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Season of Steel: A Deadly Courtship Romance
Not yet published
Expected 16 Mar 27Bridgerton meets Pacific Rim in this sapphic fantasy romance where a feisty noblewoman must team up with a disgraced mecha fighter to win her own hand and save her family from fortune hunters.
In an alternate Regency England where marriage to eligible noblewomen is decided by deadly mecha dueling tournaments, half-Chamorro bluestocking Lady Wilhelmina Applewhite will choose her own destiny, thank you very much. But when her father’s sudden death leaves Willa as his sole heir, her hand in marriage becomes the upcoming Season’s grand prize.
Determined to seize her fate—and protect her little sisters’ freedom—Willa shocks the ton by hiring a Bloodsworn fighter to compete for her own hand in the deadly gladiatorial duels of the Season. Except the only one mad enough to even consider fighting for Willa is rakish Thomasin Drake, the first and last woman to have ever fought in a Season . . . until her final duel ended in defeat and disgrace.
But if Willa isn’t careful, she might lose her most valuable possession—her heart—to Thomasin before the Season duels are over. And in a world where marriage is a matter of life and death, falling in love is the last thing she can afford.
In an alternate Regency England where marriage to eligible noblewomen is decided by deadly mecha dueling tournaments, half-Chamorro bluestocking Lady Wilhelmina Applewhite will choose her own destiny, thank you very much. But when her father’s sudden death leaves Willa as his sole heir, her hand in marriage becomes the upcoming Season’s grand prize.
Determined to seize her fate—and protect her little sisters’ freedom—Willa shocks the ton by hiring a Bloodsworn fighter to compete for her own hand in the deadly gladiatorial duels of the Season. Except the only one mad enough to even consider fighting for Willa is rakish Thomasin Drake, the first and last woman to have ever fought in a Season . . . until her final duel ended in defeat and disgrace.
But if Willa isn’t careful, she might lose her most valuable possession—her heart—to Thomasin before the Season duels are over. And in a world where marriage is a matter of life and death, falling in love is the last thing she can afford.
400 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 16, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Want to Read
August 21, 2026I am SO seated for this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.25 ⭐
Okay, when I saw "alternative Regency romance + mecha fighting tournament" in the same sentence, you KNOW I was intrigued. I don't think I've ever read anything with that combination before. I've watched plenty of anime featuring mecha, though, and I've always thought they're ridiculously cool, so naturally I had to see how this concept would work in a historical setting. And while I absolutely give the author credit for coming up with something so unusual, I'm not entirely sure all of those elements came together as seamlessly as I would've hoped.
Let's start with the part that worked best for me: the mecha system.
The Bloodsworn Arena was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how the machinery worked, and the fights themselves had such a raw and brutal quality that they made the stakes feel incredibly high. The bond was also described in a way that made it easy to visualize, and I could tell a lot of thought went into creating this world. If I had to pick one thing that stood out above everything else, it would definitely be the lore.
BUT... I think that also became part of the problem for me.
The Mecha received so much focus that everything else started feeling secondary. Character development? Romance? Emotional arcs? They simply didn't get the same amount of room to breathe, and sadly, I think the story needed more balance between all of these elements.
Following her father’s death, noblewoman Willa is left looking after her sisters while being forced into the role of the season's prize, set to marry whoever conquers the mecha competition. Enter Thomasin, a brash rake and Saxland's only Bloodsworn female fighter. They clash immediately, but ultimately team up in a mutually beneficial deal meant to last just until Thom wins. But as they spend more time together, those strict boundaries they set up start getting pretty blurry.
I really wanted to love these characters because I adored how much they challenged the expectations of their genre.
Willa especially stood out to me. She's stubborn, fiery, ambitious, and absolutely unwilling to let the men around her dictate her future. In a society where women are treated as bargaining chips for political alliances and personal egos, her determination to take control of her own life was incredibly compelling. She didn't feel like the typical meek Regency heroine, either. She had ambitions that were far ahead of her time, and she wasn't afraid to take real risks to achieve them.
There was something about her that really resonated with me. Maybe it was seeing a woman refuse to quietly accept the limitations placed on her, but her story reminded me that fighting for women's rights is still important even when we've already come so far. There is always more work to be done.
Thomasin has her own rebellious streak. She wears men's clothing, openly embraces her desires, and has absolutely no interest in behaving the way society expects a woman to behave. Yet she was much harder for me to connect with. Her past with her sister clearly left some deep scars, and she keeps herself guarded as a result. Interestingly, the moments where I saw the most vulnerability from Thom were when she was interacting with Willa's sisters. Those scenes were genuinely adorable, and I found myself wishing we could've seen more of that softer side of her. So I'm disappointed to admit, not even knowing her backstory really helped me connect with her the way I wanted to.
And that's really the issue I had with the character arcs overall... I loved the fact that both women pushed against the conventions of their world, and I appreciated the themes the author was exploring through them. But I didn't feel like either MC had a particularly strong internal character arc. So much of the story's attention was devoted to the worldbuilding that their growth often felt like something happening around them rather than something happening within them. I wanted more time inside their heads, more exploration of how these experiences changed them, and ultimately more of a reason to feel deeply connected to who they became.
The romance unfortunately had a similar problem.
A lot of their interactions seemed connected to the arena matches rather than coming from an actual desire to spend time together. Early on, there was also an insta-lust feeling that made it difficult for me to see the emotional groundwork developing underneath the attraction. Once they started bonding, though, I could definitely see the vision. They actually shared a lot of the same passions and morals, so the foundation was totally there. I just never felt like their relationship reached the romantic intensity I was hoping for.
Since this book was pitched as having Bridgerton vibes, I was definitely expecting a lot more romantic tension and urgency between them. I wanted that feeling of "oh, these two are absolutely doomed because they are falling hopelessly in love." Instead, their relationship felt more like two people who had a lot of love and respect for one another, but the deeper romantic spark just wasn't there.
Overall, Season of Steel is unlike anything else I've read this year. Blending a classic Regency backdrop with brutal mecha tournaments is a wild choice, but the sheer action of the Bloodsworn Arena is more than enough to pull you in.
And underneath all those battles, there is a story about female rage, breaking away from societal expectations, taking ownership of your future, and, of course, a sweet romance tucked into the chaos.
It didn't completely click for me emotionally, but it’s still highly entertaining. If you're a romance fan looking to step outside your usual comfort zone for something with a lot more blood, grit, and giant machinery, this might be right up your alley.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, when I saw "alternative Regency romance + mecha fighting tournament" in the same sentence, you KNOW I was intrigued. I don't think I've ever read anything with that combination before. I've watched plenty of anime featuring mecha, though, and I've always thought they're ridiculously cool, so naturally I had to see how this concept would work in a historical setting. And while I absolutely give the author credit for coming up with something so unusual, I'm not entirely sure all of those elements came together as seamlessly as I would've hoped.
Let's start with the part that worked best for me: the mecha system.
The Bloodsworn Arena was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how the machinery worked, and the fights themselves had such a raw and brutal quality that they made the stakes feel incredibly high. The bond was also described in a way that made it easy to visualize, and I could tell a lot of thought went into creating this world. If I had to pick one thing that stood out above everything else, it would definitely be the lore.
BUT... I think that also became part of the problem for me.
The Mecha received so much focus that everything else started feeling secondary. Character development? Romance? Emotional arcs? They simply didn't get the same amount of room to breathe, and sadly, I think the story needed more balance between all of these elements.
Following her father’s death, noblewoman Willa is left looking after her sisters while being forced into the role of the season's prize, set to marry whoever conquers the mecha competition. Enter Thomasin, a brash rake and Saxland's only Bloodsworn female fighter. They clash immediately, but ultimately team up in a mutually beneficial deal meant to last just until Thom wins. But as they spend more time together, those strict boundaries they set up start getting pretty blurry.
I really wanted to love these characters because I adored how much they challenged the expectations of their genre.
Willa especially stood out to me. She's stubborn, fiery, ambitious, and absolutely unwilling to let the men around her dictate her future. In a society where women are treated as bargaining chips for political alliances and personal egos, her determination to take control of her own life was incredibly compelling. She didn't feel like the typical meek Regency heroine, either. She had ambitions that were far ahead of her time, and she wasn't afraid to take real risks to achieve them.
There was something about her that really resonated with me. Maybe it was seeing a woman refuse to quietly accept the limitations placed on her, but her story reminded me that fighting for women's rights is still important even when we've already come so far. There is always more work to be done.
Thomasin has her own rebellious streak. She wears men's clothing, openly embraces her desires, and has absolutely no interest in behaving the way society expects a woman to behave. Yet she was much harder for me to connect with. Her past with her sister clearly left some deep scars, and she keeps herself guarded as a result. Interestingly, the moments where I saw the most vulnerability from Thom were when she was interacting with Willa's sisters. Those scenes were genuinely adorable, and I found myself wishing we could've seen more of that softer side of her. So I'm disappointed to admit, not even knowing her backstory really helped me connect with her the way I wanted to.
And that's really the issue I had with the character arcs overall... I loved the fact that both women pushed against the conventions of their world, and I appreciated the themes the author was exploring through them. But I didn't feel like either MC had a particularly strong internal character arc. So much of the story's attention was devoted to the worldbuilding that their growth often felt like something happening around them rather than something happening within them. I wanted more time inside their heads, more exploration of how these experiences changed them, and ultimately more of a reason to feel deeply connected to who they became.
The romance unfortunately had a similar problem.
A lot of their interactions seemed connected to the arena matches rather than coming from an actual desire to spend time together. Early on, there was also an insta-lust feeling that made it difficult for me to see the emotional groundwork developing underneath the attraction. Once they started bonding, though, I could definitely see the vision. They actually shared a lot of the same passions and morals, so the foundation was totally there. I just never felt like their relationship reached the romantic intensity I was hoping for.
Since this book was pitched as having Bridgerton vibes, I was definitely expecting a lot more romantic tension and urgency between them. I wanted that feeling of "oh, these two are absolutely doomed because they are falling hopelessly in love." Instead, their relationship felt more like two people who had a lot of love and respect for one another, but the deeper romantic spark just wasn't there.
Overall, Season of Steel is unlike anything else I've read this year. Blending a classic Regency backdrop with brutal mecha tournaments is a wild choice, but the sheer action of the Bloodsworn Arena is more than enough to pull you in.
And underneath all those battles, there is a story about female rage, breaking away from societal expectations, taking ownership of your future, and, of course, a sweet romance tucked into the chaos.
It didn't completely click for me emotionally, but it’s still highly entertaining. If you're a romance fan looking to step outside your usual comfort zone for something with a lot more blood, grit, and giant machinery, this might be right up your alley.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2026
SEASON OF STEEL is a fun, light-hearted romp that doesn't quite meet the limits of its own potential-- but I was so entertained that I'm giving it four stars anyway. Willa and Thomasin are well-drawn characters and the twins are a delight, and for the most part I found the romance very compelling. Though it never quite makes the leap to nuance, no character is overly flat, and it does the work of a romantasy admirably.
My major points of criticism are the prose, which was often juvenile and repetitive, and the plot, which occasionally overly relied on coincidence and did not make both characters as active as they could have been. But both of these factors also had their bright spots: Kane's descriptive language can be lush and ornate, without ever feeling purple, and the plot had an endearing habit of pulling up a long-forgotten minor detail to be relevant later. This delighted me to the point that I was willing to forgive the moments when things seemed to happen to the characters, rather than out of their own action. Plus, there were excellent plot points to balance out the less interesting: Willa's final action in the duel was a great character moment, and genuinely thrilling.
Willa was my favorite of the two characters-- Thomasin was largely the victim of the plot's happenstance. For a while, she is pretty useless, and her getting trounced in her very first duel is a plot choice I can't agree with. The first major section of the plot revolves around Thom and Willa having to construct a new rig, rather than the combat-heavy training I expected from a novel of this sort, and all their struggle is invalidated when they get a fully-functional rig from a side character, something which does not at all result from either character's personal ingenuity or Thom's physical ability. Thom is more useful for her underworld connections than her prowess, which is fine, but I wanted more textual support for her combat ability. She never seems to be the brilliant warrior we're told she is.
My last problem with the book was the worldbuilding. For the most part, this world is just Regency-era London, without a ton of thought given to how society would physically and societally change with the introduction of rig-fighting. I wanted to dive deeper into the magic, the mechanics, and the technology of this world, rather than have the entire system hingeing on the fictional metal vinculum. This was not a huge issue, but I still longed for more depth in the workings of the setting.
Despite its flaws, SEASON OF STEEL is still a book I'd recommend to anyone who was drawn in by its tagline (and what a tagline it is!) The innovative premise is enough to carry this book through its sometimes-lacking execution. I'm excited to see what this author does next.
My major points of criticism are the prose, which was often juvenile and repetitive, and the plot, which occasionally overly relied on coincidence and did not make both characters as active as they could have been. But both of these factors also had their bright spots: Kane's descriptive language can be lush and ornate, without ever feeling purple, and the plot had an endearing habit of pulling up a long-forgotten minor detail to be relevant later. This delighted me to the point that I was willing to forgive the moments when things seemed to happen to the characters, rather than out of their own action. Plus, there were excellent plot points to balance out the less interesting: Willa's final action in the duel was a great character moment, and genuinely thrilling.
Willa was my favorite of the two characters-- Thomasin was largely the victim of the plot's happenstance. For a while, she is pretty useless, and her getting trounced in her very first duel is a plot choice I can't agree with. The first major section of the plot revolves around Thom and Willa having to construct a new rig, rather than the combat-heavy training I expected from a novel of this sort, and all their struggle is invalidated when they get a fully-functional rig from a side character, something which does not at all result from either character's personal ingenuity or Thom's physical ability. Thom is more useful for her underworld connections than her prowess, which is fine, but I wanted more textual support for her combat ability. She never seems to be the brilliant warrior we're told she is.
My last problem with the book was the worldbuilding. For the most part, this world is just Regency-era London, without a ton of thought given to how society would physically and societally change with the introduction of rig-fighting. I wanted to dive deeper into the magic, the mechanics, and the technology of this world, rather than have the entire system hingeing on the fictional metal vinculum. This was not a huge issue, but I still longed for more depth in the workings of the setting.
Despite its flaws, SEASON OF STEEL is still a book I'd recommend to anyone who was drawn in by its tagline (and what a tagline it is!) The innovative premise is enough to carry this book through its sometimes-lacking execution. I'm excited to see what this author does next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.
Pacific Rim was not simply a good movie to me, I made that my personality for like two years at least. So if you're going to market a book as Pacific Rim meet Bridgerton I'm going to try it.
The best way I can describe this book is fun. Even though some of the topics touched upon were quite heavy at times the antics of Willa and Thomasin kept the plot moving forward at a decent pace. I was a little bit dissapointed in the lack of training montages and just the general time spent with Thomasin actually using the rigs. I also wasn't a massive fan that we didn't actually get to see a massive amount of action with Thomasin.
I liked both characters, but Willa was the best in my opinion. While Thomasin was kind of there and everything that happened to her was just luck and the writing doing her a solid, Willa actively spent the book believing that she did deserve more and making actions to save her family estate and protect her sisters from fortune hunters and even when I didn't agree with her I understood why she was making these choices.
I thought that the book had lost me at the 80% mark when it played into one of my least favourite third act conflict tropes, but swiftly saved it with the reveal of the mysterious sponsor. The entire reveal and interaction surrouding this was so well-done. It's also a great example of something that makes Maia Kane's writing strong - the dialouge. It's not the only example in the book but all the dialouge felt natural and when needed powerful for the moment, especially for Willa, who was pushing against the boundaries, was the only tool at her disposal to move forward.
I am a little torn on whether to give this three or four stars and honestly would say it sits somewhere in between for me. I throughly enjoyed this but also feel like it just fell short of it's full potentional. Still I would reccommed this as fun, sapphic read.
Pacific Rim was not simply a good movie to me, I made that my personality for like two years at least. So if you're going to market a book as Pacific Rim meet Bridgerton I'm going to try it.
The best way I can describe this book is fun. Even though some of the topics touched upon were quite heavy at times the antics of Willa and Thomasin kept the plot moving forward at a decent pace. I was a little bit dissapointed in the lack of training montages and just the general time spent with Thomasin actually using the rigs. I also wasn't a massive fan that we didn't actually get to see a massive amount of action with Thomasin.
I liked both characters, but Willa was the best in my opinion. While Thomasin was kind of there and everything that happened to her was just luck and the writing doing her a solid, Willa actively spent the book believing that she did deserve more and making actions to save her family estate and protect her sisters from fortune hunters and even when I didn't agree with her I understood why she was making these choices.
I thought that the book had lost me at the 80% mark when it played into one of my least favourite third act conflict tropes, but swiftly saved it with the reveal of the mysterious sponsor. The entire reveal and interaction surrouding this was so well-done. It's also a great example of something that makes Maia Kane's writing strong - the dialouge. It's not the only example in the book but all the dialouge felt natural and when needed powerful for the moment, especially for Willa, who was pushing against the boundaries, was the only tool at her disposal to move forward.
I am a little torn on whether to give this three or four stars and honestly would say it sits somewhere in between for me. I throughly enjoyed this but also feel like it just fell short of it's full potentional. Still I would reccommed this as fun, sapphic read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a very fun sapphic Regency romance that takes its queues from recent entries to the Gundam franchise, Pacific Rim, and Netflix’s massively successful Bridgerton series. Our main characters, Lady Wilhelmina “Willa” Applewhite and Bloodsworn fighter Thomasin Drake, are easy to root for, and the various battle scenes both in and out of the mecha are well-choreographed and exciting. Fans of mecha franchises and queer Regency romances will definitely enjoy this spirited take on familiar tropes, even though the historical politics and empire building of the period are mostly glossed over.
My favourite part of the novel were the fighting sequences, which were just plentiful enough to not be overused and hinged upon the partially mysterious technology in a way that felt tangible as much as it is fantastic. I appreciated how each battle had a narrative purpose, and the downtime between the action gave space to let the characters communicate and grow closer to (or further away from) each other, leading up to an exciting climax supported by a compelling twist. Kane exercises admirable restraint with the number of characters we’re expected to follow, which allowed me to become more invested in our main cast.
I have mixed feelings about the middle of the novel sequence that takes our heroes both through a sewer and underwater sequence and then to a brothel. While I was entertained by the characters’ actions, I had a hard time buying into much of what was occurring, and it felt a bit like a fantasy trope speedrun. I also found the author’s attempts at social commentary to be a bit hamfisted, although most are meant to make Willa grow as a person. Overall, I would easily recommend this to anyone looking for an action-packed romance and who want to have a fun, well-written action romance.
My favourite part of the novel were the fighting sequences, which were just plentiful enough to not be overused and hinged upon the partially mysterious technology in a way that felt tangible as much as it is fantastic. I appreciated how each battle had a narrative purpose, and the downtime between the action gave space to let the characters communicate and grow closer to (or further away from) each other, leading up to an exciting climax supported by a compelling twist. Kane exercises admirable restraint with the number of characters we’re expected to follow, which allowed me to become more invested in our main cast.
I have mixed feelings about the middle of the novel sequence that takes our heroes both through a sewer and underwater sequence and then to a brothel. While I was entertained by the characters’ actions, I had a hard time buying into much of what was occurring, and it felt a bit like a fantasy trope speedrun. I also found the author’s attempts at social commentary to be a bit hamfisted, although most are meant to make Willa grow as a person. Overall, I would easily recommend this to anyone looking for an action-packed romance and who want to have a fun, well-written action romance.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I first picked up this book I was very uncertain. I love both Pacific Rim and Bridgerton, but a mashup of the two is a concept I would never think would go together. I'm pleased to say it actually worked very well, and this book had me completely hooked. It has everything you want in a novel from strong characters, to excellent banter and romance, to exciting fight scenes and twists. While it was definitely a bit predictable, I actually loved that, as it felt like everything I was hoping for came true in a satisfying way.
Overall, if you love books about strong female characters, sapphic romance, found family, and epic fight scenes this is a great choice! 5/5 stars.
When I first picked up this book I was very uncertain. I love both Pacific Rim and Bridgerton, but a mashup of the two is a concept I would never think would go together. I'm pleased to say it actually worked very well, and this book had me completely hooked. It has everything you want in a novel from strong characters, to excellent banter and romance, to exciting fight scenes and twists. While it was definitely a bit predictable, I actually loved that, as it felt like everything I was hoping for came true in a satisfying way.
Overall, if you love books about strong female characters, sapphic romance, found family, and epic fight scenes this is a great choice! 5/5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am so happy to say I absolutely loved this book. It was full of all the classic regency romance tropes that we love but with a totally refreshing angle and take on them. I loved Willa and Thomasin and was positively giddy over their relationship. The plot was also just fantastic, and if Gauntlet of Gold is about who I think it's about, I absolutely cannot wait for it.
Want to Read
August 21, 2026Bridgerton meets Pacific Rim in this sapphic fantasy romance where a feisty noblewoman must team up with a disgraced mecha fighter to win her own hand and save her family from fortune hunters.
Excuse me? This sounds so good!!!
Want to Read
August 28, 2026I need this, please
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