Wow! I finished this late Saturday night; it's now Monday, and I'm still not over this novel. The writing was beautiful and atmospheric, and I loved all the characters. And, of course, that ending! Ugh! I need the next book now.

I was so excited to read this book because, first, it sounded fascinating, and second, the fact that all three main characters are Black filled my heart with joy. Our main character is Lore, our heroine. She's our human who wants better for her village and all humans. The novel seems like a typical fae fantasy of fae hating humans, and it is, to begin with, but it becomes so much more. There's a scene in the last third of the book where one of the characters, Isla (an adorable ray of sunshine, and I want to be best friends with her), is confronted with her privilege and new information about humans and Duskmere. Once Lore tells Isla about her life and the lives of everyone in Duskmere, along with what has happened since Lore and Asher escaped the castle, Isla doesn't double down on her beliefs or ignorance. She apologizes to Lore for her previous thinking that humans had a good life, and moving forward, she works with Lore so humans don't have to be subjugated to the Dark Fae. This difference in how humans are thought of as myth or that they had a good life provides a different outlook than the usual fae who hate humans and think they're inferior. Instead, it's a lack of information on the fae's part, which is purposely done by the kingdom of the dark fae as a way to control the humans.

The first of the two fae males we meet is Asher, a volunteer sentry who protects and keeps an eye on Lore. Their relationship is a slow-burn development. He acts as if Lore is dirt on the bottom of his shoe, but then slowly, he sees her for who she really is and develops feelings. Lore is distrustful of Asher because nothing good has ever come from the fae, but he shows his vulnerability, and she brings down her walls. While I was reading, I kept wondering when Finn would show up. He shows up in the book's second half, after Asher and Lore escape Wyndlin Castle. Finn is definitely worth the wait because I love my violent little grumpy fae. Although, he'd probably hurt me for calling him that.

Finn is more hesitant around Lore. For a second, it feels like it’s due to her being a human. But then something happens (trying to avoid spoilers), and it doesn't seem like her human-ness is why he dislikes her. Finn's been hurt in the past and doesn't let people in easily, which is why he keeps Lore at a distance; he feels so much for her. The tension between Finn and Asher is palpable. They do not like each other, and they don't want to. It doesn't help that they both have feelings for Lore. Finn didn't get nearly as much development as Asher, but I'm hopeful the sequel provides more time with him.

Hopefully, we will see more development with Finn, along with what happens to the characters, as that ending was a cruel and unusual punishment. Seriously, I now have to wait for I don't even know how long for the next book. I do not like this, and I'm formally lodging a complaint. To who? It doesn't matter. For now, I just need everyone to read this book so that I can talk about it!

I can no express how much I LOVE THIS BOOK. LOVED EVERY SECOND. I want the sequel in my hands like YESTERDAY. I can not even gather my words. The characters were so well written, and the world was SO immersive, I felt like I was with Lore the entire time. The love interests also? Did NOT see that one coming. The twist at the end was Thone of Glass level build-up, and I am so anxious to read the next part. I can not wrap my head around how this is Ms. Sbrana's debut, it was unmatched. Full official review will be on GR & IG.

A lot of people are really going to enjoy this book. I liked it fine. I would definitely recommend this to my new adult, Romantasy customers such as those who liked Fourth Wing and A Curse For True Love.

I read this really fast. I mention that because I felt that the story would have benefitted from a little more world building to fix the pacing. There were some things about the plot that didn't make a whole lot of sense in my opinion. Also, the relationship between our main character and her love interest felt really forced and rushed to me. I wasn't feeling it at all.

My biggest gripe is once again, contemporary language and profanity being thrown around in the dialogue. It just really takes me out of a fantasy story every time.

Despite all that, I enjoyed the story for the most part. Lore is an interesting protagonist. I was just ultimately disappointed as this was one of my more highly anticipated releases and I just didn't think it was strongly written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the arc

This book is not bad. However it has issues that are seriously detrimental to the story and prevented me from enjoying the book to the level that would warrant a 4 or 5 star rating.

Firstly, the pacing; the novel failed to keep a singular pace, in the beginning of the story it was fast and engaging only to fade into a far slower pace that very quickly made me lose interest in the story being told. At some points scenes started to feel a bit rushed and uncompleted, which felt incredibly disappointing considering a lot of this book contains promise.

Secondly, the chemistry between Asher and Lore was basically non-existent. The progression of the romance felt forced and rushed. There were scenes in this book that felt like they were added simply for the fact that it is a trope. For example Asher and Lore stop at an inn only to be immediately told that there was only one bed, which while reading made it painfully obvious that the author just desperately wanted the only one bed trope in the book.

Overall this book would of significantly benefited from more editing and perhaps another draft.

This was my first 5 Star read of 2024! I loved every minute of this story! Everything about this was pure magic! I loved the world and the build up of Lore's adventure. The writing in the book was beautiful, I could easily image every scene and ever detail that was described! It was one of those books that made me forget that I was reading a story!

I a very curious to see what Lore actually gave up to the book, you can see a progression of changes in her through the story but never find out for sure what it was that she bargained with.

The twist at the end I should have seen coming but I was in a state of delulu and blew past all the red flags. I thought that there was no way this would be how it ended....... I was wrong and my jaw was on the floor. I hope we get to see more development from Finn in the next story. Mr tall, dark, and mysterious has my attention, and his slipping restraint over his possessiveness of Lore has me GIDDY.

This was a phenomenal story and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

This was my final book of 2023 and I'm not sure how I feel .

Lore of the Wilds had all the right elements to succeed—a spunky heroine, two hot men a la Vampire Diaries that she had to choose between (what a problem to have), and a story centered around fighting for power. And yet, there was something missing for me.

Lore is a character who does little with the agency she's been given, making me wonder why I'm in her head for the whole book. Despite being touted as the champion of her people, she doesn't really seem to do much besides bum around a magical library for the first half. I mean, if I were in her shoes I'd probably do the same thing, but that doesn't exactly make for exciting reading. I wanted MORE of Lore. However, she suffered the same fate as so many fantasy heroines do. I call it doesntdoanythingitis. And yes, I do have that patented.

Secondly. the "love triangle" she's in doesn't really kick into high gear until around the third act of the book. If you're anything like me, you picked this one up for the gorgeous men. I mean, the gorgeous cover. BUT...there is no true love triangle, I'm sorry to say. Lore's romances with both characters felt rushed and out of nowhere, with the conflict conveniently resolved by a plot twist at the end that was...interesting, to say the least.

And finally, the crux of the story. Lore's power? I don't know her. She has cool magic abilities that never really get explained. She's marked as the chosen one for some reason but it went over my head if there was an explanation given for this. Lore is the only one who can open this super secret magical book and you're telling me all I got were a couple of incantations? She (and I) deserved better. I also felt like so much of the book was written as montages, and it threw the pacing out of whack for me.

Still, this was a fun and lighthearted read. The author has a real knack for storytelling, it's just the actual story part that needed more attention. If you're not looking for something that scrapes the surface, you might find your next book in this one. Just don't go in expecting your next great epic love story.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.

I want to give the cover 5 stars because it deserves it. As does the diversity of the characters. Absolutely loved that! I also love the *idea* of the plot. Who doesn’t love a magical library?

The story, however… not 5 stars. I went into this excited to read an “adult” fantasy and very quickly realized this should’ve been a YA book. The mc doesn’t think like an adult and her decisions are often rash and make no sense.

Pacing was an issue for me and lack of explanation for a lot of what was going on. When there was explanation it feels very word dumpy. No prose to speak of. The dialogue was pretty painful and clunky at times.

So many people seem to love this book and it’s unfortunate I couldn’t be one of them.

I think this book would have benefitted from being first person. Some pacing issues at the beginning. How did Lore not question they were rebuilding? Lore also made a lot of rash decisions. The plot also felt a little all over the place. It was convenient she learned her powers so well but we really didn’t see proof of her practicing throughout just her reading the book. It felt like a case of telling not showing.

Love me a good love triangle. This book does have spice but it came at the very end. The ending was also good! I enjoyed the twist it took. I like the world-building of light fae versus dark fae.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and it had decent world-building and the love interests were intriguing, it just felt like the plot was all over the place at times.

A great start to a new fantasy world. Lore of the Wilds hooked my attention from the first page with its young twenty-something human narrator Lore and the descriptions of the new world she lived in.

While there were moments where the transitions came off a wee bit jarring, the overall flow of the story was so smooth. I’d been worried for a while about being in a slump, but I think it was just the pacing of the other books not holding my attention. Lore’s voice hooked me after the first few chapters and I found myself devouring her story. Learning the world right alongside her was such a smart move on the author’s part and made it so much easier to get immersed in then story itself. The world was fascinating and, while I wanted to know more, we as readers were told just enough to imagine the realm without feeling buried under dumps of info.

Now, this one does have a love triangle brewing in it bringing back that classic YA fantasy vibe which I know is sometimes a hit or miss (it can be with me these days). BUT it’s not super overtly focused on in the story which is nice. It doesn’t overtake the story at all which I was very much appreciative of. If you read the book, that explanation will make more sense. Personally, I am very proud of the love interest I gravitated toward for reasons I will not disclose because spoilers 🤫

Hint for my choice: Why is it always the quietly broody angry vicious ones with a hidden soft spot for the main girl that always wins it for me in books? 💕🫠💕

Overall I thought this was a really solid beginning to a new series and with the way the book ended, I cannot wait to see what’s next in store for Lore and the other characters.

Beautifully written and adventurous in the best way, Sbrana has melded cozy fantasy, romantasy, and a touch of high fantasy to create a mind bending yet gorgeous novel that I know all fantasy lovers with eat up. Fae, an enchanted library, and one human more powerful than anyone believes, will bring the reader in to try to discover the truth behind the humans and what is really going on in the fae world.

It is honestly hard to believe this is a debut novel it is that perfect. It mixes romance, books, plant magic, and fae just right that all readers will find a place in their heart for it. A rollercoaster ride of epic proportions, I found myself sitting up in my seat on more than 1 occasion because I was so enraptured with the language in this book.

It is truly beautiful and one of a kind, I think this is going to be a smashing hit for the fantasy genre as a whole and we readers have found a new author to watch out for!

“Lore Alemeyu collected stories like the raven that lived above the apothecary hoarded shiny pebbles”


Rating: 5/5
Spice: 0.5/5

-cottagecore
-one bed (no spice but cute)
-enchanted library
-human vs fae conflict


I immediately fell in love with this story. It has cozy, cottagecore vibes. The world building is artfully executed and the characters are multi-faceted and lovable. This romantasy is full of adventure and kept me engaged throughout the book. This was such an easy read- I was never bored. There is a plot twist at the end and I am rarely surprised but I did NOT see that one coming. I am thoroughly looking forward to the next installment.

While not a perfect book I did enjoy this! I love the idea of a magical library and obviously fae and romance! The first half was really great and I was excited to see where the plot was going to go. The problems lie in the second half as I felt some of the decisions were frustrating and after a really promising start it slowed down a ton in the middle and felt a bit overwritten. I love the premise and will still recommend it to certain people.

More like a 3.5 stars but can’t do half ratings here!

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana was one I was looking forward to reading. Hello? A fae dude with antlers on the cover? Sounds like my cup of tea. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with the poor character development, conflicting details, and weird pacing. What I feel I see more and more of in fantasy novels is lack of foundation. The books are too fluffy, if that makes sense. There is nothing solid to it; the writing is frivolous and the pace is rushed. The only thing that makes this qualify as an adult novel rather than YA is the annoying (and randomly started) use of curse words, and the strange sexy scene that wasn’t very sexy, if you ask me. A big “ugh, really?” from me. Why do most fantasy authors use the same dialog in spicy moments? It is so predictable and cringy. Besides, it’s all fluff. Can we get back to writing a plot that actually has depth?

Not much about the deadly library. No evidence that it is in fact deadly. And why do we spend so little time there? Why is there no notable backstory to it?

There was little to no development to Lore’s feelings for either of the fae males she is attracted to. And there is no explanation as to why they are attracted to her. Both of these romances are just so poorly written.

So we FINALLY learn a little about Lore and her story, but we’re like what, a hundred pages in? And oh by the way, Lore has always wanted MAGIC FOR HERSELF that is her NUMBER ONE GOAL IN LIFE. Randomly.

The intended plot twist ending was not executed well. I think for this to have worked, we needed more backstory. Just. More. It felt random, quickly decided, an easy (nonsensical) way out of a situation the author put her characters into. It didn’t work.

I am sorry to say, this was a 2/2.5 star read for me.

I think that, although this book is not perfect, it was a lot of fun! I needed a little more world building, but this series has a lot of potential.

3 ish stars. Thank you so much to Sbrana, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for hooking me up with an ARC of Lore of the Wilds. I really REALLY wanted to love this book. From the stunning cover to the description in the blurb, I really thought this book about a human working for fae in a magical library would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn't really work for me. I had issue with the maturity of the writing itself. The cover looks very YA but the book is marketed as adult. And to be fair, the subject matter in the book does feel very adult (there's even a steamy-ish scene). That said, Lore came across as YA to me, even though she wasn't. And for my personal preference, I prefer the opposite. I can enjoy YA as long as the characters act older than their age. But Lore was just a little too young and naive for my personal preference. Another issue I had is that big parts of the plot were really unrealistic or just glossed over. Things that should have been pivotal moments in the book resolved themselves in like half a chapter and very conveniently. Other parts of the plot just felt tropey for the sake of being a popular trope (for example- one bed at the inn). And several parts of the book felt repetitive. Because of this, I had some issues with pacing. But my biggest issue was that Lore as a character just didn't resonate with me. I didn't like or dislike her. But that's just it-- I felt NOTHING for her. And at the end of the day, I want to root for the main character, or in the very least, feel something about the main character. At least when it comes to romantasy. I felt no relationship or spark between her an Asher. And Isla and Finn were very archetypal (we got it-- Finn is a super grump). This is a debut fantasy that reads very much like debut fantasy. I appreciated the world that Sbrana crafted and also enjoyed the diversity in characters. But ultimately, Lore of the Wilds just wasn't for me. That said, I can see a lot of people enjoying this-- especially fans of YA romantasy. And to be honest, parts of this even had Twilight vibes, which again, is not really my thing anymore but certainly has a big audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

This book completely had me hooked from the start. I heavily enjoyed this! It was a great read where I found myself questioning what's going to happen, how characters are going to respond, etc.
The twist at the end MIGHT be a bit obvious to some people but IT WAS SO GOOD. I was expecting it to a point, but not exactly to the same detail, so when I got to the twist... Oh man. I can't believe I have to wait for the sequel now.. :(

The writing gives you so many cozy fantasy feels during the library sections, and then we have our classic Fae feels that I and so many others love so much.

My main drawback was in one of the later chapters, Lore wanted to do a certain thing at the end. And had thoughts about taking matters into her own hands. The start of the next chapter immediately after JUMPS a bit to the point I had to flip back and actually re-read the prior pages to make sure I didn't accidentally miss anything. (My iPad was acting up a little bit and taking a second to load pages so I thought there was a chance)
But all in all, some of the pacing issues really ended up not being an issue for me. They're minor enough that I can personally look past.

I can't WAIT for the sequel!

Briefly, this book starts out with Lore as our main character. Stuck in a holding camp for humans in an alien world (we're not on Earth, but there is enigma surrounding how humans ended up on this world), Lore is given little choice in leaving her village, and when she arrives at the fae castle, she is instructed to help catalog and clean up a magical library.

As with many other reviewers, I was pulled into the first half of this book. Magical library? Yes! Diverse, strong, female character navigating a new world of unknowns? Yes! Slowly starting to learn the rules of this magic-verse and how things work together? Yes, yes, yes!

Then in the second half of the book, things started to fall apart, again as many reviewers have mentioned. The "twist" at the end I saw coming halfway through. I began questioning why Lore never questioned the fae who is supposedly her ally, or how he was in places so conveniently. Lore also begins making a series of bad decisions, and it seemed like one of those bad decisions was solely so the author could have the hot fae come rescue her and show off his muscles. I love a good romance and bicep flexing as much as the next person, but I do NOT like women needing to be rescued because they made a stupid decision. Not only does Lore make bad decisions, she makes a string of them.

I did not want to finish, but forced myself to for the sake of the review.

Finally, I felt this book belonged more as a YF, except for the steamy sex that comes in 3/4 of the way through. Again, I love me a sexy sex scene, but in this case it felt like the book was confused on what it wanted to be. Lore is very young and makes bad decisions as those who don't have fully developed frontal cortexes are wont to do, but it was painful to watch her make them and need to be rescued by a hot man. Let's rescue ourselves and learn from our poor choices.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy of this book in return for an unbiased review!

“Lore of the Wilds” by Analeigh Sbrana is a gripping debut novel that I feel romantasy lovers will fall head over heels for! This book has it all: book-loving characters, enchanting forests, brooding fae and thrilling adventures.

The characters were easy to connect to and don’t get me started on the character development! The FMC, Lore, is young but not naive or untrusting. She grows throughout this book and her interactions with other characters feels natural and almost real. The attractions in this book are woven thoughtfully and well done. The magic system is interesting, where nature and magic are together as one and reacting and interacting to living beings. The world building is fantastic, the descriptions are clear and it feels like I’ve been transported to their world. The plot twist at the end still has me gasping! There is a lot going on towards the ending, leaving so many questions unanswered but plenty to look forward to in a sequel!

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for being generous enough to lend me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana. I absolutely devoured this book! Read it in two days -- could not put it down! It had elements of so many books I've loved-- The fae / human dynamic from A Court of Thorns and Roses, the cozy fantasy elements of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and the political intrigue of Priory of the Orange Tree. It was both cozy fantasy yet high stakes. I loved the nature elements, rich descriptions of the forest and plants. Most of all, I loved that this book had an entirely diverse cast (something sadly rare in fantasy). I am so excited for the next book in the series to come out! And plan to buy a physical copy (and several extra to give to friends) when this book is officially published.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for a Digital ARC.

2.75 stars.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. It had such an interested premise and started off very fast paced. I was really interested in learning more about the library but felt that we barely spent any time exploring that. The book moved very fast in the beginning to then completely drag in the middle. I felt the dialogue and inner monologues were very repetitive and our characters lacked depth. The world building was also lacking as we never fully get an explanation of the hierarchical system in this world. I would have loved for the characters and world building to be more flushed out and would have loved to spend more time int he magical library.

I LOVED that we had a full BIPOC cast on this fantasy specially about faes that we don't normally see. The cliffhanger left me interested that I might check out the next book when it comes out.