Keyholder: The Wells of Power Book 1

by Danielle Harrington

Beware of the darkness and those who seek to conquer it…

Octavia Fletcher, the daughter of Rustwick’s wealthy wheat overseer, finds herself bloodbound to a key that holds an ancient magic coveted by all the kingdoms of the land.

The Well of Eternal Healing in Hritza has been shrouded in a veil of impenetrable darkness for a millennium, its precious waters cut off by the gods of old. But now, Octavia possesses the key that can unlock it. Captured by a bounty hunter with a mysterious past, Octavia must fight to survive a slew of enemies who are keen to steal her—and the key’s power—for themselves.

But danger lurks not only in the evils of men. The darkness surrounding the fallen Kingdom of Hritza is creeping past its boundaries for the first time since its creation, and anyone caught in its clutches perishes. Time is running out—not only for Octavia, but for all the Wells of Power gifted to humanity.

Only the Keyholder can walk through the darkness and reverse its destruction, but can Octavia endure long enough to do so? And can she survive her own heart when it comes to the bounty hunter who has proven time and time again that he will do anything to save her?

Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

456 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2025

About the author

Danielle Harrington is a stay-at-home mom, award-winning author, and hardcore science nerd. She earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Biola University and taught high school chemistry for five years before becoming a full-time writer. Her inner fangirl perks up at the mention of Quidditch, BookTok, Middle Earth, and the perfect hand-crafted chai tea latte. Danielle lives in Idaho with her husband, daughter, and three cats. Her current mission: Give readers twists they don't see coming and imaginings that keep them thinking long after the story ends.

Reviews

[D.E. Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Harrington’s writing always impressed me; but she hit her stride with Keyholder! This book is everything a fantasy book should be, with slow burn enemies to lovers, high stakes, tension between characters, and never a lapse in the action!

Spoilers below.

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My most hated trope is the rape trope, and this is the first time I’ve read it done in a way that didn’t make me cringe. In this book, our fmc faces an enemy who tries to violate her, and is rescued (before anything happens) by the mmc. This trope was not used here to demoralize(some call it ‘develop’) the fmc. It was not used to satisfy a baser lust in the reader. It was not done for shock value. I would not normally endorse a book with that content simply because I personally don’t enjoy it, but Danielle had my endorsement because of the way she handled it.

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Now, can we talk about Danielle as a person for a moment?

This book was fun to read because as I sent messages to Danielle with my play by play reactions, she responded quickly and enthusiastically, excited that I was reading and eager to give me space for my thoughts. I would have loved the book without that interaction, but with it, it was an irreplaceable experience I will remember forever.

Danielle, you have my admiration, respect, and above all, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK LIKE YESTERDAY ;)

[Matthew Romeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a few years since I've read a book by Danielle Harrington, and I am so glad I'm back on that reader train. I've been following Keyholder for many months now, and it was a pleasure to get to read it as a fellow indie and Kickstarter runner!

Keyholder is a fantasy story that follows Octavia Fletcher as she goes from being a commoner in the kingdom of Rustwick to being the bearer of a long-coveted piece of magic: the key that will unlock the Well of Eternal Healing. She doesn't embark on this quest in the traditional sense, instead having to navigate one precarious situation to another whilst in the company of a rugged bounty hunter, Azariah.

As a fantasy tale, this book reigns in a lot of the grandeur and scale to instead focus on a more intimate story, and not necessarily in the romantasy sense. Romantic elements are in the book, but that's not the focal point. We get to dive deep into Octavia's heart, mind, and soul as she grapples with the job of saving the world from the spreading darkness. I found it quite refreshing that we had an FMC that didn't solve her problems by "punching harder than the boys". No, Octavia must use her cunning, her wit, and oftentimes her devotion of faith to get out of sticky situations.

Azariah is the perfect rogue insert for this story, taking elements of Han Solo and Geralt of Rivia. He has some excellent one-liners at the start, just like any man of action would, but slowly that facade crumbles as he grows closer with Octavia.

This book was very much a character study about someone with a vast amount of faith who is tested again and again to see if their devotion will crumble. It's a very human story, where characters keep getting beaten down only to rise up stronger than before.

Resilience is at the heart of Keyholder, and it makes you root for the two main characters no matter how beaten down they get. Needless to say, I'm super ready for Book 2 when it comes out!

4.5/5 Stars!

[Stephen Prendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keyholder is the first book of The Wells of Power by award-winning author Danielle Harrington. The story follows Octavia Fletcher, the daughter of a successful farmer who oversees wheat production in the kingdom of Rustwick, as she unwillingly becomes the Keyholder. But this is no ordinary key - it holds the power to unlock the darkness that hides the Well of Healing, one of the Wells of Power in the world. Octavia must find a way to reach the darkness safely in order to walk through it to the Well. No problem, right? Did I mention that the key is bloodbound to her and cannot be removed? And that people have been willing to kill for it?

Many dangers lie between Octavia and the Well because every ruler in the land wants to find the Keyholder and have that person claim the Well in the name of their kingdom. She is captured by a mysterious bounty hunter who has been commissioned to bring the Keyholder to Bastian, the King of Zoharth, but others want to steal her for their own purposes. Meanwhile, a bond begins to form between Octavia and the bounty hunter, Azariah, that will greatly affect the course of her adventure.

This story is filled with action, intrigue, and a slowly blooming romance, but what impressed me most is how Harrington takes Octavia from a somewhat sheltered, hot-tempered young woman to someone who can stand up against the worst of humanity. The girl who we first meet in the Rustwick jail after punching the daughter of Rustwick’s Wellminder (the Well of Bountiful Harvest), is nearly unrecognizable by the time we reach the end of the book. And this is a good thing.

About that ending. Harrington brings the story to what looks like it could be a neat, tidy conclusion, and then she throws a twist into it that changes everything. The ending perfectly sets up the next book, The Wrathwielder. The sequel can’t come too soon.

[Luke Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time reading a book by Danielle Harrington, but after this, I shall have to change that: Keyholder is the epic beginning to a new fantasy series involving an unsuspecting young woman torn away from all she's ever known by a sullen bounty hunter, and a quest upon which the fate of the entire world hinges...

The start of Keyholder reminds me of the start of the Belgariad or Eragon, with the main character stumbling on a source of unimaginable power coveted by so many: Octavia was a believable heroine with a bit of fire to her (as evidenced by her first scene punching a rival) but quickly out of her depth, so it made for compelling reading seeing her find inner strength, and the brewing tension between her and Azariah were definitely fun. The world building is gorgeously lavish, helped along by the illustrations that vibrantly bring the setting to life, and the side characters good and bad were also well crafted too (can't wait to see Pierre get his in the future)... My only gripe is that maybe the pantheon who created the Wells of Power could have been given names, rather then just referred to as gods and goddesses, but that's a minor quibble... Overall, a great start to the series and certainly enough of a hook for me to want to read what comes next...

[Cassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the ending, was not expecting that!

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall: ⅕ I started this book to break up the awful monotony of The Unseen Ones (book two in Harrington’s other horrible series) Authors are usually supposed to grow as they put out more books, but harrington gets so so much worse. This is an illustrated book, which is supposed to be human made art, but more on that later

Octavia (Female Main Character): ⅕ Oh my good, Octavia is horrible. She’s extremely annoying, but clearly not in a way that’s intentional. She is desperate for Azariah’s attention throughout the entire book, but it’s supposed to be slow burn? At one point, Azariah buys her some clothes, and she’s like, “is this an act of kindness?” This is in the first few chapters of knowing him. She eventually becomes self-rightous too, and goes on and on about how she’s the keyholder and she’s so special, blah blah blah. She completely lacks any depth, and things are constantly happening to her, rather than just being involved in the plot.

Azariah (Male Main Character): ⅕ Azariah is supposed to be our, “new book boyfriend” according to all of Harrington’s marketing. Would you like a boyfriend who jerks you around by your arm on several occasions? He does this before him and Octavia get together, but it’s never addressed. There’s never even a half-hearted apology. He’s the type of boyfriend that’ll punch walls and then say at least it wasn’t you. When he isn’t being an abusive turd, he’s doing absolutely nothing. He has no personality. Is that Harrington’s way of making him mysterious? He’s just boring and dull. He only exists to further Octavia’s plot, and the whole book could’ve existed without him. When he does talk it’s only to justify why he was a jerk by saying Octavia reminds him of his dead wife. (Of course he has a dead wife. It wouldn’t be a grocery store paperback without that tired plot point.)

Absalom (Side character): ⅕ What was his purpose? He was only there to help Octavia escape, get food to them, and prove pierre is bad. There was no emotion at his death because we knew nothing about him. Harrington handles nothing with respect. She constantly refers to him as, “the sick boy.” Would you only refer to a child with a profound disability as, “the disabled child?” No, because it’s disrespectful. Eventually, he’s referred to as, “the dead boy” for the rest of the book.

Villains: ⅕ Harrington thinks she writes amazing villains. She calls them despicable and vile. Maybe she means like Gru from Despicable Me, because they’re all basically cartoon characters.They’re so goofy and silly, and none of them are scary. If you have to say your villains are sooo bad, are they?

Pierre (Villain): ⅕ He’s so goofy. At one point he throws his pointer finger in the air and yells, “Let’s go boys!” to get his army to move. That is hilarious and such a Disney Channel villain thing to do. He comes off very…gay. I mean that literally here, everything he does screams, “hey I like men.” He’s supposed to be a scary scary rapist though? So I guess he isn’t gay, but she definitely wrote him more silly than scary. At one point he laughs and says, "I'm so bad." He reminds me of Count Olaf, but the really horrible Jim Carrey version. He lays his whole plan out to her like Dr. Doofenschmirtz, and all of his dialogue with her is lame and childish. His only purpose is to give Azariah a backstory and Octavia some adversary when going into the darkness. Oh, and to kidnap Octavia yet again. At one point, he literally screams, “RONAN!” into the air while Azariah is getting away. Like a Scooby Doo villain. His constant mustache twirling is absolutely hilarious, but not in the way Danielle might think. It just further adds to the cartoon vibes. He’s always saying he’s going to, “have his way” with Octavia or “violate” her. Can the author not say rape? More on that later. Speaking of rape, his motives for continuing to persue Azariah don’t make sense. He already murdered and raped Rebekah. He’s mad because Azariah cut his face? His injuries don’t make sense either, like logistically.

Voramir (Villain): ⅕ He only exists to tell Octavia she’s blood bound to the key. Oh, and he pokes her with a knife, and it somehow leaves a big ass wound. That wound is brought up by Harrington again ¾ of the way through the novel, which is crazy because it for sure would’ve been an issue before that. It hurts again a little after that too when Harrington needs it to.

Elak (villain): ⅕ He’s tied with Pierre for cheesiest villain. He’s so dramatic all the time but in that special Disney Villain way Danielle makes all her own. The parts with him are mostly dry and stupid.

Elthron (villain): He only exists because Danielle remembered Octavia had a dad. Octavia spent the entire book worried about her mom and brother, but she thought about her dad exactly 0 times. He was sent to go confront the darkness. You know, the thing that kills you if you touch it. Octavia didn’t even ponder if he was okay.

Bathroom creep (villain) Attempted rape: 1/5 He only exists so that Danielle could use the touch her and you die troupe. The creep lightly grazed her vagina with her clothes still on. Octavia never mentions it again, so was it not traumatic? When Octavia does talk about it, she only mentions how Azariah killed for her, not how that attempt made her feel. It was just a super insensitive way for Harrington to make Octavia see Azariah differently. It was not at all handled delicately by Danielle. No one ever says the word, “rape” either. It’s always something goofy like, “violate” or “have his way with her.” If you’re going to write about it, you need to be able to say the word. Or maybe you shouldn’t be writing about it. When you pair this with Harrington’s weird dedication it comes off very, “just get over it Octavia.”

Dedication: Might as well touch on it while we’re here. Her dedication basically says that her book is for those who know that the fruit of walking through the darkness is better than having it removed. Excuse me? I’d rather not have gone through some of the crap that I’ve been through, and that take reeks of privilege. Oh yeah, I was abandoned and molested, but Danielle says that the “fruit” of that is better than having loving parents. Don’t write trauma if you're going to be insensitive and disrespectful to actual victims on the first page. The next page has a Bible verse on it, even though this book totally isn’t a Christian book guys.

Plot: ⅕ This is just badly reimagined and thinly veiled Bible stories with a loose love plot weaved in. The whole thing is Juvenile and stupid. Octavia accidentally cuts her hand while trying to cut a fishing line, and that’s how she got the key. She keeps saying, “If it wasn’t for that unfortunate fishing accident I wouldn’t be in this mess!” It’s crazy corny and reads like a middle grade book. The physics of her cutting herself don’t make much sense either. The whole plot is inconsistent. At one point, Azariah is sneaking her out in a wheelbarrow. Then, he hooks the wheelbarrow to a horse? A few sentences later the wheelbarrow is a cart, and it’s full of stuff. Caska is supposedly rare, but everyone has it. Every time anyone is eating it’s almost always Caska. We’re constantly being asked several questions in a row via monologue instead of Harrington showing us how that might play out or why it’s a problem. It’s like I’m at the end of a bad soap opera. “Will Pierre have his way with Octavia? Does Azariah ever get that cube of cheese from Absalom? How did that wheelbarrow turn into a cart? Will Danielle ever actually hire an editor? Tune in next week to find out on, Keyholer.” Octavia is also kidnapped a stupid amount of times, and it always plays out the same way like from a template. It gets old really fast. The kidnappings only serve to move her through the lands.

Prose: ⅕ It is so clunky and bad. There is way too much metaphor, and you can tell when Danielle got lost in it. Just like her last books, everything is happening in the MCs stomach. At one point it somersaulted. You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound like a kids chapter book. Here’s a list of Harrington’s CONSTANTLY repeated words: And then, With that, As well, Clutches, All the lands, Parcels, Soul, Heart breaking/fracturing, and Mouth splitting into smile.

Dialogue: ⅕ No one talks to each other the way Harrington’s characters do. It’s all so childish and goofy. Most of it lacks substance. All the voices are indistinct from each other. There are a lot of times where dialogue is just used as a giant info-dump.

World Building: ⅕ There isn’t much. She describes the 5 senses of every town she visits, but that’s it. There are no houses described. When we see animals, they’re already food. No one has a caska in their yard. There are no yards. She follows a script with describing, and it makes the whole thing drag along. We spend almost no time in the lands and most of the time in the woods. We get no details on anyone’s economy, police force, business, the military, ect.

Religion: ⅕ This wasn’t advertised as a Christian book, but it is. The whole thing is Bible stories. Explanation of the religious system isn’t given until the last three chapters. Even then, the religion is just christianity and isn’t explained any further. She’s supposed to go bring the light to the world, and the darkness is stored in her. Seriously? Could you be more on the nose with the Bible stories?

Magic System: ⅕ Nothing is ever explained. We have no idea how the waters work. The explanations we do get are vague and sometimes juvenile or don’t make sense.

Romance: ⅕ It’s not slow burn. Not even close. As soon as Azariah does anything polite Octavia thinks he’s in love with her. We’re spoon fed the romance through Octavia’s weird assumptions. It’s very rushed when the romance does happen. He gives no reason for her to fall in love, and his only reason for loving her is that she looks like his dead wife. As previously discussed, he abuses her twice before they’re together, and it’s never addressed. He apologizes for, “losing his temper” as if he didn’t just squeeze her arm so hard his knuckles were white. The romance isn’t the main plot even though the book is described as a romantasy. The no spice physical intimacy (kissing) comes out of nowhere, and it wasn’t well written.

Here’s several other things that deserve their own category:

Beating you over the head with descriptions: If someone is old every description about them will tell you that. It isn’t just their finger. It’s their shriveled finger. Crinkly eyes, sagging face, wrinkly jowls. She does the same with fat people, and it comes off extremely disrespectful. It's their pudgy face, fat hand, round stomach, chins plural. She needs to learn to get to the point with her descriptions too.

Food description: Do you like food? Well, you won’t anymore after reading Danielle’s descriptions. She says Octavia wants to feel fish, “flake through her teeth.” That sounds like she’s flossing with a fish. Here’s a direct quote about someone eating caska,” He stuck the roasted bird into his mouth, chewing it and letting the juices dribble down his chin.” Disgusting.

Octavia’s Period: Just like with rape, Danielle can’t even say the word period. It’s her, “flow.” Once again, don’t write about something if you can’t say it. We also don’t see the period start. She just tells us she started it several days before. Every girl knows the feeling of when your period starts and the mad dash to get a period product. We get none of that. At one point she’s free bleeding on a white horse, and we don’t see that get stained at all. She would definitely stink, but that’s not described. Period cramps are never talked about or any other symptoms for that matter. Does she have acne? Is she cranky? Is she craving something specific? She puts the same wet pants back on after cleaning up even though that would feel disgusting. That feeling is never described. She’d probably have a massive yeast infection or TSS. It’s clear Harrington put this in as an afterthought.

Plagiarism: There are several direct quotes from Harry Potter, The Bible, Hunger Games (catching fire), Mulan, and Percy Jackson.

Illustrations: All of Harrington’s illustrations are exceptionally bad. She claims they are all 100% human made art. They reek of AI. I ran them through several AI checkers, and they all came back as 100% AI. I can’t add photos to GoodReads, but I’ll try to host a link with proof of this. She never credits her artist on the copyright page, the acknowledgements, or on socials. So, I did some digging. She tagged her in one post when she first started getting illustrations back. I went to the page on Instagram, and the artist has a Fivver. The artist is very clearly using AI. Her gigs talk about the types of photos that you have to send and literally uses the words, “generate” and “repeat” in her listings. She expresses that the finished, "repeated"m photos won't look exactly like the ones you sent her. She doesn’t even sign her art. I’m assuming that’s why Danielle only tagged her the one time and didn’t put credit for her in the book because she was worried the artist would comment that she does actually use AI. Either that, or she was embarrassed that she got scammed so easily. Also, Danielle’s cover is AI made by Damonza. She credited them for some reason though even though they don’t hide that they’re AI.

Editing: Harrington clearly didn’t have an editor. There are so many mistakes in this book that if you played a drinking game with them, you’d die. You can’t convince me she wasn’t drunk when writing and editing this book. It reads like bad watpad stories.

Missing Page: There was a whole page missing from my book. It was a pretty important page too because it’s Azariah saying goodbye to Octavia at the darkness. Without it, she suddenly teleports in front of the darkness, and Azariah is gone. I had access to the E-book, so I went back and read it there. It…wasn’t great. I’m just glad I ordered the paperback because the people who got the hardback still don’t have the books, and there’s been little communication or apology from Danielle. She actually said, “This is why KickStarter said your products aren’t guaranteed.” Uh, no it isn't’t? They mean that just because you back something doesn’t mean it will get enough backers to get made. Here’s the full quote on that from KickStarter, “If you're an early backer, supporting the project before it reaches its goal, it's important for you to be aware that you're not yet guaranteed a product. Importantly, on Kickstarter, payments from backers are only taken if a project is successfully funded and at the conclusion of the project.” You still have to send people their books, Danielle. It’s been over two months now. It took several months longer to get my E-book too. She said that she feels like she should apologize, but it isn’t her fault BookVault is taking so long. I did a short Google search of BookVault and found so many bad reviews. In a matter of minutes. You should apologize because you’re the one who picked a shoddy manufacturer, and you made us wait on the, “early release” E-book. I think I got it a few weeks before the book was supposed to come out instead of a few months. There's a reason most of her reviews are fellow authors. They're probably doing review trades.

EDIT: I wanted to give Harrington the benefit of the doubt that she didn't know. She posted the "line work" from the artist and seemed oblivious to the fact that this is a common scam. She paid very little for these (her reviews are up on Fiverr with prices. I have screenshots of that too.) But now she's going through and deleting a bunch of her AI marketing. That just screams guilty backpedaling after getting called out, not just by me, but on threads as well.

[Elizabeth Crawford-Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Mostly struggled with this read. There were many parts that were interesting, but then they would be followed by times of predictability and long internal third person monologues that could have been shortened so we could get to the point quicker.

I will say, I am very picky about writing content and style in itself, and the author has a very mature writing style and weaves her words and sentences well. This is NOT like some other amateur writing I have read in the past. A+ in writing techniques.

One qualm I had with the story overall was the amount of crap situations the FMC got into and how predictable it was that she would somehow inherently get out of the situation within the next 2-3 chapters.
Also, she was constantly complaining about being hungry.

The author IS really good at killing off characters and writing a good villain, however I didn’t get enough of each villain since the FMC never stayed in one place for longer than a few chapters.

I would say this would probably be a good read for early high schoolers. But if you are used to elite fantasy/romantasy, this book just won’t satiate you like the other stuff.

Also, I don’t think it needed to be 400+ pages. I feel like there was some unnecessary content and we could have easily decreased it to at most 350 pages or less.

[Julia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You have changed my mind.” –Keyholder

> Enemies-to-lovers
> Thrilling and suspenseful
> Powerful concepts
> Unpredictable
> Epic fantasy world-building

Need I say more?

*tremendous sigh*

This book. Ohhhhh this book.
I struggled with how to review it. All I could do was stare at this blank page, wondering how to fully encapsulate such an incredible story. The best way to understand how marvelous this book is is to read it for yourself. And I’m not just saying that so you’ll read it (although you definitely should).
When I first received an ARC copy from the lovely Danielle, I didn’t read it right away because I knew I’d want to binge it, and I had no time to do so *insert tears here.* Sure enough, I read this book in THREE DAYS. On. My. Phone. Mind you, it was nearly 500 pages long. I have no regrets, except now I don’t have this book to look forward to after work. AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR BOOK 2-
It’s okay *deep breaths.*
Bear with me as I try to capture the brilliance of this story in a six-minute review.

First Impression 5/5
Chapter one leads with Octavia’s fierce personality. Not only do we get a glimpse of who our main character is, but we also meet her heartwarming family and the devastating situations they face. Danielle had the waterworks going within the first couple of pages. In addition, we have a beautiful world of intrigue that seems vast and unending. The unique lands and the purposes they uphold are slowly revealed with each chapter in the most enticing ways.

Character Development 5/5
*slams hand on table*
Let’s talk about the characters in Keyholder, starting with the heroine, Octavia. She is an absolute beast, taking the conflicts thrown at her with strength and fearlessness. I can’t say too much about the character growth without spoiling anything…but let’s just say these characters bloom through the darkness they’re surrounded by, including Azariah, the bounty hunter *swoons.* A man chained by his past, adamant on not trusting or loving again. Talk about ripping my heart out.
Then…we have…the VILLAINS. I think Danielle is now notorious for evil villains. They are despicable in every way, yet the perfect ingredients for suspenseful storytelling.

World-Building 5/5
Where to even begin with the world of Keyholder? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a LOT of fantasy). Each land is magical in its own way, alive with beauty, intrigue, and an underlying ominous layer. We have the Wells of Power that amplify each land in fertility, bountifulness, euphoria, beauty, prophecy, costly metals, and healing. As the story goes on, we see Octavia experience each land and the wonders they hold. You can tell, without a doubt, how much precision, time, and effort Danielle put into creating this world to make it the best it can be. The settings were effortlessly imagined. I couldn’t look away. Keyholder has some of the most fantastic world-building I have ever encountered in fantasy.

Emotions 5/5
*covers eyes*
Tears. That is all there is to say.
So many tears and emotions, so much frustration and heartache. This story is woven with brutal circumstances that bring the characters through outstanding refinement. Keyholder is formulated to wound one to the core, and yet, beautiful in the way Danielle manages to show how darkness doesn’t stand a chance when paired against a hopeful heart and determined spirit.
Octavia and Azariah experience a whirlwind of turmoil. But through the shambles of their heartbreak, light pierces through in the most unique and unexpected ways. These characters feel deeply, and as a result, so will the reader.

Style 5/5
The first books I read by Danielle were those from The Hollis Timewire Series, and they were phenomenally written. But Keyholder…it was like I took a dive into the pages, for I quite literally watched everything happen from the sidelines, as if I were in the story myself, wholly transported into another word. The pace was breakneck, keeping the reader hungry for more and balanced with the perfect suspense and plot twists. There was a mystery in each sentence and questions in every chapter. I would’ve read this book in one sitting if I didn’t have a job!
To put it simply, I couldn’t stop reading, and I adore it when that happens. Keyholder is fabricated like the waves of the sea: consistent, powerful, strong, unpredictable, and beautiful. Not once did I falter while reading with such smooth readability. The story had me captured from beginning to end. Danielle’s growth as a writer is unmistakable in this book, and it’s a lovely thing to see.

Cleanliness 4/5
The “cleanliness” level of this book is the only area I would say needs to be approached with caution; however, the things included I know were written specifically for the story that needed to be told and for the hope that needed to be unleashed.
As mentioned in the synopsis above, Octavia is hunted at every turn. Cruel, horrible people provide many violent situations. There is brutality, gore, depictions of torture, and death. These things do become a bit intense, but I wouldn’t say they’re unbearable (although it depends on the reader. For reference, I’m personally sensitive to the mentioned elements and was able to read this book without any major issues). I’d also like to note there is talk of sexual assault and an attempted sexual assault scene, though it doesn’t expand further than that. The author was sweet enough to tell me exactly when the scene occurs, knowing I can’t particularly handle these details, and I am so grateful to her! Even though I skipped that part, it wasn’t long, and nothing above an attempt happened (as voiced by the author). There is also mild profanity, but hardly noticeable.
I include these details to help readers triggered by specific things like I am. But I read this book in full and saw the beauty within the darkness, just as Danielle intended. Yes, Keyholder was heartbreaking and tear prompting, but it was also an astounding story with a robust layer of truth and hope.

Conclusion 5/5
If I could type out the frustrated scream I gave while reading the final chapters of Keyholder, it would be in all caps, like this: AGGHHGHHGHHGHHGH.
The ending was phenomenal and unexplainably thrilling. The way things tie together. The revelations and discoveries. The tears shed. *sigh*
When I was close to the end, I had to keep checking how many pages I had left because there truly wasn’t enough time for everything that needed to happen to happen. I utterly devoured this book with no choice, for I HAD to know what would happen. Only to be betrayed by a cliffhanger. It gets a pass, though, since Danielle gave SOME conclusive details.
I don’t know if I can physically wait for book two. But I will try because I MUST know the end of this story. Questions were answered only to be replaced with even more. *cries*
Danielle Harrington knows exactly what I want to read and writes it. Not only that, she writes it well and with so much love and passion. I am so grateful to be a part of her author journey, and I look forward to reading more of her books (regardless of how terrified I will be of the ending).

Final Rating: 5 stars

Recommended Age Group: 16-18+

!Trigger Warnings!
Death, violence, gore, mild profanity, depictions of torture, mentioned sexual assault, attempted sexual assault

Genres: fantasy, romance, new adult

Thank you, Danielle, for loving your readers and giving us stories worth reading. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Keyholder journey. This book will take flight (it already has, to be honest), and I can’t wait to see it soar!

Follow the author on Instagram: @djharrigtonwriter

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 ESV

[Gavin Oxley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keyholder is a story completely unique to itself. The world-building was captivating and didn’t hold any similarities to anything I’ve read before. Octavia and Azariah were both crafted so intricately and - more importantly - were consistent to themselves for the entire book. You love the heroes and hate the villains. Danielle touches on difficult topics in a very safe-to-read but meaningful way. Her writing was effortless and digestible, yet grownup. I’m very much looking forward to book two!

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Octavia Fletcher is an ordinary girl who gets dragged into adventure when she becomes the latest in a long line of keyholders. The key melded into the flesh of her hand gives her the ability and responsibility to walk through the deathly darkness surrounding the well of eternal healing and return access to that well to humanity—a responsibility all keyholders before her have shirked.

There’s one problem: most of the kings of the seven city-state kingdoms have sent agents—including thugs, a brooding bounty hunter, and several armies—to retrieve the keyholder so they can lay their claim to the healing magic of the well no one has seen in a thousand years.

✨Spoilers below✨

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It has good bones, and it made promises I liked: an interesting premise for the world, a low spice romance, a fiesty heroine who won’t take anyone’s crap. For many readers, these bones may be plenty sufficient to enjoy the ride from one end to the other. But for me, I’m afraid the book did not live up to my hopes for it.

Worldbuilding: The different city-state kingdoms were described in ways that made them feel more allegorical than like practical places to live.

Romance: Didn’t really feel like we got to know the guy well enough to care about him, just that he enjoys telling our heroine about each city they go through, and that he has a tragic fridging backstory (a raped and murdered wife). The heroine’s feelings for the guy started mostly as a response to him continually, skillfully and aggressively saving her from other would-be keyholder-snatchers.

(That reminds me, the heroine getting kidnapped by yet another group and her being threatened with sexual violence were consistent patterns in this book, and I was not here for it.)

Feisty heroine: The heroine acted more YA aged than NA, and she seemed to forget her feistiness anytime there was a real bad guy around and only really stand up to her love interest.

Additional thoughts: Metaphors and similes were such a constant in this book that it became distracting (and lengthened the book significantly—it could’ve been half the length without them). Periods, horses, and diverse characters all got handled in ways that pulled me out of the story. And lastly, by the end the book went from merely alluding to Christian symbolism to a full-on fantasy re-imagining of the sacrifice of Christ—not a problem with me, but I hope the author forgives me if I prefer the original (I imagine she does too).

TLDR: This book has good bones, but, for me at least, this book didn’t deliver on the promises it laid out at the beginning, and I’m rather disappointed.

I do appreciate the author for giving me a free ARC to read and review. All views expressed are my own.

[Samantha Morse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me longer than I wanted it to read. I want to start by saying it had great potential and I did enjoy the premise of story, which is what helped it get 3 stars.

However, it also had a lot of flaws. The first one for me being just how descriptive it was. There was a part of the book where it mentioned how she could taste the acid and feel the burn of it in her nose and throat after vomiting. Gag. Didn’t need to know.

The second flaw is the FMC. She left a lot to be desired. Im not sure if we ever find out her age (Im assuming at least 18 based off the fact that shes showing interest in a previously married man who I can only guess since he was married 5 years is older than her by at least 5 years. However despite this, her character for the whole book acted like she was 12/13 in my opinion. Very back and forth on whether she trusts the MMC or doesn’t. Whether she should stamp down her feelings or not. Plus she cuts her hand while trying to cut fishing line. Someone who, if I remember correctly, mentions spending a lot of time fishing. I get accidents happen but for her to cut her whole palm? Unrealistic for someone with experience.

The MMC, let’s talk about him too. I actually didn’t mind his character. He did leave a lot to be desired but the more we learned about his past it kind of explains why he was so hot and cold all the time. The fact that he’s a bounty hunter who has always caught his bounties with no issues, eh, not so believable. Unless none of them fought back. The constant lying he has done through the book however leaves a bad taste on my tongue. Here we have the FMC catching feelings and believing him constantly just makes the whole thing seem childish.

The final flaw for me is the fact that this book is so much longer than it really had to be. There were so many filler sentences that weren’t needed. Plus repetitive words every other sentence in the same chapter. Leathery for example. Also why are gods and waters constantly italicized? It makes me think someone is putting emphasis on the words, but really? Every time they say it? It just doesn’t make sense.

Overall the whole thing was a slow read and did leave something to be desired. I think maybe if the author had gotten some reliable readers to provide honest feedback the story could have been changed and fixed. If the story didn’t have so much promise it probably would have been a DNF for me.

[Roxanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t want to leave this review because I really wanted to like this book. The author seems genuinely passionate about her book, and the concept seemed like something I would enjoy. I read the first chapter on the author’s website, and I enjoyed the world building. However, the rest of the book wasn’t what I expected it to be, and the world building wasn’t like that first chapter. A big part of the problem was that I had a hard time connecting to the characters. They felt very YA, and I was expecting adult level maturity from them since this is a book for adults.The slow burn part was just a tad too slow for me, and for most of the book it felt like Azariah didn’t actually like Octavia. The author’s explanation for this didn’t satisfy me, and Octavia accepting Azariah’s mistreatment because he has a past made me cringe. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really rooting for them because of this, so when the romance did happen it was lackluster and hard to get into. It just wasn’t that big, giggling, kicking my feet moment that I had been waiting for. The plot was lacking too, and I disliked how many times Octavia was kidnapped. It got repetitive after a while, and I found myself trying not to skim. The book itself was sooooo long, but it was a lot of the same thing. It took me a long time to finish it, and for a good chunk of that I was bored. Her villains were not what I expected either because people rave so much about how well this author writes a villain. Maybe consuming crime shows has desensitized me or something because they didn’t feel that awful, and sometimes they seemed YA. I want to give this book a higher review, and I’ve been arguing with myself about it for a while. I unfortunately didn’t like it no matter how much I tried, and I ended up wanting more from it than it gave in the end.

[Stephanie Crachiolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Book. Is. Amazing.

From the first line to the final line, I was absolutely enamored with this story and could not stop turning the pages. I legitimately binged the whole book in less than a day.

The world-building is unlike anything I've ever read before with every detail, intricacy, and condition being so well thought out. Every element of this book felt real. And the artwork only amplified that feeling because each piece is incredible!!

And then there's the characters. Octavia is such an incredible FMC. She's strong, powerful, and so smart. But her character is handled in such a beautiful way that she feels well-rounded and human rather than some unachievable and unrealistic FMC. AND THEN AZARIAH??? I knew I was going to love his character the minute I first heard about him. And I can't say much of anything about him without giving major spoilers so I'm just going to say this. You need to meet this bounty-hunter. He is such a complex MMC with so much to his character and his story as well was dealt with so delicately to make sure he was exactly who he needed to be for both Octavia and the reader.

This is the 5th book I've read by this incredible author friend and ohh my goodness this is absolutely a Danielle Harrington book if I've ever read one before. And each story she tells gets better and better. I cannot wait for the finale to this duology.

Do yourself a favor and please go read this book and support this incredible author :))

(Note the content warnings in the beginning of the book before starting though!!)

[Margaret Gaffney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A millennium and not a vessel willing...

An epic and thrilling opening to a series! I've read all the Hollis Timewire books, so I was stoked to read more of Harrington, especially since she was venturing into my favorite genre.

Full disclosure, in the sort of mid-first act, when Azariah was being especially broody, I was exasperated and it was slowing my progress. Also, I was wondering how I could possibly learn to accept him at the MMC, because he was frankly driving me bonkers with his taciturnity and status as an active abductor.

However, I'm glad I kept going! The opening gave the suggestion that Octavia would be a hotheaded girl boss, so I was relieved that wasn't the case, and that she actually had a stable family life. The beginning of the adventure was really exciting, and despite Azariah's attitude, the world building was superb! The Wells of Power are an interesting concept because they seem to be the center of each culture, shaping its values and people. Sidenote, I would definitely want to live in Rustwick lol.

Poor Octavia is getting kidnapped a lot, but it's really not her fault, and she doesn't escape on her own often, which again is nice to see. Pierre was frankly terrifying, an excellently done villain, and the finale had me shooketh.

I can't wait for the sequel, though I seriously doubt the world's ability to fix it's mistakes. Octavia's work is cut out for her.

Content wise, I would classify this as an 18+ due to violence and repeated mentions of rape, though nothing was ever explicit.

[Breyanna Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book all the way through! It took me a while to read the book, but solely due to my tight schedule. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about reading! I very much enjoyed following the main character on her journey throughout the lands. As I read, I loved watching both the FMC and MMC grow and their motivations shift as they learned more about each other.

The world building was well done and woven beautifully throughout the story. I enjoyed the way that each part of the world they visited had its own unique atmosphere that supported its well of power.

There was so much in this story that I absolutely adored, and so many delightful twists and turns, but I won't share much of it because I don't want to spoil things for you. What I will say is that this book really does explore blood and faith on so many levels, and I was so satisfied with the ending (and the book in its entirety), that I had to put it down right away and tell my husband all about it.
read from me! I highly recommend you pick up this book if you like fantasy, adventure, complicated love stories and interwoven spirituality throughout. Huge thanks to the author for putting this story into the world! I have high, high hopes for book two, and I'm hoping that a certain character comes back for more page time!

As a side note, my cover for this book is very well worn, even though I’ve only had it for a short time. This is because I brought this book literally everywhere with me. I wanted to read it always.

[Bookish Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I come like the town crier with my bell to make you aware that Keyholder has left me wanting to build a shrine dedicated only to this book. This is everything a fantasy lover needs: high stakes, high tension, a great villain, an interesting plot and a fantastic enemies to lovers arc.

First, the concept of this book is so unique and original that I loved discovering every moment of this story with Octavia as she went. As soon as I thought I had it figured out, it took me in another direction and nearly gave me whiplash. I adored Octavia’s character. She’s fiery and stands up for what she believes in, no matter what. Also speaking of characters, Azariah. The next book boyfriend of everyone who reads. I loved slowly learning about him, his mystery giving me all the morally gray vibes I needed. The slow burn was definitely slow burning. To the point of frustration, might I add. But I loved how Azariah fought at Octavia’s side, how he fought FOR HER. Now that’s a man. I love me a good “touch her and die” trope.

The world building? Chef’s kiss. I’m a huge fantasy lover and this book had me craving more. The villains? Exquisitely cruel. I hated them so much, BUT that’s how you know they're good villains. When you want to fight them physically.

Danielle, like always, ripped my heart out. Keyholder did NOT disappoint me in any way. I need more and I need it yesterday. This is the next fantasy book.

I will be suing Danielle for emotional trauma :)

[Michael Blaylock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from a local author event, and I'm glad I did. It's nice to see an indie who's honed their craft, and this was a good read.
The story and writing style blend simplicity with richness. Everything drives the story forward without fluff, but is written in a way that leaves a mark. You only see a tiny bit of each kingdom in the world of Keyholder, but they all leave an impression, and each one feels different than the last, not just in the magics they offer but how they approach the magics, or how those magics make their kingdom interact with the world.
The same goes for the characters. While Octavia and Azariah are not the most robust characters, they do what they're meant to do very well. I enjoy Octavia's growth, but more importantly her steadfastness, being refined to a more faithful person as the story goes. The romance does have a few tropes, but they're executed well.
The only thing I think was missing was some variety in the antagonists. All of them were smirking, evil overlords, some were just more vile than others. Varying the motivations would have been fun, but they do provide serious obstacles for the characters, and they generally push the story forward.
All in all, I'm glad I read keyholder, and the ending left me interested in what would happen next for the world, so I'll be looking forward to the sequel when it's available. Also, the artwork on the cover and internal pages were awesome.

[Skyler]

Let’s get straight to the point, I absolutely LOVED Keyholder and I think you will too! In fact, I can confidently say this is a fantasy novel that will captivate readers from the very first page. Octavia Fletcher's journey is a blend of adventure, danger, and the discovery of inner strength, all set against the backdrop of a richly woven magical world. Plus, you gotta love the romance between Octavia and the Bountyhunter ;-) Speaking of the romance, I am a lover of romance books and I love a bit of spice sprinkled throughout. Now this book does not contain any spice, however, I was very pleasantly surprised at the romantic tension and butterfly-in-your-tummy moments that Danielle has crafted throughout!! Even if you are a fan of spice, do not write this book off! You will still love it! The world-building is another aspect that I have to point out and is nothing short of extraordinary. The vivid images that you will see in your head for each of the towns in the story are so amazing and add so much to the experience! Octavia herself is a standout heroine. Her resilience and determination are inspiring, I mean this girl seriously preservers through human evil AND other worldly darkness. I can’t recommend Keyholder highly enough! I truly think it is Danielle’s best work to date!

[Tia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keyholder was such a well thought out story! I was enthralled from the get go with Octavia. She came out the gate swinging, literally.
We are introduced to Octavia as she is sitting in a jail cell for fighting. She is firey, strong willed, and you already know that she is going to be an interesting character to follow. She stumbles into being the keyholder, and the events that follow keep you turning the page ready for more.
Enter Azariah the Bounty Hunter. The reader already knows he's going to be the MMC, but what I really enjoyed about this story is that it wasn't overtly blatant causing it to be, Just another enemies to lovers, story line. Azariah became a person you truly enjoyed to read vs the love interest.
Danielle's characters were so well written, without it being overly done. I find that a lot of authors are being pushed to their deadlines causing their story to fall flat, and we get another try too hard same ol same ol Enemies to lovers. Yes, Octavia and Azariah started out as captor/prisoner and ended up falling for each other, but it wasn't the story of the book.
The story was following Octavia's choices after being repeatedly beat down. The ending was a cliffhanger that definitely demands the next book immediately.

[Shelves_by_sim · Rating 5 out of 5]

How absolutely breathtaking is this cover? It literally exudes power, magic and all the sinister feels and it is the perfect representation for this amazing book. First of all, the concept of this book is so unique and original that I loved discovering every moment of this story with the main character. I had no idea in which direction any of this would lead, an ordinary girl unwittingly turned extraordinary and set with a task more dangerous than anything she has ever experienced all to save the lives of innocents.

I adored Octavia's character, she's rambunctious and stands up for what she believes in. I love her sense of duty and responsibility, to her family, to her people, to her bounty hunter. Speaking of bounty hunter, AZARIAH is literally everything. He is so mysterious from the beginning that I couldn't help but be invested in every little detail he'd accidentally offered up. I loved his determination and even though the slow burn was slowly burning me, lol, I loved that once he finally accepted his feelings for Octavia, he was a goner. I loved how he fought at her side, fought for her, and fought for what she believed in.

I was really intrigued by the world building in this book and I think it is even more amazing that Danielle switched from writing Dystopian to Fantasy and was able to pull it off like this. The villains were cruel, the journey was hard and the love and loyalty forged between the main characters was indestructible. Also, it seems like the author is intent on ripping out hearts out when it comes to certain precious characters (IYKYK). This book was exciting, heart-wrenching and so freaking good!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I go a little nuts for a good enemies to lovers, and Keyholder didn't disappoint. From the premise, I'm already on board with a bounty hunter and his bounty falling for each other, but set against a backdrop of a compelling plot and a fascinating setting, I was hooked, right up to the last page. I actually finished and went "Wait, WHAT?" because I needed more. Still need more.

I've gotta reiterate because I can't say it enough--I'm obsessed with this romance. It has all the best tropes. Touch her and die, a broody, mysterious man. ALL the feelings. Danielle really has a way of ripping your heart out and then putting it all together so that you keep coming back for more.

This book kept me on my toes, surprised me, broke my heart, and left me feeling all the things. The villains are TO DIE FOR (in the worst ways), and I'm so eager to see where this goes in the next installment. It gives me Throne of Glass vibes, and also turns the "shadow daddy" trope on its head--and leaves the woman with all the power (like guys, I'm so excited about where this duology is headed).

Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

[Annie Sauder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I backed the kickstarter for this book and also recieved an ARC copy early in the process.

Things I loved about this book: The worldbuilding was so deep and complex! It seemed as if it would be simple in the beginning, but each new location brings a new layer to the world, including more stakes for the main character. I loved the aspects of the religion, also. I think it's rare to find a book where a religion makes a lot of sense and also plays an important part in the plot.

The characters were also each unique and memerable, even as the cast grows throughout the book. I can't wait to read more of them in the sequel! (A bit mad about [redacted] though. Justice for [redacted]!)

The main thing that wasn't for me: I'm not a romantasy lover (or even a straight up romance lover) and I did go into this book knowing that's what it would be, so I won't spend a lot of time on that. I think people that love tropey romance will love those things in this book.

In the end, the book wasn't 100% for me, but I am looking forward to the sequel! I can't wait to see how much deeper this world goes and how much more complicated the plot can possibly get for these characters.

[Rike Heiling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A accidental keyholder (she) and a bounty hunter (he) "meet", go on a journey / quest, lots of bad people want to harm them, they overcome everything and it ends in a cliffhanger.
Sounds good, but unfortunately everything was bland, the characters, no arc at all, the world. There was nearly no back story. And worst of all, the two encountered somebody / a hindrance, they overcame the situation and moved on and that happened on repeat. There were hardly any repercussions. There were no twists and turns or because everything just went their way I did not recognize twists.
But, one thing I liked. He captured her and treated her for a long while as a captive. They did not bigger, they were not lusting after each other or fell head over heels in love like in all the romantasies.
And when feelings arrived he (because of his history) could not reciprocate, which felt pretty realistic considering their situation. That did not make for a romantic or steamy read, but for a realistic read in a fantasy.

[Natalie Colburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

💙 A Bounty Hunter... Hello?? 😍
⛲ Unique Magic System
💙 Enemies to Lovers (by circumstances)
⛲ Incredible World Building
💙 A Rewarding Slowburn
⛲ End of the World Vibes
💙 A FMC with SPUNK
⛲ Chosen One
💙 Tragic backstories 😢
⛲ A detestable villain that can go fall in a hole....

Eeek!!! I came into this book never having read anything from Danielle and Oh. My. Goodness. She has become an auto buy author. Keyholder was a captivating story with a heroine you couldn't help rooting for and a villain that makes you want to throw some punches. There was a healthy balance of romance and fantasy, giving me all of the romantic tension I need while also telling an intense story with twists and turns I never saw coming!

Octavia is such an awesome character and I really love how Danielle uses her to tell a story reminiscent of a biblical pre-flood era. (I didn't know that coming into it and I absolutely loved that connection!!) And then of course... Azariah 😍😍 who doesn't love a good stoic, protective, bounty hunter??

[Kayla Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this book four stars, because the story itself is well thought out, the characters are detailed and have growth/complex backstories, and the book is very well written. However, this story was 100% not for me. When I started I wasn’t bothered by the content warnings, but I should have heeded the “questioning of faith” warning more than I did. The dedication being a Bible verse should’ve clued me in to what that warning might mean for the themes of the story as a whole, but I read on anyway. So here is what I will say - if you have any religious trauma, I do not recommend this book. If you are a follower of the Christian/Catholic faith, I think that you would enjoy this book very much - even with the content warnings listed. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of this story. It was around the halfway point that the religious themes began to become a turnoff for me, but I have never not finished a book and I pushed through it because I did want to know what happened/how it ended. The book keeps you on your toes and is engaging front to back. It just wasn’t for me.

[Kylie MacDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Octavia! What a journey this woman goes on from beginning to end. A truly harrowing adventure filled with heartbreaking and gut-wrenching moments. Greed plays a huge role in Keyholder, and the theme is woven through every chapter very well.

The emotional turmoil between the two main characters was spectacularly written, sprinkled with enough twists and turns to make it extra dynamic. A great tale of enemies to lovers featuring two characters I easily connected with.

The world building was unique, and I liked how Harrington used the Wells of Power to weave the story together masterfully. Despite there being a fair bit of travel involved for the characters, it was written in a way that was enjoyable and not boring or repetitive.

I was super satisfied with the ending of the book and will be eagerly awaiting book two. This was definitely one of my favourite reads this year and one that I found hard to put down.

[V. M. Lyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Octavia Fletcher finds herself bloodbound to a key that will unlock the Well of Eternal Healing. The catch? It’s shrouded in darkness that causes immediate death and only the keyholder can walk through the darkness unharmed. But Octavia isn’t the only one who knows this. people are after her for the key’s power and the glory of unlocking the well. A bounty hunter with a mysterious past has been send to retrieve her.

This closed-door NA Romantasy had me HOOKED from the very beginning!! The world building, high stakes, and character development immerses you in the story so well!!

Octavia and Azariah’s characters were SO REFRESHING!! Octavia is not a heroine found in mainstream romantasies. She’s not a warrior. But don’t get me wrong! She won’t go down without a fight! And Azariah carries all the mystery of a morally gray MMC but none of the toxicity!! These two have set the gold standard 😍😍😍

Tropes: enemies to lovers, magic, chosen one, one horse, tortured past

TW: mentions of sexual assault and rape, dark themes (recommended for 18+)

[Kati Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.

Danielle Harrington has really outdone herself with this book! The world-building is incredible, and the story is so interesting.

Reading this was such a wonderful journey, and it’s so new and unique that I instantly fell in love.

The only major complaint I could have about this book is that I don’t necessarily think it needs to be part of a series. The story itself is a beautiful one that (with a slightly different end) could have been tied up and completely finished all on it’s own. Even with it’s current ending, it leaves just enough to really feel hopeful, yet full of mystery for what’s the come, but not in a “needs a sequel” way.

Though, with that being said, I will OBVIOUSLY be diving into Wrathwielder as soon as it becomes available.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. If you love interesting worlds, supporting indie authors, and trying new things, put this book on your TBR and move it to the top right away!

[Lauren Megan Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how to feel about this book. It was interesting in a way but also did not compel me to not put it down. The main character does have a lot of positive character development which is good, but the ending left me a little hanging and kind of expected more from the romance that was blooming, but it fell short. However, the main character did accomplish her goals, which was her purpose, so that was good I guess. I can understand why it didn't give me everything I wanted in an ending due to another book, but I still was a little disappointed. As far as genre, I thought it would have more fantasy, and it kind of does, but don't grab it for that reason. It was overall a good story, giving me shadow and bone vibes. Very YA and the type of writing gives those vibes also. Would say it is safe for teenagers to read if looking for such a book.

[Gemma Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kingdom fallen and cursed.
A darkness descending.
A key-holder is needed, it’s the only way to stop the darkness.

Octavia must decide if humanity is worth the sacrifice.
Wow!
This book had me crying.
I love Octavia. She is brave, strong and determined.
Her passion for humanity is really inspiring, and I’m in awe of her. She goes through so much on the journey it breaks my heart.

The magic system is unique and incredible and really well-thought-out, as is the world building!
Oh my goodness, the descriptions of each kingdom are incredible. I love how each kingdom isn’t the same, and they all have a different energy. Energy is provided from the water of the wells. 7 kingdoms= 7 wells.
The romance isn’t a main focus and I liked that. It’s a slow burn! It picks up towards the end. Which means it can only progress in book 2!!!