This sci-fi, romantasy, thriller novel feels less like it was written and more like it was unearthed and discovered by the author—enchanting and richly immersing as the reader experiences culture, ritual, and language, yet in a surprisingly fantastical way. Its unpredictable plot shifts like a stream, running slow, then fast, showcasing a landscape similar to life. Sensuality runs throughout (not my favorite aspect but the author's use enhances character development while staying true to human nature and the messy obstacles of our own intimate longings) adding tension and intimacy, while a slow, haunting dread builds beneath the surface. Bold, strange, and confident, it leaves you slightly unsettled long after the final page. The kind of story one still thinks about days and weeks after leaving its pages.

Reading this book was a rollercoaster of surprises. When I began, I thought it was about cheating, but it soon turned out to be about murder. Just when I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore, the book took a completely new turn in a direction I love the most. I don’t want to spoil it, but if you enjoy a magical element in your stories, then this is definitely for you. And "magical" is an understatement.

So, what's the story about?
Wendy, who is 1/8th Indian, is married to Kesh from a filthy-rich Indian family. It has been three years; however, the family still hasn’t accepted her, despite the support of her loving and understanding husband. However, when Kesh's childhood friend Maya and her sister appear, Wendy's life starts to fall apart.


I loved how the author painted each character, displaying both the good and bad, and sometimes, I could see my own relatives in them. Paatti Saraswathi's fear of losing roots felt very close to home. I see it in my mother's face every time I merge in with the crowd or struggle to read my mother tongue. I absolutely loved how the author showed the difficulty in gaining a mother-in-law's approval. The truth about Indian mothers-in-law is that you never get their approval. Wendy's pain and effort to get her approval was again something I saw in my mom. The saying "Enemy of your enemy is your friend" sadly does not work with Wendy. Just because she is white, she ends up facing disapproval from both her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law.

The author's writing style is wonderful. I liked how the author described the beauty of the house, the dresses and the celebration. At times, it felt like I was seeing influencer reels in my head. Most of all, I absolutely adored the Tamil rep in this book! Much to my delight, the author has used various Tamil words throughout the book and even an instance of a word printed in Tamil!! The author also showed how hard it was to be part of the family due to language and cultural barriers. The easiest way to be part of a different cultural group is to learn the language. Tamil might not be the easiest, but it certainly isn't the hardest.

I am a person who keeps predicting the different ways a story can end while reading, but the Author threw in another surprise exactly when I thought there could be no more! I still haven't completely wrapped my head around how Kanmani and Wendy were existing in the same timeline.

The chapter Interlude was beautiful, and the author has made Saturn exactly how I imagine a god to be, unlike many other stories where gods turn out to be extremely silly or petty. I did find the chapter to be a little too long, and I feel the author could have utilised the concept of Atman - the divine consciousness/awareness which is a part of Brahman, where "I" is not present. This would have given much more depth to the chapter.

The author has done a fantastic job on destiny and Free Will/Choice. In the chapter Interlude, Saturn says he writes what comes to pass, but as the story progresses, Kesh confesses to his choice of actions that led him to cheat. Free Will is a debated concept in Hinduism. Hinduism shows Free Will is an illusion. However, there is Free Choice, and every event a person faces is due to the choices the person made. I loved how the Author has shown this without confusing the readers or imposing opinions.

I believe the book had a message on how sometimes the people we least expect turn out to be the ones who fit. I found it weird that a South Indian Hindu family name is Farook, which, I believe, is mostly a Muslim name. The usage of Namaste, once at the beginning, is kind of funny, as most of us use "Vanakam"/"Namaskaram" or just a simple "Hi/Hello". I also felt that Kesh received a relatively good ending despite everything, which didn’t sit entirely well with me, even though I know this might be what Wendy wanted.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story (I completed it in one sitting) - the Tamil rep, the portrayal, the stress, the flow and each of the plot twists. I loved how the author explored various themes, such as the difficulty in fitting in, the choices and the fears in the human mind, and the fine line between destiny and free choice.

The author has clearly done an amazing job.

Thank you, Author, for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

I was first attracted to this book by the cover - this is what I would gravitate to picking up in a book store! Beautiful and interesting artwork, I absolutely love this cover. As for the book itself, I finished reading it a couple days ago and have not been able to stop thinking about it since. I felt so immersed in this story, I feel like I know these characters as real people. There is so much rich and real culture intertwined into the characters and story here, as well as thrilling fantasy elements making it feel fast paced. In the best way, I was STRESSED while reading this because I felt like I was in it right there with them. I loved the exploration into free choices vs the puppetry of destiny and fate. I wasn’t familiar with this author before but now I’m hoping he plans to publish more work like this!

This was a great debut! I love how this has such a wonderful world, and I've been digging a lot of fantasies that mesh Indian mythology into it.
The character growth and direction was well rounded and I enjoyed this story a lot.

i’m always down for a fantasy thriller and it went so beyond my expectations. this was wonderful and i fell in love with the characters. the surprise magical element was so well done and a lot of the book had me research indian folklore which was super interesting. i feel like the characters were extremely with their flaws but still easy to empathize with, they felt real. wendy’s need for approval from her mother in law was so real. i am not one who can judge much on this but i really loved the tamil rep i dont think i remember reading any before and it looked good. i’m not sure i liked the ending for one the characters, he got off too easy but i feel like wendy, the mc, would have done that so i cant really be mad about that. overall i think its an excellent book, the interlude was my absolute fav moment saturn was everything

A fantasy thriller with a little romance? Say less.

This book had me STRESSED in the best way possible, just waiting for Wendy to finally get her lick back… and when she did? So satisfying!! I could not put this down.

The pacing was super fast, the writing style kept me completely hooked, and every chapter had me desperate to know what happened next. I finished this in one day because I genuinely could not stop reading. Such a fun, intense read.

My favorite part was learning about all the Indian folklore woven throughout this book. I’m always obsessed with a story that has me pulling out Google every so often to look up a definition, a creature, or the meaning behind something. It made the world feel so rich and immersive, and I loved getting to learn while being completely entertained.

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

Thank you Merlin Senthil, Bonleo Books and NetGalley for providing this eArc in exchange for a honest review!
I was drawn to this book because of the title—as an astronomy lover, how could I resist? And I'm happy to say it delivered.
If you enjoy fantasy with strong family dynamics and a touch of mysticism, I think you'll really like this one.
What stood out:
The plot twist genuinely caught me off guard. Merlin does an amazing job with descriptions—I felt fully immersed in the settings, the world, and especially the family dynamics. And that twist? It takes what initially reads as tragedy and twists it into something darker and more sinister. Really well executed.
What worked well:
The main characters and settings are overall well developed. Yes, there's room for further growth with some of the side characters, but that never pulled me out of the story.
Final thoughts:
This is a well-contained, complete story arc—don't go in expecting a cliffhanger. That said, I was definitely left wanting more. I would love to see this family, their mysteries, and their struggles continue across generations. If this ever becomes a series, I'd be happy to read on.
A solid, atmospheric read with a gut-punch twist.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel! I’ve never quite read anything like it. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a “fantasy thriller” but I was pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t fully fit into the fantasy genre, nor the thriller genre— in a good way! It blended the two genres beautifully and had me reading while folding laundry (a sign of a great book)

I really enjoyed both the setting and cultural aspects of this book. Filled with Indian mythology, Dear to Saturn made me want to go down the rabbit hole of so many mythological paths. It felt culturally well researched, while still wildly creative. I have no experience with Indian culture and I felt included and informed throughout reading, even though each cultural nuance was not explicitly explained.

The characters are charming, lovable, and utterly hateable. The character of Wendy felt dynamic and strong and I was thrilled by the direction that her character went. The character growth and development felt evenly paced, which made the end of the book so much more powerful.

I would highly reccomend Dear to Saturn to lovers of Babel by R.F Kuang, The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon, and The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager. This was truly a beautiful debut!