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katrinaslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
I’m shaken by this book!
I enjoyed the beginning premise of this book, it drew me in with its magic and wonder. Lore is a relatable main character, she’s kind and imaginative. However as I read, I progressively felt more shaken.
Analeigh has created a fae world that is dark and terrifying. Lore’s character as a young black woman in this world that imprisons humans makes the parallels to our own a chilling read.
The story balanced the two love interests development well. I felt that Lore liked them both and it made the ending even more devastating. *Spoiler alert* there are plot twists! I registered the clues but the plot twist got me. I’m sure others would have put two and two together.
Overall, this was one of my most anticipated books this year and it didn’t disappoint. However I would have wished I paid more attention to the trigger warnings for the book. Which I highly recommend you do.
I enjoyed the beginning premise of this book, it drew me in with its magic and wonder. Lore is a relatable main character, she’s kind and imaginative. However as I read, I progressively felt more shaken.
Analeigh has created a fae world that is dark and terrifying. Lore’s character as a young black woman in this world that imprisons humans makes the parallels to our own a chilling read.
The story balanced the two love interests development well. I felt that Lore liked them both and it made the ending even more devastating. *Spoiler alert* there are plot twists! I registered the clues but the plot twist got me. I’m sure others would have put two and two together.
Overall, this was one of my most anticipated books this year and it didn’t disappoint. However I would have wished I paid more attention to the trigger warnings for the book. Which I highly recommend you do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, and Sexual assault
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
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
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
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
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
chiiemmi's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how stunningly gorgeous this cover artwork is. It’s beautiful and enchanting, and made me eager to read this debut novel as a fan of the cozy fantasy genre. Unfortunately, I am so disappointed to share that I just didn’t fall in love with this book for a number of reasons.
1.) While I’m willing to overlook the patchy world-building and the attempt at instilling political intrigue (I accept that these aspects might be expanded in the second novel), the book almost seemed indecisive and couldn’t choose between modern and dated speech. In particular, the characters used the phrase, “thistles and sage!” to curse for maybe 40% of the book, then out of nowhere started using modern expletives. This really broke the immersion for me, and the novel just seemed disjointed in how it wanted to present the time period and vernacular.
2.) The book is marketed as a Young Adult/Fantasy Romance, but the ending seemed to take a much darker turn that I was expecting though it maintains a cozy fantasy vibe for 90% of the story. This seemed completely out of character. The cover, setting, and premise of the story all set up a cozy fantasy novel. But it veers dramatically darker in the last 10% of the book in a way that left me feeling uncomfortable.
3.) I wanted to see more character progression. I don’t know if this story endeared me to any of the main characters, which also made it hard to root for the romance and love triangle set up. I would’ve liked to see more time put into bringing these characters to life beyond one-dimensional descriptions.
4.) The plot twist. There’s a difference between executing a shocking plot twist and creating something out of nothing. (SPOILERS) If Asher was indeed Syrelle, I don’t think I fully understand why he would kill his guards, kill the people sent to kidnap Lore, hide her in this other town, and lead his own guards away from capturing her for a month, help her break into his own castle and save her people, and then turn on her as they’re leaving?? I don’t think that final reveal did enough work to convince me that all of this was part of some brilliant, nefarious scheme. I think a good plot twist needs to hold up to scrutiny—readers need to be able to look back and slowly piece together all the clues and breadcrumbs along the way. This did not do that. Never did this book set up the premise that shapeshifters even exist and it seems like a copout to establish this as the reveal was happening; it just doesn’t have enough to suspend my disbelief.
Though I have major issues with the story as is, I have heard that eARCs aren’t representative of the finished product and I am debating picking up the published copy. Regardless, I would consider reading future titles from this author.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault and Kidnapping
hdabru's review
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
memreads's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Update: I can't stop thinking about this story and the characters (in a good way, I'd rather be left wanting more than feeling like there's too much on the table) so I had to increase the rating.
Going into this book, I was enamored by the mysterious library and found myself excited to learn its secrets and its history. Unfortunately this seems more of a convenient setting than a major story part. I'm hopeful this will be explored in later additions to the story.
The pacing was a little off-putting to me. The beginning of the story was fast, then it felt like it stalled, then it picked up to a nice medium pace, then major events are occurring from start to finish within a few pages, and then the last beat of the book felt as though it was alternating between medium and breakneck fast pacing. It felt like it was a 500 page story crammed into 300.
I love the idea and the pieces of this story, but I feel like the characters, relationships, plot points and settings weren't given the time they needed to truly shine.
It is still an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading future installments, but will be going in with more lighthearted expectations
Going into this book, I was enamored by the mysterious library and found myself excited to learn its secrets and its history. Unfortunately this seems more of a convenient setting than a major story part. I'm hopeful this will be explored in later additions to the story.
The pacing was a little off-putting to me. The beginning of the story was fast, then it felt like it stalled, then it picked up to a nice medium pace, then major events are occurring from start to finish within a few pages, and then the last beat of the book felt as though it was alternating between medium and breakneck fast pacing. It felt like it was a 500 page story crammed into 300.
I love the idea and the pieces of this story, but I feel like the characters, relationships, plot points and settings weren't given the time they needed to truly shine.
It is still an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading future installments, but will be going in with more lighthearted expectations
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Drug use, Rape, and Kidnapping