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naomi_k's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: War and Alcohol
destdest's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
First, I LOVE this cover (shoutout to the artist @green446004 (instagram) and fantasy Black people. Let’s go!
But the pacing and storytelling weren’t for me. The writing felt heavy on the telling and was too fast-paced. But the last third of the book picked up until it jumped the shark a little bit. I thought the book would take place in one location and was surprised when it moved to somewhere unexpected for the brunt of the book.
With the worldbuilding, the fae/different types of fairies are established to be very dangerous. There's a serious class issue and they all have unique magical traits, view humans as beneath them, and are execution-style scary supposedly. But, it didn't make any sense the way and how quickly Lore would mouth off. She wavered between being afraid of them to not caring. Can or cannot these people smite you where you stand???
I wanted to like Asher and Lore more, but their connection felt like we were on a speed-run. The core building of their relationship mostly happens offscreen, so the romantic strides felt unearned. I couldn't get into their banter either. Also, the ending... I don't even know even more. what? whole time he's been living a lie??? did he get lost in the lie? why did he let the relationship go romantic if he was just using her?
i didn't want to mention them making out after finding out the human women are being forcefully impregnated because I thought it was a final hurrah/going out with a bang because they might die. but nah, it makes sense. y'all are acting horny after hearing that??? because you're a doggone villain!
The second male lead, Finndryl was rude and standoffish, but he was the strong, quiet type. These are the main types who have undying loyalty to the fmc when they get their act together lol. He and Lore kept getting on each other's nerves for the smallest things, but I liked him better because we got to see him slowly defrost. Then, freeze again. Slightly thaw. And freeze again.
Unfortunately, the majority of the character interactions felt like I was being "told" things. Let it marinate. Lore's friendship with Grey didn't have much time, but I believed in their relationship way more than the one with Asher and later Isla.
The editing process probably cut a lot of things which made the book pacing feel too fast. I don't like needless filler, but I think it would've made me more invested in the characters. One scene I liked in particular was when Lore gets pushed in a swing. Just a peaceful moment that let the story breathe.
Still, I'd check out book two! I'm ready to see Lore gain mastery over her skills. I also want to see the Finndryl route.
2.5 stars
Drinking Games:
But the pacing and storytelling weren’t for me. The writing felt heavy on the telling and was too fast-paced. But the last third of the book picked up until it jumped the shark a little bit. I thought the book would take place in one location and was surprised when it moved to somewhere unexpected for the brunt of the book.
With the worldbuilding, the fae/different types of fairies are established to be very dangerous. There's a serious class issue and they all have unique magical traits, view humans as beneath them, and are execution-style scary supposedly. But, it didn't make any sense the way and how quickly Lore would mouth off. She wavered between being afraid of them to not caring. Can or cannot these people smite you where you stand???
I wanted to like Asher and Lore more, but their connection felt like we were on a speed-run. The core building of their relationship mostly happens offscreen, so the romantic strides felt unearned. I couldn't get into their banter either. Also, the ending...
i didn't want to mention them making out after finding out the human women are being forcefully impregnated because I thought it was a final hurrah/going out with a bang because they might die. but nah, it makes sense. y'all are acting horny after hearing that??? because you're a doggone villain!
The second male lead, Finndryl was rude and standoffish, but he was the strong, quiet type. These are the main types who have undying loyalty to the fmc when they get their act together lol. He and Lore kept getting on each other's nerves for the smallest things, but I liked him better because we got to see him slowly defrost. Then, freeze again. Slightly thaw. And freeze again.
Unfortunately, the majority of the character interactions felt like I was being "told" things. Let it marinate. Lore's friendship with Grey didn't have much time, but I believed in their relationship way more than the one with Asher and later Isla.
The editing process probably cut a lot of things which made the book pacing feel too fast. I don't like needless filler, but I think it would've made me more invested in the characters. One scene I liked in particular was when Lore gets pushed in a swing. Just a peaceful moment that let the story breathe.
Still, I'd check out book two! I'm ready to see Lore gain mastery over her skills. I also want to see the Finndryl route.
2.5 stars
Drinking Games:
- Lore fretting about her hair
- Asher’s "long legs"
- Lore drinking too much alcohol
- Finndryl being moody
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Abandonment, Rape, and Sexual content
CW: forced breedingblakeandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a romantasy debut from Sbrana! This was such a fun read. I loved the enchanted library and that she got to be engrossed with so many books… um, hello, this is my dream!! Lore slowly finds herself having feelings for 2 fae males, and a love triangle of sorts begins to form. I typically don’t enjoy love triangles, because they stress me out too much, but this one was written so well that I didn’t mind it at all!
There is a plot twist at the end that I was proud of myself for guessing part of it 🤣🤘🏼 but the other part I did not expect!! It ends on such a great cliffhanger. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book in the series!
The found family aspect in this book is truly a slow burn. However, the connections and friendships that Lore makes, both old and new, create a bond that is loyal and fierce for one another! I am interested to see what happens to the crew with all of the new information we’ve been given 👀
This book comes out 2/27/24, so preorder now and add to your TBR!
What a romantasy debut from Sbrana! This was such a fun read. I loved the enchanted library and that she got to be engrossed with so many books… um, hello, this is my dream!! Lore slowly finds herself having feelings for 2 fae males, and a love triangle of sorts begins to form. I typically don’t enjoy love triangles, because they stress me out too much, but this one was written so well that I didn’t mind it at all!
There is a plot twist at the end that I was proud of myself for guessing part of it 🤣🤘🏼 but the other part I did not expect!! It ends on such a great cliffhanger. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book in the series!
The found family aspect in this book is truly a slow burn. However, the connections and friendships that Lore makes, both old and new, create a bond that is loyal and fierce for one another! I am interested to see what happens to the crew with all of the new information we’ve been given 👀
This book comes out 2/27/24, so preorder now and add to your TBR!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Rape
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
hdabru's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
3.5
The story in this book is excellent. It has all the elements of a great fantasy plus a lot of originality. I love found family, cozy settings like libraries and pubs and enchanted woods. I love heroines coming into their power and fighting for those they love.
The reason I gave it three stars was purely on technique. This was however given to me as an ARC so I am hopeful that the incorrect words and clunky writing are corrected prior to publishing. I know writing is hard, and I struggle with the same issues when writing descriptive sentences, especially action. But they were often so clunky that it would take me out of the immersion of the story, and I would struggle to get through passages because I had to reread to figure out what was going on. I also had issues with minor plot holes as well as pacing. For a large portion of the book I couldn’t figure out where it was going and even by halfway I was waiting for it to get really good. Eventually it did, and I became very invested in the characters and the story, and loved the magical elements. But the writing style definitely came across as YA to the point that I thought the book was YA until some f bombs and a spicy scene jarred me right out of that. Those things are fine—it was just that the writing style felt so much younger that it caught me off guard.
I also would have liked the book to have passed the bechdel test prior to the halfway point, aside from an exchange with a cranky maidservant. But that I guess is getting a little pendantic. Overall I think this has the potential to be an amazing series and a great adventure. And with nary a white character in sight, which we all know is a much needed perspective in the fantasy genre. I would definitely recommend, but be prepared for a book in need of polish, unless the ARC has been heavily edited prior to final release.
The reason I gave it three stars was purely on technique. This was however given to me as an ARC so I am hopeful that the incorrect words and clunky writing are corrected prior to publishing. I know writing is hard, and I struggle with the same issues when writing descriptive sentences, especially action. But they were often so clunky that it would take me out of the immersion of the story, and I would struggle to get through passages because I had to reread to figure out what was going on. I also had issues with minor plot holes as well as pacing. For a large portion of the book I couldn’t figure out where it was going and even by halfway I was waiting for it to get really good. Eventually it did, and I became very invested in the characters and the story, and loved the magical elements. But the writing style definitely came across as YA to the point that I thought the book was YA until some f bombs and a spicy scene jarred me right out of that. Those things are fine—it was just that the writing style felt so much younger that it caught me off guard.
I also would have liked the book to have passed the bechdel test prior to the halfway point, aside from an exchange with a cranky maidservant. But that I guess is getting a little pendantic. Overall I think this has the potential to be an amazing series and a great adventure. And with nary a white character in sight, which we all know is a much needed perspective in the fantasy genre. I would definitely recommend, but be prepared for a book in need of polish, unless the ARC has been heavily edited prior to final release.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, 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
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