Reign

by Bethan Croome

Found family, forbidden love, and a heroine who refuses to kneel― from Cosmopolitan's book imprint comes REIGN, a fierce feminist romantasy about choosing freedom over fear and setting fire to the throne.

The Kingdom of Lyonesse is absent of magic but not of rain.

In the rain-soaked Kingdom of Lyonesse, magic is outlawed―punishable by death.

So when Niamh's forbidden witchcraft is exposed, she flees her rainy village disguised as a man.

She never meant to end up on a battlefield.

Mistakenly conscripted into a brutal war engineered by a paranoid king against a vengeful sorceress determined to reclaim the throne, Niamh now hides another secret―her womanhood. Between fighting terrifying beasts and confronting arcane powers she once believed were merely folklore, Niamh is thrust into a world where survival relies on more than luck―it demands alliances.

In battle, Niamh must obey Prince Fitzroy, the king's infuriatingly handsome illegitimate son and sharp-tongued commander tasked with eradicating magic. He is everything she despises…and everything she struggles to resist. Back at camp, she forges a complicated friendship with Bash, a fellow soldier who sees her like no one else does and stirs forbidden feelings that could shatter her disguise.

As war tightens its grip on the kingdom, Niamh is forced to choose: obey the prince who could expose her, trust the soldier who could love her, or embrace the forbidden magic that could save them all.

But war is merciless, and not everyone will live to see which side prevails.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fiction, Magic, Adult, Adventure

496 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Beth is an author and content creator from the UK. She holds a Master’s degree in Writing from Bath Spa University and enjoys crafting stories with flawed characters, complicated romances, and magical settings. When she’s not conjuring up fantastical kingdoms and creatures, you will find her walking her dachshund, Arwen, through the rainy countryside or exploring museums in search of historical inspiration.

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

I'm going to make this short and quick: A heroine who refuses to submit should have been enough for me to enjoy this but after the first 30% I started to really wonder if the book is even appealing. I think the biggest problem was the flow of the writing itself and the pacing. The choppy and clunky writing style really impacted the story here. To be honest I started to lose interest after the first half and unwilling to pick it up later. It had the right ingredients but a weak execution. The story also had romance..but it seemed to be heading into a love triangle that was not done well. Neither of the love interests were developed well or enough to the point where I was rooting for either or. I also thought that Niamh, our heroine, was super flippant in her affections for both love interests.


Many thanks to NetGalley, Cosmo Reads and the author, Bethan Croome for an early ARC.

Publication date: September 1, 2026

[Sophie]

DNF 12%. This book reminded me of Mulan and I love Mulan, so I was really excited to start this. 

Sadly, the writing felt choppy, the dialogue was stilted and bland, and it relied way too much on telling rather than showing how the characters felt. 

The plot was starting to get interesting, BUT I just couldn’t get past the writing style.

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[belle ੈ✩‧₊˚]

dnf @ 34%

I picked up Reign because the premise sounded exactly like my kind of fantasy: forbidden magic, a heroine disguised as a man, political conflict, and a war-torn kingdom. The setup was strong, and the opening chapters immediately caught my attention. The Mulan-inspired elements had a lot of potential.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters as the story progressed. The relationships felt underdeveloped, and I found it difficult to invest in the romance. While Niamh had moments I enjoyed, her emotional development didn't always feel convincing to me, and I never became fully attached to the cast.

The writing itself was hard to get through, and the pacing started to drag in the middle. I found myself losing interest rather than becoming more invested in the story. By 34%, I realised I was reading out of obligation instead of excitement, so I decided to put it down.

This one simply wasn't the right fit for me, though readers who enjoy feminist romantasy and hidden-identity storylines may have a better experience.

[Christin]

Cannot wait 😍😍😍

[Mathilde Banville-Chénier]

This story follows Niamh as she hides as a man to escape her village after a magical event. Because magic is forbidden, she uses her brother’s name to flee, but gets conscripted to the army instead. There, she meets other wizards from whom she hides her womanhood. As the politics become more incertain, Niamh finds herself fighting in a war and forging unlikely alliances.

I really enjoyed this book, the political intrigue, the feminist takes and the multiple friendships, but I was not sure about the romantic aspect in the story. It seemed too perfect then predictable with Bash while also being too fast and useful with Fitzroy. There was a lack of chemistry between Niamh and the men. It felt a bit forced just to have a romantic aspect that was not necessary in my opinion.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ for a copy of this book.

[Astrid]

This was such a good book!! The themes in this book were all ones I enjoy strong female characters, cross dressing to protect identity, sisterhood, folklore accurate magical beasts and the list goes on!!!
This story gives medieval English Mulan vibes and I’m all for it! The characters were well developed and we got to know them on a personal level.
The slow burn love triangle was absolutely perfect! I don’t always enjoy a love triangle as I find the bouncing back and forth annoying. However, this love triangle was well written and felt natural not forced. The magic language was a special bonus about this book that I found really cool! I can wait for the next book and find out what happens next!

[Jackie]

A magical political story with a sprinkle of a Mulan retelling isn’t as successful of a message as it may have hoped to be but still a good ride.

With magic outlawed, Niamh hides her talents behind women’s curiosity and medicinal herbs but when a long time friend catches her speaking the forbidden tongue she flees taking her brothers identity and finds herself enlisted for the growing war against the skipped over Queen. With creatures lurking in the woods and more allies than she could have imagined she works to free her people from tyrannical rule and allow those with talents to walk freely in the sun.

From a retelling aspect I really enjoyed the identity swap where Niamh became her brother Finn and was able to walk through the world and be seen for her talents and not her skirts especially when it came to her craft as a blacksmith, that being said she fell into the trap of the gender she was wearing and was rather cruel and belittling to other women who had a different set of talents that made them equally successful in their endeavors. It is a fantasy story so I didn’t expect a lot of modern like changes when it came to sex work but she rarely considered them as fully formed people and more like objects to use or be jealous of and there’s a rather odd, and in my opinion quite selfish, moment with the ownership of a necklace later that gets shrugged off and maybe I’m weird for holding on to that as tightly as Niamh did but I don’t get why she kept quiet about all of it just because she wanted to keep it.

The other characters are rather flat, her brother fairs better when he’s not around and someone else is using his name. The love interests are fine though I wish more was given to flesh them out. With war stories like this I wish we could have focused a bit more on the conflict and used these relationships to pull you in so any loss feels like you’re in the moment with them but it was like looking through glass that muffles the experience. It also wraps up too quickly which again maybe it’s me but to have it be said that there are these grand stakes and essentially a war on two fronts to be handled in a chapter or two is sort of disappointing.

The more I write the more I question my rating but I’ll let it stand because it was an easy read with good bones to it just a bit rocky on the execution.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

[Jenna]

Thank you to NetGalley & Cosmo Reads for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I was intrigued by the premise of this story and the parallels with Mulan. However, I struggled with the writing style being telling vs. showing and was unable to connect to the characters or storyline. I really think this had great potential, the delivery just missed the mark for me.

[Anna]

This book was hard to put down. The characters, magic, world building, and story were all fantastic. Dare I say…. gut-wrenching?

It gives Merlin vibes - in all the best ways.

The only thing I had a hard time with was a blacksmith that wasn’t strong…. Maybe that’s a thing? But her constantly needing help with the soldier’s equivalent of “can you open this pickle jar” definitely got the side eye. Like, have you seen how heavy blacksmithing tools are???

Overall, it’s such a breath of fresh air for this genre after being drowned in bad Booktok romantasy.

There was true slow burn, a way better enemies-to-lovers sequence that felt believable, complexity in the relationships, and depth with both emotions and the writing.

I really hope we get a sequel.

[Elizabeth]

2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

This was a debut novel and unfortunately it read like one. The ideas were there and they were solid and sometimes they hit, that’s what kept me reading, but more often than not the execution just wasn’t there. The characters were a bit flat and there was too much telling and not enough showing.

You may want to give this a try if you enjoy: romantasy, hidden identities, love triangles, forbidden magic, and an author that knows the difference between a dragon and a wyvern.

*****
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review

[Lauren]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I'm being 100% honest, I'm not quite sure how to feel after finishing this book.

The story is like Mulan meets Twelfth Night meets Night of the Witch meets the Chronicles of Prydain. And if that sounds like a lot, just know that Reign is A LOT, too.

Mulan and Twelfth Night in that Niamh, our FMC, flees home after a terrible event and "accidentally" gets conscripted into the army, thus taking on the identity of her older brother and working as a blacksmith within the camp she and her companions are assigned to. Night of the Witch in that Lyonesse is a land at war, choked by a fear of magic so strong that it rivals religious zealotry, meaning the accusation of witchcraft/wizardry carries almost certain death. And the Chronicles of Prydain because the setting feels steeped in English/Welsh folklore and the language of magic is rooted in olde English; and also b/c Regina, our main antagonist, gives me strong Achren vibes—you know, if she were a) alive and b) more ambitious.

All that to say, the vibes were immaculate.

The pacing, however? Very strange. The beginning starts SUPER slow, the initial opening conflict occurs quickly and ends super abruptly (although we do learn that's intentional later on....), then we spend most of the story at the war camp with little jaunts to and from a tavern(?) and one major voyage to Regina's island fortress. The story relies heavily on characterization and sparse sprinklings of action to keep us engaged, and unfortunately, I think that's where I'm struggling to wrap my head around things.

Niamh starts off so promising. She's bullheaded and strong and a survivor. She's proud of her craft and adamant that she won't be reduced to a villager's wife and mother. It feels inherently feminist, and yet throughout the story, she thinks so many things and so many of her actions speak AGAINST other women. She dismisses the women in the tavern as whores the way men do, demeaning their sacrifices as sex workers. She judges them for laying with men when SHE HERSELF strings along two different love interests for most of the story.

And the locket.

When I saw it mentioned in reviews, I hadn't reached that point in the story yet and couldn't fathom what would set people off so much.

Welp. Now I know and trust me, I'm disappointed too.

And circling back to the love triangle... I thought it was decently developed—I didn't feel we were lacking in characterization or interactions—but I HATED how Niamh's choice seemed to be based solely on who was in front of her at any given moment. She was so flippant in her affections, giving in to the heat of the moment, and even when it seemed like she had made her choice, she would immediately flip-flop in the next scene and it was SO frustrating.

In the end, I don't think she deserved Bash, but Fitzroy didn't deserve her either (that tent confrontation had my blood BOILING, that vindictive, misogynistic motherfucker).

And the ending felt like it left a lot to be desired. Because I wasn't 100% invested in the romance, one of the final reveals didn't land like I imagine it was supposed to, and the battle felt wayyyy too short and underdeveloped. Plus, awfully convenient that a couple witches and wizards sending a spell together can just magically overwhelm the most powerful sorceress in the land. Regina was characterized as so strong and ruthless and capable, and yet she was defeated by some spells and a fall into the sea??? And I genuinely do NOT believe she would not have a) sussed out everyone's betrayal, b) changed her battle strategy because of said disloyalty and desertion, c) taken her nephew out immediately upon joining the battle, and d) had enough magical protections upon herself to withstand whatever spells the others tried to throw at her.

It's unclear whether or not this is a standalone, but from where I stand, I'm happy it's over. I DID have an enjoyable reading experience, I swear, but I'm too conflicted to want more, I think. If you're someone who actually enjoys love triangles and likes the English/Welsh mythological vibes, maybe you'll jive with this more than I did.

[emma]

thank you so much to the author for an advanced copy of this book! reign had me hooked from very early on. crazy events were happening within the first few chapters that completely caught me off guard (in a good way).

i loved how the story developed and i enjoyed our FMC! she had to disguise herself as a man in this story, so it was so interesting to read about her different experiences in this old British setting. i enjoyed the politics side of things, and i honestly wanted to know a bit more!

there were certainly a few moments that made me laugh because of the ridiculous situations our main character got herself in. those moments were a perfect break from some of the heaviness throughout the story.

my main complaints about this book revolve around the love triangle and the ending. the love triangle felt a bit rushed and i felt like i didn’t get to know enough about the mannerisms and lives of the love interests. BUT, there is still someone i am firmly rooting for haha. i also feel like the ending cuts off at a bit of a weird spot. i’m assuming this book will be a series, but the way it ended made me confused about whether this was the case or not. i also would have enjoyed a bit more information about the setting and the magical creatures throughout the book.

reign was an addictive read that i didn’t want to put down. i wanted to know what our main character could possibly get herself into next, and i was constantly wondering whether her secret identity would begin to unravel. i recommend this one if you want a high stakes, addictive read that includes many magical beings and a love triangle :)

thank you again to Bethan for the advanced copy!

[Emily]

This book showed so much promise, which is what initially drew me to it. The FMC, Niamh, lives in a land where magic is forbidden, and being discovered as someone who can do magic sentences you and your loved ones to death. When Niamh is discovered as a magic-doer, she is forced to chop her hair, pretend to be her brother, and leave town. In the midst of her escape, she accidentally ends up showing up for her brother’s summons to aid in the war.

The story begins in a very dark manner, and it almost caused me not to continue with it. I did stick around, though, and happily enjoyed the middle third of the story. The characters were amusing, and Niamh keeps getting herself into tricky situations and finding ways to persevere. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and I found that to be the case when I reached the final third of the book. My main complaint is that the author attempted to juggle too many ideas at one time. This did not give enough attention or time for all of them to be properly fleshed out before finding resolution, if they weren’t simply left as loose ends fluttering about in the wind.

Another complaint is how unclear it was to determine who the love interest is supposed to be. It seemed like the author wanted to make it out to be a love triangle, but instead created a situation that made the FMC seem unreliable in matters of the heart, bouncing from one male to another depending on the scene. My final complaint is about the cringe-worthy language used during the intimate encounters. The descriptors used for the female anatomy were awkward and, at times, a little confusing. It felt like these sections desperately needed another round of edits.

Overall, this is an interesting concept that needed a little more development for it to get a higher rating from me. There were definitely parts of the story that I enjoyed, particularly the middle section and Niamh’s ability to continually get herself into—and out of—trouble. I think there is a solid foundation here, but the execution left me wanting more depth and cohesion, especially toward the end. Too many plot points and relationship dynamics were introduced without being given enough room to develop naturally, which ultimately made the conclusion feel rushed. Based on this initial book, I am not sure if I will continue this series. There is enough potential that I might be curious to see where the story goes, but I would need the next book to show more growth and a stronger sense of direction before I could fully commit to continuing.

Thank you so much to Bethan Croome and Cosmo Reads for the opportunity to read to and review this e-book.

[Stephanie]

⭐️ 4.25 stars

This gave me Mulan retelling vibes with magic, and I was hooked from the very beginning.

Niamh is a witch in a world where magic is outlawed. When things go south with her best friend, she’s forced to leave everything behind and disguise herself as her brother to join the war. Her journey was so wild, especially being surrounded by men while trying to keep her identity and magic hidden.

I loved the tension between both male characters, and I honestly didn’t see the love triangle coming, but I enjoyed it. There were a lot of heated moments between them and the ending definitely left me wanting more.

The battles were brutal, the court politics were interesting, and I loved how determined Niamh was to not let men dictate her life. I’m excited to see where this series goes next.

🎧 The audiobook is narrated by Jialing Pan. The accent is a bit strong, so if that’s not your thing, I’d recommend physically reading this one instead.

Tropes:
✨ hidden identity
✨ love triangle
✨ slow burn
✨ forbidden love
✨ forced proximity
✨ magical creatures

Many thanks to Cosmo Reads for the eARC and Sourcebooks Audio for the ALC.

[Hannah]

This book had a lot of promise. I loved the premise as it reminded me of Mulan and was very curious how it would play out within this world. I liked the magic system but most of the other aspects of the book fell flat. The characters were enjoyable and interesting at times but they all needed to be developed more. Also the relationships between Niamh and Fitzroy and Niamh and Bash were not compelling. Neither relationship was developed enough for me to care who she ended up with. Finally, the ending felt very rushed. Even just one more chapter would have really helped to bring everything together. I would have really liked to see what happened in the future for everyone. Regardless of all of this, I did still enjoy reading this book, I just wish there was a little more world building and character development.

Thank you to Cosmo Reads and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Nikki Saladino]

A lot of people compared this to Mulan and I can certainly see the similarities in the very beginning, but I didn't think it was that similar other than a girl disguised as a boy for a little bit. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The magic was probably my favorite part, and I loved how the romance was woven into the story without taking over. The world was interesting, the characters kept me invested, and I was always curious to see what was going to happen next.

It wasn't quite a five-star read for me, but I had a lot of fun with it and flew through it. The ending definitely left me wanting more, and I really hope this turns into a series because I'd absolutely keep reading to see where these characters go next!

[Julie]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC and ARC of this book. I was really excited for this book as the premise sounded right up my alley and I did listen to most of this book and the accent was a bit difficult for me to keep up with at my typical reading speed. It was interesting at points but I became frustrated with the relationship between Fitzroy and Niamh and how she was torn between Bash and Fitzroy. I felt the last few chapters were very rushed and the ending was not at all what I expected. I think it could have been so much more.

[BookishKB]

🌧️⚔️ Reign ⚔️🌧️

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Romantasy
• Hidden Identity
• Forbidden Magic
• Found Family
• Love Triangle
• Political Intrigue
_ _ __

📅 Pub Date: September 1, 2026
Thank you to Cosmo Reads and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Hannah]

3.25 stars

I was really excited to pick this story up. It definitely was giving Mulan and She’s the Man vibes. Overall, I enjoyed the story. However, parts felt flat to me. I enjoyed the political intrigue and the plot line. The romance was not believable to the point I think the story could have benefited from the subplot. There just wasn’t enough on-page chemistry for me.

Things I enjoyed:
The FMC
The family aspect
The feminist themes
The battle scenes
The witchy gothic vibes

Thank you, Cosmo Reads, for the gifted eARC via NetGalley for review.

Audiobook notes:

I enjoyed the audiobook, particularly the accent to the narrator, Jialing Pan. She was expressive and had a great pace. There was one sentence that was completely repeated, but that’s not on the narrator. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Thank you, Source Audiobook program, for the gifted ALC on Libro.fm for review.

[M]

2.5 Stars

This was so disappointing. I’m a sucker for Mulan-inspired stories and had been looking forward to this for a long time. It did not live up to my expectations. 🥲

[Hannah Ferguson]

I just can't do it.
Dnf @20%
I have no interest in this, I can't force myself to pick it up. I'm sure it's fine, but it should have me into it by this point and it's not there for me.

[Emily | emilyisoverbooked]

Didn’t like the writing style

[Haikubookreviewer]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.


Reign is a magical fantasy novel where magic has been outlawed and witches and wizards are persecuted. Hiding from their true nature, the subjects of the kingdom fight a battle against a “hysterical witch” who believes the throne was taken away from her because she was a woman. Pretending to be her brother after her best friend found out her secret, Niamh is conscripted into this army and must live as a man to help save her kingdom.


So, I liked this book, but it started out very slow for me. If it wasn’t an ARC I may have DNF’d it around 30%. But I pushed through, and did enjoy much of the plot. Niamh as a character definitely irked me a bit because she just made horrible choices. The romances also confused me, with whiplash between dual love interests and no real choice made by her, but made by the men’s choices. It was frustrating as a big theme was that women shouldn’t have to live by the constraints of men, but Niamh still ended up doing just that. There’s also a betrayal that seemed to make absolutely no sense. The one really good part was the fantastic bisexual king, Bash. Overall, it was a decent read, but probably not one I’d read again.

[Vhairi Taylor]

A big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Loved every second of this book.

An atmospheric fantasy blending witches, wizards, selkie lore, and a war-torn setting where identity and survival are tightly bound. The hidden identity thread adds constant tension and keeps the story engaging throughout.

At its heart, this is a story about a woman navigating a life shaped by expectation, and the possibility of choosing something beyond it. That emotional core gives the book real weight beyond the magic and politics.

The romance is subtle and slow-burn, built on restraint, emotional intensity, and quiet yearning.

Favourite line:
“Every time I learn something new about you, Smith, you become unimaginably more perfect than I thought possible.”

Atmospheric, character-driven, and emotionally charged. For readers who enjoy slow-burn fantasy with strong identity themes and layered tension.

[Molly]

Thank you to Cosmo Reads, NetGalley, and Bethan Croome for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

NOTE: Goodreads does not offer half-stars. In the interest of fairness, I am rounding this up to a four-star rating. I would've given it 3.5 had that been an option.

A mystical world where magic is outlawed. A woman hiding a potentially deadly secret. A bitter war that threatens two feuding realms. Though Bethan Croome's Reign has all the right elements to be an engaging romantasy, it didn't quite land with me, especially as a standalone novel.

The story follows Niamh, a young woman from an Irish-like village who finds herself overshadowed by her brother, a blacksmith, (though her skills are superior) and ignored by her mother, who prefers to dote on her brothers after the death of her father. Though Niamh longs to use the magic she was born with, it has been outlawed in the Kingdom of Lyonesse, forcing her to resort to herbs and potions. Like many in her village, Niamh finds herself under the leering gaze of the local men, and chafes against the expectations society has for her. Her only true joy is caring for a dog (named, aptly, "Dog") she found in the wetlands, and even that comes under scrutiny by the townsfolk, ever-vigilant against the perils of magic.

When an encounter between Niamh and her best friend, the lord of the Wetlands daughter, goes horrifically awry, Niamh finds herself assuming her brother Finn's identity in order to escape the angry village mob demanding justice. A twist of fate finds her being conscripted into the King's army, forced to train to fight against the magic of the Silver Witch's forces, even as magic within the King's army is punishable by death. The King's army, led by the privileged and insufferable bastard Prince Fitzroy, is divided into factions by ability and skill. As a blacksmith, Niamh is able to enjoy comforts not available to those in the foot soldier or infantry corps, but that doesn't mean she struggles any less. She must keep her identity secret less she be executed not only for her magic but for fleeing the scene of a crime. In the process, she develops tentative friendships with those in her regiment, including Bash, a roguish sailor who takes a liking to her almost immediately.

As the conflict between the king and the Silver Witch escalates, Niamh soon learns that not all is what it seems in the world of magic, and without forming alliances, she and her newfound friends may soon be destined to die. As the final act comes to a crescendo, will Niamh's true identity be revealed, or will she continue to remain hidden, risking everything she's fought to earn?

I think this story had a solid premise but faltered a bit in pacing, worldbuilding, and execution. The outline was there, but I think in some ways the details failed to land, dragging the story out in some places and hustling it along too quickly to process in others. I enjoyed the author's use of language and the depiction of camp life, but some of the subplots lacked strength (the brothel scenes failed to resonate with me) and some of the characters' personalities seemed to change too abruptly to be emotionally resonant. When we first meet Fitzroy, he is pompous, arrogant, and spoiled, looking down on his troops with derision. As the novel progresses, we start to see a more sympathetic side to him, but just as quickly, he does another one-eighty, making him hard to relate to. We see his attraction to Niamh and her reciprocation, but we don't see enough detail in between the two points to make it land emotionally, especially when at first Niamh despises him.

Bash is introduced to us as a potential love interest and protector, but we never quite see that follow through, even when we're almost sure that he knows Niamh is a woman. Later in the novel, Bash's attitude abruptly changes, but it doesn't deliver the emotional impact as probably intended because the change of heart was so abrupt and, in the grander scheme of things, not as severe as some of Niamh's other deceptions.

The ultimate battle of the story, which takes place in the third act, also lacks emotional resonance, though not for lack of trying. There are two specific events in that battle that are meant to be heartbreaking and poignant, but they failed to land for me because they lacked buildup or true stakes, almost like an afterthought. Because this is a standalone novel, everything is more or less resolved in the end, but it felt a bit rushed and underwhelming for me.

I think you may enjoy this novel if you enjoy adventure stories with hidden identities set in the framework of a magical world. Though the book was enjoyable enough, I didn't connect with it enough for me to stay up late absorbed in the pages.

[Jessica]

This book feels like power, pressure, and emotional restraint all colliding in the same room and nobody is allowed to breathe until someone breaks first.

Reign is very character-driven at its core, and what makes it so compelling is how much of the tension lives in what people *don’t* say. Every interaction feels like it has layers—status, expectation, fear, desire—and none of it is simple.

The FMC is such a strong anchor for the story because she exists in a space where control is survival. She’s intelligent, observant, and very aware that one wrong move can shift everything around her.

She’s navigating:

* being constantly evaluated by people more powerful than her
* trying not to let emotion become a liability
* figuring out whether she can trust her own judgment in a world built on strategy

What makes her so compelling is that her strength is quiet but constant. She doesn’t need to dominate a room to control it—she’s always calculating, always reading, always adjusting.

But underneath that control is someone who is exhausted by it.

The MMC is equally layered, but in a completely different way. He’s not just “powerful”—he’s someone shaped by what power demands of him. There’s a sense that he’s learned how to function in a system that rewards control and punishes vulnerability.

He brings:

* authority that isn’t always clean or easy
* emotional restraint that hides deeper conflict
* a loyalty that is complicated by duty and expectation

What I loved is that he doesn’t feel like a simple romantic lead. He feels like someone who is constantly negotiating between what he wants and what he’s allowed to want.

Their dynamic is where the entire book sharpens.

At the start:

* they are careful around each other
* trust is basically nonexistent, even when attraction is present
* every conversation has an unspoken agenda

And that tension never fully disappears—it just evolves.

The relationship develops through:

* strategic interactions that slowly turn personal
* moments where emotional honesty slips through despite both of them trying to maintain control
* choices that reveal more than either of them intends

The push and pull comes from:

* power versus vulnerability
* duty versus desire
* control versus emotional honesty
* the fear that letting someone in could be used against you later

What I really liked is that their relationship doesn’t feel like it overrides the larger world—it *complicates* it. Every step closer emotionally has consequences elsewhere, which makes everything feel more intense.

The emotional core of the story is about:

* what it costs to exist in systems built on control
* whether trust is ever truly safe, or just necessary
* how love forms in spaces where vulnerability is dangerous
* learning that power doesn’t protect you from emotional risk

If you like:

* high-stakes, character-driven fantasy or political romance
* slow-burn tension built on trust and mistrust
* morally complex characters
* power dynamics that feel central to the romance
* emotionally restrained FMCs and layered MMCs

this is a really gripping read.

It’s intense, calculated, and emotionally charged in a way that builds slowly—but once it hits, it *hits*. The romance doesn’t soften the tension of the world; it sharpens it, which is what made it so addictive.

[FablesUnderMoonlight]

I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley from Cosmo Reads. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this in advance. All thoughts are my own.

This was one of those books where I kept bumping into ideas and themes that I found genuinely interesting, even when the story itself didn’t fully come together for me emotionally.

The strongest aspect for me was definitely the setup. I really liked the Mulan-esque identity swap elements and the way Niamh is suddenly able to move through the world differently once she starts living under her brother’s identity. There’s something inherently interesting about stories that explore how quickly people’s perception of competence, authority, and usefulness changes depending on gender presentation, and I kept waiting for the book to dig even further into those ideas.

At times it really brushed up against some fascinating conversations about freedom, visibility, mobility, and what it means to “pass” within a society structured around exclusion. Watching Niamh experience spaces, respect, and opportunities differently as Finn was probably the most compelling thread in the novel for me.

Which is also why I think parts of the feminist framing ultimately felt somewhat uneven to me. The story clearly wants to critique patriarchal systems and restrictions placed on women, but I often found myself wishing it had engaged more critically with the hierarchies being reproduced within the narrative itself. Niamh, despite being marginalized in certain ways, still moves through the story with a surprising amount of judgment toward other women, especially women surviving differently within the same system. And while flawed characters are obviously interesting, I never fully felt like the story itself was aware enough of how she was perpetuating some of those same hierarchies and dismissive attitudes.

I think there was room for a much richer exploration of how gaining access to masculine privilege might complicate someone’s understanding of power, oppression, and solidarity, and I personally would have loved to see the book lean harder into that complexity.

Outside of that, I did enjoy the atmosphere quite a bit. The rain-soaked war fantasy setting, outlawed magic, forests, survival elements, and general gothic tone created a strong visual identity for the story. It’s also a very readable book. The pacing moves quickly for most of the novel, and I can absolutely see why readers who enjoy accessible fantasy with romance, war tension, hidden identity tropes, and emotionally charged stakes would fly through it.

That said, I did struggle somewhat with the emotional depth of the supporting cast and relationships. I wanted the side characters and romance to feel more layered and lived in than they ultimately did, especially given the larger war setting. The ending also wrapped things up a bit too quickly for me considering the scale of the conflict being built throughout the story.

Overall, while this didn’t fully land for me emotionally, I do think it has strong bones and some genuinely interesting thematic ideas underneath the romantasy and war fantasy structure. I just personally wanted the story to push those ideas further than it ultimately did.

[Sarah]

Thank you to NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is going to be a hard one to talk about and it mainly comes down to one big issue for me, the writing. I'm not typically one to harp on showing and not telling in literature. For the most part if it happens every now and then I genuinely don't see much of an issue with it. However, in this book nothing ever felt earned by the characters. Things just happened to them and I believe that's due to the nature of how the author was writing the book. I struggled to connect with anyone because the writing felt very x happened, y did this. Part of the draw of this book for me was that it felt similar to Mulan. We have a woman, Niamh running away from her village and joining the army under her brother's name. I never really felt any tension from these scenes. We get no real scenes of Niamh trying to exist in this large group of men but needing to work to hide her sex. The iconic bathing scene of Mulan comes to mind, where she's almost discovered by the men when she snuck away to quickly bathe. None of that is present in this book. Niamh is simply able to go about her business as a man very easily. I also was shocked at one point the book made a mention of how much time had passed and it was much longer than I was expecting. I thought maybe it had been a couple of weeks when the author is trying to tell me it's been months of Niamh in the army working in the forge.

The magic made absolutely no sense to me. The way it's translated to the reader is just the person speaking what they want to happen in a special "magical" language and whatever they want just happens. But they have spell books and need to learn sorcery. What are they learning? It really just seemed to be about intention since all the witches and wizards innately know how to speak every word in this magical language. I also really struggled with the love triangle. I know some people really don't like the trope but I don't mind it every now and then. My issue was that one side felt so forced to fit into the popular "enemies to lovers" banter when the reality is just a man being extremely rude to the protagonist. I just can't get behind it, there needs to be some redeeming quality because what is it about this bland rude man I'm supposed to root for? I could also tell fairly early on how the triangle was going to get resolved and it felt like a really cheap cop out. The ending itself also felt a bit sudden.

So why three stars? Honestly despite saying all of that it was an easy read, I was able to go through it much quicker than I was expecting based on how long the book is. I think the book could work for someone who maybe hasn't picked up a book for a long time and is looking to get into the fantasy/romantasy genre. There were a few scenes where I could see the potential in the author. I think she just needs to work on her craft a bit more.

[Krisseh]

Reign had me SO excited when I first read the blurb! Forbidden magic? A girl disguised as a man? A rainy kingdom at war? Morally complicated romance potential? Found family? This is normally my kind of romantasy.

And honestly, the setup is strong. The first part of the book definitely hooked me enough to keep reading because I kept waiting for everything to click into place.

Unfortunately… it never fully did for me.

My biggest issue was the characters. I wanted to connect with them so badly but most of them felt underdeveloped. So it created this weird disconnect where I never fully understood the dynamics between them.

Niamh herself was probably the hardest for me to connect with. Her emotional reactions, especially where the romance was concerned, sometimes felt inconsistent. I kept feeling like I was missing pieces of her internal development. One minute we’re here emotionally, the next we’re somewhere completely different and I struggled to follow the progression naturally.

And the romance… I needed WAY more buildup. The emotional payoff just wasn’t there for me because so much of the development happens later in the story instead of being layered throughout. I wanted more tension, yearning, more moments that made me believe these people were genuinely falling for each other instead of the story simply telling me they were.

THIS genuinely threw me, the reveal of Niamh’s magic felt so abrupt? The beginning is fairly slow. So I expected the magic reveal to feel huge and carefully built up but instead it almost drops in out of nowhere and is treated so casually between her and her mother that I had to think "Did I somehow miss something earlier?". Considering magic is supposedly dangerous enough to get you killed. I wanted a lot more weight behind that reveal.

And a love triangle... Personally, it’s one of my least favorite ways to resolve a triangle because it always feels less like an emotional conclusion and more like the easiest exit strategy.

At the end of the day, this wasn’t a bad book for me — it just felt like a story with a ton of unrealized potential. The bones of something amazing are absolutely here: the atmosphere, the premise, the war setting, the forbidden magic. I just needed stronger character work, more emotional depth and a romance that felt earned rather than rushed.

If you love YA romantasy and don’t mind lighter character development, there’s still a good chance you’ll enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for this read!!

[Zoey M]

I have to be honest, this was not a particularly enjoyable read for me. The book started out on a good premise, and I was looking forward to learning more about the magic of the world and the magical creatures. However, it started going downhill from there. The dialogue never felt as though it was advancing the plot, and for the first 20% or so of the book the word building elements were being forced into every conversation. I had trouble connecting with the characters or caring about Niamh's feelings for Bash or Fitzroy, because their interactions felt stilted and I never saw any chemistry between them. There are a handful of sex scenes in the book, which felt out of place.

Relationships between characters developed and changed almost instantly - sometimes a single line of dialogue would suddenly drastically shift the relationship between two characters without a clear reason. The first half of the book dragged by, and then the climax and the conclusion at the end took place over the last five pages of the book. It was extremely abrupt at the end, and felt a lot as though there was a word limit and there wasn't time to fit everything in properly.

For a book that is marketed as a "fierce feminist" novel, Niamh spends a lot of time thinking of every other woman in the book extremely unkindly. Her inner narration always had something to add about any woman that came across the page, especially when she was disguised as a man, and it was never really addressed in any way to imply that she was wrong to have those thoughts. There were a few moments where a character is intended to be viewed as a villain after previously being an ally, and it's as though the character's actions and words were written for someone completely different. There were also far too many mentions of characters Niamh didn't like having rotten teeth for my taste.

This last point is very minor, but it's something I really could not move past. Old English is used frequently throughout the book, and for some reason the character thorn (þ, pronounced "th") is represented with the letter "p", while it could have easily been written as "þ". It was an odd choice that didn't make very much sense and that I first noticed at the very beginning of the book, and it continued to bother me throughout the rest.

Overall, the choppy writing was definitely for me, although it was a promising premise.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!