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The Strattaria Chronicles #1
The Seventh Sister
The Seventh Sister is an epic dark romantasy set in a lush and immersive world with fairytale like elements, classic romantasy vibes, and an edge of your seat pace.
The story follows Ertha, a True Healer who is kidnapped from her place at the Selenyss Temple by the legendary Sons of Uther. When she arrives on the dark shores of the enemy kingdom she's thrust into a tangled web of political intrigue and deadly secrets that leaves her wondering who she can trust– the otherworldly second in command who is her keeper, or the soldier she healed who has vowed to protect her at all costs? But when it becomes clear she wasn't just taken by chance– that there are much more powerful entities with their hands steering her fate— she's forced to confront that nothing is as it seems, not the men who protect her, the world she knows, or even herself.
Perfect for fans of The Witcher, Fairytales, and Vikings.
The story follows Ertha, a True Healer who is kidnapped from her place at the Selenyss Temple by the legendary Sons of Uther. When she arrives on the dark shores of the enemy kingdom she's thrust into a tangled web of political intrigue and deadly secrets that leaves her wondering who she can trust– the otherworldly second in command who is her keeper, or the soldier she healed who has vowed to protect her at all costs? But when it becomes clear she wasn't just taken by chance– that there are much more powerful entities with their hands steering her fate— she's forced to confront that nothing is as it seems, not the men who protect her, the world she knows, or even herself.
Perfect for fans of The Witcher, Fairytales, and Vikings.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2025
20 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
M.A. Brown
5 books27 followersM.A. Brown is a stay-at-homeschooling mom living in Colorado with her husband and four kids. She loves to write poetic fantasy, angsty romance, and dreamy worlds with a whole lot of magic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
July 13, 2025
[ARC Review]
If you're into dark fantasy, morally complex characters, and prose that will gut-punch you and make you thank it for doing so — this one’s for you.
I first noticed this book because its cover stood out to me. After reading the synopsis, I was sold. I genuinely think this story is best enjoyed the less you know about it beforehand.
Synopsis
Ertha is stolen away to the enemy kingdom, where she finds herself caught in secrets and betrayals. In the end, the question isn’t just who to trust or how to get home, but also who she is — and what kind of world she’s been born into.
What to Expect
🐺First in a Duology
🐦⬛First-Person POV
🐺Forced Proximity
🐦⬛Magical Bond / Mates
🐺Slow Burn
🐦⬛Hidden Identity
Despite taking my time with this book, it wasn’t boring by any means. I’m grateful for the opportunity to fold my braincells around its words. The prose especially stood out to me: brutal and raw, yet lush and precise. It combines as many contradictions as Ertha’s beliefs about who to trust.
I often found myself pausing in admiration at the author’s word choices — in the best way. More often than not, that amazement came from small, subtle details rather than sweeping, revolutionary prose. Still, it reminded me why I first fell in love with literature: the sheer power of words and how they shape the world — especially the one presented here, built word by word as an ode to the beauty of language.
The worldbuilding is especially detailed when it comes to the lore — particularly the deities. One example is an Emrys, which gave me strong Greek mythology vibes, which luckily I enjoy. A glossary is included, and I definitely had to refer back to it a few times — a lot of names get thrown around. That made it a bit tricky to keep track of who’s who, especially since some characters have limited page time or aren’t introduced in much detail.
Ertha’s world is a dark one, her path splattered with gore and cruelty — but also wonder.
The plot progression felt natural overall, though I would’ve liked a bit more detail in certain areas. The romance is more of a subplot at this stage, and if you enjoy a slow burn, this definitely lays the groundwork. I was invested in the MLC and hoped he’d become the love interest — fingers crossed the sequel delivers more in that department!
Some twists I saw coming, and others completely blindsided me. Personally, I enjoyed this balance — it gave me just enough stress over plot developments while still letting my smart-ass reader instincts enjoy a little treat every now and then.
Characters
Ertha is a great heroine, and I really enjoyed spending time with her. Given her upbringing, she’s not experienced in the romance department, and it was exciting to watch that part of her slowly come to life. What I especially liked is that she didn’t strike me as overly naive — she acknowledges her feelings and emerging sexual fantasies bit by bit. She also knows how to use her skills to her advantage, like when she checks for poison. Small moments like that made her feel grounded and
capable.
📖 Dates Read: June 5th, 2025 – July 13th, 2025
📅 Pub Date: August 6th, 2025
A huge thanks to M. A. Brown, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
If you're into dark fantasy, morally complex characters, and prose that will gut-punch you and make you thank it for doing so — this one’s for you.
I first noticed this book because its cover stood out to me. After reading the synopsis, I was sold. I genuinely think this story is best enjoyed the less you know about it beforehand.
Synopsis
Ertha is stolen away to the enemy kingdom, where she finds herself caught in secrets and betrayals. In the end, the question isn’t just who to trust or how to get home, but also who she is — and what kind of world she’s been born into.
What to Expect
🐺First in a Duology
🐦⬛First-Person POV
🐺Forced Proximity
🐦⬛Magical Bond / Mates
🐺Slow Burn
🐦⬛Hidden Identity
Despite taking my time with this book, it wasn’t boring by any means. I’m grateful for the opportunity to fold my braincells around its words. The prose especially stood out to me: brutal and raw, yet lush and precise. It combines as many contradictions as Ertha’s beliefs about who to trust.
I often found myself pausing in admiration at the author’s word choices — in the best way. More often than not, that amazement came from small, subtle details rather than sweeping, revolutionary prose. Still, it reminded me why I first fell in love with literature: the sheer power of words and how they shape the world — especially the one presented here, built word by word as an ode to the beauty of language.
The worldbuilding is especially detailed when it comes to the lore — particularly the deities. One example is an Emrys, which gave me strong Greek mythology vibes, which luckily I enjoy. A glossary is included, and I definitely had to refer back to it a few times — a lot of names get thrown around. That made it a bit tricky to keep track of who’s who, especially since some characters have limited page time or aren’t introduced in much detail.
Ertha’s world is a dark one, her path splattered with gore and cruelty — but also wonder.
"But the Sons of Uthar had come, and the reality was far worse than what I’d imagined as a child in my bed — despite the fact, or maybe because of the fact, that they were, after all, real flesh-and-blood men."
The plot progression felt natural overall, though I would’ve liked a bit more detail in certain areas. The romance is more of a subplot at this stage, and if you enjoy a slow burn, this definitely lays the groundwork. I was invested in the MLC and hoped he’d become the love interest — fingers crossed the sequel delivers more in that department!
Some twists I saw coming, and others completely blindsided me. Personally, I enjoyed this balance — it gave me just enough stress over plot developments while still letting my smart-ass reader instincts enjoy a little treat every now and then.
Characters
Ertha is a great heroine, and I really enjoyed spending time with her. Given her upbringing, she’s not experienced in the romance department, and it was exciting to watch that part of her slowly come to life. What I especially liked is that she didn’t strike me as overly naive — she acknowledges her feelings and emerging sexual fantasies bit by bit. She also knows how to use her skills to her advantage, like when she checks for poison. Small moments like that made her feel grounded and
capable.
"It had been a stupid and wistful thought at best, to wonder if he was feeling as raw and hollow on the inside as I was. A man baptized in that much blood could not possibly fathom the ache of an empty chest where a heart had once beat for those you’d loved and lost."
📖 Dates Read: June 5th, 2025 – July 13th, 2025
📅 Pub Date: August 6th, 2025
A huge thanks to M. A. Brown, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 9, 2025
arc review*
Ertha is a true healer that is taken by the Sons of Uther after her village is destroyed. When she gets caught up in an enemy kingdom she faces danger and the pull of fate.
The tension with Fenris was extremely intriguing to me but I felt like it was a tad underdeveloped. Still, the Norse inspired world, high stakes, and the twists kept me engaged and I’m definitely curious for book two now.
You might like this if you liked The Witcher
Ertha is a true healer that is taken by the Sons of Uther after her village is destroyed. When she gets caught up in an enemy kingdom she faces danger and the pull of fate.
The tension with Fenris was extremely intriguing to me but I felt like it was a tad underdeveloped. Still, the Norse inspired world, high stakes, and the twists kept me engaged and I’m definitely curious for book two now.
You might like this if you liked The Witcher
June 29, 2025
PROS
- good attempt at avoiding anachronisms; i can tell the author is a fantasy person (although avoiding anachronisms shouldn't mean just finding and replacing words, but rather interpreting them in the context of the world- bc of this some words became extremely confusing as to why they would change)
- concept is interesting
- idk i really like what i heard of the worldbuilding maybe if there was more it would be a more solid pro
- imo given a few more drafts and improvement of chemistry for the main relationships this would become a book I would reread for fun.....it's just not there yet
CONS
- needs more editing + revising- obvious typos such as "retch/wretch" repeated mult. times; many metaphors overwritten and unnecessary. clauses seem to be separated strangely and independent clauses will be separated by only a comma and no conjunctions
- sentence length needs more variation especially if this is meant to be a lighter read as sentences tend to drag without reason
- a large problem with showing and not telling (very noticeable in metaphors, i.e. "weariness like lead" "grief like a knife" that seem deep at first read but actually just tell you what the character is experiencing instead of giving a more visceral description idk please dont just tell me u hv grief vro 💔 )
- personally cannot identify MC's major character growth throughout the story; in fact, MC's character seems to be inconsistent at times and extremely oblivious to obvious plot points in order to progress the story...MC also seems quite bigoted towards the Sons at the beginning of the book and while that is a starting point for the character to grow, the conflict is not touched upon at all but rather sort of forgotten except for a few throwaway lines
- MC's dynamic with both love interests remains stagnant throughout the majority of the book and changes drastically and without foreshadowing in like the last 2 pages, making the change somewhat confusing and unsatisfying
- tournaments felt thrown in at the last second
- MC and fenris give stockholm syndrome and im just being real.....actually that might be a problem with the concept. tying the love interest to perpetrators of genocide and kidnapping never works out well.....it's giving colonizer romance
FINAL THOUGHTS
so i like romantasy as a genre and that is not a crime i am FULLY aware of that. i am just asking for a romantasy book that has been thought through....i am talking about fleshed out characters that feel real and have personalities and chemistry..........i am saying that during editing the author must consider style and tone and, if literary devices are included, how to best utilize them to actually make the audience actually feel something. i am sick of books that try to sell themselves through romance but don't make my feet kick !!! and i LIKED the concept when i read the synopsis. i think this book just needs more editing ngl but unfortunately since the publication date is so soon it's probably not going to happen 💔
- good attempt at avoiding anachronisms; i can tell the author is a fantasy person (although avoiding anachronisms shouldn't mean just finding and replacing words, but rather interpreting them in the context of the world- bc of this some words became extremely confusing as to why they would change)
- concept is interesting
- idk i really like what i heard of the worldbuilding maybe if there was more it would be a more solid pro
- imo given a few more drafts and improvement of chemistry for the main relationships this would become a book I would reread for fun.....it's just not there yet
CONS
- needs more editing + revising- obvious typos such as "retch/wretch" repeated mult. times; many metaphors overwritten and unnecessary. clauses seem to be separated strangely and independent clauses will be separated by only a comma and no conjunctions
- sentence length needs more variation especially if this is meant to be a lighter read as sentences tend to drag without reason
- a large problem with showing and not telling (very noticeable in metaphors, i.e. "weariness like lead" "grief like a knife" that seem deep at first read but actually just tell you what the character is experiencing instead of giving a more visceral description idk please dont just tell me u hv grief vro 💔 )
- personally cannot identify MC's major character growth throughout the story; in fact, MC's character seems to be inconsistent at times and extremely oblivious to obvious plot points in order to progress the story...MC also seems quite bigoted towards the Sons at the beginning of the book and while that is a starting point for the character to grow, the conflict is not touched upon at all but rather sort of forgotten except for a few throwaway lines
- MC's dynamic with both love interests remains stagnant throughout the majority of the book and changes drastically and without foreshadowing in like the last 2 pages, making the change somewhat confusing and unsatisfying
- tournaments felt thrown in at the last second
- MC and fenris give stockholm syndrome and im just being real.....actually that might be a problem with the concept. tying the love interest to perpetrators of genocide and kidnapping never works out well.....it's giving colonizer romance
FINAL THOUGHTS
so i like romantasy as a genre and that is not a crime i am FULLY aware of that. i am just asking for a romantasy book that has been thought through....i am talking about fleshed out characters that feel real and have personalities and chemistry..........i am saying that during editing the author must consider style and tone and, if literary devices are included, how to best utilize them to actually make the audience actually feel something. i am sick of books that try to sell themselves through romance but don't make my feet kick !!! and i LIKED the concept when i read the synopsis. i think this book just needs more editing ngl but unfortunately since the publication date is so soon it's probably not going to happen 💔
June 21, 2025
Reading The Seventh Sister felt like being awake inside a dream. This was hands down a 5 ⭐️ read for me!
This book was whimsical and written with the kind of polish that makes everything from the quiet moments to the big moments absolutely shine. The worldbuilding is rich with its own terminology and layered mythology, but it never got overwhelming. Instead, it unfolded gently like a classic fairy tale.
The pacing is slow yet obviously deliberate. Plot wise, the book takes its time, but not in a way that dragged. By the time the plot crested, it landed hard. I didn’t even realize I was approaching the end until I turned the final page.. and wow. That ending.
Some of the tropes you can expect: “who hurt you,” “don’t touch her,” “she’s mine,” found family, and last of her kind. But they’re all handled with a kind of graceful restraint that makes them feel earned, not performative.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the art. It added so much charm and I really hope it stays in the final copy!
While the story had a fairytale softness to it, it doesn’t shy away from darker themes… there are subtle references to violence, forced pregnancy, and control. It never feels gratuitous, but it does add weight beneath the whimsy. The result is a story that balances beauty and brutality really well.
If you like your romantasy with rich worldbuilding, emotionally layered, and interesting romantic subplot, check out The Seventh Sister.
Big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, I had a blast with this book and can’t wait to see people enjoying it as much as I did!
This book was whimsical and written with the kind of polish that makes everything from the quiet moments to the big moments absolutely shine. The worldbuilding is rich with its own terminology and layered mythology, but it never got overwhelming. Instead, it unfolded gently like a classic fairy tale.
The pacing is slow yet obviously deliberate. Plot wise, the book takes its time, but not in a way that dragged. By the time the plot crested, it landed hard. I didn’t even realize I was approaching the end until I turned the final page.. and wow. That ending.
Some of the tropes you can expect: “who hurt you,” “don’t touch her,” “she’s mine,” found family, and last of her kind. But they’re all handled with a kind of graceful restraint that makes them feel earned, not performative.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the art. It added so much charm and I really hope it stays in the final copy!
While the story had a fairytale softness to it, it doesn’t shy away from darker themes… there are subtle references to violence, forced pregnancy, and control. It never feels gratuitous, but it does add weight beneath the whimsy. The result is a story that balances beauty and brutality really well.
If you like your romantasy with rich worldbuilding, emotionally layered, and interesting romantic subplot, check out The Seventh Sister.
Big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, I had a blast with this book and can’t wait to see people enjoying it as much as I did!
July 23, 2025
Why are we randomly doing yoga in this book?
So this was just plain boring, I hate to say. When writing a book, you really have to ask yourself “will my readers care about any of this?” and unfortunately I found myself not caring one bit. Our main character had more chemistry with the TUBERS she was growing than the two love interests and the plot dragged for 12 hours. Other than the massacre at the beginning of the book (which Ertha doesn’t even see because she is hidden in her cell) and the stand off at the very end, nothing really happens. Anything exiting all takes place off page.
I just kept waiting to become invested in the character and the plot only to be let down time after time. This was just really lack luster. I think if the author sits down and fleshes out her characters more and puts some action on the page, we might have something. But as it currently stands, I won’t be continuing with this series.
And a quick note on the audiobook, I like the idea of putting music in to add to the atmosphere HOWEVER playing that same song at the begging of each chapter really started to drive me insane. Good idea, poor execution.
So this was just plain boring, I hate to say. When writing a book, you really have to ask yourself “will my readers care about any of this?” and unfortunately I found myself not caring one bit. Our main character had more chemistry with the TUBERS she was growing than the two love interests and the plot dragged for 12 hours. Other than the massacre at the beginning of the book (which Ertha doesn’t even see because she is hidden in her cell) and the stand off at the very end, nothing really happens. Anything exiting all takes place off page.
I just kept waiting to become invested in the character and the plot only to be let down time after time. This was just really lack luster. I think if the author sits down and fleshes out her characters more and puts some action on the page, we might have something. But as it currently stands, I won’t be continuing with this series.
And a quick note on the audiobook, I like the idea of putting music in to add to the atmosphere HOWEVER playing that same song at the begging of each chapter really started to drive me insane. Good idea, poor execution.
August 1, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Victoria Editing for the audio arc !
Dnf at 48%…
I really tried to get into the story multiple times but no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t care about the fmc and the story. Tbh I didn’t even understand some of the most important things until here so I don’t think this book is for me unfortunately…
I still don’t know who is our love interest tbh. We have this dude who met the fmc like an hour ago but is acting like he’s been in love with her for ages although its clear to everyone excluding the fmc that he’s a charlatan 😐 and another dude who kinda cares but at the same time doesn’t care about her? At the beginning I was kinda hyped by him but now I don’t even like him, he’s kinda useless.
Can someone explain to me why they were doing yoga like it’s something totally normal in a fantasy book?
The audiobook narrator did really a great job but unfortunately the book was a bit complicated to fully comprehend solemnly while listening. The music at the beginning of the chapters and some other parts were a good idea.
Dnf at 48%…
I really tried to get into the story multiple times but no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t care about the fmc and the story. Tbh I didn’t even understand some of the most important things until here so I don’t think this book is for me unfortunately…
I still don’t know who is our love interest tbh. We have this dude who met the fmc like an hour ago but is acting like he’s been in love with her for ages although its clear to everyone excluding the fmc that he’s a charlatan 😐 and another dude who kinda cares but at the same time doesn’t care about her? At the beginning I was kinda hyped by him but now I don’t even like him, he’s kinda useless.
Can someone explain to me why they were doing yoga like it’s something totally normal in a fantasy book?
The audiobook narrator did really a great job but unfortunately the book was a bit complicated to fully comprehend solemnly while listening. The music at the beginning of the chapters and some other parts were a good idea.
August 2, 2025
I listened to this audio and enjoyed it. More so towards the end. The addition of adding music was ok, but was also distracting. LIke it wanted to be graphic audio but wasn't. I don't think it was needed. I did enjoy the narrator.
This follows, Ertha, a true healer who is taken by the sons of the Uther after her village is slaughtered.
She doesn't know who to trust and fate is really is really pulling her strings.
My thoughts: Negatives: I wanted more between Fenris and Ertha. Yes there was tension but there lacked true connection. It was like random tid bits and almost moments. There was very little spice. I felt there was almost too much wording. Like big words (I am no literary genius) that made me zone out when I don't think it was needed to capture me in. Lack of character development. Ertha has some as she find outs some things about herself and starts to embrace a bit but there could have been more as well as with the side characters. I feel like this book had a lot to offer, but maybe it's all setting the groundwork for book 2.
Positives: Looking between all that there is a lot of story here. There are a lot of little puzzle pieces dropped and makes you really curious what will happen. I enjoy speculating "what if's" in a story. There is more to Ertha and Fenris and their friends. I liked the Norse aspect and the danger within this area. There is a risk, and I wish she would have brought someone into the fold with her to help strengthen the found family bond. Because there is def that happening. Overall I enjoyed it and by the end I really wanted to know what happened next. I think book 2 will have so much more and will be great. She is a great writer for sure. Thank you M.A. Brown for the ARC. Can't wait to find out happens with this story.
This follows, Ertha, a true healer who is taken by the sons of the Uther after her village is slaughtered.
She doesn't know who to trust and fate is really is really pulling her strings.
My thoughts: Negatives: I wanted more between Fenris and Ertha. Yes there was tension but there lacked true connection. It was like random tid bits and almost moments. There was very little spice. I felt there was almost too much wording. Like big words (I am no literary genius) that made me zone out when I don't think it was needed to capture me in. Lack of character development. Ertha has some as she find outs some things about herself and starts to embrace a bit but there could have been more as well as with the side characters. I feel like this book had a lot to offer, but maybe it's all setting the groundwork for book 2.
Positives: Looking between all that there is a lot of story here. There are a lot of little puzzle pieces dropped and makes you really curious what will happen. I enjoy speculating "what if's" in a story. There is more to Ertha and Fenris and their friends. I liked the Norse aspect and the danger within this area. There is a risk, and I wish she would have brought someone into the fold with her to help strengthen the found family bond. Because there is def that happening. Overall I enjoyed it and by the end I really wanted to know what happened next. I think book 2 will have so much more and will be great. She is a great writer for sure. Thank you M.A. Brown for the ARC. Can't wait to find out happens with this story.
July 26, 2025
finally dipping my toes into some more fantasy and this one did not disappoint!! Ertha is a healer with incredible abilities. In her village her and her best friend are always getting into trouble. One night they got caught out past curfew and this is the night that changes everything. everyone is slaughtered except her- when she is found healing a man the people that were there to conquer decide she would be very helpful and kidnap her. she is forced to leave behind everything she knows to go to an unknown place with unknown men. Ertha is a strong female main character and a total badass. She does not take any crap from these men and is devising her escape from the very moment they reach the village where she will be held. during this time she learns so much about the people holding her captive but also new information about herself. This one had me hooked from the very beginning.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!
August 24, 2025
Ok bring on more Norse inspired worlds ❤️
I do feel like the tension and relationships with the love interests were a little underdeveloped BUT I did have a lot of fun with this book. The cover originally caught my attention and I was pleasantly surprised with how the book unfolded.
There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes (grammar is not my strong suit so I am the pot calling the kettle black here), so I feel like one more good round of edits would have been helpful!
I just think the characters, tournaments and relationships needed more fleshing out and expanding. That would have taken this book to the next level for sure.
Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.
I do feel like the tension and relationships with the love interests were a little underdeveloped BUT I did have a lot of fun with this book. The cover originally caught my attention and I was pleasantly surprised with how the book unfolded.
There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes (grammar is not my strong suit so I am the pot calling the kettle black here), so I feel like one more good round of edits would have been helpful!
I just think the characters, tournaments and relationships needed more fleshing out and expanding. That would have taken this book to the next level for sure.
Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.
August 2, 2025
*Read through NetGalley*
This book started out strong and immediately pulled me in with an intriguing premise and vivid setting. The initial chapters had a great sense of mystery and tension, and I was excited to see where the story would go. The central theme of balance had a lot of potential, and there were some really interesting ideas woven into the world.
Unfortunately, as the story progressed, it started to lose momentum for me. The pacing became uneven, with long stretches that felt like they dragged. Some plot points were fairly predictable, which made the twists land with less impact than I think they were meant to. I also found that while a few character dynamics really worked and felt compelling, the more important relationships lacked depth or emotional weight, which was disappointing.
One of the bigger issues for me was the writing style. It leaned heavily into description—sometimes to the point where it felt like the author was more focused on creating beautiful prose than telling a cohesive story. That, combined with the inconsistent pacing, made it hard to stay fully engaged. I also found myself unsure of what the protagonist truly wanted for most of the book. There was a vague sense of needing to escape, but the character’s motivations and goals didn’t become clear until very late in the story.
That said, there were things I enjoyed. The world had a lot of interesting elements, and you can tell the author put real thought into the lore and themes. It just needed more structure and clarity to really shine.
Overall, this was a mixed read for me. It had moments of promise and creativity, but the lack of focus and uneven execution held it back. A solid 3 out of 5.
This book started out strong and immediately pulled me in with an intriguing premise and vivid setting. The initial chapters had a great sense of mystery and tension, and I was excited to see where the story would go. The central theme of balance had a lot of potential, and there were some really interesting ideas woven into the world.
Unfortunately, as the story progressed, it started to lose momentum for me. The pacing became uneven, with long stretches that felt like they dragged. Some plot points were fairly predictable, which made the twists land with less impact than I think they were meant to. I also found that while a few character dynamics really worked and felt compelling, the more important relationships lacked depth or emotional weight, which was disappointing.
One of the bigger issues for me was the writing style. It leaned heavily into description—sometimes to the point where it felt like the author was more focused on creating beautiful prose than telling a cohesive story. That, combined with the inconsistent pacing, made it hard to stay fully engaged. I also found myself unsure of what the protagonist truly wanted for most of the book. There was a vague sense of needing to escape, but the character’s motivations and goals didn’t become clear until very late in the story.
That said, there were things I enjoyed. The world had a lot of interesting elements, and you can tell the author put real thought into the lore and themes. It just needed more structure and clarity to really shine.
Overall, this was a mixed read for me. It had moments of promise and creativity, but the lack of focus and uneven execution held it back. A solid 3 out of 5.
July 19, 2025
Oh wow, 🌸✨ The Seventh Sister is like stepping into a fairy-tale dream with a dark, enchanting twist that will sweep you off your feet! 🌙💕 From the moment you dive into Ertha’s world, you’re transported to a lush, vividly imagined land where magic whispers through every shadow and secret. 📖🔥 The setting is so beautifully immersive, it feels like wandering through an enchanted forest, full of wonder and peril, with a touch of classic romantasy vibes that make your heart flutter. 🏰💖
Ertha, a True Healer, is such a compelling protagonist — brave, kind, and deeply human, even as she finds herself caught in a tangled web of political intrigue and dangerous secrets. 🌿🕸️ Her kidnapping from the tranquil Selenyss Temple feels like a cruel twist of fate, thrusting her into a world where nothing is quite what it seems. The dark shores of the enemy kingdom loom ominously, yet they are also filled with unspoken promises and hidden truths waiting to be uncovered.
The characters are absolutely captivating — the legendary Sons of Uther, with their mysterious air and dangerous allure, and the second in command, whose otherworldly presence hints at depths unknown. 🥀🛡️ Then there’s the soldier she healed, whose fierce vow to protect her adds a tender yet tense layer to the story. Their relationships are so delicately crafted, balancing trust and suspicion, tenderness and danger, making every page a rollercoaster of emotions. 💓
The story’s pace is absolutely perfect — fast enough to keep your heart racing, yet rich with atmospheric detail and poetic prose that make every scene feel like a spellbinding tableau. ✨🖤 As secrets are revealed and powerful entities pull the strings of her destiny, Ertha must confront not only the dark truths of her world but also the shadows within herself. It’s a journey of self-discovery wrapped in a cloak of mystery, magic, and romance. 🔮💫
If you love stories like The Witcher, with that mix of fairy-tale magic, Viking mythos, and dark romantic fantasy, this book is a true gem. 🌟🌿 It’s an epic adventure that will make your heart ache and soar at the same time — a beautifully woven tale of love, betrayal, and destiny. 💖🌙
Ertha, a True Healer, is such a compelling protagonist — brave, kind, and deeply human, even as she finds herself caught in a tangled web of political intrigue and dangerous secrets. 🌿🕸️ Her kidnapping from the tranquil Selenyss Temple feels like a cruel twist of fate, thrusting her into a world where nothing is quite what it seems. The dark shores of the enemy kingdom loom ominously, yet they are also filled with unspoken promises and hidden truths waiting to be uncovered.
The characters are absolutely captivating — the legendary Sons of Uther, with their mysterious air and dangerous allure, and the second in command, whose otherworldly presence hints at depths unknown. 🥀🛡️ Then there’s the soldier she healed, whose fierce vow to protect her adds a tender yet tense layer to the story. Their relationships are so delicately crafted, balancing trust and suspicion, tenderness and danger, making every page a rollercoaster of emotions. 💓
The story’s pace is absolutely perfect — fast enough to keep your heart racing, yet rich with atmospheric detail and poetic prose that make every scene feel like a spellbinding tableau. ✨🖤 As secrets are revealed and powerful entities pull the strings of her destiny, Ertha must confront not only the dark truths of her world but also the shadows within herself. It’s a journey of self-discovery wrapped in a cloak of mystery, magic, and romance. 🔮💫
If you love stories like The Witcher, with that mix of fairy-tale magic, Viking mythos, and dark romantic fantasy, this book is a true gem. 🌟🌿 It’s an epic adventure that will make your heart ache and soar at the same time — a beautifully woven tale of love, betrayal, and destiny. 💖🌙
August 3, 2025
AUDIOBOOK ARC Review
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an audiobook ARC of this book!!!!
Starting this audiobook it felt like I was immersed in an unexpected epic story tale with goddess, angels and demons. And the first chapters where actually providing that same premise, and I was hooked with the story and what it can provide, but as the story progress so did my disinterest with the story.
I think my major issue with this book was they things where happening constantly and yet if felt the story and plot was going nowhere, every plot point got us nowhere and for more that I advance with the story I felt o never was properly introduce with this whole new fantasy world, first book in a series are supposed to gave us the introduction we need to make it easy for the next books to navigate said world, yeah finished the audiobook without actually understanding how it worked. I wanna point out it maybe be the reason I was never able to immerse myself into the world building was because I’m not familiar with Nordic and Vicking mythology.
Going with the main characters:
The FMC: I just couldn’t get myself to like the fmc nor to understand her actions - thoughts.
She kept saying she couldn’t trust no one on enemy territory but the first male character that told her they where “the good one” and that they would protect them she trust him without any second thought.
And besides her we don’t get to actually know and understand other of the characters, there is her keeper who clearly is the mc but we literally know nothing about him besides being a dark lord who has a second agenda against his “father” who is actually the king of the enemy territory.
Then there is the soldier whom she heals and swear to be on her side and her protected, who is clearly CLEARLY a double agent.
I really tried but after 85% I just count keep pushing it, I really felt getting myself under a reading slump.
On the only good side the audio narration was MARVELLOUS, the narrator did an amazing work not only giving voice to the FMC but all the other characters have unique voices. That’s truly a great work.
The music in the background for specific scenes was a nice touch.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an audiobook ARC of this book!!!!
Starting this audiobook it felt like I was immersed in an unexpected epic story tale with goddess, angels and demons. And the first chapters where actually providing that same premise, and I was hooked with the story and what it can provide, but as the story progress so did my disinterest with the story.
I think my major issue with this book was they things where happening constantly and yet if felt the story and plot was going nowhere, every plot point got us nowhere and for more that I advance with the story I felt o never was properly introduce with this whole new fantasy world, first book in a series are supposed to gave us the introduction we need to make it easy for the next books to navigate said world, yeah finished the audiobook without actually understanding how it worked. I wanna point out it maybe be the reason I was never able to immerse myself into the world building was because I’m not familiar with Nordic and Vicking mythology.
Going with the main characters:
The FMC: I just couldn’t get myself to like the fmc nor to understand her actions - thoughts.
She kept saying she couldn’t trust no one on enemy territory but the first male character that told her they where “the good one” and that they would protect them she trust him without any second thought.
And besides her we don’t get to actually know and understand other of the characters, there is her keeper who clearly is the mc but we literally know nothing about him besides being a dark lord who has a second agenda against his “father” who is actually the king of the enemy territory.
Then there is the soldier whom she heals and swear to be on her side and her protected, who is clearly CLEARLY a double agent.
I really tried but after 85% I just count keep pushing it, I really felt getting myself under a reading slump.
On the only good side the audio narration was MARVELLOUS, the narrator did an amazing work not only giving voice to the FMC but all the other characters have unique voices. That’s truly a great work.
The music in the background for specific scenes was a nice touch.
August 4, 2025
2.75
For me, The Seventh Sister was a case of so much potential but sadly underwhelming. It certainly isn’t a dark fantasy in my understanding but it might be a good read for those who usually like the more cozy books and want to venture a bit.
PLOT
The story started off good and intriguing, had me emotionally invested too. Until around the second third when I suddenly didn’t know what the goal was anymore. There was talk about plans but the FMC never acted as if she actually wanted to pursue them. Instead, the book that started off as fantasy with the potential for dark fantasy, turned into an almost cozy story of book clubs, yoga classes and shopping.
I didn’t HATE the story or the way it progressed, I just really think it missed the mark somehow.
CHARACTERS
I feel like none of the main characters - who admittedly got thrown together in an interesting constellation that made for naturally occurring conflicts - got quite the space and depth they deserved. Because the concept of Ertha and especially the male characters was really good!
Sadly, even though I really wanted to, until the very end, I personally didn’t feel any chemistry between the FMC and any male character. Even those that were clearly placed as potential love interests, even when her words wanted to tell me otherwise.
WRITING
Overall, the book was a case of telling rather than showing, I think.
The lyrical style is one I usually like and is done well most of the time, although it almost felt like it was concealing where the story fell a bit flat.
I did love the world building, the lore and overall construct and I do think that, if the characters get the necessary development in book two, this could turn out pretty good after all.
While I realize that this review sounds rather negative, I really did enjoy parts of the story and it started off strong and ended in a way that regained some of my interest. And even though it wasn’t for me, I am sure this is a book that many will love, especially for the vibe.
---
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and M.A. Brown of an ALC of this book.
For me, The Seventh Sister was a case of so much potential but sadly underwhelming. It certainly isn’t a dark fantasy in my understanding but it might be a good read for those who usually like the more cozy books and want to venture a bit.
PLOT
The story started off good and intriguing, had me emotionally invested too. Until around the second third when I suddenly didn’t know what the goal was anymore. There was talk about plans but the FMC never acted as if she actually wanted to pursue them. Instead, the book that started off as fantasy with the potential for dark fantasy, turned into an almost cozy story of book clubs, yoga classes and shopping.
I didn’t HATE the story or the way it progressed, I just really think it missed the mark somehow.
CHARACTERS
I feel like none of the main characters - who admittedly got thrown together in an interesting constellation that made for naturally occurring conflicts - got quite the space and depth they deserved. Because the concept of Ertha and especially the male characters was really good!
Sadly, even though I really wanted to, until the very end, I personally didn’t feel any chemistry between the FMC and any male character. Even those that were clearly placed as potential love interests, even when her words wanted to tell me otherwise.
WRITING
Overall, the book was a case of telling rather than showing, I think.
The lyrical style is one I usually like and is done well most of the time, although it almost felt like it was concealing where the story fell a bit flat.
I did love the world building, the lore and overall construct and I do think that, if the characters get the necessary development in book two, this could turn out pretty good after all.
While I realize that this review sounds rather negative, I really did enjoy parts of the story and it started off strong and ended in a way that regained some of my interest. And even though it wasn’t for me, I am sure this is a book that many will love, especially for the vibe.
---
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and M.A. Brown of an ALC of this book.
June 27, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the arc!
Unfortunately, this story wasn’t for me. The summary sounded like something I would thoroughly enjoy, but I struggled with the writing style. It’s marketed as a romantasy - there was next to no romance. There was no chemistry. There was barely even any conversation! It’s also marketed as dark - barely. The random “dark” scenes felt like a speed bump in the desert - unfitting and, like, unnecessary? But there were definitely lots of em dashes!
Further on the writing, I found that it focused more on being descriptive rather than storytelling, and in turn, disrupted the slim chance of consistent pacing. The central theme of the story is balance, but there was none when it came to world building, plot progression, and character development.
Additionally, I couldn’t even tell what the protagonist’s goal was until maybe the last 20% of the book(?) I understood escaping was AN objective, but was that truly it? Maybe I had missed it, but whatever plot line involved Red Lady felt so disconnected.
Other people seem to review this book highly and I’m glad it’s found the right audience. Sadly, I’m just not part of them.
Unfortunately, this story wasn’t for me. The summary sounded like something I would thoroughly enjoy, but I struggled with the writing style. It’s marketed as a romantasy - there was next to no romance. There was no chemistry. There was barely even any conversation! It’s also marketed as dark - barely. The random “dark” scenes felt like a speed bump in the desert - unfitting and, like, unnecessary? But there were definitely lots of em dashes!
Further on the writing, I found that it focused more on being descriptive rather than storytelling, and in turn, disrupted the slim chance of consistent pacing. The central theme of the story is balance, but there was none when it came to world building, plot progression, and character development.
Additionally, I couldn’t even tell what the protagonist’s goal was until maybe the last 20% of the book(?) I understood escaping was AN objective, but was that truly it? Maybe I had missed it, but whatever plot line involved Red Lady felt so disconnected.
Other people seem to review this book highly and I’m glad it’s found the right audience. Sadly, I’m just not part of them.
August 4, 2025
"𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧."
I'm going to start this by saying thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a copy of this audiobook.
This book way 𝘸𝘢𝘺 different than I thought it would be (though that's my fault for not reading the synopsis 😭I picked this solely because of the cover, it's gorgeous).
It's not a bad book, but definitely not the best I've read this year either.
I feel like some parts are a bit forgettable but one thing I liked about this was how it pretty much just got straight into the action, though I wish at some points there was more detail. The world building was great and I liked the writing style. The audiobook narrator did a good job and I liked the music at the beginning of each chapter + at some other parts (&And chapters with names? 😻).
Honestly I was thinking this book was like a 2/2.5 star book, I feel it dragged on a bit, plus the parts where I was forgetting what happened despite just having listened to it and stuff like that 𝘣𝘶𝘵, that ending? The ending was my favorite part of the book, everything else was...okay? But that ending. That had upped it to a 3, if only barely.
I'm going to start this by saying thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a copy of this audiobook.
This book way 𝘸𝘢𝘺 different than I thought it would be (though that's my fault for not reading the synopsis 😭I picked this solely because of the cover, it's gorgeous).
It's not a bad book, but definitely not the best I've read this year either.
I feel like some parts are a bit forgettable but one thing I liked about this was how it pretty much just got straight into the action, though I wish at some points there was more detail. The world building was great and I liked the writing style. The audiobook narrator did a good job and I liked the music at the beginning of each chapter + at some other parts (&And chapters with names? 😻).
Honestly I was thinking this book was like a 2/2.5 star book, I feel it dragged on a bit, plus the parts where I was forgetting what happened despite just having listened to it and stuff like that 𝘣𝘶𝘵, that ending? The ending was my favorite part of the book, everything else was...okay? But that ending. That had upped it to a 3, if only barely.
July 22, 2025
“Healing is blind.” What would it be like to save the enemy that killed your closest friends?
Ertha is the seventh sister of the next queen of Vanyth. She is a true healer, having a rare ability to heal with magic, who is studying at the temple of a goddess where she is stolen by the army of the enemy Kingdom of Uther. Her life is spared because of her powers, and she is put to work as a healer for those who are loyal to the King of Uther. Ertha is thrust into a whirlwind of court politics, a game of deciphering who to trust (her appointed keeper or the enemy soldier whose life she saved), and the mysterious interference of a seer and a goddess.
This book has strong world building, with gods and goddesses who create a world mirroring their own, complete with beings they can’t control that threaten its destruction. The characters are well developed, including the main and side characters, which I appreciate. Our FMC Ertha has the warmth of a healer, while being discerning enough to keep her guard up in enemy territory and trusting no one with her secrets. Her keeper Fenris vows that her safety is his priority and his actions seem to mirror his promise, although his motives and past remain mysterious to the end. These two have a slow burn enemies to friends dynamic that clearly has more to be explored. Also, enter the enemy soldier whose life she saved as her temple was burned to the ground, and who vows to protect her. Is he to be trusted?
This story gives careful hints and clues without being overly predictable. There is just enough information slowly revealed, while many revelations lead to deeper mysteries that kept me riveted the whole time. The pacing is well done, with a perfect blend of action packed and commonplace scenarios. The style of this book is written in a lyrical prose that I typically enjoy. My only slight criticism is that sometimes the metaphors try a little bit too hard to have a natural sounding flow.
Overall, if you enjoy compelling world building with gods and goddesses interfering in the fates of their creations, very slow burn romance, and characters with mysterious and questionable motives give this book a try! It is the first of a planned duology and ends on a quite a cliffhanger.
4/5⭐️ audiobook
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this audio ARC.
Ertha is the seventh sister of the next queen of Vanyth. She is a true healer, having a rare ability to heal with magic, who is studying at the temple of a goddess where she is stolen by the army of the enemy Kingdom of Uther. Her life is spared because of her powers, and she is put to work as a healer for those who are loyal to the King of Uther. Ertha is thrust into a whirlwind of court politics, a game of deciphering who to trust (her appointed keeper or the enemy soldier whose life she saved), and the mysterious interference of a seer and a goddess.
This book has strong world building, with gods and goddesses who create a world mirroring their own, complete with beings they can’t control that threaten its destruction. The characters are well developed, including the main and side characters, which I appreciate. Our FMC Ertha has the warmth of a healer, while being discerning enough to keep her guard up in enemy territory and trusting no one with her secrets. Her keeper Fenris vows that her safety is his priority and his actions seem to mirror his promise, although his motives and past remain mysterious to the end. These two have a slow burn enemies to friends dynamic that clearly has more to be explored. Also, enter the enemy soldier whose life she saved as her temple was burned to the ground, and who vows to protect her. Is he to be trusted?
This story gives careful hints and clues without being overly predictable. There is just enough information slowly revealed, while many revelations lead to deeper mysteries that kept me riveted the whole time. The pacing is well done, with a perfect blend of action packed and commonplace scenarios. The style of this book is written in a lyrical prose that I typically enjoy. My only slight criticism is that sometimes the metaphors try a little bit too hard to have a natural sounding flow.
Overall, if you enjoy compelling world building with gods and goddesses interfering in the fates of their creations, very slow burn romance, and characters with mysterious and questionable motives give this book a try! It is the first of a planned duology and ends on a quite a cliffhanger.
4/5⭐️ audiobook
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this audio ARC.
August 3, 2025
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an audioobook ARC of this book for an honest review.
The Seventh Sister may appeal to people who like the tone of Bridge Kingdom or are looking to cross into a romantasy with more lore that roots with the world’s gods. The first person POV gets us in the head of our protagonist making the exposition pretty legible and easy to take on as we learn her biases, and her place as a disguised healer in this religious society.
I like a lot how she loses time while she’s healing, it’s an interesting catch to her gift. It’s also different that she is a healer instead of a soldier/trained assassin. The all powerful, very combat skilled plot armored fmc is someone I easily come to love, but this reworked angle is appreciated. I think unfortunately the atmospheric descriptions and settings are a bit generic throughout and not super specific to this world especially. It could be any magical world.
Additionally, though this is an adult fiction book, made clear with its darker tone in the way men objectify her and the explicit nature of the relationships, some of it reads like YA. I think the parts where Ertha is very blatantly in denial remind me of the beginning of a teen novel where the 16/17 year old is just learning of societal ignorances and denial of how they do or do not fall into that pattern.
The jailer/prisoner thing going on here is, maybe just not fully my thing. I love a defiant girl in the face of just a dude acting like a regular modern guy. There’s something silly about it that can be charming. I can also get behind an enemies to lovers , forced proximity trope combo if done in a compelling way that creates tension. However, this felt more like a bully romance where the man had more power like in all ways and felt a little less of an organic connection and more like a real power imbalance. It’s not instalove which I appreciate! But the minute Fenris started flirting, Ertha had reactions to his tones in voice and winking and all that. Which wasn’t super unrealistic but also I don’t think I believed for a second that he was repulsed by her despite her inner monologue. I also do not completely understand Fenris I think. He is supposed to be extremely opaque and mysterious but I was left wanting when answering the question “why does she feel drawn to him?”
The book focuses on beginnings of this new world and then a series of “a day in the life”s, almost making it paced like a cozy romance, but some really harrowing moments make it quite dark. I can’t say I’m always into a huge moving constant plot, but if the plot is going to be a more inconsistent, I really need a unique character that involves emotional stakes, connection, making that character deserving of their main status. For a large middle part of the story, this violent world felt removed, granting less context and urgency to Ertha’s small bubble. And the things that move the plot forward kind of drag with a lot of things being hinted at and starting without many things getting accomplished.
All in all it was a pretty standard romantasy from my perspective. A lot is set up in this book for presumably a sequel that might follow through more thoroughly. 3/5 stars
The Seventh Sister may appeal to people who like the tone of Bridge Kingdom or are looking to cross into a romantasy with more lore that roots with the world’s gods. The first person POV gets us in the head of our protagonist making the exposition pretty legible and easy to take on as we learn her biases, and her place as a disguised healer in this religious society.
I like a lot how she loses time while she’s healing, it’s an interesting catch to her gift. It’s also different that she is a healer instead of a soldier/trained assassin. The all powerful, very combat skilled plot armored fmc is someone I easily come to love, but this reworked angle is appreciated. I think unfortunately the atmospheric descriptions and settings are a bit generic throughout and not super specific to this world especially. It could be any magical world.
Additionally, though this is an adult fiction book, made clear with its darker tone in the way men objectify her and the explicit nature of the relationships, some of it reads like YA. I think the parts where Ertha is very blatantly in denial remind me of the beginning of a teen novel where the 16/17 year old is just learning of societal ignorances and denial of how they do or do not fall into that pattern.
The jailer/prisoner thing going on here is, maybe just not fully my thing. I love a defiant girl in the face of just a dude acting like a regular modern guy. There’s something silly about it that can be charming. I can also get behind an enemies to lovers , forced proximity trope combo if done in a compelling way that creates tension. However, this felt more like a bully romance where the man had more power like in all ways and felt a little less of an organic connection and more like a real power imbalance. It’s not instalove which I appreciate! But the minute Fenris started flirting, Ertha had reactions to his tones in voice and winking and all that. Which wasn’t super unrealistic but also I don’t think I believed for a second that he was repulsed by her despite her inner monologue. I also do not completely understand Fenris I think. He is supposed to be extremely opaque and mysterious but I was left wanting when answering the question “why does she feel drawn to him?”
The book focuses on beginnings of this new world and then a series of “a day in the life”s, almost making it paced like a cozy romance, but some really harrowing moments make it quite dark. I can’t say I’m always into a huge moving constant plot, but if the plot is going to be a more inconsistent, I really need a unique character that involves emotional stakes, connection, making that character deserving of their main status. For a large middle part of the story, this violent world felt removed, granting less context and urgency to Ertha’s small bubble. And the things that move the plot forward kind of drag with a lot of things being hinted at and starting without many things getting accomplished.
All in all it was a pretty standard romantasy from my perspective. A lot is set up in this book for presumably a sequel that might follow through more thoroughly. 3/5 stars
July 21, 2025
Let me start with what I genuinely loved. The writing was immersive with beautiful flow, but the real star was the audiobook production. The narrator was absolutely brilliant—switching voices for different characters so well that I found myself just listening if not for the plot than for the vocal performances alone.
Now for the less pleasant part of this review...
Characters need flaws and challenges to create compelling stories, but our FMC apparently missed that memo. Despite being kidnapped by fantasy Vikings (which sounds promising!), she faced exactly zero character growth or meaningful obstacles. Why? Because she arrived already equipped for every possible scenario: hyper-talented healer? Check. Royalty? Check. Super mega rare magical chosen one? You guessed it.
This character stacking made her paradoxically boring to follow. Why worry when her friends get hurt if she can heal them instantly? Why fear for her safety when she can smite enemies without breaking a sweat? Why care about her royal status when it's just convenient enough to keep her comfortable but not interesting enough for real court intrigue? It's like the author gave her cheat codes for life.
Even more baffling was how quickly she befriended every female character in enemy territory. Everyone immediately trusted her with secrets and welcomed her into their circles because... sisterhood I guess? Wouldn't fellow captives be more suspicious and guarded? The logic escaped me.
The disconnect between the blurb and actual story was jarring. This was marketed as dark romantasy, but the "darkness" apparently ended when the FMC was escorted to nobility quarters. Sure, some people were mildly unpleasant, but given her freedoms and leisure time (as a bloody captive, hello!?), it felt more like an all-inclusive resort with attitude.
Speaking of that leisure time—this book desperately needed editing. Page after page detailed the FMC doing yoga, attending smut book club sessions (I wish I were joking), and eating elaborate breakfasts in her fancy chambers (they were even equipped with with running water and we were made aware how rare that but was). These mundane activities might work in cozy fantasy, but the setting was all wrong for that vibe whish was supposed to be a dark romantasy. But was it?
Even at 70%, I could barely detect romantic tension between the main characters. For a romantasy, that's rather unusual.
I was genuinely excited about this premise—it sounded fresh and intriguing. But unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book and I'll probably forget what it about in a few days. I just wonder who was supposed to be the target audience. Too bland for romantasy lovers, lacking plot structure for fantasy romance fans, wrong setting for cozy fantasy... Maybe readers seeking very low-stakes, slow-burn vibes? Though even then, there was no longing or yearning to speak of.
Pick this up if you're purely here for a remotely Nordic fantasy atmosphere , but don't expect a swoon-worthy romance or compelling plot. There's some random spice scattered throughout—I'd call it an open door but not explicit—though it felt disconnected from any real emotional aspect and was used purely as a random plot device.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review
Now for the less pleasant part of this review...
Characters need flaws and challenges to create compelling stories, but our FMC apparently missed that memo. Despite being kidnapped by fantasy Vikings (which sounds promising!), she faced exactly zero character growth or meaningful obstacles. Why? Because she arrived already equipped for every possible scenario: hyper-talented healer? Check. Royalty? Check. Super mega rare magical chosen one? You guessed it.
This character stacking made her paradoxically boring to follow. Why worry when her friends get hurt if she can heal them instantly? Why fear for her safety when she can smite enemies without breaking a sweat? Why care about her royal status when it's just convenient enough to keep her comfortable but not interesting enough for real court intrigue? It's like the author gave her cheat codes for life.
Even more baffling was how quickly she befriended every female character in enemy territory. Everyone immediately trusted her with secrets and welcomed her into their circles because... sisterhood I guess? Wouldn't fellow captives be more suspicious and guarded? The logic escaped me.
The disconnect between the blurb and actual story was jarring. This was marketed as dark romantasy, but the "darkness" apparently ended when the FMC was escorted to nobility quarters. Sure, some people were mildly unpleasant, but given her freedoms and leisure time (as a bloody captive, hello!?), it felt more like an all-inclusive resort with attitude.
Speaking of that leisure time—this book desperately needed editing. Page after page detailed the FMC doing yoga, attending smut book club sessions (I wish I were joking), and eating elaborate breakfasts in her fancy chambers (they were even equipped with with running water and we were made aware how rare that but was). These mundane activities might work in cozy fantasy, but the setting was all wrong for that vibe whish was supposed to be a dark romantasy. But was it?
Even at 70%, I could barely detect romantic tension between the main characters. For a romantasy, that's rather unusual.
I was genuinely excited about this premise—it sounded fresh and intriguing. But unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book and I'll probably forget what it about in a few days. I just wonder who was supposed to be the target audience. Too bland for romantasy lovers, lacking plot structure for fantasy romance fans, wrong setting for cozy fantasy... Maybe readers seeking very low-stakes, slow-burn vibes? Though even then, there was no longing or yearning to speak of.
Pick this up if you're purely here for a remotely Nordic fantasy atmosphere , but don't expect a swoon-worthy romance or compelling plot. There's some random spice scattered throughout—I'd call it an open door but not explicit—though it felt disconnected from any real emotional aspect and was used purely as a random plot device.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review
August 5, 2025
✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖/🎧: The Seventh Sister
🎙️: Jacci Prior
Ertha’s life is upended when she’s taken by the ruthless enemy. But if they learn her secrets, she’ll be doomed even further.
Blessed with healing magic and a soft heart, Ertha must navigate the perils of the enemy court while plotting her escape.
With no allies and no one to trust, Ertha looks to the soldier she helped save while feeling an inexplicable draw to the king’s warrior.
Tropes:
⚕️Healer FMC
🩶Morally grey MCs
🫂Forced proximity
📜Epic mythology
✨Meddling Deities
🔥Slowburn
The narrator delivers a dynamic and nuanced performance that fully transported me into this dark and brutal world. Jacci masterfully portrays Ertha’s resilient spirit and conflicted emotions as she becomes entangled with a sensitive soldier and dangerous warrior. I relished each tense-filled moment and carefully crafted reveal.
In this world sprawling with monsters, magic, and unforeseen dangers, I am anxiously awaiting what’s in store for Ertha.
The Seventh Sister is a spellbinding dark epic fantasy with exceptional world building, captivating characters, and a smoldering slow burn romance.
Grateful to the author for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.
📖/🎧: The Seventh Sister
🎙️: Jacci Prior
Ertha’s life is upended when she’s taken by the ruthless enemy. But if they learn her secrets, she’ll be doomed even further.
Blessed with healing magic and a soft heart, Ertha must navigate the perils of the enemy court while plotting her escape.
With no allies and no one to trust, Ertha looks to the soldier she helped save while feeling an inexplicable draw to the king’s warrior.
Tropes:
⚕️Healer FMC
🩶Morally grey MCs
🫂Forced proximity
📜Epic mythology
✨Meddling Deities
🔥Slowburn
The narrator delivers a dynamic and nuanced performance that fully transported me into this dark and brutal world. Jacci masterfully portrays Ertha’s resilient spirit and conflicted emotions as she becomes entangled with a sensitive soldier and dangerous warrior. I relished each tense-filled moment and carefully crafted reveal.
In this world sprawling with monsters, magic, and unforeseen dangers, I am anxiously awaiting what’s in store for Ertha.
The Seventh Sister is a spellbinding dark epic fantasy with exceptional world building, captivating characters, and a smoldering slow burn romance.
Grateful to the author for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 27, 2025
3.5/5 - rounded up to 4 stars!
Thank you so much to Victory Editing and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book - I'm truly grateful for the experience!
I honestly had very mixed thoughts on this book - it felt like large chunks of the books were a little bland and I found myself not too interested for long periods of time and just reading passively rather than excitedly. However, when it felt like interesting and important things were happening, it really did get my attention and make me get lost in the world and events
I did particularly love the almost instant camaraderie you're able to feel between female characters - with Ertha being thrown into a new place against her will, I feel like the support and togetherness that she gets from Munnin and Rhapso is something that was absolutely pivotal to have in this book in order to make sure it wasnt entirely doom and gloom.
The end 20% of this book really kept me drawn in though and I literally couldnt put the book down. I feel like everything was tied up to a perfect degree while also bringing SO many more questions that are left to be answered now. I would absolutely love to be able to see where this book goes next in the future!
I also was given access to the audiobook and can say that i 100% recommend immersive reading this book, it made it a lot more fun and the narrator is amazing!
Thank you so much to Victory Editing and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book - I'm truly grateful for the experience!
I honestly had very mixed thoughts on this book - it felt like large chunks of the books were a little bland and I found myself not too interested for long periods of time and just reading passively rather than excitedly. However, when it felt like interesting and important things were happening, it really did get my attention and make me get lost in the world and events
I did particularly love the almost instant camaraderie you're able to feel between female characters - with Ertha being thrown into a new place against her will, I feel like the support and togetherness that she gets from Munnin and Rhapso is something that was absolutely pivotal to have in this book in order to make sure it wasnt entirely doom and gloom.
The end 20% of this book really kept me drawn in though and I literally couldnt put the book down. I feel like everything was tied up to a perfect degree while also bringing SO many more questions that are left to be answered now. I would absolutely love to be able to see where this book goes next in the future!
I also was given access to the audiobook and can say that i 100% recommend immersive reading this book, it made it a lot more fun and the narrator is amazing!
August 25, 2025
4.5⭐️
The Seventh Sister is an epic dark romantasy that wastes no time getting to the action. From the first couple chapters alone, I knew I was in for a ride. Check your CW and TW because some of the themes are very dark. While the spice and v!olence was moderately graphic, they did not feel gratuitous and absolutely helped to carry the plot along. The FMC is a secret princess, taken captive from a temple and kept as a healer for an enemy kingdom. Her captor keeps her close through a forced magical bond. I loved the mix of magic, world building, and the eclectic cast of characters. I love that they low key had her doing yoga every day even though the poses were scandalous. The way things rounded out in the last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat, theorizing and gasping at the many revelations. I literally screamed when the audiobook ended. I cannot wait to pick up the next in this series once it is out.
🎧 The audiobook had a single narrator but the performance was so immaculate that I hardly noticed. I love the accents and the raw emotion that made this audiobook stand out to me. I had goosebumps. Also, I really enjoyed the musical touches included between chapters and during particular scenes that added to the suspense and immersive quality. I highly recommend checking out the audio!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
• epic dark romantasy
• captive & captor
• secret magic
• meddling gods
• she’s a healer and he’s a warrior
• forced proximity
• uncovering secrets
• be careful who you trust
• they read smut
• spice: 🌶️🌶️ (moderately graphic on page scenes)
The Seventh Sister is an epic dark romantasy that wastes no time getting to the action. From the first couple chapters alone, I knew I was in for a ride. Check your CW and TW because some of the themes are very dark. While the spice and v!olence was moderately graphic, they did not feel gratuitous and absolutely helped to carry the plot along. The FMC is a secret princess, taken captive from a temple and kept as a healer for an enemy kingdom. Her captor keeps her close through a forced magical bond. I loved the mix of magic, world building, and the eclectic cast of characters. I love that they low key had her doing yoga every day even though the poses were scandalous. The way things rounded out in the last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat, theorizing and gasping at the many revelations. I literally screamed when the audiobook ended. I cannot wait to pick up the next in this series once it is out.
🎧 The audiobook had a single narrator but the performance was so immaculate that I hardly noticed. I love the accents and the raw emotion that made this audiobook stand out to me. I had goosebumps. Also, I really enjoyed the musical touches included between chapters and during particular scenes that added to the suspense and immersive quality. I highly recommend checking out the audio!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
• epic dark romantasy
• captive & captor
• secret magic
• meddling gods
• she’s a healer and he’s a warrior
• forced proximity
• uncovering secrets
• be careful who you trust
• they read smut
• spice: 🌶️🌶️ (moderately graphic on page scenes)
July 29, 2025
Unfortunately this book wasn’t my personal cup of tea.
It fell into some tropes common in the romantasy genre that I find frustrating. One of these is that the central romance(s) feel more led by lust than true romance or love. Another is the “enemies to lovers” aspect… I found it very hard to connect to a romance when the main love interest is part of a group that commits truly horrendous acts. And the fact that our main character knows what he has done and still can set that aside for her own lust…
Both love interests to me seemed like the same character. The way they spoke, and treated the main character, I didn’t find them distinctly different at all.
Other reviews mention beautiful prose but sadly I can’t say that the writing was anything I was particularly impressed by. The pacing also felt a bit strange to me, not a lot happens in the middle of this book and then the ending suddenly introduces a lot of new things.
Some aspects that I did like:
- the use of music in the audiobook.
- the magic system felt somewhat unique
- the cover is really beautiful
I’m really sorry to say that I don’t think this book is particularly memorable for me. I would recommend it to romantasy readers who are ok with morally corrupt love interests.
I always feel bad writing a negative review, especially when reviewing an ARC, but alas this is simply my experience reading the book.
Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It fell into some tropes common in the romantasy genre that I find frustrating. One of these is that the central romance(s) feel more led by lust than true romance or love. Another is the “enemies to lovers” aspect… I found it very hard to connect to a romance when the main love interest is part of a group that commits truly horrendous acts. And the fact that our main character knows what he has done and still can set that aside for her own lust…
Both love interests to me seemed like the same character. The way they spoke, and treated the main character, I didn’t find them distinctly different at all.
Other reviews mention beautiful prose but sadly I can’t say that the writing was anything I was particularly impressed by. The pacing also felt a bit strange to me, not a lot happens in the middle of this book and then the ending suddenly introduces a lot of new things.
Some aspects that I did like:
- the use of music in the audiobook.
- the magic system felt somewhat unique
- the cover is really beautiful
I’m really sorry to say that I don’t think this book is particularly memorable for me. I would recommend it to romantasy readers who are ok with morally corrupt love interests.
I always feel bad writing a negative review, especially when reviewing an ARC, but alas this is simply my experience reading the book.
Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2025
I had the opportunity to not only read this book but listen to it, and hearing the story through the narrator made it so immersive. The different tones and voices they used and the thematic music and sounds throughout made me feel like I was in the story myself. The dramatic pauses and inflection that is able to come across through audio made this all the more impactful of a read.
As for the story itself, you follow Ertha after she is captured from her time away from the royal family studying as a healer and taken to an enemy kingdom by the Sons who rule it. Luckily they don’t know of her royal heritage and only take her as she saved someone while they attacked. She must navigate a budding relationship, court intrigue, continuing to grow her healing while hiding other budding magical power and the interfering of meddlesome gods all while still trying to plan her escape. Everything is not as it seems in this new kingdom and she must make her escape before all her secrets come unraveled.
The characters in this book all had good background and helped immerse me into their history and society. I loved Erthas relationship develop into friendship with some of her would be captors who seem to also be stuck where they are themselves. There was also lots of tension between Ertha and several of the men who wanted her but especially the man left to guard her and the one she saved. This book very much gave me Witcher vibes with all of the sons and the way they acted and felt like I was dropped into an old Norse esk tale with all the beasts and monsters, some of them even the humans themselves. All the different twists and gods showing up randomly made for an exciting story. Overall I really enjoyed this book and my rating is 4.6/5!
Thank you to the author and R&R book tours for the ALC of this book, all opinions given are my own!
As for the story itself, you follow Ertha after she is captured from her time away from the royal family studying as a healer and taken to an enemy kingdom by the Sons who rule it. Luckily they don’t know of her royal heritage and only take her as she saved someone while they attacked. She must navigate a budding relationship, court intrigue, continuing to grow her healing while hiding other budding magical power and the interfering of meddlesome gods all while still trying to plan her escape. Everything is not as it seems in this new kingdom and she must make her escape before all her secrets come unraveled.
The characters in this book all had good background and helped immerse me into their history and society. I loved Erthas relationship develop into friendship with some of her would be captors who seem to also be stuck where they are themselves. There was also lots of tension between Ertha and several of the men who wanted her but especially the man left to guard her and the one she saved. This book very much gave me Witcher vibes with all of the sons and the way they acted and felt like I was dropped into an old Norse esk tale with all the beasts and monsters, some of them even the humans themselves. All the different twists and gods showing up randomly made for an exciting story. Overall I really enjoyed this book and my rating is 4.6/5!
Thank you to the author and R&R book tours for the ALC of this book, all opinions given are my own!
August 6, 2025
The Seventh Sister is the first book in a new romantasy series set in a Vikings-esque fantasy world.
I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more than the first half, as the plot seemed to become more unique in the second half. There were some really interesting twists that I didn't see coming, and I'm really looking forward to see where the story goes next.
The audiobook is really well narrated by the sole narrator, Jacci Prior. She does a good job at the various accents displayed by the characters, and has a great emotional range. I really appreciated the addition of music to the audiobook - it occurs at the start of chapters, but also to great effect during the chapters, to ramp up tension etc.
In the advanced copy of the audiobook that I listened to, there was a chunk of the audiobook missing at one point, so I don't know what I missed there, other than that it cut mid-sentence from the FMC's POV to what seemed like a chapter from Fenris' POV, but I don't think he had any other chapters, so that was a bit confusing. I don't imagine that this issue will be present in the main release of the audiobook, and was probably just an issue with my ALC version.
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Listener Copy from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.
I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more than the first half, as the plot seemed to become more unique in the second half. There were some really interesting twists that I didn't see coming, and I'm really looking forward to see where the story goes next.
The audiobook is really well narrated by the sole narrator, Jacci Prior. She does a good job at the various accents displayed by the characters, and has a great emotional range. I really appreciated the addition of music to the audiobook - it occurs at the start of chapters, but also to great effect during the chapters, to ramp up tension etc.
In the advanced copy of the audiobook that I listened to, there was a chunk of the audiobook missing at one point, so I don't know what I missed there, other than that it cut mid-sentence from the FMC's POV to what seemed like a chapter from Fenris' POV, but I don't think he had any other chapters, so that was a bit confusing. I don't imagine that this issue will be present in the main release of the audiobook, and was probably just an issue with my ALC version.
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Listener Copy from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.
August 27, 2025
This gorgeous cover captures the mood of the book beautifully, but it was the audiobook that really elevated the experience. Narrated by the talented Jacci Prior, it’s a wonderful performance. The accents, the touches of music, all of it enhanced the world without ever distracting from the story. I’d especially recommend experiencing this one in audio format.
The opening hook pulled me in immediately, and the atmospheric writing feels perfect for a Viking-inspired story. What impressed me most was the layered world-building and the characters; they are complex, unpredictable, and never fall into the archetypes I expected. The romance was not at all what I expected. And the healing magic was easily one of my favorite elements; though some of its abilities were a bit of a stretch.
I went in expecting nonstop Viking battles, but instead found a story rooted in mystery, folklore, and political intrigue. The tension is ever-present, with danger humming beneath the surface, more about secrets and power plays than axes on the battlefield. And that ENDING? I’m still shook.
There is an attempted SA, which I never enjoy encountering, but here it was handled with care and with purpose. If you’re looking for a darker romantasy that is perfect for fans of H.M. Long and Danielle L. Jensen, pick this up!
Thanks so much to the author and R&R Booktours for the complimentary audiobook. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
The opening hook pulled me in immediately, and the atmospheric writing feels perfect for a Viking-inspired story. What impressed me most was the layered world-building and the characters; they are complex, unpredictable, and never fall into the archetypes I expected. The romance was not at all what I expected. And the healing magic was easily one of my favorite elements; though some of its abilities were a bit of a stretch.
I went in expecting nonstop Viking battles, but instead found a story rooted in mystery, folklore, and political intrigue. The tension is ever-present, with danger humming beneath the surface, more about secrets and power plays than axes on the battlefield. And that ENDING? I’m still shook.
There is an attempted SA, which I never enjoy encountering, but here it was handled with care and with purpose. If you’re looking for a darker romantasy that is perfect for fans of H.M. Long and Danielle L. Jensen, pick this up!
Thanks so much to the author and R&R Booktours for the complimentary audiobook. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
June 17, 2025
This was such an enjoyable read I had a hard time setting it down and nearly read it all in one sitting! Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC!
I loved the Norse vibes of the story and the character development as the story progressed, without feeling like I was being bombarded with backstories for them all. The world building was excellent and I really enjoyed all the little nods to Norse mythology.
The only thing that took me out of it a little bit was using 'dey' and 'noct' instead of 'day' and 'night', but I get the reason. It is just a personal feeling, like when a book uses words like 'magik' instead of 'magic' just to be different. This didn't quite feel like that, since I do think it was to keep with that Norse vibe, it just was slightly jarring. But certainly not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the book.
The romance was slow burning and I think most of it is building up for book 2, which I look forward to reading. Overall, a delightful read!
I loved the Norse vibes of the story and the character development as the story progressed, without feeling like I was being bombarded with backstories for them all. The world building was excellent and I really enjoyed all the little nods to Norse mythology.
The only thing that took me out of it a little bit was using 'dey' and 'noct' instead of 'day' and 'night', but I get the reason. It is just a personal feeling, like when a book uses words like 'magik' instead of 'magic' just to be different. This didn't quite feel like that, since I do think it was to keep with that Norse vibe, it just was slightly jarring. But certainly not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the book.
The romance was slow burning and I think most of it is building up for book 2, which I look forward to reading. Overall, a delightful read!
August 10, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!
First I want to say that the audiobook was done very well and I enjoyed the music/ other sound effects that played during the audiobook.
I understand that this is the first book in the series but there was a lot of information thrown around that did not necessarily connect or make sense to me. I had a really hard time following the story with the way it was written and how sporadically things seemed to change.
I did love the detail and imagery in this book, the world building was also done very well. I definitely feel like if the same detail was applied to the plot and story I would have liked it more.
The romance seemed to be very random and all centered towards the end of the book. I did not understand how the only real scene was not even the main characters.
Overall the book was enjoyable but the ending did not have the same impact as a cliffhanger as I wanted it to be. I did love the use of the as above so below concept and balance in this universe. I feel like I would very much enjoy the second book and seeing how the story and relationships progress!
First I want to say that the audiobook was done very well and I enjoyed the music/ other sound effects that played during the audiobook.
I understand that this is the first book in the series but there was a lot of information thrown around that did not necessarily connect or make sense to me. I had a really hard time following the story with the way it was written and how sporadically things seemed to change.
I did love the detail and imagery in this book, the world building was also done very well. I definitely feel like if the same detail was applied to the plot and story I would have liked it more.
The romance seemed to be very random and all centered towards the end of the book. I did not understand how the only real scene was not even the main characters.
Overall the book was enjoyable but the ending did not have the same impact as a cliffhanger as I wanted it to be. I did love the use of the as above so below concept and balance in this universe. I feel like I would very much enjoy the second book and seeing how the story and relationships progress!
June 1, 2025
I was one of the lucky ones to get my hands on the arc of this and let me tell you, this was so damn beautiful and everything.
I devoured this as slow as I could so I could taste every little morsel that was given to me. This is my second book I've read by this author and she delivers. The writing and description felt like magic. The world felt huge, the characters were so well written and the magic so damn interesting. I was hit with so much suspense and slow burn I could have screamed. Ertha is such a lovely character. She is relatable and I wanted to pick her brain apart. she has her flaws and makes mistakes but she gets right back up, brushes her skirt off, head held high and moves on. Although some of her mistakes had me rolling my eyes. The side characters Munin, Rhaspo and Hugin made me want to smile and they felt like a warm hug. I won't talk about the men options because I don't want to spoil anything but I did have some guy feelings about them. I could feel like Norse mythology wound through out this one and I loved it.
I devoured this as slow as I could so I could taste every little morsel that was given to me. This is my second book I've read by this author and she delivers. The writing and description felt like magic. The world felt huge, the characters were so well written and the magic so damn interesting. I was hit with so much suspense and slow burn I could have screamed. Ertha is such a lovely character. She is relatable and I wanted to pick her brain apart. she has her flaws and makes mistakes but she gets right back up, brushes her skirt off, head held high and moves on. Although some of her mistakes had me rolling my eyes. The side characters Munin, Rhaspo and Hugin made me want to smile and they felt like a warm hug. I won't talk about the men options because I don't want to spoil anything but I did have some guy feelings about them. I could feel like Norse mythology wound through out this one and I loved it.
August 5, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, M.A. Brown & Victory Editing for providing this audiobook!
Audio details-
Single narration with some accompanying music
Tropes/ Highlights:
* Captor & bodyguard
* Meddling deities
* “Good Girl”
* “Who did this to her?”
* Slow AF burn
* Norse mythology vibes
* Magical/ whimsy but also dark
Giving Knight & the Moth vibes /
things aren’t as they seem
Short plot summary:
She’s a religious devotee with healing magic taken captive to use her gifts for an enemy, brutal & mysterious kingdom. She finds herself in a slight love triangle with her captor/bodyguard who bounds her to him and a knight that she healed on the night she was taken. She keeps her own identity secret and doesn’t know who she can trust and things don’t appear to be what they seem.
My thoughts:
Overall I liked it! I think I would have enjoyed eyeball reading it a little more. I found myself getting confused during the audio which can happen with epic fantasy- nothing against the book!
Audio details-
Single narration with some accompanying music
Tropes/ Highlights:
* Captor & bodyguard
* Meddling deities
* “Good Girl”
* “Who did this to her?”
* Slow AF burn
* Norse mythology vibes
* Magical/ whimsy but also dark
Giving Knight & the Moth vibes /
things aren’t as they seem
Short plot summary:
She’s a religious devotee with healing magic taken captive to use her gifts for an enemy, brutal & mysterious kingdom. She finds herself in a slight love triangle with her captor/bodyguard who bounds her to him and a knight that she healed on the night she was taken. She keeps her own identity secret and doesn’t know who she can trust and things don’t appear to be what they seem.
My thoughts:
Overall I liked it! I think I would have enjoyed eyeball reading it a little more. I found myself getting confused during the audio which can happen with epic fantasy- nothing against the book!
August 3, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, M.A. Brown, and Victory Editing for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. The beautiful cover drew me right in followed by the description.
The narrator did a wonderful job! She speaks clearly and the emotion in her voice fits the story well. As a neurodivergent person, I found the periodic music a little distracting. This didn’t occur too often, thankfully.
Overall, I really enjoyed the plot and many interesting characters. I especially loved many of the side characters. I appreciated the immersive world building and fairytale vibes. I was addicted pretty early on and continued guessing what would happen next throughout the book. I cannot wait to read the second in the series when it’s released. This was a great start and I need to know what happens next!
Publication Date: August 06, 2025
#TheSeventhSister #NetGalley
The narrator did a wonderful job! She speaks clearly and the emotion in her voice fits the story well. As a neurodivergent person, I found the periodic music a little distracting. This didn’t occur too often, thankfully.
Overall, I really enjoyed the plot and many interesting characters. I especially loved many of the side characters. I appreciated the immersive world building and fairytale vibes. I was addicted pretty early on and continued guessing what would happen next throughout the book. I cannot wait to read the second in the series when it’s released. This was a great start and I need to know what happens next!
Publication Date: August 06, 2025
#TheSeventhSister #NetGalley
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