Princeweaver

by Elian J Morgan

‘A lush reimagining of the English conquest of Wales… a debut not to be missed’ C.S. Pacat, NYT bestselling author of the DARK RISE series

‘A glittering love sharp as blood and beautifully woven with magic and myth’ Holly Race, bestselling author of SIX WILD CROWNS

‘A lush, lingering heartache of a book… reminiscent of The Goblin Emperor. Morgan is a shining new talent in fantasy’ Annabel Campbell, author of THE OUTCAST MAGE

‘Princeweaver is a dark and tender folkloric love story, flowering with yearning and intrigue’ Tasha Suri, bestselling author of THE ISLE IN THE SILVER SEA

‘Rich in Welsh folklore and steeped in slow-burn yearning, PRINCEWEAVER is a tale that will leave readers breathless and desperate for more … An absolute gem of a debut novel’ Kalie Reid, author of THE SACRED SPACE BETWEEN
Their marriage is to save a warring kingdom. But in the process, it might destroy them both.


Born with forbidden, nature-infused magic in an occupied land, anxious apothecary Meilyr survives by keeping his head down. Until he ends up engaged to invading prince Osian in order to save his brother's life. Now, he is in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to hide his true self.

When nobles in Osian's court are gruesomely murdered by the same magic that flows through his veins, Meilyr realises someone is seeking revenge for his homeland. As suspicion towards him grows, he and the prince work together to uncover the killer or risk losing the crown - or their lives.

Between court politics, unwieldy magic and a murderer on the loose, Meilyr must keep his wits about him. Especially as his feelings for Osian grow deeper with every passing day...

Combines the court intrigue and slow-burn yearning of A Taste of Gold and Iron with the folkloric grounding and lore that readers of Naomi Novik and Stephanie Garber will enjoy.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Queer, Romantasy, LGBT, Adult, M M Romance

474 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2026

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Oh my god this was beautiful. I'm a mess right now so forgive me if this isn't very eloquent.
This reminds me so much of C. S. Pacat's writing and if you know me you know there's no higher compliment. This story feels timeless, it was so beautiful and emotional, I'm crying a little just thinking of the ending.
I'm not one for cozy fantasy but this is my exception.
We follow a boy who ends up in a situation where he needs to marry a prince. The problem is he has powers he needs to keep hidden, especially from the prince and his family.
I fell in love with the writing and the characters, I wish I could live in this world a little longer and I can't wait for the sequel. Tell me why I keep reading books that I think will be standalones just to be destroyed when it ends with "continues in ..."😭

Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC!

[Samantha (ladybug.books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princeweaver is a sweet romantic fantasy story absolutely steeped in Welsh folklore. As a huge fan of the fantasy arranged marriage trope, I was immediately captivated by this story.

The romance was so sweet, both Osian and Meilyr are such loveable characters. The slow-burn romance filled the story with so much tenderness and yearning. I loved the short bursts of chapters from Osian’s perspective, teasing the reader with hints at his secrets and his feelings. Though I adored the characters and the romance, I feel like they both could have used a little more depth. I wanted to see more of them having deep conversations and building their relationship. I suppose there is still potential for that.

The story absolutely consumed me every time I picked it up. The inspiration from Welsh history and folklore made for a rich and interesting world. As expected of a royal arranged marriage trope, there is also a touch of court politics that I loved.

I do feel like the story in general needed a bit more tension and activity. There is very little time on page spent moving the mystery plot forward. I wanted to see Osian and Meilyr take more steps to try and solve the mystery. It got a little repetitive to see them only reacting to things happening around them. The reveal is not particularly surprising, but the ending shocks in different ways.

The ending was unexpected in so many ways and I am on the edge of my seat for the next book in the series.

Thank you Canelo for the eARC

Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books

[Kalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOPE YOURE ALL READY TO YEARN

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A STANDALONE. fuck my life.

first of all, warning to all my people out there: this is NOT a standalone. i spent the last 10% of this book with utter fear in my heart because i could not believe all the things we were supposed to wrap up in so little time, and it turns out we weren’t wrapping them up at all! whoopsie! learn from my mistakes and emotionally prepare yourselves accordingly, because this was certainly a ride.

the worldbuilding in this was so rich and fascinating — i loved reading about the author’s inspiration from welsh culture, and felt like the setting was very well-developed. i could feel the meilyr’s heartache for his land leaping off the page, just as much as the constant danger and fear he experienced hiding his true self from the khaimlic occupiers. from the very beginning, when he first met the prince, i was thinking to myself that something about it very much reminded me of howl’s moving castle, a bit — i won’t spoil what it was, but just know that i was right! the reveal i was looking for was everything. i loved watching their relationship grow over the course of the story, and i really enjoyed how slow the burn was as the tension built.

speaking of tension, i love a good fantasy murder mystery, and this was no different! i did end up guessing who was responsible, but it took me a while to figure it out, and i was still surprised by that reveal, too. i would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a story with fantasy political intrigue, a slow burn romance, and great worldbuilding!

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Rianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Canelo publishing and Elian J Morgan for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. So here we go:

There is something extra nerve-wracking about reviewing a book you’ve been excited about for so long, especially when you’ve met the author and know how much love went into the story. So I’m just going to say it as gently and honestly as I can: Princeweaver and I… sadly weren’t a match. And I think the hardest part is that I can see the vision so clearly!!

This is a story built on political intrigue, a slow-burn arranged marriage, and a world steeped in Welsh-inspired mythology. On paper? Completely my thing. In execution, I think it was a case of the right book meeting me at the wrong time, because I really struggled to fully sink into it…

The pacing was the biggest hurdle for me. This is very much a slow story. By the time I hit the 50% mark, I still felt a bit adrift, like I was still waiting for the story to show me where we’re going. At the same time, the arranged marriage setup happened so quickly that it gave me a bit of whiplash. Meilyr is thrown into a life-or-death situation after his brother unalives a royal guard in self-defense, he offers himself to save his brother, and then almost immediately Prince Osian decides to marry him instead of hanging him. I would have loved to see that shift simmer a little longer. Like a shift from fear to a distrustful alliance to the slow burn romance.

What follows is a lot of court politics and a very gentle, very sloth burn romance 🦥. And while I can absolutely appreciate a good yearning moment, I found myself missing a stronger emotional anchor to really connect with the characters. By the time bigger twists started appearing around the 75% mark, which I did genuinely enjoy, I realised I wasn’t as invested as I wanted to be, so their impact didn’t land as strongly for me.

The world itself is rich and clearly inspired by Welsh mythology, which is something I really wanted to love. But as someone who isn’t familiar with those myths, I sometimes felt like I was playing catch-up, as if there was context just out of reach. I think a bit more guidance or grounding would have helped me feel more immersed. Also, I am fully convinced I mispronounced every single name in my head, and I apologise in advance to everyone involved. On the flip side, I did catch some Dutch influences in the names, which was such a fun little detail and made me smile.

All that said, I do want to highlight that the writing itself has a soft, almost lyrical quality to it, and the final twists definitely added an interesting layer going into the sequel. While I personally don’t see myself continuing the series anytime soon, I am curious about where the story goes next.

For me, this ultimately came down to timing, pacing, and connection. It’s one of those books where I completely understand why others are loving it, even if it didn’t fully click for me. I think readers who enjoy very slow-burn romance, prefer character-driven stories over fast-paced plots, and love getting lost in political court intrigue with a strong folklore influence will have a much better experience with this. If you don’t mind taking your time and letting a story unfold gradually, this could absolutely be your kind of book 😉

[bee ⭑.ᐟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i rated this 3.5 stars but rounded up because of my enjoyment and it being an arc.
wow this was a delight.
likes:
osian was such a cutie! i really enjoyed him as a character and how he interacted with meilyr, it was so wholesome. pedr was also another favourite character and found them to be super interesting. the slow burn was muchly appreciated too! this truly did a slow burn right and i very rarely get angsty waiting for something to happen but it was filled with so much yearning! the magic was also really interesting and loved the botanical horror side to it. the murder mystery was a nice plot too and didn’t think i’d be as invested as i was alongside a romance but it worked!

dislikes:
pacing and writing sometimes had me confused, jumping between the two main characters sometimes had me lost with who’s thoughts we were in. i wish we could’ve seen a bit more of meilyr interact with his brother a more since he was very crucial to the plot but quickly became a character i would forget about.

i was surprised to find out this was the first book in a series so i’ll definitely be checking out the next one!
thank you netgalley for sending me an arc.

[InfiniteLibrary]

I'M SO DARN EXCITED TO READ THIS BOOK

[Stephanie Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was privileged to read an early version. Then finally the finished product which was even better! Wow! This is a real page-turner. Forbidden magic, mysterious murders, all set in a fantasy version of Wales with some brilliant Welsh history and folklore included. A true 'slow-burn' romance but not a slow plot, although thankfully the author does give us time for some of those little quieter moments when the characters can relax for a few minutes and develop in other ways. This is not only about magic and romance, but also about conflict, a people subdued, resistance and defiance. I can always tell a good book when I am thinking about the characters and the world when I am not reading it, and this really had me hooked. I hear some really exciting things about the next two books, really looking forward to the whole thing!
Glad it is a trilogy as that gives me a great excuse to read it again when the next one comes out, and already looking forward to being 'in the world' again.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually choose to start a book for its beautiful cover, except in this case I really did !
Princeweaver is a fantasy story with a fake marriage trope, so very much my cup of tea, and maybe because expectations were a bit high I wish I had enjoyed it more.

The worldbuilding and Welsh mythology parts are interesting, and what is left unsaid during the first part was intriguing enough to keep me reading. There's a lot of court politics in this, but quite straightforward and predictable. And I think that was my main issue with this book, there were no big plot twists that I didn't see coming (not even the supposed ones at the end surprised me).
The slow burn romance part was ok, there is quite a bit of yearning on both sides, and I liked how their relationship developed. But character wise I found Meylir a bit too passive and accommodating. And we only get a few glimpses from Osian's POV so it's hard to truly connect with his character.

I hadn't completely read the blurb for this book before starting it so I hadn't realised this was the start of a trilogy. And this ends in (sort of) a major cliffhanger so I'm curious to see how the author will resolve it in the next volume

[luz · Rating 2 out of 5]

maybe i went into this with my expectations set too high because this was just disappointing.

the characters were meh–meilyr was the most fleshed out character, but i unfortunately did not find him compelling at all. he was too passive for a story that's supposedly filled with political intrigue, and i just wish he did more snooping around bc that would've at least intrigued me enough to keep reading longer. him being a more passive protagonist could've worked if there other interesting characters. alas, the others i barely cared for, including osian. what was supposed to be a complex character (prince of a colonizer nation who sympathizes with colonized) ended up as a nothingburger of a love interest. his chemistry with meilyr was nonexistent, and i wasn't a fan of how their relationship developed. in fact, was there even development? exactly. their attraction to each other didn't feel earned. it simply seemed like they fell in love with each other because the story demanded it.

the plot could've been interesting were it not for the lackluster execution. the concept was there, the themes were there—so pray tell, why did it end with meilyr saving colonizer royalty? i don't care if he was in love with osian. that confrontation with demelza was just disappointing. it should've been a conflicting scene. here we have a member of the oppressed nation going up against the colonizer, yet meilyr doesn't hesitate in saving them (for osian!) which is just so . girl whatever. i know that there's going to be a second book, but i doubt i'll be reading it.

the worldbuilding was fine (nothing special, imo), the prose was not to my taste, and it irked me to no end how PRINCE osian kept being referred to as majesty rather than highness. same goes for the other characters that were addressed incorrectly.

[Autummskies · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Yays:
- Unique magic system
- Queer normative world
- Good slow burn - the tension!! The yearning!!
- For real tho these two boys are professional yearners
- Commentary on the direct consequences of colonialism done well
- Osian? Good cinnamon roll
- Just the way the author wrote emotions was just beautiful

Nays:
- Still can’t get over Osian’s first gut reaction to saving Osian and his brother is to marry him??? I mean, it was hinted towards the end that there was a reasoning but it was not really revealed so I’m still meh about that

Overall, I need the second book now. Like now.

Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC!

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have just finished this book, and wow am I ready for the next part.
The slow burn is real, stick with it! The characters are strong, the yearning is stronger!
I loved the two main boys, but the side characters are entertaining and I loved them so much I want them to have their own books.
All in all a great, romantic fantasy with magic murder mystery style plots that kept me reading!

[Carlota Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

This one is for the lovers of political/court intrigue - just like myself!
The worldbuilding is very complex; and it’s very much the case of we learn as we go. There’s magic; history and court politics and they all slowly start to click together; creating the very puzzle that makes this book so original. I absolutely love how queer this world is; a complete acceptance of gender and sexual diversity.

The characters are fleshed out; and the romance was full of yearning! Besides our main characters, I truly didn’t know who to trust but was intrigued by them all.

The plot was at times hard to follow, I think mostly because of the writing style (which can definitely be more of a me-problem!). That being said, the plot was unique, aided by a very unique world and magic system. There were plot twists I didn’t see coming and scenes that left me at the edge of my seat.

The ending wasn’t at all what I was expecting and left me really intrigued to continue this series !

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the chance to read this ARC.

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a tale! I had a great time with this book.

Firstly, I enjoyed the world built in this novel. It was a really interesting spin on Welsh history and the dynamic between the two nations was well realised. It felt really lived through with powerful and deep mythology and history. I also love how queer normative the world is. People of all genders and sexual orientations are threaten as status quo, and it was really beautiful and refreshing to witness. If only real life was like this.

The initial set up of the marriage of convenience did seem a little bit far fetched but the book made it work. The relationship was rather slow burn, with a great degree of ramp up in their dynamic. Meilyr is an interesting protagonist, much more of a quiet observer, which felt like a nice change. I wish we had Osian’s perspective more often but what we did get was delicious. The relationship was full of yearning and I was really invested into their love story.

The murder mystery part of the book was probably the bit I was least interested in, but it still build tension pretty well.

The fact this was a series was a bit of a jumpscare but I’m pretty excited to pick up the sequel whenever that comes out.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Odette · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love Welsh mythology in this house (I say for once reading in a hotel? Yeah, okay). When the sale came up on Instagram as BBC Merlin vibes, you know I was THERE

I had a fab time with this one. I'm now pitching it to my friends as Hazelthorn meets The Wicked Lies Of Habren Faire because yes please. To be honest I didn't get Merlin vibes other than the fanficy commoner/prince set up - I appreciated us jumping straight into fake marriage but also something was off the entire time and I can't put my finger on it.

I was not expecting a botanical horror element to this but love, love, love that for Priveweaver. I loved an early doors bwbach mention and then the weaving (yes I think I'm funny) in of myths. The language elements were interesting, I would have loved to lean more into that to be honest as a lot of page time ended up being the main characters apologising for fancying each other.

I have one gripe with this and it's the pov switches. We are in Meilyr's head (3rd person) and suddenly we are everywhere at 60%? Also I would have liked more clarity on the magic because convinent stuff kept happening which didn't quite gel for me. I did like his plant powers X empath skills.

If you are looking for a queer, fantasy reimagining of the English conquest of Wales this might be for you - especially if you have an interest in the myths already because this has many easter eggs for you

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

[Erin (she_is_2_fond_of_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down, one of the best fantasy romances I’ve read in a long time.

Beautifully written, unrequited, romantic perfection. This book felt like it was written for my brain.

Two gentle brave MCs, with secrets and heavy political burdens, find themselves committed to a false marriage. The forced proximity and tension makes for an epic slow burn.

The longing. The mutual pining. The fierce protectiveness. This is the what I’m always looking for in this genre.

Blissfully, it’s equally balanced with a beautiful welsh inspired mythology and Arthurian level magic and intrigue.

These two are valiantly trying to save each other while they fight on opposite sides of an ancient blood feud. Someone is stirring up old deadly magic and pointing the blame at our Hero. Every time you think you’ve figured out who the bad guy is, the next page brings something new.

I loved the botanical magic and brutal folklore. It raised the stakes and I felt palpable anxiety in multiple chapters. That ending might kill me. I immediately ran to the authors insta to find hints about book 2.

[Rachel Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

um OWWWWWW WHAT

[L Powers (Bookish_Mum)]

A soft DNF for me, I just couldn't get on with the main characters.

[Y.N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for the eARC

3,5/5

This book was on my radar for a while, which meant I was delighted to get a chance to review it before its release. Fantasy world inspired by Wales conquest by England? Magic? Achilean romance? Sign me in!

Now, I did enjoy this book? There are lots of nice ideas, good draw on welsh stories and folklore. The mystery around the murders is quite nice. The romance is sweet. So, good right? And yeah, but it lacked something, at least for me. The stakes are there, but I wasn't invested in them. The reason for the marriage is... weird, rushed, quite unbelievable. Fortunately I kind of liked the second half of the book, but that inciting incident is something.
There is a mystery surrounding Meilyr that is quite easy to unpack if you've read a lot of fantasy books. The magic is nice but lacked a little something to have that wild feeling.
As for the romance, like Meilyr, it was too sweet, lacked more edges. Maybe I didn't have the right expectations, because I understand why the author wanted an straightforward romance, with a bit of tension because of the context and the occupying force x occupied dilemma. But Meilyr is very passive for a long time (which, again, there is value to that), Osian is a cutie pie, and there so very little friction. I wanted some friction!

Finally, reading the first half felt quite long, for some reason. There is interesting stuff happening, but it was hard to push through. This issue is resolve later on, thankfully, with a quicker paced and easier to read ending.

I will definitely be reading the second book, because that ending has me hooked!

[lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was sent an arc by the publisher via netgalley. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

this needs to be everyone’s newest romantasy OBSESSION !!!! morgan weaves a tale rich with nature magic, Welsh folkore, and a romance that is utterly unputdownable. a story that truly binds to your heart and never lets go.

i have never felt more overjoyed to have had the pleasure of reading this highly anticipated new release early and to have it as my first 5 star read of the year! you're introduced to meilyr, an apothecary able to wield nature magic in a kingdom where it has been outlawed. the plot starts off real fast with a dangerous situation that leads him to agree to a marriage of convenience with the prince to save his brother's life. when murders involving nature magic start occurring within the court, meilyr and osian must work together to figure out what's going on and to keep meilyr from being blamed.

i can't even begin to express how taken i was by this story. from some beautiful quotes, imagery, the integration of Welsh folklore, pacing, to the general plot development—this book really had it all. i am truly blown away that this seems to be this author’s first published work??? what an incredibly impressive achievement this book was!

not only was the fantasy extremely well done, but this romance...truly a slow burn for the ages. the buildup was actually PERFECT. the author really makes you work for it and it made the romance feel so very earned and realistic in its development. the amount of scenes that had me giggling and kicking my feet was crazyyyy. these two are the definition of yearning and they were both devastated by it. having to keep up the ruse of their marriage and perform for others made for such fun moments of tension that i ate UP. there are multiple scenes that will be living rent free in my brain. the romance itself is also so incredibly tender and lovely. a love that was so patient, caring, and reassuring. getting both of their pov's made it even more all-encompassing, these boys both had it BAD lol

and thank goodness this is the first book in a trilogy because not only do i feel like there is so much more to explore in this world—both geographically and magically—but with that ending???? i feel CRAZY and i have never needed a sequel more in my life.

just SO SO GOOD. definitely a favourite book of the year for me. do not hesitate to add this to your tbr!!!

[ohna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5



princeweaver’s greatest damnation is that it is a perfect story. the author knew where to put the characters, how to make them react to the point even their flaws(which there weren’t really any tbh) felt tailored. these characters felt like words on paper(i know😑). no matter how hard i tried i couldn’t conjure an image of them in my head that was wasn’t a wobbly cutout of tropes. conflicts were solved with simple apologies which in context of this story felt like something that shouldn’t have happened. the author at time felt like they were afraid of going the distance(i have been listening to the soundtrack of hercules this past few days). even though this is a fantasy inspired by the colonisation of wales and the genocide of the people and their language the stakes felt really low. every thing was solved and tied in a pretty bow. the antagonist reveal at the end was also quite underwhelming. the story ends in a cliffhanger but i hated the ending. imo this is the worst way you can end a book. idk what will happen in the next book but i am hoping with my fingers crossed it isn’t the one thing i detest with my entire being.

the entire story was told through the point of view of the main character meilyr(which isn’t much different from the story being told from the pov of a wall) with snippet from the love interest, osian’s pov. meilyr is very passive and osian’s motivations weren’t very fleshed out. the entire marriage of convenience thing happened within the first 12%. there wasnt even a hint of why this prince from meilyr’s colonising kingdom was so kind and understanding of him up until the very end but this is the first book in a trilogy so everything is not going to happen or be explained in the first book so i will wait it out and read the second one to form a proper opinion on osian’s character.it was also trope-y at certain points. the “who did this to you?” moment felt very unnatural and cringe. it did not serve the way elian j morgan thought it would, i am afraid.


whenever i think of colonialism i never think of it within the british isles in that sense princeweaver felt quite refreshing. there were mentions of welsh mythological figures and stories, many of which i didn’t know. i loved the diversity within the world and the characters. the botanical horror was perfectly terrifying and meilyr’s magic was intricately detailed. that one moment of meilyr healing osian felt truly captivating albeit a little gross but they kissed afterwards which i wouldn’t personally do but good for them. there were some scenes i could play in my head because of how vividly described they were. one of the best things were the extracts from the world’s historical texts and journals at the beginning of every chapter. the writing was imaginative but if i had to read another gods and godsdamn i would have choked on my own saliva. the entire plot was set within the castle so the author spent a good chunk of their time detailing the architecture of the castle but i wish and i hope it’s in the published copy, a map of the castle. imo it would make the read much more enjoyable and a pronunciation guide would also be very helpful.

the romance between the two characters was almost diabetes inducing which in this context(it’s a colonoiser romance) did not feel right. i hoped meilyr would have showed some signs of resentment and anger for the struggles his people went through. there was a distinct lack of rage within meilyr.i get that he is a kind and understanding character but no one is this forgiving of their oppressor. on the other hand, the prince is clearly distraught over his family’s genocidal ways but what made him different from his siblings and peers was not mentioned(again first book in a trilogy so i will let it pass). i think it was hinted at in the end but at that point i was bored of meilyr’s meekness to care about anything else other than just finishing the book. but i must give credit where credit is due the romance on meilyr’s part was excruciatingly slow burn but i cant say the same for osian’s though. since we know next to nothing about his reasonings behind why he married meilyr except for the one point that was mentioned at the very end it felt very insta-lovey on osian’s part. and to top it all of we had a love triangle and i wanted so badly for this other man to have even a hint of toxicity but he was also just nice. everyone kept apologising and saying their gratitudes to each other which made me want to pull my hair out. this is not a corporate email. grab someone by their collar and angrily confess your undying affections for them this instance. i beg of you.

with all that being said i am still rating it a neutral 2.5 stars which might change after i have read the second book. and i wish we get more povs and better character work in the next book. i dont think i can tolerate another book entirely in meilyr’s pov.


maybe i am being a bit harsh on it but princeweaver was one of my most anticipated releases of this year. i saw one person talking about it months ago and was immediately sold. it is one of the reasons i opened my netgalley account so my disappointment with this is on a personal level but i am still holding out hope the second book will be better. literal words cannot express how over the moon i was when i got the email of approval for it.





*SPOILERS ahead for the ending*



















killing off the main character in the end is a bold choice. not many authors can pull it off and with how vague it was i am pretty sure meilyr isn’t dead but we will see what happens.



it would send me into an orbit if meilyr wakes up weeks later from a coma with a fuckass amnesia. if the amnesia trope has no haters then i am dead. I think it’s lazy, a cop out. and if its becomes a time loop thing, far fetched probably will not happen but if it does i dont think i will continue with the series


i also have some theories
so imo it was made pretty obvious during wystan’s little outburst that osian’s mom was of the other nation’s ethnicity and i think he also has some kind of weaving magic. so maybe he will do some resurrection magic on meilyr which is again something i hate. i hate when death becomes meaningless like this.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog

I am not even going to lie, the entire reason I picked up Princeweaver was because the cover is so pretty, and that was honestly one of my better decisions lately because Elian J. Morgan just wove all the things I love into this story. It’s a reimagining of the English conquest of Wales, except make it a queer fantasy romance full of political intrigue, murder mystery, mystical folklore, a marriage of (in?)convenience, and just peak yearninggg! So yes, that’s all my buzzwords buzzing right there.

Right from the very first chapter, Princeweaver gave me A Strange and Stubborn Endurance and A Taste of Gold and Iron vibes, which is very high praise coming from me, trust me. We follow Meilyr, an anxious apothecary with forbidden, nature-based magic, trying to survive quietly in an occupied land, but then he accidentally ends up engaged to Prince Osian, who is basically the face of that occupation, in order to save his brother. So now he’s stuck in this tense, suffocating game of hiding who he is while a series of murders start pointing straight at the kind of magic he is desperately trying to conceal, and honestly, I was living for the tension and paranoia of it all.

I personally felt like it’s really impossible not to latch onto Meilyr immediately, not only because he is just so irresistibly likeable, but also because I felt like his inner turmoil is written in such a real and relatable way. His grief for his homeland just bleeds through everything he does and says and thinks, and I found it so heartbreaking to feel how much it costs him to live in that constant fear and danger simply because of his own identity.

And that heavy emotional weight is also exactly what makes the romance in Princeweaver work so well, because Osian should be the one person to fear the most, and yet he is the first person who actually makes him feel safe. They honestly gave me a bit of Captive Prince energy, except if Damen & Laurent were actually gentle instead of their toxic, twisted selves. Like, I was scared this would have gone very typical enemies to lovers full of forced drama, but it just… does not. They meet and they click, and instead of forced fights and banter, they show so much trust, communication, and just develop the most soft, careful kind of understanding, and I absolutely loved that for them. Also, do not get me started on the slow-burn, THIS is how you do yearning, take notes please!!

To me, Morgan just did a perfect job of balancing the heart and the hurt in Princeweaver. Yes, it’s a brutally raw and honest story of conquest, colonisation, and cultural erasure; and yes, there’s a string of murders and cutthroat political scheming, but somehow there is beauty even in the tension and it all just feels so warm and gentle. Morgan’s lush writing softened the edges of it all without taking away from the impact, and I absolutely loved how the mystical folklore elements, the strong sense of history, the rich cultural depth, and the intriguing epigraphs made it feel like the world feel so immersive, almost like it’s living and breathing outside the page.

At the same time, I do think that the almost legendary, folkloric quality to the storytelling sometimes hindered my personal investment and emotional connection a tiny bit. I found myself a little distanced from some of the side characters, including Osian, who even has a couple of his own POV chapters. I can’t even say that they were one-dimensional or anything, but everyone just felt a bit passive to me and I found myself wanting a bit more mess and rawness to fully connect. That said, Adreda absolutely stole every moment she was in and I would happily read an entire book about her, what a babe.

Still, I was completely absorbed in this story, and I am honestly very glad that I realised Princeweaver is the start to a trilogy instead of a standalone while I was still reading it, because I don’t know how I would have survived that ending otherwise. Like, that hurt way more than I was ready for, and now I need book 2 already. Needless to say, I highly recommend this if you like the sound of a slow-burn queer fantasy romance that is dark, soft, magical, romantic, and quietly devastating in the best way. Oh and definitely come join my emotional support group afterwards, if you please.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Princeweaver is scheduled for release on April 16th, 2026.

[mays.quill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

Thanks to Netgalley and to the Publisher for the chance of reading this ARC.

What to say about Princeweaver? For once, this is a sound debut novel, with quite the interesting worldbuilding inspired by Welsh history and culture. It is the first installment of a queer romantasy trilogy, with horror and crime mystery elements that well suit its themes (i.e. the criticism of colonialism and the fragility of power), and I am genuinely happy to have read it, even though some minor issues remain.

Meet Meylir, an unassuming Cyngaleg apothecary who lives his life in constant fear, as he was born with the very magical powers the colonizers of Kheim have wiped away during the Sundering. His routine takes a sudden turn when he finds himself married to Osian, a prince of the Kheimlich crown and future ruler of Cyngalon. However, what should be a union of convenience, to be dissolved once it served its purpose, becomes a dangerous bargain the moment a faceless, weaver assassin starts butchering the Kheimlich nobility.

I must admit my opinion of Princeweaver is biased, for two main reasons:
1. “Arranged marriage” is my favourite trope, and Elian J. Morgan did an outstanding job in making it compelling and not (as usual) a plot point whose stakes are soon forgotten [read as: I was SCREAMING];
2. I was convinced for the whole duration of my reading experience that I was reading a standalone [no, I am not that smart].

Now that all of my cards have been laid on the table, let’s put them aside and be impartial: with its characters and its “personality”, Princeweaver is a breath of fresh air (if anything because the romantasy genre desperately needs queer stories like this one), and it can count on a whimsical worldbuilding - simple yet evocative - and on an interesting cast of main characters, starting from Meylir.

Meylir is meek, and willingly almost blends into the pages like a proverbial wallflower, yet there is rage boiling beneath the surface, and an endless desire waiting to be released - and it surfaces in the in-between, even though Meylir does a great job in fooling us all. There are many layers to his identity, and the final picture is nothing like you would expect - he reminded me a bit of Kadou from “A Taste of Gold and Iron”, though with much less privilege and a lot more to lose.
Osian, too, is compelling, though not as much as Meylir, and he stays more of a mystery, with his actions quite unreadable until the end. Their romance is cute, and slow enough to be realistic in their situation, but not too long to make the narration boring.

I also appreciated the stark contrast between Osian’s treating of Meylir VS the rest of the court: Morgan plays with subtlety here, by showing us the condescending enthusiasm of the Kheimlich nobility in their approach to Meylir - all smiles and cooing, infantilising and objectifying a man grown in front of his face, just because he belongs to the oppressed majority → I swear, I lost count of the many times someone made a remark about his waist and/or congratulating Osian on his fine choice.

There is little to complain about Princeweaver - it is a book I would recommend to any fan of the genre, who is looking for an engaging read, a nice, green flag romance, without renouncing active thinking - however there are a couple of things that, to me, needed better development, namely:

a. The danger posed by the gardner and Meylir’s blood-brother (they are as smart as a paper knife, there is no plausible reason why none of them was executed on page 4 - literally, the ex-boyfriend cannot take no as an answer, even in front of the entire court. But after all, Meylir is clearly not in a fragile position, no no);
b. The repetitiveness of the plot at times (someone gets murdered, Meylir gets accused, Meylir is rushed away from judging eyes, repeat);
c. The fact that I still have not understood why Meylir likes Osian this much (and the answer might be that Osian is hot, which is fair, we love a king who gets what he wants).

In the end, I was kicking my feet when the ARC was approved, and I was having the time of my life when reading it - so much so that sooner or later I will get myself a book trophy.

[Svea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really high expectations for this book based on the premise alone. As in, I just really really wanted to love this and I truly did expect to. The "lush reimagining of the English conquest of Wales" blurb was what caught my eye, to be honest, though yes, obviously I knew the romance was the focal point of the story.

And don't get me wrong, the romance is beautiful. It's sweet, it's full of yearning, it's slow-burn. It's once again a forced marriage / colonizer-romance-type of love story and I don't actually think that aspect of the story was explored enough beyond our protagonist telling us how wrong it is over and over, but also I didn't mind that much. Meilyr, said protagonist, is a sweetheart and Osian, the prince he has to marry in order to save his brother's life, honestly is just as much of a sweetheart but painted a slightly different colour.
I also enjoyed the world building, which was atmospheric and dark and I thought just really well done. It's darker fantasy and I actually wish the author would have leaned even more into that. I loved the way magic is portrayed, the way it's so connected to nature, the way it can be used so brutally against its oppressors.
It's also, in general, a well-written novel that you can easily breeze through. There are some really good plot developments and reveals, and while the biggest reveal is honestly a little predictable, it's very well done and perfectly works for the narrative and the atmosphere of the story.

Now, there are sadly quite a few things that made me end up not enjoying the book as much as I wanted to. The biggest one, unfortunately, being the characters themselves.
Meilyr is sweet and nice and basically perfect, he has absolutely no character flaw whatsoever, and he's also just incredibly passive. Things happen to him and he barely reacts, he has no agency (not just within the story, which makes sense, but as a character on the whole), absolutely everyone who matters immediately likes him or if they don't like him they think he's pretty. So pretty. Just the prettiest. Even a child at one point calls him pretty, just to make sure we as readers know he's the prettiest pretty boy to ever pretty. Drinking game amounts of his looks being mentioned, honestly. His perspective is rather boring to read, which is a problem considering he's the main pov character, because utterly perfect characters are just not interesting to follow. Osian is generally the more interesting character because of who he is within the narrative, but make no mistake, he's also perfect. There's no nuance here, no doubt whatsoever that he's also a really good, really sweet, really amazing person who obviously fights for all the right causes and has all the right morals. He might be prince of the colonizing force, but he really hates colonizing. It's never entirely explored in depth why he feels this way, how he came to have these convictions that so starkly contradict his own upbringing, so it feels more like a convenient way to make the romance work despite the darker undertones.
The romance is very tropey in a very on-the-nose kind of way, which I just personally don't enjoy, but I do like the yearning. There's also a lot of focus on consent and I thought that was really well done and worked for the characters especially considering the kind of power dynamic they are in.

The pacing is rather slow, though it might also feel that way because we spend most of the time inside Meilyr's head and he's just more of a passive observer as stated below. There's a completely unnecessary second love interest thrown into the mix who would have served his purpose much better as just a platonic friend (but then we would be down one trope so). In general, the sweet romance and the day-to-day Meilyr lives through in the castle doesn't really gel well with the darker fantasy aspects and the at times visceral brutality of the world-building. It's still an enjoyable enough novel and the world is intriguing, the magic fascinating. It's just, I guess, too much of what we expect from romantasy these days to appeal to me.

Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the arc!

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNFed under the straight-up-stupid rule.

I think it's reasonable to assume, going into this book, that there will be a good reason for a prince to marry an apothecary. My guess was that it would be a ritual thing, maybe a Fisher King scenario where a royal must marry the representative of the land. Maybe there would be complex religious reason, or a prophecy. Something!

Prince Osian offers to marry Meilyr to rescue Meilyr from a conviction that would mean execution. On Osian's part, he thinks marrying a commoner will endear him to the population. He says they'll marry quickly, and by the time his father hears about it, making it go away or claiming it never happened would cause too much scandal.

The set-up of Princeweaver is that Meilyr is Welsh, and Osian is a stand-in for the English. I don't know how to convey the tensions of this to USians, how to translate it, so just believe me (I'm half-Welsh) when I say that the English colonised Wales, it was really bad, and even today quite a lot of Welsh don't like the English. That sentiment was even stronger a few hundred years ago.

...So I can't imagine why someone with the political education I assume a prince has, would think him marrying a commoner would go well. The Welsh peasants he's trying to endear himself to? Would never believe that Meilyr is a happy, consenting participant in this. I can't imagine why they wouldn't believe Meilyr was being forced into this marriage, and I can't imagine why Osian wouldn't realise that.

But wait: it gets worse! Because the wedding? Is a quick, hurried affair with one legal witness. Not public. Not loud. Not even an attempt at a State Wedding. There's no announcement, no propaganda campaign, nothing. Osian just throws a feast and announces that this guy no one's ever seen before is his new husband.

Sir. You're already going to have A Time convincing the people that Meilyr wanted to marry you. But like this, why would anyone believe you married him at all? No one saw it! This is not how royal weddings work! Wtf! And why would it be hard for the king to make this go away??? He could assassinate your witness and your priest and he'd be done, there'd be no one left to say the wedding happened! You think a king can't off TWO PEOPLE???

This is all aside from the fact that Osian casually mentioned that the royal family can make legal judgements at a whim, without needing a trial. So...Osian could absolutely have declared Meilyr innocent and just gone on with his day, no need to marry him. And that either didn't occur to him, or he's an awful person who preferred to make use of Meilyr instead (and an idiot for thinking his plan would work!)

This is ridiculous. This is straight up stupid! Why would I keep reading a book where the author can't be bothered to come up with an even vaguely believable scenario/justification for this? I have no reason to believe the rest of the plot isn't going to be as stupid and hand-wavey.

There's also weird moments with the prose: mostly it's perfectly lovely, but there's repeated use of the word 'cloy' as a noun (I have searched multiple dictionaries and cannot find a noun form of cloying) including 'pleasant cloy', which seems like an oxymoron because cloying means something unpleasant??? This being one example of odd, jarring things appearing in the prose here and there.

But mostly my issue is that I find it offensive that I'm supposed to buy into the set-up of this story - because only an idiot would think this makes any kind of sense. THANKS BUT NO.

[Ariana Weldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up, we're going for a ramble.

This was my absolute most anticipated 2026 read. Like to the point I texted Elian when it went up on Netgalley that if I did not get approved I would run into traffic. It absolutely did not disappoint but I am also LIVID about the whole experience. And yes, I will be directing my complaints to Hozier.

Despite the fact that this is truly, and I mean TRULY, the slowest of slow burns, we actually get into the story pretty quickly. We don't get a proper kiss until 75% in but the story is kicked off early on. And between all of that is an unhealthy amount of yearning. So much yearning. I cannot stress this enough. If you have jaw problems, call your dentist from pg.1 cause your teeth will be clenched for several hundred pages.

The yearning is actually heightened a lot by the magic. Meilyr, as a weaver, is attuned to the world in a way that brings even more life to almost everything. Plants turn to him and respond to his direction, he can heal and cure many ailments, and as part of the marriage ceremony, the mixing of his blood with Osian's means they are connected in ways Meilyr isn't with others before. All of this is super ideal when he's in a land that has been conquered by Osian's great-grandfather who led the hunt and slaughter of weavers to wipe them out. Meilyr's existence alone is an enormous crime against the crown…that he's just married into. NBD, right?

Also because none of that is stressful enough, a series of plant-based murders is striking down nobles to frame Meilyr. Which might be the best use of plant-based anything in this decade.

Like everything else in the fantastic pages of Princeweaver, the descriptions of these murders is fantastically vivid. I was equal parts wide-eyed and horrified as I was in absolute awe of the imagery. I mean, the cover alone is already steeped in perfect imagery. Just look at it!

Literally everything in this story is done with such detail, care, intentionality, and description. It is unbelievably rich. This would be true even if this was Elian's second, third, or tenth book, but that fact it is a debut is all the more impressive.

Normally I'd say a lot of elements were 'weaved' into a story like this but there's a drummer's rim-shot ba-dum-tss waiting for me if I do. So I'll just go with: the Welsh folklore, and Welsh history reflected in the the political landscape, culture and language erasure is just flawlessly done. From the pronunciation note at the start, to the Y Ddraig Goch, to the….everything else. I also loved the new folklore creatures this book sent me into a deep dive about. Can I properly pronounce their names? No. Am I still excited? Absolutely.

All of this gushing is without touching on the little snippets at the top of each chapter that adds to the myths and legends, and history of the Princeweaver world. But if I started on that we'd probably be here until the sequel comes out.

This entire book is a love letter to the slow-burn romance, Welsh folklore, and beautifully written fantasy. I don't even care that I guessed who the murderer was like a dozen times and was continually wrong. I do care about that ending though, and as I said, I am capital-everything LIVID.
My entire existence needs the next book immediately and this one isn't even out until April.

[Paula (lovebookscl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐ (maybe a little more. Almost 4⭐ )

I received this book in advance through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although it's a book with its share of mystery and suspicious deaths, at the core it's a heartwarming story with a gentle romance. BUT (yes, in capital letters)... I can't help but warn you that there will be some heart-stopping moments, get ready.

Princeweaver is a story set in a grand castle with a colorful and lively village at its feet. And here we find ourselves immersed in that opulent castle accompanying Meilyr.

Meilyr was living peacefully until he caught the attention of the prince due to an unfortunate event (like… my dude, go check your evil eye or something). He quickly becomes entangled in an arranged marriage.

It was entertaining to read how the protagonist learns to cope with this sudden wedding (you could say it's a Las Vegas marriage) and how he learns to navigate the whims of the royal family and the nobles, a world full of power struggles and gossip.

Meilyr is one of those characters whose strength lies in his gentleness and his open-minded personality, which might seem innocent or naive but actually demonstrates that he knows how to choose his battles. Fortunately for him, the prince is not a cruel or evil person; rather he seeks in him an ally and companion.

It's one of those slow romances with secret glances, touches like a Victorian courtship, whispers that tickle and a subtle flirtation that makes your heart skip a beat.

The story felt like "a day in my life as the prince's husband while I try to save the kingdom".

The moment the big reveal about Meilyr and Osian finally happens was spectacular. I was really looking forward to it and it didn't disappoint (of all the mysteries, this was my favorite. And I'm not trying to brag but you need to know what it's about. The book constantly hints at it and it was very entertaining).

And I must say that the ending should come with psychological help and financial compensation. How dare you.

Note: It's important to know that the book ends on a cliffhanger and there will be a sequel. For those who hate waiting, I recommend coming back when book 2 is released because the ending is mind-blowing.

If I had to offer some criticism: I would have liked to see deeper, more complex conversations between Meilyr and Osian, to solidify their relationship and make it more charming. This would not only have strengthened the romance but also given each character more depth. But because of the main mystery, I felt the characters were holding back too much.

I also felt the book was very slow, almost like a slice-of-life story set in a castle or a Coffee Shop AU. While I enjoy books that take their time, I believe that if you're going to have a story with such a leisurely pace, you should also include chapters that provide a solid foundation for the narrative or well-developed characters. I found that some scenes didn't make much sense or were very superficial in terms of the plot.

And if I took a shot every time Meilyr said "thank you," I'd be in a coma.

[Erin Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princeweaver is a medieval sort of romantasy set in an occupied fantasy version of Wales. The cover is absolutely lovely and doesn't fall into the typical romantasy cover formula, which I appreciate. The story has some good bones, but the colonialization aspects put me off of liking this story more.

Our main character was pretty meek, but he did have moments of assertiveness. He was a good point of view for the story, but I did like the bits of his husband's perspective that we got, because we badly needed some kind of insight into this relationship dynamic. The two of them were overly cautious of each other in regards to physical intimacy, and the back of forth of "are you sure?" and "is this okay?" at the hint of any intimacy were much much too repetitive. I like the consent aspects, but it got tiresome.

On the romantasy scale, this is more romance than fantasy, and I was expecting the magical aspects to be a bigger part of the plot. I am not personally well-versed in Welsh mythology, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of representation, but I enjoyed what I saw in the magic and lore. I would have liked the folklore to be a more central theme, especially since the folklore was being suppressed and banned by the oppressing force in the story. This was a queer normative world with a variety of sexual and gender identities represented without being performative, which is desperately lacking in the romantasy space.

I couldn't completely suspend disbelief on the premise of the arranged marriage/marriage convenience, and it really impacted my enjoyment of this book. The reasoning for their getting together just didn't really make sense, and it ended up being a recurring point of contention throughout the book, so it should have been a much more robust plot point. Additionally, this is ultimately a colonizer/colonized relationship, and as a result, there is an extremely high bar to clear for me to care about the development of this romance. The colonizer in this case didn't do the colonizing personally (but his ancestors did), grew up through no fault of his own in a place of privilege, and demonstrated several times care for the plight of the colonized, but there is a huge power imbalance issue. And, this dynamic made the premise for the marriage even more contrived. This is even more uncomfortable with the obvious connection of the main character being Welsh and his love interest being the English colonizer, and the consequences of English colonization echo globally to this day. I don't think the author has ill intent and earlier in my reading journey I didn't clock this kind of dynamic, but once you recognize the colonizer/colonized and oppressor/oppressed trope, it's hard to ignore.

There is murder, depiction of colonization violence and cultural erasure, and discussion of grief, particularly of losing parents. This is a fine debut, but I will likely not continue this series. If you like a fantasy setting for a romance-heavy plot, colonial political intrigue with mystery, and can put aside thin premises for marriage of convenience, this will be a good read for you.

Thank you, Canelo, for the arc!

[Meredith Katz · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot I deeply liked in Princeweaver. The writing style was absolutely lovely, poetic and beautiful while not going overboard, still maintaining, you know, functionality. The use of Welsh mythology and culture and history, while still keeping in a fantasy world, was exquisite. And the premise -- a queer, false marriage between the sympathetic youngest prince of a colonialist culture and an illegal blood sorcerer, the survivor of those the prince's family had once wiped out, where they slowly fall in love? That's got a lot of potential for some real hard looks at some real hard issues.

My main problems with it came from the fact that the book seemed reluctant, maybe even fearful, of taking that look. It was unwilling to get messy pulling back from anything potentially contentious. The prince is a perfect man who has never believed in any of his family's beliefs, and has surrounded himself with the same. There is no point of shock or fear from the prince. The protagonist very quickly gets over his fear of the prince and doesn't doubt that he's misunderstanding him, generally. The villainous characters are extremely obvious and stand out because all the good ones are left uncomplicated -- and they either die right away, or become a major villain. I called all three (four, even) main villains early on specifically because it felt like if they weren't meant to be the movers in the plot they'd have been given a much gentler hand in their writing. (Yes, even her.) In the last 25% or so, it gets a little messier in terms of misunderstandings.

There were also a few points in the book I found hard to believe. For example, the protagonist gets suspected of using sorcery to kill people, so they send a telepath in to question him with the note that he must be investigated... but apparently it would be rude to force the issue, so the telepath just doesn't actually do it. And SPOILER WARNING -- When they eventually do, they basically clear the protagonist, despite the fact that they were setting him up as a scapegoat and could have just... lied? About what they saw in his head. Or, the person who had motive and opportunity to find a poison is incredibly obvious, but nobody seems to suspect him. So moments like that I found confusing in terms of the narrative cohesion, though maybe I overlooked some element in the few places where this happens.

That said, all the elements I liked about the book, I really liked. The slow burn romance was delightfully done. There were a few places where it leaned a little tropey to me (at one point the Prince LITERALLY says "Who did this to you?" when the protagonist was hurt, which is just naming the trope it was doing) but honestly, there are tropes I like that I wouldn't mind if they appeared on page as a reference, so I can't be nitpicky about that one. I did end up shipping them by the end; it sold their feelings for each other. And that ending! I will be picking up the sequel to see how they can possibly resolve this.

3.0 stars out of 5. Solid read, though I think some things could have been tighter.

[☾arina⭐︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so freaking much!

Meilyr lives a peaceful life running an apothecary until one incident changes it all. His brother accidentally kills one of the royal guards while trying to defend a member of their village. Meilyr gets caught in the middle, trying to defuse the situation. When the prince notices Meilyr, he offers him a proposition: marry him, and he’ll protect him and his brother. He has no choice but to accept.

I believe this is my second book where the magic has to do with weaving. I wasn’t familiar with it, but technically, it’s magic that increases the connection between living things. All it takes is a physical touch to give a glimpse of that connection, or ingestion for a more powerful weaving. The last, rare method is a blood oath. It requires both participants to be willing to share their life threads, which is why magic like Meilyr’s is seen as dangerous. People with Cyngaleg blood possess dangerous magic, according to the Khaimlic, and are therefore hunted down and killed. This leads to Meilyr having to hide who he is in plain sight after he’s left an orphan following his parents’ death. This also complicates things when, after Meilyr’s arrival, deaths within the royal circle start happening, making him an easy suspect because of his background and the lingering animosity between Osian’s people and Meilyr’s people. Not only did I enjoy the romance, but the mystery of who is killing these people sucked me in. I was truly invested in figuring out who the culprit was and looking for clues. It also helped to learn more about the world when every chapter would start with a writing entry that had to do with a historic event, a personal letter from someone important, or a story and lore correlating with the characters.

Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, especially if done right, and this definitely was. Add in a super slow burn, and you already have me. These two people know nothing about each other and have found themselves in an unusual predicament. Understandably, there’s some wariness and precaution, especially for Meilyr, who was roped into something he never imagined while trying to save his brother. The mutual yearning was *chefs kiss*. Because of how well they have to sell their romance, they have to act like they are truly in love. The kiss, touches, and glimpses, I ate that up, especially with how slow the slow burn was. I was eating any crumbs thrown my way. When they gave each other hickeys for the sake of selling the romance, I was like 👀. Osian is so sweet and considerate of Meilyr’s needs and comfort. He feels guilty for plucking him out of his comfortable, safe life into a deceptive and complicated royal one.

I did get right who the mystery sorcerer was because of context clues, but the way the character was portrayed was so well done that I would doubt myself.

My only complaint was that I wanted more of Osian’s POV. Usually I prefer single POV, but with how much yearning these two had for each other, I wanted to see it from him.

Oof, and that ending? I need my hands on the next one because I’m confused about what’s going to happen to the characters and the situation they ended up in.

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC.