𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 ✨

4|5 ✩

I absolutely devoured this book! It was such a cosy, heartwarming fantasy read with epic world-building qualities.

I was sceptical at first (I don’t tend to read about orc’s), but was blown away by this fantastic magical world and the FMC Daella who is a half-orc. To see her relationship with Rivelin (an elf) blossom, was just mesmerising, and I enjoyed the unexpected spice 🌶️ (because who doesn’t love a bit of spice 😉). Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope and this book certainly didn’t disappoint.

The duel POV was interesting and I enjoyed being able to see from both Daella and Rivelin’s POV, it just added something else to the book.

The overall plot was fun, action-packed and had me not wanting to put the story down! I’d highly recommend this to anyone that wants a cosy fantasy read with a bit of spice and some elements of danger.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC.

This is an enchanting tale of a romance between an half-orc and an elf was so delightful and such a different take. I loved how the story developed and the magic system in this world.
Jenna delivers a story that made me want to root for the Daella and Rivelins relationship and *sigh* at the happy moments on the island.

Even though Daella was kept captivated for well over a decade and was forced to find the dragon magic users or be turned into an ice sculpture. Being promised to give her freedom, she reluctantly agrees to this absurd quest.
But things don’t go as planned. Her ship is capsized and washed ashore on a beach where a grumpy elf greets her. Okay, extraditing a bit. Tolerating her. Because he knows who she is and who she works for. But he can't get rid of her because the ships on the island won’t be back for weeks.

Rivelin is a grumpy elven blacksmith that wants to compete in the games that the island has. If he wins, he gets one magical wish from the island. But the problem is, he needs an assistant to help him compete. So, through some convincing from other villagers, in exchange for shelter, asks her to help him compete.

I love the action in this, the slow burn of the romance, and overall the magical island in this. The villagers here as well crack me up.

Would certainly recommend this read if you want a cozy fantasy romance.

I finished Forged by Magic, this weekend, and oh my gods, I loved it!

Before I go any further, for the sake of transparency, I was given an ARC of this book. But, this is my honest review.

In case you missed it, I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

This was the perfect cozy, romantic fantasy with a surprising splash of spice, and just enough danger to keep you hooked. And I devoured it.

I loved the banter, the steam, the lovable characters... The pacing was perfect, the writing style flowed beautifully, and the twists and turns kept me on my toes with suspense.

This pulled me right out of a book hangover, and I loved every second of it. Easy 5 stars 🤌

Forged by Magic Review 🗡️

I LOVED this book! There was amazing plot, world-building, spice, characters that I fell in love with, and so many cute moments that melted my heart!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶️-🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
-Grumpy x Grumpy
-Enemies to lovers
-Dragons
-Forced Proximity

You follow Daella, a half-orc, who has been locked away by a tyrant emperor who uses her as a mercenary. He sends Daella on a deadly mission and when her ship capsizes, she ends up alone on a beach near a small village. A grumpy blacksmith elf, Rivelin, finds her and he agrees to let her stay with him as long as she helps him win the magical contest the village holds every year.

As they prepare for each challenge, their connection and bond grows. Rivelin and Daella are so freaking sweet together! I absolutely loved learning about their past and experiencing their friendship and relationship develop.

The villagers are all so charming, the village has all the cozy vibes I love, and the fantastical creatures in the story added so much.

If you are looking for another cozy fantasy book with some good spice, check out Forged By Magic!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in an exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Jenna Wolfhart for allowing me to read this cutie of a book!

Grab your blanket & a mug of hot cocoa because this book will give you all the cozy vibes.
I loved the story. I loved the setting & the magical world building. I loved our characters with their personal growth and just so many aspects from this book.
I would definitely describe this as a *cozy fantasy* with a touch of drama, danger & steamy love-making. Simply put, I adored every second, every word & the two adorable MCs.

My only complaint is that the romance scenes felt a little off balance or forced. It seemed to go from very little sexual tension to higher sex scenes than the book needed. Don't get me wrong, I love smutty books, but this book would have felt more appropriate / authentic at a lower level of spice / fade to black. It just was missing a few connecting dots to fully bring the story, characters & spicy scenes together. (I still enjoyed them, nonetheless).

What you will find -
Adventure forward plot
Dual POV
Grumpy blacksmith elf
Badass FMC who is half orc
A cozy, adorable island
Magical creatures AND adorable moments with dragons
E2L
Happiness in a book

Will definitely be on the look out for more works from this author.
Recommend!
4 star!

Will be posting to Goodreads and my Instagram page @gabsabookworm

4.5 🌟

Thank you to netgalley & Jenna Wolfhart for an advanced copy of this book!

Talk about a WHIRLWIND! I just never knew what would happen in this and I was all here for it.

I absolutely adored the growing romance between Daella & Rivelin even though they were both too stubborn and untrusting to truly see it at first. I love a book where the couple brings out the best traits of the other. Daella is a strong badass MC and although I would’ve liked to have seen her kick some ass at the end I’m glad it ended the way it did. The growing tension between our main couple - and the spice? Damn 🥵 - got me through this book so so quickly.

I loved the tasks they had to complete as they were so different to what I expected them to be and were just celebrating each element’s beauty and strength. The islanders truly feel like a family and despite the little hiccup where they suspected Daella of all the wrong doings, they truly accept her with Rivelin.

If you’re looking for a fun, loving story with found family and romance, this is definitely up your street. Oh and of course - there could be dragons 😏

This book was the perfect mix of enemies-to-lovers, Hunger Games vibes, but without the high stakes, magic, DRAGONS. I just loved this perfect cozy, low stakes fantasy. Even though it was low stakes, the things that did happen still made me on edge and excited to see what was going to happen next. I also really connected to both of the main characters and loved the dual POV. It pulled me right out of a book slump and now I am just craving more books like this one! I highly recommend it if you love the fantasy vibes without the high stakes.

Forged by Magic is a cozy fantasy romance in the vein of Legends & Lattes that gives us:

- small town romance vibes
- enemies to lovers romance
- a magical competition
- dragons and
- a bit of spice!

The book follows the half-orc Daella who was forced into being a mercenary for Emperor Isveig who conquered her homeland. On a mission for the Emperor, Daella's ship wrecks and she is stranded on the Isles of Fable and brought into the town of Hearthaven by the town's blacksmith, Rivelin. At Hearthaven, people have sworn to live without violence and thus despise mercenareis such as Daella. Even so, Rivelin enlists Daella to help him win a local tournament that will grant the winner any wish.

Overall, I enjoyed the cozy feel of the story and the worldbuilding which was very fairytale-esque, Dungeons and Dragons inspired. The romance between Daella and Rivelin could have used a bit more development in my opinion, but it was sweet nontheless.

What dimmed my enjoyment of the story a little was the writing. The author spoonfed you the information and characters often resorted to stating the obvious. Nothing was left for the reader to puzzle out themselves. Moreover, at times the writing was a bit clunky and the dialogue awkward. There were also some inconsistencies that bothered me - for example, right at the beginning, Daella argues with Emperor Isveig and he lefts her bargain with him despite literally holding her life in his hands. You would think that a conqueror who killed thousands of people wouldn't argue with a prisoner. It seemed like the author ignored logic at times just to make things easier for the main characters or to make them seem smarter. Overall, the antagonists seemed very one-dimensional and more like plot devices / tropes than characters. If you want a book that is pure escapism and entertainment without having to think too much - like, at all - you will probably enjoy this but I do tend to get very critical when reading.

So despite its faults, I overall enjoyed Forged by Magic and will be picking up the sequel. 3/5 stars.

I think the cover may be my favorite thing about this book.
Now, don't get me wrong - it wasn't a bad book at all, it just also wasn't my favorite for several reasons. Well, mostly one reason and that is, that I think this book tried to do too much at once.
»Forged by Magic« is described as heartwarming and a feel-good fantasy romance. It's set on this really idyllic, cozy island. But it somehow didn't feel like a cozy fantasy. It also didn't felt like a romance at least I wasn't really feeling the chemistry between Daella and Rivelin. There is just too much going on in this 400 pages book in my opinion. Overall political unrest in this fantasy world, some kind of game/competition on the island that Daella and Rivelin are participating in, the romance, dragons, Daellas history as an orc - and it felt like all of that came too short, at least for my liking. For me personally there was too much going on and at the same time I was a bit bored because I wasn't invested enough because I couldn't really connect with the characters or the story.

Unfortunately I didn’t like this very much. The characters - both main and supporting - were great. Likable, but just complicated enough for a cozy fantasy. That said, any high fantasy world requires more than quality character development. There was something here that just didn’t click for me. I didn’t understand the magic system and the history of the land wasn’t explained enough for the weight it carried in the present day. The competition at the core of the story was oddly unstructured and flippant, despite the high stakes. To me, it felt like many of these elements were sacrificed in an effort to keep things characteristically “cozy.” But, one shouldn’t come at the expense of the other.

Thank you to Victory and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC!

I loved this cozy and fast-paced fantasy! This was an easy fantasy read with quirky characters and a great world to boot! I loved that Daella is a curvy half-orc that gets stuck staying with the dashing but brooding elf, Rivelin. Their banter is hands down my favorite! I loved the vibes of the town she stays in and especially the traveling tavern! There’s so many great characters, powers, and history in this book that are drawn together in a way that’s easy to understand and still carries the story along. Daella is a prisoner in her homeland and made to go out and do the Kings bidding, so she is a great fighter but still naive to the world, which adds a nice touch to all her new experiences. Plus if you love stories with competitions, like I do, there is a competition Daella and Rivelin enter to help save the island from the tyrannical king which involves four phases of elemental magic. We learn so much more about Daella, Rivelin, and the town as we read and their characters are really fun to get to know! If you’re looking for a slow burn fantasy, with found family, a charming town, magical dragons, and adventure, look no further!

Forged by Magic follows Daella, an imprisoned Orc held by Isveig; an ice giant. He sent Dealla on a mission to find any draugr (who can control dragons) on some hidden islands. But on her way, her ship finds a storm and fortunately Dealla washed up on a beach. And there, she encounters the paradise along with a grumpy blacksmith elf.

This was a cozy, fun, fast paced read with some spice! it quickly became a comfort read for me. I read it in a day and really enjoyed it. Did I say that I love the cover it’s giving Rowan Whitethorn vibes all over the book.

The main characters and all the sub characters were well developed and well matched for each other. The perfect amount of tension and angst made for a delightful read. Even if this is a stand-alone, can we get another book please?! I’m really obsessed with this.

Five-freaking-tastic stars!

4.5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

For the first time in my life, I did not need to hide the truth or who I was and how I felt. I was free to just be me.

Forged by Magic is a standalone fantasy romance novel set in the growing world of Falling For Fables. In this novel we follow the character of Daella and Rivelin.

Daella is half orc who has spent her life trapped by an emperor who uses her for mercenary work. Yet she finally finds a chance a freedom when she is offered a deal...track down the last remaining wielders of dragon magic. Just as she begins her journey she finds herself shipwrecked on island where she meets the elf Rivelin.

Rivelin is a gruff blacksmith who is none too keen to find the emperor's merc on his beach...but circumstances lead him to offer Daella shelter in return for her assistance until the next ship arrives to the island. As these two bicker and banter attraction begins to kindle and smoulder...except secrets lie between them and they may centre around the very thing Daella is after. In the end, with hearts on the line, they must decide how much Daella's freedom worth...

This is an incredibly fun and cosy fantasy romance that I devoured in a day. Daella is a likeable character who is fierce, inquisitive, and compassionate. Rivelin places into the grumpy sunshine trope and I appreciated how his backstory was approached and introduced. Together their banter, sexual tension, and relationship held me fast the entire time.

We also get some excellent side characters that left their impact on me - one in particular that would be a spoiler :P I felt the side characters provided excellent movement to the plot and I really enjoyed their time with the characters. They felt part of the story rather than vehicles for change.

This book does contain spice - I would say 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. This is a slow burn romance but oh, boy, is it done well! We really get to see these characters find themselves and each other. The spice was well done and reflected the passion of the characters well.

"I want to be yours, at least until day breaks," he murmured against my hot skin. "I don't want to stop kissing you and touching you and tasting you."

In terms of story and world, this was an excellent debut to the world of Falling for Fables. The lore was introduced well and I am invested in seeing it grow, especially after the ending of this one. The story itself is a feel good experience as the stakes are quite low in the book. There is still tension, competition, betrayal, and more but I never had to worry too much (though there was one twist towards the end I was not expecting). I feel this a great introduction to fantasy romance for anyone looking for low stakes with all the fun tropes and world building in the larger epics.

I highly recommend diving into this book if you are looking for a cosy fantasy romance with magic, dragons, and great story. I felt invested and could not put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC.

This book was so much fun! Such a great standalone fantasy romance that has the perfect amount of romance & spice, alongside a fun plot that has you invested and on the edge of your seat. The world building was great and very intriguing. Our main characters have a grumpy/sunshkne dynamic with banter that has you laughing. And cant forget all the side characters that make this book conplete. Very well rounded book & i highly recommend this!!

I thought cosy fantasy wasn’t for me until I read this book. I absolutely ADORED this fantasy stand-alone. Technically it’s not considered cosy fantasy because there’s a pinch of danger and some spice, but for me, it was the perfect snuggly, cosy read.

Daella is the half-orc prisoner of an Ice Giant tyrant who sends her out on a dangerous mission. When her ship is wrecked, she finds herself washed up on the most peaceful and idyllic island full of kind and mystical creatures - including a grumpy and (literally) steamy hot blacksmith elf named Rivelin.

I loved our main characters Daella and Rivelin who gave us dual POVs. The setting of Hearthaven is the cutest, utopian fantasy island village and I frankly want to live there. The midsummer competition was pretty low stakes so it made for a super comforting read while also giving the story a lovely structure. Oh, and have I mentioned the dragons?! This book just had everything I wanted and it carried a beautiful pace right to the very end.

I feel like this book found me at the perfect time - if you’re suffering a Fourth Wing hangover or feeling a bit burnt out, trust me, pick up this book! Sitting down with a steaming mug of coffee and snuggling up with this cosy fantasy has been my vibe for the last week, and I know I truly love a book when I purposefully read it
s l o w l y because I don’t want it to end. It releases on Tuesday 11th July and will also be on KU!

Massive thank you to @netgalley @victoryediting for this ARC and for helping me find a new favourite romantasy! This review is on goodreads and bookstagram @libraryofpearl and I simply cannot wait for the next standalone from the Falling For Fables world!

I think I wasn’t the reader most likely to find this book great although I was expecting a cozy romantasy and that’s what it was, I still felt a little underwhelmed in the end. This is kind of a “small town” romantasy, a light and easy read which was pleasant but I felt off whenever an intimate scene between the two characters unfolded like everything felt a little bit too cliché and just not for me. I didn't grew particularly attached to these two characters and I thought their personnalities fell a bit flat and unoriginal.
I didn't find the plot or the writting very original either but it still kept me interested enough to reach the end without having to necessarily force myself throughout it all.
Hearthaven seemed like a beautiful island though, inhabited by sweet and endearing characters for the most part and it's a cozy and flowery kind of read, perfect for summer season. I appreciated the sweet tone of the book in general and the bunch of different magical creatures we encounter.

For my first ARC ever, this was a GEM! What a cute, cozy and fun fantasy read! This standalone story follows the half-orc mercenary, Daella, who is determined to gain her freedom from the evil Emperor who conquered her land. While traveling to the mysterious Isles of Fables in search of dragons and dragon-magic wielders, she encounters a terrible storm and is washed up on the island of Hearthhaven. She's discovered by Rivelin, a hunky silver haired elf (hello new daddy! 🥵) who is also a blacksmith. Dealla and Rivelin team up to compete in the Midsummer Games and some crazy things start to happen on the island. The world building is perfect for this story and it's a place I would love to visit. The magic system is also unlike anything I've read before and I really enjoyed it! We don't often see an orc as a lovable and kind being like we do with Daella either. There was still a nice little plot to keep things moving along and of course, dragons! What's not to love?!

Read if you like:
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Forced proximity
✨Dragons
✨Interesting games (not hunger games style friends!)
✨Magic

A fantastical fantasy full of warmth and spice, with lots of joys and intrigue.

The pace was steady and the romance was divine!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

"Where you go, I go. I am with you until the end."

Dragons. Adventure. Spice and a grumpy elven blacksmith, what more could you want?!

I absolutely adored this book. This was such a cosy easy read with incredible world building. I absolutely adored the two main characters, the way their relationship grew and developed and the tension that built between them 😍

This was my first time reading anything by Jenna Wolfhart and I very much look forwarding to reading more in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Jenna Wolfhart for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jenna Wolfhart's "Forged by Magic" is a delightful standalone romance that seamlessly weaves elements of fantasy into its captivating narrative. This enchanting novel proved to be a cozy and enjoyable escape, delivering a unique and fun reading experience.

Right from the beginning, I was drawn into the compelling enemies-to-lovers storyline. Daella and Rivelin, the main characters, exhibited palpable chemistry that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The perfect balance of tension and angst between them added depth and excitement to their burgeoning relationship. Their journey from distrust to an unlikely and heartwarming union was portrayed with skill and authenticity, making their romance a true highlight of the book.

The world-building in the book was simple but effective. The author's descriptions transported me to the hidden island of Wyndale, evoking a sense of wonder and fascination. I found myself yearning to explore every nook and cranny of this magical world.

While the focus was primarily on the main characters, the secondary cast added some dimension to the story. Lilia, with her endearing personality and the contrasting presence of the antagonistic Gregor, provided intriguing dynamics that enhanced the overall narrative. These interesting characters breathed life into the pages and kept you drawn into the story.

The pacing of the story was generally well-executed, allowing the plot to unfold at a satisfying pace. However, there were moments towards the end where events felt slightly rushed in an effort to get toward the conclusion. I also wish that more had been done with the dragons and it would have been interesting to explore their relationships with the Orcs more. Nonetheless, this minor flaw did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

The book successfully combined elements of romance, fantasy, and a touch of danger. It transported me to a world where love bloomed amidst adversity and where the desires of the heart were pitted against the pursuit of freedom. Jenna Wolfhart's skillful storytelling created a cozy and enchanting reading experience that will leave fans of the genre craving for more.

With its compelling characters, immersive world-building, and a touch of steamy romance, "Forged by Magic" deserves a solid four-star rating. It is a recommended read for anyone seeking an engaging and heartwarming blend of romance and fantasy.