#jules arbeaux

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Queer Book Character Tournament Round One

Nick Russo- We Could Be So Good

Daja Kisubo- Circle of Magic Series

Larkin Douglas- The Legendborn Cycle

Idrian Delaciel- Lord of the Empty Isles

Voting ended onApr 15

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Nick Russo- We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian

Daja Kisubo- Circle of Magic Series by Tamora Pierce

Larkin Douglas- The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn

Idrian Delaciel- Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux 

[scholar-of-yemdresh]

Adult SFF Books With Aromantic Main/Major Characters

Wanted to highlight lesser known books; including not-so-obscure books that aren't known for their aromantic rep.

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

New Releases of June!

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Queer Book Character Tournament Round One

Gary Laughing Dog- Mercy Thompson Series

Rune Saint John- The Tarot Sequence

Mattinesh "Matti" Jay- Swordcrossed

Remy Canta- Lord of the Empty Isles

Voting ended onApr 15

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Gary Laughing Dog- Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs

Rune Saint John- The Tarot Sequence by KD Edwards 

Mattinesh "Matti" Jay- Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

Remy Canta- Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux 

[gealach-in-a-misty-world]

Review: Cage of Starlight, by Jules Arbeaux

  Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos. Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the ru

Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos. Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to the work of war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees—right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras. Caged in a cruel training facility and threatened with placement on the front lines of a brutal war, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead. There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay. But when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they'll have to work together to survive. As they learn more about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other. But the trackers the facility has implanted in them will kill them in three days if they don't go back. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives? 

"Some stories are like that. Someone has to die." 

Jules Arbeaux's Cage of Starlight is a simple standalone adventure, dealing with a young asexual man, his struggle for freedom, and the lieutenant who's tasked with his training. In a world where their kind of magic is reviled but still used by some, and revered by others, the two fight against systemic slavery and try to carve their own path while coming to care for each other. The development is very fast, though, and the emotional beats don't pay off because we didn't have near enough time to get attached. Sena is an intriguing character, but a bit underdeveloped.

The worldbuilding, while interesting, is all over the place too, with long bouts of infodumping that feel disconnected. The magic system was unique, but the strongest aspect of the book were its twists and turns and the attention given to the supporting cast.

Cage of Starlight has a fantastic premise.

✨ 3 stars

[readingtillmidnight]

Cage of Starlight by Jules Arbeaux

Release date: 12 June 2025

Genre: adult dystopian fantasy

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you like:

Ace rep

Enemies to lovers(?)

X-men but fantasy

Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos.

Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to the work of war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees—right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras.

Caged in a cruel training facility and threatened with placement on the front lines of a brutal war, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead.

There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay.

But when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they'll have to work together to survive. As they learn more about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other. But the trackers the facility has implanted in them will kill them in three days if they don't go back. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives?

Content warnings

Death, violence, torture, blood, injury

Child abuse

Mass incarceration

Child labour

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

Cage of Starlight grabbed my attention right off the bat and didn't let me go for a single page. Seriously. Usually when I read I take breaks every other chapter, but I couldn't put this down for literal hours!!

The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, with a lots of suspense and tension. Tory is constantly in dangerous situations; while he's constantly planning ways to escape, he also doesn't take shit from anyone, and is more than willing to antagonise Sena just for the sake of it.

The cover is giving cozy high fantasy vibes, so I was pretty surprised by how high tech and militaristic the setting is. A lot of it takes place in a high tech military training facility, and guns are pretty commonplace in this world. This isn't to say that this book is all dystopian gloom; there are some really intimate, magical moments, that feel all the more precious contrasted with the intense high stakes of everything else.

Speaking of intimate moments, let's talk about the romance! This one is a little complicated. The author has described the relationship in this book as "enemies to lovers", but Tory and Sena's relationship didn't read as romantic to me. They definitely start off as enemies; sometimes you read something pitched as enemies to lovers and the "enemies" just argue a little while making eyes at each other, but in this case Tory feels pure, unadulterated loathing for Sena from the second they meet.

I feel that enemies to lovers can be hit or miss, depending on how it's executed, but in this case the author did a wonderful job. I love how Tory and Sena gradually deepen their understanding of each other, and the way they grew closer over the course of the story felt very natural. While I don't feel like their relationship is romantic, it can certainly be read that way, and regardless, the relationship development is brilliant and also better than a lot of enemies to lovers romances out there.

This is a standalone novel. The ending wraps it up pretty well but there is definitely room for a sequel. I am being so serious when I say this, if the author wants to write another book following Tory and Sena I AM SO DOWN PLEASE I'LL READ ANYTHING I NEED THEM TO STAY TOGETHER FOREVER.

Obviously, I'm chill and normal about this book. Go read it y'all <3