Faeted to Fall

by A.K. Caggiano

She spoke into the empty wood, a question meant for no one, but the wood was never empty, and there was never no one listening…

Maewyn’s fate is sealed when she is chosen to walk the Harvest Way as a sacrifice to the Autumn Court, but this human doesn’t intend to be any fae’s bride, and she’ll kill if need be. Her attempt to slay her betrothed only creates a far worse predicament, a magical tether that bonds her to her target instantly.

How unfortunate the fae she’s stuck with is such an obnoxious brat.

Roan, the Autumn Court’s prince, never intended to be wed either, never mind tethered, but now that this human has spoiled his grandiose plans, he’ll have to find another use for her. But perhaps Maewyn is not worthless. Perhaps Maewyn’s brusque perspective and vitriolic name-calling are exactly what the Autumn Prince needs.

But worse than unintended tethers and foul-mouth fiances is a dark presence that lurks the autumn wood. Only together can Maewyn and Roan defeat it, if first they can put their passionate hatred aside and embrace the bond meant to unite them.

Faeted to Fall is a steamy fantasy romance novella, originally published in the limited run enemies-to-lovers anthology Foes to Flames. This rerelease remains a novella in size but includes brand new content.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Romantasy, Novella, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2025

About the author

Ashley is an indie author who likes to write silly little stories that hopefully bring readers joy. She likes cats, guacamole, feminism, and the internet.

Reviews

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75★

“Roan might be a self-absorbed prick, but he’s…he’s my self-absorbed prick.”

this was a fun little fae fantasy novella with some romance. i thought the sassy human x bratty fae dynamics were fun, the mystery intriguing, and the extra epilogue spice was hot.

downside is it is a bit short so you're thrown into the world, but i felt like the ending resolution came together nicely.

looking forward to more from caggiano!

an honest arc review ♡

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of hers, but it was cute and short. It might be a good palate cleanser.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun little short read and I absolutely ate it up! The fall vibes, the enemies to lovers, the depth in the short amount of pages it was was absolutely a fun time! Def pick up for a short read, pallet cleanser, or if you want a cute little story 🍂🍁

[Ashton Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a quick romantasy with fall vibes, this is a cute one to pick up. Since it was a novella the romance felt a bit quick and the world building wasn’t as in depth as I’d prefer, but it was still an enjoyable and light read.

[Rian *fire and books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two words: spectacular seed

[MaddyWilkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Villains and virtues is my favourite fantasy series, therefore Caggianno is obviously one of my favourite authors so I was very excited to read a book by her set in a different fantasy world. This novella was everything I love in her writing and more. Her characters, humour, beautiful worlds, romance and little talking creatures is what makes her books so special. As is often the case in romance novella’s, the romance seems a little rushed as there’s limited time for the characters to fall in love BUT i think Caggianno did an amazing job at slowly building their love into something that was undeniably real.

I can’t wait to buy a physical copy of this gorgeous book to add to my a.k. caggianno collection!

P.S. If we don’t get a book for Aunyx in the future, I may perish..

Thank you BookSirens and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Romantasy Novella

Series information: Standalone

Steam Level: 3 out of 5 (Open door)

Romance Level: 5 out of 5 (Romance story in fantasy setting)

How I Read It: Kindle Unlimited

My Review: I am a huge A.K. Caggiano fan, but this story did fall a little flat for me. It has the bones of a good story, but a lot of the character development and worldbuilding needed more fleshing out. This is only a novella, and I think it would have worked better as a full length novel. It has awesome autumn vibes--probably a better read during the fall. And I do like Maewyn and Roan as their own characters. But they needed a few more chapters to have their chemistry build up more. They start out hating each other and when they switch to liking each other, it seemed too abrupt and sudden. They each individually also needed to grow more--especially Roan who is a very immature character at the beginning, but he didn't seem to really have changed by the end either. There is some interesting fae lore, but again, it was a bit under baked and left me with a lot of questions about how the world works. The villain was also kind of just thrown in there all the of sudden. I wish there was more set up and payoff to the villain's story because I was also left with questions about his motivations and end game and what happened to him.

[Rime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was short but oh so sweet. The length of the novella didn't leave much for a more developed progression of the relationship, but it did feel believable. Plus, I love whiny MLs, and Roan fits the bill perfectly!

I hope Caggiano will come back with longer sets of books (fingers crossed for another trilogy) but at this point, anything Caggiano writes, I will read. So I hope we get more from the author!

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fun, fast read! If you love enemies-to-lovers with plenty of sass, tension, and a touch of magic, you’ll totally enjoy this one. It definitely gives rom-com vibes. Super cute, super fun, and perfect for when you want something easy and entertaining.

[Reading Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great & spicy fantasy romance novella by one of my favorite authors! I’m giving it 3 stars because point blank-the first few chapters are discombobulated and messy BUT WAIT FOR IT!!! It’s an awesome, fast paced fantasy read and worth it for the drama, minute but cute world building, spice and creativity! I did enjoy this and do recommend it for your fall 2025 TBR! It’s got all the pumpkin vibes!

[mattea · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first time we mentioned roan’s spectacular seed it was almost funny. each subsequent time just made me more and more uncomfortable

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It PAINS me to rate an A.K. Caggiano book this low

I think since the book was so short it kinda forced the characters to abruptly fall for each other and not allow for much character growth. The characters also said some QUESTIONABLE things.. like please explain to me why we’re talking about this man’s “seed” 😭 I chose to let it slide the first time, but the fact that it was brought up multiple times actually physically and emotionally scarred me

This has nothing to do with the book, but I’m going to need whoever the male narrator is to work on his feminine voice cus it was so bad I’m considering it a hate crime

[Sidonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. It had a couple good moments, but I never felt a connection to it. I think its biggest weak point was motivating Maewyn’s interest in Roan. I got why he was into her (although I think she could have been sharpened considerably), but as far as I could tell she was into him because … she saw him petting a fawn once?

I also think this is probably too short for the story it’s trying to tell unless it were to commit to a more classic fairytale voice. This might actually be a 2.5-star read for me—it just didn’t click in the ways I wanted it to.

[Eternity's Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, cozy and fun read.

I loved the descriptions of the world and almost wish I had saved this for a seasonal Autumn palate cleanser.

Loved the first meeting between the MC's, perfect level of humour to it and I did enjoy the relationship development we got considering how short this novella is.

Would recommend for anyone needing or wanting a quick, slightly spicy and cozy palate cleanser read.

[Alexandrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and cute story in A.K. Caggiano's signature style, which I love!! Fall vibes were on point. Would've prefer it if it were longer, but that's the downside of novellas.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! I really enjoyed my time with the characters, I love everything fall season and this was no exception.

It is fast paced, but that can’t be helped since it’s a novella, and for the little time we have with this story it has a nice amount of depth.

[Luaryn｡･:*˚:✧｡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Your true body would also be necessary to enjoy the delights of this realm.Those fingers of yours especially,to lift teacups and turn pages. I know I would miss them if they never came back even though you refuse to use them on me the way I wish you would". 🥺 I guess that line coaxed me to sleep

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, sweet, bonus borrow on hoopla and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like the other trilogy I’ve listened to by AK Caggiano, this one was also narrated by Ellen Quay and Seth Podowitz. I’m usually not into any fantasy that’s fae-related, but this one was good.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll follow you anywhere (read anything you put out).

[Ro Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

AK Caggiano never misses

[Nicole Cawrse · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short

I really enjoyed this one but it could’ve been longer! I feel like it could’ve been fleshed out more but otherwise it was really good!

[Moe · Rating 3 out of 5]

perfect fast audiobook to listen to while multi-tasking. It was an easy fantasy romance.

[Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute novella! It was fun and well-paced, despite the short number of pages, it managed to create a detailed world and distinct personalities for the characters.

[Shea Saniga · Rating 5 out of 5]

the yearning most definitely yearned!

Caggiano does it again! Maewyn and Roan are drawn to each other and they YEARN! It was a short and fun listen. It was lighthearted for the most part and although it was short, the characters were easy to connect with and love 🫶🏻🫶🏻

[Saana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give higher rating but cannot. The authors knows to write better—this was just too disjointed for me.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable and cozy, loved it. Oh to be a fox getting chin scratches from a fae prince..

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ 3.5 Stars ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

This was a cute, Fall, novella to read in between classes and schoolwork. But unfortunately, that's all it was. I have heard a lot about this author, particularly her series Villains & Virtues, which is incredibly revered in the romantasy community, and a highly anticipated read of mine when it gets traditionally published later this year. I know this is one of Caggiano's lesser known works, so I wasn't expecting as much. And unfortunately, that's what I got.

That isn't to say this novella is bad by any means. In fact, I would have MUCH preferred it to be a full length novel. There was so many areas and character background/depth that Caggiano could have given to the characters. But before I get into that, let me summarize the story first.

This novella starts with Maewyn (FMC) (also, can we talk about how gorgeous that name is?) being sacrificed from her village. She has been chosen as "The Lady of The Harvest Way." She is the mortal chosen to marry a fae. We later find out that the fae heir of every 7th generation must marry a human, so as not to create an archfae; a powerful and revered being. However, Maewyn doesn't want to go down without a fight. Maewyn is strong-headed, brave, and compassionate. She chooses to bless her village's harvest later on in the book despite what they did to her. She has long black curls and golden skin.

She meets Roan (MMC), prince of the Autumn Court, on the other side. Roan is arrogant, immature, and easily manipulated. He has pale skin, freckles, green eyes, and glowing short red hair. The fae realm in this world is split into four season, and Maewyn landed in Autumn. However, non-seasonal related fae exist, such as Roan's best friend Aunyx, a shadow fae. Upon meeting Roan, Maewyn stabs him in the heart with her iron blade.

To her great dismay, it turns out that killing fae with iron is a myth. Instead, she accidentally tethers her soul with Roan's. Tethering is a fated mate/bond in this world. Tethering is rare, and sometimes doesn't even happen between married couples. Later in the book, the couple theorize they tethered because their souls were both eager to find someone else. Having no other choice, Maewyn is forced to cooperate with Roan in this strange new realm.

However, Roan has plans of his own. He wants to create an archfae, against the rules, and potentially sending the four realms into war. He plans on having this child with Princess Jynquil of the Spring Court. They've known each other since they were kids, and are basically like siblings. However, they both want to piss of their own respective relatives.

Maewyn works on stalling the wedding for as long as possible, proposing all of these frivolous rules. While exploring the realm, she stumbles into a kind mushroom faeling from a species named Mykiis. They warn Maewyn of umbrabrutes; terrible shadow creatures who devour all.

Maewyn grows closer to Roan throughout the story. Unfortunately, because this is a short novella, their relationship doesn’t have much time to develop. Halfway around the book, she goes from hating him to finally liking him. By the end of the novella, they even love each other! Like, I don’t think a long time period passes in this book, but also, I need to suspend disbelief.

One special moment in this book is when she gets to choose the pumpkin crop to bless the human lands. It’s a ritual for the Autumn Court. They break up the blessed harvest and feed it to deer in the forest. That moment is when Roan falls for Maewyn.

The villain of the story is randomly introduced 75% of the way in. I would rather there had been no “villain” figure, and just keep it as an internal conflict. His name is Ulric, and we find out that he is Roan’s father figure away from home. He is an old fae who lives in a castle on the outskirts of the realm. He has strange guests residing there who are supposedly rescued fae he has taken in. During their visit, Maewyn stumbles upon a secret door and sees an entire decayed forest. She also learns from Jynquil that the whole archfae thing was Ulric’s idea in the first place. This confirms Maewyn’s worst suspicions.

The story climaxes at the wedding. Unable to postpone the wedding and their feelings any longer, the two get married. During the reception, Maewyn dances with Ulric and calls him out. Enraged, Ulric transforms into his umbrabrute form and tries to kill everyone. The king manages to behead Ulric and everyone lives happily ever after.

Now for the things I didn’t like so much. I’m not sure if Roan and Maewyn would stay together after this novella ends. I don’t really see why Maewyn fell for Roan or vice versa, but they were technically fated. It’s hard to complain, because it’s such a short novella, but a lot of the romance to me didn’t feel earned. I see them getting bored of each other in the future after this novel takes place. We also never find out more about the villain, Ulric, or what his motivations were in the first place. I would have appreciated more backstory there. Also, Roan is just so immature. The poor guy is being manipulated and used left and right in this book, and he never gets a redemption or learns from it. He continues to seem immature, even at the end. This is why I think this should have been a full length novel. So much more plot background and characterization could have been expanded on here.

Overall, I did enjoy this novella. It was short and gave me all of the fall feels I was looking for. That’s all I wanted really. I’m still looking forward to reading Villains & Virtues in the future. This novella is set in the same universe as that series. Also, apparently Caggiano plans on writing three more seasonal novellas after this one. I will pick those up if they get published!

[veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was delightful! truly, such a fun and enjoyable novella. the plot was engaging, the romance made me giggle like a little girl and the characters were incredibly likeable.

i was completely charmed by roan. he was my favourite type of mmc. his personality reminded me a little of xaden from bound and tide and man, i loved that entitled brat. i guess there is just something about snaky and teasing rascals that actually yearn for love and connection that works for me every time. i also really liked meawyn, she was a great heroine! i loved that she stood up for herself and was always ready to put roan in his place. she was also smart and kind, and i really enjoyed reading about her discoving the autumn court and its ways.

the romance was just as wonderful. they were so freaking cute together! the pining was immaculate and i really loved how these two dumbasses tried to convince themselves that they aren’t actually in love, it was hilarious.

my only complain would be that i think the story would benefit from adding one or two chapters more in the end. the last 10% felt a bit rushed and i would like to see the actual aftermath of the confrontation with the antagonist before seeing maewyn & roan’s happy ending. the conversation between them would add a lot to the story and conclude the events in a nice way.

with that said, it was overall a very light and entertaining read, and i just read this entire novella with a huge smile on my face. i can’t wait for the next one.