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Runebreaker
Aelie can break runes with her bare hands—magic the fae built their entire world on. They hate her for it. Fear her for it. And when she's caught, they sentence her to die.
Desperate to survive, she shatters the rune enslaving Kairos, a devastatingly handsome fae executioner with a blood-soaked past.
Big mistake.
Kairos slaughters the court and drags Aelie to his breathtaking realm—a kingdom of towering forests and shimmering mists.
Bound to the ruthless king she freed, Aelie must navigate deadly fae politics, master her forbidden power, and resist the fae who sees her as his greatest weapon... and darkest obsession.
Runebreaker is a steamy, fast-paced romantasy with forced proximity, he-falls-first tension, and captive/captor dynamics perfect for adult fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Maas. It features a feral, morally gray hero, a soft girl with a dangerous gift, mating bond tension, and immersive world building. This is book #1 of a trilogy.
Desperate to survive, she shatters the rune enslaving Kairos, a devastatingly handsome fae executioner with a blood-soaked past.
Big mistake.
Kairos slaughters the court and drags Aelie to his breathtaking realm—a kingdom of towering forests and shimmering mists.
Bound to the ruthless king she freed, Aelie must navigate deadly fae politics, master her forbidden power, and resist the fae who sees her as his greatest weapon... and darkest obsession.
Runebreaker is a steamy, fast-paced romantasy with forced proximity, he-falls-first tension, and captive/captor dynamics perfect for adult fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Maas. It features a feral, morally gray hero, a soft girl with a dangerous gift, mating bond tension, and immersive world building. This is book #1 of a trilogy.
486 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2026
951 people are currently reading
970 people want to read
About the author
Mila Finch
1 book31 followersMila Finch writes dark romantasy where morally grey characters make terrible decisions, magic breaks the world, and mating bonds complicate everything.
Her debut novel RUNEBREAKER released in January 2026.
When she's not writing about feral book boyfriends, she's reading about them. Based in the Pacific Northwest, she survives on coffee, rain-soaked inspiration, and the unshakeable belief that enemies-to-lovers is the superior trope.
Her debut novel RUNEBREAKER released in January 2026.
When she's not writing about feral book boyfriends, she's reading about them. Based in the Pacific Northwest, she survives on coffee, rain-soaked inspiration, and the unshakeable belief that enemies-to-lovers is the superior trope.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I've been waiting in anticipation for his one since I found it. I was extremely excited for a rune-based fae book that centered on rune-breaking. Buuuuuut, in my opinion, this one is a toss up. Some things I liked. Some things I didn't.
Let's get the bad out of the way:
The biggest problem I had with this book was the pacing. All the scenes moved extremely fast, then we'd have an unexplained time jump (Amount of time unknown. I literally have no clue how long time-wise this book was. Days, weeks, months???? I mean maybe I missed it but with 400+ pages I'd expect at least a few "weeks went by" or "the days following" ,etc and I seriously don't recall many if any.) Anyways, unexplained time jump, and then it would just move onto the next scene. I guess overall, it just read extremely choppy. I wished there was a better flow to it.
I wasn't surprised by the ending. The writing is just too plain and straight forward. The author tells you everything you need to know. No guessing. The writing itself reads very YA, but this is definitely an adult book so it doesn't mesh.
It was kind of repetitive? They'd change the setting, but all the high-stakes scenes end almost identically. I could go into further detail with this, but don't want to spoil an unreleased book.
The world-building was minimal. We don't get a lot of history or information on the different aspects of society.
It's marketed as enemies to lovers, but they weren't ever enemies??? It was slow burn so I'll give it that but enemies? Definitely not. The relationship itself jumped all over the place too. They never spent one on one time with each other to grow the relationship, it was just a series of weird arguments? The stuff they were arguing about was happening way too early. You're arguing about her "belonging" to someone else and you haven't even kissed yet?? I just didn't get it. It happened more than once too. Just too much back and forth and not what I'd classify as "enemies".
Now onto what I liked:
I love rune magic, it's always super interesting. So having an FMC that is the ONLY one that can harness this power is especially cool. Extra points to having a sister with a unique gift too, even if we don't see her much.
I actually liked the secondary characters more than the main characters. UTHER? Yeah I'd read a book about him.
The plot was good, even if I saw the ending coming a mile away. It's definitely still entertaining enough.
We get really good history on our FMC's life. So she has good characters depth. Our MMC's depth comes towards the end.
Overall solid 3 star book. My negatives stem mainly from the writing style, which is a HUGE thing for me. It wasn't bad writing by any means, it's just not my particular taste. I think if you like SJM's earlier work you'll like this one. I happen to not be a fan of hers, but if you are perhaps you'll love this book.
***Thank you Mila Finch for this ARC. My review is voluntary and all thoughts and opinions are my own***
Let's get the bad out of the way:
The biggest problem I had with this book was the pacing. All the scenes moved extremely fast, then we'd have an unexplained time jump (Amount of time unknown. I literally have no clue how long time-wise this book was. Days, weeks, months???? I mean maybe I missed it but with 400+ pages I'd expect at least a few "weeks went by" or "the days following" ,etc and I seriously don't recall many if any.) Anyways, unexplained time jump, and then it would just move onto the next scene. I guess overall, it just read extremely choppy. I wished there was a better flow to it.
I wasn't surprised by the ending. The writing is just too plain and straight forward. The author tells you everything you need to know. No guessing. The writing itself reads very YA, but this is definitely an adult book so it doesn't mesh.
It was kind of repetitive? They'd change the setting, but all the high-stakes scenes end almost identically. I could go into further detail with this, but don't want to spoil an unreleased book.
The world-building was minimal. We don't get a lot of history or information on the different aspects of society.
It's marketed as enemies to lovers, but they weren't ever enemies??? It was slow burn so I'll give it that but enemies? Definitely not. The relationship itself jumped all over the place too. They never spent one on one time with each other to grow the relationship, it was just a series of weird arguments? The stuff they were arguing about was happening way too early. You're arguing about her "belonging" to someone else and you haven't even kissed yet?? I just didn't get it. It happened more than once too. Just too much back and forth and not what I'd classify as "enemies".
Now onto what I liked:
I love rune magic, it's always super interesting. So having an FMC that is the ONLY one that can harness this power is especially cool. Extra points to having a sister with a unique gift too, even if we don't see her much.
I actually liked the secondary characters more than the main characters. UTHER? Yeah I'd read a book about him.
The plot was good, even if I saw the ending coming a mile away. It's definitely still entertaining enough.
We get really good history on our FMC's life. So she has good characters depth. Our MMC's depth comes towards the end.
Overall solid 3 star book. My negatives stem mainly from the writing style, which is a HUGE thing for me. It wasn't bad writing by any means, it's just not my particular taste. I think if you like SJM's earlier work you'll like this one. I happen to not be a fan of hers, but if you are perhaps you'll love this book.
***Thank you Mila Finch for this ARC. My review is voluntary and all thoughts and opinions are my own***
January 21, 2026
DNF pg 101.
Life is too short
Life is too short
December 23, 2025
[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️]
I was extremely lucky to be an ARC reader, so thank you so much to Mila 💕 I want to start by saying this book genuinely got me out of my reading slump — I would have finished it in one sitting if I didn’t have to work.
Runebreaker is about a human girl living in a fae-dominated world who has the power to (you guessed it) break runes. Humans aren’t supposed to have magic, but here she is anyway. Her sister also has an ability, though we don’t see much of it in this book. The story follows Aelie, who starts out as a servant in a noble cleric household alongside her sister. They steal to survive and to help other poor humans they know — until one bad break-in lands Aelie on the path to execution.
Except she breaks the rune binding the executioner to the current king. Once freed, he slaughters everyone and kidnaps Aelie. From there it’s enemies-to-lovers, and it absolutely did not disappoint. I really liked how some things were hinted at early on but not fully revealed until later, and the pacing felt right to me. Even without clear time markers, everything felt natural and believable.
The writing was wonderful. While there isn’t a massive amount of worldbuilding, enough is revealed as the story goes on that you always know what’s happening — but not so much that it ruins the mystery. It definitely left me desperate for more.
Overall, I loved this book and I cannot wait for the second one. I’m already dying to see where it picks up and what happens to these characters.
I only have two regrets: picking this up as an ARC, because now I have to wait for the rest of the trilogy, and finishing the book while my fiancé sat next to me scrolling TikTok. How am I supposed to explain the crying, the laughing, and the dramatic pearl-clutching?
I was extremely lucky to be an ARC reader, so thank you so much to Mila 💕 I want to start by saying this book genuinely got me out of my reading slump — I would have finished it in one sitting if I didn’t have to work.
Runebreaker is about a human girl living in a fae-dominated world who has the power to (you guessed it) break runes. Humans aren’t supposed to have magic, but here she is anyway. Her sister also has an ability, though we don’t see much of it in this book. The story follows Aelie, who starts out as a servant in a noble cleric household alongside her sister. They steal to survive and to help other poor humans they know — until one bad break-in lands Aelie on the path to execution.
Except she breaks the rune binding the executioner to the current king. Once freed, he slaughters everyone and kidnaps Aelie. From there it’s enemies-to-lovers, and it absolutely did not disappoint. I really liked how some things were hinted at early on but not fully revealed until later, and the pacing felt right to me. Even without clear time markers, everything felt natural and believable.
The writing was wonderful. While there isn’t a massive amount of worldbuilding, enough is revealed as the story goes on that you always know what’s happening — but not so much that it ruins the mystery. It definitely left me desperate for more.
Overall, I loved this book and I cannot wait for the second one. I’m already dying to see where it picks up and what happens to these characters.
I only have two regrets: picking this up as an ARC, because now I have to wait for the rest of the trilogy, and finishing the book while my fiancé sat next to me scrolling TikTok. How am I supposed to explain the crying, the laughing, and the dramatic pearl-clutching?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2025
I was chosen for an ARC reader for this book, so thank you to the author. Solid 4.5. I LOVED it. It was slow to get into in the beginning few chapters but when it took off it took off and it was a great story.
Ummm the cliffhanger, excuse me?!?! And the next book isn’t available for preorder even!!
The FMC grew through this book and found her strength in herself but to believe and rely on others. The MMC broody, morally grey, touched her and die, who did this to you, “mine” everything I love. The spice spiced but it wasn’t overshadowing the plot, the plot and story were there also. The side characters were a good time, one was morally gray also and he was my favorite. The villain was written well and you just wanted to throw him off a cliff!
At the end of it, do I recommend, yes I do. Am I going to read the next book when it comes out. Yes I will. I devoured this book.
Ummm the cliffhanger, excuse me?!?! And the next book isn’t available for preorder even!!
The FMC grew through this book and found her strength in herself but to believe and rely on others. The MMC broody, morally grey, touched her and die, who did this to you, “mine” everything I love. The spice spiced but it wasn’t overshadowing the plot, the plot and story were there also. The side characters were a good time, one was morally gray also and he was my favorite. The villain was written well and you just wanted to throw him off a cliff!
At the end of it, do I recommend, yes I do. Am I going to read the next book when it comes out. Yes I will. I devoured this book.
January 13, 2026
Predictable
I'm not sure if this is this others first book but it feels like it. The first half of the book has too many minor plot holes for me to give this a better rating. I'm not sure if I'll read book 2, this one was a little too predictable. This author has potential but I don't see the same hype from other reviews.
I'm not sure if this is this others first book but it feels like it. The first half of the book has too many minor plot holes for me to give this a better rating. I'm not sure if I'll read book 2, this one was a little too predictable. This author has potential but I don't see the same hype from other reviews.
January 21, 2026
It was not bad. I liked the writing style and the MMC. The FMC was annoying during the first half of the book but she redeemed herself later. Another thing was that there were too many plot holes in the first part. I liked the second 50% of the story though. Kairos was a fabulous morally grey MMC, and his best friend Uther was the chef's kiss. I liked the world building and the secondary characters as well. I will read the next one when it comes out.
January 25, 2026
3,5 ⭐
The finale was just chef kiss.
Unfortunately I feel like this book was a bit confusing, world building was half explained and characters we definitely driving the book
The finale was just chef kiss.
Unfortunately I feel like this book was a bit confusing, world building was half explained and characters we definitely driving the book
January 4, 2026
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The story itself was engaging, and while it leans into the familiar enemies-to-lovers-who-are-actually-fated-mates trope, it had enough unique elements to keep it interesting. The worldbuilding and magic system were intriguing, but the writing style is where the book lost points for me.
Much of the writing felt surface-level, and I often found myself wishing it would dig deeper. Some characters came across as flat, and moments that felt like they should have been emotionally or narratively significant passed too quickly without much exploration. At times, character motivations felt underdeveloped or unrealistic. Not because the story choices themselves felt wrong, but because their internal worlds weren’t fully explored.
As a result, I struggled to fully immerse myself in the story, even though I still found it enjoyable overall.
Much of the writing felt surface-level, and I often found myself wishing it would dig deeper. Some characters came across as flat, and moments that felt like they should have been emotionally or narratively significant passed too quickly without much exploration. At times, character motivations felt underdeveloped or unrealistic. Not because the story choices themselves felt wrong, but because their internal worlds weren’t fully explored.
As a result, I struggled to fully immerse myself in the story, even though I still found it enjoyable overall.
January 21, 2026
⭐️⭐️.5
Runebreaker is one of those books that sounds excellent on paper and then slowly, page by page, tests your patience. The concept is compelling, but the story itself often felt like watching someone knowingly touch a hot stove and then act shocked when it burns.
The biggest hurdle for me was how casually the narrative handled destruction, death, and large-scale fallout. Massive events occur (burned villages, political collapse, floods/storms, merciless killing of innocents) yet the emotional weight of these moments barely registers before the story rushes off to the next plot beat or romantic encounter. The disconnect between what’s happening in the world and how the characters react to it made it hard to stay immersed.
That tonal imbalance becomes especially noticeable through the FMC’s decision-making, which often leans reckless rather than desperate or strategic. She repeatedly makes choices that endanger not just herself, but countless innocent people, and the story rarely pauses to let her (or the reader) fully grapple with the impact of those actions.
Mild spoilers below ‼️
It becomes outright was infuriating when breaks the storm gate, unleashing a flood that kills innocent people and destroys homes and businesses across the city. What disturbed me most wasn’t just the act itself, but her reaction (or lack thereof). She shows almost no guilt, and the devastation is quickly forgotten. Personally, if I had caused that level of destruction, even accidentally, I would be utterly devastated and riddled with guilt.
What makes this worse is that she does it again later in the book. Her line, “I destroyed a palace and probably killed a lot of people,” is such a lazy acknowledgement and is treated as a throwaway moment. Um… yes. You did. And that’s it? A serious lack of reflection and almost no accountability for her actions - born of negligence and stupidity, even if not malice - resulted in mass death. Moments later, it’s brushed aside entirely in favor of spicy time and a few paltry comments that she feels guilty. Seriously?
The world-building also felt thin and underdeveloped. We’re given very little background on the FMC, her sister, or how they ended up in their current circumstances. It also felt contradictory that they longed for freedom and a better life, yet were unwilling to leave Skalgard because of their desire to keep helping at the infirmary. That internal conflict was never meaningfully explored, nor why they didn’t just up and leave earlier (surely they had enough coin from all their supposed thievery).
There’s also a noticeable lack of originality. The familiar tropes pile up quickly: fae are evil and enslave mortals, the FMC hates fae as a result, she’s poor and starving, she meets a dark, feared fae known for killing mortals, he kidnaps her but turns out to be a misunderstood good guy, showers her with food and clothing that she initially refuses out of pride, her assumptions about the fae all being bad are proven wrong, and she plots an escape despite how obviously impossible it is. The similarities to ACOTAR are hard to ignore.
The characters themselves felt flat and one-dimensional, lacking depth or distinctive personalities. The romance is more of a medium burn, and while I didn’t mind that the MMC was clearly infatuated early on, their interactions lacked emotional substance. Much of their dialogue consists of short, shallow exchanges that failed to evoke any real feeling. The romantic progression felt abrupt - by around 40%, he’s talking about worshipping her, despite there being virtually no emotional build-up to justify it.
I also felt no emotional connection to the FMC’s sister. We’re told repeatedly how important she is, but we barely get to know her. As a result, the FMC’s desperation to return to her and keep her safe fell flat - I simply didn’t care. There was far too much telling us about her sister and not nearly enough showing to make that bond feel real.
Certain character dynamics also made little sense, for example, Elwen, the master healer and a warrior who effectively ruled in the MMC’s absence for a century, inexplicably acts as a handmaid to the FMC, dressing her and bringing her food. It felt bizarre given her station and responsibilities.
This may be personal preference, but I’m also not a fan of the MMC’s “burn the world down for her” trope, especially when paired with nonsensical political decision-making. Entire villages are destroyed, alliances crumble, storms and tsunamis wipe people out, and war looms - yet there’s almost no strategic thinking or concern for maintaining peace. The blasé attitude toward mass destruction was deeply unsettling. One moment characters are having sex, the next an entire village is burned down, with very little acknowledgment of the horror.
Overall, Runebreaker had potential, but weak character development, thin world-building, recycled tropes, and a troubling disregard for consequence made this a disappointing read for me. I almost feel bad listing so many issues, but they genuinely kept stacking up as I read - every time I thought we might turn a corner, another problem appeared. While the final 10% did pick up and gave me a glimpse of what the story could have been, it wasn’t enough to outweigh everything that came before it.
Runebreaker is one of those books that sounds excellent on paper and then slowly, page by page, tests your patience. The concept is compelling, but the story itself often felt like watching someone knowingly touch a hot stove and then act shocked when it burns.
The biggest hurdle for me was how casually the narrative handled destruction, death, and large-scale fallout. Massive events occur (burned villages, political collapse, floods/storms, merciless killing of innocents) yet the emotional weight of these moments barely registers before the story rushes off to the next plot beat or romantic encounter. The disconnect between what’s happening in the world and how the characters react to it made it hard to stay immersed.
That tonal imbalance becomes especially noticeable through the FMC’s decision-making, which often leans reckless rather than desperate or strategic. She repeatedly makes choices that endanger not just herself, but countless innocent people, and the story rarely pauses to let her (or the reader) fully grapple with the impact of those actions.
Mild spoilers below ‼️
It becomes outright was infuriating when breaks the storm gate, unleashing a flood that kills innocent people and destroys homes and businesses across the city. What disturbed me most wasn’t just the act itself, but her reaction (or lack thereof). She shows almost no guilt, and the devastation is quickly forgotten. Personally, if I had caused that level of destruction, even accidentally, I would be utterly devastated and riddled with guilt.
What makes this worse is that she does it again later in the book. Her line, “I destroyed a palace and probably killed a lot of people,” is such a lazy acknowledgement and is treated as a throwaway moment. Um… yes. You did. And that’s it? A serious lack of reflection and almost no accountability for her actions - born of negligence and stupidity, even if not malice - resulted in mass death. Moments later, it’s brushed aside entirely in favor of spicy time and a few paltry comments that she feels guilty. Seriously?
The world-building also felt thin and underdeveloped. We’re given very little background on the FMC, her sister, or how they ended up in their current circumstances. It also felt contradictory that they longed for freedom and a better life, yet were unwilling to leave Skalgard because of their desire to keep helping at the infirmary. That internal conflict was never meaningfully explored, nor why they didn’t just up and leave earlier (surely they had enough coin from all their supposed thievery).
There’s also a noticeable lack of originality. The familiar tropes pile up quickly: fae are evil and enslave mortals, the FMC hates fae as a result, she’s poor and starving, she meets a dark, feared fae known for killing mortals, he kidnaps her but turns out to be a misunderstood good guy, showers her with food and clothing that she initially refuses out of pride, her assumptions about the fae all being bad are proven wrong, and she plots an escape despite how obviously impossible it is. The similarities to ACOTAR are hard to ignore.
The characters themselves felt flat and one-dimensional, lacking depth or distinctive personalities. The romance is more of a medium burn, and while I didn’t mind that the MMC was clearly infatuated early on, their interactions lacked emotional substance. Much of their dialogue consists of short, shallow exchanges that failed to evoke any real feeling. The romantic progression felt abrupt - by around 40%, he’s talking about worshipping her, despite there being virtually no emotional build-up to justify it.
I also felt no emotional connection to the FMC’s sister. We’re told repeatedly how important she is, but we barely get to know her. As a result, the FMC’s desperation to return to her and keep her safe fell flat - I simply didn’t care. There was far too much telling us about her sister and not nearly enough showing to make that bond feel real.
Certain character dynamics also made little sense, for example, Elwen, the master healer and a warrior who effectively ruled in the MMC’s absence for a century, inexplicably acts as a handmaid to the FMC, dressing her and bringing her food. It felt bizarre given her station and responsibilities.
This may be personal preference, but I’m also not a fan of the MMC’s “burn the world down for her” trope, especially when paired with nonsensical political decision-making. Entire villages are destroyed, alliances crumble, storms and tsunamis wipe people out, and war looms - yet there’s almost no strategic thinking or concern for maintaining peace. The blasé attitude toward mass destruction was deeply unsettling. One moment characters are having sex, the next an entire village is burned down, with very little acknowledgment of the horror.
Overall, Runebreaker had potential, but weak character development, thin world-building, recycled tropes, and a troubling disregard for consequence made this a disappointing read for me. I almost feel bad listing so many issues, but they genuinely kept stacking up as I read - every time I thought we might turn a corner, another problem appeared. While the final 10% did pick up and gave me a glimpse of what the story could have been, it wasn’t enough to outweigh everything that came before it.
January 12, 2026
Bound Fae executioner falls for rune breaker
Wow. 🤯 kind of still processing this book. I believe this is an indie author and I have to say this is really good.
I know this is a trilogy. I was hoping it would be interconnected standalone books because too many series usually get dragged out and sometimes the story just declines the longer it goes.
Aelie meets Kairos (the executioner) when she’s caught stealing. He warns her and lets her go.
When you talk about morally gray men he’s that. He’d burn everything for her. She holds back and he tells her how much he needs her.
There’s lots of magic, some battles, and Dragons trying to get free.
The romance is… well I don’t want to say slow burn.. there’s lots of yearning. Then some mild spice. Just 1/2 full scenes towards end.
There’s fated mates
Manipulative ex (Varus) the prince
Sisters who love each other fiercely (Rehya)
I was hoping the next book would be uther(the Dresden) I think they’re called. Like vampires. And her sister Reyha. But it looks like this story will continue with kairos and Aelie.
The pacing in this book was decent. The FMC could be annoying at times. Some things felt slightly redundant, but overall it was a good book.
Wow. 🤯 kind of still processing this book. I believe this is an indie author and I have to say this is really good.
I know this is a trilogy. I was hoping it would be interconnected standalone books because too many series usually get dragged out and sometimes the story just declines the longer it goes.
Aelie meets Kairos (the executioner) when she’s caught stealing. He warns her and lets her go.
When you talk about morally gray men he’s that. He’d burn everything for her. She holds back and he tells her how much he needs her.
There’s lots of magic, some battles, and Dragons trying to get free.
The romance is… well I don’t want to say slow burn.. there’s lots of yearning. Then some mild spice. Just 1/2 full scenes towards end.
There’s fated mates
Manipulative ex (Varus) the prince
Sisters who love each other fiercely (Rehya)
I was hoping the next book would be uther(the Dresden) I think they’re called. Like vampires. And her sister Reyha. But it looks like this story will continue with kairos and Aelie.
The pacing in this book was decent. The FMC could be annoying at times. Some things felt slightly redundant, but overall it was a good book.
January 25, 2026
Ultimately I’m trying to not be scathing in this review as I believe runebreaker is self published. It’s not offensively bad, but also it’s not particularly good.
Pros include: MC looks like Sephiroth, good gore, Uther as a character (love him), moments of flowery prose.
Cons: While there is a concept of a plan, execution is wanting. FMC makes insanely bad decisions then “oops” it each time. GIRL!!! STOP!!! NEOW!! Like she has the nuke codes - TAKE THEM BACK!!! Also has chat gpt fated mates plot and I’m not going to mark this as a spoiler bc it’s very obvious from page 5.
All that to say I kinda approached this like an a03 reading; in that sense it has merit. At the end of the day there are genuinely enjoyable moments. I think if this got through a publisher with a good editor it could be quite big. As it stands, I’m not sure if it’s up to snuff for even booktok. but then again, everyone was fine w fourth wing.
Pros include: MC looks like Sephiroth, good gore, Uther as a character (love him), moments of flowery prose.
Cons: While there is a concept of a plan, execution is wanting. FMC makes insanely bad decisions then “oops” it each time. GIRL!!! STOP!!! NEOW!! Like she has the nuke codes - TAKE THEM BACK!!! Also has chat gpt fated mates plot and I’m not going to mark this as a spoiler bc it’s very obvious from page 5.
All that to say I kinda approached this like an a03 reading; in that sense it has merit. At the end of the day there are genuinely enjoyable moments. I think if this got through a publisher with a good editor it could be quite big. As it stands, I’m not sure if it’s up to snuff for even booktok. but then again, everyone was fine w fourth wing.
January 24, 2026
Super interesting world and magic system. A human with random magic that can do something none of the ruling fae can. A douche fae ex with big fuck boy energy and a moody and misunderstood fae MMC. The only downer was that everybody IN the book and READING the book knew this was about fated mates and yet the FMC was painfully oblivious. Nevertheless I was entertained and invested the whole way through (4.5 stars rounded up) ✨
January 18, 2026
not worth it
The plot had such great promise but there was so much word salad that it just got lost. Not to mention the FMC was just too slow. I wanted to like her but she just kept making the same mistakes over and over again. And will just whine and state she didn’t mean it. I ended up skimming a lot of it just to get to the end that was obviously coming. I will not be reading the next book.
The plot had such great promise but there was so much word salad that it just got lost. Not to mention the FMC was just too slow. I wanted to like her but she just kept making the same mistakes over and over again. And will just whine and state she didn’t mean it. I ended up skimming a lot of it just to get to the end that was obviously coming. I will not be reading the next book.
January 8, 2026
Phenomenal!
I loved this book. It's a refreshing take into the genre. And I devoured it. I'm foaming at the mouth for the next book in the series and hoping that we will be seeing more of different side characters.
If you love romantasy I think you'll adore this. I don't want to give anything away because it's best enjoyed going in slightly blind in my opinion. But damn. Yeah I will be following this author. Amazing work.
I loved this book. It's a refreshing take into the genre. And I devoured it. I'm foaming at the mouth for the next book in the series and hoping that we will be seeing more of different side characters.
If you love romantasy I think you'll adore this. I don't want to give anything away because it's best enjoyed going in slightly blind in my opinion. But damn. Yeah I will be following this author. Amazing work.
January 7, 2026
This book grabbed me by the throat
and reminded me why I will always come back to romantasy with sharp edges and feral men.
Aelie can break runes with her bare hands — the very magic the fae built their entire world on. That alone makes her a walking apocalypse. So of course they fear her. Of course they sentence her to die. And of course, in a last act of survival, she frees the worst possible man she could’ve chosen.
Kairos is a rune-bound executioner. A king enslaved. A weapon forged out of centuries of blood, rage, and restraint — and the moment his chains snap, he turns blade and mist on everyone in the room.. He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t look back. He just takes Aelie and disappears into his mist-drowned kingdom like a force of nature reclaiming what’s his.
What follows is pure romantasy catnip.
Forced proximity. Constant tension. Mutual loathing that curdles into obsession. Kairos is deadly to everyone except her — and even then, he’s barely holding himself back. He’s toxic. He’s possessive. He’s feral. And he falls first in a way that feels inevitable and terrifying.
Meanwhile, Aelie is soft and human but never weak — relentlessly brave, fiercely determined, and willing to nearly destroy herself to save others.
The magic system deserves its own praise. Runes are everywhere — woven into locks, weapons, blood, protection, domination — which means the ability to break them is world-ending. Every choice has consequences, every spell feels costly, and the political manipulation layered throughout the story is ruthless. Betrayals hit hard, alliances rot from the inside out, and each reveal tightens the noose until everything feels one breath away from collapse.
And the romance?
Unhinged.
Slow burn that erupts.
Open-door. Filthy. Charged.
Kairos doesn’t just wield power — he is power. His mist magic moves like hands, like fingers, like living shadows that obey his will. He can crush a man’s throat without ever touching them… and he uses that same magic with Aelie in ways that are intimate, possessive, and devastatingly hot. The contrast between how lethal he is to the world and how reverent he is with her absolutely ruined me.
This is peak “touch her and die” energy.
“I will destroy the world for you” energy.
There is a declaration of love in this book that genuinely stopped me in my tracks — raw, reverent, and devastating ... followed shortly by a cliffhanger so cruel I had to stare at the page in silence.
Runebreaker is thrilling, sexy, swoon-worthy, and unhinged in the best way. It’s about survival, forbidden power, and what happens when a woman marked as a threat becomes the weakness of a man forged for blood and ruin.
I am obsessed. I am feral. And I am absolutely not emotionally prepared for book two — but I need it like I need air.
Aelie can break runes with her bare hands — the very magic the fae built their entire world on. That alone makes her a walking apocalypse. So of course they fear her. Of course they sentence her to die. And of course, in a last act of survival, she frees the worst possible man she could’ve chosen.
Kairos is a rune-bound executioner. A king enslaved. A weapon forged out of centuries of blood, rage, and restraint — and the moment his chains snap, he turns blade and mist on everyone in the room.. He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t look back. He just takes Aelie and disappears into his mist-drowned kingdom like a force of nature reclaiming what’s his.
What follows is pure romantasy catnip.
Forced proximity. Constant tension. Mutual loathing that curdles into obsession. Kairos is deadly to everyone except her — and even then, he’s barely holding himself back. He’s toxic. He’s possessive. He’s feral. And he falls first in a way that feels inevitable and terrifying.
Meanwhile, Aelie is soft and human but never weak — relentlessly brave, fiercely determined, and willing to nearly destroy herself to save others.
The magic system deserves its own praise. Runes are everywhere — woven into locks, weapons, blood, protection, domination — which means the ability to break them is world-ending. Every choice has consequences, every spell feels costly, and the political manipulation layered throughout the story is ruthless. Betrayals hit hard, alliances rot from the inside out, and each reveal tightens the noose until everything feels one breath away from collapse.
And the romance?
Unhinged.
Slow burn that erupts.
Open-door. Filthy. Charged.
Kairos doesn’t just wield power — he is power. His mist magic moves like hands, like fingers, like living shadows that obey his will. He can crush a man’s throat without ever touching them… and he uses that same magic with Aelie in ways that are intimate, possessive, and devastatingly hot. The contrast between how lethal he is to the world and how reverent he is with her absolutely ruined me.
This is peak “touch her and die” energy.
“I will destroy the world for you” energy.
There is a declaration of love in this book that genuinely stopped me in my tracks — raw, reverent, and devastating ... followed shortly by a cliffhanger so cruel I had to stare at the page in silence.
Runebreaker is thrilling, sexy, swoon-worthy, and unhinged in the best way. It’s about survival, forbidden power, and what happens when a woman marked as a threat becomes the weakness of a man forged for blood and ruin.
I am obsessed. I am feral. And I am absolutely not emotionally prepared for book two — but I need it like I need air.
January 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“There was something magnetic in his rawness. He didn’t soften himself to be palatable. Didn’t care who was watching. Beneath the feral edge was a steadiness that made me feel safe—and a male who still noticed beauty in the world after a hundred years of chains.”
A lush romantasy with resilient characters, a morally gray MMC, and sisters who could change the world as they know it.
Runebreaker follows Aelie, a servant among the fae hiding a deadly secret—she’s a Runebreaker, able to shatter the very magic the fae used to build their world. When she’s caught using her powers, Aelie is sentenced to death. Her only chance at survival is to break the rune enslaving the king’s executioner. But things don’t go to plan when the executioner, Kairos, not only slaughters the court but kidnaps Aelie and drags her back to his home. Forced to navigate her new circumstances while resisting those who want to use her as a weapon, Aelie must rely on everything she has to survive.
I’m a huge sucker for darker romantasy, and Runebreaker delivers perfectly. Kairos is deeply morally gray, political intrigue and betrayal lurk around every corner, and the forced proximity only heightens the tension. The magic system is unique and fascinating—I loved watching how it unfolds, especially as Aelie learns more about her ability to break runes. Kairos and Aelie are compelling leads, and their banter was everything.
The side characters were equally intriguing, and based on that ending, I’m desperately hoping for future side stories. And yes—another cliffhanger. Yes—I need book two immediately. My heart cannot take what it was put through. I don’t even need things to be okay… I just need to know.
Tropes: fae · dragons · forced proximity · possessive/territorial MMC · he falls first
Highly recommend for romantasy lovers, especially those who enjoy darker elements, spicy moments, and captivating characters.
Get your own copy now!
Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“There was something magnetic in his rawness. He didn’t soften himself to be palatable. Didn’t care who was watching. Beneath the feral edge was a steadiness that made me feel safe—and a male who still noticed beauty in the world after a hundred years of chains.”
A lush romantasy with resilient characters, a morally gray MMC, and sisters who could change the world as they know it.
Runebreaker follows Aelie, a servant among the fae hiding a deadly secret—she’s a Runebreaker, able to shatter the very magic the fae used to build their world. When she’s caught using her powers, Aelie is sentenced to death. Her only chance at survival is to break the rune enslaving the king’s executioner. But things don’t go to plan when the executioner, Kairos, not only slaughters the court but kidnaps Aelie and drags her back to his home. Forced to navigate her new circumstances while resisting those who want to use her as a weapon, Aelie must rely on everything she has to survive.
I’m a huge sucker for darker romantasy, and Runebreaker delivers perfectly. Kairos is deeply morally gray, political intrigue and betrayal lurk around every corner, and the forced proximity only heightens the tension. The magic system is unique and fascinating—I loved watching how it unfolds, especially as Aelie learns more about her ability to break runes. Kairos and Aelie are compelling leads, and their banter was everything.
The side characters were equally intriguing, and based on that ending, I’m desperately hoping for future side stories. And yes—another cliffhanger. Yes—I need book two immediately. My heart cannot take what it was put through. I don’t even need things to be okay… I just need to know.
Tropes: fae · dragons · forced proximity · possessive/territorial MMC · he falls first
Highly recommend for romantasy lovers, especially those who enjoy darker elements, spicy moments, and captivating characters.
Get your own copy now!
Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2026
This book was incredible. I loved it. It incorporated so many elements I love within the fantasy genre. I love the FMC. I love the MMC. This story is similar to some mainstream books I’ve read, in a lot of ways it’s giving ACOTAR. I read this for 5 hours straight and made myself stay up WAY too late on a work night.
Something that breaks my heart about the ending is that Kairos doesn’t even get to tell Aelie that they are mates. And then for Vaeris to demand she break the mating bond? Ugh it’s giving the scene in ACOTAR when the King tries to make Feyre do it with Rhys. I like that they found a way out of it but I hate that the thread she has to break is their ability to communicate and locate each other. I hope this story is similar to the Gild series in this way, where they are able to get it back. Also, I totally predicted that something was going to happen between Rheya and Uther. Just saying!!!!!
I really love their love story. Even though it’s from Aelie’s perspective, you can really see things from Kairos’ perspective as well because of how their interactions are written. I think I like that better than in other books where you can tell they like the FMC but they are so shut down and we don’t get anything until later in the book or when we get the MMC’s perspective.
Definitely going to be raving about this book to my friends and I am *very* upset that I didn’t check if this series was completed. I know the author is writing the next book but I do not do well with waiting!!! I’m doing myself a favor and writing this review to motivate me to read the next book when it comes out. I know authors love to write ridiculously long series for the money and other reasons but I’m hoping that this is a duology or trilogy at most.
Overall, incredible book. I love the pace of the book, the characters, and the plot. I am not happy about the cliff hanger ending with the second book not being written. Can we all start boycotting books with cliff hanger endings??
Something that breaks my heart about the ending is that Kairos doesn’t even get to tell Aelie that they are mates. And then for Vaeris to demand she break the mating bond? Ugh it’s giving the scene in ACOTAR when the King tries to make Feyre do it with Rhys. I like that they found a way out of it but I hate that the thread she has to break is their ability to communicate and locate each other. I hope this story is similar to the Gild series in this way, where they are able to get it back. Also, I totally predicted that something was going to happen between Rheya and Uther. Just saying!!!!!
I really love their love story. Even though it’s from Aelie’s perspective, you can really see things from Kairos’ perspective as well because of how their interactions are written. I think I like that better than in other books where you can tell they like the FMC but they are so shut down and we don’t get anything until later in the book or when we get the MMC’s perspective.
Definitely going to be raving about this book to my friends and I am *very* upset that I didn’t check if this series was completed. I know the author is writing the next book but I do not do well with waiting!!! I’m doing myself a favor and writing this review to motivate me to read the next book when it comes out. I know authors love to write ridiculously long series for the money and other reasons but I’m hoping that this is a duology or trilogy at most.
Overall, incredible book. I love the pace of the book, the characters, and the plot. I am not happy about the cliff hanger ending with the second book not being written. Can we all start boycotting books with cliff hanger endings??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2026
This book is basically… Aelie and her sister have unusual powers (Aelie can break runes and her sister can amplify them) and they use these powers to steal from the wealthy people of their city so they can get everything they need to survive. But then Aelie gets caught, is sentenced to death at the hands of an infamous fae executioner, escapes after releasing him from runic “chains”, and then gets embroiled in violence and fae politics… In between enjoying super spicy sex with like the hottest fictional executioner dude ever 😂
Tropes:
🐉 Dragons
🩵 Fae
🐉 Enemies to lovers
🩵 Forbidden magic
🐉 Touch her and die
🩵 Forced proximity
🐉 Fated mates
That summary may be under-selling this book juuuust smidge 👌😂
Things I loved about it?
❤️ I enjoyed Aelie’s rune-breaking ability— pretty unique in the romantasy genre.
💙 Uther was also a super endearing secondary character and I could see him being Aelie’s best guy friend ever…. but at the same time him platonically calling her “love” was super hot 😂 What is wrong with me lol
❤️ Mila has a special talent for writing battle scenes, explosions, and emotional violence 😭
💙 Anyone who knows me would also know I love a good romantic love confession… and Mila realllly delivered on that front 😍
Things I didn’t love… 🤔
❤️ There was something of a plot twist at the 70% mark that felt pretty random… Almost like the subtle hints leading up to it were a little too subtle, and the author actually threw in the idea without planning backwards first.
💙 And the ending, while hitting me real hard in the feels (gave me the emotional chest pain lol), it wouldn’t have come to pass if Aelie had some sense 🙄 Iykyk
But I enjoyed it immensely and will be reading the sequels on KU… like DUH. Lol.
Tropes:
🐉 Dragons
🩵 Fae
🐉 Enemies to lovers
🩵 Forbidden magic
🐉 Touch her and die
🩵 Forced proximity
🐉 Fated mates
That summary may be under-selling this book juuuust smidge 👌😂
Things I loved about it?
❤️ I enjoyed Aelie’s rune-breaking ability— pretty unique in the romantasy genre.
💙 Uther was also a super endearing secondary character and I could see him being Aelie’s best guy friend ever…. but at the same time him platonically calling her “love” was super hot 😂 What is wrong with me lol
❤️ Mila has a special talent for writing battle scenes, explosions, and emotional violence 😭
💙 Anyone who knows me would also know I love a good romantic love confession… and Mila realllly delivered on that front 😍
Things I didn’t love… 🤔
❤️ There was something of a plot twist at the 70% mark that felt pretty random… Almost like the subtle hints leading up to it were a little too subtle, and the author actually threw in the idea without planning backwards first.
💙 And the ending, while hitting me real hard in the feels (gave me the emotional chest pain lol), it wouldn’t have come to pass if Aelie had some sense 🙄 Iykyk
But I enjoyed it immensely and will be reading the sequels on KU… like DUH. Lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2026
I slept zero hours and regret nothing!
I devoured this book like a dragon guarding treasure. I opened it “just to start” and somehow the sun came up before I closed it. Less than 24 hours, zero regrets.
Runebreaker is everything I want from romantasy: sharp magic, feral tension, ruthless fae politics, and a romance that burns hot and dangerous. Aelie is the kind of heroine who instantly earns your loyalty. She can literally break the magic that holds the fae world together with her bare hands, and instead of being worshipped, she’s hunted. Watching her go from condemned to deadly to indispensable is wildly satisfying.
And Kairos. Whew. Morally gray does not even begin to cover it. Executioner. King. Obsession wrapped in violence and devotion. The he-falls-first energy is immaculate, the forced proximity crackles, and the captive-captor dynamic is done in a way that feels intense, dangerous, and impossible to look away from. Their chemistry is unhinged in the best way.
The world building is immersive without slowing the pace. Towering forests, shimmering mists, blood-soaked courts, and dragons lurking in the background like promises. Every chapter pulls you deeper, and the spice is perfectly balanced with plot, not just heat for heat’s sake.
If you love fast-paced fantasy romance, mating bond tension, ruthless fae kings, and heroines with forbidden power, Runebreaker needs to be at the top of your list. Book one ends with your heart racing and your soul screaming for the rest of the trilogy. I am feral for what comes next.
I devoured this book like a dragon guarding treasure. I opened it “just to start” and somehow the sun came up before I closed it. Less than 24 hours, zero regrets.
Runebreaker is everything I want from romantasy: sharp magic, feral tension, ruthless fae politics, and a romance that burns hot and dangerous. Aelie is the kind of heroine who instantly earns your loyalty. She can literally break the magic that holds the fae world together with her bare hands, and instead of being worshipped, she’s hunted. Watching her go from condemned to deadly to indispensable is wildly satisfying.
And Kairos. Whew. Morally gray does not even begin to cover it. Executioner. King. Obsession wrapped in violence and devotion. The he-falls-first energy is immaculate, the forced proximity crackles, and the captive-captor dynamic is done in a way that feels intense, dangerous, and impossible to look away from. Their chemistry is unhinged in the best way.
The world building is immersive without slowing the pace. Towering forests, shimmering mists, blood-soaked courts, and dragons lurking in the background like promises. Every chapter pulls you deeper, and the spice is perfectly balanced with plot, not just heat for heat’s sake.
If you love fast-paced fantasy romance, mating bond tension, ruthless fae kings, and heroines with forbidden power, Runebreaker needs to be at the top of your list. Book one ends with your heart racing and your soul screaming for the rest of the trilogy. I am feral for what comes next.
January 5, 2026
🧝🏻♀️ Fae and humans
⛓️💥 Fated mates
🧝🏻♀️ One bed
⛓️💥 Runic magic system
🧝🏻♀️ Book 1
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
I don't even have WORDS!
This was a wild ride. Mila did a beautiful job of introducing us to this beautiful, broken world and the different creatures that inhabit it.
"You honor the dead by enduring, my princess. By refusing to let their sacrifice stop you."
I didn't expect to fall so hard and fast for Aelie and her younger sister Rheya. It pulled at my elder sister heart strings and I understood Aelie's reason for the things she did instantaneously.
"You have to stop destroying yourself for makes who don't deserve it."
And do not even get me started on our MMC... I don't want to give away who it is but he is everything you need in a book boyfriend. Actually he is book HUSBAND material.
"I will not watch her bleed to satisfy your curiosity."
There were so many twists I didn't see coming and some things I could see a million miles away but that part didn't take away from the story at all. It just set us up for even more PAIN in book 2!!
If you read this because of me you must sign a waiver releasing me of any emotional liability or future therapy bills. It's the rules.
Thank you Mila Finch for my advance reader copy! This is my honest and unbiased review.
⛓️💥 Fated mates
🧝🏻♀️ One bed
⛓️💥 Runic magic system
🧝🏻♀️ Book 1
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
I don't even have WORDS!
This was a wild ride. Mila did a beautiful job of introducing us to this beautiful, broken world and the different creatures that inhabit it.
"You honor the dead by enduring, my princess. By refusing to let their sacrifice stop you."
I didn't expect to fall so hard and fast for Aelie and her younger sister Rheya. It pulled at my elder sister heart strings and I understood Aelie's reason for the things she did instantaneously.
"You have to stop destroying yourself for makes who don't deserve it."
And do not even get me started on our MMC... I don't want to give away who it is but he is everything you need in a book boyfriend. Actually he is book HUSBAND material.
"I will not watch her bleed to satisfy your curiosity."
There were so many twists I didn't see coming and some things I could see a million miles away but that part didn't take away from the story at all. It just set us up for even more PAIN in book 2!!
If you read this because of me you must sign a waiver releasing me of any emotional liability or future therapy bills. It's the rules.
Thank you Mila Finch for my advance reader copy! This is my honest and unbiased review.
January 25, 2026
Entertaining, Intriguing but Surface Level Writing
I was so entertained! Rune breaker is an exciting & intriguing, fast paced romantasy with forced proximity, mating bond tension, Fae and humans, slow burn to spice, forbidden magic, blood soaked morally gray MMC (Kairos), & a 25-year-old heroine with dangerous magic (Aelie). It is an action packed adventure with tons of chaos, unique world building & plot, and surprising plot twists. The slow burn is full of angst & tension (Kairos has a very dirty mouth). Ends on a cruel cliffhanger. Its 1st person & single POV. This is the first in a trilogy.
3.5/4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//🌶️🌶️//☠️☠️☠️/⚠️
This book is so close to being great. The biggest problem with this book is the writing style. Everything is very surface level, from the magic system, character relationships, depth, & decisons, and in general what is going on. From page one we skip from storyline to storyline at a rapid rate (almost like whiplash). There's zero depth in any of the side characters, which is disappointing because some of them could be so entertaining. There's zero banter. the character motivations are undeveloped because there's minimal internal dialogue. I was often wishing I had more information about the magic the Fae possessed & how it worked. I gave this a higher rating solely bc I was intrigued AF and highly entertained
I was so entertained! Rune breaker is an exciting & intriguing, fast paced romantasy with forced proximity, mating bond tension, Fae and humans, slow burn to spice, forbidden magic, blood soaked morally gray MMC (Kairos), & a 25-year-old heroine with dangerous magic (Aelie). It is an action packed adventure with tons of chaos, unique world building & plot, and surprising plot twists. The slow burn is full of angst & tension (Kairos has a very dirty mouth). Ends on a cruel cliffhanger. Its 1st person & single POV. This is the first in a trilogy.
3.5/4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//🌶️🌶️//☠️☠️☠️/⚠️
This book is so close to being great. The biggest problem with this book is the writing style. Everything is very surface level, from the magic system, character relationships, depth, & decisons, and in general what is going on. From page one we skip from storyline to storyline at a rapid rate (almost like whiplash). There's zero depth in any of the side characters, which is disappointing because some of them could be so entertaining. There's zero banter. the character motivations are undeveloped because there's minimal internal dialogue. I was often wishing I had more information about the magic the Fae possessed & how it worked. I gave this a higher rating solely bc I was intrigued AF and highly entertained
December 27, 2025
🔥 She broke the one rune no one was ever meant to touch—and bound herself to a king drenched in blood.
📖 Runebreaker by Mila Finch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romantasy
Tropes:
💥 Forbidden magic
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
🐉 Ancient creatures awakening
🛡️ Touch her and 💀
⛓️ Forced proximity
🩸 Mating bond tension
Aelie and her sister were born with forbidden magic—but Aelie’s ability is unheard of. She can break runes, something neither fae nor human has ever survived doing. When she’s caught, the king sentences her to death. Faced with execution, Aelie chooses survival and shatters the rune enslaving Kairos—a ruthless, blood-soaked king feared across the realms. Bound to him by magic and circumstance, Aelie must navigate deadly fae politics, the limits of her power, and the dangerous pull of the very king she freed.
This book hooked me immediately. From the first chapter, Aelie felt layered and real—her fear, determination, and desperation all made sense. I understood her choices, even the reckless ones, which made it easy to sink fully into her story.
The plot was immersive in the best way. It felt familiar enough to be comforting—FMC with rare, dangerous magic—but still fresh in how it unfolded. Kairos is everything I want in a morally grey MMC: ruthless to everyone else, fiercely protective of her, and completely unapologetic about it. The way he provides for her, shields her, and quietly claims her without hesitation? Chef’s kiss.
I lost track of reality while reading this, which is always the best compliment I can give. I’m absolutely looking forward to continuing this series.
Thank you Mila Finch for this ARC!
📖 Runebreaker by Mila Finch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romantasy
Tropes:
💥 Forbidden magic
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
🐉 Ancient creatures awakening
🛡️ Touch her and 💀
⛓️ Forced proximity
🩸 Mating bond tension
Aelie and her sister were born with forbidden magic—but Aelie’s ability is unheard of. She can break runes, something neither fae nor human has ever survived doing. When she’s caught, the king sentences her to death. Faced with execution, Aelie chooses survival and shatters the rune enslaving Kairos—a ruthless, blood-soaked king feared across the realms. Bound to him by magic and circumstance, Aelie must navigate deadly fae politics, the limits of her power, and the dangerous pull of the very king she freed.
This book hooked me immediately. From the first chapter, Aelie felt layered and real—her fear, determination, and desperation all made sense. I understood her choices, even the reckless ones, which made it easy to sink fully into her story.
The plot was immersive in the best way. It felt familiar enough to be comforting—FMC with rare, dangerous magic—but still fresh in how it unfolded. Kairos is everything I want in a morally grey MMC: ruthless to everyone else, fiercely protective of her, and completely unapologetic about it. The way he provides for her, shields her, and quietly claims her without hesitation? Chef’s kiss.
I lost track of reality while reading this, which is always the best compliment I can give. I’m absolutely looking forward to continuing this series.
Thank you Mila Finch for this ARC!
January 10, 2026
The human fmc being the one that can break runes is cool, and the fact that she is doing it to try and help the rest of the humans in this city makes her pretty likeable too. I feel like it's pretty strange in these kinds of fantasy books for a human character who has powers that no one else does to not be selfish, so it is kinda like a breath of fresh air.
This was quite an easy read, and I flew threw it very quick. it was kinda boring in the middle when there was just lots of info dumping and set up for what was going to happen later on in the book and rest of the series, but once all of that was out of the way i really did enjoy it, and i already can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the books.
I will say that it was so obvious that they were mates right from the beginning, and right from when he starts to treat her differently. Seemed a bit pointless that it would be something revealed right at the end, but also i totally get it.
having it end the way that it did was actually a lot of fun, and I thought that the loophole they found for breaking their mating connection was so good! I already know that its going to set up a lot of really cool things to happen in the next book
The only thing i wish was that we saw more of THE DRAGONS!!!
This was quite an easy read, and I flew threw it very quick. it was kinda boring in the middle when there was just lots of info dumping and set up for what was going to happen later on in the book and rest of the series, but once all of that was out of the way i really did enjoy it, and i already can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the books.
I will say that it was so obvious that they were mates right from the beginning, and right from when he starts to treat her differently. Seemed a bit pointless that it would be something revealed right at the end, but also i totally get it.
having it end the way that it did was actually a lot of fun, and I thought that the loophole they found for breaking their mating connection was so good! I already know that its going to set up a lot of really cool things to happen in the next book
The only thing i wish was that we saw more of THE DRAGONS!!!
January 14, 2026
⭐️/4
🌶/2.5
So we're just going to sit here and pretend that Mila Finch's debut novel didn't just make me want to throw my Kindle across the room at the CLIFFHANGER. I am so salty that she hasn't finished the next book, even though this one literally just came out.
What a RIDE! I am here for this book. I wasn't sure where we were going, but the destination was explosive.
I just want to say, Kairos is the MIST daddy I didn't know I needed. Prince Vaeris can keep his dumb shadows, I want the ruthless fae war king and all his ghostly mist tendrils.
Aelie is... interesting. I wanted her to be stronger at some points, but then also appreciated the way she pushed back and stood tall in other situations.
I'm very interested to see where Rheya's story goes. And if it concerns Uther at all 👀 Speaking of Uther, I loved his dry humor and his ability to laugh at tense situations. Everyone needs a bestie warrior like him.
I docked a star for some of the pacing. I think there could have been a little more of some of the emotions between Kairos and Aelie teased out, but the sentiment is there. Also, don't get it twisted, this is a SLOW burn enemies-to-lovers. Its not going to stop me from reading the second book when it comes out. I am just DYING to know what happens.
🌶/2.5
So we're just going to sit here and pretend that Mila Finch's debut novel didn't just make me want to throw my Kindle across the room at the CLIFFHANGER. I am so salty that she hasn't finished the next book, even though this one literally just came out.
What a RIDE! I am here for this book. I wasn't sure where we were going, but the destination was explosive.
I just want to say, Kairos is the MIST daddy I didn't know I needed. Prince Vaeris can keep his dumb shadows, I want the ruthless fae war king and all his ghostly mist tendrils.
Aelie is... interesting. I wanted her to be stronger at some points, but then also appreciated the way she pushed back and stood tall in other situations.
I'm very interested to see where Rheya's story goes. And if it concerns Uther at all 👀 Speaking of Uther, I loved his dry humor and his ability to laugh at tense situations. Everyone needs a bestie warrior like him.
I docked a star for some of the pacing. I think there could have been a little more of some of the emotions between Kairos and Aelie teased out, but the sentiment is there. Also, don't get it twisted, this is a SLOW burn enemies-to-lovers. Its not going to stop me from reading the second book when it comes out. I am just DYING to know what happens.
January 17, 2026
Amazing!
I came across this book by accident and decided to give it a shot. Holy moly was I surprised! The author did everything I craved in the best way possible. A FMC who was actually strong while being empathic without all the insufferable whining most FMC end up doing. Kairos. Ugh, utter perfection. Strong, powerful , dangerous, everything you want from a MMC but underneath is a male who would rip worlds apart to fine Aelie. The way the author described his looks, the yearning, the pain and desire, I had chills. I can't think of a single negative thing from this book. Loved Aelies powers. Something new for a change. The author did a fantastic job of world building without dragging things on. It sucked you in and kept you wanting more. Often, side characters are boring or don't add much to the story, but in this book, I was drawn to each of them. All of them were essential pieces that kept the story interesting while never feeling like they were just fillers. The story had fantastic pacing. The ending though. I was practically screaming NO! Cliffhangers usually annoy me but this was done impeccably. I can't wait for the next! So happy I took an chance on this book. Wound up becoming one of my favorite reads!
I came across this book by accident and decided to give it a shot. Holy moly was I surprised! The author did everything I craved in the best way possible. A FMC who was actually strong while being empathic without all the insufferable whining most FMC end up doing. Kairos. Ugh, utter perfection. Strong, powerful , dangerous, everything you want from a MMC but underneath is a male who would rip worlds apart to fine Aelie. The way the author described his looks, the yearning, the pain and desire, I had chills. I can't think of a single negative thing from this book. Loved Aelies powers. Something new for a change. The author did a fantastic job of world building without dragging things on. It sucked you in and kept you wanting more. Often, side characters are boring or don't add much to the story, but in this book, I was drawn to each of them. All of them were essential pieces that kept the story interesting while never feeling like they were just fillers. The story had fantastic pacing. The ending though. I was practically screaming NO! Cliffhangers usually annoy me but this was done impeccably. I can't wait for the next! So happy I took an chance on this book. Wound up becoming one of my favorite reads!
January 5, 2026
First of all, a huge thank you to the author for having chosen me as an ARC reader, and an apology for not having my review done before release day.
This book WRECKED me. I was intrigued by the concept from the get-go, and I was not disappointed by the world-building and lore, how the rune system works, and was sucked into a world that was beautifully done. The pacing is perfect, with all the perfect little moments sprinkled amongst the story and action, and I honestly did not know what to expect for the last hundred pages or so of the book. No spoilers for the ending or anything, honestly, but you will be as happy as I am to read that we don't have all that long to wait for book 2.
I found myself in a bit of a reading slump after my recent graduation, and this was exactly what I needed. It was emotional, intriguing, heartbreaking--everything a person could ask for in a romantasy novel. I am SO excited for what comes next and will be eagerly awaiting the release date of the next book! Do not skip on this one just because you might be iffy on the 'magic' system, you will NOT regret picking this up!
This book WRECKED me. I was intrigued by the concept from the get-go, and I was not disappointed by the world-building and lore, how the rune system works, and was sucked into a world that was beautifully done. The pacing is perfect, with all the perfect little moments sprinkled amongst the story and action, and I honestly did not know what to expect for the last hundred pages or so of the book. No spoilers for the ending or anything, honestly, but you will be as happy as I am to read that we don't have all that long to wait for book 2.
I found myself in a bit of a reading slump after my recent graduation, and this was exactly what I needed. It was emotional, intriguing, heartbreaking--everything a person could ask for in a romantasy novel. I am SO excited for what comes next and will be eagerly awaiting the release date of the next book! Do not skip on this one just because you might be iffy on the 'magic' system, you will NOT regret picking this up!
January 12, 2026
Masterful world-building, binge-worthy story
I have been dipping my toes into the romantasy genre over the last year or so. I reach for them when I find myself in a book rut with my usual genre. This one piqued my interest and I decided to give it a try.
Once I started reading I could hardly put it down. I was quickly and easily drawn into the world. The characters were all well-developed and complex and appealing (or at least the ones that we are rooting for 😉). The story moves so quickly and is filled with twists and surprises. The affection between the MCs is both immediate and slow burn. Don’t expect a lot of spice, but when things heat up, it’s 🔥
I knew going in that this was not a stand alone book, and I’m not really one to read a book knowing there’s going to be a cliffhanger. BUT I decided to read the sample just to see if I was going to like it. As I said earlier, once I started, I couldn’t stop! As for the cliffhanger, I’ve certainly been left off worse. I felt there was enough resolution that I wasn’t throwing my phone at the wall, but I am going to be impatiently waiting for book 2.
I really, really loved this book, and I highly recommend it!
I have been dipping my toes into the romantasy genre over the last year or so. I reach for them when I find myself in a book rut with my usual genre. This one piqued my interest and I decided to give it a try.
Once I started reading I could hardly put it down. I was quickly and easily drawn into the world. The characters were all well-developed and complex and appealing (or at least the ones that we are rooting for 😉). The story moves so quickly and is filled with twists and surprises. The affection between the MCs is both immediate and slow burn. Don’t expect a lot of spice, but when things heat up, it’s 🔥
I knew going in that this was not a stand alone book, and I’m not really one to read a book knowing there’s going to be a cliffhanger. BUT I decided to read the sample just to see if I was going to like it. As I said earlier, once I started, I couldn’t stop! As for the cliffhanger, I’ve certainly been left off worse. I felt there was enough resolution that I wasn’t throwing my phone at the wall, but I am going to be impatiently waiting for book 2.
I really, really loved this book, and I highly recommend it!
December 29, 2025
I suspected a few things going in, and some of what I read confirmed those suspicions. While parts of the story might feel predictable at first, the writing is so clever and well layered that the twists unfold through action, emotion, and adventure in ways that still manage to surprise me.
The magic system, the differences between species, and the dragons are everything I love in fantasy, and this book delivers them. I love the way the story progresses and how the characters grow, particularly the FMC, whose development and evolving dynamics with others. Lowering / breaking the walls strongly built for vulnerability and trust, is not something easy.
Aelie gives me strong Aelin Galathynius, Saeris Fane, and Paedyn Gray vibes, which I absolutely adored. The writing makes me feel like im surrounded with real runes waiting to break when circumstances threatens it. I think this book deserve all the hype. Im hoping the next book comes a lot more faster 😅.
Thank you for the ARC opportunity.
The magic system, the differences between species, and the dragons are everything I love in fantasy, and this book delivers them. I love the way the story progresses and how the characters grow, particularly the FMC, whose development and evolving dynamics with others. Lowering / breaking the walls strongly built for vulnerability and trust, is not something easy.
Aelie gives me strong Aelin Galathynius, Saeris Fane, and Paedyn Gray vibes, which I absolutely adored. The writing makes me feel like im surrounded with real runes waiting to break when circumstances threatens it. I think this book deserve all the hype. Im hoping the next book comes a lot more faster 😅.
Thank you for the ARC opportunity.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wanted to start by saying a huge thank you to Mila Finch for letting me be one of the lucky ARC readers for this book! I saw the blurb months ago and signed up immediately because the concept was just so fresh.
I’m so glad to say this book didn’t disappoint one bit! The stakes just kept rising and our FMC rose to the challenge spectacularly. Aelie was a refreshing protagonist, using both common sense and street smarts that so often seem to be lacking in the romantasy genre. I loved her and Kairos’s dynamic and thought the progression of their love story felt very organic. I can’t wait to learn more about some of the amazing side characters we saw introduced, especially Rheya! Also loved that there was true girls girl energy from Aelie in this book, we need more of that energy from our FMC’s.
There is a cliffhanger at the end, so prepare yourselves! I’m so soooo excited to get to read book two and will definitely be rereading this one again while we wait.
Thanks again to Mila Finch for this amazing book and happy reading!! :)
I’m so glad to say this book didn’t disappoint one bit! The stakes just kept rising and our FMC rose to the challenge spectacularly. Aelie was a refreshing protagonist, using both common sense and street smarts that so often seem to be lacking in the romantasy genre. I loved her and Kairos’s dynamic and thought the progression of their love story felt very organic. I can’t wait to learn more about some of the amazing side characters we saw introduced, especially Rheya! Also loved that there was true girls girl energy from Aelie in this book, we need more of that energy from our FMC’s.
There is a cliffhanger at the end, so prepare yourselves! I’m so soooo excited to get to read book two and will definitely be rereading this one again while we wait.
Thanks again to Mila Finch for this amazing book and happy reading!! :)
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