The Devil of Tarsyn Forest

by Aalis Blue

When Azul awakens in a foreign world, she's already trapped as a pawn in a royal conspiracy.

Her only ally is Ragnar Valthorne, a warlord whose curse marks him as 'blessed' by death and whose need for her political acumen matches her need for his protection.

But conspiracies, once started, rarely end as planned.

When a forgotten power left by a nameless god emerges from the wreckage of the royal family's ambitions, Azul will claim it—no matter the cost.

For she shall either find a way or make one.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy

670 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2026

Reviews

[Ali (Taylor’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could take them both (and not in a fight)

[charlene ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

happy release day!!

5 stars
★★★★★

⋆ Thank you to the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ⋆

What an exceptional book. One of my favourite books of the year. Pre-ordered expeditiously!! (currently $0.99 so grab your copy now!!)


A rich, multi-cultural dark romantasy with a Nigerian cultural influence and drenched in political intrigue... I was sat and I didn't get back up until this was done. Incredible start of a series.

This story is about the women. The power they hold, that surrounds them, the power they claim and slowly met out. In a world structured to diminish them, women are the centre, the heartbeat and lifeblood. The Devil of Tarsyn Forest centres the complex women in power, and play the games of politics and war.

"Her father told her once: if one wishes to build an army, they need one of three things- great wealth, great reputation, or great power."

Adopted by the crown, she is the new princess, to be used as a political pawn in an arranged marriage and secure an alliance. Her betrothed is the deadly Ragnar Valthorne, Great Khan of the Valthrone tribe, the infamous warlord. Marriage to this warlord is a death sentence. Her future was sold and decided for her, but she will not go down willingly or quietly.

"Warlords who enslaved without care. Who killed and conquered and left nothing but ash in their wake. Warlords who had no allies, only enemies. Warlords whose wives rarely survived more than a few years before dying from violence, disease or despair. Who wedded slaves, not free women.
She was a slave, wasn't she? An expensive slave, but a slave nonetheless.
They were sending her to die.
And expecting her to be grateful to be they'd warned her."

Ambitious and willing sacrifice anyone and anything, Azul is accustomed to be untrusting and unbendable. She is a woman given very few freedoms, so she must take them, by force, or cunning. Her safety is an illusion, so she carves out a space for herself from the flesh of those that threaten it, and those who have brought her pain. Azul is a cunning, intelligent, vengeful and ruthless character, scheming and plotting her way into power. She is the embodiment of feminine rage, a weapon forged from despair now aimed at burning down the world.

"If she were angry every time she faced injustice in this world, she would anger herself to death."

The romance was delicious. Ragnar was filled with yearning and devotion, and the slow-burn simmered, laying the foundation for the next book.

What this book does so well is highlight the agency and autonomy and how women suffer from the worst. Wives, daughters, sisters, servants, all suffer from the hands of men, all must sacrifice and use their wits to survive, to thrive, to be have a sliver power and security. It highlights the betrayal of other women to uphold and perpetuate the misogynist and sexist structures that will ultimately fail them.

"there was nowhere women did not suffer under the hands of men"

I cannot wait for the rest of the series!!!

Would I recommend this book??
I love this book so much. I would definitely recommend it 💖

Will I re-read this book?
babes I don't own this book but I pre-ordered its so I can reread this to my hearts content.

⋆ tropes: ⋆
- arranged marriage
- reluctant allies to lovers
- political intrigue and schemes
- rise and fall of empires
- Nigerian culture
- revenge plot
- feminine rage
- gods
- morally grey characters

⋆ please check the content warnings as this one is a dark romantasy with some heavy and sensitive topics!! ⋆
☞ content warnings: **contains spoilers**
adoption, alcohol consumption, animal attack, animal death, arranged & forced marriage, blackmail, blood & gore depiction, bullying, captivity & confinement, classism, child abuse, childbirth (mentioned), colonisation, dead bodies & body parts, decapitation, death of a child, death of a parent & guardian, death of a sibling, death of a son, drugging, domestic abuse & violence, exile & banishment, grief & loss depiction, hanging, imprisonment, infertility (mentioned), intimate partner abuse & violence, knife, sword & axe violence, medical treatment, miscarriage (mentioned), murder & attempted murder, panic attacks, paralysis, pregnancy (mentioned), physical illness & injuries, poisoning, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), rape, scars, starvation, sterilisation, self-harm, sexual assault, sexual harassment, slavery, slut-shaming, strangulation, suicide, torture, weight loss, war themes & military violence.

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[viv]

wow i'm on a roll this is my second dnf in less than 10 hours lol🙂✌️🔫

[maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

we love azul

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very attractive tropes. A BEAUTIFUL, complex story with sooo many fantasy elements.
I absolutelyy enjoyed the read. The way the characters weave into each other's lives, the anger, the betrayal and the grief. I want to see this in an anime so bad??? The art is so beautiful, you get some art after every few chapters, *it feels like a reward.audio*

Azul (fmc) and Ragnar (mmc), our protagonists, are so COOL. Azul is witty, cunning and evil, I love that for her. Reminded me sooo much of Bulbbul YALL 😭 if you loved the movie you'd love this book! Ragnar is calculating, yet down BAD for his wife. I'm so mad that they didn't fuck in the book ok. 😔 I'll start eating the pages of the next book if they dont lmao.
Also Azul's pet snake??? it's eating ppl up like snacks i- 😭 an icon, a legend.

The side characters are just as vibrant and memorable. I love Nyraxa, Ragnar's assassin. Probably my fav side character. She would've loved making silly WhatsApp stickers of Ragnar just to ragebait him.

The prose of the story is just so cinematic???
Some lines went SO HARD for no reason. 😩🙏🏻
All the characters have well explored lore, as if the author has studied different types of traumatised people just to convert them into art. Even the relationship dynamics, the body language, everything between them goes unnoticed. I LOVE that. No character feels unnecessary to the story.

Be very careful with the TWs, it's a very dark story.
If you've been wanting to read a dark fantasy with intense, refreshing POC characters and slow burn romance on the side, this one's for you.
Thankyou to the author for sending me an early review copy. ❤️

[Érika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC for the marvelous adventure in exchange for an honest review.

And OMG! Honestly this book took me out of words on how much of an amazing adventure it was, I had to devour this book in less than two days cause I couldn’t put it down.

First of all, it was an AMAZING surprise to find the cast and culture of my fellow cousins Nigerians on this book. Along with the Mongolian (I figured he was Mongolian, but honestly I’m not sure) was so refreshing. Out of the amount of fantasy books with European gods and white small fragile girlies this was such a breath of fresh air, representative and beautifully made.

Azul is an INCREDIBLE character. When someone makes a clever girl, dressed in a sheep clothing, THIS is what I expected. She’s so smart, so ruthless and so set on her revenge it’s just inspiring. She’s beautiful, doesn’t lower her had to no one, and as she says many times in the book She dares, and she dares a lot of things. Everyone in this book gets obsessed with her and it’s understandable, cause I’m also so damn obsessed with her I want 5 books more with only her deceiving people and ending empires while looking beautiful.

The overall plot is so well made it’s insane. Lots of things remain unexplained at the start, in order to create a tension and a secret about the past, present and future that will come the light in the right moment to make you literally GASP! The politics, the religious plot, everything its written to a marvelous outcome and its so mature, so high fantasy I’m honestly in love. I’m sure after this I’ll end up in a reading slump for I wont be able to find anything to match this, but honestly I’m so happy I found my way to such and amazing book and such sweet author I’m not even mad about it.

The only way I can finish this review its by saying this is one of my favorite reads of the year and its a book you won’t be able to put down. If you love a strong female character that won’t lower her head to anyone and will seduce and deceive her way into bringing down an empire this book is to for you.

Super excited for the next books in this series!

[hea booktubes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an intriguing dark political romantasy. While the content warnings are significant I felt that they were all handled in a way that didn’t feel like too much. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, which might be one of my favorite things as well as my main critique. Turns out, this villain x villain romance actually contained some villains lol. I’m hoping she doesn’t have to endure as much in the next few books but I’m not confident lol. Her warlord is nothing but obsessed with her. This is an incredibly sweet romance, he’s 100% good to her. And the majority of the people who died, I was rooting to die lol. The politics were quite interesting. It was difficult sometimes to keep people straight. CW sexual assault, domestic violence, everyone is trying to kill everyone else and some of those attempts are difficult to watch.

[Le Cy · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5

To start off... Well, where do I even start with this? This was absolutely incredible. It came so close to perfection that it physically hurts my heart not to give it 5 stars. The synopsis promised, and the book absolutely delivered. I had to force myself to take my time with this book, because every intricacy of the plot and every little detail deserved that much attention.

The Devil of Tarsyn Forest is a revenge story filled to the brim with court intrigue, scheming, and a full cast of morally-gray characters. I absolutely adored the writing style from page one. The prose felt unique in a way that kept me completely hooked. Every word seemed deliberate and carefully placed, while still flowing effortlessly. And I also loved that the book opened with an epigraph. It really helped to set the tone, and after reading it, I immediately buckled up for whatever chaos I was about to get myself into lmao.

Almost instantly we're thrown straight into the depths of the political intrigue, and when I say the plot hits the ground SPRINTING, I mean it. The story felt incredibly fast-paced, yet everything remained layered, calculated and unpredictable. Every single chapter the reader is presented with new information that completely shifts the bigger picture, and we have to piece together Azul's plan as we read, which I found to be super engaging.

Beyond that, the dialogue felt so... real. Each character had distinct personalities, and their speech reflected that perfectly. All their interactions, their choices of words, their actions, constantly revealed who they were as people. And that made the characters genuinely feel three-dimensional.

Speaking of characters, I absolutely loved all the women in this book. Azul, Chidinma, Obiageli, Nyraxa, Nkiru, heck, even the Ugoeze and Iyom. They were all fascinating in their own ways: cunning, intelligent, brave, ambitious, and strong. This is exactly the type of female representation I live for in books. Azul in particular was just such an compelling character to read about. She fascinated me from beginning to end, and while I didn't agree with all of her choices, I fully understood what she stood for. She made it so easy to root for her, even at her cruelest. I also really enjoyed some of the male characters, Ragnar and Borji in particular were my favourites, but again, all the characters felt distinct and purposeful, each carrying their own agendas and motivations, and it made the interactions between these characters so much more interesting.

The relationship between Azul and Ragnar in particular leaves so much more to be desired, and I'm already so excited to see how they will grow together in the next installments of the series. Ragnar absolutely stole my heart lol. He spends a good portion of the book being the very embodiment of yearning, and I genuinely loved the dynamic and the tension between the two of them.

The only thing that is preventing me from giving this book a full 5 stars is that I ocassionally struggled to keep up with the plot. Is that partially a me problem? Honestly, maybe. But I think that for a large portion of the book, I felt like I only understood about 60% of what was happening, and I found myself having to constantly refer back to previous chapters and other notes I'd taken just to keep up with everything. I feel like the author juggles so many intricate details and plot points at once that sometimes, the story can become a bit convoluted. I also would have appreciated a little more time dedicated purely to worldbuilding. I think easing readers into the world more gradually would have helped make everything much easier to follow, instead of throwing everything at the reader all at once. That said, I do understand that slowing down for more exposition may come with the cost of the book's intense pacing. (And while I'm aware that the glossary is there for any confusion with the titles and terminologies, my confusion was more about the larger political landscape and faction dynamics rather than the vocabulary itself...)

Nonetheless, this was a phenomenal read. I am so glad to have picked this up, and I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for The Viper in the Winter Boudoir. And if you felt that this review intrigued you in any way, please, please, PLEASE pick up the book!!

(P.S. I love that I caught some Chinese-inspired phrases throughout the book, and I'm assuming the author is also a fan of Chinese media like I am!! I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on all the cultural inspirations behind the story, but it was a very refreshing setting as compared to all the other fantasy books I've been reading)

(P.P.S. I ALSO DID NOT REALISE THE AUTHOR IS SUCH A TALENTED ARTIST)

(P.P.P.S. I also want to commemorate the fact that I finished reading this on my birthday, yay!)

Thank you Aalis Blue for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Nao :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑦𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡
𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑏𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝟷

First of all I would like to thanks the author for sending me this arc I was just so happy to get selected to arc read Queen of Sheba 🌱

🩷/5

🐍 The thing I liked the most in this book is the theological aspect; it’s a rich world with a lot of lore, and I really liked the way she keeps some mystery and makes us discover them through the book. I’m so excited to get more lore in the other books because I feel that I’m going to be surprised by what’s going to happen

⋆༺𓆩 ‧˚𓆙˚‧ 𓆪༻⋆

🐍 The court intrigue >>> there’s a lot of politics setting and I don’t honestly think that it’s really a romantasy but more a fantasy with romance (I think it’s why I liked it that much). There’s enough interaction to make us want more but that’s not the main plot and that’s really good.

⋆༺𓆩 ‧˚𓆙˚‧ 𓆪༻⋆

🐍 My girl Azul, I was rotting for her throughout the book. She’s the villain, but she has every right to be. She’s cunning, deadly, smart, and very manipulative of EVERY thing/one around her.
she just refuses to be the victim of her fate and just wow, her character was so well written I loved the way she’s not scared to do monstrous things but she never does it herself she makes people do it for her, every time I was like “dang she’s smart”

⋆༺𓆩 ‧˚𓆙˚‧ 𓆪༻⋆

🐍 Now Ragnar 🌝obviously I love him too, he’s my kind of MMC, down bad for his woman doing EVERYTHING for her, their interactions were so cute because I feel like at first he is totally secretive and I think he has too a lot of lore I just can’t wait to see him even more. At first, it was clearly an alliance, but he fell almost instantly for her. I miss them already😔

⋆༺𓆩 ‧˚𓆙˚‧ 𓆪༻⋆

🐍 It will be released on the 1st of July, featuring 3 different editions: Illustrated Hardback with bonus chapters (only for preorder), illustrated paperback, and Amazon paperback. For more details, you can go to the author account🌱

[Anastasiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I looked forward to this release for months, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit of a flop compared to the massive hype it received. While the core concepts of this dark political romantasy are undeniably awesome, the execution felt messy, rushed, and ultimately dissatisfying.

My biggest disappointment was the transmigration element, which - in my opinion - served almost zero purpose and felt like narrative clickbait. We get a dramatic first chapter where someone enters Azul’s murdered body, but we are given absolutely no insight into who this possessor actually is. How does she instantly understand the complex political landscape and navigate high-stakes world dynamics? While we see snippets of her physically suffering as she gains Azul’s memories, the logistics make no sense. Even her knowledge of herbs and healing is left ambiguous-is it the possessor's knowledge or Azul's muscle memory? It felt almost redundant.

While I enjoyed the concept of Azul being a schemer & ruthless chess master, the book suffers from "telling instead of showing." To be clear, I didn’t want all of Azul's scheming to be spelt out for me - I actually loved that parts of her plan were sprung on us. However, we aren't given enough breadcrumbs to try and put the pieces together ourselves. Instead of a satisfying "Omg, of COURSE!" moment where everything clicks into place, the plots are just suddenly dropped on the reader with a vibe of, "Oh wow, she orchestrated all of this?"

I wanted her to be much more ruthless and truly lean into being a villain. Her attitude of, "I am going to eradicate you because you are a thorn in my side," lacked the deep, villainous weight it needed. For example, if we had actually gotten graphic scenes of Azul actively murdering people specifically to feed her giant snake companion, it would have leaned much heavier into her being a "true" villain. Instead, her darker edge was glossed over. Speaking of the snake, he felt utterly random and severely lacked page time. There was no real exploration of his dynamic with Azul to justify caring about him. To be completely honest, I literally would not have cared if he died because there was zero emotional connection or stakes established. His presence, along with his abnormally fast and large growth, ultimately seemed redundant - even though I feel like I know where the plot is heading towards with his presence. I hope it will be explored with more depth in the next book.

The romance and the character of Ragnar fell entirely flat for me. I didn't see Ragnar as a villain at all - just a warlord doing his job. His supposed "curse" (a scarred face and dying wives??) felt incredibly mediocre for a high-fantasy setting. His "simping" energy needed way more intensity and depth. His attraction just sort of happens because Azul acts differently than other women, which felt lazy. It desperately needed more exploration, time, and higher stakes to make me care. Furthermore, the stakes surrounding the King and the Titans didn't hold enough weight. Why is it so vital that the gates remain closed? The sudden introduction of complex family ties was a really interesting concept, but it wasn't nearly fleshed out enough for me to care. Because of the narrative's emotional detachment, a major, high-stakes family betrayal in the book ultimately carried zero emotional impact.

The world-building here was too much, too quick, and incredibly confusing. The different factions, families, environment, and characters were messily handled, some aspects feeling like they were thrown in purely for the sake of looking "complex." I actually had to re-read sections, and then the entire book, just to make sense of it.

The saving grace of the book was the POV style. I loved how the perspectives were written, particularly how the timeline almost misleads the reader. Only two months pass in the book, yet the narrative formatting made it feel simultaneously significantly longer and like only a couple of weeks.

The Devil of Tarsyn Forest has an incredible blueprint - truly, but it is bogged down by poor execution, a redundant magic system, and a plot that doesn't justify a sequel. I didn't hate it, but because I wanted to love it so much, the missed opportunities left me deeply disappointed. If you are looking for a tightly plotted transmigration story or a deeply earned villain romance, this might leave you feeling just as unsatisfied as I was.

[Talia N · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you very much to the author for sending me an e-arc of this book.

who doesn't love a good revenge story?

the devil of tarsyn forest was fast-paced, ambitious, and packed to the brim with political maneuvering, morally gray characters, and more than enough moving parts to make this story feel satisfying to read. i had a lot of fun with this book and i can appreciate how well the complexities of this world are presented without feeling too sloggish. the prose was easy to read, it flowed well, and stays this way throughout while the story throws things at you from left, right, and centre.

that being said, a gripe that i had with this book was the fact that it tries to be *everything* at once. the worldbuilding pulls a lot of inspiration from middle-eastern, african, and vaguely asian cultures, and while i admire the intention of building a complex and lived-in world, the execution makes it feel like they were there 'just because', rather than being fully fleshed out. at points, it reads more like a world that's trying to prove that yes it is complex and there are Things Happening.

and things do get complex very quickly. as a seasoned high fantasy reader, i felt like i could mostly keep up and parse with everything we get introduced to, although even then it felt a little more demanding than needed at points. you get hit with all these different names, titles, terminology, factions really early on in the story and if you're not paying attention, it would be easy to get lost. it's not that this book inherently bad or badly written, i'm not saying that at all. more like, it assumes that the reader has spent equal amounts of time in this world and with these characters as the author has, which is most definitely not the case. so whenever a new threat or new faction or a sometimes even a new character is introduced, we get rushed along too quickly as if we were supposed to have instantly understood exactly where this piece of the puzzle goes.

one of my biggest questions while reading this was azul's motive beyond 'these people treated me badly so i'm going to kill them all'. she has so so much potential as a complex and morally gray character and i feel like a lot of this nuance was not fully explored. even beyond the halfway point, i still felt like i wanted more clarity about azul, what she wants to do, why she's in the body that she's in, and ultimately, what it all means. there were definitely hints but i feel like those breadcrumbs don't pay off in satisfying ways.

in terms of characters, there are a LOT of them and to me, that serves as both the appeal and the issue, if that makes sense. too many characters are introduced too quickly and there just isn't enough space for the main cast to fully settle into their roles. relationships between different characters are presented with almost a passing remark and that meant that we didn't get the depth of those relationships needed to make those big reveals land stronger emotionally.

however, i did really enjoy azul as a character. she's cunning in a way that feels earned and i loved the fact that this book let her embrace her darker side. it was such a refreshing change of pace to see that the people who have wronged her in the past are dealt with just like that. it's cold, it's harsh, and it definitely feels very satisfying. however, i feel like azul could have been explored even more as a villain. a lot of her backstory feels like pretty standard main character arcs, with just a bit of a darker edge. we can see that she's headstrong and shrewd and at times just outright merciless but that's more often than not shown through what's going on around her, as opposed to us knowing her inner thoughts and motivations on a deeper level.

and the ending just works. after the culmination of the politicking and scheming and twists, it felt justified and i finished this book feeling like i had just finished off a nice strawberry shortcake.

overall, this book is a good story with its strengths in plot, prose, and pacing, but i do think that it needs a little sanding down around the edges, perhaps fewer characters being introduced at once, more time for the emotional moments to hit, or just clearer payoffs to some of the still-unanswered mysteries by the end of the book.

a very solid story and i had a lot of fun reading this! 3.5/5

[Sofi Paczka · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fascination with Azul can only be described as love at first sight. In case you didn’t know, Aalis is an incredibly talented artist who, alongside others, teased the most stunning portraits, and I was inevitably drawn in. Once I began reading, maybe without even realizing it, I fell deeply for this woman.

If this were a love triangle between Ragnar and me, I would go to war for her (though, obviously, the Khan would wipe the floor with me :). From the very first moment, she was female rage incarnate and the living embodiment of women ruling the world. I was so captivated by her scheming and planning. She was always so far ahead of the game she might as well have created it. And that, as a woman, felt incredibly empowering.

Without excelling in martial arts or battlefield combat, she brought an entire nation to its knees. I became obsessed with trying to understand what she was planning, what was going on in her mind. I don’t mind admitting there were moments I felt completely lost, moments of little faith when it seemed like everything was about to fall apart… and then she would laugh maniacally, as if every piece were simply clicking into place. It was addictive.

I hadn’t realized I’d grown complacent to a certain kind of fantasy, and don’t get me wrong, there are many great books, recognized or not, that I’ve loved, but this felt different. This is the kind of story that’s refreshing, unique, and utterly enthralling. It reminded me why I fell in love with this genre in the first place, and how much I’ve missed richly intricate world-building.

I’ve never described a book this way before, but it felt… nutritious (when you read it you’ll know what I mean). Every character had their own agenda, and you’re just there, watching it all unfold; alliances forming, betrayals cutting deep. There wasn’t a clear line between good and bad, I guess everyone was simply trying to survive until the winner took it all.

And amidst all the chaos, the battles, the wreckage, the bloodshed, there’s something achingly beautiful about Ragnar’s devotion to Azul. I wish there were someone so willing to burn everything he’s built just to keep me by his side. I’m convinced that if she asked for his heart, he would rip it from his chest and place it in her hands. That’s the level of devotion we’re talking about. I’ve highlighted so many quotes I don’t even know which one is my favorite.

I’m so excited to know this is only the beginning of what feels like a life-changing story, one I truly hope reaches the farthest corners of the world. And I’m so grateful to be here, witnessing it come to life.

A true pleasure, Aalis, infinite thanks for welcoming to this wonderful community, let’s build the Empire of Sheba together.

[Anne (eggcatsreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political revenge fantasy with a romance that will change the destiny of the world itself.

This book had me hooked from the start, with an intense beginning that brings us into the worldbuilding as suddenly as Azul herself arrives. I love political fantasy and loved watching her maneuver and scheme her way throughout the palace as she clawed at the only way she could grab at the power she craved, and then loved how she effortlessly seduced Ragnar so much that he was willing to throw everything away just to follow her.

They were amazing to read together and I loved it every time they interacted.

With dark political themes and a thirst for revenge, I loved this book from start to finish and will absolutely be checking out where this story goes next.

Thank you to the author for a review copy.

[✧༺Saby༻∞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars!!

Characters: 10/10
Storyline: 10/10

SPOILER WARNING!!!

WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?? This book had me in a chokehold from the beginning, omg. From the African and Asian elements to how the characters were written and presented was done so beautifully. The blend of cultures, mythology, and traditions with the fantasy aspect made this book 10xs more immersive than I was expecting. I love how we got to be in the characters' heads and hear their individual voices; it truly gave the story so much more depth and made it unforgettable. I am so sad that I finished this because I am NOT ready to depart from this world and its characters, and I genuinely cannot wait for book two, which I know will be as good or even better than this book.

Azul is officially in my top 5 FMC's ever!! From her wit to how she takes situations and turns things around in her favour, everything about her is so enchanting. Call me Ragnar with the way I am enchanted by her mind and beauty. She had me in her side from the get-go because of how she was treated, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her bring the entire palace that caused her so much pain to their knees. The way she not only takes out the Iyom, Ugeoze, Somadina, etc but she also ensures the crown for Borji as she promised; it was magnificent. SHE is magnificent, and I am so excited to read more about her!!

My favorite thing about Ragnar is that he isn't watered down to be down bad for Azul, and instead he is well aware of how he is walking straight into a situation where she controls him, and he willingly goes. The way he goes from viewing Azul as someone who is intriguing to someone he is willing to go to war for is so fascinating. Watching him fall, willingly, had me giggling. Everyone thinks he's a lovesick fool, but in reality he trusts his Khatun and will do everything she wants. The way he begs her for their marriage to be real in the end had me SWOONING. Ugh, Ragnar, the man you are.

Borji was such a confusing character before his Djinn origins were revealed. At some part i hated him and other times I loved him, but I guess that was the design of his character. Nkiru made me fall in love with her the moment she stayed with Azul and all the other girls went to the Iyom, and when she "betrayed" Azul. Chidima not betraying Azul was a nice surprise. Soomadina's end was the most gratifying, most deserved ending I have ever read for such a disgusting character. He was a woman-beater, a rapist, and worst of all, a man with so much audacity that he thought the woman he assaulted, killed, and abused would crown him Igwe. I despised him from the beginning, and I felt like clawing out my skin whenever I had to read his pov and I actually cheered when he got killed, and it finally hit him that Azul just does not care about him. I honestly thought the alliance would fall apart because of her, but I was shocked when it was Azul's twin sister. These characters, along with the expansive cast of the book, made me love the book even more.

[Sarha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before anything, thanks so much @aalisblue
for giving me the opportunity to read your book in advance.

Queen of Sheda is a dark romantasy, and it comes out on July 1st.

What a book. The author paints a rich world filled with culture, gods, and folklore—I especially loved that part. Everything around theology, even if it’s a small part of the book, was brilliant and well developed. I really hope we’ll see much more of it in the future.

The FMC, Azul, is not kind—she’s ambitious and will do anything to gain power. And to be honest, I loved that about her. She knows she has to fight to get what she wants, and she will do literally everything to get it, even if she has to commit treason.

I loved the politics—it was really intense, so much that sometimes I got a bit lost, but I was still fully invested. In every chapter, something happens: plot twists, deaths, alliances…

And I really loved Ragnar, our MMC. The yearning is insane—it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. He’s so deeply devoted to her, and he would do anything for her. I can’t wait to read more about them together.

I highly recommend this book!!!

[Hannah A · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this. I would appreciate prolly maybe some more smut. If I am honest this has to be my favorite of the year. Especially the art pieces. I dont like to continuation books but good god its worth it. and doesnt end on cliffhanger.

[Elara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need the second book now

[Anastassia · Rating 4 out of 5]

gave this book 4 starts which seems reasonable to me.
+
1. love book's atmosphere, the cultural aspect- which i can see in clothes, celebrations, traditions
2. main characters. Azul is such a baddie, Ragnar is yearner.
3. multi pov
4. world building ( hope in the next books there will be more of it)
-
although book has multiple pov and I always love it, I sometimes had problems with it. lots of character it was really difficult to memorize them, who
did want and who is who. I also sometimes didn't understand how characters got into certain locations

Overall, love this book, certainly didn't expect this book to be soo good!

[Percephonee · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Disclaimer ✨

My rating is based on MY enjoyment and/or displeasure with this work. It is not a guarantee that everyone or anyone else will enjoy it. My review explains the reason for my rating, why I think others who enjoy similar genres MIGHT want to give this work a read. These are solely my opinions and observations.


📚The Rundown: 📚
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Level: 3/5
Genre: Fantasy romance/Political Intrigue/High Fantasy/Alternate History Historical Romance/Dark Epic Fantasy
Tropes: Arranged marriage, Enemies to Allies to…??, Yearning.


TL;DR/ Accessible rating version:


🚨 Trigger Warnings🚨
SA (Alluded to; not described on page)
Psychological, Physical, and Emotional Abuse and Manipulation, including Starvation and gaslighting
Violence (combat)
Blood and gore
Child abuse and neglect
Misogyny
Mention and description of torture and starvation
Deaths of family members
Violence against Women
Threat of SA
Reproductive coercion


Finished series: No ❌
Standalone: No❌
Tropes/Story Elements:

FMC who is "A villain"
He falls first
Traumatic pasts and origins
Soul swapping/sharing
Morally Black MCs
Tortured/Brooding MMC
Touch her and die
Lost and found sibling


Representation:
BIPOC coded characters throughout the book


Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
POV: Multi-POV✌🏽
Plot twist: 💥💥💥💥
Plot predictability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Main story contains multiple unpredictable plot twists and betrayals, The depths of Azul's cunning and planning are revealed slowly throughout the book!
Spice content: 🔥🔥 🌶The Quality is okay, it is not explicit, and there isn't a lot of it.
Cliffhanger ending: ❌
Combat: ⚔️ ⚔️
Overall writing quality: ✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽 ✍🏽
Romance: 💖💖💖
Hetero romance: ✅
LGBTQ romance: ❌
Character Development: ✨✨✨✨ There is not so much character development as there is character revelation. Development to me is when there is a change in the morality, beliefs, and behaviors of an MC. There was not really a change that I could determine from the Characters as they are introduced from the beginning of the book to the end. Except with maybe Ragnar.
Overall Enjoyment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Perfect. No notes.

Recommended for readers who like:
K-Dramas and C-Dramas
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Crier's War by Nina Varela



Full rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕"The end of a man will always be his own lasciviousness." 💕


Synopsis:

Azul is a girl who was purchased to join the Igwe's (King's) Household. Though she does not join his Harem as a wife, more of an adopted sister, which somewhat explains why she was in such a strange in-between place in the palace; a woman in the palace is either part of the harem as a wife/concubine or a servant. She fit in neither category.

During a festival, a traumatic event occurs and Azul emerges changed and full of revenge and envy. Armed with a curious little serpent, a cunning mind, Silver hairpins, and a steady diet of vengeance, Azul sets out to utterly decimate the source of her sorrows, down to its roots. She is a woman wo "Will not suffer even a thorn in her side", and her methods to remove it are devastatingly effective.


My thoughts and experience:

My Gods where do I begin? First this is definitely a high fantasy, heavy with court politics, political intrigue, and a lush but harsh world of beauty, mystery, LOTS of Misogyny, and lore. (To be clear; the misogyny does not reflect Aalis's personal views, nor is it written in a way that presents it as something that is okay and acceptable; it is part of the world, and something that is survived and fought against.) Aalis's writing is poetic, lyrical, and highly descriptive. Aalis provided a glossary to help us navigate unfamiliar terms and get us acquainted with the culture.

This book will not be for everyone, especially if you are used to more casual reading, less complex plots and plans withing plots. This book will require you to pay attention, because there is a new twist, a new plot point, a new action, a new revelation in every chapter. In addition to this, the plot is a meandering, winding path much like trying to follow a serpentine trail, and it is easy to get lost. However, it may be easier if you remember to keep in mind that Azul has one goal: To utterly destroy her enemies. EVERYTHING she does revolves around this. That is her goal, and her goal is the plot of the book. The sub-plots, side plots by other characters, serve to reveal the mentality and behaviors of those characters, and help us understand why this book only has ONE truly good/innocent character: Nkiru, and I will die on that hill.

Set in a society inspired by East African and Asian cultures (not sure what time period.), The court politics expertly display how misogyny makes women make enemies of other women, simply for survival. It also shows that fighting each other, even when we win, does not save us from the abuse and cruelty of misogyny.

This is a story of two Azuls; The Azul before the events of the first chapter, and the Azul after those events, and I am still not really sure if those two Azuls are in harmony or opposed, since Azul's behavior does not seem to surprise anyone who knew her before Chapter 1. Was she always this way? If nothing of her changed, how do we know that there was an actual "change"?

I know this book is billed as telling the story of a villainess, I honestly cannot see Azul as a villain, not because she doesn't do things that are cold and ruthless, but because in light of what she has been through, in light of what was done to her and her sisters, the people who are the recipients of her vengeance earned every bit of it. Good for her.

Ragnar Valthorne, the man you are. I honestly would have loved to see more of him, if only to see how his yearning continued to shape him and change him, a willing supplicant eager to be Azul's weapon. This was a painfully slow burn but did I enjoy the ache, and I suppose I am like Ragnar that way.

Supernatural elements are in the background like the steady thrum of a beating heart, as this culture still worships and believes in Gods, and has a rich mythology of Titans, Gods, and Spirits, and the art in the paperback and hardcover IN FULL COLOR and done by Aalis is absolutely stunning.

This book has some of the most satisfying deaths I have ever read. 🤣 You know that moment in GoT when Jeoffrey was killed and all of us were happy? That is EXACTLY the way I felt when a specific lovesick, psychotic POS was executed publicly in humiliation, and he didn't even get to see her face one final time.

From Artwork to Words, this book has me in a chokehold. My first 6 star read of the year. This was the book that reminded me why I loved reading, what I want in a book, and what keeps my wandering brain on a tight leash and engaged.

I cannot wait to read Book 2.

What I liked😊
• Ragnar's yearning
• Dulgunn 😍🐍
• Ragnar's yearning
• The world lore, the plot, the plot, the plot!! It is heartbreaking, romantic, juicy, and nerve-wracking.
• The twists, the turns, and the mythology of this world.
• The slow and shocking unfolding of Azul's plan.

What I didn't Like 🙁
• I really cannot find much about this that I don't like, except for a question I asked earlier: How can we tell the difference between the Azul before Chapter 1 and After? Why did no one who knew her before seemed shocked by her behavior? And if they were not, and she has always been this way, what does that mean for who she is now?
• I felt like a specific plot point was left hanging, (Re: the huge ritual) but…There is room to explore what this is and what it will lead to, and whether or not it was successful in the next book, so I am not upset about it.

🌟Standout Moments 🌟

****Light spoilers ahead!****

Favorite dynamic:
Azul and Ragnar's interactions, brief though they were.

Scene that lingered:
Pg 511; Ragnar: "Where is my wife?"😍
Pg 487; Azul having a drink with Ragnar and for the first time, feeling something other than a desire for revenge.
Pg 515; Ragnar reminds Altansarnai to keep his hands to himself.
Pg 527 -529. 🤭

Favorite Quote:
Azul: "Aut viam Inveniam aut faciam."

Final Thoughts
I am extremely excited to read the next installment, and I loved the twists, the turns, the betrayal, and the specific delicious delicacy of a woman choosing herself selfishly, unapologetically, without regard for anyone else. The story itself is a bit of a slow burn to the romantic bit, but the payoff is so worth it.


I would recommend this book (and will!) to anyone who likes stories about deadly court politics, Harem politics, deadly supernatural powers, slow burn yearning, a satisfying revenge arc for an enraged woman.




Rating legend/explanation:

Spice content: 🔥🌶 = very little, non-explicit, or poor quality spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 and 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶= max spice, highly explicit, or high quality spice.

Plot predictability:
⭐️= very predictable
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️= blindsided

Plot twist:
💥 = not enjoyable; incongruent and/or not true to characters, does not follow the plot/story/world logic
💥💥💥💥💥= congruent; enjoyable and or fits Characters flawlessly, follows the plot/story/world logic

Romance:
💖= Poor quality romance development/relationship
💖💖💖💖💖= God Tier quality Romance development/relationship

Combat:
⚔️ = light combat/fight scenes
⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ = heavy combat/fight scenes

Overall writing quality:
✍🏽 = poorly written/ too many typos or grammatical errors
✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽= superior writing/ no typos or grammatical errors

[Drey Blackbeak · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨️

La mitad del tiempo no sabía qué coño estaba pasando, la otra mitad estaba GAGGED. Ahora entiendo lo que sentían Rowan y Aedion con Aelin, god damn.

El worldbuilding es interesante, la intriga política es chef kiss y el romance es..... bof Pocos hombres he leído que yerneen tanto como él.

Entre mis cosas favoritas:
✨️Que al final todo cobrase sentido. El poder ver toda la tela de araña que es la trama, el por qué de ciertas cosas, la verdad sobre ciertos personajes......
✨️El harén, qué maravilla. Dan rabia, pero me gusta mucho ver la dinámica y todo lo que van haciendo para subir en la escalera de poder.
✨️Todo el scheming que se tira Azul. Madre de dios.

Como negativo diría que hay cosas que no me han acabado de cerrar o no se me han resuelto con la suficiente explicación, pero tampoco haré ahora mucho incapié por si son cosas que se explican en el resto de los libros.

Seguro que me dejo algo, pero el resumen es que es un librazo. Si os gusta la fantasía (invocaciones/posesiones/dioses/serpientes que hablan) política y con una protagonista verdaderamente villana, este es vuestro libro.

[Mariva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ I find it difficult to rate this one. I think overall it has great ideas, but they aren't always matched by the execution.

I got roped in by the INCREDIBLE art accompanying the story. It gave me manhwa vibes and all the tropes were there, which is something I loved. The first half of the book kept me greatly entertained and I loved that it showcased a culture I am not familiar with. The only thing that made me hesitant was the head-hopping narration, which in the first half of the story was ok-ish, but in my opinion was one of the major downfalls of the second half, which is were the wheels started to fall off for me.
In there, a lot of intrigues and side plots need to come together, and the story hits the acceleration pedal because of that. But this narration style, in my opinion, poorly matches a story in which we need to know what the characters know, what they don't, what they feel, what they plotted... We know a little of everyone on a very shallow level. The big reveals weren't such to me, they were mostly confusing. I felt they weren't planted as deeply as they needed.
Even the love story, which was a big part of the marketing, is kinda not there in my opinion, for similar reasons. He just... Gets obsessed. Why? Not sure, he just does. She kinda doesn't care. I don't even think I can call it a love story at all.
Pity because, based on the first half alone, I would have said I was in for a wild ride. A really ambitious premise, but perhaps too much to be handled? Such a shame.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy I pre-ordered this book, I squealed when I saw it pop up in my library. I’m taken aback by how good it was. I felt so immersed in the world, so drawn in and wanting more.

Amazing work. Highly recommend

[ARIII ♡ · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

4.8🌟

It's been about a day since I've finished the story and I'm still in awe. To have no knowledge of the content just to re experience it again would be a dream come true. I initially discovered the Queen of Sheeba by chance on Instagram; I came across some beautiful drawings and instantly followed Aalis Blue, falling into a rabbit hole of "Who is this baddie, Azul?" Once it became evident that she has a whole story with some darkness to her, I was sat and anticipating the release of the first book.

The entire revenge and seduction concept was what drew me in. Not only is Azul (FMC) out for blood but she's going to get a man (men) to do it... willingly (unknowingly)?? Yea, thats my kind of girl! The Devil of Tarsyn Forest is a fast pace story filled with political scheming that is ruthless, morally gray characters that you can't help but respect (not all), lost family and much more... she's PACKED! Not only is she packed down with themes, but she also pulls from cultures from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. A mild warning for those readers who have troubles keeping up with stories that may use words and/or phrases that derive from elsewhere. The author did include a glossary which helps tremendously, I would recommend to familiarize yourself with the dialect before even starting the story.

Whilst I immensely enjoyed the book overall, there were a few hiccups that I did stumble across but did not ruin the flow or the story telling for me. For the purpose of my review and for whomever to easily follow, I will use words and or phrases that are commonly used to describe titles.

The story starts off dark and strong with our FMC, Azul, dying brutally by the hands of a man, the second son to the king, who she believed loved her. Upon her death, another entity enters her body and successfully fights him back. In doing so she is at risk of loosing her life for daring to harm the son of the king. Naturally no one, (his four? five? six? wives.. I stopped counting) believes her when she tells it was in self defense, until the first born son comes to her defense. She is still "punished" opposed to being killed. Initially I was not raising my eyebrows at the body possession until this "Azul" was continuing life as if she was just Azul. She knows where she was, she knew the people around her, etc. I think it would have been more interesting for this new entity to yes, wake defending herself, but be confused as to her predicament in society. I would even suggest a glimpse of her past life and maybe the last thing she remembers would have been appreciated as well. The build up to see this entity grasp the situation and begin plotting and scheming from that, I think, would have been more pearl clutching and seat edging. But I will say what I liked about this new entity just taking over was that she did not care about NOTHING. They wanted her to apologize to the second son and she flat-out refused. She did not care what punishment they granted her because she just KNEW she was going to get her get back. We loved a confident woman!

Which brings me to another point. This story includes women who are just as hungry for power as the men and my God! I may have hated some of the wives of the harem but they knew the game better than the men and I lived for it! These women all were betting on themselves, using anybody necessary to secure their spots as well as their children's. They were determined to see if the cards were in their favor, and if not, they knew there was room to pivot, but if they were successful in regaining their balance was the real challenge. Everyone had their own calculated plan and it was an experience to see how it all would play out. This story taught me not to trust anyone, not in their entirety at least. Use people as they are useful to you, but do no become dependent or reliant on anyone or you might as well dig you're own grave. You really did not know who intentions was were until ultimately, their life was threatened or ended. It was always a satisfying journey to know the extent people would go for to protect, their status, their secrets, their children, etc.

The only thing I'd say I felt like I was "catfished" on was the relationship between Azul and Ragnar. The only reason why I'm not giving it 5 stars because I'm petty and butt hurt! Whilst I enjoyed what was written, I expected them to have a more concrete bond based off the advertisement of their relationship but I suspect it was more of a foreshadow of what they'll become. Why these hooligans did not share a kiss until two pages before the story ended, the gasp I gusped! ELECTRIC CHAIR AALIS! But with that being said, the dynamic between the two was very interesting. In the beginning, we know Azul has made this contract with Ragnar for selfish gains, but we do not know if her feelings have changed throughout the course of the story which I cannot wait for her love confession. Ragnar might just croak over once he knows how she truly feels. Ragnar is head over heels for Azul and the amount of trust he has in her for literally just saving his life is honestly astonishing. He literally could have backed away at any moment because this was not his fight but for Azul? He was willing to catch a few bodies, anything she wanted he would have laid his life to present to her. Sensational!

If it is not obvious, I am fidgeting in my seat for the next installment. All the characters, whether they good or evil, were captivating and the story was told in a way that keeps you curious and wanting for more. I'm looking forward in their quest of Azul giving Ragnar all of Oblivia. I'm looking forward to all the love confessions. I'm looking forward to more tough decisions and just how far they'll go for each other. I am a fool for my Khan and Khatun!

[Scarlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

True rating: 4.5/5 ⭐

Once again, a huge thank you to the lovely author Aalis Blue for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book in advance. It is truly a huge honor <33. (Spoiler-free review)

Okay... so... where do I even begin? Honestly, I have no idea where to start because of the sheer amount of things that I want to say. (A much longer and more detailed review will be posted to my Instagram!) After waiting for what felt like forever, I finally got the chance to receive an ARC, but truth be told, the wait was SO worth it.

As the first book in the upcoming Queen of Sheba series, The Devil of Tarsyn Forest brings this series to a promising start.

The worldbuilding/plot:
The world that this series takes place in, Oblivia, is rich and immersive, with every part of it having its own distinct and diverse traits. Oblivia is a world largely inspired by historical African and Asian influences, giving it a refreshing change from the classic medieval European setting. It's hard to describe things without spoilers, but the plot itself is deeply complex, with many elaborate layers and intricate twists, involving both the characters and in-world politics.

The main characters:
Our FMC, Azul, is a cunning and deadly character who knows how to stand her ground while also not being afraid to do so. Adaptive, resourceful, confident, intelligent, and intuitive, Azul is a character who knows what she wants from the very start of the story and isn't afraid to use any method she can get to accomplish it. A formidable friend and even more formidable foe, Azul handles hardships and obstacles throughout the book in a way that showcases her impressive range of strengths. Azul is many things, and while she's certainly no hero in the classic sense, (nor does she intend to be) one cannot help but root for her regardless.

Next up is Ragnar, our MMC. Usually, I tend to be wary of romances and MMCs who are described as 'powerful' or 'strong', often coming from a high status or position of power (which they usually exploit as they see fit, often creating a toxic power-imbalanced relationship between them and the FMC) but fear not, while Ragnar is a powerful man, he is nothing like the MMC tropes that I'm usually worried about. Dare I say that he's one of the best and most respectful MMCs I've ever come across so far? He's determined, resourceful, respectful, dedicated, and isn't afraid to respect people's boundaries. (I cannot stress this enough, because of how important and rare this is, which makes Ragnar all the more likeable)

The romance:
As someone who doesn't like reading/watching anything romance related, I'm really glad that I gave this book a chance. Incredibly enough, this book is spice-free (minus some of the ARCs), which is extremely rare to find these days. There is no instant lust nor is there an instant magical love at first sight trope which again, is incredibly refreshing. The romance is an ongoing slow burn that is respectful and endearing. It may not be particularly soft, but it certainly makes up for it in many ways.


Overall, the book was a great read, filled with rich worldbuilding, a compelling plot, complex characters intertwined with plenty of political intrigue. (The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the book starts off with a lot of terminology that doesn't get explained, which felt a little confusing initially.) I absolutely adore this book and can't wait for more to come.

[Katya & the Braincells Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 stars!

🚨 Since this is an early copy (thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!), I am excluding my usual "spoiler-ful" section in this review.

Spoiler-free review: Okay, first of all -- wow.

I went into this ARC completely blind (literally no context, just vibes), and immediately got HOOKED. For the first several chapters, I genuinely did not realize this was supposed to be a transmigration story until Chapter 9. The prologue hints at it loosely, but the reveal takes a while to properly settle into place, so I spent the opening stretch trying to piece together the politics, the lore, and why every character felt suspiciously layered. I also had no idea this was a villain x villain setup, which ended up being one of my favorite surprises!

Most importantly, the choice of worldbuilding is lovely! I loved the African and Mongolian cultural influences; those are so rare to see in fantasy. The court politics between the African prince and princess faction especially were so interesting to read (and my biggest highlight) because every conversation felt layered with strategy, pride, alliances, old grudges, all that good stuff. The glossary at the end was also deeply appreciated because there's a lot to absorb early on.

I also ended up surprisingly invested in the character dynamics; Azul, in particular, absolutely carried the story for me. Every time the POV returned to her I lock in immediately. Starting with her fighting for herself was a strong move; it's such a brutal but effective opening because it immediately tells you who she is.

My thoughts on Ragnar are a bit spoilery, so I'm holding back for now, but wow... what a guy. I love a male lead with immense, unquestioned power over his people, who uses that exact same power to ensure his Khatun has everything her heart desires. ☺

The beginning is a little confusing on a first read, however. The POV shifts in some chapters completely caught me off guard at first. I genuinely had to flip back a few times because I thought I missed a page somewhere lol. BUT. Once I got my footing around Chapter 8 (plus a little desperate Google searching for context), everything started clicking into place. And Borji... I have mixed feelings. I liked the mystery around him, but every time he appeared I got nervous because he was giving major "secondary male lead in a love triangle" energy. So imagine my gigantic relief when I realized Ragnar was the real ML.

The writing style itself is pretty straightforward. If you're looking for highly lyrical or ornate fantasy writing, you may find this one simpler than expected. Nothing complicated or flowery (though I really wish it leaned a little more atmospheric or stylistically ambitious); but I think it works for the novel because it keeps the pacing fast, especially once the plot really gets moving around the middle chunk of the book.

Despite the rocky start, this book is over 500 pages and uses every page well. I legit could not get enough. Usually I feel the drag somewhere in fantasy this long, but here I genuinely kept wanting "just one more chapter" until suddenly it was 3 AM! This will probably get even better on a re-read now that I actually understand what the story was setting up from the beginning.

If you like morally complicated protagonists, layered political dramas, and unique cultural inspirations, put this on your radar!

I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE: This review was first published on May 13th 2026, and later edited on May 17th for clarity.

[Grace Catney · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Aalisblue, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I also want to say thank you to the author for reaching out on Tiktok wishing me a fun time with the book!

The Devil of Tarsyn Forest completely exceeded my expectations. This is not a light romantasy, it is a dark, politically intricate fantasy filled with ambition, betrayal, power struggles, and morally complex characters who will do whatever it takes to survive.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is Azul. She is ruthless, intelligent, calculating, and unapologetically ambitious. Rather than being written as a traditionally likeable heroine, she is allowed to be sharp-edged and deeply flawed, which made her one of the most compelling protagonists I’ve read in a long time. Watching her navigate court politics, shifting alliances, and dangerous conspiracies was endlessly fascinating.

The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, drawing inspiration from African and Eurasian influences in a way that feels refreshing and unique. The political intrigue is heavy throughout the story, and while there are a lot of moving pieces and characters to keep track of, it ultimately creates a layered and rewarding reading experience. Every character has their own motivations, and the constant tension keeps the stakes high from beginning to end.

One small challenge I had at the beginning was keeping track of the large cast of characters, particularly as many of them are referred to by multiple titles and positions. Personally, i think a character glossary would benefit readers in the future. Thay being said, this speaks to the depth and complexity of the world, but it did take me some time to remember who everyone was. Thankfully, reading on Kindle made it easy to search previous mentions and refresh my memory when needed.

My only other minor critique would be the frequency of POV shifts within some chapters. There were occasions where the perspective changed several times in quick succession, and I found this occasionally disrupted my immersion just as I was settling into a character's viewpoint. I think slightly longer stretches with each POV could have made some scenes feel even more impactful. That said, this is very much a personal preference, and it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the story.

Ragnar Valthorne was another standout character. His devotion, vulnerability, and unwavering belief in Azul created an intriguing dynamic between them, especially against the backdrop of such a dark and unforgiving world.

This is a slow-burning, complex fantasy that prioritises politics, character motivations, and long-term scheming over fast-paced romance. Readers looking for morally grey characters, intricate power plays, rich worldbuilding, and high-stakes fantasy will find a lot to love here.

Despite my minor critiques, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and became deeply invested in both the characters and the world. I am very excited to continue with this series and see what happens next.

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 ⭐
(P.S. I had such a hard time writing this review cuz I am profoundly speechless by the beauty that this book is!)
Wow. Just WOW. This was a glorious book, I had so much fun with this.
I've so much to say and not enough words.
AZUL. MY QUEEN. MY MALIKA. MY KHATUN. RAGNAR'S GOD. SERPENTINE WOMAN. VICIOUS. CHARMING. GLORIOUS. I've so many words to describe her and yet they somehow fall short at the gloriousness of her. (Yeap. She had totally reduced me to poetry 😭) Which is done btw → onto the serious stuff.
The world building is done really well. The show, not tell business? Yeap it was here, Azul is somehow of an unreliable narrator as the lady is unable to face her weakness and ofc never discuss her past due to that, there are so many mysteries surrounding her, the world, the political situation that it still confounds me....haunts me in my late night thoughts.
I also sometimes wish to see characters, their actions and the timelines of the story as linear, Desires/ Need (Something happens) →Goals →Achieve it (If it's a series, how far are the characters into the direction?). This book has fulfilled my wish of having this clarity so clearly.
There are multiple characters, all with different motivations, drives and backstories all somehow being a pawn in her games. The whole exterminate everyone that has harmed her it tried to harm her and then prove true to that goal was divine.
The Romance??? Ugh let's not talk about how much it has reduced me to a giggly, cuddly mess. The tension between them was gorgeous, they had this chemistry that is so tantalizing and Ragnar slowly falling for her was ✨.
Borji??? Woah, loved him sm.
I liked most of the characters in the book, beware only those favoured by Azul. What my mistress likes, only those I can fancy 😂
The women, whether a villain or not (ahm...let's not use the word villain cuz everyone in the book was a lil unhinged and definitely morally grey)...so yeah, whoever they were, I adored how they were depicted.
In a world that makes no place for them, they'd dig, burrow or don anything to make their own space, and that's commendable. Even more so that the author gave space for this to happen.
The writing? Poetic, witty and clear. I loved it.
Azul is the kind of woman you never want as your enemy.
The romance and politics (scheming, killing and all) was the best part of the book, nevermind that just comprises the whole book. The art in between felt like a treat for being such a good girl and reading on 🤭
It has everything I loved → Transmigration, Mongolian & African inspired world, Political intrigue, Monstrous FL (Calling her that is a much because she's fairly undemented, but I feel like Azul will take this as a compliment), Khan ML who's truly devoted, Political Marriage and so much moreee.
SO, As you can see, I absolutely adore the book. YOU Better read the book, it's like 💯 recommend.

✨ Thanks NetGalley and Aalis Blue for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

[cc · Rating 4 out of 5]

e-ARC from NetGalley.

**Trigger warning for forced abortion, which is not included in the content warnings listed at the beginning of the book.**

What to say about this book? It was ... not what I expected. The synopsis makes it sound like an isekai romantasy. It is very much not. It reads more like Game of Thrones if we were following a non-incestuous Cersei Lannister ghost in a concubine court.

The story opens on our protagonist literally dying. In her last seconds of life, she curses the prince who killed her, drawing the attention of a passing ghost who promptly possesses her corpse.

Thus begin the desperate machinations for power in a court plagued by vindictiveness and abuse, all as the possibility of war looms on the horizon.

Aalis Blue is a skilled writer in many ways - the prose was beautiful, the characters were well fleshed out, the stakes felt real, the storylines were compelling - but there was a sense of unnecessary vagueness to it all that made things difficult to understand. And not in a way that made sense or seemed to lend itself to deeper mystery or character dynamics. It felt more like it was supposed to make sense, but just didn't (ie: references to a forgotten childhood meeting that, at some points, seemed like it hadn't truly been forgotten, but maybe it had and the scene was referencing something else, and, at others, seemed like it occurred between different characters, but could have been mistaken/false identity or absolutely nothing at all.)

In some ways, this reminded me of one of my favorite stories, Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat. Like Laurent, Azul is constantly plotting, planning, scheming, and setting contingencies with those around her none the wiser and unsure if she can be trusted. She seems to incur a fierce sense of loyalty without a true understanding of how she has earned it. But, unlike Laurent, we are viewing this story through her perspective and are still left in the dark as to what she's doing.

Despite these drawbacks, I was utterly compelled by these characters and this story. While I was confused as to how we went from plotting against a stranger, to meeting him for the first time, to his being willing to take an arrow and hide a murder weapon (that I don't think she even used and am still not sure what it was or who died) for her in the span of, like, two rather benign interactions, I also didn't feel the need to question it too much, because I was more focused on the vendettas and betrayals playing out from every corner.

Ultimately, I did truly enjoy this story, but wish things had been a little more fleshed out and that, as our central protagonist, Azul was someone we could understand.

Also, I still don't know who Sisi is or why she hasn't come after Azul yet.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this one from Netgalley on a whim after loving the cover, and I am so glad I picked it up!

If you love feminine rage, the schemes of morally grey women, and a bucket load of political court intrigue wrapped with a sprinkle of spiritual magic, you should definitely pick this one up! (Though be warned there are some trigger warnings.)
If you're still not convinced, here's more:
- its a story about vengeance, she wants to burn the kingdom and has a plan to do it
- its got familial betrayals,
- systemic oppression in a patriarchal society
- African and Mongolian influences (some Asian as well)
- features arranged marriages
- he falls first (and falls hard)
- she is a wolf in sheep's clothing, cunning and not afraid to get her hands dirty


This was such a satisfying story to read. I loved the way the author set up Azul's (FMC) plans and how they were revealed to us; it made the book so hard to put down! I will say that it kinda throws you in the deep end was a bit confusing at the start, hard to keep all the characters straight between their names and titles (there is a glossary at the end I discovered), BUT that being said, it is a complex, political high fantasy and I think the author did well not over explaining things, spoon-feeding us bits of lore at a time that helped me make sense of things. Though I still got lost quite a bit. Also, the POV switches up a lot without much warning; there's a word for it, like omniscient or something like that. If you're just getting into high fantasy and court intrigue, probably don't pick this one up unless you want a challenge.

Azul was such a fierce FMC; I loved following her schemes and seeing her strength, her cunning mind. She was the villainess, the vixen, and she owned it.
Every interaction, every conversation was so layered and held so much meaning that it again was just so satisfying to read. And it wasn't just Azul, all the women of the court were scheming with and against each other, using and discarding each other. It made for such a tense atmosphere and made it hard to stop reading!
Ragnar was also a great character; I loved how hard he fell for her. Even the great, feared, powerful warlord was stunned by her wit, her strength and her charm. Even when they first met, I loved how they talked and interacted with each other, how he got more obsessed.

Overall, I really loved this one more than I expected to. Initially it was going to be four stars because of how confused I was at the start, but the more I think about it, the more satisfying the read was and the more I can overlook that initial confusion. That's really how I would describe this one: it's dark, it's complex and just so satisfying.

[Aphro · Rating 5 out of 5]

What initially drew me in was the artwork being created for this book. I have never laid my eyes upon characters that have been so carefully drawn and designed. You can just tell the amount of love and effort that was poured into this book. The elements of the design itself are stunning for lack of a stronger word. The hardback features a beautiful map with an immersive and equally thoughtout world. Oblivia is a place with many cultures, languages, kingdoms and empires and the author still manages to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each. I had 24 hours to finish what remained of this book and I gobbled it up without a single complaint. I was hooked during every second. I could barely sleep!

At the center of it all is Azul. She is aggressively written to be a "bad person" but it begs the question: how are you supposed to be good when being good just means letting everyone walk all over you? She is endlessly mistreated, yet possesses the quiet, terrifying strength to take it, lying in wait like a lioness just posing to strike. And that is exactly her intention… to take revenge on those who wronged her using the warlord, tyrant of a husband she has been bought for and arranged to marry. She is razor-sharp, fiercely intelligent and overall, a remarkably likeable female protagonist who refuses to bend the knee for anyone.

From a technical and cultural standpoint, the writing is pure magic. As an African girlie myself, the cadence, terminology and rhythm of the prose scratched an itch deep down that I didn't even know I had. It is breathtakingly authentic and more importantly, *fresh*. Readers who may not be familiar with this might find themselves stumbling over their thoughts and confused at times because African culture—more specifically, Nigerian “Igbo” culture—is not usually catered to in the world of Romantasy.

The pacing is another triumph. Sure, you don't actually meet the main love interest until roughly 200 pages in but the beginning is far too entertaining and gripping to ever let you get bored. And when the romance finally kicks into gear, it leans into one of my absolute favorite tropes: powerful, untouchable men who completely unspool and turn wonderfully submissive for their lady.

And Ragnar? I do not blame you. Not one bit.

If you are looking for a story with sharp teeth, rich cultural depth and an FMC who owns every room she walks into, pick this up RIGHT NEEEOOOOW.