5 ⭐️

What did I just read and how do I make it my entire personality?

THE PLOT
Lore is a human imprisoned in a land called Duskmere, where all human are kept away from the fae civilization. After a natural disaster, Lore is summed by the high fae to work in their library, which holds hidden magic that Lore is tasked to find, as no fae can enter the library, in exchange for the rebuilding of her town. Once Lore finds a magical book that she has harnessed its powers and learned that her town is in fact in worse shape then when she left, she is determined to learn and master her newfound magic in hopes of saving the people she loves....at a cost.

MY THOUGHTS
It is safe to say that this has the most in depth magic system and world building I have yet to read in a fantasy book. At the beginning, I'll be honest I was very confused. The book kinda just throws you into the deep end without really knowing much. However, if you stick through it (about 15% of the way through) it gets SO GOOD. I had the most magical time of my life reading this book. The world building was INSANE!! I could actually picture myself in this world as if I'm Lore. Absolutely incredible. I could not put this book down for the life of me. I'm still in utter awe.

The side characters in this book have my entire heart. Isla and Finn? I'd marry them both. Speaking of characters...Lore's character development? Unreal. It was so amazing to read her powerless and how later on she uses her powers to save those she loves just made my heart so warm. She must be protected at all costs. Now let's talk about Asher...I dont want to spoil anything but before the plot twist, he would be my new book boyfriend. He was so baby I loved him so much.

SPEAKING OF PLOT TWISTS...WHAT DID I JUST READ??? Miss Sbrana how can you play my heart like that? 🥹 I was not expending that ending in a million years and I was ON THE DAMN FLOOR. yall need to read this like right now. Definitely one of my favorite fantasy books of the year. my heart is in pieces because of this book. This was an ARC and it doesn't release for a while but when the second book in this series becomes available, I am running so fast to NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Analeigh Sbrana for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🩷

Stunning debut. I loved the unique cottage core world that Sbrana has built. I loved the characters. Lore is such a great FMC! She is strong and smart and it was so fun to watch her grow through her adventures. I have a feeling this first book is really just setting up everything to come in the following books. There is plenty of action and adventure but still so many questions to unravel in the next books.

Tropes:
⚔️Enemies to Lovers
💞Love Triangle
🧙‍♀️Hidden Powers
🗺️Magical Quest

Spice:
🌶️🌶️

What an incredible debut by Analeigh Sbrana! The magic that she weaves through these pages was incredible and the storytelling keeps the reader both interested and anxious for what might happen…spoiler: you will NOT see the plot twist coming! This book follows the hero’s journey of Lore, a human who grew up in a world surrounded by magic just out of reach and the terrifying fae who surround her. I loved getting to be enveloped her journey into the new (to her) fae lands/world as she figures out who can she trust or not trust as she strives to save her kind. The world building by Analeigh Sbrana is so well thought out and sets the reader up to be excited about the next book in the series. If you loved ACOTAR or Fourth Wing or you were a fan of Harry Potter, get ready for your next favorite series. Absolutely 5/5 recommend reading.

Romantasy story with humans stuck in a fae world. Loved the Black representation in this story- all of the Main characters are Black, and it's not made out to be a big thing- it's just the way it is in this world.

The pacing of the story was well done, and the twist at the end was excellent. This story does feature a love triangle, which isn't my favorite, but it was done in a way that made sense and that I enjoyed.

This first installment felt more YA, but it definitely could easily slide more into the New Adult category with the next book!

Absolutely 5 stars for this debut fantasy romance book! The perfect combination of cozy fantasy and romantasy that we all needed. And it’s spicy!!

I absolutely adore Analeigh’s lyrical writing, it was so easy to be swept into her world and be right there with Lore. I could picture everything so effortlessly. I was so addicted to the story in this must read page turner!

I can’t wait for others to read this book so we can all talk about the ending!! I am so blown away by this debut novel and can’t wait for Lore 2. The on page representation of anxiety was so relatable and accurately depicted. Plus the diversity among all the different characters was wonderful. I’m going to miss Lore, Finn, and Asher until the next book!!

Lore of the Wilds is a fantasy romance with a bit of adventure mixed in. Our Protagonist is a young woman named Lore, whose village is a prison surround by faeries who really, really hate humans, and leaving it is a death sentence. A chance encounter with faerie nobles leads Our Protagonist to getting a job she cannot refuse: organizing a library that's cursed so no member of the kingdom can enter.

This leads to an adventure that might be a game changer for Lore's isolated village.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is first, very well written, and I really liked Lore. The plot arcs tend to fit into the usual romance tropes, but manage to do this in ways that are non-standard and interesting. For instance, the romantic set up seems to be "choose between two possible suitors," with a couple tablespoons of "and these two potential suitors hate each other and are rivals." This is not quite the case. There also is some good neurodivergence representation, though very brief. The ending has one heck of a final reveal and a very, very steep cliffhanger.

On the other hand, except for a handful of exceptions, I kind of want to set many of the antagonists on fire. The book goes a little dark, and Lore has seen and experienced terrible things because her people are trapped in a tiny village surrounded by people who want to kill them and are looking for an excuse. The combination of light romance and dark setting was a little jarring, though I think romance fans would like it a great deal.

This review is based on a galley copy received from NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a good story full of adventure. romance. and action. I just loved the dynamics of the characters and it was a fun time overall. I would recommend it for the fall season and to get out of a reading slump.

"Lore of the Wilds" by Analeigh Sbrana is a captivating Romantasy novel that combines elements of romance and fantasy in a spellbinding tale. The story is set in a land ruled by ruthless Fae, where a young woman named Lore Alemeyu is living in a village imprisoned within a forest. Lore knows that trying to escape the village is futile, given her past failures and the dangerous nature of the Fae.

However, when her village faces a grave threat, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She agrees to leave her home and enter an enchanted library, which has been untouched for a thousand years. The catch is that no Fae can enter the library, but there's a slim chance a human like Lore could break the curse and access its knowledge.

Lore convinces the Fae lord that she's seeking wealth, but her true goal is to obtain the one thing the Fae desire the most: magic of her own. As Lore explores the perilous world outside, she must rely on two very different and alluring Fae males to survive. Amid this dangerous journey, an undeniable chemistry ignites, making Lore's situation even more complicated.

The book weaves a tale of magic, romance, and treacherous adventures, with characters who are both alluring and mysterious. It's a story of courage, trust, and the complexities of love in a world where nothing is as it seems.

If you're a fan of romantic fantasy with elements of the Fae and enchanting libraries, "Lore of the Wilds" promises an enthralling reading experience.

4.5 stars, 8.00 on CAWPILE

Thank you to Ana, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Okay I need to preface this by saying that Ana is a dear friend of mine, so of course I wanted to read her debut! Cottage core vibes, hot fae, an enchanted library, and a magical grimoire?

Yes please.

I love this setting. I loved each part of the world that Ana brought us too. If anything, I wish we had more time in each place, ESPECIALLY the library. That library is so cozy and magical, I could have used 100 more pages of it. It was beautiful.

I love Lore's inner voice. At times she seemed a bit younger than she was, but over all she was a human girl thrust into an impossible situation and grew strong, and a bit reckless, in dealing with everything going on around her. The way she found magic was MUAH chefs kiss.

I am obsessed with Asher and I wish we got more time getting to know him as well as Isla and Finn. I can see myself really getting into these characters as we get to know them further in book 2.

I DID NOT SEE THAT TWIST COMING. It gave me goosebumps.

My only issue with the book was some of the pacing. We seemed to burn through a lot of time passage in montage mode and I really would have loved to have seen more of that time passage actually written out because Ana does such a great job crafting some magical scenes.

Overall, a great debut! I can't wait for everyone to read it.
4.5 stars

Lore of the Wilds is a lush cottage-core fantasy with unique magic and a fresh take on the fae and human dynamic. In the world of Lore of the Wilds, humans live segregated into their own city on a world inhabited (and ruled) by the fae. The humans are not allowed to leave their settlement, and are treated like little more than animals. Lore, however, has always longed to leave the city of her birth and see what is outside in the greater world around them. After a natural disaster, the opportunity presents itself for Lore to journey to a nearby castle, the seat of the fae royalty, in order to organize a library. The library has been inaccessible to the fae for a thousand years due to a spell placed upon it, but because of her human blood Lore is able to enter where they cannot. As she gathers knowledge, Lore hopes to improve life for those back in her village. However, all is not as it seems, and her plans must change.

What I loved: the found family and friendships, forced proximity, and the incredibly mouthwatering descriptions of food. Every single thing Lore ate was described to the point of being mouthwatering. I also really appreciated the descriptions of the different hair textures and styles (locs, braids, tight coils, etc) and the mention of the various creams and oils needed for Lore’s curly hair. As someone with curly hair that needs all the creams and oils as well, I enjoyed that touch.

What I felt could be improved on: there were a few parts in the last 25% of the book that felt rushed, like they weren’t fully fleshed out. While the reveal at the end did take me by surprise, it felt a little too out of left field. I prefer when I can look back in retrospect and see at least a little foreshadowing of something like that, but I didn’t with this. Still, that may not bother others and could just be a personal preference thing.

I really loved this book! It was full of adventure and I loved how the author developed the characters! I was never bored because of how well the author kept the story going. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

★★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
Book 1 - series
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️4.5/5
🌶️ yes, the perfect amount of spice
Romantasy, Dark Fantasy, Young Adult
Single POV
➳ Ruthless Fae
➳ Enchanted Library
➳ Elemental Magic
➳ 🔻 love triangle
➳ enemies to lovers
➳ cottagecore
➳ found family
➳ forests & mushrooms & foxes

✨Baba used to say the stars sang a song that only she could hear, and she knew the words rang true. When she looked through the skyglass, she swore she could hear a ballad spun from stardust, with the sweet promise of home.✨
Analeigh Sbrana crafts the cosiest cottagecore romantasy in a land with ruthless fae, enchanted libraries, and a human girl determined to unlock the secrets of their world. This book was steeped in warm & woodsy vibes and felt like curling up beside a fire at night with a cup of hot milky tea to stargaze.

📚📚📚
Detailed Review:
In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu’s village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile—her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn’t been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors.
She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she’s after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own.
As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she’s forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she’s not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust

❧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*❦*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧❧

This book took me by surprise, Sbrana’s debut novel is a guaranteed cosy classic giving the YA Fantasy & Romantasy genres some much needed diversity representation. The worldbuilding felt almost effortless, and it was so easy to get fully immersed into the story. I loved Lore from the beginning, she didn’t feel like the stereotypical snarky ya fmc. She had sass, without a doubt, but she also seemed to be very aware of how powerful the people around her were. That being said, she ran headfirst into danger to help the people she loved. She also showed empathy and compassion for the people she didn’t love. I would have gladly worked alongside her in her little apothecary all day.

It almost felt as if i were actually living this book, Sbrana’s imagery was that immersive. I found myself wishing i could eat the food and buy the candles, or walk through the wildwoods with the characters.

This love triangle is not for the faint of heart, once we had been introduced to both characters I already knew who I wanted Lore to end up with. If this series ends up being a ‘why choose?’ one… it’s too late for me because I’m already shipping very specific couple. Lore goes though so much hardship and I just want her to have a happily ever after 😭
I don’t know if the university Isla & Fynn attended is accepting applications, but i’d love to enrol. I would have loved to hear more about Isla, and I hope she gets to live out her horse girl dreams.
From ~halfway on, i couldn’t tear myself away from the story. I already know this will be a book i go through and tab, I loved it that much. It was so wonderfully written that the whimsical cosiness practically seeped from the pages.
Now about that ending… I knew i was right to feel suss about certain things, but i still gasped so loudly at that plot twist. I’m so anxious for Lore and the sequel cannot come soon enough.
This is a must read for lovers of all things cosy, cottagecore, romantasy and fae. 100% recommend, i cannot praise this book enough.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

💖
LIKES:
⋆ the magic system is so inextricably beautiful, i can’t wait to see how it’s expanded upon.
⋆ this book was peak whimsical cosy cottagecore
⋆ the ending left me speechless. i’m in desperate need for the sequel and will absolutely be rereading Lore of the Wilds.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

**Fantasy Scoring**
Worldbuilding ➷ ✅ 5/5
Foreshadowing ➷ ✅ 4/5
Plot ➷ ✅ 4.5/5
Relationships ➷ ✅ 4.5/5

Thank you to the Analeigh Sbrana, Harper Voyager, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.