What do you think?
Rate this book
Blaze Forth the Death of Princes
Nova Martin is a simple smuggler trying to get away from her crime boss to make a life of her own. But after she stows away on an errant ship and kills an assassin in self defense, she's forced to take his place, finding herself embroiled in the political machinations of a galactic regime and tasked with assassinating princeling playboy Drace, heir to the Sovereignty. Nova just wants to keep her true identity secret and get out of the situation alive, but the deeper she gets, the more she learns that nothing is quite as it seems, and Drace is keeping secrets of his own.
As Nova learns what life is like for civilians under the Sovereignty's rule, she must make a difficult decision. Will she be complicit and follow orders, or will she join the growing rebellion to overthrow the authoritarian Premier and her corrupt dominion?
Nova Martin's is a story filled with intrigue, upheaval, and more than a fair share of romance.
As Nova learns what life is like for civilians under the Sovereignty's rule, she must make a difficult decision. Will she be complicit and follow orders, or will she join the growing rebellion to overthrow the authoritarian Premier and her corrupt dominion?
Nova Martin's is a story filled with intrigue, upheaval, and more than a fair share of romance.
- GenresScience Fiction
448 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2025
About the author
A.M. Colwell
7 books17 followersAylia Monique (A. M.) Colwell is a French American writer. Her greatest passions in life are storytelling, animals, and traveling. In addition to novels, she writes - and illustrates - a web comic series called "Reasons My Friends Hate Me." She is working as an actor in Atlanta with her husband, the dogs they adopted, and the cats who adopted them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 23, 2025
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of author A.M. Colwell’s latest book, “Blaze Forth the Death of Princes,”and let’s just say she has outdone herself. Stepping away from the fantasy elements of the White Mask Society series, Blaze Forth the Death of Princes is a gripping sci-fi romance full of action and adventure! This is peak science fiction, with a lot of romance to boot. Let’s call it science friction. Nova Martin is an instant classic character that you won’t soon forget, and following her along as she finds herself on the run and intertwined in a galactic power struggle against the menacing sovereignty of the Proxima cluster is pure joy. Read this book as soon as you can!
November 15, 2025
Not only is this story incredibly well written but it is genuinely so captivating. If you’re looking for a unique plot, a badass FMC, in-depth world building and some seriously steamy 🌶️, do not hesitate and read this immediately! Couldn’t recommend this book enough! It is easily now one of my favorite sci-fi romances and something I will definitely come back to.
October 26, 2025
I don’t normally take the time to write a review because I’m just ready to jump into my next read - especially when I need to get over the grief of finishing a great book. But I just couldn’t with this one.
I loved it, already saving it in my re-read list. It’s action-packed, romance-packed, with great world-building and a plot that kept me on my toes the whole way through. None of it was banal.
Can’t wait to read more of your work.
I loved it, already saving it in my re-read list. It’s action-packed, romance-packed, with great world-building and a plot that kept me on my toes the whole way through. None of it was banal.
Can’t wait to read more of your work.
October 22, 2025
Another fantastic title from this very talented author! If you enjoy thrilling sci fi adventures with a bit of romance (ok, it’s pretty spicy) then I can’t recommend this book enough!
March 11, 2026
Okay im gonna say 3.25 to 3.5. I got this book at a local book fair where I live and I am all for supporting local, and not well known authors. But I also believe in giving an honest rating. The start of the books is GREAT. So fun, with all different kinds of aliens, space travel, a smuggler turned assassin, and an adorable sidekick. Then the book kind of just segues into straight up porn for the middle of the book. It felt like less of a romance in the book and more of a way to add spice and length to the book. And I love me some spice! But it felt not believable to me, because legit these characters had absolutely nothing that would make me think they have chemistry.
Then the end of the book picks back up, gets better! kind of a weird ending but left room for another book if the author chooses.
Overall I would definitely read this author again. I enjoyed this book, with its imperfections, and you can tell the author put heart into it.
Then the end of the book picks back up, gets better! kind of a weird ending but left room for another book if the author chooses.
Overall I would definitely read this author again. I enjoyed this book, with its imperfections, and you can tell the author put heart into it.
February 3, 2026
I haven’t read much sci-fi romance, but this was such a good introduction. The story kept going, the spice was AMAZING. Good slow burn.
October 12, 2025
Blaze Forth the Death of Princes is the sci-fi romance that we need right now. Nova Martin is a smart ass and a badass. I wish I was as cool as her. If you like rooting for the underdogs and high stakes revolutions, this book is for you!
Blaze balances epic stakes with character intimacy, awe‑inspiring planetary settings with lots of scheming. Also… the spice! Haha This book is not suitable for children.
Blaze balances epic stakes with character intimacy, awe‑inspiring planetary settings with lots of scheming. Also… the spice! Haha This book is not suitable for children.
March 24, 2026
Blaze Forth the Death of Princes gave me exactly the kind of space drama I like: messy politics, secrets stacked on secrets, a heroine trying to stay alive by pure instinct and stubbornness, and just enough romance to keep everything extra complicated. Nova was easy to root for. She’s scrappy, funny, adaptable, and the kind of main character who keeps getting dropped into worse and worse situations and still manages to keep moving.
What pulled me in most was the setup. A smuggler accidentally ending up in the middle of a political assassination plot already had me seated, and once Nova had to step into a role she was never supposed to have, the story really took off. I liked that there was always something shifting under the surface. Every time it seemed like the situation was finally clear, some new layer opened up. That kept the pages moving for me.
I also liked that this wasn’t just all action and sneaking around in space. There’s a real moral question running through the story about complicity, power, and what it means to keep yourself safe in a system that hurts other people. That gave the book more weight. Nova’s choices mattered, and I appreciated that the story let her wrestle with them instead of turning everything into a simple good-versus-evil setup.
And of course, Drace. I liked the tension there. He felt like more than just the princeling love interest archetype. There’s enough mystery around him to make the dynamic fun, and the romance added a nice heat to all the political chaos without swallowing the main plot.
A few parts moved so quickly that I wanted a little more room to sit in the fallout before the story launched into the next twist. I also think the political side could have hit even harder with a little more development in certain moments, just because the world was interesting enough that I wanted more of it. And I do get why some readers might feel like the title gives a slightly different vibe than the actual story.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. It was fun, tense, romantic, and full of movement. If you like sci-fi with intrigue, rebellion energy, a capable heroine, and a romance that actually adds something to the stakes, this is a solid pick.
What pulled me in most was the setup. A smuggler accidentally ending up in the middle of a political assassination plot already had me seated, and once Nova had to step into a role she was never supposed to have, the story really took off. I liked that there was always something shifting under the surface. Every time it seemed like the situation was finally clear, some new layer opened up. That kept the pages moving for me.
I also liked that this wasn’t just all action and sneaking around in space. There’s a real moral question running through the story about complicity, power, and what it means to keep yourself safe in a system that hurts other people. That gave the book more weight. Nova’s choices mattered, and I appreciated that the story let her wrestle with them instead of turning everything into a simple good-versus-evil setup.
And of course, Drace. I liked the tension there. He felt like more than just the princeling love interest archetype. There’s enough mystery around him to make the dynamic fun, and the romance added a nice heat to all the political chaos without swallowing the main plot.
A few parts moved so quickly that I wanted a little more room to sit in the fallout before the story launched into the next twist. I also think the political side could have hit even harder with a little more development in certain moments, just because the world was interesting enough that I wanted more of it. And I do get why some readers might feel like the title gives a slightly different vibe than the actual story.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. It was fun, tense, romantic, and full of movement. If you like sci-fi with intrigue, rebellion energy, a capable heroine, and a romance that actually adds something to the stakes, this is a solid pick.
February 24, 2026
I’ve just finished this, and I was not planning to write a review tonight. But here we are.
Blaze Forth the Death of Princes properly caught me off guard. The early scene where the Premier calmly tells Zęk to stage her own son’s death is the moment I realised this was not going to be space opera fluff. There’s no dramatic shouting, no theatrics. She just says it. And expects it done. That coldness carries through the whole book.
The politics in the Proxima Cluster actually feel like politics, not background noise. The unrest in the border systems, the way the Successor is used as a public stabilising symbol, the push for surveillance. It all feels uncomfortably plausible. You can see how it spirals.
Zęk being forced into the double role of assassin and watcher works really well. He’s not swaggering about loving it. He’s navigating it. Half calculating, half trying not to get himself killed by the very system he serves. I liked that he feels competent but not invincible.
Also, small thing, but the moment where he wakes up in absurd luxury after being handed what is essentially a royal execution order. That contrast stuck with me. It’s bleak and slightly darkly funny at the same time.
The worldbuilding does not spoon-feed you. græmalds, leeries, Sovereignty structures. You either keep up or you don’t. Personally I prefer that. It trusts the reader.
Is it cosy sci-fi? Absolutely not. It’s sharp. It’s political. It’s about power protecting itself. And it does not pretend otherwise.
Anyway. I should go to bed. But yes, if you like your science fiction with teeth and actual consequences, this one is worth your time. I’ll be thinking about that opening order for a while.
Blaze Forth the Death of Princes properly caught me off guard. The early scene where the Premier calmly tells Zęk to stage her own son’s death is the moment I realised this was not going to be space opera fluff. There’s no dramatic shouting, no theatrics. She just says it. And expects it done. That coldness carries through the whole book.
The politics in the Proxima Cluster actually feel like politics, not background noise. The unrest in the border systems, the way the Successor is used as a public stabilising symbol, the push for surveillance. It all feels uncomfortably plausible. You can see how it spirals.
Zęk being forced into the double role of assassin and watcher works really well. He’s not swaggering about loving it. He’s navigating it. Half calculating, half trying not to get himself killed by the very system he serves. I liked that he feels competent but not invincible.
Also, small thing, but the moment where he wakes up in absurd luxury after being handed what is essentially a royal execution order. That contrast stuck with me. It’s bleak and slightly darkly funny at the same time.
The worldbuilding does not spoon-feed you. græmalds, leeries, Sovereignty structures. You either keep up or you don’t. Personally I prefer that. It trusts the reader.
Is it cosy sci-fi? Absolutely not. It’s sharp. It’s political. It’s about power protecting itself. And it does not pretend otherwise.
Anyway. I should go to bed. But yes, if you like your science fiction with teeth and actual consequences, this one is worth your time. I’ll be thinking about that opening order for a while.
October 21, 2025
Following Nova’s journey gave me the escape I needed from the woes of the mess of our earthly existence right now. The combination of adventure, action, reflection, and romance was exhilarating. I found a lot of hope in Nova’s determination (and confidence) in fighting against the powers that be. And we can’t forget to mention how adorable Nova’s faithful companion is throughout… Kiwi the lūmis! I would definitely recommend reading Blaze Forth the Death of Princes as soon as you can.
July 2, 2026
This is easily Colwell’s best work so far. A completely different style from the previous YA works, the characters, action, science — I love that the main character focused largely on intellectual solutions to her problems. Nova is a fun character to follow, and the authoritarian regime is relevant to the modern age. A nice escape to see the downfall of one, I must admit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2025
Well yes I like it. I wrote it.
June 11, 2026
Good escapism for the modern era. A good sci fi for romantasy fans. Well written. A very clear voice that was easy to fall into
August 6, 2026
I don't know why, but I associate cute sidekicks with fantasy, and this is definitely more space opera (with added spice)! There's still a lot of fantasy here though, I just don't usually 'get it' as much in galactic travel-set books, but here, the author's love of genre-mashing shines.
I LOVED the premise - stowaway wants to escape for a quieter life but, after a run-in, is forced to pose as an assassin/bodyguard to royalty in a highly structured, well-developed society. Chuck in an amusing, sometimes feral, creature (Kiwi) which she hides in her hollow false leg and you have me hooked. The story develops, exposing deep rifts in society and complex yet relatable politics, with page-turning twists and turns. I really, really loved the FMC (Nova), and, to a degree Drace (he grew on me - I didn't think he would for a long time).
Easy and quick reading thanks to the style of writing (which shouldn't surprise me as I have read this author before and enjoyed). The spicy middle was... (fans herself)... more than I expected, but added another layer to this enjoyable and well-written novel.
An easy 5* will-read-again for me!
I LOVED the premise - stowaway wants to escape for a quieter life but, after a run-in, is forced to pose as an assassin/bodyguard to royalty in a highly structured, well-developed society. Chuck in an amusing, sometimes feral, creature (Kiwi) which she hides in her hollow false leg and you have me hooked. The story develops, exposing deep rifts in society and complex yet relatable politics, with page-turning twists and turns. I really, really loved the FMC (Nova), and, to a degree Drace (he grew on me - I didn't think he would for a long time).
Easy and quick reading thanks to the style of writing (which shouldn't surprise me as I have read this author before and enjoyed). The spicy middle was... (fans herself)... more than I expected, but added another layer to this enjoyable and well-written novel.
An easy 5* will-read-again for me!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews