly Things for me. I mean, an ancient necromancer with sharp edges, dry authority, and inconvenient truths accidentally becoming magically linked with a devout young knight just screams tension, and when Lyons allows them space to talk rather than fight, I was completely locked in.
Honestly, I just wanted the entire book to slow down and let them be complicated together, but instead we get a romance that goes from zero to soul bound in what feels like a long weekend. Even with the magical bond and high stakes, their level of eternal devotion on a one-week turnaround just gave me emotional whiplash and did not feel earned. They also often read younger than the gravity of their roles demands, and I felt like that really undercut what could have been a far more layered connection. In my opinion, a slower burn would have really amplified the tragedy and the intimacy, and all things are better with more yearning if you ask me.
Still, you cannot accuse Lyons of lacking imagination, and just as when I read The Sky on Fire, I am utterly in awe of how much she packed into such a tight standalone story. The sentient necromancy plant magic is grotesque and gorgeous, the horror imagery is dark and unsettling, the lore is surprisingly rich, and the concept of cyclical catastrophe gives the story an almost mythic scope. Also, I loved that the queer-normativity in Green & Deadly Things is handled with the same effortless confidence Lyons has shown before, because I will always value that.
Moreover, Lyons sure knows how to keep you on your toes, and every time I was flirting with the idea of putting the book down, I found myself getting pulled back in by a new little twist or intriguing bit of foreshadowing. There is also no denying that the thematic resolution has bite and that the final revelations land with satisfying brutality, and I effortlessly blasted through the last half of Green & Deadly Things in one afternoon. Although I don’t know if that really counts as praise, because I honestly have to admit that I am not sure if I devoured it out of pure excitement or out of a wish for it to be over already.
Ultimately, I can’t really say if it was a book problem or a me-problem, but I just did not enjoy Green & Deadly Things as much as I desperately wanted to. That said, I still love Jenn Lyons and I will absolutely read whatever else comes out of her scarily imaginative and wildly ambitious mind. This might not have been the perfect fit for my slow-burn loving heart, but if you like the sound of a fast-paced and darkly fun standalone fantasy adventure with strong ideas, twisted greenery, and a romantic core, I would definitely give this one a shot.
Thank you to Tor UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Green & Deadly Things is scheduled for release on 5 March 2026.
Now, I will admit that I went into Green & Deadly Things with deadly high expectations, not only because of its killer premise, but also because Jenn Lyons is the author who gave me A Chorus of Dragons, which will forever live rent free in my heart and soul. This time, we get necromancers, a holy knight school, sentient killer trees, and the promise that history got it all wrong. On paper, this is the stuff I want injected into my veins, but in reality, it is just… aggressively fine, which somehow hurts even worse than if it had been a total trainwreck.
To give credit where it is due, Green & Deadly Things opens strong. A plant zombie attack at a magical knight academy is a bold introduction, and the early chaos is immediate and cinematic. The forests awakening and devouring the faithful have me genuine horror energy, and if you enjoy fantasy that hits the ground running and never looks back, this absolutely delivers. For me, though, the relentless pace came at the expense of emotional investment, and I soon found myself yearning for something to hook me beyond just the cool factor of it all.
It definitely helped that we got to experience this all through Mathaiik’s eyes though, who instantly gave me disaster golden boy knight energy. He is raised within the rigid doctrine of the Idallik Knights, trained to believe necromancy nearly ended the world and must never rise again, only to be confronted with the fact that history may have lied. I found his internal conflict quite compelling, especially as his magic and personal trauma started to intersect with a much older cycle of destruction. I do have to say that I felt like Lyons was going for more depth than I felt, and I just kept waiting for that gut punch moment where it would all click.
Enter Kaiataris, one of the allegedly destroyed Grim Lords, who has been napping under the fortress like a very dangerous secret. The second Math reawakened her, the book significantly improved for me, and their dynamic quickly became the highlight of Green & Deadly Things for me. I mean, an ancient necromancer with sharp edges, dry authority, and inconvenient truths accidentally becoming magically linked with a devout young knight just screams tension, and when Lyons allows them space to talk rather than fight, I was completely locked in.
Honestly, I just wanted the entire book to slow down and let them be complicated together, but instead we get a romance that goes from zero to soul bound in what feels like a long weekend. Even with the magical bond and high stakes, their level of eternal devotion on a one-week turnaround just gave me emotional whiplash and did not feel earned. They also often read younger than the gravity of their roles demands, and I felt like that really undercut what could have been a far more layered connection. In my opinion, a slower burn would have really amplified the tragedy and the intimacy, and all things are better with more yearning if you ask me.
Still, you cannot accuse Lyons of lacking imagination, and just as when I read The Sky on Fire, I am utterly in awe of how much she packed into such a tight standalone story. The sentient necromancy plant magic is grotesque and gorgeous, the horror imagery is dark and unsettling, the lore is surprisingly rich, and the concept of cyclical catastrophe gives the story an almost mythic scope. Also, I loved that the queer-normativity in Green & Deadly Things is handled with the same effortless confidence Lyons has shown before, because I will always value that.
Moreover, Lyons sure knows how to keep you on your toes, and every time I was flirting with the idea of putting the book down, I found myself getting pulled back in by a new little twist or intriguing bit of foreshadowing. There is also no denying that the thematic resolution has bite and that the final revelations land with satisfying brutality, and I effortlessly blasted through the last half of Green & Deadly Things in one afternoon. Although I don’t know if that really counts as praise, because I honestly have to admit that I am not sure if I devoured it out of pure excitement or out of a wish for it to be over already.
Ultimately, I can’t really say if it was a book problem or a me-problem, but I just did not enjoy Green & Deadly Things as much as I desperately wanted to. That said, I still love Jenn Lyons and I will absolutely read whatever else comes out of her scarily imaginative and wildly ambitious mind. This might not have been the perfect fit for my slow-burn loving heart, but if you like the sound of a fast-paced and darkly fun standalone fantasy adventure with strong ideas, twisted greenery, and a romantic core, I would definitely give this one a shot.
Thank you to Tor UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Green & Deadly Things is scheduled for release on 5 March 2026.
March 6, 2026
4.0 Stars
As someone who binged through the Chorus of Dragons program, I was eager to read a new fantasy story but this author. This is a separate plot but has some familiar similarities.
Once again, Lyon writes a story filled with unique characters, whimsical plots and queer romance. Usually I prefer more epic fantasy with darker themes but this one works because the author was such a good storyteller.
Personally I prefer the author's earlier books but if I got the opportunity to spend more time in this world, I could see this storying growing on me as well.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
As someone who binged through the Chorus of Dragons program, I was eager to read a new fantasy story but this author. This is a separate plot but has some familiar similarities.
Once again, Lyon writes a story filled with unique characters, whimsical plots and queer romance. Usually I prefer more epic fantasy with darker themes but this one works because the author was such a good storyteller.
Personally I prefer the author's earlier books but if I got the opportunity to spend more time in this world, I could see this storying growing on me as well.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Read
February 23, 2026A standalone romantic fantasy with interesting world-building involving necromancy and sentient plants! Green & Deadly Things feels a bit lighter than some of Jenn Lyons other books, but equally unique in terms of ideas for the world and setup.
Mathalik is sworn to an order of celibate knights, but has not been able to fully develop his magic. He's also obsessed with solving the riddle of this ancient maze. But when sentient tree deities are accidentally awakened, he accidentally ends up waking an ancient, powerful woman who legend has painted as a villain. But perhaps history is not what it has been made out to be.
This blends action and romance, with a few twists along the way. The plant magic is creepy and cool. The audio narration is done well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Mathalik is sworn to an order of celibate knights, but has not been able to fully develop his magic. He's also obsessed with solving the riddle of this ancient maze. But when sentient tree deities are accidentally awakened, he accidentally ends up waking an ancient, powerful woman who legend has painted as a villain. But perhaps history is not what it has been made out to be.
This blends action and romance, with a few twists along the way. The plant magic is creepy and cool. The audio narration is done well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
January 31, 2026DNF @ 68%
This had such a cool intro with plant necromancers killing people and turning them into plant zombies. There was a plant zombie attack at a magical knight school. The MMC's nickname was MATH, which honestly, I couldn't get over, but whatever.
The worldbuilding was pretty cool, but it wasn't enough to get me to finish the book. The two MCs read like teens. They go on the run and pretty much all the tropes and cliches that come with two people in forced proximity with each other pop up.
Extremely predictable if you've read novels and watched movies/TV shows about a couple running from the authorities. Pretty boring. Not all that interesting.
After everything in the summary happened, the book turned out to be a lot more older YA than adult. Or I guess it's fair to say that this is the type of book like Mistborn: The Final Empire where both older teens and adults can enjoy. If you're into that type of fantasy novel, then this might be for you.
I DNF'ed The Sky on Fire too, so it might be safe to say that Jenn Lyons isn't the author for me.
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for this arc.
This had such a cool intro with plant necromancers killing people and turning them into plant zombies. There was a plant zombie attack at a magical knight school. The MMC's nickname was MATH, which honestly, I couldn't get over, but whatever.
The worldbuilding was pretty cool, but it wasn't enough to get me to finish the book. The two MCs read like teens. They go on the run and pretty much all the tropes and cliches that come with two people in forced proximity with each other pop up.
Extremely predictable if you've read novels and watched movies/TV shows about a couple running from the authorities. Pretty boring. Not all that interesting.
After everything in the summary happened, the book turned out to be a lot more older YA than adult. Or I guess it's fair to say that this is the type of book like Mistborn: The Final Empire where both older teens and adults can enjoy. If you're into that type of fantasy novel, then this might be for you.
I DNF'ed The Sky on Fire too, so it might be safe to say that Jenn Lyons isn't the author for me.
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for this arc.
Want to Read
March 6, 2026🌿Green & Deadly Things 🌿
Full ARC Review to come! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.
🎧 Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Full ARC Review to come! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.
🎧 Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Did Not Finish
March 25, 2026DNF @ 10%
The tone of this, and the dialogue, are really turning me off. This is probably a soft DNF, I might try to read it with my eyeballs later on, but the audio is only highlighting the stuff I don't appreciate as much about this author's writing.
The tone of this, and the dialogue, are really turning me off. This is probably a soft DNF, I might try to read it with my eyeballs later on, but the audio is only highlighting the stuff I don't appreciate as much about this author's writing.
March 7, 2026
A guy who fails at being a holy knight in desperation allies with a girl who's a 1400yo wizard on a mad dash quest to save the world from immense danger where nobody believes them or tries to exploit the situation for their political gains. Look if it isn't a compilation of my favourite tropes all in one bag!
Mmc, Mathaiik, Math for short, was taken as a child by a holy knight order established to fight "dark magic". They take any child who manifests power, kinda similar to the Jedi Order. Similarly, they have strict rules about controlling emotions and no attachments. Unfortunately, Math isn't doing well in the order, one because he's not very obedient, two because he still didn't learn to summon a magical weapon every knight needs to learn, and three because he specializes in plant magic and one of the bigger enemy faction is a faction of plant people and there's some odd suspicion Math is connected to them...
So generally he's considered a failure at best, a saboteur at worst, and nobody believes him. When his Order's fortress gets attacked by the plant people, Math hides in the dungeons with the Order's children to protect them... and there he finds the Sleeping Beauty, the ancient wizard Kaiataris, who people also suspect of being a necromancer, a grim lord, and generally another "dark magic" enemy. He wakes her up more by accident than intent, despite what the blurb says, which makes his situation worse, i.e. people believe even more he's a traitor and a saboteur.
Shortly, he finds himself on the run with everyone wanting his head, but this is only the beginning of his problems... There's a big magical Order vs Chaos battle going on that could end the world, but somehow nobody really believes it, they'd rather concern themselves with their petty power plays. So Math and Kai are the only people aware the world needs saving, while everybody else tries to hunt them down.
This has all my favourite elements:
✨mmc who's a bit of a failure / underdog, but means well
✨competent fmc who doesn't fold for the mmc, but also isn't a meanie for no reason
✨us against the world
✨epic quest
✨corrupt people in power who serve as an extra obstacle
✨great side characters who feel like people (esp. Math's sister, Tanxi, and Math's childhood rival, Nuzhar)
✨action-packed
✨funny banter (that doesn't fall too far into cringe)
✨complex web of political intrigue and shifting alliances
✨diverse characters without falling into tokenism (Math is bisexual and has a brown shade of skin, Kai is described as Asian-coded, Math's sister, Tanxi, is mentioned to be sapphic) - they're interesting people and their diversity doesn't define them
✨satisfying ending
✨worldbuilding that mixes epic and approachable in perfect amounts
✨magical bond (sharing emotions and pain)
This is a New Adult romantic fantasy standalone. There's one explicit sex scene. Math is 22. Kai was in magical slumber for 1400 years, but she seems young overall. It's 3rd person pov from Math's pov, which feels rare in romantic fantasy, but I've seen it in The Gods Must Burn and The Last Dragon of the East. I think it worked here much better than in the other 2, where also mmc was the "fish out of water through whom the story is explained to the reader" while fmc was "an ancient powerful being". Kai isn't as standoffish or inscrutable as the fmcs in these other 2 books. However, she is cautious and cunning, as befits an ancient being (what I missed in Smoke and Scar where fmc did not feel her age for a 200yo fae).
The attraction between the leads develops pretty fast, even though the characters do put emphasis on how much divides them and agonize whether their relationship is appropriate and even feasible. They share a magical bond that helps justify the speed, because they can be sure what the other one feels. It is also lampshaded in a few scenes where the characters are confronted whether they mistook forced proximity and attraction for love, and whether they know each other enough.
The romance overall was pretty respectful and includes my favourite version of enemies to lovers, which is 2 people from different groups / belief systems must work together on a goal, but they don't personally hate one another, only have prejudice / suspicion towards their affiliation. I much more prefer this version of ETL to the other version i.e. "they're hateful or even abusive towards one another, but can't resist their mutual attraction" (which usually leads to hate-lust relationship).
The plot was fast-paced and full of plot twists. The worldbuilding was understandable and robust, albeit slightly over-explained. I'm shocked to see reviews calling it confusing, but I had an equal shock with similar reactions to Queen of Faces. I'm neither familiar with other works of Jenn Lyons to know the world beforehand, nor am I skilled at deciphering complex worldbuilding in epic fantasy, but I found it very clear.
My nitpicks:
- It was very obvious from the moment Math survived the ambush while being transported as a prisoner who was trying to get him killed. It's also an extremely common trope in fantasy these days that the villain is but here I feel Math was unsuspecting for too long.
- Another problem with the villains these days is that often they're very much evil for the sake of evil or "greedy and powerhungry" and nothing more. Rarely they have more complex motivations, or are ambiguous / sympathetic in any way. This was the case here with
- At around 60%, a "mastermind plan" is revealed, at this point I guessed what will mcs do about it, and the solution they arrived at was exactly what I guessed will happen.
- The sex scene was surprisingly lengthy and explicit for a book that isn't very spicy, so it felt tonally jarring. I don't mind any spice level from 0 to full on, but it should match the overall tone of the book.
- The soapbox moment with the lecture about how bullying a trans kid is bad was really too on the nose. And because it happens in chapter 2, it sets a weird mood that it's gonna be a preachy book, which it's not.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and the nitpicks are fairly minor all things combined. The prose flows, the pacing is great, the worldbuilding is interesting, and the characters lovable. I can't believe this is rated at 3.6 currently, there's nothing wrong with this book except, well, all the people complaining it's "too YA" (I seem to be the target audience for all these "too YA" adventure fantasies, like half the Harper Voyager's catalogue... this one is from Tor though.)
I would recommend this book to readers who like new adult / crossover adventure fantasy with a prominent romance plot, which doesn't overshadow the main fantasy plot.
I think the blurbs from Daniel M. Ford and Glen Cook signal the intended vibe of sword & sorcery / adventure fantasy. I don't get the Robin Hobb comp though, I always associate Robin Hobb with sprawling epics that are somewhat depressing in tone. This book is not. S.A. Chakraborty, sure, she writes adventure fantasy and City of Brass is one of more known crossover / new adult titles before the label was even established.
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor UK for the ARC!
Also thanks to Book's Blabbering Cait for putting this on my radar, I initially didn't request the arc because I expected it to be super dark and horroresque, but nope, it's the kind of adventure heroic fantasy I love.
Mmc, Mathaiik, Math for short, was taken as a child by a holy knight order established to fight "dark magic". They take any child who manifests power, kinda similar to the Jedi Order. Similarly, they have strict rules about controlling emotions and no attachments. Unfortunately, Math isn't doing well in the order, one because he's not very obedient, two because he still didn't learn to summon a magical weapon every knight needs to learn, and three because he specializes in plant magic and one of the bigger enemy faction is a faction of plant people and there's some odd suspicion Math is connected to them...
So generally he's considered a failure at best, a saboteur at worst, and nobody believes him. When his Order's fortress gets attacked by the plant people, Math hides in the dungeons with the Order's children to protect them... and there he finds the Sleeping Beauty, the ancient wizard Kaiataris, who people also suspect of being a necromancer, a grim lord, and generally another "dark magic" enemy. He wakes her up more by accident than intent, despite what the blurb says, which makes his situation worse, i.e. people believe even more he's a traitor and a saboteur.
Shortly, he finds himself on the run with everyone wanting his head, but this is only the beginning of his problems... There's a big magical Order vs Chaos battle going on that could end the world, but somehow nobody really believes it, they'd rather concern themselves with their petty power plays. So Math and Kai are the only people aware the world needs saving, while everybody else tries to hunt them down.
This has all my favourite elements:
✨mmc who's a bit of a failure / underdog, but means well
✨competent fmc who doesn't fold for the mmc, but also isn't a meanie for no reason
✨us against the world
✨epic quest
✨corrupt people in power who serve as an extra obstacle
✨great side characters who feel like people (esp. Math's sister, Tanxi, and Math's childhood rival, Nuzhar)
✨action-packed
✨funny banter (that doesn't fall too far into cringe)
✨complex web of political intrigue and shifting alliances
✨diverse characters without falling into tokenism (Math is bisexual and has a brown shade of skin, Kai is described as Asian-coded, Math's sister, Tanxi, is mentioned to be sapphic) - they're interesting people and their diversity doesn't define them
✨satisfying ending
✨worldbuilding that mixes epic and approachable in perfect amounts
✨magical bond (sharing emotions and pain)
This is a New Adult romantic fantasy standalone. There's one explicit sex scene. Math is 22. Kai was in magical slumber for 1400 years, but she seems young overall. It's 3rd person pov from Math's pov, which feels rare in romantic fantasy, but I've seen it in The Gods Must Burn and The Last Dragon of the East. I think it worked here much better than in the other 2, where also mmc was the "fish out of water through whom the story is explained to the reader" while fmc was "an ancient powerful being". Kai isn't as standoffish or inscrutable as the fmcs in these other 2 books. However, she is cautious and cunning, as befits an ancient being (what I missed in Smoke and Scar where fmc did not feel her age for a 200yo fae).
The attraction between the leads develops pretty fast, even though the characters do put emphasis on how much divides them and agonize whether their relationship is appropriate and even feasible. They share a magical bond that helps justify the speed, because they can be sure what the other one feels. It is also lampshaded in a few scenes where the characters are confronted whether they mistook forced proximity and attraction for love, and whether they know each other enough.
The romance overall was pretty respectful and includes my favourite version of enemies to lovers, which is 2 people from different groups / belief systems must work together on a goal, but they don't personally hate one another, only have prejudice / suspicion towards their affiliation. I much more prefer this version of ETL to the other version i.e. "they're hateful or even abusive towards one another, but can't resist their mutual attraction" (which usually leads to hate-lust relationship).
The plot was fast-paced and full of plot twists. The worldbuilding was understandable and robust, albeit slightly over-explained. I'm shocked to see reviews calling it confusing, but I had an equal shock with similar reactions to Queen of Faces. I'm neither familiar with other works of Jenn Lyons to know the world beforehand, nor am I skilled at deciphering complex worldbuilding in epic fantasy, but I found it very clear.
My nitpicks:
- It was very obvious from the moment Math survived the ambush while being transported as a prisoner who was trying to get him killed. It's also an extremely common trope in fantasy these days that the villain is but here I feel Math was unsuspecting for too long.
- Another problem with the villains these days is that often they're very much evil for the sake of evil or "greedy and powerhungry" and nothing more. Rarely they have more complex motivations, or are ambiguous / sympathetic in any way. This was the case here with
- At around 60%, a "mastermind plan" is revealed, at this point I guessed what will mcs do about it, and the solution they arrived at was exactly what I guessed will happen.
- The sex scene was surprisingly lengthy and explicit for a book that isn't very spicy, so it felt tonally jarring. I don't mind any spice level from 0 to full on, but it should match the overall tone of the book.
- The soapbox moment with the lecture about how bullying a trans kid is bad was really too on the nose. And because it happens in chapter 2, it sets a weird mood that it's gonna be a preachy book, which it's not.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and the nitpicks are fairly minor all things combined. The prose flows, the pacing is great, the worldbuilding is interesting, and the characters lovable. I can't believe this is rated at 3.6 currently, there's nothing wrong with this book except, well, all the people complaining it's "too YA" (I seem to be the target audience for all these "too YA" adventure fantasies, like half the Harper Voyager's catalogue... this one is from Tor though.)
I would recommend this book to readers who like new adult / crossover adventure fantasy with a prominent romance plot, which doesn't overshadow the main fantasy plot.
I think the blurbs from Daniel M. Ford and Glen Cook signal the intended vibe of sword & sorcery / adventure fantasy. I don't get the Robin Hobb comp though, I always associate Robin Hobb with sprawling epics that are somewhat depressing in tone. This book is not. S.A. Chakraborty, sure, she writes adventure fantasy and City of Brass is one of more known crossover / new adult titles before the label was even established.
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor UK for the ARC!
Also thanks to Book's Blabbering Cait for putting this on my radar, I initially didn't request the arc because I expected it to be super dark and horroresque, but nope, it's the kind of adventure heroic fantasy I love.
March 8, 2026
I can fully admit that magical forests are like catnip in my TBR. TBH, give me your weird, woody delights and I’ll just want more. 🥰🤭
Jenn Lyons is a new to me author (but the Chorus of Dragons has been in my forever long TBR list).
This felt like a distant cousin The Everlasting (Alix E Harrow). Yes– less poetic, but in some parts equally compelling/intriguing in world building.
Three reasons to listen:
1 - This was my first time listening to a Torian Brackett narration- and I thought his performance really elevated the plot- he made it feel more of a dramatized version.
2 - If you need books where justice is served.
3 - Some of your favorite things include: a big cast of characters, found family, a strong FMC, & love is love is love.
My thanks to @NetGalley & @Macmillan.Audio for this audiobook ARC.
Green & Deadly Things is out now.
🎧: 4/5 Highly Recommended
Jenn Lyons is a new to me author (but the Chorus of Dragons has been in my forever long TBR list).
This felt like a distant cousin The Everlasting (Alix E Harrow). Yes– less poetic, but in some parts equally compelling/intriguing in world building.
Three reasons to listen:
1 - This was my first time listening to a Torian Brackett narration- and I thought his performance really elevated the plot- he made it feel more of a dramatized version.
2 - If you need books where justice is served.
3 - Some of your favorite things include: a big cast of characters, found family, a strong FMC, & love is love is love.
My thanks to @NetGalley & @Macmillan.Audio for this audiobook ARC.
Green & Deadly Things is out now.
🎧: 4/5 Highly Recommended
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April 4, 2026
"That man is a library stack with all its books dumped out."
Oh that was fun.
I haven't had this kind of fun with a fantasy book in a while. Sure the world-building was a little all over the place, with things appearing all of a sudden, but it worked. It didn't take itself terribly seriously. Math, the lead, was funnier than I expected, and the knights themselves were, well, exactly as you'd expect a group of people raised in a cult-like status to be. Kai was really cool too. And the yearning. My goodness.
"If we're only allowed to use magic against grimmocks, it stands to reason that the definition of 'grimmock' must expand to fit our needs."
There's also a bit of commentary on religious dogma, power and corruption, and change. Yes, I pretty much knew how the ending was going to go as soon as the stakes were laid out and the Big Bad had their monologue, but even though the ending was obvious it was still a fun ride.
In many ways, in tone it felt a bit like The Second Death of Locke. If you enjoyed that, I think this one will also be good.
I received an ARC from the publisher
Oh that was fun.
I haven't had this kind of fun with a fantasy book in a while. Sure the world-building was a little all over the place, with things appearing all of a sudden, but it worked. It didn't take itself terribly seriously. Math, the lead, was funnier than I expected, and the knights themselves were, well, exactly as you'd expect a group of people raised in a cult-like status to be. Kai was really cool too. And the yearning. My goodness.
"If we're only allowed to use magic against grimmocks, it stands to reason that the definition of 'grimmock' must expand to fit our needs."
There's also a bit of commentary on religious dogma, power and corruption, and change. Yes, I pretty much knew how the ending was going to go as soon as the stakes were laid out and the Big Bad had their monologue, but even though the ending was obvious it was still a fun ride.
In many ways, in tone it felt a bit like The Second Death of Locke. If you enjoyed that, I think this one will also be good.
I received an ARC from the publisher
Read
September 12, 2025jenn i’m sorry i cannot follow you here but we will Always have horsegender the greatest fantasy series of the last 10 years
March 12, 2026
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audio review copy!
I struggled quite a bit with this one at the beginning. I knew going in that it would be darker, but the body horror was sometimes difficult for me to get past. It also took a while for the story’s threads to connect in a way that really kicked the plot into motion.
Once those connections started happening, though, the story became much more engaging. There were some really interesting ideas at play and a few twists that made the payoff worthwhile.
I did have a harder time with the audiobook narration. The voices for the two main characters worked well, but I struggled with the voices for the children, which felt a bit too affected and pulled me out of the story at times.
I struggled quite a bit with this one at the beginning. I knew going in that it would be darker, but the body horror was sometimes difficult for me to get past. It also took a while for the story’s threads to connect in a way that really kicked the plot into motion.
Once those connections started happening, though, the story became much more engaging. There were some really interesting ideas at play and a few twists that made the payoff worthwhile.
I did have a harder time with the audiobook narration. The voices for the two main characters worked well, but I struggled with the voices for the children, which felt a bit too affected and pulled me out of the story at times.
March 10, 2026
One of my most anticipated reads of the month.
A book with necromancers, botanical magic, knights, and political warfare, all my favorites; but it just wasn't delivered right. The beginning starts out very confusing and it takes a while for anything to be explained. You're just kind of thrown in to this world with no explanation of their magic or the characters or anything really. The plot also unfolded at a slower pace than I usually prefer.
An otherwise distinctive storyline that unfortunately felt weighed down by its missed potential.
Although the book was not quite what I hoped for, I did enjoy this narrator, he told the story with the enthusiasm that I love from voice actors.
Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and MacMillan Audio for this ARC/ALC.
A book with necromancers, botanical magic, knights, and political warfare, all my favorites; but it just wasn't delivered right. The beginning starts out very confusing and it takes a while for anything to be explained. You're just kind of thrown in to this world with no explanation of their magic or the characters or anything really. The plot also unfolded at a slower pace than I usually prefer.
An otherwise distinctive storyline that unfortunately felt weighed down by its missed potential.
Although the book was not quite what I hoped for, I did enjoy this narrator, he told the story with the enthusiasm that I love from voice actors.
Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and MacMillan Audio for this ARC/ALC.
March 25, 2026
My first Jenn Lyons book and it has made me so excited to read her backlist!
I enjoyed this so much - the worldbuilding especially felt incredibly unique and the sort that you just have fun reading about, which I loved. This is for anyone who loves weird books and woods and necromancy and quests. The plot is a bit slow in places, causing my enjoyment to dip at times, but overall I was really liking what I was reading. History has got it all wrong in this world, reminding me a bit of The Everlasting (especially because we also getting a yearning romance in here too). The author managed to pack so much into a standalone, and this world could absolutely be expanded upon, but it also ended perfectly.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I enjoyed this so much - the worldbuilding especially felt incredibly unique and the sort that you just have fun reading about, which I loved. This is for anyone who loves weird books and woods and necromancy and quests. The plot is a bit slow in places, causing my enjoyment to dip at times, but overall I was really liking what I was reading. History has got it all wrong in this world, reminding me a bit of The Everlasting (especially because we also getting a yearning romance in here too). The author managed to pack so much into a standalone, and this world could absolutely be expanded upon, but it also ended perfectly.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 8, 2026
This book is really hard for me to review. It sounded so good and I was prepared to love or like it very much. And I did love parts of it. I especially loved the worldbuilding and the story in the beginning. The eerie atmosphere was awesome! The middle part? Not so much. He was just betrayed and someting super dangerous was coming and the thing to focus on is his feelings for a woman?There were a lot of side quests and running and some fast background info. And then -finally- it became interesting again. Sorry, I try not to be spoilery. From the moment he saved someone and slayed a big monster things started to move forward again. Very fast but also very fun again. The last chapters were magnificent. Parts of this book I loved and a chunck of it was meh... So, like I said.. So hard to review for me! I liked it but I'm pretty sad I didn't love it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My rating is 4.25
Oh I really liked this story!
I immediately connected with the story. Give me all the Knights, necromancers and trees that are more than they seem...and deadly!
Math is an interesting character and when we get to see him grow into his skills and what he is capable of, it's so good. Add to that the relationship between he and Kai, the Grim Lord that he awakes out of sheer desperation, and we have a real book on our hands. They absolutely make the book for me.
The pacing of this book is at a breakneck speed and leans quite dark....and I'm here for it. There is a lot going on, maybe too much if I'm being honest but it's all interesting. The author hits us with everything she could think of to include, lots of twists and turns, bad decisions and cool outcomes.
It's not perfect but I had a good time and that's what reading is about!
I want to compliment the narrator Torian Brackett, who did a terrific job with this cast of characters. The voice acting was phenomenal, the pacing was perfect and the tension ratcheted up as the story unfolded.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC. My thoughts are my own.
Oh I really liked this story!
I immediately connected with the story. Give me all the Knights, necromancers and trees that are more than they seem...and deadly!
Math is an interesting character and when we get to see him grow into his skills and what he is capable of, it's so good. Add to that the relationship between he and Kai, the Grim Lord that he awakes out of sheer desperation, and we have a real book on our hands. They absolutely make the book for me.
The pacing of this book is at a breakneck speed and leans quite dark....and I'm here for it. There is a lot going on, maybe too much if I'm being honest but it's all interesting. The author hits us with everything she could think of to include, lots of twists and turns, bad decisions and cool outcomes.
It's not perfect but I had a good time and that's what reading is about!
I want to compliment the narrator Torian Brackett, who did a terrific job with this cast of characters. The voice acting was phenomenal, the pacing was perfect and the tension ratcheted up as the story unfolded.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC. My thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A fast paced, standalone fantasy novel that reads a lot like a YA book, but the characters are a little older and there's one open door s*x scene.
I tend to like these standalones because they have to go at a pace that keeps things quick and interesting, without getting bogged down in detail.
I liked the overall idea and the banter is good. the betrayals are constant. Lots of things got resolved pretty easily while other things got dark real quick. It did seem like Lyons was going for a lighter vibe for the most part.
One thing I didn't quite like was how easily the characters kept getting out of imprisonment/traps etc because it made the stakes feel low, even though they really weren't.
The audiobook was great though, the narrator does awesome voices and I'll be looking out for more of his work!
3.5 overall
Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio via netgalley for the ALC, all opinions are my own 🖤
I tend to like these standalones because they have to go at a pace that keeps things quick and interesting, without getting bogged down in detail.
I liked the overall idea and the banter is good. the betrayals are constant. Lots of things got resolved pretty easily while other things got dark real quick. It did seem like Lyons was going for a lighter vibe for the most part.
One thing I didn't quite like was how easily the characters kept getting out of imprisonment/traps etc because it made the stakes feel low, even though they really weren't.
The audiobook was great though, the narrator does awesome voices and I'll be looking out for more of his work!
3.5 overall
Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio via netgalley for the ALC, all opinions are my own 🖤
March 28, 2026
The prologue was sadly very misleading to the rest of the book! We start with such an interesting opener, but then we stray very far from what I thought we were getting. I got really bored and had such a hard time getting into this.
I think there was a lot of potential, but no build up to it. I wasn’t attached to any of the characters and had a hard time following the story. It felt like there was a lot of jumping around. So much so, that we never stayed anywhere long enough to fully understand this world. I was left wanting more. More about the magic system in particular.
The ending was interesting, but still wasn’t enough. I also didn’t believe the romance element either, the chemistry was lacking. There was also minimal build up to it.
I listened to this on audio and wasn’t invested in it either. The narrator was not my favorite. Some of the voices they did were really good, but others were a little too much.
Overall, this wasn’t for me. I think there was just too much going on that the main focus was often blurred. It’s an interesting concept, I just wasn’t invested.
***Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I think there was a lot of potential, but no build up to it. I wasn’t attached to any of the characters and had a hard time following the story. It felt like there was a lot of jumping around. So much so, that we never stayed anywhere long enough to fully understand this world. I was left wanting more. More about the magic system in particular.
The ending was interesting, but still wasn’t enough. I also didn’t believe the romance element either, the chemistry was lacking. There was also minimal build up to it.
I listened to this on audio and wasn’t invested in it either. The narrator was not my favorite. Some of the voices they did were really good, but others were a little too much.
Overall, this wasn’t for me. I think there was just too much going on that the main focus was often blurred. It’s an interesting concept, I just wasn’t invested.
***Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 - I am very much in my gothic botanical fantasy era. If that’s not a thing, I’m making it a thing. I enjoyed this book immensely. The world building included the lores of the kingdom so you get to see how time (and people) twisted the actual history into something that suits their purpose. Our MC’s, Math and Kai, are fantastic together. You are rooting for both of them from the very start! And then they say things like this:
“How dare you hold your life so cheap, when to me, it is more precious than all the stars!"
*swoon* I’m glad this is a stand alone but I’m also a little sad because I’d love just a little more time with these characters.
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
“How dare you hold your life so cheap, when to me, it is more precious than all the stars!"
*swoon* I’m glad this is a stand alone but I’m also a little sad because I’d love just a little more time with these characters.
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
March 22, 2026
The synopsis led me to believe this would be a necromancy book.
It's not.
But it does involve plant magic, my other love, so I was still in. 3/5
This has pretty standard Epic Fantasy vibes. It's not quite old school-old school, but like one generation younger. So it subverts the most absolute basic bitch tropes of the genre, but 100% adheres to the standard subversions, if that makes sense?
I had a decent time with it, but have to admit that I was disappointed with the conclusion and ultimately how rote the experience ended up feeling. (Also really think the romance was under-developed and should've been omitted, tbh.)
Audiobook Notes:
The narrator is a bit of a mixed bag. There were some narrations and voices he would do that I really liked, but I didn't like the voices he did for neither the MC nor the children. I probably wouldn't've realized it if not for hearing a dialogue between my favourite voice he puts on (spoilers) and the MC that made me realize the contrast is just so sharp. So overall it's very good and sometimes great, but the primary/most common voice is bleh.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's not.
But it does involve plant magic, my other love, so I was still in. 3/5
This has pretty standard Epic Fantasy vibes. It's not quite old school-old school, but like one generation younger. So it subverts the most absolute basic bitch tropes of the genre, but 100% adheres to the standard subversions, if that makes sense?
I had a decent time with it, but have to admit that I was disappointed with the conclusion and ultimately how rote the experience ended up feeling. (Also really think the romance was under-developed and should've been omitted, tbh.)
Audiobook Notes:
The narrator is a bit of a mixed bag. There were some narrations and voices he would do that I really liked, but I didn't like the voices he did for neither the MC nor the children. I probably wouldn't've realized it if not for hearing a dialogue between my favourite voice he puts on (spoilers) and the MC that made me realize the contrast is just so sharp. So overall it's very good and sometimes great, but the primary/most common voice is bleh.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 12, 2026
10/10, no notes. Okay, a few notes because what else is the point of a review.
This book needs to be studied for a how-to in fast pacing that doesn't feel like it rushes things. We hit the ground running, the inciting incident is the prologue, but it never feels like we're skipping over anything. Rather than see protagonist Mathaiik's "normal life" before disaster hits, we instead see what a "normal disaster" would look like for him and his order of corrupted-magic-fighting knights, before things really hit the fan. And they hit it fast, resulting in the awakening of a thousand-year-frozen "grim lord" (aka. necromancer), Kaiataris. Kai is the least of Math's problems, what with semi-sentient trees attacking and infecting his brethren, sudden strife with his order, and discovering traces of a spy from an attacking enemy nation among their ranks.
The loooooooore, oh my god the lore. I really need to read Lyon's debut series, because her stand-alones keep wowing me. How is there this much lore in a single book?? (Which isn't even a chonker like many stand-alone fantasy novels are, by the way, this is normal novel length.) How is it so unique, so interesting, and only created for a single book? There's not more in this world? I may riot. Though at the same time, the novel ends in such a perfect way that it doesn't need more... I just want it ._.
I love the characters. Math is a knight-in-training, yet kind of a soft-boy for someone who can still hold his own against horrible magic-corrupted monsters and fellow knights alike. He protects the children of the order, he spends his spare time studying a strange maze buried deep in their ancient library, his closest friend is his sister. Kai is headstrong and resilient, completely out of her depth in a world that has changed beyond her understanding, yet often holding situations together better than self-sacrificing Math. She's smart, caring, and one of the best magic-wielders of her time. It's just a shame that Math belongs to an order dedicated to protecting the world from Grim Lords, and Kaiataris Von is one of the most famous Grim Lords in history. She's also the Grim Lord who previously defeated the semi-sentient tree race, so Math and Kai forge the most untrusting, push-and-pull partnership to deal with the greater threats around them. The side characters are mostly great. Math's rival is an asshole of the finest degree, but please watch to the very end. The children are precious, especially the child-Empress.
The romance between Math and Kai is also very well handled. There are no stupid reasons for not communicating or for disliking each other or suddenly distrusting each other. Everything is realistic for their histories and their current circumstances, both their animosities and their truces, but especially the secrets they keep.
There's a lot of fights and battles this novel, but I was never bored or felt they were repetitive. The final battle especially was amazing, I won't spoil why, but I feel like it's peak fanart potential.
Favourite read of 2026 so far. I don't think there was any point during reading where I thought it wouldn't be getting 5 stars from me. Can I have more like this, please? Pretty please?
Rating: 5 stars - Unique and fast-paced action-fantasy with killer trees, necromancy, and magic-wielding knights, with an enemies-to-lovers romance done not just well but also realistically.
This book needs to be studied for a how-to in fast pacing that doesn't feel like it rushes things. We hit the ground running, the inciting incident is the prologue, but it never feels like we're skipping over anything. Rather than see protagonist Mathaiik's "normal life" before disaster hits, we instead see what a "normal disaster" would look like for him and his order of corrupted-magic-fighting knights, before things really hit the fan. And they hit it fast, resulting in the awakening of a thousand-year-frozen "grim lord" (aka. necromancer), Kaiataris. Kai is the least of Math's problems, what with semi-sentient trees attacking and infecting his brethren, sudden strife with his order, and discovering traces of a spy from an attacking enemy nation among their ranks.
The loooooooore, oh my god the lore. I really need to read Lyon's debut series, because her stand-alones keep wowing me. How is there this much lore in a single book?? (Which isn't even a chonker like many stand-alone fantasy novels are, by the way, this is normal novel length.) How is it so unique, so interesting, and only created for a single book? There's not more in this world? I may riot. Though at the same time, the novel ends in such a perfect way that it doesn't need more... I just want it ._.
I love the characters. Math is a knight-in-training, yet kind of a soft-boy for someone who can still hold his own against horrible magic-corrupted monsters and fellow knights alike. He protects the children of the order, he spends his spare time studying a strange maze buried deep in their ancient library, his closest friend is his sister. Kai is headstrong and resilient, completely out of her depth in a world that has changed beyond her understanding, yet often holding situations together better than self-sacrificing Math. She's smart, caring, and one of the best magic-wielders of her time. It's just a shame that Math belongs to an order dedicated to protecting the world from Grim Lords, and Kaiataris Von is one of the most famous Grim Lords in history. She's also the Grim Lord who previously defeated the semi-sentient tree race, so Math and Kai forge the most untrusting, push-and-pull partnership to deal with the greater threats around them. The side characters are mostly great. Math's rival is an asshole of the finest degree, but please watch to the very end. The children are precious, especially the child-Empress.
The romance between Math and Kai is also very well handled. There are no stupid reasons for not communicating or for disliking each other or suddenly distrusting each other. Everything is realistic for their histories and their current circumstances, both their animosities and their truces, but especially the secrets they keep.
There's a lot of fights and battles this novel, but I was never bored or felt they were repetitive. The final battle especially was amazing, I won't spoil why, but I feel like it's peak fanart potential.
Favourite read of 2026 so far. I don't think there was any point during reading where I thought it wouldn't be getting 5 stars from me. Can I have more like this, please? Pretty please?
Rating: 5 stars - Unique and fast-paced action-fantasy with killer trees, necromancy, and magic-wielding knights, with an enemies-to-lovers romance done not just well but also realistically.
March 4, 2026
🎧📖𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖🎧
𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 & 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ʙʏ ᴊᴇɴɴ ʟʏᴏɴs
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🌶🌶 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀
𝒩𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝓎 𝒶𝓁𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑜𝓎𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹.
𝒮𝑜 𝑜𝒷𝓋𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈𝓁𝓎… 𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓊𝓅.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴄᴍɪʟʟᴀɴᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ & ᴛᴏʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 & 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ʙʏ ᴊᴇɴɴ ʟʏᴏɴs ɪs ᴀ sʜᴀʀᴘ, ғᴀsᴛ-ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ sᴛᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғʟɪᴘs ᴛʜᴇ “ᴇᴠɪʟ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ” ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇ ᴏɴ ɪᴛs ᴜɴᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴅ.
ᴍᴀᴛʜᴀɪɪᴋ ʜᴀs ᴛʀᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʟɪғᴇ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄʏ ᴀs ᴀɴ ɪᴅᴀʟʟɪᴋ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ—ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ sᴀʏs ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛs sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴡᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴠᴏᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴛᴜʀɴs ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘʟᴇss. sᴏ ᴍᴀᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ʀᴇᴄᴋʟᴇss ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ:
ʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴜʀʀᴇᴄᴛs ᴀ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅᴀʀʏ ɢʀɪᴍ ʟᴏʀᴅ.
ᴋᴀɪᴀᴛᴀʀɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴄᴋʟɪɴɢ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ᴘᴀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ. sʜᴇ’s ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ, ʀᴀᴢᴏʀ-sᴍᴀʀᴛ, ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ—ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ (ɪᴅᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ x ᴘʀᴀɢᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ) ᴄʀᴀᴄᴋʟᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ, ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʟᴜᴄᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ.
ᴛʜɪs ɪsɴ’ᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ (ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴇᴛ sᴇɴᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ᴛʀᴇᴇ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ). ɪᴛ’s ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀs, ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴀs ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀʏ ғᴏʀᴄᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ “ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ” ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ sʜɪɴᴇs ɪɴ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛɪᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴀᴛʜ’s ᴇᴀʀɴᴇsᴛ ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴋᴀɪᴀᴛᴀʀɪs’s ᴅʀʏ, ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ ғᴇᴇʟs ᴛɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄɪɴᴇᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ—ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜɪᴄᴀʟ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇs ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ sʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛᴜᴍ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛs ғᴇᴇʟs ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴠɪᴠɪᴅ ɪɴ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
🌿ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴀʟʟʏ (ɴᴏᴛ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ)
✨ɪᴅᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ x ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴀɢᴇ
🌿ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ʟɪᴇᴅ
✨ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ
🌿“ᴡᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴇᴠɪʟ” (ʙᴜᴛ sʜᴇ’s ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʀɪɢʜᴛ)
✨sᴇɴᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🌿ʀᴇʟᴜᴄᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴏʀsʜɪᴘ
✨ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ & ʀᴇʙɪʀᴛʜ
🌿ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇ
✨ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ
🌿ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ᴇᴘɪᴄ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
✨ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ & ᴄʀᴜᴍʙʟɪɴɢ ᴅᴏɢᴍᴀ
🌿ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴜᴛ ғᴀsᴛ-ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ
✨ᴅʀʏ, ᴄᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘsᴇ
🌿“ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ”
✨ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀs
🌿ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs-ᴛᴏ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴠᴏᴡs ᴏғ ᴄᴇʟɪʙᴀᴄʏ
✨ᴋɪɴᴅʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ғᴍᴄ
🌿ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs, ᴡᴀʀ, ᴀʀʙᴏʀᴇᴀʟ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
✨ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ x ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ
🌿ᴄʜᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ-ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🌿sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ɢᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅ
🌿ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
sᴍᴀʀᴛ, sᴜʙᴠᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇʟɪᴄɪᴏᴜsʟʏ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ᴜɴᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅs ᴡʜᴏ sᴛᴇᴀʟ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sᴄᴇɴᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɢᴇᴛs ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ— 𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 & 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ɪs ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴡᴀᴋɪɴɢ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
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NOTES:
Tropes:
- Plant necromancers
- Enemies-to-lovers and complicated by vows of celibacy
- Kindhearted FMC
- Politics, war, arboreal intrigue
- Magical Mayhem x Betrayal
- Charming romance
- Plant-based body horror
- Slow-burn romance
- World with nature gone wild
- Forbidden Love
𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 & 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ʙʏ ᴊᴇɴɴ ʟʏᴏɴs
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🌶🌶 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀
𝒩𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝓎 𝒶𝓁𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑜𝓎𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹.
𝒮𝑜 𝑜𝒷𝓋𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈𝓁𝓎… 𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓊𝓅.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴄᴍɪʟʟᴀɴᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ & ᴛᴏʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 & 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ʙʏ ᴊᴇɴɴ ʟʏᴏɴs ɪs ᴀ sʜᴀʀᴘ, ғᴀsᴛ-ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ sᴛᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғʟɪᴘs ᴛʜᴇ “ᴇᴠɪʟ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ” ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇ ᴏɴ ɪᴛs ᴜɴᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴅ.
ᴍᴀᴛʜᴀɪɪᴋ ʜᴀs ᴛʀᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʟɪғᴇ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄʏ ᴀs ᴀɴ ɪᴅᴀʟʟɪᴋ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ—ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ sᴀʏs ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛs sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴡᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴠᴏᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴛᴜʀɴs ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘʟᴇss. sᴏ ᴍᴀᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ʀᴇᴄᴋʟᴇss ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ:
ʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴜʀʀᴇᴄᴛs ᴀ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅᴀʀʏ ɢʀɪᴍ ʟᴏʀᴅ.
ᴋᴀɪᴀᴛᴀʀɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴄᴋʟɪɴɢ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ᴘᴀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ. sʜᴇ’s ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ, ʀᴀᴢᴏʀ-sᴍᴀʀᴛ, ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ—ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ (ɪᴅᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ x ᴘʀᴀɢᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ) ᴄʀᴀᴄᴋʟᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ, ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʟᴜᴄᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ.
ᴛʜɪs ɪsɴ’ᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ (ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴇᴛ sᴇɴᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ᴛʀᴇᴇ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ). ɪᴛ’s ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀs, ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴀs ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀʏ ғᴏʀᴄᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ “ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ” ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ sʜɪɴᴇs ɪɴ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛɪᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴀᴛʜ’s ᴇᴀʀɴᴇsᴛ ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴋᴀɪᴀᴛᴀʀɪs’s ᴅʀʏ, ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ ғᴇᴇʟs ᴛɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄɪɴᴇᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ—ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜɪᴄᴀʟ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇs ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ sʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛᴜᴍ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛs ғᴇᴇʟs ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴠɪᴠɪᴅ ɪɴ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
🌿ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴀʟʟʏ (ɴᴏᴛ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ)
✨ɪᴅᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ x ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴀɢᴇ
🌿ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ ʟɪᴇᴅ
✨ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ
🌿“ᴡᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴇᴠɪʟ” (ʙᴜᴛ sʜᴇ’s ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʀɪɢʜᴛ)
✨sᴇɴᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🌿ʀᴇʟᴜᴄᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴏʀsʜɪᴘ
✨ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ & ʀᴇʙɪʀᴛʜ
🌿ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇ
✨ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ
🌿ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ᴇᴘɪᴄ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
✨ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ & ᴄʀᴜᴍʙʟɪɴɢ ᴅᴏɢᴍᴀ
🌿ᴘʜɪʟᴏsᴏᴘʜɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴜᴛ ғᴀsᴛ-ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ
✨ᴅʀʏ, ᴄᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘsᴇ
🌿“ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ”
✨ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇʀs
🌿ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs-ᴛᴏ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴠᴏᴡs ᴏғ ᴄᴇʟɪʙᴀᴄʏ
✨ᴋɪɴᴅʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ғᴍᴄ
🌿ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs, ᴡᴀʀ, ᴀʀʙᴏʀᴇᴀʟ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
✨ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ x ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ
🌿ᴄʜᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ-ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🌿sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
✨ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ɢᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅ
🌿ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
sᴍᴀʀᴛ, sᴜʙᴠᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇʟɪᴄɪᴏᴜsʟʏ ɴᴇᴄʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ᴜɴᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅs ᴡʜᴏ sᴛᴇᴀʟ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sᴄᴇɴᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɢᴇᴛs ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ— 𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 & 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ɪs ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴡᴀᴋɪɴɢ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
++++
NOTES:
Tropes:
- Plant necromancers
- Enemies-to-lovers and complicated by vows of celibacy
- Kindhearted FMC
- Politics, war, arboreal intrigue
- Magical Mayhem x Betrayal
- Charming romance
- Plant-based body horror
- Slow-burn romance
- World with nature gone wild
- Forbidden Love
Did Not Finish
April 23, 2026DNF @55%
I started this book at the start of March as the arc but I was really struggling to get into it. When it got released I found the audio on Spotify and decided to give the book a chance that way. That worked for a while. The start was promising from there on out but once it got to the middle part, when our two characters start having to run together on the train, I started losing interest again. It stagnates and it doesn't feel like it was moving forward. Unfortunately after almost 2 months I decided it was better to say goodbye and give another book by Jenn Lyons a try in the future.
I started this book at the start of March as the arc but I was really struggling to get into it. When it got released I found the audio on Spotify and decided to give the book a chance that way. That worked for a while. The start was promising from there on out but once it got to the middle part, when our two characters start having to run together on the train, I started losing interest again. It stagnates and it doesn't feel like it was moving forward. Unfortunately after almost 2 months I decided it was better to say goodbye and give another book by Jenn Lyons a try in the future.
March 9, 2026
Is what you're running from truly something to be feared?
Is what you believe in something that deserves your devotion?
Jenn Lyons creates an amazing standalone fantasy that explores the fragile balance among love, loyalty, and power in a rich and deadly world. The story follows a character named Mathaiik who has worked all his life to become an Idallik Knight: protectors of knowledge and defenders against necromancy. But when things that should be dead comes to life and when Mathaiik is accused of crimes he didn't commit, he is forced to awaken a Grim Lord. Together they create a tentative agreement to track down what has gone awry with the world.
The world is rich and well developed and I was really dragged into the story. I am a sucker for really creepy plant magic (think Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and even Kingfisher vibes) so I was quit pleased with the storyline. The prose was also complementary with the pacing of the plot (super fast) so I didn't feel too much of the information dumping that usually accompanies a fantasy standalone novel.
However, the characters seemed a bit indistinguishable from each other in terms of both personality and behaviors which is probably the reason I didn't feel the connect between the two main character's romance line. I also wish there was more background around the Three queens. Their presence was introduced in the beginning and seems to haunt the characters throughout the book but only seemed to have a singular plot purpose.
But all in all, an incredible experience and a 5 star read from me!
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this amazing opportunity to read this book! I am looking forward to exploring more of Jenn Lyon's works!
Is what you believe in something that deserves your devotion?
Jenn Lyons creates an amazing standalone fantasy that explores the fragile balance among love, loyalty, and power in a rich and deadly world. The story follows a character named Mathaiik who has worked all his life to become an Idallik Knight: protectors of knowledge and defenders against necromancy. But when things that should be dead comes to life and when Mathaiik is accused of crimes he didn't commit, he is forced to awaken a Grim Lord. Together they create a tentative agreement to track down what has gone awry with the world.
The world is rich and well developed and I was really dragged into the story. I am a sucker for really creepy plant magic (think Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and even Kingfisher vibes) so I was quit pleased with the storyline. The prose was also complementary with the pacing of the plot (super fast) so I didn't feel too much of the information dumping that usually accompanies a fantasy standalone novel.
However, the characters seemed a bit indistinguishable from each other in terms of both personality and behaviors which is probably the reason I didn't feel the connect between the two main character's romance line. I also wish there was more background around the Three queens. Their presence was introduced in the beginning and seems to haunt the characters throughout the book but only seemed to have a singular plot purpose.
But all in all, an incredible experience and a 5 star read from me!
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this amazing opportunity to read this book! I am looking forward to exploring more of Jenn Lyon's works!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc of Green & Deadly Things.
I really liked this. I thought the characters were great and I liked the chemistry between the main characters Math & Kai. I also thought some of the side characters were done really well also. I enjoyed the children and also the relationship with the "enemy" he grew up with. The magic was unique and fun. We also got to see different kinds of magic with some of the different characters and I thought that was a nice addition. For a stand alone fantasy story the plot was really flushed out and easy too follow, not complicated, but also not too simple. Overall this was a great story and can't wait to see what Jenn Lyons does next.
I really liked this. I thought the characters were great and I liked the chemistry between the main characters Math & Kai. I also thought some of the side characters were done really well also. I enjoyed the children and also the relationship with the "enemy" he grew up with. The magic was unique and fun. We also got to see different kinds of magic with some of the different characters and I thought that was a nice addition. For a stand alone fantasy story the plot was really flushed out and easy too follow, not complicated, but also not too simple. Overall this was a great story and can't wait to see what Jenn Lyons does next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!
"How dare you hold your life so cheap, when to me, it is more precious than all the stars!"
Green and Deadly Things completely pulled me in, and I’m here for it! The stakes feel real, the world feels lived in, and the plot is chef’s kiss. No unnecessary lore dumps. No confusing politics. Everything builds with purpose. The atmosphere is rich and cinematic without ever feeling bloated, and every scene feels intentional.
Kai and Math steal the show. Their flirting had me grinning like an idiot!
This isn’t just pretty worldbuilding. Everything in the world actually matters, and it all affects the story.
"How dare you hold your life so cheap, when to me, it is more precious than all the stars!"
Green and Deadly Things completely pulled me in, and I’m here for it! The stakes feel real, the world feels lived in, and the plot is chef’s kiss. No unnecessary lore dumps. No confusing politics. Everything builds with purpose. The atmosphere is rich and cinematic without ever feeling bloated, and every scene feels intentional.
Kai and Math steal the show. Their flirting had me grinning like an idiot!
This isn’t just pretty worldbuilding. Everything in the world actually matters, and it all affects the story.
April 15, 2026
As a personal rule for myself I like to avoid describing books that I don’t like as ‘bad books’, because it’s not because a book is ‘bad’ it’s just that book wasn’t for me. The world, writing, etc are things that I subjectively didn’t get on with and doesn’t make a book objectively bad.
However, in this case, I will break my rule, because I do objectively think that this is a badly written book, especially for epic fantasy standards.
This was a great sounding book from the get go. This is a stand alone epic fantasy in which we follow Math, a novitiate of the Order of the Idallik Knights, an order that uses magic and it’s power to protect the people of the empire and protect the knowledge of the archives that the order is built around.
Math, however at the age of 22, has not been able to become a knight as he has not been able to manifest his weapon, an ability that all Idallik knights can do. Math is however a talented magic user, having an especially strong affinity for magic in manipulating plants.
However one day when a tragedy strikes the order, Math ends up disturbing powerful forces and sets into motion a series of events that leads him to waking up a figure of myth, and the order’s natural enemy, one of the necromancers from the old days. What will be the consequences of these events, and is Math’s life and the fate of the empire at risk?
This was promised to be an epic fantasy of high stakes, with complex magic and I loved the strong botanical theming that I gathered from my first impressions. To start with this story did deliver that, at least for the first few chapters, however as the story progressed it became clear that that story had no clear idea what it wanted to be, and I’m not sure what the author was trying to achieve.
My biggest gripes were with the world building and magic system. I was most annoyed by these because they had the biggest potential to be complex and fascinating facets of the story, especially the magic which is what the crux of the conflict is set around in this book. But nothing was explained. I felt like I had missed out whole sections and pages explaining crucial lore, but no, the story would just steam ahead, almost with the assumption that the reader knew in intrinsic detail the entire, complex and nuanced history of this world
I thought this was genuinely such a huge oversight of the book. Now I’m not saying I want an author to hand hold me through explaining every little detail of their world, BUT for a novel of this size, approx 350 pages, there was just not enough page space to dedicate to gradual and meaningful world building. Instead it felt like the author had just word vomited and cramped every detail they could possibly think of into their story, without consequence as to how it would translate to a reader and someone unfamiliar with their world.
The magic system as well is again unexplained and frankly, irrelevant, especially regarding the main conflict of the book. I just didn’t understand the magic and therefore I couldn’t relate to the main conflict of the story because I didn’t understand why it mattered, and frankly I can tell you that by the end of the story, all the lore behind the magic felt like it didn’t really matter. Everything was just poorly explained and poorly executed.
In regards to the characters, I liked them well enough, but they did feel especially juvenile and I thought the dialogue between all the characters just felt unnatural and cringy in some places. I think the dialogue is where the book is thrown off tonally, because we have a pretty dark and gritty story and setting, but the characters are trying to be funny and/or flirting with each other the entire time.
Also please don’t put in smut scenes for the sake of having a smut scene. And I say this as someone who likes smut! I love a spicy little romantic subplot in my fantasy from time to time. However this time, the smut should’ve been left out. It felt gratuitous and icky, because it felt like the author really wanted to put in a smut scene regardless of how it translated and fitted into the overall story. It felt out of place and therefore grossed me out a little bit.
And truthfully I think it was that smut scene that really turned my feelings towards dislike for this book because, on a superficial level, I was enjoying my time with the book. I reached a level of acceptance about the shortcomings of the story and I was able to enjoy it for what it was. But that smut scene was just…no. Just no.
And then the last sequence of events leading to the end of the book was just sloppy and the book was resolved quickly and messily.
Overall it just never felt like someone took the time to go through the book and actually look at things from the bigger picture and consider it from a reader’s point of view. Yes, details are important, but lots of really cool and interesting details mean nothing if they don’t harmonise to make a cohesive and balanced collective.
I don’t want to throw out accusations that this book wasn’t edited, but there were even continuity errors that I noticed that could’ve been easily rectified had there been more careful consideration as to how again these scenes translated to a reader who is unfamiliar with the world and trying to visualise the scenes.
I very rarely state that I think books should be longer, but in this case I think a longer story would’ve been able to let the complex parts of the story (history, magic, world etc) to breathe, and then the overall message of the story could’ve been better portrayed. In this case, how history can be lost, overridden and manipulated to control people and their beliefs, and to serve the people in power who benefit from more favourable narratives. But again, that message is lost because of a crowded and messy plot, and two characters whose only thoughts are how hot each other is and how much they want to fuck each other.
This book was unfortunately not the refreshing fantasy read that I’ve been needing but did it keep me engaged, although perhaps not for the right reasons!
(EDIT: I just saw a review that said that the synopsis for this book felt misleading and I 100% agree. For a synopsis that really hypes up the necromancy element of the magic, I will say right now that there is near to no necromancy magic happening in this book. Or at least any necromancy that feels relevant to the story. So don’t get your hopes up if you are expecting cool necromancy magic in this book 🥲😅)
However, in this case, I will break my rule, because I do objectively think that this is a badly written book, especially for epic fantasy standards.
This was a great sounding book from the get go. This is a stand alone epic fantasy in which we follow Math, a novitiate of the Order of the Idallik Knights, an order that uses magic and it’s power to protect the people of the empire and protect the knowledge of the archives that the order is built around.
Math, however at the age of 22, has not been able to become a knight as he has not been able to manifest his weapon, an ability that all Idallik knights can do. Math is however a talented magic user, having an especially strong affinity for magic in manipulating plants.
However one day when a tragedy strikes the order, Math ends up disturbing powerful forces and sets into motion a series of events that leads him to waking up a figure of myth, and the order’s natural enemy, one of the necromancers from the old days. What will be the consequences of these events, and is Math’s life and the fate of the empire at risk?
This was promised to be an epic fantasy of high stakes, with complex magic and I loved the strong botanical theming that I gathered from my first impressions. To start with this story did deliver that, at least for the first few chapters, however as the story progressed it became clear that that story had no clear idea what it wanted to be, and I’m not sure what the author was trying to achieve.
My biggest gripes were with the world building and magic system. I was most annoyed by these because they had the biggest potential to be complex and fascinating facets of the story, especially the magic which is what the crux of the conflict is set around in this book. But nothing was explained. I felt like I had missed out whole sections and pages explaining crucial lore, but no, the story would just steam ahead, almost with the assumption that the reader knew in intrinsic detail the entire, complex and nuanced history of this world
I thought this was genuinely such a huge oversight of the book. Now I’m not saying I want an author to hand hold me through explaining every little detail of their world, BUT for a novel of this size, approx 350 pages, there was just not enough page space to dedicate to gradual and meaningful world building. Instead it felt like the author had just word vomited and cramped every detail they could possibly think of into their story, without consequence as to how it would translate to a reader and someone unfamiliar with their world.
The magic system as well is again unexplained and frankly, irrelevant, especially regarding the main conflict of the book. I just didn’t understand the magic and therefore I couldn’t relate to the main conflict of the story because I didn’t understand why it mattered, and frankly I can tell you that by the end of the story, all the lore behind the magic felt like it didn’t really matter. Everything was just poorly explained and poorly executed.
In regards to the characters, I liked them well enough, but they did feel especially juvenile and I thought the dialogue between all the characters just felt unnatural and cringy in some places. I think the dialogue is where the book is thrown off tonally, because we have a pretty dark and gritty story and setting, but the characters are trying to be funny and/or flirting with each other the entire time.
Also please don’t put in smut scenes for the sake of having a smut scene. And I say this as someone who likes smut! I love a spicy little romantic subplot in my fantasy from time to time. However this time, the smut should’ve been left out. It felt gratuitous and icky, because it felt like the author really wanted to put in a smut scene regardless of how it translated and fitted into the overall story. It felt out of place and therefore grossed me out a little bit.
And truthfully I think it was that smut scene that really turned my feelings towards dislike for this book because, on a superficial level, I was enjoying my time with the book. I reached a level of acceptance about the shortcomings of the story and I was able to enjoy it for what it was. But that smut scene was just…no. Just no.
And then the last sequence of events leading to the end of the book was just sloppy and the book was resolved quickly and messily.
Overall it just never felt like someone took the time to go through the book and actually look at things from the bigger picture and consider it from a reader’s point of view. Yes, details are important, but lots of really cool and interesting details mean nothing if they don’t harmonise to make a cohesive and balanced collective.
I don’t want to throw out accusations that this book wasn’t edited, but there were even continuity errors that I noticed that could’ve been easily rectified had there been more careful consideration as to how again these scenes translated to a reader who is unfamiliar with the world and trying to visualise the scenes.
I very rarely state that I think books should be longer, but in this case I think a longer story would’ve been able to let the complex parts of the story (history, magic, world etc) to breathe, and then the overall message of the story could’ve been better portrayed. In this case, how history can be lost, overridden and manipulated to control people and their beliefs, and to serve the people in power who benefit from more favourable narratives. But again, that message is lost because of a crowded and messy plot, and two characters whose only thoughts are how hot each other is and how much they want to fuck each other.
This book was unfortunately not the refreshing fantasy read that I’ve been needing but did it keep me engaged, although perhaps not for the right reasons!
(EDIT: I just saw a review that said that the synopsis for this book felt misleading and I 100% agree. For a synopsis that really hypes up the necromancy element of the magic, I will say right now that there is near to no necromancy magic happening in this book. Or at least any necromancy that feels relevant to the story. So don’t get your hopes up if you are expecting cool necromancy magic in this book 🥲😅)
March 7, 2026
I listened to the ALC for Green & Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons and I thought this was so good. The audiobook is narrated by Torian Brackett and I thought the audio production was well done. Mathaiik has trained all his life to join the sacred order of the Idallik Knights, charged with defending their world from the forces of necromancy. Only vestiges of that cursed magic remain, nothing like the fabled days of the Grim Lords, the undead wizards who once nearly destroyed the world. Math is well past the age when he should have been made a knight but he is unable to complete his training. Usually novices like him are sent away, but Math has continued as a novice. There is a new threat in the world and that is botanical magic. There are trees, vines, plants attacking their camp. Math takes the young novitiates and brings them into the maze that he has been trying to solve for years and wakes the Grim Lord at the center of the maze. When she awakens, they try to figure out how to escape the threat and save the kids and Math's sister. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the world building, the plant magic, the characters, and the romantic subplot. This was such a good listen! Thank you so much to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for my advance copy.
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