The Heavens We Defy

by Tiffany Wang

A love between a goddess and a mortal ignites a dangerous clash that could destroy both heaven and earth in this star-crossed enemies-to-lovers duology opener from Tiffany Wang. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Six Crimson Cranes!

Ailan has many older sisters, but Xifei is the one she loves most—and the one she’s secretly betrayed. So when her sister vanishes from the Heavens, Ailan is willing to cross the entire mortal realm if only to bring her back, no matter the cost.

Kai despises immortals. Marked forever by the god who stole his brother’s life, he’s spent every day since chasing vengeance. They say immortals cannot be killed, he’s determined to prove them wrong.

When Ailan descends from the Heavens searching for her sister, Kai seizes his chance, offering to guide her to an oracle who might help, all while hiding a darker plan. But their journey through the Middle Kingdom pulls them into the deadly schemes of tyrants and demons. And as betrayal gives way to something far more dangerous, Ailan and Kai will have to decide what matters most—revenge, loyalty… or each other.


A Sister She’d Burn the Realms Ailan betrayed the one person she loves most—now she’ll cross realms to get her back.Sworn to Vengeance, Ruined by Kai's swore to destroy immortals, so why is he falling for one?Allies of Convenience Meets Uninvited Ailan needs his help, Kai wants her revenge on her kind … what could go wrong?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Romantasy, Asian Literature

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 16, 2027

Reviews

[Reader]

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

The Heavens We Defy is novel that is based on Chinese mythology. Ailan is an immortal who travels to the mortal realm to find her sister that disappeared. Meanwhile Kai on the other hand doesnt like the immortal and is trying to find out how his brother was killed.

The plot was promising but personally the book plot felt predictable. I like where this was going but it was easy to know what happens next. The characters were pretty good not bad.

The main lead characters romance was not the best. I feel like the chemistry between them was nothing special. The side characters were good.

I loved the cover of this book tho. It’s alright book not the best. I think this was just not my cup of tea but others might enjoy this book. No hard feelings.

[Chii ✨]

I came here because of the inferno's heir duology.

3.75 round up to 4

The Heavens We Defy is Wang's Chinese mythological retelling of the cowherd and weaver girl. The story follows the immortal Ailan, who searches for her missing sister, and Kai, the cowherd who seeks vengeance against the immortal who took his brother's life.

Ailan & Kai had me kicking my feet and giggling at their first encounter (tb to Will & Tessa from The Infenal Devices). Like, who doesn't love a man who smirks devilishly? I enjoyed the slower build-up for their relationship and their dynamic was fun to read! I could sorta feel the yearning for this one. (and this may also be a vibe read to cleanse my palate) but I overall enjoyed it. The rest of the cast, Jiyu, Zhenyi and Meng'e, were fun additions to the story too.

The mystery aspects were /chef's kiss. But I will say I couldn't buy Kai's motive despite being shown things over and over again (maybe it's to bring disbelief to a character when being clouded by judgment for so long idk, but there are so many ways you can show that.) and that was where my stars were deducted.

YOU'LL SEE ME FOR BOOK 2 BECAUSE OF THAT ENDING, TIFFANY WANG I WILL BE WAITING.

[Fanni]

First of all thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I wish this gorgeous cover would mirror the interior of the book as well. The concept was promising and I specifically liked the parts highlighting the flaws of the Imperial Court and some of the crumbs we have gotten from the mortal realm regarding politics.

However the book had multiple major flaws for me, first of all the shift of the register was unbearable sometimes, the tone of the descriptions and the dialogue differed greatly, making it seem like I was reading two completely separate novels written for different audiences. The grim and and heavy imagery altered the effect of the humorous conversations making them awkward and out of place. With almost all the dialogue having this unnatural feeling around them, none of the personal relationships between characters could really touch me or evoke any sort of emotional connection.

Another huge issue was the pacing, it started with a really slow buildup (which is my preferred method of storytelling by the way), then instead of gradually moving forward with the important bits of the story we got a 25 pages long heavy exposition in the end of the book which quite frankly ruined my reading experience. There are plenty of YA novels being able to handle the "show don’t tell" rule excellently so the genre itself is no justification for this information dump. Ironically none of these really had a great effect on me as a reader.

Overall this book should go through several rounds of editing before reaching its final form.

[Celeste]

Thank you netgalley for accepting my arc request in exchange for an honest review.

After seeing the promotional content and the gorgeous book cover for 'the Heavens We Defy' on instagram, I was extremely curious about it and decided to request it. And while there were several parts of the book where I could appreciate the research and the world building or at least acknowledge the idea behind certain plot choices, I was not able to overlook the most blaring issues. This is, of course, my own personal opinion. I am happy for all the people who enjoyed this book but unfortunately, as this uncorrected proof stands, it just wasn't for me.

Let's start, however, on the parts of the book that I did enjoy! Set in a fantasy world based on ancient China, there is a delicate balance between humans and gods, and as such a very compelling and realistic aspect of the story was the sense of disillusionment that the people of the Middle Kingdom had towards both their rulers and their gods. The people's hope for a better King is constantly crushed by each new and greedy ruler who taxes them beyond their means, even during droughts. This especially is true for the gods, whose fickle temperaments and indifference to the passage of time often altered many mortal lives for the worse.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the camaraderie between our main characters. They are each from very different backgrounds, upbringings, and personalities, but they work well together and fill in for each other's weaknesses with their respective strengths. Another small detail I enjoyed was how each weapon of choice uniquely reflected their owner. The axe for our general's daughter Meng'e, clouds and portals for our weaver goddess FMC Ailan, a whip for our clever and swift MMC Kai- it all complements their individuality and gives them far more character.

Now, onto the parts of the book that unfortunately made this a 2/2.5 rating for me.

Other than mention of Ailan's abilities, there was no in-depth study of this world's magic system. The gods have very vague powers and abilities- such as accidentally turning themselves into frogs, making plants grow, enchanting lotus roots to use them as charms, or using portals to whisk themselves from one dimension to another. Had this been explored properly within the bounds of rules and regulations and made to reflect the immortal and omniscent beings who wield these powers, it could've been a very interesting part of the story. As it stands, the heavenly realm feels like cherry-picked ancient Chinese lore thrown together haphazardly.

Another key aspect of this book that made it really hard for me to read was the writing style. It just felt way too childish for a book that should be a YA. I'm not sure if the author was also aiming for a middle-grade audience, but it would've been better to stick to just one age range. If I could describe the combination of the two, I would say that the first 20-ish chapters were written with very simplistic and lackluster prose, cringe-worthy dialogue, and no clear direction as to where the story was heading other than the need to kill monsters, fight the King's men, and find the FMC's lost sister. And bear in mind, the aforementioned fight scenes with said monsters and humans are quite gory, so it feels like such a huge disconnect from an otherwise pretty tame and juvenile narrative voice. And then, following the massacre in a town called Tsango, the whole mood and writing style of the story shifts, going for a more serious and heavy tone. This may have worked nicely had there been a better build up towards it, but as it was it felt like it had been written solely for shock value. The same goes for the climax of the book, where we discover that Kai's father was the one behind the kidnapping of Ailan's sister and the monster's release into the mortal world. There was hardly a proper set up for any of this and so it feels less like a big reveal and more like a cartoonish villain stumbling out into the light and going on a spiel about everything he has done for the good of Kai's dead brother. It's a very jarring experience all around and ruins the quality of an otherwise fairly solid plot and characters.

Now, I know it feels like I'm hating on the book too much, but this really is coming from a place of being frustrated that it wasn't everything it could've been. It has so many good aspects going for it and I think, with another heavy round of editing and drafting, it will definitely be able to live up to its full potential. Hopefully that will happen before a final draft is sent off to publishing!

[Amelia]

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who was recently disappointed on finally reading Godkiller - this book is absolutely EVERYTHING I want from a book where the Gods live and breathe on the pages. This was so much fun, so much pain, yearning that broke every available scale and I loved every step of the way. Also that ending has made me want to sue for emotional damages and I'm hoping the earnings will allow me to build a time machine to a universe where book two (through 98) have been released.

The TLDR of this review will be: Wang - my new Goddess. That alone should sell you, For the fussier among us, I will go into more details below.

The Heavens we Defy follows Ailan and Kai, immortal and immortal hater. Ailan is on a journey through the mortal realms after her sister disappeared from the heavens, Kai has lived in the name of vengeance (and boy howdy will he tell you) ever since a God killed his brother. Deception and betrayal are wrought in this beautiful, BEAUTIFUL book, and the best laid plans of mortals and men (shhhh it kinda works) do often go awry. Especially when a very inconvenient love sparks between immortal and immortaphobic.

The worldbuilding is absolutely a highlight here. Wang completely nails the "everyone is ancient and really petty about it" tone that I love from any book surrounding the Gods. Ailan especially is a fantastic reflection of this. She feels ethereal and straight out of a fairytale, while never underselling that she is powerful and dangerous. She reads super intelligent and also a bit fish-out-of-water which really shouldn't work but really does here.

Across from Ailan sits Kai, and while he reads very "VENGEANCE IN THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT" internally, the slow development as he accepts that maybe they don't all suck ass was really fun to follow.

As stated, the chemistry was fucking off the charts in this one. The yearning/angst like triply (didn't know that was a word) so. The push and pull between Kai and Ailan would usually have been super irritating to me, but Wang really made it work. The author really makes us earn our attachment to both the MCs and the stakes between them. I wanted to hate Ailan in the early Kai chapters, I wanted to be weary of Kai in the Ailan chapters. and the slow shift into something more like reluctant affection and more and... REALLY WORSE was absolutely seamless.

Chef's kiss, CHEF'S KISS.

On the note of chemistry the undertones of corrupted devotion we see across the whole book was super interesting to read. There wasn't a page I didn't feel that these gods existed on page. There presence seeped into every page.

Family is a major theme of THWD and Wang crafts a beautiful parallel arc. Ailan who will stop at nothing to get her sister back and Kai who will stop at nothing to get vengeance for the family he lost. The bonds between them both and their equivalent siblings was really lovely and realistic to read. I especially loved it between Ailan and Xifei.

I'm someone who loves a lose magic system, THWD has a chaotic undertone to its magic which for me really works. But if you're wanting a book where you can smell the folder explaining "this is how the one really niche bit of power works" I don't think this will work for you. It works on a lot of fairytale logic, which I found worked in favour for the whimsy. But I do see it was irritating to other reviewers.

Also the pacing of this is absolutely breakneck. As I've mentioned I felt the emotional beats were earned even if we did go at rocket-speed through a lot of them. Also the book has a bit of the feel of a DND campaign to it, that classic "we've got to find THIS, but do we want to find THIS?" Kind of plot. Its a very easy read and I loved seeing so much of this world and the slimmer scenes we got of the heavens. I really want more of this world.

Hell I'd accept a paint-drying manual written in Wang's prose. .

[Abigail]

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

This review contains spoilers!

The Heavens We Defy was beautiful, exciting and heartbreaking. The story was fantastical, sure, but also real. The story wasnt really about the relationship, it was about family, and I think thats something you dont see much these days and I loved it. The love that Ailan feels for Xifei, for all her sisters really, though her strongest bond is with Xifei, is a relationship that I believe siblings should strive for. Even the relationship between Kai and Wen shows a sibling love that is deep and strong, a connection that lasts through a lifetime, no matter how short or long that is. The story shows a relationship that a ruler has with his people that is wrong, something that is important in the current political world. Wang doesnt shy away from the blood and gore, from the reality of war and the gut wrenching hurt it can cause. Throughout the story many people die, or have already died, and each time I was taken aback, thinking "Did she really just die?" One plot point that I had guessed from the beginning was that Jun and Wen were the same person, it was just too serendipitous for the families to come together they way they did more than once. But I didn't anticipate Jiyu finding his sister, or her dying the same day, or why he killed his father. I didn't anticipate Luan being the bad guy, betraying Kai, hurting Kai. I didn't anticipate Xifei dying, or that Kai had drugged her and brought her to his father, that he had started all this. It was wonderful to be shocked by these things, to have the moments of sharp inhales and open mouths. Wang's writing is beautiful. It was easy to get lost in her world, to see it for yourself. It played out like a movie in my head. Each scene was ripe with detail, each location described to a T, actions and conversations written to be real and not hold back. I loved the way she wove the story together, how the past came to be known through little flashbacks that fit into the story and didn't feel awkward or misplaced. The pacing was realistic, the way the whole groups relationships evolved and how they came to trust and understand eachother. Zhenyi was an incredible character, someone who I fell in love with more and more as the story went one, despite that fact that she isnt a "man character." Her emotions run deep and strong, and her dynamic with Ailan, and then with Meng'e and the rest of the group, was extremely entertaining in a myriad of ways. I could do with a whole book about her, or honestly even a whole book about each of the sisters; even knowing Xifei's story with Jun, it would be wonderful to learn more about her and the other sisters. Watching Ailan and Kai fall into trusting eachother, even outside of the attraction, felt natural. When I was about 80% through the book, I really thought things would be all wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end, but I didn't know at the time that there will be a sequel, so the more the story went on the more tense I got. As happy as I am that I got the opportunity to read this book early, and I'll be preordering it and rereading it I'm sure multiple times, the fact that it doesn't come out until February cracks my heart, and then it shatters when I realize how much longer I'll have to wait for book 2. Wangs writing is lyrical, dynamic, and captivating, and shes created a world that's intense and beautiful, easy to lose yourself in and never want to come out.

[Faith L]

THE HEAVENS WE DEFY follows Ailan, an immortal searching for her sister, and Kai, a cowherd, pursuing vengeance against the god that took his brother’s life.

I like the journey to Chang’an and the character relationships that blossom. The Spring Uprising is a great detail in the world-building and the world’s political climate. I found myself constantly curious how the characters connect to the Spring Uprising, and what that spells for their journey to the capital of the Middle Kingdom, as well as the big picture of the duology.

Ailan is complex and I am happy with the twists regarding her decisions, emotions, and past. She has a tough exterior but softens in certain moments that I find very sweet and human. She is immortal and cares deeply for her immortal sister, so when she makes a difficult choice for her sister, I feel the weight of her age and the power she is capable of, fuelled by her anger. Her character is as strong as gale-force winds.

Kai is dynamic and a pleasure to read. His motivations are clear, and I appreciate how there are subtle moments when he changes his mind about another character, all while staying true to his goal. However, the reveals are shocking and there is more to him than I could have predicted.

Jiyu is one of my favourite characters. I love the contrast of his reputation versus who he actually is! His background and how he contributes to the story is engaging and I enjoy thinking, “What else will add up later in the story?” And “Where will Jiyu go from here?”

Zhenyi feels in the right place as Ailan’s sister. I like the discordant conversations they have, in which they’re usually going against each other’s ideas. Zhenyi also is complex in her own right, as we learn what’s important to her, and hear about her past. She and Meng’e’s dynamic is heartwarming too.

Meng’e has the brains and skills that help the group move along the journey. I appreciate her axe, the action scenes, and the quips toward Zhenyi. 💕 Meng’e’s past is very intriguing and I appreciate how it ties in with the politics of the world.

The romance is enemies-to-lovers and star-crossed, and whenever they have cute moments, I appreciate them! It feels smooth and I am cheering the couple(s) on.

I find the tone consistent. While there are descriptions of gore, I don’t feel as if it jars against the characters’ humor and moments of levity. I specifically recall an action scene with descriptions of gore and violence, and the characters’ humorous quips that followed, but I don’t find it jarring :)

I also think the cover’s soft brushstrokes, art style, and pale colour palette matches the tone of the story. It’s a fitting cover.

[lina !]

💌 Thank you HarperCollins for gifting me the e-ARC via Netgalley! This does not affect my review in any way.

2.5 ★

I haven't heard of this book at all until I got a surprise e-ARC of it from the publisher in my inbox. I was excited to get into this because the premise was giving xianxia cdramas. The cover is also really pretty. The Heavens We Defy is the first book of a duology and it's a reimagining of the Chinese folktale, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to.

My favourite thing about this book was the mystery aspect. It kept me turning the page, wanting to know what Ailan's secret was, what happened to Xifei and how Kai's brother died (these aren't spoilers, it's in book description). Ailan goes on a quest to search for her sister with Kai and three other characters. They each have their own reasons for tagging along (Kai's was more or less a bit more obvious than the others'). It felt like the author was trying to go for a found family vibe with these five characters, but it felt a bit forced to me. I liked that every character had some sort of secret though, which made the overall story more interesting. The mystery of Ailan and Kai's secret slowly gets unravelled throughout the book, and eventually you're able to understand how both plotlines are related. I was able to predict some parts of the plot twists and reveals; I immediately clocked who the villain was going to be. Though it still felt satisfying when it all comes together at the end and some contexts are revealed.

Ailan and Kai's romance was my least favourite part about the book. I felt like they had no chemistry together? Their banter felt flat and their romance felt forced as well. In my opinion, the other romantic pairings in this book had more chemistry than Ailan and Kai did. Honestly, I'm not sure how they're even going to work out (I will not say anymore on this, because spoilers).

Another thing was that the ending felt rushed. So much was happening at the end, even the characters didn't have time to react to the events. There was this certain event that happens at the end that should warrant more emotional fallout but it was brushed over pretty quickly. This just didn't make sense to me because it undermines [redacted]'s reason for going on the quest in the first place... I also feel like Kai's brother didn't deserve to die the way that he did? Death was a bit extreme when you know the context.

[A]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ailan is a goddess and the youngest daughter of the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens. So when her beloved sister goes missing, you’d think it wouldn’t be up to Ailan alone to find her. But only Ailan knows the enemies she and Xifei have—one of whom, a cowherd named Kai, offers to help. He finds himself falling for Ailan over the course of the journey. Which is a little awkward, considering he’s trying to kill her.

The writing style is very readable, perfect for YA. I found myself picking this book up easily. The plot is well-paced and engaging. I was invested in their present quest, and especially in the backstory of Ailan’s secret and Kai’s family, their respective motivations, which were drip-fed to the reader during lulls in the main story. The full picture of what happened before the book starts is only clear near the end, although the book doesn’t quite know when to play its cards and when to hold them back. There were certain points where I couldn’t tell whether the information the characters just received was supposed to be new to me, too, or just an in-universe reveal.

The romance is much less present than the marketing makes it seem. They basically just have crushes on each other. The slightly-more present romance is actually between two side characters, and it was fine, but weird how much more development it received in comparison to the supposed main romance. Ailan and Kai have interesting reasons to be opposed to one another, but not much chemistry at all. The background characters were unfortunately kind of flat, but there’s room for them to grow in the sequel. In general, my lack of emotional investment wasn’t much of a problem—like I said, the plot was enough for my mental investment to carry me through. Unfortunately, there was one aspect where being attached to a character really would’ve mattered: Xifei, whose disappearance is the inciting incident. I went from not particularly caring about her to her being the only character I actively disliked by the end. Kai is right, actually.

The themes of who has a responsibility to take action and the world of gods, mortals, and demons are this book’s strong points. The action scenes were surprisingly focused on. I like that. It feels a bit like I’m watching a donghua, in a good way. Everyone has cool, unique weapons, for example.

I would recommend this group to its target demographic and I’m willing to check out the sequel!

[nicole]

the heavens we defy is a story about two immortals looking to save their sister who has gone missing in the mortal lands. their answer? teaming up with a lady with an axe, a convicted murderer and a boy who definitely wants revenge. sounds fun, right?

in just under 12 hours, I finished this wonderful book and there was rarely a moment where I wasn't hooked in. the dialogue felt super natural and the banter within the group was great; each character had a unique relationship with the other and you were always reminded that while ailan was arguably the core, she was not the only story. the mythology is very well-written - I especially enjoyed the ideation around gods and goddesses, and I for one, loved the clouds. the idea that the heavens, may or may not, be squabbling about the colours of a sunset felt profoundly human and was just so unique and a fun little bit!

with that said, there were few plotting choices and character motives fell short for me. kai's quest for revenge drives the narrative forward, but it doesn't make total sense to me? he saw xifei clearly devasted? he knew his brother admired her and was saved by her? he saw countless examples of immortals being the complete opposite to his beliefs.... I just struggle to really believe the conviction he holds up until almost the very end, makes sense? and yes, it did falter throughout but not enough given what he knew, in my opinion.

it was also fairly obvious in the start of the book that kai seemingly had a hidden agenda and it felt a little to convenient that the immortals trusted him, even begrudgingly. the gravity of trusting mortals felt too minor throughout the story, especially in a situation where a goddess who can see secrets.... cannot see anything and it bothers me to no end that it wasn't brought up again. like how did they never see the necklace?

but, that ending! I truly cannot wait for the next book, I loved the pacing of the final act and my only gripe is that I wish there was a bigger reaction to xifei's apparent death? but I can't wait to see what happens in the underworld and what lays ahead for the immortals! enemies to lovers round 2?

thank you so much to harpercollins & netgalley for the arc!

ps: how beautiful is the cover art?!

[aria.roastandread]

3 stars˳༄꠶

Thank you to HarperCollins for the E-ARC! All opinions are my own.

Such a gorgeous cover. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Ailan, the Goddess of Weaving and her group as they ventured to find Ailan's sister, Xifei that went missing in the Middle Kingdom. I'm sad to say that this book is not my cup of tea.

The premise had been incredibly beautiful and we're off to an interesting start. However, the excitement gradually dissipates because it doesn't capture my attention for long. It's the classic "we're walking and walking" throughout the whole story, and it wouldn't be a problem if not for the dialogue. My biggest pet peeve is when the supposed immortal characters don't behave like one or don't show it from their pattern of speaking or action. You'd expect someone who lived a long life; a goddess no less, to be full of wisdom, but here we have Ailan being petty and dishing out quips to Kai like they're both seventeen years old. The banters were fine at first, but when it happened frequently "just because" until the end, it became redundant. I could only think of the purpose was to set the enemies-to-lovers tone, but again, it comes off as childish at best. 

I contemplated to DNF this book many times, but I pushed through until the end. It does feel rewarding to reach the end and we find out about each member's secrets and the villain's motive. Wouldn't be a stretch for me to say that I understand the motive, (I too have disdain towards greater powers that turn a blind eye on suffering yet demand worship), but I am just left with questions on how Ailan and Kai's relationship is going to work since [spoiler alert]. Hehe. 

However, I think that The Heavens We Defy is still a solid choice for a young adult book. There's clearly audiences that would love this story, for example, Daughter of Moon Goddess or Six Crimson Crane readers who loved going on adventures either to save their loved ones or anything else. 

[D E Y J]

“𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙚𝙩?”
“𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.”

☁️🪷🪽

ARC READER REVIEW

•••

Honestly, I am so confused as to how I feel about this book.

For the most part, it was very entertaining; the setting was described beautifully, giving me perfect imagery and every character was unique in comparison to the others which was refreshing.

However, my doubts lie with the story in general with the pacing, plot and ending. I felt as though none of the things that were suppose to pack a punch landed hard enough, sure they made you a little surprised, but they weren’t written well enough to really make you feel.

For example, we spend the entirety of the novel seeing Ailan searching for her sister who we briefly know. We root for her, of course, for them to unite once more and have a happy end. But Xifei dies after being held prisoner. Now, I understand this should have made me gasp with shock or even send me into tears given that all those 300 pages have been wasted, the journey rendered meaningless but I simply… didn’t care?

I think it was a great twist and I kind of love that we didn’t get the ending for the two of them that we wished for, but I think the reveal was so rushed that the scene didn’t hit the way it was supposed to. At least for me.

And this honestly goes for the rest of the book and its twists and turns; all of them great in theory but executed in such a way that the shock or whatever I was meant to be feeling just wasn’t quite there which saddened me.

I assume there is supposed to be a second to this given the cliffhanger ending. While I did enjoy it generally speaking, I sadly wasn’t gripped enough to be interested in that or give this anything higher than three stars. I do, however, wish this author the best of luck with their series.

[Zaferino]

A YA romantasy with a hint of Chinese drama. The plot and characters remind me so much of a Chinese drama, which I love but also have some qualms about.

First, I loved the characters. I love the interactions between them. Sometimes the banter was a little much but otherwise, I really liked how the group grew closer and interacted. Each felt like an individual character and was interesting to read about. Especially when everything was connected! This is one of my favorite things about dramas. There was so many secrets that were interconnected and revealed in such a dramatic and fun way. Some of those cliffhangers at the end of chapters really made me gasp.

However, I will say this about Chinese dramas, they love the drama a little too much. Sometimes, too many red herrings are just annoying and common troupes just shouldn’t be used. I felt like one detail of the plot was a little unnecessary and just took up time rather than being an interesting point. More so, the troupe of just “not talking about an important thing even though it is part of our objective and we love each other” is annoying. There were definitely parts I hated because it could have easily been solved if the people, who claimed to love each other, would just talk.

In the end, the book is a fun read. The writing is not confusing and flowed really nice. I never had to backtrack because I was confused. I was frustrated at some parts but I never hated it. It’s a really good YA fantasy with love-at-first-sight romance. I especially recommend this to anyone who loved “Daughter of the Moon Goddess” by Sue Lynn Tan.

Received an ARC in return for an unbiased review.

[katrina カトリーナ]

ARC received via NetGalley

The Heavens We Defy follows Ailan in her journey to find her missing sister, Xifei. Through her journey, she'll team up with reluctant allies and unexpected "friends" from another world. As immortals and mortals carry on, the group finds themselves faced with evils of the past and must ask themselves who the true enemy is.... each other? or perhaps something greater?

What kept me reading was the banter and quips, especially between Ailan and Kai. I don't believe this book is positioned to be a comedy at all, but the bits and quips between these two felt so silly especially given their rather grim circumstances. Really hoping for more in the future!

The pacing felt a bit all over the place -- for the first 80% of the book, everything seemed pretty linear and paced properly. Our group of protagonists and slightly questionable allies had a mission to find Xifei, and faced the challenges associated with such a mission. The last 20%, where much of the true motives (and yes many spoilers, so I'll leave it at this) are revealed, felt rushed. I understand that there is a setup for a sequel here, but the climax and subsequent events felt too frantic and like there wasn't enough time. Even with a reread of those ending events, I feel as if there are too many outstanding questions even for the first book in a series.

I still enjoyed the book and am curious to know what happens next! Let's see what trouble unfolds and how solutions can be *woven* together (pun intended)

[Omnia]

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
This was honestly very hard for me to get through. I felt like a lot had happened, but we still got nowhere. The characters were sweet, but I couldn’t get invested.
The female main character, Ailan, is on a journey to save her sister. However, there’s only hinting and foreshadowing about the sister’s past and Ailan’s feelings of guilt for the majority of the book. Why are we obscuring the character's main motivation? It’s hard to empathize with Ailan when there are no details on the problem!
And similarly for the male main character, Kai. His main motivation is his hatred towards immortals; however, the big, traumatizing reason for this prejudice isn’t revealed until about 60% into the story. Which makes it extremely hard to care at all about his point of view beforehand. We also generally know he’s going to change his mind very early on, so having such a long buildup just to reveal some backstory felt disappointing.
I did like the side characters, and I felt the worldbuilding was cool. I especially liked how Ailan’s powers worked. The idea of training clouds like pets is a lot of fun.
But both the lack of driving motivation and the abrupt cliffhanger ending just made the majority of the book feel tedious. It was cute, it was fun, but just not interesting.

[Brady]

This was a thrilling adventure! Ailan has many older sisters but only one is her favorite and it just so happens that that is the sister she betrayed. So when her sister vanishes she’s willing to cross the mortal realm to get her back and doesn’t care what it costs to do so. Kai despises immortals, he was marked by the god who stole his brother’s life, now he’s desperate for vengeance. He’s determined to prove wrong all who say immortals can’t be killed. When Ailan descends from the heavens Kai decides this is his chance, he’ll take her to see an oracle that might help, all while hiding his darker plan. However their journey won’t be easy, they’ll battle demons and tyrants. And soon the need for betrayal turns into something far more dangerous, they’ll both have to decide what means more to them each other or revenge and loyalty. What will they choose? I loved the banter between these characters. The mythology and character development was so well done! Tiffany Wang writes an epic adventure with beautiful world building that I completely devoured, can’t wait for book two!

[bookishthingswedo]

𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮

thank you Harper Collins & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

I write this review with a heavy heart because this book had all the potential to be a new favourite of mine but it just fell flat for me.

Let’s start with the positives; the writing is good, the premise had potential along with the mystery and the characters kept me interested! Plus the cover art is stunning!

However I think it fell into the trap of telling rather than showing which lead me to be a little bored and the plot a little bit too predictable. On top of that I felt like the world building could have been a bit more fleshed out in the beginning so that the backdrop felt more stable before we were thrown into the main plot points but that’s just personal preference

I will be reading more from this author in the future though because like I mentioned I did enjoy the writing style and the character arcs

[Beautifulday4makeup The-book-and-Me]

During the weekend, I was able to finish The Heavens We Defy.


This book took a bit of a different turn after the first few chapters compared to what I expected. We started out looking to free a goddess and find out whether demons had escaped, so I was expecting quite a bit of action and tension around that.


Instead, the story turned into more of a travelling adventure, with the goddess eventually being found near the end. The problem for me was that the action only really seemed to start at that point… and then the story ended. Definitely setting things up for the sequel!


I did like the story and enjoyed the journey, but, as you can probably tell, I was missing a bit of substance. I expected some more significant action or developments earlier in the book, rather than having everything really kick off towards the end.


Still, I’m curious to see where the sequel takes the story.

I would like to thank the author and Netgalley for sharing the ebook with me.

[Kaitlyn Mahone]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for blessing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really don’t know where to begin with this one. I tried and tried to continue reading, but I sadly will be DNFing-at least for now. I was so excited for this book but I don’t think this one is for me. I found myself having to try and force to read, and I cannot do that to myself. I found this to be very slow and I feel like I struggled to comprehend what was going on. The premise sounded great, but I think the execution was just okay. The prose itself was okay, but it didn’t really hold my attention. I don’t know if it’s just my life at the moment and maybe I’m just into different genders at the moment, but I sadly couldn’t continue reading because I wasn’t engaged with the book. I’m so sorry. 😭

[Andi]

I like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me a read.

I love Chinese dramas, Xianxia over Wuxia. I do enjoy stories where a group of people come together and fight against an evil, developing feelings or strengthening ties.

This is part one of a story about two immortals that come down to earth, looking for their sister. Knowing little besides her last whereabouts, and that a feisty / angry mortal man may have bad intentions, they demand to be taken to someone who can find her. The mortal man however has previous dealings with the immortals and wants revenge, so he agrees with hidden intentions.

The characters (the group they form - two immortals, him, a girl with a secret, and a guy who may or may not killed his father) are an interesting group. Everyone has their own reasons for going and the secrets and unsaid things is what kept me going. Little by little the story is teased out and like true Chinese dramas, the reveals are astounding and wrack the group.

I loved the villain, I loved the sub-villains too. Their reasons are while justified are extreme and not quite so focused on a particular person (or persons). The ending had me wide eyed, wondering how the group will be going forward and what it meant for our immortal and mortal who developed feelings only to be torn apart by the reveal (or reveals).

Whatever comes, I'm a willing reader for book two.

[Violetdazey]

Thank you netgalley for the arc of this book ☁️🐉💙
»»——— ᢉ𐭩 ———««

I loved this sm, I cannot emphasise enough how much I enjoyed reading this, first of all i always love my mortal x immortal books and this served me well but the end has devastated me at the same time, I cannot quote it but I teared up in the last two chapters especially 😢

The yearning, it was peak, it was slow and it was everything that I needed, I loved it so so mucu !!

I am rooting sm for our main couple and I want nothing but everything that bad came their way to go away so they realise how they are soulmates and amazing for each other 💙🤍.

Also i love zhenyi sm, like she is so me and i love how there is queer rep in this book as well, a big win.

[Michelle J.]

A top read of 2026 for me! THWD is a beautiful story of mortals and gods traveling in search of Ailan’s missing sister but it all comes with a bigger plot at hand. I wish there were more interactions with Kai and Ailan as their chemistry was slowly blossoming throughout the read, but the group as a whole was one of the more natural found family gatherings I’ve seen in a awhile. Ailan’s cloud magic was fun and I absolutely adore Zhenyi’s attitude and relationship with Menge’e. Where the story ends is a great spot for a sequel, and trust I’ll be seated for that one!

[Nimrah Nazim]

Read the netgalley arc!
I really liked the concept of the book, being a big fan of mythological retellings! I started this thinking it was a standalone, so imagine my panic when too much was left for too little time! Only for me to realize it was book 1 of a series 🥲

The pacing, however, was the biggest issue for me. I felt it fell a little slow at points and was slightly inconsistent! Also, a tad bit predictable, but I had a good time reading it.

I really enjoyed the character dynamics, and am looking forward to the next book!

[Ireen]

An adventurous retelling of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl! This was my first book back after a reading slump and it DELIVERED. Absolutely adored the slow burn tension between the two leads, the dynamics of the group of characters, and how everyone’s secrets slowly unraveled throughout their journey as they grew closer (and ultimately got torn apart…I’m still sobbing).

[Kokechii]

With Inferno duology being one of my fave duologies ever, I cannot wait for this!!

[Tammy]

TIFFANY WANG QUEEN OF HEART WRENCHING CLIFFHANGERS

[Cheryl]

meng’e #1