Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a delight! I was intrigued by the synopsis, and though sometimes I don’t jive super well with books with a heavier romantic focus, I did enjoy this one. It did admittedly take me a while to get into the story, and I’m not sure if it was my mood, the fact I read this as an audiobook, or the book itself. Regardless, I think Arbeaux had some excellent character work and I liked the focus on platonic relationships. It was definitely about the level of sweet I’d been expecting, which was what initially made me hesitant about this—it’s well done and quite good, but also not necessarily the kind of story I always seek out. Still, I’m not mad about it because I did find the overall work to be impressive and well done. I didn’t always get on well with Remy, but he’s quite believable and I’d absolutely be open to rereading this one.

The audiobook was narrated by Georgina Sander and I thought it was well done and added to the story!

Rating: 2 stars for my experience reading it. But I didn’t feel the narrator in the audio version suited the book so maybe it be a 2.5 stars potentially 3 stars if I’d physically read the book.

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book. I was very hyped to read it initially as the plot sounded amazing but I found I didn’t connect with any of the characters especially Remy the main character. I couldn’t tell you much about his personality as to me it was just “wants revenge and is grieving”.

I feel some of the story needed more build up. Like memories being reflected earlier on instead of randomly happening when they were needed. The beginning could have used at least one more chapter of establishing relationships instead of later relying on these memories. And more about the magical bonds that exist in this world then instead of at the start of each chapter.

The writing was alright at least and I guess pretty good for a debut. Apart from the overuse of the phrase “like a secret”.

The magic was interesting and this story was basically a fantasy sci-fi which I always like to see. I also liked how the book concentrated on platonic relationships and sibling bonds. It also did very well showing someone suffering with grief.

I think I’d have enjoyed the story a little more if I hadn’t listened to the audiobook. The narrator was talented but she made Remy the main character who is 19 years old sound more about 10. I wasn’t fond of the voices she gave to other characters either. I also didn’t feel the pain in people’s voices when talking about some heavy subjects.

I wish I had enjoyed this book but I didn’t. If it hadn’t been an arc read I’d have dropped it halfway in all honesty.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for granting me an Advance Reader Copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

I was so excited to recieve this book, but unfornately was so disappointed. The book is very....well to put it plainly... confusing. So much is going on but there was not enought explination for me regarding events, characters, plot, just to name a few. It just didnt make sense. It is high fantasy and not in the real world, and I felt think some things just have been assumed the reader would know and be common knowledge but wasnt. An example, for me was the teathers. I kind of gathered it is a "bond" between people, however some chacters were teathered to others that they didnt even know. I also kept getting the impression that maybe the teather was for lovers, however the main chacater has one with his brother. Again I was just confused all around.
I can apprecaite this book though and can see how it might be enjoyed by others. If the plot intriges
you I still say give it a try. I unfortunatley has to mark this book as DNF.

thank you so much to the publishers and netgalley for providing me with the audiobook!

i think the narrator did a wonderful job with keeping me immersed in the story throughout!

the plot itself was great and i loved learning about the world as we move along. there are a lot of interesting characters and they all had such a great dynamic. there is no romance but as someone who's number 1 trope is found family, this was perfect for me. i just loved the sincere and beautiful friendships that were built along the way. it is also beautifully written and i really enjoyed it overall!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was so much fun and I really enjoyed it. It was a super fun sci-fi with a lot of emotion and important topics wrapped in an almost wild-west outerspace setting.

The author touches on a lot of things - government corruption, destruction of the planet, greed, challenging prejudices, sibling loss....it's a complex story with important talking points but it's honestly a lot of fun. The characters are flawed and interesting and have a lot of really great character development. I never quite knew what was going to happen or who was going to die, splitting between laughing and sudden brutal violence.

This was a unique story unlike anything else I've experienced - super fun and one I absolutely recommend!

Remy cannot leave his brother’s death unavenged, so he casts a death curse. The withering could also ending Remy’s life.

Really enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good strong characters and twisting plotline. Remy will find out much more about the man he has cursed and will come to regret his actions. But is it too late and who will die? Enjoy. .

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for
the advanced audiobook copy of this book.
so in the beginning i was doubtful about
this book as the pacing was very slow in
the beginning but this one of those “trust the
process” type books and i am so glad i did. the found family in this book is absolutely delightful as well as the premise which is the MMC being tethered physically to someone he hates.
the close proximity is fun in that regard watching the dynamic between those two characters.
i would definitely recommend this one if youare looking for a good standalone.

What a fantastic tale of queer platonic love and forgiveness. I was deeply moved by this powerful story. Everything from the aroace MC to the found family trope just made for an overall stunning and hopeful sci-fi novel.

I loved this.
This book was about growth, learning to forgive and healing.
Remy grows so much over the course of this book – from a person broken by loss and thoughts of revenge into a hero, saving so many people – including himself. I loved reading his journey to healing.
The side characters are also great and three-dimensional. I especially liked Yves and the way they treated everyone and formed relationships with them. They were my favorite character.
Tirani was a great character as well, but even though she was Remy’s best friend (I honestly see a QPR there), sadly, she didn’t get to develop her full potential in my opinion.
Idrian also had much more potential than he got to develop, I would have especially liked many more conversations with Remy where he actually shows more of himself.
Still, both characters were three-dimensional. I just would have liked to see more of them and watch them grow, I guess.
The plot was interesting and very relevant in any time, I imagine. I liked how it was resolved in the end.
I also loved, how this book focused on friendships with no romantic subplot. This may be due to Remy being ace-spec and probably also aro-spec (as well as Idrian), but even if they weren’t, romance, while it would have fit in there, honestly would have made the book a lot weaker than it was. Also, I love getting ace and aro rep that doesn’t focus on figuring out relationships or is a major plotpoint, but instead just part of the characters – because it is normal and we do need to normalize it. Lord of the Empty Isles did great with this.
The audio book narrator did great at well.
All in all a very good read that I can absolutely recommend.

I found the interrogation of Remi's grief to be really tender and heartfelt, and it helped me feel emotionally connected to him sooner than expected.

I thought the introduction to the sci-fi and fantasy elements, particularly the 'tethers' was initially fascinating; it established real consequences and the potential for its use to go haywire, which created stakes. But eventually its use started feeling half baked and too amorphous for me to be able to feel a firm enough grasp on the magic given that the author takes the time to add explanations. I'd rather have the magic feel fully nebulous, because attempting to explain it while also leaving it with many loose threads makes it feel as if the magical aspects are tripping over themselves.

At least until the 56% mark, the transitions between the plot-driven parts and character moments feel ebb and flow in a way that feels too staccato. It made my reading experience jarring.

There are plenty of things to love about this story—it's queer, has promising magic, blends the genres of fantasy and sci-fi, and explores themes with its characters with apt tenderness. But the stylistic choices are not meshing well with my reading preferences, so I'm DNFing it because I don't want to complete a book with so many merits and good intentions only to give it a low rating.

DNF @ 56%

Let me preface this review by saying that when it comes to books, I don't usually like science fiction. In movies? Yes, sign me up! But in books? Not so much. Lord of the Empty Isles, though? This book changed my life.

Five years ago Remy's brother died by a withering - a dead curse. Now Remy finally has everything he needs to return the favour. There is one major problem. When he casts the withering, it rebounds onto him, which means he is fatebound to his brother's killer. Just a regular Tuesday, am I right?

It gets even better! The only way to slow the curse for long enough to find a cure is to join forces with Idrian and his criminal crew. Expect it turns out Idrian is the sole provider of life-saving supplies to tens of thousands of innocent people and when he dies, they'll die with him.

Bad news is; the only way to get rid of the withering is to kill the person who cast it...

I loved this book! It has so many interesting and incredible characters and I couldn't get enough of them. You set out to get revenge with Remy for his brother and then you learn alongside him that the world isn't what he thought it is. With him, you get to know everyone else's story and rage and grief that blinded you and Remy starts to lift. Idrian, the self-proclaimed Lord of the Isles, is a morally gray character who does anything and everything for the people he cares for - quite literally no matter the cost. And the more you read, the more you understand him and his reasons and you cannot even fault him for the things he has done. (Or at least I couldn't.)

There is no romance in this as Remy is aroace(!!!! a win for me!!!!) but it has connections so much deeper than that in my opinion. It has queer platonic relationship, friendship and found family. The book is all about finding yourself and your self-worth, forgiving and growing. And I think most importantly; healing.

“Remy would never cut Cameron away. Pain is a small price to pay for keeping this last piece of him close.” — it's about realising that sometimes healing means letting go and understanding that those who care about us would never wish for us to hurt.

But then it's also about understanding how much healing hurts and how hard it is. “Healing feels like betrayal, like releasing a fragile, precious thing kept from crumbling only by the pressure of his hands.”

Lord of the Empty Isles is absolutely a rollercoaster of emotions. It made me laugh and then it made me cry. At times, it is heartbreakingly brutal and dark but it is also filled with hope and light. Please, listen to me, you need the tissues, be prepared.

I listened to the audiobook and I think that made the book only more emotional. In my opinion, the reader did a fantastic job. Especially this part; "Sleep my child. May earth protect you, deep and wild the forest green. Sun will rise and paths direct you, stars will guide you home to me." I think that's correct, I didn't write it down anywhere, I just listened it so many times that I think I learned it word to word. I don't know what it is about that part but it made me sob my eyes out.

I think this book might have just convinced me to give a chance to more science fiction books. I absolutely adored this one.

And here is one more of my favourite quotes, which I didn't know where to put: "Why did he ever think more death could pay for a life?"

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

There were a lot of themes I really enjoyed in the book, like an aroace main character, but (and maybe this was due to the narration) it felt very YA. That isn't inherently a bad thing, I was just expecting this to be a lot more adult. I found the plot and characters interesting and engaging, but I think I would have enjoyed it more as a physical copy than as an audiobook.

4 stars.
A sci-fi/fantasy mix up without it being too heavy in either genre, the book is a fantastic at showing that people can be more than what you perceive them to be and how powerful people and society can skew and narrate events to their own favour.
I found the magic system easy to understand; very ritual based and tethers are like the red strings of fate. The book is fast paced but I feel that this is to emphasise the urgency of the curse (withering).
The relationship between Remy and Idrian prove that people are complex and can't be classified into just good or bad. Remy exacting his form of justice (an eye for an eye) and the path throughout the book shows the stages of grief incredibly well. The crew, for being side characters, are surprisingly 3-dimensional (for thew pace of the book) and all grew to be likeable. I love the found family and platonic love between them.
It's been tagged as LGBTQ+, Remy isn't specifically labelled as aromantic/asexual but I think that's what the author is implying and I think Eve is non-binary as they use they/them pronouns.
The ending is great, a little bittersweet for Remy but more about the gain rather than the loss.
What a great first book by Jules Arbeaux, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next one!
Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and Hodder and Stoughton Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I started listening to this 3 days ago! For me this took 10 minutes before it grasped me and my attention was almost wholly focused on the book. The narrative was smooth and interesting. I felt there was little to no room for me to predict what was happening!

Remy is a new favourite character from starting on the wrong side of the tracks to realising his mistakes! I love the story telling and how it makes it okay to realise your mistakes and want to correct them!

This is far more charming than any book with that many unethical and downright murderous decisions has any right to be. Friendships bloom in the most unlikely places in this high stakes sci-fi story, where everyone’s keeping secrets and operating in shades of grey. I enjoyed the journey this book took me on, and the issues of morality that arise throughout. The characters are flawed and charming, fighting for what they believe in and desperate for a better world. There’s plenty of heartache in this book but there’s also a lot of healing. I liked to see how Remy mended fences with others along the way, and persevered when everything he knew was turned on its head, his life hanging in the balance. An interesting story heaped with politics. The audiobook was well narrated and the different accents for characters helped to bring the story to life.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

DNF @ 20%. I wanted to give Sci Fi another go, as Ive not read many of this genre that would capture my attention. The Robin Hood-like figure mentioned in the description tipped the scale. But i could not get on with the narrator. It felt like a young child was narrating this, and it was not something I was expecting or enjoyed. Not for me.

I adored this book. Featuring an aroace MC, found family, platonic connections, and it's just a beautiful sci-fi novel in which our main character accidentally fatebinds himself to his brother's killer. Exploring hope and forgiveness, this is one of my favourite books of the year.

Would absolutely recommend the audiobook as well!

When a death curse backfires and links his life to the infamous pirate Idrian Delaciel, Remy joins the pirate’s crew as a last ditch effort to extend his now very short life to try to break the curse before the fast approaching expiration date. Joining the crew allows Remy to see that things aren’t as black and white as he’s always been told as a conspiracy unfolds that pits Idrian’s crew against the government, putting Remy squarely in the middle.

This was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. It’s captivating and fast paced and a lot of fun, but also at times, very hard to read (and intentionally, rightfully so). It’s very on the nose sometimes, but I think it earns the right to be.

I loved Remy and his character arc, but also Idrian has a nice character arc (if more subtle). The crew of the Artemis are all fantastic. Roca, Thom, Yves, the rest of the crew, they are all delights and I love them. The book is wonderfully plotted and balanced between tense moments and moments that give you a bit more breathing room, and I was truly enthralled by this book the whole way through. There’s a few moments/plot developments that are a little cliche, but I’m not mad about it.

I half read the ebook and half listened to the audiobook for this, and the narration is wonderful. Georgina Sadler does an excellent job of giving all the different characters so much life and personality, and if you listen to audiobooks, I highly recommend this one.

Someone recommended this to me saying it’s like queer Firefly. While I don’t disagree entirely, I think it’s more accurate just to widen that analogy just to say that it’s a queer space opera with a revenge arc and a conspiracy against the criminal Robin Hood-esque underdogs. Please see my content warnings nestled in the comments.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hoddet & Staughton for a copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodderscape for the ARC of Lord of the Empty Isles.

Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux presents an intriguing premise within a richly imagined universe, blending elements of science fiction and fantasy into a tale of revenge, fate, and moral ambiguity. The story follows Remy, driven by grief and the desire to avenge his brother's death at the hands of the notorious pirate Idrian Delaciel.

Arbeaux creates a captivating world where curses hold tangible power and characters grapple with complex moral dilemmas. Remy, the protagonist, is a compelling figure torn between his duty to his brother's memory and the consequences of his vendetta. Idrian, the antagonist, is equally intriguing, with layers of depth that add complexity to the conflict.

While the pacing keeps the narrative engaging, there are instances where the plot feels rushed, and certain elements could benefit from further exploration. Additionally, the resolution of the central conflict may leave some readers wanting more closure.

Despite these shortcomings, Lord of the Empty Isles remains an entertaining read with thought-provoking themes that will appeal to fans of both science fiction and fantasy. Arbeaux's imaginative world-building and skillful storytelling make this novel worth exploring, offering readers a glimpse into the vast and unforgiving expanse of the Empty Isles. I will also say the decision to have a female voice actor was a miss for me. This book is written from a male perspective and should have had a male voice actor.

Lord of the Empty Isles was a fun, fast-paced adventure/fantasy. I loved the world-building and the fact that the curses tied their fates together. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Great audio narration.