Thank you very much to Hatchette Audio for providing me with the ARC of the audiobook of the Forest King’s Daughter.

I have a hard time with this one. I think the book might have been more enjoyable with a different narrator. I got lost so many times just because the authors voice was so wispy and almost too atmospheric. It felt like ASMR. I think some people may love this, but it made me sleepy.

Overall the book feels like it has unique ideas, but it didn’t quite catch. Again, it may have been improved with a different narrator or if I read a physical book instead. It also felt like there was very limited world building even though the book felt like it should have been deeper. The book was definitely atmospheric and lyrical, it just needed more substance to me.

Overall I feel like my experience would be much better without the audiobook. Hopefully once the book is released, I get a chance to try again.

The Forest King's Daughter by Elly Blake is so beautifully written you will instantly be drawn into the world of Thristwood forest. The characters are very well fleshed out and I instantly connected to Cassia, the FMC, and her want to be accepted. Zeru, our MMC, is a broody warrior that stole my heart and did I mention he's Cassia's sworn enemy.

The world and magic are interesting, a bloodthirsty forest sounds very intriguing, and a realm in the clouds sounds wonderous. This was a well paced novel and the surprises you'll find within will knock you socks off.

Eleanor Bennett, the narrator, did a fantastic job capturing Cassia's personality and the tone of the book. Her differentiation between all the characters was one of the best I've heard!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing the eALC.

Rated 3.5 Stars

The narrator did a great job with The Forest King's Daughter. I loved listening to her but unfortunately this book didn't work for me. It had good bones - an interesting and intriguing world, magic system, characters and a compelling plot all the things necessary for a good story but sometimes they didn't fit well together. The pacing was off and parts of it was for lack of a better word boring. It was a pretty decent read. I found the connection between the main characters believable and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of this series brings.

The Forest King's Daughter by Elly Blake is the first book in the Thirstwood Series. As the story begins, Zeru provides a ring to his childhood friend Cassia. The ring, once slipped upon Cassia's finger, binds with her, and this innocent act starts a war between Zeru's Dracu people, those of the underworld, and Cassia's Sylvan people, those of the forests, their friendship is a casualty of war. Cassia, as it is explained to her, is meant to use the ring to defeat the enemy. The war stretches on for years and Cassia learns to channel the power of ring and earn the title, Deathbringer, to win the war for her people. The ring, however, has other ideas.

I love the world building in this story, and Zeru and Cassia as our MMC and FMC. Are they really enemies to lovers? It is really friends to misunderstood people on opposite sides of a conflict to lovers. That's just my opinion.

The narration for this story is wonderful - getting all the voices just right is Eleanor Bennett. The cover art is gorgeous, too.

I liked the story, the romance, the bond of sisters, the mythology and the world building in this story.
I need to thank #netgalley and Hachette Audio for my Advance Listener Copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is released on February 11, 2025 and I give it 4 stars.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

3.5 stars!

as much as i love the concept of friends-to-enemies-to-eventual-lovers(after relearning how to trust and become friends again!!) i’ve actually never read a book with the trope!

the forest king’s daughter opens with two children from different faerie races becoming friends; it all goes down hill after zeru, in his childish innocence, accidentally gifts cassia the ring that could destroy his entire race. the two are reunited years later when they are thrust together to prevent utter chaos and destruction amongst their people.

not to mention, i adore when authors depict their fae’s appearances as more whimsical and eery, reflecting their environment (ie horns and antlers that were in this book!) rather than the trend to make them perfectly beautiful creatures.

as for the narrator, i think they did a phenomenal job!

i’m excited for the next book in the series!

Ugh! There was a lot of good that was here, & I genuinely thought this might be a potential new fave for a minute in the beginning. Such wonderful folksy-faerie type writing, & I am The One who eats that stuff UP. But alas, I ended up here, definitely liking it but just feeling it didn’t totally hit the mark.

Cassia is, as the title suggests, the Daughter of the Forest King. She was gifted as a child an all powerful ring (think Lord of the Rings, but the ring is not so evil) that comes with the title of Deathbringer. The gift wasn’t given because she was foreseen to wear it or any other chosen one narrative reason: she was given it by a boy who, for all intents & purposes, should’ve been her enemy. This initial event sets the two on a path that is intertwined in more ways than they themselves wish or care to know.

The beginning of this book genuinely had me. The writing is beautiful & very Holly Black, Allison Saft, Rebecca Ross coded. Like a genuine piece of folklore that is as enchanting as the world that is written about. The premise is so strong, & I loved the relationship that was set up between Cassia & Zeru. But as we got to the middle & then to the end, it felt the story itself was a bit disjointed? Their relationship became a little rushed & just not quite delving into the more gradual slowburn. It actually confused me a little what was happening in the middle there. The events in this book felt as though they should’ve been separated into two different books because the plots from beginning to end didn’t seamlessly align. Such amazing ideas & stunning writing, though! I for sure would continue the series to see what else this author grows into & the stories that could come from this world.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed it still, but was just waiting for that little extra UMPH.

Thanks so much to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for this ARC!!

First of all, the cover of this book is gorgeous. I can't wait to see if any book boxes do any special editions of this book. The story itself draws you in from the beginning with relatable characters and incredible world building. If you like romantasy, go ahead and add this one to your2025 tbr. You wont be disappointed!

3.5 stars. This read like a dark fairytale which was both great, and at times, frustrating. The story pulls you in immediately, but the pacing is so quick that we miss out on character development (so you feel pretty removed from the characters, making it hard to be invested). It was also hard to picture what they looked like so I wish a little more time was spent explaining what they were. Otherwise, a sweet and unique story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

The Forest King’s Daughter is a whimsical YA fantasy that will intrigue fans of Howl’s Moving Castle and Holly Black.

This one was fun, but unfortunately, it did not quite work for me. The story sometimes didn’t feel cohesive, and the pacing bounced back and forth. I found it difficult to connect to the main character, but I was fascinated by the world-building and whimsical settings reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle. The friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance was sweet and captivating, but the development of Zeru and Cassia’s relationship felt off. The writing was beautiful, and I enjoyed the adventure and magic of the story. The ending was wonderful, although this book feels more like a standalone and not the start of a series. The book is marketed for fans of Sarah J. Maas, but I think it feels more like a story for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle, especially since the characters felt more like lower YA characters. I agree it is great for fans of Holly Black’s fae-filled worlds and gripping romances. Overall, I’d recommend this to fans of cozy YA fantasy novels.

Eleanor Bennett was a beautiful narrator for this novel. Her voice and accents fit the characters well, making the story feel quite magical. As I listened, however, I found that the pauses between sentences were longer than I usually hear in audiobooks, which occasionally disconnected me from the story. I listened at the maximum speed available and still registered the long pauses. After a few hours of listening, I came to expect the pauses, but initially, the narration felt a little off. I’d still recommend the audiobook, however, especially if you have the physical copy to read along with.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!