This was not the book for me. I am a very character driven reader and these characters really fell flat for me. I did not finish this book.

A nice little short story /novella that is nicely written and a good addition to the haven series. I read it between book one and two of the series and that was perfectly fine, but you could also always start with this before reading the actual series since this book is set before the first book starts.

This was such a shame. I was so excited to read this, as I really enjoyed reading Haven's story in the first novel Haven, and was disappointed with the companion novel Savages, so I could not wait to go back into Haven's world as I was really intrigued knowing this was about her family. However, I just got so disinterested whilst reading it, and it really is such a shame.

I believe the main issue I had with this novel is the characters. The characters did not feel like they were introduced well, and so therefore it was really difficult to connect and understand them, all but Haven, but that is only because her character was so well explored in the first novel. This therefore caused the prequel to drag, and as the reader is was very difficult to feel immersed in the novel.

The plot also went very slowly. It felt very similar to previous plots and events that occurred throughout the series, and so therefore it lost its 'wow' factor, and were no longer the shocking or eventful scenes that they should have been; I felt like I just kept having deja-vu. I got half-way through, 50%, and I could no longer continue as I was just rather bored. And it feels such a shame to say, as I had such high hopes. I just could no longer continue, the plot felt the same as previously, and it no longer felt unique.

Sadly, I had to stop at 50%, and it feels like such a shame as I was so looking forward to reading Haven's families story.

I was so happy to get more about Haven and now being able to get more back story about her family was even better. I will say knowing their outcomes was a little sad. But this novella was still very good and gives you so much more about the first book Haven. This one also has a very intersting plot twist that I am excited to see where it leads for our Queen Haven. If you want more back story about Haven and her family I would totally pick this one up!

I didnt like this book as much as haven and savages it just wasnt as easy for me to get into the the story but it was a good book.

My Review: I have been on a big fantasy kick lately so wanted to give this one a shot. This is a prequel novella with 4 short stories that take place before the first book. I am one of those people who prefers to read everything in chronological order so this was where I started. From this short book it strikes me as being along the lines of those generational long family sagas but with a fantasy twist. Each of the 4 stories takes you along with one of the 4 royal siblings in the months leading up to the first book, the land is at war already and a lot is happening before the series really even gets started. Reading this does allow for you to get to know each of the characters and the events that lead to the current status before the story begins, in this case I believe it would be very helpful as it seems there is quite a lot of backstory in this novella that may be needed to make sense of the first full length novel. I think Astrid's storyline might be the most intriguing, but other than that I was a little bored for most of this book, there was plenty of action but I don't know if it was enough to capture my attention enough to dedicate to a full series.



My Rating: There is a lot of information and backstory packed into this little novella, but I think it might end up being very essential to understanding the first full length novel. I don't know if I will continue this series because it does sound like something that will take a lot of dedication, but others might find it very interesting. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

*I RECEIVED A FREE COPY FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

I really really enjoyed Haven and Savages from Katherine Bogle and this novella did not disappoint!

In Haven, we meet the newly crowned queen, Haven, who hadn't been first in line for the throne but was forced to become queen when her parents and her two elder brothers were murdered in the War brewing between the kingdoms and the evil queen Kadia. And she was the next in line to take the throne right before her younger sister.

In this novella, we had four little stories on each of the royal siblings. I think the author did a spectacular job with each of these characters. They were all so different and yet had a sense of unity.

Lucien was the oldest brother and the first in line for the throne. He was dedicated to his duty and being the perfect king but he had quite a few insecurities. He mostly felt like whatever he did wasn't good enough in the eyes of his father and he was always pushing and striving to be a role model for his younger siblings. He mostly got Marcel and Haven out of trouble :P

Marcel, the second in line for the throne is kind of a mischievous daredevil! He and Haven were always brewing up trouble. He had the most interesting story of them all because his story was more like an adventure! He was definitely my favorite character.

Haven, the third, was kind of the in between. She's as compassionate and kind as ever even when she was a child though she kind of hates the constrictions of being a royal child and would rather spend her time racing and causing mayhem with Marcel then attending dinner parties. And we even got to see the scene where she first discovered she was immortal!!!

And then we had the youngest sister, Astrid. And she was the character that really grew in the story. In the beginning, she comes off as a little bratty. She loves the royal life and she wants everything to be perfect and proper. But before she can make her "debut" war breaks out and Haven sends her to their family home in the mountains. Obviously she's mad and petty because she's pretty young but in the mountains, she does grow up a lot and she starts to think more like a young woman that a child throwing temper tantrums.

Going into this book was pretty scary since you know that the two elder brothers are going to die-that's why Haven became queen. It was kinda tough to say goodbye to them because they did grow on you and they were so close to each other! But the author did manage to throw in a few interesting twists that totally shocked me! And i cannot wait to read book 3 of this series because so far these books have been pretty awesome :P!

This novella served as a sneak preview for the story that comes ahead in Haven. I found the premise intriguing, but the short stories here were a bit too abrupt in the way they end. I liked reading the first story about Haven, but her other siblings weren't all that interesting to read about. Hopefully, that isn't the case in the first book! Either way, this novella has me interested in reading this series!

This book was an interesting start to the series. It is a shorter book, and definitely packed with action and some very interesting adventure on the part of a Princess. Astrid is the youngest daughter, a war is brewing in her country and her parents and brothers go off to fight in the war. What happens? Watching what happens with Astrid and her siblings and how their lives change either for the better or worse is definitely interesting. I cannot wait to get started on Haven's book. This book really laid a pretty decent groundwork of what to expect going forward. In Haven, we will get a good look at Astrid's sister Haven and her new title and job.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

This book was easy to read but not terribly entertaining. I understand that it sets up some of the characters for Haven. I am excited to read that book but I am hoping the story line isn't as predictable.

This book is made up of 4 short stories that all take place before the events of Haven. I'm not usually a big fan of prequel stories, my main concern is that they need to add something to the story. Which these definitely did.

While I really enjoyed the first story about Haven, the other ones about her siblings felt a bit on the long side. It was nice to get to know these characters a bit more. If you loved Haven, you should definitely check this out, though.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley*
As I read the prequel and the sequel I'll just write one for both.

This series is an amazing YA! It does have difficult situations, but that only makes the heroine stand out more. She is the thing I liked the most about the book, as I could really see the character development.

The plot is absolutely relentless, and had me holding on by a thread. It was refreshing to see the political aspect mixed so well with just a little romance.
In the prequel I loved to see what happened with her brothers and that they realized how special she was.

There was just one thing that annoyed me which was that she was immortal and the guards STILL risked their lives for her! Why would she have guards in the first place once they knew she was immortal? What a waste of resources!

Anyway, this was a well written book with a very hard but interesting plot.

Beautiful writing. Haven and her siblings have an very interesting time. It's a bittersweet tale

These were just some short novellas before the actual story of Haven. I enjoyed them and hopefully it will create a deeper love for the characters in the books.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up reading this short story collection before picking up Haven, the first book in the series, because the stories take place shortly before the setting of Haven. (I confirmed this on the author's blog which states: Fyre is a set of short stories in the Haven universe, not long before the book actually begins.) Call me a rebel, but I like reading prequels first.

The short stories set the stage for each of the royal children of Rythern.

Haven, A princess that cannot be hurt, making the perfect candidate for a queen.

"What am I, Mother?" Haven held Denica's blue gaze. "I don't know, my Haven." Denica smiled ruefully and squeezed Haven's fingers. "But you are still my daughter, a princess of Rythern, and a daughter to the King. Your immortality will be your grace, as you have always been mine."

Lucian, the brother prone to duty and leadership, forced into facing threats in the shadows.

"How could he fight darkness? How could he win against shadows? His training didn't prepare him for this. Nothing could have prepared him for this."

Marcel, the brother displaced and lost to his family through the events of war.

"But while Haven's magic had only ever done good, saving her life and brightening the lives of their family, this magic was wrong. This magic was dark. This magic was killing his family and his soldiers."

Astrid, a princess enthralled with the elaborate life of royalty faced with learning to fend for herself.

"Though Haven had never cared for this life, Astrid believed herself born to it."

It's hard to tell from these stories how the rest of the series will be, as they are meant to be supportive material for the main plot. From what I can tell at this point, they were will written, engaging, and creative. I'm curious to see where these stories will lead in the first installment of this series.

3.5 stars.