Pines & Petrol

by Kalleigh Royn

Vengeance is a debt paid in blood and petrol.

When his brother seizes the Echelon throne, Leon Valric’s world shatters. Betrayed and with nowhere left to turn, he flees into the wild with a single, desperate secure the aid of the Sovereign, and reclaim what’s his.

But the road to salvation is cut short when Leon is intercepted by a powerful lord with a dangerous reputation. Trapped in an uneasy alliance, Leon must play a dangerous game of loyalty and leverage. One wrong move could cost him everything.

Amid gunfire and rising chaos, Leon is forced to test his mind, skill, and judgment, learning that strength alone isn’t enough to lead. As the line between duty and vengeance blurs, he must decide if claiming power is worth destroying the man he thought he was.

Genres: Novella, Dystopia

98 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 1, 2026

About the author

Kalleigh Royn lives in a beautiful mountain town in Southern Alberta, where she balances her work as a middle school administrator with her passion for writing. Drawing from her experiences, she weaves themes of resilience and leadership into her stories. When she's not writing or working, she can be found hiking, running, biking, or spending time with her partner and their adventurous corgi, Corgmander Riker.

Follow Kalleigh Royn on instagram https://www.instagram.com/kalleighroy...

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
I didn’t think Kalleigh Royn could make me feel more for these characters, but Pines & Petrol proved me wrong. Getting inside Leon’s head was both a gift and a curse—his internal struggle with leadership and the "petrol" of his own ambition was so raw.
​This novella is short, but it packs a massive punch. The transition from the more natural "Pines" elements to the gritty, industrial chaos was handled beautifully. It’s the perfect bridge to Book 3 and left me desperate for more.
​Thank you to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bookish._.Banter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leon is running. But is he running away from or running towards something?

His brother has taken over Echelon. He thinks Nova has betrayed him. He thinks he has no choice.

But he’s got to play the game and decide whose side he’s on. What’s the price of loyalty? He’s about to find out.

I love a good POV switch up, especially one just outside of the main storyline, and this gives us a bit more insight into Leon. Can’t wait for the next book!

[Alanna McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2.5 takes a bit of a turn by switching perspectives, but seeing the world through a different lens added so much depth to the overall story!
While I’ll admit I still prefer Nova’s voice from the first two books, I can’t deny that the storytelling here is solid. The author does a fantastic job of helping us understand the different facets of Leon; it answered some questions I didn't even know I had and has me even more excited to see how everything converges in Book 3.

[Erika Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pines and petrol is a dystopian/fantasy novella in the scattered seeds series. It follows Leon’s story after he is cast out of his empire from his brother taking control. I believe it’s been to read this after you have read the first 2 books personally so you have a back story on the characters and storyline. Leon is on a journey to other parts of the empire to try and gain support for him taking rule as opposed to his brother. He is also running from his brother. His living conditions aren’t great along the way and then they run into some trouble. Him and his friend crux run into general maddox along the way which is someone Leon cannot stand. They end up being taken by the generals crew and made to work for them however Leon has a plan of his own to use these men to take back the empire from his brother. He acts as a spy mapping out a plan to make this happen finding when to strike and get what he wants. I really enjoyed the novella I rated it 4 stars and suggest you check out the series!

[Michelle Hymers · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Oh Leon. You have me smiling, and cringing all at the same time!! 🙈 If only you just figured out how to communicate with the people you love. 🫠

Another masterpiece by Kalleigh Royn. Seeing Leon’s pov was a great glimpse into his motivations and I really do think his heart is in the right place, just wounded and lacks trust. I really enjoyed this novella, it was seemless from the end of Sprigs & Stone into this one. And more time with these characters I love is never a bad thing!

Can’t wait for the next one!!

[Blitheroo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how she did it, but she managed to redeem Leon for me at least a little bit. And I didn't think that was possible after Book 2 lol. This book is entirely from Leon's perspective and we get a rare insight into how he thinks and some of the seemingly impulsive choices he makes. He's actually thinking ahead in a way I never expected. This novella does a great job of setting the stage for Book 3, and I can't wait to see what Nova and Kieran do next with these new players on the board!!

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

I got this book as an ARC read.

I really enjoyed reading from Leon’s perspective. There was some good twists throughout this read

This was a quick and fun read, easily manageable in one sitting. A great book to continue the story and read in an afternoon.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella. This is Leon’s POV after book two. Looking forward to book three!

[Marie-Ange · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review of an advanced copy gifted from the author in exchange of an honest review*

This short novella was fun and didn’t go in the direction I was expecting. I love going blind in books and I love being surprised.

I feel like this book could’ve definitely benefited from being a novel as the only thing I wished was for the story to have had more time and more details. It felt a little bit rushed because of how condensed the story was, being a novella. I thought the premise was sooooo interesting and honestly it’s just me liking this story and its characters so much that I just want more and more.

It was super interesting to see Leon’s point of view and being in his head. I love a truly flawed character and that’s what Leon is but you get to understand him, why he is the way he is and what goes through his mind.

I was already excited for book 3 after reading book 2, but reading this novella made it all the more exciting.