The Crack at the Heart of Everything is absolutely incredible beyond what a review can possibly show. Like for real, yesterday I finally got around to reading it and thought I would just read a chapter or two to test the waters. One day later, I’m seriously considering rereading this book. The thing I found most interesting is Fiona Fenn’s cool and unique idea to combine classical fantastical elements with what I felt like a futuristic wasteland setting. This might seem like a jarring combination at first glance but Fenn’s writing and storytelling talents turned this into a truly unique experience.

I can’t recommend The Crack at the Heart of Everything enough. Do yourself a favor and don’t finish 2024 before reading this incredible debut.

Great redemption story with a fantasy backdrop. There wasn't anything I didn't enjoy about this novel. Everything was spectatural from the characters to the pacing to the romance, I read it all in one session. The story just draws you in from the beginning and I can not recommend this book enough.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was immediately intrigued.
A fantasy sci-fi from the viewpoint of the villain, with magic and a redemption arc? Sign me up!! I love character arcs and a redemption arc is my favourite. Give me allllll the flawed characters.

This book had a lot of elements that I was surprised by as well. The magic was unlike what I had read before, with how it came to be and how it let Orpheus interact with the world. The way it was used to combine with mechanics, too, was so fascinating! I would love more stories around this world. And I loved that it became a kind of quest and adventure. Not just a physical one across the lands, but for Orpheus as well. He goes through an internal quest as he figures out who he is in the wider world - no longer confined to his dungeon laboratory - and who he wants to be with all of the internal and external changes.

I love the characters. Orpheus is a fantastic character, showing behind the visage of the misunderstood mage to show his insecurities and want to just be liked or loved by someone. Fenrir is the hero, but how his story plays out is so welcomingly unexpected. And Red and Farris are fantastic side characters to be added to the story. I loved all of them and wish we could have more of them re-building and getting to hang out without the impending doom. Lore and Ohm are these kind of underdeveloped characters, but their presence and influence is so overwhelming to the story. The reversal of the hero and the villain was a fantastic twist.

And. It's. QUEER. We love a queer fantasy sci-fi story!
And I keep saying fantasy and sci-fi, as I'm not entirely sure where this book falls in terms of genres. It's kind of a dystopian for our current world, but incorporates magic and elements of fantasy, like hell beasts. It's a great combination of new things that I hadn't read before.

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn - 4.5 out of 5 stars!

I ended up really loving this one - despite a bumpy start, it turned into a surprising and unexpected story centered on two very different but lovable characters, in a world that left me wanting to see much more. 💜

Bits I liked:
- Queernormative world with a lovely grumpy x sunshine MM pairing as the main romance ❤️
- Vivid world-building with magic & fantasy mixed with post apocalyptic vibes
- Great focus on characters, gradually revealing their past & motivations, whilst still having a strong plot and plenty of action 🙌
- Emotional rollercoaster as you discover more about the true nature of the world, the characters, and the experiences they've been through
- Overall a great writing style, plenty of wit and emotion balanced with good pacing, strong story points, and a few well developed side characters 🥰

Bits I liked less:
- I very nearly stopped reading right at the beginning, as I had difficulty getting into the story. The names of the characters made me think I was in a specific setting, and I found myself interested. However, when I gave it another go and realised things weren't as they seemed, it was a much more gripping read 🤩
- Some repetitive language used for certain things, like Fenrir's eyes or Orpheus's expressions.
- A lot of questions left unanswered about how the situation they're in came to be, a few hows and whys that could have been tied up. However, I have seen somewhere that it's a series, so perhaps those answers will come in time 🤞

If you're looking for a clever, slightly different take on a fantasy romance, with a bit of darkness, trauma, and unusual magic in to balance out the sweetness of the main pairing, then I'd highly recommend giving The Crack at the Heart of Everything a go! ☺️

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Tiny Fox Press for access to this ARC - as always, my opinions are my own, honest and freely given.

I read about 27% of this book and while it moved quickly, I found myself skimming it. I couldn't get a feel for the characters and their relationships to each other or an understanding of the characters themselves, so I didn't find myself invested in either the story or the characters unfortunately.

I received an e-book of The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn from Netgalley and Tiny Fox Press LLC. Orpheus, the Empire’s dark sorcerer, is on his own after years of loyalty to the Empress Lore. He suffers from a death curse after the recent spell he casted for the Empress that is the one of the reasons Lore banishes him out of the Gilded Palace. He decides to journey to the Keep, where his traveling partner and enemies to lovers Fenrir, tells Orpheus is where he received the spell that caused Orpheus death curse and that will possibly find the counter spell to the Orpheus’ death curse. I really wanted to like this book. The cover was beautiful, the premise had promise, and I did enjoy the character Fenrir but sadly this book did not hit the mark for me. I felt there was no real coherency in the timeline of when certain events and the current place in time things are taking place. How this world got to the dystopian place was never really addressed, and just noted as ‘The incident.’ The things I did enjoy were Orpheus and Fenrir’s relationship. I think Fenrir was an amiable, knight in shining armor character that I enjoyed the most. I did like the way the story was told with some of the chapters being about Lore and Orpheus' past and that slowly unraveling as the story went on. The author is also exceedingly descriptive. 3 / 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Fenn, and Tiny Fox Press LLC for the ebook.

Listen. This was just so cute. A great time. The prose is fantastic, I can't wait to read more from this author. And the story was great.

I love characters like these. Who are just intensely loyal until something causes them to wake up. In this case we get to see him come to terms with himself as a human and a person rather than what he can do for his queen.

Would recommend for those looking for a fun romantasy that skews a bit dark, a bit dystopian.

I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked: The world building, the interesting cast of characters, the genuine depth of emotion (ie. I cried).

What I didn’t: The confusing passage of time - the whole book takes place over “more than a month”, but parts of that were so glossed over that I’m not actually sure where that time went. Missing context - there were points when reading this, that I think it might have been beneficial to have lived a little bit more of the backstory. The whole book is interspersed with sort of flashbacks, but they serve more as a slow unravelling of a mystery, rather than providing the context and history I think I would’ve liked.

I will say that by the end of the book I was invested in the characters, and during the last 15-20% of the book I couldn’t put it down. So it’s definitely one I’d recommend you give a go for yourself.

Orpheus, the dark sorcerer, raised beasts from hell to help his only friend since childhood conquer the realm in which they live. During this process it seems he's also cursed himself and those beasts are set out to kill him. This gets him exiled from the the only home he's ever known and set out into a world full of people hurting from his actions. On top of that his rival Fenrir has decided to escort him.

I'm not sure I've ever wanted to give a character a bigger hug than Orpheus. This poor guy has been used and just needed a real friend and someone to care about him his whole life. I really enjoyed seeing him slowly come to terms that people DO care about him and letting himself be loved.

Fenrir is the sunshine to Orpheus' grumpy and he's an absolute delight. Along with his adorable nickname for Orpheus "Fifi" he's protective and loyal and has some secrets of his own.

The world building was so seamless and smooth throughout the story, it's like you could see and feel everything. The story had some wonderful side characters and I even adored Orpheus' automated horse.

This story was enjoyable from beginning to end. I loved how the author slowly revealed Orpheus' history and how everything came together in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Tiny Fox Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one! O how I much loved this one.

This was one majestic debut and I really loved it. Yes, maybe Fenrir could use some more character depth such as any flaws but...for me it worked just fine.

Orpheus is such a well written character.

All the plot twists just hit the right spot for me.

And the romance, the consent, the slow burn. It was everything.

Can't wait for the sequel!

A solid debut kickoff to a fantasy series, with a gorgeous cover and swoon-worthy romance.

My only challenge with this book was it started rocky for me. We're kind of dropped into the action at the end of Lore's war to win her empire in which her friend (?) / flunky Orpheus has magically helped the dead rise and fight on her side. There is a lot of exposition and action. Orpheus is cursed for his dark magic and Lore is is kind of a bitch now who permanently resides on the shoulder of her Undead henchman, Orm.

Then Orpheus is off on an adventure with heroic warrior, Fenrir who has serious golden retriever energy. The book starts to gel in spots but is still a little annoying as Fenrir openly flirts and Orpheus responds with lots of side remarks, thinking it's all joke. This cycles happens TOO MANY TIMES.

It isn't until these two cuties finally stop bickering that the book (in my opinion) really starts flying. The relationship develops, we understand more of the context for how things got this way, and Orpheus starts to develop as a person and a sorcerer. From this point to the end, it's balls to the wall action.

So overall, an uneven read, but with a lot of potential. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This book....
This book.

If you want loneliness, grumpy exterior to protect a fragile heart and a journey of healing done right, read The Crack At The Heart Of Everything.
This story starts off with a rivalry between a grumpy Black Cat dark wizard and a Golden Retriever charming general and turns into a journey across wasted lands to mend not only the huge cracks of the lands but the crack inside the wizard's heart.

What I most adored about this is the banter and chemistry between Orpheus, our grumpy wizard, and Fenrir, the sunshine general who steals his guarded heart. There are also loveable sidecharacters like Red, the engineer, a tough woman with a heart of gold, and Farris, the instructor of safety rules.

This heartwarming tale wonderfully blends elements of magic and technology and I loved witnessing Orpheus get exposed to so many things for the first time in his life due to his sheltered existence before, which is the doing of the Empress Lore because - that's for you to find out.

Overall The Crack At The Heart Of Everything went in a direction I did not fully expect but I loved the story even more for it. It's sad and heartbreaking but also so wholesome and heartwarming at the same time as Orpheus and Fenrir overcome the obstacles thrown at them.
I think everyone needs a Fenrir in their life.
It's worth it for all the banter and every healing hug.

Thank you to Fiona Fenn, the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC!

What a stunning debut novel by Fiona Fenn! I adore a story with a morally grey characters and I fell in love with Orpheus’s story. Following his redemption arch and the grumpy/sunshine vibe it was the perfect cozy fantasy book to read.

I wanted to love this novel so badly. The premise is amazing!

I think this novel suffered greatly from trying to sell it's tropes though. Orpheus is at war with the author, who tosses in scenes to remind us that he is evil and grumpy, but I wasn't reading an evil wizard. I was reading an awkward shut in who didn't know how to socialize.

Maybe if the author had played into him being misunderstood more than truly evil it would have read more naturally. Instead we have him appearing indifferent to a man dying and then tripping and being goofy within the same fifty pages.

The background of the story is interesting, but our characters growth is accelerated and the romance took center stage when I wish we'd just seen more from all our characters, particularly those harmed by Lore's conquest. I'd also like to know more of the world building in general. There was such a good story in the background and I wish it had a chance to shine more.

I still enjoyed the story as a whole though, and see a great deal of promise for the author. I'll be buying a copy for my shelves as well.

2.5 rounded up

This was an instant read off Netgalley. This book was something completely different than what I thought it would be, and not in a good way.

A basic synopsis without spoiling: we follow Orpheus, a mage who grew up with the now evil queen his former best friend as she discards him out into the chaotic empire which he helped her create all while having a curse follow him. He completely regrets his decisions as the empire is in shambles and whines for about 75% of the book while traveling around the empire with the queen's general Fenrir, whom he eventually develops a very bland and unbelievable relationship with. They work together along with other characters throughout the book to try to correct what was done in the kingdom and thwart the evil queen while we also getting background of how this all came about throughout the story.

The story was way too slow at parts, but did start picking up by the end. I did like some of the action segments throughout and the mix of sci-fi elements and fantasy, but I found myself bored for a majority of the book. I also could have done without hearing the nickname Fifi hundreds of times throughout the story. Lastly, it should be a sin for a book with such a beautiful cover to not turn out good.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one, but give it a try if interetsed as you may like it.

**Thank you, NetGalley, for sending an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What to expect:
📍Post apocalyptic setting
📍Steampunk vibes
📍Long pinning
📍Stow burn
📍Past trauma
📍Bantering
📍Himbo ML

First of all, I loved the novel. It was an enjoyable read, and I wish the author a successful debut. However, I would like to use this review to bring to light some issues that I'm surprised have not been mentioned by other readers. I have no intention of insulting or criticizing the book itself, and would like this to be taken only as a concern about how it is being sold and to what audience.

As a regular reader of the genre, I do not consider this to be "epic fantasy", I would hardly call it fantasy. Yes, the author's style has a clear influence in classic texts of the genre, and the protagonist sees himself as a wizard from the books he reads, but it is just that, an image built by the character himself and his way of dressing and behaving, his mannerisms and his way of seeing the world through his experience as a reader. This does not detract from the fact that it is a story set in the future, and it could be inferred from the references to classical Greek culture and other intertextualities that it is set in our world. That all the "magic" is the result of scientific experimentation and that the "fantastic world" is simply a possible result of an apocalyptic event that has brought human society to a standstill. That is not fantasy in my mind. Maybe a post-apocalyptic story with fantastical elements.

Not to mention steampunk vibes: machines? Electricity? Fuel? The MC considers himself an engineer? Call me crazy, but I read a completely different book than what the reviews, the synopsis and all the marketing is selling.

That doesn't change the fact that it's a good story. That the world is well-built, that the characters are incredibly human, and that the plot, with all its ecological messages and reflections on the not-too-distant future, is very interesting (am I reading too much between the lines? Because if I had a penny for every time it is mentioned that they are going to "heal" the planet, I would have several, which is not much, but it is the first time I have read that the destruction of a world is addressed as a "disease". And it is not the only element that made me think about eco-literature...)

Adding the part that I did not see the enemies to lovers trope, is probably too much for a single review. Suffice it to say that there is banter, and perhaps at some point there was jealousy on the part of one of them, but never direct confrontation, hatred, or rivalry. It is clear from the beginning that at least one of them is in love. But let's leave it there.

All in all, a great book, an even better debut, and a very good read. If only it were aimed at the right audience, with the most accurate tags and tropes, I wouldn't be so frustrated.

PS: I would also like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to review the book and hope that it is clear that me opinion is just another way of looking at the book.

"The Crack at the Heart of Everything" is a really enjoyable read and I was sad that it was over. The rivalry and the slow build up of the relationship of Orpheus and Fenrir was awesome. I really enjoyed Fenrirs careful and teasing behavior towards Orpheus. They both saw the consequences of their actions and at the end worked together to make it better again. The only thing that I wished there was more of is the world building. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a redemption ark and a story about the bad guys who then turn good.

A big Thank You to Fiona Fenn, Tiny Fox Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an exciting and engaging adventure, and I loved seeing the main character’s personality become more developed throughout the course of the story!

Thanks to NetGalley, Tiny Fox Press, and the author for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I loved it so much that I couldn't put it down and read it in one go. Even now, I continue to think about some moments in the book <spoiler>(like that crossbow one in the end)</spoiler>.

The author succeeded in making me care about their characters by showing me how they interact with the world around them. After the first pages, I could already see who they were and their struggle; I just loved Orpheus and Fenrir—even Lore. Their relationship was on point, sometimes so sweet and other times just heartbreaking. When the author says that their book is character-driven, it is. There wasn't one character that I disliked or found that their actions didn't match what the author told me about them.

Also, the plot was really good. Full of development and surprises. When I thought I knew what would happen, there was a twist that challenged everything I thought. The author is also not afraid to put their characters in danger—even the main ones, and I liked it.

I think I would keep an eye on what Fiona Fenn will be writing next and I want a hard copy of this book when it will be publish.

**e-ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**

I would suggest “The Crack at the Heart of Everything” as a quick and easy read between more serious or dense novels. It took me a couple hours one evening to zip through it.

The character development of Orpheus was really well done. My initial judgment of Orpheus was that he was a two-dimensional character with a lot of naive, "poor me" angst. However, as the story progresses, Orpheus becomes a much more thoughtful and well-rounded character.

I'm a sucker for angst, so I really enjoyed seeing the world through Orpheus’ perspective. The world-building improved significantly later in the book, which made the first third a little hard to follow. In the beginning, scene-setting focused mostly on broad strokes and didn’t provide enough specifics to create a clear picture. For example, metal objects were mostly ‘dull gray’. landscapes were ‘dotted’ with all number of things, only standard colours were named (nuts were ‘a medley or reds and oranges’), mostly horizons glowed, and alcoves were dark.

In comparison, the action scenes were very well written and easy to follow. The writing was simple and fast-paced, with clear descriptions of what was happening to each character.

Overall, the plot moved at a moderate pace. At times, important events were alluded to but not well described. There seemed to be a lot of rich history between the characters, but there weren’t enough details to understand fully what happened or why it affected the characters and their relationships.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world, which left a lot of unanswered gaps that aren’t addressed satisfactorily. I felt the story could have maintained its key elements if it had been shifted to a steampunk setting, but that was just a passing thought I had while reading.

My biggest critique of the book is on a line-by-line level. The author uses very simplistic language, which makes it a quick read; however, this approach made the world-building and character descriptions feel shallow. Where a single strong adjective could have created a vivid picture, the author instead relied on repetitive phrases and stripped-down descriptions.

On the balance, I enjoyed gobbling this book up as a quick and easy pallet cleanser.