Miscreant tells the story of Nova Darkov, a young woman trapped in a world that demands perfection—and punishes anything less. Born into a prestigious family, Nova hides a dangerous secret: she cannot use the sacred power of memory syphoning, a cornerstone of her society. When her secret is exposed, Nova faces exile to a brutal island where misfits are discarded. Alongside her devoted brother Denali, who risks everything for her, Nova must find the strength to survive in a world that was never made for her. It’s a heart-wrenching story about family, betrayal, and resilience set against a vivid, cruel world where flaws are a death sentence.

Reading Miscreant absolutely tore me up in the best way. Kynsie Cole’s writing is gripping and raw. You feel the panic clawing up Nova’s throat, the sting of betrayal, the bone-deep loneliness. The prose is beautifully straightforward without ever being plain. Short bursts of action are followed by aching, introspective moments that hit harder because they’re not dressed up with fancy words. Cole isn’t afraid to break the reader’s heart, and she does it with a kind of ruthless honesty that left me stunned more than once. The world-building is subtle but solid, and the relationships, especially between Nova and Denali, feel heartbreakingly real.

Parts of the book were emotionally exhausting. And that’s not a bad thing, exactly—it’s just that Miscreant doesn’t offer much room to breathe. Nova’s world is claustrophobic and brutal, and sometimes I found myself desperate for a little more hope or a moment of lightness to balance the pain. But maybe that’s the point. In a society like Ghandria, kindness is a rebellion in itself. I also loved how Cole handled Nova’s anxiety and sensory struggles without making them a “problem” to fix. They just are part of her, woven into the story like threads in a tapestry. That felt honest and real in a way that a lot of books miss.

Miscreant is an emotional and thrilling novel. If you’ve ever felt like you had to hide who you were just to survive, Nova’s story will hit you square in the chest. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves deeply emotional fantasy, stories about resilience, or characters who fight even when the world tells them not to.

Pages: 318 | ASIN: B0DZJ6FFXB