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Bain Rock: A Sapphic Dystopian 80s Fantasy
June, 1984 - On the remote island of Inea, the ruthless militia has outlawed all magic.
Emma is born into a long line of witches, but when she turns nineteen, her magical powers don't appear. Nor is the daughter of a sworn enemy and prominent Dissenter. As war brews between rival factions, the Council of Witches and the Dissenters, Emma sets out on a perilous quest to save her last living relative.
Emma and Nor's paths collide, and forbidden love unfolds. Not everything is at seems, and Emma uncovers a secret which threatens everything.
A formidable foe rises, and old enemies must work together if they're to stop him... and Emma must decide how far she's willing to go.
Emma is born into a long line of witches, but when she turns nineteen, her magical powers don't appear. Nor is the daughter of a sworn enemy and prominent Dissenter. As war brews between rival factions, the Council of Witches and the Dissenters, Emma sets out on a perilous quest to save her last living relative.
Emma and Nor's paths collide, and forbidden love unfolds. Not everything is at seems, and Emma uncovers a secret which threatens everything.
A formidable foe rises, and old enemies must work together if they're to stop him... and Emma must decide how far she's willing to go.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2025
7 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
J. Cabral-Jackson
1 book5 followersJ. Cabral-Jackson is a medic and a writer with a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester, studying under Professor Jeanette Winterson, Geoff Ryman and Ian McGuire. Her novel Louis & Marguerite was a finalist in the Pulp Idol Novel Competition 2018 and she is an NYC Midnight Screenwriting Competition finalist.
Her writing publications include Hex, The Morality Test, Second Life, Temporal Distortion, The Ark, Project V.V., Agent Prime Collision, The Boy With The Lungs Of A Lion, My Name is Vincent, and The Ocean's Call published by Sci-Fi Shorts.
She is a Gen X writer and loves reading, swimming in wild seas, and travelling. She lives in Canterbury with her wife Lou and her pet family (Snow, The Whippet and three rescue cats, Lady, Leo and Aggie).
Her writing publications include Hex, The Morality Test, Second Life, Temporal Distortion, The Ark, Project V.V., Agent Prime Collision, The Boy With The Lungs Of A Lion, My Name is Vincent, and The Ocean's Call published by Sci-Fi Shorts.
She is a Gen X writer and loves reading, swimming in wild seas, and travelling. She lives in Canterbury with her wife Lou and her pet family (Snow, The Whippet and three rescue cats, Lady, Leo and Aggie).
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 23, 2025
Bain Rock was a fantastic and incredibly touching story, it moved with a fabulous yet respectable romance between Em and Nor. Their adventures conjure beautiful imagery, to the point I could almost see and smell the hydrangeas!
A detailed and compelling storyline that had me wanting for more. I can’t wait to see where J. Cabral-Jackson goes next.
A detailed and compelling storyline that had me wanting for more. I can’t wait to see where J. Cabral-Jackson goes next.
November 9, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was just right, the characters are all so diverse, the little love story mixed in is so sweet, the twist was unexpected.... I just loved everything about this book.
Thank you to both the author and booksirens for the opportunity.
Thank you to both the author and booksirens for the opportunity.
October 14, 2025
Bain Rock is a fast paced magical, mystery story with a dash of queer romance, set against a 1980s backdrop where the militia has taken control of everything and magical people are now fragmented and persecuted. The lead heroine Emma has to navigate this while trying to find out who is targeting her family and falling in love with someone unexpected.
I loved the premise of the book, (give me a rocky political situation and magic and I am hooked) and the fascinating cast of characters it brings to life. Nor, Tom and Hekeziah being personal favourites but each character feels distinct and memorable. I often found myself wishing this was the first book in a series, so there would be more time to linger on each characters complicated backstory. Maybe I will get to see that in a prequel or in some novellas further down the line. (Hint, hint!)
What also stood out to me was the world building. The political climate that J. Cabral-Jackson created felt incredibly layered and authentic, showing how power and control ripple through society, affecting the people and the economy.
I also loved how the author captured that first spark of falling in love with someone, even when the romance it doesn’t always go smoothly.
I only have two small criticisms. One is that the pacing at times could be a little too fast with some conflicts resolving too quickly. (Basically I just wanted more, which is exactly what you want an author to do even if you are crying on the inside.) The second is my early confusion over Emma, referring to her mother and grandmother by their first names. I don’t recall there being an explanation to why she did this.
Overall, Bain Rock is an engaging and imaginative novel that I know I will revisit again in the future. (High praise from me!) I would absolutely read more stories set in this world, and will be keeping an eye out for whatever work J. Cabrel-Jackson writes next.
I did receive an advanced copy of this book for free and I am reviewing it voluntarily because it deserves to be shouted about.
I loved the premise of the book, (give me a rocky political situation and magic and I am hooked) and the fascinating cast of characters it brings to life. Nor, Tom and Hekeziah being personal favourites but each character feels distinct and memorable. I often found myself wishing this was the first book in a series, so there would be more time to linger on each characters complicated backstory. Maybe I will get to see that in a prequel or in some novellas further down the line. (Hint, hint!)
What also stood out to me was the world building. The political climate that J. Cabral-Jackson created felt incredibly layered and authentic, showing how power and control ripple through society, affecting the people and the economy.
I also loved how the author captured that first spark of falling in love with someone, even when the romance it doesn’t always go smoothly.
I only have two small criticisms. One is that the pacing at times could be a little too fast with some conflicts resolving too quickly. (Basically I just wanted more, which is exactly what you want an author to do even if you are crying on the inside.) The second is my early confusion over Emma, referring to her mother and grandmother by their first names. I don’t recall there being an explanation to why she did this.
Overall, Bain Rock is an engaging and imaginative novel that I know I will revisit again in the future. (High praise from me!) I would absolutely read more stories set in this world, and will be keeping an eye out for whatever work J. Cabrel-Jackson writes next.
I did receive an advanced copy of this book for free and I am reviewing it voluntarily because it deserves to be shouted about.
October 29, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Bain Rock is a dark, atmospheric fantasy with rich gothic world-building and a sapphic thread between Emma and Nor. The writing is lyrical and immersive, full of lore and ritual detail. Readers who enjoy slow-burn, mystical stories will find a lot to love here.
Bain Rock is a dark, atmospheric fantasy with rich gothic world-building and a sapphic thread between Emma and Nor. The writing is lyrical and immersive, full of lore and ritual detail. Readers who enjoy slow-burn, mystical stories will find a lot to love here.
November 21, 2025
I had to read this book all in one go, it was impossible to put down to get some sleep. It flows well, with waves of tension and calm. It's never boring and there is a sense of gentle excitement ,keeping me hooked. There are fascinating themes and twists running through it; drama, evil, family and illicit magic, along with new love and it's fear of exposure. It's a grown up fairy story, beautifully written. There is definitely an opening for it's sequel.
Vanessa Fox.
Vanessa Fox.
October 20, 2025
I love anything with witches, and this plot was no exception!
If you love first person, present tense fiction, you’re gonna dig this. Cool characters ( I wasn’t fully sold in the MC, but if this does turn into a series, I would love to see where the author takes her character development), totally loved all of the side characters, though!
Bain rock made me question the motives of every single character multiple times over. This took me much longer than usual to read, and I genuinely think it is because it was so incredibly fast paced that I needed to give myself a breather, and come up for air. I think if the pacing was a bit slower, I probably would have read this in one sit! (Not necessarily a bad thing, at all. I realize that not every book I am the exact target audience for.)
Thank you forever the advanced copy for free, Im leaving this review voluntarily.
If you love first person, present tense fiction, you’re gonna dig this. Cool characters ( I wasn’t fully sold in the MC, but if this does turn into a series, I would love to see where the author takes her character development), totally loved all of the side characters, though!
Bain rock made me question the motives of every single character multiple times over. This took me much longer than usual to read, and I genuinely think it is because it was so incredibly fast paced that I needed to give myself a breather, and come up for air. I think if the pacing was a bit slower, I probably would have read this in one sit! (Not necessarily a bad thing, at all. I realize that not every book I am the exact target audience for.)
Thank you forever the advanced copy for free, Im leaving this review voluntarily.
October 28, 2025
I received this book for free as an ARC-reader. Please read the book for yourself and make up your own mind as I may just really not have been the target audience for this one.
TL;DR: Great and interesting premise and interesting characters gets drowned in too much plot stuffed into one book. Note to author: Please spend more pages letting us explore the setting and your characters. Your world is interesting and your characters are too, but it feels like we are zooming past them.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. The start was a proper banger, but after that I grew more and more frustrated. Characters were introduced quickly, and though they were interesting in and of themselves, every chance I found of learning more about them was passed by at breakneck speed. Instead of spending two extra paragraphs where the characters walk talk, and really talk, to each other, we are treated to little timeskips to the morning after or some such thing. When the characters do have these moments, they are too short and I feel we gleam too little about them for the scenes to be impactful.
I would LOVE to get to know Nor and Tom and all the other good characters in there, as well as learn more about the world. What are their favourite shows and songs and why? What do the locations look like?
Also, I felt some scenes became unrealistic because of adults clearly not showing an appropriate level of paranoia or subterfuge for the type of society they live in. Without said paranoia or subterfuge, I find it hard to believe they would have survived that long in their own world.
Again, I love the premise and core concept of the book, but in the end I found myself unable to know any of the characters. They became props in the plot, instead of the engines of the story. I just wish we were given more time to know the characters.
Personally, I think this book should have been kept at its original length, but ending somewhere in the middle of the plot we were presented with.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
TL;DR: Great and interesting premise and interesting characters gets drowned in too much plot stuffed into one book. Note to author: Please spend more pages letting us explore the setting and your characters. Your world is interesting and your characters are too, but it feels like we are zooming past them.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. The start was a proper banger, but after that I grew more and more frustrated. Characters were introduced quickly, and though they were interesting in and of themselves, every chance I found of learning more about them was passed by at breakneck speed. Instead of spending two extra paragraphs where the characters walk talk, and really talk, to each other, we are treated to little timeskips to the morning after or some such thing. When the characters do have these moments, they are too short and I feel we gleam too little about them for the scenes to be impactful.
I would LOVE to get to know Nor and Tom and all the other good characters in there, as well as learn more about the world. What are their favourite shows and songs and why? What do the locations look like?
Also, I felt some scenes became unrealistic because of adults clearly not showing an appropriate level of paranoia or subterfuge for the type of society they live in. Without said paranoia or subterfuge, I find it hard to believe they would have survived that long in their own world.
Again, I love the premise and core concept of the book, but in the end I found myself unable to know any of the characters. They became props in the plot, instead of the engines of the story. I just wish we were given more time to know the characters.
Personally, I think this book should have been kept at its original length, but ending somewhere in the middle of the plot we were presented with.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 31, 2025
The premise of this book is great and the characters immediately drew me in. The world feels fresh, imaginative, and full of potential, and the opening chapters promised a story I was ready to fall in love with. The author clearly has a gift for building intriguing settings and compelling character concepts that could easily carry the entire book.
I just wanted the story to slow down a bit and let me really live in it. So much happens so fast that it sometimes felt like we were racing past moments that deserved more space. Events move swiftly, and while that keeps things exciting, it also means we lose some of the smaller, more intimate moments that give characters depth.
Still, the story’s foundation is strong, and despite my frustrations with pacing, I genuinely enjoyed it. The premise, atmosphere, and character ideas are all there; they just need more room to shine. I’d happily read a sequel or even a slower, expanded version of this same story. With a bit more time spent on character depth and world immersion, then this could easily be a five star.
I just wanted the story to slow down a bit and let me really live in it. So much happens so fast that it sometimes felt like we were racing past moments that deserved more space. Events move swiftly, and while that keeps things exciting, it also means we lose some of the smaller, more intimate moments that give characters depth.
Still, the story’s foundation is strong, and despite my frustrations with pacing, I genuinely enjoyed it. The premise, atmosphere, and character ideas are all there; they just need more room to shine. I’d happily read a sequel or even a slower, expanded version of this same story. With a bit more time spent on character depth and world immersion, then this could easily be a five star.
October 12, 2025
“Turn around, bright eyes…” and read this book.
I received an ARC copy of Bain Rock and it was a blast. I finished it over two nights. It’s a dystopian fantasy set in 1984 where magic, rebellion, and queer identity combine beautifully.
The writing is sharp and cinematic, the pacing doesn't drag, and the world feels both new and familiar at the same time.
It follows Emma’s journey (no spoilers!), but there'clearly so much more to this world. The queer rep feels organic and human, not just token or symbolic. And Nor? Don’t even get me started. I adore her. Their connection, that gentle slow-burn romance in a world falling apart hit all the right notes. The 1984 setting adds layer to the story. It’s a literal magic war playing out against the backdrop of a decade obsessed with image and control. That’s clever and nostalgic!
I received an ARC copy of Bain Rock and it was a blast. I finished it over two nights. It’s a dystopian fantasy set in 1984 where magic, rebellion, and queer identity combine beautifully.
The writing is sharp and cinematic, the pacing doesn't drag, and the world feels both new and familiar at the same time.
It follows Emma’s journey (no spoilers!), but there'clearly so much more to this world. The queer rep feels organic and human, not just token or symbolic. And Nor? Don’t even get me started. I adore her. Their connection, that gentle slow-burn romance in a world falling apart hit all the right notes. The 1984 setting adds layer to the story. It’s a literal magic war playing out against the backdrop of a decade obsessed with image and control. That’s clever and nostalgic!
October 17, 2025
I was given this book complimentary from Book Sirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
Excellent book, fast paced with a great romance running through it. I particulaly liked the way the author set it in 18 with little cultural references, song and movie titles and current affairs. The cast of characters does get a bit complex at times remembering who is related to/working with/double crossing who but once this is settled in your head the pages fly pasy
The romance between the two girls is perfect anf binds the story together nicely it is also very believable.
If you are looking for a nice weekend read you could do a lot worse than this book - recommended
Excellent book, fast paced with a great romance running through it. I particulaly liked the way the author set it in 18 with little cultural references, song and movie titles and current affairs. The cast of characters does get a bit complex at times remembering who is related to/working with/double crossing who but once this is settled in your head the pages fly pasy
The romance between the two girls is perfect anf binds the story together nicely it is also very believable.
If you are looking for a nice weekend read you could do a lot worse than this book - recommended
November 12, 2025
Bain Rock is a spellbinding fantasy adventure filled with magic, danger, and heart. J. Cabral-Jackson crafts a rich and immersive world where loyalty, love, and destiny intertwine against the backdrop of a brewing war between witches and rebels. From its first pages, the story grips readers with its blend of tension, mystery, and emotional depth.
Emma, the young protagonist who has yet to manifest any magical powers, embarks on a daring quest to rescue her last living relative, Eva. Along the way, she discovers not only the truth about her heritage but also an unexpected love in Nor, the daughter of her sworn enemy. Their relationship adds tenderness and complexity to a world otherwise defined by conflict and power struggles.
Emma, the young protagonist who has yet to manifest any magical powers, embarks on a daring quest to rescue her last living relative, Eva. Along the way, she discovers not only the truth about her heritage but also an unexpected love in Nor, the daughter of her sworn enemy. Their relationship adds tenderness and complexity to a world otherwise defined by conflict and power struggles.
November 23, 2025
3.5⭐️ Emma, who comes from a long line of powerful witches, has yet to come into her powers at the common age of 19. But when a war brews because of an age-old hex and her aunt goes missing, Emma goes out in search of her and while she finds out big truths in her family line, she also bursts with a magic that just may save the day!
The character building was great in this book, but the transitions felt a bit rushed and were a little choppy, I would have liked the story to be a bit longer to give those transitions time to come into view better.
Overall I enjoyed the coming out story of Emma and Nor and would recommend this book to anyone who has ever had to hide their true selves and been afraid to tell the world around them who holds their heart!
The character building was great in this book, but the transitions felt a bit rushed and were a little choppy, I would have liked the story to be a bit longer to give those transitions time to come into view better.
Overall I enjoyed the coming out story of Emma and Nor and would recommend this book to anyone who has ever had to hide their true selves and been afraid to tell the world around them who holds their heart!
November 3, 2025
Dystopian sapphic fantasy romance set in the 80s! This was a fast paced magical story where the militia controls the island and the magical citizens are fragmented and persecuted. Emma navigates this while trying to determine who is targeting her family. While reading this everyone seems sus and it is fun to uncover the story along with Emma! I could see this story continuing or having accompanying novellas for the side characters - many of which I absolutely adore. I loved the relationship between Emma and Nor (the daughter of her families enemy). Appreciative for the chance to read this ARC!
December 10, 2025
I received Bain Rock as an ARC, so I want to say thank you for choosing me ! Now on to the good part lol.
I’m not usually a Dystopian Fantasy girlie but holy smokes this book blew me away! The FMC brings us into her world and it was so smooth and fast paced but not rushed. It’s packed with romance, magic, coming of age and of course danger. It’s set in 1984 which is really cool because there’s things that feel new and things that feel like we’ve been there before. I’m so happy I got to read this !!!!
I’m not usually a Dystopian Fantasy girlie but holy smokes this book blew me away! The FMC brings us into her world and it was so smooth and fast paced but not rushed. It’s packed with romance, magic, coming of age and of course danger. It’s set in 1984 which is really cool because there’s things that feel new and things that feel like we’ve been there before. I’m so happy I got to read this !!!!
December 17, 2025
A magical and heartfelt standout.
Bain Rock delivers an enchanting sapphic fantasy filled with rich world-building, a compelling family mystery, and a heroine discovering her power just as war looms. The nostalgic 80s atmosphere adds charm and depth, while the romance offers a bittersweet edge that lingers. Despite a few rushed transitions, the story’s vibrant characters, intriguing twists, and immersive magic make it a captivating read from start to finish. A must-read for fans of emotional, inclusive fantasy.
Bain Rock delivers an enchanting sapphic fantasy filled with rich world-building, a compelling family mystery, and a heroine discovering her power just as war looms. The nostalgic 80s atmosphere adds charm and depth, while the romance offers a bittersweet edge that lingers. Despite a few rushed transitions, the story’s vibrant characters, intriguing twists, and immersive magic make it a captivating read from start to finish. A must-read for fans of emotional, inclusive fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews