This one was worth the read for the most part. I enjoyed the story but really think that it could have just been one book and not two or more. Parts of the book were pages of the MC swooning over the love interest and it not only felt out of place it felt very juvenile and this book is not YA. Overall I think fans of Sarah J. Maas might love this one as well as those who enjoyed Holly Black's The Cruel Prince.

Will I check out the next book in the series? If I am fortunate enough to snag a review copy I will definitely check it out. I want to say that this is a debut and as one it was pretty on par with what you usually get with a debut author. Kind of clunky but they will find their way.

This book was wonderful! Great world building, good magic system and a loveable main character. What more could you want?!

Lore of the Wilds 3⭐️2.75🌶️

Adult Fantasy Romance
Bipoc
Bodyguard romance
Love triangle
Fae
Chosen one
Secrets
Magic


The premise of the book was good. I was excited for an exclusive bipoc cast. The world building was well done. I loved the enchanted library and nearly-sentient grimoire.

This is a gorgeous book and I wanted so badly for it to be a 5 star and awesome start of a series. Unfortunately it just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to. The writing felt very YA with curse words and an on page romantic scene that didn’t really move the plot forward.

I got to half way and I was still confused as to the tone of the book. I found myself not as invested in how the story played out because of that. I liked all the characters, what I knew of them… the writing was very surface when the action started. I found myself wanting just a little more depth and development.

The twist ending was interesting! But the cliffhanger felt very juvenile and YA in how it was executed.

I will be reading this series as it continues because it was a decent debut novel and start to a series.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this book so much. Unfortunately, it ended up being just okay for me. There were several things that I liked especially that it was unique and the lore was interesting.

My main problem with this book was the love triangle. I didn't think there was enough development on either of the relationships. The pacing was just off to me.

The cliffhanger was promising though. I think I might still read book 2 when it comes out.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR! I really truly enjoyed this book and it was one of my top reads so far this year.

Rating: 3.5

This book has all the cozy, cottagecore, witchy vibes that we love, with a slight dark twist. It is a quick read that is filled to the brim with conflict, adventure, interesting world-building, spellbinding elemental magic, dangerous Fae, and a cursed, magical library.
The FMC is a determined human in search of magic of her own and is willing to risk it all to release her loved ones and fellow townsfolk from the harsh grip of the Fae once and for all. While she is a bit impulsive with most of the way she handles things, which can be a bit frustrating; she makes up for it with her unyielding passion for her people, her steadfast resolve to accomplish every goal her sights are set on, and giving them the justice they deserve, all while overcoming all her self doubts and gaining newfound bravery along the way is so endearing to experience along with her. You can’t help but root for everything that she does, including the stupid shit.
With a diverse cast of enigmatic characters, our FMC learns that not all Fae are the enemies she thought they were, and the bonds of trust are tested when she is ultimately forced to rely on a couple of them to survive.
This may be harder than it seems when her head tells her one thing, but her heart (annoyingly) tells another. A slight love triangle occurs between her and two mysterious and intriguing Fae males (and not gonna lie, I definitely found myself rooting for one of them way more than the other). However, the attraction between each of them was almost instant and I felt both “relationships” lacked a lot of depth and really needed to be fleshed out more. I had a tough time connecting/believing them.
The pacing was a little off at times, and the plot could be a bit predictable… But points for shock value because that twist of an ending might just make you want to throw your book across the room from shock or frustration or (if you’re like me) from both.

Thank you, NetGalley, Analeigh Sbrana, and Avon / Harper Voyager, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a stunning cover and intriguing start to a new fantasy series. As a big fan of ACOTAR and all things fae / fairy lore, this was a lot of fun for me. I think there is room for improvement as this was an author's debut, but it was lovely and a fun read.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! It had all of the things I love: a smart and sassy FMC, a forbidden library, fae, and a stunning twist at the end that I didn't see coming AT ALL!

Wonderful Debut!
Warning, it starts off quite slow and I honestly almost DNFd this book. But it eventually starts ramping up in adventure and before you know you are sucked in. It's a wild wide ride.

Something I do want to mention is the marketing for this book is off....do not go into this book thinking it's new adult. Because by no means are the "vibes" (as another reviewer stated) match new adult. The book felt younger than new adult and had more juvenile writing. I would classify this as YA.

This was such a lovely debut! I’m thrilled it’s going to be in Fairyloot’s Romantasy box as I am desperate for a special edition of this gorgeous, romantic story! Five stars!

The pacing of this was a bit slow. The language would throw me off sometimes but this was overall an enjoyable read. I love the magic elements. For a debut book it was pretty good!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I didn't know what I was in for with this book, but it definitely took me on a bunch of unexpected twists and turns. Even made me rethink some of the scenes that I didn't think there significant.
The summary of the book is on the book's profile so I'm not going to summarize it, just give my thoughts.

At first I started this book slowly to get out of a slump and the beginning of the book, while fantastical, was warming up to the events that kickoff the book. It started a bit slow for me, but it picked up eventually.

What I love the most about this book is how it gave me Lirael (by Garth Nix) vibes- magical library, learning and seeking magic, finding that our FMC is destined for life-saving adventure. I loved those bits. I also really liked that our FMC is in her 20's. That took the motivations to survive and the feelings she had for each of the people she met and her situation more relatable to me.

The parts that I think the author did really well was placing the two MMCs in Lore's life. It took me a minute to understand the purpose and motivations of each guy, but as the story went on, it became more and more clear how it was important for Lore to be around them whether it be for plot's sake or Lore's sake. I don't want to spoil how important this is so make sure you read the book to understand what I mean.

All around, this book was a good adventure. The descriptions beautiful and concise and the characters being well thought out.

The hype surrounding this book has been unreal. It was what initially drew me in, I had been hearing about this book everywhere. Thankfully, I really enjoyed it!

Wow, I was blown away by this book! I enjoyed the different story elements and scenes, it was fast paced without feeling like you’re stopping and not knowing where you’re at in the story. Lore, Asher, Isla, and Finndryl are a fun group, and I was not expecting the twist at the end at all.

Adventure, magical books and libraries, new fae books, and a caring found family vibe. I love Lores sense of adventure and her loyalty to her friends. Such an incredible read, I can’t wait for the next one and the continuation of their adventures!

rating: 2.75/5
spice: 1.75/5

I randomly selected this on NetGalley because I heard it was written by a bookstagrammer and was so excited to support a fellow bookstagrammer... but unfortunately I just didn't like Lore of the Wilds. I was left with so many questions throughout the book and ultimately confused with the pacing and characters.

I feel like we skipped over a couple scenes of progress with how one moment Lore was going to sleep and the next she's already in a whole new location. Don't even get me started about Grey!! That whole thing just didn't make sense!

I was intrigued by Asher in the beginning and then the ending happened and it just sealed my thoughts in that this was poorly done. The idea was incredible and couldn't been executed a lot better if added in depth of characters, plot, and even the relationships between characters. I just had an issue with so much, the story was entirely juvenile unfortunately. Lore and Isla, like did she really just act like that upon their first meeting?? Who does that? A HUMAN especially??

also the fact that she's a human and has no previous experience with magic but of course she becomes so powerful and knowledgable so fast, oooh ahhh. no mishaps or hiccups!!

Don't even get me started on the love triangle that felt oddly forced and now I understand why and it only aggravates me because now I have to read the series as they release because I need answers and have hope the writing will get better.

Lore of the Wilds is marketed as a New Adult Fantasy which means it includes smut/spice, but it's written like a juvinelle YA fantasy novel with a spicy scene awkwardly slapped in the third half and it really needs to be YA, this isn't the NA vibes.

I’d been anticipating Lore of the Wilds for quite some time, back when it was going to be independently published rather than traditionally published. The premise of this novel seemed really cool and intriguing, though it did not work out well for me. I think, after this book, it’s evident that cozy fantasies are just not for me. It’s just taken me way too long to finish this. As much as I love the vibes of cozy fantasy, more often than not, they fail to hold my attention. I need more than just pretty writing and a cozy feel to enjoy a story. Despite not loving this book, I’m really glad it’s been getting a lot of attention, and I hope that publishers can see the demand for diverse romantasy in the future. There are not many POC-centered romantasies, specifically ones featuring Black characters and love interests written by Black authors, so I am happy this book exists even though I wasn’t a fan.

Another one of my anticipated reads disappointing me. I’m so curious what publishers are thinking re: marketing these days. The amount of tropes applied to this book in the marketing phase were almost all incorrect and misleading. While it is technically romantasy, there’s no love triangle present in this book (though you can see the seeds being planted), there’s no polyamory, barely any magical library, and it’s not adult, I’m sorry it’s just not. This YA with a sex scene. The writing isn’t bad but it reads so incredibly young. The main character is immature and has very little character development or growth as the story proceeds. The love interest is flat and obviously hiding something. Their relationship is just insta-love. I came away not shocked by the ending, unsurprised by the twist and mostly meh about the entire experience.

This is not a bad book necessarily? It just really wasn’t for me. I think a lot of people will like this and good for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pretty fun read! First and foremost, this is a diverse, YA fantasy romance. I really appreciated the enchanted library! Also, the cover is gorgeous!

Overall, I just had some issues with the pacing and consistency throughout the story.

I would recommend this to any YA readers who love fantasy and romance! 💗

A great debut Fantasy Series. The beginning was a little slow going, but once it picked up the pace, I was hooked. The ending had me reeling!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.