A Dagger of Lightning

De: Meredith R. Lyons

Narrado por: Suzanne Elise Freeman

“Smart, sexy, and absolutely memorable . . .”—J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of A Very Bad Thing

“[A] fizzy, flirty, and fun space opera . . .”—Yume Kitasei, author of The Stardust Grail

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not your chosen one.

Forty-five-year-old Imogen has always struggled to fit in, never finding her passion in life. And while that may include having cold feet in her impending nuptials, that doesn’t mean she’s ready to ditch planet Earth—and her entire life—completely.

When Imogen is kidnapped by an alien prince in disguise, there’s nothing she can do to stop him. He’s sidhe—a being with powerful abilities—and he’s grown up used to getting what he wants. The prince is convinced Imogen will fall in love with him, and that her new powers, once she’s turned sidhe, will help his country win a centuries-old feud.

With the help of the prince’s much more tolerable brother, Imogen starts to get her feet back under her, but even he can’t protect her from those who would use her for her powers. If Imogen can’t find a way to fight for herself, she’ll become a pawn in a world that has already decided what she’s going to be.

For listeners who enjoy From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Faebound by Saara El-Arifi, and the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas.

©2025 Meredith R. Lyons (P)2025 CamCat Publishing

The strong female lead you're looking for

sci-fi/fantasy with a dash of romance, The story is fun and interesting and the characters you either cheer on or have a strong urge to punch, I love how the main character is always actively working toward her goals and never willing to give in because the path in front of her is daunting, I was recommended this book by a friend who liked the author's previous book, I would never have otherwise looked twice at it because the low review count, so glad I found it, can't wait for the next one (which is March, because I had to check)

subversive fantasy romance sci-fi with emotional depth

✨ I was given the ebook from the author and then I bought the audiobook myself on Audible. I always enjoy a good chorebook, and this one fit the bill quite nicely.


📓 A Dagger of Lightning is a subversive novel that takes coming-of-age and flips it into coming-into-oneself-in-middleage. A blending of fantasy, romance, and sci-fi into something quite fresh. With a diverse, inclusive cast that's nuanced, dimensional, and brimming with emotional depth this is a story about finding and claiming your space. A reminder that you don't need anyone's approval, nor acceptance, to exist. 

🫵🏼 A Dagger of Lightning is for you if you:

• appreciate a messy and heartfelt growth-driven FMC

• want a high stakes fantasy romance written accessibly 

• want the magic to have meaning

• appreciate the occasional pop culture reference or joke in your books

• enjoy complex relationships in lit

• are a fan of storm and/or weather magic 

• love FMCs who have close friendships with other females

• love bonded mates 

• like a fair bit of action in your fantasy romance

📜 One of the major themes running through this book revolves around autonomy and consent vs power and coercion. Putting personal agency front and center, this novel questions what it means to be "chosen" when choice has been taken away. 

Imogen's personal and internal journeys coexist within a broader political conflict (sidhe factions, intergalactic country's feuds). Which forces characters to weigh their individual, personal desires against their public duty. I found this aspect thrilling to read and ponder. What would I do if in Imogen's shoes? How would I handle it? 

By having the FMC be middle-aged, Lyons reframes a 'coming-of-age' story as a 'coming-into-oneself at midlife.' It's framed as both a celebration and the challenge(s) of such drastic change(s) later in life. I love that, especially as I'm a middle-aged woman, and found it quite refreshing to read. 

🎧 Narrated by Suzanne Elise Freeman, I found the narrator's voice to be clear and easy to understand. I think the audio makes for a wonderful reading experience by being Lyons' world and characters to life. Freeman effectively uses inflection, accents, cadence, etc to enhance the story and the emotions it makes you feel.

🗡️ I found the action scenes to be exciting and rife with real tension. They further elevate the stakes in a way that feels natural. I love that Imogen isn't just ✨magically✨ a skilled fighter. She had experience and even won competitions doing some kind of fighting stuff as a human. So when she's made sidhe, anything she was even just competent in gained skill levels (basically). On top of that, she continues to practice, gets additional training, and stays on top of her cardio every single day. 

✍🏼 Vivid descriptions paint a picture of a unique space world. Lyons writes, at times, with a controlled lyrical edge (as in her sentences sometimes carry a rhythm that mirrors the storm/weather magic in the book. You get moments of beauty, particularly in moments of magic and emotional revelation, but she manages to still keep them grounded in reality. It leans a bit more towards atmospheric than florid. Meaning you get evocative images, elemental metaphors, and sensory cues that build tension without drowning the narrative in superfluous prose. 

⏳ Being the first book in a fantasy world, there's a lot of groundwork to cover. Lyons handles it quite well and we don't get large chunks of exposition. You learn what you need to know more organically. 

🗺️ Vividly imagined, nuanced, and rich with lore, this world felt creative and unique to me. 

🔮 Well developed and described this magic system is varied and vast without being overwhelming or needlessly complicated. 

👥 We get an inclusive and diverse cast of characters who are flawed and real. I found these characters well developed, dimensional, emotional depth, and with interesting arcs. Even if I side-eyed Imogen once or twice for some of her choices. 😂

💖 Oh, Imogen and Wells. From the start, his concern over her both having and feel like she has agency is paramount. That endeared him to me immediately. The gentle, quiet way he loves her matches his personality. He's passionate and shows her that privately, too. Whereas she's loud and doesn't mince her words. 

🌶️ The spice is more in the vulnerability and little touches, forehead kisses than it is explicit scenes (although there is some of that, too). It's a slow burn, so when you do get there, it feels earned.