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Firstborn
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26In this epic dystopian romantasy, one eldest daughter must fight for her survival in a world where birth order determines your fate—and defiance comes at a deadly cost.
The first children take up arms. The second children take up books. The third children are taken.
The Long Night is the final trial for Firstborn soldiers, and Bryn Ruelle must prove she can take a life—or face immediate exile. If she survives, she’ll graduate to defending the country’s borders against their magic-wielding neighbors. Bryn has never made a kill before tonight. By dawn, someone will be dead by her hands.
But when Bryn discovers a plot to kidnap the Lastborn, she must discern if the threat to her youngest sister is real, or merely a ruse to throw Bryn off her game. Her search for the truth forces her to work side-by-side with an alluring traitor-born enemy. As adrenaline and rage ignite a dangerous desire she refuses to name, Bryn must her country, or her family? Her siblings, or herself?
A crossover fantasy perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing.
Praise for
“I couldn’t put the book down.” —Ann Liang, New York Times bestselling author of A Song to Drown Rivers
“Dark, propulsive, and unflinchingly sharp.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
“[A] fierce, unstoppable heroine.” —Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You
“A riveting romance and twists that made me gasp.” —Julia Riew, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiger
The first children take up arms. The second children take up books. The third children are taken.
The Long Night is the final trial for Firstborn soldiers, and Bryn Ruelle must prove she can take a life—or face immediate exile. If she survives, she’ll graduate to defending the country’s borders against their magic-wielding neighbors. Bryn has never made a kill before tonight. By dawn, someone will be dead by her hands.
But when Bryn discovers a plot to kidnap the Lastborn, she must discern if the threat to her youngest sister is real, or merely a ruse to throw Bryn off her game. Her search for the truth forces her to work side-by-side with an alluring traitor-born enemy. As adrenaline and rage ignite a dangerous desire she refuses to name, Bryn must her country, or her family? Her siblings, or herself?
A crossover fantasy perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing.
Praise for
“I couldn’t put the book down.” —Ann Liang, New York Times bestselling author of A Song to Drown Rivers
“Dark, propulsive, and unflinchingly sharp.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
“[A] fierce, unstoppable heroine.” —Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You
“A riveting romance and twists that made me gasp.” —Julia Riew, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiger
Audible Audio
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
M.J. Hastings
1 book71 followersM. J. HASTINGS is the oldest (and bossiest) of five sisters, which explains how she grew up to become an attorney, one who refused to have the imagination beaten out of her. She graduated from law school with honors and went on to serve as a federal law clerk and practice complex civil litigation. Her greatest education, however, was her childhood in rural Kentucky, which left an indelible mark on her life and her writing. M.J. lives in Louisville with her family. FIRSTBORN is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A dystopian novel I simply couldn't put down!
I didn't expect to become so attached to a universe with a context that affects me so negatively (which only means the book was so well-written that it made me believe it was real). As the firstborn, I would certainly die in the context the book expected of me (and my sister probably wouldn't succeed as a midborn either; it would have been easier to change the birth order).
Before continuing, I wanted to thank NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I need to start by saying that I don't believe this book is for every type of reader, mainly because the focus is more on world-building, magic, and politics... In other words, it was the perfect book for me, and it came at the right time I found the pacing perfect, the characters captivating and complex, and, above all, the dystopian world completely believable. As I mentioned before, as a firstborn, I couldn't live in that world, and I was very impacted by Bryn's story precisely because of that.
It's important to emphasize that this is a debut novel, and I'm generally very critical of those because I like the idea of being able to offer feedback to the author so they can improve. However, aside from one aspect of the love triangle (I won't mention names to avoid spoilers, but those who have read it will probably understand what I mean) bothering me quite a bit, and not feeling any chemistry between them, I can't think of any reason to criticize this book.
I didn't expect to find themes so well handled beyond those presented in the synopsis, and among those that surprised me, the strongest was prejudice. With a dynamic between an oppressive government and a part of society being oppressed, it's fascinating to see how the author masterfully addressed the prejudice stemming from this. At every moment I feared that someone might harm Bryn purely because of this, and the misinformation spread about her and her siblings.
The dystopian aspect isn't as intense or graphically violent as one might expect in a dystopian novel, but the context of the universe and the war that created this authoritarian government makes it clear that it is indeed a dystopian universe, and you feel just as apprehensive as you would if there were violence on every page.
For now, in this first book, I felt that the romance was a subplot, and we didn't have a true romantasy, but I believe the plot is heading towards becoming a full-fledged romantasy in the sequel.
Finally, I want to say that I loved reading it and highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy, romantasy, or simply a dystopian novel. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!
Reading vlog: https://youtu.be/SZ4kq-jD1Bs
Review: https://youtu.be/tbuYklaKbj4
I didn't expect to become so attached to a universe with a context that affects me so negatively (which only means the book was so well-written that it made me believe it was real). As the firstborn, I would certainly die in the context the book expected of me (and my sister probably wouldn't succeed as a midborn either; it would have been easier to change the birth order).
Before continuing, I wanted to thank NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I need to start by saying that I don't believe this book is for every type of reader, mainly because the focus is more on world-building, magic, and politics... In other words, it was the perfect book for me, and it came at the right time I found the pacing perfect, the characters captivating and complex, and, above all, the dystopian world completely believable. As I mentioned before, as a firstborn, I couldn't live in that world, and I was very impacted by Bryn's story precisely because of that.
It's important to emphasize that this is a debut novel, and I'm generally very critical of those because I like the idea of being able to offer feedback to the author so they can improve. However, aside from one aspect of the love triangle (I won't mention names to avoid spoilers, but those who have read it will probably understand what I mean) bothering me quite a bit, and not feeling any chemistry between them, I can't think of any reason to criticize this book.
I didn't expect to find themes so well handled beyond those presented in the synopsis, and among those that surprised me, the strongest was prejudice. With a dynamic between an oppressive government and a part of society being oppressed, it's fascinating to see how the author masterfully addressed the prejudice stemming from this. At every moment I feared that someone might harm Bryn purely because of this, and the misinformation spread about her and her siblings.
The dystopian aspect isn't as intense or graphically violent as one might expect in a dystopian novel, but the context of the universe and the war that created this authoritarian government makes it clear that it is indeed a dystopian universe, and you feel just as apprehensive as you would if there were violence on every page.
For now, in this first book, I felt that the romance was a subplot, and we didn't have a true romantasy, but I believe the plot is heading towards becoming a full-fledged romantasy in the sequel.
Finally, I want to say that I loved reading it and highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy, romantasy, or simply a dystopian novel. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!
Reading vlog: https://youtu.be/SZ4kq-jD1Bs
Review: https://youtu.be/tbuYklaKbj4
Read
April 28, 2026thank you so much to Stonefruit Studio for sending me this ARC!
3 stars, rtc!
3 stars, rtc!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I love that we are getting more dystopian books! This book was so interesting, i loved the concept of the first born child going to train to be apart of their army, the second goes to school, and the third gets taken. Immediately that drew me in. Bryn is our FMC and she is a firstborn, so she’s been in training since she was young and now must pass the final test. However on the night of the final test so much goes down and she ends up discovering that her sister, a last born, might have been taken.
Literally so much more unfolds in the last 15% of this book, my head was reeling. This book is marketed as a mix of hunger games and fourth wing, and I’d say it does have elements of those books but also can stand on its own. You get multiple POVs in this book, which I always love because it helps me connect to more characters. There is romance intertwined in this story, but the plot is the main focus for sure. The plot twist at the end actually made me gasp, i didn’t see that one coming!
I’m excited to see where this series will go and what Bryn will do in the next book. She was really a great FMC and I’m hoping we will get even more of some of the side characters!
Thank you to Stonefruit Studio for sending me an advanced copy!
Literally so much more unfolds in the last 15% of this book, my head was reeling. This book is marketed as a mix of hunger games and fourth wing, and I’d say it does have elements of those books but also can stand on its own. You get multiple POVs in this book, which I always love because it helps me connect to more characters. There is romance intertwined in this story, but the plot is the main focus for sure. The plot twist at the end actually made me gasp, i didn’t see that one coming!
I’m excited to see where this series will go and what Bryn will do in the next book. She was really a great FMC and I’m hoping we will get even more of some of the side characters!
Thank you to Stonefruit Studio for sending me an advanced copy!
August 20, 2026
2.75 stars. This is book 1 in a YA dystopian romantasy trilogy that has a really interesting premise in which your birth order determines the role you play in society. The book takes place in the context of two warring nations and is filled with corruption, politics, and hidden agendas. All of that is good and dandy but I had quite a few issues with the execution here.
Firstly, this should not be considered a YA novel because there are some very explicit, very open door scenes. (Though the writing style was definitely YA so that didn’t really make for a great combo).
Secondly, I really struggled with the writing it felt quite underdeveloped. The characters all fell flat and it was difficult to pinpoint where their motivations were coming from. Because of this, much of their actions and emotions felt forced and lacked believability. The world building and magic system also felt clunky and wasn’t that intriguing in my opinion. The plot twists were decent enough but the ending felt rushed and didn’t keep me hooked enough to want to continue the series.
Overall, this story had a great premise but turned out to be a missed opportunity.
Firstly, this should not be considered a YA novel because there are some very explicit, very open door scenes. (Though the writing style was definitely YA so that didn’t really make for a great combo).
Secondly, I really struggled with the writing it felt quite underdeveloped. The characters all fell flat and it was difficult to pinpoint where their motivations were coming from. Because of this, much of their actions and emotions felt forced and lacked believability. The world building and magic system also felt clunky and wasn’t that intriguing in my opinion. The plot twists were decent enough but the ending felt rushed and didn’t keep me hooked enough to want to continue the series.
Overall, this story had a great premise but turned out to be a missed opportunity.
August 23, 2026
2.5 rounded down for Goodreads and Netgalley.
I have a few issues with this book.
I’ll start with what I did like: the dystopian plot was relatively engaging and so was the world-building. Ultimately, it was overshadowed by what I didn’t like.
The characters were not fleshed out at all. Even Bryn, who seemed to be the main character, was one-dimensional. Her siblings were not well-developed either, and the other characters lacked depth as well. Also, I found it weird to have one point of view in the first person narrative and all the other ones in third person. Some « reveals » about these characters were painfully predictable, and there were too many tropes used. There was ongoing misogyny in this book, and it bothered me quite a lot (as it should). Male characters were powerful and celebrated while female characters were shamed and insulted. The whole romance plot was the main issue here. First of all, this was absolutely not a young adult novel. It’s completely wrong to sell this as a YA book considering its content. This is a new adult romantasy book. It was insta-lusty and contained explicit sexual content. The language was also sometimes quite vulgar and topics discussed were more adult.
It will appeal to the romantasy readers who love books with more male characters than female characters and an abundance of popular tropes. I am not one of them.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
I have a few issues with this book.
I’ll start with what I did like: the dystopian plot was relatively engaging and so was the world-building. Ultimately, it was overshadowed by what I didn’t like.
The characters were not fleshed out at all. Even Bryn, who seemed to be the main character, was one-dimensional. Her siblings were not well-developed either, and the other characters lacked depth as well. Also, I found it weird to have one point of view in the first person narrative and all the other ones in third person. Some « reveals » about these characters were painfully predictable, and there were too many tropes used. There was ongoing misogyny in this book, and it bothered me quite a lot (as it should). Male characters were powerful and celebrated while female characters were shamed and insulted. The whole romance plot was the main issue here. First of all, this was absolutely not a young adult novel. It’s completely wrong to sell this as a YA book considering its content. This is a new adult romantasy book. It was insta-lusty and contained explicit sexual content. The language was also sometimes quite vulgar and topics discussed were more adult.
It will appeal to the romantasy readers who love books with more male characters than female characters and an abundance of popular tropes. I am not one of them.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
August 23, 2026
⋆˙⟡ ── ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ 3.5⭐️
𝗘𝗧𝗔: ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘓𝘊.
Shortly after finishing the ARC, I received the ALC from Netgalley! I originally intended to immersive read, but it was a privilege to get a chance to listen to this book and see how the VA (Saskia Maarleveld) performed the story and the different characters. I found myself enjoying it more on audio and would totally recommend doing an immersive read if it is in your budget/your library has both available. Where I initially found myself losing interest midway through the read, listening to it kept me engaged more the entire time. Overall, my opinion of the storyline remains the same, but it was a much more enjoyable experience listening to it the second time around.
-----------
ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊.
Dystopian is my favorite genre, so when I got approved for this arc I was amped. Birth order determines your fate? Feminine rage? Immediately count me in! The premise is great: the firstborn take up arms, the middleborn take up books, and the lastborn are just..taken. But why? That’s what Bryn, the firstborn, wants to discover as she weighs her obligation to the war effort against her moral obligation to uncover the threat against her lastborn sisters’ kidnapping. Forced in a reluctant alliance with her enemy, Bryn is faced with being labeled as a traitor as many lies and deceptions are revealed that threaten her beliefs and allegiance.
This is told through Multi POV in a unique way. We don’t necessarily jump POVs each chapter but sort of ping pong real time during major events, which is cool.
Now, I must say. This started off so good, but I started to care less and less as the story went on. It’s such a plot-forward story, which is fine, but it’s the execution that I found some issues with.
First off..dystopian it is, but the romance seems..forced. I just wasn’t buying it. It seemed convenient because of the proximity. And while not a love triangle, there’s definitely some questionable feelings and motives between more than two people. Second, the reveals were..meh. I just wasn’t excited about them; they seemed very “we need a twist.”
As a debut, the bones are there. There’s a lot of action and it’s a fun adventure. Its just seems a little messy, and I don’t think I care enough to explore where the story goes from here.
Also, this is definitely a book where following along with the map is helpful. So if you love a map, this is for you!
𝗘𝗧𝗔: ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘓𝘊.
Shortly after finishing the ARC, I received the ALC from Netgalley! I originally intended to immersive read, but it was a privilege to get a chance to listen to this book and see how the VA (Saskia Maarleveld) performed the story and the different characters. I found myself enjoying it more on audio and would totally recommend doing an immersive read if it is in your budget/your library has both available. Where I initially found myself losing interest midway through the read, listening to it kept me engaged more the entire time. Overall, my opinion of the storyline remains the same, but it was a much more enjoyable experience listening to it the second time around.
-----------
ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊.
Dystopian is my favorite genre, so when I got approved for this arc I was amped. Birth order determines your fate? Feminine rage? Immediately count me in! The premise is great: the firstborn take up arms, the middleborn take up books, and the lastborn are just..taken. But why? That’s what Bryn, the firstborn, wants to discover as she weighs her obligation to the war effort against her moral obligation to uncover the threat against her lastborn sisters’ kidnapping. Forced in a reluctant alliance with her enemy, Bryn is faced with being labeled as a traitor as many lies and deceptions are revealed that threaten her beliefs and allegiance.
This is told through Multi POV in a unique way. We don’t necessarily jump POVs each chapter but sort of ping pong real time during major events, which is cool.
Now, I must say. This started off so good, but I started to care less and less as the story went on. It’s such a plot-forward story, which is fine, but it’s the execution that I found some issues with.
First off..dystopian it is, but the romance seems..forced. I just wasn’t buying it. It seemed convenient because of the proximity. And while not a love triangle, there’s definitely some questionable feelings and motives between more than two people. Second, the reveals were..meh. I just wasn’t excited about them; they seemed very “we need a twist.”
As a debut, the bones are there. There’s a lot of action and it’s a fun adventure. Its just seems a little messy, and I don’t think I care enough to explore where the story goes from here.
Also, this is definitely a book where following along with the map is helpful. So if you love a map, this is for you!
August 23, 2026
Firstborn by M.J. Hastings
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Out: 9-1-26 with Sourcebooks Audio
The first fantasy I ever listened to was Alchemised narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, so I thought alrighttt, lemme do it again! Her voice just BELONGS in fantasy. The ability to flip between male and female characters cannot be stated enough, and she kept the pacing spot on. I did have to slow myself down to 1.3x because between the worldbuilding and the amount of notes I was taking during the first half…my brain was WORKING lol Wren has this soft, young but intelligent sound, while Brynn is much more complex and Saskia actually evolves her tone as Brynn grows. The “no…he’s a student” scene defending Acer and that ENTIRE last hour?? Whew
I originally picked this up because of Saskia and the older sister storyline, despite being SCARED of the romantasy label 😂 Okay so BOOM: magic vs. nonmagic, a toxic bomb, tracked magical bloodlines, people literally being raised to kill, and a world giving me Game of Thrones vibes with Citadels, the Vale, wolves and a Wasteland. I like the dystopian and scientific magic vibe this had! Brynn has been raised to kill, but when the Long Night finally comes, she realizes she can’t slaughter innocent people. Meanwhile, her little sister Wren is taken and Brynn basically says alright BET, I’m OMW!!
There is romance and one spicy scene, but it was well done and never took over the story. Poe was easily one of my favorites because he’s funny asf, and “Don’t cry, little dove. They killed me a long time ago” almost took me OUT. Apparently I have my first fantasy series to impatiently wait on now because THAT ENDING....smh ill be waiting!
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Out: 9-1-26 with Sourcebooks Audio
The first fantasy I ever listened to was Alchemised narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, so I thought alrighttt, lemme do it again! Her voice just BELONGS in fantasy. The ability to flip between male and female characters cannot be stated enough, and she kept the pacing spot on. I did have to slow myself down to 1.3x because between the worldbuilding and the amount of notes I was taking during the first half…my brain was WORKING lol Wren has this soft, young but intelligent sound, while Brynn is much more complex and Saskia actually evolves her tone as Brynn grows. The “no…he’s a student” scene defending Acer and that ENTIRE last hour?? Whew
I originally picked this up because of Saskia and the older sister storyline, despite being SCARED of the romantasy label 😂 Okay so BOOM: magic vs. nonmagic, a toxic bomb, tracked magical bloodlines, people literally being raised to kill, and a world giving me Game of Thrones vibes with Citadels, the Vale, wolves and a Wasteland. I like the dystopian and scientific magic vibe this had! Brynn has been raised to kill, but when the Long Night finally comes, she realizes she can’t slaughter innocent people. Meanwhile, her little sister Wren is taken and Brynn basically says alright BET, I’m OMW!!
There is romance and one spicy scene, but it was well done and never took over the story. Poe was easily one of my favorites because he’s funny asf, and “Don’t cry, little dove. They killed me a long time ago” almost took me OUT. Apparently I have my first fantasy series to impatiently wait on now because THAT ENDING....smh ill be waiting!
Did Not Finish
April 7, 2026dnf'ed (i didnt know what i was getting into until.. i started it) i dont wanna tank the review specifically because this book wasnt for me, so im not gonna rate it.
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀☼⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
⌗ ρrє-reαd ⭑.ᐟ
⤷ ᯓ im so internally grateful to have received this arc, especially with how bad my feedback ratio is right now, so safe to say im really excited! plus its a dystopian book which makes this all the more better!
𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ also like lets all take a moment for this gorgeous, stunning cover ?? 💗
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀☼⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
⌗ ρrє-reαd ⭑.ᐟ
⤷ ᯓ im so internally grateful to have received this arc, especially with how bad my feedback ratio is right now, so safe to say im really excited! plus its a dystopian book which makes this all the more better!
𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ also like lets all take a moment for this gorgeous, stunning cover ?? 💗
June 22, 2026
4.5 stars!!!💫
I had suchhh an amazing time with this one!! It had HUGE hunger game vibes which I absolutely loved and was one of the things I heard that convinced me to pick it up in the first place and I am so glad I did!!
I think that the overall pacing of this book was done super well. We were able to jump into the story rather quickly while also getting a good overview of the magic, world, and political system in the book! I also really enjoyed the multiple points of view throughout this story. I don’t typically enjoy more than two POVs, but it can work so well in a story if done right and it was handled really well in this one!!
I overall really liked all of the characters in this. They were all complex and very intriguing and by the end I had love for so many of them. Poe…I absolutely ADORE him and would have loved to read from his point of view, but I am so excited to hopefully see him again in the next book. I thought Bryn and Ash’s relationship was very sweet, although I wish we saw a bit more development. I do think that is something we will get into more in the second book maybe, which I can’t wait to see!
I reallyyyy liked seeing the way Bryn and her mindset changed/developed throughout this story! We are introduced to her as a character who doesn’t like to care about or get close to people and it was heartwarming to see the friendships she made throughout the story where she learns that sometimes caring about people can be worth it.
Now, the couple of things I will say I did not love were the love triangle and one or two of the chapters in the end. I understand that we do need to learn more about what is going on, but I don’t love when it is just all lain down simply for the sake getting all of this information to the reader. I also did not really like the whole love triangle. The one side of it I truly did not even like the character and never felt anything between them, so scenes involving him in the end just did not appeal to me.
As I said, I overall had such an amazing time with this one and am throughly impressed with this debut novel! I cannot wait for the second book!!
initial review:
4.5!! oh…i will have to gather my thoughts later
I had suchhh an amazing time with this one!! It had HUGE hunger game vibes which I absolutely loved and was one of the things I heard that convinced me to pick it up in the first place and I am so glad I did!!
I think that the overall pacing of this book was done super well. We were able to jump into the story rather quickly while also getting a good overview of the magic, world, and political system in the book! I also really enjoyed the multiple points of view throughout this story. I don’t typically enjoy more than two POVs, but it can work so well in a story if done right and it was handled really well in this one!!
I overall really liked all of the characters in this. They were all complex and very intriguing and by the end I had love for so many of them. Poe…I absolutely ADORE him and would have loved to read from his point of view, but I am so excited to hopefully see him again in the next book. I thought Bryn and Ash’s relationship was very sweet, although I wish we saw a bit more development. I do think that is something we will get into more in the second book maybe, which I can’t wait to see!
I reallyyyy liked seeing the way Bryn and her mindset changed/developed throughout this story! We are introduced to her as a character who doesn’t like to care about or get close to people and it was heartwarming to see the friendships she made throughout the story where she learns that sometimes caring about people can be worth it.
Now, the couple of things I will say I did not love were the love triangle and one or two of the chapters in the end. I understand that we do need to learn more about what is going on, but I don’t love when it is just all lain down simply for the sake getting all of this information to the reader. I also did not really like the whole love triangle. The one side of it I truly did not even like the character and never felt anything between them, so scenes involving him in the end just did not appeal to me.
As I said, I overall had such an amazing time with this one and am throughly impressed with this debut novel! I cannot wait for the second book!!
initial review:
4.5!! oh…i will have to gather my thoughts later
August 23, 2026
⭐4 🌶️1.5
I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did! This was such a unique take on dystopian. In this world your future is determined by your birth order. And magic is forbidden. Firstborns are trained as soldiers to fight a war against those who wield magic. And that's what our FMC is, a firstborn. But the real plot of this story centers around our main character, Bryn trying to rescue her sister, in this world where you are supposed to cut ties with family. She goes on this mission and risks everything just to find her.
A large chunk of this book is an adventure and I love a good adventure story! My favorite character was probably Poe, his sarcasm added some humor and lightheartedness to the serious situations they were in. The twists that were dropped at the end have me excited for book two. Overall I really enjoyed this story and this world!
If you like Dystopian with forbidden blood magic, enemies to lovers romance, adventures, a corrupt government, rebellion and plot twists then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for the eARC!
I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did! This was such a unique take on dystopian. In this world your future is determined by your birth order. And magic is forbidden. Firstborns are trained as soldiers to fight a war against those who wield magic. And that's what our FMC is, a firstborn. But the real plot of this story centers around our main character, Bryn trying to rescue her sister, in this world where you are supposed to cut ties with family. She goes on this mission and risks everything just to find her.
A large chunk of this book is an adventure and I love a good adventure story! My favorite character was probably Poe, his sarcasm added some humor and lightheartedness to the serious situations they were in. The twists that were dropped at the end have me excited for book two. Overall I really enjoyed this story and this world!
If you like Dystopian with forbidden blood magic, enemies to lovers romance, adventures, a corrupt government, rebellion and plot twists then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for the eARC!
August 22, 2026
3.5
rtc (it’ll likely be a biggiebaddie one too😭😭)
also let me preface my review my saying chapter 40 of this book was worse than chapter 55 of ignite me, and I skipped some of those pages. This brought my rating down. The author is also a mom btw so I’m kinda disappointed (this was also available for purchase at a YA book convention 🤨)
rtc (it’ll likely be a biggiebaddie one too😭😭)
also let me preface my review my saying chapter 40 of this book was worse than chapter 55 of ignite me, and I skipped some of those pages. This brought my rating down. The author is also a mom btw so I’m kinda disappointed (this was also available for purchase at a YA book convention 🤨)
June 19, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Firstborn is one of those fantasy books that slowly pulls you into its world until suddenly you're fully invested in the characters, the politics, the magic, and everyone's future. One minute you're casually reading a chapter before bed, and the next you're looking at the clock wondering who thought 2 a.m. was an acceptable time to make life choices.
One of my favorite things was the worldbuilding. The whole concept of Firstborns, Midborns, and Lastborns is incredibly well done. It's not just a title people carry around. It affects their entire lives, how they're treated, what opportunities they have, and how society functions. The more I learned about this world, the more fascinated I became.
I also really enjoyed the magic system. Instead of feeling like traditional fantasy magic with spells flying everywhere, it felt more like scientific innovation and technological advancement. Magic is used to improve and shape society, and I found that approach incredibly refreshing. Basically, if you're expecting someone to yell a spell and make a chicken explode, this isn't that kind of fantasy.
But honestly? Bryn was what made this book for me.
She has this attitude of, "I don't care if I die trying, at least I tried." Meanwhile I pull a muscle sneezing and reconsider all my life choices. Bryn is brave, stubborn, impulsive, and refuses to stand by when something feels wrong. There were so many moments where I wanted to shake her and wrap her in bubble wrap at the same time.
I know multiple POVs aren't everyone's favorite thing, but I loved them here. Getting inside different characters' heads helped me understand their motivations and made the world feel so much bigger. Every perspective brought something valuable to the story, whether it was politics, family dynamics, personal struggles, or seeing the same events through a completely different lens.
And can we talk about the romance for a second?
Because for the longest time I genuinely thought, "Okay, maybe we're not doing this." Then suddenly it was THERE and I was kicking my feet and grinning like an idiot. The romance definitely takes a back seat to the fantasy plot, but when it shows up, it does not disappoint. It's one of those romances that sneaks up behind you and says, "Surprise, you're emotionally invested now."
The ending was probably one of my favorite parts. It wraps up enough to feel satisfying while also leaving me with about a million questions. What happens next for Bryn? Her siblings? The civilians caught in the middle of everything? I need answers, M.J. Hastings. Respectfully. Immediately.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be over here waiting for the next book and pretending I'm being patient.
=> Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Reading this before release was amazing, but now I'm stuck in that awkward phase where I need everyone else to read it immediately so I can talk about it. Please hurry. I'm running out of ways to yell into the void.
Firstborn is one of those fantasy books that slowly pulls you into its world until suddenly you're fully invested in the characters, the politics, the magic, and everyone's future. One minute you're casually reading a chapter before bed, and the next you're looking at the clock wondering who thought 2 a.m. was an acceptable time to make life choices.
One of my favorite things was the worldbuilding. The whole concept of Firstborns, Midborns, and Lastborns is incredibly well done. It's not just a title people carry around. It affects their entire lives, how they're treated, what opportunities they have, and how society functions. The more I learned about this world, the more fascinated I became.
I also really enjoyed the magic system. Instead of feeling like traditional fantasy magic with spells flying everywhere, it felt more like scientific innovation and technological advancement. Magic is used to improve and shape society, and I found that approach incredibly refreshing. Basically, if you're expecting someone to yell a spell and make a chicken explode, this isn't that kind of fantasy.
But honestly? Bryn was what made this book for me.
She has this attitude of, "I don't care if I die trying, at least I tried." Meanwhile I pull a muscle sneezing and reconsider all my life choices. Bryn is brave, stubborn, impulsive, and refuses to stand by when something feels wrong. There were so many moments where I wanted to shake her and wrap her in bubble wrap at the same time.
I know multiple POVs aren't everyone's favorite thing, but I loved them here. Getting inside different characters' heads helped me understand their motivations and made the world feel so much bigger. Every perspective brought something valuable to the story, whether it was politics, family dynamics, personal struggles, or seeing the same events through a completely different lens.
And can we talk about the romance for a second?
Because for the longest time I genuinely thought, "Okay, maybe we're not doing this." Then suddenly it was THERE and I was kicking my feet and grinning like an idiot. The romance definitely takes a back seat to the fantasy plot, but when it shows up, it does not disappoint. It's one of those romances that sneaks up behind you and says, "Surprise, you're emotionally invested now."
The ending was probably one of my favorite parts. It wraps up enough to feel satisfying while also leaving me with about a million questions. What happens next for Bryn? Her siblings? The civilians caught in the middle of everything? I need answers, M.J. Hastings. Respectfully. Immediately.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be over here waiting for the next book and pretending I'm being patient.
=> Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Reading this before release was amazing, but now I'm stuck in that awkward phase where I need everyone else to read it immediately so I can talk about it. Please hurry. I'm running out of ways to yell into the void.
April 23, 2026
Bryn Ruelle is a Firstborn, trained to be the best soldier in her academy. But when her sister is taken, she ends up forming an alliance with an enemy to find her.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book, although it took me a while to get into the story. I found the first couple of chapters very info-dumpy, a problem that repeated itself towards the end when we find out the way of it all (oh, how my skin crawls when I see an "as you know..." in dialogue).
I did really like the main characters (I would have loved to get Poe's POV), and Bryn was a good heroine. I agree with others, though, that it would have been nicer to keep the same tense for all POVs. But the best part was the worldbuilding and magic system. It felt original, and I liked reading a dystopian book with something to say beyond the government=bad that we often get in YA.
The romance didn't fully convince me. I never believed Bryn and Oberst were in love-it actually felt kind of creepy to me how he seemed to be obsessed with her after treating her like shit for years lmao. And her falling for Ash was too quick for my liking. I was under the impression that they hadn't known each other for longer than a few days (sorry if it is mentioned that more time passes, it certainly doesn't read like it), and yet they go from lust to love in a few pages. I would have enjoyed it more if their love had developed after they get to Bryn's sister.
Overall, it's a really interesting foundation for a duology, and I'm excited for book 2!
3.5 stars rounded up
I really enjoyed the concept of this book, although it took me a while to get into the story. I found the first couple of chapters very info-dumpy, a problem that repeated itself towards the end when we find out the way of it all (oh, how my skin crawls when I see an "as you know..." in dialogue).
I did really like the main characters (I would have loved to get Poe's POV), and Bryn was a good heroine. I agree with others, though, that it would have been nicer to keep the same tense for all POVs. But the best part was the worldbuilding and magic system. It felt original, and I liked reading a dystopian book with something to say beyond the government=bad that we often get in YA.
The romance didn't fully convince me. I never believed Bryn and Oberst were in love-it actually felt kind of creepy to me how he seemed to be obsessed with her after treating her like shit for years lmao. And her falling for Ash was too quick for my liking. I was under the impression that they hadn't known each other for longer than a few days (sorry if it is mentioned that more time passes, it certainly doesn't read like it), and yet they go from lust to love in a few pages. I would have enjoyed it more if their love had developed after they get to Bryn's sister.
Overall, it's a really interesting foundation for a duology, and I'm excited for book 2!
3.5 stars rounded up
April 13, 2026
Dangerously addictive. I could not put this book down.
M.J. Hasting has put together a devastating debut dystopian fantasy novel. This book is fast paced with a unique social divide based on birth order. Not only that, but also a divide on what side of the land you were born on. Are you a true Dursti or an Arcanists, one who has magic in their blood? This book follows Bryn who is a Firstborn, born to fight and kill, and how far she’s willing to go for her sibling.
I loved this book. I have never had so many jaw dropping moments and tears in my eyes over a book.
This upper YA/ NA book has multi POVs, however it was not over whelming. The main POV stayed with the main character Bryn. And the character development Bryn had has to be one of my favorites. Everything she goes through and how far she pushes herself is top tier to me.
The romance felt more of a subplot to me, but I was invested in all the relationships between characters. And I’m very interested to see how these relationships grow OR change in the next book… I’m eyeing someone suspiciously.
Structure like Fourth Wing, action like the Hunger Games, and a romance like the early 2010 YA books gave us.
Five stars.
If you liked silver elite, you’re going to like this one too.
M.J. Hasting has put together a devastating debut dystopian fantasy novel. This book is fast paced with a unique social divide based on birth order. Not only that, but also a divide on what side of the land you were born on. Are you a true Dursti or an Arcanists, one who has magic in their blood? This book follows Bryn who is a Firstborn, born to fight and kill, and how far she’s willing to go for her sibling.
I loved this book. I have never had so many jaw dropping moments and tears in my eyes over a book.
This upper YA/ NA book has multi POVs, however it was not over whelming. The main POV stayed with the main character Bryn. And the character development Bryn had has to be one of my favorites. Everything she goes through and how far she pushes herself is top tier to me.
The romance felt more of a subplot to me, but I was invested in all the relationships between characters. And I’m very interested to see how these relationships grow OR change in the next book… I’m eyeing someone suspiciously.
Structure like Fourth Wing, action like the Hunger Games, and a romance like the early 2010 YA books gave us.
Five stars.
If you liked silver elite, you’re going to like this one too.
August 26, 2026
No notes.
I cannot fathom how much fun I had deep diving into this dystopian fantasy world with all of its complexity, outlawed magic, and real human moments that connected all of the dots together. M.J. knows how to write the sibling dynamic (and this is coming from a middle child of 10 billion... It’s actually like 8 or 11, I can’t keep track all the time). You have the nitty gritty fierce protection from the oldest sibling. The overlooked and resilient independence from the middle sibling. Then, you have sought after, relaxed, youngest sibling who is easily swayed. Okay, maybe that’s my own experience coming through.
I really enjoy books with multiple POVs and this book delivered on them. I loved being in the minds of other characters besides Bryn! Especially the other siblings... okay... maybe Ash and Oberst too. The world-building and pacing was perfect for a book tackling 3 genre’s (Dystopian, Fantasy and Romance) and the tension between characters was amazing. I can’t wait to read the second book!
Narration - I have never been so blown away by a narrator before. This was such an amazing listen, and it’s all thanks to Saskia Maarleveld! Thank you for bringing this story to life with so much emotion, steadiness, and everything in between.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Audio for an early copy to listen and love on. I wish I could experience it all over for the first time!
I cannot fathom how much fun I had deep diving into this dystopian fantasy world with all of its complexity, outlawed magic, and real human moments that connected all of the dots together. M.J. knows how to write the sibling dynamic (and this is coming from a middle child of 10 billion... It’s actually like 8 or 11, I can’t keep track all the time). You have the nitty gritty fierce protection from the oldest sibling. The overlooked and resilient independence from the middle sibling. Then, you have sought after, relaxed, youngest sibling who is easily swayed. Okay, maybe that’s my own experience coming through.
I really enjoy books with multiple POVs and this book delivered on them. I loved being in the minds of other characters besides Bryn! Especially the other siblings... okay... maybe Ash and Oberst too. The world-building and pacing was perfect for a book tackling 3 genre’s (Dystopian, Fantasy and Romance) and the tension between characters was amazing. I can’t wait to read the second book!
Narration - I have never been so blown away by a narrator before. This was such an amazing listen, and it’s all thanks to Saskia Maarleveld! Thank you for bringing this story to life with so much emotion, steadiness, and everything in between.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Audio for an early copy to listen and love on. I wish I could experience it all over for the first time!
July 10, 2026
high stakes feelings. i cried, but probably mostly due to my own shit. dead siblings are triggering for me. i couldn’t help but root for almost all of the characters (except the evil old ones obviously) and i am so ready for round two
bryn is such a badass. her sister is ethereal. and her brother is like a gay young sheldon just caught amidst it all. i appreciate the cast of characters—i am especially fond of Poe and Ash. I am lowkey rooting for oberst in book two, but we’ll see. Tbh, my ideal outcome is they both work out, that would be a fun twist. Not surprising but rewarding for my romance seeking heart.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are as always, my own.
bryn is such a badass. her sister is ethereal. and her brother is like a gay young sheldon just caught amidst it all. i appreciate the cast of characters—i am especially fond of Poe and Ash. I am lowkey rooting for oberst in book two, but we’ll see. Tbh, my ideal outcome is they both work out, that would be a fun twist. Not surprising but rewarding for my romance seeking heart.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are as always, my own.
April 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for the advanced reader arc in exchange for my honest review.
Bryn Ruelle is the first born, the one to take up arms. And her final test has come around called The Long Night where she must take a life. Before she goes into the trial, she is contacted about her younger sister, Wren, who’s been taken away. Put in an impossible position, Bryn finds herself working with the enemy, calling himself the Reaper. With his help, she will have to decide where her loyalties lie, and if going after her sister will determine to be successful or not.
This dystopian romance is a great concept and honestly has the making to be a good series or duology. I thought the plot was strong, there was a clear sense of direction and overarching timeline of where this book was headed. The magic system is interesting, relying on the usage of runic magic to create spells that have a cost. There is a working historical aspect and political significance to this book as well. You don’t know who the bad guy really is — and you spend a lot of time figuring it out. There are some good characters, mainly Poe is fleshed out and doesn’t really need much to determine if he’s good or bad. Bryn, Asa and Ash are all main characters who are alright, and push the story along.
Despite all the hard work and effort into making this book just packed with references, history, action, downtime, and much more — it fell sort of flat for me.t personal nitpicks are the switching from first to third person POV, I’m not a huge fan of it. The chemistry felt sort of forced and rushed into if this is a series or duology, and I’m a firm believer that less is more. If this was a standalone, it was paced decently. And the pseudo-love triangle that happens was unnecessary, you really don’t see the connection between them until the very end. I had a hard time believing that it was “love” between Bryn and Oberst. And given the relatively new bonding with Ash, I felt that she trauma bonded with one and was obsessed over by another.
I’d read the next book just to see what the author comes up with given how much was in this book. Overall, 3.25 stars.
Bryn Ruelle is the first born, the one to take up arms. And her final test has come around called The Long Night where she must take a life. Before she goes into the trial, she is contacted about her younger sister, Wren, who’s been taken away. Put in an impossible position, Bryn finds herself working with the enemy, calling himself the Reaper. With his help, she will have to decide where her loyalties lie, and if going after her sister will determine to be successful or not.
This dystopian romance is a great concept and honestly has the making to be a good series or duology. I thought the plot was strong, there was a clear sense of direction and overarching timeline of where this book was headed. The magic system is interesting, relying on the usage of runic magic to create spells that have a cost. There is a working historical aspect and political significance to this book as well. You don’t know who the bad guy really is — and you spend a lot of time figuring it out. There are some good characters, mainly Poe is fleshed out and doesn’t really need much to determine if he’s good or bad. Bryn, Asa and Ash are all main characters who are alright, and push the story along.
Despite all the hard work and effort into making this book just packed with references, history, action, downtime, and much more — it fell sort of flat for me.t personal nitpicks are the switching from first to third person POV, I’m not a huge fan of it. The chemistry felt sort of forced and rushed into if this is a series or duology, and I’m a firm believer that less is more. If this was a standalone, it was paced decently. And the pseudo-love triangle that happens was unnecessary, you really don’t see the connection between them until the very end. I had a hard time believing that it was “love” between Bryn and Oberst. And given the relatively new bonding with Ash, I felt that she trauma bonded with one and was obsessed over by another.
I’d read the next book just to see what the author comes up with given how much was in this book. Overall, 3.25 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2026
I received an ARC from Sourcebooks/Stone Fruit Books and ALC from libro.fm. This review is voluntary and all opinions given are my own.
I have so many mixed feelings when it comes to reviewing this book.
I think the author is talented and I was truly excited about the premise/blurb of this story. Dystopian is certainly having another moment, and I loved the combination of the arcane, magic, and a brutal world filled with grit. However, I ultimately failed to connect emotionally with any of the characters, and am perplexed about the YA categorization. This had adult themes, frequent explicit language, and open door spice. In my personal opinion, it would be more appropriate to consider this New Adult.
Again, I loved the creativity behind the world and premise. But I struggled with believing the motive of the FMC. Why was she SO determined to save her sister that she barely knew? WHY was she still in denial about the truth for such a long time? Her actions seemed to align with her being against leadership, but her dialogue and inner thoughts didn't feel that way? It just felt she was so incredibly stubborn without much internal struggle of her beliefs, despite evidence presented. The romance subplot felt underdeveloped as well. It felt completely out of nowhere and was very lust driven (although maybe that is pretty realistic for this age...) but it still felt like it missed a few steps for me.
I did adore the side character Poe, his comedic relief was much appreciated
I am so disappointed this did not work for me personally, but I think readers looking for dystopian fantasy with a unique premise, multi-POV, and are indifferent to romance subplot should try this. Again, my personal opinion would be this is for mature readers 18+, but the book states 16+
- First in series
-Dystopian romantic fantasy (YA)
- Multi-POV
- 1st & 3rd person
-LGBTQ side characters
-Solo narration
I have so many mixed feelings when it comes to reviewing this book.
I think the author is talented and I was truly excited about the premise/blurb of this story. Dystopian is certainly having another moment, and I loved the combination of the arcane, magic, and a brutal world filled with grit. However, I ultimately failed to connect emotionally with any of the characters, and am perplexed about the YA categorization. This had adult themes, frequent explicit language, and open door spice. In my personal opinion, it would be more appropriate to consider this New Adult.
Again, I loved the creativity behind the world and premise. But I struggled with believing the motive of the FMC. Why was she SO determined to save her sister that she barely knew? WHY was she still in denial about the truth for such a long time? Her actions seemed to align with her being against leadership, but her dialogue and inner thoughts didn't feel that way? It just felt she was so incredibly stubborn without much internal struggle of her beliefs, despite evidence presented. The romance subplot felt underdeveloped as well. It felt completely out of nowhere and was very lust driven (although maybe that is pretty realistic for this age...) but it still felt like it missed a few steps for me.
I did adore the side character Poe, his comedic relief was much appreciated
I am so disappointed this did not work for me personally, but I think readers looking for dystopian fantasy with a unique premise, multi-POV, and are indifferent to romance subplot should try this. Again, my personal opinion would be this is for mature readers 18+, but the book states 16+
- First in series
-Dystopian romantic fantasy (YA)
- Multi-POV
- 1st & 3rd person
-LGBTQ side characters
-Solo narration
August 21, 2026
Thanks so much Sourcebooks for this ALC and eARC via NetGalley! The narrator did a fantastic job portraying all the roles of these characters and bringing the story to life! I’m a firm believer that books can be political and a sucker for a good dystopian read! When I read that the first children take up arms, the second children take up books, and the third children are taken I was intrigued from the start. This was a solid ya debut! I will say I found it a little hard to keep my interest at times because I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I’d hope to, but I do hope this was just because of the build up for the rest of the series. The ending had me ready for what’s to come!
*Fav Quotes:
~“You were always the sky.”
~“I did everything wrong,”
~“To save you. It’s the choice he would have made.”
~“I’ll find you,”—“I swear it, Bryn. I’ll come back for you.”
*Fav Quotes:
~“You were always the sky.”
~“I did everything wrong,”
~“To save you. It’s the choice he would have made.”
~“I’ll find you,”—“I swear it, Bryn. I’ll come back for you.”
August 10, 2026
The indie bookstore I work for was sent this as an ARC and this is my honest opinion.
WOW!
I usually go into arc reads with relatively neutral expectations so that I’m not disappointed. That was not necessary for this book. The world building was dense but not tedious, the character development was strong but not rushed, and the story line was gripping without feeling like a rip off of anything else I’ve read.
Truly excited to read the rest of this series as it comes out.
4.75 stars.
WOW!
I usually go into arc reads with relatively neutral expectations so that I’m not disappointed. That was not necessary for this book. The world building was dense but not tedious, the character development was strong but not rushed, and the story line was gripping without feeling like a rip off of anything else I’ve read.
Truly excited to read the rest of this series as it comes out.
4.75 stars.
Did Not Finish
June 29, 2026DNF. I find that I'm having to make myself read this one and that's no fun, so I'm out. I don't connect at all with any of the characters. They all feel kind of flat. I also can't get a handle on the setting. It feels fantasy, but there's magic and technology and I just want to know more about the background. Also, the fact that this is being marketed as YA feels icky, because it really shouldn't be.
July 6, 2026
That was really good. Has a dystopian vibe and an interesting love dynamic. There’s definitely some plot twists and it ends with a cliff hanger. I feel like I wanted more of one character that I’m hoping is in the next book???
Read
June 29, 2026Thank you so much @stonefruit.books @sourcebooks and @themegjhastings for my #gifted ARC of Firstborn! ❤️🗡️📖
I truly loved this book! It’s a dystopian romantasy, and M.J. Hastings debut novel. I thought it was amazing, and I honestly couldn’t put it down.
The firstborn become soldiers, the middle child focuses on books, and the third child just disappears. Bryn is a firstborn, and the most skilled soldier at this time. She is expected to win The Long Night- a trial where killing and surviving is the number one focus- until she learns that her youngest sibling disappears. It’s then that she chooses her love for her sister, rather than her duty as a firstborn soldier, to save her sister and determine what is being hidden from them all.
This story has magic, world building, and tons of twists. I never found all of the information overpowering, and just loved the wild ride of Bryn and her family’s story.
I truly loved this book! It’s a dystopian romantasy, and M.J. Hastings debut novel. I thought it was amazing, and I honestly couldn’t put it down.
The firstborn become soldiers, the middle child focuses on books, and the third child just disappears. Bryn is a firstborn, and the most skilled soldier at this time. She is expected to win The Long Night- a trial where killing and surviving is the number one focus- until she learns that her youngest sibling disappears. It’s then that she chooses her love for her sister, rather than her duty as a firstborn soldier, to save her sister and determine what is being hidden from them all.
This story has magic, world building, and tons of twists. I never found all of the information overpowering, and just loved the wild ride of Bryn and her family’s story.
Review of advance copy
Update: I finished this book after dnfing bc I wanted to give it another chance, but my rating stands. I don’t say this lightly, but this narrative and its implications felt racist. Im only talking about the text itself, not making any claims about the author since I don’t know anything about her. This is only my opinion based on my experience reading this. But I felt very very uncomfortable.
unfortunately, Bryn became worse as a character, very hard to like. There are other things I felt were done without much thought, and so themes of race/racism, oppression, military, blood relations, eugenics, and etc aren’t handled well. I can tell the author was trying to send a message and maybe her intentions were good, but it was done with very little care.
I hate to say this, but this really truly felt like reading a white woman’s oriental fantasy of being with an ethnic man. Bryn talks down at Ash constantly, berates him, calls him a criminal even SPITS at him at some point due to a misunderstanding. I cannot explain enough why the image of a white woman spiting at a non-white man is problematic. Especially when she is written as the victim in that situation. Before that, she has thoughts about how she almost sullied herself by sleeping with him, and that mindset never confronted or challenged later on, even when she “officially” gets together with ash.
This can’t be an enemies-to-lovers story because the power dynamic never feels like it’s properly resolved. It just brushes on being an oppressed-and-oppressor dynamic.
Race aside, she is still a Firstborn, part of a class that actively oppresses and polices the Bastard class that he is a part of. She has arrested him and thrown him into prison in the past, she thought him a drug addict, she refers to him as an Arcanist and a Bastard in a derogatory way, almost slur equivalent, even in her inner monologues. And that’s fine if the text acknowledges it properly. But it never does. Bryn never apologizes or has enough self awareness to recognize how the propaganda has affected her, nor does she take the time to just listen without making it about herself somehow.
The narrative excuses all of Bryn’s past behavior without acknowledging how she’s benefited from the oppressive system, nor does she ever take responsibility for harm she’s contributed. Yes she was forced to become a soldier, but the narrative flattens the nuances it by equating it to the slavery, trafficking, and other exploitation other characters have faced. Two truths could exist at once, but the lack of care here makes the message come off as “actually, we’re ALL oppressed under the system.” Yes, but also no!! There are levels here!
She has looked down on them, has arrested them, has thought them inferior DESPITE originally being a part of it herself. And that’s fine! The disillusion arc had potential to be very fascinating. However, Bryn is constantly written the victim in this narrative, is constantly comforted and coddled, and constantly thinking of herself. She never stops to consider how the only reason she started taking a closer look at the government was because her own sister got involved. She is immediately absolved for the harm she’s contributed.
Apart from that, images of whipping, handcuffs, etc also felt so oddly prominent throughout the book. Ash literally gets his name from the word “Lashes” since the “ash” was the only parts he could sound out since he was illiterate, and we have a scene where the second love interest literally whips Bryn’s brother in front of her. The love interest who is not written as the bad guy. Overall it felt like there was some weird racial play going on here. I don’t know how to explain it. The whipping felt…so specific. Especially with the context of “I’m only doing what’s best for you.” It serves no purpose but to make us feel bad for the mc because it doesn’t even present the person doing the whipping the bad guy. He is a love interest. The man responsible for whipping her brother and all the scars on her back is a love interest.
There’s more to go into but I feel exhausted. I really don’t like to say this lightly, but this, combined with so many other elements in the book, felt racist. Perhaps not intentionally, but still. It felt tone deaf and read as a white victimhood fantasy.
And I feel like I should mention that I am the eldest daughter. I’ve felt the rage, responsibility and resentment that comes with that. I know this is all supposed to be a large portion of that book. But even then, the phenomenon of being the eldest daughter is done poorly. It’s all done poorly.
I have so much more to say. I feel like the publishers could’ve benefited from a sensitivity reader at the very least. I might go in and write a full review, but for now I’m just exhausted. As of rn I’ll keep my og review below:
—
Dnfed at 29%
I am genuinely sad that I am the first one star review for this debut novel. However, I think the author did something unforgivable.
I work at a bookstore and was grateful to get an advanced reader’s edition of Firstborn. While I didn’t finish, I took thorough notes in case I wanted to write up a staff recommendation for the customers. That being said, this review will contain spoilers and critique only in the context of the first 30% of the book. The rest I can’t speak for. So if you want nothing spoiled stop here! 🛑 ✋
I’ll start with what I liked:
- the siblings, specifically Asa since we got his pov more than Wren's. Imo Asa was a such compelling character and I genuinely felt for him. I wanted to hug him so bad, and his promise for revenge after the pyre scene (iykyk) was really really interesting. He has complex emotions and does cool nerdy stuff. I wasn’t a fan of the professor student-relationship bc of the power imbalance but that’s comparatively nothing compared to the other romance brewing 💀
Wren was also so so fun! I only got to one scene of her, but I love a good whimsical oddball character.
- The magic system! The rune system is sooo cool, especially with how it’s activated by blood. Connecting symbols through lines and containing the magic in a circle is an amazing concept. There’s also a theme of magic vs. science: there’s Arcanist magic which is bad and the Dursti Craft which is good. But what’s the difference really? The book sets up a fascinating exploration of that.
- the POVs! I’m a sucker for an ensemble cast and imo, Hastings does pov switches well.
The following are my critiques:
Bryn: I was excited to see a badass protagonist who's rough around the edges and top in her Firstborn soldier class. Mean and tough fmcs are cool to me. However as I kept reading, I couldn’t understand how Bryn was cast as the top Firstborn people bet on. She was registered 5 to 1 for most likely to kill the most bastards (the marginalized group) and surviving this hunger games-esque trail they have to go through to graduate. But there’s a disconnect for what we’re told vs. what we see. The reasons:
1: We never get a scale of how many Firstborn soldiers there are. There’s more then ten, but is she the best of 100 firstborns? 50? 20? The 5-1 odds don’t tell us anything, so it’s hard to know how impressed we should be that she’s at the top. EDIT I was wrong, there are three hundred!!! Literally says so in the first sentence. I guess then part of it is that we don’t feel that scale, especially in the long night. The scene where her and ash meet, it feels very empty despite there supposedly being 300ish firstborn soldiers on the prowl and thousands of bastards in hiding. How were they able to maintain their secrecy with no one finding out/overhearing?
2: Scale issues aside, what metric are people going off on while casting their bets? We quickly learn that Bryn secretly hasn’t killed anyone and that's treated like an irregularity, implying that other firstborns in her class have killed. So that eliminates kill count. It’s not because of her looks bc we’re told she’s “slight” and doesn’t look strong. So is it based on grades? On how many spars she's won? That was the assumption I was going on but it’s never been confirmed in the text itself. We don’t get a sense of what the firstborn training was like and so the entire foundation for the worldbuilding here feels…empty.
3: Then there’s Bryn herself. The more we follow her, the less I was convinced that she's actually the top Firstborn. It was small things at first, like her not noticing when someone was following her, and easily letting a man pin her down against her will, and etc. But what really broke the immersion was that the first time we get the opportunity to see her strength in action, to see WHY she was the one everyone betted on, we were disappointed. Tasch, a school bully, was literally about to kill her and WOULD’VE if the second male led didn’t step in and stab him in the back. I’m not saying that she should’ve been all cool and clearheaded that moment, but if we’re told she’s the best fighter, then I’m expecting her to be the best fighter. We don’t actually see her in action until over 100 pages in. There’s a major disparity between what we’re told and what we see.
And maybe this is prescriptive, but the narrative could’ve benefited from not having her be the number one. Bryn's pipeline of bastard-turned-Firstborn would’ve been enough to set her apart. But if she had to be #1, then readers are expecting to see why, to witness it for themselves rather than being told by the text.
Apart from that Bryn was…fine. There was nothing that set her apart from other fmc’s I’ve read. I liked that she cared about her siblings—there was a moment in the novel when she was about to kill a group of men but faltered when she heard they were brothers, and I loved that. But other than that…she was just fine.
Enough about that. Let’s get to the romance.
Love Interests:
1. Oberst is creepy.
Okay so let me get this straight. He’s in his late twenties (27-28) and she’s twenty? Okay. Okay, fine. This is a different world, I can suspend my disbelief and—He’s her commander?
Hm. Okayyyy. Okay. Worse but. Well, he became her commander when she was 18 so that’s—He’s known her since she was 12/13?
Someone call the police.
I kid you not, the vibes emanating from this man were DARK and not in a sexy way. He’s weirdly obsessed with Bryn for no given reason, and at one point implies his attention toward her started from the moment he saw her.
Excuse me?? And he's whipped her brother and sent her to the lashes in the past (but don’t worry guys, he didn’t do it himself he just had other other people to do it) and we’re supposed to root for him?
Weird power imbalance aside, his inner monologue was hard to get through. We get a chapter going into his backstory, and objectively it’s very sad. The part about him “being too inconsequential to bother with, not worthy of the death delivered to his family” (92) really got me. I felt bad for him in that moment.
But a character's backstory doesn't compensate for the character themselves. It’s not the way to get us to like him. Readers make judgements based on what a character does on page, how they interact with the world and the people around them. And what we see here is a man having creepy thoughts about his subordinate, with no real substance behind his yearning other than because he’s the morally gray male love interest and she’s the fmc.
Pinning her against the wall felt very violent and unnecessary, especially since he was grinning and scoffing just a page ago. Moments after this he’s says “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?” Apart from the fact that you just slammed her against the wall?? Honestly, his character felt inconsistent, making him come across as both immature and volatile.
Maybe it would be more forgivable if there was chemistry between these two, or if at least we see why they would care for each other at all. But instead we get weird dialogue and off-putting horniness. He feels like the boss who’s always asking you to come into his office, only to stare at you for an uncomfortable amount of time before finally getting to the point. And it’s always something that could’ve been an email.
2. I liked Ash a little more. My first impression was…well it was better than Oberst’s, but I’ll get to that in a second. Because I haven’t too far I am willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt with my initial thoughts because there’s a section that really intrigued me:
I LOVE this. It sets up a fascinating discussion on “othered” bodies, the why’s and how’s behind why they get hypersexualized in imperial contexts. I mean look at our world, with black women being overly sexualized, the BBD and this colonial narrative that black and brown men are these animalistic, sexual beings that white men need to beat down in order to protect their white women. There’s Othello, Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin (historically speaking, she’s dressed as a sex worker), the disposable black girlfriend trope and SO MUCH MORE. I won’t get further into all of this but when looking at colonial history, there’s a dark pattern between how “othered” bodies are regarded. In the colonizers eyes they are both “dirty” and “desirable” because they provide an escape from strict social norms that permeated Europe at the time. If you want to know more I highly recommend reading Edward Said’s Orientalism. It’s amazing.
But going back to Firstborn, at first I was annoyed that Ash was set up to be the "ethnically ambiguous (“olive-skinned”), hyper-sexualized love interest from the oppressed class", but I’m really holding on to hope that that quoted section above marks the start of a larger discussion on “othered” marginalized bodies rather than falling into the harmful stereotype itself.
Okay. Now. Speaking of othered bodies, I’m going to talk about why I stopped reading:
Vida’s death was unforgivable.
Vida is Bryn's best friend who got ousted from the Firstborn soldiers into the Bastard class because she couldn’t handle the sight of blood. She’s good at decoding runes and she is a woman of color. She’s described as having “light brown skin, dark, intelligent eyes and hair black as night” (52).
Reading that as a woc, I had to brace myself because I felt what was coming. There’s a trend in some romantasy books where the poc best friend is always killed by the fmc’s enemy: Nehemia and Adena are the first to come to mind (again, iykyk).
And of course, Vida’s no different. She doesn’t make it past 30% and we know nothing about her other than what I stated above: She was cast into the oppressed class because she couldn’t handle blood, and she died while helping Bryn decode a secret message. She was bullied and looked down upon by the other Firstborns, to the point where she couldn’t even interact with Bryn in public. And we get only two scenes with her. We don’t know her desires, her fears, how she feels about being cast out and what she plans to do moving forward. Nothing. There’s no evidence to provide they’re actually best friends.
She is not a character, she is a tool. A stepping stone for the white female lead to move ahead with her arc of saving the world or ending oppression or whatever.
And what’s worse is that she doesn’t even get the dignity of dying on page.
Vida died sometime between Bryn finding her, Bryn carrying her, and Bryn stumbling and dropping her body. There’s no final breath, no seeing the light fade from her eyes, nothing—she was alive one moment and the next she wasn’t.
But see that’s not even the worst of it.
Killing off the poc best friend? Amateur hour. However, M.J. Hastings makes the choice to have her white female lead mutilate the brown body of her best friend.
Bryn stabs Vida’s body repeatedly, violently, tearing her flesh until she is unrecognizable so that Bryn could disguise Vida’s body as her own, allowing her to fake her own death.
I don’t have the words for this. It was triggering. Vida’s body is destroyed and used as a prop by the woman who called her a friend, and no amount of tears and apologizing from Bryn could justify that. Even in death, Vida won’t be mourned as herself because all of Dursti thinks she’s Bryn as she’s being thrown into the pyre. Her death was not her own. The person who was “Vida" was erased completely.
And you might argue that these are just characters and that none of this is real, but any girl reading this who looks like Vida, who could identify herself in that brown skin and those dark eyes, would also see herself dying that same violent death. We read to escape and to live these epic lives, to fall in love and save the world, so why is it that the girls who look like us always end up a causality when we’re supposed to be living in a fantasy ?
And this is a discussion for the entire fantasy/romantasy genre as a whole, not just this book. But the only thing I can say now is that I am very disappointed. I wish the author all the best in her writing career because getting a book out there is a big deal! I just won’t be reading more in the future.
unfortunately, Bryn became worse as a character, very hard to like. There are other things I felt were done without much thought, and so themes of race/racism, oppression, military, blood relations, eugenics, and etc aren’t handled well. I can tell the author was trying to send a message and maybe her intentions were good, but it was done with very little care.
I hate to say this, but this really truly felt like reading a white woman’s oriental fantasy of being with an ethnic man. Bryn talks down at Ash constantly, berates him, calls him a criminal even SPITS at him at some point due to a misunderstanding. I cannot explain enough why the image of a white woman spiting at a non-white man is problematic. Especially when she is written as the victim in that situation. Before that, she has thoughts about how she almost sullied herself by sleeping with him, and that mindset never confronted or challenged later on, even when she “officially” gets together with ash.
This can’t be an enemies-to-lovers story because the power dynamic never feels like it’s properly resolved. It just brushes on being an oppressed-and-oppressor dynamic.
Race aside, she is still a Firstborn, part of a class that actively oppresses and polices the Bastard class that he is a part of. She has arrested him and thrown him into prison in the past, she thought him a drug addict, she refers to him as an Arcanist and a Bastard in a derogatory way, almost slur equivalent, even in her inner monologues. And that’s fine if the text acknowledges it properly. But it never does. Bryn never apologizes or has enough self awareness to recognize how the propaganda has affected her, nor does she take the time to just listen without making it about herself somehow.
The narrative excuses all of Bryn’s past behavior without acknowledging how she’s benefited from the oppressive system, nor does she ever take responsibility for harm she’s contributed. Yes she was forced to become a soldier, but the narrative flattens the nuances it by equating it to the slavery, trafficking, and other exploitation other characters have faced. Two truths could exist at once, but the lack of care here makes the message come off as “actually, we’re ALL oppressed under the system.” Yes, but also no!! There are levels here!
She has looked down on them, has arrested them, has thought them inferior DESPITE originally being a part of it herself. And that’s fine! The disillusion arc had potential to be very fascinating. However, Bryn is constantly written the victim in this narrative, is constantly comforted and coddled, and constantly thinking of herself. She never stops to consider how the only reason she started taking a closer look at the government was because her own sister got involved. She is immediately absolved for the harm she’s contributed.
Apart from that, images of whipping, handcuffs, etc also felt so oddly prominent throughout the book. Ash literally gets his name from the word “Lashes” since the “ash” was the only parts he could sound out since he was illiterate, and we have a scene where the second love interest literally whips Bryn’s brother in front of her. The love interest who is not written as the bad guy. Overall it felt like there was some weird racial play going on here. I don’t know how to explain it. The whipping felt…so specific. Especially with the context of “I’m only doing what’s best for you.” It serves no purpose but to make us feel bad for the mc because it doesn’t even present the person doing the whipping the bad guy. He is a love interest. The man responsible for whipping her brother and all the scars on her back is a love interest.
There’s more to go into but I feel exhausted. I really don’t like to say this lightly, but this, combined with so many other elements in the book, felt racist. Perhaps not intentionally, but still. It felt tone deaf and read as a white victimhood fantasy.
And I feel like I should mention that I am the eldest daughter. I’ve felt the rage, responsibility and resentment that comes with that. I know this is all supposed to be a large portion of that book. But even then, the phenomenon of being the eldest daughter is done poorly. It’s all done poorly.
I have so much more to say. I feel like the publishers could’ve benefited from a sensitivity reader at the very least. I might go in and write a full review, but for now I’m just exhausted. As of rn I’ll keep my og review below:
—
Dnfed at 29%
I am genuinely sad that I am the first one star review for this debut novel. However, I think the author did something unforgivable.
I work at a bookstore and was grateful to get an advanced reader’s edition of Firstborn. While I didn’t finish, I took thorough notes in case I wanted to write up a staff recommendation for the customers. That being said, this review will contain spoilers and critique only in the context of the first 30% of the book. The rest I can’t speak for. So if you want nothing spoiled stop here! 🛑 ✋
I’ll start with what I liked:
- the siblings, specifically Asa since we got his pov more than Wren's. Imo Asa was a such compelling character and I genuinely felt for him. I wanted to hug him so bad, and his promise for revenge after the pyre scene (iykyk) was really really interesting. He has complex emotions and does cool nerdy stuff. I wasn’t a fan of the professor student-relationship bc of the power imbalance but that’s comparatively nothing compared to the other romance brewing 💀
Wren was also so so fun! I only got to one scene of her, but I love a good whimsical oddball character.
- The magic system! The rune system is sooo cool, especially with how it’s activated by blood. Connecting symbols through lines and containing the magic in a circle is an amazing concept. There’s also a theme of magic vs. science: there’s Arcanist magic which is bad and the Dursti Craft which is good. But what’s the difference really? The book sets up a fascinating exploration of that.
- the POVs! I’m a sucker for an ensemble cast and imo, Hastings does pov switches well.
The following are my critiques:
Bryn: I was excited to see a badass protagonist who's rough around the edges and top in her Firstborn soldier class. Mean and tough fmcs are cool to me. However as I kept reading, I couldn’t understand how Bryn was cast as the top Firstborn people bet on. She was registered 5 to 1 for most likely to kill the most bastards (the marginalized group) and surviving this hunger games-esque trail they have to go through to graduate. But there’s a disconnect for what we’re told vs. what we see. The reasons:
1: We never get a scale of how many Firstborn soldiers there are. There’s more then ten, but is she the best of 100 firstborns? 50? 20? The 5-1 odds don’t tell us anything, so it’s hard to know how impressed we should be that she’s at the top. EDIT I was wrong, there are three hundred!!! Literally says so in the first sentence. I guess then part of it is that we don’t feel that scale, especially in the long night. The scene where her and ash meet, it feels very empty despite there supposedly being 300ish firstborn soldiers on the prowl and thousands of bastards in hiding. How were they able to maintain their secrecy with no one finding out/overhearing?
2: Scale issues aside, what metric are people going off on while casting their bets? We quickly learn that Bryn secretly hasn’t killed anyone and that's treated like an irregularity, implying that other firstborns in her class have killed. So that eliminates kill count. It’s not because of her looks bc we’re told she’s “slight” and doesn’t look strong. So is it based on grades? On how many spars she's won? That was the assumption I was going on but it’s never been confirmed in the text itself. We don’t get a sense of what the firstborn training was like and so the entire foundation for the worldbuilding here feels…empty.
3: Then there’s Bryn herself. The more we follow her, the less I was convinced that she's actually the top Firstborn. It was small things at first, like her not noticing when someone was following her, and easily letting a man pin her down against her will, and etc. But what really broke the immersion was that the first time we get the opportunity to see her strength in action, to see WHY she was the one everyone betted on, we were disappointed. Tasch, a school bully, was literally about to kill her and WOULD’VE if the second male led didn’t step in and stab him in the back. I’m not saying that she should’ve been all cool and clearheaded that moment, but if we’re told she’s the best fighter, then I’m expecting her to be the best fighter. We don’t actually see her in action until over 100 pages in. There’s a major disparity between what we’re told and what we see.
And maybe this is prescriptive, but the narrative could’ve benefited from not having her be the number one. Bryn's pipeline of bastard-turned-Firstborn would’ve been enough to set her apart. But if she had to be #1, then readers are expecting to see why, to witness it for themselves rather than being told by the text.
Apart from that Bryn was…fine. There was nothing that set her apart from other fmc’s I’ve read. I liked that she cared about her siblings—there was a moment in the novel when she was about to kill a group of men but faltered when she heard they were brothers, and I loved that. But other than that…she was just fine.
Enough about that. Let’s get to the romance.
Love Interests:
1. Oberst is creepy.
Okay so let me get this straight. He’s in his late twenties (27-28) and she’s twenty? Okay. Okay, fine. This is a different world, I can suspend my disbelief and—He’s her commander?
Hm. Okayyyy. Okay. Worse but. Well, he became her commander when she was 18 so that’s—He’s known her since she was 12/13?
Someone call the police.
I kid you not, the vibes emanating from this man were DARK and not in a sexy way. He’s weirdly obsessed with Bryn for no given reason, and at one point implies his attention toward her started from the moment he saw her.
“He’d watched her grow from a scrap of a girl to a woman, pushing her harder than the rest” (93).
Excuse me?? And he's whipped her brother and sent her to the lashes in the past (but don’t worry guys, he didn’t do it himself he just had other other people to do it) and we’re supposed to root for him?
Weird power imbalance aside, his inner monologue was hard to get through. We get a chapter going into his backstory, and objectively it’s very sad. The part about him “being too inconsequential to bother with, not worthy of the death delivered to his family” (92) really got me. I felt bad for him in that moment.
But a character's backstory doesn't compensate for the character themselves. It’s not the way to get us to like him. Readers make judgements based on what a character does on page, how they interact with the world and the people around them. And what we see here is a man having creepy thoughts about his subordinate, with no real substance behind his yearning other than because he’s the morally gray male love interest and she’s the fmc.
I chose my words as carefully as possible. “I really need to get to the Great Hall sir. Is it possible—"(42)
It took all of a second for Oberst to spin me around and pin me against the wall with such force that the wood behind me groaned in protest. His arms held my shoulders like a vise; I couldn’t have moved if I’d tried. “Have you taken leave of your senses, Ruelle?” Oberst asked quietly, his breath tickling my fave as he leaned toward me. “The highest honor that can be bestowed upon a soldier, and you question it..."
Pinning her against the wall felt very violent and unnecessary, especially since he was grinning and scoffing just a page ago. Moments after this he’s says “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?” Apart from the fact that you just slammed her against the wall?? Honestly, his character felt inconsistent, making him come across as both immature and volatile.
Maybe it would be more forgivable if there was chemistry between these two, or if at least we see why they would care for each other at all. But instead we get weird dialogue and off-putting horniness. He feels like the boss who’s always asking you to come into his office, only to stare at you for an uncomfortable amount of time before finally getting to the point. And it’s always something that could’ve been an email.
2. I liked Ash a little more. My first impression was…well it was better than Oberst’s, but I’ll get to that in a second. Because I haven’t too far I am willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt with my initial thoughts because there’s a section that really intrigued me:
"They say our blood is still too sullied with that of the Arcanists. To sleep with an Arcanist is to sleep with the enemy…yet those who do say the pleasure is so great, they don’t care…They say it’s why we do well in the brothels. It’s our natural calling." His expression darkened.(65)
I LOVE this. It sets up a fascinating discussion on “othered” bodies, the why’s and how’s behind why they get hypersexualized in imperial contexts. I mean look at our world, with black women being overly sexualized, the BBD and this colonial narrative that black and brown men are these animalistic, sexual beings that white men need to beat down in order to protect their white women. There’s Othello, Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin (historically speaking, she’s dressed as a sex worker), the disposable black girlfriend trope and SO MUCH MORE. I won’t get further into all of this but when looking at colonial history, there’s a dark pattern between how “othered” bodies are regarded. In the colonizers eyes they are both “dirty” and “desirable” because they provide an escape from strict social norms that permeated Europe at the time. If you want to know more I highly recommend reading Edward Said’s Orientalism. It’s amazing.
But going back to Firstborn, at first I was annoyed that Ash was set up to be the "ethnically ambiguous (“olive-skinned”), hyper-sexualized love interest from the oppressed class", but I’m really holding on to hope that that quoted section above marks the start of a larger discussion on “othered” marginalized bodies rather than falling into the harmful stereotype itself.
Okay. Now. Speaking of othered bodies, I’m going to talk about why I stopped reading:
Vida’s death was unforgivable.
Vida is Bryn's best friend who got ousted from the Firstborn soldiers into the Bastard class because she couldn’t handle the sight of blood. She’s good at decoding runes and she is a woman of color. She’s described as having “light brown skin, dark, intelligent eyes and hair black as night” (52).
Reading that as a woc, I had to brace myself because I felt what was coming. There’s a trend in some romantasy books where the poc best friend is always killed by the fmc’s enemy: Nehemia and Adena are the first to come to mind (again, iykyk).
And of course, Vida’s no different. She doesn’t make it past 30% and we know nothing about her other than what I stated above: She was cast into the oppressed class because she couldn’t handle blood, and she died while helping Bryn decode a secret message. She was bullied and looked down upon by the other Firstborns, to the point where she couldn’t even interact with Bryn in public. And we get only two scenes with her. We don’t know her desires, her fears, how she feels about being cast out and what she plans to do moving forward. Nothing. There’s no evidence to provide they’re actually best friends.
She is not a character, she is a tool. A stepping stone for the white female lead to move ahead with her arc of saving the world or ending oppression or whatever.
And what’s worse is that she doesn’t even get the dignity of dying on page.
And I didn’t need to feel the dead pulse beneath her neck to know that whatever lived within Vida had slipped away while I ran(103)
Vida died sometime between Bryn finding her, Bryn carrying her, and Bryn stumbling and dropping her body. There’s no final breath, no seeing the light fade from her eyes, nothing—she was alive one moment and the next she wasn’t.
But see that’s not even the worst of it.
Killing off the poc best friend? Amateur hour. However, M.J. Hastings makes the choice to have her white female lead mutilate the brown body of her best friend.
Bryn stabs Vida’s body repeatedly, violently, tearing her flesh until she is unrecognizable so that Bryn could disguise Vida’s body as her own, allowing her to fake her own death.
I don’t have the words for this. It was triggering. Vida’s body is destroyed and used as a prop by the woman who called her a friend, and no amount of tears and apologizing from Bryn could justify that. Even in death, Vida won’t be mourned as herself because all of Dursti thinks she’s Bryn as she’s being thrown into the pyre. Her death was not her own. The person who was “Vida" was erased completely.
And you might argue that these are just characters and that none of this is real, but any girl reading this who looks like Vida, who could identify herself in that brown skin and those dark eyes, would also see herself dying that same violent death. We read to escape and to live these epic lives, to fall in love and save the world, so why is it that the girls who look like us always end up a causality when we’re supposed to be living in a fantasy ?
And this is a discussion for the entire fantasy/romantasy genre as a whole, not just this book. But the only thing I can say now is that I am very disappointed. I wish the author all the best in her writing career because getting a book out there is a big deal! I just won’t be reading more in the future.
Read
April 25, 2026Calling it at 18%. DNF.
I’ve been trying for a week to get into this and enjoy it and I just don’t. It’s marketed as being perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing, both books I love and both books I didn’t struggle at all with.
There is so much explanation of a very complicated world that really doesn’t make sense it’s like one big info dump, not to mention the cringey dialogue. I’m sure it gets better based on other reviews but I can’t do it any longer. — especially for such a long book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
I’ve been trying for a week to get into this and enjoy it and I just don’t. It’s marketed as being perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing, both books I love and both books I didn’t struggle at all with.
There is so much explanation of a very complicated world that really doesn’t make sense it’s like one big info dump, not to mention the cringey dialogue. I’m sure it gets better based on other reviews but I can’t do it any longer. — especially for such a long book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of Firstborn. I’m not okay and I already need the next book 😭🔥
I absolutely devoured this. The last half, especially the ending, had me genuinely spiraling. There were so many holy crap moments and twists I did not see coming at all. I was completely hooked and could not put it down.
The world-building is immersive and detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, and the magic system is so interesting and well done. I really loved that this is a plot-first, romance-second kind of story. There is a love triangle, but it’s subtle and adds to the tension rather than taking over, which I appreciated so much.
The tension? Incredible. The betrayal? Painful. The stakes? So high I was stressed the entire time (in the best way). Everything just works together so well. And Poe, I loved him. Such a standout character with so much personality.
And that ending… I’m still recovering. I need book two immediately.
If you’re into high-stakes dystopian worlds, messy tension, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and twists that will leave you reeling… this one’s for you.
I absolutely devoured this. The last half, especially the ending, had me genuinely spiraling. There were so many holy crap moments and twists I did not see coming at all. I was completely hooked and could not put it down.
The world-building is immersive and detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, and the magic system is so interesting and well done. I really loved that this is a plot-first, romance-second kind of story. There is a love triangle, but it’s subtle and adds to the tension rather than taking over, which I appreciated so much.
The tension? Incredible. The betrayal? Painful. The stakes? So high I was stressed the entire time (in the best way). Everything just works together so well. And Poe, I loved him. Such a standout character with so much personality.
And that ending… I’m still recovering. I need book two immediately.
If you’re into high-stakes dystopian worlds, messy tension, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and twists that will leave you reeling… this one’s for you.
April 28, 2026
I enjoyed getting the ARC for this book at book con! I will say this followed your standard romantasy plot but I somehow didn’t connect with the characters and romance as much, I was more invested in the world building but even that felt slightly confusing at times to keep track of. I enjoyed the sibling dynamics a lot, oberst character complexity and the few plots twists! A fun read for lovers of romantasy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve been waffling on what to rate this, but I’ve decided I’m giving it 3.75 stars.
Chapter One is a bit rough with the absolute avalanche of info dumping we get buried in. It felt like *she takes a step, looks at Character B* - insert whole backstory of who this is and what happened when she was five with this person - *takes another step, sees the guards* -goes into the political machinations of their country’s government - *turns slightly* - here’s another two characters with a whole page dedicated to each - at this point, you’re 20 pages deep and she’s taken two whole steps. I understand it’s a new world we need to learn, but I felt this could have been paired down considerably into “need to know” only, especially for the first chapter. This is where you potentially lose readers if they don’t wanna stick around to see if it pays off.
Once I was past chapter one, the pacing increases and I was hooked. So much so I looked down and realized I was almost 20% of the way through already once I decided to take a break.
I absolutely LOVED the premise of this, having your life determined by your birth order. A government that’s hiding the truth from its citizens and doing its best to rewrite history and brainwash the populace. The deconstruction the FMC goes through as she discovers more and more of the truth. It felt very fitting in today’s world. I can see where the correlation to The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing comes in, but by using those as comp titles I was expecting a heavier focus on The Long Night / caste system dynamics and less of a traipse-across-the-country style quest, if that makes sense.
The ending is where this really started losing stars for me. I wanted *more*. More explanation for the magic system (it started to feel very much like magic was being used as a crutch, the easy way out for our characters). I was starting to get confused - feeling bogged down by going what felt like going a little too deep into the political side of things but at the same time still not 100% understanding it all. Feeling a sharp disconnect with the whole Oberst as a love interest (is this because we don’t get as much time with him? It felt really out of left field. I wasn’t buying their romance at all). If this had a stronger ending I truly think it would have easily been a 5 star read.
That being said, as a debut, I thought this was great. It has me interested to know what happens next and I absolutely will be keeping my eyes peeled for book two.
Last but not least:
I don’t think this should be shelved as YA. Our main character is in her twenties. She’s not going through a “coming of age” cycle. She’s definitely a New Adult coming to terms with the reality of how the world works (that rose colored veil is being ripped away). There’s an open door spicy scene. Although there *is* romance, it’s not the main focus on the book - the politics are, which also makes me question the Romantasy tag. Granted, I don’t know what the plans are for the following books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for sending me this ARC! I am immensely grateful!
Chapter One is a bit rough with the absolute avalanche of info dumping we get buried in. It felt like *she takes a step, looks at Character B* - insert whole backstory of who this is and what happened when she was five with this person - *takes another step, sees the guards* -goes into the political machinations of their country’s government - *turns slightly* - here’s another two characters with a whole page dedicated to each - at this point, you’re 20 pages deep and she’s taken two whole steps. I understand it’s a new world we need to learn, but I felt this could have been paired down considerably into “need to know” only, especially for the first chapter. This is where you potentially lose readers if they don’t wanna stick around to see if it pays off.
Once I was past chapter one, the pacing increases and I was hooked. So much so I looked down and realized I was almost 20% of the way through already once I decided to take a break.
I absolutely LOVED the premise of this, having your life determined by your birth order. A government that’s hiding the truth from its citizens and doing its best to rewrite history and brainwash the populace. The deconstruction the FMC goes through as she discovers more and more of the truth. It felt very fitting in today’s world. I can see where the correlation to The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing comes in, but by using those as comp titles I was expecting a heavier focus on The Long Night / caste system dynamics and less of a traipse-across-the-country style quest, if that makes sense.
The ending is where this really started losing stars for me. I wanted *more*. More explanation for the magic system (it started to feel very much like magic was being used as a crutch, the easy way out for our characters). I was starting to get confused - feeling bogged down by going what felt like going a little too deep into the political side of things but at the same time still not 100% understanding it all. Feeling a sharp disconnect with the whole Oberst as a love interest (is this because we don’t get as much time with him? It felt really out of left field. I wasn’t buying their romance at all). If this had a stronger ending I truly think it would have easily been a 5 star read.
That being said, as a debut, I thought this was great. It has me interested to know what happens next and I absolutely will be keeping my eyes peeled for book two.
Last but not least:
I don’t think this should be shelved as YA. Our main character is in her twenties. She’s not going through a “coming of age” cycle. She’s definitely a New Adult coming to terms with the reality of how the world works (that rose colored veil is being ripped away). There’s an open door spicy scene. Although there *is* romance, it’s not the main focus on the book - the politics are, which also makes me question the Romantasy tag. Granted, I don’t know what the plans are for the following books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Stonefruit Studio for sending me this ARC! I am immensely grateful!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love Saska Maarleveld, and her narration likely helped this book quite a lot, but this story is an under-edited mess. It's your generic dystopia with a segregated society for ambiguous reasons following a way-too-recent war for everyone to be this fanatical. In this way, the Fourth Wing comp makes sense.
The main problem is I never got a good sense for any of the characters or the world. Characters would be described as cruel or with cruel expressions one moment and then a few scenes later, described as too kind or heroic. They all changed to whatever they needed to be in that scene, in that moment, and it meant that none of them really made any impact because even the most basic foundation would be switched just a few pages later.
The world doesn't make sense either - I have no grasp of what sort of world this is, what sort of technology they've got, what sort of norms we're working with. They eschew magic, but technology seems to work on runes (but there's still sweat-wicking fabrics, sports bras, and regular bras, but also large military capes and cloaks). There's a focus on knives, but then halfway through someone mentions being scared of the sound of bullets and suddenly there's guns. But only used by the protagonists - there's a line that says the arcanists have no need for guns, but with zero followup or explanation why (or why if they have no need for guns and don't seem concerned about other people having them why.......they're used at all). There are cars but everywhere also seems within a close enough distance to walk, which then brings into question how big either of these countries are. Durst (sp?) seems to consist of one city, a military outpost, an "Oval" of indeterminate size where the "bastard-born" are kept and worked as slaves (again, apparently the war was less than 20 years ago), and whatever the hell "the wastes" are. Oh, and enough space for a hidden encampment as well.
My biggest problem is perhaps how much I don't believe in the main conceit of the story - that they've somehow finagled it so that people only procreate three times, that this is normalized enough, that they've codified that firstborn are more athletic, secondborn smarter, and lastborn (because remember, no one has more than three kids) are a big question mark. Again, 20 years. Less than a generation. THEN, how it fits into the seemingly queer-normative world Hastings suggests, except we never see anyone trans or non-binary, or even hint at how that might be enforced in a forced-birth society. THEN there's the idea that there's just. Brothels. A whole district of them, and again, no indication as to how population control is enforced - this would've been a great avenue to showcase how governments can't be trusted! How things are unfair! Nope. Even when we start to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, the villains take a moment, literally unprovoked and thinking they're unobserved, TO MONOLOGUE EXPOSITION AS TO THEIR DOINGS THE PAST TEN YEARS.
The "romance" is potentially even worse, absolutely underdeveloped and weirdly forced into a triangle for no reason I can see other than I guess people thing romantasy needs a love triangle.
The main problem is I never got a good sense for any of the characters or the world. Characters would be described as cruel or with cruel expressions one moment and then a few scenes later, described as too kind or heroic. They all changed to whatever they needed to be in that scene, in that moment, and it meant that none of them really made any impact because even the most basic foundation would be switched just a few pages later.
The world doesn't make sense either - I have no grasp of what sort of world this is, what sort of technology they've got, what sort of norms we're working with. They eschew magic, but technology seems to work on runes (but there's still sweat-wicking fabrics, sports bras, and regular bras, but also large military capes and cloaks). There's a focus on knives, but then halfway through someone mentions being scared of the sound of bullets and suddenly there's guns. But only used by the protagonists - there's a line that says the arcanists have no need for guns, but with zero followup or explanation why (or why if they have no need for guns and don't seem concerned about other people having them why.......they're used at all). There are cars but everywhere also seems within a close enough distance to walk, which then brings into question how big either of these countries are. Durst (sp?) seems to consist of one city, a military outpost, an "Oval" of indeterminate size where the "bastard-born" are kept and worked as slaves (again, apparently the war was less than 20 years ago), and whatever the hell "the wastes" are. Oh, and enough space for a hidden encampment as well.
My biggest problem is perhaps how much I don't believe in the main conceit of the story - that they've somehow finagled it so that people only procreate three times, that this is normalized enough, that they've codified that firstborn are more athletic, secondborn smarter, and lastborn (because remember, no one has more than three kids) are a big question mark. Again, 20 years. Less than a generation. THEN, how it fits into the seemingly queer-normative world Hastings suggests, except we never see anyone trans or non-binary, or even hint at how that might be enforced in a forced-birth society. THEN there's the idea that there's just. Brothels. A whole district of them, and again, no indication as to how population control is enforced - this would've been a great avenue to showcase how governments can't be trusted! How things are unfair! Nope. Even when we start to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, the villains take a moment, literally unprovoked and thinking they're unobserved, TO MONOLOGUE EXPOSITION AS TO THEIR DOINGS THE PAST TEN YEARS.
The "romance" is potentially even worse, absolutely underdeveloped and weirdly forced into a triangle for no reason I can see other than I guess people thing romantasy needs a love triangle.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was overwhelming in a good way. I had to catch my breath
🩸morally grey mc
🗡️ enemies to lovers
🩸forced proximity
🗡️all your life is a lie
🩸high stakes plot
🗡️runic magic
Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐
Pacing: Medium/Slow
Character Development: 3/5
Heat Level: 4/5
Pov: Four (1st and 3rd)
Firstborn become soldiers. Midborn become academics. Lastborn are taken.
Bryn Ruelle is a Firstborn. She's been trained her whole life to be the best soldier and fight against the enemy, the Arcanists, who are born with magic. The Long Night is the last trial she has to go through before choosing a post and be free... or that is what she believes.
It is a dystopian story for sure, but nothing alike THG and FW. Of the former it only has the Long Night, maybe, and the latter that the mc is attending an academy that could seem like the one in FW. But in my opinion it is different and well, perhaps those who liked those titles will like this one too.
This book had four main povs, but the main was Bryn's. Bryn is 20, she was taken from her mother when she was just a child to be trained to become the best soldier in Durst, and she is one of the best fighters. This in spite of not feeling completely at home in Durst, of not thinking there is anyone who cares about her, and that loneliness is best. She's learned early that you can't trust anyone but as her journey takes off, she learns that everything she's believed about herself, her blood, the people around her, is a lie.
Bryn was a morally grey heroine and most times, what she did contrasted with how she acted. She was manipulated her whole life and trusting others comes hard to her. I liked her but at the same time I rolled my eyes when she was being stubborn, but that's to be expected. I liked that her journey was steady and that her character was forced to rethink about her choices and beliefs gradually.
We also had other povs and I liked Asa's too. He is Bryn's brother and he's an academic, and he's also helping Durst with their advanced rune magic powered technology and inventions.
I also liked Ash and Poe, this one was really funny and made the tense mood of this book more light.
It didn't take me long to be addicted to this. It is well written and it has a serrated pace, you can't help but want to find out what happens next. While this was good and kept me on my toes, sometimes I needed a break because it was too overwhelming, but not in a bad way. I want to know how it ends for sure!
What I didn't like that much was the romance subplot. I won't say who are the ones involved since this is marketed as a triangle. We never truly 'see' the triangle but after the midpoint and the ending it becomes apparent who are the ones involved. I think Bryn and her love interest #1 grew close too quickly for my taste, especially considering she was so sus of this character and it took her time before trusting him. So I hope that we also see more development on that side.
Thanks to the editor and NetGalley for an arc! Opinions are mine.
🩸morally grey mc
🗡️ enemies to lovers
🩸forced proximity
🗡️all your life is a lie
🩸high stakes plot
🗡️runic magic
Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐
Pacing: Medium/Slow
Character Development: 3/5
Heat Level: 4/5
Pov: Four (1st and 3rd)
Firstborn become soldiers. Midborn become academics. Lastborn are taken.
Bryn Ruelle is a Firstborn. She's been trained her whole life to be the best soldier and fight against the enemy, the Arcanists, who are born with magic. The Long Night is the last trial she has to go through before choosing a post and be free... or that is what she believes.
It is a dystopian story for sure, but nothing alike THG and FW. Of the former it only has the Long Night, maybe, and the latter that the mc is attending an academy that could seem like the one in FW. But in my opinion it is different and well, perhaps those who liked those titles will like this one too.
This book had four main povs, but the main was Bryn's. Bryn is 20, she was taken from her mother when she was just a child to be trained to become the best soldier in Durst, and she is one of the best fighters. This in spite of not feeling completely at home in Durst, of not thinking there is anyone who cares about her, and that loneliness is best. She's learned early that you can't trust anyone but as her journey takes off, she learns that everything she's believed about herself, her blood, the people around her, is a lie.
Bryn was a morally grey heroine and most times, what she did contrasted with how she acted. She was manipulated her whole life and trusting others comes hard to her. I liked her but at the same time I rolled my eyes when she was being stubborn, but that's to be expected. I liked that her journey was steady and that her character was forced to rethink about her choices and beliefs gradually.
We also had other povs and I liked Asa's too. He is Bryn's brother and he's an academic, and he's also helping Durst with their advanced rune magic powered technology and inventions.
I also liked Ash and Poe, this one was really funny and made the tense mood of this book more light.
It didn't take me long to be addicted to this. It is well written and it has a serrated pace, you can't help but want to find out what happens next. While this was good and kept me on my toes, sometimes I needed a break because it was too overwhelming, but not in a bad way. I want to know how it ends for sure!
What I didn't like that much was the romance subplot. I won't say who are the ones involved since this is marketed as a triangle. We never truly 'see' the triangle but after the midpoint and the ending it becomes apparent who are the ones involved. I think Bryn and her love interest #1 grew close too quickly for my taste, especially considering she was so sus of this character and it took her time before trusting him. So I hope that we also see more development on that side.
Thanks to the editor and NetGalley for an arc! Opinions are mine.
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