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A Realm of Deceit
Eva Diomante, a Physics student interning at Evonis is taken against her will to the realm of Neráidel, finding herself under the care of Dorran Aelfdene who isn't everything he seems. Being plucked from home, this strange land redefines everything she thought she knew about life itself. A human in a new world full of fairies and gods, she must navigate her way through this new life, and in the process discover things she thought impossible about herself.
When her savior becomes her captor the handsome King Aron of Ambrose saves her, sending her down a path that will teach her to be her own savior while learning the meaning of true love with the mysterious king.
Join Eva as she overcomes betrayals and adversity. Just when she thinks she's safe, she finds out that things are only getting started.
When her savior becomes her captor the handsome King Aron of Ambrose saves her, sending her down a path that will teach her to be her own savior while learning the meaning of true love with the mysterious king.
Join Eva as she overcomes betrayals and adversity. Just when she thinks she's safe, she finds out that things are only getting started.
677 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 1, 2026
I went into A Realm of Deceit a little nervous. Early on, I was worried it was going to feel very ACOTAR-coded, but I was quickly proven wrong, and I’m glad I stuck with it. The world and overall story were genuinely engaging, and once things got moving, I was hooked enough to keep reading even when I wanted to scream at the characters.
Eva… was a lot for me at first. She was such a pushover in the beginning that I kept wanting to yell at her through the page. That said, I really appreciated her growth throughout the book. She does get stronger. She does learn to stand up for herself. By the end, I liked her a lot more than I did at the start, and that arc felt intentional.
One thing I loved about Eva, though, was how casual and unapologetic she is about sex. She wants sex, she finds men attractive, and she has sex. Full stop. It’s not treated like a moral crisis, and I really appreciated that aspect of her character.
Aron… yeah. He’s hot. Extremely hot. I get the appeal. That said, I didn’t love how quickly Eva forgave him. It felt rushed, especially considering everything that went down. I wanted more grovelling. More tension. More time before forgiveness was on the table.
Also....Dorran. I knew from the start he was going to be the worst. No surprises there.
And Alexia? Eva is better than me because I absolutely would have killed her. But I do understand why that didn’t happen. It clearly ties into Eva becoming a merciful, forgiving future queen, even if it wasn’t my personal preference as a reader.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters and story kept me interested, and while Eva frustrated me early on, I liked seeing her grow into herself. Some choices frustrated me, but I guess that's how books are. It was a fun, steamy read, and I’m invested enough to keep going with the series.
Eva… was a lot for me at first. She was such a pushover in the beginning that I kept wanting to yell at her through the page. That said, I really appreciated her growth throughout the book. She does get stronger. She does learn to stand up for herself. By the end, I liked her a lot more than I did at the start, and that arc felt intentional.
One thing I loved about Eva, though, was how casual and unapologetic she is about sex. She wants sex, she finds men attractive, and she has sex. Full stop. It’s not treated like a moral crisis, and I really appreciated that aspect of her character.
Aron… yeah. He’s hot. Extremely hot. I get the appeal. That said, I didn’t love how quickly Eva forgave him. It felt rushed, especially considering everything that went down. I wanted more grovelling. More tension. More time before forgiveness was on the table.
Also....Dorran. I knew from the start he was going to be the worst. No surprises there.
And Alexia? Eva is better than me because I absolutely would have killed her. But I do understand why that didn’t happen. It clearly ties into Eva becoming a merciful, forgiving future queen, even if it wasn’t my personal preference as a reader.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters and story kept me interested, and while Eva frustrated me early on, I liked seeing her grow into herself. Some choices frustrated me, but I guess that's how books are. It was a fun, steamy read, and I’m invested enough to keep going with the series.
December 26, 2025
A surprisingly engaging plot weighed down by a FMC who keeps forgetting her brain every time a handsome male walks by.
Eva is introduced as an aspiring physicist, but after being abducted into a magical realm, curiosity about… well, anything scientific has apparently vanished. House magic? New laws of reality? Ancient beings? Accepted without a single probing question. Vulnerability and naivety, however, is explored in great depth—mostly through a rapid succession of sexual fixations that replace any genuine character development.
She jumps at the first available lover (who turns out not to be her savior, but her abductor), then almost immediately pivots to the next, more beautiful and powerful option—because of course he has waited two thousand years just for her. Once that toxic situation implodes, she barely pauses before salivating over the next male in the vicinity. The hypocrisy peaks when she’s offended that lover number one moved on while she was gone… as if she hadn’t done exactly the same.
Aron—scenting of citrus and oak, naturally—is gorgeous and ancient and worshipful. And yet, without the fated-mate explanation (I presume), it’s hard to see what a two-thousand-year-old demigod finds so enthralling about a whiny, perpetually horny college student who seems overwhelmed by any thought containing more than one fact. When he monologues about her brilliance and depth, it feels like he’s describing an entirely different woman.
This is for you if you like
• Spice on nearly every other page, largely disconnected from plot progression
• Ancient demigods falling instantly for modern college girls
• FMCs who lose all coherent thought the moment an attractive man appears
This is not for you if you
• Can’t stand whiny FMCs who drool over every male they encounter
• Have strong opinions about toxic relationships and extreme power imbalances
• Expect female physicists to retain their intellect after leaving Earth
• Are irritated by the relentlessly repetitive use of “male” (male look, male dominance) and „clenching“
Despite all of this, I didn’t hate the book—far from it. The underlying story is interesting, and there’s enough momentum to keep turning pages. I eventually started skipping the spicy scenes because they felt repetitive and overused, and the whole novel could have benefited from firmer editing and a more self-aware FMC.
Still… I’m invested enough to continue.
⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Solid and readable, but frustratingly shallow where it mattered most.
Eva is introduced as an aspiring physicist, but after being abducted into a magical realm, curiosity about… well, anything scientific has apparently vanished. House magic? New laws of reality? Ancient beings? Accepted without a single probing question. Vulnerability and naivety, however, is explored in great depth—mostly through a rapid succession of sexual fixations that replace any genuine character development.
She jumps at the first available lover (who turns out not to be her savior, but her abductor), then almost immediately pivots to the next, more beautiful and powerful option—because of course he has waited two thousand years just for her. Once that toxic situation implodes, she barely pauses before salivating over the next male in the vicinity. The hypocrisy peaks when she’s offended that lover number one moved on while she was gone… as if she hadn’t done exactly the same.
Aron—scenting of citrus and oak, naturally—is gorgeous and ancient and worshipful. And yet, without the fated-mate explanation (I presume), it’s hard to see what a two-thousand-year-old demigod finds so enthralling about a whiny, perpetually horny college student who seems overwhelmed by any thought containing more than one fact. When he monologues about her brilliance and depth, it feels like he’s describing an entirely different woman.
This is for you if you like
• Spice on nearly every other page, largely disconnected from plot progression
• Ancient demigods falling instantly for modern college girls
• FMCs who lose all coherent thought the moment an attractive man appears
This is not for you if you
• Can’t stand whiny FMCs who drool over every male they encounter
• Have strong opinions about toxic relationships and extreme power imbalances
• Expect female physicists to retain their intellect after leaving Earth
• Are irritated by the relentlessly repetitive use of “male” (male look, male dominance) and „clenching“
Despite all of this, I didn’t hate the book—far from it. The underlying story is interesting, and there’s enough momentum to keep turning pages. I eventually started skipping the spicy scenes because they felt repetitive and overused, and the whole novel could have benefited from firmer editing and a more self-aware FMC.
Still… I’m invested enough to continue.
⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Solid and readable, but frustratingly shallow where it mattered most.
April 8, 2026
Loved it! This is right up my alley and I loved every minute of it! I really enjoy the FMC Eva and her character development. I find myself thinking of this book often. The spice, plus humor and plot made this a really enjoyable binge worthy book! I immediately started the next book after finishing this one.
January 24, 2026
This book honestly has the perfect title because truly every character lies and not just once they are deceitful to the max. The main character is Eva Diamanté and she’s a college student with a prestigious internship/job at a high end science lab and is dating her boss. She goes out for a night at the club and sees her boyfriend about to cheat on her so she goes home upset and can’t sleep and is kidnapped by some strange looking guys then knocked out and wakes up in a mysterious land. She’s “saved” from her cell by a fae man who tells her she is brought to a fae land and will not be able to leave because there’s no way back. She’s quickly falling into a very lust forward relationship with this fae male she has very little knowledge of and starts to see things aren’t all as they seem. The book is a little longer and takes a lot of turns and covers the span of probably 8 ish months so there is quite a bit that Eva goes through and learns and experiences during that time. There is a LOT of spice in this book like more then what I’d typically look for in a book but the writing is pretty good and not cringey at all so I enjoyed the book mostly from start to finish I was invested in Eva’s story. There is also the second book currently out and I immediately downloaded it after the ending of this because I need to know where the story goes from here. I received an arc of this on NetGalley but it’s currently available on kindle unlimited. Definitely an enjoyable romantasy with elements similar to ACOTAR and many other books in this genre but didn’t feel like a knock off like some where there were scenes I was hoping it wouldn’t go this direction and thankfully it didn’t. Also the MMC is very likeable but secretive and I can see things coming to light in the next book as well.
December 4, 2025
Book one in the Arcane Gods series, Eva is forced into another realm, one filled with things she once thought only fantasy. Fairies, gods, kings, and villains round out this romance with an amazingly detailed world to surround it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 31, 2026
Eva is a Physics student, works at a great company as intern and has an affair with her boss Brandon there. Her live is perfect even so her flatmate and best friend is not a big fan of Brandon. Still all of them go out and when she sees another woman on his lap and he is ogling her she is devastated as she has the feeling this is not the first time, he is betraying her. During the night she hears that somebody tries to come into the flat and she assumes it is him and he wants to apologize. She is shocked when it turns out strange men enter the flat and abduct her.
When she wakes up in a cell it is clear something is very wrong. She is in another realm in which fairies and gods live and all looks perfect when Dorran finds and cares for her. Soon she must discover all is not what it seems like and her so thought savoir becomes her captor. Luckily she already met Aron and soon this King saves her from Dorran and Eva is learning more and more about herself and the realm she is in yet.
The story sounded interesting but unfortunately this book didn´t work for me. The idea is good, there is potential but for me it was hard finishing this book. The world building is a bit flat to me.
For me spicy dominated here when instead things should be talked about.
There are many spicy scenes but often I didn´t understand why she is always so high over heels for the good looking male around her, why instead of wanting to understand why she is in the new realm, how this world works she is lusting after a male. Most of the time, the chemistry was not really mine.
My main issue was Eva.
I really did not connect with her. She is way too naive for my liking. She had for the first time sex with her boss, feels betrayed by him, gets kidnapped and in the new realm it feels to me she lusts after every good looking guy. She feels constantly that she is not deserving these hot guys, makes herself small and this is what was really getting on my nerves and against how I feel woman should be treated and feel about themselves. There were scenes I really didn´t like at all. Here out of the book:” ... pain blend to pleasure when he found a punishing rhythm. This wasn´t just about need. It was about territory. “ This moves on then with “... Eva supposed that was the nature of their relationship and was content to go on that way if it meant she could have him for now.” This was a point where I asked myself if I shall keep reading as I really had my issues with her.
Then there was another scene where I absolutely did not understand her behaviour. I mean she had sex with the Dorran, then lusts after Aron , and it is clear that it is only a question of time when she will have sex with him, and when she looks via the Vale to earth and sees Brandon having sex with another she is annoyed that he is not waiting for her to return, is not looking for her. I really didn´t get this.
Also instead of talking things really through we have page over page her making out.
Dorran is interestingly set up as he is not what he seems to be.
Aron I prefer as character much more and like him a lot. Still the chemistry between him and Eva could not really convince me.
So I really had my issue with the characters as I often couldn´t understand their reactions.
At the end it improved for me, we learned more about this world, why Eva arrived there, more is happening but this was for me destroyed due to the sex scenes again.
So readers who like fantasy with lots of spice and fewer world build could like this.
When she wakes up in a cell it is clear something is very wrong. She is in another realm in which fairies and gods live and all looks perfect when Dorran finds and cares for her. Soon she must discover all is not what it seems like and her so thought savoir becomes her captor. Luckily she already met Aron and soon this King saves her from Dorran and Eva is learning more and more about herself and the realm she is in yet.
The story sounded interesting but unfortunately this book didn´t work for me. The idea is good, there is potential but for me it was hard finishing this book. The world building is a bit flat to me.
For me spicy dominated here when instead things should be talked about.
There are many spicy scenes but often I didn´t understand why she is always so high over heels for the good looking male around her, why instead of wanting to understand why she is in the new realm, how this world works she is lusting after a male. Most of the time, the chemistry was not really mine.
My main issue was Eva.
I really did not connect with her. She is way too naive for my liking. She had for the first time sex with her boss, feels betrayed by him, gets kidnapped and in the new realm it feels to me she lusts after every good looking guy. She feels constantly that she is not deserving these hot guys, makes herself small and this is what was really getting on my nerves and against how I feel woman should be treated and feel about themselves. There were scenes I really didn´t like at all. Here out of the book:” ... pain blend to pleasure when he found a punishing rhythm. This wasn´t just about need. It was about territory. “ This moves on then with “... Eva supposed that was the nature of their relationship and was content to go on that way if it meant she could have him for now.” This was a point where I asked myself if I shall keep reading as I really had my issues with her.
Then there was another scene where I absolutely did not understand her behaviour. I mean she had sex with the Dorran, then lusts after Aron , and it is clear that it is only a question of time when she will have sex with him, and when she looks via the Vale to earth and sees Brandon having sex with another she is annoyed that he is not waiting for her to return, is not looking for her. I really didn´t get this.
Also instead of talking things really through we have page over page her making out.
Dorran is interestingly set up as he is not what he seems to be.
Aron I prefer as character much more and like him a lot. Still the chemistry between him and Eva could not really convince me.
So I really had my issue with the characters as I often couldn´t understand their reactions.
At the end it improved for me, we learned more about this world, why Eva arrived there, more is happening but this was for me destroyed due to the sex scenes again.
So readers who like fantasy with lots of spice and fewer world build could like this.
December 11, 2025
I really loved A Realm of Deceit, the first book in the Arcane Gods series. Eva gets thrown into a world full of fairies, gods, kings, and villains—a magical realm that’s so vividly imagined you feel like you’re right there with her.
The story does a great job balancing action, intrigue, and romance. Eva is such a strong, relatable heroine, and I loved watching her grow as she navigates danger, secrets, and betrayals. The characters are all layered and interesting, and the twists kept me guessing the whole way through.
The romance is just enough to give you little swoony moments without taking over the story, which I really appreciated. By the time I finished, I was completely hooked and already itching for the next book. If you love high-stakes fantasy with smart characters and plenty of heart, this one’s definitely worth picking up!
I absolutely love supporting Latina authors, especially in my favorite genres like Fantasy and Romantasy, so discovering Catherine Peña was such a thrill! My daughter is a first-generation Mexican American, and seeing representation like this in the books I love just makes my heart so happy. Catherine Peña has officially won me over—I’m a fan for life!
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Peña, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story does a great job balancing action, intrigue, and romance. Eva is such a strong, relatable heroine, and I loved watching her grow as she navigates danger, secrets, and betrayals. The characters are all layered and interesting, and the twists kept me guessing the whole way through.
The romance is just enough to give you little swoony moments without taking over the story, which I really appreciated. By the time I finished, I was completely hooked and already itching for the next book. If you love high-stakes fantasy with smart characters and plenty of heart, this one’s definitely worth picking up!
I absolutely love supporting Latina authors, especially in my favorite genres like Fantasy and Romantasy, so discovering Catherine Peña was such a thrill! My daughter is a first-generation Mexican American, and seeing representation like this in the books I love just makes my heart so happy. Catherine Peña has officially won me over—I’m a fan for life!
Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Peña, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 16, 2025
“Make no mistake, Trouble. You own my soul, already. And I will do anything to keep you.”
🧚 Fairies
✨ Gods
🐺 Shifters
🌶️ Spice
Eva is plucked from her home and thrown into another realm. A human in a world full of fairies and gods, she must navigate this new life while uncovering truths about herself she never thought possible.
At the start, I was convinced Eva was going to be an annoying FMC but she did grow on me as the story progressed. She doesn’t always make the best choices, but considering she’s been dropped into a new world filled with beautiful fairy men, I found myself cutting her some slack, who wouldn’t make a few questionable decisions in those circumstances? 😉
Overall, this was a fun, steamy read with plenty of popular romantasy tropes to enjoy. Around the three-quarter mark though, the pacing started to feel a little drawn out and I found myself skimming some chapters. While I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series, I can see why this book will appeal to readers who enjoy spicy, trope-filled fantasy romance.
🧚 Fairies
✨ Gods
🐺 Shifters
🌶️ Spice
Eva is plucked from her home and thrown into another realm. A human in a world full of fairies and gods, she must navigate this new life while uncovering truths about herself she never thought possible.
At the start, I was convinced Eva was going to be an annoying FMC but she did grow on me as the story progressed. She doesn’t always make the best choices, but considering she’s been dropped into a new world filled with beautiful fairy men, I found myself cutting her some slack, who wouldn’t make a few questionable decisions in those circumstances? 😉
Overall, this was a fun, steamy read with plenty of popular romantasy tropes to enjoy. Around the three-quarter mark though, the pacing started to feel a little drawn out and I found myself skimming some chapters. While I’m not sure I’ll continue with the series, I can see why this book will appeal to readers who enjoy spicy, trope-filled fantasy romance.
December 19, 2025
A Realm of Deceit had me in a chokehold. The writing is sharp, immersive, and deliciously cruel—every page layered with tension, secrets, and intent. Catherine Peña doesn’t just build a world; she weaponizes it. The prose pulls you under fast, then tightens until you’re breathless, trusting no one and craving more anyway.
The characters are where this book truly goes feral. Eva is strong without being invincible, smart without being smug, and her growth feels earned through pain, betrayal, and survival. The men around her are dangerous in different ways—protective, possessive, manipulative—and the story never lets you forget that care can come with a cost. No one is clean. No one is safe. Every interaction hums with threat and desire, and the chemistry is dark, sharp, and impossible to ignore.
This is the kind of fantasy where the romance burns hot but never softens the edges. The twists cut deep, the loyalties shift, and the writing makes you feel every betrayal like it’s personal. I devoured it, loved it, and finished feral for more. Catherine Peña has officially earned a permanent spot on my auto-read list.
The characters are where this book truly goes feral. Eva is strong without being invincible, smart without being smug, and her growth feels earned through pain, betrayal, and survival. The men around her are dangerous in different ways—protective, possessive, manipulative—and the story never lets you forget that care can come with a cost. No one is clean. No one is safe. Every interaction hums with threat and desire, and the chemistry is dark, sharp, and impossible to ignore.
This is the kind of fantasy where the romance burns hot but never softens the edges. The twists cut deep, the loyalties shift, and the writing makes you feel every betrayal like it’s personal. I devoured it, loved it, and finished feral for more. Catherine Peña has officially earned a permanent spot on my auto-read list.
January 24, 2026
A Realm of Deceit by Catherine Pena is a strong, addictive start to the Arcane Gods series that pulled me in fast and didn’t let go. The world-building is rich and intriguing, the magic system feels fresh, and the story is packed with secrets, danger, and twists. I loved the sense of mystery surrounding the gods and the constant feeling that nothing is quite what it seems. The characters are easy to get invested in, and the plot does a great job balancing action, intrigue, and emotional stakes. If you enjoy fantasy full of political tension, hidden agendas, and magical intrigue, this is a fantastic series starter.
May 20, 2026
rollercoaster of emotions
With keeping in mind this is a self published indie book, I very much enjoyed the plot. The world building was just enough to where it gave you a good picture but not overwhelming where it felt like endless descriptions. Overall the twists and turns kept me hooked. There was quite a bit of repetition in use of words, but I was able to look past due to wanting to see how/where the plot was taking us next that’s why I gave it a 4/5. I can’t wait to see the growth in the next part of the series.
With keeping in mind this is a self published indie book, I very much enjoyed the plot. The world building was just enough to where it gave you a good picture but not overwhelming where it felt like endless descriptions. Overall the twists and turns kept me hooked. There was quite a bit of repetition in use of words, but I was able to look past due to wanting to see how/where the plot was taking us next that’s why I gave it a 4/5. I can’t wait to see the growth in the next part of the series.
January 15, 2026
I’m a huge fan of big books. So this one got me all kinds of excited lol. And honestly, I really enjoyed it. The world building was amazing, as were the characters. The description was so well done. I could see this play out in my mind. So that was a win. The twists and turns in this were crazy. You didn’t knit what was going to happen next or who to trust. This was chaos and adventure. The steaminess was definitely there. Overall, this was a really good book.
January 24, 2026
The plot was promising, the world building was engaging - and then walked in the FMC who annoyed me with her boy-crazy, hormone addled actions that I as so distracted I lost interest in the entire thing several times. In the end I struggled to enjoy this book as much as I wanted to enjoy it. However, I do give props to this author for the world-building it was beautiful and immersive and very well done.
March 25, 2026
Whew, this one was definitely full of spice, maybe a bit too much for me, but I still had a lot of fun reading it. I thought it was hilarious how Eva reacts whenever a hot guy walks by, I could totally relate. Eve gets thrown into a world of magical beings and has to figure things out as she goes, which really helps her grow as a character. The writing was great and the book was super easy to get lost in. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
December 13, 2025
I binged "A Realm of Deceit" every free moment I had because it was so compelling and addictive. This is a action-packed and unique storyline with strong characters. The twists and turns are dizzying in the most delicious way and the steam is off the charts. There is delightful humor along the way, as well.
December 16, 2025
This was a really chonky book, quite a bit longer than what I usually read. It was an interesting story with many twists and surprises so you don't know who to trust.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 2, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A Realm of Deceit by Catherine Peña
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars)
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. A Realm of Deceit had an intriguing premise, but I struggled to stay engaged with story. The writing relied heavily on repetitive phrasing, particularly in the first half of the book, where Dorran's eyes seemed to “linger on her breasts” almost every other chapter and I lost count of how many times Aron smelled of "citurs and oak". Instead of building tension, it broke the fourth wall and pulled me out of the story.
There’s A LOT of spice in this book, and I usually enjoy well‑written intimate scenes, but the chemistry never really landed for me. The FMC falls into insta‑lust (and sometimes insta‑love) with nearly every man she encounters, which made the relationships feel shallow and trivial rather than deep and emotionally charged.
The passage of time in this book also felt unnatural, which made it hard to stay grounded in the plot. Sometimes months would pass without anything really happening and I wish this time had been used to incorporate some stronger world building or character development. The world‑building for me was just too thin. I couldn’t clearly picture the setting, the culture, or the stakes at hand. I never thought I’d say this, but there was too much smut and not enough world‑building. Towards the end I found myself skimming the smut because it started to become repetitive and wasn't really adding to the narrative.
My biggest struggle however was the FMC herself. She’s meant to be a 27 year old scientist, but her voice and thought process read much younger. Considering she's suppose to be a strong, well educated woman, the moment a pretty man appeared, her intelligence and self‑respect seemed to evaporate. I prefer my heroines to have more strength and emotional maturity so Eva's naivity and whiney nature made her really hard to connect with.
There were also some minor grammar issues, but that wasn’t the core problem here. Overall I found the characters’ actions and reactions often didn’t feel believable. There were key moments, such as Eva’s response to Aron’s “betrayal” that felt exaggerated for plot convenience and out of keeping with the character's nature.
The second half of the book did improve slightly as new characters were introduced and the plot gained some momentum, but overall the story felt familiar in a way that went beyond shared tropes. I read a lot of romantasy, so I expect overlap, but here I could predict nearly every twist because it mirrored other series I've read so closely.
There is potential here and I can see how readers who prioritise spice might enjoy this more than I did. There were moments between Aron and Eva that I bought in to and Aron has some great flirty/spicy dialogue. But overall, for me, this book lacked the depth, chemistry, and immersive world‑building I look for and was a struggle to finish.
Thank you to Netgalley and Catherine Peña for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I can tell a lot of love went in to writing this book, it just didn't land for me personally.
A Realm of Deceit by Catherine Peña
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars)
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. A Realm of Deceit had an intriguing premise, but I struggled to stay engaged with story. The writing relied heavily on repetitive phrasing, particularly in the first half of the book, where Dorran's eyes seemed to “linger on her breasts” almost every other chapter and I lost count of how many times Aron smelled of "citurs and oak". Instead of building tension, it broke the fourth wall and pulled me out of the story.
There’s A LOT of spice in this book, and I usually enjoy well‑written intimate scenes, but the chemistry never really landed for me. The FMC falls into insta‑lust (and sometimes insta‑love) with nearly every man she encounters, which made the relationships feel shallow and trivial rather than deep and emotionally charged.
The passage of time in this book also felt unnatural, which made it hard to stay grounded in the plot. Sometimes months would pass without anything really happening and I wish this time had been used to incorporate some stronger world building or character development. The world‑building for me was just too thin. I couldn’t clearly picture the setting, the culture, or the stakes at hand. I never thought I’d say this, but there was too much smut and not enough world‑building. Towards the end I found myself skimming the smut because it started to become repetitive and wasn't really adding to the narrative.
My biggest struggle however was the FMC herself. She’s meant to be a 27 year old scientist, but her voice and thought process read much younger. Considering she's suppose to be a strong, well educated woman, the moment a pretty man appeared, her intelligence and self‑respect seemed to evaporate. I prefer my heroines to have more strength and emotional maturity so Eva's naivity and whiney nature made her really hard to connect with.
There were also some minor grammar issues, but that wasn’t the core problem here. Overall I found the characters’ actions and reactions often didn’t feel believable. There were key moments, such as Eva’s response to Aron’s “betrayal” that felt exaggerated for plot convenience and out of keeping with the character's nature.
The second half of the book did improve slightly as new characters were introduced and the plot gained some momentum, but overall the story felt familiar in a way that went beyond shared tropes. I read a lot of romantasy, so I expect overlap, but here I could predict nearly every twist because it mirrored other series I've read so closely.
There is potential here and I can see how readers who prioritise spice might enjoy this more than I did. There were moments between Aron and Eva that I bought in to and Aron has some great flirty/spicy dialogue. But overall, for me, this book lacked the depth, chemistry, and immersive world‑building I look for and was a struggle to finish.
Thank you to Netgalley and Catherine Peña for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I can tell a lot of love went in to writing this book, it just didn't land for me personally.
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