Kovan is a Sage and was tasked with taking down the magic dampening field, but when he falters and decides to be whisked away by a dragon into the Sanctuary, he meets Tasa, a null. And stays with her to learn how to live without magic.

This was a very cozy and romantic read. Very quick, but gave me all the cozy, fuzzy feels I love, plus a grumpy dragon and a grumpy Sage along with a rather sunshine-filled female MC made for an entertaining read! Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, and this book delivered.

Even the cover gives cozy feels! I love that this is a prequel introducing us to a world and some characters in future books that I look forward to reading one day! I especially need those books since this didn’t expound much on the world, but I’m sure later books will have more detail. This seemed like a nice introduction to the world and the characters.

Definitely check this one out if you love cozy fantasy romance reads!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thankyou to netgally for providing me with an arc.

This prequel was so cute and I found both characters were really enjoyable to read about. With it being so short the relationship moved quickly, however the author done this really well.

The writing style was great and really easy to read. I am interested to see how the main trilogy plays out.

3.5 stars

With dragons, magic, and corruption comes conflict, yet this cozy fantasy prequel focuses on growth and healing instead of the darker side of power struggles. If you're needing a dose of positivity, this is a quick and easy read that will leave you feeling hopeful.

Kovan is the Sage of Resolve, but his sense of self crumbles when faced with a task that doesn't seem quite right. After escaping with the help of Zan, a powerful dragon, he is left full of doubt and without any understanding of how the world truly works. Luckily, he meets Tasa, an ADHD coded character who is fighting her own issues with self worth and healthy boundaries. Together, they might just figure things out...

This is a love at first sight story, and while it definitely feels a little rushed and shallow at points, I didn't really mind as it was so sweet and genuinely uplifting. Yes, it's saccharine. Yes, it's overly simplifying the daily battles of ADHD. Yes, the plot is basically nonexistent. But it is such a lovely experience all the same.

I will say the switch to the spicy scene 75% in felt really jarring. It was as if it belonged to a totally different book. I like how it fed into both of their worries though and helped build further trust in one another.

I'm intrigued to see what the new series will be about and how it will develop. I'm curious about the world as a whole as the power dynamics between the priests, dragons, and 'normal' people were hinted at and seem a bit complicated. I also can't wait to see the relationship between Zan and Yara - and hopefully there are continued appearances from Tasa and Kovan too as I really liked their characters!

Reading The Quiet Side felt like stepping into a calm, quiet world where every small moment counts. The story isn’t about big events or fast action, but about two people slowly finding each other and learning to trust in a gentle, realistic way. I appreciated how the characters felt human and a bit awkward, which made their connection feel honest and relatable. The peaceful mountain setting added a cozy touch that suited the tone perfectly.

That said, I did find the pace quite slow, and it took me a little time to get comfortable with the writing style. The focus on dialogue and introspection means it’s not for everyone, if you prefer something more dynamic, this might feel a bit flat. Still, for those who enjoy a quiet, thoughtful romance with depth, it’s a sweet, warm read. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the early copy; this didn’t change my true opinion.

When the Sage of Wrath creates a magical dampening field, Kovan, the Sage of Resolve finds himself in the Quiet when he puts his trust in a Dragon. He is completely lost as he has no experience in taking care of himself and doesn’t know how to perform even the most basic of tasks, leaving him feeling hopeless and useless, which is in direct contrast to his magic. Luckily, he finds refuge with a Null named Tasa who is willing him to teach him how to survive in this new world.

Tasa has her own insecurities, as a Null she is without magic and nullifies magic around her, making her an outcast in this world. But with the dampening effect place on the island by the Sage of Wrath, she has an advantage for the first time and with her generous spirit she willingly offers to teach Kovan how to fend for himself.

I am torn about this book, while is a sweet story of healing and mutual support, I didn’t like the dual First-Person Narrative and didn’t feel as if the author gave me a clear understanding of the world or the romance she was building. I realize this is a prequel to a new series, but I felt like the author missed an opportunity to draw me in to this magical world. Overall, it was an OK read, and while I didn’t care for the writing style, if you like FPN, you might like this book more than I did.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Looking for a cozy romantasy with a hint of spice? The kind that will have you kicking your legs up in bed and squealing? This is the book for you. Not only is it such a good story but it actually has quite a bit of messages/advice. As someone with ADHD I felt like I could relate to the FMC always getting distracted. However this book proves this isn’t a weakness. I truly loved this book and am excited for the next one.

Thank you to Casey Blair, Victory Editing, and Netflix Galley for this ARC book!

⭐️- Worldbuilding
What a world! The aspect of an avatar for the gods’ divine vessel was so compelling to me. The use of “Sage” and “Learned” honorifics are well utilized, and I enjoy the priesthood foundation of the story. I was also interested in the idea of nullifying magic. I thought the concept was something to definitely continue fleshing out! Overall, I know the point of the story is the romance, but I would’ve loved some more of the world building aspects. The magic system is so wonderfully unique, that I wish we could’ve learned more about the world, the priesthood, the specific specialties of the characters, and so on. Learning that this is a prequel to a series coming out later, I’m eager to pick up the next series and learn more!

⭐️- Character Development
Overall the characters are very enjoyable, especially in their given circumstances. That being said, some of the characters tend to rush through their emotions so quickly. I felt like I was watching a speed run of fighting to lesson learning in the span of a few pages. However I think there’s such a quality of raw humanness to it, that it did not so much bother me. The dynamic between these two characters was overall extremely healthy, and something I wish we saw in more romances. I really appreciated that these characters were not toxic towards one another, generally wanted the best for each other no matter what stage in their relationship they were, and were not possessive of each other in a harmful way. Especially in a shorter story like this, the pacing of the relationship was stellar.

⭐️- Plot
Something that I took away from this book was that nothing is an exact science. You can’t measure emotions, nor bread! You must keep trying for what is right for you. This book had a lot of great imagery surrounding growing a seed, and how you must plant a seed to begin anew. I think this is the exact perfect imagery for the book. I also think this book does a decent job with establishing a plot as well as a romance. I just felt the plot was a little lacking considering the amount of effort with the romance. That isn’t a bad thing at all, especially given the nature of the book!

⭐️-Writing
The author’s voice is strong! I just know it is just a bit much for me personally. It isn’t a bad thing, I just know there is a very wide audience who would very much so enjoy it! It’s also a first person narrative which has always been a sticking point for me, and likely contributed to my feelings on the matter. That being said, the author has some profoundly beautiful quotes within the book that had me setting my phone down a moment to appreciate it. The sweet bits of romance were tender and endearing, and felt they did well to compliment the characters involved. On the other hand, although I knew going into it that this might be a steamy book, I didn’t think it was necessary at all. The book itself reads as teen romantasy, that the sexual encounter comes completely out of left field. Overall, a very enjoyable book nonetheless!

Thank you again for the ARC book! It was such a pleasure to read.

This is such a wholesome and short prequel that focused on our two main characters journey to find their purpose, believe in themselves, and try to build a life together.

The Positive: I really liked the magic, character growth, and the cozy warm feelings that this story gave! I also really love the idea of the sanctuary 🥹🐉🪄

The Negative: I did struggle a bit getting used to this writing style, and in the beginning I found the characters to both be frustrating.

Overall my reading experience was a good time and I look forward to exploring this world more in the rest of the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

🖤Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

This prequel really got me excited for the main book, which is set to release in 2026. After reading the first chapter, I was eager to understand the world and magic system better. I especially enjoyed watching Kovan go through the different stances.

As the story progressed, I realized the focus was much more on the relationship between Kovan and Tasa, and how both of them dealt with personal struggles and insecurities. At first, I was a little disappointed by the shift in focus, but by the end of the novella, I found myself genuinely looking forward to the full novel, where I hope the world-building and magic system will play a bigger role.

Overall, it was a solid love story, with a nice mix of humor and emotion. Due to the short length, the relationship developed quickly and without major conflict, but it was still enjoyable.

What stood out to me most was the author’s writing style—which is rare for me to notice. Normally, I don’t pay much attention to how a book is written unless it’s distracting. But I really appreciated how The Quiet Side was written, especially the way the protagonists’ thoughts were portrayed. Their inner conflicts, touched with a sense of quiet resignation, felt refreshing. It made me care about Kovan and Tasa right from the start.

7 out of 10.

The review is lready posted on my Instagram (@mariasreadingjourney), Goodreads and Storygraph, and will be online on Amazon after the publication date on July 08 2025

A very cute, short prequel novella full of sweet moments, character development and personal discovery

I rather enjoyed the story and how our characters help each other discover more about themselves - that theyre more than others have led them to believe.

Its a very sweet book.

I’m so conflicted with this one — what typically would’ve taken me a day to finish, took me a few days because I couldn’t connect with the writing or the story itself.

It was a short read with two MCs who didn’t believe in themselves but they believed in each other and managed to build a life together in a cozy little cottage while learning how to bake bread and other forms of survival. There’s a dragon, sages, priests and orbs of magic. It’s sweet and can feel a bit like a warm blanket on a rainy day type of read but also came across awkward to me. The romance bit wasn’t there for me, giving that the entire timeline of this was all within a day of meeting but I’m hoping their story gets a bit more love and attention in the next books of the planned trilogy.

💌 Thank you NetGalley, Casey Blair & Victory Editing for the eARC!

The Quiet Side is a prequel to a new series and definitely gets you interested. The writing is almost like poetry, the sentence structure lends itself to short bursts of emotion and beauty. After sometime I got used to it, I have read books by this author before and this is definitely a new style for them.
It’s a cozy isolated setting that our characters find themselves together in. The romance is sweet and chemistry flowing. I enjoyed the Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic. The cozy was brought in with the mundane activities, like baking bread. But alongside this there are dragons and destructive priests. Overall I thought this book was about finding yourself and your people, which was lovely to read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

So cute! The Quiet Side is an adorable cozy fantasy. I’ll admit it took me a little while to get used to the writing style and fully invest in the story. But once I was in, I was all in.

The MMC is the Sage of Resolve. He’s tasked with something that shakes his resolve, and when given the chance to leave the priesthood, he takes it. Along the way, he meets the FMC, a neurodivergent null who is the town outcast.

Together, they work to find a solution to both of their problems.

The Quiet Side is a prequel to an upcoming fantasy trilogy, and I’m so excited to learn more about the Sage of Wrath and a certain dragon.

Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Blair, and Victory Editing for the arc in exchange for an honest and timely review!

The Quiet Side is the kind of story that feels soft and comforting but also sneaks up on you with real emotion. I was hooked once I figured out how the priesthood, sages, and mentors all worked—it took me a few pages, but totally worth it.

Kovan, blessed with divine power but totally useless at normal life, was so endearing. And Tasa, shunned for having no magic, living in her little self-built cottage—she was instantly relatable. Their bond grows in such a natural, quiet way. No cheesy big declarations, just little moments of trust and baking bread together (which I loved).

Even though the themes get heavy—faith, disillusionment, loneliness—it never felt bleak. The writing is so warm and grounded, it just made me want to curl up and keep reading. Now I’m dying to see how this world expands in the trilogy… especially the dragon hints! Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a great cozy fantasy, the world building in the story was really well done and opens up for the rest of the series, so much can be done with it. But I really liked the main characters, Kovan and Tasa were both really relatable especially with the way neurodivergence is portrayed. The story is just so calm and cozy in what seems to be a world that isn't that way. Again I'm excited to see what happens from here.

I was intrigued by this for its promising premise and cozy fantasy vibes. While the story had some strong moments, the writing style took some getting used to. The sentence structure and punctuation felt a little uneven at times, which made it a bit hard to follow at first. But as the story progressed and I got used to the writing style, things started to come together.

The pacing leaned heavily on dialogue over action, so it was a little slow moving. But this is as a cozy fantasy prequel novella under 200 pages, that was to be expected.

What I enjoyed:
I loved that this was a story about self discovery and a journey to find true purpose. This showed us that it is okay to question things you’ve previously believed. People change when their lived experiences change, and that’s okay.

I didn’t love the characters at first - they were both a little frustrating. But I will admit they grew on me over time and their romance was sweet - although a bit rushed. But again this was a novella, so it makes sense. They were both a bit quirky and awkward, which was a cute touch.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The Quiet Side is cozy, quiet, and full of emotional tension. I liked it a lot, but the romance didn’t fully work for me. Kovan and Tasa’s connection felt more like intense obsession than genuine chemistry, especially early on. They’d swing from admiring each other to arguing, and it made it hard to buy into their relationship at first.

That said, once the story settled, I found myself really enjoying how both characters slowly started to unpack their pasts. Kovan’s struggle with control was super relatable, and Tasa’s guardedness made a lot of sense given her backstory. Their individual arcs had more impact than the romance, honestly.

The setting was a win though. There was mountains, soft moments, emotional growth, and dragons! I’m really excited to see what the rest of the series will be like.

I’ll be honest, when I first started the book, the dynamic between Kovan and Tasa felt a bit much. Their immediate intensity came off more like obsession than curiosity, which made it harder to ease into their connection. They’d flip from mutual admiration to sharp-edged conflict so fast it gave me whiplash. That emotional whiplash wasn’t always believable, but then again, relationships aren't always tidy.
That said, once I settled in, I found myself unexpectedly drawn to both of them. Kovan, with all his quiet strength and practical thinking, felt like the embodiment of control, except when it came to figuring out where he fit in the world. Watching him wrestle with the weight of other people’s expectations versus his own voice felt deeply personal. I’ve been there. It hit.
Then there's Tasa, stubborn, independent, almost allergic to vulnerability. She’s so used to surviving on her own that accepting help feels like weakness. And yet, it’s in that hardened exterior that we see her unravel, slowly, beautifully.
What really made their story shine for me wasn’t the drama or the romance, but the raw, almost painful way they saw the best in each other, while being completely blind to those same qualities in themselves. There’s something tender about that, something real. Watching them begin to unpack those old, self-inflicted wounds together was honestly my favorite part.
And I haven’t even mentioned the setting, dragons and cozy vibes? That combination is an absolute win. You get softness wrapped in scales and fire, and somehow, it works.
I’m seriously looking forward to the rest of the series. Will it stay safe and soft? Or are we headed for darker skies? Either way, I’m buckled in, I won’t be missing a page.

The opening chapters were initially captivating, but the heavy emphasis on domestic roles and identity became a bit overwhelming with Kovan internalizing a sense of inadequacy compared to Tasa's perceived competence.

Where was the magic? The story hints at a world brimming with magical possibilities, but these elements remain largely implied rather than actively explored. This is undoubtedly a cozy fantasy romance. However, its exploration of gender roles feels stereotypical, rather than a fresh or insightful take.

This was a really intriguing preview of what's to come in the larger universe the author is building. It introduces one of the main characters from an upcoming trilogy set 500 years in the future, and now I’m even more curious to see how the events in this story will tie into the next series.

I’ll admit, I had to reread the first few pages to get a handle on who the priests, sages, and mentors were and how they all fit into the world. But once I understood, I was hooked.

Both Kovan and Tasa were compelling characters. Tasa’s guilt over her null ability and how it affected her village made her feel isolated and alone, while Kovan’s sense of duty to the empire brought its own internal conflict. Both characters felt torn between obligation and finding out how they fit in. It was really sweet seeing them learn to lean on each other and be their own cheerleaders. I’m usually not a fan of insta-love because I prefer seeing the relationship grow naturally but in this story, Blair managed to pull it off. Kovan and Tasa's self-awareness about how quickly their feelings were developing—and their willingness to admit how unusual that was—is something rarely acknowledged in fantasy romances, which made it especially refreshing.

If this is just the starting point, I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds in the full trilogy. Definitely a solid setup with lots of potential.