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Immortal Origins: Chronicles of the Immortal Trials Book 1
“Romantic tension, high stakes, and a world that draws you in from the first page. If you’re into morally grey characters and emotional, slow-building relationships, you won’t want to miss this one!” - Goodreads User
Champions are fated. Not even the gods can interfere. Once a name has been given, it can’t be taken back.
In the empire, criminals are given two choices: life service, and condemn their descendants to the same fate, or die. Born into servitude, the only ones Ambrose hates more than the royals—are the gods themselves. A palace servant, she’s forced to train in secret, a shadow among the warriors that are the pride of the empire. Brutal fighters that gather every five years from all over the continent to compete in a deadly competition that could earn their place in the kingdom of the gods.
When one fateful night shatters Ambrose’s world as she knows it, she’s thrust into the empire’s deadliest tradition: The Immortal Trials, unknowingly setting a course that is impossible to come back from. When Akadian, the cold, cruel prince is ordered to stay by her side, she learns not everything is as it seems and the lines between enemies and allies become blurred, leaving her with no one to trust.
To have any chance of survival, she must do what has never been done and make it through the first trial: The Champion’s Tournament. As danger closes in from all sides, Ambrose uncovers powers she can’t control, truths she never meant to find, and secrets about her world the gods would do anything to keep buried.
The closer she gets to the tournament, the more she’s left to wonder: is survival truly worth the cost?
Welcome to The Immortal Trials.
Perfect for fans of Daughter of No Worlds, The Ascended, Lady of Darkness, and Fourth Wing.
Champions are fated. Not even the gods can interfere. Once a name has been given, it can’t be taken back.
In the empire, criminals are given two choices: life service, and condemn their descendants to the same fate, or die. Born into servitude, the only ones Ambrose hates more than the royals—are the gods themselves. A palace servant, she’s forced to train in secret, a shadow among the warriors that are the pride of the empire. Brutal fighters that gather every five years from all over the continent to compete in a deadly competition that could earn their place in the kingdom of the gods.
When one fateful night shatters Ambrose’s world as she knows it, she’s thrust into the empire’s deadliest tradition: The Immortal Trials, unknowingly setting a course that is impossible to come back from. When Akadian, the cold, cruel prince is ordered to stay by her side, she learns not everything is as it seems and the lines between enemies and allies become blurred, leaving her with no one to trust.
To have any chance of survival, she must do what has never been done and make it through the first trial: The Champion’s Tournament. As danger closes in from all sides, Ambrose uncovers powers she can’t control, truths she never meant to find, and secrets about her world the gods would do anything to keep buried.
The closer she gets to the tournament, the more she’s left to wonder: is survival truly worth the cost?
Welcome to The Immortal Trials.
Perfect for fans of Daughter of No Worlds, The Ascended, Lady of Darkness, and Fourth Wing.
410 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2025
280 people are currently reading
4558 people want to read
About the author
Taryn Knightly
4 books187 followersTaryn Knightly was born and raised in Colorado but has spent much of her life traveling and moving around. She's been a fan of reading since she could pick up a book. Her favorite genre is fantasy, though she dabbles all over and loves sinking her teeth into a good mystery thriller. She met the love of her life in Washington and now spends her time letting her sense of adventure fuel her creativity. IMMORTAL ORIGINS is her debut dark fantasy and the first installment in the Chronicles of the Immortal Trials. Welcome and happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,079 reviews
April 5, 2025
3.25⭐
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my to way you,”
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚
⚡ Forced proximity
❤️🔥 Slow burn
⚡Trials
❤️🔥Unique magic system
⚡ Feisty FMC
❤️🔥 One-sided hate
⚡ Misunderstood MMC
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚
I have mixed feelings about this book .
I really liked the world building and the magic system it sorta reminded me of the legend of Korra (avatar) .
I kinda liked the FMC she was strong willed and detriment but she acted stupidly which led to unnecessary drama in my opinion .
I liked the MMC I mean he is a prince with fire magic.
So what i didn't like was that most of first half was sorta boring like I felt there was something and nothing at the same time happening.
Despite the forced proximity the MMC and FMC didn't have much of a conversation . Most of time we were in the FMCs head when they were together. I love a good slow burn but there have to be yearning and I didn't feel that .
There are so many questions left unanswered but I guess that is because it is a first in a series
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭⋆✴︎˚｡⋆
That's the fastest and easiest time I got an ARC !!
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my to way you,”
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚
⚡ Forced proximity
❤️🔥 Slow burn
⚡Trials
❤️🔥Unique magic system
⚡ Feisty FMC
❤️🔥 One-sided hate
⚡ Misunderstood MMC
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚｡⋆✴︎˚
I have mixed feelings about this book .
I really liked the world building and the magic system it sorta reminded me of the legend of Korra (avatar) .
I kinda liked the FMC she was strong willed and detriment but she acted stupidly which led to unnecessary drama in my opinion .
I liked the MMC I mean he is a prince with fire magic.
So what i didn't like was that most of first half was sorta boring like I felt there was something and nothing at the same time happening.
Despite the forced proximity the MMC and FMC didn't have much of a conversation . Most of time we were in the FMCs head when they were together. I love a good slow burn but there have to be yearning and I didn't feel that .
There are so many questions left unanswered but I guess that is because it is a first in a series
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭⋆✴︎˚｡⋆
That's the fastest and easiest time I got an ARC !!
August 28, 2025
3.5 / 5 Stars
If you are looking for a book that mixes enemies to lovers, training for deadly trials, and no spice romance then this is the book for you. A quick synopsis in layperson terms: Ambrose and her twin brother, Adym, were born into servitude - he is in the imperial guard while she is a servant. Adym has been teaching Ambrose how to fight, which would get them both killed if anyone ever found out. But when a guard tries to assault her and she kills him, Ambrose is sentenced to death even if it was self-defense. Making a quick decision, Ambrose volunteers for the Immortal Trials, a deadly competition that no one has ever won. This buys her six months to figure out her escape plan. The only problem? Prince Akadian is tasked with watching her every move. It doesn’t help that he is as handsome as he is cruel. Will Ambrose survive long enough to escape or will she have to figure out how to survive the trials?
You will probably like this book if you like:
⚔️ Fantasy with a unique magic system based on elemental magic
⚔️ Deadly trials
⚔️ Royal court politics
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
⚔️ Slow burn
⚔️ No spice romance (kissing only)
This book really picked up quickly and was super fast paced once you got past the 20% mark. It was super quick and there was action at every turn which I really appreciated. The first 20% felt a little like an info dump to get us caught up on the magical system which I think is what slowed down the pacing early on.
I liked how resilient Ambrose was and how she started to come into her own more as her magical powers developed. Ambrose was a little self-righteous for my taste. She made some bad decisions with no plans just because those decisions were “the right thing” to do. I prefer an FMC who is a little more nimble and flexible with her belief systems but if you are looking for an FMC with a strong moral compass, I think you will like Ambrose a lot. It also occasionally felt like Ambrose would do something with her magic and would not feel great about it, but other characters would tell her it was impressive. I felt like we should be able to tell that it was impressive just from reading, not by having other characters tell us it was impressive. I wasn’t sure what to feel in those circumstances.
The side characters were great and helped fill out the world. Akadian was fun and complicated and made big romantic statements which were swoony. The elemental magic system was cool. Sometimes, it felt like the rest of the world was a grab bag of magical elements that were being set up for future books but didn’t entirely connect yet. For example, you get dragons, faes, creepy extremists that want to get rid of non magic folks, all of whom were interesting but did not feel fully connected. We have all of the puzzle pieces and I think they will get connected in cool ways in future books.
Oh, and if you are looking for deadly trials, be warned that those don’t start until 80% of the way into the book. Folks are in peril in lots of other ways, but the actual trials are a small part of this book, though the trials will continue in future books it seems.
All in all, this was a solid fantasy book that was setting up big pieces for future books to come.
Thank you Taryn Knightly and BookSirens for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: September 3, 2025
__________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I. Love. Deadly. Trials. Probably in a way that unhealthy but let me see people fighting to the death and I’m a happy gal. 👩🍳💋
If you are looking for a book that mixes enemies to lovers, training for deadly trials, and no spice romance then this is the book for you. A quick synopsis in layperson terms: Ambrose and her twin brother, Adym, were born into servitude - he is in the imperial guard while she is a servant. Adym has been teaching Ambrose how to fight, which would get them both killed if anyone ever found out. But when a guard tries to assault her and she kills him, Ambrose is sentenced to death even if it was self-defense. Making a quick decision, Ambrose volunteers for the Immortal Trials, a deadly competition that no one has ever won. This buys her six months to figure out her escape plan. The only problem? Prince Akadian is tasked with watching her every move. It doesn’t help that he is as handsome as he is cruel. Will Ambrose survive long enough to escape or will she have to figure out how to survive the trials?
You will probably like this book if you like:
⚔️ Fantasy with a unique magic system based on elemental magic
⚔️ Deadly trials
⚔️ Royal court politics
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
⚔️ Slow burn
⚔️ No spice romance (kissing only)
This book really picked up quickly and was super fast paced once you got past the 20% mark. It was super quick and there was action at every turn which I really appreciated. The first 20% felt a little like an info dump to get us caught up on the magical system which I think is what slowed down the pacing early on.
I liked how resilient Ambrose was and how she started to come into her own more as her magical powers developed. Ambrose was a little self-righteous for my taste. She made some bad decisions with no plans just because those decisions were “the right thing” to do. I prefer an FMC who is a little more nimble and flexible with her belief systems but if you are looking for an FMC with a strong moral compass, I think you will like Ambrose a lot. It also occasionally felt like Ambrose would do something with her magic and would not feel great about it, but other characters would tell her it was impressive. I felt like we should be able to tell that it was impressive just from reading, not by having other characters tell us it was impressive. I wasn’t sure what to feel in those circumstances.
The side characters were great and helped fill out the world. Akadian was fun and complicated and made big romantic statements which were swoony. The elemental magic system was cool. Sometimes, it felt like the rest of the world was a grab bag of magical elements that were being set up for future books but didn’t entirely connect yet. For example, you get dragons, faes, creepy extremists that want to get rid of non magic folks, all of whom were interesting but did not feel fully connected. We have all of the puzzle pieces and I think they will get connected in cool ways in future books.
Oh, and if you are looking for deadly trials, be warned that those don’t start until 80% of the way into the book. Folks are in peril in lots of other ways, but the actual trials are a small part of this book, though the trials will continue in future books it seems.
All in all, this was a solid fantasy book that was setting up big pieces for future books to come.
Thank you Taryn Knightly and BookSirens for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: September 3, 2025
__________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I. Love. Deadly. Trials. Probably in a way that unhealthy but let me see people fighting to the death and I’m a happy gal. 👩🍳💋
May 8, 2025
So when I first started reading this, the only thing that bugged me were some grammatical errors, but it wasn’t on every page, so I took a half point off. Then, around the 30% mark, I started to realize how hypocritical this MFC was. Ambrose literally questioned Akadian’s every move. She told him multiple times, “you always have a choice.” Uh… ma’am, so did you with the guard that got you here in the first place. Your killings are justified, but his aren’t? Make it make sense. I’m very tired of the hypocritical, holier than thou “heroine” act. It has put me in a reading slump. I took a full star for that. We did see some growth around the 60% mark, so I gave back half a star.
The real kicker for me, a girl who has only ever trained with her brother, is beating, and sometimes demolishing, her opponents, which has never been done before. Okay, but what? She had little to no training, except with her brother. I get her magic is different, but not her sword skills or fighting skills. I think this is a major flaw. If she had been training everyday of her life, then maybe it’s conceivable, but she hadn’t. I don’t think so. That one really bothers me.
Overall, it started off very strong. She’s a strong female character. I do like Akadian. I wish we could see his POV more. He seems a little flat, but I think he could be brought to life if we had a little more context for him. This is a cool story line. An immortal trial no one fully understands. I believe eating a peach from a holy garden was a very colorful reference to Eve. I would have loved a little bit more on that. I would follow this, if the other aspects were changed. I think this could be turned into a very strong novel, but I need a few things to change for me to want to continue with this series.
The real kicker for me, a girl who has only ever trained with her brother, is beating, and sometimes demolishing, her opponents, which has never been done before. Okay, but what? She had little to no training, except with her brother. I get her magic is different, but not her sword skills or fighting skills. I think this is a major flaw. If she had been training everyday of her life, then maybe it’s conceivable, but she hadn’t. I don’t think so. That one really bothers me.
Overall, it started off very strong. She’s a strong female character. I do like Akadian. I wish we could see his POV more. He seems a little flat, but I think he could be brought to life if we had a little more context for him. This is a cool story line. An immortal trial no one fully understands. I believe eating a peach from a holy garden was a very colorful reference to Eve. I would have loved a little bit more on that. I would follow this, if the other aspects were changed. I think this could be turned into a very strong novel, but I need a few things to change for me to want to continue with this series.
September 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
😮💨👹🖤 ~ “For every mark on her body I'll cut you so deep no one will be able to recognize you when l'm done.”
Thank you so much Taryn Knightly for making me one of your ARC readers❤️🔥 I had a really good time diving into Ambrose’s story!
This is going to be a tricky review for me because I absolutely loved the story but also do feel that some things should be reworked/fine tuned 🫣
I’m not 100% sure if my version of the ARC was the final one, so I apologize in advance if any of the critiques I offer have already been addressed by the time this comes out.
I want to begin with all the things I love, because there are lot more of those than there are negatives :
>>> Let’s start with the story which has some really amazing bones and so much potential.
I think Taryn writes some incredible emotionally compelling and damaging scenes which left my poor little heart in ribbons and my eyes puffy 😭 💔
I had a very hard time getting over a lot of the things that happened to some characters 🥺
The imagery was beautiful and intense, from Ambrose’s transformation, to the different locations, monsters, etc. which all made me feel so immersed in the story.
I also found some of the plot twists to be truly unexpected (especially towards the end 🤯)!
My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing about Taryn’s writing is her ability to write horror/gore/scary scenes 😰😵💫😱 She does it in such an expert way, it is truly incredible!!!
It is not something I see very often in fantasy, let alone romantasy books. Most of the time, these scenes are more about feeling scared at the idea that one of the characters is going to die or be hurt in a tragic way, but here you end up having a genuine horror layer added to that feeling.
I have rarely read such terrifyingly gripping scenes in the genre. They are going to make you want to crawl out of your skin 😱 They are the kind of scenes where you're going to think “AAAAAAAAH I am going to have a nightmares for a week 😭😭😭😭”
They are truly terrifying and I found that exquisite 👹👹👹 I cannot wait to read more of those!!
I found the magic system quite intriguing, as well as the dynamics between those with and without power, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves!
>>> Connecting with the characters is really important to me. Whether it's good or bad, I need you to be able to make me feel something powerful within the first couple of pages of a book ❤️🔥 and that was done beautifully !
Our FMC Ambrose is courageous, defiant, resilient, kind hearted, and overall shows a good amount of growth through her journey! I felt an almost instant connection with her which is a big reason why I got so sucked into the story.
Our MMC Akadian is your typical broody, deadly & delicious combo, and I was lucky enough to get the updated ARC that included his PoV chapters which was delightful! 🤭
I also enjoyed the side characters quite a bit and wish we would have gotten more of them.
The villains in this story were so well written, and made both so freaking angry and anxious it drove me a little nuts 😡!!
Now onto the things that I do not like to point out, but because I have been asked to give an honest review, I will.
I felt the writing and storytelling let me down sometimes 😞… it was a little strange because some parts were so incredibly well written and flowed naturally, while others felt unfinished/unedited and almost forced.
>>> Storyline wise there are some inconsistencies.
One example is, in the beginning of the book, she finds out she has a very useful very specific power that would have come in handy sooooo many times throughout the book. But then it never happens again. Why introduce such a power so early on if it is not going to be used at any point throughout the rest of the book? 🤔
It doesn’t make sense and is honestly quite frustrating…
>>> While I enjoyed how vast the world building and magic system is, and understand that some elements were only briefly presented (dragons, the brotherhood,etc.) because they will probably be more developed in the next books, it did make it feel a little disjointed 😬
Some other things were just a little random and out of left field, like Akadian’s secret that is revealed to us in the woods 🤐
>>> The other thing that I felt was lacking is the relationship development 🫠 I'm not saying that I can't feel the bonds within the relationships. I can.
Every time there's a scene between two characters whether it's the FMC and MMC or FMC and her friends, etc. I can feel the bond between them, but it’s like the development all happened behind closed doors 🥲
We either see very little, or sometimes none of it happens within the storyline.
It took me waaaay too far into the story to understand that Ernaline was her best friend and roommate. I would have loved to know how they bonded throughout their lifetime of servitude.
We go from Lily trying to be her friend to Lily being her friend in the blink of an eye. How ? They are from two opposite sides of the magical and social hierarchy. And Lily trying to be friendly is great and all, but what moments of their relationship solidified it all into a real friendship?
Same thing between Ambrose and Akadian falling for each other.
Of coooourse them being in close proximity all the time, him having to protect her even though initially it's a duty and not a want, is going to create a bond, so I can understand a relationship once it happens, but I need to see it.
I don't need 15 pages long conversations, but I do need some buildup.
Whether it's supportive words here or there, soothing gestures, or shared moments of quiet company, etc.
I need to have at least a few glimpses of genuine shared moments where this connection is forged, I need YEARNING when it’s a slow burn 😩
>>> Finally, I feel like the book could have used an extra round of editing. There's a lot of things that felt like unnecessary filler, or were a bit repetitive.
Scrapping those would have opened up more “space” to write more in depth relationship and storyline development.
There were quite a few grammatical errors and some of the phrasing is off or over-complicated, making it difficult to stay focused in the story.
Again not 100% sure if the version I read was the final one, so disregard my comments if you do not see those happening.
All things considered I think this storyline has tremendous potential and I’m still very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I just hope all of the Arc readers reviews will be used to address any potential issues and make the rest of the series the absolute banger I think it can be ✨❤️🔥
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
😮💨👹🖤 ~ “For every mark on her body I'll cut you so deep no one will be able to recognize you when l'm done.”
Thank you so much Taryn Knightly for making me one of your ARC readers❤️🔥 I had a really good time diving into Ambrose’s story!
This is going to be a tricky review for me because I absolutely loved the story but also do feel that some things should be reworked/fine tuned 🫣
I’m not 100% sure if my version of the ARC was the final one, so I apologize in advance if any of the critiques I offer have already been addressed by the time this comes out.
I want to begin with all the things I love, because there are lot more of those than there are negatives :
>>> Let’s start with the story which has some really amazing bones and so much potential.
I think Taryn writes some incredible emotionally compelling and damaging scenes which left my poor little heart in ribbons and my eyes puffy 😭 💔
I had a very hard time getting over a lot of the things that happened to some characters 🥺
The imagery was beautiful and intense, from Ambrose’s transformation, to the different locations, monsters, etc. which all made me feel so immersed in the story.
I also found some of the plot twists to be truly unexpected (especially towards the end 🤯)!
My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing about Taryn’s writing is her ability to write horror/gore/scary scenes 😰😵💫😱 She does it in such an expert way, it is truly incredible!!!
It is not something I see very often in fantasy, let alone romantasy books. Most of the time, these scenes are more about feeling scared at the idea that one of the characters is going to die or be hurt in a tragic way, but here you end up having a genuine horror layer added to that feeling.
I have rarely read such terrifyingly gripping scenes in the genre. They are going to make you want to crawl out of your skin 😱 They are the kind of scenes where you're going to think “AAAAAAAAH I am going to have a nightmares for a week 😭😭😭😭”
They are truly terrifying and I found that exquisite 👹👹👹 I cannot wait to read more of those!!
I found the magic system quite intriguing, as well as the dynamics between those with and without power, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves!
>>> Connecting with the characters is really important to me. Whether it's good or bad, I need you to be able to make me feel something powerful within the first couple of pages of a book ❤️🔥 and that was done beautifully !
Our FMC Ambrose is courageous, defiant, resilient, kind hearted, and overall shows a good amount of growth through her journey! I felt an almost instant connection with her which is a big reason why I got so sucked into the story.
Our MMC Akadian is your typical broody, deadly & delicious combo, and I was lucky enough to get the updated ARC that included his PoV chapters which was delightful! 🤭
I also enjoyed the side characters quite a bit and wish we would have gotten more of them.
The villains in this story were so well written, and made both so freaking angry and anxious it drove me a little nuts 😡!!
Now onto the things that I do not like to point out, but because I have been asked to give an honest review, I will.
I felt the writing and storytelling let me down sometimes 😞… it was a little strange because some parts were so incredibly well written and flowed naturally, while others felt unfinished/unedited and almost forced.
>>> Storyline wise there are some inconsistencies.
One example is, in the beginning of the book, she finds out she has a very useful very specific power that would have come in handy sooooo many times throughout the book. But then it never happens again. Why introduce such a power so early on if it is not going to be used at any point throughout the rest of the book? 🤔
It doesn’t make sense and is honestly quite frustrating…
>>> While I enjoyed how vast the world building and magic system is, and understand that some elements were only briefly presented (dragons, the brotherhood,etc.) because they will probably be more developed in the next books, it did make it feel a little disjointed 😬
Some other things were just a little random and out of left field, like Akadian’s secret that is revealed to us in the woods 🤐
>>> The other thing that I felt was lacking is the relationship development 🫠 I'm not saying that I can't feel the bonds within the relationships. I can.
Every time there's a scene between two characters whether it's the FMC and MMC or FMC and her friends, etc. I can feel the bond between them, but it’s like the development all happened behind closed doors 🥲
We either see very little, or sometimes none of it happens within the storyline.
It took me waaaay too far into the story to understand that Ernaline was her best friend and roommate. I would have loved to know how they bonded throughout their lifetime of servitude.
We go from Lily trying to be her friend to Lily being her friend in the blink of an eye. How ? They are from two opposite sides of the magical and social hierarchy. And Lily trying to be friendly is great and all, but what moments of their relationship solidified it all into a real friendship?
Same thing between Ambrose and Akadian falling for each other.
Of coooourse them being in close proximity all the time, him having to protect her even though initially it's a duty and not a want, is going to create a bond, so I can understand a relationship once it happens, but I need to see it.
I don't need 15 pages long conversations, but I do need some buildup.
Whether it's supportive words here or there, soothing gestures, or shared moments of quiet company, etc.
I need to have at least a few glimpses of genuine shared moments where this connection is forged, I need YEARNING when it’s a slow burn 😩
>>> Finally, I feel like the book could have used an extra round of editing. There's a lot of things that felt like unnecessary filler, or were a bit repetitive.
Scrapping those would have opened up more “space” to write more in depth relationship and storyline development.
There were quite a few grammatical errors and some of the phrasing is off or over-complicated, making it difficult to stay focused in the story.
Again not 100% sure if the version I read was the final one, so disregard my comments if you do not see those happening.
All things considered I think this storyline has tremendous potential and I’m still very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I just hope all of the Arc readers reviews will be used to address any potential issues and make the rest of the series the absolute banger I think it can be ✨❤️🔥
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 26, 2025
I loved this book! Once it started, it took you on a ride, and you did not stop! It will have you hooked from the very start.
The book follows Ambrose, a servant in the kingdom of Eltoria. She is forced to train secretly with her brother, a castle guard. She knows that she will pay the price if she is caught learning how to fight. One day she’s in the castle walking back to her room and she kills a guard and her life is forever changed after that moment. In an attempt to save herself, she ends up putting her name into the Immortal Trials. Now she must survive the impossible to save herself.
I loved this book and the writing in it! It has dragons, magical creatures, magic, trials, and a slow-burn romance. I am such a sucker for a slow burn, but it’s worth it. I did think that the trials would take up most of the book, but I really liked how the book was structured. I loved the adventure they took so that Ambrose could work on using her magic and bettering herself. I also loved the magic system that they had in the book, it was so new and original!
I loved Ambrose’s character. She is such a badass FMC. I love how real she is, and I love her relationship with the MMC. I loved them both and their banter, it was hilarious. I hope in the next book, we get to see more of their relationship grow. One thing that I loved about the book was how much Ambrose was able to grow and start trusting again. It was hard for her to open up because of all that she had gone through, so it was nice seeing her character change and adapt.
Also, can we talk about the ending of this book?? No spoilers, but wow! I thought that I was going to have to walk around my living room to calm down because I was so nervous for Ambrose!!! I was rooting for her the whole time, and wanted her to win so bad!
This was an easy 5/5 for me, I definitely recommend reading it and can’t wait until the next book! I know Ambrose’s story isn’t done and has more badass adventures waiting for her.
Tropes:
- [ ] Enemies to lovers
- [ ] Deadly trial
- [ ] Slow burn
- [ ] Feminine rage
- [ ] Forced proximity
The book follows Ambrose, a servant in the kingdom of Eltoria. She is forced to train secretly with her brother, a castle guard. She knows that she will pay the price if she is caught learning how to fight. One day she’s in the castle walking back to her room and she kills a guard and her life is forever changed after that moment. In an attempt to save herself, she ends up putting her name into the Immortal Trials. Now she must survive the impossible to save herself.
I loved this book and the writing in it! It has dragons, magical creatures, magic, trials, and a slow-burn romance. I am such a sucker for a slow burn, but it’s worth it. I did think that the trials would take up most of the book, but I really liked how the book was structured. I loved the adventure they took so that Ambrose could work on using her magic and bettering herself. I also loved the magic system that they had in the book, it was so new and original!
I loved Ambrose’s character. She is such a badass FMC. I love how real she is, and I love her relationship with the MMC. I loved them both and their banter, it was hilarious. I hope in the next book, we get to see more of their relationship grow. One thing that I loved about the book was how much Ambrose was able to grow and start trusting again. It was hard for her to open up because of all that she had gone through, so it was nice seeing her character change and adapt.
Also, can we talk about the ending of this book?? No spoilers, but wow! I thought that I was going to have to walk around my living room to calm down because I was so nervous for Ambrose!!! I was rooting for her the whole time, and wanted her to win so bad!
This was an easy 5/5 for me, I definitely recommend reading it and can’t wait until the next book! I know Ambrose’s story isn’t done and has more badass adventures waiting for her.
Tropes:
- [ ] Enemies to lovers
- [ ] Deadly trial
- [ ] Slow burn
- [ ] Feminine rage
- [ ] Forced proximity
April 29, 2025
Congrats to the author for writing a book. It takes a lot of work and dedication to not only write a book but also have it ready for publication. I received an arc copy so thank you for allowing me to read this. Whilst this book was not for me, other people will enjoy it.
This is clearly inspired by a lot of the big romantasy books out there. The story is intriguing and the beginning had me hooked. There was so much promise. I was eager to continue reading but thats about where it stops.
*****Spoilers below*****
I'm quite shocked at the 5* reviews here, these reviewers must be entry level fantasy readers to be honest. I just could not finish this. I pushed through to 65% but when everyone dies in the forest and we get a bat boy, I was done. There's a lot of mistakes, missing words, repeated words, punctuation, plot holes etc. The author has tried to add in everything - bat boys, dragons, magic, enemies to lovers. But it just didn't work. It felt a bit messy and disjointed.
There's things that just don't make sense for example at the beginning Ambrose makes herself invisible to sneak past the guards and back into the castle. Yet, any other time shes in trouble, it never even gets mentioned that she could do that to get herself out of trouble.
When shes in the barn with Akadian, it says his face was inches from hers, and the next sentence he's taking a step towards her. How when his face is already so close to hers?
Ambrose goes to train her magic like a months trip because she hasn't managed to weild an element even though she's been training for years. Yet, suddenly on the trip she's able to wield wind, fire, earth, lightening, create barriers and more. Im baffled. There's a big disconnect in this part of the story.
When those Akijin creatures caught them in the forest.. she ran away from Akadian and they 'tore shreds of her skin off' like chunks of muscle cut out of her leg and then she healed herself yet the next time she was wounded she was taken back to the palace? Also, these creatures are screeching so loud yet Akadian and the crew didnt hear and come save her? And when he finally catches up to her, instead of being pissed as she tried to escape, he says "im sorry i didnt get here sooner" or something along those lines..ermm ok. Now all the others are suddenly dead despite the Prince being one of the most powerful in the Kingdom, he grows wings and flys them back to the palace in a couple hours? Sorry what!? They've been travelling for weeks and now he has wings?
There is zero tension between Ambrose and Akadian, no comments, barely a single tense moment, nothing sexual.
The story could be good but the writing needs work before its published. The holes in the story need closing up and the grammar needs correcting. The alpha and beta readers should have picked up on this.
Once again, thank you for allowing me be an arc reader.
This is clearly inspired by a lot of the big romantasy books out there. The story is intriguing and the beginning had me hooked. There was so much promise. I was eager to continue reading but thats about where it stops.
*****Spoilers below*****
I'm quite shocked at the 5* reviews here, these reviewers must be entry level fantasy readers to be honest. I just could not finish this. I pushed through to 65% but when everyone dies in the forest and we get a bat boy, I was done. There's a lot of mistakes, missing words, repeated words, punctuation, plot holes etc. The author has tried to add in everything - bat boys, dragons, magic, enemies to lovers. But it just didn't work. It felt a bit messy and disjointed.
There's things that just don't make sense for example at the beginning Ambrose makes herself invisible to sneak past the guards and back into the castle. Yet, any other time shes in trouble, it never even gets mentioned that she could do that to get herself out of trouble.
When shes in the barn with Akadian, it says his face was inches from hers, and the next sentence he's taking a step towards her. How when his face is already so close to hers?
Ambrose goes to train her magic like a months trip because she hasn't managed to weild an element even though she's been training for years. Yet, suddenly on the trip she's able to wield wind, fire, earth, lightening, create barriers and more. Im baffled. There's a big disconnect in this part of the story.
When those Akijin creatures caught them in the forest.. she ran away from Akadian and they 'tore shreds of her skin off' like chunks of muscle cut out of her leg and then she healed herself yet the next time she was wounded she was taken back to the palace? Also, these creatures are screeching so loud yet Akadian and the crew didnt hear and come save her? And when he finally catches up to her, instead of being pissed as she tried to escape, he says "im sorry i didnt get here sooner" or something along those lines..ermm ok. Now all the others are suddenly dead despite the Prince being one of the most powerful in the Kingdom, he grows wings and flys them back to the palace in a couple hours? Sorry what!? They've been travelling for weeks and now he has wings?
There is zero tension between Ambrose and Akadian, no comments, barely a single tense moment, nothing sexual.
The story could be good but the writing needs work before its published. The holes in the story need closing up and the grammar needs correcting. The alpha and beta readers should have picked up on this.
Once again, thank you for allowing me be an arc reader.
September 9, 2025
4.75 🌟
“To take control of your fate, or remain a victim of it forever. The choice is yours.” (Ch 5)
Gripping fantasy. Didn't want to put it down! Immersive world-build and magic system. Tension, pain, courage, fear, and mystery. It was a savage existence in and outside of the walls. But not only were there beasts of men/mages, but also creatures of many kinds to add to the threat.
"She wouldn’t forget again. Somehow, she would escape this. Somehow, she would find a way to be free of the tyranny of the empire. Even if she had to disappear to do it." (Ch 19)
Ambrose showed strength and resilience when forced, but then seemed to just want to run, run, run.. So it was kind of like, umm... you have all this power and wield it with emotion, so utilize it! Her contradictions, in the beginning, were a tiny bit frustrating, even if there was a deep-seeded, ingrained, cowering mentality born from a life of subservience.
"Every time she turned around there was something else waiting for her. A new surprise she never could’ve prepared herself for." (Ch 29)
Enjoyed the connections she formed, though some seemed to be fleeting. And especially loved the slow, slow burn (non-spicy), the adventure, and thrill.
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my way to you" (Ch 31)
Also, I love that there's an optional accompanying text in Akadian's POV available via Wattpad to read in tandem to the book. Though, as of right now, only chapter 1 is available. Cannot wait for the rest of it and for book 2!
eARC courtesy of Book Sirens
“To take control of your fate, or remain a victim of it forever. The choice is yours.” (Ch 5)
Gripping fantasy. Didn't want to put it down! Immersive world-build and magic system. Tension, pain, courage, fear, and mystery. It was a savage existence in and outside of the walls. But not only were there beasts of men/mages, but also creatures of many kinds to add to the threat.
"She wouldn’t forget again. Somehow, she would escape this. Somehow, she would find a way to be free of the tyranny of the empire. Even if she had to disappear to do it." (Ch 19)
Ambrose showed strength and resilience when forced, but then seemed to just want to run, run, run.. So it was kind of like, umm... you have all this power and wield it with emotion, so utilize it! Her contradictions, in the beginning, were a tiny bit frustrating, even if there was a deep-seeded, ingrained, cowering mentality born from a life of subservience.
"Every time she turned around there was something else waiting for her. A new surprise she never could’ve prepared herself for." (Ch 29)
Enjoyed the connections she formed, though some seemed to be fleeting. And especially loved the slow, slow burn (non-spicy), the adventure, and thrill.
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my way to you" (Ch 31)
Also, I love that there's an optional accompanying text in Akadian's POV available via Wattpad to read in tandem to the book. Though, as of right now, only chapter 1 is available. Cannot wait for the rest of it and for book 2!
eARC courtesy of Book Sirens
July 10, 2025
"I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my to way you"
Arc review
First and foremost I have to say, I loved it!! For a debut fantasy novel, that was really good!✨️💜
It follows a servant girl named Ambrose, who serves the palace during daytime, but trains fiercely at night as a warrior. Things take a turn when she commits an error and the only thing she can do to survive is to enter a deadly tournament. Will she be able to save herself?
Things you can expect:
>>Deadly magical trials
>>Dragons and other magical creatures.
>>Found family
>>Slow burn
>>no spice
>>really good banter
>>enemies to lovers
It kind of has the vibes of prison healer × powerless, with similar themes, but at the same time, the magical system in this book is a bit more complex I think compared to those books. And also, the trial part only takes up a small portion of the book. It's more about the story of everything that leads up to the trials. From the start onwards, the plot is driving, pulling us more into the story. There is ample character development, and I have to say, I love the characters in it. I mean, Akadian is just a sweetie😌
The banter between him and Ambrose is so good.
Also the ending of the book. Wow.
All in all, I personally, loved the book. ✨️
Arc review
First and foremost I have to say, I loved it!! For a debut fantasy novel, that was really good!✨️💜
It follows a servant girl named Ambrose, who serves the palace during daytime, but trains fiercely at night as a warrior. Things take a turn when she commits an error and the only thing she can do to survive is to enter a deadly tournament. Will she be able to save herself?
Things you can expect:
>>Deadly magical trials
>>Dragons and other magical creatures.
>>Found family
>>Slow burn
>>no spice
>>really good banter
>>enemies to lovers
It kind of has the vibes of prison healer × powerless, with similar themes, but at the same time, the magical system in this book is a bit more complex I think compared to those books. And also, the trial part only takes up a small portion of the book. It's more about the story of everything that leads up to the trials. From the start onwards, the plot is driving, pulling us more into the story. There is ample character development, and I have to say, I love the characters in it. I mean, Akadian is just a sweetie😌
The banter between him and Ambrose is so good.
Also the ending of the book. Wow.
All in all, I personally, loved the book. ✨️
March 14, 2025
Ok, this book clearly was inspired by all the super popular fantasy books that are out right now, but with that said, I devoured this book in one day. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The world building was fantastic, I enjoyed all the characters, and they were pretty well developed. I would have liked to see the FMC developed her skills more rather than her powers just happening for her. Over all though, I thought it was well written, and I look forward to the next book in the series! Thank you so much to Taryn and Siren Books for letting me read an ARC copy!
August 28, 2025
I had the absolute joy of reading Immortal Origins as an ARC—huge thanks to Taryn Knightly for letting me experience the beginning of this epic journey early. And what a beginning it is. This story is steeped in elemental magic, fierce trials, dragons, and one of the most compelling underdog heroines I’ve read in a while.
We follow Ambrose, a seemingly ordinary elemental servant in the city of Eltoria. But after a life-altering confrontation with a guard, she’s thrust into the brutal Immortal Trials—an event meant to break her, but instead becomes a spark that sets her transformation into motion. What starts as punishment slowly evolves into a path of self-discovery, strength, and purpose.
Watching Ambrose uncover what she’s truly capable of is one of the most satisfying parts of the story. She’s constantly underestimated by those around her, but every challenge reveals more of the power and resilience she holds within. I live for an underdog who refuses to stay small—and Ambrose delivers.
The book also offers found family, a vivid magical world, and one of my favorite tropes: forced proximity. There are just enough emotionally charged, tension-filled moments to keep romantasy readers (like me) fully invested. While the romance is still in its early stages, the spark is there, and I’m really hoping we get to see it blossom in future installments. Give me the slow burn—I’m here for it.
That said, I will say the first half of the book does take its time. The pacing early on was a bit slow for me, and while it’s not uncommon for series openers to take their time laying the groundwork, there were moments where I found myself wishing things would move along a bit faster. But once the second half hits—that’s when the story truly takes flight. The action ramps up, secrets are revealed, and the plot finally sinks its teeth in.
And this quote? Still echoing in my mind:
“We’ve been waiting for a choice.”
“What kind of choice?”
“An eternal one,” the voices sang around the garden. “To take control of your fate or remain a victim of it forever. The choice is yours.”
CHILLS. That one line perfectly captures the spirit of this story: a girl standing on the edge of destiny, finally given the chance to choose her path.
Even though I got to read this early, I’ll be the first in line if it gets a physical release. I need this on my shelf—my book trophy for the start of what’s sure to be a wildly magical series. And Immortal Secrets? I’m counting the days. I have theories. I have questions. And I’m absolutely buzzing to see what comes next.
If Immortal Origins is only the beginning, I cannot wait to see how far Ambrose rises.
We follow Ambrose, a seemingly ordinary elemental servant in the city of Eltoria. But after a life-altering confrontation with a guard, she’s thrust into the brutal Immortal Trials—an event meant to break her, but instead becomes a spark that sets her transformation into motion. What starts as punishment slowly evolves into a path of self-discovery, strength, and purpose.
Watching Ambrose uncover what she’s truly capable of is one of the most satisfying parts of the story. She’s constantly underestimated by those around her, but every challenge reveals more of the power and resilience she holds within. I live for an underdog who refuses to stay small—and Ambrose delivers.
The book also offers found family, a vivid magical world, and one of my favorite tropes: forced proximity. There are just enough emotionally charged, tension-filled moments to keep romantasy readers (like me) fully invested. While the romance is still in its early stages, the spark is there, and I’m really hoping we get to see it blossom in future installments. Give me the slow burn—I’m here for it.
That said, I will say the first half of the book does take its time. The pacing early on was a bit slow for me, and while it’s not uncommon for series openers to take their time laying the groundwork, there were moments where I found myself wishing things would move along a bit faster. But once the second half hits—that’s when the story truly takes flight. The action ramps up, secrets are revealed, and the plot finally sinks its teeth in.
And this quote? Still echoing in my mind:
“We’ve been waiting for a choice.”
“What kind of choice?”
“An eternal one,” the voices sang around the garden. “To take control of your fate or remain a victim of it forever. The choice is yours.”
CHILLS. That one line perfectly captures the spirit of this story: a girl standing on the edge of destiny, finally given the chance to choose her path.
Even though I got to read this early, I’ll be the first in line if it gets a physical release. I need this on my shelf—my book trophy for the start of what’s sure to be a wildly magical series. And Immortal Secrets? I’m counting the days. I have theories. I have questions. And I’m absolutely buzzing to see what comes next.
If Immortal Origins is only the beginning, I cannot wait to see how far Ambrose rises.
March 19, 2025
I enjoyed this book. I love the map and classification description at the beginning. Loved the world building. I enjoy enemies to lovers but wish there had been more details in progress of their relationship and more banter. It felt like the MMC went from indifference to he would burn the world to protect her and any who would harm her. Overall this book left me with so many questions and wanting more. I am look forward to the second book.
Thank you Taryn and Siren books for letting me be an ARC reader.
Thank you Taryn and Siren books for letting me be an ARC reader.
March 24, 2025
I read this as an ARC after seeing videos by the author on TikTok, and I absolutely loved it! The characters were well-developed, and the world building was very well-done. I loved the FMC, Ambrose, and I am swooning over Akadian 😍 the side characters were also very strong. I am looking forward to future books in this series to see where the story goes!
August 14, 2025
This book has got an AMAZING world-building and magic system. I’m a simple person and seeing the first pages with the map and the different magic classes was enough to make me all excited. And I have to say my expectations from those first few pages were definitely met throughout the book! The storyline is interesting and the characters are generally well developed, even if I don’t fully understand the male main character as for now. But this is just the first book of the series, so I’m definitely willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, hoping to explore him more in the next books.
The FMC is kinda cool, I like her, although I did think she was making stupid choices I didn’t understand at certain points, but who am I to judge? She is her own person and is entitled to do stupid things, otherwise who can I get angry at while reading? 😂
Now, why not 5 stars?
Well, first of all because of the grammar mistakes - not huge ones, mainly punctuation and typos. They do not interfere with the general understanding of the phrases and the story, but they are recurrent enough to annoy me a little.
Second of all I feel like the development of the relationship between the main characters could have been done better. On her part I can kind of justify the change because at least her interest was there almost from the beginning. On his part though at a certain point for some reason he just starts to run around like a mad man to save her and starts spilling secrets and saying deep things. Like, when did we take the step from total indifference to this?? There is one chapter - that I believe was an after-thought of the author to insert - from his POV that helped a little with this passage, but to me it was just not enough to justify this change in their relationship. But then again, as I said before, I still don’t fully understand the male main character, so maybe I’ll get some answers in the next books!
I can’t wait to read the next one!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The FMC is kinda cool, I like her, although I did think she was making stupid choices I didn’t understand at certain points, but who am I to judge? She is her own person and is entitled to do stupid things, otherwise who can I get angry at while reading? 😂
Now, why not 5 stars?
Well, first of all because of the grammar mistakes - not huge ones, mainly punctuation and typos. They do not interfere with the general understanding of the phrases and the story, but they are recurrent enough to annoy me a little.
Second of all I feel like the development of the relationship between the main characters could have been done better. On her part I can kind of justify the change because at least her interest was there almost from the beginning. On his part though at a certain point for some reason he just starts to run around like a mad man to save her and starts spilling secrets and saying deep things. Like, when did we take the step from total indifference to this?? There is one chapter - that I believe was an after-thought of the author to insert - from his POV that helped a little with this passage, but to me it was just not enough to justify this change in their relationship. But then again, as I said before, I still don’t fully understand the male main character, so maybe I’ll get some answers in the next books!
I can’t wait to read the next one!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 16, 2025
**ARC REVIEW*
Wow wow.
4.5 for this one.
What can I say. Even though the FMC pissed me off for most of the book and a stubborn arse, I actually enjoyed reading this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed the unique magic system in this one. Actually I bloody loved it. Loved how she called upon in all aspects.
Loved how mysterious the and ruthless the MMC was knowing full well that there was more than meets the eye with him and everything else going on.
I honestly can't wait for the next book, I think I'll be impatient for this one lol I'm just wondering if my questions will be answered and if they find answers to their own.
Thank to the author and The Booksirens for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Wow wow.
4.5 for this one.
What can I say. Even though the FMC pissed me off for most of the book and a stubborn arse, I actually enjoyed reading this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed the unique magic system in this one. Actually I bloody loved it. Loved how she called upon in all aspects.
Loved how mysterious the and ruthless the MMC was knowing full well that there was more than meets the eye with him and everything else going on.
I honestly can't wait for the next book, I think I'll be impatient for this one lol I'm just wondering if my questions will be answered and if they find answers to their own.
Thank to the author and The Booksirens for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
April 19, 2025
** ARC REVIEW ** Ok wow I loved this book so much - I couldn’t put it down!! It was fast-paced & had a lot of action, a slow burn forced proximity trope & powerful, feisty FMC (my fave). I wish it was more spicy or more romance as it read more YA for me - not necessarily my favorite, but we love a good slow burn!
That said, it fell a littttle flat for me. I feel like there could have been more substance to the MMC (love him tho!!!) - I wish we could have gotten his POV or a little more backstory/meat to him. I also think that some of the side characters lacked depth too.
Additionally, I was a bit confused at how fast Ambrose honed her skill and was somehow able to defeat so many people without any consequence. I get her magic is different and stronger, but we didn’t really see her practicing her skill much, rather than just being in fight or flight mode all the time. I even think it was mentioned that she struggled to control it, but it didn’t seem that way in the fight scenes.
Another huge turnoff for me that kept taking me out of the book was the amount of grammatical errors - this is my first ARC copy so not sure if that’s normal?
Despite that, I loved this book & can’t wait for the next one!
That said, it fell a littttle flat for me. I feel like there could have been more substance to the MMC (love him tho!!!) - I wish we could have gotten his POV or a little more backstory/meat to him. I also think that some of the side characters lacked depth too.
Additionally, I was a bit confused at how fast Ambrose honed her skill and was somehow able to defeat so many people without any consequence. I get her magic is different and stronger, but we didn’t really see her practicing her skill much, rather than just being in fight or flight mode all the time. I even think it was mentioned that she struggled to control it, but it didn’t seem that way in the fight scenes.
Another huge turnoff for me that kept taking me out of the book was the amount of grammatical errors - this is my first ARC copy so not sure if that’s normal?
Despite that, I loved this book & can’t wait for the next one!
June 3, 2025
I loved the plot of this book and the main FMC. She strong but yet still needs help. I love how she pushes through whatever she faces and learns new things about herself. I'm starting to like the MMC. I like the slow burn of this story and how we get to see over time what the MMC is really like. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 25, 2025
Oh my god where do I even begin. Thank you so much Taryn Knightly for giving me the chance to read an e-arc of Immortal Origins. It was everything I wanted and so much more.
I absolutely fell in love with the world and the characters. Akadian is now one of my favourite book boyfriend ever and he said some of my favourite quotes I’ve ever read.
In Immortal Origins we are following servant woman, Ambrose where she stumbles upon something she isn’t supposed to and gets thrust into a deadly competition for a chance to win a place amongst the gods: the Immortal Trials. Alongside her is Prince Akadian, ordered to guard Ambrose and ensure she makes it to the trials, but like all good fantasy books, a romance ensues between the two.
Reading this book I was so conflicted but not for reasons you might think. I was in a constant battle with myself where I did not want to put the book down because it was so good, and not wanting to finish the book because there is nothing else complete in the series yet as Immortal Origins hasn’t even been released.
I am going to be in a severe book hangover after this book as I simply can not stop thinking about it. Everyone please read this.
- enemies to lovers
- dragons
- slow burn
- trials
- found family
- prince x servant
- unique magic system
I absolutely fell in love with the world and the characters. Akadian is now one of my favourite book boyfriend ever and he said some of my favourite quotes I’ve ever read.
In Immortal Origins we are following servant woman, Ambrose where she stumbles upon something she isn’t supposed to and gets thrust into a deadly competition for a chance to win a place amongst the gods: the Immortal Trials. Alongside her is Prince Akadian, ordered to guard Ambrose and ensure she makes it to the trials, but like all good fantasy books, a romance ensues between the two.
Reading this book I was so conflicted but not for reasons you might think. I was in a constant battle with myself where I did not want to put the book down because it was so good, and not wanting to finish the book because there is nothing else complete in the series yet as Immortal Origins hasn’t even been released.
I am going to be in a severe book hangover after this book as I simply can not stop thinking about it. Everyone please read this.
- enemies to lovers
- dragons
- slow burn
- trials
- found family
- prince x servant
- unique magic system
March 29, 2025
This book was so great, the story was amazing, I loved the world building, how the characters were presented, their own story and then the interactions between each other.
I enjoyed the magick, how it was supposed to work and how each one of them felt it in their bones, also changing along the way. The presence of gods, dragons, elves and other fantasy creatures had me really hooked in the story.
The slow-burn romance was really good and really slow! But it was perfect for me. They didn't even kiss until the very last pages!! I now need to know how the two of them will behave with this new relationship.
The book ends on a cliffhanger so intense.. that blew my mind!
I really want to read book N°2 of this trilogy. I need to know how the story goes!
Thank you Taryn Knightly and BookSirens for letting me be part of the ARC readers team.
INMORTAL ORIGINS will be released on
September 3rd ❤️🔥
I enjoyed the magick, how it was supposed to work and how each one of them felt it in their bones, also changing along the way. The presence of gods, dragons, elves and other fantasy creatures had me really hooked in the story.
The slow-burn romance was really good and really slow! But it was perfect for me. They didn't even kiss until the very last pages!! I now need to know how the two of them will behave with this new relationship.
The book ends on a cliffhanger so intense.. that blew my mind!
I really want to read book N°2 of this trilogy. I need to know how the story goes!
Thank you Taryn Knightly and BookSirens for letting me be part of the ARC readers team.
INMORTAL ORIGINS will be released on
September 3rd ❤️🔥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2025
Rating: 3.5 ✨
This was my first ever beta read and I was surprised by how good this book was. I’ve read a LOT of fantasy so don’t let my rating discourage you (I am picky). With that being said I’ll break down my review with some critiques and then what I loved (spoiler free of course).
What could’ve been better:
🔴 The pacing sometimes felt slightly off, with awkward time jumps that made me feel a slight disconnect from the characters and storyline.
🔴 Character development could’ve been better (although this didn’t bother me too much and I have high hopes that the characters will continue to evolve with the story.)
🔴 I would’ve like to see more interactions between all the characters in general so their relationships felt more natural.
What I loved:
✅ The magic system is interesting and was explained well. We have gods and dragons and much more.
✅ The imagery is beautiful and really allowed me to stay involved in the story.
✅ The characters themselves were enjoyable with a promising fiery FMC (who didn’t come off as annoying!!!) and broody MMC.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was an easy and fun read that has a lot of promise.
I am excited to see where this story goes!
This was my first ever beta read and I was surprised by how good this book was. I’ve read a LOT of fantasy so don’t let my rating discourage you (I am picky). With that being said I’ll break down my review with some critiques and then what I loved (spoiler free of course).
What could’ve been better:
🔴 The pacing sometimes felt slightly off, with awkward time jumps that made me feel a slight disconnect from the characters and storyline.
🔴 Character development could’ve been better (although this didn’t bother me too much and I have high hopes that the characters will continue to evolve with the story.)
🔴 I would’ve like to see more interactions between all the characters in general so their relationships felt more natural.
What I loved:
✅ The magic system is interesting and was explained well. We have gods and dragons and much more.
✅ The imagery is beautiful and really allowed me to stay involved in the story.
✅ The characters themselves were enjoyable with a promising fiery FMC (who didn’t come off as annoying!!!) and broody MMC.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was an easy and fun read that has a lot of promise.
I am excited to see where this story goes!
January 21, 2025
Ok ya’ll this book had me hooked from the very beginning! It’s everything you want in a fantasy book, elemental magic, gods, dragons, monsters, trials, slow burn romance, and alooooot more. There’s secrets to be revealed twists to be untwisted, I cannot wait to read the second book and see what happens next! Ambrose is a badass FMC born in servitude and as she goes on her journey you’ll feel all the emotions along with her, it’s all I want to say without giving out any spoilers. So buckle up buttercup! You’re in for a treat! ❤️
August 4, 2025
(Arc reader)
Meu deus! Eu gostei muito dessa história!!!!!!!
Confesso que achei a Ambrose algumas vezes um pouco sem noção haha, o jeito que ela sempre se envolvia em algum perigo me irritou.
O sistema de magia foi bem legal, consegui entender bem como tudo funciona.
Acho que pra um primeiro livro foi tudo bem construído. Claro, tenho várias dúvidas sobre muitas coisas, mas no geral eu gostei bastante. Li super rápido.
Teve um romance bem slow burn que eu amei!! Todas as migalhas deles me deixou muito feliz! Estou super ansiosa pro próximo livro! 🫶🏻
Meu deus! Eu gostei muito dessa história!!!!!!!
Confesso que achei a Ambrose algumas vezes um pouco sem noção haha, o jeito que ela sempre se envolvia em algum perigo me irritou.
O sistema de magia foi bem legal, consegui entender bem como tudo funciona.
Acho que pra um primeiro livro foi tudo bem construído. Claro, tenho várias dúvidas sobre muitas coisas, mas no geral eu gostei bastante. Li super rápido.
Teve um romance bem slow burn que eu amei!! Todas as migalhas deles me deixou muito feliz! Estou super ansiosa pro próximo livro! 🫶🏻
April 4, 2025
I received this as an ARC read and need the next one!!! This debut book for the Chronicles of the Immortal Trials series was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up and sacrificed some hours of sleep to be able to just read one more chapter.
Ambrose is so full of life in a way that makes you want to push against everything you’ve been told, especially when it doesn’t feel right, and fight and sacrifice for those you love and cherish. She was born a servant and as property of a kingdom that could do whatever they wanted to her with no repercussions. That is until she fought back and ultimately took control of her life and fate. I can’t wait to find out how her story progressed throughout the series.
Akadian is definitely one of my new favorite book boyfriends that I believe will forever live in my heart no matter what new books or series I read. He is definitely not how he seems to be in the beginning, and the farther you read the more you start to see bits and pieces of him that make you believe, he is just as much a prisoner to the empire they live in as a Prince as Ambrose is as a servant. He has more privilege yes, but that doesn’t mean he gets to make his own decisions or like what his job is for his kingdom.
The smaller side characters like Lily and Ernaline really tied together everything. They showed love and support for Ambrose and did everything in their power they could to help her train and be ready for the first trial. I hope to be able to read more about them throughout the series. There are a couple more characters that I liked but the main four I mentioned are, to me, the most important ones in the entire book.
The villain or I should say villains were great antagonists and definitely filled the roll of evil and always having some way to torture someone up their sleeves. I never once liked them and sometimes I can see the good in the villains from other books but for this one they were just that, villains. Casimir honestly creeped me out anytime he was brought into the story line. He is definitely a puppet with a master. That master being Valdis, we don’t really learn much about him until the end and even then still so many questions pop up about his agenda and what he really wants. I hope we get a deep dive into his reasonings for what has happened throughout the series, but have a feeling he will also be the type that I never see any good in.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, magic, and trials. It was fantastic and great debut book for Taryn Knightly. Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to receive it before it was released. I look forward to the next in the series.
Ambrose is so full of life in a way that makes you want to push against everything you’ve been told, especially when it doesn’t feel right, and fight and sacrifice for those you love and cherish. She was born a servant and as property of a kingdom that could do whatever they wanted to her with no repercussions. That is until she fought back and ultimately took control of her life and fate. I can’t wait to find out how her story progressed throughout the series.
Akadian is definitely one of my new favorite book boyfriends that I believe will forever live in my heart no matter what new books or series I read. He is definitely not how he seems to be in the beginning, and the farther you read the more you start to see bits and pieces of him that make you believe, he is just as much a prisoner to the empire they live in as a Prince as Ambrose is as a servant. He has more privilege yes, but that doesn’t mean he gets to make his own decisions or like what his job is for his kingdom.
The smaller side characters like Lily and Ernaline really tied together everything. They showed love and support for Ambrose and did everything in their power they could to help her train and be ready for the first trial. I hope to be able to read more about them throughout the series. There are a couple more characters that I liked but the main four I mentioned are, to me, the most important ones in the entire book.
The villain or I should say villains were great antagonists and definitely filled the roll of evil and always having some way to torture someone up their sleeves. I never once liked them and sometimes I can see the good in the villains from other books but for this one they were just that, villains. Casimir honestly creeped me out anytime he was brought into the story line. He is definitely a puppet with a master. That master being Valdis, we don’t really learn much about him until the end and even then still so many questions pop up about his agenda and what he really wants. I hope we get a deep dive into his reasonings for what has happened throughout the series, but have a feeling he will also be the type that I never see any good in.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, magic, and trials. It was fantastic and great debut book for Taryn Knightly. Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to receive it before it was released. I look forward to the next in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
I signed up to receive an advance reader copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily. As soon as I was about 30% in, I knew I was going to rate this book a 5 star. This book had me on the edge of my seat! What a journey this takes you on. I cried, I laughed, I cheered and was gasping reading this one!
Immortal Origins is a third person POV fantasy book with some of my favorite things, found family, SLOW BURN, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, evil gods and unique monsters.
This story follows Ambrose, a girl born into servitude within the kingdom. There is magic and an unfair system in place. I quickly fell in love with Ambrose from her strong will and fiery spirit. She is brilliant and so capable. Ambrose find herself in a situation that literally changes her life and defies all of the rules. From there we join her in a journey with the Immortal Trials where she’s often underestimated due to her status of “servant.”
The slow burn in this book was perfect! I love the relationship between the FMC and MMC. They are two unlikely people in the beginning but as we get to see them more you realize how they are similar and why the MMC starts to look at her differently. This one has a special place in my heart! I was giggling, smiling and squealing at their dynamic and it does stay true to the SLOW in slow burn which made it even better.
If a book makes me cry it’s an automatic five star but the way I was sitting up in my bed hands over my mouth stressed out reading is what really locked in this rating. I can’t wait for the rest of this story because I need to know what happens next! Also like Ambrose we have a few questions at the end that haven’t been answered.
This book releases on September 3rd! Will be on Kindle Unlimited and can be preordered now! Please do yourself a favor and add this one to your list!
The author has even written the a few chapters in the POV of our MMC which will release on September 3rd too and I will be running! I just know our man was in love hard and fast and I need to hear his thoughts!
Immortal Origins is a third person POV fantasy book with some of my favorite things, found family, SLOW BURN, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, evil gods and unique monsters.
This story follows Ambrose, a girl born into servitude within the kingdom. There is magic and an unfair system in place. I quickly fell in love with Ambrose from her strong will and fiery spirit. She is brilliant and so capable. Ambrose find herself in a situation that literally changes her life and defies all of the rules. From there we join her in a journey with the Immortal Trials where she’s often underestimated due to her status of “servant.”
The slow burn in this book was perfect! I love the relationship between the FMC and MMC. They are two unlikely people in the beginning but as we get to see them more you realize how they are similar and why the MMC starts to look at her differently. This one has a special place in my heart! I was giggling, smiling and squealing at their dynamic and it does stay true to the SLOW in slow burn which made it even better.
If a book makes me cry it’s an automatic five star but the way I was sitting up in my bed hands over my mouth stressed out reading is what really locked in this rating. I can’t wait for the rest of this story because I need to know what happens next! Also like Ambrose we have a few questions at the end that haven’t been answered.
This book releases on September 3rd! Will be on Kindle Unlimited and can be preordered now! Please do yourself a favor and add this one to your list!
The author has even written the a few chapters in the POV of our MMC which will release on September 3rd too and I will be running! I just know our man was in love hard and fast and I need to hear his thoughts!
August 16, 2025
This is an ARC review. I want to thank Taryn Knightly for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day!
This book caught and held my attention like none other! I have a love/hate relationship with Ambrose because well she IRKS my nerves with her lack of ability to listen and follow any kind of orders. With that I also root for her in the same breath because well nearly everything that happens in the kingdoms I am 100% against. She has lost so much but hopefully will gain more than she ever desires.
The Prince, Akadian, we had an enemies to lovers not only in the book but also with the relationship with me. He DISLIKED this man for showing complicity in anyway as well as hurting my girl Ambrose. As his story unfolded and secrets were spilled…I couldn’t help but start to fall for him some. And when the tiniest sparks started to show between him and Ambrose I might have swooned a bit. Ambrose never had anyone to stand with her and it was a sight to see!
The world building and magical systems I loved! The author did a great job allowing the readers to really immerse themselves into the world. It sounded gorgeous besides the people in it and of course the forest.
I CANNOT WAIT for the next book in the series as it fully sounds like they are not done with her. And I still have so many questions that need answers!! The biggest one: who are all 12 Gods if they only have 10 in the history books?!
Fav Quotes:
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my to way you,” he said, blue eyes shining in the early morning sun as he stared at her.”
“You’re no ones’ property anymore. You belong to you.”
This book caught and held my attention like none other! I have a love/hate relationship with Ambrose because well she IRKS my nerves with her lack of ability to listen and follow any kind of orders. With that I also root for her in the same breath because well nearly everything that happens in the kingdoms I am 100% against. She has lost so much but hopefully will gain more than she ever desires.
The Prince, Akadian, we had an enemies to lovers not only in the book but also with the relationship with me. He DISLIKED this man for showing complicity in anyway as well as hurting my girl Ambrose. As his story unfolded and secrets were spilled…I couldn’t help but start to fall for him some. And when the tiniest sparks started to show between him and Ambrose I might have swooned a bit. Ambrose never had anyone to stand with her and it was a sight to see!
The world building and magical systems I loved! The author did a great job allowing the readers to really immerse themselves into the world. It sounded gorgeous besides the people in it and of course the forest.
I CANNOT WAIT for the next book in the series as it fully sounds like they are not done with her. And I still have so many questions that need answers!! The biggest one: who are all 12 Gods if they only have 10 in the history books?!
Fav Quotes:
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my to way you,” he said, blue eyes shining in the early morning sun as he stared at her.”
“You’re no ones’ property anymore. You belong to you.”
August 4, 2025
First I would like to thank the author and the publisher for allowing me to have a digital ARC.
When I first read the summary of this book off Instagram, I was immediately filling out the ARC application.
This book was a wild ride. I think I finished this in 6- 6.5 hours. This book has everything I normally gravitate to : Enemies to lovers, touch her and die, forced proximity, mythical creatures, troubled MMC, and magic system that I have not seen before.
I really loved the concept of this book. I really liked how the FMC was strong and determined and stayed true to herself. However, she lacked confidence in who she let get close to her. I think she has strong character development and had the most growth throughout the book.
I really liked what I saw of the MMC. Who doesn't love a fire wielding prince? I just wish the author would have put more into his character and showed more of what was going on with him.
I really wish this book was written in first person with alternating POVs. I think this would have gave the reader more insight to both characters and I feel that it would have cleared up some muddy parts that I had to reread a couple times. There were times that I didn't really know what was going on (that might just be me).
This book contains no spice and I felt that what romance there is occurs closer to the end of the book.
I'm going to rate this as a 4 star book for me. Mainly because I think this book would have been better executed in first person.
If you're looking for a fantasy book with components you have never seen before and are looking for something with no spice, then this book is for you! Regardless of how I feel, I still devoured the book and I think others should give it a shot too!
When I first read the summary of this book off Instagram, I was immediately filling out the ARC application.
This book was a wild ride. I think I finished this in 6- 6.5 hours. This book has everything I normally gravitate to : Enemies to lovers, touch her and die, forced proximity, mythical creatures, troubled MMC, and magic system that I have not seen before.
I really loved the concept of this book. I really liked how the FMC was strong and determined and stayed true to herself. However, she lacked confidence in who she let get close to her. I think she has strong character development and had the most growth throughout the book.
I really liked what I saw of the MMC. Who doesn't love a fire wielding prince? I just wish the author would have put more into his character and showed more of what was going on with him.
I really wish this book was written in first person with alternating POVs. I think this would have gave the reader more insight to both characters and I feel that it would have cleared up some muddy parts that I had to reread a couple times. There were times that I didn't really know what was going on (that might just be me).
This book contains no spice and I felt that what romance there is occurs closer to the end of the book.
I'm going to rate this as a 4 star book for me. Mainly because I think this book would have been better executed in first person.
If you're looking for a fantasy book with components you have never seen before and are looking for something with no spice, then this book is for you! Regardless of how I feel, I still devoured the book and I think others should give it a shot too!
May 7, 2025
ARC Review: Immortal Origins by Taryn Knightley
Favorite fantasy ARC to date. ✨
I feel so honored to have been given an ARC of this. Thank you to Taryn Knightley for a free copy of this, in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hidden gem people. This is captivating from start to finish. 💕
Immortal Origins follows Ambrose, a young mage in-training and a servant in the land of Eltoria. Confined within the palace walls and their roles, she secretly questions the heirarchies and trains arms and in secret with her soldier brother; until a fateful night shattered everything. To possibly save her life for the next months, she thrusts herself to the deadliest of trials no one has ever come out alive from—The Champion’s Tournament. Now she discovers deadly secrets among the gods, uncovers powers she can’t control and she’s more in danger than ever.
One of the more impressive aspects of this book is how immediately immersive the writing is. From the very first page, the book draws you in with a compelling and strong plot that keeps you turning pages effortlessly. There’s so much adrenaline and suspense! The development of the female main character—from a servant to a powerful mage—also felt seamless and earned, which makes the story satisfying to read. Her strength, discipline, and compassion make her a standout protagonist, and it’s refreshing to see such a headstrong and capable heroine.
There is also a slow-burn romance beginning to unfold, which I found myself heavily invested in. 😅 I want to see more of them, I’m rooting for them and I’m excited to see how that relationship will evolve in the next books.
As the first installment in a series, the book leaves readers with several questions, and I’m curious to see how the story will go. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of fantasy, high-stakes adventure, and slow-burn romance!
Release date: September 3, 2025
Favorite fantasy ARC to date. ✨
I feel so honored to have been given an ARC of this. Thank you to Taryn Knightley for a free copy of this, in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hidden gem people. This is captivating from start to finish. 💕
Immortal Origins follows Ambrose, a young mage in-training and a servant in the land of Eltoria. Confined within the palace walls and their roles, she secretly questions the heirarchies and trains arms and in secret with her soldier brother; until a fateful night shattered everything. To possibly save her life for the next months, she thrusts herself to the deadliest of trials no one has ever come out alive from—The Champion’s Tournament. Now she discovers deadly secrets among the gods, uncovers powers she can’t control and she’s more in danger than ever.
One of the more impressive aspects of this book is how immediately immersive the writing is. From the very first page, the book draws you in with a compelling and strong plot that keeps you turning pages effortlessly. There’s so much adrenaline and suspense! The development of the female main character—from a servant to a powerful mage—also felt seamless and earned, which makes the story satisfying to read. Her strength, discipline, and compassion make her a standout protagonist, and it’s refreshing to see such a headstrong and capable heroine.
There is also a slow-burn romance beginning to unfold, which I found myself heavily invested in. 😅 I want to see more of them, I’m rooting for them and I’m excited to see how that relationship will evolve in the next books.
As the first installment in a series, the book leaves readers with several questions, and I’m curious to see how the story will go. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of fantasy, high-stakes adventure, and slow-burn romance!
Release date: September 3, 2025
July 4, 2025
3.5⭐️
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my way to you.”
I really enjoyed this book! Now, I read it as a downloaded ARC before official release, so there are definitely grammatical errors and such that hopefully 🤞🏼 will be fixed in the final published copies. I will definitely be in line to grab a copy for my shelves & will be patiently awaiting book #2!
I will say the first 30%-ish was hard for me to get into, there wasn’t enough going on in my opinion. There was the world building of course, but I think we maybe could’ve gone a little more into detail? Idk, I’m not the professional 😅. Once I got past the set up of the story, it really picked up for me. It was hard to put down and was a pretty quick read for me. I LOVE Akadian, it’s just something about him 👀. But again I sort of had the issue where I wish there was more detail. They went from her being totally against him, to the FMC doing a full 180. I just wanted MORE. More training, more of the trials (why do I feel like it was rushed??), more Akadian & Ambrose around the palace, more bickering and banter, just MORE.
Anyway I’m nitpicking now, I really did enjoy the story and will definitely be reading the next one!🫶
“I’d save you in a thousand lifetimes, or until my last day. Whichever came first, I would always find my way to you.”
I really enjoyed this book! Now, I read it as a downloaded ARC before official release, so there are definitely grammatical errors and such that hopefully 🤞🏼 will be fixed in the final published copies. I will definitely be in line to grab a copy for my shelves & will be patiently awaiting book #2!
I will say the first 30%-ish was hard for me to get into, there wasn’t enough going on in my opinion. There was the world building of course, but I think we maybe could’ve gone a little more into detail? Idk, I’m not the professional 😅. Once I got past the set up of the story, it really picked up for me. It was hard to put down and was a pretty quick read for me. I LOVE Akadian, it’s just something about him 👀. But again I sort of had the issue where I wish there was more detail. They went from her being totally against him, to the FMC doing a full 180. I just wanted MORE. More training, more of the trials (why do I feel like it was rushed??), more Akadian & Ambrose around the palace, more bickering and banter, just MORE.
Anyway I’m nitpicking now, I really did enjoy the story and will definitely be reading the next one!🫶
April 20, 2025
Initially, it took me a little bit to get into the story and to grow attached to the FMC. In the end, I read the last 40% of the book within a day, wanting to know what would happen because it was action packed!
I’d like to see more character development in the next book (😊know much more of FMC and MMC back story as well as more about Lily and Adym), more world building (or more answers to the unanswered questions) and more romance - definitely a slow burn here.
I did notice some grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that were distracting but nothing that can’t be improved moving forward.
I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I’d like to see more character development in the next book (😊know much more of FMC and MMC back story as well as more about Lily and Adym), more world building (or more answers to the unanswered questions) and more romance - definitely a slow burn here.
I did notice some grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that were distracting but nothing that can’t be improved moving forward.
I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 1, 2026
My last read of the year and what a way to end it!!! I ate this up!! I freaking loved Ambrose from the very beginning (and who could blame her for defending herself?!?) and when she declares herself into the champions tournament after being sentenced to death…that’s how you beat the odds (or at least give yourself 6 more months to figure a way out it)! Immortal Origins was exciting from start to finish and Akadian was morally grey perfection!! Seemingly cruel but really the villain of my dreams!! The magic system is really cool and I love how Ambrose kept discovering what she could do and how to control it! The ending was incredible and just proved how amazing Ambrose is and I need more right now!!!!
August 4, 2025
My expectations for intricate world building were far exceeded by this debut! Though, I think my reading experience would have benefited from a more accurate plot description. The events that are currently advertised in the description do not occur until almost 80% of the way into the story, and once we do get there the pacing really picks up to where things felt a bit rushed. So in a way, I felt like I mostly read a prequel to the plot description as it stands. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy or was uninterested by what did occur in the vast majority of the book, because I was intrigued! It just didn’t really end up meeting the expectations I formed from reading the plot summary.
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