Wow. I don't even have words for this book. It was so much better than I expected.

I absolutely loved Zayne and Kira. Kira might be one of the best characters I have ever read. She is sweet, compassionate, and kind, but also fierce when standing up to evil and protecting others. Zayne is equally compelling, with a depth and complexity that kept me invested the whole way through. All the MCs are wonderful in completely different ways, and I loved each storyline.

So much happens in this book, but it never felt rushed or forced. The characters are given real space to evolve. I loved that there were no trials or schools. The stakes felt genuinely high, with not just lives on the line but a battle between good and evil. And when I say evil, I mean EVIL. There are characters in this book that I genuinely hate with a passion.

My one critique is that the dialogue can be a little difficult to follow at the very beginning, but once I got to know the characters and settled into the story, that issue disappeared completely.

I hoped and cried with these characters, and my stomach still hurts while I write this review. I immediately preordered both books in this series. When I say I cannot wait for book two, I genuinely mean it.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do you love books that make you feel? This is the one for you!
Zayne and Kira have so many obstacles to overcome, and so many people to fight against, and they suffer way too many losses. There are characters in this book that I absolutely HATE, and will never change my mind. There are side characters that I fell in love with, and did I mention the cat.... I love Ms. Pumpkin.
Would I reread this book? ABSOLLUTELY. I am counting down until we get book 2.

“Find an ounce of joy in your life and protect it at all costs because that’s what wins wars. That’s what keeps you alive and human.”
“You told me to find an ounce of joy and protect it with all I have,” Zayne whispered. “That's what I'm doing.”
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Seasons of War is an emotionally intense romantasy set in a brutal, war-torn world where survival, rebellion, and power collide under the weight of a controlling regime.

At its core, the story follows Zayne Riven and Kira Stiles, alongside multiple POVs that expand the scale of the conflict. Zayne is a grumpy, morally conflicted soldier and the High General’s son, secretly working against the system while trapped inside it. Kira is fierce, determined, and unwilling to stop fighting back, even when it puts her directly in danger. Their relationship is built on mistrust, yearning, banter, and an incredibly slow burn filled with emotional tension.

A defining thread of their connection traces back to a masked encounter years earlier, where he helped her escape and she unknowingly left him with a kiss he never forgot. When they meet again, neither realizes the full truth at first, adding layers of secrecy and emotional conflict to their already complicated dynamic.

The world is harsh and immersive, ruled by a paranoid, godlike authority and shaped by war, oppression, and shifting loyalties. Side characters and multiple perspectives make it feel expansive and alive, showing different sides of the conflict and the fragile hope of rebellion.

This book constantly swings between extremes—tender moments, high tension, heartbreak, and rage—and delivers a deeply emotional reading experience that is both devastating and addictive. I went from laughing to sobbing to sitting in stunned silence, often within the same stretch of pages.

A powerful, slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy that doesn’t let up emotionally and leaves a lasting impact.

NOT ENOUGH STARS IN THE SKY TO RATE THIS MASTERPIECE !!!🤩🤩🤩✨✨✨

“I’m a poison you’ll bet to drink” (drop dead, imminent heart attack🥵)

Okay, so I'm officially entering the most violent reading slump of my life after this emotionally catastrophic book. I am literally in pieces. I genuinely don't know how I'm expected to function normally after being psychologically destroyed like this.
Lindsay you wicked little genius !!! 😭😭😭

Respectfully, I need compensation for emotional damages. Therapy is now required, and you will absolutely be receiving the bill !🥺😩

Where do I even start ! I don’t want to spoil anything because you must experience every single emotion this book is going to make you feel (in a good and a bad way😭😭😭)

In this dystopian romance, Kira is a rebel trying to destroy the oppressive regime she’s living under.
Three years before the beginning of the story, she is saved by a MASKED SUPER HOT SOLIDER😮‍💨😏🥵
And they KISS ! Yes you heard me right ! They kiss in a desperate attempt to get a shred of happiness in this terrible world.
Girl, HE COVERS HER EYES WHILE KISSING HER😱 so damn hot

Three years later, we get Zayne’s POV, who is no other but the masked man. He secretly tries to overthrow the empire. But obviously nothing goes as planned when the daughter of the leader of the rebel group is captured. I let you guess who this girl could be😭👀

What follows is a harrowing saga of grief, suffering, pain, sorrow, trauma, death, and torture…

And that ending ?? Lindsay my dear PLEASE I am not okay😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 thank you SO MUCH for the gifted eARC and now I am counting the days until I get to read the sequel🥹

The first installment in The Unbroken Saga and also my first dystopian romance.

⭐️ 5/5 for emotional tension, conflicted characters, and a war-torn dystopian atmosphere
🌶️ 0/5 spice

Favorite Quote:
“Find an ounce of joy in your life and protect it at all costs because that’s what wins wars. That’s what keeps you alive and human.”

This book was an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. The author herself warned readers that she “took it easy” on us for the first half and honestly… she was absolutely right.

The story throws you directly into a world shaped by war, rebellion, fear, and survival. There are multiple character perspectives, but the heart of the story centers around Zayne Riven and Kira Stiles.

Zayne is very much a grumpy sunshine MMC, forced to play the role of the loyal soldier while secretly working against the regime from within. As the High General’s son, he’s trapped between duty and conscience, all while trying to protect Kira from the shadows.

Kira, meanwhile, is determined to fight back against the system no matter the cost. She’s fierce, emotional, stubborn, and refuses to stop pushing against the walls Zayne has built around himself. Their relationship is full of mistrust, yearning, banter, impossible choices, and the painful realization that some people feel dangerous to love.

The side characters also make this world feel alive, you genuinely feel like you’ve been dropped into the middle of a war zone where no one is guaranteed safety.

The romance unfolds through stolen moments, witty banter, terrible pickup attempts, and deeply emotional conversations. Even without spice, the tension and emotional connection hit incredibly hard.

And yes, there’s also a cat named Pumpkin ♥️

This is the kind of story that keeps you glued to the pages, desperate to know what happens next while hoping certain villains get exactly what’s coming to them.

This was, without a doubt, one of my favorite reading experiences of 2026. Definitely my #1 not-fantasy fiction read, as well.

The world Lindsay built in this book captures this amazing dissonance between the comforts of a home, a loving mother, a beautiful estate…all enabled on the bones of the “adversary,” which is this case is “basically everyone who isn’t committed to serving, worshipping, and obeying the Phaedra” (one of several genuinely unnerving antagonists in the story).

Throughout the book, we follow three POVs: Zayne, Kira, and Miya. Through them we see the utter chaos and destruction that is war, the terror of daring to defy what can only be described as a monster’s desperate need to maintain power (a couple of monsters, actually. I adored that we get to see the scrabbling for scraps and what that can drive people to, even though many of those scenes were extremely dark), and the not-so-quiet hope rebellion kindles in people on both sides of the battlefield. We also see how that hope transforms people. How it wraps its tentative fingers around the hearts of people who open their hearts a crack. How it fuels them, encourages them, comforts them, despite all they are made witness and party to.

I went from gigging and kicking my feet, smiling from ear to ear, to outright sobbing, to gritting my teeth through the tension you could cut with a knife… and then back again several times throughout the book.
It’s been a long time since I sneered with absolute revulsion at a character in media, or feeling my chest tighten in fear for a character, but Lindsay’s ability to build these incredibly compelling characters is absolute top tier. I HATE some of them. I ADORE others, including several side characters who I am anxious to see more of in the next installment. This was a solid 5/5 for me, and I’m so thankful to be able to read it pre-release!!!!