All or None

by Aurora Lee Thornton

In a world where everyone has a soulmate, uniquely powerful mage Royiora and reluctant assassin Kalo collide in the worst of ways.

Royiora Daralkaen, the only mage alive able to use all five kinds of magic, has a near idyllic childhood in the country of Porescalia - before war breaks out with their antagonistic neighbors, Kloria.

Kalo Porla, a naturally magic-proof individual known as a Null, is trained to be as an assassin by the authoritarian empire known as the Domain.

When Kalo and his partner assassin are sent to kill a mage and his apprentice, it starts a journey neither man was prepared to begin.


Content warnings: harm to children, physical and psychological abuse, implied (off-page) rape, violence, mature language, minors in implied sexual situations (teenaged romance), implied sexual situations, bigotry towards fictional races, and suggestive language.

Genres: LGBT, M M Romance

365 pages, ebook

Published August 1, 2020

About the author

Aurora is a nonbinary, asexual writer with a new goal in life: to write the queerest books possible. (And yes, xe means gay, but also weird is good too.)

Xe loves dragons and fantasy, and someday hopes to complete a (soft) science fiction novel as well. Currently, xe lives with xyr two cats.

Reviews

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Caffeine Tours & the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Royiora's life didn't truly begin until he was adopted by two war heroes: Philianeon and Korila. The two soliders know they have a lot cut out for them when Roy displays affinities for all five types of magic. Across the kingdom, Kalo Porla, a Healvithi with a talent for absorb every kind of magic (a null) trains to be an assassin at the Institute. Destined to be soulmates, the two collide in the worst way possible, on opposite sides of a war.

"Fuck you, I'm delightful."

That is my favorite quote of the entire book. I just love it so much. It's said by Hult, one of Kalo's fellow trainees. At first, I wasn't the biggest fan of Hult, she was a bit of a bully. But seeing the shit her and Kalo go through, we see her come to depend on Kalo and trust him. I loved their friendship. I'm also a sucky for prickly people, they are me. Hult also had so many good zingers.

"Every time they try to take something away from me, I get to decide whether or not they succeeded. This has never defined me."

This book is also being added to my unofficial list of "gayest shit ever" and that is trademarked. This world was incredibly queer-normative and I want that so badly to be my reality. There are soulmates in this world, but it's not limited by gender, ethnicity or even monogamy! There are several people who have more than one soulmate and I have never seen that before but I AM HERE FOR THIS.

"Being soulmates isn't a pass for working on your relationship-you'll still need to put in the work. Learn to compromises. Learn when you can't compromise. Talk to each other. Be honest, and open."

My favorite part of this book was the child-parent relationship between Roy, Korila and Lian, especially Roy and Lian. This found family was everything and I loved them so much. I also loved the extended family Roy was brought up with. His childhood was so happy after his adoption and it made for a stark contrast to Kalo's upbringing. Kalo didn't really see his family much after starting in the Institute. I was so glad he was close with his sister Rela though, those two gave me a lot of hope for the future of the Healvithi.

"Sometimes, other people think they know what's best for you. So even though it makes you miserable, they'll make you do things you don't want to do."

We only get hints of what I think the series progression will be. Most likely something involving Kalo and Roy attempting to take down the insidious Institute he was trained at. There's still a lot of the world building that's a mystery at this point. But I am intensely curious. I want to learn more about all of the countries and what exactly makes up the Domain and Trinity.

"You didn't let anyone down. You did your best, and sometimes that isn't good enough. And it's okay."

I loved both Roy and Kalo as characters, but I'm not quite sold on their relationship yet. They have a lot to work through before I can ship it. And it's going to be several hard conversations, but that emotional vulnerability between them will cement their relationship and allow them both to truly fall for each other. I'm hoping this will be a focus of book two. I'm also wondering if Kalo might be ace? There's been some signs that could point to him being ace or somewhere on the ace spectrum, so I'm hopeful!

"What, you mean you can't use magic to unfuck about ten years of fuckery over afternoon tea?...Shocking."

Okay this is the last thing because this review has become a critical essay. I loved how therapy was totally normalized. So many people go to therapy and Roy and Lian both specialize in being counselors within the healing field. I would like more normalization of therapy in fantasy worlds please.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to beta read this novel, and honestly if even a tiny fraction of stories I'd been asked to beta over the years were as good as this one I'd be thrilled.

All or None has everything I look for in a fantasy novel- well developed characters, solid worldbuilding, relationships (including some truly fantastic friendships) that feel natural and well developed, daring high stakes adventures, side characters/subplots that make it clear the main adventure isn't the center of the universe, and all of it delivered through a slice of life narrative reminiscent of some of my favorite authors.

If you like magic adventure stories, read this book. If you like enemies to lovers narratives, read this book. If you like badass women, read this book. If you like powerful soft boys, read this book. If you like canon LGBT characters, read this book. If you like assassins or magic schools, read this book. If you like stories that will punch you in the feelings, read this book.

Basically, read this book. Seriously. You won't regret it.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

2.5 stars

There’s a huge cast of characters in this book, and I mean huge, so it’s not always easy to keep them straight, especially when there’s a lot of similar names and no discernible naming convention. What I did like is that the author managed to give both Roy and Kalo unique personalities, and that the people closest to them were distinct enough to recognize. Both the MCs also had a support system, though Kalo’s was much smaller, and their roles were clearly defined. I really appreciated the diverse cast depicting different races, cultures, and gender and sexual identities. I also liked that Roy and Kalo were able to trust and forgive quickly, and that their connection seemed genuine despite the terrible circumstances during which they met.

But sadly, this is about where the good things ended for me with this novel. Right off the bat, there was head hopping between several characters which pulled me out of the story.

Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.

[Meghan Reads MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's currently no book description here. This is a fantasy novel that begins with two main characters from completely different cultures and species growing from childhood to adulthood in parallel. It's an enemies-to-lovers tale. One is an assassin for a dystopian society, the other a powerful mage. It was a solid read, although the alternating character stories in the beginning was a bit annoying. Fortunately that goes away once the characters meet.

[Kelsee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This might just be one of the queerest books I've ever read, which is pretty awesome if you ask me! There seems to exist a casual queerness in the foundations of this society and I loved it. It felt like everyone on the rainbow was represented in a character somewhere. I loved seeing the characters grow and develop into themselves. This book also tackles the "soul-mates name literally written on your skin" trope in what felt like a really nuanced way which was pretty fantastic to see for a trope that can so easily be overdone.

This book also avoided one of my biggest pet peeves, which is the titanic amounts of info-dumping that usually come with fantasy books like this. Information was organically and brought up and explained in a way that felt natural. There were a TON of characters in this, but luckily the ones closest to our MCs Kalo and Roy were distinct and recognizable from the huge cast of this one. I really look forward to seeing the rest of these characters' journeys.

I definitely recommend this one if you want a fantasy that is just so incredibly queer it makes your heart sing! All or None is available on Amazon and Bookshop! I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their tour.

____________________

Representation: gay, lesbian, bi/pan, trans, poly

Content Warnings: harm to children, physical and psychological abuse, implied (off-page) rape, violence, mature language, minors in implied sexual situations (teenaged romance), implied sexual situations, bigotry towards fictional races, and suggestive language.

[Ruthsic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rep: queer cast of characters; main character is dyslexic(?)

Warnings: harm to children, physical and psychological abuse, implied (off-page) rape, violence, mature language, minors in implied sexual situations (teenaged romance), implied sexual situations, bigotry towards fictional races, and suggestive language; transmisia and mention of misgendering

First of all, I love that this book said 'just because you have soulmates, doesn't mean they have to only be one person'. Thornton takes the concept of soulmates (and finding them by what they will first say to you written on your arm) and applies it to a world with different races co-existing, and with acceptance of queer identities, and has the two main characters be soulmates but meet under complicated circumstances. Roy, a gifted mage who can use all kinds of magic, was adopted by two mages at a young age, and to protect him from those who would use him, they raise him with their family and friends in the countryside. Kalo, meanwhile, is a Null (as in he can drain magic), who has been in an Academy of the Domain, run by the Trinity, and has been trained to be an assassin. The book starts with them in their childhood, and we see them grow up, and when war breaks out between Roy's country and a neighboring one. The Trinity, meanwhile, wants Roy dead for fear of his powers one day overwhelming him and causing massive destruction. And when Kalo and Roy meet, the former does something quite terrible that has their relationship off to a rocky start.

While the world-building of this book has several races and languages and pays attention to details of magic and how the soulmate thing would work, it is not exactly delivered in the best way. Mostly, I had to piece together a lot of it, and for some bit of time, I thought Kalo belonged to the neighboring nation they were at war with. A map, or a more extensive glossary, would have probably made things simpler. Anyway, I loved the expansion of the soulmate trope in the book - which wasn't limited to gender, or monogamy - there were quite a few examples of queer relationships that were same-sex, or had multiple partners involved, and there were also trans and non-binary individuals. The soulmate thing wasn't also designed to be like - here, you'll find your perfect match, and get along from day one; it is shown that it takes work and sometimes their partner can make them grow as better persons, and that there are also non-soulmate relationships that have the same kind of intimacy as it. The main romance, however, didn't entirely convince me - I feel there was more work that could have been put into developing Kalo's and Roy's relationship, considering how they meet.

Kalo's individual arc, too, was quite interesting. Both Kalo and Roy are pacifists, but Kalo has had no choice but violence since his childhood and it is something that he had long accepted that he would probably never meet his soulmate; when he meets Roy, he is still quite troubled by all the blood on his hands, and has to come to terms with it. Which brings me to another part of the book I liked - how therapy is normalized. As Roy is a healer mage, his profession includes a bit of how the medical system of the country works, and how they include counseling in his training, is specifically brought up multiple times. There is also much about healing from grief, and learning to forgive. The first half of the book might be more adventure/training themed, but the second half leans towards slice-of-life tones. Which actually brings me to one of the downsides of how the plot is structured - the biggest conflict in the book is when Kalo and Roy meet, and despite the threat of the tyranny of the Domain hanging over, it is mostly brushed aside in this book; I feel towards the end would have been a good time to set up something for the sequels or something because the threat hasn't really gone away so it felt weird to have it but not do anything about it? And so, the ending also feels kind of abrupt.

The writing is decent, and though it did have a shaky start, it flowed better by the middle of the book. A small thing to nitpick - the author uses their titles or what they are instead of their names quite often, even when the chapter is from the character's POV - for example, Kalo is often referred to as 'the null' or the 'the assassin' or 'the red-skinned teen', or Roy is referred to as a 'mage' etc, and so on for most of the characters. It is an unusual choice to refer to characters like that, when it feels kind of distancing from them, but also because it sometimes breaks the flow when you are dealing with multiple characters (who, BTW, also often have similar names or from the same letter) in a scene and you have to stop to remember who is a battlemage or an arcanist or whatever!

Finally, I like the themes of the book, the tropes that are used, and the queer-positive setting; the plot structure and writing could have been improved upon.

Received an advance reader copy from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their tour.

[Books That Burn · Rating 5 out of 5]

All or None is unafraid of portraying darkness and despair but also devoted to addressing the implications and aftereffects of that darkness. The interpersonal dynamics and relationships highlight characters in a way that continually shows them in new light.

I love how this book runs with the premise of literal soul-mates and makes something complex and nuanced out of it. The relationships are distinct and feel natural for whatever stage they’re in. For many of them I could get a sense of how those people would be right for each other. Language barriers played different roles in different relationships, and the reality of culture-shock was transformed into a world-building opportunity.

The world-building was handled in a casually familiar way, with very few info-dumps, and the few that occur are in the context of someone from one culture trying to adjust to a new one, so they feel natural. They tended to answer things where I’d had time to be curious first. The early world-building placed things in context and assumed I could pick up on what was happening, but by and large the story was coherent even if I misunderstood something.

The ratio between trauma and aftercare in this book was surprising, in a very good way. The first part of the story has some very dark stuff (refer to the CWs at the end of this review), and the rest of the book is spent getting out and starting to deal with everything that’s happened. It feels very grounded, the characters are far from perfect and they each have different things to work through, resulting in a well-balanced ensemble.

I'm content with where it ended, but I'm hopeful that there will be a sequel, especially when so much of the book is devoted to getting to know the characters very well, individually and in various kinds of relationships.

Book CWs for harm to children, physical and psychological abuse, implied (off-page) rape, violence, mature language, minors in implied sexual situations (teenaged romance), implied sexual situations, bigotry towards fictional races, and suggestive language.

[Chyna Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly amazing book. I'm not typically a fantasy fan, but I make an exception for this author and this book will show you why. It has a masterful mix of sorrow, drama, and comedy, it will leave you in tears both from sadness and from laughing so hard. The characters are so well developed you'll want them to be your new best friends. It's truly a delightful read, utterly consuming so be sure to read it when you have plenty of time to spare, because this is the epitome of a one sitting read.

[Rozalynn Carlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book a lower rating if not for all the feels I got from it. I hope in the next book that the author learns how to use xyr character’s names and pronouns better than in this one. I was so confused at times and it made it feel really detached from the character that the chapter would supposedly be from the point of view from.
Loved the characters and their drama though and that’s what saved it for me.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding world building, great characters, packed full of action and a truly enjoyable read. I loved this book,
Kalo and Roy have quite a unique story. In this book you learn the true meaning of forgiveness and that sometimes love truly conquers all.-Enjoy

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Slut shaming
Transmisia recounted
Misgendering recounted
Rape
Child abuse
Emotional & physical abuse
Anxiety & panic attack
Depression
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Blood depiction
Amputation, off-page
Emesis
Death of a child
Murder
War themes
Bullying

[Sarah Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book but I felt like the romance between the two main characters was a tad bit dry. Like, you were left wondering if they were even in love with one another or if it was just a forced love due to the whole soulmate thing. I did enjoy several aspects to this book but wished there could be more detail concerning the romance of the main characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

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[MM Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love this epic fantasy series, Star Stories. All or None, the first in the series, had great world building that was thorough and easy to follow. I love the different beings and the different cultures and how everyone accepted how different they were from one another despite different skin colors, different shapes and sizes.
I loved how the story was riveting and how much action there was. I love the characters. I can anticipate their actions and what they would say because they were so well-developed. And I love despite this being a series, All Or None didn't end with a huge cliffhangers. I can't wait for the next book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.