Such good worldbuilding mixed with complex characters and a great plot

I really liked how both messy and relatable the main characters were. at the same time, even when bad things happened, it was handled with enough grace to feel empathy with what's happening to the character, but not to the level of despair or sorrow you end up with in some darker reads. you felt like you were in it but not at the cost of your own emotional fragility

If you like time-jump, multiple timeline, sci-fi slash paranormal mm books with epic worldbuilding and emotionally impactful reads, definitely dive into this.

This is technically a follow on to the original anzulla series, but absolutely can be consumed on its own. despite the breadth and depth of the world the author created, more than enough of the specifics are fleshed out throughout to be able to follow the plot. while technically seeing the end results of previous books' plots may be literal spoilers, you can tell that there's a lot reading between the lines that you'd only get by going back and reading the main series, which I plan to do next

Also, the draxton character is very neurodivergent, with a statement in the story itself of an autism spectrum diagnosis. his characterization is rather refreshing as it does a great job of highlighting the many strengths and talents that come with the gift, such as rapid analytical and pattern finding skills plus prodigious memory and fast structural observation and interpolation (he can map out entire underground cave systems by himself in the pitch black), alongside some of the more visible hindrances it comes with that others would see. it also gives a good look into the less visible stumbling blocks inside his head.

His character is treated with deep respect and empathy, and at the same time when there are meltdowns or outbursts, it isn't sugar coated or coddled. a lot is explained in the arc of the story that I think does a great job contextualizing things for a non-neurodivergent reader, or anyone who may be less familiar with specifics they either don't have, or may not have connected certain dots in specific ways.

Disclosure: the author offered free audiobook codes to members of an online mm romance group that I belong to. the group is free to join and only is for people who want to connect over and share stuff about what they're reading.

I am also not an author and don't have any financial stake in publicly commenting about this book

In exchange for receiving the free audiobook code, the only ask from the author was to Leave some review after finishing, being clear that she wanted honesty, not promotion.

What I shared above is an abbreviated look into my thoughts on the book. I really enjoyed it, and that's coming from someone who's listened to over 1500 mm books in the last few years, majority of which being sci-fi or fantasy.

Hot, cerebral, and relentlessly vivid.

Char’s ambitious, genre-blending novel fuses science fiction, fantasy, and M/M romance into a high-stakes narrative driven by obsession, secrecy, and desire. Set primarily in South Africa’s Cradle of Mankind, the story follows Draxton Dubois, a brilliant, hyper-focused speleologist convinced that the Rising Star Cave System hides a door to another reality. His quest places him at odds—and ultimately in orbit—with Kellan Kilroy, a university professor whose family has guarded the truth about the door for centuries.

The relationship between Draxton and Kellan anchors the story. Draxton’s uncompromising focus and neurodivergent way of moving through the world meet Kellan’s cautious, protective nature, producing a slow-burn romance defined by hesitation, longing, and restraint. Char treats Draxton’s level-one autism as an integral part of his character—informative, lived-in, and never reductive. The worldbuilding is expansive. The narrative features Titans, dragons, interdimensional travel, ancient civilizations, and systemic oppression. Char does not shy away from violence or moral complexity, particularly as rescue missions and liberation efforts reveal the cost of secrecy and power.

Readers seeking speculative romance with epic stakes and morally complex characters won’t want to miss it.