Betrayed and burdened in a hidden realm, they have a new enemy and a perilous plan—but will their collection of secrets unravel the fate they’re trying to weave?
Forced into hiding by their common enemy, Mena, Azrael and the remaining angels journey to seek refuge in the city of Sathine.
Mena is propelled into the midst of political turmoil, expected to lead a realm and prevent all worlds from falling into the same loveless leadership that torments the Upper World.
But the wounds of betrayal from her last battle weigh heavily and constantly—an old friend haunts her every thought, planting doubt in her heart, her feelings for Azrael blurring at the edges. Even as he yearns to spend every moment in her presence, cursing every minute they’re apart.
Hurt, afraid, and under pressure, Mena makes a questionable decision, or two … putting herself, her family, and Azrael at risk.
For any chance of winning the imminent war, Mena and her most loyal must journey between worlds to uncover the secrets kept from them and destroy the enemy who would tear Mena and every world to pieces to possess her power.
But will their own secrets rip them apart before they get a chance to save themselves?
Erica Jean is an Australian writer, based in Sydney whose passion for storytelling bloomed in childhood. With a degree in Writing, Erica continues to hone her skills of creating immersive worlds and compelling characters, both in long and short-form fiction. She began her career in content and social media management, but her true passion lies in long-form literature, particularly in the fantasy genre that sparked her infatuation with reading.
A wife and mother of two, Erica balances her family life with writing, where she enjoys exploring themes of resilience, romance, found-family, multi-world lore, and the complexities of power. Erica runs an Instagram page, @ericajeanwriter, where she shares her work and writing journey.
Erica is committed to bringing unique and heartfelt narratives to life, aiming to inspire and resonate with readers who love multi-faceted characters and easy-to-imagine worlds.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of the Unseen World!
"I want her because she's the most formidable woman I've ever met. Because despite all that has been forced upon her, including her power and this queendom, she has remained herself. Someone you'd be fucking lucky to know."
Let me start off by saying that I love Mena. She been through much, but (like the quote above says) she’s persevered through it!
I also love how all of these characters are so close and would do anything for each other. Cora, I think I can forgive now. Emi is so sweet and bubbly, m I love her and Mena’s friendship. And I love Mena and Leo’s friendship too. Ugh, Leo was going through it for her. They didn’t deserve what a certain someone put them through, but I feel bad for everyone (even if it was their fault for what they did).
Now let me say that while I did enjoy reading this, I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Upper World. To me, it felt a bit like a filler book. The focus was more on Mena and Azrael’s relationship than the action, or plot, for example. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love their relationship!! I just wish we had gotten more scenes towards the plot than we did.
However, I’m so excited for the third (and last) book! And scared, after the cliffhanger. I can’t wait to see what all happens! Hopefully not too many terrible things, as they’ve all been through it already, but we do know that it ends with an HEA!
"You're an angel" He grinned. "You are not of this world-and those are just the facts." Her smile reached his in the reflection. "You are everything."
This was such a beautifully written book, wow. I mean, it totally set up the next book really well and it added so much more to this already amazing world and story.
The new world we discover in this book was so interesting, and I loved meeting new characters and kind of just deepening the group connection and found family aspect. I always love adventuring into new worlds or areas, it is always so so fun. I really enjoyed the multiple POV again in this book, and I especially loved the chapter POVs from the side characters, it just gave so much more insight into their characters which I really enjoyed reading. Emi, Cora, and Leo are all really well developed side characters and I love the all (especially Leo right now), and I swear Cora and Leo definitely have chemistry. And Emi, omg, she is so mysterious, I am so curious about what she's seeing and where she is going. Now Azrael and Mena, of course, I adore both of them. They complement each others characters really well, and I loved all the emotional depth between them that was explored in this book, it was so beautiful. Mena has gone through so much, and she has also discovered, and still is learning so much, and I adore how patient and supportive Azrael is with her. Their dynamic is absolutely amazing. I also really enjoyed seeing Mena take charge in this book, especially with everything she was going through in this book. Also, what happened to Dion after last book, he constantly had me annoyed.
I have so many questions after that ending as well. This book has built up the next one so so well, and I CANNOT wait to see where this story goes, and to find out where Mena is and what is happening with Azrael. I seriously loved this book so much, and I'm so excited for the next one! Thank you to Erica for this incredible arc copy <3
ARC ✨ The Unseen World by Erica Jean. I went into this one desperate for answers after The Upper World, and whilst we did get an answer to the cliffhanger in book one, Erica Jean has also left me with another cliffhanger and approximately one million new questions 👀 getting answers only to realise you now need even MORE answers should come with a warning.
With most of the book taking place in one setting, things felt a little slower than the first book, there was less action and the plot didn't have quite the same momentum, but in its place, we got something else - a huge focus on the characters, their relationships and the emotions underneath it all.
Mena really started stepping into herself here too, taking more ownership of her powers ⚡ I'll always love a FMC figuring out who she is and what she's capable of, especially when there's clearly so much more going on with this magic system. I also loved getting those little glimpses inside the minds of other characters through their own chapters. It added another layer to the story without ruining the balance of Mena and Azrael's story.
And can we talk about Emi? because I'm curious, I need to know more about her and what her place in all of this is going to be, I feel there's so much we don't know yet. And Leo, my heart 🥹 the best kind of friend, everyone deserves a Leo in their corner, and that's all I have to say about that.
We still have the slow burn forbidden romance from the first book 🔥 (and maybe some not so slow burn), fated bonds that are becoming even more interesting, found family and a magic system that keeps me wanting to know more 🖤 the ingredients that made me love The Upper World are still here, and Erica Jean, I hope you're writing because I NEED that next book 🫶🏻
✨ Pub date: November 11, and thank you Erica for allowing me to arc read again!
Firstly can more series include a recap of the previous book and things to remember like this book because my memory is terrible 😂
Book 2 in the Worlds of the Valley series by @ericajeanauthor
I was so excited to pick up with book after the ending of book 1 and see what on earth was going on with Dion… yes we got answers but we leave book 2 with so many more questions and another cliffhanger.
Book 2 was slightly slower than book 1 but that felt intentional, you really got to spend time with these characters, delving deeper into the relationships and the bonds that have formed.
Mena really grew as an FMC and she became more and more sure of herself and her powers as the book went on which was so fun to experience and I can’t help but think there is so much more to come.
And speaking of more to come… what is going on with Emi?! I need to know, like now.
This really was a story where the side characters and their stories feel just as important as the main characters and I loved how we got to see a bit more of that in the POVs.
And how could I not mention Azrael, he would literally do anything to protect Mena (and that better not change)
There is tension, slow burn, forbidden romance and yearning… oh the yearning! The magic system is still growing even throughout book 2 which keeps things so interesting and even a couple of scene I was reading at work that made me feel like I was blushing.
Erica Jean’s writing and story telling is so beautiful and the growth we see in these characters across the 2 books is SO good.
I cannot wait to see what book 3 has in store for us.
The Upper World - out now on Kindle + The Unseen World - out 11/11/2026
Kindly received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
The Unseen World by Erica Jean
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
🩵 Multi-World Adventure ✨ Dystopian Vibes 🩵 Slow Burn to Spice ✨ Lots of Secrets & Tension 🩵 Love Bond Complications ✨ Friends to Enemies 🩵 Yearning ✨ Voice in her head 🩵 Found Family ✨ Anxiety Rep
"He was not hers to fix. He had to do that for himself." "Warriors aren’t immune to pain." “If I hear you so much as whisper to her, I’ll come back and stick both of these blades through your brain.”
What a lovely book two to this series and I absolutely loved getting to read more of this dystopian romantasy! Ugh I am obsessed with Mena and Azrael and this entire book! The slow burn is burning even more and I am so hoping that in book 3 we get to see more of their relationship.
I cant fail to mention the mind reading, I am so intrigued by this concept and personally I would be freaked out if anyone was able to speak in my mind haha. But this was a cool aspect of the story and obviously beautifully woven into The Unseen World!
I love how much Erica Jean highlights anxiety and the characters are constantly reminding Mena that just because someone is a strong warrior, does not mean that they are immune to pain, loss, anxiety, grief, and more. I have always enjoyed reading about flaws in characters as it gives us readers something to connect with and understand those human emotions and characteristics.
Azrael is an amazing character and I love how much he protects Mena and threatens anyone who even dares to do her wrong. He totally gives off the touch her and d** vibes and I was living for it! What a great MMC!!
Thank you to Erica Jean for such a wonderful ARC and I am excited to read more books by you!
Thank you to the author for an advance copy of this book!
The Unseen World picks up right after book 1, the Upper World, ends. We continue the journey with Mena and Azreal and their friends after escaping the Underworld and reach their new destination.
I LOVED the continued bond between Mena and Azreal. He may be the angel of Death but he is SO DOWN BAD for Mena and I loved every second. Mena's friend were phenomenal in book 1 and they continued to be some of the best parts of book 2. They all accept Azreal and Mena and their new roles, but also are just there for friendship and care. Dion was a WHOLE thing in this book and my heart broke for Mena and her friends on how they had to deal with that whole situation.
Azreal is just the ultimate MMC. He's handsome, strong, and just completely obsessed with Mena. He wants to always be with her and support her, but he also knows when she needs to be with her friends and lean on them. He is just perfection and I cannot get enough of him.
THAT ENDING WAS INSANE AND I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW :-)
Thank you to Erica Jean for the advanced copy of The Unseen World!
This is book 2 in a dystopian fantasy and so much was going on! A new setting, new characters, new and some same issues, but wow! Mena really stepped up in this book and took control but also made her family feel seen, heard, and respected. We are still slow burning from the first book, but not for long 🔥🔥🔥 I enjoyed the new world building and character growths. There were a few loose ends from the end of book 1 and through book 2, but I’m hoping they come back in the next books and play into the war. Talk about “I’ll burn the world to find you” 🤯😳🥺😩
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was so excited to read book 2 in this series! I loved the first book! This was a bit slower then that one. We get to learn more about the bond in this book which I enjoyed but OMG the slooooow burn just about killed me! I don’t know how many times I yelled at my kindle for them to just DO IT ALREADY! I love the friendships these characters have with each other and that they would do anything for one another! I enjoyed the new setting in this one! Erica does a great job with her world building. I can’t wait to continue with this series and see what comes next! Thank you Erica for letting me read and review and ARC copy of this book.
Such an amazing follow on from book 1. I loved being able to read the raw emotions and delve into the depth of the relationships between the characters, it was fantastic. You cannot go wrong with the the whole dynamic between Azrael and Mena, it’s absolutely beautiful in every single way. The new world we got to experience was so magical I didn’t want to put the book down! Honestly cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
With The Unseen World, everything is ramped up. From the intense action and thrills, to the emotions and passion, Erica created an exciting followup that keeps the pages turning. And the twists? Oh they hit hard. Well done and easy to recommend, this is a series to read and enjoy.