Atonement of the Spine Cleaver

De: F. E. Bryce

Narrado por: Kate Belsey

Rorax Greywood lives in the Realms and was trained to fight, kill, and steal for the House of Ice’s special forces unit, the Heilstorms, from the time she was ten years old. During her time as a Heilstorm, Rorax committed more violent atrocities in the name of her House than she could ever remember, but the blackest stain on her soul remains the Siege of Surmalinn—an infiltration and near genocide in the largest House of Death city.

Years later, when the Gods call upon Rorax to compete in the Choosing, a deadly competition that decides the next Guardian of the Realms, it quickly becomes clear the only House strong enough to protect her is the House of Death. Rorax knows she isn’t worthy to become the Realms’ new Guardian, so she somehow needs to convince the House of Death—and their brutally handsome lieutenant—to both help her find the next suitable Guardian and free her from the Choosing before the Choosing kills her.

A content warning to listeners; Atonement of the Spine Cleaver contains graphic violence, profanity, mentions of suicidal thoughts, grief, explicit F/M sex scenes, and an explicit F/F sex scene. There are printable maps and a glossary available on authorfebryce.com to help with any world-building questions that come up throughout the story.

©2023 F.E. Bryce (P)2023 F.E. Bryce

Amazing female lead, great integration of romance in a captivating story

I loved the world building and character development, fm and ff relationships, spice level felt right and balanced with the plot

Wonderful, unique and epic world-building

This is a phenomenal epic fantasy read. The audible narrator hit it out of the park. It’s hard to find an epic fantasy that has a different, intriguing, complex world that hasn’t already been overdone or based on medieval Europe. Bryce did it magnificently. The story was also engaging, fast-paced, and engrossing from the beginning. I loved the queer normative world, the different races, genders, and wrinkles that were considered unique and revered. It wasn’t in-your-face or overblown. Just part of the world. Magical power is the hierarchy and what makes you more or less “valuable” in society. Even the characters you hate have depth and interesting background stories. And Rorax is a stone-cold killer who is also vulnerable and gruffly kind at times. High recommend.

Wicked

Great plot. The buildup was the perfect amp up. great fight scenes & loves scenes & strong females

Very enjoyable!

At first I wasn’t sure if I liked the slow pacing in the beginning, however it definitely paid off. By the time we are introduced to many of the other main characters, I felt as if I had actually gotten to know Rorax and some of the other characters where as if there was not as much time spent on this and the world building I feel like there would be too much to remember. I also feel like when books rush into things you care less about the characters because you haven’t gotten to learn about them for very long before they are thrust into the main storyline, especially side characters that may not be mentioned for chapters, so it’s great that each character is given time to develop! Also the narrator was amazing she really brought the story to life!

Intricate Narrative

Initially, I found myself on the cusp of abandoning this book, but a second attempt allowed me to appreciate its intricate narrative. There was A LOT to digest.
While the multiple POVs and character overload did cause some confusion in the beginning, the story's engaging core and sultry scenes eventually won me over. The world-building was impressively immersive, and I admired the array of strong, independent female characters.
Will continue the series.

Can’t WAIT for Book 2

I absolutely LOVED this book. The plot is so excellent, and the characters are well written and well executed. I loved the slow burn romance and Rorax is such a complex main character. Can’t wait for book 2!

Incredible fantasy read!

Wow, Atonement of the Spine Cleaver is a wild ride. This is a richly layered fantasy with a complex world, evolving conflict, and high stakes.

I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved it!

Rorax is a stunning example of a character shaped by manipulation and control—groomed to serve the Wolf without ever realizing there was another way. How could she know different when that was all she’d ever known?

But as she encounters new people who challenge her worldview, she begins to see the horrors she’s committed—and it’s nearly unbearable. Her journey of atonement is messy, painful, and incredibly compelling.

She wrestles with deep self-loathing and the weight of her past, especially as the House of Death makes no effort to hide their hatred for her. Still, with a pit war on the horizon, she and the House form a fragile, volatile alliance—held together only by her promise to help another win the Choosing and become the next Northern Guardian.

The tension in this book is excruciating at times. It’s very much an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers arc, and the more the House of Death learns about Rorax—about the trauma she survived and the person she’s trying to become—the more their perceptions begin to shift.

Rorax is such a powerful portrayal of what it looks like for a woman to be fierce, strong, and deadly, while still being vulnerable and emotional. She contains multitudes, and I adore her.

Rorax and Ayres have a rocky, tenuous relationship, but their chemistry crackles. Even when Ayres makes some big mistakes, I was rooting for their journey toward trust and connection.

The found family vibes here are strong, and I love every member—Jia, Cannon, Milla, Piers, Kaiya, Kiniera, Ye-Jun—each one brings something meaningful to the story.

There were a couple of plotlines that didn’t feel fully fleshed out, but honestly? I didn’t even care. The characters and their dynamics had me completely hooked.

I need book two. I want to learn more about Sumavari’s books, the conflict with Lyondrea, and most of all—I want to see Rorax claim her guardian powers and prove everyone wrong.

The Best Fantasy Romance Book Out There

Are you sick of 19-20 year old heroines in fantasy romances who are naive, annoying, and romantically inexperienced? Because same. And omg, I’m so glad I found this book because it is the antithesis to every annoying trope out there and I will continue to praise it until it becomes the next ACOTAR.
This book is for those who love a strong female lead and a true enemies to lovers. None of that “oh, we argued when we first met so now we hate each other” nonsense. The hatred in this book runs deep and I 👏 ate 👏 it 👏 up.
Also, the characters are adults that are emotionally mature and have rational responses and actions, which was SO refreshing in a genre that is saturated with ridiculous miscommunication tropes just to create needless drama.
Just the right amount of spice (3/5 🌶️) and was not only well done but, dare I say, somewhat unique in the pacing of it, which was also such a refreshing change.
In sum, this book is the best adult fantasy romance out there. Hands down.
But be warned; book 2 isn’t out yet so you will join the horde of readers who are anxiously awaiting the release date 👁️👄👁️

What a badass!

Rorax is such a badass yet empathetic and good-hearted character. I loved the personal transformation she goes through. I also enjoy how it's easy to love every character you meet along the way and you're invested in their lives from the beginning. Very well written. Also - one of the BEST narrators I've heard.

Epic Start

This book was a phenomenal. the character development was one of my favorite throughout the story. Every character progressed in their own way centering on themselves but eventually seeing the bigger picture.

Spoiler, one of my favorite parts, it was when they introduced sharks and dinosaurs and dragons.