* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I couldn’t really get into this book. The pacing was off and it was really slow at the beginning. I would pick it up for a few minutes at a time and then go do something else because I wasn’t really interested or sure what was going on. It just felt like there wasn’t a plan as a story went on so while sometimes that works this just left me more confused.

I also think while this was labeled YA some content leaned a little more new adult, but the writing was still YA so that was a bit confusing and unexpected. I didn’t seem to like any of the characters, including our main character. Lore didn’t really give me enough of anything to care, or to even like her. And the side characters, I just could not figure out what their points were. Even the love triangle just seemed really uncomfortable.

So while the cliffhanger was the most exciting part of the book. I don’t think this is a series that I would continue. Not a must read for me.

Lore is human, trapped in a village mysteriously thrown out its own world into a land of fae, generations ago. Forced to work with the horrible evil fae, she finds herself attracted to them and maybe they're not so bad as the humans thought. Also, a giant enchanted library.

I had to give up on this book not far in because nothing about the world-building made any sense, and everything was brute-forced, and also good golly, the anachronisms ("trying to stay under the radar" in a pre-industrial magical society. Nope) and repetitive writing!

This was a really fun romantasy read! You’ve got cozy vibe locations like magical libraries and moonlight forests. Lore, our heroine, is fiercely loyal and brave, makes her own path, and will stop at nothing to protect her loved ones and the supporting cast is lovable and bring their own motivations and secrets. The descriptions of the magic and environments were atmospheric and beautiful. Not to mention there are some shocking moments. I did not see that ending coming and am very much excited at seeing new parts of this world and the changed character dynamics in the next book.

That being said there is a pretty sharp tonal change towards the end. While this reads as a cozy fantasy for most of the story it has some really dark disturbing moments and I would probably recommend checking the content warnings beforehand if this is a concern.

Would recommend to fans looking for an adventurous romantasy with intriguing world building, magic, and lovable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Content Warnings: violence, blood, death, murder, classism, and racism.
Mention of: kidnapping, slavery, death of loved ones, and rape.

***I received and e-ARC, ahead of release, through Netgalley***

From reading the summary of this book I knew I wanted...no needed to dive into the world and see what it was all about.

From the start it was easy to love and cheer for Lore.

I do feel the pacing was a bit off in this book...the first 3/4 feels like a lot of day to day things as we get to know Lore and the other cast of characters and then the last 1/4 of the book is like we're racing down the autobahn. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE everything about this story I just think maybe the last 1/4 should have been stretched out a bit more. This easily could have been a 500 page book and I would have devoured it and loved it just as much.

I do wish I had known in advance that it would be part of a series...the way it's advertised and labeled online was giving "standalone" vibes...so the entire time I was reading I was wondering how the heck they were going to wrap up the story...on to have it end on a ..." to be continued..." I'm guessing...it'll be a duology...though it's a bit to early to tell.

When this book releases next month I plan on purchasing it so I can reread it, possibly a few times, before book 2 inevitably releases.

If you're looking for a book that gives fall magical vibes with a strong leading lady who's fierce determination to bring peace and happiness to her people had me ready to go to battle...you won't want to pass on this book. 💜


Only read the below paragraph if you've read this book already! Major spoiler warnings below.

<spoiler> Okay, so I feel like Asher revealed himself entirely too early...AND I would have loved to see a slightly stronger relationship develop between Lore and Finn before this reveal...because I feel like going forward Finn may feel like a 2nd string pick...when really she's felt connected to him almost from their first meeting...and it was only his grumpiness keeping her from attempting a deeper connection... </spoiler>

First off I would like to say thank you to Netgalley, Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this ARC. I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. The world building is so easy to grasp, and I would say that this books is cozy adjacent. I would say that it has the feel good feelings of a cozy fantasy but also some high stakes like a high fantasy. I think this would is also great for people who do not read a lot of fantasy and would like to make the transition into the fantasy genre as well. The ending of the book has me absolutely SHOOK. I know that book two hasn't even released yet but I'm already ready for book 2 in the series to be released. I highly recommend this book. This book has a all Black cast and is also written by a BIPOC author.

Well done! I love when a book has a banging cover and a story to match. This is going on my list of faves this year and I'm excited to purchase a physical copy of a special edition if it happens this year. One of the main ways that can suck me in as a reader will be to create some strong character development but also make sure it doesn't take away from the pacing. And Sbrana has done that! These are easily some of my favorite characters and I'm really excited to see this book get the hype it deserves.

Reading a fantasy book that actually sweeps you off your feet and makes you FEEL like you are living in a world with fae and enchantment. It doesn’t happen often. But when it does. It is pure. MAGIC.

This story follows Lore. She is a human living in Duskmere. Lore has always dreamt of leaving her small town and figuring out how her people became trapped in these lands. The people of Duskmere are not permitted to leave. Humans have been under the watchful eyes of the Alytherian fae for hundreds of years.

One day, after a huge earthquake injures and displaces the majority of the humans in Duskmere, fae guards come to take Lore to the castle to assist in a task. She has been summoned by Lord Syrelle.

Lore is asked to enter the Royal Library of the castle. Which has been enchanted with a spell so no fae can enter. They ask her to organize the library and bring any interesting text to the chief steward.

While Lore is working in the library… she comes across a magical book that calls to her by name… she ends up escaping the castle with this magical grimoire and one very reluctant fae… and here… the journey begins and the mysteries start to unfold….

Lore is assigned a guard to keep watch over her at all times so she does not wander the castle unattended. Obviously… he’s delicious. His name is Asher. He’s tall. Deliciously fae. A tad grumpy. And he has dimples that I.. want to lick.

Lord Syrelle… the fae who tasked Lore with her role in the library. Is also… tall glass of water. Chiseled. Sculpted. Wings. Yumminess.

And then… just when you think we’re chalk full of hot men in this book… Finndryl appears. And I melted into my couch. I am not going to give any information up about him… the mystery is just too good. But I’ll leave you with one quote… “good girl”…. HELP.

This book has such fun and quick-witted humor I found myself laughing out loud! Lore is confident and hilarious and so relatable I am absolutely in love with her.

I was enthralled with the magic system, it’s so unique and different and it really has a life of its own. It feels like a totally different being brought to life and you love and cherish the feel of it.

When she’s cleaning the library that hasn’t been cleaned or organized in hundreds of years, there’s a quote that was so visual and incredible it stuck with me. It said “The floors had disappeared beneath the books that covered every inch, as if they has chosen to leap from their shelves to their deaths rather than go unread.” Can’t you just picture that imagery??? What a fascinating and refreshing way to describe a library in disarray. This whole book has such beautiful descriptions and it truly is such an immersive read.

In this world there are dark fae and light fae, and a myriad of other creates along with humans as well.

This book reminds me of Cinderella and a little bit of Robin Hood too. It’s cozy fairy tale at times and incredibly fantastical. But there are some darker mature elements as well.

There’s a hint of spice that I think is going to pay off sooooo much in book 2. I am seriously going to feel unwell until I have book 2 in my hands.

The way food is described in this book was actually a little torturous. It was so detailed I was hungry majority of the time reading this book too. The descriptions are so rich and delicious and I also absolutely love how much Lore loves food. Can related.

There’s a cave scene…. And an injury… that must be healed… on her upper thigh… with the help of one of the previously mentioned hotties above.

There’s an inn with one bed….

This book is full of tension, rescue missions, questions about fae and human history, castles, balls, spells, mysteries and so much more.

You’re going to need to read the ending of this book sitting down so you don’t hurt yourself and pass out when you read the twists.

If I was shipped off to a deserted island I would have two requests only. Allow me to bring Lore Of The Wilds, and ship me book 2 and drop it on the island as soon as it’s released and I’ll be happy.

This epic beautiful fantasy comes out February 27th. Don’t just add this book to your TBR add it to the TOP OF THE LIST. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how stunningly gorgeous this cover artwork is. It’s beautiful and enchanting, and made me eager to read this debut novel as a fan of the cozy fantasy genre. Unfortunately, I am so disappointed to share that I just didn’t fall in love with this book for a number of reasons.

1.) While I’m willing to overlook the patchy world-building and the attempt at instilling political intrigue (I accept that these aspects might be expanded in the second novel), the book almost seemed indecisive and couldn’t choose between modern and dated speech. In particular, the characters used the phrase, “thistles and sage!” to curse for maybe 40% of the book, then out of nowhere started using modern expletives. This really broke the immersion for me, and the novel just seemed disjointed in how it wanted to present the time period and vernacular.

2.) The book is marketed as a Young Adult/Fantasy Romance, but the ending seemed to take a much darker turn that I was expecting though it maintains a cozy fantasy vibe for 90% of the story. This seemed completely out of character. The cover, setting, and premise of the story all set up a cozy fantasy novel. But it veers dramatically darker in the last 10% of the book in a way that left me feeling uncomfortable.

3.) I wanted to see more character progression. I don’t know if this story endeared me to any of the main characters, which also made it hard to root for the romance and love triangle set up. I would’ve liked to see more time put into bringing these characters to life beyond one-dimensional descriptions.

4.) The plot twist. There’s a difference between executing a shocking plot twist and creating something out of nothing. (SPOILERS) If Asher was indeed Syrelle, I don’t think I fully understand why he would kill his guards, kill the people sent to kidnap Lore, hide her in this other town, and lead his own guards away from capturing her for a month, help her break into his own castle and save her people, and then turn on her as they’re leaving?? I don’t think that final reveal did enough work to convince me that all of this was part of some brilliant, nefarious scheme. I think a good plot twist needs to hold up to scrutiny—readers need to be able to look back and slowly piece together all the clues and breadcrumbs along the way. This did not do that. Never did this book set up the premise that shapeshifters even exist and it seems like a copout to establish this as the reveal was happening; it just doesn’t have enough to suspend my disbelief.

Though I have major issues with the story as is, I have heard that eARCs aren’t representative of the finished product and I am debating picking up the published copy. Regardless, I would consider reading future titles from this author.

This was her debut novel?!?! God she’s going to be an auto buy for me because I can’t wait to see where her writing goes!
It started out strong and drew me immediately and managed to keep me enthralled throughout the entirety of the story. The pacing left NOTHING to be desired. I never felt a lull or like the story was dragging.
The characters were so lovable. They felt like the weren’t just two dimensional. They had their own motivations and flaws that made them feel real and well rounded.
The way she touched on racial inequality was great. The “betters” reference hurt me in a way that was eye opening every time someone referenced it.
She accompanied her imagery with such intense descriptions of how things smelled. Something about this specifically picked me up out of my reading chair and plopped me into the story with Lore.
The plot twist… I thought I knew where it was going and alas…. I was WRONG. The cliff hanger that accompanied that plot twist had me walking laps to calm down! I felt personally betrayed and victimized with the ending in the best way.
I can’t wait for this so come out so everyone else can fall in love with these characters and story the way I did and I can rant about that ending!!!
4 stars!!

This story was a lot of different things which made it very special for me. To start we have an all black cast of characters which is refreshing and exciting. Secondly, the story manages to contrast and balance rather well the tender, enchanting aspect of a magical world (enchanted library and book) with its brutality and injustice (outcast humans).
I usually struggle with FMC and their improbable heroism in the midst of their over-emphasized fragility (being magicless humans in a world a faes) but I loved Lore. I found her brave yet aware and sensitive to her circumstances and driven to change them.
I sensed something coming based on how the characters were introduced but I didn’t see the exact twist coming. It helped settled my heart with the live triangle in a way.
Very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to the continuation of the story.

Okay I think I’ve settled on 3.75 rounded up!

I have some mixed feelings about the book but ultimately ended up enjoying it! I think it’s also great for a debut.

Here’s what I loved:
The fae and magic system
Diverse characters
Characters fighting against oppression
The sprinkling of romance
The enchanted library 📚
The cottagecore vibes
I had some guesses for the twist at the end but was genuinely surprised by it because it was a little different than what I was expecting
I also thought it had good side characters
There were a couple other things I liked but I’ll refrain from posting those here as to avoid spoilers!

Here are my issues:
Lore and her people have been living in oppression for a long time and yet she is so quick to trust those around her. This happens multiple times as well so it just feels like she doesn’t learn. I feel like living under oppressive fae would make me much less trusting but maybe that’s just my own perspective impacting the story.

Lord is also continually reckless and just diving into things with no thought but her inner monologue says “but what else can I do?”

My last issue with it is some of the repetition in phrases used and the pacing of the book. I felt like it was really fast at the start, had a decent lull in the middle, but then picked back up around 60% and from that point on I was INVESTED.

I was LIVING for the second half of this book. I will definitely be continuing on to book two to find out what happens after that twist and to see some more of my favorite characters (iykyk)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This title comes out in late February 💘

First of all, the cover is STUNNING. Overall, I really enjoyed the plot/story. However, it could do with some more editing. Some storylines felt disorganized and the character arcs felt rushed. It read as YA with random adult scenes thrown in. While I love both genres, this book feels like it should be strictly YA. The writing reminded me of Throne of Glass, in that it has so much potential, but definitely has room to grow. And like Throne of Glass, I feel like this series can definitely improve as this story continues. I’m excited to find out where the author takes this story next!

The story in this book is excellent. It has all the elements of a great fantasy plus a lot of originality. I love found family, cozy settings like libraries and pubs and enchanted woods. I love heroines coming into their power and fighting for those they love.
The reason I gave it three stars was purely on technique. This was however given to me as an ARC so I am hopeful that the incorrect words and clunky writing are corrected prior to publishing. I know writing is hard, and I struggle with the same issues when writing descriptive sentences, especially action. But they were often so clunky that it would take me out of the immersion of the story, and I would struggle to get through passages because I had to reread to figure out what was going on. I also had issues with minor plot holes as well as pacing. For a large portion of the book I couldn’t figure out where it was going and even by halfway I was waiting for it to get really good. Eventually it did, and I became very invested in the characters and the story, and loved the magical elements. But the writing style definitely came across as YA to the point that I thought the book was YA until some f bombs and a spicy scene jarred me right out of that. Those things are fine—it was just that the writing style felt so much younger that it caught me off guard.
I also would have liked the book to have passed the bechdel test prior to the halfway point, aside from an exchange with a cranky maidservant. But that I guess is getting a little pendantic. Overall I think this has the potential to be an amazing series and a great adventure. And with nary a white character in sight, which we all know is a much needed perspective in the fantasy genre. I would definitely recommend, but be prepared for a book in need of polish, unless the ARC has been heavily edited prior to final release.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and unfortunately I DNF’d at 50%.

What I liked:
Cottagecore vibes
World building through books
Grimoire

What I didn’t like:
I can’t stand when books feel YA and have spice. This should have been a YA book or the characters should have been completely reworked to come across more like adults than horny teenagers.

The pacing of the story was extremely off. There were time jumps where we could have been spending more time in the enchanted library and other parts were just slooooow.

The romance had no spark, no tension, and no intrigue…

I MAY pick this up in the future, but for now, I just can’t get myself to finish the second half at the moment

"Lore of the Wilds" is a must-read for anyone who loves an unputdownable Fantasy Romance. I went into this book with high hopes and it surpassed my expectations!

From start to finish I was captivated by the author's skillful storytelling and the intricate world she crafted. The characters and plot are so well-developed, it made the reading experience so enjoyable and immersive.

I can't wait to read more from this author in the future and will absolutely be recommending this book!

Thank you Analeigh Sbrana, Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book was just absolutely, and I loved it so much! Lore of the Wilds has definitely been one of my top read of January. The world is just so whimsical and enchanted, and it completely immersed me. I loved how the magic system just felt completely interwoven with the world and nature around them. But the characters are really what got me. Lore is just such an amazing, resilient, and has the most amazing character development into finding her strength. Really though, I think Isla had to be my favorite. Just the way she came to life on the page I was instantly in love with her charm and character. I cannot believe I'm going have to wait for the second book to come out while the first hasn't published yet, but I will be so ready when it does!

I really wanted to enjoy this book - however, I'm feeling burnt out with the current "romantasy" craze. I love the genre, and think it can be done really well. However, with an over-reliance on tropes, it feels like I'm reading the same story with a different skin over and over again. At the end of the day, I think this will be enjoyed by a lot of readers, and I'm so glad to have more diverse representation in fantasy. But this story was hard for me to get into, and I found myself not invested in the characters, the story, or the world. At this stage, I'm looking for a little more innovation in the fantasy books I read, and this didn't have it.

Lore of the Wilds!

I adored this book! Absolutely adored it!

I will say that the beginning of the book was a bit slow, however that doesn't bother me.

It's well written and the attention to detail is great, I love being able to imagine exactly what's written on the page. I really enjoy the characters and unique magic system.

Lore is a human from a desolate town called Duskmere that's cut off from the Fae world, the humans have no magic and live very poorly. After an earthquake, Fae came into her town and forced her to go with them. She made a deal with the royals that she would help them find what they were looking for in their library (a library that no one can enter except for a human) if they helped her town.

Lore finds a magical book that changes everything and she finds herself in situations she never saw coming. Now she has to figure out how to use this magical book and save her town.

I just really enjoyed this book and definitely would recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a magical and beautifully written DEBUT fantasy romance that is about family, friendships, love, duty and loyalty!! It has your forbidden romance, touch her and die, whimsical forests, cozy cottage vibes, suspense, adventure, tension, secrets, brooding fae, enchanted library/books, diverse characters, unexpected twists and a limited amount of spice!! The atmospheric setting, rich character development, intriguing magic system and the phenomenal world building all attribute to this INCREDIBLE book! Can we pause to appreciate this stunning cover?!! I absolutely loved this book so much!! 💜💜💜💜

Lore, a human girl, is trapped in a forested prison along with the people of her village. She knows that attempting to escape is futile because of her scars that are testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened she makes a desperate deal with a fae lord in order to save her family. She convinces him that she's after wealth but really she just wants magic of her own. As Lore navigates the hostile fae world, she is forced to rely on a fae male to survive. Can she trust her heart to this fae?

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! Ok, let this be your warning ⚠️ because it does end on a HUGE cliffhanger!! I am not really sure how I am supposed to wait for the sequel?! OH MY GOSH, I need to know what happens next!! I definitely recommend if you enjoy fantasy romance!!! 💫💫💫💫

This was a highly recommend book to me, but unfortunately it missed the mark. It had a lot going for it - a very diverse world, a cottage core vibe, and a unique magic system. However, the writing style was really tough for me to get into. I had a hard time caring about the characters, and especially the romance. There was a whole lot of telling instead of showing. Some of the transitions I had to literally flip back and forth to make sure I hadn’t skipped a page, they were so abrupt. It should have just leaned into a YA audience and gotten rid of the one (very mediocre imo) spicy scene.