This was one of those books that took me by surprise, in the most positive way! I enjoyed it so much and was really captivated by the story. I loved the growth and development of FMC, Penny, who I found really interesting, bold and strong, despite her sheltered upbringing. And Lou, MMC, he was great, secretive yet helpful and always there. The romance isn't quite there, it's in he making and I think book 2 will be full of it. Still, I loved how their
relationship progressed and I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds further on.

The twists were predictable and you could've guessed most of them, but still, that didn't took away anything from the story.

The book does end on a cliffhanger, so beware of that.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for providing an eARC of The Spring Maiden in exchange for this honest review.

❤Overview
Penny is the daughter of an overbearing mother, the Duchess of Eleusion. As the heir-apparent, one might expect Penny to be hands on with the workings of the Duchy, with her mother teaching her everything there is to know about their people and taking care of the land. Instead, Penny is treating closer to a pet than a person, with limited freedoms and little responsibility.

When Penny is abducted on a trip into town with Mother, she meets a fae man who rescues her from an abduction. He is, of course, the same man she ran into at a party the previous year. After the abduction attempt, a new farmhand begins at the Barclay estate with the same amber eyes as the mysterious fae.

Penny and Lou, the new farmhand, begin to unravel the rebellion taking root in Eleusion, and Penny fears it may be closer to home than meets the eye.

❤My Thoughts
Throughout the story, it is very clear that Penny is trying to grow and develop as her own person, but is smothered and shut down by her mother. Hence the Persephone/Demeter relationship.

Lou is, obviously, Hades. He literally goes by Pluto (Roman name for Hades) at certain points in the story. If you were hoping for a Hades/Persephone dynamic, then be prepared to be disappointed; this book is 100% more the story of Persephone & Demeter.

I do love a good Greek Mythology inspired story, but The Spring Maiden just didn't do it for me. I am generally opposed to stories that paint the "Persephone" character to be both ditsy and know-it-alls at the same time.

Personally, I think the reveal of who the Cartographer is happened too early for this to be a multi-book series. The epilogue also just gives the Cartographer really childlish vibes when they are supposed to be the mastermind behind a huge rebellion.

The Spring Maiden does, however, do a great job of capturing the toxicity of manipulative and controlling relationships. With this, there are also good depictions of healthy relationships and strong support systems.

At first I was annoyed by each chapter beginning with a letter from a character we do not see after the prologue, but they are by far the best part of this book.

💔My Issues
Penny is an example of my least favorite type of main character: clueless but thinks she is so smart.

-She is completely oblivious to the very obvious fact that Lou is not a human or a magic user; he is the half-fae prince that hunts rebels. "I have only ever seen one person with that color of eyes" and the fact that (LITERALLY ONLY) he calls her Lady Penelope instead of Penny wasn't enough to question his identity??

-Penny gets upset when Lou gives a recommendation for improving farming techniques, even though his points were extremely valid, but she must know everything so how DARE he try to tell her how to do her job!

-She literally laughs at a waitress who flirts with customers. She could not have been more "I'm not like other girls" if she tried in that moment.

It's pretty dang obvious that something terrible is about to happen to a sweet side character when they, for no reason, give their favorite item to the main character. Way to announce a death sentence for that side character!

Overall, this was not the worst read ever, but I will not be planning to read the sequel.

I really, really enjoyed The Spring Maiden! Its Regency Era meets magic with mystery, slow burn romance, powers, rebellions and fae! It has it all.

I read this book in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen next at all times. The last 3 chapters were so intense and fast paced but not rushed at all.

I still have so many questions and theories so I can’t wait for the next one coming out in March!

Thank you for this ARC - I’m obsessed with this duology now!

WOW, what a book!
I am obsessed with Greek mythology, and in this book there were so many references.
Also, I kinda like the mother's "kill all men" personality, even if it's a little over the top.

The cliffhanger was so unexpected, so I can't wait for the next one.
I really want to see more of Angelica in the next one. I really liked her character, even if we only get to hear her in the letters.

BOOK REVIEW
Title: The Spring Maiden
Author: Allison Anderson

Star Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

The Spring Maiden by Allison Anderson is the first book in the Cartographer Series. Allison Anderson creates an interesting world with Fae and mortals living in the same world. Penny Barclay, who is a princess, has magic that can grow plants and harvest the crops that her lands provides her people. Then we have our mysterious Lou (who is also a Shadow Daddy 😏) who comes in and reveals himself to be apart of a spy group that is led by the youngest of the princes to uncover a rebellion led by a person who calls themselves the Cartographer. This cartographer threatens to enslave all people who have magic in their system. After discovering who Lou is, Penny convinces Lou to train her and teach her how to defend herself against the Cartographer’s led rebellion, to save her crops from being tarnished, and her people from joining the cartographers rebellion. All comes to a head when Penny discovers her mother is apart of said rebellion, and grapples with how to tell the crowned princes. When we are introduced to our famous three princes, our beloved Lou turns out to be the mysterious third and youngest prince, Prince Aiden.

I absolutely loved this book, it first took a good while to get into it, but am I glad I gave it a chance. I really like our main character penny. Penny really comes into her own, after being kept in the castle by her mother all these years (anybody else get a sort of tangled vibes?) she demands to be given more responsibility. Her mother is hesitant at first, but nevertheless she gives in a gives penny a chance. This is when her and Lou meet and get to know each other. Penny and Lou have a good back and forth with each other, Penny is stubborn but an understanding person. Lou is a stern but willing to compromise where he can. They (and I feel it) are a SLOW burn, let me tell you. Like nothing even has happened between the two except a little flirting. BUT nevertheless I believe that we will see a whole lot more romantically between Penny and Lou (hopefully) in the second book, which I am fully excited for. I loved the world building that Allison put in this book. When world building is done, it gives the reader a visual to really picture where the characters are and what is around them. Allison did that wonderfully for me, creating a scene helps tremendously and Allison knew how to do so. It looks like The Shadow Lord will be the next in this series, one that I will definitely be reading to see how the story continues!

(goodreads website linked)

3.5 stars rounded up.

First things first - when does the second book come out?

Loved the mythology aspect woven in (Demeter/Persephone) but with its own twists and turns. The epilogue has been completely confused though! I need to know more.

Also there is actual friendship between the two leads and I very much appreciated that.

This was a good start to an intriguing series.

Rating: 1-2 stars (DNF)

ARC provided by NetGalley

I started this book and I could not finish it. The book itself felt like a step-by-step process and didn’t feel like it flowed steadily. I kept losing focus every couple minutes and felt like it was dragging. Granted I mad it almost 15% in; it was just not the book for me.

I was blessed to read an advanced copy of this book, courtesy of NetGalley & Jeff Wheeler.

This debut novel by Allison Anderson was quite interesting. I quite appreciate the new approach to old mythical tropes & I really like the direction the story is moving. I look forward to the next installment with great anticipation.

That being said, however, it took a long time to get moving, and I'm talking about many chapters of what seemed to be teen melodrama before getting to the meat of the story. I read the book twice to try to make sure that I was being fair if my assessment & I believe that I'm correct. Slow & slightly tedious to begin but enjoyable once the story getting going.

After 2 readings, I am still curious about the political structure & tensions. Yes, there was a war & there's political tension between magical people & non-magical people, but why is there space for the Cartographer? Who are these mysterious princes & why are they important? How does their magic work? What's the deal with the fae? I feel like it lacks sufficient context for a story that took so long to gain steam.

As this is a brand new series from a brand new author, I'm willing to give it a pass & say, "Bravo, I'll read the next one." Hence the 4 stars instead of my initial 3 star thoughts. There's some spelling & grammatical errors still (specifically chapter 13, location 1654, should be 'reins' instead of 'reigns'). I will be passing it to my teenagers to read, which I do on a rare occasion. This is a clean novel & I pray that it stays that way. If my teenagers share any different insights, I'll update my review.

*arc review *
This is a damn good introduction into the world Anderson crafts
It has a great blend of greek mythology and regency era.
I feel like this book focuses more on the world building rather than the romance but overall it’s a very easy read and I would definitely recommend picking this book up

Cant wait for the next one

Thank you Netgalley for the arc 🫶🏻

Alison Anderson has created a very interesting world. It is divided between the elite can do various forms of magic and those who cannot. Penny is the privileged daughter of a duchess, and has the ability to grow plants instantly. There is also inhabitants of faerie with powers as well. Their world is poised on the brink of war between those with magical abilities and those who do not. Penny’s association with a handsome man in her mother’s employ leads her into danger, romance and to learn more about herself and her history. I couldn’t put it down or guess what was going to happen. I like that a lot.
I really enjoyed this book. It started out kind of slow but it soon drew me into another world. I will be anxious to read the sequel to this intriguing story.

This was such an amazing read! I really enjoyed this book and was immediately swept in by the first chapter. I liked how the author carried the story in a way that wasn't slow or boring. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and family.

Just wanted to start by saying thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC before the publication date!

This book follows the main character Penny, who is under the close watchful eye of her mother. I really enjoyed how they took the time to build the world around you with such detail and how it shows Penny getting the courage to get away from her controlling mother and venture out on her own. The detail throughout the book kept pulling me back in and I absolutely loved that!

The ending thru me for a loop and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

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

4.5 stars. Another one I read in one sitting! The characters and world building were great and after that ending I need the next one now lol.

GUYS.

I'm so psyched rn because I just found my new favorite obsession. This book was such a surprise and I am so happy I read it. There was so much that I loved about this story, let's dive in shall we?

The Good:

- Penny or Lady Penelope as some call her;
LOVED HER. She was smart, actually made a lot of smart decisions and while her fears and feelings were shown, she didn't let those cloud her judgement. She struggled, she triumphed, she struggled some more but still she kept on. I loved how we got to see her figuring out who she is and what she wants all while struggling with pleasing her mom vs breaking away from her mom.

- showing realistic struggles with PTSD; I'm gonna try to be vague here but beware of some slight spoilers (the event I'm referring to does take place pretty early on in the book tho). After escaping a potentially horrific incident, Penny struggles to be comfortable around men. This was shown not just once or twice in the book but multiple times, so THANK YOU AUTHOR because I feel like in many other books I've read events like this are glossed over or just mentioned once in terms of the aftermath but not this one.

- the magic and world building; I feel like we got a good taste of the world and magic through Penny and also Angelica's letters and I'm so looking forward to seeing more of it in the coming book(s?)

- Lou;
he was a sweety. Heart eyes all around. I know there's so much more to his character coming and I'm so hyped (SPOILER ALERT ***********especially since I share Penny's soft spot for the misunderstood villains ;) ******************

- the romance;
Guys, seriously. The first chapter had me thinking this was gonna be some super cheesy love-at-first-sight deal where I was gonna be eye rolling my way through the end (I could kill whoever started that weird bolt of lighting thing when the two characters touch hands -_-) but BOY was I wrong. So if you read that first bit and are like no way, trust me, just keep on, it gets so much better. It's not insta love at all (insta attraction maybe? which yeah is a lot more realistic) more slow-burn actually and I am here for it. They support each other, don't drag each other down, TALK to each other, ahdvdhendn. This is gonna be a good non-toxic CUTE relationship I can root for, worth the wait

- the dedication; LOL. it's the little things ya know?

- the characters; I mentioned Penny and Lou already but honestly all the characters in here were so great. Penny's friends, Diana, Paulo, and Angelica were all so individual with their own things going for them. Even the little bit of Rissa we got gave a good view of her character.

The Eh:

- the plot twists;
I saw them all coming. Still good stuff, just a bit predictable (tho I'm thinking one thing may not be as it seems....)

The Ugly:

- I have to wait for the sequel. I haven't seen a date or a title or anything. RIP me.


Last minute warnings:
- violence;
a couple deaths (including murders), sword fights, bleeding wounds, riots
I don't feel like anything is described ~too~ graphically
- men being pigs
- attempted abduction
- depictions of PTSD symptoms

Overall:
I loved it and am very distressed that I have to wait for an unforeseeable amount time for the sequel. Do I have any regrets? No, I would gladly wreck myself all over again for this book. 4.5 ★

I really enjoyed reading this book! I couldn’t put it down. Lots of excitement and twists. I am looking forward to the next book.

The Spring Maiden by Allison Anderson is a fantasy retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth mashed up with a Regency England-inspired world of faeries. The main character is Penelope, Penny, Barclay. Using the name Penelope really bothered me as it is a name in Greek mythology from the Odyssey, but Penny is clearly meant to be Persephone.

I appreciated Anderson's spin on the myth and really liked Penny’s arc throughout the book as she broke away from her mothers control. Persephone and Hades is my favorite of the Greek myths, and it feels mostly true to how I’ve always viewed it.

I enjoyed the world building and am intrigued with the turn it took at the end. Surprising, but not unexpected given how Anderson set everything up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“You’re a light in the darkness, Penelope. I’ll always see you through the shadows”.

I love Greek Mythology — we should start here. And when looking for fantasy books, I always look for those that hit closer to home, that keep me in a comfort zone that will always keep me coming back for more.

That’s exactly what happened with “The Spring Maiden”. The world-building was amazing, and I got enthralled by the rules of that universe, how every place worked and, deep inside, I missed a map so much because I wanted to know more about the world where the story is settled. This was, by far, one of my favorite aspects of the book.

The story follows Penelope, a girl that was raised under the watchful eye of her Mother, kept away from (men) the world outside, even if she had no idea why, only clinging to her beliefs and the (terrible) reasoning her mom always gave her.

I loved Penelope and her growth arc. I loved watching her building connections and commanding her own life, asking questions. But at some point in the book, I got a bit bored over the fact that she kept going back to the same point, the same explanations; it didn’t make her a less nice character, but there were moments I found it hard to empathize with her, since it looked like she was just repeating herself over and again.

Lou, our male protagonist, was a whole other story. His character arc the plot twists involving him where so amazingly written that most of the time I wanted to see him, to know more about him, just to have his presence around. He was such a warm soul, a friend that I wanted to have with me (and way more than a friend, by the way).

Also, the position of ‘favorite character’ goes 100% to Angelica that, even only showing up over letters, held the comic side of the book on her shoulders, and whenever a letter came in, I was right to laugh as I’ve never had before.

“The Spring Maiden” is a good book about finding yourself, and stepping out even when people don’t want you to. And after that Epilogue, all I want is to read book two and understand WHAT THE HELL is happening.