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These Stained Glass Hearts #1
These Stained Glass Hearts
She's marrying him because the only thing she needs at the end of the day is his Kingdom, so his death is something she is rather eager to collect. He, however, is marrying her because he is already dying, cursed before he was even born.
Althea Evangeline is the only female curse holder in all of the Realms. When on the way to her wedding, she wakes up with Elemental Markings that her father had taught her to hate with such passion from a young age. Althea is forced into running and hiding, searching for a way out of her destiny while hoping to find the immortal male who knows how to strip her of this magick.
That was until her new magick began acting up, alerting her to sounds and sensations that she had never before felt. Althea is led into a cell where she meets her darling fiance and long-time enemy, Kylen Noxwell; forcing them to work together to buy time before Althea's father, the King of Aeonia, finds out about the Markings. If he was to find out, Kylen knows he will be stripped of a Queen, and Althea will be stripped of her life. The two of them travel across seas and fight back against the darkness, all in search of the answers they need for the questions they still don't know.
Althea Evangeline is the only female curse holder in all of the Realms. When on the way to her wedding, she wakes up with Elemental Markings that her father had taught her to hate with such passion from a young age. Althea is forced into running and hiding, searching for a way out of her destiny while hoping to find the immortal male who knows how to strip her of this magick.
That was until her new magick began acting up, alerting her to sounds and sensations that she had never before felt. Althea is led into a cell where she meets her darling fiance and long-time enemy, Kylen Noxwell; forcing them to work together to buy time before Althea's father, the King of Aeonia, finds out about the Markings. If he was to find out, Kylen knows he will be stripped of a Queen, and Althea will be stripped of her life. The two of them travel across seas and fight back against the darkness, all in search of the answers they need for the questions they still don't know.
424 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2022
23 people are currently reading
2918 people want to read
About the author
Sienna C. Jones
2 books49 followersSienna C. Jones is an author from Melbourne, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 28, 2023
this book BAUJSEIMEJRIRJRR I’m going to sob. So fucking good. I beta read for the beautiful Sienna and seeing it published ugh I’m so proud.
Not only are the characters dynamic and the world is interesting, the plot itself is gripping. So much banter and wonderful angst. I cried (not even kidding, TEARS WERE SHED) profusely at the perfect moments. And above all else, this book was a great escape from reality. It was fantasy, enemies to lovers romance done well.
5/5!! ⭐️
(Can’t wait to review again when I read the official, published version!)
Not only are the characters dynamic and the world is interesting, the plot itself is gripping. So much banter and wonderful angst. I cried (not even kidding, TEARS WERE SHED) profusely at the perfect moments. And above all else, this book was a great escape from reality. It was fantasy, enemies to lovers romance done well.
5/5!! ⭐️
(Can’t wait to review again when I read the official, published version!)
May 24, 2022
I loved this book. The suspense. The romance. The plot twist. The characters. The tension. The writing. All of it was so exquisite, so heartbreaking, so beautiful, no words can amount for how much I loved this book. I finished it in a day, and then, at night, tucked it under the covers with me, and held it to my chest all night. I cannot describe, can never form the words to convey how much this book means to me. I am honoured to have it resting on my shelf, in my hands. I hope that Althea gets the ending she deserves in the sequel. I cannot wait for its release. I will be re-reading the book over and over until then!!!!!
I love it so much!!!!
I love it so much!!!!
June 7, 2022
Will I ever emotionally recover? No.
Would I still sell my soul to be able to reread this for the first time? Absolutely.
An intricate and amazing thought out new fantasy world with its own unique magic and curses. The characters are all phenomenal and so loveable, the dynamics between them so enjoyable and real. Ever other line got highlighted on my kindle, the writing was magnificent, flowed well and so many heart-stopping lines and quotes throughout.
This book has to be one of the BEST fantasy books released, everything about it is phenomenal and deserves all the love the world can give.
Would I still sell my soul to be able to reread this for the first time? Absolutely.
An intricate and amazing thought out new fantasy world with its own unique magic and curses. The characters are all phenomenal and so loveable, the dynamics between them so enjoyable and real. Ever other line got highlighted on my kindle, the writing was magnificent, flowed well and so many heart-stopping lines and quotes throughout.
This book has to be one of the BEST fantasy books released, everything about it is phenomenal and deserves all the love the world can give.
August 22, 2022
Heartwrenching and Pure Agony.
I had wanted to read this book since I heard about it and now, i finally did. All i feel is hollow and empty.
It was beautifully and painfully written and i don't know what to think of. I wish I could sit and stare at the wall for god's know how long.
All the characters are phenomenal and MCs went through a lot that they had a doubt if they would survive. It's all combination of hurt, pain, betrayal, comfort, angst, agony.
I damn died in the last few chapters and it broke my fucking heart. Idk if it's still shattered on the floor but I'm gonna leave it just there. I'm not good after reading such a story. I want the ground to open and swallow me whole so that i wouldn't feel pain.
I need to get myself together and patiently wait for book 2.
4.5-⭐⭐⭐⭐
0-🌶️
I had wanted to read this book since I heard about it and now, i finally did. All i feel is hollow and empty.
It was beautifully and painfully written and i don't know what to think of. I wish I could sit and stare at the wall for god's know how long.
All the characters are phenomenal and MCs went through a lot that they had a doubt if they would survive. It's all combination of hurt, pain, betrayal, comfort, angst, agony.
I damn died in the last few chapters and it broke my fucking heart. Idk if it's still shattered on the floor but I'm gonna leave it just there. I'm not good after reading such a story. I want the ground to open and swallow me whole so that i wouldn't feel pain.
I need to get myself together and patiently wait for book 2.
4.5-⭐⭐⭐⭐
0-🌶️
August 12, 2023
I know the author is very young and it’s self-published so I tried not to be too harsh but I still didn’t like the book and criticism is important to improve, so.
I feel like this book had so much potential but it’s was just so messy. Firstly, the magic system was incredibly confusing : the curse and the markings were not explained properly which made reading this so much more difficult.
The characters were tortured but not it a good way. Althea’s thoughts were always so contradictory. Kylen lacked depth and I couldn’t understand his motives most of the time. Enemies to lovers doesn’t have to mean that they never communicate and in this case, both characters could’ve been way more interesting if they had talked through some events.
Also, I get that action is good to keep readers on their toes, especially in a fantasy book. But it was all over the place and confusing, once again. I felt like a bunch of it was kind of nonsense.
I know so many people loved this and I really wanted to because the concept seemed amazing but there is definitely room for improvement.
I feel like this book had so much potential but it’s was just so messy. Firstly, the magic system was incredibly confusing : the curse and the markings were not explained properly which made reading this so much more difficult.
The characters were tortured but not it a good way. Althea’s thoughts were always so contradictory. Kylen lacked depth and I couldn’t understand his motives most of the time. Enemies to lovers doesn’t have to mean that they never communicate and in this case, both characters could’ve been way more interesting if they had talked through some events.
Also, I get that action is good to keep readers on their toes, especially in a fantasy book. But it was all over the place and confusing, once again. I felt like a bunch of it was kind of nonsense.
I know so many people loved this and I really wanted to because the concept seemed amazing but there is definitely room for improvement.
February 3, 2023
This was so good, I loved the dialogue between Althea and Kylen. My favorite line was: “He would have your head, and I wouldn’t stop him.” “I don’t need you to stop him—I just need you to marry me.” And of course—“Hello my beautiful, glorious, Althea.”
Kylen and Althea better get their happy ending in the next book.😓
Kylen and Althea better get their happy ending in the next book.😓
September 18, 2022
This is simply the best fantasy book I have ever read and now I’ll need 14 business days to recover from it
June 9, 2022
*beware my screaming*
THIS BOOK IS SO SICK I FEEL LIKE MY SOUL WAS SPLIT IN HALF HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL?!1,1):?1$:?2&;! IT WAS SO AMAZING THE QUOTES? CHEF’S KISS. THE SHIP? MY GOD THEIR CHEMISTRY IS AMAZING. THE STORYLINE??? INCREDIBLE. i recommend this so much it’s everything any enemies to lovers enthusiast wants istg i’ve never read angst as good as this. I ATE ALL THE TROPES AND THIS BOOK UP MY LORD IT WAS AMAZING. AND IM OFFICIALLY OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!
ps: althea and kylen solo all ur favs🫢😁😋💪🏻🫶🏻❤️
THIS BOOK IS SO SICK I FEEL LIKE MY SOUL WAS SPLIT IN HALF HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL?!1,1):?1$:?2&;! IT WAS SO AMAZING THE QUOTES? CHEF’S KISS. THE SHIP? MY GOD THEIR CHEMISTRY IS AMAZING. THE STORYLINE??? INCREDIBLE. i recommend this so much it’s everything any enemies to lovers enthusiast wants istg i’ve never read angst as good as this. I ATE ALL THE TROPES AND THIS BOOK UP MY LORD IT WAS AMAZING. AND IM OFFICIALLY OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!
ps: althea and kylen solo all ur favs🫢😁😋💪🏻🫶🏻❤️
February 21, 2025
‘release it all. set the world on fire. it was only ever yours to burn.’
omg. where do i even start.
i bought this book because of the lovely sienna and her amazing promotion of the book and trust me: it truly lives up to what she promises you.
althea is a young assassin, the daughter of a king and forced to marry her enemy whom she loathes. she plans to kill him on the night of their wedding but things don’t really work out the way planned.
this book has everything you need: enemies to lovers slow-burn, found family, betrayal, a riveting new world with fantasy and magic aspects.
i loved althea. she is a hurt woman, betrayed and back-stabbed by people she loved, but she doesn’t let that control her. she is always, at all times, the most powerful person in the room and i love her for that.
kylen is literally the perfect guy, ignoring the fact that he is doomed to die a young death. i love him and especially his banter with althea.
the enemies to lovers in this book was perfect. the angst and mistrust only added to it. any lover of the fantasy genre should read this book.
the found family in this book is amazing. somehow, they all just connect, with their own secrets and problems, and i’m literally in pain because i have to wait for the second book to figure out their secrets.
this book is a well deserved five star read.
will i ever emotionally recover from this? no. will i recover from THAT ENDING? no. can i fix literally any of the characters? no. can YOU fix any of the characters? no. can THEY fix THEMSELVES? no. do i love them anyway? yes.
omg. where do i even start.
i bought this book because of the lovely sienna and her amazing promotion of the book and trust me: it truly lives up to what she promises you.
althea is a young assassin, the daughter of a king and forced to marry her enemy whom she loathes. she plans to kill him on the night of their wedding but things don’t really work out the way planned.
this book has everything you need: enemies to lovers slow-burn, found family, betrayal, a riveting new world with fantasy and magic aspects.
i loved althea. she is a hurt woman, betrayed and back-stabbed by people she loved, but she doesn’t let that control her. she is always, at all times, the most powerful person in the room and i love her for that.
kylen is literally the perfect guy, ignoring the fact that he is doomed to die a young death. i love him and especially his banter with althea.
the enemies to lovers in this book was perfect. the angst and mistrust only added to it. any lover of the fantasy genre should read this book.
the found family in this book is amazing. somehow, they all just connect, with their own secrets and problems, and i’m literally in pain because i have to wait for the second book to figure out their secrets.
this book is a well deserved five star read.
will i ever emotionally recover from this? no. will i recover from THAT ENDING? no. can i fix literally any of the characters? no. can YOU fix any of the characters? no. can THEY fix THEMSELVES? no. do i love them anyway? yes.
February 9, 2023
okay, don’t get me wrong, i am VERY proud for sienna being a 16 year old author, but there are many flaws in the book. it’s hard to get into, and i think she tried to make it exciting and interesting, but it just felt like a lot of nonsense words and action that was hard to understand. i couldn’t finish this book because i was bored with it, so maybe it got better, but it just wasn’t for me. an extra star simply for the vibes it was trying to achieve!
dnf
August 8, 2023Dnf 30% - the magic confused me and I was just over all confused about the world
February 24, 2024
Utter nonsense. Impossible to actually engage in the story.
- Why are there random words italicised?
- What even is the magic system? (Sorry "magick" system *rolls eyes*)
- Why does Kylen need Althea?
It felt like a story that I was jumping into halfway through. It felt as though the author knew these characters so well and expected the reader to have the same interest and knowledge of their past. I had to google whether this was the second novel in a series because there were many, many, many pieces that didn't make sense to me (it's not. This is the first book in a duology)
- What is magick?
- Why call it "Hel" instead of just Hell? (It feels like a child trying to swear without knowing how to.)
- Why is there so much blood without any action? Where is all the blood coming from?
- What are elementals?
- What does magick even do?
"The shadows that reached for her were darker than the night above, a thickness to her magick that imitated the art of blood flowing through the air" - p2
What?
The writing is flowery and dramatic yet adds nothing to the plot. Sure, have poetic phrases but, more importantly, have an engaging plot and characters that the reader is interested in.
Althea is captured by the King, whom she has to marry.
She wants to marry him so that "she would kill him at the end of the night" (p2) and "steal everything and everyone that he owned, that he cared for" (p2).
He wants to marry her and have her be the queen over his people because he's dying. So, as far as the reader is aware, he's a decent guy who Althea wants to kill for some reason.
Anyway, so this is what is written after she is captured by the King for the FIRST time:
"Althea's fists met with the invisible wall that kept her trapped within nightmares that had already span a web for her to die in" - p53
Once again... what? My girl, it's not that deep.
I could go on and on (and already have) but I'll stop.
Dnf.
- Why are there random words italicised?
- What even is the magic system? (Sorry "magick" system *rolls eyes*)
- Why does Kylen need Althea?
It felt like a story that I was jumping into halfway through. It felt as though the author knew these characters so well and expected the reader to have the same interest and knowledge of their past. I had to google whether this was the second novel in a series because there were many, many, many pieces that didn't make sense to me (it's not. This is the first book in a duology)
- What is magick?
- Why call it "Hel" instead of just Hell? (It feels like a child trying to swear without knowing how to.)
- Why is there so much blood without any action? Where is all the blood coming from?
- What are elementals?
- What does magick even do?
"The shadows that reached for her were darker than the night above, a thickness to her magick that imitated the art of blood flowing through the air" - p2
What?
The writing is flowery and dramatic yet adds nothing to the plot. Sure, have poetic phrases but, more importantly, have an engaging plot and characters that the reader is interested in.
Althea is captured by the King, whom she has to marry.
She wants to marry him so that "she would kill him at the end of the night" (p2) and "steal everything and everyone that he owned, that he cared for" (p2).
He wants to marry her and have her be the queen over his people because he's dying. So, as far as the reader is aware, he's a decent guy who Althea wants to kill for some reason.
Anyway, so this is what is written after she is captured by the King for the FIRST time:
"Althea's fists met with the invisible wall that kept her trapped within nightmares that had already span a web for her to die in" - p53
Once again... what? My girl, it's not that deep.
I could go on and on (and already have) but I'll stop.
Dnf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
Three stars at best. This wasn't inherently bad, but it could have used some heavy editing. The dialogue tried so hard to be interesting and poetic but it was only confusing and stilted instead. The main character's thoughts as well, especially Althea's, were so contradictory; they just did not add up at all, which made the beginning of the book very hard to follow. And the thing with POVs would be that when you read from someone's perspective you read their thoughts but somehow while reading chapters from Althea's POV we would get some random insight into Kylen's thoughts or anyone else's who does not even have their own POV and that was extremely weird to read. Also, what was up with the weird italicisation of certain words that did not need to be highlighted (or which were the wrong ones to be highlighted) or sometimes whole passages? At times it made sense, because certain moments were memories or scenes playing out in another realm but it just was not consistent and that was annoying. Anyways, the story had a lot of potential with an interesting magic system (sorry, magick) and the characters were enjoyable as such but yeah several rounds of editing would have been the way to go here.
January 28, 2023
I think to myself should I rate this 1 stars or 5 stars.
I think of how amazing the plot was. The characters, the tension and the pure distinct image of enemies to lovers…
and then I think of the ending and the way I was sobbing in my bed silently at 1:30am.
The ending broke me in ways I wasn’t expecting. Which made it 10x worse might I add.
I full thought he was the one that was supposed to die. And then IT happened, and then I cried, and then he came back to life, and I cried even more.
And then all of a sudden she’s on the ground and he’s hugging her lifeless body to his chest
WHAT IS THIS.
I can’t say I hated this book because i would sell heart and soul to read this for the first time.
5 stars that travel through the deepest depths of my soul.
I think of how amazing the plot was. The characters, the tension and the pure distinct image of enemies to lovers…
and then I think of the ending and the way I was sobbing in my bed silently at 1:30am.
The ending broke me in ways I wasn’t expecting. Which made it 10x worse might I add.
I full thought he was the one that was supposed to die. And then IT happened, and then I cried, and then he came back to life, and I cried even more.
And then all of a sudden she’s on the ground and he’s hugging her lifeless body to his chest
WHAT IS THIS.
I can’t say I hated this book because i would sell heart and soul to read this for the first time.
5 stars that travel through the deepest depths of my soul.
December 28, 2022
I don't normally write reviews but OMG this book was everything it made me sob it made me giggle and laugh out loud. It was very well written! And i loved the idea and concept of this book. I am so excited for the sequel and can't wait to read it ahhh
February 25, 2024
The enchanted and bewitching book that got me into fantasy… I indulged in every ounce of this book, the plots, the banter, the tension all of it. This book will forever hold a special place in my heart🥹🕯️📖
January 19, 2025
I found this book in my school library and it me back into reading after a big reading slump. It is an easy read (coming from someone who normally doesn't like fantasy because I can never understand it). I love Kye and Althea. I look forward to seeing what happens with their tale.
January 11, 2023
The plot is unique but fmc is annoying 🤦🏻♀️ I mean... Are they foreign on the concept of communication?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2023
What in the actual hell was this garbage?
March 4, 2023
3.5⭐️ pretty good but it was very hard for me to get through the first 100 pages or so
April 22, 2023
ripped my soul in half
(NEED A SECOND BOOK, it can't end like this pls)
(NEED A SECOND BOOK, it can't end like this pls)
April 26, 2023
wtf awful
August 30, 2023
sienna my love u are amazing
May 21, 2025
I LOVED this book. I am obsessed with Althea, she is so cool. However, I think girl deserves some justice. Can't wait to read the next book. I found sienna via tiktok.
August 23, 2025
3 stars!
February 7, 2023
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!
I first saw this book on tiktok, however the ironic part is that it wasn't the authors account who posted about it. Immedieatly I fell in love, and my gosh Althea baby you deserve better!!!!! She does no wrong. Kylen I love you too of course, but im here for the girls and the gays.
I first saw this book on tiktok, however the ironic part is that it wasn't the authors account who posted about it. Immedieatly I fell in love, and my gosh Althea baby you deserve better!!!!! She does no wrong. Kylen I love you too of course, but im here for the girls and the gays.
Read
February 13, 2025dnf at 40%
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews