***I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley***

3.5 stars

I love Wattpad books and that was what tempted me into requesting for this ARC. At first, I loved the description and I was hoping for an action-packed fantasy romance, but what I got was more romance. I actually liked the romance because it was well written, and the pacing is quite good.

However, the description on NetGalley didn't fit with the story. There was some kind of Harry Potter feels, and I wasn't expecting a magic school, though. But I enjoyed the world-building!

There wasn't much character development in the story because they just fell in love without much explanation, but this is a chilling romance-read and I would recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy romance!

I'm not sure what to say about this book. The premise is interesting, the world-building and magic were inventive and thoughtful - carefully explained. I think the characters had a unique voice and were easy to like. However, there was an overt redundancy to the book that made it difficult to enjoy for the near 500 pages. The same sequences would occur, charters would basically say the same thing and there was a surprising lack of character growth throughout this book. I also think the character's motives could have been made more explicit. I didn't hate this book, I just wasn't sucked in and as impressed as I was hoping I'd be with this premise.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of Given in exchange for this review.

Given has been hailed as a big contender of a new crop of fantasy novels. Taylor has filled the novel with some absolutely amazing stuff.

One of the reasons why I gave this book 3 stars was because of the pacing. The first half of the story was so interesting I was so intrigued by the plot and the magical elements of the book and I wanted to know what was going to happen next, even though I was a bit confused by everything that we learned so far, but the other half of the story was so slow and I felt not much was happening. I found the setting both refreshing and malnourished. I appreciated that the author drew on a variety of elements to create a setting that felt vibrant and new, with a fresh take on integrating magic into a society. But most of the time I felt underwhelmed.

Overall, I think Given had so much potential and had such an interesting concept for a book, but the pacing of the plot made my enjoyment lowered quite a lot. I appreciated it so much that it was book with such a diverse cast of characters and that it had that very interesting magical elements and a very in-depth world building, but I would’ve loved to see more of that magic and a more complex plot and characters.

*I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion*

I think I went into the book expecting something and getting out with another. Not in a bad way because I would totally give this book a 3.9 (just because 4 is a pretty high rating for me) but the synopsis of the book didn't mention the circumstances of the book.

I totally didn't expect a Hogwarts-like place in the book, but Prevan academy was just that. A prestigious school for magic. I loved it, but all I'm saying is, I would have liked to know what I was getting into. I loved the world building inside the book, or more like the world building of Cresh, because we didn't really get much of Yirba (Yenni's island), but I think that's just because the whole book takes place in Cresh. I think if the sequel (now available on Wattpad) comes out, we would get a bit more of Yirba though.

I had some other issues throughout the book. One being, character development. I really don't think there was much character development throughout the story for our two main protagonists, they just kind of fell in love but they didn't get much growth. And to be honest they didn't really have a bright personality to begin with, and that bothered me quite a lot.

And this is a very romance centered book so if you're expecting a lot of dragons and epic battle scenes....well you don't really get much of that. The romance though is pretty good, it did flow pretty well (minus that one chapter where suddenly Yenni goes from denying any sort of feelings to confessing her love) and easily. And even the overall pace of the book was written quite well.

One last thing is, and I don't know if I'm saying that because of all the time I spent on Wattpad before or what, but you can still feel that this is a Wattpad book down to it's very core. So for all the Wattpad readers, you are going to fall in love with this book.

(Please tell me that there's a sequel being published, because I would love to know how their story would unfold)

*Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC*

Books that feel like a strange mix of elements from other books are often disorienting. I found Given to be a strange mix of magic systems, dragons/shapeshifters, tribal lore/language, romance (kinda), and academia. Most of the ideas I have read elsewhere, and I'm just not sure they came together for a cohesive story in this novel.

Yenni, princess of her tribe and proficient practitioner of runelore magic, is forced to take a journey to the empire of Cresh to pursue a cure for her father's mysterious illness. While there, she enrolls in the most prominent magical school and is discovered by a dragon shapeshifter, Weysh, who declares her his "Given." This means they must eventually marry and create a child that will carry the dragon shifting gene. As you might expect, Yenni isn't thrilled with this pronouncement and drama ensues.

One of my major complaints here is the lack of depth for any of the characters. The background for Yenni is front-loaded and surrounded by terminology and structures within her tribe that are confusing, so by the time she heads out for her quest I still wasn't invested in her success. The cast of secondary characters is long and very shallow indeed. We have several professors, classmates, and family members that are all caricatures and only seem to revolve around Yenni and Weysh, which is exhausting.

Weysh, our dragon love interest, has more back story and is certainly engaging because of it. His advances on Yenni edged the boundaries of appropriate, but he is shut down and punished for it over the course of the book. Ultimately, he is the classic bumbling but lovable guy and that helps keep the book moving as you cheer on his success.

There are several plot points that are implausible, but quite honestly, I'm used to that in YA fiction and can normally role with the punches. This one pushed me beyond my comfort zone, though, and I found myself looking forward to it coming to an end.

The one thing I wanted more knowledge of was the history of how shapeshifting dragons became a part of society. It was hinted that it had something to do with some extensive wars in the past of these countries, but that before that dragons and people were separated. I would definitely have found that to be an engaging addition.

Given is a weird amalgamation of elements that don't quite gel. I likely won't be picking up book 2 (this one is a clear series starter), but could see how it might appeal to some readers, particularly those who like the "enemies to lovers" trope and romance more than substance.

Yenni has never been this far from home. With only her wits, her strength and her sacred runelore, the fierce Yirba warrior princess is alone in the Empire of Cresh. It’s a land filled with strange magics and even stranger people—many of whom mistrust anyone who’s different. But Yenni will prove herself, and find a cure for her father’s wasting illness. She will not fail.

No one warned her about the dragons. Especially not about him.

Yes, there is something powerful and compelling about the violet-black dragon known as Weysh. In human form he’s muscular, beautiful—and completely infuriating. What kind of arrogant creature claims a stranger as his Given; as his destined mate? Yenni is no man’s—or dragon’s—plaything. But other magics must be at work here, because Weysh might just be her best hope at finding the answers she seeks.

Only now Yenni can’t tell if she’s fighting her attraction to a dragon…or fighting fate itself. – Goodreads

The cover. We cannot have a conversation about this novel without discussing how amazing the cover is. Not only does it completely grab your attention but seeing a dark skin woman in the front looking not only fierce but feminine does wonders to me.
But as we all know you cannot judge a book by its cover and the book was okay. It didn’t do anything for me by any means but there were things that I love.
I loved the focus on Yenni, her home and her traditions. I liked the fact that she did not change herself, physically or mentally, to fit in with her new environment. She stayed true to herself while also allowing herself to learn.
I loved the imagery within this novel. Everything was clear and it felt as if it was living and breathing because of this it was why I finished the book.
Here is what I didn’t like. The romance was forced and there was no spark or even connection there. Weysh was such a good character but not for Yenni. There was just nothing there and when they did come together there was still nothing there. I didn’t feel real not the whole dragon and human in a magical world real but the love, the attraction, the chemistry was not there.
The book is focused a lot on that romance, but it is also focused on Yenni trying to find out the source and the cure for a sickness in her village. I wish there was more deep dive on the second part. Its not like Yenni was love struck or anything, it was just a case of a romance that actually didn’t need to happen.
But the other issue I had with this book was how slow it was. As much as I loved Yenni and the imagery, the book overall was not really engaging, and it was easy to put it down.
Overall, it was okay. I was expecting more from this book and it wasn’t SOLEY because of the cover. The summary promises a lot but more importantly a steamy chemistry that you can’t help but love.
This doesn’t appear to be a series, but I would actually love another book within this world.
Overall,
2 Pickles

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Yenni is a Yirba warrior princess. Alone in the Empire of Cresh, Yenni must rely on herself and her runelore to guide her. But the Empire of Cresh is dark and magical, and Yenni must traverse the land and the strange people to find a cure for her father's illness.

But to her surprise, there are dragons. Weysh is a dragon that can transform into a man, but when they encounter one another, he claims Yenni as his Given. Only, when he's in his human form, she's kind of attracted him.

I loved the cover, and the concept was really cool, but it just didn't cnnect with me. The world building is cool, and with all of the magic, I was getting some HP vibes. The romance wasn't insta-love, which we can very grateful for! Unfortunately, the description of this book doesn't really accurately match the book. The setting wasn't really the same, and getting into the book considering the description didn't match was difficult.

Overall, not really my thing. I might try the sequel to this, but only eventualy.

In this fantasy novel, a young woman, adept at her culture's magic, goes to a different country to study at its magic academy, which is run mostly by people-dragons who have two forms. Mostly bullied by her professors, she does find allies, and a young man who insists upon seeing her for the first time that she is his "Given"--his predestined life mate, with whom he will have "dragonlings" and continue his line. Although the protagonist initially pushes back against this concept, she and the man grow closer through a series of adventures and eventually she decides she loves him and takes him back to her country. There are some good ideas in this book (although predestined love interests are all kinds of problematic), but also numerous similarities with other recent fantasy fiction (Genevieve Coogan's series, for example; every book ever that send an undertrained magical person to a snooty magic school) but lacking a good bit of the more compelling aspects of those books. This read to me as a manuscript that needed some heavy editing before it can really shine.

2.5 stars.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of Given in exchange for this review! (The Given e-ARC has 447 pages.)

During the first half of the story I was "hooked" on knowing what would happen to Yenni Ajani during her year in Cresh. The world and magic system was very well constructed, organized, and explained. Runelore magic really interests me and I'd like to know what will happen to Yenni and Weysh after the events in Given. Overall, the story was enjoyable, but my interest was largely held up throughout the novel by the magic system, Yenni herself, and wanting to know exactly what the wither-rot sickness is and how it can be helped.
If it wasn't for those things, I may have put Given down. Many of the chapters seemed repetitive when it came to Yenni and Weysh's interactions with one another; they would see each other and just talk about the same topic with no change in their opinions and resolutions for a large amount of the beginning of the novel. There also didn't seem to be high enough stakes for the troubles that Yenni and her friends encountered, especially with a lack of explanation about Noriago's motives and reasons for his actions.

Yenni is on a year long spiritual journey away from her family. She's seeking a cure for her sick father in the land of Cresh. There she sees dragons for the first time. They are extinct on the islands but in the city there are alive and well. This take is full of magic and tenacity. Mehsh is Yenni's given but she's fighting her urges every step of the way. This is the first in a series.

I struggled with this book, it's mostly likely me though and not the book itself. Why you may ask? It's the whole you are mine from a character to another character who goes from being strong and independent to changing themselves to fit together with the other character. Now, you give me two strong characters who stubbornly stay strong ,both independently and together, then I'm all there for that. When characters give up huge parts of themselves for others I struggle.

This was hard for me to move past and is why I think it was me and not the book. So many of our opinions as readers are shaped by our own life experiences, so when I see something that makes me cringe in real life in a book, sometimes I can move past it. Other times I get stuck on it. This time I got stuck on it.

There are aspects of this book I did enjoy. It's an interesting world where dragons can shift into people. There was more of an academic side to the book that I was expecting but I like reading about schools, mostly dark academia. The magic was intriguing and it wasn't instant love, which I greatly appreciated.

Overall, I can see how the diversity, fated romance, and chosen one themes in this book are vastly appealing and I know several people who I think would enjoy it.

I loved this book! It was fun exciting, and in my opinion sexy! The characters will well written a fantastic world built, and everything about this book makes me want to read more!

I’m a sucker for shifter romances in general, so this book caught my eye off the bat. A lot of people seemed to hate on the cover art, and while I do think the illustrations could have been better arranged, the dragon art is what initially drew my interest.

From the way the summary is phrased, I went into this book expecting a journey tale of sorts, with the main character meeting the dragon along the way. However, in the book, Yenni actually meets the dragon at a Hogwarts-like school, where other magical beings study. I really wasn’t expecting a Hogwarts vibe from the book. It wasn’t bad per se, just kind of unexpected and a bit overplayed. I know as a reader I can’t really dictate plot, but I really do feel like the story would have been more engaging if the scene of the book hadn’t been a magical school.

The romance itself is cute, not really very intense or charged. I did appreciate how it slowly built and how Yenni and Weysh come to understand each other. It definitely wasn’t my favorite YA romance, as the characters just didn’t have a really big spark, despite the nature of their relationship. Similarly, I felt like Yenni’s development kind of went backward. She started out really badass, but she struggles at school and by the end, a lot of things about her change in order to be with the love interest. There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing love, but I was a bit let down by the lapse in badassery.

Overall, I think it’s a sweet story and a good introduction to shifter romances if you’re looking to start on the tamer side. But if you’re already really into fantasy romance, I think you’ll be partially let down by this one.

The premise of this book is a dream to romance fantasy readers. The blurb promises a story of a fierce princess from another realm (Yenni) going on a quest to foreign lands and meeting a mysterious dragonkind man (Weysh) with the whispered promise of a relationship. Well, it definitely delivers exactly that. Yenni is a fiery princess who can use magic, however, as her father's health continues to decline she is guided by her gods to seek magical help from another realm. This she does, and as soon as she arrives at her new home, Weysh arrives to mix things up a little.

My favourite part about this book is how vibrant both the characters and physical setting come across. The images painted in my head were extremely vivid and clear, which helped when visualising the story. I also think that the plot is unique enough that it had me intrigued; I had read classic quest books before however not including a dragonkind man, which sets it apart from other books a little. Also, I have to mention the diversity in this book, it is really great to see such colourful characters included in main roles!

Something that stops me fully enjoying this book is the writing style. This is just my personal taste, but I found the style quite jarring at times with the dialogue between characters feeling forced. The pace of the plot also felt a but off due to the 'this happened then this happened' feel of the story. Nandi Taylor is primarily a Wattpad author and this clearly comes through in this novel for me as the chapters feel as though they could have been written on a chapter by chapter basis. If you are familiar with Wattpad this will probably not hinder your enjoyment in reading this book. Unfortunately for me (as someone who does not read much Wattpad/similar stories) it impacted my reading experience enough that I didn't quite finish the book.

I really love me a good dragon romance novel. This one was very nicely written and I really want to read more dragon romance in the future.

Just not particularly my cup of team (although I seem to be alone in that opinion, based on some other review sites). Fantasy books are hit or miss for me and this one was a miss.

2.5/5 stars

I had a lot of trouble getting through this book. I found it to be very uninteresting for me most of the time, but the parts I enjoyed truly stood out. I found the description of the book a bit misleading, as I wasn't expecting to get academy vibes from this at all. I can see why we end up going to a school for a majority of the book, but I'm personally finding myself less and less interested in books that take place in an academy setting. I found the characters to be alright. Yenni was interesting enough, and I could find myself relating to her at times and rooting for her. She wasn't all that great though, as some of her actions in here seriously make me want to shake her and have her explain "WHY". Weysh was a character I seriously DID NOT grow to love. I found him irritating at first, as what was probably intended, but it never changed for me. We're supposed to understand him as him and Yenni develop more, but I just didn't buy it at all. I found myself feeling the same about him in the end as I had initially. Honestly, this book was alright. Would I read it again? Most likely not. Can I see the appeal? Definitely. I'm a sucker for stories of "fated mates", so I was drawn to this right away. I thought the concept was unique, but the execution just fell flat for me.

ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Given

Author Nandi Taylor

Release Date January 21, 2020

Description from Amazon

Yenni has never been this far from home. With only her wits, her strength and her sacred runelore, the fierce Yirba warrior princess is alone in the Empire of Cresh. It’s a land filled with strange magics and even stranger people—many of whom mistrust anyone who’s different. But Yenni will prove herself, and find a cure for her father’s wasting illness. She will not fail.

No one warned her about the dragons. Especially not about him.

Yes, there is something powerful and compelling about the violet-black dragon known as Weysh. In human form he’s muscular, beautiful—and completely infuriating. What kind of arrogant creature claims a stranger as his Given; as his destined mate? Yenni is no man’s—or dragon’s—plaything. But other magics must be at work here, because Weysh might just be her best hope at finding the answers she seeks.

Only now Yenni can’t tell if she’s fighting an attraction to a dragon…or fighting fate itself.

Initial Thoughts

This book sounded super interesting so when I read the description on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to apply. I also really enjoyed the last Wattpad published book I received from NetGalley so this seemed like a win-win.

Some Things I Liked

World building. I really liked the background information and descriptions of Yenni’s family and homeland. I was somewhat disappointed that we didn’t get more of that, but I would definitely like to see more of that in sequels to this story.
Harry Potter vibes. I loved the elements of magic school and Yenni trying to adjust to the culture shock of everything new around her.
Enemies to lovers romance. One of my favorites. I was a little worried that Nandi Taylor might sneak a love triangle in here, but I was very pleased to find that trope missing. I thought the romance was nicely developed and I appreciated the timeline of events. YA stories often feature insta-love or some from of the main characters hating each other then a week later getting married. This story had a nice pace and the timeline made their story believable.

Some Things I Didn’t Like

I felt like the NetGalley description was not entirely accurate. Yes, Yenni goes on a journey and she meets a dragon, but I definitely wasn’t expecting magic school / Harry Potter vibes. I didn’t mind it at all, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
Similarly, I was expecting the central plot to be more about Yenni’s homeland. I think if the description cited that this was one of a series, I’d have been more prepared for the turns the plot took and the ending.

Series Value

While the description did not mention this is a series, if it is, I’d continue with it. Is this a drop everything, the new book is out series? No, probably not. But, I’d definitely pick up a copy of any sequel to this story and read it at some point.

Cover Art

I haven’t featured this section in a while but I felt like it was definitely relevant to this title. I am not a fan of the cover art here. I felt like it made the book look too much like a graphic novel or a kid’s book. I think the art would be fine for promotional material, but I don’t think it does the book justice. I much prefer the more abstract art featured when this book was solely published on Wattpad.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I would continue with the series and I think it has a lot of potential. I can easily see why it had so many reads on Wattpad.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – specifically, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but I can’t just recommend one book in that series because what kind of lunatic would read a random book from the middle?? Anyway, this story gave me a ton of Harry Potter vibes from magic school to the culture shock that the main character experienced. If you liked this book, give the Harry Potter series a try.
Talon by Julie Kagawa – if you liked the shape-shifting dragon elements of this book, give this series by Julie Kagawa a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Beasts of the Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell – if you liked the enemies to lovers romance and the language elements of Given, give Jill Criswell’s series a try. Book two is coming out next year.