First of all, thank you NetGalley and DL Grant, LLC for letting me read the book.

The book basically talked about the love between an Elf, Ravi, and a human, Yazmin.
Yazmin escaped Shaldorn, a fortress you can only enter by invitation. She escaped and came to Rannora where she helped 6 human children escape their elf parents and raised them. The DIA (not entirely sure what that is exactly) took her and told her she can escape imprisonment if she led Ravi to Shaldorn. She gave her word and agreed. For about 200 pages it talks about their travel up the mountains alone to Shaldorn. I stopped at page 200, the book wasn't my kind of style and I couldn't read it any further. It had no plot twists (which I like) and focused on their romance. Anyways, if you like romance, enjoy. If you like an exciting plot, I wouldn't recommend this to you.

3.25 ⭐️

I liked this one but it was so slow that it left me so uninterested at times. I liked the FMC, I liked her a lot. The romance is slow burn too you don’t really see any romance until the very end of the book. I was interested in the story itself but I didn’t get on well with the writing style, it felt quite choppy in parts which left me really uninterested and I did consider DNFing at some points. I would probably revisit this at some point and try again to see if I feel different about it.

ARC review - DNF at the 35% mark. I really really really wanted to like this story and I think it has tremendous potential. However, I think the writing style feels a bit disconnected from any emotion. I’m reading that she’s sad about leaving the kids and that she’s afraid, and yet I FEEL nothing about this. I don’t get those emotions from the characters because of the lack of depth.

I think this is supposed to be a romance fantasy and yet so far there is barely any relationship between the two characters and I felt a better chemistry between her and the stones.

I think eventually I may come back to finish it but right now I just think it’s too slow paced for me to get into. This far into the book it’s basically just some very tense camping and mentioning constantly that they don’t trust each other.

An elf and a human has to put their mutual animosity aside and face the horrors of their past in this magical tale.

Rising Sun is the first book in a new series about the elves on Zora that we first met in Dragon Lover (book 5 of the Dragon Kings series). I don’t know why I’m still surprised by the way that Donna Grant can create new characters and new plot lines in this super extensive universe that is already teeming with so many interesting characters and events.

Yasmin had a very traumatic past that was revealed in bits and pieces and showed her phenomenal fortitude. Ravi was an intriguing mixture of hard and soft. He had to be hard because of his job as spy, but he was very solicitous of Yasmin almost right from the start. Both had to let go of their race-based preconceived notions about each other.

Ravi and Yasmin’s journey to stop a war was fraught with nail-biting danger interspersed with moments of exquisite beauty and tenderness.
The elven world and culture seemed multi-faceted and interesting and I am excited to read more about them. And, as usual, the author very cleverly sprinkled subtle hints around at the end about what may be coming next.

I can highly recommend this entire universe of books if you like shifters, fae, elves, magic, thrilling action, and steamy romance. You can start with this book and this series, or go back and discover the magic of Donna Grant’s Dark World.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am loving this new series and can't wait for more. Donna Grant did it again by bringing us great characters and exciting stories.

NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL A WELL-DONE ROMANTIC FANTASY!!! This was my first time ever reading Donna Grant and it will certainly not be my last!!

In Rising Sun, we meet Yasmin, the strong, selfless and brave human with a sassy attitude. After being caught stealing, she is forced to help Ravi, a broody sun elf find passage into the fortress of Shaldorn, a place from her worst nightmares. Tropes include:

- one tent
- forced proximity
- enemies to lovers
- elves vs humans
- found family
- trauma rep

I was immediately hooked when I started listening to my advanced reader copy. The banter between Ravi and Yasmin was so well done, and I loved the gradual development of their relationship moving from enemies to friends to lovers. Though their love story is a highlight, it is second to the plot line in the book. Yasmin’s background story and the secrets within the fortress had my heart aching. Watching Ravi finally overcome his prejudice and open his eyes was such beautiful character growth (which is always an important factor in my 5 star picks).

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review. All ratings and opinions are entirely my own, and trust me when I say you want to check this new fantasy romance out!

I don't know where to begin.
This book consumed my mind the whole week.
I'm having a hard time moving on.
When I first read the first 10 chapters, I admit I was close to dnf'ing this book because it was so slow and nothing was happening.
I didn't even have any idea that it was a freaking slow burn 🤦‍♀️
But let me tell you, good thing I didn't stop because, HOLY MOLY!
The slow burn is burning soooo scorching hawt!
The tension between Ravi and Yasmin is off the charts! like jeeeeeez! my gosh!
And the spice?! *chef's kiss* it was divine!
Another thing is that I thought this was just another romantasy book about elves and fighting and all that, but hell, I did not expect this to be a dark, high romantasy book, and thats what caught my attention.
The writing style is impeccably good.
This is my first time reading from Donna Grant, and I'M A FAN!

I gave this book 3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Net Galley and DL Grant LLC for the ARC of this book. These are my honest opinions.

Rising Sun is a high fantasy with dragons, elves and a magic system. It’s an angsty slow burn, enemies to lovers romantasy.

The FMC is relatable, so I was rooting for her. She is forced to do the one thing she never wanted to do. This leads to high stakes and a fast pace.

It was a little slow to start and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it when it started with describing the different elf “varieties”? But, it quickly picked up the pace and I was invested.

It ends on a cliffhanger and is book one in a series…

What a good time this book was! It's got a slow but steady pace and plenty to keep you interested. If you're familiar with and enjoy DG books, you'll dig this one too! If you're new to DG, hang in there and enjoy! Solid 4 stars. Looking forward to more.

This was a great read for the first book in a fantasy series. I honestly haven't read a lot of fantasy involving elves, so it was fun to learn more about these magical creatures. This story lead Yasmin & Ravi on an exhilarating quest. Yasmin, a human who seriously hates elves, is forced to lead Ravi, an elf not super fond of humans, to a top secret place of debauchery - a place she barely escaped with her life. They're on a mission to break in, retrieve a weapon that is intended to be used against the elves and get out alive without being caught.

It's an exciting adventure with some interesting world building. The character development is solid. It was heartwarming to see Yasmin open up to Ravi and Ravi fall for her once he begins to understand her more. Yasmin is a very strong FMC. She has been through some incredibly horrific things, but still opened her heart to take in and care for abandoned and abused human children, kept her word on the mission regardless of having several opportunities to attempt an escape and faced her trauma head on like an absolute bad@ss.

Rising Sun by Donna Grant is the first book in the Elven Kingdoms series. This is an enemies to lovers fast-paced fantasy book. I had a lot of fun reading this book. This was the first book I read by Donna Grant and it definitely won't be my last!

The characters are very likeable. I really loved Yasmin. She was a strong badass FMC and I loved how she overcame her past trauma. Ravi was amazing. He was protective, strong, and mysterious. This duo was so much fun! Yasmin and Ravi are forced to work together to stop a terrorist threat from starting a war with the dragons. They absolutely hate each other in the beginning. Throughout their mission, they begin to realize that their assumptions of each other were wrong. I loved watching their relationship progress from enemies to unlikely friends to lovers.

This story had me hooked from the beginning. This was action packed and kept me engaged. The world building and magic system were easy to understand. The third act break up wasn't my favorite but I understand why the author did it. Overall, this was a great fun read! I recommend this book to anyone who wants an enemies to lovers fast paced fantasy book.

Thank you @dgauthor and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I truly enjoyed this book and hope there will be more in this world soon.

P.S. Hoping to see more of Dain

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

HAPPY READING

Thank you NetGalley, DL Grant, LLC and Donna Grant for allowing me to read the ARC of "Rising Sun" in exchange for an honest review.


It was my first book by Donna Grant and I was left blown away, this book did not disappoint. Great world building and introduction into it without rush. I felt like Grant did ease the reader into it without overwhelming them and allowed them room to process and grasp the species playing in it ( absolutely LOVED the little info at the beginning regarding this with explanation of each elf species and their common traits) , the political stances and the conflics reigning in the fictional world we were about to enter.

The main plot of this series is a quest our FMC has to take upon herself with the help of the MMC, a quest full of danger of course for the greater good, a quest that does bring both to their limits, catapulting our heroine into her traumatic past and has her face her demons.

This book had it all for me, a lot of action, a lot of funny banter, enemies to lovers, slow burn and just the right sprinkle of spice.

I could say that the end might did seem a bit rushed up from its pace than prior, however, I did not really mind and it did not make the read any less enjoyable.

If you are a fan of Thrones of Glass, THIS might be something you can find yourself liking as well. A fan for every fantasy reader, that is for sure.

Gosh, I love this authors writing. I love these elves, can’t wait for the next book. When a human and a elf set out to recover a device meant to kill dragon kings, they face more then they expected. Can Yasmin return to a place of terror to help Ravi complete his mission?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of Donna Grant and I’ve enjoyed all of her books in the past. I find no matter which series you read and wherever you start, each book and story can stand on its own.
For once, I actually started at the beginning of a series, and even though it took a bit to get into, I enjoyed it in the end. I found that there was almost too much explaining and detail at the beginning and not enough story, but as the novel progressed, it evened out and I was able to focus more on the characters. love how she’s able to link all her worlds together and I’m excited to see where this one goes.
Looking forward to the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley & DL Grant for this advanced copy.

Rising Sun is an enemies-to-lovers, heist escapade set in a fantasy world, with lots of political intrigue & world-building. I really enjoyed a lot about this book. Yasmine’s trauma & backstory were well-written, and enjoyed the development of her character. I liked the magic system with the different elves & thought the supporting characters were interesting!

The pacing was a bit too fast for my personal taste, and as a result, I felt that I struggled to suspend disbelief in regards to the main characters’ relationship. I also felt as if I was ‘told’ a bit too much about the characters’ feelings, rather than shown.

Very fun read though!

Rising Sun has a compelling story that had me interested in what was to come. Set in a fantasy world where humans and elves coexist within a realm, the story follows a female human and male elf. The third person POVs jumped back and forth between the two characters.

Yasmin is captured by the DIA, a seemingly governmental faction similar to real-world CIA. She is forced to help the elf, Ravi, to complete his mission, as she is the only living being who has ever escaped the compound where he must retrieve a bomb. The DIA became aware of the bomb that would put them at war with the neighboring Dragon faction. Yasmin and Ravi must work together to neutralize the problem, but first need to travel by foot to the location. Yasmin has a severe distrust of elves from her past. It is revealed throughout their journey to the compound how Yasmin was abused by her former elf family and captors. In the beginning, Ravi doesn't trust her because he likes to work alone and has been betrayed in the past. I am unsure why Ravi dislikes humans so much other than an overlying arc of elf-to-human racism that is present for the entirety of the text. Through circumstances that brought them together during their journey, they do actually come together in the end.

While the storyline is interesting and kept me wanting to know more, I had a difficult time with the writing style. The sentence structure was very choppy and leaned on telling rather than showing. There was a lot of "and then, and then, and then" feelings when I was reading. I felt like I was being taken through their motions, but not actually gaining any insight. I could not tell you what Yasmin looks like aside from blue eyes and dark hair. At one point, it is said that she is attractive, but I didn't see any other evidence to show this. Based on each character's past, I found it difficult to believe that these two characters would actually fall for one another. I believe the whole timeframe spans about two weeks. It was difficult to follow the timeline as scenes jump around and then slow down to more detail. ...detail that didn't really tell or show me anything.

Unfortunately, I really struggled to finish this book even though I was interested in this story.

An action packed enemies to lovers, with secrets and so, so many layers.

We are following (mostly) Yasmin and Ravi as they are thrown together to work on a mission to prevent a war. They not only have to brave the dangerous trek to an elusive fortress but they also have to find a way to overcome their prejudices towards each other and work together to survive.

Yasmin is my kind of FMC. She is strong, she is smart, kind and brave. She has been dealt an awful hand in life but she still digs into herself to find bravery in the most unselfish ways.

Ravi is stubborn, closed off, and prefers to not get close to anyone ...until a certain inky haired human enters his life and threatens to make those hard built walls crumble down.

I loved getting to read through this adventure with these two. The way that they pushed each other and talked to each other made it so easy to get absorbed into that world.

The magic system is really cool. I like the different kinds of elves, and how their magic comes into play. Additionally, I found the politics and dynamics with humans to be very unique, and I hope we get to see more of that as we continue in this series.

This story was fast paced, steamy, gasp-worthy...all of the things that make up a great Romantasy novel.

Overall: highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for the free E-ARC! This was a great, action-packed romantasy. Slow burn, enemies to lovers, with forced proximity and high tension? Yes please. Also the spice? Immaculate. My anxiety was in overdrive as the main characters navigated extremely dangerous situations, but I could not stop reading. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy and/or romance. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

A new elf book?! Say no more!

Yasmin is in a tough place after being caught stealing, she either faces prison or she has to take an elf to the place of her nightmares.

This is an enemies to lovers fantasy and I loved it! The two characters had so much chemistry despite her absolutely hating him and his kind in the beginning.

I’m really looking forward to the rest of this series! It drew me in quick and I was sad to be finished!

Yasmin was such great FMC, her devotion to those she cares about is truly unmatched.

If you’re looking for a new fantasy book - read this!

Thank you NetGalley and Donna Grant for this book in exchange for an honest review!

The tension in this book. I am deceased. This was a seriously good slow burn with all the tension and stolen touches (my fav). I think this has the potential to be such a good series.

I also love the Elven magic and cannot wait to hear more about each sect of Elves and their capabilities.

Thank you again to Tantor, Donna Grant and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I received an ARC of this book and I'm leaving my review voluntarily and honestly