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rebeccajost's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
gloommistress's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
On top of that, this book is marketed as an adult novel but reads as incredibly YA. The one spicy scene in this book was unexpected and almost nonconsensual, given the twist. And while we're on the topic, the romance felt rushed and unbelievable. One moment they were simply acquaintances and the next, they were madly in love. It didn't make sense to me at all. I also could not, in good conscience, get behind them making out after discovering that the women from Lore's village had been forcibly impregnated and assaulted either. That scene was truly what lowered the rating of this book the most, as it was completely unexpected and totally at odds with the rest of the novel.
That said, I did enjoy some parts of this novel. Isla and Lore's friendship was wonderful to me, as was Grey and Lore's friendship. The latter was especially refreshing because I always find myself wanting more positive, nonromantic relationships portrayed in books like theirs was. The ambiance and general aesthetic of this novel and its world was also wonderful.
Overall, Lore of the Wilds had a lot of potential but unfortunately did not live up to the expectations I had for it. I think that another round of editing and some purging of repetitive phrases (and there were so many) would do this book a lot of good. I do think lovers of romantasy and fae will eat this one up though!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Moderate: Sexual assault and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
- 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
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!
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape, Death of parent, and Alcohol
cmmcgrath86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, and Pregnancy
justinekorson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
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!
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
blewballoon's review against another edition
- 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
I will start with the positives, of which there are many! The story is gripping, with fairly high stakes at every turn and a deft handling of worldbuilding as you go, so that you are never bogged down with too much exposition at any given time but always have the information you need to understand the significance of what's happening in a scene. The book never stagnates, either. Just when our main character Lore settles into one location, she finds she has to move onto the next. I never felt like we were in one situation for too little or too long. Lore herself is established in her introduction as someone who is hard working, quick thinking, and highly compassionate, and she carries these traits throughout the story. The other characters she knows and comes across are also compelling and intriguing, some more mysterious than others.
Now for the negatives, of which there's really only one. I would be swept along with the prose of the book, really immersed in the story, and every now and then there would be a little speed bump where it felt like a character (usually Lore) said or did something that didn't fit the context/setting. Usually it was some phrasing that felt too modern or crass compared to the rest of the text. If I had to guess, I would say these were moments to establish Lore as "sassy" or "feisty" but I think the way it was done feels anachronistic. I do hope this book gets another round of editing to address some typos I found as well as these passages that feel a little out of place.
Another note, this is meant to be YA, but I feel like some language and events might push the book more into adult territory.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for fans of romantasy, especially if they like fae romances and diverse representation.
This was my first time reading an ARC, and now I can see the drawback because I am so eager for the next book in the series and the first book isn't even out yet!
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Slavery, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
elizajaquays's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail