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The Seven Rangers: Volume 1 - Harvest
A floating island under attack. A thousand killer angels. Seven warriors; One chance.
In the floating city of Emora, Eryka Bryndotter lived a life as a master manipulator and diplomat. But when a devastating attack by angels annihilates the Ranger Corps, she uses those skills to convince a bitter ex-Ranger captain to lead a ragtag team of broken warriors, each battling their own inner demons.
This new team must venture into the heart of enemy territory. As they race against time to prevent the "harvest" of innocent souls , they find themselves outpowered, outnumbered, and overwhelmed.
With each step towards their goal, the cost of victory grows steeper. Trust builds and secrets unravel as they confront an angelic force that threatens to consume everything they love. In a floating world where angels are the enemy, can this unlikely band of warriors find the strength to become the heroes Emora desperately needs?
In the floating city of Emora, Eryka Bryndotter lived a life as a master manipulator and diplomat. But when a devastating attack by angels annihilates the Ranger Corps, she uses those skills to convince a bitter ex-Ranger captain to lead a ragtag team of broken warriors, each battling their own inner demons.
This new team must venture into the heart of enemy territory. As they race against time to prevent the "harvest" of innocent souls , they find themselves outpowered, outnumbered, and overwhelmed.
With each step towards their goal, the cost of victory grows steeper. Trust builds and secrets unravel as they confront an angelic force that threatens to consume everything they love. In a floating world where angels are the enemy, can this unlikely band of warriors find the strength to become the heroes Emora desperately needs?
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2025
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 8, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
First, I'd like to express my gratitude for this advances copy. It was very exciting to receive my first ARC book and this one did not disappoint. It had an interesting premise, dynamic characters, and a formidable enemy.
Balancing so many characters and povs is difficult, but I feel like it was done very well here. Each character's worries and motivations felt well defined and fleshed out. I do think at times they read each other a little too well after only just meeting and that their friction got resolved almost immediately. But it's possible they just set their differences aside for a common goal. It'll be fun to revisit that. It was also refreshing to have a cast of characters across an age range. I feel like it'll be a great dynamic to explore further in the sequels.
I do feel, however, that the world-building was a little lacking. The glimpses we saw and learned about are fascinating and I wanted more of it. Presence and weaving were very cool to see in action, but how does it work? Do those with the ability choose how to use it or is it innate (can Alf have trained as a healer/lifeweaver for example)? Emora also wasn't very fleshed out and I was looking forward to learning more about their home and its culture and the mists that surrounded it.
The angels as they were depicted here were very daunting. They felt like a force to be reckoned with and that made the helplessness bleed through the pages effectively. Seeing how they dismiss the lives of Emorians and view them as inferior also made my blood boil. They made for a compelling antagonist. Learning more about how they operate alongside our characters was also interesting to see. I do think at times they seemed too human-like with their bickering (which made the formidable illusion flicker at times)but maybe that was the intention.
The pacing felt a little rushed at times, but at other times it progressed naturally. I liked the writing and highlighted a fair amount of lines that I particularly enjoyed. There were some beautiful, poignant lines that I'd like to revisit again.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing on with this series. Thank you again for the advanced copy!
First, I'd like to express my gratitude for this advances copy. It was very exciting to receive my first ARC book and this one did not disappoint. It had an interesting premise, dynamic characters, and a formidable enemy.
Balancing so many characters and povs is difficult, but I feel like it was done very well here. Each character's worries and motivations felt well defined and fleshed out. I do think at times they read each other a little too well after only just meeting and that their friction got resolved almost immediately. But it's possible they just set their differences aside for a common goal. It'll be fun to revisit that. It was also refreshing to have a cast of characters across an age range. I feel like it'll be a great dynamic to explore further in the sequels.
I do feel, however, that the world-building was a little lacking. The glimpses we saw and learned about are fascinating and I wanted more of it. Presence and weaving were very cool to see in action, but how does it work? Do those with the ability choose how to use it or is it innate (can Alf have trained as a healer/lifeweaver for example)? Emora also wasn't very fleshed out and I was looking forward to learning more about their home and its culture and the mists that surrounded it.
The angels as they were depicted here were very daunting. They felt like a force to be reckoned with and that made the helplessness bleed through the pages effectively. Seeing how they dismiss the lives of Emorians and view them as inferior also made my blood boil. They made for a compelling antagonist. Learning more about how they operate alongside our characters was also interesting to see. I do think at times they seemed too human-like with their bickering (which made the formidable illusion flicker at times)but maybe that was the intention.
The pacing felt a little rushed at times, but at other times it progressed naturally. I liked the writing and highlighted a fair amount of lines that I particularly enjoyed. There were some beautiful, poignant lines that I'd like to revisit again.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing on with this series. Thank you again for the advanced copy!
December 14, 2025
ARC review:
4.8 ⭐️
Wow. This was an amazing start to a series. I love figuring out and understanding the lore of life on Emora. I loved that even if there was exposition in the dialogue, it didn’t feel forced or just thrown in there. There was history interwoven with the dialogue and the interactions between the characters.
Speaking of characters, I loved Eryka and Ingrid! They were so heartbreaking to read, with the way they hold the burden and the responsibility on their shoulders. I love all things angst, so Eryka and Ingrid fit right in there. I also would love to learn more about Rhys! Here’s this badass mercenary who’s fighting capabailities are hard-earned, but he had to sacrifice some relationships. Reminds me of Arthur Morgan, which made sense when I flipped to more about after finishing the book.
Now on to why I took the .2. The angels were terrifying. TERRIFYING, but one of the last interactions with them almost made them a little silly? I get the message that Penrod wanted to set: the people were basically worms to the Angels but the last interaction borderlined silly until it became terrifying again. Other than that, honestly no notes!
I’m definitely gonna need the next book ASAP
4.8 ⭐️
Wow. This was an amazing start to a series. I love figuring out and understanding the lore of life on Emora. I loved that even if there was exposition in the dialogue, it didn’t feel forced or just thrown in there. There was history interwoven with the dialogue and the interactions between the characters.
Speaking of characters, I loved Eryka and Ingrid! They were so heartbreaking to read, with the way they hold the burden and the responsibility on their shoulders. I love all things angst, so Eryka and Ingrid fit right in there. I also would love to learn more about Rhys! Here’s this badass mercenary who’s fighting capabailities are hard-earned, but he had to sacrifice some relationships. Reminds me of Arthur Morgan, which made sense when I flipped to more about after finishing the book.
Now on to why I took the .2. The angels were terrifying. TERRIFYING, but one of the last interactions with them almost made them a little silly? I get the message that Penrod wanted to set: the people were basically worms to the Angels but the last interaction borderlined silly until it became terrifying again. Other than that, honestly no notes!
I’m definitely gonna need the next book ASAP
December 4, 2025
I received an advanced reading copy of this book for review, which I want to sincerely thank the author for.
Given what it is marketed as—a character-driven story meant to pull apart those characters slowly and in the midst of grim circumstances—this book falls short of a lot of the expectations I had for it. This books features eight POV characters, meaning that each of them, though interesting in concept, remain undeveloped and two dimensional for the majority of the book’s length as they all fight for screen time. A lot of them are promising and contain scraps of humanity and interest but are unable to expand on those principles due to the structure of the story. It repeatedly reads as if the plot is stringing along a cast of overcrowded dolls from one scene to another.
Unfortunately, the characters in this book never approach full development or depth. Part of that is the overcrowding, and part of it is that they all have exactly the same internal struggle and don’t differ enough from each other for their interactions to feel meaningful or progressive to their development. I found myself feeling resentful and exhausted by the time I read the third panic attack scene fueled by survivors guilt solved the same way as the last two. If four or five of these characters were absorbed into each other or cut entirely, I think the story would have been much better off.
In a lot of ways, this book ended up feeling flat and repetitive. The writing itself leans a lot on very familiar metaphors and descriptions, taking away from the unique premise and setting, and spreads itself too thin across the plot, characters, and world building to substantiate any of them. Any subtext or thematic messaging are either extremely fuzzy or altogether absent. For the entire first half of the book, all that is accomplished is rounding up all eight of the characters by way of having the same conversation over and over, beat for beat. It’s not until the midpoint of the story that the characters all meet and exist under the same roof— which dramatically slows down the overall story and saps it of interest. I found myself so much more willing to read this book by the second half, as by then it was more than the same scene replayed with different names plastered over it.
For as much as this book is flawed, though, it’s not completely void of good parts or sections to take enjoyment out of. In the ways that the characters do break the mold and differ from each other, this book was able to foster extremely emotional and tender moments. I will give credit to Alf, who has a unique perspective in comparison to the other characters that shaped certain interactions and plot in a way that was genuinely intriguing. Also, the angels alone are cool. While it was difficult to keep them all straight at times, their overwhelming strength and seeming desperation for human sacrifice was intriguing.
I hope that future volumes of this story are able to move on from what hindered them in this introduction and play into the strengths it’s so far established.
Given what it is marketed as—a character-driven story meant to pull apart those characters slowly and in the midst of grim circumstances—this book falls short of a lot of the expectations I had for it. This books features eight POV characters, meaning that each of them, though interesting in concept, remain undeveloped and two dimensional for the majority of the book’s length as they all fight for screen time. A lot of them are promising and contain scraps of humanity and interest but are unable to expand on those principles due to the structure of the story. It repeatedly reads as if the plot is stringing along a cast of overcrowded dolls from one scene to another.
Unfortunately, the characters in this book never approach full development or depth. Part of that is the overcrowding, and part of it is that they all have exactly the same internal struggle and don’t differ enough from each other for their interactions to feel meaningful or progressive to their development. I found myself feeling resentful and exhausted by the time I read the third panic attack scene fueled by survivors guilt solved the same way as the last two. If four or five of these characters were absorbed into each other or cut entirely, I think the story would have been much better off.
In a lot of ways, this book ended up feeling flat and repetitive. The writing itself leans a lot on very familiar metaphors and descriptions, taking away from the unique premise and setting, and spreads itself too thin across the plot, characters, and world building to substantiate any of them. Any subtext or thematic messaging are either extremely fuzzy or altogether absent. For the entire first half of the book, all that is accomplished is rounding up all eight of the characters by way of having the same conversation over and over, beat for beat. It’s not until the midpoint of the story that the characters all meet and exist under the same roof— which dramatically slows down the overall story and saps it of interest. I found myself so much more willing to read this book by the second half, as by then it was more than the same scene replayed with different names plastered over it.
For as much as this book is flawed, though, it’s not completely void of good parts or sections to take enjoyment out of. In the ways that the characters do break the mold and differ from each other, this book was able to foster extremely emotional and tender moments. I will give credit to Alf, who has a unique perspective in comparison to the other characters that shaped certain interactions and plot in a way that was genuinely intriguing. Also, the angels alone are cool. While it was difficult to keep them all straight at times, their overwhelming strength and seeming desperation for human sacrifice was intriguing.
I hope that future volumes of this story are able to move on from what hindered them in this introduction and play into the strengths it’s so far established.
December 17, 2025
3.5⭐️ARC reader -Thanks to the author for allowing me to get this copy!
Let me first preface this with I am not, I repeat- I am NOT a fantasy reader. I’m an avid reader and I prefer fiction (historical, romance, science, drama, contemporary, etc. ). The last time I read a fantasy book was Harry Potter (I am a huge Harry Potter fan!). And even today I still don’t categorize it as fantasy ha ha ha.
This technically was my first fantasy that I recall ever intentionally reading and right away I was immersed in the world built by Jacob. As someone who doesn’t read fantasy, I appreciated the quick world building and character development. I was able to distinguish each character and their story without feeling like it was too much. Seeing that it is only book one, I anticipate the rest of the series to delve more into these characters and their relationships. For a first book, I think it did an amazing job bringing the audience into this world that seems to have existed for centuries. I also really like that it wasn’t so dense with the world building-so if that is something you really like as a fantasy reader, you won’t get that here. There were a lot of cool skills like weaving and presenceblind that were quick to grasp without feeling like we needed a lot of background knowledge.
In general, I really don’t like suspense, or action scenes with fighting and destruction, so that was really hard for me to read through because my heart literally could not take it. The Angels are scary , imposing, and dangerous-we get that right away to see what’s at stake. Honestly, right now it feels kind of impossible, but I love that idea of never giving up hope even when you feel like it’s impossible. I also love when a rag tag team comes together to work towards a common goal. I want to say I wanna read the next in the series, but I can’t promise.
Overall, this was a really good read! I really like the authors writing style. I was first introduced to Jacob in his epic the musical reactions on YouTube. I loved how deep and thorough his analysis was of story writing. And when he said he was working on a book I was very intrigued to check it out. I almost feel bad that I gave it three stars but honestly that’s just my personal preference other than that if I was an avid fantasy reader I probably would’ve given it more between a four and a five.
Let me first preface this with I am not, I repeat- I am NOT a fantasy reader. I’m an avid reader and I prefer fiction (historical, romance, science, drama, contemporary, etc. ). The last time I read a fantasy book was Harry Potter (I am a huge Harry Potter fan!). And even today I still don’t categorize it as fantasy ha ha ha.
This technically was my first fantasy that I recall ever intentionally reading and right away I was immersed in the world built by Jacob. As someone who doesn’t read fantasy, I appreciated the quick world building and character development. I was able to distinguish each character and their story without feeling like it was too much. Seeing that it is only book one, I anticipate the rest of the series to delve more into these characters and their relationships. For a first book, I think it did an amazing job bringing the audience into this world that seems to have existed for centuries. I also really like that it wasn’t so dense with the world building-so if that is something you really like as a fantasy reader, you won’t get that here. There were a lot of cool skills like weaving and presenceblind that were quick to grasp without feeling like we needed a lot of background knowledge.
In general, I really don’t like suspense, or action scenes with fighting and destruction, so that was really hard for me to read through because my heart literally could not take it. The Angels are scary , imposing, and dangerous-we get that right away to see what’s at stake. Honestly, right now it feels kind of impossible, but I love that idea of never giving up hope even when you feel like it’s impossible. I also love when a rag tag team comes together to work towards a common goal. I want to say I wanna read the next in the series, but I can’t promise.
Overall, this was a really good read! I really like the authors writing style. I was first introduced to Jacob in his epic the musical reactions on YouTube. I loved how deep and thorough his analysis was of story writing. And when he said he was working on a book I was very intrigued to check it out. I almost feel bad that I gave it three stars but honestly that’s just my personal preference other than that if I was an avid fantasy reader I probably would’ve given it more between a four and a five.
December 1, 2025
Before getting into the full review I will say that I did find this book enjoyable. However there were some things in it that I felt did not have as much an impact as they seemed to intend. This book has a solid story and unique characters. It had great action and a very interesting and compelling plot to drive the story forward. The reason I don't give it a higher rating though is because of some issues I have regarding the characters' motivation and pace of story progression.
Characters/Interactions: Though the characters were all interesting and had their good interactions, there were also times their interactions with each other felt somewhat shallow and stilted. On the positive end though their internal monologue and feelings were dynamic and well-rounded.
Pacing: The book also seemed to suffer from some pacing issues in the first half of the book, tending to feel like it jumps quickly back and forth between our protagonists, before becoming more steady in the back half.
Antagonists and Mystery: By far the best part, in my opinion, of this book is how intriguing the story surrounding the Angels is. We are not made aware of their intentions other than a surface level understanding of their actions, but it is made clear that there is likely more to the attacks that are made by these intimidating antagonists.
Ending thoughts: While there were some aspects of the story that I thought could be improved I found this book to be a good read. I look forward to future titles in the series and would encourage others to read it and form their own opinions on this opening book of The Seven Rangers series.
Characters/Interactions: Though the characters were all interesting and had their good interactions, there were also times their interactions with each other felt somewhat shallow and stilted. On the positive end though their internal monologue and feelings were dynamic and well-rounded.
Pacing: The book also seemed to suffer from some pacing issues in the first half of the book, tending to feel like it jumps quickly back and forth between our protagonists, before becoming more steady in the back half.
Antagonists and Mystery: By far the best part, in my opinion, of this book is how intriguing the story surrounding the Angels is. We are not made aware of their intentions other than a surface level understanding of their actions, but it is made clear that there is likely more to the attacks that are made by these intimidating antagonists.
Ending thoughts: While there were some aspects of the story that I thought could be improved I found this book to be a good read. I look forward to future titles in the series and would encourage others to read it and form their own opinions on this opening book of The Seven Rangers series.
November 16, 2025
I received early access to this book, and this is my spoiler-free review. My longer (but still spoiler-free) analysis is available on my blog.
I went into this story with a bit of background — a loose sense of the world, a few character hints, and a small grasp of the lore. Not enough to predict anything, but enough to know this book aligned perfectly with the kind of stories I want to write. Stepping into Emora didn’t feel like reading another fantasy setting. It felt like being teleported into a living, breathing place.
As a writer myself, I saw immediately what psychological and philosophical depth can do for the fantasy genre. I don’t say this lightly: this book shows what fantasy could evolve into.
Unlike so many fantasy books I’ve read, I never felt spoon-fed. I didn’t need pages of exposition to understand what was happening. If I paid attention, the world unfolded naturally. The characters revealed themselves through nuance instead of info-dumps.
With my own mental health history and psychological scars, every character felt authentic. Some I related to directly; others I understood through the multiple points of view this story gives space to. Their internal logic made sense. Their behaviors felt earned. Nothing about them felt manufactured.
The pacing never felt rushed. In fact, I was disappointed when it ended because I genuinely wanted more. And the cast? Incredibly diverse. The majority are women — strong, complex, flawed, powerful women — which is still too rare in fantasy. The male characters are grounded and relatable as well. Truly redefining gender stereotypes. Thank you.
The age range also surprised me in the best way. The youngest is fourteen, some characters feel mid-thirties, and one reads like an elder in their fifties to seventies. Most fantasy sticks to the narrow 18–25 bracket. I didn’t realize how much I wanted age diversity until I experienced it here.
I felt more engaged with this book — even while multitasking — than I have with most of my recent reads on a first pass. Every character is distinct and three-dimensional. They feel like people I could meet on the street.
If you crave characters shaped by trauma rather than tropes, this is your next obsession. It’s definitely mine. And with my initial read finished, I'll be analyzing them, spoiler free and theorizing how these characters will ultimately develop throughout the series, and it's the first time I'm putting pen to paper in analysis instead of pen to music.
I went into this story with a bit of background — a loose sense of the world, a few character hints, and a small grasp of the lore. Not enough to predict anything, but enough to know this book aligned perfectly with the kind of stories I want to write. Stepping into Emora didn’t feel like reading another fantasy setting. It felt like being teleported into a living, breathing place.
As a writer myself, I saw immediately what psychological and philosophical depth can do for the fantasy genre. I don’t say this lightly: this book shows what fantasy could evolve into.
Unlike so many fantasy books I’ve read, I never felt spoon-fed. I didn’t need pages of exposition to understand what was happening. If I paid attention, the world unfolded naturally. The characters revealed themselves through nuance instead of info-dumps.
With my own mental health history and psychological scars, every character felt authentic. Some I related to directly; others I understood through the multiple points of view this story gives space to. Their internal logic made sense. Their behaviors felt earned. Nothing about them felt manufactured.
The pacing never felt rushed. In fact, I was disappointed when it ended because I genuinely wanted more. And the cast? Incredibly diverse. The majority are women — strong, complex, flawed, powerful women — which is still too rare in fantasy. The male characters are grounded and relatable as well. Truly redefining gender stereotypes. Thank you.
The age range also surprised me in the best way. The youngest is fourteen, some characters feel mid-thirties, and one reads like an elder in their fifties to seventies. Most fantasy sticks to the narrow 18–25 bracket. I didn’t realize how much I wanted age diversity until I experienced it here.
I felt more engaged with this book — even while multitasking — than I have with most of my recent reads on a first pass. Every character is distinct and three-dimensional. They feel like people I could meet on the street.
If you crave characters shaped by trauma rather than tropes, this is your next obsession. It’s definitely mine. And with my initial read finished, I'll be analyzing them, spoiler free and theorizing how these characters will ultimately develop throughout the series, and it's the first time I'm putting pen to paper in analysis instead of pen to music.
November 16, 2025
I got an advanced copy to review. I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could.
Penrod has crafted an engaging story with some good characters in a interesting world but struggles with believability, juggling lots of POVs, and some punctuation that took me out of the story.
The story starts of fairly quick and stays very engaging throughout. The characters are unique and cool. There's POVs for each of the Rangers though which, in a 325ish page book, is just not enough time to get a real good grasp on all of them. I'd say I got a good feel for about half of them. The male characters kind of blurred together for me in that it was difficult remembering the differences between them.
There are some moments of really good banter and humor. There were some excellent lines. "Perfection is love" was some great backstory into one of them.
Unfortunately, there were more moments for me that didn't make sense to the point of taking me out. Many of these were during conversations where the first person guesses exactly what the second one's intentions or thoughts were with little to go off of. Some times there was some explanation for why they could know this intuition but it wasnt compelling. Also, several logistical things that didn't make sense. A character fills up a pack of stuff and then sneaks around allegedly soundlessly. A vector in a fight made the actions not make sense to me. A time limit given of an hour that doesn't make any sense for anyone involved.
There were so many em dashes. There is an average of about 3 per page. I counted 10 on the same page. I don't think any of them were used incorrectly, but there was so many that it took me out. There was also a couple of super minor things like quotation marks that were the wrong way, quotations marks that were on their own line, and some weird spacing but that may have just been the reader I was using.
Nonetheless, if you like fantasy, new worlds, have a high suspension of disbelief, and like em dashes, I'd recommend this book.
Penrod has crafted an engaging story with some good characters in a interesting world but struggles with believability, juggling lots of POVs, and some punctuation that took me out of the story.
The story starts of fairly quick and stays very engaging throughout. The characters are unique and cool. There's POVs for each of the Rangers though which, in a 325ish page book, is just not enough time to get a real good grasp on all of them. I'd say I got a good feel for about half of them. The male characters kind of blurred together for me in that it was difficult remembering the differences between them.
There are some moments of really good banter and humor. There were some excellent lines. "Perfection is love" was some great backstory into one of them.
Unfortunately, there were more moments for me that didn't make sense to the point of taking me out. Many of these were during conversations where the first person guesses exactly what the second one's intentions or thoughts were with little to go off of. Some times there was some explanation for why they could know this intuition but it wasnt compelling. Also, several logistical things that didn't make sense. A character fills up a pack of stuff and then sneaks around allegedly soundlessly. A vector in a fight made the actions not make sense to me. A time limit given of an hour that doesn't make any sense for anyone involved.
There were so many em dashes. There is an average of about 3 per page. I counted 10 on the same page. I don't think any of them were used incorrectly, but there was so many that it took me out. There was also a couple of super minor things like quotation marks that were the wrong way, quotations marks that were on their own line, and some weird spacing but that may have just been the reader I was using.
Nonetheless, if you like fantasy, new worlds, have a high suspension of disbelief, and like em dashes, I'd recommend this book.
November 14, 2025
Hello! I am one of the arc readers, Andrea. I am getting extremely close to finishing, onky 2 chapters left! But keeping this short and sweet, the book is wonderful! The characters are so well written imo, interesting, and easy to latch on! The story is described beautifull, and very angsty but not full of angst. I really like the story and u dont believe there’s anything you need to improve. Everytime i read the food you kept describing mad eme hungry! The song is sad, melancholy and humorous sometimes. And the characters different personalities are completely lovable. I loved this whole book so much, and im looking forward for volume 2. I know this is probably not a review you were looking for, but I genuinely have no critical opinions or things i didnt like. The book was so intriguing i just couldn’t stop reading, and i finished it in short time! Take care, and i hope you don’t underestimate your writing skills because theyre really impressive!
November 26, 2025
(This is an ARC review)
OVERALL: 2.5 Stars - Disappointed
WARNING: DO NOT LISTEN TO THE BLURB. It gives an extremely enhanced version of the timeline. If you go into this book thinking of it to be a slow unraveling of multiple well-rounded characters (and one character I wish didn't exist) you might enjoy it more than I did. There are some interesting concepts here, and despite my low rating I do want to continue with the series since I do like a majority of the characters, and I'm interested in learning more about the angel's motivations. Also there are some moments/lines that did make me tear up, and I'm always looking for more emotional damage via fiction.
Emotional Impact: 2.75 - Nearly Disappointed
Surprisingly, there were a few specific moments that made me tear up. In those rare moments where dialogue/action hits, it HITS. There were also many moments, usually brief bites of description, that gave me chills. When written right the angels feel cosmic, and terrifying.
A few specific character issues/dynamics with the people in their life made me immediately invested and sorrowful for them, which is great.
Otherwise, I felt uninvested in most of the story, aside from blips of interest here and there.
Thought-Provokingness: 2.5 - Disappointed
Any sort of weight in terms of theme is lessened by the story constantly stating its ideas about grief and trauma and mental health left and right. Characters are far too aware of each other's issues, and there is a SERIOUS lack of subtext.
Characters: 3.25 - Almost Good
I have to be really drawn in to like the characters I'm reading. If you're able to accept characters as they are you might enjoy. They follow easy to understand archetypes, and have sympathetic backstories and traumas.
There are motivational inconsistencies and a lack of connective tissue that made me feel uninvested in most of their journeys. And a serious lack of conflict! Any potential issues characters could have with each other or themselves are usually resolved within the same page, and these are not trite issues being solved with honest communication. These are leaping off points for character conflict, turning points, that are just hand-waved away in the name of new (and old) friendships.
This entire book would've been so much better without Eryka Bryndotter. She is an example of a character who is told to be one thing, but her actions and words constantly show her acting contradictory. A master manipulator, someone to look up to, someone firm and strong and unshakeable, but from page one she's constantly letting her mask slip, bemoaning her inability to do anything but be SO MANIPULATIVE and LIE OH NO. And every time she shows vulnerability it's treated like a revelation by the other characters, but she's CONSTANTLY showing vulnerability so why are they surprised?
Honestly, she would be more compelling if she weren't a POV character, or if she weren't so inconsistent. I'd rate characters a 4 if she weren't here, because a lot of the others stand out - namely Rhiannon, Soren, and Ingrid. And Cassiel. I would die for him, and he'd be happy to oblige.
Plot: 2 - Flawed
Many weird structural choices and pacing issues, macro scale to chapter level. These issues really show in dialogue and action sequences, where events/descriptions become repetitive.
The inciting incident of sorts, as stated in the blurb, doesn't come until 100+ pages in. And when it finally arrives? It's an action sequence 45 pages long. The gang doesn't actually get together until near the end of the book, and it's immediately shot down with another very long action sequence that just feels like a repeat of the first. Because of the expectations set, I was assuming the majority of the book would be about them working together. I enjoy a slow build with character introductions, but this book honestly felt like nothing major happened, except for the first attack. And there was no payoff at the end. Extremely anticlimactic.
Cause and effect was alright, but characters continually made leaps of logic that felt like it forced relationships to be resolved and the plot to start to move along. It became irritating.
Spoilers for the ending:
Worldbuilding: 3 - Neutral
Has so much potential I want to cry, but it doesn't quite come through on the page. I felt I had no time to settle into the world and get a sense of place or atmosphere, which is a shame. Genuinely had chills at the first mention of 'the thing in the sky', which I thought was setting up for a cosmic horror flavor to the angels. I was sad that we got to see so much of the angels up close--they lost some of their mystery and terror for me.
Suspension of disbelief can only be stretched so far. A 45 page action sequence, and only 200 people die? It's described as a massacre, with angels teleporting in and out of the slaughter.
Also, what level of tech are we looking at here? It feels very fantasy, pre-industrial revolution, but there are words like 'neighborhood' and 'police' used right beside 'tavern' and 'mercenary guild'.
Prose: 2.5
It's serviceable, though I found the metaphor use to be cliche and the dialogue to be repetitive. There are multiple scenes where a point is restated over pages, and no movement is had. It reads like a tidied up draft. Functional, but uninspired.
Also it was very choppy, with characters repeating thoughts via introspection. Subtext is sorely needed, as concepts and events that are obviously playing out are stated so plainly and repetitively I feel as though the author isn't confident or doesn't trust readers to pick up on subtler concepts. Much could be cut, and in the space I'd adore more description. The description felt extremely bare-bones, though there are a few stand-outs.
I don't need prose to be lush or dense to enjoy, but even simple prose can have a touch of care.
OVERALL: 2.5 Stars - Disappointed
WARNING: DO NOT LISTEN TO THE BLURB. It gives an extremely enhanced version of the timeline. If you go into this book thinking of it to be a slow unraveling of multiple well-rounded characters (and one character I wish didn't exist) you might enjoy it more than I did. There are some interesting concepts here, and despite my low rating I do want to continue with the series since I do like a majority of the characters, and I'm interested in learning more about the angel's motivations. Also there are some moments/lines that did make me tear up, and I'm always looking for more emotional damage via fiction.
Emotional Impact: 2.75 - Nearly Disappointed
Surprisingly, there were a few specific moments that made me tear up. In those rare moments where dialogue/action hits, it HITS. There were also many moments, usually brief bites of description, that gave me chills. When written right the angels feel cosmic, and terrifying.
A few specific character issues/dynamics with the people in their life made me immediately invested and sorrowful for them, which is great.
Otherwise, I felt uninvested in most of the story, aside from blips of interest here and there.
Thought-Provokingness: 2.5 - Disappointed
Any sort of weight in terms of theme is lessened by the story constantly stating its ideas about grief and trauma and mental health left and right. Characters are far too aware of each other's issues, and there is a SERIOUS lack of subtext.
Characters: 3.25 - Almost Good
I have to be really drawn in to like the characters I'm reading. If you're able to accept characters as they are you might enjoy. They follow easy to understand archetypes, and have sympathetic backstories and traumas.
There are motivational inconsistencies and a lack of connective tissue that made me feel uninvested in most of their journeys. And a serious lack of conflict! Any potential issues characters could have with each other or themselves are usually resolved within the same page, and these are not trite issues being solved with honest communication. These are leaping off points for character conflict, turning points, that are just hand-waved away in the name of new (and old) friendships.
This entire book would've been so much better without Eryka Bryndotter. She is an example of a character who is told to be one thing, but her actions and words constantly show her acting contradictory. A master manipulator, someone to look up to, someone firm and strong and unshakeable, but from page one she's constantly letting her mask slip, bemoaning her inability to do anything but be SO MANIPULATIVE and LIE OH NO. And every time she shows vulnerability it's treated like a revelation by the other characters, but she's CONSTANTLY showing vulnerability so why are they surprised?
Honestly, she would be more compelling if she weren't a POV character, or if she weren't so inconsistent. I'd rate characters a 4 if she weren't here, because a lot of the others stand out - namely Rhiannon, Soren, and Ingrid. And Cassiel. I would die for him, and he'd be happy to oblige.
Plot: 2 - Flawed
Many weird structural choices and pacing issues, macro scale to chapter level. These issues really show in dialogue and action sequences, where events/descriptions become repetitive.
The inciting incident of sorts, as stated in the blurb, doesn't come until 100+ pages in. And when it finally arrives? It's an action sequence 45 pages long. The gang doesn't actually get together until near the end of the book, and it's immediately shot down with another very long action sequence that just feels like a repeat of the first. Because of the expectations set, I was assuming the majority of the book would be about them working together. I enjoy a slow build with character introductions, but this book honestly felt like nothing major happened, except for the first attack. And there was no payoff at the end. Extremely anticlimactic.
Cause and effect was alright, but characters continually made leaps of logic that felt like it forced relationships to be resolved and the plot to start to move along. It became irritating.
Spoilers for the ending:
Worldbuilding: 3 - Neutral
Has so much potential I want to cry, but it doesn't quite come through on the page. I felt I had no time to settle into the world and get a sense of place or atmosphere, which is a shame. Genuinely had chills at the first mention of 'the thing in the sky', which I thought was setting up for a cosmic horror flavor to the angels. I was sad that we got to see so much of the angels up close--they lost some of their mystery and terror for me.
Suspension of disbelief can only be stretched so far. A 45 page action sequence, and only 200 people die? It's described as a massacre, with angels teleporting in and out of the slaughter.
Also, what level of tech are we looking at here? It feels very fantasy, pre-industrial revolution, but there are words like 'neighborhood' and 'police' used right beside 'tavern' and 'mercenary guild'.
Prose: 2.5
It's serviceable, though I found the metaphor use to be cliche and the dialogue to be repetitive. There are multiple scenes where a point is restated over pages, and no movement is had. It reads like a tidied up draft. Functional, but uninspired.
Also it was very choppy, with characters repeating thoughts via introspection. Subtext is sorely needed, as concepts and events that are obviously playing out are stated so plainly and repetitively I feel as though the author isn't confident or doesn't trust readers to pick up on subtler concepts. Much could be cut, and in the space I'd adore more description. The description felt extremely bare-bones, though there are a few stand-outs.
I don't need prose to be lush or dense to enjoy, but even simple prose can have a touch of care.
December 25, 2025
Having followed the early development of this book, I was very excited to finally crack this puppy open. What I found was a thrilling entry into The Seven Rangers world.
Beginning with what I find enthralling, the concept immediately had me hooked. A small group band together to stop an unstoppable force that threatens their lives as they know it is a very popular trend and for good reason. Each character is entirely distinctive and have a stand out moment to show who they are and where they may potentially go throughout the story. The antagonists of this story are also very interesting as they simultaneously feel like real people you've met and yet also completely alien. They are also very distinct from one another which is impressive as the cast is already massive. There's also a lot of world building setting the stage for future entries in the series allowing hard-core fans to really sink their teeth into the series.
There are a handful of growing pains however as a first time author and as a first entry to a series. My main issue is how long it takes to get to the main premise, the seven rangers themselves. While each character is introduced immediately and they do all meet each other throughout the early chapters, they don't become a group until over halfway into the book and it isn't until the end of the book where they start to feel like a team. I don't fault the author as it's a difficult balance to introduce 7 characters, make them a team, and maintain a reasonable pace all in the first book. In the second volume hopefully they get to skip over that as the legwork was done here. Another major issue I find is the conclusion. Not to spoil the ending as there are a lot of shake ups that I look forward to reading more about, but for the most part the conclusion is a repeat of the inciting incident even down to the threat the angels make once the conflict is over. Again, there is major differences between the two incidents, however the conclusion is essentially a reset to ground zero. This was clearly intentional in order to build later encounters with the angels in future books but until said books are released I do find this a drawback. The only issue I have with the book that I don't believe future releases will add significantly to is the treatment of the main character Eryka. Throughout she is treated maliciously due to her background despite only showing the best intentions. While I personally can relate and think it's an unfortunate reality, it doesn't make for the best internal conflict for a story like this.
To sum up my thoughts, this is a very interesting first step into a series filled with amazing characterization and action that while flawed I can confidently recommend to anyone who appreciates a grand saga.
Beginning with what I find enthralling, the concept immediately had me hooked. A small group band together to stop an unstoppable force that threatens their lives as they know it is a very popular trend and for good reason. Each character is entirely distinctive and have a stand out moment to show who they are and where they may potentially go throughout the story. The antagonists of this story are also very interesting as they simultaneously feel like real people you've met and yet also completely alien. They are also very distinct from one another which is impressive as the cast is already massive. There's also a lot of world building setting the stage for future entries in the series allowing hard-core fans to really sink their teeth into the series.
There are a handful of growing pains however as a first time author and as a first entry to a series. My main issue is how long it takes to get to the main premise, the seven rangers themselves. While each character is introduced immediately and they do all meet each other throughout the early chapters, they don't become a group until over halfway into the book and it isn't until the end of the book where they start to feel like a team. I don't fault the author as it's a difficult balance to introduce 7 characters, make them a team, and maintain a reasonable pace all in the first book. In the second volume hopefully they get to skip over that as the legwork was done here. Another major issue I find is the conclusion. Not to spoil the ending as there are a lot of shake ups that I look forward to reading more about, but for the most part the conclusion is a repeat of the inciting incident even down to the threat the angels make once the conflict is over. Again, there is major differences between the two incidents, however the conclusion is essentially a reset to ground zero. This was clearly intentional in order to build later encounters with the angels in future books but until said books are released I do find this a drawback. The only issue I have with the book that I don't believe future releases will add significantly to is the treatment of the main character Eryka. Throughout she is treated maliciously due to her background despite only showing the best intentions. While I personally can relate and think it's an unfortunate reality, it doesn't make for the best internal conflict for a story like this.
To sum up my thoughts, this is a very interesting first step into a series filled with amazing characterization and action that while flawed I can confidently recommend to anyone who appreciates a grand saga.
December 15, 2025
I was an arc reader, which means I got the book early for reading and reviewing, so thanks a lot to Penrod for it!!
For the first time, I didn’t finish a book. I usually always do, but it was hard reading under a tight deadline and I have a lot of personal stuff going on in my life right now. I might finish it one day. So I made it 371/565!
It was alright, I don’t think it’s anything crazy special and I think you can tell it’s a debut. That being said, the book has really good diversity in characters and exploration of neurodivergence, especially in bipolar disorder. The youngest character is roughly 15 while the oldest is over 60. And the majority of the main characters are women! Ratio 5/8.
Warning, getting a little spoiler-y!!!
What is Presence? And how can you be blind to it? I’m halfway through the book and I still don’t get it. I was so confused I fear😭
I took me a good while before I realized why so many characters had “dotter” and “sen” in their last name. It’s because all the women have dotter (as in daughter) and the men have sen (as in son). Gendered last names always brings up the question, what do transgender people do? Or intersex/people with dsd?
I also couldn’t get a good read on Davcina, Alf and Rhys. The hard thing about a big cast is balancing them out and giving them all time. Maybe that’s because I didn’t finish the book, but yk.
Also, the angels are more…humanoid than I expected. That’s not a bad thing, they just talked and behaved more like humans than I thought they would. I did like Cassiel!!
My favorite characters are Riannon, Soren and maybe Cassiel. My sweet, sweet summer child Soren I love youuuu😭 give him a hug
I want to hug Riannon as well, she deserves so much better than her shitty parents. I adore her. She deserves the WORLDDDDDDD
Cassiel I was interested in because I love characters who don’t really understand human behavior and emotions, it’s so gooooddddddddd!
Honorable mention to Gwynn, the gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss of all time. GOAT! And Eryka, my queen🙂↕️
all in all, it’s a decent book with a very diverse cast and unique plot! I really might continue it one day :))
For the first time, I didn’t finish a book. I usually always do, but it was hard reading under a tight deadline and I have a lot of personal stuff going on in my life right now. I might finish it one day. So I made it 371/565!
It was alright, I don’t think it’s anything crazy special and I think you can tell it’s a debut. That being said, the book has really good diversity in characters and exploration of neurodivergence, especially in bipolar disorder. The youngest character is roughly 15 while the oldest is over 60. And the majority of the main characters are women! Ratio 5/8.
Warning, getting a little spoiler-y!!!
What is Presence? And how can you be blind to it? I’m halfway through the book and I still don’t get it. I was so confused I fear😭
I took me a good while before I realized why so many characters had “dotter” and “sen” in their last name. It’s because all the women have dotter (as in daughter) and the men have sen (as in son). Gendered last names always brings up the question, what do transgender people do? Or intersex/people with dsd?
I also couldn’t get a good read on Davcina, Alf and Rhys. The hard thing about a big cast is balancing them out and giving them all time. Maybe that’s because I didn’t finish the book, but yk.
Also, the angels are more…humanoid than I expected. That’s not a bad thing, they just talked and behaved more like humans than I thought they would. I did like Cassiel!!
My favorite characters are Riannon, Soren and maybe Cassiel. My sweet, sweet summer child Soren I love youuuu😭 give him a hug
I want to hug Riannon as well, she deserves so much better than her shitty parents. I adore her. She deserves the WORLDDDDDDD
Cassiel I was interested in because I love characters who don’t really understand human behavior and emotions, it’s so gooooddddddddd!
Honorable mention to Gwynn, the gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss of all time. GOAT! And Eryka, my queen🙂↕️
all in all, it’s a decent book with a very diverse cast and unique plot! I really might continue it one day :))
Review of advance copy received from Author
(ARC review)
An enjoyable read overall. The characters are distinct and interesting, though having eight POVs does affect the pacing, especially in the middle. That high number gives each character less time to be explored, leaving a few of them out to dry. The worldbuilding is fleshed out with plenty of room for exploration in further books. The action is inventive and engaging, heart-pounding in places. This book is at its best when the characters are fighting the angels.
My main criticism would be that sometimes characters automatically know what each other are thinking without having an in-story reason. Characters pin down each others' true thoughts and motives without earning that knowledge. One character is labelled as manipulative, which is treated as a negative, though they're in no way malicious, and most of the time, they just seem to be talking.
Despite having a few criticisms, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to people who wish to support this author.
An enjoyable read overall. The characters are distinct and interesting, though having eight POVs does affect the pacing, especially in the middle. That high number gives each character less time to be explored, leaving a few of them out to dry. The worldbuilding is fleshed out with plenty of room for exploration in further books. The action is inventive and engaging, heart-pounding in places. This book is at its best when the characters are fighting the angels.
My main criticism would be that sometimes characters automatically know what each other are thinking without having an in-story reason. Characters pin down each others' true thoughts and motives without earning that knowledge. One character is labelled as manipulative, which is treated as a negative, though they're in no way malicious, and most of the time, they just seem to be talking.
Despite having a few criticisms, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to people who wish to support this author.
December 9, 2025
I Arc read this book, and honestly, I really enjoyed it. I could definitely see the similarities to Attack on Titan, and there were also a few moments that made me laugh.
The main things I'd critique are worldbuilding. I really like the world, but I want to know more about it, which I feel like we don't really get to in the book. The other is the character writing. I really enjoyed 2 of the point of view characters, Eryka being my favorite, but there's definitely messiness in the character writing, and most of the characters really fell into archetypes by the end, and I think Eryka's conflict of feeling manipulative should've been expanded on, and I really want to know more about her backstory cause I found it the most interesting out of all of the characters personally and wish it had been developed more.
Also for the plot of the story I just didn't understand why the angels were doing what their doing, I get it's probably going to get more attention in the sequals but it definitely took away from my ability to be super invested in that part of the story, because their wasn't even a hint toward their motivations and they weren't threatening enough alone to help up the stakes. And in the first fight scene, I didn't know enough about the world, and there wasn't enough exploration of characters' relationships for me to really feel the impact of it. I also felt like the multiple POV's of the story helped balance the long fight scenes because, like I said, I cared more about some of the characters than I did the fights themselves. Regardless, though I did have fun reading this book, and I'm glad I got to ARC read it, thank you to the author for that, so I'd say it was worth it.
The main things I'd critique are worldbuilding. I really like the world, but I want to know more about it, which I feel like we don't really get to in the book. The other is the character writing. I really enjoyed 2 of the point of view characters, Eryka being my favorite, but there's definitely messiness in the character writing, and most of the characters really fell into archetypes by the end, and I think Eryka's conflict of feeling manipulative should've been expanded on, and I really want to know more about her backstory cause I found it the most interesting out of all of the characters personally and wish it had been developed more.
Also for the plot of the story I just didn't understand why the angels were doing what their doing, I get it's probably going to get more attention in the sequals but it definitely took away from my ability to be super invested in that part of the story, because their wasn't even a hint toward their motivations and they weren't threatening enough alone to help up the stakes. And in the first fight scene, I didn't know enough about the world, and there wasn't enough exploration of characters' relationships for me to really feel the impact of it. I also felt like the multiple POV's of the story helped balance the long fight scenes because, like I said, I cared more about some of the characters than I did the fights themselves. Regardless, though I did have fun reading this book, and I'm glad I got to ARC read it, thank you to the author for that, so I'd say it was worth it.
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