Between Life and Death by Jaclyn Kot Summary
Overview of Between Life and Death
Jaclyn Kot's "Between Life and Death" exploded on BookTok, captivating 7,800+ romantasy readers with its enemies-to-lovers magic. What began as a decade-long creative journey now rivals Sarah J. Maas with its irresistible "touch her and die" dynamics and addictive plot twists.
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Key takeaways
The Dance Between Life and Death
In the village of Meristone, a fair-haired girl is dragged to a pyre, accused of bearing "the Curse." This haunting scene introduces us to Sage, a young woman with secrets of her own, and her brother-in-everything-but-blood, Kaleb. In Edenvale, magic - once celebrated as "Gifts" - is now condemned as a Curse punishable by death. Those with Air once guided lost fishermen home; Fire-Cursed kept villages warm in winter; Earth-Cursed ensured forests remained full of game; Water-Cursed aided farmers with rain; Mind-Cursed healed mental illnesses. But centuries ago, when mystical Demi Gods arrived, everything changed. As locals abandoned the royal family's New Religion for the Old Religion, the Crown declared the latter illegal, branded the Demi Gods evil, and began the Cleansings - discovering their weakness to fire and iron. Every morning before dawn, Sage sneaks to a secluded glade to practice combat movements taught by her blind caretaker Ezra, then bathes in a lake where she can freely use her water magic, creating swirling hurricanes around herself. This daily ritual reveals both her determination and the constant fear of discovery that shapes her existence. Imagine living in a world where your very nature is criminalized, where architecture itself - like in Norwood, a town once predominantly Cursed - bears witness to generations of persecution.
Bonds Forged in Secrecy and Loss
The Underground Resistance and Found Family
Magical Bargains and Divine Identity
The Cosmic Romance
Between Realms: The Veil Thins
A Dance That Never Ends
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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