4/5 🌶️

Rachel Fallon’s debut novel follows Asteria as she joins other adult humans as slaves to the various fae kingdoms. The various kingdoms are no longer in balance and the fae are monsters towards their slaves. 

This novel is split into two parts over more than 700 digital pages and many of the chapters are quite lengthy. The two parts have very different vibes: part 1 feels hopeless and abusive while part 2 feels heroic and like fate has brought various characters together. 

I struggled a bit with the choices Asteria makes regarding the various intimate and non-intimate relationships. In particular, in part 1, I found that Asteria’s thoughts and feelings around the relationships she has with other human slaves as well as her fae master do not always match up. I also felt that she too easily gave into her desires rather than stick to her morals. However, I think as I completed part 2, I have a better understanding of why the author chose to make her give in so easily. 

The intimate scenes transport the reader into the scene and things definitely get hot and heavy a few times. These scenes are 100% open door and quite descriptive, so bear that in mind if you choose to read this book. 

This novel was a wonderful introduction to the world of Celesterra and the ending of the book made me desperate to find out what will happen next. Overall, Rachel Fallon did an excellent job depicting Asteria’s story in a way that was captivating and moved quickly. 

Note: this book is 18+ and has some very adult scenes. It is highly recommended that readers take a look at the trigger/content warnings before beginning the book.