First, a huge thanks to NetGalley & Harper Voyager for an e-Arc of Lore of the Wilds.

The begging of the story was super interesting and it hooked me right away; however it started going down little by little. The pacing was off and it was either too fast or too slow, but had no natural flow.

Our FMC, Lore, was just your typical fantasy YA main character. There wasn’t anything that she did where I thought she was being smart or thinking ahead. I do think that if they would’ve made Lore’s character a bit smarter & wittier; this book would’ve been a lot better.

I liked that we have other characters here but wish we would’ve gotten more from Isla & Finn. Asher was okay, not impressed by him at all.

I did love the premise of the story and believe that with a little bit more editing and giving the characters a bit more depth this would have been a phenomenal first book. There is potential; just needs better execution. Last but not least, the dark fae ✨✨. There is a very diverse cast which is a massive plus for me.

This does end on a cliffhanger so be prepared.

DNF’d at 30% - I was really excited to read this book but had a very hard time connecting to the story and the characters. The pacing was so slow that I kept losing interest in what was going on. I wish we were introduced to the magic system or fae within the first 30% so that I would know what's coming. I may give it another shot but for now, the book isn't for me.

This one just wasn’t for me, but I can totally see the audience and I will know who to suggest it to! The world was interesting and there was a romance element, which I know will appeal to a lot of people. Just not really my cup of tea — I found the pacing to be too slow and I wasn’t super invested in the romance.

DNF at 39%.

I am so very disappointed that I am not going to be finishing this book. I think if I had more time and fewer books on my TBR I may have continued, but that simply is not the case.
I saw a few other reviewers citing the same issues I have with this book: the pacing and characterization being the main two. By the time I'm 30% into a book, I need to be hooked, otherwise...I'm likely not going to be finishing it. Or, if I do, it will feel like a major slog. And I just couldn't get myself to keep going, despite the cool premise, my excitement for an all-Black cast, and the dark cottagecore marketing. I felt completely and utterly unconvinced by the stakes--WHY is Lore the one who needs to be cleaning out this random library? Why now? I could maybe understand the low stakes if this was marketed as more of a "cozy" fantasy, but it doesn't seem to be considered that.
In terms of the characterization, I definitely felt YA vibes, although I think it's marketed as NA? I'm not 100% sure, that's part of the problem. The marketing needs to be clearer to help the reader understand the perspective and measure expectations. The main characters felt very flat and uninteresting to me, and honestly the chemistry between the two MCs that I assume are love interests was just totally nonexistent to me.
I think this author has some good ideas, and definitely potential!! It wasn't for me, but I can see that there would be an audience for it.

The potential is all there but the execution needs some fine tuning. Lore of The Wilds reads like a young adult, and when I looked at what it is being marketed as I saw it said Adult, New Adult & Young adult. I would like to see the marketing team get the target audience age defined better. If this is going to be marketed as Young Adult then I am simply out of the age group to find the writing to be enjoyable. If this is going to be marketed as an adult novel then I find the writing entirely too immature. Like I said, the potential is all there, the story is intriguing, the characters held my attention but the writing reads like something a teenager would be able to connect with better than an adult.

I wish we could do half stars, because this is a solid 3.5 for me. I loved the heroine and found her to be relatable and realistic for her age. However, some plot points were really rushed or dropped without a satisfying conclusion. I did love the cliffhanger ending and will definitely be reading book 2!

3.75⭐️

Upon finishing this book my first thought was “are you kidding me with this ending?!”. I absolutely cannot wait to read what happens next- though I know it is likely to be a hot minute before that happens, this book being so new itself. Talk about a cliffhanger ending!

+ I enjoyed our young, female MC who was not too naive but felt appropriate for her age and situation
+I really loved our side characters- specifically Isla and Finn- and look forward to seeing more of Finn’s development in book 2
+ I loved the cozy family vibes we got with Finn/Isla’s dad and the business.
+ Cozy cottagecore vibes are an absolute yes

* The pacing felt a bit off at times. Certain things, including the main relationship, felt rushed while smaller moments were very flushed out.
* I would’ve enjoyed more time with the enchanted library- perhaps used as an opportunity to learn more about the history and the joining of worlds or about the magic and class systems?
* Aside from a couple lightly spicy scenes, read more like YA than New Adult to me. Which is totally fine- just not what I was expecting.

All in all, a great debut! I enjoyed Lore’s story and will be reading on when book two is announced.

**minor spoilers**

Magical. Enchanting. Charming.

LOVED the writing style in this book. The world had such vivid imagery and it sucks you in with all its incredibly diverse creatures, lands, and politics. Lore is a fantastic fmc and her character development throughout this book was lovely to see! She’s curious, brave, and would do anything for the people she cares about. In addition, we love a moody, morally grey mmc!! I was team Finn as soon as he was introduced. The ending had a great twist and I’m definitely going to continue reading the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars, would recommend!

Lore of the Wilds was a fun read. It was more of a fantasy read than a romantasy read to me, there wasn’t much of a romance storyline. I did love the beginning of the book and the introduction to the characters. Unfortunately it started to lose me in the middle and it ended up taking me longer to finish than I originally planned but the ending was absolutely worth sticking with it. It blew me away and I can’t wait to read book two.

The novel follows a 21-year old woman named Lore. Orphaned at a young age, she now works at an apothecary shop for the man and woman who raised her. One day a fae lord and a fae lady go into her apothecary, and she sells them a book she translated, copied, and bound. However, she is forced by circumstance to accept a position as a librarian from said fae lord.

This novel has a book-loving heroine which a librarian like me always appreciates. And it even pushes the metaphor of the power of books. I think the premise is awesome, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. She has two main love interests. The chemistry between Lore and one of them, I will not say which one, is not reactive. They are boring. The 0ther pairing has better chemistry.

Even if we ignore the aforementioned, the pacing was too quick. I think this could be fixed with more transition scenes. It also made the character feel like a Mary Sue at times because we did not see her growth. It just happened off-page.

Though the novel has some obvious flaws, I think some of it should be blamed with the editors. I will read the sequel because the story is interesting. But the story deserves better characters.

I really wanted to love this book because the the unique aspects of the story as well as the incredible representation. But I didn’t end up loving it. I felt the story was rushed from start to finished. There was enough time to understand the characters. They felt one dimensional, there wasn’t any depth to them. I wasn’t able to connect to them. I also felt the romance was forced and came out of now where. I wish there was more time spent working on the characters and the romance to progress naturally and organically especially with this being a series. I was expecting more. I’m hoping book 2 will be better

Lore is such a well rounded lovable character in a world where her people are under the oppressive control of the fae. Every twist and turn this book took was something I never saw coming! Highly anticipating the rest of this series! The ending left my jaw on the floor! Absolutely perfect! This book has everything! a diverse and lovable cast, a unique magic system, dark themes, plot twists, etc. Easily one of my favorite reads this year.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Lore of the Wilds, Any book with Fae is always almost a must read, I love it. I enjoyed this book a lot, I can’t wait to read more of these characters and story!

I really enjoyed this book. This is a fantastic read for fans of fantasy and romance. The story follows the journey of Lore who is a strong and relatable protagonist who readers will root for from the very beginning. Her past failures and scars make her a complex and compelling character, and her determination to protect her village at all costs is admirable. As she embarks on her mission to catalog an enchanted library, she is forced to navigate a dangerous world filled with Fae who will do anything to gain more power. But Lore is not just a victim, she is a fighter, and her bravery and resilience make her a truly inspiring heroine.

I also really enjoyed the romance in this book. Lore's relationships with the two Fae males, Eamon and Kael, are complex and constantly evolving. Both characters are intriguing and have their own motivations, making it difficult for Lore to know who to trust. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and readers will find themselves invested in their relationships and rooting for a happily ever after.

Also, the most captivating aspects of this book is the world-building. Sbrana creates a vivid and intricate world filled with magic, danger, and political intrigue. The forested prison that serves as Lore's home is described in such detail that it feels like a character in itself. The author's attention to detail is impressive, and it makes the story come alive in a way that is both enchanting and terrifying.
I highly recommend this book!

This was a simple story that in my opinion doesn’t have enough romance to be “romantasy’. The romance and love interest were very underdeveloped and barely anything romantic happened besides the MC thinking about the bland love interest.

There was a disconnect between the tone and the content for me. The vibe very much gives cozy fantasy, but the backdrop of the story has quite a bit of trauma. Much of the middle of the book lacked any urgency and focused instead on the cottagecore aspects.

All that said, the writing itself and the vision of the story was good. I think with the help of a traditional publisher, this series has definite potential!

Thank you for the opportunity to read Lore of the Wilds, it was one of my favourite autumn reads. It was fast moving and the world building paired with characters made for a fun and quick read. Fae magic is my jam trope wise, and this book didn't disappoint.

I recieved an e-arc through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book. Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher.

Fun exciting adventure. The world building is great and the backstory has a solid foundation. the book is fast paced but seems rushed and the events are to convenient. The characters are well made. The main character Lore is the independent but borders on the cliche naive human who just magically has everything fall into place which isnt for me. The side characters there are few but the few are very diverse but it pretty cliche arrangement. The book kind of gives me the vibe of These Hollow Vows book. Overall good story will continue on very curious to see how this goes especially after the ending.

The entire time I read this book, I was thinking about Palestine. The titular Lore is a human girl who lives in a village none of her people can leave due to the fae sentries who will shoot and kill them if they try. Lore herself bears scars from when one of these sentries carved into her during a previous attempt to leave the village. She watched her own father get murdered by them. This is just the status quo in Lore's village as they aren't allowed a militia.

"Lore had grown up surrounded by sentries. One of them had murdered her father in front of her and laughed when he realized that his sharp jab to her father's temple hadn't just shut him up—it had killed him."

When an earthshake strikes her village, causing many buildings to collapse, these fae soldiers come to town and take Lore away, knocking a child into a pile of stones as they do so for good measure.

"Lore kept seeing flashes of Duskmere every time she blinked: the crumpled ceiling in the shop, the Burgs' tavern on fire, the kids' terrified faces as they tried so hard to be brave. Less than a full day's walk from here, her entire world had fallen apart because of an earth-shattering force. Life as they knew it was gone forever.
Yet in this city, there wasn't a single brick out of place. Every beautiful house was intact and the fae in them were living a life untouched by the desolation that had shaken her town."

This all happens within the first thirty pages of the book, and it was impossible to miss just how similar it is to what is happening in Gaza, and the parallels continued on through the rest of the book.

"She wished that she was wearing her Starday best. She wished that her hair was combed and smoothed into shining ringlets.
Instead, she looked exactly like what she imagined their false, preconceived notions of humans would look. She wanted to stop and tell them that her world had just fallen apart once again, that the rip in her tunic and the dust in her hair were from helping children not so unlike them."

Lore ends up making a bargain with a fae lord: she will go into a deadly enchanted library in exchange for aid to her people, but she later learns that no aid was provided, and in fact things only got worse.

"Half of the town had burned to the ground. In the other half, buildings were still toppled and she saw people sleeping in the streets. They were dirty. Hungry. Freezing in the icy autumnal night."

At this point she also comes to suspect that the earthshake was no mere natural disaster but something the fae caused for the purpose of keeping the humans subjugated, even though they already are at a disadvantage, lacking the magic, the power the fae have been using to mistreat and murder the humans for so many years.

Do you see the parallels here? If you like this book, if the treatment of Lore and the rest of the humans angers you, you should care about Palestine. You should speak up about Palestine and demand a ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and a free Palestine.

Lore of the Wilds ARC review

I really enjoyed reading this book. The descriptions of the characters, library and enchanted landscapes of duskmere. It really gave cottage core vibes in the beginning. The descriptions of the world and day turning to night were the strongest imo.

Lore and a well developed FMC, who guides us through the story and unfolds the magic system for readers. She is passionate and headstrong. While her character was very well established I did have a hard time discerning between the two lover interests in the beginning of the story.

While I really enjoyed the writing style. felt the pacing of this book was a bit slow. It wasn’t until around 40% that the main storyline was fully unveiled to the reader. And I also thought it was strange to introduce a second love interest at 60%?? I think I would’ve actually preferred to just stick with one and develop their relationship more. But then of course we wouldn’t get that twist ending 😏😏😏

“My favorite stories are the ones I can escape into. The ones I can leave behind this bleak existence and be somebody else, even if just for a little while. Someone braver than me. Someone with the power to change their circumstances.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy

3.5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I was so lucky to get an e-ARC of this book and I really enjoyed it! The premise was so magical and I absolutely loved Lore and her determination to take care of her town and her people. The story didn’t go where I thought it would at all which was so exciting and I loved how much of this fantasy world we got to explore! I also loved getting to read a cast of such diverse characters.

One thing that threw me off a little was the pacing of the story! It sometimes felt like big moments happened quick and little moments were drawn out.

In the end I enjoyed the story and I expected & hoped for the twist at the end because it gives us the chance to explore the complexity and relationship of a certain character.