This is the review I published on my social media:
Today, I'm here to talk about a dark fantasy romance that left me with mixed feelings. Let's break it down:

Imagine waking up in a hospital room, remembering nothing except your name. That's how Margot's story begins. As the story unfolds, we learn she's married to the Colum (the sort of king/ruler of this universe), Milo Arris, and we start delving into her current life while discovering pieces of her past.

The most fascinating part of the book is its universe: two planets ruled by a leader who lives in a spaceship/castle. One planet has been completely contaminated by the other. The politics between these worlds and the struggle against the rebels from the contaminated planet are super intriguing. I hope the upcoming books will reveal more about these universes and their histories.

If you're a fan of intense plot twists, this story might be for you. Although some things seemed predictable to me, it was interesting to see how the plot flowed when Margot started uncovering the secrets of her past.

To be honest, I didn't enjoy this book much, the behavior of Margot really annoyed me throughout the book and to me there were some decisions made by Milo and others that I could never forgive so definitely a difficult read to finish. But who knows, maybe you'll love it! You won't know until you try.

*Huge thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐ 3
Characters: ⭐ 1
Relationships: ⭐⭐ 2
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 2
World-building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4
Overall: ⭐⭐ 2.5

Review in Spanish:
Hoy vengo a hablarles de un dark fantasy romance que me dejó con sentimientos encontrados. Vamos por partes:
Imagina despertar en una habitación de hospital sin recordar nada excepto tu nombre. Así comienza la historia de Margot, nuestra protagonista. Poco a poco, descubrimos que está casada con el Colum, (el cómo rey de ese universo) Milo Arris y empezamos a adentrarnos en su vida actual, descubriendo cosas de su vida pasada.

Lo más fascinante del libro es su universo: dos planetas gobernados por un líder que vive en una nave/castillo espacial. Donde un planeta ha sido completamente contaminado por el otro. La política entre estos mundos y la lucha contra los rebeldes del planeta contaminado es súper intrigante. Espero que en los próximos libros podamos conocer más sobre estos universos y sus historias.

Si eres fan de los plot twists intensos, esta historia podría ser para ti. Aunque algunas cosas me parecieron predecibles, fue interesante ver cómo fluía la trama cuando Margot empieza a descubrir los secretos de su pasado.

Para ser honesta, no disfruté tanto este libro, el comportamiento de Margot me desespero muchísimo a lo largo de todo el libro y algunos personajes, como Milo y otros, tomaron decisiones o hicieron cosas que yo en lo personal nunca podre perdonar. Pero quién sabe, ¡quizás a ti te encante! No lo sabrás hasta intentarlo.

Un enorme agradecimiento a NetGalley por una copia electrónica de este libro a cambio de mi honesta reseña.

Trama: ⭐⭐⭐ 3
Personajes: ⭐ 1
Relaciones: ⭐⭐ 2
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 2
Construcción del mundo: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4
En general: ⭐⭐ 2.5

I can say that this book was really special and that I really enjoyed reading it. The world-building was excellent, and the storyline was truly something new, original and captivating. The writing style was also great and I really enjoyed reading it. I am already looking forward to the next book.

4.5/5

Margot wakes up abroad a ship with no memories other than her name, which she finds out is after being kidnapped and tortured. She learns that she is a former spy, and is wife to the Colum, the ruler of two planets. They are still looking for her captives, and mysterious things are happening around the ship, as she struggles to gain back her memories.

Dark romantasy is my favorite genre by far so I was so excited and thankful to Rose & Lavender Press and Abelia Sumpter to be given the opportunity receive an eARC. The first few chapters were a bit slow though the world-building was interesting, and I loved learning about the world along with the FMC. Around chapter 8, I really became engaged with all of the twists and turns, which really had me on the edge of my seat. My only negative was the beginning of our romance. Margot is told that it was a whirlwind romance, and how Milo treats her after waking up from her coma does not seem to line up with that for me. I cannot say too much more without giving away spoilers, though I did not see the plot twist coming, and cannot wait to see what happens in book 2!

I wanted to love this book, I wanted to be obsessed with it, but I feel like it fell short from my expectations. The plot was good- I loved the murder mystery/crime solving aspect. I liked the reveal of the twist towards the end and the spice throughout was decent- I appreciated that there were spicy scenes.
I wanted more descriptions of everything, it felt like the idea was there but it wasn’t developed enough to make it amazing. I also felt like the characters were frustrating at times. Margot wakes up from amnesia after being attacked and will question what’s going on something, but then she would believe the very unconvincing answer that was given. She went from not trusting everyone to being besties and even lovers with no real development of the relationships. It felt like one minute Margot and Milo hated each other and the next they were kissing in the closet (which I actually did love that part) but I wanted more of the in between happenings. How did she start to like her husband again? When did it happen? Then there are weird chemistry between everyone in the team that works for Milo. It seemed like there were a lot of time jumps that skipped over the details that might have filled in some of these “plot holes.”
There is some politics involved when it comes to the two planets that Milo rules over, and the people that are living on each are interesting, I just wish there was more depth to the characters and more details about the planets. There was a decent backstory about how the planets came to be under Milo’s rule and a bit of backstory about how his father ruled before that. But the current workings of the planets could have been expanded on more.
I will say that the twist that the book takes for Margot helped tremendously. Overall it was a good book, I just wanted more details and for the characters to have better chemistry. The book definitely kept my interest and I was excited to see what happened next. I just feel like it could use some more editing to make it flow better.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. My. God. I got to this a bit later than I meant to, but holy SHIT did I love this. I don’t know why there aren’t more sci-fi books with all the bones of a romantasy; it worked sooooo well. This book had me HOOKED from the start, and kept me guessing. And guessing. And guessing some more. I was constantly trying to figure out who was good and who was bad and who was maybe another love interest. Let me first be clear: I was wrong about most of my guesses, which is embarrassing to admit as someone who has a pretty good prediction ratio—but it also speaks to just how well this book was laid out, and how the author dispensed and withheld information from the readers.

The book takes a turn at about the 60% mark, with a huge plot twist and a reveal of some but not all of the character motivations we have been in the dark about. Some new characters are introduced, many of whom I am incredibly intrigued to learn more about, and the final outcome of the book is a massive cliffhanger I am on the edge of my seat to see resolved!

Some other last but crucial thoughts: no book in my recent memory has been better at doing enemies to lovers (and back to enemies 👀); the worldbuilding is incredible, from the Imnicus to the two planets it presides over; and dammit I need more Alarik in book 2, so help me!!!!

Bottom line, this book is a masterpiece. Read it and weep (potentially literally). 5⭐ for sure for sure for sure!!!!!

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

First of all I was in a reading slump when I was reading this,so for me it was a slow read. The story is very interesting and the characters are very intriguing.I was not expecting the twists.The FMC was a strong woman not like those fragile girls.The ending was not what I was expecting.It got me hooked.I am looking forward to the second book.

Where do I even begin with this book? I went into this book super excited. The premise sounded absolutely amazing and this book absolutely delivered. It was a little slow going at first but it had enough substance to keep my attention and keep me wanting more. It had an almost Agatha Christie level of mystery and had the most intriguing plot twists. I’m talking the kind of plot twists that have you gasping and yelling “no”. This book had the perfect enemies to lovers to enemies vibe. It was one of the few books that actually executed this trope very well. I honestly grew so attached to certain characters despite their cold nature and I almost hated to love them. On top of all of this, you have a bad ass main character, an amazing romance, plenty of multi-layered lies and secrets. Also having the “touch her and you die” theme with our male MC really sold it for me. If you are looking for a fast paced, spicy, sci-fi fantasy that will steal your breath and your sanity then this book is for you!

This book is what I'd describe as a sci-fi space fantasy, but with everything that makes a drama good. There are lies, deceit, betrayal, manipulation, love, hate, murder, and of course, romance.

Margot wakes up on the Imnicus, a palace and military hub in Ashtanabo, with no recollection of anything. She has no idea who she is, no idea where she is, and no idea of what happened to her. She is told she is married to the Colum and has been living her life as his Columess until terrorists from Lavenai invaded and took her as captive. After being beaten and interrogated, they then wiped her memory clean. Margot now has to figure out who she is and the life she lives. Of course there are obstacles along the way, and certain things are revealed that have Margot question the truth of it all.

This book is a good book with great world-building and an even better plot. The pacing is nice and steady, and characters are very easy to either like or dislike. I would say, however, that although this book is labeled as a dark romantasy, I didn't really get that vibe. I wish there was more romance between Margot and Milo. The twists were good, but the ending was great! We are left with a cliffhanger that will leave you anticipating the next book in this series!

Thank you NetGalley, Rose & Lavender Press LLC, and Abelia Sumpter for this suspenseful read!

This book really surprised me!

It's a real blend of SF/romantasy and kept me guessing at every turn. Another reviewer likened it to Star Wars and Throne of Glass having a baby – that is so spot on! I loved the political intrigue, and the interplanetary side of things added a dash of SF that really elevated the whole story.

I highly recommend and I'm greatly looking forward to reading the next one!

Rating edit: 2.5 stars.

I loved the setting, and the plot is indeed very imaginative. It started off really well. I even tweeted about it when I was six chapters down. But then, by the time I reached 11th chapter, I realized it had become very slow and a bit uninteresting. I really liked the bonding between Margot and Lleu. And I was looking forward to seeing how Margot and Milo fell in love, again. But I didn't feel the chemistry, which was very disappointing. Having said that, I must admit that I am a very impatient reader, so I wasn't fascinated after some chapters. You might enjoy it if you are a patient reader.

HOLY COW!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rose & Lavender Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y’ALL THIS BOOK!! I am gasping. I am speechless. I AM IN LOVE! The story follows Margot as she becomes a badass sci-fi wife turned badass sci-fi HERO!! This book is a delicious blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. It has you on the edge of your seat, begging to know what happens next. The plot twists…INSANE, the love story….TENSE, the side characters…INTRIGUING I MUST KNOW MORE!! I DEVOURED this in a day!!! If you love books with

-Enemies to lovers to enemies
-Sci-fi themes
-Space
-Hot warrior men
-Rebellion
-Dark Magic
-Twisty Villains
-Spice

Then this book is for you!!!! I cannot wait for book 2!!! EEEE

Review will be posted on my bookstagram (@bookswithbagel) by the end of May 2024!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
this book reminded me a lot of Throne of Glass. Out of all the books I have read so far in 2024, I think it is in my top 10.
I’m very happy I got to have received an ARC of this book to review. I was obsessed from the page one. the Dark enemies-to-lovers story between Margot and Milo was epic!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rose & Lavender Press, LLC for an eARC copy of Lost Crows and Fallen Stars by Abelia Sumpter.

Readers are thrust into a thrilling and enigmatic tale set against the backdrop of interplanetary royalty and political intrigue. This captivating science fiction romance follows the story of a young woman, Margot, who finds herself married to Milo Arris, the formidable ruler of two planets, under mysterious and perilous circumstances.

The protagonist's journey begins with a startling realization: her memories have been wiped clean by invaders, leaving her with no recollection of her past or the man she now calls her husband. Milo, as ruthless as he is striking, harbors a palpable disdain for her, adding an intense layer of tension to their already complex relationship. Despite his cold demeanor, there is an undeniable magnetism between them that hints at deeper, undisclosed emotions.

The plot thickens as the protagonist navigates the treacherous environment of the palace. Servants bear strange, unexplained burns, a maid is murdered during a grand ball, and the mystery of her lost memories looms ominously over her.

I will start off by saying that I agree with many who have reviewed this before me, the beginning of the novel is rather slow. But, the one thing I do have to add is that it also gives away a lot of the 'twist' of the story. Which is kind of a bummer, because even with the little bit of description given, everything else about the story was well done. Once the book picked up its pace, I was 100% involved and knew that I had to figure out if what I thought happened occurred and now I need to know what happens in the end. So hopefully, the second book isn't too far behind. Even if, in the end, I could care less about the romance between Margot and Milo. Because it isn't really central to the plot at all.

Abelia Sumpter has transported me to a world of epic space fantasy, and now I can’t escape– and I don’t want to leave! From the very first page I was captivated by the story wanting more and more answers that were sprinkled throughout. It kept me guessing all while I was having fun.

Margot wakes up to realize the only thing she remembers is her name. She’s been tortured to the point of forgetting everything, including her husband Milo who rules the empire. In this space fantasy, you follow Margot as she searches for answers to her capture and the mysterious burns all the servants are getting. But, just when she feels like she’s safe, everything crumbles.

***What I Loved***

Okay, here we go.

The number one thing I loved about this book is how it keeps you guessing from beginning to end. What was Margot’s role before losing her memory? Why won’t Milo talk to her? Why does everyone hate her? What are the mysterious burns everyone keeps receiving? Most of all, WHY DID MARGOT LOSE HER MEMORY?

The questions KEPT coming. I couldn’t put the book down because I needed answers. And I was hooked until the very end which left EVEN MORE QUESTIONS. I’ll be ever so patiently waiting for book two and try to ignore the suspense that’s building inside me.

***Characters***
Margot is the lead, and what I appreciated about her was how relatable she is. She’s not the typical fantasy FMC that is super tough and has all these super valuable skills (which I also love, don’t get me wrong). Margot’s biggest strength is her ability to push through. While reading, I felt like “this could be me if I were in this situation”. She’s likable and interesting and a great protagonist.

Milo gets a lot more action time towards the end, but I honestly wish he were in it more in the beginning. There’s still so many questions I have about him… but there are some hints that book two might give us more insight into the mysterious Colum. You find out he’s got a dark side and man oh man I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this plays out.

The proditors are really fun characters because each one has such a unique personality. There are five of them, and they’re basically super soldiers with magical abilities– mostly mind control. I loved this little tease of magic in the story. It really made the fantasy come to life.

***The Setting***
If “Star Wars” and “Throne of Glass” had a baby, it would be this novel. It’s set in space on a massive spaceship palace that rules over two planets. You’re introduced to the history behind the planets and wars and terrorists and rebellions. There’s a lot going on. But luckily, you’re learning along with Margot since she lost her memory. It makes the fantasy elements easy to digest.

There were some parts of the novel that I wished there were more of, like more build up between Milo and Margot in the beginning– however, it won’t knock any stars because I have my suspicions that book two will give me everything I’m hoping for.

I did want to see a little bit more of the spy skills that Margot had because I did question her abilities a bit, but again, it makes sense for how it plays out in this novel, and I’ll be interested to see what happens in the next one.

So, to summarize, I loved everything about this book, I couldn’t put it down, and I am extremely excited for book two.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rose & Lavender Press, LLC. for giving me the opportunity to read this novel. I LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!!

I was not sure about this book at first. It was very slow moving in the beginning. I could definitely tell there was something up with Margot's memories. The ending made this book worth it. It got really exciting at the ending. I would be interested in the next book

Wow. WOW. I went into this book with zero expectations and only the NetGalley description and I was not left disappointed. I'd classify this as a dark sci fi romantasy with some murder-mystery thriller vibes. Say that ten times fast! This is a great read for romantasy readers to dip their toes into the sci-fi world. Aliens not included!

This book has everything. Enemies to lovers, a dash of spice, murder, politics, tech, lies and deception, a dystopian world, touch her and die vibes, thrills, chills, and plot twists that will have you sitting there thinking "WTF JUST HAPPENED" all neatly packaged within its pages. Every time I thought to myself "yeah, I know where this is going" BAM - Abelia Sumpter would throw a curve ball kicking whatever thought I had up 10 degrees. The cliffhangers (yes, there are many) on which this book ends have had my brain trying to discern how this story is going to wrap up when it ends. So many possibilities!

Margot wakes up aboard a ship with no memories other than her name and many injuries due to being kidnapped and tortured. She quickly learns that she's not only a former soldier/spy but also the wife of the Colum, the leader of two planets. As she re-acclimates to her life, her friendships, and her marriage she quickly learns that something is not right - but the what that is and the how are just out of reach in her head. When a servant is found murdered and others around her are popping up with mysterious burns Margot sets out on a mission to discover exactly what's going on and prevent what happened to her from happening to others.

The only negative I have is the romance development. The enemies-to-lovers is very much there but how it evolves into lovers left me needing more for it's development. In my opinion Milo is too calculated and guarded and Margot is too self aware despite everything she's dealing with for that dynamic shift to have come as quickly as it did. It had me wishing for more build up, especially after the big reveal of what is really going on. I hope this is explored more in the next book!

4.5/5 Stars! A big thank you to Rose & Lavender Press and Abelia Sumpter for providing an ARC copy for review!

UM! can we talk about the spice? and the trope...alllll of it!! I NEED MORE!! Please tell me there is more! It was beyond fun and such and enjoyable read..I was legitimately upset when I turned the last page. SPICE. ALLL of the spice!!

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

I really wanted to love this book. It has all the right bits to make a truly compelling and interesting romance with a great subplot, but it just falls flat. The writing is stilted as we jump from plot point of plot point. The first close encounter with Milo feels forced as until this point he’s been generally non-existent, which I can forgive if only he didn’t disappear immediately after. Margot spends more time with the supporting characters and seems to have a secondary love interest in one of them that feels more compelling than the main one. However, none of that matters once, out of nowhere, Milo pours his heart out to Margot. The romance is really the subplot in this identity crisis of a book.

The supposed actual subplot of the book changes genre so many times that I got whiplash. As Margot is starting to uncover details about herself, the mystery is completely dropped in favor for an action story. Funnily enough, I much prefer this part. The vision and writing in the second half of the book is much more cohesive and compelling. I found myself zooming through these chapters wanting to know what was coming next.

Unfortunately, as much as I liked the second half of the book, it was not enough to change my initial impression. The stilted writing, the lukewarm romance, and the uneven pacing leaves me wishing I could have the vision that was clear through this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Rose & Lavender Press for the free copy for an honest review.

After Margot wakes up in a med bay with no memories, she learns she has recently married the Colum of Imnicus, Milo, and is now the Columess of Imnicus. Milo explains she was kidnapped and tortured by Lavenai rebels, and this has caused her memory loss and injuries. In order to attempt to regain her memories, Margot trains with the four proditors of Imnicus in attempt to tap into her muscle memory. This eventually leads to Margot unlocking a rebel tablet that is found behind after the attack. Eventually, Margot's memories are recovered, and she realizes what she thought was true is far from it.

This is the first book I have read in a while that I couldn't put down. I stayed up far too late on a work night to finish this book because the story was so interesting! As someone who reads a lot of romantasy, I wasn't sure how I would take to a sci-fi romance, but it was excellent. The spice was well written and didn't feel unnecessary or random, and the enemies to lovers romance was perfect. I cannot wait to continue reading this story!