Unfortunately, I did end up DNFing this. The blurb sounded really good but the book itself didn't live up to it. I was not a fan of the writing and the plot/story was a bit confusing and was lacking

I have a lot of thoughts about this book. Overall I quiet enjoyed the premise and the world, though there were things that I think were missing. the story itself jumps around a lot of POV's and would cut out before any further depth in relationships and characters got the chance to be explored. It was very action heavy and for the stakes of the book, I do understand but it made it really hard to connect with some characters. EG, when Enid does internal flashbacks of her journey with Locke and Cas, she talks about all the intimate moments that I would've loved to see and it would've made a really compelling story and raised the stakes for Enid and what she was fighting for. There were also times where the action didn't make too much sense and I would find myself skimming over some of the scenes.

I do really like this book and I am intrigued enough to see what happens next, but I definitely wish it was less chopping with pov switches especially when there wasn't enough time to explore those povs. Gabriel was interesting enough and his powers were interesting but he was brushed aside so quickly and it created a choppy narrative. Probably a solid 3.5. Thanks for sharing!

I enjoyed this and the characters but something about the book just felt unfinished. It felt like there were still some plot and worldbuilding inconsistencies.

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me for numerous reasons.

I started the book with hope. The first chapters were excellent and interesting, and I was so curious about the cycle the protagonist is caught in, and how it will all unfold.

But the writing style and the strange world-building just didn't work for me. It felt like a mashup of things without really committing to one setting, atmosphere, and threw a lot of characters at the reader without developing them beyond a surface level approach.

Amazing concept, but the execution didn't work for me, personally.

I really enjoyed this! I thought the premise was great and the storyline and writing made me want to keep reading and figure out what would happen next.

This book was such an interesting and unique concept I couldn't wait to read it and it didn't disappoint especially starting the story with our main character's death.

The world building was a bit hard to follow at first since I couldn't properly visualize the setting from mentions of both 1920s vibes and also skyscrapers??(after that I just imagined the towns like altissia lol) but once you get more in the story it gets easier to follow the actual concept of what the author was going for. And for the politics, it is well written as well and its definitely something to get a good grasp on throughout the story for later, I especially enjoyed the branches of necromancy and hope we can see more about different magic types in more depth in the sequel.

The character were great, likeable and without feeling dull plus I liked how some of their past can be seen through how a part of them acts.

And without spoiling, the ending was unexpected and had me blankly staring at 'the end' page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book included so many things I love: sword-wielding sapphics, a unique magic system, and a message about female rage and autonomy. So much about this book was really cool and I had a great time following all of the characters as they navigated monsters, sketchy agencies, necromancy, romance, and the incarnations of goddesses. A fun read that had an interesting tinge of urban-fantasy (or maybe better described as 'bureaucratic fantasy'?) and a lot of female rage.

Locke and Enid were a great couple and I loved their dynamic. Even though the romance in this was only a subplot I thought it was really great and there were lots of interactions between the two that had me super invested. Enid as a main character was really great too, and I thought her sense of justice and bravery was really great.

However, there were a few issues that I had with the pacing and world-building. I know authors can tend to throw too much exposition at the reader at once, but I feel like it's equally easy to go too far the other way and provide too little context, which this book did in my opinion. There were so many moments when I just didn't understand what exactly was going on or this world and society functioned, and it wasn't always clear to me whether the characters knew what was happening either. The world seems super interesting and like I've said I feel like it had an interesting urban-fantasy sense to it, but I just didn't learn enough about it to feel truly immersed or fully enjoy it.

Another problem that stemmed from the limited world-building was that I felt like the plot was often being rushed, especially with the side characters. While I adored Enid and Locke's relationship and thought they were both great characters, this did make it more jarring whenever the POV switched to a character I felt like I didn't know or understand nearly as much. This created issues with the pacing and interrupted the momentum of the story in my opinion.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book! I think it had so many elements that I loved and hinted at so many interesting ideas I would love to revisit and learn more about in the future. It had a very unique world and magic system and, again while I would have liked to understand them a little more, I still had a great time reading about them and liked the way they were written. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy unique fantasy settings and stories, especially with sapphic characters and romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this eARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me to have a copy through NetGalley.

I was immediately interested in the concept of the story through the brief description I saw on NetGalley. It sounded unique so I was prepared for a deep story with exploration and a book I couldn’t put down, I was right to think this.

We meet Enid at the end of her life but the beginning of her story. We follow her through her adventure of finding the man that ends her life in every new body she inhabits. I like the way Eos is someone totally new, yet somehow seperate from all her other lives. In some ways Eos seemed like a mini possession, living with Enid in her body in the far background rather than her just being Enid which I enjoyed.

This book had amazing writing and a solid plot that kept me unable to put it down. I did find it hard to get into as it felt like a rush of information in the beginning but once I understood the magic system, the roles and the laws of the universe I LOVED it. Eileen is a fantastic writer, the writing style is so well done and you can tell she is amazing at what she does.

I love a found family story and this was such a heart-warming one. Each character was so fleshed out and I couldn’t help but grow attached, Locke being the obvious favourite. I was so immersed in the story I felt like one of the group, they will genuinely always hold a tiny piece of my heart.

I would have rated it higher but the ending just wasn’t for me. It made sense and fit the story, I just wish it were wrapped up in a more satisfying way. I’m assuming there must be another book coming since it ended on a cliff-hanger, which I hate. I will be devastated if I don’t see more of what happens to the characters I have come to love.

I’ll be picking up any books this author writes in future, I guarantee it.

This is going to be much of the same complaints as other reviewers. The idea itself was intriguing, the execution was not good. Enid is the reincarnation of the goddess Eos, forever doomed to be killed by Tithonus. This in and of itself could have been explored through more flashbacks or really giving us ANY history between the two!! Don't expect any real information before the 75% mark, which to me is not nearly enough.

If there was any depth at all to characters or the story, this would have been at least somewhat enjoyable, but instead we get more dismemberment than I may have ever seen in a book. There are a ton of characters introduced which also means a ton of characters that have no personality or development at all. The romance is the same, boring and unconvincing.

The settings all feels haphazard, the world ranging wildly between no technology to technologically advanced. We are not given much time in any one place to really feel the surroundings. Then there is the magic systems (yeah, multiple??). There is a brief moment around the halfway point that a character asks about magic and we get a 2 sentence explanation followed by that character being like "yeah I don't understand that so I'm not going to ask further" AKA you as the reader shouldn't think too much about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this E-Arc, all opinions are my own.

A Body Not Her Own has such interesting story elements but it felt incomplete and as if it was one half of a longer book. In the book we meet Enid a farmer who is not what she seems. She is actually the reincarnation of a killed goddess and has been murdered throughout centuries by the same man.

The world seems to have deep and considerable amount lore but unfortunately, we get bits and pieces but not a larger picture- I do recommend using the glossary and character sheet located in the front and back on the book respectively to help with the world building, it is nicely detailed. The book has an extremely interesting magic system, and I wish we would have gotten more background on it/explanations-learning more about necromancers in particular was one of my favorite details. The characters are lovely and all uniquely standout, but their respective relationships are undeveloped, and I wish we could have seen more interactions.

The story itself progresses a little choppily and I had to stop and reread several times some paragraphs to understand sudden jumps in narration/thoughts. The beginning 1/4 of the book is a little slow but I had a great time with the world building. The last 1/4 felt rushed which was a pity because it had so much potential from all the buildup in the rest of the book/ I wanted answers. Instead, we get a cliff hanger which made me feel somewhat invalidated for reading the whole book as we got teasers of what the background to everything actually is and were left like that.

All that to say I think this series has potential and as I want answers, I will keep my eyes out on any follow up books- I need to know. I would recommend this book if you're into vague but cool magical systems, the story concept itself is compelling, the characters likeable, and the overall mystery will force me and you by extension to pick up the next installment.

I love Greek retelling and Greek inspired books, but this one didn’t hit the mark. I had a hard time relating to Eos and caring about her story

A Body Not Her Own by Eileen Farren is such a good book. I loved every single second of it and I couldn't be more grateful to have read this fascinating story.

Sadly, I had to DNF this book. I think the concept is super interesting and I really wish I enjoyed it more than I did, but unfortunately I just really didn't like the way it was written. It was choppy and very much telling instead of showing. Very non-descriptive and almost bored (not boring, but bored - like the writing didn't get the attention and care it deserved). It just didn't flow very naturally and I'm sad to say that I got annoyed while reading and therefore ended up having to stop.

Because I didn't finish the book, I'm trying to give it a sort of middle rating to be fair. However, I do think that my issues with it are valid and it would still have influenced my rating quite a lot, had I finished it. Therefore I think the 2 stars here are fair and accurately show the quality of the book in my opinion. I really think the book had potential and maybe with some more rounds of edits it could have been a much higher rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

A Body Not Her Own introduces a compelling concept—a reincarnated goddess hunted through centuries, set against a backdrop of elemental magic, necromancy, and sapphic romance. Enid’s journey, resurrected to break a curse, is rich with potential and intriguing lore. However, while the characters and premise shine, the execution falls short. The pacing feels rushed, relationships underdeveloped, and the worldbuilding inconsistent—swinging between medieval fantasy and modern elements without clarity. The magic system, though creative, lacks explanation, leaving core mechanics and character abilities vague. Editorial issues further disrupt the experience. Still, the book’s ambition and representation are commendable, and with more polish and depth, this could evolve into a standout fantasy series.

Thank you to Victory Editing for the opportunity of reading this ARC!
I was really drawn into the premise: a reincarnated goddess, various elemental magics, and a sapphic romance on top - but unfortunately, I found the execution lacking. It was all a bit underdeveloped and difficult to connect with, and I would dare say (although who am I to say) this isn't ready for publication in it's current state. The 2 stars is a round up for the sheer potential - and could easily be a 5 if given a rework.

The pacing, character development and worldbuilding all felt very shallow. I often found myself confused by the setting: at times it's giving medieval fantasy (swords, small villages you can hide away in, ancient gods) but then there are modern elements thrown in (phones, vehicles, guns, cities) without any explanation. The overall world didn't feel cohesive and I found it very hard to picture, let alone become immersed in.

The FMC being a Goddess reincarnated, despite being the story's main focus point, is also incredibly unclear. It's given to us as a reincarnation, yet it feels more like the FMC is a "chosen one" rather than the Goddess herself. It is not explained what happens when the Goddess "awakens" - are they meant to be the same person, or separate entities? Does the FMC lose control of herself and the Goddess move in and take over? (Although, FMC has very little personality or distinct traits to speak of as is, so if this would be a detraction I'm not sure!) She doesn't seem to have any bonus powers or anything, just labelled to die? Considering it is the main premise of the book, a bit more explanation would go a long way.

We are also introduced to a wide range of characters very quickly, and the story starts splitting into their POV's and side quests before we are even given a chance to be interested in them. The way it jumps between them, and their lack of depth, made it incredibly hard to stay emotionally invested, and really distracted from the actual goal of the book for no payoff.
The romance is also rushed through - bearing in mind the short duration of the main arc (about 2 months if I remember) and between the duration, and the skipping POVs, the dynamic doesn't have time to develop naturally, and the love doesn't seem genuine. It would have been wonderful to have more breathing space for the casual side of things, I think it could have been a fun dynamic to grow with, and would have made it more compelling and enjoyable given the chance.

The magic system is interesting enough, different elements and mastery of aspects of it gave me "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vibes - with the addition of Necromancy. However, the spectrum of abilities titled under "necromancy" is broad and I wonder if they really work under that title - foreseeing people's demise, and healing don't feel very necromancy? I feel there is a more appropriate label out there for it. Again, some more clear definitions and background around the magic system would really benefit the book. Like who gets what powers and how, does everyone have powers or are there normies too?

There were also a fair number of inconsistencies and grammatical issues (including tense shifts, incorrect words, spelling and what not) that disrupted the flow of reading, although I recognise this is not a finalised version, it contributed to the sense of needing another round of edits.

I do genuinely really appreciate what the book attempts to be - a diverse, sapphic, mythic, epic fantasy - but it would really benefit from a more in-depth worldbuilding, clearer character arcs and overall a bit more polish and such, it could be incredible.

Thanks again for the ARC, I really hope this gets the chance to become what it has the potential to be.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
A Body Not Her Own is a rather darker, adult debut fantasy book, about a woman, who's hunted for being a reincarnation of the Goddess, Eos.
The base idea of this book is really good: A goddess reincarnated, being hunted for hundreds of years Female rage Elemental magic Sapphic romance sub-plot Magicians, necromancers, monsters

I  genuinely liked the characters and the way they connected. But at the same time, I kept wishing we got to see more of that journey, more little moments showing how they built that closeness, how their bond grew over time. It would've made their relationships feel even more meaningful.

The magic system is based on elemental magic with different sub categories, which is really interesting, with a little more work the this system could have been even more awesome. I missed reading a little bit more about this topic, for example what determinates your magic powers, what The Great River is, how's magic used etc.
The story itself is actually fun and enjoyable i didn't have a hard time picking the book up. Even though there were some pacing issues and a few parts that were a bit hard to follow, it still managed to keep me engaged overall.

Locke's and Enid's relationship is nice, would have enjoyed to see more of them, see more interaction between them, how their one night stand (more multiple nights) turned into the love they ended up sharing.

The book let me want to know/learn more about Eos, the reincarnation (the hows, the whys), her relationship with Tithonus, about the magic system and about the characters.

I really wanted to like this, but it really wasn't a cohesive story. Everything felt rushed, there were too many characters that served no purpose, the romance was underdeveloped, and I couldn't find myself caring about anyone. This was all action, not introspection, no delving into anything deep, and the world-building only muddled up everything more. The magic system was both over-explained and lacking in clarity. The concept was very interesting, but poorly executed.

While reading this review it should be noted that I DNF'ed a quarter of the way through.

I think the book shows a lot of promise with a setting that could lend itself to exploring themes of breaking cycles, women's roles in religion, etc well; however, I think the book is in need of more edits. The pacing and continuity of the book feel choppy. The writing could also be more descriptive in terms of the details of scenes the characters are in and in terms of connecting scenes happening together. A lot of what I read seemed like it was written separately if that makes sense. I was not really connecting with a characters either due to me not vibing with the writing style.

This book follows the story of Enid, a reincarnation of the goddess Eos. Every generation a new Eos is born and killed by the ‘immortal man’. When Enid is killed however she is brought back to life by a necromancer who tasks her with killing the immortal man and ending the curse of the Eos women. Enid begins this journey with her Elven guard Locke.
I mostly enjoyed this story, I thought the main premise of Eos was a unique one and I’ve not read a story like this before. The lore behind this was explained well and explored throughout. The magic system is different but could have been explained better, I didn’t realise there were different magical beings until about 15% in. It wasn’t too clear who could or would not do certain things and I wish Enid’s magic was explained a little more: was the river a unique thing to her, or was she just water affiliated?
I particularly enjoyed the 1920s setting and I think the characters were well developed and explored in enough depth that I liked and understood them all.
I loved having a little sapphic knight in shining armour trope and I think the author did Enid and Locke justice in their love story. I would read what this author published next.

"I'll paint the ground red with your blood," She seethed, a deep viciousness leaking out with every word. "And then I'll do it again. And again. Until nothing is left of you."

A Body Not Her Own is a really intriguing fantasy novel about a goddess who is reincarnated only to be killed by an immortal man — but Enid, the most recent reincarnation of Eos, finally has a chance to stop him for good.

I thought the cast of characters were the real standout part of this book, and the time dedicated to the side characters as well as Enid and Locke made the world feel a lot more fleshed out than other books I've read (plus I'm a sucker for a found family!) And Enid and Locke's relationship was super sweet, I love them both 💕

Unfortunately some of the plot fell a little bit flat for me, as I felt like things were just happening to Enid rather than her being a proactive heroine trying to hunt down this man who very much deserved to die (promise I'm not just salty over That Death 😅), and that made it a little hard for me to get through this.

A solid 3 stars overall though!