A Body Not Her Own introduces a compelling concept—a reincarnated goddess hunted through centuries, set against a backdrop of elemental magic, necromancy, and sapphic romance. Enid’s journey, resurrected to break a curse, is rich with potential and intriguing lore. However, while the characters and premise shine, the execution falls short. The pacing feels rushed, relationships underdeveloped, and the worldbuilding inconsistent—swinging between medieval fantasy and modern elements without clarity. The magic system, though creative, lacks explanation, leaving core mechanics and character abilities vague. Editorial issues further disrupt the experience. Still, the book’s ambition and representation are commendable, and with more polish and depth, this could evolve into a standout fantasy series.

Thank you to Victory Editing for the opportunity of reading this ARC!
I was really drawn into the premise: a reincarnated goddess, various elemental magics, and a sapphic romance on top - but unfortunately, I found the execution lacking. It was all a bit underdeveloped and difficult to connect with, and I would dare say (although who am I to say) this isn't ready for publication in it's current state. The 2 stars is a round up for the sheer potential - and could easily be a 5 if given a rework.

The pacing, character development and worldbuilding all felt very shallow. I often found myself confused by the setting: at times it's giving medieval fantasy (swords, small villages you can hide away in, ancient gods) but then there are modern elements thrown in (phones, vehicles, guns, cities) without any explanation. The overall world didn't feel cohesive and I found it very hard to picture, let alone become immersed in.

The FMC being a Goddess reincarnated, despite being the story's main focus point, is also incredibly unclear. It's given to us as a reincarnation, yet it feels more like the FMC is a "chosen one" rather than the Goddess herself. It is not explained what happens when the Goddess "awakens" - are they meant to be the same person, or separate entities? Does the FMC lose control of herself and the Goddess move in and take over? (Although, FMC has very little personality or distinct traits to speak of as is, so if this would be a detraction I'm not sure!) She doesn't seem to have any bonus powers or anything, just labelled to die? Considering it is the main premise of the book, a bit more explanation would go a long way.

We are also introduced to a wide range of characters very quickly, and the story starts splitting into their POV's and side quests before we are even given a chance to be interested in them. The way it jumps between them, and their lack of depth, made it incredibly hard to stay emotionally invested, and really distracted from the actual goal of the book for no payoff.
The romance is also rushed through - bearing in mind the short duration of the main arc (about 2 months if I remember) and between the duration, and the skipping POVs, the dynamic doesn't have time to develop naturally, and the love doesn't seem genuine. It would have been wonderful to have more breathing space for the casual side of things, I think it could have been a fun dynamic to grow with, and would have made it more compelling and enjoyable given the chance.

The magic system is interesting enough, different elements and mastery of aspects of it gave me "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vibes - with the addition of Necromancy. However, the spectrum of abilities titled under "necromancy" is broad and I wonder if they really work under that title - foreseeing people's demise, and healing don't feel very necromancy? I feel there is a more appropriate label out there for it. Again, some more clear definitions and background around the magic system would really benefit the book. Like who gets what powers and how, does everyone have powers or are there normies too?

There were also a fair number of inconsistencies and grammatical issues (including tense shifts, incorrect words, spelling and what not) that disrupted the flow of reading, although I recognise this is not a finalised version, it contributed to the sense of needing another round of edits.

I do genuinely really appreciate what the book attempts to be - a diverse, sapphic, mythic, epic fantasy - but it would really benefit from a more in-depth worldbuilding, clearer character arcs and overall a bit more polish and such, it could be incredible.

Thanks again for the ARC, I really hope this gets the chance to become what it has the potential to be.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
A Body Not Her Own is a rather darker, adult debut fantasy book, about a woman, who's hunted for being a reincarnation of the Goddess, Eos.
The base idea of this book is really good: A goddess reincarnated, being hunted for hundreds of years Female rage Elemental magic Sapphic romance sub-plot Magicians, necromancers, monsters

I  genuinely liked the characters and the way they connected. But at the same time, I kept wishing we got to see more of that journey, more little moments showing how they built that closeness, how their bond grew over time. It would've made their relationships feel even more meaningful.

The magic system is based on elemental magic with different sub categories, which is really interesting, with a little more work the this system could have been even more awesome. I missed reading a little bit more about this topic, for example what determinates your magic powers, what The Great River is, how's magic used etc.
The story itself is actually fun and enjoyable i didn't have a hard time picking the book up. Even though there were some pacing issues and a few parts that were a bit hard to follow, it still managed to keep me engaged overall.

Locke's and Enid's relationship is nice, would have enjoyed to see more of them, see more interaction between them, how their one night stand (more multiple nights) turned into the love they ended up sharing.

The book let me want to know/learn more about Eos, the reincarnation (the hows, the whys), her relationship with Tithonus, about the magic system and about the characters.

I really wanted to like this, but it really wasn't a cohesive story. Everything felt rushed, there were too many characters that served no purpose, the romance was underdeveloped, and I couldn't find myself caring about anyone. This was all action, not introspection, no delving into anything deep, and the world-building only muddled up everything more. The magic system was both over-explained and lacking in clarity. The concept was very interesting, but poorly executed.

While reading this review it should be noted that I DNF'ed a quarter of the way through.

I think the book shows a lot of promise with a setting that could lend itself to exploring themes of breaking cycles, women's roles in religion, etc well; however, I think the book is in need of more edits. The pacing and continuity of the book feel choppy. The writing could also be more descriptive in terms of the details of scenes the characters are in and in terms of connecting scenes happening together. A lot of what I read seemed like it was written separately if that makes sense. I was not really connecting with a characters either due to me not vibing with the writing style.

This book follows the story of Enid, a reincarnation of the goddess Eos. Every generation a new Eos is born and killed by the ‘immortal man’. When Enid is killed however she is brought back to life by a necromancer who tasks her with killing the immortal man and ending the curse of the Eos women. Enid begins this journey with her Elven guard Locke.
I mostly enjoyed this story, I thought the main premise of Eos was a unique one and I’ve not read a story like this before. The lore behind this was explained well and explored throughout. The magic system is different but could have been explained better, I didn’t realise there were different magical beings until about 15% in. It wasn’t too clear who could or would not do certain things and I wish Enid’s magic was explained a little more: was the river a unique thing to her, or was she just water affiliated?
I particularly enjoyed the 1920s setting and I think the characters were well developed and explored in enough depth that I liked and understood them all.
I loved having a little sapphic knight in shining armour trope and I think the author did Enid and Locke justice in their love story. I would read what this author published next.

"I'll paint the ground red with your blood," She seethed, a deep viciousness leaking out with every word. "And then I'll do it again. And again. Until nothing is left of you."

A Body Not Her Own is a really intriguing fantasy novel about a goddess who is reincarnated only to be killed by an immortal man — but Enid, the most recent reincarnation of Eos, finally has a chance to stop him for good.

I thought the cast of characters were the real standout part of this book, and the time dedicated to the side characters as well as Enid and Locke made the world feel a lot more fleshed out than other books I've read (plus I'm a sucker for a found family!) And Enid and Locke's relationship was super sweet, I love them both 💕

Unfortunately some of the plot fell a little bit flat for me, as I felt like things were just happening to Enid rather than her being a proactive heroine trying to hunt down this man who very much deserved to die (promise I'm not just salty over That Death 😅), and that made it a little hard for me to get through this.

A solid 3 stars overall though!

The concept of “A Body Not Her Own” was incredibly intriguing, especially given that the book started with the murder and resurrection of the main character. Though I was initially put off by some editorial flaws in the book, the potential pay-off of the plot kept me reading. Unfortunately, these problems were not really resolved throughout the book, which really would have benefitted from an additional developmental edit and copy-edit.

The prologue alone set me off on the wrong foot. The tone was very casual and conversational, which detracted from the dramatic impact of what was being said. Additionally, there were already problems with past tense and past participle, an absence of necessary punctuation, and inconsistency in capitalisation of fantasy elements (Devil Cat vs devil cat). Some words were just outright used incorrectly, such as “corralled” in the prologue. I totally understand that these issues will occur in an indie published book. But given this book was published by an editing co-op company, I wouldn’t expect to see quite so many errors in the first few pages alone.

The prologue also lacked impact in terms of the plot and the fantasy elements. Regarding the latter, we’re introduced to a fantastical creature called the Devil Cat, which is described simply as a combination of a mountain lion and wild boar. In order to immerse the reader in the world being created, I would have enjoyed more specificity, a vivid description—what elements of the boar does the Devil Cat have as compared to the mountain lion? Regarding the plot, I felt that it felt quite passive, which was a shame because there was an opportunity for more action and tension, which would have hooked the reader more. The interaction between Enid and the Devil Cat has already ended by the time it begins, doing away with all the possibility of tension that would arise from their fight. Such a fight would also establish the perils of the world, as well as Enid as a character capable of defending herself. This missed opportunity exemplifies a recurring problem throughout the book, where the chance to characterise or augment the world/plot was passed over. This is especially important at the beginning of the book, however, which is why I’ve highlighted this instance.

The book felt choppy and rushed, both in its plot, in Enid’s internal life, and the world-building. Her thoughts felt quite disjointed from one another, transitions from one thought to the next not always making obvious sense to the reader. In regards to the plot, scenes lacked fluidity, both in a self-contained manner and from one scene to the next. I was also repeatedly confused by the world-building and the occasional references to 20th century technology (photograph), despite the book having more of a medieval setting.

The last thing I’ll mention is something really trivial, yet I think it exemplifies the carelessness in writing this book. At one point, Enid feeds her sheep intestines from a Devil Cat. Now I’m not saying everyone needs to know off the top of their head that sheep are herbivores, but I feel like this is just something that could have been double-checked, given Enid has a farm. And it’s not said at any point that these are fantastical sheep that eat meat. I wouldn’t say that individually issues like this are a big deal, but recurring errors such as this one can really take the reader out of the story!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book!

The idea is great. The FMC, a goddess, dying at the beginning of the book, and being rescued by a necromanser. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this. The beginning introduces us to a world that seems like typical medieval fantasy and they call each other “lord” and “lady” and ride on horses. Later Tobias takes her to other cities which are more representative of modern day with skyscrapers, trains, electricity, radios, headphones and showers. I couldn’t picture the world. The magicians were also described as wearing more outdated clothes (even armour and chainmail) but others wore more modern clothes like short dresses. I could not picture the world at all.

The magic system was also not really refined enough in the beginning. I had no idea why Enid was different from the others and elves and monsters being introduced just seemed very disjointed. The pacing was also weird and some scenes just felt longer than they should have been compared to more important ones.

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to NetGalley for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.
✨sapphic historical fantasy (1920s)
✨third person
✨feminine rage
✨first in a series
✨ Reincarnated Heroine
in this book we follow enid who is the reincarnation of the goddess Eos and in every incarnation she is killed by the same immortal man.

i’ve just finished this and i already can’t wait for the next one. i want to see where the story goes after reading it. kept me hooked from the start:) i loved the romance between Locke and enid, their dynamic was amazing. i can’t wait to see more of them.i really liked the world building and all the different types of magic and mystical creatures.

This book was not ready to be published. The vast majority of my critiques are going to circle back to this central point.

We follow Enid, a woman who is the reincarnation of the goddess of magic Eos. In every incarnation she is killed by the same man, however following her murder Enid is raised by a necromancer and set a task: kill her hunter and end the cycle. We then spend the rest of the book on an unrelated fetch quest, answering none of my many many questions about this interesting premise.

I really struggled with the world of this book. Having read the entire thing, I still don't understand what is meant by 'goddess'. Eos doesn't seem to be actively worshiped by anybody, she is not immortal (as evidenced by her repeated murders), and if she has magic or power it is not explained how it differs from other magic users. This is emblematic of the world building in this story. I was 100 pages into this book before I realized there were non-human characters (elves, orcs, etc). I have finished the entire thing and I still don't understand the magic system (there are elemental magics, but also necromancy, except 2/3 of the necromancers don't do necromancy? One of the necromancers summons a demon to tell the future? Enid accesses her magic by calling on 'the great river', but it is not explained if this is unique to her because she is a water worker, or if it is Eos, or if this is how everybody accesses magic?). There are many countries, but I fundamentally don't understand how they relate to one another. There appear to be multiple governing bodies, but I don't understand how they relate to one another either. Additionally the time period felt uncanny. Enid fights with a sword, people seem to travel via horseback, and most people are referred to as 'My Lady, My Lord', all indicating a standard vaguely Arthurian medieval fantasy setting. However, every once in a while they reference early 20th century technology (radios, headphones, gaslamps, electricity, telephones). The fashions also feel very 20s inspired.

The characters in this story felt under-developed and thin. They were very one dimensional, and I didn't feel connected to them at all. They seemed to make decisions based on plot-convenience, and we were told that they were developing important relationships with one another without that feeling true.

Finally, the structural elements of this book needed at least 3 more passes with an editor. The text was riddled with incomplete sentences, internal contradictions (she was stabbed in the throat, but the knife slid between her ribs?), and concepts being referenced with no context. Pronouns are used very awkwardly throughout the book, with proper names often being used where a pronoun would flow better, or both being abandoned in favour of an epithet (the sword-magician, the waterbearer, the immortal man). These epithets are not referencing unknown characters, but being used interchangeably with the names of known characters, including Enid. In a few memorable scenes, Enid is referred to as 'the sword magician' in the middle of a smut scene. Additionally, chapter and page breaks happen seemingly at random, with a few chapter breaks interrupting the middle of a scene which simply continues at the start of the next chapter.

This book has a interesting premise, but it reads like a first draft that needs a lot more editing before hitting shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the digital arc of this book.

«How wonderful and terrifying it was to have someone so close to your heart.»

This was an enjoyable read. We follow Enid the current reincarnation of the goddess Eos who has been hunted by an immortal men for over two hundred years, Enid has known all her life that her destiny is to die at the hands of this man but what she didn’t know was that she was gonna be brought back to life with the mission of finally killing the immortal men and that to ensure her survival she was going to be assigned a bodyguard whose name is Locke.

I found the worldbuilding interesting and I really liked the idea of the hunters and magicians and their different types of magic, we even had necromancers. We also had an ample cast of characters with different points of view which helped to have a better understanding of the world.

The relationship between Enid and Locke was one of my favorite things their dynamic and how their feelings developed from a one night stand to forever felt natural. In short I definitely recommend this book and look forward to the next book since this was the author debut and I think she’ll only get better from here.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this book.

I have to open this review by saying I did not finish this book. I got a little over 20% in before I DNF'd. I stopped reading this book because I was having trouble following the storyline. It felt very choppy and like we were RUSHING through the story, which was confusing given that I was only 20% through the book. I at first chalked this up to the main character having just been resurrected (that's gotta do something to you brain), but as it continued in this herky jerky fashion, I found it too much to keep up with. I felt like that first 20% could've been its own story, not crammed into the beginning of this one. I was initially really hooked with the way it started, I was intrigued by Enid's position as a reincarnated god and how we began with her murder (how often does a story start with the main character's murder?? that's NEAT). But from there its just felt like a bunch of loosley connected scenes strung together without much reason. The introduction of Carta felt dropped in and unexplained.

The writing style and pacing just isn't for me. I think the concept of this story is really interesting and I hope people as loving the sapphic knight energy. However, it isn't enough to get me past the disjointed structure.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Body Not Her Own is a sweet and simple romantasy set in a modern-ish world with magic, where gods are real and they can be killed and reincarnated. The focus is of course on the romance between the main character Enid and her bodyguard Locke, but there's some attempts at a bigger worldbuilding. The world feels like a generic fantasy world, not very developed, but the premise of the book is intriguing enough.

The relationship between Enid and Locke grows organically, from a heated one-night-stand to a love that defies all. The two of them have an easy banter that's fun to witness, but there's also drama and more serious moments. I love the bodyguard trope, and the book does not disappoint in that regard, with many istances where Enid has to be protected. But she's not a helpless damsel in distress, on the contrary she can defend herself. Locke on the other hand is the typical grizzled warrior who thinks she cannot have what she wants, and it's fun to see her lower her walls.

The supporting cast is big and varied, and from a specific moment forward we also have a few new povs, which was unexpected and a welcome change. A good number of characters are necromancers, which brings some novelty to the narration.

A Body Not Her Own is a nice debut.

I only read a couple pages of this book. The formatting is weird. The plot isn’t the plot you’d expect, as in “reincarnation.” It’s already a disconnected, confusing jumble in the beginning. Not reading more to see if everything evens out.