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The Fainting Spell: A Dark Ethereal Romance
A dark ethereal romance. It’s the end of the world and Vyla, the last mortal, falls into a sinkhole, descending into the depths of the Earth. In this world of darkness, she meets Rhodri, an Immortal Man of Stone. They are the last man and woman, and as they collide and spark, so do a cascade of paradoxes.
'Transcendent, esoteric, ethereal. It felt liminal and timeless'
'Transcendent, esoteric, ethereal. It felt liminal and timeless'
91 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 25, 2026
A lone woman plagued with the knowledge of being the only human left falls into the abyss. There, she meets the source of human kind's destruction. A man of stone. The entity of the unseen holds the power to destroy, but finds destruction in himself by the most unlikely candidate. Her.
This short little novella was unnerving in the most interesting way. These two play a dangerous game of push and pull. One is always on the line of going too far, close to snuffing out the other's existence.... But if one were to succeed, who would be left with the emptiness of being the last standing.
This is what dark ethereal romance books should be. A sense of erie dread a constant threat but overshadowed by the desperation of needing to be seen, to be heard, to be loved. It's a book where some pieces of the puzzle are intentionally left out or information remains vague to add to the mystery. This book will probably linger with me for a while. It gives us a lot to think about outside of the characters themselves.
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my review voluntarily. I also want to add that the art for this book is beautiful.
This short little novella was unnerving in the most interesting way. These two play a dangerous game of push and pull. One is always on the line of going too far, close to snuffing out the other's existence.... But if one were to succeed, who would be left with the emptiness of being the last standing.
This is what dark ethereal romance books should be. A sense of erie dread a constant threat but overshadowed by the desperation of needing to be seen, to be heard, to be loved. It's a book where some pieces of the puzzle are intentionally left out or information remains vague to add to the mystery. This book will probably linger with me for a while. It gives us a lot to think about outside of the characters themselves.
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my review voluntarily. I also want to add that the art for this book is beautiful.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much H.S. Wren for the early physical ARC!
The Fainting Spell by H.S. Wren was such a beautifully written and strangely mesmerizing read. The premise alone pulled me in immediately: Vyla, the last woman on earth, falling into the center of the earth and finding Rhodri, an immortal man made of stone. It felt otherwordly and intimate, unlike anything I’ve read before.
What kept me so invested was the dynamic between Vyla and Rhodri. Vyla constantly surprised me. She was bold in ways I did not expect, and I truly never knew what she was going to say or do next. There was something so compelling about watching her navigate not only this impossible new world, but also the weight of being the last human left. Her reactions felt sharp and emotional, sometimes unpredictable.
Rhodri completely captured my attention. Watching him try to understand human interaction, emotion, and connection was one of the most fascinating parts of the story for me. There was something so tender about seeing him slowly experience feelings he had never known before. The confusion between them was both captivating and, at times, deliciously frustrating, which only made me want to keep turning the pages.
This story felt hauntingly beautiful from start to finish. The writing had a very immersive quality, and I found myself growing especially attached to Rhodri. By the end, I was left craving more of their future together and wanting to linger a little longer in this unusual world at the center of the earth.
The Fainting Spell by H.S. Wren was such a beautifully written and strangely mesmerizing read. The premise alone pulled me in immediately: Vyla, the last woman on earth, falling into the center of the earth and finding Rhodri, an immortal man made of stone. It felt otherwordly and intimate, unlike anything I’ve read before.
What kept me so invested was the dynamic between Vyla and Rhodri. Vyla constantly surprised me. She was bold in ways I did not expect, and I truly never knew what she was going to say or do next. There was something so compelling about watching her navigate not only this impossible new world, but also the weight of being the last human left. Her reactions felt sharp and emotional, sometimes unpredictable.
Rhodri completely captured my attention. Watching him try to understand human interaction, emotion, and connection was one of the most fascinating parts of the story for me. There was something so tender about seeing him slowly experience feelings he had never known before. The confusion between them was both captivating and, at times, deliciously frustrating, which only made me want to keep turning the pages.
This story felt hauntingly beautiful from start to finish. The writing had a very immersive quality, and I found myself growing especially attached to Rhodri. By the end, I was left craving more of their future together and wanting to linger a little longer in this unusual world at the center of the earth.
Review of advance copy received from Author
There’s something deeply liminal about this story - like standing in a place that isn’t quite life or death, past or future, but something in between.
The Fainting Spell feels less like a novella and more like an experience. It’s quiet, introspective, and heavy with symbolism. The world itself is stripped down to almost nothing - just darkness, depth, and two beings colliding in it.
Vyla and Rhodri aren’t just characters - they feel like opposing forces. Mortal vs. immortal. Soft vs. unyielding. There’s a constant tension between them that isn’t just romantic - it’s existential. Their connection is uncomfortable at times, magnetic at others, and always layered with meaning.
The pacing is slow, but intentionally so. This isn’t a story you rush through - it’s one you sink into. It asks you to sit with the emotions, the ambiguity, the strangeness of it all.
It won’t be for everyone, especially if you’re looking for a traditional romance or plot-driven story. But if you love atmospheric, almost poetic narratives that explore connection, isolation, and what it means to exist at the end of everything… this one lingers.
The Fainting Spell feels less like a novella and more like an experience. It’s quiet, introspective, and heavy with symbolism. The world itself is stripped down to almost nothing - just darkness, depth, and two beings colliding in it.
Vyla and Rhodri aren’t just characters - they feel like opposing forces. Mortal vs. immortal. Soft vs. unyielding. There’s a constant tension between them that isn’t just romantic - it’s existential. Their connection is uncomfortable at times, magnetic at others, and always layered with meaning.
The pacing is slow, but intentionally so. This isn’t a story you rush through - it’s one you sink into. It asks you to sit with the emotions, the ambiguity, the strangeness of it all.
It won’t be for everyone, especially if you’re looking for a traditional romance or plot-driven story. But if you love atmospheric, almost poetic narratives that explore connection, isolation, and what it means to exist at the end of everything… this one lingers.
May 3, 2026
"We are forbidden."
This dark ethereal romance has post-apocalyptical end of days plot with an eerie and almost sinister undertones, loneliness and longing, forbidden love and enemies to lovers, dual POV of the last woman on earth and an immortal man of stone after she falls through a sinkhole into the center of the earth. Both intimate and chaotic, laced with magic and symbolism, emotional and stoic, this short read will have you in a hauntingly beautiful daze!!
The writing is unique, almost prose or lyrical, but enjoyable none the less. This read is a sort of monster romance unlike any I have read before. Characters are multifaceted and yet simple enough that their connection seems genuine. The gradual understanding that the MMC goes through as he learns to feel and emote is beautiful and heart breaking at the same time. I read this in one sitting, not just because it’s a novella, but because I was captivated and lost in the world H. Scribe Wren created.
“We are still the Last in an empty world, Full of bones.”
This dark ethereal romance has post-apocalyptical end of days plot with an eerie and almost sinister undertones, loneliness and longing, forbidden love and enemies to lovers, dual POV of the last woman on earth and an immortal man of stone after she falls through a sinkhole into the center of the earth. Both intimate and chaotic, laced with magic and symbolism, emotional and stoic, this short read will have you in a hauntingly beautiful daze!!
The writing is unique, almost prose or lyrical, but enjoyable none the less. This read is a sort of monster romance unlike any I have read before. Characters are multifaceted and yet simple enough that their connection seems genuine. The gradual understanding that the MMC goes through as he learns to feel and emote is beautiful and heart breaking at the same time. I read this in one sitting, not just because it’s a novella, but because I was captivated and lost in the world H. Scribe Wren created.
“We are still the Last in an empty world, Full of bones.”
Review of advance copy received from Author
This novella is so much more than I had expected! This is such a unique and captivating story! The depth of it and the growth between these characters made it such a wonderful read! I was pulled in on page one, fully fascinated to down the entire book!
Rhodri is a mystery to Vyla while he is intrigued by her and it leads to some fantastic banter. The confrontation, growth, and emotion between these two was very compelling! This story develops so well and is highly entertaining! Despite only being 79 pages, it felt fully complete! Lovely novella!! Definitely recommend!
Thank you so much for this ARC!!
Rhodri is a mystery to Vyla while he is intrigued by her and it leads to some fantastic banter. The confrontation, growth, and emotion between these two was very compelling! This story develops so well and is highly entertaining! Despite only being 79 pages, it felt fully complete! Lovely novella!! Definitely recommend!
Thank you so much for this ARC!!
April 27, 2026
This felt like such a unique take on “the last two people on earth”. A final romance wrapped in magic, resilience, and some genuinely unexpected twists. Even though it’s a shorter read, it never felt lacking. Every moment had purpose, and the story kept pulling me in with its originality and emotional weight. The strength of the characters and the magic woven throughout made this such a memorable afternoon read.
If you’re looking for something quick, different, and quietly powerful… this one’s worth picking up.
I was generously gifted a softcover copy of The Fainting Spell and I’m so grateful I got to experience this one 🖤 Thank you so much!
If you’re looking for something quick, different, and quietly powerful… this one’s worth picking up.
I was generously gifted a softcover copy of The Fainting Spell and I’m so grateful I got to experience this one 🖤 Thank you so much!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Summary: Vyla finds herself injured, falling into a sinkhole. She meets Rhodri, immortal, made of stone. She finds out she is the last of her kind. It's their story...a post-apocalyptic romance between the last female mortal and the destroyer of worlds.
This book is so different from books I've read before. Paradoxes throughout which allowes the characters evolve.
When it got to the good part...the romance was short but hot! It made me want to read more! I enjoyed the book and I can't wait to read more from this author.
H.S. Wren, please continue the story! I'm dying to read more about Vyla and Rhodri! It can't be the end for them!
This book is so different from books I've read before. Paradoxes throughout which allowes the characters evolve.
When it got to the good part...the romance was short but hot! It made me want to read more! I enjoyed the book and I can't wait to read more from this author.
H.S. Wren, please continue the story! I'm dying to read more about Vyla and Rhodri! It can't be the end for them!
April 21, 2026
My first physical arc ever, and it was something I truly didn't expect. The push and pull between Rhodri and Vyla was equal parts frustrating, entertaining, and heartbreaking. The paradoxes as they happened were so intriguing. The world building was not forced, it was flawlessly executed in getting the point across of what happened to Earth, as well as giving us some insight on who and what Rhodri is. I was honestly emotionally connected very quickly to both of them. The way that it was written was absolutely gorgeous.
April 25, 2026
RATING: 4.75
This novella completely captivated me. In under 80 pages, it builds a world that feels complete, with Vyla’s loneliness and Rhodri’s stone cold mystery pulling you in from the start.
Their banter is sharp, their connection layered with tension and emotion, and the poetic, tragic tone lingers long after. The strange paradoxes make it feel completely unique.
It’s rare for something this short to feel so complete, but this one absolutely does. It reads like a myth you wish had more pages, but also like it ended exactly where it needed to.
This novella completely captivated me. In under 80 pages, it builds a world that feels complete, with Vyla’s loneliness and Rhodri’s stone cold mystery pulling you in from the start.
Their banter is sharp, their connection layered with tension and emotion, and the poetic, tragic tone lingers long after. The strange paradoxes make it feel completely unique.
It’s rare for something this short to feel so complete, but this one absolutely does. It reads like a myth you wish had more pages, but also like it ended exactly where it needed to.
May 1, 2026
I’m not totally sure what I expected when I picked this book up, but I can promise you it is nothing compared to what actually happened in the book.
I was, for majority of the book, in a constant state of WTF, what am I reading? And why am I so obsessed? I have never read a book like this ever in my life and if I could have one critique it would be, then I wish it was longer.
It was intriguing, fascinating, out worldly, intense, and honestly- just one of a kind. So if you’re into a books that kind of make you think the entire time but are just super fascinating. This is the book for you.
I was, for majority of the book, in a constant state of WTF, what am I reading? And why am I so obsessed? I have never read a book like this ever in my life and if I could have one critique it would be, then I wish it was longer.
It was intriguing, fascinating, out worldly, intense, and honestly- just one of a kind. So if you’re into a books that kind of make you think the entire time but are just super fascinating. This is the book for you.
May 19, 2026
Firstly, I would like to say thank you for the physical copy of this book as an ARC, it was an incredible book!
This is a short little novella that is packed with plot about the world ending and Vyla being the last human gets dragged into a sink hole into the unknown.
Both these characters put you through it, the push and pull they had trying to push the other to their limit was unbelievable and you felt it. I just wanted to scream that it was okay that they liked each other!
I can’t wait to see where it goes from here or if these characters get their happy ending.
This is a short little novella that is packed with plot about the world ending and Vyla being the last human gets dragged into a sink hole into the unknown.
Both these characters put you through it, the push and pull they had trying to push the other to their limit was unbelievable and you felt it. I just wanted to scream that it was okay that they liked each other!
I can’t wait to see where it goes from here or if these characters get their happy ending.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a captivating novella this was. Poetic, tragic, with the perfect balance of plot, world building and character development for the length of the book. I was able to paint the perfect picture of Vyla, the last human woman, and Rhodri, the immortal man of stone, in my head. I still think about these two often and would love to read more novellas about them and their post-apocalyptic relationship!
April 25, 2026
This book I was honor to be an arc. I have to say the style and how she wrote this story was phenomenal in every way! This is about love between two people that is last on this earth. Well she the last female and he is the last elemental man. But the characters was well written and their emotions and expressions was written well that you could feel it. It was a fast and instantly hook read. Please go check this out and support her.
April 21, 2026
This novella is small but mighty. 5 stars for this authors book debut. Her writing is enticing and dreamlike. I admired the way she describes Vyla and Rhodri’s intricate relationship. Everything about Rhodri is otherworldly, and I enjoyed reading how he unravels for Vyla and how she succumbs to him. Their love is damned and hopeless, but it is beautiful all the same.
Review of advance copy
Haunting, sharp, and emotionally charged. Vyla cracking through Rhodri’s stone existence is symbolic and brutal all at once.
The constant back-and-forth between love and resentment hits hard. Slight pacing issues, but the atmosphere makes up for it. I honestly hope there is a 2nd novella that follows their journey!
The constant back-and-forth between love and resentment hits hard. Slight pacing issues, but the atmosphere makes up for it. I honestly hope there is a 2nd novella that follows their journey!
May 2, 2026
This book brought forth a symbolism that questioned what it means to be human. It's pretty prose crafted a a beauty and the beast narrative where the power struggle reflected the female and male mcs personalities. I found Vvla and Rhodri dance to be both erotic and thought provoking. I look forward to reading more stories from this author.
May 2, 2026
This book brought forth a symbolism that questioned what it means to be human. It's pretty prose crafted a a beauty and the beast narrative where the power struggle reflected the female and male mcs personalities. I found Vvla and Rhodri dance to be both erotic and thought provoking. I look forward to reading more stories from this author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved it! A beautiful piece of art. Not 100% sure I understood it but this novella will definitely stick with me.
April 30, 2026
What a unique read! The Fainting Spell pulls you along needing to know the next part of the story. A uniquely wrote novella of ethereal end of world romance that sheds some light in the dark.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dark Ethereal Dystopian Romance 2pov
I have to say bravo! In the small amount of pages, compared to my normal amount, the author was able to make me emotionally connect to both characters. The story and world building were 100% original and not shoved down your throat all at once. It was told throughout the storyline so you don't end up with pages upon pages of dumped information.
I have to say bravo! In the small amount of pages, compared to my normal amount, the author was able to make me emotionally connect to both characters. The story and world building were 100% original and not shoved down your throat all at once. It was told throughout the storyline so you don't end up with pages upon pages of dumped information.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews