This is a great young adult fantasy series so far. The premise grabbed me, the story dove right in with amazing world building that was easy to understand.

Legends of Abreia is a 6-book series separated into three duologies following a different POV. Faceless is an audiobook bundle that includes the first three books and Sundered included the remaining three books.

Blurb: "Bodyguard. Mage. Princess. Spy. Leisa’s ambitions used to be simple. Guard the princess. Hide her magic. Wait for her family to return. But all of that changes when her king demands that she use her unique abilities to spy on the rival kingdom of Garimore. Alone, far from home, and living a lie that grows more perilous by the day, Leisa’s task is complicated by her most dangerous enemy yet—the masked assassin known only as the Raven."

I'm happy that they updated the covers to the ones with the mask, because I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise.

The Faceless Mage:
This first book was easily 5 stars for me. It hooked me from the start and I enjoyed the world building and the set up. A bodyguard spying on a neighboring country by pretending to be a princess? Give it to me. There was no spice and not a ton of romance, but you can tell that it's coming and they have a connection. I didn't love one of the revelations at the end, but not enough to knock my rating down.

The Unseen Heir:
Leisa's story continues and she is a great FMC. This book focused on magical creatures and exploring new places in the world. Some of the plot points were not my favorite, but it had a happy ending for the couple and I never saw the way it wrapped up coming. It set up for the next book nicely.

The Hidden Queen:
Another 5 stars! We switched perspectives in this book to the heirs to the throne and I loved it. I enjoyed this enemies to lovers and arranged marriage story mixed with mystery. There was cool magic, more royal court politics and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

Available on Kindle Unlimited. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job.

Before I get into the review of the story, the audiobook narrator was so good. I could listen to Vanessa Moyen read anything. She truly captured the essence of each character and it was incredible.

The plot and the magic system were great. The one thing about the writing is I’m not a huge fan of when the dialogue is consistently having the character asking themselves questions. It becomes repetitive and reminding the reader too much of what they already know and could potentially have the reader lose interest, but understandably it is a YA. The more the story unfolded the more I was intrigued to learn about the Raven and was excited for the relationship forming between him and Leisa. Overall, for the audiobook, I love the idea of a series is being put into one purchase. For this series, it is split into two audiobooks three books in each audiobook, which I find very convenient.

3 Stars ✨

Clean YA Fantasy

“When humans grew tense or worried, or sometimes just excited, they seemed to gather in large numbers to become inebriated and make questionable choices.”

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced Audio copy of Faceless, in exchange for an honest review.**

This is a review of three books on one audio arc. Below are my reviews for each. Overall I give the narration a 4/5 stars and would recommend to those looking for a clean fantasy romance.

Book One - The Faceless Mage

4 Stars ✨

Clean YA Fantasy

“The ultimate freedom is to choose between hope and despair. As long as you feel you have no option but despair, you will always be a prisoner.”

Lesia was born with an unwanted magic. She does everything in her power to hide it. While she patiently waits for her family to return- the King took her in and gave her a place to stay and the task of guarding his daughter the princess. Life was simple, until the day that the King asks her to use her magic to Spy on a neighboring Kingdom.

Far from home with no allies and a secret so big it could mean death, her task is made harder by a dangerous enemy- the masked assassin called The Raven. As time goes on she seems to see through the mask to what lies beneath all the armor. He is not at all what she expected. Even though she feels drawn to him, she must evade him at all costs to complete her mission, without getting caught. If she fails, she and her entire kingdom will pay with blood.

I really enjoyed this one! The writing was simple and pace moved quickly. I didn’t have to think real hard while reading and just sat back and relaxed through the ride. I thought the concept of the Raven was unique, and one I don’t see often. Anytime a character is unable to talk and you can’t see beyond the mask, it makes for a fun trope. Lesia was a likable FMC, she was tough without the author hyping her up with extra extremes. The Raven was such a cool character and can’t explain much about him or the magic system without giving it away. The book ended on a cliffhanger, so I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Would Recommend!

Audio Narration 5/5 🎧

Book Two- The Unseen Heir

3 Stars ✨

Audio 🎧 Narration 4/5 Stars

This was the second book in the Legends of Abreia Series. I unfortunately, did not enjoy it as much as the first one. Maybe it was because our main characters were separated from each other for a while and there was not much interaction between them. Something was definitely lost with this one for me and I thought by the end of it we would get a continuation of the same MCs, but the next book in the series is other characters that I don’t really care about- So instead of continuing, I am going to stop here. This arc includes the 3rd book, but I am just not invested enough to continue on. The writing is good - just lost interest and was a little bored with this book.

Book 3 - The Hidden Queen

Audio 🎧 Narration 4/5 Stars ✨

DNF ( Lost interest )

I listened to the audiobook and read that book at the same time and when I tell you that this was the best reading experience I had in a long time, I am not lying.
The narrators voice was nice and really emotional.

The faceless mage: 5/5⭐️
This book has one of the best prologues I have read in a long time. I was captivated from second one until the book ended. From the moment the "Raven" was mentioned I was facinated by his character. But I am not only a fan of him but also of the fmc Leisa. She is strong and definetly screams "female impowerment".
PS. I love you Zander...

The unseen heir: 4.5/5 ⭐️
There was so much tension and
compatibility between Kyrion and Leisa and still so little real romance. I really wished for more romance but the fantasy part of the book is awesome. Magic, Fae, Elfs, and everything else I love. And the ending made was everything I hoped for and made me really excited for the next book. Altought I will miss Leisa and Kyrion as our main characters.
PS. I still love Zander...

The hidden queen: 4.5/5 ⭐️
The plot thickend a lot in this book and it became more interesting every chapter. I liked both main characters but I think that I prefered the one in the first two books. I am truly excited on how the tension between Everaine and Danric will continue and what will happen to the kingdoms.
PS. Zander I still love you...

Thanks to Kenley Davidson, Dreamscape Select, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b>1: Faceless Mage</b>

Wait....it ends there? Well that's annoying. Thumbs down for this book---incomplete plot. We find out a lot but none of it yet means anything to the reader. Leisa assessed Garimore for danger, found some, and went to report back.

Now read that sentence again but stop after "and." That's the exact situation.

Either Davidson doesn't know how to write a complete narrative, or she's greedy. "Writing's hard and I want money. I'm going to sell an incomplete story to force readers to buy the next book and hide behind the excuse that's it's a series. Integrity, inshmegrity."

This galley of the first three books is free, or I'd refuse to purchase book 2 on principle.

I like Leisa's character and the Raven, but it feels like we're just starting to get to know them, especially the Raven. I wish I could feel more chemistry between them, assuming they're meant to become a couple.

*frustrated sigh* It really feels like we're just getting started, yet this is supposed to be a complete book? Yeah, I don't think so.

Let's see what book 2 accomplishes.

<b>2: The Unseen Heir</b>

I've decided it's both---greedy and wouldn't know a plot point if it slapped her in the face.

Books 1 and 2 could have been one storyline, meaning one book, if Davidson had picked up the pace and limited her tangents.

So Leisa tells her king that Garimore is sus, he locks her up because reasons. I Forget His Real Name is waiting for her to come back and is taken prisoner by guards. A fae dude frees Leisa. Leisa in turn frees Adrianian---fuck it, I'm calling him the Raven. They're pursued, escape, and wander into the Raven's home village. We meet a bunch of new people we're supposed to suddenly care about, dabble in the boring-ass politics, receive no explanation whatsoever for wtf they even are---they're called night elves but they're wolf shifters and don't act fae at all---wait, were they elves or fae? Don't remember, don't care, doesn't matter anyway. Leisa skedaddles back to the king because looks like Garimore is ready to start war, then someone is engaged to someone, then the night elfaeries are there for some reason, wyverns became important somewhere. There was very little development to Leisa and the Raven's relationship; Davidson seemed to just decide okay they're in love now. They were apart more than they were together. Leisa's background was teased then left dangling with no actual answers.

Sounds like a mess, doesn't it? That's because it is. I would be <i>shocked</i> if Davidson isn't a pantser. Swear to god this reads like a flow-of-consciousness first draft.

I have absolutely no desire to keep my hands and feet inside this ride. No book 3 for me.

I would not recommend giving this author your money. Not until she gives hers to an editor, at any rate. Narrator was fine, though.

I will say, it was beyond nice to find no sex in this book. It was bad enough without empty smut.

Absolutely loved these books! I will be purchasing the second box set for the rest of the story!

Publisher's summary
Bodyguard. Mage. Princess. Spy.
The Five Thrones have always been at peace, but rumors have begun to grow. Whispers of armies, of unrest, and of a masked knight murdering mages in cold blood.
To determine the truth of these rumors, a simple bodyguard must become a spy, and test her skills against an sinister assassin while staying one step ahead of a rival king…
While a sheltered princess must accept an arranged marriage with an enigmatic prince who wants nothing to do with her…
They’ve sworn to sacrifice their lives to save their kingdoms, but even that may not be enough. Now, it is only through magic and subterfuge that war can be avoided, and only if they’re willing to risk a far different fate than they ever imagined…
Falling for the enemy.
Faceless contains the first three books of Legends of Abreia, a complete fantasy romance series for listeners who love warring kingdoms, strong, sassy heroines, and epic enemies-to-lovers romance!
- Book 1 - The Faceless Mage
- Book 2 - The Unseen Heir
- Book 3 - The Hidden Queen

Thanks to NetGalley & Page Nine Press for the ALC of this book!

Faceless
By: Kenley Davidson
Narrated by: Vanessa Moyen
Series: Legends of Abreia Series
Length: 23 hrs and 44 mins
Release date: 10-08-24
Publisher: Page Nine Press

I loved the first two parts of the book but I got bored with book 3. I feel like this audio would have been better if it was only book 1 and 2. Overall I just felt like it took a while for me to get through the audiobook. I liked the narrator but the story felt flat for me.

I am DNF-ing this book at 52% however I feel as though I have read enough to give feedback so here we are. Essentially although I’ve only listened to half of this audiobook, I’ve read the first book and half of the second one in this series.

While I was excited to get into this book because the premise seemed exciting, I’m sad to say that this book is dragged out constantly. The storyline gets monotonous very fast and I would’ve loved to see the characters take more action in relation to their beliefs, however it was more words than anything else unfortunately. I didn’t connect to the characters all that much because I felt like they weren’t fleshed out enough, although they do have so much potential :( I’m a reader who loves a good slow burn but only when it comes with some great banter/tension/chemistry to make you still hooked in the romance without anything actually happening but this book did not give that. I don’t understand why it took the characters so long to admit their feelings but even when they did, they really didn’t. I did enjoy the narrator though, so a great job to her!! Anyways, while I am so thankful to Page Nine Press, NetGalley and Kenley Davidson for the opportunity to read Faceless, I will be DNF-ing this volume.

This series of books was consistently *okay*. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t exactly love it either. The premise of the series was so STRONG only for it, to once more, be okay. I mean, here we have a mmc who is encased in a suit of armor and forced to do the kings bidding and… nothing really happens? And that same character, who has really only survived this ordeal out of pure spite and a craving for revenge…. never gets revenge? I don’t know. I liked the characters. I liked the over arching plot of the story. I just didn’t think the execution was very strong. This book could have been amazing. It had potential to be full of tension, conflict, romance, character development, political intrigue, and in the end, the only thing I could say about it was that it’s an okay series of books. I probably won’t finish the series though.

I really enjoyed this book, which compile the first three books in the series.
I loved the magic system and the politics involved whit magic. Plus, the romance is so sweet and loving. The characters grow within us, showing their strength, determination and commitment to what they believe in.
The writing is beautiful and detailed, and easily transports us to the world of royalty who want the best for their people.

And the narrator was the perfect choice for the book, I loved her soft voice that brings the story to life.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

I didn’t realize this was an omnibus and it was much longer than I was anticipating! But I did enjoy the story and look forward to future books!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

book 1 -
Such an interesting story, I love the characters. The romance was beautiful. The writing incredible and detailed descriptions so I could imagine I was always in the story and feeling everything as the characters did. I really enjoyed listening to this, and i definitely want to physically read it in the future. I recommend !

Book 2 -
A great continuation to the first book I felt like the storyline moved to wrap up the relationship really well, it wasn’t easy but it also wasn’t frustrating and dumb. The descriptions of the lands were amazing!! I felt like I could see it myself ! Although I didn’t want to imagine the spider because of my arachnophobia hahahahah. I especially love the characters in this and it’s so great to learn so much more in the story.

Book 3 -
Mystery’s are unraveling, I do prefer the story following the first two characters but I do still really like these ones and the relationship between the main two is amazing. The writer does an amazing job in all the books with the relationships they’re so great. And I’m soooo curious on what happens next!

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 30th October and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of November. Also seperatley reviewing the books on good reads and StoryGraph on 30th Oct, 31st Oct and 1st Nov

"Faceless," which is a culmination of three books, offers a perfect mix of adventure, magic, and heart. It’s a well-written YA fantasy that’s both adventurous and fun, with a romance that left me smiling. The worldbuilding is rich, with vividly described magical realms and well-crafted characters that feel real and relatable. Leisa is specifically relatable because she is stubborn and even a little snarky :)

Thank you, #NetGalley and #PageNinePress, for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this audiobook not knowing it was the first 3 books in the series together. But I am liking the story and glad I get the first 3 all in 1 go! Story is a great blend of fantasy and romance (not spicy!) It seems there are 3 more books in the series and one couple's story line is cut off a bit since it takes place in books 3 and 4, so I will need to get the rest of the books soon to finish. Solid, enjoyable series!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the audio for review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. The Faceless Mage ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The faceless mage is a fun and engaging read with a unique twist to the YA romantasy genre. Leisa is the body guard in charge of keeping the princess safe with her unique hidden talent and Kyrion is the night elf stuck in an enchanted suit of armor magically bound to the whims of a tyrannical king.

2. The unseen heir ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 2 follows Leisa and Kyrion as they cross the border into the realm of the night elves. I was enjoying the start of this book but once the plot finally started to get a little gritty, the conclusion came rushing to the reader all at once rather than unfold on page. I think we missed some important story telling and I wanted a bit more resolution. This is the end of Leisa and Kyrions story but we still never found out about Leisa’s magic and family.

3. The hidden queen⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Princess Evaraine has bowed to the threats against her people and accepted the betrothal of her enemies son.
The chemistry between the two MCs is less swoony and tangible as Leisa and Kyrions. The world building expanded in this book and we learn more about the magic but still left with loads of questions.

Overall, I was so excited about the concept and ideas in book 1, I do feel like the series is lacking some action and it feels low stakes even though there’s a whole kingdom at stake. I’ve heard the final 3 books is where the series really shines so I’m really excited to get onto the next one.

Why is this soooo GOOD?!? This is a fantastic high fantasy. It’s easy to follow which sometimes high fantasy isn’t. I cannot comment on some people’s review on the writing because the story and plot were so good I didn’t notice anything else. It’s the first book that has really drawn me in lately. The narrator for the audiobook is solid, although initially I was confused when it switched to the MMC POV, I appreciated that the narrator didn’t try to fake a male voice though. She is easy to listen to and has kept me captivated with the story. For the vibes this is a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. For my other romance girls, know that romance is a subplot, not the main plot.

"Faceless" begins with a young woman princess named, Evaraine, being asked to visit their neighboring kingdom in order to assess the possibility of an arranged marriage between their kingdoms. However, Evaraine has a weak disposition, so her bodyguard, Leisa, is tasked to go in her place. Leisa is in a unique position to help Evaraine because Leisa is a shape-shifter; she can change her face and body to appear exactly like anyone else. Through the three stories included in this audiobook, Leisa and Evarine are forced to confront their fears and limitations as they navigate the tense political climate with the neighboring kingdom.

Includes:
- elves, fae, shapeshifters, magic casters, wyverns, and more
- three books in one!
- a tortured and broken man
- a kingdom built on lies
- story arcs about believing in oneself
- two kingdoms at odds
- a fight against prejudice and bigotry
- TW: forced servitude

I really enjoyed "Faceless." It was such a treat when I realized it was a collection of three books in one. I particularly enjoyed Leisa's story arc and the way she comes to terms with her abilities and embraces her differences as a strength. I also really appreciated the Raven's POV. His perspective brought so much depth to the storyline and his character was a great example of the downfall of hubris, but also the willingness to grow and change for the better.

All three of these stories are romantasies, but each of the romances are slow burns and take a few appreciated and unexpected turns. The world-building and magic systems aren't particularly impressive, but that's not really the point of these books.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Kenley Davidson, and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/

I love a strong FMC in a romantasy book who is not afraid to stand their ground.

When I first saw that this was three books into one, I was curious to see how well it would flow, even from all the same series. And to my surprise, it was done really well. Definitely worth the listen!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook!

Faceless: Legends of Abreia is the first 3 books in a completed 6 book fantasy romance series


- Book 1 - The Faceless Mage
- Book 2 - The Unseen Heir
- Book 3 - The Hidden Queen


Expectations:


• Warring Kingdoms
• Forbidden Love
• Sassy Strong FMC's
• He fell first
• Slow-burn Romance
• Enemies to attraction
• Magic
• Arranged Marriage
• Untrustworthy Monarchy
• Fated mates (personally suspected)
• Fake Family
• Greedy monarchs
• Wyverns
• Magic
• Mysterious lineage


Book 1: The Faceless Mage: The FMC Leisa is a mirror mage who is Princess Evaraine of Farhall's body guard and pretends to be her in order to spy on the Kingdom of Garimore before accepting a marriage proposal from the youngest prince of the Kingdom. They don’t trust the King (warranted). While she is there, she has 24/7 "protection" aka babysat by a mysterious large man named The Raven who wears full armor and no one can see him and he doesn’t speak, but after receiving a gift from the princesses betrothed prince, suddenly can she and the Raven know each others feelings and then they find they can speak to one another as well. Both with this odd realization, their relationship gets confusing and unexpectedly personal. Can Leisa continue this false identity now that the Raven knows some of her secrets (she has magic and the King hunts and kills them), or will he turn her into the King who seems to control him.


Book 2: The Unseen Heir: Leisa and The Raven- Kyrion's story continues and are now aligned. He owes her a debt for helping free him from the magical bind the King of Garimore put him under that had him trapped to do as he wished. He is a night elf prince and they return to his home Dunmaren—Kingdom of Shadows to a suspicious and not so welcome return after 10 years missing. Her life is in danger and so are her people back home. Out of honor to protect her kingdom and adopted family, she feels she must leave Kyrion and return to warn her king of all she knows to keep them safe. Rather than a warm welcome, she is held prisoner for leaving her assignment at the other kingdom while Kyrion deals with is own kingdoms deceitful family who took over with ill intentions. Both long to be together, but must try to save their kingdoms.


Book 3: The Hidden Queen- Focuses on the real Princess Evaraine of align who is still betrothed to a playboy prince she has never met. Her hand is being forced to align with the Kingdom of Garimore but the alliance is more of a takeover and they don't know her secret. That she too has magic. The prince she is meant to marry leaves and the Kingdom not only is searching for her, but watching her closely. The older prince whom she corresponded with as a young child after he mother passed away isn't as soft spoken as he once was. Hardened by his fathers rule, she fears she cannot trust him but he also feels something is wrong. Things are not adding up and his father is keeping secrets and running the kingdom in a way that is not just. His mother the Queen also is acting odd and she confides in him that he is not the same man he once was. He battles with what is right for the kingdom and what his heart is telling him. The princess is not as meek as he once thought. She has a smart mind and sharp tongue. Perhaps she is more than she appears. They find that they both have things to lose with their kingdoms and will do what it takes to make things right.

To be honest, I have never had to do an ARC review of 3 books that were compacted into one audio-book before so it was strange (and long) to do a recap on them all. I enjoyed all three books immensely and plan on reading the rest of this series. The magic is is interesting and the characters have layers. Apologies for leaving out a few character names since it was an audiobook, I wasn't even going to attempt to spell out those names and I didn't see anything where I could locate it while writing this review. Just listen to the books, or read them and you will know how to spell them. Regardless, they are great. 

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this, and was thrilled that it includes all 3 books in the series in ONE AUDIOBOOK. This new adult romantasy was so fun and I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.