3.5 ⭐️ This book took me a while to get into or get into the mood to read it. It was a cozy little fantasy that had such a great premise but at many times I was wondering what the big problem was going to be that they would face and what the point was to what was going on. Despite that I still enjoyed the characters and the story but felt very slow and young adult. The ending had a great twist and makes me want to read the next one especially now that the story is more established. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book!

I love the concept and premise of the book, but the actually delivery fell kind of flat. It is a debut author, so I would definitely try out their next title. This one needed a little more polish.

"Lore of the Wilds" by Analeigh Sbrana is a promising debut fantasy novel that blends elements of romance, adventure, and mystery. The story follows Lore Alemeyu, a young woman living in the human village of Duskhollow, which is trapped by elvish magic in a forested prison. When a disaster strikes, Lore is forced to go to the elf castle and work in the library, where she discovers a mysterious grimoire that only responds to her.

Sbrana's worldbuilding is intriguing, with hints of a larger backstory about the origins of the humans in this fae world. The descriptions of the cursed library and the enchanted grimoire are particularly vivid and engaging. The diverse cast, with the main characters being BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ representation, is a refreshing and welcome addition to the fantasy genre.

However, the novel struggles with uneven pacing and character development. Lore, who is supposed to be in her early twenties, often reads as much younger, making decisions that leave readers confused. The romance elements, while promising, feel underdeveloped, with one sex scene feeling out of place and shoehorned in. The ending leaves readers on a cliffhanger, but it's unclear if the reveal will be satisfying or confusing.

Despite its flaws, "Lore of the Wilds" has the potential to appeal to fans of Sarah J. Maas' "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, with its blend of fae lore, romance, and adventure. Sbrana's writing is effective, with vivid descriptions and a strong sense of place. Readers who enjoy immersive fantasy worlds and are willing to overlook some pacing and character issues may find much to enjoy in this debut novel.

A magically written romantasy that will have you wanting more.
The things I loved.
Hidden magic in a library
Fae
The ending!
Cottage core
Found family

Such a great read! I did not expect that twist at the end and I almost always see the twists coming. Theres human and fae relation issues. There’s a human girl who just wants magic and when she finds it has to run for her life. There’s two love interests. There’s some spice towards the end. I need the next book now! What a twist! Fabulous writing!

I'm not really sure this book knows what it wants to be--does it want to be a YA book? Does it want to be strictly adult? Or cozy fantasy? I think it's just not sure and it shows.

The storyline for Lore of the Wilds is compelling and characters are loveable, but I did find issues in the pacing and general structure of the writing that made this book more difficult to get through despite it being such a short read.

This book was excellent! The characters, the plot, the magic system were all spectacular and I would 1000% love another visit to this world.

I thought this was an interesting book but didn't quite stick the landing for me. I was very drawn in by the cover but I never felt engaged by the main characters, and I had to force myself to get through it.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity

Smart and mysterious.

I was so excited for Lore of the Wilds. The premise set up this suspenseful chase and then just flattened. There were moments I thought I was reading a YA novel and then suddenly there's instalove and sex scene. It just didn't flow for me.

Unfortunately, I just don't think that this book was for me. I tried to get into it and had a really hard time. The overall concept of the book sounded intriguing, but the execution didn't do it for me.

It's cliche doesn't mean it's not fun to read. Especially if it's cottage core because the aesthetics do win. A typical human woman in a world of evil fae, a library where only she can step through and search through, and a love triangle that ends with a twist setting up a sequel. You might know the story, the characters, and the themes of segregation and discrimination. But this dark yet cozy story is an enjoyable read if you're in the right mood for it.

3.5 Stars

This is a "it's me not you" kind of review for this book, so PLEASE PLEASE do yourself a favor and give this one a try, because I genuinely believe its a good book and most readers will absolutely enjoy it.

I started this book a while back and then paused to read some other book, and then found it hard for myself to pick it back up and get sucked back in, and for that alone, my review isn't higher.

This story is fast paced and unique in its storytelling. It gives the same vibes as Folk of the Air, but the grit and determination of The Gilded Ones and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. The characters and world building are fascinating and honestly I plan to give this a reread in the future because it's a series I do plan on keeping up with! I'll probably give the audio a try!

Lore is a human trapped in her city thanks to fae magic. After a devastating earthquake, she is taken from her home in order to help the fae organize their library. The room is enchanted so no fae can enter and Lore has the unique ability to read their language so she accepts the job for coin and the safety of her family.
Over time she becomes friendly with her guard, which is a blessing because she gets in trouble when she tries to leave the castle with a magic book— One day while she was working, she found herself being called into a dark corner of the library. Behind beautiful tapestries was an equally beautiful book that was calling her name.

3.5
I thought this book was rather average up until the end — something happened that I didn’t expect and it made the story so much better. I think I’m just a little burnt out on the human/faerie romance stories right now.
But the idea of organizing a library a finding a book that gave me moon-magic is a dream come true!

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

I had really high hopes for this book, but, unfortunately, it let me down. This book is about Lore, who is a human living in a Fae dominated world. The humans in this world have been imprisoned in their town by magic and are living a life of poverty. When her village is threatened, Lore makes a deal with one of the Fae lords to come categorize and search this magical library in the fae realm that fae have not been able to access for thousands of years, but they think a human will be able to enter. He promises her money and to take care of her village, so she sacrifices her freedom and goes, with the hopes that she will make some magical discoveries of her own.

This book had everything going for it. The plot, the characters, the world concept, the magic system, and the ideas were all right and there, but everything was too surface level, especially the characters and their relationships. I had a hard time engaging in the story because I was not invested in the characters, so I didn’t really care what happened to them. Because of this, the plot felt like it moved too fast and wasn’t supported by the character’s actions. So even when the plot was exciting, especially the ending and the big twist, I almost didn’t care because there was not enough depth to justify the plot points. I also went into this book thinking it was a YA novel, until I got to a spicy scene. It is not quite “closed door”, but also not full blown erotica, though it was definitely leaning in that direction, and I think in future books might go there. As a whole, while I really enjoyed the plot itself, and I would love to know what happens going forward, I don’t know if I care enough about the characters to continue with the series.

This review is 3 months late :◦ but better late than never, right? Right! I rated #LoreoftheWilds ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A solid first entry for a new romantasy series.

What I enjoyed:
💜reading a fae series from the perspective of a Black character because it's not often (if ever) we get one, especially from a traditional publisher.
💜The lore, the magic system, and world building were done well, and l'm interested in learning more.
💜The ending!

Things I didn't love:
😑I love a love triangle, and if you advertise one, I want more than a crumb.
😑Be aware this is new adult
😑The narrator


l've seen a few negative things about this book, and I don't get it. Well, I do, but i'm going to leave people and their biases alone.

I really enjoyed this book! I found the premise to be engaging.
I just KNEW something was up with that one character, and was on pins and needles waiting for that shoe to drop.

While the pacing was perfect the first 3/4ths the book, it became choppy and rushed in the remaining quarter.

Overall, a decently solid read that I have recommended to friends

What can I say about this book other than how amazing it is? It was enthralling, thought provoking, inspiring!