All I can say is WOW! This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It may be the same genre as the fantasy books I’m used to reading but, the concept feels entirely brand new. The story and the world building are great and the twists, I never saw coming. I cannot wait for the second book!

Seraphina is NOT the chosen one. That's her beloved dead older half-sister. She agrees to impersonate her but her chocies will lead to danger as two imoortal rivals fight for control...

A fun book with a smart heroine... Love the charm of the 'bad' guys too. A terrific story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 perfect stars!

OMG. I cannot believe it ended right there. NOOOOOOOO!

The number of times I said "ooh!" out loud while reading this book genuinely cannot be counted on my fingers. Right from the first chapter, I knew Seraphina was going to be my kind of protagonist. She's blunt, self-aware, a little jaded, and honestly hilarious. Her narration gives the prose a wonderfully straightforward style that immediately establishes who she is: someone who's exhausted by life but still stubborn enough to keep moving. As someone in my twenties, I also felt painfully called out by her opening thoughts about wanting a decent career, a decent partner, and a house she could actually afford.

Yes. As you can see, I am absolutely the target audience.

The fantasy world also surprised me in the best way. Avreter, described as a pocket universe where Earth's collective unconscious takes physical form, is such an intriguing premise. The worldbuilding unfolds naturally instead of dumping pages of lore on the reader, and I appreciated that the story trusted me to learn alongside Seraphina.
Better yet, the political intrigue was fantastic. It's been a while since I've read a fantasy novel where the court politics actually felt like... well, politics. Scheming allies, shifting loyalties, and competing factions kept me just as invested as the magic itself.

I also loved how quietly the novel handled grief. Beneath all the fantasy, Seraphina is still mourning her sister while being forced to step into her place. I thought it added a lot of heart to it.

The middle section slows down a little, however. I understand why, since this is the first book in a series and it has a world to establish, but I did feel the momentum dip before the final act. The romance also developed a little faster than I personally prefer. I liked Leo, and I actually enjoyed that he keeps Seraphina at arm's length for much of the story, but I would've happily taken an even slower burn.

That said... none of those mattered once *that* reveal happened.

My jaw genuinely dropped. I actually whispered, "Oh my God," because suddenly all the dots connected. From that point onward I could not put the book down. What had comfortably been sitting at 4⭐ instantly became a 5⭐ read for me. And then it ended! AHHH. Now I desperately need the sequel because there are so many directions this story could go, and I already know I'm going to be thinking about that ending for a while.

This is a masterfully plotted portal fantasy that blends cynicism with jaw-dropping political intrigue. If you enjoyed books like Red Queen with the "pretending to be someone else" trope, secret identities, and dangerous court secrets happening right under the protagonist's nose, I think there's a very good chance you'll enjoy this too!

A dark, witty, and magical portal fantasy that pulled me straight into a world of secrets, bargains, and dangerous magic.

I loved Seraphina’s journey as she navigates a realm full of mystery, unexpected twists, and characters you’re never quite sure you can trust. The perfect blend of humour, darkness, and fantasy chaos made this such a fun read!

A must read for fans of magical worlds, clever heroines, and a little bit of mischief. ✨

Thank you so much for the ARC.

I want to say that I went into this book not knowing what to expect at all and I came away feeling sad that it ended. When I started this book, I put it down after 2 chapters thinking is this for me..... Well, turns out, it blooming well was. I loved it.

The battles between light and dark
The plot twists that I didn't see coming (I did guess one)
Being morally grey is covered so well within this book
The speed in which the story started

I wasn't overly keen on the romance between the FMC and one of the characters as it seemed to come out of nowhere. I understand why for the male character it wasn't out of nowhere but for the FMC it seemed to happen so quickly. I think that needed a little more time but it didn't take away from the book.

I enjoyed the fact that light was necessarily good or right. That was a welcome change. I'm really rooting for the FMC to believe in herself and know her worth.

I'm sad for it to end and I'm even more sad that I have to wait a long while for the second book.