Vision: Through My Brown Eyes

by Martha Kowalski

Kye Eden was supposed to worry about passing a chemistry exam, not about breaking alchemy rules.

When Kye enrolls in his dream college, it's everything he ever wanted: a good roommate, an exciting campus, and a beautiful girl he finds himself quickly falling for.

So why does there seem to be a constant darkness following him around?

As places start revealing sinister secrets buried deep underground and people turn out to be not what they seem, Kye is going to need to break the rules he's followed all his life to get through this semester.

360 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2025

About the author

Unapologetically character and relationship-driven writer with underlying paranormal settings and whimsical magic. If you're looking for high action and high fantasy, you won't find that here. I'm a PhD student so expect slightly nerdy MCs!

I'm the author of the "Books of Destinies" duology and I'm working on a new "Vision" collection. The first book, "Through My Brown Eyes" is out now.

You can find more of my short story writings on Reedsy: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writ...

Reviews

[Heather Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Through My Brown Eyes is less about magic and more about the uneasy space between who we are taught to be and who we want to become. Kye, a freshman alchemist at the University of Las Verdes, enters school with two burdens: a secret legacy of outlawed magic and a world seen only in shades of brown. The premise is strong, but what makes the novel work is not the fantasy hook, it’s the universal tension between family values and the freedom of self-discovery.

This is where the book shines. Readers will recognize themselves in Kye’s awkward balancing act: honoring his mother’s strict warnings while testing the boundaries of independence. Even when spells and battles dominate the page, the real story is about the moment every young person faces—whether to stay loyal to what they’ve been taught or carve out their own way forward. That is the heart of the novel, and it gives the fantasy grounding.

Still, not everything lands. The much-hyped “Hellgate” feels vague and underdeveloped, robbing some of its intended suspense. Pacing is also an issue; certain stretches sag when sharper editing could have made the tension crackle. Dialogue too often slips into childish tones, undermining the weight of the themes the book is trying to carry. I felt myself putting the book down often. I wanted to finish, but the pacing was slow.

Ironically, it’s Greg, the antagonist—who provides the most consistent spark. His presence feels authentic, his menace grounded, and at times his scenes outshine Kye’s. For a story framed as a coming-of-age fantasy, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Readers craving darker, more complex worldbuilding may walk away unsatisfied.

This novel feels a little too light for its subject matter. The dialogue often slips into a childish tone, which undercuts the heavier themes it tries to explore. For a story that argues bravery is not just about fighting monsters but about choosing honesty, responsibility, and identity in a world that resists all three, the character voices don’t always rise to meet that ambition.

In the end, this is a story with flaws but also with heart. It may not rewrite the rules of fantasy, but it doesn’t have to. Kye’s journey toward courage and independence is enough to resonate with readers standing at their own crossroads.

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery.

[Martha Kowalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello potential readers! Thank you for stopping by my page!

This book has been mislabeled as Fantasy on some websites. It is not - it is a college paranormal romance with a self-discovery plot - so if you are expecting high fantasy, I admit you will probably be disappointed.

Happy reading! <3