1.5 Stars, rounded up
This did not start off on a good note with me. I could immediately tell by the writing that this would be a flop. Everything is so clunky and stiff, with short, choppy sentences. Some of them don't even make sense.

Example:
"If there was such a thing as stealing on Trading Day." Definitely should have an 'as' at the beginning.
"There was a vast pile of clothes on her right side of the table, as high as a tall person." What kind of measurement unit is that??
"The woman kept kicking her legs with energy-" My god... kicking with energy... is the best we can get?

Every page is littered with lines like these. It was hard to pick just a few.

This book has split perspective, already a pet peeve of mine if done improperly. This was not done very well, in my opinion. I don't feel there's much difference between Hope and Lenna. Lenna is made to seem rash, tactless, and angry, while Hope is more gentle and kind, but thats it. I expected a stark difference between them, yet nothing really made them interesting to me. I think they're both incredibly shallow and needed to be developed further. Lenna's story was much more interesting than Hope's, and I hated every time I had to switch back and forth between the two.

Even the Trading Day action was lack-luster, with the stakes supposedly being high, and yet I was left feeling like it was border-line comical. It's like the Cornucopia scene from Hunger Games, yet with a lot of shoving.

The romance is fine, and normally a good romance can carry me through some of my toughest reads but this, yet again, fell flat. I wasn't swept away by the banter.

The magical system is very interesting, I will say at least. I loved that it had a purpose, and the powers all balanced one another. That's the one "win" I will give this book. Unfortunately, I won't be reading any more of this series.

Wow this book exceeded my expectations! Truly amazing. The magic system is the highlight of this book. Ingenious, beautiful, unique- I was obsessed!
Here is the review I gave on Goodreads+instagram.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6651287077
Wow! This book is pretty incredible considering it’s her first published novel! My favorite parts were the fantastic magic system, two POV, found family, seeing the storylines begin to weave together, and the overall world building and setting for the story.
As with many fantasy books, there were a few moments that felt unrealistic - but overall I couldn’t have been more happy reading this and I seriously plowed through it.
The story follows two perspectives of females with seemingly different upbringings, but throughout the book their stories become interwoven as lies are revealed, secrets discovered, and friendships/unexpected love with morally grey men bloom.
*I received an ARC for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️

This has to be one of the most unique magic and power systems I've read as of late. In an oversaturated market where everything feels like a vague ripoff of ACOTAR, Harry Potter, LOTR, and Game of Thrones... Petals for Vicious Secrets really shines in its originality and magic systems. While a bit slow to start, I raced through the last 30% of the book and loved some of the twists at the end. That being said, there were some pacing issues and it would have likely been a 4 star read for me had it not been so difficult to get into at the beginning.

My detailed thoughts below...

What I loved about this book:

💖 Unique Magic System + World Building: Like I mentioned above, I loved how original the magic systems of this book were. It almost felt like Avatar the Last Airbender meets High Fantasy, where the magic systems must work symbiotically to maintain world harmony. There are 4 Petals (North, East, South, West) and the Organ Core (the force that unifies the 4 petals and rules over all of them). How the powers work is also incredibly original and cool, and I loved seeing how they were used in practical application throughout the latter half of the book, as well as how they could be modified, given, trained, and strengthened, with a focus on maintaining perfect internal balance/harmony. It was just a super cool angle and I'll probably be raving about it for a while tbh.

💖 Book Boyfriends: OH MY GOD I LOVED JAKE + CIARAN. Jake has my heart, and I will not be elaborating further. You'll just have to read it yourself.

💖 Spicy Scenes were HOT: Oh man, I loved the few spicy scenes we were granted. They were super 🌶️, and it was amazing to finally see where the tension of our characters led. It wasn't overly sudden and it felt very satisfying given how we had watched their relationship had evolved throughout the book.

💖 Matriarchical Society Enslaved by Patriarchical Ideas: One thing to note about the magic system is how it's built upon a matriarchical foundation, where the founding ideals have largely been discarded in favor of male domination. It felt all too relatable in the world we live in today, and it was amazing to read a novel where the entire premise begins with the power of women.

💖 Metasocial Commentary: One thing I think this book did particularly well was weave in metasocial commentary, particularly how poorer citizens are treated and how being forced into an environment where there are not enough resources for everyone, forces people into a desperate mode of self preservation. There was a lot of really intelligent sub-discourse, particularly with the trading table concept that I really loved.

What I didn't love about this book:

😞 Shallow Character Development + Unclear Character Motivations: One thing that I felt really took away a star from this book was how shallow the characters felt at times, and how little we really got to know them (even the 2 main FMC's from whose perspective the story was told).

Reading the book at times felt a little bit like (?) because the character motivations were unclear. One example being Hope in the early chapters, who, for all her life had intentionally stayed away from other humans out of self preservation, suddenly felt a desperate need to protect Nina (even after she had rescued her from the woods). Another was Lenna's incessant desire for Theon, when they really had very little pre-established chemistry in the beginning chapters. Her desperation for his friendship made absolutely no sense.

I also felt that some of the characters themselves mirrored ACOTAR characters. Theon + Lenna gave Cassian/Nesta vibes, Ciaran was like a hybrid of Lucien + Azriel (with a bionic arm to boot), and one of Ciaran's friends was described exactly how Amren was described (short black hair, red lips, kept referring to the main character as 'girl').

The dialogue also felt a bit unnatural at times and I wish the author had read some of these lines out loud so they felt less like a movie script and more like natural human language.

😞 Excessive Swearing: For how original the book and the world building was, the excessive amounts of modern day swear words included completely took me out of the story. I found it SUPERRRRRRRRR distracting, and it felt SO out of place for the pseudo-modern medieval society they lived in that still had the equivalents of royal courts and courtrades etc. PLEASE MARTHA, PLEASE use less modern day slang. You made up your own TIME SYSTEM and panom equivalent of saying "Oh My God" -> "By the Cardinals". I know there has to be better words to use. I repeat: this book does not need modern day swear words. It just really detracts from the immersiveness of the story.

😞 Slow Start: My main gripe with this book is that the beginning was incredibly slow, and didn't begin to pick up until I was literally 65% way through the book. Lenna's story was compelling and kept me interested, but Hope's story felt like it dragged through the entire first half of the book. I also felt like some of the revelations about Hope's lineage could have been revealed much more dramatically-- instead they were just kind of said out loud and it felt really anticlimactic.

😞 Excessive Terminologies Introduced at Beginning: One thing I found to also be somewhat confusing in the beginning was the many different terms introduced with very little explanation. I felt like I needed a glossary to understand the difference between Cardinals and Rulers, and I didn't understand who or what the Cardinals truly were until I was 70% done with the book. Along with these terms were The Roix, Roix Reigner, Discarded People, Panom, Trading Day / Trading Table, etc. It just felt like a lot of concepts whereas I wish they were somewhat explained more gradually with each new term that was introduced.

😞 Queerbaiting: My last major concern of this novel was the absolute queerbaiting. The relationship with Nina and Hope felt MUCH more than platonic for the entirety of the book and at the very end a MMC was introduced with the clear intention of being a love interest for Hope. Hope LITERALLY was willing to forsake the safety of the entire life she knew to help a random girl she saved in the woods find her brother in the most guarded military city in their universe? Without having an inkling of feelings? I don't buy it. This felt like a huge plot hole in the story and Hope's motivations here were poorly explained. There were also certain moments between the two characters that definitely hinted at something more.

Overall, I LOVED the concept and world of this book but felt the execution was a miss in certain areas. The book ended on a major cliffhanger, so I'm hopeful the second novel is paced a tad better with deeper exploration into our main group of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley & Martha Monteval for the ARC copy to review!

+ Petals for Vicious Secrets +
- The Panom Saga #1 -
🖋️ Martha Monteval
🎭 fantasy, romance
💡 power/oppression, found family, friendship, strong females, rebels, secrets
📝 421
🔸 ARC - 7/18/2024
▶️ 7/8/2024
⏹️ 7/14/2024
📚 ebook

••• one sentence •••
As past secrets are revealed, Hope and Lenna must fight separate battles to ensure the safety of their friends and find their own power within themselves.

••• review •••
✨ This series has so much potential! It has true friendships forming, multiple love interests, and so many loose ends that make me incredibly eager to continue reading this series as they are published!

✨ I was nervous after reading the first chapter because it was full of dependent clauses and felt so choppy to read. However, after reading the next few chapters, I believe that the style of writing was intentional, and it did make sense for the situation. The rest of the book was well written (minus a handful of grammatical errors - assuming those will be corrected in the final publication) and flowed, making it an engaging read.

✨ “Petals for Vicious Secrets” is told from the POV of two MFCs. Both women are extremely independent, confident, and do not back down when faced with oppression. While similar, their differences are concrete enough that their stories do not blur together. I was equally engaged throughout both POVs and couldn't decide which one I was more eager to read!

✨ The story centers around the two MFCs who unknowingly have the same goal. They meet (or already know) numerous characters who have secrets and questionable actions. My opinions of characters changed by the chapter as their personalities and true motives were uncovered.

✨ The magic in this book is unique and I loved the balance of good vs bad. My favorite part of the magic was the ink…a magic I wish I had!

✨ I am sure my questions and the loose ends in this book will be cleared in the following books - I am so curious how the author will explain and tie in these pieces to create a truly stunning romantasy saga.

✨ I would recommend this book to any romantasy lover, or those interested in dipping their toes in the genre!

••• quotes •••
💬 “I chose you, …, because you have the fearless heart of those who change worlds. I chose you, because I can see who you are behind the walls you insist on putting for everyone to see. I chose you, because even if you have accepted that everyone who should love you has given up on you, I know you are worth fighting for. I chose you, because I know you can be as powerful as I am, if not even more. And I chose you, sweet fire, because you are absolutely insufferable and I can't get you out of my mind.”

💬 “Not all of us have magic. But all of us can make a difference, in one way or another.”

💬 “Magic or no magic, it's people like you, who don't accept no as an answer, who don't accept the rules without challenging them. The ones who change the world.”

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
✏️✏️✏️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

"Petals for Vicious Secrets," the first book in Martha Monteval's Panom Saga, captivates readers with its intricate blend of suspense, romance, and mystery. Set against a backdrop of an enigmatic and lush landscape, Monteval crafts a tale that draws you in with its vivid descriptions and complex characters.

The novel excels in character development, presenting protagonists with rich backstories and compelling arcs that evoke empathy and engagement. The narrative seamlessly intertwines personal struggles with overarching secrets, creating a tapestry of intrigue that keeps you turning pages.

Monteval’s adept use of atmospheric elements enhances the story's immersive quality. The setting, reminiscent of a historic lakeside town, parallels your fondness for such environments, further enriching your reading experience. The tension and chemistry between the characters, reminiscent of the "two people with a lot of history" trope, add depth and relatability to the plot.

Overall, "Petals for Vicious Secrets" is a masterfully written novel that promises to enthrall readers with its blend of emotional depth and suspenseful storytelling.

Petals for Vicious Secrets
By Martha Monteval
First, thank you to Crystal Unclear Publishing and Martha Monteval for allowing me to ready the ARC of Petals for Vicious Secrets.
Petals for Vicious Secrets is a multiple POV, enemies to lovers, romantasy book with two strong FMC’s.
There is a lot of character building in the first half of the book, but it is worth getting through, because the second half of the book is where it takes off and I couldn’t put it down. Hope and Lenna’s stories truly come together, and you learn how strong they both are. The morally grey MMC is keeps the tension tight and gives the book the spice that many romantasy readers enjoy so much.
I really enjoyed the different type of magic in this book as well, it is different from anything I have read before.
I cannot wait for the second book in the trilogy to be released!

while this book definitely delivered its promise of a unique and captivating magic system, it fell a bit flat due to an unclear plot line and shallow characters.

— world building & plot
most the world building takes place in the first few chapters of the book and these are some very heavy handed details being given right off the bat. the intricacies of the history & politics were a bit complicated to follow and every chapter seemed to introduce a new plot to follow without much development for why these plot points were important to the main goal.

— characters
the story is narrated in 3rd person from a dual pov and follows a social outcast with an unbeknownst past and a hot headed heiress with no interest in her political holding. the latter was very one dimensional with her smart mouth & need for physical intimacy being the only driving forces to her character which got repetitive and at times felt unnecessary/borderline juvenile (the character is in her mid-20s). there is an ensemble of supporting characters but only one makes any significant impact to the storyline (nina, you’re the real star of this show and you deserved an f/f romance bb 🫶🏻)

— romance
i can get behind morally grey mmcs as love interests but misogyny can never be at the root. their “slow burn” tension felt forced with some awkward dialogues to accompany while the plot would have qualified this for a high stakes romance, i felt no investment in their relationship. i honestly picked up on more chemistry between other characters than the intended couple.

i do think this book has a lot of potential and feel this is one of the more unique magic systems i’ve encountered in fantasy! if i had to compare this world to anything, i’d say you’ll definitely get some hunger games vibes with some reminiscent sprinklings of acotar.

thanks so much to crystal unclear publishing & netgalley for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

High fantasy worldbuilding and two storylines waiting to collide.
Badass female maincharcters, unique magic system, action and romance... I mean, what's not to like!


Post on IG the 18 of July - one_fairy_tale_at_the_time

3.75⭐️
Contains spoilers.

Themes and tropes: Found family, enemies to lovers, bad ass/murderous female leads, unique magic system.

This story had some unique and interesting aspects that I enjoyed. The magical system was unique and I really enjoyed the thought behind it. I enjoyed have the POV of two bad ass female leads. However, I did find myself being more interested when the story was from Lenna more than from Hope’s perspective but given than Hope is ultimately supposed to be “savior” of the magic and land I wish it was the other way around. Lenna was more focused on opposing and standing up against the patriarchal and mysogynisitc society / ruler. Whereas Hope story focused on avengening based on personal experiences rather than wanting to fight for the betterment of the society.

I was disappointed that Hope’s love story ended up being with a male heir because for most of the chapters I truly thought her love story would develop with her female friendship.

I really enjoyed Ciaran’s character and the development we get on his background. I have very conflicting feelings about Jake. I typically love a “enemies to lovers” story line but with Jake it didn’t fully accomplish the usual feel based on his first few interactions with our FMC. Despite his clear want and attraction to the FMC he wasn’t just “a villain for you and those I love” he truly was hurting innocents by following the orders of his father and not breaking away from his dads approach.

Overall, the story was interesting and I would be interested in a reading the second book.

4.25 stars!!

I loved this story about two tough as nails and empathetic women each going through their own adventures (until their adventures converge!) and tapping into their true powers!

At first, the chapters alternating between the two parallel stories was was frustrating because I’d get invested in following Hope and then get pulled to Lenna, or vice versa- but in the end it really worked! The author did a great job of sprinkling clues throughout as to how their stories would connect- and I was absolutely not disappointed at all when they finally did (in a very fun and very Lenna way)!!

Hope’s story was one of struggle, one of having to be the bravest, toughest one in the room, one of needing to uncover truths about her own family. Lenna’s story was one of power imbalance and the fight to regain it, one of a girl refusing to take the easy route, one of a girl willing to fight for those that her own family would step on. Together, this was a gorgeous story of strong women getting stronger- and you love to see it!

Obviously it’s the romantasy vibe, so we’ve gotta get some love interests in there- and I’m very intrigued by the two different main men for our gals. They each have some of the typical romantasy man vibes, but not much the same between them- highlighting Jake’s ruthlessness and morally grey empathy, following Ciaran’s protective and resilient drive and mix of some special powers.

I’m super excited to continue with this story for the pure need to learn more about a character I was sus of for most of the book (I am proud I called it) and what exactly is going on with Hope’s plot line and how Lenna is going to be key in advancing it. This was so fun and so unique- with a very very cool magic system!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Martha Montreal for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

The feeling of reading a fantasy book where the FMC is +20y is inexplicable (and we have two FMC's!!!), I really REALLY love it. The world building definitely didn't slow down the story, the book catch you from the beginning and it's almost impossible to put it down.

The romance didn't disappoint either, enemies to lovers is almost always guaranteed to be successful and this time it wasn't different. The banter and the spice was soooo good. I'm very excited to book 2!

Martha Monteval's debut novel, Petals for Vicious Secrets, marks a promising beginning to The Panom Saga, though it has its strengths and weaknesses.

While the novel introduces an intriguing world and magical system that are easy to grasp, some aspects fell short for me. The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural, lacking the dynamic banter and tension I really crave in an enemies to lovers. The characters never felt like real enemies to; instead, they were more adversaries or frienemies. The pacing was initially slow, and I struggled to stay focused. I definitely found myself more drawn to Lenna's storyline than Hope's in the beginning. This could have a lot to do with Jake. He was just something else! 😄

Despite these drawbacks, there were elements that stood out positively. Jake being one of them 🤭. But also, the humor injected into the story was enjoyable, providing lighter moments amidst the unfolding drama. I also really appreciated the magical system within the fantastical world of Thyria.

Obviously the story is not over, so I can’t wait to see how these characters grow and evolve. I think right now they feel very one dimensional, but moving through future novels I feel like that can easily shift. I’m excited to see where this story goes!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC, this is my honest review.

Title: Petals for Vicious Secrets

Author: Martha Monteval
Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Rating: ★★★★☆

A Secret That Will Change the World. A Revenge That Will Change Her Life.

Hope Nevada, discarded at birth, grows up on the brutal island of Verdania, where survival means killing or being killed.

During a Trading Day, a rare device arrives from an anonymous sender, revealing the first truth among the many lies she's been told her entire life. This revelation sets her on a path of no return.

What I Loved:

Hope Nevada’s Fierce Determination: Hope Nevada is a character you’ll instantly fall in love with. Discarded at birth and raised on the brutal island of Verdania, Hope has learned to survive in a world where only the strongest prevail. Her tenacity and resourcefulness are both admirable and inspiring. The arrival of a mysterious device during a Trading Day sets her on a path of discovery and vengeance, revealing the first of many truths about her life.

The Mysterious Device and Shocking Revelation: The device that Hope receives is a brilliant plot device that propels the story forward. It uncovers a truth that changes everything she has known, pushing her towards an epic quest for revenge in Thyria. This revelation adds layers of complexity to the plot and makes you eager to uncover the next secret.

Thyria: A Land of Magic and Danger: Thyria, with its four-petal guarded island and five powerful political Houses, is a richly detailed world brimming with magic and danger. Monteval’s world-building is exceptional, creating a vivid backdrop for Hope’s journey. The beings in Thyria possess powerful magical skills, and navigating this perilous landscape keeps the tension high.

Enemies-to-Lovers Romance: The enemies-to-lovers dynamic in Petals for Vicious Secrets is beautifully executed. Hope’s mistrust of others, forged by her harsh upbringing, creates a compelling tension with the characters she encounters in Thyria. The slow burn of romance, combined with witty banter and complex relationships, adds depth and richness to the story.

Themes of Trust and Found Family: One of the most touching aspects of the book is its exploration of trust and found family. Hope’s journey teaches her that trusting others, while risky, is not only necessary for survival but also for finding true belonging. The characters she meets along the way become a found family, adding emotional resonance to her quest.


Petals for Vicious Secrets by Martha Monteval is a mesmerising start to The Panom Saga. With a fierce heroine, intricate world-building, and a gripping enemies-to-lovers romance, this book delivers on all fronts. Prepare to be enchanted by Hope Nevada’s journey and the secrets that unfold in this epic fantasy adventure.

Thank you to The Publisher Crystal Unclear Publishing ,The Author Martha Monteval & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

*Contains Spoilers*
Petals for Vicious Secrets is a uniquely written fantasy with plenty of twists, OH! moments and parallel storylines that converge. The book unfolds from the POV of two FMCs; it's worth noting the FMCs are 25. I personally prefer stories where the MCs age doesn't end in teen. 😉

Your FMCs are no damsels in distress. They quite literally embodied "Girl Boss". In fact, I appreciate the world being rooted in women as Rulers, Queens, etc. with jabs at the bruised male ego.

This is a great debut novel, looking forward to finishing the series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌍Worldbuilding: 5/5 - Map included <spoiler>Different continents and realms. </spoiler>
⚔️Plot: 4/5
🪄Magic System: 4/5
•<spoiler> Loved the mark/petal concept and the balance of powers with each house. I also liked that the system kept unveiling more secrets with time. </spoiler>
🔥Spice: 🌶️
•The banter just wasn't quite swoony enough for me. <spoiler>Although the Slow Burn and E2Ls is present, for me, there wasn't enough angst to really sell it or make you speed up to the spicy bits only to slow down and enjoy the show, ya know?</spoiler>
•Spicy Chapters: <spoiler> 27,39,48,62</spoiler>
📚Continue with Series: Yes!
🤐TW: <spoiler>Violence & Death, Torture, Emotional Abuse, Reference to Abandonment & Slavery, Profanity & Sexually Explicit Scenes</spoiler>
⏳Time to Complete: 2 (mostly dedicated) days - estimate around 10-11 hours
📰Expected Publication: July 18, 2024