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Because I Killed Him
Guillotines made of gold still cut off heads.
In the Civilized World, everyone is rich, yet money doesn’t buy safety. It only buys a gold coffin. The real currency is having the right allies. Low-citizens survive by joining high-citizens’ exclusive inner circles, trading loyalty for protection from laws that govern speech, dress, and posture—and punish mistakes with public beheading.
Low-citizen Loredana Waldsten already knows the cost of breaking the rules. Once a rising fencing prodigy, she lost the right to carry weapons after killing a high-citizen in a brutal locker-room attack. The courts erased his death to preserve his family’s honor. Now she’s unarmed, legally defenseless, and enrolled at the elite Grandmaster University, where champagne spills into the gutters and reputations are built on death duels.
When Loredana’s father, a low-citizen politician, publicly challenges the high-citizens, she becomes a target. Some classmates demand her execution. Others hunt her for sport. And by law, she’s forbidden to fight back.
Her only chance of survival lies with Edmund Prew, a charming yet ruthless high-citizen student she’s been warned against. Edmund's family has been locked in a bitter feud with Loredana’s for years, and he wants nothing to do with her until a lost bet forces him to protect her within his inner circle. What begins as a scandalous, strategic alliance turns perilous as they fall for each other.
Because the man Loredana killed was more than an average high-citizen. And if Edmund ever learns the truth, the only person keeping Loredana alive may become the one most determined to kill her.
In the Civilized World, everyone is rich, yet money doesn’t buy safety. It only buys a gold coffin. The real currency is having the right allies. Low-citizens survive by joining high-citizens’ exclusive inner circles, trading loyalty for protection from laws that govern speech, dress, and posture—and punish mistakes with public beheading.
Low-citizen Loredana Waldsten already knows the cost of breaking the rules. Once a rising fencing prodigy, she lost the right to carry weapons after killing a high-citizen in a brutal locker-room attack. The courts erased his death to preserve his family’s honor. Now she’s unarmed, legally defenseless, and enrolled at the elite Grandmaster University, where champagne spills into the gutters and reputations are built on death duels.
When Loredana’s father, a low-citizen politician, publicly challenges the high-citizens, she becomes a target. Some classmates demand her execution. Others hunt her for sport. And by law, she’s forbidden to fight back.
Her only chance of survival lies with Edmund Prew, a charming yet ruthless high-citizen student she’s been warned against. Edmund's family has been locked in a bitter feud with Loredana’s for years, and he wants nothing to do with her until a lost bet forces him to protect her within his inner circle. What begins as a scandalous, strategic alliance turns perilous as they fall for each other.
Because the man Loredana killed was more than an average high-citizen. And if Edmund ever learns the truth, the only person keeping Loredana alive may become the one most determined to kill her.
829 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2026
About the author
Edith Birde
1 book477 followersEdith Birde is the pen name for two sisters who have been writing together since their early teenage years. They live in South Africa. For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the 'About' section of their website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,374 reviews
May 14, 2026
Wowowowowowow.
1920s x dystopian x futuristic… the world building was SO lush!!!!!!!!!! . A class system based on credits, and one of the most original worlds I’ve read in I can’t even remember how long.
The romance had me kicking my feet, and the mystery/story went places I wasn’t expecting.
Ugh. How lucky are we to live in a time where we can just stumble across indie authors and find books this good.
1920s x dystopian x futuristic… the world building was SO lush!!!!!!!!!! . A class system based on credits, and one of the most original worlds I’ve read in I can’t even remember how long.
The romance had me kicking my feet, and the mystery/story went places I wasn’t expecting.
Ugh. How lucky are we to live in a time where we can just stumble across indie authors and find books this good.
June 6, 2026
4.5 stars ✨
"I knew I’d found the one, not when I was willing to die for her. But when, for her, I was willing to die to myself."
I'm having an existential crisis ever since I finished this book. It's slow burning and consuming in ways I didn't see coming. It had everything in it: Political intrigue, a unique dystopian and academia setting, a forbidden romance so genuinely forbidden and slow burning that I felt like I was gonna combust and let's not forget the drama 🤌 The idea of a credit/point based system was both unnerving and thrilling from a reader's perspective.
But honestly, my first 40% experience of this book is different from the rest of the 60% which is the only reason it's not a complete five stars for me. The first 40% is not bad, it's super interesting. But I found it to be dragging and super slow paced. I do understand that the plot is being set, characters taking their positions and yet paired with long chapters? It took me two days. Once I got into the rhythm of it after that mark, I inhaled this book 😩😩 I let it consume my mind so thoroughly, I was making full use of my insomnia.
💚 Loredana who is our "low citizen" or a Green in this classist society, I found her to be stubborn, prideful, fierce and I loved her for it. She's loyal, reserved with who she opens up to and trust is earned. I respect that. Although, I do wish she stood up for herself more but it's only book one and given her circumstances, I could understand her actions. There's a lot of potential and growth for her.
💙 Edmund who is our "high citizen" or a Blue is so sauve and ruthless. Loyalty is earned for him and trust not so easily given. But boy, when this man loves... He LOVESSSSSSS 🫠🫠 Like he had me swooning, clutching my heart. I went from calling him book boyfriend to book husband to 'wtf' and then back to sweet heavens have mercy 🫠🫠 He made me feel so much 😭😭❤ And this man is GIVER we're talking acts of service as his love language. And I know the potential of what else he could have given.... Yeah I'm thinking what you're thinking 🫣
The side characters Jack and Charlotte intrigued me but their storyline was super predictable for me. Dickie was a nice addition but it really was the evil bitches Irene and Rosamund from hell that I wanted to strangle. Had my eye twitching the whole damn time whenever they were in a scene.
“Protecting you isn’t enough anymore. It hasn’t been enough since you looked at me like I was a man instead of a Blue.”
The romance in this is such a forbidden slow burn. They're not allowed to touch, so every brief glance, smile, knuckles grazing or stolen kisses had me gasping and combusting. If you're looking for spice, you won't it in here (unfortunately, it did make me scream a little but it's okay, I get it 😭). The pull of Edmund, the push of Loredana, and the screams of me loving this slow burn was a lovely mix. I want more 🤭🤭 The way they both truly see each other beyond surface level is everything.
With how it ended, I can't wait to see how the political games will play out in book two. I've got so many questions and theories already. Jerome's entry has my interest piqued, he had the instant charm of a grumpy, layered man. I hear it's going to be a five book series, so I'm committed. I do hope there's no love triangles or things like that in the long run, cause I can see Loredana and Edmund enduring this dystopian world and let their love burn it all down.
*sigh* I'm gonna be thinking about this one for a while. The book is thick but worth it.
~•~•~
Because this is the next big thing
No but fr.. It's all over BookTok. With a dystopian/sci-fi setting and a slow burning forbidden romance, it sounds like the kind of thing I would enjoy.
Time to put it to test 👀
"I knew I’d found the one, not when I was willing to die for her. But when, for her, I was willing to die to myself."
I'm having an existential crisis ever since I finished this book. It's slow burning and consuming in ways I didn't see coming. It had everything in it: Political intrigue, a unique dystopian and academia setting, a forbidden romance so genuinely forbidden and slow burning that I felt like I was gonna combust and let's not forget the drama 🤌 The idea of a credit/point based system was both unnerving and thrilling from a reader's perspective.
But honestly, my first 40% experience of this book is different from the rest of the 60% which is the only reason it's not a complete five stars for me. The first 40% is not bad, it's super interesting. But I found it to be dragging and super slow paced. I do understand that the plot is being set, characters taking their positions and yet paired with long chapters? It took me two days. Once I got into the rhythm of it after that mark, I inhaled this book 😩😩 I let it consume my mind so thoroughly, I was making full use of my insomnia.
💚 Loredana who is our "low citizen" or a Green in this classist society, I found her to be stubborn, prideful, fierce and I loved her for it. She's loyal, reserved with who she opens up to and trust is earned. I respect that. Although, I do wish she stood up for herself more but it's only book one and given her circumstances, I could understand her actions. There's a lot of potential and growth for her.
💙 Edmund who is our "high citizen" or a Blue is so sauve and ruthless. Loyalty is earned for him and trust not so easily given. But boy, when this man loves... He LOVESSSSSSS 🫠🫠 Like he had me swooning, clutching my heart. I went from calling him book boyfriend to book husband to 'wtf' and then back to sweet heavens have mercy 🫠🫠 He made me feel so much 😭😭❤ And this man is GIVER we're talking acts of service as his love language. And I know the potential of what else he could have given.... Yeah I'm thinking what you're thinking 🫣
The side characters Jack and Charlotte intrigued me but their storyline was super predictable for me. Dickie was a nice addition but it really was the evil bitches Irene and Rosamund from hell that I wanted to strangle. Had my eye twitching the whole damn time whenever they were in a scene.
“Protecting you isn’t enough anymore. It hasn’t been enough since you looked at me like I was a man instead of a Blue.”
The romance in this is such a forbidden slow burn. They're not allowed to touch, so every brief glance, smile, knuckles grazing or stolen kisses had me gasping and combusting. If you're looking for spice, you won't it in here (unfortunately, it did make me scream a little but it's okay, I get it 😭). The pull of Edmund, the push of Loredana, and the screams of me loving this slow burn was a lovely mix. I want more 🤭🤭 The way they both truly see each other beyond surface level is everything.
With how it ended, I can't wait to see how the political games will play out in book two. I've got so many questions and theories already. Jerome's entry has my interest piqued, he had the instant charm of a grumpy, layered man. I hear it's going to be a five book series, so I'm committed. I do hope there's no love triangles or things like that in the long run, cause I can see Loredana and Edmund enduring this dystopian world and let their love burn it all down.
*sigh* I'm gonna be thinking about this one for a while. The book is thick but worth it.
~•~•~
Because this is the next big thing
No but fr.. It's all over BookTok. With a dystopian/sci-fi setting and a slow burning forbidden romance, it sounds like the kind of thing I would enjoy.
Time to put it to test 👀
June 5, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
This was FANTASTIC.
A world where you’re defined by what color blood you have, and blue’s rule them all.
This was an INSANE debut. Genuinely such an amazing start to what seems to be an epic dystopian romance series.
The only reason this wasn’t a perfect 5 for me was because at some points the pacing felt off. But otherwise, fantastic.
And that ENDING? My god. I need book 2!!!!
This was FANTASTIC.
A world where you’re defined by what color blood you have, and blue’s rule them all.
This was an INSANE debut. Genuinely such an amazing start to what seems to be an epic dystopian romance series.
The only reason this wasn’t a perfect 5 for me was because at some points the pacing felt off. But otherwise, fantastic.
And that ENDING? My god. I need book 2!!!!
June 22, 2026
4⭐️
Okay… the hype is actually justified.
I was fully absorbed into the Civilized World. The dystopian politics? Obsessed. The elite university setting? Inject it straight into my veins.
I was low-key worried about the romance because for the first 40% I was like: “Hello?? Where is it??” But then Edith Birde casually delivered one of the sweetest, most tender romances I’ve read in a while. The tension. The yearning. The slow burn. Absolutely unhinged (in the best way).
Loredana? Smart, brave, and dangerously competent. I love her.
And Edmund… one POV. Just one. A single Edmund POV. That’s all I’m asking for. I’m not greedy.
Also… the whole Charlotte/Jack/Edmund mystery? I swear I was suspicious from the very first time it was mentioned. It was giving predictable 🫣
My biggest issue was definitely the pacing AND the length — this book is LONG long. Like, I enjoyed it, but I felt every single one of those pages in the middle. It could’ve been tighter, and a few sections did feel repetitive.
But honestly? For something this ambitious, I can forgive a few laps around the same emotional parking lot.
Overall, I had such a great time with this book, and now I’m officially joining the queue of people impatiently waiting for book 2.
Okay… the hype is actually justified.
I was fully absorbed into the Civilized World. The dystopian politics? Obsessed. The elite university setting? Inject it straight into my veins.
I was low-key worried about the romance because for the first 40% I was like: “Hello?? Where is it??” But then Edith Birde casually delivered one of the sweetest, most tender romances I’ve read in a while. The tension. The yearning. The slow burn. Absolutely unhinged (in the best way).
Loredana? Smart, brave, and dangerously competent. I love her.
And Edmund… one POV. Just one. A single Edmund POV. That’s all I’m asking for. I’m not greedy.
Also… the whole Charlotte/Jack/Edmund mystery? I swear I was suspicious from the very first time it was mentioned. It was giving predictable 🫣
My biggest issue was definitely the pacing AND the length — this book is LONG long. Like, I enjoyed it, but I felt every single one of those pages in the middle. It could’ve been tighter, and a few sections did feel repetitive.
But honestly? For something this ambitious, I can forgive a few laps around the same emotional parking lot.
Overall, I had such a great time with this book, and now I’m officially joining the queue of people impatiently waiting for book 2.
June 1, 2026
5 🌟 🛸🤺🦂🤖🎷🌊🐚🌼✨
‧₊˚.𑣲 𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶 𝒷𝑜𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁, 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓃 𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝓎 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓁𝑜𝓉, 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝑜𝓇𝓈 𝒽𝒾𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓃𝑜𝓌 ⋆˚࿔
give me the roaring 20s but make it sci-fi/dystopian with an academic setting + a slow burn forbidden romance and i am sat!!!
the way this book consumed me. this world, the politics/class system, the plot, the fucking characters? all perfection i could yap about this book all day i won’t even lie to you. the way i got lost in this world, watching these characters grow and navigate this cruel world was everything. the story had me on the edge of my seat at all times. and the way people can just duel each other is insane but i love it!!
𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖 oh the way i loved her from the start. she is so relatable on every level. she is just a girl in a crazy fucked up world. watching her growth from the first chapter to the last >>>
𝙀𝙙𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙙 LET ME SCREAM FROM MY ROOFTOP ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM REAL QUICK. yes just fucking yes. the seashells? his yearning? out of this world. just everything about him is 10/10.
⋆｡𖦹 ˚𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰����𝘦 𓇼 ˚｡⋆
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚 girly queen what you did was awful but i do think you are a good friend and working towards being better and for that i will give you points for that!
𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠 ily king you could literally do no wrong.
𝘿𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙚 i love his commentary so much. he mush be protected at all cost!!
i just love the 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 so much 💞🥹 watching them bond and form friendships + the banter >>>
and the romance? delicious and so achingly good!! these two have my heart in shambles ❤️🩹 the slow build up between them was done so well. i am obsessed and so ready for book 2 🥰 I NEED MORE
that whole last 10% had my heart racing. that last chapter 😅 the next book is about to fucking insane!!
• . ݁₊ ⊹ 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎, 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚜. 𝚆𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 ⊹ ₊ ݁. •
‧₊˚.𑣲 𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶 𝒷𝑜𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁, 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓃 𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝓎 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓁𝑜𝓉, 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝑜𝓇𝓈 𝒽𝒾𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓃𝑜𝓌 ⋆˚࿔
give me the roaring 20s but make it sci-fi/dystopian with an academic setting + a slow burn forbidden romance and i am sat!!!
the way this book consumed me. this world, the politics/class system, the plot, the fucking characters? all perfection i could yap about this book all day i won’t even lie to you. the way i got lost in this world, watching these characters grow and navigate this cruel world was everything. the story had me on the edge of my seat at all times. and the way people can just duel each other is insane but i love it!!
𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖 oh the way i loved her from the start. she is so relatable on every level. she is just a girl in a crazy fucked up world. watching her growth from the first chapter to the last >>>
𝙀𝙙𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙙 LET ME SCREAM FROM MY ROOFTOP ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM REAL QUICK. yes just fucking yes. the seashells? his yearning? out of this world. just everything about him is 10/10.
⋆｡𖦹 ˚𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰����𝘦 𓇼 ˚｡⋆
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚 girly queen what you did was awful but i do think you are a good friend and working towards being better and for that i will give you points for that!
𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠 ily king you could literally do no wrong.
𝘿𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙚 i love his commentary so much. he mush be protected at all cost!!
i just love the 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 so much 💞🥹 watching them bond and form friendships + the banter >>>
and the romance? delicious and so achingly good!! these two have my heart in shambles ❤️🩹 the slow build up between them was done so well. i am obsessed and so ready for book 2 🥰 I NEED MORE
that whole last 10% had my heart racing. that last chapter 😅 the next book is about to fucking insane!!
• . ݁₊ ⊹ 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎, 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚜. 𝚆𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 ⊹ ₊ ݁. •
Read
June 13, 2026Oh my godddddd! Infinity stars. Now included as one of my top 10 favorite books of all time. Of ALL TIME!!!
Anyone can claw through day after day to make it to the next. But truly living means choosing something worth fighting for and holding fast, even when the river pulls you under.
I haven’t been this obsessed with a book since honestly whichever SJM book I read last. And this is nothing like those books plot wise. When I tell you I was addicted to this, I mean I stayed up ALL NIGHT finishing it despite having a baby that doesn’t let me take naps during the day. I simply didn’t care I had to finish this.
If this isn’t the next big thing in the book community/world at large, I will be shocked. Writing is absolutely top tier. Plot is unlike ANYTHING I’ve ever read. Romance is CHEFS KISS PERFECTION. Just every single thing about this book is sheer bliss (pun intended).
I am BEGGING ANYONE WHO SEES THIS TO GO READ THIS BOOK. I will get tshirts and yard signs made and proudly display them encouraging people to read this. It’s just so freaking amazing I am gushing like a teenager. And I really don’t even like dystopian?? Yet this is one the best things I’ve ever read?? What has this author done to me??
I honestly am anticipating the next book to this just as much as I’m anticipating the next ACOTAR. And I am the world’s biggest ACOTAR fan. If that doesn’t convince you to read this book……
Infinity infinity infinity stars.
Also I just have to put this quote here because it absolutely destroys me and I think about this scene HOURLY:
Because you saw a pretty seashell and left before I knew which one.
OMG EDMUND !!! 💙💙💙
💙💚💃🏻🤺🍸🐚🎶🤑⚖️ !!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone can claw through day after day to make it to the next. But truly living means choosing something worth fighting for and holding fast, even when the river pulls you under.
I haven’t been this obsessed with a book since honestly whichever SJM book I read last. And this is nothing like those books plot wise. When I tell you I was addicted to this, I mean I stayed up ALL NIGHT finishing it despite having a baby that doesn’t let me take naps during the day. I simply didn’t care I had to finish this.
If this isn’t the next big thing in the book community/world at large, I will be shocked. Writing is absolutely top tier. Plot is unlike ANYTHING I’ve ever read. Romance is CHEFS KISS PERFECTION. Just every single thing about this book is sheer bliss (pun intended).
I am BEGGING ANYONE WHO SEES THIS TO GO READ THIS BOOK. I will get tshirts and yard signs made and proudly display them encouraging people to read this. It’s just so freaking amazing I am gushing like a teenager. And I really don’t even like dystopian?? Yet this is one the best things I’ve ever read?? What has this author done to me??
I honestly am anticipating the next book to this just as much as I’m anticipating the next ACOTAR. And I am the world’s biggest ACOTAR fan. If that doesn’t convince you to read this book……
Infinity infinity infinity stars.
Also I just have to put this quote here because it absolutely destroys me and I think about this scene HOURLY:
Because you saw a pretty seashell and left before I knew which one.
OMG EDMUND !!! 💙💙💙
💙💚💃🏻🤺🍸🐚🎶🤑⚖️ !!!!!!!!!!!!
May 31, 2026
HEY WTF :)
This book is one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This is nail biting action, heart warming yearning, stomach clenching back stabbing and absolute psychological mayhem. This is everything you want in a dystopian book.
In fewer words: dystopian is 👏🏼 so 👏🏼 back 👏🏼!!!!
Edmund Prew is a man who YEARNS, and it’s with so much heart. The romance is gentle, but intense love. There was a mf HAND FLEX, like this is Mr. Darcy level yearning here!
Loredana is the type of FMC that happens to be one of my favorites: curiously smart. She screws up but it always makes sense in the context of the book. She’s fiery, and brave but still humble and loving. I loved her so much.
The atmosphere being a 20’s dystopian was breathtakingly new. It was so refreshing to read something so original!
Literally 10/10, no fucking notes. Perfection. Everyone should read, 6 MF stars!
This book is one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This is nail biting action, heart warming yearning, stomach clenching back stabbing and absolute psychological mayhem. This is everything you want in a dystopian book.
In fewer words: dystopian is 👏🏼 so 👏🏼 back 👏🏼!!!!
Edmund Prew is a man who YEARNS, and it’s with so much heart. The romance is gentle, but intense love. There was a mf HAND FLEX, like this is Mr. Darcy level yearning here!
Loredana is the type of FMC that happens to be one of my favorites: curiously smart. She screws up but it always makes sense in the context of the book. She’s fiery, and brave but still humble and loving. I loved her so much.
The atmosphere being a 20’s dystopian was breathtakingly new. It was so refreshing to read something so original!
Literally 10/10, no fucking notes. Perfection. Everyone should read, 6 MF stars!
Want to Read
June 23, 2026Pre read
Gatsby? 1920? Dystopian?
Gatsby? 1920? Dystopian?
May 18, 2026
♾️⭐️
0🌶️
7🧠
One of the easiest 5⭐️s I’ve ever given !!! One of the most creative and original worlds I’ve ever read with INCREDIBLE world building! The caste hierarchy is a typical tenant of dystopian books, but that’s where the similarities end. From the unique roaring 20s but in the future setting, concept of civil credits, flying cars, death duels, entourages and Aegis’. The impacts of technology, isolating from the rest of the world & so many relevant themes were just masterfully done in the most fresh way.
& DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED on the romance!!!! The most real & raw forbidden friends to lovers romance EVER. Both characters are two of my favorites ever. The relationships, character interactions & found family feels so organic and REAL. I just cannot even express how much I love this. THE FREAKING SEASHELLS !!!!!! If you catch me with a seashell tattoo, mind your business !!!
0🌶️
7🧠
One of the easiest 5⭐️s I’ve ever given !!! One of the most creative and original worlds I’ve ever read with INCREDIBLE world building! The caste hierarchy is a typical tenant of dystopian books, but that’s where the similarities end. From the unique roaring 20s but in the future setting, concept of civil credits, flying cars, death duels, entourages and Aegis’. The impacts of technology, isolating from the rest of the world & so many relevant themes were just masterfully done in the most fresh way.
& DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED on the romance!!!! The most real & raw forbidden friends to lovers romance EVER. Both characters are two of my favorites ever. The relationships, character interactions & found family feels so organic and REAL. I just cannot even express how much I love this. THE FREAKING SEASHELLS !!!!!! If you catch me with a seashell tattoo, mind your business !!!
June 22, 2026
this was ONE of the most unique stories I have read in my entire life & all 700 pages of this were worth it!
May 31, 2026
4.75⭐️ Everyone needs to add this to their TBR immediately!!
This was good. Like, CRAZY good. The plot, dialogue, and world-building were all so original and immersive. I can confidently say it's unlike anything I have read before. Imagine a futuristic 1920s setting infused with The Great Gatsby vibes and old Hollywood glamour. This book gave me so much nostalgia for my pre-teen obsession with dystopian series. While it is more plot-heavy than romance-heavy, Edmund and Loredana had me giggling and kicking my feet every time they were on page together. The social and political commentary subtly woven throughout the narrative was also very interesting to pick apart.
And that ending?! I have SO many questions.
This was good. Like, CRAZY good. The plot, dialogue, and world-building were all so original and immersive. I can confidently say it's unlike anything I have read before. Imagine a futuristic 1920s setting infused with The Great Gatsby vibes and old Hollywood glamour. This book gave me so much nostalgia for my pre-teen obsession with dystopian series. While it is more plot-heavy than romance-heavy, Edmund and Loredana had me giggling and kicking my feet every time they were on page together. The social and political commentary subtly woven throughout the narrative was also very interesting to pick apart.
And that ending?! I have SO many questions.
May 31, 2026
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ & rounding up! A really good, unique time & will absolutely keep going with this series. Let’s get into it!
PLOT
Your blood is your worth, your skill, your status, your everything in public society. Lore has been a politician’s daughter & private citizen until now, sheltered from experiencing the true brutality of this world even while she watches public executions on TV. She’s headed to school where her battleground will now be being a low-class citizen in a world that punishes them — even with death — for the same slights high-class citizens walk away from. She’s got a secret that will make this even harder & put her life in constant danger.
- futuristic romantic dystopian
- societal caste system
- politiiiiiiics
- flapper x Blade Runner sort of vibes
- forbidden romance, slowwwww burn (no spice)
- NA but bordering on YA, I think she’s barely 18 to start
PROS
- UNIQUE. I’ve never read anything like this world-wise. Super clever to combine like, the roaring ‘20s jazz age with dueling & also futuristic tech & then also class warfare à la dystopia. Like it sounds like this could turn into a shit sandwich of conflicting premises super quick but it didn’t at all. It worked.
- & then on top of it being unique it was just really well built. I feel like the minute I had a question in my brain about “wait how would that work” I immediately got it answered.
- The world & history beyond our immediate story sounds interesting af & I am SUPER interested in learning more about this.
- Characters were well developed IMO.
- There were some VERYYYYY swoon-worthy lines/actions from our MMC here. I was loving the romantic development.
- I quite like the politics & the overall enemy being the system. There are of course individual players as antagonists, but the system’s oppression looms so heavily & I tend to enjoy those types of “bad guys”.
- Some real banger highlight-able lines for suuuuure. Really lovely writing throughout. Thoroughly enjoyed!
MIDS
- There’s a character that is an antagonist & I just don’t feel like we really understand their why enough. Like it’s explained but also not. So whenever this character is causing problems I was often trying to figure out the exact reason. Is it as petty as it seems? It can’t be. & we may figure this out in a future book, which is why I’m not putting it into con just yet.
CONS
- There were 2 big plot things that happened toward the end that felt convenient for me.
—- 1 felt like there was no pushback to a thing that there should have been at least *a little*. Even if we got to the exact same reveal, how it played out felt too convenient even if we knew the thing itself was gonna happen.
—- 2 just felt like “given what we know, this is outta nowhere & also seems wildly unlikely.” I think I quite literally said “there’s no fucking way” & not in an “I got bamboozled! Omg yay!” way but in a “this doesn’t make sense based on info provided”. & feels like a way to create a specific relationship dynamic for book 2. I don’t love when that feels obvious to me or that we sort of forced a thing to happen to do it.
Will DEF keep reading as this was super unique & the story rules!
PLOT
Your blood is your worth, your skill, your status, your everything in public society. Lore has been a politician’s daughter & private citizen until now, sheltered from experiencing the true brutality of this world even while she watches public executions on TV. She’s headed to school where her battleground will now be being a low-class citizen in a world that punishes them — even with death — for the same slights high-class citizens walk away from. She’s got a secret that will make this even harder & put her life in constant danger.
- futuristic romantic dystopian
- societal caste system
- politiiiiiiics
- flapper x Blade Runner sort of vibes
- forbidden romance, slowwwww burn (no spice)
- NA but bordering on YA, I think she’s barely 18 to start
PROS
- UNIQUE. I’ve never read anything like this world-wise. Super clever to combine like, the roaring ‘20s jazz age with dueling & also futuristic tech & then also class warfare à la dystopia. Like it sounds like this could turn into a shit sandwich of conflicting premises super quick but it didn’t at all. It worked.
- & then on top of it being unique it was just really well built. I feel like the minute I had a question in my brain about “wait how would that work” I immediately got it answered.
- The world & history beyond our immediate story sounds interesting af & I am SUPER interested in learning more about this.
- Characters were well developed IMO.
- There were some VERYYYYY swoon-worthy lines/actions from our MMC here. I was loving the romantic development.
- I quite like the politics & the overall enemy being the system. There are of course individual players as antagonists, but the system’s oppression looms so heavily & I tend to enjoy those types of “bad guys”.
- Some real banger highlight-able lines for suuuuure. Really lovely writing throughout. Thoroughly enjoyed!
MIDS
- There’s a character that is an antagonist & I just don’t feel like we really understand their why enough. Like it’s explained but also not. So whenever this character is causing problems I was often trying to figure out the exact reason. Is it as petty as it seems? It can’t be. & we may figure this out in a future book, which is why I’m not putting it into con just yet.
CONS
- There were 2 big plot things that happened toward the end that felt convenient for me.
—- 1 felt like there was no pushback to a thing that there should have been at least *a little*. Even if we got to the exact same reveal, how it played out felt too convenient even if we knew the thing itself was gonna happen.
—- 2 just felt like “given what we know, this is outta nowhere & also seems wildly unlikely.” I think I quite literally said “there’s no fucking way” & not in an “I got bamboozled! Omg yay!” way but in a “this doesn’t make sense based on info provided”. & feels like a way to create a specific relationship dynamic for book 2. I don’t love when that feels obvious to me or that we sort of forced a thing to happen to do it.
Will DEF keep reading as this was super unique & the story rules!
May 18, 2026
i feel like i missed something with this one, because of all the amazing reviews.
i love the concept, and it had the potential to be so good. however, to me, it was boring, and the entire plot never elevated. it was dystopian, it had power struggles, a corrupt society, a dangerous academy - and yet, we never saw much of it.
instead, it read like a basic contemporary romance, set in a world that should have been so much more. additionally, the romance didn’t do it for me, and i never connected to it.
and honestly, with all due respect, the ending was not good. the betrayal that wasn’t a betrayal, and conflict that had no reason to be there.
i did finish the book, and for some reason it kept calling to me to read it. i think it was because i kept waiting for something to happen.
i love the concept, and it had the potential to be so good. however, to me, it was boring, and the entire plot never elevated. it was dystopian, it had power struggles, a corrupt society, a dangerous academy - and yet, we never saw much of it.
instead, it read like a basic contemporary romance, set in a world that should have been so much more. additionally, the romance didn’t do it for me, and i never connected to it.
and honestly, with all due respect, the ending was not good. the betrayal that wasn’t a betrayal, and conflict that had no reason to be there.
i did finish the book, and for some reason it kept calling to me to read it. i think it was because i kept waiting for something to happen.
May 13, 2026
➡️ Follow This Link For My Bookstagram!
A SIX ⭐️ GOSH DAMN masterpiece.. I need to gather myself before I write my thoughts but just know this book has consumed me and it’s my new personality.
Releasing May 13, 2026
I am begging you to mark your calendars!
How in the world am I supposed to pick up another book after this one? When I say this story consumed me, I mean I almost read 500 pages in a single day because I physically could not stop.
There’s so much to unpack here, but I’m going to try.
This world gave very strong Great Gatsby vibes. Everyone is expected to be polished, proper, and painfully careful with their words in public. Formal introductions. Perfect posture. Perfect appearances. But behind closed doors, inside their salons and inner circles, people finally speak like real humans. That contrast added so much tension to the story because every interaction felt dangerous.
The story follows Loredana Waldsten, a green low-citizen who already knows exactly what it costs to break the rules after killing a blue high-citizen during a brutal attack years before. Now she’s been stripped of the right to carry weapons, legally forbidden from defending herself, and forced into the elite Grandmaster University where reputations are built on death duels, power, and survival.
From the very beginning, you’re thrown into this massive world where Bloody Sundays exist. Citizens who lose their civil credits are publicly executed, and somehow it’s always the low-citizens paying the price while the high-citizens walk away untouched. There’s also a drug called Bliss woven into the political conflict, and Loredana’s father, a politician fighting to ban it, sparks controversy that puts an even larger target on her back at the university.
Then Edmund Prew enters the story, and EVERYTHING changes.
Edmund comes from one of the powerful high-citizen families, and his family has hated Loredana’s for years. After losing a bet, he’s forced to bring her into his inner circle and protect her, even though being associated with her could destroy him socially. What starts as this strategic alliance slowly turns into something so much deeper, filled with tension, lingering looks, soft touches, and the kind of yearning that actually makes your chest hurt.
What makes their relationship even more dangerous is that Loredana and Edmund are never supposed to be together in the first place. She’s a Green, he’s a Blue, and in their world those lines are not meant to be crossed. Relationships between classes are seen as scandalous, illegal, and a threat to the social order they’ve built everything around. If they’re caught, the consequences aren’t just whispers and ruined reputations. They could literally face the guillotine. So every stolen touch, every secret meeting, and every moment between them feels forbidden in the most terrifying way possible
I’m not kidding when I say I will never look at seashells, mud, or daffodils the same way again. Edmund was written so beautifully it honestly hurt. This man was written by women in the best possible way, and somehow Edith Birde managed to make him feel both impossibly soft and dangerously sharp at the same time. He permanently stamped a piece of this story onto my soul.
The found family in this book was incredible too. The side characters felt real, layered, and deeply important to the story. I adored Dickie and genuinely wish I could be friends with him in real life. And Charlotte… her relationship with Loredana meant so much to me. That scene toward the end absolutely wrecked me once you fully understand what their friendship truly represents.
This book balances worldbuilding, politics, class division, social tension, and brutal survival so well while still delivering a romance that completely CONSUMED me. Every piece worked together perfectly. Every moment between them feels like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Everything felt so poetic and vivid that it played like a movie in my head the entire time I was reading. The descriptions, the tension, the emotions, the dialogue… all of it felt so intentional and immersive. This is not a story you simply read and move on from. This is one that crawls under your skin and stays there long after the final page.
Vibes:
✨ Roaring 20s
🖤 Forbidden love
⚔️ Class divisions
🎓 Elite university setting
🩸 Bloody trials & public executions
👀 Lingering yearning
🔥 Tension-filled romance
🫶 Found family
🎭 Political intrigue
💊 Dangerous drug
📖 Poetic writing
🎬 Feels like a movie in your head
🐚 Symbolism that will ruin you forever
💐 Daffodils that now mean too much
😭 Characters that stay with you
📚 Massive immersive world-building
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley/Booksirens for the eARC!
A SIX ⭐️ GOSH DAMN masterpiece.. I need to gather myself before I write my thoughts but just know this book has consumed me and it’s my new personality.
Releasing May 13, 2026
I am begging you to mark your calendars!
How in the world am I supposed to pick up another book after this one? When I say this story consumed me, I mean I almost read 500 pages in a single day because I physically could not stop.
There’s so much to unpack here, but I’m going to try.
This world gave very strong Great Gatsby vibes. Everyone is expected to be polished, proper, and painfully careful with their words in public. Formal introductions. Perfect posture. Perfect appearances. But behind closed doors, inside their salons and inner circles, people finally speak like real humans. That contrast added so much tension to the story because every interaction felt dangerous.
The story follows Loredana Waldsten, a green low-citizen who already knows exactly what it costs to break the rules after killing a blue high-citizen during a brutal attack years before. Now she’s been stripped of the right to carry weapons, legally forbidden from defending herself, and forced into the elite Grandmaster University where reputations are built on death duels, power, and survival.
From the very beginning, you’re thrown into this massive world where Bloody Sundays exist. Citizens who lose their civil credits are publicly executed, and somehow it’s always the low-citizens paying the price while the high-citizens walk away untouched. There’s also a drug called Bliss woven into the political conflict, and Loredana’s father, a politician fighting to ban it, sparks controversy that puts an even larger target on her back at the university.
Then Edmund Prew enters the story, and EVERYTHING changes.
Edmund comes from one of the powerful high-citizen families, and his family has hated Loredana’s for years. After losing a bet, he’s forced to bring her into his inner circle and protect her, even though being associated with her could destroy him socially. What starts as this strategic alliance slowly turns into something so much deeper, filled with tension, lingering looks, soft touches, and the kind of yearning that actually makes your chest hurt.
What makes their relationship even more dangerous is that Loredana and Edmund are never supposed to be together in the first place. She’s a Green, he’s a Blue, and in their world those lines are not meant to be crossed. Relationships between classes are seen as scandalous, illegal, and a threat to the social order they’ve built everything around. If they’re caught, the consequences aren’t just whispers and ruined reputations. They could literally face the guillotine. So every stolen touch, every secret meeting, and every moment between them feels forbidden in the most terrifying way possible
I’m not kidding when I say I will never look at seashells, mud, or daffodils the same way again. Edmund was written so beautifully it honestly hurt. This man was written by women in the best possible way, and somehow Edith Birde managed to make him feel both impossibly soft and dangerously sharp at the same time. He permanently stamped a piece of this story onto my soul.
The found family in this book was incredible too. The side characters felt real, layered, and deeply important to the story. I adored Dickie and genuinely wish I could be friends with him in real life. And Charlotte… her relationship with Loredana meant so much to me. That scene toward the end absolutely wrecked me once you fully understand what their friendship truly represents.
This book balances worldbuilding, politics, class division, social tension, and brutal survival so well while still delivering a romance that completely CONSUMED me. Every piece worked together perfectly. Every moment between them feels like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Everything felt so poetic and vivid that it played like a movie in my head the entire time I was reading. The descriptions, the tension, the emotions, the dialogue… all of it felt so intentional and immersive. This is not a story you simply read and move on from. This is one that crawls under your skin and stays there long after the final page.
Vibes:
✨ Roaring 20s
🖤 Forbidden love
⚔️ Class divisions
🎓 Elite university setting
🩸 Bloody trials & public executions
👀 Lingering yearning
🔥 Tension-filled romance
🫶 Found family
🎭 Political intrigue
💊 Dangerous drug
📖 Poetic writing
🎬 Feels like a movie in your head
🐚 Symbolism that will ruin you forever
💐 Daffodils that now mean too much
😭 Characters that stay with you
📚 Massive immersive world-building
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley/Booksirens for the eARC!
May 18, 2026
I have such mixed feelings about this book. So much happened but also nothing?
May 28, 2026
Why the MOTHER FUCK would they end the book like that??!!??!????? You’re kidding me….
“Hell, Loredana—you might even be right. Edmund Prew might be a flower in a field of grenades, but guess what? You’re still standing in a fucking minefield.”
Look….a futuristic, sci-fi, dystopian series that also somehow takes place in the roaring 20s, while also being in a cutthroat academy setting (where they fight to the death by fencing duels) primarily about the systemic oppression of society ruled by classism with a to-die-for forbidden romance shouldn’t work. But it does. But it works BEYOND anything I ever expected.
I haven’t been so addicted to a story that I stay up till 6am because I couldn’t put it down in so long. Absolutely so fresh and captivating. Holy god. This world is one you will immediately get lost in. It’s so rich from the technology and hover cars, their little tablets they are all connected to, the robots who help them and serve them in juxtaposition with the flapper outfits, the cigarettes and cigarette holders, calling eachother darling, going tap dancing at da clubbbbb. I could not put this down.
“I knew myself before her. With her, I know myself better. But if there were ever an after her, I’d become a stranger to myself.”
I love all the characters and the banter is soooooo good. The tension is unbearable. Mr. Darcy hand flex unbearable. And it’s going to be even hotter the next book. I expect some good ass character arcs incoming.
Highly recommend not reading the blurb about the book, it has a huge spoiler that isn’t revealed until like 60% in the book! Also if you care, it ends on a huge cliff hanger and there’s currently no release date for the sequel (I suspect this will be getting picked up by a trad publisher which might prolong that too idk!) and there’s no spice but it didn’t need it imo
Also Dickie I hope your pillow is always cold and you get cake for breakfast lunch and dinner every day!!!!!!
“Hell, Loredana—you might even be right. Edmund Prew might be a flower in a field of grenades, but guess what? You’re still standing in a fucking minefield.”
Look….a futuristic, sci-fi, dystopian series that also somehow takes place in the roaring 20s, while also being in a cutthroat academy setting (where they fight to the death by fencing duels) primarily about the systemic oppression of society ruled by classism with a to-die-for forbidden romance shouldn’t work. But it does. But it works BEYOND anything I ever expected.
I haven’t been so addicted to a story that I stay up till 6am because I couldn’t put it down in so long. Absolutely so fresh and captivating. Holy god. This world is one you will immediately get lost in. It’s so rich from the technology and hover cars, their little tablets they are all connected to, the robots who help them and serve them in juxtaposition with the flapper outfits, the cigarettes and cigarette holders, calling eachother darling, going tap dancing at da clubbbbb. I could not put this down.
“I knew myself before her. With her, I know myself better. But if there were ever an after her, I’d become a stranger to myself.”
I love all the characters and the banter is soooooo good. The tension is unbearable. Mr. Darcy hand flex unbearable. And it’s going to be even hotter the next book. I expect some good ass character arcs incoming.
Highly recommend not reading the blurb about the book, it has a huge spoiler that isn’t revealed until like 60% in the book! Also if you care, it ends on a huge cliff hanger and there’s currently no release date for the sequel (I suspect this will be getting picked up by a trad publisher which might prolong that too idk!) and there’s no spice but it didn’t need it imo
Also Dickie I hope your pillow is always cold and you get cake for breakfast lunch and dinner every day!!!!!!
June 20, 2026
I have no words to explain how this book made me feel
edit: i cannot stop thinking about this book, i need the next one immediately 😩
edit: i cannot stop thinking about this book, i need the next one immediately 😩
May 27, 2026
This book was a bit like Pringles. I was excited to read it, enjoyed each chapter but it left a weird aftertaste that only got worse the further along the story I got. Like empty calories, temporarily satisfying until the taste fades and you either need to eat more which only makes it worse, or switch to real nutritious food.
The world building was done well with minimal info dumping and descriptions that made me feel like I was in the world with the characters. That being said, some of the descriptions were far too long for my taste and made me want to skip over them.
The book was just too long for me. Some scenes dragged like crazy, some felt wholly unnecessary and didn’t seem to bring much to the story. The fighting scenes especially, I ended up skipping most of them. Dialogues kept getting interrupted by lengthy internal reflections, so much so that I had to go back and re read the last dialogue line to remember what was going on.
The eugenics aspect isn’t explained enough (unless I missed something?). If everyone is genetically engineered, why not choose to give your baby the best of everything? Why are Greens stronger and Oranges more intelligent?
And why can’t they cross breed if they can literally engineer the genome of each baby?
The last 20% was so chaotic. It felt like the authors had too many ideas of where they wanted the story to go and just decided to try and fit them all in at once?! So much happened but not much of it was properly dealt with/reflected on and wrapped up properly.
The ending (that is the very last plot twist on the last chapter) was super predictable.
Dickie was a bit pointless and such an annoying character. Calling women ‘broad’ just rubbed me the wrong way and made me want to throw my kindle at the wall every time.
The romance just didn’t land for me. The build up to it was so promising, seeing Loredana’s feelings grow for Ed, the yearning, and all the cute little things he did for her had me swooning… But when they finally get together it was a bit weird idk?
Spoilers below
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ed nearly biting a snake’s head off minutes before kissing Loredana, just… why? And they kiss while riding a galloping horse, someone please explain to me how that would work?! Then it just speeds past the beginning of their relationship montage style. That was so so disappointing!
I hate the third act breakup trope so obviously hated that part and it just felt forced purely for shock.
Loredana eating the monkey’s shit… wtf?! That was so unnecessary and gross. Didn’t fit the theme of the book in any way shape or form, and just made me feel sick.
Also I don’t understand why Charlotte decided kissing Ed was the best way to end things with Jack rather than have a conversation with him? That’s like the miscommunication trope but 10 times worse…
The world building was done well with minimal info dumping and descriptions that made me feel like I was in the world with the characters. That being said, some of the descriptions were far too long for my taste and made me want to skip over them.
The book was just too long for me. Some scenes dragged like crazy, some felt wholly unnecessary and didn’t seem to bring much to the story. The fighting scenes especially, I ended up skipping most of them. Dialogues kept getting interrupted by lengthy internal reflections, so much so that I had to go back and re read the last dialogue line to remember what was going on.
The eugenics aspect isn’t explained enough (unless I missed something?). If everyone is genetically engineered, why not choose to give your baby the best of everything? Why are Greens stronger and Oranges more intelligent?
And why can’t they cross breed if they can literally engineer the genome of each baby?
The last 20% was so chaotic. It felt like the authors had too many ideas of where they wanted the story to go and just decided to try and fit them all in at once?! So much happened but not much of it was properly dealt with/reflected on and wrapped up properly.
The ending (that is the very last plot twist on the last chapter) was super predictable.
Dickie was a bit pointless and such an annoying character. Calling women ‘broad’ just rubbed me the wrong way and made me want to throw my kindle at the wall every time.
The romance just didn’t land for me. The build up to it was so promising, seeing Loredana’s feelings grow for Ed, the yearning, and all the cute little things he did for her had me swooning… But when they finally get together it was a bit weird idk?
Spoilers below
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ed nearly biting a snake’s head off minutes before kissing Loredana, just… why? And they kiss while riding a galloping horse, someone please explain to me how that would work?! Then it just speeds past the beginning of their relationship montage style. That was so so disappointing!
I hate the third act breakup trope so obviously hated that part and it just felt forced purely for shock.
Loredana eating the monkey’s shit… wtf?! That was so unnecessary and gross. Didn’t fit the theme of the book in any way shape or form, and just made me feel sick.
Also I don’t understand why Charlotte decided kissing Ed was the best way to end things with Jack rather than have a conversation with him? That’s like the miscommunication trope but 10 times worse…
June 9, 2026
4.5⭐️ Imagine a world where blood isn’t just red, but comes in colors.. and that color decides everything about you: blue, green, orange, purple….
That’s the kind of world this book is set in.
This is one of those stories that makes you read carefully and think about every line. There are so many quotes and hidden meanings throughout the story, especially in the beginning. It feels like the author put so much thought into every word, every conversation, and every detail.
The setting was a big highlight for me. It blends dystopian and sci-fi elements with a 1920s inspired vibe that felt sooo unique… like nothing I’ve read in dystopians in a while. The atmosphere was incredible… I honestly wanted to live in this world (minus the injustices ofc 😉). The advanced technology, hover transportation, genetic enhancements and all those tools that feel like they give people superpowers… they were all so fascinating to read about. The story also dives into political oppression, injustice and long-standing social hierarchies. At times, it was hard not to draw a few parallels.
I won’t lie though, this was quite a slow read for me. At nearly 700 pages, the pacing takes its time. But I think that’s the kind of book it’s meant to be. It’s not a story to rush through… it’s one to savor. The writing is descriptive, the chapters are long, and the worldbuilding unfolds gradually. Also, I occasionally struggled with some of the timeline jumps. But these things do not take away my love for this book.
As for the characters, I really hope we’ll get a few POVs from Edmund in the next book. I’m so curious about what goes on behind that calm, stoic exterior, and I’d love to get a glimpse into his thoughts. And can we talk about Dickie? I absolutely love this side character!! Loved his witty remarks and funny quips and every scene with him was a delight!! He easily became one of my favorite characters.
And the romance?! Ohhh I was living for it!It’s sprinkled throughout the story, especially in the second half… and whenever those scenes came up? The giggles were giggling, the feet were kicking, and I was absolutely unwell.🫠 And the seashells, daffodils, and mud…??? I’ll never look at them the same way again.🐚🌼
But that ending? Absolutely brutal!! Makes me want to beg the author to hand over book 2 like right NOW!!😭
*****
“𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚, 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨. 𝙒𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝.“
“𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝, 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙬. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙩, 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬.”
“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴? 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴?”
“..𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙄’𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.“
That’s the kind of world this book is set in.
This is one of those stories that makes you read carefully and think about every line. There are so many quotes and hidden meanings throughout the story, especially in the beginning. It feels like the author put so much thought into every word, every conversation, and every detail.
The setting was a big highlight for me. It blends dystopian and sci-fi elements with a 1920s inspired vibe that felt sooo unique… like nothing I’ve read in dystopians in a while. The atmosphere was incredible… I honestly wanted to live in this world (minus the injustices ofc 😉). The advanced technology, hover transportation, genetic enhancements and all those tools that feel like they give people superpowers… they were all so fascinating to read about. The story also dives into political oppression, injustice and long-standing social hierarchies. At times, it was hard not to draw a few parallels.
I won’t lie though, this was quite a slow read for me. At nearly 700 pages, the pacing takes its time. But I think that’s the kind of book it’s meant to be. It’s not a story to rush through… it’s one to savor. The writing is descriptive, the chapters are long, and the worldbuilding unfolds gradually. Also, I occasionally struggled with some of the timeline jumps. But these things do not take away my love for this book.
As for the characters, I really hope we’ll get a few POVs from Edmund in the next book. I’m so curious about what goes on behind that calm, stoic exterior, and I’d love to get a glimpse into his thoughts. And can we talk about Dickie? I absolutely love this side character!! Loved his witty remarks and funny quips and every scene with him was a delight!! He easily became one of my favorite characters.
And the romance?! Ohhh I was living for it!It’s sprinkled throughout the story, especially in the second half… and whenever those scenes came up? The giggles were giggling, the feet were kicking, and I was absolutely unwell.🫠 And the seashells, daffodils, and mud…??? I’ll never look at them the same way again.🐚🌼
But that ending? Absolutely brutal!! Makes me want to beg the author to hand over book 2 like right NOW!!😭
*****
“𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚, 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨. 𝙒𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝.“
“𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝, 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙬. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙩, 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬.”
“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴? 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴?”
“..𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙄’𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.“
May 14, 2026
WOW HOLY COW.
Very grateful to the authors for sending me an ARC of this book-I’m so floored on how well executed it all was.
Dystopian, romance, a roaring 20’s vibe, and a splash of academia. Think great Gatsby but with advanced technology and robots that will light your cigarette for you. (And the cigarette doesn’t kill you which is nice). Corrupt political system that segregates its citizens by the color of their blood (green, blue, orange and purple) with a delicious slow burn romance on the side.
The world-building is fantastic, and the pacing and writing style kept me hooked from page one. Well executed twists throughout the book, that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters had depth, not just the main ones but all the side characters too which we LOVE.
Ends on a cliff hanger that will make you scream for book 2. OBSESSED.
Very grateful to the authors for sending me an ARC of this book-I’m so floored on how well executed it all was.
Dystopian, romance, a roaring 20’s vibe, and a splash of academia. Think great Gatsby but with advanced technology and robots that will light your cigarette for you. (And the cigarette doesn’t kill you which is nice). Corrupt political system that segregates its citizens by the color of their blood (green, blue, orange and purple) with a delicious slow burn romance on the side.
The world-building is fantastic, and the pacing and writing style kept me hooked from page one. Well executed twists throughout the book, that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters had depth, not just the main ones but all the side characters too which we LOVE.
Ends on a cliff hanger that will make you scream for book 2. OBSESSED.
June 1, 2026
Potentially book of the year. Fucking AWESOME.
May 14, 2026
Hey so that’s not how it ends, right?? Right??!! I’m unwell.
May 17, 2026
The premise had promise but the writing and execution fell flat. The writing style was juvenile. I wanted to like it but just didn’t.
May 18, 2026
ugh! i was so bored! the fmc was annoying AF. I think 3 is generous. Struggled to finish it - so more like 2.5.
May 17, 2026
This was SO unique! The world building was fascinating where you have this roaring 20s/prohibition era vibe but it’s also a futurist dystopian world?! People are put into tiered classes based on the color of their blood so you have blues, greens, purples, and oranges. Then throw in pinkies who are robots that serve the other colors. The book was super plot driven and i loved the strong friendships and relationships portrayed throughout.
This book was way longer than I thought it’d be, so there were some down moments for me where I wasn’t as invested as other times. It did start off really strong though, and it jumped right into the plot. And even though it was plot driven you also get a forbidden romance that was so cute. Different blood colors cannot be together, so it made for great romance! I wanted more at times though, and wished there was a little more build up before the characters got together.
Overall, this is the kind of dystopian that gets me excited to read! The world was so well thought out and unlike any other dystopian world I’ve read about! The political intrigue and corruption was well written. I’d say a lot of the twists were predictable. But when the plot was going it was hard to put the book down
This book was way longer than I thought it’d be, so there were some down moments for me where I wasn’t as invested as other times. It did start off really strong though, and it jumped right into the plot. And even though it was plot driven you also get a forbidden romance that was so cute. Different blood colors cannot be together, so it made for great romance! I wanted more at times though, and wished there was a little more build up before the characters got together.
Overall, this is the kind of dystopian that gets me excited to read! The world was so well thought out and unlike any other dystopian world I’ve read about! The political intrigue and corruption was well written. I’d say a lot of the twists were predictable. But when the plot was going it was hard to put the book down
May 5, 2026
Wow!! What a dang good read this was.
I absolutely have to start by saying that the atmosphere in this world was incredible. We’ve got a 20s vibe with the outfits, way people talk, and honestly overall vibes. We’ve got futuristic tech, a shield that blocks out outsiders but also is keeping them in, and a dystopian type of world. We’ve got a political system divided by blood color with unique attributes for each color and power imbalances galore. We’ve got executions for those who fall out of line or fall below a point system.
The pacing never slows down and I never knew what was coming next. Jealous partners, alliances, mysteries everywhere, constant revelations, and duels to the death. The ending was just yet another shock that has me dying for more of this book/series.
Don’t even get me STARTED about the romance, okay?? This was the sweetest, kicking-feet romance I’ve read in a long time and I’m not one to quote books but you bet your bottom I will be adding quotes to this review as soon as this is published because AHHH!
Hiiiiiiiighly recommend this for anyone who loves dystopian, romantasy, plot twists/secrets, and a slow burn romance.
~I received this eARC free from NetGalley. Thank you to Edith Birde for the early copy! My opinions are my own and voluntarily given~
I absolutely have to start by saying that the atmosphere in this world was incredible. We’ve got a 20s vibe with the outfits, way people talk, and honestly overall vibes. We’ve got futuristic tech, a shield that blocks out outsiders but also is keeping them in, and a dystopian type of world. We’ve got a political system divided by blood color with unique attributes for each color and power imbalances galore. We’ve got executions for those who fall out of line or fall below a point system.
The pacing never slows down and I never knew what was coming next. Jealous partners, alliances, mysteries everywhere, constant revelations, and duels to the death. The ending was just yet another shock that has me dying for more of this book/series.
Don’t even get me STARTED about the romance, okay?? This was the sweetest, kicking-feet romance I’ve read in a long time and I’m not one to quote books but you bet your bottom I will be adding quotes to this review as soon as this is published because AHHH!
Hiiiiiiiighly recommend this for anyone who loves dystopian, romantasy, plot twists/secrets, and a slow burn romance.
~I received this eARC free from NetGalley. Thank you to Edith Birde for the early copy! My opinions are my own and voluntarily given~
May 23, 2026
I thought this was pretty good until I felt like I’d been reading it for 5 years. This felt like the longest book ever and nothing was happening. I don’t regret the time I spent on it because it was a good idea but I didn’t finish it. I don’t even know how much I had left because I kept thinking it was over and then another chapter would start. This one needs a good editor.
June 12, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Because I Killed Him COMPLETELY took me by surprised and has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year. The story kept me hooked from the very first page, and I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading.
And the fact that this is a DEBUT NOVEL co-written by two sisters?! That is insanely impressive! The writing felt incredibly polished and the pacing was perfection. There was never a dull moment!
If you love dystopian romance and you’re looking for a book that will completely consume your thoughts while you’re reading it, add this one to your TBR immediately.
6 stars and possibly my favorite dystopian romance OF ALL TIME!!✨
Because I Killed Him COMPLETELY took me by surprised and has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year. The story kept me hooked from the very first page, and I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading.
And the fact that this is a DEBUT NOVEL co-written by two sisters?! That is insanely impressive! The writing felt incredibly polished and the pacing was perfection. There was never a dull moment!
If you love dystopian romance and you’re looking for a book that will completely consume your thoughts while you’re reading it, add this one to your TBR immediately.
6 stars and possibly my favorite dystopian romance OF ALL TIME!!✨
June 21, 2026
Well.. that was a ride!
My oh my.. And not afraid of pain and gore.. I devoured it.
My oh my.. And not afraid of pain and gore.. I devoured it.
Read
May 27, 2026im in shock right now
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