The setup is rich—primordial monsters, time travel, fated romance, and a doomed king with a sharp tongue and political cunning. Aurora and Theron’s chemistry had potential, and the Zelda-inspired time-travel and ancient-ruins aesthetic brought a mythic, quest-like atmosphere that I found immediately compelling.

I was especially drawn to the opening chapter, where we meet Aurora mid-excavation. A fantasy romance that begins with a female archaeologist analysing history through artefacts? Yes, please. Her reflections on the past through material remains gave the story a fresh, intellectual edge I really appreciated.

However, I struggled with the pacing and emotional stakes. The story moves too fast to allow for meaningful character development or deeper exploration of its darker themes. As a result, key plot points feel rushed, and character motivations—especially Aurora’s selection for this divine quest—remain underdeveloped. The gods’ intervention felt arbitrary, which diluted some of the narrative tension and world logic.

Additionally, the book leans heavily on dramatic speech and high-conflict dialogue, with characters often shouting or arguing rather than communicating. This made emotional moments feel shallow and left little room for quieter character development or atmospheric worldbuilding. There was an overreliance on dialogue, which sometimes took the place of richer description or introspection.

While this one didn’t fully land for me, readers who prioritise fast-paced plots and a mythic setting over deep character work may still enjoy this one.

i ATE this up. The world, the romance, the tropes. Here for it
Give me more immediately!
Will deff recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I want to state upfront that I did DNF this book at 35% after I realised that this book was just not for me and I was struggling to force myself to continue.

Based on the cover of the description of this book I expected it to be a lot faster paced but I did not connect to the writing. I found myself more attached to earlier characters in the story that did not feature throughout the book.

I have played some Zelda games before and found that my previous knowledge almost took away some of the tension from the story. Whilst some readers may find that enjoyable, I myself did not.

I did enjoy the relationship between Fae and Silvanus and wish this had been explored more. It almost felt like the introduction needed to be a book on its own.

Overall, this book was not for me, however I think some readers may find this enjoyable if they are a fan of more political based fantasy and lengthy descriptions.

I enjoyed this book and the unique premise around it.

It did seem a little slow at points but it's also a book that's heavy on the political intrigue which makes sense with the pace. The idea of traveling to the past before what is basically the apocalypse is a very interesting idea and I was very excited to see what happened. I love the idea that she's from the temple of Knowledge because it gives her an advantage in some ways when she's thrown back. She has some idea about what happens.

I also enjoyed the interactions between the MMC and FMC. They're both stubborn and willing to do whatever they think is necessary to save those important to them. Unfortunately, those goals don't always align since they care for completely different people. Watching them grow to tentatively trust one another made the book even better since they didn't immediately love or trust the other. Even by the end there's some distrust under the surface which makes sense for this book.

All of the characters in this book are fleshed out and have stories of their own that intersect and interact throughout the story. It was nice to see even side characters have a story that tied into everything else.

I'm very excited for the next one!

I think the concept of this book is super interesting as I’ve played a couple Zelda games and my husband is a big Zelda fan so I was excited to read this! Unfortunately, I could only make it 45% through. I struggled to get invested in the characters and their relationships with each other and the world. The time jump 1/3 through felt a bit random and unclear. It also felt like a completely different story from the first part of the book. Maybe if it had been indicated more clearly that would have been easier to understand and why the time jump was needed. Some of the vocabulary used seemed a bit unnecessarily intense or confusing - obscure words were chosen when I felt like a more “normal” word would have made the reading flow easier.

I think some additional explanation and world building of all the levels (initiate, princess, etc) rather than referring to the glossary could be helpful as well. Even with referring to the glossary, I felt like it was hard to get immersed in the world and understand what was going on.

I will absolutely give this book another shot at a later date and see if it appeals to me more. I’m excited to see what this author comes out with in the future as well. This was my first ARC review and I’m honored to have been chosen.

Fantasy novels have a special way of sweeping readers off their feet and transporting them into entirely new worlds — places where dragons soar, magic pulses through ancient forests, and heroes rise from the most unlikely places. This book is no exception. Rich in imagination and brimming with heart, it delivers an unforgettable tale that blends high-stakes adventure with deeply personal storytelling.

The world-building is one of the novel’s strongest assets. From the first page, readers are immersed in a universe that feels both vast and intimate.

Another fantasy book devoured! What a treat. Okay, a quick layperson synopsis: Aurora is living a very nice life. She is a historian; her best friend is the Princess; and she just found her first artifact. Except that it turns out that she is tied by fate to a giant, serpent demon who will destroy their world unless they can defeat him, which, you know, is not ideal. Our girl just wants to be a history nerd, not some hero. She doesn’t even have magic like her best friend! As she tries to avoid the demon and dying, her newly found artifact sends her back in time to the very first time this demon appeared. She is determined to defeat him in this world so that he doesn’t destroy her world. She needs help and she finds an ally in King Theron. King Theron is tall, hot, and politically motivated. He sees Aurora and thinks she is an oracle fairy– she is literally half his size because people in the olden times were HUGE, she has pointy ears, and she seems to be able to predict the future, so honestly a logical conclusion. And an oracle would be VERY handy for a king. Theron and Aurora must navigate politics, death, and figuring out how to defeat a demon while also ruthlessly flirting with one another.

I enjoyed this book! The first 100+ pages were all about Aurora and her best friend and because that was barely even mentioned in the plot summary, I was a tad confused and antsy, but my recommendation is to know it takes 100 pages until we time travel and to just enjoy the ride. Also, I know absolutely nothing about Legend of Zelda (except that I think Zelda has pointy ears?) and I didn’t need that connection to enjoy this. So if that is making you hesitant to read this, know that you can thoroughly enjoy this book regardless.

I usually don’t love verbal sparring as foreplay but I could read Aurora and Theron going at it for another 200 pages. It just worked for me. I could also read Theron winding up other royals for another 200 pages. It was such a fun chess match to read. Aurora and Theron’s chemistry was spicy and fun. Is their height difference kind of crazy? Sure. But this is fantasy so we are going with it.

I liked that Aurora could be really feisty, but I felt like her other emotion was crying – ranging from being on the verge of tears to actively crying to actively weeping to actively sobbing. She did that a lot. And while I, too, would probably be crying as much as she did, I wished that occasionally she would have a different reaction to a difficult situation. Maybe she would be numb or resigned? Or maybe she would grow increasingly more angry? Either way, I wanted to see her grow a bit more and I am excited to see where she heads in the next book!

Thank you to Two Laurels Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

I recently had the opportunity to read an advance reader copy (ARC) of The Oracle of Dusk by Elyse Thomson, and it was an enthralling experience. This epic fantasy romance masterfully intertwines themes of destiny, power, and forbidden love within a richly constructed world.

The story follows Aurora, a dedicated historian whose discovery of an ancient artifact propels her back in time to an era teetering on the brink of calamity. In this past, she encounters King Theron, a ruler renowned for his cunning strategies and the ominous prophecy surrounding his downfall. Aurora’s unexpected journey places her at the heart of a mission to thwart a primordial monster poised to annihilate civilization. Thomson’s portrayal of Aurora is compelling, capturing her internal struggles and resilience with depth and authenticity. King Theron is depicted as a complex character—both a formidable leader and a man grappling with his fated demise. The chemistry between Aurora and Theron is palpable, their interactions filled with tension and allure. 

Thomson’s world-building is immersive, drawing inspiration from ancient history to create a setting that feels both familiar and fantastical. The narrative’s pacing is well-balanced, seamlessly blending action-packed sequences with moments of introspection. The prose is evocative, painting vivid images of the landscapes and societies Aurora traverses. The plot twists are unpredictable, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover what lies ahead.

In summary, The Oracle of Dusk is a standout addition to the epic fantasy romance genre. Its intricate plot, well-developed characters, and richly imagined world make it a must-read. I wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of epic fantasy and those seeking a story that will linger in their thoughts long after the final page.

This book combines good writing and world building with great characters before finally bringing the romance spice to cap off the tale.

Aurora is a historian above all, so when she's catapulted into an epic monster-slaying tale that needs her unrealized magic power, she's very overwhelmed and unprepared; fate aligns to send her to the past, the WAY WAY past of her world where the overwhelming big bad in her time was about to manifest for the first time.

Her path twines with Theron, an ancient king whose death at the time of the first big monster manifestation is one of the most historically memorable tales from that time. They are both imprisoned in the Viridian palace complex, and sparks fly between them - romance maybe, but also a desire for each to stay safe and succeed in their goals.

The magic in the world is interesting - they have a fate of thread system that rare people can see, so the reader can see ties between present and past characters in the book. I'm sure there's much more to the magic and religious system to explore in the rest of the series - I can't wait to see where the story goes!

Thank you Two Laurels Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were likeable but not perfect. They felt real to me. They have positives and negatives. One thing I noticed was that if someone accused a character of being selfish or rude, they would ponder about it later instead of just ignoring it and pretending as if they did nothing wrong.

Another thing I really appreciated was the fights between Aurora and Theron - it felt real and natural, with stumbling words or characters lashing out, instead of perfectly written responses.

One warning, this ends on a cliffhanger. I dont mind them....if the next book is available. But as this is an arc, I was like noooooo! Cue the waiting!

Something I didn't care for was a bit of inconsistent characterization of some of the characters. There's seems to be a bit of back and forth with confidence, naivety, conviction, etc. I do get that characters are complex, but this seemed a bit contradictory. It wasn't enough to ruin the book, but it did seem a bit odd to me.

Overall this was a really entertaining and enjoyable read for me and I can't wait for the next book!