floofymoosereads 's review for:

Blessed By The Maiden by Demi Clorissa

4.5

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is the first book in a new adult romantasy series, Daughter of the Woods. A young human woman, and four women like her, are taken from their village to the elven capital to face three deadly trials. Then each woman will have to make a life-altering decision in swearing to one of the five ancient lords. Tropes include forbidden love, shadow daddy, fated mates, who did this to you and self discovery. Please check the content warnings, especially for violence and spicy scenes.

The Lovely: I loved the characters, especially the Chosen women. They each have their own story and personality. The FMC, one of the Chosen, is strong but still vulnerable (and frequently naive). Everything is new and uncomfortable in her world but she still holds to her values. I also liked the two MMCs. I struggled right along with the FMC (up until a point) to understand their true motivations and who would be the right choice.

Also Lovely: I also loved the plot and tension - I could stop reading as I tried to work out the mysteries, and the MMCs. Especially once I hit about the half way point I just could not put this down.

The Mundane: I would have liked more explanation of the magic system, and in regards to the world building. I don’t feel like I adequately understand the relationship between the humans and the elves, and how that ties in with who has magic. I also hope to better understand this balance required between light and dark as the series continues.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Flames

Recommendation: I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as it comes out (in 2024 I believe). I hope to see how the relationship between the FMC and MMC develops, and what happens in terms of this balance between light and dark. If you like new adult romantasy with an intriguing plot and complex characters, I think you would like this book.