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On Daughter’s Heart
A dragon has gone mad.
The floating kingdom of Azuraton is under attack.
Robyn Raverie has been drafted to climb the infamous Paradise Root, an ancient plant that shoots to the sky. She and hundreds of men will risk their lives to save Azuraton. But Robyn is a woman, born in the wrong body, forced to live her life as a man to all but her sister, Jacsynn.
Jacsynn Raverie is to be married. The future laid out before her is bleak and hopeless, especially if Robyn leaves for Azuraton.
So, she cuts her hair, steals Robyn’s clothes, and runs away to take her place. Now, with no other choice, Robyn must sail across the sea to find a wish-granting mirror.
Jacsynn trains amongst hundreds of men, trying to get by and remain unnoticed, but she cannot seem to hide for long. Climbing Paradise Root should be an it is a man’s destiny, after all, for all women perish on Paradise Root.
One sister sails with deadly pirates. One sister prepares for an impossible climb. Both hide their identities, and both will uncover ancient secrets that will change the world as they know it.
The floating kingdom of Azuraton is under attack.
Robyn Raverie has been drafted to climb the infamous Paradise Root, an ancient plant that shoots to the sky. She and hundreds of men will risk their lives to save Azuraton. But Robyn is a woman, born in the wrong body, forced to live her life as a man to all but her sister, Jacsynn.
Jacsynn Raverie is to be married. The future laid out before her is bleak and hopeless, especially if Robyn leaves for Azuraton.
So, she cuts her hair, steals Robyn’s clothes, and runs away to take her place. Now, with no other choice, Robyn must sail across the sea to find a wish-granting mirror.
Jacsynn trains amongst hundreds of men, trying to get by and remain unnoticed, but she cannot seem to hide for long. Climbing Paradise Root should be an it is a man’s destiny, after all, for all women perish on Paradise Root.
One sister sails with deadly pirates. One sister prepares for an impossible climb. Both hide their identities, and both will uncover ancient secrets that will change the world as they know it.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 29, 2026
Thank you Molly for giving me access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I want to preface this by saying everything I say in this review comes from a place of love and the utmost respect.
It is not a censure of the author, but about what concerns & views my literary and critical analyses of the book have produced.
I almost did not write this, nor rate this, because it's just a very uncomfortable situation. Ultimately, I am doing this to make it clear that cultural accuracy is imperative, especially when writing about cultures that aren't yours.
LACK OF CULTURAL CONTEXT
The character art being used to market the book shows 3 visibly East Asian characters. There was no indication of that being the case in the book. We don't get cuisine, clothing, descriptive settings, or language that is in alignment with that character art. Cultural context and accuracy were incredulously lacking. The author is not Asian, so that alone made me a bit concerned upon seeing the character art, which I only saw after I applied for the ARC.
I would have wanted to see the cultural framework within the book to be more complex, it truly had no culture at all. All the food descriptions, clothing descriptions, setting descriptions were vague. There were no rituals and customs that would indicate anything about the ethnic makeup of these characters. The food and beverages in the book all screamed WHITE (and again, nothing specific either), which in my opinion, wasn't just disappointing but disrespectful. Ingredients, flavours, aromas, fragrances, rituals & customs are so important within Asian cultures, and to see this not being handled with the care & intention it was supposed to be handled with, left me completely baffled. Being Asian (any type of Asian) is not a costume to wear. It can't be for ✨vibes✨ that someone looks Asian to promote your book. You have to actually depict the cultures of the ethnicity you choose to display. There are important indicators within our cultures that will give an idea of the socioeconomic, sociopolitical and geographical setting. None of that was done here. The character names also did not indicate what ethnicity these characters could have been, the names all sound very white American, in my opinion.
TOO MANY PLOT LINES
When I requested the ARC of this book, I thought it was just a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and I did not read the synopsis. Shortly after, I saw it was being marketed as a Jack and the Beanstalk AS WELL AS a Mulan retelling, which is an odd combination and I worried about how those two were going to interact with each other.
Disney's Mulan is already a retelling of Hua Mulan, a legendary Chinese folk heroine. Later on in the book, a retelling of Romeo & Juliet is presented to us. All these different retellings made the plot seem too excessive, cluttered artistically & ultimately convoluted the flow of the book. It made the plot feel disjointed.
CHARACTERS LACK DEPTH
What we learn about these characters in the first 10% is ultimately what we know about them for the entirety of the book.
They go from intriguing you to know more about them to coming across as caricatures of what they have the potential to be. Poignance, vulnerability and character development was incredibly lacking.
TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY
Many aspects of this book were astoundingly ambiguous. There's ambiguity that leaves you with a sense of mystery and then there's rampant ambiguity that leaves you puzzled because of the underdeveloped storylines or plot devices. Sadly, the latter is what we have with this book.
CHOICE FEMINISM
Robyn sees how subjugated women are. Their lack of agency. Their lack of opportunities. The meek lives they are forced to live YET instead of saying things need to be better, changes need to be made, we see Robyn romanticising that life and wanting to be a wife & mother, disregarding what that means in this society.
LACK OF CHEMISTRY
The chemistry was nonexistent. Nothing convinced me that the FMCs and their apparent love interests worked. There was no vulnerability, angst or enough romantic development to make you feel connected to or invested in those pairings.
PATRIARCHAL CONSTRUCTS & MISOGYNISTIC RHETORICS
We see Robyn being written in a very patriarchal manner. Just because Robyn is a woman does not mean we reduce womanhood to being a wife, being a mother, child rearing, wearing makeup and pretty dresses. Women are more than that. Robyn is a woman even without all of that. Why is it written that this is what validates womanhood? Trans women in real life cannot bear children, does that invalidate their womanhood? Cis women who can't get pregnant, does that invalidate their womanhood?
It is transmisogynistic to make Robyn wager with a higher power to change her body to be able to bear children, for it to validate her being a woman because she does not need a womb or vagina in order to be a "real" woman. She is already a real woman.
Robyn not educating Jacsynn on reproduction & reproductive health was honestly so fucked up. Knowing about sex and how babies are made is the bare fucking minimum and someone that truly respects subjugated women would ensure they know about that, even if just so your loved one knows if they're getting assaulted. Jacsynn's lack of reproductive knowledge being the explanation as to why Jacsynn thought it was fine to make them trade places was an incredibly poor plot point & did nothing but shed a bad light on Robyn.
It's misogynistic because Robyn thought this imperative knowledge was okay to be withheld from her sister. Instead of ensuring her sister had the same knowledge she was afforded, she picked and chose what she deemed was fitting for her to know. Women can be misogynists and commit misogynistic acts and that is the case here.
MULAN
As I said earlier, Hua Mulan is a legendary Chinese folk heroine.
The legend of Mulan, something revered for centuries in China, is an integral part of Chinese history, Chinese literary culture & Chinese literary history.
Throughout centuries & dynasties, the Legend of Mulan was depicted in different ways but what remained the focus of the story, was her filial piety.
Using such an iconic, respected & cherished Folk Legend from Chinese culture, and not ensuring the cultural accuracy, cultural context and cultural relevance was adhered to, leaves me feeling afflicted & discombobulated.
Ultimately, I did not like or enjoy this book. It was not the feminist publication I was told it would be. I felt that important social & cultural topics to have been mishandled & not treated with the care & intention they were supposed to be.
I hope my review gives a different perspective and that the future publications will be handled much more carefully & intentionally.
I want to preface this by saying everything I say in this review comes from a place of love and the utmost respect.
It is not a censure of the author, but about what concerns & views my literary and critical analyses of the book have produced.
I almost did not write this, nor rate this, because it's just a very uncomfortable situation. Ultimately, I am doing this to make it clear that cultural accuracy is imperative, especially when writing about cultures that aren't yours.
LACK OF CULTURAL CONTEXT
The character art being used to market the book shows 3 visibly East Asian characters. There was no indication of that being the case in the book. We don't get cuisine, clothing, descriptive settings, or language that is in alignment with that character art. Cultural context and accuracy were incredulously lacking. The author is not Asian, so that alone made me a bit concerned upon seeing the character art, which I only saw after I applied for the ARC.
I would have wanted to see the cultural framework within the book to be more complex, it truly had no culture at all. All the food descriptions, clothing descriptions, setting descriptions were vague. There were no rituals and customs that would indicate anything about the ethnic makeup of these characters. The food and beverages in the book all screamed WHITE (and again, nothing specific either), which in my opinion, wasn't just disappointing but disrespectful. Ingredients, flavours, aromas, fragrances, rituals & customs are so important within Asian cultures, and to see this not being handled with the care & intention it was supposed to be handled with, left me completely baffled. Being Asian (any type of Asian) is not a costume to wear. It can't be for ✨vibes✨ that someone looks Asian to promote your book. You have to actually depict the cultures of the ethnicity you choose to display. There are important indicators within our cultures that will give an idea of the socioeconomic, sociopolitical and geographical setting. None of that was done here. The character names also did not indicate what ethnicity these characters could have been, the names all sound very white American, in my opinion.
TOO MANY PLOT LINES
When I requested the ARC of this book, I thought it was just a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and I did not read the synopsis. Shortly after, I saw it was being marketed as a Jack and the Beanstalk AS WELL AS a Mulan retelling, which is an odd combination and I worried about how those two were going to interact with each other.
Disney's Mulan is already a retelling of Hua Mulan, a legendary Chinese folk heroine. Later on in the book, a retelling of Romeo & Juliet is presented to us. All these different retellings made the plot seem too excessive, cluttered artistically & ultimately convoluted the flow of the book. It made the plot feel disjointed.
CHARACTERS LACK DEPTH
What we learn about these characters in the first 10% is ultimately what we know about them for the entirety of the book.
They go from intriguing you to know more about them to coming across as caricatures of what they have the potential to be. Poignance, vulnerability and character development was incredibly lacking.
TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY
Many aspects of this book were astoundingly ambiguous. There's ambiguity that leaves you with a sense of mystery and then there's rampant ambiguity that leaves you puzzled because of the underdeveloped storylines or plot devices. Sadly, the latter is what we have with this book.
CHOICE FEMINISM
Robyn sees how subjugated women are. Their lack of agency. Their lack of opportunities. The meek lives they are forced to live YET instead of saying things need to be better, changes need to be made, we see Robyn romanticising that life and wanting to be a wife & mother, disregarding what that means in this society.
LACK OF CHEMISTRY
The chemistry was nonexistent. Nothing convinced me that the FMCs and their apparent love interests worked. There was no vulnerability, angst or enough romantic development to make you feel connected to or invested in those pairings.
PATRIARCHAL CONSTRUCTS & MISOGYNISTIC RHETORICS
We see Robyn being written in a very patriarchal manner. Just because Robyn is a woman does not mean we reduce womanhood to being a wife, being a mother, child rearing, wearing makeup and pretty dresses. Women are more than that. Robyn is a woman even without all of that. Why is it written that this is what validates womanhood? Trans women in real life cannot bear children, does that invalidate their womanhood? Cis women who can't get pregnant, does that invalidate their womanhood?
It is transmisogynistic to make Robyn wager with a higher power to change her body to be able to bear children, for it to validate her being a woman because she does not need a womb or vagina in order to be a "real" woman. She is already a real woman.
Robyn not educating Jacsynn on reproduction & reproductive health was honestly so fucked up. Knowing about sex and how babies are made is the bare fucking minimum and someone that truly respects subjugated women would ensure they know about that, even if just so your loved one knows if they're getting assaulted. Jacsynn's lack of reproductive knowledge being the explanation as to why Jacsynn thought it was fine to make them trade places was an incredibly poor plot point & did nothing but shed a bad light on Robyn.
It's misogynistic because Robyn thought this imperative knowledge was okay to be withheld from her sister. Instead of ensuring her sister had the same knowledge she was afforded, she picked and chose what she deemed was fitting for her to know. Women can be misogynists and commit misogynistic acts and that is the case here.
MULAN
As I said earlier, Hua Mulan is a legendary Chinese folk heroine.
The legend of Mulan, something revered for centuries in China, is an integral part of Chinese history, Chinese literary culture & Chinese literary history.
Throughout centuries & dynasties, the Legend of Mulan was depicted in different ways but what remained the focus of the story, was her filial piety.
Using such an iconic, respected & cherished Folk Legend from Chinese culture, and not ensuring the cultural accuracy, cultural context and cultural relevance was adhered to, leaves me feeling afflicted & discombobulated.
Ultimately, I did not like or enjoy this book. It was not the feminist publication I was told it would be. I felt that important social & cultural topics to have been mishandled & not treated with the care & intention they were supposed to be.
I hope my review gives a different perspective and that the future publications will be handled much more carefully & intentionally.
September 29, 2026
I am grateful to M.K West for choosing me as one of her ARC readers in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions in this review are mine and all the criticisms are towards the book and its execution not an attack towards the author. What I say in this review comes from a place of love and respect and I hope it is taken gently.
When I decided to apply for the Arc i went in thinking that i would love this book as it combined some of my favourite elements in a fantasy book- Pirates, Mythical creatures and Fairytale re-tellings but after reading the book I genuinely could not list one single thing that I liked about it.
My biggest issue with this book was how culturally ambiguous the characters were. The characters are East asian if i am correctly assuming from the fan art and the premise of this book being based off of a Mulan re-telling also the main plot of this book revolving around dragons both of these things culturally being of east asian descent and since this book is not written by an asian person, involving these aspects but not expanding on the characters and the plot’s cultural background shows a lack of research. This book lacked any indication of the characters being east asian, It doesn’t include east asian cuisine, dialects, clothing, behaviour and even the names of the character read as culturally ambiguous and to give the author benefit of the doubt even if these characters are white they do not have an individual cultural identity. The descriptions of culture being vague already created a disconnect between me and this world and its characters.
I also feel like the characters lack complexity, they read as two dimensional, hollow and lack any personality outside of the basic characteristics given to them. I feel like i was told what i should know about these characters at the beginning of the story and their identities or personalities were not expanded further. I felt a disconnect with each and every character because I simply did not know enough about them to actually understand them.
Robyn could have been an amazing trans representation but her ideas of women hood were skewed and was boxed in the stereotypical way a woman should be, Robyn’s struggle with femininity and her wanting to be a “mother” because thats what a woman is supposed to do felt misogynistic and assuming that the point is that she realises that in the sequel, it wasn’t established well because we never see Robyn questioning it. Jacsynn actually being against the idea of marriage and womenhood but still leaving her sister behind to marry and get kids just felt like choice feminism to me. I feel like this would be a good feminist re-telling if the viewpoints and the world was constantly questioned by the characters but instead I got a loosely defined feministic viewpoint that lacked actual depth.
The world-building was confusing, I did not get the point of giving us quotes from different books from the world as lore-building because it just made me more confused and made it all clustered. I feel like this book tried to include as many plot points as it could add compressed in a 400 page novel which ultimately made it overstuffed with multiple characters, povs and subplots happening at the same time which made the main plot lose its depth , the multiple retellings were just lacklustre and I was honestly bored at times. The romance lacked any sort of substance, vulnerability or chemistry to make myself intrigued in any of the pairings.
Simply put, I did not enjoy this book, It did not do justice to the social commentary that it was trying to make since it covered topics like feminism, misogyny and sexism on a surface level that failed to connect with me personally.
When I decided to apply for the Arc i went in thinking that i would love this book as it combined some of my favourite elements in a fantasy book- Pirates, Mythical creatures and Fairytale re-tellings but after reading the book I genuinely could not list one single thing that I liked about it.
My biggest issue with this book was how culturally ambiguous the characters were. The characters are East asian if i am correctly assuming from the fan art and the premise of this book being based off of a Mulan re-telling also the main plot of this book revolving around dragons both of these things culturally being of east asian descent and since this book is not written by an asian person, involving these aspects but not expanding on the characters and the plot’s cultural background shows a lack of research. This book lacked any indication of the characters being east asian, It doesn’t include east asian cuisine, dialects, clothing, behaviour and even the names of the character read as culturally ambiguous and to give the author benefit of the doubt even if these characters are white they do not have an individual cultural identity. The descriptions of culture being vague already created a disconnect between me and this world and its characters.
I also feel like the characters lack complexity, they read as two dimensional, hollow and lack any personality outside of the basic characteristics given to them. I feel like i was told what i should know about these characters at the beginning of the story and their identities or personalities were not expanded further. I felt a disconnect with each and every character because I simply did not know enough about them to actually understand them.
Robyn could have been an amazing trans representation but her ideas of women hood were skewed and was boxed in the stereotypical way a woman should be, Robyn’s struggle with femininity and her wanting to be a “mother” because thats what a woman is supposed to do felt misogynistic and assuming that the point is that she realises that in the sequel, it wasn’t established well because we never see Robyn questioning it. Jacsynn actually being against the idea of marriage and womenhood but still leaving her sister behind to marry and get kids just felt like choice feminism to me. I feel like this would be a good feminist re-telling if the viewpoints and the world was constantly questioned by the characters but instead I got a loosely defined feministic viewpoint that lacked actual depth.
The world-building was confusing, I did not get the point of giving us quotes from different books from the world as lore-building because it just made me more confused and made it all clustered. I feel like this book tried to include as many plot points as it could add compressed in a 400 page novel which ultimately made it overstuffed with multiple characters, povs and subplots happening at the same time which made the main plot lose its depth , the multiple retellings were just lacklustre and I was honestly bored at times. The romance lacked any sort of substance, vulnerability or chemistry to make myself intrigued in any of the pairings.
Simply put, I did not enjoy this book, It did not do justice to the social commentary that it was trying to make since it covered topics like feminism, misogyny and sexism on a surface level that failed to connect with me personally.
September 29, 2026
💌 : ‘that was always the way with men, was it not? entitled to a conversation, entitled to know what she was thinking, so he could give his unsolicited opinion on it.’
— ☆ 2.5/5
just a thank you to the author for giving me a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.
now let’s get started on saying this is all said in love with the hopes of this criticism being taken gently and not as an attack towards their writing or person.
while i enjoyed the characters, i did not feel connected to any of them in anyway. but they had a lot of potential they just fell a little flat.
also the lack of asian representation was a little disappointing considering all the character art portrays them as some sort of asian descent.
as for the transgender representation i can’t say too much on that as i, myself, don’t know much in regards to it.
all in all, the writing was good and i liked the premise but it unfortunately feel flat in a lot of aspects. but i hope book two is written with everyone’s criticisms in mind.
— ☆ 2.5/5
just a thank you to the author for giving me a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.
now let’s get started on saying this is all said in love with the hopes of this criticism being taken gently and not as an attack towards their writing or person.
while i enjoyed the characters, i did not feel connected to any of them in anyway. but they had a lot of potential they just fell a little flat.
also the lack of asian representation was a little disappointing considering all the character art portrays them as some sort of asian descent.
as for the transgender representation i can’t say too much on that as i, myself, don’t know much in regards to it.
all in all, the writing was good and i liked the premise but it unfortunately feel flat in a lot of aspects. but i hope book two is written with everyone’s criticisms in mind.
August 31, 2026
so excited to have been one of the people to receive an early copy of this wonderful book! <3
robyn and jac are such beautifully written characters, and it was truly such a special thing being able to see both of their stories happening at the same time and follow along in both of their journeys. their bond as sisters is so special to me, and i loved getting to experience reading chapters focused on both of them and their importance to the story, rather than just one sister.
this story has so many amazing things about it, especially the way that it flows and blends together so nicely, and the characters are ones that you will fall in love with reading about. another thing that really stands out for me, is how compelling everything in the plot is. every time i would pick this up, i would never want to put it down because of how hooked i got on what was happening in the story.
definitely check this book out when it releases, you won’t regret it at all :)
robyn and jac are such beautifully written characters, and it was truly such a special thing being able to see both of their stories happening at the same time and follow along in both of their journeys. their bond as sisters is so special to me, and i loved getting to experience reading chapters focused on both of them and their importance to the story, rather than just one sister.
this story has so many amazing things about it, especially the way that it flows and blends together so nicely, and the characters are ones that you will fall in love with reading about. another thing that really stands out for me, is how compelling everything in the plot is. every time i would pick this up, i would never want to put it down because of how hooked i got on what was happening in the story.
definitely check this book out when it releases, you won’t regret it at all :)
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5/5 stars
I have been entrusted with a copy of this beautiful book by the author (who is a great and lovely person) and, if you couldn't tell already, it is right up my alley. This is a story about two sisters, which already sealed the deal for me, as I'm the biggest fan of stories centered around sisters. I adore how M.K. West weaves all the wonderful elements into a single book, making them distinct yet still feeling like they belong together. The found family of the pirates and Robyn's sense of belonging, Jac's struggles of taking Robyn's place and earning her rights to be at the same rank as her male peers and is even welcomed in a place that was believed to be hostile towards women, the retelling of Romeo and Juliet, the dragons, they were all executed so well that I thoroughly enjoy all the subplots.
The characters are the shining spotlight of this book, and I can truly tell how much the author loved the characters she's writing and how deeply she felt their struggles too. I adore Jac's stubborn endurance and impulsive streak, and how she's incapable of leaving anyone in harm's way, and I love Robyn's quiet strength, where she learns to accept herself, love, and have faith in other people. Their love interests are also very adorable and complement them so well, and each of their dynamics is so different yet equally compelling in their own way, and so many times I was giggling because of how much I adore them.
Last but not least, I adore the world and how well the author executes it. While reading it, I can visualize everything, and it was such an immersive experience that it was difficult for me to put the book down. The combination of that and the journey we went through with the characters makes reading this book so enjoyable. I also love the major theme of feminism being the foundation of this book, as the two main characters are both dealing with it in their own ways and learning not to break to the system that yearns to make women kneel and submit.
In the best way possible, this book made me feel like I was a teen newly discovering high fantasy, and I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an adventurous, women-centric fantasy story with great character development
I have been entrusted with a copy of this beautiful book by the author (who is a great and lovely person) and, if you couldn't tell already, it is right up my alley. This is a story about two sisters, which already sealed the deal for me, as I'm the biggest fan of stories centered around sisters. I adore how M.K. West weaves all the wonderful elements into a single book, making them distinct yet still feeling like they belong together. The found family of the pirates and Robyn's sense of belonging, Jac's struggles of taking Robyn's place and earning her rights to be at the same rank as her male peers and is even welcomed in a place that was believed to be hostile towards women, the retelling of Romeo and Juliet, the dragons, they were all executed so well that I thoroughly enjoy all the subplots.
The characters are the shining spotlight of this book, and I can truly tell how much the author loved the characters she's writing and how deeply she felt their struggles too. I adore Jac's stubborn endurance and impulsive streak, and how she's incapable of leaving anyone in harm's way, and I love Robyn's quiet strength, where she learns to accept herself, love, and have faith in other people. Their love interests are also very adorable and complement them so well, and each of their dynamics is so different yet equally compelling in their own way, and so many times I was giggling because of how much I adore them.
Last but not least, I adore the world and how well the author executes it. While reading it, I can visualize everything, and it was such an immersive experience that it was difficult for me to put the book down. The combination of that and the journey we went through with the characters makes reading this book so enjoyable. I also love the major theme of feminism being the foundation of this book, as the two main characters are both dealing with it in their own ways and learning not to break to the system that yearns to make women kneel and submit.
In the best way possible, this book made me feel like I was a teen newly discovering high fantasy, and I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an adventurous, women-centric fantasy story with great character development
September 3, 2026
Thank you to the author for this ARC !
It’s so refreshing to see trans representation! Many times I feel as if topics like this are danced around but approaching it head on and with so much love- it was so sweet to read. It was also so endearing to see such a supportive sibling relationship between all three of the family members. The easy acceptance they gave for one another is really how it should be in the norm and I hope it brings comfort to those who read.
I felt like there was more that could have been done with this story. The world info felt overwhelming at times, the story felt fast paced with no real consequences in a way? I really enjoyed the emphasis on feminism but I wish other parts were focused on as well. I enjoyed the complex relationship between Kai and Jacsynn, and the softness between Robyn and Mariano (though I will say I wish the latter had more of a built up).
I know this is going to hit for many and I’m so excited for everyone to read it. :)
Edit: Now that it’s out let me add on! Everything I said stands but I do have some more things to say. I’m pretty neutral about retellings but I think the amount that was added onto one book was extensive- especially the Romeo and Juliet part. The amount emphasized on feminism, I want to restate, was just overwhelming in a way that it would be mentioned but I never felt like it was truly looked upon? I think someone explained it the best by saying the lack of choices for women were discussed yet romanticized by one of the characters- which gave it a strange idea in the story.
It’s so refreshing to see trans representation! Many times I feel as if topics like this are danced around but approaching it head on and with so much love- it was so sweet to read. It was also so endearing to see such a supportive sibling relationship between all three of the family members. The easy acceptance they gave for one another is really how it should be in the norm and I hope it brings comfort to those who read.
I felt like there was more that could have been done with this story. The world info felt overwhelming at times, the story felt fast paced with no real consequences in a way? I really enjoyed the emphasis on feminism but I wish other parts were focused on as well. I enjoyed the complex relationship between Kai and Jacsynn, and the softness between Robyn and Mariano (though I will say I wish the latter had more of a built up).
I know this is going to hit for many and I’m so excited for everyone to read it. :)
Edit: Now that it’s out let me add on! Everything I said stands but I do have some more things to say. I’m pretty neutral about retellings but I think the amount that was added onto one book was extensive- especially the Romeo and Juliet part. The amount emphasized on feminism, I want to restate, was just overwhelming in a way that it would be mentioned but I never felt like it was truly looked upon? I think someone explained it the best by saying the lack of choices for women were discussed yet romanticized by one of the characters- which gave it a strange idea in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2026
2.5 / 5.0 stars
i want to preface this by saying, all of what i’m about to say is my own opinions and is not indicative of what i think of the author. molly, thank you for this opportunity.
this story has good bones. unfortunately, the pacing of it was all over the place. i think this would have improved a lot more with a couple more rounds of editing, and honestly? i know there’s a second book in the works but i think if each sister had gotten a book solely on their part of the whole story instead, it would’ve improved the pacing. i was not a big fan of all the multi-povs, especially with there being so many, and all the jumping from location to location.
that being said, it wasn’t hard for me to immerse myself into this world once i was in it. i am someone who can easily lose oneself in a story and picture it like a movie. i was easily lost in this world, in the best way possible.it would kinda make for a sick movie... the world felt so lush, so vivid, so alive, especially once we actually got to the top of paradise root. worldbuilding, a-plus. admittedly, i don’t read much fantasy but to me, DRAGONS ARE SO COOL! these were cool dragons to me.
what i also enjoyed at times were the excerpts of the books at the beginning of each chapter. i really liked how it helped one understand their world just a little bit more and more with each one shown to us, especially since starting this book felt like jumping into a story and feeling like i’m supposed to know what’s happening but not knowing what’s happening.
the sisters. jacsynn and robyn; beautiful sisters born into a cruel world. i adored their bond and very much felt their love for each other the more i read. that is not to say that they’re perfect either. there are some decisions they made for each other and themselves that are plainly cruel and unusal. but like i said, sisters can say and do cruel and unusual things to each other. #yaysisters
this story is kinda confusing, though. i don’t understand some beliefs and choices the characters make? but yeah from a feminist standpoint, i am confused.
the romance subplot? i liked one pairing more than the other and i don’t know if that’s intentional, or not.
the side characters are fun! i loved the pirate crew, and would actually want to read more about them in the future. their seafaring adventures left me wondering more and more what time period, what geographical area this story takes place in. what culture is this deriving influence from? there are not really much ethnic, nor cultural, context to begin with. most of this reads as very white... even though there’s dragons? and yes i know i found them cool but i stilll know dragons are something that are historically significant to east asian cultures. so apart from the characters who are described as having darker skin tones, i wholeheartedly believed everyone was white? is that not the case? everything is so vague and i think knowing the time period and area would’ve actually provided more contextual reference to how their world operates. it would’ve helped developed and strengthen the plot more.
can i also say i still have no idea what the moral of jack the beanstalk actually is. i know all fairy tales have hidden meanings in them but i still don’t know what this one actually means? nonetheless, i was excited for this retelling, especially since it was to be feminist. what i was not anticipating was all the other fairy tales added in to the mix as well. at one point we got a mulan retelling, then shakesperian retellings, i think romeo and juliet? and that’s all the ones i was able to identify. i think this would’ve worked very well had it not combined many tales into one.
the ending1?!?!?!?!? got me in a chokehold!!!!!
all in all, i still had a lot of fun. i’m excited for the second book!!
special thanks to M. K. West for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ((and congratualtions, molly, on being published!!))
i want to preface this by saying, all of what i’m about to say is my own opinions and is not indicative of what i think of the author. molly, thank you for this opportunity.
this story has good bones. unfortunately, the pacing of it was all over the place. i think this would have improved a lot more with a couple more rounds of editing, and honestly? i know there’s a second book in the works but i think if each sister had gotten a book solely on their part of the whole story instead, it would’ve improved the pacing. i was not a big fan of all the multi-povs, especially with there being so many, and all the jumping from location to location.
that being said, it wasn’t hard for me to immerse myself into this world once i was in it. i am someone who can easily lose oneself in a story and picture it like a movie. i was easily lost in this world, in the best way possible.
what i also enjoyed at times were the excerpts of the books at the beginning of each chapter. i really liked how it helped one understand their world just a little bit more and more with each one shown to us, especially since starting this book felt like jumping into a story and feeling like i’m supposed to know what’s happening but not knowing what’s happening.
the sisters. jacsynn and robyn; beautiful sisters born into a cruel world. i adored their bond and very much felt their love for each other the more i read. that is not to say that they’re perfect either. there are some decisions they made for each other and themselves that are plainly cruel and unusal. but like i said, sisters can say and do cruel and unusual things to each other. #yaysisters
this story is kinda confusing, though. i don’t understand some beliefs and choices the characters make? but yeah from a feminist standpoint, i am confused.
the romance subplot? i liked one pairing more than the other and i don’t know if that’s intentional, or not.
the side characters are fun! i loved the pirate crew, and would actually want to read more about them in the future. their seafaring adventures left me wondering more and more what time period, what geographical area this story takes place in. what culture is this deriving influence from? there are not really much ethnic, nor cultural, context to begin with. most of this reads as very white... even though there’s dragons? and yes i know i found them cool but i stilll know dragons are something that are historically significant to east asian cultures. so apart from the characters who are described as having darker skin tones, i wholeheartedly believed everyone was white? is that not the case? everything is so vague and i think knowing the time period and area would’ve actually provided more contextual reference to how their world operates. it would’ve helped developed and strengthen the plot more.
can i also say i still have no idea what the moral of jack the beanstalk actually is. i know all fairy tales have hidden meanings in them but i still don’t know what this one actually means? nonetheless, i was excited for this retelling, especially since it was to be feminist. what i was not anticipating was all the other fairy tales added in to the mix as well. at one point we got a mulan retelling, then shakesperian retellings, i think romeo and juliet? and that’s all the ones i was able to identify. i think this would’ve worked very well had it not combined many tales into one.
the ending1?!?!?!?!? got me in a chokehold!!!!!
all in all, i still had a lot of fun. i’m excited for the second book!!
special thanks to M. K. West for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ((and congratualtions, molly, on being published!!))
September 26, 2026
3.0 | adventurous challenging funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
When tragedy strikes and the draft calls them earlier, both Raverie sisters feel their freedoms slipping away from their grasp. Fearful for her sister's life and happiness, Jacsynn stakes her own, cutting her hair and passing as male in Robyn's place. What follows is a sprawling, high-stakes adventure that splits the sisters across perilous horizons. While Jacsynn navigates a brutal training camp in disguise to prepare for an impossible climb, Robyn is thrust into the path of deadly pirates in a desperate search for a wish-granting mirror. Both are hiding who they truly are, and both are on a collision course with ancient secrets that will shatter their world.
At its core, On Daughter's Heart is a clever, highly imaginative mashup of Jack and the Beanstalk and Mulan. It weaves in fun nods to other beloved fairytales while packaging itself as an action-packed YA fantasy. It reminded me a lot of the mid 2010 boom of fairytale retellings.
The absolute standout of this book is the world-building. The environments are rich, lush, and crafted with an impressive level of personal care and detail. Every scene is detailed so well; I personally enjoyed how the outfits were explained so I had a vivid image of Robyn's dresses and her beauty shown off as she slowly becomes more confident in herself 🥹 All of that, paired with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, the setting feels vibrant and expansive, making it easy to visualize the world MK West has created.
I will preface my critiques by noting that I don’t read nearly as much YA as I used to, so my reading preferences have definitely shifted. That being said, as this is a debut novel, there are a few stylistic areas where the execution is still finding its footing. The dialogue has some room to grow, and some of the villains felt to overtly in your face in the beginning that every confrontation with Jacs felt juvenile. The transitions between the book's epic, high-stakes scenes occasionally rely on a "fade to black" approach quite literally—often leaning on characters conveniently passing out to close a scene. I also felt that the distribution of the dual POVs was a bit disjointed. There is a lot going on in both storylines, but they didn't always flow harmoniously from one to the next, which made the pacing feel a bit cluttered.
All in all, it is a highly entertaining read with a ton of heart, and the premise alone is enough to hook you. It lays down a fantastic foundation, and I'm genuinely excited to see where the rest of the series goes from here!
Big thanks to the author for providing me this ARC. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
When tragedy strikes and the draft calls them earlier, both Raverie sisters feel their freedoms slipping away from their grasp. Fearful for her sister's life and happiness, Jacsynn stakes her own, cutting her hair and passing as male in Robyn's place. What follows is a sprawling, high-stakes adventure that splits the sisters across perilous horizons. While Jacsynn navigates a brutal training camp in disguise to prepare for an impossible climb, Robyn is thrust into the path of deadly pirates in a desperate search for a wish-granting mirror. Both are hiding who they truly are, and both are on a collision course with ancient secrets that will shatter their world.
At its core, On Daughter's Heart is a clever, highly imaginative mashup of Jack and the Beanstalk and Mulan. It weaves in fun nods to other beloved fairytales while packaging itself as an action-packed YA fantasy. It reminded me a lot of the mid 2010 boom of fairytale retellings.
The absolute standout of this book is the world-building. The environments are rich, lush, and crafted with an impressive level of personal care and detail. Every scene is detailed so well; I personally enjoyed how the outfits were explained so I had a vivid image of Robyn's dresses and her beauty shown off as she slowly becomes more confident in herself 🥹 All of that, paired with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, the setting feels vibrant and expansive, making it easy to visualize the world MK West has created.
I will preface my critiques by noting that I don’t read nearly as much YA as I used to, so my reading preferences have definitely shifted. That being said, as this is a debut novel, there are a few stylistic areas where the execution is still finding its footing. The dialogue has some room to grow, and some of the villains felt to overtly in your face in the beginning that every confrontation with Jacs felt juvenile. The transitions between the book's epic, high-stakes scenes occasionally rely on a "fade to black" approach quite literally—often leaning on characters conveniently passing out to close a scene. I also felt that the distribution of the dual POVs was a bit disjointed. There is a lot going on in both storylines, but they didn't always flow harmoniously from one to the next, which made the pacing feel a bit cluttered.
All in all, it is a highly entertaining read with a ton of heart, and the premise alone is enough to hook you. It lays down a fantastic foundation, and I'm genuinely excited to see where the rest of the series goes from here!
Big thanks to the author for providing me this ARC. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.
September 4, 2026
Thank you M.K. West for providing me with the ARC. The following review is my own opinion. I’m not the best at writing reviews so bear with me.
This retelling of Mulan and Jack and the beanstalk has everything i love in fantasy novels: pirates, dragons, queer people…
At the beginning of the book, i found it hard to follow the story, which is normal for me with fantasy novels. But towards the middle of the book, i couldn’t put it down anymore. I needed to know how the story would go.
The author is so good at world building and pulling you into the story. I get why some people find the story going a bit too fast, but personally i love it.
Now for the characters. Wow. I loved them all so much and i’m rooting for all of them. Jacsynn, Robyn, Mariano and Kai are all a part of my heart now and i can’t wait to read more about them and how their stories end.
I need the second book now thank you.
This retelling of Mulan and Jack and the beanstalk has everything i love in fantasy novels: pirates, dragons, queer people…
At the beginning of the book, i found it hard to follow the story, which is normal for me with fantasy novels. But towards the middle of the book, i couldn’t put it down anymore. I needed to know how the story would go.
The author is so good at world building and pulling you into the story. I get why some people find the story going a bit too fast, but personally i love it.
Now for the characters. Wow. I loved them all so much and i’m rooting for all of them. Jacsynn, Robyn, Mariano and Kai are all a part of my heart now and i can’t wait to read more about them and how their stories end.
I need the second book now thank you.
September 19, 2026
my first arc !!!! thank u m.k west for allowing me to read this before it’s out, it’s been the pleasure of a life time <3
this book was an emotional rollercoaster. wow . following these two sisters who are both on their own, entirely different, adventures was a thrilling emotional experience. getting to fall in love with these girls has been a privilege and i cannot wait to see what comes next for both of them in their journeys.
the writing is incredible, feels like you step right into the world and are there with them. the attention to detail is AMAZING and the every character is full of life in it’s own way. discovering mystery as the characters do makes the book so exciting to read. i truly can recommend this book to anyone, it’s a must read.
this book was an emotional rollercoaster. wow . following these two sisters who are both on their own, entirely different, adventures was a thrilling emotional experience. getting to fall in love with these girls has been a privilege and i cannot wait to see what comes next for both of them in their journeys.
the writing is incredible, feels like you step right into the world and are there with them. the attention to detail is AMAZING and the every character is full of life in it’s own way. discovering mystery as the characters do makes the book so exciting to read. i truly can recommend this book to anyone, it’s a must read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'd like to thank the author for trusting me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book started off strong. We got to feel the bond between the sisters before they were separated, and it was so much fun watching them grow into themselves and break out of the shell they'd been forced into their whole lives.
Jacsynn has always been brave and courageous, but watching her grow in physical strength too was incredibly satisfying and empowering to read. Robyn is softer by nature, and her choosing to step out into the unknown made me so happy for her. She met so many new people and had experiences that challenged everything she'd been taught growing up, and I loved watching her come into her own.
The only issues I have with Robyn are her views concerning womanhood. I understand this is all a reflection of how she grew up but it was really weird seeing the two sisters challenge everything they know and seeing Robyn still stick so closely to traditional gender roles. Just felt off putting.
The writing was easy to follow.
The plot itself has great potential but reading it sometimes felt disorienting, info dumpy, confusing and cluttered. Like it wasn't organized well enough.
I loved watching Jac and Kai's relationship develop, and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book. Robyn and the captain are adorable together but everything about them started to feel stiff and boring and tropey really quick.
This book started off strong. We got to feel the bond between the sisters before they were separated, and it was so much fun watching them grow into themselves and break out of the shell they'd been forced into their whole lives.
Jacsynn has always been brave and courageous, but watching her grow in physical strength too was incredibly satisfying and empowering to read. Robyn is softer by nature, and her choosing to step out into the unknown made me so happy for her. She met so many new people and had experiences that challenged everything she'd been taught growing up, and I loved watching her come into her own.
The only issues I have with Robyn are her views concerning womanhood. I understand this is all a reflection of how she grew up but it was really weird seeing the two sisters challenge everything they know and seeing Robyn still stick so closely to traditional gender roles. Just felt off putting.
The writing was easy to follow.
The plot itself has great potential but reading it sometimes felt disorienting, info dumpy, confusing and cluttered. Like it wasn't organized well enough.
I loved watching Jac and Kai's relationship develop, and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book. Robyn and the captain are adorable together but everything about them started to feel stiff and boring and tropey really quick.
September 17, 2026
5 ⭐️
my very first arc review. m.k. west, thank you so much for choosing me as one of your arc readers. i’m incredibly grateful. 🩷
“on daughter’s heart” is one of those books that i was dreading finishing. i found myself turning every page in anticipation, only to reach the end and crave more. i don’t think i’ll ever stop thinking about these characters and this world.
right at the beginning–like literally the prologue–i was hooked. the attention to detail in worldbuilding was absolutely insane. this prologue felt like a prologue, in the sense that it read like a proper introduction. i didn’t feel lost or thrown into the story as i often do while reading fantasy, so this introduction was like a breath of fresh air. during the beginning of the book, i quickly found myself resonating with both jacsynn and robyn as they each endured their own struggles. and while this book does consist of multiple perspectives, the character development from each of the siblings was so fantastic, that i didn’t feel bored while switching between characters–i’m very quick to choose a favorite perspective, but this book had me intrigued with every angle. i love the way that west built on these characters, and i adore how relatable they were. the perspectives were paced well and didn’t feel incomplete or rushed.
at around the halfway mark, i was genuinely, truly captivated. i found myself really feeling for these characters and wanting to jump into the world with them to learn the lore. the worldbuilding? phenomenal. as someone who deeply struggles to picture scenes and doesn’t see that “movie” in their mind while reading, i actually felt like i was starting to envision some of these scenes. the clarification and particular attention to detail was clear and precise. i think it speaks volumes about west’s writing that at no point in reading this book did i feel bored or the itch to get it over with. i was quite literally fearing finishing it because i just wanted to know every secret about this world.
what also captivated me was the romance subplot. i love that the main premise of this book was each of the sibling’s journey and was not mainly focused on the romance aspect. however, i did love the chemistry between the characters and i am aching for crumbs.
overall, i am beyond impressed with this debut novel. m.k. west, thank you again for the chance to read this early and provide feedback. i am incredibly proud of you and i know this is just the beginning for you. now PLEASE give us book two i am so desperate… 😭🩷
my very first arc review. m.k. west, thank you so much for choosing me as one of your arc readers. i’m incredibly grateful. 🩷
“on daughter’s heart” is one of those books that i was dreading finishing. i found myself turning every page in anticipation, only to reach the end and crave more. i don’t think i’ll ever stop thinking about these characters and this world.
right at the beginning–like literally the prologue–i was hooked. the attention to detail in worldbuilding was absolutely insane. this prologue felt like a prologue, in the sense that it read like a proper introduction. i didn’t feel lost or thrown into the story as i often do while reading fantasy, so this introduction was like a breath of fresh air. during the beginning of the book, i quickly found myself resonating with both jacsynn and robyn as they each endured their own struggles. and while this book does consist of multiple perspectives, the character development from each of the siblings was so fantastic, that i didn’t feel bored while switching between characters–i’m very quick to choose a favorite perspective, but this book had me intrigued with every angle. i love the way that west built on these characters, and i adore how relatable they were. the perspectives were paced well and didn’t feel incomplete or rushed.
at around the halfway mark, i was genuinely, truly captivated. i found myself really feeling for these characters and wanting to jump into the world with them to learn the lore. the worldbuilding? phenomenal. as someone who deeply struggles to picture scenes and doesn’t see that “movie” in their mind while reading, i actually felt like i was starting to envision some of these scenes. the clarification and particular attention to detail was clear and precise. i think it speaks volumes about west’s writing that at no point in reading this book did i feel bored or the itch to get it over with. i was quite literally fearing finishing it because i just wanted to know every secret about this world.
what also captivated me was the romance subplot. i love that the main premise of this book was each of the sibling’s journey and was not mainly focused on the romance aspect. however, i did love the chemistry between the characters and i am aching for crumbs.
overall, i am beyond impressed with this debut novel. m.k. west, thank you again for the chance to read this early and provide feedback. i am incredibly proud of you and i know this is just the beginning for you. now PLEASE give us book two i am so desperate… 😭🩷
September 7, 2026
since this was an advanced copy of the book i want to start by thanking m.k. west for the opportunity to read it early! 🤍 official rating is somewhere between 3 and 3.5.
my spoiler free review is that the story has great bones and is a lot of fun despite starting off somewhat slow/rocky. the world built within these pages is rich and full of life. on occasion the lore can feel overwhelming while at other points it feels like we don’t get enough information to understand the same things the characters understand. there were quite a few moments where the grammar and sentence structure was a bit clunky.
overall i think this is a wonderful debut and i think m.k. west has a bright future in writing.
now the rest of my review contains some spoilers but nothing major.
as someone whose favorite movies growing up including sinbad legend of the seven seas and mulan this book called to me immediately. i was so hoping it would be a 5 star book but there were some issues that chipped away at the stars. i’m going to start with what i didn’t like:
i love both of the raverie sisters but i found robyn’s chapters somewhat boring for the first half of the book, including her romance with her handsome captain. while their scenes together are very cute it felt like there was very little buildup between them. i would have liked more depth and development.
the pacing felt too fast but also too slow, dragging in some places but rushing in others.
other issues i had were personal preferences that i don’t think reflect the book’s quality and so i won’t get put them in the review because it feels nitpicky.
now for what i did like:
i thoroughly enjoyed jac’s entire arc and found it hilarious that none of robyn’s friends caught her sooner. jac’s fire and determination in a world so determined to beat her down is so wonderful. i love it.
robyn’s character is so lovely and i hope that we never see her lose her softness. it is so rare to have a fmc that is allowed to be and stay soft these days and i love that robyn is soft. i love that she found her place in the world and feels safe to be herself. she’s got so much potential and so does her new found family.
jac and kai. love a slowburn. love watching her realize maybe she doesn’t know as much as she thinks she knows. can’t wait for them to kiss.
the dragons are so cool. the world built around them is so vibrant.
thank you again m.k. west for allowing me a chance to read and review this book early 🤍
my spoiler free review is that the story has great bones and is a lot of fun despite starting off somewhat slow/rocky. the world built within these pages is rich and full of life. on occasion the lore can feel overwhelming while at other points it feels like we don’t get enough information to understand the same things the characters understand. there were quite a few moments where the grammar and sentence structure was a bit clunky.
overall i think this is a wonderful debut and i think m.k. west has a bright future in writing.
now the rest of my review contains some spoilers but nothing major.
as someone whose favorite movies growing up including sinbad legend of the seven seas and mulan this book called to me immediately. i was so hoping it would be a 5 star book but there were some issues that chipped away at the stars. i’m going to start with what i didn’t like:
i love both of the raverie sisters but i found robyn’s chapters somewhat boring for the first half of the book, including her romance with her handsome captain. while their scenes together are very cute it felt like there was very little buildup between them. i would have liked more depth and development.
the pacing felt too fast but also too slow, dragging in some places but rushing in others.
other issues i had were personal preferences that i don’t think reflect the book’s quality and so i won’t get put them in the review because it feels nitpicky.
now for what i did like:
i thoroughly enjoyed jac’s entire arc and found it hilarious that none of robyn’s friends caught her sooner. jac’s fire and determination in a world so determined to beat her down is so wonderful. i love it.
robyn’s character is so lovely and i hope that we never see her lose her softness. it is so rare to have a fmc that is allowed to be and stay soft these days and i love that robyn is soft. i love that she found her place in the world and feels safe to be herself. she’s got so much potential and so does her new found family.
jac and kai. love a slowburn. love watching her realize maybe she doesn’t know as much as she thinks she knows. can’t wait for them to kiss.
the dragons are so cool. the world built around them is so vibrant.
thank you again m.k. west for allowing me a chance to read and review this book early 🤍
Review of advance copy received from Author
[4.25 stars]
Thank you, M.K. West, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What an incredible journey this has been.
I would like to start by saying I am known among my friends for having a really particular taste in books, where the smallest thing can tick me off and I would hate the book immediately. This also means that random things may grip me that wouldn’t necessarily represent my tastes. This would be that, mainly for the fact that I do not enjoy retellings often, be it the confusion that I get when reading, or just my general dislike of the specific ways that authors go about said retellings.
But this book got a lot of things right.
I genuinely had fun with this book, and it gripped me in a way that a lot of books haven’t in recent months. The characters felt so real and fleshed out, especially Robyn and Jacsynn, and the dynamics between them, and the people around them, the way they carry themselves, the way they present so uniquely differently from one another; considering the fact that I have struggled with so many books with flat characters, this really made me ecstatic. One of my favorite parts about books is the author getting their characters done properly [chef’s kiss].
I enjoyed the way the overarching theme of misogyny infiltrated the book. Odd to say ‘enjoyed,’ but I think a lot of books shy from really making men, ultimately, pieces of shit to women, and women, like Jacsynn and Robyn and Eloisa, who have suffered at the hands of these men, react accordingly to their own judgement. So, I was glad to see that it was truly a belief that found its way into the society and affected everyone’s behavior to the point that, when Robyn sees otherwise, the genuine culture shock that she experienced was so real that I remembered my own self, at 14, realizing you really could be anyone.
I also loved the writing. It was perfectly balanced for my tastes. Not too purple of prose, not too lackluster, describing things succinctly in a way that was clear and imaginative, and often times drew a well-fleshed image in mind. I genuinely was giddy, excited, sad, upset, happy, and shocked alongside the characters. It was great.
Also, small spoiler ahead,
Now, with all the things this book got right out of the way, I did have a few, honestly really minor issues with some things.
For one, the pacing. The beginning and middle were well-paced for the most part, but then the middle to end had some few jumps and bumps that put me off, especially going from one scene to the other, or when time passes, or when something happens in the first scene and it ends, and we move to the next near-immediate scene It was not too jarring by any means, but I was still put off. I think it could be handled with a bit more care, especially since the story flows really well otherwise.
One other thing that is honestly just my own personal biased opinion (not that this review is an objective truth, lol),
And this is an even smaller gripe, I would say, But I am a sadistic fuck and love me some slow-SLOW burn. So, this is not really a fault with the writing of their possible upcoming romance but more so a personal, book-romantic preference.
And as for Robyn, I would hope to see that in the next book.
Overall, though, great, great story, and I cannot cover everything I felt and thought, otherwise this would threaten to spill into literary analysis territory and this is but a simple review. So, to conclude, I must say that I cannot wait to see how the story unfolds in the next book, and I am excited to read about the characters again yippee
Thank you, M.K. West, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What an incredible journey this has been.
I would like to start by saying I am known among my friends for having a really particular taste in books, where the smallest thing can tick me off and I would hate the book immediately. This also means that random things may grip me that wouldn’t necessarily represent my tastes. This would be that, mainly for the fact that I do not enjoy retellings often, be it the confusion that I get when reading, or just my general dislike of the specific ways that authors go about said retellings.
But this book got a lot of things right.
I genuinely had fun with this book, and it gripped me in a way that a lot of books haven’t in recent months. The characters felt so real and fleshed out, especially Robyn and Jacsynn, and the dynamics between them, and the people around them, the way they carry themselves, the way they present so uniquely differently from one another; considering the fact that I have struggled with so many books with flat characters, this really made me ecstatic. One of my favorite parts about books is the author getting their characters done properly [chef’s kiss].
I enjoyed the way the overarching theme of misogyny infiltrated the book. Odd to say ‘enjoyed,’ but I think a lot of books shy from really making men, ultimately, pieces of shit to women, and women, like Jacsynn and Robyn and Eloisa, who have suffered at the hands of these men, react accordingly to their own judgement. So, I was glad to see that it was truly a belief that found its way into the society and affected everyone’s behavior to the point that, when Robyn sees otherwise, the genuine culture shock that she experienced was so real that I remembered my own self, at 14, realizing you really could be anyone.
I also loved the writing. It was perfectly balanced for my tastes. Not too purple of prose, not too lackluster, describing things succinctly in a way that was clear and imaginative, and often times drew a well-fleshed image in mind. I genuinely was giddy, excited, sad, upset, happy, and shocked alongside the characters. It was great.
Also, small spoiler ahead,
Now, with all the things this book got right out of the way, I did have a few, honestly really minor issues with some things.
For one, the pacing. The beginning and middle were well-paced for the most part, but then the middle to end had some few jumps and bumps that put me off, especially going from one scene to the other, or when time passes, or when something happens in the first scene and it ends, and we move to the next near-immediate scene It was not too jarring by any means, but I was still put off. I think it could be handled with a bit more care, especially since the story flows really well otherwise.
One other thing that is honestly just my own personal biased opinion (not that this review is an objective truth, lol),
And this is an even smaller gripe, I would say, But I am a sadistic fuck and love me some slow-SLOW burn. So, this is not really a fault with the writing of their possible upcoming romance but more so a personal, book-romantic preference.
And as for Robyn, I would hope to see that in the next book.
Overall, though, great, great story, and I cannot cover everything I felt and thought, otherwise this would threaten to spill into literary analysis territory and this is but a simple review. So, to conclude, I must say that I cannot wait to see how the story unfolds in the next book, and I am excited to read about the characters again yippee
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you M.K. West for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This has truly been an incredible journey!
I haven't read much fantasy books but when I saw the description of this book and read the word Dragon, I knew I had to get my hands on this.
Firstly I would like to say that the representation of queer people was refreshing to see and played a huge part in me picking up this book.
The characters were beautifully written, including their flaws and how they were uniquely different from each other. It felt so real, reading their struggles.
I personally loved the relationship between Jac and Robyn and how they would give up their lives for each other. They have my whole heart.
It was a little tough for me to read dual povs when they both had different adventures, as the pov kept on shifting, but now that I've read the whole book, I can say that it was necessary to shift the pov in every chapter.
It aligned all so perfectly at the end when I understood it.
I loved all the characters very much especially Jac. She was so brave and fierce mentally, but I loved watching her grow physically strong. I was filled with pride when she finally climbed Azuraton and was close to fulfilling her dream of seeing Azuraton and the dragons.
The story flowed easily as the chapters progressed and that kept me hooked.
Robyn was a delight to read, with her kind and sweet personality, and I loved that she always found her way through her struggles. Going out of her way to save her sister's and her family's reputation was so brave of her.
Overall, I loved this book A LOT and it was so fun to read it!!
The cliffhanger was so sudden though, I totally did not expect it to end like that.
Cant wait to read what happens next in the second book!!
This has truly been an incredible journey!
I haven't read much fantasy books but when I saw the description of this book and read the word Dragon, I knew I had to get my hands on this.
Firstly I would like to say that the representation of queer people was refreshing to see and played a huge part in me picking up this book.
The characters were beautifully written, including their flaws and how they were uniquely different from each other. It felt so real, reading their struggles.
I personally loved the relationship between Jac and Robyn and how they would give up their lives for each other. They have my whole heart.
It was a little tough for me to read dual povs when they both had different adventures, as the pov kept on shifting, but now that I've read the whole book, I can say that it was necessary to shift the pov in every chapter.
It aligned all so perfectly at the end when I understood it.
I loved all the characters very much especially Jac. She was so brave and fierce mentally, but I loved watching her grow physically strong. I was filled with pride when she finally climbed Azuraton and was close to fulfilling her dream of seeing Azuraton and the dragons.
The story flowed easily as the chapters progressed and that kept me hooked.
Robyn was a delight to read, with her kind and sweet personality, and I loved that she always found her way through her struggles. Going out of her way to save her sister's and her family's reputation was so brave of her.
Overall, I loved this book A LOT and it was so fun to read it!!
The cliffhanger was so sudden though, I totally did not expect it to end like that.
Cant wait to read what happens next in the second book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2026
A huge thank you to the author for sending me this copy of On Daughter’s Heart to read and review. All thoughts are honest and my own.
On Daughter’s Heart is a super fun amalgamation of many classic fantasy elements (dragons, pirates, curses) that results in it being very readable and easily enjoyed by the vast majority of people. What really sets it apart is the unique world that has been created and the fun combination of retelling we get to see; Jack and the Beanstalk and Mulan (a personal favourite). Another element where I find this book expresses its individuality is the focus on the relationship between the two main characters and them being sisters, as opposed to a character and a love interest which is more commonly seen.
I really liked both Robyn and Jac, they were both fun to read about and also through, since the story is told through their differing points of view. I also enjoyed the characters of Mariano and the rest of the pirates and found myself looking forward to the chapters where we’d see more of them. As briefly mentioned early, I think the author’s writing style for the most part flows really well and makes for a very smooth and quick read.
While I really enjoyed my time with this book, there were some aspects where I could see room for improvement. I think the pacing in some parts was a little inconsistent. Mostly the middle was very even and smooth, but I did find the start a little slow to begin, and the end a little rushed. However, this was nothing that completely removed me from the story or greatly impacted my reading experience. As mentioned above., I found the author’s writing style to mostly work well for me. Although, I do think there were occasions where descriptions of people, places, or other things was a little excessive and could have been shortened. Now with the characters, I understand that this is only the first book of a planned series so I imagine these characteristics will be addressed in the future, however I personally didn’t see the romantic chemistry or tension between Jac and Kai. Whether that was intended or not, I can’t say. Additionally, I thought that it was a little odd that Robyn’s friends clearly cared for her a lot and were constantly concerned for her wellbeing, but we rarely saw the same concern from her. I understand that she’s obviously first of all going to be worried for her sister and her own situation, but I think it would have had a better and more effective impact on the story if we saw more concern from her regarding her friends.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my read of this book and am looking forward to what the second book brings! Would definitely recommend a read for those of you who love a good fantasy book with close-knit relationships and unique story and world building!
On Daughter’s Heart is a super fun amalgamation of many classic fantasy elements (dragons, pirates, curses) that results in it being very readable and easily enjoyed by the vast majority of people. What really sets it apart is the unique world that has been created and the fun combination of retelling we get to see; Jack and the Beanstalk and Mulan (a personal favourite). Another element where I find this book expresses its individuality is the focus on the relationship between the two main characters and them being sisters, as opposed to a character and a love interest which is more commonly seen.
I really liked both Robyn and Jac, they were both fun to read about and also through, since the story is told through their differing points of view. I also enjoyed the characters of Mariano and the rest of the pirates and found myself looking forward to the chapters where we’d see more of them. As briefly mentioned early, I think the author’s writing style for the most part flows really well and makes for a very smooth and quick read.
While I really enjoyed my time with this book, there were some aspects where I could see room for improvement. I think the pacing in some parts was a little inconsistent. Mostly the middle was very even and smooth, but I did find the start a little slow to begin, and the end a little rushed. However, this was nothing that completely removed me from the story or greatly impacted my reading experience. As mentioned above., I found the author’s writing style to mostly work well for me. Although, I do think there were occasions where descriptions of people, places, or other things was a little excessive and could have been shortened. Now with the characters, I understand that this is only the first book of a planned series so I imagine these characteristics will be addressed in the future, however I personally didn’t see the romantic chemistry or tension between Jac and Kai. Whether that was intended or not, I can’t say. Additionally, I thought that it was a little odd that Robyn’s friends clearly cared for her a lot and were constantly concerned for her wellbeing, but we rarely saw the same concern from her. I understand that she’s obviously first of all going to be worried for her sister and her own situation, but I think it would have had a better and more effective impact on the story if we saw more concern from her regarding her friends.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my read of this book and am looking forward to what the second book brings! Would definitely recommend a read for those of you who love a good fantasy book with close-knit relationships and unique story and world building!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I want to thank M. K. West for trusting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
On Daughter’s Heart is a beautiful fantasy novel revolving around three siblings: Beau, Robyn, and Jacsynn. They live in a magical world where dragons soar above the skies, in a place called Azuraton. To reach it, one must climb the Paradise Root—a feat supposedly reserved for men. Jacsynn, however, is stubborn, determined, and unwilling to accept the rules laid out for her. She is intent on changing the game. That is all I’m going to say, so as not to spoil the story.
This book has everything you could ask for: a beautiful and thoughtful exploration of different queer identities and experiences, pirates, dragons, a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, and women who are tired of living under oppressive patriarchal rule.
What surprised me most was learning that this is West’s debut novel and that it will be published independently. The writing is so accomplished that I could easily have believed it came from an author who had been working in the industry for years, with the backing of an experienced editorial team. The prose is delightful, the characters are three-dimensional, and it is quite easy to connect with each of them. The world-building is exquisite, and the story is gripping, emotional, and magical.
I have a feeling we’ll be hearing M. K. West’s name much more often in the future.
Grab a copy and enjoy the ride when the book officially comes out at the end of September.
On Daughter’s Heart is a beautiful fantasy novel revolving around three siblings: Beau, Robyn, and Jacsynn. They live in a magical world where dragons soar above the skies, in a place called Azuraton. To reach it, one must climb the Paradise Root—a feat supposedly reserved for men. Jacsynn, however, is stubborn, determined, and unwilling to accept the rules laid out for her. She is intent on changing the game. That is all I’m going to say, so as not to spoil the story.
This book has everything you could ask for: a beautiful and thoughtful exploration of different queer identities and experiences, pirates, dragons, a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, and women who are tired of living under oppressive patriarchal rule.
What surprised me most was learning that this is West’s debut novel and that it will be published independently. The writing is so accomplished that I could easily have believed it came from an author who had been working in the industry for years, with the backing of an experienced editorial team. The prose is delightful, the characters are three-dimensional, and it is quite easy to connect with each of them. The world-building is exquisite, and the story is gripping, emotional, and magical.
I have a feeling we’ll be hearing M. K. West’s name much more often in the future.
Grab a copy and enjoy the ride when the book officially comes out at the end of September.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you MK West for the ARC!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I’m so pleased to say that I absolutely adored this book. I had such an amazing time reading it and I was locked in from beginning to end. The relationship between the sisters was easily one of my favourite parts of this book and I loved how their plots intertwined by the end.
Something else I loved was the world building especially when learning about the dragons and azuraton through Jascynn’s childhood stories. Something I also related to deeply is Jac’s anger with the world and how it drives her in everything she does.
Robyn is also such a compelling character. Watching her grow confidence in herself and her identity with Mariano and the pirates was so endearing.
Truly though the best thing about this is how engaging the story was. Once I started, I always struggled to put it down which is a testament to how much I love this author’s writing.
This review is just me listing all the things that I loved but in all seriousness this book is amazing and I can't wait to promote it to the moon and back once it releases.
I'm so proud of you Molly 🫶🏽🫶🏽
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I’m so pleased to say that I absolutely adored this book. I had such an amazing time reading it and I was locked in from beginning to end. The relationship between the sisters was easily one of my favourite parts of this book and I loved how their plots intertwined by the end.
Something else I loved was the world building especially when learning about the dragons and azuraton through Jascynn’s childhood stories. Something I also related to deeply is Jac’s anger with the world and how it drives her in everything she does.
Robyn is also such a compelling character. Watching her grow confidence in herself and her identity with Mariano and the pirates was so endearing.
Truly though the best thing about this is how engaging the story was. Once I started, I always struggled to put it down which is a testament to how much I love this author’s writing.
This review is just me listing all the things that I loved but in all seriousness this book is amazing and I can't wait to promote it to the moon and back once it releases.
I'm so proud of you Molly 🫶🏽🫶🏽
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to M.K West for an advanced reader copy of this book.
This book reminded me why I love fantasy, and why I love reading! It was the perfect book to pull me out of my slump. These characters are so dear to me now, and I loved their development throughout the story. It was nice having both Jacsynn and Robyn’s perspectives and seeing how strong their sisterly bond was. In every decision they made, they always thought of each other even apart and it was very sweet.
I also loved the love interests Kai and Mariano. And the fact that both were slow burn in different ways? LOVED IT! One was angsty, one was sweet, and I was here for both of them!
I also loved the plot itself and the world building. I felt so immersed into the story and there was never a time I was bored! I loved the imagery in my head as I read and I am a sucker for retellings. I never wanted this book to end. I have so many theories in my head on where it could go, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
Great character development, great plot, great balance of romance and self discovery, and overall a wonderful read!
This book reminded me why I love fantasy, and why I love reading! It was the perfect book to pull me out of my slump. These characters are so dear to me now, and I loved their development throughout the story. It was nice having both Jacsynn and Robyn’s perspectives and seeing how strong their sisterly bond was. In every decision they made, they always thought of each other even apart and it was very sweet.
I also loved the love interests Kai and Mariano. And the fact that both were slow burn in different ways? LOVED IT! One was angsty, one was sweet, and I was here for both of them!
I also loved the plot itself and the world building. I felt so immersed into the story and there was never a time I was bored! I loved the imagery in my head as I read and I am a sucker for retellings. I never wanted this book to end. I have so many theories in my head on where it could go, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
Great character development, great plot, great balance of romance and self discovery, and overall a wonderful read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
It was so special to be selected as one of the ARC readers for On Daughter's Heart. I echo a lot of what the other reviews have written so far.
I loved following the story of both sisters and their journeys of growth, determination, and trying to escape the roles they were predetermined to live.
The switch of the sisters really was crucial to break through the shell of thought that this universe holds with women. It was also refreshing to see trans representation where it wasn't dodged or just put in there. Also! The author mentioned having to deal with periods in a fantasy setting! How cool is that??
From dragons to pirates to swapping roles, it was a good read. There is a lot of lore and care the author has for this book.
My only problem, if you can call it that, is that I would read it without taking too many breaks from it. I just started classes a few weeks ago and having to stop around 60% and trying to get back into some areas that are a little slower was a bit hard (but I can't blame the author for that, overloaded brain and trying to push through is asking for trouble.)
I can't wait to see if she continues to release books!
I loved following the story of both sisters and their journeys of growth, determination, and trying to escape the roles they were predetermined to live.
The switch of the sisters really was crucial to break through the shell of thought that this universe holds with women. It was also refreshing to see trans representation where it wasn't dodged or just put in there. Also! The author mentioned having to deal with periods in a fantasy setting! How cool is that??
From dragons to pirates to swapping roles, it was a good read. There is a lot of lore and care the author has for this book.
My only problem, if you can call it that, is that I would read it without taking too many breaks from it. I just started classes a few weeks ago and having to stop around 60% and trying to get back into some areas that are a little slower was a bit hard (but I can't blame the author for that, overloaded brain and trying to push through is asking for trouble.)
I can't wait to see if she continues to release books!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much for allowing me to read with incredible story early. I am so beyond thankful and I can’t wait for the world to read her too.
MK West has not only created such an interesting world but also characters that you’re going to root for from beginning to end. This book was absolutely packed full with adventure, representation, and oh so much love. West took two classic stories (Jack and the Beanstalk & Mulan) and made them something so much more. I smiled, I cried, I fell in love, she stomped on my heart, she patched it right back up again, and repeat! I think if I wasn’t a student and employed, I could’ve read this in a single sitting. I am telling you, do not miss out on this one. You won’t be able to forgive yourself if you do. 5/5 and you better believe I will be getting my hands on a physical copy the second they are released.
P.S.
Prepare for the greatest FMCs, you’ll love them just as much as I do. Jacsynn, you are going to be a STAR 🏴☠️🩷
MK West has not only created such an interesting world but also characters that you’re going to root for from beginning to end. This book was absolutely packed full with adventure, representation, and oh so much love. West took two classic stories (Jack and the Beanstalk & Mulan) and made them something so much more. I smiled, I cried, I fell in love, she stomped on my heart, she patched it right back up again, and repeat! I think if I wasn’t a student and employed, I could’ve read this in a single sitting. I am telling you, do not miss out on this one. You won’t be able to forgive yourself if you do. 5/5 and you better believe I will be getting my hands on a physical copy the second they are released.
P.S.
Prepare for the greatest FMCs, you’ll love them just as much as I do. Jacsynn, you are going to be a STAR 🏴☠️🩷
September 12, 2026
ARC💌
3⭐️
First i want to thank Molly for giving me the opportunity to read her book before its out for everyone to read.
I’ve had a lot of time to analyse the book and even tho i still think it was a good book i think there’s a few things i want to say.
Robyn’s character was very interesting at the beginning, and I really wanted to know more about her journey with femininity and figuring out who she was and what she wanted for herself. However, I ended up feeling like she was more of a side character than a main character, which was a bit disappointing because she has SO much potential. Her storyline felt underdeveloped, and honestly, Mariano’s whole plot was pretty boring and underwhelming. I kept waiting for something more to happen, especially because I wanted to see Robyn actually have a bigger role in the story.
I also think there are some interesting contradictions when it comes to the book’s themes of femininity and feminism. The book is clearly trying to challenge traditional ideas about what women are supposed to want, but sometimes the characters’ actions felt contradictory to what they supposedly believed in. For example, Jacsynn wanted to leave so she could have a life of her own, but she ultimately left Robyn behind to marry someone and have children. At the same time, Robyn seems to believe that getting married and having children is what she is supposed to do as a woman. I think this could have been explored much more, because right now it feels a little confusing rather than intentional. Hopefully this is something that gets addressed and developed more in book 2, because I’m still really excited to see where Robyn’s character goes.
I also think it would have been better to divide the two stories into separate books, or at least split this book into two parts, because I couldn’t fully appreciate one storyline without having to go back to the other. Since this book has so many different plots going on, it was a bit hard to follow at times, and even harder to understand what was actually happening.
I still really enjoyed the book and i want to read the next to see what happens and how the author grows.
thank u for letting me be part of this.
(I hope that whatever i said made sense bc im not very good at writing reviews hehe)
3⭐️
First i want to thank Molly for giving me the opportunity to read her book before its out for everyone to read.
I’ve had a lot of time to analyse the book and even tho i still think it was a good book i think there’s a few things i want to say.
Robyn’s character was very interesting at the beginning, and I really wanted to know more about her journey with femininity and figuring out who she was and what she wanted for herself. However, I ended up feeling like she was more of a side character than a main character, which was a bit disappointing because she has SO much potential. Her storyline felt underdeveloped, and honestly, Mariano’s whole plot was pretty boring and underwhelming. I kept waiting for something more to happen, especially because I wanted to see Robyn actually have a bigger role in the story.
I also think there are some interesting contradictions when it comes to the book’s themes of femininity and feminism. The book is clearly trying to challenge traditional ideas about what women are supposed to want, but sometimes the characters’ actions felt contradictory to what they supposedly believed in. For example, Jacsynn wanted to leave so she could have a life of her own, but she ultimately left Robyn behind to marry someone and have children. At the same time, Robyn seems to believe that getting married and having children is what she is supposed to do as a woman. I think this could have been explored much more, because right now it feels a little confusing rather than intentional. Hopefully this is something that gets addressed and developed more in book 2, because I’m still really excited to see where Robyn’s character goes.
I also think it would have been better to divide the two stories into separate books, or at least split this book into two parts, because I couldn’t fully appreciate one storyline without having to go back to the other. Since this book has so many different plots going on, it was a bit hard to follow at times, and even harder to understand what was actually happening.
I still really enjoyed the book and i want to read the next to see what happens and how the author grows.
thank u for letting me be part of this.
(I hope that whatever i said made sense bc im not very good at writing reviews hehe)
Review of advance copy received from Author
★ ★ ★ ★ . ⁵
First, I want to thank M K West for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing arc.
I pretty much loved everything about it. It has been a while since I read a fantasy, and this reminded me of why I love them.
Following the story of two sisters, Robyn and Jacsynn, we see the challenges they both face as women, and how they find comfort in one another; how they are willing to sacrifice themselves and their happiness for the other one was so incredible.
I also loved the romantic subplots, both of them, although I will say that I enjoyed the one from Mariano and Robyn; it was so cute. And Kai and Jacsynn, I'm so excited to see their relationship develop a bit more in the second book.
And the whole pirate crew, omg, I love them; they were all so accepting of Robyn, trying to make her feel comfortable even though she sort of judges them without really knowing them. And I really hope that they find a way to break the curse to be happy and together.
Other characters that I really enjoyed were all of Robyn's friends, mainly Kalem, Colonel Leander, and Beau (please stop scaring me with killing him, and Kai, for that matter)
The settings were also really well described, and I could picture them in my head. And the dragons, I have not read a book with dragons before, but I found them to be really interesting; the little snippets where we found out about the specifics and what they do were cool and magical, and even the few dragons we see in action in the story are deeply entertaining and intriguing.
Lastly… THAT CLIFFHANGER … omg I need book two asap, i need to know everything: why does Jacsynn need to be there, where is the mirror Robyn is looking for, will the pirates find a way to end the curse, IS KAI DEAD, I need to know.
Amazing book, with an incredible story and lovable characters.
First, I want to thank M K West for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing arc.
I pretty much loved everything about it. It has been a while since I read a fantasy, and this reminded me of why I love them.
Following the story of two sisters, Robyn and Jacsynn, we see the challenges they both face as women, and how they find comfort in one another; how they are willing to sacrifice themselves and their happiness for the other one was so incredible.
I also loved the romantic subplots, both of them, although I will say that I enjoyed the one from Mariano and Robyn; it was so cute. And Kai and Jacsynn, I'm so excited to see their relationship develop a bit more in the second book.
And the whole pirate crew, omg, I love them; they were all so accepting of Robyn, trying to make her feel comfortable even though she sort of judges them without really knowing them. And I really hope that they find a way to break the curse to be happy and together.
Other characters that I really enjoyed were all of Robyn's friends, mainly Kalem, Colonel Leander, and Beau (please stop scaring me with killing him, and Kai, for that matter)
The settings were also really well described, and I could picture them in my head. And the dragons, I have not read a book with dragons before, but I found them to be really interesting; the little snippets where we found out about the specifics and what they do were cool and magical, and even the few dragons we see in action in the story are deeply entertaining and intriguing.
Lastly… THAT CLIFFHANGER … omg I need book two asap, i need to know everything: why does Jacsynn need to be there, where is the mirror Robyn is looking for, will the pirates find a way to end the curse, IS KAI DEAD, I need to know.
Amazing book, with an incredible story and lovable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2026
Review coming soon
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.50
**A huge thank you to M.K West for sending me the arc! I'm eternally grateful <3**
From the beginning, the story is extremely engaging. The characters aren't shied away from being given their own unique arc independent from others, despite the fact of how heavily this story relies on relationships. I adore stories that have sisters central to the story, and this was no exception. The queer representation was also handled beautifully. One thing that took me out of the reading experience was the insistence of language. A few points were a bit repetitive and instead of showing the consequences of oppression that the characters were facing we were told of them. I wish we as audience were allowed to draw our own conclusions better because the world this book exists in is genuinely interesting. Otherwise, it was a pleasant and fun read, I'm excited about the sequel. I'll definitely be giving this a reread soon and see if my opinion changes or I'm able to catch on stuff I wasn't earlier!!
**A huge thank you to M.K West for sending me the arc! I'm eternally grateful <3**
From the beginning, the story is extremely engaging. The characters aren't shied away from being given their own unique arc independent from others, despite the fact of how heavily this story relies on relationships. I adore stories that have sisters central to the story, and this was no exception. The queer representation was also handled beautifully. One thing that took me out of the reading experience was the insistence of language. A few points were a bit repetitive and instead of showing the consequences of oppression that the characters were facing we were told of them. I wish we as audience were allowed to draw our own conclusions better because the world this book exists in is genuinely interesting. Otherwise, it was a pleasant and fun read, I'm excited about the sequel. I'll definitely be giving this a reread soon and see if my opinion changes or I'm able to catch on stuff I wasn't earlier!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4 ⭐️
a big thank you to molly for allowing me the opportunity to read the arc of on daughter’s heart. i genuinely was so excited when i saw her post about sending out some arc copies and was lucky enough to be chosen.
the premise of the story is so intricately built and it had me hooked so instantly. the characters, jacsynn and robyn, are so well written and have me so invested in their journeys that i could not stop. i love how we get robyn who is much more quiet and observant. then we get jacsynn who is much more hardheaded and is ready to speak up. in ways i feel they complimented each other. then to see them both fighting for one another throughout the whole story because they love each other is so heartwarming.
i was swooning seeing the slow burn between jac and kai. it had me so giddy because the banter was just too good. then robyn and the captain!!! AHHHH SOOOO HOT HEHE!!!
I NEED BOOK TWO NOW. I NEED IT IN MY HANDS. this book has left me with a hole in my mind. i haven’t had a book keep me so invested from the beginning in so long!! so when is book two coming?
a big thank you to molly for allowing me the opportunity to read the arc of on daughter’s heart. i genuinely was so excited when i saw her post about sending out some arc copies and was lucky enough to be chosen.
the premise of the story is so intricately built and it had me hooked so instantly. the characters, jacsynn and robyn, are so well written and have me so invested in their journeys that i could not stop. i love how we get robyn who is much more quiet and observant. then we get jacsynn who is much more hardheaded and is ready to speak up. in ways i feel they complimented each other. then to see them both fighting for one another throughout the whole story because they love each other is so heartwarming.
i was swooning seeing the slow burn between jac and kai. it had me so giddy because the banter was just too good. then robyn and the captain!!! AHHHH SOOOO HOT HEHE!!!
I NEED BOOK TWO NOW. I NEED IT IN MY HANDS. this book has left me with a hole in my mind. i haven’t had a book keep me so invested from the beginning in so long!! so when is book two coming?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️
the way this book had me hooked before i even started reading it i’m so serious!!!
jacsynn raverie, you have been promoted. you are now #mywife. badass fmcs who aren’t afraid to fight will always have my heart.
on daughter’s heart has it all - floating kingdoms, dragons, pirates, two sisters switching identities and enough romantic moments that will have you giggling and kicking your feet.
btw mariano & kai, if you want to hangout i’m free 😏
the plot was refreshing and the pacing was just right without feeling like there was too much going on. i really appreciate how the author was able to write the story in a way that didn’t feel confusing at all and not once did i get bored.
i was truly invested in robyn and jac’s journey. i’m also glad we were able to get pov’s from both sisters bc one sister is fighting men and getting bloodied while the other is on a ship with a hot af pirate who can’t stop staring at her 😭 like pls two completely different vibes and i loved every second of it.
oh btw i ship jac and kai so hard and if it doesn’t happen i’m suing!!
molly, thank you so much for the arc. i’m so excited for the next book!
the way this book had me hooked before i even started reading it i’m so serious!!!
jacsynn raverie, you have been promoted. you are now #mywife. badass fmcs who aren’t afraid to fight will always have my heart.
on daughter’s heart has it all - floating kingdoms, dragons, pirates, two sisters switching identities and enough romantic moments that will have you giggling and kicking your feet.
btw mariano & kai, if you want to hangout i’m free 😏
the plot was refreshing and the pacing was just right without feeling like there was too much going on. i really appreciate how the author was able to write the story in a way that didn’t feel confusing at all and not once did i get bored.
i was truly invested in robyn and jac’s journey. i’m also glad we were able to get pov’s from both sisters bc one sister is fighting men and getting bloodied while the other is on a ship with a hot af pirate who can’t stop staring at her 😭 like pls two completely different vibes and i loved every second of it.
oh btw i ship jac and kai so hard and if it doesn’t happen i’m suing!!
molly, thank you so much for the arc. i’m so excited for the next book!
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