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Wells of Istri #2
Because the Gods Left
Not yet published
Expected 15 Oct 26The final book in the Wells of Istri duology is here! This dark romantic fantasy delivers even bigger stakes, forbidden romance, and a dangerous world pushing them towards destruction.
In Because the Beasts Came, Iryana met Pyetar while infiltrating the 18th to save her family and ended up healing herself in the process.
Now, Iryana and Pyetar must work together to strength both their peoples in the face of even greater threats, and hope that path will eventually allow them to be together.
Because the Gods Left is the last book in a romantic fantasy duology within the Wells of Istri world. It features slow burn, forbidden romance, emotional healing, dark fantasy, fantasy romance, and action and adventure. Full of aching tension, angst, a unique and dangerous world full of monsters, and a strong but heroine torn between duty, desire, and survival, you won't be able to put this book down.
In Because the Beasts Came, Iryana met Pyetar while infiltrating the 18th to save her family and ended up healing herself in the process.
Now, Iryana and Pyetar must work together to strength both their peoples in the face of even greater threats, and hope that path will eventually allow them to be together.
Because the Gods Left is the last book in a romantic fantasy duology within the Wells of Istri world. It features slow burn, forbidden romance, emotional healing, dark fantasy, fantasy romance, and action and adventure. Full of aching tension, angst, a unique and dangerous world full of monsters, and a strong but heroine torn between duty, desire, and survival, you won't be able to put this book down.
783 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 15, 2026
4.5⭐️
I just finished this amazing duology! After inhaling the first book Because the Beasts Came I was so excited to see what came next for the FMC Iryana. The internal turmoil that she faces while still being a complete badass definitely kept me engaged hoping for the resolution I wanted for the FMC after being introduced to the MMC in the first book Peytar 😏. I loved the messaging throughout depicting the internal struggle with believing in yourself and how that ties into the unique magic system in this book. The world building throughout this entire duology was amazing creating an epic romantasy.
Was this book predictable? Absolutely not! I had no idea what would come next for any of the characters it was such a fun ride!
💜Slow burn
💜Yearning
💜 Found Family
Spice 2-3🌶️
I just finished this amazing duology! After inhaling the first book Because the Beasts Came I was so excited to see what came next for the FMC Iryana. The internal turmoil that she faces while still being a complete badass definitely kept me engaged hoping for the resolution I wanted for the FMC after being introduced to the MMC in the first book Peytar 😏. I loved the messaging throughout depicting the internal struggle with believing in yourself and how that ties into the unique magic system in this book. The world building throughout this entire duology was amazing creating an epic romantasy.
Was this book predictable? Absolutely not! I had no idea what would come next for any of the characters it was such a fun ride!
💜Slow burn
💜Yearning
💜 Found Family
Spice 2-3🌶️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a great follow-up to Because the Beasts Came and a satisfying conclusion to this epic romantasy duology.
I did not love it quite as much as the first book, but it came very close. I was completely in love with the first half of this book. But then somewhere around the middle it started to drag a little. Some scenes started to feel slightly repetitive and I was getting frustrated with the lack of progress in some areas. I think I was supposed to be frustrated... Iryana and Pyetar certainly were! But I just wanted to throttle Iryana's family. Not all of them, her sisters were great. But some of the cousins just tested my patience to the extreme. And I wasn't always too happy with Iryana's reactions to her clan's demands and how she treated Pyetar as a result. It made their relationship feel a little unbalanced and one-sided during parts of the book.
The entire theme of the book is how Iryana struggles with her new position in her Guardian clan and with worrying if she's good enough to lead them. But I just wanted her to be more assertive in her leadership style sooner... even if that would've been skipping ahead on her character journey. So while I understand what was going on with her and why she acted the way she did, I didn't always like it. I loved when Iryana finally blew up at all of them for being so bigoted, that was a great scene! I just would've wanted that to happen a little sooner.
The plot for this was not at all what I expected and such an interesting surprise. It put our main characters more towards the sidelines of the big, world-changing conflict, making them into supporting players in that conflict. It was interesting and refreshing to read this sort of story from the point of view of the "little guys" just trying to survive among the consequences of someone else's big fight. The final showdown sequence was awesome! And I really loved the ending. I'm so happy with how everyone ended up - even if I did think some of that felt a little rushed, especially in contrast to the dragging progress earlier.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this if you like romantasy and don't shy away from big tomes - these books aren't slim. But that makes room for plenty of time for world-building and for the characters to have complex relationships outside of the main romance, while still having plenty of room to give to that romance too.
Thank you to the author and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
I did not love it quite as much as the first book, but it came very close. I was completely in love with the first half of this book. But then somewhere around the middle it started to drag a little. Some scenes started to feel slightly repetitive and I was getting frustrated with the lack of progress in some areas. I think I was supposed to be frustrated... Iryana and Pyetar certainly were! But I just wanted to throttle Iryana's family. Not all of them, her sisters were great. But some of the cousins just tested my patience to the extreme. And I wasn't always too happy with Iryana's reactions to her clan's demands and how she treated Pyetar as a result. It made their relationship feel a little unbalanced and one-sided during parts of the book.
The entire theme of the book is how Iryana struggles with her new position in her Guardian clan and with worrying if she's good enough to lead them. But I just wanted her to be more assertive in her leadership style sooner... even if that would've been skipping ahead on her character journey. So while I understand what was going on with her and why she acted the way she did, I didn't always like it. I loved when Iryana finally blew up at all of them for being so bigoted, that was a great scene! I just would've wanted that to happen a little sooner.
The plot for this was not at all what I expected and such an interesting surprise. It put our main characters more towards the sidelines of the big, world-changing conflict, making them into supporting players in that conflict. It was interesting and refreshing to read this sort of story from the point of view of the "little guys" just trying to survive among the consequences of someone else's big fight. The final showdown sequence was awesome! And I really loved the ending. I'm so happy with how everyone ended up - even if I did think some of that felt a little rushed, especially in contrast to the dragging progress earlier.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this if you like romantasy and don't shy away from big tomes - these books aren't slim. But that makes room for plenty of time for world-building and for the characters to have complex relationships outside of the main romance, while still having plenty of room to give to that romance too.
Thank you to the author and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
September 19, 2026
First and foremost I’m honoured that the author shared an ARC of this book with me !!
“Sisters were meant to be close; they were supposed to know each other’s hearts.”
“We stay together now … We stand together”
“Even standing before the gods didn’t fill me with the same urge to worship as being here with you”
Wow. Just … wow!! I wish I could say all that is going through my mind right now … but I can’t find the right words. This book was everything I would have wanted in the sequel of Because the Beasts Came and then some !! There’s a part of me that dreaded coming into this because I knew, once it was over, it was over for real and forever. There’s nothing in this book I didn’t love. Starting from the action, the slow decent into power and more responsibility that Iryana has to come to terms with. The complicated (sometimes spicy and sweet) relationship she has with Pyetar. The utter devotion he has for her. The crushing reality of their position. The hopelessness of their fights against impossible enemies. But most of all, the sisterhood. The relationship between Iryana and her sisters was what originally drew me in the first time and … the author didn’t disappoint. There was something so real and so pure and so devastating about the way those three girls loved each other that, once again I found myself loving them so much! And the plot twists and the incredibly turns of events that seemed to be set against their happiness and peace! It was engaging, entertaining, thrilling and constantly exciting. I couldn’t help but turn another page and read more. I had to force myself to stop. And when it got to the end, I think it’s safe to say I was not ready to say my goodbyes !! But, reading this was the best experience of my life!!
“You’re the only thing that makes sense to me in this world”
“Bravery isn’t about not being afraid … it’s about doing what you have to do, anyway”
“It was so unfair that being held by him felt so good, yet she was bent allowed to have him”
“Sisters were meant to be close; they were supposed to know each other’s hearts.”
“We stay together now … We stand together”
“Even standing before the gods didn’t fill me with the same urge to worship as being here with you”
Wow. Just … wow!! I wish I could say all that is going through my mind right now … but I can’t find the right words. This book was everything I would have wanted in the sequel of Because the Beasts Came and then some !! There’s a part of me that dreaded coming into this because I knew, once it was over, it was over for real and forever. There’s nothing in this book I didn’t love. Starting from the action, the slow decent into power and more responsibility that Iryana has to come to terms with. The complicated (sometimes spicy and sweet) relationship she has with Pyetar. The utter devotion he has for her. The crushing reality of their position. The hopelessness of their fights against impossible enemies. But most of all, the sisterhood. The relationship between Iryana and her sisters was what originally drew me in the first time and … the author didn’t disappoint. There was something so real and so pure and so devastating about the way those three girls loved each other that, once again I found myself loving them so much! And the plot twists and the incredibly turns of events that seemed to be set against their happiness and peace! It was engaging, entertaining, thrilling and constantly exciting. I couldn’t help but turn another page and read more. I had to force myself to stop. And when it got to the end, I think it’s safe to say I was not ready to say my goodbyes !! But, reading this was the best experience of my life!!
“You’re the only thing that makes sense to me in this world”
“Bravery isn’t about not being afraid … it’s about doing what you have to do, anyway”
“It was so unfair that being held by him felt so good, yet she was bent allowed to have him”
Review of advance copy received from Author
I went into this book expecting a finale… I did NOT expect the author to emotionally throw me off a cliff.
After Because the Beasts Came, I needed to know what was next for Iryana, and honestly, her journey in this book was everything I wanted. She’s still an absolute badass, but we get to see so much more of the person underneath all that strength. Her internal struggle, learning to trust herself, and the way that connects to the magic system made her story hit so much harder. And the WORLD. The magic, the characters, the twists… I loved how everything kept building on what came before. Just when I thought I had an idea of where things were going, the story basically said cute theory… anyway. That was the best part...I never felt like I knew exactly what was coming. And the relationships throughout this story? The yearning. The found family. The characters who would absolutely burn the world down for each other. This was an amazing, immersive, chaotic, emotional ride, and I honestly didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
Thank you for allowing me to read your work!
After Because the Beasts Came, I needed to know what was next for Iryana, and honestly, her journey in this book was everything I wanted. She’s still an absolute badass, but we get to see so much more of the person underneath all that strength. Her internal struggle, learning to trust herself, and the way that connects to the magic system made her story hit so much harder. And the WORLD. The magic, the characters, the twists… I loved how everything kept building on what came before. Just when I thought I had an idea of where things were going, the story basically said cute theory… anyway. That was the best part...I never felt like I knew exactly what was coming. And the relationships throughout this story? The yearning. The found family. The characters who would absolutely burn the world down for each other. This was an amazing, immersive, chaotic, emotional ride, and I honestly didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
Thank you for allowing me to read your work!
September 19, 2026
ARC review prior to publication:
This second book in “The Wells Of Istri” duology finds our FMC, Iryana, still fighting not to fail, both herself and her people. The world building continues as we see characters confronted with even more road blocks, mental struggles and emotional tension and yearning they all must deal with knowing things will definitely get worse before they even have a chance to get better. They eventually find themselves even more entwined with beasts, gods, and each other.
There is some spice, not too much as to take you away from the plot. The world building, magic system and character developments are further enhanced within this book. At times, I did find them a bit over descriptive, (because I could already picture the scenes/characters in my head), but I know for those that really like things/characters to be very well explained, those readers will appreciate all of the extra details that the author gives you.
This second book in “The Wells Of Istri” duology finds our FMC, Iryana, still fighting not to fail, both herself and her people. The world building continues as we see characters confronted with even more road blocks, mental struggles and emotional tension and yearning they all must deal with knowing things will definitely get worse before they even have a chance to get better. They eventually find themselves even more entwined with beasts, gods, and each other.
There is some spice, not too much as to take you away from the plot. The world building, magic system and character developments are further enhanced within this book. At times, I did find them a bit over descriptive, (because I could already picture the scenes/characters in my head), but I know for those that really like things/characters to be very well explained, those readers will appreciate all of the extra details that the author gives you.
September 17, 2026
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect ending to an amazing duology. I wasn’t ready for it to end, but it was such a great ending for this story.
I really loved this conclusion, so much action, and drama, just when you think they are going to get a break, they are thrown right back into.
I really loved all the character development especially Iryana, she was already a badass in Because the Beasts Came, but man did she become even cooler in this book. So much emotional damage and trauma our poor girl is still working through, and she’s still getting everything done.
And the yearning between Pyetar!! Oh man! Absolutely love it!!
Such a great story I loved every bit of it, I highly recommend to any fantasy reader!
So thankful I was able to eARC read!! Can’t wait to see what other works Madeline James puts out.
Perfect ending to an amazing duology. I wasn’t ready for it to end, but it was such a great ending for this story.
I really loved this conclusion, so much action, and drama, just when you think they are going to get a break, they are thrown right back into.
I really loved all the character development especially Iryana, she was already a badass in Because the Beasts Came, but man did she become even cooler in this book. So much emotional damage and trauma our poor girl is still working through, and she’s still getting everything done.
And the yearning between Pyetar!! Oh man! Absolutely love it!!
Such a great story I loved every bit of it, I highly recommend to any fantasy reader!
So thankful I was able to eARC read!! Can’t wait to see what other works Madeline James puts out.
September 18, 2026
3.5 ⭐️review. I was able to read an advance copy provided to me directly from the author and after finishing book 1 I was excited to see how the characters continued to develop. The world was developed well in book 2 so that you have a deeper understanding of timelines and the gods interactions with the world and its inhabitants. I did enjoy how the gods story line continued to deepens throughout the story and how the FMC was able to reconnect with her family and lots of internal turmoil within each of them.
The FMC FINALLY sees her own worth which is fantastic and I loved how it tied in how your internal feelings have a physical manifestation- specifically her magic was greatly affected.
The FMC FINALLY sees her own worth which is fantastic and I loved how it tied in how your internal feelings have a physical manifestation- specifically her magic was greatly affected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this as an ARC from the author and I am freely giving my honest review.
And I thought book 1 was good! Book 2 is amazing. I had a few theories going into this book that I was like oh I know how this is going to go. I was so wrong! The push and pull between Pyetar and Iri is catastrophic. Your heart literally breaks for them. The twists and turns that happen as you go through will keep you on the edge of your seat. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I loved the factor of beasts and God's.
And I thought book 1 was good! Book 2 is amazing. I had a few theories going into this book that I was like oh I know how this is going to go. I was so wrong! The push and pull between Pyetar and Iri is catastrophic. Your heart literally breaks for them. The twists and turns that happen as you go through will keep you on the edge of your seat. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I loved the factor of beasts and God's.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Because The Gods Left is the perfect finale, one full of thrills and twists. The intensity builds nicely, with Madeline doing a fabulous job with the cast of characters to create a story that was both an exciting and entertaining read. Iryana’s arc was especially one to connect with.
Both books in this duology are easy to recommend, I look forward to more from this author as her writing style is truly wonderful to read.
Both books in this duology are easy to recommend, I look forward to more from this author as her writing style is truly wonderful to read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
WOAH! I don’t know what I expected from the second book but it definitely exceeded my expectations! The world building is phenomenal. I genuinely felt as if I could imagine Istri. The internal struggle that the FMC faces is something so relatable. The drama, the fights, forbidden love, everything is so unpredictable (in a good way!). You never knew what was next! Such a good read! So sad to leave these characters and their world behind!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Single POV
HEA; Book 2 of the Wells of Istri duology
Thank you Madeline James and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC copy.
*I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Single POV
HEA; Book 2 of the Wells of Istri duology
Thank you Madeline James and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC copy.
*I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you for the ARC! I enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews