Ballad of a Renegade

by Leah Larke

Following the Clovian Revolutionary War, Cyra lives in secret among her former enemies, far from the kingdom that thinks her dead and the deeds that made her either a hero or a villain, depending who you ask.

For four years, Cyra enjoys her mundane small-town life within the newly-independent Clovia. She locks away her memories of the war, and the scars they left on her soul, finding solace in running a saloon and bonding with the locals. If anyone finds out she’s a magic-wielding Syphon, an infamous Castorian ranger who fought against their independence, they’d put a bullet in her head.

When someone from her past—Finn, the man who broke her heart—upends everything, Cyra must confront the life she left behind, and embark on a journey into her past that begins at the famous Wyndfyre Academy, the most prestigious magic school for Syphons in the Kingdom of Castoria.

Ballad of a Renegade follows Cyra across two interwoven timelines, tied together with second-chance romance and wrapped in themes of nostalgia and loss of innocence, as our heroine reflects on her past in school, and faces a future scarred by a war in which she was far from a bystander.

Perfect for audiences who love a complex heroine, magic versus changing technology in an Old West/Late Victorian inspired world, fast-paced action, forced proximity, and plenty of spice.

559 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 13, 2026

Reviews

[Mae]

Ballad of a Renegade is a slow burn second chance romance that follows the story of Cyra Byrogan after the end of the Clovian Revolutionary War. For four years after the war ended, Cyra had been living under the guise of Nyssa in a small town in Clovia. Life was peaceful until Finn, the boy that she once loved, careen back into her life and ripped her out of it. Ballad of a Renegade follows Cyra’s life between her past as a student at Wyndfyre Academy, and her present. With Finn back in her life, Cyra must confront the life that she left behind, and forge ahead into a future scarred by war.

I really love that the book follows two timelines in Cyra’s life. By reading about her past, I gained more insight into Cyra’s life as a student, and it helped me understand her character more and her ambitions. I would say that the past timeline is my favourite part of the book, as I got to meet different characters in Cyra’s life. Reading about Cyra and her friends through Wynfyre Academy and up to their lives during specialty training was a really fun journey. Though the side characters did not really show up in the present timeline, I am hoping that we will get to see more of them in the second book.

As for the current timeline, I felt like the start was a little bit slow, but the plot definitely progressed as the story goes on, it wasn’t long before I was hooked onto the story. The plot of the book is amazing, and as the story goes on, I got to see the person that Cyra became after the war, and I got to understand her choice of staying back in Clovia better. I love the tension between Finn and Cyra and I am really excited to see how their story will continue in the second book.

Overall, I was pretty hooked the whole way through the book. I love the world building and the setting of the story, and I would definitely love to continue reading the series😍

Thank you author Leah Larke for the ARC🫶🏻

[Alyssa]

Leah was generous enough to let me ARC read Ballad of a Renegade.

I DNF at 68% but skimmed a bit further to 80%

I want to say a few things up front. Please do not be discouraged by my DNF status. I am just one gal.

BoaR takes place in a beautifully, meticulously created world set forth by Leah. The main characters are intriguing, and the relationships (friendships and beyond) are interesting and feel genuine. I truly believe this is a great book that others will enjoy. I just don't think it hit the spots I was hoping it would.

The world was mentioned to have a Wild West vibe. Full transparency - that does not come across on the pages. Cyra works in a saloon, but I feel that is pretty much where the Wild West vibes stop.

Spoilers below this point.

The storyline in the past (starting 14 years prior) builds a lot of story through their time in the academy. I understand the importance of the backstory. But once it is revealed that Finn left because of Cyra's mother, then it felt like the past storyline was not nearly as important. Once that large of the puzzle comes together, I unfortunately stopped caring too much about the past. As soon as I felt like we would get some long-term Cyra and Finn in the present tense (even though they are enemies) they get derailed and split. And I think that is where I just kind of felt there wasn't a ton of payoff before those events to split them again.

I want to close by reiterating that Leah has done a fantastic job at creating this world and the characters. Be prepared for a slow lovers to enemies to lovers burn. Very world- and plot-building heavy. Which is good! Just don't think it landed with what I was hoping for currently.

Please give BoaR a read, and Leah a follow because I truly believe it's a great book, just not what I needed at this moment.

[Jennifer]

Do you love slow burn? World building? A strong bada$$ FMC? How about a unique magics system?

If yes, add this to your TBR.

Doing my best to have 0 SPOILERS.

I didn’t know much of what I was picking up until I started in on the first chapter. Meeting the FMC on a battlefield, clued me in to the fact it was going to be a rough road for our gal. She is tough, and fought for every chance of happiness she gets despite what is put in her path. The author pulls you in and makes you feel haunted, and hunted with FMC. As the book progresses, you get tiny reveals of the past in the form of a dual timeline perspective. When this happens it reads like flashbacks and you are inside her mind as they occur. Her emotional depth expands as you age with her, and her interactions with the MMC has the innocence of young love turned sour with age and time.

The magic system is unique compared to many other Romantasy series and based on innate and crystals focusing power. The setting feels old west and a touch steampunk. While many parts of Romantasy are expected to progress a certain way, this book keeps you thinking and by the end you are still unsettled and just need more!

Another point I loved, is this FMC feels more real than most. She is around 30 during the main timeline and has actually lived. She isn’t “untouched” and has a past, both socially and professionally.

I’m dying to get my hands on the next book.

5⭐️2.5🌶️.

Tropes
Second chance
Magics
Bada$$ FMC
Dual timelines
Slow burn
High stakes trials
Hidden identities
Multiple love interests



Some triggers are present. Please protect your mental health and check before reading if needed.

I did receive this as an ARC. Aside from the pleasure of getting to read this book, I receive no other compensation for my review.

[Rachel Potts]

*Zero Spoilers*

I loved this book so much! First of all, you can tell pretty quickly that Cyra is a baddie, and we LOVE a baddie. 😂 But I feel like it's actually pretty rare to find a female character who is unapologetically badass without also being annoying. Cyra absolutely nailed it for me. I loved her!

There were moments in this book when I swear I was reading as fast as my eyes could keep up because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next. If I had been reading out loud, I probably would have sounded like I was auctioning something off. 😂 That's how invested I was!

I also really appreciated the world Leah built. It was interesting without being so complicated that I felt like I needed to take notes just to keep up. Sometimes fantasy books throw so much information at you that you just have to go with the flow and hope you figure it out eventually. I never really felt that way with this one, and I loved being able to stay immersed in the story without getting lost in the worldbuilding.

I don't normally write this much in my reviews, and honestly, I consider myself a pretty simple chick. 😂 But this book was SO for me. It pulled me in, kept me invested, and left me wanting more. I'm so thrilled there will be more books because I'm not ready to be done with this story!

I'm so glad I got the chance to read this as an ARC reader. If you love a badass female lead and a story that keeps you turning pages, definitely give this one a try!

[Yadi]

I received this as an arc from the author. No Spoilers.

This is a slow burn romance and has amazing world building. This is not a fast paced love story.

I felt that this book is a brilliant, fresh addition to the romantasy genre. The blend of a Old West aesthetic with a magical world creates a stunning, immersive atmosphere. The story is told through a single POV across two timelines, the pacing is excellent and keeps you hooked. The mystery of the past unravels perfectly alongside a romance that delivers fantastic tension and a satisfying medium spice level. We are left with the unknown of what is going to happen next and where everyone has ended up. If you love atmospheric fantasy, dual-timeline tension, and compelling characters, add this to your TBR immediately!

[Kathryne Moniz]

I read this as an ARC and wasn’t sure what to expect. The story was very enjoyable and I really liked the way it was told from both the past and present perspectives, like peeling back a layer each time to better understand Cyra and how she got to where she is. The magic system was simple and understandable and I loved the larger political landscape between Castoria and Clovia and the conflict. I also loved the relationships and complexity of those who were Clovian born. I have many many questions about other characters and things that happened which I am sure will be addressed in a second book if that’s the plan. Needless to say, I’m hooked!

Kat Moniz

[Kayla Ricard]

I don’t know what I was expecting going into this book. It has been SO long since I have been fully engaged in a book and staying up late just to read more. The love story between Finn and Cyra was SOOOO special. I am absolutely dying to know what happened with Aedin, and Kasian! I cannot wait to read the next book!!