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Blood of a Daydreamer
Amongst immortals, death is a sly beast, a rarity that causes more devastation than any war. And for the people of Reyhen, death has come. There is only one person who knows how to save them from its dark clutches — him.
Two kingdoms. Two royals. One Divide.
After spending the beginnings of her immortal life secreted away in the countryside, Eira Delengranz is — regretfully — returning to life at court for her initiation ceremony. The day the Virtuae Relic gifts her the powers it deems most useful for her royal life.
One letter is all it takes for her entire world to crack open, revealing a terrible, festering rot of a secret.
She has no option, but to place her faith in the man they say is a harbinger of death, the man they tell her lurks at the other side of the Valtayre Divide, biding his time, hungering for revenge. The man whose powers are unlike anything their Gods-given Relic would ever provide, his very existence sacrilege.
The Umbrian King. Eliaz Daegon.
Clashing personalities. Disorienting dreams. Pure, forceful passion. Blood of a Daydreamer is a tale of determination and overcoming false perceptions, a fantasy with a fiery heart and a love worth sacrificing everything for.
Readers beware, for all is not always, as it seems.
[Cover is a placeholder]
Two kingdoms. Two royals. One Divide.
After spending the beginnings of her immortal life secreted away in the countryside, Eira Delengranz is — regretfully — returning to life at court for her initiation ceremony. The day the Virtuae Relic gifts her the powers it deems most useful for her royal life.
One letter is all it takes for her entire world to crack open, revealing a terrible, festering rot of a secret.
She has no option, but to place her faith in the man they say is a harbinger of death, the man they tell her lurks at the other side of the Valtayre Divide, biding his time, hungering for revenge. The man whose powers are unlike anything their Gods-given Relic would ever provide, his very existence sacrilege.
The Umbrian King. Eliaz Daegon.
Clashing personalities. Disorienting dreams. Pure, forceful passion. Blood of a Daydreamer is a tale of determination and overcoming false perceptions, a fantasy with a fiery heart and a love worth sacrificing everything for.
Readers beware, for all is not always, as it seems.
[Cover is a placeholder]
486 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2026
About the author
Zinnia Keen
1 book3 followersProfessional daydreamer and author of fantasy romance <3
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 30, 2026
Blood of a Daydreamer completely pulled me in from the very first pages.
Thank you Zinia for this beauty. ♥️
The story is set on an island divided between two kingdoms: one is bright, flourishing, and breathtakingly beautiful, while the other is dark, broken, and on the brink of collapse. But nothing is as it seems, and every chapter peels back another layer of the truth.
This is a true enemies-to-lovers romance.
Forced to work together to save both of their kingdoms, the princess and the Dark King slowly realize that the greatest threat isn't where they expected it to be. As they uncover the darkest secrets hidden behind the perfect facade of the Reyhen kingdom, every belief they've ever held is challenged.
I loved the morally complex world, the tension-filled banter, and the slow-burning relationship that felt earned every step of the way. The plot constantly kept me guessing, and the twists made me question who the real villains were. The End left me absolutely flabbergasted. I really want to know what is happening next and can’t wait for the next book.
If you love fantasy with political intrigue, hidden truths, morally gray characters, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that actually feels like enemies first, this deserves a spot on your TBR for July.
Thank you Zinia for this beauty. ♥️
The story is set on an island divided between two kingdoms: one is bright, flourishing, and breathtakingly beautiful, while the other is dark, broken, and on the brink of collapse. But nothing is as it seems, and every chapter peels back another layer of the truth.
This is a true enemies-to-lovers romance.
Forced to work together to save both of their kingdoms, the princess and the Dark King slowly realize that the greatest threat isn't where they expected it to be. As they uncover the darkest secrets hidden behind the perfect facade of the Reyhen kingdom, every belief they've ever held is challenged.
I loved the morally complex world, the tension-filled banter, and the slow-burning relationship that felt earned every step of the way. The plot constantly kept me guessing, and the twists made me question who the real villains were. The End left me absolutely flabbergasted. I really want to know what is happening next and can’t wait for the next book.
If you love fantasy with political intrigue, hidden truths, morally gray characters, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that actually feels like enemies first, this deserves a spot on your TBR for July.
July 18, 2026
Thank you to the author for my advanced copy of this book
This was my first time being an ARC reader and what an fab time I had.
I fell so effortlessly in love with the world building and the WRITING… I found myself questioning how this was a debut at many points, the way it flows beautifully with the pacing is something I have found most romantasy books (in my limited experience) to be lacking. I was immersed from the get-go and Keen takes us on a journey, and even though we barely explore the map, I do feel like I was taken so many places with the plot that it didn’t even matter that much.
The characters have so much dimension and which made it easy to connect with them and to sympathise with the struggles they faced as the story progressed. Eliaz and Eira were enemies and then some, making the nature of their later relationship quite complicated, I loved how Eira seemed to address this in her inner dialogue on the ship, she is fully aware of how irrational and “foolish” it is but somehow has this beautiful perspective that they shouldn’t deny themselves of anything just because it doesn’t fully make sense to them yet. The characters are messy and flawed and real. I hated who I was supposed to hate and loved who I was supposed to love and that is a job well done from Keen.
My only gripe is that it ended. No, like it ended and I was left like 👁️👄👁️ where’s the rest I need more NOW.
I can’t wait to read more from this author and I hope she will give us every answer I’m screaming out for in the next one.
This was my first time being an ARC reader and what an fab time I had.
I fell so effortlessly in love with the world building and the WRITING… I found myself questioning how this was a debut at many points, the way it flows beautifully with the pacing is something I have found most romantasy books (in my limited experience) to be lacking. I was immersed from the get-go and Keen takes us on a journey, and even though we barely explore the map, I do feel like I was taken so many places with the plot that it didn’t even matter that much.
The characters have so much dimension and which made it easy to connect with them and to sympathise with the struggles they faced as the story progressed. Eliaz and Eira were enemies and then some, making the nature of their later relationship quite complicated, I loved how Eira seemed to address this in her inner dialogue on the ship, she is fully aware of how irrational and “foolish” it is but somehow has this beautiful perspective that they shouldn’t deny themselves of anything just because it doesn’t fully make sense to them yet. The characters are messy and flawed and real. I hated who I was supposed to hate and loved who I was supposed to love and that is a job well done from Keen.
My only gripe is that it ended. No, like it ended and I was left like 👁️👄👁️ where’s the rest I need more NOW.
I can’t wait to read more from this author and I hope she will give us every answer I’m screaming out for in the next one.
July 4, 2026
I received an ARC of Blood of a Daydreamer in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I'd give this around 3.5⭐.
There were definitely things I really enjoyed. The opening backstory immediately pulled me in, and I loved the character names, they felt unique without being difficult to remember. I also appreciated that the princess wasn't written as overly polished; the swearing made her feel much more relatable and human. Eira and Lillienne's friendship was one of my favourite parts of the book, and I found myself genuinely enjoying their banter which then included Calli too. I also really liked Calli from the beginning, she gave the story some extra fun. I have to mention how gorgeous the cover art is.
Eliaz grew on me throughout the story, especially some of the banter and high tension moments between him and Eira. His little trick to get her into the carriage was genuinely cute. On the other hand, Cole and the emperor reveal had me thinking, "What the...?" It definitely caught me by surprise. I didn’t actually mind Cole either.
That said, there were a few things that stopped me from fully connecting with the story. I felt there was quite a lot of unnecessary commentary and lengthy descriptions that slowed the pacing and made sections feel a little boring. I also found myself confused by some of the world-building. Even by the end, I wasn't entirely sure I understood the Divide or the Affliction, and because so many secrets were introduced without enough explanation, it became more frustrating than intriguing at times.
I also found myself confused about the significance of the god-given name. It seemed like it was introduced as something important during the chapter as there was multiple pages on it, but it was never really used, and the main character isn't called anything close to it throughout the story. I kept waiting for it to become relevant, but it never seemed to.
I think the mysterious curly-haired duke introduced at the ball had a lot of potential, and I would have liked to see him play a bigger role in the story. He had lots of important information that didn’t get enough coverage. Similarly, I was left wondering what the point of the stable hand was. I can’t actually remember his name but it felt like his was being set up to have a larger purpose, but that never really seemed to go anywhere. One small formatting suggestion would be to present memories and dreams in a different font or style, as that would make them much easier to distinguish from the present-day narrative.
There were also a couple of moments that left me confused, such as references to Eliaz’s hair, it was described as red, but I had previously pictured it as white as shown on the cover. And while the revelation that everything Eira believed about her life was a lie was a strong twist, by the ending there were still so many unanswered questions that I wasn't completely satisfied. The final chapters, including the "Ori" reveal, left me more confused than excited, and unfortunately I wasn't the biggest fan of how the book wrapped up.
Overall, Blood of a Daydreamer has an interesting premise, likeable characters, and some genuinely compelling twists. With tighter pacing, a little more clarity around the world-building, and a few side characters given more purpose, I think it could have been a much stronger read for me. I'll still be interested to see where the story goes next, as there are plenty of mysteries left to uncover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5)
When the prologue ends with the words "fuck the prophecy", you already know you're in for a good time.
This story follows our FMC and princess Eira Delengranz, who has spent the beginning of her immortal life hidden away in the countryside before reluctantly returning to court for her initiation ceremony.
When her best friend, Lillienne, ends up in danger, Eira is forced to put her trust in the one man she's always been told to fear, Eliaz Daegon, the Umbrian King. Crossing the Valtayre Divide, she soon discovers that the stories she's been told about both kingdoms aren't quite the truth, and the secrets she uncovers change everything.
I really enjoyed Eira as a main character. She was stubborn and determined to find the truth, even when everything around her was falling apart. Eliaz was definitely my favourite though. He starts off as this cold, mysterious man who isn't exactly welcoming, but as the story goes on you slowly get to see the softer, more vulnerable side of him. I loved watching those layers peel back, and by the end I was completely invested in him.
There were some really fun banter moments between Eira and Eliaz, and a few scenes that genuinely made their dynamic so enjoyable to read. On top of that, there were also some really nice slow burn tension moments that kept building that push and pull between them.
One tiny thing for me, I felt that the pacing was a little hit or miss. There were a few slower moments where I wanted things to move along a bit quicker, but the final chapters more than made up for it. I absolutely flew through the ending, and there were a couple of plot twists that genuinely caught me off guard.
The side characters were also a real highlight. There was such a lovely found family feel developing throughout the story. Lillienne brought plenty of sass and humour, Callie was fiercely loyal, Diarmid was adorable with his love of animals, and Cole was the kind of chaotic ale infused character who says exactly what's on his mind and somehow gets away with it.
There are still so many questions left unanswered and that ending was honestly so mean. Even though I had a few issues with the pacing, I'm definitely intrigued enough to pick up book two because I need to know what happens next.
A huge thank you to the Zinnia for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When the prologue ends with the words "fuck the prophecy", you already know you're in for a good time.
This story follows our FMC and princess Eira Delengranz, who has spent the beginning of her immortal life hidden away in the countryside before reluctantly returning to court for her initiation ceremony.
When her best friend, Lillienne, ends up in danger, Eira is forced to put her trust in the one man she's always been told to fear, Eliaz Daegon, the Umbrian King. Crossing the Valtayre Divide, she soon discovers that the stories she's been told about both kingdoms aren't quite the truth, and the secrets she uncovers change everything.
I really enjoyed Eira as a main character. She was stubborn and determined to find the truth, even when everything around her was falling apart. Eliaz was definitely my favourite though. He starts off as this cold, mysterious man who isn't exactly welcoming, but as the story goes on you slowly get to see the softer, more vulnerable side of him. I loved watching those layers peel back, and by the end I was completely invested in him.
There were some really fun banter moments between Eira and Eliaz, and a few scenes that genuinely made their dynamic so enjoyable to read. On top of that, there were also some really nice slow burn tension moments that kept building that push and pull between them.
One tiny thing for me, I felt that the pacing was a little hit or miss. There were a few slower moments where I wanted things to move along a bit quicker, but the final chapters more than made up for it. I absolutely flew through the ending, and there were a couple of plot twists that genuinely caught me off guard.
The side characters were also a real highlight. There was such a lovely found family feel developing throughout the story. Lillienne brought plenty of sass and humour, Callie was fiercely loyal, Diarmid was adorable with his love of animals, and Cole was the kind of chaotic ale infused character who says exactly what's on his mind and somehow gets away with it.
There are still so many questions left unanswered and that ending was honestly so mean. Even though I had a few issues with the pacing, I'm definitely intrigued enough to pick up book two because I need to know what happens next.
A huge thank you to the Zinnia for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.⭐️ (3.75/5)
I would like to start by thanking Zinnia Keen for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. It was truly an honor to be trusted with it.
Blood of a Daydreamer is a beautifully written royal romantasy that connects the royals of two rival magic kingdoms, Eira and Eliaz. Bound by a shared mission to uncover court secrets, they must work together to save their respective kingdoms and their people. Will they be able to overcome their history of conflict to trust one another for the greater good, or will they be consumed by a path of distrust, false reality, and illusion?
I particularly appreciate the immense effort Zinnia Keen put into the world-building and character development. Every character (even the side cast) felt incredibly distinct. Many of the supporting characters were so vibrant that they made me laugh more than the lead characters. Additionally, the focus on platonic bonds was a highlight in this book. The relationships between siblings like Eliaz and Callie, and friends like Eira and Lilliene, were so heartwarming that they made the book feel like a truly cozy read.
Trope-wise, Keen delivers exactly as promised: a genuine, slow-burn enemies to lovers. It was refreshing to experience the full journey from hate to distrust, and finally to love, at an authentic pace. It is rare to find a romantasy where the male lead doesn’t immediately swoon over the FMC at first sight, and I loved that this book avoided those unrealistic tropes.
My only critique lies in the pacing. The story started quite slowly (which I understand was necessary for the world-building) but it felt a bit rushed toward the end as the secrets were revealed. I found myself wishing that some of the final events had been given more space to breathe, as they were genuinely interesting. Furthermore, I was a bit confused by Ori’s story and his sudden shift, especially towards his sister at least. I wish this had been emphasized more throughout the book (hopefully maybe later on in book 2) as it would have served a fascinating juxtaposition to Eliaz’s development and a great opportunity to explore two very different outcomes.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read, and I am already excited for book two!
I would like to start by thanking Zinnia Keen for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. It was truly an honor to be trusted with it.
Blood of a Daydreamer is a beautifully written royal romantasy that connects the royals of two rival magic kingdoms, Eira and Eliaz. Bound by a shared mission to uncover court secrets, they must work together to save their respective kingdoms and their people. Will they be able to overcome their history of conflict to trust one another for the greater good, or will they be consumed by a path of distrust, false reality, and illusion?
I particularly appreciate the immense effort Zinnia Keen put into the world-building and character development. Every character (even the side cast) felt incredibly distinct. Many of the supporting characters were so vibrant that they made me laugh more than the lead characters. Additionally, the focus on platonic bonds was a highlight in this book. The relationships between siblings like Eliaz and Callie, and friends like Eira and Lilliene, were so heartwarming that they made the book feel like a truly cozy read.
Trope-wise, Keen delivers exactly as promised: a genuine, slow-burn enemies to lovers. It was refreshing to experience the full journey from hate to distrust, and finally to love, at an authentic pace. It is rare to find a romantasy where the male lead doesn’t immediately swoon over the FMC at first sight, and I loved that this book avoided those unrealistic tropes.
My only critique lies in the pacing. The story started quite slowly (which I understand was necessary for the world-building) but it felt a bit rushed toward the end as the secrets were revealed. I found myself wishing that some of the final events had been given more space to breathe, as they were genuinely interesting. Furthermore, I was a bit confused by Ori’s story and his sudden shift, especially towards his sister at least. I wish this had been emphasized more throughout the book (hopefully maybe later on in book 2) as it would have served a fascinating juxtaposition to Eliaz’s development and a great opportunity to explore two very different outcomes.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read, and I am already excited for book two!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
June 29, 2026Thank you, Zinnia, for the eARC! 💕
I was hyped to start Blood of a Daydreamer. The teasers on the author's insta revealed that Eliaz would have an ability related to dreams, and I really was looking forward to him toying with Eira only to slowly but surely fall in love with her.
However, it felt like he was obsessed with her instantly (albeit loathing it)? Yes, there were moments when he was painted like a ruthless villain (the ladder scene!) but each of these moments was instantly softened by him looking at her with regret or a joke being made. I did like Eliaz's sarcasm though! 😏
On paper, they were definitely enemies, but didn't truly have a reason to hate each other, just the kingdoms they each represent. As such, them quickly learning to look past that, showed a maturity I can appreciate. 🙂↕️
The story is way more complex than the synopsis would have you believe, which explains the high page count! 👀
If you're looking for a book that makes you question everything (is it a dream, an illusion, or real?), this could be the book for you! But unfortunately it wasn't the book for me. 😅
The other characters were not selling the story convincingly. Early on, Eliaz' behavior around Eira was inconsistent, but I grew to like him as we learn more about him. Callie and Cole felt one-dimensional, him being the token "fun" character (not my type of humor) and her being the sweet and bubbly "let's all be friends" type of person. I liked the girls' friendships though. Eira's showed potential for growth, and hers being the sole POV immensely helped the mystery aspect of the story.
All of that being said, I soft DNF'd this at 42%, only skimming the rest of the book.
The writing itself is good, especially for a debut, but the pace threw me off to a point where I couldn't continue reading; some scenes were simply too wordy while not bringing anything new to the table, it dragged on and wasn't enjoyable for me to read (me expecting a different focus to this story probably played a role in this).
Due to the DNF, I opted out of a star rating (I can't judge what I don't know), only sharing my thoughts via this review.
I was hyped to start Blood of a Daydreamer. The teasers on the author's insta revealed that Eliaz would have an ability related to dreams, and I really was looking forward to him toying with Eira only to slowly but surely fall in love with her.
However, it felt like he was obsessed with her instantly (albeit loathing it)? Yes, there were moments when he was painted like a ruthless villain (the ladder scene!) but each of these moments was instantly softened by him looking at her with regret or a joke being made. I did like Eliaz's sarcasm though! 😏
On paper, they were definitely enemies, but didn't truly have a reason to hate each other, just the kingdoms they each represent. As such, them quickly learning to look past that, showed a maturity I can appreciate. 🙂↕️
The story is way more complex than the synopsis would have you believe, which explains the high page count! 👀
If you're looking for a book that makes you question everything (is it a dream, an illusion, or real?), this could be the book for you! But unfortunately it wasn't the book for me. 😅
The other characters were not selling the story convincingly. Early on, Eliaz' behavior around Eira was inconsistent, but I grew to like him as we learn more about him. Callie and Cole felt one-dimensional, him being the token "fun" character (not my type of humor) and her being the sweet and bubbly "let's all be friends" type of person. I liked the girls' friendships though. Eira's showed potential for growth, and hers being the sole POV immensely helped the mystery aspect of the story.
All of that being said, I soft DNF'd this at 42%, only skimming the rest of the book.
The writing itself is good, especially for a debut, but the pace threw me off to a point where I couldn't continue reading; some scenes were simply too wordy while not bringing anything new to the table, it dragged on and wasn't enjoyable for me to read (me expecting a different focus to this story probably played a role in this).
Due to the DNF, I opted out of a star rating (I can't judge what I don't know), only sharing my thoughts via this review.
June 29, 2026
Advanced Reader Copy Received from Author.
Blood of a Daydreamer was such an interesting read, and I’m still sitting with everything that happened by the end. It’s got family mystery, political tension and an FMC that realises everything she was told about her kingdom is lies.
First of all, I hated almost every man in this book– and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible because clearly they were written to get a reaction. Cole in particular was unlikeable from start to finish. I genuinely found him disgusting, and every scene with him made me tense.
One of my favourite parts of the book was the friendships between Lillianne, Calli and Eira. Their bond felt so genuine and gave me the kind of found-family dynamic I always love reading. In a story with so much tension and darkness, their relationship brought something grounding and heartfelt.
I also really loved Lillianne and Diarmind. They were so sweet, and I liked how they represented a sense of innocence for Reyhen while we gradually learned more about the burdens and struggles facing the country. Their presence added a softness that balanced some of the heavier themes.
Elias was interesting for me because I struggled to connect with him for a large part of the book, but Chapter 39 definitely changed something. That was the moment he actually won me over, and I became much more invested in him after that.
My only ‘issue’ was the ending (and it wasn’t actually even an issue). It left me feeling confused, and I wasn’t entirely sure what was real and what wasn’t. For me, it felt like the rug was pulled out from under a little too abruptly.
I do think that confusion was intentional and very much how we’re meant to feel alongside the characters. However, I think if I’d picked up on more clues throughout the book, the reveal might have felt more natural rather than like a sudden gotcha moment. That said, I did notice hints throughout that things weren’t entirely as they seemed, which makes me curious to reread and see what clues I missed the first time around.
Overall this was a 4⭐️ read for me and I can’t wait to see a sequel!
Blood of a Daydreamer was such an interesting read, and I’m still sitting with everything that happened by the end. It’s got family mystery, political tension and an FMC that realises everything she was told about her kingdom is lies.
First of all, I hated almost every man in this book– and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible because clearly they were written to get a reaction. Cole in particular was unlikeable from start to finish. I genuinely found him disgusting, and every scene with him made me tense.
One of my favourite parts of the book was the friendships between Lillianne, Calli and Eira. Their bond felt so genuine and gave me the kind of found-family dynamic I always love reading. In a story with so much tension and darkness, their relationship brought something grounding and heartfelt.
I also really loved Lillianne and Diarmind. They were so sweet, and I liked how they represented a sense of innocence for Reyhen while we gradually learned more about the burdens and struggles facing the country. Their presence added a softness that balanced some of the heavier themes.
Elias was interesting for me because I struggled to connect with him for a large part of the book, but Chapter 39 definitely changed something. That was the moment he actually won me over, and I became much more invested in him after that.
My only ‘issue’ was the ending (and it wasn’t actually even an issue). It left me feeling confused, and I wasn’t entirely sure what was real and what wasn’t. For me, it felt like the rug was pulled out from under a little too abruptly.
I do think that confusion was intentional and very much how we’re meant to feel alongside the characters. However, I think if I’d picked up on more clues throughout the book, the reveal might have felt more natural rather than like a sudden gotcha moment. That said, I did notice hints throughout that things weren’t entirely as they seemed, which makes me curious to reread and see what clues I missed the first time around.
Overall this was a 4⭐️ read for me and I can’t wait to see a sequel!
July 7, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received this book as an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. So that is exactly what I am going to do.
I am going to start off with the things I had some problems with before talking about the things I liked.
I had a really tough start getting into this book. There were parts that were interesting, but more often I wasn’t really connected to the story, which led to me not really caring about the characters. The pacing felt a little slow and (especially in the beginning) it felt too descriptive.
There were parts of the characters I liked, but also parts that made it difficult for me to connect with them. For example the ‘mysteries’ and the enemies part felt a bit forced. One moment she feared him and the next she saw the good in him, only to fear him again in the next scene. It made it difficult for me to make up my mind about him. Was he good or bad, or something in between?
There were also a bit too many tears going on with everybody to make it believable. I would understand it if one person was a crier, that would make sense and actually be interesting as I haven’t read that much. But almost every character in this book had tears in their eyes at one point in this book. It was just a bit much.
But now for the good part… as soon as I got to about halfway, and the setting changed, the story seemed to pick up and I actually got pretty invested. The characters were still a little off, and the shift of them becoming lovers might have been a bit too abrupt, but it led to a few really sweet scenes.
And after that the book went by pretty fast. Lots of things happened in a short amount of time and the ending was not at all what I had expected though, while I might have struggled getting through the first part I am curious to see where this story goes.
I received this book as an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. So that is exactly what I am going to do.
I am going to start off with the things I had some problems with before talking about the things I liked.
I had a really tough start getting into this book. There were parts that were interesting, but more often I wasn’t really connected to the story, which led to me not really caring about the characters. The pacing felt a little slow and (especially in the beginning) it felt too descriptive.
There were parts of the characters I liked, but also parts that made it difficult for me to connect with them. For example the ‘mysteries’ and the enemies part felt a bit forced. One moment she feared him and the next she saw the good in him, only to fear him again in the next scene. It made it difficult for me to make up my mind about him. Was he good or bad, or something in between?
There were also a bit too many tears going on with everybody to make it believable. I would understand it if one person was a crier, that would make sense and actually be interesting as I haven’t read that much. But almost every character in this book had tears in their eyes at one point in this book. It was just a bit much.
But now for the good part… as soon as I got to about halfway, and the setting changed, the story seemed to pick up and I actually got pretty invested. The characters were still a little off, and the shift of them becoming lovers might have been a bit too abrupt, but it led to a few really sweet scenes.
And after that the book went by pretty fast. Lots of things happened in a short amount of time and the ending was not at all what I had expected though, while I might have struggled getting through the first part I am curious to see where this story goes.
July 3, 2026
I really loved this book. It was beautiful in itself. The writing style was so good and the plot was very captivating. At times, it did feel like the pacing was slow but the characters and the plot kept me going.
The characters are feisty and fiery and adorable. I loved that a solid 40% of this book was the MCs being enemies and then slowing warming up to each other up until THE MOMENT. This was an enemies to lovers done right because usually the characters just say how much they hate each other and can't stand one another but this was different as they acted on their hatred which felt genuine. But besides that as well, the characters were really well done. I'd say my first impression of them without having read the book was from the cover itself which was all that I needed to know about them. After that I constantly had an image in my mind to associate them with and that made their actions even more befitting.
The side characters were lovely too. Calli, Lillienne, the stable man and our alcoholic Cole, I loved all of them! It is nice to see side characters that are not hollow, have opinions of their own and are not afraid to challenge those of the MCs.
The world in itself was very unique. The divide preventing the people of the two nations from crossing the borders was amazing and well executed and I had never read anything like it. The overall magical concept was also very unique and I love that about the book.
I would definitely recommend book lovers to read this book at least once!
The characters are feisty and fiery and adorable. I loved that a solid 40% of this book was the MCs being enemies and then slowing warming up to each other up until THE MOMENT. This was an enemies to lovers done right because usually the characters just say how much they hate each other and can't stand one another but this was different as they acted on their hatred which felt genuine. But besides that as well, the characters were really well done. I'd say my first impression of them without having read the book was from the cover itself which was all that I needed to know about them. After that I constantly had an image in my mind to associate them with and that made their actions even more befitting.
The side characters were lovely too. Calli, Lillienne, the stable man and our alcoholic Cole, I loved all of them! It is nice to see side characters that are not hollow, have opinions of their own and are not afraid to challenge those of the MCs.
The world in itself was very unique. The divide preventing the people of the two nations from crossing the borders was amazing and well executed and I had never read anything like it. The overall magical concept was also very unique and I love that about the book.
I would definitely recommend book lovers to read this book at least once!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Writing ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
World building ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The writing in this book is very flattering and cool, it suits the context of the book well. Since it is a debut novel, the prose hasn’t fully developed and matured yet (in my opinion), but it's still good.
The world building is rather unique. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with the magic system quite like this. The source of the magic, the Divide and the conflict is clear (the Divide’s creation unraveled later in the book).
The plot is intriguing. Though, the pacing in here feels a bit unnatural for me. I don’t quite grasp the rhythm of it.
The characters have depths. I love me an MMC who can cry and have flaws like normal humans do. Though, I have to admit, I don’t really swoon at the relationship between the main characters as much as I’d hoped. I feel like it can happen a bit too quickly and out of the blue for my taste.
So all the above is concluded into this: a well done debut! 3.75⭐
World building ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The writing in this book is very flattering and cool, it suits the context of the book well. Since it is a debut novel, the prose hasn’t fully developed and matured yet (in my opinion), but it's still good.
The world building is rather unique. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with the magic system quite like this. The source of the magic, the Divide and the conflict is clear (the Divide’s creation unraveled later in the book).
The plot is intriguing. Though, the pacing in here feels a bit unnatural for me. I don’t quite grasp the rhythm of it.
The characters have depths. I love me an MMC who can cry and have flaws like normal humans do. Though, I have to admit, I don’t really swoon at the relationship between the main characters as much as I’d hoped. I feel like it can happen a bit too quickly and out of the blue for my taste.
So all the above is concluded into this: a well done debut! 3.75⭐
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