These Vicious Reapers

by F.M. Aden

Raised behind sacred walls, far from the burning cities and bone-strewn fields, Niah has lived a life of quiet devotion, untouched by the holy war waged by the King of the High North and his Reapers. But when her monastery is attacked and she is taken prisoner, everything she has ever known begins to unravel.

Dragged to a brutal war college hidden deep in the mountains, Niah finds herself at the mercy of Commander Winterson, the Reapers’ most feared leader. Cold-eyed, cunning, and impossibly powerful, he is everything she was raised to hate.

As her forbidden powers begin to awaken and the line between duty and desire blurs, Niah must survive a world built on lies or be consumed by its darkness.

Perfect for fans of The Knight and The Moth and Alchemised.

Paperback

Published November 1, 2025

About the author

F.M. Aden is the author of the YA fantasy novel The Court of the Undead and the adult standalone title The Bride of Death. She has been writing ever since she learned how to hold a pen. She grew up in Toronto, Canada, and is a lover of all things dark, gothic, and romantic. She likes to spend her free time drinking iced coffee and baking. When not reading she can be found traveling the globe and discovering new ways to make her characters suffer.

Website: https://www.fmaden.com/

Find me online: https://linktr.ee/f.m.aden

Reviews

[Sydney Victorson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have three words to describe how I feel about this book: I. Am. Obsessed. I mean, wow. I finished These Vicious Reapers just about two weeks ago now, and I’m STILL thinking about it daily. This was my fourth read by F.M. Aden, and I honestly just keep loving each book more than the last!

I want to touch on the plot just a little so as to not give away too much. If you put a holy war in a book and you have love interests standing on opposite sides, I will eat it up. Every. Single. Time. Seriously, I’m such a big fan of this somewhat niche trope. I’m really, really looking forward to seeing how everything will play out after the ending of this book. Plus, obviously a magical/fantasy war college is always going to be a total hit for me. I just love the setting and seeing the interactions between students and staff.

Now onto the characters…COMMANDER WINTERSON, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!! I love him. I’m obsessed with him. I want approximately 500 more pages of this man and his yearning, minimum. It is absolutely delicious. 🤤 I loved the dynamic between Valek and Niah. The banter was bantering, the burn was slow, and that man was yearning like it was his full-time job. BIG FAN OVER HERE. Niah is a really interesting FMC as well. I enjoyed seeing how rooted in her convictions she was while feeling that tiny, tiny sliver of doubt starting to worm its way in as the book progressed. Her inner conflict was written so well. Then of course, I have to give it up for Niah’s bestie, Kesi. She added a lot of levity to the book, and I just adored her. She’s a really fun character, and she honestly says the most outrageous stuff at the funniest times that had me cracking up.

All in all, I highly recommend These Vicious Reapers! I’d love to see this book blow up so I can yap about it with literally everyone. You all need to experience Valek’s yearning and the incredible world F.M. Aden has crafted here!

Thank you so much to F.M. Aden for the early review copy of These Vicious Reapers! All opinions are my own.

[Fowz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved most about this book is how deeply F.M understands yearning. Not the soft, fleeting kind, but the kind that lingers like a bruise. The kind that haunts the narrative. The connection between Niah and Valek feels inevitable and terrible all at once, and I ATE IT UP!

It’s almost like their souls have already chosen each other and the world simply hasn’t caught up yet. Both Niah and Valek believe they are right. Both believe their cause is sacred. They are two people trying to reconcile the faith that shaped them with the person who makes them question everything.

I loved this so much and have promptly added Valek to my list of yearning’s final bosses.


ARC provided for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story so much, I love everything about it: the banter, tension, the plot. I love Niah and Valek's chemistry. True enemies to lovers. 50 out of 10. I can't wait to read more after this. One of my favorite reads this year.

[F.M. Aden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I think this book is pretty neat and weird in a good way :)