And So The Breaking Begins: Mindbreaker Duet, Book 1 (An Age of War and Prophecy 3)
Lacey Lehotzky
4.2
The Upper World: Book One (Worlds of the Valley 1)
by Erica Jean
About this book
Fated to love but raised to be heartless – A story of two souls who must uproot the loveless systems that tore them apart.
In the dystopian future of Erth, Mena, a powerful being, is trapped in the Underground where she and hundreds like her are forced by their self-proclaimed creator, Bishop, to commit unforgivable sins.
Hazy memories of Mena’s past show glimpses of another life beyond the cold walls that conceal them. The only solace in her dream of escape is her team, and the bond they share in knowing this is not what they were meant to be.
Under orders from another world, Azrael, the Angel of Death, locates Mena and her team. He soon discovers she’s far more than the stolen angel he was led to believe and yearns to keep her safe… but the laws of the Upper World make his growing feelings for her a danger of their own.
Whilst all Mena wishes for is revenge, Azrael learns that Bishop’s cursed soul threatens the fate of Erth and the angels of the Upper World, and to give them a fighting chance, Mena has to heal her enemy, not kill him.
Mena and Azrael’s destinies become deeply entwined as they traverse saving two worlds that have long oppressed them, to create a home where their people can be free.
But what if their pasts have destroyed too much to repair?
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- B0GFTL9QFM
Reader Reviews
March 27, 2026
\"Valley above, you are everything,\" he said, grabbing her neck and pulling her down to him, to an all-embracing kiss she thought she might not ever get again. To a kiss she wished might never end. Angels, Rebellion, Found family, some of the things I loved most out of this dystopian romance. The found family being what I found the most enjoyable and one of my favorite parts of the story. Just the overall dynamic between them all, and the depth of the relationships. Who doesn't love a \"he...
March 30, 2026
Some themes that always appeal to me include: a dystopian setting, angels and divine realms, forbidden love. So while I truly appreciate the idea of this story, there are also some elements that kept me from feeling immersed and engaged. Mena is a slave to her Underground “creator” Bishop, who frequently sends her off on missions to kill and destroy people and towns. She and her team are rescued by Azrael, an Angel from the Upper World, who reveals that she is not only an angel as well, but...
March 31, 2026
The Upper World is an immersive journey, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The highlights (for me): - unique, immersive lore and magic (holy hell this world is so well developed and I can't wait to dip my toe into more of it.) - I absolutely loved this take on angels, it felt like nothing I'd read before - this deals with heavy topics (I mean, it is dystopian) but a few moments had me laughing - slow-burn romance !!! and page-one yearning = my favorite combo - other magical creatures which (I...
March 26, 2026
I was so excited to read this story! The dystopian setting pulled me in. Erica did a great job of world building. This book jumps right into the action. I’m always a sucker for the found family trope. I loved all the side characters. The Angels and their powers is definitely unique and not common in a lot of Romantasy books. I loved watching Mena the FMC grow and understand her powers throughout the story! Azreal the MMC and his yearning for Mena 😍 The twists in the story had me questioning...
March 26, 2026
“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 . . . 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙—𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙.” The Upper World by Erica Jean 3☆ It’s a magical, dystopian backdrop with human, fae, angels, witches, and shapeshifters. There’s underground operatives, military training, and missions with real stakes. There’s a sprinkle of found family with ride-or-die friendships that I immediately invested in. But…the plot took a few detours without a map. I got hit with time jumps, quick-fire backstory, and a...
