Reborn

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 127 ratings

Price: 18.37

Last update: 03-26-2025


About this item

When the Rezwyn Empire mysteriously cuts diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Usleth, merchant lord Oren Radek is sent to investigate. But when he discovers a coup brewing against the emperor, Radek's life and his country's safety is suddenly under threat.

Izra Dziove, visionary advisor to the Rezwyn Emperor, is trying to hold the turbulent Rezwyn court together while being plagued by dreams of his fated man. But when Izra's adversaries launch an attack on the diplomatic party from Usleth, he is forced to take action to protect them and prevent a war.

Forced to trust one another, both men must put aside their differences to save the future of both their nations, while also contending with the growing attraction between them—all while trying to understand their mysterious connection and the forces guiding their shared destiny.

Can their fated love change the destiny of nations?

Contains mature themes.


Top reviews from the United States

Helina
5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I read this one first
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023
I really liked this one. I'm glad I read it before Reforged, because if I had started with that one, I might not have continued. The characters are interesting, the stakes feel higher, the pacing is better, the world building is deeper but also introduced in a way that isn't jarring. The alternating POV between characters was definitely the right call (as opposed it the first book, with was just Balen). If you were left uncertain after the first if you should continue, definitely give this one a go. It's great. If you're like me and read this first, go ahead and read Reforged too, but know it's not nearly as good (though it does give some more worldbuilding and a little more info about Radek and Odrica.)

I love the juxtaposition of Izra's immediately-being-head-over-heels-in-love-because-fate-said-so, and Oren's acting-like-a-normal-person. I love the nuance of the worldbuilding, and the way some of the culture differences are presented -- like Izra and the religious Rezwyns casually accepting that giant magical creatures called Gedroks are a type of physical god, while Oren and the Uslethians -- who live where Gedroks originate from-- are like, "No? They're just big?" Or Oren finding out that Rezwyn has magical Ichor in the plants and realizes that his own country's magic scholars have some learning to do. Good stuff.

Mirakel is the best accountant in all of fantasy fiction.
MidKnight13
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth it!
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024
This is the second book in the series but I read it first because it appealed to me a little more. The story feels really unique, is highly captivating and imaginative, and the characters draw you in.

There are some editing and typographical/grammatical issues, but they're relatively minor, speaking objectively. I would love this author to get a good editor on his team and see what he can really do.

That said, I usually stop reading if there are errors in the craft, but in this case I didn't because the story was highly compelling. Seth Haddon has a gift for crafting interesting environments and characters. I look forward to seeing him improve the little detractors and provide some really great fantasy fiction at every level.

I was NOT paid to review this book. I paid full price for it.
Kristina P.
5.0 out of 5 stars A great continuation of the world with new romance
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2023
It's clear that the author learned from his first book on pacing and expectations regarding duties of rank. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit but found myself confused here and there on why it seemed that the main characters weren't behaving/acting according to the experience their rank should give them.

That was not the case with this book. The fated and (initially) one-sided romance felt natural and the characters felt truly fleshed out. They acted as people of their station would, while also valuing the other lead character. You can see how D&D inspired the author and I think it worked really well here for the dynamics of the characters and the background characters.

I would suggest reading the first book first, more due to the fact that this world has some very heavy lore. It also introduces us to one of the leads before his story truly begins.

I enjoyed getting to see Seth Haddon's writing develop, as well as his world-building. I'd honestly love to read more about this world itself!
Winter is Reading
5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023
In some ways, Reforged is just the warm-up to Reborn, as the world becomes bigger and the gods more powerful. Seth Haddon’s world-building skills are fantastic, and I hope we see more from this universe.

The romance is so sweet, with all the fun of fated-mates and reincarnate- love tropes. Izra’s nervous smitten energy is was so cute, and Radek is darling. I was a fan of him back in Reforged, and seeing his HEA is awesome. (He goes through the most of anyone, what with the events of both books.)

If you haven’t read Reforged, this is a great standalone story on its own.

Overall, fans of queer fantasy will probably enjoy this.

(Also for BG3 fans, I swear this is lowkey Halsin/Astarion vibes.)

Spice: 2/5
Angst: 3-4/5
Auburngeo
4.0 out of 5 stars Rebirth
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
I will give this book a 4/5. At times I felt like it rambled and I almost did not finish it. But I kept reading and I can say I enjoyed reading it.
Megan
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun Worldbuilding, Cute Romance
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

3.5

I had picked up Seth Haddon’s debut in an Audible sale and quite enjoyed it, so when I saw his sophomore novel was set in the same world I jumped at the chance to read it.

Reborn takes place in the Rezwyn Empire, which is next to Usleth where the events of Reforged occurred. This book also features a m/m relationship but this time with a fun twist on fated mates. I liked both of our main characters and I liked the exploration of the cultural divide and how Haddon built up the world with this empire on the verge of collapse.

There are a lot of ideas here and while I don’t think everything came together in a way that totally satisfied me, I did enjoy the reading experience overall and would love to see Haddon continue to build out this world.

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