I really liked this one! Lore is taken by the Fae to get into and catalog their library. She discovers something she never thought possible, and ends up on the run with her guard, Asher. As they grow close, they arrive to stay with friends of Asher's, Isla and Finn. Lore becomes closer to everyone there during her stay, concealing the fact that she's human from those around them. Things turn deadly when some information they had wasn't quite complete, and Lore must reach within herself to try and save them all.
It would be a 5 star for me if not for the spicy scene between Lore, who is only 15 if I understood correctly, and an older fae male. And the super abrupt ending. Ahhhh.

3.75/5 stars

I heard soo much hype on the romantasy that I was pumped when I got it on Net Galley. Overall the book was cute, enjoyable read and largely felt like a warm hug, the twist at the end though didn’t feel like it made a whole ton of sense and instead of leaving my anxiously waiting for part two has me going huh okay.

Pros: I think the writer does a great job of world building without spending the first 100 page just dumping context on you. I liked the main character and felt like the relationships largely made sense and built in a very real way.

Cons: the twist just doesn’t logically work and I feel like there were a lot of unnecessary weird sub tangents that really distracted instead of added to the story.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I think it could’ve gone through some more edits to tighten up the prose.

However, the worldbuilding was very interesting, and I think the romance will grip most readers!

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I hate to say this... but this book just wasn’t for me. I don’t know if it just wasn’t the right time and place for reading Lore of the Wilds, but I felt bored and uninterested in the characters and romance. The insta-love element drove me crazy. All around, it felt unremarkable. My favorite part genuinely was the ending, thanks to the final twist.

This book may be a YES for you though if:
you love a good-hearted healer FMC
insta-love doesn’t bother you
you’re in the mood for YA style story
you enjoy the human-swept-into-fae-world trope

I really wish I loved this. I really do. Unfortunately, I did not. We have a case of writing not matching narrative not matching tone. The tone and writing are lower YA, the plot is upper YA with spice that is out of context and doesn’t make sense given this reads as a YA story. If this had been marketed as a YA novel and not as an adult novel, I would have set my expectations and they would have been met, but since it was marketed as Adult, they were not. While this does have elements of epic fantasy, this is 100% just a cozy fantasy and reads similarly to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries in terms of stakes and kind of plot as well. I was bored for the majority of this novel to be honest, because while I like descriptions of food and what’s at the market, there’s only so much I can read about that before I question why I’m reading it.

I loved the representation, I loved the whole premise, but the execution unfortunately just didn’t do the characters justice.

lovers of easy-to-read cozy romantasy — add lore of the wilds to your TBR right now.

this was truly so much fun, but in that bundle-up-with-a-soft-blanket, grab-a-hot-chocolate, and read-all-night kind of way. this book almost feels YA in its quaintness, in its plot simplicity, and its lovable characters, but starts to veer down an adult path (at least re: romantically and spice-wise) by the end of the book. it’s an interesting blend of a more YA feel with adult elements, making it a fun, unpredictable read.

lore of the wilds tackles lore’s story, our FMC, a human born into a human settlement in a fae-ruled world, marking her life as one of oppression and subjugation by the cruel, merciless-in-their-lack-of-compassion fae. until the day they realize that only a human can enter their secret, locked-for-years-and-years royal library, and lore is one of only two that happen to be literate in the fae language. making her, suddenly, of immense value to the fae.

lore is promised financial and material resources for her community if she helps, and starts making a home for herself in the castle and kingdom of alytheria — to the best of her ability. her experience is fraught with hostility and unkindness, with her singular lifeline being a soldier assigned to guard her: asher, a handsome, flirty, adventurous fae.

lore’s exploration of the library brings forth many, many mysteries of the true fae history of the kingdom, the mysteries of magic, and the mysteries of what lore herself, as a mere human, may be able to accomplish in a world ruled by that magic.

this has so many fun tropes and plot devices — a bit of a love triangle, fae-human politics, magical libraries and moonlit magic, and a found family cast of side characters that make the adventure feel like home.

i struggled through some of this, as the pacing and plot slow down considerably for most of the middle, but the way the story unfolds and eventually wraps up is an easy-to-read delight, with fun, quirky characters that are both intriguing and mysterious.

pick this up when it releases on february 27 if you’re looking for a fantasy romance that’s interesting, cozy, and quick — and then DM me as soon as you finish so we can talk about the ending. 3.5/5 stars.

thank you so much to avon, harper voyager, and netgalley for the opportunity to ARC read this!

2.75 stars.

Lore of the Wilds, on paper, is my perfect book. It has dark cottagecore elements, a diverse cast of characters, a cursed library, and the fae. But despite all of those things, this novel still fell horribly flat for me. I think my biggest issue with Lore is that its pacing does it a massive disservice. There were so many scenes that I wish could have been expanded, but we moved almost too rapidly from place to place and that caused a general disconnect from me and the characters/plot. And with a blurb promising time in a cursed library, I had hoped that we would spend a good portion of the book there exploring its secrets. Instead, the library portion of this novel wrapped up before the 50% mark.

On top of that, this book is marketed as an adult novel but reads as incredibly YA. The one spicy scene in this book was unexpected and almost nonconsensual, given the twist. And while we're on the topic, the romance felt rushed and unbelievable. One moment they were simply acquaintances and the next, they were madly in love. It didn't make sense to me at all. I also could not, in good conscience, get behind them making out after discovering that the women from Lore's village had been forcibly impregnated and assaulted either. That scene was truly what lowered the rating of this book the most, as it was completely unexpected and totally at odds with the rest of the novel.

That said, I did enjoy some parts of this novel. Isla and Lore's friendship was wonderful to me, as was Grey and Lore's friendship. The latter was especially refreshing because I always find myself wanting more positive, nonromantic relationships portrayed in books like theirs was. The ambiance and general aesthetic of this novel and its world was also wonderful.

Overall, Lore of the Wilds had a lot of potential but unfortunately did not live up to the expectations I had for it. I think that another round of editing and some purging of repetitive phrases (and there were so many) would do this book a lot of good. I do think lovers of romantasy and fae will eat this one up though!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a romantasy debut from Sbrana! This was such a fun read. I loved the enchanted library and that she got to be engrossed with so many books… um, hello, this is my dream!! Lore slowly finds herself having feelings for 2 fae males, and a love triangle of sorts begins to form. I typically don’t enjoy love triangles, because they stress me out too much, but this one was written so well that I didn’t mind it at all!

There is a plot twist at the end that I was proud of myself for guessing part of it, but the other part I did not expect!! It ends on such a great cliffhanger. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book in the series!

The found family aspect in this book is truly a slow burn. However, the connections and friendships that Lore makes, both old and new, create a bond that is loyal and fierce for one another! I am interested to see what happens to the crew with all of the new information we’ve been given.

CW: blood, violence, sexual content, kidnapping, death

DNF @ 30%. I was super excited this book because of the enchanted library aspect and diverse representation in fantasy but I found this story underwhelming. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the MC and love interest and I didn’t click with the writing style. I also also very confused if this is YA or adult because I’ve seen it marketed as both?

Imagine stumbling into an ancient, enchanted library where the books whisper secrets of old and the air is thick with magic. This is the world that Analeigh Sbrana conjures in her debut novel, Lore of the Wilds. It's a tale combining the allure of star-crossed romance with the mystique of fae lore, proving as tricky as it is treacherous.

Our audacious human heroine, Lore, finds herself in the nearly impossible situation of trying to save her village while trapped within a fortress ruled by capricious fae. During her time in Wyndlin Castle, she is tasked with searching through a library of magical books, a place from which her fae captors are exiled. When she finds a book promising to be her ally, Lore embarks on a journey of clandestine self-discovery and a chance at love with two very different fairy men, the stoic Asher, a dark fae who becomes her reluctant guardian, and the initially combative Finn, who is a total Tsundere.

Lore of the Wilds presents a passionate heroine in a romantasy world where classism and imperialist discriminations pose greater dangers than magic. The love triangle trope is familiar, but there’s a reason it still captivates. As romantics, we love a choice between two lovers that leaves us wondering who to trust. Sbrana's narrative is deliberately paced, sometimes moving too slowly, but the magic system of Duskmere is intriguing.

Along with occasional inconsistencies in pacing and the longing to know the characters better, Lore of the Wilds starts as cozier but takes an action-adventure turn with some darker, spicier sections. Some readers will revel in this twist while others will want to maintain the comfort, but the multicultural cast and queer representation are welcomed.

This is a story about power struggles, the quest for equality, and the extent we’ll go through to protect “home.” Sbrana's knack for storytelling is evident, even if the story could have benefited from more thrills and emotional ebb and flow.

As we reach the cliffhanger ending, which will make many readers grabby for the next installment, it's clear that Sbrana has crafted a world that is worth exploring.

This was good. Gave all the cozy fantasy vibes and I loved it!! Highly recommend!! Will definitely pick up a physical copy!

Solid Romantasy debut with an absolutely gorgeous cover!

Filled with adventure, fae, an interesting magic system, and a cozy and quaint world- this series is off to a great start. The love triangle romance was interesting. I actually don't mind a love triangle when done well and I'm interested to see where this one goes. I liked the main characters and side characters, there was a good twist at the end and we close the book on a cliffhanger.

I would definitely continue this series and pre-ordered a hard copy for my shelf.

Tysm for the ARC!

4 ⭐️

I loved this book! I thought the plot was fun, whimsical and unique. Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air after reading my other fantasy books. I liked the love triangle trope in this as well but just wish there was more development of both relationships in the book. I didn’t feel a strong connection to either of the main male characters until more towards the end of the book. I also wish more context was given throughout the book rather than the end. It felt like everything came together in the last 2-3 chapters. The cliffhanger though and the plot twist at the end was very well done!

First off thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

10 points for the cover sucking me in with the magic book and two strong males watching the main characters back.

This book is advertised as being an adult romantasy with a magical library and town stuck in the center of a cursed forest. It gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes, which might have created high expectations that backfired in the end.

I was loving the plot and atmosphere of our main character being an orphan (21 year old) in a little town helping the people who helped her all trapped in the center of a magical forest that drives you mad or to your death by Fae solider. One day events lead to Lore getting taken from her town to a Fae palace to catalogue the library that no Fae can enter. A human in a magical Fae library, what could go wrong? Well except for one of the books making Lore realize this deal is too good to be true. Which then leads to an escape, a chase, meeting of new friend as well as another point to make one whole love triangle (yuck why is this still a thing). You are probably thinking "It cant be that bad" but let me tell you one thing a love triangle an pass as being okay if one male is out of the picture or not available, but this is straight up making out with one while thinking of the other and or wanting to be with one while wanting to not loose what they have with the other. Lore wants to have her cake and eat it too. quite a few cringe moments but after reading the end i guess i get it.

I am trying to not review this too harshly due to the fast this is the authors debut novel and there are bound to be some issues in the first book due to not having a defined writing voice yet or official writing style of their own. I will say though that there were some jumps in events that made no sense (character going from one location at the end of a chapter to another location farther then they started with no explanation of how they got there only for it to be explained halfway though the chapter).

Own opinion here but the whole romantasy genre idea is a hit or miss for me because too much romance in fantasy really kills it for me. If a character has a "quest" to save their people or solve a curse they should mainly be focusing on getting to that goal not on the color of the love interests eyes or how much they want to kiss them. It just makes me hope the main person learns from their one-track mind and gets betrayed.

Overall fine read and plot. Could have used some editing to make it longer to make the picture cleaner and touch on some details that got brushed over. I would have loved to see the map but this arc didnt have one so I will just have to wait for the finished version.

This is one of those fantasy worlds that I'd like to live in (but maybe not as a human), complete with quaint villages, enchanted libraries, and dingy taverns. It is familiar and sometimes cozy, if not particularly groundbreaking.

Lore, a human caught up in the schemes of the fae, is just trying to survive and protect those she loves. To do that, she makes a deal with a fae lord and soon finds herself in over her head.

While there is a lot I enjoyed about this book, I wasn't the biggest fan of the love triangle (but am I ever?) and the ending was frustrating for reasons I won't spoil. Not sure I will read the next book, but I'm not mad at the time I spent reading this one. There's definitely a lot of potential!

*actual rating 3.5*

This was a fun read, but I think I went in with too high expectations and that's my fault. But I mean, a book about a magical adventure and a magical library with 2 handsome fae men? It had the potential to be a new favorite as that's some of the things included in my favorite books.
I'm not sure what exactly didn't work with me with this one, I just wasn't as attached to the plot or the characters. However, I can definitely see myself getting very attached to a certain fae in the following book iykyk.

The touch her and die vibes were STRONG with Finnadryl and oh boy was I eating that up.
I think this series has the potential to be really great, depending on the rest of the series. Let's not forget that some of my all time favorite series only had a 3-4 star rating for the first books!

The magic in this got a little bit confusing in parts surrounding a magic book but the main character is learning about how this all works at the same time we are so it makes sense to be a little confused about it.

And can we talk about that ending?! What did I just read?! I know this book isn't even out yet but I need the next one tomorrow please

*Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This is one of my favorite arcs I've read this year. I honestly did not know what it was about, I requested a copy for NetGalley because of thought the cover was beautiful. I was stunned to find out this is the author's debut! I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel.

This book revolves around fae, humans, and magic. Books about fae are one of my favorite things on this earth so I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading. Add in an enchanted library and magical books and I am instantly in love.

I really liked the characters. Lore was selfless and brave and maybe a little too trusting. But being isolated as she was, I don't blame her for falling for the one person who showed her kindness.

Asher was the attractive and moody fae man that we all love to love. He showed Lore kindness when all she had experienced from fae was disgust and abuse.

Later on, we meet Finn and he is the dark and broody, "I don't care about anything" fae. I switched from Team Asher to Team Finn so fast it's not even funny.

Even the side characters in this book were written so well. I hope in the next book we get to see more of Isla because she is so sweet. And anytime Lore's two little helpers came around (don't hate me, I forgot their names) I involuntarily smiled. It goes to show that children are not born to hate, they are taught to.

The magic system and the world building in this book was sooo good; I definitely don't expect that from a debut author. Everything was described so clearly and vividly that I didn't have to question anything; I could be right there with the characters.

This book also did not lack plot. I was never bored. I went from organizing a library with Lore, to running for my life, to falling in love, to saving my friends and family.

There is a huge plot twist at the end that I definitely did not see coming and it ends on a huge cliffhanger so I need the next book like soon. I can't wait to reread this when the sequel comes out.

I wanted to like this one, I really really did, but it just fell flat for me. It has such a unique concept but sadly that was where my enjoyment of it ended. I found the prose to be almost childlike in its simplicity which didn't fit with the overall setting and plot of the story. The plot meander and at times lost its way as well which made it hard to continue reading.
Overall, I think this book was great in theory but failed in its execution.

3 Stars
I am so conflicted on how to rate this one. There were parts I LOVED to the point of couldn’t put the book down. But then there were parts that I - I just didn’t love. I loved the vibe, the magical library, and the overall world. It was very cottagecore and that was right up my alley. However, the pacing felt all over the place and very inconsistent. It felt very chaotic and made it hard to get into the story. I felt like there was also too much going on like the story wasn’t quite sure what it wanted to be. There was so much happening and we only ever got bits and pieces of things before we moved on to the next thing. It felt like everything was surface-level (the magic system, the fae, the library, Lore's magic, the book, etc.) I think we needed more to really connect to the story.

The romance aspect of this book is honestly the biggest thing I didn’t love. It was very very sudden and very physical. Personally, when I am reading YA books I don’t love explicit spice scenes since these books are marketed towards children. It made me a bit uncomfy and felt unnecessary ???? It felt like it was just randomly put in when it didn’t add anything to the relationship between the characters or the plot. It also wasn’t believable I feel like we needed more of an emotional connection.

While the rest of the book felt very YA there were just little moments that felt very out of place and just not needed in terms of plot. Overall the ending was not as satisfying as I hoped it would be. I think there is so much potential here, and it wasn’t bad but I just wanted more.

If I have to hear one more time about Lore falling asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow, I am going to lose my mind.

I was so excited to read this - strong BIPOC FMC, young adult, slow burn romance, fantasy, magical book, political intrigue, etc. Unfortunately, I DNFd this one around 50%. There isn't much really happening in this book. While there are multiple locations Lore travels to, it doesn't really add much to the overall plot. For example, she is in a library for about 75 pages. She also develops a crush on her guard, which we do not know much about and who randomly decides he likes her, as well, with zero explanation as to why. There is just not much character development, and there are too many plot holes. At 50%, some of my questions should have been answered at this point.

Overall, I think this book and author has a lot of potential. There just needs to be more excitement, more AH-HA moments, more dialogue that takes your breath away. In its current state, it is somewhat boring.