I really enjoyed this book and regret putting it off for so long! This is kind of like a mash up between Crescent City and the Bargainer and I can’t wait to read the 2nd!

This book was surprisingly amazing and refreshing - it didn’t feel played out with all of the fae fantasy books coming out in bulk.

Amaya has a plan for her career and she’s not letting anyone or anything get in her way.. until she finds out she’s part of a lineage of powerful fae and she gets swept up in a quest - including a love triangle and a whole new support system.
The book definitely gives off ACOTAR vibes - but adds a twist with the education and quest like parts- I definitely enjoyed it and the world building wasn’t too slow or boring, it kept a great pace.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

As soon as I finished this book, I immediately checked when the sequel is expected to release.

This is a fast-paced and action-packed urban fantasy with elements of fantasy romance; containing a powerful female lead and tropes like found family, secret powers, and fated mates. It also contains a love triangle which I personally do not usually enjoy, however I was a big fan of how it was written in this book.

Our main character has her struggles with mental health (particularly anxiety, panic attacks, self-doubt etc), and with the book being in the first person I felt that the writing was beautiful and tragic. I felt for her every step of the way and enjoyed her development especially with how realistic it felt in her learning to cope rather than just snapping out of it. The writing made it very easy to get attached to the character.

As a fan of the found family trope, I enjoyed how there were strong friendship aspects which added a lot of value to the story, with it not entirely being about the romance (although romance was certainly there), it's always great when there are more relationships to get invested in.

The only thing that stops this being a 5 is that I felt it took a little long for the story to get going, however I am aware that it is important for world building which is why it gets a 4.5!

Finally, there was something great about reading about a woman with a data science background, as well as her being in her mid-20s.

I am excitedly awaiting the next instalment of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Firstly, thank you, Netgalley, for giving me this opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, and absolutely devoured it!!! It's such an easy read, the story flows perfectly, keeping you on your toes. The urban fantasy world Larson created is extremely realistic, and, honestly, Amaya's growth and transformation from an insecure and scared girl to a BAD ASS woman is perfection! (Although it wasn't fair at all how she treated Rien at the end.........)
Thank God the next book comes out in just a few months, that cliffhanger at the end left me so giddy, I can't wait to read what comes next!

Amaya is just trying to get her life together and her career back on track. But between discovering her newly emerging powers, training with her new fae friends in secret, dealing with her rich arrogant playboy group project partner, and dodging the mysterious shadow wielding man who seems overly interested in her, she's having a bit of a hard time.

I really enjoyed this book! Alexandra Larson has done an amazing job building the world, peppering just the right amount of traditional magic in with the urban fantasy style and putting an interesting twist on an academia setting. The modern take on fae is really refreshing and I hope to learn much more about the magic systems in the follow up book. The girls bond is established with such strength, it was really nice to see, as it's not always common in the romance genre to focus on these friendships as well as the love interests.

The romantic tension is great, and while I'm not usually a huge fan of a love triangle, this one doesn't feel too love-triangle-y. Plus, when one mmc is only seeing the anxious girl in front of him and trying to fix everything for her, saying things like "You're so fragile" and the other is seeing the powerful woman beneath, calling her "my little warrior" and saying things like "You don't need anyone to save you, do you?" - I think we all know who I'm rooting for.

I appreciated the focus on mental health rep in the book. Amaya is clearly suffering some serious anxiety and self doubt, but the self discovery journey she goes on is wonderfully empowering and full of growth.

"I didn't want you to fix it. I'm not a princess in a tower that needs you to save her from her emotions."

"I am the only one who decides my worth. I am the only one who decides whether I've done a good job. I am the only fucking one who can decide if I'm good enough."

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an arc reader and provide my honest review.

To repair her tarnished career, Amaya Mevson heads to Pointedelle for her certification to prove that she has what it takes for a career in economics. What she didn't expect was to be paired up with a local playboy, fight draxis, find out her true lineage and to find a true sisterhood in a pair of high priestess....all in a three month span!
Ascend from the Shadows has what you want from a fantasy; found family, spice, love triangle and a great cliff hanger! I would have wanted some more world building cause I feel like it was a little rushed.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who are fans of the fantasy genre already, or who are dipping in for the first time!
Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for providing me an E-ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to arcread this book. I really really enjoyed this book, It was a very different type of book then I was expecting and I really liked how original it was. There were twists and turns that I didn't expect and of course I enjoyed the love triangle and the romance present. My only issue was that some of the writing was very robotic and didn't flow smoothly. Overall though, I enjoyed it a lot and very excited for the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶🌶🌶/5
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Enemies-to-lovers
Urban fantasy
Forced proximity
Found family
Love triangle
Secret powers
Political intrigue
Anxiety rep
Steam
Angst
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“The power in your blood is the same as mine. We are sisters.”

Amongst the booming bass and the singing girls and smell of alcohol, my heart felt full, like I’d found my place. The indescribable thrill, not of drinking and singing and dancing, but of being with people who understood you, even if they didn’t know you. The feeling of belonging.

“You are not getting away until you tell me what happened and who I need to make disappear.”

“You have to have your own back. No piece of paper will ever be enough to make you feel capable if you don’t believe it yourself. People will still yell at you and complain about your work even after you get your cert.”

I am the only one who decides my worth. I am the only one who decides whether I’ve done a good job. I am the only fucking one who can decide if I’m good enough.
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I really REALLY love this one! I’ve read the whole book in 6-ish hours and I was on the edge the whole time! There minor flaws that confused me a little which is the reason of missing 0.5 stars.
The story follows Amaya Mevson, a 25 years old data scientist who is enrolled in a program for a economics certification. She feels like she has to get a certification to increase her credibility due to some mistakes in her past. For her project she is partnered up with Rien Astora, the hot and arrogant son of the mayor. Although the two had a rocky start, things heat up rapidly. Amayas life take a sharp turn the night she got attacked by a draxis and kind of saved by a shadow wielder Sebastian which leads Amaya to discover her own powers, and discovered by Gwen. She and her best friend Sloan help Amaya to control her powers. The book gives Crescent City vibes and deals with anxiety and self-doubt. I strongly recommned this one! I can’t wait to read sequel!
I’m grateful for NetGalley and the author for the eARC in return for an honest review!

A spicy fae romance book. I liked that even though there are mates in the book universe, faes aren't focusing on finding their mates, and just date whoever they like.

First off, thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader.

I will say, I struggled a bit with this book. I really like the plot concept. I like the found family aspect and the slight love triangle. The idea of the fae having their powers dampened by the government.

But I struggled to get through this book at times because it tended to feel really inorganic. The dialogue seemed unnatural and basic. The relationship development between characters, while it had its moments, lacked depth. Certain plot points felt built up, just to have no climax. An example of this would be the networking Ball. I felt that they built up to this event, mentioning it multiple times, alluding to something interesting, dress shopping, etc. but then the ball came around and she merely saw the current love interest from across the room, and left after like 5 minutes. It was things like this that had the story feeling like it never quite reached its point. Got you interested or excited just to break it off right before the real event. There were oddnesses in the dialogue and MCs monologue that felt almost as if they were written by AI…like when she arrived at the friends apartment and her friend said “You are here!” Rather than “you’re here!”. I realize this sounds like such a small thing but it was exactly like this in every piece of dialogue. No contractions, overly formal speaking, unrealistic wording. No depth to conversations.

I enjoyed the general concept of this story but the writing felt so robotic and nondescript, as if someone were writing out the general story and meant to go back in later and add depth and description but then forgot. At least some of the time. It had me struggling to really immerse myself in the world and connect with the characters.

I think the author has potential to write some amazing stories with amazing plot lines, but could use some work on organic dialogue and character relationships, and scene descriptions/world building! I really wanted to like this one and did enjoy moments here and there. But would have loved to see this really fleshed out more.

Where do I start?!?!? I LOVED THIS BOOK AND CANNOT WAIT FOR DESCEND into the VOID!!

Amaya is so relatable in her insecurities and even her curiosities about herself! On a journey of self discovery and a little romance along the way, she seeks Sebastian's help first for a project but there is just so much lying under the surface I cannot wait to uncover in the rest of this series!!

I don't want to give any spoilers but this book has a little spice, some twists, a lot of unanswered questions that make you eager for book 2 and a GREAT mystery keeping the story line together. What is going on??!?!?!

UGH!! Can I please have the ARC for the next book....pretty please!!! XOXO!!

Spicy New Adult Urban Fantasy
Fated Mates
Found Family
Amazing magic system
Secret Powers
Love Triangle



Amaya Mevson is a 25 year old who is enrolled in a program to receive her economic certification. She wants no one to know the reasons she needs the certificate as her past holds a secret that could close doors for her in the business world.
She is partnered up with the hot son of the mayor, Rien Astora, an arrogant playboy who is used to getting his way thanks to Daddy’s money and political influence, or so Amaya thought.
The two have a very rocky start, but the attraction between them is far too strong to resist and things heat up quickly between them.
While working on a project together regarding government housing projects, they discover that something sinister is afoot and they work together to uncover and put a stop to the corruption.

Amaya’s whole life changes when she is attacked by a draxis one night. She is saved by a gorgeous shadow wielding mystery man. It also becomes clear that Amaya has magical powers of her own, and when she is discovered by Gwen, a high priestess in training, she and her best friend Sloan take Amaya under their wing and train her to kick ass and teach her to control her power before she gets discovered.

This book is fast paced and action packed. It also deals with mental issues like extreme anxiety, crippling panic attacks and self-doubt.
This book is really good and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy, academia and a very powerful MFC.

The book ends on a cliff-hanger which will make you die for the next book.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for this e-arc.

🌶️/5 for spice.

This book was SO. GOOD. I went into it with 0 expectations. I didn’t look too much into the book before reading it and I did that on purpose. I wanted my reaction to this book to be completely organic with 0 input from outside sources. Many am I glad I did. This book was so so good!!! I’m an avid fantasy reader and this was such a fun fantasy read. I read this entire book in less than 24hrs because I had me hooked. Plus as someone who battles with severe anxiety issues and has her whole life, Alexandra did an amazing job at capturing what it’s like in one’s head while battling anxiety. I screamed when I read the last line of the book because now I have to wait until December.

Gah. This book was such a fun read and if you like fantasy that isn’t heavy world building or sped complex to understand, this is the perfect book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, and Alexandra for giving me an ARC of Ascend From The Shadows. I read this in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect book for romantasy readers/Sarah J Maas fans!

This book was my first ARC (thank you NetGalley) and I absolutely loved this book. Devoured it in one sitting!

This book is the perfect dose of classic Fae incorporated with an original modern/academia setting. I also really love how refreshingly accessible the heroine was - the way the Alexandra Larson writes about her struggles with mental health is so true to life and relatable.

There is not one but TWO sexy romantic interests (enemies to lovers x2!) with perfect spicy scenes that I couldn't help but re-read (the club scene...😰 (view spoiler)). Larson provides the perfect romances whilst also giving the female friendships just as much attention and development in this book, which is something you don't see often enough in the genre.

Cannot wait for the next book in the series and so glad it's out so soon. Larson is an author to look out for - this could be the next ACOTAR!

First thank you so much for the ARC copy I am so honored to be one of the first people to read it and I loved this book. Every second of it makes you think one thing will happen just for another event to throw you off. I was very surprised by how fast it pulled me in. It is a fast read since you wont be able to put it down. If you like Crescent City welcome to your next obsession, One "downside" (I use that term loosely in this review) it does end in a cliff hanger but have no fear the second book does have a release date which is December of 2023 as of today. The bonds that Amaya (mc) builds in the book feel natural and had me thinking of my own friends. I loved every second of the book and I can not wait for the second one Descend into the Void,

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity of reading this novel.

This story hits a lot of the items that I enjoy - magic, dislike-to-lovers, found family, slow burn. I thought the world that the author built was fascinating, and felt deeply invested in the FMC. I liked that there was not a lot of info dumping and was able to envision in my head the world that the story was taking place in. I loved seeing the FMC's grow throughout the novel as the story progresses. She finds out and overcomes a lot of obstacles within the novel.

My critique of the novel is that the story felt a bit predictable at times and was not able to fully immerse myself into the storyline. I think part of it was my thoughts about one of the MMC whom I wasn't the biggest fan of. Perhaps the writer did indeed want the reads to feel this way about a character. The writing improved as the novel went on though, and I ended up enjoying the novel by the end. Overall I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

I am so thankful that I was able to get an ARC for this from NetGalley because I super enjoyed this story.
Amaya started off stagnant and turned into this totally likeable character who I was routing for so much. I am all for the girl best friend trio that was created and the mystery surrounding the High Priestess club and magic.
Rein was a good boyfriend for her in the beginning, exactly what she needed and he helped her gain so much confidence and feel powerful. But then.....[ I am happy with how they ended even though I think it might come back to bite her in the end. I think it ended with too much emotion and I am afraid of retaliation.
I will always be rooting for the dark haired, handsome, shadow wielder and Sebastian fills all of those criteria. [I do have a theory that he is her mate and that is why her powers light up around him even with the nettle in her system and their overwhelming attraction to one another. I like his role in their cert panel and how he keeps showing up.
I like the bits of magic thrown in, it wasn't overwhelming and it had elements of other stories, without feeling like it was the same thing we have seen and read before. I would love to have more of the back story and the history of the countries and the High Priestess group/The Fae. I think there is a lot there that we could unpack.
The villain was so sudden and unexpected, but a great twist. It was enjoyable for the story to focus on their cert time and accomplishments, while having this darker story so minimal in the back until it came forward. I am very excited for the second book to come out, even if it is just so we can get Amaya's reaction to Sebastian's last line....

I read this book as an ARC on NetGalley, and I am absolutely in love. The plot and storylines give off ACOTAR and Crescent City vibes, but throw in academia. I LOVE a powerful female lead, and ADORE a shadowy morally grey character counterpart. I absolutely devoured this book in one afternoon, and need the second one to come out STAT.

The tones of mental health awareness (including anxiety, panic attacks, and depression) were truly meaningful and did not feel forced or misplaced. I felt like I was reading my own thoughts at some points, making me love Amaya all the more deeply. Found family, incredibly powerful female lead, enemies to lovers - this book has it all AND has my heart!

Battling her anxiety and self doubt, Amaya travels to the city to earn validation in the form of a certificate. Amaya discovers she is the descendent of a lineage of magical high priestesses. Whilst earning her certification, Amaya must also learn to harness and train her power so she can control it enough not to be discovered.

“‘I am the only one who decides my worth. I am the only one who decides if I’ve done a good job. I am the only fucking one who can decide if I’m good enough‘

Ascend from the Shadows is a fast paced and you are thrown straight into the plot from the beginning. It’s a quick, fun, comfort read with Amaya being a very relatable female main character. Amaya struggles with anxiety throughout the book and this is really well represented throughout. The storyline keeps you intrigued and it was hard to put down so I completed It really quickly. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles so that was the only downside of this book for me. I would definitely recommend it though.