Untamed

by Rhi Aden

Fourth Wing meets Shatter Me in this gripping new-adult dystopian romance series where power is currency, corruption is law, and love is the most dangerous rebellion of all.

In the Continent, the Gifted serve the regime, the Common live without power, and the Untamed are hunted.

Haven has spent her life hiding what she is. Her mother was executed for treason, and Haven knows one mistake will mean the same fate. When testing day comes, she fakes her results, branding herself a Common to survive.

On her nineteenth birthday, Haven is promised to Ender Vale, the leader of the Continent’s son, while her twin sister is conscripted into the army.

So Haven makes a choice. She takes her sister’s place.

Thrown into a brutal military system and watched by a man who may already suspect the truth, Haven uncovers a secret resistance of Untamed fighting the regime.

As rebellion stirs and loyalties fracture, Haven must decide how far she’s willing to go for revenge, for freedom, and for a future she was never meant to have.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Urban Fantasy

470 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2026

About the author

Rhi Aden is the author of Untamed, the first installment in a dystopian romance series. She holds a degree in English Literature and has been writing since the age of fifteen. Born in Canada, she is drawn to stories centered on complex characters, high-stakes emotion, and romance that thrives in dangerous worlds.

She can be found on social media: @writerrhi

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brb unwell after that ending

[Jess M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give it a 3.5. I love the concept, but you can tell the writing is amateur. The story has potential to be so good, and while it wasn’t bad, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I enjoyed it but I had to rephrase much of the writing in my head as I read it to make it flow better/not sound immature.

Decent YA novel and I’ll probably read the second one to see what happens.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enemies to „lovers“ and they’re REAL enemies?!? Sign me up.
But the constant miscommunication killed the tension for me 🥲🫠

[Kornelija Jankauskė · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ Distopija, galios divergente x shatter me ir tikrai turėjo potencialo, nu bet labai jaučiasi, kad autorės pirma knyga. Man viską gelbėjo comic relief veikėjai. Nežinau ar skaitysiu antrą.

[Sylwia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to push through this book unfortuntly. I just wasn't a fan of the writing style. It was descriptive in some parts but then it just told you. For example "That angered Warrick" how do we know it angered him? was it facial queues? It just didn't have that finishing touch. Couldn't get past it unfortuntly.

[Booksighted · Rating 2 out of 5]

Untamed feels somewhat like a Hunger Games meets Divergent mashup—sections/divisions, power divides, the standard dystopian buffet. Maybe it actually earns its Fourth Wing and Shatter Me comparisons around the 50% mark, but my patience didn't stretch that far since I DNF at 16%.

It’s a solid premise, but the actual writing is about as just not captivating.


What finally made me tap out wasn't just the dull prose, but a blatant inability to keep track of time. Chapter eight opens with:

“Enders returns two weeks later.”

A couple of pages down, in the exact same scene, the narrator casually notes:

“It has been a full week since Ender challenged me"

(the challenge being the last time she saw him).

Unless the dystopian overlords have recently adjusted the calendar so that two weeks now equals one week due to inflation, I’m out. I don't understand the temporal exchange rate in this universe, but I know I'm not spending any more of my own time on it.

[Marwah ✨️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟!!

I'm not going to lie, it took me awhile to get into this but once I finally hauled my lil arse up and got going, I really enjoyed this book!

I loved the gifted powers, some were common but the majority were really quite interesting. Ender's illusionism was 🤌🏻🤌🏻 and I loved Haven's time components. They were so cleverly done and I loved how they came into play throughout the book. The world itself was fantastic and created a hunger vibes feel when the trial commenced for the Black Stars. The challenges were interesting and I enjoyed seeing how Haven navigated everything.

The enemies-to-lovers and "he falls first" were fantastic. It was so so so well done and I loved seeing it hit the true mark. But my favourite but was watching Haven drop the tough girl act and allow some of her vulnerabilities show through while still maintaining her boundaries and strength. It didn't give a cliche damsel in distress vibe at all and I was so here for it.

Overall, it was a great read. I defs will get the next book, think about this this week, and will probably send myself into a spiral in a few days~

[sheela · Rating 5 out of 5]

”The people in Division Eight used to say that death is liberation when you lived a sorrowful life, but I refuse to die when I haven’t yet sunk my teeth into the men who hurt me. So long as I live, there will be no reprieve for the wicked. There will be no leniency for their crimes.”

i’m going to throw up

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best slow burnnn enemies-to-lovers there is. I always contemplate whenever I read debut novels, but Rhi did such a fantastic job with the plot, the character's personalities, and the cliffhanger! Ender Vale is my next fictional boyfriend and if anyone is still thinking twice whether they should read this or not, you'd be missing out from the mmc and fmc's tension! I also love how this book doesn't have spice, the sexual tension tho! 😩🥵

[Maddie Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

Very good, throughly enjoyed.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 70% - I might finish, unsure yet.

I liked the concept but it just needed a bit of editing.
• It kept flipping between tenses
• The timeline at times didn’t make sense
• The dialogue was sometimes cringey. Especially from the MMC, he would say things that would sound good on booktok but felt out of place in the conversation.



Also just a personal gripe that the sister and the MMC’s best friend were set up to get together - it personally annoys me when authors do this as it’s such a cliche and way overdone now. I think what made this even worse was the way the sister was infantilised — her character was written so child like when she’s meant to be 19 years old.

[Zorzaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

16% dnf
i love the concept, the super power draws me in. but i dont think i have the patience to read their pathetic bickering. all of them

[Renee Polks Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgic and captivating from the very first page.

The vibe between Haven and Ender was tense and hilarious. The endless bickering and banter, mixed with the sarcastic internal monologue had me EATING THIS UP!

It's giving perfect enemies to lovers with a side of loathing and reluctant lust, with eventual love.

The dystopian military setting meets unequal powers in society gave the best vibe (as usual 👌).

If you love:

✘ Enemies to lovers
✘ Reluctant love... with jealousy
✘ Arranged marriage
✘ Lies & secrets
✘ Military college
✘ Fighting and bickering
✘ Twin sisters that manipulate things
✘ Slow burn romance
✘ Rebels
✘ Dual POV in first person POV

I am obsessed with Dystopian Romances and for a book this intruiging and fun to immerse myself in, I am extremely surprised that it has nearly no presence in Booksta/BookTok — that needs to immediately change 👏

This book is for everyone who loves Us Dark Few, To Cage A Wild Bird, Shatter Me, Beneath, and Silver Elite.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑅ℎ𝑖 𝐴𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝐴𝑅𝐶 🖤⛓️

[Luzia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg that ending IS KILLING ME
I WANNA CONTINUE RIGHT NOW

PLS KEEP WRITING RHI PLLLSSSS

THE FACT THAT ALL OF ENDERS MEMORIES ARE ERASED OF THEM TOGETHER
AND FUCK THE PARENTS BRO THE MOM BEING UNTAMED FUCK YOU THE FUCKING DAD FUCK YOU

WE WERE SO CLOSE TO BEING LOVERS OMG
BUT THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED
I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THIS IS A STANDALONE
BUT OH NO SWEETIE (LMAO) ITS NOT

EVEN THOUGH THE COVER AND ESPECIALLY THE SPINE IS A BIT BORING THE BOOK ISNT OMG

AND I SHIP KNOX AND MERCY YAYYY THEYRE SO CUTIE

VERY UNDERRATED BOOK
READ IT RN

AND I MISS FLINT AND REI ☹️

MY POOKIES DIED 💔

BUT BRO HAVEN THINKS ENDER REMEMBERED HER IN THE END FOR A SEC BUT ITS ALL GONE

SHE HAS TO LOCK IN AND KNOW THAT HE‘S GONE
AND GET ON HER TRAINING ARC AND LEARN HER POWERS SHE HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL

LOVED THIS OMG
SADLY ONLY 4 STARS CUZ THE START LIKE HOLY MISCOMMUNICATION AND I DONT EVEN REMEMBER BUT IT WASNT 5 STARS WORTHY (the start) BUT THE SECOND HALF WAS SO CINEMA AND THE ENDING ESPECIALLY

I REALLX HOPE THERE‘LL BE A SECOND PART 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

4.7 STARS ❤️❤️❤️

[Miyawakiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Finally, a REAL enemies to lovers 💗 This gave Fourth Wing vibes without the dragons and I am here for it.

The plot was really well done but the writing style was a little amateurish. But that's fine, the story carried the book on its own. 😊 The political aspect was intriguing and I loved the military training aspect.

Ender and Haven are true enemies and watching them dance around each other was so satisfying 🤩 Ender's mouth was also delicious 😍 The lines that man came up with!

A solid first book, just needed some improvement on the writing but well done!

[Lee Ornelas · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my GOD that ending. This is a true enemies to lovers to enemies book and I will definitely be continuing the series.

At about 50% i was unsure- but while this had similar elements to other dystopian plots, it has its own twists, and that ending had my heart stopping and screaming out loud. GOD i love a good villain too. Cannot recommend this book enough!

[Thea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning is definitely 5 Stars, idk if I like the ending though…
Maybe it would’ve been better if the reader wouldn’t know abt Ender 🤷🏼‍♀️
Either way still a great read

[Iphone 024 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buen libro un poco childish ya que el theme es dystopian pero pues buena conexión o sea bueno me refiero la neta 3.5

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

Star rating 4.5

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooooooooo you HAVE to read this book!!

Slow burn- enemies to lovers🫠





THE QUOTESSS😩


Chapter 46.

“I would always save you,” I admit. “It doesn’t matter how the story unfolds. You will always be my undoing, my downfall, the one thing I shouldn’t claim, and yet I desire so deeply it hurts.”


Chapter 41.

“I need you,” he whispers. “So much it hurts.”



Chapter 41.

“Why are you telling me this?” I whisper. “We said we wouldn’t do this.” “You’re killing me, Warrick,” he says. “Slowly. Like poison. And I can’t save myself.”


Chapter 41.

. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you,” Ender snaps. “I think about you every hour of the day. And it doesn’t matter how many times I remind myself that you are off-limits—that there is no place for distractions in my life, that you are the antithesis of everything I’ve ever believed in. Because the second your eyes meet mine, I can’t think of a single reason why I should deny myself the one thing I am incapable of resisting.”

Chapter 39.

“I’m at your service, Warrick,” I say. I intend to sound sarcastic, but I just sound desperate. “I’ll do anything you want. Break me. Hurt me. Tear out my heart, if
you will. But do not leave me, not now, not when I need you.”


Chapter 36.

“I hate you,” I blurt. “I want you,” Ender responds.




Chapter 22.

“Did you just shoot me?” “I kissed you,” I say. “With a bullet.”

“You shot me because you thought I was interested in another woman,” Ender says slowly. “If I weren’t so delighted by
your bloodthirsty reaction, I might have you punished for the assault.”





I cannot wait for book 2😩

[j · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It is impossible to remember what I am fighting for right now. I want the truth. I want justice. I want to change the world. But at what cost? Is one to become a monster to defeat another"

"'Did you just shoot me?'
'I kissed you,' I say. 'With a bullet.'"

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had high hopes for this book because the whole concept seemed so interesting but honestly found everything rlly poorly done.
Usually I'm not harsh when it comes to books, I'd say I'm quite easy to please but this one really disappointed me.
At one point in this book I remember I just thought to myself that this was basically a badly written copy of Fourth Wing.
I'm giving it 2 stars because honestly the concept in the beginning was rlly fun and interesting, otherwise yea it was just poor executed.

[Bárbara Magalhães · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfeição em livro, devorei a história num dia 😍 não sei como é que não é mais conhecidoooo. amo amo amo, e já estou à espera do próximo.
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divisão e fações:
existem 8 facões, as primeiras são as mais ricas e de poder (1-distrito dos líderes 2-distrito da guerra 3-distrito da tecnologia).
existem também pessoas comuns e pessoas com poderes que recebem o bind (sistema que desativa dos poderes instalado em criança aos humanos com poderes. estes poderes começaram depois de um acidente numa fábrica que intoxicou alguns humanos). as pessoas com poderes são classificadas como classe 3-poderes físicos classe 2-poderes psicológicos classe 1-poderes proibidos (alterar o tempo, ver memórias, ver o futuro…)
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a história começa com duas gêmeas, haven e mercy. ambas assistem à morte da sua mãe por traição contra o governo e nesse dia descobrem que são filhas do general mais conhecido. este mora no distrito 1 e foi ele que fez com que a execução da mãe acontecesse, e dupla com o presidente. a mãe delas era uma ameaça que foi eliminada.
desde esse dia que as gêmeas moram no distrito um: a haven possui um ressentimento gigante pelo pai e faz de tudo para o provocar e a mercy é a filha perfeita que não levanta ondas.
haven desde cedo que treina com grayson (general do distrito um) e que o considera um segundo pai. torna-se bastante proficiente na luta e decide que quer ir para uma academia de guerra no distrito 3.
o pai recusa o seu pedido… em vez de a enlistar, inscreve a irmã e dá a mão de casamento da haven ao filho do presidente/ditador supremo: Ender Vale.
no dia em que Ender vai buscar a sua noiva ele leva também mercy para a academia. conhece a personalidade de ambas e repara que a haven é muito mais rebelde que a mercy… quando elas trocam de lugar ele acaba por perceber a diferença - haven e mercy trocam de lugar: haven vai para a academia e finge ser a irmã e mercy fica em casa do filho do ditador supremo à espera do dia do casamento.
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na academia:
haven faz uma panóplia de inimigos e pica os humanos com poder (que são considerados superiores)
destaca-se no treino pela força de vontade e pelas suas capacidades e é recrutada para uma força secreta (Black star) na ala A da academia.
lá começa uma amizade com flint e Ri. tornam-se inseparáveis e contornam muitos obstáculos juntos apesar de no final do um deles é que vai ser selecionado…
haven desde pequena que tem poderes que esconde, por serem poderes de mudança de tempo - classe 1. finge ser uma mundana sem poderes, e mesmo assim com a força de vontade torna-se o membro mais cobiçado da black star e chama a atenção do noivo. enden apaixona-se pela personalidade de haven e começa um romance: inimigos a amantes.
no jantar de noivado o líder supremo conhece a futura nora e nota a paixão do filho por ela… aponta que ela vai ser a fraqueza do filho e que ele não tolera isso (quando enden era pequeno ele arranjou maneira de projetar um mundo artifical para fugir dos problemas. ele é um ilusionista então consegue criar ilusões na própria cabeça e na dos outros. o pai quando descobriu isto arranjou maneira de implantar o bind nele para ele não ser capaz de fugir da realidade e não se tornar “fraco”).
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durante o tempo na academia a haven é raptada pelos rebeldes e conhece a líder. aceita ser uma informante dos rebeldes e ajuda-os com algumas missões.
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no final do treino descobrem o segredo da haven: que ela tem poderes classe 1 e que os usou para ajudar os rebeldes. enden está desesperado por por um lado é fiel à causa do pai mas por outro não quer matar a mulher.
para evitar ele ter de escolher lados o pai dele, o ditador supremo, ativa o bind e esvazia toda e qualquer emoção do filho. esvaziando o amor do filho pela noiva e fazendo com que este se torne o assassino de haven.
o casamento foi anulado pelo ditador e enden está agora prometido a clover (uma amiga de família. foi ela que contou dos poderes de haven ao pai de enden).
haven foge com a mercy e com o grayson jr antes do governo conseguir implantar o bind na haven. vao a caminho dos rebeldes mas haven nao consegue deixar enden para trás e promete-lhe que vai voltar para ele…
no final do livro descobrimos os poderes do líder supremo (consegue ver o futuro) e os poderes da mãe do enden (ela entra na cabeça das pessoas e limpa memórias).
a mãe de enden apaga todas as memórias do filho de haven, só deixa lá uma e o desejo de apanhar a haven e de conseguir a vingança que o pai tanto quer.
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informação importante para o próximo livro:
1-knox, o melhor amigo de enden, salvou a irmã da haven e tem sentimentos por ela
2-grayson jr já foi “namorado” da haven no passado e era a maior razão de ciúmes de enden
3- o pai do grayson teve um caso com a mãe da haven no distrito 8
4-a mãe das gêmeas foi um membro essencial no início dos rebeldes. ajudou a revelar alguma informação secreta do governo. não se sabe ao certo o quê mas foi suficientemente grave para o ditador supremo ser o único com acesso à ficha dela.
5-spider, team líder da equipa de haven nos black star, tornou-se um grande amigo e aliado de haven durante o seu tempo na academia

[Unripepotatoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

*******Spoilers ahead*******
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What I liked:
- the concept - it had a lot of potential (despite it being so unoriginal)
- here and there I laughed at some stuff
- story was engaging at times (mainly in the first few chapters, and maybe the last page)

what I disliked:

- I did like the beginning, in fact I enjoyed it and was really looking forward to the revenge part as well as the whole swapping identities, however, the MFC absolutely ruined it for me and her constant sassy/mean girl vibe was honestly annyoying. It seemed there was so much focus on her dumb insults and "smart mouth" remarks, like this girl literally had no personality other than the fact that she had a lot of sassy remark to say and to constantly fight with the MMC.

- Their whole dynamic was less of an enemy to lovers and more like two people that are clearly attracted to each other yet refuse to act civil around each other.....but like in a unflattering and childish way. Their whole interactions was just constant bickering and childish talk but like in the most annoying and boring way possible. It was fine in the beginning but like it gets to a point........ I literally kept rolling my eyes everytime they started their dumb arguments which btw consisted of "I hate you" while feeling the opposite, it literally felt like intentional miscommunication and hate masked as real emotions....like be so fr.

- Many cringe parts, and the overall writing style was not the best.

- use of the tiktok phrase "so down bad" ( I cringed to the third power of crung).

- MFC was portrayed as the stereotypical strong, brave, clever, revenge seeking, and not like your "average" girl but like she literally was just so basic......She is "strong" and fights people 10x stronger than her but somehow she is tiny and the training vest was too "heavy" for her and not even the smallest size available fit her. Another thing is, she somehow was "unaware" of the fact that Ender knew about the swap???? LIKE HELLOOOOOO??? She literally knew, there is just no way she didn't know especially since Ender has been pressing her about it since the beginning and this whole time she kept dodging it (pretty sure she admitted that he knew about the swap in early chapters), but during the engagement celebration/party, she was suddenly feeling jelous and acting like Ender had no clue about the switch?? Like you can't be this simple minded. Ngl Haven was literally a walking corn ball at times, who also happens to contradict herself a lot. Her hate and rude comments towards Ender felt so forced lowkey. Honestly her character lowkey ruined the book for me, and not to mention, Ender who basically is suppose to be this "big bad wolf" but whole time, he also had no personality and was basically all bark no bite around Haven, whom he claimed to "hate". I get where the author was going with Haven and Ender's characters, but it flopped tbh with Haven trying so hard to be a "baddie" and quirky but in reality she was just a corn ball and unbearable at times. I so badly wanted to finish the book towards the end, when I no longer could tolerate Haven and Ender.

Also no hate to the author, and the book might be for some to enjoy. Just not my cup of tea. I’m sure there will be a lot of people who enjoy these types of books.


Overall, I give it a generous 2.1/5

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book will appeal to anyone who has read Divergent. I could also see elements of The Hunger Games, Fourth Wing, and Shatter Me. I was really looking forward to this story and was curious how the author would build this world — and I have to say, it pleasantly surprised me. ☺️

The book wasn’t too short or too long. The story flowed nicely, and I liked the writing style. I’m currently sick and stuck in bed, so I ended up spending the whole day reading this book and finished it in one sitting.

What you can expect:
⭐ enemies to lovers
⭐ slow burn
⭐ looots of tension
⭐ arranged marriage
⭐ jealousy
⭐️ but no spice
⭐ military college setting
⭐️ rebellion

I liked the dynamic between Haven and Ender. They’re both extremely stubborn and do a lot of bickering - but honestly, that was one of the more entertaining parts 🤭. They’re also quite similar in many ways. Both of them struggle to acknowledge any feelings they might have for each other, which was a bit frustrating at times — especially Ender. He would finally take a step forward, admit something, even show how obsessed he is with her… and then immediately ruin it by saying something stupid and basically taking it all back. 🙄 But I loved all his angry confessions! Next time it’s Haven’s turn…

But I did like that he was always able to tell the twins apart. My favorite moment between them was the engagement party, where they finally had some space together and were holding hands or just being physically close.

I also grew to like some of the side characters, like Knox or Spider. I enjoyed learning about the different abilities people have in this world. The bits of backstory about Ender’s father also added something extra to the plot.

The ending was good in my opinion. Maybe a little predictable, but I’m still curious to see how the story continues. I think this is a good start to the series. Not perfect, but promising. There were parts I didn’t enjoy as much, maybe I expected more things about the rebels for example; but considering I’ve been reading a lot of 2-star books lately, this was a nice surprise.

Overall, a good start — and I think the second book could be even better. 🫡 so please, don’t let us wait too long 🖤

And thank you so much for the ARC!!

[Cloe Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Slight spoilers ahead!*
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I finished this book and immediately needed to talk about it with someone. That's how you know.

Rhi Aden throws you into a world where power is currency, emotions are a liability, and the most dangerous thing Haven can do is be exactly who she is: unapologetically, fearlessly herself. The world-building is rich without being heavy. The politics and power structures feel real and lived-in without slowing the story down. And then there's Ender.

Ender is not morally gray in the soft, romantically convenient way. The walls between him and any real feeling go deeper than most, engineered by a world that considers that a feature. And she still sneaked herself in. That's the whole book, right there. Haven doesn't try to fix him, doesn't soften herself for him, doesn't make herself smaller to fit the world she's been thrown into. And somehow, through all of it, she got in anyway. I died.

The twin swap storyline is genuinely clever and earned. It's a character device through and through. Every beat of it reveals something about who these people are to each other before they even admit it themselves. And the moment at the engagement party when he realizes it's her and says her actual name? I highlighted that. I highlighted it twice.

Also, the jealousy is mutual?!? She wants to feed people their fingers on his behalf. She walks toward him by instinct without realizing she's doing it. He notices. Files it away like it's the most precious data he's ever collected. That balance is so rare and so good.

Knox gets an honorable mention for being the friend who holds the whole emotional thread together. And Spider! Chaotic, skunk-haired, underestimated, hilarious Spider... Deserves his own book and I will be petitioning.

The cliffhanger will rearrange you. You've been warned.

If you love dystopian worlds with real political stakes, heroines who don't flinch, and a love interest who is supposed to feel nothing and feels everything anyway — read this book. Then come find me so we can suffer together.

[Jenniffer Zapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖 Goodreads Review: Untamed
✍️ Rhi Aden

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SPOILERS AHEAD!

This was one of those books that felt very “beginner romantasy” to me — easy to read, addictive, dramatic and filled with all the popular tropes that make you want to keep turning the pages 👀✨

The story is set in a dystopian world called the Continent where society is divided into three groups:

the Gifted, who serve the regime
the Common, who live powerless
and the Untamed, who are hunted and basically considered dangerous anomalies.

Haven, our FMC, has spent her whole life hiding the fact that she is Untamed after her mother was executed for treason. During testing day she fakes her results so nobody discovers the truth about her powers - she can manipulate time. We do not know the extend of her powers, so hopefully book 2 expands on that one.

Things spiral when Haven is arranged to marry Ender Vale, the son of the Continent’s leader, while her twin sister gets conscripted into the military. Instead of letting her sister go, Haven secretly takes her place and enters the brutal military system herself ⚔️

This is where most of the story happens:
✨ military training
✨ secret rebellion groups; Haven becomes a rebel spy herself
✨ political corruption; we learned that the leader is secretly modifying the implants that the gifted are given to make them become more emotionless and to control them *terrifying*
✨ hidden identities
✨ growing tension between Haven and Ender
✨ Ender slowly becoming OBSESSIVELY attached to her 😭

Some moments that stood out to me:

Ender being insanely possessive over Haven
the rebellion storyline slowly growing in the background
Haven trying to survive while hiding what she truly is

I did struggle with the romance though 🫠 At times the relationship felt more obsessive and borderline abusive than romantic to me, which made it hard for me to fully root for them as a couple. Ender is VERY intense and possessive, and while I know that’s exactly why many readers will love him, it personally pushed me away a bit.

I also realized once again that apparently I cannot stay away from dystopian war books. Something about military systems, rebellion plots and political corruption always pulls me in 😂

The world building wasn’t the deepest and I still wanted more explanations about the Untamed, the regime and the history of the world, but the pacing made the book very bingeable.

The ending definitely left me curious 👀 There are still so many unanswered questions surrounding Haven, Ender, the rebellion and what side everyone is truly on. Even though this wasn’t a perfect read for me, the ending was strong enough that I would absolutely read book two just to see where everything goes next ✨

[Milagros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Untamed is a good read if you are waiting for a dystopian fantasy novel, with enemies to lovers and military training.
I think the author was more focused on developing the characters than the world building, because I think we don’t get to see almost anything. The forge? Is almost not described, they didn’t show the reader how are the classrooms, the training fields, anything!
And we are told about the different boroughs that separate their continent, but we don’t know their differences, just that they are rich or poor. It makes me think about the hunger games and the districts, but with no development.
On the other hand, I think that the characters were deeper, we had trauma from our FMC and also from the brooding MMC.
I liked Spider, Rei, Knox and Flint. They were really good side characters, but Sora was unnecessary for the plot, because is not there in almost the whole book, and she didn’t achieve anything, or contribute anything to the story!
Another thing that made me uncomfortable was that there were a lot of phrases that looked like they were written with IA. They were so short and impersonal at moments that I considered if the author got help from chatGPT.
But not the whole of the writing. There were chapters where I thought that it was well written, so I’m not really sure.
I liked the idea in general, and I think it’s original. The idea of him being able to tell the twins apart was soo good, and I loved their relationship.
The final was so cruel. I don’t know how I’m going to keep myself alive till the second book is released.
I’m not fan of the loss of memory in books or series but I’m not going to abandon this story yet.
Congratulations to the author for writing a complete novel! I really enjoyed reading it, and I’m waiting impatiently for the next book.

[c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the storyline, it delivered exactly what was promised. I loved the fmc, love her comedic timing and the banter between her and different characters, especially of course with the mmc.

Wish the book had a little bit more of consistency, sometimes it felt inconsistent, with haven not wanting to be discovered but not attempting to act like mercy even when she knew ender already suspected their scheme.

The dialogue was interesting enough to keep me reading every word but mannerisms behind it definitely needed more development, I needed to know what they were feeling at the time instead of just abruptly continuing the conversation.

The crucial moments happened too fast and casual for my liking, there was definitely some build up lost in (spoilers) the moment where warrick reveals he's the father of the girls (overall the first chapter was too rushed), or the moment ender and knox found out about haven's power

Was hoping for a different ending but that's just my biasism of not wanting to go through the heartbreak that will happen in the second book with ender forgetting all their amazing moments together and hunting her down🥲

Overall a really good book for a debut novel, was looking forward it for two months or more since I got a tiktok about it and it definitely didn't disappoint, eager to read the next book, writer has refreshing ideas and knows how to develop them so looking forward to everything she has to give us!