Lavender And Steel

Shards Of Time Chronicles #1

by J.P. Feather

In a world where magic is feared and tightly controlled, twenty-seven-year-old Maela Malorry’s life shatters when she takes the fall for her brother’s crime committed with magic.

After encountering death in Obsidian Prison, nightmares claw at her mind, so vivid and merciless they blur the line between dream and reality, leaving her to wonder if something far darker has followed her back from the brink.

Her chains are broken, yet her fate is sealed at War Nova Academy, where magic spirits rule life and death. Maela must survive brutal trials that crush body and will, face cadets thirsting for vengeance, and endure a final exam where survival itself becomes a cruel gamble.

As the secrets of war claw into the light, loyalties shatter, truth becomes a weapon, and lies a shield.

Maela slips. Her grip on reality blurs as her nightmares begin to bleed into the waking world.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy

470 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2026

Reviews

[Romantasy Bookbird]

ARC received.

I love this premise of this novel and the idea intrigued me. Unfortunately for my it just didn’t work or flow the way I would have liked. The plot pacing was all wrong and jumpy and things that should have a lot more discussion and context was a couple sentences and felt extremely lost at points. Character development and relationship development was minimal and friendships formed in a single page with no in depth building or description. Dialogue and description in events were very minimal. I got to 42% but I just couldn’t get into it. If gave fourth wing vibes but fell short on what I expected.

[Nikolett Ungor]

Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. As someone who loves supporting indie authors, I always aim to share thoughtful, fair feedback. While I have personal reading preferences like a love for fantasy, horses, or specific tropes, I never let that impact my rating unless it is relevant to the book’s intent or audience. I review with the genre and readership in mind.

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bloodiness/darkness: 🩸🩸
Spice: 🌶️

Welcome to Nova war academy everyone!

Fate sometimes has a curious turn that can push you into a horrible prison and a war academy. I love the turns we took and I badly enjoyed the friendship between the main character and the inmate Delilah. Starting with the feverish, mysterious dreams I started to really enjoy the story and seek the truth, the answers to my questions. It wasn't easy. As we all know the winners of war write the history and even in the academy so many half truths and lies kept the truth hidden.

I think romantasy readers who enjoy hidden truths and war academies will likely enjoy the book.

My only reason for lowering my rating to 4⭐ was a personal issue with the small details, the pace of the book. However, these don't diminish the story or the enjoyment the book can give, so please go and dive in!

[Taylah ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
This book consumed me from page 1 where we are thrust into a world where magic is a death sentence and our FMC Maela is sent to obsidian prison for a crime she didn’t commit
there’s cursed dark magic wielders around every corner, you have to be careful with who you trust and that isn’t easy when our deliciously mysterious FMC who is the commander of darkness doesn’t tell you the entire truth,
The world building is immaculate from nova war academy to spirit bonds to elemental magic you barely scratch the surface and when the twists start happening there’s nothing you can do.
Nothing prepared me for that ending😳I desperately need book 2!!!

[୨୧○• Erin •○୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Author

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

What to expect
✨ Fae
✨ Military Academy
✨ Forbidden romance
✨ Kingdoms
✨ Devil
✨ Magic spirits
✨ Ancient artefacts
✨ Royal magic
✨ Elemental magic

I enjoyed this book.
We follow our FMC Maela, she takes the fall for a crime her brother commits and gets sent to Obsidian Prison.
When she finally leaves the prison she is taken to War Nova Academy where she goes through multiple brutal trials to make it to the final exam.
But while she is there her grip on reality blurs and her nightmares begin to bled into the waking world.

This book is full of secrets and reveals and keeps you guessing the whole time.

Our MMC is General Luan and he is very mysterious character but when you learn about him and his past you can’t help but love him 🔥

Love the tension in this book 🤌🏽

I love the magic spirts were a great addition to think book and I love they are not the normal animals you would find in most books. You will have to read the book to uncover what they are!

The pacing was a little off in this book but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

The plot was interesting and different to other books in this genre. Very action packed. Full of twists and turns.

Will definitely continue this series.

Thank you to the author for sending me an arc of your book.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lavender and Steel

A thrilling fast-paced debt romantasy! There was so much found on this one. It was full of action and magic!

I loved the concept! There was so much to unpack with this one and I can’t wait for the next one to see where things go.

There was magic, fae, demons, magical spirits, hellhounds, manticores, forbidden romance, deadly military academy, general/cadet, found family, possessive MMC, shadow daddy, secrets, suspense, drama, and so so much more!

[Karline05 Un brin de lecture · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.unbrindelecture.com/2026/0...
Un premier tome totalement fascinant ! J'ai tout aimé l'univers, l'intrigue, les personnages et leurs pouvoirs... Maela est une héroïne touchante qui se bat pour survivre et protéger son peuple. Elle nous entraîne dans une aventure où le danger, les trahisons et les mensonges assombrissent son avenir mais où elle représente la lueur d'espoir. Vivez la suite !

A truly captivating first volume! I loved everything about it—the world-building, the plot, the characters, and their powers... Maela is a touching heroine who fights to survive and protect her people. She takes us on an adventure where danger, betrayal, and lies cast a shadow over her future, yet she remains a beacon of hope. Can't wait for the next installment

[Jelena Radisavljević · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received my ARC copy, and since I read a lot of fantasies, it was very captivating story and a little different type of magic. I liked it very much. Maybe it needs a little background story about magic world in general.

[Gabija · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author, so here we are… :D

For the first 50 pages, I kept telling myself that the similarities to Fourth Wing were probably just coincidences. I really didn’t want to call this book a Fourth Wing copy. But the further I got, the worse it became, and by around page 100 I was just sitting there thinking… okay, this is actually REALLY bad. 😭

At first, I thought I was just noticing similarities because I had Fourth Wing on my mind. Then I started highlighting things in my Kindle—not because they reminded me of Fourth Wing, but because some scenes were practically the exact same situation with the bare minimum changed. I genuinely don’t know how this got published when the similarities were this painfully obvious.

The world-building felt unfinished, and the writing made the story even harder to follow. Thoughts and actions constantly jumped from one thing to another, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph, with no real transition. There were multiple times when I had to reread a sentence or an entire paragraph just to figure out what was happening.

I also struggled with the characters and their relationships. Their development felt incredibly rushed, and some relationships simply didn’t feel believable. I genuinely don’t understand how characters can meet a couple of times and suddenly be saying they love each other. By the end, I guess we were supposed to understand that Luan had known Maela before, but even that doesn’t really explain why seeing him a couple of times would suddenly have her thinking, “I love you.” 😭

And one thing that REALLY bothered me: Maela’s best friend dies, she returns to the academy, and then… she basically never thinks about her again. Nothing. Not even a random thought. This wasn’t some random person—this was supposedly her BEST FRIEND. 😭

By around page 200, the obvious copying became MUCH less noticeable, which is honestly why I’m giving this 2 stars. The more original parts were definitely more enjoyable, but by that point I had already spent so much of the book thinking, “I have literally read this before.” I genuinely wanted to DNF it rather than finish it.

I really think this story needed much more development and, most importantly, much more of the author’s own ideas instead of borrowing so heavily from other books.

I wish the author the best of luck with the next books in the series, and hopefully we’ll see much more of the author’s own ideas and voice in the future. :)

[Cassi Olazabal · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC reader here
This book is hard to give a solid rating to, as it has many different aspects to consider. I debated what the best rating to give it was.
Honestly, it gives Fourth Wings vibes, except instead of dragons, there are manicores.
Storyline and characters: The concept is wonderful. Entertaining enough. Characters are constructed with a flow about them.
Construction flow: This is where points are lost. The flow is very jagged here. Some parts are repeated. Things don't make sense, and it is a little rough to follow. Was it so terrible that I couldn't finish it? No. I finished it because I was engaged, enjoyed the storyline, and wanted to see how this ended. Though editing this to make it flow would help this story so much. Sometimes characters would randomly appear, assuming this was a mistake in editing and another character was actually the one who was meant to be involved. The ending of some chapters and how it was transitioned into the next chapter with the "and then..." also held some point loss here, too.

At times, it felt like I was just back in Fourth Wing, with different characters and a slightly different setting.
Towards the end, it felt more like its own concept at least. Though some things felt so similar that I could see them coming. This might just be how my mind gauges things, though. I could go into a whole comparison of characters here-- but I feel like that takes from this review.

Though, back to the review.

The book was enjoyable, but it had a lot of flaws. I enjoyed it despite these flaws. Sometimes I did feel vastly lost, but I continued to read because I was invested and truly did want to see the end of the book. The cliffhanger does its job and makes you want to get the next book and read it. So yes, I do look forward to continuing to the next book to see where Maela's journey continues. I honestly was expecting the reveal to be something other than what happened in the cliffhanger. I half was expecting the Devil to actually be Luan. Who knows, he might still somehow be. I did enjoy the bonus chapter from Luan's POV. I do actually hope to see more of his POV honestly, in the next book.

[Alex In Chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I just want to say how honored I am to have been an ARC reader for this book. Getting to be part of the early experience of a story like this is always so special.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The concept alone pulled me in. The mix of magic, prison, academy life, and brutal trials created a really engaging and high stakes world. I loved the idea of War Nova Academy and everything that came with it. The training, the challenges, and the constant pressure to survive made it such a fun and intense read.

The FMC, Maela, was a highlight for me. You really feel for her and everything she goes through, especially knowing the sacrifices she made at the beginning. Watching her navigate this world while also dealing with everything happening in her mind added a really interesting layer to her character.

I also really liked the MMC and the connection between them. There was a lot of tension and intrigue there that kept me invested, and I enjoyed seeing that dynamic unfold throughout the story.

The world itself was really cool. The magic elements, especially the spirits, felt unique and added something different to the story. The plot had a lot going on and kept things interesting with twists and reveals that made you want to keep reading.

The only thing that held it back slightly from being a five star read for me was the pacing and depth. At times it felt a little jumpy, like scenes moved quickly without fully settling into them. I found myself wanting more detail and more buildup to really experience each moment and connect even deeper with the characters and the world.

That said, I still really enjoyed this book. It has a strong foundation, great characters, and a really engaging premise. I am definitely planning to continue the series and see where it goes next because there is so much potential here.

If you enjoy academy settings, trials, magic, and character driven fantasy with tension and twists, this is definitely one to check out.

[Kiriaki Alexiadou · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A romantasy that has EVERYTHING I want!

Lavender and Steel had all the ingredients I need to completely lose myself in a romantasy: a war academy, spirit animals, fated mates, magic, secrets, friendship, family drama, and just the right amount of spice. And somehow, it all comes together into a story that kept me turning the pages because I needed to know what would happen next.

What I especially loved was the FMC. She has a wonderful sense of self-awareness and inner strength. She doesn’t simply let circumstances dictate who she is or how she feels—she takes the time to understand both her emotions and her choices, and then acts accordingly. Watching her grow while facing everything thrown her way was one of my favorite parts of the story.

And then there’s the MMC… 👀
The mysterious, broody shadow daddy who is doing his absolute best not to fall for her… and failing spectacularly. 😂 Their dynamic kept me invested, especially as his own emotional ups and downs became more apparent throughout the story.

As the plot develops, little pieces of the bigger picture start falling into place, and I loved the way friendships and family relationships are tested along the way. There were definitely moments when I found myself emotionally invested in both the characters and the mysteries surrounding them.

And that cliffhanger?! Excuse me?! 😭 Now I’m officially impatient for the next book because I NEED to know where this story is going.

With its engaging world, strong FMC, mysterious MMC, emotional character development, intriguing relationships, and light spice, Lavender and Steel was such an enjoyable romantasy read.

Thank you so much to the author for creating this world and giving me these characters to obsess over! I had such a great time reading this, and I’m genuinely looking forward to continuing the journey. Bring on the next book! 💜⚔️

[Ashley Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this book as arc from Author, of which I want to Thank for letting me read it. This review is my own honest opinion.

I have mixed feelings about how to rate this book, so here I go with the best I can form.

I really want to start by saying this book (like anything in life) may or may not be for you. The only way to know is to take a chance and find out for yourself.

Characters : I liked most of them but needed more time/build up. More details on a few things. There were times that I was absolutely drawn to the character and events but then things dropped and moved on. Relationships friend/romantic/ family/enemy seemed hazy or left to be worked out. I love a sassy FMC but this felt like too many things at once. Jail, war school, forbidden romance (with no real consequences), magic, and then loss.

Environment/ location: Mixed. Jumping from one thing to another made this feel lacking and not descriptive at times. What was described, was fitting for the situations. Just wish there was more visual description.

Story line/plot: I love a good fantasy. The plot was good just needed more support. Story line seemed rushed/ unfinished. There were many times I had to stop and reread to see if I missed something. I love the concept but felt there was just a slight disconnect in transition.

Spice: Build up was a few tense moments. Awesome. But one 🌶️. Which was followed but a trigger memory. Built the support from Luan for Maela.

Magic: I love what was created, but was left wanting more. More exploration of bonds and explanation of who was what and why.

The ending… well that was an abrupt cliffhanger.
My review may seem like a downer but I am actually looking forward to book 2 release to see what is next.
Yes that means like life there are flaws but now I’m invested lol.
Also the cover! That alone draws your attention! Love it!

[Sanne Romijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the author. My opinions are my own, based on my personal experience reading this book.

Lavender and Steel was an entertaining romantasy read for me, even though it didn’t quite become a standout favorite. The story moves quickly and introduces a number of intriguing elements, such as the magic spirits, the military academy setting, and the developing tension between Maela and Luan. By the final part of the book the stakes really start to rise, and the last chapters were definitely the most gripping for me. The ending also sets up the sequel in a way that made me curious about what happens next.

At the same time, I struggled a bit with the pacing throughout the story. The plot moves very fast, sometimes so fast that important moments don’t get much room to breathe. Several scenes that could have carried more emotional weight felt quite brief, which made it harder for me to fully connect with the characters. The time jumps between scenes were occasionally abrupt as well, which sometimes made the flow of the story feel a little disjointed.

The romance between Maela and Luan builds steadily and there is plenty of tension between them, but I personally would have liked a bit more emotional depth in their relationship development.

Overall, I had a good time reading Lavender and Steel. It’s a fast-paced romantasy with familiar genre elements and an intriguing magical world. While the pacing and lack of deeper character development kept it from becoming a top-tier read for me, the stronger final chapters and the cliffhanger ending definitely made me curious to see where the story goes in the next installment.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC copy from the author.

I enjoyed this book. It was well written, the story was interesting and really kept me engaged. If I need to describe it... think Fourth wing, but with a slightly different magic and magic spirits (manticores) instead of dragons.

The story was really good, you have elemental magic, Royal magic, but also a touch of shadows. It felt familiar, bit also a bit different and special on its own way. The magic spirit animals were a cool addition. Cianus gave me Tairn vibes.

The book was more plot forward rather than romance, so if you are after a lot of steamy yearning pages that's not it. The romance fall a bit to the background, but I found that I didn't really care about it, because the story itself was quite enough. The book was also not very spicy, but the spice that was there was well written

The FMC Maela is strong woman, pushing 30, thrown into a world she didn't really expect to end up at, as she thought she is very ill. I am curious to know more about the story of her past. The MMC Luan was ok, but not super remarkable.

The one thing I didn't really like was the pacing . Some stuff happened too fast, some a bit too slow, so at times it felt a bit off.

In general the book was good and I will be looking forward to the next one.

Thropes to expect:
🧝‍♀️🧚‍♂️ Fae
🌬❄️💧⚡️Elemental magic, secret magic
🧞Magic spirits
❤️‍🔥Love story
🫂Found family

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars
🌶 (not so spicy)

[Gaëlle · Rating 2 out of 5]

A promising opening that quickly lost me

DNF at 48%.

The first three chapters genuinely caught my attention. The introduction of the characters, the murder, and the surrounding mystery created a promising beginning, and I was curious to see where the story would lead.

Unfortunately, once Maeva arrived at the prison, the novel began to lose me. The pacing suddenly felt rushed, while the narration became increasingly fragmented and difficult to follow. Several relationships developed far too quickly to feel believable. In particular, Maeva’s almost immediate friendship with a fellow prisoner — and the absolute trust between them — did not feel earned.

Some characters’ reactions also changed so abruptly that I struggled to understand their motivations. The victim’s wife, for example, appears determined to torture Maeva, yet within only a couple of pages, the threat seems to disappear without a convincing transition or explanation.

As a result, the relationships felt superficial, and I could not become emotionally invested in the characters. There may be an intriguing story beneath these issues, but I eventually felt as though I was working to understand the narrative rather than being drawn into it. By 48%, I realised that I had stopped trying to make sense of what was happening, so I decided not to continue.

The opening showed real potential, but unfortunately, the execution did not work for me.

[Ravenwolf Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book really wanting to love it, and I genuinely gave it a solid try, but it just didn’t come together for me in the way I hoped. I made it to 57% before deciding to put it down.

One of the biggest hurdles for me was the pacing. It moved in a way that felt uneven and a bit chaotic, which made it hard to stay grounded in the story. Scenes shifted quickly, emotional beats didn’t have time to land, and I found myself struggling to stay connected to what was happening.

I also had a hard time connecting with the FMC. I kept waiting for more emotional depth or internal development, but she never quite opened up in a way that made me understand her choices or root for her. Because of that, the relationship between her and Luan didn’t feel fully earned to me — it came across rushed and a little forced, like the story wanted me to feel something that the characters hadn’t actually built yet.

There were elements with potential, and I can absolutely see why this might work for readers who enjoy fast‑moving plots or don’t mind jumping straight into the romance. It just didn’t align with what I personally look for in character‑driven stories.

Overall, this one simply didn’t hit where I needed it to, so I’m marking it as a DNF at 57%. I’m glad I gave it a fair chance, though, and I hope it finds the readers it’s meant for.

[Stephanie Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The preview description of this book really intrigued me and I was excited for a fresh elemental magic system to take hold. The landscape was well described and we did get a lot of action scenes, especially in the later half of the book.

The first couple of chapters really drew me in and I found myself eager to carry on, however there was a sudden change with the writing becoming choppy, like chapters were all of a sudden rushing to an end point. Even if it required more words and pages, a smoother transition between scenes would have lended well to remaining immersed in the story instead of feeling "kicked out" and confused every couple of pages. Also, I started getting some deja vu to very similar scenes from a different popular book. Even though the details were slightly different, the premise of some of the scenes were extremely predictable and aligned closely which left me very disappointed.

I did appreciate the cliffhanger at the end and that the magic spirits could take form of manticores (pretty neat)! With some further editing to add smoothing and detailed transitions in scenes and remove duplicate dream scenes (word for word without indication of relevance), I think this book would be phenomenal.

I appreciate the author allowing me the ARC opportunity, and I look forward to reading a future edition of the book as well the rest of the series.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Lavender and Steel as an ARC, and I’m really glad I got the chance because this book completely pulled me in. It’s a dark, gripping fantasy that had me hooked from the start, and honestly, it gave me those Fourth Wing / Zodiac Academy vibes in the best way.

Maela is such a compelling main character. Her struggles with trauma, guilt, and figuring out what’s real felt intense but also really believable. I loved how layered she was it made everything hit harder. The world building is rich, with a dangerous magic system and high-stakes academy trials that kept the tension going the whole time.

There’s also a really good mix of elements romance, found family, betrayal and it all blends together in a way that keeps you turning the pages. The twists around loyalty and truth especially stood out to me, and the ending?? Definitely a cliffhanger that answered some things but left me with so many more questions.

I will say, the pacing is steady but the psychological parts can feel a little heavy at times, and there were a few editing issues that pulled me out of the story here and there. Nothing that completely ruined it for me, but definitely noticeable.

Overall, this was such an immersive and emotional read, and I’m really excited to see where the series goes next. Definitely one that stuck with me after finishing.

[Charl Ormond · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was lucky enough to get this ARC really liked the idea and theory behind it however it did … fall a little bit flat…. So it’s a 2.75 ⭐️

The book follows Maela who is the daughter of a general with her brother living in a human town.. which has some people with magic. There is a war against the fae standard to be fair. She then gets wrongly accused for a murder and sent to prison and then eventually gets taken to an academy to learn how to use magic and control it. Along the way we meet our MMC who is a general surrounded by secrets. Throw in some political drama, friendships and some enemies trying to kill her too.

The first part of the book I found interesting and easy to follow. The characters are nice but for me that’s about it I wasn’t fully invested in them or unfortunately the romance. The story for me then got confusing and was a bit all over the place and made it hard to follow and wasn’t intriguing me enough to want to pick it up.

The manticores being the spirit magic I did find so interesting and so unique as never read anything like that before. Obviously the twists and turns at the end was interesting but slightly predictable, I do think people will enjoy this but for me it just didn’t really grip me like I wanted it too.

[Carly Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not the calm fantasy I thought I was getting. Instead, I got chaos, tension, and emotional damage — and I loved it.

After taking the fall for her brother, Maela ends up in prison, only to be kidnapped and forced into the Nova War Academy. From that point on, survival is the only goal. She isn’t naïve, she knows how bad things are — and still keeps being thrown into situations that are somehow worse.

The tone is relentlessly intense. Magic is dangerous and feared, trust is fragile, and even Maela’s own mind doesn’t always feel reliable. There’s a constant tension between reality and nightmares that creates this creeping unease, like the ground is constantly shifting beneath your feet.

The academy setting completely subverts expectations. It isn’t a place of safety or growth — it’s just another battlefield. The trials are brutal, alliances feel temporary, and everyone has their own agenda. Nothing feels stable for long.

What really worked for me was how unsettling the story is. The tension never drops, and that constant sense of instability kept me hooked from start to finish.

And the ending? Completely blindsided me. I did not see it coming at all — and now I need the next book immediately.

[pauchireads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intenté leerlo porque vi una muuuuuuy buena reseña sobre este libro pero es muy estresante, siento que estoy leyendo el borrador del libro y no el libro como tal, ya que hay 0 construcción del mundo donde se está desarrollando la historia, el tiempo que pasa entre un suceso y otro no es determinable ya que todo pasa de inmediato en la historia.

Me parece súper ilógica la amistad entre la protagonista y Dalila, surgió literalmente en una página. Y los diálogos primarios entre Luan y ella se sienten demasiado forzados.

Para tener el plot de academia militar+magia prohibida+sociedad distopica, le falta muchísimo desarrollo a los personajes y a la historia. Asi mismo, quiero hacer una mención especial al asesinato del cual se culpa a Maela, porque literalmente ella estaba intentando salvar a la victima, la capturan, en ese mismo momento deciden sobre el caso, no hay juicio, no hay investigación, solo captura y prisión...no revelan CÓMO sucedió el asesinato, COMO lo hizo Maynard, y no hay una buena introducción de los poderes de Maynard, los cuales habían sido "ocultos".

Muy muy muy buena trama, pero muy generalizado el desarrollo, no hay detalles, contexto, análisis del pasado, explicación suficiente del gobierno y su sistema, etc.

[alpha katt]

I am not going to give this book a rating as I feel it is unfair.
I received this ARC from the author and this review is my own opinion.

I made it 10% in and I think I was being generous to go that long.
I really don’t like giving bad reviews on ARCs. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book has been through enough editing. There is no depth. Weird time jumps. Everything is happening at lightening pace with no substance and no world building. Simple things like the “tasteless soup” tastes terrible? The man who I am guessing is the MMC, when seen for the second time, his memorable hair with the white streak that wasn’t even mentioned the first time we see him. The speech patterns are very robotic. I think the first 10% should have been building our characters instead of throwing us into the middle of some event with masks? Like what’s with the masks? Why does her brother hate her dad? Who are they in this world and their position in it? I was literally so confused I thought I must have missed something and accidentally started in the middle.

I am so sorry but this is just not a well thought out plot or character driven book and I truly feel bad for saying that.

The cover is gorgeous and I am sure this book will find the correct audience, unfortunately, that is not me.

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

rcvd an ARC from the author.

We meet Maela and her younger brother Maynard who lost their mother to war. their father is home for the celebration to honor those who were lost. at the celebration, Maela sees a handsome stranger on the balcony and when she returns from there she sees her brother had killed a man but then she is accused of it. thrown in prison, Maela has hours before she dies. her medication is at home so this is how she goes. she meets Delilah in the cell and she is told she had died but came back. the prison is kill or be killed. they must fight to the death in order to get to the academy. what Maela didn't know is that she has magic and it laid destruction to the prison. the handsome stranger saves her from there and takes her to the academy. luan is that handsome stranger and he is also a General and they can't stay away from one another. the academy prepares them for war thru trials and tribulations but its the nightmares that Maela has that's far worse...but are they nightmares or are they real? Luan, Maela and her friends need to keep their wits about them before its too late.

[Clair Learmonth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this as an ARC from the author.

There is something wonderful about going into and ARC book you know nothing about with no preconceived ideas and not influenced by someone else’s reviews.

I enjoyed the storyline a lot.

FMC is an our typical fantasy type heroine. Thrust into prison and then into a magical academy where she naturally falls for the mysterious general.

Magic system is a nice take on elemental type magic with some twists and it nice to see she starts to slowly start to come into her power. Lots to still be explored in her power which I assume will come in the next books.

The romance was a little rushed to me initially but I think that made more sense once I saw the ending. Hoping to see the deeper connection come in book two.

It is clear from early on that something more sinister going on in the academy and think the ending on touches the surface of that.

At times I was a little confused by what was happening. The time frames between scenes were sometimes a little unclear and did have to go back a few times to try figure out who some people were.

Overall a pleasant read and look forward to see where the story goes from here.

[Mandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an arc and this is my honest review. 3.5 stars
The writing: There were inconsistencies that a good and thorough editor(s) could fix. Names being spelt differently from one point to the next, paragraphs repeated, time jumps that made little sense, etc.
The story: Maela is a general's daughter and she is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. She is sent to prison without due process, which apparently does not exist in this world. She ends up having magic, so she gets sent to the Nova War Academy. At times the story line was confusing because of time jumps, but overall the story was interesting. The magic spirits were great and I liked that they were not a dragon or a wolf. The world building was trickled in a bit at a time, but left many unanswered questions. I am guessing more will be revealed in the next book.
Overall, the pacing was good, especially after the 40% mark. I enjoyed the story and was surprised when I hit the end, thinking I had more to go. I guess I will have to wait for book 2.

[Caitlyn Brosset · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Reader Review.
First I want to say thank you to the author for letting me read this arc!
I was extremely excited to read this book. I wanted to rate it higher so bad. But this book gave a lot of Fourth Wing. There were quite a lot of scenes that were identical to it. And honestly the school gave the same vibes. The main characters were so similar to the ones in Fourth Wing. Instead of dragons it’s manticores. But both Maela and Luans manticores are mates, just like the two main characters dragons in Fourth Wing. Because of it being so similar and having a lot of same exact things I don’t feel like I was able to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. The pace of this book was fast. It was very confusing as well in the beginning. Like one thing was happening and then out of no where it was talking about something completely different. It was jumping everywhere and very confusing. I will say the ending was the best part for me! It left on such a cliff hanger I wanted to know what happened!

[she just Reads too much. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok ok ok hear me out!!

I was sent this ARC and promised to give a honest review so here it is.

I absolutely loved this book. If you love Fourth Wing or Dire Bound this book is for you. After being framed for using magic to kill someone the FMC Maela ends up in a war college where she has to learn to harness her magic or die. This is where her journey has many twist and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. There are too many secrets and she is determined to get to the bottom of them. The MMC Luan is finger licking good and you can’t wait for more banter and steam between the two of them. I can’t believe the cliff hanger the story leaves you on. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to come out.
I only gave it 4 stars because it is truly fast paced and sometime you get lost and your not sure how you got to a certain place but that did not make me want to put the book down.
Thank you so much J.P. Feather for sending me this book I truly enjoyed every minute of it.

[Jacinta Kruger-Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It pulls you in quite quickly, especially with the tension between characters; there’s that immediate sense of something going on beneath the surface, which kept me curious the whole way through.

The dynamic between the main characters was one of my favourite parts. There’s a good mix of emotion, tension, and a bit of mystery, and it doesn’t feel forced. The dialogue especially felt natural and helped carry that.

The world-building is interesting without being overwhelming; you’re kind of dropped into things and have to piece it together as you go, which I actually liked, although it might feel slightly confusing right at the start for some readers.
Overall, it’s a really engaging read. It has a strong emotional core, intriguing relationships, and enough mystery to keep you turning the pages.

Final Thoughts:
A solid and enjoyable read with great character tension and a strong underlying sense of intrigue.

[Lindsay Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lavender and Steel is an absolute page-turner and should appeal to fans of Fourth Wing and Zodiac Academy.

The story follows Maela as she discovers that she has intentionally been lied to for much of her life. The book weaves together a moderately spicy love story, found family, magic, and betrayal in an academy setting.

The ending, which is a cliffhanger, confirms some suspicions while leaving readers with a series of new, unanswered questions.

The major drawback of Lavender and Steel is the editing issues. In addition to a significant number of proofreading errors, there are multiple paragraphs that are repeated. These errors create confusion and detract from the book's continuity at times.

Overall, the book was engaging and enjoyable, and I look forward to reading future books in the series.

Thank you, J.P. Feather, for providing an advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

[Beth’s Book Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite come together for me.

From the first chapter, the pacing felt quite rushed. It almost felt like I was diving into the middle of an ongoing story or series without much context, which threw me off and made it difficult to fully settle into the world.

The story also seemed to try to get serious very quickly, before I had enough time to connect with what was happening or who the characters were.
There were definitely elements and tropes that I liked, and I could see the potential. However, I often found myself wondering how certain events unfolded or how the story moved from one moment to another. Because of this, I didn’t feel fully immersed in the world, and I struggled to form a strong connection with the characters.

Overall, while Lavender and Steel had some interesting ideas and tropes that I appreciated, the pacing and lack of development made it hard for me to stay engaged.