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rebeccajost's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping, War, Violence, Classism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
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
hiashleynine's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
howboutjane's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The plot of this book was SO GOOD and it had so much potential to be amazing. I did find though that the pace was slow and jarring throughout most of the book, making it a bit hard to get through. Pace picked up in the final section and the ending saw a TWIST I absolutely did not see coming. However, there's still many unanswered questions that, although I'm certain will be addressed in the next book, I wish were touched on more in this one. Would still recommend as it was good and I will be reading the next installment when it's out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Confinement and Rape
jei_reads_sometimes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Classism, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
gaby_readsbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series! Overall I enjoyed this book for the most part, I liked the main character Lore she was kind, loyal and so determined to change things for the better. I also really liked the world, it was interesting and left me wanting to explore it some more with future books in the series.
The pacing of book was not well done though. The beginning was fast paced, then it slowed way down and then it picked up at end again. This is fine but sometimes it felt that important parts were skipped over and time would pass with events taking place off page that should have been written. Sometimes it was more telling than showing which was jarring and relationships would be built off page which made it seem like it was :developing too fast/unrealistically.
For the most part I was able overlook the negatives due to the plot being interesting and the fact I was invested in the main character and her arc. Keeping in mind this is a debut, I really enjoyed it. I can see the potential with this author and this series and will definitely continue reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for granting me access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The pacing of book was not well done though. The beginning was fast paced, then it slowed way down and then it picked up at end again. This is fine but sometimes it felt that important parts were skipped over and time would pass with events taking place off page that should have been written. Sometimes it was more telling than showing which was jarring and relationships would be built off page which made it seem like it was :developing too fast/unrealistically.
For the most part I was able overlook the negatives due to the plot being interesting and the fact I was invested in the main character and her arc. Keeping in mind this is a debut, I really enjoyed it. I can see the potential with this author and this series and will definitely continue reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for granting me access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Sexual content
blakeandbooks'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
camiclarkbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I think this might be the next big fantasy series!
Sbrana wrote an engaging high fantasy tale that was loaded with everything a reader could want—and enchanted library, fantastical beings, a love triangle, and a shocking twist. “Lore of the Wild” also adds some desperately needed diversity to the genre.
The book had some pacing problems and I got a little lost on the timeline near the last quarter of the story, but this is probably more of a reviewer problem than a reader problem.
A few times in the book I got whiplash from the story swinging back and forth from YA to New Adult. The majority of the book felt more YA—in the best possible way—but there were definitely places tailored for older audiences. They felt shoehorned in, like Sbrana had intended to write a YA book but her team recommended New Adult instead.
Despite those two complaints, I loved the “Lore of the Wilds!” The titular character of Lore was absolutely sensational! She was so realistic for a high fantasy heroine. It was extremely refreshing to read a fantasy about a twenty-something year old heroine, instead of the usual sixteen or seventeen year old. Lore handled everything Sbrana threw at her with human ingenuity and determination, which was the perfect juxtaposition to her being trapped in the land of her enemies.
Overall, “Lore of the Wild” was a wonderful fantasy story about human resilience and am so excited for the sequel—I have to know what happens after the twist!
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Trafficking, Slavery, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
stephalee4's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This book captured my attention from the start with the cover and premise, but as I started reading the story immediately sucked me in as well. The world building and magic were so well done and interesting, but throw in a magical Fae library and I'm going to read it. There were quite a few twists and turns as well, with quite a few surprises thrown in - especially at the end!
There were moments in the first half of the book when I thought the story dragged a bit, (there wasn't a lot of dialogue and lengthy descriptions of some of the books in the library) but overall that didn't detract from the story or my investment in Lore's purpose. For some reason I didn't realize this was NA vs YA so anyone expecting YA level cleanliness should keep that in mind, but thankfully the plot was so fleshed out it was the main focus and driving factor in the story.
I feel like this was an amazing debut and am definitely interested to see what happens in the next book! Fans of Isabel Ibanez and Adrienne Young should check this one out!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my e-ARC! All opinions are my own.
There were moments in the first half of the book when I thought the story dragged a bit, (there wasn't a lot of dialogue and lengthy descriptions of some of the books in the library) but overall that didn't detract from the story or my investment in Lore's purpose. For some reason I didn't realize this was NA vs YA so anyone expecting YA level cleanliness should keep that in mind, but thankfully the plot was so fleshed out it was the main focus and driving factor in the story.
I feel like this was an amazing debut and am definitely interested to see what happens in the next book! Fans of Isabel Ibanez and Adrienne Young should check this one out!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my e-ARC! All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Cursing
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