The Castle & the Cloister by Laura Weymouth

Published: August 4, 2026

Publisher: Saga Press

Series: Daughters of Light #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 448 (Kindle)

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
The Priory of the Orange Tree meets Black Sun in the thrilling launch of a political fantasy duology following three people—a refugee, a heretic queen, and a priest—as they attempt to shape the fortunes of a continent shattered by war.

Two hundred years ago, the warmongering Inver clan conquered the nation of Honoria, suppressing its pacifist goddesses, and ushering in an era of blood and battles. Now, after a brief but fraught peace, a king’s whims threaten to reignite the engines of war.

At the sun goddess Raea’s cloister, the last stronghold of Honoria’s matriarchal religion, Fia and her infant daughter are in search of a safe haven. Fia aims to offer her child more than the poverty and abuse she was raised with, but the price of the cloister’s protection will tear her from what she loves most and thrust her into a game more complex than she could imagine.

Within the Invers’ mountain fortress, Ariana is known as the apostate queen. Once a follower of the goddess of stars, she left her faith for the sake of a king. But old loyalties are not easily severed. Ariana treads a dangerous path, striving for peace in a court made for conquest.

Deep in the heart of the mountain, the Inver Priest bides his time, presiding over his people’s brutal religion. Blinded in the fight for the throne, he harbors a bitter grudge—one that could lead to Honoria’s ruin or renewal.

Amid a treacherous landscape of enemies, allies, and intrigue, three lives will intertwine. Each will have to risk the wrath of gods and kings alike to alter the course of nations.

---

I requested this book solely because it’s a political fantasy and it’s been awhile since I’ve read a good one. It follows three people – a mother hoping to gain a place at a cloister for her and her daughter, a queen who feels like an outsider, and a blind priest. You may wonder how these three people could come together, much less how they could change the future of their kingdom, but they do.

Queen Ariana used to be a priestess of the goddess Lyria, but married the king of Honoria, Orden Inver. She uses her influence over this man, who is inexplicably devoted to her, to try and change the kingdom for the better. She was, however, charged with the holy task of slaying both Orden Inver and his rival Afon Caervallin and she feared too greatly and refused. 

Fiametta Raeana is marked by the sun goddess Raea and has been working to earn her place as a soria in the cloister. She is certain this is the best choice for herself and her infant daughter, but the matria sends her to the capitol of Honoria to deliver a message before she will grant this request. Fia is resentful and determined to return straightaway, but meets with Ariana, a woman she knew years before and realizes Ariana needs her help.

Then there’s the Priest. He’s blind and resides at the heart of the mountain city in the darkness, serving the Inver gods that deposed the three celestial goddesses. He’s devoted to Ariana and helps her however he is able and he also holds a deep dislike of his brother, the king. I think the Priest ended up being my favorite character, though I respected Fia’s fiery personality and determination.

These three characters are working for the greater good of Honoria, but often their own weaknesses and desires get in the way. This makes for much more interesting, if somewhat stressful moments during the course of the story. The Castle and the Cloister is deeply political, deeply focused on the religious orders, and is ultimately full of imperfect characters that you can’t help but to root for. I didn’t really care about the conflict with Caervallion, which is unfortunately a significant part of the plot. Afon’s just an asshole and his motivations for war with Honoria don’t make sense until given context near the end of the book. I would have loved for this to have been a chunky standalone, rather than having to wait for the sequel to resolve what ended up being a momentous, yet expected ending. 

I liked the characters, I respect the complexities of this story, but I did not love it. At times I felt like I was pushing through to get on with it, but I suspect that’s more of a me issue than an issue with the book itself. Ultimately, I’m not sure if I have the interest or patience to wait for the sequel, but if you want a political fantasy with lots of involvement from the religious orders, check this out!