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Thrones of the Forsaken #1
Labyrinthine
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26Every generation, the gods take their due. This time, they might take her.
Princess Azhara was born cursed. Marked by ancient magic. Promised to an unholy bargain sealed in blood. When the Reaping begins, suitors will descend into the labyrinth beneath the palace—each one fighting to win her hand or die trying.
She’s never had a choice. Not in the Reaping. Not in her future. Not even in the power buried beneath her skin.
Until now.
The golden prince arrives with charm too slick to trust and eyes that gleam with secrets. Her quiet guardian—once her only constant—has begun to keep dangerous truths from her. And as the labyrinth trials unfold, Azhara realizes the maze isn’t her only trap.
It’s the men.
One lies. One loves. One kills. And she’s not sure which is which.
As suitors fall and secrets surface, Azhara must choose what’s worth saving—her kingdom, her heart, or herself.
Labyrinthine is a seductive, myth-woven romantasy of deadly trials, cursed bloodlines, and a love born in shadows.
Princess Azhara was born cursed. Marked by ancient magic. Promised to an unholy bargain sealed in blood. When the Reaping begins, suitors will descend into the labyrinth beneath the palace—each one fighting to win her hand or die trying.
She’s never had a choice. Not in the Reaping. Not in her future. Not even in the power buried beneath her skin.
Until now.
The golden prince arrives with charm too slick to trust and eyes that gleam with secrets. Her quiet guardian—once her only constant—has begun to keep dangerous truths from her. And as the labyrinth trials unfold, Azhara realizes the maze isn’t her only trap.
It’s the men.
One lies. One loves. One kills. And she’s not sure which is which.
As suitors fall and secrets surface, Azhara must choose what’s worth saving—her kingdom, her heart, or herself.
Labyrinthine is a seductive, myth-woven romantasy of deadly trials, cursed bloodlines, and a love born in shadows.
338 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 12, 2026
3 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Holmes
15 books137 followersCJ Holmes lives in England, where it's cold and damp, and it's always raining - which provides her with enough time to write stories about magic, fantasy and romance. She'd like to escape to somewhere warm but that might mean that she spends too much time sunbathing and not enough time writing books.
She lives in a quaint English cottage which would have one of those idyllic gardens if her fingers weren't the opposite of green. Fortunately, her husband and children don't seem to mind that almost everything she tries to grow ends up dead. She enjoys drinking wine and gin, which conveniently coincides with her love of reading and writing, as well as running and watching bad TV shows. You have been warned....
Instagram ➜ @cjholmes_writing
Find me on threads ➜ @cjholmes_writing
She lives in a quaint English cottage which would have one of those idyllic gardens if her fingers weren't the opposite of green. Fortunately, her husband and children don't seem to mind that almost everything she tries to grow ends up dead. She enjoys drinking wine and gin, which conveniently coincides with her love of reading and writing, as well as running and watching bad TV shows. You have been warned....
Instagram ➜ @cjholmes_writing
Find me on threads ➜ @cjholmes_writing
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2026
Holy love triangle!!!!
I am not typically a love triangle lover, and this one had me emotionally spiraling in the best and most frustrating way. One minute I knew exactly who I wanted Azahara with, and the next I was completely convinced she should choose the other. The internal conflict was REAL but honestly, that just shows how well it was written.
What really stood out to me was Azahara’s character growth. Watching her move from a life shaped by expectations and lack of choice into someone willing to claim her own future was incredibly satisfying. There is something powerful about a heroine who learns to trust herself and ultimately gets to decide what her life will be.
The world-building is rich without feeling overwhelming, and the descriptive writing makes everything feel vivid and immersive. C.J. Holmes creates an atmosphere that pulls you in quickly and keeps the pages turning. The pacing is strong, the tension stays high, and there is always something unfolding to keep you invested.
And the ending? Very satisfying. The emotional payoff felt earned, and I closed the book feeling genuinely glad I took this journey with these characters.
While love triangles aren’t usually my favorite trope, this one is undeniably well done my frustration was less about the trope itself and more about how invested I became.
If you enjoy romantasy with layered characters, strong development, immersive world-building, emotional tension, and a heroine who steps into her own power, this is absolutely worth picking up.
A fast-paced, engaging read and a very solid Romantasy. Thanks to the author for an early copy!
I am not typically a love triangle lover, and this one had me emotionally spiraling in the best and most frustrating way. One minute I knew exactly who I wanted Azahara with, and the next I was completely convinced she should choose the other. The internal conflict was REAL but honestly, that just shows how well it was written.
What really stood out to me was Azahara’s character growth. Watching her move from a life shaped by expectations and lack of choice into someone willing to claim her own future was incredibly satisfying. There is something powerful about a heroine who learns to trust herself and ultimately gets to decide what her life will be.
The world-building is rich without feeling overwhelming, and the descriptive writing makes everything feel vivid and immersive. C.J. Holmes creates an atmosphere that pulls you in quickly and keeps the pages turning. The pacing is strong, the tension stays high, and there is always something unfolding to keep you invested.
And the ending? Very satisfying. The emotional payoff felt earned, and I closed the book feeling genuinely glad I took this journey with these characters.
While love triangles aren’t usually my favorite trope, this one is undeniably well done my frustration was less about the trope itself and more about how invested I became.
If you enjoy romantasy with layered characters, strong development, immersive world-building, emotional tension, and a heroine who steps into her own power, this is absolutely worth picking up.
A fast-paced, engaging read and a very solid Romantasy. Thanks to the author for an early copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is everything a Dark Romantasy should be! I swear I wanted to throw my Kindle a few times during my read. This book had one of my favorite tropes, a Love Triangle. Not a fluffy love triangle, I'm talking rip your soul out! You have no idea how Azhara will ever choose kind of Love Triangle! Bravo CJ for writing this masterpiece.
Labyrinthine, is a Dark seductive myth retelling Romantasy that captures the heart. You have deadly trials, cursed royalty, dark labyrinth, a feared monster, dark gods, high stakes, plus so much more. Also, the slow burn and yearning in this book! The way I devoured this book because I simply couldn't put it down. The world building in this book was fantastic. It is immersive, but well written and allowed you to feel what the characters felt. Labyrinthine follows a princess named Azhara, who was cursed by the gods to hold a power that could only be claimed by someone winning her hand through deadly trials in the annual Reaping. None ever survived the Reaping, but this time things take a Dark and deadly turn. A Golden Prince and a Dark Commander fight for her heart, but who wins? THESE TWO MEN will have your heart and soul in a chokehold! There were a few plot twists I didn't see coming and one of them nearly took me out emotionally.
If you love a book that captures all the elements of Dark Fantasy and lyrical writing style, then this book is exactly what you want to read. Labyrinthine is a standalone in CJs new series "Thrones of the Forsaken". This one was a 6-Star read with a TWO 🌶 spice rating.
Wonder if you will be Team Darian or Team Mallen? I wish I could tell you which Team that I picked from the beginning, but I can't spoil it for you! Amazing book for CJ's Traditionally Published debut series. I recommend to pick this book up as soon as you can!
Labyrinthine, is a Dark seductive myth retelling Romantasy that captures the heart. You have deadly trials, cursed royalty, dark labyrinth, a feared monster, dark gods, high stakes, plus so much more. Also, the slow burn and yearning in this book! The way I devoured this book because I simply couldn't put it down. The world building in this book was fantastic. It is immersive, but well written and allowed you to feel what the characters felt. Labyrinthine follows a princess named Azhara, who was cursed by the gods to hold a power that could only be claimed by someone winning her hand through deadly trials in the annual Reaping. None ever survived the Reaping, but this time things take a Dark and deadly turn. A Golden Prince and a Dark Commander fight for her heart, but who wins? THESE TWO MEN will have your heart and soul in a chokehold! There were a few plot twists I didn't see coming and one of them nearly took me out emotionally.
If you love a book that captures all the elements of Dark Fantasy and lyrical writing style, then this book is exactly what you want to read. Labyrinthine is a standalone in CJs new series "Thrones of the Forsaken". This one was a 6-Star read with a TWO 🌶 spice rating.
Wonder if you will be Team Darian or Team Mallen? I wish I could tell you which Team that I picked from the beginning, but I can't spoil it for you! Amazing book for CJ's Traditionally Published debut series. I recommend to pick this book up as soon as you can!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This brilliantly written dark fantasy romance is now one of my top reads of 2026! I was not expecting the depth and emotional turmoil Azhara’s journey and this love triangle would take me on! Just when I’d think I know which man is the best choice for her, the plot twists, the lines blur and the truth shifts. This thought provoking novel reads as a metaphor for the hard life choices we all must make that don’t come with clear answers and/or guarantees, and the courage it takes to trust yourself above all others.
My Synopsis:
Each year, ten men come to compete in deadly trails for Azhara’s hand in marriage, and to claim the magic that resides within her. Each year, they fail and men die. Her father wants her magic for himself, the men want her power to rule, and Azhara is a weapon and a pawn with no choices left for herself. That is, until a prince who seems too good to be true actually has a chance at winning, and a choice reveals itself. Will she chose the man who’s the loyal, constant or the Prince who is supposed to win, and will either choice be better than the chains she’s already in?
My Thoughts:
Set in a dark and foreboding atmosphere that enhances the anger, grief and loss that makes up Azhara’s life, this mythology inspired retelling pulled me into its grasp within the first pages and kept me throughly enthralled until the end. Azhara’s feminine rage is palpable, and I love how it fuels her independence and informs her decisions and ultimately leads to her growth and development of self trust. Both MCs care for Azhara and offer her a choice in her fate. I fell for Mallen’s loyalty and fiery commitment to her just as I also loved Darien’s determination to see Azhara as more than a prize. Who would I choose? But, I will go for the burn every time!
This slow burn, fierce FMC driven story, is at its heart a tale of a woman chained by fate and conventions who seeks to control her own destiny. I highly recommend this one if you love a book that delivers emotional turmoil on the way to an emotionally triumphant end.
Thank you to the author, C.J. Holmes, for the early copy. As always these are my honest thoughts and opinions.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
My Synopsis:
Each year, ten men come to compete in deadly trails for Azhara’s hand in marriage, and to claim the magic that resides within her. Each year, they fail and men die. Her father wants her magic for himself, the men want her power to rule, and Azhara is a weapon and a pawn with no choices left for herself. That is, until a prince who seems too good to be true actually has a chance at winning, and a choice reveals itself. Will she chose the man who’s the loyal, constant or the Prince who is supposed to win, and will either choice be better than the chains she’s already in?
My Thoughts:
Set in a dark and foreboding atmosphere that enhances the anger, grief and loss that makes up Azhara’s life, this mythology inspired retelling pulled me into its grasp within the first pages and kept me throughly enthralled until the end. Azhara’s feminine rage is palpable, and I love how it fuels her independence and informs her decisions and ultimately leads to her growth and development of self trust. Both MCs care for Azhara and offer her a choice in her fate. I fell for Mallen’s loyalty and fiery commitment to her just as I also loved Darien’s determination to see Azhara as more than a prize. Who would I choose? But, I will go for the burn every time!
This slow burn, fierce FMC driven story, is at its heart a tale of a woman chained by fate and conventions who seeks to control her own destiny. I highly recommend this one if you love a book that delivers emotional turmoil on the way to an emotionally triumphant end.
Thank you to the author, C.J. Holmes, for the early copy. As always these are my honest thoughts and opinions.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I went into Labyrinthine expecting a dark fantasy romance, but what I found was something far more haunting and immersive. This story doesn’t just pull you into a maze of magic and danger, it traps you inside the emotions of its characters in a way that feels almost impossible to escape.
The atmosphere is rich and heavy with tension, every scene layered with longing, grief, and fragile hope. The romance is slow, aching, and deeply emotional rather than rushed, which made every small moment feel significant. I loved how the worldbuilding unfolded naturally, revealing secrets piece by piece until the full weight of the story settled in.
What stayed with me most was the emotional intensity. The characters feel raw and real, shaped by trauma, loyalty, and difficult choices. By the end, I wasn’t just reading about their journey. I felt like I had lived inside it.
If you love dark romantasy with lyrical writing, deep emotional stakes, and an FMC who really grows into herself and who she is, then Labyrinthine is absolutely worth the read. I’m already thinking about it long after turning the final page.
The atmosphere is rich and heavy with tension, every scene layered with longing, grief, and fragile hope. The romance is slow, aching, and deeply emotional rather than rushed, which made every small moment feel significant. I loved how the worldbuilding unfolded naturally, revealing secrets piece by piece until the full weight of the story settled in.
What stayed with me most was the emotional intensity. The characters feel raw and real, shaped by trauma, loyalty, and difficult choices. By the end, I wasn’t just reading about their journey. I felt like I had lived inside it.
If you love dark romantasy with lyrical writing, deep emotional stakes, and an FMC who really grows into herself and who she is, then Labyrinthine is absolutely worth the read. I’m already thinking about it long after turning the final page.
Review of advance copy
I was a copyeditor for this book and it is phenomenal!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews