I really enjoyed this one. The world building and story telling were phenomenal.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this one early!

Lord Elban is the Lord of the City, and holds everyone around him as if they were pawns to move around. That includes his eldest son Gavin, who is to be groomed as his successor, as well as Judah, the foundling that has ties to Gavin. Both would be expendable if Elban found his second son acceptable, which he doesn't, so all of them have to fall in line with Elban's plans. But outside of his palace walls, the commoners hold the Children in esteem, and a healer from the provinces has goals that include Judah.

There is a lot of abuse in this book. Judah and Gavin were both tortured as children because of the mystal tie they share, where one would experience the same injury or physical condition that the other has. The torture was intended to teach them to remain stoic in the face of pain, so that no one would ever know about the bond. Judah is disdained, whispered about, nearly assaulted, and further physically tortured. Theron is laughed at for being an asthmatic tinkerer instead of the physically "perfect" son like Gavin is, and Gavin is essentially being groomed to be as callous and cruel as his father. Elly, his betrothed since they were eight, is sidelined on multiple occasions, and also came from a background of abuse. She was literally told to think of herself as furniture for others to move around to their convenience. In addition, animals are casually beaten or worn down for fun, "hunts" involve casual cruelty, and no one is immune from this kind of barbarous treatment. The elite courtiers don't care about the populace at large, and the main healer agrees with them that they're the first to die in plagues and the entire city is better off for it.

If you're able to get past that, there are many plots, double crossings and what seems like meandering as the story progresses. There are several different groups who have plans in place, and sometimes those plans are at cross purposes. The only thing they seem to agree on is that Judah is important, and that they need her to do what they want in order to have their plan succeed. Some of the plans don't get explained until the end, and even then it isn't very detailed. I feel sorry for all of the suffering in this story; it's a very bleak world with few periods of brightness. Judah is tortured and twisted about, and seems to always react to others' statements and plans without thinking of her own needs. Elly and Theron characters I feel for the most, and there is little positive that I feel for Gavin. By the time we get to the end of the novel, I feel little positive emotion for most of the characters, especially those that were never meant to be sympathized with. It's a long journey until the end, in a well thought out but cruel universe.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

This is a dark, violent, haunting fantasy book that won't be for everyone, but I enjoyed it. Sensitive topics include child abuse and descriptive violence. If you're looking for a warm and fuzzy YA fantasy book with cross-starred crushes, cute misunderstandings and a happy ending, move along. In fact, I wouldn't characterize this as YA at all.

It took me a long time to get into this book because the story moves slowly. It was probably at least 150 pages or more before I didn't think of reading the book as a chore. The last half of the book was a faster read. That's not to say that I liked all of the choices that the author made, and some story arcs made me rolled my eyes, but overall, it was good.

Judah is a foundling raised inside Highfall castle and raised along with Gavin, the son and heir to Lord Elban's vast empire. Judah and Gavin share an unnatural bond that ties their fates together. While Gavin is groomed to inherit his father's empire, Judah doesn't play much of a role in the castle and has almost no freedom to make any choices for herself. She's basically a prisoner. Lord Elban is cruel and has his own plans for Judah, of which she gets no say.

A new magus with magical powers and his own vision of the empire arrives in the city surrounding Highfall. His plans include Judah, and his task is to get access to Highfall and earn her trust. A task easier said than done.

Other than perhaps Judah, none of the characters have too many redeeming qualities. They all have their own self-interest foremost in their minds, and they don't really care who they have to betray, hurt or kill to achieve them. It's hard to read the relationship between Judah and Gavin because it's a classic tale of an abusive relationship. They love each other, but seem to hurt each other frequently. Then they apologize and the cycle begins all over again. Other than Judah, there isn't much growth in other characters, although their true personalities do come to the forefront a bit more.

This is not an easy read, but the writing is beautiful and at the end of the day, I was glad I read it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The kingdom of Highfall is led by the sadistic Lord Elban, who rules through fear and cruelty. The castle is a fortress, and those who enter to serve the ruling family never are allowed to leave. Judah entered as a baby, and was raised with a unique bond to Gavin, Lord Elban’s heir. That bond has been instrumental in her survival, but life has been far from pleasant as a foundling orphan who looks nothing like the rest of the population of Highfall. As they reach adulthood, Elban’s none-too-subtle manipulations become more pronounced, and the consequences of defiance may be lethal. The arrival of a new healer may open another avenue for Judah and her foster siblings, but as with everything else in Highfall, his motivation is suspect.

I sincerely hope that this is the first in at least a duology if not a series of novels, because there are many, many unresolved plot points. I feel that the ending slightly let down the tight and active plotting of the rest of the novel. That being said, I enjoyed the rest of the novel quite a bit and would recommend it to YA fantasy fans, especially those who enjoyed Sarah Maas’ Throne of Glass.

I received a copy of The Unwilling from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

The story of The Unwilling follows a girl named Judah, who is different from everyone else. She has fiery red hair and a uncanny ability to bring bad luck; as told by the superstitious people around. Judah feels horribly alone she is shunned by most that surround her and she only has her step siblings to rely on. She has some special power that has yet to be defined, but when she meets a mysterious healer (Nate) who convinces her she has more power over others than she thinks, she realizes things may change.

As the story progresses, Judah starts to learn more about her mysterious past and a new world opens. She learns she has more power over others and starts to understand why some fear her. There is a constant power struggle within and outside of the castle walls and it’s unclear who will be the victor. The working class are fed up with the royals and move in the story feels like one giant chess game. Every character is a pawn and their actions have a domino effect.

While the plot is interesting, it’s a slow moving that sometimes I would lose interest in the story. I felt that the book is entirely too long and that many parts could have been cut down. The prologue which is mean to set up the story was a bit unclear until the latter part of the novel and was confusing. I did appreciate all of the details included in the story, but some aspects seem bit tedious. A glossary would also be helpful for all of the terms/characters mentioned. I found some of the things to be included in this book to be extremely unsettling and I think it should be marketed as an adult novel more so than YA. There are many trigger warnings for this book (rape, abuse, violence, abortion, death, and more). I didn’t enjoy this novel at all and I found the inconsistent pacing and the tendency to drag made me loss interest in many points of the story. I wouldn’t recommend this novel.

I need to start this review by saying if you're a reader who's sensitive about reading abuse and violence on the page, this is not the book for you. This is just about the darkest and most depressing YA fantasy I've ever read and that's saying something. There were quite a few reasons why I struggled to finish this. I kept hoping that eventually it would hook me and everything would turn around but sadly that wasn't the case.

The Unwilling was excruciatingly slow. I would read for 3 hours and only move forward 5-10%. The page count is lengthy, and every bit of it is felt. I felt as if I was dragging myself through quicksand for the majority of the book, trying to reach freedom with no lifeline to be found. Just painfully sinking...sinking...sinking. The fact that the reader is left in the dark about a lot of things doesn't help matters.

The plot centers around the Slonimi people who have carefully honed the vestiges of magic remaining after the world was "bound." Through generations, they've plotted and planned to do whatever is necessary to return the world to its rightful order. No sacrifice is too great, no life more valuable than the cause. We are vaguely told about the doing "Work" which is what they call this magic that they wield. We see glimpses of it at most, but never an explanation of what the mechanics of it are, or why it's so important until the end. Who is Mad Martin, and why did he bind the world's power? How will the chosen one restore the world? This is all left on the back burner as we watch everyone tear each other to shreds.

Nate is introduced in the prologue as a young boy in the Slonimi caravan who is taken in by Derie as a kind of apprentice. She's a nasty, abusive woman who physically abuses Nate and Charles as she trains them to be "useful" to the cause. She is the first of many to abuse, maim, play mind games, and use people as if they were chess pieces on a board rather than human beings. It was so hard to find a single redeeming quality with anyone in this story. Even the unwilling victims are hard to root for as they were forced to make vicious choices to stay one step ahead of those toying with them. For a while, I thought Nate was a decent guy, but the more the book wore on, the more he seemed to fit right in with the most deranged and immoral.

Nate finagles his way inside Highfall in order to step in the shoes of the current Magus (healer). Arkady is just as vile and corrupt as everyone else in this godforsaken place. He has an array of sins such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, abuse of power, and heartlessness towards the poor workers who support the rich. In this social system, the poor are forced to work as long as 96 hours straight with barely any food or rest. Their money goes to support rich courtiers as their family members are brutally used and murdered of on a whim without a second thought. They are less than disposable, and treated inhumanely during their sad lives.

Then we have "The Children." Gavin is the heir to Highfall. His father Elban is the depraved ruler who takes great delight in torturing those around him both mentally and physically. I think sadist is a great descriptor for him. If you were to make a list of the most horrifying ways to harm a human, he's done every single thing and then schemed to come up with more. I can't tell you how long I was impatiently waiting for someone to take this evil waste of space out of existence. But I digress. The rest of the children are Theron, Elly, and Judah. Theron is the second born son, Elly is Gavin's chosen bride, and Judah is the foundling who was raised in the palace with them all. Admittedly, these four do seem to genuinely care for one another and they do try to make the best out of the cesspool they're trying to survive in. It's hard to retain values, morals, and honesty when you're constantly abused and put in life altering situations.

Gavin and Judah have a mysterious bond that ties them physically to one another. When one is hurt, the other feels it. They also share heightened emotions and pleasure, as well as drunkenness. This bond is the only thing protecting Judah's life. At the same time, it's also used against her in many various ways over the years, and used as a tool to harm Gavin when Elban felt the need. It was all about pushing the boundary between pain and death to manipulate and control. This was the one thing about the story that I found intriguing, and quite original. I liked the way they could communicate with one another in secret by scratching on their own wrist. It was like ASL in scratches, and they could check on each other or call for help from a distance.

Overall, there were so many graphically violent scenes that it began to overrun any sense of a solid, linear plot. We're just flung from one grotesque or devastating moment to another as the characters tried to stay one step ahead of getting disfigured or killed. Someone built up to be an invincible antagonist is abruptly disposed of and another steps in. In the end, things are not left in a good place and I just can't fathom slogging through fresh hundreds of pages to see where this all resolves. I can say with certainty that this wasn't the right book for me, but hopefully others will have a much different experience than I did.

This was a difficult book to get into. Darker fantasy and its subsequent themes are rarely my cup of coffee and the gruesomeness of some scenes put me off as a reader. However, there are some interesting aspects to this story. Gavin and Judah’s relationship started well, but many other characters seemed to have different motivations at different moments. I may come back and reread this in the future to see if it appeals to my reading taste in the future.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.


Author Kelly Braffet fascinating debut fantasy THE UNWILLING, is a haunting, brutal breathtaking novel that pulled me completely into its engaging pages.
Incredible imagery and captivating characters with crisp dialogue, made this one of my all time favorites.

A sweeping, slightly horrors filled epic fantasy, A gripping read, with complex characters and stunning tension, along engaging political drama. This brilliantly executed novel, with its fleshed out complex characters and seamless writing is one you should not miss.

Judah a young woman, who is a foundling raised in the castle alongside the prince and future heir, as his foster-sister. She scorned by the courtiers and detested by the king, but much loved by the monarchy princes and the heir's betrothed.

A young man named Nate, an undercover member of a nomadic magic using tribe that discretely manipulated newborn Judah's placement into the Royal nursery next to the newborn prince. Nate returns and knows something about the mysterious magic bond between Judah and Prince Gavin, the bond is such that they feel each other's emotions and bear each other's injuries .....on flesh.

Every detail has been put into place for a reason. It adds to the haunting richly atmospheric elements. Kelly Braffet, brutal novel, will capture your attention with its character driven plot line. A dark thought provoking magical tale, that I found very alluring. A faced paced storyline with its dangerous courtly intrigues and drama will keep you on your toes with its unpredictable reviving twist.
This was a nonstop read for me, it flowed perfectly and never dragged. Riveting storyline that I inhaled in a day in half. Exceptional world building with stunning ending, wow…... I was totally blown away!

This book is on the top of my all time reads, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading epic fantasy books with descriptive details and depth.

I was so excited when #mirabooks sent me this ARC of The Unwilling by @kelly.braffet!
Released on February 11, 2020. ⁣

Cover Design: @alcainoillustration
Art Direction: @lau.gigi.lau

Was not a fan of the writing. I couldn't get into the story or the world itself. Nothing felt engaging, so I ended up DNF-ing this one about 50 pages into it.

First things first, this book is very dark and has a TON of trigger warnings, so if you are considering picking it up, please look into them and judge if this book is something you can handle. There is a lot of abuse in the story, so be warned about that. Also, I'm not sure why this is being described as young adult, because it clearly isn't YA, it's fantasy.

The story line was complex and unfortunately a little hard to follow at times, but it did come together. I feel like this is going to be a very polarizing book, so I'm sure some people are going to absolutely love it. The characters, though most of them are young, are complex and have unique bonds that grow or are cemented through the book. There are some great connections and relationships in this book.

Overall it was a very intriguing story with lots of twists and turns. Though it wasn't the perfect read for me, I could definitely see a lot of people loving it.

This very dark and exciting title was one that I will be rereading soon. I felt like I read it way to fast and I want to take my time with it. It's a slow burn to start then once it does it takes off. This story allowed me to learn about all of the characters and it felt like a well rounded story that I could not put down.

I will say that if you decide to pick this one up be warned. I was a little confused at the start but once I really got into it I fell in love. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and that it wasn't all boom boom boom. It took its time to tell the story and it made it better for it.

Welcome to this BLOG TOUR !!!

Disclaimer : I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review !

Well, I was supposed to post this earlier but I unfortunately hurt my thumb and was unable to do so, I wanted to apologize for that since I kept you guys waiting !

Now let's get into the book review; I was captivated by the idea/premise of this book. Unfortunately I found myself bored and annoyed by it for most of my reading experience. We know that our main character is adopted and hated by everyone for being different and maybe a "witch". A long part of the book is taken by the "intrigue" of "will they or will they not" and "who will" kill the antagonist. Furthermore, the magic that made me want to read this book is very badly explained, Judah and us have no idea what the magic is, how it works, why a group has worked so long to get it but can't. WE JUST DON"T KNOW WHAT IT IS. But APPARENTLY it's important ? We have to go through over the 400 pages mark to be like "OOOH that's the magic she has".
We as the reader, are informed by the author of what Judah has been through, how cruel Eldan (the antagonist) is and it is repeatedly shown to us. What was too much for me were the overly long child abuse scenes the author wrote.
I am not a reader that gets easily offended or squeamish. Okay I get it we need to read a little of that but why drag it out ???
There is an abundance of free violence in this book, such as murders of pregnant women, abortions on non consenting conscious & unconscious women, child abuse, deaths and they are all super descriptive (or most of them), there is no point to 90 or more % of these events. I felt like the author had mistaken violence with storytelling and worldbuilding.

In my opinion great concept and poor execution.
-Bookarina

When I first picked up this book, it didn't draw me in. There was quite a bit of what I would call world building, and there's this vague sense of mystery throughout the whole book that infuriated me. I honestly skimmed through quite a bit of the book, because I wanted to know what this mystery was -- why is Judah so special? What does Nate know? But overall, it was a bit of a bore. Then *spoiler* the coup happened, which I did not see coming at all, and I felt like that was so unnecessary and confused me even more? I just really couldn't tell what part of the story was fluff and what part of the story was the actual plot, it felt like the different plot lines moved back and forth between the two. And then the (almost) ending happened and I felt like I was going to be thoroughly ok with the resolution of the story ---- until that chapter (epilogue?) that was terrible and made me feel like I wasted my time (because this is a LONG book). Overall, The Unwilling had a lot of potential, but fell completely flat to me. It felt like there was either too much going on, or not enough, and that my questions were never really answered.

I just couldn’t finish this book. About 50% in I just gave up. I didn’t like the characters and the story was just dragging.
I do not recommend this

The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet follows Judah, a foundling raised in Lord Elban's household with his eldest son. As the two children grow older, it is discovered that they share a psychic link such that what one feels, so too does the other. Not just emotional, but physical as well. If one is cut, the other bleeds too. The secondary recipient healed faster, and scars less, but the pain is just as intense. When this is discovered, Judah is subjected to all manner of injury to teach both her and Gavin to keep silent if the other gets hurt. The bond is kept a secret from all save Elban, his Seneschal, the House Magus, and Gavin's younger brother Theron, and betrothed Elly who were both raised with the pair. Judah is barely tolerated by Elban and his courtiers, and the staff fear her. As they become adults, Elban is determined to break the bond, but at what cost? And why does it exist in the first place?

This book was an interesting read, though not what I expected at first. The magic is subtle, and not overly prevalent. It is used by the Slonimi, most often through blood working. The Slonimi have been charged, through the generations, with untying 'Mad Martin's knot', working to release a bound source of Power. You meet them in the beginning, then not for quite some time. Most of the story is focused on the trials and struggles Judah suffers. She lives in a harsh environment, surrounded by people happy to be cruel to her. Harsh in other ways too, as Gavin finds out when he is instructed to kill someone dear to him. Rules governing what staff can and cannot do are strict. Many things can lead to death if they aren't careful. At the very least, those who go inside the House Wall to serve may never leave again, never see their family again. There's quite a deal of intrigue too, in the games courtiers play.

I liked the main four pretty well, but my favourite characters by far were Nathaniel Magus, and Firo Cerrington. Nathaniel replaces the previous House Magus, Arkady, who was quite the piece of work… Nathaniel seemed so sweet, and shy. And for some reason I kept picturing him as Joseph Hooker from the movie Creation. I got nothing on that really. Firo was just hilarious, and seemed amused by everything. He's as mercenary as any of the courtiers, yet does seem to have a soft spot for Judah, and quite a deal of patience. He immediately brought to mind Jarlaxle, from RA Salvatore's Legends of Drizzt series because their personalities seem so similar. I did feel sorry for Theron. I really liked him in the beginning, but after his accident, his personality changed. Elban I just wanted to pitch off the roof. He was so unnecessarily vicious. I think I don't blame the Slonimi their hatred of him. Oh, and Bindy! I adored Bindy, the young girl who serves as Nathaniel Magus' courier.

Overall, things seemed to move a little slow, compared to what I was expecting. Everything was pretty much contained within the confined of the House. At least, til the final third, when the action kicked in and stakes were raised even higher. I think tweaking the synopsis might better reflect the story inside.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Harlequin for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was provided with an ARC of this title courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I was held prisoner, hook, line and sinker from the very beginning.

Judah is a Foundling. She is tolerated and protected by virtue of her irrevocable, unexplainable ties to the Crown Prince. But those ties are a liability and a vulnerability, part of the web of shadows and secrets that surround the throne. Judah thinks the court is oblivious to her existence -- because she is the exact antithesis of evrything it seems to value and praise. But the court is not oblivious to her existence - and despite her dark hair and muddy boots - they want her influence and her sway over the future king.

Nate is an apprentice healer with a secret mission of vengeance and rebellion. His task is to infiltrate the crown's inner circle by virtue of his skills. But Nate sees the dolls everywhere in the arms of children - and he wonders if the outcast girl they represent is more or less than a folk hero.

Nate and Judah will become entangled in a plot with the potential to overthrow an empire.

If you are a fan of The Name of the Wind, you will love this intricately plotted book.

I quite like this book, it's a mix of grimdark and dark fantasy, engrossing and entertaining.
It's a story that contains some strong scenes of abuse and violence so I think that if you are not a fan of grimdark you could find it too violent.
The plot flows and keeps you hooked because you want to know what will happen. The cast of characters is well thought and interesting and I like Judah above all as she's a strong willed and clever woman.
I think this is going to be the first instalment in a series and I am curious to read what will come next.
It's a bit slow at times and I think that it could have been more entertaining if some parts were shortened.
I recommend it to lover of grimdark fantasy.
Many thanks to the MIRA and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A dark look into a world where pain, selfishness, and complicated desires guide the characters.

THE UNWILLING is not the book I thought I would be reading. I was expecting more magic, but what I got was a carefully constructed detailed realm filled with a harshness to the reality facing the main characters. The place where Judah, Gavin, and the others are inhabiting is one of grit and deceit.

It is my opinion that the best way to approach this book is through the eyes of an epic historical fiction with fantasy elements. Yes, there is a magical bond between Judah and Gavin, but this really isn’t explained until the end. There is a real cloak and dagger operation that the Magus is on. The reader gets hints of what Judah could be, but truthfully, it is only surface.

I will be honest with you all. I switched to the audiobook about halfway through reading to keep the momentum up so I could finish the book. It is not that I didn’t like the story. It was that there were moments where I had a tough time pushing forward.

However, when all is said and done, Braffet hits her stride in the last quarter of the book. I was greedily reading the way she revealed so much of what I was longing for in the beginning and middle of the book. In fact, by the end, I wanted more. I wish that the mystical elements and the explorations of the history of the power surrounding these characters could have been woven in previously. Then, I think the book would have been positively bingeable.

I have to admit, the first couple of chapters of this, I was confused and didn’t find much worth sorting out that confusion. But I pushed through and by the end of the first third I was hooked. Delightfully complex, dark without being over the top, and characters who are not so easily categorized into good and bad (one of my favorite ways to write humans - as they are, flawed and complex). Can’t wait for the next installment!

While I have typically steered away from dark fantasy as of late this is a welcome addition to my 2020 reading. There’s something wonderful about how a dark fantasy set in a wholly different world that’s cruel and unfair can be cathartic. I found The Unwilling to do exactly that for me. Readers should note that as dark fantasy implies, there are content warnings of all sorts but if you’re used to dark fantasy you should know what you’re getting into. If you’re new to it steel yourself or perhaps pass on it depending at where you are with your reading life.

I thought Braffet did a fantastic job at a world building and creating political machinations filled with complex characters. This is a story with an emotional plot that pushes the characters and we see how they survive under enormously difficult situations, despite the darkness and cruelty, there is also a determination, which I truly appreciate.

I would recommend this to fans of epic dark fantasy but would be hesitant to give this to new fantasy readers as it can be an intense reader and is quite a hefty tome. However, if a big fantasy book with lots of world building and chess-like maneuvering as well as complex characters sounds up your alley I would say give it a try!