Ghouls, monsters, gore. A perfect gory novel for to satisfy the most sadistic of young adult horror fans in need of a satisfyingly scary read.

Well, I guess I fell for the hype. This book didn't live up to the expectations that I had for such a big name author (and a screen deal!). The plot and characters are the same as every other book in this category. This formula would have worked well ten years ago, but not today, unfortunately.

This was such a cool concept, that unfortunately missed the mark for me. I understand what the author was trying to do with infusing all the classic tropes that we know and love. I also enjoyed the sisterhood aspect and the unity of the princesses. However, the reason for the 2.5 stars I wasn't wowed by this. The story felt like many I have read before and was super predictable. The writing was rather bland and dry. I didn't really connect or like any of the characters. They weren't anything memorable. They were just MEH. I absolutely love the "princess saves herself" trope, but this one fell flat. Elsa, from Frozen, is more memorable and I still think about her even to this day. In summary, I'd recommend this one to someone who enjoys a YA that leans more on the younger side.

I was really excited to start this with the movie having been discussed. However, I really struggled with this and was not able to finish it.

Dasmel is a remarkable fantasy story that stands out for its immersive world, and a captivating original plot. The twist to this typical story of princess set to marry a prince is: the royal family recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. As an upcoming movie adaptation, it has the potential to become a visual feast for fantasy lovers and a thrilling cinematic journey for all. This is a story that can transport you to another realm but keep you interested due to its new take on a fantasy story. I did not love Elodie, but the plot kept me invested!

I like the idea of films being adapted to books by authors that are already publishing. We get to see more from authors we know. This was a fun addition to the movie.

I love Evelyn Skye. Her novels are very entertaining and original. However, this does not feel like an Evelyn Skye work. This is probably because it is not her idea but another’s. This was not very original. It’s about a young girl who married a prince. However, the prince sacrifices her to a dragon. It had a good beginning but it dropped in the middle. The ending was lackluster. Still, I look forward to Evelyn Skye’s other novels. This just was not the best. I still recommend this for fans of Julie Kagawa, Jennifer Donnelly, and Naomi Novik!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Evelyn Skye for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF’d

This story was very cliche and had way too many tropes. The story was very fast paced, but that wasn’t enough to keep me interested, it was just way too predictable.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

The first thing I would like to say is that I am beyond for the adaptation of this to come out! The whole time I was reading was "I wonder how this will go in the movie" or "YES CANT WAIT FOR THIS TO GET ADAPTED". This is a YA fairytale-inspired kind of story emphasis on YA cause I know a bunch of grown-ass adults are complaining over it being to YA but that is literally the target audience. Overall I loved this book especially the dragons and the story as a whole can't wait for the adaptation!

A friend of mine (who had read a copy of this book after its release) reminded me that I should never judge a book by it's pretty cover, and unfortunately, they were right. I thought that the mix of the pretty cover and a fantastic premise left this book with a lot of potential, but thats all it was. There isn't enough worldbuilding, there is too much going on (how many tropes can we count?) and much like many of the books I have read in the past few months; the characters fell flat. But who knows, maybe a younger reader might enjoy it as a quick, nonsensical read.

Thank you to Netgalley & Publishers for access to an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing was really well done. It made you want to keep reading.

The cover initially drew me to this book and I typically love a YA fantasy but this one relied too much on tropes in a way that took me out of the story.

While I adored Evelyn Skye’s previous duology, there were only certain aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. To begin, the familial relationships conveyed in this book were well done, especially how the arcs evolved and shifted throughout the story. The sisterly connection between Elodie and Floria was loving and, as someone with a sister, I thought it was well done. The concept was very cool, and the plot was fast paced.

However, the book was very tropey and was filled with very cliche dialogue that separated me from the story. Elodie could feel very superficial, and her characterization felt almost generic. I always think the most important part of the book is the characters, and this distance between the reader and the main character causes a sort of rift with the book that I just can’t shake, no matter how compelling the plot. The movement of the plot felt convenient and nothing seemed to really “get in the way” of the story or add any real stakes.

Overall, I felt very indifferent towards this book, which is really disappointing considering how much I loved The Crown’s Game and The Crown’s Fate. I will continue to read Skye’s books in the future, and I look forward to the release of The Hundred Loves of Juliet.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading this book and imagining the surroundings and thoughts of Elodie. I usually don't like books that switch POVs so much but this one didn't switch too much and when it did switch it made sense and added to the story. While I did like the storytelling of Elodie, the flashbacks, and a lot about the book. However, there were times I was confused and had to re-read a scene to understand what was going on again. Other than like two or three scenes like those, I really enjoyed the book. Can't wait to see the movie when it comes out!

i am a sucker for dragons and fairytales and a pretty cover, so damsel’s packaging lured me in immediately. unfortunately, the book itself disappointed.

elodie, the daughter of a duke, is promised to the prince of a wealthy kingdom in exchange for resources for her impoverished duchy. no stranger to duty, elodie agrees to the arrangement and is secretly delighted by the chance at love and the opportunity to see more of the world while still providing for her people. to no one’s surprise (well, no one except elodie), this too-good-to-be-true offer is, indeed, too good to be true: on the night of her marriage to the prince, elodie becomes the latest in a long line of princesses sacrificed to a dragon. with only the aid of the women who came before her, elodie finds herself in a fight for survival.

while i maintain that this is a cool concept, the execution missed the mark for me. i appreciated the emphasis on the sisterhood and unity of the sacrificed princesses, but otherwise the story is predictable, the characters unmemorable, and the writing painfully dry (the blurb says this book is “a groundbreaking collaboration between … evelyn skye and the team behind the upcoming netflix film damsel,” but it just reads like a script—too much telling and not enough showing). the entire book reads like someone slapped together every “the princess saves herself” trope and decided not to bother with anything as inconsequential as world-building, character development, or addressing any of the (numerous) plot holes.

in summary: i am still looking for my dragon fantasy fix.

"A damsel in distress takes on the dragon herself in this epic twist on classic fantasy. Based on a screenplay by Dan Mazeau, this is a groundbreaking collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and the team behind the upcoming Netflix film Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown."

I am excited to see the film version of this book. The story was fun and interesting. It was a little slow in the beginning, but after about a hundred pages it picks up and keeps me intrigued. Elodie was a strong and relatable character to follow, and I liked seeing her character growth throughout the story. She is a little basic as a YA heroine goes, but I don't view that as a bad thing. She is still interesting to follow.

Some of the other characters were boring and basic. But they were interesting enough to not dnf the book.

interesting exercise that blurs the lines of adaptation since this was apparently written with input from the screenplay team behind netflix’s adaptation. that being said, it’ll probably land with the enola holmes crowd (and not just because it’s a millie bobby brown project)

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me the E-arc of Damsel by Evelyn Skye in exchange for an honest review.
Evelyn Skye pulls off the “She sent like other girls” trope so well! I love Elodie’s fierceness and how she always stands up for others as well as herself throughout the whole book.
I especially love that this book kept you guessing on who the villains were the entire time. We got to know parts of their backstories and the reasons why they were doing what they felt needed to be done. I love it when books aren’t so black and white, right vs. wrong and DAMSEL does it perfectly.

I am a huge fans or books with dragons and since this will be a netflix show or moive down the line i figured i give it a shot. I listened to it as text to speech as i was coloring my day away. And i have to say it wasn’t all that great, i mean i heard friends rave it was amazing but how was it amazing. We have a young girl who wants to save her world so she agrees to marry some prince. But unfortunately her dad has made a deal with the devil and she ends up getting scrafiiced to dragon. I expected some epic battle something to make it stand out but this one was not on the level i expected.