Reign Returned by Katie Keridan
Reign Returned by Katie Keridan is a young adult fantasy novel that takes you to the land of the dead and brings you back again and again. Kyra, the most talented Astral healer of her generation, is set to follow in her father's footsteps and use her gifts to lead the healers of Aeles. Her careful plans are derailed when her father passes unexpectedly and she discovers she has a forbidden ability to recover those who’ve died before their time. Kyra knows she needs to learn more, but the realm has destroyed all literature relating to her new talents. She does however come across a mysterious sick boy in the woods who has a book that could answer all her questions. As a Daeval assassin from Nocens, Sebastian did not expect to sneak into Aeles and come across a healer like Kyra. He has spent his life looking for someone with powers like hers and now that they have met, he will not let her go without asking her to help him recover a legendary sword. The healer and the assassin have more than just their professions dividing them, but they cannot help but feel comfortable around each other. They will have to overcome forbidden magic, history, and romance if they want to accomplish their goals and survive the process. This is the first book in a new ya fantasy series that is very lore-forward. If you are interested in new world-building this might be the book for you. It took me a minute to pin down the feel of the world because buildings have things like glass doors and modern sounding convinces and yet Sebastian lives in a cave, and there is no detail of electronic devices. The fantasy world reminds me of Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore. Of course, I may have also been influenced by the magical animal-esque companions each magic user has a telepathic Cypher who guides them in life. Animal friends are always welcomed in my book. The world also has a political conflict that strictly divides Aeles and Daeval. The realms are divided and both groups have prejudices against the other. While they both have social differences, with Daeval leaning more individualist and Aeles leaning more collectivist based on the first book, the largest difference between the two is their opinions on gender and sexuality, with a queer-friendly Daeval and a homophobic Aeles. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Aeles, so if you’re looking for a queer-norm fantasy this is not it. I would have loved to spend more time in the communities as a way of understanding the world. Because the book focuses on the cross-cultural relationship between Kyra and Sebastian, they tend to explain things to each other instead. It makes sense for this book (mostly because they have a secret relationship that takes place mostly in a cave), but I would love to see how the world opens up as they continue their quest. If you are a fan of reincarnation, soulmates, and slow-burn relationships, Kyra and Sebastian are the couple for you. Their relationship is built on trust, shared dreams, and a shared goal. With their Cyphers, they have almost built-in chaperones. They are defiantly an opposites-attract kind of pairing. Although they both have a fixed sense of justice, high intelligence, and close relationships with death, Kyra has had the benefit of wealth, family, and class privilege. Sebastian has had essentially the opposites in all regards. He is an assassin who lives in a cave after all, and you don’t get there in a YA book without a very specific backstory. I had a lovely time with the magical mystery in Reign Returned by Katie Keridan. If you love reincarnation, necromantic magic, or slow burn ya fantasy romance, this is the book for you. I would like to thank Sparkpress for providing my reviewer's copy of Reign Returned by Katie Keridan in exchange for my honest review.
