After reading and loving Forestborn, I was excited to read the sequel, Wildbound, and complete the duology! The story picks up where the previous novel left off and alternates between siblings, and shifters, Rora and Helos. The two of them have been separated after their mission to find stardust in the Vale, which cures the magical disease, the Fallow Throes. Unlike the first novel, this story is told between the POVs of both Helos and Rora. While I was initially unsure how I would feel about it, I loved it by the end.

Helos is dealing with the unknown involving Finley, his love interest and a victim of the Fallow Throes. He is going through a lot internally where he doesn’t know how he fits in while trying to prove himself as a healer. All of this combined with the discovery of a secret in the previous novel, mean that Helos has a lot to deal with in this story. Helos is currently in the company of Finley’s older brother, Weslyn, and they meet up with their older sister, Violet, who has ascended the throne after the death of King Gerar of Telyan.

As for Rora, she is on her way to Eradain, which is ruled by Jol Holworth. She is on a mission to free imprisoned shifters and to help protect those she loves. For her love interest, Wes, I kept waiting for the two of them to reunite after connecting with their relationship in the first novel. The two of them continue to shine as a couple, even when they are not together on the page. Through events in the previous novel, including a secret, she has a lot of emotions to deal with in this story, too.

The relationships are amazingly well-written in this story as there are ones between shifters and non-shifters, friendships, familial relationships (Wes/Finley/Violet and Helos/Rora), and romantic ones (Rora/Wes and Finley/Helos). All of the characters worked well together and were all compelling as individuals. There is the war between Eradain and Telyan along with the Fallow Throes that are the driving forces, which allow for interesting plots that weave together with character development. While I enjoyed Helo’s growth a little more than Rora’s in this one, I still loved Rora’s part of the story. The pacing kept up nicely throughout and led to an excellent conclusion. Overall, I loved this duology and I would easily read more from this author!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Thank you to the publishers for the arc of this book ~~~
First off I think if you liked the first book this is a fitting conclusion to the series and it gives a lot of what the first book does and a little bit more (particularly in the terms of Finley content)
However, I found it super jarring that the author added a dual pov in this book. I can understand the reasoning logically bc it gives a lot more space for new ideas and fleshing out of other characters. But at the same time the content I wanted was Rora and Wesley, I was hoping this book would be more romance adventure focused in that way.
I mean I didn’t quite get what I wanted but the book is still good so worth reading. Try to see if you agree W me or not

Posted at, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4860060508?book_show_action=false

Thank you to #netgalley for an ARC of Wildbound the follow up novel to Foresborn by Elanyne Audrey Becker.

I had high expectations because Forestborn just astounded me with the depth of world building and character development. Wildbound really attempts to push the story forward, but it comes at the expense of the characters and the world. The beginning is slow. The characters that we know and love are side-lined in order to develop some of the lesser characters of the first novel. Unfortunately, the characters ended up falling flat for me. I tried to keep in mind that this book was written and geared toward and younger audience and so the I understood that some of the writing would be basic, but some of the conversations were so stilted and wooden I could not get past it. I always feel bad leaving a negative review, but I felt like I needed to be honest. This book did not live up to my expectations and there was little development in this book beyond what she started in Forestborn.

Wildbound is a great sequel to Forestborn and a great conclusion to the duology. The story alternates between Helos and Rora’s perspectives, which I liked because you really get to understand their thoughts and feelings, fears and wishes, and the depth of their emotional journeys. You also learn more about the secondary characters, especially Finley and Violet, Wes’s siblings. It’s interesting to see Violet take on a new leadership role and to find out more about Finley, his feelings, and many of the obstacles in his life.

Helos was a compelling character in the first book, and I liked him even more in this one. I think it’s because we get his point of view and follow his emotional and physical journey much like we do Rora’s. He gains more confidence and a stronger sense of self as his role changes and his relationships develop. And Rora’s journey is fantastic. She has such a great arc, and I love that she grows and learns so much as she works to free imprisoned shifters, battle deadly antagonists, and reunite with those she loves. Having the alternating perspectives of these siblings expands the plot, the world, and the myriad of relationships and conflicts each experience.

The focus on the importance of relationships and connection is strong in this book. From family relationships to friendships to romantic love, all of the relationships are fleshed out well and compelling. The sibling relationships in the story are particularly remarkable. Helos and Rora have such a strong bond, and their love for and support of each other parallels Wes’s connection to his siblings.

My favorite relationships are the romantic ones. Though Rora and Wes spend a lot of time apart, the longing and love they have for each other are palpable. And when they finally reunite, I was so happy. They’ve both been through so many struggles and so much trauma, and their romance is one of the things that keeps both of them going. The same goes for Helos and Finley. They have a lot of obstacles in their way, including prejudice, fear, and classism, but their feelings for each other are obvious. I love both of these romances and so hoped that things would work out for these couples. Amidst the danger and rebellion and illness and magic, all four of these characters deserve a happily ever after!

The world-building and magic system are layered and dynamic, and the shapeshifting element is unique. These elements, in addition to the immersive writing style, pull you right into the story and this dangerous and unique world. It’s suspenseful and exciting and filled with political intrigue, risky situations, conflict, and more. The story also tackles difficult subjects like prejudice, PTSD, grief, and more. I thought these topics were balanced well with themes of hope, love, and resilience.

This is a great duology and one I would definitely recommend to readers of YA fantasy. Thank you so much to Tor Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a fantastic sequel and ending to the Forestborn duology.

While Forestborn only followed Rora’s POV, Wildbound has two POVs and follows Helos, her brother, as well. This worked exceptionally well for the story, and I found that the dual storylines upped the tension. I also got to know and understand not only Helos’ character better, but Finley’s, too. I actually ended up loving Helos’ POV just as much as Rora’s.

Wildbound is action packed. We follow a war in Helos’ storyline and a spying adventure in Rora’s. While there are quiet moments to breathe, I didn’t want to put this book down.

Like Forestborn, Becker’s writing is lovely and full of forest and nature imagery. The characters are well-rounded, loveable, and so easy to root for! The worldbuilding and political intrigue are fantastic. Wildbound also delves into some very dark themes–not only prejudice but genocide, torture, and PTSD. Becker explores the themes of love and belonging with just the right amount of romance, including an m/m romance.

I highly recommend picking up this duology if you haven’t already–Wildbound solidified it as one of my favorites.

I didn't love this as much as the first one which I could not put down; the book gets better later on but the first 30% is a slog and while I loved Helos in the first book, the beginning of his POV was repetitive, whiny and all about Finlay when there was a lot going on. So it was hard to be as captivated when the lead POVs kept treading on already covered ground and were relentlessly self righteous. Thankfully it picks up and gets better and finishes strong.

My review will be posted on my Instagram after the official release of Wildbound.

I absolutely loved Wildbound. It did exactly what I expected from a sequel. It continued and most importantly, resolved the greater conflict from Foresborn. I was hooked from the beginning and had to force myself to take breaks in my reading so I could ensure I really took my time with the book, even though there were some moments where I just needed to push forward because I needed to know what was going to happen next. Becker’s worldbuilding and storytelling is amazing. The way magic is described is done in such a refreshing way and it actually has purpose, rather than just existing to add flair. The pacing was nice as well. The action felt nicely spaced between the calmer sections. My favorite part of the book was the characters. I enjoyed getting to spend more time with Helos and really getting to feel more of his longing and heartbreak and see how his relationship with Fin developed. Rora was by far my favorite character of the book, though. She is such a strong character and I really enjoyed getting to see how her relationship with Helos and Wes drove her to continue working toward her goal. The sibling dynamics between Rora and Helos was nice as well, I could really tell how deep their worries for each other went. This is by far my favorite release of the year. The Forestborn/Wildbound duology is the type of duology that I wish I could read again for the first time just to experience the raw emotion from them both again.

Wildbound is the perfect sequel to Forestborn! I absolutely loved everything about this book. Becker tells a beautiful story of hope and how to persevere in difficult times. The world building is fantastic. This story is full of strong characters, magic, mystical creatures, and more. It is a great ending to this duology.

I struggled to get through this one. It didn't hook me the way book 1 did. The beginning especially felt slow. I'm hoping doing a reread at another time will prove to be better for me.

What I Loved: In the first book, Forestborn, Rora sees the vile prison that the Eradain kingdom is using to capture and torture magical creatures. She feels called to duty in this book and faces the danger to shut down that prison. It is very courageous seeing someone that doesn’t turn their back on injustice and steps in to stop it. She connects with the resistance to make a difference in her half-brother’s rule.
The first book was so good as Rora and Weslyn go from enemies to friends to something a bit more. I liked that Rora began to regard herself more during their time apart in Wildbound, but was very happy once their stories came together again.
I enjoyed Helos in the first book and grew to love his character even more through the alternating perspectives in the sequel. We were able to see his inner struggle with the traumatic events he endured in Forestborn. So many times, in books the characters go through trauma and then act like it isn’t a big deal. Helos tried to bury it but his reactions kept indicating that he wasn’t alright until he finally sought help from his friends to come to terms with his past.
Helos and Finley were separated by birthright and illness in the first book. Their relationship kept me turning the pages to see how it would be resolved. Helos matured greatly and like his sister found how he could help make the world a better place and pursued that path.
Final Verdict: This story was magical in its ability to take a fantastical world and make it real with our emotional investment in the characters. It touched on real themes such as ignorance leading to fear and prejudice. The prison could have parallels to any holocaust camp of World War II with how little regard for life the prisoners were treated. The reader was right there with Rora and Helos as they faced their inner and outer demons and grew to be who they were meant to be. This was a delightful duology that was very fast-paced and satisfying to read.

Wildbound is the final book in this duology and it did not disappoint. I loved the first book, Forestborn, for its originality and slow burn romance. The magic was complex and satisfying and all of the characters were well developed and very colorful, filled with grey edges.
Wes and Rora are split up. Rora has gone on a dangerous mission to help her fellow magical beings escape their prison as Wes and Rora’s brother Helos carry on back to the kingdom. They find their King dead and the castle abandoned, which sets them on an adventure and ultimately to war.
I love this book. It was wonderful to be introduced again to the characters, especially Finley who we didn’t spend too much time with in the first book. (Wes’s younger brother). Violet is now queen and born for the role. And it is awesome we get Helo’s POV. I loved it. His voice was so easy to slip into. His fierce love and worry for his sister, his heartbreak over Finley, his anger and resentment at Wes. I like how his character changed through the book and yet, never once, did he veer away from being kind and compassionate and everything that his character innately was. I like how the challenges presented to him could have made him into a villain, but they didn’t as he always chose good.
Finley is way more present in this book and I liked his lightness and teasing with Wes. It was fun to see how he brought the three other characters together. I also appreciate how long and understand him, Wes and Violet were to each other. They were all siblings, all in line for the throne, but they hardly ever argued. They were loving and supportive and worried about each other. There was so much external conflict, there didn’t need to be internal conflict between these three.
Which brings me to of course Wes and Rora who were our main characters in book 1. Nothing changed there. Rora is still strong and fierce and I love her. Wes is still broody and good with a sword. Sure, I guess it doesn’t take much for me to swoon. Their relationship is pretty much on the back burner for half the book because Rora has got PLANS, but that’s not a bad thing. The action moves really fast and we have Finley and Helos to keep us company while they’re apart.
The world is just as complex and satisfying as I remember it being, added to it Rora and Helo’s half brother who is um, EVIL and is basically the big bad and ready to start a war with misinformation and lies. (Remind anyone of anyone?)
Wildbound is the sequel that you always knew you wanted. It does not disappoint. It leaves thew ay it came in, through love and family and danger, but most of all, Hope.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen for the eARC of Wildbound by Elayne Audrey Becker in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I absolutely ADORED Forestborn, and was worried I wouldn't love the second book as much. While a tiny part of that is true, I have to say that Wildbound does a phenomenal job of continuing right where Forestborn left off.

We dive right into Helos and Rora's stories, and once you've picked this book up -- you won't want to put it down. It is action packed and filled with emotion and longing. I haven't read a duology I loved as much as this one in a while. I felt satisfied when the final page came -- and wish I could have the experience of reading it again. I loved the magic system, political intrigue, but most importantly -- I loved the characters. I felt connected to them and their emotions. You find yourself rooting for every single one.

5/5 stars, couldn't recommend this duology more.

Wildbound is everything you could ever want in a sequel. Action packed from the beginning, characters you love and love to hate, perfect story progression.

This was SO good and the perfect way to close out the duology.

I really loved that in this one we not only get Rora’s POV, but Helos’. I thought I would dread Helos’ POVs at first because I was so caught up in Rora’s storyline and where she was going at the end of the first book I wasn’t sure if I’d like departing from her story to follow Helos. But BOY was I wrong!! I think I actually enjoyed Helos’ POV even more than Rora’s at times.

The way Helos talks/thinks about Finley in his chapters made me want to CRY they’re so incredibly wholesome and it was so poetic at times. It kind of reminded me of the way Patroclus would talk about Achilles in Song of Achilles. So if you like that kind of poetic description of love I think you’re going to absolutely love those portions of Helos’ POV.

I also loved the dynamic and the bond between Rora and Helos and how you could feel it throughout the entire book even when they were apart. They’re both incredibly strong characters that work well together but also stand well on their own. I loved following Rora’s journey and even though it departed from characters we’re familiar with, I felt engaged the whole time and had to keep going because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next because she had me STRESSED at times!!!

I also loved seeing her journey not only outwardly and the progress she makes on her journeys and tasks, but also inward. The small changes you see in her throughout and the way in which which she connects with the other characters and acts around them by the time the book ended made my heart feel warm. I think her and Wes are PERFECT together and give each other exactly what the other needs.

I also love the way magic and shifting is handled throughout the duology. It’s different than the way I’ve seen it presented in other books and anytime I see a new take on magic I’m always VERY excited, especially when it’s excited well like it was here.

In the author’s note, she says this is a book about hope and I think that’s true. However, I think it’s also a book about love and family and it made my heart all warm so if you like that feeling, go read this!!! Now!! (Well read the first one first if you haven’t, and then read this!!)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with this eARC!!

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-Arc copy.
Let us start :).
I read Forestborn when it came out and was amazed at the story. Wildbound on the other hand JUST elevates the story to a new level.

The characters mesh into the plot without being "clunky". Someone already touched on Helos, so I will not. You could feel the love and heartbreak. I am not sure how to explain it without giving away spoilers. I know this story will draw your attention and you will be able to feel the emotions lifting off the page.


The way all of the characters interacted warmed my cold, dead heart to the point of melting (the aforementioned four rounds of tears). It was so heartbreaking seeing how these characters were affected by the war with Eradain, but again,

A complaint that does not take away my rating but will help the author. Create a designated page in the front that has a list of all the possible trigger warnings within the story. There are battle scenes and Helso has PTSD. The battle scenes, for me and only me, feel slow. Do not come for me, I like them because they fit well with the story. I have just got done reading a book with intense battle scenes, so adjusting from that book to this book makes those scenes slow for me.
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The author has grown since her Forestborn, she has honed her craft even more.

I won't touch on relationships because that is just not my strength.

This is a fast read, I just took my time because I wanted to enjoy every second of this book. This is a fairly simple read, not too complex but not so simple that it feels mundane. Overall, it is a good book.

I can not say perfect because nothing is perfect but it is a good read.

WHEN I TELL YOU THIS IS BEYOND GOOD. I, a Forestborn stan, am telling you that THIS IS EVEN BETTER. Forestborn is a 10/10, but Wildbound is a 20.
First up, our characters. The characters were already one of my favorite parts of Forestborn because I loved Rora's arc and struggle with selfishness and survival, but OH MY GOD. First of all, we get the POV of Helos in Wildbound. I am to my core a Helos fan, and I LOVED getting to see more of him and Finley. The main struggles for these characters are heavy (TW for depictions of battle scenes and PTSD from Helos), but the author handles them so well in a way that's so heartbreaking. You can tell that Elayne Audrey Becker is truly amazing at her craft, which is shown easily in the way her characters seem to peel off of the page while reading. I actually cried like four times in half an hour and I have no regrets.
Next, our lovely relationships. I loved just how many people got to connect in Wildbound. Obviously we have the romances between Rora and Weslyn and Finley and Helos, but we also have the sibling relationships between the princes and shifters and the friendships between Rora and Finley and Helos and Weslyn. The way all of the characters interacted warmed my cold, dead heart to the point of melting (the aforementioned four rounds of tears). It was so heartbreaking seeing how these characters were affected by the war with Eradain, but again, Becker did a PHENOMENAL job with the story and controlled my heart with these relationships, platonic, familial, or romantic.
One thing I love about Forestborn and Wildbound is that the executions of their plots are complex, but the concepts are pretty simple. Even when I don't know what's going on, I know that I don't have to worry because Becker is a strong writer and the plot isn't impossible to follow! This book is longer than Forestborn, but I'd say it reads faster because everything in the book is so relevant. I don't have much to say beyond that I loved it!
I can't recommend this book enough, but I think fans of Nicki Pau Preto especially would love this book. It's another one where you can just feel the dedication and mastery of writing emanating off of the page, and they don't make unnecessary decisions for the fun of it, which is a lovely quality in an author with the capacity to destroy your heart. Forestborn and Wildbound are both incredibly immersive fantasy books in one of my favorite series ever. <3

#Wildbound #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-Arc copy. I am rating this book based on my own personal opinion and was not given anything in return. I am not leaving a entire review because I read so many at a time that I physically cannot right now.