It was great, the trans representation is so refreshing to read in fantasy book !
I expected to be more "adult", with more actions and stakes BUT it's going to be a series so I'm hopeful to see that in the sequel.
With that saying, I received the audiobook version. I was disappointed with the choice for the narration, which is a male voice, except the character is a woman. As if trans women necessarily have a male voice. It is borderline transphobic but it's simply my opinion.

thank you netgalley for the copy.

Story 5/5 stars
Narration 5/5 stars

I loved this book! Lorel’s journey in her gender exploration and the acceptance and support around her was heart warming- even as a cis person some parts of it made me tear up. Lorel’s peers and community are interesting and fun. Pacing was good.

I would not call this book adult, it’s more so young adult with a coming of age theme.

Jackie was a great choice for the narration of this story and delivered the emotions perfectly.

Overall, I’m excited to read the next edition of this series and hope to hear Jackie narrate again.

Thank you to Dreamscape and Margaret Killjoy for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Lore for the ALC! This is out 09/24/2024!

Wow I really enjoyed this one! Kinda went into it not sure what I’d think since this isn’t the typically genre I go for.

Loved the fall vibes. Loved the queerness and transness that is in this world. The found family, the adventure, the journey of discovering who you are and your own confidence was wonderful. The world building was great and I enjoyed the scenery that was being described. I really loved getting to know these characters, especially Lorel, and I can’t wait to see where they all go in the next books. Great narration too!!

Very happy that there will be more books in this world. If you’re on the fence about picking this up, here are a few themes to help pull you in:

- forest, ponds, mist, hiking, and travels outdoors

- witches and fantasy characters who aren’t defined by gender

- found family

- Learning to have confidence in yourself and be able to rely on friends

This book was an amazing read. The premise was very intriguing and the book delivered on it. The narrator was amazing and made me enjoy the book more

This was such an enjoyable book! It doesn't say on here whether it's adult or YA, but Goodreads has it categorized as Adult and I'd disagree and say YA. It's a coming of age story, and while I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult, I think it's well suited to a YA audience! This is the kid of book I'd love people in the actual YA age range to read. The OwnVoices author of a trans witch on a journey of self discovery and chasing her dreams, and the adventure and perils along the way was an equally moving and fun listen. I look forward to continuing the series!

The narrator, Jackie Meloche was great! The use of certain sound techniques and the heart and personality that was put into the characters was wonderful to listen to.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC!

Someone AMAB dreams of being a woman and being a witch. His best friend is a girl promised to the witches and dreams of being a night. Disguising himself in dresses and staying at his friend's house until the witches come, Laurel leaves for an education in witchcraft, a life with the witches, and hopefully a spell that will help her live as her true self. Unfortunately the witches are trying to stop a blight from taking over the land and their own covens.
I loved the concept of this book; trans character, coming of age, witches, trying to make the world a better place. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I had a hard time getting into the plot. Thankfully the MC was interesting enough to keep me going.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media | Dreamscape Lore and Margaret Killjoy for this ALC.

I absolutely loved the story and the main character. Lorel I enjoyed following her journey and introspection in this book was top notch. The magic system felt fresh and easy to understand. The setting and lore were nicely elaborated upon. The conflict and politics of the world we're immersed in are complex yet well explained. Overall even though it is epic fantasy this book was a lot of fun to read with the quirky dialogue and quite fast pace of the events.
The narrator Jackie Meloche in the audiobook did a great job.

I would probably not class it as Adult, but rather as YA and coming of age, but this does not take from the story, just something to keep in mind going into it.

Interesting premise and worldbuilding, but the writing style and narrative pacing leaves a lot to be desired. There's entirely too much telling and not enough showing. The foundational fantasy framework and the emotional grounding necessary for a story about being trans in a magical world misses many steps and made it difficult to be immersed for way too long or care about any of the characters. Will circle back to the author once they are more established in their style in the genre.