What do you think?
Rate this book
To Drown Among The Stars
Not yet published
Expected 20 Jun 26In an unprecedented turn of events, Bastion emerges from his Trial of Knighthood a failure.
Certain the gods have abandoned him, he travels down the coast on a leave of absence, looking for solitude. Instead, he walks into trouble in the wake of a series of pirate attacks on seaside villages, where he meets Ulla, a deaf dragon-kin healer with secrets of her own.
Despite their initial, disastrous meeting, they’re drawn together by their mutual loneliness. Then, they discover the attacks aren’t random - they’re coordinated. The pirates are planning a large-scale attack on Moonwatch, the kingdom’s naval base, with the intent of stealing an ancient secret.
Together, Bastion and Ulla race to Moonwatch only to learn the commander has been drawn away by the attacks. Unable to deny his duty or his very nature, Bastion takes command of their diminished forces in the face of a pirate fleet armed with a mysterious weapon.
When Ulla is wounded, the world comes crashing down on Bastion and he must reveal his darkest secret to save her, even though it may mean losing her, after all.
This is a prequel that can be read as a standalone. It's an action/adventure, slow-burn romantasy featuring knights, pirates and semi-aquatic dragon people. It will appeal to fans of The Legend of Zelda, Tamora Pierce's Tortall books and Sabriel.
Certain the gods have abandoned him, he travels down the coast on a leave of absence, looking for solitude. Instead, he walks into trouble in the wake of a series of pirate attacks on seaside villages, where he meets Ulla, a deaf dragon-kin healer with secrets of her own.
Despite their initial, disastrous meeting, they’re drawn together by their mutual loneliness. Then, they discover the attacks aren’t random - they’re coordinated. The pirates are planning a large-scale attack on Moonwatch, the kingdom’s naval base, with the intent of stealing an ancient secret.
Together, Bastion and Ulla race to Moonwatch only to learn the commander has been drawn away by the attacks. Unable to deny his duty or his very nature, Bastion takes command of their diminished forces in the face of a pirate fleet armed with a mysterious weapon.
When Ulla is wounded, the world comes crashing down on Bastion and he must reveal his darkest secret to save her, even though it may mean losing her, after all.
This is a prequel that can be read as a standalone. It's an action/adventure, slow-burn romantasy featuring knights, pirates and semi-aquatic dragon people. It will appeal to fans of The Legend of Zelda, Tamora Pierce's Tortall books and Sabriel.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 20, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
![Profile Image for Jamey [Longhollow.Lore].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1751370206i/7284478._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
May 15, 2026
3.5 ⭐️’s feedback to follow
May 14, 2026
ARC READ 🩵✨
A million thank you’s to the author and publisher for letting me have the opportunity to read this book ahead of release.
3.7 Stars ⭐️ For this being the prequel (thanks for dropping that tidbit in the discord), I am pleasantly impressed! I usually steer clear of books that are like “omg this is like this other piece of media!!!” But this actually does a pretty good job at differentiating itself from Zelda. You only really get aspects of the story if you’re played the game and you recognize some of the same themes.
What I think stood out to me the most about this book is that we have a deaf main character. Throughout the story, we learn to communicate with her and how her voice plays a role in the decisions being made, even if she doesn’t actually speak. I thought it was a really unique experience and gave some nodes to the fact that link in the game doesn’t speak (I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but I loved it). Thank you to the author for writing out the signs as well. I think that was a nice touch.
All-in-all, I think this was a great and short read!! I loved the action scenes in this and the overall plot/characters. I think one thing I would love to see more is an expanded world building, which I’m sure we will get in the rest of the series.
I recommend this for anyone needing a lighter story read or just loves Zelda!! The romantic subplot in this is adorable and will leave you kicking your feet wanting more. 🩵
A million thank you’s to the author and publisher for letting me have the opportunity to read this book ahead of release.
3.7 Stars ⭐️ For this being the prequel (thanks for dropping that tidbit in the discord), I am pleasantly impressed! I usually steer clear of books that are like “omg this is like this other piece of media!!!” But this actually does a pretty good job at differentiating itself from Zelda. You only really get aspects of the story if you’re played the game and you recognize some of the same themes.
What I think stood out to me the most about this book is that we have a deaf main character. Throughout the story, we learn to communicate with her and how her voice plays a role in the decisions being made, even if she doesn’t actually speak. I thought it was a really unique experience and gave some nodes to the fact that link in the game doesn’t speak (I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but I loved it). Thank you to the author for writing out the signs as well. I think that was a nice touch.
All-in-all, I think this was a great and short read!! I loved the action scenes in this and the overall plot/characters. I think one thing I would love to see more is an expanded world building, which I’m sure we will get in the rest of the series.
I recommend this for anyone needing a lighter story read or just loves Zelda!! The romantic subplot in this is adorable and will leave you kicking your feet wanting more. 🩵
May 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!
3.5✨
It’s probably my own fault, but I wish I knew this was a prequel to a series that hasn’t been written before I started. Now knowing that and finishing, it does make sense. It’s a short read with good back bones to the set up of whatever the future series will entail. It did move quickly, not letting you really connect to characters or get full explanations but again, it was a short prequel where maybe more will be answered in the future.
The writing was easy to follow for the most part and it was strange but refreshing to be reading from the MMCs perspective the entire book.
Am I intrigued enough to pick up the series when it exists? Maybe - I’ll have to wait and see.
3.5✨
It’s probably my own fault, but I wish I knew this was a prequel to a series that hasn’t been written before I started. Now knowing that and finishing, it does make sense. It’s a short read with good back bones to the set up of whatever the future series will entail. It did move quickly, not letting you really connect to characters or get full explanations but again, it was a short prequel where maybe more will be answered in the future.
The writing was easy to follow for the most part and it was strange but refreshing to be reading from the MMCs perspective the entire book.
Am I intrigued enough to pick up the series when it exists? Maybe - I’ll have to wait and see.
May 11, 2026
I received an eARC directly from the author and this is my honest review.
- single POV
- deaf rep
- green flag MMC
- fated mates
- pirates
- no spice
Overall, this was a three star read for me. Below I will explain why I had mixed feelings about this book.
First, the single POV of this book was the MMC's, which was unique! Books in this genre that are from a single POV are almost always from the MFC's POV. Therefore, it was nice to have a change up in the approach.
Generally, the MMC was a more mature and green flag MMC. He was thoughtful, kind, and understood the impact of his behavior on other people. For example, he made a few mistakes towards the MFC. He reflected and realized he was discriminating against MFC due to the fact that she was deaf. He then made an intentional choice to change his behavior and not to define her by her deafness. He also apologized when he made mistakes, he owned his behavior. I really loved all of this.
The MMC was also a very prideful man and his pride/ego was wounded. He failed his trial to be a knight and, therefore, became this self-deprecating man. This self-deprecation caused him to make huge mistakes and emotionally hurt the MFC. He was then challenged by many people in his life, causing him to grow quite substantially. He again owned his behavior and became a better person.
This little information given about the MFC showed that she was also an incredibly mature woman. She did not see failure as a flaw and challenged the MFC to get over it. She was kind, healed others, and stood up for herself, often and towards anyone.
The book was moderate to fast paced the whole time. There were several battle scenes that were action packed. There was a found family that already existed and a new one that developed quickly, all of which I enjoyed. There were also several twists and turns, some were predictable tropes in the genre and I expected them, but some were surprises. I liked the hybrid of being surprised while also guessing things correctly. Lastly, I appreciated the diversity represented in this book, from different species falling in love to the MFC being deaf and fighting society to not define her by this.
Why three stars and not more?
While I get that this book was shorter (under 300 pages), it lacked any world building. I was confused at times about where the characters were, who were the gods, what was happening, etc. This book would have been much better if some time, not a lot, had been dedicated to showing us more about the world.
Second, at 35% into the book, I really knew nothing about the MFC, even though she was a main character. By the end of the book, I still felt this way. This book had very little dedicated time to who the MFC was and the MC's interacting to establish and develop their relationship. This book, unfortunately, was a great example of when a fated bond does not explain why these two love each other. Yes, there was one small moment where the MMC shared that he was attracted to the MFC beyond her looks and then described the characteristics he loved about her, but that was it. These two fought battles together and saved each other because they had a connection (the bond), but that was really it.... We were just told they loved each other. There were almost no moments between them that created a relationship. Because of this and the book being from the MMC's POV, I really knew nothing about the MFC. I was bummed about this.
Additionally, I was confused by MFC's behavior. For example, during one part of the book, the MFC saved the MMC, left her own people for him, rescued a child with him, but then eyed him suspiciously AND showed him her fangs when he wanted to take the child on a horse with him? What? She just did all of this for and with him... he saved the child. Yet, she is acting like this? Since there was no explanation about her thoughts and feelings, I didn’t understand her behavior. I genuinely did not know her by the end.
Lastly, since this was a short book I was confused on why so many pages were retelling the details of the events that happened earlier in the book. For example, the MMC survived many battles, which we were shown. Then, later, there are pages about the MMC telling his friend, and then AGAIN later to the king, about the battles. We already know what happened, why are we being told again and again? This happened a few times. I did not get why so many pages were retelling us what happened when there were so many details missing from the book. I wished the author had one sentence stating, "and I told her everything that happened the last few weeks." The author could have saved us time from rereading the same information AND opened up space to spend more time giving us more depth about the characters and world. Also, because this book was so short, we JUST read those battle scenes, we did not need them repeated. If this were a 700 page book and the battle happened at page 50 and we are now on page 650, fine, a reminder maybe was warranted, but the whole book being less than 300 pages to be shown/told the same two battles...
- single POV
- deaf rep
- green flag MMC
- fated mates
- pirates
- no spice
Overall, this was a three star read for me. Below I will explain why I had mixed feelings about this book.
First, the single POV of this book was the MMC's, which was unique! Books in this genre that are from a single POV are almost always from the MFC's POV. Therefore, it was nice to have a change up in the approach.
Generally, the MMC was a more mature and green flag MMC. He was thoughtful, kind, and understood the impact of his behavior on other people. For example, he made a few mistakes towards the MFC. He reflected and realized he was discriminating against MFC due to the fact that she was deaf. He then made an intentional choice to change his behavior and not to define her by her deafness. He also apologized when he made mistakes, he owned his behavior. I really loved all of this.
The MMC was also a very prideful man and his pride/ego was wounded. He failed his trial to be a knight and, therefore, became this self-deprecating man. This self-deprecation caused him to make huge mistakes and emotionally hurt the MFC. He was then challenged by many people in his life, causing him to grow quite substantially. He again owned his behavior and became a better person.
This little information given about the MFC showed that she was also an incredibly mature woman. She did not see failure as a flaw and challenged the MFC to get over it. She was kind, healed others, and stood up for herself, often and towards anyone.
The book was moderate to fast paced the whole time. There were several battle scenes that were action packed. There was a found family that already existed and a new one that developed quickly, all of which I enjoyed. There were also several twists and turns, some were predictable tropes in the genre and I expected them, but some were surprises. I liked the hybrid of being surprised while also guessing things correctly. Lastly, I appreciated the diversity represented in this book, from different species falling in love to the MFC being deaf and fighting society to not define her by this.
Why three stars and not more?
While I get that this book was shorter (under 300 pages), it lacked any world building. I was confused at times about where the characters were, who were the gods, what was happening, etc. This book would have been much better if some time, not a lot, had been dedicated to showing us more about the world.
Second, at 35% into the book, I really knew nothing about the MFC, even though she was a main character. By the end of the book, I still felt this way. This book had very little dedicated time to who the MFC was and the MC's interacting to establish and develop their relationship. This book, unfortunately, was a great example of when a fated bond does not explain why these two love each other. Yes, there was one small moment where the MMC shared that he was attracted to the MFC beyond her looks and then described the characteristics he loved about her, but that was it. These two fought battles together and saved each other because they had a connection (the bond), but that was really it.... We were just told they loved each other. There were almost no moments between them that created a relationship. Because of this and the book being from the MMC's POV, I really knew nothing about the MFC. I was bummed about this.
Additionally, I was confused by MFC's behavior. For example, during one part of the book, the MFC saved the MMC, left her own people for him, rescued a child with him, but then eyed him suspiciously AND showed him her fangs when he wanted to take the child on a horse with him? What? She just did all of this for and with him... he saved the child. Yet, she is acting like this? Since there was no explanation about her thoughts and feelings, I didn’t understand her behavior. I genuinely did not know her by the end.
Lastly, since this was a short book I was confused on why so many pages were retelling the details of the events that happened earlier in the book. For example, the MMC survived many battles, which we were shown. Then, later, there are pages about the MMC telling his friend, and then AGAIN later to the king, about the battles. We already know what happened, why are we being told again and again? This happened a few times. I did not get why so many pages were retelling us what happened when there were so many details missing from the book. I wished the author had one sentence stating, "and I told her everything that happened the last few weeks." The author could have saved us time from rereading the same information AND opened up space to spend more time giving us more depth about the characters and world. Also, because this book was so short, we JUST read those battle scenes, we did not need them repeated. If this were a 700 page book and the battle happened at page 50 and we are now on page 650, fine, a reminder maybe was warranted, but the whole book being less than 300 pages to be shown/told the same two battles...
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a debut!!? And what a wonderful debut it is!!
When I read it I kept thinking it could easely be a Disney movie or something! Can you imagine a deaf FMC and an orphan knight working together to find out what the pirates are up to!? I most certainly can!!!
POV is from the MMC point of view!
In the Kingdom of Etruria knights has a trial of knighthood to receive their "Godmark" to show that they're worthy of being knighted. Bastion, our MMC, feels that he failed his trial due to not receiving a mark from any of the gods.
This is where I first could feel the shift in him from thinking the Gods watch over me and everyone, helping us along the way. To him feeling lost, that the Gods has no interest in him and that he is a failure. I don't personally believe in anything but I still could feel his sadness over it on page. His anxiety and selfloathing is very much present in his thoughts and his decitions.
When he takes a break to be by himself and process, is when the story really starts!
He meets Ulla (FMC) who's an Yvri healer (one of the dragon kind) in a village that had suffered a pirate attack. The confusion he has in the beginning and feeling a type of way before he finds out that she's deaf is a pretty normal human reaction and his nerves after that makes him fumble and put his foot in his mouth is kind of funny.
As I'm deaf in one ear I can still hear, though I misunderstand, hear wrong and when there's many people I look at lips to help simultaneously while I'm listening. When people don't know why, I can feel them withdrawing and being imberassed about it.
Ulla is very reserved, a loner if you will, and I could tell she was very used to being by herself and not communicating to anyone. She signs but only one other person knows it to talk to her too. I understand her though and her reasons. So when she can see him hesitating and having pre conceived notions about her for being deaf, I understand her reactions well.
When they are captured, on the way to warn about the attacks, they get thrown into a quest of their own. They have to figure out what the pirates are doing, what their agenda is and they're forced to trust eacother and work together to save the kingdom and protecting it's ancient secret. Along the way they meet Haddrick, a human healer and his son Rowan and I love them!!
Oh and, aaand!! There's a horse called Finn who's also the largest horse. His race, the Thatians, has a bad reputation. Both Finn and Bastion learns to trust eacother, though Bastion could've gotten there sooner!
In the end where Bastion has to deside wether or not to save Ulla and reveal his secret, there still was a bit of do I trust you vibe. I get that they have a connection and all but still after everything there are still signs of mistrust. Also se don't get much background information on either of them, less so on Ulla. I wanted a bit more of that to connect with them on a deeper level. I connected to her by her deafness but other than that I had bearly anything to go on and same goes for Bastion.
When it's a standalone it could easely had been longer to get some of that in there without it being too long! So that's what's making me go from 5 to 4 stars.
A quote that resonated with me and recognised myself and my husband in, was this:
"Time is an illusion that less decisive men lean on to justify not taking action. When souls recognize each other, time does not matter”
⚔️ Knights
⚔️ Semi-aquatic dragon people
⚔️ Deaf rep
⚔️ Zelda inspired
⚔️ Aragorn coded
⚔️ Anxiety rep
Thank you for the gifted book, from both the author and from netgalley! I leave this review voluntary.
When I read it I kept thinking it could easely be a Disney movie or something! Can you imagine a deaf FMC and an orphan knight working together to find out what the pirates are up to!? I most certainly can!!!
POV is from the MMC point of view!
In the Kingdom of Etruria knights has a trial of knighthood to receive their "Godmark" to show that they're worthy of being knighted. Bastion, our MMC, feels that he failed his trial due to not receiving a mark from any of the gods.
This is where I first could feel the shift in him from thinking the Gods watch over me and everyone, helping us along the way. To him feeling lost, that the Gods has no interest in him and that he is a failure. I don't personally believe in anything but I still could feel his sadness over it on page. His anxiety and selfloathing is very much present in his thoughts and his decitions.
When he takes a break to be by himself and process, is when the story really starts!
He meets Ulla (FMC) who's an Yvri healer (one of the dragon kind) in a village that had suffered a pirate attack. The confusion he has in the beginning and feeling a type of way before he finds out that she's deaf is a pretty normal human reaction and his nerves after that makes him fumble and put his foot in his mouth is kind of funny.
As I'm deaf in one ear I can still hear, though I misunderstand, hear wrong and when there's many people I look at lips to help simultaneously while I'm listening. When people don't know why, I can feel them withdrawing and being imberassed about it.
Ulla is very reserved, a loner if you will, and I could tell she was very used to being by herself and not communicating to anyone. She signs but only one other person knows it to talk to her too. I understand her though and her reasons. So when she can see him hesitating and having pre conceived notions about her for being deaf, I understand her reactions well.
When they are captured, on the way to warn about the attacks, they get thrown into a quest of their own. They have to figure out what the pirates are doing, what their agenda is and they're forced to trust eacother and work together to save the kingdom and protecting it's ancient secret. Along the way they meet Haddrick, a human healer and his son Rowan and I love them!!
Oh and, aaand!! There's a horse called Finn who's also the largest horse. His race, the Thatians, has a bad reputation. Both Finn and Bastion learns to trust eacother, though Bastion could've gotten there sooner!
In the end where Bastion has to deside wether or not to save Ulla and reveal his secret, there still was a bit of do I trust you vibe. I get that they have a connection and all but still after everything there are still signs of mistrust. Also se don't get much background information on either of them, less so on Ulla. I wanted a bit more of that to connect with them on a deeper level. I connected to her by her deafness but other than that I had bearly anything to go on and same goes for Bastion.
When it's a standalone it could easely had been longer to get some of that in there without it being too long! So that's what's making me go from 5 to 4 stars.
A quote that resonated with me and recognised myself and my husband in, was this:
"Time is an illusion that less decisive men lean on to justify not taking action. When souls recognize each other, time does not matter”
⚔️ Knights
⚔️ Semi-aquatic dragon people
⚔️ Deaf rep
⚔️ Zelda inspired
⚔️ Aragorn coded
⚔️ Anxiety rep
Thank you for the gifted book, from both the author and from netgalley! I leave this review voluntary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you for the arc L.K. Frost.
There was a lot to love about this short and cute romantasy:
- Unique Male POV (It was refreshing to get the male's thoughts in this genre when it's a sea of female centered perspectives only)
-Deaf fmc representation (I wish we would get more in romantasy).
-Pirates, dragon merfolk, knights oh my. Yes please, give me all the fantasy creatures and occupations. I loved the variety, it made the world feel full and magical.
-Cinnamon roll mc and feral fmc
-Good actions scenes
The reasons why I'm giving this unique novel 3 stars is because:
-Romance felt a little weak, we were told how strong their bond was and not actually shown enough how much they loved each other. They barely talked, I know she is deaf, but I was hoping they would talk more through the journal and get to know more intimate details about each other. They never talked about their pasts, dreams, or wants for the future. I felt like they barely knew each other. I was hoping he would learn sign language by the end of the book, and he never seemed to try really hard to learn except ask her what three words meant. Like I get their souls know each other (occasional telepathy wasn't enough), but I need actions to back that up.
-The gods and what being god marked means was never explained. I still don't really understand if he was God marked or not, or did he really fail the test. If he was meant to fail it by the gods, why? How did it benefit them and why would the gods care so much that they ended up together? I have so many questions and maybe this will be explained in other books, but I think some more info could have been revealed to understand what was happening with the gods.
-The novel could have really benefitted by being longer so more back lore could be explained, and more meaningful actions could occur between the main characters to make their relationship stronger. They were very cute and I really adored the idea of their relationship but give me more, romantic, cute, and tension filled moments.
-I wanted to know more about the fmc, I felt like I hardly knew her. A dragon water creature who wanted to heal people and forge her own path from her pod was so intriguing, but we never got to really know anything about her. Her character design was so cool, but we didn't know much about her besides being a healer, that she was deaf, and fierce in battle. Please tell me more either through dual pov or them figuring how to communicate better through writing or sign language.
-I think we spent a little too much time on how depressed and worthless he felt about failing the trial. He was so stuck in his head about it, that he couldn't listen to how the fmc felt. It just got a little frustrating when she told him she didn't care about his failures and just wanted to be with him; he just couldn't accept their bond fully until the 98 percent point. I think waiting to the last two pages was just too long for such a pivotal moment.
The world was intriguing and the author has a very nice writing voice, but for me the world and main relationship wasn't expanded on enough. Curious to see if she writes anymore in their world though.
There was a lot to love about this short and cute romantasy:
- Unique Male POV (It was refreshing to get the male's thoughts in this genre when it's a sea of female centered perspectives only)
-Deaf fmc representation (I wish we would get more in romantasy).
-Pirates, dragon merfolk, knights oh my. Yes please, give me all the fantasy creatures and occupations. I loved the variety, it made the world feel full and magical.
-Cinnamon roll mc and feral fmc
-Good actions scenes
The reasons why I'm giving this unique novel 3 stars is because:
-Romance felt a little weak, we were told how strong their bond was and not actually shown enough how much they loved each other. They barely talked, I know she is deaf, but I was hoping they would talk more through the journal and get to know more intimate details about each other. They never talked about their pasts, dreams, or wants for the future. I felt like they barely knew each other. I was hoping he would learn sign language by the end of the book, and he never seemed to try really hard to learn except ask her what three words meant. Like I get their souls know each other (occasional telepathy wasn't enough), but I need actions to back that up.
-The gods and what being god marked means was never explained. I still don't really understand if he was God marked or not, or did he really fail the test. If he was meant to fail it by the gods, why? How did it benefit them and why would the gods care so much that they ended up together? I have so many questions and maybe this will be explained in other books, but I think some more info could have been revealed to understand what was happening with the gods.
-The novel could have really benefitted by being longer so more back lore could be explained, and more meaningful actions could occur between the main characters to make their relationship stronger. They were very cute and I really adored the idea of their relationship but give me more, romantic, cute, and tension filled moments.
-I wanted to know more about the fmc, I felt like I hardly knew her. A dragon water creature who wanted to heal people and forge her own path from her pod was so intriguing, but we never got to really know anything about her. Her character design was so cool, but we didn't know much about her besides being a healer, that she was deaf, and fierce in battle. Please tell me more either through dual pov or them figuring how to communicate better through writing or sign language.
-I think we spent a little too much time on how depressed and worthless he felt about failing the trial. He was so stuck in his head about it, that he couldn't listen to how the fmc felt. It just got a little frustrating when she told him she didn't care about his failures and just wanted to be with him; he just couldn't accept their bond fully until the 98 percent point. I think waiting to the last two pages was just too long for such a pivotal moment.
The world was intriguing and the author has a very nice writing voice, but for me the world and main relationship wasn't expanded on enough. Curious to see if she writes anymore in their world though.
Review of advance copy
This book was received as an ARC, super happy to be involved!
Pros:
- Green flag MMC
- Disability rep
- Zelda references, iykyk
- A fast pace, it's go-go-go
Cons:
- Plot is plotting straight out the gate
- World needs a bit more definition
- Not a slow-burn romance
- Not enough on the FMC
I enjoyed this book overall, it was a fun/vibes read for me. I did find out afterwards that it's a prequel to a series to be written (or is in progress?) in the future. Knowing that made me re-think the story and characters, but didn't take away from the enjoyment.
I'd say the first thing is the story is incredibly fast-paced, from maybe the first 3-4 chapters it's literally all go. This took a bit of getting used to, as I normally like a bit more world-building and slow pacing in the beginning, but once I got into the actual bulk of the story it felt a bit more moderately paced. Still quick though!
It's written from the perspective of the MMC, a walking green-flag, which was a nice change of pace. The MMC taking accountability for mistakes, realising when he'd said or did something wrong, and then course corrected all felt very human - despite being in a fantasy book.
The FMC being disabled and having that be part of her character but not defined by it felt like good disability and diversity rep. It's nice when a character has something that makes them unique, but to not have that thing be their entire personality. Again, it felt written very naturally. I would've liked to learn more about the FMC though, some of her backstory maybe or something written from her POV? I wanted to get to know her a bit better, definitely would've helped me understand her motivations and perspectives. Some of her reactions at times were a bit confusing, so her POV would've been good.
The story felt fleshed out for the most part, however because the book was quite short, there were some parts of it where it felt like it could've done with a bit more detail or leaned slightly repetitive? Again, I'd say it doesn't take away from the vibes of the book, but if world-building/backstory etc are your thing, this might not be up there for you. However, the actual story included battle/fight scenes (which imo were written incredibly well), romance, found family, accepting what's happened has happened, green flag characters, animal companions, diversity, and magic.
One thing that did confuse me was the romance element to it. For me this wasn't slow-burn romance, it's romancing very quickly. The MMC sees the FMC and then immediately he's in love? Very forced fated mates sort of thing, their relationship felt less like being in love and more like there is a bond therefore they must be together. The quickness of it was hard for me to get behind, again it's definitely a preference, but I like slow-burn to be actual slow-burn.
Overall:
- Very excited to see what Frost comes out with next
- Happy for Zelda references scattered throughout (FMC felt Midna-coded to me)
- Definite vibes read, here for a good time but not a long time
- World and magic needs more detail, but it's enough to grow into sequels
Pros:
- Green flag MMC
- Disability rep
- Zelda references, iykyk
- A fast pace, it's go-go-go
Cons:
- Plot is plotting straight out the gate
- World needs a bit more definition
- Not a slow-burn romance
- Not enough on the FMC
I enjoyed this book overall, it was a fun/vibes read for me. I did find out afterwards that it's a prequel to a series to be written (or is in progress?) in the future. Knowing that made me re-think the story and characters, but didn't take away from the enjoyment.
I'd say the first thing is the story is incredibly fast-paced, from maybe the first 3-4 chapters it's literally all go. This took a bit of getting used to, as I normally like a bit more world-building and slow pacing in the beginning, but once I got into the actual bulk of the story it felt a bit more moderately paced. Still quick though!
It's written from the perspective of the MMC, a walking green-flag, which was a nice change of pace. The MMC taking accountability for mistakes, realising when he'd said or did something wrong, and then course corrected all felt very human - despite being in a fantasy book.
The FMC being disabled and having that be part of her character but not defined by it felt like good disability and diversity rep. It's nice when a character has something that makes them unique, but to not have that thing be their entire personality. Again, it felt written very naturally. I would've liked to learn more about the FMC though, some of her backstory maybe or something written from her POV? I wanted to get to know her a bit better, definitely would've helped me understand her motivations and perspectives. Some of her reactions at times were a bit confusing, so her POV would've been good.
The story felt fleshed out for the most part, however because the book was quite short, there were some parts of it where it felt like it could've done with a bit more detail or leaned slightly repetitive? Again, I'd say it doesn't take away from the vibes of the book, but if world-building/backstory etc are your thing, this might not be up there for you. However, the actual story included battle/fight scenes (which imo were written incredibly well), romance, found family, accepting what's happened has happened, green flag characters, animal companions, diversity, and magic.
One thing that did confuse me was the romance element to it. For me this wasn't slow-burn romance, it's romancing very quickly. The MMC sees the FMC and then immediately he's in love? Very forced fated mates sort of thing, their relationship felt less like being in love and more like there is a bond therefore they must be together. The quickness of it was hard for me to get behind, again it's definitely a preference, but I like slow-burn to be actual slow-burn.
Overall:
- Very excited to see what Frost comes out with next
- Happy for Zelda references scattered throughout (FMC felt Midna-coded to me)
- Definite vibes read, here for a good time but not a long time
- World and magic needs more detail, but it's enough to grow into sequels
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I must say first and foremost that I deeply enjoyed this book. It delivered what it promised to deliver, it was touching and epic and fantastical all at once. I could see all of the influences the author listed come through strongly in this work, but it also developed its own clear world and the characters had their own distinct personalities. It was truly a wonderful read.
I very much enjoyed the FMC especially. She is fierce, determined, and knows what she wants and who she is without question. I never had reason to doubt her decisisons or her reactions to situations. Her backstory added to that, and it made a great deal of sense how she ended up the way that she did. It was also lovely to see a deaf/vocally mute character represented as a strong, take no shit type of lady. I'd definitely fall in love with her, too.
The MMC was great and I appreciated his doubts about himself, his religion, those around him accepting him and his need to keep some things to himself. I also, of course, appreciated the reactions the things he kept to himself got when he finally opened up. He clearly surrounded himself with ther right people. Props to this hardworking man!
The reason this is four stars instead of five is NOT because the story was lacking majorly or the characters were not loveable. I appreciated it all. I think the author was clearly excited about this story and due to this the beginning felt a little rushed. The action made sense, but the love felt a bit too close to "insta love" for comfort for me. It made a little sense later in the story, but I still would have liked more an an 'intrigued/interested but not fully invested yet' period between the FMC and MMC. Of course, there is something charming about a man just immediately being dopey over a woman, but for things to end up where they did I would have loved just a BIT more build-up.
I also thought some of the references were a *little* on the nose, cheesily derivitive you might say. However, I am also a fan of the things referenced, so the other half of me was screaming, 'I GET THAT REFERNCE!' and was sastisfied by them? Still, the direct paralelles to The Legend of Zelda MAYBE could have been a tad toned down. Even so, it seems to work so far for the story the author is wanting to tell, so I am optimistic (if not a bit anxious) to see how things continue in future books.
And there BETTER be future books! This ARC left me going, 'BUT WHAT NEXT? WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE THING? WHAT ABOUT THAT OTHER THING?!' I will absolutely be investing my time and attention in this author and series in the future. Highly recommend the read and cannot wait to see this author and her stories grow over time!
I very much enjoyed the FMC especially. She is fierce, determined, and knows what she wants and who she is without question. I never had reason to doubt her decisisons or her reactions to situations. Her backstory added to that, and it made a great deal of sense how she ended up the way that she did. It was also lovely to see a deaf/vocally mute character represented as a strong, take no shit type of lady. I'd definitely fall in love with her, too.
The MMC was great and I appreciated his doubts about himself, his religion, those around him accepting him and his need to keep some things to himself. I also, of course, appreciated the reactions the things he kept to himself got when he finally opened up. He clearly surrounded himself with ther right people. Props to this hardworking man!
The reason this is four stars instead of five is NOT because the story was lacking majorly or the characters were not loveable. I appreciated it all. I think the author was clearly excited about this story and due to this the beginning felt a little rushed. The action made sense, but the love felt a bit too close to "insta love" for comfort for me. It made a little sense later in the story, but I still would have liked more an an 'intrigued/interested but not fully invested yet' period between the FMC and MMC. Of course, there is something charming about a man just immediately being dopey over a woman, but for things to end up where they did I would have loved just a BIT more build-up.
I also thought some of the references were a *little* on the nose, cheesily derivitive you might say. However, I am also a fan of the things referenced, so the other half of me was screaming, 'I GET THAT REFERNCE!' and was sastisfied by them? Still, the direct paralelles to The Legend of Zelda MAYBE could have been a tad toned down. Even so, it seems to work so far for the story the author is wanting to tell, so I am optimistic (if not a bit anxious) to see how things continue in future books.
And there BETTER be future books! This ARC left me going, 'BUT WHAT NEXT? WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE THING? WHAT ABOUT THAT OTHER THING?!' I will absolutely be investing my time and attention in this author and series in the future. Highly recommend the read and cannot wait to see this author and her stories grow over time!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC READ💙
Firstly, thank you to L.K Frost for allowing me to read this book early!
ARCs for me often are hit or miss mostly because I use them to explore new authors and tropes that I don't see a lot in my TBR. This book got my attention with the deaf representation with the FMC and the romance between a sweet MMC. What really got me was the description in the marketing comparing the MMC to Aragorn from TLOR trilogy and I definitely see (and love the vision)
The romance was well balanced I thought at first it was moving to quickly but it was a truly sloooow burn and I DEVOURED every second. Bastion's protective moments were just ughhh I love him.
Bastion's character was just so well done his arc and story tugged on my heart strings. It also never felt like contrived conflict everything that felt like it was keeping them apart made sense. Especially given Bastion's past and present internal conflicts.
Ulla was a FMC that wasn't a damsel in distress. She got her moments to shine in combat and to see her soften up over time was adorable. I wish we got a little more of her perspective there we're times I want to know more about her and her feelings towards Bastion and what drew them together on her end.
Overall I enjoyed the side characters and the imagery in this book is too notch. It feels so vivid and lyrical and perfect for this soft of water creatures and divine gods fantasy.
The negatives I have are very small in comparison to the love and yearning heartache this book gave me. I wanted a little more would building in terms of the sea where Ulla comes from because of how separate the land and sea seem to be. The magic also got a little confusing to me especially towards the end with the weapon. Now if this ends up being a series or just a world that Frost keeps exploring then I'm willing to forgive these things because I think that Bastion and Ulla's story ends so perfectly.
I want more of the world but leave my babies Ulla and Bastion alone! They're perfect and adorable and have been through enough!
So uh, yeah 4.5 I enjoyed it a lot 💙
Firstly, thank you to L.K Frost for allowing me to read this book early!
ARCs for me often are hit or miss mostly because I use them to explore new authors and tropes that I don't see a lot in my TBR. This book got my attention with the deaf representation with the FMC and the romance between a sweet MMC. What really got me was the description in the marketing comparing the MMC to Aragorn from TLOR trilogy and I definitely see (and love the vision)
The romance was well balanced I thought at first it was moving to quickly but it was a truly sloooow burn and I DEVOURED every second. Bastion's protective moments were just ughhh I love him.
Bastion's character was just so well done his arc and story tugged on my heart strings. It also never felt like contrived conflict everything that felt like it was keeping them apart made sense. Especially given Bastion's past and present internal conflicts.
Ulla was a FMC that wasn't a damsel in distress. She got her moments to shine in combat and to see her soften up over time was adorable. I wish we got a little more of her perspective there we're times I want to know more about her and her feelings towards Bastion and what drew them together on her end.
Overall I enjoyed the side characters and the imagery in this book is too notch. It feels so vivid and lyrical and perfect for this soft of water creatures and divine gods fantasy.
The negatives I have are very small in comparison to the love and yearning heartache this book gave me. I wanted a little more would building in terms of the sea where Ulla comes from because of how separate the land and sea seem to be. The magic also got a little confusing to me especially towards the end with the weapon. Now if this ends up being a series or just a world that Frost keeps exploring then I'm willing to forgive these things because I think that Bastion and Ulla's story ends so perfectly.
I want more of the world but leave my babies Ulla and Bastion alone! They're perfect and adorable and have been through enough!
So uh, yeah 4.5 I enjoyed it a lot 💙
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was promoted as Song of the Lioness meets Legend of Zelda the world and characters were giving both of these in the best way! I didn’t realize before reading that this is intended to be a prequel to a trilogy that will be set in the same universe (hopefully with some of the characters that I’ve already grown to love!) I do think this helps set the expectation for the level of world building, etc that is shared in this story.
The pacing of this was really fast and action-oriented. Occasionally I felt like it was a little too fast and would have liked to slow down and gather a little more context, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. I have been a picky reader lately and found I didn’t want to put this down.
I can tell the world building is layered, but we don’t see a lot of it in this book. I hope the trilogy will have a map because at one point I went to the front of the book looking for one. It would have helped me orient a bit better. I also hope for a lot more detail about the world that we didn’t get in this one - it’s clear there are a lot of places and characters and i want to see so much more of it.
The writing style was beautiful and descriptive but not overly so and I loved that it was written primarily from Bastions POV. I loved Bastion as a character - he was definitely a breath of fresh air from the dark and mysterious MMCs that are prevalent in Romantasy right now. I do wish we’d gotten a bit of a peek into Bastion’s trial vs his brief recountings of it.
Ulla was a fierce and powerful FMC. I thought this was great disability rep in a fantasy world. This story showed the struggles she faced and how she navigates in a world without sound and also how her deafness was also her strength. She is fiery and knows what she wants, and doesn’t take any nonsense while also being a caring and powerful healer.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Finn. Finn, the fiery horse side kick. I loved him so much!
The pacing of this was really fast and action-oriented. Occasionally I felt like it was a little too fast and would have liked to slow down and gather a little more context, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. I have been a picky reader lately and found I didn’t want to put this down.
I can tell the world building is layered, but we don’t see a lot of it in this book. I hope the trilogy will have a map because at one point I went to the front of the book looking for one. It would have helped me orient a bit better. I also hope for a lot more detail about the world that we didn’t get in this one - it’s clear there are a lot of places and characters and i want to see so much more of it.
The writing style was beautiful and descriptive but not overly so and I loved that it was written primarily from Bastions POV. I loved Bastion as a character - he was definitely a breath of fresh air from the dark and mysterious MMCs that are prevalent in Romantasy right now. I do wish we’d gotten a bit of a peek into Bastion’s trial vs his brief recountings of it.
Ulla was a fierce and powerful FMC. I thought this was great disability rep in a fantasy world. This story showed the struggles she faced and how she navigates in a world without sound and also how her deafness was also her strength. She is fiery and knows what she wants, and doesn’t take any nonsense while also being a caring and powerful healer.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Finn. Finn, the fiery horse side kick. I loved him so much!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was one of my most anticipated ARCs this spring. I had read the first few chapters and absolutely knew I was going to love every bit of the book and the writing.
To Drown Among The Stars is written in third person POV, but also from the perspective of the MMC, which is so unique in this genre. Bastion is a character that was so easy for me to root for, while also screeching "Dammit, Bastion!!" throughout! The FMC was absolutely a badass to the core. Full on. Ulla knew who she was, knew what she wanted, and knew what she would take from life. And Ulla will absolutely bite your face off if that's the only thing she has access to and her life is in jeopardy (literally).
One of the unique aspects of the writing from a MMC's perspective, particularly a knight's perspective in this world, is the absolutely fabulous fight scenes that Frost has written. If you want to be immersed in high tension and action, you will find it in this book. If you know a man that is interested in/likes the genre, he will LOVE this book. Her writing was like an action movie set in a fantasy world. There was a closed door fated-mates romance, but high stakes action and intrigue drove this book. I stayed up so late not being able to stop reading, just to find a point in the story that felt like I could pause!
This introduction to the world of Frost's writing is a setup to a larger series that is coming, and I am SIGNED ON FOR LIFE! You know that feeling when you read a debut author's work and you know it is special and will be in the hands and eyes of so many people?? This is it.
I'm so excited for everyone to read this beautiful story and become as immersed in it as I was. This is one for the trophy shelf. Bastion and Ulla will sweep you away, and I can't wait to see who Frost takes us on a journey with next!
To Drown Among The Stars is written in third person POV, but also from the perspective of the MMC, which is so unique in this genre. Bastion is a character that was so easy for me to root for, while also screeching "Dammit, Bastion!!" throughout! The FMC was absolutely a badass to the core. Full on. Ulla knew who she was, knew what she wanted, and knew what she would take from life. And Ulla will absolutely bite your face off if that's the only thing she has access to and her life is in jeopardy (literally).
One of the unique aspects of the writing from a MMC's perspective, particularly a knight's perspective in this world, is the absolutely fabulous fight scenes that Frost has written. If you want to be immersed in high tension and action, you will find it in this book. If you know a man that is interested in/likes the genre, he will LOVE this book. Her writing was like an action movie set in a fantasy world. There was a closed door fated-mates romance, but high stakes action and intrigue drove this book. I stayed up so late not being able to stop reading, just to find a point in the story that felt like I could pause!
This introduction to the world of Frost's writing is a setup to a larger series that is coming, and I am SIGNED ON FOR LIFE! You know that feeling when you read a debut author's work and you know it is special and will be in the hands and eyes of so many people?? This is it.
I'm so excited for everyone to read this beautiful story and become as immersed in it as I was. This is one for the trophy shelf. Bastion and Ulla will sweep you away, and I can't wait to see who Frost takes us on a journey with next!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
To Drown Among the Stars was a wonderfully gentle, full of heart Romtantasy adventure.
Bastion- a young, courageous knight-to-be finds himself heavily disheartened after a failed Trial of Knighthood. He has worked hard to be where he is, battling prejudice due to his standing and more deeply - an ache to belong in a world he feels he does not quite fit in. While taking a leave of absence he finds himself in a secluded lagoon, eye to eye with the mysterious Dragon-kin healer Ulla. Following on from that brief encounter is a tale of viscous pirates, daring rescues, a battle for the kingdom's main naval base and the budding relationship between our two main characters.
I found myself thinking about this book after I read it. I bonded with Bastion and Ulla and was rooting for them throughout. There is also a delightful host of supporting characters who I would love to know more about. The plotline is easy to follow, has moments of peril and plot twist I did not see coming. It is also sprinkled with world-building and pretty prose which kept me intrigued and wanting to know more. I particularly loved the idea that a person or animal can be "god-blessed" (shout out to a certain incredibly lovable noble steed). If the author decides to write any more books I'd love to know more about the Gods and Goddesses and the world in general.
This is a short book (e-reader was 214 pages) with very low spice (plenty of yearning), perfect for when you are hankering for a cosy read with a nice cup of tea (preferably read by the coast, listening to waves crashing on the shore-stormy weather optional). I also must mention that the artwork (by annguyenart) is absolutely dreamy and it was lovely having the characters brought to life, I was able to carry them with me throughout the novel.
One of my favorite quotes:
"Instead, it felt like he was taking his first breath after a lifetime of drowning".
Bastion- a young, courageous knight-to-be finds himself heavily disheartened after a failed Trial of Knighthood. He has worked hard to be where he is, battling prejudice due to his standing and more deeply - an ache to belong in a world he feels he does not quite fit in. While taking a leave of absence he finds himself in a secluded lagoon, eye to eye with the mysterious Dragon-kin healer Ulla. Following on from that brief encounter is a tale of viscous pirates, daring rescues, a battle for the kingdom's main naval base and the budding relationship between our two main characters.
I found myself thinking about this book after I read it. I bonded with Bastion and Ulla and was rooting for them throughout. There is also a delightful host of supporting characters who I would love to know more about. The plotline is easy to follow, has moments of peril and plot twist I did not see coming. It is also sprinkled with world-building and pretty prose which kept me intrigued and wanting to know more. I particularly loved the idea that a person or animal can be "god-blessed" (shout out to a certain incredibly lovable noble steed). If the author decides to write any more books I'd love to know more about the Gods and Goddesses and the world in general.
This is a short book (e-reader was 214 pages) with very low spice (plenty of yearning), perfect for when you are hankering for a cosy read with a nice cup of tea (preferably read by the coast, listening to waves crashing on the shore-stormy weather optional). I also must mention that the artwork (by annguyenart) is absolutely dreamy and it was lovely having the characters brought to life, I was able to carry them with me throughout the novel.
One of my favorite quotes:
"Instead, it felt like he was taking his first breath after a lifetime of drowning".
Review of advance copy received from Author
Where to start. To Drown among the Stars is a Romantasy debut novel which combines Knights, Dragon fantasy and a horse companion that literally steals the show.
The Stars speak for themselves, Lindsey. You astound me with the wonder this book gave me. I took a chance becoming an arc reader, tapping a random link on threads, trying to find something to do whilst looking after my bee and bear, whilst they're little and you've left me with out much words.
Aragon coding isn't something you see often, and as one of my all-time favourite male characters, you have done him justice in Bastion. He is brave and kind, all that you would want in a knight, especially in the royal guard. His journey throughout this story makes him braver, even if he's a monumental idiot sometimes. I could wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him safe from himself.
Ulla is the strong, independent female main character who doesn't give two s*its about what others think. From my point of view, it feels like, whilst she doesn't trust it, she falls as fast as Bastion, but because of her lack of language, and it's not from her POV, we don't see her manic, scrambled thoughts. I love her tenacity and her Sass sometimes. Had a good few giggles reading this book.
Finn is.. Finn is perfect! The attitude, the sass, the strength of this bad boy is just perfect. Sorry no other way to describe him!
Anyway.. To Drown Among The Stars is a new book due out on the 21st of June and available for pre-order via Goodreads or Amazon currently. A story about a failed Knight and a Deaf Yvri, coming together and defeating their enemy's and their doubts one step at a time. An easy read for young adults upwards, especially if you want a copy with a smushy ending. Telling you now, I was a puddle.
I promise you'll enjoy it. ❤️
The Stars speak for themselves, Lindsey. You astound me with the wonder this book gave me. I took a chance becoming an arc reader, tapping a random link on threads, trying to find something to do whilst looking after my bee and bear, whilst they're little and you've left me with out much words.
Aragon coding isn't something you see often, and as one of my all-time favourite male characters, you have done him justice in Bastion. He is brave and kind, all that you would want in a knight, especially in the royal guard. His journey throughout this story makes him braver, even if he's a monumental idiot sometimes. I could wrap him in bubble wrap and keep him safe from himself.
Ulla is the strong, independent female main character who doesn't give two s*its about what others think. From my point of view, it feels like, whilst she doesn't trust it, she falls as fast as Bastion, but because of her lack of language, and it's not from her POV, we don't see her manic, scrambled thoughts. I love her tenacity and her Sass sometimes. Had a good few giggles reading this book.
Finn is.. Finn is perfect! The attitude, the sass, the strength of this bad boy is just perfect. Sorry no other way to describe him!
Anyway.. To Drown Among The Stars is a new book due out on the 21st of June and available for pre-order via Goodreads or Amazon currently. A story about a failed Knight and a Deaf Yvri, coming together and defeating their enemy's and their doubts one step at a time. An easy read for young adults upwards, especially if you want a copy with a smushy ending. Telling you now, I was a puddle.
I promise you'll enjoy it. ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.
This story gripped me in immediately and kept me fully engrossed in the story. This story follows our MC Bastion whose just finished his Trial to become a knight and has failed. Bastion saw no god. Once he meets our FMC, Ulla I was excited. The descriptions of her are so pretty and I loved that she's a healer!
Bastion was overall a pretty good guy and did his best. He definitely makes some decisions that I'm like "UGH NOOO!!" but he didn't lose me, I was still hoping he'd come around and he did. Ulla was my favorite out of the two. Bastion was fine, but Ulla was awesome!
The deaf representation I thought was done very well. She has been taught sign language and instead of just relying on telepathy she prefers sign language and using her hands to speak. I love a story that can tie in representation like this as its not done enough and can add such a wonderful layer to stories and people building their connections.
There was a part in the story that confused me a bit. I don't even think it was the writing rather than I just didn't understand what was happening when the attack had started on the castle. Though it had confused it, it didn't ruin my experience reading the book in anyway.
𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.
Summary, I really loved the story. I was captivated the whole way through and I'm definitely interested in book 2. I want to see what happens next. I want more of Ulla!
✨Deaf FMC
✨Slow burn
✨Semi-Aquatic Folk
✨Knights & Pirates
✨Legend of Zelda inspired
✨No Spice
This story gripped me in immediately and kept me fully engrossed in the story. This story follows our MC Bastion whose just finished his Trial to become a knight and has failed. Bastion saw no god. Once he meets our FMC, Ulla I was excited. The descriptions of her are so pretty and I loved that she's a healer!
Bastion was overall a pretty good guy and did his best. He definitely makes some decisions that I'm like "UGH NOOO!!" but he didn't lose me, I was still hoping he'd come around and he did. Ulla was my favorite out of the two. Bastion was fine, but Ulla was awesome!
The deaf representation I thought was done very well. She has been taught sign language and instead of just relying on telepathy she prefers sign language and using her hands to speak. I love a story that can tie in representation like this as its not done enough and can add such a wonderful layer to stories and people building their connections.
There was a part in the story that confused me a bit. I don't even think it was the writing rather than I just didn't understand what was happening when the attack had started on the castle. Though it had confused it, it didn't ruin my experience reading the book in anyway.
𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.
Summary, I really loved the story. I was captivated the whole way through and I'm definitely interested in book 2. I want to see what happens next. I want more of Ulla!
✨Deaf FMC
✨Slow burn
✨Semi-Aquatic Folk
✨Knights & Pirates
✨Legend of Zelda inspired
✨No Spice
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Arc Read
One thing I absolutely loved was the writing style. It was vivid, atmospheric, and beautifully descriptive in a way that really worked for me personally. The prose painted beautiful individual moments and made certain scenes feel incredibly immersive. The pacing was also quite fast and action-packed, which kept the story engaging throughout and matched my reading preferences well.
Unfortunately, the worldbuilding was where the book lost me. Even though the writing itself was very evocative, I often struggled to fully grasp the wider setting and spatial context of scenes. Because of that, I found it difficult at times to understand where characters were in relation to each other or how certain environments were meant to look and function, which repeatedly pulled me out of the story. It also made it harder for me to fully connect with the characters emotionally.
Ulla, in particular, was the hardest character for me to grasp. I really liked the idea behind her character, but I don’t think the execution fully delivered on that potential. Personally, I feel like having a second POV from her perspective could have added more depth and helped create a stronger emotional connection.
Another point that did not completely work for me was the romance. This may come down to personal preference, but since the book was advertised as a slow burn romance, I expected a much more gradual development. Instead, the dynamic felt very intense almost immediately, and at times his behavior came across as more obsessive and possessive than slow burn to me.
Overall, I think this book had some very strong elements, especially in its prose and pacing, but the lack of grounding in the world and character dynamics made it difficult for me to become fully immersed.
One thing I absolutely loved was the writing style. It was vivid, atmospheric, and beautifully descriptive in a way that really worked for me personally. The prose painted beautiful individual moments and made certain scenes feel incredibly immersive. The pacing was also quite fast and action-packed, which kept the story engaging throughout and matched my reading preferences well.
Unfortunately, the worldbuilding was where the book lost me. Even though the writing itself was very evocative, I often struggled to fully grasp the wider setting and spatial context of scenes. Because of that, I found it difficult at times to understand where characters were in relation to each other or how certain environments were meant to look and function, which repeatedly pulled me out of the story. It also made it harder for me to fully connect with the characters emotionally.
Ulla, in particular, was the hardest character for me to grasp. I really liked the idea behind her character, but I don’t think the execution fully delivered on that potential. Personally, I feel like having a second POV from her perspective could have added more depth and helped create a stronger emotional connection.
Another point that did not completely work for me was the romance. This may come down to personal preference, but since the book was advertised as a slow burn romance, I expected a much more gradual development. Instead, the dynamic felt very intense almost immediately, and at times his behavior came across as more obsessive and possessive than slow burn to me.
Overall, I think this book had some very strong elements, especially in its prose and pacing, but the lack of grounding in the world and character dynamics made it difficult for me to become fully immersed.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I don’t believe I have any spoilers here but I marked it just to be sure, since I received an ARC and am reviewing before the book is released.
I absolutely loved this book. I jumped in feet first without anything for reference other than the marketing the author posted, so I went in almost completely blind. At several points I thought I saw certain twists coming, and every time I was caught off guard with the way the story actually flowed. It was wonderful and there were so many moments where I was *literally* on the edge of my seat and reacting physically to this book, (much to the amusement of my partners family who I am currently vacationing with).
There were instances that made me laugh and ones where I teared up, and at least one point where I was stressed and had to put it down and walk away for my sanity. I still devoured this book in just under two days, having started the night of Sunday, May 10th and I just finished it late morning/early afternoon on Tuesday, May 12th.
I will absolutely be buying a physical copy for my trophy shelf eventually, and I’m going to be keeping my eyes peeled for more books by this author - ESPECIALLY ones set in this universe.
As someone who is hard of hearing, (but not necessarily part of the Deaf community) the Deaf representation was just *chefs kiss* in my eyes. I loved everything about this book and how it kept catching me off my guard despite thinking I knew how it was gonna go. (Normally my pattern recognition is better at spotting twists and turns but this time not so much! A novelty for sure!)
I absolutely loved this book. I jumped in feet first without anything for reference other than the marketing the author posted, so I went in almost completely blind. At several points I thought I saw certain twists coming, and every time I was caught off guard with the way the story actually flowed. It was wonderful and there were so many moments where I was *literally* on the edge of my seat and reacting physically to this book, (much to the amusement of my partners family who I am currently vacationing with).
There were instances that made me laugh and ones where I teared up, and at least one point where I was stressed and had to put it down and walk away for my sanity. I still devoured this book in just under two days, having started the night of Sunday, May 10th and I just finished it late morning/early afternoon on Tuesday, May 12th.
I will absolutely be buying a physical copy for my trophy shelf eventually, and I’m going to be keeping my eyes peeled for more books by this author - ESPECIALLY ones set in this universe.
As someone who is hard of hearing, (but not necessarily part of the Deaf community) the Deaf representation was just *chefs kiss* in my eyes. I loved everything about this book and how it kept catching me off my guard despite thinking I knew how it was gonna go. (Normally my pattern recognition is better at spotting twists and turns but this time not so much! A novelty for sure!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced arc in exchange for my honest review.
Well this was a super cute fantasy romance!
The story follows Bastion, a man who failed his Knighthood trials after training his whole life. After the events, he decides to take a sabbatical to clear his mind but finds himself crossing paths with a female Yvri healer, Ulla. During this, there’s been a series of raids on smaller villages by pirates in attempts to take over the stronghold of the lands. Bastion and Ulla must work together and with others to help prevent this from happening!
I thought the overarching plot was well written and moved the story along fine. Bastion is deeply regretful characters and very much too hard on himself. There was a few times his “but I failed” mentality was just exhausting. Ulla was a deeply likeable character! I enjoyed her fierceness and the way she approached life despite being ousted from her clan. Since she’s hearing impaired, life is not easy for her but she makes the best of it and doesn’t dwell on what could have been. They are well suited for one another, and the romance the blossoms was heart warming.
I don’t really have anything negative to say other than Bastion’s whole personality being about his failure. It was hard to like him when he was just “woe is me” for about 60% of the book. Even when he was constantly reminded that he was still important by others close around him.
Overall 4.25/5 stars. Enjoyable read for those who are fans of Legend of Zelda and maybe some Dungeons and Dragons!
Well this was a super cute fantasy romance!
The story follows Bastion, a man who failed his Knighthood trials after training his whole life. After the events, he decides to take a sabbatical to clear his mind but finds himself crossing paths with a female Yvri healer, Ulla. During this, there’s been a series of raids on smaller villages by pirates in attempts to take over the stronghold of the lands. Bastion and Ulla must work together and with others to help prevent this from happening!
I thought the overarching plot was well written and moved the story along fine. Bastion is deeply regretful characters and very much too hard on himself. There was a few times his “but I failed” mentality was just exhausting. Ulla was a deeply likeable character! I enjoyed her fierceness and the way she approached life despite being ousted from her clan. Since she’s hearing impaired, life is not easy for her but she makes the best of it and doesn’t dwell on what could have been. They are well suited for one another, and the romance the blossoms was heart warming.
I don’t really have anything negative to say other than Bastion’s whole personality being about his failure. It was hard to like him when he was just “woe is me” for about 60% of the book. Even when he was constantly reminded that he was still important by others close around him.
Overall 4.25/5 stars. Enjoyable read for those who are fans of Legend of Zelda and maybe some Dungeons and Dragons!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this as an ARC.
3.5 stars. The plot was great, and I feel like the bones of an excellent story are absolutely here. But it needs more meat on those bones.
I really wish this was another 200 pages with more time spent in the beginning establishing this world and Bastion's place in it in particular.
Ulla was a wisp of a character. I don't feel like I know her at all. It would have helped immensely to have some chapters be from her POV, so we can know what she's thinking/feeling.
This is clearly the set up for more to come since there are multiple dangling threads, but this ending felt very abrupt so perhaps a little more runway after
There are also several plot holes/unexplained things that I can't get past: why didn't Bastion try to take the weapon when he found it on the ship? And later on, the pirates falling for an obvious ploy was a bit unrealistic.
But most of all, Bastion continually refusing to tell people the truth about his time on the island. Maybe if we knew more about that island and the gods who visit it, that refusal would make more sense, but it's repeatedly said that everybody's experience there is different so I remain entirely unclear about why he won't tell people what happened.
I really enjoyed reading this from the MMC POV only, which is pretty unique. And he's a cinnamon roll, which is sweet.
Okay book. Has the potential to be great!
3.5 stars. The plot was great, and I feel like the bones of an excellent story are absolutely here. But it needs more meat on those bones.
I really wish this was another 200 pages with more time spent in the beginning establishing this world and Bastion's place in it in particular.
Ulla was a wisp of a character. I don't feel like I know her at all. It would have helped immensely to have some chapters be from her POV, so we can know what she's thinking/feeling.
This is clearly the set up for more to come since there are multiple dangling threads, but this ending felt very abrupt so perhaps a little more runway after
There are also several plot holes/unexplained things that I can't get past: why didn't Bastion try to take the weapon when he found it on the ship? And later on, the pirates falling for an obvious ploy was a bit unrealistic.
But most of all, Bastion continually refusing to tell people the truth about his time on the island. Maybe if we knew more about that island and the gods who visit it, that refusal would make more sense, but it's repeatedly said that everybody's experience there is different so I remain entirely unclear about why he won't tell people what happened.
I really enjoyed reading this from the MMC POV only, which is pretty unique. And he's a cinnamon roll, which is sweet.
Okay book. Has the potential to be great!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ARC!
3/5 Stars
The plot has a great base, almost something you'd find in a Zelda game when you stumble on a little town and it grows from there. However, I feel that the plot is not quite fleshed out as much as it needed to be to really stick the landing.
I found some moments of Bastion's action or dialogue to feel out of character and it left me wondering if I ever even knew his character deeply enough to connect and understand him beyond surface level. Ulla had so much potential but without her POV, we never get any type of insight to her as a character. I love that she is deaf and we see her navigate this and Bastion learn and grow from their relationship but she almost felt just like a silent puppet to advance the plot when needed rather than her own dynamic character.
I struggled to really dive in and connect to the story and characters but that doesn't mean the book is bad. I just personally think it would have benefit from a few more pages so we could learn more about the island, maybe spending time with Bastion there to understand the impact of what he saw and what it means that he 'failed'. Almost felt like a great outline of a prequel that would be revisited to further expand and flesh out as the main story evolves. Definitely interested in the world as a whole, but I do feel this particular book did not quite hit the mark when it comes to my personal expectations of what I wanted.
3/5 Stars
The plot has a great base, almost something you'd find in a Zelda game when you stumble on a little town and it grows from there. However, I feel that the plot is not quite fleshed out as much as it needed to be to really stick the landing.
I found some moments of Bastion's action or dialogue to feel out of character and it left me wondering if I ever even knew his character deeply enough to connect and understand him beyond surface level. Ulla had so much potential but without her POV, we never get any type of insight to her as a character. I love that she is deaf and we see her navigate this and Bastion learn and grow from their relationship but she almost felt just like a silent puppet to advance the plot when needed rather than her own dynamic character.
I struggled to really dive in and connect to the story and characters but that doesn't mean the book is bad. I just personally think it would have benefit from a few more pages so we could learn more about the island, maybe spending time with Bastion there to understand the impact of what he saw and what it means that he 'failed'. Almost felt like a great outline of a prequel that would be revisited to further expand and flesh out as the main story evolves. Definitely interested in the world as a whole, but I do feel this particular book did not quite hit the mark when it comes to my personal expectations of what I wanted.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publishers & the author for a chance to review this arc!
« Do not betray yourself to be understood or accepted. Make your own wind. »
I requested this book for the absolute beautiful cover & the fact that it was recommend for fans of The Legend of Zelda (I’ve been playing the various Zelda/Link games since I was 5 & I have a matching tattoo with one of my brothers).
I sincerely really liked the book. It was pretty, atmospherically beautiful & haunting. I think it did capture the same essence Zelda/Link give out in the best games.
The MMC we follow is very soft-hearted & good natured. His honour is very important to him and he’s terrified of failure. I did wish we got more backstory and more context in the beginning because I initially couldn’t conceptualize why his initial quest was so important for him. I think more lore building would’ve been beneficial.
The FMC was strong willed and wanted to be heard in a world that kept putting her down. She was deaf & since the MMC hadn’t learned to sign talk, the interactions were somewhat reduced. It did accentuate the fact that two hearts don’t always need verbal communication to understand each other.
The plot wasn’t complex and so I think this is a cute read in between complicated stories. It was a sweet & lovely read.
« [She] made him a better man by simply refusing to be anything other than what she was in a world determined to fit her into a box. »
« Do not betray yourself to be understood or accepted. Make your own wind. »
I requested this book for the absolute beautiful cover & the fact that it was recommend for fans of The Legend of Zelda (I’ve been playing the various Zelda/Link games since I was 5 & I have a matching tattoo with one of my brothers).
I sincerely really liked the book. It was pretty, atmospherically beautiful & haunting. I think it did capture the same essence Zelda/Link give out in the best games.
The MMC we follow is very soft-hearted & good natured. His honour is very important to him and he’s terrified of failure. I did wish we got more backstory and more context in the beginning because I initially couldn’t conceptualize why his initial quest was so important for him. I think more lore building would’ve been beneficial.
The FMC was strong willed and wanted to be heard in a world that kept putting her down. She was deaf & since the MMC hadn’t learned to sign talk, the interactions were somewhat reduced. It did accentuate the fact that two hearts don’t always need verbal communication to understand each other.
The plot wasn’t complex and so I think this is a cute read in between complicated stories. It was a sweet & lovely read.
« [She] made him a better man by simply refusing to be anything other than what she was in a world determined to fit her into a box. »
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this book as an eARC from the author. This is my honest review of To Drown Among the Stars by L.K Frost.
I knew from the first few chapters that I was going to thoroughly enjoy this book. The story is written in a third-person perspective from the male main character's POV, which provides a fresh approach and brings compelling depth to the narrative. Bastion is a highly engaging protagonist whose choices evoke strong investment from the reader. Meanwhile, Ulla is a remarkably strong and self-assured character who demonstrates clear agency and determination throughout the plot.
One of the absolute standout aspects of this book is the representation. Ulla is deaf, and I deeply appreciated how beautifully and accurately sign language was represented and utilized throughout the narrative. It added such a rich, meaningful layer to the communication and world-building.
The romance delivers a phenomenal fated-mates, slow-burn dynamic that keeps you completely hooked, while the high-stakes action and intrigue drive the plot forward seamlessly.
I started this book at 8:30am on Tuesday, read for four hours, then finished it in an hour and a half on Wednesday.
This book is a phenomenal introduction to L.K. Frost's writing and sets up a larger universe perfectly. You know that rare feeling when you read a book and instantly know it is special? This is it. I am completely signed on for life and cannot wait to see where this journey takes us next! 5⭐️1🌶️
I knew from the first few chapters that I was going to thoroughly enjoy this book. The story is written in a third-person perspective from the male main character's POV, which provides a fresh approach and brings compelling depth to the narrative. Bastion is a highly engaging protagonist whose choices evoke strong investment from the reader. Meanwhile, Ulla is a remarkably strong and self-assured character who demonstrates clear agency and determination throughout the plot.
One of the absolute standout aspects of this book is the representation. Ulla is deaf, and I deeply appreciated how beautifully and accurately sign language was represented and utilized throughout the narrative. It added such a rich, meaningful layer to the communication and world-building.
The romance delivers a phenomenal fated-mates, slow-burn dynamic that keeps you completely hooked, while the high-stakes action and intrigue drive the plot forward seamlessly.
I started this book at 8:30am on Tuesday, read for four hours, then finished it in an hour and a half on Wednesday.
This book is a phenomenal introduction to L.K. Frost's writing and sets up a larger universe perfectly. You know that rare feeling when you read a book and instantly know it is special? This is it. I am completely signed on for life and cannot wait to see where this journey takes us next! 5⭐️1🌶️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the immense pleasure of beta reading this wonderful story after connecting with LK Frost on Threads. We didn't know each other before, and this is an honest review of To Drown Among the Stars.
Bastion is a knight on sabbatical after failing his final test - to become godstouched. While forlornly roaming the coast, he stumbles across a beautiful dragon-kin woman, Ulla, a deaf healer who is assisting in the clean-up efforts of a small fishing village after pirates looted and set fire to the houses. Here, Bastion not only falls head over heals for the aloof woman, but may also find meaning once more as he and Ulla uncover a bigger plot against the realm...
There is so much to love about this story - from the lyrical prose that creates beautiful imagery, to the yearning simp that is our Sir Bastion. From fiery, confident Ulla to a dance scene that is sure to leave you breathless. To Drown Among the Stars had me giggling and kicking my feet, shouting at the characters, wishing I could take up arms and fight alongside them, and absolutely staying up well past my bedtime to see how the story would end!
I am so glad to have found this action packed quest filled with pirates, knights and a sassy animal sidekick that helps save the day. I can't wait to see it land in other reader's hands and have them love the story as I have.
Bastion is a knight on sabbatical after failing his final test - to become godstouched. While forlornly roaming the coast, he stumbles across a beautiful dragon-kin woman, Ulla, a deaf healer who is assisting in the clean-up efforts of a small fishing village after pirates looted and set fire to the houses. Here, Bastion not only falls head over heals for the aloof woman, but may also find meaning once more as he and Ulla uncover a bigger plot against the realm...
There is so much to love about this story - from the lyrical prose that creates beautiful imagery, to the yearning simp that is our Sir Bastion. From fiery, confident Ulla to a dance scene that is sure to leave you breathless. To Drown Among the Stars had me giggling and kicking my feet, shouting at the characters, wishing I could take up arms and fight alongside them, and absolutely staying up well past my bedtime to see how the story would end!
I am so glad to have found this action packed quest filled with pirates, knights and a sassy animal sidekick that helps save the day. I can't wait to see it land in other reader's hands and have them love the story as I have.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️ 3.25
This is an action/adventure, slow-burn romantasy featuring knights, pirates and semi-aquatic dragon people. It will appeal to fans of the Legend of Zelda, Tortall and Sabriel.
For me the plot is well based but maybe it doesn’t quite achieve what I expected for a full novella. This is a prequel, that’s meant to be able to be read as a standalone but I feel like it reads as a prequel with the build up to a more flushed out story.
The MC have good layers and each are dealing with their own obstacles. Bastion has spent his whole life trying to belong and feel worthy. Ulla, has spent her life trying to prove being deaf doesn’t leave her disadvantaged. Bastion struggles with his past and it leads him to hesitate embracing his new path. My biggest issue is the lack of POV from Ulla. She had so much potential, but we never get her thoughts and I feel the story lacking without POV.
I enjoyed the story overall. It’s a light read and I truly think the world is interesting, so I would be happy to read the continuation of what follows this prequel.
Tropes:
- Aragon coded MC,
- One horse
- Wound tending
- Touch her and die
- Dancing
- Telepathic connection
- Meddling gods
- Disability rep
- LGBTQUIA+ rep
Favorite Quotes:
- This is my oath to you. I will sharpen your teeth and claws instead of blunt them. I will be your voice only when you ask me to. I will listen to you before all others. Only let me love you the way the sea loves the shore. Gently and ferociously, by turns.
Thank you to the author for the eARC.
This is an action/adventure, slow-burn romantasy featuring knights, pirates and semi-aquatic dragon people. It will appeal to fans of the Legend of Zelda, Tortall and Sabriel.
For me the plot is well based but maybe it doesn’t quite achieve what I expected for a full novella. This is a prequel, that’s meant to be able to be read as a standalone but I feel like it reads as a prequel with the build up to a more flushed out story.
The MC have good layers and each are dealing with their own obstacles. Bastion has spent his whole life trying to belong and feel worthy. Ulla, has spent her life trying to prove being deaf doesn’t leave her disadvantaged. Bastion struggles with his past and it leads him to hesitate embracing his new path. My biggest issue is the lack of POV from Ulla. She had so much potential, but we never get her thoughts and I feel the story lacking without POV.
I enjoyed the story overall. It’s a light read and I truly think the world is interesting, so I would be happy to read the continuation of what follows this prequel.
Tropes:
- Aragon coded MC,
- One horse
- Wound tending
- Touch her and die
- Dancing
- Telepathic connection
- Meddling gods
- Disability rep
- LGBTQUIA+ rep
Favorite Quotes:
- This is my oath to you. I will sharpen your teeth and claws instead of blunt them. I will be your voice only when you ask me to. I will listen to you before all others. Only let me love you the way the sea loves the shore. Gently and ferociously, by turns.
Thank you to the author for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoyed this book. Can absolutely appreciate the Zelda references but love that it's a story of its own.
From the start I was so pleasantly surprised by the way things were described, so poignant and relevant and not in the way I was expecting at all which felt so fresh.
Immediately I was rooting for Bastion and love how relatable he is in his thoughts and feelings towards himself, we are always our own worst critique. Ulla is feisty with an unwavering sense of confidence and self. She is who I wish I could've been in my 20s! The side characters and how they all interact with Bastion and Ulla is really lovely to read and feels well thought out.
My reasons for my 3 Star rating though:
I found that I didn't have a lot to go on past those superficial feelings about the main characters. I would say I know the same amount about them at the end of the book as at the start which is a little disappointing.
There's not much world building at all, and some of the book is a little confusing with character motives and a couple of scenes not quite making sense.
I didn't really understand why they loved each other past the fact they're bonded and it wasn't really expanded on other than one time towards the end.
I am looking forward to the next book, the story is one I am enjoying overall :)
From the start I was so pleasantly surprised by the way things were described, so poignant and relevant and not in the way I was expecting at all which felt so fresh.
Immediately I was rooting for Bastion and love how relatable he is in his thoughts and feelings towards himself, we are always our own worst critique. Ulla is feisty with an unwavering sense of confidence and self. She is who I wish I could've been in my 20s! The side characters and how they all interact with Bastion and Ulla is really lovely to read and feels well thought out.
My reasons for my 3 Star rating though:
I found that I didn't have a lot to go on past those superficial feelings about the main characters. I would say I know the same amount about them at the end of the book as at the start which is a little disappointing.
There's not much world building at all, and some of the book is a little confusing with character motives and a couple of scenes not quite making sense.
I didn't really understand why they loved each other past the fact they're bonded and it wasn't really expanded on other than one time towards the end.
I am looking forward to the next book, the story is one I am enjoying overall :)
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely devoured this book. I haven’t read very many books from the perspective of the MMC, and I looooooved Bastion. This story starts by following him after his trial for knighthood, which he has worked toward for 10 years, and he fails. When he goes on leave to think about what it all means, he ends up on an adventure to save villages, fight pirates, and meets our FMC Ulla. The two of them together almost seem an unlikely pair, but they’re more alike than you think. What follows is a race against relentless pirates and their quest to rampage anything to get to what they want, including the lives of anyone in their way. The amount of battle in this was perfectly offset with the story and romance, and it was a great mix that kept me unable to put the book down. Through it all, Bastian and Ulla fight for themselves and others, while learning what it means to know one another.
This was such a delightful story about what failure means to each of us, what it means to love, and how to show up for those you love. I feel like I found strength in Bastion’s courage and in Ulla’s quiet confidence, and I loved feeling the raw emotions they shared with one another.
Thank you to LK Frost for a digital ARC of this book.
This was such a delightful story about what failure means to each of us, what it means to love, and how to show up for those you love. I feel like I found strength in Bastion’s courage and in Ulla’s quiet confidence, and I loved feeling the raw emotions they shared with one another.
Thank you to LK Frost for a digital ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC from the author. The below review are my own thoughts.
Thank you so much!
What a refreshing this book was, it was told from the MMC pov and it felt like an emotional mature book.
We follow Bastion, he thinks he failed the quest to be knighted. During his absence of leave he stumbles upon an Yvri, Ulla, she's deaf. Together they discover pirates are about to ascend on the villages.
Bastion is a great MMC and you see his vulnerability and his growth emotionally and character wise. He makes decisions and accepts the consequences. He listens to his friends and found family around him when they pull him on his decisions.
Ulla is a head strong FMC. She is no damsel in distress and is happy and empathic to help the ones who are in need.
The plot was really great, I was on the edge of my seat at times. The fights were really well written and I could feel the tension.
The only reason why I gave it a 4.5 star, is because I wish I had some more background on Ulla and the magic that was used. Who and what is Finn and Bart.
All in all I can recommend this emotionally mature story. 🥰
Thank you so much!
What a refreshing this book was, it was told from the MMC pov and it felt like an emotional mature book.
We follow Bastion, he thinks he failed the quest to be knighted. During his absence of leave he stumbles upon an Yvri, Ulla, she's deaf. Together they discover pirates are about to ascend on the villages.
Bastion is a great MMC and you see his vulnerability and his growth emotionally and character wise. He makes decisions and accepts the consequences. He listens to his friends and found family around him when they pull him on his decisions.
Ulla is a head strong FMC. She is no damsel in distress and is happy and empathic to help the ones who are in need.
The plot was really great, I was on the edge of my seat at times. The fights were really well written and I could feel the tension.
The only reason why I gave it a 4.5 star, is because I wish I had some more background on Ulla and the magic that was used. Who and what is Finn and Bart.
All in all I can recommend this emotionally mature story. 🥰
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for my ARC of To Drown Among The Stars!
I really liked the writing style in To Drown Among the Stars. It was beautiful and descriptive and made the scenes easy to picture.
The plot was interesting and had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it didn’t always make sense to me. There were times where I wanted more context so I could better understand what was happening and why. I also felt like the characters' personalities and back stories had potential, but I didn’t feel like I got enough character development to fully connect with them, and I wish there was more emotional depth overall. Maybe this is a me problem, but I feel most immersed and connected to books that spend more time developing the characters. That said, I appreciated that most of the book was from the MMC’s POV. That felt unique, and not something I've seen before in fantasy romance.
Overall, this certainly had elements I enjoyed, like the writing style and the MMC's POV, but I would have liked more clarity in the plot and a stronger connection to the characters.
I really liked the writing style in To Drown Among the Stars. It was beautiful and descriptive and made the scenes easy to picture.
The plot was interesting and had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it didn’t always make sense to me. There were times where I wanted more context so I could better understand what was happening and why. I also felt like the characters' personalities and back stories had potential, but I didn’t feel like I got enough character development to fully connect with them, and I wish there was more emotional depth overall. Maybe this is a me problem, but I feel most immersed and connected to books that spend more time developing the characters. That said, I appreciated that most of the book was from the MMC’s POV. That felt unique, and not something I've seen before in fantasy romance.
Overall, this certainly had elements I enjoyed, like the writing style and the MMC's POV, but I would have liked more clarity in the plot and a stronger connection to the characters.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 ⭐️)
This was such a fun and refreshing fantasy read. The mix of knights, pirates, dragon-kin, and slow-burn romance created a world that felt adventurous while still being emotionally grounded. Bastion is an especially compelling main character — flawed, lonely, and struggling with failure in a way that made him feel very human despite the fantasy setting.
The relationship between Bastion and Ulla was definitely a highlight for me. Their connection develops naturally over time, and the quieter emotional moments balanced the action really well. Ulla was a standout character too; her strength, intelligence, and vulnerability made her easy to root for.
The pirate attacks and mystery surrounding the ancient secret kept the pacing moving, and the final act delivered plenty of tension and excitement. Fans of classic fantasy adventure games or books like Sabriel and Tortall will absolutely see the inspiration here.
One of my favorite parts was how unexpected several of the twists were. Just when I thought I knew where the story was heading, it managed to surprise me in a way that felt satisfying instead of forced. The emotional reveals especially hit hard and made the ending even more impactful.
Highly recommended for readers who love adventurous romantasy with heart, found-family vibes, and character-driven storytelling.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 ⭐️)
This was such a fun and refreshing fantasy read. The mix of knights, pirates, dragon-kin, and slow-burn romance created a world that felt adventurous while still being emotionally grounded. Bastion is an especially compelling main character — flawed, lonely, and struggling with failure in a way that made him feel very human despite the fantasy setting.
The relationship between Bastion and Ulla was definitely a highlight for me. Their connection develops naturally over time, and the quieter emotional moments balanced the action really well. Ulla was a standout character too; her strength, intelligence, and vulnerability made her easy to root for.
The pirate attacks and mystery surrounding the ancient secret kept the pacing moving, and the final act delivered plenty of tension and excitement. Fans of classic fantasy adventure games or books like Sabriel and Tortall will absolutely see the inspiration here.
One of my favorite parts was how unexpected several of the twists were. Just when I thought I knew where the story was heading, it managed to surprise me in a way that felt satisfying instead of forced. The emotional reveals especially hit hard and made the ending even more impactful.
Highly recommended for readers who love adventurous romantasy with heart, found-family vibes, and character-driven storytelling.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed it. Read it in three days. It’s been a while since I was able to read that quickly as I’ve been in a reading slump.
Very cute, love the way Bastion’s character is fleshed out. Also enjoyed that healing magic had a price to pay and wasn’t just convenient to the story.
That said, there were several parts where I was very confused as to what was happening. There was one chapter I had to read twice and didn’t understand what was happening until context was established a few chapters later. I think I would have also really liked some kind of breadcrumb leading to each twist. They seemed to come from nowhere. Or maybe I missed the hints? I’m not sure. It didn’t have that “oh that’s why this was the way it is” satisfaction that we get with a twist reveal.
Overall, I still really liked the story! And I’m interested in seeing where it goes from here. I have many questions and I want answers
Very cute, love the way Bastion’s character is fleshed out. Also enjoyed that healing magic had a price to pay and wasn’t just convenient to the story.
That said, there were several parts where I was very confused as to what was happening. There was one chapter I had to read twice and didn’t understand what was happening until context was established a few chapters later. I think I would have also really liked some kind of breadcrumb leading to each twist. They seemed to come from nowhere. Or maybe I missed the hints? I’m not sure. It didn’t have that “oh that’s why this was the way it is” satisfaction that we get with a twist reveal.
Overall, I still really liked the story! And I’m interested in seeing where it goes from here. I have many questions and I want answers
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m very thankful to have received an eARC of this book. It was a highly anticipated read for me! I mean, just look at that cover!! The artwork alone is enough to make me pick up and buy this book. They did a phenomenal job with it.
Now, onto the actual story...
I really liked the overall story and relationships, but I do feel like there was quite a bit missing. The world building, character development, and some of the general depictions all felt a little rushed. I think this could easily be a five star read for a lot of people if those areas were expanded on more. I didn’t feel like I got to know the characters (mostly the FMC) very deeply, which made parts of the reading experience feel a little disconnected for me. I’m really hopeful that some of these things will be expanded on at least a little before publication, but as of right now, I’d say this sits at about a 3.5 star read for me.
Now, onto the actual story...
I really liked the overall story and relationships, but I do feel like there was quite a bit missing. The world building, character development, and some of the general depictions all felt a little rushed. I think this could easily be a five star read for a lot of people if those areas were expanded on more. I didn’t feel like I got to know the characters (mostly the FMC) very deeply, which made parts of the reading experience feel a little disconnected for me. I’m really hopeful that some of these things will be expanded on at least a little before publication, but as of right now, I’d say this sits at about a 3.5 star read for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews