Binds of the Forsaken

by Elijah Her

In a modern world, three thousand years after their forbidden love, Zayd, an Eudaimon, lingers in the shadows of Khaos, watching as his lost beloved, Philetos, is reborn as Silas. Once a mortal under his guidance, Philetos was torn from him by the Theion, punished for a love that defied the divine. Bound to seek one another across lifetimes, their souls are cursed—every reunion ending in the same devastating Philetos’s death.



Silas, now a bartender in Arroyo Grande, has distanced himself from his affluent mafia family, seeking a quiet life away from their dark legacy. For once, Zayd hopes to let Silas’ mortal life unfold without interruption. But when the ghosts of Silas’ past threaten to invade his newfound peace, Zayd feels compelled to intervene.



In that fateful moment, as their eyes met, something unexpected occurred—the soul tie that has bound them through countless lifetimes snapped, severing the phantom connection that once echoed their hearts in unison. Silas stands before Zayd, alive and vibrant, yet a chilling uncertainty lingers. Has the Theion finally lifted the curse that condemned them to a cycle of love and loss?

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, LGBT

232 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2025

About the author

Elijah is a Pagan Asian-American queer romance writer from the Midwest and a proud member of the neurodivergent community. They have a deep passion for queer romantasy, manhwa, art, K-pop, and TTRPGs. By day, they work full-time as a victims’ advocate; by night, they are a part-time writer, hunched over their laptop and slowly developing a permanent hunch.

Reviews

[christy - pr0bablyreadingsmut · Rating 4 out of 5]

“some men worship gods. they pray for salvation, for meaning, for purpose. but this - this is what i want to worship. zayd was my religion, his pleasure my holy purpose. i would give anything, everything, to keep him, to make him mine forever.”

this book SHATTERED me. the amount of times i cried was astronomical. zayd and silas fought so damn hard and long for their happy ending and i’m so happy they finally got it. the love and devotion these two characters have for one another is palpable. and don’t even get me started on eryx. i’ll never stop crying over him and his selflessness.

what beautiful, heart wrenching story.

a big thank you to the author for an arc copy.

[Iri · Rating 5 out of 5]

„This was my heaven, my Aither. My love. It had always been him. In every life, our souls had been woven together.“

Three thousand years after their forbidden love, Zayd, an Eudaimon, remains in Khaos, silently watching as his lost beloved, Philetos, is reborn as Silas. Once a mortal under his care, Philetos was torn from him by the Theion, condemned to die in every lifetime they were reunited.

Now working at a bar in Arroyo Grande, Silas has cut ties with his powerful mafia family, seeking a quiet existence. Zayd swears to keep his distance—until shadows of Silas’ past resurface, pulling him back. But when their eyes meet, the bond chaining their souls through the ages unexpectedly snaps. For the first time, Silas stands before him unbound. Could the Theion have finally broken their curse?

The main characters were written in a way that made me connect with them instantly, i felt their suffering and their love, their pain and their happiness. The side characters were just as compelling, each with their own flaws and depth, making the world feel truly alive.

The prose in this book is absolutely stunning—lyrical yet immersive, painting vivid emotions and landscapes with every sentence. Each word feels carefully chosen and so poetic. The writing captures the depth of love, loss, and destiny in a way that lingers long after the final page.

The intimacy was written with such care and intensity, making every moment between the characters feel deeply emotional and immersive. It struck the perfect balance between passion and storytelling, enhancing their connection.

I can‘t wait get my hands on a physical copy and to read more from this author in the future.

I gave this book 5/5 ⭐️

I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

[vrstal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5. Highlights may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Content Warnings for book: Sex with others on page (not between MCs), gun violence, murder

Kink: Biting

This was an interesting read. The world building is the author blending in elements from Greek mythology and their own creativity which was cool! There were a lot of compelling side characters and obviously, the yearning and angst of this connection and conceit between Silas and Zayd.

However, and this is what made it a hesitant three stars for me: Eryx.

I am not against the reality of people having other lovers beyond “the one”. Yes, so many years and with only one person for comfort, it makes total sense. Love isn’t so selfish and no one should be punished to eternal loneliness. I usually don’t care at all about sex with others on page should it be a narrative reason. But in this case, I think the ending (although Eryx will get his own book), the love lost, all of it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I get that wrong time, wrong place is a thing. It doesn’t have to be a perfect reflection, but also Zayd has two hands! Polyamory is a possibility!

Anyway. I don’t want spoil exact details so I’m not going to continue to yap. Just know that people who want a realistic portrayal of an issue like this - romantic love with another but understanding it’s not the ‘endgame’ - will love that part of the story. People who are a bit more purist and tend to avoid some narratives may dislike it. YMMV.

Otherwise, you had some beautiful writing from Her and a compelling couple. I am looking forward to what you come up with next!

This is an ARC review.

[BookishBouwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a down bad simp for the soulmates/reincarnation trope, and Elijah NAILED this 😩👏🏼Binds of the Forsaken had me enraptured from page one🫠

The worldbuilding? Chef’s kiss👌🏼The plot? Incredibly fresh and compelling✨I was completely immersed in this beautifully crafted world and deeply invested in the characters.

My heart bled for Zayd🥺💔Imagine watching your soulmate die over and over again for 3,000 years - reborn just to be ripped away from you each time. His suffering, his yearning - it was palpable. I felt every ounce of his devotion and anguish. Zayd has now become my personal gold standard for fallen angels🪽 and no one else is touching him.

And Silas…the way he seeks peace and tries to reclaim his life despite what’s expected of him? I just wanted Zayd to step out of the shadows of Khaos and come hold him🥹Silas was trying so hard to hide the darkness inside him, but was still so soft for Zayd. Even before he remembered, he was talking about soulmates, like something in him already knew…and once the memories returned? Ugh. Absolutely wrecked me. Their dynamic was magnetic❤️

The writing in this book is stunning - lyrical, poetic, and emotionally charged in a way that made every scene feel bigger✨The intimacy between Zayd and Silas was so exquisitely written, it felt like witnessing something sacred. I almost felt like I was intruding🫣🖤

If I had one wish, it would be for more pages🥲I didn’t want to leave this world Elijah created. I’m already counting down the days for Renascence of the Forsaken - Eryx was such a standout side character and I just know his novella will be equally great🫶🏼

Read if you like:
🪽Hellenic mythos inspired romance
🖤Achillean/BL/MM
🪽Insta-love
🖤Soulmates
🪽Reincarnation
🖤Fallen Angel x Mafia Prince

[Chey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

This author somehow roped me into feeling slightly obsessed with these characters. It started a little slow in my opinion, with some repetitive sentence structure that took me out of the story. But about half way through, the flow really started to work. I liked it. The writing was beautiful and expressed the longing that Zayd felt quite well. I wish we could have seen more of Silas recalling memories from his Philetos days, more dreams, or just more to connect him to his past life. It felt like he adapted quite quickly, I would have loved to see him recollecting more. The love between these two was beautiful. I honestly gasped when I realized a certain someone was getting their own book! I did not see that coming, bravo. I for sure will be returning for that story.

Huge thanks to the author for sending me a book box of this advanced reader copy. Epubs are great, and I appreciate every one I’ve gotten, but there’s just something about getting to hold the story in your hands. It provided me with a more tangible experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

📖 Binds of the Forsaken by Elijah Her is available now.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silas + Zayd

-mm pnr romance
-insta love
-fallen angel/mafia prince
-reincarnation
-“in every lifetime”

okay this was a shorty & i reallyyy wanted more because it was written so beautifully! like these two have loved each other across MULTIPLE LIFETIMESSSS while one of them has been immortal...just like left there to wait for him to find his way back to him again!! gahhhh it was so good!!

[Tiffany Robinett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me in my feels from page one. To find a love that literally lasts lifetimes is priceless.

I would have liked to see more world building and character depth but that is just my opinion, didn't make me like the book any less.

I am new to MM romance and this book has made me fall deeper in love with the genre. The 2 main characters make me dream of a love like theirs.

I enjoyed the writing style from this author and am excited to read further work from Elijah!

[Damion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved every bit of this love story between Silas and Zayd. A love that spans lifetimes ending to soon each time. Even though I knew the moment was coming, I was not prepared in the slightest 😭.
I wanna say thank you to the author for a review copy and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I jumped at the opportunity to read Binds of the Forsaken as it centers on the theme of reincarnated lovers, one of my favorite narrative devices of all time!

Elijah Her's debut novella is filled with lush prose that engaged me from the outset. While I found it a little slow at the beginning, the story soon kicked into high gear once Zayd and Silas met--because they are just meant to be!--and the scene, oh my, with that 200% intense eye contact was emphatic. Definitely one of my favorite scenes in the book, especially with how Elijah described their fateful reunion. Their journey wasn't easy and it was at times painful to read how they were torn apart, but the ending more than makes up for it. I'm a sap, and HEA scenes with lots of light (I shan't give it away) make me happy.

If you enjoy myth-infused Archillean fantasy with a strong emotional core, please check this out!

[Kit Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to start by thanking the author for the opportunity to read this as an advanced copy.

I would like to also preface this review by stating this, while this book wasn’t my cup of tea, that doesn’t mean you yourself wouldn’t enjoy it. Books have a place for everyone to enjoy.

I really do believe this story had a ton of potential. There were moments where I felt things were somewhat rushed. And moments where I felt more detail could be added. I would have loved to see more of Silas’s past lives touched upon. From either memory flashes via Silas or even seeing some of those past relationships through Zayds perspective.

That being said, I do like the idea of the timeless lovers trope. It was just lacking a bit to me.

The overall pacing to me felt like it was going from to rushed in places to slow and steady in others, if that makes sense.

The world building, I wish there had been more of it. There was some yes. But for me, I wasn’t able to personally feel fully immersed. I could have used some more details on a couple of things permitting to the world the author was portraying in this work.

Overall, while it may not have been for me I know people will enjoy this book.

[Eli Rowlands · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it very hard to connect to sadly but I did really enjoy the romance connection between the two main characters! This book follows Zayd, a daimon who watches over his reincarnated loved. Their forbidden love had been cursed, leading to Philetos’s death in every lifetime. When their soul tie unexpectedly snaps, they must figure out if the curse had been lifted or if there’s something much more sinister afoot. I also really annoyed some of the quotes present in this book and the ending was sweet!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE STORY!

I was so enthralled by this read and characters. Zayd and Silas are engaging and so different. I liked seeing them in the story.