3.9 (8 ratings)
From Ash to Oath
Arina De Luca was born into privilege as the daughter of Shadowborne’s Alpha—until the night her world collapsed. Overnight, the pack that once adored her turned cruel, and the girl who had been raised like royalty became a ghost in her own home. With her eighteenth birthday approaching—and something inside her growing restless—Arina makes the only choice left to her.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
Reader Reviews
3.9
8 ratings
Michele G.
Inside Story
Sep 13, 2026
Very interesting Fated Mates story about King Xander, of the North, and Princess Arina. Arina has to escape to the North to get away from a mother that became abusive after her father dies. Her father told her to go North if she was ever in danger. Once, she reaches King Xander, he immediately knows that she is his fated mate, but her feelings of the bond are a bit diminished because her wolf has been confined due to her ill health and abuse.
If you like the following this book is for you:
💕Fated Mates
😈OW drama
🥰Found Family and Friends
🗡️Betrayal
☠️Surprise reveal
Lyra B.
Inside Story
May 14, 2026
Overall I thought the premise was good and enjoyed Arina and Xander’s chemistry. I did feel at times the story felt rushed or like maybe there should have been more to explain things.
Candace C.
Inside Story
Apr 18, 2026
From Ash to Oath by L.J. Galiano leans into messy, morally gray characters who feel real in all the best ways. The main chracters are driven by loyalty, survival, and promises they may not be able to keep...and watching those motivations clash is where the story really shines.
The tension builds slowly but hits hard, especially as trust starts to fracture and alliances shift. No one feels entirely safe, and that edge kept me hooked.
Dark, character-driven, and quietly intense, this one lingers.
Aaliyah .
Inside Story
Apr 12, 2026
rina is an omega who endures hardships with her mother, who hides her existence from their pack. Xander is the Lycan king who uncovers the secret and swears to protect her. As the story progresses, Arina is on a journey to find out her true destiny, often met with even more questions and a tangled mystery. There is a cliffhanger but that excites me for book 2.
Brita M.
Inside Story
Apr 11, 2026
Arina De Luca was born into privilege as the daughter of Shadowborne’s Alpha—until the night her world collapsed.
Overnight, the pack that once adored her turned cruel, and the girl who had been raised like royalty became a ghost in her own home. With her eighteenth birthday approaching—and something inside her growing restless—Arina makes the only choice left to her.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that may not be suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.
Tropes: Paranormal, Young Adult, Witches, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Magic, Fated Mates, OW Drama, Found Family & Friends, Betrayal, Surprise Reveal, Tragedy, Romance, Cliffhanger
From Ash to Oath by L.J. Galiano.
Wow, most authors take their time in jumping into the drama, they give us a slow burn, that’s not what L.J. Galiano does, L.J. just jumps straight into the drama, skips straight over the slow burn, refuses to give us useless paragraphs full of fillers. L.J. just gives us pure drama, action, and excitement. This is the first book of hers that I’ve read and I have to say that I loved all the layers, the different elements she put into this story and I found that there was no hope for me and I couldn’t help but find myself invested in this story and the characters.
Arina De Luca, was born that daughter of the Alpha of the Shadowborne Pack and as such she was born into privilege. But, overnight Arina finds that the pack that had once upon a time adored her has turned on her and is cruel towards her. And the girl who was raised like a princess is suddenly a ghost in her own pack. Now Arina’s 18th birthday is approaching – and suddenly something within her grows restless – and Arina makes the only choice that makes sense to her.
Arina runs – she just doesn’t know where she’s going.
Xander LeBlanc The Lycan King lives far from the Shadowborne’s territory, and Xander has spent years refusing to bend or believe destiny itself. Xander finds he is unable to trust anyone, he’s refused to take a mate, and his rule has been one with his heart encased in steel and iron. But the moment Arina, completely broken and terrified suddenly appears on his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t understand yet, Xander finds the world he’s carefully guarded fracturing.
And what’s more, both Arina and Xander can feel something stirring between them. And it’s something that neither of them is ready for.
Slowly, as Arina heals, she tries to work to uncover the truth about the life that she lost and left behind in the Shadowborne Pack. Xander finds that he’s being drawn into this mystery that’s far darker than he could have ever imagined, and it’s a mystery that’s tied to the Shadowborne Pack, to Arina…and it’s a threat that’s powerful enough to shake the entire his kingdom and beyond.
Arina has been the hidden princess and now she’s about to find out exactly who she really is. I have to say that the scenes with all the Phoenix’s was absolutely fantastic – this scene just gave me goosebumps!
Xander, the King was the King who had long ago decided that he didn’t want a love story like the one his parents had. Eleni, was this conniving and deceitful woman who was fueled by this need for nothing but pure power.
L.J. did a phenomenal job with the world-building in this book. The world is rich, full and feels so authentic and real. It’s vivid and lush and you feel like you are actually walking through the world with the characters.
The characters themselves are well fleshed-out, they are so fully developed and yet they still have so much room for growth through this first book and you know that they can still grow and develop even more in the next books that are yet to come. I found myself laughing and crying right along side the characters through each page of this book.
I loved how you could really see the found family & friends trope come through fully with the found pack family Arina finds and the way they all have to find a way to come together, find the strength and courage to really bond and work together and fight for one another and the future they all want.
But, they can all see and feel that there’s a storm coming, and you can tell that it’s not going to be a small one. This is a storm that is going to test the bonds of family and friends and it’s going to test all their strength and resolve.
I knew from the very beginning that this book was going to end up ending on a cliffhanger. I just hope and pray that the 2nd book comes out soon, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
If you love shifters, fated mates, hidden identities, strong intelligent FMCs, stubborn MMCs then this is the book that you’ve been searching for. I highly recommend it and I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Overnight, the pack that once adored her turned cruel, and the girl who had been raised like royalty became a ghost in her own home. With her eighteenth birthday approaching—and something inside her growing restless—Arina makes the only choice left to her.
She runs.
Far beyond Shadowborne territory, Lycan King Xander LeBlanc has spent years refusing destiny itself. He trusts no one, takes no mate, and rules with a heart encased in iron. But his carefully guarded world fractures the moment a terrified young woman appears at his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t yet understand.
Something ancient stirs between them.
Something neither of them is ready for.
As Arina tries to uncover the truth about the life she lost, Xander finds himself drawn into a mystery far darker than he imagined—a mystery tied to Shadowborne, to Arina… and to a threat powerful enough to shake kingdoms.
Whispers rise. Old wounds bleed. And the past is no longer willing to stay buried.
One girl running from the darkness.
One king determined to resist fate.
Two lives are about to collide in ways neither can escape.
But in a world built on bloodlines and lies…
Nothing is what it seems.
YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that may not be suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.
Tropes: Paranormal, Young Adult, Witches, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Magic, Fated Mates, OW Drama, Found Family & Friends, Betrayal, Surprise Reveal, Tragedy, Romance, Cliffhanger
From Ash to Oath by L.J. Galiano.
Wow, most authors take their time in jumping into the drama, they give us a slow burn, that’s not what L.J. Galiano does, L.J. just jumps straight into the drama, skips straight over the slow burn, refuses to give us useless paragraphs full of fillers. L.J. just gives us pure drama, action, and excitement. This is the first book of hers that I’ve read and I have to say that I loved all the layers, the different elements she put into this story and I found that there was no hope for me and I couldn’t help but find myself invested in this story and the characters.
Arina De Luca, was born that daughter of the Alpha of the Shadowborne Pack and as such she was born into privilege. But, overnight Arina finds that the pack that had once upon a time adored her has turned on her and is cruel towards her. And the girl who was raised like a princess is suddenly a ghost in her own pack. Now Arina’s 18th birthday is approaching – and suddenly something within her grows restless – and Arina makes the only choice that makes sense to her.
Arina runs – she just doesn’t know where she’s going.
Xander LeBlanc The Lycan King lives far from the Shadowborne’s territory, and Xander has spent years refusing to bend or believe destiny itself. Xander finds he is unable to trust anyone, he’s refused to take a mate, and his rule has been one with his heart encased in steel and iron. But the moment Arina, completely broken and terrified suddenly appears on his doorstep, carrying secrets she doesn’t understand yet, Xander finds the world he’s carefully guarded fracturing.
And what’s more, both Arina and Xander can feel something stirring between them. And it’s something that neither of them is ready for.
Slowly, as Arina heals, she tries to work to uncover the truth about the life that she lost and left behind in the Shadowborne Pack. Xander finds that he’s being drawn into this mystery that’s far darker than he could have ever imagined, and it’s a mystery that’s tied to the Shadowborne Pack, to Arina…and it’s a threat that’s powerful enough to shake the entire his kingdom and beyond.
Arina has been the hidden princess and now she’s about to find out exactly who she really is. I have to say that the scenes with all the Phoenix’s was absolutely fantastic – this scene just gave me goosebumps!
Xander, the King was the King who had long ago decided that he didn’t want a love story like the one his parents had. Eleni, was this conniving and deceitful woman who was fueled by this need for nothing but pure power.
L.J. did a phenomenal job with the world-building in this book. The world is rich, full and feels so authentic and real. It’s vivid and lush and you feel like you are actually walking through the world with the characters.
The characters themselves are well fleshed-out, they are so fully developed and yet they still have so much room for growth through this first book and you know that they can still grow and develop even more in the next books that are yet to come. I found myself laughing and crying right along side the characters through each page of this book.
I loved how you could really see the found family & friends trope come through fully with the found pack family Arina finds and the way they all have to find a way to come together, find the strength and courage to really bond and work together and fight for one another and the future they all want.
But, they can all see and feel that there’s a storm coming, and you can tell that it’s not going to be a small one. This is a storm that is going to test the bonds of family and friends and it’s going to test all their strength and resolve.
I knew from the very beginning that this book was going to end up ending on a cliffhanger. I just hope and pray that the 2nd book comes out soon, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
If you love shifters, fated mates, hidden identities, strong intelligent FMCs, stubborn MMCs then this is the book that you’ve been searching for. I highly recommend it and I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Jennifer M.
Inside Story
Apr 10, 2026
This is book one of the Broken Oaths series. You’re drawn right away into the mystery that the story unravels chapter by chapter. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginable. Fascinating characters that are interesting and diverse. This is a fast-paced intriguing read! I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Michelle S.
Inside Story
Apr 9, 2026
this was such a great story with Arina and Xander. thus world building was amazing. the description was so well done. and I loved the depth of the story. this was dark but filled with magic and twists and turns that kept me totally intrigued. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.
Nicole H.
Inside Story
Apr 8, 2026
I was very excited for this book and enjoyed the beginning, but as it went on I just felt that it lacked the depth and substance for the that Arina went through. Even though Xander handled the situation beautifully, I was bored with a lot of it and probably won't read the next book.