BIIIIIG thank you to Owl & Bear (I'm already screaming at that) & NetGalley for this BEAUTY.

This was unexpectedly excellent for a book that is like 85% land development. The writing is great; I LOVED the world building, and felt like the characters were all very well-fleshed out. Ophele is a wonderful FMC ❤️

I bought the next book in the series (which follows the same couple) before I was even halfway done!

I LOVE YOU, MICHE!!!

I just can't and I feel really bad about DNFing this book because a lot of people liked it. It is just not for me.

I just can't get over the fact that the FMC is a minor (17 y/o) and there is spicy scenes with an adult man. I feel gross reading it.

I thought the writing was well done but I just can't get past that.

Thank you net galley and Owl and Bear for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest review

Read this book! I haven’t even finished it yet and it checks off all my boxes for a good story. I love the writing and the characters I highly recommend it for fantasy lovers 🥰🥰

This was a instant 5 stars for me, a cozy slow burn romance fantasy, plus great world building. I could not put this book down, Ophele and Remin's journey together is a rocky but lovely one once they start actually communicating with each other. I cannot wait to see what the relationship becomes in book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Melissa Cave!

Cave
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼ (4.25/5)

I really enjoyed Traitor Son! The pacing was solid and kept me hooked all the way through. Melissa Cave’s writing style was super readable and easy to get into, which made it a great experience overall.

There were quite a few names and places to keep track of (a classic fantasy struggle), and I did have to flip back a few times to remind myself who was who. But honestly, that didn’t take away much from the story for me.

What really stood out was the character development. The main characters had great depth, and it was genuinely satisfying to watch them grow and evolve. You get properly invested in their journeys, which is always a big win in fantasy for me.

The world building was also really well done. Everything felt vivid and fully imagined — from the scenery to the lore, I could picture it all so clearly. It’s the kind of world I’d love to explore more of, and I’m already looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series takes us.

I’d say this is definitely one to recommend to fellow fantasy readers. It’s got heart, action, solid characters, and a world that feels alive.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC copy — I’m really glad I got the chance to read this one!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book l. While the FMC was young and a little naive, the MMC was stoic and mistrusting ( though with cause), I really enjoyed their story. I would reccomend this to any fan of the romantasy genre.

I loved this book. An FMC that tries to atone for her parents sins, a troubled MMC too afraid of being hurt. A world set against both of them. Side characters with lovely (and grumpy) personalities. A love story that is believable and over the course of months. Dangerous monsters lurking in the shadows.
The writing captured me and I read this in one sitting.
I cant wait for the sequel.

🌾✨ This book felt like curling up in your favorite hoodie after a long day, with a warm drink in hand and the sound of pixelated chickens clucking softly in the background. If Minecraft had a plot-rich fantasy mode with Witcher-style monster encounters and Harvest Moon’s heartwarming town vibes, THIS WOULD BE IT. 🏡🗡️💕

The story follows Remin “Grimjaw,” a war-hardened hero granted his deepest wish by the Emperor after a near-impossible mission—land, title, and a bride: the Emperor’s daughter, Ophele. She’s quiet, clever, raised in isolation, and completely unprepared for the grumpy, brooding man who’s now her husband. Their arranged marriage starts rocky (she’s literally up a tree when they meet and he thinks she might assassinate him), but slowly—beautifully—they go from awkward strangers to something much deeper. And all of this unfolds while political scheming, star-magic secrets, and monsters creep at the edges of their growing connection.

The love story? Soft and slow and utterly swoonworthy. He falls first (of course he does), and the way he looks at her? Ugh. I need someone to look at me like I’m their safe place in a world of monsters. It’s one of those rare romances where miscommunication feels earned and character growth is everything. Tender, hilarious, and sometimes spicy in the best, cozy kind of way.

My favorite quotes:
✨ “He had commanded whole armies and ordered thousands of men to march to their deaths, but he had never been responsible for anything as fragile as a girl.”
✨ “Her eyes went immediately to Remin, happy and laughing and wanting to share it with him, and suddenly it felt as if everything else in the world dissolved away, leaving only her.”
✨ “Looking into her golden eyes was like falling into the stars.”

I wasn’t even five chapters in before I realized I had discovered a new comfort read. The kind you revisit just to spend time with the characters and feel a little less alone in the world.

It’s cozy fantasy at its finest—low on angst, high on vibes, with enough action to keep you flipping pages way past your bedtime. If you’ve ever wanted a game-turned-book where the stakes feel real but the love is soft and the world is healing? This one’s for you. 🍂🛏️🐐

10/10 would trade my city life for a little plot of land, a sword, and someone who looks at me like I hung the stars.

Review will also be posted on April 22nd on Goodreads and its will be posted within the next 2-3 days on retail sites: Amazon, Thalia and Hugendubel,

I received an ARC of Traitor Son by Melissa J. Cave, and I genuinely didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s a thoughtful, character-driven fantasy with a solid blend of political strategy, a slow-burn romance, and just enough lurking-monster tension to keep things interesting.

The world-building is surprisingly grounded, especially for a fantasy novel. There’s a strong focus on rebuilding and city planning after destruction, which sounds dry on paper—but Cave manages to make it engaging and relevant to the characters’ personal growth. The themes of survival, leadership, and community really shine through.

Now, let’s talk about Miche. He’s hands down my favorite character—sharp-tongued, sarcastic, and always ready with a one-liner that made me laugh out loud. His humor added much-needed levity without ever feeling forced or out of place. One of his lines—“Remind me again why I don’t let you do the talking?”—had me cackling. He’s the kind of character who brings balance to heavier moments and reminds you not to take everything too seriously.

The romance is a true slow burn, with all the tension and quiet vulnerability that makes enemies-to-lovers so satisfying. Their dynamic evolves gradually and naturally, and I found myself really rooting for them. There’s one moment—“I don’t have to like you to protect you”—that hit like a punch to the chest in the best way.

That said, the middle of the book did lose a bit of steam for me. Some of the pacing dragged during the political maneuvering and logistics, and it felt like the momentum paused before ramping up again toward the end. But even when it slowed down, the characters and emotional stakes kept me turning pages.

Overall, Traitor Son was a refreshing mix of humor, heart, and fantasy realism. It’s not your typical action-packed ride, but it delivers something more layered—something that lingers. I’m giving it a solid 4 stars, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for what Melissa J. Cave writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the EARC of Traitor Son, by Melissa J Cave.

Going into this novel, I wasn't sure what to expect. The summary about enemies to lovers, working towards rebuilding a city really attracted me.

I really enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters, and the imagery of Ophele as a squirrel and Remin as a bear. Miche was another favourite character of mine in the whole of the story. A lot of the characters had wonderful descriptions and personality, and for that I give the stars this novel deserved.

However, I was a little disappointed at the unexpected spice in this. It feel like it was unnecessary.

There was also many unanswered questions.

The end of the novel didn't exactly leave on a cliffhanger either. Unsatisfactory, unfortunately. I hope the second novel wraps up all the nuances and details of the world.

3/5 stars

Melissa Cave's "Traitor Son" enters the Fantasy Romance landscape with a narrative firmly centered on its protagonists' emotional journey amidst political turmoil. As the first installment in the "Empire of the Stars" series, it introduces Remin, a disgraced warrior seeking to restore his name, and Ophele, a royal woman bound to him through circumstance and arranged marriage. The novel commits deeply to exploring their developing connection, employing familiar tropes like slow burn and grumpy-sunshine dynamics to good effect against the backdrop of a war-torn world and the practicalities of forging a new community.

What "Traitor Son" achieves well, it seems, is grounding its epic fantasy elements – political betrayal, the weight of past trauma, the hints of a larger conflict – within the intimate scope of the central relationship. The narrative pacing often mirrors the slow cultivation of trust between Remin and Ophele, dedicating significant space to their interactions and internal states. While this focus offers satisfying emotional depth for readers invested in the romance, it occasionally means that broader plot developments or world-building details can feel secondary or less explored within this volume. Furthermore, the story concludes with clear setup for subsequent books, leaving major external conflicts unresolved.

Ultimately, "Traitor Son" presents as a character-driven novel that prioritizes romantic and emotional development within its fantasy setting. It appears to be a promising and engaging start for its target audience, particularly those seeking Romantasy that delves into themes of redemption, resilience, and the complexities of forging connection under duress.

I didn’t know what exactly to expect in this book and I am so glad that I have read this book. The characters of this book were so interesting to read about and learn about. I loved the dynamic that Remin and Ophele had and with how everything changed throughout the book. As soon as I had started reading the book, I didn’t want to put it down. I definitely want to continue reading the series, to find out what’s going to happen next, especially after the ending of this book.

I read this book in advance of receiving the Stardust Child ARC. I am very glad I chose these books. They are fantastic. This is definitely one of my new favorites. I love the world building and character development. The relationship between Remin and Ophele is built on mistrust from the beginning, but grows and changes. The relationships Ophele makes amongst Remin's men is heartwarming. The monsters are only introduced vaguely toward the end of the book, but draw you into the story and leaves you with questions. Absolutely recommending this to friends and strangers. Fantastic read ....

It was a nice enemies to lovers romance with some political intrigue and worldbuilding although not what I was expecting. Like some other reviewers, I was expecting deep plot twists, testing loyalties, confrontation with the king and some action, which I didn’t get from this one. There was a big focus on city planning which is fine, just not totally my jam. I felt like the characters were a bit impersonal as well, maybe this is because it was done in third person?

I do think this is a good fantasy start, and I will be reading book 2! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A will they won’t they swords and sorcery romance. A warrior completes his quest and wins the hand in marriage of the emperor’s daughter. Only it’s not the daughter he expects and not with the behaviour he thought he would see…

This has a premise with a lot of potential—an uneasy arranged marriage between two people so drastically different and the promise of political intrigue. It introduces strong foundations for character-driven conflict and emotional depth. And while there were elements I found compelling, especially in the initial setup, I ultimately struggled to connect with the story the way I’d hoped.

I appreciated how distinct both Remin and Ophele were. Their differences made me curious about how they’d bridge the gap between them. Ophele had so much narrative potential—an exiled princess raised in secrecy in an abusive household—but she remained incredibly passive throughout. While her background lends itself to quiet resilience, I often wished for more agency and strength from her. She’s treated with a kind of delicate reverence that, while perhaps intentional, felt a too infantilizing for my taste.

I found the romantic relationship difficult to root for, largely due to the imbalance of power and how certain moments—particularly the consummation of their marriage—were handled. The lack of enthusiastic consent made me deeply uncomfortable, and I found it hard to move past that dynamic. It feels like it has those medieval history vibes, but that is not something I wanted in a romance. Remin is very emotionally distant and, at times, incredibly harsh in ways that made it difficult for me to feel invested in the romance. Honestly, I spent the whole book wishing that Miche would just be the romantic lead.

On the fantasy side, I’d describe this as very low fantasy. There are hints of magic and otherworldly threats, but those elements aren’t explored in depth. Similarly, the political tensions linger in the background without ever really taking center stage. That’s not necessarily a flaw—slice-of-life fantasy has its audience—but I personally prefer when the world-building and external stakes are more tightly woven into the narrative.

All that said, I did enjoy the writing style. Melissa J. Cave’s prose is elegant and inviting, and despite my issues with the romance and characters, the storytelling held my attention.

In the end, Traitor Son may resonate more with readers who enjoy slower-paced, historically inspired fantasy romances with an emphasis on atmosphere. For me, it didn’t quite deliver the emotional depth or character development I was looking for, but I can absolutely see its appeal to others. It’s a thoughtful debut with a strong sense of tone, even if it left me personally wishing for more.

Thanks so much to the author, netgalley, and publisher for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This book had me sucked in from the start. It was beautifully torturous, a lovers to enemies to lovers story.

I felt like I was seeing the very beginning of a great dynasty unfold where in other books you're several centuries in the future. It was seeing behind the curtains of time, where it all began, the hard work, trials and tribulations before their children's children's children's drama in the future.

The characters were well rounded. The dynamic between the main characters and side characters also.

There were a lot of names of people and places to take in but I very much felt like the author managed to bring up the ones that needed remembering and anything about them often and casually enough that they stuck and I didn't feel like I had no idea what was going on.

I'm very much looking forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. (I know this came out months ago and was re-released as an ARC so more people would read the ARC of the sequel soon to come out.)

Plain and simple: I adored this book!!! I was instantly smitten by the idea of this series from 2 lines of the GR summary: "She could be his love and his wife, the mother of his children, the foundation of a dynasty that will last forever. Or she could be the Emperor’s weapon, placed at his side to destroy everything he has left." And the book did not disappoint!!!

I am actually mad *only* 170 other people have rated and only 90 other people have reviewed this book. I want to bang my pots and pans and advertise this series to others so much now!!


First of all, if you've read Throne of Glass, the romance is VERY reminiscent of Elide/Lorcan--if Lorcan were clueless about women and Elide were much shyer. But the relationship is Definitely gruff big solemn guy with a heart of gold + deceptively weak woman who has survived much and has much inner strength...who initially hardly know each other, and who grow to care very deeply about each other.

Second of all, the book is told in his/her POVs--but with 3rd person POV (that sometimes switches mid chapter or mid scene!), so it's very easy for the reader to figure out what's going on with the other character, even if the leads can't. The narration is also done in a very witty way that is fun and delightful to read. (Might just be the author is very good at getting the characters' personalities across and I love the characters!)

Third of all, Melissa J. Cave made me *care* about the creation/building of a town/city/empire, which I didn't think I ever would in (medieval-ish) fantasy books!

Fourth of all, the romance is TRULY slow burn and develops in a realistic way--to the point that I died over every UST moment, every romantic thought the mains had (but didn't share) about each other. And the resolution/coming together of the relationship feels natural and beautiful (I *loved* the ending)

Fifth of all, even though this book is clearly setting things up for the books to come, there is not a cliffhanger ending, which was a relief.

Sixth of all, this author is clearly up for a fresh challenge in a sea of very similar romantasy books:
- lots of morally grey sassy MMCs with tons of experience with women and who are very old? Let's write a very principled young MMC who is clueless with woman but has the best intentions.
- lots of MMCs who keep secrets intentionally from the FMC and aren't very good about being honest? Let's write a MMC who is very honest + eager to try to communicate and fix problems in his relationship.
- lots of boring knight in shining armor characters? Let's write a MMC who truly *is* a knight in shining armor, but who is interesting to read and who is disgraced and having to claw back his reputation.
- lots of "Strong, Not Like The Other Girls, Cold and Closed Off" FMCs? Let's write a Fanny Price (ala "Mansfield Park") FMC who is quiet, who has inner strength despite being beaten down/broken by life, a quiet character who needs to *learn* how to be courageous. A FMC who *cares deeply* and isn't afraid to show it. A FMC who is clueless with men but honest about what she wants.
- lots of female bffs for the FMC (or no bffs)? Let's write a male bff for the FMC. (Miche, I love you!!)

Overall, a 5 star read. Another one for the faves shelf, lads. Can't wait to start my ARC of book 2 asap!!! (And hopefully buy myself a hard copy of this delight :))

Hope more people read this asap, bc I need to yell about it!! And it deserves it.

to be honest, as i was reading this book i had no idea if i liked it or not.
but i couldn’t put it down. it was so well written and interesting. it’s not an exciting book by any means but it’s so good.

for about 75% of the book i wanted to attempt to assassinate remin grimjaw myself. his cruelty to his wife throughout the book was frustrating as hell. he did redeem himself but he still has a lot to make up for.
ophele, on the other hand, is a precious angel who has done no wrong in her entire life and never will.
it was refreshing to read a book where the fmc was not a warrior princess, to be honest. it feels like in every single romantasy book, the fmc is a fierce fighter so it’s a nice change.
ophele is strong in her own way, however, and her character development is what i’m looking forward to the most in the next books!
i feel like she and remin have so much potential, together and as a couple.

I didn't know what to expect here, but I was surprised how much I got invested in this slow burn fantasy romance. An enjoyable read.