Romantasy had just been booming this year and it's nice to see Black authors in this expanding category as well! I liked this well enough, though it wasn't quite a favorite for me! I think my biggest issue was that it kinda needed to be longer in my opinion to really flesh out some of the things in the story and the characters more. But overall, I thought this was a good read and am looking forward to the sequel coming out next year!

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read about a love triangle where the interests both sounded like viable options lol. Plus an enchanted library??? Come on. I also love fantasy stories where the main character is human and then has to learn and deal with all this magic stuff [as opposed to characters who are already a part of the magic from the get go]. Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended.

This was a DNF for me….. I tried multiple times to start this one hoping it was just the mood I was in but it wasn’t. This book simply wasn’t for me. So I didn’t write a full review of it cause I didn’t finish it

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana didn't click for me. It was trying to be an adult book but felt like it was written for tweens, so the sex scene felt...gross. And I just could not settle into the story. Lots of weird decisions were made here. Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!

I genuinely enjoyed this! The world is rich and interesting and it was very easy to root for the characters themselves. An excellent YA pick.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I have a bit of mixed feelings regarding Lore of the Wilds. I truly thought that I was going to love this cozy fantasy romance book, but I didn't find myself in love. I enjoyed reading it, but I didn't love it. It has potential to be a good read, depending on the next book in the series. The main thing that's holding me back is the love triangle. I am sorry, but I don't love triangles. It's endless drama for no reason. Why can't it be all of them together or just stick with one leading love interest? The endless back and forth between two love interests is irritating to read if they all don't end up together. It's not my thing at all. Sorry, but not sorry.

I was able to read an ebook arc of this thanks to NetGalley. A fun romantasy with a different than usual plot. Great read. Would read more by this author.

I really wanted to like this book. It has so many elements that were intriguing for me. However, the writing style just was not for me.
I may re-attempt to read and finish it but for now I have to DNF at 20%

3.5 rounded up! I wanted to love this one but the pacing felt so off. Some parts were drawn out unnecessarily and other plot points it felt like I was a ping pong ball ricocheting off the walls. It makes me wish the series was a trilogy instead of a duology but for a debut, this was pretty good! The romance was romancing and the food descriptions had me drooling! I’m so excited for the next book!

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book?? The narration and the world-building were so brilliant! If this book is on your tbr (or if it's not), pick it up and read it!!!.

💫 I love the MC so much, her determination and her passion is so >>>>
💫 Now see, I'm generally wary of love triangles, but this one was executed flawlessly!
💫 The cliffhanger really cliffhanger-ed 😭 I need need book 2 rn


[Also the FL edition of this is so pretty! I got it from marketplace, and I'm so glad I did!]

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

The Lore of the Wilds was a YA level romantasy that had some great twists and turns. While there was great foreshadowing I still wasn't entirely confident that I knew what the twist would be, which was great. I can't wait for the next instalment, because the book leaves you on the edge and wanting more!

The premise of this book is so cool and I love everything to do with fae worlds. The mix of fae and characters of colour makes this even better! However, I feel like this didn't engage me the way I hoped. The mix of the characters and the slow moving plot is what made it mostly difficult for me. I had to take pauses through reading so that I could continue but it was still a DNF more me in the long run. I plan on revisiting it again soon, and will make sure to update my review then.

This book was almost a DNF for me. I dropped it at 40%, then 60%, and finally was able to finish it when I got my hands on the audiobook.

I had high expectations for Lore of the Wilds. The idea of the book seemed great, humans trapped in a world of fae, unable to leave the town they are sequestered to until Lore is recruited for a special mission. Because Lore can read the language and humans are not of this realm, she is brought to a palace to organize and catalogue the books trapped in a library cursed to prevent anyone from the fae world from entering.

Lore is restricted to the library, chow hall, and her room with a fae guard, Asher set to watch her. Here, she finds something unexpected that sets her on a journey she could have never imagined.

The first third of this book is very slow. I enjoyed the initial world building but quickly grew tired of the pace once Lore left Duskmere. The pacing remains slow until the last third when it speeds up inconsistently.

I did not enjoy Lore's characterization. She has been taught not to trust the fae and talks about how she must protect her people but then constantly acts in defiance of both of these things. I also did not enjoy Lore's relationships with the men in the story. I didn't feel the chemistry, it felt sudden and more tell than show.

Additionally, I feel like this book leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Where did the humans come from? Why didn't the fae grab a human to get in the library before and just teach them the language? Why do fae hate humans? Maybe these will be answered in the next book.

However, a couple of things I enjoyed about the story were the general outline of the world is very interesting and the diverse representation and discussion of taking care of textured hair.

I think people who are okay with less fleshed out fantasy worlds with forbidden romance, forced proximity, and some backpack fantasy would enjoy this.

2.5/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶 (some sexually explicit themes)

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I will be posting my review on Goodreads, Fable, StoryGraph, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

I really like the ideas central to this book but felt like the execution was poor and it felt like a lot of telling and not showing. I couldn't connect with the characters

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book was hard to read for me. It felt very YA with random spice between what felt like the wrong love interest… love triangles can be fun, but this one just didn’t feel very well written to me. It was hard to take the story seriously and get invested when none of the characters seemed to have the development I would want.

Great addition to collections where fantasy is popular. Also a great addition to non-white fantasy books.

Right balance between the fun and horror of a fantasy setting.

This book took me months to finish because I just did not care. Then I read the last half in a matter of days because I just wanted to be done with it.

It's not horrible. I think it has potential. But you want the book your friend wrote to have potential. Not the book you bought at the store that has had an entire team working on it.

Lore of the Wilds is a mess. The spicy scenes were jarring. Probably because the writing would have worked better for a middle reader, not... New Adult?
Lore is incredibly stupid. She's so stupid. She breaks into a castle on her own and it works out, but it works out because the author wanted it to. Not because it was a great plan. But Lore is Smart! and Amazing! and Short! She's so short it is constantly brought up.

After the first half, the pacing was weird and the story jumped in odd spots.

The big twist at the end was... bizarre. So bizarre. It was completely WTF but not in a good way. It was WTF, if this is happening, why is it happening *now*. Which made that character also incredibly stupid.

I wanted to like this book so badly, but what I would like is to fight the editor who approved this and didn't make the author iron out the chaos (bad chaos, not good chaos) that Lore of the Wilds is.