A bit different than the usual paranormal books I read, Siena is a story of a fifteen year old girl who's only known captivity her whole life. As a child, she discovered her ability to heal, and after her loud mouth half brother blabbed about it, her mother was executed for hiding her secret, and she's been a slave ever since. She often wonders if this is all life has for her.

Told through the first person viewpoint, we really get the nitty gritty of Siena's life and slavery in the beginning of the book. Pushed around by everyone in her compound, they use her powers and don't care about her health or safety. She knows why people keep their abilities a secret, being called an horrible names. Little does she know that everyone else is just jealous of her power.

One night, her compound is raided by a neighbouring one while their warriors are out scouting. They take down everyone in their path. Except for Siena, who narrowly escapes with her life. She finds a new home and a new life with the Forestfolk, originally a refuge camp in the middle of the woods. They accept her and her gift with welcoming arms. But bad things are happening to the people that were captured from her original camp, and she can't stand around and let it be. She has to do something about it.

I'm going to be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was getting into with this book, but once I started it I completely devoured it, finishing it in just a few hours. I couldn't get enough. The kindness in the hearts of these characters, even though they're fictional, gives me hope for the people in our real lives. It's a story of blossoming in the right conditions, and doing whatever you can to stay there. And if something bad happens, just keep going, and it'll be okay eventually. You'll find people who love you for you, and I think that's the moral of the story.

If you're looking for something very different in the way of magical powers and the woods, then this is the book for you. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book, and really just suck myself into that one as well. This book really taught me a lesson that I hope stays with me for a while, if not forever, at least.

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Unfortunately I did not finish this book and so do not feel like I can write a full and proper review.

The writing for this story wasn't the greatest, but the premise was definitely interesting and emotional, and I kept reading to find out what would happen next. The character development was believable.

I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did. Not that the description or cover didn't catch my attention but I read this at a time when I was going through a slump. I was taken by surprise over how interesting it was. The plot was something I automatically fell into but my favorite part had to be the characters. I don't think I can decide on a favorite. 4 stars! I would really love to read the sequel to find out what happens to all these characters and plots!

This book pleasantly surprised me! It was quite good. I grew to love all the characters - Siena, Semper, Remi, and everyone else. It was such a warm book and lovingly written. I'd recommend it to anyone. :)

Zoe Blessing's debut of the Forestfolk series features a gorgeously imagined world populated with tribes and 'aberrations', people blessed with gifts out of the ordinary. Right from the beginning the story is a slow burner, but it never feels extraneous or meandering, instead it feels very much like the book is designed to world build in preparation for further books in the series. It also spends a large portion of time introducing the important characters in Siena's world, leaving each character well fleshed out and very real.

That's not to say that the story is aimless or boring, it has a strong thread throughout and I really enjoyed the pacing. Siena is an unusual main character for a fantasy novel, her strengths lay with gentleness, kindness and understanding rather than the sassy heroine or battleworn hero usually preferred by this genre. She was never written as being weak despite lacking physical strength.and I like that she was a multilayered character with more to offer than good swordskills and a sharp tongue.

My only criticism is that the book seemed perhaps pitched to a younger audience than most YA novels, and as such lacked a little depth. Relationships were formed almost instantly, battles were over quickly, Siena found a place easily. I would have preferred just a little more conflict and counterbalance to everything being so wholesome.

This book was a surprise hit!! I enjoyed reading how Siena survived the verbal abuse, made friends along the way and found out more about her gift, that she could do more than just heal. Very interesting story, can’t wait to read the second book in the Forestfolk series

Plot wise, I loved the feeling this book created. The Foresthome seemed like such a nice place and its inhabitants were so unique and intresting. The Gifted all had very intriguing abilites, with my favourite definitely being Remi's, he could camouflage himself as easily as a chameleon! The story progressed so smoothly and I loved that everything seemed to be evolving organically, nothing felt forced or out of place.

Character wise, Siena was a very down to earth girl, with a very nice personality. Despite being a slave for most of her life, she treated the Forest people with kindness and respect and was completely enarmored with their way of life, after being eith them for a couple of days. I really liked and admired her, and I can't wait to read more of her adventures!

I also loved Remi and Siena's relationship! He's so sweet to her and it's a bit funny how clueless she is sometimes, regarding love and those type of feelings! There was a very slight love triangle for a short period of time and, usually I'm not a big fan of them, but that particular one helped in making Siena realise her true feelings, so I think it was pretty useful for the story!

All in all, "Siena" is a very enjoyable read! I liked the tribes and the whole setting and it has intresting and relatable characters, which I believe is incredibly important for a good book!

Like many of the books I’ve been reading lately, the cover for Siena is what originally caught my attention, but it really was the description that made me decide to give it a try. Siena is the first novel by Zoe Blessing, but clearly it’s already caught some attention, since the second novel (Sember) is due out in November.
I’m always a fan of stories that focus on healers. I suppose every fan of fantasy series and the concept of superpowers have a favorite power (or two) that they really love the concept of (my second one is the ability to talk to animals; like that’s any surprise). Upon learning that Siena is a healer in a world that considers people with abilities to be abominations, I was immediately intrigued about the plot and the potential of the series.
I didn’t know much about this novel going into it, other than that the main character (Siena) was a healer in a place that isn’t typically accepting of that nature. Otherwise I didn’t have many expectations or ideas of what I was going to get. And yet I was still surprised by what Zoe Blessing delivered. Siena is more than the story of a young healer – it’s the story of a young girl trying to find herself in a world that can at times be quite frightening.
Siena lives in a world where different tribes travel the world. Each tribe appears to have their own way of life, as well as their own belief system and in some ways social structures (though those are the most similar, at least by appearance). She grew up in a Plainsman tribe (but she is not actually one of them – her mother being captured while pregnant with Siena); this tribe starts wars for the slightest reasons, captures those they feel like (and treat them just as awfully as you’d expect), and they hate people with abilities (they call them abominations) – unlike many other tribes with this opinion Siena’s tribe chooses to kept the useful ‘abominations’ as prisoners (for a culture that loves to war I can see why they’d find a healer helpful).
Thankfully that isn’t the only life Siena will ever know, as she eventually joins a group of people known as the Forest Folk. It seems like this group of people has more than their fair share of gifted people (probably people like Siena fleeing for their freedom or lives) and they are exceedingly accepting of their kind. I imagine the sudden reversal on that opinion was pretty jarring to Siena, so I don’t blame her in the slightest for any hesitation or fear she felt while settling in.
Siena is a novel so full of emotions that it can be overwhelming at times. It’s a beautiful tale, but that doesn’t mean the author shied away from the darkness; she included those parts as needed to create real impact in the story.
I’m happy to see that there’s already a sequel planned (Sember), and after having read Siena I think I have an idea of where the next one is going to lead. Regardless, I can’t wait to read that one too. I’m already impressed with Zoe Blessing’s work, and I can’t wait to see how her world develops over the course of several novels.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book. I loved Siena's character and her growth as a character. She is very relatable, which I love reading stories when I can connect and relate.
This was my first book by this author, It was okay. It was slow paced but it was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!

I received an ARC on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a truly wonderful read. I was not sure what to expect and it took me a lot longer to focus all of my attention on reading only this book (sometimes I will read multiple books at a time). I am glad that I did.

<b> Here is what I liked </b>

There was just such a sweet innocence to this book. From the characters, to the love interest and how it was written. There was still death and violence and even fear of assault. But it is all of the good that shines through. It almost felt like a "coming of age" book, overcoming tough choices, making some of those tough choices, learning how to live with said choice and realizing that somewhere along the way you have moved on from being just a girl and boy.

Siena was a <i>WONDERFUL</b> MC. She was so sweet, innocent, loveable, but should could also be very fierce and strong. I think a lot of that had to do with her age of just being 15, and all of the thing she had endured at the young age. Lately most of the books I have been reading, I find myself disliking the main character so much, or I find I can hardly connect or find anything likeable about them. I did not mind at all that she was only 15. She reminded me of me at that age, totally bashful and awkward at times.

And oh my goodness, the <b> ADORABLE </b> little love story that sprouts between Siena and Remi! It is pure sweet innocence and they are just so adorable! You don't get too many "love stories" like that in YA novels. Lately it is overly nauseating or too graphic or so insta love that it has me rolling my eyes. This novel is labeled as a "Romance" on GR, but I wouldn't say it is. The love story is so secondary and so gentle and the plot still remained the plot, this only added to it and especially the ending.

Blessings also includes a lot of wonderfully written secondary characters. Some that I found rather annoying, like Nirrin but I also had to remind myself that she was a child. Sember was also another adorable character and I enjoyed the sisterly love that sprouted between her and Siena.

<b> What I didn't like </b>

Well. For once, I have nothing to write about what I didn't like. Overall enjoyed this book immensely. I know that the second book in this series is about Sember 10 yrs from now and I don't know how I feel about that considering how much I liked Seina and Remi and I want more of their story. BUT, if it's anything like Siena, it is worth picking up.

The KEYS TO THE KINGDOM series meets CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS meets Leigh Bardugo, in one bright, original YA novel.

SIENA follows the material and internal journey of fifteen-year-old Siena. As she flees danger, she meets the elusive Forestfolk, a refuge of sorts in the depths of the forest. Where do I start with the praise? The prose is descriptive and lyrical without being overbearing, the female characters are strong without being physically powerful warriors, and morality and loyalty are tested in all sorts of ways.

It raises questions about prejudice, and about right and wrong. It provides a new twist on magic. It creates a world that envelops you, taking you by all five senses and making you feel as though you’re there, in the forest or the lake or the community. The romance element is predictable, and I think the characters could have been delved into more, particularly the adults - there are a lot of interesting people here that we don’t really get to know - but this is only a minor thing.

In a world of YA books that are snap snap snap, fast-pacing, and banter, this focus on nature and life is refreshing. The climax could be more dramatic, as it seemed to be over quite fast, but it isn’t a hugely dramatic book overall, so again, this is only minor. Siena is a unique, gentle, believable heroine, with an equally unique, believable, sometimes-gentle accompanying cast. I will definitely be reading the sequel!

Really wanted to like this more, but it’s a hard pass. Characters need more depth - especially Siena. By the end she is so annoying you want to stop reading - don’t, the book is pretty short.

I liked that book. I really tought the story was good. Il liked Siena, and I thonk a lot of people will like her and relate to her struggle. I prefer books that has characters that are a bit older, so I would say it is for younger readers. But over all, nice story.

Siena follows the story of Siena. Siena has been a captive her whole life, used for her gift of healing in a tribe. Anyone who has a special ability is called an aberration. Siena doesn't know any other life and feels alone in the world. She has a half brother but he really doesn't like her either. When her tribe is attacked, Siena escapes. She wakes up in a strange little community called the forest folk. She doesn't want them to know about her gift because she's afraid they'll shun her. The book follows her story into growth, into trusting others, into love.

Siena is an easy read. I read it in one night. It was a lovely little story. I would say it is for teenagers. Siena is 15 herself. If you would like lite reading, then this is the book for you.

This book was great! I loved Siena's growth throughout the story.
And I love Sember! She is an adorable character. I can't wait to read the next one!

This book was good but I felt like it could have been so much better. A deeper dive into character or environment/culture would have been great for filling it out.