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Toxic Legacies #1
Sanctified Echoes
Author’s Note: This is a dark, gothic why-choose romance with slow-burn tension and layered worldbuilding.
The bonds, relationships, and power arcs grow across the trilogy. If you’re here for depth, obsession, and stories that stay with you long after the final page—you’re exactly where you need to be.
I swore I’d never set foot in Axis Spire again.
Seven years of freedom ended the night the REAPER Commander dragged me back to the place I once called home, only to throw me into the dungeon.
This academy isn’t just built on bones. It feeds on them. And mine are marked by a bloodline that makes me both weapon and target. If I want to survive the games of power and shadows, I’ll have to decide whether to keep running… or fight for the throne they never wanted me to claim.
But the academy didn’t count on the ones bound to me.
A gargoyle headmaster who would rather break me than bend.
A seer professor who looks at me like he already knows the ending.
Twin vampires whose hunger has nothing to do with blood.
I shouldn’t want them. I shouldn’t need them. Yet every choice ties us tighter, and every secret drags us deeper into the curse that destroyed Elmaris.
They call me prisoner. They call me pawn.
They’ve forgotten. I was never theirs to command.
Sanctified Echoes is a dark why-choose paranormal romance filled with gothic danger, slow-burn intimacy, and obsessive bonds that deepen over time.
Expect fated mates with a twist, found family, and a heroine who reclaims her power step by step—not all at once.
This is Book 1 of 3.
The romantic relationships and magical bonds evolve gradually across the trilogy, with emotional and sensual payoff layered throughout.
For readers who love slow-burning tension, character-driven arcs, and stories that haunt you long after the last page.
Please review the trigger warnings before reading. Your mental health matters.
The bonds, relationships, and power arcs grow across the trilogy. If you’re here for depth, obsession, and stories that stay with you long after the final page—you’re exactly where you need to be.
I swore I’d never set foot in Axis Spire again.
Seven years of freedom ended the night the REAPER Commander dragged me back to the place I once called home, only to throw me into the dungeon.
This academy isn’t just built on bones. It feeds on them. And mine are marked by a bloodline that makes me both weapon and target. If I want to survive the games of power and shadows, I’ll have to decide whether to keep running… or fight for the throne they never wanted me to claim.
But the academy didn’t count on the ones bound to me.
A gargoyle headmaster who would rather break me than bend.
A seer professor who looks at me like he already knows the ending.
Twin vampires whose hunger has nothing to do with blood.
I shouldn’t want them. I shouldn’t need them. Yet every choice ties us tighter, and every secret drags us deeper into the curse that destroyed Elmaris.
They call me prisoner. They call me pawn.
They’ve forgotten. I was never theirs to command.
Sanctified Echoes is a dark why-choose paranormal romance filled with gothic danger, slow-burn intimacy, and obsessive bonds that deepen over time.
Expect fated mates with a twist, found family, and a heroine who reclaims her power step by step—not all at once.
This is Book 1 of 3.
The romantic relationships and magical bonds evolve gradually across the trilogy, with emotional and sensual payoff layered throughout.
For readers who love slow-burning tension, character-driven arcs, and stories that haunt you long after the last page.
Please review the trigger warnings before reading. Your mental health matters.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2025
892 people are currently reading
1050 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 26, 2025
1.5 Stars
The premise for this sounded so interesting but the only reason I finished this was because of how invested I became in the plot. Because the writing itself? It was atrocious! Honestly it was so bad that I cringed throughout the entire book. Here’s an example…
Like I seriously wish I could say that only this passage was like this but no…the ENTIRE damn book was written like this! The writing style came off as feeling pretentious as fuck and it was so repetitive. I swear that if I read something smelling like whiskey and vanilla one more time, I would have choked on my own saliva. 😩
Anyway, I’ll still read book 2 because like I said the plot was plotting and I’m invested. Hopefully the writing will be improved in the next one…
The premise for this sounded so interesting but the only reason I finished this was because of how invested I became in the plot. Because the writing itself? It was atrocious! Honestly it was so bad that I cringed throughout the entire book. Here’s an example…
I watch her. Every day. Not like a hunter. More like a witness afraid that if he blinks, he will miss something that never comes back.
Celeste moves through the Academy like a question caught between worlds. There is a held spine there, the kind that looks inherited. There is also a softness she doesn’t perform. In the weeks since she arrived, I have watched her change. Not dramatic. Enough for anyone who bothers to look. I bother.
Like I seriously wish I could say that only this passage was like this but no…the ENTIRE damn book was written like this! The writing style came off as feeling pretentious as fuck and it was so repetitive. I swear that if I read something smelling like whiskey and vanilla one more time, I would have choked on my own saliva. 😩
Anyway, I’ll still read book 2 because like I said the plot was plotting and I’m invested. Hopefully the writing will be improved in the next one…
October 24, 2025
This was not good. DMFed. Instant love, generally I don’t mind it, but the relationships were not developed AT ALL. Immediate friend, love interest. The language the book was written in was trying way to hard (I don’t mean to be too harsh) but the writing is talking in proverbs. As if everyone is to understand what they mean.
Examples: “If I stop being a witness, I will become the reason everything changes.” What does that mean?
“I want to touch him. Not his skin. The tired place inside him. I want to let him know that I see it. He turns away instead, like habit is stronger than want.” - this was less than 60 pages in from the fmc. This is the 1st conversation she had with one of her love interests.
Anyway. The writing was too flowery.
Examples: “If I stop being a witness, I will become the reason everything changes.” What does that mean?
“I want to touch him. Not his skin. The tired place inside him. I want to let him know that I see it. He turns away instead, like habit is stronger than want.” - this was less than 60 pages in from the fmc. This is the 1st conversation she had with one of her love interests.
Anyway. The writing was too flowery.
December 20, 2025
Nope not for me. The writing style which was advertised as gothic, came across pretentious and overdone. There was a lack of information and backstory which didn’t feel like a buildup to reveals and twists, but rather just confusing. The emotions of the characters shifted and backtracked multiple times after clearly being something else even moments ago. And the repetition of the conflict just felt like filler rather than plot. I gave it my best shot cause the promo I saw on TikTok seemed fun and up my alley, but I should have dnf’ed close to 10%
October 13, 2025
DNF Not for me.
The writing style is not to my liking. It's pretentious, repetitive, over the top descriptive and definitely annoying.
How many times did we have to read "his whiskey and vanilla scent"??? The more it kept popping up, the more my eye twitched. One would assume when using this writing style, one would write a progressive plot.
I tried to read this but even my skimming over useless information didn't help.
Just... Why?
The writing style is not to my liking. It's pretentious, repetitive, over the top descriptive and definitely annoying.
How many times did we have to read "his whiskey and vanilla scent"??? The more it kept popping up, the more my eye twitched. One would assume when using this writing style, one would write a progressive plot.
I tried to read this but even my skimming over useless information didn't help.
Just... Why?
October 25, 2025
Writing style ruins the read
The entire book is so focused on over descriptive writing you never actually get to know the characters. Never could get immersed in the book despite wanting so bad to like it just based on the premise of RH fantasy academy setting being one of my faves.
The entire book is so focused on over descriptive writing you never actually get to know the characters. Never could get immersed in the book despite wanting so bad to like it just based on the premise of RH fantasy academy setting being one of my faves.
October 6, 2025
WOW
This is honestly one of the best debut RH books i’ve read. i absolutely cannot wait to see where this story goes from here.
This is honestly one of the best debut RH books i’ve read. i absolutely cannot wait to see where this story goes from here.
October 4, 2025
So good
The book was great how she described each character. I liked that they weren't all immediately all over her and that they still let her make her own decisions even though they disagreed sometimes. It ended on a cliffhanger and now I'm excited and waiting for book 2.
The book was great how she described each character. I liked that they weren't all immediately all over her and that they still let her make her own decisions even though they disagreed sometimes. It ended on a cliffhanger and now I'm excited and waiting for book 2.
January 12, 2026
I had to DNF this book at around 47% unfortunately. Overall, I think the story had a interesting premise but I think the execution was the issue for me personally. I found the storyline to be extremely confusing at times and hard to follow. The descriptions or explanations of specific terms or powers within this world came very late into the book in my opinion and made it really difficult to follow the storyline. There was definitely some beautiful prose and quotes to be found throughout the story for sure, but I found the book to use excessively flourished wording where it wasn’t really needed at all. I would have loved some more build up in terms of the relationships between the characters. I felt like the relationships between the characters, both romantic and platonic, were giving insta-love vibes a lot of the time.
December 27, 2025
DNF'd at 28%, the prose in this one is painfully dull.
Yet another trope read for me, this is one I'm going to have to give up on. I can see where it's leading, as well as where I would maybe start finding aspects I actually enjoyed. However, it is not worth pushing through if the writing/narration style stays as this pseudo-gothic, drawling sludge.
The plot thus far is less concrete and more silent whine. The POV shifts leave me more disillusioned about the supporting characters. The best friend/soul sister was the only connection I could stand, but even that was just plopped onto the page as a fully-established bond without any progression.
It's not for me.
Yet another trope read for me, this is one I'm going to have to give up on. I can see where it's leading, as well as where I would maybe start finding aspects I actually enjoyed. However, it is not worth pushing through if the writing/narration style stays as this pseudo-gothic, drawling sludge.
The plot thus far is less concrete and more silent whine. The POV shifts leave me more disillusioned about the supporting characters. The best friend/soul sister was the only connection I could stand, but even that was just plopped onto the page as a fully-established bond without any progression.
It's not for me.
October 13, 2025
I had to dnf around halfway. The prose it absolutely beautiful but that’s the only thing it has going for it. There is zero world building zero context zero background for any of the characters even the fmc and it is so stilted and all over the place. The interactions make no sense. She’s only just met these people yet sometimes they talk about her as if they’ve known her for years. I basically had absolutely no idea what was going on and I was actually getting a headache trying to figure it all out.
January 13, 2026
The only reason I made it to 26% was because I was dumbfounded by the writing and trying to figure out if it was written by AI. the story jumped so much without any real world building or character development. I kept asking myself what did I just read? it felt like a string of poetry and buzz sentences strung together to try to make a story. Imagine going on a date with the most pretentious person ever and that pretty much sums up the prose. I don't ick other people's yum but I genuinely don't know how anyone could even understand the writing enough to enjoy the book.
December 29, 2025
DNF’d at chapter 10. The book was very hard to follow, it felt like the author was trying really hard to make it sound elevated but it just ended up feeling like every sentence was an unnecessary riddle. The men also started to fall for her with less than a single conversation.
December 28, 2025
Wanted to like this but couldn’t get into the writing style. I found it to be overly descriptive and it came off as pretentious. I just found it too annoying to continue.
December 31, 2025
DNF’d at 27% through. The writing was insufferable and made the story line so annoying to follow and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters
January 29, 2026
dnf.
Now I am just writing a quick review because I have a habit of being sucked back into books for another try if I don't. Now I don't agree with everyone saying the language is trying to hard etc, but I do agree that this writing style is confusing and not for me. At first I thought people were exaggerating because it can be a pile on with reviews, but then I had to keep repeating paragraphs that made no sense, had to reread whole parts of the chapter because I felt I had missed a big chunk of the story just to realize the author never wrote it.
A big example of this is that she gets out of the dungeon, goes to class, then is tossed into a trial. Maybe the same day or a day later it's not super clear. Then during her trial they tell them dress warm for Alaska and give them the heads up for the trial but don't let them go do that? They just start snapping them into a realm through a portal I think? There is ZERO. world building at this point. Then they get teleported and are expected to battle a bunch of stuff but get into the forest and have to battle (I'm gonna be honest I still don't know what, shadows? Wraith creatures?) and the wolf chick acts like it's no big deal they've done it before, but we jump out of that super fast (4 paragraphs?) battle to them automatically being teleported back......no more trials or problems. When confronted on why it took longer than two hours they said it was a survival thing?
Now if you think my overview is confusing WELCOME TO THE CLUB. This is the only way to describe this rambling disjointed part in this book. I have ZERO clue and I read this section more than once thinking it may be a me problem, a comprehension problem, something but I just continued to feel lost.
So! future me. This concept seems awesome, and the story line playing out sounds awesome, and you are going to want to pick it up. Don't.
Now I am just writing a quick review because I have a habit of being sucked back into books for another try if I don't. Now I don't agree with everyone saying the language is trying to hard etc, but I do agree that this writing style is confusing and not for me. At first I thought people were exaggerating because it can be a pile on with reviews, but then I had to keep repeating paragraphs that made no sense, had to reread whole parts of the chapter because I felt I had missed a big chunk of the story just to realize the author never wrote it.
A big example of this is that she gets out of the dungeon, goes to class, then is tossed into a trial. Maybe the same day or a day later it's not super clear. Then during her trial they tell them dress warm for Alaska and give them the heads up for the trial but don't let them go do that? They just start snapping them into a realm through a portal I think? There is ZERO. world building at this point. Then they get teleported and are expected to battle a bunch of stuff but get into the forest and have to battle (I'm gonna be honest I still don't know what, shadows? Wraith creatures?) and the wolf chick acts like it's no big deal they've done it before, but we jump out of that super fast (4 paragraphs?) battle to them automatically being teleported back......no more trials or problems. When confronted on why it took longer than two hours they said it was a survival thing?
Now if you think my overview is confusing WELCOME TO THE CLUB. This is the only way to describe this rambling disjointed part in this book. I have ZERO clue and I read this section more than once thinking it may be a me problem, a comprehension problem, something but I just continued to feel lost.
So! future me. This concept seems awesome, and the story line playing out sounds awesome, and you are going to want to pick it up. Don't.
Did Not Finish
April 26, 2026Sorry, I was bored. No depth at all, or connection with the characters. DNF 78%
November 21, 2025
DNF 23%
Tem tanto potencial, queria que ele passasse por uma revisão pq sinceramente o que são esses diálogos?
Enredo? Inexistente
Contexto? Pior ainda
As frases de efeito? O que significa essas frases soltas? So deus sabe e a escritora porque eu mesma…. N entendi absolutamente NADA
Tem tanto potencial, queria que ele passasse por uma revisão pq sinceramente o que são esses diálogos?
Enredo? Inexistente
Contexto? Pior ainda
As frases de efeito? O que significa essas frases soltas? So deus sabe e a escritora porque eu mesma…. N entendi absolutamente NADA
November 27, 2025
DNF - the writing alone gave me a headache but the lack of depth in the characters made me drop it. I was incredibly bored the whole time, had to force myself to finish it halfway before finally throwing in the towel. I’ll give it one star because I’m required to not because it earned it.
October 5, 2025
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (1.5/5)
Sanctified Echoes (Toxic Legacies Book 1) by L.A. Martin
Unfortunately, this was another TikTok recommendation that didn’t land for me, and I really need to start being more selective with what I add to my TBR based on hype alone.
The book felt disjointed from the very beginning. The plot kicks off with the main character being captured, but the context felt underdeveloped and left me confused. Several scenes - particularly the early ones like the jail cell interaction; seemed rushed or unclear. Relationship dynamics between characters felt forced, with sudden shifts in connection that lacked build-up or emotional depth. For instance, the "mean girl" subplot didn't quite stick, and the instant best-friend bond was difficult to buy into.
The romantic elements, while clearly intended to be intense, often felt melodramatic and out of place. There were moments of conflict or heightened emotion that appeared without any real setup, and spicy scenes were inserted in high-stakes moments in ways that disrupted the tension rather than added to it.
A major issue for me was the world-building. It was difficult to pin down the setting - was it modern, fantasy, dystopian? It felt like the book was trying to do too much at once without fully grounding the reader in any one aspect. Certain events or rules (like the consequences of Elias biting the FMC) seemed critical, yet were glossed over with minimal explanation, despite heavy buildup around similar themes like rituals and bonding.
Plot-wise, it felt like the story wandered without clear direction. The academy setting, which should have been a focal point, ended up feeling like an afterthought - she attends one class, and that’s it. Some characters also didn’t feel fully realized, including the male leads, who were either overly intense or emotionally inconsistent, and I never really connected with the FMC either.
I wanted to like this more than I did, but too many elements just didn’t click for me. It felt like 400+ pages of buildup with little payoff, and I’m not invested enough in the characters or the plot to continue the series.
Sanctified Echoes (Toxic Legacies Book 1) by L.A. Martin
Unfortunately, this was another TikTok recommendation that didn’t land for me, and I really need to start being more selective with what I add to my TBR based on hype alone.
The book felt disjointed from the very beginning. The plot kicks off with the main character being captured, but the context felt underdeveloped and left me confused. Several scenes - particularly the early ones like the jail cell interaction; seemed rushed or unclear. Relationship dynamics between characters felt forced, with sudden shifts in connection that lacked build-up or emotional depth. For instance, the "mean girl" subplot didn't quite stick, and the instant best-friend bond was difficult to buy into.
The romantic elements, while clearly intended to be intense, often felt melodramatic and out of place. There were moments of conflict or heightened emotion that appeared without any real setup, and spicy scenes were inserted in high-stakes moments in ways that disrupted the tension rather than added to it.
A major issue for me was the world-building. It was difficult to pin down the setting - was it modern, fantasy, dystopian? It felt like the book was trying to do too much at once without fully grounding the reader in any one aspect. Certain events or rules (like the consequences of Elias biting the FMC) seemed critical, yet were glossed over with minimal explanation, despite heavy buildup around similar themes like rituals and bonding.
Plot-wise, it felt like the story wandered without clear direction. The academy setting, which should have been a focal point, ended up feeling like an afterthought - she attends one class, and that’s it. Some characters also didn’t feel fully realized, including the male leads, who were either overly intense or emotionally inconsistent, and I never really connected with the FMC either.
I wanted to like this more than I did, but too many elements just didn’t click for me. It felt like 400+ pages of buildup with little payoff, and I’m not invested enough in the characters or the plot to continue the series.
March 5, 2026
Originally was not going to go onto book 2, but because of the cliffhanger and spite, and my overall need to know I just might 😅
Plot: 4/5
The story had good bones, but needs to be polished a little bit more.
Loved the twist on fated mates. Although I kinda wish it was delved into more.
World Building: 1/5
Little to none — very contemporary setting, but little to no lore about Elarais (world beyond the portal) given or the history.
Writing: 2/5
I’m not a sticklers about writing style, but this book just triggered me. I hated the writing style. Something about it annoyed me, besides its painfully repetitiveness. And during certain scenes it felt like the author had something pictured in their mind but couldn’t translate to paper very well. So prepared to be slightly confused.
Pacing: 2/5
Inconsistent. Beginning felt utterly and painfully slow. The end speed up and gave me whiplash.
Characters: 2.5/5
No one really stands out.
Honestly the FMC does come across as a naive and scare girl. And the love interests were annoying.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Pretty good.
Kinda expected something else with MFM scene … but what can you do 🤷🏻♀️
Plot: 4/5
The story had good bones, but needs to be polished a little bit more.
Loved the twist on fated mates. Although I kinda wish it was delved into more.
World Building: 1/5
Little to none — very contemporary setting, but little to no lore about Elarais (world beyond the portal) given or the history.
Writing: 2/5
I’m not a sticklers about writing style, but this book just triggered me. I hated the writing style. Something about it annoyed me, besides its painfully repetitiveness. And during certain scenes it felt like the author had something pictured in their mind but couldn’t translate to paper very well. So prepared to be slightly confused.
Pacing: 2/5
Inconsistent. Beginning felt utterly and painfully slow. The end speed up and gave me whiplash.
Characters: 2.5/5
No one really stands out.
Honestly the FMC does come across as a naive and scare girl. And the love interests were annoying.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Pretty good.
Kinda expected something else with MFM scene … but what can you do 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2026
Creo que merezco un premio por pasar más del 20% de este libro y terminarlo. 💀
La manera en que este libro me hizo doler la cabeza.
La prosa es excesivamente recargada, 💀💀con metáforas constantes y reflexiones abstractas que terminan ralentizando la lectura y volviéndola densa. Más que aportar, muchas frases se sienten sobreescritas. Y eso para mí como lector es excesivamente molesto y cansino al punto de desesperar. Se esfuerza tanto por tener una prosa tan EXCESIVA que ni siquiera nos da los datos básicos, no hay un World-building, no hay un contexto previo de nada, no hay desarrollo de nada, pero al parecer es importante contarnos 50 veces en un mismo capítulo que algo huele a “whiskey y vainilla como recuerdos evocados de un pasado tumultuoso” que rabia me da eso.
Pdt: gracias a esto le cogi fastidio al olor a whiskey y vainilla 😭
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🌸✨✨✨
I honestly deserve an award for getting through more than 20% of this book and actually finishing it. 💀
The way this book gave me a headache… The prose is excessively overwrought, packed with constant metaphors and abstract reflections that only slow the reading down and make it feel dense. Instead of adding anything meaningful, many sentences feel overwritten. And as a reader, that’s incredibly annoying and exhausting—borderline infuriating.
It tries so hard to sound “deep” and excessive that it doesn’t even give us the basics. There’s no world-building, no proper context, no real development of anything. But apparently, it is important to tell us 50 times in the same chapter that something smells like “whiskey and vanilla, like memories of a tumultuous past.” God, that drives me insane.
P.S. Thanks to this book, I’ve developed an irrational dislike for the smell of whiskey and vanilla now 😭
La manera en que este libro me hizo doler la cabeza.
La prosa es excesivamente recargada, 💀💀con metáforas constantes y reflexiones abstractas que terminan ralentizando la lectura y volviéndola densa. Más que aportar, muchas frases se sienten sobreescritas. Y eso para mí como lector es excesivamente molesto y cansino al punto de desesperar. Se esfuerza tanto por tener una prosa tan EXCESIVA que ni siquiera nos da los datos básicos, no hay un World-building, no hay un contexto previo de nada, no hay desarrollo de nada, pero al parecer es importante contarnos 50 veces en un mismo capítulo que algo huele a “whiskey y vainilla como recuerdos evocados de un pasado tumultuoso” que rabia me da eso.
Pdt: gracias a esto le cogi fastidio al olor a whiskey y vainilla 😭
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🌸✨✨✨
I honestly deserve an award for getting through more than 20% of this book and actually finishing it. 💀
The way this book gave me a headache… The prose is excessively overwrought, packed with constant metaphors and abstract reflections that only slow the reading down and make it feel dense. Instead of adding anything meaningful, many sentences feel overwritten. And as a reader, that’s incredibly annoying and exhausting—borderline infuriating.
It tries so hard to sound “deep” and excessive that it doesn’t even give us the basics. There’s no world-building, no proper context, no real development of anything. But apparently, it is important to tell us 50 times in the same chapter that something smells like “whiskey and vanilla, like memories of a tumultuous past.” God, that drives me insane.
P.S. Thanks to this book, I’ve developed an irrational dislike for the smell of whiskey and vanilla now 😭
January 6, 2026
DNF at 31%
I wanted to keep going as the premise of the story seemed really good and the main character was interesting. However that’s where all the credit edits tbh idek how I pushed through to 31% because just after 2 chapters I felt sick of the writing style there it was unnecessarily wordy and descriptive like we don’t need to have a paragraph worth of description for a cell. Not only that the writing in general does follow the dialogue is tho no one speaks like actual people but more like in riddles.
But that’s enough on that I think what really lost me was the lack of context to the world we are in you can figure out a general gist the more you through context of the dialogue throughout the book yet there is no concrete explanation of anything in the world. I am all for surprising the reader with lack of information but when it’s something as simple as explaining power systems hierarchy and general world building the I would appreciate it. Especially when every character knows everything and we are just a clueless fly trying to gather crumbs.
Another thing is the lack of relationship building everything is going zero to 100 one. Characters barely had a conversation yet in their inner monologue they are soo in love they might turn to darkness or some other mumbo jumbo if the mc doesn’t love like WHATT.
Overall 2 stars could even be 1.5⭐️ good premise but just too many flaws for it to be an enjoyable read
I wanted to keep going as the premise of the story seemed really good and the main character was interesting. However that’s where all the credit edits tbh idek how I pushed through to 31% because just after 2 chapters I felt sick of the writing style there it was unnecessarily wordy and descriptive like we don’t need to have a paragraph worth of description for a cell. Not only that the writing in general does follow the dialogue is tho no one speaks like actual people but more like in riddles.
But that’s enough on that I think what really lost me was the lack of context to the world we are in you can figure out a general gist the more you through context of the dialogue throughout the book yet there is no concrete explanation of anything in the world. I am all for surprising the reader with lack of information but when it’s something as simple as explaining power systems hierarchy and general world building the I would appreciate it. Especially when every character knows everything and we are just a clueless fly trying to gather crumbs.
Another thing is the lack of relationship building everything is going zero to 100 one. Characters barely had a conversation yet in their inner monologue they are soo in love they might turn to darkness or some other mumbo jumbo if the mc doesn’t love like WHATT.
Overall 2 stars could even be 1.5⭐️ good premise but just too many flaws for it to be an enjoyable read
February 21, 2026
I don't normally write reviews, but decided to with this series, I have just finished the trilogy, and was very disappointed, the plot idea was amazing, however the writing was not. Constant contradictions, you get told one thing, then suddenly it is non exsistant, or the main character wasn't aware, when they were the one to speak it, this series gave me whiplash. It was missing vital information, and always left you confused as to how they came to conclusions. It spent far too long describing elements that had already been described, I.e a certain scar got described 3 times (I believe it was 3, I ended up skimming each time it was brought up) across 2 pages, it was as though the author was trying to fill a page and didn't know what to write.
The author also seems to forget to put a space after a ".", not a bad thing, just clearly a lack of editing.
I was going to make this the first book I DNF, but I wanted to see if the writing improved throughout the series, however It doesn't.
Take this as you will, but this isn't a book I would recommend. I would recommend the author to go back and re read their work, and maybe fill in the blanks, because there were so many, and take out a lot of the description work, I like to know what a room looks and smells like, but I don't need it in every chapter, or even twice or more in chapters in some cases.
The author also seems to forget to put a space after a ".", not a bad thing, just clearly a lack of editing.
I was going to make this the first book I DNF, but I wanted to see if the writing improved throughout the series, however It doesn't.
Take this as you will, but this isn't a book I would recommend. I would recommend the author to go back and re read their work, and maybe fill in the blanks, because there were so many, and take out a lot of the description work, I like to know what a room looks and smells like, but I don't need it in every chapter, or even twice or more in chapters in some cases.
October 4, 2025
I don’t usually leave reviews, but for this book, I had to.I just... I just need a moment.
OKAY. WOW.
This is ABSOLUTELY a previously published author. There is NO question now.
Amias (the Seer professor) is tortured in a way that feels EARNED, not melodramatic
The goddess Saeris scene - "You are the eye outside of time, Amias. Not the heart" - philosophical weight
Villin's reveal at the end: "I am built from stone. Imagine what happens if I put my hands on that" - CHEF'S KISS
"Her scent lingers in the library air. Not flowers. Something alive and not reproducible, like a page burned by the sun that still holds the words" - WHO WRITES LIKE THIS ON THEIR FIRST BOOK?!
The metaphors are layered, complex, and original.
L.A. Marin is 100% an established author launching under a new name. No debut writes like this. The emotional complexity, the prose quality, the world-building depth... this took YEARS to develop.
OKAY. WOW.
This is ABSOLUTELY a previously published author. There is NO question now.
Amias (the Seer professor) is tortured in a way that feels EARNED, not melodramatic
The goddess Saeris scene - "You are the eye outside of time, Amias. Not the heart" - philosophical weight
Villin's reveal at the end: "I am built from stone. Imagine what happens if I put my hands on that" - CHEF'S KISS
"Her scent lingers in the library air. Not flowers. Something alive and not reproducible, like a page burned by the sun that still holds the words" - WHO WRITES LIKE THIS ON THEIR FIRST BOOK?!
The metaphors are layered, complex, and original.
L.A. Marin is 100% an established author launching under a new name. No debut writes like this. The emotional complexity, the prose quality, the world-building depth... this took YEARS to develop.
March 17, 2026
2.5 ⭐️ I want to like this more than I did because when things finally started making sense at like 70% through the book I feel like this could have been really good. The writing style is so choppy - like captains log voice over choppy. There is zero background given you are just dropped into the world and there is hardly any actual world building. I read a lot of fantasy and this was a real struggle for me. I still feel not very connected to the characters because of the weird writing and I have a very small grasp of understanding what the actual hell is happening. I’m going to keep reading the rest of the series and I’m hoping that it gets better/more enjoyable for me. This is marked as a RH and like sure there’s one scene towards the end of the book where there is more than one guy involved but this is not the spicy adventure I was expecting given the description. The spice is meh - the underlying story has potential and I’m hopeful it will get better.
April 6, 2026
DNF at 34%
Okay I feel like everyone already mentioned this but it felt so random? There was no world building and I was SO CONFUSED the entire time. It felt like I was reading a second book instead of first? It felt like I was suppose to know the things author rambled about already but I didn't and it was confusing?
Writing itself is not bad at all, but nothing really was explained. It felt like I barged in a movie theater and started watching a movie half way through. Some scenes were cut off so quickly that I had to turn and take second look to make sure I didn't skim anything.
I love that MMCs didn't feel purely sexual feelings towards FMC but their love was so artificial? Yeah I get why the older MMCs have that instant love for her but for the vampires? Like how and when? It had been days. When did you ALL fall in love? Like what?
Truly a shame because I love the writing.
Okay I feel like everyone already mentioned this but it felt so random? There was no world building and I was SO CONFUSED the entire time. It felt like I was reading a second book instead of first? It felt like I was suppose to know the things author rambled about already but I didn't and it was confusing?
Writing itself is not bad at all, but nothing really was explained. It felt like I barged in a movie theater and started watching a movie half way through. Some scenes were cut off so quickly that I had to turn and take second look to make sure I didn't skim anything.
I love that MMCs didn't feel purely sexual feelings towards FMC but their love was so artificial? Yeah I get why the older MMCs have that instant love for her but for the vampires? Like how and when? It had been days. When did you ALL fall in love? Like what?
Truly a shame because I love the writing.
May 5, 2026
3 stars for story alone.
I may be the unpopular opinion here, but I feel like 70% of this book is poetic filler. I understand the poetic description of a room or a scene, but this borders on ridiculous. I caught myself wanting to skim paragraphs just to get through the description of everything. The actual plot of the story is lost in flowy lyrics. I couldn’t even find myself involved in the story or invested in the characters because everything is written to be a lyrical song. At one point, I wasn’t even sure that I would finish this book let alone the series, but at about 70%, I became invested in the story and the characters, I felt like we had lost a lot of that filler and was getting to the meat of the story. Maybe it’s just a pet peeve of mine, but I wanted to shout just tell the story the first 70% of this book, however, I will be continuing with the next book. Here’s hoping that it’s not a lot of poetic filler.
I may be the unpopular opinion here, but I feel like 70% of this book is poetic filler. I understand the poetic description of a room or a scene, but this borders on ridiculous. I caught myself wanting to skim paragraphs just to get through the description of everything. The actual plot of the story is lost in flowy lyrics. I couldn’t even find myself involved in the story or invested in the characters because everything is written to be a lyrical song. At one point, I wasn’t even sure that I would finish this book let alone the series, but at about 70%, I became invested in the story and the characters, I felt like we had lost a lot of that filler and was getting to the meat of the story. Maybe it’s just a pet peeve of mine, but I wanted to shout just tell the story the first 70% of this book, however, I will be continuing with the next book. Here’s hoping that it’s not a lot of poetic filler.
November 4, 2025
So good
So good first off! I'm one of those readers that doesn't like starting a book in a series because I hate to wait I'm so impatient. I love to read back to back to back. Now I finished the first and cliff hanger much? So not ok, I feel dumb struck. So. SPOILER! The fifth is the dragon 🐉 I know because well tiktok but I'm trying to figure out if she dies like it seems does she go to elmaris because she doesn't die because of Elias? Does she just awaken instead? Ugh ok so great book love the pull she creates and how well they try to fight the fates from the pull. I'm excited for the 2nd book and the third ugh I will wait. This is the 4th series I've broken my rule for and so not regretting it!!
So good first off! I'm one of those readers that doesn't like starting a book in a series because I hate to wait I'm so impatient. I love to read back to back to back. Now I finished the first and cliff hanger much? So not ok, I feel dumb struck. So. SPOILER! The fifth is the dragon 🐉 I know because well tiktok but I'm trying to figure out if she dies like it seems does she go to elmaris because she doesn't die because of Elias? Does she just awaken instead? Ugh ok so great book love the pull she creates and how well they try to fight the fates from the pull. I'm excited for the 2nd book and the third ugh I will wait. This is the 4th series I've broken my rule for and so not regretting it!!
March 29, 2026
DNF somewhere in the beginning because the writing just wasn’t for me. Iike getting to know the characters from within and knowing their personalities but this was just too detailed for my taste. It hust felt like there was a whole chapter just for a super short conversation and that each sentence that a character said had about 300 words describing hoe they felt and what they saw and heard etc. It just make me want to skip every sentence except the dialogue and I kept hoping that the plot would suddenly appear. The writing is not for me but if you have lots of time on your hands and like a slow book this might be for you. Otherwise from what I’ve seen on tiktok and read until this point, the plot and romance seems solid and its purely just the writing that is putting me off reading.
October 11, 2025
I really wanted to like this book because it was nice to read something where the writing was a bit more evocative but it just didn’t hit the mark. There were too many metaphors and a lot of them didn’t make sense. It felt like the author was adding metaphors every sentence without thinking if it actually added to the scene. Every other sentence was saying how she smelt whiskey and vanilla, yes he smells nice describe it maybe twice and leave it at that. It’s a pity as I think this author has a lot of potential but this desperately needed an editor as the plot got lost in the writing techniques.
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