I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone.

Rising Sun marks the captivating beginning of Donna Grant’s Elven Kingdoms series, seamlessly blending high fantasy, romance, and a touch of intrigue. Set in a richly imagined world populated by various elf factions and humans, this story hooks readers with its atmospheric setting, dynamic characters, and thrilling plot.

The novel centers on Yasmin, a human woman haunted by a traumatic past, and Ravi, a stoic Sun Elf on a mission to retrieve a dangerous device tied to Yasmin’s history. Forced to work together under perilous circumstances, their journey unfolds across treacherous mountains and the dark heart of Shaldorn, a place Yasmin swore never to return to. The narrative thrives on the enemies-to-lovers trope, balanced by moments of vulnerability, danger, and resilience.

Grant’s world-building is vivid and immersive, introducing readers to a complex society where humans and seven types of elves coexist, each wielding unique magic. The political intricacies, magical elements, and the foreboding mystery of Shaldorn provide a compelling backdrop that sets the stage for the series. Yasmin’s harrowing past and Ravi’s stoic determination add emotional weight to the story, making their reluctant partnership and eventual romance deeply satisfying.

While the pacing drags slightly in the beginning as the characters establish their partnership, the story picks up momentum during the perilous mission, delivering heart-pounding action and emotional depth. The romance is a slow burn, culminating in an intense and steamy connection that enhances the stakes. Side characters, particularly Dain, bring charisma and levity to the narrative, promising more intrigue in future installments.

The audiobook, narrated by Shane East, enhances the experience with his deep, smooth voice, capturing Ravi’s intensity and Yasmin’s resilience effectively. However, the variance in volume between male and female voices may take some adjustment for listeners.

The climax and resolution are satisfying, wrapping up key threads while leaving room for the series to expand. Though the third act’s pacing feels slightly rushed, it doesn’t detract significantly from the story’s overall impact.

Rising Sun delivers a thrilling introduction to the Elven Kingdoms series, combining danger, romance, and a richly crafted fantasy world. Fans of enemies-to-lovers romance, magical intrigue, and strong, complex characters will find much to enjoy. Donna Grant sets a high bar with this installment, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next chapter in Yasmin and Ravi’s journey.

Rising Sun by Donna Grant is the first book I've read by this author and I'll definitely have to read more soon. Rising Sun is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romantasy that left me wanting more. I can't wait to read the next book. The plot was engaging and fast paced. The mmc was swoon worthy. The fmc was such a strong and powerful woman. The audiobook was amazing. Shane East is one of my favorite narrators and he did a wonderful job as usual.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ok I had to DNF about 5 chapters in. It has nothing to do with the content of the book itself but with the audio.

I really wanted to like this book but it just didn’t work for me (according to goodreads a lot of people loved it). It was enemies to lovers but it jumped so quick from one to the other and it was just so unbelievable? Some great world building for a fantasy romance but so many other aspects let it down for me.

Our heroine is forced to lead our hero (an undercover agent) to a fortress only she has ever escaped from. It is a perilous journey both to the fortress and then in the fortress itself. They have to work together to make sure they both get out alive as well as stop an imminent attack.

Not only did the believability of the characters falling for each other fall short for me, but also the pace just felt very dragged out at the start then very rushed at the end.

Rising Sun by Donna Grant is truly magical, charming and enchanting read. Really loved and enjoyed reading and listening to the story.

Highly Recommend it to all listeners.

Loved this book. The dynamic between the characters made it unputdownable. I can’t wait to read future books by this author and recommend on my platforms

"Rising Sun" by NY Times bestselling author Donna Grant is book 1 in the Elven Kingdoms series. It is a well written binge-worthy fantasy novel!

In this world, there are humans and several kinds of elves. None of them are allowed to have children, but children are brought in from somewhere and assigned to families.

Yasmin is a human who is caught stealing and has to decide between prison or joining a mission with an elf to go to Shaldorn, a dangerous place she had been kept prisoner at years ago and had sworn never to return to. She agrees to the mission and to work with this stoic, solitary, and sexy Sun Elf, Ravi.

So there is an enemies to lovers trope romance with an intense spicy part near the end.

Prior to that, there was a lot of danger and violence inside of Shaldorn. It was very exciting, actually! The elves each have their own kind of magic.

The narrator, Shane East, has a very deep smooth voice, and he is also able to do female voices very effectively.

This story does have a conclusion and does not really leave you hanging, but we do know it's the first book of a series. I'll be waiting and watching for the next book in this series! I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers!

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 38/8 = 4 6/8
Rounded up to 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Donna Grant for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I unfortunately had a very hard time with this book. I think, it is in large parts due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook and could just not get along with the narration. There was nothing wrong with it apart from the fact that the narrator was whispering throughout the whole book, this meant that he was really hard to understand at higher speeds. It annoyed me to such an extent that I could only listen to the audiobook in small increments. If I had not received an ALC, I would have DNF’d this book.

I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the story. This is probably in large part due to the narration, but the writing probably also played some role. The writing style was not very descriptive and lacked some depth. A lot of feelings were mentioned, they just did not transcend the page. There were a lot of gruesome elements to the story (so maybe check out the TW beforehand) that I am sure are meant to provoke some sort of feeling from the reader, but as I felt a disconnect from the characters, these just made me want to skip some parts rather than get more invested in the story.

As I said, perhaps steer clear from the audiobook (or listen to an excerpt to see if it works for you) and then you might have a better time with this book than me. I am personally not invested enough to revisit the written form or any future installments of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid to leave this review.

Book Review: "Rising Sun" by Donna Grant

Rising Sun by Donna Grant is an engaging romantasy novel that intertwines magic, danger, and love in a captivating tale.

Tropes:

ELVEN X HUMAN
FORCED PROXIMITY
ENEMIES TO LOVERS
HE FALLS FIRST
ONLY ONE TENT
Rating: 3.25/5 stars

What I Liked:

The badass FMC: The female main character is strong, independent, and a true warrior, making her a compelling protagonist.
The tension between the two MCs: The palpable tension and chemistry between the main characters keep the story intriguing and the romance believable.
While Rising Sun delivers on its romantasy promises with a mix of action and romance, certain aspects could have been further developed to elevate the story. Overall, it's an enjoyable read for fans of the genre.

This was a fun read. I cover the different types of elves and the society they live in. A lot of the treatment of humans was appalling, but I’m curious to see why the society is set up like this and how humans ended up in their station. I’m hoping to see that in the next books.

Rising Sun by Donna Grant
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Yasmin is given an ultimatum. She either brings Ravi to Shaldorn or she is imprisoned for life. With a group of children she cares for on the line and the first hand experience of what the prisons are like for humans, there is really no choice. She hates elves but must learn to work with Ravi anyway if they both want to come out of this expedition alive. Slow burn and filled with interesting adventure, this book will keep you hooked and wanting to finish in one sitting.

Read this book if you like:
-enemies to friends to lovers
-adventurous journey
-elves and faes and dragons and a couple of unfortunate humans
-strong FMC
-unlikely soulmates

Rising Sun is OUT NOW and if it’s not already on your tbr, it should be! Special thanks to Tantor Audio for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

First thing—the narrator was awesome. Second thing—I don’t think I ever want to listen to a romance on audio again 😳. The MCs are familiar and unique at the same time. This a good balance of character driven/plot driven. This is a slow burn, fantasy, good vs evil.

I like the elves vs humans plot prejudices written in. I thought both main characters were likable and redeeming. I liked the magic and the unique ways it worked with each elf type. I liked the MC all around.

I did not like the spice! The story didn’t need pages of super graphic bedroom scenes in order to reveal a shift in relationship. Ugh, these things drive me crazy, but I know the author is a romance author. It’s probably hard to leave it out. I just think it was completely unnecessary, but I realize I’m probably in the minority in this. I did appreciate the fantasy elements, but the spice ruins it for me. If you’re into very graphic spice, then this might be for you.

This fell kinda flat for me. Maybe it was the narrator. I liked his voice but the tone of his voice was hard to hear sometimes so I would turn it up and then there were other moments it was too loud so I feel like that distracted me from full submersing myself into this story

While I loved the book, listening to the Audiobook was difficult. It was extremely hard to tell who's point of view we are listening to, and when, so it got very confusing quite frequently. I ended up having to physically read this one instead, but ultimately I loved the book.

4.5 ⭐️

I think this book has everything a romantasy reader looks for and it does it well. Grant brilliantly builds upon so many aspects of the plot and characters as the story unfolds. The danger of the political situation that is about to unravel. The forced cooperation of our FMC, Yasmin. The *chef’s kiss* romance. The unwavering loyalty shown to Yasmin. The impact of trauma on the mission. Secrets are secret-ing. I think the plotline is familiar enough to help readers understand the complex details of the magic system and world building without confusion and original enough that it didn’t feel like I’ve read this story already. I am rightfully a bit nervous for what we’re in for with book 2. I expect to see myself be fiercely protective over our lovebirds and be very mad all the things that is bound to be thrown at them.

The narration of the audiobook added to the reading experience. East did a really, really good job with the characters and capturing the emotions behind so much of the dialog. I haven’t eyeball read this one, but I think it’s safe to say the audiobook my recommended way to read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Grant and RB media for this audiobook ARC.

This is an enthralling fantasy romance audiobook. Yasmin, a human woman with a dark past, must guide the determined elf Ravi through the Dangerous Peaks to avoid imprisonment. Despite starting off as enemies, their dangerous journey leads to understanding and sparks a powerful romance. Yasmin is hesitant to revisit Shaldorn, a place of nightmares, while Ravi is on a mission to save his people. Their bond deepens as they face life-threatening challenges and share secrets. The story combines high fantasy elements with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic, set in a richly detailed world of magic and intrigue. Shane East's narration brings the characters to life, making this an enthralling listen. Highly recommended for fans of romantasy.

So, I really wanted to like this, and it seems like I may be the odd one out. I thought the cover was beautiful, and the description sounded interesting. For me, I felt like there wasn't a lot of showing and descriptions to envision what we are experiencing. This could be because it was told in third person, but I also feel like there were some gaps. The main characters go from "enemies" to wanting each other literally overnight, and then love by the end. There was no flirting or banter or even any sexual intimacy before that. There is just randomly two back to back scenes towards the end. There are story lines that just randomly pop up that don't get explained, and characters as well. I felt like reading this was just going like oh...we are going here...ok. It's unfortunate because I feel like there was so much opportunity with this, but I really have no idea besides surface level who most of the characters are and their personalities were a bit one dimensional at this point for me. It didn't make me invested. Hopefully things evolve for folks in the next book in the series, but it's a no go for me. I received the audiobook as an ALC from NetGalley and Shane East was the narrator. He did a fabulous job, as expected.

For fans of:
- Blood and Steel
- Bound to the Shadow Prince

"The Rising Sun" follows two reclusive survivors as their circumstances force them together on a quest to retrieve a bomb before it is used to trigger a race war. Despite their personal prejudices and total unwillingness to work as a team, they must battle through a frozen tundra and their own demons if they ever want to reach Shaldorn, the nightmarish crime city, and prevent a war that could kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

This book includes:
- a quest through a wretched, frozen landscape
- a forced partnership between a human and an elf
- near-death experiences
- trauma and PTSD
- crime lords and secretive syndicate fighting against bad players
- a sort of heist
- TW: images of torture

I enjoyed "Rising Sun." It was well written and the characters felt real and relatable. Yasmin really captured my heart with her endless empathy despite everything she had gone through. The pacing was well done and I was engaged throughout the entire book.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Grant, and Tantor Audio for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Tantor Audio for the audioARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Absolutely had my heart in a vice from minute one. The way Grant has created a life-battered main character and flawed hero that somehow find love and protection together through the journey of this tale is truly remarkable. I was gripped from start to finish and I absolutely need book 2 ASAP.

If you enjoy a book with a main character who has endured torment and enslavement only to escape and become a savor for children who are abused by their fae captures only to be coerced into going back to the one place that could mean certain death and along the way fall in love with the person forcing you to face your greatest fears...then, this is for you. Absolutely cannot say more that this is the book you want to download and read. Just trust me! Yes, it has a happy but open ending!

No Regrets!!!