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The Five Realms #1
Heir Of Sun And Moon
Forced into isolation by the ruler of the Mortal Kingdom, Princess Rhea Maxwell spends her days in the company of her pet fox, Bella, dreaming of an existence outside the confinement of her tower. As the rightful queen, she knows that there must be more to life than the endless monotony she's been forced to live. Harboring a deadly secret from her past, her desolation grows until one fateful night brings an unlikely ally into her life. Though wary to trust this stranger, Rhea suddenly finds herself with something she's never had: a choice. With a future she never thought possible hanging in the balance, the princess must decide if following her heart is worth risking everything she's ever known.
In the neighboring Mage Kingdom, Princess Bahira Daxel is the first of her kind to be born without magic. Fixated on finding a way to unlock the power she believes to be hidden within, Bahira knows there is no price too great to achieve her goals. As tensions rise and her kingdom prepares for a threat they can not defend against, her desperation comes to a head. Ultimatums push Bahria to rethink who she truly is and the future that she had pictured for herself.
In a post-war world where kingdoms are divided by a powerful spell, can Rhea and Bahira each break free from the shackles of the lives expected of them to forge their own paths? Or will lies and obsession threaten to destroy everything.
In the neighboring Mage Kingdom, Princess Bahira Daxel is the first of her kind to be born without magic. Fixated on finding a way to unlock the power she believes to be hidden within, Bahira knows there is no price too great to achieve her goals. As tensions rise and her kingdom prepares for a threat they can not defend against, her desperation comes to a head. Ultimatums push Bahria to rethink who she truly is and the future that she had pictured for herself.
In a post-war world where kingdoms are divided by a powerful spell, can Rhea and Bahira each break free from the shackles of the lives expected of them to forge their own paths? Or will lies and obsession threaten to destroy everything.
485 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2023
244 people are currently reading
8173 people want to read
About the author
Jenessa Ren
3 books129 followersWriting is something Jenessa never dreamed of doing professionally, but it is a journey that has completely altered the course of her life.
When the vision of a woman locked in a tower, one who longed for freedom, sparked, Jenessa ran with it. Months later, Heir Of Sun And Moon was written, and the entirety of The Five Realms Series was born.
Now Jenessa spends her days writing in the fictional world of Olymazi, creating emotional, character driven romantasies where the men fall first and hard, and the women are strong and capable.
You can catch her hanging out on Instagram at @jenessalikes, where she is likely fangirling over Pedro Pascal edits.
When the vision of a woman locked in a tower, one who longed for freedom, sparked, Jenessa ran with it. Months later, Heir Of Sun And Moon was written, and the entirety of The Five Realms Series was born.
Now Jenessa spends her days writing in the fictional world of Olymazi, creating emotional, character driven romantasies where the men fall first and hard, and the women are strong and capable.
You can catch her hanging out on Instagram at @jenessalikes, where she is likely fangirling over Pedro Pascal edits.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
March 26, 2025
4 Farther and Farther Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️/5 (though there is a lot of steam)
You are doing yourself an absolute disservice if you sit around and don't pick up this book. Which I almost want to kick myself for doing, since I have been in a tiny book slump BUT WHOA... Now that I have finished this... I am in awe!!!!
Prepare for an utterly emotional rollercoaster within Heir of Sun and Moon. This is a beautifully written fantasy that feels like a classic fairytale but infuses it with raw, deep emotions that resonate long after you've turned the last page.
The Tropes within this are:
▶ Rapunzel Retelling
▶ Who Did This To You?
▶ Friends to Lovers
▶ King's Guard X Princess
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ He Falls First
▶ Dual POV
▶ Amazing Debut
▶ Intricate World Building and Magic System
Jenessa's writing is easy to read, but unique and creative. You can feel how much care and dedication she has put into this story and her craft, as what is presented is an intricate character-driven narrative. This Dual POV story follows two princesses, Rhea a girl locked in a tower by her power-hungry uncle and Bahira, the first mage ever born without magic.
Rhea and Flynn
I must admit, Rhea's POV was the one that kept me hooked and she was the one I was rooting for the most. Her tale is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Battling her physical loneliness, self-doubt, self-worth, anxiety and depression; you would think she would have given up ages ago. And while some days are hard and it's truly difficult to read about her pain on page, she keeps her spirit up and is determined to eventually escape her prison. I cried for her, my heart broke for her and all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and let her know that someone cares about her.
I was sceptical of Flynn when he was first introduced but over time his flirty personality and compassion won my heart over, just like he eventually does with Rhea. I really appreciated that while this was a "first" romance for Rhea, the couple's interactions and her fears of the relationship are addressed so that the dreaded "miscommunication" trope MAKES NO MENTION IN THIS TALE! (thank god for that!). Their evolving friendship was tender, cute and sweet and makes me adore the two of them as this relationship is how you write a slow-burn fairytale.
Bahira
I understand why Bahira's story has been included as her chapters do provide the most information to the reader on the world-building and court dynamics of the Realms. However, I didn't like her and the book ended too soon when that feeling was finally taking a turn for the better. Her tale feels almost like the foundation of her story, like it hasn't truly begun and the events of Book 2 are really where we will see her grow and become who she is truly meant to be. Overall she is almost Rhea's opposite. She is resilient, bold and persistent. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want and won't let anyone sway her opinion on the matter. Having studied chemistry myself, I appreciated her steadfast pursuit of answers through scientific experiments and it was refreshing to see the combination of science with magic.
I did see most of the twists and "shocking" reveals coming, but that didn't stop me from utter enjoyment of reading this... . I was still captivated by everything this book gave me.
So please, please, please...do yourself a favour and pick up this book! You do not want to miss the utterly fantastic characters, the richly woven plot, and the unique blend of fairy tale elements that resonate on a deep and emotional level.
Essentially it is a must-read for anyone who seeks a stunning story navigating the intricacies of love, loss, and self-discovery.
So many thanks to Jenessa Ren for the gifted ARC! I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO READ THIS!
All thoughts and feelings in this review are my own
Spicy Level: 🌶️/5 (though there is a lot of steam)
You are doing yourself an absolute disservice if you sit around and don't pick up this book. Which I almost want to kick myself for doing, since I have been in a tiny book slump BUT WHOA... Now that I have finished this... I am in awe!!!!
Prepare for an utterly emotional rollercoaster within Heir of Sun and Moon. This is a beautifully written fantasy that feels like a classic fairytale but infuses it with raw, deep emotions that resonate long after you've turned the last page.
The Tropes within this are:
▶ Rapunzel Retelling
▶ Who Did This To You?
▶ Friends to Lovers
▶ King's Guard X Princess
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ He Falls First
▶ Dual POV
▶ Amazing Debut
▶ Intricate World Building and Magic System
Jenessa's writing is easy to read, but unique and creative. You can feel how much care and dedication she has put into this story and her craft, as what is presented is an intricate character-driven narrative. This Dual POV story follows two princesses, Rhea a girl locked in a tower by her power-hungry uncle and Bahira, the first mage ever born without magic.
Rhea and Flynn
I must admit, Rhea's POV was the one that kept me hooked and she was the one I was rooting for the most. Her tale is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Battling her physical loneliness, self-doubt, self-worth, anxiety and depression; you would think she would have given up ages ago. And while some days are hard and it's truly difficult to read about her pain on page, she keeps her spirit up and is determined to eventually escape her prison. I cried for her, my heart broke for her and all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and let her know that someone cares about her.
I was sceptical of Flynn when he was first introduced but over time his flirty personality and compassion won my heart over, just like he eventually does with Rhea. I really appreciated that while this was a "first" romance for Rhea, the couple's interactions and her fears of the relationship are addressed so that the dreaded "miscommunication" trope MAKES NO MENTION IN THIS TALE! (thank god for that!). Their evolving friendship was tender, cute and sweet and makes me adore the two of them as this relationship is how you write a slow-burn fairytale.
Bahira
I understand why Bahira's story has been included as her chapters do provide the most information to the reader on the world-building and court dynamics of the Realms. However, I didn't like her and the book ended too soon when that feeling was finally taking a turn for the better. Her tale feels almost like the foundation of her story, like it hasn't truly begun and the events of Book 2 are really where we will see her grow and become who she is truly meant to be. Overall she is almost Rhea's opposite. She is resilient, bold and persistent. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want and won't let anyone sway her opinion on the matter. Having studied chemistry myself, I appreciated her steadfast pursuit of answers through scientific experiments and it was refreshing to see the combination of science with magic.
I did see most of the twists and "shocking" reveals coming, but that didn't stop me from utter enjoyment of reading this... . I was still captivated by everything this book gave me.
So please, please, please...do yourself a favour and pick up this book! You do not want to miss the utterly fantastic characters, the richly woven plot, and the unique blend of fairy tale elements that resonate on a deep and emotional level.
Essentially it is a must-read for anyone who seeks a stunning story navigating the intricacies of love, loss, and self-discovery.
So many thanks to Jenessa Ren for the gifted ARC! I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO READ THIS!
All thoughts and feelings in this review are my own
February 5, 2025
—🌸 5 stars 🌸—
“The moon may have the stars, but at least I have you,”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Retellings,
Writing: 10/10
Quotes: 10/10
World building: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
My rating: 10/10
trigger warnings: Depression, Suicide Ideation, talk of Self Harm, Physical Abuse, Mental Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Insinuation of Incest, Death, Injury Detail, Violence, Confinement, etc.
Many thanks to Jenessa Ren for this digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
———my thoughts———
I have no words to describe how much I loved this book.
From the very second I picked it up, and the very first page I read, I knew I was in for something special.
Jenessa’s writing doesn’t feel like a debut author—in fact, if I hadn’t known, I would have though this was at least her third book.
It’s lyrical, beautiful, and most of all, emotional.
The world building is amazing, the characters themselves are so human, and every single word felt genuine.
I began to care so deeply for the characters so early on, that the whole book was just me falling in love with them more.
It was Rhea I loved from the very start, and I think she’ll be my favourite forever.
I connected with her so much—her personality, her mental health, and mainly the way she thinks.
How she handles her emotions, how she reacts to others, everything about her just felt perfectly relatable to me.
If I’m being honest, Bahira, our other protagonist, ended up not getting enough attention from me as she deserves, because I was so in love with Rhea.
But by the end, I adored Bahi just the same.
The trials she’s been though, the fights she chooses for herself, and her determination all took my breath away.
She’s the hard to Rhea’s soft, and yet I think they’d still be great friends.
On the romantic side of things, it’s not surprising that I lived and breathed for Rhea’s romance.
It was so beautiful, and so sweet it had me up at 3am (true story) kicking my legs and squealing.
Bahi’s romance is yet to come. With her being less focused on in this book, I’m excited to see how she develops and grows...and how a certain arrangement will work out.
And with that cliffhanger that actually made me want to throw my kindle across the room (and also shout I knew it), it’s safe to say that I’ll be waiting anxiously for book two...and all the adventures that come with it.
————quotes————
“Do books count as friends? If so, then I have hundreds—no, more than a thousand—of those.”
“I crave someone who doesn’t want to dull all my jagged edges, but instead sharpens them with their own. Not in competition, but in mutual understanding and respect. There is nothing wrong with settling down, but I was never made to settle. Certainly not with anyone who can’t let me be who I am supposed to be.”
“If you mean why am I so ruggedly handsome, I’m afraid I was born that way.” He gestures with a hand to his face. “But if you mean why I appear confused,” he continues, waiting until I lift my head, gazing down at him from under my lashes, “it’s because you aren’t what I expected.”
“I remind myself that I may be a princess, but I am nobody’s fucking damsel.”
“That is two questions, Sunshine. Time to answer one of mine.” The nickname rolls off of his tongue way too easily, and I don’t know if I absolutely love or loathe it.”
“There are many things that I would love to know about you, Sunshine.”
“You need to break in order to heal, Rhea,” he says quietly while he rubs my back. “And I will be here the whole time. You can fall apart piece by piece until you feel like you have nothing left to give. I will be here picking up your pieces and holding them for you until you’re strong enough to put them back together.” His hands slide up to cup my face as he steps back, his beautiful gray eyes engulfing me in compassion and love. “Because you are strong enough, but until you’re ready, I will hold you together.”
“It would be alright if you weren’t okay, Rhea,”
“I know you still view me as that little girl you first met, crying in a field because the other children called her broken,” I say, leaning forward slightly, “but I am not that little girl anymore. I don’t need you to protect me from things that aren’t actually threats.”
“I want to be wherever you are.”
————songs————
War Of Hearts -Ruelle
Don’t Let Me Go -RAIGN
Warrior -Beth Crowley
The Deep And The Dark -Visions Of Atlantis
Carry You - Ruelle and Fleurie
———random extra thoughts———
I haven’t even mentioned how much I ADORE the cover...
Thanks for reading! ❤️
“The moon may have the stars, but at least I have you,”
————about the book————
Age: NA
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Retellings,
Writing: 10/10
Quotes: 10/10
World building: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Romance: 10/10
My rating: 10/10
trigger warnings: Depression, Suicide Ideation, talk of Self Harm, Physical Abuse, Mental Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Insinuation of Incest, Death, Injury Detail, Violence, Confinement, etc.
Many thanks to Jenessa Ren for this digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
———my thoughts———
I have no words to describe how much I loved this book.
From the very second I picked it up, and the very first page I read, I knew I was in for something special.
Jenessa’s writing doesn’t feel like a debut author—in fact, if I hadn’t known, I would have though this was at least her third book.
It’s lyrical, beautiful, and most of all, emotional.
The world building is amazing, the characters themselves are so human, and every single word felt genuine.
I began to care so deeply for the characters so early on, that the whole book was just me falling in love with them more.
It was Rhea I loved from the very start, and I think she’ll be my favourite forever.
I connected with her so much—her personality, her mental health, and mainly the way she thinks.
How she handles her emotions, how she reacts to others, everything about her just felt perfectly relatable to me.
If I’m being honest, Bahira, our other protagonist, ended up not getting enough attention from me as she deserves, because I was so in love with Rhea.
But by the end, I adored Bahi just the same.
The trials she’s been though, the fights she chooses for herself, and her determination all took my breath away.
She’s the hard to Rhea’s soft, and yet I think they’d still be great friends.
On the romantic side of things, it’s not surprising that I lived and breathed for Rhea’s romance.
It was so beautiful, and so sweet it had me up at 3am (true story) kicking my legs and squealing.
Bahi’s romance is yet to come. With her being less focused on in this book, I’m excited to see how she develops and grows...and how a certain arrangement will work out.
And with that cliffhanger that actually made me want to throw my kindle across the room (and also shout I knew it), it’s safe to say that I’ll be waiting anxiously for book two...and all the adventures that come with it.
————quotes————
“Do books count as friends? If so, then I have hundreds—no, more than a thousand—of those.”
“I crave someone who doesn’t want to dull all my jagged edges, but instead sharpens them with their own. Not in competition, but in mutual understanding and respect. There is nothing wrong with settling down, but I was never made to settle. Certainly not with anyone who can’t let me be who I am supposed to be.”
“If you mean why am I so ruggedly handsome, I’m afraid I was born that way.” He gestures with a hand to his face. “But if you mean why I appear confused,” he continues, waiting until I lift my head, gazing down at him from under my lashes, “it’s because you aren’t what I expected.”
“I remind myself that I may be a princess, but I am nobody’s fucking damsel.”
“That is two questions, Sunshine. Time to answer one of mine.” The nickname rolls off of his tongue way too easily, and I don’t know if I absolutely love or loathe it.”
“There are many things that I would love to know about you, Sunshine.”
“You need to break in order to heal, Rhea,” he says quietly while he rubs my back. “And I will be here the whole time. You can fall apart piece by piece until you feel like you have nothing left to give. I will be here picking up your pieces and holding them for you until you’re strong enough to put them back together.” His hands slide up to cup my face as he steps back, his beautiful gray eyes engulfing me in compassion and love. “Because you are strong enough, but until you’re ready, I will hold you together.”
“It would be alright if you weren’t okay, Rhea,”
“I know you still view me as that little girl you first met, crying in a field because the other children called her broken,” I say, leaning forward slightly, “but I am not that little girl anymore. I don’t need you to protect me from things that aren’t actually threats.”
“I want to be wherever you are.”
————songs————
War Of Hearts -Ruelle
Don’t Let Me Go -RAIGN
Warrior -Beth Crowley
The Deep And The Dark -Visions Of Atlantis
Carry You - Ruelle and Fleurie
———random extra thoughts———
I haven’t even mentioned how much I ADORE the cover...
Thanks for reading! ❤️
September 6, 2024
I really enjoyed the Rapunzel retelling✨
Rhea, this world's version of Rapunzel, has been isolated and locked in a tower her entire life
This book is so well written, and the characters are so lovable!!
Heir of Sun and Moon follows the story of 2 princesses Bahira and Rhea
✨Rhea is the princess of the mortal kingdom,she fell in love with Flynn. he is the supportive king a someone who will give her hope🌸
✨Princess Bahira She is a strong, sassy, independent woman, she is the first mage to have been born without magic and Bahira is determined to find a solution 🗡️
In both of these storylines, we watch two women forge their own paths ✨
.
Slow burn romance
princess X guard
unique magic
Fairytale retelling
Dual pov
Loveable animal (Bella the sweetest) 🦊
Rhea, this world's version of Rapunzel, has been isolated and locked in a tower her entire life
This book is so well written, and the characters are so lovable!!
Heir of Sun and Moon follows the story of 2 princesses Bahira and Rhea
✨Rhea is the princess of the mortal kingdom,she fell in love with Flynn. he is the supportive king a someone who will give her hope🌸
✨Princess Bahira She is a strong, sassy, independent woman, she is the first mage to have been born without magic and Bahira is determined to find a solution 🗡️
In both of these storylines, we watch two women forge their own paths ✨
.
Slow burn romance
princess X guard
unique magic
Fairytale retelling
Dual pov
Loveable animal (Bella the sweetest) 🦊
Want to read
October 30, 2023Advertised as a Rapunzel retelling with a Princess x King's Guard romance and "he falls first hard" dynamic 👀
Want to read
April 20, 2024A Rapunzel retelling with Princess x Guard trope? Aside from 'Cress' I don't think I've read any Rapunzel retellings, I'm looking forward to read this.
September 6, 2023
“You claim that, but my life hasn’t been one of joy and whimsy. There has been no fairytale happy ending,” I whisper, willing the tears in my eyes to stop.
“Then it is not your ending yet,” he says.
As a lover of a true slow burn romance that is primarily fantasy based stories, Jenessa Ren understood the assignment. Her talent for descriptions and making you feel like you are there with the characters, seeing what they see, smell what they smell, etc. is on another level!! Low key I don’t believe this is her first book. 🤣 this was too good to be a first book!!
📚 TROPES & THEMES 📚
✔️ slow burn romance
✔️ series start
✔️ writing & exchanging letters
✔️ trauma & grief journey
✔️ Rapunzel & Beauty + the Beast vibes
✔️ An adorable white fox sidekick
✔️ “who did this to you?”
✔️ incredible world and story building
✔️ Dual POV of FMCs
Do y’all remember the slow burn, epic world building vibes you felt when you read the Throne of Glass series for the first time? That’s the vibe I got to experience when I dove into this book. Book one focuses primarily on setting the story, fleshing and developing the characters- and explaining in detail to the reader what’s going on. But all of this is easily understood, even for those of us with 2 brain cells aka me. 🤸♀️
Rhea is our main character, locked away in a tower by her creepy ass uncle and only gets her rare interactions from Alexi, a member of the kings guard and basically the only father figure in her life. She spends her time lost in her head, daydreaming of life outside, and getting lost in stories. She’s not alone - not completely, anyway! a white fox she’s named Bella lives with her there too.
Bahira is our other FMC we meet in this book. A magic-less mage princess in a kingdom where that’s pitied and looked down at. Does she let it hold her back? Heck no! Or at least, she tries not to. She spends her time trying to find answers on countless experiments and tests.
That’s the gist of the story at the start at least!! If I dabble in anything else, it’ll be spoiler city! So I’ll review on the vibes now! 😉
This is a true slow burn book, okay? For the first half, Jenessa weaves beautiful and intricate words into paragraphs that slowly builds and develops this incredible fantasy world that was created. We DO have romance, it comes later and it’s just a sample. But it’s enough that will have you giggling, kicking your feet, and fluttering your eyelashes. 😌 it’s ADORABLE.
Jenessa does an incredible job writing not only the world, but the mental status of our FMCs. I felt like I was IN the tower with Rhea, restless and also tired and so, so lonely. With Bahira, I felt frustrated and angry with her, and felt her mistakes and accomplishes too.
The ending was epic, action packed and had me hiding in my room away from everyone because I just 👏🏻 needed 👏🏻 answers 👏🏻
Did I get answers? Kinda. But now I have more questions. 😆 and that my dears is a sign of an excellent start to a fantasy series!! I can’t wait to find out what happens next in this world!!
Thank you so much for giving me the chance to alpha read this story. These are my honest thoughts!! 🖤🖤
“Then it is not your ending yet,” he says.
As a lover of a true slow burn romance that is primarily fantasy based stories, Jenessa Ren understood the assignment. Her talent for descriptions and making you feel like you are there with the characters, seeing what they see, smell what they smell, etc. is on another level!! Low key I don’t believe this is her first book. 🤣 this was too good to be a first book!!
📚 TROPES & THEMES 📚
✔️ slow burn romance
✔️ series start
✔️ writing & exchanging letters
✔️ trauma & grief journey
✔️ Rapunzel & Beauty + the Beast vibes
✔️ An adorable white fox sidekick
✔️ “who did this to you?”
✔️ incredible world and story building
✔️ Dual POV of FMCs
Do y’all remember the slow burn, epic world building vibes you felt when you read the Throne of Glass series for the first time? That’s the vibe I got to experience when I dove into this book. Book one focuses primarily on setting the story, fleshing and developing the characters- and explaining in detail to the reader what’s going on. But all of this is easily understood, even for those of us with 2 brain cells aka me. 🤸♀️
Rhea is our main character, locked away in a tower by her creepy ass uncle and only gets her rare interactions from Alexi, a member of the kings guard and basically the only father figure in her life. She spends her time lost in her head, daydreaming of life outside, and getting lost in stories. She’s not alone - not completely, anyway! a white fox she’s named Bella lives with her there too.
Bahira is our other FMC we meet in this book. A magic-less mage princess in a kingdom where that’s pitied and looked down at. Does she let it hold her back? Heck no! Or at least, she tries not to. She spends her time trying to find answers on countless experiments and tests.
That’s the gist of the story at the start at least!! If I dabble in anything else, it’ll be spoiler city! So I’ll review on the vibes now! 😉
This is a true slow burn book, okay? For the first half, Jenessa weaves beautiful and intricate words into paragraphs that slowly builds and develops this incredible fantasy world that was created. We DO have romance, it comes later and it’s just a sample. But it’s enough that will have you giggling, kicking your feet, and fluttering your eyelashes. 😌 it’s ADORABLE.
Jenessa does an incredible job writing not only the world, but the mental status of our FMCs. I felt like I was IN the tower with Rhea, restless and also tired and so, so lonely. With Bahira, I felt frustrated and angry with her, and felt her mistakes and accomplishes too.
The ending was epic, action packed and had me hiding in my room away from everyone because I just 👏🏻 needed 👏🏻 answers 👏🏻
Did I get answers? Kinda. But now I have more questions. 😆 and that my dears is a sign of an excellent start to a fantasy series!! I can’t wait to find out what happens next in this world!!
Thank you so much for giving me the chance to alpha read this story. These are my honest thoughts!! 🖤🖤
June 23, 2025
This book is incredible! I am so honored to have been part of Jenessa's team while editing and proofing this book because I got to experience some of the magic of this world coming together, and nothing is better than that! Jenessa has such an incredible voice and way of developing worlds and characters, so I implore EVERYONE who enjoys a well-written, character and plot-driven book to pick this one up and give it a chance! I bet that you will fall in love with it just as easily as I have!
Heir of Sun and Moon is a fairytale-inspired (Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast) romantic fantasy novel following two POVs, Rhea and Bahira—princesses from different kingdoms who have led two completely different lives. They have lived their entire lives in a world where each kingdom and it's people are separated from the others by a spell cast to end a war 200 years prior—to cross their own kingdom's borders is to pay a magical price. Rhea, rightful heir to the Mortal Kingdom, has spent her whole life locked up inside a tower by her cruel uncle, King Dolian, the current ruler of the Mortal Kingdom. Her life has been spent in isolation from everyone and everything, and the only reprieve she has from her loneliness is in the form of a kind guard and her hidden pet fox. She spends her days dreaming of a life beyond the boring stone walls that she is stuck behind and of a life full of new people, places, and experiences. Bahira, magicless princess of the Mage Kingdom, is the only one of her people to ever have been born without magic. In a kingdom and a world where the magic seems to be dwindling, she spends her days searching for answers as to why the magic is fading and why she was born without it.
Rhea is such a heartbreaking main character. She is smart and sweet and kind and so relatable. Her struggles concerning her loneliness and her depression are so well portrayed in this book. I swear, every time she started to break down, I felt like I was going through the exact same thing as her. I love her relationship with her guard, Alexi, and how they are so close despite their circumstances and stations. They are seriously heartwarming and so freaking sweet during their interactions that just writing about it right now is making me want to cry. I loved getting to see flashbacks of their time together as Rhea was growing up and how those moments helped to form her into who she is now. Bella, Rhea's pet fox, is also another fun form of entertainment for me. I loved their dynamic and how sassy animal reactions can be and what it adds to certain situations. King Dolian can [graphic images] and die.
Bahira is such a QUEEN! She is strong and smart and unyielding, but also self-conscious. I loved reading about her journey as she tries to find an answer for the failing magic, while also fending off rude comments from others about her magicless state. Our girl is a ✨scientist✨ and, as an engineer, I love absolutely every second and every detail poured into describing her experiments! Jenessa did such an incredible job thinking of everything when it came to Bahi's experiments! Bahira is also a very complex and sensual character. She enjoys her dalliances and knows that her best friend, Daje, might have feelings for her, which complicates her life a bit. Daje has some issues, and this boy can f**k right off as far as I am concerned, but I loved seeing their relationship alongside the relationships that Rhea has to kind of contrast with each other. Because even though Bahira is out and about and free in the world and has the ability to form as many relationships as she would like, the few that Rhea has are so much more profound and deep. But I loved watching her struggle and grow throughout this book, and I cannot wait to see what the next book has in store for her!
There are other characters who I would love to go in depth on here, but I don't think I have enough characters to do this book complete justice, and I don't want to give too much away in here! But the unhinged thoughts, feelings, emotions that this book has released in me are unreal.
This book is heart-wrenching and profound and unique. I loved every second of this incredible story, but more than that, I fell in love with these characters and their journeys. I found myself dreaming about them and laughing with them and crying when they were hurt, because Jenessa had done such an amazing job bringing them to life and making the reader feel invested in their highs and lows. The writing style of this book is so fluid and even poetic at times, and it allows the reader to find extra tidbits of information (easter eggs, if you will), if they are paying enough attention, to formulate their own theories and conclusions as they read. I loved how she didn't spell everything out, but wrote in such a way to allow the reader to figure some things out on their own without being told every little detail explicitly. She built this world in such a way that the world-building wasn't overwhelming for the reader, but clues and facts were sprinkled in throughout to add more to each of the characters and their POVs. I can honestly say that I bawled like a baby more than a handful of times throughout this book...I also had some VERY visceral reactions to certain characters and events that are not to be mentioned here—but Jenessa can attest to the unhinged things that I had to say in those moments. I am beyond honored and blessed to have been able to read this book early and experience these characters almost before anyone else, and I cannot wait to have the physical copy in my hands!
Rating: 5⭐
Heir of Sun and Moon is a fairytale-inspired (Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast) romantic fantasy novel following two POVs, Rhea and Bahira—princesses from different kingdoms who have led two completely different lives. They have lived their entire lives in a world where each kingdom and it's people are separated from the others by a spell cast to end a war 200 years prior—to cross their own kingdom's borders is to pay a magical price. Rhea, rightful heir to the Mortal Kingdom, has spent her whole life locked up inside a tower by her cruel uncle, King Dolian, the current ruler of the Mortal Kingdom. Her life has been spent in isolation from everyone and everything, and the only reprieve she has from her loneliness is in the form of a kind guard and her hidden pet fox. She spends her days dreaming of a life beyond the boring stone walls that she is stuck behind and of a life full of new people, places, and experiences. Bahira, magicless princess of the Mage Kingdom, is the only one of her people to ever have been born without magic. In a kingdom and a world where the magic seems to be dwindling, she spends her days searching for answers as to why the magic is fading and why she was born without it.
Rhea is such a heartbreaking main character. She is smart and sweet and kind and so relatable. Her struggles concerning her loneliness and her depression are so well portrayed in this book. I swear, every time she started to break down, I felt like I was going through the exact same thing as her. I love her relationship with her guard, Alexi, and how they are so close despite their circumstances and stations. They are seriously heartwarming and so freaking sweet during their interactions that just writing about it right now is making me want to cry. I loved getting to see flashbacks of their time together as Rhea was growing up and how those moments helped to form her into who she is now. Bella, Rhea's pet fox, is also another fun form of entertainment for me. I loved their dynamic and how sassy animal reactions can be and what it adds to certain situations. King Dolian can [graphic images] and die.
Bahira is such a QUEEN! She is strong and smart and unyielding, but also self-conscious. I loved reading about her journey as she tries to find an answer for the failing magic, while also fending off rude comments from others about her magicless state. Our girl is a ✨scientist✨ and, as an engineer, I love absolutely every second and every detail poured into describing her experiments! Jenessa did such an incredible job thinking of everything when it came to Bahi's experiments! Bahira is also a very complex and sensual character. She enjoys her dalliances and knows that her best friend, Daje, might have feelings for her, which complicates her life a bit. Daje has some issues, and this boy can f**k right off as far as I am concerned, but I loved seeing their relationship alongside the relationships that Rhea has to kind of contrast with each other. Because even though Bahira is out and about and free in the world and has the ability to form as many relationships as she would like, the few that Rhea has are so much more profound and deep. But I loved watching her struggle and grow throughout this book, and I cannot wait to see what the next book has in store for her!
There are other characters who I would love to go in depth on here, but I don't think I have enough characters to do this book complete justice, and I don't want to give too much away in here! But the unhinged thoughts, feelings, emotions that this book has released in me are unreal.
This book is heart-wrenching and profound and unique. I loved every second of this incredible story, but more than that, I fell in love with these characters and their journeys. I found myself dreaming about them and laughing with them and crying when they were hurt, because Jenessa had done such an amazing job bringing them to life and making the reader feel invested in their highs and lows. The writing style of this book is so fluid and even poetic at times, and it allows the reader to find extra tidbits of information (easter eggs, if you will), if they are paying enough attention, to formulate their own theories and conclusions as they read. I loved how she didn't spell everything out, but wrote in such a way to allow the reader to figure some things out on their own without being told every little detail explicitly. She built this world in such a way that the world-building wasn't overwhelming for the reader, but clues and facts were sprinkled in throughout to add more to each of the characters and their POVs. I can honestly say that I bawled like a baby more than a handful of times throughout this book...I also had some VERY visceral reactions to certain characters and events that are not to be mentioned here—but Jenessa can attest to the unhinged things that I had to say in those moments. I am beyond honored and blessed to have been able to read this book early and experience these characters almost before anyone else, and I cannot wait to have the physical copy in my hands!
Rating: 5⭐
October 7, 2025
“𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶” ✨
(review contains some spoilers!)
last year, i had the honour to read the arc of hosam, and i had originally given it a 4⭐️. i decided i had to reread before the release of cosat, and i’m so glad i did! lately all the rereads i’ve been doing have been so much more enjoyable than the original read!
jenessa really came through with her DEBUT novel! the characters *chefs kiss*, the story *chefs kiss*, the descriptions *chefs kiss*. basically everything about hosam is CHEFS KISS 💋
i love rhea & flynn together so much. he is the most sweetest cinnamon roll mmc 🥹 the only thing i wish, is that he would be more honest to rhea about who he is! with that being said, i’m curious how their relationship will pan out with how hosam ended!
my heart was ripped out and stomped on when it came to my poor alexi 😭💔
lastly…i love bella, and hosam better not be the end of her or i’ll be SO UPSET 😭 she’s the best, not so little, companion 🦊
“𝘪 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦.”
definitely a must read if you are a romantasy lover who loves a solid plot with a sprinkle of spice!
what to expect:
- slow burn
- hidden/unique magic
- fairytale retelling (rapunzel)
- swoon worthy cinnamon roll mmc
- dual pov/dual storyline
- loveable animal companion
(review contains some spoilers!)
last year, i had the honour to read the arc of hosam, and i had originally given it a 4⭐️. i decided i had to reread before the release of cosat, and i’m so glad i did! lately all the rereads i’ve been doing have been so much more enjoyable than the original read!
jenessa really came through with her DEBUT novel! the characters *chefs kiss*, the story *chefs kiss*, the descriptions *chefs kiss*. basically everything about hosam is CHEFS KISS 💋
i love rhea & flynn together so much. he is the most sweetest cinnamon roll mmc 🥹 the only thing i wish, is that he would be more honest to rhea about who he is! with that being said, i’m curious how their relationship will pan out with how hosam ended!
my heart was ripped out and stomped on when it came to my poor alexi 😭💔
lastly…i love bella, and hosam better not be the end of her or i’ll be SO UPSET 😭 she’s the best, not so little, companion 🦊
“𝘪 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦.”
definitely a must read if you are a romantasy lover who loves a solid plot with a sprinkle of spice!
what to expect:
- slow burn
- hidden/unique magic
- fairytale retelling (rapunzel)
- swoon worthy cinnamon roll mmc
- dual pov/dual storyline
- loveable animal companion
May 21, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
This Rapunzel retelling was the first of its type I read! I was engaged immediately in both Rhea and Bahira’s worlds and from their POVs. I loved how different both their stories were and how different the two characters are. The world building was easy and heavier in Bahira’s POV, but it came together well. Also, I was very impressed by the narrator’s ability to voice the side characters and FMCs.
There was a LOT of action in the last 25% of this book which made me interested to read the next book in the series. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
Read this if you like:
🎀 multi POV from two princesses from different realms
🎀 found family
🎀 captor of an evil king x guard
🎀 slow burn
🎀 he falls first
🎀 political intrigue
🎀 book 1 in a series
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
This Rapunzel retelling was the first of its type I read! I was engaged immediately in both Rhea and Bahira’s worlds and from their POVs. I loved how different both their stories were and how different the two characters are. The world building was easy and heavier in Bahira’s POV, but it came together well. Also, I was very impressed by the narrator’s ability to voice the side characters and FMCs.
There was a LOT of action in the last 25% of this book which made me interested to read the next book in the series. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
Read this if you like:
🎀 multi POV from two princesses from different realms
🎀 found family
🎀 captor of an evil king x guard
🎀 slow burn
🎀 he falls first
🎀 political intrigue
🎀 book 1 in a series
December 6, 2025
This was a fantastic start to a new fantasy series, and I absolutely loved it. This book felt a lot more character driven compared to other fantasy series I've read, but I really didn't mind that at all since I really liked the characters, especially Rhea. I feel like a lot of this book focuses on kind of providing a lot of world-building for the world the author created, but it's not done in an info-dumping sort of way. I feel like you get to learn about the world through both Bahira and Rhea, who are both princesses of their realms but live very different lives. Princess Rhea is the princess of the Mortal Realm and has lived her entire life locked in a tower by her uncle, the king. Rhea's only companions are a white fox that lives with her in the tower and Alexi, a kingsguard that takes on a fatherly role toward Rhea. You can tell that for Rhea's point of view, the author was inspired by the story of Rapunzel (it was totally giving Disney's Tangled vibes at some point) and I found myself enjoying Rhea's point of view a little more that Bahira's, so I was kind of glad that the book leaned more toward Rhea's point of view. Bahira is the princess of the Mage realm, who happens to have no magic. She is actively trying to find a cure for the fading magic of the Mage realm and as I said before, I didn't like her point of view as much as Rhea's in the beginning but she grew on me in the end. I really like how there are two distinct points of view that take place in different realms and seem to have no connection until the very end of the book. I did think some things in the book were a bit predictable such as Flynn's (Rhea's love interest) true identity but honestly I don't mind when plot points are a little predictable because at least that means what the author is writing makes sense and is easy to follow. Speaking of Flynn, I have to say I really adored him and how he treated and interacted with Rhea. There were some really sweet moments between the two, and I will take a sweet and caring love interest over a dark and brooding one any day. I am really curious to see what the author plans for the rest of this series because I feel like this book was a lot of setup for things to come rather than a lot of action. It seems that she plans on introducing more points of view based on how the book ended, so I am excited about that in the next book. Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book, and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
I loved this book even more the second time around. I love rereading books, and I think part of the reason why is that every time I reread a book, I experience it a different way. I loved being able to go back and read scenes a bit differently because I have more knowledge about things they aren't revealed into later in the book. I felt like everything made more sense the second time around, and I loved every moment of this book. I absolutely love Rhea and Flynn, and I love how their relationship develops. I am so curious to see what direction the author decides to go in for these two in the next book, but I love them both so much, so hopefully, she doesn't put them through too much pain. I loved the little fairytale inspiration sprinkled throughout the book, and I like how the author hints at more to come for this series throughout the book. I do feel like this one is a little more character focused but it does set up some world building and I just feel like this is going to be one of those series where the story grows bigger with every book and I am so excited for what is to come next. I absolutely can't wait to read the next book in this series, and I hope that it lives up to this first book because I thought this was a great start to a new series.
I loved this book even more the second time around. I love rereading books, and I think part of the reason why is that every time I reread a book, I experience it a different way. I loved being able to go back and read scenes a bit differently because I have more knowledge about things they aren't revealed into later in the book. I felt like everything made more sense the second time around, and I loved every moment of this book. I absolutely love Rhea and Flynn, and I love how their relationship develops. I am so curious to see what direction the author decides to go in for these two in the next book, but I love them both so much, so hopefully, she doesn't put them through too much pain. I loved the little fairytale inspiration sprinkled throughout the book, and I like how the author hints at more to come for this series throughout the book. I do feel like this one is a little more character focused but it does set up some world building and I just feel like this is going to be one of those series where the story grows bigger with every book and I am so excited for what is to come next. I absolutely can't wait to read the next book in this series, and I hope that it lives up to this first book because I thought this was a great start to a new series.
September 5, 2025
Re-read:
I just re-read this book for a second time, and I loved it even more than the first time! I caught on to all these little details that I just simply accepted before. Jenessa has built a truly EPIC world that I can’t wait to explore more! Plus, she is one of the sweetest human beings!
Original:
Jenessa, WHY?! She killed the sweet, protective animal companion! Ugh! I loved the nods to Rapunzel and the “tangled” mentions throughout. It finishes nicely and creates intrigue for the next book! Solid 4.5 (extra 0.5 based on the fact that I just LOVED meeting Jenessa yesterday!)
I just re-read this book for a second time, and I loved it even more than the first time! I caught on to all these little details that I just simply accepted before. Jenessa has built a truly EPIC world that I can’t wait to explore more! Plus, she is one of the sweetest human beings!
Original:
Jenessa, WHY?! She killed the sweet, protective animal companion! Ugh! I loved the nods to Rapunzel and the “tangled” mentions throughout. It finishes nicely and creates intrigue for the next book! Solid 4.5 (extra 0.5 based on the fact that I just LOVED meeting Jenessa yesterday!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2025
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* OH MY GOSH ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
5/5!!!!!!
Okay so I met this author IRL at a book event and I absolutely adored the fact that it’s a RAPUNZEL retelling 😭🫶🏻 I’m a huge Disney adult so knowing this book was a mix of all the things I love in one place was absolutely chefs kiss. 💋🤌🏻
The characters, the world building, THE SLOW BURN?!!!!! Are we kidding?! I absolutely ate that SHIZ UP!!!! Not only did those things draw me in but the storytelling itself did not disappoint. I was captivated from start to finish.
This book is UNDERRATED!!!! It needs more attention for sure! 🩷🥹✨ congratulations Jenessa! P.S. Flynn will be the star of every fantasy I have from now on. Thank you for your service 🫡
Ig - Lesreadsbooks 🫶🏻
5/5!!!!!!
Okay so I met this author IRL at a book event and I absolutely adored the fact that it’s a RAPUNZEL retelling 😭🫶🏻 I’m a huge Disney adult so knowing this book was a mix of all the things I love in one place was absolutely chefs kiss. 💋🤌🏻
The characters, the world building, THE SLOW BURN?!!!!! Are we kidding?! I absolutely ate that SHIZ UP!!!! Not only did those things draw me in but the storytelling itself did not disappoint. I was captivated from start to finish.
This book is UNDERRATED!!!! It needs more attention for sure! 🩷🥹✨ congratulations Jenessa! P.S. Flynn will be the star of every fantasy I have from now on. Thank you for your service 🫡
Ig - Lesreadsbooks 🫶🏻
October 6, 2023
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would! In a heartbeat.
Jenessa Ren is making her debut with this masterpiece of a story! The world she’s built and the characters she’s woven together are nothing short of stunning! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, because fantasy can be such a hard genre to write, especially when creating a new world, but this was flawless! The perfect amount of everything. The dark and light, the fun and suspenseful, the joy and the pain…ugh. I want to turn around and read it again! I’ve only ever done that with four other books/series…one of which was ACOTAR.
If you love fantasy, then you NEED to read this book!
Jenessa Ren is making her debut with this masterpiece of a story! The world she’s built and the characters she’s woven together are nothing short of stunning! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, because fantasy can be such a hard genre to write, especially when creating a new world, but this was flawless! The perfect amount of everything. The dark and light, the fun and suspenseful, the joy and the pain…ugh. I want to turn around and read it again! I’ve only ever done that with four other books/series…one of which was ACOTAR.
If you love fantasy, then you NEED to read this book!
January 30, 2025
If you're looking for your next romantasy read this is it! It's smart, thoughtful, and beautifullyexecuted. It kept me hooked from page one! I kept flipping the pages because I had to know if my theories were right!
Full review to come but if your a fan of the genre and haven't read Heir of Sun and Moon yet stop sleeping on this one and pick ot up!
Full review to come but if your a fan of the genre and haven't read Heir of Sun and Moon yet stop sleeping on this one and pick ot up!
December 9, 2023
I took about a month to read this because I haven't had a lot of time so I'd pop out my kindle at work or fall asleep reading it and now I'm honestly so sad it's over because I loved having this story to come back to a few times a day 🥹 I LOVED Rhea's story and I enjoyed Bahira too and I love how everything came together at the end. Can't wait for the next one!!!
October 31, 2023
ONE MILLION STARS!!!!
This book was **chefs kiss**
Seriously, SO GOOD.
I’m obsessed with the dual main characters Rhea and Bahira. We get 3 chapters from each character and I throughly enjoyed that writing style. Both were drastically different so it was exciting to see their stories merge.
Rhea, my sweet sweet baby Rhea. What a gem. Sequestered in her tower with her little (massive) fox Bella and fighting for her mental, physical and spiritual health everyday. I really resonated with Rhea, she was sheltered and really needed time to process her emotions. I found myself chomping at the bit to find out which one of the many people who came to her tower would be her LOVE✨ and I was not disappointed 🥰🥰🥰
Bahira. The badass independent baby angel who wanted nothing more than to save the world. I am so excited to see where her story goes and how her character grows more…. Because there is sooooo much potential there!!! I just feel like she will become the savior for the entire realm.
I won’t spoil the male characters but just know they are all phenomenal so i will leave you with a little emoji glimmer for my fav characters.
King Kai is 🔥💪🏼🔥
Nox is 🥺😍🥰
Flynn is 🫠🫶🏼😘
Daje is 😌🤯😡
If you are debating reading, debate no more!! Do it!!!!
I cannot wait for book 2!
This book was **chefs kiss**
Seriously, SO GOOD.
I’m obsessed with the dual main characters Rhea and Bahira. We get 3 chapters from each character and I throughly enjoyed that writing style. Both were drastically different so it was exciting to see their stories merge.
Rhea, my sweet sweet baby Rhea. What a gem. Sequestered in her tower with her little (massive) fox Bella and fighting for her mental, physical and spiritual health everyday. I really resonated with Rhea, she was sheltered and really needed time to process her emotions. I found myself chomping at the bit to find out which one of the many people who came to her tower would be her LOVE✨ and I was not disappointed 🥰🥰🥰
Bahira. The badass independent baby angel who wanted nothing more than to save the world. I am so excited to see where her story goes and how her character grows more…. Because there is sooooo much potential there!!! I just feel like she will become the savior for the entire realm.
I won’t spoil the male characters but just know they are all phenomenal so i will leave you with a little emoji glimmer for my fav characters.
King Kai is 🔥💪🏼🔥
Nox is 🥺😍🥰
Flynn is 🫠🫶🏼😘
Daje is 😌🤯😡
If you are debating reading, debate no more!! Do it!!!!
I cannot wait for book 2!
October 12, 2023
⭐️: 5/5
🌶️: 1/5
WOW. That’s my initial thought.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Jenessa for this amazing ARC.
This slow-burn fantasy has about everything you could ever possibly want in a book.
I hate to even compare this book to anything else, because it’s that good- but if I had to, I’d say it gives Throne of Glass vibes. With epic and excellent world-building, slow-burn tension, and an amazing set-up for the rest of the series.
You can tell Jenessa put so much love and energy to setting up this world AND creating emotional and well-written characters.
I absolutely cannot believe this is her first book 🤯 to be honest, I expected it to feel “first book”-ish but it doesn’t. It feels like Jenessa was made to tell this story.
Truly in my opinion, the characters are the best part.
These characters will tear at your heart-strings, make you cry, and some will make you want to chuck the book across the room (don’t do that though 🙈🤣)
Heir of Sun and Moon is a fairytale-inspired book following Rhea and Bahria (loosely based of Rapunzel and Belle).
The book juggles their two POVs while they reside in different kingdoms. They are BOTH the main characters in this story.
Rhea has been locked away in a tower by her jerk-face stupid uncle (will make you want to throw your book) and only has rare interactions with her guard Alexi- whom you will adore. She spends her time with her ADORABLE white fox Bella. (Sometimes the star of the show in my opinion 🤣 jk)
Bahria, our other main character - is a magicless mage princess in a kingdom that looks down upon those with no magical abilities. But she finds strength and answers through her science experiments and doesn’t let anyone or anything hold her back (and I love that!)
While the world-building, character development, and plot are ON FIRE and so, so good. The romance is sloooowwwww, and that’s ok. It gives the vibes that we will get a major romantic payout in book 2 & 3 🤣 like other well-known series. You definitely still get butterflies in your stomach, adorable, swoon-worthy and steamy moments- but it’s all building up (along with this world)! & The tension is definitely THICK.
The ending 🤯 prepare yourself. You may again feel like you need to throw something because—- how long do we have to wait for answers?!?! 😅😅
But it is epic and full of energy, I never wanted to put the book down. And I definitely need Jenessa to hurry up and write book 2 already 🤣🫶
🌶️: 1/5
WOW. That’s my initial thought.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Jenessa for this amazing ARC.
This slow-burn fantasy has about everything you could ever possibly want in a book.
I hate to even compare this book to anything else, because it’s that good- but if I had to, I’d say it gives Throne of Glass vibes. With epic and excellent world-building, slow-burn tension, and an amazing set-up for the rest of the series.
You can tell Jenessa put so much love and energy to setting up this world AND creating emotional and well-written characters.
I absolutely cannot believe this is her first book 🤯 to be honest, I expected it to feel “first book”-ish but it doesn’t. It feels like Jenessa was made to tell this story.
Truly in my opinion, the characters are the best part.
These characters will tear at your heart-strings, make you cry, and some will make you want to chuck the book across the room (don’t do that though 🙈🤣)
Heir of Sun and Moon is a fairytale-inspired book following Rhea and Bahria (loosely based of Rapunzel and Belle).
The book juggles their two POVs while they reside in different kingdoms. They are BOTH the main characters in this story.
Rhea has been locked away in a tower by her jerk-face stupid uncle (will make you want to throw your book) and only has rare interactions with her guard Alexi- whom you will adore. She spends her time with her ADORABLE white fox Bella. (Sometimes the star of the show in my opinion 🤣 jk)
Bahria, our other main character - is a magicless mage princess in a kingdom that looks down upon those with no magical abilities. But she finds strength and answers through her science experiments and doesn’t let anyone or anything hold her back (and I love that!)
While the world-building, character development, and plot are ON FIRE and so, so good. The romance is sloooowwwww, and that’s ok. It gives the vibes that we will get a major romantic payout in book 2 & 3 🤣 like other well-known series. You definitely still get butterflies in your stomach, adorable, swoon-worthy and steamy moments- but it’s all building up (along with this world)! & The tension is definitely THICK.
The ending 🤯 prepare yourself. You may again feel like you need to throw something because—- how long do we have to wait for answers?!?! 😅😅
But it is epic and full of energy, I never wanted to put the book down. And I definitely need Jenessa to hurry up and write book 2 already 🤣🫶
October 8, 2023
I’m unwell. Haunting Jenessa’s DMs and asking for book two immediately. I love the contrast between our two FMCS. Rhea and Bahira are so different but so strong in their own ways. I loved watching their growth over the book. Rhea in particular is a departure from most of the fantasy heroines of the day, and i really loved the gentleness of her personality. I’m excited to see where this series goes especially after the epilogue and with two budding romances (this is maybe wishful thinking but i will ship who i want).
I was very into Bahira’s intellectual side that was such a contrast to her badass warrior side. I love me a nerdy FMC, and i also loved how she stood up for herself and held boundaries in her friendships/relationships. I support women’s rights but i shout from the rooftops for women’s wrongs.
Was a maybe attracted to King Dolian? Yes. Did that make me question my loyalty to my girl, Rhea? Also yes.
All I’m saying i that i’m pretty sure i could fix him and if not i might enjoy him ruining my life. (I won’t be taking questions about this.)
I was very into Bahira’s intellectual side that was such a contrast to her badass warrior side. I love me a nerdy FMC, and i also loved how she stood up for herself and held boundaries in her friendships/relationships. I support women’s rights but i shout from the rooftops for women’s wrongs.
Was a maybe attracted to King Dolian? Yes. Did that make me question my loyalty to my girl, Rhea? Also yes.
All I’m saying i that i’m pretty sure i could fix him and if not i might enjoy him ruining my life. (I won’t be taking questions about this.)
October 10, 2023
Want my heartfelt opinion of Heir of Sun and Moon? It’s hands down one of my top 5 reads this year… for a multitude of reasons.
First off.. it’s stunning, just totally breathtaking. The writing is atmospheric and lyrical in a way that makes you feel like you’re in the midst of a fairy tale.
It’s intentional.. every word, each piece of art from the character illustrations to the chapter headers and the scene breaks, the raw emotions, the story line itself… every bit of it is so thoughtfully designed into this luscious piece of literature that makes your soul feel alive.
The development.. our main characters, God love ‘em.. they each have such fires and so much passion despite whatever hands they’ve been dealt. And yet their growth doesn’t feel manufactured. Their development isn’t for the sake of aiding plot or creating tropes.. but instead feels completely organic to who they really are and their unique life experiences.
Romantic.. look, there are thousands upon thousands of books with romance and spice in varying levels of peppers for readers to select from. But this? I won’t give spoilers because I want you experience this book page by page… but the romantic moments in HOSAM are DIVINE. They’re PURE. They’re the type of moments we all dream about and pine for.
To Jenessa… I am genuinely so happy for you. You have clearly poured so much of yourself into this book and dug DEEP into Rhea and Bahira’s characters to honor their hardships and precious personalities. 5 stars all day long. I loved it!
First off.. it’s stunning, just totally breathtaking. The writing is atmospheric and lyrical in a way that makes you feel like you’re in the midst of a fairy tale.
It’s intentional.. every word, each piece of art from the character illustrations to the chapter headers and the scene breaks, the raw emotions, the story line itself… every bit of it is so thoughtfully designed into this luscious piece of literature that makes your soul feel alive.
The development.. our main characters, God love ‘em.. they each have such fires and so much passion despite whatever hands they’ve been dealt. And yet their growth doesn’t feel manufactured. Their development isn’t for the sake of aiding plot or creating tropes.. but instead feels completely organic to who they really are and their unique life experiences.
Romantic.. look, there are thousands upon thousands of books with romance and spice in varying levels of peppers for readers to select from. But this? I won’t give spoilers because I want you experience this book page by page… but the romantic moments in HOSAM are DIVINE. They’re PURE. They’re the type of moments we all dream about and pine for.
To Jenessa… I am genuinely so happy for you. You have clearly poured so much of yourself into this book and dug DEEP into Rhea and Bahira’s characters to honor their hardships and precious personalities. 5 stars all day long. I loved it!
January 4, 2025
UNDECIDED.
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This one started off really intriguing. I loved that it was a loose Rapunzel retelling with a bodyguard romance, YAY. But execution wise, it dragged badly. Rhea was stuck in that dang tower for so long that I had to do some speed reading to see if the plot ever actually got to moving. Aaaand the romance came off as a bit insta-lovey. There were some cute and sweet moments, yet I’m not sure I’m convinced of them quite yet.
THEN we have our other POV. As a personal preference, I don’t love when the main character sleeps with other people who aren’t the love interest with actual on page spice. Otherwise, I liked Bahira’s storyline. I’m curious about the magic, about where she ended up and how that will play out with future books (but will I read said book??? I DON’T KNOW).
The ending happily blindsided me and I am admittedly intrigued about how those things will go. This was just too long without enough engaging plot.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: 1-2 open door
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, weapons violence, kidnapping, abuse
BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK
This one started off really intriguing. I loved that it was a loose Rapunzel retelling with a bodyguard romance, YAY. But execution wise, it dragged badly. Rhea was stuck in that dang tower for so long that I had to do some speed reading to see if the plot ever actually got to moving. Aaaand the romance came off as a bit insta-lovey. There were some cute and sweet moments, yet I’m not sure I’m convinced of them quite yet.
THEN we have our other POV. As a personal preference, I don’t love when the main character sleeps with other people who aren’t the love interest with actual on page spice. Otherwise, I liked Bahira’s storyline. I’m curious about the magic, about where she ended up and how that will play out with future books (but will I read said book??? I DON’T KNOW).
The ending happily blindsided me and I am admittedly intrigued about how those things will go. This was just too long without enough engaging plot.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: 1-2 open door
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, weapons violence, kidnapping, abuse
August 2, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
nothing….. happened??
nothing….. happened??
October 31, 2023
After a month of arcs that were hit or miss, I was so pleasantly surprised to absolutely LOVE and DEVOUR this book! Jenessa’s writing style is beautiful and her world building so wonderful, I could clearly picture the layout of every scene perfectly in my mind as I read. I love me a fairytale retelling and Rapunzel happens to be one of my favorites, so I was instantly drawn to Rhea’s story most. So many times did I get “Game of Thrones” vibes throughout this story, in some characters and some scenes. Along with those vibes, I can’t help but also feel bits of Once Upon a Broken Heart and some ACOTAR vibes as well.
I enjoyed the dual POVs, giving me basically two stories in one. Having the two FMCs different stories playing in tandem with each other was helpful in those moment when my heart was breaking in one chapter, and giving me a break and a different emotion in the next. I am so eager for these characters paths to cross later in the series.
I, ultimately, come out of this OBSESSED with Rhea and Flynn’s journey. Their romance is so sweet and Flynn is the perfect gentleman, I don’t care what anyone says. Rhea (Rapunzel) is such a heartfelt Princess… I felt myself breaking along with her, falling in love for the first time, and yearning for more life outside of her tower. And Bella. Oh, sweet little fox Bella. I just love her! Our other FMC, Bahira, is a no BS, do what I want, who I want, when I want, and so much more spitfire of a princess. I just love her bravery to face the world as a woman who stands out from the rest and takes charge as she sees fit, regardless of what others may think. Being a royal in a kingdom of magic, while being magicless, is anything but easy and she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what she can to help her people and try to find her way.
I’m so eager to see where both princesses end up and watch the story unfold. This book had me crying happy tears at 1am while questioning my husbands romance skills, fully cringing and wanting to punch a king, holding my breath through the intensity and TENSION, and crying sad tears in the nail salon. The burn was slow and I eat that up! I am hooked and I need more, especially with that ending!! Amazing job Jenessa! You’re the real MVP! 👏🏻
I enjoyed the dual POVs, giving me basically two stories in one. Having the two FMCs different stories playing in tandem with each other was helpful in those moment when my heart was breaking in one chapter, and giving me a break and a different emotion in the next. I am so eager for these characters paths to cross later in the series.
I, ultimately, come out of this OBSESSED with Rhea and Flynn’s journey. Their romance is so sweet and Flynn is the perfect gentleman, I don’t care what anyone says. Rhea (Rapunzel) is such a heartfelt Princess… I felt myself breaking along with her, falling in love for the first time, and yearning for more life outside of her tower. And Bella. Oh, sweet little fox Bella. I just love her! Our other FMC, Bahira, is a no BS, do what I want, who I want, when I want, and so much more spitfire of a princess. I just love her bravery to face the world as a woman who stands out from the rest and takes charge as she sees fit, regardless of what others may think. Being a royal in a kingdom of magic, while being magicless, is anything but easy and she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what she can to help her people and try to find her way.
I’m so eager to see where both princesses end up and watch the story unfold. This book had me crying happy tears at 1am while questioning my husbands romance skills, fully cringing and wanting to punch a king, holding my breath through the intensity and TENSION, and crying sad tears in the nail salon. The burn was slow and I eat that up! I am hooked and I need more, especially with that ending!! Amazing job Jenessa! You’re the real MVP! 👏🏻
April 21, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Reading is everything to me—it’s entertainment and escape and freedom through others’ stories.
I flew through this. I enjoyed it so so much and I truly cannot believe it's the authors debut novel.
There is SO much care put into the world building—interwoven into a truly lovely romance (my favourite since You Deserve Each Other).
This is a rapunzel fairytale retelling at it's core but it's also so much more.
There are 5 realms and the first book introduces you to two of those: the magic and mortal realm, whilst giving you more hints about the other three (shifter, fae and siren).
What I absolutely loved was there was no information dump right at the beginning. Ren manages to feed the world building over the story in a natural way, so that you remain engaged.
We learn about two FMCs.
The first FMC, Rhea, has been locked in a tower by her abusive uncle, in the mortal realm her whole life, and longs for freedom, whilst the second FMC, Bahira, is a magic-less mage, based in the magic realm.
If I were to give one minor critique, it was that, I was so consumed with the story of Rhea, that Bahira's story in the magic realm paled slightly in comparison. I know, however, the second book focuses a little more on her and her romance, so I understand the author's choice to build the character over the first book.
I am so surprised more people haven't read this lovely book. It's such a shame indie authors sometimes get missed for traditionally published authors with a much higher reach.
I really implore anyone who enjoys romantasy - especially those with more of a following - to give this a go because it really is a gem.
Reading is everything to me—it’s entertainment and escape and freedom through others’ stories.
I flew through this. I enjoyed it so so much and I truly cannot believe it's the authors debut novel.
There is SO much care put into the world building—interwoven into a truly lovely romance (my favourite since You Deserve Each Other).
This is a rapunzel fairytale retelling at it's core but it's also so much more.
There are 5 realms and the first book introduces you to two of those: the magic and mortal realm, whilst giving you more hints about the other three (shifter, fae and siren).
What I absolutely loved was there was no information dump right at the beginning. Ren manages to feed the world building over the story in a natural way, so that you remain engaged.
We learn about two FMCs.
The first FMC, Rhea, has been locked in a tower by her abusive uncle, in the mortal realm her whole life, and longs for freedom, whilst the second FMC, Bahira, is a magic-less mage, based in the magic realm.
If I were to give one minor critique, it was that, I was so consumed with the story of Rhea, that Bahira's story in the magic realm paled slightly in comparison. I know, however, the second book focuses a little more on her and her romance, so I understand the author's choice to build the character over the first book.
I am so surprised more people haven't read this lovely book. It's such a shame indie authors sometimes get missed for traditionally published authors with a much higher reach.
I really implore anyone who enjoys romantasy - especially those with more of a following - to give this a go because it really is a gem.
July 18, 2024
This was such a good book! The story is a fairytale retelling and follows two different storylines for two FMCs. Rhea is inspired by Rapunzel and Bahira seems to be inspired a bit by Belle.
Since Rhea has lived her life in a tower, she’s naive to the outside world. I loved her relationship with Flynn and how swoon-worthy he was! There were many moments of sadness, but the light outshines the dark. In contrast, Bahira is a STEM baddie. I loved her intelligence, her wit, and her fierceness. There were so many twists and reveals and I loved how the storylines intersected at the end! Excited to see how it continues in the next installment.
Since Rhea has lived her life in a tower, she’s naive to the outside world. I loved her relationship with Flynn and how swoon-worthy he was! There were many moments of sadness, but the light outshines the dark. In contrast, Bahira is a STEM baddie. I loved her intelligence, her wit, and her fierceness. There were so many twists and reveals and I loved how the storylines intersected at the end! Excited to see how it continues in the next installment.
October 11, 2025
Love this fairytale retelling! Jenessa had me hooked right away and I couldn’t put it down. Definitely a binge-worthy book! Her writing is impeccable and the twists and turns she takes you on *chef’s kiss*. She really makes you fall in love with the heroines.
December 1, 2025
This was such an intriguing set up to a new world!
There are Five Realms in this world: Mage, Mortal, Shifter, Fae (riding Dragons), and Sirens.
It is a Rapunzel retelling and very much based on Tangled because it had SO MANY references. I loved Tangled, so this didn't annoy me. But where Tangled is lighter and Disney/kid friendly, this explores more of the mental health aspect that Rhea experiences with being locked in a tower for 20+ years. All the loneliness, terror, delight in just a crumb of niceness from someone, anxiety about anything and everything... It was very well done in exploring that side of things.
Rhea is in the Mortal realm and has magic, but has to keep it hidden so the King doesn't find out.
Although I do feel like it could have maybe been a little bit shorter on that aspect because I was ready to get to the good meaty part of the story!
There is such a good slow burn with Flynn as Rhea and him have little interactions here and there for months before anything happens. He is such a sweet character and I can't wait to see more of them in book 2, now that secrets are out.
We also get Bahira's story, who is a Princess in the Mage kingdom, but doesn't have any magic of her own and is trying to figure out why. I really liked seeing a POV from this Kingdom as well and when things progressed, I could see where they were heading, which has me intrigued for the next book.
The next book is going to have another couple Kingdoms being explored and that makes me really excited!
Read if you love:
-Fairytale retellings
-Swoony slow burn
-Mental health rep (Anxiety & Depression)
-Hidden magic
-Multi POV
There are Five Realms in this world: Mage, Mortal, Shifter, Fae (riding Dragons), and Sirens.
It is a Rapunzel retelling and very much based on Tangled because it had SO MANY references. I loved Tangled, so this didn't annoy me. But where Tangled is lighter and Disney/kid friendly, this explores more of the mental health aspect that Rhea experiences with being locked in a tower for 20+ years. All the loneliness, terror, delight in just a crumb of niceness from someone, anxiety about anything and everything... It was very well done in exploring that side of things.
Rhea is in the Mortal realm and has magic, but has to keep it hidden so the King doesn't find out.
Although I do feel like it could have maybe been a little bit shorter on that aspect because I was ready to get to the good meaty part of the story!
There is such a good slow burn with Flynn as Rhea and him have little interactions here and there for months before anything happens. He is such a sweet character and I can't wait to see more of them in book 2, now that secrets are out.
We also get Bahira's story, who is a Princess in the Mage kingdom, but doesn't have any magic of her own and is trying to figure out why. I really liked seeing a POV from this Kingdom as well and when things progressed, I could see where they were heading, which has me intrigued for the next book.
The next book is going to have another couple Kingdoms being explored and that makes me really excited!
Read if you love:
-Fairytale retellings
-Swoony slow burn
-Mental health rep (Anxiety & Depression)
-Hidden magic
-Multi POV
May 12, 2024
Es un libro muy introductorio, el primero de una saga de ¿5? libros. Es un retelling de varias princesas Disney, pero en un mundo de fantasía con algunos cambios. Rhea (rapunzel) es la protagonista protagonista y acapara la mayoría del libro, aunque también se conoce a Bahira (Bella???).
Me ha costado bastante leerlo, he tardado mucho, pero es porque es lentísimo. Tampoco es que sea malo del todo, porque la autora ha construido muy bien el mundo y a sus personajes (y emociones, la autora dice que ama a Rhea, pero madre de dios). Se hace algo pesado.
Romance poco, y tampoco es que me haya encantado. No está mal, son muy monos, pero no me ha trastocado nada. Por ahora ha sido un poco meh, pero supongo que en el resto de libros encontré a una pareja que me guste más.
Tengo ganas de leer el siguiente libro para saber de Bahira, la vd. Tengo curiosidad por saber cómo va a hacer lo que pretende...
Also, teorías... Aria obviamente es Ariel, pero faltarían dos princesas. La fae supongo que es Mulán, la otra podría ser Brave????
Me ha costado bastante leerlo, he tardado mucho, pero es porque es lentísimo. Tampoco es que sea malo del todo, porque la autora ha construido muy bien el mundo y a sus personajes (y emociones, la autora dice que ama a Rhea, pero madre de dios). Se hace algo pesado.
Romance poco, y tampoco es que me haya encantado. No está mal, son muy monos, pero no me ha trastocado nada. Por ahora ha sido un poco meh, pero supongo que en el resto de libros encontré a una pareja que me guste más.
Tengo ganas de leer el siguiente libro para saber de Bahira, la vd. Tengo curiosidad por saber cómo va a hacer lo que pretende...
Also, teorías... Aria obviamente es Ariel, pero faltarían dos princesas. La fae supongo que es Mulán, la otra podría ser Brave????
December 1, 2024
Unpopular opinion here: About 1/2 way through I was getting bored and 3/4 through I completely lost interest, but I finished it anyway. This book needed a stronger editor, as it was way too long considering very little happened. The book spent so much time in the main characters heads and relied on dialogue to move the story forward that when action finally happened at the end of the book, I was completely lost as the details about what was happening were mostly skipped over. The evil king had no depth of character and felt like a flat, Disney villain. Rhea’s love interest was sooo boring, it’s like the author just wrote the perfect man that worshipped Rhea. Why does he like her? Who knows, we’re left to guess. He doesn’t seem to have any faults at all, which makes him unrealistic and boring. I actually kept hoping the other guard who was mean to her would end up being the real love interest just bc it would at least create some conflict. Wish I’d skipped this one.
September 8, 2025
Love love love this series. Rhea and Nox are endgame 💜💜
December 20, 2025
HEIR OF SUN AND MOON has been on my TBR for awhile but I've been waiting for the right moment to read it and it's finally here! The world that Jenessa Ren has created was interesting and engaging and well explained even in it's complexity. But what really drove the story was the characters and their journeys, which are only just getting started. The pace through the first half was slow (not necessarily in a bad way) and there were probably some things that could have been left out for a tighter story but I genuinely never felt bored or like things were dragging.
The book followed two FMC POVs and I loved seeing strength and resilience displayed in two completely different ways. Rhea, princess from the Mortal Kingdom, has been trapped in a tower by her evil uncle for the last 21 years. She's lonely and beaten down by life but her gentle spirit and kind heart always shown through. I loved Rhea's character and I'm so looking forward to seeing her growth as the series goes on. Rhea's budding romance with Flynn, a King's Guardsman, was tender and sweet and I loved how open Flynn was about his feelings. I'm always here for an emotionally available man with some "touch her and die" thrown in for fun.
In contrast, Bahira was the princess from the Mage Kingdom and she was full of fire and spunk. She was born without magic, the first mage ever, but she's turned that challenge into a pursuit of knowledge and a determination to figure out what's happening to magic in their kingdom. Bahira was a fighter, both physically and mentally, but she was also stubborn, hard-headed, and oftentimes blunt. I can't wait to see her go head-to-head with the Shifter King Kai because I just know she'll have him thirsting but also frustrated in no time.
We're only at the beginning of this story so HEIR OF SUN AND MOON ends with a minor cliffhanger, lots of unanswered questions, and no real HEA yet and I can't wait to dive into the next book to see what happens!
Content Warning: on-page physical and mental abuse from a family member; on page death of a loved one; grief and depression; animal injury
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
I may be a princess, but I am nobody’s fucking damsel.
- - - - -
“The truth is that when I look at you, it’s like peering into a blazing sun. I’m drawn to you, and I would happily go blind if your face was the last thing I saw.”
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“You can fall apart piece by piece until you feel like you have nothing left to give. I will be here picking up your pieces and holding them for you until you’re strong enough to put them back together.”
The book followed two FMC POVs and I loved seeing strength and resilience displayed in two completely different ways. Rhea, princess from the Mortal Kingdom, has been trapped in a tower by her evil uncle for the last 21 years. She's lonely and beaten down by life but her gentle spirit and kind heart always shown through. I loved Rhea's character and I'm so looking forward to seeing her growth as the series goes on. Rhea's budding romance with Flynn, a King's Guardsman, was tender and sweet and I loved how open Flynn was about his feelings. I'm always here for an emotionally available man with some "touch her and die" thrown in for fun.
In contrast, Bahira was the princess from the Mage Kingdom and she was full of fire and spunk. She was born without magic, the first mage ever, but she's turned that challenge into a pursuit of knowledge and a determination to figure out what's happening to magic in their kingdom. Bahira was a fighter, both physically and mentally, but she was also stubborn, hard-headed, and oftentimes blunt. I can't wait to see her go head-to-head with the Shifter King Kai because I just know she'll have him thirsting but also frustrated in no time.
We're only at the beginning of this story so HEIR OF SUN AND MOON ends with a minor cliffhanger, lots of unanswered questions, and no real HEA yet and I can't wait to dive into the next book to see what happens!
Content Warning: on-page physical and mental abuse from a family member; on page death of a loved one; grief and depression; animal injury
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Favorite Quotes:
I may be a princess, but I am nobody’s fucking damsel.
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“The truth is that when I look at you, it’s like peering into a blazing sun. I’m drawn to you, and I would happily go blind if your face was the last thing I saw.”
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“You can fall apart piece by piece until you feel like you have nothing left to give. I will be here picking up your pieces and holding them for you until you’re strong enough to put them back together.”
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