Her Dreadful Will

by Rebecca F. Kenney

This book was written for everyone who wanted Rey to end up with Kylo Ren, or Alina to end up with the Darkling.

Soleil is a mind-flex witch with the ability to shift a person’s will, altering motives and skewing impulses. Her teachers from the online Institute of Magic view her power with suspicion and fear, convinced that its very nature makes her evil. Determined to prove them wrong, Soleil commits to unselfishly helping her town’s citizens for an entire year, using her magic only for good. But the arrival of a mysterious tattooed male witch throws her worldview—and her heart—into chaos.

The new arrival, Achan, shows Soleil secret magicks that the Institute has willfully concealed, and tells her dark and dangerous truths about the reigning body of witches. Breaking magical laws with Achan is wickedly satisfying for Soleil, but the further they go together, the more danger they face from the Witchlords—who will stop at nothing to ensure their rules are enforced.

This adult Southern Gothic contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of Naomi Novik (Spinning Silver), CN Crawford, and Sarah J. Maas.
TW: Magical gore and violence, moments of body horror, brief reference to familial/spousal/child abuse, brief racism of a walk-on character, ageism, brief mention of elder abuse

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Witches, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers

506 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2022

About the author

Rebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance about sassy, strong women and hot guys with tragic backstories... pirates, warlords, demons, Fae, and royals. Her main series are the "Wicked Darlings" series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the "Dark Rulers" series (standalones in a shared world), and the "For the Love of the Villain" series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy ("The Vampires Will Save You"), a demon romance "Interior Design for Demons," a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings.

Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.

For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney

Reviews

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

⤅ Some good stuff, but let down by weird pacing (culminating in a VERY abrupt ending) and lukewarm romance.

I picked this one up because it's billed as a 'villain origin story', and you know what? It actually is. But generally a villain origin story is only needed (or enjoyable to read about) when you've already experienced the fully-developed villain. Like, we care more about the Darkling's background because we've met the Darkling who's already evil, if that makes sense.

But anyway, meet 22-year-old Soleil. She's a witch, and not just any kind: she's a mind-flex witch, meaning she can manipulate the wills and emotions of those around her. Good thing she's committed to only using her powers for good. In fact, for her senior year thesis, she's decided to move to a small town and spend the year mind-flexing its inhabitants, removing their vices and strengthening their virtues, so she can prove that her power isn't inherently evil.

Things are going relatively well until she encounters 26-year-old Achan Gilliam. He's a fellow witch, but the mandala tattooed on his chest makes him uniquely immune to her influence. And his abrupt entry into her life forces her to question all her long-held assumptions about the magical world. He's a chaos witch - practitioner of a magic that's all but banned -

Kenney's prose is actually really good. It's poetic, but manages not to stray too far over the line into purpleness most of the time. The worldbuilding is interesting but would have benefitted from more development. It's very mildly Harry Potter-esque - Soleil is a student at the online Institute of Magic, recruited after a witch classmate at her human university recognised her magic - but there's no discussion of how, e.g., students without existing witch classmates would get enrolled into the Institute. Or what all the classes teach students, since they all have different powers. I'd definitely have liked to learn more about this.

My biggest problem, however, was with the pacing. It's a longish book and for most of that time, the plot moves along at a glacial pace. Nothing really happens except Soleil and Achan doing magic together, or learning more about magic. Then suddenly there's a sex scene in literally the last 5% of the book, and the 'villain origin' part of the novel finally makes a proper appearance. For a standalone book (more on that later...) it feels like a lot of pages were wasted.

The romance was also off too. I love a slow-burn, but this was ridiculous. I've only read one other book where the first sex scene happens so late and I hated it then too, because you don't get a chance to see how the characters' relationship has changed, or what implications it has for them. It felt like Achan and Soleil ultimately had sex more to seal their plans of world domination than because they wanted to, especially on his part.

This book is apparently a standalone, but there's an author's note saying a sequel is possible if there's enough interest. I'm not really a fan of this approach. There are still a bunch of loose ends - like, who tattooed Achan's mandala? - and if it does turn out that there's never enough interest in the book for the author to feel invested in a sequel, we just won't get those answers. I'd really have preferred more closure in that regard as well.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 BRILLIANCE STARS!

Before I start, a little note for the author:

Please. PLEASE. Make this book a series. I will give you my first born child for this.

Now, onto my rambling review.

"You’re my purpose, and I’m your freedom."

If you couldn't tell, I am in love with this book. It may have been the best fantasy romance book I've read this year so far. I am on cloud nine right now. *chef's kiss*

I love everything about this book. The plot. The characters. The pacing. I feel like this book was made for me. I swear, I savoured this book to each words.

Now, to the plot. You have this young witch who's on a mission to create the perfect town. You see, she has the ability to read people's life story and the compulsion to have them act a certain way. For her to get promoted to the rank of Highwitch, she ran the experiment to turn the town into the perfect town as part of her thesis.

Then entered the mysterious dentist. He's lanky, thin, and pale af. And what an enigma.

“Order is the true mate of chaos. A necessary opposite.”

Some part of this book made me think that it was such a fantastic 'making of a villain' story. Okay, maybe an antihero story. The story started so black and white and unassuming. Then, what I loved, that as the story progressed, we got to see things unfolded, destruction isn't always bad and orderlies could be chaos. GOD, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

Final pitch: if you love good magic system, power hungry couple, god-complex protagonist, I will destroy the world for you vibe heroes, complex heroine... Then try this.

Try it. 😎

[M.E. Aster · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Actual rating: 4.5 stars)

I’ve read a few books by Kenney at this point and each one continues to impress me. Her Dreadful Will was a unique, magic filled tale that intrigued me from page one.

I loved Soleil as a main character. She was so relatable (besides the whole being a witch thing.) Her goals and dreams were something I think a lot of people also aspire to, and I loved watching her relationship with Achan grow and develop.

Kenney writes with her usual stunning prose. This book was gorgeous and exciting, and I found myself sad when it ended.

My only criticism was that I wanted MORE! I wanted to know more about Achan’s past, more about his coven, and I wanted to see more of their relationship. I really hope there is a sequel eventually.

*I received an ARC of this book via BookFunnel and this is my honest, voluntary review.*

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one! Both the main characters are flawed but really so likable. Loved the slow burn romance—the payoff is that much more satisfying. The witchy magic is unique and well developed. I hope there’s eventually a sequel…

[Katherine Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was granted a sneak preview of this book forever ago, and it's forever stayed with me.

Rebecca Kenney's command of prose is like no other. This story is gorgeously written, the premise intriguing, and the magic system brilliant.

The world feels very real and the chemistry between the characters is phenomenal.

The LI is HOT AS and the climax... climatic. 😉 He's decidedly morally grey, so if you like your heroes squeaky clean, look elsewhere.

Loved this book.

[❤︎ ⸆⸉ Chelsea. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was basically 145 pages and shouldn’t have taken me a month to read. At first I pretended the two main characters were black Bc I wanted them to be more interesting. That didn’t last. This book went no where, very very slowly. A witch with a mind flexing abilities meets a male witch who is able to protect his mind from her magic. Ooh. No. I’ll continue to read Rebecca kenney but this book was only interesting for the 1.5 pages of sex they finally have before she gives up her dream for his vision.

Yawn.

Nope we don’t need a sequel so please don’t ask Rebecca for one.

[Nelli Lakatos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was beauty in the sheer power of destruction—horrifying, entrancing beauty."

A gothic romantasy novel with witches and magic—who could ask for more?

Her Dreadful Will was the perfect dark and enchanting tale. It was so addictive I couldn't put it down, and it flew by in no time. I had the absolute best time with these characters—Achan and Soleil were everything! Who knew a villainous dentist MMC with glasses could be such a brilliant idea? This book was pure chaotic brilliance, and I loved every second of it. If you crave a little chaotic magic in your life, I highly recommend checking it out!

[Nite0wl29 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witches were often inexplicably perceptive about each other’s presence—sensing another witch in the vicinity the way a tiger might discern a rival’s invasion in his territory. And like the tiger, Soleil grew more territorial the longer she thought about Achan Gilliam being in her town.

I’ll begin with the things I genuinely loved about this book. Firstly, the magic system was so very intriguing!! A whole new interesting take on witch craft so that was a very cool concept to read about.

Secondly, I loved the aesthetics. The multiple POVs from Soleil and Achan’s “victims” were also fresh and a fun take. It isn’t often when you get to experience the MC’s actions through the eyes of very minor characters. Helps you get a better taste of the villainous side of these characters.

What I didn’t like:

As a former Reylo shipper and current Darklina shipper, I was very excited to see a book geared towards these particular ships. The Reylo vibes are strong in this book, with the aesthetics of Darklina. However, I’m a wee bit disappointed that Achan wasn’t more villainous. I’d say he was definitely morally grey. But villainous enough to be the big bad? Aleksander Morozova does it better. Soleil was harder for me to vibe with. After the first several chapters I started getting bored before Achan arrived to shake things up a little.

I skimmed the cringey smut scene. 😬

Overall, I expected more from this book. It’s a nice read if you’re looking for a fresh take on witches, and a fast read with it being a standalone.

[Libertycake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this “villain get’s the girl” story… but I am a little bit disappointed.
The pacing was kind of weird, the book could have been a lot shorter in my opinion.
The ending was so rushed and too simple for me.
If you like slow burn, perfect, because the spicy scene is in the last 5% of the book, odd placing…
I think the story and the characters had more potential, because I truly liked the idea and the characters.

[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved an eARC of this book. So refreshing! I don't think I've ever read a book like this. It was super fun and I loved the world-building and magic system. Curious as to if Achan and Soleil can actually produce the results they hope to since we never figured out if the one time they joined forces (with the mayor and his wife) worked out okay.

[Sara Cleveland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better review to come, but I can tell you that this book did nothing for my intense discomfort with dentists' offices.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an early copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

This is such a fun concept! I love the world, the magic system and the characters. They all work so well together and you totally believe this reality that Rebecca sets up!

I really appreciate the personality of both the lead and the love interest. Neither one are straight and narrow but you absolutely understand why they act how they do. It’s a great exploration of morality.

And their relationship is on point!

Definitely hope to see more in this world.

[°мαggιє° (っ⚈ᴥ⚈)っ™ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some false marketing here. It's not an enemies to lovers. There was barely any animosity. More like curiosity. And he's already in lust.love with her before he's exchanged much of a word with her. And he's not villainous, unless you count removing people's tooth so that he can do so voodoo on it.

[mel. ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❛ It was kind of a beautiful mess, you and me. ❜

I received an ARC of Her Dreadful Will but am leaving a voluntary review.

. . . Seriously, though. Rebecca didn’t have to slay that hard.

If you’re looking for some enemies to lovers villain excellence, then this needs to on the highest scale of your TBR.

Let me start off by saying that Her Dreadful Will was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2022 and it did not disappoint. It’s a deliciously dark, sensual, Southern Gothic fantasy romance with a powerful, morally grey main character that will leave you enticed until the very end, desperate for more.

I devoured this so quickly, and part of me was disappointed after: I’ve been waiting since December and I sped through in less than a day???? Really????? but that’s because the plot is addictive and I just couldn’t bring myself to put it down. That’s completely my fault and, yes, this is me kindly asking for more on Soleil and Achan’s story because I need more of them in my life, even if there’s not any plans for more.

Whether you’re familiar with Rebecca’s work or not, this is something completely new that I would highly recommend giving a go. The prose has such a beautiful, rich edge to it that sets it apart and I just absolutely adored it. I was discussing it with Rebecca, and I love both styles of her writing, but this style just seemed to align so well with the style of this traditional town and it’s complex characters and I just cannot express how much I loved it.

Another thing I loved about Her Dreadful Will was the multiple perspectives; it really helped to establish a sense of both the town’s citizens and the difference between Sol and Achan’s magic. That was perfectly executed.

The ending (no spoilers, don’t worry) will leave you satisfied. It ends at a great point, I’m just literally hooked on these two characters and want more either way — but that plot twist. I have to admit, I predicted it at the beginning, but there are so many twists and turns that I kept doubting whether I was right or not and whether things were actually going to go the way I expected for them to. Be prepared for a journey, because that train is not stopping until you’re on the final page.

I just — I want to re-read this already! I’ve been sneaking back and skimming back over the end because I just thought that it was fantastic. Rebecca’s work never disappoints and I’m so glad that I discovered her works last year. As always, I can’t wait to see what she produces next.

[Javin Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!

From the very beginning of HER DREADFUL WILL, we are immersed in a magical world much like our own. The main character, Soleil, is driven to be recognized as one of the most powerful witches, and to do so, she has to prove her power isn't as dangerous as the Convocation, or the ruling magical body thinks it is. But Soleil has a few obstacles she must overcome if she wants to prove her worth and become a Highwitch.... and one of them has the most mesmerizing green eyes.

I loved how relatable Soleil is. She grapples with guilt over an event she witnesses (intentionally vague to avoid spoilers!). She questions her ability to achieve her goal of 'only unselfish good,' and ultimately when Achan steps into her life, Soleil struggles between his dark appeal and her ultimate goal of becoming a Highwitch.

While Achan isn't my typical 'book boyfriend,' he grew on me as the story unfolded. He's got some secrets, and each time I learned another one, he dug his hooks deeper into my heart. He's also a complicated character because, like most of us, we have a wide array of characteristics. We're not all purely good or evil, but a blend of each. Achan embodies this so beautifully. He's got the bad boy charm and the powerful magic to go with it. And the chemistry between him and Soleil? *chef's kiss*

The story itself is beautifully written, with lyrical sentences that bring the setting to life and add flavor to the already three-dimensional characters. I loved how this book pulled me in close and wouldn't let me go.

So if you like stories where the characters are magical but relatable, experience and war with their emotions, and want beautiful words as well as characters, look no further than HER DREADFUL WILL.

[C.K. Beggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Her Dreadful Will contains violence and adult content.)

This book was an unusual find for me. I read a limited number of contemporary fantasies and fantasy romances. Thanks to Her Dreadful Will's clever combination of modern technology and a hidden, highly regulated society of witches (and later, that slow-burn spicy romance), I couldn't stop thinking about it. Fans of Kingdom of the Wicked will likely enjoy it, too.

Another unusual thing about this book is its wholesome main character's love interest. While Soleil just wants to prove her rare mind-flex powers can be a force for good, bad boy (dentist!) Achan is all about tearing things down and causing mayhem. The dance between these two feels like it could be deadly at any moment, yet Soleil finds herself drawn to Achan. At times, she even agrees with him.

The magic system is amazing. The witchcraft and rituals in Her Dreadful Will are extremely well-defined and immersive, to the point that they're almost another character. Supporting characters have interesting personalities, too, and short story-style chapters, centered on the townspeople Soleil tries to help, really drew me in to the story. I wasn't a fan of Achan at first, so the early middle dragged for me, but soon I was eager to see what happened next again. I'd pick up another book from this author anytime.

My actual rating: 4.5/5 stars

[LainieLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I've been really skeptical of all the random books I've been picking up lately, but was again pleasantly surprised and finished this in one sitting. It's a decently quick, but interesting, read.

As the description says, Soleil is a witch with very specific powers - she's able to mind-flex aka. bend the will of others. The world she lives in has a community of witches, but they are sequestered and discouraged from interacting with one another. The magical witch government (basically) keeps all the witches in check, tracking their solitary locations, and run an online school for witches. Soleil has actually only met one other witch in her lifetime, but she's studying to become a highwitch (essentially, more powerful/in charge).

The story follows her witch "thesis" - she's controlling the wills of humans in one town to create the perfect community - no crime, no moral issues - she wants everyone to be happy and perfect.

Soon though, she comes across another witch - Achan. He processes a completely different outlook of their witch community, and starts pressing on Soleil's beliefs.

Overall - I really enjoyed the interesting world the characters are in, and their powers. Their development was a slow burn and really well done. Soleil was likable, although maybe a bit lackluster. Achan was interesting - kind of a skinny, dark bad boy vibe - obviously a morally grey character. Their powers, development as a pair, and all the secrets surrounding the group in charge of the witches kept me hooked.

My only complaint is that - according to the author at the end of the book - there won't be sequel. Considering how much I liked this, and the loads of questions I still have about their world, what will happen next, etc. - I am pretty disappointed that the story isn't tied up.

[Erica Challis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her Dreadful Will opens as a charming tale of Soleil, a student witch practicing magic in her pretty little Georgia town, cosy and sweet as Kiki’s Delivery Service. Until the murders begin…
Kenney creates a convincing scenario where magic-wielders lived unnoticed in a familiar small-town world, partly concerned with it and partly concerned with their private magical aims. She’s got a sharp eye for the desires and challenges of the ordinary people around Soleil as she spreads happiness one neighbour at a time, harmonising their spirits like a musician tuning a chord.
Soleil’s challenge is to spend a year using her powerful magical gift only selflessly, for good. At first it goes well: Soleil is sympathetic and kind, and her psychologically astute magic guides and supports her neighbours when they're drowning in housework, children, debt and worry.
But things go awry when Soleil meets a handsome man who’s her equal in magic but willing to use it in forbidden ways. Soliel starts to question how good she really wants to be. She finds him fascinating and bewildering; by turns hot, sweet, and dangerously chaotic. The story keeps us - and the increasingly smitten Soleil - guessing what he’s really up to.
The firmly drawn lines between good and evil, order and chaos start to fray as Soleil realises nothing’s as it seems. Her dilemmas - and her romantic confusion - challenge her beliefs about good and evil, free will and the uses and abuses of power. It’s catnip for readers like me who like their romance with a side-serving of philosophy.
Then there’s a big reveal that flips everything on its head…then a second one that you DON’T see coming that flips that on its head! I couldn’t put this book down until I knew how it ended.

[Maddie Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book, and I'm so glad that I signed up for it!

Soleil was such an interesting character. I know that a lot of people criticise sweet or good characters as being "boring", but honestly I never felt that at all with Soleil. I think there's a lot of complexity in her wanting to do the right thing, combined with the magic she possesses that can definitely be used for nefarious purposes. Overall, she was well-rounded and we saw that through her interactions and dynamics with various characters.

Achan was a more mysterious character, and definitely a little harder for me to vibe with when I didn't know his intentions. His relationship with Soleil was so well fleshed out, it was a rich dynamic that was explored in depth. Sometimes with relationships, I don't really get what the characters would see in each other, but this wasn't the case with Soleil and Achan, I could definitely understand why they were interested in one another.

I loved the magic system! I typically don't mind if a story has a soft or hard magic system as long as it makes sense, and this one certainly did and was well explored. I think there was a very strong grasp on the magic system as a whole, and this was continued throughout the book.

Overall, this was a well-paced book with brilliantly written characters and a rich magic system.

[Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - I LOVE THIS AUTHOR!!
Her Dreadful Will is a hypnotic blend of Southern Gothic atmosphere, forbidden magic, and deliciously dark romance. Soleil is a mind-flex witch—able to bend wills—but her rare power is branded dangerous, corruptive, and inherently evil. To prove she’s nothing like the dark witches before her, she sets out to do good, only to be upended by the arrival of Achan, a tattooed mystery with secrets and seductive danger written into his very bones.
Rebecca F. Kenney leans hard into themes of control, identity, and institutional hypocrisy. Soleil’s power isn’t just feared—it’s deeply misunderstood, and her journey of embracing it is both empowering and tragic. Achan is every bit the morally gray heartthrob promised in the blurb: all dark truths, stolen magicks, and slow-burning temptation. Their chemistry is thick with tension and ethical murkiness, making their relationship feel charged and a little bit wrong in the best way.
The world-building is fresh yet shadowy, weaving in eerie small-town vibes and a sharp critique of magic politics. If you’ve ever rooted for the villain—or wished the heroine would pick the one everyone told her to avoid—you’ll find a lot to love here. It’s dark, it’s heady, and it asks bold questions about power, love, and what it really means to be “good.”

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soleil is working on her year long thesis to prove her magic affinity of impacting people's will doesn't necessarily mean it is used for evil. If this goes to plan, she'll become a high witch. But then Achan rears his pretty head and everything, all her hard work, starts going pear-shaped. But who's the real villain here?

I received this ARC and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Here's what I didn't like: I was expecting more villainy. Sure, there was a lot of morally gray areas and what Achan set out to do really sucked for Soleil, but I didn't feel like this was a villain origin story. That sex scene at the end felt tossed in.

Here's what I liked: I enjoyed the prose and the flow of the story. I had feelings for Soleil and didn't trust Achan's intentions. It had a lot of great drama and tension. I enjoyed that these characters bucked the system and questioned everything.

Overall this was a well written and engaging story. Recommend!

[Shell_Belles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a free eARC and these are my thoughts on the story.

This was perfection. The concept and world building was so fresh and unique, and was done on a way that would actually fit in today's modern world. You can tell that the author put time and thought into it, and it really helps make the story believable .

I absolutely love the male lead Achan, like think "Inside Out", Riley's imaginary boyfriend "I would die for Achan" status. The few times where we got his POV were some of my favorite scenes in this book. He was so well written, and steals the show any time he's on the page.

Soleil was an interesting female lead. You can see her heart is in the right place, but I love that she has this darker side to her under all the layers. I REALLY hope we get to see her explore that more in the future.

[Colin Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first three star read from this author. I love her stuff but I have to be honest, this one was a CHORE to get through. One of her larger stories that I’ve read and unfortunately it suffers from some pretty severe pacing issues. All the BIG stuff that you want to get to takes just a little too long to get any satisfying answers for and the main characters just aren’t that interesting.
I honestly sped through the last like 30 pages and skipped the sex scene entirely because I was SO god damned worn down by the time I finally got to it.
Now with all the bad stuff out of the way, I will say there is some excellent world-building stuff here and the side characters that we get to spend time with are pretty damn fun.
If there IS a sequel to this book, I really hope a lot more happens than just a constant loop of “Gasp, he lied to me!…but he’s hot.”

[Ashleysdreamlibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an arc copy of this book for an honest review.

3.5 stars for me!

I felt like this was wonderfully written and I really like Achan. And for the most part I like Soleil but I feel like sometimes I ended up bored while reading her thoughts. Or her overly goody two shoes wants.
I also didn’t really get the point of the random towns people POVs at first I was there for it thinking it would play some bigger part but I feel like it never did.

Besides that I loved the magic system and the world building was really interesting. If the author does decide to write a second book for this it would be really interesting to know more about the reasoning behind why the convocation acts the way they do.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You are my purpose, and I am your freedom."

I love the magic system so much! It was different and refreshing! The rituals and whole world building were very good too. I also love dark, somewhat secluded town mood, and mysterious feeling of the whole book. Most of all, love Soleil character development! In some way, people might say it is a corruption ARC, but I disagree. Unfairness in education or other institution is pretty much real. People have been shunned and suppressed for having "too much talent". They are feared and being target of petty jealousy. Sure, not all of them, but some exists. So in my opinion, by helping Soleil to see things the way it's actually is and let her decide for herself, I think Achan did her good.

It was a refreshing, beautiful read!

[Lizzie CP · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀʀʟɪɴɢ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠɪʟ ɪɴꜱɪᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ—ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ɪᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ɪᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍʙʀᴀᴄᴇ ɪᴛ. ɴᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ɪꜱ ᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀʏᴇʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴏᴜʟ.”

This was such an amazing read that had me in the very first pages!
I don’t even have words to describe how much I loved it, so I’ll tell you this: if morally grey characters are your thing , this is the book you’re looking for.

Achan is anything but a hero, he’s the devil, the villain in the story, the bad guy and Soleil don’t know how to fight this attraction. She’s always done her best to be good but is she really?
She finds herself with her world turned upside down trying to find her way in a blurry of discoveries and events that left her wondering if true good exists.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has become one of my favorites by Rebecca F Kenney. Soleil is a mind flex witch who is trying to become high witch. She has just finished college and is currently working towards her masters at the online Eldritch Convocation. She settles in Wonderland, Georgia where she hopes to prove that her powers can be used for good and not nefarious purposes. Then she meets Achan, another witch who makes her realize that the Eldritch leaders have been hiding things. I loved that Achan is a dentist (I’m a dental hygienist so I love all things teeth). Achan shows Soleil that there is no black and white. We are all capable of doing bad things and that no one can be all good.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I hope that there is a sequel written due to high demand.

[Maria Fatma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I liked the concept of this book. I love a good villain romance so I knew I wanted to read this and I'm glad that I did. From the very first chapter I was intrigued by Soleil and I liked her right away. Achan was also a very compelling character and the two of them together had insane chemistry and connection. I loved their dynamic. My only complain is that the first hundred pages were very slow and I really did not care for the additional point of views of the townspeople. I just wanted to see Soleil and Achan together.

[Allu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel please.
Totally invested with Soleil and Achan. And their plans.

"It wasn’t dark at all. It sparkled along her veins like stars, flared in her mind in a burst of white light streaked with silver. Its edges rippled, decorated in twisting patterns of delicate black, like the most exquisite lace, but ever-changing, a kaleidoscope of possibilities.


This wasn’t just Achan’s energy—this was the moon."

A wonderful world, and interesting concept.Would love to read a sequel, and watch as the characters morph and become more powerful.

[Ewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

gdyby bardziej rozwinąć wątki i bohaterów (achan ma totalnie "osobowości dwie", o których mówiła fagata), to byłyby 4 gwiazdki. sam pomysł, super, wykonanie - średnie, ale sam potencjał zdecydowanie jest