Veil of Debt

by Kat Francis

A palace that counts in choices. A city that prays in chains. A woman who refuses to be written in another man's ledger.

Sold in the name of love and sent down the Veil Road, Esmeralda discovers how Mantana blesses hunger and calls it holy. She knows the doctrine of ledgers and lashings. She knows how Fourin's Divine Order tallies debt in flesh with public displays and captains who call cruelty mercy while fathers look away. Then a Var marks her, and a scent of polished sandalwood with lemon resin and dry spice begins to follow her waking and sleeping, as if fate has a signature.

Tor'Vai waits in Voreath, a palace of black halls and watchful silences where the Var measure worth by choice and consequence. Under the eye of Shade, a silent guard, Esmeralda learns how devotion can be a blade and how claiming a self has a cost. In the hidden places of the court, a witch of the Web names her the law that steadies the king. Want and defiance twist together into a bond that could unmake a curse or break her for good.

Between a city that teaches obedience like prayer and a crown that offers ruin as intimacy, Esmeralda must decide what she will owe and to whom. If the world is a ledger, she plans to write the line that tips it.

An adult dark fantasy of obsession, consequence, and a love sharp enough to cut through doctrine.

438 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2025

Reviews

[Ashley Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

What an emotional journey! This book will have you all in your feels in a dark, beautiful, poetic way.

You feel what the characters feel…you get pulled under for sure.

This book was a different style…both writing style and vibe that I’m used to reading but it really was beautiful. The healing, growth and really self realization and discovery - the story is overwhelming and freeing at the same time.

It’s definitely a book that’s going to stick with you after you’re done. Definitely worth the ride though. Thank you to the author @katfrancis.author for allowing me to be an arc reader - all opinions are my own.

[Armando Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sins of My Mother is beautifully written in such a classical style that it feels almost timeless, pulling the reader into its pages with grace and intensity. Kat Francis’s prose is richly descriptive, allowing readers to fully envelop themselves in the volatile, emotionally charged world she has created. The atmosphere is heavy, the emotions are raw, and every word feels carefully chosen to resonate long after you’ve set the book down.

At its core, this novel is the true definition of a woman’s rage; fierce, unrelenting, and justified. Francis captures this in a way that is both poetic and unsettling, offering not just a story, but a deep emotional experience. While the book tackles many difficult and triggering themes, the author presents them in a manner that avoids being gratuitous. Instead of overwhelming the reader with unnecessarily graphic detail, she threads them into the narrative in a way that is impactful without being exploitative.

Though it may not be for everyone, for those willing to step into its storm, Sins of My Mother is a book worth checking out. It is a haunting, powerful read that will sit with you long after the final page.

[Spades · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely don’t know what to say about this book. It was very different from what I normally read. It’s very poetic and interesting though. From the beginning I was hooked and intrigued. The author did a good job of confusing me but making me like it. Esme is one of those characters I crave for. She finds truth within herself and her path. Urekai is her ruin. Just her ruin. He played her so well and played me so well as well. I genuinely found this book so hard to simply not emerge into it. The writing style is a bit different from what I’m used to but I loved it. It felt open and yet suffocating at the same time. In the best ways possible. I definitely am glad I got to read this and hope others find it as complexing as I did.

[Alli Escobar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great dark fantasy. No spice, which I usually prefer, but Esmeralda was such a strong FMC that it made up for it. You can see her evolve through the story, and it shows that you can get through anything if you have determination and believe in yourself.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kat Francis wrote a very raw and emotional book. Esmeralda was a great character. Imag\nIne being confined by what you thought to be true. That if you were obedient enough, everything would be okay. Imagine never knowing the true power that you hold inside of you and how great you truly can be. That was the world that Esmeralda lived in.

This book had rage, tension, triumph and brutality. I didn't know what to expect when I first started it but it really pulled me in. You'll definitely want to add this to your to be read list.

Look for this everywhere, October 1st 2025!

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the start. It's so beautifully written with lots of emotion. The characters and details were great. This book was amazing.

[BombshellDanielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive an eARC for Sins of My Mother by @katfrancis.author. All
thoughts are my own!

This was a poetic journey in vivid imagery of self discovery, survival and the pursuit of truth in a world of deception, betrayal, and spectacle.

Her trauma and growth and determination is insane. His level of patience is beyond what any could comprehend and his inner soft side
will grab hold of you, attach itself to your insides and never let you go.

This was an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn’t get off! Read it. It’s beautiful.

#deception #changingfate #curses #traumaandgrowth #darkromance #choice #arcreview #ComeJoinTheFire #KatFrancis
#SinsofMyMother #TheVeilReview #VeilReviewers

[Lindsay Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this book and I can't be more thankful. Kat Francis is a master of poetically discriptive words. This book will take you on a ride of emotions but capture your heart as you feel the emotions of Esme on her journey of discovery. The heartbreak that Esme has to endure and her will to never give up will keep you turning pages. I can't wait to read more of Esmes story. ❤️

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an Arc, and I'm speechless. It's like dark poetry laced with fantasy. This author gave voice to her own personal scars and healing. It's beautiful and can't wait for more! If you enjoy this type of dark and emotional stories then run to read this.!
Veil of Death is must have

[Kathleen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing i loved this book it was a book that I couldn't put down and u get all the emotions . Highly recommend

[Samantha Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kat Francis for allowing me to read and review and arc of this book.

Wow is my initial reaction to this book. This book is vastly different than most of the books I read and review, and I just love when you step out of your "norm" and take a chance on something that you end up enjoying. Kat's writing style is quite unlike any other author that I've read. I browsed some other reviews after reading, and agree that the best word to describe it is poetic. The words are not just surface-level. They are woven with emotion and feeling that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster throughout this book. Kat takes her own trauma and scars, and gives you a story full of determination and growth that is as dark and haunting as it is beautiful. If you want one that will stick with you long after you've read it, this is the one.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn’t an easy read and I mean that in the best way. Sins of My Mother sits heavy in your chest long after you close the book. Esmeralda’s journey felt painfully real, especially the way obedience is framed as survival and how unlearning that costs her everything. I was struck by the prose lyrical but sharp and by how the fantasy elements never softened the brutality of the world. The Veil is one of the most unsettling forces I’ve come across in fantasy, and the Mad King scenes were chilling without being overdone. This is a story about rage and reclaiming oneself, and it doesn’t flinch.

[Rebecca Horist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was gifted this ARC to review

Amazing read from start to finish. Only upset that Book 2 isn’t ready!
If you like an emotional rollercoaster of coming to terms with the past and building your future, this is for you

[Dark Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written dark fantasy romance - tons of strong emotion and a journey of self-discovery for a strong FMC. I loved it and can't wait for book 2!