Void: Bonds of Ballendor

by Rhea Gamble

450 pages, Paperback

Published May 14, 2026

About the author

Rhea Gamble writes quietly dark fantasy about power, control, and the cost of feeling too much. Low on spoons, but high on plot twists, she lives in Dorset, England. Where she can usually be found reading obsessively, painting her favourite books onto her forever bookshelf mural, and occasionally making a spectacle of herself online.
In dedication to whimsy (and a persuasive socials poll), Rhea wears a sunflower headdress in her author photo. She would like to remind you, that because it was taken by a professional photographer, it therefore displays her extreme professionalism.
Find her on socials as rheagamblewrites, she would love to hear from you! Or by email: info@rheagamble.com

Reviews

[Misty Calloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Void: Bonds of Ballendor by Rhea Gamble is a dark academia with secret societies and a main character whose power is both fascinating and dangerous. She struggles with the consequences of a past mistake while trying to survive in a world that keeps pushing her to use the very ability that she's sworn off. The mystery surrounding Ballendor and the secrets slowly unfolding throughout the story kept me turning the pages. Overall, it was an engaging fantasy with great tension, intriguing world-building, and an ending that left me excited for the next book in the series.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy in advance. 

This is such a strong indie debut novel! I loved the main character Rayanne: she is headstrong and tenacious and her voice was so strong, I don't recall reading a character quite like her before (in a good way)! She really is the best thing about this book: there aren't too many characters but they are distinctive from one another and yet Ray just shines. I loved the neurodivergence evident throughout this book too and you can tell its immensely personal. It's fast paced and easy to read and I'm already looking forward to the sequel.