"Forgiving Darkness" by Cat Sirota is a truly compelling and emotionally resonant novel that captured my attention from beginning to end. Sirota skillfully navigates a complex narrative, weaving together themes of redemption and resilience with a captivating depth that feels incredibly authentic. The characters are remarkably well-crafted, making their struggles and ultimate journeys genuinely impactful. The writing is evocative, creating an atmosphere that perfectly complements the story's tone. While there were a few moments where I felt the pacing shifted a touch quickly, it ultimately delivered a powerful and thought-provoking experience that stayed with me. A deeply moving and highly recommended read.

I truly enjoyed this book, am excited to see how the Binary Souls Duology concludes! There was good world building, well-developed characters. Reader of Dark Romance & Fantasy will love this series!

I’m a sucker for a pretty cover and this one is one pretty cover! With that said, this was not a bad read, I just started to lose interest the more I read. I just wish the author had taken a bit more time to hash out the world and it’s characters, it really would have changed this read from a three start to at least a four or five star read.

An intriguing fantasy story

Estrid, the runaway daughter of the tyrant King Rodden, lives in exile, alone with her wolf, with no intention of taking the throne. But when she finds a beautiful, wounded Fae in the Dark Forest, she decides to save his life. Even if it endangers her secret life.

I really liked the vibe of this book. I thought that the political intrigue was quite interesting and well-written. The secret identities, the hidden magic, the creatures, everything was quite immersive. Once it started, it kept me hooked. As for the romance, it was good too, full of tension, and I liked that it was a bit of a fated-mates trope but full of twists and turns. However, the pace was a bit slow at times, and I had trouble really getting into it at first and considered DNFing, but I'm glad I didn't. The secondary characters were really interesting too, and I liked the role they played in the story. The magic system was quite interesting too, and I liked how the author diluted the information throughout the story. All in all, an interesting fantasy romance story, a good discovery.

I recommend if you like fantasy romance with dark magic and mystery.

“No, Del, I’m choosing integrity over betrayal.”

Mind blown that this was a debut book ! So amazing and well written. The characters and world building were flawless. With everything being a fae romance these days the twists and turns and unique spin to this was so refreshing I still can't believe it was a debut

This was a very easy and fast book to read!! I love the fated mate element. The Mmc was exactly how a male should be loving, protective and caring. I would highly recommend reading this book to other people and look forward to the next book when it is released 4.5✨

The cover art is what drew me in initially, and this is definitely a ‘judge a book by its cover’ situation, because the story lived up.

I really enjoyed this take on light vs dark magic, with our female lead beating the stereo types and having a dark magic.

This dark fantasy romance had me gripped and I cannot wait to read more!

Was a fantastic book that i thoroughly recommend and will be buying as I need a trophy version lol. I enjoying the different dynamics at play between the main characters especially towards the end.

With her debut novel, Cat Sirota has hit the mark with a truly captivating romantasy novel. From the very first few pages i was hooked with the world building. Cat has created interesting and complex characters and a plot that is a gripping page turner. Absolutely cannot wait for book two- this debut author is one to watch for all her future work

I did enjoy this book overall, and felt it was a good first book. However a lot of the story seemed to be pulled from others already on the market. I wanted to find something new and excited and never found that. I enjoyed the main characters and would have loved to see them grow more as the story progressed. I will read book 2 however and look forward to that release. I think the author needs to grown her own voice a bit before finding her groove. It’s there, just may need to be refined.

To start, thank you to NetGalley and Cat Sirota for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is Cat Sirota's debut novel and wow was it good.
Aesthetically, the cover and map included are gorgeous!.

Estrid, a runaway daughter of a king, who, after surviving so much in her short life has decided to live her life in the woods protecting a nearby village. One day she happens upon a man (Zain) unconscious in her forest. After bringing him back to health, she learns that he is a fae and doesn't know how he really appeared in her woods. Together they fight through many more situations that really build both their characters.
If you are looking for a slow burn, this is definitely not it because we do feel the tension between the two MCs early on. They trust each other quite quickly, making Zain's behavior at some point in the book strange (pay attention, readers lol). On the other hand, the world building is soooo nice, but I hope book 2 will have more details about each Court, especially the Shadow & Winter courts.

Cat did make some interesting changes with making the FMC have the shadow magic rather than the MMC. But in total, the author sucks you in with her beautiful writing as it evolves continuously throughout the book.

Overall, I love the concept and wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, the writing style combined with the use of present tense made this extremely difficult. Something about the way present tense was used in this narrative had me struggling to immerse myself in the story and had me feeling rather frustrated.

🌟 3.75
🌶️ 1.5

🔸 Romantasy
🔸 Fae world
🔸 Fast burn 🔥
🔸 Insta-love
🔸 immersive world building
🔸 easy reading
🔸 close proximity

Cover art ✔️ I really liked the cover!!

Maaaan I’ll read whatever this author comes up with next! I had a good time! I’m not going to lie, there’s a few things that could be developed more, like the insta-love (where I would’ve liked a bit more tension to build things up); overall the concept and world building was great and immersive. It’s a good easy romantasy read, romance is fast, and there’s a little bit of spice.

I’m keen to keep an eye on what comes next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and C R Sirota Industries LTC for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review*

The only thing that I didn't like in this book was the insta-love, a trope that I hate and don't believe in. If the romance was more of a built-up, I'd give another star because the world building and the writing were the sections that Sirota excelled in.

The concept of the book is undeniably captivating, showcasing the author's impressive imagination and ability to create a rich and immersive world. The vivid imagery leaps off the page, painting the scenes in such detail that you can almost feel yourself standing alongside the characters. This strength in descriptive writing is one of the book's standout qualities, and it deserves full recognition.

However, where the book falls short for me is in its portrayal of the romance. While the relationship is positioned as a pivotal element of the narrative, it feels rushed almost as if the emotions are declared without being fully earned. The characters seem to move from strangers to deeply connected partners in an instant, leaving the romance feeling somewhat unconvincing and hollow. The lack of gradual development or meaningful build-up to their connection makes it difficult to become truly invested in their journey. I found myself wishing for those small, subtle moments of growth and emotional exchange that make love stories feel genuine and impactful.

Ultimately, while the book excels in its imaginative world-building and evocative descriptions, the emotional depth and authenticity of the romance left me wanting more. With a stronger foundation for the characters' relationship, the story could have reached greater heights and delivered a more resonant experience.

This started off so well!

The synopsis of this is so beautifully written and the bones of the ideas within the story fantastic. Seriously chapter one was riveting, and then I struggled with the perspective choice I think? Or perhaps it was that it felt as though the concepts and outline of the writing was more elevated than the actual meat of the writing. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it was driving me bonkers!

With said two lovers, two hidden backstories, magic, the Fae, and the vibes of this are all good the book itself just didn't draw me in completely. Again I think it could be largely due to the perspective choice and that style, which made some of their internal dialogue feel incredibly simple and incongruous with everything else that had been set up. I actually tossed and turned on this one, kept picking this book up during an international flight determined to read it and figure out what was still irking me but I didn't find it.

Do I think reading this one is worth it? Sure! My irks on this book probably are just a me thing!

Happy Reading!

The book started off good but it kinda lost me about halfway through. I feel like there was so much more that could’ve been done with the plot. Everything felt very rushed and the relationship between the main characters just didn’t seem organic.

This book was a fantastic start as a debut novel!

Hooked from the first page, this isn't your typical fae romantasy. The world building and descriptive imagery is incredible, and everything was so easily envisioned in my head it felt at times movie-like.

However, and whilst I liked the characters well enough themselves, their relationship in some ways did feel rather rushed and almost insta-love like. For me, it almost didn't feel like there was much chemistry or connection.

Overall though it was a fantastic start to the duology and I'll be eagerly awaiting book 2.

The writing style this author uses wouldn't allow me to get fully immersed into the story. While the world-building and the character development was strong, I couldn't get past the writing. I'm also not a fan of insta-love. Overall, this was not my cup of tea and I probably won't recommend it.

I really wanted to like this book. The story has a lot of really great elements. But it just didn't grab and keep my interest.