Snowbreaker

Beasts of the Void #1.5

by S.A. MacLean

This optional slice-of-life novella is set during the year between Voidwalker and Sunsplitter.

After reclaiming their home from a tyrant, Fi and Antal face the daunting task of restoring the capital city of Thomaskweld and earning the trust of its citizens – while finding balance in their new relationship.

Available by subscribing to the author's newsletter.

Genres: Romantasy

83 pages, ebook

First published July 16, 2026

About the author

S. A. MacLean is the USA Today bestselling author of The Phoenix Keeper (cozy fantasy) and The Beasts of the Void duology (monster romantasy). She also holds a PhD in environmental science. After over a decade of battling seagulls and teaching college students how to save the planet, she now writes fantasy books filled with strange creatures and plenty of kisses.

Reviews

[Bon]

Charming and super cute ♥️

[Joanna Owens]

A lovely little interlude in-between books in the shape of a novella.

[Sanja ✵]

Adorable bastards

[Faye Anne]

Snowbreaker is a slice-of-life novella set in between Voidwalker and Sunsplitter. The 6 chapters are like 6 separate short stories so they're quick to read, and overall it feels like the calm before the storm of Sunsplitter for Antal and Fi. It was nice to see how they are adapting to life together 6 months on from the events of Voidwalker.

[samantha ✨]

These were such a nice treat during the wait for Sunsplitter and it was really fun to see slight references to them in Sunsplitter! Who doesn't want more slice of life stories about their favorite characters!?

[Cristina Drafta]

My favourite gremlins (one of them quite literally)

[Sam]

My Selling Pitch:
A quick little intermission novella between books. Reads like slice of life fanfiction.

Pre-reading:
Missed my kids.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Oop and it's awkward writing already. She gets so stilted sometimes. Sometimes using a bigger vocabulary word is just disorienting.

Hold on. Hold on. What do you mean he doesn’t have to go to the bathroom? That doesn’t make any sense. Also, does that mean he doesn’t have a butthole? He had a gay lover. He can only top? But he ejaculates… what is his ejaculate made of? Like I know it’s not coming from the kidneys, but like same exit? The biology of this is stumping me right now. Like does that make him closer to a plant with pollen than an animal? I should not have started this book at midnight apparently.

Oh Antal… he's so baby

Do we think his tail has hair? Like I've always gone short-haired cat with it, but like, if he doesn't have hair anywhere, does that mean it's more like a rat? Because ew.

Post-reading:
That was cute. It's a lot less polished than her actual books, but I think she just produced this for her newsletter subscribers as a countdown to the sequel. I think you're more than fine if you skip it, but if you like the couple, you can read about them doing some home reno and a smutty trip to a concert. It’s series filler. It's hard to rate that very highly even if you enjoy the characters.

Who should read this:
Voidwalker fans
Fantasy slice of life fans

Ideal reading time:
Winter

Do I want to reread this:
No

Would I buy this:
No

Similar books:
* A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas-holiday novella, fantasy romance, series filler
* The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley-campy, fantasy romance
* Bride by Ali Hazelwood-campy, urban fantasy, romance, family drama, werewolves, vampires, autism
* The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim-myth retelling, urban fantasy, romance
* I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming-campy, sci-fi, alien romance, why choose, queer
* Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon-monster romance, cozy fantasy
* Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Marhrer-campy, fantasy romance, family drama

[Chloë Collier]

4.25

Vibes:
🚀 Sci-Fi
🐾 Beasts
💗 Heartwarming
📖 Novella

This novella does such a lovely job of bridging the year between books one and two, and I’d definitely recommend reading it in between them!

I really enjoyed seeing Antal and the others trying to settle into a more normal life while figuring out what kind of life actually works for both of them. Despite being a novella, there’s still some really nice character growth, which made their journey feel meaningful.

There are also much cozier vibes in this one, with Antal helping the community get back on its feet while also trying to prove to his own people that he isn’t like every other Daeyari. 🥺💕

Overall, this was such a fun and quick read! And the little character art at the end of each chapter, showing a scene from that chapter, was such a cute touch. ☺️✨

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten)]

Snowbreaker is a nice slice of life novella in the Beasts of the Void series by S. A. Maclean that takes place between Voidwalker and Sunsplitter and offers a sweet and fun look into what life is like for Fi and Antal now they have defeated Verne.

Having deeply enjoyed book one in this series, it was nice to see a lighter look at what life is like for Fionamara and Antal as they build a life together.

Snowbreaker was very entertaining and I loved finally seeing inside Antal’s head with half the novella taking place through his POV. He is very much in love with Fi and it was so cute seeing him want to look after her—just adorable!

A great read for fans of the series, you definitely don’t want to miss Snowbreaker if you want to just see Fionamara and Antal at their very best; teasing, tempting and tormenting each other in the very best of ways.

[Melissa]

I found Snowbreakerto be a charming little bonus story set in the Voidwalker world, a cosy peek behind the curtain rather than a big plot mover. The novella follows Fi and Antel as they settle into life as a couple after reclaiming Antel’s territory, and while the stakes stay light, the domestic moments are genuinely delightful. I loved watching an immortal and a human figure out the everyday rhythms of partnership while also running a territory together: it’s sweet, funny, and full of those small character beats that make their dynamic shine. It’s absolutely skippable if you’re focused on the main storyline, but for me it was a fun, warm little treat before diving into book two.

[April Haas]

The perfect little slice of life, holiday novella: sweet, funny, and with a dash of spice.

If you loved Voidwalker, you should absolutely reward yourself with this. Who doesn't want to have a moment to just ENJOY a few moments with beloved characters when their world isn't falling apart around them?!

It's available for free when you sign up for the author's email list, and it comes with character art, too.

[Megan]

This was a great peak into what Fi and Antal were up to in between book 1 and 2.

Fi is still tough as barbs and Antal is still my soft boy.

I love seeing their relationship as an established couple after the initial mayhem that was book 1 and how they are navigating this new normal for them. The quiet moments that make this couple my favorite. The nuzzle of a cheek or nip of teeth. My heart.

[Luca Madison]

these freakin goobers

[Sarita]

Cute

[Dawn]

This really helped me remember what went on in book 1 without me needing to do a re-read.

[Anna Magda]

Very fun anime beach episode nonsense. Antal reacting to Fi being sick did get me in my feelings a little and we can all mind our business about it 🙂‍↕️

[Shelby Malone]

It's nice getting to see characters live normal lives and do normal things every once in a while 😊 the date nights were adorable

[Samara Travella]

Cozy, cute, and spicy!

[Kymberly Smith]

Fun little snippets into Antal and Fi’s lives in between VoidWalker and Sunsplitter. Quick and easy read with a couple stories in each POV. Don’t skip!