Breaking the Cardinal Rules: A Review of Xantera by Mariah Montoya and Grace Pearce

Xantera by Mariah Montoya and Grace Pearce

Releases 13th October 2025

Xantera follows 23-year-old Saskia, who lives in a utopian society ruled by 12 guardians. Saskia has always been taught to never question the rules and to fear the monster who prowls outside the wall, which is there to protect them. She eats what she is told, she works where she is told, and she is even in a relationship with whom she is told. They control every aspect of the citizens’ lives. Saskia is a healer, and when one of her patients is acting shifty and then disappears, Saskia does what no one in Xantera should do: she starts thinking and asking questions. When she sees her patient again, he is being escorted by the sentries, but she notices as he throws a necklace to the side of the road. Saskia is curious and picks this up; she doesn’t know what it is and is utterly shocked when a voice speaks to her in her head. The voice is that of the monster outside the wall, the one she should fear, and he wants her to let him in.

⚫️Dystopian society ⚫️He falls first ⚫️Touch her and die ⚫️Corrupt government ⚫️Enemies to lovers ⚫️Vampires and Werewolves ⚫️Mind to Mind communication ⚫️Duology

🔴Grphic violence 🔴Violence against children (off page) 🔴Forced partnership 🔴Birth Control 🔴Threats of sexual assault and rape 🔴Sexual Content 🔴Blood Drinking 🔴Loss of parents

I read By the Orchid and the Owl by Mariah Montoya in August and became absolutely obsessed with it. I then, as I often do when I’ve read a book by an author new to me, went and stalked their social media, because that’s natural, right? Anyway, I saw that she was releasing a new book with another author I hadn’t yet heard of, and that ARCs were open, so I ran, jumped, and rolled over to that ARC form and typed as quickly as my little fingers let me. Lo and behold, when I got the email, I squealed like a pig. I was then, for some reason, scared to read it. I read all my other ARCs, even ones that I received after this one, because I was scared, and I have no idea why…well, maybe I was scared that I would become obsessed and go in a slump. Anyway, I said to myself, man up and read it! I was right, I am obsessed!

Okay, so first off, I want to say that I loved the FMC’s name! Saskia, that is such a nice name. I haven’t read many dystopian, utopian-type books before. I never thought I would like them, but I was 110% into this! I would have hated living in Xantera, though! You are taken from your parents at 15 to be given your apprenticeship, then you are told who your civil partner will be, you then have only Sundays for leisure time, and also on Sunday, it is mandatory to have sex with your civil partner. You wear the same outfit every day, and your food is posted through a slot in your door. Sounds a whole lot like prison to me. I mean, the upside is, you don’t have to cook or worry about what to wear.

I enjoyed seeing Saskia wake up, she became curious, she wanted answers, she was I guess, evolving, is that the right word for it? She had been conditioned to be this no-thinking human, but she was starting to think for herself. She was being curious, she was being human!

I really enjoyed Lucan’s character too, he’s got the brooding world is heavy on my shoulders type of vibe, but he is also quite amusing and sexy! Watching how he falls for a girl he’s never been able to touch or see is just, I dunno, gives you the feels! It’s cute and wholesome and sexy, and I loved it!!

The way the two authors described Xantera was done in such a way that I could see it and feel it. I feel sorry for the citizens. I live in England, it’s always grey and rainy, but damn, everywhere in Xantera was grey and the same! Everywhere but the palace where the 12 guardians live…colour hogs! I haven’t read many vampire werewolf books either. I’ve, of course, read Twilight and Zodiac Academy, but that might be it, to be honest. I also have to say I liked the fact that the guardians didn’t sparkle.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters, how they were represented and described. I enjoyed the setting and very much felt like I was in this book with them. The writing was fantastic, and I cannot wait for book two. If you like vampire books, werewolf books, dystopian/utopian books with romance and rebellion, then you will like this.

Thank you, Mariah and Grace, for sending me the ARC of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5