I had such an amazing time reading this book. The writing is so well done in so many ways, from the clear and progressive world-building to the subtle but impactful romance elements woven into the main plot. Each of the focal characters have a level of depth that makes them easy to connect with as a reader. The author depicts a beautiful, fascinating adventure that was a journey to be on. If you love adventure and don't mind a little bit of darkness and tragedy mixed in, I whole-heartedly recommend this book.

I requested this arc as soon as I heard it was a Filipino-inspired fantasy and God knows I'll go to hell and back to support local writers. This was the first arc I ever got, and I can say it was a triumphant start to my arc-requesting-and-blogging-about-it journey.

Dauntless is a sapphic Filipino-inspired fantasy about a teenage girl named Sero who serves a Eshai, a legendary warrior (termed in the story as "valiant") trained to kill beasts. But all that changes when she meets Tsana, who has a mysterious connection with these monsters.

Let's start with the good things about it.

One of the foremost things that really stuck out to me was how well-thought-out the WORLD and MAGIC SYSTEM were. There were no info-dumps, no unnecessary forays into random lore for the heck of it. The rules for the world were made clear and enough information was revealed at the right time and in the right ways to give the reader enough context so they could really feel the stakes.

The world and magic system also bore a strong relation to the THEMES. And I say this because even tons of other published writers get this wrong. Worldbuilding can be hard or soft— I have no preference. I only look for: does it make sense? And it does. Seriously, I listed all the setups, the foreshadowing and the offhand remarks about their lore and everything about this justifies the resolution.

A fitting example would be how humans get magic. Seri's people acquire magic by killing beasts and taking their hides. And whatever unique magic the beast would have, the person would gain. But Tsana has a nonviolent method, where she bonds with beasts instead. From that alone, you glimpse their culture, philosophies, and worldviews.

Next we got SERI herself. She’s given a lot of moments that prove her mettle as a warrior, but she’s also able to showcase her compassion as the hero of the story. She's wonderful and easy to root for. But she's also got a dark past, which serves a twofold purpose: relatability and a great setup for the story's internal conflict.

And of course, Bonnin also demonstrates her skill in keeping the tension up. Not in the ways thrillers do, but enough to keep us reading even during setups and worldbuilding moments. You always get that spine-tingling feeling that beasts are on the prowl.

What kept it from becoming a five-star read were three things: an underutilized SIDE CHARACTER, TSANA, and the ROMANCE.

The side character in question, Raya, is a valiant who under Eshai's command and though she's a great warrior, she's got a dark side to her. In Act 1, I thought she was set up to complicate the plot later on. But in the end, she's cast aside and makes a surprising decision with no development leading up to it.

Onto the Tsana and the romance, which shared one problem: I felt they were glossed over. I saw more of Eshai than I did of Tsana. And although their romance can be very sweet, it just wasn't unpacked as much, I don’t want to be told that they just spent time together. I want to know how they felt, what they said, if their hands ever brushed closely and how they’ve ‘never told this to anyone else before (I’m a sucker for that).

CONCLUSION: Hence, we have four stars. Dauntless was an incredibly put-together story about a teen heroine caught between two worlds and figuring out who she is and the truth about her People. All of this with Eshai Unbroken by her side and the lovely Tsana, whose only transgression was that I needed more of her.

Fans of any Philippine or BIPOC-inspired fantasy would love this. Plus points if you want LGBTQ+ or QPOC rep. If enemies-to-lovers is what they're looking for, they'll have lots of fun. I would recommend this to fans of Only a Monster and similar novels.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Dauntless follows Seri, an assistant to valor commander Eshai the Unbroken. The valiant's job is to hunt the beasts that threaten people's lives. But Seri's world gets turned on its head when she meets Tsana, a stranger who can communicate with beasts.

This book was a joy to read! The lush world, rich characters, and interesting fantasy premise kept me practically glued to this book. I especially grew to love our cast of leading ladies, who are each given a solid amount of screen time and see a lot of growth as characters.

It did take me awhile to feel like I had really settled into the writing style of this book, I think primarily because things just get off to a disorienting start, and the approach in general isn't what I really expected for a YA fantasy. But once I was into it, I was into it, and honestly the writing is gorgeous. I'm so excited to see what Bonnin has coming next.

3.5 stars
DAUNTLESS is a standalone fantasy story following Seri who becomes an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a legendary commander in this fictional world. Soon, they are thrust into a dire situation regarding the beasts they've never had to subdue to this level before. Like many standalone fantasy books I've read, this suffered from lack of development. I never really understood the settlements that the People developed--were they in trees? Like up the branches? Did they just like string tarps across branches and live under them? Am I completely wrong? Probably, but I just wish we got a bit more explanation for living conditions, the process for settling villages, and just in general the history of the world. There is some lore that's mentioned, which I found really fascinating but wish there was more of! We did get three main perspectives that I can recall: Seri, Eshai, and Tsana, who really is the one to kind of inspire the plot, and is also the love interest for Seri. Speaking of love, each character has a romance plot line, and while it certainly isn't even near the forefront of the story, it adds a lightness to the story and creates motivation for the characters. Overall, I did enjoy this book, I just wish there had been more development!

What an amazing story! I had the pleasure of interviewing Elisa Bonnin for my IG series, Don't Quit Your Daydream. I've been looking forward to DAUNTLESS since! Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Bonnin interweaves into her story, a world full of twists and turns and the unexpected. Get ready for an action-packed read you won't soon forget!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me with this ARC.

Sapphic and southeast Asian! Say no more. Purchasing this for my private collection.

Hey, hey Write Voicers!

It's good to be alive, right? Right!

As ya'll know, I've had a lot going on these past few months, but I've almost got my life together. I've straightened out my relationship stuff, spent some time with my family, and I FINALLY FINALLY moved into my new place--which I'm pretty much settled into minus a few key items (my bed for one). On the bright side, my computer desk is coming in later today, so I won't have to work from my kitchen counter for much longer (blessed organization is sooooo close!).

Speaking of moving into new places, we're here today to talk about the book Dauntless by one Elisa Bonin, and our main character Seri has also just moved to a new place. Which, let's be honest, the physical act of moving sucks whether it's fictional or happening in the real world. But I digress. Let's talk about Dauntless and how Seri's move worked out for her.


What's the novel about?

Dauntless follows Seri, an eighteen-year-old girl with excellent sight, who is an aide to the valiant Commander Eshai Unbroken. All goes well with this assignment until Seri travels to the city Vethaya and meets Tsana, a beautiful girl who wears strange clothes. Seri becomes intrigued by Tsana, maybe even to the point where she's falling in love. But when she finds out that Tsana and her People can control the beasts that terrorize her community, she begins to question everything she knows from how beasts operate to who she is and where she comes from. As their worlds collide, and their Peoples get ready to go to war, Seri and Tsana must decide what they're willing to do to broker peace--if peace is even possible.


What themes are present in the book?

There are a few themes in the book, but I want to focus on what I believe to be the main one:

You should challenge the beliefs that you are indoctrinated into.

Out of all the themes that are in this book, I think this is the most important because the entire novel stems on the fact that Seri believed one thing her whole entire life: that beasts were the enemies. And, even within the narrative that beasts are the enemies of their people, there were assumptions and beliefs made about the beasts themselves, the main one being that they were incapable of reason and couldn't climb trees. But all these things are challenged immediately.

This was made for the video game Dauntless, but it works for the book too. Click on the pic for more info.
The notion that the beasts were incapable of reason and couldn't climb trees was initially challenged when the attack on the new settlement occurs and Seri and Eshai realize that the beasts performed a coordinated attack on the undefended part of the settlement. It was challenged again when they go to Vethaya and find out that another settlement was attacked at the same time as theirs. And, it is continuously challenged throughout the book up to the point where the characters (and by extension, we the audience) find out why, which is that someone is controlling the beasts. And, the person controlling the beasts, Srayan, is able to help them climb up the spreading trees which further undermines everything that Seri's government ever told her and The People.

And, in terms of the beasts being the enemies, when Seri learns what Tsana is, what she technically is, she begins to question everything that she and her People have been told about the beasts.

The boots were Seri's third peace of armor.
For instance, is it right to kill the beasts for armor when they are just continuing a war that was started by her People (or, at least, according to Tsana it was started by her People). Or, whether the Council knew that there were more than just one group of People in the world. And the reason that Seri has these questions or is struggling with new ideas is that she was indoctrinated into a culture to believe one specific thing, much like in our own society.

At the end of the day, it is the questioning of these beliefs that allow Seri to discover who she is and what she wants to do with that information outside of the influence of those who may have bad intentions. All this to say, I could probably write an entire thesis on the subject matter, but I want you to form your own ideas and connections to the story. So, let's jump into what you really want to know: What did I like about the book.


What did you like?

There was a lot to like from the characters and their development to the utilization of language, but the two things that I want to focus on for this review is the pacing and the description of the world, because those are the two things that stood out the most.


Pacing

I had an eArc for this review, which meant that I had to read it on my computer or phone. Anyone who knows me knows that my preference is to have a physical copy of books, or to have an audiobook version (they're great when I have other things to do like driving or taking a shower). So, it did take me a bit of time to read the story.

That said, when it comes to the pacing in books, some authors hit it right on the mark, and some don't. For me, Dauntless fits into the first category because the pacing is ON POINT. Even with me having to read it in my least preferred method, I couldn't put it down. Every scene of the book fed into the next one perfectly. Whether the characters were in a fast-paced scene where they were running away from beasts in a temple and crushing them with spikes, or just having sweet moments while on watch duty, there was never a dull moment or a spot where I just had to take a break from reading it. When I was in the story, I was IN THE STORY. And that's the most important part of reading, right? To be immersed in the story set before you. So, brava Elisa, brava, you did an amazing job with that.


Description of the World

The other thing that stood out to me in this book was the description of the world. I love the idea that the characters in the book live on what is known as "spreading trees" (which, in my head, are like REALLY HUGE oak trees that are almost as tall as skyscrapers and spread across to slightly smaller trees, connecting everything together).

One description of such a tree can be found in chapter one: "Seri's mind was spinning, trying to make sense of rooms and structure and not the chaotic tangle of trees, roots, and vines that made up the world below." This sentence informs me, the reader, that the world that Seri and the other characters live in is nature-based and that, much like nature, the story is going to be chaotic with unexpected twists and turns. The descriptions of the beasts are pretty great too, specifically the description of the "abensit" in Chapter 3. "The beasts were all the same breed—shambling dark-furred creatures. Their faces resembled hornless goats, but they walked like predators, mouths full of sharp teeth, and they had long, slender tails." Just thinking about a creature like this breathing down my neck gives me serious Jurassic Park vibes (think about the terror you felt when you were 5 and watched the original Jurassic Park movie, you know, before CGI was a thing) and, yes, I know I'm showing my age.

The last thing I'll say about this topic is that, while not technically descriptions of the world itself, I did enjoy picturing how the valiant armor changes colors and attributes based on who was wearing it, the ritual that Seri's people had for burying the dead, the fruit juices, mango slices, and rice and plant leaves that the characters consumed, and other small mundane things that weren't important in terms of the plot, but that made Seri's world feel realistic. These things added a nice touch of realness to the book.


What, if anything, did you dislike or wish the author would've done differently?

There were only three things that I would say I disliked.

First, is the killing off of Tarim. We meet him pretty early in the story, and the way he was presented I really thought he was going to be one of those characters that we bonded with as the book went on. And, I was kind of right. I did bond with him as a character, which is why I was surprised his death was so abrupt. I feel like there was a lot of potential in him as a side character, so I was disappointed when he was killed off. I guess Bonin had to do it to add to the tension, but I don't know for sure.

My second gripe about this book is the head-hopping. I wasn't a fan of it. Because, while I liked that we got to see Seri's, Eshai's, and Tsana's points of view (POV), it was done in a way where sometimes I couldn't remember whose POV I was in. I think that if there had been clear headers to let me know that this is Seri's POV, or this is Tsana's POV, then the book would have been a smoother read.

Also, as with any book, there were some awkward sentences and some typos. They're only noticeable IF you're an avid reader though. I found myself making notes on where you can find them, but I'm not the type to post them in a review. Besides, they weren't a big enough issue to keep me from finishing the book, just somewhat distracting from the overall experience. But, outside of those two things, I don't have any complaints about the plot, description, theme, or story elements.


How many stars would you give this book and why?

I loved the themes, the pacing, and the description of the world so much. But head-hopping is such as huge turn-off for me as a reader. Unlike Eshai, I love organization, and sometimes I felt like it didn't have any. For these reasons, I give this book four out of five stars.


More Information

Elisa Bonin is the author of Dauntless and Stolen City which come out on August 2nd and September 20th of this year respectively.

For information on her upcoming books and to sign up for her newsletter, you can visit her website.

If you enjoyed this review and want to know more about her, check out this interview.

And, remember to like, subscribe, and comment. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review and promotion of the book

"People write songs, people invented heroes because they needed them. They needed symbols of strength, of will, of resilience. When times were dark, they needed people to point to, people who could fill them with hope." - Dauntless

The characters of this book are well done, I get attached to many of them, understand their struggles, and cheer for them.

I didn't realize, going into this, that this was an LGBT book so I was pleasantly surprised at that relationship. And even with things got hard, I knew they would work out in the end. This book kept me turning the pages until the very end, wondering what was going to happen next, how the heroes were going to get out of the trouble they were in and Elisa A Bonnin didn't let me down.

I honestly want to read more stories from this world and hope that in future books we return to Seri, Tsuna, and Eshai.

"Go forth and make the unknown world known, for in you is the future of the People." -Dauntless

Seri is a newly made assistant to commander Eshai Unbroken, whose reputation for killing beasts is unparalleled. In their world, beasts roam the forests and it is up to the valiants to kill them, use their skin as armor, and discover new settlements. As Eshai’s assistant, Seri sees first hand how much destruction the beasts can cause. And even kills one herself.

Seri thought the divide between people and beasts would always be there. Separated by violence. But when she meets Tsana, Seri realizes things could be different. After all, Tsana can communicate with the beasts. And maybe there doesn’t have to be violence after all. If they can get everyone else to understand.

Thanks to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for an advanced copy of Dauntless to review! I’m always on the lookout for a good new fantasy. Especially when it’s a debut author! This reminded a lot of Beasts of Prey, though it is one of those rare YA fantasy standalones.

What I liked about this book from the beginning is the way the world is described. Yes, you’re dropped right in the middle of the action, but for the most part, I didn’t feel confused. Bonnin does a good job making sure you’re up to speed on the intricacies of this world, unfolding details exactly when you need them. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, so I was impressed!

While I did enjoy the world building, after the initial scene at the beginning, the plot does take a bit to really get going. However, when it does, you’ll find that this book is difficult to put down! If you like your fantasy with a lot of action, you’ll find that in the second half of the book.

The only other thing that put me off is that there are technically three points of view, but they didn’t necessarily feel different enough from each other. I wanted something that better signaled when I was with a specific character. For the most part, all of their voices really blended together.

Despite the pacing and the voices, the rest of the story and the characters were interesting enough that I would definitely read another book by Bonnin. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

This was an interesting book, however it was difficult for me to finish it.
I feel like I wasn't really interested in the characters at all, and I really only got more interested towards the end. Overall I feel like maybe some of the characters needed more development or more background.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars!

I've had this on my NetGalley shelf FOREVER and finally got around to it, and I was not disappointed. Set up in a lush, fantasy but also science fictiony but also dystopian world modeled on the Phillipines, I was drawn in to the world quickly. While some of the concepts were hard to grasp at first with the beasts and the trees and the valor and the armor, they were explain as the MC, Seri, learned more about them as well. Seri's path with Eshai is stunning, and I love how Eshai becomes both a mentor and a friend to Seri as they both learn from each other.

The addition of Tsana and the twist she brings is well done, and it almost reminds me of an allegory for colonization or assimilation with how they view the way of life and beasts differently. I do almost want to know more of the history though, e.g., why is Tsana's group the one with the more modern language built on how Seri's language is "old" and why do they have metal but Seri didn't even know what metal was? Also, this novel is SAPPHIC but like without the "this is the plot. the plot is they're sapphic" because it's not the focus of the plot which makes it a refreshing LGBTQ read.

I do think the ending leaves a lot of questions with Seri and her capabilities, and I wish there would have been more between the end of the novel and the epilogue, but overall, this was a fantastic read. Full of action and beautiful world building.

4.75 Stars

Thank you to Swoon Reads and Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Seri decides to leave behind her home and join a new settlement further from the known world. Seri is tasked to be assistant to the head of the Valiant stationed there, the hero Eshai the Unbroken. But the Beasts the valiant are supposed to fend off are becoming more tactical and fighting in ways that seem off, and Seri helps Eshai journey to find out the cause, discovering secrets about herself and her world she never knew existed.

This was so good! I was hooked on the lush world-building and intriguing mystery's of Seri's past right from the beginning. Seri is such a compelling character and the entire time I was trying to figure out what happened to her and where she would go! Eshai and Tsana are also really great characters. Tsana's arc was super interesting to me and I loved seeing how she developed throughout the story.

There is a sapphic relationship at the heart of this one, but I'll be honest and say the romantic relationships in this story were not as compelling as the mentor relationship between Seri and Eshai or the world building. I definitely think the world-building and plot is the highlight of this one! I loved it and can't wait to hold a finished copy!

Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Dauntless is a lush and beautiful of example of fantasy world-building that drops readers immediately into the action. We are not being handheld through this world, rather we are expected to immerse ourselves and learn along the way.

I really enjoyed the way Eliasa Bonnin writes their characters. Seri, Tsana, and Eshai are such interesting and complicated people and I liked getting the multiple viewpoints to see what each of them were thinking and feeling. I loved that there is sapphic representation in this book but I did feel like Tsana was slightly underdeveloped compared to Seri and Eshai. However I did enjoy seeing the push and pull of Seri and Tsana's own version of history and lore and when they come to a head, they are both trying to desperately hold on to their version whole grappling with a different truth. I think that will always be a fascinating conflict to have in a story.

This book has been marketed as being inspired by Filipino folklore and mythology and while I did see some traces of inspiration I think it might be difficult to spot for some others. My other gripe with this book is the pacing. For me, it does start off too slow but then speed runs through some of the plot so it felt uneven in some places. However the battle sequences in this book are really well-written and vivid which I appreciated.

I think this book does a good job of being an action packed and emotional entry that will satisfy a lot of reader's desire for a diverse YA story. I really enjoyed Bonnin's writing and look forward to their future works!

Beginning Dauntless, we are immediately immersed headfirst into this conflict. Into this struggle between those who wear beast armor and the beasts which ravage their towns. But nothing is ever as simple as this and when Seri meets Tsana, a girl who can communicate with the beasts, nothing will ever be the same. Because Seri's world has been assuming that they're mere creatures, incapable of organized thought. However, it turns out that Tsana's people can do so much more and that there's more to their world than Seri thinks.

Dauntless becomes a race for the truth against an imminent threat. One that Seri's friends have never prepared for. And while I enjoyed these battle scenes and the multiple perspectives we can see through, Seri and Tsana's conflicts were my favorite. For Seri, she has to unravel everything she's known not only about the world, but also about herself. About the secrets she's been keeping and her place in the world. And for Tsana, her loyalty and her own ethics are explored. When we are pitted against what we think, what we are told, who do we believe?

4.5 stars

I absolutely adored Dauntless, it was very well written and I loved the worldbuilding. I usually have a hard time keeping up with fantasies because of the worldbuilding, but I didn’t have any issues at all while reading dauntless. The world was easy to understand and the fantasy elements were all incredibly interesting, I especially loved the concept of the beasts!!

I also really liked the characters, Seri and Tsana’s relationship was so cute and I really loved that their relationship was a part of the story even though it wasn’t the main plot point. I loved Eshai as well, she’s an incredibly powerful woman and I’d honestly love to read a book just about her.

Overall, Dauntless is a very fun and quick read and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Elisa A. Bonnin and Swoon Reads for the eARC.

4 Stars

Dauntless centers around two entirely different worlds: the known and unknown world. Beasts prowl around these worlds and hunt the people of the known world. The valiant, a group of warriors from the known world, explore the unknown world, kill beasts, and use them to make their armor which gives them newfound strength. Seri, being the newest assistant to Eshai, a valiant commander, has seen the firsthand struggle that her people face to keep back the beasts. This is until she meets Tsana, who is from the unknown world and able to communicate with beasts leading Seri to question everything she has ever known.

Once I heard the premise behind Dauntless, I just knew that I had to pick this one up and I’m so glad I did. I haven’t seen this book promoted as much around the bookish community, so I wanted to take a second to tell you all about this incredible story that you should definitely pick up!

Dauntless is a beautifully written fantasy that fills the brim with action-packed sequences, rich and immersive worldbuilding, twists, and betrayals that are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. Not only does this include all these wonderful elements but it features two incredible sweet romances that will have you invested in the characters and their stories.

“Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.”

At first, I had some trouble actually getting into the book and it took me a few days to actually get into the story. I’m so glad I did though because once I got through the slow beginning, I absolutely fell in love with this incredible thought-provoking story. The slower pace of the first quarter of this story makes absolute sense story-wise because it allows Bonnin time to introduce this complex and fascinating world she has created.

Let me take a quick second to commend this story on its incredible worldbuilding. It was one of my favorite things about Dauntless and I believe that to have an excellent fantasy story you must have incredibly detailed and well-defined boundaries within the world. This ultimately helps the reader become more immersed within the story which Dauntless does perfectly.

The worldbuilding was executed in such a way that it never became too confusing to follow. Through Bonnin’s writing, you could tell she took so much time and effort to really flesh out the world of Dauntless adding in little details and elements. Bonnin brought something new to the table, concepts that I know that I would never think of and many others wouldn’t either. Not only did she do a wonderful job with worldbuilding but she was able to combine it with the plot where each chapter progressed naturally and had an actual impact on the story.

“People write songs, people invented heroes because they needed them. They needed symbols of strength, of will, of resilience. When times were dark, they needed people to point to, people who could fill them with hope.”

One of the hardest things to execute in a story is having characters that feel like they can be real people who can live in our world and are like us. I’m happy to say that Bonnin did a magnificent job with this. Seri is a likable protagonist that I’m sure many readers will enjoy. Throughout the story, Seri faces the most challenges as she tries to grapple with the secrets that unravel in front of her. The characters are well developed and their stories progress in unexpected ways allowing the characters to grow right in front of our eyes.

The sapphic romance was an absolute joy to read and I loved how it didn’t overtake the story. In many stories, the romance tends to overtake the main plot but I like how in this one it took more of a backseat allowing other elements to come forward and shine. Tsana, the love interest, seemed like the least developed so it didn’t entirely work. Both of the characters had chemistry with each other and their interactions were so adorable to read!

The ending was written absolutely beautifully, bringing me joy and happiness. Dauntless has more of an open ending which allows the reader to ponder what adventures the characters might go on next. While many may want a sequel to see where this story goes next, I believe Dauntless works perfectly as a standalone. Sometimes not all stories need a concrete ending rather than being left open to interpretation.

Dauntless is perfect for readers looking for a Young Adult Sapphic Fantasy inspired by the author’s Filipino roots filled with action-packed sequences, immersive worldbuilding, likable characters, and unexpected twists that will keep on readers wanting more.

I've been following this book for a long time now, and have been eagerly awaiting when I could get my hands on it. I am so thankful to have received an ARC and I absolutely LOVED this book!

I loved the intricate and detailed world building and how everything fit together so seamlessly. The characters were all very complex and multi-layered, you couldn't help but want to follow them into battle. I loved everything about this book and can't wait to read anything and everything else that Elisa A. Bonnin writes!

Dauntless goes beyond the standard trappings of YA fantasy with an epic story that is set in a vibrant, living world; led by powerful women; and daring enough to interrogate the narrative and future of its own histories.

WORLDBUILDING: It has slow beginning which takes some time to get used to, but don’t be put off by this: the author uses this time to painstakingly build the world piece by piece so that it is easier and more exciting to watch the action unfold in later chapters. I know I often describe a lot of my favorite novels to have lush and solid worldbuilding, but this time it’s different. Instead of overwhelming my five senses with vivid descriptions, Dauntless instead gives me tools to work with. For example, if I’m a valiant, I have a standard kit of knives, torches, and other small items that serve me well on patrols and campaigns. If I’m strolling through the city, I can interact with pails, stairs, cups, and so much more. By focusing more on the function rather than the aesthetic, the world provides its readers with ways to navigate and orient themselves in it or even imagine exploring aspects that are not highlighted in the main story. The world of Dauntless is perfect for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), and it helps that the book itself is written with the mind of a TTRPG player. The logistics, the expeditions, the rationing: everything is here! THERE ARE FREAKING CALTROPS IN THE STORY!

No cultural shortcuts: takes the landscapes and elements familiar to the culture and mishmashes them into something wholly original. There are spreading trees and grasslands. There are familiar dishes, though the food remains unnamed. The marketplaces in Vethaya are similar to the bustling palengkes in the province. But the stereotypical icons of big families and meddling relatives are absent from this book due to the nature of scouting and settling expeditions. The names and lore, although they borrow the form from oral traditions, may be too changed to be accurately traced back to its sources of inspiration. Although I like it as is, it may feel disappointing to other Filipinos whose expectations have been set by the marketing.

CHARACTERS: I love Seri the most. Despite the weight of secrets she carries, she still is honest, straightforward, and clear. She grows so much throughout the story, and when she eventually gains new abilities or improves her skills, her power scaling matches her emotional journey. Nothing is suddenly unlocked with the power of friendship.

But Eshai has a hold over my heart! I love her POV, and her internal monologues always catch me off-guard. She’s literally a legend in their civilization and the subject of so many songs, but deep down, she struggles with the weight of her fears and responsibilities. She isn’t much older than Seri, so she isn’t the wizened mentor that many fantasy books have. As someone who was berated for being too young to be a high school teacher, Eshai being in this important position without the expected age resonates with me so much.

I know that Seri and Tsana’s relationship is central to this story, but I think (and I SHOULDN’T) be the only one here rooting for Eshai and Lavit! Every time they’re on the page, I want to scream and slap a seatmate’s shoulder because of the kilig! In contrast with the main couple, here we have a two people who have so much shared history between each other and a lifelong trust that goes beyond mere romance. This is the kind of love story I live for: one where you and your partner fight for your people AND keep each other alive. No ifs, no buts. Uuwi at uuwi pa rin tayo. This is what love looks like for me.

HISTORY: Kasaysayan and interrogation of history: your People vs my People, songs to honor legends like Eshai Unbroken, etc. Songs are lying, there are records not recognized by the oral traditions of the spreading tree settlements. Ultimately, these histories are presented as evidence to justify the rapidly rising body count and violence on either side of the war. History here isn’t presented from one source only; in fact, one of my favorite scenes has two characters recounting their lores to each other in the midst of a quarrel. What is real? What is not? What happens then? The lore is tightly written, filled with dramatic irony and literary justice. When revelations come to light, my nerd heart just screams because it all circles back to the beginning: to the individual hurts that propel history.

I love this book, and I hope it gets the hype it deserves.

A delightful Filipino-inspired YA fantasy! Where this book really shines is the worldbuilding, which, imho, hits the YA sweet spot: The main ideas are relatively straightforward and easy to grasp, but there's still enough nuance that I felt like I was reading about real people in a real society.
Other things I liked:
+ The premise of this book is so ridiculously cool. A society must fight against monstrous beasts to colonize a jungle and expand the Known World—but the further they expand, the weirder the Unknown World becomes.

+ The pacing is generally solid. Reveals and twists are evenly spaced. The third quarter dragged a little, but one particular moment during the climax made everything worth it.

+ Seri is a likable and real main character. She's strong-willed but still vulnerable.

Things that didn't work as well:
- The love interest, Tsana, felt like the book's least well-developed character to me, which meant that I didn't quite buy into the romance. I'm very, very picky, though, and I do appreciate the sapphic representation.

- Because the dichotomy between the Known World and Unknown World is so cool and interesting, I wish the book focused on it a little more. At times, we know more than Seri does about the Unknown World because we see it from Tsana's POV and Tsana knows many of the Unknown World's secrets. I kind of wish we discovered the truth of the Unknown World along with Seri so that we got to experience all of her wonder and fear and surprise along with her.

Now, sapphic asian-inspired fantasy already sounded right up my alley and I had a blast reading this. I'll divide my review into characters, worldbuilding, plot and relationships.

Characters: I thought they were all so well-built! We have 3 MCs with their distinctive POVs, Seri, Tsana and Seri and all of them felt like fully realized people whose motivations I could easily understand and empathize with, not to mention how real all of their struggles felt. With no spoilers, Seri trying to reconcile with a bad past, Eshai struggling with command and Tsana being divided between two sides, they were all done great in my opinion.

Worldbuild: it felt very rich to me, I kept imagining the parts beyond what we get to see in the book and how many other stories could be happening, not in a way that made me wish I was reading those instead, mind you. I just mean to say that I could definitely see myself enjoying a myriad of other stories taking place in this same universe.

Plot: Okay now, this part, I don't know if it was because I was reading a digital copy and I just have a hard time reading ebooks, but some of the pacing felt a little off to me. Just some scenes here and there that I thought were a bit too quick. But otherwise, I think there was a very good balance between the main conflict and Seri and Tsana's romance for example.

Relationships: They had such great dynamics. Seri and Eshai's mentor/mentee relationship was lovely and I loved how protective Eshai grew of Seri meanwhile recognizing, by the end, how much she had grown and being so proud of her for it. And obviously, Seri and Tsana. They were seriously adorable, how they didn't quite see eye to eye at one point but they went out of their way to understand each other because they wanted to, they wanted to be together and worked for it. And then there's also Tsana and Srayan, our main villain, which I thought was interesting but I wish we'd could've gotten a bit more of.

Overall this was such a great read and I'm excited for Stolen City!