Betrayal & Banditry

I looked at the cover and decided to request this book. I’m glad I took my chances, because it is a good story. If you like fantasy and adventure and romance, you should read Betrayal and Banditry by Jes Drew. Looking forward to the next part of the story of Lady Elspeth and Prince Otelo.

Me gustó mucho la cubierta de éste libro y lo pedí. Me alegra haberlo pedido, porque es una gran historia. Si te gusta la fantasía, el romance y la aventura, Betrayal and Banditry por Jes Drew es una buena mezcla de dichos géneros. Sólo me queda esperar por la siguiente parte de la aventura de Lady Elspeth y del Príncipe Otello.

I enjoyed this book. The plot flowed well and the characters were well developed. I look forward to reading the next book.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

What a fun adventurous book!

I grabbed this because I thought the cover was epic- I am only honest. This one threw me for a loop- but I LOVED it because it was more like Robin hood (with a female lead) and the merry band of thieves with adventure, some very interesting Romance, and figuring out who is who. So much fun!

Ready for the next in the series!

This was such a fun read! It was super fast-paced and easy to read, I read it in one sitting. It was such a cozy fantasy full of adventure. I am really excited for the next book in this series to see how this story progresses!

This was a really fun, quick read. I enjoyed the world building and magic system. He’s Drew created a very interesting premise and I can’t wait to dive deeper into the world. I enjoyed the multiple POVs even though it got a little confusing at some points. The characters interacted well together and I loved the start of the enemies to lovers arc. When I realized the book ended with a cliffhanger I audibly gasped. The next one cannot come out soon enough!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Victory Editing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was well paced, entertaining and enjoyable to read.

A slightly lighter fantasy book than most I’ve read. The couple have met but have had their memories of the event stolen which did ever so slightly cause me to wonder what was actually going in initially. However I pushed on and actually came to enjoy the path that the story took as at times it was extremely amusing. Elspeth is not the typical a** kicking heroine as she’s quite sheltered but I couldn’t fault her gung-ho attitude. Ottelo was everything I imagined a fairytale Prince to be when I was growing up. Yes there’s a slight Disney feel to it with secret identities and huge misunderstandings but as this ended I was truly invested in this fun story with its darker ending.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Three and a half

"We already have a plan." Irwin sets his hard gaze on me. "We rescue the Prince. He rescues the Empire."
Intriguing and unexpected. This is how I would describe this fantasy romance book!! It is the first in a series so it would be too soon to know who it will unravel but so far I can say that it more than enchanted me a bit with its stories of long lost love, forgotten by magic and always in search of one another. A kingdom almost falling down at the hands of a wizard who wants the power despite having to claim to it and a young she-elf woman who simply wants to survive and protect her kin!!!! And a wonderful albeit naive Prince who would simply want to protect those in need and the ones he loves!! Their story is one of deception and betrayal and most of all a complicated form of love that from lovers turned strangers than enemies than lovers will lead them down a path to bring them back with one another !!! Book two, I need you now !!!

Well I must say that I really enjoyed this book! It was a short yet powerful story following two main characters through their struggles and quests.

I wish there was slightly more romance in this…I felt like some of the romantic scenes were sudden and it didn’t feel like the relationship was serious yet. However it does make me very excited for the next books in the series!

It wasn’t a complicated fantasy read by any means, which is just what I needed to read at this time! I Thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this cozy fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley for making it possible for me to read this book!

I’m going through this book so fast💨

If you’re looking for:
• YA fantasy
• Elf Magic / interesting magic system
• Secret/mistaken identity
• Robin hood inspired storyline

This book will definitely a right fit for you✨

The book is dual pov within the same time sequence, giving you the in look of the inner monologue of each characters, Elspeth and Otello.

It’s fun, entertaining and the world building is easy to digest with an interesting character and storyline. It’s a YA book with not many action but still hold on to it’s fantasy aspect with elf and mortals, cool magic and somehow kinda reminds me of the cruel prince. Maybe, because Elspeth and Otello dynamic is quite similar with Jude and Cardan in a way.

I would say, if you’re a fan of any elf/fairy/fairies/fae related story or plot, give this book a go.

On the side notes, because this book is pretty short for a fantasy book (only 200-ish pages) it might look a little bit jumble and out of place in some part, but i honestly doesn’t really mind that because it’s still fun🤩

Thank you Netgalley, Jes Drew and Publisher for this E-ARC in exchange of an honest review💫

This was good and highly entertaining. I enjoyed it very much. I thought that the story line was different and that the world building was good as well. I would like to read the rest in the series.
I just reviewed Betrayal & Banditry by Jes Drew. #BetrayalBanditry #NetGalley
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Firstly thankyou to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.25/5 Stars.

So going into this book I knew I was going to like it being one of my favourite genre's of fantasy romance but this book had me gripped from page 1. The banter and miscommunication between Elspeth and Otello is amazing and the family dynamic with the side characters for both of them are really cute and wholesome, WolfBear is awesome and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.

I have already recommended this book to friends and family and will continue in future and I cannot wait to read more from Jes Drew.

i picked this due to the cover being very inviting and looked interesting and i wasnt disappointed, this book was really well written and the plot behind it was great. drawn in by the cover but the inside was everything and more. worth the read and would recommend this book to my fellow book lovers.

I really love the cover! The writing style is great and the plot is top notch. I really loved all of the characters. It was just missing the romance for me but other than that it was a great read. And a cliffhanger? Goodness, really can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Betrayal & Banditry is a fun first book in the series. Elspeth is an elf who had her home taken away from her because of hatred towards elves. Otello is a prince who is trying to make up for crimes against the elves. They were in love and to be married until fate tore them apart, making them forget each other. Now they find themselves drawn back to each other as Elspeth becomes the Bandit Queen getting vengeance for what was done to her. Now she must help Otello save his throne and the country.

I feel the characters could have been developed more; however, I feel the intention is to have them develop through the course of the series so that doesn’t bother me currently. I thought the plot started out a bit slow and some of the language pulled me out of the story. As the story progressed, I couldn’t put it down and the issue I had with the language went away. I’m excited to read the sequel once published. I’d give the book 3.5 stars and look forward to the next.

Thank you Net Galley and the publishing company for sharing this with me for my honest review.

I really liked this book, kinda stopped my reading slump. Loved the dual POV. It's a little different than the fantasy books I've read but still good. It's fun and easy read I practically read it in one day. Since this one ends on a cliffhanger I am interested in reading the next one.

Robin Hood meets fantasy Constantinople- with elves!
This was a fast-paced, exciting read that does an excellent job of balancing worldbuilding, plot, and character development. The story's arc felt satisfying but still left me eager for the second book, which is releasing now on Kindle Vella. I'm especially interested to see how the events of the prologue play into the overall plot!

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

General Thoughts: I love Robin Hood-like retellings, and I like them even better when "Robin Hood" is a woman. So when I saw this was a romantasy novel with strong Robin Hood vibes, I was sold. I went in with high expectations accordingly, and it didn't disappoint. The prologue presented a lot of mysteries that still haven't been answered fully yet, so I'm very anxious to see what happens in the sequel that releases next year. Jes has created compelling characters and an interesting world.

I loved both Otello and Elspeth. This book is clearly building up for book one and two, but it didn't feel like a set-up novel at all. Rather, this one was interesting in and of itself. If you like romantasy, then be sure to check this one out.

Steam Meter: 💞 Closed door, sweet, clean.

Romantic Tropes
-romantasy
-high fantasy
-robin hood retelling
-dual POV

You can read more of my reviews at mylastromance.com. You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.