A beautiful book from Fiona Fenn! Thankful for the opportunity to engage in such a delightful story.

Loved the plot, characters and the storytelling.
As a debut novel, this is fantastic world-building and holding the tension to the very end. I was confused while reading the book because I had too many questions. The flashback chapters, Interludes, were super interesting and left me wanting more of Orpheus, Lore and Fenrir's origin story. I want to know more about Red too. The culmination of the whole plot at the gripping climactic scene was worth living with all the questions. I would love to read more stories in the same universe and want to know more about the Incident. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book, I haven't been able to stop gushing about it everywhere.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. I found the book enjoyable and the world building. You start off thinking this is a quest to rid the character of a curse but find out it is so much more. I would definitely recommend

I really enjoyed this book!!

I felt that the pacing of it was just right, and it wasn't too complicated to understand. There were a lot of fun twists and turns that took the story in a direction that I wasn't expecting, and it made it so enjoyable to read.

I loved the characters and the romance that bloomed within it. The two main characters were so easy to fall for and stay in love with.

I want to consume everything about this world!!


(Small spoilers ahead)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
My one wish is that there was more time exploring the past relationship of the romantic interests. Orpheus talks a lot about how their relationship has always been snipes and banters, and he suddenly is realizing that it was not out of hatred but out of love. I wanted to see more of their time together before they really realized they were in love!!

Otherwise, I love love loveed the banter and the relationship that we got to see!! I just wanted more time with them

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I maybe didn’t have that much faith in this when I started it. This is my I’m-sorry-I-was-wrong-Review.
I really enjoyed the setting and the world building of this. I kind of went in expecting a classic fantasy world in like a medieval setting; but this story actually takes place far in an apocalyptic future; after a major incident, within the fallout. I found that very refreshing to read. The world building was gradual, but I never felt too lost or confused to the point of frustration.

The relationship between the two leads was a medium-slow-burn; I liked that it took most the book for Orpheus to understand that he wasn’t reading things correctly, I like that their relationship wasn’t sudden even when Orpheus started to realise what his feelings were.

This was cute. I really liked it. I also like that it’s a standalone; no threads left hanging, everything wrapped up. What a fantastic debut.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I didn’t realize it was a debut until after I’d finished it. For a fantasy novel it had everything I love and more. I was expecting the routine fantasy storyline and while it does have it - this book also throws in some new things to keep it interesting.

Everything about this one is my vibe. The romance aspect was great as well without overtaking the main plot.

If you like fantasy and lgbtq+ stories then this is the one for you.

"The Crack at the Heart of Everything" is an impressive, magical debut by Fiona Fenn. I don't think I've read anything quite like it in my life.

It's the story of a reluctant villain turned equally reluctant hero, who suddenly discovers the world isn't what he's been led to believe, and most importantly, he also discovers he's actually deserving of a happy ending.

It's the story of an unrepentant sunshine general with a penchant for recklessly charging into danger (and towards prickly, dark mages), with so much self-confidence he could actually fire up a new apocalypse all by himself.

Finally, it's the story of a world, our world, turned into hellish, post-apocalyptic nightmare, where dark magic and technology, desperate, war-torn humans and scary hell creatures live side by side.

And I'll start from there... The world-building is IMPRESSIVE. It's unraveled, shown to us, layer by layer, through Orpheus's eyes as he slowly discovers that the world is much bigger (and much darker) (and much more different) than what he was led to believe. The whole book is a peculiar mixture of fantasy, high fantasy and dystopian, a post-apocalyptic hellscape featuring reanimated corpses and hell creatures, political coups, wars and power hungry tyrants, dark mages and dark magic and even, dragons. It shouldn't work, but it TOTALLY does. Everything has it's place and it's meaning, and as a fan of this kind of complex world-building and plotting, I can't tell you how happy I was to read this book. It scratched an itch inside my brain only fantasy can scratch, and I'm so glad I decided to give this book a go.

The plot was MARVELOUS! Like with the world-building, it unravels a piece at a time, and the neck-breaking pace it sets from the start left me feeling both thoroughly addicted and absolutely wrecked. I loved the story, and I absolutely freaking loved Orpheus's, our ex-villain turned reluctant hero protagonist, arc as a character.
It was truly impressive what the author managed to do with Orpheus. His development as a character was masterful: the way he changes throughout the story, the way he grows, the way he learns to trust both himself and the people around him, was freaking wonderful to witness. I also LOVED seeing Lore's manipulation slowly show itself for what it is: her true character slowly unravels as well, and as the true meaning of it, of her hungry grab for power, is slowly shown to both Orpheus and the reader, and I. COULD. NOT. LOOK. AWAY.

This book is also a romance. I've read a few review stating otherwise, but for my standards it totally is: yeah, the steam is non-existent and closed-doors (and this made me very happy, surprisingly!), and in general, it's a plot-oriented novel, but the romance between Orpheus and Fenrir, his rival, the sunshine general with penchant for charging towards danger, is very, very prominent.
I'd say, alongside Orpheus's character development, it's the thing that drives most of the plot. Fenrir shows Orpheus what actual friendship and care means, he shows him kindness and trust and gentleness and love, and he also shows him (but Orpheus does most of the work there! He shows himself, more like) that there's a world outside worth fighting for.
Also, most importantly, there's a HEA.
I adored their relationship to freaking bits. The slow-burn, the one-sided enemies to lovers going on between them, their dynamic, the fact that they're constantly saving each other... Gah, I'm so in love with their romance.

Individually, they're both absolutely freaking great. Like I said, I adored Orpheus's character arc, and I loved seeing him slowly gain self-confidence and recognizing his right to happiness and security and love. He's a snarky, prickly, exhausted asshole of a mage, but he's so lovable and so adorable he made me want to jump into the book to protect him from everything. And Fenrir! Despite not having his POVs, he's also as complex and delightful as Orpheus: strong and headfast, wickedly funny and optimistic, recklessly confident (bordering on suicidal, mind!) with a hidden vulnerable side. I loved them both, SO MUCH.

I adored the side characters, and I adored, LOVED, the whole thing going on with Lore. Lore, the power-hungry, manipulative despot, is also pretty freaking impressive as a character too: through Orpheus's words, his past, and her own decisions and scenes, she emerges as a complex, scary, terrifying villain, who I couldn't also help but feel a smidge of sympathy for. Like Orpheus, she's been wronged. Unlike him, she'll burn the world down just to feel whole and safe and in control, again.

Anyway, the ending was absolutely freaking perfect: the twists kept on coming, and they were all so freaking impressive. I'm seriously in awe with Fiona Fenn's writing: I cannot wait for whatever comes next. I'm REALLY hoping it will be a sequel of some kind; a proper epilogue novella about these two wouldn't go amiss too.. I would have loved a few more (happier) chapters at the end, because Orpheus deserved it, but gah, I still adored the ending.

I think I need at least a month to get over this book: my heart is still in overdrive. Heart-wrenching, action-packed, romantic, emotional, absolutely freaking epic. I couldn't recommend it enough!

TW/CWs: child abuse (torture, experiments, confinement, starvation), gaslighting, emotional manipulation and toxic friendship, death, war and war crimes, injury, self-harm, death of an animal.



Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Though this story is about the use of magic, and features dangerous Hell-creatures, thus placing it at least partly in the fantasy genre, to me its setting and vibe is more dystopian. That's a subgenre I tend to struggle with, as it usually unnerves me to think about our entire civilization collapsing. The current political climate happens to be making that scenario even more unsettling. Timing, as it happens, was therefore perhaps not the best for me to pick up this book. But for those who are made of tougher stuff and do love a dive into the dystopian future—complete with magic and an endearing m/m romance—you'll want to check this out!

Not spicy, male male, grumpy sunshine, fantasy adventure romance. What a wonderful debut novel! Fantastic worldbuilding and engaging characters. I really enjoyed the storytelling and look forward to more from this author.

I've read plenty of fantasy novels and sometimes they can be same-same. But this one has a style of its own. Set in a world where a cataclysmic event had happened, we have Orpheus, a mage who finds himself thrown out of the only place he knew as home. He embarks on a journey with an unexpected companion, Fenrir, who he had never got along with. Orpheus realizes along the way that he is probably the only one who can save this world. Overall this is an impressive debut novel. The world building iand plotline are interesting and engaging.
*Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

The Crack At The Heart Of Everything is a debut novel by Fiona Fenn that felt like a breeze of fresh air to me. This book had me hooked from the start and I did not want to set it down. I did not expect the mix between the fantasy setting and a dystopic future after a nuclear disaster but it hit just the right spo.t. The characters are also complex in their personalities, beliefs and life stories. I enjoy that nothing is black and white, that there is redemption to be had and how it also tells a tale about human perseverance and wickedness, the price of solitude, about learning and growing to do the best you can despite your past mistakes.

Honestly I find that I lack the words to explain how Orpheus, a dark mage that got kicked out of the only place he has ever called home into a world he had helped ruin, and Fenrir, a general who Orpheus can't help but to hate and love, was exactly what I was looking for. It might seem like a simple plot line but the world building and relationships were written with such richly complexity I think this is the next story I will be obsessing about. Also, if it wasn't already obvious by my rambly review, this story perfectly manages to portray the enemies-to-lovers and the grumpy-sunshine tropes.

I can't wait to see what else Fiona Fenn will come up with after this as this was an incredible debut novel and left me wishing there was already more I could get my hands on.

If anyone has paid any attention to what I've been reading this year, it's pretty clear that queer romantasy and I are having a moment. Most of my favorite reads this year fall into the genre and I have many more lined up to read in the future. The Crack at the Heart of Everything is one of the ones that I've been looking forward to reading the most. I saw some great early buzz about the book and I love character-focused stories with redemption arcs, so this felt like it was handcrafted to be something I would love.

The main character in this book is a sorcerer named Orpheus. I thought Orpheus was interesting from the very start. He's capable of very dark magic and inspires fear in the people around him, but there's also some humor thanks to his curse and rivalry with Fenrir. Fenrir is also a great and interesting character. Both main characters have a lot of regrets about their actions in service to Empress Lore. Their growth arcs, especially Orpheus', are the true highlight of the book.

Orpheus and Fenrir have an amazing rivals-to-lovers story that starts off as a little comic relief and grows into something truly heartfelt. As their relationship builds slowly, there's a lot of back-and-forth, pining, and uncertainty. Their connection by the end is emotional and based on a deep understanding of each other. Along with rivals-to-lovers the two also fit the "grumpy x sunshine" trope and there is definitely some hurt/comfort too!

The magic system is creative and the world the story is set in is surprising and not what I expected going into the book. The world-building feels like a blend of a few different genres: there are moments when it feels very high-fantasy with magic and monsters. However, there are some serious post-apocalyptic, Dystopia, and even some horror vibes.

The plot is adventurous, with a quest that involves traveling to various locations, meeting fun side characters, and battling multiple foes. I found it exciting, touching, and very fun to read.

The Crack as the Heart of Everything is a great addition to the queer romantasy genre that has been truly thriving this year. If you're looking for a queer romance with an adventurous plot and great character arcs, I highly recommend this one!

Orpheus is the name he chose for himself, the poet who went to hell. It’s appropriate considering he is the only living person who can use the Netherflame, the poisonous and toxic magic that powers the infernal devices he creates for Lore, Queen of what’s left of the world. It’s been hundreds of years since society was destroyed, their science unable to help them against famine, disease, climate change, and worse. But Lore is different. She’s not a scientist; she’s a queen, and she has what those ancient men and women didn’t. She has Orpheus.

The only problem is that Orpheus is cursed. Wherever he goes, hell beasts follow, trying to kill him. And in order to get to him, they attack everyone else. Lore no longer seems willing to endure the casual loss of life, the embarrassment of not being in absolute control, and so she exiles Orpheus. She sends him away from the only home he has ever known, from the only person he ever trusted. He sends him away from her.

It would be easy to fall into maudlin thoughts and panic, but for some reason, Fenrir, Lore’s favored general, has decided to ride off into the sunset with Orpheus. Which is a good thing, because Orpheus has no idea how to ride a horse, or where to go, or what to do. He’s lost everything, and now he’s losing his temper as Fenrir constantly needles him, coaxes him, flirts with him, and takes care of him.

But the more Orpheus sees of the world outside the palace walls, the worse he feels. The blight, the devastation, the dragons … it’s all his fault. It’s all because of him. And so Orpheus has a new goal. If he can’t serve Lore, he can serve her kingdom and find a way to fix the crack in the world, the one that leads straight to hell.

Orpheus isn’t … good with people. As a child, he was kept apart from the others as the hermits experimented on him and his magic. The only other person he had to talk to and trust was Lore, who was cold and, at times, cruel, but she was there. When she told him to do something, he did; when she told him to stay put, he did. And when she told him to stay in his lab and not come out and bother people … he did. He gave her gifts to prove his devotion, obeyed her every command, and when she threw him out, it broke something in Orpheus.

With Fenrir it’s different. It’s Fenrir coming after him, rather than Orpheus edging closer to Lore; it’s Fenrir, with his looks and sly comments, his patient physicality. While it’s clear to the reader that Fenrir feels strongly for Orpheus, Orpheus is blind to it, and Fenrir respects him enough to keep his constant touches mostly platonic. When Orpheus has an emotional spiral, stuck in panicked thoughts and guilt, Fenrir can ease him out with a calming touch, a light jest, the presence of a kind person.

Because Fenrir is kind, and patient, and willing to go as slowly as Orpheus needs. He bribes Orpheus with safety and acceptance, all while introducing him to new people and new experiences. He doesn’t limit Orpheus the way Lore did, doesn’t try to chain him by making Orpheus think Fenrir is the only person who will care for him. Instead, he shows Orpheus to his friends in the hopes he’ll like them. He offers books, a date, an easy confidence that has Orpheus … well, blooming.

There is a lot of world building going on in the background, but the focus is on the characters interactions. In some ways, it’s a little too much. Orpheus comes to his conclusions with very little evidence, and takes action quickly and easily, mostly because the story is running out of time. This is a debut novel and it shows in the pacing and the lack of balance between story and romance, but the writing is strong and easy to read and Orpheus’ voice comes through clearly. I am very interested to see what more this author has to show.

If you like your stories with a side of deconstruction, a Chosen One who summoned a god from hell, a few dragons, and some light banter, you should enjoy this book.

Imagine a bleak world almost destroyed by nuclear strikes cracking the world open and ushering in a dark age. Now imagine what two young people may have become after scientists tried to release an ability to handle the flames of hell because this isn't a pure science fiction dystopia, its also a fantasy. Orpheus isn't a singer, he chose the name from books as someone who could enter Hell and come out. Lore chose her name for her own reasons and now she rules what's left of their part of the world.

That's the background but really this is a simple quest story of Orpheus finding himself and love but told in beautiful rich language. It's almost gothic in the richly dripping traces of gore and slime or ichor left by hell beasts hunting Orpheus too. Fans of Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series should enjoy this. And fans of Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron may like it too.

One flaw with the book is the so-called Epilogue gives context for events early in the story when Orpheus meets Lore's general, Fenrir, who is everything that Orpheus might aspire to be if he had more muscles. It doesn't give insights to life after the story's peak challenge. It's relevant to the story but it should be earlier. A real Epilogue of what happened afterwards could be added, or could be released as a follow up short story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was incredibly excited to receive this book in physical form.
The cover is STUNNING and I’m honestly blown away this is a debut novel!

Orpheus is an evil mage.
It’s all he’s ever known and he’s done many things over the years that resulted in his infamy.
Raising the fiends of Hell being the worst.
Fenrir was a golden retriever and I adored him and his wild hair.
The way he called Orpheus ‘FiFi’ made me giggle.
He radiated sunshine and was the perfect companion for grumpy Orpheus.

I loved how torn Orpheus felt.
It genuinely showed his humanity.
All he wanted was to be needed, to be seen.
And the whole time he didn’t realize he was the center of Fenrir’s world.
Cute little romance side of this fantastical journey but I *do* wish the ending was more HEA vs kinda HFN.

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I am very excited for this book to come out. I loved the character development and romance, and worldbuilding was great.

Really liked thus. Totally different than anything I've ever read. Like the view point of the villian who isn't really a villian and sorta hate/ more disbelief to love in the end.

The feels from this book almost killed me, in the best possible way. The world building was solid and the characters flawed and beautiful.

I really enjoyed this entire story and recommend anyone to give it a go, you won't regret it. This got me out of a reading slump where most of the books that came before this month were very meh and this was the very opposite of meh.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC and my opinion is very much my own

Thank you to Netgalley and Tiny Fox Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.


2.5

From the first few chapters, I struggled with this book and it wasn't until 48% that I started to engage with the story— although my engagement remained rather weak. For a debut novel, the author certainly had a solid concept, but from the plot description, I was expecting a story with darker tones, with a classic "villain" and his redemption arc. Orpheus, however, did not turn out to be the villain I had imagined. He's not a villain, but a reluctant hero plagued by insecurities and past traumas. It took me a while to connect with him, but I liked how his character developed, both in finding purpose in life and wanting to live.

Unfortunately, I found it hard to enjoy the rest of the story, and I will try to describe the aspects that disappointed me briefly.

Romance. I didn’t find the relationship between Orpheus and Fenrir particularly interesting. Their supposed enemy-to-love dynamic didn’t come across clearly, partly because we never see what their relationship was like before the story begins, and partly because there wasn't enough chemistry to suggest that kind of dynamic. Throughout the story, Fenrir is constantly around Orpheus like a shadow, supporting him with his energy. While his jokes might annoy Orpheus, it’s clear that Fenrir is trying to befriend him. Despite the moments when the two characters get closer, I didn’t feel any chemistry between them as a couple. In fact, I got the opposite impression—that their relationship felt forced.

The world-building. I like it when different genres are mixed, but only if it adds something intriguing to the story. Unfortunately, in this case, I found it hard to find harmony between the two genres, which always felt different instead of blending together. There are also too many unanswered questions about some topics that aren’t explored enough.

Plot. While the concept behind the plot is interesting, the way it was developed did not satisfy me. The "show, don't tell" wasn’t well balanced, as Orpheus’s constant thoughts didn’t allow me to form my own opinions about the world or the other characters. There were parts where dialogues were needed to create space between Orpheus’s thoughts and the different situations.

Fenrir. I liked Fenrir as a character because he provides Orpheus with the motivation to grow. However, he wasn’t developed enough. His presence could have been an opportunity to delve into the horrors of Lore's war, a theme that could have connected to past events and, most importantly, provided insight into Fenrir himself. Instead, the tone remains "light", even the part where Fenrir explains to Orpheus what it was like to go to war didn’t say much to me.

The Antagonist. I think that if Lore had had her own POV, it would have been a great way to understand her character better. I found her to be the least developed character in the story, despite her actions influencing the world and Orpheus’s life. Since Orpheus considered her “a friend,” it would have been interesting to dedicate at least the first chapters to her instead of constantly relegating her to the sidelines. Her motivations didn’t resonate with me, and neither did her end. It’s a shame because Lore could have been a much more intriguing character, perhaps even more than Fenrir.

That said, I believe that with good editing, this story could become a true gem, thanks to the interesting idea it presents. I regret giving such a low rating because the plot had intrigued me, and I was genuinely excited to read the book. Unfortunately, for the reasons I’ve mentioned, I couldn’t fully enjoy the reading experience. As it stands, it’s underdeveloped and, personally, didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. But if you're interested in a unique take on the protagonist's journey and a particular worldview, it might be worth a try.

This was a fun debut! I had seen the cover of TCatHoE on instagram and instantly knew I needed to read it so I was happy when I got approved for the arc. I enjoyed my time reading this and cannot wait to see what Fiona Fenn comes out with next.