In Twisted Souls, Shannon McLellan delivers a debut romantasy that packs in many of the hallmarks readers love: dual point‐of‐view, fae magic, moral shades of grey, and a love triangle (or more) that complicates loyalties and desire. The setup is promising. Zara, the heroine, suddenly manifests strange abilities that draw her into the world of Xavier—brooding, broken, “fae king with stolen magic and a fractured soul”—and his brother Jaxon, who has his own tangled motives. While witches, fae politics, and looming war raise the stakes, Zara also carries a secret that promises to disrupt everything.

One of the greatest strengths of Twisted Souls is how compellingly McLellan builds tension between characters. Zara’s attraction to both Xavier and Jaxon isn’t simplistic: both men are flawed, burdened by betrayal, and not entirely trustworthy. The romance arc is emotionally rich, especially when it engages with themes like loyalty, betrayal, power, and the cost of magic. Also impressive is the worldbuilding: the dual realms (non‑magical / magical), the threat of witches’ destructive forces, the political intrigue, and the gradual revelation of secrets are handled in ways that keep interest high. Readers generally feel pulled in from early on, wanting to understand Zara’s powers, Xavier’s losses, and Jaxon’s loyalties.

However, the book isn’t without its shortcomings. First, pacing feels uneven in places. The first sections zoom in with good momentum, but there are mid‑sections where the tension dips—often when backstory or exposition steps in more heavily. At times, revelations or emotional shifts seem to occur with less buildup than might make them fully credible. For instance, Zara’s feelings for one character over the other sometimes flip in ways that feel insufficiently foreshadowed. This undercut some emotional payoffs for me. Some readers also note that the romance tropes are familiar (fated mates, enemies‑to‑lovers, royalty, etc.), and while McLellan does add twists, certain plot beats feel derivative of popular works in the genre.

Another drawback is toward the book’s ending: the twist is ambitious and does provide a strong hook for the sequel, but it also raises questions—about character motivations, past events, and consistency—that aren’t fully answered in the text. This kind of cliffhanger works to build anticipation, but for some readers it may feel frustrating, particularly if some arcs feel incomplete. Additionally, though the dual POV is mostly effective, occasionally the shifts felt redundant or repetitive, especially in action or descriptive scenes, diluting some tension or diluting the novelty of switching perspective.

In sum, Twisted Souls is a strong debut. Its emotional tension, rich character dynamics, and intriguing world are major assets. Even with its familiar tropes, it manages to inject enough originality to set it apart. The pacing hiccups and unresolved threads are real, but they don’t overshadow the book’s many pleasures. I give Twisted Souls four stars, and I’m very interested to see where McLellan takes the story in future installments.---

Dare I say this is one of my favorite books of 2025? Um yes. This was an action packed adventure. The magic system is unique, yet easy to follow and the world building is immersive. The characters are well developed and the romance didn’t smother the plot. The banter between Zara and Xavier was chef’s kiss. I love my men dark and broody. The ending? Respectfully wtf. I’m going to think about this for the next few days. Between Twisted Souls and Metal Slinger, unexpected plot twists and cliffhangers will be my end. I won’t be surprised if this book goes viral, I hope it does. This book deserves all the hype, especially being that this is a debut novel. Twisted Souls is a great addition to the romantasy genre.

I want to first thank Netgalley for letting me read this book as an ARC. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me because I felt the plot was lacking for me and the characters weren’t interesting.

Twisted Souls take place in two fantasy realms. The main character, Zara, finds herself gaining new magical powers that she doesn't quite understand. When she meets two brothers - separated at first - they help her understand what is happening to her and what her purpose is. The storyline is easy to follow and the secondary characters added substance and intrigue. The world-building scenes easily had me picturing the story in my mind. The ending of the book was unexpected and it left me yearning for more about Zara and Xavier's story in the next book.

Overall, very well-written, easy to follow, and all characters are memorable and were included throughout the book. Definitely will be reading the second book when it comes out.