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Pilgrimess
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26Robbie Finch and her found family of fellow lady criminals are weathering tyranny from a theocratic patriarchal rule. Their resistance movement is interrupted when they get word that her niece is in trouble. Disguising themselves as penitents on a religious pilgrimage to a powerful enemy city, the ladies set out on a rescue mission. Along the way, lifelong enemies persecute them, an old flame reignites and danger threatens. And a strange man will not stop dogging Robbie’s steps. As she and her mysterious new suitor dance around each other’s desires and intentions, Robbie is forced to reckon with her past. She can only defeat the evil that looms if she remembers who she is, what gift she possesses, and opens her heart to new kinds of magic.
Unknown Binding
Expected publication April 28, 2026
23 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Kara Voorhees Reynolds
5 books250 followersKara Reynolds is a watercolorist who lives in Florida with her husband and their cats.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
If you were devastated by Priestess by Kara Reynolds BOY HAVE I GOT GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. 🎉 TINTAR IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!
You got:
✨️ religious trauma
✨️ Girl gang vibes
✨️ vigilante shenanigans
✨️ Y E A R N I N G
✨️ Queer Rep like a mf'er
I was beyond excited to receive an ARC from the author. Reading Priestess and Illuminator healed me in ways I didn't expect, so applying for an ARC of Pilgrimess was a no brainer. Imagine my joy when it landed in my inbox!
That being said, Pilgrimess did not let me down. A new girl gang, a new love interest(s), new GODS. What i love about TGoT is that you never get the same story. Every character is so nuanced and distinguishable, to the point of feeling like my friends long after I've closed the book.
In my many years as a literate human who is constantly trying to find not only themselves in fiction, but also constantly seeks healing in fiction, it isn't super often i find a book that hits those thorny parts of me that need healing and acknowledgement...but here we are 2.5 books deep and each book has healed some buried aspect of me.
I grew up in a military family. This comes with baggage and trauma all its own, but it also comes with the expected "rub some dirt on it and keep going" coping mechanisms. If you acknowledge the pain you're weak. If you're weak, the mission fails. What mission? Who knows. keep pushing.
And thats where Pilgrimess comes in. Robbie is the kind of carer who does not stop for herself. She keeps going because without her, women die. Without her, babies die. The weight of her village rests on her and when they're uprooted by the war Perpetane incites with Tintar, she is the ONLY midwife who can keep the women safe on their resettlement journey. Robbie doesn't have the luxury of dissecting the many traumas life had visited upon her up to that point.
But, the events of the pilgrimage forces her to confront her heart breaking last. The discomfort of the lowlands and the emotional toll of being around people who want you dead will do a number on your mental health and this book does not shy away from that reality. Robbie is torn down, laid low, multiple times but shes the type to push herself up, spit out a gob of blood, and say "Is that all you got?!" as she sways in her feet. She is a survivor through and through, and she knows how to survive, but she doesn't know how to heal. And that is what she must learn on the road.
The book is equal parts mystery, romance, ride-or-die friendships, and healing. You should know by now that Kara doesn't write with half her heart, she uses the whole thing to give you a story worthy of the time she's asking you to invest in her books. I cried multiple times for multiple reasons, and I cannot recommend this book enough. Priestess was written so beautifully. Illuminator upped the ante. Pilgrimess proved that Kara does not write to plateau, she writes to scale mountains. Her craft comes first and it shows with each book. Some lines and passages tore my heart to shreds with their beauty.
I am beyond excited for the world to read this. I believe a lot of people will face a reckoning with core aspects of their lives should they choose to pick this book up, and that is one of the highest compliments I can give a book. Books change our lives, they force us to rip apart the thornhedges within us that have kept us safe from hurt....why else would powerful men want to ban and burn such books?
You got:
✨️ religious trauma
✨️ Girl gang vibes
✨️ vigilante shenanigans
✨️ Y E A R N I N G
✨️ Queer Rep like a mf'er
I was beyond excited to receive an ARC from the author. Reading Priestess and Illuminator healed me in ways I didn't expect, so applying for an ARC of Pilgrimess was a no brainer. Imagine my joy when it landed in my inbox!
That being said, Pilgrimess did not let me down. A new girl gang, a new love interest(s), new GODS. What i love about TGoT is that you never get the same story. Every character is so nuanced and distinguishable, to the point of feeling like my friends long after I've closed the book.
In my many years as a literate human who is constantly trying to find not only themselves in fiction, but also constantly seeks healing in fiction, it isn't super often i find a book that hits those thorny parts of me that need healing and acknowledgement...but here we are 2.5 books deep and each book has healed some buried aspect of me.
I grew up in a military family. This comes with baggage and trauma all its own, but it also comes with the expected "rub some dirt on it and keep going" coping mechanisms. If you acknowledge the pain you're weak. If you're weak, the mission fails. What mission? Who knows. keep pushing.
And thats where Pilgrimess comes in. Robbie is the kind of carer who does not stop for herself. She keeps going because without her, women die. Without her, babies die. The weight of her village rests on her and when they're uprooted by the war Perpetane incites with Tintar, she is the ONLY midwife who can keep the women safe on their resettlement journey. Robbie doesn't have the luxury of dissecting the many traumas life had visited upon her up to that point.
But, the events of the pilgrimage forces her to confront her heart breaking last. The discomfort of the lowlands and the emotional toll of being around people who want you dead will do a number on your mental health and this book does not shy away from that reality. Robbie is torn down, laid low, multiple times but shes the type to push herself up, spit out a gob of blood, and say "Is that all you got?!" as she sways in her feet. She is a survivor through and through, and she knows how to survive, but she doesn't know how to heal. And that is what she must learn on the road.
The book is equal parts mystery, romance, ride-or-die friendships, and healing. You should know by now that Kara doesn't write with half her heart, she uses the whole thing to give you a story worthy of the time she's asking you to invest in her books. I cried multiple times for multiple reasons, and I cannot recommend this book enough. Priestess was written so beautifully. Illuminator upped the ante. Pilgrimess proved that Kara does not write to plateau, she writes to scale mountains. Her craft comes first and it shows with each book. Some lines and passages tore my heart to shreds with their beauty.
I am beyond excited for the world to read this. I believe a lot of people will face a reckoning with core aspects of their lives should they choose to pick this book up, and that is one of the highest compliments I can give a book. Books change our lives, they force us to rip apart the thornhedges within us that have kept us safe from hurt....why else would powerful men want to ban and burn such books?
Review of advance copy
Thank you Tales & Teacups for Pilgrimess (Gods of Tintar) which was one of my most anticipated reads of the year considering the first book and I appreciate that this can be read as a standalone.
Fantasy has a habit of casting teenagers as the heroine but here we have an actual adult (40yo FMC) which is fantastic! Representation actually does matter especially considering the graphic nature of this book and it did actually
offer a varied perspective that is so often left out and challenges the stereotypes we so often see.
I would definitely reccommend this but consider the trigger warnings before doing so
Fantasy has a habit of casting teenagers as the heroine but here we have an actual adult (40yo FMC) which is fantastic! Representation actually does matter especially considering the graphic nature of this book and it did actually
offer a varied perspective that is so often left out and challenges the stereotypes we so often see.
I would definitely reccommend this but consider the trigger warnings before doing so
Review of advance copy received from Author
If you’ve ever been told that you shine too brightly, told that you must dim your light so not to offend the delicate sensitivities of men in power, then this is the book that you need to read. This is a book about how women are less, subservient to men and church, and it’s about rebellion, the quiet ways in which women say no. Who find small ways to fight back, who find their worth, not in being less than, but in who they are.
If you like fast-paced fantasy stories, then this is not the story for you, if however, you love slow-paced stories that flow gently like a peaceful lake before throwing you into the deep rapids at the end, and will have you reading through floods of tears, this is the book for you.
For this story blocks slowly, its beauty revealed with each opening of a petal, under the bloom of sunlight. The tension, a slow simmering thing that has you turning the pages, awaiting the next reveal.
This story might be fiction, but it is grounded in startling reality and that is what makes the story so brilliant to read, and makes you so angry as a reader, because we read this not only from a modern perspective where we clutch our pearls at the idea of living in a world like this, while knowing that bit by bit it is exactly the life we’re being pushed towards. Where the bright are expected to douse their flames to become less than for those in power, as if they have any actual right to be there.
Better still, the FMC isn’t young, she’s not untested, Robbie is the opposite of that, she’s mature, she’s emotionally scared. She’s been tested over and over again, her faith wavers, and when she falters, her friends are there to pick her up and dust her off. The diversity within the story is so well done, and without drawing overt attention to it, each character is so beautifully normal, not the overly attractive, good at everything, characters we usually see within fantasy settings. They are all flawed in their own way.
For some Robbie is going to grate, but thats her superpower, shes unafraid to be herself, even if shes’ been forced to be less to save herself from burning, because yes, in this story if the woman doesn’t bow, if she doesn’t lower herself to a man, if she doesn’t repent, she’s burned at the stake.
We follow our character’s are they flee from war, and towards Robbie’s neice who sent a startling letter begging for help, in secret code. There is hardship on the road, though, and strangers who linger.
This is a love story, but not just a love story between main characters, though that story is beautiful in its own regard. It’s a love story between friends. It’s a love story with yourself. The friendships in this book are the foundations of the entire story; without it, there would be no story. These women have been through so much and yet together they found a home and a life that carries on right to the very end. Where I ugly cried. A lot.
The actual love story, though, is such a brilliant slow burn; it’s gentle and surprising. It sneaks up on you, which makes sense given our Salt Mans affinity. He’s so freaking smooth, and honestly, how Robbie held out for as long as she did is truly beyond me.
This book, broke me in the best way, because we sit with these characters, it’s like sitting with friends, you get to truly know them, so that when they feel pain or fear, or suffer loss, you suffer it too. Those last chapters had been read through tears, which is a hard thing to do. Because they were all too real.
This story also manages to take my least faviourte thing in fantasy, which is past and present being woven into together (we read several chapters in the present, and then jump back into the past) and had me enjoying it because those chapters built on what we knew, they offered you insight and understanding and without them we wouldn’t have enjoyed the story half as much. They were needed. We needed to understand Robbie, I feel, without them, we might have found her jarring, and less likeable plus they make sense for the end of the book.
Which had me sobbing, did I say that yet?
Please check your triggers though, they are clearly outlined, and for good reason, if you're sensitive to any of them, this is probably not the read for you. They are haddled with such grace, though and done tastefully. All in all i’d give this six stars if I could.
If you like fast-paced fantasy stories, then this is not the story for you, if however, you love slow-paced stories that flow gently like a peaceful lake before throwing you into the deep rapids at the end, and will have you reading through floods of tears, this is the book for you.
For this story blocks slowly, its beauty revealed with each opening of a petal, under the bloom of sunlight. The tension, a slow simmering thing that has you turning the pages, awaiting the next reveal.
This story might be fiction, but it is grounded in startling reality and that is what makes the story so brilliant to read, and makes you so angry as a reader, because we read this not only from a modern perspective where we clutch our pearls at the idea of living in a world like this, while knowing that bit by bit it is exactly the life we’re being pushed towards. Where the bright are expected to douse their flames to become less than for those in power, as if they have any actual right to be there.
Better still, the FMC isn’t young, she’s not untested, Robbie is the opposite of that, she’s mature, she’s emotionally scared. She’s been tested over and over again, her faith wavers, and when she falters, her friends are there to pick her up and dust her off. The diversity within the story is so well done, and without drawing overt attention to it, each character is so beautifully normal, not the overly attractive, good at everything, characters we usually see within fantasy settings. They are all flawed in their own way.
For some Robbie is going to grate, but thats her superpower, shes unafraid to be herself, even if shes’ been forced to be less to save herself from burning, because yes, in this story if the woman doesn’t bow, if she doesn’t lower herself to a man, if she doesn’t repent, she’s burned at the stake.
We follow our character’s are they flee from war, and towards Robbie’s neice who sent a startling letter begging for help, in secret code. There is hardship on the road, though, and strangers who linger.
This is a love story, but not just a love story between main characters, though that story is beautiful in its own regard. It’s a love story between friends. It’s a love story with yourself. The friendships in this book are the foundations of the entire story; without it, there would be no story. These women have been through so much and yet together they found a home and a life that carries on right to the very end. Where I ugly cried. A lot.
The actual love story, though, is such a brilliant slow burn; it’s gentle and surprising. It sneaks up on you, which makes sense given our Salt Mans affinity. He’s so freaking smooth, and honestly, how Robbie held out for as long as she did is truly beyond me.
This book, broke me in the best way, because we sit with these characters, it’s like sitting with friends, you get to truly know them, so that when they feel pain or fear, or suffer loss, you suffer it too. Those last chapters had been read through tears, which is a hard thing to do. Because they were all too real.
This story also manages to take my least faviourte thing in fantasy, which is past and present being woven into together (we read several chapters in the present, and then jump back into the past) and had me enjoying it because those chapters built on what we knew, they offered you insight and understanding and without them we wouldn’t have enjoyed the story half as much. They were needed. We needed to understand Robbie, I feel, without them, we might have found her jarring, and less likeable plus they make sense for the end of the book.
Which had me sobbing, did I say that yet?
Please check your triggers though, they are clearly outlined, and for good reason, if you're sensitive to any of them, this is probably not the read for you. They are haddled with such grace, though and done tastefully. All in all i’d give this six stars if I could.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book really made my religious trauma felt seen. Make sure you read the trigger warnings, because protecting your mental health is important.
Robbie is a 40 year old woman that lives on the outskirts of town in the woods. There are flashbacks to different times in her life, to tell her story and the story of others. Like any woman that dares to question a man or even just want to know why the rules are the rules, she is punished for it from a young age. The patriarchy will NOT tolerate being questioned. She has lived a life with the priest plotting and waiting to take her down. Even though she cares for the women of her town, she does grow weary. She misses those gone before her, and tired of always having to be looking over her shoulder
Thane, a dukes’s son, has stepped in and advocated for her over the years as his sister-in-law. However, he travels and cannot always be there. Which is perfect for the leaders in the church. The memory of her mentor’s fate is never far from her mind, and watching Robbie walk the line between being fearless and white, hot fear is a reminder of all of this.
More trouble is brewing besides the church leaders going after women and children that do not follow the list of rules. Now, a war threatens their town, but they do have the option to go the safety of another town, but is that what a woman that loves the land she lives on wants to do? In the mix of it all, an old flame is making eyes, and a new mysterious man is watching her and asking questions. Robbie also must worry about those that she cares for. Is she the only one that can protect them? How will she draw on her beliefs and strengths to fight against all of the obstacles facing her?
This book was good! Kara Reynolds really does a fantastic job of weaving the story together. The found family Robbie builds just fills me with so much happiness, and the banter is spot on. There is some low spice and a slow burn yearning that leads to full spicy scenes. The LGBTQIA+ rep and the danger from towns with one religion but others know love is love really hit home. The ending an authors note hit my heart so hard. I highly recommend this book. Pre-order now, and the Pilgrimess releases on April 26, 2026.
I want to thank Kara and her team for the opportunity to read the ARC. My thoughts and review are my own.
Robbie is a 40 year old woman that lives on the outskirts of town in the woods. There are flashbacks to different times in her life, to tell her story and the story of others. Like any woman that dares to question a man or even just want to know why the rules are the rules, she is punished for it from a young age. The patriarchy will NOT tolerate being questioned. She has lived a life with the priest plotting and waiting to take her down. Even though she cares for the women of her town, she does grow weary. She misses those gone before her, and tired of always having to be looking over her shoulder
Thane, a dukes’s son, has stepped in and advocated for her over the years as his sister-in-law. However, he travels and cannot always be there. Which is perfect for the leaders in the church. The memory of her mentor’s fate is never far from her mind, and watching Robbie walk the line between being fearless and white, hot fear is a reminder of all of this.
More trouble is brewing besides the church leaders going after women and children that do not follow the list of rules. Now, a war threatens their town, but they do have the option to go the safety of another town, but is that what a woman that loves the land she lives on wants to do? In the mix of it all, an old flame is making eyes, and a new mysterious man is watching her and asking questions. Robbie also must worry about those that she cares for. Is she the only one that can protect them? How will she draw on her beliefs and strengths to fight against all of the obstacles facing her?
This book was good! Kara Reynolds really does a fantastic job of weaving the story together. The found family Robbie builds just fills me with so much happiness, and the banter is spot on. There is some low spice and a slow burn yearning that leads to full spicy scenes. The LGBTQIA+ rep and the danger from towns with one religion but others know love is love really hit home. The ending an authors note hit my heart so hard. I highly recommend this book. Pre-order now, and the Pilgrimess releases on April 26, 2026.
I want to thank Kara and her team for the opportunity to read the ARC. My thoughts and review are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is not your typical romantasy full of spice with a side of fast-paced world-building. Nothing about Kara’s books is typical, and that is exactly why you need to read them. Yesterday.
If you read Priestess, you may be tempted to dismiss it early on due to some close similarities at the beginning: the same concept of a female assembly (who found each other while surviving traumatic lives) being forced to leave their home and find love along the journey. I even remember thinking, “Gods, the same stolen glances from a cart?”
HOWEVER, dear gentle reader and grateful past me, you must stick with it, for the differences are beautiful.
The first thing I enjoyed was the fact that Robbie (Pilgrimess’s FMC) lives under the tyranny that Eddie (Priestess’s FMC) escaped. Eddie’s past trauma is mainly shown through snippets involving her ex-husband, but with Robbie, we get to experience the horrors of an inquisitive girl growing up in a system designed to force women down. We see her childhood doubts, her teenage heartbreaks, and her early-adulthood hope—and how she suffers under and fights the system along the way. It not only fleshes out adult Robbie wonderfully, but it also gives you better insight into the hell Eddie escaped.
Eddie is the lucky one who managed to escape. Robbie is the unlucky one who stayed behind and was forced to risk her life for a living, looking after the women of her village. Eddie was level-headed and armed with wit. Robbie is a reckless saint armed with passion and balls of steel. Her village doesn’t deserve her.
I may have spent almost the entire book thinking that I liked Alric better, but after finishing it, Reed won my heart too.
But enough comparison between the two. Because if you haven’t read either, you must. These are books about female resilience, about sisterhood, and about how family is forged by love. They’re about how love comes in many forms—just like fear and control. They’re a manifesto against religions that thrive on hating and shaming half the population.
Like Priestess, Pilgrimess will heal parts of your soul you didn’t even know needed healing. So go get your copy. (You’re welcome.)
If you read Priestess, you may be tempted to dismiss it early on due to some close similarities at the beginning: the same concept of a female assembly (who found each other while surviving traumatic lives) being forced to leave their home and find love along the journey. I even remember thinking, “Gods, the same stolen glances from a cart?”
HOWEVER, dear gentle reader and grateful past me, you must stick with it, for the differences are beautiful.
The first thing I enjoyed was the fact that Robbie (Pilgrimess’s FMC) lives under the tyranny that Eddie (Priestess’s FMC) escaped. Eddie’s past trauma is mainly shown through snippets involving her ex-husband, but with Robbie, we get to experience the horrors of an inquisitive girl growing up in a system designed to force women down. We see her childhood doubts, her teenage heartbreaks, and her early-adulthood hope—and how she suffers under and fights the system along the way. It not only fleshes out adult Robbie wonderfully, but it also gives you better insight into the hell Eddie escaped.
Eddie is the lucky one who managed to escape. Robbie is the unlucky one who stayed behind and was forced to risk her life for a living, looking after the women of her village. Eddie was level-headed and armed with wit. Robbie is a reckless saint armed with passion and balls of steel. Her village doesn’t deserve her.
I may have spent almost the entire book thinking that I liked Alric better, but after finishing it, Reed won my heart too.
But enough comparison between the two. Because if you haven’t read either, you must. These are books about female resilience, about sisterhood, and about how family is forged by love. They’re about how love comes in many forms—just like fear and control. They’re a manifesto against religions that thrive on hating and shaming half the population.
Like Priestess, Pilgrimess will heal parts of your soul you didn’t even know needed healing. So go get your copy. (You’re welcome.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
Witches have sacred texts of their own and one of mine says, ‘There will always be some fierce woman angry at the way of kings.'
Thank you so much to the author for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Pilgrimess. Priestess was one of my favorite reads last year and also one that I was aggressively pushy about telling people to read. So when I saw there was another book in this universe and ARC requests were open, I hit that request form so fast.
Robbie and her role in her village, publicly hated but secretly essential to the women, was so well done. I enjoyed going back and forth between the past and present, as always I have a soft spot for a quest/journey story framing, and similar to Priestess I appreciate how honest and compassionate the story is about women and their experiences in a world biased and stacked against them. Robbie as a woman of 40 and all her life experiences brought a lot of depth, and once again the deep love between female friendships made the relationships and interactions shine. Everything felt genuine and realistic and I think truly makes this stand out where other stories feel more surface level or forced.
Then he asked, ragged and anguished, “Why don’t you like me?”
And I am weak for a devotedly obsessed man with an attitude and who has deep loving friendships. I am physically, spiritually, and emotionally unwell after reading his letter. The only minor quirk: the necklines of this man's clothing hate to see his hands coming, they must be stretched and exhausted by how many times we were told his fingers were looped into his collar.
I laughed, I cried, I raged, I stressed, I gagged a little, while reading this. Once again, this world feels fresh and unique, the themes and story that the author wanted to tell were deftly woven together, and I didn't want to stop. So so happy to have had a chance to read this, and cannot wait for others to pick this up as well.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I honestly want to just scream at the top of my lungs for people to READ THIS SERIES.
The power of sisterhood shines through the pages in each novel/novella. I LOVED Robbie’s story. Her flashback chapters….like all of the characters are so fleshed out and well developed.
These characters. Where do I even begin?
-Thane. I felt for you, I really did. You are a good man who was surrounded by some awful people.
-Magda. You were such an amazing foundation for the girls. The chapters I read with you teaching the girls…I just wanted to be on that little farm as well. Digging my hands into Mother Earth and soaking up all the lessons.
-Avery. AVERY. A V E R Y. You were in my top five characters for this one. The banter….the chemistry….the love and affection for your woman. Be still my heart.
-Reed. THE PERFECT MMC. I love how it all connected to the first book. Ugh. His whole personality….new book boyfriend. Don’t even get me started about THE letter and book 😍
And let’s not forget the ladies. Every single one of them made this story. The representation in this book….its just so flawless. I love when I’m reading a book and there is representation and it doesn’t feel forced. Like the author needs to have a checklist (do I have a POC character, a queer character, straight, trans, disabled…you get my drift) and tick all the boxes. I think it takes true talent to let a story unfold naturally and let it be beautiful with the diversity of the characters.
I am so happy that I was able to get an ARC of this book (it’s my first time). I’m not a seasoned reviewer or influencer at all…I just write how I feel after I finish a book. This book is raw and beautiful…I was so sad to finish it and close the door on Robbie and her friends and family’s story.
The power of sisterhood shines through the pages in each novel/novella. I LOVED Robbie’s story. Her flashback chapters….like all of the characters are so fleshed out and well developed.
These characters. Where do I even begin?
-Thane. I felt for you, I really did. You are a good man who was surrounded by some awful people.
-Magda. You were such an amazing foundation for the girls. The chapters I read with you teaching the girls…I just wanted to be on that little farm as well. Digging my hands into Mother Earth and soaking up all the lessons.
-Avery. AVERY. A V E R Y. You were in my top five characters for this one. The banter….the chemistry….the love and affection for your woman. Be still my heart.
-Reed. THE PERFECT MMC. I love how it all connected to the first book. Ugh. His whole personality….new book boyfriend. Don’t even get me started about THE letter and book 😍
And let’s not forget the ladies. Every single one of them made this story. The representation in this book….its just so flawless. I love when I’m reading a book and there is representation and it doesn’t feel forced. Like the author needs to have a checklist (do I have a POC character, a queer character, straight, trans, disabled…you get my drift) and tick all the boxes. I think it takes true talent to let a story unfold naturally and let it be beautiful with the diversity of the characters.
I am so happy that I was able to get an ARC of this book (it’s my first time). I’m not a seasoned reviewer or influencer at all…I just write how I feel after I finish a book. This book is raw and beautiful…I was so sad to finish it and close the door on Robbie and her friends and family’s story.
February 22, 2026
“The female mind is too easily corrupted. When you teach a woman to read she will surely seek out ungodly books.”
I would love to sit around a campfire with Robbie and her gang of outlaws to chat about ungodly books.
I adored all the strong female characters in this book and the found family dynamic on their journey. This author writes diverse mature characters with life experience, which can be hard to find in the fantasy genre.
The banter between the two main characters was genuinely funny, I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.
“Perhaps one day I will earn the sound of my own name from your lips” the grovelling from the MMC reminded me of Westley in the Princess Bride.
Robbie was an incredible fiery main character. We learn more about what shaped her through artfully done flashback chapters. These flashbacks made me feel so angry about how the church and the town treated women.
“That she is a witch? I don’t believe in witches. Witches are just women who read, according to your church.”
The authenticity of Robbie’s trauma and the importance of her work as a midwife hit even harder when I finished the book and read the authors note. It feels very timely to be reading books about women’s healthcare and it is so important that these stories keep being told.
This world is distinctive from other fantasy books I’ve read. It was such a treat to return to it and make links with the story in Priestess. Will continue to devour anything this author writes!
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.
I would love to sit around a campfire with Robbie and her gang of outlaws to chat about ungodly books.
I adored all the strong female characters in this book and the found family dynamic on their journey. This author writes diverse mature characters with life experience, which can be hard to find in the fantasy genre.
The banter between the two main characters was genuinely funny, I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.
“Perhaps one day I will earn the sound of my own name from your lips” the grovelling from the MMC reminded me of Westley in the Princess Bride.
Robbie was an incredible fiery main character. We learn more about what shaped her through artfully done flashback chapters. These flashbacks made me feel so angry about how the church and the town treated women.
“That she is a witch? I don’t believe in witches. Witches are just women who read, according to your church.”
The authenticity of Robbie’s trauma and the importance of her work as a midwife hit even harder when I finished the book and read the authors note. It feels very timely to be reading books about women’s healthcare and it is so important that these stories keep being told.
This world is distinctive from other fantasy books I’ve read. It was such a treat to return to it and make links with the story in Priestess. Will continue to devour anything this author writes!
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the honor of being able to BETA read this book for Kara 🥲🥲 I always say “I think this is my favorite in the series” for each book which makes me sound like a broken record but I truly believe this is my favorite book in the God’s of Tintar series.
Opening this book and going back into this series felt like visiting my childhood home in the sense where I just felt so welcome and happy to be reading Kara’s writing again. I was so sad when I finished this book because I really didn’t want it to end.
I think Robbie is the most relatable FMC I’ve met. She is so headstrong and a rule bender and pushing the limits in any situation she’s in and for that I love her. My heart broke for her several times during this book and I found myself needing an IV to help with the dehydration I got from crying while reading this book.
Once again Kara raised the bar for fictional MMCs because Salt Man (he has a real name but I’m not spoiling it) is EVERYTHING! I loved how subtly charming he was and how he matches Robbie’s attitude.
This is an interconnected standalone so you do not have to read the first book to understand this book but there are parallels, which will surprise and delight you if you’ve read both books. I don’t care how you read these books I just care that you do 🤣 I highly reccomend this book and this series in general. Thank you Kara for allowing me to read your book before everyone else 🥲🥲
Opening this book and going back into this series felt like visiting my childhood home in the sense where I just felt so welcome and happy to be reading Kara’s writing again. I was so sad when I finished this book because I really didn’t want it to end.
I think Robbie is the most relatable FMC I’ve met. She is so headstrong and a rule bender and pushing the limits in any situation she’s in and for that I love her. My heart broke for her several times during this book and I found myself needing an IV to help with the dehydration I got from crying while reading this book.
Once again Kara raised the bar for fictional MMCs because Salt Man (he has a real name but I’m not spoiling it) is EVERYTHING! I loved how subtly charming he was and how he matches Robbie’s attitude.
This is an interconnected standalone so you do not have to read the first book to understand this book but there are parallels, which will surprise and delight you if you’ve read both books. I don’t care how you read these books I just care that you do 🤣 I highly reccomend this book and this series in general. Thank you Kara for allowing me to read your book before everyone else 🥲🥲
February 20, 2026
I want to thank the author for an advanced reader copy of this book!
I found Priestess last year. I felt like I had found a little known treasure, I loved Priestess so much I was happen when the author started conjuring more attention around her well written stories. I was so excited when I got my ARC of Pilgrimess, but I will admit I was slightly disappointed when our old cast of characters from Priestess was not the center of this novel as well. I wasn’t disappointed for long!! Robbie and her band of sisters stole my heart so quickly, especially because Robbie and her sister have women’s health and wellbeing as a large part of their life which resonates with me pursing a career in healthcare.
Sometimes books with long journeys as the center of the plot can feel like a slog, but I didn’t get that from Pilgrimess- I felt that the flashbacks where we get to learn about Robbie’s history provided strong context and good pacing for the “present” moment of the book.
I think I will echo many other readers in that I love Reynold’s books because of the mature female representation in her novels. Her characters feel multi faceted and complex, which many novels I feel tend to lose in lieu of fast paced romance.
Cant wait for another book!!
I found Priestess last year. I felt like I had found a little known treasure, I loved Priestess so much I was happen when the author started conjuring more attention around her well written stories. I was so excited when I got my ARC of Pilgrimess, but I will admit I was slightly disappointed when our old cast of characters from Priestess was not the center of this novel as well. I wasn’t disappointed for long!! Robbie and her band of sisters stole my heart so quickly, especially because Robbie and her sister have women’s health and wellbeing as a large part of their life which resonates with me pursing a career in healthcare.
Sometimes books with long journeys as the center of the plot can feel like a slog, but I didn’t get that from Pilgrimess- I felt that the flashbacks where we get to learn about Robbie’s history provided strong context and good pacing for the “present” moment of the book.
I think I will echo many other readers in that I love Reynold’s books because of the mature female representation in her novels. Her characters feel multi faceted and complex, which many novels I feel tend to lose in lieu of fast paced romance.
Cant wait for another book!!
February 19, 2026
I officially adore anything Kara Reynolds writes. I don’t think anyone writes dialogue, specifically romantic banter, like she does. I couldn’t put this down. I just love how she represents complicated relationships of all kinds, especially friendships. Reading this, I felt the same comfort and joy of being in the Priestess world; I loved the similarities woven between the two stories, but Pilgrimess expands upon the world with unique characters, settings, and revelations.
I’m really struggling to put into words what I love about her take on religion- how these characters are victims of an abusive, theocratic, patriarchal tyranny but they find solace in a different spirituality, just as all consuming, but rooted in the natural elements and offering an unconditional loving support. Does that even make sense? This book makes me think about life and sigh contentedly. It makes me want to sit around a fire with all the women I have ever known.
Thank you Kara for my advanced copy 💗
I’m really struggling to put into words what I love about her take on religion- how these characters are victims of an abusive, theocratic, patriarchal tyranny but they find solace in a different spirituality, just as all consuming, but rooted in the natural elements and offering an unconditional loving support. Does that even make sense? This book makes me think about life and sigh contentedly. It makes me want to sit around a fire with all the women I have ever known.
Thank you Kara for my advanced copy 💗
Review of advance copy
Blazed through this last night and still reeling. This definitely retains the charms of Priestess, the authors first breakout novel, in terms of the found family, slow burn spicy romance, tattooed older FMC, authentic spirituality but with a darker and deeper exploration into patriarchy and in particular patriarchal religion. I'm still pondering the allegorical aspects of this with the tower and what it represents, and I feel like I got a vicarious understanding of what it may be like to live in and resist such a world. It literally makes me want to write an essay, lol, and it's one of the few novels I'm left truly thinking about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2026
I cried when I finished this book and let me tell you, I am not normally a crier. Kara has this unique ability to write such deep and beautiful stories that cannot help but evoke the strongest emotions - the pain, the yearning, it’s all so deliciously torturous. Pilgrimess truly is a magical book like no other. It has such a strong storyline which deals with serious issues and there are beautiful moments of love dispersed within. This series is truly different from anything else I’ve read. I know this book will linger in my thoughts for a significant time.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love this series!
This book is basically the fantasy version of a road-trip story… but your whole town comes…and it involves a rescue.
The sisterhood and found-family dynamics were my favourite part of this book. I loved watching this group of fierce women take on everything together.
But the romance, the tension, the yearning, the close proximity, the one tent situation… perfection.
The worldbuilding is immersive, the prose is beautiful, and the pacing is fast with a lot more action than I expected (in a good way). And the ending was genuinely satisfying.
Give me more of this world.
This book is basically the fantasy version of a road-trip story… but your whole town comes…and it involves a rescue.
The sisterhood and found-family dynamics were my favourite part of this book. I loved watching this group of fierce women take on everything together.
But the romance, the tension, the yearning, the close proximity, the one tent situation… perfection.
The worldbuilding is immersive, the prose is beautiful, and the pacing is fast with a lot more action than I expected (in a good way). And the ending was genuinely satisfying.
Give me more of this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“There will always be some fierce woman angry at the way of kings.”
(Received the ARC which tysm obsessed)
True to Kara Reynolds other books, you know you’re going to read the epilogue and feel sad, happy and desperate for more.
I loved Robbie and her little band ❤️ it was so nice to jump back into the world of priestess and have a taste of new characters. I love the way she writes her dialogue and oh I love my little one eyed man Reed.
(Received the ARC which tysm obsessed)
True to Kara Reynolds other books, you know you’re going to read the epilogue and feel sad, happy and desperate for more.
I loved Robbie and her little band ❤️ it was so nice to jump back into the world of priestess and have a taste of new characters. I love the way she writes her dialogue and oh I love my little one eyed man Reed.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is for you if you are looking for an older, independent, thoughtful FMC. Prepare for an emotive, beautiful story that totally steals all of your thoughts during and after reading it. Jump into this world and you will never want to leave it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love any book that can be a stand alone or in a group and this one nails it! So much fun reading as it was my first from Kara! I will be looking for book 1 and the next after reading Pilmgrimess.
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