**3.75⭐️**

Both MC's have super interesting backgrounds and while Ace knows his secrets, i'm not sure that Brisa has all the information she needs about herself so I think this plays into the answers we don't have yet.

Frankie is a super interesting side character with a big story of her own. Her dad being a Kelpie with the magic shard was an intense twist on top of her magic being so unstable and the absolute flair she brought to the story, and her sudden turn to vampirism to officially escape the oracle's punishment.

Rio is also an interesting character, and maybe hes not exactly a good person- but I think he's just tying to survive more then anything and is more complex than he looks on the surface.

Lupa's locati9n is still a big mystery, and i'm curious about how Ace played into it because they've certainly met.

Belial clearly was not just a talking cat, and I am SO curious about where that's going.

I think the relationships that were built felt natural, and it was almost refreshing to find a "romance" where things dont just fall into place quickly. I enjoyed the tension and the uncertainty while enjoying that it wasn't obviously going to be some sort of reverse harem situation. I feel like a lot more betrayal and heartbreak are on the way- but I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it. I also enjoyed the kind of dystopian feel to a traditional kingdom in a modern world.

There are a lot of moving parts so its certainly something to take the time to absorb so as not to forget little details, but i truly enjoyed watching the plot build and look forward to finding out what happens next. The only thing I would have liked was to have gotten a few more answers, or a more climatic discovery to have picked up the pace of the book a little bit, or ended it with more of a bang. With all of that said, I think this is going to be a great series when it's complete. So much potential!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

☾enemies-to-(maybe) lovers
☾soul bonding
☾vampires/werewolves/familiars/sires
☾interesting magics and political systems
☾found family
☾betrayal/lies
☾who can you trust?
☾plot twists

Bris and Ace (and also Wolf and Frankie, shh) captured my heart. For 2 of those, it took a while. I'll let you guess who! I was immediately drawn into the book with the war, politics, and magic system. You start off not knowing who you can trust, and honestly it ends much the same--but SO MUCH HAPPENS. If you think you know where this is going and whose side you're taking, no you don't. I loved every second of it.

There was constant tension, suspense, thrill, YEARNING.

When I finished the last page I just stared at my ceiling for a while and wondered what to do next. How am I supposed to move on with the fate of my friends up in the air like that? I must know more, I MUST READ BOOK TWO PLEASE!!!

First off, thank you to the author and netgalley for the ARC. All reviews are my own.

This book was such a refreshing read. I absolutely love fantasy and romantasy, but sometimes they all clash or you’re just in a slump but I can perfectly say this was a perfect debut for Sofia!!!

The characters are so well developed, and the uncertainty around the love interest kept me on my toes the entire time. I love having FMC have room to grow. Every character brings their own perspective, shaped by personal experience, and you can truly feel that in how they’re written, a huge clap.

I am anticipating wonderful work from Sofia Shab!!!

I enjoyed this one but it definitely gave me whiplash multiple times. The FMC has no magic and is essentially thrust into a dangerous journey when all she wants is to find her sister. I like her as a person, though she could be naive at times. I'm on the fence about the MMC though, because every time I thought I was starting to like him, he'd turn around and be an asshole again. There are complex side characters who have an important role in the story and the plot is well developed. There's many different types of beings and magics at work here also. The ending was so abrupt and had me like ????? I am definitely curious about what's next for this series though and would read book 2. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

When I tell you that I have no words to describe how absolutely wonderful this book was, I could NOT put this down. This is Sofia Shab’s debut novel and I am so impressed with this book. Brisa is our main character who is an Unenchanted aka human and is living in a world where having magic means everything. After her sister (Lupa) disappears, Brisa goes in search of her outside of the rebellion and into London. From there, we start on a wild ride and meet so many characters. Brisa is a force to reckoned with and I loved the relationships that she forms with Frankie and Greer. There are MESSY relationships in this, everyone is very entangled with each other but it is so good to read. I truly cannot wait for book two to come out so I can continue to see where Brisa’s journey will take us!

Also, Belial is everything to me.

Thank you to Sofia Shab and NetGalley for this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sofia Shab for the ARC!

In a city ruled by magic, Brisa stands apart, magicless, restless, and increasingly disillusioned with a world that sidelines those like her. She’s a protestor, an agitator, and someone waiting for her sister to return home. But when that sister vanishes, Brisa’s path collides with the city’s darker side, and with it comes a bond to someone she never expected: Commander Ace Trivar, the king’s weapon and enforcer.

Caught in a web of shifting loyalties, dangerous politics, and temptations she can’t ignore, Brisa’s fight for answers drags her into a dangerous game—one where betrayal, forbidden attraction, and the cost of survival all intertwine.

The blurb promises rebellion, flawed heroines, forbidden romance, and a world full of witches, vampires, and magic and it delivers on many of those fronts!

⸻

What Worked Well

1. Characters with Range

• Brisa: She’s flawed, reckless, sometimes frustrating, but all the better for it. Her imperfections give her real weight and make her a heroine you can actually invest in.

• Frankie: A standout. Her chapters were some of the most enjoyable, especially watching her fight free from a toxic ex. There’s something deeply satisfying about her hard-earned independence.

• Rio: The heartbreak of the book. Their dynamic with Brisa was compelling, so the betrayal twist hit hard. Sometimes pain = good storytelling!


2. The Twist at the End

While much of the story followed a predictable rhythm, the ending pulled the rug out from under me. That final twist made me sit up straighter and got me genuinely excited for where the series might go next. It’s the kind of hook that justifies continuing with book two.

3. A Solid Foundation

The story has a strong setup—magic vs. non-magic, rebellion simmering under the surface, morally gray characters. The ingredients are all there, and while it isn’t groundbreaking, it does deliver an enjoyable reading experience.

⸻

Where It Fell Short

• Predictability
While the twist was excellent, much of the journey there felt easy to anticipate. The structure follows familiar beats without taking big risks, which meant some of the tension was lost.

• Pacing & Length
The prose is solid, but there’s no denying that some chapters dragged. A tighter edit would have kept the momentum stronger, especially in the middle sections where things sometimes slowed to a crawl.

• Uneven Character Dynamics
For every engaging character (Brisa, Frankie), there were those who fell flat (Wolf) or disappointed (Rio, thanks to the betrayal). The inconsistency left me a little whiplashed in terms of investment.

• Wolf: Simply unlikeable. Every appearance was grating, and not in a fun “love to hate” way.

⸻

The Writing

Sofia Shab’s writing is descriptive and competent, with immersive worldbuilding that helps ground the setting. That said, it occasionally tips into being long-winded, which slowed the pace. A bit more “show” and a little less “tell” could have elevated the prose to something sharper and more urgent.

⸻

Final Thoughts

Princess of Nothing is a solid opener to The Soul Weaver Chronicles. While it’s not without flaws, predictable beats, uneven pacing, and a few character frustrations, it still offers enough heart, drama, and intrigue to make the ride worthwhile.

Brisa’s messy resilience, Frankie’s independence, and that killer ending twist left me invested enough to want to see where the story heads in book two. It may not reinvent the YA fantasy wheel, but it spins it with enough energy to keep readers entertained.

👉 Final Verdict: A mixed but enjoyable read. If you love flawed heroines, messy dynamics, and don’t mind a story that takes its time, this one is worth checking out.

My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

I absolutely adored this book. Nothing was ever what it seemed and everyone has their own hidden motive.

The world separated between the enchanted and the unenchanted. The resistance appears to be on the side of the unenchanted but with only two left in London - well all of the British Isles who knows what really drives them.
When Brisa leaves the resistance in search of her adopted sister she is caught by the head of the enemies army. Non matter how hard he tries to kill her is no good they are bound to each other. Brisa finds herself in enemy territory trying to save her team-mates, find her sister and juggle the attentions of three men.

But there is so much more to Brisa than even she really knows.

This is a masterful example of world building, suspense and political intrigue. I need book 2 immediately

Thank you to NetGalley and Sofia Shab for the ARC.

Plot 4.25/5
Characters 4.25/5
Ending 4.25/5
Interest 4.5/5

Overall 4.25/5

-I had a great time reading this book. It felt like it brought together so many good books and turned it into something very unique. The world was great where humans meet magical creatures and how they exist with one another, or not, is so interesting. The plot line with the missing sister, the captured friends and the reluctant allies / bonded was so intriguing and I loved following the story through.

-The characters were interesting. The relationships is where everything truly lies I believe. Because Brisa’s whole development happens with the impact of everyone around her. Her sister, her friends, her potential lovers all developed her into a stronger and more complex character and I really liked her. At first, I couldn’t really figure out if I preferred Ace or Rio because they each had their moments and it both irritates me and pulls me in.

-The ending leaves me wanting for more. It was so incredible and I want to know more. It leaves completely far away from where it first started and I now have a need to more. There was a lot going on, betrayals, different sides, epic battles and it was truly amazing to read.

Unique story and strong characters! The pacing was all over the place and left the story feeling a little disjointed especially as it slowed towards the middle of the book. Personally not a fan of love triangles so the changing love interests hindered the movement of the plot in my opinion.

Brisa was the stand out of the story for sure. I loved her characterization and thought process throughout the story! 3.5

So let me begin by saying I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I thought it was really interesting and a good concept, and the cover of the book and synopsis caught my attention.
But I think it just could have been executed a little better because it felt so rushed! Like as if the author was writing it and their writing just couldn't catch up to all the ideas going on in their head (I get it, it's passion for the story), but I just felt confused as if sometimes sentences were half formed and missing words at times.

There was a part with the forest near the beginning where I was expecting it to be quite intense and for there to be obstacles and it instead was sort of skimmed over. I'm not really a reader who loves a lot of descriptive writing but I just felt sometimes there was a lack of anticipation, not always, just at times.

This applied to the romance as well. I do like the idea of Brisa and Ace but I couldn't fully believe in any sort of romance between them because it all just felt a little rushed and superficial. There was a sort of love triangle going on, or I guess square, if you also count Wolf. I won't say the name in case of spoilers but I really didn't trust one of the love interests at all.

I feel like I will probably read the author's next book because I genuinely did follow the story and wanted to see where it was going, but I just hope it's a little better developed in the sequel.

3.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I just want to hug Brisa, she deserves so much better than what she got. Gods I had to set this one aside so many times because I was just feeling way too much and needed to calm down from everything that was happening. I quite literally just finished this and my emotions… my emotions are in shreds and I’m not okay at all after this. I both simultaneously can’t wait to see what happens next, and not sure I can fully handle what happens next. I AM NOT WELL!!

Happy release day to @sofiashabauthor and The Princess of Nothing!! Can we just appreciate how absolutely STUNNING this cover is? It caught my eye immediately!

I absolutely love me a human girl hiding in a world of magical beings — it quite literally never gets old!

Brisa Farrahan is Unenchanted. She has no magic hiding inside of her, so she spends her time being hidden and conducting research for the rebellion. When Brisa's sister, one of the last remaining werewolves, goes missing, Brisa lies her way into a group rescue mission. If she's caught, she will be killed immediately.

When her friends are captured, Brisa is thrust into the grasp of Commander Ace Trivar and his world of untamed magic. For reason unknown to both of them, Ace can not kill Brisa. And he tries 🤣 They're bound in ways that haven't been seen in centuries, so Ace agrees that if Brisa can break the bond, he'll let her and her friends go.

The relationship between Brisa and Ace was stormy to say the least. They both wanted each other dead, but needed each other at the same time. It was a tense, slowburn that I wasn't sure I was routing for until the very end! And then things went CRAZY and now who knows? I'm still routing for them though 😍

The side characters were amazing, I loved Frankie. She was unhinged but also vulnerable and really just needed a friend - I'm so interested to know where her story will lead in the second book, especially after what she did!

The ending had me like 😱😱😱 and now I cannot wait for book two to see how everything is gonna turn out.

Thank you so much to @sofiashabauthor and @netgalley for an advanced copy of the book 🖤

Sofia Shab’s debut Princess of Nothing is a unique and wonderful addition to the fantasy genre! With complex characters, enemies to lovers, courtly politics/intrigue, and magic thrown into an urban fantasy setting, it’s sure to become a new favorite for readers. Sofia knows how to keep things interesting with the perfect amount of tension, plot twists, and action. What an amazing debut, I can’t wait for more!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I like this book enough to give it 3.7 stars!
I feel like this one was pretty introductory into Brisa’s life which i liked, a lot of secrets to uncover.
I loved! The twist with Belial at the end, that was genius.
I do think certain monologues and third person’s pov was a little bit confusing as in i wasn’t too sure who was talking until I got up to half of the first page of the chapter, I wished it was a little bit more friendly? In that sense. Since i was getting confused and other than that the other thing that confused me was how certain chapters started out of the blue and you barely know what’s going on,
the story was great but it definitely could be better executed.
I loved the Franky character and how Ace ended up being mad at Brisa, I will probably love to see more of Franky in another book and to see
what unravels between Brisa and Ace.
Looking forward for more Sofia Shab books!!!

Brisa is an unenchanted with no magic, in a world filled with enchanted; werewolves, dryads, vampires, and many others.

She is part of the resistance, but when her sister, Lupa, goes missing, she and the rebels must venture to the republic to find her.

What they don’t realize is Lupa isn’t in the palace, and with one wrong move, one rebel is 💀 and the others are captured.

To survive, Brisa must ally with the enemy, Commander Ace Trivar, the evil king’s most deadliest enforcer.

He would rather see her gone 💀 than ally with her, but he must protect her because of an ancient Bond, even if they don't see eye to eye.

Princess of Nothing is a gothic urban fantasy romance! Perfect for fans of The Bone Season, City of Bones, and From Blood and Ash.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was hooked from the start and really enjoyed it but I did get confused when the plot switched which sometimes I was confused where the story was going to happen.

I did get back into liking it again and seeing the relationship between Brisa and Ace but I did have a hard time connecting with the characters. It was face-paced but did have some slow moments.

After that cliffhanger I’m still very interested in knowing what happens in the second book!

<b>Thank you so much Sofia Shab and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

Excellent romantsy novel! Loved the dynamic between Brisa and ace. And Brisa and rio. And honestly hated Brisa and wolf. This read was excellent and the ending made me want more, so thanks for that haha. Read this if you love a good fantasy novel with every monster you can think of. Can’t wait for it to continue.

Thank you to Sofia Shab for the opportunity to ARC read this book.

Enemies to “lovers” to enemies?
Multiple weird love triangles?
Magic and morally gray characters?
Sign. Me. Up.

Princess of Nothing captured my attention right away and although the middle slowed down a bit too much for me, the ending came back with a vengeance and left me wanting the second installment NOW!

Team Rio - sorry, not sorry.

I really liked the sound of this book, I was hooked straight away when I read the premise.

We follow Brisa, who is a human living in a world ruled by ✨The Enchanted✨(aka werewolves, witches, sirens, vampires, literally EVERYTHING).
When her sister, Lupa disappears, Brisa breaks all the rules to go and find her, even if it means risking her life.

It was a fast paced read, I didn’t hate any characters, however I didn’t connect as much as I thought I was going to!

This has:
⚔️Rebellion
⚔️Political Intrigue
⚔️Found Family

This cover art is GORGEOUS!!! The cover artist ATE!

This was such a solid debut in my opinion. And i’m definitely excited for book 2!

✨Arc Review✨

Thank you to the author Sofia Shab And Netgallery for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-All thoughts and opinions are my own.


A Gripping Tale of Magic, Rebellion, and Heartfelt Defiance

From the very first page, Princess of Nothing by Sofia Shab drew me into a rich, complex world where magic is the ultimate currency — and those without it, like our fierce heroine Brisa, are left struggling to survive on the fringes of society. What I loved most about this story is how it blends high-stakes political intrigue with deeply personal stakes, creating a narrative that’s as thrilling as it is emotional.

Brisa is a character who immediately grabbed my attention. A human in a world dominated by powerful Enchanted beings — werewolves, witches, vampires, and more — she’s part of an underground resistance determined to challenge the status quo. When her sister Lupa mysteriously disappears, Brisa doesn’t hesitate to risk everything, even if it means breaking the law and walking into dangerous territory. Her courage and fierce loyalty make her a heroine you can’t help but root for.

The setting of Enchanted London is vividly imagined — a dark, glittering city filled with vampire clubs, secret alliances, and the constant tension of a society on the brink of rebellion. The world-building is meticulous without ever feeling overwhelming, allowing the story to flow smoothly while keeping the stakes high.

One of the most captivating elements is the slow-burn romance between Brisa and Rafe, a charming con man with a complicated past. Their relationship is layered with tension, reluctant trust, and undeniable chemistry that adds an irresistible emotional depth to the story. I especially loved the dynamic between them — it’s messy, realistic, and filled with moments that made me both swoon and cheer.

Beyond the romance and adventure, Princess of Nothing also explores important themes of privilege, resistance, and identity. The tension between the magical elite and the disenfranchised Unenchanted is palpable, making the story not just entertaining but thought-provoking.

And let’s not forget the delightful cat — a small but memorable character who adds just the right touch of whimsy and charm.

The book wraps up with plenty of hooks for the sequel, and I’m already counting down the days to see what happens next. Whether you’re a fan of dark fantasy, rebellious heroines, or enemies-to-lovers romance, Princess of Nothing is a must-read that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Okay, I will start off thank NetGalley and Sofia Shab for me to read this ARC for exchange for an honest review. I believe this was a good book and I really enjoyed reading it. I understand this is her debut novel and I could tell. I feel like the plot was everywhere and I was overwhelmed. I will absolutely read the second book has it left on a small cliffhanger. I was looking forward to enemies to lovers and I got some but then it turned to enemies again so I hope that changes in the second book

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
No chili pepper/ spice