Breath of Mist, Book 1

He thought he captured an ordinary girl… but her mind is sharper than his claws.

In a world barely held together by a fragile treaty, Ariana lives under the oppressive shadow of her monstrous father—until Erik, a relentless conjuror determined to break the treaty, invades her lands, and takes her captive. Erik’s invasion shatters the life Ariana has known, thrusting her into a precarious battle where survival hinges on earning her enemy’s trust—which means avoid being seen as a threat.

But Erik never expected to become captivated by the woman who boldly holds his gaze and refuses to tremble in the face of death. And even as Ariana finds herself reluctantly drawn to him in turn, she comes to realize that her freedom will not be given to her. It will need to be taken.

Will Ariana's cunning and resolve be enough to save herself and her people, or will her dreams and heart be consumed by the very man who threatens her world?

©2025 Yelena Lugin (P)2026 Yelena Lugin

Addicting

This hooked me from the start. It was addicting and fast paced. There were two chapter transitions that felt a bit jumpy but otherwise the story is well designed and the world building incredible. The ending was gut wrenching. Can’t wait to read book 2.

Love the narrators. You guys did a fantastic job! I absolutely love when the book is more of a production rather than done by only the lead whose POV is being told.

Strength beneath the surface

Breath of Mist by Leona Welch was such an immersive read. The world feels rich without being hard to follow, and the magic and political tension keep the story moving in a really engaging way. I really loved how Ariana presents herself as unassuming while secretly holding so much strength beneath the surface. Watching her carefully hide her abilities and then step into her power was incredibly satisfying. Also the slow-burn dynamic adds just the right amount of tension (definitely team Erik, hoping Leona Welch doesn’t make me regret that). It had me fully invested by the end, and that final stretch definitely left me ready to pick up book two right away.

Awesome listen!!

I did the immersive read with audible & kindle.

This was a great book. I was instantly hooked first chapter in. I devoured it. The world building wasn’t difficult to follow and not overwhelming.

This story follows Ariana and Erik. Ariana’s character is strong and kind, she doesn’t have to prove that she belongs. She just earns everyone’s respect because of her kindness. Erik… 🥵🥵 he definitely made my book boyfriend list. This is a slow burn, and I’m eating it up. As much as I liked the main characters, the side characters made it even better. There were two side characters that really shined. Kole and Iver those two are my favorites. Poor Kole gets teased so much and everyone loves giving him a hard time and he’s so serious which makes it better. 😆 Don’t get me started on Iver. Iver’s personality is absolutely my favorite. He’s a whole vibe all his own. I could write an essay about him 😆

That cliff hanger!!! Aaahhh! I wasn’t ready for the book to be over so I’m jumping into book 2 immediately!!! I have to know what happens next.




The author: I discovered Leona on TikTok. Not only does she talk about her books, she talks about books that she has read as well. I actually like that about her.

Audio book info

Narration type: Duet, my favorite kind!

Narrators: Jacci Prior & Christian J. Gilliland

Review on narrators: The narrators did a great job. They spoke clearly and there wasn’t any background noise. They both made each character stand out and I felt they brought out the characters personalities. I could tell who was talking. They are a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ as well.

This Audio Had Me FERAL

This audio was so incredibly good. The narrator’s and just overall experience was fantastic! Such a great debut book and the writing was beautiful. I really appreciated that the world building was very palatable and eased you in. Our FMC Ariana was kind, but certainly a fierce and calculating FMC which I love. The romance was such a slowwww burn and truly I can’t wait to watch it really burn up! I can’t wait to find out what happens in this war of the lands and ahem another morally grey daddy!? YES!

How….

Finally… after the longest audiobook dry-spell, a book that actually holds my attention and actually has me wondering what will happen next! How is this book not an audible romantasy bestseller?! The FMC that seems to have a fully developed frontal lobe and a really good MMC. Wonderful plot and world building. The duet narration is ✨chefs kiss✨ and the voice actors 🤌actually act out and intone the audiobook🤌 rather than just reading out loud. Absolutely marvelous job by Jacci Prior and Christian J. Gilliland. I PRAY we aren’t kept waiting for book II for long!