In my opinion, this book was a 4/5 star read for me. I was interested the entire time while reading it, but I thought that the storyline was a bit confusing and fell a little flat at some points. For example, it felt like the book didn't really start until halfway through. Like the first half felt like a lot of filler information instead of a storyline. Overall, I did enjoy the book so I will be recommending it to people! Thanks!

The writing is good. I just wish we focused on world building a little bit. It became a little confusing after. However, I am waiting for more!

*An advanced digital copy was received from Netgalley in return for an honest review*

The premise of this book sounded very promising, and the magic system was very interesting to me. Upon reading the book I did find that I enjoyed the magic system a lot, and I especially loved how the world-building involved new races of characters and varying powers and gods.

The biggest thing that I disliked about this book was the pacing of events. It felt like one of those books that one thing happened, then another thing right after it, then another thing. It was moving very quickly, and I often got lost in the words and had to go back to try to figure out what was going on. It seemed that even in the middle of the book new characters were being brought in kind of abruptly.

That being said, I loved how unique Eira's powers were in regard to the healing nature of it! I also loved how the author described what other characters felt when they were healed by her. I think this was very refreshing, and I love seeing this new take on a fantasy main female lead! Her journey was also a journey of self healing, where it talked about her past trauma and how she is healing through that, and I appreciated that Eira took her time to work on healing, and not just immediately turning into an awesome main character.

All in all, it was an entertaining read! Thanks again NetGalley for the ARC!

Uau this was really something.. An amazing book that I wasn’t expecting because it’s actually very good and so good writing personally for me Eira story really surprised me but I need to know more after that cliffhanger

I could not put this book down! It has a unique magical world full of adventure, mystery, lovable characters & slow burn romance. The slow burn romance between Eira & Caelus had me hooked! I was intrigued with the magic capabilities of the characters & enjoyed Eira overcoming her fear of her magic with the help of Caelus of course. The storyline had a whole lot of adventure & mystery packed into it that I never got bored. And that ending! The ending left us on a cliff hanger & I can’t wait to read the next book! I was lucky enough to receive a free ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Appreciation to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for access to this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

I really want to love this book. It has some amazing magic moments and the premise is somewhat unique. There are some really cute characters, one gnome in particular could take your heart. However, just like so many other elements of this book, he still falls a bit flat. It comes down to the fact that Riley's narration crutch is to describe using the main character. Interactions between characters are left to "Thalia told me...she said...she gave" instead of the vivid description of the actual interactions that gives the characters depth and shows the personality of each. She also just tells you about the character very briefly before actually introducing you MUCH later. Keiran is introduced in chapter 3 as someone she interacts with at the bar and then we don't see him again until Chapter 14 introduced as a Copper Jackal supplier and they act all buddy buddy. I had to rewind to figure out who tf was this person. There are also just so many characters introduced very quickly.

The only character that felt truly real to me by the end was Caelus (the MMC) and even the interactions between them were missing depth. I think part of that comes down to only getting the FMCs POV the entire time. She is so anxious about him hating her that it feels as if the only insight we get into Caelus feelings for her is wholly based on a circling thumb during forced close proximity (iykyk).

I think there is SO much room for this series to grow. I'd love to see more descriptive world building. The sets the characters are running through have potential, but are described almost as an after thought. We don't get a ton of insight into the length of journeys between locations or descriptions of what they pass along the way. The author is clearly very creative, I loved the forge in the gnomish bar in one of the very first scenes. The spice was actually quite fun and well written, although limited. I hope the author takes her time on the next book and really hones her skill to give us something great.

3.75 ⭐️

This was a fun fantasy romance read with an original magic system!

I really enjoyed the world building which was done at just the right pace, there was no info dumping but we were introduced to that realm slowly and gradually.
And the magic system is so interesting! It was very original which isn’t an easy feat and I was immersed into the world that Brittany created.

The FMC was likeable 🧡 She was a complex character with a lot of trauma which resulted in a story of self discovery and healing!

The MMC is a witty Cinnamon Roll and the banter between him and the FMC was enjoyable! The tension between them is palpable and the romance develops slowly but naturally 🔥

The plot is interesting and engrossing and I’m interested in seeing what happens next!

Although as I mentioned, the world building was good, the beginning felt a little bit choppy. There was a lot of different side characters being introduced and some jumps that was pretty sudden but it quickly smoothed out and I truly enjoyed the rest of the story!

Tropes:

🌸 slow burn romance
🌸 magical powers
🌸 secret identity
🌸 one bed
🌸 original magic system

Spice: 1,5/5 🌶️

It wasn't bad. There were a lot of characters to keep up with and that got confusing. I didn't feel fully invested in the story and that's not normal for me. The pacing was slow and I just felt like getting up and doing other things instead of finishing the book.
I'll be reviewing this ARC on my Instagram as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Tempest's Soul!

Rating: 3/5
Spice: 1/5 (1 scene, mildly graphic)

I really enjoyed the FMC & MMC. I thought Eira's journey of self-discovery/self-worth was incredibly empowering. I love that she trusts her gut and wants to do the right thing. She really blossoms throughout the story, and I loved her relationship with Caelus. Their slowburn is filled with tension, tenderness, and a lot of questions. Their romance was my favorite part of the story. I saw another review describe Caelus as a burnt cinnamon roll, and that is absolutely true. He is so sweet and tender on the inside, but with a rough exterior. Watching his defenses crack as he becomes closer with Eira was swooooooon worthy.

I really thought that the idea of the plot and the magic system was great, but, if I'm being honest, parts of it kind of felt flat to me. It felt like there were so many characters, so many gods, so many different types of beings, and so many different types of magic and magic users with very little explanation. It became a bit confusing at times, especially the characters and names. I think the fact that there are so many different components means the author has a really fleshed out world in their head, but I didn't think that it totally translated on the pages.

I think some of this may have had to do with the pacing. The story is incredibly plot driven and there was so much happening back to back to back. So many new people became part of the story with very little introduction, and I think one of the big things lacking for me in this story was the side characters. There were just... too many? and I personally didn't get to know them well enough to fall in love with them. I'm sure there was a lot happening to set up later books, but it got muddled for me. I also thought the ending was a bit rushed, and I feel conflicted about the cliff hanger. Like everything felt momentarily resolved and then bam forced plot twist. I think it will make for an interesting start to book 2, but it also just felt like "really?? <i>another</i> new thing??"

Like I said, I do think there is so much potential here, and I would definitely read book 2. I would recommend this book to someone who loves a plot driven story, a slow burn romance, fantasy that revolves around gods with many types of creatures, and identifies with a strong yet soft FMC (who is not headstrong and arrogant.)

**ARC REVIEW**

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this one. I don’t even know where to start with this. This book is about a woman named Eira, whom has the power of the tempest (a divine power bestowed by the gods). She ventures out from a place she has always known to save someone she cares about.
This leaves on a cliff hanger and I NEED not want the next one.

Friends to lovers, betrayal, lovers to enemies

This review was posted on Goodreads and amazon

The Tempest's Soul starts off really strong with a lot of intriguing characters and a mysterious magic system in place that we slowly learn more about. There's also a great slow burn romance that builds on tension and forced proximity that I thought was done really well. There is a lot of information in this relatively short fantasy adventure, so go in prepared to jump right in.

Because of all of the information to learn in a short amount of time, I found myself feeling a little lost at times. I was finding it hard to keep track of different characters and trying to put "faces" to the names I kept seeing and couldn't always figure it out. I had trouble remembering side characters connections with Eira and their roles in the grand scheme of things. I will admit this could just be my own concentration struggling in general and doesn't have to do with the world-building itself!

Overall, I really enjoyed the romance the most in this novel, and I loved the cliffhanger at the end to get you excited for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I truly enjoyed this read! It had all of the beginnings of tropes I love (broody & grey mmc, unwilling chosen one, found family) and incorporating some twists & turns that I didn’t totally expect which is always great! I think this was a perfect opening book to a series, where the world building & character establishment took precedent but has me excited to see how everything plays out as the series goes on! I don’t know how I feel about the mmc currently, but I love the fmc and following on her journey of self discovery and empowerment! I hope the subsequent books focus on her and not too much on the tension filled romance aspect. The only qualm I have is I wish there was more, but that will just come with the rest of the series! It didn’t completely suck me in at first to be honest, but I truly think that is just because it required a lot of world building in this first book so the info dump was a little bit intense. But overall I enjoyed it and I look forward to the next installment!!

I think The Tempest's Soul is one of my new favourite novels; the characters are compelling, the world detailed and intricate and the story new, refreshing and complex. I loved that Eira, the FMC, had her own journey of self healing and discovery set within the confines of the overarching narrative. I loved that because of her past, Eira strives to be better and protect those that cannot protect themselves. It all felt very relatable despite being in a fantasy story; it definitely gave the narrative a grounding which I really enjoyed. This does have a bit of spice, and oh my word, the slow-burn, was fantastic but it didn't detract from the main story; Riley manages to keep a very good balance between the romantic elements and the fantastical. I think that Riley is definitely an author to watch and I am very much looking forward to the next one in the series.

4.5 stars! Very enjoyable read. This story was well paced and I was invested with all the characters! I appreciate all the character development of our FMC and the diversity of characters. The slow burn was immaculate. I have lots of questions on the ending. Will definitely continue the series.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

A slow-burn Romantasy, The Tempest Soul has a lot of tropes that tick all my boxes:

• a FMC who develops strongly throughout the book
• original, interesting magic system
• slow-burn romance
• fake relationship / pretend dating
• Varying races and creatures
• One bed
• One horse
• Found Family
• Quests

However, there was one trope which it didn't quite deliver on and this is world building. Absolutely 100% yes this world is interesting, I like the dynamics and the different races within the world and how the interact with each other but unfortunately, there wasn't enough information given for me to understand the importance of a name being mentioned or a city because I didn't know who or what they were and their significance.
 
I am never a fan of info-dumping, so that is not the solution, but personally I think this can be easily fixed with Eira having a lesson within the temple in the beginning and it being history based, covering the families, the royals and the races briefly but succinctly. It just needs a small amount of fine-tuning and finesse and it can be so much easier to follow and more enjoyable.

That aside, I did enjoy the story and the characters, even if I was running through the book mostly on vibes. The tension and romance is perfect, I really love a slow-burn that has pay-out in the book (and not several books later in the series) and this was absolutely spot on for myself. The plot twist at the end was genuinely not one I saw coming, which is rare, and I thoroughly enjoyed the shock factor it provided. I will 100% be keeping my eye out for book 2 as I must know what happens next.

I want to thank NetGalley, Fox Tale and Brittany M. Riley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. The review is my own opinion and I have given this freely.

This was a fascinating read. The book is written really well, the world is skillfully crafted even though it leaves you feeling like you’ve only grazed the surface. The characters have depth and often complicated history that I enjoyed. The FMC follows a long road to self acceptance and self love, the relationships with other characters and care for the ones who cannot fend for themselves is beautifully articulated here The magic system is complicated yet easy to understand. The story has its twists and turns and grabs the attention fully, I did not want to put this book down. The slow-burn romance was top notch. The ending of this book is intriguing, and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

The book is beautifully crafted with an emphasis on rich world building, complicated characters, and a slow-burn romance that's addictive and gripping. There are many mystery, action, and romance aspects within this book that keep the pace brisk while the stakes remain high, especially as the book builds to a cliffhanger conclusion. As a reader, I found the story compelling and I felt like it captured a unique world in a way that is hard to achieve within this genre, but that is what she succeeded in doing.

As I watched the buildup between the FMC and love interest, I couldn't help but jump up and down in excitement! In this book, there are a number of things that excelled, but one thing that stood out was the creation of a strong and flawed FMC. Despite her flaws, she was relatable, which made her journey all the more engaging for me. She wasn't perfect, but she certainly didn't make those annoying, silly mistakes that make you doubt her decisions. Instead, she was relatable, making her journey even more interesting.

It is my opinion that the author has done an excellent job with her description; she gave just the right amount of detail so that I could picture the scene easily in my mind without being overwhelmed with detail.

I really enjoyed this read! Eira is not your stereotypical FMC. A lot of her journey is self healing and self discovery. Don’t get me wrong, she is strong and independent but there’s a lot of complex trauma she needs to overcome.

The world building is great and the magic systems and how they manifest are also interesting.

- strong FMC
- original magic systems
- world building
- slow burn
- banter
- fake relationship
- quest
- plot twists (OMFG - you nearly had me throwing the book at one point!)
- fantasy races

There were points where the amount of characters had me scratching my head a little but it didnt ruin the flow for me - It just took me a minute to get my head around it.

The book has accurate trigger warnings including “accidental cannibalism” which piqued my interests immensely!

I read the entire book in a day so it definitely kept my attention, however, I feel there is some work needed on the world building of this story. While the characters had some depth, I still felt they were missing some important traits to have me super invested in whether they lived or died. I also felt the ending didn’t make much sense with the plot but I’ll admit that I didn’t see it coming. I would consider continuing this series.

I give this a 3.25⭐️

ARC Review

A beautifully crafted fantasy that combines rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and a gripping slow-burn romance.

Eira, the protagonist, is a wonderfully layered character. Her struggle with her Divine powers and the guilt she carries from a tragic past make her relatable and compelling. The way she longs to help others despite her fears adds a poignant touch to her journey.

The slow-burn romance with Caelus is handled perfectly. The banter and tension between them provide just the right amount of spark without overshadowing the larger story. Familiar tropes like the one-bed and one-horse moments are present, but they’re woven in seamlessly, adding to the charm of the narrative rather than feeling forced.

What stands out most is the world Riley has created. The presence of gods, runes, and a realm filled with secrets makes for an immersive reading experience. Even for someone like me, who isn’t usually drawn to fantasy involving gods, the story was accessible and engaging.

The blend of mystery, action, and romance kept the pace brisk and the stakes high, especially as the book builds towards its cliffhanger ending.

Overall:
I really enjoyed it, even though I’m not usually into fantasy with gods.
Eira is an amazing character with a name I love, and the slow-burn romance, action, and intriguing worldbuilding made it a great read.
The ending’s cliffhanger and slight betrayal left me excited for the next book!