What do you think?
Rate this book
Seven Realms
Bound Blossoms and Blades
Ancient powerful rulers once reigned over the Seven Realms. After the Great War, there was no power more sought after than a being gifted a bloostone, gems endowed with the last of the power from the fallen rulers. Alette is one of the few in the Seelie Realm who holds such a gift.
Constantly bound by the Elders, Alette feels the weight of her bloodstone like a noose around her neck. She wishes they would trust her with the powers she knows she could control, if only given the chance.
Cricket's home has been stolen away from her, her family and all she loves. She may not know how to navigate all her elemental powers, but she was always skilled with a blade, and those skills pay well. All she cares about these days are the bounties. She can't let anything else get too close, she's not sure she'd survive another heartbreak.
A bounty is set, and Cricket is the only assassin in all the Seven Realms worthy of stealing something important.
It was supposed to be as simple as any bounty. Get in, get out. No questions asked, Cricket never cared for answers anyhow. Yet, she can't deny the pull in her chest, the promise of a hole still open and raw being filled, and a chance at something bigger than she could ever dream. Alette feels it too, and unlike Cricket, she is ready to dive into this head first. Is Cricket strong enough to protect the Pixie everyone in the Seven Realms seems to want to get their hands on? Or will she lose her just like she's lost everything else?
Constantly bound by the Elders, Alette feels the weight of her bloodstone like a noose around her neck. She wishes they would trust her with the powers she knows she could control, if only given the chance.
Cricket's home has been stolen away from her, her family and all she loves. She may not know how to navigate all her elemental powers, but she was always skilled with a blade, and those skills pay well. All she cares about these days are the bounties. She can't let anything else get too close, she's not sure she'd survive another heartbreak.
A bounty is set, and Cricket is the only assassin in all the Seven Realms worthy of stealing something important.
It was supposed to be as simple as any bounty. Get in, get out. No questions asked, Cricket never cared for answers anyhow. Yet, she can't deny the pull in her chest, the promise of a hole still open and raw being filled, and a chance at something bigger than she could ever dream. Alette feels it too, and unlike Cricket, she is ready to dive into this head first. Is Cricket strong enough to protect the Pixie everyone in the Seven Realms seems to want to get their hands on? Or will she lose her just like she's lost everything else?
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2022
6 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Stewart
13 books79 followersSJ Stewart is a genre jumper who likes to write primarily in Fantasy and Horror. After writing stories for over a decade, she made the decision to finally publish her first novel: Hidden In Darkness, which will be the first in the Fantasy series Seven Realms Books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 31, 2024
It is not a bad book, but as a character driven reader it was a miss for me.
I know it is a novella, so there's only so much the author could include, but it was more plot-focused and it lost me, because every time something important happened between the two main characters, a time jump followed. First meet, time jump, first kiss, time jump, first sex, time jump. And with this I couldn't connect with neither of them nor their relationship.
I must also note, that this book has one of my all time favorite sex scenes. Imagine what a floral pixie can do in bed. Just for that this little story was worth the read.
I know it is a novella, so there's only so much the author could include, but it was more plot-focused and it lost me, because every time something important happened between the two main characters, a time jump followed. First meet, time jump, first kiss, time jump, first sex, time jump. And with this I couldn't connect with neither of them nor their relationship.
I must also note, that this book has one of my all time favorite sex scenes. Imagine what a floral pixie can do in bed. Just for that this little story was worth the read.
May 3, 2022
And the plot THICKENS
I am obsessed with this woman’s beautiful words and mind. This story provides clarity, insight, and possible theories, on top of being the sweetest love story. I have so many thoughts and opinions about Birch honey. And the little snippet at the end from Hidden in Darkness has be itching to read it again but I promised myself I wouldn’t until I got a physical copy. Anyway once again S.J. has me all in my feelings and immersed in the amazing world she built. It’s one of my favorite places to be.
I am obsessed with this woman’s beautiful words and mind. This story provides clarity, insight, and possible theories, on top of being the sweetest love story. I have so many thoughts and opinions about Birch honey. And the little snippet at the end from Hidden in Darkness has be itching to read it again but I promised myself I wouldn’t until I got a physical copy. Anyway once again S.J. has me all in my feelings and immersed in the amazing world she built. It’s one of my favorite places to be.
February 19, 2022
THIS BOOK WAS FIRE. Cricket and Alette are the most amazing couple - and Cricket is the ultimate alpha hole. Their story is both heartwarming and anxiety inducing in parts, and the other characters (lookin at you bartender) made me want to jump in and have a drink. I can't wait for the next installment in this universe.
February 3, 2022
Okay, Cricket.... I see you!
This was not at all what I was expecting, and to be able to delve into the lives of these characters was a treat. Once more, to no surprise, the imagery was stunningly well delivered.
Highly recommend these books and this incredibly talented author.
This was not at all what I was expecting, and to be able to delve into the lives of these characters was a treat. Once more, to no surprise, the imagery was stunningly well delivered.
Highly recommend these books and this incredibly talented author.
January 18, 2022
SJ Stewart has fast become a one click buy for me.
Alette lives in a town with mostly fae that is ruled by a council of elders who want to control how and when she can use her bloodstone. At the head of the council is her mother… who is a real piece of work. It read that she was very much stifled at the beginning. By the council, by her bloodstone, by her partner at the time who I LOVED by the way. I thought the way it was written was beautiful and I worried I would end up liking Birch more than Cricket. I also worried that Cricket would steal Alette since I don’t love the cheating trope.
Cricket gave me major alpha vibes, which I LOVED. I had a major crush on her through the whole book. Her dialogue through a lot of her interactions with Alette had me grinning, and blushing, and everything in between. I Stan cricket.
If you haven’t read any of the other books, it doesn’t really feel like you’re missing much since this happens before the first major book in the series Hidden In Darkness. I read all the other books before and was happy I read Magic Stolen and Kept first because it just made the havoc that came down on Fallgarde feel like I knew the backstory there… though it reads well even if you don’t know it.
This book had… I don’t want to say MORE spice than the others but the spice felt a little more… SPICY? In a really good way. I don’t know how to explain it. There was some in the other books but this starts earlier on. It was unexpected but made the intensity of their meeting feel more authentic.
I loved this book. The relationship building was, as usual, great! It was nice to get a bit more of a look at the Seelie Realm. I don’t feel like we’ve seen much of it in the series so far and it makes me kind of excited to see the other realms. Hopefully she shows us in book three in Melas’ books.
I really like this one. Loved it. I think I liked it more than Thiriel’s novella solely because I love these character and Thiriel is TERRIBLE! Ugh.
Definitely pick this book up. I read it in a day.
Alette lives in a town with mostly fae that is ruled by a council of elders who want to control how and when she can use her bloodstone. At the head of the council is her mother… who is a real piece of work. It read that she was very much stifled at the beginning. By the council, by her bloodstone, by her partner at the time who I LOVED by the way. I thought the way it was written was beautiful and I worried I would end up liking Birch more than Cricket. I also worried that Cricket would steal Alette since I don’t love the cheating trope.
Cricket gave me major alpha vibes, which I LOVED. I had a major crush on her through the whole book. Her dialogue through a lot of her interactions with Alette had me grinning, and blushing, and everything in between. I Stan cricket.
If you haven’t read any of the other books, it doesn’t really feel like you’re missing much since this happens before the first major book in the series Hidden In Darkness. I read all the other books before and was happy I read Magic Stolen and Kept first because it just made the havoc that came down on Fallgarde feel like I knew the backstory there… though it reads well even if you don’t know it.
This book had… I don’t want to say MORE spice than the others but the spice felt a little more… SPICY? In a really good way. I don’t know how to explain it. There was some in the other books but this starts earlier on. It was unexpected but made the intensity of their meeting feel more authentic.
I loved this book. The relationship building was, as usual, great! It was nice to get a bit more of a look at the Seelie Realm. I don’t feel like we’ve seen much of it in the series so far and it makes me kind of excited to see the other realms. Hopefully she shows us in book three in Melas’ books.
I really like this one. Loved it. I think I liked it more than Thiriel’s novella solely because I love these character and Thiriel is TERRIBLE! Ugh.
Definitely pick this book up. I read it in a day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
Hot hot hot hot!!! I LOVE Alette and Cricket! The perfect book for lovers of magic, mystical worlds, suspense, action packed spice!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews