The Ascended (The Aesymarean Duet)

Delphii

PHENOMENAL. Take all the celestial stars!

"Blah blah blah words, thoughts, sentences.... BLAH! Want to know the first thing I did after I finished this book? Other than go back and re-read certain parts of it? I pre-ordered it. Immediately. And now I am trying to restrain myself from keyboard mash-screaming the remainder of my review. THIS IS IT. THIS BOOK? That TBR of yours? ADD IT. Add it right now! Heard of stop, drop, and roll? Good. Now stop, drop what you're doing, and add it to the cart! So what is this book about? The Ascended is the story about a girl named Thais whom grows up with her twin brother Thatcher in a little sea side town with their father. Turns out Thais is no ordinary 26 year old, she is born with some celestial powers including the ability to manipulate the stars but not too long after we are introduced to her, she is captured by priests of the godly order who serve the king of the gods and she is forced to participate in the Trials of Ascension or die. This is a long story and at 736 pages (on my count), it does seem pretty daunting. Now, normally when I see that high of a page count my immediate worry is that it's too long and will have too many points where it's just unnecessary pacing or fluff. That's normally what happens. In this case, I don't see that being necessary here. Sure, maybe a few things could have been cut out but I feel the majority of scenes were necessary to the plot, the character's backstories and/or the richness of the universe created. The pacing is a bit slow in the beginning but that is due to most of it being set up and worldbuilding. Speaking of worldbuilding--holy stars! This was an impeccably built world with a lot of focus put into culture, politics and magic for all realms including the realms of the gods. The description of some of these domains felt like something out of a dream or even a nightmare and it felt like I was diving right into the scene as a nosey bystander. I also loved the characters and their backstories. I absolutely loved the twins and the side characters they meet along the way. The twins themselves and their love for one another was one of the highlights of the book. Thais herself is bad ass with astronomical potential (see what I did there?). I wasn't a huge fan of Xül initially but he also grew on me too and pretty quickly. As for the romance... YES. Yes yes yes yes. There is flirtatious banter, yearning and stolen glances. What more could you ask for? This was a slowburn through and through so if that ain't for you but you still want to give it a go, you're going to need to be a little patient. The payoff, however, is a major CHEF KISS. But yes this is an open-door romance aka "spice" so if that isn't your thing look elsewhere. Now the story has that typical romantasy-plot set up you come to expect in this genre but don't let that fool you. This was unpredictable for me. Several times my jaw dropped with every twist or turn and I soon gave up trying to figure out what would happen next. Suddenly 400 pages flew by for me and I felt like I could read another 400 more. So now I am here... weathering a major book hangover. I severely underestimated how good this book would be. I went into this fully blind with zero influence. To me, this was one of the best books with one of the best plots I have read this year and now it actually pains me knowing I will need to wait for the next one. However long that wait may be. I also recommend trying to go into this as blind as possible (limit how many reviews and tropes you see) because the surprises just make it all the better. ["

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October 7, 2025 Verified Purchase

Greta

Book

"♾️⭐️ I am still trying to process what I just read. WOW. Just WOW!!! The way my brain exploded in the last 10%. ROUND OF APPLAUSE. 👏 👏 👏 How am I supposed to carry on with normal life after this? One name, and everything I thought I knew changed. Words feel too small for a story like this. Masterpiece doesn’t even come close. ✨📖 Thais Morvaren has spent her life hiding her dangerous gift, the ability to forge weapons from starlight. But when a priest’s ritual exposes her divine heritage, she’s forced into the brutal Trials of Ascension, a deadly competition meant to create gods. Against her will, Thais must fight, deceive, and survive while confronting the truth about her lineage and the father who destroyed her family: Olinthar, King of the Gods. To defeat a god, she must risk becoming one herself. Alongside her twin brother, Thatcher, whose powers manifest unexpectedly, and bound to a dangerous mentor, Xül, an arrogant necromancer prince with dark secrets… Thais is pulled deeper into a game of survival, vengeance, and forbidden desire. Each trial brings her closer to godhood, but also closer to unraveling a darkness that threatens the divine realm itself. And while Thais may have entered the trials seeking survival, she’ll finish them seeking vengeance—no matter the cost. The plot and romance were perfection. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, completely absorbed. The relationship development and character depth were outstanding… feet kicking romance paired with a truly addictive plot. The tension. The desire. The heartbreak. All of it bound together in a way that left me undone. That ending… my god, the ending. My brain felt like it was shattering into light, and I had to flip back through pages, desperate to piece everything together again. My mind was racing, my heart trying to stitch itself closed around the wounds this story left behind. 🌙🕰️🧩 Deception. Lies. Love. Truths too heavy to bear. This book didn’t just consume me—it OBLITERATED me. And now, whatever I pick up next won’t even have a fair chance against the brilliance of this one. 🌌💥📚 The trials were so unique and interesting!! That level of originality and intensity OMGGG!!!!!! Screaming !!!!!! The crossover between worlds was perfection!! I am still quite speechless but this was magnificent!! A masterpiece!!! This is definitely a ♾️⭐️ read for me, especially when you get to that WOAH moment! It was so so good!! Maybe this book was 828 pages long, and I would have devoured another 800 without hesitation. Every single moment felt deliberate, every thread woven with intention. The characters didn’t just exist on the page—they lived, breathed, and carved themselves into my soul. 💔🔥 This book has deadly trials; multi POV (but mostly Thais); gods, humans, magic, & political maneuvering; part of the Sundered Realms Universe; lower spice; Easter eggs galore; trainer/trainee. So if you’ll like it, then read it ASAP!!! You can easily read this as a standalone (though fair warning, Riftborne was just okay for me), but if you’ve read the other books first, prepare for your jaw to hit the floor!!!!!!! ["

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January 31, 2026 Verified Purchase

Kelci Smith

Revenge demands the ultimate sacrifice

"4.5* 🤯 I now completely understand why you should read Riftborne and Duskbound prior to this book! Holy crap, this book was so so good. I love the trials, I loved the characters. Thais and Thatchers twin bond was such a cool aspect of this story. Marx was such a fun side character to. Xul was a very interesting character. And the broody mentor relationship..chef’s kiss. He was so dedicated to his cause, almost to a fault but boy was his character really grow over the course of the book. And the entire last 100 pages were amazing. I cannot wait to see where the second book goes ["

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May 4, 2026 Verified Purchase

Alex

5 jaw-dropping stars

"I constantly came across book recommendations for The Ascended, so I decided to give it a read, and I’m delighted that I did, because this book was EVERYTHING! This book had me wrapped up in its spell from the very start. I especially liked the world that the authors created. It was beautifully crafted and executed. The character depth and growth was also amazing. I really love me a fierce heroine and that’s exactly what Thais is. She’s very loyal to her loved ones and friends, witty and daring. And don’t get me started on the hero of the book, Xül! Just the thought of him has me swooning. Xül is quite a complex guy. He’s stubborn, exudes confidence and has a no nonsense attitude. It gave me all the feels, when his tough layers got peeled back bit by bit over time, which revealed a softer side to him. He’s very attentive, affectionate and fiercely protective of his loved ones. I’ve seen so many people raving about Xaden (from Fourth Wing) being one of their favorite book boyfriends, which I totally get, because he also gave me all the feels, but Xül was on another level for me. He was EVERYTHING! There were also a few great secondary characters, like Marx and Thais’ twin brother Thatcher. There were also secondary characters that I disliked, like Nyvora, Elysia and Olinthar. There was a lot that transpired in this book, and I’m still coming down from the emotional rollercoaster that it took me on. That ending and how everything played out between Thais and Xül left me feeling very sad and bereft. Things went from 0 to 100 very quickly in a span of a few chapters. I’m eagerly waiting to get my hands on the final installment in this book series. Thankfully it’s only a few months away. Overall, The Ascended was a very exhilarating, action-packed and enthralling read. It was worth all the hype and I’m elated that I gave it a read, because it truly rocked my world off its axis. ["

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April 15, 2026 Verified Purchase

Fite11

FANTASTIC! OMG- Must Read!!!!

"🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟+ 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Absolutely FANTASTIC. I loved every single bit of this book. The FMC, Thais (THAY-iss), is incredible—strong, determined, and fiercely devoted to her twin, Thatcher, whom I completely fell in love with as well. He is just as compelling of a lead character: loyal, grounded, and deeply devoted to Thais. Together, they are an unforgettable duo. And then there’s the MMC… Xul (ZOOL)! Broody, arrogant, calculating, powerful—and fiercely loyal. I loved him just as much. He’s exactly the kind of morally gray presence that keeps you hooked. This book has layers. There is so much happening, yet I never once felt bored. The trials were intense—nail-biting, agonizing, and emotionally charged. While the world-building is extensive, I didn’t mind it at all because there was so much to learn and experience. The story is packed with excitement, frustration, shocking moments, and mind-blowing revelations. The Gods, however… So arrogantly frustrating. Power-hungry, entitled, and far too comfortable in their immortality. Honestly, they all need to go and start over—just my opinion. The final stretch of this book (especially the last 80–85%) had me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to scream by the end, and I hate that I now have to wait—who knows how long—for the next book. I want it NOW. Side note: I originally started this book and was about 30% in when I heard on BookTok that reading Riftborne and Duskbound first gives you a completely different understanding. I paused this book, read the other two (LOVED them), and then came back. While The Ascended absolutely stands on its own, once you’re deep into it, the stories begin to intertwine and you catch glimpses of the larger world. It definitely enhances the experience and understanding. Highly recommend. Phenomenal read. ["

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January 23, 2026 Verified Purchase