Rise of the Dawnbringer

Bornbane #1

by I.A. Takerian

The first book in I. A. Takerian's high-fantasy series is a slow-burn romance that surpasses the bounds of time.

After living her entire life behind the white walls of the illustrious kingdom of Delinval, Princess Mara, niece of the great King Grathiel, understands what is expected of her. As her uncle's only heir to the throne, she was raised to be a noble woman with a full understanding of the history of the lands of Zenafrost and the fallen kingdoms that lay beyond Delinval's protected borders. But the political intrigue and endless theatrics that come with her birth-right have never suited her. Though she loves her people, Mara loathes the future her uncle has planned for her, and the approach of her twenty-first birthday brings with it a whole new horror: the expectation that she will marry a man of the king's choosing. Mara believes this is the worst thing that could ever happen to her.

She's wrong.

In the early morning hours before her birthday, she's awakened by a living nightmare. A group of Dreads, the immortal dark magick users vanquished by King Grathiel twenty years before, have infiltrated the castle, and Mara is kidnapped from her own bed by a tall, dark stranger with dire motives. For the first time in her life, the princess finds herself outside the guarded walls of Delinval and witnessing, firsthand, the destruction the Dread's corruptive magicks have wrought upon the land. The world is dying. Horrifying creatures stalk the barren plains and tainted forests. Foul rulers, defiled by diabolical magicks, vie for control. A mysterious ritual involving Mara herself seems to be Zenafrost's only hope for survival. But when hidden truths about the past burns Mara's life to the ground, can she somehow find victory in the ashes?

Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Romantasy, Fae, Magic, Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2022

About the author

Located in the mountains of Lago Vista, TX, Isabeau has spent her life devoted to the written word. Starting early with the classic horrors, she quickly moved on to the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and J.R.R Tolkien. It was deep in the realm of Middle Earth that she discovered her unbridled love for fantasy. A love that was kindled from the very beginning by her incredible parents, Jeffry and Lauraine Hickman. They turned the spark of imagination into a whirlwind of dreams turned truth on the paper.

Much of Isabeau’s life was spent in and out of hospitals due to health complications. She found solace and escape in the pages of books, helping her to eventually create the universe she writes about today. In her fevered passion, Isabeau tells of romances that surpass the limits of life and time itself.

Isabeau is a doting mother to her beautiful baby girl, Aurora, as well as their fur babies, Mojo, Max and Mishka. When she is not submerged in her writings, Isabeau likes to sing with her family, and imagine the next adventures that she’ll bring her readers on.

Reviews

[Ceceliaₓₒₓₒ | hotforbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

《 5 ✰ 》

❝
She had dreamt of the strangest things, of monsters and magick, of ancient ruins and heads on spikes.

Rise of the Dawnbringer is an irresistible feast of a debut!

Things to look forward to:
✶ Exquisite World-building
✶ Enemies to Lovers
✶ Found Family
✶ Nonbinary Rep
✶ Sophisticated Magick System
✶ Perilous Journey
✶ Rich History
✶ Third-Person Narrative
✶ Swoony Smirks and Dimples

❝
“Perhaps it is not our darkness that define who we are, but how we choose to rise from the ashes of our wreckage.”

On the morning after her 21st birthday, Mara is kidnapped to participate in a mysterious ritual by a group of Dread warriors. Magick users. People she has been taught to fear and loathe her entire life. The enemy to Delinval. Will Mara survive the treacherous and arduous journey unscathed? What lies beyond the gates of Delinval? Who are these beautiful and skilled warriors? Why do they need her for this ritual?

The found family was everything. I am uniquely attached to each character and how they interact. The loyalty and playful bickering. The type of bonds forged by decades of companionship.

❝
When she began to stir the following morning, she felt herself being pressed firmly from all sides. Sluggish, Mara peeled an eye open to look around. During the night, the four warriors had moved in around her. El lay cuddled into her side, her arm wrapped around Kain whose head lay in the crook of El’s shoulder. Milios lay above Mara, the tops of their heads touching each other. That left only one person.
Mara’s breath caught in her throat as she looked down her body. He lay with his head on her stomach, eyes closed, scarred face tilted up in her direction. Cyfrin.

El is the glue that keeps them all together.
Kain is the group jester steadily providing comedic relief and muscles.
Milios is the voice of reason — they are wise with a wealth of knowledge and understanding.
Cyfrin is the protective and tortured mmc. The leader with duty-bound honor.
Mara is the determined and fearless fmc. Stubborn and resilient with a newfound sense of purpose.

❝
Is there not a single Odelian who is not near perfection? 😮‍💨

Remember when I mentioned the swoony smirks and dimples? Yeah, prepare to melt every time Cyfrin breathes. The romance(s) and the banter! Side effects include: sudden outbursts of laughter, slight chest pains, hot flashes, drooling, and vivid dreams.

❝
How could everything about his imposing figure be so impossibly perfect?! she raged to herself.

The image of his back standing resolutely between her and danger, shoulders squared and head high, was all but burned into her brain.

Cyfrin cocked his head, smirking. “It’s impolite to stare,” he said, and Mara glowered at him in response.

“You’re staring again, Mara.” His voice was soft and deep, the words passing across his cat-like smirk.
Mara blinked up at it, a flutter starting in her stomach. Mara. Has my name ever sounded so beautiful? Her pulse was singing in her ears, mixing in strange ways with the deep wine. She giggled at the feeling, and the giggle became a full-blown laugh.
Cyfrin’s smirk fell from his face as he stared at her smile with an odd expression—something near hunger.

The searching intensity behind Cyfrin’s stare made her feel stripped bare. In that moment, she felt she would’ve given him anything he asked. Anything. She could not look away—she didn’t want to. When would she ever get the chance to be this close to something so beautiful ever again?

Overall, this is an incredible start to your next fantasy series obsession. Well written with the most exquisite world-building and lore! Isabeau Takerian has created unforgettable characters and an enchanting and dangerous world steeped in rich history.


💭💬🗯️
✶ Did anyone else picture The Suriel (acotar) when they first met the Elder in the woods?
✶ Also, I’ve been told Cyfrin sounds like he might look like Rowan (I haven’t met Rowan yet in ToG) so I picture a variation of Legolas (LOTR)!

🚨 I NEED ALL THE FAN ART IMMEDIATELY!!!!

:¨·.·¨:
`·. 𝓒𝔂𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓷 🫀

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Hugs to the beautiful Lila for suggesting we read this! I had a great time simp’n over Cyfrin and Kain with you! ILYSM💞

[Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Perhaps it is not our darkness that define who we are, but how we choose to rise from the ashes of our wreckage."

So that was fun!!! I really loved this epic fantasy read so much; it was such a surprise! I can't believe this was a debut novel!

This book packs so much in its pages but it never feels overwhelming but instead expertly executed storytelling. There is found family, political intrigue, TRUE enemies to lovers, and the world building is wonderfully unfolded throughout the book, revealing all kinds of secrets and surprises along the way. I loved the dialogue between the characters, the banter was so much fun!

Characters
Mara- Our brave and brazen fmc! I really loved her so much!! She was stubborn and suspicious which I really appreciated bc I hate when the fmc goes all wide eyed and is completely gullible just bc there is pretty face around. (and there are several btw!) I love how she fights for herself and isn't a fool for anyone.

Cyfrin- Ahh said PRETTY FACE!!! Yes, he is dreamy and protective and very, very charming! Of course, I love him! But he also has a really interesting history and I loved how his story developed and I can't wait for more of him. Still so many questions!

Kain- My absolute favorite character!! I love him so much; he is like this very lethal and deadly golden retriever! He is so funny and brave and loves his friends so much, I just adored him, all I am going to say is NOTHING better happen to him bc I will RIOT!!!

Milios and El- They are both some badasses, I love the family dynamic between all of them so much!

Can't wait to continue this series bc I have soo many questions and I feel like this is really the ground floor to a really epic series and I am excited to see where the story takes us!


Read this bc my beautiful SS Cecelia demanded it!!! Also shout out to Koisty, Deema, Lila and Lia bc all you guys read it first and all those amazing reviews definitely convinced me!!!💙💙

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Perhaps it is not our darkness that define who we are, but how we choose to rise from the ashes of our wreckage."

april 2023: loved this just as much as I did the first time. A Prophecy of Undone ARC, here I come!
______
january 2023
Everyone and their grandma was either reading or praising this and I felt left out so I peer-pressured myself into it.
Or at least that's what I told myself.
We all know this was all Richard's fault. And also a little Deema's. And why not, Koisty will be blamed as well, considering she's the one who started it all.
Wherever lies the blame, I'm glad I caved because this book was EXQUISITE and I'll never not gush about it or recommend it to everyone.


⚡𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗪𝗡𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 - 𝗕𝗬 𝗜.𝗔. 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡⚡
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
★𝗬𝗔/𝗡𝗔/𝗔: 🆈🅰
★𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙾𝚁𝙽𝙱𝙰𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 #𝟷
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦: 𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 - 𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙲
★𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝙳 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 - 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴
★𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: 𝙾𝚁𝙿𝙷𝙰𝙽 𝙵𝙼𝙲 - 𝙲𝙷𝙾𝚂𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴 - 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙶𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 - 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 - 𝙴𝙽𝙴𝙼𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙱𝙻𝚈 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂
★𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: 👥👥👥👥/5
★𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼/5 (𝚈𝙰𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚂𝙷𝙾𝚁𝚃 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂)
★𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: 📜📜📜📜📜/5
★𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦 & 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: 💀💀/5 (𝚅𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙼𝚄𝚁𝙳𝙴𝚁 - 𝙿𝚂𝚈𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙾𝙶𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙿𝙷𝚈𝚂𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙱𝚄𝚂𝙴 - 𝙾𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝙸𝚂𝙼 - 𝙰𝙻𝙲𝙾𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙼 - 𝚂𝚄𝚁𝚅𝙸𝚅𝙾𝚁 𝙶𝚄𝙸𝙻𝚃)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 𝙽𝙾𝙽𝙴
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 & 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 𝙰𝙶𝙰𝙸𝙽, 𝙽𝙾𝙽𝙴. 𝚆𝙴 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚃𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙳𝚁𝙴𝙽.
★𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🤐/5 (𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙿𝙻𝙴 𝙲𝚄𝚁𝚂𝙴 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝙱𝚄𝚃 𝙸𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚈 𝙲𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙽 𝙸𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙴𝙽𝙳)
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 🌹🌹/5 (𝚆𝙴'𝚁𝙴 𝙶𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙰 𝚃𝙰𝙳 𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙴 𝙴𝚅𝙾𝙻𝚅𝙴𝙳 𝙱𝚄𝚃... 𝚆𝙴'𝚁𝙴 𝙶𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝙰𝚂 𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻)
★𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘: ❌
★𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝙵/𝙼 (𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝙰𝙻𝚂𝙾 𝙵/𝙼 - 𝙴𝙻 & 𝙺𝙰𝙸𝙽 <3 𝙸 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙼 𝚂𝙾 𝙼𝚄𝙲𝙷)
★𝗥𝗘𝗣: 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙼𝙲'𝚂 𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳𝚂 𝙸𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙱𝙻𝚈 𝙽𝙾𝙽-𝙱𝙸𝙽𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝙰𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙽𝙾𝚄𝙽𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈/𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙼 - 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚂𝙲𝙰𝚁𝚂 - 𝙿𝚃𝚂𝙳
★𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦-𝗧𝗢-𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🖤🖤🖤/5
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰


Rise of the Dawnbringer is the YA fantasy novel I didn't know I needed.
It's action-packed, fast-paced, rich with lore and interesting charcters, and very well written.
Mara is possibly one of the best YA heroines that is out there, and I never thought I'd find another group of fictional people I'd love more than SJM's Rhysand's inner circle, but Cyfrin, El, Milios and Kain (my favoriteeeeeeeeeeeeee) did the trick and I couldn't help but love their interactions.
Their dynamics and relationship were an absolute delight and I appreciated how Mara learned how to fit into into their circle without making it seem unnatural or forced.
She belonged there, with all of them, and what made it even more riveting is the fact that it wasn't a sudden thing, that Mara needed time to trust and know them all, before she started to even think of them as allies.
In a similar way, it was noticeable Mara's internal journey that put her in a position where she had to start to question everything she was told was true and every single thing about herself, too.

One of the things I really appreciated about this book and its fantastic world-building is the lore explanation chapter we got at the start. I hate info-dumping like the next person, but the fact that all the history about the Zenoths, Zenafrost and the Great War was tied up in a single place left more space for the actual story to develop and be less boring in the rest of the novel.

Takerian's writing is good, especially where dialogues are concerned. I laughed out loud at least ten times, and I was so invested in this story I completely forgot about the world outside, because the one inside the pages was literally magical and impossible to ignore. So unique, so entertaining, so...so precious!
I loved everything about the magic system and found the entire history so easy to follow and all the names so easy to remember, I didn't have to look back at definition the way I usually do with other books.
I didn't even care the romance was a slow-burn so slow Mara and Cyf barely shared a dance and just started acknowledging their own feelings because, seriously, this was like having a movie in my head.
I'm a sucker for anything beastly, so I was on the edge of my seat every time a new terrifying monster was introduced. Same witht the action scenes.

I was like this the every time a new fight began or when a new evil figure was introduced, no exaggerating.

I thought 2023 was the years I'd let YA books go, but I'll make some exceptions for little gems like this one. I can't wait fot the sequel.


The only complaint I have about Rise Of The Dawnbringer is that it was over way too soon. Iykyk.

[Nγx ❦ {CLOSED ACCOUNT} · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building and lore were the highlight of this novel. We had a lot of elements that were made to pull us into this fantasy world without a second thought and I love this story for it. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬, 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫, 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥.

⋘•⋙---------•⪼⪻•---------⋘•⋙
The only thing stopping me from giving this book a 5 stars rating was the lack of relationship and character development. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. Especially with our main heroine (who i frankly was not a fan of throughout the story) she only started to show us an inkling of personality and action at the very end.

⋘•⋙---------•⪼⪻•---------⋘•⋙
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. So I'll be patiently waiting for the next one hoping the characters will be fleshed out more. 3.75 rounded up.

[Koisty · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sunbeam Stars ⭐️

Excuse me...I need time to breathe, my heart to stop beating at 7000 miles a minute, and just take a moment to go whoa. This was a debut novel? I am awestruck! At a complete loss for words! Flabbergasted and just amazed by this book! How does this book have so few ratings and reviews? It's AMAZING and everyone should be reading this! The world-building, the magic system, the plot, and OH GOD THE characters are everything that makes this good book GREAT. If you have (or haven't) been looking for a new epic fantasy adventure, please PLEASE pick this up immediately so you can join in my fangirling and dying that there is no release date for book 2 yet!

I was completely and utterly enthralled and lost in this book. So much so that this was the first book to physically astound me into *shock* when I reached the end. (So be prepared, there is a DAMN cliffhanger). I have never actually had an instance when I reached the end of the book, turned the page and saw the word "Fin" and literally swore and screamed aloud that it was over, I was at the end, and that this COULD NOT BE HAPPENING!!!

This book is told in third person narrative and follows Princess Mara who is the Crown Princess of Delinval and niece to the current King Grathiel. She has been raised in a fairly isolated life with very few friends in her kingdom. Her 21st birthday is coming up and Mara knows this means she will soon be forced into an arranged marriage by her uncle. She can think of nothing worse and just wants to prove to her Uncle that she can be a good future queen without a husband by her side. On the night before her birthday, a group of Dreads (her kingdom's mortal enemy) infiltrate her kingdom and bedroom and kidnap her. Soon Mara finds herself thrust into a world of danger, filled with horrifying (and gross) dark magick creatures, corrupted dead lands and several mysteries about her past.

The world-building in this is next level. It feels like an old-school fantasy with a modern twist. There is a unique magic system, warring kingdoms with political intrigue. A rich complex but well-built history, a compelling world that is blighted by dark magic, nightmare-inducing magical creatures, and humans and immortals (which are basically Fae).

I do like Mara as the FMC. She only wants the best for her kingdom and is feisty when she needs to be. However, she did feel a little flat and lacking deeper substance. She spends a lot of the book trying to appear "strong and unaffected" by what she is experiencing. As a result, we don't see enough of her personality as she chooses to keep quiet over engaging with others.

I absolutely adored the side characters in this. They were well thought out, loveable, unique, and I really loved how I.A Taerian excellently captured the "found family" element. Their banter was the chef's kiss. You could feel their friendship through the page and it made you want to be one of them! I am talking "Lily Moscowitz" level best friends. I also really loved how "slow-burn" the friendship was with Mara and the band of "Kidnappers". It was a friendship that took time to develop and felt real, something brought on by trust and a need for survival it was also super cute, sweet but sad how they were basically Mara's first true friends she has ever had. . I did want MORE character development - this definitely ramped up as the book progressed but it was not really present in the start and as the plot moves VERY quickly there almost isn't time for character development.

The Relationship with Cyfrin... He is broody, sarcastic, whitty and (of course) ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I picture a young Geralt with his silver-white hair and scar on his face. There is tension between him and Mara but no actual steam(yet). The relationship between them is the very DEFINITION of the slowest of slow burns. I do think this book sets up nicely for the romance in the sequel.

I had originally put this at 4.5 Stars because there are a few things I believe could have been done better. There were a few instances of sentences that were repeated that the reader already knew, and given how short the book is (<400pg), repeating these seems redundant. I also felt that the action scenes in the "journey" part toward the end were also a little repetitive, and there might have been maybe 1 too many. Also, there was that slight lack of character development BUT the more that I think about this, the more those aspects diminish into the background and I keep coming back to how much I ENJOYED this, so I am pushing it to a FULL 5 STARS!

I also really liked the fact that I.A Taerian incorporated different pronouns into her writing. There is a character who identifies as "they/them" and seeing how easily their pronouns were woven in with "he/she" etc made me happy for the slight nod to inclusivity that more books need.

Overall I would HIGHLY recommend this book to ANYONE AND EVERYONE! Just go read it! It's amazing and it needs more people to experience the amazingness!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

↜⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒⭒↝

That wasn’t just a cliffhanger! That was….what???? It’s finished?

What the fuck?

Rtc

[Malicious May · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF🤧Terrible story &
Reading about someone with they/them pronouns was so jarring.

Update: I said what I said. Get over it. None of your comments will make me feel bad because I've done nothing wrong. Not wanting to read about non-binary people doesn't make me a monster. We all have preferences. My review is to let others know what to expect in case they also prefer not to read these kinds of books. By doing so, I'm also saving the author more 1-stars from people like me. Carry on, nerds.

[Janessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came highly rated and recommended by a few of my trusted book friends. For that reason, I pushed through to the finish. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me 😔

The book opens with Mara in and around her 21st birthday. It isn’t clear, because her uncle gives her a dagger as an early birthday gift but we find out later that she was born before the end of the war and the night he gifts the dagger is the night they’re celebrating the Dread Queen’s death by burning her effigy. This date confusion is minor, obviously, but I bring it up because the timeline for this entire book is extremely confusing and erratic. It begins with a month long journey where we have multiple chapters to describe one day, then skip ahead weeks. When we finally get to the forest, we skip ahead seven days, then gloss over 3 weeks of training, then a month in the woods for a trial. It’s needlessly confusing. In addition, at the end of the book, Mara is facing three trials. Why end the book after the first trial? Either include all 3, then leave the next book to cover the aftermath, or end this book before she begins the trials. It feels like I’m just missing a part of the book.

Mara is in the castle at the beginning for a hot minute, just enough time for us to learn she is the penultimate victim and deserves our pity. Everyone in the court hates her, she is sexually harassed by the men at court, the women all despise her and her parents are dead. Despite all of this, Mara loves her people and is determined to be a fair and just ruler. She is extremely loyal for reasons unknown.

Once we finally arrive at the protected/magic forest where we have all been anticipating THE RITUAL. The ritual that has been whispered about and has been hanging over our heads for the entire month long journey. It lasts about five minutes. There are no dire consequences. And afterward, Mara goes off to throw a hissy fit and destroy her bedroom like a petulant child instead of the queen she has been trained to be her entire life.

Following this 7 day period where she locks herself in her bedroom, she attends dinner with everyone and basically, in a single paragraph, recognizes her uncle never loved her and the only person who was ever halfway affectionate towards her was her tutor. So she just switches sides. Done. Trauma resolved. And then we suffer through a cringey speech about Mara joining “your fight, no OUR fight”. She’s literally been in her room for a week throwing blankets on the floor and suddenly she’s the queen and ally they’ve all been waiting for?

Additionally, the way she begins using her magic is lazy writing. Mara hasn’t had an inkling of magic her entire life and when she asks about being able to use it, they’re like, “it’s just a muscle. Give it a go.” So she trains for 3 weeks and can suddenly wield more powerful magic than some of the characters who have been at it for 400 years.

It felt like we were being told more than we were shown. Mara loves the friend group dynamic and finds herself jealous of their relationship. Okay, so show us their interactions, have the reader fall in love with them alongside Mara.

I know this hasn’t been the kindest review, but I promised to be truthful about all the books I read this year so I do need to point out another minor item: this book is riddled with typos. They are minor things like, “made her heart raced” or “didn’t like the look if her” but they are distracting.

Overall, the central conflict isn’t anything we haven’t seen (the dumb mortals opened a hellhole and now the pure and good immortals have to save everyone), but I’d overlook that for a good character-driven story. There are lots of interesting items in this story, they just didn’t come together to make a complete package.

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! The creatures, beings, people, and world were created with such thought behind each and every one of them I felt like every single interaction meant something and I should probably tab. The amount of foreshadowing already in this first book was awesome and I can’t wait for more.

The group of found family/friends were my favorite part of this book. The BANTER!!! Comedic relief and snuggle sessions filled this story and my heart swelled every time they interacted!

Oddly enough I didn’t care much for the FMC however the entire world, the magic system and of course the found family absolutely captivated me!

It starts off with a princess just trying to earn a place for herself within her court and avoid being married off to some prince somewhere. Unfortunately that doesn’t work out all too well since she is stolen from her kingdom in the night by a group of fearsome magic users from an enemy kingdom.

This princess soon faces monsters and magicks she has never known to exist. I personally appreciated that the monsters in this book were actual grotesque, horridly tainted creatures instead of just mediocre beings.

I am a Kain stan for life. In the wise words of Mandy, “he must be protected at all costs!”

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*+:｡.｡ Re-read: 5 STARS AND MORE. TAKE THEM ALL ｡.｡:+*

I'm obsessed 😭. Someone take this book away from me because I literally just finished it and I want to read it again bye. Everything about it is so genuine and I'll never not adore it and these characters 🥹.

I can't wait for the 3rd book in December 😩.

ALSO THE WAY I ALMOST PASSED OUT- IAT put my fanart (don't ask I'm literally doing sidequests with my life atm) for Mara ON HER MF WEBSITE HELLO??? I just about passed out:



It was my first time doing digital art and I will literally never do it again (I'm a painter through and through)- but her liking it was where I peaked in life. She was so sweet and her comments literally healed something in me. ok bye 😭.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

*+:｡.｡ Second-read : ｡.｡:+*

No, you don't understand- ever since I read this book for the first time and learned about this world, I legitimately have not been able to get it off my mind.

I don't have the words- this world is perfection. Genuinely one of my favourite fantasy worlds to ever be written. I AM IN LOVE. BYE, I'M GOING CRAZY I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

I feel like if you're a fan of pure fantasy and anything Middle Earth related you'll like this.

I'm so envious of the people who get to experience this for the first time it's not even funny. Re-reading this was such an amazing experience- to be able to connect all of the dots, and really appreciate the careful worldbuilding was so unbelievably satisfying.

Genuine perfection. I love these characters with all my heart and will forever believe that sentiment.

*+:｡.｡ Anyways, time for my Cyfrin tangent 🗿💦✨💖 ｡.｡:+*



The official character art has me just😭-




I WANT HIMMM 💀. I just fell to my knees.

This man, aka the legitimate love of my life, OWNS MEEEE BYE 😭. His character is just so complex and the way that he develops in this book and the next is crazy. He's one of my favourite characters ever. Yes, he is 700+ y/o but we all make sacrifices 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ (all the better if you ask me).

Also sidenote, I love Mara. I remember when I read this for the first time, it took me a bit to get attached to her character, but honestly reading this for the second time, I appreciate her so much. Everything she felt was so justified and made so much sense.

Anyway, I'm going to stop there because I could talk about this world forever. I truly think that it's one of those fantasy books that just does it right. It really leads you into the story in such an amazing way, and I'll forever be obsessed with it.

-=-

This is so random but I'm super big on D&D- and this world (I've said it before) genuinely feels like you're taking all the best elements of the game, with this war party and their adventures. Anyway, I'm about to start a new campaign and am shamelessly incorporating elements of these characters and this world into it. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do ✨.
-=-

*+:｡.｡ Quotes ｡.｡:+*

“If spilling my blood will help to mend your broken heart, then I happily give you my blessing to do so. But I can tell you from experience, it will not.”

“If that is your desire, princess. I am duty bound to ensure you have it.”

“Perhaps it is not our darkness that define who we are, but how we choose to rise from the ashes of our wreckage.”

“Must everything be so sarcastic with you, Lightcleaver? You’re far too handsome to be this irritating.”

“Cyfrin had never seen something so absolute in its beauty”

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
*+:｡.｡ Original read: ｡.｡:+*

Now this is what I call a good fantasy book.
-=- (4.5 stars) -=-

This one felt like 'Throne of Glass' but make it dungeons and dragons 😭 idk that's the best I could come up with lmao.

It's been such a long time since I've rushed to write a review after reading a book- and was overcome with the thrill of just writing down your thoughts.

Because let me tell you- this book was GOOD. You know that feeling when you just know that a book is going to be the one??

For me, that was the prologue. The prologue alone had such a storybook/ pure fantasy feel to it that managed to slowly introduce you to the world and lore in a way that didn't feel overwhelming- or contained a bunch of info dumping. It was such a nice introduction to the story, and immediately after reading it, I knew I was going to be hooked.

No, but guys the lore. GUYS THE LOREEEE. I've always been obsessed and in love with anything to do with fantasy, so to see an author do their world justice by the sheer level of detail going into it??? This was a well thought out world and it shows.

-=-

There were definitely points in the book where I was quite skeptical of the story. The beginning of the book just felt a bit easy to me, when I had read it? I don't really know how to explain it but when I was reading I felt like there wasn't really a buildup-

That mixed in with the fact that I wasn't the biggest fan of the heroine at the beginning (the author really nailed the ignorant vibes 💀).

But honestly, now having finished the book, I feel like the character development and story progression were genuinely really good. The first 50% of the book was nice in a general sense, but it was the last 50% that changed everything for me.

It was good. Like good as in I couldn't stop reading and stayed up until 7 in the morning good (yes my eyes are burning)💀.

-=-

The thing that I loved most about this book without a doubt had to be the writing. I can tell that this author just gets it. From the lore, to the imagery, to the monsters and characters?

I'm obsessed. This was just such a solid fantasy and I'm reeling with the fact that I only just found out about it 😭.

In terms of the romance, nothing romantic really happened, but the chemistry was there. I'm genuinely so excited to see how it develops in the next book because the chemistry was off the charts and the slow-burn vibes were immaculate.

-=-

To cut this short here are some random thoughts:

⁜ The found family vibes were everything to me
⁜ This cover as well as the official character art is just gorgeous
⁜ The D&D vibes were real and I'm living for it
⁜ The magic system and general lore of the world are everything
⁜ Mara (the h) made one of the best character comebacks imo/ great character development
⁜ Cyfrin is MY man.
⁜ This had some of the best side characters ever istg

--

There's honestly so much to be said about this book, but I'm going to leave it there because I really think it's one of those books that you should go into blind.

I'm HOPING that the next book lives up to this one 😭 because the setup for this series was genuinely so nice, and I'm going to be gutted if it's not. We have the potential for a new favourite series of mine on our hands 🙈🤧.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy freaking shit balls! This book! It consumed me-mind, body, and soul. Dug its claws into and didn’t let go. I was so absorbed into this world, that I forgot I was reading. I felt like I was plucked from the real world and placed inside Zenafrost with these characters. Why do I do this to myself?! I need to stop devouring book 1 before book 2 is out! This book was soooo good. A hidden gem. These characters are so likable and precious. The plot was interesting and unique. The world was fresh and so thought out. I need good banter in my books, and this delivered in every way. The buddy romance(Swoon!) and the tension! Be prepared to see it among my other consistent book recs. I cannot wait for the second books release…I can’t stop thinking about this book. I think a reread is already due.

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le sigh. This started out so good and then just got so boring and I really didn’t like how every single little detail was being explained as if it was off a list and not weaved into the story.

[Toria DiStefano · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll preface this saying that I DNF, so it's possible I simply didn't reach the good bits. However, I couldn't make myself keep reading after about the fifth chapter. The writing seems really...undeveloped- borderline campy. The fmc mentions several times that she's about to be 21 but her internal dialogue sounds more like she's 14. There is also no subtlety, no showing. Just telling. For me, writing style is everything so when it's so choppy and sounds almost like a recipe, I usually abandon the book. Beautiful book cover though!

[Mara Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

What in all ends was this

Omg, I wasn't expecting such a great book. I saw some friends on goodreads reviewing those book and got super intrigued, and let me tell you. IT. WAS. AMAZING. IT trespassed all the expectations I had.
The world building was so endiring and beautifully created. The city's, the history and tales, the monsters. They were so well described and written that I wanted to he apart of that world. Love to pieces the found family and especially the banter between the friends. It kept you entertained and made you connect with them. And Cyfrin 😭😍 my new baby and book boyfriend. He was such a precious big baby! I cannot wait for the second book. I wished I had it right her, right now.

[Faith · Rating 1 out of 5]

The MC infuriated me to no end. She’s just so dump, naive and gullible. I’m seeing people describing her as “brave”, “brazen” and “strong” in their reviews and I’m like WHERE????? This bitch is wet behind the ears.
I skimmed the last couple of chapters because I was so tired of the idiocy.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was good - it was really good.

The worldbuilding was really well-done and the monsters were unique and fascinating(ly terrifying), plus the author has put monster and character art up on their website, which is so cool and really helped me picture the world!!

And all the characters were so cool, our little found family was adorable and I’m so attached to everyone. Plus we love the non-binary rep!!
I adored our main character, her reactions to some seriously life changing reveals were neither overly dramatic nor unbelievably accepting, and she was so easy to root for!

And the romance… look, I was beyond invested. There actually wasn’t as much banter or enemies-to-lovers vibes as I expected, but I didn’t mind at all because I still loved the relationship between the MC and the love interest. Plus the bonus chapter from the love interest’s POV? I’m obsessed. I love a whipped man and look… all I have to say is that he’s the biggest simp, and I support.
Though do be warned - it is slowburn, the author did not lie!! And I mean SLOW burn. But I promise it’s worth it in the end…

This was honestly just so much fun, and while there were sections that did show that this is the author’s debut, overall it was pretty well-written!! I actually just finished the second book as well and I’m fully invested in this series now. Can’t wait to read more by this author!

[BeDazzling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just wasn’t it I guess. Off the top of my head I could name at least two or three other series with the exact same plot. Reading the reviews I was hoping for something unique and while the creatures and the world is completely new, the whole execution was just like every other similar type book.

I also had some problems with Mara. At the start I liked her. But then move onto after she gets kidnapped, she turned into a spoiled little brat. She was so annoying. I got second hand embarrassment so much I almost threw away my phone. I know that this is because she was raised this way and all that, so I really did try to give her the benefit of the doubt. I would’ve DNF-ed much much earlier had I not. But yeah I needed up reading/skimming the whole thing. And never once did I begin to like Mara again.

I want a smart and strong heroine. Not a dumb and spoiled one. Honestly I don’t think she used her brain once the entire time. Either she was saying stupid shit and running her mouth or letting someone else puppet her about. Not a single intelligent thought in this one.

Then theres the flow of the book. It was going rather well at the beginning. A one month trek through the lands: a couple hundred pages okay. But after they reached their destination I have no idea where the hell the time went.

Fist page we’re going through a depression week, next page three weeks of training has passed, and then next thing we know Maras shucked off to wander the woods a month after which she finally comes home. That might not be most exact summary but its got the gist.

It was like the author completely lost track of the flow. I don’t understand why, when this clearly isn’t a standalone, she had to end the book in the most awkward of ways. Okay Mara has to become a warrior but pass through four harrowing trials before that yadayada. So why in the world would you start the trials in this book if you dont plan on finishing it??

You’ll understand my frustrations if you read the part but then again thats like the last 10% of the book. Do you understand?? The LAST 10% of the book. The author started a whole new journey. A whole new ‘story’. This is usually where you cut off and start book 2. The flow is supposed to be smooth and constant. You don’t just cut off nowhere. You cant even call this a cliff hanger cause there was no cliff to hang over. It was just open land and suddenly you realise there’s an invisible wall in the middle.

Suffice to say I did not enjoy the book. I was very disappointed because I started off thinking ‘this is going to be my next 4/5 star read’, and this book just didnt hold up to the standards I had in my head. Maybe it’s my fault for having such high hopes, I dunno. All I can say for sure is I won’t be reading the next book. Good luck to all the other readers though. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If spilling my blood will help mend your broken heart, then I happily give you my blessing to do so."

This is a one POV book, told by the POV of Mara.

With Mara we get a strong, bad ass princess with loads of snarky comebacks. I really liked her personality and her loyalty towards the people and things she loved. I liked how she wasn´t naive and easily believed everything that was told her. What sometimes annoyed me a little bit, was how helpless she seemed to be in certain situations despite being trained.

I really loved El and I can see her and Mara becoming friends in the next book (at least I am hopeful of that). I like their little group and I can already sense the found family vibes for the next book in the series.

The plot itself I enjoyed a lot, although I have to say that the story feels kind of "short" due to the huge amount of traveling in this book. I think at least a good 40% are filled by them traveling, so it feels like the book is only "really" starting off at the 50% mark. The pacing itself is good, although it feels slow somewhen in the middle and takes off again when the reach their destination. I have to be honest and say that the romance in here felt a little bit off to me, which is due to the fact that he has known her as a baby....so it just feels a teeny bit weird to me. Regarding the romance, don´t expect any smut scenes in here or any spicy scenes whatsoever, (am hoping this will take off a bit in the next book) it´s a really slow slowburn. I really enjoyed the action scenes and all the different monsters; the world building is really good.

Overall it felt like a great "basis" for a series and I can´t wait for the second book to build upon the "basis".

trigger warnings: sexual assault (mentioned; not done by the love interest), torture, death/murder

[Kate | FocusOnYourShelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

just not a fan of the writing

[Rahil Is Booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why overrated books when underrated books exist?

Why genres when high fantasy exist?

I haven't been so engaged in a book in this way since, what? A week or something. And holy shit, when i started this, i had a feeling it'll be a new favorite. IJUSTKNEW.
I don't know why and how, but i always have a feeling about the books i read and i almost always know when a book will be my next jam (especially series.)

what can i say, I'm a risk taker and i love me an underdog. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But to explain what i experienced during my reading to this... man, you know when you ACTUALLY lose yourself in a book? Like, you forget your surroundings and basically life?
That's exactly what happened here.

It's such a rich world, with so much history, so much past and present.
Personally, i LOVE me a good written world building, and there was SO MUCH to this world.
I think this would be perfect for the fans of Lord Of The Rings. It just gave me the same vibe.
The story envelop you inside and hypnotize you. At the beginning the author tells the story of the past. But as you read a chapter after chapter, you get lost in the details.
I would say it was fast paced, but tbh i devoured the whole thing in a day, so i don't think I'm one to say.

Aaaanyway...
An amazing set up, where even if there's a lot in the background it gives you just enough to take in.
The ideal amount of excitement and action and energy but also joy and deadness and even satisfaction.
There's the perfect amount of everything.

To sum it all:
- Full of what feeds the curiosity.
- Has a big and an epic adventure.
- Creatures of all kinds and heroic battles.
- Perfect informative writing.
- Filled with emotions and heartfelt sensations.
- Characters. Love. Friendship.

And oh my God. If you know little about me, is that i love me a good set of bestfriends in my books.
I mean, yay romance! but friendship also counts double for me. I just LOVE the chaos the characters bring together!! And Rise Of The Dawnbringer delivered JUST. THAT.

Kain, Eleanora, Milios, Cyfrin and now Mara.

You guys OWN ME.
I. LOVE. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. YOU.
I lived for the dialogues between the lot, loved their banter and teasing but even more the way they care about eachother, and how they carry that as a daily routine.

“Feel free to change into those leathers.” he (Cyfrin) sat down next to Kain. “We promise not to look.”
“We do?” Kain joked.
El, still lying with her eyes closed, kicked Kain in the back, hard. He yelped when her heel made direct contact with his spine.
Meanwhile, Milios is like: 👁👄👁

As for the slow burn romance.
My god. Was it worth it!
Cyfrin my guy. Honestly, i don't know who to love more, but this guy broke into my heart and stole it.
Can Cyf get any better? Honestly! Adrian who?
The tension with Mara was escalating higher than the damned galaxy. Hotter than fire.
The way they glare at each other? The way he brings the dark side of her? The way she want to sniff the light out of him and strangle him to death?

SHE. HELD. A. SWORD. TO. HIS. THROAT.

AND.
HE.
LET.
HER.

I thought you guys should know.
What can i say more! A knife to the throat people!
You can't top that. You. Just. Can't.

“Tell me, princess. If I gave you a blade to arm yourself, would you not use it to gut me and my friends without hesitation?” He bent forward a fraction, leveling himself with her murderous stare. “Be honest, now.”
Mara clenched her fists at her sides, her teeth gritting. I would run you through the second my hand met the hilt, cocky bastard, she thought.

Very creative to come up with such a story, i applaud the author.
And it honestly excites me to know there will be more books in this world! Aaaaaa!!!!



first time reading: 19.10.2022
second time reading: 10.05.2022

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 4 out of 5]

just saw someone say the MMC gives Rowan energy and YES.

this was a solid first book for a new fantasy romance series, esp from an indie author. the prologue and somewhere around 50/60% has some info dumping, but it's not too terrible. it gets into the action of the book quickly from there with the first half being faster-paced. Mara (FMC) and Cyfrin (MMC) have some banter, but i think the author could lean into it even more. i love El, Kain, and Milios (shout out for the enby rep as well) with their found family.

i could mostly guess what the reveal was going to be (not the full extent), but i think any seasoned fantasy reader would but also wouldn't care, it's what we came for. it ends abruptly (not a cliffhanger per se) but has me running to the next book. i'm really interested to see where the story goes.

- interesting original lore / high fantasy
- faster pacing for the solid first 50/60%
- slowburn romance
- found family
- secret identity

“Perhaps it is not our darkness that define who we are, but how we choose to rise from the ashes of our wreckage.”

Cyfrin POV bonus chapter we always get the MMC's smell description, i think this is the first time i've read one of the FMC

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single character in this story through to the very end. Mara and Cyfrin are the cutest couple I just adore them to absolute bits. 😭 The world is also to well thought out and planned and just - I can't gush about it enough.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full RTC!

[Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zenoths be blessed, what a fantastic start to a series. What I loved most about this is the found family feeling I got when reading, the banter and love they have for eachother is 🫶🏼. I love love loved Cyfrin, and how he is portrayed in the book. His backstory was so sad, bless him.

If you are having doubts about reading this book, just take a look at the art the author has on her Instagram. Oh my looooooooord Cyfrin is gorgeous.

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I never thought I’d see the day were I loved a book that had BARELY any romance????? There’s a first for everything AND THIS WAS IT FOR ME. 🫶🏼 Enemies to friends and then 👀 I need it.

This was a great fantasy book that was definitely plot forward and had a dash of romance added throughout. I know it’s going to be explored in the next book FOR SURE and I cannot wait. Cyrin I see you!! 😏 I also loved the added bonus chapter at the end of the book from Cyrin’s POV - it had me squealingggg. The plot itself was incredible.

The found family aspect of this story is what really did it for me - the growth and development of the friendships
had my heart BEATING for Mara. 💖 The banter, compassion and support for her - I was dying! And laughing out loud. 😫 It was soso great!

I definitely recommend giving this a read, soso worth it. ⚔️🪓🕯✨ I have high hopes for this series!!!

[Neda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t usually mind third person narratives but this one was tough to read. The main character is incredibly unlikeable, despite being 21 she has the attitude of a 14 year old. Majority of her dialogue feels childish and over dramatic, especially when it’s accompanied by her stamping her foot or yelling that she’s a princess. The world building is interesting, things progress incredibly quickly and there’s a lot of action from the get go but the timing feels off. The first almost two thirds of the book take place during a month long journey but it read like a week long journey instead. Overall the characters don’t feel very fleshed out, neither does the plot itself.

[Teebs · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF cringe

[Mumen Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this was middle-grade fantasy it would almost get a pass for how juvenile it is, but still...

Worldbuilding would almost be interesting if it was properly used, but it's not. King Grathiel should have much more land than just his city, the world is so much bigger and he has no adversaries, just go to the forest man. The accurate folklore Fae are interesting, yet they are used so lazily for exposition that they barely seem to matter. The power system is barely mentioned and not anywhere near properly. The factions at play are all hiding in their respective city so it's quite hard for them to have proper impact in the story, making then extremely reactive. The Delinval soldiers seem to be all extremely weak, like the many who get slaughtered by our merry band of heroes or instances like this:

your technique, years outdated. A reflection of your teacher, not your talent. But with the right guidance…” He shrugged. “I think you could have real promise, your highness.”

Mara was flabbergasted that so much of her training seemed to pale in comparison to the Odelian warrior’s basics.

And you guys still lost? Hat's off to the humans, honestly they deserved their victory (also, knife tecniques don't evolve).

Speaking about the training

But the final and most difficult challenge is the trial aboard Drake’s ship, the Red Froth. The strongest Hopefuls board with him, and they depart on the Brisenbane for an entire month away.” He grimaced, all four of them gazing across the water with strained expressions. “Some don’t make it back alive. The ones who do, Zenoths rest our aching hearts, get to join Caerani’s ranks.”

So, the most important trial to get accepted in the LAND ARMY is a month at sea? Do you people eat pizza with a spoon?

That said, all the evil lands are cartoonishly evil looking and the good guy's village is fairy tale-ishly wonderful, expecially since they are supposed to be refugees.

Plot is so completely random... half of it is a sequence of "hey a new place, oh here's a monster, hey, new place aaaand here's a monster, hey, new place..." you get the poin, every new location has a random encounter with a completely random fight scene just to have the semblance of something happening while we fake character development. The second part is a training montage where we pretend that we made friends already, while actually none of that was accomplished. Look at progressions like these:

Cyfrin reached out to Mara. She took his hand without hesitation.

Why thought? The Ylastrian or whatever they're called might be icky and creepy, but they will return you home, yes it's not 100% certain they will, but it is very likely since they proposed it first. The Dreads will NOT return you, they will do ANYTHING BUT return you home, probably sacrifice you.

“This is not forever. You’ll be back to the great vastness of our journey again in no time.” Cyfrin said, in a soft tone that made Mara’s face feel warm.

She stared up at it, awestruck. He had bloody cuts across his face and neck, the picture of a warrior in battle. His glowing eyes dropped down to her.

It was reassuring having him there, and she cursed herself for thinking it.

Oh we're going FULL Stockholm, huh? While he has yet to do anything to earn your trust, let alone your love. Like come on, he has saved you from dangers HE put you through, sure she SAYS as much, but then she's still hooked.
That said, the problem is all the encounters generating this "growth" are completely random and would have been much better if they were things they NEEDED to do, rather than things happening TO them. This continues once Mara goes through the Forest Trial (random monster, new place, random monster...)

Speaking of Mara, her Character is so fucked up i dont even need to do a summary and i can just show you a selection of quotes and thoughts from her:

For a moment, she was wildly tempted to scream through his hand regardless, to show him she wasn’t a woman to be commanded.

Okay i can't believe i have to explain this, but doing something, expecially something extremely dangerous that will get you killed (such as attracting the attention of a deadly creature) is NOT the sign of a strong and independent woman, it means you're a child, doing something just out of spite, since you have no idea consequences exist and people say things for a reason

Lady Lenorei had treated her with any kindness when her uncle wasn't looking. Though she never showed it and pretended to be unbothered by what they all thought of her

Yeah maybe if you DID anything to those who wronged you, like talking to your uncle and having them punished (i believe you can do that yourself even, since any guard will listen to a direct order from the crown princess) maybe those bad things would've stopped happening to you. If there are no consequences there's no reason to stop. If there are, people will think twice before doing bad things.

“Follow Kain and El into the wood. Milios and I will handle this.”

No, take one of the horses and run back to your kingdom. Why are you listening to your captors?

“He said…he said it didn’t matter how I was brought back. He said my uncle didn’t care, that he thought I was an enemy to our crown, that he had ordered…”

The captors you seem to trust so much said those men were corrupted going through a pass. Now, you don't know what "corruped" exactly means, but it is easy to assume those are NOT, in fact, the same people who chased after you at first. Meaning there is no reason for you to believe anything they say is true. She SAYS as much right after, but it's clear she doesn't believe that, when she should.

THEN she says this:

What if, by some final blow of my own sour luck, uncle really did issue that order? What if he truly believes me to be a traitor to the crown? Is Delinval still my home then?

Like, if you DIDN'T believe it to be the case, why did you say so to El? Why did you listen to Cyfrin? Why didn't you fucking take a horse? Well we needed the plot to move forward.

They hated her reckless tongue, and forward thinking. Her prowess with a sword was nothing but a shameful mark on her family name, and her foolhardy dreams of adventure were a point of great mockery to the nobles.

Where the fuck is all of this coming from? You said it was because your ears were weird, hello? Did we forget to characterize her and now that we remembered we're doing it in the introduction of our new settings so we can contrast the evil court of our uncle to the idillic village over here?

“All our words will be twisted at once by your hatred. You’ll need to see it for yourself.”

Whatever you show her can be manipulation too, you know?

it was a trick, magick made to fool her. It had to be.

Yeah, as i said, it can easily be, you know nothing of what their powers actually are, if they can bring back memories (which by the way, that's not even a proper memory since it's NOT in the POV of anyone, so it's more like a recreation) they surely can create illusions. This is not proof of anything.

“You. How dare you? What sort of game are you people playing at, trying to convince me that I’m one of you? What is there to gain from this?!”

No, no girl. I told you don't trust them, not to TELL THEM you don't trust them. Test them in a field that they can't have set up before, see what these peole are when their values clash: first thing that comes to mind is ordering them to surrender all of their people to your uncle, will they adhere to your wishes or will they prioritize the wellbeign of their people? Who will blindly side with you based on your divine right and who will not? Then attack BOTH sides, one because they don't care about their people and one because they think they can rule better than you, rule in your place, sow seeds of discord between the two factions and see their hastly made explaination betray their true colors. It's YOUR court, YOU decide who stays and who goes, why? Because you're responsible for these people's wellbeing, so you choose your team and discard those who will try to alter your comands for their own benefit. And you even have reasons, like actual reasons to surrender to the king, since you could barter your people for the crown of Delinval, meaning once your uncle passes you will reunite both kingdoms. Come on you lived twenty-one years in court and you haven't even learned this?
Of course you can do many things, not necessarely as drastic as this one, but COME ON, you have all the power, TAKE ACTION.

I would expect nothing less than iron will from the daughter of Alora.

THAT'S an iron will? The first thing to ask her is "what were your and my mother's mistakes in handling the Great War?", if her answer is something along the lines of "we trusted men to be honorable" or anything similar, laugh in her face and dismiss her from her duties as general, maybe tell her to come back to the military when she grows a spine.

“Why did my uncle… Why did Grathiel send his men to retrieve me? If I am not of his blood, if he kept me merely as a prisoner or a pet, then why did he try so hard to get me back?”

“Caerani’s guess is that he views you as his property. Property that we’ve stolen from him. Drake thinks it’s just because he’s a greedy bastard.”

The mere fact that none of them even entertains the possibility of Grathiel caring for you, even when you're the daughter of the love of his life, as well as the one he raised himself, should tell you everything you need to know about these people, it should ring MAJOR alarm bells: they don't consider their enemies to be capable of love.

“That’s the Grand Halls. It’s hosted every Odelian royal to ever walk these lands, plus their court.”
"Empty now then, isn’t it"

Bhahahaha, honestly funny, but where was THIS the entire month long journey? She should've said something like that like ten times by now. It's like the only good dialogue she has.


And what about the other characters? Well, Cyfrin is a weirdo creep, since he's like nine hundred years old in love with a child he basically left yesterday as a newborn and met again at 21 years old (since he's been spending the last twenty years drinking, nothing really has happened for him, he saw her as a newborn, the next time he was basically in love with her, ew) also, dialogue please

“I drank myself into nothingness, I shoved away everyone I’ve ever cared about, I hurt anyone who tried to help. I wasn’t deserving of any of them.”

Is there a lethal dose of cringe? Cause this man HAS TO BE straddling the line. But what are his features? Like, why do we like him? Well: he's hot, he...hum...makes fun of us...? And he is a specialist in self destruction, meaning he's in prime position to help us build ourselves back after the delusion fell off, which honestly is the one thing I can appreciate in this book, however the execution of it once again falls flat since it's all too quick AND all too dramatic at the same time (closing ourselves into our room and all that, while it takes one outing with people you barely know for it to be allright)

Elanora, Kain and Milios are fine as long as they interact all together, but Kain's the only good one by himself. El is the "standard friend" and i mean that in the worst possible way, she has no real distinct feature other than her power set and only shows any particular emotion when paired with Kain. Kain is the funny outgoing stupid friend and YES, IT IS a very common trope, but that's for a very solid reason you see: it works. Milios is detatched from everyone and doesn't really have anything to do in the story, meaning they're there for non-binary representation, honestly. Like, they do nothing ouside of action scenes and group activities.

What about the others? Like the very evil king Grathiel? Well we don't really know his real character since this book only decided to tell us about him through a narration that rivals North Korean propaganda videos in terms of bias. BUT he has the best line in the book:

“There are things expected of you, Mara. Of every person privileged enough to wear a crown. And it is seldom easy to do what we must. You know this.”

Holy based.

What about Mara's mother? Well it seems she loved her people very much, heh

“Your mother loved her people and honored her duty as their Queen. She would do anything for them. For you.”

Well, except marry Grathiel, apparently. Yeah "loving your people" then not making reasonable sacrifices for them (yes, your happiness for the lives of your entire kingdom IS a reasonable sacrifice, one a just ruler should embrace with open arms, with great power comes great responsability, and if you're not ready to make personal sacrifices, you don't deserve that crown)

"Your grandfather was a drunkard, your father was a Champion for our enemies, and your mother, ha! Your mother was nothing but a cosmic failure. Their inability to use their power to rule over these lands led us to our ruin."

I mean, I don’t know about the grandad and father since this is the first time i've heard this, but her parents failing to push back Grathiel when they had so much power is indeed a big nono if you want your child to keep ruling.

As far as Caerani the general, well, she has failed everything she's tried to do, from protecting the queen, to defeating the Delinval armies, to defending the newborn Mara. Even when she tries to sway Mara to her side with the true story of the war, it's cartoonishly black and white. Despite her many failures, it seems she not only holds all the power in the Hidden Village, but she is able to block all attempts from other nobles to institute AT LEAST a regent. Wow, a militaty leader holding all the power and we're supposed to cheer for her? Also:

Caerani looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure we have an exactly quite yet. We have an end game, but the getting there is still fuzzy.”

Great, whose idea was it to make you someone who gives orders to anyone in any way, shape or form?
Lastly, she KNOWS she had mere months to have everyone ready for war and decides the best course of action is training the new Queen as a footsoldier? What the hell? How about you have her study...you know...HOW TO ACTUALLY RULE?

“Perhaps it is not our darkness that define who we are, but how we choose to rise from the ashes of our wreckage.”

Wohoo, themes, but that's not nearly enough. You haven't earned any of that, so no points for it.

[Evita · Rating 2 out of 5]

The entire first half is just Mara reacting to danger, getting saved from danger, lamenting about how she constantly has to keep being saved and then being saved again. From the very first moment the MMC is there to swoop in. Every time I was just waiting for her to proof herself. We had the whole "best swordsman of her country" for a reason right? NO.

I do not mind a "weak" FMC. I actually prefer it to the over powered bad-ass FMC. But maybe don't introduce your FMC as the best swordsman of her city with a flaming temper and then let her resolve into a blumbering stumbling mess. The fact she was self aware about it didn't help with my annoyance level.
I cannot stress how much the beginning bothered me. Its not only that she just wins a contest with noblemen it is really hammered in that the men she wins against are competent. Yet there she is a half book later needing to be taught the very very basics of swords fighting. Why not make her weak from the beginning? At least the improvement would have meant something.
Anddd the love interest was constantly growling and foaming at the mouth while doing the "did they hurt you?". Even as veteran lover of that trope it left me cold. You need to have an actual build up for those moments to matter. Another thing that was so disappointing. It was too rushed at some points too drawn out at others. One moment they were head over heels another they despised eachother.

This really read like a debut novel. As in sooo much potential, but so much left to be improved. Also by lord this book could've used an editor. For all the spelling mistakes alone.
The world building and the characters were extremely engaging. I wouldn't have finished this book other wise. But the pacing, and character development was just sooo wack. We skip days, weeks in chapters then we spend 3 chapters on 1 day. The first half of the book is a journey were they just stumble upon monsters, every single one for some reason the scariest and worst Mara has ever seen. Even as I enjoyed the monster fighting I kept wondering when we would get to the plot. The plot wasn't in a hurry though.

For the things that kept me reading despite my incredibly high annoyance levels.
I loveeeeee an assemble cast! Especially with the whole DND party vibe these characters have going for them. (Like you obv have the big beefy beserker, the halfling poison mage, the half elf Mage, the elf druid, the rogue"
But you give me a friendship group with distinct characters an I'll eat that shit up. Of course I loveeed Kain and El's lil love story, Milios as the 3000s year old parental figure and the slightly depressed rogueish flirt.
This book was fanfictiony AF. Especially at the times Cyfrin's personality did a 180 to be the growling protective Alpha-rawr-male the author so desperately wanted to write. She should have just kept him the flirty alcaholic.
Also side note, the alcaholism in this story is kind of just not explored at all lol. I don't mind that much but it just seems silly to just drop that in and then do nothing with it.
Mara's character... She had so much potential it kills me. I'm always down for a feral FMC. Especially one that's so incompetent as her lol. Not to sound like a broken record but the beginning just ruined her for me.

[KMart Vet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Mara starts off as the expected heir to the throne but soon finds herself thrown into a world far beyond the kingdom's walls. Kidnapped by a mysterious group of strangers and exposed to the horrors outside her sheltered life, Mara begins to unravel a much darker truth about her past and the dying world surrounding her kingdom.

I really enjoyed Mara’s journey of self-discovery. She is pretty naive in the beginning and soon discovers that things aren't as they seem. Watching her shift her perspective as her backstory is slowly revealed was one of the best parts for me. It’s always satisfying when a character has to question everything they’ve ever known, and Mara’s evolution was compelling. The found family dynamic is also a huge highlight—this crew of characters had great development and brought a lot of heart to the story. The witty banter and the little side romance within this group added charm, while the nightmare creatures roaming the world were incredibly eerie and fascinating.

However, I did feel like the book had some pacing issues. While the beginning and end were strong, the middle section lost momentum. Some of the character decisions didn’t always feel earned or logical. The logic behind certain plot developments felt a little shaky at times, which made it harder to stay fully invested in those sections.

That said, the overall experience was still enjoyable. Rise of the Dawnbringer is filled with diversity, including the use of different pronouns, which I loved seeing in a fantasy setting. The twist at the heart of the story is intriguing, and Mara’s journey clearly has a lot of potential as the series continues.

While the pacing and plot logic could have been tighter, I’m glad I read it. It’s not without its flaws, but there’s enough here to make it a fun and engaging read.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook, 3.75 Stars!