DEATH IS ALWAYS CLOSER THAN WE THINK. Especially if we love something or... someone.
In a world where humans have been exterminated like vermin by their worst nightmare: the Nemetirs. Mavy is the first to be reminded that Death walks side by side with her.
Even more so when Bojan, Mavy’s mentor, mysteriously disappears, leaving her with the heavy responsibility of training the new generation of fighters in her village. Without a choice, she now holds the fate of these young people in her hands.
Her new role compels her to forge an alliance with another clan of opposing beliefs in order to save a village ravaged by the Nemetirs. She must prepare for a war that threatens to destroy what little hope humanity has left. She will learn that every small decision has consequences worse than she could have imagined, and that everything she cherishes can be lost in an instant.
Little does she know, she is a pawn in a fate more sinister than the darkest night.
Sophie G.C. is a Canadian author who discovered her love for writing when she was only a teenager. The idea of completing a book didn’t seem realistic at the time, but the need to create a story that would make people feel something and care for words on a piece of paper became incessant over the years.
When she’s not writing or planning her next books, she can be found cuddling with her two dogs and her partner, living the love story she always dreamed of.
“Between Us and Death” starts off at a slower pace, with a focus on introducing our main character Mavy and her world. While this offers a glimpse into her life and relationships, I felt there was room for deeper exploration, especially regarding the bond with her wolf and the backstories of her friendships. A few more flashbacks or moments of emotional connection could have made the early chapters more engaging.
That said, the second half of the book picks up significantly. The tension rises, the enemy becomes more present (which I really liked!) and new characters add fresh energy to the story. The writing feels more confident and the storyline becomes more compelling!
And then, that ending!? Explosive, EMOTIONAL and completely unputdownable. I was genuinely shocked (in the best way) and was not ready for the story to end! I'm excited to continue this series and see where Sophie takes us next!
All in all, this is a well-written book, especially for a debut novel! The author, Sophie, shows great promise and I’m excited to see how her voice and world continue to develop in the rest of the series!!
Read this if you like: - Wolves - Found family - Slow born! - Strong FMC
This was so beautifully written. I love the world building and the creavity that went into it. It made it so enjoyable and I was very into learning all about it. The characters were amazing and I attached myself to them throughout their journey. Went through many emotions along with them. I can’t wait for more. I NEED more because omg.
One of my favourite things was the worldbuilding, especially the wolves. I have not seen anything like it in other books and I was 100% sold on it.
The beginning starts out slow, which some people might not appreciate, but I did. It gave me time to remember the names, get to know the several characters introduced, and really get a grip on the worldbuilding.
There were several themes in this book, my favourite being Elias. Yes. I turned this man into a theme. He deserves it. Okay, to be fair, he did not appear much in the book, but when he did… oh boy. I love a good morally grey character.
The romance in this book was sweet and adorable. I’m not usually into fluffy romance, but I really liked how the relationship (I will not mention who, since it’s a spoiler) developed and how it was written.
Sophie’s writing overall really spoke to me. I loved the balance between Mavy’s inner dialogue and struggles, and what was happening around her. It made the story easy to follow and engaging.
The characters were well developed and layered. My personal favourite side character was definitely Rose. I liked her realness and it brought a fun balance to Mavy, who seemed less direct at times and carried a lot of pressure on her shoulders.
Speaking of Mavy, her character felt very relatable. She did not have to take on all that responsibility, but she did because she felt she had to, and because she wanted to do good. I think that is something many readers can relate to.
Prediction time for book two!
⚠ This part contains spoilers ⚠
Okay, so my prediction is that Mavy will have major character development, but not in the best way. I think she’s just at the start of a long road of suffering. Instead of letting herself feel her emotions, she might turn them off and become more cold, calculated, and vengeful.
So, Elias, watch out, buddy, because I don’t think she’s going to like you the way I do.
Speaking of Elias, I predict he’s going to be the next love interest, as it feels like that was set up in this book. I’m guessing a slow burn, especially after that destructive ending that left me with a few tears.
This book was the definition of the last 100 pages being an actual rollercoaster of emotions. It switched from hope to dread really fast.
So yes, I expect book two to be even worse in the best way. I hope Mavy gets a break, but judging by this story, how trilogies work, and the fact that this is only book one, I doubt it.
Quote: “Life is a privilege we must learn to cherish.”
Dedication: “For those who loved someone deeply and felt like time was endless, but still wished their last moment with them had lasted longer.”
If you’re searching for a light, fluffy romance - this is not it. This book lives up to its title: a world that is dark, broken, grieving, and dangerous.
The writing is beautiful, reminding you to cherish what and who you hold dear, because nothing here is forever… The pacing runs on the slower side, but that allows space to absorb the worldbuilding, the names, and the weight of the atmosphere. What stood out most to me was the wolf bonding concept. The idea of forging such a deep connection and learning to move, fight, and exist as one felt original and powerful.
The romance simmers quietly in the background, demanding patience. And when it finally breaks through, the only spicy scene truly shakes the ground. Add in the spark of a potential love triangle, and the tension only deepens.
The characters carry the emotional heart of this book. I’m still unsure how I feel about Mavy, our FMC… she’s strong and hard to pin down. Lionel, on the other hand, felt like the light in this brutal world: wise, calm, and the kind of leader who could carry people through the darkness. And Elias… he’s everything Lionel is not - cruel, sharp-edged, and fueled by rage. Yet I can’t help but sense that his cruelty masks a pain we’ll only uncover.
That said, I sometimes felt as if chapters were missing. Not because this is the first book in a series, but because certain threads and questions were left dangling in a way that pulled me out of the flow. Still, this world has its claws in me. I’ll definitely follow where the series leads next. 🖤
Dark Fantasy Romance ∙ Dystopian Vibes ∙ War/Warriors ∙ Friends to Lovers ∙ Slow Burn ∙ Found Family ∙ ‘Who Did This To You?’ ∙ Enemies to Allies ∙ Trials ∙ Wolf Bonding ∙ Mystical Creatures ∙ Touch Her & D!e ∙ 18+/TW ∙ 1st Person POV
This book is the perfect blend of emotional connection and trauma. There are many heartfelt moments that pull at your chest. Sophie uses evocative imagery like she's spent her life mastering it. This book is definitely not for the faint hearted.
We follow the life of our FMC, who's character arc will leave your jaw on the floor. She grows hand in hand with the plot, her confidence, ability to stand up for herself, her loved ones and others makes you feel a genuine connection to her.
The villain of the story is one of true evil, with no redeemable qualities. It's so nice to have an actual villain to hate! There are dark themes involved which are utterly soul shattering. You feel every part of the characters pain.
The plotting is really clever. When looking at the romance, you're not quite sure who the love interest is going to be at first, Even with a he falls first pov *swoons.* it almost feels like a slight love triangle before the slow burn will they won't they cements in place where our fmcs heart lies.
There's the perfect amount of action that keeps you stuck to the book turning page by page as fast as you can. Eager to know what's going on, the element of fear and cliffhanger-esque chapters almost cause your skin to buzz with anticipation.
The ending was absolutely tragic. I had to take some time to process after finishing because i genuinely could not believe what i had just read. I highly recommend this book and commend Sophie for creating such an unique experience for the reader.
Where do I begin… I knew very little going into this book which I think is what made the story come alive more for me. Mind you, it took forever for me to finish cuz of uni but I’m here now lol. I feel like as readers we got a taste of this new world but still left with so many questions (in a good way). Between Death & Us almost felt like a long prologue because I feel like book 2 is where all the chaos and plot could be seen. Therefore, I feel like for some it will feel pretty slow.
The Clift hanger at the end… Sophie I wasn’t prepared for that!! Mavy, the FMC, has some layers that we have yet to see. She’s strong willed but is still pushing her traumas to the side in order to survive in her new life. I’m interested where her journey, especially with the Sirs, will take here. Elias though… 🫣 yea imma need more of him RIGHT NOW. The overall world building is easy to follow after a couple chapters. I feel like this world is where myth is slowing becoming reality and I’m trigued to see what Sophie will do with series continuing. With that being said out of 10 I’d give the book a 7
Thank you again Sophie for the opportunity and I hope to read more of your work in the future!
I knew very little going into this book which made it all the more interesting and for me. It started off a bit slow for me but I was patient knowing something good was waiting for me somewhere in the book and it didn’t disappoint.
With everything mavy has experience I’ll admit she’s a strong young lady who in spite of the trauma she’s been through still trying her best to be there for her little sister and navigate her new life.
Lionel’s calm and thoughtful leadership was really needed in the midst of all of mavy’s outbursts lol ( I can’t really blame her tho). As for Elias I really don’t know what to say about him yet lol.
The plotting is really clever. When looking at the romance, you're not quite sure who the love interest is going to be at first, Even with a he falls first pov *swoons.* it almost feels like a slight love triangle before the slow burn will they won't they cements in place where our fmcs heart lies.
I’m not one to cry while reading a book but if it’s like that for you then yes the last few chapter of this book will do it for you .
Overall I think this book is a perfect blend of emotional connection and trauma, so many heartfelt moments too.
Thanks to Sophia for making this amazing book and thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book
The book was a bit too slow for me and it couldn’t keep my attention at all unfortunately. A lot of repetition was happening with points we already know.
The plot was just too slow and there were long stretches of time where nothing plot driving was happening. It often felt like characters were not driving the plot but the plot was driving them. It was a drag getting through sometimes and I found myself going back to Goodreads more times then I like to read the synopsis and make sure I’m reading the right book😭. Mavy was very insufferable at time I wished I could enter the book and punch her. She undermined everyone above her and believed she was the sh*t when honestly she wasn’t. The ending wasn’t too bad just felt a bit rushed.
Regardless of all of this I still believe you will improve as you write more books and I’m really excited to see what we get from here.
This was an arc review done voluntarily and at the end of the day reading is subjective.
I enjoyed reading about the bond between Karis their Kavalirs (wolf and warrior). I loved the relationship between FMC Mavy and her Karis, Malik. Their love and loyalty to each other could be felt through their bond and I loved that they were able to speak to each other through their minds. The Karis/Kavalir bond reminded me of the Dragon/Dragon Rider bonds in Fourth Wing, except I imagined Twilight’s Jacob in wolf form.
This book definitely had a lot of world building and I found that it slowed the pacing of the story a little too much for my liking. It definitely picks up past the 60% mark and there were a few twists I didn’t see coming!
I am also a romance/romantasy reader at heart, so I found myself wondering when the romance would pick up.. unfortunately it didn’t really start heating up until over half way through the story.
Overall, I can see the potential here and know that the story will improve even more as Sophie continues to grow as a writer!
You know those books that you stay up to read because you can’t put them down? That’s exactly what this was.
Everything about Between Us and Death was addictive, from the world building to the breath of fresh air on the author’s take of a fantasy world. I have been craving a fantasy book that doesn’t follow the cookie-cutter mold of every other (i.e., Fae, dragons, etc.) and that book checked every desire I had.
The love story is so beautifully written and equally as beautifully tragic. Just when you feel that you are safe in this world, G.C. rips the air from your lungs and leaves you gasping for air.
I would recommend this to any reader who enjoyed Fourth Wing, but want to experience a companion that’s different than the a-typical dragon and loved the wolves in Twilight. This book is worth every page and the hours of sleep you will lose reading it, and I cannot wait until book two releases.
There are many heartfelt moments that make you feel all the feelings. The book are not exactly for the faint hearted.
The villian in this book is actually someone you can not like at all. The scenes in this book that are dark is soul shattering and you feel the pain of the characters .
The plotting is really cleverly done when you look at the romance side you don't really know who is the love interest. The world building is easy to follow and it's action packed.
Mavy the FMC i feel have alot of layers that we must still discover, she is strong but pushes all trauma to the back burner to survive. Elias need some more of him at this stage.
Can't wait to see where Sophie take us in the next books and Sophie you absolutely surprised me with the cliffhanger at the end .
Between Us and Death was a really fun read. The worldbuilding caught my attention right away, especially the wolves, which is the reason I picked up the book.
The pacing was slower than I expected, and there were sections where it felt like not much was happening, but the story definitely picked up toward the end. The last part had me way more invested.
I liked how the characters were written, each with their own depth and flaws. Mavy’s struggles felt realistic, and Elias was easily one of the most intriguing characters, even with his limited page time.
The romance was sweet, and the writing style was easy to fall into. Despite the slower moments, I’m really curious to see where book two will take the story. It's a good beginning for a series.
Sophie is an absolute genius. This book was equally as beautiful as it was devastating and I could not put it down. The world she built was so rich to the point it felt like a breath of fresh air. A lot of fantasy books feel cookie cutter to me, and it’s extremely difficult for me to get into them because of that, but this was so unique that I could not put it down.
From the world building to the characters to the mystical creatures, Sophie checked all of my boxes and absolutely blew me out of the water. It is unbelievable that this is a debut, and you should definitely give it a read.
I wish I could reread this for the first time again. So freaking good! My heartstrings were PULLED. The emotional connection I got with the characters was beautifully written, the trauma was WOW holy heartfelt. Literally kept a box of tissues with me. The world building was amazing done, pulled me in from start to finish.
It was amazing to read a different kind of fantasy that isn’t like most fantasy novels out there. Plus ✨ he falls first ✨ immediately in love.
Way too much information overload, extremely slow paced and constantly feels like there should have been a book before this one. No relationship has any substance.
Was a very cheap version of a lot of other popular YA books as of late. Really disappointed as I was excited to read this but I was bored the entire time.
I was hooked from the very first page! The characters felt real, the plot moved at the perfect pace, and the emotions hit all the right notes. This book stayed with me long after I finished it, a truly memorable read. I can't wait to see what the author writes next!
The plot is interesting. The character and the world is unique. If you are a fans of fourth wing, you will also enjoy reading this book. The conversation between the wolf and the FMC is one of the best parts that I enjoyed for this book. Can’t wait for the next book! 🥰
I knew how it was going to end yet I kept reading. I loved the romance, plot, and the unique world building. It kept me turning the page and that ending… I’ll be thinking about it for a while
I received an Arc copy of Sophie's 'Between Us and Death' and it is so many things!!!! It is a beautiful novel that made me feel so deeply. Mavy's character shines, her fierce protectiveness over her sister is so tender. The tender dynamic between Mavy and Malik is beautifully portrayed, their bond a highlight of the story. The complex Kavilar and Kavil relationship adds a fascinating layer, its uniqueness injecting fresh interest into the narrative. I was so glad that we got to learn about their bond/laws.
While Mavy's occasional outbursts had me rolling my eyes 😂, Lionel's calm and thoughtful leadership was a breath of fresh air. As for Elias... well, let's just say he's currently earned a spot on my 'characters I'd like to throat punch' list 😡. I find myself drawn to characters who evoke strong emotions – it's either a testament to Sophie's skill that I'll be vindicated or that I'll undergo a profound character reappreciation.
This book, and Sophie’s writing, shows how some people deal with grief and the trauma it can leave on a person even years down the line. I thought the way that Sophie showed this within her characters was so well written.
One of the best things, however, lies in the book's pacing and climax. The last third is a heart-stopping thrill ride, culminating in a devastating conclusion that left me shattered. The final 4-5 chapters had me sobbing uncontrollably in bed 🤧. With its emotional depth and masterful storytelling, I wholeheartedly give 'Between Us and Death' a 10/10 recommendation. Sophie's writing has left an indelible mark on my heart 💔.
oh my god what a read! I want to thank the author for allowing me to read such an amazing ARC. The action wraps you in its hold the moment you read the first words and it's hard to let the book down from your hand. You get attached to the characters and feel their every emotion wishing to know more and see how the actions unfold. I loved the Karis-Kavalir relationship. that connection is something I wish we would have in reality. to be so reliable in someone and be as connected as if death occurs you can't live without the other is something we need. this is simply amazing. every character had his ups and downs. nobody was perfect and I loved that. the action is simply hard to guess and you find yourself shocked at what the story is telling you. I loved the book from start to finish and I can't explain to y'all what emotions it's giving you. go read it!!!!!