Sundered Sun

The Sun & Moon Saga #1

by Ann Glimmer

A monster hunter escorting the prophesied savior collides with the exiled prince sent to capture them, sparking a forbidden attraction that could save the world—or destroy it.

A MONSTER HUNTER ON A MISSION

Ever since her cowardice led to her mother’s death, monster hunter Lora has vowed to protect others with her moon magic. When she discovers the Dual Wielder—prophesied to seal the rift where monsters spill through—she’s convinced helping him is her chance at redemption and pledges herself as his personal bodyguard.

A SUN-WIELDING PRINCE HUNTING HER

Zai, exiled prince of the Sun Kingdom, has one chance to regain his father’s approval: capture the Dual Wielder—a new threat from the rival Moon Queendom. But the moon-wielding woman guarding his target awakens something dangerous in Zai’s carefully controlled heart.

A CLASH OF HATE AND FORBIDDEN DESIRE

Lora fights to save the world. Zai fights to save himself. But beneath his scorching hate, she glimpses something raw, tender, and fiercely protective. Every deadly encounter pulls them closer, blurring the line between enemies and desire. As new rifts tear open and monsters flood the land, trusting each other may be their only hope—or the mistake that destroys them both.

Sundered Sun is a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers epic romantasy where monsters roam the lands and pirates rule the skies—featuring an unyielding heroine, a yearning villain who would literally burn the world for her, and a humorous supporting cast. 

Content warning: The Sun & Moon Saga contains dark themes and depictions of graphic violence. For a complete list of content warnings, please visit the author’s website.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Magic, Slow Burn, Fantasy Romance

407 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2026

About the author

I write spicy romantasy filled with slow-burn yearning, angry love confessions, and world-shattering stakes. I’m also a total nerd who loves geeking out over books, LARP:ing, and playing board games with friends.

I live in Sweden with my sambo (Swedish for unmarried partner), our two kids, and Tora, our very fluffy Siberian cat.

Like many romantasy readers, I’m a fantasy nerd at heart, but I need romance to stay invested. That’s why all of my books, no matter the setting, are built around hate-flirting, almost-kisses, and irresistible tension between the main couple. ❤️‍🔥

Reviews

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Ann for carving my heart out of my chest and stomping on it for good measure.

Sundered Sun is a Zutara inspired story and while there are nods to A:TLA, Ann’s story is its own epic adventure.

I devoured this book. DEVOURED. I couldn’t get enough of Lora and Zai and I didn’t want it to end. In fact I need book two in my hands immediately.

Also my heart is still cracked in two. When I tell you I sobbed, I felt like I’d just lost a family member and was grieving. You know when your lip is wobbling and then your chin starts wobbling and your whole heart just cracks wide open? Yep, that was me.

Ann you have created something truly wonderful.

[kneecolereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘯𝘯 𝘎𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴

This was a RIDE from start to finish.

I honestly was all over this for the sky pirates alone, but this ended up being so much more than that.

One of my favorite parts was getting both the Sun Kingdom and Moon Queendom perspectives because I genuinely never knew who I was supposed to be rooting for. Both sides are so convinced the other is the problem, meanwhile I’m sitting there like… guys, maybe ALL of you need to calm down. I could get super deep and poetic about the propaganda and prejudice in this book and how relevant it all feels, because it really was such a good reminder that people are people regardless of what you’ve been taught about them. BUT I’m also here to scream about how fun this was, so balance.

Lora and Zai were both such good main characters because they’re carrying around so much guilt, pressure, and family baggage. I loved watching them slowly realize that maybe the person they were taught to hate isn’t actually the villain and that maybe they’re also super hot.

I also loved how different the Sun and Moon kingdoms felt, and the magic made the whole thing even better. The monsters and rifts were actually terrifying, and the action scenes had me picturing the whole thing like a fantasy movie or a video game.

The side characters were SO good. Kestrel especially was one of my absolute favorites. He was somehow optimistic in the middle of absolute disaster, and every time he showed up I was like thank god, someone here has a little joy left.

Essentially, I came for the sky pirates and accidentally got emotionally invested in these characters and I’m still thinking about them days later.

[Nella Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars!!!

I think this might be a new all-time favorite! I absolutely could not put it down!

The first part of this book has a lot of similarities to ATLA. A fire-wielding MMC who's an exiled prince. A water-wielding FMC who's helping a "dual wielder", a man with both kinds of powers who's supposedly the prophesied savior of the world. She goes on a journey with him to help him master his abilities, while the MMC is hunting them, trying to capture the dual wielder to deliver to his father to regain his honor.

So far, very similar to ATLA. But the more you read, the more it strays from that path, and btw, it has more types of magic (sun & moon based) and also: monsters!

I'M OBSESSED! This book has so many twists and turns, and the ending had me in a chokehold! I can't stop thinking about it. If you haven't read this yet, you should absolutely give it a go.

- Zutara-inspired enemies-to-lovers
- A morally gray (black?!) villain who yearns
- Tension, banter & hate-flirting
- Sun & Moon magic & a monster-infested world
- Sky pirates (!!!)
- Bromance between the MMC and a hilarious sidekick bard
- Heists, quests & epic adventures

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ the sun provides warmth, true. But it also scorches. Burns crops. Bleaches color. The suns duty isn’t to keep the world warm. Its duty is to shine without caring where the rays land. And duty without wisdom doesn’t seem very prudent to me.”

This book hits the ground running with the action and didn’t stop. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved most things about this book. The world building and character development were incredible. The moon and sun kingdoms have been enemies for as long as anyone can remember. Monster hunter Lora, from the moon queendom stumbles across a stranger in a rift that can wield both sun and moon powers. Chasing them is the exiled prince of the sun kingdom and in order to get back in his father’s good graces he’s ordered to capture him. There’s prophecies, pirates, monsters, elemental magic. I loved this book so much. I can’t wait for book 2. Thank you Ann for letting me ARC read!

[Alexandra Vlaming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Sundered Sun. It has everything I am looking for in a fantasy romance, fast paced plot, mysteries to unravel, slow burn, top notch character building… truly, it has everything.

Lora and Zai are so well written, both leads have complex journeys, and grow so much over the course of the story, it’s very rewarding. Their slow burn connection is everything, I love a slow burn, and this one is smoking, by the end I was so happy and satisfied (but be warned, this story has some spice, but I would not call it spicy per se). The plot moves fast, I could not put this down, and I loved the dual POV structure, it really helped to enhance the world building.

The final act is WILD, nonstop action and reveals, and has me eagerly waiting for the next part of the story. Huge thank you to the author for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Tonje Lien · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS A DEBUT?

I have been so lucky to beta read this masterpiece for Ann! When I finished it, I was just sitting there with tears in my eyes and in awe. Just how can one person come up with these beautiful, incredible, magical people!? And the world they are in is very easy to understand when the information is vowen seamlessly into the story.

Ann writes the characters so well! Each and everyone is a distinct personality with flawes and strengths and we see them as individuals even if they're briefly seen in the storyline.
The MMC and FMC are true powerhouses! They both are just so alike with their traumas and feelings but I can't go very much into that, so not to spoil anything!

The side characters are awesome! It really reminded me of my favourite book series, legends of thezmarr, that has some great side characters whome everyone fell inlove with!

Ofcourse there's people you will hate with every fibre of your being and also this is true enemies and not just, not liking eachother. We are talking real, raw and deep hate for one another.

I also have to mention that the monsters in this are incredible imagination. There's one thing that also made me want to read the book in the first place: Sky Pirates!! Who doesn't want to read about that?

But seriously, this is one of the most thought out books I have read! Easily one of my top reads this year!! I had a hard time finding things I didn't like, because it's that GOOD!!!!

I may have shed a few tears, been very very angry, smiled, laughed, snickered, grinned and been in despaire and awe during my reading of this book.

I very, very much will tell eveeyone to read this book! It's amazing, if you had not caught that just yet!

When this comes out: READ IT!!!?

[Hila Jonker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The land in this story is split in 2 by a rift that spews monsters. Not just the sharp, smelly, creepy kind but the human-shaped kind, the kind that spread rumours to gain power. Spread hate to gain control.

The way Ann carries you through this story really makes you think about morality, yours and the characters'. How much grey is the right kind of grey, and when is it just a light shade of black? There are moments throughout the book where I felt that I loved or hated someone, and my feelings towards them could change from page to page.

I had moments of rage so bad I had to put the book down and breathe. I giggled a lot thanks to the banter, and some silliness (intended and not). There were tense scenes that made me so anxious I didn't allow myself to keep reading in bed. Tender moments that made my heart flutter, a sprinkling of spice that hints at an even spicier book 2, and tension that could bend the thickest metal.

If you are on the lookout for something with exceptional slow burn, deep moral ambiguity, and characters that say things that make you think, this is the book to pick up.

Thank you Ann for letting me pick this up early and start my adventure with you.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Ann Glimmer for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

Ok to be honest I didn’t know what to expect in this book and went in blind. It’s safe to say now that I came back obsessed to know what happens every single step of the book. And now I need book 2 to know how they’re going to navigate the crisis that we were left with at the end of the book!!

The world building and magic system were very unique and intriguing. The story was perfectly paced, there was something every second and I loved that about this book. The writing was perfect, I never felt too overwhelmed with information about the World or Magic.

I love how Lora and Zai were struggling with the same grief and guilt that made them who they were. The yearning and slow burn between the two were sooo good!! The found family, especially Kestrel was the balm to my heart especially during the last 10% of the book.

I genuinely can’t wait for the next book!!

[Hira Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this was such a unique read, which I think is definitely increasingly becoming more rare in romantasy. It’s a dual POV and follows both Lora and Zai on their own missions that eventually cross paths.

Lora is a monster hunter and is very sassy and stubborn. A lot of her actions are motivated by her mother’s death years earlier. I like that she isn’t the “chosen one” but rather helping the one who is. She is very patient and selfless with him and I love them. Zai is such a grump I love him 😂 His inner monologue had me absolutely cackling. I do like the fact that every time their paths crossed, they were trying to kill each other. Both sides have been fed lies about each other, which influences their motivations for hating each other but they were also immediately drawn to each other.

The worldbuilding though was absolutely phenomenal. The monsters especially were created with such imagination I felt like I was seeing them in front of my eyes. I do also love adventures so I loved exploring the world with Lora and Erion. The side characters were such a hoot, especially the sky pirates.

But there were so many twists I didn’t see coming and I literally had to put my Kindle down at one point and stare at the wall because WHAT JUST HAPPENED??? Why did it end like that?? I need book 2 like yesterday.

[Natalie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story

I am obsessed with this story. I loved the world building that we got as I felt it was just the right amount and I didnt feel bogged down by it.
Lora is an absolute queen! She is so fierce but she doesn't see herself that way but im hoping in book 2 she does.
Zai is that villain we all love to hate. I was so hooked on his story. His family are awful and its no wonder that man doesn't like himself!
I cant wait for this story to continue i need to know what is going to happen next and for the adventure to continue.

[Kristina Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book quickly became a favorite for me. Ann Glimmer took a favorite childhood show of mine and said, “but what if things went differently and these two enemies got together instead?” And she created it.

Words cannot express the excitement I felt after every page I read. The story flowed so well with the multiple POVs from both Lora and Zai, that I felt like I was watching it unfold right before my eyes.

This book was inspired by Zutara, and as you read you can definitely see all the elements that influenced the story from the show Avatar: The Last Air Bender. For me it did not take away from my reading experience since, like a lot of retellings, they pull elements from the original source. It just made me more excited and giddy!

Lora and Zai are very conflicted characters that are navigating a world that taught them to naturally hate one another while also hating each other due to their own personal reasons.

Zai struggles to be the son his father wants to mold him into while he fights against his own morals, guilt, and ideals. This happens throughout the whole book as he tries to come to terms with the knowledge that the Sun Kingdom, along with his father, may not be as great and justified as he once believed.

Lora on the other hand battles with survivors guilt and being the cause of her mothers death, and clings to her hatred of the Sun Kingdom, preventing her from living for herself and seeking true happiness. This moves her to do everything she can to protect the dual wielder no matter the cost to herself in the belief that this will give her mothers sacrifice meaning. She clings to this hatred like it's her lifeline.

Both Lora and Zai have this exploding tension between them as they fight and interact with each other. Zai finds himself yearning for Lora while Lora does everything in her power to deny that she feels any sort of attraction to him, leading to some fun (for us readers) bantering and interactions.

The book was packed full of magic, prophecies, monsters, unique creatures, sky pirates, betrayals, mystery, personal conflicts for the characters, hate flirting, action, and tension while being fast paced in a way that kept you reading longer than you intended. If you like those things then you should definitely make this your next read!

[Lindsey✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from the author

WOW!🤯 This is a debut novel from Ann, and I am extremely impressed, to say the least. It was an absolute treat and I completely inhaled it.

The premise of Sundered Sun was well thought out and unique, and the setting was really interesting. The world-building was refreshing and totally its own. I loved that she used a simple concept to create such a complex world. The comic relief of Kestrel was well-timed and had me laughing out loud a few times.

She had said at the beginning that it was a slow burn, and the tension and spark between Zai and Lora was 😮‍💨🔥. I think my only criticism was the emotional intensity Zai had towards Lora by the end. In the grand scheme of things, I think there was a heavy amount of lust there, and he risked a lot for her after not having very many deep interactions. I did appreciate that the reason he was so enamored by her was because he was witnessing her selflessness and strength. I’m really looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops in the next book.

I’m really excited about this series and can’t wait to read the sequel! I’d recommend it to romantasy lovers who crave a fast-paced, epic scope story and A LOT of romantic tension.🤍

[Hannah Nichelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What would the moon be without the sun?”

It would be an understatement to say this world hasn’t left my mind since I turned the last page. This world was so easy to immerse yourself into. The world building wasn’t too wordy and perfectly molded the image of both kingdom and queendom it eases you in and the understand of where you are almost feels instantaneous with how Ann writes.

The dual POV gets you to feel exactly how moon & sun people alike see each other, it gives you such an understanding of where the build up of animosity comes from.

You won’t get instant spice but that’s okay because the way it’s building up the stuff we do get - ohhhhhh steamy. I just know the next book will all have us needing ice baths to cool us down, you can feel it in the build up and makes the anticipation so good.

This releases September 28, 2026 and you should definitely put it on your TBR/Preorder and pick it up asap.

[tonyasbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

eARC received from Author

4.5 stars, rounded up!

I loved this story! It was different than what I usually read and so refreshing! It follows Lora, a moster hunter from the Moon Queendom and Zai, a prince from the Sun Kingdom. It was so great getting perspectives from both sides of the world. They each have their missions and their prejudices about the other side and it was great getting the inside POV of that.

This book took me on a wild ride from the first page. I mean who doesn't love a monster hunter?! And a female one at that! I loved the progression of each character's story and the ending had me reeling!

I can't wait for book 2!

[Ashley Cave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is how you do an epic fantasy romance. ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The world in this story was so unique, and the sun and moon magic was so interesting to learn about. I loved how different this was from anything I’ve read before. This was probably the fastest I have ever read an epic fantasy. I really enjoyed how easy the world-building and magic system were to follow, even though they had so much depth.

I’m a sucker for dual POV, and it was such a treat to know what both of our main characters were thinking. The yearning between these enemies was written perfectly. 👀

Our main characters, Zai and Lora, are both so complex, intelligent, and fierce, both with their words and their fighting strategies.

My favourite quote “A world without her wasn’t a world worth saving”

My second favourite “ I wanted to thaw your winter into spring… but I was never your sun was I?”

I cannot wait for book two.

Thank you so much, Ann, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. ❤️

[Bookish DreamsGallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an advance copy of her debut fantasy.

The story follows our FMC Lora who is a monster hunter, during one of her runs she finds a guy Erion, lost, without his memories, wielding dual magic which it should be impossible, since her world has been divided into 2 distinct Kingdoms one with Moon magic the other Sun magic and a mutual hate, prohibiting the magic and citizens to unite, and a rift allowing creatures and monsters to pass through to her world plunging the land into chaos and death, believing Erion to be the savior prophecies to closed the rift Lora sets on a mission to help him control his powers, remember his past, and save the world but it wont be that easy, during their journey they encounter the very prince of the opposite kingdom who had been exile and promised to be able to return if he captures the dual wilder and brings him back to his father the king of the Sun Kingdom, but the moment Lora and Zai cross paths an undeniable pull and attraction start growing between them while they navigate treacherous lands and plenty of twist and turns, will they clash and destroy each other or will they succumb to their forbidden desired and save the world in the process??
This was one of my most anticipated arcs for September and it did not disappointed 🙌🏻 what an amazing story, action pack, elemental magic system, sky pirates, Avatar the last airbender vibes, strong characters, ample worldbuilding, so much banter and so much trauma 😫 specially for the Main characters, I really like the FMC, strong, fierce, determine, even by the end of the book while I was rolling my eyes because she was getting on my nerves I did not stop liking her and the ending, miss Lora I got nothing but mad respect for you 👌🏻 and the MMC Zai broke my heart, i am a sucker for sad, brooding broken men and my man Zai is on the top spot right now, his willingness to be the villain for her, to burn the world and let it end in order to save her, yes ill choose the villain every time 🫠, the ending caught me by surprise I was not expecting what transpired at all and had me at the edge of my seat, that is the type of books I love the most, and left me eager to follow Lora into a new journey and renewed mission on book 2 hopefully sooner than later🙏🏻❤️

[Angharad Beresford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sundered sun the first book in an enemies to lovers, save the world, fantasy duology.
It’s fast paced and one of those books that’s so exciting from start to finish that you forget you’re reading!

This book is a sloooow burn, but the end I was internally screaming for them to just kiss already 😂 the yearning from all angles is perfect and the action is epic.

I adore a badass FMC and an MMC who looks at her like she is the centre of the universe!

And honestly I am mortally wounded, I did not see the end of this book coming. Not only did I sit and stare at the wall for like 10 mins, I actually asked Ann, just to make sure, that there was a book 2 in the making, because girl!!! You can’t leave me like that!!!

The emotional damage!!
The twist at the end!!
The way I’m head over heels for zai…. 🫠

—————————————————————
Monster hunter lora, who’s dedicated her life to saving people from the horrors that break through the rift, discovers the potential saviour of their world and ventures into unknown territory to find the answers to his forgotten past, and help him close the ever widening, monster spewing rift.
But their journey is constantly interrupted by the exiled prince of the Sun kingdom, tasked with capturing her charge to win his honour back.
These encounters spark a forbidden attraction that could bring their crumbling world crashing down. But how do you resist when every fibre of your being burns for the person you are supposed to hate?
———————————————————
🖤Release date :- 28th September
🖤Epic Romantasy
🖤Slow burn
🖤Yearning
🖤Enemies to lovers
🖤Morally grey characters

[Laura Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sundered Sun pulled me in right from the beginning with an interesting plot and storyline. I really enjoyed how simple the concept felt, while still being intriguing.

What to expect
-Moon Kingdom vs. Sun Kingdom
-Sun wielding prince
Monster hunter FMC
Prophecy
-Air pirates

This was a fun read! I loved getting both Zai and Lora’s povs throughout the story. Lora will do whatever it takes to protect those she cares about. My heart ached for Zai, because all he wants is to be accepted by his family.

The pacing did slow down a bit in the middle for me, but I still enjoyed the story. Thank you so much Ann for the eARC of Sundered Sun. I’m excited to see where it goes next.

[Krista Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

From opposing kingdoms of the Sun and the moon, the main characters both want the same thing, the dual wielded, one to help save the world and the other to earn their place back in their fathers court.

You follow the FMC, Lora, who comes from a small town in the moon queendom, and while her father and sister are the towns healers, she earns her keep using her magic to help her take down the monsters that emerge from the blight lands and keep her people safe. When a man appears out of the same rip that the monsters do with no memory, but the forbidden ability to wield both sun and moon powers, she decides to help keep him safe and go to her queen to figure out what to do next. The queen shares a prophecy that the dual wielder could be the one to finally destroy the blight lands and save their realm as long as he can master his powers so Lora decides to do whatever she can to help this mission. At the same time the MMC has been thrown out of his own kingdom, the younger Prince of the Sun kingdom, and can only earn his way back to court if he can bring the dual wielder to his father to experiment on.

I really liked seeing the two sides of this story as it progressed and often overlapped between the FMC and MMC points of view. Between the pirates, learning to master and training magic, traveling between kingdom and monsters constantly emerging from the blight, there was lots of excitement that left me on the edge of my seat! I also enjoyed the bit of tension and draw to each other the MMC and FMC had even when they were fighting against each other. Of course my favorite character was Kestrel and the comic relief he often brought to tense situations! With a bit of a devastating and cliffhanger ending, I can’t wait to see where the author takes this story next! My rating 4.5/5!

Thanks for the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sundered Sun by Ann Gimmer blew me away, it fulfilled my need for a Zutara fantasy

I absolutely loved the sun and moon based magic, it wasnt just fire and water bending but light and shadow and heat and cold manipulation as well. The world-building was so interesting especially the mannerism and slang each kindom had. I really liked how it was brought up naturally in the conversations between Zai and Lora, it was one of my highlights.

I was so completely engrossed in this story that when I got to the end I was shocked, what a cliffhanger. I genuinely had to sit there for a bit to understand it was over and I need to wait for the next one to know what happens!

When it comes to Zai, I really enjoyed his chapters, his thoughts surrounding his family and then the family he made was truly amazing and I was pleasantly surprised by how that part of the story concluded, I hope to see more of them in the next book.

Lora on the other hand is determined to make up for getting her mother killed, and once she found her purpose in helping Erion I wasn't sure how I felt about her 'willing to do anything' attitude when it came to her planning the future.

Overall this was such an incredible read. The world, the magic, the characters and of course the plot twists completely pulled me in.

I can not wait for the next book, I need to know what happens!!

[Carah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Ann for the ARC!!!

I was pitched this book as a “Zuko x Katara coded love story” and LET ME TELL YOU WHAT! I ate that UP!!

I enjoyed this story so so much. I was sucked in by chapter 3, this world was so fun to explore in. These characters felt so real and tangible. I really love Lora and her strong will, stubborn attitude. She was such a good FMC, she was stuck in her ways and watching her start to change during the story was refreshing. I am so excited to see where she goes in book 2.

Zai.. my man my man my man! What a grumpy, man. He was 100% Zuko coded and I LOVED IT. This guy was something fierce and bull headed lol. This man melted like ice, (punny) and watching him melt in real time was so good.

Erion, my heart. A sweetie just lost and confused! I enjoyed his character throughout the story as well.

The side characters all have their own spark and personality and it added so much to each POV!

I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2 omg.

[Mini Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐

Sundered Sun gave me something I didn’t even realize I needed: elemental fantasy, true enemies-to-lovers tension, a cast of characters I genuinely cared about, and SO many Avatar: The Last Airbender vibes.

And as someone who has rewatched ATLA multiple times, I mean that as the biggest compliment.

This book follows Lora (FMC) and Zai (MMC).

Lora is water/shadow weilder from the moon queendom.

Zai is a fire/light weilder and is the second Prince of the sun Kingdom.

Some time ago a rift was made in their world and monsters have been coming through it. Both the sun Kingdom and the moon queendom blame each other for the rift.

The plot was moving the entire time and there was never a dull moment. You get to meet so many side characters and if you're anything like me, you'll fall in love with all of them. They are all so well developed and I want to learn more about each of their stories!

The romance in this book?? It's a true enemies-to-lovers! There was steam, tension, even a little bit of yearning but they fight each other every step of the way. The hate flirting though, delicious!

The ending was what I was hoping for and dreaded at the same time. I can't wait for book 2!

Pick this book up if you love:
True enemies to lovers
Found family
Hate-flirting
Sloooooooow burn
Morally grey/black characters
Yearning villain
Sun and moon based magic
Sky pirates
Monster invested world
Chosen one/prophesy
Duology
The Witcher vibes: monsters and bromance
The Zutara ship we all wanted: Katara X Zuko

Thank you Ann Glimmer for this amazing eARC!!

[Riina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

"I'd rather be the monster you hate than the one who let you die."

JUST KISS ALREADY!! 😂

This book was full of yearning, sexual tension and twists and turns. Every time I read this book further I had difficulties to stop reading it to do boring adulting stuff.. 🙈 So well done! 🫶🏼 The plot flowed forward so easily it kept me hooked from the first page to last.

"Enjoying the view?" "Just assessing the situation."

Poor Zai ❤️ I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything will be alright and you will get the moon girl in the end 😭❤️ Now I'm anxiously waiting for the second book!!

All the pain in the world was worth that flicker of relief across her face. I'd take every burn, every wound, every moment of suffering if it meant she wouldn't have to feel a thing.

I received this book as an ARC from the author and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie M Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I have a new crush and his name is Zai! This book was great from start to finish, loved the plot, the slow burn, the FMC (eternally punishing herself), the side characters (Kestrel = chefs kiss). The ending was 10/10, can’t wait for book 2!

[Cari Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a Romantasy with very unique magic! You have Lora and Erion who have paired up to help Erion learn how to control his magic. She is his protector of sorts. The you have Zai who is treated awful from his family. He’s a prince and gets exiled from his kingdom, but his father gives him a tasks and if he succeeds he can come back.
This is so good it keeps you hooked from the beginning! You think it’s going one way, but then something big happens! If you love enemies to lovers, tension, yearning and hate flirting then you will like this!! There are also sky pirates that are pretty cool!

[Joy Metzger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC.

I just couldn’t vibe with this book. The similarities to Avatar the Last Airbender were so apparent it was hard to not think of those characters or story lines.

Lora started off fine but I found her character progressively more unlikeable. Zai’s quest to restore his honor and be accepted back into his father’s good graces was tiring.

I thought these characters were teenagers because they read very young but this is not YA.

While I did enjoy the world building and the writing is good, this story was not for me.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly rarely dnf books, especially if it is an ARC, however this time I didn't have it in me to continue.

At 58%, I decided this book wasn't for me. As a huge Avatar: The Last Airbender fan, this book had so many similarities to the show, it sort of felt wrong. I think it's one thing to draw inspiration and the other to basically rewrite something that already exists. I will say, it's not completely the same, but main points of the story, are following the pattern of the show.

But aside from that, for me, characters were unlikable, not acting according to their age and I had to remind myself they are not children. The FMC, Lora, was extremely frustrating and inconsistent. One moment she despises the enemy kingdom, the second she's having spicy dreams of their prince. That's not a new thing in romantasy world, but here it didn't make sense, I couldn't feel the conflict, I couldn't understand the shift. It was too sudden.

Zai was basically Zuko. I could hear Zuko in my head, and I kept seeing him. His life was basically Zuko's, and that was a problem for me.

Other than that, story felt repetitive, slow, with life lessons that were good, but the context was not suited for them.
And the biggest problem, I couldn't stay awake while reading this.

It's hard for me to dnf, but this time it had to be done.

[Shelbi Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! What a book! I have to give endless gratitude to Ann for choosing me to be a part of this arc team. It has been such a pleasure reading this incredible story and I can’t wait for the second book to see where Lora and Zai’s journey leads them next! The world building was so expertly written and the way she wrote the characters created such vivid imagery and made you feel like you knew them personally. The magic system was super unique and the way it was split into two different kingdoms really set this book apart and made its own name! I was on a roller coaster of emotions throughout and dear Erion was such a beautiful character with his unwavering goodness and gentle heart. I was transfixed from the start all the way to the end and will be foaming at the mouth for the next one to come out lol. Such a fantastic novel and can’t wait to dive back into this realm! A true fantasy!

[sydspages · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rift divides the land & its people where the only common ground they have is hate for each other & the monsters that escape it. Lora is a monster hunter sworn to protect others after her own mother was taken from her. She stumbles across the prophesied Duel Wielder, who can use both sun & moon magic, foretold to be the one to close the rift. Zai being the exiled prince of the Sun Kingdom is trying to find a way to get back in his father’s good graces. His new mission: Capture the Duel Wielder at all costs.

What an amazing debut & a way to kick off a series!! From the first page I was hooked. Duel pov, A:TLA vibes, slow burn, unique magic system, the world building, action & trauma. The story was easy to follow & when I thought it was going one way, something would flip everything on its head.

I felt like there were nice nods to Avatar since this is a Zutara inspired fantasy however I didn’t feel like it overtook the story & Ann really made it her own. But I also don’t remember the last time I watched the show so this is from my limited long term memory.

Now let’s talk insta lust. As a slow burn girly I generally am not into insta anything. However, I think the way Ann wrote it into this book was amazing & I actually enjoyed it. I thought it really added tension & added to the story in a positive way.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book to see how this will conclude!! If you’re looking for a fast paced epic story with a slow burn romance with lists of tension this is for you!!

Thank you to the author for the arc!!

[viki edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nope, nope I did not want this to end! A delightful story about magic and power. The two opposing kingdoms are struggling to remain peaceful, both affected by terrifying rifts that cause monsters to appear. Then a saviour is found accidentally and it is a race against the clock to try and save the kingdoms. But as both sides hate each other and blame each other for the rifts, tension mounts. Full of heated tensions, and the 2 main characters refusing to admit feelings, both plagued by past mistakes, the stpry gets more adsictive! With a lot of "come on just admit it!",and "omg are they going to finally get together" throughout., the final chapter literally screams at you. I really can not wait for book 2 as I hope they will finally get together and heal the rift and do a massive middle finger to prophecies and opposing sides!
Massive thanks to Ann Glimmer for allowing me an arc copy of this book, but not for the emotional roller coaster it has given me!