4.04 AVERAGE


This book contains all the elements I enjoy, including literature, botany, and the enemies-to-lovers trope. From the very beginning, this book captivates the reader, creating an irresistible desire to delve deeper into its pages. And so i did, once I started I had to finish.


● Willow is a captivating character, full of  curiosity and a sense of wonder despite the challenging circumstances that surround her. Her passion for books offers a glimpse into her deep desire for knowledge and optimism. Her magic and everything she craeted was beautiful.

●Olivia, in my opinion, is a well-developed character. Her intelligence and capacity to find humor in difficult situations, as well as her occasionally sarcastic demeanor toward Liam, all contribute to her appeal. We could all benefit from having an Olivia in our lives.


●Liam presents a more intricate narrative. As a soldier dedicated to the authoritarian Elites, his internal struggle between obligation and ethics enhances the depth of the storyline. His evolution from a hesitant follower to an individual prepared to challenge authority stands as one of the book's notable aspects.

● The Claeg are formidable adversaries.


Each character in this literary work played a pivotal role in shaping the narrative and contributing to its overall success. And a success it WILL be! 

 In essence, The Forgotten Earth transcends the boundaries of a mere dystopian adventure. It unveils a profound narrative that delves into the discovery of illumination amidst the most profound darkness and underscores the transformative potential of unexpected allies. 

And I might of cried just a 🤏🏻🫣

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-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

When the world around you is crumbling to pieces, will you give up hope or fight to fix it? 

The Forgotten Earth is a dystopian romantasy that transports you to a world where the Earth is dead. No plants, no animals, no lakes, streams, or rivers. Armed with the knowledge from banned books, Willow is on a mission to try and fix it. 

I absolutely loved this book. It offers a unique blend of magic, romance, and the elements coupled with being set in a dystopia. The action keeps you turning the pages and the romance is sprinkled into just the right spots. 

I feel like the middle portion of the book could have been written out more, it felt a little rushed to me, but thats just a personal preference, and I might be a little biased because I truly didn't want Willow and Liam's story to end! 

If you enjoy a strong female lead, a morally grey (but also supportive!) male main character, witty banter, romance, and magic, this book is definitely for you! I genuinely cannot wait for book 2!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark 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
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

This was beautifully written. Easy to read, intriguing, and witty.

While the book does mention sensitive topics, it doesn’t describe them explicitly so readers should be aware. 

The book follows Willow, Liam, and Willow through trials of a world that is ran by the emperor and its dangers behind the wall and a hope for a brand new and brighter world. 

I loved the character development of Liam & Willow. I loved the always witty Olivia. I read this entire book in a sitting. I was shocked at the turns along the way. I have high hopes for this book to become popular I hope it finds its people. It was such a happy ending and I love a strong female character. 

ARC Review

4.5 stars for me.

I loved this story, it was different to anything else I have read. The character arcs are brilliant and love the relationships between them all, especially Liam and Olivia and the sarcastic banter between them. I highly recommend this story, for me personally I would have liked some more showing rather than telling with things like the back stories of characters (maybe remembering/dreaming about the pasts during their POV's rather than telling the other characters) but that didn't stop me from reading and shouldn't stop anyone else from reading this book either. Well done author for bringing this story to life and allowing me to read before release <3
adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

Books, magic, environmental conservation, AND women’s empowerment? What more could you want in a book? I was hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put it down! The pacing did seem fast at times, and there were only snippets of world-building to explain why some things are the way that they are. But overall this was an excellent fantasy/dystopian/romance and a great debut novel from Brilynn O’Neal, and I so enjoyed reading it!

*There are a few spicy scenes and some language, as well as mentions of SA.
adventurous hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Rating: 4.25
Spice: 0.5 


A gripping and adventureous story filled with love, hope and beautiful elements. 

Key words: fantasy - dystopian - dual pov (FMC & MMC) - human extinction - dying world - murderous creatures - elite - rebellion - adventure - death - elemental magic - plants/flowers - hopeful - The Maze Runner vibes

I love how the cover represents an important part of the story which indicates the hope throughout the story. Stunning artwork. 🌱

The story contains a variety of characters and so many loveable ones! My favourite one is Olivia. I just love her character; her sarcasm and humor, her love and kindness. She is amazing! 😍
I really enjoyed our 2 main characters aswell, Willow and Liam. Their relationship development was just amazing to read. They are both so strong and would do anything to save someone. Especially Willow is one of a kind. 💫

I love how the story represents hope and kindness in such a dark world. An important message to never give up and keep fighting for a better future. 🍀

Great plot, beautiful scenery. Some scenes were really magical or emotional or funny. This story whent through many emotions. It was wonderful. As a book and nature lover this story and its FMC were the perfect setting. 🙌🏻

The only conflicting thought I have: 
It was a bit too slowplaced/ monotone at times. A bit too much of the same thing which made it a bit less interesting sometimes.
 It was a good story but it missed the little sparkle for me that would have made it even better.  🤌🏻

Oh and love the ending!!! Just made me smile. 🥰

Thank you Brilynn for giving me the opportunity to have read this as an advanced readers copy. I truly enjoyed it!🖤