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Whispers of Shadows and Gold
Failure will cost her more than love. It will cost her freedom.
Avelina Wright swore she would never return to Terridon—the city ruled by the Ruthless Divine Order. Her home.
But love has a way of making you break vows.
Already reeling from the death of her closest friend, when a warlock binds her sorceress lover to a lethal bargain, Avelina accepts a mission to save her. To do so, she must steal a forbidden artifact locked deep within Terridon’s vaults.
Gathering a team along the way—including a Fae warrior bound to her past, Avelina must risk becoming ensnared once more in the cult’s grip, uncover truths while guarding her own secrets, and face a power awakening within her that may prove just as dangerous as the enemies she faces. All to save the woman she loves.
But even love cannot overcome the truth.
Avelina Wright swore she would never return to Terridon—the city ruled by the Ruthless Divine Order. Her home.
But love has a way of making you break vows.
Already reeling from the death of her closest friend, when a warlock binds her sorceress lover to a lethal bargain, Avelina accepts a mission to save her. To do so, she must steal a forbidden artifact locked deep within Terridon’s vaults.
Gathering a team along the way—including a Fae warrior bound to her past, Avelina must risk becoming ensnared once more in the cult’s grip, uncover truths while guarding her own secrets, and face a power awakening within her that may prove just as dangerous as the enemies she faces. All to save the woman she loves.
But even love cannot overcome the truth.
ebook
Published August 25, 2026
About the author
Meghan Saint
4 books105 followersWelcome to the world of Meghan Saint—author of emotionally raw, enchantingly sharp stories where love, magic, and mess collide. Her debut Romance Fantasy and contemporary works explore trauma, hope, and the people who fight for both.
Meghan’s debut novel, Through (dis)Honest Eyes, is a dark romantic comedy and a fictionalized retelling of her own story. Set in Kansas City, it captures the chaos, contradictions, and complexities of growing up in a large, loud, midwestern family while navigating love, loss, and the long road through therapy. It’s a sharp, messy, deeply honest portrayal of being a woman coming to terms with her grief, identity, and the reality of living undiagnosed with ADHD into adulthood.
She lives in Ontario with her husband Bradly, their spirited toddler Terry, a Great Dane mix named Mucca, and a cat named Sonic the Hedgehog (yes, really). When she’s not writing, she’s likely hiking a local trail, wandering a video game map, or experimenting in the kitchen for her historical food blog, Dining Through Time.
Meghan also paints artifact replicas for Saint Archaeology Co., where she merges a passion for storytelling and history into something tangible. Whether she’s building fantasy worlds or unpacking real-life trauma through fiction, her stories invite readers to feel deeply—and maybe laugh a little too hard along the way.
Meghan’s debut novel, Through (dis)Honest Eyes, is a dark romantic comedy and a fictionalized retelling of her own story. Set in Kansas City, it captures the chaos, contradictions, and complexities of growing up in a large, loud, midwestern family while navigating love, loss, and the long road through therapy. It’s a sharp, messy, deeply honest portrayal of being a woman coming to terms with her grief, identity, and the reality of living undiagnosed with ADHD into adulthood.
She lives in Ontario with her husband Bradly, their spirited toddler Terry, a Great Dane mix named Mucca, and a cat named Sonic the Hedgehog (yes, really). When she’s not writing, she’s likely hiking a local trail, wandering a video game map, or experimenting in the kitchen for her historical food blog, Dining Through Time.
Meghan also paints artifact replicas for Saint Archaeology Co., where she merges a passion for storytelling and history into something tangible. Whether she’s building fantasy worlds or unpacking real-life trauma through fiction, her stories invite readers to feel deeply—and maybe laugh a little too hard along the way.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 26, 2026
This story had digestible world building with a very unique magic system. It left me filled with emotions and I rather enjoyed it! I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Thank you to Contrarian Publishing for an e-ARC of this book!
August 28, 2026
I love a good heist! Going into this book I initially expected a light, cozy adventure. Instead, it delivered a surprisingly deep, emotionally resonant story. What stood out most was its nuanced and realistic portrayal of a toxic relationship—capturing the quiet complexity and psychological manipulation behind why people stay with their abusers. It balances high-stakes scheming with genuine emotional weight, making the narrative far more compelling than a typical fantasy heist.
My only real critique came down to the sheer volume of perspectives. The frequent shifts made it hard to settle into a rhythm, and it often got confusing to track whose head we were in without flipping back to the beginning of each chapter to double-check the narrator. That minor frustration aside, it was a genuinely great read that offered far more substance and emotional depth than I anticipated.
Excited to see what comes next from Meghan Saint!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My only real critique came down to the sheer volume of perspectives. The frequent shifts made it hard to settle into a rhythm, and it often got confusing to track whose head we were in without flipping back to the beginning of each chapter to double-check the narrator. That minor frustration aside, it was a genuinely great read that offered far more substance and emotional depth than I anticipated.
Excited to see what comes next from Meghan Saint!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 6, 2026
you’re kidding me with that ending 😭 this book was so good but i did spent 99% of the time wanting to fist fight estelle. 10/10
September 2, 2026
3.5/5 With that ending, there better be a second book! It was an enjoyable read, though sometimes a little heavy (for me, personally) due to the content considerations. The writing itself is very submersive and it's easy to let yourself be swept into the story!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐️!
This book’s love was complicated, unhealthy, occasionally terrifying and is somehow still the emotional engine of an entire fantasy quest. I went into this expecting a little more sapphic-romance-forward fantasy, so I’ll admit that my expectations and what the book actually delivered were slightly different. The sapphic relationship is certainly central but it is messy in a way that makes it very difficult to root for (though I don’t really think you’re supposed to) and I think that distinction is important. This is much more a story about Avelina learning to confront what she has mistaken for love, loyalty and obligation than it is a romance I wanted to cheer for.
That said, there is a lot here that I enjoyed. The worldbuilding is probably my favorite part. I really liked the different peoples, magical systems, creatures and factions, and there is a fun sense that the world extends well beyond whatever immediate problem Ava is dealing with. The magic also has enough texture to feel like more than a convenient fantasy accessory and I especially enjoyed the distinctions between different kinds of magic and the way Aura seems to have its own dangers and temptations. The cast is wonderfully diverse too, with plenty of queer representation woven throughout the story. Though, considering how many of the romantic plotlines seem destined for the emotional equivalent of a building collapse, I was starting to wonder if being queer and/happy in this world comes with a complimentary curse :((
My biggest reservation was the romantic dynamics, particularly the love triangle-ish situation involving Ava, Estelle and Cillian. This is very much a personal reaction and I want to emphasize that because I can absolutely see another reader approaching these relationships very differently. I went into this expecting more of a sapphic fantasy romance, probably because of how the premise came across to me, so I was a little surprised by where Ava’s romantic storyline ultimately went.
Estelle is clearly meant to be toxic and possessive and I actually appreciated that the story does not romanticize that toxicity. Ava’s gradual realization that she has been losing herself inside the relationship is one of the more compelling parts of her arc. Still, I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling created by the contrast between the unhealthy sapphic relationship and the seemingly safer male love interest, especially with the whole “mate” concept layered on top (especially as someone who actively avoids the “mate” or “soulmate” trope when consuming media). As someone who is queer and mainly enjoys queer stories, the combination gave me a faint “okay, so she can love a woman but destiny is eventually going to hand her a man?” feeling that I couldn’t quite get out of my head (though of course, this is only the first book of a series so we don’t know where it all leads to yet, so this was just what was going on in my head repeatedly like a mantra). I think that dynamic inevitably made me notice some heteronormative undertones, even if that wasn’t the author’s intention. This is very much a personal reading of the story and there’s clearly a lot of nuance here so I’m curious to see how the series develops this going forward.
I also didn’t become especially attached to the characters, although I think there is plenty of room for that to change in a series. Ava’s journey toward choosing herself is ultimately what kept me invested and I liked where the first installment leaves her emotionally. After everything she goes through, there’s something satisfying about her beginning to reckon with who she is outside of what everyone else wants from her.
The ending feels like a genuine turning point rather than a neat conclusion, which makes sense given that this is clearly setting the stage for more. I also appreciated that the story allows love, grief, guilt, fear and obligation to coexist instead of making every emotional decision feel clean or easy. There are definitely moments where I wanted to grab several characters by the shoulders and tell them to please communicate for five consecutive minutes but honestly, that is also part of the fun of reading fantasy (and anything, really) with complicated people.
Overall, I think Whispers of Shadows and Gold is a promising start to a larger story, especially for readers who love fantasy missions, morally messy relationships, found-family dynamics, queer representation, protagonists being forced to confront the lives they have built around other people and a world where basically everyone needs therapy but unfortunately there are warlocks and cults instead. There’s a lot here that I enjoyed, and despite my reservations about some of the romantic choices, I’m definitely curious about where Meghan Saint takes Ava, this world and its wonderfully chaotic collection of magical people next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Contrarian Publishing for the ARC! This book is out tomorrow, August 25 2026, so if it piques your interest well…welcome home!
This book’s love was complicated, unhealthy, occasionally terrifying and is somehow still the emotional engine of an entire fantasy quest. I went into this expecting a little more sapphic-romance-forward fantasy, so I’ll admit that my expectations and what the book actually delivered were slightly different. The sapphic relationship is certainly central but it is messy in a way that makes it very difficult to root for (though I don’t really think you’re supposed to) and I think that distinction is important. This is much more a story about Avelina learning to confront what she has mistaken for love, loyalty and obligation than it is a romance I wanted to cheer for.
That said, there is a lot here that I enjoyed. The worldbuilding is probably my favorite part. I really liked the different peoples, magical systems, creatures and factions, and there is a fun sense that the world extends well beyond whatever immediate problem Ava is dealing with. The magic also has enough texture to feel like more than a convenient fantasy accessory and I especially enjoyed the distinctions between different kinds of magic and the way Aura seems to have its own dangers and temptations. The cast is wonderfully diverse too, with plenty of queer representation woven throughout the story. Though, considering how many of the romantic plotlines seem destined for the emotional equivalent of a building collapse, I was starting to wonder if being queer and/happy in this world comes with a complimentary curse :((
My biggest reservation was the romantic dynamics, particularly the love triangle-ish situation involving Ava, Estelle and Cillian. This is very much a personal reaction and I want to emphasize that because I can absolutely see another reader approaching these relationships very differently. I went into this expecting more of a sapphic fantasy romance, probably because of how the premise came across to me, so I was a little surprised by where Ava’s romantic storyline ultimately went.
Estelle is clearly meant to be toxic and possessive and I actually appreciated that the story does not romanticize that toxicity. Ava’s gradual realization that she has been losing herself inside the relationship is one of the more compelling parts of her arc. Still, I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling created by the contrast between the unhealthy sapphic relationship and the seemingly safer male love interest, especially with the whole “mate” concept layered on top (especially as someone who actively avoids the “mate” or “soulmate” trope when consuming media). As someone who is queer and mainly enjoys queer stories, the combination gave me a faint “okay, so she can love a woman but destiny is eventually going to hand her a man?” feeling that I couldn’t quite get out of my head (though of course, this is only the first book of a series so we don’t know where it all leads to yet, so this was just what was going on in my head repeatedly like a mantra). I think that dynamic inevitably made me notice some heteronormative undertones, even if that wasn’t the author’s intention. This is very much a personal reading of the story and there’s clearly a lot of nuance here so I’m curious to see how the series develops this going forward.
I also didn’t become especially attached to the characters, although I think there is plenty of room for that to change in a series. Ava’s journey toward choosing herself is ultimately what kept me invested and I liked where the first installment leaves her emotionally. After everything she goes through, there’s something satisfying about her beginning to reckon with who she is outside of what everyone else wants from her.
The ending feels like a genuine turning point rather than a neat conclusion, which makes sense given that this is clearly setting the stage for more. I also appreciated that the story allows love, grief, guilt, fear and obligation to coexist instead of making every emotional decision feel clean or easy. There are definitely moments where I wanted to grab several characters by the shoulders and tell them to please communicate for five consecutive minutes but honestly, that is also part of the fun of reading fantasy (and anything, really) with complicated people.
Overall, I think Whispers of Shadows and Gold is a promising start to a larger story, especially for readers who love fantasy missions, morally messy relationships, found-family dynamics, queer representation, protagonists being forced to confront the lives they have built around other people and a world where basically everyone needs therapy but unfortunately there are warlocks and cults instead. There’s a lot here that I enjoyed, and despite my reservations about some of the romantic choices, I’m definitely curious about where Meghan Saint takes Ava, this world and its wonderfully chaotic collection of magical people next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Contrarian Publishing for the ARC! This book is out tomorrow, August 25 2026, so if it piques your interest well…welcome home!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2026
Death follows an exiled noble just looking for a place to call home, and her only real chance at happiness is interrupted by her off-and-on-again partner being threatened with magical submission. To save her, she chooses to take on a job and a debt that goes terribly wrong, over and over again. Along the way, she might finally realize that everyone around her is using her for some reason or another, and these dreams of a quiet life will dissolve. Will her hidden power be enough to turn this quest around? Or is there no hope after all.
I write this synopsis because the one provided for this novel really didn't feel accurate by the end of reading. While I do think the overall plot idea has potential, I didn't feel like the execution came across as strong and organized. I had a lot of misgivings when it came to character arcs, as well as the multi-POV approach. It can be hard to do well to be fair, but I think it unfortunately fell short. A lot of the different POV's felt like the author inserting a chance to expand on the character in a new book later on and not really focusing on telling the story at hand. Timelines were iffy rather than fluid, and I think overall the amount of POV's took away from the mystery unfolding as well as taking focus away from the FMC. The story wasn't about her - it was about how everyone was using her/was tied to her. It just wasn't necessary in my opinion.
I also have some misgivings about how the synopsis subtly branded this story as sapphic, when the reality was that it was almost a why choose or maybe just queer or pansexual romance. It didn't sit right with me that the only two queer relationships suffered deaths, and the FMC ended up with a man because her female partner was abusive. Not that it can't happen - I just think the representation of queer relationships in this story was either that women are snakes, or that queer relationships don't deserve happy endings. It didn't feel like many of the characters were redeemable, or that any of them learned anything except "well, I've been given this chance to fix my life, so I'm going to bounce off of this opportunity for myself instead of helping my friend realize she's in an abusive relationship."
To me, true friends would not have risked their own lives for the sake of preserving abusive behavior. And in the end, almost no one got what they wanted. It just wasn't appealing or satisfying plot and character wise.
There were also some scenes and dialogue/word choices that felt overused in romantasy novels. The unironic book boyfriend door lean, phrases like "she shattered", incorrect or misleading behavioral descriptions, and the worst offense was "she was all elbows and long legs" that just made me picture a daddy long legs to be perfectly honest, instead of a gangly woman.
I hate being very critical of indie authors or debut novels, but I think the author could have used more editorial support and sensitivity reads to really wrangle this plot! I think there is a lot of potential here for something more of an epic dark fantasy rather than a romantasy - but the two ideas seemed to be at odds with each other and each character POV was derailing the focus. I just wish that the whole book wasn't the FMC being completely unwilling to see reason while also kind of being a Mary Sue that everyone would bend over backwards for. She needed something that could really convince the reader she was worth all that effort and attention, but instead all we got were the other characters complaining about her too.
TLDR; interesting plot, but the main characters should have been limited to 3 and developed a tad more.
I write this synopsis because the one provided for this novel really didn't feel accurate by the end of reading. While I do think the overall plot idea has potential, I didn't feel like the execution came across as strong and organized. I had a lot of misgivings when it came to character arcs, as well as the multi-POV approach. It can be hard to do well to be fair, but I think it unfortunately fell short. A lot of the different POV's felt like the author inserting a chance to expand on the character in a new book later on and not really focusing on telling the story at hand. Timelines were iffy rather than fluid, and I think overall the amount of POV's took away from the mystery unfolding as well as taking focus away from the FMC. The story wasn't about her - it was about how everyone was using her/was tied to her. It just wasn't necessary in my opinion.
I also have some misgivings about how the synopsis subtly branded this story as sapphic, when the reality was that it was almost a why choose or maybe just queer or pansexual romance. It didn't sit right with me that the only two queer relationships suffered deaths, and the FMC ended up with a man because her female partner was abusive. Not that it can't happen - I just think the representation of queer relationships in this story was either that women are snakes, or that queer relationships don't deserve happy endings. It didn't feel like many of the characters were redeemable, or that any of them learned anything except "well, I've been given this chance to fix my life, so I'm going to bounce off of this opportunity for myself instead of helping my friend realize she's in an abusive relationship."
To me, true friends would not have risked their own lives for the sake of preserving abusive behavior. And in the end, almost no one got what they wanted. It just wasn't appealing or satisfying plot and character wise.
There were also some scenes and dialogue/word choices that felt overused in romantasy novels. The unironic book boyfriend door lean, phrases like "she shattered", incorrect or misleading behavioral descriptions, and the worst offense was "she was all elbows and long legs" that just made me picture a daddy long legs to be perfectly honest, instead of a gangly woman.
I hate being very critical of indie authors or debut novels, but I think the author could have used more editorial support and sensitivity reads to really wrangle this plot! I think there is a lot of potential here for something more of an epic dark fantasy rather than a romantasy - but the two ideas seemed to be at odds with each other and each character POV was derailing the focus. I just wish that the whole book wasn't the FMC being completely unwilling to see reason while also kind of being a Mary Sue that everyone would bend over backwards for. She needed something that could really convince the reader she was worth all that effort and attention, but instead all we got were the other characters complaining about her too.
TLDR; interesting plot, but the main characters should have been limited to 3 and developed a tad more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.25
Thank you to Contrarion Publishing for this e-ARC.
I have been wanting a book like this! It was bordering (very closely) on full-on high fantasy which I loved so much. The characters were all a lot of fun (I would very much like to know more about them all!), the world was so good, and it was a very decent story. It was also really nice to read about characters who had been and were in less than ideal situations in a way that felt so real. There was a toxic relationship that didn’t shy away from being somewhat confronting, but it was handled very well- looking at both characters and their motivations for remaining in this relationship and doing what they did.
My only nitpick would be that I would have preferred if it was written in third person, not first person. While I liked getting to read exactly what went on in the characters heads, and they all had distinct personalities, sometimes I couldn’t quite remember whose POV it was, and I think the world and story itself would have been slightly more absorbing written in third person. However, that detracted very little overall enjoyment.
Also the dwarves were awesome!
I really must reiterate the brilliance of this world- it was truly spectacular! There were so many layers to it; I am very excited to read more.
For anyone who wants a book set in a slightly less intense high fantasy world and that is more character focused, with cool magic and settings, I would highly recommend this!
Meghan Saint, thank you very much for this book. I cannot wait to read more about this world and its inhabitants!
Thank you to Contrarion Publishing for this e-ARC.
I have been wanting a book like this! It was bordering (very closely) on full-on high fantasy which I loved so much. The characters were all a lot of fun (I would very much like to know more about them all!), the world was so good, and it was a very decent story. It was also really nice to read about characters who had been and were in less than ideal situations in a way that felt so real. There was a toxic relationship that didn’t shy away from being somewhat confronting, but it was handled very well- looking at both characters and their motivations for remaining in this relationship and doing what they did.
My only nitpick would be that I would have preferred if it was written in third person, not first person. While I liked getting to read exactly what went on in the characters heads, and they all had distinct personalities, sometimes I couldn’t quite remember whose POV it was, and I think the world and story itself would have been slightly more absorbing written in third person. However, that detracted very little overall enjoyment.
Also the dwarves were awesome!
I really must reiterate the brilliance of this world- it was truly spectacular! There were so many layers to it; I am very excited to read more.
For anyone who wants a book set in a slightly less intense high fantasy world and that is more character focused, with cool magic and settings, I would highly recommend this!
Meghan Saint, thank you very much for this book. I cannot wait to read more about this world and its inhabitants!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
I was lucky to have an advanced copy of this book sent to me by the author, and I was so excited to read it. I’ve read a bunch of Meghan’s work and this book was really good!
Whispers of Shadows and Gold is a fun and emotional read. I like how the world and magic system was a little different than things I’d read before. It wasn’t just “magic”, there are different elements that are good and bad to it. There were a bunch of different species in it as well, Fae, Humans, Dwarves, Mer. I don’t think I’ve read a book with Dwarves before so that was really fun.
The relationships amongst all the characters were well done, complex and entwined in one way or another…but I really gotta say I hate Estelle with a burning passion 😅 she’s so delusional and possessive it was driving me insane. But I really enjoyed reading Ava slowly realizing the toxicity of their relationship and how she dealt with that. In my opinion Ava is a really strong character and I’m hoping I get to see more of how she develops in the future book(s)?
Overall would definitely recommend this read, for me I predicted a bit of the plot points but the story was very engaging, there’s lots of POVS to add layers to what is happening and show just how much everyone is connected.
One thing I noticed, chapter 46 is labelled as being an Estelle chapter but I think it was actually a Frida POV? That confused me a little.
Ready for more!
I was lucky to have an advanced copy of this book sent to me by the author, and I was so excited to read it. I’ve read a bunch of Meghan’s work and this book was really good!
Whispers of Shadows and Gold is a fun and emotional read. I like how the world and magic system was a little different than things I’d read before. It wasn’t just “magic”, there are different elements that are good and bad to it. There were a bunch of different species in it as well, Fae, Humans, Dwarves, Mer. I don’t think I’ve read a book with Dwarves before so that was really fun.
The relationships amongst all the characters were well done, complex and entwined in one way or another…but I really gotta say I hate Estelle with a burning passion 😅 she’s so delusional and possessive it was driving me insane. But I really enjoyed reading Ava slowly realizing the toxicity of their relationship and how she dealt with that. In my opinion Ava is a really strong character and I’m hoping I get to see more of how she develops in the future book(s)?
Overall would definitely recommend this read, for me I predicted a bit of the plot points but the story was very engaging, there’s lots of POVS to add layers to what is happening and show just how much everyone is connected.
One thing I noticed, chapter 46 is labelled as being an Estelle chapter but I think it was actually a Frida POV? That confused me a little.
Ready for more!
September 9, 2026
Thank you to the author Meghan Saint for letting me arc read this book. I am leaving this review by my own choice and honestly.
I enjoyed this book. The characters were really fun and the way you watched characters change and struggle and grow was great. The heist was so cool and was neat to see what roles everyone played.
I can't wait to see what's next keep up the good work
I enjoyed this book. The characters were really fun and the way you watched characters change and struggle and grow was great. The heist was so cool and was neat to see what roles everyone played.
I can't wait to see what's next keep up the good work
Read
September 13, 2026This was a very hard book for me to get into. There were too many points of view, which made it difficult for me to connect with the characters or follow the story.
Overall, this one just wasn’t for me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Overall, this one just wasn’t for me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had so much fun copyediting this book -- I can't wait for readers to dive into the world!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Excellent fantasy story with an ending leaving me wanting for more. Hopefully we will get a second book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews