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Shadows of Thysia
Eleni believed her toughest battle was the loss of her grandmother. But after she discovers a hidden box containing a mysterious necklace, a strange creature drags her from her Wyoming ranch into Thysia—a brutal world where power is branded into flesh and oaths are sealed with blood. Here, survival is key, loyalty becomes a weapon, and Eleni finds herself caught in the middle of it all. As death closes in, her mysterious necklace awakens, revealing itself to be an ancient relic with the power to reshape kingdoms—or destroy them.
Now trapped in this ruthless world on the brink of war, Eleni is forced into two blood-bound one with a man she cannot trust, and another with a man she can’t escape. As her ties to Thysia grow stronger, so do the bonds that link her fate to theirs. Torn between desire and betrayal, the home she lost and a destiny she never wanted, Eleni stands on the edge of two worlds. Both demand sacrifice. The question is, which one will she choose?
Now trapped in this ruthless world on the brink of war, Eleni is forced into two blood-bound one with a man she cannot trust, and another with a man she can’t escape. As her ties to Thysia grow stronger, so do the bonds that link her fate to theirs. Torn between desire and betrayal, the home she lost and a destiny she never wanted, Eleni stands on the edge of two worlds. Both demand sacrifice. The question is, which one will she choose?
Audible Audio
Published May 28, 2026
About the author
C.C. Martinez
1 book35 followersI’m a fantasy author and emergency room nurse who believes the best stories come from survival, grief, and the moments that change us forever. My writing explores elemental magic, blood-bound loyalty, slow-burn romance, and characters forced to choose between their past and who they must become.
I write for readers who love immersive worlds, morally gray love interests, slow-burning romance, found family, and heroines who fight with both fury and heart.
Based in Austin, Texas, I split my time between the ER, my writing desk, running with my dogs, riding motorcycles, and convincing myself that one more dirty chai is absolutely necessary!
I write for readers who love immersive worlds, morally gray love interests, slow-burning romance, found family, and heroines who fight with both fury and heart.
Based in Austin, Texas, I split my time between the ER, my writing desk, running with my dogs, riding motorcycles, and convincing myself that one more dirty chai is absolutely necessary!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you netgalley and victory editing for giving me the opportunity to read this e-ARC in return for an honest review.
Shadows of Thysia is a stunning debut from C.C. Martinez, and I seriously need book two immediately because this was phenomenal and that ending.... ahhh! ✨
The story follows Eleni, a nurse who is transported from her home to the magical world of Thysia. We follow her through a journey of self-discovery, loss and romance. What makes this book stand out is how real the characters feel; they are beautifully flawed, and Martinez writes with pure emotion that is so relatable. I became so invested that I was literally shouting at the book over some of their decisions! 😲 The fantasy element takes centre stage with romance a sub-plot flowing throughout without overpowering.
I could not put this book down. The author absolutely tore my heart out with certain moments that had me in tears, that’s how much I cared. Between the strong world-building, clear magic systems, and lingering secrets, I was hooked. I also suspect there is more than meets the eye with one character in particular... 👀
I highly recommend picking this up, but be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster! 🎢
Shadows of Thysia is a stunning debut from C.C. Martinez, and I seriously need book two immediately because this was phenomenal and that ending.... ahhh! ✨
The story follows Eleni, a nurse who is transported from her home to the magical world of Thysia. We follow her through a journey of self-discovery, loss and romance. What makes this book stand out is how real the characters feel; they are beautifully flawed, and Martinez writes with pure emotion that is so relatable. I became so invested that I was literally shouting at the book over some of their decisions! 😲 The fantasy element takes centre stage with romance a sub-plot flowing throughout without overpowering.
I could not put this book down. The author absolutely tore my heart out with certain moments that had me in tears, that’s how much I cared. Between the strong world-building, clear magic systems, and lingering secrets, I was hooked. I also suspect there is more than meets the eye with one character in particular... 👀
I highly recommend picking this up, but be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster! 🎢
March 23, 2026
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! If you enjoyed the nightmare in one dark window and a sarcastically funny, snarky, strong FMC with really cool magic system that resembles avatar but with its own unique spin with a well done paced plot and story, you would love this! I can’t believe this was a debut novel! I’m seething for book 2 😭 I also really enjoyed that this wasn’t so heavy on the romance so fast, it evolves as you keep reading. I loved that this was more focused on our FMC and the grief of the loss of her grandmother and how she raised her to be resilient. This was a great introduction to the series and I can’t wait for what comes next!! Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC copy of this, I will absolutely be recommending this to so many other readers.
Read
July 3, 2026🖤⚔️ Shadows of Thysia ⚔️🖤
Full ARC Review to come!
❤️🔥 What to Expect
• Fantasy Romance
• Portal Fantasy
• Morally Gray MMCs
• Blood Bound Magic
• Ancient Relic
• Love Triangle
• Political Intrigue
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: May 28, 2026
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.
Full ARC Review to come!
❤️🔥 What to Expect
• Fantasy Romance
• Portal Fantasy
• Morally Gray MMCs
• Blood Bound Magic
• Ancient Relic
• Love Triangle
• Political Intrigue
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: May 28, 2026
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Shadows of Thysia is a fabulous debut novel that will surely keep your attention from beginning to end. I for one wasn't expecting to fall deeply in love but I did and I am so glad I got the opportunity to get my hands on a early copy! The imagery of the scenes and characters were truly a wonderful element.
We are introduced to Eleni who works in Denver as a nurse and constantly in a routine and mundane cycle of her everyday life. Unfortunately her grandmother passes away. When she goes to clean out her grandmother's house she finds a hidden box containinga necklace. From there she is then transported to another world.
She ends up Transported to the world of Thysia. She then discovers that her necklace is an ancient relic with the power to do good or even evil. Will she have the strengh to do good for a kingdom she had no idea existed?
We are introduced to Eleni who works in Denver as a nurse and constantly in a routine and mundane cycle of her everyday life. Unfortunately her grandmother passes away. When she goes to clean out her grandmother's house she finds a hidden box containinga necklace. From there she is then transported to another world.
She ends up Transported to the world of Thysia. She then discovers that her necklace is an ancient relic with the power to do good or even evil. Will she have the strengh to do good for a kingdom she had no idea existed?
Did Not Finish
April 17, 2026DNF @ 15%
The author killed the FMC’s horse (which had enough character development and distinct personality to make me believe he wouldn’t die) in the most gruesome, unnecessary way, and to me that’s the equivalent of an author killing the MC’s dog, so I won’t be continuing with this book.
I truly believe this should have been mentioned in the trigger warning section. We can forgive almost anything in a book, just don’t touch the pet. That’s like an universal rule (and if it’s not, it should be).
The author killed the FMC’s horse (which had enough character development and distinct personality to make me believe he wouldn’t die) in the most gruesome, unnecessary way, and to me that’s the equivalent of an author killing the MC’s dog, so I won’t be continuing with this book.
I truly believe this should have been mentioned in the trigger warning section. We can forgive almost anything in a book, just don’t touch the pet. That’s like an universal rule (and if it’s not, it should be).
June 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an arc. All opinions are my own.
★ Rating: 2.5/5
Genre: Romantasy
Are There Gay People in this?*: ❌
Aw man, I really wanted to love this, but it didn't really work for me.
Narration: 4/5 - I LOVE duet narration! I think that that narration is so quintessentially straight romantasy. His voice is deep, and gruff, and a little mysterious, and she's chipper and sassy. Overall, the voices are lively, and fit the characters.
Characters: 2/5 - This was the biggest sticking point for me. I didn't like any of the characters, and I never felt particularly connected to them. Eleni can be so dumb sometimes, and both love interests were condescending and annoying.
Plot: 3/5 - It's fine. If you read a lot of romantasy, this plot style is par for the course. I don't really know how else to describe it, but like, if you know you know. I wished there was a little more depth, but overall I found the plot compelling enough to keep reading.
Romance: 2/5 - Maybe I would have been more invested in the romance if I liked the characters, but as it stands it felt forced to me. Though, I do think that's kind of intentional for plot reasons I won't spoil.
Worldbuilding: 3/5 - I am interested in the world, but I wish we got a little more natural worldbuilding. Everything comes in the form of people directly explaining things to Eleni, which makes sense in context, but isn't always compelling as a reader. I also feel like I still know very little about this world, but since it's the first in a series, I can give some leeway there.
Writing: 3/5 - For the most part I think the writing is competent, but it's not a style I personally enjoy. It's got that spunky/quirky flair I generally associate with older millenial/younger gen x authors. I do think some things were a little redundant (sometimes Eleni would learn something, and then immediately repeat it in her internal dialogue), but mostly it was just a preference misalignment.
Overall: I think there is a big audience for this book, who will absolutely adore it, even though I didn't.
* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance
★ Rating: 2.5/5
Genre: Romantasy
Are There Gay People in this?*: ❌
Aw man, I really wanted to love this, but it didn't really work for me.
Narration: 4/5 - I LOVE duet narration! I think that that narration is so quintessentially straight romantasy. His voice is deep, and gruff, and a little mysterious, and she's chipper and sassy. Overall, the voices are lively, and fit the characters.
Characters: 2/5 - This was the biggest sticking point for me. I didn't like any of the characters, and I never felt particularly connected to them. Eleni can be so dumb sometimes, and both love interests were condescending and annoying.
Plot: 3/5 - It's fine. If you read a lot of romantasy, this plot style is par for the course. I don't really know how else to describe it, but like, if you know you know. I wished there was a little more depth, but overall I found the plot compelling enough to keep reading.
Romance: 2/5 - Maybe I would have been more invested in the romance if I liked the characters, but as it stands it felt forced to me. Though, I do think that's kind of intentional for plot reasons I won't spoil.
Worldbuilding: 3/5 - I am interested in the world, but I wish we got a little more natural worldbuilding. Everything comes in the form of people directly explaining things to Eleni, which makes sense in context, but isn't always compelling as a reader. I also feel like I still know very little about this world, but since it's the first in a series, I can give some leeway there.
Writing: 3/5 - For the most part I think the writing is competent, but it's not a style I personally enjoy. It's got that spunky/quirky flair I generally associate with older millenial/younger gen x authors. I do think some things were a little redundant (sometimes Eleni would learn something, and then immediately repeat it in her internal dialogue), but mostly it was just a preference misalignment.
Overall: I think there is a big audience for this book, who will absolutely adore it, even though I didn't.
* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance
June 22, 2026
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
I'm always excited to see an ALC pop up with duet narration! I thought the narrators were good and I liked the elemental magic. I just didn't really connect to the characters or really feel the tension between either of the love interests.
I'm always excited to see an ALC pop up with duet narration! I thought the narrators were good and I liked the elemental magic. I just didn't really connect to the characters or really feel the tension between either of the love interests.
June 11, 2026
ALC Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had a blast with this one. It is not all fun and games though, some of these moments hit hard. 😭
The cover drew me in, but the female narrator captivated me, even when I had to dig deep into the trust the process based on things happening. I think she outshone her co-star a bit. The grief, confusion, and lack of knowledge led to some crazy situations.
Every new thing I learned only added to the mystery and growing list of questions. A great setup for the next book. The built in tension, rebellion, and political maneuvering was well delivered. Such an incredible balance of explanations and no situational awareness needed to make these life altering decisions. So much deception!
While I enjoyed this book, it does have some issues that could very well resolve themselves as the mysteries are revealed. And the way this one ended?! Book 2 is a NEED.
Thank you NetGalley, C. C. Martinez, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ALC!
I had a blast with this one. It is not all fun and games though, some of these moments hit hard. 😭
The cover drew me in, but the female narrator captivated me, even when I had to dig deep into the trust the process based on things happening. I think she outshone her co-star a bit. The grief, confusion, and lack of knowledge led to some crazy situations.
Every new thing I learned only added to the mystery and growing list of questions. A great setup for the next book. The built in tension, rebellion, and political maneuvering was well delivered. Such an incredible balance of explanations and no situational awareness needed to make these life altering decisions. So much deception!
While I enjoyed this book, it does have some issues that could very well resolve themselves as the mysteries are revealed. And the way this one ended?! Book 2 is a NEED.
Thank you NetGalley, C. C. Martinez, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ALC!
May 1, 2026
Spoiler free
Oooooh not gonna lie but this is much better than I thought it would be, like I don't mean that in a bad way, but the blurb don't tell you it's gonna be an epic adventure..
I love the concept of this storyline and not gonna lie I wouldn't wanna be dragged into a different time / world without my bestie.. 😅
This was a great savagely brutal story and I'm eager for the next book please 🙏
Oooooh not gonna lie but this is much better than I thought it would be, like I don't mean that in a bad way, but the blurb don't tell you it's gonna be an epic adventure..
I love the concept of this storyline and not gonna lie I wouldn't wanna be dragged into a different time / world without my bestie.. 😅
This was a great savagely brutal story and I'm eager for the next book please 🙏
April 19, 2026
This is my first Fantasy with romance book and boy was I blow away with the story and its characters . It’s a real fast and easy read. I did not expect the ending at all and was very surprised. I am totally excited for her next book in this series.
June 17, 2026
**𝓝𝓞 𝓢𝓟𝓞𝓘𝓛𝓔𝓡𝓢**
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- Shadows of Thysia
𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 netgalley 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, 𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.
⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
* 🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿s Samantha Archuleta and Rowan Whitlock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ each
* 📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
* 🌡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 none yet, not really 🫑/ 5 -𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
* Which books have I also given this same rating? (𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3⭐️We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
* Genre- Fantasy
* 🎧 11 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 35 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 (I 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 1.5 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚎𝚍)
* 📖 402 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
* 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝗣𝗢𝗩 / #𝚍𝚞𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
* 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲- April 14 2026
* 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒜 ℳ𝒾𝓍
* 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- incomplete series book 1
* 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈
* 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- 𝓂ℯ𝒹𝒾𝓊𝓂
* 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? ❌𝒮𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎, 𝓃ℴ, 𝓃ℴ𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓆𝓊ℯ ℯ𝓃ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽, 𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝓌ℯ𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃𝓉 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℴ𝓊𝓉 ℯ𝓃ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝓂ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝓇ℯ𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝒶𝓎 6 𝓂ℴ𝓃𝓉𝒽𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂ℯ.
* 𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝒾 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈?✅
* 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ𝓈?✅
* 𝒲ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 ℯ𝓁𝓈ℯ 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇?✅
* 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔? People who love a FMC that grows into her power and her ‘chosen one’ role along with enjoying a plot with many secrets and mysteries, mythical creatures and blood bonds!
⚜️𝕊ℙ𝔼ℂ𝕀𝔼𝕊 𝕀ℕ 𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐:
💋𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠
🧝♀️𝔽𝕒𝕖
⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
🔥𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ ᒪᑌᔕT
🙏𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡
💋𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸ℯ 𝒾𝓃𝒸𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓈ℯ𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 ℯ𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀
🌡𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥, 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟
🔺 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒
⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
👑𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓮
🧬 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
🧸𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦
🤩Epic Side Characters
🍭𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝕍 𝔾𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕪
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
🤬 Feminine Rage
🥊 Revenge
⏳𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
💪chosen one
⌚𝔸-𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕖
👑Shadow Daddy
✨ 🪧Cliff Notes Version: ✨
I judged this on the cover and wasn’t going to read it, but I did anyway and I’m so darn glad I did! That cliff hanger left me hunting down the author to yell at her masochistic ways! The love triangle, secrets, blood pacts and history really made this story come alive!
Martinez doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of ambition and the weight of legacy, giving the story a depth that lingers long after the final page.
⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️
(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?) I recommend the audiobook very highly!
⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The narrators did an excellent job of this book!
The male narrator in particular had a wonderful range and it was easy and clear to tell his characters apart! The accents and struggles, the emotions and inflections he exhibited truly made his characters come to life!
The female did a wonderful job also, she spoke with clarity in all her roles, again with brilliant accents and inflections. Sometimes I struggled to tell apart her internal thoughts from the spoken language but that my only criticism.
🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
First of all I would like to make a confession-
Normally I wouldn’t have picked this book up. I don’t really care for the cover and the blurb was interesting but it didn’t grab me. However, I had a gap in my time to fit an audiobook and this was available so I nabbed it. And I am so very glad I did!
I'm not a massive fan of characters from our world being taken to fantasy worlds... (my brain doesn’t find that believable… dragon shifters with 2 peens- fine, but portals… noooo! 🤷♀️🫣) BUT this is one of my few exceptions. It was done really well and I loved the dry humour that came out of it. Immediately, I was invested in Eleni and her story - working herself silly as a nurse, the harbouring guilt, the regrets, and the way she handled the death of her estranged grandmother all made her such a sympathetic heroine.
The world building was ok but some of it was done in quite a clunky way, and I’m really confused about what the developer has to do with this story? I feel that was completely unnecessary as it did nothing to the plot and just became another thing to get answers too.
The prose/writing style is immersive, lyrical, and razor-sharp, balancing suspense, action, and emotional tension. That tension is meticulously built, and the twists are as darkly shocking.
I really enjoyed the elemental magic system, and the different factions in play in Thysia. But I do wish we had more information on the war and the history to help us better connect and understand the world as it is now. This being said- I felt like the very naive FMC didn’t ask nearly enough questions to help educate herself or protect herself. It left me thinking she was annoying as a lead character rather than rooting for her
The FMC is dropped straight into a world she doesn’t understand, seeing things that shouldn’t exist, and is drawn straight into conflict. As the story develops she learns a bit more about herself, and the mystery of where she came from - although this is still largely unresolved due to the massive twist and cliffhanger the book ends on, and develops many questions about her family and their history.
As other reviewers have mentioned there were some small inconsistencies in Eleni’s character later on, as well as continuity errors, but all in all I found this to be a solid debut. There were so many intriguing info hints and plot teasers included that were left open by the end of the book that, while they definitely left me wanting more, also left me feeling a unfulfilled, as I had more confusion and questions about the world and the characters story by the end than I had had at the start.
Although I was disappointed by the lack of resolution of any of the major plot points by the end of this book, I was pulled in by the many mysteries we were offered (and there was a lot) blood contracts, secrets, betrayals, who’s loyalty truly lies where, is velorn sworn to silence and bound? Is there fated mate bods in this world? And on and on my mind races…
And that ending made me throw my headphones, snatch up my phone, hunt down the author on insta and give her a piece of my mind! Brutal is an understatement!!
🧝♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
The characters are quite wonderful. They are flawed, cunning, and achingly human, navigating a world that demands sacrifice and punishes weakness. Their struggles, desires, and secrets are what makes them so relatable and easy to connect with and feel for- making every triumph, betrayal, and heartbreak hit like a dagger to the chest.
The FMC is Not too serious unless she needs to be, she’s compassionate, curious, and funny. However, Eleni’s attraction to both Ehlark and Velorn, and her initial interest in Cody, gave me the impression that her interests in men are a bit flighty, this is kind of explained away later in the book but it still didn’t sit right. Since our FMC seemingly shows interest in nearly every single man she interacts with, it made the romantic aspect feel unappealing, unimportant and flat.
Ehlark was a cutie and seemed so passionate and genuine and I’m hoping to see more of him in the next book- yes I know but I refuse to believe! And I’m defo hoping for someone to put a certain bunny boiler in her place too!
I don't care that our Verlon is a massive shadowy red flag... I need him to be the one, I’m hoping for a fated mate. But I’m also hoping for a why choose for her and her roaming eye too.
I did really like the mystery surrounding Velorn’s character. So many questions about his background, motivations, his secrets and to what extent he makes his own choices or is merely following orders, along with the contrasting personality traits that keep slipping through, is probably the main reason I am invested in the rest of the story to come!
😥 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕟𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤?
I didn’t understand why there was so much detail in the earth part of the story as it made me more confused, I’m hoping there is a reason to be revealed in book 2 but for now it’s a negative. I also didn’t like how flighty the FMC was, how she didn’t actually ask questions and then there are the said inconsistencies in her character.
Mostly though, it’s the lack of history, lore and answers that has me knocking stars off. The next book has the potential to be a 5 star though.
⏳ 𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚 𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
I’d re read as a catch up, and yes I will recommend.
𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;
𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
https://www.tiktok.com/@your_bookish_...
IᑎՏTᗩ
https://www.instagram.com/your_bookis...
***********************
𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF
⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action
🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- Shadows of Thysia
𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 netgalley 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, 𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.
⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
* 🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿s Samantha Archuleta and Rowan Whitlock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ each
* 📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
* 🌡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 none yet, not really 🫑/ 5 -𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
* Which books have I also given this same rating? (𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3⭐️We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
* Genre- Fantasy
* 🎧 11 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 35 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 (I 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 1.5 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚎𝚍)
* 📖 402 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
* 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝗣𝗢𝗩 / #𝚍𝚞𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
* 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲- April 14 2026
* 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒜 ℳ𝒾𝓍
* 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- incomplete series book 1
* 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈
* 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- 𝓂ℯ𝒹𝒾𝓊𝓂
* 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? ❌𝒮𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎, 𝓃ℴ, 𝓃ℴ𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓆𝓊ℯ ℯ𝓃ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽, 𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝓌ℯ𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃𝓉 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℴ𝓊𝓉 ℯ𝓃ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝓂ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝓇ℯ𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝒶𝓎 6 𝓂ℴ𝓃𝓉𝒽𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂ℯ.
* 𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝒾 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈?✅
* 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ𝓈?✅
* 𝒲ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 ℯ𝓁𝓈ℯ 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇?✅
* 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔? People who love a FMC that grows into her power and her ‘chosen one’ role along with enjoying a plot with many secrets and mysteries, mythical creatures and blood bonds!
⚜️𝕊ℙ𝔼ℂ𝕀𝔼𝕊 𝕀ℕ 𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐:
💋𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠
🧝♀️𝔽𝕒𝕖
⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
🔥𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ ᒪᑌᔕT
🙏𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡
💋𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸ℯ 𝒾𝓃𝒸𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓈ℯ𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 ℯ𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀
🌡𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥, 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟
🔺 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒
⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
👑𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓮
🧬 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
🧸𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦
🤩Epic Side Characters
🍭𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝕍 𝔾𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕪
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
🤬 Feminine Rage
🥊 Revenge
⏳𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
💪chosen one
⌚𝔸-𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕖
👑Shadow Daddy
✨ 🪧Cliff Notes Version: ✨
I judged this on the cover and wasn’t going to read it, but I did anyway and I’m so darn glad I did! That cliff hanger left me hunting down the author to yell at her masochistic ways! The love triangle, secrets, blood pacts and history really made this story come alive!
Martinez doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of ambition and the weight of legacy, giving the story a depth that lingers long after the final page.
⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️
(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?) I recommend the audiobook very highly!
⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The narrators did an excellent job of this book!
The male narrator in particular had a wonderful range and it was easy and clear to tell his characters apart! The accents and struggles, the emotions and inflections he exhibited truly made his characters come to life!
The female did a wonderful job also, she spoke with clarity in all her roles, again with brilliant accents and inflections. Sometimes I struggled to tell apart her internal thoughts from the spoken language but that my only criticism.
🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
First of all I would like to make a confession-
Normally I wouldn’t have picked this book up. I don’t really care for the cover and the blurb was interesting but it didn’t grab me. However, I had a gap in my time to fit an audiobook and this was available so I nabbed it. And I am so very glad I did!
I'm not a massive fan of characters from our world being taken to fantasy worlds... (my brain doesn’t find that believable… dragon shifters with 2 peens- fine, but portals… noooo! 🤷♀️🫣) BUT this is one of my few exceptions. It was done really well and I loved the dry humour that came out of it. Immediately, I was invested in Eleni and her story - working herself silly as a nurse, the harbouring guilt, the regrets, and the way she handled the death of her estranged grandmother all made her such a sympathetic heroine.
The world building was ok but some of it was done in quite a clunky way, and I’m really confused about what the developer has to do with this story? I feel that was completely unnecessary as it did nothing to the plot and just became another thing to get answers too.
The prose/writing style is immersive, lyrical, and razor-sharp, balancing suspense, action, and emotional tension. That tension is meticulously built, and the twists are as darkly shocking.
I really enjoyed the elemental magic system, and the different factions in play in Thysia. But I do wish we had more information on the war and the history to help us better connect and understand the world as it is now. This being said- I felt like the very naive FMC didn’t ask nearly enough questions to help educate herself or protect herself. It left me thinking she was annoying as a lead character rather than rooting for her
The FMC is dropped straight into a world she doesn’t understand, seeing things that shouldn’t exist, and is drawn straight into conflict. As the story develops she learns a bit more about herself, and the mystery of where she came from - although this is still largely unresolved due to the massive twist and cliffhanger the book ends on, and develops many questions about her family and their history.
As other reviewers have mentioned there were some small inconsistencies in Eleni’s character later on, as well as continuity errors, but all in all I found this to be a solid debut. There were so many intriguing info hints and plot teasers included that were left open by the end of the book that, while they definitely left me wanting more, also left me feeling a unfulfilled, as I had more confusion and questions about the world and the characters story by the end than I had had at the start.
Although I was disappointed by the lack of resolution of any of the major plot points by the end of this book, I was pulled in by the many mysteries we were offered (and there was a lot) blood contracts, secrets, betrayals, who’s loyalty truly lies where, is velorn sworn to silence and bound? Is there fated mate bods in this world? And on and on my mind races…
And that ending made me throw my headphones, snatch up my phone, hunt down the author on insta and give her a piece of my mind! Brutal is an understatement!!
🧝♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
The characters are quite wonderful. They are flawed, cunning, and achingly human, navigating a world that demands sacrifice and punishes weakness. Their struggles, desires, and secrets are what makes them so relatable and easy to connect with and feel for- making every triumph, betrayal, and heartbreak hit like a dagger to the chest.
The FMC is Not too serious unless she needs to be, she’s compassionate, curious, and funny. However, Eleni’s attraction to both Ehlark and Velorn, and her initial interest in Cody, gave me the impression that her interests in men are a bit flighty, this is kind of explained away later in the book but it still didn’t sit right. Since our FMC seemingly shows interest in nearly every single man she interacts with, it made the romantic aspect feel unappealing, unimportant and flat.
Ehlark was a cutie and seemed so passionate and genuine and I’m hoping to see more of him in the next book- yes I know but I refuse to believe! And I’m defo hoping for someone to put a certain bunny boiler in her place too!
I don't care that our Verlon is a massive shadowy red flag... I need him to be the one, I’m hoping for a fated mate. But I’m also hoping for a why choose for her and her roaming eye too.
I did really like the mystery surrounding Velorn’s character. So many questions about his background, motivations, his secrets and to what extent he makes his own choices or is merely following orders, along with the contrasting personality traits that keep slipping through, is probably the main reason I am invested in the rest of the story to come!
😥 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕟𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤?
I didn’t understand why there was so much detail in the earth part of the story as it made me more confused, I’m hoping there is a reason to be revealed in book 2 but for now it’s a negative. I also didn’t like how flighty the FMC was, how she didn’t actually ask questions and then there are the said inconsistencies in her character.
Mostly though, it’s the lack of history, lore and answers that has me knocking stars off. The next book has the potential to be a 5 star though.
⏳ 𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚 𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
I’d re read as a catch up, and yes I will recommend.
𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;
𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
https://www.tiktok.com/@your_bookish_...
IᑎՏTᗩ
https://www.instagram.com/your_bookis...
***********************
𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF
⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action
🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more
May 3, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I won this book in an indie author Romantasy giveaway, and it’s a unique one indeed.
An ER nurse finds a mysterious necklace while going through her grandma’s room and is soon after “yeeted,” as Eleni would say, into another world we now know as Thysia. This FMC is by far one of the funniest I have come across to date. I love her sarcasm and quick witted quips, she seriously gives no fucks and I love that for her.
I did find that this book is heavy on the world building and not so much on action, which made it feel slow paced at times, but the premise is very interesting, so it should pay off. It kind of gives me Nordic Avatar the last Airbender vibes and I’m here for it.
I did think that Eleni was thirsty as hell. We liked Cowboy Cody, then of course Velorn is giving shadow daddy MMC vibes but he’s not a main focus so much as a dirty lil skulker most of the time, and then Ehlark who gave me Gale vibes but we obviously know that’s not going anywhere. IYKYK👀
To sum it up, there are a lot of unanswered questions that seem to be setting up for book 2 and a dirty little cliff hanger ending, but overall I think it’s a good set up for a series and a great debut. I really appreciate the author for sharing her story with me!
Be warned she’s going to rip your heart out a few times but then also put it back together after. 🙌🏼
I won this book in an indie author Romantasy giveaway, and it’s a unique one indeed.
An ER nurse finds a mysterious necklace while going through her grandma’s room and is soon after “yeeted,” as Eleni would say, into another world we now know as Thysia. This FMC is by far one of the funniest I have come across to date. I love her sarcasm and quick witted quips, she seriously gives no fucks and I love that for her.
I did find that this book is heavy on the world building and not so much on action, which made it feel slow paced at times, but the premise is very interesting, so it should pay off. It kind of gives me Nordic Avatar the last Airbender vibes and I’m here for it.
I did think that Eleni was thirsty as hell. We liked Cowboy Cody, then of course Velorn is giving shadow daddy MMC vibes but he’s not a main focus so much as a dirty lil skulker most of the time, and then Ehlark who gave me Gale vibes but we obviously know that’s not going anywhere. IYKYK👀
To sum it up, there are a lot of unanswered questions that seem to be setting up for book 2 and a dirty little cliff hanger ending, but overall I think it’s a good set up for a series and a great debut. I really appreciate the author for sharing her story with me!
Be warned she’s going to rip your heart out a few times but then also put it back together after. 🙌🏼
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I couldnt put this book down and ended up finishing it in less than a day. I loved the world building and the different spin on magic. I already cant wait for a second book!
July 6, 2026
4.5 Stars. An absolutely fantastic portal fantasy!
An ER nurse grieving the loss of her grandmother is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world filled with magic and danger.
Thank you to NetGalley and C.C. Martinez for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book (e-book and audiobook).
I'm not one for contemporary fantasy, so when this book started in a modern setting, I was hesitant to continue. I'm so glad I did. Once Eleni is abruptly transported to Thysia, the atmosphere shifts into a rich, immersive fantasy world. Even the modern slang gradually dissipates, helping to ease the contrast between her voice and the setting.
Eleni meets some interesting characters on her quest to return home, forced into blood-bound connections with two of them and struggling to let her guard down with either one.
The elemental magic gives strong Avatar The Last Airbender vibes, but with a more mature tone. One character in particular is giving me Zuko energy.
The romance is subtle for now, but I read the clues! I saw the sparks! I just know the good stuff is coming.
The ending surprised me a little and left me eager and kind of anxious to see what happens next.
I'm glad I was able to read the e-arc prior to listening to the audio because it wouldn't have had the same impact on me otherwise. I absolutely love the story! But the female narrator felt a little too young and the male narrator did not do Velorn justice. He sounded like a snooty, old "advisor to the king" type of character. He did alright with Ehlark, though.
Overall, a great debut from this author! I can't wait to read more of this story!
An ER nurse grieving the loss of her grandmother is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world filled with magic and danger.
Thank you to NetGalley and C.C. Martinez for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book (e-book and audiobook).
I'm not one for contemporary fantasy, so when this book started in a modern setting, I was hesitant to continue. I'm so glad I did. Once Eleni is abruptly transported to Thysia, the atmosphere shifts into a rich, immersive fantasy world. Even the modern slang gradually dissipates, helping to ease the contrast between her voice and the setting.
Eleni meets some interesting characters on her quest to return home, forced into blood-bound connections with two of them and struggling to let her guard down with either one.
The elemental magic gives strong Avatar The Last Airbender vibes, but with a more mature tone. One character in particular is giving me Zuko energy.
The romance is subtle for now, but I read the clues! I saw the sparks! I just know the good stuff is coming.
The ending surprised me a little and left me eager and kind of anxious to see what happens next.
I'm glad I was able to read the e-arc prior to listening to the audio because it wouldn't have had the same impact on me otherwise. I absolutely love the story! But the female narrator felt a little too young and the male narrator did not do Velorn justice. He sounded like a snooty, old "advisor to the king" type of character. He did alright with Ehlark, though.
Overall, a great debut from this author! I can't wait to read more of this story!
June 5, 2026
Shadows of Thysia by C.C. Martinez completely exceeded my expectations and left me desperately waiting for the next installment. For a debut novel, this was incredibly impressive, delivering an emotional, immersive fantasy adventure that grabbed hold of me from the very first chapter and refused to let go. And that ending?! 😱📖 I need answers immediately.
The story centers on Eleni, a nurse from Denver whose life has become defined by routine and responsibility. Following the loss of her grandmother, she discovers a mysterious necklace hidden among her grandmother's belongings, setting off a chain of events that changes everything. Suddenly, she's pulled into the world of Thysia—a place filled with magic, danger, secrets, and a destiny she never could have imagined. ✨🌙
What stood out most to me was how authentic the characters felt. Nobody is perfect, and that's exactly what made them so compelling. Eleni is strong without being invincible, brave while still carrying fears and doubts, and easy to connect with from the beginning. I became so emotionally invested in her journey that there were multiple moments where I found myself talking back to the book because of the choices being made. 😂❤️
The fantasy elements are unquestionably the driving force of the story. The magical world is richly developed, with fascinating lore, intriguing political dynamics, and a magic system that feels structured and purposeful. Every new revelation pulled me deeper into the mystery, and I constantly felt like there were hidden pieces waiting to be uncovered. There are also several characters whose motives seem far more complicated than they initially appear, which has me wildly theorizing about what comes next. 🔮👀
Although romance isn't the primary focus, it's woven naturally throughout the narrative and adds another layer of emotional depth. There were moments that hinted at multiple potential romantic possibilities for Eleni, making me curious to see where future books take those relationships. Nothing felt forced, and the balance between personal connections and the larger fantasy storyline was handled beautifully. ❤️⚔️
Emotionally, this book hit hard. There were scenes that genuinely broke my heart, and others that filled me with hope. Martinez isn't afraid to put the characters through difficult situations, and because they're written with such sincerity, those moments land with real impact. I laughed, worried, cheered, and even got teary-eyed more than once. 💔😭✨
I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Samantha Archuleta and Rowan Whitlock brought a tremendous amount of life to the story through their duet narration. Each character felt distinct, and their performances added extra emotion and atmosphere to an already engaging narrative. 🎧🌟
At times the story gave me the feeling of stepping into a portal fantasy adventure, but it quickly established its own identity through its unique world, captivating mythology, and memorable cast. Between the emotional character arcs, the magical intrigue, the dangerous secrets, and the unanswered questions, I was completely hooked.
If you enjoy fantasy filled with immersive world-building, compelling characters, emotional stakes, mysterious relics, and a heroine trying to navigate a world she never knew existed, Shadows of Thysia deserves a place on your TBR. C.C. Martinez has delivered a remarkable first novel, and I cannot wait to see where Eleni's story goes next. 📚✨🔥
The story centers on Eleni, a nurse from Denver whose life has become defined by routine and responsibility. Following the loss of her grandmother, she discovers a mysterious necklace hidden among her grandmother's belongings, setting off a chain of events that changes everything. Suddenly, she's pulled into the world of Thysia—a place filled with magic, danger, secrets, and a destiny she never could have imagined. ✨🌙
What stood out most to me was how authentic the characters felt. Nobody is perfect, and that's exactly what made them so compelling. Eleni is strong without being invincible, brave while still carrying fears and doubts, and easy to connect with from the beginning. I became so emotionally invested in her journey that there were multiple moments where I found myself talking back to the book because of the choices being made. 😂❤️
The fantasy elements are unquestionably the driving force of the story. The magical world is richly developed, with fascinating lore, intriguing political dynamics, and a magic system that feels structured and purposeful. Every new revelation pulled me deeper into the mystery, and I constantly felt like there were hidden pieces waiting to be uncovered. There are also several characters whose motives seem far more complicated than they initially appear, which has me wildly theorizing about what comes next. 🔮👀
Although romance isn't the primary focus, it's woven naturally throughout the narrative and adds another layer of emotional depth. There were moments that hinted at multiple potential romantic possibilities for Eleni, making me curious to see where future books take those relationships. Nothing felt forced, and the balance between personal connections and the larger fantasy storyline was handled beautifully. ❤️⚔️
Emotionally, this book hit hard. There were scenes that genuinely broke my heart, and others that filled me with hope. Martinez isn't afraid to put the characters through difficult situations, and because they're written with such sincerity, those moments land with real impact. I laughed, worried, cheered, and even got teary-eyed more than once. 💔😭✨
I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Samantha Archuleta and Rowan Whitlock brought a tremendous amount of life to the story through their duet narration. Each character felt distinct, and their performances added extra emotion and atmosphere to an already engaging narrative. 🎧🌟
At times the story gave me the feeling of stepping into a portal fantasy adventure, but it quickly established its own identity through its unique world, captivating mythology, and memorable cast. Between the emotional character arcs, the magical intrigue, the dangerous secrets, and the unanswered questions, I was completely hooked.
If you enjoy fantasy filled with immersive world-building, compelling characters, emotional stakes, mysterious relics, and a heroine trying to navigate a world she never knew existed, Shadows of Thysia deserves a place on your TBR. C.C. Martinez has delivered a remarkable first novel, and I cannot wait to see where Eleni's story goes next. 📚✨🔥
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!
Rating 2.5 (rounded up to 3⭐)
This book starts off with us meeting Eleni, an ER nurse, when she gets the call that her estranged grandmother, the only family she has, has passed away in an accident. Immediately, I was already invested in Eleni and her story - the guilt, the regrets, and the way she handled the death all made her such a sympathetic heroine.
I really enjoyed the elemental magic system, and the different factions in play in the other world, Thysia. Our FMC is dropped straight into a world she doesn’t understand, seeing things that shouldn’t exist, and is rather immediately drawn into conflict. Throughout the book, she learns a bit more about herself, and the mystery of where she came from - although this is still largely unresolved due to the massive twist and cliffhanger the book ends on.
There were some small inconsistencies in Eleni’s character later on, as well as continuity errors, but all in all I found this to be a solid debut. There were so many interesting hints and teasers included that weren’t resolved or elaborated on by the end of the book that, while they definitely left me wanting more, also left me feeling a unfulfilled, as I had more confusion and questions about Thysia and Eleni’s story by the end than I had had at the start.
That said, some of the exposition and world building was done in quite a clunky way, with characters explicitly stating their intentions and reasons behind everyday situations in dialogue in a way that felt a bit unnatural.
I’m also personally not a fan of love triangles, and Eleni’s attraction to both Ehlark and Velorn, and her initial interest in Cody, gave me the impression that her interests in men are a bit flighty, although this is partially explained later in the book. Since our FMC seemingly shows interest in nearly every single man she interacts with, it made the romantic aspect feel a little bit flat to me, personally.
Although I was disappointed by the lack of resolution of any of the major plot points by the end of this book, which is clearly the first in a series, I did really like the mystery surrounding Velorn’s character. So many questions about his background, motivations, and to what extent he makes his own choices or is merely following orders, along with the contrasting personality traits that keep slipping through, is probably the main reason I am invested in the rest of the story to come!
All in all an interesting, if not technically sound, debut, which sets up the story for an intriguing sequel.
Rating 2.5 (rounded up to 3⭐)
This book starts off with us meeting Eleni, an ER nurse, when she gets the call that her estranged grandmother, the only family she has, has passed away in an accident. Immediately, I was already invested in Eleni and her story - the guilt, the regrets, and the way she handled the death all made her such a sympathetic heroine.
I really enjoyed the elemental magic system, and the different factions in play in the other world, Thysia. Our FMC is dropped straight into a world she doesn’t understand, seeing things that shouldn’t exist, and is rather immediately drawn into conflict. Throughout the book, she learns a bit more about herself, and the mystery of where she came from - although this is still largely unresolved due to the massive twist and cliffhanger the book ends on.
There were some small inconsistencies in Eleni’s character later on, as well as continuity errors, but all in all I found this to be a solid debut. There were so many interesting hints and teasers included that weren’t resolved or elaborated on by the end of the book that, while they definitely left me wanting more, also left me feeling a unfulfilled, as I had more confusion and questions about Thysia and Eleni’s story by the end than I had had at the start.
That said, some of the exposition and world building was done in quite a clunky way, with characters explicitly stating their intentions and reasons behind everyday situations in dialogue in a way that felt a bit unnatural.
I’m also personally not a fan of love triangles, and Eleni’s attraction to both Ehlark and Velorn, and her initial interest in Cody, gave me the impression that her interests in men are a bit flighty, although this is partially explained later in the book. Since our FMC seemingly shows interest in nearly every single man she interacts with, it made the romantic aspect feel a little bit flat to me, personally.
Although I was disappointed by the lack of resolution of any of the major plot points by the end of this book, which is clearly the first in a series, I did really like the mystery surrounding Velorn’s character. So many questions about his background, motivations, and to what extent he makes his own choices or is merely following orders, along with the contrasting personality traits that keep slipping through, is probably the main reason I am invested in the rest of the story to come!
All in all an interesting, if not technically sound, debut, which sets up the story for an intriguing sequel.
May 2, 2026
Shadows of Thysia is a surprising debut from C.C. Martinez that dragged me in from the very first sentence. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting from this book, but I ended up enjoying it immensely.
I was slightly hesitant as the start was a modern-day, contemporary setting, but that only truly set up how incredible the world of Thysia turned out to be. You were plunged into it the same way the FMC was, having to learn everything the same way she did, and it made it feel more real to me that way.
Speaking of the FMC, Eleni is something to behold. She's resourceful, full of wonderful snark and sass, and her career as an ER nurse makes it easy for her to care about the strangers around her despite her constant need to find a way home. I loved being in her head, knowing that how she thinks and feels about this crazy turn of events she's found herself plopped into is exactly how I'd hope to react to everything.
Let's be honest - I'd probably cry and somehow get myself killed by sitting on something sharp or poisonous.. or both.
The male characters she encounters and end up making alliances with are complex and intriguing. Both Ehlark and Velorn are puzzles that take time to unravel, one moreso than the other, and each has a full story to explore. Personally, I was far more interested in Velorn, but who doesn't love a dark, brooding guy who controls shadows, right?
The story itself is a wild ride, from start to finish.. or I should say cliffhanger. The theories and twists keep you guessing, and I, for one, have no idea which way I'm leaning. It definitely has me on the edge of my seat, wondering how and when Eleni will learn the truth, and what that ultimately means for her.
The exposition and info-gathering does feel somewhat heavy-handed at times, especially in the earlier chapters, which is understandable. A modern-day woman falls into a fantasy land where she knows absolutely nothing about its world, and the only way to gather information is to ask the questions directly. Some of it didn't feel natural, yet that didn't make the story any worse for it. My only other note: there is a pet death scene early on. I suspect this is something that will be pertinent later on in the series, yet I know many people would like to be aware before diving in.
Suffice to say, I'm hooked on Thysia, Eleni, and the entire mystery surrounding what she thought she knew before finding herself in a fantastical world she didn't know existed. I'm dying to read Rise of the Riftborn (book 2), and need to know when I can be portaled back to Thysia!
Thank you ever so much to the gracious C.C. Martinez for the physical ARC to a wonderful debut novel. This in no way influenced my review; these thoughts are my own.
I was slightly hesitant as the start was a modern-day, contemporary setting, but that only truly set up how incredible the world of Thysia turned out to be. You were plunged into it the same way the FMC was, having to learn everything the same way she did, and it made it feel more real to me that way.
Speaking of the FMC, Eleni is something to behold. She's resourceful, full of wonderful snark and sass, and her career as an ER nurse makes it easy for her to care about the strangers around her despite her constant need to find a way home. I loved being in her head, knowing that how she thinks and feels about this crazy turn of events she's found herself plopped into is exactly how I'd hope to react to everything.
Let's be honest - I'd probably cry and somehow get myself killed by sitting on something sharp or poisonous.. or both.
The male characters she encounters and end up making alliances with are complex and intriguing. Both Ehlark and Velorn are puzzles that take time to unravel, one moreso than the other, and each has a full story to explore. Personally, I was far more interested in Velorn, but who doesn't love a dark, brooding guy who controls shadows, right?
The story itself is a wild ride, from start to finish.. or I should say cliffhanger. The theories and twists keep you guessing, and I, for one, have no idea which way I'm leaning. It definitely has me on the edge of my seat, wondering how and when Eleni will learn the truth, and what that ultimately means for her.
The exposition and info-gathering does feel somewhat heavy-handed at times, especially in the earlier chapters, which is understandable. A modern-day woman falls into a fantasy land where she knows absolutely nothing about its world, and the only way to gather information is to ask the questions directly. Some of it didn't feel natural, yet that didn't make the story any worse for it. My only other note: there is a pet death scene early on. I suspect this is something that will be pertinent later on in the series, yet I know many people would like to be aware before diving in.
Suffice to say, I'm hooked on Thysia, Eleni, and the entire mystery surrounding what she thought she knew before finding herself in a fantastical world she didn't know existed. I'm dying to read Rise of the Riftborn (book 2), and need to know when I can be portaled back to Thysia!
Thank you ever so much to the gracious C.C. Martinez for the physical ARC to a wonderful debut novel. This in no way influenced my review; these thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Eleni is an overworked nurse who finds herself at her Grandmother's ranch after her grandmother suddenly passes away. Feeling grief and guilt over their estranged relationship, Eleni is struggling to go back to normal, to find the motivation to fix the ranch and live like her grandmother would’ve wanted. But after finding a mysterious necklace and going through another loss (TW animal death), she finds herself transported into the world of Thysia, where magic is not only real, but entwined into the people and world, and now her. The necklace is a long-lost relic that will bring either peace or war to the people.
Tied to both sides of the war, between Ehlark the Earthshaker and Verlon the shadow-weaving Tracker, Eleni must find the strength to survive, and find her way home. But along the way, she’ll have to navigate betrayal, passion and blood contracts.
This book pleasantly surprised me! I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up being very intrigued by the plot, and it took no time at all to get through. It was definitely an easy read for me, (though it does deal with themes of loss and grief), nothing was too complex and it was fast paced. The only thing that brought the rating down was some parts of the dialogue and writing, which can be developed, but honestly, I think for a debut novel, the author has knocked it out of the park!
I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, and it was developing that way with Eleni being around the brooding, morally grey Verlon and then the heroic rebel Ehlark, so while the romance wasn’t my favourite part, I definitely loved Eleni as a character and the plot. I loved her passion for healing and the way the author wrote her experience with grief. Also, the way she handled the journey in this new world and how she developed new relationships and tried to deal with the responsibility of her new power.
The portal trope is one of my favs because of the Medoran Chronicles series, and honestly, I could see a bit of that in this book. If you liked that series and love some Avatar last air bender magic vibes mixed with vampire-like blood contracts. It was a very unique read, and I enjoyed learning about the world and look forward to the next book when we hopefully delve into the history a bit more! I look forward to seeing what C.C Martinez writes next and recommend you pick this one up if it seems like something you'd like!
3.5-4 stars
Tied to both sides of the war, between Ehlark the Earthshaker and Verlon the shadow-weaving Tracker, Eleni must find the strength to survive, and find her way home. But along the way, she’ll have to navigate betrayal, passion and blood contracts.
This book pleasantly surprised me! I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up being very intrigued by the plot, and it took no time at all to get through. It was definitely an easy read for me, (though it does deal with themes of loss and grief), nothing was too complex and it was fast paced. The only thing that brought the rating down was some parts of the dialogue and writing, which can be developed, but honestly, I think for a debut novel, the author has knocked it out of the park!
I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, and it was developing that way with Eleni being around the brooding, morally grey Verlon and then the heroic rebel Ehlark, so while the romance wasn’t my favourite part, I definitely loved Eleni as a character and the plot. I loved her passion for healing and the way the author wrote her experience with grief. Also, the way she handled the journey in this new world and how she developed new relationships and tried to deal with the responsibility of her new power.
The portal trope is one of my favs because of the Medoran Chronicles series, and honestly, I could see a bit of that in this book. If you liked that series and love some Avatar last air bender magic vibes mixed with vampire-like blood contracts. It was a very unique read, and I enjoyed learning about the world and look forward to the next book when we hopefully delve into the history a bit more! I look forward to seeing what C.C Martinez writes next and recommend you pick this one up if it seems like something you'd like!
3.5-4 stars
June 26, 2026
2.5
This was, unfortunately, a DNF for more than one reason.
I want to preface this by saying that Shadows of Thysia has an intriguing premise, alluring characters, whimsy balanced with darker aspects, and generally probably all the makings of a really good romantasy.
That being said, I think what made it the wrong read for me mostly comes down to two things: The pace and the writing.
Neither of those was bad!
But I personally also didn't find them all that great.
While it started off promising, the pace slowed down significantly almost immediately and by the time I reached the actual plot, the book had already lost more momentum than it could afford to. After that, I found myself drifting off and increasingly uninterested in characters that seemed like they should have made and deserved to make more of an impact.
As for the writing, this is absolutely a me thing in the sense that I know many people won't mind. But I do.
There were just too many sentences and phrases that looked correct upon first glance, only to fall short immediately after because they were simply wrong and/or made no sense. Just always slightly off, not enough to bother most, probably. But just enough to repeatedly yank me out of a story.
I didn't bother writing down the examples I came across but I think the one that had me give up was “The second I said it, it was a mistake”. I know what the author wants to say with it because I have context but I can't stop my brain from snagging onto these moments in an attempt to dissect and solve them.
Which, in combination with the pace, sadly left me rather uninterested in the characters.
Generally, though, the style was good and worked well for the story and I, personally, would likely have enjoyed the writing if it hadn't been for these mistakes.
So, again, I can see the potential, the arcs and tropes, the promising plot and arising character dynamics. And I assume that there will be plenty of readers who will love Shadows of Thysia for these aspects.
Even though, I unfortunately am not one of them.
To name one definitely positive aspect though: the narration was great and I will most likely keep an eye out for other books narrated by Samantha Archuleta and/or Rowan Whitlock.
--
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and C.C. Martinez for an ALC of Shadows of Thysia
This was, unfortunately, a DNF for more than one reason.
I want to preface this by saying that Shadows of Thysia has an intriguing premise, alluring characters, whimsy balanced with darker aspects, and generally probably all the makings of a really good romantasy.
That being said, I think what made it the wrong read for me mostly comes down to two things: The pace and the writing.
Neither of those was bad!
But I personally also didn't find them all that great.
While it started off promising, the pace slowed down significantly almost immediately and by the time I reached the actual plot, the book had already lost more momentum than it could afford to. After that, I found myself drifting off and increasingly uninterested in characters that seemed like they should have made and deserved to make more of an impact.
As for the writing, this is absolutely a me thing in the sense that I know many people won't mind. But I do.
There were just too many sentences and phrases that looked correct upon first glance, only to fall short immediately after because they were simply wrong and/or made no sense. Just always slightly off, not enough to bother most, probably. But just enough to repeatedly yank me out of a story.
I didn't bother writing down the examples I came across but I think the one that had me give up was “The second I said it, it was a mistake”. I know what the author wants to say with it because I have context but I can't stop my brain from snagging onto these moments in an attempt to dissect and solve them.
Which, in combination with the pace, sadly left me rather uninterested in the characters.
Generally, though, the style was good and worked well for the story and I, personally, would likely have enjoyed the writing if it hadn't been for these mistakes.
So, again, I can see the potential, the arcs and tropes, the promising plot and arising character dynamics. And I assume that there will be plenty of readers who will love Shadows of Thysia for these aspects.
Even though, I unfortunately am not one of them.
To name one definitely positive aspect though: the narration was great and I will most likely keep an eye out for other books narrated by Samantha Archuleta and/or Rowan Whitlock.
--
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and C.C. Martinez for an ALC of Shadows of Thysia
June 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the copy of Shadows of Thysia
Eleni is just your everyday nurse, working to make ends meet, when the loss of her grandmother brings her back to their ranch. There she discovers a hidden box with a unique necklace, and somehow finds herself transported into a new world full of elemental magic. Without magic of her own, she is held prisoner with other individuals unmarked by magic. When danger strikes, her necklace awakens and she learns it is a very powerful ancient magical relic that could shape or destroy kingdoms. Determined to get back to her world safely (and everything working against her), she find herself blood bound to two very different men, and potentially destined for far more than she ever imagined.
Eleni is a very grounded FMC; determined, compassionate, and sarcastic, but also very aware of her goals and able to think logically even when swept up in the chaos unravelling around her. While there’s romance in this one, it takes a backseat to the world building and plot, but it is so worth it to become immersed in their world. Everything feels very intentional, and there’s a lot that’s been mentioned that I feel will become more important in the next book. There were a few moments I wish we could have gotten more connection, relationship building, or general information, but I feel it will come into play in the next book and we have such a great set up for character growth, deeper connections, and a very well developed, intricate plot. I can’t wait for the next one!!
The audiobook is very well done, with duet narration by Samantha Archuleta and Rowan Whitlock. Samantha Archuleta does a fantastic job throughout, bringing the story to life with consistent pacing, clear speech, excellent intonation and character voices. Rowan Whitlock does a great job for the male characters too, but I do wish he chose a different voice specifically for Velorn because it just does not match the character in my head, and I found at times his speech felt distinctly slower than the female narrators (not bad, just mismatched to the pace around it since the female narrator is the primary narrator). Overall, a great listen and I can’t wait to see where the next book goes!
Eleni is just your everyday nurse, working to make ends meet, when the loss of her grandmother brings her back to their ranch. There she discovers a hidden box with a unique necklace, and somehow finds herself transported into a new world full of elemental magic. Without magic of her own, she is held prisoner with other individuals unmarked by magic. When danger strikes, her necklace awakens and she learns it is a very powerful ancient magical relic that could shape or destroy kingdoms. Determined to get back to her world safely (and everything working against her), she find herself blood bound to two very different men, and potentially destined for far more than she ever imagined.
Eleni is a very grounded FMC; determined, compassionate, and sarcastic, but also very aware of her goals and able to think logically even when swept up in the chaos unravelling around her. While there’s romance in this one, it takes a backseat to the world building and plot, but it is so worth it to become immersed in their world. Everything feels very intentional, and there’s a lot that’s been mentioned that I feel will become more important in the next book. There were a few moments I wish we could have gotten more connection, relationship building, or general information, but I feel it will come into play in the next book and we have such a great set up for character growth, deeper connections, and a very well developed, intricate plot. I can’t wait for the next one!!
The audiobook is very well done, with duet narration by Samantha Archuleta and Rowan Whitlock. Samantha Archuleta does a fantastic job throughout, bringing the story to life with consistent pacing, clear speech, excellent intonation and character voices. Rowan Whitlock does a great job for the male characters too, but I do wish he chose a different voice specifically for Velorn because it just does not match the character in my head, and I found at times his speech felt distinctly slower than the female narrators (not bad, just mismatched to the pace around it since the female narrator is the primary narrator). Overall, a great listen and I can’t wait to see where the next book goes!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5
As always, I will try to keep my review spoiler-free.
Ok, so this book is still not out, yet I can not wait for the second one (I am hoping)!
I’ll be honest—when I started the book and saw it described as “romantasy” (which I’m fairly sure I hadn’t noticed when I requested it), I felt a bit disappointed. Romance and romantasy aren’t usually my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised: here, the romantic elements felt organic and understated, never overwhelming, and clearly not the main focus of the story.
The beginning was a bit slow for me, but around the 20% mark it really picked up, and from that point on I ended up finishing it in one sitting. The worldbuilding and plot felt familiar in some ways, but in a good, comforting way rather than a predictable one. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that when I read, the story kind of plays in my head like a movie—and here it honestly felt like a high-production film. The world was built beautifully. There are still a few things I’d love to see explored more, but this definitely feels like the start of a series (fingers crossed), so I’m hoping those things are being saved for the next books if that’s the plan. Another thing I really appreciated—especially because it sometimes bothers me in fantasy—was the character names. I really don’t like it when authors try too hard to make names super unique, and you can never remember or pronounce them. Here, the names still felt otherworldly, but at the same time, natural, which made it so much easier to just sink into the story.
The book gives me strong Lore (by Alxandra Braccken) vibes, but with elementals instead of mythology and fewer huge fights (for now).
I’d recommend it if you’re into this kind of fantasy world, but if you’re a big romantasy fan looking for a strong, central romance, you might feel a bit let down by how subtle it is here.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC
As always, I will try to keep my review spoiler-free.
Ok, so this book is still not out, yet I can not wait for the second one (I am hoping)!
I’ll be honest—when I started the book and saw it described as “romantasy” (which I’m fairly sure I hadn’t noticed when I requested it), I felt a bit disappointed. Romance and romantasy aren’t usually my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised: here, the romantic elements felt organic and understated, never overwhelming, and clearly not the main focus of the story.
The beginning was a bit slow for me, but around the 20% mark it really picked up, and from that point on I ended up finishing it in one sitting. The worldbuilding and plot felt familiar in some ways, but in a good, comforting way rather than a predictable one. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that when I read, the story kind of plays in my head like a movie—and here it honestly felt like a high-production film. The world was built beautifully. There are still a few things I’d love to see explored more, but this definitely feels like the start of a series (fingers crossed), so I’m hoping those things are being saved for the next books if that’s the plan. Another thing I really appreciated—especially because it sometimes bothers me in fantasy—was the character names. I really don’t like it when authors try too hard to make names super unique, and you can never remember or pronounce them. Here, the names still felt otherworldly, but at the same time, natural, which made it so much easier to just sink into the story.
The book gives me strong Lore (by Alxandra Braccken) vibes, but with elementals instead of mythology and fewer huge fights (for now).
I’d recommend it if you’re into this kind of fantasy world, but if you’re a big romantasy fan looking for a strong, central romance, you might feel a bit let down by how subtle it is here.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
I will start out by saying that I was given an ARC copy to read and am giving my own opinion.
This book is absolutely amazing and it needs to be your next read!!! I was immediately hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting the book down, especially after reading that first line! The story starts with Eleni (the FMC), who is a registered nurse at a hospital, finding out that her Gram just passed away and she returns to her grandmother’s ranch. When she does, she notices a couple of weird things happen, but it isn’t until she finds a mysterious necklace that her Gram had hidden that things really get crazy. She ends up being teleported to a different world where people are connected to the four elements of nature and channel their element as their form of power with only her necklace to help her. What she doesn’t realize is that she just stepped into a world that is on the brink of war, only needing someone to breathe the wrong way in order to kickstart it.
I loved getting to know more about the world and its magic system! I have never seen anything like it and I found it incredibly interesting! Eleni is such a fantastic character and I loved watching her discover new things about the world and interact with Velorn (one of the MMCs). I’m not going to lie, I have a soft spot for Velorn, the incredibly emotionally constipated shadow wielder.
I cannot wait to read the next book when it comes out! I need to know more about everything!!!
Thank you so much to C.C. Martinez and her team for letting me read the book! I really enjoyed it and appreciate the opportunity!
P.S. Run, don’t walk to buy this: there’s a special edition version with BEAUTIFUL sprayed edges! I don’t know if it’s only a pre-order incentive or only with this specific store, but the Amazon version doesn’t have it. Here’s the link to it: https://www.misamoresbookscafe.com/pr...
This book is absolutely amazing and it needs to be your next read!!! I was immediately hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting the book down, especially after reading that first line! The story starts with Eleni (the FMC), who is a registered nurse at a hospital, finding out that her Gram just passed away and she returns to her grandmother’s ranch. When she does, she notices a couple of weird things happen, but it isn’t until she finds a mysterious necklace that her Gram had hidden that things really get crazy. She ends up being teleported to a different world where people are connected to the four elements of nature and channel their element as their form of power with only her necklace to help her. What she doesn’t realize is that she just stepped into a world that is on the brink of war, only needing someone to breathe the wrong way in order to kickstart it.
I loved getting to know more about the world and its magic system! I have never seen anything like it and I found it incredibly interesting! Eleni is such a fantastic character and I loved watching her discover new things about the world and interact with Velorn (one of the MMCs). I’m not going to lie, I have a soft spot for Velorn, the incredibly emotionally constipated shadow wielder.
I cannot wait to read the next book when it comes out! I need to know more about everything!!!
Thank you so much to C.C. Martinez and her team for letting me read the book! I really enjoyed it and appreciate the opportunity!
P.S. Run, don’t walk to buy this: there’s a special edition version with BEAUTIFUL sprayed edges! I don’t know if it’s only a pre-order incentive or only with this specific store, but the Amazon version doesn’t have it. Here’s the link to it: https://www.misamoresbookscafe.com/pr...
June 27, 2026
Synopsis: Eleni, lives a pretty normal life as a nurse until the death of her grandmother and a found necklace thrusts her down a path into another world full of elemental magic, blood-bound contracts, and a harsh political landscape. Struggling to find a way back home, promises and decisions are made that have her wondering how everything ties back to her grandmother and her place in this unknown world.
Book Review: Eleni is relatable with her sarcasm & snark, her desire to help people, discover who she can trust, and learn more about the powers and medicine of this world. This was a good start to a new series, it had the world building and magic systems familiar to this genre but not copy and pasted either! I liked the focus on elements and prospective houses for magic but different abilities within those houses. Love to see an axe as a main weapon instead of the usual dagger or swords in books… A portion of the way through I was wondering if there was going to have a love triangle thing going, but now that I finished the book I don’t think this is where it’s going long-term…. There’s a sort of wedding ceremony that the main characters watch that leads to an emotional punch later that left me in the feels. And there’s def something mysterious happening with the shadowy MMC that makes me hope the sequel isn’t far behind. Eleni has a perfectly timed f-bomb that had me laughing because same if I were in her shoes.
Audio Review (duet narrated): This was the first time hearing both of the narrators (Rowan Whitlock & Samantha Archuleta) but they did a fantastic job making each character feel unique with different accents and inflections. I loved that it was duet-narrated! I will def keep an eye out for their work in the future, they really elevated this story.
Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Review: Eleni is relatable with her sarcasm & snark, her desire to help people, discover who she can trust, and learn more about the powers and medicine of this world. This was a good start to a new series, it had the world building and magic systems familiar to this genre but not copy and pasted either! I liked the focus on elements and prospective houses for magic but different abilities within those houses. Love to see an axe as a main weapon instead of the usual dagger or swords in books… A portion of the way through I was wondering if there was going to have a love triangle thing going, but now that I finished the book I don’t think this is where it’s going long-term…. There’s a sort of wedding ceremony that the main characters watch that leads to an emotional punch later that left me in the feels. And there’s def something mysterious happening with the shadowy MMC that makes me hope the sequel isn’t far behind. Eleni has a perfectly timed f-bomb that had me laughing because same if I were in her shoes.
Audio Review (duet narrated): This was the first time hearing both of the narrators (Rowan Whitlock & Samantha Archuleta) but they did a fantastic job making each character feel unique with different accents and inflections. I loved that it was duet-narrated! I will def keep an eye out for their work in the future, they really elevated this story.
Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Finding a good fantasy, with effective world building, and complex characters can be a difficult task. I was blown away by C.C. Martinez's debut novel! She takes a story thats starts in the real world as we know it and whisks you away into an unknown land, where you and Eleni get to discover its secrets and go on an adventure together. The characters are realistic, the plot is well-paced, and the premise will capture any fantasy lovers attention.
The beginning was raw and sad. Eleni finds herself grieving and with regrets. The author wrote this section well, showing true grief and the aftermath of loss. It drew me in to the main character and I was invested in her story.
There is a steady build up to when Eleni somehow travels from her ranch in Wyoming to an alternate world, Thysia. Once Eleni literally drops into Thysia, I found myself laughing out loud at some of her commentary and antics. It was funny to read about a modern woman being thrown into a medieval style fantasy world. I appreciated that she wasn't completely defenseless and that she presented as a strong woman. Her interactions with other characters were genuine and it was easy to grow attached to them too.
The romance was there, but by no means overwhelming. You can enjoy the tension and attraction between the characters without rolling your eyes. There is one part where things get heated, but nothing past PG-13 level, if that.
The ending has me excited to see what's in store for book 2. I feel like I've only had a small taste of Thysia and I can't wait to dive back in again. If you need a good book to get lost in, give this one a go. You won't regret it!
The beginning was raw and sad. Eleni finds herself grieving and with regrets. The author wrote this section well, showing true grief and the aftermath of loss. It drew me in to the main character and I was invested in her story.
There is a steady build up to when Eleni somehow travels from her ranch in Wyoming to an alternate world, Thysia. Once Eleni literally drops into Thysia, I found myself laughing out loud at some of her commentary and antics. It was funny to read about a modern woman being thrown into a medieval style fantasy world. I appreciated that she wasn't completely defenseless and that she presented as a strong woman. Her interactions with other characters were genuine and it was easy to grow attached to them too.
The romance was there, but by no means overwhelming. You can enjoy the tension and attraction between the characters without rolling your eyes. There is one part where things get heated, but nothing past PG-13 level, if that.
The ending has me excited to see what's in store for book 2. I feel like I've only had a small taste of Thysia and I can't wait to dive back in again. If you need a good book to get lost in, give this one a go. You won't regret it!
Review of advance copy
Shadows of Thysia by C. C. Martinez is a masterclass in dark fantasy, weaving a story that is as beautiful as it is haunting. From the first page, I was drawn into a world where power is dangerous, secrets fester like shadows, and nothing—and no one—is quite what it seems.
Martinez’s world-building is breathtaking. Thysia itself feels alive: its streets, forests, and hidden corners pulse with history, magic, and menace. Every location, every whisper of lore, adds layers of intrigue and danger that keep you on edge throughout the story. The darkness in this novel isn’t just external—it’s in the hearts of its characters, in the choices they make, and in the consequences they cannot escape.
The characters are unforgettable. They are flawed, cunning, and achingly human, navigating a world that demands sacrifice and punishes weakness. Their struggles, desires, and secrets are painted with nuance, making every triumph, betrayal, and heartbreak hit like a dagger to the chest. Martinez doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of ambition and the weight of legacy, giving the story a depth that lingers long after the final page.
The prose is immersive, lyrical, and razor-sharp, balancing suspense, action, and emotional resonance. The tension is meticulously built, the stakes feel impossibly high, and the twists are as darkly satisfying as they are shocking. By the end, I was left both devastated and exhilarated, already aching to return to this shadowed, beautiful world.
Shadows of Thysia is perfect for readers who crave dark fantasy with intrigue, complex characters, and a story that refuses to let go.
Martinez’s world-building is breathtaking. Thysia itself feels alive: its streets, forests, and hidden corners pulse with history, magic, and menace. Every location, every whisper of lore, adds layers of intrigue and danger that keep you on edge throughout the story. The darkness in this novel isn’t just external—it’s in the hearts of its characters, in the choices they make, and in the consequences they cannot escape.
The characters are unforgettable. They are flawed, cunning, and achingly human, navigating a world that demands sacrifice and punishes weakness. Their struggles, desires, and secrets are painted with nuance, making every triumph, betrayal, and heartbreak hit like a dagger to the chest. Martinez doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of ambition and the weight of legacy, giving the story a depth that lingers long after the final page.
The prose is immersive, lyrical, and razor-sharp, balancing suspense, action, and emotional resonance. The tension is meticulously built, the stakes feel impossibly high, and the twists are as darkly satisfying as they are shocking. By the end, I was left both devastated and exhilarated, already aching to return to this shadowed, beautiful world.
Shadows of Thysia is perfect for readers who crave dark fantasy with intrigue, complex characters, and a story that refuses to let go.
April 10, 2026
In "Shadows of Thysia," C.C. Martinez crafts an enchanting tale that transcends the typical boundaries of fantasy literature. As someone who doesn't usually gravitate towards this genre, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
The story follows a cast of relatable characters, each with their own unique quirks and motivations, making it easy to connect with them. Martinez's skillful character development allows readers to invest emotionally in their journeys. The protagonist, in particular, embarks on a compelling quest that is both thrilling and heartfelt, showcasing themes of friendship, courage, and self-discovery.
What truly sets "Shadows of Thysia" apart is its vibrant world-building. The setting is rich with detail, immersing readers in a realm filled with magic, intrigue, and adventure. Martinez's descriptive prose brings the landscapes and creatures to life, creating a vivid backdrop that enhances the narrative without overwhelming it.
The pacing of the story is just right, with a perfect balance of action and introspection. I found myself eagerly turning pages, wanting to uncover the mysteries of Thysia alongside the characters. The humor woven throughout the story adds a delightful touch, making the reading experience all the more enjoyable.
In summary, "Shadows of Thysia" is a delightful read that captivates with its engaging characters and immersive world. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their usual reading preferences. C.C. Martinez has proven to be a promising new voice in fantasy, and I look forward to seeing what she creates next.
The story follows a cast of relatable characters, each with their own unique quirks and motivations, making it easy to connect with them. Martinez's skillful character development allows readers to invest emotionally in their journeys. The protagonist, in particular, embarks on a compelling quest that is both thrilling and heartfelt, showcasing themes of friendship, courage, and self-discovery.
What truly sets "Shadows of Thysia" apart is its vibrant world-building. The setting is rich with detail, immersing readers in a realm filled with magic, intrigue, and adventure. Martinez's descriptive prose brings the landscapes and creatures to life, creating a vivid backdrop that enhances the narrative without overwhelming it.
The pacing of the story is just right, with a perfect balance of action and introspection. I found myself eagerly turning pages, wanting to uncover the mysteries of Thysia alongside the characters. The humor woven throughout the story adds a delightful touch, making the reading experience all the more enjoyable.
In summary, "Shadows of Thysia" is a delightful read that captivates with its engaging characters and immersive world. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their usual reading preferences. C.C. Martinez has proven to be a promising new voice in fantasy, and I look forward to seeing what she creates next.
April 14, 2026
4⭐️, 🫑
Wow this was a great into novel! I really enjoyed this read.
The world building in this book was not too complicated and easy to follow. The actual magic system itself was understandable with the 4 houses and elements, and I feel like more info was given as needed and we found it out with the character. I also enjoyed the idea of her starting in a normal world, and then falling into the fantasy world. It felt like a good intro into a much bigger set up.
As for the plot was engaged pretty much the entire time. I felt like the pacing was done well for the most part and there weren’t really any times where it felt slow. I also liked where the plot was going with the war, and the mystery elements to who she is and why she ended up where she did. I do have quite a few questions though that I’m hoping will get answered in future books.
As for the romances we def had a love triangle thing going on and I’m interested to see how the romance goes in future books. There is definitely a true enemies to lovers situation happening that I am very intruded by and hope we get more of that MMC in future books because he is very mysterious. This is also definitely a slow burn as there was no spice and I feel like we still have a lot of development that needs to happen with the characters individually, as well as their relationships. I also really enjoyed the FMC and her inner monologue and I felt like she overall made pretty good decisions for the situation she found herself in.
With all of this being said I did enjoy it and will definitely be reading the other books in the series once the come out!
And thank you to the author for the gifted ARC 🥰
Wow this was a great into novel! I really enjoyed this read.
The world building in this book was not too complicated and easy to follow. The actual magic system itself was understandable with the 4 houses and elements, and I feel like more info was given as needed and we found it out with the character. I also enjoyed the idea of her starting in a normal world, and then falling into the fantasy world. It felt like a good intro into a much bigger set up.
As for the plot was engaged pretty much the entire time. I felt like the pacing was done well for the most part and there weren’t really any times where it felt slow. I also liked where the plot was going with the war, and the mystery elements to who she is and why she ended up where she did. I do have quite a few questions though that I’m hoping will get answered in future books.
As for the romances we def had a love triangle thing going on and I’m interested to see how the romance goes in future books. There is definitely a true enemies to lovers situation happening that I am very intruded by and hope we get more of that MMC in future books because he is very mysterious. This is also definitely a slow burn as there was no spice and I feel like we still have a lot of development that needs to happen with the characters individually, as well as their relationships. I also really enjoyed the FMC and her inner monologue and I felt like she overall made pretty good decisions for the situation she found herself in.
With all of this being said I did enjoy it and will definitely be reading the other books in the series once the come out!
And thank you to the author for the gifted ARC 🥰
July 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up Shadows of Thysia because I was looking for a new fantasy series that didn't feel overwhelmingly high fantasy, and I ended up listening to the audiobook.
The narration immediately stood out to me. The narrator has a very casual, conversational style that honestly reminded me more of a contemporary romance. That said, because Eleni starts the story as a modern-day girl from Wyoming, it actually worked quite well and made the transition into the fantasy world feel natural.
Speaking of that transition, Eleni being suddenly thrown into Thysia felt incredibly cinematic. It was easy to picture unfolding on screen, and I found myself quickly invested in where the story was heading.
The beginning was a little slower for me, largely because it spends time exploring Eleni's grief. While I think those chapters were necessary, they focused more on her personal struggle than on helping me get to know her grandmother, so it took me a little while to fully connect with her as a character. Once the story gained momentum, though, it really took off.
In fact, I found myself staying up to keep reading—which is always a good sign! The pacing shifts from slow and steady to surprisingly gripping, and I genuinely didn't see the cliffhanger ending coming... although, in hindsight, I probably should have once I realized how much story was still left to tell.
Overall, Shadows of Thysia was an enjoyable start to what feels like a promising fantasy series. I'm excited to learn more about the world of Thysia, uncover what's really going on, and figure out who all these mysterious characters really are. I'll definitely be picking up the next book.
I picked up Shadows of Thysia because I was looking for a new fantasy series that didn't feel overwhelmingly high fantasy, and I ended up listening to the audiobook.
The narration immediately stood out to me. The narrator has a very casual, conversational style that honestly reminded me more of a contemporary romance. That said, because Eleni starts the story as a modern-day girl from Wyoming, it actually worked quite well and made the transition into the fantasy world feel natural.
Speaking of that transition, Eleni being suddenly thrown into Thysia felt incredibly cinematic. It was easy to picture unfolding on screen, and I found myself quickly invested in where the story was heading.
The beginning was a little slower for me, largely because it spends time exploring Eleni's grief. While I think those chapters were necessary, they focused more on her personal struggle than on helping me get to know her grandmother, so it took me a little while to fully connect with her as a character. Once the story gained momentum, though, it really took off.
In fact, I found myself staying up to keep reading—which is always a good sign! The pacing shifts from slow and steady to surprisingly gripping, and I genuinely didn't see the cliffhanger ending coming... although, in hindsight, I probably should have once I realized how much story was still left to tell.
Overall, Shadows of Thysia was an enjoyable start to what feels like a promising fantasy series. I'm excited to learn more about the world of Thysia, uncover what's really going on, and figure out who all these mysterious characters really are. I'll definitely be picking up the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2026
3 🌟 / 5
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
This is a debut fantasy novel by C.C Martinez. It is initially set in modern day Wyoming whereby a portal opens up and our FMC, Eleni, is thrust into a new magical realm called Thysia, whereby tensions and political turmoil are rising.
Whilst I absolutely loved the concept, its reminding me of Lost in Austen except its some form of Lord of the rings middle earth/Merlin land, I felt there was something missing. This type of story is a like a fantasy readers dream of being whisked away into a magical land 🫣😊
I found I was being constantly told what my characters were feeling, explaining them directly instead of being shown and exploring them within the story. The pacing was overall manageable, however I think there needed to be lots more world building in certain situations/places - there is soo much potential to expand and provide readers with intricate tellings of the kingdoms etc which are provided on the map.
I quite enjoyed the love triangle and not knowing where my loyalties lie, however, again I didn’t feel the connection with the relationships, which I think is just because it needed some more time to develop as it escalated from 0-100 so quickly.
Overall:
I think for a debut novel, this has so much potential to be excellent.
Tropes ❣️: Shadow Daddy, magical realms, long lost power, love triangle, political unrest, vampire elements, blood contracts.
This review is entirely my own thoughts. Thank you Netgalley.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
This is a debut fantasy novel by C.C Martinez. It is initially set in modern day Wyoming whereby a portal opens up and our FMC, Eleni, is thrust into a new magical realm called Thysia, whereby tensions and political turmoil are rising.
Whilst I absolutely loved the concept, its reminding me of Lost in Austen except its some form of Lord of the rings middle earth/Merlin land, I felt there was something missing. This type of story is a like a fantasy readers dream of being whisked away into a magical land 🫣😊
I found I was being constantly told what my characters were feeling, explaining them directly instead of being shown and exploring them within the story. The pacing was overall manageable, however I think there needed to be lots more world building in certain situations/places - there is soo much potential to expand and provide readers with intricate tellings of the kingdoms etc which are provided on the map.
I quite enjoyed the love triangle and not knowing where my loyalties lie, however, again I didn’t feel the connection with the relationships, which I think is just because it needed some more time to develop as it escalated from 0-100 so quickly.
Overall:
I think for a debut novel, this has so much potential to be excellent.
Tropes ❣️: Shadow Daddy, magical realms, long lost power, love triangle, political unrest, vampire elements, blood contracts.
This review is entirely my own thoughts. Thank you Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book had everything it needed to be an amazing read: a strong FMC, a super unique fantasy world, complex magic and lore, and amazing side characters. Seeing all of this right from the start, I was worried this story wouldn't deliver, but it absolutely DELIVERED! Eleni is an ER nurse experiencing the loss of her grandmother. She's suddenly portaled to a new world and finds herself immediately in danger. This book hits the ground running after this point, exploring the world and its history. There are definitely elements of romance to the story but it focuses plenty on action and character development, which was exactly what I needed from it!
This book flows so well! The prose is complex while not being overwhelming and the story just keeps you hooked! I would consider this a bit of an Avatar: The Last Airbender meets ACOTAR, though I haven't watched ATLA so I could be wrong but it is mentioned in the story! The magic system focuses on elemental magic while having a bit of an elven feel to it similar to ACOTAR's fae. This was a 4.5 star read for me instead of 5 because some of the wording choices were a bit too modern for my preference. I also think some things were a bit too overstated and it would've been nice to have to work a bit more to gather the intentions of the characters. However, even with my minor critiques, I just loved this read and could not put this book down!
𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 • 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book flows so well! The prose is complex while not being overwhelming and the story just keeps you hooked! I would consider this a bit of an Avatar: The Last Airbender meets ACOTAR, though I haven't watched ATLA so I could be wrong but it is mentioned in the story! The magic system focuses on elemental magic while having a bit of an elven feel to it similar to ACOTAR's fae. This was a 4.5 star read for me instead of 5 because some of the wording choices were a bit too modern for my preference. I also think some things were a bit too overstated and it would've been nice to have to work a bit more to gather the intentions of the characters. However, even with my minor critiques, I just loved this read and could not put this book down!
𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 • 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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