This is my most unique fantasy book I’ve read this year. It gripped me from the first page, I thoroughly enjoyed the magic system in this read and the world was so vivid it felt like I was right there along the FMC and she’s an absolute badass!

Super different from the phoenix keeper but I enjoyed this one a lot more imo even though I adored that book aswell!

Thank you to S. A. MacLean, Hachette Australia & New Zealand, and NetGalley for gifting me an eARC of Voidwalker.

I went in a bit blind with Voidwalker and, having never read Maclean’s previous book, I didn’t really know what to expect. Overall, I’m happy that I picked it up because I found Voidwalker to be an enjoyable and fun read. It has a nice blend of some lighthearted and more humorous moments, as well as some darker thoughtful moments.

The world building is phenomenal and delivered in such a way that it never felt heavy-handed. The world was more fantasy-leaning but had a nice blend of some sci-fi elements. The writing was descriptive enough that I could picture the scenes without getting bogged down in details. I especially liked the descriptions of the void itself; it really painted the cold quietness of the liminal space between planes beautifully. I loved the whole multidimensional travel through portals concept and liked the idea of the different season-locked planes. This is definitely a world that you could spend a lot of time in and still find new stories.

I really liked Fi as a character; she was likeable and a bit hard-headed at the start, although she did give off the ‘not like other girls’ vibe. But then we slowly discovered more about her past, making her more relatable and vulnerable. Antal was great, he was a very likeable character and SO dramatic. I liked how we found out about his background and experiences, and how it made him able to sympathize with Fi and the humans. I think both main characters had a good amount of complexity behind them which gave us depth of understanding of their backgrounds and the forces driving them to make the decisions we see throughout the book. Astrid was also a great supporting character and I enjoyed finding out more about her past and relationship with Fi. In general, we were given some information about each side character so we understand where they're coming from, which was good, but I would have liked a little more from some of them as they came across a bit shallow. Without giving too much away, I really enjoyed the romance, and the tension and banter was perfect. One (very minor) thing that bugged me was the repetition of some phrases, namely Fi referring to herself as a hare (she needs to chill out).

I wouldn’t say this is a ‘light’ read as there are some heavier themes around sacrifice, abandonment, loss of loved ones, and humans being prey (not really cannibalism because it’s between two different species).

Voidwalker took me completely by surprise in the best way. It’s a sci-fi fantasy with monster romance at its core and somehow manages to be funny, heartfelt and genuinely original.

The worldbuilding is creative and immersive with floating planes, magical energy tech and creepy void-space travel that feels both fresh and familiar. There’s a great balance of plot, politics and romance, nothing ever takes a backseat, and the pacing stays strong all the way through.

Fi our rainbow haired 32 year old smuggler heroine, is clever emotionally complex and deeply relatable. She’s no nonsense and fiercely capable but also hiding some pain and guilt. Watching her walls slowly come down was one of my favorite parts.

Then there’s Antal with a terrifying reputation and way too many feelings. The book flips the predator/prey dynamic into something tender and respectful and he’s not just scary but soft. He’s thoughtful, haunted and sneaks around like a murderous house cat.

Thank you Hachette Australia & New Zealand | Gollancz for the ARC this story was heartfelt, funny, angsty and easily one of my favourite reads this year.

🌟3.7
🌶️2

Make this book into a TV series!

◆ Romantic Fantasy // Fantasy Romance // Romantasy
◆ Worldbuilding
◆ Spice
◆ Enemies to lovers
◆ Resistance
◆ Forced Proximity
◆ Must work together
◆ Not everything as it seems
◆ Dimensions, magic and monsters
◆ Tension, angst, banter
◆ Morally grey mmc
◆ High stakes
◆ Slow burn 🔥

We have main characters on the opposite sides of the war, a vast world with high stakes and two of them must work together. It is a 'soft' monster romance because we have a morally grey monsterous main male character who is humanoid looking but not quite! Absolute blast reading this and I could see it play out in my head like a show. I'll definately be reading more by this author.

+ points for very nice book cover!

This book fully delivered on the spice, tension, and cool world-building. Fi is a total badass smuggler, and her enemies-to-lovers vibes with Antal? Chef’s kiss.***

It’s got magic, monsters, interdimensional drama, and just enough romance to keep me hooked. If you love a morally grey slow burn with high stakes, this one’s a vibe.

I absolutely loved this. If you like slow-burn, sci-fi fantasy mash ups and monster romances where the love interest is an immortal humanoid with a tail who lurks in the rafters like a dramatic house cat, this is for you!
The writing was great, the characters felt three-dimensional and the world building was thoughtful and not overly convoluted for a sci-fi newbie like myself to digest.
I loved Fi - at first glance you might think she’s just another sassy snarky FMC but she has so much depth. I loved how we see her peel back layers throughout the story, and see her vulnerability underneath the bravado.
Antal is the antler-having monster man of my dreams. I love a man who is dramatic and snarky and occasionally a bit sulky. He wants to be better than the other daeyari and he’s a certified teddy bear underneath the claws and stuff.
Their banter was SO good and never cringey.
I would say the story is very romance forward, but there is still an overarching plot that we are constantly moving toward and it felt well paced between the romance and the main conflict of the story. It was a GENUINE enemies to lovers, done so well.
Overall, a really enjoyable read and I’d highly recommend it.

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. 💚💜

From start to finish, this story had me in a chokehold and I am so happy about it😍

Fionamara is our sassy, fierce, and brave goods smuggler. She can travel through the void and is damn good at it.
Antal our MMC is a creature who has been feared forever, despite his sappiness and want to be better.
When they meet, sparks fly, but more in the literal fight or flight vibe😂
The writing was incredible, I laughed, I cried, I was angry. I felt all the things. The characters are so nuanced and I really loved reading how they met and all that happened after!

Tropes/themes:
💚 monster romance (but in like the softest way where he’s mostly kind of human-ish)
💜 enemies to lovers
💚 past trauma and healing
💜 bi rep
💚 one bed
💜 spicy “bite me”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars!

Voidwalker is amazing! S.A. McLean had me gripped from the atmospheric creepy opening and has built a fascinating and immersive world that it is easy to get lost in.

I loved the gender flip on the “in distress” trope. Antal might be the terrifying monster but he’s naive to politics and conspiracies and it is fi who saves him from his monstrous neighbours. I also liked that this was an accessible monster romance, the romance is a major part of the story but not the only plot line. There is so much else going on that it can develop naturally and Fi and Antal are cute and funny together.

This is an incredibly well written, fast paced Romantasy for anyone who loves nostalgic sci-fi like Firefly or just wants to read something addictive and unusual.

I can’t wait for the next book (🤞there is one in this world)

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia and New Zealand for the opportunity to read this ARC.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.

Voidwalker is a dip into monster romance, with Fionamara the human and Antal the daeyari.

So okay, honestly I didn't know what I was in for because I am guilty of cover-requesting, but this book had everything I love, plus some new things I now love. I think monster romance might be my new love?

Aside from the story and the plot, which were absolutely fantastic, I really, really liked the small parts of the book that added character. Antal is this absolute badass, but likes to perch in rafters, sleep on his belly and wait outside in the freezing snow to be invited inside a house.

Fionamara (Fi) has multi-coloured hair, a wicked ability to walk through dimensions, and an inability to filter her thoughts at the best of times. She also has the coolest horse ever, a Void Horse with an immature (but very, very funny) pun for a name.

The side characters are stars in their own right, each with their own interesting personality and back story.

This story absolutely slays and I LOVED it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for allowing me to ARC read this book in exchange for an honest review of my experience. 6 stars.

Fionmara, our FMC, is a smuggler with special skills. She can see the curtains between the worlds and traverse them with ease. She gained this ability at a young age, when she fell into a river, died, and came back. Along her travels as a smuggler, she gets roped into a scheme to overthrow, our MMC, Antal. Antal, is a creature of the void. His people jumped into the void and came out immortal. But its immortality with a little bit of a price. They eat humans. Fi, is terrified of him. She *hates* him. But she also knows that you can never run from his kind.. or they will follow and kill you faster than you can blink. You have about as much chance as a flailing rabbit caught in a trap, hung upside down by humans.

This story is the epitome of Enemies to Lovers smashed together with forced proximity, with a side of "you're fucking WHAT?!?!", monsters are hot? and new kinks are what?. I loved this story. The world building that went into it was detailed, but not overly so. It didn't weigh down the story or slow it down. The characters show massive amounts of growth that is intriguing and weirdly hot in so many ways. Fi, learns to not run from things.. She learns that being vulnerable isn't bad. She learns that even scary monsters have feelings and can absoluuuuutely be teddy bears. Antal, learns to be more.. *actual pause* better to humans. He learns that its okay to fuck the people that you're into and it doesn't make you weak. He learns that he actually has to stand up for what he (and Fi) believes in because he IS the lesser of two evils.. and his people have some serious therapy needs.

This story is incredibly written, incredibly detailed, very punny. There are no errors. There is no immersion breaking content. I love almost all of the characters. I can see this turning into a multi-book series or even a series with more series. I want the next book now pls *stares at the author* I think that I might become genuinely upset if I don't ARC read the next book XD

I love, love, LOVE this book!

The atmosphere is absolutely stunning, jumping between planes of existence that embody different seasons, and a mysterious void-space. I was totally immersed.

Fi is an incredible FMC, echoing the savviness, sass, and theatricality of Lucy Gray Baird in THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES, I fully appreciated that she's aged in her 30’s, she took no crap from anyone, and she enjoys life, savouring the small moments. I'm also happy with the bisexual rep!

The eldritch horror of a love interest is the kind of bloodthirsty meow meow I adore—I love a scary monster you can imagine playing Candy Crush or hunting a Roomba.

I'm so thrilled to see this is the first in a series and am eagerly anticipating the next book! I love this so much I need to get a physical copy for my shelves asap!

I quite enjoyed this book but the i got confused with the world building and thought there might be something missing. I'm still intrigued and want to continue the series

Voidwalker is a dark romantasy book with an incredibly rich fantasy plot that held my attention for the entire read. S. A. Maclean mixes a unique lore with steampunk energy/tech based magic to create a world that is so easy to immerse yourself in.

I loved the FMC Fionamara, because even though she is sassy and independent, and a
voidwalker, she is also flawed and emotionally scarred. The MMC Antal is Daeyari (a race that predates on human sacrifice) and he is one dark and broody,
complex character that matches Fionamara so well as they tackle political upheaval and a change in societal norma, all whilst developing a relationship that is forbidden.

Thank you to NetGalley, HattchetteAus and S.A Maclean for the eARC copy of Voidwalker. I will definitely be reading the next book in this duology!

Absolutely gripping from start to finish — this book is a rare gem in the romantasy genre. Think The Witcher meets A Court of Thorns and Roses with the queer, gritty goodness.

The protagonist, a sharp-tongued smuggler caught in a political power struggle, accidentally delivers a bomb to a monster prince’s palace — and from there, everything explodes (sometimes literally). What follows is an uneasy alliance, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and a world that feels like it stepped out of a magicpunk dream. The “curtain” magic system is clever, the floating shard-world evocative, and the blend of tech and energy capsules gave me Arcane vibes in the best way.

The romance? Earned. No insta-lust, no “he's hot so I’m into him” — just two battle-worn, morally grey badasses slowly learning to trust each other. The spice hits late but hits hard, and it’s all tasteful and character-driven.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Voidwalker
🗓 19th August 2025
💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you to @netgalley and @hachetteaus for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read this book. Please.

I have never read a monster romantasy, this is my first and look I'm open to more but I think I'll need to take it slowly. A case by case situation.

But this book is great! We meet Fi, an FMC in her 30s who is not afraid to take charge and takes no poop from no one. She has a strong exterior, but she is carrying so much trauma and guilt from her past that she struggles to let people in. And I feel that personally. But she is an amazing character that you can't help but feel connected to.

Antal is an like an onion, yes that's a Shrek reference and if you don't get it please go watch the movies, he brings out the best of Fi and their dynamic is so well written.

The world building of this book was amazing and very unique.

Overall, I read this in a few sittings. It was just simply a great book.

But please, this book goes deep into themes and subjects that are very valid, but please check warnings.