“Balance the Scales… As Above So Below….”

The Seventh Sister is book one of the The Strattarian Chronicles by M.A.Brown. And is a 4.75 ⭐️ read.

This is a fast pace, and plot driven, dark romantasy you could fall in love with. I found myself captured from the first chapter and the hold didn’t let go until the last word!

It’s a new world, with lore to learn, and worlds too. However, I found it was easy to take a hold of and follow.

The casting of Jacci Prior is in my eyes Chef’s kiss! Their voice and the talented way they could make all the characters come to life in my mind added to the pleasure of the story too,

Warning this book does leave us all on a cliffhanger and you like me will want more I’m sure!

Favourite Quote: “The edges of my heart, jagged and raw, sliced into my meat and bone with each best. Bleeding me to my death, slowly from a wound that no one could see, so no one could fix.”

Spicy Level - 🌶️

Why are we randomly doing yoga in this book?

So this was just plain boring, I hate to say. When writing a book, you really have to ask yourself “will my readers care about any of this?” and unfortunately I found myself not caring one bit. Our main character had more chemistry with the TUBERS she was growing than the two love interests and the plot dragged for 12 hours. Other than the massacre at the beginning of the book (which Ertha doesn’t even see because she is hidden in her cell) and the stand off at the very end, nothing really happens. Anything exiting all takes place off page.

I just kept waiting to become invested in the character and the plot only to be let down time after time. This was just really lack luster. I think if the author sits down and fleshes out her characters more and puts some action on the page, we might have something. But as it currently stands, I won’t be continuing with this series.

And a quick note on the audiobook, I like the idea of putting music in to add to the atmosphere HOWEVER playing that same song at the begging of each chapter really started to drive me insane. Good idea, poor execution.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me.

While the premise of The Seventh Sister had potential, the execution felt too predictable. The story heavily leaned on well-known tropes—particularly the enemies-to-lovers arc—and didn’t bring enough originality or surprise to stand out. I often had the feeling that I had read this same storyline before, just with slightly different names and settings.

The romance also didn’t convince me. It felt formulaic, and I could easily anticipate the supposed twists. The stakes never truly pulled me in, and I struggled to stay emotionally invested in the characters or their journey.

One personal note: I found the inclusion of songs and music within the audiobook very distracting. While I understand this can enhance the atmosphere for some listeners, in this case the singing felt awkward and out of place, taking me out of the story rather than adding to it.

That said, I fully acknowledge that reading experiences are subjective. It’s possible I wasn’t in the right mood for this book or didn’t connect with the tone in the way others might. I hope it finds its audience among readers who enjoy familiar fantasy tropes and lighter romantasy plots.

“Healing is blind.” What would it be like to save the enemy that killed your closest friends?

Ertha is the seventh sister of the next queen of Vanyth. She is a true healer, having a rare ability to heal with magic, who is studying at the temple of a goddess where she is stolen by the army of the enemy Kingdom of Uther. Her life is spared because of her powers, and she is put to work as a healer for those who are loyal to the King of Uther. Ertha is thrust into a whirlwind of court politics, a game of deciphering who to trust (her appointed keeper or the enemy soldier whose life she saved), and the mysterious interference of a seer and a goddess.

This book has strong world building, with gods and goddesses who create a world mirroring their own, complete with beings they can’t control that threaten its destruction. The characters are well developed, including the main and side characters, which I appreciate. Our FMC Ertha has the warmth of a healer, while being discerning enough to keep her guard up in enemy territory and trusting no one with her secrets. Her keeper Fenris vows that her safety is his priority and his actions seem to mirror his promise, although his motives and past remain mysterious to the end. These two have a slow burn enemies to friends dynamic that clearly has more to be explored. Also, enter the enemy soldier whose life she saved as her temple was burned to the ground, and who vows to protect her. Is he to be trusted?

This story gives careful hints and clues without being overly predictable. There is just enough information slowly revealed, while many revelations lead to deeper mysteries that kept me riveted the whole time. The pacing is well done, with a perfect blend of action packed and commonplace scenarios. The style of this book is written in a lyrical prose that I typically enjoy. My only slight criticism is that sometimes the metaphors try a little bit too hard to have a natural sounding flow.

Overall, if you enjoy compelling world building with gods and goddesses interfering in the fates of their creations, very slow burn romance, and characters with mysterious and questionable motives give this book a try! It is the first of a planned duology and ends on a quite a cliffhanger.

4/5⭐️ audiobook

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this audio ARC.

As always, I want to preface this by saying—there’s a book for every reader and a reader for every book. Just because I didn’t fully love something doesn’t mean someone else won’t.

That said, The Seventh Sister was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I was sent an ARC of the audiobook, and the narrator did a phenomenal job—zero complaints there. Truly beautiful work! I also found the writing itself to be lovely and technically well done.

My main drawbacks were pacing and plot related. Not a lot happens, and in many ways, it felt like a novel-length introduction to the world, characters, and lore. There’s also very little romance, tension, or conflict driving the story forward.

If you’re a reader who enjoys rich world-building and a slow, atmospheric start to a series, this might be a perfect fit. Personally, I just found myself wishing for a little more movement—and a little more spark.

Let me start with what I genuinely loved. The writing was immersive with beautiful flow, but the real star was the audiobook production. The narrator was absolutely brilliant—switching we and voices for different characters so well skill that I found myself just listening if not for the plot than for the vocal performances alone. The sound effects were a lovely bonus too.

Now for the less pleasant part of this review...

Characters need flaws and challenges to create compelling stories, but our FMC apparently missed that memo. Despite being kidnapped by fantasy Vikings (which sounds promising!), she faced exactly zero character growth or meaningful obstacles. Why? Because she arrived already equipped for every possible scenario: hyper-talented healer? Check. Royalty? Check. Super mega rare magical chosen one? You guessed it.

This character stacking made her paradoxically boring to follow. Why worry when her friends get hurt if she can heal them instantly? Why fear for her safety when she can smite enemies without breaking a sweat? Why care about her royal status when it's just convenient enough to keep her comfortable but not interesting enough for real court intrigue? It's like the author gave her cheat codes for life.

Even more baffling was how quickly she befriended every female character in enemy territory. Everyone immediately trusted her with secrets and welcomed her into their circles because... sisterhood I guess? Wouldn't fellow captives be more suspicious and guarded? The logic escaped me.

The disconnect between the blurb and actual story was jarring. This was marketed as dark romantasy, but the "darkness" apparently ended when the FMC was escorted to nobility quarters. Sure, some people were mildly unpleasant, but given her freedoms and leisure time (as a bloody captive, hello!?), it felt more like an all-inclusive resort with attitude.

Speaking of that leisure time—this book desperately needed editing. Page after page detailed the FMC doing yoga, attending smut book club sessions (I wish I were joking), and eating elaborate breakfasts in her fancy chambers they were even equipped with with running water and we were made aware how rare that but was). These mundane activities might work in cozy fantasy, but the setting was all wrong for that vibe whish was supposed to be a dark romantasy. But was it?

Even at 70%, I could barely detect romantic tension between the main characters. For a romantasy, that's rather unusual.

I was genuinely excited about this premise—it sounded fresh and intriguing. But unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book and I'll probably forget what it about in a few days. I just wonder who was supposed to be the target audience. Too bland for romantasy lovers, lacking plot structure for fantasy romance fans, wrong setting for cozy fantasy... Maybe readers seeking very low-stakes, slow-burn vibes? Though even then, there was no longing or yearning to speak of.

Pick this up if you're purely here for a remotely Nordic fantasy atmosphere , but don't expect a swoon-worthy romance or compelling plot. There's some random spice scattered throughout—I'd call it open door but not explicit—but it felt disconnected from any real emotional aspect and was used purely as a random plot device.

Long introduction!

The book felt like a long introduction to the magical world, characters and gods, I wanted more action and events.

I give it 3.5 stars because I liked the reader, the flow of the narrative, the gloomy atmosphere and the main characters. I also enjoyed the sprinkled enriched sound effects.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review audiobook copy.

4.5 stars rounded up. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…If it is Viking-like with fantasy aspects, I’ll read it and I’ll read it again. This was great. Fingers crossed the author pushes out book 2 as soon as possible.

Oh wow, 🌸✨ The Seventh Sister is like stepping into a fairy-tale dream with a dark, enchanting twist that will sweep you off your feet! 🌙💕 From the moment you dive into Ertha’s world, you’re transported to a lush, vividly imagined land where magic whispers through every shadow and secret. 📖🔥 The setting is so beautifully immersive, it feels like wandering through an enchanted forest, full of wonder and peril, with a touch of classic romantasy vibes that make your heart flutter. 🏰💖

Ertha, a True Healer, is such a compelling protagonist — brave, kind, and deeply human, even as she finds herself caught in a tangled web of political intrigue and dangerous secrets. 🌿🕸️ Her kidnapping from the tranquil Selenyss Temple feels like a cruel twist of fate, thrusting her into a world where nothing is quite what it seems. The dark shores of the enemy kingdom loom ominously, yet they are also filled with unspoken promises and hidden truths waiting to be uncovered.

The characters are absolutely captivating — the legendary Sons of Uther, with their mysterious air and dangerous allure, and the second in command, whose otherworldly presence hints at depths unknown. 🥀🛡️ Then there’s the soldier she healed, whose fierce vow to protect her adds a tender yet tense layer to the story. Their relationships are so delicately crafted, balancing trust and suspicion, tenderness and danger, making every page a rollercoaster of emotions. 💓

The story’s pace is absolutely perfect — fast enough to keep your heart racing, yet rich with atmospheric detail and poetic prose that make every scene feel like a spellbinding tableau. ✨🖤 As secrets are revealed and powerful entities pull the strings of her destiny, Ertha must confront not only the dark truths of her world but also the shadows within herself. It’s a journey of self-discovery wrapped in a cloak of mystery, magic, and romance. 🔮💫

If you love stories like The Witcher, with that mix of fairy-tale magic, Viking mythos, and dark romantic fantasy, this book is a true gem. 🌟🌿 It’s an epic adventure that will make your heart ache and soar at the same time — a beautifully woven tale of love, betrayal, and destiny. 💖🌙

Thank you to Netgalley and M.A. Brown for the alc.

I already loved this as an arc, and couldn't resist applying for the alc. The narrator did a great job. Since I'd already read it once, it was easy for me to understand the beginning the 2nd time.

The story was just as intriguing the 2nd time. It had a lyrical quality that pulled me in, and I found myself wanting to keep going just for the prose alone.

Despite my mixed feelings, I’m genuinely excited for the sequel and can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

I wouldn’t say this was bad, but I didn’t enjoy it either. The story felt like it dragged for a long time w/ little to no progression?
I felt like we were just lingering forever.

And the romance? Idk what it was giving, but it wasn’t giving chemistry. It wasn’t giving swoon.
I felt like it was just an implant fr.
Like they fr just had it there as a prop lol.
And every other character was just so come & go. I wasn’t able to connect w/ anyone.

Now, the audio? The production was cinematic. The effects, the characterization, & emotions. I would say this was a solid audiobook if it weren’t for the story which fell short for me.
Jacci Prior obviously did amazing!!
One of my favorite narrators, which is why I wanted to love this so bad…
This just needs more editing tbh. I feel like something is there, but not fully yet!!