Human Reborn by Aryn Eleven Shaw

Jun 15

MAIN THEMES:
- Self-Discovery
- Forbidden Knowledge
- Slow-Burn Romance with Possessive MMC
- Political Intrigue and Social Hierarchies

Human Reborn was a much bigger undertaking than I expected, and not just because of the page count. This is a THICC book, with larger pages packed full of text, so it took me considerably longer to get through than a typical novel of the same length. That said, I never felt like I was reading a shallow story. There was a lot to sink my teeth into.

My favorite aspect of the book was easily the character development, particularly for Alexis. Watching her grow and seeing the relationships she built throughout the story made the journey worthwhile. The revelations surrounding her background ended up being one of the most compelling plot drivers in the novel, and several twists caught me completely off guard.

And then there’s Golem.

I would like to officially join the Golem Fan Club.

This silent magical companion gifted to Alexis by the king absolutely stole every scene he appeared in. While other characters had more dialogue and page time, Golem somehow managed to become my favorite character by a landslide.

The story also tackles themes of discrimination, prejudice, and systemic mistreatment based on race in ways that feel very relevant to the real world. While set in a fantasy setting, the parallels are easy to recognize and added weight to the narrative.

As for my criticisms, the most noticeable issue was the editing. In a book this large, a few typos are expected. Unfortunately, there were enough spelling mistakes and editing slips that I started circling them as I read. None of them ruined the story, but they appeared often enough to pull me out of the immersion from time to time.

I also felt the romantic scenes were occasionally overused. I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and don’t mind spice in fantasy, but there were points where it felt gratuitous. Not every intimate encounter needed the same level of detail, and trimming a few of those scenes would have tightened the pacing considerably without hurting the story.

Overall, despite some editing issues and moments that felt longer than necessary, Human Reborn delivered strong character growth, meaningful themes, intriguing revelations, and one unforgettable magical sidekick. Most importantly, it left me wanting to continue the series… and that’s always a good sign.