I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Worlds in return for an honest review. Before starting, I will say that I have read and very much enjoyed two of Skye's other first books in the series, Circle of Shadows, and The Crown's Game. I definitely plan on rereading those and finishing both. I thought this book sounded very unique. It was adapted from a screenplay for a Netflix movie, but according to Skye herself, they two have very different plots and will not be carbon copies of each other. This immediately intrigued me because how often do we get a book based off a movie instead of the other way around. Plus, I love a kickass, strong female character that is true to herself rather than one that bends to the will of those around her. That was the main character that the premise described. But, sadly, not the one we got.

I quite liked the first part of Damsel. It opens in the setting that we don't spend very much time in, but Skye does a fantastic job of setting up who Elodie is. Her goals are very well explained and we get to understand the character and the world that this book is set in. That is one thing that is consistent in her books. She has always established the characters quickly and in a way that feels natural rather than info-dumpy. However, once the plot moves into the other kingdom of Aurea, it's almost as if everything that made Elodie feel unique was thrown out of the window. Elodie, in a way, became the standard YA trope of a heroine.

What I did very much enjoy was the sister bond. A lot of YA fantasy books have a strong romantic subplot (or main plot), and I applaud the author that she chose to go a different way. The strongest relationship was between Elodie and her sister Floria. I have a sister that I am very close with, so I can always appreciate a good storyline of two sisters saving each other, in a way.

The main portion that dragged the rating down for me was the focus on linguistics. So much of the story was spent with Elodie discussing the dragons language and interpreting what it was saying to her, that it took me out of the story. I wished there was more focus on the memory reading, because it never felt fully explained to me. How was it that she could see memories by touching blood? Could all the princesses do it after the marriage ceremony? Maybe I missed a big explanatory moment in the book, but where the linguistics was very drawn out, that portion seemed very rushed.

Overall, it was a good book, but I just had issues that kept making me put down the book. It wasn't easy to read in the flowing way that I like my YA books to be.

Damsel is a tale of survival and determination. Elodie is from a desolate duchy with very little resources. She is however happy. Then her father betroths her to the prince of Aurea. With the hopes of bringing much needed resources to her people, Elodie travels with her family to Aurea for the wedding. Everything seems too good to be true and it is! There is a hidden agenda that reveals itself after wedding. Elodie is put to the test with survival instincts. She is bound and determined to escape the trap. What is the trap and will she escape? Check it out to see what happens. Or watch the Netflix show to find out more.

I enjoyed this book as it was very empowering. It helped that the plot and pace was fast. What lacked a little was progress with the characters as I wished I was able to see more of that while everything was going on.

Damsel by Evelyn Skye is a fast paced fantasy adventure I can't wait to see on screen.
What I liked
1.Fast Paced writing
2. Very Similar vibes to my experience reading Iron Widow.
What I didn't Like
1.Non main characters have little to no development
Who I would recommend this novel for
Fans of Survival focused plots in fantasy looking for their next dose of bookish fun will find themselves at home in the pages of Damsel.

I will definitely be watching this movie when it comes out on Netflix. That said, I dont think this worked very well as a book. Instead of following a typical story format, this felt like 10% introduction then 90% climax. I think this would have been a good ending to a fantasy novel but it felt like we were missing the whole first half of the story. I would have liked this better if we has seen some world building or if the timeline was slowed down. If Elodie lived in the caves for weeks/months things could have been better described. Having everything happen within three days made it all feel rushed. Usually the benefit of having a book and movie is that the book gives you more. But it did not feel like we were getting anything more here.

All that said, I enjoy the idea behind this story. I really enjoyed the linguistics elements and I think that could have been build out even more. I also enjoyed getting the POV of several women, and we see how differently they respond to the issue.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.

Thank you to random house publishing group for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is out April 18,2023

This was fun girl power romp. Pacing was fast. The action never stopped. Characters were like able. Princesses can save themselves! There is mystery, a princess eating dragon, bloody bargains for prosperity and a teenage princess ready to end it all to save her new kingdom and those who come after her.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Overall feelings? Meh. It was easy to breeze though but it didn't feel like much happened. Not a whole lot of character growth and the world building just like.. stopped after the beginning.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite book. It felt like the chapters were rushed. The dialogue at times was very cheesy. It felt like it was narrated by a child younger than 13, and as a 34 year old I could not enjoy this or identify with a lot of the goings on in this book.

I’ll definitely check out the Netflix show, but this wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the arc for my honest review.

Damsel is about a young dutchess who is arranged married with a prince in order to save her kingdom. She believe he’s going to be her Prince Charming but as soon as she marries him she realizes she has been married just to he sacrificed to a dragon.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little long and slow in some places but I finished the book in one sitting. I loved the ending and how the MC saves herself and shows so much empathy for others.

I will be posting my review on Instagram and goodreads early March.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the eARC!

I really did not like this book. It felt tropey in all the wrong ways. There were moments that I think we're supposed to be inspiring and empowering but just kind of failed.

A thrilling, captivating adventure with a strong heroine that I really enjoyed reading about. It's a perfect read for Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fans. If you, like me, think that the Targaryen women deserve an entire book dedicated to their rule on the Iron Throne then this book is for you! I love the new trend of having more dragons as characters in fantasy books. Honestly this book was a refreshing take on the same old fantasy romance stories.

This is going to get popular, very fast.

I quite liked the general storyline and learning about Eloide and her character development throughout the story. I understand that sisterhood was a large part of this story and I quite liked how that interconnected with the dragon and the Aurean 'tradition'. The writing style was good and the plot moved fast and there was always something being uncovered which I loved.

For the dragon part, I have to say I was quite hesitant about how that would turn out and it's safe to say I think the ending needs some polishing. There was a crucial part regarding a change in alliances and a transformation for lack of a better word (this part is so hard not to spoil) and I felt like that needed some more fleshing out because I still have whiplash from how quickly everything seemed to change.

The magic needs some more fleshing out, for example, how does Henry's blood fuse with Eloide's?? How does that work?? Could one of the other princesses help explain this?? That blood fusion thing was the only question I felt was left unanswered.

Overall it was a good read that was fast moving which I love. You can already tell this is going to gain popularity quickly in YA audiences as its writing is of better quality than most in that category.

Recommend for ages 14-15+ as there are strong themes of blood, gore and death.

*I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. It's interesting that this book is based off a movie screenplay. Last time I read a book based off a screenplay, I hated it, but I don't hate this. This was quite good. I loved the invented language for the dragon. I loved the writing and the world building. I enjoyed the story and I am hoping the movie is as good as this novel.

This book was immensely enjoyable and a great way to warm up for the Netflix show. I am so excited to see MBB bring this incredible lead to life.

2.5 stars. It took me a while to get into this story because of the time it took to get to the action. The set up seemed a little obvious (princess being shipped to a country with little known about it and lots of hints/warnings that something was not right) and didn't seem to fit the character of Elodie whose intelligence and go-get-em attitude I would think would not so quickly fall for a pretty princely face and ignore the obvious warning signs surrounding her. But, once the action happens and she is sacrificed, I was pulled to the adventure and magic. Elodie is such a strong character with compassion and intelligence who is easy to root for while she battles through her new kingdom's ritual. The ending of this story was unexpected and a bit strange, but not unsatisfying. Ultimately there were some elements I struggled with in this book, a lot left unexplained in regards to the magic, but it was a fun read that has me excited and curious for the Netflix version with Millie Bobbie Brown playing Elodie!

Elodie is the daughter of the Duke of Inophe, a harsh land of poverty. Henry is the prince of a far away land of magic, beauty and plenty. When Elodie finds out she is betrothed to Henry as an arranged marriage she sees this as a way to serve both her own land and the new land. Her sense of duty and her compassion lead her to hope for the best. But what she does not realize is that the beauty and perfection of Aurea hides a much darker and more sinister secret. In the hopes of saving both kingdoms Elodie faces betrayal and heartache and finds that the one painted to be a villian is as heartbroken as she has become. The hunter and the hunted must become one for a future to be forged.

This book will have you from the first few pages and will not let you go until the very last page is turned over. At just under 300 pages the book is a quick read, but quick read does not mean it is loosely written. The characters are complex and the action is constant.

I have to say I loved this book!

Damsel
Author: Evelyn Skye
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars – I liked it!

Damsel is a dyed-in-the-wool fantasy – I’m talking princesses, knights, kingdoms, and dragons! It’s an action-packed, multi-layered story that delves into the questions of are the villains who we think they are and what creates and motivates such abhorrent choices. The story is mainly told from Elodie’s point of view, the poor nobleman’s daughter whisked away to a golden kingdom. She’s eager to marry the handsome prince and live in a kingdom blessed with splendor, while providing for her less-than-blessed home. However, there are inklings that not all is as it seems and on her wedding night, she discovers that her true purpose is to be sacrificed to a dragon to keep that kingdom prosperous. But Elodie doesn’t intend to go quietly, and using the tools and knowledge left behind by previously sacrificed princesses, a daring adventure of life, death, acceptance, and power begins.

It took around 100 pages before I really got invested in the book. Some setups can be slow, and I found the cookie cutter characters off-putting at the beginning. However, once the story started delving deeper and deeper, I appreciated the reveals from who the characters seemed to be to who they really were. I read them as stiff and surface deep because the rest of the story is meant to chip away at that façade until the raw core remains.

The title Damsel is a nice nod to how this book would have been written a few (maybe even not that many) decades ago – damsel in distress – to how women in literature have evolved – I dare you to call me damsel. True to that nod, the point of view’s were all women, and through those POV’s we even catch deep glimpses of how the men (father, prince, king) are affected by the events and heavy burdens. But it is the women who carry on. It is the women who fight and strive and achieve victory.

While Elodie is an obvious choice of most outstanding character, I found myself drawn to Lucinda, Elodie’s stepmother, by the end of the story. She isn’t a likeable character at first, even one I considered potential evil stepmother material. But further and further along, the reader comes to understand that Lucinda is a mother, regardless of blood or words. She’s just awkward, uncertain, and insecure. It was a nice close to the circle for her.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves being on a cliff’s edge of a character’s adventure, needs a rad, bad dragon in your life, and wants to see what defeat and victory look like from a twist ending. #IDareYouToCallMeDamsel #womanpower

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I love a good high stakes fantasy story about a princess! When I found out about the Netflix movie I was THRILLED that Netflix is doing a princess movie, and a dark one at that. Even more excited when I found out there is a book that expands on the movie. I just LOVE stories about princesses in general and I jumped at the chance to review this arc.

“On the eastern side, deep green orchards and gentle fields of grain stretched as far as the eye could see. On the western side, a majestic violet-gray mountain reigned, its head crowned by clouds and stars. A golden palace sparkled under the adoring light of the moon.”

I can only imagine how stunning this will look in the film version.

What’s interesting about this book is that the majority of it is like one giant scene instead of multiple scenes. The bulk of the book is her escaping the dragon’s lair and trying to escape the kingdom, so if you were hoping for anything additional outside of one giant escape scene, you won’t get much. This isn’t my preference at all (I need more plot than just one giant scene!) however, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and enjoyed every page. It’s not the most original plot line, but it works. It’s gripping, high stakes, and will have you flipping pages into the night to get to the end.

There is what I consider a plot hole though. Is it not suspicious to Elodie and her family that a chivalrous kingdom wants to help a poor, starving duchy and ally themselves through a marriage alliance, and get absolutely nothing in return? Logically, anyone would wonder, why would a prosperous, rich, kingdom would want to ally their prince in marriage to a poor, drought stricken duchy with no military that is a 63 day journey away by boat. The book addresses it…but doesn’t give a reason and the characters show zero suspicion. Like, come on. No one is THAT dumb to not be remotely suspicious at all about this. At least make up some reason that they claim for why they want their Prince to marry Elodie? It’s like they’re not even trying to hide the fact that she’s going to be a sacrifice because they had zero excuse in case someone asked why they’d want to give their resources in alliance to a poor duchy and get nothing in return. Not that they needed to because Elodie and her family were not even remotely suspicious. This is a massive plot hole and too convoluted to be overlooked because sorry, no one is that blindly optimistic and dumb. (No idea if the movie addresses this or not, but the book doesn’t give any explanation at all other than “they think Elodie is a well educated lady”.)

Also, 3 princesses a year is a large amount, too large to be logical for them to get away with it. It happens too frequently for word to not get out, and wouldn’t you eventually run out of kingdoms to get sacrifices from? Idk. Logistics.

Despite what I think is an annoyingly convenient plot hole, the writing is super pretty.

“The anthodite flowers filled the room with a heavenly floral scent, and the moonlight glittered prettily off the crystal-like petals, casting pale prismatic rainbows on the gold walls.”

This fantasy novel is dark, violent, and high stakes enough to leave you feeling unsettled in the best way. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

As a YA novel, this hit the perfect notes. While simplistic in it's plot, there are interesting things to note about the world and the magic in the world.

I did find it odd that she just abandoned her country that she cared so much about.

This was a movie tie-in and I am definitely looking forward to watching the movie, however, it does kind of start in the middle of everything for me and I wish we got a bit of background on the characters before we jumped straight into the action scenes. Overall, a fun movie tie-in, and it definitely got me interested in seeing the movie, but that was about it.