The Branded by Jo Riccioni was a title that I was very excited to read. The sisterly relationship, combined with societal differences found in the form of sickness and health really intrigued me. Unfortunately I didn't connect with the writing style as much as I has liked, and I found myself having no interest with Osha or Nara, or any of the other characters. I really loved the premise of the sick and the healthy being separated (almost like the rich and wealthy are separated in life experiences today), however, I don't believe I will be continuing the series at this time.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

DNF at 13 %. It's not you, it's me.

Well…this was disappointing. In this book we follow the story of two sisters, Nara and Osha. How they ended up in the citadel, their abilities, the mysteries of their past, their journey escaping the citadel, etc. The premise sounded good…the execution unfortunately was not.

This book is written in first person point of view, in Nara’s. I found Nara to be annoying, reckless, immature, closed minded, and overly angsty. She’s so full of prejudice and hatred to the point it makes it unbearable. On one hand, she grew up in the citadel where everyone was fed lies and prejudice about others on a silver spoon but on the other, wake up and smell the hayseeds. Not everyone in the citadel was like that though, just her. Her sister was the polar opposite. I liked Osha, her kindness and down to earth nature was refreshing! As for Nara, I can understand being so closed minded you can’t see five feet in front of you in the beginning, but towards the middle, the ending…come on, grow up. It was the same. She is probably the most annoying character I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about, This makes for a quite unpleasant reading experience since you’re stuck in her point of view the whole book. I truly believe this book would have benefited immensely from multiple points of view. Being stuck only with Nara and her mind was a very unpleasant experience I would very much love to forget.

Speaking of unpleasant, I found the writing overall to be unpleasant. The pacing moves slower than a snail trying to climb Mount Everest. It didn’t slow. The plot itself I found to be boring. There were quite a few typos in the book. The authors attempt at using profanity in this book…”fecking”???? Someone please gouge my eye out, I beg of you. You couldn’t come up with something more creative? Or less…annoying? Absolutely zero character development (the only exception being Brim, not a lot) which I find a real feat given the events taking place. The writing overall was just generally lackluster and poor.

The romance was poorly written and planned out. I didn’t buy the romance between Nara and Nixon…I felt zero chemistry between the two and they just didn’t seem like a good match overall. The only romance I liked was Osha, who carried the book by the way, and Haus. Which you don’t see much of since it’s only written in Nara’s POV.

By the end of the book I was still left wondering a lot about the primary male love interest- very little questions and background information was revealed about him, in my opinion at least. I was still left wondering who he really is and what his intentions were. I had more questions by the end of the book than I had answers. It also ended in an abrupt way, it wasn’t a cliffhanger per se but not enough for me to be interested in how this mess ended. I’ve read worse but I’ve read much better.

Two stars for coming up with the idea and Osha deserves credit for her back pain. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

Where do I even start with this book.

I was honestly not remotely prepared for what I read, and I mean that in the best way possible. I can say through all the different fantasy-magic-system books I've read, The Branded truly is one on its own. I've honestly never read anything like it, and I loved every second of it. I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy and have it sitting on my shelf very soon.

The world building is honestly incredible in this book. We are taken on a journey that starts slow, and I believe the slow start in this story really sets are understanding for the events that unfold within this book. We meet two sisters who are twins, Nara and Osha who are completely polar opposites from each other. They end up Inside the walls of Isfalk thanks to Brim's father, who rescued them after an attack at their home, with them being the only survivors. The sisters become known as 'Mor' women - women who are 'pure' and will become part of the regime to populate the world and free it from disease and despair. We learn that the world has harmed by a plague by those who 'branded' (known from the distinctive brand markings on their body), who are associated with sickness and disease and left in poverty to fend for themselves. This immediately sets the scene of the divide - the haves, and the have-nots.

Inside the walls of Isfalk, Nara, feels contained and stifled. The idea of becoming married, having a child, and part taking in what she sees no little more than a 'breeding programme' fills her with fear and her desire to escape brews every single day. She pushes the boundaries constantly. Her rocky friendship with Brim is often tested as he refuses to see the bigger picture and only his duty to Isfalk. As an heir, and one of the strongest families Brim wants to give himself to the regime as much as some of the Mor women.

Her sister Osha, is a herbalist and has an unmatched skill with learning how to make medicines - her path, feeling very different from Nara - she believes, or so it seems in this way of life. The 'giving back to the Mother' as they call it.

That is until the cracks begin to form in Isfalk, not everything is as it seems and when Nara has no choice but to go on the run, the time comes for those closest to her to pick a side. As the sisters dig deeper to find out the true meaning of their history, what really happened to their family, the lines between truth and stories begin the blur. The sisters both know learning the dark secrets of Isfalk will come at a price.

Our introduction of The Wrangler, really allows us to ask questions about WHO the branded are, the state of the world and it's affairs. This is the slowest of the slowest burn romance, but you will not be disappointed with the will-they-won't-they banter that really had me rooting for them the entire time. Nothing, once again is as it seems - and believe me, you'd probably want to right hook him a little too and hug him straight after. I never stopped swooning about this man.

The characters all have a depth to them, I felt I really got to know them throughout this read and I honestly felt for Brim at multiple points, when all you've known is duty it's a tough one. Still, I'd choose the wrangler. The plot completely keeps you on your toes, and you'll find yourself wincing like ARRRRGH at times - but honestly, it's so so worth it. Jo really touches on some delicate topics, addressing sexism, prejudice and classism. There is so much depth to this book overall. It's one of the best reads I've had in ages.

I'm so frustrated that I've got to wait till next year because I'm a UK girly, but thank you so much again NetGalley for this arc. My heart has been trampled but my faith still remains solid that things can come good after this read. I can't wait to be reunited with them all in The Rising when it's released in February 2025.

I am... on the fence about this book.

On the one hand, I LOVED the aspect of mixing together stories like The Handmaid's Tale with other dystopian stories like The Hunger Games (yes, I know there's no nationwide culling of children put into an arena to kill each other but YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN). The main characters were interesting, and I was excited to see where it went. However, as the story went on there were a LOT of things that started to annoy me, so I will list both the pros and cons.

PROS:
- Like I said, interesting concept. While we've had SO many stories containing "chosen ones" and dystopian societies, this one just felt a little different to me (or maybe I just haven't read it's duplicate yet).
- The plot kept me interested and I definitely want to pick up the second book to see what happens after everything I witnessed in book one.
- Osha: we all know I'm a sucker for an actually NICE character, and she was a delight to read about.

CONS:
- If I never have to read another book where the main love interests keep calling each other by stupid nicknames, I'll have died and gone to heaven because that will never happen. Consistently calling each other "Wrangler" and "Little Scourge" were the bane of my existence and made me want to put down the book on a number of occasions.
- The ending for Osha... you'll know when you get to it, but I'm so mad. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN GOING INTO IT BUT BECAUSE IT CAME FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE, I'M JUST MAD NOW.
- Nara, Wrangler, and her other man (I literally already forget his name oops) were all insufferable to read about 90% of the time. I didn't care for any of the romance between any of them, I only cared about Osha's romance!!

Overall, a pretty basic story but I'd say still worth your time, at least for listening to the audiobook while doing other things.

The Branded is a fantasy book by Jo Riccioni. It is the first book of a duology and will be released in the U.S. on June 11, 2024.
We aren’t huge romance fans over here at Frivolous but we ended up enjoying this book despite the romantic bits. The main concept behind the book is that some people are more resistant to disease, the “pure,” and others have inky blue markings on their body which "brands" them as more prone to disease. In this era of COVID, it's interesting to explore a world in which people who are resistant to disease are seen as higher class, or royalty. Since resistance to disease is hereditary, women are prized as breeders, bringing some gender issues into play. 
The setting seems to be modeled after a nordic medieval kingdom, which is post an apocalyptic event which they call “The Great Malady.” It’s unclear to us if “The Great Malady" is just the advent of the “Brume,” (which is another name for the brandings that mark some as susceptible to disease), or if there was another element to this world racking event. This might be intentionally ambiguous, to be explored more in the second book.
As opposed to some other books in this genre we’ve read recently, the characters are easy to distinguish between. Nara, the main character, is fighting for survival and sometimes wants or needs to make slightly selfish choices. This makes her a more realistic character than her twin sister, Osha, who tends to be pretty much perfect. The romantic rivals are a bit typecast, but as we said, that part is not the reason the book kept our interest.
A few of the things we particularly enjoyed were:
• The world building. Seeing how the branding divides the population and society is organized around keeping disease at bay. It’s about what matters more, freedom or being safe. Some of the characters are forced to grapple with how to reconcile their beliefs when they realize the political views they’ve been fed for their whole lives are unjust. 
• The elements of magic are artfully presented by the author. Nara is discovering magic and the existence of her own magical skills along with the reader in a way which makes it seem more natural. 
Two of the main issues we had with the book were
• The end was rather abrupt, as if we just read the first half of one long book
• far too many mentions of one character's mole.
This was a fun, quick read that also poses some thought provoking concepts. We think this would be a great read for people who enjoy books like The Grace Year, Six of Crows, Iron Flame or Hunger Games. There is also a potential twist that we are excited about, although, as writers ourselves our minds are often thinking of unexpected turns that don’t come to fruition. So don’t quote us on that. We’re looking forward to the next book to find out!
[TW for book: sexual assault]

Thank you to Angry Robot for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are our own.

It was the book cover that first drew my attention to the book, I think it looks very mysterious and hints at a darkness.

The book centres on a place called Isfalk, a place of relative safety, which is made up of the branded & unbranded. In this case the unbranded are viewed as pure, they descend from four main families. These unbranded individuals are to be taken care of at all costs, especially the women referred to as the “Mor” as they represent the future, as they are the ones that will breed and make sure their civilisation continues. The branded however are seen as “less than”, they have the “brand” on their skin, in varying degrees. They are also more susceptible to illnesses, especially the brume. The branded are the servants that do all the work considered beneath the Unbranded. The branded live outside the inner Citadel in Isfalk in rundown homes and try to eke out an existence barely getting by, scavenging for food and resources.

The two main female characters are Nara & Osha, two sisters brought up by their grandmother, Amma until the day men came to their home living out in the wilds and burnt their home down and murdered their grandmother. She had always taught them that if anything happened to her, they should head to Isfalk, to a man named Larrs Oskarsson who would take care of them. When they arrived at Isfalk they were examined and proven to be unbranded, pure and so as they were considered Mor they were admitted to the Citadel and schooled in the way of the Isfalk and adopted their ways and culture. Though Nara & Osha are twins and it is said their faces mirror each other, they are really quite different.

Osha has a fuller figure, is taller, and is easy going and pliable, Nara is smaller, lean, has her own mind and opinion on everything and doesn’t really care to keep quiet about it. Their Amma (grandmother) nicknamed Nara Narkat, which in their solitary dialect means something small, wild & fierce, she taught Nara to hunt and survive.
Amma taught Osha how to help women deliver babies, stop inner bleeding, treat yellow blush & even how to bring back a “blue born”(branded babies). Amma taught Osha about Fornwood herb, lore and healing arts.

Both young women rebel in their own ways, Nara escapes the confines of the Citadel and practices fighting, goes hunting and collect herbs and plants for Osha to make her remedies from. Osha takes risks making her remedies and researches the old apotheka books by Fenderhilde. Osha reads about what Fenderhilde knew about the Brume. He talks about shielding the branded infants by having them drink the blood of the pure to give them immunity! Osha wants to find a cure for the brume one day to give to everyone. These pursuits are forbidden at Isfalk, the Mor are expected to be paired with an unbranded male and have a child every year for the rest of their child bearing years, the idea of which Nara abhors.

The sister’s best friend in Isfalk is Brim Oskarsson, the nephew of Lars. Brim has grown up with the girls, secretly teaching Nara how to fight and covering for her when she sneaks away from Isfalk on her hunting trips. However, as they are all older, with Brim now being a Warder Captain it is his job to guard the Mor and Isfalk he tries to get Nara to promise not to sneak off anymore, saying he cannot cover for her, despite him having romantic feelings for her. Brim is being groomed to take on the duty of his family as an Oskarsson, one of the four founding ones, things are changing for him whether he likes it or not.

When things take a really bad turn, the girls find themselves captured to be sold to the head of the Orlathon’s they are now on the outside, away from the protection of Isfalk and relying on a strange branded male known as the Wrangler for help and a Reis Chief. To further complicate matters the Reis Chief Haus is fascinated by Osha and Nara can’t help having feelings for the Wrangler. Both sisters have to use their individual gifts and strengths to survive what is ahead.

So much happens in this book, there so many twists and turns. Things the sisters think they know about that are spun on their head. The secrets around the necklaces the sisters have always treasured and then the pattern on the coin that Nara is given.
I enjoyed the different proverb like lines within the book, such as 'Good pairings rely on good reputations' and the school creed that the Unbranded have to recite three times a day of "Through pairing & progeny to purpose.” Theres some amazing characters in the book from the main ones of Osha, Nara, Wrangler, Brim and Haus.

I could go on and on about this book and its characters but really shouldn’t as I do not want to give away too many spoilers. I’m really bursting to say more but won’t. I will just list a few of the other really interesting characters such as the sinister Mother Iness, Father Ulaf, Frida, and Frenka.

I adored all the different romantic scenarios of Nara & Brim? Osha & Brim? Wrangler/Nixim & Nara? Osha & Haus? Then there’s the “big cryptic prophecy” that the Wranglers people, the Reis believe in. There’s the mystery of the real reason of who killed Amma and why. There’s also the question of how Lars Oskarrson is caught up in it all, and the secrecy surrounding Nara & Osha's gifts & the identity of their parents.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were Wow! Loved it! Can't wait to read more.

Summing up I really enjoyed discovering the different cultures and traditions Isfalki - Pure/Brand, Orlathon and Reis. I also loved all the Romance......the different pairings that were more like triangles! And all the switching round! I seriously cannot wait to read The Rising!!

"Isfalk is divided into two classes – the Branded, who are vulnerable to disease, and the Pure, who are bigger, stronger and immune. Orphaned twins Nara and Osha are sequestered in the citadel, where their unbranded skin entitles them to a life of privilege, but as precious breeding stock. Nara itches to escape her confines and return to the wilds of the Fornwood where she and her sister grew up, but when she is forced to run, she discovers there's much more at stake than her own life. The Branded are on the rise, and the girls are caught up in prophecies that foretell of a savior who can realign the world."

Trigger warnings for this book include death, slavery, rape, SA, violence, kidnapping and emotional abuse.

I absolutely loved this book, I feel I'm starting to really enjoy sister duos in novels. The world building was very well crafted, given that the sisters were sheltered and their educated carefully tailored we get to learn about the world alongside them.

Okay I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the slow build up, learning more about their past and overcoming built in beliefs. It explores themes of feminism, class, identity all packed into a journey of self-discovery and survival.

There were lots of interesting and individual side characters, I feel this book has really set itself up well for the books to come. It has certainly snagged me, and I'm intrigued as to what will happen with all the characters at the end of the book.

I will say I think the sisters relationship/dynamic could have been better, whilst they were very protective of each other they came off as distant, not wanting to share everything with each other. I feel in the start this relationship should have been built up more in the beginning to make the readers more connected with Osha.

I thoroughly enjoyed the romance, I love a good slow burn and boy oh boy the tension was just *chefs kiss*. The banter, the hidden appreciation of each other and the protectiveness made me zoom through this book in the hopes of more romance.

I give this book four out of five stars. I would recommend this for older readers, as it does explore adult themes, readers who enjoy fantasy stories with prophecies and magical abilities will enjoy this. I found the book quite digestible, so readers wanting to get into the fantasy space may also enjoy this. There were some typos and proofreading issues that I noticed, so I can't give it a full five stars for this book.

This story was bleak but interesting. I really like both sisters for different reasons, i do however hate how traditional and archaic the theme of gender roles are in this book but it fits the story and adds higher stakes. I look forward to the next book to explore more of this world and what will happen to the sisters, there’s so much more to find out!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Branded read like a Handmaid's Tale, but in a more fantasy based world. I really enjoyed the fresh take that the author had on a realistic possibility. It was imaginative and intricate. I did kind of hate the MC, but I guess we can't love them all! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads. 3.75 Stars

Decent story, wonderfully crafted world. I love a basic fantasy and feel like this is a light read between high fantasy without going full ya

Unfortunately, I don’t enjoy first person perspectives often. I have to be hooks pretty early in and that wasn’t the case here. I didn’t care about our MC, which is a bummer when you’re in her head.

I really liked this book - it has a novel and different magic system and social organisation. I liked Nara from the start, and was rooting for her all throughout. She has her flaws, but they just made her feel more real to me. At the start I wanted to have Osha's POV, but felt that it wasn't needed as the book went on. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I wasn't a big fan of Osha, but I guess that might change. I enjoyed the banter between Nara and the Wrangler, although I did feel that the romance appeared a little bit out of nowhere, and I might have enjoyed it a bit more if it were a slower burn.

I really enjoyed the world building and learning about the magic system, as well as the story behind the Branded and Pures. I mostly enjoyed the plot, although it was a bit predictable at times. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more by the Wastelanders, but I felt like that part and the ending was a bit rushed and anticlimactic. I am interested to learn more about the Reis in the next book, so I'll definitely continue the series!

Thank you to Jo Riccioni, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of this book!

I actually really enjoyed this one, the story was fresh and unique the world building understandable. However I had one major thing I could not let go of, for a book set what feels like a high fantasy era the dialogue was very juvenile and too over modern and didn’t fit the setting or tone and I just couldn’t get past it so it took away from a lot of the enjoyment as it didn’t make the story feel believable.

There is a strong Handmaid's Tale vibe to this, and I felt that there was a lot of repetition with the odd "get on with it" moment, and obvious character strands that could have been a lot more sophisticated in their development. Nara is a very frustrating lead! Having said all that the world-building was intricately done and engaged interest, and some of the action was quite intense. I would read more set in this world. If you are looking for truly innovative plot themes and dynamite characters, then look elsewhere. If you want an undemanding summer read and like discovering debut writers, then this will do nicely!

The Branded was FANTASTIC!
I am always looking for fresh and new ideas in fantasy since I’ve read so much of it, and this one definitely satisfied that itch.
A unique world and religious system, a mysterious disease, a magic that isn’t entirely clear, and characters that are very different but work well together made this a novel I could not put down.
Very, very pleased with this and I am desperately scrambling to try and find the next one!

This is such an intricate story, vivid and filled with depth. As a reader, you remain on the edge of the unknown and every revelation feels like actuality. A history you wouldn’t rewrite to avoid forsaking the future.

I found myself so invested in almost every character, particularly the twins and their lovers. And what a world, the author built an incredible backdrop for this story. It feels wholly new but also easy to understand and envision.

I can’t wait to see what comes next.

While this book has some more generic tropes, it does it in an interesting way that doesn't bore the reader. I was instantly hooked to the story, even though the author sometimes is a bit too obvious with taking the reader's hand and guiding them through the story. But since this book is a debut novel, I can't fault the author too much for that. Their next book will most probably be better.

My main complaint of this book is that I absolutely detested the main character. Believe me, I am all for annoying and flawed characters, but Nara didn't seem to learn from any of her mistakes or experiences, but rather continued doing the same thing over and over again. I missed the character growth which should have at least been a little bit present after all the character went through. But nope, there was absolutely none. Hopefully the sequel will show an improved side of her, because right now it isn't as entertaining to follow someone who is so racist to her potential love interest.

Yet, I do feel like this book and author are worth the read. The idea of the book is good, although not necessarily new, and the book is entertaining. Sometimes it is worth it to detest the main character, but if you are someone who solely reads for the characters... than this isn't the book for you. If you are a plot driver reader? Sure, you can pick it up!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is complicated for me. I really enjoyed parts of it, and thought some parts were a little slow.

The plot is pretty interesting, a speculative fiction almost. I enjoyed the beginning and the end well enough, but the middle was a bit dull for me. I would expect this from a fantasy series that has a lot more to do, but this is a duology, so I expected a bit faster paced. That being said, I was constantly wondering what would happen next. I live a very busy lifestyle through the warmer months, so it’s hard for me to sit and read hours on end when it’s pretty outside and I work 60 hour weeks. All things considered, I did really enjoy the plot (minus the middle bit).

The characters are interesting and don’t fall flat; Nara’s spunk almost gets annoying by the end, but thank goodness she gives in. Both male love interests have pros and cons, but I’m solidly Wrangler. I appreciate the realism of the characters and how difficult it is for them to accept some things indoctrinated into them from a young age. I’m curious to see how this continues in the next book.

I enjoyed this book overall, but it did drag for me through the middle 25%. In an epic fantasy series, it would’ve been well placed and understood for exposition purposes, but considering the duology aspect, I feel as though it could’ve moved just a little faster. I definitely want to read the second one, I’m very curious to see where this goes. 3.75⭐️ overall

3.5 stars

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for my digital review copy

This book starts with us thrown in the deepend of the setting and world (as many good fantasy books do). I loved slowly piercing together what living in the world was like.

The setting itself is a high fantasy, where there are levels o society depending on if you were born with a mark (a branding) or not and society prefers people who are pure.

This felt very reminiscent of "The Handmaiden's Tale", due to how pure women are treated as a commodity and required to give birth to the next generation.

In this book, we follow Nara - a girl who doesn't want to be part of the system. Nara is an angry character; she's constantly rebelling against what she is supposed to do. It was fun to follow her and see how she adapted to what challenges were thrown her way.

The emphasis on the bond between Nara and Osha was one of the core relationships in this book and watching their relationship change through the book was interesting. There is also a slow-burn romance with Nara, and I did enjoy seeing this develop over the course of the book.

An issue I have is the ending. It ends on a quite abrupt cliffhanger that had me going "wait, there's not more?" when the next page was the acknowledgements. Given the plot points that were left open by the final chapters, I'm intrigued to see how this will play out in the second book. There also wasn't much development in the magic of the world and I hope that is expanded on in the sequel.