Her grief lit the mark. Her desire feeds it. And her power could burn both realms to ash.
Avara has always lived on the margins—untamed, whispered about, feared. But when grief tears her world apart, it awakens the Wildmark: a searing brand of ancient power that binds her body, her desire, and her destiny.
Now hunted by her own people and thrust into a world of fractured fae courts and a Veil that is unraveling, Avara discovers secrets that can topple both realms. Every heartbeat carries her deeper into the struggle between sanctity and corruption, between mortal survival and fae ambition.
In a realm where passion can shatter stone and grief can birth fire, Avara is caught between the devotion of the deadly fae hunter sworn to protect her and the shadowed designs of those who would see her broken. She must decide whether to hide from the mark that terrifies her, or embrace it, and become the storm that could unmake both realms—or save them.
For readers of Sarah J. Maas and Carissa Broadbent craving intoxicating slow-burn romance, and fans of Patrick Rothfuss and Robert Jordan seeking sweeping lore and mythic stakes, Wildmarked delivers a lush, sensual, and devastatingly epic beginning to The Vaeloren Legacy.
The Wildmark is only the beginning, and the storm it awakens will decide the fate of two worlds.
T.H. Joseph is a fantasy author whose stories combine immersive worlds, complex characters, and the timeless pull of wonder and discovery. His writing reflects a love for expansive worlds and the characters who bring them to life, creating tales that resonate with readers who crave both scope and heart.
His debut novel, Wildmarked, launches September 25, 2025, as the first book in The Vaeloren Legacy series. It marks the beginning of a journey across realms where destiny, legacy, and sacrifice collide.
Joseph draws inspiration from the masters of fantasy who first stirred his imagination—J.R.R. Tolkien, Brian Jacques, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and Raymond E. Feist, among them. With Wildmarked, he saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between the intimacy of Romantasy and the sweeping scope of traditional Epic High Fantasy, weaving together the emotional pull of one with the grandeur of the other.
A fan of both expansive stories and expansive places, T.H. Joseph hails from Montana, the “Last Best Place.” When he’s not writing, he’s in the outdoors—camping beneath the big sky, fly fishing in Montana’s blue ribbon waters, or hunting elk with his bow in the backcountry. He can often be found on his property, admiring the sunrise from his porch with a novel in one hand and a coffee in the other, his two dogs curled up at his feet.
This site, vaeloren.com, is the home for all his work—beginning with The Vaeloren Legacy and continuing into many worlds yet to come.
Really enjoyed this read!! Book 1 isn't even officially out yet and I am already so excited for book 2!!
It set the world and characters up really well, and I really enjoyed the world building. It did feel a bit overwhelming at the start but I was quickly sucked in and along for the ride with Avera. There is a glossary at the back as well which was really helpful, but for the most part the characters, animals and lore is explained fairly quickly after first being mentioned. I flipped to the glossary the first few times, but then just leant into not knowing everything straight away and really enjoyed watching the story unfold in that way.
I really loved the relationship and bond between Avara and her Ashara, it was beautifully described and a really fun part of the story.
The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is that I felt the romance could have been built on a bit more. It was an insta-lust/love situation which I enjoy overall but I just felt like something was missing with the start of their romance story. I wish the book had just been a bit longer to dive into that more.
But overall it was fantastic and I couldn't put it down!
Wildmarked is a debut that dares to be lush, lyrical, and emotionally intense. T.H. Joseph crafts a world brimming with sensuality, magic, and myth—but it takes time to find your footing.
The opening chapters are slow and can feel dense and disorienting. The world of Loeren and Erosvael is rich, but the lore and terminology are introduced quickly and without much grounding. I didn’t realize existed until I finished the book. That would’ve helped a lot. 📚😵
The dual realms are gorgeous, especially the Sha’Vaelune (aka the Moaning Tree). The sensory detail is stunning, but the lore can be overwhelming.
The shapeshifting Ashara is a highlight. Fox, wolf, aravex, wyvern—she’s everything. Her bond with Avara is one of the most emotionally resonant parts of the book. 🦊🪽
Wildmarked is a sensual, ambitious fantasy that rewards patience, but it may not be for everyone. If you love poetic prose, erotic magic, and slow-burn romance, this might be your next obsession. Just be prepared to work for it—and check the glossary before and while reading.
Great book! Very detailed. I would not recommend this book to someone who does not enjoy poetic imagery. Very beautifully written. I would love to see where the author takes us in this journey!
This book was a bit of a surprise to me. I'm not sure I really understood what I was getting into. I thought it was going to just be a basic romantasy book, but it ends up feeling more like Patrick Rothfuss wrote ACOTAR... romance with an almost intimidating amount of lore. But the more I read into it, the more it felt well-balanced. I felt like one of the characters finding out things as I went along.
There's a lot of cool moments throughout the book. Without giving away any spoilers, the big fight scene had my heart literally racing and was so intense and fast-paced that I had to go back and read it a second time to make sure I didn't miss anything. Avara's father/daughter banter with Orric was another favorite part. It felt super real and grounded and I caught myself smiling when reading those parts.
My favorite characters were actually a bit of a surprise. Again, without giving any spoilers, Jylwyn, who I thought was just going to be some little bit of side flavor added to the story, but she turned out to be such an awesome character! 10/10 Also, for a side-character, I absolutely LOVED Selian. I think part of it was his teasing banter and how he treated and cared about Avara. I genuinely hope he's going to be a bigger part in the future books.
Really my biggest critique is also what I think is one of the coolest parts of the book... the lore. It feels like wading through deep water at times, so you really have to pay attention. It's an easy read, but not a casual one. But, it really rewards you for putitng in that effort. Just know that there's a list of characters and a glossary in the back, which will come in handy when you've already forgotten who so-and-so fae is.
This is definitely one of the books that left me kinda mad when it ended, because I wanted more! It's a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm dying for the next book!
ARC review! This book was amazing!! Might be one of my favorites that I’ve read recently! From the prologue it completely sucked me in. The story follows a girl named Avara who has always been a bit of an outcast in her small village until one day she nets three fae who she thought were only from the fairytales her father would tell her when she was young. From there she gets pulled in to their world and the dark forces threatening to tear their world apart. Definitely excited to see what happens in book 2!
Great start for this new series. The world building is enticing and so is the political aspect. The book has elements of mystery and secrecy that are quite intriguing and thrilling. Looking forward for book 2.
The book is filled with mystery. You don’t really know what’s truly going on and are just there for the ride. The relationship is insta-lust & insta-love and develops very quickly. It has imaginative and figurative descriptions. As a non-native English speaker I had to look up words regularly. To me, it lacked some substance and more explanations. Neither the world nor the romance was in the foreground.
ARC Reader Confessional – Wildmarked by T.H. Joseph
Wow. Just… wow. From page one, Wildmarked threw me into a dark, twisted, and completely addictive world I couldn’t escape. Our heroine? Fierce, cunning, and zero fear—watching her navigate danger had me cheering, gasping, and low-key terrified all at once.
And him… oh. my. god. Broody, intense, and devastatingly compelling, he’s the kind of male lead that makes your heart skip and your brain short-circuit at the same time. Their tension? Nuclear. Their chemistry? Explosive. The romance? Scorching and totally earned.
The world-building is phenomenal—you don’t just read it, you feel it. Every plot twist hit like a punch, every secret revealed left me reeling, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Wildmarked is dark, intense, and unputdownable. I laughed, gasped, swooned, and stayed up way too late—and I adored every second.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What a debut story! Book 1 in The Vaeloren Legacy series, is a high fantasy story full of ancient magic, evil, politics, survival, destiny, and devotion. The author introduces us to Avara, our MFC, who is not fae nor human, but she is special. She lives with her father on the outskirts of the forest she grew up in and in the only place she feels like she ever belonged. She’s untamed, sweet, wary, sees the human world as it is, and struggles to belong in a world (Loeren) that doesn’t want her. Tragedy reigns and she comes face to face with our MMC, Ravion, who is awestruck, and promises help if she needs it, and she does. He is a hunter in The Pale Order of the fae realm (Erosvael), and he is infatuated instantly, you can feel the connection. Ravion takes Avara back to the fae world to save her from the humans and introduces her to another way of life, but as people learn about her, plots start to unfold and it seems she doesn’t belong in the fae world either. The balance between realms is destabilising what secrets are people hiding and what is Avara discovering? For a fantasy this story is fast paced. It is a beautiful story, immersive, one of of intense emotions, grief, struggle, hope, something like love, and determination to see things through. There are a few inconsistencies but overall the story is so well written, the world building is epic and the character development is really well done. What a wonderful introduction to the realms of Loeren and Erosvael and Avara’s story!
ARC read: Received an early copy and greatly enjoyed the story, I honestly wish it was a bit longer. The writing was quite lyrical and descriptive. It was beautiful and I felt I was immersed in the lands and magic. The magic and lore were interwoven well and unfolded for you along with the main character. Sometimes this felt a bit overwhelming and the glossary in the back is certainly useful to reference. I understood the based on lore in the story, but wanted the developed a bit slower. This was a section I wish had been elaborated on a bit more and given some space to breathe; the story certainly moves at a steady, almost rapid pace. Overall, I am invested in Avara's story and am curious to learn more about this world in the second novel.
Wildmarked follows a young woman, Avara, who, in a richly detailed and imaginative fantasy world, discovers her fae heritage and an important destiny tied to her mysterious trauma markings. While the compelling female protagonist's journey and the intricate lore are highlights, the romance with Ravion is notably swift, placing a strong focus on immediate, high-heat passion rather than a gradual, deeply earned connection. Despite this, the book delivers an explosive climax. It ends with a heart-wrenching escape, followed by a shocking epilogue that reveals a deeper political betrayal by the fae court itself.
Wildmarked is a worthwhile read for fans of dark, fast-paced fantasy. If you can overlook the rushed nature of the central romance, the imaginative lore and genuinely shocking final twist make this book a highly recommended start to a new series.
Wildmarked is the kind of fantasy that sweeps you up and refuses to let go. From the very first chapter, the world feels rich, dangerous, and alive with possibility. The characters are what really stole my hear, layered, flawed, and fiercely compelling. Their struggles and choices carry weight, and it’s easy to become invested in their journey. The balance of action, magic, and emotional depth is seamless, making every chapter feel necessary and engaging. Joseph’s writing style is vivid and fast-paced, with just the right amount of detail to bring the world to life without slowing the story down. The plot twists kept me hooked, and the stakes never stopped rising. By the end, I was desperate for more.
Arc review. I really enjoyed this read! It was slow paced, but if you love world building and rich environments, you’ll enjoy it. I wasn’t a fan of the romance myself— I don’t really enjoy reading Insta-love/ insta-lust, but I loved the forest and world. It’s quite lore-building heavy, and I really hope the second book builds up the tension and character development. Our girl needs some friends! The cottage/town felt isolating, and I felt myself side-eyeing some of the main characters decisions. I think sometimes things were just kind of happening to her, and it will be interesting to see how that changes in book 2.
Anyways- a great debut!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book! This is the first in what I am sure will be an intense fantasy series. This first book, while short was very dense with world building. The prose was very lyrical and whimsical. Avara, our FMC is very curious and trying to find her way in the world when she discovered who she truly is and we follow her on her journey through the veil to discover the fae world. I feel like this book could have been a higher rating if it were a bit longer and we could really have time to properly adjust into the world. At some points the book felt rushed. I am curious to see where this series will go.
T.H. Joseph does a fantastic job in writing fantasy book, I really enjoyed the way the characters and world were presented and developed. It was everything that I wanted in a opening chapter Vaeloren Legacy and was glad it was everything that I was looking for and am excited for more in this world. It uses the fae magical element perfectly and had that feel that I was looking for and was glad it was so well done.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WOW! This world and story gripped me from the beginning. All the things that Avara has been through are insane. I related to her deeply with the loss she faced. The premise of the wildmark is amazing. I loved how much detail went into everything, from the characters to the veil. I’m eager to see what happens to Avara next. The MMC would burn everything for her. I really liked her familiar type creature who is always with her. This sets the foundation for an epic story.
This was such a great read I absolutely enjoyed reading this it was very interesting and had me hooked the plot was great and the characters were so interesting I can’t wait to see more from this author they did an excellent job making it come to life
Overall, this book was very promising. I very much enjoyed the way the author illustrated the world building and the magic system. It was very descriptive and gives you a sense of wonder that the main character feels as she explores it in real time. Her relationship with her father was also very compelling and her feelings of being an outcast in her town felt relatable.
However, the relationship between characters felt surface level. There was a bit of insta love with the main characters and while the plot does call for them to be connected, to feel like they already know each other before meeting through supernatural forces, it still felt forced and there didn't seem to be much chemistry between them. They don't spend their very limited time together getting to know each other well, so there doesn't feel like much of a true connection there.The same can be said for the side characters.
Furthermore, the pacing felt slightly off. In the beginning, it starts very strong and pulls you into the mystery of Avara's origins, exploring the mystical fae land before her and how visually wondrous it is, but as the story progresses, the pacing seems to dip. During her down time, she explores a forest with her animal companion (I'm being a little vague to avaoid spoilers), evades an attack by another animal and comes back and that's it. She doesn't get to know any of the other fae around her, their origins, or any small bit of character development material that would connect you to the overall story, only just the introduction when they first meet. Basically, she has very limited interaction with the majority of the characters except for the male love interest (which still felt limited itself imo).
Despite those criticisms, I overall enjoyed the story. The way the author describes the world is truly magical and I've never read anything that does it that beautifully. I also very much loved the uniqueness of the world and how they describe the fae culture. I'm excited to see what works the author comes out with in the future!