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The Sundering
From the Rift, all things lost shall rise again.
Magic is dead in the kingdom of Mysea – its echoes buried beneath centuries of war and betrayal. But in the far reaches of the land, the Rift has begun to stir; a vast scar of mist and madness, spreading across the earth and infecting all it touches.
Elyn, an assassin raised in the shadows, has never questioned her orders… until a mission leads her to the edge of the Rift and the secrets it hides. Haunted by visions and hunted by her past, she must choose between obeying her master – or defying him to uncover a truth that could reshape the realm.
Across the kingdom, Venia, the lost princess of fallen Inahr, lives as a hostage bride within the royal court. Bound by duty and surrounded by vipers, she navigates treacherous politics to protect her people from ruin.
As the Rift’s corruption spreads and kingdoms teeter on the brink of war, Elyn and Venia’s destinies entwine in a storm of blood and shadow. To reclaim what was lost – and to survive what is coming – two souls must break the chains that bind them before the mist consumes them all.
Elyn, an assassin raised in the shadows, has never questioned her orders… until a mission leads her to the edge of the Rift and the secrets it hides. Haunted by visions and hunted by her past, she must choose between obeying her master – or defying him to uncover a truth that could reshape the realm.
Across the kingdom, Venia, the lost princess of fallen Inahr, lives as a hostage bride within the royal court. Bound by duty and surrounded by vipers, she navigates treacherous politics to protect her people from ruin.
As the Rift’s corruption spreads and kingdoms teeter on the brink of war, Elyn and Venia’s destinies entwine in a storm of blood and shadow. To reclaim what was lost – and to survive what is coming – two souls must break the chains that bind them before the mist consumes them all.
516 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 12, 2026
Small Spoiler alert!
What I loved most about this book is that it is such a female-centered story. We have Elyn and Venia, two completely different protagonists who are basically thrown into situations where they have to figure out who they are and where they belong.
Elyn is an assassin, raised to follow orders and do what she's told. She has been trained to be a weapon, but I really liked that the author still shows her human, more emotional side. She can be dangerous, but she also genuinely cares about certain people, and those moments made me like her so much more. I'm really curious to see where her character goes in the next books, because she definitely has a complex personality.
But Venia is definitely my favourite character. I felt so much more connected to her story. I didn't feel like I was simply watching things happen to her. I felt like I was discovering everything with her: every secret, every lie, every political move, every person she wasn't sure she could trust. There were a few chapters where the writing was so clever that I genuinely found myself questioning what was happening and how I should interpret what I was reading. I really liked that feeling of not always knowing what to believe and having to figure things out alongside her.
Venia is a princess, but her title doesn't really save her from anything. She is a hostage bride, surrounded by people with their own plans and secrets. She isn't portrayed as a perfect and fearless character, but rather as someone who has to figure things out as she goes, and I think that's what made her feel so real to me. I loved watching her become more aware of everything around her. She learns to adapt, she finds allies and she starts questioning things instead of simply accepting what she's told. Rendyr, her kidnapper (and here is the irony), becomes a real help and friend to her. Having someone she can rely on in the middle of all the manipulation, politics and betrayal makes such a difference to her, especially when literally everyone else seems suspicious.
And then there's Yennan. Their relationship starts with a lie, which I actually really liked because it makes their whole dynamic complicated from the beginning. But slowly, they start getting closer and learning to understand each other. They become a team and start supporting each other in their plans to save the kingdom. Honestly, I prefer this kind of slow development rather than instant romance because we actually get to see why and how these two people become important to each other. And OMG, Yennan... he is such a complex and complicated character, and I have a feeling there is still a LOT we don't know about him. Can't wait to discover more.
The story itself has so many elements I love in fantasy: lost magic waiting to be brought back, visions, prophecy, kingdoms at war, power struggles, ambition, manipulation and dysfunctional families hiding far too many secrets.
And that secret chapter at the end? OMG, I loved it. It gives us a much deeper look into the royal family and their problems, and suddenly we see some things from a slightly different perspective. Honestly, it would be really interesting to read more from that perspective.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable mix of fantasy, mystery, politics, family drama and complicated relationships. But it was the characters that kept me invested, especially Venia and Yennan. I felt like I was right there with them, trying to work out who was telling the truth and who was playing a game. And now I just cant wait for the next book.
What I loved most about this book is that it is such a female-centered story. We have Elyn and Venia, two completely different protagonists who are basically thrown into situations where they have to figure out who they are and where they belong.
Elyn is an assassin, raised to follow orders and do what she's told. She has been trained to be a weapon, but I really liked that the author still shows her human, more emotional side. She can be dangerous, but she also genuinely cares about certain people, and those moments made me like her so much more. I'm really curious to see where her character goes in the next books, because she definitely has a complex personality.
But Venia is definitely my favourite character. I felt so much more connected to her story. I didn't feel like I was simply watching things happen to her. I felt like I was discovering everything with her: every secret, every lie, every political move, every person she wasn't sure she could trust. There were a few chapters where the writing was so clever that I genuinely found myself questioning what was happening and how I should interpret what I was reading. I really liked that feeling of not always knowing what to believe and having to figure things out alongside her.
Venia is a princess, but her title doesn't really save her from anything. She is a hostage bride, surrounded by people with their own plans and secrets. She isn't portrayed as a perfect and fearless character, but rather as someone who has to figure things out as she goes, and I think that's what made her feel so real to me. I loved watching her become more aware of everything around her. She learns to adapt, she finds allies and she starts questioning things instead of simply accepting what she's told. Rendyr, her kidnapper (and here is the irony), becomes a real help and friend to her. Having someone she can rely on in the middle of all the manipulation, politics and betrayal makes such a difference to her, especially when literally everyone else seems suspicious.
And then there's Yennan. Their relationship starts with a lie, which I actually really liked because it makes their whole dynamic complicated from the beginning. But slowly, they start getting closer and learning to understand each other. They become a team and start supporting each other in their plans to save the kingdom. Honestly, I prefer this kind of slow development rather than instant romance because we actually get to see why and how these two people become important to each other. And OMG, Yennan... he is such a complex and complicated character, and I have a feeling there is still a LOT we don't know about him. Can't wait to discover more.
The story itself has so many elements I love in fantasy: lost magic waiting to be brought back, visions, prophecy, kingdoms at war, power struggles, ambition, manipulation and dysfunctional families hiding far too many secrets.
And that secret chapter at the end? OMG, I loved it. It gives us a much deeper look into the royal family and their problems, and suddenly we see some things from a slightly different perspective. Honestly, it would be really interesting to read more from that perspective.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable mix of fantasy, mystery, politics, family drama and complicated relationships. But it was the characters that kept me invested, especially Venia and Yennan. I felt like I was right there with them, trying to work out who was telling the truth and who was playing a game. And now I just cant wait for the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2026
This is a really intriguing debut fantasy novel featuring complex female protagonists. I particularly loved reading Venia's chapters, their focus on court politics and intrigue really drew me in!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews