Loved the romance and the MC, she's strong and determined to do what is right. There are loads of crazy plot twists and surprises that will definitely surprise you. Really like the world building. It's a book worth to read.

What i like about this series is how its a fantasy and sci-fi togther which isnt seen very often at all. It starts off straight away with the action within the first couple of chapters. Bel, has to get involved in a life she never thought she would have to get into. I felt that she took it in her stride and i just love her Character. Shes is kickass, stands up for what she believes in, stubborn and loyal. she has a fantastic sense of judgement which i really admired. I really liked the romance and how it had a love triangle. I was keen to see where it goes in the second book. Both Love interest are interesting. I liked Shae as he was like a constant from her previous life to her main life but Con really intrigued me too.

I couldn’t get into this book. I tried multiple times and it just didn’t grab my attention. I skimmed through hoping something would grab me but nothing ever did.

Princess Belangaria (Bel) is a Vairian and just wanted to be free. Free to live her own life, to fly and to love, especially her childhood friend Shae. When life on their world changes due to an attack, she becomes a crown princess and is betrothed to marry Conleith (Con), the ruler of Anthaeus. Not everyone is happy with this arrangement and it doesn't take long for attempts on her life to occur.

I really liked Bel. She was smart, strong, and didn't give. She's taken from everything she knows and everyone she loves and forced into a diplomatic marriage. Jessica Thorne writes in a very descriptive way. I could picture what Bel was seeing through these descriptions. This new land was beautiful, fresh yet scary. There were a lot of emotions in this book from the characters and in turn with the reader. I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. There was adventure, excitement, romance and heroism. I think I will read the second one in this series to see what is next for Bel.

Soooo, buckle your seatbelts everybody, you're in for one hell of a ride!
Be prepared though, there's some serious Game of Thrones shit going on here! You never know what's going to happen or who's going to die, and leave it to the author to stab you in the heart halfway through the book and then twist the knife a little more towards the end for good measure!
I'm kind of scared of diving into the next book because I feel like nobody is safe 😂

I loved this way more than I expected!
I loved the story and the setting and the rich world the author managed to craft in this one book. What I liked the least was the romance (which is why I'm deducting a star). Bel is such a strong and badass character, but I hated how she couldn't make up her mind between Shae en Con until the author basically made the choice for her. Which made it seem kind of forced if you know what I mean? Even though I shipped them from the start?
I don't want to give too much away because I feel like you really need to go into this blind like I did. This was a massive rollercoaster ride and I cried and laughed alongside Bel the entire way.

I'm off reading book two now. I'm kinda sad that from the description it seems to center around Petra and Zander though. If anything happens to my baby Con, I don't know what I'm going to do!

The story was great and also good character development. Bit slow but liked the story! Also took me a while to read it. But overall liked it.

The beginning of this story was amazing, but soon after that I felt really bored with this story, especially because of the writing style and pacing. I DNFed this book around 50%, sadly this wasn't my cup of tea. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for sending me this review copy.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Okeydokey I have some complicated feelings about this.
I was LOVING it until around the halfway point when *spoiler* [ Shae dies and I was hoping it wasn't true like a real Delirium vibe y'know? And then I predicted he would return as one of those cyborg dudes which he did in the end but it didn't contribute much to the storyline so I'm kind of like hmm unnecessary.} happened but very much like The Hunger Games or The Selection the pairing I was HERE for did not bloody eventuate even though it clearly should have and yeah it really all went downhill from there which sucked because I had been really taken along for the ride, I loved Bel and how she was a badass, but yeah, despite reading this in about a day and a half the second part of the book just took a real downward turn.
I also wished the alien thing hadn't been included, obviously that was a major part of the book but it just felt to tacked on and included because it made everything easier and I'm not sure why I didn't like it but it just kind of added another aspect to the novel that I didn't care for.

I dunno, I both really liked the start and disliked where this novel went.

Wow. Damn. That was really good. I was given a copy of this book for a review years ago, yeah.. years, I never got around to reading it being so absorbed in other books that kept coming up on my reading list! I hate that it took me so long to read because this book was amazing. I actually want to apologise to the author for taking so long with my review! Sorry Jessica!
I loved the unique characters, the scenery of both planets as well as the brief trips through space, the fascinating plot, the heartbreaking romance, the mystery as well as the technology incorporated with a hint of magical enchantment from an ancient civilisation… all of it wrapped up in a neat ribbon that worked perfectly and gripped me until the end. I found I kept rushing forward in the story to find out what happened next and had to go back and re-read everything again. I wouldn’t be surprised if I read this one again very soon to fully absorb everything I most likely missed.
I was worried at first picking this one up after reading Mageborn (another fantasy written by Thorne), she couldn’t quite capture the characters emotions and connections in it, but she completely outdid herself in this one for me. I fell in love with the characters, even the love triangle thrown into the mix which I usually hate. I’m not ashamed to say I cried.. Cus I did.. For good reason.

I loved Bel, yeah she was selfish and wanted to run away from her duty, but let’s be honest, you would feel the same. She was a soldier in training who lived to be in the air, a trait she took after her mother. Bel never expected to be thrown into a royal arranged marriage at the other side of the universe, who would? Being torn from her life, family, passion for flying and the slim chance of being with the one she loves, only to be relocated to another planet filled with death threats, duty, tight dresses and a fiancé who is an attractive mystery she can’t work out. The build up in her character is well written, she’s a young emotional mess who can’t live up to her expectation, but slowly becomes the solider she was training to be and a beacon of hope to her new kingdom.

‘Petra waves me to silence. “Don’t. All this.. you’re doing it for him. That I understand.”
“Then you know why I have to get him back. Otherwise, everything, will have been pointless.”
“We can’t have that. We are both warriors, my princess. It’s what we’re trained for. Vairians by blood.”
I grin. “And stubbornness.”
“That most of all.”‘

Conleith was an intriguing mystery that you can’t help but feel drawn too, even with Bel’s feelings for Shae so apparent. The way you’re introduced to Con is enough to make you think twice about her future and who she will find true happiness with, a love triangle that will tug at your heart. I loved his youthful passion for engineering which often distracts him of his duty as the Antheaum ruler, as well as his ability to control a room with a look giving him the status and respect of his people. His interactions with Bel are young and sweet, the way he blushes when around her brings an innocence to his personality that you want to discover more of. He definitely captured my heart when he gave her his wedding gift.

Thorn did a great job at setting the scene with each location, no matter how brief, whether they were traveling across the stars, walking through the castle for various events, taking shelter in the forest, or visiting the ancients in their sacred underground chamber. The small featured elements were enough to put yourself in the scene.
The detail that went into the ancient technology was fantastic, I honestly couldn’t keep up some of the time but it was worth reading about, a simple bracelet that became a means of communication and tracking device, flying machines that were adapted to the flyer, people being turned into programmed monsters known as Mechas with nodes to make them superhuman, not to mention the mind link with the ancients that allowed Bel and Con to connect to the world as well as each other on a whole other level bringing them closer.

To summarise, if you hadn’t picked this up from my review, I adored this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good YA fantasy with action, romance, a bit of sci-fi and a storyline that will keep you guessing at every corner. It can be read as a standalone or if you like, the story doesn’t have to end here, Thorne’s next book in the series takes on the perspective of Bel and Petra 🙂

This is definitely more Science Fiction than Fantasy in my opinion.
The worlds are well built and the characters engaging.
Plenty of action with romance thrown in.
This makes a really good read for YA to the more mature like me.

When I saw the cover for this book, I immediately wanted to read it. The premise also sounded very interesting, and for the most part, the book is as well. I was a bit annoyed by the love-triangle, even though it resolves itself. And I personally would have liked a bit of a thicker plot and less romance, but overall, this book was very enjoyable.

I did not finish this book, and will not be posting a formal review. It just wasn't my cup of tea, but I appreciate the opportunity to read it early.

This book was, to put it bluntly, not good. I will blame it partly on the fact that I thought going into it that this was a fantasy female/female romance, not a science fiction love triangle. It wasn't just the confusion though, it was also that this book just didn't make sense. Bel is in love with the boy that her family took in when she was a child, who is five years her senior. It's a weird romantic angle for sure. The other side to the love triangle is Con, who is Bel's husband to be, and closer to Bel's age than the other love interest.
I really wouldn't have minded the age gap if Bel had been older, but she's sixteen and her brothers consider her love interest to be part of their family.
I felt that this story was very slow paced as well, like it could have been a lot shorter and covered the same amount of ground. If Bel had spent less time trying to figure out who she's in love with (when the choice has been made for her, that's the whole point of a political marriage), I think this would have been a much better book.
I found that the slow pace of the story and the poorly done love triangle were the main reasons I didn't like this book. It took me months to get through because it dragged and there wasn't a whole lot of action, so not a lot to write about in this review.
The characters were well done, though Bel and Con were really the only ones with story arcs, everyone else is just kind of along for the ride without much backstory. The characters were truly the best part of this book.
Overall, I gave this book two out of five stars and I won't be continuing on with the series.

This was a great read, it’s a brilliantly thought out romantic fantasy type of story, it’s easy to read and filled with wonderfully done descriptions that place you in the middle of the world the author has created. I was wary initially because of the love triangle that formed. Sometimes they’re done well, other times it feels forced for effect, but I am glad to say this was one that blended wonderfully and relevantly with the storyline! Well worth getting stuck into, i look forwards to book 2!

I really enjoyed this. Bel dreams of flying like her brothers but must face her responsibility as princess and heir to the throne. She's strong, caring and a very likeable character.
I like the romance in this book, the love triangle was well done. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

First time reading Jessica Thorne! The story is based around Bel who longs to be a flyer like her brothers but has to be a princess! This YA Fantasy shows the strength of a young woman who tries to make her own way. There is a love triangle as well! Some people enjoy that type of romance and others don't, but I personally do! Looking forward to book two.

Space opera meets fantasy in this YA novel about Bel, a girl that dreams of flying but must face her responsibility as heir to the throne after her family are destroyed by conflict.

I absolutely loved this novel and need some time to put my thoughts into a cohesive strain before `i post my review on Goodreads and Amazon. But damn, this was a really interesting concept for a story!! So much potential. The world is honestly really interesting, and I want more of it and for Bel to explore every inch and know all its history as it seems so rich.

This is such an interesting story that really takes off in chapter one and just keeps on going throughout. I really liked that it seemed to be a blend of different genres that all really flowed together. The romance aspects were also really well done and although I don't always like love triangle scenarios this one was done in a way that it just seemed to work. A really great start to a series!

This was a very entertaining read and I found myself more invested in the characters than I anticipated. Not really a fan of love triangles I found that in this case it was ok. And then I started to cry right in the middle of the book. So, yes, it was a good story and one I have recommended to my friends.

I would like to thank Bookouture Publishing and the Netgalley website for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted to the cover of this book.

We find Bel there who was born to steal except that it is not quite the truth, it is a pawn for the royal houses. Bel is married to a man that her family finds suitable for her. Until the day the palace was stormed by a surprise attack; his father secured the empire, his life would change forever. Bel is going to go to a faraway country to marry Conleith. Except that his new home is not going to be welcoming at all with attempted murders, treason and mysteries.

I found this first book captivating, addictive and full of suspense and twists and turns. Bel's character is very endearing. Looking forward to reading on.