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A review by cocopuff3438
Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
This book had so much potential. I think it’s quite a wonderful thing to be able to witness people’s passion projects and dreams come to fruition. I could tell the author had seeds of creativity that probably birthed this cute, fantastical premise. However, as many other reviewers commented I think she just needed a little more time to cultivate and polish these ideas!
I love that on the surface, the story is nothing more than an ode to old fairytales and nostalgic fantasy; an enchanted library, fae and human villages, lost magics, a charming tavern, a kind-hearted MC on an adventure across whimsical lands. Love love love it.
But I agree with everyone else, the pacing at times was a bit off-putting. At times, we had areas that felt lacking richness and depth that the author could have leaned more into! I don’t think books do well when they are purely based off aesthetics and “cozy” scenarios. Those are great features, great tools for storytelling but they don’t make the story itself. Starting off this book with commentary on power imbalances, critiquing imperial reigns and occupations gave it a great fire, but that fire burned out quickly when that was something that was only brushed upon here and there—told, not delved into when brought up. Would have loved more of this (how it effected the rest of the world, generations, traditions, mythology and magics, political systems, aspects of symbolism or references and allusions…any complexity that could trickle down into our cast of characters to add richness)
Emotion is a huge driving force in storytelling, whether that’s the voice of our MC, the unspoken voice of the themes and messages sewn into the tale, and this story could’ve done with just a bit more of that. The romance would have been a great element to draw readers in but it felt extremely rushed and for that reason became unsatisfying. Especially now knowing about the plot twist (which was really clever and my favorite part) the character dynamics would have been much more enriching had she woven in those complex details instead of leaving it for a simple reveal at the end!! Foreshadowing and mystery are your best friends when reading— they keep us gripped and turning pages, questions unanswered in our heads, eager to find out more. perhaps from the beginning Asher could have been ominously shifty in his personality since we find out it was mainly a facade. It would give us an air of mystery, what’s his backstory? Why does he sometimes seem cruel and cold, then almost painfully kind in the same breath? Is he hiding something? It’s not enough to spoil the plot twist but enough to have us intrigued by their dynamic.
Lore was most lovable and most alive as a character when she made decisions for herselfwhen she went to go save Gray for example this gave us more world-building and adventure while simultaneously building our bond with the MC and demonstrating her strengths so that we can root for her!
Overall, love the heart that birthed this story but it was so hard to connect with that passion when it was riddled with a few too many pacing and depth issues. The author has a talent for writing, there were many points of description that were perfectly detailed and pretty but also simple and concise. I think as she continues this series her writing will only get better.
I love that on the surface, the story is nothing more than an ode to old fairytales and nostalgic fantasy; an enchanted library, fae and human villages, lost magics, a charming tavern, a kind-hearted MC on an adventure across whimsical lands. Love love love it.
But I agree with everyone else, the pacing at times was a bit off-putting. At times, we had areas that felt lacking richness and depth that the author could have leaned more into! I don’t think books do well when they are purely based off aesthetics and “cozy” scenarios. Those are great features, great tools for storytelling but they don’t make the story itself. Starting off this book with commentary on power imbalances, critiquing imperial reigns and occupations gave it a great fire, but that fire burned out quickly when that was something that was only brushed upon here and there—told, not delved into when brought up. Would have loved more of this (how it effected the rest of the world, generations, traditions, mythology and magics, political systems, aspects of symbolism or references and allusions…any complexity that could trickle down into our cast of characters to add richness)
Emotion is a huge driving force in storytelling, whether that’s the voice of our MC, the unspoken voice of the themes and messages sewn into the tale, and this story could’ve done with just a bit more of that. The romance would have been a great element to draw readers in but it felt extremely rushed and for that reason became unsatisfying. Especially now knowing about the plot twist (which was really clever and my favorite part) the character dynamics would have been much more enriching had she woven in those complex details instead of leaving it for a simple reveal at the end!! Foreshadowing and mystery are your best friends when reading— they keep us gripped and turning pages, questions unanswered in our heads, eager to find out more.
Lore was most lovable and most alive as a character when she made decisions for herself
Overall, love the heart that birthed this story but it was so hard to connect with that passion when it was riddled with a few too many pacing and depth issues. The author has a talent for writing, there were many points of description that were perfectly detailed and pretty but also simple and concise. I think as she continues this series her writing will only get better.