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From Ash to Oath
Arina De Luca was born into privilege as the daughter of Shadowborne’s Alpha—until the night her world collapsed. Overnight, the pack that once adored her turned cruel, and the girl who had been raised like royalty became a ghost in her own home. With her eighteenth birthday approaching—and something inside her growing restless—Arina makes the only choice left to her.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
First published January 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 14, 2026
Overall I thought the premise was good and enjoyed Arina and Xander’s chemistry. I did feel at times the story felt rushed or like maybe there should have been more to explain things.
April 11, 2026
Arina De Luca was born into privilege as the daughter of Shadowborne’s Alpha—until the night her world collapsed.
Overnight, the pack that once adored her turned cruel, and the girl who had been raised like royalty became a ghost in her own home. With her eighteenth birthday approaching—and something inside her growing restless—Arina makes the only choice left to her.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that may not be suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.
Tropes: Paranormal, Young Adult, Witches, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Magic, Fated Mates, OW Drama, Found Family & Friends, Betrayal, Surprise Reveal, Tragedy, Romance, Cliffhanger
From Ash to Oath by L.J. Galiano.
Wow, most authors take their time in jumping into the drama, they give us a slow burn, that’s not what L.J. Galiano does, L.J. just jumps straight into the drama, skips straight over the slow burn, refuses to give us useless paragraphs full of fillers. L.J. just gives us pure drama, action, and excitement. This is the first book of hers that I’ve read and I have to say that I loved all the layers, the different elements she put into this story and I found that there was no hope for me and I couldn’t help but find myself invested in this story and the characters.
Arina De Luca, was born that daughter of the Alpha of the Shadowborne Pack and as such she was born into privilege. But, overnight Arina finds that the pack that had once upon a time adored her has turned on her and is cruel towards her. And the girl who was raised like a princess is suddenly a ghost in her own pack. Now Arina’s 18th birthday is approaching – and suddenly something within her grows restless – and Arina makes the only choice that makes sense to her.
Arina runs – she just doesn’t know where she’s going.
Xander LeBlanc The Lycan King lives far from the Shadowborne’s territory, and Xander has spent years refusing to bend or believe destiny itself. Xander finds he is unable to trust anyone, he’s refused to take a mate, and his rule has been one with his heart encased in steel and iron. But the moment Arina, completely broken and terrified suddenly appears on his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t understand yet, Xander finds the world he’s carefully guarded fracturing.
And what’s more, both Arina and Xander can feel something stirring between them. And it’s something that neither of them is ready for.
Slowly, as Arina heals, she tries to work to uncover the truth about the life that she lost and left behind in the Shadowborne Pack. Xander finds that he’s being drawn into this mystery that’s far darker than he could have ever imagined, and it’s a mystery that’s tied to the Shadowborne Pack, to Arina…and it’s a threat that’s powerful enough to shake the entire his kingdom and beyond.
Arina has been the hidden princess and now she’s about to find out exactly who she really is. I have to say that the scenes with all the Phoenix’s was absolutely fantastic – this scene just gave me goosebumps!
Xander, the King was the King who had long ago decided that he didn’t want a love story like the one his parents had. Eleni, was this conniving and deceitful woman who was fueled by this need for nothing but pure power.
L.J. did a phenomenal job with the world-building in this book. The world is rich, full and feels so authentic and real. It’s vivid and lush and you feel like you are actually walking through the world with the characters.
The characters themselves are well fleshed-out, they are so fully developed and yet they still have so much room for growth through this first book and you know that they can still grow and develop even more in the next books that are yet to come. I found myself laughing and crying right along side the characters through each page of this book.
I loved how you could really see the found family & friends trope come through fully with the found pack family Arina finds and the way they all have to find a way to come together, find the strength and courage to really bond and work together and fight for one another and the future they all want.
But, they can all see and feel that there’s a storm coming, and you can tell that it’s not going to be a small one. This is a storm that is going to test the bonds of family and friends and it’s going to test all their strength and resolve.
I knew from the very beginning that this book was going to end up ending on a cliffhanger. I just hope and pray that the 2nd book comes out soon, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
If you love shifters, fated mates, hidden identities, strong intelligent FMCs, stubborn MMCs then this is the book that you’ve been searching for. I highly recommend it and I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Overnight, the pack that once adored her turned cruel, and the girl who had been raised like royalty became a ghost in her own home. With her eighteenth birthday approaching—and something inside her growing restless—Arina makes the only choice left to her.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that may not be suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.
Tropes: Paranormal, Young Adult, Witches, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Magic, Fated Mates, OW Drama, Found Family & Friends, Betrayal, Surprise Reveal, Tragedy, Romance, Cliffhanger
From Ash to Oath by L.J. Galiano.
Wow, most authors take their time in jumping into the drama, they give us a slow burn, that’s not what L.J. Galiano does, L.J. just jumps straight into the drama, skips straight over the slow burn, refuses to give us useless paragraphs full of fillers. L.J. just gives us pure drama, action, and excitement. This is the first book of hers that I’ve read and I have to say that I loved all the layers, the different elements she put into this story and I found that there was no hope for me and I couldn’t help but find myself invested in this story and the characters.
Arina De Luca, was born that daughter of the Alpha of the Shadowborne Pack and as such she was born into privilege. But, overnight Arina finds that the pack that had once upon a time adored her has turned on her and is cruel towards her. And the girl who was raised like a princess is suddenly a ghost in her own pack. Now Arina’s 18th birthday is approaching – and suddenly something within her grows restless – and Arina makes the only choice that makes sense to her.
Arina runs – she just doesn’t know where she’s going.
Xander LeBlanc The Lycan King lives far from the Shadowborne’s territory, and Xander has spent years refusing to bend or believe destiny itself. Xander finds he is unable to trust anyone, he’s refused to take a mate, and his rule has been one with his heart encased in steel and iron. But the moment Arina, completely broken and terrified suddenly appears on his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t understand yet, Xander finds the world he’s carefully guarded fracturing.
And what’s more, both Arina and Xander can feel something stirring between them. And it’s something that neither of them is ready for.
Slowly, as Arina heals, she tries to work to uncover the truth about the life that she lost and left behind in the Shadowborne Pack. Xander finds that he’s being drawn into this mystery that’s far darker than he could have ever imagined, and it’s a mystery that’s tied to the Shadowborne Pack, to Arina…and it’s a threat that’s powerful enough to shake the entire his kingdom and beyond.
Arina has been the hidden princess and now she’s about to find out exactly who she really is. I have to say that the scenes with all the Phoenix’s was absolutely fantastic – this scene just gave me goosebumps!
Xander, the King was the King who had long ago decided that he didn’t want a love story like the one his parents had. Eleni, was this conniving and deceitful woman who was fueled by this need for nothing but pure power.
L.J. did a phenomenal job with the world-building in this book. The world is rich, full and feels so authentic and real. It’s vivid and lush and you feel like you are actually walking through the world with the characters.
The characters themselves are well fleshed-out, they are so fully developed and yet they still have so much room for growth through this first book and you know that they can still grow and develop even more in the next books that are yet to come. I found myself laughing and crying right along side the characters through each page of this book.
I loved how you could really see the found family & friends trope come through fully with the found pack family Arina finds and the way they all have to find a way to come together, find the strength and courage to really bond and work together and fight for one another and the future they all want.
But, they can all see and feel that there’s a storm coming, and you can tell that it’s not going to be a small one. This is a storm that is going to test the bonds of family and friends and it’s going to test all their strength and resolve.
I knew from the very beginning that this book was going to end up ending on a cliffhanger. I just hope and pray that the 2nd book comes out soon, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
If you love shifters, fated mates, hidden identities, strong intelligent FMCs, stubborn MMCs then this is the book that you’ve been searching for. I highly recommend it and I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
March 18, 2026
I love how LJ jumps right into the drama. No slow burn, useless filled paragraphs.. just straight to the drama and excitement. Every book of hers that I’ve read has been even better than the first. There’s so many layers and different elements to her stories that you can’t help but be invested in.
Arina, the hidden princess is about to find out who she really is. (The scene with all the phoenix’s was fantastic - I got goosebumps!!) Xander, the King who never wanted a perilous love story like his parents. Eleni, a conniving and deceitful woman fueled by the need for power.
I just knew this book was going to end a cliffhanger 😭 please tell me the 2nd one will be coming soon!?
Arina, the hidden princess is about to find out who she really is. (The scene with all the phoenix’s was fantastic - I got goosebumps!!) Xander, the King who never wanted a perilous love story like his parents. Eleni, a conniving and deceitful woman fueled by the need for power.
I just knew this book was going to end a cliffhanger 😭 please tell me the 2nd one will be coming soon!?
April 6, 2026
My word! I devoured this book from start to finish! The world building and characters were so vivid! I laughed with them, and I cried with them.
The FMC, Arina, is alone. She feels lost, unloved, and unwanted. Little does she know her whole world is about to change.
Enter Xander, the MMC. He is the ruthless, hard Lycan King who rules steadfast and alone until Arina turns his world upside down.
Together and with the found pack family they must find the strength to work together to fight for each other and their future. Oh but there's a storm coming, and that ending means it's going to be a big one. I can't wait for book 2 to see where the storm takes us!
The FMC, Arina, is alone. She feels lost, unloved, and unwanted. Little does she know her whole world is about to change.
Enter Xander, the MMC. He is the ruthless, hard Lycan King who rules steadfast and alone until Arina turns his world upside down.
Together and with the found pack family they must find the strength to work together to fight for each other and their future. Oh but there's a storm coming, and that ending means it's going to be a big one. I can't wait for book 2 to see where the storm takes us!
April 2, 2026
From Ash to Oath offers a dark story, with wolves, magic, and endless drama that throws you straight into chaos from the very first chapter. The FMC Arina's journey is so deep; she's been through intense trauma all while trying to figure out who and what she is. Not only that, but she is navigating a newfound connection with Xander, the Lycan King. I love how immersive the world-building is and how it has twist after twist. I was so invested, and of course, we were left with a cruel cliffhanger. The last lines of the last chapter have me eager for what's next.
April 9, 2026
Very interesting Fated Mates story about King Xander, of the North, and Princess Arina. Arina has to escape to the North to get away from a mother that became abusive after her father dies. Her father told her to go North if she was ever in danger. Once, she reaches King Xander, he immediately knows that she is his fated mate, but her feelings of the bond are a bit diminished because her wolf has been confined due to her ill health and abuse.
If you like the following this book is for you:
💕Fated Mates
😈OW drama
🥰Found Family and Friends
🗡️Betrayal
☠️Surprise reveal
If you like the following this book is for you:
💕Fated Mates
😈OW drama
🥰Found Family and Friends
🗡️Betrayal
☠️Surprise reveal
March 30, 2026
I read this in less than 24 hours, completely devoured it. This dark romance weaves in wolves, a gripping storyline, and a fast, engaging pace that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
What makes it even more powerful is that it’s inspired by real-life experiences. There’s a deeper meaning behind the story, and I truly hope it finds the readers who need it most and offers them a sense of strength or healing.
What makes it even more powerful is that it’s inspired by real-life experiences. There’s a deeper meaning behind the story, and I truly hope it finds the readers who need it most and offers them a sense of strength or healing.
March 23, 2026
From Ash To Oath is book one of the Broken Oaths Series.
We really get to delve into this supernatural world. Arina discovers a lot about her past and who she truly is. Of course, just as we really get into more secrets and mysteries unveiled, we get a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Now I am eagerly awaiting the next book of the series to see where else we are going to go with Arina.
We really get to delve into this supernatural world. Arina discovers a lot about her past and who she truly is. Of course, just as we really get into more secrets and mysteries unveiled, we get a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Now I am eagerly awaiting the next book of the series to see where else we are going to go with Arina.
March 26, 2026
This was a very interesting book. Arina has suffered almost insurmountable terror, yet strives to overcome fear of rejection by the male who swears to protect her - Xander, Lycan King. Arina is searching for answers for secrets kept from her about her destiny.
* Shifters * Magic * Tragedy * Romance * Cliffhanger *
* Shifters * Magic * Tragedy * Romance * Cliffhanger *
April 6, 2026
ARC FOR HONEST REVIEW;
THIS BOOK!!! I just need to point out that I’m totally upset about the cliffhanger and not having book 2 ready and waiting for me lol!
The world building was beautiful and vivid. There’s so much detail and a whole lot to uncover and the drama!? Hellllllllooooo! Absolutely loved it all! I was on my toes during the whole book!
THIS BOOK!!! I just need to point out that I’m totally upset about the cliffhanger and not having book 2 ready and waiting for me lol!
The world building was beautiful and vivid. There’s so much detail and a whole lot to uncover and the drama!? Hellllllllooooo! Absolutely loved it all! I was on my toes during the whole book!
April 9, 2026
this was such a great story with Arina and Xander. thus world building was amazing. the description was so well done. and I loved the depth of the story. this was dark but filled with magic and twists and turns that kept me totally intrigued. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.
April 12, 2026
Arina is an omega who endures hardships with her mother, who hides her existence from their pack. Xander is the Lycan king who uncovers the secret and swears to protect her. As the story progresses, Arina is on a journey to find out her true destiny, often met with even more questions and a tangled mystery. There is a cliffhanger but that excites me for book 2.
March 22, 2026
Original story, I liked the new elements for the fantastic world of the Lycans. I can't wait for the plot to develop to know the whole truth about Arina's life and hope that the relationship between her and Xander develops and she finds inner peace.
April 8, 2026
I was very excited for this book and enjoyed the beginning, but as it went on I just felt that it lacked the depth and substance for the that Arina went through. Even though Xander handled the situation beautifully, I was bored with a lot of it and probably won't read the next book.
April 25, 2026
From Ash to Oath
I read this as part of an April book club and I'm glad I joined. What starts with Arina feeling broken and hopeless, continues on to build and shape her into something more. The last chapter concludes the first part of her story well, even being a cliffhanger.
I read this as part of an April book club and I'm glad I joined. What starts with Arina feeling broken and hopeless, continues on to build and shape her into something more. The last chapter concludes the first part of her story well, even being a cliffhanger.
April 18, 2026
From Ash to Oath by L.J. Galiano leans into messy, morally gray characters who feel real in all the best ways. The main chracters are driven by loyalty, survival, and promises they may not be able to keep...and watching those motivations clash is where the story really shines.
The tension builds slowly but hits hard, especially as trust starts to fracture and alliances shift. No one feels entirely safe, and that edge kept me hooked.
Dark, character-driven, and quietly intense, this one lingers.
The tension builds slowly but hits hard, especially as trust starts to fracture and alliances shift. No one feels entirely safe, and that edge kept me hooked.
Dark, character-driven, and quietly intense, this one lingers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews