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Of Plots and Tropes
Eighteen-year-old Em Smith has spent her life preparing to become the Main Character in a fantasy novel written by one of the Great Authors.
Except, when her big break comes, it's a disaster of clichés. She's declared a "Chosen One" by an ancient elf prophecy and sent out on a mediocre questline to overthrow a dark lord in a tower–– with two hot guys, an impish sidekick, and an old wizard mentor in tow, of course. Caught in love-triangles, heir trials, and every trope possible, it feels like her story aligns with every plotline she swore off.
Worse, if she doesn’t complete her designated prophecy, it will kill her. Determined to rewrite her destiny before this book ruins her reputation, Em sets out to hunt down the author dictating her life before losing her last shot at true main-character glory.
OF PLOTS AND TROPES is an New Adult Comedic Fantasy about self-discovery, adventure, and every fantasy trope a reader could hope for.
Except, when her big break comes, it's a disaster of clichés. She's declared a "Chosen One" by an ancient elf prophecy and sent out on a mediocre questline to overthrow a dark lord in a tower–– with two hot guys, an impish sidekick, and an old wizard mentor in tow, of course. Caught in love-triangles, heir trials, and every trope possible, it feels like her story aligns with every plotline she swore off.
Worse, if she doesn’t complete her designated prophecy, it will kill her. Determined to rewrite her destiny before this book ruins her reputation, Em sets out to hunt down the author dictating her life before losing her last shot at true main-character glory.
OF PLOTS AND TROPES is an New Adult Comedic Fantasy about self-discovery, adventure, and every fantasy trope a reader could hope for.
507 pages, ebook
Published May 12, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 13, 2026
Of Plots and Tropes is the kind of book that feels like a chaotic love letter to every fantasy trope you’ve ever rolled your eyes at… while simultaneously making you adore them anyway. Stephanie Sawyer delivers a wildly self-aware, meta-fictional adventure that somehow balances satire, emotional depth, absurd humor, and genuine character growth all at once.
At its core, this story asks a deceptively simple question: what happens when the “Chosen One” refuses the script? And Em Smith? She absolutely refuses. Watching her fight against the rigid structure of her own narrative was both hilarious and strangely emotional because underneath all the jokes about prophecies, rogue companions, and suspiciously convenient plot devices is a very real exploration of identity and autonomy.
Em was easily my favorite part of the book. She’s sarcastic, stubborn, deeply aware of every trope trying to consume her life, and completely exhausted by the idea that her destiny boils down to “girl with green eyes saves the world.” Her constant attempts to derail the narrative created some of the funniest moments in the story, but they also gave the book surprising emotional weight. You can feel her desperation to become more than a cliché.
And honestly? The worldbuilding here is genius in the most unhinged way possible.
The Sanderson’s School for Main Characters, the Main Character’s Guidebook, the Revision Rehabilitation Center every piece of the world feels like a clever jab at genre fiction while still functioning as part of an actual engaging fantasy adventure. The humor is sharp, but it never feels mean-spirited. Instead, it feels like the author genuinely loves fantasy tropes enough to dissect them.
At its core, this story asks a deceptively simple question: what happens when the “Chosen One” refuses the script? And Em Smith? She absolutely refuses. Watching her fight against the rigid structure of her own narrative was both hilarious and strangely emotional because underneath all the jokes about prophecies, rogue companions, and suspiciously convenient plot devices is a very real exploration of identity and autonomy.
Em was easily my favorite part of the book. She’s sarcastic, stubborn, deeply aware of every trope trying to consume her life, and completely exhausted by the idea that her destiny boils down to “girl with green eyes saves the world.” Her constant attempts to derail the narrative created some of the funniest moments in the story, but they also gave the book surprising emotional weight. You can feel her desperation to become more than a cliché.
And honestly? The worldbuilding here is genius in the most unhinged way possible.
The Sanderson’s School for Main Characters, the Main Character’s Guidebook, the Revision Rehabilitation Center every piece of the world feels like a clever jab at genre fiction while still functioning as part of an actual engaging fantasy adventure. The humor is sharp, but it never feels mean-spirited. Instead, it feels like the author genuinely loves fantasy tropes enough to dissect them.
May 13, 2026
This book is basically what happens when a fantasy heroine becomes self-aware enough to realize she’s trapped inside every trope she hates… and honestly?? It’s hilarious 👀📚✨
Chosen One prophecy?
Hot love interests?
Dark lord in a tower?
Ancient wizard mentor??
Yeah, this book takes every classic fantasy trope and runs absolutely wild with them in the BEST way.
Em was such a fun main character because she’s not blindly accepting her role in the story—she’s actively judging it the entire time 😂
Watching her react to all the ridiculous fantasy clichés while still being forced to survive them made this incredibly entertaining from start to finish.
And honestly??
The humor in this book REALLY worked for me.
It’s self-aware without feeling overdone, and the way it pokes fun at fantasy tropes still somehow manages to feel affectionate toward the genre at the same time.
But underneath all the comedy, there’s actually a really interesting emotional core about identity, expectations, and trying to take control of your own story instead of letting someone else write it for you.
The pacing stays fast and chaotic in the best way, and the cast adds so much personality to the adventure. Every time another trope appeared, I was genuinely excited to see how Em was going to react to it.
✨ If you love: • self-aware fantasy humor
• trope-heavy adventures
• chaotic “main character syndrome” energy
• parody mixed with genuine heart
• fantasy quests with comedic twists
This one is clever, chaotic, and ridiculously fun—I had such a good time reading it 📖✨
Chosen One prophecy?
Hot love interests?
Dark lord in a tower?
Ancient wizard mentor??
Yeah, this book takes every classic fantasy trope and runs absolutely wild with them in the BEST way.
Em was such a fun main character because she’s not blindly accepting her role in the story—she’s actively judging it the entire time 😂
Watching her react to all the ridiculous fantasy clichés while still being forced to survive them made this incredibly entertaining from start to finish.
And honestly??
The humor in this book REALLY worked for me.
It’s self-aware without feeling overdone, and the way it pokes fun at fantasy tropes still somehow manages to feel affectionate toward the genre at the same time.
But underneath all the comedy, there’s actually a really interesting emotional core about identity, expectations, and trying to take control of your own story instead of letting someone else write it for you.
The pacing stays fast and chaotic in the best way, and the cast adds so much personality to the adventure. Every time another trope appeared, I was genuinely excited to see how Em was going to react to it.
✨ If you love: • self-aware fantasy humor
• trope-heavy adventures
• chaotic “main character syndrome” energy
• parody mixed with genuine heart
• fantasy quests with comedic twists
This one is clever, chaotic, and ridiculously fun—I had such a good time reading it 📖✨
May 12, 2026
I received an arc from Twisted Chaos and this was amazing!
If you love books that completely dismantle genre tropes and embrace absolute chaos, this one delivers. It reads like a fever dream D&D campaign mixed with satire, parody, and a surprisingly heartfelt meta-commentary on storytelling itself. Half the fun is never fully knowing where the plot is going — or even what genre it’s pretending to be at any given moment.
The worldbuilding was easily the standout for me. I loved all the Easter eggs and references to other fantasy stories and authors, and the way the book pokes fun at classic tropes without feeling mean-spirited. The sentient pen and anti-AI themes were especially clever and added a layer I wasn’t expecting.
I also appreciated that the story doesn’t force itself into becoming a romance just because it’s marketed with a love triangle. The relationships stay playful and self-aware, which honestly fit the tone of the book much better than a serious romance subplot would have.
Definitely not your standard fantasy/ story — but if you enjoy unpredictable plots, trope deconstruction, absurd humor, and books that don’t take themselves too seriously, this is absolutely worth the ride.
If you love books that completely dismantle genre tropes and embrace absolute chaos, this one delivers. It reads like a fever dream D&D campaign mixed with satire, parody, and a surprisingly heartfelt meta-commentary on storytelling itself. Half the fun is never fully knowing where the plot is going — or even what genre it’s pretending to be at any given moment.
The worldbuilding was easily the standout for me. I loved all the Easter eggs and references to other fantasy stories and authors, and the way the book pokes fun at classic tropes without feeling mean-spirited. The sentient pen and anti-AI themes were especially clever and added a layer I wasn’t expecting.
I also appreciated that the story doesn’t force itself into becoming a romance just because it’s marketed with a love triangle. The relationships stay playful and self-aware, which honestly fit the tone of the book much better than a serious romance subplot would have.
Definitely not your standard fantasy/ story — but if you enjoy unpredictable plots, trope deconstruction, absurd humor, and books that don’t take themselves too seriously, this is absolutely worth the ride.
May 13, 2026
Of Plots and Tropes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love romantasy but need a break from needing to save the world from a major catastrophe, this has to be your next read.
This book is hilarious. It’s irreverent and sassy, the main character just DGAF that she’s supposed to follow all of the tropes in her first big story. Nope, she’s going to do everything in her power to do the opposite of what’s expected.
I LOVED the fourth wall breaks with the author. It was so well done and I loved the little inserts.
I loved the Easter eggs to popular authors hidden throughout. There is a lot of gratuitous swearing that felt unnecessary, but overall it was a very fun read.
Thank you so much to Stephanie Sawyer and Twisted Chaos PA for gifting me an arc to read early.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love romantasy but need a break from needing to save the world from a major catastrophe, this has to be your next read.
This book is hilarious. It’s irreverent and sassy, the main character just DGAF that she’s supposed to follow all of the tropes in her first big story. Nope, she’s going to do everything in her power to do the opposite of what’s expected.
I LOVED the fourth wall breaks with the author. It was so well done and I loved the little inserts.
I loved the Easter eggs to popular authors hidden throughout. There is a lot of gratuitous swearing that felt unnecessary, but overall it was a very fun read.
Thank you so much to Stephanie Sawyer and Twisted Chaos PA for gifting me an arc to read early.
May 12, 2026
This book is WILD. Pure chaos.
It’s not what you think it is… in fact most of the time you can’t even tell *what it is* while you’re reading it.
This isn’t the typical “help I’m sucked into a book” or “I died and woke up in a fantasy world” book. This is part parody/satire and part like reading a DND campaign. It doesn’t take itself very seriously the entire time except for one chapter right in the dead middle that explains the entire situation that gets very vulnerable.
The world is the most interesting part and the references to other popular books/authors were fun Easter eggs throughout. I enjoyed the twists or jokes about stereotypical tropes. There’s more references and jokes than I could keep up with. Also kudos to the anti-AI sub themes with the sentient pen.
Some of the characters annoyed me after a while though (Polo especially) and the FMC Em swears like a sailor most of the time. (Although weirdly enough she’s the only one who does … the others all have middle-school slang). The middle drags a bit and the ending is a bit of a trainwreck to me since it wraps up too nicely after so many pages of chaos.
This is NOT a romance fyi. The advertised love triangle never takes itself seriously or evolves past being a joke. There’s only kissing and yearning and innuendos/sexual references. It’s somewhere between YA for content and adult for violence/blood/language.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up for originality
It’s not what you think it is… in fact most of the time you can’t even tell *what it is* while you’re reading it.
This isn’t the typical “help I’m sucked into a book” or “I died and woke up in a fantasy world” book. This is part parody/satire and part like reading a DND campaign. It doesn’t take itself very seriously the entire time except for one chapter right in the dead middle that explains the entire situation that gets very vulnerable.
The world is the most interesting part and the references to other popular books/authors were fun Easter eggs throughout. I enjoyed the twists or jokes about stereotypical tropes. There’s more references and jokes than I could keep up with. Also kudos to the anti-AI sub themes with the sentient pen.
Some of the characters annoyed me after a while though (Polo especially) and the FMC Em swears like a sailor most of the time. (Although weirdly enough she’s the only one who does … the others all have middle-school slang). The middle drags a bit and the ending is a bit of a trainwreck to me since it wraps up too nicely after so many pages of chaos.
This is NOT a romance fyi. The advertised love triangle never takes itself seriously or evolves past being a joke. There’s only kissing and yearning and innuendos/sexual references. It’s somewhere between YA for content and adult for violence/blood/language.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up for originality
Review of advance copy received from Author
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started this book which I received as an ARC Reader for Stephanie Sawyer.
The book has a really unique concept of breaking the fourth wall between character, author and reader and Stephanie even writes herself into the story which makes the book unique to other books I have read before.
This book is not a spicy, smutty book so if that the kind of book you want this one is not for you, but if you want a comical book that looks at all the typical plots and tropes you would find in a typical 'Romantasy' book, look no further this one is for you.
This book was very comical and I was laughing throughout because of the interactions with characters and some of the quotes were just pure comedy gold, Stephanie definitely knows how to have a laugh with her readers.
I will also add that I feel that this book has a deeper meaning than just being comical it follows an 18 year old female, Em, as she starts her journey of becoming the main character of her first novel and the issues and problems she faces along the way.
Her character arc is incredible, I began with loving her, then feeling sorry for her, then hating her for the way she treated others and then finally forgiving her, you need to read the book to experience this yourself.
You can tell that Stephanie was influenced by a lot of fantasy writes and her husband's love of D&D (she mentions him in the book, I also love D&D, Chase you have good taste), especially with the names of specific areas and the hints at tabletop RPG games, for example there is Mercer Village (clearly DND related about Critical Role), Meyer's realm (Twilight) and the Veil of Maas (ACOTAR) as well as many others.
If you want a good fantasy book that follows a character as they grow and have a better understanding of their life and others, this one is definitely for you. It isn't a romance book persay but I would say that author and character are learning to love themselves to throughout the pages so it's a book of self love and self growth with a fantasy theme.
Of Plots and Tropes has been one of my most favourite books to read so far this year.
The book has a really unique concept of breaking the fourth wall between character, author and reader and Stephanie even writes herself into the story which makes the book unique to other books I have read before.
This book is not a spicy, smutty book so if that the kind of book you want this one is not for you, but if you want a comical book that looks at all the typical plots and tropes you would find in a typical 'Romantasy' book, look no further this one is for you.
This book was very comical and I was laughing throughout because of the interactions with characters and some of the quotes were just pure comedy gold, Stephanie definitely knows how to have a laugh with her readers.
I will also add that I feel that this book has a deeper meaning than just being comical it follows an 18 year old female, Em, as she starts her journey of becoming the main character of her first novel and the issues and problems she faces along the way.
Her character arc is incredible, I began with loving her, then feeling sorry for her, then hating her for the way she treated others and then finally forgiving her, you need to read the book to experience this yourself.
You can tell that Stephanie was influenced by a lot of fantasy writes and her husband's love of D&D (she mentions him in the book, I also love D&D, Chase you have good taste), especially with the names of specific areas and the hints at tabletop RPG games, for example there is Mercer Village (clearly DND related about Critical Role), Meyer's realm (Twilight) and the Veil of Maas (ACOTAR) as well as many others.
If you want a good fantasy book that follows a character as they grow and have a better understanding of their life and others, this one is definitely for you. It isn't a romance book persay but I would say that author and character are learning to love themselves to throughout the pages so it's a book of self love and self growth with a fantasy theme.
Of Plots and Tropes has been one of my most favourite books to read so far this year.
Review of advance copy
Someone who got ARC read this book, and man, was it a trip.
This book was pure and utter chaos. It has its own parody running throughout it, but I was along for the ride the whole time. When I first got to learn of this book, I just knew I had to read it. I'm sure glad I did.
It was amazing to see all these little nods to various other works and the authors behind them. Knowing most of the nods. Now, I didn't know every single nod that was referenced in this wonderful masterpiece, but I knew most of them. From Yarros Arena (Rebecca Yarros, The Empyrean series), Veil of Maas (Sarah J. Maas, ACOTAR), Mercer Village (Matt Mercer, Critical Roll), and Tolk Land (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings), to name a few of the wonderful references in this book.
The book takes place in the world of Novella. The book features every possible trope and cliche you could think of, while making light of them. Em Smith, the main character-- chosen one, wants a plot line of originality, but her Great Author has other plans.
I found myself cackling at some of the references and just the twists and turns that Em goes through. Chaos is honestly the perfect word to describe this book.
I love the breaking of the fourth wall, and the way this book is set up through its world-building that features layers of layers that reference all of Novella (the world that we know as fiction).
This is not just some romantasy or even some isseki type work. It is such a creative and original spin that it literally has a life of its own.
I truly loved this book, and am glad to have been able to read it as an ARC.
This book was pure and utter chaos. It has its own parody running throughout it, but I was along for the ride the whole time. When I first got to learn of this book, I just knew I had to read it. I'm sure glad I did.
It was amazing to see all these little nods to various other works and the authors behind them. Knowing most of the nods. Now, I didn't know every single nod that was referenced in this wonderful masterpiece, but I knew most of them. From Yarros Arena (Rebecca Yarros, The Empyrean series), Veil of Maas (Sarah J. Maas, ACOTAR), Mercer Village (Matt Mercer, Critical Roll), and Tolk Land (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings), to name a few of the wonderful references in this book.
The book takes place in the world of Novella. The book features every possible trope and cliche you could think of, while making light of them. Em Smith, the main character-- chosen one, wants a plot line of originality, but her Great Author has other plans.
I found myself cackling at some of the references and just the twists and turns that Em goes through. Chaos is honestly the perfect word to describe this book.
I love the breaking of the fourth wall, and the way this book is set up through its world-building that features layers of layers that reference all of Novella (the world that we know as fiction).
This is not just some romantasy or even some isseki type work. It is such a creative and original spin that it literally has a life of its own.
I truly loved this book, and am glad to have been able to read it as an ARC.
May 23, 2026
When I saw the description for this book, I knew I had to read it. A main character wants to take charge of her own story and gets into odds with her author, with fourth wall breaks and all? SIGN ME UP.
And boy oh boy, was I right. This book was just downright delightful, light-hearted, and a must-read for folks who love fantasy/romantasy. Stephanie Sawyer does an amazing job at equally picking on the tropes of these genres while simultaneously celebrating them and honoring many fantasy and nerdy fan favorites with sprinkled Easter eggs throughout the prose. Her merry band of secondary characters joins her main character Em Smith on Em’s debut adventure and provide the backdrop of loyalty and friendship as Em works to decipher what it truly means to be an original. One of my favorite characters reminded me a bit of “Clippy” - the OG AI annoyance - and truly helps bring the story to another level. Sawyer’s ending was absolutely perfect for her main character, and it lends itself to a potential series of books ahead (that I would eagerly read every single one).
If you’re a fan of fantasy books and love a good parody or satire - get your hands on “Of Plots and Tropes”. You won’t regret it.
And boy oh boy, was I right. This book was just downright delightful, light-hearted, and a must-read for folks who love fantasy/romantasy. Stephanie Sawyer does an amazing job at equally picking on the tropes of these genres while simultaneously celebrating them and honoring many fantasy and nerdy fan favorites with sprinkled Easter eggs throughout the prose. Her merry band of secondary characters joins her main character Em Smith on Em’s debut adventure and provide the backdrop of loyalty and friendship as Em works to decipher what it truly means to be an original. One of my favorite characters reminded me a bit of “Clippy” - the OG AI annoyance - and truly helps bring the story to another level. Sawyer’s ending was absolutely perfect for her main character, and it lends itself to a potential series of books ahead (that I would eagerly read every single one).
If you’re a fan of fantasy books and love a good parody or satire - get your hands on “Of Plots and Tropes”. You won’t regret it.
May 15, 2026
This book was honestly a wild ride; there was so much going on and yet it was all so thoroughly entertaining. The premise of the book is quite unique honestly, comprising of every cliche ever and turning it into one of the most interesting plotlines I've read in awhile. The little commentary that Stephanie sprinkled in was honestly hilarious, and the self doubt made me want to reach out and tell her how amazing this book is.
Em's character was amazingly annoying, where I know why she is the way she is but at the same time I want to strangle her and knock some sense into her. Roden, Gair, Sasha and Polo all play the parts of side characters wonderfully, and Em's character development was definitely worth waiting for. Plus the mentions of all these wonderful authors within the universe was soo much fun!!
Overall a wonderful read and thank you to the author for trusting me with an early copy of the book. Absolutely loved it and a must read for everyone needing something lighthearted yet adventurous.
Em's character was amazingly annoying, where I know why she is the way she is but at the same time I want to strangle her and knock some sense into her. Roden, Gair, Sasha and Polo all play the parts of side characters wonderfully, and Em's character development was definitely worth waiting for. Plus the mentions of all these wonderful authors within the universe was soo much fun!!
Overall a wonderful read and thank you to the author for trusting me with an early copy of the book. Absolutely loved it and a must read for everyone needing something lighthearted yet adventurous.
May 20, 2026
If you like movies like deadpool, the lego movie, or any other 4th wall breaking then this book is for you. This book is chaos in the best way possible. Our FMC, Em desperately wants to be a wholly original character and hates all of the typical plots & tropes. Well too bad for her, she's getting them all. The amount of time she flips off or swears at her great author is hilarious, I'm envisioning it is how it feels in real life when as an author is writing a story and then the characters take the plot a totally different way than the original outline. This is a seriously unserious book that is hugely fun. I did get frustrated with Em a bit because of her incessant need to be so original she rebelled against everything... oh carp I'm just realizing I did this in high school... Changing this back to 5 stars after that introspection. A side note while this is not a romance with the spice (kissing & yearning are all that happens), there is violence, gore, and language (basically all from Em), keep in mind for the YA readers personally I can't wait to share with my 12 year old.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book is... a lot. The FMC Em, is a main character in the world of Novella, eagerly waiting for her first story to begin. She is obsessed with finding originality and avoiding tropes and cliches at all costs.
I struggled with this book, practically since about 40% through. Em is a thoroughly unlikeable FMC. The side characters are bland, and perhaps that's intentional. The book, in and of itself, is meant to be a parody of several other popular books (many references to other popular authors are throughout).
I ended up DNFing this at 76% because I could not stand Em anymore. Her sheer stubbornness, her refusal to engage with any part of the story, the absolutely pure chaos of the plot... I understand this is intentional. But, ultimately, I was so frustrated with Em that my desire to see how it ends can't overcome my dislike for her.
I struggled with this book, practically since about 40% through. Em is a thoroughly unlikeable FMC. The side characters are bland, and perhaps that's intentional. The book, in and of itself, is meant to be a parody of several other popular books (many references to other popular authors are throughout).
I ended up DNFing this at 76% because I could not stand Em anymore. Her sheer stubbornness, her refusal to engage with any part of the story, the absolutely pure chaos of the plot... I understand this is intentional. But, ultimately, I was so frustrated with Em that my desire to see how it ends can't overcome my dislike for her.
May 19, 2026
This book had so much going on that I don’t even know where to start. It was chaos and fun and I really enjoyed the premise. It was so refreshing to read a story that’s so self-aware. It didn’t shy away from poking fun at itself. And I absolutely loved that. Em is a character you wouldn’t expect to have in a book. She absolutely refuses to submit to the script she is given. Having her fight against the plot was so entertaining to read. But it also had an underlying element of finding one’s identity. This book wasn’t just entertainment and hilarious moments. But it went deeper than that. All in all this book got me invested and kept me there until the end. And I felt like it was a great ending.
May 25, 2026
As much as we like to boo and complain about tropes, tropes exist for a reason and a book like this has been long overdue. Its probably not going to be earth shattering to most readers but there's not a lot of books like this, a book in a book out there. It is a fun ride all the same though and I appreciate the novelty and how self aware the characters are. Right now I believe this book is a stand alone but it certainly has options for sequels of either the main character, spin-offs for secondary characters etc. You can tell that the author had passion and enthusiasm and knew what she wanted for this book. I look forward to seeing what else she will come up with in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I've heard authors say that their characters do what they want, but this is another level. The author has managed to create something wholly new and original with this tropey fantasy and it's absolutely worth a read. This is an instant favorite.
The references to other authors was so much fun and never once felt forced, each one kept me laughing.
I haven't had this much fun with a book since I finished the last Dungeon Crawler Carl. Em is chaos incarnate without really trying.
4.5 ⭐ (minus .5 for referencing JKR. Trans rights are human rights!)
The references to other authors was so much fun and never once felt forced, each one kept me laughing.
I haven't had this much fun with a book since I finished the last Dungeon Crawler Carl. Em is chaos incarnate without really trying.
4.5 ⭐ (minus .5 for referencing JKR. Trans rights are human rights!)
May 18, 2026
This is about as original as you can get when it comes to writing a story. And I absolutely loved it. The fact that Em has waited for so long to have this amazing study and be the best character ever, only to discovers gets tossed into a wildly obscene trope fest of the worst ones possible, had her fighting tooth and nail. The way she was so determined to change the narrative had me laughing. I honestly had a really great time with this story, but Em had gotten to the one she was just overkill and it took away from the effect the story for me. But other than that, I thought it was great.,
May 19, 2026
5 Stars
This book was such a fun ride! It is so different than what I normally read and I loved it. I loved that it took all the things we read in our books and mashed them up but kept it fast paced, fun, and engaging in a storyline that you didn't want to put down! The chaos that is of Plots and Tropes is what makes it pure gold. The easter eggs of popular books and culture mentions mixed with the originality that Stephanie gave us was such a breath of fresh air!
This book was such a fun ride! It is so different than what I normally read and I loved it. I loved that it took all the things we read in our books and mashed them up but kept it fast paced, fun, and engaging in a storyline that you didn't want to put down! The chaos that is of Plots and Tropes is what makes it pure gold. The easter eggs of popular books and culture mentions mixed with the originality that Stephanie gave us was such a breath of fresh air!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this. I liked that the story was written to follow Em but also have the "Great Author" as an outside force who randomly talks. It's not your typical story where you don't know who the narrator is. Instead you do know who it is and you're just along for the ride.
May 16, 2026
I appreciated the unique premise. Stephanie builds a world that breaks down and revolves around the fundamental components an author uses when creating a generic romantasy storyline. Em, our MC, has been waiting for her debut story where she is the main character but finds the arrival full of cliches and quickly tries to sabotage it any way possible. Overall I enjoyed this book but found myself struggling with the pace at times.
May 16, 2026
Honestly this book wasn’t at all what I thought it’ll be. I walked in thinking it’ll be a cute little historical fantasy book and walked away thinking this is the most chaotic DND romance I’ve ever witnessed.
May 18, 2026
Hilarious! As a former Romantasy only reader, seeing the callbacks and parodies to popular books in that genre was super fun. I just think overall this was so creative, unique and such a risk, but it paid off. Kudos to the author. I look forward to seeing what else their brain comes up with.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'd give it four stars since the FMC is annoying at times but she made me do this ;)
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