Book Review – The Ascended

The Ascended (The Aesymarean Duet, #1) by Bree Grenwich, Parker Lennox
Series: Aesymarean Duet #1
Published by Self-published on October 7, 2025
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 758
Format: eBook
Goodreads

In a world where divine power bleeds into the mortal realm, Thais Morvaren has mastered the art of deception. To her seaside village, she's just a fisherman's daughter, serving oysters to summer tourists. In secret, she hides her ability to forge weapons from starlight—a power that would force her into the deadly Trials of Ascension.
But when a priest's ritual exposes her divine heritage, Thais is seized and conscripted into the trials against her will. Now trapped in a competition she never wanted to enter, she transforms her fear into purpose: to kill Olinthar, King of the Gods—the father whose divine touch proved fatal to her mother.
To take down a god, she must become one, even if it costs her everything.What she doesn't expect is her twin brother's powers suddenly manifesting, forcing him into the trials alongside her—leaving Thais to protect more than just herself.
Worse still, the selection ceremony binds her to a mentor: Xül. A necromancer prince with blood-soaked hands, a sharp tongue, and dark secrets of his own. From the moment they meet, sparks fly. He's insufferably arrogant, she's stubborn to the bone, and neither has any intention of yielding to the other... or to the heat between them.
Each trial survived brings her closer to godhood, but beneath the spectacle of competition, something ancient and malevolent stalks the shadows of the divine realm—a darkness that threatens to unravel the heavens themselves.
Thais may have been forced into the Trials seeking survival, but she'll finish them seeking vengeance.
And the cost of godhood is rising.
Because some stars aren't meant to be weapons.
Some stars are meant to fall.

 

Julie’s Review:

I read this book generally over a weekend. I got to about 30% in a few evenings after not having a chance to read past the first chapter for a week, then parked my butt on the couch and got to 85%, finished after work the next day. This book is 729 pages and I inhaled it like air. I can understand now why people call this a god tier book. And it’s highly quotable, as you can see from our That’s what He said.

The stakes were high – giving Hunger Games vibes with the trials and the mentoring. This kept the pace fast and the reading flow very flowy. Each trial was creative and dangerous, keeping me at the edge of my couch cushion.

The characters were well done, with each main character having layers and depth. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well, though I would have liked to get to know more of the contestants in the trials. The twins Thais and Thatcher and their unyielding protection and devotion to each other drove the story to the intensity it reaches. I enjoyed the slight POV changes, while the story was mostly from the Thais’ POV, you get a few chapters from her twin brother Thatcher, and even a chapter from Xül. I would have loved more POV switches though, because I was super curious how all the training and friendship building between the brother and the half brother Legend (and whether he even suspected their origins).

The magic system and rules was clear enough to follow, and I appreciated the pages summarizing all the types of immortals and their powers. It was just the right level of fantasy for me. The writing was great – flowy and grippy. Both funny and tragic scenes were done so well. I highlighted a lot. Like this one for instance:

“Is there a point to this story, Heron?”

“There’s always a point. Whether it’s sharp enough to matter…” He waggled his hand.

Then there’s the spicy times. This isn’t exactly a romance, but there is a love story which hits all my favorite tropes. It’s forbidden, and dark, and tragic, and all the yumminess of a broody angry immortal dude who has rules to follow, and a sassy mortal-for-now girlie who challenges him and refuses to bow to him. Banter is bantering. Desire is desiring. And my favorite trope is when the guy falls harder. It’s giving Quicksilver vibes with the interaction and the build up. It’s giving he pretends he’s a cold jerk but deep down as he allows her to get closer to him and see all his layers, he really has a lot of heart. It’s the transition from you’re my prisoner and I really don’t care what happens because I didn’t get the contestant I wanted, to you are feisty and sharp and I can work with this, to you better ascend because it would be a waste for you to die, to you have my entire soul. SQUEEE. And the nicknames! I love nicknames. He calls her starling. Ok here’s another quote because this is the kind of banter I just love.

“Don’t die before you become immortal, okay? Would be terribly anticlimactic.”

The ending, wow. And the next book is not in sight yet. I guess that means I have to read the parallel series, which is about one of the characters (no spoilers).

 

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Lynn’s Review:

It was really good and is now my precious. Does that qualify as a review? I’m kind of struggling with things to say. Everything is spoiler-y. But also the fact that I actually sat and read a 750 page book says a lot!

Plot: I want to clarify this is NOT a romance. It’s Hunger Games (trials, being voluntold) meets Percy Jackson (Gods, Demigods, and the humans they entertain themselves with).

“Diversion,” he said simply. “When you’ve lived centuries, novelty becomes the most precious commodity of all.” 

It’s emotional. It’s got some violent scenes. And yes, as Julie says, some sex scenes. But in no way would I describe this as a romance. But yes – A LOT of yearning. On both their parts. I appreciated how Xul mentors Thais, demonstrating alchemy, self-defense, and about the world she may enter if she survives. The characters are well-developed. While we mostly see Thais’s pov, I do believe we learn about the other characters through her.

Writing: Engaging. Lots of highlighting. While there is lots of world-building, we learn it through Thais’s eye, which helps put that all into perspective. 

Characters: Outside of Xul, Thatcher, Marx, and Axel, and tangentially Xul’s parents, the other Gods and Demigods are horrible. Definitely the characters we love to hate. And yes – Xul is dark and broody. And a prince of death. And probably also a cinnamon roll. Deep down inside, though. Where only Thais can see.

I am ready for the next book. Now.  Even if I have to actually sit and read it instead of having an audio book. 

 

 

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