Thanks to the author, HarperCollins One More Chapter, and the author for the ARC.

This is the author's debut novel, and is a YA fantasy story about a world where eye color dictates your status and abilities in society, and a girl has a secret.

I thought the premise was interesting and the characters had potential. The world building could have been improved by some better pacing and placement of when information was revealed: it felt random when we would get little snippets of knowledge, and it tended more towards info dumping. This made the pace and the voice feel uneven and a bit clunky. I also have no clue what's going on with the background ethnicities and languages, as we get some full Spanish sentences mixed in with an Irish phrase mixed in with a French word mixed in with a preponderance of created words and phrases without a real deliberate reason for it?

Unfortunately, I also don't know if I found any of the characters particularly compelling, whether they were given a POV or not, and I didn't care for the inclusion of some good ol young woman who was groomed by a conniving dude, and some solid parental abuse and dysfunctional relationships.

I finished this, because I wanted to give it full consideration, but I wouldn't pick up any future books.

This is a great YA book, packed with action, wholesome youngsters and a very distinct magic system.

Jantsia is not supposed to exist — her high born Obsidian eyed mother lives against the rules and in secret with her Azure eyed father. Everyone knows children born to parents with different eye colors contract a horrible disease and die young, so they’re killed as babies. It’s imperative that no one finds out about Jantsia’s mixed heritage, as you might imagine.

Jantsia also grapples with perfectly normal teenage things like being in love with her best friend, Kain, while also being inexplicably attracted to Kain’s older mysterious and dangerous brother. Exams are fast approaching and since Jantsia is neither Obsidian nor Azure, she struggles accessing her magic causing stress. Her high born mom is strict and doesn’t understand her struggles, and there’s some parental tension happening.

All this goes on while they uncover a rebellion, try to fight the good fight for inclusion, acceptance and equality. And despite there being plenty of dark themes (drugs, betrayal, grooming of minors), it’s a rather wholesome affair. The characters in focus are complex and real in a way that is just lovely for a younger audience. I’m rooting for all of them.

Thanks Sophia Vahdati, OneMoreChapter and NetGalley for granting me this eARC to review!

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is a YA dystopian novel with a unique concept, but unfortunately, it didn’t fully work for me.

I really appreciated the multiple POVs, which added depth to the storytelling. The worldbuilding was impressively detailed, though I found it is likely to be a bit too complex for younger readers who are the target audience. Still, the overall plot had strong potential and kept me invested.

What ultimately affected my experience was the FMC’s characterisation. She felt frustratingly repetitive, and her whining made it difficult for me to connect with her. Since my enjoyment of a book heavily depends on liking the main character, this aspect significantly influenced my reading experience. I can see what the author was attempting here though, and I do feel it will work well for some dystopian fans.

Thank you for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to netGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC.

I had to stop reading about 50% of the way, this book just really wasn't for me, though the cover and the premise were quite interesting.

I wasn't really fond of the execution, especially in the first part of the book. I had difficulties getting into the story, the world, and the jargon, it was thought out, but I wasn't following very well.

I also couldn't follow the way the characters were thinking aside from Jantsia, and some scenes just seemed clunky and would just wrap up to keep the book moving.

Either way, the cover is gorgeous, and I'm sure a younger audience than me would really sink their teeth into a book like this.

I was SCARED after the first 2 pages because there are so many names of locations, characters, and terms thrown in before anyone even speaks.

Great characters, but I felt like I was thrown into the second book of a series or something because I felt like I should know more of what was going on than I actually knew.

The story was interesting, although a little confusing, and the characters were great, although there were a lot of them. I definitely still find this book completely worth picking up and it was a really fun read for me.

I cannot wait to listen to the audiobook and get the special edition later after release! thank you to Netgalley for offering me the opportunity to read this early in exchange for a review!

Here is my spoiler free review of The Girl with the Fierce Eyes.

Wow wow wow, this book was INCREDIBLE. I already know this is going to be one of my top reads of the year and it's only June.

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is a YA fantasy set in a dystopian world where the colour of your eyes determines your place in society.
Our FMC Jantsia has blue eyes which mark her as Azure, the lowest ocularly class within the Empire. But Jantsia has a secret, she is actually a dual-oc, her parents have different eye colours. This is forbidden within society and punishable by death due to the apparent dangers this can cause, so Jantsia and her parents must hide this secret at all costs. Her mantra for life is 'Stay invisible, stay alive'. But a rebellion is coming, how can she follow this mantra while also following her heart and fighting for what is right?

The book is multi-POV so we also have chapters from Daezen. He is part of the rebellion and older brother to Kain, Jantsia's best friend and love interest. He stepped up to head of the family after his father's death, but with the lowest of jobs in society and treading the line of poverty he wants change. Although not explored too much in this book we start to see the beginning of a potential love triangle with Daezen, his brother and Jantsia. I am hoping for some good yearning from him in book 2.

The final POV character is the mysterious Soba. She is working as an inspector who is able to infiltrate the rebellion but there's more to her than meets the eye. I don't want to give too much away about her but I loved her chapters and I'm so excited to see where her storyline goes in book 2.

The story flowed so well, it was easy to follow and there never seemed to be a lull. Even though it was 3 POVs you still got enough from each character to learn enough about them and connect with them, as well as adding depth to non POV characters. This was really well executed. I feel like there was a lot of set-up for book 2 and I am so excited to read that.

Tropes
* Multi POV
* Rebellion
* Powers/untapped power
* Political intrigue
* Best friend to lovers
* LGTBQ+ rep
* Dystopia

And one last thing I have to say, the last page of this book was giving Onyx Storm energy as, for the second time this year, I was left screaming 'NOO you can't just leave it there!!'

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Sophia Vahdati for the ARC

Overall really enjoyed this one. I think the world building and the magic was a bit confusing at times, felt like there was information I was missing throughout.

The girl with the fierce eyes is a cool and interesting dystopian story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This book is aimed at teens and young adults and the relationship dynamics and storyline reflect this so I have reviewed this one so highly based on the fact that I would have been obsessed with this as a teenager.

What I particularly liked:
- I loved that Soba’s POV was included. Too often the inspectors and police in this type of book are painted as irrationally evil. To see Soba as a genuine character with motivations and secrets of her own was refreshing.
- I think Sophia Vahdati has done a particularly excellent job of portraying how difficult and uncomfortable Jantsia’s hidden life was. The scene where she and her father have to pose as servants while an inspector flirts with her mother was difficult reading but really helped me understand her rage.

This was a really well built world with hover bikes, a criminal underworld and a rebellion. The perfect introduction to the dystopian genre for teens and a great fun read for everyone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I was really excited to read this as I am a big fan of "Divergent", but unfortunately, there were several things that didn't work for me here.

while the concept of the world is unique and really captivating, the execution left something to be desired. most of the time, it felt like I was reading the second book in a trilogy while having no idea what happened in the first book. there was so much information about the different regions/countries, about the history that led to the creation of the Empire, but it was simply too hard to keep up. I normally love complex and intricate worlds, but I don't believe this one was done right. and on that note, I think adding a map and/or a glossary would've made a world of difference.

also, the magic system felt lacking in some parts and it could've been developed more or, at the very least, explained better.

however, even though I didn't particularly enjoy the setting, I was fascinated by the characters and their personalities and beliefs. Jantsia really saved the book for me, and while the book does end on a cliffhanger because of some revelations that happen at the end, what I'm most excited to see is how the relationships between the characters evolve in the sequel.

(side note, Jantsia's family dynamics was something that I hadn't read about before and I would've wanted to see more of that in the book because it was something new that you normally don't see in a YA romantasy, or any romantasy for that matter)

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ read!

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is a YA Dystopian fantasy based in a society where your eye colour determines your place in society and your powers which reminds me a little of the Divergent series! In this world there are four oculary powers (Obsidian, Sepia, Verdidian, and Azure) that are divided into a caste like system where those that have lighter eye colours live a life of poverty and servitude with intermixing between these groups are condemned by the empire.

Just to be warned there are a couple trigger warnings such as: (past) sexual grooming, sibling/infant death, racism and discrimination, threatened torture and death.

Sophia Vahdati did an amazing job creating a world that has magic, political intrigue and betrayal. I loved this book and can’t wait for book 2!!

A YA Dystopian fantasy that really put into perspective real life problems. As a white man, even I was reading this thinking “Blimey, this is so relevant in today’s world”

Jantsia is an amazing character who struggles with not fitting into her social circles due to her heritage and appearance, she also has to lie about her identity at home all while suffering with a “blood sickness”. Following her story of growth and acceptance after scenes where she’s gone to such efforts to fit in with the Azures around her was so good.

Daezen is Jantsia’s best friend Kains’s older brother. Broody, a son who’s stepped up as head of the household after his father’s death. His character arc was also really good to read and I can’t wait to see where his story goes.

Soba’s our other point of view throughout the story, she’s the “bad guy”, strong, athletic, rugged. An inspector whose job it is to find and infiltrate the rebels plans. Her story was heartbreaking. You really felt for her and what she’d been through, helping you understand why and how she’s ended up where she is.

The only trigger warning I noticed that was missing was that grooming has a part to play in this story. It was handled and written well a long with the other plots of discrimination and stereotypes.

Sophia Vahdati has created a world that reflects our current world and its issues with discrimination while putting a dystopian fantasy twist of her own on it. The magic and caste system was fantastic. The idea that your place in the hierarchy is dependant on your eye colour and corresponding power was so well done.

Eager to carry on this story in the next instalment.

I've read about 10% and would like to give some early thoughts. Will update as I progress along.

Chapter 3: Any clear association between them and Topper could peak the Inspectors’ interests.
I think this should be "pique". Apologies if I'm misunderstanding the intention to use "peak".

Chapter 4: The guard’s reaction was priceless. His narrow, beady eyes opened as wide as they could, and his mouth sucked in like a butthole.
I feel like this is not appropriate for YA but maybe there's a connect to something else later but this paragraph was where I really felt like I had to stop.

I'm determined to give this book another go but I'm gonna read another book for a palette cleanser first. I love the concept of this book but I'm not enjoying the writing style.
.

I would rate this book as a quite solid 3.5 ⭐️.

This was a book with a really interesting premise, that the colour of your eyes could determine your rank in society and also your powers.

The fmc of the story is living with a secret, and I enjoyed reading about how this impacted her relationships with her friends and family, and also her view of herself, her own self worth.

There was a decent amount of world building, although the dialogue and flow of the story was a little clunky at times. The pace was a little slower than I would normally enjoy, and there were occasional info dumps that could possibly have been handled a bit better.

Although I am conscious of the fact that I’m not in the age bracket that this book is targeted at, so possibly that impacted my enjoyment. But I have read and enjoyed several other ya books that felt maybe a little bit more substantial than this one.

However, overall this was a pretty solid, enjoyable read and one that I would recommend. And by the end of the story I had started to feel like I cared about the characters and would be interested to know what happens to them next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

Firstly thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book as I personally found it hard to follow due to quite a few POVs. The whole concept of the plot is very fascinating and you would definitely enjoy this book if you enjoy fantasy and multiple POV. I did enjoy that chapters were named as I find this a rare find in books currently.

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is such a good story. I rated it 5 stars because I couldn't put it down for a second. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

The character growth in this was so good! I’m usually very picky with my YA reads but this was gone very well.

"But secrets were open wounds. The longer they were left to fester, the more likely they'd become infected."

Author: Sophia Vahdati
Page Count: 384 Pages
Release date: July 17, 2025

The Girl with the Fierce Eyes is the first installment in a fast-paced YA dystopian fantasy romance series by debut author Sophia Vahdati. I was blown away by Sophia Vahdati’s world, full of magic, love triangles, political intrigue, betrayal, and a heroine who must decide whether to reveal her deadliest secret to save them all.

I loved the premise of the novel, which is about a Divergent-esque world in which eye colour determines status, wealth, and power. In the Empire of Shariza, the four oculary powers (Obsidian, Sepia, Verdidian, and Azure) are separated in a castes system that condemns those with light eyes to lives of poverty and servitude. Intermixing is forbidden on pain of death.

👁️ Your eyes decide your destiny 👁️

In a world where difference means death, Jantsia must hide her dual-heritage, even from the person she loves the most. But when a rebellion challenges the rot at the core of the Empire, Janstia must decide whether to risk revealing the secret that has kept her alive. What if her difference isn’t dangerous? What if it is the secret to saving them all? But who to trust when difference means death?

A Love That Kills

I devoured this novel, which has the fast pace to keep you awake and night and the depth and complexity to keep you thinking about the plot long after you have finished the book.

I appreciated Vahdati’s use of eye colour as a vehicle to explore the way human societies create structures of power and discrimination, and that she subverts expectations by placing blue eyes at the bottom of the social ladder. The dual-heritage protagonist struggles with not fitting into either of her parent’s worlds, and must learn to embrace rather than fear her difference. In this way, Jantsia’s story explores the risks posed to and by individuals who do not neatly fit into the categories human beings love to create.

I also loved the complexity of the novel, which follows three characters - two Azure and one Obsidian - as each are forced to question their assumptions about the world and their place in it. When the structures that govern their lives are exposed, what choices will they make? Is love powerful enough to overcome structures of hate?

I can’t wait for Book 2, which promises deadly trials and difficult choices for each of the characters!

You’ll love this novel if you love:
-Divergent-esque fantasy
-YA Dystopian
-Multiple POV
-Romance (F/M and F/F) & Love Triangles
-Magic & Deadly Trials
-Political Intrigue & Betrayal
-Found Family
-Self-Discovery

CW: sexual grooming (past), sibling/infant death (past), racism and discrimination, threatened torture & death, characters in peril.

Really really enjoyed the premace of the book! I’m not usually a ya girly but this was a super cool concept and I really enjoyed the character growth from our main character!