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Savage Monsters: High Fantasy Romance
496 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 4, 2026
Before the first breath, there was the ache to devour.
From that first line I knew this book was going to ruin me. And it did.
Savage Monsters is dark shifter romantic fantasy at its most feral and atmospheric. We follow a rendborne girl harboring the soul of Luna herself, raised to be salvation for the Isles and a prize to decide who claims the Blood Seat. Except there is no bond, no bite — just a citadel that feels like a battlefield, and three heirs of the Quiet Fang circling her like wolves.
Silas — the eldest, calculating, steel-eyed, made for politics.
Kieran — the sharp-tongued, reckless middle son who speaks the language of pain.
Valor — the youngest, charming and utterly hungry for power.
And then the annual summit brings the Cold Law and with them the future king of the Mountain. Warm. Steady. Dangerous in a completely different way. He sees her, not the goddess inside her. And suddenly the succession race is the least of her problems when Veyrspawn-twisted wyverns start dropping death from the sky.
Renee Asher's worldbuilding is GORGEOUS and brutal. Floating Isles, bloodlines born from Luna splitting her power, living paintings, nightmares that bleed into waking, and a magic system that feels ancient and costly. This is not soft romantasy — it's gothic, obsessive, and steeped in lore. The heroine's arc from caged prize to someone who decides she won't be their salvation unless they bleed for it? I ate it up.
The romance is very much why-choose / polyamory with bully romance elements. Possessive, obsessive, enemies-to-lovers tension that simmers and snaps. If you need a super healthy dynamic, skip this. If you live for "touch her and die" wolves who would tear apart realities to claim her, welcome home.
What I loved:
• The mythology of Luna and the Blood Seat
• The distinct personalities of the three brothers + the Mountain King contrast
• The monster element actually feels monstrous (wyverns! Veyrspawn!)
• Heroine with agency despite being caged
Please check TW: This book contains bully romance, aggression, dub-con/dubious consent, degradation, obsession/delusion, possessive behavior, violence/blood/gore, death, wyvern attacks, confinement/caged themes. 18+ only. Author's note has more details.
The ending left me desperate for Book 2 in the As Above, So Below series. I need answers about Luna's true origin and what punished her.
Reading soundtrack: Savage Monster - Talen Grates on loop. It is the vibe of this book.
If you loved The Serpent & The Wings of Night or Zodiac Academy but wanted it darker and more feral — read this.
From that first line I knew this book was going to ruin me. And it did.
Savage Monsters is dark shifter romantic fantasy at its most feral and atmospheric. We follow a rendborne girl harboring the soul of Luna herself, raised to be salvation for the Isles and a prize to decide who claims the Blood Seat. Except there is no bond, no bite — just a citadel that feels like a battlefield, and three heirs of the Quiet Fang circling her like wolves.
Silas — the eldest, calculating, steel-eyed, made for politics.
Kieran — the sharp-tongued, reckless middle son who speaks the language of pain.
Valor — the youngest, charming and utterly hungry for power.
And then the annual summit brings the Cold Law and with them the future king of the Mountain. Warm. Steady. Dangerous in a completely different way. He sees her, not the goddess inside her. And suddenly the succession race is the least of her problems when Veyrspawn-twisted wyverns start dropping death from the sky.
Renee Asher's worldbuilding is GORGEOUS and brutal. Floating Isles, bloodlines born from Luna splitting her power, living paintings, nightmares that bleed into waking, and a magic system that feels ancient and costly. This is not soft romantasy — it's gothic, obsessive, and steeped in lore. The heroine's arc from caged prize to someone who decides she won't be their salvation unless they bleed for it? I ate it up.
The romance is very much why-choose / polyamory with bully romance elements. Possessive, obsessive, enemies-to-lovers tension that simmers and snaps. If you need a super healthy dynamic, skip this. If you live for "touch her and die" wolves who would tear apart realities to claim her, welcome home.
What I loved:
• The mythology of Luna and the Blood Seat
• The distinct personalities of the three brothers + the Mountain King contrast
• The monster element actually feels monstrous (wyverns! Veyrspawn!)
• Heroine with agency despite being caged
Please check TW: This book contains bully romance, aggression, dub-con/dubious consent, degradation, obsession/delusion, possessive behavior, violence/blood/gore, death, wyvern attacks, confinement/caged themes. 18+ only. Author's note has more details.
The ending left me desperate for Book 2 in the As Above, So Below series. I need answers about Luna's true origin and what punished her.
Reading soundtrack: Savage Monster - Talen Grates on loop. It is the vibe of this book.
If you loved The Serpent & The Wings of Night or Zodiac Academy but wanted it darker and more feral — read this.
Did Not Finish
August 5, 2026I don’t know if I am not in the right frame of mind for this book or if it’s just not for me. I felt like I was thrown into the deep end without a life preserver. This story isn’t making any sense to me. The bonds to the men are unwelcome and everything is coming across super flat for me. The star references are very strange and I just cannot connect with anything in this one. I usually give a book about 25% before I DNF, but I think this is gonna be not for me and I am DNFing it at 10%. It has great reviews so far, but I just can’t get into it enough to push through. I wish the best for the author.
*I received this as an eARC through the Nerd Fam and the author. Thank you for the gifted copy. These are my honest opinions.*
*I received this as an eARC through the Nerd Fam and the author. Thank you for the gifted copy. These are my honest opinions.*
August 1, 2026
An exciting shifter romance filled with the dark realities of being bonded to three males who the FMC only feels hatred for.
Growing up, the FMC from a young age was discovered to house Luna the goddess inside of her, and grows up as a shell of herself, valued only for what’s inside of her and the potential bonds she could bring by her father. But when she does finally bond the three heir brothers and form their constellation, there’s much animosity between them and they treat her much like the others do more of an object that the person she wants to be. But the longer she spends with them, the more she sees the cracks in their facade and the more they see hers and the harder the tension between them is to resist, especially when each of their inner primal urges want them to be together. When a new male comes to court and offers her a new future, will she leave what is expected of her behind and go after her birth right, or will this budding bond keep her where she has always been told she’s meant to be.
I really enjoyed the multiple POVs of this book and seeing each of the characters true feelings because of it as often times they were not saying what they really meant. Of course there was plenty of steamy tension that comes with shifter style bonding and the urge to be together while the FMC goes between hating them and wanting to be around them. There was also some complex court intrigue, some unraveling of older magic and potential betrayals that kept me hooked into the storyline. And of course a cliffhanger ending that has me reeling and ready for the next book! Overall this was a fun and exciting read, my rating 4.5/5!
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!
Growing up, the FMC from a young age was discovered to house Luna the goddess inside of her, and grows up as a shell of herself, valued only for what’s inside of her and the potential bonds she could bring by her father. But when she does finally bond the three heir brothers and form their constellation, there’s much animosity between them and they treat her much like the others do more of an object that the person she wants to be. But the longer she spends with them, the more she sees the cracks in their facade and the more they see hers and the harder the tension between them is to resist, especially when each of their inner primal urges want them to be together. When a new male comes to court and offers her a new future, will she leave what is expected of her behind and go after her birth right, or will this budding bond keep her where she has always been told she’s meant to be.
I really enjoyed the multiple POVs of this book and seeing each of the characters true feelings because of it as often times they were not saying what they really meant. Of course there was plenty of steamy tension that comes with shifter style bonding and the urge to be together while the FMC goes between hating them and wanting to be around them. There was also some complex court intrigue, some unraveling of older magic and potential betrayals that kept me hooked into the storyline. And of course a cliffhanger ending that has me reeling and ready for the next book! Overall this was a fun and exciting read, my rating 4.5/5!
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!
August 13, 2026
4.5☆ but im rounding up!
When I read the synopsis for this book I was both excited and a little hesitant. I love a good shifter book, especially when there's mythology included. The trigger warnings list made me a tad hesitant but I decided to dive right in. Now I am a girl who will look up some spoiler free reviews when im on the fence about a book. I like to see what fellow readers have to say and why the book didnt vibe with them. I noticed that a lot of the reviews mentioned that there was a glossary in tne back that they didnt even know about and how it really helped them once they figured that out. So with that in mind I bookmarked the glossary on my kindle and dived right in. This book was a lot of fun to read. I loved that each of our MMCs had distinct personalities and each one made you feel a range of emotions for them. Our strong FMC went through so much but didnt let that destroy her or determine her destiny and I really loved that. There were a few of the dubious consent scenes that I considered skipping past, just because those can be a bit triggering for me when they get way too graphic, but I didnt have a problem with these at all. I also really enjoyed the wyverns and other mythical creatures, I feel like they were a great addition to this story. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I cant wait for book 2! That ending?!!
When I read the synopsis for this book I was both excited and a little hesitant. I love a good shifter book, especially when there's mythology included. The trigger warnings list made me a tad hesitant but I decided to dive right in. Now I am a girl who will look up some spoiler free reviews when im on the fence about a book. I like to see what fellow readers have to say and why the book didnt vibe with them. I noticed that a lot of the reviews mentioned that there was a glossary in tne back that they didnt even know about and how it really helped them once they figured that out. So with that in mind I bookmarked the glossary on my kindle and dived right in. This book was a lot of fun to read. I loved that each of our MMCs had distinct personalities and each one made you feel a range of emotions for them. Our strong FMC went through so much but didnt let that destroy her or determine her destiny and I really loved that. There were a few of the dubious consent scenes that I considered skipping past, just because those can be a bit triggering for me when they get way too graphic, but I didnt have a problem with these at all. I also really enjoyed the wyverns and other mythical creatures, I feel like they were a great addition to this story. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I cant wait for book 2! That ending?!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow
That ending. Wow.
I love shifters nearly as much as I love dragons, but there are few authors that know how to treat them correctly.
Renee Asher certainly does.
Vespera is our FMC. She is a powerful shifter and a princess of sorts in a game of political intrigue with her father pulling the strings.
She’s early on paired with five male shifters who are sworn bonded to her. Brothers and they love her but that’s not their objective.
Sort of.
Her shifter is Luna-a goddess. An angry one at that. And unlike Vespera, Luna does NOT take to being told what to do.
Ever.
This book is told thru multiple POV and it’s much better for it. It’s too … ethereal to be one sided.
I was gifted an e arc, but this book begs for a highlighter and tabs! And you can dang well bet I’ll be buying a shelf trophy to do just that!
I cannot recommend this more. It’s so so unique and so good.
But I must be honest - I’m angry about that ending! I NEED to know what happens next!
That ending. Wow.
I love shifters nearly as much as I love dragons, but there are few authors that know how to treat them correctly.
Renee Asher certainly does.
Vespera is our FMC. She is a powerful shifter and a princess of sorts in a game of political intrigue with her father pulling the strings.
She’s early on paired with five male shifters who are sworn bonded to her. Brothers and they love her but that’s not their objective.
Sort of.
Her shifter is Luna-a goddess. An angry one at that. And unlike Vespera, Luna does NOT take to being told what to do.
Ever.
This book is told thru multiple POV and it’s much better for it. It’s too … ethereal to be one sided.
I was gifted an e arc, but this book begs for a highlighter and tabs! And you can dang well bet I’ll be buying a shelf trophy to do just that!
I cannot recommend this more. It’s so so unique and so good.
But I must be honest - I’m angry about that ending! I NEED to know what happens next!
July 31, 2026
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and the author for a gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Savage Monsters is a dark romantic fantasy meant for adult readers. Okay ya’ll this is definitely a high/epic fantasy that is complex and you have to be patient with it’s created world and terms. I actually wish I had noticed the codex and terms/descriptions located at the end to read before starting the book and I think I would have understood it little better. Otherwise, I enjoyed this read and its complex morally grey characters. I think the author did an amazing job with world building and creating her own distinct world and concepts. I can’t fathom how long it took for its creation. I’m excited to see what happens next.
If you love dark romantic HIGH fantasy, complex characters, enemies to lovers, fated mates with a twist, morally grey possessive heroes, epic world building, and darker themes of control and possession then I recommend checking this one out.
Savage Monsters is a dark romantic fantasy meant for adult readers. Okay ya’ll this is definitely a high/epic fantasy that is complex and you have to be patient with it’s created world and terms. I actually wish I had noticed the codex and terms/descriptions located at the end to read before starting the book and I think I would have understood it little better. Otherwise, I enjoyed this read and its complex morally grey characters. I think the author did an amazing job with world building and creating her own distinct world and concepts. I can’t fathom how long it took for its creation. I’m excited to see what happens next.
If you love dark romantic HIGH fantasy, complex characters, enemies to lovers, fated mates with a twist, morally grey possessive heroes, epic world building, and darker themes of control and possession then I recommend checking this one out.
August 10, 2026
4.25⭐ 3🌶️
This is the first book of a new epic fantasy series by Renee Asher. Vespera holds the spirit of the Goddess Luna and because of that, she is mated to the 3 princes of the Isle. When their uncle Malik shows up, Vespera is thrown into a secret battle she didn't know existed, nor wants to be a part of. She just wants to gain power on her own right, not because of the princes or Luna.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story as with any epic fantasy, there is a lot of world building. But once I did, I really enjoyed the ride. The multiple POV is well done and the pacing of the plot enjoyable. I will be adding this series to my watch list as I can't wait to see what is in store for Vespera.
This is the first book of a new epic fantasy series by Renee Asher. Vespera holds the spirit of the Goddess Luna and because of that, she is mated to the 3 princes of the Isle. When their uncle Malik shows up, Vespera is thrown into a secret battle she didn't know existed, nor wants to be a part of. She just wants to gain power on her own right, not because of the princes or Luna.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story as with any epic fantasy, there is a lot of world building. But once I did, I really enjoyed the ride. The multiple POV is well done and the pacing of the plot enjoyable. I will be adding this series to my watch list as I can't wait to see what is in store for Vespera.
August 9, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
I’ll admit, I was a bit confused at the beginning and it took me a little while to get into it. I kept thinking to myself that a glossary of terms or something to help define the world building early on would have been extremely helpful - only to find it in the back of the book once I had finished! That’s on me for not looking!
However, once I got the lay of the land, I really was able to dive into the story and really enjoyed it! I’m really excited to see where the story takes these characters in book 2!
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
I’ll admit, I was a bit confused at the beginning and it took me a little while to get into it. I kept thinking to myself that a glossary of terms or something to help define the world building early on would have been extremely helpful - only to find it in the back of the book once I had finished! That’s on me for not looking!
However, once I got the lay of the land, I really was able to dive into the story and really enjoyed it! I’m really excited to see where the story takes these characters in book 2!
August 14, 2026
Beware: this is HIGH fantasy. It gives you that “what am I even reading?!” vibe similar to how I felt starting Crescent City while the complex world building takes place. There is a glossary-type section at the back of the book that I discovered about 10% of the way in - I highly recommend hopping back to read this before starting! If I hadn’t discovered this, I would’ve really struggled. You’ve got to give your brain some time to wrap around this complex world before giving up on it!
Overall, this series has good potential and I love complex high/epic fantasy like this. The twist towards the end definitely leaves you wanting to know what’s coming next! 🐺🌙
Overall, this series has good potential and I love complex high/epic fantasy like this. The twist towards the end definitely leaves you wanting to know what’s coming next! 🐺🌙
Did Not Finish
August 10, 2026I don’t know if it’s the writing style or if it’s me but I’m having a hard time with this one. I normally read fantasy and no problem following but this one feels like I was thrown in half way through the book to the point I double checked that it wasn’t in a series. I am not feeling any connection with the characters and no explanation of the terms used in the book minus some context clues. I DNF’d at 20%.
Thank you to the nerd fam for the advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own.
Thank you to the nerd fam for the advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own.
August 1, 2026
Shifters and dragons are two of my favorite stories.
This did not disappoint. I love the multiple POV aspect of this book.
This is most definitely a dark romance and I loved every page of it.
Enemies to lovers and fated mates all in one book.
A must read!
I received an advance review copy at no cost and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This did not disappoint. I love the multiple POV aspect of this book.
This is most definitely a dark romance and I loved every page of it.
Enemies to lovers and fated mates all in one book.
A must read!
I received an advance review copy at no cost and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 9, 2026
I enjoyed this one. It is a spicy why choose a dark romantasy one. This is a shifter book, and this is not one that is intended for the younger crowd. Be advised that this is a multi-POV written storyline. So be patient with it. But I really enjoyed the gripping spice through putting the book and hope for more to come.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love a book with alchemy as the base magic system!!!! And then you throw in shifters, spicy romance, actual historical value that was well researched…. Im sold. Great book. Oh and did i mention why choose?!?!
July 27, 2026
I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning I was hooked and I had a hard time putting it down. There was so much going on that I needed to know what was going to happen next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved it! It was such an interesting world. I need to know what happens next!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews