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Torn Between Realms
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Expected 24 Mar 26Win a free print copy of this book!
26 days and 01:01:17
5 copies available
U.S. only
What if the night you almost died…was the beginning of everything?
Some fates are written in the stars. Others are dragged from the shadows.
Cece never imagined her night would take such a turn until two strangers shoved her onto the subway tracks with a train racing toward her. In the split second before impact, he reached for her, pulling her from death’s grasp and into a world she never knew existed. Then…he vanished.
When Cece returns, more time has passed than should have, and something inside her has changed. The more she searches for her savior, the clearer the truth becomes: he isn’t human.
And whatever is awakening within her isn’t either.
Three laws. One choice. A love forbidden.
Lucien knows he’s broken the sacred rules his kind is bound by: never interfere in mortal realms, never cross without sanction, never leave a trace. Now, the woman he can’t imagine losing is changing, enemies are closing in, and the power that governs his world demands answers. To protect her, he must surrender who he was. To survive, she must embrace what she’s becoming.
As war ignites, the love they were never meant to have may be the very thing that saves or destroys them both.
Torn Between Realms marks the beginning of the epic Awaken the Stars series—an interdimensional fantasy full of secret societies, unexpected twists, and a love powerful enough to rewrite fate. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and From Blood and Ash.
Some fates are written in the stars. Others are dragged from the shadows.
Cece never imagined her night would take such a turn until two strangers shoved her onto the subway tracks with a train racing toward her. In the split second before impact, he reached for her, pulling her from death’s grasp and into a world she never knew existed. Then…he vanished.
When Cece returns, more time has passed than should have, and something inside her has changed. The more she searches for her savior, the clearer the truth becomes: he isn’t human.
And whatever is awakening within her isn’t either.
Three laws. One choice. A love forbidden.
Lucien knows he’s broken the sacred rules his kind is bound by: never interfere in mortal realms, never cross without sanction, never leave a trace. Now, the woman he can’t imagine losing is changing, enemies are closing in, and the power that governs his world demands answers. To protect her, he must surrender who he was. To survive, she must embrace what she’s becoming.
As war ignites, the love they were never meant to have may be the very thing that saves or destroys them both.
Torn Between Realms marks the beginning of the epic Awaken the Stars series—an interdimensional fantasy full of secret societies, unexpected twists, and a love powerful enough to rewrite fate. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and From Blood and Ash.
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 24, 2026
21 people are currently reading
2900 people want to read
About the author
Iris Gil
1 book21 followersIris Gil writes romance stories set against the rich and imaginative worlds of fantasy and sci-fi, because after twenty years of working in the science world, she’s inspired by the extraordinary. A true East Coast girl at heart and now a longtime Californian, she enjoys weaving together the places she's called home with deep emotion and a touch of the otherworldly.
When she’s not writing late into the night, she’s enjoying time with her family, getting lost in a good book, or happily distracted by Yorkshire terrier videos on the internet.
When she’s not writing late into the night, she’s enjoying time with her family, getting lost in a good book, or happily distracted by Yorkshire terrier videos on the internet.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much to Iris Gil and Kasey Zollo for the ARC of this book!
Blurb from the author:
What if the night you almost died…was the beginning of everything?
Some fates are written in the stars. Others are dragged from the shadows.
Cece never imagined her night would take such a turn until two strangers shoved her onto the subway tracks with a train racing toward her. In the split second before impact, he reached for her, pulling her from death’s grasp and into a world she never knew existed. Then…he vanished.
When Cece returns, more time has passed than should have, and something inside her has changed. The more she searches for her savior, the clearer the truth becomes: he isn’t human.
And whatever is awakening within her isn’t either.
Three laws. One choice. A love forbidden.
Lucien knows he’s broken the sacred rules his kind is bound by: never interfere in mortal realms, never cross without sanction, never leave a trace. Now, the woman he can’t imagine losing is changing, enemies are closing in, and the power that governs his world demands answers. To protect her, he must surrender who he was. To survive, she must embrace what she’s becoming.
As war ignites, the love they were never meant to have may be the very thing that saves or destroys them both.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to get into and the characters were very likeable. I really enjoyed Cece's best friend Kate. I also enjoyed Xan. "Good," he (Xan) says. "Because I didn't come to talk you down. I came to stand with you." That is the best type of friend to have. I love that Kate and Xan are both ride or dies. This book had twists and betrayals. It also had some telepathy, which is a favorite of mine. I thought the book leaned sci-fi ish, which typically isn't my favorite genre, but it had enough romantasy elements to keep me hooked. I'm interested to see how this story ends in the next book!
Blurb from the author:
What if the night you almost died…was the beginning of everything?
Some fates are written in the stars. Others are dragged from the shadows.
Cece never imagined her night would take such a turn until two strangers shoved her onto the subway tracks with a train racing toward her. In the split second before impact, he reached for her, pulling her from death’s grasp and into a world she never knew existed. Then…he vanished.
When Cece returns, more time has passed than should have, and something inside her has changed. The more she searches for her savior, the clearer the truth becomes: he isn’t human.
And whatever is awakening within her isn’t either.
Three laws. One choice. A love forbidden.
Lucien knows he’s broken the sacred rules his kind is bound by: never interfere in mortal realms, never cross without sanction, never leave a trace. Now, the woman he can’t imagine losing is changing, enemies are closing in, and the power that governs his world demands answers. To protect her, he must surrender who he was. To survive, she must embrace what she’s becoming.
As war ignites, the love they were never meant to have may be the very thing that saves or destroys them both.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to get into and the characters were very likeable. I really enjoyed Cece's best friend Kate. I also enjoyed Xan. "Good," he (Xan) says. "Because I didn't come to talk you down. I came to stand with you." That is the best type of friend to have. I love that Kate and Xan are both ride or dies. This book had twists and betrayals. It also had some telepathy, which is a favorite of mine. I thought the book leaned sci-fi ish, which typically isn't my favorite genre, but it had enough romantasy elements to keep me hooked. I'm interested to see how this story ends in the next book!
March 6, 2026
I received this book as an e arc.
This was such an interesting mix of fantasy and sci-fi, and the plot itself really pulled me in. It had that twisty, other-realm feel that kept me curious about where the story was going. The ending especially caught my attention — that final twist definitely made me interested to see what happens next in the series.
That said, I do wish the execution had been a bit stronger. A lot of the story felt like it moved really quickly, while at the same time not much was actually happening. Major moments seemed to fly by without getting the depth they deserved. I would have loved more world-building and more time spent developing the characters.
The female main character didn’t fully click for me either. I struggled to connect with her, and I think deeper character development might have helped with that. The book also mentions that when she returns, more time has passed than she realized — which is such a cool concept — but it wasn’t explored as much as I hoped it would be.
Lucien was definitely a highlight for me though. I found him far more compelling and was always more interested when he was on the page.
Overall, this book had a really intriguing premise and a plot twist that left me curious for the next installment. I just wish the story had slowed down a bit to really build the world and characters along the way.
This was such an interesting mix of fantasy and sci-fi, and the plot itself really pulled me in. It had that twisty, other-realm feel that kept me curious about where the story was going. The ending especially caught my attention — that final twist definitely made me interested to see what happens next in the series.
That said, I do wish the execution had been a bit stronger. A lot of the story felt like it moved really quickly, while at the same time not much was actually happening. Major moments seemed to fly by without getting the depth they deserved. I would have loved more world-building and more time spent developing the characters.
The female main character didn’t fully click for me either. I struggled to connect with her, and I think deeper character development might have helped with that. The book also mentions that when she returns, more time has passed than she realized — which is such a cool concept — but it wasn’t explored as much as I hoped it would be.
Lucien was definitely a highlight for me though. I found him far more compelling and was always more interested when he was on the page.
Overall, this book had a really intriguing premise and a plot twist that left me curious for the next installment. I just wish the story had slowed down a bit to really build the world and characters along the way.
March 2, 2026
Thank you for the e-arc of Torn Between Realms. After being pushed onto the train tracks in the subway, Ceces life changes. This is a fantasy romance. However, I feel as a science lover that there is a dash of science in the story and I love that. It is a unique and fresh story with worlds colliding and fabric of the realms tearing. We all love a MMC who breaks all the rules for the FMC and doesn’t hesitate when doing it. Sorry fate we have Lucien.. The Order in this book reminds me of the Time Lords in Doctor who and that is exactly how I pictured them in my head. Especially Aris. They seem superior and golden but then you get a look at what is behind that golden curtain. The FMC is an intelligent badass. This book has all the 🤌🏻 tropes with a dash of a fresh take with the science vibes. I had a good time.
“She’s going to ruin you”
“She already has”
🫠
🌟 Forbidden love
🌟 sacred laws
🌟 Hidden power/Awakening
🌟 He falls first
🌟 Chosen one
🌟 What’s fate got to do got to do with it (singing) 😂
🌟 Touch her and ☠️
“She’s going to ruin you”
“She already has”
🫠
🌟 Forbidden love
🌟 sacred laws
🌟 Hidden power/Awakening
🌟 He falls first
🌟 Chosen one
🌟 What’s fate got to do got to do with it (singing) 😂
🌟 Touch her and ☠️
Review of advance copy
Received as an ARC
Very impressed as a debut novel. I love the characters/ their relationships. I enjoyed the bit of world building throughout and the character growth we see just in book one. There were plenty of twists and turns to get you hooked. We get a broody MCM that’s actually quite sensitive. We get a favorite trope of mine with forbidden love across realms. I look forward to the sequel!
Very impressed as a debut novel. I love the characters/ their relationships. I enjoyed the bit of world building throughout and the character growth we see just in book one. There were plenty of twists and turns to get you hooked. We get a broody MCM that’s actually quite sensitive. We get a favorite trope of mine with forbidden love across realms. I look forward to the sequel!
March 2, 2026
I received this book as an ARC & immediately devoured it (shocked it is a debut 👏👏)!
The story was unique, engaging, and easy to follow--with some well placed plot twists!
I am looking forward to that second book and seeing how the story concludes.
4🌟
The story was unique, engaging, and easy to follow--with some well placed plot twists!
I am looking forward to that second book and seeing how the story concludes.
4🌟
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved the writing style, very easy to get into. It’s sci-fi and that made it unique. It’s easy to get lost in to the characters. Romance is chef kiss!! Perfect amount of Spice. I can’t wait for book 2.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews