DNF at 33% of the way through. The premise of this book has a lot of potential; the world itself and the magic system are interesting and unique. However, I struggled to follow the thread of the story regularly where the writing went in to too much depth in some areas and not enough in others. Some aspects of the worldbuilding felt out of place and laboured on a point too much, meaning the point of their introduction or inclusion was hard to track. The characters were interesting, but sometimes felt rushed in their introduction - where the general worldbuilding seemed a bit too in depth at times, the characters were sometimes introduced too quickly and without the same level of detail.

Very appreciative of the opportunity to review this ARC, and hope to see more from this author in the future!

This was an interesting read. And fun.

The world-building and magic system is quite interesting, fun to navigate, easy to follow.

The writing, however, annoyed me sometimes. Not the writing itself, but the dividing. Scenes are separated for no apparent reason other than style, which cuts the natural flow of the scene. We're in the middle of a scene and then suddenly a divider between two paragraphs. Why? I don't get it. [*edit to update:* it seems my Kobo version had some issues and these dividres are not supposed to be there. The author kindly reached out to me regarding this issue and it my be because of the file itself.]

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The pace of the story is good, but I think the romance(s) happened too fast. There was no building, especially with Stygian. One day they meet, the next one they're engulfed in passion and Mira thinks she kinda loves him. With Hiver it's a bit more natural, but still lacks a bit of intimacy. You know, conversations and silence, the things where love blooms. The spicy parts are alright. I do think Mira and Hiver have a lot more sexual tension than Mira and Stygian, but I guess that's the point.

The protagonist is not a Mary Sue - instead, she has depth and dimensions. Yes, she's weak at first, but she works it out. Yes, she's the definition of a hero, but she's not a natural hero. She needs to work her power and learn how to control it. That's lovely. Makes her more human and real.

*END OF SPOILERS*

The beginning was slow, but I do understand why. It needed to give us the background to understand what was to come. The second half, however, was a complete whirlwind. I couldn't put it down.

If this was from a publishing house, I'd give it maybe a three, because it lacks some editing. However, since this is a work entirely independent, where the author had to work on it herself, I'll give it a four. Because, all things considered, it is a good book. Especially considering it's indie.

Review: Hoo boy. This is romantasy YA in big way. Blushing, crushing, smelling each other. Mostly the novel is deeply rooted in inner dialogue with some word building instances. The description did not cover much of the actual content, otherwise I would have avoided this.

I recieved this ARC for an honest review.

Having reviewed hundreds of debut novels over the years, I must admit I’m genuinely surprised by the volume of lukewarm two-star ratings this one has received. I dove into HP’s social media and discovered that our narrator is neurodivergent; a choice that lends the story remarkable authenticity. Normally I abandon anything that fails to engage me, so watching readers give up on this book is bewildering.

Mirage is a captivating heroine: unconventional, intelligent, and weighed down by challenges that resonate deeply. Her journey through the world of the Tessiah held me enthralled from the first page, and I’ve already braced myself for the reading slump sure to follow its conclusion. If I were still in the agenting business, I would have been all over this book.

NetGalley’s tepid response underscores a troubling trend against promising debut authors. I believe that once readers experience this vibrant world and its unforgettable protagonist, word of mouth will carry this novel to the acclaim it so richly deserves; and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

I really enjoyed this book. And the cliffhanger though, ahhhh I need book 2! This story was beautifully written and it just emurses you into the world and makes you feel like you're experiencing it right along with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the free ebook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.
Mirage is a royal girl with an abusive king dad and a brooding-but-kind twin brother. She is brutally forced to learn the truth about herself and her family when she's sold to a mythic kingdom full of magic.

The plot and pacing were great. I loved that each person's magic was given its own particular scent in this book-very creative. The scenery/imagery/powers were described beautifully (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers). However, there were multiple points that dialogue felt unnatural and that pulled me out of the book several times, as did the descriptors of it ("cooed", "purred", etc being used quite often). While it was an interesting idea and story, I'm not sure if I'll read the next in the series.

Mirage is sold to a magical kingdom. She goes through training and a scary magical awakening in her new place. She finds a family and friends and must risk herself to save them....

Love Mirage. A very likable heroine. The world is fun and unique. Really enjoy the story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Cannot wait for book 2, really intrigued to see what happens next, i also really loved the cover too.
Definitely felt long at some parts but by the end the pace picked up so was glad i kept reading.

This was a wonderfully engaging epic fantasy full of action and interesting characters. The world building was so vivid and the plot always had me wanting to continue on to each chapter. I especially liked the magical components of this book. Perfect for all fantasy lovers!

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc.