Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book! I did enjoy aspects of the book, such as the personality of the main character and the action going on in the middle of the book. However, i wish there were more instances of the author “showing” us through actions rather than “telling” us. I enjoy a book with awesome imagery and descriptions, so that would have been awesome to have more of that. I do feel like the ending wrapped up quickly and wish the book was a little longer to allow a bit more information and drama in the end.

Damsel is adventurous and entertaining YA dragon fantasy that is going to be a Netflix movie and I agree with all readers who said, this will make a much better movie.

The plot is fast-paced. Writing is like a screenplay I didn’t mind that but I couldn’t help noticing it makes everything feel on a surface level and lacking in emotional depth.

First half is more telling than showing but once Eloide is in the labyrinthian caves of the mountain, the story gets more and more interesting and exciting. It still lacks emotions but I enjoyed the thrill of the chase.

There is theme and layers of survival, sacrifice, selfishness, cruelty, injustice, ignorance, greed and sisterhood. The messages in the story were good. I enjoyed reading about the world, the difference between Aurea and Inophe, culture, geography and food. I enjoyed the legend of Dragon and Princess Victoria, which surprised me in a good way as it wasn’t how I expected.

My most favorite part is Eloide’s time in the cave. Twists and turns were mostly predictable. Climax was a little surprising.The end was surprising and also unbelievable.

Why 3.5 stars-

-It lacked emotional depth.
-There were lots of questions and Aureans had questionable morals. I can’t believe it took a little girl to change some people’s minds.
I also feel there should be more explanation about the magic.
-I also feel the indexing of dragon language, in the end, was unnecessary. I would rather have liked the map in that cave Eloide found and her edits to the map as she explored more.

Overall, #Damsel is enjoyable, thrilling, and adventurous YA dragon fantasy with good characters and relationships but it lacks emotional depth and explanation of magic and the world.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Damsel is a classic twist on you guessed it: the damsel in distress, but this time this damsel is the one who takes on a dragon to save herself, avenge the women before her who were used as sacrifices, and to save the future women.

In Damsel, we are placed into the famine-stricken kingdom of Inophe and our main character, Elodie has always had a deep wish of her people surviving each winter. When a representative suddenly appears to offer Elodie's family wealth and for Inophe to be saved in exchange for Elodie's hand in marriage to the dashing prince that is from the unknown kingdom called Aurea. Elodie will be first swept away by the magical and majestic kingdom but will find the ugliness that hides behind the beauty of this kingdom. She will even find herself besotted by Prince Henry, her betrothed. Elodie will not stay silent and will not go down without a fight when the dark secrets of this kingdom come to light.

Okay, here is the truth: I once upon a time in the year 2016 checked out a book from the library by Evelyn Skye called The Crown's Game. I could not get into it and actually ended up DNFing it. So, now fast forward 7 years to where I saw this beautiful cover on NetGalley, then I read the synopsis and was like hell yeah, I need this book in my life! I did not know this was by Evelyn Skye, which is not a bad thing, and I was just here for the book because it is fantasy and has royalty elements. I am such a huge sucker for books that have royalty in them.

Now, this story was not quite 5 stars, but it was pretty damn close to being 5 stars.

The kingdoms of Inophe and Aurea were well described to the point where you felt the opposites of one another of one being desolate and bleak while the other one is beautiful, rich, and just overall enchanting. Evelyn does an amazing job of making you feel the way Elodie does about the two kingdoms and how they differ between one another as well as makes you feel hope for going from such a bleak, hungry ridden place to somewhere amazing to where you can save your people.

I really enjoyed Elodie and how she was not going to stand there and let them win when it came to the dark secrets and sacrifices of the previous brides. She wants things to be changed for the better and to save the others for the future because if she does not, then this cycle is going to keep cycling like it has for centuries now.

In 2023 right now, it feels like the new book trend in fantasy is having books featuring dragons, which is so freaking fun and awesome. I am loving the new spins on dragons and seeing how furious and majestic they can be between these fantasy books.

This book at times did remind me of Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, but that may be because there was royalty and a dragon in it, but the "saved" princess was repressed as well and told a shiny, perfect story that is just riddled with holes and lies. Plus, these female main characters refuse to be repressed and will do anything to save themselves, others, and learn all the dark and twisted secrets. But with both Damsel books have different undertones and are executed in different ways to where they are unique

Damsel is definitely an enthralling read that will have you sucked to the page and rooting for our main character as well as make you feel and sense everything the character is because of how vivid the descriptions are. I am really looking forward to seeing the Netflix show when it comes out. The Netflix show will be starring Millie Bobby Brown (aka Eleven from Stranger Things) and I look forward to see how this will be adapted.

This book was a wonderful read before the Netflix original comes out - it is easy to see why Millie Bobby Brown was chosen to play the title role. The story is interesting and ends with a fun twist, I hope there are more editions to the film (if not a whole book series).

When I received the ARC of this book from NetGalley I somehow missed that it will soon be a Netflix movie starring Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things).

Elodie cares deeply for the people of her drought and famine stricken Inophe, so when her father arranges a marriage with a prince whose family wealth can save her realm, she’s happy to accept the proposal. Prince Henry’s home of Aurea is beautiful, and Elodie is surrounded by luxury. She soon learns that the beauty and luxury come with a price – princesses are sacrificed to a dragon to maintain the idyllic land. She certainly didn’t sign up for that.

Elodie is plucky and clever. She doesn’t curl up in a corner of the dragon’s lair and wait to die – she’s determined to fight until the end. Eight centuries of sacrifices equals the population of a small town, and I liked that previously deceived princesses left messages in the caves for those that came after them. Elodie’s relationship with her younger sister is also a positive. It’s nice to read a novel where women aren’t pitted against each other.

What I missed was getting to know Elodie before she was tossed into the dragon’s lair. I felt like I knew very little about her until the middle of the story, although I eventually grew to like her. Pacing slowed a bit in the initial cave scenes, but it soon got back on track.

I’m a dragon fan and thought the dragon language was pretty cool. Even more so when the author’s note revealed her thirteen-year-old daughter created it. And kudos to the designer for a gorgeous cover that perfectly complements the story.

I’m a fan of Millie Bobby Brown, and I’ll definitely be watching this when it drops on Netflix. I’d recommend it to fans of dragons and fairy tales with a twist.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Full of visceral emotion, lovely characters, and strong sisterhood, I really enjoyed ‘Damsel’ by Evelyn Skye and would highly recommend picking it up!

5 stars = Outstanding!

Wow! This was fantastic. I loved Elodie. The author does a great job of keeping the story moving considering how much of it is Elodie working through things alone. I was riveted!

Damsel is just the sort of girl-power story I'm happy to read! Smart and capable, Elodie takes on the overwhelming challenge of not only surviving, but defeating the literal and metaphorical dragons in her story. She doesn't escape unscathed, as any triumph comes at a cost to body and soul, but she endures with strength and compassion to bring about a fulfilling story.

Language: None
Drugs: Mild
Sex: Mild
Violence: Moderate

Soon to be a Netflix movie!
20yo Elodie is excited to meet her betrothed, Prince Henry of Aurea. Elodie is one of three princesses who will be given to the dragon during Harvest Week in exchange for Aurea’s prosperity. Each year for the last eight centuries, three princesses from different parts of the world have been brought to Aurea under the guise of marrying Prince Henry, only to be sacrificed to the dragon. After unceremoniously being sent into the dragon's lair, Elodie keeps going by relying on her wits, her strength and the help of past princesses through clues they’ve left behind. She might just survive to save the next princess.

Likes/dislikes: The story is slow in the beginning to give the reader a sense of calm but then the action picks up once Elodie learns the secret of Aurea. I enjoyed how the author meshed the past and present princesses together and the perseverance of each. I'm impressed how the author’s 13yo daughter created a functional language for the dragons in this story. The language syntax, grammatical rules and words are in the back of the book.
Mature content: PG for brief kisses.
Language: R for 35 swears, no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for Men being eaten by dragon, detailed sounds. Being burnt by flames. Pierced through skull by dragon wing point.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity of Elodie and Henry fall to white, but brown skinned characters are found in the book also.

A feast of YA Troupes.

Listen, I get it, troupes typically are given a bad rap. I find that in the right setting though, they can feel so epically nostalgic! Skye has woven a tale that will feel familiar to most. It's neither unique or mind bending, but I dont think it's trying to be either!

If you want to settle in with a story that is effortless to follow and reminiscent of early YA, Damsel might just be for you.

The novel upholds feminist values, exploring themes of sacrifice, loyalty, strength, and love. The portrayal of a formidable female character defies the conventional damsel-in-distress stereotype, which I found particularly impressive. And the DRAGONNNNNN, I mean, come on. Divine.

Elodie sacrifices herself to help her starving country and agrees to marry a foreign prince. Unfortunately the beautiful kingdom has it's own horrid secrets. Using clues left by former princesses Elodie saves both kingdoms.

Evelyn Skye novelizes a forthcoming movie from Netflix, which is an exciting survival tale about a Damsel (hard from Random House Worlds) in distress. Elodie, a princess from the dry island of Inophe, is betrothed to a prince from the wealthy island of Aurea. It’s an exciting time for her traveling and preparing, but she doesn’t know that after her wedding, she will be sent into a Dragon’s lair, one of three princesses per year that the Dragon demands. What follows is a tale of survival, as Elodie navigates the maze surrounding the Lsir, hunted by the Dragon, and guided by words scratched into the walls by previous victims of eight centuries of girls like her eaten by the Dragon. Lots of fun. I hope the movie is as good.

I thank Author Evelyn Skye and Netgalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review. After reading some of the reviews I'm left wondering if I was reading the same book. Elodie is promised to the Prince of Aurea to help save her homeland. Her sister Floria accompanies her after the wedding and the unexpected happens. Elodie is thrown into a battle for survival that has been going on for many years. Elodie is a strong female character who refuses to back down and I truly loved it. Lucinda,their stepmother surprisingly ends up being a top tier character. I enjoyed this story a lot and I am glad that it will be on our screens as well.

Freaking brilliant!!! Absolutely can see Millie Bobbie Brown in this part. Wonderfully written, the story is fabulous. Evelyn paints a picture of the history of Aurea and the caves the dragon lives in. Her daughter, Reese, is also incredibly talented in creating the dragons language. I cannot wait to watch the movie after reading this gem.

I really wish I had something good to say about this book. I am a huge Evelyn Skye fan but this book was NOT it. I am sure it wasn’t all her fault, considering it was based on a screenplay written by a man (and has all the pick me tropes imaginable).

Elodie was the worst character I have read recently. She was *SO* smart and beautiful and just amazing… gag me with a spoon. Also: learning a whole dragon language in A DAY?! Yeah that’s totally doable. It was as if the chosen one trope had a baby with a pick me girl and Elodie was the result. She was just not relatable in any sense of the word. despite coming from humble beginnings, she still had no redeeming qualities.

By the end of the book, I was just skimming and hoping the dragon would eat her, at least to break up some of the monotony of this book. Alas, it ended almost exactly as you would expect. As a total and utter disappointment.

Elodie has been raised in the dry land of Inophe, which has been stuck in a famine for decades. It has few resources but she and her father, the duke, do all they can to make the most of them and help its citizens.

So when the prince of the wealthy land of Aurea requests Elodie be his bride, Elodie jumps at the opportunity. The alliance will provide Inophe’s inhabitants with many vital resources.

Upon their arrival to Aurea, Elodie and her family are awed by its beauty and prosperity. She is lavished with food and luxuries in preparation for her marriage. Little things crop up every so often that seem a bit off, but no matter: Elodie is helping Inophe.

Unfortunately, she finds out after her marriage that she is just one in a long line of princesses sacrificed to a dragon. For hundreds of years, Aurea has had an arrangement with the dragon. In return for giving it three princesses every harvest, it will let the country continue to grow rich off the bounty of the land. No princesses sacrificed would mean the dragon destroying Aurea.

After she’s thrown into the mountain where the dragon lives, Elodie decides she will not just go quietly. She will find any way she can to evade it and even defeat it. Sure, no princess has done so in 800 years, but a number of them have at least left behind clues in the many caves in the mountain. And Elodie will use that information to save herself, and even the whole land, from the ancient, powerful dragon.

Damsel has an interesting plot once it really gets going about a third of the way in. It was compelling to see how Elodie managed to survive despite such difficult and impossible odds. And I liked how the story concluded. But so much of the writing was not that great, particularly that first third. It felt like a child’s fairy tale, with simplistic style. I thought this may be the author’s first book, but then I looked her up and found out it was not. I see that this book is being adapted for Netflix, and it will make a great movie if done well. It’ll be one of those few occasions I’ll say a movie will be better than the book. So I recommend waiting for that.

Elodie agrees to marry the prince of a rich kingdom in hopes that it will help save the people of her realm. At first she doesn't understand why she was chosen and thinks the whole exchange is too good to be true but she's willing to try for the sake of her family and realm. However, shortly after she's married, she's immediately whisked off under the guise of tradition and soon finds herself thrown to a dragon as sacrifice for the kingdom. Elodie must find a way to survive and heeds the advice of the princesses sacrificed before her to plot her escape. The more time she spends in the dragon's domain, the more she realizes not all is as it seems and she learns more about the dragon's history and comes to understand their position. Overall, an engaging adventure that's partly about one's survival but also what one is willing to do for their family. The linguistic aspect with the dragon's language and Elodie's analysis of the language was particularly interesting.

Based on a screenplay by Dan Mazeau, Damsel is a collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and the team behind the upcoming Netflix film Damsel (Oct. 13), starring Millie Bobby Brown.

I almost always like the book better than the movie, so it will be interesting to see how this collaboration pans out. I am, however, glad I got to read the book first, because I got to imagine things my own way.

Skye does a good job setting the tone. You immediately feel the desolation in Inophe and the hope that comes from seeing the lush lands of Aurea. There’s a lot of foretelling early on, and that feels like the result of adapting a screenplay. The book probably would have been more than 368 pages without those constraints.

That said, Skye manages to create a real sense of place, particularly in the caves where most of the action takes place. The oppressive claustrophobia, isolation and heat radiate off the page.

Elodie is a character you want to root for, and the inclusion of flashbacks to previous princesses helps fill in the historical blanks.

Damsel is a fast-paced, cinematic novel that reads a bit like a fractured fairy tale/ This fantasy should appeal to readers now, and a new group once the movie premieres.

Damsel appealed to me immediately with its intriguing concept and cool cover. I was also curious to read it as it was adapted from an upcoming screenplay of a movie for Netflix. The writing reads like a screenplay in some ways so I think Netflix will not have any problems bringing this story to life where the novel and movie feel connected. The story follows the main character, Elodie, who is from drought stricken Inophe where her father is lord. Her father arranges for Elodie to marry the crown prince of Aurea to form an alliance and help save their people. The marriage is not what Elodie was hoping for when she is sacrificed to a dragon. For me, I did not like that this was all spelled out in the synopsis as I felt the reader loses the tension leading up to the sacrifice.

The standout of this novel is the relationship between Elodie and her sister, Floria. The bond they share was well-written and explored. As for Elodie herself, I did find her a little inconsistent to fit the tropes instead of these traits just being part of her character. She was clever in scenes that called for it and timid in others. She is written following a lot of tropes, such as, “not like other girls” and “the chosen one.” I am usually a fan of the latter one, but I rarely enjoy the first as it usually involves putting down every other female character just to make the main one stands out. Unfortunately, this novel followed this where it tried too hard to show that Elodie was “special.” This does get better as the story moves forward, but, for me, it could have used a lot more care.

The novel includes a whole language for the dragons, so the story goes into its interpretations and basic linguistics. While it is commendable that this large task of inventing a whole language was done, it does take up a lot of the story. Since there is only so much the author can do to stay true to the screenplay, I understand that there are limitations; however, I do wish that maybe it was separated a little more, so it didn’t seem as formulaic where it tries to check off every box from the screenplay. I would have loved some expansion on Elodie’s personality which would greatly have helped me connect more with her decisions as the story moves forward. I do love the idea of the princess saving herself from evils, but I feel this novel did not quite get there. I do think it will make a nice young adult movie, so I look forward to watching it later this year. Overall, this was a great concept, but did not quite work for me as a novel.

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