Hymn of Ashes

by Andrea Andersen

Vanessa Wilson cherishes her quiet life running her coffee shop in a cozy beach town and sharing a condo with her somewhat absent best friend, Audrey. Things get complicated when Vanessa is attacked by otherworldly creatures, and Audrey shows up out of nowhere to save her.
All the secrets Audrey has been keeping from Vanessa over the years come to light, including the powers Audrey harnesses and the magical realm she discovered.
But Vanessa has no business in the magical realm; she’s only human.
While Audrey is focused on fulfilling a prophecy and bringing peace between the realms, Vanessa will do anything to keep her best friend alive. This includes trekking through the mystical land of Hyvenmere, encountering creatures she’s only read about.
Creatures like fae, nereids, and a seven-foot-tall murderous siren who seems to have one thing on his mind: Vanessa.
But men are the same no matter what realm they are from, and Vanessa has no desire to team up with someone who is known for leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake.
Yet here she is, determined to protect the person she loves the most.
Can an ordinary woman with nothing but a death glare and supportive pats on the back keep her best friend safe? Or will she fall victim to Hyvenmere—and its most notorious killer?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Slow Burn, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Magic, Fantasy Romance

Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2026

About the author

Andrea Andersen is an author living with her little family in Southern California. Using her maladaptive daydreaming to her advantage, she likes to write stories filled with laughter and kisses. When she isn't writing love stories, she can be found rewatching her favorite TV shows or taking too many naps.

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, didn’t realize this was going to be a duet/series/whatever, so I was gobsmacked when I DEVOURED this only to realize Van’s story was incomplete 😩

This was so good though, so I’m not too mad.

[Linah Soliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not go through a book THIS FAST in a long LONG time. This was a riveting, fun, absolutely fascinating reading experience. A TRUE PAGE TURNER❤️‍🔥✨

Vanessa is hilarious and strong. The storyline is so gripping. All the characters are extremely levelled and layered. Absolutely enjoyed the world and how it was smoothly constructed

I need the next book like my next breath. Drustan and Vanessa’s story might be one of my favorites ever! I nearly cried at the end. (I absolutely did.) can’t wait to see more of them😭❤️‍🩹

Liam, Sergei, Fergus and Hush grew on my heart like lovely vines. And while Audery danced on my last nerve at times, I still like her

I LOVED Hyvenmere. I loved the nature. The humor. The music. The culture. Everything about this book was honed to perfection. And I can’t wait for the next! Andrea Andersen please feed us🤤💚

[Minty Margins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A massive thank you to the author, Andrea, for having me on your ARC team. I read this all the way through in one sitting. Once I got started, there was no stopping.

I was INVESTED. It’s been days, and I still feel a little feral about this excellent story.

The emotional damage was immaculate, the slow burn was delicious, fantastical but sometimes brutal world(s) fit well with the story, and this book managed to be so funny at the same time.

Vanessa and Drustan together are absolute cinema. I also love the approach to this story where we are seeing events happen through the eyes of the “sidekick”. In my opinion, this may be the hottest view.

Sometimes the morally grey “villain” is actually quite wholesome! Every single interaction was piled with decadent tension. The intimacy was written so well between the two of them with some open door spice. There was far less than I thought there would be— given how sensual and open both Drustan and Vanessa are on their own. No filters for either of them. At the same time it worked beautifully!!!!

I just know that some of the characters are going to meddle in part 2. I can feel it in my bones after the last line of the book and it’s something I look forward to for the next installment!

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite mate-y. And uh, fate-y.

But it’s a decent portal fantasy with fun characters and a few twists. Plus the idea of a sidekick X villain romance was intriguing enough to keep me interested.

[Aïda G.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★
Well if we did not have an amazing sloooooooow burn (still waiting).
Drustan is unhinged and I love him for it.
Vanessa was amaizng and totally how I would react to many things that happened to her suddenly realizing that the faes and sirens and all are real.
Somehow... I did not like Audrey, even if she is the one prophesied about. She was soft and sometimes did not want to make big decisions that lead to many injuries for others. At the end she sounded like the villain! Wtf! I thought the bid problem was Illia.
Also thought it was a standalone, dunno why but nope!

Thank you so much for the amazing opportunity to read an eARC will recommend, will buy and will continue with the next books.

[Tsara Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I was so excited to read a book with the main character NOT being the savior of the world or tiny and weak, or having the most bad ass, superhero powers ever… my expectations were too high. There’s a significant lack of world building and several plot holes. Overall, the characters are a little bit childish and word choice is sub par. “Lowkey, lowkey, low-key.” I’m not sure I know a single 30 year old that talks like that but hey, I’m not from CA. A very, VERY, forced LGBT theme that’s not so well blended in… “don’t call me a female, I’m a woman!” Too many of the human world things simply being unrealistic and not researched well enough. For example, no one can captain a “mini yacht” alone that takes at least a few people… unless it’s actually a smaller boat… also who the heck is docking that thing? Multiple instances where the timeline isn’t adding up, poorly written timeline, could go on. Overall, disappointed the book focuses more on being about gender than actually having any significant plot. Predictable characters and predictable story. Nothing too exciting…

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could NOT put this down! Morally grey MMC is a fave, and a not-morally-grey but still similar FMC is crazy good, and I need to finish this series ASAP. There were so many little surprises that just made the story better and better. Here I am, begging Andrea Andersen to write these as fast as her fingers can fly.

[Melissa Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to read an early version of this book and it was such a fun ride!! Andrea brings her contemporary author sensibility to a rich world of fae, sirens, and other mythical creates. THe tension and chemisty sizzle with fun, flirty, and punchy disalogue. And that knife scene! Yes! Yes to it all!

[Whitney Cooksey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character isn’t the hero, the love interest is the villain, the whole thing was great. I love it here.

[Bookish Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beyond perfection & it starts with its idea. Instead of focusing on “the chosen one” in a fantasy romance, we get to focus on her bestie... who happens to catch the attention of the story’s villain. Like always, we LOVE this villain. He’s ridiculously charming, completely obsessed with his mate, unapologetically murder-y (well, maybe that last one is only good in books).

“Even the deadliest monster would crumble to his knees for a chance with a stunning creature like you, my song.”

Seriously though, the arc of their relationship is incredible. She gets a little stabby when they meet, he’s kinda turned on by it.

Suddenly, a large presence appeared behind me, and I stiffened in alarm. A throat cleared, and I gasped at the same time I straightened, clutching the handle of my cake knife.
Without hesitating, I whirled around and struck.
Plunging the blade right into the side of the Mad Siren Prince.
Drustan grunted from the impact, his gold eyes widening in shock.
My eyes were also wide with shock, realizing what I had done.
I just stabbed someone.
Oh my god...
I had just stabbed him, and in response, he had simply pulled the knife back out...
Locking his eyes on mine again, Drustan adjusted his grip on the knife to angle the tip of the blade toward me. My breathing staggered, and heat bloomed from my chest to my vagina as he gently started to drag the blade across my collarbones. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to make a flurry of goosebumps erupt...
“Is this how humans show their interest? ... If you wanted my attention,” he hummed, his eyes dropping to my mouth as he stepped even closer, “You did not need to resort to such extreme measures...”
“Excuse me?” I asked with a pant. I swallowed around nothing, my throat dry.
The corner of his mouth lifted, and his eyes locked on mine again. I watched in real time as his pupils kept expanding and contracting, almost filling the entirety of his golden irises as he leaned even closer...
“Stunning,” he whispered, ignoring my question. “… mine.” His tone changed to a low growl with the claim...
“No.” I repeated and swallowed around a dry lump in my throat. “Actually, I should leave.”
Surprisingly, he nodded his agreement, but then he said, “With me...”
I’m going to strangle him, I thought, picturing my hands wrapping around his neck.
Drustan’s eyes landed on me as his lips tipped up in a grin.
We’ll work our way up to that, my song. His hypnotic, warm voice rang in my mind.
I immediately gasped and took a step back, “What the fu⁠—”

They have this super cool fated connection, she absolutely hates it... until maybe she doesn’t. He finds her condoms, learns their purpose, & then proceeds to steal them as a twisted, yet adorable & hilarious, form of “mine” that we all love in our romances.

That son of a bitch just stole my condoms...
“Broke into my bedroom and stole my condoms. You took away my protection.”
“Have you taken a male to your bed since I took them?” Drustan raised a dark red eyebrow at me.
I blinked in surprise at his question. “What? No. Because I don’t have—ohmygod—you fucking dick.” I balled my hands into fists. This fucking siren and his fucking audacity.
Drustan responded by pulling his pink lips back into a feral, unrepentant grin. “My motive is sound, then...”
“I’ll just buy more,” I muttered to his back.
Drustan turned his head just enough to tell me over his shoulder, “I will take that as a personal invitation to return and rid you of them.” My blood was burning with feminine rage.
“You don’t get to dictate my sex life. What I do with my body is my choice. If you think I’m above going out of my way to sleep with someone else out of pure spite, you’re wrong,” I informed him.
Drustan whirled on me then... “If you insist on creating a death wish for humans in your realm, then by all means, bed as many as you want.”
I glared up at him, determined to ignore how warm his hand felt on my face. “You can’t be serious.”
“You know that I am deadly serious, my song,” Drustan’s words practically rumbled out of his chest. “You have said how dangerous I am. Just imagine my wrath when another pitiful human mistakenly puts their hands on you.”

Andrea took a familiar & often overdone storyline & completely flipped it on its head while still maintaining everything we love about it & including the sense of humor we love from her.

“By dulling one sense.” Drustan sighed, keeping his hands secured behind his lower back. “We can better search for the sounds of our mate...”
Fae could feel their mates’ heartbeats.
Nereids could feel their mates’ waves in the water.
Sirens could hear their mate.
It was all so… poetic...
“Sound isn’t just noise,” I murmured to Audrey. “Sound has waves. Vibrations... sirens can also feel the vibrations their mate makes through their surroundings...”
Fuck you, I thought with all the rage I could feel.
Is that a request? his voice whispered in my mind.

Seriously, the way she tackles siren & fated mate lore is super incredibly creative & I’m in awe of her captivating storytelling & writing talent to be able to flawlessly pull this idea off. I loved every single part of this story.
The petty-level of hatred between our FMC & her bestie’s crush.

...as he gave the two of us a soft smile.
“You can still fuck off, though.”
Audrey snorted and laughed, whereas Liam sighed dramatically with an unimpressed frown at me.
“I don’t want to be enemies, Van.”
“Tough shit, Liam.”
...
“Audrey always wanted to keep you safe. You are precious to her.” Liam’s blue eyes locked onto mine. “Who was I to tell her otherwise?”
I frowned at him. “I still don’t like it when men come between Audrey and me, even if you’re claiming that it was unintentional.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed at my words... “Are you and Audrey lovers?”
I opened my mouth to say no, but I hesitated.
Because what if Liam was homophobic? That made me want to say yes, just to spite him. But I had no idea if lying about this was dangerous. The more I studied Liam’s body language, though, the more I realized his heated reaction to his question wasn’t one of bigotry.
No. He had tense shoulders, tight fists, uneven breathing through his nose. Liam’s reaction looked… jealous.
Well, I’ll be damned.
Audrey’s little crush might not be so unreciprocated after all.
“What’s it to you? ... Would you back off? Would you let us live our happily ever after in my realm without putting weird pressure on her to hang out here?”
Liam closed his eyes, attempting to compose himself...
This thrilled me. I loved irritating men...
Audrey dumped the bags of food and started unpacking them...
I moaned, sexually. “Babe, I could kiss you on the mouth.”
Audrey just snickered, rolled her eyes, and continued to unpack the food. I glanced over my shoulder to see Liam taking a deep pull of his drink as he kept his eyes on us.
I turned back to Audrey, “Can I?”
Audrey grinned... “Yeah, sure.” She clearly didn’t think I was being serious. “But let me show you what else I got—” Audrey was cut off because I had cupped both of her cheeks with my hands and slammed my lips on hers, dramatically...
“What the hell was—” Audrey was cut off once again by the sound of glass shattering, making both of us turn to see Liam fuming...
Light started to glow from their touch, and Liam’s shoulders immediately relaxed at her proximity. When Audrey removed her hand from his, the cuts were completely gone...
“You know you’re not my type.” Audrey raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk. “Right?”
“I was thanking you for saving my life and bringing us food.” I scooped another heap of mashed potatoes, because damn, these were delicious. “Can’t a woman express gratitude with a passionate kiss on the mouth?”
Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head at Liam. “You should know that Vanessa is a bit of a wild card at times.”
“I’m starting to see that.” Liam smiled at Audrey... he turned and glared at me.
In response, I stuck my tongue out at him.
His face twisted up in annoyance, and I dramatically dragged my thumb across my neck in a clear threat.
Audrey glanced up when my thumb was halfway across my throat, and watched Liam shake his head at me.
“You two are going to get along beautifully, I see.”

The slow burn that makes me want to scream “just kiss already!” & pull out my hair.

“You know that I want you.” My body didn’t believe him. My mind didn’t believe him. I shook my head; my breath became shorter and shorter under the weight of my panic.
He’s rejecting me.
“I’m not. You’re mine, Vanessa.” Right—his mind-reading and stuff.
I shook my head again. This isn’t how I wanted this to go. I wanted him to want me, to need me. I wanted to feel wanted. When was the last time I was truly, passionately wanted? ... Why did I want him? Why did I need him to want me so badly?
I smacked myself on the forehead, desperate to get a grip and escape this horrible high.
“Vanessa!” Drustan growled. He roughly grabbed my shoulders and slammed me onto my back. His body blanketed over mine... “Fine, fine. Just breathe, my song.”
I gasped for frantic breath, desperate to cooperate... I squeezed my eyes closed. I slapped my hand over my mouth, desperate to cover the sob that wanted to escape.
Drustan growled, “Look at me.” I shook my head at him. Warm, large hands cupped either side of my face. “My song, open your eyes...” Eventually, his forehead pressed against my own. “Vanessa, breathe.”
“I’m trying,” I gasped...
“You know I want you,” he announced...
“You want me,” I murmured back to him.

Even that one character that I have major beef with, still makes me happy because of their unique story arc.

“Ugh, I forgot that I needed to die today.”

Plus, she incorporated social commentary about immigration & borders that’s especially relevant today. I love it all & this is probably Andrea’s best work yet! Hands down, one of my all-time favorite reads & I’m eager to read its conclusion!

“You’re a little frightened of me, that I will concede,” Drustan murmured. He pressed his lips together in that shit-eating grin before he continued, “… but that also excites you.”
I made a what the fuck face at him, “No. It doesn’t. I am not excited to be alone on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, with a killer.”
Drustan smirked... “Fortunately for you, I’m your killer. Whether you want to accept it or not.”
“Dude!” I lifted my hands to shove him off of me... “What the hell is wrong with you?” ...
“Where would you like to start?” Drustan replied without looking at me... “Perhaps it was the pure joy I felt ripping the hearts out of the worst fae in the realm. Maybe it was five years of torture in the Gravhune. Maybe it’s because my mate doesn’t seem⁠—”
“Stop it.” I glared at him. “Sit still and stop talking.”
Drustan laughed at that... “I know you enjoy the sound of my voice, my song. It would be a shame to deny you it...”
“I hate your voice.” I lied.
“No, you don’t...”
“You are drawn to my voice, Vanessa. As I am drawn to yours,” Drustan explained.
I shook my head and replied, “My draw to you isn’t real..."
"...I was designed by the goddess Tynara herself to specifically appeal to you. Because you’re mine, and I’m yours... Do you think this is our first fight as a couple? Or—” He was interrupted when I grabbed my insulated water bottle and threw it at his head. He dodged it, laughing as he did so. It spilled somewhere, but I didn’t care about that right now.
“We are not a couple..."
“I must admit,” Drustan replied, his tone a little lower. “I’m still learning the details about human courting customs, but⁠—”
I laughed.
It wasn’t a cute one; it was a hysterical one. I used both of my hands to cover my face as I laughed into my palms. My entire body shook with it. I couldn’t believe this was my reality. The deadliest siren in the magical realm was sitting on my boat, talking about courting me.
It was all so insane.
“I wasn’t expecting you to find this so amusing.” Drustan dared to sound mildly offended.
“Nothing is funny,” I laughed with my words. “This is just so crazy. You’re crazy.”
“I hear that’s a side-effect of the Gravhune,” he deadpanned.

Let’s talk connectivity for a second. This book really exists on its own, but there’s a teeny tiny shout out for those of us who are completely obsessed with Andrea’s writing & have read all of her previous books. If you’ve read her debut series (the What It Means series), specifically book 2, What It Means to be Brave, then you’ve heard of a band named Carbon Cut. And there’s a small moment where a band mate makes an appearance in this book. It’s totally not necessary to know the background in order to understand the plot, but it’s a tiny reminder of that other story for those of us who love them.

Hundreds of gold eyes locked on us, as if they were waiting for something.
Everyone calmly rested in the aftermath. The sound of our breathing filled the air, accompanying the soft melody from the gentle touch of ash flakes falling from the sky like snow. Landing on us. The ground. The stone. A hymn of ashes cascading around all of our people. Penned by my mate’s determined hands.
A song conducted by nature herself, consecrated by Tynara’s desires being fulfilled. Hope bloomed in my chest that it wasn’t too late to turn things around.
For my people. For me. For my Vanessa.

And I couldn't find a place to put this quote in my review, but it's a favorite & I needed it to be here:

“He’ll just drive,” Audrey promised with a nod.
“Shirtless,” I muttered. Audrey gave me a quizzical scowl.
“Excuse me?” ...
“I mean, if Temu-Thor is determined to crash the party, the least he could do is show off his rippling abs and look pretty for us—”

[Knih_addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I enjoyed this book, really.
I found the plot, where FMC is sidekick, not hero, quite refreshing.
But I feel like I was misled by the way this book is marketed. I thought it is going to be hilarious.
It definitely way fun to read but not the way I expected.

[Mamie Diemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already know this is going to be one of my top books for the year without a doubt. I was lucky enough to be given an arc of this and IT IS SO FREAKING GOOD. I literally need everyone to go out and preorder this RIGHT NOW.

In any other story, Vanessa would be a side character-the heroine's best friend who learns the hard way that her best friend is the chosen one of a secret magical realm. But not in Hymn of Ashes! Vanessa is just trying to run her coffee shop in peace when she is thrown into the chaos of a whole new realm. She is not the quiet and innocent BFF of the heroine (Audrey) that you'd expect. She is sassy, takes no shit, and goes after what she wants. She isn't afraid to tell you how it is and I found her to be a breath of fresh air! She gives no f*cks. She has many talents and hobbies and literally does it all-dancing, boating, playing multiple instruments, owns and runs her own coffee shop-I freaking just adore her.

Drustan is suchhhhh an interesting take on villain MMC that makes you question-is he really the villain tho???? He is called the "Mad Siren Prince" and has a whole laundry list of faults and a problematic past but also a POS dad that he has to deal with.

The banterrrrrrr and wit in this book is SO FREAKING GOOD and well written. I think I have 70% of this book highlighted with lines that made me laugh out loud and were just SO CLEVER and funny! There were soooo many one liners coming from Vanessa directed at Liam (Audrey's crush) that are just so freaking funny.

I loveeee the musical element of this book too. Vanessa has a musical inclination and plays multiple instruments and sings. Drustan is a Siren and Sirens -as you can probably assume- have a natural affinity to music. They find their mates by sound, whether their voice, music they create, or by a shared melody. After her first visit to Hyvenmere, Vanessa starts hearing this melody that no one else seems to hear, but only when she's in Hyvenmere. No spoilers, but the significance of the melody is so emotional 😭

This isn't a super spicy book but it is sooo horny. Drustan and Vanessa are sooooo horny for each other (to her disdain lmao) and Vanessa hates it. She keeps feeling this pull to him and tries to fight it while he just enjoys making her *squirm* 👀😈 He is such a menace I love him.

This book does end on a bit of a mild cliffhanger so I know (hope to god) that the spice will come in the next book 🙏🏻 This is my first book by Andrea Andersen so I'm not familiar with how she writes spice but I can assure you the slow burn was BURNING in this book.

I'm anxious to see how the next book handles Vanessa's relationship with Audrey since Audrey's drive to protect Vanessa was a big drive for a lot of the plot in this one. I also am sooooooo excited to see where Vanessa's relationship with Drustan goes because these two are sooooo well matched and have amazing chemistry.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

🇬🇧 Hymn of Ashes was one of those discoveries that reminds you why romance can be so special when it decides to do something different.
Andrea Andersen makes a narrative choice I hadn't seen before: the protagonist isn't the chosen one, but rather the human friend. Vanessa has no powers, no prophecy to fulfill, and yet it's impossible not to follow her with your eyes glued to every page. There's something profoundly refreshing about a heroine who arrives in the magical world out of pure loyalty and stubbornness, not because fate has chosen her.
The love interest doesn't disappoint either: an unscrupulous, morally ambiguous prince who, from the very first moment, has his eyes on her in ways she's not ready to process.
The slow burn is the kind that hurts in a good way: patiently crafted, charged with tension that builds chapter by chapter until you can't put the book down. You anticipate some things as a reader, but that doesn't diminish the enjoyment in the slightest.
The character development is what captivated me most, and now I can only wait for the second book to see where all this takes us.

🇪🇸 Hymn of Ashes fue uno de esos descubrimientos que te recuerdan por qué el romantasy puede ser tan especial cuando decide hacer algo diferente. Andrea Andersen toma una decisión narrativa que no había visto antes: la protagonista no es la elegida, sino la amiga humana de la elegida. Vanessa no tiene poderes, no tiene una profecía que cumplir, y aun así es imposible no seguirla con los ojos pegados a cada página. Hay algo profundamente refrescante en una heroína que llega al mundo mágico por pura lealtad y terquedad, no porque el destino la haya señalado. El interés amoroso tampoco defrauda, un príncipe sin escrúpulos, moralmente gris, que desde el primer momento tiene sus ojos puestos en ella de formas que no se siente preparada para procesar. El slow burn es de los que duelen bien: construido con paciencia, cargado de tensión que se acumula capítulo a capítulo hasta que no puedes soltar el libro. Algunas cosas las anticipas como lectora, pero eso no les quita ni un gramo de disfrute. El desarrollo de los personajes es lo que más me enamoró, y ahora solo puedo esperar el segundo libro para ver a dónde nos lleva todo esto.

[Ash C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this story, and I really appreciate the author giving Vanessa a very real reaction to "mating bonds" and fae calling each other "male" instead of "man" or "female" instead of "woman". That reaction is cringe. And it is exactly how I'd feel in that situation. I had never thought about nonbinary folk in those cultures and what they would be addressed as and it brought a unique conversation up.

The concept of sidekick being the "main character" was really cool!

I love that by the end of the story, Vanessa still didn't suddenly become the chosen one, and the world of Hyvenmere didn't magically make sense. She still doesn't understand all the cultural differences and still can't read anything there or understand the native language.

Drustan didn't turn out to actually be a great guy and it was all a misunderstanding. He still killed people and wasn't remorseful about it. He still has violent tendencies and is unapologetically petty.

I would have liked to get a chapter from someone else's POV when they did the whole faking her death thing, and also we never found out how Ilian managed to detain Drustan in the dungeon or really why it took so long for him to be able to hear her when she was able to hear his tune when they were on other sides of the continent. We could get some bonus chapters or maybe these things will be better explained in the second book. I may be a masochist, but there's not any point that felt like a gut punch or left me sobbing.That's really my only complaints about the story.

The writing style was surprisingly good but occasionally things were over explained or the obvious was over stated.

I figured out who Drew was almost immediately, no idea how Vanessa didn't. I didn't guess Hush though. That one was a surprise, but it makes sense when I thought about it. Also the subplot of missing women and children was well developed and the reason was a great twist!

[Veeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 (rounded to 3) ⭐️

I loved the premise of this being the best friend of the hero getting paired up with the villain of the story. It’s such a fun take that really isn’t done a lot in fantasy books and is what sold me on picking up this book. I really love Andrea’s other contemporary romance books so I was excited to see a new fantasy one by her. However, this one didn’t really hit the mark for me.

The book was a bit all over the place to where too much was happening in such a short amount of time that it was hard to keep up. It felt like the first 20% of the book was great and really sold me and kept my attention and then it just fizzled out. It got to the point where so many things were getting introduced and all these other tropes being added that it was way too much in such a short amount of time. This is a pretty intense world and we aren’t given much as far as building the world. They sort of just dump all this information at once on the world without really expanding on it. I mean you have this world full of different creatures who also have technology - phones, TVs, etc and all this added lore on kings, mates, and other politics but yet we barely scratch the surface of it. It was like a trauma dump of info at once on top of all these new storylines that it became info overload. Plus, the fact these are older main characters (30+) but their behavior and how they speak is a bit immature. The FMC started out really great and I loved how bad ass and didn’t put up with anyone’s shit that she was, but then she just became more and more annoying to read, especially with the book being 99% in her POV.

Overall it was a pretty okay read. I think it would have done better if things were slowed down to really world build and maybe even split between a few books rather than shoving in all these different storylines and tropes all at once in such a short amount of time.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanessa Wilson is content with her quiet life running a beachside coffee shop, until a sudden attack by otherworldly creatures shatters any sense of normalcy. When her best friend Audrey reappears to save her, long-buried secrets come to light: Audrey has been hiding powerful magic and a connection to a dangerous, hidden realm. Though Vanessa has no place in this world, she refuses to let Audrey face it alone. In the mystical land of Hyvenmere, Vanessa is forced to navigate unfamiliar dangers, including a deadly siren with a particular interest in her. Determined, but out of her depth, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her best friend.

This was a fun, action-driven read that balances its heavier moments well. I really enjoyed the subversion of the typical “chosen one” narrative, following the “side character” perspective felt fresh, and Vanessa proves herself to be a capable and engaging lead in her own right. She has clear flaws but still maintains agency, which helps ground the story. The world itself is also a strong point, blending modern elements with more traditional fantasy in a way that feels distinct. And while the romance is very much a slow burn, the ending sets up some intriguing possibilities that make me curious to see where the series goes next.

There are a few areas where the story feels like it’s still finding its footing. The pacing and worldbuilding can wobble at times, and I would have liked more development in certain relationships, particularly between Vanessa and Drustan. The dynamic between Vanessa and Audrey occasionally leans a bit sitcom-like, which may not work for everyone, though it didn’t take me out of the story too much. Overall, this is a solid start to a series with an interesting direction, even if it doesn’t fully hit its stride just yet.

3.5/5 A fun twist on familiar tropes, with more still to come.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, I was really excited to read it after seeing the gorgeous character artwork on Andrea Andersen's Instagram. Having read and enjoyed her contemporary romances I was looking forward to seeing how she'd tackle a fantasy.

The story follows two friends who have been brought up like sisters in foster care. I liked our FMC; Vanessa is tough and fiercely independent with secrets hidden in her past. But it's her BFF/Sister Audrey who is carrying the mother of all secrets - she's been sneaking off to a hidden realm with a Fae Prince. Vanessa's world gets turned upside down with the revelation of this magical kingdom and things aren't going to be the same again.

To me, it was a breath of fresh air to be following the story of the human sidekick rather than focusing on the halfling "chosen one". It made me see myself in the story and felt more relatable.

There was a lot of political intrigue in this, an ancient prophecy, plenty of drama and some great male characters; the classic Fae Prince, a tortured siren prince and an evil villain. I enjoyed the connection between the female characters a lot and the way they worked together.

I was a bit devastated at the ending but only because it left me wanting more! The yearning and slow burn was next level... I need more of Vanessa and Drustan! So hopefully book 2 is not too long in the making...

Overall it was an enjoyable story, there was a lot of action but the world building was great and I enjoyed the fantasy realm a lot. I'm ready for the follow up!!

[Migla M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had an opportunity to arc read this book.

If you like slow burns, fated mates, a 30year old fmc who is a cinnamon roll, but has some dark past and secrets and would undoubtedly do whatever she needed to to save the people that she loves, mmc who is a hot siren, has been yearning for his mate forever, but still respects her every wish, even if it is to reject him, court intrigue and interesting storyline with magic system and various magical creatures then this book is just for you!

It was a very interesting, unique story. I loved how the plot was very well balanced between the court-intrigue, quests, secrets and love story, tension, Van and Dru chemistry.
It has already been a while, when the fmc was just a girl, thrusted into unknown world and didn't gain any powers, acted and trusted on what she knew and could do. This made story more appealing to me, to see how Van will fare with only her wit.
I love fated mates trope, and here it was perfectly written. I loved how there was a lot of tension and longing, that Van didn't fall immediately into Dru's hands. Though my heart hurts for him and what he's been through I find it more interesting how the story will unfold next, what's going to be the tipping point for them to finally be together. This suspense is really good.
And of course I love to see female rage, however small it was. But it is just so fulfilling to see women finally get what they truly deserve, which is goodness, happiness and love.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It doesn't quite feel fair that we can't rate books with half stars, because I'd give this something like a 4.5, but it isn't quite a 5 for me.

Regardless, I loved this book. It was a book that I have wished for because I love the idea of the unremarkable sidekick. What made this book even better is the fact that it is almost targeted toward frequent romantasy readers who understand the beats of a typical romantasy story, so we can estimate that the "larger plot" is probably near the end of book 1/in the first half of book 2. Or it would have been if we were following the Chosen One character and not our POV side character.

So by the time we join the story, we kind of already have an idea of what it would have looked like. And when it is explained to the POV character as much as is possible, we still kind of understand it because we understand what typical romantasy looks like. It doesn't go flying over our heads. We can almost fill in the blanks on our own and haven't felt like we were left out of anything.

I think this book is a great interlude for people who have read too much romantasy (hi that's me). I'm pretty excited for book 2 and I can't wait to see how everything unravels.

[Jenni Pastrana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made a mistake reading this book - i heard about it from a tiktok and i was like: human best friend of the chosen one with no powers? sign me in.

Until about 86% I decided to check if this was a standalone and it’s not - and since this was published in 2026, now i have to wait for the next one.

That aside, this books is about Vanessa, who is who I dreamed to be when i was younger.

she has a coffee shop, a boat and she’s unapologetic about who she is. The only thing that’s missing is her best friend who by all accounts met a guy and now she’s with him 24/7.

Once we know why Audrey (Vanessa’s bff) has been missing we are presented with a new world (literally) where Audrey is the *chosen one* and Vanessa is her human friend with no special powers.

what i loved is that Vanessa really has no special powers, she’s just herself - loyal to the home to her best friend and who is ready to throw hands if needed.

we have romance and spiiiice with our bad boy prince, who surprise surprise has fallen head first with vanessa

100% recommend, it’s quick page turner you won’t regret :)

[Hemlock & Sweet Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever questioned what would happen if you were to be inserted into a fantasy world, this book is your answer. The FMC isn't some wildly overpowered 'coming into her power' character, she isn't some 'destined for greatness child of prophecy', she is like you or I. A normal person, with a normal job and...some abnormal circumstances. It's refreshing.

She is grounded, logical and genuinely human in a genre that tends to not prioritize that. She struggles, has to think her way through things, she missteps but through it all she sticks to her core beliefs and who she is while being self aware enough to come around when she's wrong or out of her depth.

What was done really well is that while this book focuses on the FMC, there is a world around her that is bigger than just her story. The larger pieces are happening and she, alongside the reader, are along for the ride. We are both figuring it out at the same time which adds to the richness of this book.

Fair warning, it does end on a cliffhanger and I am desperately awaiting the next one!

Easy to devour, realistic character driven and the kind of book that reminds you of the magic of reading.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an arc of this book! I had such a fantastic time reading it and I flew through it! Somehow this is both a fated mates AND a slow burn romance! Ugh, just kiss please!!

I wish we got more depth from the characters, especially the side characters. I loved how deep the friendships went, I just wish I could've seen more of instead of just being told about it. Give me more Audrey and Van being soulmates please!!

Overall, an incredible ride, fun idea and good execution! I greatly enjoyed seeing the chosen one trope played out from the sidelines with the MC being her very regular best friend instead! I LOVE Drusten! He is giving the best parts of Rhys from ACOTAR and all of Edward from twilights red flags (in a good way, you know what I mean) if Edward wasn't also riddled with self loathing and shame! The art the author commissioned of these two had me kicking my feet! When does book 2 come out?! I need it already!!

[elisa_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my most anticipated reads and it was so worth it! I’m so excited for book two where Van and Dru better be happy. I really loved that the book was a bit faster paced while still giving enough world building to understand what was going on. The overall plot was intriguing and kept my attention the entire time. I also really loved seeing the FMC not being the chosen one and how that plays into her story. One thing I didn’t love was the writing at times. There were moments it was a bit awkward, like the author didn’t quite know where the dialogue needed to go. I also didn’t love Van at times. Despite being 30, she felt very childish at times, like when she would stick her tongue out at people or her quips. There was also moments she felt like a caricature of a feminist and it went too far. Overall though, I loved this book and am so excited to see what’s in store. Hopefully with a bit of maturing for the characters.

[Delanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and I hate that it ended the way it did I wanted more I was so sad that we didn’t get a resolved ending. I love Dru and Van so much he’s so sweet and unhinged and I love him. Vanessa’s humor was amazing I was giggling and laughing all the time.

The character grew on me so much and the plot twists were amazing and it basically shifted the way you saw the story with each piece of new information you got.

I started this book from seeing a TikTok form the author and I don’t usually jump on books as soon as I see a video but this one I did and I am so glad I did my only regret was not waiting until the full series of all the books for it is out😭. I will definitely be adding this to my reread shelf though because this is so good.


P.s. Audrey… girl😒 grow up a little please you’re 30 she has literally been the best friend you could ask for quit being controlling 😭

[E.G. Moncrief · Rating 5 out of 5]

I DEVOURED this book—it is so freaking good!! 💚💚💚 First of all, I am head over heels in love with the FMC, Vanessa 😍 She is absolutely amazing 😆 And Drustan (the MMC) was so unexpectedly adorable my cuteness aggression was activated 😂 I couldn’t stop kicking my feet and giggling at their every interaction, but the PLOT!! OMG I cried. I made it 80% of the way through, but I sobbed for that last 20%. It was so good, so fucking relevant, and I didn’t see the last few twists coming until they were in my face 💚 If this book isn’t at the top of your TBR, you’re missing out! Read it! I need friends to gush about it with!

If you want a book in your life with a badass, sex-positive sidekick FMC who only wants to help her bestie save a magical realm, a villain obsessed, top tier banter, an intricate urban fantasy world, a 🔪 meet cute, with fated mates, and the best slow burn 🔥 then look no further—this is the book for you!

[Azile · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off I got the privilege of being an arc reader so big thanks to Andrea.
Secondly, the book itself. Okay, really I don’t know where to start. I loved how we are given time to process the world with Van, like she’s thrust into it but also given time to sit with the information she’s given and allowed to breathe it in so to speak and as a reader that’s something we do with her, it made for a great way to pass information in my opinion. I loved the bonds in the book and the way they worked. You have the friend bond, familial bond and a mate bond and they were expressed in a way that is just chefs kiss. Honestly once I started reading I couldn’t put it down, this was a great read it even got me out of my reading slump. The book overall has a super cool magical realm, romance done wonderfully, a mfc who’s a genuine balance of badass and cinnamon roll, a good yearning bit, and the spice in the it was well written too. I cannot wait for what comes next.

[Sarah Lassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Andrea for the ARC!

I have been in such a horrible reading slump and this book pulled me right out of it. I absolutely loved following the completely ordinary human sidekick who is skeptical of the magical realm, mating bonds, and isn’t afraid to call out the misogyny in the magical realm. Discovering the new realm with Vanessa made it very easy to digest if you are not a seasoned fantasy reader, and I loved that at the end she still was true to her character and not falling over the MMC.

Speaking of the MMC, this is a slowwwww burn and I loved that so much. The angst, the longing, it was done so well. Drustan is unhinged and slightly evil and he stays true to that aspect of his character too. Overall, I loved the twists and turns, the end left me wanting more, and I can’t wait for book two.

[Kathrine Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I forget I hate a slow burn. 4 stars cause I still wanna read the second. but I wanna give 3 stars for the absolute 0 action I was given between the two main characters.

I liked the series. Hated Audrey. I kinda feel like shes a meh friend? but maybe thats cause I dont like her reactions when Van brings up killing their foster dad. like girl saved your life and your gonna refer to her backhanded as a monster multiple times? crazy. also. cock block foreal.

Van was chill I really liked her attitude about pretty much everything. Tho I wish there had been more banter between her and Drustan, I went into this expecting more back and forth and I feel like I did not get that.

Boo Liam too.

[pink darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. I should not have went outside my normal genres. Premise seemed interesting, but … just no.

The author used “deadass”. This magical world has a fucking “EV train” (authors words). Multiple IRL political bias allusions within the first 15% of the book and it only got more explicit as I read on. The FMC is way too aggressive in every sense, she is angry or flirting. There was a legit line about pulling a sword out of one of the characters ass. They have like magic phones and not actual teleportation but teleportation. FMC is total Mary sue even though the book blurb positions the FMC to be the side kick like that is the selling point - yet everyone wants to chat with, talk with her, have sex.

I got about 30% and I couldn’t take it anymore.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning, I was sad it didn’t seem like we’d get an Audrey book but by the end, I hate her and I’m ready for her to be off page. The way she talks to Vanessa and says hurtful things without considering how they could feel to Vanessa drove me crazy and the ending? I just know she’s going to lie to Vanessa to keep her and Drustan apart—my guess? She’ll say Drustan hasn’t tried to see her or ask about her and that he doesn’t care (sort of accurate?) and if Vanessa tries to contact him, Audrey will block it. I have a feeling that Liam will be the one to help her and it will create all kinds of drama with Audrey leading to Audrey leaving him for a bit. I just hope it doesn’t take the whole book for them to be together as I had thought this was a standalone in a new series. 😑