What do you think?
Rate this book
Red Does Not Forget
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jan 26In the fractured realm of Aeltheris, where magic is forbidden, Princess Evelyne of Edrathen has been trained to be a statue—graceful, unmoving, perfect. A symbol. Her wedding to Prince Alaric of Varantia is meant to unite kingdoms, bury the blood-soaked past, and seal her fate as a living monument to peace.
But nothing is as it seems.
In the heart of the palace, ritual and power entwine like thread through velvet. Prophecies lie shattered beneath marble altars. Blood symbols bloom behind chapel walls. And beneath it all, a deeper magic pulses. Forgotten, divine, and furious.
As Evelyne uncovers the cracks beneath her kingdom’s perfection, she must decide what kind of woman she wants to the silent bride in the tower… or the storm that breaks it.
Set in a world of moonlight rituals, forbidden magic, and the quiet rage of women forced to smile through their own undoing, The Age of Red Does Not Forget is a story of survival, reclamation, and the cost of becoming whole in a kingdom that fears wholeness.
This is not a story about a woman marrying a prince.
It’s about a girl surviving a system that wants to silence her—and choosing, slowly, painfully, to speak.
To live.
For readers of slow-burn fantasy romance, myth-laced intrigue, and epic tales where love cuts as deeply as dagger.
But nothing is as it seems.
In the heart of the palace, ritual and power entwine like thread through velvet. Prophecies lie shattered beneath marble altars. Blood symbols bloom behind chapel walls. And beneath it all, a deeper magic pulses. Forgotten, divine, and furious.
As Evelyne uncovers the cracks beneath her kingdom’s perfection, she must decide what kind of woman she wants to the silent bride in the tower… or the storm that breaks it.
Set in a world of moonlight rituals, forbidden magic, and the quiet rage of women forced to smile through their own undoing, The Age of Red Does Not Forget is a story of survival, reclamation, and the cost of becoming whole in a kingdom that fears wholeness.
This is not a story about a woman marrying a prince.
It’s about a girl surviving a system that wants to silence her—and choosing, slowly, painfully, to speak.
To live.
For readers of slow-burn fantasy romance, myth-laced intrigue, and epic tales where love cuts as deeply as dagger.
616 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 9, 2026
55 people want to read
About the author
Anette Marcelle
1 book4 followersA writer drawn to the quiet power of emotion, legacy, and rebellion. My stories live at the crossroads of beauty and brutality, exploring what it means to survive, to remember, and to choose truth in a world built on silence. I write character-driven fantasy with sharp political undercurrents, slow-burn tension, and magic that always comes at a cost. Whether it's through serialized chapters, narrative essays, or lore-rich glimpses into fictional realms.
When I’m not building fictional kingdoms, I’m probably drinking too much coffee, overthinking character arcs, or wandering into bookstores "just to look." I write for readers who love emotional tension, layered characters, and the ache of a truth just barely spoken. Welcome—I’m glad you’re here.
When I’m not building fictional kingdoms, I’m probably drinking too much coffee, overthinking character arcs, or wandering into bookstores "just to look." I write for readers who love emotional tension, layered characters, and the ache of a truth just barely spoken. Welcome—I’m glad you’re here.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 5, 2026
This review is based on an advance reader copy kindly provided by the author.
I will be frank — I often struggle with fantasy novels aimed primarily at a female audience. Too often, they lean heavily toward emotional or romantic elements, while the world-building feels secondary or even neglected.
That said, there are authors such as Robin Hobb or Leigh Bardugo who manage to craft truly complete fantasy worlds — rich in both character and setting. I believe Anette has the potential to join this group with her Age of Silence series.
What impressed me most was the language and prose. This is not another “easy-to-read, Wattpad-style” story, but a carefully structured and thoughtfully written novel. The writing is poetic, elegant, and deeply immersive.
The characters are another strong point. They are far from perfect — flawed, complex, and entirely human. They are not the trendy “morally grey” types who are portrayed as terrible yet secretly kind-hearted. Instead, they think and act in their own ways, sometimes failing to understand others, often guided by good intentions mixed with a touch of egoism. They feel real — not idealized or romanticized.
If you are expecting a typical charming male lead — intelligent yet rugged, strong but sensitive, the perfect blend of alpha and sigma — you will not find that here. Instead, the male protagonist is authentically human: imperfect, believable, and refreshingly grounded.
In terms of plot, it is clear that the author envisions something grand and long-term. The pacing is deliberate, with the story unfolding gradually as new information and settings are revealed. At the same time, it is evident that Red Does Not Forget functions as a kind of prologue — an introduction to the world and its main characters, with the major mysteries still to come.
This structure may test the reader’s patience at times, but I am confident that the payoff will be worthwhile.
I will be frank — I often struggle with fantasy novels aimed primarily at a female audience. Too often, they lean heavily toward emotional or romantic elements, while the world-building feels secondary or even neglected.
That said, there are authors such as Robin Hobb or Leigh Bardugo who manage to craft truly complete fantasy worlds — rich in both character and setting. I believe Anette has the potential to join this group with her Age of Silence series.
What impressed me most was the language and prose. This is not another “easy-to-read, Wattpad-style” story, but a carefully structured and thoughtfully written novel. The writing is poetic, elegant, and deeply immersive.
The characters are another strong point. They are far from perfect — flawed, complex, and entirely human. They are not the trendy “morally grey” types who are portrayed as terrible yet secretly kind-hearted. Instead, they think and act in their own ways, sometimes failing to understand others, often guided by good intentions mixed with a touch of egoism. They feel real — not idealized or romanticized.
If you are expecting a typical charming male lead — intelligent yet rugged, strong but sensitive, the perfect blend of alpha and sigma — you will not find that here. Instead, the male protagonist is authentically human: imperfect, believable, and refreshingly grounded.
In terms of plot, it is clear that the author envisions something grand and long-term. The pacing is deliberate, with the story unfolding gradually as new information and settings are revealed. At the same time, it is evident that Red Does Not Forget functions as a kind of prologue — an introduction to the world and its main characters, with the major mysteries still to come.
This structure may test the reader’s patience at times, but I am confident that the payoff will be worthwhile.
Review of advance copy received from Author
the emotional whiplash I have experienced is traumatizing. Will post a full review soon.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"After the Sundering shattered the world of Aeltheris, magic became forbidden, art was stripped of meaning; and silence turned sacred.
Princess Evelyne of Edrathen has been trained to be perfect - graceful, quiet, obedient. A living symbol of peace.
But when her arranged marriage begins to unravel the secrets buried beneath her kingdom's polished surface, she must decide whether to remain the statue they built her to be...or become the storm that breaks it."
I enjoyed this book mainly for its rich and immersive world building; and complex and relatable characters. None of them are perfect or romanticised - they each have their own flaws and traits.
The plot is driven by character and setting instead of emotions and relationships, which i found to be a refreshing change of pace.
Another thing that I loved about this book was that the language is very polished and eloquent, and gives another level of depth to the dialogue.
The pace is very steady and gradual. Introducing us to the world, its characters and its history, whilst leaving a lot of mysteries left to solve and a lot of the plot left to unravel.
This book is clearly just one piece of a larger puzzle; one I found truly captivating and cannot wait to continue.
Princess Evelyne of Edrathen has been trained to be perfect - graceful, quiet, obedient. A living symbol of peace.
But when her arranged marriage begins to unravel the secrets buried beneath her kingdom's polished surface, she must decide whether to remain the statue they built her to be...or become the storm that breaks it."
I enjoyed this book mainly for its rich and immersive world building; and complex and relatable characters. None of them are perfect or romanticised - they each have their own flaws and traits.
The plot is driven by character and setting instead of emotions and relationships, which i found to be a refreshing change of pace.
Another thing that I loved about this book was that the language is very polished and eloquent, and gives another level of depth to the dialogue.
The pace is very steady and gradual. Introducing us to the world, its characters and its history, whilst leaving a lot of mysteries left to solve and a lot of the plot left to unravel.
This book is clearly just one piece of a larger puzzle; one I found truly captivating and cannot wait to continue.
January 5, 2026
Hey Cozy Readers🌹✨
MY FIRST BOOK REVIEW OF 2026!!!!!!!
and it goes to the LOVELY & TALENTED @anettemarcelle.author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Because Love is not responsibility. But it is what makes responsibilities bearable”
What do I say except this book took me on an ULTIMATE rollercoaster! And it’s the most BEAUTIFUL book i’ve ever read! @anettemarcelle.author words were like poetry on every page. I felt like I was reading in a completely different life. At times it was soft and others pure CHAOS!
The dynamic of Alaric and Princess Evelyn OR as i like to call her my LADY RED!!!! was the PUREST of LOVE and Is safe to say they have become my NEW couple!!!! She is the symbol of peace and brilliance! And through out the story you find out she’s more than just that, she’s willing and ready to break every single rule the system has ever told her. Ugh! the female rage is everything!
I think this story was a great pace, the characters were real and the political alliances were stern and raw! You will be SUCKED IN with the first few chapters!
This story was really refreshing and i think the author does a wonderful job building the world where art and magic doesn’t reign! it is silenced!!! an interesting take i loved everything about it!!
i couldn’t put the book down, it CONSUMED ME!!! Everything about this story worked so well! it’s deff my favorite read so far of 2026 BRAVO friend 😍🌹✨
“Dreamers die twice”
If you’re looking for a book with….
🌹Bridgerton meets Game of Thrones
🌹Post apocalyptic fantasy
🌹multi-POV character driven plot
🌹many factions rich love and mythology
🌹cursed ice queen become soft arc
🌹arranged marriage and juicy banter
#reddoesnotforget #indieauthors #bookreviews #indiereviews #bookishreviews
MY FIRST BOOK REVIEW OF 2026!!!!!!!
and it goes to the LOVELY & TALENTED @anettemarcelle.author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Because Love is not responsibility. But it is what makes responsibilities bearable”
What do I say except this book took me on an ULTIMATE rollercoaster! And it’s the most BEAUTIFUL book i’ve ever read! @anettemarcelle.author words were like poetry on every page. I felt like I was reading in a completely different life. At times it was soft and others pure CHAOS!
The dynamic of Alaric and Princess Evelyn OR as i like to call her my LADY RED!!!! was the PUREST of LOVE and Is safe to say they have become my NEW couple!!!! She is the symbol of peace and brilliance! And through out the story you find out she’s more than just that, she’s willing and ready to break every single rule the system has ever told her. Ugh! the female rage is everything!
I think this story was a great pace, the characters were real and the political alliances were stern and raw! You will be SUCKED IN with the first few chapters!
This story was really refreshing and i think the author does a wonderful job building the world where art and magic doesn’t reign! it is silenced!!! an interesting take i loved everything about it!!
i couldn’t put the book down, it CONSUMED ME!!! Everything about this story worked so well! it’s deff my favorite read so far of 2026 BRAVO friend 😍🌹✨
“Dreamers die twice”
If you’re looking for a book with….
🌹Bridgerton meets Game of Thrones
🌹Post apocalyptic fantasy
🌹multi-POV character driven plot
🌹many factions rich love and mythology
🌹cursed ice queen become soft arc
🌹arranged marriage and juicy banter
#reddoesnotforget #indieauthors #bookreviews #indiereviews #bookishreviews
December 22, 2025
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I actually really really enjoyed this book. The pacing was steady with stakes rising near the end. I felt like I could put the book down and easily come back to it again. The plot twist at the end shocked me. I truly loved the characters and the complexity of the magic system, court and world. I liked how the romance wasn’t immediate, and there was sort of a slow burn and slow realization of what they feel built on consistency and trust. There are so many poetic sounding quotes in this book and I’ll list just a few that stood out to me:
- “In this world, women do not often get to choose their power. But we can choose each other. And we should.”
- “Sometimes silence is not the absence of sound—but the breath before change.”
- “Just because you're not a warrior doesn't mean you're not a force. Moonlight and steel are both the color silver.”
- “Because love is not responsibility. But it is what makes responsibilities bearable.”
- “In this world, women do not often get to choose their power. But we can choose each other. And we should.”
- “Sometimes silence is not the absence of sound—but the breath before change.”
- “Just because you're not a warrior doesn't mean you're not a force. Moonlight and steel are both the color silver.”
- “Because love is not responsibility. But it is what makes responsibilities bearable.”
January 5, 2026
I kicked off 2026 with an absolute masterpiece of a book. The book does not mess about, the opening 2 chapters will have you shocked & hooked.
Red Does Not Forget sets the scene for what I believe will be an incredible series. If you love a book with extensive world and character building, court intrigue, found family, yearning & mystery, then this the one for you.
I felt connected to FMC, Evelyne from the initial chapters and really enjoyed that she was not a "perfect princess", she has her demons which made her relatable.
Our MMC Alaric was a breath of fresh air, a prince who valued knowledge as much as brute strength and of course his witty sense of humour.
The side characters, Cedric, Thalen & Vesena complimented each other. Their personalities although entirely different from one another, found a way to add value to their new found family and development of this story.
The ending of this book has me feeling like I can't trust anyone I will be reading book 2 with every single person as my enemy until they prove their innocence.
Red Does Not Forget sets the scene for what I believe will be an incredible series. If you love a book with extensive world and character building, court intrigue, found family, yearning & mystery, then this the one for you.
I felt connected to FMC, Evelyne from the initial chapters and really enjoyed that she was not a "perfect princess", she has her demons which made her relatable.
Our MMC Alaric was a breath of fresh air, a prince who valued knowledge as much as brute strength and of course his witty sense of humour.
The side characters, Cedric, Thalen & Vesena complimented each other. Their personalities although entirely different from one another, found a way to add value to their new found family and development of this story.
The ending of this book has me feeling like I can't trust anyone I will be reading book 2 with every single person as my enemy until they prove their innocence.
December 15, 2025
This book kept me hooked from the very first chapter and was impossible to put down. The lore was outstanding and the prose was so very beautiful. The political plot was so incredibly well thought out and the personal storylines of the characters felt so natural and real that I found myself disappointed that the next book isn’t available to read yet so I can see what they are up to next, but I will for sure be preordering it once it is announced.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Red Does Not Forget is a beautiful work of art that shows softness turning into power. It’s like a rich explored painting ready to tell a story. A gilded age setting with a layered world building that shapes the story into something extraordinary. It’s prose, lyrical, and longing. It’s woven into a symbol.
Princess Evelyne. Our future empress and Red Queen I like to call her. She is a symbol of peace and quite clever. A wedding that turned red. Whispers among the kingdoms declaring a curse bride. Secrets and questions that burned into the archives. Her walls are a blank expression. She is a symbol to this kingdom where her mind is lonely. It’s a home but trapped like a labyrinth maze ready to burst into a storm. She truly is elegant & flawed where you start to question that she is more than duty. She is more than a symbol and you find out if she is willing to break every rule she has ever been told.
This story is layered beautifully with a political alliance that’s sharp and featuring raw complex characters. It’s messy and delicious that will consume you and have you glued between the pages. It’s silence and a world where magic is forbidden. Secrets buried so deep that this kingdom needs to be reminded why magic was forbidden and why art is restricted. Meanwhile, uncovering a suspicious murder that Evelyne can’t let go from.
The age of silence cut me like a knife where I couldn’t get tired of the chaos between the pages. It really shows you deep symbolism and Alaric!? Our Scholar prince, future king, charming golden retriever MMC that is a mystery but intelligent. I was feral for this man and the power and love he shows towards Evelyne was breathtaking. His engagement to Evelyne is either going to be a great prosperity to their realms or it’s going to break it.
This story is refreshing and measured while testing your patience. If you want to be buried deep into the lore where you’ll continue to sink into, craving yearning where the stakes feel high, then immediately add Red Does Not Forget to your TBR. I promise this is worth the read as this story is unfolding into something great long-term 🥀 I cannot wait to add this to my trophy shelf ♥️
Princess Evelyne. Our future empress and Red Queen I like to call her. She is a symbol of peace and quite clever. A wedding that turned red. Whispers among the kingdoms declaring a curse bride. Secrets and questions that burned into the archives. Her walls are a blank expression. She is a symbol to this kingdom where her mind is lonely. It’s a home but trapped like a labyrinth maze ready to burst into a storm. She truly is elegant & flawed where you start to question that she is more than duty. She is more than a symbol and you find out if she is willing to break every rule she has ever been told.
This story is layered beautifully with a political alliance that’s sharp and featuring raw complex characters. It’s messy and delicious that will consume you and have you glued between the pages. It’s silence and a world where magic is forbidden. Secrets buried so deep that this kingdom needs to be reminded why magic was forbidden and why art is restricted. Meanwhile, uncovering a suspicious murder that Evelyne can’t let go from.
The age of silence cut me like a knife where I couldn’t get tired of the chaos between the pages. It really shows you deep symbolism and Alaric!? Our Scholar prince, future king, charming golden retriever MMC that is a mystery but intelligent. I was feral for this man and the power and love he shows towards Evelyne was breathtaking. His engagement to Evelyne is either going to be a great prosperity to their realms or it’s going to break it.
This story is refreshing and measured while testing your patience. If you want to be buried deep into the lore where you’ll continue to sink into, craving yearning where the stakes feel high, then immediately add Red Does Not Forget to your TBR. I promise this is worth the read as this story is unfolding into something great long-term 🥀 I cannot wait to add this to my trophy shelf ♥️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to be on the ARC team for Red Does Not Forget, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was a total privilege! I’m still reeling. First off: Alaric. He is pure sunshine, and I’m obsessed. The chemistry between him and Evelyne was 10/10, and I loved watching her character arc unfold.
There is so much to sink your teeth into here—complex politics, deep symbolism, and writing so beautiful and poetic I found myself highlighting entire pages. It’s rare to find a book that’s this smart and this romantic. Do yourself a favor and add it to your TBR!
There is so much to sink your teeth into here—complex politics, deep symbolism, and writing so beautiful and poetic I found myself highlighting entire pages. It’s rare to find a book that’s this smart and this romantic. Do yourself a favor and add it to your TBR!
Review of advance copy received from Author
A fantastic take on romantasy featuring forgotten, illegal magic and intense court politics, Red Does Not Forget is a must read. There's an ancient tithe that begs to be paid, no matter the cost and the characters must choose between the truth and silence.
Twist and turns that lift off the page, it is hard not to be captured from page one and desperate to find out more. An arranged marriage that's a sloooooow burn but gives the main characters the opportunity to realise who they are and gain strength from each other. And who doesn't like a MMC that empowers and protects?
Twist and turns that lift off the page, it is hard not to be captured from page one and desperate to find out more. An arranged marriage that's a sloooooow burn but gives the main characters the opportunity to realise who they are and gain strength from each other. And who doesn't like a MMC that empowers and protects?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews