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Felserpent Chronicles #1
Reign Returned
Kyra Valorian is the most gifted Astral healer the golden-blooded realm of Aeles has seen in ages. When tragedy strikes, Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing she’s a Recovrancer, able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them . . . even partner with a dangerous enemy.
Sebastian Sayre is the most sought-after Daeval assassin in all of Nocens. A silver-blooded Pyromancer, he wields fire and dreams of finding Rhannu, a legendary sword that makes its holder invincible. Since the sword was long ago stolen from Nocens and hidden where no Daeval can retrieve it, however, such a dream seems impossible ... until he encounters the one Astral who might be both able and willing to help him.
As Kyra and Sebastian work together to uncover the secrets of their realms, they also uncover secrets within their own pasts—pasts that are far more intertwined than they ever imagined. Ultimately, in this tale of discovery, destiny, and a love strong enough to outlast time, remembering the past just may prove to be the only way to change the future.
Sebastian Sayre is the most sought-after Daeval assassin in all of Nocens. A silver-blooded Pyromancer, he wields fire and dreams of finding Rhannu, a legendary sword that makes its holder invincible. Since the sword was long ago stolen from Nocens and hidden where no Daeval can retrieve it, however, such a dream seems impossible ... until he encounters the one Astral who might be both able and willing to help him.
As Kyra and Sebastian work together to uncover the secrets of their realms, they also uncover secrets within their own pasts—pasts that are far more intertwined than they ever imagined. Ultimately, in this tale of discovery, destiny, and a love strong enough to outlast time, remembering the past just may prove to be the only way to change the future.
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
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2597 people want to read
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August 19, 2022
Magical worlds, love that endures throughout time and space, dragons, spells, animal familiars, and the fate of worlds hanging in the balance. This is a truly delightful addition to the fantasy genre. I’m eager for this series to continue so I can find out what happens next.
It did start out fairly generic, and as a result the first two chapters didn’t immediately capture my interest. However the farther I read the more I was drawn in. The worldbuilding is wonderful and despite the many familiar elements it tells a unique story. The author's gift for descriptions makes reading about various locations an absolute treat. I highly recommend this to lovers of YA fantasy. This will be of particular interest to fans of Lore Olympus, The Golden Compass, the works of Tamora Pierce, and those who enjoy seeing LGBT characters. I’m so thankful to Netgalley for the chance to review the fantastic start of an exhilarating series.
It did start out fairly generic, and as a result the first two chapters didn’t immediately capture my interest. However the farther I read the more I was drawn in. The worldbuilding is wonderful and despite the many familiar elements it tells a unique story. The author's gift for descriptions makes reading about various locations an absolute treat. I highly recommend this to lovers of YA fantasy. This will be of particular interest to fans of Lore Olympus, The Golden Compass, the works of Tamora Pierce, and those who enjoy seeing LGBT characters. I’m so thankful to Netgalley for the chance to review the fantastic start of an exhilarating series.
August 27, 2022
If the world were abruptly ending tomorrow, and you had the magical ability to keep your one true love
“FOREVER.”
Would you, do it?
Keridan presents this same question in her newest young adult novel, “Reign Returned”
Let us begin:
Schatten and Kareth:
Have a love that people only dream about. It is a love that brings joy, happiness and above all “Peace.” For years, the two fractions were divided, only by the color of their blood, hated each other, and warred continuously. When Schatten and Kareth united all warring ended, the two realms were happy. Then one day their kingdom was overthrown, but before it could be sieged Kareth (being an Astral healer) uses her magic to enchant a spell over she and Schatten. A soul binding spell to be exact, one of pure love, one that would guarantee that someday, Schatten and Kareth will be together again.
“EVENTUALLY!”
Centuries pass and
Kyra Valoran:
An Astral Healer with gold blood, dreams of nothing more than being the highest officer of all healers. She wants to be the Princepts Shaman of Aeles. She is being taught by the greatest teacher of all, and he also just happens to be her father. She want’s nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. When something happens to her father, Kyra has to heal her father. It is then when she discovers something startling about herself. She is a recoverancer, she can actually walk into the realm of the dead and retrieve a body that was not supposed to die yet.
Kyra is terrified, first of all why is this happening to her? Recoverancers are forbidden and Kyra will be arrested if anyone finds out. She has to find out what this all means, no matter the circumstances.
Sebastian Sayre:
Silver blooded, the deadliest, highly sought-after assassin in all Nocens. He lives in a cave with his Cipher, Batty. He does not need anyone, and that is exactly how he wants it to be. There is something that he needs help with though. He keeps having visions that he finds the legendary sword Rhannu, the sword that makes the beholder invincible. However, Rhannu is but a dream to a person from Daeval, (Even though it was stolen from the Nocens long ago)
Circumstances:
Sebastian is in the woods one day, burning up with fever, extremely sick. Kyra having fled Aeles due to discovering her magic abilities, happens upon Sebastian. Seeing the man so sick, she cannot in good conscious just leave him there. In her fury to heal him because of febrile delirium, she accidentally cuts herself. The blood alarms go off because “Silver Blood” is recognized in the Golden realm. As Sebastian jumps up, they both notice something of the other at the same time. Sebastian notices that Kyra is bleeding, but she is not bleeding silver, she is bleeding “GOLD.” Kyra notices Sebastian has dropped a book on Recoverancers out of his pocket and she snatches the book up flees through a portal. But Sebastian healed enough thanks to Kyra, is quick enough and makes it through the portal with her.
Deal:
Now Kyra both enraged and untrusting of this Daevalic person tells him to just leave her alone, she has things to do, and she does not want him following her.
Sebastian on the other hand can only surges with hope because he has the knowledge of what Kyra can do. He just needs a way to convince her that it is in the best interest for both of them.
Sebastian decides to tell Kyra that if she will just go with him to Vanekius, (a realm of the dead) (of course, or else he would have been traipsed over there himself) get Rhannu back to him, then he will give her many more books on Recoverancers. Poor naïve Kyra believes Sebastian and agrees to this deal. Now neither of these two actually know what fate the two have actually sealed by striking this deal.
As the two set off on their journey, their road will not be an easy one. They are both plagued by the same dream, but do not tell each other. Because neither of them is able to trust each other as of yet. How can these two ever make it to Vanekius?
Is Kyra walking into the realm of Vanekius retrieving Rhannu and handing it to Sebastian the key to Schatten and Kareth’s reborn love?
Finally?
Guess you will have to read on to find out, because this is where I must leave you to ponder.
Keridans novel is a brilliant whimsical, dreamlike excursion into fantasyland.
This slow burn is beautifully done, and her word building was impressive.
Keridans characters are a novelistic mosaic of species, colors, people, magic, you name it, Keridans got it.
Keridans ending is amazingly done, and I was totally there for it.
For this to only be Keridans 2nd distinctive work, “This girl is on “FIRE” and she’s “KILLING” it!!!
So, everyone!! pack your bags, get on board, head on over to Tar Creek, California, climb up that mountain and cliff dive into this “SPELLBINDING NOVEL”
STUPENDOUS!!
Slow burN to ZOOM ZOOM………
Thank you, NetGalley/Katie Keridan/Spark Press/ For this incredible eARC in advance for honest review. Opinions are of my own volition.
“FOREVER.”
Would you, do it?
Keridan presents this same question in her newest young adult novel, “Reign Returned”
Let us begin:
Schatten and Kareth:
Have a love that people only dream about. It is a love that brings joy, happiness and above all “Peace.” For years, the two fractions were divided, only by the color of their blood, hated each other, and warred continuously. When Schatten and Kareth united all warring ended, the two realms were happy. Then one day their kingdom was overthrown, but before it could be sieged Kareth (being an Astral healer) uses her magic to enchant a spell over she and Schatten. A soul binding spell to be exact, one of pure love, one that would guarantee that someday, Schatten and Kareth will be together again.
“EVENTUALLY!”
Centuries pass and
Kyra Valoran:
An Astral Healer with gold blood, dreams of nothing more than being the highest officer of all healers. She wants to be the Princepts Shaman of Aeles. She is being taught by the greatest teacher of all, and he also just happens to be her father. She want’s nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. When something happens to her father, Kyra has to heal her father. It is then when she discovers something startling about herself. She is a recoverancer, she can actually walk into the realm of the dead and retrieve a body that was not supposed to die yet.
Kyra is terrified, first of all why is this happening to her? Recoverancers are forbidden and Kyra will be arrested if anyone finds out. She has to find out what this all means, no matter the circumstances.
Sebastian Sayre:
Silver blooded, the deadliest, highly sought-after assassin in all Nocens. He lives in a cave with his Cipher, Batty. He does not need anyone, and that is exactly how he wants it to be. There is something that he needs help with though. He keeps having visions that he finds the legendary sword Rhannu, the sword that makes the beholder invincible. However, Rhannu is but a dream to a person from Daeval, (Even though it was stolen from the Nocens long ago)
Circumstances:
Sebastian is in the woods one day, burning up with fever, extremely sick. Kyra having fled Aeles due to discovering her magic abilities, happens upon Sebastian. Seeing the man so sick, she cannot in good conscious just leave him there. In her fury to heal him because of febrile delirium, she accidentally cuts herself. The blood alarms go off because “Silver Blood” is recognized in the Golden realm. As Sebastian jumps up, they both notice something of the other at the same time. Sebastian notices that Kyra is bleeding, but she is not bleeding silver, she is bleeding “GOLD.” Kyra notices Sebastian has dropped a book on Recoverancers out of his pocket and she snatches the book up flees through a portal. But Sebastian healed enough thanks to Kyra, is quick enough and makes it through the portal with her.
Deal:
Now Kyra both enraged and untrusting of this Daevalic person tells him to just leave her alone, she has things to do, and she does not want him following her.
Sebastian on the other hand can only surges with hope because he has the knowledge of what Kyra can do. He just needs a way to convince her that it is in the best interest for both of them.
Sebastian decides to tell Kyra that if she will just go with him to Vanekius, (a realm of the dead) (of course, or else he would have been traipsed over there himself) get Rhannu back to him, then he will give her many more books on Recoverancers. Poor naïve Kyra believes Sebastian and agrees to this deal. Now neither of these two actually know what fate the two have actually sealed by striking this deal.
As the two set off on their journey, their road will not be an easy one. They are both plagued by the same dream, but do not tell each other. Because neither of them is able to trust each other as of yet. How can these two ever make it to Vanekius?
Is Kyra walking into the realm of Vanekius retrieving Rhannu and handing it to Sebastian the key to Schatten and Kareth’s reborn love?
Finally?
Guess you will have to read on to find out, because this is where I must leave you to ponder.
Keridans novel is a brilliant whimsical, dreamlike excursion into fantasyland.
This slow burn is beautifully done, and her word building was impressive.
Keridans characters are a novelistic mosaic of species, colors, people, magic, you name it, Keridans got it.
Keridans ending is amazingly done, and I was totally there for it.
For this to only be Keridans 2nd distinctive work, “This girl is on “FIRE” and she’s “KILLING” it!!!
So, everyone!! pack your bags, get on board, head on over to Tar Creek, California, climb up that mountain and cliff dive into this “SPELLBINDING NOVEL”
STUPENDOUS!!
Slow burN to ZOOM ZOOM………
Thank you, NetGalley/Katie Keridan/Spark Press/ For this incredible eARC in advance for honest review. Opinions are of my own volition.
September 13, 2022
“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲; 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞—𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞. 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐊𝐲𝐫𝐚.”
“𝐌𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 . . . 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞—” 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 “—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 . . . 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”
“𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫.”
________________________
The book’s prologue opens on a King and Queen preparing to flee for their lives from a coup threatening to overthrow them and every bit of unity they have worked toward during their reign. As the traitors from both sides begin to set their plan in motion to split the kingdom back into two separate realms, one of the Daevals and the other of the Astrals, the royals (fearing for each other and ultimately their lives) make one last effort to bind their souls, or “shades”, together before losing each other entirely all the while hoping that someday, somehow they may find each other again and right the wrongs being carried out.
As the story begins, we meet Kyra who is an Astral healer getting ready to follow in her father’s footsteps as the leading healer for their realm. But after a twist of fate intervenes and claims her father’s life in a terrible accident, she finds herself face to face with the Shade Transporter on the River in the realm of the dead, confirming her lineage as that of a Recovrancer: a rare bloodline long exterminated by the Astral realm, who can bring back Shades of the dead who have passed before their time. After meeting a Daeval assassin named Sebastian as he attempted to locate the materials needed to enter the realm of the dead in search of a centuries old hidden sword, they are pushed together by fate and decide to work together to recover the sword for Sebastian all the while giving Kyra the ability to learn more about her gift and identity as a Recovrancer. What ensues is an absolutely excellent unfolding of the reincarnation trope in a beautiful world setting with lovable characters and a timeless love that supersedes all else…as it will need to continue to do, since this book sets up what is sure to be an intense journey onward.
This story had me absolutely hooked from page one!! It gave me vibes of a more fantasy based version of The Giver, but also Aladdin if Aladdin were an assassin and his romance with Jasmine were a STRONG enemies to lovers paired up with forced proximity. The set up, knowing who our characters truly were, combined with the drive to know what happened in between the prologue and chapter one made for an entirely bingeable read that I couldn’t put down. Wrap all of that up with a bow of memorable and entertaining characters and you have yourself a solid and engaging fantasy novel!!
Kyra and Sebastian could not have been more opposite and I absolutely loved them for it. Watching them process through and overcome their differences genuinely and on their own outside of the inexplicable force tying them together was so well executed. They were fated, but still independent and it was a fantastic balance that kept their relationship from feeling too boring or predictable. My hat is off to the author for steering clear of the insta-love that seems to haunt the fated mates trope in most fantasy books!
The love story between the Felserpent King and Queen, woven into the main plot, was absolutely beautiful and sweet despite being so tragic. It only served to further enhance an already engrossing plot. The side characters Caz, Demitri, LeBehr, and ESPECIALLY each character’s cyphers and the dragon Nerudian, were fantastic and I loved every single interaction with them!!
All in all I CANNOT WAIT for this series to continue!! It was absolutely excellent for anyone who is a lover of classic fantasy woven with Greek mythology and sprinkled with influences of a dystopian society. I highly recommend it!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, SparkPress, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
“𝐌𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 . . . 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞—” 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 “—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 . . . 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”
“𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫.”
________________________
The book’s prologue opens on a King and Queen preparing to flee for their lives from a coup threatening to overthrow them and every bit of unity they have worked toward during their reign. As the traitors from both sides begin to set their plan in motion to split the kingdom back into two separate realms, one of the Daevals and the other of the Astrals, the royals (fearing for each other and ultimately their lives) make one last effort to bind their souls, or “shades”, together before losing each other entirely all the while hoping that someday, somehow they may find each other again and right the wrongs being carried out.
As the story begins, we meet Kyra who is an Astral healer getting ready to follow in her father’s footsteps as the leading healer for their realm. But after a twist of fate intervenes and claims her father’s life in a terrible accident, she finds herself face to face with the Shade Transporter on the River in the realm of the dead, confirming her lineage as that of a Recovrancer: a rare bloodline long exterminated by the Astral realm, who can bring back Shades of the dead who have passed before their time. After meeting a Daeval assassin named Sebastian as he attempted to locate the materials needed to enter the realm of the dead in search of a centuries old hidden sword, they are pushed together by fate and decide to work together to recover the sword for Sebastian all the while giving Kyra the ability to learn more about her gift and identity as a Recovrancer. What ensues is an absolutely excellent unfolding of the reincarnation trope in a beautiful world setting with lovable characters and a timeless love that supersedes all else…as it will need to continue to do, since this book sets up what is sure to be an intense journey onward.
This story had me absolutely hooked from page one!! It gave me vibes of a more fantasy based version of The Giver, but also Aladdin if Aladdin were an assassin and his romance with Jasmine were a STRONG enemies to lovers paired up with forced proximity. The set up, knowing who our characters truly were, combined with the drive to know what happened in between the prologue and chapter one made for an entirely bingeable read that I couldn’t put down. Wrap all of that up with a bow of memorable and entertaining characters and you have yourself a solid and engaging fantasy novel!!
Kyra and Sebastian could not have been more opposite and I absolutely loved them for it. Watching them process through and overcome their differences genuinely and on their own outside of the inexplicable force tying them together was so well executed. They were fated, but still independent and it was a fantastic balance that kept their relationship from feeling too boring or predictable. My hat is off to the author for steering clear of the insta-love that seems to haunt the fated mates trope in most fantasy books!
The love story between the Felserpent King and Queen, woven into the main plot, was absolutely beautiful and sweet despite being so tragic. It only served to further enhance an already engrossing plot. The side characters Caz, Demitri, LeBehr, and ESPECIALLY each character’s cyphers and the dragon Nerudian, were fantastic and I loved every single interaction with them!!
All in all I CANNOT WAIT for this series to continue!! It was absolutely excellent for anyone who is a lover of classic fantasy woven with Greek mythology and sprinkled with influences of a dystopian society. I highly recommend it!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, SparkPress, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
June 3, 2022
Have you ever had a love to last the test of time? And when I say “time” I mean, what about a century, or two or five? Well, Schatten and Kareth had just such a love. When their kingdom was being overtaken, Kareth made a binding spell to make sure that they would one day again be reunited, just in different bodies. Schatten was a Daevalic warrior and had silver blood; Kareth was an Astral healer who had gold blood. These two groups of people hated each other until Schatten and Kareth married, bringing these two groups together. When the kingdom was divided, so did the people again.
Did Schatten and Kareth ever find each other again?
Meet Sebastian. Sebastian is a Daeval assassin and he has silver blood. He is a loner and he likes it that way. He lives in a cave with his Cypher, Batty, a bat. And he doesn’t need anyone in his life, he only wants to find a way to get Rhannu, a sword that he knows belongs to his people, and with him.
Meet Kyra. Kyra is an Astral healer and she has gold blood. All she wants to do is follow in her father’s footsteps and be the Princepts Shaman of Aeles which is the highest office for a healer. She is learning so much from him when tragedy strikes and she has to try to find a way to heal him. This is when she discovers that she is a Recovrancer, someone who can travel to the realm of the dead.
How do these two unlikely foes meet?
As Kyra is walking through the forest a man appeared on an intersector. He was very sick so Kyra rushed to heal him. In the process of healing him, the Blood Alarm went off because those with silver blood are not allowed in the realm of the golden bloods. As the guards were coming to arrest the man, he stood up and a book fell out of his cloak, a book about Recovrancers. Kyra knew she had to have this book so as he started to flee through a portal, Kyra rushed toward him and went through the portal with him. This is how she met Sebastian.
A deal with the devil?
When Sebastian learns that Kyra is a Recovrancer, he strikes up a deal with her. If she will travel to Vaneklus, the realm of the dead, and get Rhannu then he will give her the other books that he has about Recovrancers. What these two do not realize is that in making this deal, they will change their lives forever, and the lives of the people around them.
Do Sabastian and Kyra have what it takes to get to the realm of the dead, retrieve the magic sword, and get out alive? Do they realize what is happening as they both have the same dreams about a couple named Schatten and Kareth? Will they suppress the passion that is building between the two of them? Can their love for each other be the way to reunite two realms that have been at war for so long? Do not miss this amazingly incredible story about two people who love each other and reunite after hundreds of years.
What I love about this book!
This book had two things against it when I was asked to review it. #1 – it is a young adult book – I mainly read elementary and middle school books, not young adult. #2 – it is a fantasy and magic book – I am not a huge fan of fantasy and magic. Well, boy was I wrong! This book hooked me from the first page and didn’t let go until the end. Actually, it still hasn’t let go because I am dying for book two to come out!!
This book has so many magnificent things going on that I could not put it down!! You have young love, you have lost love, you have love reunited. There is an amazing bond between the characters and their Cyphers, creatures who help guide and protect as long as you live. Also, you have good vs. evil and fighting between a group of people who really don’t know why they are fighting. There is mystery and fantasy and romance. There is killing and rebirth. This book has it all! I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens to Schatten and Kareth; Sebastian and Kyra!! I promise you… you don’t want to miss this one!
If you want to win an ARC copy of this go to www.blazertales.com to enter to win!
Did Schatten and Kareth ever find each other again?
Meet Sebastian. Sebastian is a Daeval assassin and he has silver blood. He is a loner and he likes it that way. He lives in a cave with his Cypher, Batty, a bat. And he doesn’t need anyone in his life, he only wants to find a way to get Rhannu, a sword that he knows belongs to his people, and with him.
Meet Kyra. Kyra is an Astral healer and she has gold blood. All she wants to do is follow in her father’s footsteps and be the Princepts Shaman of Aeles which is the highest office for a healer. She is learning so much from him when tragedy strikes and she has to try to find a way to heal him. This is when she discovers that she is a Recovrancer, someone who can travel to the realm of the dead.
How do these two unlikely foes meet?
As Kyra is walking through the forest a man appeared on an intersector. He was very sick so Kyra rushed to heal him. In the process of healing him, the Blood Alarm went off because those with silver blood are not allowed in the realm of the golden bloods. As the guards were coming to arrest the man, he stood up and a book fell out of his cloak, a book about Recovrancers. Kyra knew she had to have this book so as he started to flee through a portal, Kyra rushed toward him and went through the portal with him. This is how she met Sebastian.
A deal with the devil?
When Sebastian learns that Kyra is a Recovrancer, he strikes up a deal with her. If she will travel to Vaneklus, the realm of the dead, and get Rhannu then he will give her the other books that he has about Recovrancers. What these two do not realize is that in making this deal, they will change their lives forever, and the lives of the people around them.
Do Sabastian and Kyra have what it takes to get to the realm of the dead, retrieve the magic sword, and get out alive? Do they realize what is happening as they both have the same dreams about a couple named Schatten and Kareth? Will they suppress the passion that is building between the two of them? Can their love for each other be the way to reunite two realms that have been at war for so long? Do not miss this amazingly incredible story about two people who love each other and reunite after hundreds of years.
What I love about this book!
This book had two things against it when I was asked to review it. #1 – it is a young adult book – I mainly read elementary and middle school books, not young adult. #2 – it is a fantasy and magic book – I am not a huge fan of fantasy and magic. Well, boy was I wrong! This book hooked me from the first page and didn’t let go until the end. Actually, it still hasn’t let go because I am dying for book two to come out!!
This book has so many magnificent things going on that I could not put it down!! You have young love, you have lost love, you have love reunited. There is an amazing bond between the characters and their Cyphers, creatures who help guide and protect as long as you live. Also, you have good vs. evil and fighting between a group of people who really don’t know why they are fighting. There is mystery and fantasy and romance. There is killing and rebirth. This book has it all! I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens to Schatten and Kareth; Sebastian and Kyra!! I promise you… you don’t want to miss this one!
If you want to win an ARC copy of this go to www.blazertales.com to enter to win!
December 19, 2022
“Reign Returned” written by Katie Keridan, is the first book in the young adult series, “The Felserpent Chronicles.” In ancient days, the Felserpent King and Queen made a pact that would endure the ages and ensure a future salvation for their people; but civil war broke out and divided their kingdom by blood, causing Astrals, Daevals, and their animal Cyphers to embody hatred and prejudice for the other. Present day Sebastian Sayre is a Daeval intent on one goal: retrieving the Felserpent King’s sword Rhannu to make himself invincible. The only problem is, he can’t enter the realm of the dead without the help of a Recovrancer. Kyra Valorian is a young, talented Astral healer who is next in line to become the top healer in her realm, but her world is turned upside down when she meets Sebastian and feels an intense connection to him she doesn’t understand. Through trials and tense moments, the couple learn more about themselves, the past, and the politics of their realms, while discovering their part in the shared destinies of their people.
Wow, what can I say? This was a book I didn’t want to finish because I was enjoying it too much! The characters and the world are so richly detailed that this is a place you want to savor being in and learning more about. Initially, the introduction of the world is a little slow-paced, but well-worth the investment to understand the political tensions and relationships going forward. However, once the groundwork is laid, the book continues its momentum forward while introducing more details and character building as the story develops.
I liked that there weren’t too many characters and concepts to follow. The story mostly revolves around Kyra, Sebastian, their talking animal Cyphers (who are basically like spiritual guides), and the Astral and Daevalic realms. The politics were probably the most complicated thing in the book, but they made the world feel real and believable while giving the characters challenges and stakes to overcome. This was a book with clean material appropriate for teens and young adults that was also fun to read. I’m sure I’ll read this book again in preparation for the sequel.
I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Kyra and Sebastian. Their behavior towards one another was reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice and thoroughly entertained me. I found myself smiling or giggling throughout the book and looking forward to reading it each time I picked it up. I feel this book combines everything people liked about Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games while also being its own unique story with well-written characters and places that stick with you.
I loved that the author completed the story in a satisfactory way, while also ending with an intriguing tease for what’s to come in future installments. This series has the potential to become the next young adult sensation, so I highly recommend this entertaining book to all lovers of magic, animals, fantasy, and romance.
Wow, what can I say? This was a book I didn’t want to finish because I was enjoying it too much! The characters and the world are so richly detailed that this is a place you want to savor being in and learning more about. Initially, the introduction of the world is a little slow-paced, but well-worth the investment to understand the political tensions and relationships going forward. However, once the groundwork is laid, the book continues its momentum forward while introducing more details and character building as the story develops.
I liked that there weren’t too many characters and concepts to follow. The story mostly revolves around Kyra, Sebastian, their talking animal Cyphers (who are basically like spiritual guides), and the Astral and Daevalic realms. The politics were probably the most complicated thing in the book, but they made the world feel real and believable while giving the characters challenges and stakes to overcome. This was a book with clean material appropriate for teens and young adults that was also fun to read. I’m sure I’ll read this book again in preparation for the sequel.
I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Kyra and Sebastian. Their behavior towards one another was reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice and thoroughly entertained me. I found myself smiling or giggling throughout the book and looking forward to reading it each time I picked it up. I feel this book combines everything people liked about Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games while also being its own unique story with well-written characters and places that stick with you.
I loved that the author completed the story in a satisfactory way, while also ending with an intriguing tease for what’s to come in future installments. This series has the potential to become the next young adult sensation, so I highly recommend this entertaining book to all lovers of magic, animals, fantasy, and romance.
April 18, 2023
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be “Magical”.
Reign Returned is a debut novel by Katie Keridan, the first book in her new YA fantasy series. This story is guaranteed to have everything you’re looking for, from unique magic systems and animal cyphers/familiars to an epic-fated love that defies time and all odds.
The synopsis does not do this book justice. This book captured my attention from the first chapter. I could not put it down! The world-building is incredibly done and the way everything is described throughout the story makes it so easy to imagine and follow. There was never a drop in the pacing or chapter that made you lose interest. The concept of this book was so intriguing, but the author took this story to a whole other level of amazing and added an epic romance subplot to go along with it.
This book has some of my favorite tropes, Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and slow-burn romance!! Enemies who are forced to work together may be my favorite plotline. I mean that should be reason enough to convince you to give this book a try!😉
Kyra and Sebastian are fated mates, but this is an enemies-to-lovers plot so it’s not your usual Insta love meeting. We get to see every stage of their relationship progress, from enemies to allies to friends and more. Kyra and Sebastian have one of the best romances. The best way I can describe them is that they are each other’s perfect opposites. Their characters felt very real and human. The interactions between Kyra and Sebastian had me smiling every time. We see a lot of character development throughout the book as we watch them work out and overcome their differences and the struggles and dangers they face on their adventure.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the inclusion of the cyphers and getting to see some of their personality throughout the story. Animal familiars add an element of warmth, love, and companionship to the story and as a bonus, they never fail to be highly amusing.
Read this if you like:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Animal cyphers/familiars
- Enemies who are forced to work together
- Fated soulmates
- Slow Burn Romance
- Unique Magic system
- Alternate POVs
- Grump x Sunshine
This story ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. This is a fun, whimsical, and absolutely swoon-worthy book. I highly recommend it. Really excited to see where this story leads next! @katiekeridan can I please have book two immediately??
Thank you Katie Keridan and BookInfluncerscom for the gifted review copy of Reign Returned.💙
Reign Returned is a debut novel by Katie Keridan, the first book in her new YA fantasy series. This story is guaranteed to have everything you’re looking for, from unique magic systems and animal cyphers/familiars to an epic-fated love that defies time and all odds.
The synopsis does not do this book justice. This book captured my attention from the first chapter. I could not put it down! The world-building is incredibly done and the way everything is described throughout the story makes it so easy to imagine and follow. There was never a drop in the pacing or chapter that made you lose interest. The concept of this book was so intriguing, but the author took this story to a whole other level of amazing and added an epic romance subplot to go along with it.
This book has some of my favorite tropes, Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and slow-burn romance!! Enemies who are forced to work together may be my favorite plotline. I mean that should be reason enough to convince you to give this book a try!😉
Kyra and Sebastian are fated mates, but this is an enemies-to-lovers plot so it’s not your usual Insta love meeting. We get to see every stage of their relationship progress, from enemies to allies to friends and more. Kyra and Sebastian have one of the best romances. The best way I can describe them is that they are each other’s perfect opposites. Their characters felt very real and human. The interactions between Kyra and Sebastian had me smiling every time. We see a lot of character development throughout the book as we watch them work out and overcome their differences and the struggles and dangers they face on their adventure.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the inclusion of the cyphers and getting to see some of their personality throughout the story. Animal familiars add an element of warmth, love, and companionship to the story and as a bonus, they never fail to be highly amusing.
Read this if you like:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Animal cyphers/familiars
- Enemies who are forced to work together
- Fated soulmates
- Slow Burn Romance
- Unique Magic system
- Alternate POVs
- Grump x Sunshine
This story ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. This is a fun, whimsical, and absolutely swoon-worthy book. I highly recommend it. Really excited to see where this story leads next! @katiekeridan can I please have book two immediately??
Thank you Katie Keridan and BookInfluncerscom for the gifted review copy of Reign Returned.💙
October 3, 2024
Reign Returned is a delightful comfort read that skillfully blends traditional fantasy with subtle modern sci-fi elements. The use of multiple perspectives from well-rounded characters and a non-linear timeline enriches the narrative, creating an engaging experience. Reign Returned is character-driven, featuring a steadily rising plot.
The author uncovers secrets about the two main characters, Kyra and Sebastian, that they themselves are unaware of, leaving them purposefully oblivious to their own hidden truths for much of the narrative. Meanwhile, the readers and a few of the other characters are already aware, creating a sense of drama and intrigue.
The world-building is impressively detailed, with some sections feeling captivatingly dense with information that is woven organically into the narrative. There were repetitions in the world-building details, but they effectively revealed more about different situations or added depth to character dialogue, reinforcing the richness of the fantasy lore and aiding information retention.
I would recommend Reign Returned to fantasy readers who enjoy stories featuring deities, fantastical creatures, a softer magic system ( where the consequences of using magic are not always clear ), and a love that transcends corporeal existence. It’s perfect for those who appreciate rich world-building and layered narratives.
I could see myself rereading Reign Returned.
I received a copy from Tandem Global Collective and am providing my review voluntarily. It reflects my own thoughts and opinions based on my experience reading this story.
The author uncovers secrets about the two main characters, Kyra and Sebastian, that they themselves are unaware of, leaving them purposefully oblivious to their own hidden truths for much of the narrative. Meanwhile, the readers and a few of the other characters are already aware, creating a sense of drama and intrigue.
The world-building is impressively detailed, with some sections feeling captivatingly dense with information that is woven organically into the narrative. There were repetitions in the world-building details, but they effectively revealed more about different situations or added depth to character dialogue, reinforcing the richness of the fantasy lore and aiding information retention.
I would recommend Reign Returned to fantasy readers who enjoy stories featuring deities, fantastical creatures, a softer magic system ( where the consequences of using magic are not always clear ), and a love that transcends corporeal existence. It’s perfect for those who appreciate rich world-building and layered narratives.
I could see myself rereading Reign Returned.
I received a copy from Tandem Global Collective and am providing my review voluntarily. It reflects my own thoughts and opinions based on my experience reading this story.
April 21, 2023
Thank you for the review copy @katiekeridan. I really looked forward to this book!
I’ve got it on Easter Monday and I immediately started it that day ❤️
Kyra is a healer.
‘All I can do is help you learn, as I did, that your worth doesn’t lie in what others think of you and your choices’. Absolutely true ❤️. It’s so nice that her father supports her in whatever you wants to do.
And than here father dies :(
This book was a slowburner. First there was a lot of worldbuilding.
The vibe between Sebastian and Kyra was there from minute 1. He was like yeah there is nothing between is. Don’t lie to us Sebastian! We all know better. And later in the book the two quite literally do have a connection. But I don’t spoil that one ;).
There are unicorns, dragons and cats in this book. How awesome is that 🥰. And people all had sort of a Pokémon with them. A loooot of animals. Love it ❤️
‘You can never go back to who you were before you knew something.’ That is a very important sentence in my life.
Around halfway I really fell in love with the book and couldn’t stop reading.
This book was a bit difficult for me. The English isn’t the easiest in this one. So it took a while for me to finish it. I really had to focus for this one.
Nonetheless, I loved it. There were a lot of great meaningful sentences to enjoy. Katie is the Colleen Hoover of fantasy. I can quote so many sentences which made me think about life!
The ending was very exciting as well! I didn’t saw that one coming 😱.
And a start of a big journey 😁
Allready looking forward to part 2!
I give the book:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve got it on Easter Monday and I immediately started it that day ❤️
Kyra is a healer.
‘All I can do is help you learn, as I did, that your worth doesn’t lie in what others think of you and your choices’. Absolutely true ❤️. It’s so nice that her father supports her in whatever you wants to do.
And than here father dies :(
This book was a slowburner. First there was a lot of worldbuilding.
The vibe between Sebastian and Kyra was there from minute 1. He was like yeah there is nothing between is. Don’t lie to us Sebastian! We all know better. And later in the book the two quite literally do have a connection. But I don’t spoil that one ;).
There are unicorns, dragons and cats in this book. How awesome is that 🥰. And people all had sort of a Pokémon with them. A loooot of animals. Love it ❤️
‘You can never go back to who you were before you knew something.’ That is a very important sentence in my life.
Around halfway I really fell in love with the book and couldn’t stop reading.
This book was a bit difficult for me. The English isn’t the easiest in this one. So it took a while for me to finish it. I really had to focus for this one.
Nonetheless, I loved it. There were a lot of great meaningful sentences to enjoy. Katie is the Colleen Hoover of fantasy. I can quote so many sentences which made me think about life!
The ending was very exciting as well! I didn’t saw that one coming 😱.
And a start of a big journey 😁
Allready looking forward to part 2!
I give the book:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 9, 2025
SERIES REVIEW
This was such a fantastic ya fantasy series! It did start out just a *bit* slow but after a few chapters, I was completely immersed in the story of Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre.
A love that defies time…these two had such great chemistry! Their love may have been destined and inevitable but they felt like they EARNED that love themselves…and for a ya book, it’s so refreshing to see that!
The story is unique and so fun!! We’ve got dragons and magic and familiars and saving the world vibes. There’s betrayals and riddles and so many twists and turns!
I loved the side characters and the world building. I can’t believe I missed this series but I’m so incredibly grateful I was chosen for this feature!
{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}
This was such a fantastic ya fantasy series! It did start out just a *bit* slow but after a few chapters, I was completely immersed in the story of Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre.
A love that defies time…these two had such great chemistry! Their love may have been destined and inevitable but they felt like they EARNED that love themselves…and for a ya book, it’s so refreshing to see that!
The story is unique and so fun!! We’ve got dragons and magic and familiars and saving the world vibes. There’s betrayals and riddles and so many twists and turns!
I loved the side characters and the world building. I can’t believe I missed this series but I’m so incredibly grateful I was chosen for this feature!
{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}
October 9, 2024
Thank you Katie Keridan and BookSparks for the free copy!
This young adult romantasy novel swept me off my feet with its captivating world of magic, intrigue, and romance. The characters are fantastic, especially Kyra and Sebastian, whose compelling dynamic drives the story. The adorable animal Cyphers, particularly Batty, add charm, while Nerudian the dragon brings an intriguing twist. Keridan's impressive world-building immerses readers in the realms of Aeles and Nocens, with fascinating magic systems and complex politics. With engaging plot, perfect pacing, and beautiful writing, "Reign Returned" is a must-read for fans of young adult fantasy with a hefty dose of romance. I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!
This young adult romantasy novel swept me off my feet with its captivating world of magic, intrigue, and romance. The characters are fantastic, especially Kyra and Sebastian, whose compelling dynamic drives the story. The adorable animal Cyphers, particularly Batty, add charm, while Nerudian the dragon brings an intriguing twist. Keridan's impressive world-building immerses readers in the realms of Aeles and Nocens, with fascinating magic systems and complex politics. With engaging plot, perfect pacing, and beautiful writing, "Reign Returned" is a must-read for fans of young adult fantasy with a hefty dose of romance. I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!
September 15, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 STARS
This is a YA fantasy that I loved!
Kyra is an Astral living in the gold-blooded realm while Sebastian is an assassin living in the silver-blooded realm. When their paths cross in an unlikely way, secrets of the realms and their own pasts are uncovered.
This book reminded me a little of The Red Queen series. The world building was very good. I loved the concept of the realms and past lives. My favorite part was the animal familiars assigned to each person.
There is an enemies to lovers trope, a little found family trope, action, lots of adventure, magic, and fun! I sped through this book and cannot wait for the sequel.
Thank you to BookSparks for the review copy! 🐉🧝♀️🦇👸🏼
5/5 STARS
This is a YA fantasy that I loved!
Kyra is an Astral living in the gold-blooded realm while Sebastian is an assassin living in the silver-blooded realm. When their paths cross in an unlikely way, secrets of the realms and their own pasts are uncovered.
This book reminded me a little of The Red Queen series. The world building was very good. I loved the concept of the realms and past lives. My favorite part was the animal familiars assigned to each person.
There is an enemies to lovers trope, a little found family trope, action, lots of adventure, magic, and fun! I sped through this book and cannot wait for the sequel.
Thank you to BookSparks for the review copy! 🐉🧝♀️🦇👸🏼
January 1, 2025
AHHHHHHH! I FINISHED IT! This was probably one of the best books I have ever read! The complete change of plot at the end SHOCKED me! And you could tell throughout the entire book what was gonna happen with Kyra and Sebastian! Eeeeeeek, thank you so much Bridgette!
September 11, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: death of a parent, brief mentions of torture and murder
Kyra is a skilled Astral healer in the realm of Aeles. When her father is unexpectedly killed in an earthquake, Kyra discovers that she is also a Recovrancer- one who can enter the realm of the dead and save those who have died before their time. Sebastian is a Daeval assassin who dreams of recovering the stolen sword Rhannu. To do so he needs a Recovrancer's help. While trying to enter Aeles as part of his quest to get Rhannu, Sebastian happens to meet Kyra and convinces her to help him with his mission. Soon they uncover strange memories that prove vital to their mission and reveal incredible secrets about who they really are. It seems their lives may be intertwined in more ways than they could have imagined.
I'm so glad I took a chance on this after seeing it on Netgalley! Kyra and Sebastian's story was really intriguing and spanned centuries! I loved the flashbacks/dreams sprinkled throughout the book that revealed who Kyra and Sebastian are and how they're connected. It was also interesting to figure out the clues about some of the side characters and the roles they played in the past and present. There was a lot of information in this book, but I never felt overwhelmed or confused by any of it. Everything was revealed at the right time and explained really well. While this first book in the series is about the quest to get Rhannu, it's also a story of love that has been lost and then found again. The second half of the book was where the romance came into play more, and I know there's a lot more of it to come based on how things ended. I can't wait to see what happens with Kyra and Sebastian in book 2!
Thank you Netgalley and SparkPress for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: death of a parent, brief mentions of torture and murder
Kyra is a skilled Astral healer in the realm of Aeles. When her father is unexpectedly killed in an earthquake, Kyra discovers that she is also a Recovrancer- one who can enter the realm of the dead and save those who have died before their time. Sebastian is a Daeval assassin who dreams of recovering the stolen sword Rhannu. To do so he needs a Recovrancer's help. While trying to enter Aeles as part of his quest to get Rhannu, Sebastian happens to meet Kyra and convinces her to help him with his mission. Soon they uncover strange memories that prove vital to their mission and reveal incredible secrets about who they really are. It seems their lives may be intertwined in more ways than they could have imagined.
I'm so glad I took a chance on this after seeing it on Netgalley! Kyra and Sebastian's story was really intriguing and spanned centuries! I loved the flashbacks/dreams sprinkled throughout the book that revealed who Kyra and Sebastian are and how they're connected. It was also interesting to figure out the clues about some of the side characters and the roles they played in the past and present. There was a lot of information in this book, but I never felt overwhelmed or confused by any of it. Everything was revealed at the right time and explained really well. While this first book in the series is about the quest to get Rhannu, it's also a story of love that has been lost and then found again. The second half of the book was where the romance came into play more, and I know there's a lot more of it to come based on how things ended. I can't wait to see what happens with Kyra and Sebastian in book 2!
Thank you Netgalley and SparkPress for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 16, 2022
Told in first person, dual points of view from Kyra and Sebastian, I enjoyed the concept of this story that takes place in a world with divided realms who have erased their history of being united. Kyra is a healer and Astral, defined by golden blood, from Aeles. She discovers that she is a Recovrancer, able to travel to the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time, which is illegal in Aeles. At times, she’s a little naïve about human nature and easily misled by others. Sebastian is a pyromancer and Daevel, defined by silver blood, from Nocen and is obsessed with find the legendary sword Rhannu believed to be lost in the realm of the dead. His job as an assassin and his abusive childhood easily define him as Kyra’s opposite.
I enjoyed the characters in this story especially the Cyphers or animal companions, lynx Aurelius and fruit bat Batty plus Caz, Laycus, a figure similar to Charon and the dragon, Nerudian. If this were billed as a romance, I would have loved it since the majority of the book was the couple interspersed with their Cyphers. However, since it was a fantasy, I wish there had been more interaction between the rest of the cast of characters. Kyra’s family just sort of disappeared on a trip leaving behind her BFF to a little hand-wringing when she would suddenly show up at home at crucial moments then Nerudian conveniently disappeared on a family trip too. I also didn’t care for the fact that a major part of the story is given away in the prologue. I think I would have enjoyed figuring that out along the way or when it was revealed to Kyra and Sebastian. When the reveal happened, it was anticlimactic since the reader and half the characters already knew about it. I don’t think I will continue with the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sparkpress for a copy provided for an honest review.
I enjoyed the characters in this story especially the Cyphers or animal companions, lynx Aurelius and fruit bat Batty plus Caz, Laycus, a figure similar to Charon and the dragon, Nerudian. If this were billed as a romance, I would have loved it since the majority of the book was the couple interspersed with their Cyphers. However, since it was a fantasy, I wish there had been more interaction between the rest of the cast of characters. Kyra’s family just sort of disappeared on a trip leaving behind her BFF to a little hand-wringing when she would suddenly show up at home at crucial moments then Nerudian conveniently disappeared on a family trip too. I also didn’t care for the fact that a major part of the story is given away in the prologue. I think I would have enjoyed figuring that out along the way or when it was revealed to Kyra and Sebastian. When the reveal happened, it was anticlimactic since the reader and half the characters already knew about it. I don’t think I will continue with the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sparkpress for a copy provided for an honest review.
November 9, 2023
***Trigger Warning: Parents Death***
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a book in a series by Katie so i wasnt sure what to expect but i absolutely loved this book. It reminded me alot of Disney Channel's Twitches meets The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and National Treasure.
If i hadnt signed up for The Paid Promotion on Book Influencers last month i probably wouldnt of started this series for awhile but im glad i did cause this book was so fun and enjoyable to read about.
The Characters were fun and enjoyable to read about. Kyra was definately my favorite since i could relate to what Kyra was going through.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Phenomenal Book 1 in this YA Fantasy by Katie!! Can't wait to read Book 2 soon!!
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a book in a series by Katie so i wasnt sure what to expect but i absolutely loved this book. It reminded me alot of Disney Channel's Twitches meets The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and National Treasure.
If i hadnt signed up for The Paid Promotion on Book Influencers last month i probably wouldnt of started this series for awhile but im glad i did cause this book was so fun and enjoyable to read about.
The Characters were fun and enjoyable to read about. Kyra was definately my favorite since i could relate to what Kyra was going through.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Phenomenal Book 1 in this YA Fantasy by Katie!! Can't wait to read Book 2 soon!!
September 14, 2022
The description doesn’t do justice for this book! Yes it briefs about the characters and their jobs, but the story is magical, perfect for enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine readers and has an inclusion of mythological element!! I personally enjoyed the fantastic world building, it was overwhelming for my thriller loving self and the pacing alters between slow and fast, so really engaging and fun to read!!
Thank you Booksparks Fall Pop-up and the author for the gifted book.
Thank you Booksparks Fall Pop-up and the author for the gifted book.
June 30, 2023
This book was really good. I really enjoyed the characters and all the Cyphers aka pet sidekicks in the book. I did think it could have been a tad shorter and I felt there was just some parts that kinda dragged on, but the story was amazing when I can't wait to read more in this series.
September 17, 2023
Needed to read before I started book two. Was difficult to find. Wish there was an audiobook. Truly could not put this books down. So excited to start book two hopefully October or November thanks to my arc.
October 12, 2024
I couldn’t put this book down! I love how the magic in the book works and I really loved all the flashbacks and then when it all connected at the end.
I’m really intrigued to see how the rest of this series is going to go.
Side note: Batty is my favorite. He is so sneaky and I love it.
I’m really intrigued to see how the rest of this series is going to go.
Side note: Batty is my favorite. He is so sneaky and I love it.
June 30, 2023
WOW everyone. WOW. If you haven’t had this book on your radar before, please run, don’t walk. 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻🏃🏼♂️
.
Reign Returned is a fantasy story about Kyra and Sebastian, who live in seperate realms as part of separate people. People, who hate each other simply based on the color of the other’s blood (Kyra is an Astral, who have golden blood and Sebastian is a Daeval, who have silver blood). Circumstance (or is it fate? Or… a bat?) brings them together and they have to work with each other, in order to reach their separate goals. Will they be able to overlook their prejudices in order to succeed? And who are the Felserpent king and queen that keep coming up?
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This fantasy story is YA/NA and I absolutely flew through the pages! The world building is so much fun and so relatable and both realms have… things that Kyra and Sebastian can teach each other about. In Astral, for example, being gay is outlawed while it’s perfectly normal in Daeval. Sebastian is the one teaching Kyra that not everything - especially gender - has to be binary. In Astral, people are planterians, so they eat no meat and are against leather (Kyra also doesn’t consume dairy, so I’ll count this as vegan rep! And I am E X C I T E D), which is unheard of in Daeval. And so on. The two of them just make each other better just by showing them, there is more to life than what they have been taught and I absolutely love the way they go about it. 💖💖
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Reign Returned is an Enemies-to-Lovers, Fated Mates, Fantasy Novel (part of a duology!), that is wonderfully written, highly suspenseful and I simply cannot WAIT to read part two. 🥰
.
Reign Returned is a fantasy story about Kyra and Sebastian, who live in seperate realms as part of separate people. People, who hate each other simply based on the color of the other’s blood (Kyra is an Astral, who have golden blood and Sebastian is a Daeval, who have silver blood). Circumstance (or is it fate? Or… a bat?) brings them together and they have to work with each other, in order to reach their separate goals. Will they be able to overlook their prejudices in order to succeed? And who are the Felserpent king and queen that keep coming up?
.
This fantasy story is YA/NA and I absolutely flew through the pages! The world building is so much fun and so relatable and both realms have… things that Kyra and Sebastian can teach each other about. In Astral, for example, being gay is outlawed while it’s perfectly normal in Daeval. Sebastian is the one teaching Kyra that not everything - especially gender - has to be binary. In Astral, people are planterians, so they eat no meat and are against leather (Kyra also doesn’t consume dairy, so I’ll count this as vegan rep! And I am E X C I T E D), which is unheard of in Daeval. And so on. The two of them just make each other better just by showing them, there is more to life than what they have been taught and I absolutely love the way they go about it. 💖💖
.
Reign Returned is an Enemies-to-Lovers, Fated Mates, Fantasy Novel (part of a duology!), that is wonderfully written, highly suspenseful and I simply cannot WAIT to read part two. 🥰
August 22, 2022
That was a sweet, whimsical, fantasy-fairytale!
First of all, I'm a huge fans of animal familiars, and I just loveeee that this book has it! The storytelling is pretty easy to follow, although as for the characters, it took me a while to "vibe" with them, but I eventually got it! Love the lore and the "reincarnated soulmates" ideas. I enjoyed the slow burn romance too. That even though it has "soulmates" theme, the author didn't force Kyra and Sebastian to be madly in love without reasons, so I love it! I really like how they proceed from strangers to allies, then getting to know each other better and have mutual feelings. It felt natural and perfect for YA target in my opinion.
That epilogue made me think that these two has more (chaos) to endure in the future books haha so here I'm wishing all my very best for them!
First of all, I'm a huge fans of animal familiars, and I just loveeee that this book has it! The storytelling is pretty easy to follow, although as for the characters, it took me a while to "vibe" with them, but I eventually got it! Love the lore and the "reincarnated soulmates" ideas. I enjoyed the slow burn romance too. That even though it has "soulmates" theme, the author didn't force Kyra and Sebastian to be madly in love without reasons, so I love it! I really like how they proceed from strangers to allies, then getting to know each other better and have mutual feelings. It felt natural and perfect for YA target in my opinion.
That epilogue made me think that these two has more (chaos) to endure in the future books haha so here I'm wishing all my very best for them!
May 29, 2023
**TW**
Violence, Threats, Animal Death, Death of a Parent, Death of a Child, Torture (child and adult), kidnapping, selling of a child, child experimentation, injury detail, mental health
I really enjoyed this book, like I REALLY enjoyed it! Katie Keridan's writing was very easy to read and I made my way through this book very swiftly.
The main characters had such intriguing stories and I still feel as though we have so much more to learn about them. They had stories from past lives, from this life, everything, all wrapped up in one. I rooted for them from the very first moment they met in the garden. It was truly meant to be 🤭.
The divide between Astrals and Daevals was also interesting to read and learn about. In ways, it's not unlike our own world where we judge others and segregate them from us.
That is another thing I liked about this book. Keridan brought in modern day issues and warped them to fit into this story. Even something as small as the Fates being referred to as 'they' or Demitri being gay and, if found out, he would likely be shunned by his fellow Astrals. In Aelan, Astrals didn't seem to live as freely as the Daevals. I mean, sure, they had all the luxuries but realistically, it was all a front. I admire Keridan for bringing issues such as this to life.
One thing I loved was the Cyphers. I adored them. The bat, the lynx, the snake, the cat....all of them brought a bit of comedic relief to the story in tense moments. Plus..the relationships the Cyphers had with "their owner/partner" were to die for.
Alll in all, I loved this book and its characters. I really want to read the next book because....what was that ending!? I cannot just be left like that! I feel betrayed🥲
Violence, Threats, Animal Death, Death of a Parent, Death of a Child, Torture (child and adult), kidnapping, selling of a child, child experimentation, injury detail, mental health
I really enjoyed this book, like I REALLY enjoyed it! Katie Keridan's writing was very easy to read and I made my way through this book very swiftly.
The main characters had such intriguing stories and I still feel as though we have so much more to learn about them. They had stories from past lives, from this life, everything, all wrapped up in one. I rooted for them from the very first moment they met in the garden. It was truly meant to be 🤭.
The divide between Astrals and Daevals was also interesting to read and learn about. In ways, it's not unlike our own world where we judge others and segregate them from us.
That is another thing I liked about this book. Keridan brought in modern day issues and warped them to fit into this story. Even something as small as the Fates being referred to as 'they' or Demitri being gay and, if found out, he would likely be shunned by his fellow Astrals. In Aelan, Astrals didn't seem to live as freely as the Daevals. I mean, sure, they had all the luxuries but realistically, it was all a front. I admire Keridan for bringing issues such as this to life.
One thing I loved was the Cyphers. I adored them. The bat, the lynx, the snake, the cat....all of them brought a bit of comedic relief to the story in tense moments. Plus..the relationships the Cyphers had with "their owner/partner" were to die for.
Alll in all, I loved this book and its characters. I really want to read the next book because....what was that ending!? I cannot just be left like that! I feel betrayed🥲
October 18, 2022
Reign Returned by Katie Keridan is a novel that was kindly sent to me in exchange for an honest review, and I’m extremely happy to say that I’ve completely loved it!
It’s been a while since I read a fantasy novel done this well. The setting, the magical system, the love story. I found all of it built and developed in a majestic way. I can’t really wait to read more about these characters and what will happen next to them and their realm!!
You can find the full review here.
It’s been a while since I read a fantasy novel done this well. The setting, the magical system, the love story. I found all of it built and developed in a majestic way. I can’t really wait to read more about these characters and what will happen next to them and their realm!!
You can find the full review here.
July 30, 2022
Reign Returned is an amazing book in every aspect, from the plot and characters to the writing style. It fits in the YA fantasy genre, as well as adventure. It’s an absolute page-turner and it was a pleasure to read this ARC, in exchange of a honest review. I was attached from the prologue to the very end and I can’t wait for what Katie Keridan has in store for us.
If you’re into enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance and YA fantasy, I think that you will enjoy Reign Returned as much as I did. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you’re into enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance and YA fantasy, I think that you will enjoy Reign Returned as much as I did. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 18, 2022
Reign Returned by Katie Keridan is a young adult fantasy novel that takes you to the land of the dead and brings you back again and again. Kyra, the most talented Astral healer of her generation, is set to follow in her father's footsteps and use her gifts to lead the healers of Aeles. Her careful plans are derailed when her father passes unexpectedly and she discovers she has a forbidden ability to recover those who’ve died before their time. Kyra knows she needs to learn more, but the realm has destroyed all literature relating to her new talents. She does however come across a mysterious sick boy in the woods who has a book that could answer all her questions. As a Daeval assassin from Nocens, Sebastian did not expect to sneak into Aeles and come across a healer like Kyra. He has spent his life looking for someone with powers like hers and now that they have met, he will not let her go without asking her to help him recover a legendary sword. The healer and the assassin have more than just their professions dividing them, but they cannot help but feel comfortable around each other. They will have to overcome forbidden magic, history, and romance if they want to accomplish their goals and survive the process.
This is the first book in a new ya fantasy series that is very lore-forward. If you are interested in new world-building this might be the book for you. It took me a minute to pin down the feel of the world because buildings have things like glass doors and modern sounding convinces and yet Sebastian lives in a cave, and there is no detail of electronic devices. The fantasy world reminds me of Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore. Of course, I may have also been influenced by the magical animal-esque companions each magic user has a telepathic Cypher who guides them in life. Animal friends are always welcomed in my book.
The world also has a political conflict that strictly divides Aeles and Daeval. The realms are divided and both groups have prejudices against the other. While they both have social differences, with Daeval leaning more individualist and Aeles leaning more collectivist based on the first book, the largest difference between the two is their opinions on gender and sexuality, with a queer-friendly Daeval and a homophobic Aeles. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Aeles, so if you’re looking for a queer-norm fantasy this is not it. I would have loved to spend more time in the communities as a way of understanding the world. Because the book focuses on the cross-cultural relationship between Kyra and Sebastian, they tend to explain things to each other instead. It makes sense for this book (mostly because they have a secret relationship that takes place mostly in a cave), but I would love to see how the world opens up as they continue their quest.
If you are a fan of reincarnation, soulmates, and slow-burn relationships, Kyra and Sebastian are the couple for you. Their relationship is built on trust, shared dreams, and a shared goal. With their Cyphers, they have almost built-in chaperones. They are defiantly an opposites-attract kind of pairing. Although they both have a fixed sense of justice, high intelligence, and close relationships with death, Kyra has had the benefit of wealth, family, and class privilege. Sebastian has had essentially the opposites in all regards. He is an assassin who lives in a cave after all, and you don’t get there in a YA book without a very specific backstory.
I had a lovely time with the magical mystery in Reign Returned by Katie Keridan. If you love reincarnation, necromantic magic, or slow burn ya fantasy romance, this is the book for you. I would like to thank Sparkpress for providing my reviewer's copy of Reign Returned by Katie Keridan in exchange for my honest review.
This is the first book in a new ya fantasy series that is very lore-forward. If you are interested in new world-building this might be the book for you. It took me a minute to pin down the feel of the world because buildings have things like glass doors and modern sounding convinces and yet Sebastian lives in a cave, and there is no detail of electronic devices. The fantasy world reminds me of Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore. Of course, I may have also been influenced by the magical animal-esque companions each magic user has a telepathic Cypher who guides them in life. Animal friends are always welcomed in my book.
The world also has a political conflict that strictly divides Aeles and Daeval. The realms are divided and both groups have prejudices against the other. While they both have social differences, with Daeval leaning more individualist and Aeles leaning more collectivist based on the first book, the largest difference between the two is their opinions on gender and sexuality, with a queer-friendly Daeval and a homophobic Aeles. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Aeles, so if you’re looking for a queer-norm fantasy this is not it. I would have loved to spend more time in the communities as a way of understanding the world. Because the book focuses on the cross-cultural relationship between Kyra and Sebastian, they tend to explain things to each other instead. It makes sense for this book (mostly because they have a secret relationship that takes place mostly in a cave), but I would love to see how the world opens up as they continue their quest.
If you are a fan of reincarnation, soulmates, and slow-burn relationships, Kyra and Sebastian are the couple for you. Their relationship is built on trust, shared dreams, and a shared goal. With their Cyphers, they have almost built-in chaperones. They are defiantly an opposites-attract kind of pairing. Although they both have a fixed sense of justice, high intelligence, and close relationships with death, Kyra has had the benefit of wealth, family, and class privilege. Sebastian has had essentially the opposites in all regards. He is an assassin who lives in a cave after all, and you don’t get there in a YA book without a very specific backstory.
I had a lovely time with the magical mystery in Reign Returned by Katie Keridan. If you love reincarnation, necromantic magic, or slow burn ya fantasy romance, this is the book for you. I would like to thank Sparkpress for providing my reviewer's copy of Reign Returned by Katie Keridan in exchange for my honest review.
September 10, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and SparkPress for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: September 13, 2022)
Summary: “Reign Returned” by Katie Keridan is Book One of The Felserpent Chronicles. The story primarily follows Kyra Valorian (a gifted Astral healer from the golden-blooded realm of Aeles) and Sebastian Sayre (a skilled Daeval assassin in the silver-blooded realm of Nocens). When tragedy strikes, 18-year-old Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing gift: she’s a Recovrancer – able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them…even partner with a dangerous enemy.
As Kyra and Sebastian work together to uncover the secrets of their realms, they also uncover secrets within their own pasts – pasts that are far more intertwined than they ever imagined. Ultimately, in this tale of discovery, destiny, and a love strong enough to outlast time, remembering the past just may prove to be the only way to change the future.
I can’t say enough good things about this book! From the very beginning of the story, I was completely mesmerized and have already added it to my short list of the best books of 2022. The author’s skillful writing style, captivating storytelling, and believable world-building made the book absolutely riveting. I literally had to tear myself away from devouring this book in one go, because I always wanted to know what would happen next!
I loved how this book’s chapters jumped between the POVs of Kyra and Sebastian. The chapters flowed seamless together while offering a treasure trove of clues and foreshadowing. I was fascinated by the blood alarm along with the differences between the gold-blooded Astrals and the silver-blooded Daevals. I loved the animal cyphers and appreciated how unique and interesting all the characters were throughout the book.
I only had two small issues: the shifter cloak and the slow revelations. As seen on the cover of this book, Kyra is given a beautiful, magical cloak that she wears occasionally but never actually uses. I’m guessing she may test out its shifting abilities in the next book, but I wasn’t sure why Kyra even received the cloak in this book if it wasn’t going to be used to help her.
The reader finds out key elements from the past at the beginning of the story – which is a good and a bad thing, because while it was exciting it was also painfully slow at times for the characters to realize what appeared to be obvious to the reader. Just when you thought a character was about to figure out something important, there was always a well-timed interruption to stop it dead in its tracks.
Overall, I would wholeheartedly recommend this enchanting book to any teen, young adult, and adult reader who loves a great fantasy story that’s well written, believable, unexpected and action-packed with a great back story and a thrilling adventure ahead in the future books in this series. I will definitely be purchasing this book and will be waiting on pins and needles for Book Two to be released!
Summary: “Reign Returned” by Katie Keridan is Book One of The Felserpent Chronicles. The story primarily follows Kyra Valorian (a gifted Astral healer from the golden-blooded realm of Aeles) and Sebastian Sayre (a skilled Daeval assassin in the silver-blooded realm of Nocens). When tragedy strikes, 18-year-old Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing gift: she’s a Recovrancer – able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them…even partner with a dangerous enemy.
As Kyra and Sebastian work together to uncover the secrets of their realms, they also uncover secrets within their own pasts – pasts that are far more intertwined than they ever imagined. Ultimately, in this tale of discovery, destiny, and a love strong enough to outlast time, remembering the past just may prove to be the only way to change the future.
I can’t say enough good things about this book! From the very beginning of the story, I was completely mesmerized and have already added it to my short list of the best books of 2022. The author’s skillful writing style, captivating storytelling, and believable world-building made the book absolutely riveting. I literally had to tear myself away from devouring this book in one go, because I always wanted to know what would happen next!
I loved how this book’s chapters jumped between the POVs of Kyra and Sebastian. The chapters flowed seamless together while offering a treasure trove of clues and foreshadowing. I was fascinated by the blood alarm along with the differences between the gold-blooded Astrals and the silver-blooded Daevals. I loved the animal cyphers and appreciated how unique and interesting all the characters were throughout the book.
I only had two small issues: the shifter cloak and the slow revelations. As seen on the cover of this book, Kyra is given a beautiful, magical cloak that she wears occasionally but never actually uses. I’m guessing she may test out its shifting abilities in the next book, but I wasn’t sure why Kyra even received the cloak in this book if it wasn’t going to be used to help her.
The reader finds out key elements from the past at the beginning of the story – which is a good and a bad thing, because while it was exciting it was also painfully slow at times for the characters to realize what appeared to be obvious to the reader. Just when you thought a character was about to figure out something important, there was always a well-timed interruption to stop it dead in its tracks.
Overall, I would wholeheartedly recommend this enchanting book to any teen, young adult, and adult reader who loves a great fantasy story that’s well written, believable, unexpected and action-packed with a great back story and a thrilling adventure ahead in the future books in this series. I will definitely be purchasing this book and will be waiting on pins and needles for Book Two to be released!
November 1, 2023
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
I was approached to review the second book in this series, but, being a duology, it was important that I read the first book first. So, to that end, I’m going to put two mini reviews into one post and cover both books today! Let’s get started with the first book!
Right off the bat, it’s clear that the author has a very approachable style of writing. It was very easy to find myself becoming invested in both of our main characters right from the start. Their various motivations were clear, with their very different backgrounds playing into how they approached decision making when they did come together. Kyra’s dream of following in her father’s footsteps as a healer begins to waver as she uncovers truths about her nation, but throughout the story she maintains an optimistic, hopeful approach to the world. For his part, Sebastian’s history is much darker, as is the way he makes his living current, as an assassin. I appreciated that the author didn’t look away from the reality of what this profession would look like. It’s definitely a steep task to set yourself to show one of your characters killing people, but then make them still sympathetic and worth investment as half of a romantic pair.
The pacing and plotting of the story were all on point. From the first chapter, we are privy to knowledge about Kyra and Sebastian’s history that they only slowly uncover over the course of the story. The reader knows just enough to guess at certain clues, but there were still surprises in store. This isn’t an action-packed story, but the characters (especially some of the fun side characters, like the animal companions and an actual dragon!) really carry the story for much of it. However, the story does build to a good climatic conclusion.
While I like the world-building overall, I was a bit confused at times trying to picture the type of world we’re meant to be envisioning. There were elements that read as very “sci-fi” like comm systems and transporters, essentially, but then there was also the dragon and some unicorns. I have no problem with blending genres as a concept, but here at a certain point it felt more like I just gave up trying to put it all together into a cohesive world and just went with the flow, which isn’t necessarily the way you want to get the reader through.
I was approached to review the second book in this series, but, being a duology, it was important that I read the first book first. So, to that end, I’m going to put two mini reviews into one post and cover both books today! Let’s get started with the first book!
Right off the bat, it’s clear that the author has a very approachable style of writing. It was very easy to find myself becoming invested in both of our main characters right from the start. Their various motivations were clear, with their very different backgrounds playing into how they approached decision making when they did come together. Kyra’s dream of following in her father’s footsteps as a healer begins to waver as she uncovers truths about her nation, but throughout the story she maintains an optimistic, hopeful approach to the world. For his part, Sebastian’s history is much darker, as is the way he makes his living current, as an assassin. I appreciated that the author didn’t look away from the reality of what this profession would look like. It’s definitely a steep task to set yourself to show one of your characters killing people, but then make them still sympathetic and worth investment as half of a romantic pair.
The pacing and plotting of the story were all on point. From the first chapter, we are privy to knowledge about Kyra and Sebastian’s history that they only slowly uncover over the course of the story. The reader knows just enough to guess at certain clues, but there were still surprises in store. This isn’t an action-packed story, but the characters (especially some of the fun side characters, like the animal companions and an actual dragon!) really carry the story for much of it. However, the story does build to a good climatic conclusion.
While I like the world-building overall, I was a bit confused at times trying to picture the type of world we’re meant to be envisioning. There were elements that read as very “sci-fi” like comm systems and transporters, essentially, but then there was also the dragon and some unicorns. I have no problem with blending genres as a concept, but here at a certain point it felt more like I just gave up trying to put it all together into a cohesive world and just went with the flow, which isn’t necessarily the way you want to get the reader through.
July 15, 2025
Impressed by the writing but disappointed by the pacing and plot progression. The writing here is better than I anticipated (better than many popular books with 30x the number of readers and reviewers). At the beginning, the prologue was engaging and set the stage perfectly. The writing excels in showing rather than telling, which even several more popular books fail at. (I'm thinking of a book I recently read that's rated quite highly and has a much larger readership, yet suffers from this. This isn't uncommon either.)
That said, the pacing is too slow, and the lack of high stakes makes it hard to be invested in the story. If this book had higher stakes, it could have been so much better. It feels like the characters and plot are just cruising along without much to push them forward.
I was also disappointed because the first part of the book felt more action-packed, then the rest of it started to move extremely slowly. Now, I don't think all books should be action-packed, but typically those that aren't are more character development-driven or world building-heavy or something else, but there was nothing in this book that made up for the lack of action after the beginning. It felt like an editor had worked on the first 20% and then left the rest of the story after the book had a good-enough hook.
The romance could've added some much-needed tension, but didn't. This made it difficult to root for the couple. I understand and love a slow burn (much more than "insta-love"), but this feels more like a stagnant burn as opposed to a slow burn.
Given all this, I honestly don't see this series gaining much popularity. While it's a fantasy book with romance, which is a good recipe for popularity these days, the lack of high stakes and a great romance ensure that none of us readers are gonna go crazy over this series.
Katie Keridan, whose strengths lie in her writing abilities but struggles more with plot development, pacing, and romance, would benefit greatly from teaming up with someone like Leia Stone, an author who needs a ton of improvement in her writing (Looking at you, Dark Bite book) but is very skilled at crafting engaging scenes, and has great story outlines.
TLDR; Great writing but the disappointing plot progression and romance hold it back
That said, the pacing is too slow, and the lack of high stakes makes it hard to be invested in the story. If this book had higher stakes, it could have been so much better. It feels like the characters and plot are just cruising along without much to push them forward.
I was also disappointed because the first part of the book felt more action-packed, then the rest of it started to move extremely slowly. Now, I don't think all books should be action-packed, but typically those that aren't are more character development-driven or world building-heavy or something else, but there was nothing in this book that made up for the lack of action after the beginning. It felt like an editor had worked on the first 20% and then left the rest of the story after the book had a good-enough hook.
The romance could've added some much-needed tension, but didn't. This made it difficult to root for the couple. I understand and love a slow burn (much more than "insta-love"), but this feels more like a stagnant burn as opposed to a slow burn.
Given all this, I honestly don't see this series gaining much popularity. While it's a fantasy book with romance, which is a good recipe for popularity these days, the lack of high stakes and a great romance ensure that none of us readers are gonna go crazy over this series.
Katie Keridan, whose strengths lie in her writing abilities but struggles more with plot development, pacing, and romance, would benefit greatly from teaming up with someone like Leia Stone, an author who needs a ton of improvement in her writing (Looking at you, Dark Bite book) but is very skilled at crafting engaging scenes, and has great story outlines.
TLDR; Great writing but the disappointing plot progression and romance hold it back
September 14, 2022
REIGN RETURNED by Katie Keridan
★★★★★
At first, I was a bit sceptical - no, not because of the cover, not at all - but because of the animal companions - and the prologue. The animals reminded me of the daemons from The Golden Compass, and while the sensation lingered, I love animal companions. I. Love. Them.
The story itself is a riddle, or mostly, you want the main characters to finally wake up and discover what the reader already knows, which can be both exciting and a deterrent, depending on your mood.
There were a few passages that weren’t as clear as I thought they should’ve been, though probably we’ll get to know more about what happened in the past in the sequel. For now, some things just have the same taste as plot holes or not-thought-through stuff. Again, I believe we’ll get more answers as the journey continues.
I didn’t particularly struggle in liking Kyra, despite her clear pietism and too-soft heart, as well as her prejudices; her fierceness and that same soft heart had me warm up to her, whereas it was mostly Sebastian’s cockiness and his brooding due to his unhappy past that made me like him.
In truth, I quite liked them both because of how different they were, like two halves of a whole, representing the good and the evil just as they think they are, with one realm thinking the worst of the other and viceversa. Each realm is very different from the other, like night and day, and it’s very clear in certain passages. I don’t think that was necessary - if not, possibly, to develop a particular couple in the future - but heavens take me if I were to suggest another author how to write their book.
The entire cast of characters is fantastic and many, if not almost all, interactions are exquisitely funny, especially when it comes to Batty. There are very good dialogues as well, a bit commonplace, too, though I did like them.
I now want an Aurelius for myself, as well as the next book, thank you very much!
★★★★★
At first, I was a bit sceptical - no, not because of the cover, not at all - but because of the animal companions - and the prologue. The animals reminded me of the daemons from The Golden Compass, and while the sensation lingered, I love animal companions. I. Love. Them.
The story itself is a riddle, or mostly, you want the main characters to finally wake up and discover what the reader already knows, which can be both exciting and a deterrent, depending on your mood.
There were a few passages that weren’t as clear as I thought they should’ve been, though probably we’ll get to know more about what happened in the past in the sequel. For now, some things just have the same taste as plot holes or not-thought-through stuff. Again, I believe we’ll get more answers as the journey continues.
I didn’t particularly struggle in liking Kyra, despite her clear pietism and too-soft heart, as well as her prejudices; her fierceness and that same soft heart had me warm up to her, whereas it was mostly Sebastian’s cockiness and his brooding due to his unhappy past that made me like him.
In truth, I quite liked them both because of how different they were, like two halves of a whole, representing the good and the evil just as they think they are, with one realm thinking the worst of the other and viceversa. Each realm is very different from the other, like night and day, and it’s very clear in certain passages. I don’t think that was necessary - if not, possibly, to develop a particular couple in the future - but heavens take me if I were to suggest another author how to write their book.
The entire cast of characters is fantastic and many, if not almost all, interactions are exquisitely funny, especially when it comes to Batty. There are very good dialogues as well, a bit commonplace, too, though I did like them.
I now want an Aurelius for myself, as well as the next book, thank you very much!
August 2, 2023
*original review on YABC*
Soul mates throughout time? Animal sidekicks? Necromancy? COUNT ME IN! This book has so much that I thoroughly enjoy in a fantasy and it all works. The beginning sets the tone of what is to come and the whole time I was waiting for it. I loved the magic in this world but also how they are separated. For some reason, Necromancy always interests me in books and how each author approaches the subject. In this book, they are Recovrancers and I loved it. I thought it was so well done. This isn’t just some magic but a whole other world that they get drawn into. The history that slips through the pages was so well done also. The beginning does take a little bit to get off, but once it gets going – good luck putting this book down!
I adored Sebastian and Kyra. I thought they were really well done and so glad we got both points of view. This was definitely needed in a book like this. Not only Sebastian and Kyra but their Cyphers, Batty and Auerlius. And I’m a sucker when it comes to books that you communicate to an animal that is pretty much your soul. I think because I always wished I could talk to my animals so I’m always jealous when it happens in books. But beyond that, the relationship between Sebastian and Kyra is amazing. From their first encounter to the end of the book… I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Overall, Reign Returned by Katie Keridan was a good book! While the beginning was a little slower for me to get into, I flew through it once the main story happened. I really enjoyed all the aspects of this world. Necromancy always interests me when presented in books and Keridan did exceptionally well making it unique in this book. I really enjoyed both Sebastian and Kyra (and of course Batty and Auerlius) and cannot wait to continue their adventure. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy magic, animal sidekicks, and soulmates throughout time.
Soul mates throughout time? Animal sidekicks? Necromancy? COUNT ME IN! This book has so much that I thoroughly enjoy in a fantasy and it all works. The beginning sets the tone of what is to come and the whole time I was waiting for it. I loved the magic in this world but also how they are separated. For some reason, Necromancy always interests me in books and how each author approaches the subject. In this book, they are Recovrancers and I loved it. I thought it was so well done. This isn’t just some magic but a whole other world that they get drawn into. The history that slips through the pages was so well done also. The beginning does take a little bit to get off, but once it gets going – good luck putting this book down!
I adored Sebastian and Kyra. I thought they were really well done and so glad we got both points of view. This was definitely needed in a book like this. Not only Sebastian and Kyra but their Cyphers, Batty and Auerlius. And I’m a sucker when it comes to books that you communicate to an animal that is pretty much your soul. I think because I always wished I could talk to my animals so I’m always jealous when it happens in books. But beyond that, the relationship between Sebastian and Kyra is amazing. From their first encounter to the end of the book… I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Overall, Reign Returned by Katie Keridan was a good book! While the beginning was a little slower for me to get into, I flew through it once the main story happened. I really enjoyed all the aspects of this world. Necromancy always interests me when presented in books and Keridan did exceptionally well making it unique in this book. I really enjoyed both Sebastian and Kyra (and of course Batty and Auerlius) and cannot wait to continue their adventure. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy magic, animal sidekicks, and soulmates throughout time.
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