The magic of the world was beautifully drawn and the culture and landscape were sophisticated and believable.

Caroline's journey was really intriguing. Two of the side characters drew me in too, particularly Kirsty. I won't say too much but it's heartbreaking.

I loved reading about a female werewolf. No women with pretty powers and dainty curses here - thank goodness we're beyond princesses that need rescuing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of escapism and my time out from a hectic world. The story grabs you from the outset and pulls you in and the storytelling really made it worth reading. Characterisation was on point and I know I will be looking out for new publications from this author or similar reads in the future. A recommended read.

I did not expect this to be my cup of tea as normally any book with Gods in is an automatic no no with me.
This really surprised me as I got sucked into the story.
The characters were fascinating and the story really rolled along at a great pace.
If you like Fantasy this will be worth a read.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series! Princess Caroline is a great female lead character, but not the typically seen type. She is "chosen" but it is a much worse option than in most fantasy novels. The divine battle adds an interesting element, as well. Anyone who likes fantasy will enjoy this book!

Divine Prey had really great and different world building. I always enjoy when there is a new fantasy world unlike anything I've read before. Caroline is an interesting character and I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book as well. The only problem I had was that there were some parts of the world building that were not explained, which made me confused while reading this book.

I'm giving this novel 3 stars because I thought some parts of it were very well-done, but there were some parts that I found lacking. The worldbuilding was very good, richly imagined and detailed, with a new take on a type of elves, here called Izzen and Faspane, with some unrevealed historical event that put them at odds over immortality. I liked how the typical dwarven traits are flipped and put on a race that are very tall and large. On the other hand, the magic system was confusing and inconsistent, as well as poorly explained. Two of the main characters have magic but it hardly does them any good, and they hardly use it. Werewolves are around, but where they came from or how many there are is left unexplained. Since the main characters turns into a werewolf, it could have used more explanation. Other creatures make random appearances with little explanation, such as a race of snake people who eat travelers, and some kind of ultra-powerful, possibly time-traveling women who are maybe from another dimension? It' confusing and not elaborated on.
I do think the writing style itself was good. Well-developed and interesting. I enjoyed reading it which is probably the main reason why I finished the book. I kept feeling like there would be more to it, and waiting for the more to come. I was interested enough in the plot to think about the book during the day when I wasn't reading. That's a good thing.
I actually like the character development for the most part, although the plot didn't do them any favors. Caroline, our MC, was kind of flat. Her motivations were confusing and her desires were constantly changing. She had hardly any background story and as soon as the story started she was radically changed by magic, gods, and a werewolf. I don't think we ever got o know her. Kristy was a sweet, pliable, nobody with nothing going for her. She seemed to exist mostly as motivation for Caroline to not die. She was fine, but not interesting and we didn't find out anything else about her. The other three MCs were somewhat bland, with unexplained motives and unexplored backgrounds. Their emotions were mostly missing, except when very obvious. I wanted more subtlety and depth for them.
The plot was somewhat rambling. There was a lack of urgency, mostly from the confusing nature of the quest. Some of the characters were on their way to do something else when they got caught up in trying to get Caroline home safe. But why was she trying to get home after everything that happened? No real reason, it's just home and she wanted to go there. The trip home took the whole book and was basically the entire point. I think that should have been the first few chapters and the real story would come after. I kept waiting for the real plot to begin, and I was disappointed that getting home was the whole thing.
Overall, I liked it while I was reading it, but on reflection I'm disappointed. I'm not sure about the next book in the series, since the epilogue made it seem like we'd be getting a whole new cast of characters. If so, that would be even More disappointing, since nothing really happened in this book.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This world that Chris Andrews give us is one I can see all fantasy readers enjoying. I myself enjoyed the development in the characters, they were flawed and interesting to learn more about. I will say there were time in the book I was confused as to why something was mentioned but I’m sure they will all make sense later in the series.

Divine Prey, a debut fantasy novel by Chris Andrews, is set up to become a thrilling and intriguing saga. The characters are well written and incredibly alive while our main character Princess Caroline is wonderfully flawed on her journey to self-discovery. There are a lot of little tidbits in the story that seems to not be linked to anything else, but that point to future twists/revelations further on in the saga. If you are a fan of epic fantasy, get in on this now. The world that Andrews has created is wonderfully rich and seriously addictive. I only hope Andrews is a prolific (and fast!) writer so we can get to the next book!

This book is full of excitement, magic and adventure. At the outset, I thought I wouldn’t make it past the “Lord of the Rings” style fight scene which was far to long but once I did, I found the story to be engaging and interesting. It is full of twists and changes of direction but you are drawn into the fate of Princess Caroline and her band of helpers. I wish she’d have found love but that wasn’t to be. Magic is sprinkled liberally throughout the book to help out when the band are most in need. This book would ideally suit young teens - it contains a few grown up themes such as longing for love and hiding an illicit pregnancy through shame.

Princess Caroline is marked by the Goddess of Healing but will she accept the invitation, especially if it means her family has to perish? She feels a strange attraction to the izzen, Elias, but will she act on that feeling? Divine Prey combines all of the essential items necessary for a great fantasy novel. There are werewolves and faeries. Murder and mystery. Princess Caroline is sent on a journey that she didn't ask for, trying to get back home, but will she be able to stay at home, once she gets there? What role will her maid, Kirsty, play in the saga? I truly enjoyed reading Divine Prey, and I anxiously await the next book in this series to be released.

This was a refreshingly different fantasy novel. On the surface it followed the tropes of classic epic fantasy but enough subtle little twists were added to make it unusual. Caroline is not your typical chosen one, she (quite reasonably) fears her own power – as a werewolf princess it’s not a pretty or especially manageable gift. And then there’s the war between the gods – which isn’t completely explained but is nevertheless the provider of much action and entertainment. I enjoyed the world building and the snarky dialogue too. A really good fantasy debut.

I just finished reading "Divine Prey" by Chris Andrews. I really enjoyed that the book moved along nicely and didn't get bogged down in minutiae. The main heroine, Caroline, is a princess turned werewolf and champion to a goddess embroiled in an age old conflict between the gods. I really enjoyed several of the twists the story takes. The central characters; Kirsty, Elias, Dobbin and Allyn are well fleshed out and come alive in the narrative. Furthermore, the friendly banter and insults slung between two of the characters made me look forward to what comes next between them. I definitely enjoyed the book and look forward to the upcoming sequels. I can definitely recommend this book.

Chris Andrews crafts an interesting story in Divine Prey. This is my first journey into this series, and my first introduction to this author, but I found a main character I could root for and an intriguing world of adventure.