By Heavens and Hail

by Sage Kafsky

For every choice, a consequence. For all loyalty, a test.

After narrowly escaping an arranged marriage, Nissa Chantara has devoted her newfound freedom to keeping her word. She is determined to help Tryamon Brandell break away from his own restraints… at whatever cost. Tryamon’s defiance of the Air Realm has left him staggering under the weight of his duties, and Nissa must tread carefully while she searches for answers that may be lost to time.

Meanwhile, new plots emerge in the shadows of Sel’veren that leave Tryamon shaken to the core. Families and allies turn on each other as relations between realms tangle further, and Nissa uncovers secrets that could change everything.

In Galarmos, blood is more valuable than ever before.

381 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2026

About the author

Sage Kafsky began writing at a young age. She is passionate about puns and the great outdoors. When she's not writing, Sage enjoys spending time out in nature, reading fantasy novels, and going on adventures. She currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, their daughter, and their furry and feathery family members.

Reviews

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We are what we allow."

Such powerful words. And so true. We are what we allow. And we are more than others see us or need us to be. We are more than our expectations, more than our predetermined destinies, more than our families' legacies. We forge our own path. And no one does it more bravely than Nissa Chantara.

The road to freedom isn't easy, especially for someone like Nissa. It's paved with obligations and expectations. But nothing stops Nissa from earning her freedom to choose—her freedom to break the chains of generational curses, her freedom to make mistakes, to love, and to feel. No one.

I loved the continuation of Nissa and Trey's story. These two hold a special place in my heart. They are both more than their families think they are. More than their powers. More than their names. They are Nissa and Trey—two people carrying the weight of the world. Two people who keep saving one another. Two people in bleak situations, fighting their way forward even when all seems lost. And it did seem lost, even to me at one point. But no. We don't lose hope. We keep going. We make difficult choices. And we emerge victorious.

The victory may be small and new, but bigger dangers are looming. The war is at their door. The enemies grow in number, and the allies are few. And yet, nothing is over. Hope is not lost. Never—especially if Nissa has something to do with it.

Thank you, Sage, for having me on your ARC team. I love every moment of it.

[Morgan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well dang, Sage did it again!!!! This was such an amazing continuation to this story! The characters, the tension, the despair, the little glimmer of hope??!!! I loved it all!!

This story picks up where Book 1 left off. The group is split up to help figure out how to get Trey out of the disaster he found himself in. I really loved that Nissa and Faris got to have some page time together. Their friendship is really beautiful and I can't wait to have more of Faris in the next book.

Trey had me feeling distraught almost the whole book. Like how many horrible things can happen to him before hope goes out completely?? I was just completely invested in his story and his fight to keep himself sane. And just his feelings for Nissa had me hoping for a good outcome.

The villains in this story were also hard to pin down....like one for sure is evil but a character I thought was all together an awful person turned out to maybe have some redeeming qualities....so now I have no idea who to trust!

We also met new characters, my favorite was Sylvie. She just had so much mystery surrounding her as to who she really was. I really love how the author just weaves all these characters together. People you don't think hold much significance end up being super important! There are definitely more questions to be answered and paths to consider after that ending!!! Like I need the next book immediately!

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

by heavens and hail by sage kafsky. book 2 in the songs of galarmos series. okay, now that you know the book, which you should if you've clicked on this, I can tell you that Holy goddess this is one of the best second books ive read.

sage did such amazing callbacks to book one, sand men anyone?!, excellent continuation of the world building and expanding on the magic system, and continuation of the slow burn angst that almost drove me to the point of madness but in the best way.

we also get introduced to new characters that I hooopppeeeee we see again in books 3 and 4. I need more Sylvie!

here are some out of context quotes that could potentially be spoilers so... you've been warned

the chance of her abandoning him was even slimmer than her chance if avoiding trouble.

"Besides, you crossed a continent and defied more than one realms rules of diplomacy to help me escape. if the only consequence for that is that exposure to my insufferable stubbornness, id say you're getting off easy.

he drummed his fingers on the table, desperate to dispel the energy without blasting the room apart.

"and I'll fight for you. its about time I returned the favor"

all thoughts and views are my own and these are all my honest feelings.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The twists and adventure in this book make it very hard to put down! The author does a great job with world building as part of the story, so you are never bored while learning about Galarmos, the different realms, and elemental magic. The book has me completely invested in the characters, and it is the slowest of slow burns! The book has dual POV. The ending had me kicking my feet and now I need book 3!! Here are some of the tropes you will find in this book:
-Slow Burn Romance
-Arranged Marriages
-Forced Magical Bonding
-Found Family and Allies
-Court Intrigue
-Kept Secrets
-Self Sacrifice
-Rejected as Unworthy by Parents
-Emotional Scars from Impossible Choices
-Revenge
Things are about to hit the fan in Galarmos, can’t wait for the next book!! Highly recommended read.

[BloggingBooks& Banter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I said this before and I WILL SAY IT AGAIN. Sage’s writing is FREAKING IMMERSIVE! “Nissa’s skirts swept around her feet as she studied the imposing pillars of the Makani House.” You can feel and see everything occurring with every sentence she writes. She paints such a wonderful picture for every scene.

This book was a whirlwind. Between the new characters, the ending (I thought she was going to break my heart originally), and how deeply I’ve fallen in love with Trey — IM READY FOR BOOK 3 NOW!

UGH. I think I laid in bed for 30 mins after the ending, just wondering what will come of them in the next installment. She Rebecca Yarros’ed me! 🤣

Thank you to the author for the e-arc. I am so honored.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twists and turns this book takes you on leaves you clinging to every page wanting to know how it ends. Both this book and it's predecessor have reignited my passion for reading. I have not been so glued to a series since I was a teenager. I cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out.

[anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second book of the Galarmos series. The first book, By Fire and Flood, had plenty of world building that allowed things to really get moving in By Heavens and Hail. It is fast paced with something happening on just about every page. This book had me enthralled and I cannot wait to find out what will come in book 3.

[BookishVibesClub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book where the FMC really shined!

The world building in this series is rich with elemental magic, culture, and history among the courts/realms.

👑 She saves him
👑 Court Intrigue
👑 Evil Rulers
👑 Quest
👑 Mystery
👑 Elemental Magic
👑 Found Family
👑 Slow Burn
👑 Longing
👑 Twists