Balance of the 12 offers a sweeping and imaginative concept - - - the fate of the universe hanging on the delicate harmony between twelve secret races living among us—but struggles to fully capitalize on its ambitious scope. The mythology at the heart of the novel is rich and original, with echoes of epic fantasy and cosmic stakes that will appeal to fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Wheel of Time. The idea that one fallen race could trigger the unraveling of the universe is compelling, and the mystery surrounding the Balance and the ancient war carries real narrative weight.

However, the execution doesn't always match the promise of the premise. While Jane, a Reader, and Samuel, a human, are positioned as the universe's last hope, their character development sometimes feels rushed and emotionally flat. Their relationship lacks the slow burn or depth needed to truly invest in their bond, especially given the magnitude of their shared mission. Similarly, the pacing is uneven with periods of exposition and lore-dumping which can bog down the momentum, especially when action is needed to keep readers engaged.

The book was very interesting and had solid background , story development. The concept of life being balanced and initial part of book was little slow but it was fully worth reading and this is kind of book you want to hold on to if you want to go on a long journey

I liked the world building aspects and the author has a great imagination. Despite that I did not finish this book, or even pass from the first chapters, because the writing style was kind of weird and didn’t make me connect to the story. I honestly didn’t read much of this book to get to know the characters or the plot that much, it just didn't draw me to continue.

Interesting tale about the twelve races of earth. I could not get completely into the plot. The characters in the story were not all that believable.

Balance of 12 was the first book I’ve read from the author Ania. It was a futuristic story that showed the balance of all “mankind” and others inhabiting our earth. The relationship between the two main characters took some twists and turns but was beautifully written and kept you wanting to read at all times. Reading the description, it sounds like Samuel and Jane are the main characters but they are only seen briefly at the beginning and the end. The main characters are Shasta and Dwade. Their adventures have them tied together throughout the whole book making you want to see if they both survive and stay together. The other characters in the book were written with great effort to portray a variety of creatures and races which made the story more plausible and enjoyable. I wasn’t happy with the ending as it seemed unfinished but it did leave it open for possibly a sequel. On the whole it was a great book that kept me reading until I had it finished. Hope to read another book from this author soon.