I found this book to be really interesting and read it so fast!

It combines magical and dystopian elements and creates a world where a little mark on your skin will put you in an inferior class and only the Pure deserve what is best. The twins had pretty sheltered lives, but soon they are forced to face the reality and the story takes a darker turn.

The only problem I had with this book is that at times it felt a bit chaotic and at times I felt a bit lost and had to re-read.

“Remember to look for answers within as well as without” - @joriccioni

This book is Hunger Games meets Fourth Wing (sans dragons) in a Grieshaverse (Leigh Bardugo) type setting. I couldn’t put it down.

Nara and Osha are twins living in the high echelon capital where all the Pure live. They are not “branded”-showing marks on their skin that supposedly make them inferior. The Pure are doted on by “brands” and married off to other Pures to breed strong offspring (love be damned). Osha is skilled at healing while Nara is an exceptional hunter- to the point that they’re both maybe a bit too skilled... She’s grown up with Brim- his uncle is a founding family. She and Osha were taken in to the family after their grandmother was gruesomely murdered.

Nara learns quickly that the station she has lived in is not as it seems. She’s thrust into a situation where she has to trust a “brand”, fight for her freedom, and challenge the beliefs she’s built her life around.

There is a prophecy, adventure, tons of awesome fight scenes, a rich universe to explore, strong kick ass female leads, and romance. Go get this one. Pub date was 6/12. Thanks @netgalley and @angryrobotbooks for this #advancedreaderscopy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#2024bookchallenge54of75
#book63sy2324
#netgalley
#TheBranded

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

This book is the handmaids tale meets acotar and I really enjoyed the concept of all the different communities and how they had all grown up with misconceptions about each other and had to unlearn their biases. Both Nara and Osha are complex well written characters and I lovedddd Nixim as a love interest.

I did however find at some points that the writing was quite messy at points and jumped around a lot which made it difficult to follow what was happening!

This novel combines high stakes, thrilling conflict, and heartfelt romance, all set against a vividly painted backdrop that pulls you in from the very first page.

Nara and Osha are compelling protagonists whose journey is heart-wrenching. The world of Isfalk, with its clear divisions between the Branded and the Pure, is richly detailed and immersive, allowing readers to easily envision the stark contrasts and complex societal structures. Riccioni's descriptions are so vivid, you can almost feel the oppressive air of the citadel and the wild freedom of the Fornwood.

The relationships in The Branded are masterfully crafted, particularly the bond between Nara and Osha. Their loyalty to each other amidst the chaos and their growth as individuals are beautifully portrayed. The introduction of the enigmatic Wrangler adds a layer of mystery and tension, making you question motives and alliances at every turn.

What sets this novel apart is its ability to tackle heavy themes such as gender and class inequality without losing the narrative's pace and excitement. The speculative elements are seamlessly woven into the story, providing thought-provoking commentary on societal structures while keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

The twists and turns in the plot are well-executed, with some revelations being truly jaw-dropping. Riccioni's ability to balance the fast-paced action with deep emotional beats is impressive, ensuring that the story is not only thrilling but also profoundly moving.

The Branded is a five-star read that leaves you eagerly anticipating the next installment. The cliffhangers and unresolved mysteries have me on tenterhooks, impatiently waiting for February to arrive. If you enjoy rich world-building, complex characters, and a narrative that challenges societal norms while delivering an exhilarating adventure, The Branded is a must-read.

Jo Riccioni has crafted a tale that is not only entertaining but also deeply reflective, making it a standout in the speculative fiction genre. I can't wait to see where Nara's journey takes her next.

Thank you to NetGalley and AngryRobot for the opportunity to read this amazing story

I finally finished this and I’m not sure how I feel. It was good, but I had trouble focusing on it. So much coming on, yet nothing. I found it a bit hard to follow.

I may try it again maybe it was just not the right time for it for me.

The Branded follows twin sisters, Nara and Osha, as they are sequestered in the citadel among the unbranded - those who are without the mark of disease. However, Nara soon finds herself on the run joined by Osha traveling to Reis, the city of her family's demise and those supposedly accountable for her grandmother's murder.

Dear Jo, I sincerely need you to send me the ARC of The Rising because I actually cannot wait until February 2025 for the second book to hit the U.S.

This one was a quick read for me and I can contribute that to the compelling storyline. There is fun banter between characters, a love triangle, chapter ending cliffhangers, revealed prophecies, seers, sways, and more. These are all things that I adored throughout the book and was genuinely curious to see where the writing went.

However, on the flip side, there were a few things I wish we had gotten in this book. First being a map! There is so much traveling going on in many different instances that I really think we would have benefitted from one. The second being the world building. There are far too many things over-described multiple times throughout the book & then far too little where I think it should have mattered more.

I also would have appreciated more depth into a few of the side characters or subplots. For instance, a big discovery is that the Council in the Citadel is secretly partaking in trafficking woman to outside parties and throughout the entire book there is talk about how dangerous the outside world is and how cruel some of the men can be. But we don't really see that or come across it through Nara and Osha's journey. There were a few instances where the Wrangler is traveling with Hrossi men and although Nara gets an elbow to the gut one too many times (another thing over-described), that's the extent of their "bad behavior". For a world that is supposed to be cruel and unforgiving, we only see a very brief glimpse of that in Orlath.

Regardless, there's enough for me to want to see this one through and I will be picking up the sequel come February (or if by some miracle I can get my hands on it, earlier!)

I enjoyed this book a lot. The world building is very good and whilst at the beginning I did find the protagonist, Nara, a little annoying she did grow on me by the end of the book. The story focuses on Nara and her twin Osha, who are Pures and so cannot get sick like lower classed Brands. However this means they are essentially treated like breeding mares in their society. I thought the concept was quite interesting and the consequences of being a Pure women were portrayed really well throughout the book.

I would recommend this if you enjoy dystopian fantasy and will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes.

this world and story was magically harrowing. I loved the dystopian and magical elements, with a hint of medieval vibes. If you are a fan of the Handmaids Tale, A Fate Inked in Blood, and the Grishaverse; you will fall in love with this world. Truly a great read.

*thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review*

Nara and Wranglers chemistry literally jumped off the pages!! It took a little bit to get into the story and figure out what was what, but as the characters were introduced and fleshed out and the direction of the story line established, it quickly became a firm favourite!!

Thank you to Angry Robots and Jo Riccioni for this ARC. When I saw this cover, I was immediately drawn in. Add in that it is a fantasy novel centered around two sisters while exploring gender and class wars, and I was hooked.

The world-building was done extremely well in this book, which is what sucked me in. In “Branded,” there are two classes of citizens: Branded and Pure. You would think being a Pure would be super comfy and great, right? Well, it is if you’re a man. Pure Women are politically paired with their husbands and bred to make more Pure children. It gave me super “The Handsmaid’s Tale” vibes, but it is a fantasy world with magic and ancient prophesies.

This pacing is the one thing that stopped this book from being five stars for me. The chapters are super long, which is not my favorite, especially in a fantasy book. There was a lot of world-building and character development, which can be overwhelming when you pair this with longer chapters. I couldn't put this one down once I got to about the 30% part where a major plot twist happens.

The love triangle was unexpected, and I loved it. The banter was supreme, and I wanted to see where it would go. However, it felt like we went straight from enemies to lovers to lust. This book would have benefited from a dual POV to show more of a connection between the Wrangler and Nara.

Overall, I am already waiting for the next part of this duology, which is set to be released in the US in February 2025. If you are looking for a fantasy book that will suck you in until the very last page, try “The Branded.” The reveals and plot twists will certainly keep you guessing.

More of a 3.5, maybe 3.25, rounded up. *spoilers below*

I think this had a lot of interesting elements going for it, but ultimately I found the end result frustrating.

First, the good: I generally like the story about how this entire world has people born branded or unbranded, and how different cultures view the two differently. If the author was going for some sort of allegory with this, I think it may have been a bit muddled in the fact that the branded appear to actually be more sickly, smaller, etc as opposed to just visually different, which would be problematic for a lot of allegories, so I will assume that it is just a fantasy world element. The themes of isolation and propaganda made sense, and I appreciate that while the main character discovered that actually, she has super special powers, she isn't just immediately overpowered. It was actually a little frustrating how often she seemed to forget that she had powers at all.

The not so great: I found a lot of this very predictable and repetitive. I also feel like some of it just didn't make sense. For example, you've got a Mor, a "pure" character who grew up very sheltered in a handmaid's tale type society, who is prejudiced against the branded in the way that basically every single character, including the branded characters, are. She is mean and has very much bought into the propaganda of the society. However, large portions of info that our characters learn about the truth of this society and its awful underbelly also come from this character, who apparently has been listening to everything a servant has been saying in her household for years. Why is it so shocking to her that the society is awful when she is the one telling them all of these secrets?

I also feel like there is a bit of a love triangle being set up but I straight up dislike both (all three, if you count the mole) potential love interests. One is privileged and prejudiced, and in his declaration of love is basically like, "do you know how hard it is for me to love you, given how awful it is that you are branded??" The other is a literal human trafficker who is selling people into slavery, including his potential love interest, and is also already engaged, and is ALSO ignoring her value/super power because she is branded and therefore less than the pure. I like enemies-to-lovers but I draw the line at human traffickers-to-lovers. Also, nearly every description of him includes his mole jumping, twitching, peeking, etc, like, 20+ references to this mole throughout the book. The mole is, to be honest, the only unproblematic love interest.

I also found the main FMC's sister to be a confusing character. I am not sure if we are just supposed to not understand her because our POV is the FMC and she has an incomplete understanding of her twin sister, or if her characterization is just inconsistent. I felt like her love interest is also fairly awful and unforgivable and I don't particularly want to root for that relationship either. Her view of the branded as weak and in need of protection is odd, given that she feels zero of that towards her branded lover but clearly looks down on her sister for it. I also feel like it's very unclear what she knows from their childhood, whether she knew her sister was branded all along and was lying to her, etc.

All in all, even though I have some interest in the magic system and ending, I don't think I would pick up a book 2.

In a world where the population is divided between the Branded, prone to disease and illness, and the physically stronger and healthier ‘Pure’, twins Nara and Osha are rescued by the citadel after their parents’ deaths, and due to their unbranded skin, raised to one day be breed for wealthy families. Their paths diverge early on in the book, and we follow Nara as she discovers her past and her journey through the world she was sheltered from in childhood.

The world building was strong, it isn’t a very long novel so the author does a great job of immersing you quickly into the story, with the plot moving at a good pace. Part of the reason the novel worked well for me is that there wasn’t a huge array of characters, which I can find confuses and bogs down a story if not tightly written. The characters are well rounded and necessary for the development of the novel, with a smattering of a solid love story weaving through but not overwhelmingly the plot.

Interestingly for a fantasy story were the themes on class, gender, politics, and eugenics, with echoes of the ‘handmaidens tale in the role the ‘pure’ women are expected to play in their society. The end is clearly set up for the sequel, which I am keen to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Branded by Jo Riccioni is a first person-POV fantasy set in a dystopian landscape that looks similar to the age of Vikings and the Roman Empire. Nara and her twin sister, Osha, have been living in the Settlement, a community that keeps Mors, women who are not born as a Branded, to become breeding stock to ensure blood purity and keep the going. When Nara is revealed to have a mark of the Branded on her scalp that she didn’t know was there, she’s kicked out and separated from Osha. But she’s not leaving her sister to the Settlement and there’s a lot more under the surface waiting to be exposed.

The Branded has strong allegories for racial purity, white supremacy, isolationism, and why we need to combat them as well as addressing sexism. Nara meets Nixim, a wrangler who is visiting the citadel and she has some prejudices towards him regarding where he comes from and his station. Those same prejudices do come back up when their group comes in contact with the Hrossi, a vaguely German-coded group who are treated as illiterate barbarians. As Nara is exposed to people from other communities, she peels back the prejudice that she learned at the Settlement and is called out for her thought process by Nixim. As Nara and Osha were not originally from the Settlement, but were forest folk who journeyed to the Settlement for safety, it does add a layer of how exposure within a larger community plays a part in our attitudes and prejudices, not only what happens inside the house.

Nara has two love interests: Nixim and Brim, who was born and raised in the Settlement. Brim and Nara have had something boiling for a long time though never fully acted on their feelings because of Brim’s position as a feature heir of the Four Families that founded the Settlement. Nara is aware of his position but constantly pushes back on the classism that keeps them apart. When Nara is pushed out of the Settlement, Brim makes decisions that only drive them further apart and brings Nara closer to Nixim.

Content warning for mentions and brief depictions of sexual assault, slavery, women treated as breeding stock, and racism, sexism, and classism.

I would recommend this to fans of fantasy that take a more intersectional angle to feminism, readers who are looking for a fantasy with a The Handmaid’s Tale bent to it, and those who enjoy fantasies that explore the large world that they’re in.

This was a highly entertaining romantasy it’s the first book in a duet , full of great banter between characters and feisty MC and found family throw in a love triangle and this book has it all!

I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you angry robot and NetGalley

I finished The Branded a few days ago and while I loved it, I’ve been dreading writing this review because there’s so much I want to say and I can’t say it all. I’m going to have to leave some things out and that’s going to be very difficult.

Here we go: I enjoyed the writing and loved every character. We get the most of Nara, as the book is written from her point of view. She can be a bit prickly but she’s got some of that feminine rage I love to see and she’s easy to root for. The world-building is well-done, with a great balance between fantastical elements and believability. There’s some romance, but I wouldn’t say the book is romantasy as it’s more of a side thing.

I love speculative fiction and The Branded speculates in spades. From the control and use of women as breeders to the segregation of the Pure and the Branded, which creates a thought-provoking commentary on societal hierarchies, discrimination, and the value placed on health and strength, the book provides a whole lot to think about in addition to a fantastic adventure.

This book gave me such a hangover. I couldn’t even touch a book the day after I finished it because I simply hadn’t had enough time to process everything yet. The Isfalki women, pampered like princesses so they don’t realize they are just breeding machines expected to pop out a baby a year until they’re no longer able to do so. Nara’s resistance to this way of life and longing to be something more than some random Pure man’s property. The disturbing twist that completely rocked me and highlighted the deep corruption of the leaders of Isfalk. The mysterious motivations of the Wrangler…

There’s a second book, so of course there are a whole lot of unanswered questions I’m looking forward to having answered next year!

What an enjoyable read!! This was a stay up late to just read a little more sort of story and I loved it.

I was immediately taken in by the world building here – a society where disease has created whole new class structures with restricted roles for the ‘pure’ women as communities seek ways to gain strength within this class system. I thought Jo Riccioni did a great job creating this deeply segregated society, which Nara had to break down in her mind as the story progressed. I liked that she continued to be challenged by these ingrained prejudices throughout the book – even though she could see how the things she had been told did not apply to her, she struggled to extend that compassion out to others. I’m not sure I would say she was a very likeable character because of this, but I was fully invested in her journey and am so interested to see the ways in which she still has to change.

I realise I’ve tended away from reading more straightforwardly fantasy books recently, and this has absolutely reignited my interest in them – it was actually really refreshing to read a story where the romance, while important, was not the primary focus of the story. I enjoyed the push and pull between Nara and Nixim, the tension of genuinely not knowing how things are going to work out for them (or who they even really are!). It was interesting to see the contrasts between Nara and her sister, and I wonder as well what will become of their family bond by the time the story concludes.

There is an awful lot left to unravel at the end of the book, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Read ARC - thank you Angry Robot and NetGalley!

Thank you to Angry Robot and Netgalley for the e-ARC of THE BRANDED. This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions based on the advanced digital copy I received.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

THE BRANDED is a fantastic romantic fantasy adventure set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world with a strange virus that almost decimated the human race, curious forbidden magics, and one heck of a strong-willed female lead. It's a fantastic speculative epic fantasy that tackles the important themes of gender inequality, racism, and classism head on.

Nara lives behind walls that keep her isolated from the wider world, in citadel towers that keep her and her twin isolated from The Branded—people who are born with the mark of the disease on their skin. When her world is turned upside down and she's forced to run away, she unwillingly accepts the help of a Branded she knows as The Wrangler, a man from far off lands who seems to hold answers about her and her sister's past and the strange powers they seem to manifest. But in a world where women are traded as cattle, can she really trust him to keep her and her sister safe? Can she really find the answers she seeks from him?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

This was a fun read. I quickly became engrossed in the story, which says alot since I've been <i>very</i> ADHD about my reading lately. There was not a single thought to DNF this book in sight. It hooked me in from the first chapter. I picked this up and was immediately sucked into this new world. The world building is rich and intricate, hinting at secrets waiting to be uncovered across the course of the series. With this being Book 1, the author has done a fabulous job of setting up the world, its rules, its history, and its cultures while also leaving open many questions and curiosities that will keep the reader invested in this series.

The characters are alive, complex, and incredibly well fleshed out. They all have their virtues and vices, their motivations and complications. Nara is a fun character to read. She's written to be feisty and headstrong, single minded in purpose, and bullish in sticking to her goals. Sure, this type of character type is typical for a fantasy female protag, but she's incredibly well written and just fun to watch as she chafes against the expectations placed upon her.

I felt the way inequalities of class and gender, and racism (both internal and societal) were handled beautifully. Not a single one was romanticized and hypocritical and bigoted statements were quick to be pointed out and questioned, and no one was exempt. Even Nara, our main lead, was repeatedly questioned and held to the fire for her racist comments that she would make about those different from her. She was repeatedly forced to re-examine what she had been taught and had to unlearn her prejudices in order for her to begin to gain any kind of peace in regards to her and her sister's predicaments.

What I appreciated even more was how the author chose to dig into the foundations of these societal problems and pointed to "Control". The powerful, those in control, purposefully set classes against one another, ingrain racist beliefs in their civilians upbringings, and cheapen the value of human beings all in order to keep control of those beneath them, to deflect the blame for hunger, sickness, and misery—something that is very reminiscent of our world.

THE BRANDED is smartly written, full of fantastic moments that keep the pages turning and my mind racing with questions. This is an incredible new release from Angry Robot and I'm fully invested in this series!

I was super interested in the concept of this world, and the way their society is separated after a massive global pandemic. The first-person narrative from a person struggling for survival after childhood tragedy and then growing up in an extremely isolated and prejudiced society means that the storytelling is not always entirely likeable, but it IS compelling.

The revelations were gradual enough to provide some surprises throughout. The lead's romantic triangle is suitably melodramatic, and if that makes you roll your eyes then... this will make you roll your eyes. But the greatest compliment I can give this book is how excited for the next book to answer my questions and expand on this world. [my girls better get a happy ending, they have been through A LOT.]

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with a copy of this book after the publishing date.

I had so many issues with this book. The main one, though, is a "me" problem rather than a problem with the book. Generally, when I read a book narrated in the first person I need to be hooked on the story within the first two chapters, unfortunately, it didn't happen.

I also had a very hard time finding anything likable about Nora, and even Osha if I'm honest. I also just didn't enjoy the romantic relationship between Nora and Nixim. Even the premises of a relationship between Osha and Haus just didn't do it for me, it felt flat.

I did, however, enjoy the world-building and the premises of this universe. I also enjoyed the political intrigue in this story.

Regardless of how much I enjoyed this world and the political aspect of the story, I just do not care enough about the characters or the writing style to continue this story.

3.5 stars rounded up

I'm rounding this one up because I liked the premise of it so much. It's kind of Handmaid's Tale and very dystopia where Pure women are treated as breeders for more Pure children to become guards and breeders for civilisation. The branded are more prone to disease, while the Pure are immune. It's a cool concept, and I like the gender issues at play here.

I also like the hints of magic that we get as the main character begins to learn about her own magic. I'm looking forward to seeing this develop.

However, the many descriptions of the mole was really annoying. I feel like this could be a meme, kind of like braid tugging in Wheel of Time.

The love triangle was also annoying, and I found the original love interest to be very annoying. I'm not sure what the MC ever saw in him.