Hezi is the purveyor of wine and chaos at Wayward Sip, the safe haven she created to escape her abusive ex. As chaos incarnate, she bestows her golden apples at her discretion and it is there that she meets Edno. The young dragon carries a darkness that threatens unmeasurable destruction and Hezi can't help but offer him the thing he wants most -- power. But when he returns days later with Emry, the alpha of his coven, Hezi realizes she made a mistake.
Edno was consumed by chaos. But rather than feeling remorse, Hezi is amused and Emry is incensed. Emry decides that Hezi's life will be a suitable replacement for Edno's, but when their eyes lock, Emry's demands become far more personal than she'd anticipated. Bigger problems arise however as Emry is called back to her home to deal with the growing mistrust between her coven and The Regime, while Hezi's ex is trying to force his way back into her life.
Hezi knows that getting attached to anyone is a risk, but she doesn't know which is more terrifying -- pushing everyone away for fear of losing them, or succumbing to the love of a dragon hellbent on claiming Hezi as her own.
La Purvis writes about Black women who are awkward, romantic, & a little bit chaotic. She's a freelance copyeditor and spends her time getting lost in anime and kdramas, studying new languages, and learning how to sew. Her newsletter, Chaotic Musings, is how she battles insomnia, sharing her internal monologues and upcoming projects. She loves exploring the dynamic complexities of relationships that can occur within fantasy stories. You can learn more at www.purviswrites.com.
May Chaos Reign Over You is a fantasy romance that will captivate you if you love morally gray characters, immersive worldbuilding, and just the right touch of romance.
Our main character, Hezi, is an aether who walks with Chaos—essentially a second being or alter ego unique to each aether. It might sound a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s fascinating. I really enjoyed seeing Hezi’s journey toward forgiveness and compassion. Even though she’s complex and not always easy to read, she grew on me.
Then there’s Emry, a dragon alpha from Zouri, who’s the perfect contrast—kindhearted and protective. At first, she doesn’t understand Hezi and shows some animosity toward her, questioning why she acts the way she does. But over time, as she learns more about Hezi’s bond with Chaos, her perspective changes. Their relationship develops gradually, never feeling rushed, which made their connection all the more believable and satisfying.
The worldbuilding is another highlight. I loved seeing the contrasts between the planets—Ocury, home to the aethers, and Zouri, where dragons and other species live. I only wish we’d explored Zouri a bit more, as it felt like we’d just scratched the surface. Still, what we did see was well executed.
The found family dynamic was also a treat, especially with Emry’s dragon friends (Bryonae, Ormyn, Symo, and Qoru) and Hezi’s companions, Jinx and Zabre. They added warmth and depth to the story.
And I can’t forget the “villain”—smart, unpredictable, and always keeping me on my toes. I loved that I could never quite figure out his next move.
The ending leaves the door open for a sequel—not with a cliffhanger, but with plenty of potential to further explore this rich universe if the author chooses.
If you’re in the mood for a fantasy romance with layered characters, unique lore, and just the right amount of slow-burn connection,don’t hesitate to pick this one up —it’s worth it!
I think I found this author from threads? I subscribed to their newsletter because I am always on the hunt for good fantasy book.
So many of them are hit and misses and I particularly enjoy Sapphic fantasy books. This cover is so gorgeous like my jaw is on the floor excuse me.
I don’t know how to describe this book except for by comparing it to other elements and other high fantasy books I’ve read so: it gives Snow White mixed with a bookshops and bone dust vibe mixed with an entirely new creative magical world.
This book has so much intricacy to it and there’s such great character development that I really can’t compare it well to other books except for by saying that this is an excellent high fantasy book.
I am particular I’m really really picky about fantasy. I don’t really even enjoy romance most of the time so when I find a book like this, I get so excited.
The sapphic yearning and tension in this book is amazing and of course the spice is also wonderful
Jinks might be my favorite Emry is just so hot though like? And Hezi is so complex.
Ugh. I loved this world and these characters.
I love the protagonist has this backstory to them and it’s such a flushed out backstory that they could have their own Novella.
I’m really just hoping this becomes a series because right now it seems like this is a standalone and this book just completely entranced me.
The cover and the title also actually make a ton of sense once you’re about halfway through you understand that chaos is a really big theme in this book.
It’s really hard for me to put into words how much I love this one, but every single page was genuinely a work of art.
There was no fluff in this book either so it is genuinely a little bit of a harder read as far as how much your brain works and the language use, the writing style is so beautiful and La Purvis did such a good job at showing versus telling (like you open the book and you’re just immediately in the world with this author), and I don’t know how they managed to do that.
I’m so glad I checked my email and saw this book was released!
I heavily recommend to sapphic book lovers or those who enjoy high fantasy books. This book will be in my head rent free thank you. I’m obsessed.
I got this as an arc. I enjoyed it. The story was engaging. You will find yourself loving some characters and for sure hating a few. The FMC's struggles almost broke my heart. One can truly relate to why she behaves the way she does. As someone who doesn't read a lot of romance books. This had a good mix of intrigue to keep the story moving. It also showed that love can be very toxic.
I am in LOVE with this book. It's such great story telling and the characters are wonderful. The romance is one of the best I've read in a while. I'd call it refreshing. It's truly unique and different. There is some spice, which is always a plus in my book.