The Sky Called Her Home by B.J. Wilde ✨
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, there is so much beauty and potential here and on the other hand, a few things didn’t fully work for me. Since this is a debut novel, there is definitely room to grow, and I’m excited to see where the author goes from here.
What I liked:
The worldbuilding: rich, detailed, and full of magic and depth. You can tell the author put a lot of love into creating this universe.
The writing style: very descriptive, poetic, and overall easy to sink into.
The tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found family, lost heir, bound powers, fated mates: all the classic romantasy goodness.
The ending: genuinely surprised me in a good way!
The characters: we have a strong, sassy FMC, an arrogant shadow-wielding MMC, and a cast of likeable side characters that added warmth to the story.
Where it didn’t work as well for me:
There was a lot happening. The amount of plot could have easily been spread across 2–3 books. Because so much unfolded in one volume, it sometimes felt overwhelming and hard to keep track of everything, especially regarding the FMC’s identity and power arc.
The romance pacing felt too fast. Even though they’re fated mates, I personally prefer more slow-burn tension and development. Here, they came together very quickly, and because of that I didn’t fully feel the emotional connection.
The MMC lies to the FMC multiple times, and she forgives him almost instantly each time, without consequences. This made their dynamic feel uneven to me.
The FMC’s characterization felt inconsistent as the story progressed, and I found myself struggling to stay connected to her.
Overall:
This book offers a magical world, beloved romantasy tropes, and a lot of heart. I think many readers will enjoy the atmosphere, the characters, and the emotional beats. For me, some of the storylines and relationships would have benefitted from more space and slower development, maybe even across multiple books, to give everything the depth it deserves.
But as a debut? This is an impressive starting point, and I truly believe the author has a lot of potential to grow from here. I’ll be watching what she writes next. 🤍
3.5 stars from me.