The Reign of Hearts

by C.R. Fray

When twenty-four-year-old Nissa Lamont settled down in Meridia, she was hopeful for a peaceful, quiet life away from the hardships she'd known as a child. What she didn't at all expect was her younger brother Daemrick arriving at her doorstep spouting nonsense about a mission to the hidden isle of Faywood. A mission, much to her surprise, that was led by none other than Zilcria's very own prince-Kaiden Archer.

While the isle of Faywood may house some of the best kept secrets in the world, it also houses some of the most ruthless and cruel of the Fae. But it isn't only Faywood they have to be cautious of. Secrets and hidden agendas exist in the most unlikely of places and the other Kingdoms of Calia are no exception. Nissa and her friends are quickly thrust into a world none of them ever expected and all of Calia is shaken to its core because of it.

The Reign of Hearts is the first in a high fantasy, slow-burn series involving action, adventure, and FM / MM romance. It is a world chalk full of untold secrets, mysteries, and magic. A world built upon the backs of Elves, Fae, Drakarin, and Humans alike.

Welcome...to the World of Calia.

548 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2025

About the author

As a lover of military heroes, fantasy worlds, and romance, Cassie has thrown her passion into creating the magical world of Calia. Marrying her own military hero, she's planted roots in her hometown in Kansas with her three cats and spends the majority of her time reading, writing, and helping her husband plan his DND campaigns.

Book 3: "The Reign of Embers" is set to release on December 13, 2026.

Book covers are done by a French artist who goes by the name Ethemos. If you like the cover, be sure to check out her art!

(I do NOT use ai for my writing or graphics, nor will it ever!)

Reviews

[Brielle]

I absolutely adored this whole story! The character development was incredible; I really connected with a lot of them, and loved the multi-viewpoint narrative. The world building was phenomenal. The cliffhanger ending left me wanting more, like, now.
There were a few typos, but they're easy to get past. For being a self-published debut, it's a truly amazing book.
I cannot recommend this book enough for Fantasy readers, and I am so excited for the next book and to fall back into the world of Calia!

[Nicole Myerscough]

"The Reign of Hearts" by C.R. Fray is a high fantasy, slow-burn novel that will resonate with both older YA and adult readers alike. Told through multiple perspectives, the story introduces a cast of relatable characters that readers will quickly grow to empathize with and invest in as the story unfolds. Readers will find Fray’s book difficult to put down as they find themselves rooting for the main characters and their newly formed band of allies. Fray skillfully weaves in powerful and relevant themes, including identity and acceptance, racism and segregation, trauma and healing, political corruption, and the complexities of cultural history. The story also explores refugees, interspecies relations, and complicated romance, adding depth and realism to its richly built world. Fans of "A Court of Thorns and Roses", "The Empyrean" trilogy, "Grishaverse" books, "The Sword of Shannara", or even lore-rich games like "World of Warcraft" will feel right at home in the world of Calia. "The Reign of Hearts" offers an immersive, character-driven, and utterly addictive debut promising an exciting future for the series.

[Maizey]

This book was so, so good!! It starts out a bit slow, but I think most good high fantasy series are that way. Once you're past the first 70-80 pages, it picks up and is so hard to put down after that. It has hot, Elven military guys, magic, unique species and races, and I can already tell that the world-building for this is going to be insanely amazing if this is the first book in the series.

The author stated on social media that while the first book is a bit more FM coded, the remainder of the series will be equally heavy with MM romance (especially the upcoming book 2), and she has plans for bisexual FMM spicy scenes down the line as well!

Overall, 10/10 book! I can't wait to see what the next one is like!

[Ruthie]

I don't normally write reviews but I've been on the hunt for more indie authors and I'm SO glad I stumbled upon this one. The characters were so relatable and easy to mesh with, the plot kept me hooked, and the cliffhanger ending has me overly eager to see what book two will bring. For sure one of my new favorites and I wish more people knew about it!