[ Jester ] ★★★☆☆

"Jester" by Brielle D. Porter is a refreshing take on the fantasy genre, blending humor, intrigue, and a dash of romance into a compelling narrative. The story centers around an unlikely hero, a court jester named Quinn, whose wit and charm make for an engaging and enjoyable protagonist.

Porter excels in creating a vivid world with rich details and an imaginative setting that draws the reader in. The plot is well-paced, with enough twists and turns to keep one invested throughout. The humorous undertone, while sometimes bordering on overdone, generally adds a unique flavor to the story, setting it apart from more traditional fantasy novels.

Character development is another strong suit of this book. Quinn's journey from a mere entertainer to a key player in court politics is both believable and satisfying. The supporting characters, while interesting, sometimes feel underdeveloped, leaving the reader wanting more depth and backstory.

However, the novel isn't without its flaws. At times, the narrative can feel a bit disjointed, with certain plot points resolved too conveniently. Additionally, some of the humor, though clever, may not resonate with all readers and can occasionally detract from the more serious elements of the story.

Overall, "Jester" is an enjoyable read that offers a fresh perspective on the fantasy genre. It's perfect for readers looking for a light-hearted yet engaging adventure, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a more profound or cohesive narrative. Despite its shortcomings, Porter's unique voice and creative storytelling make "Jester" a worthwhile read.

I had the absolute most fun time listening to this story. There's magic – elemental and rabbit out of the hat, a bit of an enemies-to-lover cat-and-mouse game, smooth street hustling, a courtship competition, and a revealing ending that will have you gasping out of shock.

I took this journey via audio, featuring Reba Buhr's voice. She did a fantastical job making the main character her own and keeping me engaged with the story. I ate this 9-hour and 30-minute audio within a week. I recommend experiencing the sounds if it is available to you.

What I liked most about this story was the spunk of the main character, Lisette. She's a hustler through and through. Whether right or wrong in a situation, she let her gut and street smarts take charge and guide her life. Another juicy thing that entertained me was her rival con artist magician, Luc. Luc is every bit of douche but an annoying lovable douche.

Between the competition, the underhanded tricks, and the shady hoity-toity first class getting away with whatever they please, Jester was the break I needed

I picked this book without knowing anything about it because I liked the cover (to be honest, I do that a lot). This is a YA/new adult fantasy book with a love story. It centers around Lisette who is a magicless street performer competing to be Jester. She's desperate to obtain magic. Magic is passed from one person to another, usually through family. Lisette's father refused to pass his magic to her when he dies and she's still pretty bitter about that. I enjoyed her character growth throughout the story and the bonds she forms with other characters throughout.

I received a copy of this audiobook through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This book was a wild ride. As far as I could tell, it seems to be set in fantasy Vegas, so typical laws just don't really apply there, but it's also a place known for it's amazing magical shows. Just imagine trying to survive and thrive in that world, when your family's magic has been taken from you. That's exactly what Lisette is trying to do. Not only that, but her dream is to become the jester for the queen, one of the highest honors in the realm, but to do that, she's got to put on the absolute best show.

I was cheering for Lisette's success from the get go, because I just can't help to root for the underdog in all things. But she was also just a really fun character and I loved her sass, so I wanted good things for her for those reasons too. Then there was the relationship between Lisette and Luc. Their interactions were always full of the best quips.

Although the twists in this story didn't take me by surprise, I didn't see all of them coming from the start. Some of them definitely almost snuck up on me, but their footsteps were just a little too loud for me to miss.

The narration felt perfect for the story and the opposite gendered voices didn't bug me at all.

Overall I give Jester 4.3067 out of 5 stars.

I thought this read was very intriguing, following a smart, agile, and sarcastic main character trying to succeed in a land with magic. While Lisette tries to make it to the role of high Jester, without magic of her own she must use her wits to get ahead. I thought the Audibook had a great pace through the story and the narrator did an amazing job voicing Lisette.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC audiobook.

Jester is a captivating fantasy novel that transports the reader/listener (I listened to audiobook) to a world of magic, intrigue, and romance (although romance isn't my personal cuppa).

The author, Brielle D. Porter, is a talented writer who creates a vivid and immersive setting with her rich descriptions and witty dialogue. She also crafts a compelling and complex plot that keeps you guessing.

The story follows Lisette, a young woman who lives in Oasis, a city where magic is everything. Lisette's father was executed for killing the king, leaving her without any magic or family. To survive in the competitive streets of Oasis, Lisette performs as an illusionist, using cheap tricks and sleight of hand to entertain the crowds. She dreams of becoming the Queen's Jester, the highest-ranked magician in the world, but she faces fierce rivals who have real magic.

One of them is Luc, a handsome and arrogant magician who has a secret connection to Lisette's past. He challenges Lisette to a deadly competition that will test her skills and courage. As they compete for glory and fame, they also develop an unexpected attraction that complicates their relationship.

Jester is an audiobook that will appeal to fans of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern¹ or Lore of the Wilds.

A fast-paced and fun read that combines elements of dark fantasy, romance, and mystery. The narrator, Reba Buhr, does an excellent job of bringing the characters and scenes to life with her expressive voice and tone.

Jester is not only an audiobook about magic; it is also an audiobook about identity, loyalty, betrayal, love, and redemption. It is a captivating story that will keep you listening.

“Jester” by Brielle D. Porter is a cute read.

We follow Lisette, a character that longs to be the Queen’s jester. Unfortunately, she doesn’t possess any real magic and has to compete against Luc, who is magical.

This book is perfect for readers who love magic, fantasy books, and the infamous enemies to lovers trope.

Thank you NetGalley, Brielle D. Porter for this ALC. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story.

Lisette is the daughter of the disgraced King Killer. The only way to redeem her name is to become the Queen’s Jester.

Along the way she steals some magic, kills some people, catches feels for her nemesis and uncovers the dark truth of the King’s death.

I loved this book. The characters were brilliant and the relationships Lisette builds during her darkest moments are heart warming.

One of the few 5 star reads of 2023 for me.

4.5 stars This was exciting from beginning to end. The setting was like a magical Las Vegas and different from everything else I've read before. I read this with the audiobook, and it was read wonderfully but nothing stood out to make it remarkable.

Jester is a fun YA fantasy following Lisette, who goes by stage name Mirage, as she vies for the position of royal jester. I love a good magical competition, and with a sweet rivals to lovers romantic sub-plot, I really enjoyed this one!

I loved most of the characters in this story - I thought they were well done and complex, though I do wish some of their relationships had a little more time to grow and develop. I was hooked and kept interested throughout the book and especially enjoyed some of the twists at the end and how it all came together.

Overall, I would definitely recommend for YA fantasy fans looking for a fun, easy read!

I really enjoyed this book, my only qualm is that the setting felt so, flat. I feel more world building would allow the reader to be able to picture the setting more vividly. The concept and the characters were wonderful, I really enjoyed Lisette and her drive. All in all, a 3.75 star read, rounded up for NetGalley star purposes.

Honestly. I think my only real thoughts on this audiobook are it's good and it feels like one of those stories you can drop and pick back up. It's not bad it just has that feeling overall.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***.
Jester was a fun and thought-provoking listen, which hooked me from the first few chapters.
We follow Lisette, who longs to be Jester to the queen but unfortunately doesn't possess any real magic. She survives by being a street performer using tricks and smoke and mirrors, so to speak to pull her tricks off. Lisettes father was killed for killing the king. But Lisette doesn't think he did it and is desperate to clear his and her family's name.
To get to the spot of Jester and clear her father's name, she must compete against Luc, who is a performer with real magic. Luc gets under Lisettes skin and makes her blood boil - she knows she would be just as good if not better if she only possessed real magic too.
This book really makes you ponder as to how far you would go to get what you want and decide where your limits would lie, too. This book gave me Caraval vibes from the start, and the audio narrator was a perfect fit for this story, too.
Read if you love magic, jesters, enemies to lovers, fantasy and rivals.

I absolutely loved this audio book, excellent narrator, and a story that had twists and turns but we’re still easy to follow. I would highly recommend this!

The narrator does an amazing job and I felt they were a perfect fit for the main character. Speaking of, the main character is an absolute joy to read about. She's funny, smart, and relatable in many ways. The writing was just as solid as the narration. I thought the narrator also read at a good speed, not too slow or fast. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in YA fantasy, or even fantasy in general. The world is a fun one to dive into!

This book was alright. In all honestly I was expecting the cover to give off more of the vibes of the story but more me it was a total miss. I wanted to like it, really I did, but I just couldn't get into it because of the disparity in my head. The writing was good but it just wasn't for me.

This gave me alice in wonderland vibes in the best way possible!


Jester is a fun, well written engaging tale involving politics, the glamour of las Vegas, an enemies to lovers romance and some of the most interesting mcs ive read in a while.

The fmc is such a badass woman with clear goals and ambitions and through the entire book I do have to confess that I was literally addicted to reading about her


The mmc is just about the right kind of morally grey that you'd want for a love interest. Their dialogue? Their romance? The slow burn? Yeah I literally died I just love this book so much, it's insane how underated it is.

This was such a fun and entertaining audiobook. The story was great, and the narrator was incredible. Honestly, the casting was just spot on!

The magic system was cool and different and being able to see the lengths people will go to attain those powers was really interesting.

The world-building could have definitely used some work. I found myself a little confused about what time period this was supposed to take place in.

All in all, I loved this book and will definitely be keeping my eye on future works from Brielle!

Thank you to NetGallley for allowing me access to an advanced ready copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

I took a few different trips this summer and used this audio-book to keep me occupied during the longer stretches. Though it took me awhile to get through, the story itself was easy to get lost in and for a book centered around a specific magic system it was surprisingly easy to follow coming back to it only every once in a while. I thought that the dual timeline did a great job of keeping up the suspense as we're keen to discover what happened in the past involving Lisette's father and brother but also want to stay with her storyline in the present. There were a couple times where I thought Lisette gave herself a little too much credit in Luc's eyes during the first half of the book but the culmination of their friendship/romance was really sweet. I think fans of Caraval will love this one!

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