Title: Mayhem and The Mortal
Author: Shanora Williams
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Publisher: Red Tower Books/Entangled Publishing
Format Read: Kindle e-ARC
Genre: Romantasy
Romantasy has become huge in the past year or two, and I am not immune to its spells. Enter Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams. A girl who wants to save her sister from a curse. A male character described as a sorcerer, assassin, walking red flag, aka bad guy love interest. Well, okay, okay. Twist my arm to read this, why don’t you?
You’ve got the bare bones about what the story is about in the above paragraph, but if you want a bit more, our main character is named Zaira. Her sister, who worked for an evil sorcerer, did something stupid, and the sorcerer found out and cursed her. If Zaira doesn’t do something, her sister will die. So, as someone who will do anything for the ones they love, she finds a guide who will take her to a place called The Shallows, where she might find an item that could save her sister’s life. They encounter all sorts and experience a whole bunch in the time they are traveling.
The story is entirely narrated in the first person by Zaira, who is painfully optimistic. Seriously, I recognize myself in her. However, we get to see her thoughts, and she is as real as a person can come, with the same fears and hopes and whatnot. If the rest of the characters seem a bit cliched, don’t worry. They’re still interesting, and the dynamics between everyone are entertaining enough to earn a few laughs while reading.
This is the sort of story I think about when I think fantasy, I suppose because I grew up watching The Lord of the Rings movies. You start off with a couple of people who set off on a journey and gradually are joined by others, with the resultant crew appearing like a group of oddballs. What are these extremely different people doing with one another? The stops along the trip provide a taste of beautiful and dreamlike fantasy that many crave, and there’s also action and magic enough to inject adrenaline whenever things seem to be slowing down.
The story is told in first-person, present tense, making you feel like you are literally in Zaira’s mind as everything is happening. The pacing is quick and immediate. Things happen rapidly, and the narration moves with her. Williams’s sentences are mostly straightforward and functional, with occasional descriptive flourishes, making some scenes an absolute delight to read. Summing it up, as I like to do, I would describe the writing as fast, cinematic fantasy narration that prioritizes momentum and clear scene-setting over heavy prose or lyrical description.
I loved Mayhem and the Mortal, and I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy to be published. I’m invested in Zaira’s life now. I highly recommend this to readers of the romantasy genre and those who just enjoy fantasy alike. It has the epic adventure and interesting group of a good fantasy novel with just enough romance and cheese to elicit a few “Aww”s… and for those wondering, it’s got some habanero-level spice, too.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓 — Adventure, magic, and habanero-level spice
Let’s Discuss
Do you enjoy fantasy stories where a group of unlikely companions forms along the journey?
Find out more about this book and the author here.
I read a digital copy made available by Red Tower Books/Entangled Publishing, and this review reflects my honest opinion.