Hope Rises

by Rachel Stones

Hope Goddard should have died the night demons came for her. Instead, she woke up bloodied on a park bench with power she doesn’t understand…and can’t control.

Pulled into a hidden world of supernaturals, demons, and ancient magic, Hope is told she is the prophesied Child of Light, the world’s only hope against annihilation at the hands of the Hollow Circle.

Lucky her.

There’s just one problem.

The power inside her is dangerous. Hungry. And every time she reaches for it, it gets harder to believe it won’t burn her to ash.

As the Hollow Circle gets closer to unleashing Hell on Earth, Hope is forced to train, fight, and survive alongside a group of supernatural allies who refuse to let her fall apart, no matter how hard the world tries to shatter her.

But nothing about this is simple. The closer she gets to the answers she needs, the more everything starts to blur. Duty. Desire. And who she can trust.

Caught between the man she chose and a dangerous half-demon tied to her power and survival, Hope is running out of time to decide who, and what, she’s fighting for. And how much of herself she’s willing to lose.

When destiny demands its price, will she choose the life she wants…

or the one the world needs?

The wrong choice won’t just burn her. It will end in the destruction of everything she loves.

An Urban Fantasy / Romantasy of divine power, prophecy, and impossible choices, Hope Rises invites readers into a hidden supernatural world where love, betrayal, and destiny collide.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy

582 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 18, 2026

About the author

Rachel Stones is an Air Force veteran, wife, and mother of two boys. She grew up moving every few years in a military family, where she always found solace in a book.

As a “military brat,” she was born in Spain, went to high school in Japan, skied the Rockies in Colorado, and later, while serving in the Air Force, haggled for a tea set in an Afghan bazaar. Her life experiences and the people she met along the way have shaped how she sees the world and deeply influenced the characters and relationships in her novels. With 20 years as a training content writer, she now dedicates her spare time to creating emotionally-driven novels filled with high stakes, sharp wit, and the kind of love that refuses to back down.

Reviews

[T || · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Wings & Wings for this arc & Rachel M Stone. I love doing arc's as I always find new authors.

Hope Rises is an Urban Fantasy / Romantasy of divine power, prophecy, and impossible choices, Hope Rises invites readers into a hidden supernatural world where love, betrayal, and destiny collide. It does come with content Warning: This novel contains themes and scenes that may be distressing to some readers, including violence, death, grief and loss, emotional trauma, torture, possession, injury, supernatural horror, and conflict involving demons and other dark entities. Additional content includes references to sexual assault, violence against women, child abuse, drug and alcohol use, strong language, and explicit romantic and sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.
The beginning opens with the FMC & a complete mess of a mystery, and you get pulled straight in, and she is in consideration of how to tell her best friends Tara & Becky about everything. Me personally? Id nope to f*** out and be like ill sound like a mental case. Anyways...
The next thing I knew, I was almost finished the book, I was just obssessed with it like 👀☠️😭👌
This book has now joined my emotional damage booklist 🤣👀 and wah...it...you..hmmm the cliffhanger..nopeeeee, noper nope noooo, I need the next book k please thanks Rachel 👀💜

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this take on a fantasy novel and the slow burn between Hope & Kade had me screaming at times x
Hope's life completely changes on Halloween Night when strange events keep happening which Hope has no recollection of, with the help of Jason (Campus Security) they think they are figuring things out when Gregory swoops in & turn everything upside down again x
Gregory seems like your typical grumpy old man (He is hundreds of years old but looks 25 at most) but he is defo got his own agenda & I don't know whether I trust him or not x
Throughout the story we get our little team - Hope (The Leader), Gregory (Grumps who always believes he is right & needs to be bossman), Twins Issac & Abigal (Earthwardens) Ronnie (Werewolf) & Kade (Neophyte), Jason is also kind of a part of the team but only for the first half of this story x
The guys go through some troubling ordeals & actually deal with so much in their short time together that most people would walk away & want to call it quits x
I felt like this story also leaves on a proper cliffhanger & not the ending I was expecting nor hoping for x
The author has a knack for making their readers engrossed from Page 1 & I'm looking forward to what happens next xxxxxxxx

[McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I feel like this was a good time! Hope has so much personality and banter and she’s a great fmc! I loved the found family that was building between her and her chosen. I think her and Kade have the potential for a great story down the line and I’m excited to learn more about the prophecy and it’s back story.

On the flip side, I do wish her and Kade had a bit more of a build up. I feel like they had one conversation then suddenly every chapter where Hope saw him was her holding herself back because of what was between them or her trying to deny their connection. What connection? Y’all barely interacted. I know they’re tethered and all but I wish we could’ve seen a little more build up with them in the beginning! Some of the interactions between her and Jason felt a little off as well. It felt like he switched from talking like a 40y/o to a 20y/o every chapter.

I was a little disappointed to read that the next few books will be about the other two girls in the prophecy just because I really enjoyed Hope’s story. But I like what the author is planning for this series! I can absolutely see what her vision is and I think it’s definitely gonna attract a lot of attention!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Despite my avoidance of incomplete series, when I was able to get an ARC for this book I decided against my better judgment. I am glad I did so I could read this, but upset that I have to wait for the next book. I feel the first half of the book was a little difficult to get into as things were rushed and the overall magic system is very broad, which made things hard to track. This definitely settled and I was able to catch up and enjoy the story. I am very glad I continued, and do recommend that any readers who also have some doubts early on to keep going. The overall writing is very strong and I appreciate the somewhat different aspects of the magic systems. I'd say I am annoyed at yet another young heroine, but then I remember the reality of my knees and totally understand. I like the mix of characters and there is decent character development. This is a very strong start to a series, and I am extremely surprised this is this author's first published novel, as it does not at all come across that way.

Recommended for fans of: Stephanie Garber, Laura Thalassa, Carissa Broadbent, and Jennifer Armentrout.

[Drie Corley · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨✨✨✨ 4 Stars

Hope Rises by Rachel Stones was such a promising start to a fantasy series!

The beginning took me a little while to settle into because there’s a lot happening with the world-building and magic system, but once everything started clicking, I was completely invested. The unique magic, the growing mystery, and the found-family dynamic kept pulling me deeper into the story.

I especially loved the slow-burn chemistry between Hope and Kade—it had me rooting for them every step of the way. The cast is full of distinct personalities, and watching them come together while facing impossible odds made the story even more enjoyable.

And that ending?! I was not prepared for that cliffhanger. 😭 Now I’m going to be impatiently waiting for book two because I need answers!

If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, magical worlds, found family, and fantasy with twists that keep you guessing, definitely give this one a chance. Just trust the process—the payoff is worth it. 💜📚

[Courtney Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Rises by Rachel Stones has everything I love in a fantasy romance:

Love triangle ✔️

Slow burn with plenty of steam ✔️

All the magical beings ✔️

Twists and turns that keep you on your toes ✔️

Saying I was hooked within the first couple of chapters is an understatement. Every time I thought I had the plot figured out, another twist had me second-guessing everything and turning "just one more page." The characters, magic, romance, and unexpected surprises kept me completely invested from beginning to end. Now I'm desperate for the next book because I need to know what happens next! If you're looking for a fantasy romance that will keep you guessing while delivering all the feels, this one is absolutely worth the read.

[Alexandra Robitaille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and cannot wait to dive in to the other 2 girls that will help Hope. We already met Rayne and I cannot wait to get her backstory and maybe we'll see more of the prince's Aunt personality that might be real behind closed doors. I was immediately drawn into Hope's story and wanted to finish it in 1 sitting but had to break it into two. Gregory was hit and miss character for me, I could understand where he was coming from but I really want him to have consequences and get his comeuppance. I loved Abigail and Samuel and hope they get a standalone book. I love Ronnie and Kade too. I highly recommend this book and author and I hope you'll give it a try.

[Scott S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Rises is a truly entertaining and thrilling debut story. I found myself glued to the pages, whether it was from the intense scenes or the dialog that at times had laugh out loud snarky moments.
Rachel did a fabulous job crafting the world along with its characters and their backstories, and blending in shocking twists to give us a read that is easy to recommend. I can’t wait to read more in this series! Well done!!

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has put me through an emotional rollercoaster and I am genuinely speechless. I am so so lucky to have gotten an early copy because Rachel M Stones has created absolute art.

Every single character is so beautifully diverse, and so likeable (except for a CERTAIN SOMEONE). The writing is so descriptive and keeps you locked in. I'm going to be tossing and turning all night wishing for the next book because this was gorgeous.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. A completely compulsive read; well written, complex characters and page after page is completely gripping. Definitely worth a read!

[Cindy Le Anh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page turner and amazing characters! The ending still has me in a chokehold! Cannot wait to read the next books in the series! Fantastic read, especially for a debut author!

[Gemma Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a brilliant read it had me hooked from the very first page and I got so lost in it that I even lost time lol the characters were brilliant and the storyline supurb cant wait for book 2

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book with great characters! I don’t usually read fantasy books, but this one was so good! I can’t wait for the next one, plus it’s nice to discover new authors.