I really enjoyed Tricia Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King duology and I had no doubt that I would at least like Warrior of the Wild. And I did! But overall Warrior of the Wild doesn’t hold a candle to the Daughter of the Pirate King books. It’s a fast, entertaining read but it is the kind of book that if you looked at it too closely, it kind of just falls apart. Everything about the plot line almost feels too easy. I love a fast paced book but this might have just been a LITTLE too fast.

Warrior of the Wild follows a privileged village leader’s daughter as she is exiled from her village and has to embark on a quest that involves killing an oppressive, abusive God to redeem herself to her people. Once exiled, she is left to fend for herself in the wild with no almost no resources but somehow, she makes friends anyway. Friends who were also exiled from their village and also given impossible tasks to redeem their honor. Alone, there is no way they could accomplish their tasks, but together they just might be able to find a way back home.

Okay so for starters, the god that our dear MC Rasmira has to kill? He is a joke. I really wished he was better developed as a villain instead of just reading as straight up comical. After their first interaction, he “sweeps his cape behind him before disappearing into the mountain” like some sort of Disney villain.

Soren, the love interest, is also incredibly annoying. He is indebted to Rasmira for saving his life so he follows her around relentlessly even when she tells him not to. When she tells him she isn’t really interested, he continues pushing at her even going so far as to kiss her. Of course, all of this is eventually brushed under the rug when Rasmira decides she likes him back but HONESTLY, it didn’t make him any less creepy/irritating to me. Rasmira is stubborn and does need help even when she thinks she doesn’t but there were ways Soren could have done that without being a total stalker.

Clearly, I wasn’t a fan of the romance. Aside from Soren being a creep, the romance was also very underdeveloped with Rasmira not being interested for more than half of the book and then suddenly realizing she was in love with Soren. It felt like insta-love even though the book took place over the course of three months.

With all the negative stuff I’ve said so far, I am starting to wonder if my rating is even justified but the truth is that even though all these things bugged me a LOT while I was reading the book, I didn’t even dislike the book as I read it? It was quick and entertaining. Plus, I love a good survival story (and would love to read more of them, please & thnx.)

Overall, Warrior of the Wild is unlikely to blow your mind but, as I say somewhat often, sometimes a book doesn’t need to blow your mind to be worth the read?? Sometimes you want something that is entertaining and a quick read as a palate cleanser. For those times, Warrior of the Wild is a perfect fit.

I'm not going to lie. I had high expectations for this book. I am a huge fan of her other two books <em>Daughter of the Pirate King</em> and <em>Daughter of the Siren Queen. </em>This one sounded different and intriguing, with a warrior having been betrayed and banished to conquer an impossible task.

There are so many reasons to enjoy this book. Strong female heroine who actually grows and becomes a better person. Not in a superficial way, but in a real meaningful way where she realizes she wants to be a better person and therefore, a better leader. We read about how our circumstances change us for the better and how even the things that are the most hurtful can eventually make us stronger. There are handsome warrior boys who are both respectful and supportive. Along with complicated family relationships including raw glimpses at pride, honor and love

And of course, a god to kill
I love it.
It's different than anything else out there right now. I like how fast the story moves. Every chapter ended with me talking myself into reading the next one. I devoured this book in only a couple of sittings. The writing is perfect, fast paced and easy to read. As Rasmira grows, the reader is transported to this strange world where not everything is as it seems. The monsters lurking in the wild are just as scary as the monsters in man. There are some dark sub plots lingering just beneath the surface making the story deeper and more horrible.
Overall, this third book does not disappoint. She's an auto buy author for me now.

And can we just comment on the detail and beauty of this book cover??? Swoooon.

Loved this book!!! It is far more than just a Viking story! Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and when her trial is sabotaged she is banished to the wilderness to survive. I feel like most viking stories are overly packed with fighting and death and they tend to lack a deeper meaning. This one was different. I loved the character of Rasmira and how her story progressed!

Tricia Levenseller is one of my new favorites! I love how she writes and her stories are SO GOOD!! I love telling new people about her.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review in return.

I almost want to apologize for selecting this book as an early read. I was honestly excited for over a year now I've been working on an exhibit that focuses on the Viking Age. The exhibit is going to close in a few months yet I still wanted to find books to help engage young guests. Adults have the show Vikings. A handful of people have Marvel's Thor.

Fantasy is an incredible way to engage people with history, cultures, and folklore. I received an email about this upcoming Viking book from FierceReads or one of those newsletters. Yet that is misleading. Even with reminding myself it is fiction, it is fantasy. I could not immerse myself in the world. I felt a disconnect with the character and was unable to finish it because right from the start there was nothing too Viking or Norse influenced for the narrative.

But that is just me. I look forward to seeing how other people feel about this novel before talking about it to people. I could also be too engaged academically with the Viking Age. I do look forward to an increase in YA revolving around Viking and Norse Mythology since both are close to my heart.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would! Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller is the story of Rasmira Bendrauggo, the youngest daughter of the village leader. She's raised as the male heir, training in fighting. She's the best ax fighter in her village but is looked down upon by the young men her age. When things go drastically wrong, Rasmira is banned from her village, and the only way she can return is by killing a god. While in the wilderness, she also stumbles upon a pair of young men who are outcasts like herself. Can Rasmira complete her impossible task and return home? Read to find out more!

I personally LOVED this book! I've read other books by Tricia Levenseller before and really enjoyed them, but this is by far my favorite of her work. The relationship between Rasmira and Soren gave me all the feels and I loved the three main characters! Please, please, please read this book!

This book is now on my "loved" shelf on Goodreads. The characters, the plot, and the setting were all fantastic. I loved watching the characters grow and the plot was very captivating. Definitely my best read of 2019 so far!

What an enjoyable book! Warrior of the Wild takes bits a pieces from all different fandoms and subtly combines them into a perfect conglomeration, including How to Train Your Dragon, Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. The plot has a fan fiction feel to it, and main character definitely is mostly Astrid-like at the forefront of a conspiracy and court-like intrigue novel (but without the court and set in the woods instead of a palace).

Fantasy fans will love this book and even be engrossed by the tangential detective plot line, which kept me reading until the end.

This is a stand alone YA historical fantasy novel that I really enjoyed. I loved the world, the characters, and the setting. The story is fairly simple but it's a good classic quest against evil. I love questing stories with adventure in them.

Rasmira is betrayed by a friend during her coming of age trial and banished from her village as a result. The village gives her an impossible quest, if she can complete it she can return. Things out in the Wilds aren’t as Rasmira is led to believe and her impossible quest may not be impossible as she thought.

This was a straightforward fantasy story. I enjoyed the characters, they were very well done. I also enjoyed the quest that Rasmira had to complete; it had a very classic good vs evil feel to it. All in all everything in this book was very well done and balanced and I really enjoyed it.

Overall this was a fun read and I really loved it! Lots of action, great characters, fun plot, and great world-building. I would recommend to those who enjoy fantasy adventure or fantasy with quests.

Not enough stars!!

A super exciting and adventurous standalone! I love these characters. I actually found myself laughing out loud a few times. Even epic adventures need a little laughter to get through the stress.

I love reading about warrior women. I am so happy I took a chance on a new to me author. This story will be added to my teen list. I know many girls who would love this.

This is my first Tricia Levenseller book but I know that it won't be my last.

THE COVER IS SO COOL JUST LOOK AT IT. If it's not enough to make you want to read this book, I'll try to share some words with you.

I haven't read Tricia Levenseller's pirate books (yet! gasp!), but I -have- read just about every Viking/Norse-inspired YA I can get my hands on and while this isn't my most favorite one, I quite enjoyed it.

"But I also know that true strength comes from being willing to fail in order to progress."

In a family of 6 daughters, 4 of whom chose to become jewelers by trade, main character Rasmira ("Raz") stands out by training to become a warrior. Raz's choice gained her nearly all of her father's attention when she was training and growing up, so much so that he chose her (the youngest of his children) to be his heir, and therefore the future leader of their village. All of his expectations about Raz's future and the future of the village come crashing down when Rasmira fails her final test, the event that would have made her an adult in the eyes of the villagers. She knows she's been sabotaged, but cannot convince anyone of that, so she faces the strict, years-old punishment: banishment to the wild. Only succeeding in an impossible task (like say, killing a god) will win Raz the freedom to return to her village. Dun dun DUN.

Raz's inner and outer strength definitely drew me to her and frustrated me at the same time. There were times when she was so stubborn and uptight that I wanted to shake her. But, I enjoyed the times when she became really introspective about her emotions, her romantic situation(s), loyalty, and her family/parents. Her growth in that way added a lot of depth to the overall story.

The setting is quite intriguing. Isolated villages whose people don't dare venture too far outside their borders into the "wild"...which is crawling with mysterious and deadly creatures...except when representatives from said villages must haul their "payment" to an even more mysterious and deadly "lower god" who also lives in said "wild". And they don't trust/understand wood as a building material...or like, they've only ever had weird useless wood. Anyway, the wariness surrounding the "wild" made me afraid for Rasmira and added to the creep factor when she was banished there. Luckily, she wasn't on her own in the wild for long (in a good way)...

That brings me to the romance aspect! It exists! There is kissing and hard-core crushing between certain folks. To me, it was a touch more on the sweet side than the steamy side, which I generally prefer. I also thought it moved along at a reasonable pace, given what Raz went through earlier in the book.

Overall, I found this to be an action-packed, quick-paced read with a unique setting and a nice, tidy ending. Characters grow, face their fears, and have their loyalties tested. I think this could be suitable for younger YA readers (maybe older middle school and up?), which is something I always try to look for as a librarian.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital advanced copy!

Warrior of the Wild is a story about friendship, identity, and daring to do the impossible. Rasmira is a character you instantly love, equally for her strength and her vulnerability, because even if she may be the strongest warrior, her mother seems to hate her and her father is never entirely pleased with her. The characters are what I loved the most about Warrior of the Wild. Who can resist a strong willed and talented Viking warrior maiden? But this story was enhanced by the side characters, boys wronged by their society, and friends striving to overcome the guilt of betrayal.

Rasmira has carved a home for herself in my heart. Whether it be her fierce love for her sisters, her resentment for the preferential treatment from her father, or her longing for a friend, she struck a chord within me. Levenseller strikes the perfect balance between Rasmira's tough love attitude towards her peers, and the ability for her mother and father to deeply hurt her without trying. While family is certainly a large part of the story, Warrior of the Wild is about the difference between blood and family.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This was a book that took me forever to get into. The first half of it was a blast. It sucked me into wanting to know if Raz would make it through her challenge or not. Then, Raz went out into the wild and it seemed like the quality dropped. Soren and Iric both felt a little one dimensional. All the information the reader was given felt like the author was trying to force the readers to love these two without showing us good reasons. Iric was the one she really pushed onto the reader and I just couldn't find it within myself to really care for him. He seemed too one-note usually just full of anger at Soren and even their reconciliation felt off.

Still, I did finish this book. I am not a hundred percent why I kept pushing through. It could be just because I wanted to see how Raz's mother was treated in the end. In the end, I wouldn't recommend this book to many people, only if they are really looking for something in this genre to read.

Overall I thought this book was a lot of fun to read. It has its flaws but I just had a good time reading it and that is what I personally care about most. The main character Rasmira is tough and fierce with an ax and I mean, how do you not love a girl like that? Throughout the book she learns to accept herself for who she is, both a warrior and a woman, and that is okay to be both. She figures out who she wants to be for herself and that she doesn't need anyone else to tell her who she should be and that arc was really great to read. The romance is sweet but it isn't the main part of the book that I cared about. I much preferred the friendship that Rasmira finds and their sweet little friend group. It is a fun, quick adventure with some great ax-wielding badassery.

4 stars!!

From the author who brought us Daughter of the Pirate King- Warrior of the Wild has a well thought out plot and non-stop action from the very first page. With twists and turns, almost from the very start, I could not help but be captivated by this Viking-type story.

We follow MC Rasmira, youngest of 6 girls, all born to the village leader. Her father has raised her to be a warrior- and to be the one to take his place as ruler in the future. She is good at everything she does- and for that, has made some enemies in her village. Something happens and she is forced out of her village to act as tribute and is given the impossible task of killing the god that threatens their lands.

I really enjoyed the easy flow of this book, the pace was just fantastic. The world building was really well written. There is a slow burn romance, but also a good bit of blood and guts as well as many action scenes. The creatures in the Wild are fierce and unique. To me this book reminded me at times of The Hunger Games- and The Maze Runner. Being a fan of both- I was captivated and drawn into this story. Rasmiras character growth, along with some other characters in the book, was refreshing. Warrior of the Wild had a great overall message and I totally recommend it if you're looking for an engrossing, addictive, fast paced read.

Thank you to Netgalley for generously providing this Arc in return for an honest review!

*Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*May contain some slight spoilers, but most information is previously mentioned in the synopsis.
4.25 / 5 stars

Warrior of the Wild explores a Viking-inspired tale of a young female tasked with a dangerous quest to restore her status within her community. Tricia Levenseller forms her own world of Viking-inspired lifestyle among the dangerous creatures found in the wild. This standalone novel shows the path that one must take to become a true warrior in the eyes of this community.

Tricia Levenseller crafts a Viking-inspired world in Warrior of the Wild. This world includes fantastical elements to add to the atmosphere of danger within the story. I thought that the world was well-created and I enjoyed exploring different features within this world. I do kind of wish that the Viking inclusion was a bit stronger at times. I think a little more research could have really added to this story to support this inclusion and make the world feel a little more Viking-like. There were a few instances where the writing almost made some of the descriptions a little more modern in a way than I wanted it to, which did kind of throw me off a bit.

Overall, I was captivated by the plot. I enjoyed the journey that Rasmira had to take within the wild. I was interested in the motivations of all the characters and I appreciated the character growth that was included. The writing was a little simplistic at times, but the descriptions were mostly well-done within the story. I loved how creative the story is with the creatures and tasks that were included in the wild. I would recommend checking this one out! I think that this would be a wonderful book to recommend to students and others. We need more standalone books like this one.

Publication date: February 26, 2019
Description:
An eighteen-year-old chieftain's daughter must find a way to kill her village’s oppressive deity if she ever wants to return home in Warrior of the Wild, the Viking-inspired YA standalone fantasy from Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King.

How do you kill a god?
As her father's chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: To win back her honor, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.

My Thoughts:
I put this on my TBR list because I like reading this kind of fantasy-ish (no magic), Viking-ish (not really Vikings but it seems cold and they like to fight), girl power Clan of the Cave Bear ish wilderness feminism, survivalist adventure with a bit of YA rated romance.

It does not disappoint. It has enough relationship angst to appeal to the girls, enough blood, gore and action for the boys and enough disappointing, clueless, rigid adult characters that make up most YA stories. With these types of books, there is just so much pressure on the young main characters to basically save the world or die trying. Enter strangers who become friends and allies.

This book is not original, but it is still entertaining in its familiarity. Like the Hunger Games' Primrose "Prim" Everdeen who is the healer to her older sister Katniss' warrior, Rasmira in this book has her older sister Irrenia who is the nurturer and healer of the family. The landscape reminds me of the also fantasyish girl power book Sky in the Deep, and finally, like Kagawa's Iron Fey series, Rasmira, like Meghan, seems to be the main person to save the day for everyone else. If readers devoured any of these, they will devour this too.


Closing Words:
I am Rasmira Bendrauggo. . . I am both a woman and a warrior. . . And I will not let anyone cause me to forget.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley for an honest review

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy this novel. I enjoyed this novel from the same author as daughter if a pirate king. The character development of rasmira was wonderful as was the world building. I loved the clean slow build romance. The betrayal element to the start caught me by surprise. Loved this stand alone story and will look for more by this author.

It saddens me that I did not love Warrior of the Wild as much as I hoped. I had very high expectations for this book because I loved the humor, smart wit, and female empowerment of the author’s first action-packed series, a pirate-themed duology called Daughter of the Pirate King. However, even though I know many readers will enjoy Warrior of the Wild, I personally found the character development very static and the story predictable at times.

In regards to the main character, I had a really hard time connecting with Rasmira because she stays very guarded and stasis throughout her journey in the book. She is very determined and goal-oriented, but I felt like she lacked the capabilities to learn and mature. It's at the very end of the book that she finally opens up and allows herself to accept change, new friendships, and experiences. 

As for the predictability of the storyline, there were a few twists in the book and some epiphany scientific discoveries. But overall I seemed to pick up on the betrayals and surprises before they occurred, which unfortunately stilled the story for me. 

Although this book did not work for me, I can definitely see it being an amazing read for people who love slow-burn romances and Vikings. The main character Rasmira is a female warrior who physically guards herself and her emotions very well. She wants to make her father and her village proud. She is fierce and determined, which are not favorable attributes with her male peers so she makes enemies really quick. In the beginning, Rasmira has her life carefully planned out, but after experiencing betrayal on multiple fronts and then banishment, her main goals are survival and killing a god. 

Warrior of the Wild is a very well-written book sprinkled with action-packed scenes and complex friendships. Add in some ax fighting  with a dash of romance and you have a recipe for an engaging Viking-inspired novel.

"A man who finds his masculinity threatened by a powerful woman is no man at all." -Warrior of the Wild (PREACH, TRICIA!)

I have loved Levenseller's two previous books (Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen) and was eagerly anticipating her third on a wholly new fantasy topic. Warrior of the Wild features a strong woman warrior protagonist who is up against seemingly impossible odds. The novel gallops at breakneck speed toward its epic conclusion and includes a soft twist of romance.

Levenseller has quickly become one of my favorite authors -- not YA authors, not women authors, not fantasy authors, just hands-down favorite authors -- because of her ability to write a clean, yet complex story where women are both strong and soft, fierce and merciful. She allows Rasmira to cry even though she could kill any beast or mortal who crossed her path. Romance is always a part of her stories without overshadowing the main plot. She does not shy away from building characters who are infinitely layered and I laud her for it.

Warrior of the Wild is brutal and immersive, with an interesting fantasy element, relatable characters, great writing, and a satisfying ending. This book will definitely find a home on the shelf at my library and I am already anticipating Levenseller's next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.