The Seventh Sister

The Strattaria Chronicles, Book 1

De: M. A. Brown

Narrado por: Jacci Prior

The Seventh Sister is an epic dark romantasy set in a lush and immersive world with fairytale like elements, classic romantasy vibes, and an edge of your seat pace.

The story follows Ertha, a True Healer who is kidnapped from her place at the Selenyss Temple by the legendary Sons of Uther. When she arrives on the dark shores of the enemy kingdom she's thrust into a tangled web of political intrigue and deadly secrets that leaves her wondering who she can trust—the otherworldly second in command who is her keeper, or the soldier she healed who has vowed to protect her at all costs? But when it becomes clear she wasn't just taken by chance—that there are much more powerful entities with their hands steering her fate—she's forced to confront that nothing is as it seems, not the men who protect her, the world she knows, or even herself.

Perfect for fans of The Witcher, fairytales, and Vikings.

©2025 M. A. Brown (P)2025 M. A. Brown

4.5 star

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5 stars)
The Seventh Sister
This book started off with a bang, but the worldbuilding—and especially the sheer number of names—was hard to grasp at first. Between the Sons of Uther and even the series name The Strattaria Chronicles, there were so many terms and concepts that I almost felt like I needed a glossary, and a map just to keep everything straight.
That said, the story itself was interesting, and the ending genuinely surprised me. I never would have guessed it. One small drawback was the repeated use of the phrase “lupine smile,” which started to stand out after a while.
Not quite a perfect 5 stars for me, but at 4.5 stars I’m definitely invested and will be continuing on to book two.

Vikings vibes - perfect for fans of HM Long

This gorgeous cover captures the mood of the book beautifully, but it was the audiobook that really elevated the experience. Narrated by the talented Jacci Prior, it’s a wonderful performance. The accents, the touches of music, all of it enhanced the world without ever distracting from the story. I’d especially recommend experiencing this one in audio format.

The opening hook pulled me in immediately, and the atmospheric writing feels perfect for a Viking-inspired story. What impressed me most was the layered world-building and the characters; they are complex, unpredictable, and never fall into the archetypes I expected. The romance was not at all what I expected. And the healing magic was easily one of my favorite elements; though some of its abilities were a bit of a stretch.

I went in expecting nonstop Viking battles, but instead found a story rooted in mystery, folklore, and political intrigue. The tension is ever-present, with danger humming beneath the surface, more about secrets and power plays than axes on the battlefield. And that ENDING? I’m still shook.

There is an attempted SA, which I never enjoy encountering, but here it was handled with care and with purpose. If you’re looking for a darker romantasy that is perfect for fans of H.M. Long and Danielle L. Jensen, pick this up!

Thanks so much to the author and R&R Booktours for the complimentary audiobook. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

It wasn't for me unfortunately

Thank you to M.A. Brown & Jacci Prior for the free copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

The narrator did a good job bringing the characters to life and differentiating their voices, which made the audiobook easy to listen to. Unfortunately, despite listening to a substantial portion of the book, the story itself did not fully capture my interest, and I found it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, a decent listening experience, but the narrative did not quite work for me.

Dark romantasy with fairy tale vibes

Thank you to M.A. Brown and Jacci for entrusting me with a review copy!

The Seventh Sister by M.A. Brown
The Strattaria Chronicles book 1

Narrated by Jacci Prior
Jacci did such a great job with this story! She has such a talent for having different voices for the characters that I always adore and the pitch and emotion she brings to the narration are always top notch!! Audio note: My brain needs faster speeds for audio and this narration/recording sounded great at higher speeds.

Dark romantasy with fairytale vibes
Healer FMC, morally grey MMC, slow burn, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, taken to enemy's kingdom, hidden identity, magical binding, meddling gods, who did this, good girl, cliffhanger

Ertha is taken by the enemy when they attack the temple where she is learning to master her healing gift. Lucky for her, they only know she is a coveted healer, but not who her family is. There she is put into service as a healer under the care of the second in command whom she is drawn to. While she tries to avoid the cruel commander, she also searches for a way out and tries to decide if she can trust the soldier she saved who has pledged to be her protector.

Oh that ending!! There is so much more going on that we have to wait to find out! This was a bit of a slower paced book for the most part with mystery Ertha is trying to figure out while also trying to escape. There was a love triangle (but not as much angst as usual around it!). I'm not going to say more about the MMC situation haha you have to read for yourself! I'm looking forward to the next book!

Epic and immersive

4.5⭐️
The Seventh Sister is an epic dark romantasy that wastes no time getting to the action. From the first couple chapters alone, I knew I was in for a ride. Check your CW and TW because some of the themes are very dark. While the spice and v!olence was moderately graphic, they did not feel gratuitous and absolutely helped to carry the plot along. The FMC is a secret princess, taken captive from a temple and kept as a healer for an enemy kingdom. Her captor keeps her close through a forced magical bond. I loved the mix of magic, world building, and the eclectic cast of characters. I love that they low key had her doing yoga every day even though the poses were scandalous. The way things rounded out in the last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat, theorizing and gasping at the many revelations. I literally screamed when the audiobook ended. I cannot wait to pick up the next in this series once it is out.

🎧 The audiobook had a single narrator but the performance was so immaculate that I hardly noticed. I love the accents and the raw emotion that made this audiobook stand out to me. I had goosebumps. Also, I really enjoyed the musical touches included between chapters and during particular scenes that added to the suspense and immersive quality. I highly recommend checking out the audio!

WHAT TO EXPECT:
• epic dark romantasy
• captive & captor
• secret magic
• meddling gods
• she’s a healer and he’s a warrior
• forced proximity
• uncovering secrets
• be careful who you trust
• they read smut
• spice: 🌶️🌶️ (moderately graphic on page scenes)