Son of the Morning was a total surprise.
I blame it on the cover that accompanied by audiobook from the Library.
Frankly, I had very little idea about what to expect, even after I read the blurb. Emezi has been hit or miss with me. I have always felt that their writing was tight and sparkling, but I didn't always enjoy their novels. So frankly they write exceedingly well, my brain may not always be equipped to accept what they lay down! So despite that, I thought why not try this one out, it seemed different from the others.
And YES, this is different.
Firstly - after I started to dig around a bit I found THIS cover...
This cover indeed reflects the novel much better.
In some ways (hear me out people), this novel reminded me of the first book in the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L Armentrout. Our main character Galilee has been raised to know she's special, but not to quite understand how special. Her family is dismayed that she decides to move off sanctified land to pursue a life that seems less protected. Gali thrives in the city, making new friends, and she's honestly loving her space from her family, when she meets Lucifer Helel. Is he really *THE* Lucifer? Well, you'll want to read this steamy spicy paranormal tale to find out. While Gali thinks she's just a "regular girl" Lucifer knows immediately that she isn't quite human. Does he tell her this? Err well, much like The Blood and Ash series- and Poppy and Cas- things remain pretty muddled for a while.
I am taking a pause here to note that while I love The Blood and Ash series and JLA, the two books are very distinct, no one would ever- reading both- believe that they were really related. I just did note that one theme- (ordinary girl discovers super powers- which have been apparent to others prior to her discovery) which is fairly common in romance/supernatural literature. The two novels are...otherwise incomparable. One of the biggest things that I adore is that Son of the Morning is a complete story in itself. No cliff hanger, no onward battle. There is some room for a second or third novel featuring the same characters/world, but there is no desperate need created by the conclusion.
The novel takes place almost entirely over one day where Galilee's true self is revealed, alliances are shattered and remade, as a literal unseen war for souls is occurring. Characters are well developed and there is a lot of diverse representation.
It was amazing to read as Galilee stepped into her whole self, owing it with confidence. Along the way there are deep friendships, true familial love, and some steamy love triads and more. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and spent a bit of time texting my romance girls to let them know not to sleep on this one. I feel that this will have a bit of a broader appeal than some of her other novels might have, but it still is distinctly Emezi. The writing is sparkling, the plot moves at a good pace with enjoyable ebbs and flows- highs and lows as one travels through a whirlwind of time/emotion - with some room to contemplate moral situations and obligations.
In short, this is a fantastic novel. I recommend it for someone looking for well written romance with a fantasy element. The audiobook was well narrated and I do recommend it, I had no issues with the narrator.
First Published : November 2025
Pages: 400
Available as an Audio Book : Yes
Trigger Warnings: paranormal beings, war violence, child birth, murder, supernatural beings, (this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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