Secrets of the Dead

The Lost Kingdom Saga #1

by Laura Carter

A princess dealing with the trauma of her past.

An assassin who rules the Kingdom underworld.

A disgraced woman, banished by her family.

The grandson of a usurper.

When an explosion kills all the royal families in the Kingdom of Novisia, four unlikely heirs are forced to take their parents’ place. Naïve and inexperienced, the rulers must not only learn to lead their realms but grapple with their newly heightened powers.

To uncover the mystery of their families’ deaths, the four must come together to uncover the truth. But as secrets are revealed and a prophecy predicts one of them will destroy the Kingdom, no one can be trusted – not even the dead.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Ebooks, Magic, Enemies To Lovers

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Laura grew up in rural Scotland before moving to London to study for her degree in English Literature, where she lived for ten years before moving back to the countryside with her Romanian rescue dog, Rez. She grew up constantly immersed in different worlds through reading and always dreamed of becoming an author. When her love of fantasy and romance was re-ignited after three years of only ever critically analysing work, her dream of creating her own worlds returned. She now balances working full time for a cancer charity with writing her debut series, The Lost Kingdom Saga.

Reviews

[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book after seeing a TikTok from the author and was instantly sold on the story. While it has an interesting premise - it’s a debut that reads like a debut.
The glowing 5✨ reviews are sending me a little right now, not gonna lie lol.

So it’s a character driven book that follows 4 POVs. While I usually like multiple POVs - I disliked the character we follow the most right from the start. Her personality switched from her first chapter to the subsequent ones and I couldn’t get over it. It ruined her for me completely. I dislike inconsistent personality in characters.

The world building was lacking. What made no sense to me is that they all arrived in the bombed city roughly at the same time but if you look at the map, some of them were actually REALLY far.

All in all, it was definitely predictable. The only thing I loved about this book was Larelle. She was the best character IMO.

[what chlo reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ Spoiler Free Review ~

The Lost Kingdom Saga - Book 1:
✨ Fantasy
✨ 4 POV's
✨ 4 Element Realms
✨ Romance (including a cheeky enemies to lovers)
✨ LGBTQ+ Representation
✨ Diversity Representation
✨ Grief & Mental Health Representation
✨ Plot Twists
✨ Cliffhanger Ending

I was so fortunate to be sent this book by Laura ahead of it's release on October 3rd and I'll be forever grateful. Before going into it I was sceptical for two reasons: 1) there are four POV's which I worried would be hard to keep up with, and 2) I only read romance whereas this book is classed as light fantasy with sprinkles of romance and well let's just say Laura shut me up with the scepticism from page 1!! I have only ever read ACOTAR in the fantasy genre, and this was on par with that series for me.

🌟 Rating infinity/5 🌟

I don't think my words can even do this book justice but let's give it a go. I want to start off by saying this is Laura's DEBUT novel - you would honestly think she had written multiple published books prior. The writing in it is incredible, she literally had me so captivated from the prologue that I binged this book within 2 days and I am already desperate for more. The world building along with the level of detail used is amazing, I could visualise everyone and everything and soon fell in love with her characters.

The storyline follows 4 heirs who are last in line to the thrown, Nyzaia, Elisara, Larelle & Caellum to 4 realms in the Kingdom of Novisia:

🔥 Keres: the fire realm
☁️ Vala: the air realm
🌊 Nerida: the water realm
🍃 Garridon: the earth realm

After a shocking explosion that kills their entire families, the heirs are forced to step up and take over as they are all that is left. As this book has 4 POV's we get to see each of their journeys in current time along with flashbacks from their own perspectives, and glimpses in one another's chapters. This took a couple chapters to get used to but after those initial ones it became easy to follow each of them and fits this book perfectly, I couldn’t see it being written any differently. After the explosion we find out there are so many secrets surrounding each of their families and they have to come together to try work out what happened, who caused the explosion and why - but they are doubting everyone, even each other. A prophecy predicts one of them will destroy the kingdom but we cannot guess who. There is a lot of foreshadowing throughout for book 1 and the other’s in the series. There are constant plot twists which keep you so griped and it is really hard to guess what is going to happen next.

I love how diverse and inclusive this book is, we have two FMC’s who are women of colour, a same sex relationship and we delve into grief and mental health topics - something a lot of authors actively avoid. This book is recommended as 18+ just as future books will contain adult scenes. Please read all content warnings before purchasing as your mental health is the most important. Topics include: death, SA, cheating and sexual content. Although they do not go into heavy detail it is good to know before reading.

So proud of Laura and I’m so excited to read the rest of this series, there will be 5 books in total which follows the same heirs, along with a plethora of new characters - some which we meet in SOTD. Please go pre order this book, it will be available on October 3rd on Amazon in paperback, hardback and on kindle unlimited. You won’t regret it, amazing book!!

[booklyjordi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am at a loss for words. I am in awe of this book and the talent in which Laura posesses to pull you into her mind and the world in which she created.

I was kindly selected to recieve an arc of Secrets of the Dead, and what a blessing it was. I was engrossed into this world, and sucked in from the turn of page one. Getting to go on this ride with these characters and follow them through the challenges and struggles of stepping into a role none of them ever believed they would be fated to was beautiful. Each of them have a different story to tell, and each of them were told perfectly.

I found myself the most attached to Elisara, and saw a lot of traits of myself within her which was such a nice feeling. Each of them rose to the occasion in different ways, and while some of the things certain characters did wound my gears, you know who you are, I loved every second of this journey!

Please please please go and pick up this book. Pre order it on amazon, prepare for October 3rd because you are in for a ride that is going to leave you wanting more!

[Nicole Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!

I found this book off of tiktok and saw the beautiful cover and had to have it. I went into this completely blind. And I devoured it. Such a unique storyline, I loved it. I will definitely be stalking the author for any updates about book 2! I need it

[Shaun Trott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 👏🏻.

At the beginning there is a lot of characters and location information. I thought I wouldn’t follow along but the POV’s go from strength to strength and they do a great job of making you connect with each character and appreciate the beauty of each kingdom.

I had the map on a postcard and had a great time going back to it to see where about’s we were in the story. Found it super helpful. Also jotted a few notes on it.

Larelle is my current favourite and can’t wait to continue on through this series.

The only reason I marked it down slightly was just because of the start and I was hoping for some all out blood baths but maybe that’s to come?! I am so intrigued and what a talent Laura is to create such an incredible world 👏🏻

[ida.Liseth ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

December 2023:
Always a 5 star everytime i read it!!! This is my second time reading this book and its just as amazing as in october! I need the next one even more now!!


October 2023:
Wow! The fact that this is a DEBUT novel is so amazing. its so good written and the concept is so unique! I've never read anything like this! I'm a multi POV's girly so right up my alley... All the charachters are written well and loveable!! (With great FMC might I add)
This is my new favorite book of the year and obvi a 5 star book!!

[Sara Bowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful to have received an ARC of Secrets of the Dead. The premise greatly intrigued me and I instantly signed up to get my hands on it. I am not kidding when I say I was HOOKED from page 1.

The characters, the rich world, the plot, the TENSION. Unmatched. The story is refreshing and compelling and I truly enjoyed every second. I never expected any of the twists and found all of the characters to be complex and well written and different enough from each other to hold my attention in every POV. I can’t wait to find out what is in store for the next 4 books!

Such an excellent start to the series
❤️‍🔥

[samreadsandrambles_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOW IS THIS BOOK NOT BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE!?!?

SOTD has been on my radar for so long and my bestie who loves this book kindly sent me a copy off my wishlist to bump it up my TBR. Totally getting the hype!

It took me a while to get in to it as we follow multiple POVs. We have Elisara, Caellum, Nyzaia & Larelle who are the heirs to four realms: 🌬️ Vala - the air realm, 🍃 Garridon - the earth realm, 🔥 Keres - the fire realm, and 🌊 Nerida - the water realm. All of which are located in the Kingdom of Novisia. I definitely had to take this one a bit slower to start with to keep up but it slowly began to weave together and it was just superbly done!

Let’s not even talk about how the first major plot point floored me!! But, as I go in to most books blind I only later realised if I had read the synopsis, it would have told me what was going to go down 🤣 - hence for enjoyment value I would definitely say go in to this one without knowing as much as possible!

The writing was beautiful and I was captivated from the very first page! The world building was done so well and the attention to detail made for a glorious read. There was also a lot of foreshadowing from the start, and the way all the little details wove together in to the bigger plot as the book developed was perfection! The whole cast of characters were incredibly diverse, and they all equally had so much depth to them with their back stories, which I appreciated a lot. I feel like I know these characters and I love when an author can do this. I have firmly attached myself to each and every one of them 🫶🏼

And guys this was a DEBUT? We have fantasy, mystery, plot twists, characters you love, and those you will hate, we also have a sprinkling of romance which I will never not be happy about! I am so glad I don’t have long to wait for the second book. I already have my signed edition ordered ♥️

If you have got this far and this isn’t on your radar - it absolutely should be 😚🤌🏼

[Jenni ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.2/5⭐️
Spice 1.5/5 ⭐️

We follow 4 main character that are heirs to their realms in Novisia.

One day, a tragic accidents happens and the 4 main characters find themselves Kings and Queens and a mystery as to what happened to their parents and siblings.

This book is setting bars for future Romantasy books!! We have 4 incredible BIPOC characters AND a sapphic couple. YES YES YES. I LOVE TO SEE IT!!! Also it has earthbending magic. WE LOVE THAT TOO.

With 4 main characters, I can understand why the world building and character development took more than half the book. I don’t really have anything bad to say other than that it was a slow start.

Ngl, during the 60% part I actually thought about DNFing because it didn’t seem like it was going anywhere. However, I did keep going and told myself to trust the process and give it some more time AND OMG THAY PAY OFF WAS COMPLETELY WORTH IT. I was kicking my feet and screaming by the end of this book. I could not stop once I hit the 80% mark.

I went into this not expecting spice but wow it was fantastic. I dont know how to explain it but I love how the spice was written in this book. It wasn’t cheesy, cringe, or raunchy. It was passionate and beautiful and just 🤌🏽🤌🏽

Please please please. I need bk 2 right this second.

[Alice ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Elemental magic
- Assassins
- Banished royalty
- 🌶️
- Multiple POVs
- Queer rep
- Plot twists
- Prophecy’s
- Enemies to lovers
- Forbidden romance

♡ 4.5 stars ♡

“I will love you until the air extinguishes the flame.”

I loved this book so much, yes it did take a few chapters to get into and to get into the rhythm of having four POVs, but once I did I absolutely devoured it.

The plot:
Secrets of the dead follows four remaining heirs, after an explosion kills their family’s, forcing them to became the new rulers of their realms. As they come to terms with their new positions, and the heightened power they have inherited, they must also work together to find out the cause of the explosion that put them in this situation. However, not all is as simple as it seems, with hidden truths being revealed as a prophecy comes into play.

The characters:
- Nyzaia: The leader of the red stones, a notorious assassin group, that she joined by her fathers command. She possess fire powers, and goes on to become the queen of Keres.
- Larelle: Banished as a princess for having a child unwed, she spent the last 6 years living in poverty. She possess water powers, and goes on to became the queen of Nerida.
- Elisara: Third in line for the throne and suffering trauma from her time training in Keres’ military. She possess wind powers, and goes on to became the queen of Vala.
- Caellum: The grandson of a man who took the throne from the actual Garridon royal family, he is not of royal lineage and only possess heightened strength.

The world:
Novisa is divided into four realms with each of them having its own royal family. All royal families are direct descendants of the gods: Nerida, Garridon, Vala and Keres, with the realms being named after each of them. Only those who are direct descendents of them possess their elemental powers.

Pacing:
The pacing was just right for me. The first 50% sets up the plot, explores the characters as rulers, and generally as people as we explore their past. The last 50% aims to explore who caused the explosion, as well as introducing a new threat and characters, which really picks up the pace.

My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book and did not want to put it down due to how engrossed in it I was - the writing is amazing, the foreshadowing is done so well, and the characters are beautifully written.


It took a few chapters to get used to having four separate POVs, but I actually loved it once I remembered who was who, and they started interacting with one another more.
I like that we had one chapter with each character before the explosion happened so that we could see who they are so people - it helped set the story, as well as let us became familiar with them and their reasons for not wanting to be/not being able to be heirs.

At first I loved Nyzaia (I love assassins) and Larelle (she seems so sweet) but as the book went on Elisara definitely became my favourite due to her character growth. I love the way she’s depicted as cold in the beginning but you can slowly begin to see her thaw throughout the book. She has so much depth as a character due to her traumatic past and struggles with her power, and now her relationship with the commander(I need more!!!). I’m also just not going to mention Caellum even though their were parts I felt for him.

I absolutely loved that a new threat was revealed and was not expecting it at all. It definitely helped the pacing along and became the point where I just didn’t want to put the book down as I wanted to know what happened next.

Ok that plot twist at the end? I need the next book now please and thank you.

A huge thank you to Laura for giving me an arc of this book, she’s so lovely and I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves when it comes out - all opinions are my own! 💗

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t wait for book 2 already!

The writing is so good and I love the idea of the four different realms, it gives an oddly nostalgic feel

I loved the characters in this, I wish some had been able to spend a bit more time with but as it’s a longer series I’m assuming this will come

[Meg Epperson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“His soul yearned for her, yet it scared him to ache for someone who may not need him.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I WILL NEVER GET OVER THIS BOOK JFC 😭 ANOTHER “6-star, Roman-empire, add it to my favorites of all time list” book… I have no words. The fantasy elements in this book were incredibly tied together, the pacing of this book was perfect from the get-go, the lore and prophecy that was laid out in pieces and pulled together by the end, and THE TENSION AND PINING IN THIS BOOK 😭😭😭 it’s everything to me and more. I’m obsessed with these characters and I will be thinking about this every single day until I get the next book in my hands!

[Cathy Entwisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I want to thank Laura for giving me the opportunity to read an e-ARC of her debut novel. I know how hard you have worked and what this means to you and for you to allow me to be one of the first to read your book has truly been a blessing!

Secrets of the Dead:

Four unlikely heirs thrust into power before their time, fight to make sense of their new roles and responsibilities.

Elemental magic, dark histories, unexpected romances and secrets of their ancestors make this book a perfect blend of fantasy, mystery and intrigue.

This multi POV story brings together the main characters in ways you would not expect. Whilst it was a struggle at first for me to jump between characters, you quickly ease into the changes as each character has such a story to tell.

As a slow reader, this book has kept me entertained and enthralled for a while and now I am absolutely desperate for the next one!

The fact that this is a debut novel is nothing short of extraordinary, Laura has clearly poured her heart and soul into this masterpiece. I fully expect this series to be one of the pillars of fantasy novels. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jodie Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Firstly THANK YOU to Laura for sending me this as an ARC. Forever grateful.

At first it took me a minute to get into it with the four POV’s (I haven’t read a book with so many POV before!) but once I established who was who I was IN!

I actually really enjoyed the multiple POV, you get to see each characters side of events and their individual feelings/thoughts. I definitely have my favourite and least favourite characters… naming no names 🤫

I’d say watching Elisara grow in her strength throughout the book is heartwarming and makes you immediately route for her! I find myself drawn to Larelle (as a mother myself) and my heart broke with hers when she found the truth about her love. Each character has their own strengths and I loved getting to know them all!

Throughout the book I was constantly wondering ‘what next’ and I couldn’t put it down! I loved the not knowing and the TWIST at the end?! Erm what?! I need the next book now!

Tropes;
Forbidden romance
Assassins
Multiple POV
Enemies to lovers (loveeeee!!!)
Queer rep
Magic

Quotes I highlighted 💭

“You need a love that lights your soul on fire, not one that cradles your heart in vines"

“But to be naïve was to be hopeful, and to be hopeful was to be madly in love”

[Molly Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this book but all thoughts and feelings are my own!
Oh my god
This book is a masterpiece!
The world building
The characters
The STORYLINE?!
Every bit of it was 100/10
This is one of my favourite reads of this year and for good reason! It had just about everything you could ask for in a book!
I am obsessed with every single character in this book!
Especially Kazaar and Elisara! They just make me want to turn the page before the current one has ended!
This book was so easy to read and has you clinging onto it and thinking of it while you’re not even reading it!
Honestly an amazing read and I CANNOT wait for book 2!!

[Erika Rutledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was graciously accepted to be an E-Arc reader for this debut novel. I could not put it down! I love the world building and the strong female characters. I cannot wait for book 2!!

[Char.Reads.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fisrtly thank you Laura so much for both an E-ARC and a physical ARC! Congratulations on publishing your first book! :)

I DEVOURED this book! There are 4 main characters, each with a POV and I was curious how balanced each POV would be and if I would like all of them. I loved each and every character, there is one in particular who has stolen my heart and love above the rest, but all of them are so diverse and unique it's refreshing.

The kingdoms and the characters are all very diverse which is handled beautifully, it's so nice to read about a world that actually has a diverse population each with it's own cultures and people.

The main trigger for the plot of the book begins with a bang, and from there on in there are twist and turns with lingering questions that you get JUST enough of a peek at the answers to leave you wanting more and more.

I cannot wait for the second book, there are so many things I need to know from this first one that the wait is going to be excruciating, but so worth it!

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good, from page 1 I was intrigued and wanted to know how this story was going to progress. I loved all the characters and their dynamics together. I especially loved Elisara and Kazaar the tension between these two was just perfection and the ending of this book I cannot wait for book two and the rest of this series. Everyone go read this book immediately when it comes out.

[wwwreadingcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled to start this book because I was in a bad reading slump from before. Now that I’ve finished the book I’m in another slump because of how good it was. I was lucky enough to receive and ARC copy, thank you Laura.
The book has 4 main pov’s which I always find enjoyable. The world building wasn’t complicating considering most fantasy books. The tension between the characters was everything you want in a fantasy book, and the representation was refreshing.
The story, plot, character arcs, world building and everything else was done so intricately.
I am waiting for the next couple of books in this series.

[Megan SR · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing fantasy book with all your favourite tropes! ✨

I was lucky enough to read an ARC copy of Laura’s debut novel and my word is what an amazing read it has been!

This is one of those sort of books that will get you back into fantasy if you are in a reading genre slump…trust me! I cannot speak highly enough of the beautiful world building in this book and the writing of characters that instantly make you connect to them as a reader. You get magic, LGBTQ+ representation, enemies to lovers, betrayals, plot twists and so much more all in 323 pages!

A wonderful new adult fantasy book, with hints of romance that pulls you into the expertly crafted word of Novisia!

Q - Would I read again? A - Absolutely, 100%
Q - Would I instant buy the second book? A - Yes, without hesitation
Q- Would I recommend this book? A - Why are you still reading this review and not adding it to your basket right now?!

[Kali · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand all the good reviews of this book. I decided to stop reading it at 60 %. I failed to connect to any of the main characters, there were too many POVs and I find all the realtionships shallow. Some of the other reviews say that the story gets better but I really don't want to invest any more of my time in this book.

[aimeemae777 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FEEL SICK. I FEEL LIKE I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ANYMORE. LAURA I LOVE YOU BUT I ALSO DESPISE YOU FOR DOING THIS TO ME.

[Zoe Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book through tik tok and overall I have been really impressed I very much enjoyed.

Out of the 4 main characters (ones with POVs) Nyzaia is my favourite by far. I think her background is really interesting and I’m excited to learn more about the red stones and I like the dynamic she has with them as the new queen. I didn’t know how I felt at first with Nyzaia already having a love interest rather than gaining one as usually I get bored when the love interest is well established. However I really like her and Tajana and I think the troubles their relationship is/ is going to go through will definitely be a lot of drama especially considering their personalities. I also loved the flashback of them and I hope there are more in later books to see how their relationship first came about.

Elisara is I would argue the main character? She definitely seemed to get the most page time at least and seems pretty crucial to the plot. TBH at first I found her boring and frustrating and her romance with Caellum felt so forced and dull (although considering they were betrothed this may have been the vibe the author was going for). However she did grow on me throughout the book (this may be in part to do with her romance plot because I was rooting for the enemies to lovers but also in part to her being told to get a grip and stop whinging by other characters). She definitely isn’t my favourite character wise but I am loving her new romance plot (and she is currently carrying the story plot).

Speaking of Caellum, I feel like most multi pov books have one character that I just wish didn’t have a pov at all and in this book that is Caellum. He’s boring. I just don’t feel like I’m invested in any of his story either.

Larelle I really like I think she is a great character I hope we get more of her in the next few books as I feel like she’s been sidelined a bit in this first book. She is probably my second favourite character of the main POVs.

In terms of how the book reads it is classically first book in a series that sort of doesn’t pick up until about half way through but as a first fantasy book I don’t think this is always a bad thing? I think the book was fairly easy to get into and read well. I wouldn’t say the world is my favourite I think I’m struggling to visualise it. Could do with a map. (I may be being silly there may be one and I’ve just missed it.)

Overall, I have already bought the next book which says enough would recommend.

[Carmen Capurro · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 stars ⭐️

- Enemies to lovers trope
- Elemental magic
- Assassins/Underworld
- Forbidden love
- Lost love
- Forced proximity
- Mystery
- Multiple POV’s
- Cliffhanger (yes beware of the cliffhanger at the end 😫)
- LGBTQ+ representation

This book has it all!

A nation divided in 4 different elemental realms is shook by an attack on all. This book follows 4 royals from the 4 different elemental realms who are not in line for the throne. That is until there has been an attack on the neutral city which killed al of their families except them. Dealing with grief and shock they are forced to take the throne of their respected realms. Not only do they need to figure out how to be a good leader for their people whilst dealing with grief, but also figure out who orchestrated the attack on the neutral city and their family’s. Faced with an mysterious prophecy, things get even more complicated..

I have to be honest and say that it took me a while to get into this book. Maybe it was of the four different POV’s or that I didn’t like certain MC’s at the beginning, but it really took me untill 40% of the book to get hooked. From there on it got so good! Especially the second half of the book was so enticing. I’m not a big fan of Elisara (I liked her at first but started to dislike her throughout the book) and I was a little disappointed that she got like 45% of the chapters. In the end it did make sense tho, but I still hope we get to have more chapters about the other heirs in the next book especially Caellum and Larelle.

The book was getting so good in the last 20% or so, and I was sad to see it end. I can’t wait for book 2, I will definitely be grabbing a copy of that!

Thank you so much Laura for the ARC I received, I can’t wait to read more of your work 📚

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute masterpiece and it goes right on my list of my favorite books ever. The writing is so beautiful, and Lauras way with words makes this a magical read. I’ve never before been immersed in the world of a fantasy book this fast, but the writing is perfect for the book.

The characters are so perfectly written, even with four different POVs I had no problem seperating them from the first chapter in each POV, because even the three fierce and independent princesses are different and have their own ways of living in the world.

I loved the story, and I don’t wanna spoil anything at all, but the way the story progressed always came with new surprises. I especially loved that it wasn’t a book where you just wait for the ending to figure things out, the storyline is crafted masterfully and it is a book you read for every single page, not for the end.

And the world!!!! Omg I wanna live in Novisia so bad! Getting to know the different realms and the different magic was so exciting, and I wanna live in Nerida so bad. I often find the worldbuilding in fantasy books a little confusing or a lot in the beginning, but I got none of that here. I went into this book completely blind, but still had no problem understanding the world and I got no feeling of infodumping (and I loved having the map, but who doesn’t love a map in the beginning of a book).

All in all: this book is amazing and you should do yourself a big favor and read it!!

Thank you Laura for the ARC in exchange for my honest review <3

[Megneto♓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 So rounded up to 5 on here
Was a bit of a slow burner for me at first, but once I got further in, I really enjoyed it. The book is character driven and follows 4 people (won't spoil it). The different personalities and their stories were brilliant. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one to find out what happens next!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the layered world building, gradually learning about each realm, power and heir as we unravel the secrets of the kingdom.

Never bored, did find I leaned more towards certain heirs than others but overall did enjoy each pov.

Looking forward to the next book!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing I have no words and that ending! Running to buy the second!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Jessica Ogram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exceptionally good and I am so pleased and honoured to have read it as an arc. The amount of thought and creativity that has gone into this book is insane. it’s clear a lot of hard work and love has been poured into this book. I enjoyed the characters and their developments. I enjoyed the friendships. I enjoyed the relationships. I enjoyed the journeys they all go on together and separate. I like the mysteries. There’s honestly not a thing I could change about this book. It truly is a work of art. Many thanks to the amazing author Laura Carter for sending me a copy of your book and allowing me to fall in love with the way your mind works!