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Guardian
Every Guardian was born a warrior with powerful magic and a soulmate to complete her. All except for Luna, it seemed, who despite having mastered her craft, continued her fight in solitude. She was an enigma in their society—alone for far longer than any Guardian before her. Still, Luna remained hopeful that one day her soulmate would find her, and all the tender yearning would have been worth it.
Then Gia stumbles into her life. Gia—who lives a Human life, in Human glamour, with a Human fiancé.
Now Luna finds herself questioning everything that she—and the Guardians—have believed in for millennia.
“Love isn’t always enough.” Luna had always understood the words, but she had never actually believed them.
Then Gia stumbles into her life. Gia—who lives a Human life, in Human glamour, with a Human fiancé.
Now Luna finds herself questioning everything that she—and the Guardians—have believed in for millennia.
“Love isn’t always enough.” Luna had always understood the words, but she had never actually believed them.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2021
12 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Jen Lawrence
2 books25 followersI finished my first novel when I was 16. Wrote it in pen in a notebook. I didn’t have a computer, but when I entered university, I could finally type it up and spent a few nights being the suspicious weirdo in the computer room. Once done, I had a book with a “straight” artist who meets a beautiful lesbian gallery owner and promptly realises she’s sapphically inclined. She comes out and is disowned by her family, finds out she’s pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s baby, and her lesbian lover has cancer. In the end they both die. A murder and a suicide. It was grim.
I was 19 when I kissed a girl for the first time. Up until then, all my experience of queerness was from the media I had consumed and it had subconsciously painted a very bleak (at times sadly realistic) idea of what it meant to be queer to this day. That my main characters were both white, even though I’m not, was also telling.
After being distracted by women for a few years after that first kiss, I finally got back into writing. I began telling stories set in otherworldly places, about supernatural and magically inclined women, where the fact that they were gay was the very least of their concerns. Because though I support and appreciate those works that remind us that we’re not alone, what I also would’ve liked whilst feeling like the sole queer person not only in a massive family, but in the entire town, was some escapism from reality and to be sucked into fantastical worlds, filled with powerful lesbian beings, saving the day and being absolutely soft and gay for the women they love.
I’m 35 years old, from Cape Town, South Africa. And my ideal life would be spent writing and gaming with a cat on my lap until my back and eyes hurt, and then going outside to take a long walk with a dog, on a remotely located farm, with superfast internet connection.
Librarian note: Multiple authors with the same name in the GR database; this author is entered with 2 spaces.
I was 19 when I kissed a girl for the first time. Up until then, all my experience of queerness was from the media I had consumed and it had subconsciously painted a very bleak (at times sadly realistic) idea of what it meant to be queer to this day. That my main characters were both white, even though I’m not, was also telling.
After being distracted by women for a few years after that first kiss, I finally got back into writing. I began telling stories set in otherworldly places, about supernatural and magically inclined women, where the fact that they were gay was the very least of their concerns. Because though I support and appreciate those works that remind us that we’re not alone, what I also would’ve liked whilst feeling like the sole queer person not only in a massive family, but in the entire town, was some escapism from reality and to be sucked into fantastical worlds, filled with powerful lesbian beings, saving the day and being absolutely soft and gay for the women they love.
I’m 35 years old, from Cape Town, South Africa. And my ideal life would be spent writing and gaming with a cat on my lap until my back and eyes hurt, and then going outside to take a long walk with a dog, on a remotely located farm, with superfast internet connection.
Librarian note: Multiple authors with the same name in the GR database; this author is entered with 2 spaces.
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August 19, 2021
4.50 Stars. This was my kind of book. What an epic love story! I often joke about how there are certain kinds of fantasy books that I call “gateway” books. If you have not heard me say that before, I mean fantasy books that anyone can read. Even if you are not a big fantasy fan, or if you just need a fantasy book for a reading challenge like Jae’s, this is the type of book I would recommend. If you are a romance fan, and don’t mind lots of push-pull angst, chances are high you will at least enjoy this book. This is not a fantasy book that has a romance. Instead, this is a romance that takes place in a fantasy setting, and I loved most of it.
I’m always a bit blown away when a debut book is this good. It’s not perfect, there were a few bumps, but I would have easily guessed that Lawrence was a seasoned author already. I don’t know where Bella keeps finding all these great newbie authors, but it sure is impressive.
I heard from a couple Goodreads friends that this was very romance based, which doesn’t happen often for fantasy books, so I was really excited to see how that played out. I honestly didn’t expect it to go this well. While this is a soul-mate, bounded pair type of book, this is not what normally happens in spec-fic. Usually, soul-mate storylines, in these types of genres, are used for an author to get away with an insta-love relationship, so that they can then move on to the action-hero storyline without spending too much time on a romance. That is the opposite here because there is not a ton of action, but instead the romance is what the whole story truly is about.
This book is about a magical being, riding on her Pegasus, waiting for her soul mate to appear. The problem is her soul mate doesn’t want to be bonded and would rather pretend to be a human, while happily being engaged to one. I think you can imagine the amount of drama and angst that is built into this premise alone. What was really shocking to me was how much all the push-pull angst got to me. I kept tearing up for most the book. I was only a couple chapters in and I was already heartbroken for the character of Luna, who just wants to be loved by her soul-mate. I think this is a real testament for Lawrence’s writing by how she had me hooked very early on to where I completely cared about Luna’s happiness. I haven’t connected so quickly to a character in a long time.
I did have a few issues with the book. Something big happens and I felt like no one ever really told Gia exactly what her actions led to. I kept waiting for someone to really explain everything to her but it was kind of weird when no one did. I also think the book really needed an epilogue. Lawrence is turning this into a series so I hope that’s the only reason why she didn’t. The next book has new main characters, but the characters in this book are important, so I hope we at least have time with them in book two. If not, I hope that a book three will bring characters from both books together or just comes back around to star these main characters again. It seems like their journey is just beginning so I hope we get more.
If I didn’t gush about this book enough, I want to clearly state that I would absolutely recommend this one. It’s shocking to say but I actually think I would recommend this more to romance fans then fantasy fans. There might be some fantasy fans that don’t think this has enough hard hitting fantasy action, but for me the world building and magic system was done well enough for me to give this my fantasy love stamp of approval even though this was mostly a love story. This book was a pretty epic romance, with plenty of angst that got me running for the tissues. This was a very strong debut and I can’t wait to read Lawrence’s next book.
An ARC was given to me for a review.
I’m always a bit blown away when a debut book is this good. It’s not perfect, there were a few bumps, but I would have easily guessed that Lawrence was a seasoned author already. I don’t know where Bella keeps finding all these great newbie authors, but it sure is impressive.
I heard from a couple Goodreads friends that this was very romance based, which doesn’t happen often for fantasy books, so I was really excited to see how that played out. I honestly didn’t expect it to go this well. While this is a soul-mate, bounded pair type of book, this is not what normally happens in spec-fic. Usually, soul-mate storylines, in these types of genres, are used for an author to get away with an insta-love relationship, so that they can then move on to the action-hero storyline without spending too much time on a romance. That is the opposite here because there is not a ton of action, but instead the romance is what the whole story truly is about.
This book is about a magical being, riding on her Pegasus, waiting for her soul mate to appear. The problem is her soul mate doesn’t want to be bonded and would rather pretend to be a human, while happily being engaged to one. I think you can imagine the amount of drama and angst that is built into this premise alone. What was really shocking to me was how much all the push-pull angst got to me. I kept tearing up for most the book. I was only a couple chapters in and I was already heartbroken for the character of Luna, who just wants to be loved by her soul-mate. I think this is a real testament for Lawrence’s writing by how she had me hooked very early on to where I completely cared about Luna’s happiness. I haven’t connected so quickly to a character in a long time.
I did have a few issues with the book. Something big happens and I felt like no one ever really told Gia exactly what her actions led to. I kept waiting for someone to really explain everything to her but it was kind of weird when no one did. I also think the book really needed an epilogue. Lawrence is turning this into a series so I hope that’s the only reason why she didn’t. The next book has new main characters, but the characters in this book are important, so I hope we at least have time with them in book two. If not, I hope that a book three will bring characters from both books together or just comes back around to star these main characters again. It seems like their journey is just beginning so I hope we get more.
If I didn’t gush about this book enough, I want to clearly state that I would absolutely recommend this one. It’s shocking to say but I actually think I would recommend this more to romance fans then fantasy fans. There might be some fantasy fans that don’t think this has enough hard hitting fantasy action, but for me the world building and magic system was done well enough for me to give this my fantasy love stamp of approval even though this was mostly a love story. This book was a pretty epic romance, with plenty of angst that got me running for the tissues. This was a very strong debut and I can’t wait to read Lawrence’s next book.
An ARC was given to me for a review.
August 11, 2021
4.25 stars. This was such a good surprise. I’m a fan of fantasy, so I was happy to see this book amongst the releases for this month. While this is set in a fantasy universe, the heart of this story is the romance. This is a debut book and I am impressed with the quality of the writing, I was immediately hooked and I will be reading more by this author.
There are two worlds that exist in parallel and are separated by the veil. One world resembles earth and is inhabited with humans while the other is inhabited with all kinds of magical creatures including the guardians. The task of the guardians is to guard the veil so the parallel worlds remain stable. The worldbuilding was good. It’s not very excessive as the story really focusses on the romance, yet you get enough information to understand the world that is created and more importantly you get to know the guardians. I loved how the guardians do not resemble humans in their appearance, although they can take up a human appearance (one of the two mains looks and lives like a human for most of the book). Another thing that is very different from humans are their relationships. From birth two guardians are destined for each other, although they get to know their significant other (their arima) later in life. I’ve read quite a lot of fantasy and paranormal books with destined love, but this was a bit different from what I’ve read before. I won’t go into detail, because of spoilers, but I liked it, it’s well thought out.
Somebody who doesn’t like this bond is Gia. In fact, she resents it and is about to marry a human. Luna on the other hand, has been pining for her arima all her life, as guardians feel incomplete without their arima. So, when they finally meet and Gia rejects her, Luna’s crushed. Did I mention the level of angst in this book? Well here you have it, there is boatloads. Destined to be together, but rejected nonetheless, left feeling physically and emotionally incomplete. Of course, Gia also has this attraction towards Luna, but she has her reasons to reject it. This is where the book became a bit frustrating for me at times, I understood Gia, but she is so frustratingly stubborn, making everybody miserable (including herself) that I sometimes wanted to smack some sense into her. Luna is a saint, she even becomes friends with Gia’s fiancé, and this made Gia’s behavior even more difficult to accept. However, I found myself wanting to keep on reading and I was happy I did, as in the end, the growth of Gia’s character was worth it.
As a fantasy fan I enjoyed the universe that Lawrence created and could read more about this world and its magical beings, so I was happy to see that there will be a second book in this universe. As for this book, this was an excellent debut full of romance and angst!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There are two worlds that exist in parallel and are separated by the veil. One world resembles earth and is inhabited with humans while the other is inhabited with all kinds of magical creatures including the guardians. The task of the guardians is to guard the veil so the parallel worlds remain stable. The worldbuilding was good. It’s not very excessive as the story really focusses on the romance, yet you get enough information to understand the world that is created and more importantly you get to know the guardians. I loved how the guardians do not resemble humans in their appearance, although they can take up a human appearance (one of the two mains looks and lives like a human for most of the book). Another thing that is very different from humans are their relationships. From birth two guardians are destined for each other, although they get to know their significant other (their arima) later in life. I’ve read quite a lot of fantasy and paranormal books with destined love, but this was a bit different from what I’ve read before. I won’t go into detail, because of spoilers, but I liked it, it’s well thought out.
Somebody who doesn’t like this bond is Gia. In fact, she resents it and is about to marry a human. Luna on the other hand, has been pining for her arima all her life, as guardians feel incomplete without their arima. So, when they finally meet and Gia rejects her, Luna’s crushed. Did I mention the level of angst in this book? Well here you have it, there is boatloads. Destined to be together, but rejected nonetheless, left feeling physically and emotionally incomplete. Of course, Gia also has this attraction towards Luna, but she has her reasons to reject it. This is where the book became a bit frustrating for me at times, I understood Gia, but she is so frustratingly stubborn, making everybody miserable (including herself) that I sometimes wanted to smack some sense into her. Luna is a saint, she even becomes friends with Gia’s fiancé, and this made Gia’s behavior even more difficult to accept. However, I found myself wanting to keep on reading and I was happy I did, as in the end, the growth of Gia’s character was worth it.
As a fantasy fan I enjoyed the universe that Lawrence created and could read more about this world and its magical beings, so I was happy to see that there will be a second book in this universe. As for this book, this was an excellent debut full of romance and angst!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2021
4.5⭐️ – I’d completely missed this very exciting fantasy debut in Bella Books August releases, and I want to thank Lex for recommending it.
Guardians protect weaknesses in the Veil between Lur Ederra and Tristea, preventing Darke creatures from invading the Humans’ world. Guardians are born in pairs, one destined to be a Sword, the other a Shield. Luna has been waiting to find her other half for a long long time but when the Call comes, what she finds isn’t at all what she expected. Gia has been living among humans since she was a child and never expected her Arima, her soul mate, to come find her, especially not as she’s about to marry a Human.
Jen Lawrence writes an unusual and strangely relatable love triangle. Of course I wanted Gia to make up her mind and of course both Luna and Sean deserve better than her indecisiveness, yet I understood how she felt and how trying to choose between not only two persons but also two worlds could be daunting. Gia is frustrating but she’s also the character with the most interesting growth journey. She grew up rejecting everything from her homeworld, for undeniably valid reasons, and meeting Luna makes her question her beliefs all over again. Luna herself, who, despite her unique circumstances of not having an Arima for so long, believed her world’s rules were for the best, finds herself questioning them too.
Because of the bond between them, the first time Luna and Gia touch, magic flares up and opens the physical connection. The whole question is whether the energy and longing flowing between them stem from the bond only. As they journey towards the answer, the attraction is such that even when they’ve agreed on simply being friends, their subconscious knows better.
The situation in which the two MCs get together, or not together, leads to a lot of exquisite angst, and it could be too much at times (Luna can be a bit of a drama queen), but the author injects some humour at the right time, before it gets overly dramatic.
Guardian is a story of fate versus free will, even though putting it like this is much too simple. Is it still fate when what you’re destined to is also what you really want?
There are a few excellent secondary characters, and two of them are especially interesting: Sean, Gia’s fiancé, and Sua Orro, the Ama Gorria, the Red Mother, Luna’s mentor (kinda). I love them both. Sean is sweet and kind and the best kind of human. The Ama Gorria has earned the right over millennia to be mischievous and snarky and I was always looking forward to her appearances.
The world-building is very well done, not overwhelming but precise enough to feel unfamiliar and exciting. Between that and the writing, I was very pleasantly surprised when I realised Guardian is a debut. At the end of the book, the author promises more stories in the Darke universe, which is excellent news. And if you can’t wait and want more of her writing, I recommend this very enlightening post about colourism on Bella Media.
ARC provided to Rainbow Literary Society for an honest review.
Guardians protect weaknesses in the Veil between Lur Ederra and Tristea, preventing Darke creatures from invading the Humans’ world. Guardians are born in pairs, one destined to be a Sword, the other a Shield. Luna has been waiting to find her other half for a long long time but when the Call comes, what she finds isn’t at all what she expected. Gia has been living among humans since she was a child and never expected her Arima, her soul mate, to come find her, especially not as she’s about to marry a Human.
Jen Lawrence writes an unusual and strangely relatable love triangle. Of course I wanted Gia to make up her mind and of course both Luna and Sean deserve better than her indecisiveness, yet I understood how she felt and how trying to choose between not only two persons but also two worlds could be daunting. Gia is frustrating but she’s also the character with the most interesting growth journey. She grew up rejecting everything from her homeworld, for undeniably valid reasons, and meeting Luna makes her question her beliefs all over again. Luna herself, who, despite her unique circumstances of not having an Arima for so long, believed her world’s rules were for the best, finds herself questioning them too.
Because of the bond between them, the first time Luna and Gia touch, magic flares up and opens the physical connection. The whole question is whether the energy and longing flowing between them stem from the bond only. As they journey towards the answer, the attraction is such that even when they’ve agreed on simply being friends, their subconscious knows better.
The situation in which the two MCs get together, or not together, leads to a lot of exquisite angst, and it could be too much at times (Luna can be a bit of a drama queen), but the author injects some humour at the right time, before it gets overly dramatic.
Guardian is a story of fate versus free will, even though putting it like this is much too simple. Is it still fate when what you’re destined to is also what you really want?
There are a few excellent secondary characters, and two of them are especially interesting: Sean, Gia’s fiancé, and Sua Orro, the Ama Gorria, the Red Mother, Luna’s mentor (kinda). I love them both. Sean is sweet and kind and the best kind of human. The Ama Gorria has earned the right over millennia to be mischievous and snarky and I was always looking forward to her appearances.
The world-building is very well done, not overwhelming but precise enough to feel unfamiliar and exciting. Between that and the writing, I was very pleasantly surprised when I realised Guardian is a debut. At the end of the book, the author promises more stories in the Darke universe, which is excellent news. And if you can’t wait and want more of her writing, I recommend this very enlightening post about colourism on Bella Media.
ARC provided to Rainbow Literary Society for an honest review.
August 1, 2021
First thoughts- When I first read the synopsis of this book I found myself with a tinge of worry. The destined soulmates plot line has existed from the dawn of time and in my prime reading I've read countless of them so much so that I grew a disdain for it. The whole idea seemed dismissive of something I valued greatly which is Free Will. Though after reading this book I can safely say that was not a problem.
This book is so just so good that I find it hard to put it into words. Jen Lawrence was not messing around with this debut and dare I say it... this is the best debut that I have read in so long if not as far as my memory goes.
Review
Guardian by Jen Lawrence takes us on an entertaining and emotional adventure of beauty, heartbreak, freedom and pure wonder as she creates a world of her own. With exquisite writing, lovable characters and an amazing plot this book has quickly found itself on my list of favorite books of 2021.
This story follows that of Luna, a Guardian in a realm parallel to earth, and Gia, another Guardian destined to be her soul mate. Except Gia is not only living a human life but she also has a very human fiancé. Gia is immediately against this soulmate bond, she sees it as taking away her ability of choice and selflessly at the expense of her own happiness, Luna accepts this. This makes her one of the most selfless characters in the book and she forces herself to only limit their relationship to friendship. She even creates a friendship with Gia's fiancé. '
I was not kidding when I said this book had lovable characters either, even the fiancé found himself on my good side. Gia struggled to stay on my good side though as in this book she is a very selfish character however that is only one side to her being. As the book goes on you start to understand her character and can't help but root for her.
Jen Lawrence, as mentioned before takes us into a world of her own and I cannot express just how impressed I am. She did an amazing job of bringing to life this world and it's social order.
Incase you have the same worry I did about the lack of free will with the whole destined soul mate idea, there are several plot details and even one big act in this book that helps this. In the end despite being soul mates everyone has a choice. I fear that my review does not describe just how much I enjoyed this. For a debut this is a really good book and I look forward to the continuation of this series and any other book Miss Lawrence comes out with.
If you're looking for an emotional adventure with an interesting fantasy layer, I highly recommend this book.
However if I had to nitpick for reasons you might not like this book, it is short. Some might even say the book had a predictable nature and while I slightly agree there is a lot of uniqueness to this book.
That's really all I have to say right now. Perhaps when a future reread will bring back to this book but for now, this book was a great debut and a fairly good read.
5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC in return for the honest review.
This book is so just so good that I find it hard to put it into words. Jen Lawrence was not messing around with this debut and dare I say it... this is the best debut that I have read in so long if not as far as my memory goes.
Review
Guardian by Jen Lawrence takes us on an entertaining and emotional adventure of beauty, heartbreak, freedom and pure wonder as she creates a world of her own. With exquisite writing, lovable characters and an amazing plot this book has quickly found itself on my list of favorite books of 2021.
This story follows that of Luna, a Guardian in a realm parallel to earth, and Gia, another Guardian destined to be her soul mate. Except Gia is not only living a human life but she also has a very human fiancé. Gia is immediately against this soulmate bond, she sees it as taking away her ability of choice and selflessly at the expense of her own happiness, Luna accepts this. This makes her one of the most selfless characters in the book and she forces herself to only limit their relationship to friendship. She even creates a friendship with Gia's fiancé. '
I was not kidding when I said this book had lovable characters either, even the fiancé found himself on my good side. Gia struggled to stay on my good side though as in this book she is a very selfish character however that is only one side to her being. As the book goes on you start to understand her character and can't help but root for her.
Jen Lawrence, as mentioned before takes us into a world of her own and I cannot express just how impressed I am. She did an amazing job of bringing to life this world and it's social order.
Incase you have the same worry I did about the lack of free will with the whole destined soul mate idea, there are several plot details and even one big act in this book that helps this. In the end despite being soul mates everyone has a choice. I fear that my review does not describe just how much I enjoyed this. For a debut this is a really good book and I look forward to the continuation of this series and any other book Miss Lawrence comes out with.
If you're looking for an emotional adventure with an interesting fantasy layer, I highly recommend this book.
However if I had to nitpick for reasons you might not like this book, it is short. Some might even say the book had a predictable nature and while I slightly agree there is a lot of uniqueness to this book.
That's really all I have to say right now. Perhaps when a future reread will bring back to this book but for now, this book was a great debut and a fairly good read.
5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC in return for the honest review.
November 25, 2021
What is love?
I'm not a big sci-fi reader but this book is not an issue because as much as this story is about Guardians with magical powers riding Pegasi (plural for Pegasus), it is also fundamentally about love and soulmates. According to this book, every Guardian has an Arima or a soulmate that completes them. For our protagonist, Luna, who has been waiting to meet hers for ages, discovers that her Arima is somebody disguised as a human. When Luna and Gia meet, they both experience an intense bond shared only between Arimas and it's wonderful. But the heartbreaking part is that Gia refuses to accept fate, rejects being bonded to Luna and instead chooses to marry a human. This causes a lot of angst and I was on the brink of tears reading it.
Lawrence delivered an epic and intense love story and I fell in love with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the soulmate storyline and fell in love with Luna by the end of it because she's a wonderful character. This book discusses the philosophical concept of love and having the free will to choose and I think Lawrence nailed it through Luna. Gia is a different case and I can't say I like her as much. While I understand her motivation for resisting being a conformist, I think her insistence at marry Sean, the human, at the expense of hurting everyone is selfish.
This book is emotionally draining because of the angst level and I was exhausted when I was done. But all in all, it's an excellent book even if I don't agree with some decisions made by one of the characters.
I received an ARC from Bella Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not a big sci-fi reader but this book is not an issue because as much as this story is about Guardians with magical powers riding Pegasi (plural for Pegasus), it is also fundamentally about love and soulmates. According to this book, every Guardian has an Arima or a soulmate that completes them. For our protagonist, Luna, who has been waiting to meet hers for ages, discovers that her Arima is somebody disguised as a human. When Luna and Gia meet, they both experience an intense bond shared only between Arimas and it's wonderful. But the heartbreaking part is that Gia refuses to accept fate, rejects being bonded to Luna and instead chooses to marry a human. This causes a lot of angst and I was on the brink of tears reading it.
Lawrence delivered an epic and intense love story and I fell in love with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the soulmate storyline and fell in love with Luna by the end of it because she's a wonderful character. This book discusses the philosophical concept of love and having the free will to choose and I think Lawrence nailed it through Luna. Gia is a different case and I can't say I like her as much. While I understand her motivation for resisting being a conformist, I think her insistence at marry Sean, the human, at the expense of hurting everyone is selfish.
This book is emotionally draining because of the angst level and I was exhausted when I was done. But all in all, it's an excellent book even if I don't agree with some decisions made by one of the characters.
I received an ARC from Bella Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2021
This was bloody beautiful.
October 14, 2022
OK so ... Let's get this out of the way : The writing of this debut book is good, that's a given (there’s always room for improvement, though), but the "romance" part in this novel ??? Duh !!! It was definitely a flop for me ... I mean Luna is giving everything she's got and waited a very long time to find her soulmate but she's paired with Gia who’s a self-centered and selfish jerk & all her actions end up with 2 good people (Luna and Sean) suffering . Gosh !! They both deserved so much better than Gia and her more than frustrating attitude. She's just awful, pure and simple. It's a very rare occurence but I hated her all the book long, yep ... from beginning to end !!! And her attitude change in the end ... Seriously ??? It just felt super forced and made her even more annoying. But that's my POV. If Gia can be absent from the universe until she comes totally clean with her deep feelings & all her past mess and is really ready to LOVE without playing any games, it'd be be great. But, once she'll have done that, I'll be glad to see Luna happy in her love life (yeah, even with her...)
This being said, I think it's a great universe... the world building is interesting, intriguing & totally captivating. I'm curious about it so, I'll read "Fury" to see which novelties Luna saw in her life and, of course, discover a new pairing (hopefully, this one will not have a douchy half...)
My rating : 2.5 ⭐️
This being said, I think it's a great universe... the world building is interesting, intriguing & totally captivating. I'm curious about it so, I'll read "Fury" to see which novelties Luna saw in her life and, of course, discover a new pairing (hopefully, this one will not have a douchy half...)
My rating : 2.5 ⭐️
September 4, 2021
4 Stars - what can I say I am a sucker for the soulmates trope
Love me a good soulmates trope but this one takes a twist because one of the parties is fighting it. I enjoyed the story but started to get a bit frustrated towards the end. I understand the one mc feeling like her free will was being taken away but the her soulmate was a lovely person and totally deserving of being loved. And yes, she was already in a relationship but she was also 100% falling in love with her soulmate. Her stubbornness only hurt everyone involved and I found that super annoying.
However, ever saying all that I did like the story and I would 100% read another one set in this universe.
Love me a good soulmates trope but this one takes a twist because one of the parties is fighting it. I enjoyed the story but started to get a bit frustrated towards the end. I understand the one mc feeling like her free will was being taken away but the her soulmate was a lovely person and totally deserving of being loved. And yes, she was already in a relationship but she was also 100% falling in love with her soulmate. Her stubbornness only hurt everyone involved and I found that super annoying.
However, ever saying all that I did like the story and I would 100% read another one set in this universe.
July 31, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
After all of my GR friends reading this and gushing over it, I feel bad for not liking it more. I liked the theme of soulmates best and secondly the idea of an alien (Guardian in this case) falling for a human. Also liked Gia being the rebel and not wanting to be forced to follow her destiny. But….🫣 I really couldn’t connect with either MC or the authors writing style.
However, I’m still planning on book 2 to see how the series progresses and hopefully learn more about Gia and Lina’s story.
After all of my GR friends reading this and gushing over it, I feel bad for not liking it more. I liked the theme of soulmates best and secondly the idea of an alien (Guardian in this case) falling for a human. Also liked Gia being the rebel and not wanting to be forced to follow her destiny. But….🫣 I really couldn’t connect with either MC or the authors writing style.
However, I’m still planning on book 2 to see how the series progresses and hopefully learn more about Gia and Lina’s story.
August 28, 2022
I read so many good things about Guardian from my GR friends that it never veered far from the top of my tbr. When I heard the next book in the series was being released, I thought now is the time.
Guardian is a book about mates who are destined to be together, a magical link generated between two souls that is present since birth and cannot be undone. But who would want to sever such a profound tie anyway? Luna has searched for many years for her Arima, not knowing that Gia has decided to remain in another world where her mother left her long ago, hidden away from her birthplace.
The author explores choices and the right to control one’s own life but also how those decisions affect those who love you. I enjoy reading a different voice and this author definitely carves out her own style. The story unravels with an easy pace, the world building is fun and seems to just be the beginning of many more adventures but Gia and Luna are the stars as they move both towards and against each other. I felt the heartbreak but also the joy. I’m looking forward to Fury which is set in the same universe.
4.5 stars.
Guardian is a book about mates who are destined to be together, a magical link generated between two souls that is present since birth and cannot be undone. But who would want to sever such a profound tie anyway? Luna has searched for many years for her Arima, not knowing that Gia has decided to remain in another world where her mother left her long ago, hidden away from her birthplace.
The author explores choices and the right to control one’s own life but also how those decisions affect those who love you. I enjoy reading a different voice and this author definitely carves out her own style. The story unravels with an easy pace, the world building is fun and seems to just be the beginning of many more adventures but Gia and Luna are the stars as they move both towards and against each other. I felt the heartbreak but also the joy. I’m looking forward to Fury which is set in the same universe.
4.5 stars.
September 3, 2021
First off, I'm immensely blown away that this is a debut novel. Lawrence's bio says she finished her first (unpublished?) novel when she was 16, and it looks like she's been honing her craft between then and now 'cause the proof is in this exceptionally written book.
From the get-go, I was impressed with how she made me feel for the characters with just two chapters down. I didn't even know them well yet, so how come I felt these characters' pain already? That, to me, was my first taste of this author's talent.
I'm an angst-loving reader, so this book is my jam. If you're not someone who's fond of angst, my advice is prepare your heart for it if you decide to try this book.
Despite this though, there were some light-hearted scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed as well. Aside from a cute scene where one MC unwittingly sought the other during her sleep, Bo's character was there to offer comic relief—and I loved her for it!
If you asked me which part stood out to me though, I'd say it was a side character's tragic love backstory. The way it was told reflected the MCs' then situation, and the whole thing felt like a one-two punch in the gut. How that particular retelling coincided with the emotional turmoil the MCs were experiencing was beautifully heartbreaking.
And sweet Sean... My dude, like Luna said, you're a good Human 🥺♥️
The character whom my heart went out to the most though, was Luna 😢💔 She didn't deserve all the hurt she was made to put up with.
As you can tell, I left my comments about Gia last. I have mixed feelings about this character 'cause despite what she has done throughout the book, I couldn't bring myself to hate her. Make no mistake, I wanted to shake her 'cause of what she put the people—or in this case, the beings—who love her through. But trauma is a tricky thing, and people who suffered from it sometimes hurt others as they deal with it. This doesn't excuse Gia's choices and actions, but I understood her. She had valid reasons for rejecting the Soulbond (the tether that binds two Guardians together) 'cause, just like Luna was at first, Gia was unknowledgeable about how it truly works.
My main gripe here was, the story, unfortunately, involves cheating. However inexcusable that is though, the Soulbond's influence on a Guardian's actions brings to the table a unique level of complexity we don't find in intentional infidelity—precisely why I think Gia's apprehension about having an Arima (soulmate) was justifiable.
I'm also conflicted about the last quarter of the book or how the story was wrapped up.
Regardless of my misgivings though, I really enjoyed this book. The world-building? It was rich without being overwhelming. The take on the concept of soulmates? Extraordinary and refreshing. The characters? All were interesting. All in all, Lawrence's writing and storytelling clicked with me. Hence, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
From the get-go, I was impressed with how she made me feel for the characters with just two chapters down. I didn't even know them well yet, so how come I felt these characters' pain already? That, to me, was my first taste of this author's talent.
I'm an angst-loving reader, so this book is my jam. If you're not someone who's fond of angst, my advice is prepare your heart for it if you decide to try this book.
Despite this though, there were some light-hearted scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed as well. Aside from a cute scene where one MC unwittingly sought the other during her sleep, Bo's character was there to offer comic relief—and I loved her for it!
If you asked me which part stood out to me though, I'd say it was a side character's tragic love backstory. The way it was told reflected the MCs' then situation, and the whole thing felt like a one-two punch in the gut. How that particular retelling coincided with the emotional turmoil the MCs were experiencing was beautifully heartbreaking.
And sweet Sean... My dude, like Luna said, you're a good Human 🥺♥️
The character whom my heart went out to the most though, was Luna 😢💔 She didn't deserve all the hurt she was made to put up with.
As you can tell, I left my comments about Gia last. I have mixed feelings about this character 'cause despite what she has done throughout the book, I couldn't bring myself to hate her. Make no mistake, I wanted to shake her 'cause of what she put the people—or in this case, the beings—who love her through. But trauma is a tricky thing, and people who suffered from it sometimes hurt others as they deal with it. This doesn't excuse Gia's choices and actions, but I understood her. She had valid reasons for rejecting the Soulbond (the tether that binds two Guardians together) 'cause, just like Luna was at first, Gia was unknowledgeable about how it truly works.
My main gripe here was, the story, unfortunately, involves cheating. However inexcusable that is though, the Soulbond's influence on a Guardian's actions brings to the table a unique level of complexity we don't find in intentional infidelity—precisely why I think Gia's apprehension about having an Arima (soulmate) was justifiable.
I'm also conflicted about the last quarter of the book or how the story was wrapped up.
Regardless of my misgivings though, I really enjoyed this book. The world-building? It was rich without being overwhelming. The take on the concept of soulmates? Extraordinary and refreshing. The characters? All were interesting. All in all, Lawrence's writing and storytelling clicked with me. Hence, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
August 22, 2021
The simplistic yet fantastical cover design of Guardian by debut author Jen Lawrence caught my eye immediately. The blurb for the novel was also quite intriguing. I could tell this was a fantasy novel, though, and it’s not a genre I usually read. Thank goodness I did choose it, because this story just blew me away.
This is a very well-written fantasy, but it is paired with an equally well-crafted romance. This tale fits easily under both genres and is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. The fantasy elements are easily seen in the setting and plot of the story as well as the two main characters, Luna and Gia. The setting involves two worlds connected by a Veil. Lur Tristea is the world of humans. Lur Ederra is a magical world that Luna and Gia come from. Lur Ederra is filled with beauty, fantastical creatures, and danger. The descriptions of these two worlds, especially Lur Ederra is very well done. The author made both worlds seem very real.
The love story of Luna and Gia really pulled me into the tale. This romance is full of angst between the two characters…just my kind of romance. I fell a little in love with Luna immediately. It took me a bit longer with Gia, but you will have to read her story in the book to understand why. Both the fantasy and the romance kept me reading until the very end and wanting more once I got there. Luckily for all of us, this novel is the beginning of a series with the next book, Fury, hopefully coming soon. I’m very impressed with this debut novel, and I can’t wait to read more in this series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
This is a very well-written fantasy, but it is paired with an equally well-crafted romance. This tale fits easily under both genres and is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. The fantasy elements are easily seen in the setting and plot of the story as well as the two main characters, Luna and Gia. The setting involves two worlds connected by a Veil. Lur Tristea is the world of humans. Lur Ederra is a magical world that Luna and Gia come from. Lur Ederra is filled with beauty, fantastical creatures, and danger. The descriptions of these two worlds, especially Lur Ederra is very well done. The author made both worlds seem very real.
The love story of Luna and Gia really pulled me into the tale. This romance is full of angst between the two characters…just my kind of romance. I fell a little in love with Luna immediately. It took me a bit longer with Gia, but you will have to read her story in the book to understand why. Both the fantasy and the romance kept me reading until the very end and wanting more once I got there. Luckily for all of us, this novel is the beginning of a series with the next book, Fury, hopefully coming soon. I’m very impressed with this debut novel, and I can’t wait to read more in this series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
August 23, 2021
3.25 Stars. I am going against the grain here, and am going to say that I didn't like this as much as a lot of other reviewers. I liked that it played around with forced bonding/ destined pairing trope, even as both Luna and Gia have trouble with this magical bond. But I did think it worked until a major event happened (I wish I could say more, but spoilers) and one of the character has an almost sudden reversal of feelings from one of our leads. Granted, she still struggles with some really, really bad decisions on her path to being more complete as a person. So much so that I actually was looking at the pages left and asking myself if this conflict would have been resolved.
Luna is a Guardian of the gate between her world and ours. Guardians are super powerful giant elf like people who are effectively soul mated to another elf who kind of acts as the Guardian's shield. But Luna, for centuries, has felt the pull of the soul-bond, but hasn't found her mate yet, until one day she is pulled into our world and meets another elf that has glamoured herself to look like a human. Gia has her reasons for presenting as human, but Luna's mere presence just messes with her quiet life. Gia stubbornly resists the bond, even as she is irrevocably drawn to Luna through their bond.
I think it is interesting that the blurb kind of frames the story as Luna's, but it is really Gia's story. She has the character arc; she grows and learns, whereas Luna is pretty fully actualized. Luna knows exactly what she wants, she just doesn't know how to get it. In fact Luna is the one who's the most hurt by Gia's indecision and stubbornness (even Gia's sweet fiance feels the pain, but not quite as literally as Luna). And I think that's where I kind of lost the story - this magical bond forced together a damaged person who was not dealing with her trauma in a healthy way was actively damaging this other person, and not seeing how much she was actively hurting her. Like I don't think Gia is a bad person, but she had a massive problem with actually seeing Luna's perspective, and trying to meet her in the middle. Luna was doing all the bending, to the point where she almost broke. It was decidedly unfair, and I actually didn't like how drawn out it was.
With all that said, it is a pretty well written book - just one that I was very frustrated with. I love the worldbuilding, the magic system and the dimension hopping. While this story is centered specifically around Luna and Gia, and some of the magic is mostly used as a plot device, I didn't mind it as much. Most lighter fantasies only use the fantastical elements as window dressing and not much thought is applied to them. Here, they are crafted well and given enough merit without being most of the focus. It was a nice surprise.
I think I might give it a second look, to see how my perception might change, but I did not like how drawn out the two women's pain was. It took so long to get them to a point where they could accept each other that we didn't really get to read about them healing. It lowered my appreciation of the other aspects of the book that clicked well for me, but weren't central to the story.
*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Luna is a Guardian of the gate between her world and ours. Guardians are super powerful giant elf like people who are effectively soul mated to another elf who kind of acts as the Guardian's shield. But Luna, for centuries, has felt the pull of the soul-bond, but hasn't found her mate yet, until one day she is pulled into our world and meets another elf that has glamoured herself to look like a human. Gia has her reasons for presenting as human, but Luna's mere presence just messes with her quiet life. Gia stubbornly resists the bond, even as she is irrevocably drawn to Luna through their bond.
I think it is interesting that the blurb kind of frames the story as Luna's, but it is really Gia's story. She has the character arc; she grows and learns, whereas Luna is pretty fully actualized. Luna knows exactly what she wants, she just doesn't know how to get it. In fact Luna is the one who's the most hurt by Gia's indecision and stubbornness (even Gia's sweet fiance feels the pain, but not quite as literally as Luna). And I think that's where I kind of lost the story - this magical bond forced together a damaged person who was not dealing with her trauma in a healthy way was actively damaging this other person, and not seeing how much she was actively hurting her. Like I don't think Gia is a bad person, but she had a massive problem with actually seeing Luna's perspective, and trying to meet her in the middle. Luna was doing all the bending, to the point where she almost broke. It was decidedly unfair, and I actually didn't like how drawn out it was.
With all that said, it is a pretty well written book - just one that I was very frustrated with. I love the worldbuilding, the magic system and the dimension hopping. While this story is centered specifically around Luna and Gia, and some of the magic is mostly used as a plot device, I didn't mind it as much. Most lighter fantasies only use the fantastical elements as window dressing and not much thought is applied to them. Here, they are crafted well and given enough merit without being most of the focus. It was a nice surprise.
I think I might give it a second look, to see how my perception might change, but I did not like how drawn out the two women's pain was. It took so long to get them to a point where they could accept each other that we didn't really get to read about them healing. It lowered my appreciation of the other aspects of the book that clicked well for me, but weren't central to the story.
*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
did-not-finish
September 21, 2022DNF @ 40%
I realllllly loved this authors other novel Fury but I'm afraid this one did not live up to that ones awesomeness. There was minimal world building, enough for basic understanding - but not enough to live up to any real scrutiny or my own invasive thoughts and questions. Yes this is probably my own fault. I just really want to understand the hows and whys of it all! I wanted more magics, more worldbuilding, more information.
What I got was a really shitty and awkward love triangle, featuring an asexual man, Sean. Not particularly what I want in my lesfic. Call me crazy.
Seeing his girlfriend Gia, act like a total selfish brat with him and 'soul mate' Luna, was far too frustrating. Gia wanted her cake and to eat it too, which was just irritating for me. Especially seeing Luna do everything perfect and right by Gia, and Sean - while hurting, badly.
This mystical 'soul mate' bond was far too convenient, and I really struggled with that aspect. I was totally on board with Gia's own ideas that she should not have to kowtow to 'fate' and 'destiny', and be able to choose her own path in life. But the magic getting in the way, and seemingly 'forcing' her, also felt far too manipulative - even if I didn't like her attitude/actions overall, but I could absolutely understand her frustration, too.
I guess I just expect something different? I wanted more fighting back against this magical destiny and for there to be more CHOICE, and knowing that the love Gia and Luna shared was far more than just magic crap. It also weirded me out that these people basically die without their mates. Like seriously... I love a fated mate trope, but this got extreme, and far too messy for my liking.
The problem also is, Gia acts like she can't stand The Human World, or most humans - which is also understandable once you get some backstory - but the fact she was clinging to it, when she really didn't have anything there, was also perplexing.
There was also a huge factor I am definitely reading too much into - but I have to point out.
Up until Gia meets Luna, she considers herself asexual, like her fiancé, Sean. It's only once Luna and their 'connection' sparks she starts having horny wet dreams and wanting more physical and sexual contact. I KNOW this was NOT the authors intention in any way - but it made it feel like a magical loophole to "cure" asexuality.
Or how in media, often the asexual finds that "1" special person that finally does make them feel sexual, proving their not "broken" afterall. It's something often done and said to asexuals - and so I couldn't help but feel VERYYYY uncomfortable about these portions of the book. Like I said I know this wasn't intentional, but it set off major red lights and flags and signals for the same old crapola often thrown at asexuals regarding their libido. It also made me feel shit for Sean, and I didn't even want him there lol.
So overall I just could not stomach it any further. I had far too many qualms when just 40% in, and cannot force myself to continue with all these issues. Not rating to be fair - as always with DNF's. But felt the need to give my opinion.
I realllllly loved this authors other novel Fury but I'm afraid this one did not live up to that ones awesomeness. There was minimal world building, enough for basic understanding - but not enough to live up to any real scrutiny or my own invasive thoughts and questions. Yes this is probably my own fault. I just really want to understand the hows and whys of it all! I wanted more magics, more worldbuilding, more information.
What I got was a really shitty and awkward love triangle, featuring an asexual man, Sean. Not particularly what I want in my lesfic. Call me crazy.
Seeing his girlfriend Gia, act like a total selfish brat with him and 'soul mate' Luna, was far too frustrating. Gia wanted her cake and to eat it too, which was just irritating for me. Especially seeing Luna do everything perfect and right by Gia, and Sean - while hurting, badly.
This mystical 'soul mate' bond was far too convenient, and I really struggled with that aspect. I was totally on board with Gia's own ideas that she should not have to kowtow to 'fate' and 'destiny', and be able to choose her own path in life. But the magic getting in the way, and seemingly 'forcing' her, also felt far too manipulative - even if I didn't like her attitude/actions overall, but I could absolutely understand her frustration, too.
I guess I just expect something different? I wanted more fighting back against this magical destiny and for there to be more CHOICE, and knowing that the love Gia and Luna shared was far more than just magic crap. It also weirded me out that these people basically die without their mates. Like seriously... I love a fated mate trope, but this got extreme, and far too messy for my liking.
The problem also is, Gia acts like she can't stand The Human World, or most humans - which is also understandable once you get some backstory - but the fact she was clinging to it, when she really didn't have anything there, was also perplexing.
There was also a huge factor I am definitely reading too much into - but I have to point out.
Up until Gia meets Luna, she considers herself asexual, like her fiancé, Sean. It's only once Luna and their 'connection' sparks she starts having horny wet dreams and wanting more physical and sexual contact. I KNOW this was NOT the authors intention in any way - but it made it feel like a magical loophole to "cure" asexuality.
Or how in media, often the asexual finds that "1" special person that finally does make them feel sexual, proving their not "broken" afterall. It's something often done and said to asexuals - and so I couldn't help but feel VERYYYY uncomfortable about these portions of the book. Like I said I know this wasn't intentional, but it set off major red lights and flags and signals for the same old crapola often thrown at asexuals regarding their libido. It also made me feel shit for Sean, and I didn't even want him there lol.
So overall I just could not stomach it any further. I had far too many qualms when just 40% in, and cannot force myself to continue with all these issues. Not rating to be fair - as always with DNF's. But felt the need to give my opinion.
January 14, 2022
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The concept itself was great, I rarely find sapphic novels that explore the idea of soulmates. But the rest of the book just fell kinda flat for me.
At 242 pages, I felt like this story easily could've been twice as long. There was so much information and worldbuilding to take in, it seemed like it didn't leave much room for the characters to grow on us. They went from avoiding each other to friends to sort of lovers so quickly that I wasn't able to feel enough for them during each stage. This also could have been because the dialogue felt sort of unnatural at times. The main characters would have conversations that just sort of delved into these awkward worldbuilding monologues.
I did really like both Luna and Gia on the surface, but they just weren't fleshed out enough. I wanted smoother interactions and more cute moments between them. Despite not enjoying this as much as I had hoped, it was still a good debut and I'm looking forward to any future works from Lawrence.
At 242 pages, I felt like this story easily could've been twice as long. There was so much information and worldbuilding to take in, it seemed like it didn't leave much room for the characters to grow on us. They went from avoiding each other to friends to sort of lovers so quickly that I wasn't able to feel enough for them during each stage. This also could have been because the dialogue felt sort of unnatural at times. The main characters would have conversations that just sort of delved into these awkward worldbuilding monologues.
I did really like both Luna and Gia on the surface, but they just weren't fleshed out enough. I wanted smoother interactions and more cute moments between them. Despite not enjoying this as much as I had hoped, it was still a good debut and I'm looking forward to any future works from Lawrence.
September 12, 2021
Fantastic fantasy novel. Great worldbuilding - parallel universe between a land of magic and that of humans, fated love, destiny and soul mates, and badass women with swords and their partner shields who protect them. I greatly enjoyed this - and have since bought a hard copy (the highest compliment I can give!), and I look forward to reading more from Lawrence set in this Darke world!!
Gia leaves her destiny (and her future soulmate - though they've not met) behind and for a hundred years plus lives on Earth. But eventually, her soul bond draws Luna to her. Luna - an elven warrior tasked with defending their "rift" between the magic kindgom and Earth - is so sweet, but so too is Gia's human fiancé. Can Gia have both or by trying to do so will she hurt everyone?
Gia leaves her destiny (and her future soulmate - though they've not met) behind and for a hundred years plus lives on Earth. But eventually, her soul bond draws Luna to her. Luna - an elven warrior tasked with defending their "rift" between the magic kindgom and Earth - is so sweet, but so too is Gia's human fiancé. Can Gia have both or by trying to do so will she hurt everyone?
October 21, 2022
Interesting lore but definitely some bumps for this fantasy debut.
The pacing was weird for me in this one. Right away both main characters meet and the situation is laid out for the reader: Gia is in a committed relationship and is not interested in the soulmate bond between her and Luna. The first half was mostly denial and angst and world dressing, we only really start to see growth between the characters at about the 70% mark. For me, this was just a little too quick to deal with all of the negative character traits and absolve all the messy actions. I love my hot mess' but there needs to be some believability in their journey. This story would have more of my backing if it ended with a "we aren't good people but we are trying and this is just the beginning of our healthier selves".
The other part I found a little unfortunate was how weak the drama presented itself. For most of the dramatic events in the past, we are told and not shown. Some of these events could have been described better so that I could feel all the complex emotions and understand Gia's choices.
As far as enjoyment, Luna was the classic honourable lady warrior lead that is easy to like. Lawrence did make some creative choices with scenes that were quite cool and I think shows a lot of promise with her future stories. The lore rivals that of any Triple A video game with enough complexity to make you want more but not too much that it feels convoluted.
I am a little salty that one of my favorite characters in this WLW novel is the cis male fiance in law enforcement.
A decent read but would caution against it if you are not a fan of cheating storylines. As Gia gets to know Luna her thoughts and actions are classic signs of an emotional affair.
The pacing was weird for me in this one. Right away both main characters meet and the situation is laid out for the reader: Gia is in a committed relationship and is not interested in the soulmate bond between her and Luna. The first half was mostly denial and angst and world dressing, we only really start to see growth between the characters at about the 70% mark. For me, this was just a little too quick to deal with all of the negative character traits and absolve all the messy actions. I love my hot mess' but there needs to be some believability in their journey. This story would have more of my backing if it ended with a "we aren't good people but we are trying and this is just the beginning of our healthier selves".
The other part I found a little unfortunate was how weak the drama presented itself. For most of the dramatic events in the past, we are told and not shown. Some of these events could have been described better so that I could feel all the complex emotions and understand Gia's choices.
As far as enjoyment, Luna was the classic honourable lady warrior lead that is easy to like. Lawrence did make some creative choices with scenes that were quite cool and I think shows a lot of promise with her future stories. The lore rivals that of any Triple A video game with enough complexity to make you want more but not too much that it feels convoluted.
I am a little salty that one of my favorite characters in this WLW novel is the cis male fiance in law enforcement.
A decent read but would caution against it if you are not a fan of cheating storylines. As Gia gets to know Luna her thoughts and actions are classic signs of an emotional affair.
August 3, 2021
Luna is Guardian from another dimension that’s parallel earth. She and others Guardians protect theirs dimension and earth from evil.
Luna is unique she the only guardian that been alone for a long time she hasn’t found her soulmate. Gia is also a guardian but she living a human life and has a fiancé. When they meet the bond is strong but Gia is against the idea of soulmates that your only destined for that one person she thinks it’s takes away you right to choose your own path and who to love.
I like Luna I like the fact that although she found her soulmate that she was willing just have friendship with Gia also like that she became friends with Gia fiancé who I actually like more then Gia because she was selfish but as you continue to read grew to like her.
I don’t know if I believe there soulmates for everyone but I do think love is messy and that you have to work hard to keep it.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Luna is unique she the only guardian that been alone for a long time she hasn’t found her soulmate. Gia is also a guardian but she living a human life and has a fiancé. When they meet the bond is strong but Gia is against the idea of soulmates that your only destined for that one person she thinks it’s takes away you right to choose your own path and who to love.
I like Luna I like the fact that although she found her soulmate that she was willing just have friendship with Gia also like that she became friends with Gia fiancé who I actually like more then Gia because she was selfish but as you continue to read grew to like her.
I don’t know if I believe there soulmates for everyone but I do think love is messy and that you have to work hard to keep it.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
January 3, 2022
4.5 stars
I saw this on Lex's list of 'best of' books for 2021 and decided to give it a go. I'm generally not a fan of fantasy in my romance books, but the fantasy elements in this book really added to the story. I'm also a sucker for the soulmates trope and angst, which this book absolutely delivered on.
---The Breakdown---
Luna is a Guardian, a magical being who guards the Veil that separates her magical world from our human one. Guardians are born with a soulmate to help them guard the Veil, but Luna is still waiting for hers to appear. When she finally feels the Call of her soulmate, decades later than expected, she is overjoyed. Then she discovers that her soulmate, Gia, has been living in the human world, disguised as a human and engaged to a human man. Luna feels betrayed by Gia's rejection of their magical world and their soulmate bond. Even so, the two Guardians strike up a tentative friendship, but soon, what Gia insists is the influence of their soulmate bond starts to feel like real feelings.
cw: deaths, wounds, infidelity
The Characters: The story is told in 3rd person POV alternating between Luna and Gia. I really liked Luna. She is noble and kind and a bit of a romantic. I mean, she pines after her soulmate for about a century, never giving up hope that she'll find her one day. It was easy to emotionally connect with her. Gia is not quite as noble and spends a lot of the book struggling with her emotions—understandable given that she's being pulled between two worlds. I wish we got a deeper dive into her character. She was not as emotionally-revealing as Luna. I found all the side characters likable and also fairly distinct in personality: Luna's mothers are supportive in their own ways, the leader of the Guardians has a surprisingly crude sense of humor, and Gia's fiancé Sean is a bit of a fantasy nerd. Bonus points for ace/aro rep with Sean.
The Romance: It was an angsty one, but I really loved Gia and Luna's journey. I was rooting for them the whole way, perhaps more for Luna's sake than Gia's. As other reviewers have mentioned, the book doesn't rely on the soulmates bond for love. While maybe Luna has always loved Gia, we get to see the two women grow closer, and we definitely see Gia in the process of falling in love.
The Plot: This was mainly focused on the romance. The story kept me engaged the whole way through.
The Writing: There were a few typos here and there, and some of the chapter endings seemed a bit abrupt, but the writing flowed well for the most part.
Other Thoughts: I thought it was interesting how Jen Lawrence used the fantasy setup to make observations about race and other aspects of human nature.
All in all: A lovely read, even if fantasy isn't usually your thing. Would definitely recommend, as long as you're in the mood for some angst.
I saw this on Lex's list of 'best of' books for 2021 and decided to give it a go. I'm generally not a fan of fantasy in my romance books, but the fantasy elements in this book really added to the story. I'm also a sucker for the soulmates trope and angst, which this book absolutely delivered on.
---The Breakdown---
Luna is a Guardian, a magical being who guards the Veil that separates her magical world from our human one. Guardians are born with a soulmate to help them guard the Veil, but Luna is still waiting for hers to appear. When she finally feels the Call of her soulmate, decades later than expected, she is overjoyed. Then she discovers that her soulmate, Gia, has been living in the human world, disguised as a human and engaged to a human man. Luna feels betrayed by Gia's rejection of their magical world and their soulmate bond. Even so, the two Guardians strike up a tentative friendship, but soon, what Gia insists is the influence of their soulmate bond starts to feel like real feelings.
cw: deaths, wounds, infidelity
The Characters: The story is told in 3rd person POV alternating between Luna and Gia. I really liked Luna. She is noble and kind and a bit of a romantic. I mean, she pines after her soulmate for about a century, never giving up hope that she'll find her one day. It was easy to emotionally connect with her. Gia is not quite as noble and spends a lot of the book struggling with her emotions—understandable given that she's being pulled between two worlds. I wish we got a deeper dive into her character. She was not as emotionally-revealing as Luna. I found all the side characters likable and also fairly distinct in personality: Luna's mothers are supportive in their own ways, the leader of the Guardians has a surprisingly crude sense of humor, and Gia's fiancé Sean is a bit of a fantasy nerd. Bonus points for ace/aro rep with Sean.
The Romance: It was an angsty one, but I really loved Gia and Luna's journey. I was rooting for them the whole way, perhaps more for Luna's sake than Gia's. As other reviewers have mentioned, the book doesn't rely on the soulmates bond for love. While maybe Luna has always loved Gia, we get to see the two women grow closer, and we definitely see Gia in the process of falling in love.
The Plot: This was mainly focused on the romance. The story kept me engaged the whole way through.
The Writing: There were a few typos here and there, and some of the chapter endings seemed a bit abrupt, but the writing flowed well for the most part.
Other Thoughts: I thought it was interesting how Jen Lawrence used the fantasy setup to make observations about race and other aspects of human nature.
All in all: A lovely read, even if fantasy isn't usually your thing. Would definitely recommend, as long as you're in the mood for some angst.
June 15, 2023
An unexpected book. I went into this book thinking it's a fantasy like any other. But the world building is wonderful and the characters and story quite unique. It's a good romance story. I like the development of the MC's relationship amid all the bumps and obstacles
February 5, 2022
3.8 star rating
It is a fantasy story which had less focus on the fantasy or world building aspects and more on the relationship of the MCs. If one is looking for a story on fated love and the complications therein this story easily supplies albeit I felt like asking the other MC to let go and move on many times but the author supplied really good instances to continue to enjoy the tugs. On the other the fantasy side wasn't so fulfilling, we are made acquainted with a number of conventional characters but no 'waoh' aspects to the fantasy side to make it memorable.
It is a fantasy story which had less focus on the fantasy or world building aspects and more on the relationship of the MCs. If one is looking for a story on fated love and the complications therein this story easily supplies albeit I felt like asking the other MC to let go and move on many times but the author supplied really good instances to continue to enjoy the tugs. On the other the fantasy side wasn't so fulfilling, we are made acquainted with a number of conventional characters but no 'waoh' aspects to the fantasy side to make it memorable.
August 9, 2021
For millenniums, every Guardian is paired with her ordained Arima (soulmate) so they can fight alongside each other and protect their assigned Rift (station) and Lur Ederra (home) from the Darke (enemy). Every Sword has her Shield but for Luna, her close to a century wait took a shocking turn when Gia turned up in Human form and was engaged to her fiancé.
For a debut writer, this is an impressive entry in the fantasy genre. Her portrayal of the different realms, their birth and history made every different species of beings convincing and intriguing. As it was so easy to be wrapped up in the book, a lot of hearts will be going out for the patient, pure and tender hearted Luna who has been fighting a lonely battle without her Shield. Gia was indignant in her right to continue in the Human realm, forsaking her destiny and was careless with Luna’s affections. Although it was difficult to condone her wilfulness, Gia took a steep learning curve to find answers and peace with her past and choices. Brilliant effort on the content, characterisations, settings and when you get to the end, it really is just a romantic tale where you would choose the same person/being again, with or without a choice.
I just reviewed Guardian by Jen Lawrence. Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC.
For a debut writer, this is an impressive entry in the fantasy genre. Her portrayal of the different realms, their birth and history made every different species of beings convincing and intriguing. As it was so easy to be wrapped up in the book, a lot of hearts will be going out for the patient, pure and tender hearted Luna who has been fighting a lonely battle without her Shield. Gia was indignant in her right to continue in the Human realm, forsaking her destiny and was careless with Luna’s affections. Although it was difficult to condone her wilfulness, Gia took a steep learning curve to find answers and peace with her past and choices. Brilliant effort on the content, characterisations, settings and when you get to the end, it really is just a romantic tale where you would choose the same person/being again, with or without a choice.
I just reviewed Guardian by Jen Lawrence. Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC.
February 10, 2022
Plot: The book starts with Luna finally finding her soulmate after being alone for over one hundred years. Unfortunately her soulmate, Gia, was traumatized as a child by her parents deaths and has grown up fearing her home world and instead built a life as a human. Luna is deeply hurt by Gia’s rejection but their soulmate connection forces them to continue to spend time together.
They are able to develop a sort of friendship but it is obvious that Luna will always love Gia and that Gia is fighting to remain faithful to her human fiancé due to stubbornness rather than actually wanting to marry him. Gia’s behavior is torturous for Luna who can’t resist Gia but is also unable to truly express her love.
Eventually Gia pushes Luna too far and Luna is heartbroken. At this point Gia is able to realize that she loves Luna. Luna tries to avoid Gia but they eventually have to see each other. Gia admits her feelings and it is implied that they live HEA but the book cuts off abruptly.
Characterization: Luna is a white knight who continuously throws herself on her own sword. She is overly noble to the point of silliness.
Gia is just irritating. She fights her own desires even when giving in would make everyone happy. Her stubbornness makes everyone around her suffer.
Writing: This was written in third person perspective. This book was super childish. From the matching skin/hair color couples to the overly noble self sacrifice. This reads like a teenager’s underdeveloped fantasy.
They are able to develop a sort of friendship but it is obvious that Luna will always love Gia and that Gia is fighting to remain faithful to her human fiancé due to stubbornness rather than actually wanting to marry him. Gia’s behavior is torturous for Luna who can’t resist Gia but is also unable to truly express her love.
Eventually Gia pushes Luna too far and Luna is heartbroken. At this point Gia is able to realize that she loves Luna. Luna tries to avoid Gia but they eventually have to see each other. Gia admits her feelings and it is implied that they live HEA but the book cuts off abruptly.
Characterization: Luna is a white knight who continuously throws herself on her own sword. She is overly noble to the point of silliness.
Gia is just irritating. She fights her own desires even when giving in would make everyone happy. Her stubbornness makes everyone around her suffer.
Writing: This was written in third person perspective. This book was super childish. From the matching skin/hair color couples to the overly noble self sacrifice. This reads like a teenager’s underdeveloped fantasy.
December 10, 2021
I'll just give another solid star because the last chapter seemingly manipulated me to think that everything is fine. I could've make it 2 stars, but the world building is quite good though the fact that all guardians have 2 names instead of one kept annoying me (because they're hard to remember!) and I found myself not bothering to remember anyone after all
I don't like Gia throughout the book (maybe accepted her a little on the last chapter) the only good thing I can say about her is self-awareness/10. She's ridiculously selfish. Yes, even after she disclosed her reason I tried to understand her. I did. But all her actions following the confession were childish and kept hurting both Sean and Luna.
Luna is a softie and deserves all the love 🗣
Sean is a good character, but bland. He's just so accepting and all sunshines and rainbows that he became.... well.. not interesting.
-slight spoiler alert-
Can you believe it that the one who actually stopped her childish bullshit is Sean himself? Miss girl can't even make a proper decision herself. As quoted from their argument (which I really liked all Luna's points)
G : I was a child-
L : You haven't been a child for a very long time. Your actions are unforgivable.
I don't like Gia throughout the book (maybe accepted her a little on the last chapter) the only good thing I can say about her is self-awareness/10. She's ridiculously selfish. Yes, even after she disclosed her reason I tried to understand her. I did. But all her actions following the confession were childish and kept hurting both Sean and Luna.
Luna is a softie and deserves all the love 🗣
Sean is a good character, but bland. He's just so accepting and all sunshines and rainbows that he became.... well.. not interesting.
-slight spoiler alert-
Can you believe it that the one who actually stopped her childish bullshit is Sean himself? Miss girl can't even make a proper decision herself. As quoted from their argument (which I really liked all Luna's points)
G : I was a child-
L : You haven't been a child for a very long time. Your actions are unforgivable.
January 25, 2022
Genugtig, my fellow ma-se-kjinners!!!
I dropped everything I were doing once I learnt that Ms Lawrence is a compatriot. Unfortunately, life interfered at every possible opportunity and I couldn’t sit back undeterred and bask in the gloriousness that is Guardian.
Ms Lawrence exquisitely blended fact and fiction, human and non-human in a story that explores nature versus nurture, free will versus destiny. The world building was flawlessly done and sets the stage perfectly.
The true beauty for me, however, was the depth of the characters. We get to know both Luna and Gia and we can empathise with their inner turmoil. We feel their pain and can understand why they view the world the way they do. Their relationship drives the story, but there is a lot of self-discovery and growth for both mc’s. The supporting characters were well fleshed out without being overbearing.
This is not an epic fantasy saga, but it has enough fantasy elements to satisfy one’s love (and need) of fantasy. And, who knows, as the series continues, it might just grow into an epic saga…
I dropped everything I were doing once I learnt that Ms Lawrence is a compatriot. Unfortunately, life interfered at every possible opportunity and I couldn’t sit back undeterred and bask in the gloriousness that is Guardian.
Ms Lawrence exquisitely blended fact and fiction, human and non-human in a story that explores nature versus nurture, free will versus destiny. The world building was flawlessly done and sets the stage perfectly.
The true beauty for me, however, was the depth of the characters. We get to know both Luna and Gia and we can empathise with their inner turmoil. We feel their pain and can understand why they view the world the way they do. Their relationship drives the story, but there is a lot of self-discovery and growth for both mc’s. The supporting characters were well fleshed out without being overbearing.
This is not an epic fantasy saga, but it has enough fantasy elements to satisfy one’s love (and need) of fantasy. And, who knows, as the series continues, it might just grow into an epic saga…
September 21, 2021
Mmmm. What can I say… this book was superbly written. It was creative in the most beautiful way. And very engrossing. I just didn’t like Gia, one of the main characters. I thought she was a stubborn brat causing way more destruction than needed. The rating is based on the quality of the book and not my personal distaste if a fictional character.
November 21, 2021
3 stars. Luna and Sean deserved so much better. Especially Luna since she actually gets stuck with Gia’s selfish ass in the end. Poor thing. The writing was good and so was the world building. I’m excited for book two so we can get more of this really cool world but man did I not like Gia. She is awful and I hated her from beginning to end. She’s so self centered and selfish that her sudden attitude change in the end felt super forced to me. Luna was wonderful though and deserves the world and Sean was a cinnamon roll.
The romance in this was a flop for me because Luna puts in most of the work which wasn’t fair but I’ll read book two when it comes out. This is a debut and there’s always room for improvement and again the world building is really well done. Frustrating but entertaining read, just wish I had loved it as much as everyone else does.
The romance in this was a flop for me because Luna puts in most of the work which wasn’t fair but I’ll read book two when it comes out. This is a debut and there’s always room for improvement and again the world building is really well done. Frustrating but entertaining read, just wish I had loved it as much as everyone else does.
September 22, 2021
3.5 stars.
August 23, 2021
Luna is a guardian who has been waiting her lifetime to find her shield, her soulmate. Every guardian is born with a chosen soulmate, but Luna is starting to believe she will have to fight alone for as long as she lives. That is until she feels that pull again, the pull that will take her to her soulmate and when Luna finds her, she is in for a surprise heartbreak, or is she? Gia has live as a human almost her whole life, now with her human fiancé, the last thing she expected was to find her soulmate.
I am very happy I decided to read this book, and didn't judge it by its cover. This book picks up right from the first chapter and takes you to a new world. I really enjoyed reading about this new world the author created and all of the many beings that make that world their home.
Both Luna and Gia were great characters, very real, regardless of them not actually being human. I thought the story was incredibly interesting and intriguing. The love story between both main characters was also well done. It had complexity and depth that other romance books may lack.
Overall, I really liked this book and I can't wait to see what this author will do for her next book.
An ARC was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am very happy I decided to read this book, and didn't judge it by its cover. This book picks up right from the first chapter and takes you to a new world. I really enjoyed reading about this new world the author created and all of the many beings that make that world their home.
Both Luna and Gia were great characters, very real, regardless of them not actually being human. I thought the story was incredibly interesting and intriguing. The love story between both main characters was also well done. It had complexity and depth that other romance books may lack.
Overall, I really liked this book and I can't wait to see what this author will do for her next book.
An ARC was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2021
I’m not into fantasy but the book was great, entertaining and kept me reading until I was done and a silly smile was drawn on my face. The characters were well written, all of them layered and the only missing thing for me was an epilogue because I’m a sucker for those.
Great debut, interesting premise and a fantastic push-and-pull situation that kept the tension and hotness alive during the whole book.
My first and not my last from the author.
Great debut, interesting premise and a fantastic push-and-pull situation that kept the tension and hotness alive during the whole book.
My first and not my last from the author.
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