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bookcaptivated's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Confinement, and Classism
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Rape
stitchbooks22's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was incredibly boring, full of plot holes and wasn’t well written. Whoever marketed this as adult must not have read it, given it felt more like a YA with a vague attempt at romantasy that just didn’t work. Also predicted the plot twist at the end.
The idea of an enchanted library, cottagecore and cosy vibes with magic for a book could’ve been so good, but was executed poorly. I’m very disappointed I can’t lie.
The only redeeming features were the small portion of the enchanted library we got as well as the characters of Isla, Gryph, Grey and the fox who were barely in it. Milo also seemed like a sweet kid and I liked him despite his also limited presence.
I have mixed feelings about Lore as she acted like an ungrateful brat at times, though could be wonderful at others. Finn is another character I have mixed feelings on, but he is growing on me.
Will I read the next one? Possibly. I would like to see some of the characters again and see if the duology can be redeemed. It’s a decision for a later date.
The idea of an enchanted library, cottagecore and cosy vibes with magic for a book could’ve been so good, but was executed poorly. I’m very disappointed I can’t lie.
The only redeeming features were the small portion of the enchanted library we got as well as the characters of Isla, Gryph, Grey and the fox who were barely in it. Milo also seemed like a sweet kid and I liked him despite his also limited presence.
I have mixed feelings about Lore as she acted like an ungrateful brat at times, though could be wonderful at others. Finn is another character I have mixed feelings on, but he is growing on me.
Will I read the next one? Possibly. I would like to see some of the characters again and see if the duology can be redeemed. It’s a decision for a later date.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Violence, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Classism, Murder, and Physical abuse
adafae's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I will start with I didn’t want to put this book down. The story is beautiful it captures you. Lore the main character is a strong women independent and protective. The story never stagnates it moves and a good pace.
However, there are some negatives which I want to mention. Sometimes the language used is crass and take a leap towards more modern and not fitting with the setting. It also has some descriptions in scenes I would not expect to find in a YA book that make it seem that it might be better suited as the adult fantasy genre. There were also a few times where the wording or sentences structure throw me off or consistencies where changed like the scent of someone changing when mentioned but always said as their familiar scent.However this might be linked to the twist at the end of the story, with Asher, it might make some of the inconsistencies make sense if that was the intention of the author.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I read it in no time and it kept me guessing. I cannot wait for the second book to come outI cannot wait to find out more about Finn and how he is so good at fighting and to see future works by this author.
However, there are some negatives which I want to mention. Sometimes the language used is crass and take a leap towards more modern and not fitting with the setting. It also has some descriptions in scenes I would not expect to find in a YA book that make it seem that it might be better suited as the adult fantasy genre. There were also a few times where the wording or sentences structure throw me off or consistencies where changed like the scent of someone changing when mentioned but always said as their familiar scent.
Overall I enjoyed the book, I read it in no time and it kept me guessing. I cannot wait for the second book to come out
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, Pregnancy, and War
jessitheblonde's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The book is amazing, but it ends on a massive cliffhanger, so be warned that you're going to want to immediately jump into the next book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Death
booknerderika's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
4.0
Alright this was a lot.
The story started with a pretty steady plot and then it was one thing after another after another just all over the place. I kind of enjoyed it though, it kept my ADHD brain engaged. Especially as I tried to remember if things had been said before or if the characters were having a conversation about something new even though it was familiar to them. Basically as if I had missed out on some previous conversations, which from the pacing of this happened more often than I liked.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the characters and the growing romance. I went into this expecting a fun fantasy and I'm not going to be too nitpicky about it.
I will say I feel like the 2nd book will be better than the first, at least that's the impression I got from the ending. I'm crossing my fingers that that's the case because I like this story.
That ending left me shocked although it really shouldn't have. I think I just didn't want to believe that after everything the characters had been through. I was mad but also a little relieved that I could finally root for the other (no spoilers) without feeling bad for the first.
The story started with a pretty steady plot and then it was one thing after another after another just all over the place. I kind of enjoyed it though, it kept my ADHD brain engaged. Especially as I tried to remember if things had been said before or if the characters were having a conversation about something new even though it was familiar to them. Basically as if I had missed out on some previous conversations, which from the pacing of this happened more often than I liked.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the characters and the growing romance. I went into this expecting a fun fantasy and I'm not going to be too nitpicky about it.
I will say I feel like the 2nd book will be better than the first, at least that's the impression I got from the ending. I'm crossing my fingers that that's the case because I like this story.
That ending left me shocked although it really shouldn't have. I think I just didn't want to believe that after everything the characters had been through. I was mad but also a little relieved that I could finally root for the other (no spoilers) without feeling bad for the first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Blood, Addiction, Kidnapping, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Murder, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, and Gore
sidnilayne's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to love this book.
The idea of an enchanted library is one of my favorites, but after she leaves the library, the adventure felt unfinished and not like an actual adventure. The main plot also felt so predictable.
I found the plot to be messy, I never really knew what was going on after two of the characters left to go on a side quest. I got really bored quickly.
There seemed to be some romantic love triangle thing happening that wasn’t truly a love triangle, nor romantic to me. More just insta horny and touch her and you die elements…
This especially bothered me because this is a YA book, and why is there actual descriptive sexual content going on in a YA book?? If I wanted to read about people doing these things - I’d pick up an adult book.
The idea of an enchanted library is one of my favorites, but after she leaves the library, the adventure felt unfinished and not like an actual adventure. The main plot also felt so predictable.
I found the plot to be messy, I never really knew what was going on after two of the characters left to go on a side quest. I got really bored quickly.
There seemed to be some romantic love triangle thing happening that wasn’t truly a love triangle, nor romantic to me. More just insta horny and touch her and you die elements…
This especially bothered me because this is a YA book, and why is there actual descriptive sexual content going on in a YA book?? If I wanted to read about people doing these things - I’d pick up an adult book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Murder
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the free copy of this book.
- LORE OF THE WILDS immediately drew me in. I was an instant fan of Lore and her will to survive and fight. I found the world of this book intriguing. Books about fae are numerous now, but this one found that line between terrifying and alluring perfectly.
- I thought when picking this up that it was a YA novel, and the tone of it reads that way, especially in the beginning. Then, about 75% in, things turn very spicy and very dark, and oh wait Lore isn’t the teenager I thought she was? It was a bit jarring.
- I’m gonna try to do this bit without spoilers. There was a character whose motivations I absolutely could not figure out until it dawned on me that this was part of a plot twist. So that unfortunately wasn’t much of a twist for me, and I wish there had been a better effort at hiding it.
- All that said, I’m looking forward to book two and I think Sbrana is an author to watch.
- LORE OF THE WILDS immediately drew me in. I was an instant fan of Lore and her will to survive and fight. I found the world of this book intriguing. Books about fae are numerous now, but this one found that line between terrifying and alluring perfectly.
- I thought when picking this up that it was a YA novel, and the tone of it reads that way, especially in the beginning. Then, about 75% in, things turn very spicy and very dark, and oh wait Lore isn’t the teenager I thought she was? It was a bit jarring.
- I’m gonna try to do this bit without spoilers. There was a character whose motivations I absolutely could not figure out until it dawned on me that this was part of a plot twist. So that unfortunately wasn’t much of a twist for me, and I wish there had been a better effort at hiding it.
- All that said, I’m looking forward to book two and I think Sbrana is an author to watch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Confinement, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Kidnapping, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism and Sexual violence
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings: violence, blood, death, murder, classism, and racism.
Mention of: kidnapping, slavery, death of loved ones, and rape.
***I received and e-ARC, ahead of release, through Netgalley***
From reading the summary of this book I knew I wanted...no needed to dive into the world and see what it was all about.
From the start it was easy to love and cheer for Lore.
I do feel the pacing was a bit off in this book...the first 3/4 feels like a lot of day to day things as we get to know Lore and the other cast of characters and then the last 1/4 of the book is like we're racing down the autobahn. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE everything about this story I just think maybe the last 1/4 should have been stretched out a bit more. This easily could have been a 500 page book and I would have devoured it and loved it just as much.
I do wish I had known in advance that it would be part of a series...the way it's advertised and labeled online was giving "standalone" vibes...so the entire time I was reading I was wondering how the heck they were going to wrap up the story...on to have it end on a ..." to be continued..." I'm guessing...it'll be a duology...though it's a bit to early to tell.
When this book releases next month I plan on purchasing it so I can reread it, possibly a few times, before book 2 inevitably releases.
If you're looking for a book that gives fall magical vibes with a strong leading lady who's fierce determination to bring peace and happiness to her people had me ready to go to battle...you won't want to pass on this book. 💜
Only read the below paragraph if you've read this book already! Major spoiler warnings below.
Okay, so I feel like Asher revealed himself entirely too early...AND I would have loved to see a slightly stronger relationship develop between Lore and Finn before this reveal...because I feel like going forward Finn may feel like a 2nd string pick...when really she's felt connected to him almost from their first meeting...and it was only his grumpiness keeping her from attempting a deeper connection...
Mention of: kidnapping, slavery, death of loved ones, and rape.
***I received and e-ARC, ahead of release, through Netgalley***
From reading the summary of this book I knew I wanted...no needed to dive into the world and see what it was all about.
From the start it was easy to love and cheer for Lore.
I do feel the pacing was a bit off in this book...the first 3/4 feels like a lot of day to day things as we get to know Lore and the other cast of characters and then the last 1/4 of the book is like we're racing down the autobahn. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE everything about this story I just think maybe the last 1/4 should have been stretched out a bit more. This easily could have been a 500 page book and I would have devoured it and loved it just as much.
I do wish I had known in advance that it would be part of a series...the way it's advertised and labeled online was giving "standalone" vibes...so the entire time I was reading I was wondering how the heck they were going to wrap up the story...on to have it end on a ..." to be continued..." I'm guessing...it'll be a duology...though it's a bit to early to tell.
When this book releases next month I plan on purchasing it so I can reread it, possibly a few times, before book 2 inevitably releases.
If you're looking for a book that gives fall magical vibes with a strong leading lady who's fierce determination to bring peace and happiness to her people had me ready to go to battle...you won't want to pass on this book. 💜
Only read the below paragraph if you've read this book already! Major spoiler warnings below.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Addiction, Classism, Racism, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Rape, Slavery, and Death of parent
justinekorson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-Arc!
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW.
Also, for those curious, this novel leaves off on a MAJOR cliffhanger.
This is definitely a story I think I need to re-read when the book comes out. There's an author I follow on Twitter who recently said that e-ARC's are a bad depiction of the final book because sometimes the e-ARC's are old drafts of the story before line edits were done on it. I only started reading e-ARC's a lot recently and in this book I think I can see how correct that author was. There were some plot points in this novel that were never finished or touched upon again (i.e Lore's mini dagger training session. You'd think she'd need more than one??) and some plot points that were never discussed (i.e Lore mentions toward the end of the book that the word 'clanless' is a slur against Finn butI don't remember it ever being mentioned before that moment). The chapters also felt weirdly short like there was meant to be more to it but there wasn't. My e-ARC even says that it's 288 pages but Storygraph says it's 352 pages.
So, after saying all of that, I've decided not to pick apart the details that weren't refined and instead talk about the story as a whole.
And, as a whole, I adored this story. Lore and Finn were so stubborn and it reminded me a lot of myself actually. Which is why, from the moment I met Finn, I knew he was the one she was meant to be with. Asher was cute and sounded very genuine but... when Finn immediately showed a distaste for him, I knew that I should trust the grumpy fae boy. AND IT TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT. I don't think I necessarily saw that Asher wasn't who he said he was but I definitely knew something was up with him. He seemed almost TOO genuine at times, like he was faking it to get close to Lore.
Isla was a character I wish I had more of. She was brilliant and I was enamored with her from the moment she appeared. Grey too seemed like a really cool character that could have been utilized more in the beginning of the novel. His appearance in the fae realm was a little startling when Lore saw him with her magic though. I hadn't expected to see Grey back in the story until possibly the next installment. He fit in seamlessly with the rest of the group though and I enjoyed reading about him again.
I will admit that the first third of the book is a totally different vibe from the other two thirds. The beginning reads very cute cottage core as she cleans up the library. I honestly thought we'd spend more time in the library/castle setting than we did. the other 2/3 feel more like an adventure novel as she's trying to escape and as her companions keep dropping other fae around her.
Overall, I'm excited for the next installment and I'm going to be sure to read the final version when it comes out!
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW.
Also, for those curious, this novel leaves off on a MAJOR cliffhanger.
This is definitely a story I think I need to re-read when the book comes out. There's an author I follow on Twitter who recently said that e-ARC's are a bad depiction of the final book because sometimes the e-ARC's are old drafts of the story before line edits were done on it. I only started reading e-ARC's a lot recently and in this book I think I can see how correct that author was. There were some plot points in this novel that were never finished or touched upon again (i.e Lore's mini dagger training session. You'd think she'd need more than one??) and some plot points that were never discussed (i.e Lore mentions toward the end of the book that the word 'clanless' is a slur against Finn butI don't remember it ever being mentioned before that moment). The chapters also felt weirdly short like there was meant to be more to it but there wasn't. My e-ARC even says that it's 288 pages but Storygraph says it's 352 pages.
So, after saying all of that, I've decided not to pick apart the details that weren't refined and instead talk about the story as a whole.
And, as a whole, I adored this story. Lore and Finn were so stubborn and it reminded me a lot of myself actually. Which is why, from the moment I met Finn, I knew he was the one she was meant to be with. Asher was cute and sounded very genuine but... when Finn immediately showed a distaste for him, I knew that I should trust the grumpy fae boy. AND IT TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT. I don't think I necessarily saw that Asher wasn't who he said he was but I definitely knew something was up with him. He seemed almost TOO genuine at times, like he was faking it to get close to Lore.
Isla was a character I wish I had more of. She was brilliant and I was enamored with her from the moment she appeared. Grey too seemed like a really cool character that could have been utilized more in the beginning of the novel. His appearance in the fae realm was a little startling when Lore saw him with her magic though. I hadn't expected to see Grey back in the story until possibly the next installment. He fit in seamlessly with the rest of the group though and I enjoyed reading about him again.
I will admit that the first third of the book is a totally different vibe from the other two thirds. The beginning reads very cute cottage core as she cleans up the library. I honestly thought we'd spend more time in the library/castle setting than we did. the other 2/3 feel more like an adventure novel as she's trying to escape and as her companions keep dropping other fae around her.
Overall, I'm excited for the next installment and I'm going to be sure to read the final version when it comes out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, and Pregnancy
stardust_heidi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thanks for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!
Okay! Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I think it has a very cozy "cottage core" magic vibe filled with great characters, magical forests, and lots of lore. (LOL...so bad, I know.) I'll definitely get my hands on the next book, because I'd love to see where the author takes this story. I think it was a creative blend of humans and fae with some obviously dark and unspecified thing keeping Lore's village hidden from the world.
At times I felt like the plot was a bit formulaic and predictable, in a way that made me not terribly surprised by the plot twists. I think by the last few pages the reason for some of my issues got explained, but it didn't keep me from questioning things in the moment. There were some moments that felt awkward and stilted, and some scenes/plot points that were resolved too easily. Examples of some of these things listed:I think that even though the main characters had some hurdles during their adventures, some of the tense moments got resolved too quickly. For me one of these moments was when Lore rescued Grey from the queen and how easy it was. I also guessed the plot twist with Asher as soon as Lore and Finn started getting close; something told me that there was either going to be an annoying triangle (not my first guess) or that Asher was going to be the dark fae lord in disguise. And I was right. I think it was a good twist, to be honest, but once Asher returned back from his journey's with Isla, the way he and Lore interacted was really uncomfortable. I didn't trust him at all, and I think Lore had some of the ssame instincts despite the fact that she listened to her hormones over anything else (including any feelings she might have had for Finn) in the moment. In some ways, I was bummed with how quickly she returned to Asher -- some of those moments felt really awkward and stilted.
I think this story is a fresh take on a lot of beloved tropes, and I hope many readers find joy not only in the story but also the POC cast! I love how the author focused her own joy into some of the fine details of Lore and the others. A great read!
Okay! Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I think it has a very cozy "cottage core" magic vibe filled with great characters, magical forests, and lots of lore. (LOL...so bad, I know.) I'll definitely get my hands on the next book, because I'd love to see where the author takes this story. I think it was a creative blend of humans and fae with some obviously dark and unspecified thing keeping Lore's village hidden from the world.
At times I felt like the plot was a bit formulaic and predictable, in a way that made me not terribly surprised by the plot twists. I think by the last few pages the reason for some of my issues got explained, but it didn't keep me from questioning things in the moment. There were some moments that felt awkward and stilted, and some scenes/plot points that were resolved too easily. Examples of some of these things listed:
I think this story is a fresh take on a lot of beloved tropes, and I hope many readers find joy not only in the story but also the POC cast! I love how the author focused her own joy into some of the fine details of Lore and the others. A great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
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