September is off to a great start with Bethan Croome’s debut romantasy, Reign! If you’ve been looking for book with a fierce protagonist, forbidden magic, and heart-aching romance, then you’ve come to the right place.
Set in the Kingdom of Lyonesse, Reign follows 21-year-old Niamh Smith, an aspiring blacksmith who wants to be recognized for her work, not her worth as a woman. But when her forbidden witchcraft is exposed, she must escape her village disguised as a man if she wants to survive.
Reading this romantasy debut felt like a movie, and we’d do it all again! Here are three things we love about Reign by Bethan Croome.
Book Overview: Reign
Content warnings: death of loved ones, murder, graphic violence, gore, corpses, human bones, decapitation, mutilation, mauling, sexual assault, graphic sex, warfare, serious injuries, weapons, heavy drinking, vomiting (Please read at your discretion!)
Summary: The Kingdom of Lyonesse is absent of magic but not of rain.
In the rain-soaked Kingdom of Lyonesse, magic is outlawed—punishable by death.
So when Niamh’s forbidden witchcraft is exposed, she flees her rainy village disguised as a man.
She never meant to end up on a battlefield.
Mistakenly conscripted into a brutal war engineered by a paranoid king against a vengeful sorceress determined to reclaim the throne, Niamh now hides another secret—her womanhood. Between fighting terrifying beasts and confronting arcane powers she once believed were merely folklore, Niamh is thrust into a world where survival relies on more than luck—it demands alliances.
In battle, Niamh must obey Prince Fitzroy, the king’s infuriatingly handsome illegitimate son and sharp-tongued commander tasked with eradicating magic. He is everything she despises…and everything she struggles to resist. Back at camp, she forges a complicated friendship with Bash, a fellow soldier who sees her like no one else does and stirs forbidden feelings that could shatter her disguise.
As war tightens its grip on the kingdom, Niamh is forced to choose: obey the prince who could expose her, trust the soldier who could love her, or embrace the forbidden magic that could save them all.
But war is merciless, and not everyone will live to see which side prevails.
Niamh’s Tenacity
To start, Reign has a protagonist we can’t help but support. After a series of poorly timed events, Niamh’s identity as a witch becomes exposed. She has no choice but to flee her home and travel as a man, only she ends up on the battlefield as a result. Even so, she puts her blacksmith skills to use, forging and repairing weapons and materials for the army. Niamh is cunning, driven, and persistent. As she learns to wield her powers, we rooted for her to turn the tides of the war even harder.
Two Love Interests
Niamh not only had one love interest in Reign, but she had two! And we were blessed with the two contrasting love lines. Bash is gentle, honest, and a warm, safe space for Niamh, despite not knowing about her disguise. On the other hand, Prince Fitzroy is harsh, frustrating, and full of himself. Niamh despises the prince at first. And yet, as she spends more time with Fitzroy, she discovers another side of him that she can appreciate, and maybe even fall for. But the closer Niamh gets to having her secrets exposed, the more tangled up her feelings get.
Battle Scenes
Finally, we loved reading the intense battle scenes in Reign! Despite how gruesome and gory they were (think Attack on Titan-level atrocities), we can appreciate the detail that went into each action-packed scene. The author also incorporates several mythical beings into the fights, from wyverns, selkies, and ogres to dragons, elves, and goblins. And the final showdown had our hearts racing, not knowing which characters would make it to the ending. We couldn’t put the book down.
A romantasy debut that quickly swept us into all the action and romance, Reign by Bethan Croome is a series starter you don’t want to miss!
Reign by Bethan Croome comes out on September 1st, and you can order a copy of it here!
What do you think about Bethan Croome’s debut romantasy, Reign? Have we convinced you to read it? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
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