5/5

For fans of: Katy Rose Pool’s Age of Darkness series, Spooky season, tarot, witchy vibes, prophecies, unlikely heroes, unlikely alliances

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? High fantasy

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? The High Seer is basically a goddess

• Is it spicy? Fade to black

• Is it violent or gory? There are bloody rituals as well as gory violence, it is about monsters after all

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? Oh man, this is a debut you want to get your hands off ASAP. Buy it!

Synopsis: This is the story of how monsters saved their corner of the world. Whether they deserve to be saved is another story.

For years, High Seer Aurienne has lived with a single haunting truth—her visions will not save her people from the prophesied apocalyptic war that’s always haunted her nightmares. That all changes the day blacksmith Theo saves her life. She foresees Theo’s destiny to gather the continent’s five warring nations to stand against the invading forces. Suffering the soul-rending consequences of spirit necromancy, Aurienne finds herself fighting to survive a deadly web of assassination attempts, mind-shattering visions, and ruinous betrayal.

Theo cannot refuse when Aurienne asks for his help to save their people. He travels the length of the continent facing timeworn superstitions coming to life as he asks neighboring nations to join their cause. Refusing to let down the woman he is falling in love with—even though the fates whisper she will never love him back—he assembles an army of rebels fighting to retain their humanity as the corrupted magic of the land transforms them into the monsters of legend.

Saving the world does not come without cost. Standing against the conquering emperor, backed by his bloodthirsty goddess and moon-cursed army, Aurienne and Theo must decide whether to unleash forces more monstrous than the enemy they’re fighting against.

Review: Thank you BookSirens for a free advanced copy of High Seer in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE THIS STORY. The lore, the story, the world building, the characters, all of it. This book has dark, witchy, world-ending vibes. The high seer is both a terrifying figure to behold as well as a strong woman willing to sacrifice everything she has and is for the people she has been entrusted with. Theo is a sweet, golden retriever of a love interest who goes through one crazy journey. All he wanted was to become a blacksmith and he ends up being the linchpin of a world-ending war. I felt so much for every relationship throughout the entire book. There wasn’t a POV that I wasn’t invested in.

There are witches, vampires, elves, monsters made of stone, seers trying to save the future, and greedy men desperate for power. There’s tarot cards with minds of their own and bloody rituals held in moonlight, blades of light and darkness, dead queens haunting living ones, and ancient brothers ready to tear each other’s throats out. There was so much action and lore in every storyline yet I didn’t feel lost in the world building at all. Each kingdom is so unique and each story is so distinct, I can’t wait for it all to come together.

If you are looking for a dark, amazing adventure full of characters that will have you rooting for them, pick up High Seer on Oct. 13!