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Season's War #1

Autumn Chaos

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A mystery of a monster on the rampage ignites the passionate love triangle between a witch and two warriors with a help of a mysterious cat.

After ten years of peaceful solitude, exiled-mage-turned-village-witch, Lady Inanuan of Thorn, has her life turned upside down when a half-dead warrior is dumped on her doorstep. Soon she learns that no good deed goes unpunished in the Black Forest—not even if your friend is Leshy, the Forest God himself.

Expelled from her position as a court mage for her sharp tongue, Ina’s had ten years to learn how to survive in a harsh environment. The forbidden healing she performs links her life energy with her unexpected guest Marcach, captain of the guards, and Ren, his best friend, a traveller from lands so far away that many consider them a myth.

With unnatural monsters on the loose and unrest in the capital, everything points toward rebellion, and clues that both men discover indicate Ina’s involvement. Ina learns her magic is not what it seems, and her past comes back to haunt her.
An old mistake will see her dragged back to the court and thrown right into the middle of the political struggle. To make things worse, her heart succumbs not to just one man but two, and each expects the worst of her.

Will the woman who does not believe in love be able to choose? And can she clear her name and learn to control the Chaos before it burns the kingdom down?

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2022

317 people are currently reading
2221 people want to read

About the author

Olena Nikitin

12 books493 followers
Olena Nikitin is the pen name of a writing power couple who share a love of fantasy, paranormal romance, rich, vivid worlds and exciting storylines. In their books and out, they love down-to-earth humour, a visceral approach to life, striving to write realistic romances filled with the passion and steam people always dream of experiencing.
Meet the two halves of this Truro UK-based dynamic duo!

Olga, a Polish woman, has a wicked sense of humour with a dash of Slavic pessimism. She’s been writing since she was a small child, but life led her to work as an emergency physician. While this work means she always has stories to share, it often means she’s too busy to actually write. She’s proud to be a crazy cat lady, and together with Mark, they have five cats.

Mark, a typical English gentleman, radiates charm, sophistication, and an undeniable sex appeal. At least, he’s reasonably certain that’s what convinced Olga to fly across the sea into his arms. He’s an incredibly intelligent man with a knack for fixing things, including Polish syntax in English writing. If you give him good whiskey, he might even regale you with his Gulf War story of how he got shot.

Olena Nikitin loves hearing from their fans and critics alike and welcomes communication via any platform! https://linktr.ee/olenanikitinauthor

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5 stars
132 (40%)
4 stars
96 (29%)
3 stars
62 (19%)
2 stars
20 (6%)
1 star
14 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Anastasia シ.
768 reviews260 followers
August 18, 2023
3.5 starts, full Review on my blog!

This took me a while to read.. the first 55% of this felt so slow.. like it was dragging on and on... Initially drawn in by the intriguing premise, I found myself disappointed with the language and style of this novel from the very beginning; I wasn't into the third-person narration, the weird layout of chapters, and the author's writing style. This wasn't terrible, it just wasn't that good. I didn't feel any connections to any of the main cast. The protagonist's voice felt out of place in the world, lacking the depth and complexity expected of a more experienced writer. As a result, I found myself struggling to make it through the first few pages, which felt messy and unrefined. While I still believe there is potential for this story to be interesting, the amateurish execution and incongruous language ultimately turned me off. The thought of DNFing this at 30 - 43% occurred many, many times, but I took a week-long break from reading and came back to it without completely forcing myself to continue.  I will say I got used to the third-person narration and the story did start to pick up.

In Autumn Chaos, Ina has been living in peaceful exile for ten years in her remote and beautiful cottage in the Black Forest until a fateful encounter with a half-dead man changes everything. After performing a frowned-upon spell to save his life, Ina realizes that her life of solitude is over. Rumors of monsters invading Cornovii start to spread and Ina is thrust into the middle of it all due to her colorful past and Chaos Magic. In order to prevent people from getting hurt, she must solve mysteries and find clues. However, controlling her temper may prove to be a challenge this time around. In addition, the man she saved keeps appearing in her life, and she cannot seem to get rid of him.

Our FMC is an independent character who does not listen to anyone, except for maybe one person. Her decade of isolation in the forest makes her an outsider in the city, where she never quite fits in, to begin with. Her short fuse leads to some entertaining scenes, and her journey to learn how to control her magical powers makes for a compelling character arc. The Chaos concept is intriguing, and the author did an excellent job of building up the world and its magical laws without getting bogged down in excessive descriptions. Despite being exiled for her past, Ina has a big heart and cares deeply for animals and others deemed "unworthy." The reason for her exile is both hilarious and relatable. I really enjoyed reading how she came to be exiled in the short novella, A Little Accident, which I read before this book. I think reading the novella first set high expectations when going into this one for me, especially with the first-person narration.

Ina's interactions with Mar, a character who has always maintained order and calmness in his life, are entertaining and the two make a fantastic pair to watch. The tension between the two is palpable, and Ren's character helps to balance things out, even if there is a love triangle going on, which did not appeal to me, as I found the chemistry and tension lacking, so I won't delve into it. Additionally, the conflict felt somewhat flimsy, with poor execution and shallow motivations, which ultimately left me underwhelmed by its resolution.

Overall, Autumn Chaos is a fun read with magic, monsters, and mysteries. The story is a darker-themed fantasy, with violence, gore, and language, and some of the scenes may be intense. The world-building is intricate without bogging down the story. There are also moments of humor and witty banter. The twists and turns keep the reader engaged, and the cliffhanger will leave readers eager for the next installment, which I will probably also read, despite all the issues I had with this one.

If you enjoy darker fantasy with magic, monsters, and mysteries, then Autumn Chaos is definitely worth a read.

_________________________________
A Little Accident | Review
Autumn Chaos | Review
Winter's Dragon | Review
Spring Blight | Review
Summer Veil | Review

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Profile Image for Destiny Gregory.
5 reviews2 followers
September 1, 2022
**I received an advanced copy and am leaving this review voluntarily**

This was such an INCREDIBLE read. The FMC is not a young, inexperienced and naive main character making mistake after mistake and blindly following the will of men! She is a mature and well fleshed out character that makes a lot of characters from previous books I’ve read seem weak. I loved that we experienced so many point of views while reading. This book had everything you could want in a great adult fantasy book, betrayal, a love triangle, mystery, court intrigue, a hint of spice! I wish I could start it over and read it again for the first time! 10/10 would recommend!!!!
Profile Image for Charm The Reader.
58 reviews17 followers
August 13, 2022
READING THIS FEELS LIKE A FEVER DREAM BUT IN THE GREATEST WAY POSSIBLE. AN ABSOLUTE 5 STAR READ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OLENA NIKITIN YOU CANT DO THIS TO ME ! I’m already attached to the story. You can’t leave me hanging like this 😭

The ending!?!? 🤯💔

STOP I’M CRYING RIGHT NOW. I already miss Ina, Mar and even Ren ! 🥹 I fell in love with all the characters (except you-know-who) still mad at him/her (not gonna spoil here) 😡


I can’t wait for the next one. Please 😭 I can’t wait for the “Winter Dragon” 🐉 Will definitely recommend this book 10/10 ☀️💕
Profile Image for Rae, shutupandbookup.
380 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2022
"Ina, do you have something against the doors in your home?" - Mar

Ina's just living her life within exile peacefully until a fateful encounter with a half-dead man. Not having the heart to let him die she performs a spell that's frowned upon. Not fully realizing the side effects of the enchantment, Ina's life of blissful silence and solitude comes to an end.

Rumors of monsters invading Cornovii are spreading. And because of Ina's colorful past, she's placed in the middle of things. No one said having Chaos Magic would be easy. Mysteries need to be solved and clues must be found to help prevent people from getting hurt. Human or non-human alike. Can Ina control her temper this time? Why does the man she saved keep appearing in her life and not allowing her out of his sight? And how much has changed after ten years?

"Did you honestly call the King a limp dick?" - Gruff

I loved Ina from page one! Having related to her temper and the Chaos magic she wields, I would definitely have the same type. Ina has a big heart for animals and things people deem "unworthy". She's very independent and doesn't listen to anyone, well maybe one person. . . But Ina carves her own path. The full reason as to why she was exiled is rather hilarious. (Would totally do the same thing, not to mention being able to meet the Leshy!)

Ina's a wildfire no one can stop, not that anyone would. I loved Gruff and his nickname for the fiery redhead. Striga! Which if you've watched or read "The Witcher" you will know what a Striga is. And Mar doesn't stand a chance against Ina or her chaos she brings, magically inclined or not. He's maintained ridged order his whole life and a calmness. Until he is dumped on Ina's doorstep.

The two are fantastic to watch together. Both being very strong willed and stubborn! Not to mention the connection between them that neither one is able to fully grasp. Ren's character helps to balance the two of them, even if there's a little love triangle going on. I really hope the triangle turns into a why choose trope. Slow-burn and build-up with all the tension that leads to some passionate MF action.

Ren's a big sweetie who's been seen differently because of his exotic look and background. I also admired what he said to Mar with matters concerning Ina. By the end of the book you will just want to give him a big hug.

Rewan's another character I appreciated and knew I would like. I don't want to give anything away with him because the twists are perfect! I want to see him more in the next book! Yes, there's a cliffhanger and you will be wanting the next book. There's another epic adventure and so much more. I want to quote a line that Ina says at the end but you will just have to read the book.

This is a darker themed fantasy. There's humor, witty banter, and delightful moments, but some of the things that happen in the book may be a little intense. Violence and gore with some harsh deaths, along with language. I know many people who have arachnophobia so fair warning, there's a detailed scene with a monster that has spider parts. I loved the story and all the twists and turns! I cannot wait for the next book with Ina!

Enjoy the fun read with magic, monsters, and mysteries! Don't forget to give the author some stars!

shutupandbookup.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Beth.
119 reviews3 followers
September 1, 2022
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

⭐️3.5/5

I've thought about how to rate this book for awhile and initially I gave it 4 stars because the world building and plot were well done, but overall, I just didn't enjoy Autumn Chaos as much as I expected to.

That being said, I like the FMC Ina. She is well-rounded and unique. Mar has his merits as well and I love Ren. He is my absolute favorite character with his kindness and calm nature. There were a few times when I didn't appreciate the way people in novel referred to Ren's appearance/ancestry and those areas might be worth taking a look back at for a bit of a rework. He's handsome, loyal, and crucial to Ina's story and some of his descriptors ended up feeling derogatory.

Finally, the twist at the end did catch my attention and make me curious to where book two is heading. I think the world the authors' have created has a lot of potential, so I'm hopeful for book two.
Profile Image for Tracy Grassel.
1 review
August 27, 2022
Autumn Chaos is AMAZING!!

Who doesn’t love a fantasy book full of witches (especially a spitfire mouthed one) a badass side kick of a cat (or is it?), lots of magic, dark forests, knights, castles, city folk, half breeds and monsters?? Now throw in a love triangle, some backstabbing and a possible HEA???

Autumn Chaos will have you holding on for dear life with every turn of the page! Olena Nikitin does a marvelous job of bringing it all to life. It is a definite must read and one that you will not want to put down.

I will say this much; you’ll absolutely love the fat-ass, pox ridden, over grown lizard!

I rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ overall with a 🌶🌶 on the spice meter.
Profile Image for Justine.
3 reviews
September 8, 2022
fabulous book

Loved every word of this, couldn’t put it down. Great characters and story. Can’t wait for the next one. Thank you
Profile Image for Janneke RS.
461 reviews4 followers
December 31, 2022
Really liked thuis one. It had some Spice in it, but also a very good story. I really love Ina, she is my nee heroine!
Need to know how it goes from here, so I ordered volume 2
7 reviews
October 20, 2022
Fun and clever

A fun and clever fantasy story. Dialog is natural, and being told mostly from a woman's point of view was excellent.
Profile Image for Emma H.
276 reviews18 followers
August 14, 2023
Wow. There are not enough words to describe how much I enjoyed reading this. It was a little slow to start, but certainly picked up! Can’t wait for the second book
Profile Image for ꒰ঌAlejandra໒꒱ ♥️.
153 reviews27 followers
February 23, 2023
Page turner! Absolute page turner! Olena Nikitin, this duo are new-to-me authors and wow! The writing! The Syntax! The story! The characters! What’s not to love? I love snarky banter and Ina is a dream. The world building and mythology in this book is just chefs kiss. How many ways are there for you to express how much you loved something? Times that by 3. That’s how much I’m loving this series.

Prepare yourself for this love triangle! I’m usually quick to pick a side, but this one was hard. I just loved both Ren and Mar so much! Sometimes one more than the other. I felt like a pendulum going back and forth. I hope you don’t get dizzy!

Spice level (1-5): 🌶️🌶️

When a naked and almost dead man is dropped off at Ina’s doorstep, she didn’t have much hope for the dying warrior. Ina is a Chaos mage, not a healer. Trying to quickly come up with a way to save him, she preforms a forbidden spell as his only hope. She ends up performing the same spell again to save another man’s life, but now both men are linked to her life energy. This new connection is bringing forth emotions all 3 of them would rather not feel. How much of it is the lingering residues of the spell and how much of it is real? Having to choose between two gorgeous men while settling back to your old life can be taxing. When all the commotion and possible rebellion at the capital all points to you, that’s another level of taxing. Ina now must go forth and find out who is behind everything she is now being accused of.

I’d recommend Autumn Chaos to all fans of a strong FMC, fantasy, love triangles and magic. This is one of those series that many will enjoy. If you like spice with your fantasy, this series is for you! It’s a mixture of fast burn and slow burn, more like stubborn burn/can’t make up your mind fast enough burn. Whichever burn it is, it’s so enjoyable! The love triangle had me in a chokehold. Did I mention how much I loved Ren and Mar? So different yet so equally essential.

Warning: Reading Autumn Chaos may make you want to try magic. May make you hope your neighbors drop off a hot guy at your doorstep. May make you more willing to save a stranger’s life, or two. May make you wish for a why choose. May make you want to be selfish and collect all the book boyfriends. May make you want to make friends with Leshy. May make you want to get a pet cat. May make you attempt to gain the affection of your crush by feeding their pet. May make you stay up all night reading. Read responsibly.

*I received an Advance Reader Copy for free and I’m leaving an honest review of my own volition. All thoughts are my own.*
Profile Image for Kylee.
109 reviews10 followers
January 30, 2023
🌟BOOK REVIEW 🌟
📖Autumn Chaos By Olena Nikitin 📖
RATING~⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
SPICE~🌶🌶 /5

My Thoughts ~ I was immediately intrigued, I have to be honest I haven't read much fantasy (YET) but the way the book was written the world / language was very easily understood. I was very much amused throughout the book with the way the characters treated each other (banter). The characters felt intense and believable almost like you could feel the emotions and actions being written.
Ina's, personality summed up would be high spirited, lusty, outspoken, spitfire if you will. She was just overall a great character
Mar, uh I wanna call him a Grumpy sunshine, he was fierce at first then turned into this big teddy bear.
Ren, gimme gimme gimme he is SUCH a sweetheart loved him felt like I definitely wanted more for him and Ida but maybe in book two?
Very undecided on who I want Ina to be with 😅 the dilemma 🤔 let's just have them both 🤦‍♀️
Let me just say I loved the Ina's cat and the way the author made it feel like one of the main characters was a great part of the book for me. I was eager to continue reading and did not want to put it down I look forward to reading the second book of the series,Winter Dragon as the book is left on a clif hanger I must know what happens duh...
To summarize ~ just go read it 😁 if you like dark fantasy Romance, monsters, mysterious beings with violence and battle then this is the book for you.
⚠️ Please check your trigger warnings ⚠️

I did receive a ebook copy to read and give an honest review thank you so much @Olena Nikitin
#AutumnChaos
Profile Image for Kirsty Ney.
86 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2025
3.75 star rating

Loved this introduction to the Seasons War series.

The story follows Ina, a witch who has been exiled to the Black Forest due to her outburst at the King whilst in court. (She called him limp dick lmao)

Ina is one hell of a character. She's not afraid to say what she thinks, no matter who you are. She is foul mouthed and hilarious. She has a big heart, and tries to help anyone in need, even to her own detriment. Inna's magic is Chaos, which matches her personality well i think! She has a bit of a temper which maybe isn't the best match for a Chaos witch - but sure who like boring!!

A love triangle, monsters, political deceit, magic and a cat. A fun read with plenty of action, and a good few twists. I do feel this series has the potential for a 4star rating from me, so i look forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Marianne Antonichuk.
307 reviews19 followers
November 20, 2023
I was finally able to read the first book and it intrigued me a lot it had me laughing at some points and I loved all the witches and even the dragon at the end it was absolutely fantastic such a good fantasy story I have all the other books and will be reading them all the way through I loved the glossary at the back of the book so if you were sure if a name it’s there to help you out ina was my favorite in the story
Profile Image for Ashley.
200 reviews2 followers
October 13, 2023
amazing new author for me!

I wasn’t expecting much as I’d not heard of the author when they showed up in my recommended list. But I could barely manage to put this down. It’s one of the best books I’ve read lately. Romance, adventure, a little mystery (even though I guessed who it was early on). Definitely recommend and looking for more!
10 reviews
December 9, 2023
100% recommend

I am enamoured. Intelligent powerful characters. Yummy plot and a beauuuuutiful MC with a filthy mouth. Plus a carnal handsome man on her behind. What’s not to love? Can’t wait to read the next book 😊😊😊

Chefs kiss author 🫶🏼🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽
Profile Image for Natalie.
24 reviews
December 21, 2022
Cute read

Not as spicy as I thought it would be at the beginning, but a good book none the less. Plenty of fighting and definitely a "spitfire" of a mc.
Profile Image for Lisa.
103 reviews5 followers
January 28, 2023
This one started out like a shot and never slowed down. Loving the FMC and the eff it all attitude. Was not expecting the… character development (?) at the end at all!
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
395 reviews7 followers
November 27, 2022
Great Story

Well written story full of sass and intrigue. Story is interesting and keeps your attention. Slow burn romance but love the heat.
Profile Image for Jordan Charlesworth AKA Book Brilliance Xo.
336 reviews18 followers
September 16, 2023
Book Review 📚
Autumn Chaos by Olena Nikitin - 4.5/5 ⭐

I randomly come across this book on Amazon one day and simply swooned over the cover. It's so visually appealing so I took a chance and purchased it. After I purchased it, I read it in 2 days. And then went on to buy 2, 3 and 4! I can't wait to dive in to book 2 after the ending of book 1!!

The writing in the book flowed so nicely. There's knowledge and information in the writing but it doesn't overwork your mind so you can easily enjoy what you're reading. It's such a deeply imaginative story line and Nikitin has put some serious thought behind not only the plot but the characters.

The description throughout was phenomenal. Even from the very first sentence, the scene gets set and your imagination takes you on a journey. It was so beautifully done. The detail that went into both world building and character development is outstanding. I'm in awe of such talent. P.s Ina is the best FMC ever.

A huge and wonderful thank you to Olena for creating such a phenomenal book, I cannot wait to jump in to the rest of this series and hunt down anymore books you plan on releasing!
3 reviews
September 26, 2022
Not a typical high-brow fantasy you would expect from the epic in the subtitle, but very enjoyable. Ina is a fascinating character I would describe as chaotic good. She tries to do the right things but often in her own way and with hilarious results. The love triangle is kind of resolved and kind of isn't making space for the next book. Oh, and I loved the twist at the end.
1,612 reviews32 followers
September 13, 2022
I enjoyed this novel so very much. It was a joy to see a significant woman in the lead. A mystery of a monster on the rampage ignites the passionate love triangle between a witch and two warriors with a help of a mysterious cat.
After ten years of peaceful solitude, exiled-mage-turned-village-witch, Lady Inanuan of Thorn, has her life turned upside down when a half-dead warrior is dumped on her doorstep. But as they say no good deed goes unpunished. This healing she performs links her life energy with her this unexpected guest Marcach, Now he is captain of the guards, and Ren, his best friend, a traveller from lands far away calls upon her forbidden magic once again. These lands from far away many consider them a myth. And her healing is punished. What will she do with two men that love her and two men that she loves? A beautiful unending love story. A real joy to read.
I received an advance review copy from StoryOrigin. This is my true and honest review.
Profile Image for Zeinab Dh.
1,635 reviews38 followers
October 30, 2022
I chose to read and review this book. I liked this one. I liked the female main character in this one a lot. It is nice to see a change in character from start to end. I enjoyed the fact that it was fun interesting captivating charming interesting suspense love can fit a lot of ages. The sparks were flying everywhere waw steamy characters. I cant wait to read more of this series and its author. I recommend it.
Profile Image for Sheenaz.
5 reviews
September 13, 2022
Definitely dark, but with a huge dollop of humour and an unconventional approach to fantasy. I loved the banter, the sass and snark and the gritty approach to life. The twist at the end was unexpected but very welcome and promising for the second book.
3 reviews
September 4, 2022
Loved this romp through the trial and tribulations of the mage Ina. Her encounters with the men that cause her no end of headaches and the ever lovable Boruta charms you in every appearance.
I enjoyed the attitude Ina displays, her no nonsense approach was both relatable and funny.

Would recommend to all adults that won't shy away from life at its weirdest
Profile Image for Book Prowler.
29 reviews6 followers
March 13, 2023
I found myself hooked from the beginning, I'm only sorry I didn’t read it sooner.

Ina’s character is a strong female lead and not afraid to challenge those who seek to control her. I really liked her sarcastic fiery personality, and her being middle aged helped me connect to her character.

The building relationship Between Ina, Mar and Wren is a slow burn and I cannot wait to see the further developments of this love triangle. The language and banter between characters is believable and shows the familial relationships, especially between those of Captain Mar and his soldiers.

The writing duo Olena Nikitin have together created a fine work of art in the novel Autumn Chaos. Thank you for the copy of Autumn Chaos, I loved it. You both sound so fun, you’ve definitely got a new fan.
Profile Image for TaniaRina.
1,589 reviews117 followers
April 17, 2023
‘Ina walked around like a beautiful catastrophe’
This sharp-tongued exile is the perfect witch to lead a rebellion. She has struggled for years between familial duties versus personal wants, and know she is called upon to save a kingdom.

Fave quotes:
‘You shouldn’t judge a lady by her skirt.’
‘Her ability to hold a grudge was legendary’

Readers get treated to some really cool sketches and the author provides a Glossary at the end (with many references to Greek and Slavic mythology).


Now that Autumn is over, I’ll start ‘Winter Dragon’ then await ‘Spring Blight’ (JUST finished!).
Profile Image for Janet.
212 reviews
April 16, 2023
Really enjoyed

I really enjoyed this story and devoured it in one sitting. Olena Nikitin is a new to me author, but they are definitely one I will seek when looking for a well thought out epic fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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