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The Obscura Saga #1
The Honorable Con
A non-stop, fantasy adventure set in a unique and expansive magical world, perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon, Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jackson Bennett.Ailyanna was one good con away from her ticket East and escape from the looming war, and instead she’s locked in the palace dungeon staring at a lifetime sentence. You scam one prince and suddenly you’re the captain of the constable’s personal obsession.
While Captain Kresta would love for Ailyanna to rot in that cell forever, she cannot ignore the reality. To the North, the invasion of the magical empire Lamore creeps ever closer, and civil war threatens to tear her home apart before they can hope to defend themselves. Kresta must squash a duke’s treasonous plans, and to do so, she must release the thief she spent years tracking down. Through gritted teeth, Kresta offers Ailyanna a royal pardon, and her precious ticket East. Used to working alone, Ailyanna’s saddled with weapon obsessed twins, a locksmith too handsome for his own good, and the captain who’s promised to chase her to the ends of the earth.
Ailyanna needs that ticket to keep escaping Fate, but time is ticking, and the past never forgets.
While Captain Kresta would love for Ailyanna to rot in that cell forever, she cannot ignore the reality. To the North, the invasion of the magical empire Lamore creeps ever closer, and civil war threatens to tear her home apart before they can hope to defend themselves. Kresta must squash a duke’s treasonous plans, and to do so, she must release the thief she spent years tracking down. Through gritted teeth, Kresta offers Ailyanna a royal pardon, and her precious ticket East. Used to working alone, Ailyanna’s saddled with weapon obsessed twins, a locksmith too handsome for his own good, and the captain who’s promised to chase her to the ends of the earth.
Ailyanna needs that ticket to keep escaping Fate, but time is ticking, and the past never forgets.
310 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2025
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Michele C. Shaw
1 book13 followersBorn in Australia, Michele has loved writing from an early age and has always dreamed of sharing the stories she created.
In another life she’d have been travelling from tavern to tavern in a patchwork cloak, but for now her bard performances are limited to a keyboard when she gets off work.
In another life she’d have been travelling from tavern to tavern in a patchwork cloak, but for now her bard performances are limited to a keyboard when she gets off work.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 18, 2025
The Honorable Con
by Michele C. Shaw
The Obscura Saga #1
Science Fiction
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Sept 3, 2025
Indie/Self-Published
Ages: 16+
As a very talented Con (wo)man and lock picker, Ailyanna is trying to swindle enough to get a ticket East and escape the coming war.
After months of searching, catching, and having Ailyanna escape, Captain Kresta finally captured Ailyanna and locked her in the palace dungeon. But with the war looming, and rumors of a Duke's pending treason, Kresta recommends Ailyanna to the King, for the con's talent in pretending to be someone she's not.
Agreeing, instead of spending the rest of her life shackled in the small cell, but with plans of escape, Ailyanna joins the captain and three others, taking the train to find the evidence of the Duke's plans to overthrow the King.
Posing as the Duke's long-lost love, Ailyanna and her group discover the Duke's plans, but also the King's, and when all is revealed, so is Ailyanna's secret.
Told from the POVs of Ailyanna and Kresta, each chapter opens with a 'flashback' of the characters' lives, which some I found unnecessary, but there were others that did add depth and a little foreshadowing to the characters. But another way, like including them into the story itself, (especially hints of Ailyanna's secret), would have blended in with the story/chapter instead of the jolt at the chapter's beginning. Sometimes italics are distracting and feel 'skip/skimable'.
For the first half of the story, I also found it difficult to distinguish between the MCs because they felt very similar, but both did begin to develop into interesting characters.
The story flowed at a good pace, and the plot and characters were well created, but I do feel that the world lacked history. More about the people, places, and history would add a lot more depth to the story and characters.
Overall good story, and the cover/title were eye-catching, and in sync with the story. I would be interested in reading the next book in this series.
3 Stars
by Michele C. Shaw
The Obscura Saga #1
Science Fiction
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Sept 3, 2025
Indie/Self-Published
Ages: 16+
As a very talented Con (wo)man and lock picker, Ailyanna is trying to swindle enough to get a ticket East and escape the coming war.
After months of searching, catching, and having Ailyanna escape, Captain Kresta finally captured Ailyanna and locked her in the palace dungeon. But with the war looming, and rumors of a Duke's pending treason, Kresta recommends Ailyanna to the King, for the con's talent in pretending to be someone she's not.
Agreeing, instead of spending the rest of her life shackled in the small cell, but with plans of escape, Ailyanna joins the captain and three others, taking the train to find the evidence of the Duke's plans to overthrow the King.
Posing as the Duke's long-lost love, Ailyanna and her group discover the Duke's plans, but also the King's, and when all is revealed, so is Ailyanna's secret.
Told from the POVs of Ailyanna and Kresta, each chapter opens with a 'flashback' of the characters' lives, which some I found unnecessary, but there were others that did add depth and a little foreshadowing to the characters. But another way, like including them into the story itself, (especially hints of Ailyanna's secret), would have blended in with the story/chapter instead of the jolt at the chapter's beginning. Sometimes italics are distracting and feel 'skip/skimable'.
For the first half of the story, I also found it difficult to distinguish between the MCs because they felt very similar, but both did begin to develop into interesting characters.
The story flowed at a good pace, and the plot and characters were well created, but I do feel that the world lacked history. More about the people, places, and history would add a lot more depth to the story and characters.
Overall good story, and the cover/title were eye-catching, and in sync with the story. I would be interested in reading the next book in this series.
3 Stars
August 3, 2025
This was a fun fantasy heist-ish novel that went refreshingly off the rails (ha, because there's a train). The world building was at times a bit too subtle, so some surprises didn't pay off since I had missed the set up. The final plot twists, though, felt very rewarding. I plan to read the second book when it comes out!
October 8, 2025
3.5 stars rounded to 4
After making the horrible decision to stop and save the life of the Constable that was chasing her Ailyanna is finally caught. This time they mean to keep her too, ensuring there is no way for her to con her way out of a cell. Or at least that's what she thinks until she's brought before the King himself who has an offer for her: Work for him to find proof of a plot to usurp him and he will let her go. Ailyanna isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth so she quickly agrees and is swiftly on the way to Norhill with Kresta the Constable who has been tailing her for years and a group of others all given the same deal. Almost immediately though the King's claims of a coup do not add up and as Ailyanna becomes closer to the man suspected of plotting her it for the first time in her career as a confidence woman she feels bad. Will Ailyanna follow her gut and betray her king or lead an innocent man to his death?
Honestly, this wasn't the con story I was looking for, that being said it did end up being an interesting political drama and went in a direction I definitely didn't see coming.
Normally, I'd gush about the characters here, but I'm going to be honest none of them really stood out for me. They are all interesting for sure but I didn't find anything about their personalities that really set them apart. They are all pretty much what you'd expect after their introductions.
The world-building is sufficient enough to get a good idea of what is going on in the world, but I would have liked to see more. I genuinely don't remember there beiaboutoo much discussion about why Lamora would be invading for example. An explanation for the magic system though felt completely lacking, especially since it seems to be race-based and only exists in the Lamorians. Other than that they have to go on some sort of pilgrimage to figure out what their affinity (?) is and something about a well, and they have these like tattoos (?) that seem to have something to do with channeling their magic I have no idea how it works. Granted I have a feeling this was on purpose given what we discover about Ailyanna in the end I still would have liked a bit more.
What I found the most interesting about this and why I've given it four stars is that is a political drama masquerading as a con novel. The con is the vast majority of the story but once you get to the end you realize that the con is just one part of an actual conspiracy hatched by two world powers. Not to mention that Ailyanna is at the very center of all of it in a way that the reader could have never possibly imagined.
In the end while this wasn't what I was looking for when I started reading it I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading book two!
As always thanks to NetGalley and Michele C. Shaw for the eArc!
After making the horrible decision to stop and save the life of the Constable that was chasing her Ailyanna is finally caught. This time they mean to keep her too, ensuring there is no way for her to con her way out of a cell. Or at least that's what she thinks until she's brought before the King himself who has an offer for her: Work for him to find proof of a plot to usurp him and he will let her go. Ailyanna isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth so she quickly agrees and is swiftly on the way to Norhill with Kresta the Constable who has been tailing her for years and a group of others all given the same deal. Almost immediately though the King's claims of a coup do not add up and as Ailyanna becomes closer to the man suspected of plotting her it for the first time in her career as a confidence woman she feels bad. Will Ailyanna follow her gut and betray her king or lead an innocent man to his death?
Honestly, this wasn't the con story I was looking for, that being said it did end up being an interesting political drama and went in a direction I definitely didn't see coming.
Normally, I'd gush about the characters here, but I'm going to be honest none of them really stood out for me. They are all interesting for sure but I didn't find anything about their personalities that really set them apart. They are all pretty much what you'd expect after their introductions.
The world-building is sufficient enough to get a good idea of what is going on in the world, but I would have liked to see more. I genuinely don't remember there beiaboutoo much discussion about why Lamora would be invading for example. An explanation for the magic system though felt completely lacking, especially since it seems to be race-based and only exists in the Lamorians. Other than that they have to go on some sort of pilgrimage to figure out what their affinity (?) is and something about a well, and they have these like tattoos (?) that seem to have something to do with channeling their magic I have no idea how it works. Granted I have a feeling this was on purpose given what we discover about Ailyanna in the end I still would have liked a bit more.
What I found the most interesting about this and why I've given it four stars is that is a political drama masquerading as a con novel. The con is the vast majority of the story but once you get to the end you realize that the con is just one part of an actual conspiracy hatched by two world powers. Not to mention that Ailyanna is at the very center of all of it in a way that the reader could have never possibly imagined.
In the end while this wasn't what I was looking for when I started reading it I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading book two!
As always thanks to NetGalley and Michele C. Shaw for the eArc!
November 19, 2025
The honorable con is an adventure fantasy , where we follow Ailyanna the professional con-artist. Typically she gets her mark and gets away, This time however she's caught by the Kresta , the captain of the guard.
Kresta would love nothing more, than to see Ailyanna locked away in that dingy cell forever. Really, nothing would bring her more joy than seeing her rot in that cell. However, the Kingdom has other plans to leverage Ailyanna and her , annoyingly impeccable con skills. As the Northern Empire Lamore, starts closing in they are worried about a civil war. There for they are sending Ailyanna in to get close to Duke. She isnt going alone she has the twins, who are a little weapon crazy, the Captain who is there to keep an eye on her, and a locksmith who is just as good at being eye candy as he is at picking locks.
The title leads to being a story about a con artist, where Alyanna is one, it ends up being much more than that. The story lends to a political drama as well and the story will take you in a direction that you dont see from the start.
The pacing was well done, nothing felt like it was dragging on or that it came out of no where. Its a smooth read.
Character wise, everyone was pretty flushed out, no one really stands out to much though. I didn't feel like anyone was really fighting for the attention on the page. There is character development , however its spread pretty evenly through the lot of them.
The overall explanation of how magic works was a tad confusing, this is the one part that I wish had more information. I did realize at the end why this was done. However , I think there could have been ways to get a bit more into it without spoiling the ending.
The world building is done in a way where you understand what's going on, without being overdosed with to many details , or extra content that isn't relevant to the actual plotline.
This most certainly lends itself to being a great start to a series. The world and characters are buildable. There is still more to learn about magic. Plus the ending does leave you wanting more.
I will admit this is not what I thought this book would be when I started. I rather enjoyed it more this way I think. I will gladly read book two to find out more!
Thank you NetGalley and Michele C. Shaw for the Digital ARC for review.
Kresta would love nothing more, than to see Ailyanna locked away in that dingy cell forever. Really, nothing would bring her more joy than seeing her rot in that cell. However, the Kingdom has other plans to leverage Ailyanna and her , annoyingly impeccable con skills. As the Northern Empire Lamore, starts closing in they are worried about a civil war. There for they are sending Ailyanna in to get close to Duke. She isnt going alone she has the twins, who are a little weapon crazy, the Captain who is there to keep an eye on her, and a locksmith who is just as good at being eye candy as he is at picking locks.
The title leads to being a story about a con artist, where Alyanna is one, it ends up being much more than that. The story lends to a political drama as well and the story will take you in a direction that you dont see from the start.
The pacing was well done, nothing felt like it was dragging on or that it came out of no where. Its a smooth read.
Character wise, everyone was pretty flushed out, no one really stands out to much though. I didn't feel like anyone was really fighting for the attention on the page. There is character development , however its spread pretty evenly through the lot of them.
The overall explanation of how magic works was a tad confusing, this is the one part that I wish had more information. I did realize at the end why this was done. However , I think there could have been ways to get a bit more into it without spoiling the ending.
The world building is done in a way where you understand what's going on, without being overdosed with to many details , or extra content that isn't relevant to the actual plotline.
This most certainly lends itself to being a great start to a series. The world and characters are buildable. There is still more to learn about magic. Plus the ending does leave you wanting more.
I will admit this is not what I thought this book would be when I started. I rather enjoyed it more this way I think. I will gladly read book two to find out more!
Thank you NetGalley and Michele C. Shaw for the Digital ARC for review.
September 28, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was just okay for me. I wasn't really that interested or gripped by it, and I felt more bored than anything. I can't exactly pinpoint why? I didn't really care about the main characters, the "con", or the consequences. It was just a bland read for me and I was ready to move on from it.
The characters were alright. I think there just wasn't much personality to any of them beyond the superficial. Things were happening but nothing made me FEEL. The FMC(s) weren't really any different than each other. After a while I just wondered when Ailyanna was going to stop saying the same thing over and over again and finally do something about it.
The plot felt point to point to point. Not much actual drama or waxing/waning going on. It just felt stale, dry, monotone? I'm really not sure how to describe it. I just know that it never picked up or gripped my attention. Everyone was just doing things to make the plot progress forward but nothing that happened made me interested.
I do think I'm terms of the writing/language itself, this is a well written story. It's cohesive and the author definitely cared about this. It just didn't land with me. I appreciate that I got to read it though and think with more character polishing book 2 could bridge that gap in interest.
This was just okay for me. I wasn't really that interested or gripped by it, and I felt more bored than anything. I can't exactly pinpoint why? I didn't really care about the main characters, the "con", or the consequences. It was just a bland read for me and I was ready to move on from it.
The characters were alright. I think there just wasn't much personality to any of them beyond the superficial. Things were happening but nothing made me FEEL. The FMC(s) weren't really any different than each other. After a while I just wondered when Ailyanna was going to stop saying the same thing over and over again and finally do something about it.
The plot felt point to point to point. Not much actual drama or waxing/waning going on. It just felt stale, dry, monotone? I'm really not sure how to describe it. I just know that it never picked up or gripped my attention. Everyone was just doing things to make the plot progress forward but nothing that happened made me interested.
I do think I'm terms of the writing/language itself, this is a well written story. It's cohesive and the author definitely cared about this. It just didn't land with me. I appreciate that I got to read it though and think with more character polishing book 2 could bridge that gap in interest.
August 19, 2025
I received an ecopy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
It is hard to slot this book into a particular genre but in my view, this would fit into the genre of fantasy heist spy thriller ( if it exists).
The book has an engaging and fascinating lead in Aliyanna, a con woman with a mysterious past who is offered a way out of imprisonment by trying to obtain evidence against a Duke. But she has tow ork with the solider who captured her and not feel sympathy for the Duke ( who is actually a compassionate ruler).
The world building is detailed and interesting- the author has created an interesting geopolitical world that feels similar to our own with some of the same issues around refugees feeling war and how they received and poor people or people who are different not being treated the same as the rest of the population.
I enjoyed the magic in this world being attached to people by Obscuras, each one with their magical ability. There is plenty of action in this book and several twists that did catch me by surprise as well as some romance.
The book is the first in the series and I cant wait to read the next one and find out more about Aliyanna’s world.
It is hard to slot this book into a particular genre but in my view, this would fit into the genre of fantasy heist spy thriller ( if it exists).
The book has an engaging and fascinating lead in Aliyanna, a con woman with a mysterious past who is offered a way out of imprisonment by trying to obtain evidence against a Duke. But she has tow ork with the solider who captured her and not feel sympathy for the Duke ( who is actually a compassionate ruler).
The world building is detailed and interesting- the author has created an interesting geopolitical world that feels similar to our own with some of the same issues around refugees feeling war and how they received and poor people or people who are different not being treated the same as the rest of the population.
I enjoyed the magic in this world being attached to people by Obscuras, each one with their magical ability. There is plenty of action in this book and several twists that did catch me by surprise as well as some romance.
The book is the first in the series and I cant wait to read the next one and find out more about Aliyanna’s world.
July 8, 2025
Ailyanna es una estafadora brillante en una ciudad donde la riqueza se esconde tras normas rígidas y secretos peligrosos. Tras años burlando a nobles y constables, es finalmente capturada por su peor enemiga: la temida capitana Kresta, también conocida como “la Sabueso”. Pero en lugar de prisión o muerte, Ailyanna recibe una oferta imposible de rechazar: infiltrarse en la vida de un poderoso duque y descubrir sus posibles traiciones al rey. A cambio, se le promete libertad… y un pasaje seguro fuera del país. Con la identidad de una noble desaparecida, un equipo heterogéneo a su lado y un destino lleno de trampas y secretos, Ailyanna debe enfrentarse no solo a los enemigos del reino, sino a los fantasmas de su pasado. Porque en un mundo de máscaras, mentiras y juegos políticos, confiar incluso en uno mismo puede ser el mayor riesgo.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest
August 26, 2025
To be honest, the second i stepped on the platform for this journey, I knew I was in for a bumpy one. First, I couldn't find the right carriage for my seat. When I was able to finally settle, I was suffocated by the horrific coal smoke that was the first chapter. Honestly, if I'd wanted to ride coach, I'd have ordered a horse that just how terrible this booked opened.
I let the rough introduction pass and pushed through. I should have been forewarned. This entire novel is beyond the Granville disaster in Sydney. That was horrific, this novel is on another plain.
If the Indian Pacific could avoid Adelaide, I know it would, and so you should try to arbitrarily find a new stop on your novel journey and avoid wasting your time reading this retired steam engine of failure.
I let the rough introduction pass and pushed through. I should have been forewarned. This entire novel is beyond the Granville disaster in Sydney. That was horrific, this novel is on another plain.
If the Indian Pacific could avoid Adelaide, I know it would, and so you should try to arbitrarily find a new stop on your novel journey and avoid wasting your time reading this retired steam engine of failure.
August 25, 2025
A heist that uncovers more. Finally caught by the Bloodhound, Ailyanna must do one more con to gain her passage to freedom. But while trying to catch a traitor she discovers a deeper plot and forges unexpected bonds.
This is a fast paced fantasy. The world building is done through the story so you know what you need and is not bogged down in the telling. The two main characters are the best developed and I wished for a bit more from the side characters but hopefully some of that will come in the next instalment in the series. It definitely left me wanting to read more.
Thank you to the Author & NetGally for the eARC.
This is a fast paced fantasy. The world building is done through the story so you know what you need and is not bogged down in the telling. The two main characters are the best developed and I wished for a bit more from the side characters but hopefully some of that will come in the next instalment in the series. It definitely left me wanting to read more.
Thank you to the Author & NetGally for the eARC.
July 10, 2025
What an interesting story! There were twists that took me completely by surprise, and I was loving the girl power, y’all! The plot follows thief, Aillyana, who gets conscripted to help the crown in exchange for freedom, and boy what a ride it was [iykyk ;)] At first, I struggled to connect with the characters. However, it didn’t take long to become hooked and reeling for more. I’m looking forward to book 2!
October 20, 2025
This title was selected for IngramSpark's Indie Title Discovery Spotlight 2025!
A gripping fantasy adventure perfect for fans of fast-paced action, fierce female leads, heist and spy thrillers, and magical world-building. Can't wait for the next book in the series!
A gripping fantasy adventure perfect for fans of fast-paced action, fierce female leads, heist and spy thrillers, and magical world-building. Can't wait for the next book in the series!
May 15, 2025
Well I wrote the dang thing, you'd hope I'd love it!
October 8, 2025
4.5 stars. A fun heist adventure!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews