Romantasy

Review: Twisted Roots And Soil by AJ Charley

September 4, 2026

Synopsis:

She secretly longs for power. He will risk all of his, for her.

After a failed ritual ripped away her chance at power, only the color of Alyxia Reyaal’s blood spared her from a fate worse than death. But her failure must remain hidden.

When the one person she relies on to keep her deadly secret, makes the treasonous decision to abandon her, the realm and their sacred golden bloodline, and is implicated in the toxic substance spreading through the soil of Atafye. Alyxia is forced to choose between the shelter of her home or a dangerous trek across unfamiliar lands, that might just get her killed.

Without magic, she won’t survive the journey alone.

Commander Cayzenn Adiston is the most powerful wielder the Kingdom of Zelindyr has ever produced, its next General—and the last person Alyxia would expect to lead the way. But as they scale new heights and seek long forgotten answers, a forbidden connection unveils hidden truths that were meant to stay buried.

With time running out to find her sister and a cure, Alyxia must navigate new surroundings and relationships and decide just how far she is willing to go for the ones she loves.

Review:

Usually, I know after the first few pages if I’ll enjoy a book. This one was an early winner for me. I ended up reading it in one sitting, and it was one of the best romantasy books I’ve read recently. It gave me everything I was looking for and more.

Alyxia was a character I instantly fell in love with. For years, she felt like a misfit, trying to find her place in the world. She was fighting to hold on to pieces of herself while also trying to meet everyone’s expectations. One day, everything changes in an instant when she puts herself and the search for her sister first. This sets off a chain reaction of events that takes her on a wild ride.
This was one of the best character arcs I have had the pleasure of following in a long time. Watching her grow from someone who constantly held herself back and doubted her worth into the strong and capable person she always had the potential to be was something truly special.

And then we have Zelindyr. He was a character I was sceptical about initially, but I gradually started to fall in love with him, and the chemistry between the two of them was absolutely on fire.

There are so many great things about this book that made it an instant favourite for me, and I could go on and on about them. This is one I urge you to pick up. Now!
The overall writing was perfection. It was easy to follow, giving me exactly the right amount of world-building and complexity. As more layers were added throughout the story, the world only became more intriguing, and the ending in particular left me excited for what comes next.

🌙 Recension: Twisted Roots And Soil (Poison Gold #1) by AJ Charley
📚 Genre: Romantasy
📅 Release Date: September 4, 2026
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 504
⭐️ 5/5