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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
This dystopian setting illustrates that fact that progress isn't linear. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if our society crumbled. But The Enemy's Daughter offers a vision of the world where our progressive society could crumble alongside the world we know. The Enemy's Daughter is a Tristan and Isolde retelling - think mortal enemy to lovers - in a world where she lives in a sexist society after some sort of cataclysmic event which ends the world we know today. It's a world of war, retribution, and laws decided upon by our own cruelty hardened by loss.
This dystopian setting illustrates that fact that progress isn't linear. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if our society crumbled. But The Enemy's Daughter offers a vision of the world where our progressive society could crumble alongside the world we know. The Enemy's Daughter is a Tristan and Isolde retelling - think mortal enemy to lovers - in a world where she lives in a sexist society after some sort of cataclysmic event which ends the world we know today. It's a world of war, retribution, and laws decided upon by our own cruelty hardened by loss.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
The Enemy’s Daughter drops you into a crumbling world filled with warring clans and people struggling to survive. A dystopian Tristan & Isolde reimagining that feels more like medieval fantasy than sci-fi, and honestly? That genre mash-up works beautifully.
The beginning hooked me. Isadora is such a compelling lead. She's practical, conflicted with her lot in life, and vulnerable but quietly fierce in a way that immediately caught my attention. Her struggle to accept her place in the world was handled and defying the life laid out for her is really interesting. And when she meets Tristen? I was all in. Their first meeting is electric, dangerous, and layered. The setup for their relationship had me fully invested.
Now, I wasn’t sold on the “he’s instantly drawn to her” angle. It felt like classic insta-love at first, which made me hesitant. But the clever thing is—it’s not. Isadora’s reluctance grounds the story, and her wariness toward Tristen makes the romance feel more earned over time. The full picture of why he acts the way he does doesn’t come together until much later, and I really appreciated that payoff. Some of the typical underlying tropes are definitely present, but they are handled with nuance and aren't afraid to stretch within their confines. I really liked that. The idea of marriage magic was fun and it was an interesting way to have these two drawn together. It adds real stakes and weight to emotional choices. Isadora tethering herself to someone she doesn’t trust, just to survive? That desperation made sense. She never felt like a YA heroine making naive choices for love; she felt like a survivor making ones to stay alive.
That said, the book loses some of its sharpness in the second half. The early tension—rooted in fear, distrust, and political danger—gives way to a more standard romantic rhythm. It’s still enjoyable, but it’s safer. The slow burn works mostly because she’s trying to run from him, not because the emotional bond is growing, which means that once the chase is over, the heat cools. The twists are good, the pacing moves, but I did miss the bite.
Still, this was a really fun, easy read. Great world-building, creative magic, interesting story. If you liked The Hurricane Wars, Belladonna, or Defy the Night, this one fits right alongside them. Just don’t expect it to stay dark or angsty all the way through—its edge softens, but the ride is still worth it.
Thanks so much to Epic Reads and Storygram Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
The beginning hooked me. Isadora is such a compelling lead. She's practical, conflicted with her lot in life, and vulnerable but quietly fierce in a way that immediately caught my attention. Her struggle to accept her place in the world was handled and defying the life laid out for her is really interesting. And when she meets Tristen? I was all in. Their first meeting is electric, dangerous, and layered. The setup for their relationship had me fully invested.
Now, I wasn’t sold on the “he’s instantly drawn to her” angle. It felt like classic insta-love at first, which made me hesitant. But the clever thing is—it’s not. Isadora’s reluctance grounds the story, and her wariness toward Tristen makes the romance feel more earned over time. The full picture of why he acts the way he does doesn’t come together until much later, and I really appreciated that payoff. Some of the typical underlying tropes are definitely present, but they are handled with nuance and aren't afraid to stretch within their confines. I really liked that. The idea of marriage magic was fun and it was an interesting way to have these two drawn together. It adds real stakes and weight to emotional choices. Isadora tethering herself to someone she doesn’t trust, just to survive? That desperation made sense. She never felt like a YA heroine making naive choices for love; she felt like a survivor making ones to stay alive.
That said, the book loses some of its sharpness in the second half. The early tension—rooted in fear, distrust, and political danger—gives way to a more standard romantic rhythm. It’s still enjoyable, but it’s safer. The slow burn works mostly because she’s trying to run from him, not because the emotional bond is growing, which means that once the chase is over, the heat cools. The twists are good, the pacing moves, but I did miss the bite.
Still, this was a really fun, easy read. Great world-building, creative magic, interesting story. If you liked The Hurricane Wars, Belladonna, or Defy the Night, this one fits right alongside them. Just don’t expect it to stay dark or angsty all the way through—its edge softens, but the ride is still worth it.
Thanks so much to Epic Reads and Storygram Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was interested enough to finish the book but ultimately the story itself was a letdown.
The world building was as nonexistent as it could be without being enterily absent.
But you could get away with that if the characters were great and they're not. They're not enterily shallow but they are weak.
The live story is also disappointing. The ebterire story hingest in it and it happens too fast. There's very little of them getting to know o e another. Its pretty much they meet and they're in love.
I would also argue this isn't dystopian it's post apocalyptic.
Nether does it have much to do with Tristan and Isolde. There is no yearning. There is no tragedy. Where's the intrigue?
The world building was as nonexistent as it could be without being enterily absent.
But you could get away with that if the characters were great and they're not. They're not enterily shallow but they are weak.
The live story is also disappointing. The ebterire story hingest in it and it happens too fast. There's very little of them getting to know o e another. Its pretty much they meet and they're in love.
I would also argue this isn't dystopian it's post apocalyptic.
Nether does it have much to do with Tristan and Isolde. There is no yearning. There is no tragedy. Where's the intrigue?
This was a great young adult dystopian romantasy book! I was quickly invested in the story and the characters in this book and didn’t want to put it down. I loved following Isadora and Tristan in this story and liked seeing how their magical bond developed. This book has a unique magic system which I appreciated as well. Overall this was an excellent read that I’ll be thinking about for a while.
Read this if you like:
📖 Tristan and Isolde retellings
📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 Magical bonds
📖 Dystopian romantasy
Thank you to Book Sparks & Epic Reads for the gifted copy.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down and spent my time itching to pick it back up. This is a Tristan x Isolde retelling set in a post apocalyptic world and it is a standalone.
When Isadora's father holds a competition to murder Tristan's father- a rival leader- a series of events unfold throwing Tristan and Isadora together. They enter into a bargain to save Isadora's life and slowly a magical connection between them unfolds as they become closer and attempt to end the war between their rival groups.
I couldn't get enough of this book. Such an interesting concept and well executed. Tristan and Isadora are such a cute couple and their romance was so believable which I loved. The scene where he called her Iz for the first time was adorable! The plot made sense and things weren't thrown out there for no reason and the side characters were fleshed out well. Shout out to Enola who I loved!
I don't want to spoil anything but I really enjoyed this book and kind of wish it wasn't a standalone because I want more!
Tropes
Enemies to Lovers
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down and spent my time itching to pick it back up. This is a Tristan x Isolde retelling set in a post apocalyptic world and it is a standalone.
When Isadora's father holds a competition to murder Tristan's father- a rival leader- a series of events unfold throwing Tristan and Isadora together. They enter into a bargain to save Isadora's life and slowly a magical connection between them unfolds as they become closer and attempt to end the war between their rival groups.
I couldn't get enough of this book. Such an interesting concept and well executed. Tristan and Isadora are such a cute couple and their romance was so believable which I loved. The scene where he called her Iz for the first time was adorable! The plot made sense and things weren't thrown out there for no reason and the side characters were fleshed out well. Shout out to Enola who I loved!
I don't want to spoil anything but I really enjoyed this book and kind of wish it wasn't a standalone because I want more!
Tropes
Enemies to Lovers
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ARC review
“The Enemy’s Daughter” by Melissa Poett is reimagining of Tristan and Isolde's story set in a dystopian world woven with magic.
Thank you HarperCollins UK for the advance digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.
Isadora is the daughter of a clan leader that offered her as a 'prize' to the man that manages to kill the enemy, the leader of Kingsland.
She is wounded by a poisoned arrow and Tristan, an assassin from the Kingsland, saves her life using a rare magic that binds them together.
Through this magic they can share memories, emotions, pain and wounds.
I liked the world building, the magic and the romance.
The connection between Tristan and Isadora is enhanced by magic, but they are attracted to each other from the start.
This is not a slow burn and they turn from enemies to lovers after she finds out that her father lies to her about Kingsland.
The story is beautifully written and even if there is only one POV (Isadora's), we get to know Tristan well through his actions.
They are both well developed characters and I especially liked the way Isadora acted.
If you like books with fantasy, magic, romance and strong heroines, you will like this book.
“The Enemy’s Daughter” by Melissa Poett is reimagining of Tristan and Isolde's story set in a dystopian world woven with magic.
Thank you HarperCollins UK for the advance digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.
Isadora is the daughter of a clan leader that offered her as a 'prize' to the man that manages to kill the enemy, the leader of Kingsland.
She is wounded by a poisoned arrow and Tristan, an assassin from the Kingsland, saves her life using a rare magic that binds them together.
Through this magic they can share memories, emotions, pain and wounds.
I liked the world building, the magic and the romance.
The connection between Tristan and Isadora is enhanced by magic, but they are attracted to each other from the start.
This is not a slow burn and they turn from enemies to lovers after she finds out that her father lies to her about Kingsland.
The story is beautifully written and even if there is only one POV (Isadora's), we get to know Tristan well through his actions.
They are both well developed characters and I especially liked the way Isadora acted.
If you like books with fantasy, magic, romance and strong heroines, you will like this book.