Tethered

I went into Tethered with high expectations because the author’s Choosing Chronicles are among my all-time favourites. Unfortunately, this didn’t live up to that standard. While the premise sounded promising, the execution felt flat and the romance felt entirely unnecessary to the actual plot. The Highs: Sebastian: He was the saving grace of the book. As a dark, brooding lead, he actually showed flashes of emotion and depth that kept me tethered to the story (pun intended). The Turning Point: Around the time I was ready to DNF, the relationship finally started to move. The moments where the characters actually talked to each other were interesting, but those moments were far too rare. The Lows: The FMC (Luna): I struggled with Luna immensely. I found her whiny, childish, and ultimately 'useless' to the progression of the story. Plot vs. Romance: This felt like a fantasy plot about 'People of the Night' being freed from a tomb, with a romance forced on top of it. The romance didn't feel necessary for the story to happen; it felt like an afterthought. Lack of Depth: Despite people dying and high-stakes themes, nothing felt impactful. The ending left me feeling 'whatever,' and looking at the synopsis for book two (which involves a tournament?), it feels like a total disconnect from what I just read. Final Verdict: I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I won’t be continuing with the remaining three books in the series. It lacked the heart and cohesion I expected. If you're looking for the magic of Gallea's earlier work, this might not be the one for you.