Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3⭐️ | Published July 17th 2025

What if you lived in a world where something as insignificant as your eye colour decided your destiny? Jantsia's blue eyes mark her as Azure, the lowest of the four occulary castes. Destined for servitude. But no one – not even the boy who owns her heart – knows the truth.

To survive, she clings to one rule: stay invisible, stay alive.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the caste system based on eye colour. The social hierarchy was unique and it was so interesting to explore a caste system where eye colours determined social status, magical powers and even occupation.

I am sorry to give this book 3 stars as the concept was so unique compared to anything I have read before. However the writing left a little more to be desired. Due to the complex ocular systems there is a lot of world building in at least the first 50% of the book and what I felt was info-dumping. This combined with the 3 POVs was a lot to take on in such a short book.

I think if you accept this book for what it is; an introduction to this unique world before the rest of the story begins you will enjoy this book a lot more. I wonder if a glossary would have been helpful for my understanding. I know that this is a debut novel from the writer so I am hoping this story improves in later books as I would still love to read the rest of her series.

You will like this is you are a fan of The Hunger Games and I have see others also compare it to other dystopian YA novels.

In the Empire of Shariza, people are put into castes according to their eye color, which determines wealth and magic. Jantsia is marked as an Azure, the lowest of the ocular castes. But she has a dangerous secret. She is a dual-oc & must hide it to stay alive. What does this mean for her power? And what is her role in the rebellion brewing?

A Caste-driven, near-future dystopia, this is an immersive world, a melting pot of cultures, attention-grabbing and demanding of that attention, to learn all the new things and due to the wonderful pace. I like that there are futuristic objects like hoverbikes, but also duties fulfilled by their powers, like cleaning the water. There is an undercurrent of power running through the rich narrative, a gradual buildup that gets stronger, a pressing in your chest till you are almost screaming at the end. Paragraphs are embellished with plenty of imaginative details — descriptions are of beautiful and evocative wording. I loved the use of punchy sentences to emphasize the intensity of a scene. The author has created this reality in its entirety and is sharing it with us.

Daezen's entrance into the story is all the money. Each POV has its own voice, an intimacy as we delve into their innermost thoughts and enjoy their view of the state of things. I like how the characters rediscover of actually finally see each other. There is a third, unexpected POV that spells peril. A 'monkey wrench' in our two heroes' lives, their plans, their mission. They all have in common the secrets they must keep. The intrigue is palpable as your mind works overtime on theories

"Stay invisible. Stay alive." is the story's mantra, showing not only our protagonist's fear, but surmising what the ugliness of prejudice does to those who must or think they must hide who they are. Submission takes many forms, unwilling or unknown. The sensitivity and realness with which the author deals with the aforementioned through her characters and their heart-squeezing reality are admirable.

There were some parts I had to reread a few times to get what was going on. Explanations of the science of their powers were not clear enough for me. There was an unevenness in the time spent on each POV in the middle of the book. Giving the lion's share to the one that I consider secondary, kind of jiggled at my nerves and made the book sort of laggy instead of its usual fast pace. Otherwise, the story is so great, the way everything comes together, a dynamic overture of brilliant plotting, of captivating writing.

This book deals with conquering fear. With freedom. A gilded cage is still a cage. I came for the premise and stayed for the engrossing storyline and characters — the danger that threatens to explode and colors the prose. This is certainly the beginning of an incredible series.

The girl with the fierce eyes is a dystopian novel where eye colour determines your standing and the type of magic you have. With it's young adult focus, themes on rebellion and grouping due to differences, it could be compared to novels such as divergent, the hunger games and red rising. Whereas, I didn't particularly find myself engaging with the characters, and the form of swearing took me out of the read, I do think it will resonate strongly with the young adult market, which is its target audience.

I appreicated that the FMC is a headstrong individual who is determined to fight for what is right, and she has good character development alongside the other main characters. It is split into three POVs, which helps give a more rounded view of the world. There is a love triangle, which takes off around the halfway point, and it'll be interesting to see where Jantsia lands.

Whereas I do normally enjoy young adult novels, unfortuantely overall this one wasn't the read for me. I found it just a bit too slow, and I'm not entirely sure why, but I just couldn't engage with the characters, However, I'm happy to rate it 4 stars because I feel it will resonate well with its target audience and sometimes a perfectly good book just doesn't do it for you - doesn't mean that it won't be the next best thing for someone else.

4.5 Stars ✨

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the story flows so effortlessly and each of the characters are layered with so much detail and emotional depth. Oh, and did I mention there’s a little cat in the story as well? 🐈

Eye colours are used as a symbol for social power and discrimination, placing blue eyes at the bottom of the caste system. Dual-heritage is explored through our FMC Jantsia, who goes through the complexities of identity and not fitting into neat societal categories. Jantsia’s journey is a powerful commentary on race, class, and the fear (as well as potential) of difference.

The magic system is intriguing and original, and I really enjoyed the multi POVs. I think it was a great touch, especially having Soba’s be one of them. Daezen was an instant win for me, I love a grumpy MMC who has an emotional awakening 👀

I also thought the name choices were very interesting, with lots of different backgrounds appearing throughout as we get to know more and more characters!

The ending? I literally needed a moment to compose myself. There was so many things running through my head but overall, without spoiling anything, I am very glad that there was clarification in regards to a few things.

Book 2, I am ready for you! I’m really hoping we get to have a map in Book Two, it would be a great addition to the story!

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this eARC!

3.5⭐️

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is a good debut that blends elements of fantasy and dystopian fiction. The story is set in a contemporary world where social hierarchy and magical ability are determined by eye color, and intermixing between groups is forbidden due to the fatal consequences, or so they’ve been led to believe.

Told through three alternating perspectives, the book offers a well-rounded view of the world and adds depth to the narrative. This structure helps reveal the complexities of the society and enriches the plot.

The story was intriguing and made for a quick, engaging read. However, I found the target audience a bit unclear. While the tone and characters often felt more juvenile, the book touches on mature themes with multiple mentions of sex, drug/alcohol use, and allusions to child grooming and sexual assault, all of which suggest it’s more appropriate for an upper YA audience.

Though it skewed a bit young for my personal taste, I believe it will resonate with teen readers who enjoy a mix of fantasy and dystopian elements. The ending sets up for an interesting sequel, and I’m curious to see where the story goes next!

Happy publishing day

💭 #QOTD  would you rather be able to control water, earth, sound or tech?

Title: The Girl with the Fierce Eyes
Author: Sophia Vahdati
Pages: 384
Rating: 5/5
Spice/Romance level: 🩷 - psssst there's kissing
#Arc eCopy ( #gifted ) - review left voluntarily
UK publish date - 17th July 2025

Well this was just an epic young adult read. The world building had me hooked. The segregations, the poverty, the judgement. The hope. This was wonderfully written. The gentleness of a coming of age, and save the world plot. The little unexpected twists along the way as the plot unfolds.

The characters were great. I loved the description of the mod work from one of them. The different type of rebel groups and beliefs were so interesting.

It is based on a 3 character POV giving different experiences of what makes people tick.

The book is laced with betrayal, loyalty, power play, love and honour. I was so sad when it came to an end.

A well written, build up to a fantastic series.

Will you join the rebels and fight the cause, or submit and fight for segregation and purity?


You'll love this book if you like;
- Young adult fantasy
- dystopian sci fi fantasy
- segregation of powers
- destiny
- friends to lovers
- fire cats
- multiple povs
- rebels
- magic system based on eye colour
- secret identities

Will you be reading this? Let me know in the comments

This is a YA fantasy/dystopian novel - as with any fantasy there is a lot of information at the beginning to allow for world building. As it's all new it seems a little overwhelming to start but I find this with all fantasy books.

The book centres around systematic oppression focusing on caste systems. In a world where people are segregated due to the colour of their eyes, someone who doesn't fit neatly in that mould is a threat to the system. It's giving Divergent vibes.

In any good fantasy there is a societal rebellion brewing ready to challenge the oppressors. This book shares the rebels journey and what they are fighting for.

The FMC has hidden a piece of herself for years to fit in and not reveal her secret which could get her killed. I feel this is exactly the type of FMC we should see in YA books - kind, fierce in defending her loved ones, but also learning to be herself and not hide it.

I enjoyed the multiple POV, it gave me a clearer picture of what was happening and how things were moving together. Knowing things that the other characters didn't, added to the tension for me whilst reading it.

We got a glimpse at a potential love triangle which I would love to see more of in the next book as I have some thoughts on what I think the pairing should be.

I am really excited for the next book. This one ended on such a cliffhanger that I cannot wait to read more!!

Thank you One More Chapter for this advanced copy.

3.5 stars

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is a bold, thought-provoking debut with a unique concept. Vahdati explores power, identity, and belonging through a dystopian world where eye colour determines the hierarchy, an inventive twist that adds depth to the story’s themes.

The multi-POV structure adds variety, though I found it harder to connect deeply with each character. Some felt a bit young, but that likely fits the YA audience. Daezan was a standout for me. The world-building was intriguing, but at times confusing, and I would’ve loved more clarity and detail.

That said, the pacing was strong, the themes were impactful, and the ending packed a punch. A solid setup with a lot of potential, and I’m looking forward to seeing how book two develops

This is an immersive dystopian novel with excellent world building, magic system, and even language.
The story is told from 3 POVs, including our FMC, MMC and the investigator undercover working to bring down the rebellion.
Our FMC Jantzia is a girl hiding in plain sight. In a world where everyone fits into an oculary group (based on eye colour, Azure, Veridian, Sepia or Obsidian) and groups are forbidden from mixing, Jantzia is the daughter of an Azure and an Obsidian. Jantzia is a 17 year old girl who is in love with her best friend and more worried about her health (dual-ocs are expected to die as children) and her status at school than anything else. As she is drawn into the world of the rebellion, she proves herself to be smart and capable. I did think some of her decisions toward the end of the story showed a more strategic mind that she had showed previously, like she grew a bit too fast, but I enjoyed her character and her perspective.
Daezan, our MMC, is an Azure hoping for something better, with Obsidians firmly in place as the ruling class, he joins the rebellion to try and give his family more after the death of his father. As a member of the lowest caste, he finds himself caught up in the rebellion as a means to an end.
Soba is an Obsidian investigator and I hesitate to say she has no conscience but from the start she is focused on herself, her career and excelling as a means to further her romantic relationship with her boss / mentor, Elias. She joins the Azure rebels as an undercover operative and works to take them down from the inside but we can also see the doubt starting to form for her.
The world is easy enough to understand, it's well formed without being too complex. The slang words slot in easily and don't take too much thought to understand what the author means with them. The magic system and division of power is interesting, for everything to come back to eye colour, something that's not easy to disguise, it really makes you think about how a society could be divided based on this physical characteristic, and the parallels to society as it is. which finds it's divides on things like race, gender, sexual orientation.
I think the mark of a good dystopian story is that it's thought provoking and this one was. I am really keen to see where the story goes, how our characters grow and to find out what happens to this world and its structure.

This was a book I was not sure about. It could be a hit, it could be not for me. However One More Chapter invited me to read the book through Netgalley and decided to accept the invitation and to give this book a chance.

After finishing the book I'm still not entirely sure about it. There are parts of the book I liked, there are parts I didn't like. The book as a whole didn't really work for me, but I guess that has mostly to do with the amount of point of views and the story mostly focusing on what is going on and less on how that makes the characters feel. I think that especially younger readers will love it however, because there is constantly something happening.

I mostly had an issue with the fact that at times it was hard to connect with the characters and hard to understand the direction of the characters and the story. At times it felt like the characters were mostly acting and not so much reacting and it took quite some time before all the storylines came together and we got an idea of what they were trying to do. The finale was a little chaotic and everything happened really fast, but the premise for the next book is amazing.

I did like the magic in this book, though! The magic had some elements of science and the line between magic and science fiction felt really thin in this book. That meant I needed a little time to grasp the world and to understand what kind of society this was and what was expected of the characters. If you're a true fantasy reader, the world might be a little too sci-fi for you. If you love a mix of both these genres, you might want to check this book out.

4 / 5 Stars
This was a fun YA fantasy/dystopian novel! Let’s start with a lay person plot recap because there’s a lot going on and this is what I was able to figure out. In the Shariza Empire, your eye color determines your place in society and your magical powers. The Azures (blue eyes) are lowest among the caste system and they are the water wielders. Next are the Veridian (green eyes) who are root renders who can heal and feed. Above them are the Sepias (brown eyes) who are earth breakers (warriors and such). The highest class are the Obsidians (black eyes) who can manipulate sound. Society depends on this segregation so someone like Jantsia should not exist. She is a dual-oc meaning her parents come from two different classes and dual-oc children are born with a blood illness that reflects the “wrongness” of their existence. She was not supposed to survive this illness for a few years, let alone for 17 years. But here Jantsia is. She will never have magical powers but she will continue to work as a servant for her Obsidian mistress as long as no one finds out her secret. Not even her best friend (who she is in love with), Kain. But as rebellion stirs, Jantsia and the other characters have to navigate their place in this magical world.

You will probably like this book if you like:
👀 YA dystopian fantasy
💧 A magical systems based on eye color
👀 Love triangles
💧 Forbidden love
👀 Rebels
💧 Secret identities
👀 Multiple povs

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how those storylines intersected. We have Jantsia’s POV. We also have Kain’s brother’s, Daezen’s, POV – he has been taking care of Kain and his mother since his father passed and is starting to work with the rebels so that he can get enough money for his family. And we have Soba’s POV – she is an Obsidian Inspector who surveys the city for rebels. She just wants to impress the Chief Inspector because she thinks she owes him her life. The story lines were woven really well together and all three of these characters were well developed so it was really interesting to be reading any of their chapters. All of the characters are young (ranging from 17 - 19 years old), so they were definitely young and naive at times, but they had also dealt with enough life stuff to feel like they were more emotionally mature than not, which I appreciated.

The magic system was very cool but I felt like we were still learning new information about it pretty late in the book which made it kind of hard to fully grasp what these characters could and could not do. And boy, oh, boy would I have benefited from a map. I understand the caste system but even within it, each region has nuances and those were hard to keep straight. I could barely tell you where any other region was in relation to the city we were in, let alone how that region was viewed. This story dealt with eye colorism and racism and the intersection of those and I felt like it would have been more powerful if I could fully understand where everything was.

The book ends on a fun twist and cliffhanger and I am definitely looking forward to the next one.

Oh, and I didn’t see drug use and drug abuse in the content warning so I am adding it in case that helps anyone in their reading.

Thank you One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: July 17, 2025

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is Sophia Vahdati’s debut novel. It is a YA dystopian fantasy with a touch of romance.

The empire of Shariza runs on a caste system determined by eye color. Marrying and/or having children with another caste is strictly forbidden. Jantsia’s eyes mark her as Azure, the lowest caste of people, destined to serve. What no one realizes is that Jantsia is actually a dual-oc with an Obsidian mother and an Azure father. If her secret is ever discovered, her fate would be death.

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes was an intriguing read. The caste and magic systems were unique and very well thought out. The diversity in the book was welcome, and I loved that the author was so inclusive. Jantsia is a fierce, independent FMC navigating extremely difficult situations at a young age. Kain is Jantsia’s BFF, and his brother Daezen also plays a large role in the book. The potential love triangle between Jantsia, Kain, and Daezen has been set up perfectly, and I’ll be interested to see where it goes in the next book. If you enjoy YA and dystopian genres, you should check this book out.

Thank you, Harper Collins UK: One More Chapter, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fierce, fast-paced YA romantasy! Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins UK! In a world where eye color equals power, Jantsia’s hiding the fact she’s a rare and forbidden “dual-oc” - and it puts her in serious danger. Think Red Queen meets Legend, with rebellion, hover-bikes, and a dash of romantic tension that had me hooked- I enjoyed this book immensely.

The world-building is super fresh, the pacing doesn’t let up, and there’s a plot twist at the end that made me yell. If you love a bold heroine, high-stakes secrets, and sci-fi-fantasy vibes, this one’s a must. Already dying for book two! 3.5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes by Sophia Vahdati is a third person multi-POV YA fantasy exploring a caste system based on eye color in a contemporary-inspired world. Jantsia was born to parents who belonged to two different castes, making her existence not only illegal but also an anomaly in their society because all babies like her die within two years. At seventeen, Jantsia is asking a lot more questions and so is her best friend and crush Kain. The world is at risk of changing and Jantsia might be at the center of it.

The eye color aspects to the worldbuilding are threaded throughout in some of the words as dual-oc (dual-ocular) and a swear word using ‘oc.’ Azure (blue-eyed) caste members are said to have water magic and are often responsible for clean-up as they are the very bottom rung. Obsidian, the same caste Jantsia’s mother belongs to, are at the very top of the system. As often occurs in works with caste systems, eye color is also linked to class with no real possibility for upward movement no matter how hard someone works or what interests they have.

There is something of a love triangle brewing between Jantsia and the brothers Kain and Daezen. Daezen doesn’t totally trust Jantsia and knows that she’s hiding something (her dual-oc heritage) but not exactly what while Kain only just begins to notice his romantic feelings for Jantsia halfway through the book. Jantsia has liked Kain for a long time, but we also see her develop feelings for Daezen even if she doesn’t want to admit them to herself. If there is another book, I would be curious to see who she ends up picking as my instincts tell me it will be Daezen and Kain will become a villain down the line.

I would recommend this to fans of YA exploring caste-style systems

The girl with the fierce eyes - Sophia Vahdati



Great book! With an Interesting replacement of the words fuck with ock and twat with twack lol 😂 everything seems to be about the eyes recently

“Lied to? My eyes aren’t blue, are they?”
“No, Miha.”
“What colour are they? Are they black? Am I obsidian?”
“No, Miha.” This time she could hear the crack in her mother’s voice.
“Well, surely I’m not sepia… or Veridian… My eyes aren’t brown or green are they?”
“No.”
“What colour are my eyes? She paused letting the question float in the air.
Then asked what she really wanted to know.
“What am I?”

👀 👀 👀 👀

I had a lot of problems with this. Firstly the mismarketing, is this a fantasy YA romance? No?

1. The cover looks like a Middle Grade
2. The world is sci-fi bordering on dystopian

Then we have the characters. I didn't like all the POVs, they felt older than YA and I often caught myself skimming over parts because I wasn't made to care about them.

I especially did not like Soba and Elias 😭, she takes forever to clock on and so much was implied and I just felt icky reading it.

The repetive "ock" as a stand in for swearing got annoying. Like I don't really care for swearing but this was even more grating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, this just wasn't for me

This book was okay. It was pretty slow in some areas and I did not really like the plot in this story. But I think other people would like it.

Slow starting book but built up at the end. Interesting story line and world building. Enjoyable read

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book pretty blind and what I found within was a brilliant gem of a YA urban fantasy-dystopia, perfect for fans of the classics from the early 2000s like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner and Uglies. A society based on eye colour (and the powers that go along with them), a rebellion simmering, a girl caught between two lives. Split between three POVs, the story kicks off right away and the groundwork is laid for what I'm sure will be a brilliant series. The world is original and complex, diverse and queer-normative. Eye-based magic runs alongside futuristic tech and hoverbikes in a city marred by poverty-stricken slums and a heartless ruling class. While I felt like the rebels were possibly a bit TOO quick to trust at certain times, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will absolutely be looking our for the sequel!

Note: while this book is YA, it does deal with some subjects that may not be suitable for younger readers. Check the trigger warnings in the description before reading it.

The concept of the book is interesting. A class system whose distinction is determined by the eyes is interesting to read. However, I must admit that at first, I wasn't very captivated.

I didn't understand much of what was happening because of the lack of explanations, especially about the development of the universe, and ultimately, I didn't really engage with the book. I think it's geared toward a younger audience.

I'm eagerly awaiting to see how Sophia continues to develop in her next projects.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.