Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: For The Love of Pheyrin

Author: Lance C. Haynes, Jr.

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, sci-fi, aliens, threat to humanity, chosen one, chosen ones, found family

Publication Date: February 13, 2022

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Age Relevance: 15+ (violence, gore, war)

Explanation of Above: There is discussion and showings of war, with violence and blood gore shown.

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 606

Synopsis: In a war waged centuries ago between humans and Pheyrinites, the majestic inhabitants of Earth's dual planet, Pheyrin, a prophecy was born that ensured the redemption of Earth's alien foe after their dramatic defeat. Benjamin "Beebee" Brooks, a bashful Memphis teen and artistic prodigy, makes a discovery of his alien ancestry and his inevitable role in the fulfillment of this prophecy. After the mysterious death of his radical mother, he must accept extraordinary truths that have been hidden from him and balance the weight of an entire planet on his shoulders, all while falling in love with one of the "chosen seven" named Audrey; a gentle ballerina from Seattle who is mending a broken heart after the tragic death of her mother as well. The two of them, along with Jacob, Gabrielle, Liam, Diana, and Kalena, are pulled into an intense clash for freedom by Fa'lu, a wise Pheyrinite prophetess, a skilled Pheyrinite warrior named Antuulo, and Oluuni... the great and merciless king of the Pheyrinites who is filled with an unparalleled desire to drive all humans to extinction. Benjamin and his six brothers and sisters of prophecy, each of them escaping their own grievous teenage lives to claim their crowns and lead a long-awaited alien rebellion, embrace the heartbreaks and magical gifts their destinies bring in an adventurous and passionate tale of love and war.

Review: I thought this was a great read! The book, which features teens who are pulled to save the fate of humanity when an alien species is determined to drive them to extinction. The book gave me Avatar vibes, but also I got a lot of Shazam vibes. The book is told in multi-POV in the beginning, switching to Benjamin’s prospective for the majority of the book, and I feel like that style of writing gave the characters a lot of opportunities for character development. The book does amazing with world building and I loved the magic system. The book opens so strongly that it doesn’t feel daunting to be reading such a huge text after awhile.

The only issues I had with the book is that I felt like the characters and magic system could have been better developed, but overall I loved it a lot!

Verdict: I recommend this one, especially if you’re into found family and sci-fi vibes!