What a fantastic book! This one is for fantasy and romantasy lovers. it's filled with beasts, forbidden love and of course some scheming and adventure.

The characters are likeable and experience quite a bit of growth. Under less than ideal circumstances Fionamara and Antal must work together to fight a common enemy. Their relationship is tumultuous, but blossoms into a believable love story. There is some spice, but it's not too much. It doesn't distract or take anything away from the storyline. The characters have good backstories that help shape their motives and personalities and a few are lgbtq+

This book's world-building has so much potential for future books. The Void, the many different planes and villages lay ground for what could be so many more books, and I'm here for it! I know there is another book to follow this one, but I'm hoping there will be more.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for this eARC!!

I DEVOURED this book! We follow Fionamara, a contraband smuggler who is very good at her job in part because she can see distortions (Curtains) which allow her to traverse across Planes due to nearly drowning as a child. Things turn sour when Fionamara is tricked by her clients from an extremely lucrative job into smuggling explosives that are ultimately used for an attack on Lord Antal, who is a member of a flesh-eating immortal species (daeyari) that currently rules over the mortals and requires blood sacrifices in exchange for providing the humans with protection and energy. Now, Antal requires Fionamara's cooperation to help him identify who is trying to overthrow him due to her part in the attack, but Fionamara has her own reasons for being wary of the daeyari....

There were so many different aspects of this story that worked well for me. SA MacLean expertly crafted a world with such unique concepts - interspace travel through the use of Shards and Curtains, an immortal species of flesh-devouring beasts, silver human magic, crimson immortal energy, and the list goes on. It was a fascinating world to get lost in and I loved the added details of giving the daeyari their own language (we get a glossary at the back!). The plot was action packed, the romance was swoonworthy (spice was impeccable and all... but forehead touches will get me every time!!), but let it be known that the characters were the highlight of this story! I loved watching the unshakeable brother/sister bond between Fionamara and Boden, the village family dynamics when you bring Kashvi and Iliha into the mix, and the complicated feelings of hurt and grief from loss which both of our main characters experience and work through together. The relationship and snark/banter between Fionamara and Antal we got to witness as they go on this journey together is unmatched; their moments range from kicking your feet giggling at their back and forths to such raw and tender scenes (and span everything between). SA MacLean also tackles themes of grief, acceptance, and forgiveness (of others and yourself) and we get to see how each character goes through these experiences and grows from their pain, which was a treat. Voidwalker also has amazing queer representation and I'm so happy I got to start off pride month with this read! I can't wait for the next book! Thank you Orbit Books and Netgalley for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Orbit and NetGalley!

This is a solid 4.5⭐ but I'm willing to overlook that .5 because I told myself this would be a 5⭐ read and it delivered. THANK GOD

This was a really refreshing romantasy (?) fantasy that had a magic that I haven't seen used, and even though the plot was sort of standard, I enjoyed the way it came together. The world that the fmc Fionamara is in is an interesting one that's sort of space adjacent, but with demons and void magic. I appreciated that she made decisions that made sense within the story and her power level matched with her character description. She knew her magic and for the most part she also knew herself which made for good character development when she discovered something new.

I also am sort of obsessed with Antal omg. I will say I had a hard time picturing what he looked like, and it was giving Nightcrawler vibes but his personality was fun. I liked the way he was written because he's a void monster, and he has things about him that are unhumanlike but it was a good balance between the monster side and the human traits. Definitely was monster enough to qualify as being a monster romance but idk, he wasn't totally abnormal if that makes sense.

The plot is sort of a revenge story which made the bones of it sort of predictable, but I liked how it ended in a way that gave you something to look forward to with book 2 without being a crazy cliffhanger. This one definitely ends ~openly but it's satisfactory.

There were some small writing things that I kept noticing but it wasn't anything I couldn't overcome lol. Magic happens a lot in this book, and every time it happens around Fionamara she got a feeling of static on her tongue and let me say that combination of words happens like 25x. We got it! I also didn't really care for the whole Astrid thing and "you left" narrative because she could've taken some personal accountability, BUT all of that to say, it didn't bother me to the point of unenjoyment.

The romance was also good. It didn't develop too fast and I was able to see how both of them would end up falling for each other even though it's a romance so they obviously would. But it didn't feel forced. It was a decent balance of romance and plot and really, the plot was like 80% so it definitely had a solid romantic b-plot that you could root for.

I really enjoyed this and it's hard to say how much of it came from me pre-hyping it up to myself from the cover but overall it was a really good deviation from what's become the standard romantasy and that alone gives it points. I'll definitely be buying a copy because I'm ready to be obsessed with something again.

4 stars

I went into this book not knowing what to expect. What I didn’t expect was to fall headfirst into a world so strange, so dark and soft and sharp at the same time, that I now find myself missing it.

I have to say, I struggled a bit at the beginning: the plot is not clear from the start, but as I continued, I found that I enjoyed this kind of narration. What I really appreciated was Fi. She is flawed and fractured, with traumatic past and a lot of secrets. I feel like her character stole the show and even though it took me a while to really appreciate her, I ended up loving her. Antal was a surprise, I didn't expect him to be so naive at time, but I enjoyed the banter with Fi.

World building was just perfectly created for this book and the writing style was the perfect companion.

What didn’t work for me? Some parts felt like they were almost there, especially when it came to secondary characters. I wanted more from them, more dimension.

This book made me feel like I was walking through a forest, it was confusing, yes. It was overwhelming. But it was also exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

First read by this author and found myself colored impressed. The world building was adequate without becoming a chore for the reader. Loved the lore and romance as well!

Fionamara is a smuggler, who can see curtains and travel through the void.
Antal is the ruler of her region, a monster, born and bread in the darkness, and the reason her people fear the dark.

Anatal does not rule the way the other Daeyari in the planes do, and this is causing notice.

Although the people still flee at the sight of him and are scared our of their wits, the other Daeyari think he is to lenient and to soft. Anatal only takes minimal willing human sacrifices to feed upon, he lets the towns govern themselves and only steps in when needed.

Vern the Daeyari of the neighboring region, decides to go after Anatal and his territory.

Fionamara gets set up to take the fall for the coup against Anatal. Now, she must do everything she can to keep her home, herself and the ones she cares for safe. Even if the methods are unconventional.

I cant wait to read the second book in this duology. Where this can very much be a stand alone , and reads very well as one. I want to see where the ending of this story takes us.
with keeping this as spoiler free as possible. The last 1/4 of the book really does talk about traveling and other planes and where the void can take you, I really hope we get to explore more of he season locked planes as well as possibly the other Daeyari lands.

Im usually not one for "monster" or "creature" romances but I really liked the synopsis of this and wanted to give this a try. I can now say that I will give other stories like this a shot as well.

I cant wait to see fan art and possibly art released by the author and publishing company. The cover is stunning, but i want to see more of Anatal and Fi both in their full glory. Fi will be one of these characters that so many will find relatable and i cant wait to see the content on social medias and in the bookish community when they all discover Fionamara, and how truly fierce she is.

The romance is there, and parts get rather spicy, however if you are a reader that does not want to read spicy scenes, you can easily skip over them and you still get the full story in all its glory.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for the Digital ARC.

For Book reviews and more visit www.lexariffe.com

Thank you Netgalley, Orbit, and S.A MacLean for the ARC.

This is probably a 3.5 star read for me. It was really good but the beginning is incredibly slow. There is a lot of unnecessary introductions and information leading up to where the real plot begins and it drags. If this story had better pacing and omitted the random details that don't matter it would be ranked much higher

Things I absolutely did love about this book, monster smut, 32 year old mfc, good banter and interesting story for a romantasy. I loved that each character had to deal with their prejudices against each other and past traumas to move forward to fix the main problem in the story. It was nice that the character flaws weren't one sided. This was definitely a slow burn too, I think the romance could have picked up earlier in the story but it still worked out fine.

Overall, this was fun and I would still recommend the book to someone looking for a different fresh take on the romantasy genre!

I think this had pretty interesting worldbuilding, and there's a lot of people who will like this. I, however, prefer The Phoenix Keeper, which I knew would likely be the case going into this book.

So I'm into monster stuff now, stuff 👀 this was everything, I'm gonna be in a major reading slump, I can FEEL it,  delivers a compelling action packed plot whilst also giving us a slow burn spicy lil romance, and both are executed well with neither lacking, sometimes with fantasy romance it can feel like you either get great worldbuilding/plot or romance, not both, the worldbuilding was so unique and refreshing I've never read anything like it, I love a black cat character and we get two *giggling and kicking my feet* the character arcs were 🤌 this is definitely one of the best books I've read this year, unique, imaginative, sexy, rich, immersive, witty, did I mention sexy?

🖤✨ ARC REVIEW
📖 Voidwalker by S.A. Maclean
🗓️ Pub Date: August 19, 2025
🏷️ Genre: Romantasy | Sci-Fi Fantasy
#Voidwalker #NetGalley #LiteraryHavocReviews

"𝘉𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦."
And just like that… I was hooked.

S.A. Maclean’s Voidwalker is a feral, brilliantly crafted fusion of dark fantasy, dimension-hopping sci-fi, and the kind of slow-burn monster romance that lives in your bones. Think: shadow creatures, morally gray queens, and the scorching chemistry of enemies forced to survive each other. 🔥

Meet Fionamara – a snarky, dimensional-smuggling badass just trying to keep her village alive. Enter Antal – an immortal predator draped in silver energy, all fangs, claws, and devastating bargains. When the two are reluctantly paired up on a mission that spirals into a war between worlds, everything changes.

What I loved:
🖤 Glorious, high-stakes worldbuilding à la Cosmere
🖤 Forbidden magic and revolutionary angst
🖤 Antal… you terrifying, alluring chaos beast
🖤 One bed. Forced proximity. Mutual destruction vibes.
🖤 “What if the monster isn’t the danger? What if it’s the craving?” 🤭

This is romantasy done right—macabre, tender, violent, beautiful. The Void is vast and so is the emotional gravity of this book. If you liked Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, or The Serpent and the Wings of Night, prepare to lose sleep.

⭐️ 5/5 | My new personality is just Voidwalker quotes and feral fan art.

#RomantasyReads #SciFiFantasy #MonsterRomance #BookTokMadeMeDoIt #SwoonAndScream #NetGalleyARC #SA Maclean #DarkRomanceFantasy #Bookstagram #LiteraryHavoc #VoidwalkerVibes #EnemiesToSomethingMore #FeralFantasy

Oh my god, this might be my favorite read of the year!

TW: death of a parent, blood, gore, graphic wounds, eating of human flesh (not by other humans), see the author's note for a more extensive list

Fi is a Void smuggler, she can jump through different Planes smuggling in contraband for a hefty price. She takes almost all of her profits back to her brother, Boden, a mayor of a small village that has made a deal with its Lord Daeyari, Antal, that as long as they don't as for any help whatsoever he will leave them in peace to govern themselves and won't require any human sacrifices. Daeyari are an immortal species born of the void who eat humans and act as their overlords. Antal is different. He's only lording over his territory as a punishment from his father (an elder) for getting too close to a human. Antal doesn't see humans as just a food source, he sees their artistry, their emotions, their relationships. After Antal's reign is challenged by a vicious neighboring Daeyari, he joins forces with Fi to fight for what's right.

Fi was such a badass. She was so brave and sassy but also had real vulnerability. I loved her relationship with her brother Boden and I loved how unafraid she was of Antal. Antal was such a golden retriever of a man/monster. He almost immediately was gone for Fi but I loved how their relationship built up slowly over time with such delicious tension. The small town vibes were cute too! Overall the plot was entertaining and interesting and I can't recall any lulls. I did NOT want to put this down but unfortunately I have to work for a living, the audacity!

While I think this was wrapped up nicely as a standalone apparently there will be another installment! I haven't seen anything stating this will be about Fi and Antal again but I would so love to return to them. There are things that are left that can still be addressed like her mortality and his conflict with his father but I would still read something in this world if it wasn't about them. Thank you so much to Orbit Books for gifting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you start a novel with a back story and a children’s rhyme I will go all in.

Deayari rule the territories. They are beasts that can pass through the void and they demand a human sacrifice from their territories each year. Fionamara (Fi), due to brief dance with death, could see and travel between worlds. SO what does Fi do with this ability. She becomes a smuggler between worlds in order to keep the deayari from taking a sacrifice from the territory Fi comes from. Then one heist gets Fi wrapped up in so much more then she could have imagined. Her morals will be tested as well as her loyalties.

This was my first S. A. Maclean novel but will not be my last. I really enjoyed this read. I am not a big romance fan but I love epic fantasy. Now do not get me wrong I do enjoy a bit of romance I just prefer it not to be the main point of the story. I appreciated that the enemies to lovers romance trope in this book was not insta lust. A lot of romantasy’s coming out right now are like that.

If your reading this book for the romance in romantasy then you will not be disappointed. It does not really show up until about 60% in because of the relationship building and character development but once it starts it does not stop until about the 75% mark, when the focus returns to the plot and the action kicks into overdrive. The spice was a bit much for me but I know the spicy readers will love it. I enjoyed that the author created more of an emotional build up by focusing on the backgrounds of the characters which I think came across more successfully then instant lust would have. To me this created a more realistic and interesting build up. Lets face it, character development is key in a good fantasy and this book does not miss the mark.

Another important MUST in a successful fantasy is world building and again S. A. Maclean does an amazing job. Though the world is completely unique and new to the reader, I immediately felt immersed in it. The magic system had tech/sci-fi vibes and my inner geek was loving it. Overall an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next.

I loved it! It is both a great fantasy and a great romance story.
The characters are complex and interesting, and got very satisfying arcs.
There is also great world building, plenty of action, heists and battles with tangible stakes. It was emotional but still sweet, funny and, well, hot.
The writing is really good, because I honestly never thought I would one day read a monster romance and actually enjoy it.
There is something for everyone in in book, and it works great.
Thank you Orbit Books for this ARC!

Such an easy 5 stars!!!!!! Ahhhh! I loved this! This was such a breath of fresh air! I loved the whole sci-fi romantasy aspect. I will say it was super repetitive at times... enough that ai would laugh because it's like I really didn't think you could tell me her hair was rainbow this many times... but it did LOL. But overall I really loved the story. I'm a little upset that the ending made it seem like it was a standalone but I also know it's a part of a series... The ending just felt rushed, but overall this was really action packed and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Links to come!

This was a very fun fantasy, firstly I love the cover! The characters were well developed, and I am a big fan of this author!

Holy cow was this good! It gave Slewfoot meets A Soul to Keep vibes . I love the overall premise and the way the author keeps the events going while the two main are developing themselves and thier relationship.

I quite literally devoured this book, I did not want it to end. I am newer to reading monster romances, and I think this was a great book to tip my toes into the genre. The worldbuilding is interesting with a sci-fi element to it as there are different planes that Voidwalkers like our FMC, Fionamara, can travel between. We only get a glimpse into some of these planes, with a focus on the four seasons and the plot majorly taking place in the Winter Plane where Fi is from. I also really liked how Fi is both a badass but still relatable and has her fair share of flaws; she's both good with a sword but has moments of vulnerability when her facade cracks. The romance between Fi and Antal, one of the immortal daeyari lords of her plane, is a bit of a slow burn which I am all here for. But things do get quite spicy between the two, and it was done in a way that was tasteful and not overbearing. I love the relationship between these two as I find it refreshing that an immortal can be described as a sulking wet cat rather than being tough and possessive. Thank goodness there's a second book because I need more of Fi and Antal ASAP. This book will make you feel all the emotions; you'll laugh, cry, and maybe make your heart skip a beat. Yes, a monster romance made me teary eyed.

The only issue I found with this book is that there are some parts that are repetitive, such as the constant remark of the scent of ozone usually when Fi describes how Antal smells. It just becomes a bit annoying after a while and personally takes me out of the narrative. But everything else about this book is great!

Thank you so much Orbit Books, SA Maclean, and NetGalley for an eARC copy in exchange for a review!

I love reading monster romances so both the premise and the gorgeous cover art for this one had me slamming the Request button on NetGalley faster than I ever have before, and I was not disappointed. Voidwalker by SA Maclean was such fun, sexy, sweet read!

Fionamara (Fi) is a feisty rainbow-haired smuggler who gets roped into a heist that goes awry and teams up with a human-eating apex predator - Antal.

The world building is refreshing and there’s plenty of romance from the halfway point onward; this is a great read if you’re looking for a good balance of romance to plot, solid banter, and a broody MMC who is NOT an alpha male.

One of my favorite parts about this book was that it was a complete story arc! It feels like the majority of fantasy romances these days end on major cliffhangers, so I really loved that we don’t have to wait years for the thrilling conclusion of Fi & Antal’s story!

Here’s all the boxes Voidwalker checked for me-

Character Growth ✅
Great pacing ✅
Setting is largely cold/wintry ✅
High stakes/tension without apocalyptic war or overcomplicated political maneuvering ✅
Cozy cabin vibes ✅
Fun portal magic ✅
Strong partnership (you’re really rooting for them) ✅
Feisty FMC in her 30s ✅
Broody MMC w/catlike mannerisms, a tail, & antlers ✅
Also… ‘Consent Kings’ are my shadow daddies and Antal DELIVERS ✅
Great spice - well written & paced ✅
Complete story arc with a satisfying wrap up ✅
Cover art is gorgeous ✅

Huge thank you to Orbit Books, SA Maclean, and NetGalley for the advance copy of Voidwalker in exchange for my honest review. Books like this are why I signed up for NetGalley to begin with!!

Ohhh my! This was such a great read. This was my first from this author but definitely won’t be my last. This was everything and more I love in a fantasy novel. The world building and characters..chef’s kiss!

📚Voidwalker by S.A. Maclean
📅 Aug 19, 2025
✨ Romantasy

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🔥 🔥

Review
Have you ever read a book that, even halfway through, you didn’t want to end? That’s exactly how I felt while reading this amazing new romantasy from one of my favorite authors. She makes her characters so authentic and relatable that you almost forget you’re not in the story with them. From page 1, you’re immersed in this new world of smugglers, race of hot monster overlords and immediately you’re rooting for the FMC - Fionamara. The slow burn, plot building story is one that I won’t forget and is one of, if not THE, top reads of the year for me.

Would I Recommend?
For fans of Harley Laroux, Opal Reyne, Ruby Dixon, Katee Robert and basically anyone who likes their romantasy with a flair of danger and monsters!