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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
3527 people are currently reading
7018 people want to read
About the author
Mila Finch
1 book182 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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March 8, 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 was outright infuriating when she 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 was outright infuriating when she 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 21, 2026
DNF pg 101.
Life is too short
Life is too short
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 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
March 12, 2026
I'm not sure how well i can articulate what I'm thinking here, but I'm going to try. There are probably some spoilers below so proceed with caution.
This felt like bones of a book, but it was missing all the meat. There was an outline here with a lot of classic romantasy concepts, but the characters were literally soooo stupid, and it was filled with plot gaps or unexplained storylines.
The characters' emotions changed 15 times in the span of one conversation - it was giving me whiplash. They would be having a tender moment, then yelling at each other/fighting, then tender moment, and then running away again....all within 5 pages. I didn't really know why the FMC "hated" the MMC. Her emotions were as abrupt as picking petals off of a flower like "i love him, i love him not, i love him, i love him not." Like can you just relax for a second, girl? It's like the author would write something, walk away for two weeks, and then pick up the pen again without reading what she already wrote. Nothing flowed - it was really choppy. I felt like the plot and the characters were contradicting each other a lot.
The fantasy world-building also made no sense. The dragons came out of no where about halfway through the book. The dragons were trapped, but they can also speak in her subconscious (fine), but then suddenly they're able to attack a whole army above ground while still being trapped underground (or wherever they are) with a light storm (or something like that? I didn't know what was happening). I literally was so confused with the way the three runes needed to be broken in all diff realms to free the dragons just in that one realm. Also, the FMC is somehow both part dragon and part fae, but mostly human, but she has super special powers? I feel like we're just throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks here, ppl.
In the first few chapters, the two sisters kept talking about how they needed to run away over and over again, and then they just didn't. It was so repetitive. Every action scene also happened way too fast, and I had no idea how one thing led to another. Like, remember when they went INSIDE a rune for a hot second, and they come out of being INSIDE the rune, and no one ever talks about it again? What the fuck?
Also, I hated how the whole book, the FMC (I finished this book 4 seconds ago and I forget her name) keeps talking about how Vaeris "trapped her" into a faerie deal. She literally BEGGED Vaeris for the deal after he tried to refuse it. She literally forced him to grant the deal, and then she puts ALL the blame on him for the rest of the book. It made no sense to me that she was suffering the whole book for not "coming" to him right away to break a rune for him, but meanwhile, when her sister (forget her name too) fell into that pit into the dragon realm, nothing happened to Vaeris? If his part of the deal is to "keep her sister safe," I would think the faerie deal would punish him when the sister falls into a fissure in the ground into another realm. Vaeris was completely fine and was like "don't worry she's alive!" ...ok, your deal isn't to keep her alive. It's to keep her "safe," and falling down a giant cliff into a pit in the ground in another realm cannot be construed as being kept "safe."
It felt like the FMC was often just fighting the MMC because the author wanted them to be "enemies to lovers," but like they weren't really enemies? The FMC is fighting to get away from her home, and then fighting to get back to her home (and that's alll she fucking thinks about for 75% of the book). Like I get we need to free her sister, but ever think about asking for help from the 1,000 year old warrior with a whole-ass army who is doting on you nonstop? Also, why was the MMC able to kill like 100 people so easily in the blink of an eye when he was freed from his imprisonment rune, but then had a hard time killing like one soldier when he was on the battlefield?
Also, not one thing was surprising in this book. I knew what rune Vaeris was going to make her break from the very start. She could've waited for him to ask her to break the dragon rune on the city (like they thought was his main goal), but she broke that rune for free? These people are just simply idiots.
Side note, every time the MMC called her "my princess," I read it in a Gollum voice saying "my preciousssss"
Anyways, why did I still give this 3 stars when I just spent the last few minutes ranting? Thank you for asking. These stars are based completely on vibes. This book is poorly written, and I would not recommend it to others, but I was entertained by the bad story lol. It's tropey and dumb, but I had fun at times. Didn't care for the smut, but it was there. It's a very easy read because things happen very quickly. It's predictable and entertaining drivel, so don't put it at the top of your list, but it checked some boxes.
This felt like bones of a book, but it was missing all the meat. There was an outline here with a lot of classic romantasy concepts, but the characters were literally soooo stupid, and it was filled with plot gaps or unexplained storylines.
The characters' emotions changed 15 times in the span of one conversation - it was giving me whiplash. They would be having a tender moment, then yelling at each other/fighting, then tender moment, and then running away again....all within 5 pages. I didn't really know why the FMC "hated" the MMC. Her emotions were as abrupt as picking petals off of a flower like "i love him, i love him not, i love him, i love him not." Like can you just relax for a second, girl? It's like the author would write something, walk away for two weeks, and then pick up the pen again without reading what she already wrote. Nothing flowed - it was really choppy. I felt like the plot and the characters were contradicting each other a lot.
The fantasy world-building also made no sense. The dragons came out of no where about halfway through the book. The dragons were trapped, but they can also speak in her subconscious (fine), but then suddenly they're able to attack a whole army above ground while still being trapped underground (or wherever they are) with a light storm (or something like that? I didn't know what was happening). I literally was so confused with the way the three runes needed to be broken in all diff realms to free the dragons just in that one realm. Also, the FMC is somehow both part dragon and part fae, but mostly human, but she has super special powers? I feel like we're just throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks here, ppl.
In the first few chapters, the two sisters kept talking about how they needed to run away over and over again, and then they just didn't. It was so repetitive. Every action scene also happened way too fast, and I had no idea how one thing led to another. Like, remember when they went INSIDE a rune for a hot second, and they come out of being INSIDE the rune, and no one ever talks about it again? What the fuck?
Also, I hated how the whole book, the FMC (I finished this book 4 seconds ago and I forget her name) keeps talking about how Vaeris "trapped her" into a faerie deal. She literally BEGGED Vaeris for the deal after he tried to refuse it. She literally forced him to grant the deal, and then she puts ALL the blame on him for the rest of the book. It made no sense to me that she was suffering the whole book for not "coming" to him right away to break a rune for him, but meanwhile, when her sister (forget her name too) fell into that pit into the dragon realm, nothing happened to Vaeris? If his part of the deal is to "keep her sister safe," I would think the faerie deal would punish him when the sister falls into a fissure in the ground into another realm. Vaeris was completely fine and was like "don't worry she's alive!" ...ok, your deal isn't to keep her alive. It's to keep her "safe," and falling down a giant cliff into a pit in the ground in another realm cannot be construed as being kept "safe."
It felt like the FMC was often just fighting the MMC because the author wanted them to be "enemies to lovers," but like they weren't really enemies? The FMC is fighting to get away from her home, and then fighting to get back to her home (and that's alll she fucking thinks about for 75% of the book). Like I get we need to free her sister, but ever think about asking for help from the 1,000 year old warrior with a whole-ass army who is doting on you nonstop? Also, why was the MMC able to kill like 100 people so easily in the blink of an eye when he was freed from his imprisonment rune, but then had a hard time killing like one soldier when he was on the battlefield?
Also, not one thing was surprising in this book. I knew what rune Vaeris was going to make her break from the very start. She could've waited for him to ask her to break the dragon rune on the city (like they thought was his main goal), but she broke that rune for free? These people are just simply idiots.
Side note, every time the MMC called her "my princess," I read it in a Gollum voice saying "my preciousssss"
Anyways, why did I still give this 3 stars when I just spent the last few minutes ranting? Thank you for asking. These stars are based completely on vibes. This book is poorly written, and I would not recommend it to others, but I was entertained by the bad story lol. It's tropey and dumb, but I had fun at times. Didn't care for the smut, but it was there. It's a very easy read because things happen very quickly. It's predictable and entertaining drivel, so don't put it at the top of your list, but it checked some boxes.
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 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.
February 5, 2026
Love everything about it!
I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. It sucked me in from the first chapter and it’ll stay with me for a long time. Loved the characters and the evolution of their relationships. Love the world Mika has created. Seriously, I loved everything about this book. Holding my breath for the next one! Excellent job Ms Finch!
I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. It sucked me in from the first chapter and it’ll stay with me for a long time. Loved the characters and the evolution of their relationships. Love the world Mika has created. Seriously, I loved everything about this book. Holding my breath for the next one! Excellent job Ms Finch!
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.
February 22, 2026
2.7 stars. It’s fine, but it’s not great. I had a reasonable amount of fun with this but at a certain point it started to feel like trope after trope. Perhaps I’m simply sick of the fae mating bond thing and the catalyst for the story always being that, and the bond being broken somehow. I swear I’ve read a good dozen books all with the exact same concept - including the ex who’s a fae royal but actually the villain in the end.
The sister also felt like an unnecessary and boring plot device to give the FMC a reason to have to deal with the aforementioned ex.
The sister also felt like an unnecessary and boring plot device to give the FMC a reason to have to deal with the aforementioned ex.
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 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 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.
February 10, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS. No apologies.
This book was a FULL 👏 ON 👏 ME 👏 BOOK and I am not even pretending to be objective about it. 😌
✅ Fantasy? Solid.
🔮🔥 Magic system? Cool as hell and actually makes sense.
Pacing? FAST 🏃♀️💨 but never sloppy. I was locked in.
Spice? 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Yes. Purposeful. Earned. 🫦
Kairos - Fae male lead - Hot as f!ck. 🥵🫠. In my head he was Jason Momoa the entire time and I will not be taking questions.
Protective but not controlling. Deadly but gentle. Would burn the realms 🔥👑 but still tells her to REST. I am weak for men who look like weapons but panic when the woman they love gets hurt. That is all.
Aelie - human female lead - isn’t strong because she’s loud or mouthy or magically invincible. She’s strong because she chooses to be, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts. Her power costs her something every single time, and the book never lets you forget that. 🩸🔥 I love her for it. I hurt for it.
This romance isn’t “fated mates but make it lazy.”
It’s messy. It’s terrifying. It’s earned.
They don’t fall in love because the universe said so — they fall in love because they keep choosing each other while everything is on fire. 🔥🔥🔥
He doesn’t want to own her - he wants to DESERVE her.
I was EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED. 😭💔🫠
Fantasy romance with TEETH 🦷
With CONSEQUENCES ⚖️
With DEVOTION 🩸👑
With a king who loves like a vow and fights like a god.
Five stars. Easily. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Would absolutely reread 🔁
Would absolutely ruin my life again if given the chance 😌🔥
Would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy romance with teeth, consequences, and a king who would burn the world down but still ask “are you okay?” first.
😭🩸👑🔥💜
This book was a FULL 👏 ON 👏 ME 👏 BOOK and I am not even pretending to be objective about it. 😌
✅ Fantasy? Solid.
🔮🔥 Magic system? Cool as hell and actually makes sense.
Pacing? FAST 🏃♀️💨 but never sloppy. I was locked in.
Spice? 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Yes. Purposeful. Earned. 🫦
Kairos - Fae male lead - Hot as f!ck. 🥵🫠. In my head he was Jason Momoa the entire time and I will not be taking questions.
Protective but not controlling. Deadly but gentle. Would burn the realms 🔥👑 but still tells her to REST. I am weak for men who look like weapons but panic when the woman they love gets hurt. That is all.
Aelie - human female lead - isn’t strong because she’s loud or mouthy or magically invincible. She’s strong because she chooses to be, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts. Her power costs her something every single time, and the book never lets you forget that. 🩸🔥 I love her for it. I hurt for it.
This romance isn’t “fated mates but make it lazy.”
It’s messy. It’s terrifying. It’s earned.
They don’t fall in love because the universe said so — they fall in love because they keep choosing each other while everything is on fire. 🔥🔥🔥
He doesn’t want to own her - he wants to DESERVE her.
I was EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED. 😭💔🫠
Fantasy romance with TEETH 🦷
With CONSEQUENCES ⚖️
With DEVOTION 🩸👑
With a king who loves like a vow and fights like a god.
Five stars. Easily. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Would absolutely reread 🔁
Would absolutely ruin my life again if given the chance 😌🔥
Would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy romance with teeth, consequences, and a king who would burn the world down but still ask “are you okay?” first.
😭🩸👑🔥💜
February 18, 2026
dnf at 65%
put this book down at 1am at 65% and i realised I didn’t want to pick this back up today.
the fmc was painful. i decided if i feel so much pain thinking about her and her dumb actions why am I hyping myself up to read the rest of it.
I love when a character can break magic but how little she invests in learning her magic, her lack of forethought and intellect made me grind my teeth in annoyance.
I am trying to let things go more this year. I am letting this book go.
put this book down at 1am at 65% and i realised I didn’t want to pick this back up today.
the fmc was painful. i decided if i feel so much pain thinking about her and her dumb actions why am I hyping myself up to read the rest of it.
I love when a character can break magic but how little she invests in learning her magic, her lack of forethought and intellect made me grind my teeth in annoyance.
I am trying to let things go more this year. I am letting this book go.
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March 9, 2026
This book sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. The world building is lush and picturesque, the magic system is so intricate, and the high-stakes action is addictive. The pacing of the book was great, I never felt like anything was too rushed or dragged on. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. Aelie and Kairos had this slow burn tension that I absolutely adored. You could practically feel the sparks fly off the page. All of the characters are flawed, and their imperfections are genuine and authentic. I loved the sister bonds, the different magic in the different kingdoms, and the unique magic system. That ending had me SCREAMING and I am so emotionally invested in the next book.
𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼:
✨ Fast-Paced Romantasy
✨ High-Stakes Action
✨ Hidden Magic
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ He Falls First
✨ Political Intrigue
✨ Captor x Captive
✨ Morally Gray MCs
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Touch Her and ☠️
✨ Mates
“You made me realize I don’t want vengeance. I want to be a male who deserves you.”
𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼:
✨ Fast-Paced Romantasy
✨ High-Stakes Action
✨ Hidden Magic
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ He Falls First
✨ Political Intrigue
✨ Captor x Captive
✨ Morally Gray MCs
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Touch Her and ☠️
✨ Mates
“You made me realize I don’t want vengeance. I want to be a male who deserves you.”
February 17, 2026
Cliffhanger.
Nowhere does it say it's a duet or a series.
It's interesting, well-written written for a KU book, but not being upfront about it being an incomplete series is a deal breaker.
Nowhere does it say it's a duet or a series.
It's interesting, well-written written for a KU book, but not being upfront about it being an incomplete series is a deal breaker.
January 29, 2026
Fantastic!
The ending *chef's kiss* Mila is a wonderful world and character builder. Looking forward to her next book in this series.
The ending *chef's kiss* Mila is a wonderful world and character builder. Looking forward to her next book in this series.
January 25, 2026
Enjoyment - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing - ⭐⭐⭐
I want more world building. I want more slow burn. I want more. Just more.
The writing was fine. There were some inconsistencies and areas I think could have been better written, but oh boy was I invested. I haven't read a book this fast in a looooong time.
Writing - ⭐⭐⭐
I want more world building. I want more slow burn. I want more. Just more.
The writing was fine. There were some inconsistencies and areas I think could have been better written, but oh boy was I invested. I haven't read a book this fast in a looooong time.
February 6, 2026
It was an awesome read, in the beginning I was a bit worried since kindle unlimited books can be hit and miss. There is a few typos and especially in the beginning the pace sometimes switches unexpectedly and conversations arent very finnessed. However thats just a few chapters and then the quality is on par with any other main line and popular fantasy romance. The main trope is enemies to lovers, and it actually well done with excellent pacing and a good and realistic build up. Also, theres Dragons and the fae are more than just models with pointy ears, they are actual well built magical creatures.
Fair warning this book ends on a severe cliff hanger which is horrible and cruel but done in a way that makes me want to wait for book 2 and find out more instead of burning the author at the stake haha, plus there is a bonus chapter available after reading, which was about one of my fav characters 😄 I cant wait for book two and hopefully the little mistakes in the beginning can be fixed, I genuinely thing this book was well written and great entertainment.
Fair warning this book ends on a severe cliff hanger which is horrible and cruel but done in a way that makes me want to wait for book 2 and find out more instead of burning the author at the stake haha, plus there is a bonus chapter available after reading, which was about one of my fav characters 😄 I cant wait for book two and hopefully the little mistakes in the beginning can be fixed, I genuinely thing this book was well written and great entertainment.
Read
February 24, 2026DNF at 70%
This book has an excellent premise, but the follow-through is so frustrating. The FMC very quickly got on my nerves. At first, it was understandable that she might blunder through things, but after she starts learning about her abilities, her disregard for consequences is just horrible.
The tone of the book is odd too. There isn't really a difference between the horrible things that happen and the good ones. You just move from scene to scene, not really feeling anything.
The romance isn't enemies to lovers and I didn't really feel any chemistry. To be honest, there wasn't a lot of chemistry between any of the characters, even the old friends.
I wanted to love this book. I really did, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. Especially not when I could see where it was going, and when I realized it was the start of a trilogy.
This book has an excellent premise, but the follow-through is so frustrating. The FMC very quickly got on my nerves. At first, it was understandable that she might blunder through things, but after she starts learning about her abilities, her disregard for consequences is just horrible.
The tone of the book is odd too. There isn't really a difference between the horrible things that happen and the good ones. You just move from scene to scene, not really feeling anything.
The romance isn't enemies to lovers and I didn't really feel any chemistry. To be honest, there wasn't a lot of chemistry between any of the characters, even the old friends.
I wanted to love this book. I really did, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. Especially not when I could see where it was going, and when I realized it was the start of a trilogy.
February 25, 2026
A new author became one of my favorites
Did I realize this book literally just came out this year, and it would end on a huge cliffhanger.... No. But damn this was a good book! You can tell it was inspired and has many elements picked from very popular books series. But not in a overdone, plagiarism way. I would definitely say it was inspiration from other books that got flipped and turned into a brand new story. I loved the world she created and the different fae courts. I liked the new lore and history of fae and dragons together. The magic was very interesting and I felt very "new". And the deep bond of the sisters was so beautiful. Aelie would literally break entire ancient cities to get her sister back.
Did I realize this book literally just came out this year, and it would end on a huge cliffhanger.... No. But damn this was a good book! You can tell it was inspired and has many elements picked from very popular books series. But not in a overdone, plagiarism way. I would definitely say it was inspiration from other books that got flipped and turned into a brand new story. I loved the world she created and the different fae courts. I liked the new lore and history of fae and dragons together. The magic was very interesting and I felt very "new". And the deep bond of the sisters was so beautiful. Aelie would literally break entire ancient cities to get her sister back.
February 26, 2026
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
This book had good potential, but ultimately fell a bit flat for me.
Pros:
+ The magic is interesting (but not super well developed).
+ The world/setting has the potential to be interesting and further developed in later books.
Cons:
- The plot pacing is not great. A lot happens, so it isn't boring by any means, but nothing is explained particularly well and there are a lot of weird gaps in the plot.
- I was not very invested in most of the relationships between the characters.
- The characters felt a bit 2D to me most of the time, but that might be because the plot pacing felt so strange so the actions of the characters also did not always make sense.
This book had good potential, but ultimately fell a bit flat for me.
Pros:
+ The magic is interesting (but not super well developed).
+ The world/setting has the potential to be interesting and further developed in later books.
Cons:
- The plot pacing is not great. A lot happens, so it isn't boring by any means, but nothing is explained particularly well and there are a lot of weird gaps in the plot.
- I was not very invested in most of the relationships between the characters.
- The characters felt a bit 2D to me most of the time, but that might be because the plot pacing felt so strange so the actions of the characters also did not always make sense.
March 10, 2026
"Say the word, and I’ll drop to my knees and show you what it’s like to be worshipped.”
Wow! This book blew me away with that ending 😱 Still trying to process and accept that I will have to wait for the next book after that cliffhanger.
The MMC was so supportive and worked so hard to prove he would be there for the FMC. The way he protected her 😍
The FMC was perfection. She had an amazing ability to break runes and gave herself entirely to the people she loves. But she also loves pretty things and being pampered!
Wow! This book blew me away with that ending 😱 Still trying to process and accept that I will have to wait for the next book after that cliffhanger.
The MMC was so supportive and worked so hard to prove he would be there for the FMC. The way he protected her 😍
The FMC was perfection. She had an amazing ability to break runes and gave herself entirely to the people she loves. But she also loves pretty things and being pampered!
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) ✨
February 28, 2026
It was great.....NOT! All of the characters were so ANNOYING except for Uther, and the FMC was literally so selfish, stupid and genuinely clueless that I was about to rip my hair out. The concept was SO GOOD, and then the repetition and random emotional crises that automatically went away threw me off the story. I just feel like it was poorly executed and that the MMC was a whiney baby that switched personalities literally every 5 seconds
2 stars 😪🤧
2 stars 😪🤧
February 27, 2026
My first six star book since a series I read two years prior! I don’t know what to say besides, I started this book and it ended my slump, I finished it and my slump painfully returned! I am literally staring out my window with tears in my eyes. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do, all I know is that I am broken! I guess I’ll read it again! Excellent story! I am hooked!
March 4, 2026
This book made me feel like I was reading ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Quicksilver, or From Blood & Ash again...It gripped me and I didn't want to stop reading. I literally cannot wait for the next book because omg the ending tore through me! This book was so good and I am going to need to go stare at a wall for a while now!
January 28, 2026
DNF.
I honestly feel bad about it, because I can see that there is potential but it just fell short for me, and the writing style feels choppy and I could not get into it, I am honestly just writing a review so I remember I didn't like it if I ever come back to it because the blurb had me sold.
I honestly feel bad about it, because I can see that there is potential but it just fell short for me, and the writing style feels choppy and I could not get into it, I am honestly just writing a review so I remember I didn't like it if I ever come back to it because the blurb had me sold.
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