On her seventeenth birthday, Ora feels that she is old enough to go on the annual hunt with her brother. Her mother doesn't agree. She is terrified that something bad will happen. Reluctantly, she finally allows her to go with the warning to keep her true name secret. Ora doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. Sure she's heard tales of the fae growing up, but they have been gone for ages. She still agrees to take a silver blade with her just in case.

While the hunt starts off boring, it soon turns serious when her brother makes a deadly mistake.

I loved this. I'm a big fan of fae stories to begin with, and this one is fresh and different. I love Ora, and hate Tyg. This story is great and I can't wait for the next one. I only wish it was longer.

ARC from NetGalley

Well that was whimsical and wonderful.

Lots of Fae in this, sprites, pukhas, fauns, some new creations, etc. The worldbuilding was excellent. The magic is excellent. There is political intrigue, discovery of new magic, all of that good stuff.

We follow Ora as she finds herself in the Fae realm. I loved experiencing her life there, though much of it was frightening for her. The setting was lovely and the magic so very fascinating.

I really don't know what else to say. I'm not really a summarizer. It was a nice escape for me. A relatively quick read. No romance here (quite the opposite in one major moment), but I didn't miss it. If you like fantasy, Fae, magic and royalty and political machinations, you will probably like this book. I'm eager for the next one.

I loved the beginning of this book; perhaps it's because I live in the Pacific Northwest that descriptions of woods and trees resonate with me so strongly, but I could almost smell the forest and was immediately hooked.

Fast forward to the Fae kingdom, and I lost a bit of that resonance, but along with Ora the reader is thrown into a rich new world and has to figure out how to survive. With deftly drawn characters that have a depth of personality despite brief exposure, it was refreshing to have the plot center on the female protagonist, and also have a strong female antagonist whose personality was at turns sympathetic and understandable despite the structure of the plot establishing her in opposition to Ora. Although I did picture Ora as younger in age than her vaunted 17 years, she still demonstrates resilience and determination that is nice to read.

My main disappointment in reading was that the ending was far more abrupt than I anticipated - I was left with a "wait, that's it?!" reaction and will eagerly await the sequel.

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

Ora and the Old God was such a fun book to dive into. It was a pretty short book that was quickly devoured by my eyes. Each page and chapter just gave me so much to think about. I honestly still have questions about certain things and I'm hoping book 2 will give me some answers.

In it, you will meet Ora. She sort of gets kidnapped and is bound by name to serve the Tyg and her husband in the fae realm. It also doesn't help that her brother is now a pig either. Now the whole name bound seemed kind of interesting. Mostly because names can be powerful and they do hold power as well.

Along the way, we get some serious twists and turns. I was completely shocked on like two of them. I didn't expect half of what went down to actually happen in this book. I'm just hoping that the sequel will be able to hold a candle to this one and not get hit by the second book syndrome.

In the end, I'm happy with how this book ended. I look forward to the next book and I hope I get some answers.

Ora and the Old God was an interesting read. I love that it took me not much time to read this story about a reckless girl being trapped by Fae as their slave. Even though her mother warned her and asked her not to go hunting with her brother, Ora didn't listen and left anyway. Unfortunately, they meet a Fae that ends up cursing her brother to turn into a pig and when he heard him spoke her name, he took her prisoner instead, thinking she would be bind to them now.

It turns out Ora isn't bound and she's not just human. She will try to learn magic to find a way out of this world in order to find and help her brother. We also had Tyg's perspective and I liked learning about the politics happening in this world and meeting the different characters.

This cover screams Middle Grade so the entire time, I was picturing Ora as younger than her actual age. I think she's seventeen so it might be more of a YA story but I'm still unsure how to categorize it.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was such a fun story. It took off pretty quickly and I enjoyed the fae world the author created. It's the first book in a new series so we're introduced to the main characters and have world building, but it doesn't weigh down the plot and does a great job of showing instead of just telling.

Ora is brave and a bit reckless, she's so eager to prove herself as a hunter like her brother that she ignores her mother's warnings and ends up a slave to fae. After, she's humbled a bit but keeps plotting her escape and makes some allies along the way. I enjoyed seeing her learn magic and realize that she may be more than human. I also liked her friendship with Renna, the head of the kitchen. It was nice that there wasn't any romance and we just focused on the main plot. Maybe in future books we'll see Ora crush on someone, but it wasn't necessary for this one.

The pacing is great and this flew by. I liked that we bounced between Ora and Tyg, it showed us what was happening in the fae lands and the political intrigue. Tyg is merciless and will do anything to rule and even though she's the villain, it was cool being in her head.

I'm so glad I was given a copy of this and excited for the sequel!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

full review 10/2/2020

This story was an interesting way of telling a new tale with well-known elements. The world-building was actually quite fun and never felt boring. Day explains the different types of fae and magical creatures in a way that feels natural and less like being taught a history lesson.

The characters as a whole, however, did not feel to particularly have any depth. I often forgot that Ora was 17, mistaking her for a much younger character regularly. Tyg is evil, and that's as deep as her depth seemed to go- she had one goal, and nothing would get in her way. I think that there was room for more character development as the story moved along.

This felt similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, except for a younger more PG audience.

Wow. What an amazing read. I loved the characters and the writing really surprised me.I highly recommend this one.

Wow, this was truly amazing!
Ora and the Old God is Sarah Day’s debut novel and her writing style wonderful! Her descriptive prose shines through each passage of this beautifully written novel.
The story is well developed and it flowed with ease. Day managed to paint a complex fae world and introduce an amazing cast of characters you simply love regardless of whether they are good or bad. For some of them, I still can’t decide, and I love them all the same, which only speaks more on the brilliance of Day’s writing.
I’m sure we can expect great works from her in the future, and I’m honored I had the chance to read her first novel before it was published. I can’t wait for the sequel!
Also, considering that the main protagonist, Ora, is a 17-year-old girl, the complete absence of romance was delightfully refreshing. Although I must admit, I did imagine Ora to be a bit younger than 17, but that did not change the feeling I had while reading in the least bit. This review would not be complete without mentioning the main antagonist Tyg. Hats of to Day for managing to write this cold and ruthless villain's POV so good that her hatred and anger were almost palpable.
I loved it!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish the fantastical world and the characters were represented better and in a new light even if it's supposed to represent their darkest sides and the politics of the fae/dren world they got involved in.

I wanted more plot in-depth and more character development.

The storyline is good but somehow the writing seems to lack progress and the characters didn't do much except big talk and lots of sneering and cursing.

I wish the characters were more interesting and focused.

I wish the ending had a surprise element.

Even though the book is short, I had to struggle a bit to actually complete it.

Overall, a new perspective of the dark fae world and their magic system, their wars and their weaknesses and strengths. Glad that more female character representation is there as the premise promised.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I guess I have to agree to the other reviewers about the tone of the book being more in the middlegrade zone rather than in the youngadult section.
That is not a negative thing but it can mislead some potential readers.

The worldbuilding is rich and imaginative and it has a nice bunch of characters, but they ended up being flat and one dimensional. The plot, too, was predictable and nothing was pretty new.
The book seems to take inspiration from some recent YA fae books such as The cruel prince or An enchantment of ravens.

On the other hand, Ora and the Old God offers nice elements of magic, politics and conflict, in adition to the prose and numerous layers and although it's kinda lenghty, it shows it had careful planning ahead into the world and the overall story, so that's nice, too.
I look forward to see the future books of this series will have the bumpy elements of the first book and end up giving us a much more elaborated story, because it has such potential.

Thank you Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful read but not anything remarkably new. The main character is listed as being 17 but she comes across more as a older child ( I'm thinking 12, maybe?) She is unhappy but not whiny or bratty about it, which in my experience is not easy for an author to accomplish. I enjoyed the characters and the world building. It was not a particularly long book and therefore there's not much time to really flesh out the characters. The book is listed as a YA/Adult Fantasy, however it felt significantly younger to me and I think it's better suited to a younger audience.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ora and the Old God began with a lot of potential for multi layered elements and an expansive world with magic, politics and conflict. Ora, proclaimed 17 years old at the beginning of the novel, is thrown into a confusing and dangerous world of the fae after having her name "bound", which enables the fae control over a human. As she tries to find out a way back to her brother, who was turned into a pig by magic, she finds herself unwittingly involved in the complex politics of the fae realm, and under the careful watch of one of the most powerful members at court, who happens to also hate humans.

There were a lot of elements of this story that I was interested by, and a few great standouts that kept me reading. The prose was extremely well done, and makes me excited to read more of Day's future works. The world had continuous layers of elements that we were introduced to, and although it suffered in length (more on that later), it felt like the author had put a lot of careful planning into her world and story.

There were two main issues I had with this novel, the first being it's classification as YA. I feel as if Ora's age was changed towards the end of the creation of this novel, because all of her words and actions read as if they're coming from a 14 year old. She's quite juvenile, plucky, easy to rile, and displays no real creative thinking to get herself out of certain situations. Not that any of these traits are limited to age, and I think it would have been interesting to see in an "older" character, I truly forgot that Ora was 17 multiple times in the novel, until it was brought up again.

The second is that of the length. Goodreads puts the novel at 230 pages, which is apt to say that it was quite short in comparison to the average YA novel. Although this story is the first in a series (of an unknown amount of parts), there are so many things that could have benefited from more explanation, different scenarios, or longer examples. Simply put, I think this novel could have easily doubled in size, and kept its easy-to-read flow thanks to Day's writing, while elaborating on a lot of the elements that didn't get much time or explanation. Certain events are too easily passed over, and the worldbuilding takes a nose dive as most of the names, places and details are swept up in the pacing, leaving me as a reader confused about who was who multiple times.

I have faith that the future novels in this series will keep the great pace and writing of the first, though I hope that they elaborate on the details that I felt were missed in Ora and the Old God. Though I'm quite looking forward to see what else Day has in store in the future, I think that Ora and the Old God has a hard time holding itself up on its own, and will rely a lot on the future entries to the series to flush out the short, but compelling story in its pages.

The writing for this novel was great. The pages flew by, and I read this with ease. The voice seemed younger than the typical YA novel, but maybe that’s because most YA these days has an adult voice, whereas this is how an actual young adult would sound. Whatever the reason, the book feels younger than a lot of YA fantasy.

In some respects, the story is typical YA, and in other respects it’s not. We start with the plucky heroine who wants to go on a hunt with her brother, only to be kidnapped by the fae, but of course she discovers she’s more special than she realizes. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the different types of fae.

Ora wasn’t the most complex protagonist, but that was okay. I admired that she had goals and tried to play smart (mostly), and she wasn’t a doormat. She was written with a bit of the “I’m not like other girls” vibe that we really need to move past. While I agree about pockets (skirts and dresses need them), I’m a little tired of women characters who scoff at those who do enjoy dresses or “domestic” activities. Can we please let women be whatever they want to be without insulting one group over another? Or make a woman character "better" than the other women around her because she’s not like them? I did like Ora’s embracing of magic, and her development there.

I loved that we read both Ora and Tyg’s perspectives. I wish Tyg’s plotline (at least in this book) had gone in a more unexpected way. I knew what would happen to Callum from his and Tyg’s first interaction. While there are hints of complexity that might be explored, Tyg was too standard villainous in this book, although her villainy was fun to read. Hopefully, she and Ora will both become more multidimensional eventually.

FYI, there is no romance. For some that will be a breath of fresh air. For others, that may be a sticking point and take away from their enjoyment of the story.

Overall, I think this is a solid, enjoyable story that has the potential to become more, but it will depend on where the next book goes.

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I was so surprise by how much fast pace the story goes. There are times when scenes in between left me hanging and thinking that maybe the author can add another scene or at least elaborate on the narrative of the character/scene. Nonetheless, the story is very intriguing considering most of the scenes are from the land of the fae/Tirnan-royal city of Mysanhal. I understand this is the author's debut novel, but I'm also looking for character building in terms of their back story or origin like Uncle Lupin. I wish there are more narratives on Hy Borea's history. I really enjoyed Ora's character, I sometimes compared myself to her. Magic system was okay for me, I wish there are more explanation on how the magic system works in the story or at least a little history. I hope the next series will answer all my concern on the first book. Can't wait for Ora's next adventure and hopefully to see more of Eiko and their adventure together.

A really fun and interesting read. I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

Ora and the Old God is a story of a young girl overly sheltered by her mother. On the day of her 17th birthday, her brother takes her on the Tabas Hunt. However, during the hunt, they run into trouble. Ora is taken to Tirnan by the menacing Tyg and her husband Callum. As Ora's held in Tirnan against her will, she refuses to conform in the hopes of finding her brother.

During her captivity, Ora learns about the differences in magic within the fae realm. It is during this that Ora gets swept into the magic and her ability to wield it.

This book was delightful, especially with the world-building. The fae world introduced has vastly different magical creatures. Each of these creatures has a hierarchy. The first of these hierarchies to be presented is within the royal city of Mysanhal. It is confusing with all of these different creatures, and I hope there will be more explanation in the second book.

The main protagonist, Ora, is not that complex of a character. Whereas the antagonist, Tyg is villainous and downright delusional in her actions to defend her people. Ora’s motivation and goal are pretty simplistic in this book: returning home and finding her brother. But with Tyg, there seems to be a more complex storyline that hopefully will be fleshed out in the second book.

Overall, the book is fascinating, and I can not wait for the second book. There are so many questions regarding Ora and her lineage and Tyg and her desire to destroy the sylv and “lesser” creatures. These questions will likely be answered during the second book, or perhaps small tidbits of information will be given, leaving the reader eager for more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this ARC.

I received a copy though NetGalley for review.

So overall I actually enjoyed this one.
The writing hovers somewhere between middle grade and YA.
If you have been looking for something romance free- here it is. There so far is absolutely no romance for the MC. Which feels refreshing. That's right a 17 year old girl who isn't looking for a husband! Feels like a miracle.

Ora is hurled into the world of Fae- the majority ruler is of a sect call the Dren.
From what I can gather in this world, different fae have different magical abilities. Some have power within, others are elemental, some alchemical. And there are some things that are very, very old, and seem to like to meddle with their own.

The Queen knows Ora is not what she seems, and hands Ora to the household of leaders of her guard .
Tyg Marigen known as the Magis (the most power combat mage) and her husband the leader known as Valor of the Yewolyns.
Tyg is power hungry and vicious. Threatening anyone who challenges her, and will kill and maim without hesitation.
Ora does her best to blend in, while she looks for a way to escape. Her only thoughts are how to get away and transform her brother back into a human. Before he can be hunted as a brush pig.

She makes some interesting allies along the way. And the discovery of her powers, she has a lot of potential if she can harness it properly.

This book felt somewhere between a novella and a prequel. And I'm looking forward to see where this heads next. As the ending was somewhat surprising. There's a big clash coming up!
It was a fun read.

For fans of ACOTAR, An Enchantment of Ravens, and The Folk of the Air.

Ora takes readers on a journey to a fae world that exists adjacent to the human realm, separated by crossing portals. Kidnapped during a hunt on her seventeenth birthday after a run-in with a fae species called dren, Ora desperately works to find a way to return to the human realm to save her brother, who was transformed into a forest pig when the fae stole her away. Various encounters with the fae reveal there may be more to Ora than she had been lead to believe by her family.

The author really shines in the concept of this story. The lore surrounding the fae has been well developed and their world is clearly rich and vast, even if we don't get the opportunity to learn too much about it. While at times the action could be slow, the plot made sense and flowed in an easy-to-follow manner. There were also scenes where the author's writing style really shined, where the reader can tell the author was excited to share the next plot point. The author also doesn't fall into the trap of most fantasy books of info-dumping on readers. The dissemination of information about the world was appropriately timed and doesn't overwhelm the reader.

Unfortunately, the details of the books weren't developed enough for me really enjoy the reading experience. The concept is definitely here, but the execution is a bit missed.

I found the characters to be one-dimensional, paper dolls instead of fleshed out beings with motivations, hopes, and fears. Half the characters have no apparent motivations for their actions, and the ones that do are unrelatable. Little time is spent actually giving readers a sense of who these characters are, so I found myself completely apathetic towards what happened to them. At the very least, I expect to have a sense of who the protagonist is and what motivates them, but really all we know about Ora is that she's a 17 year old girl who is annoyed by her mother's over-protectiveness and likes listening to stories from her uncle. That doesn't really give us a sense of who she is. From there, the rest of the characters get progressively less interesting.

Additionally, the pacing of this book is quite awkward. It feels a bit like the reader is in stop-and-go traffic, jerking rapidly between plot points with not much to bridge between them. There were many instances throughout the book where the author would set up a scene and then spend one paragraph giving a summary of what happened next, often covering a timeline of hours in a few sentences. I almost couldn't get through the first chapter. The pacing does improve significantly after the first chapter, but there is definitely still entire portions of the book throughout that feel really awkward to read.

This is the authors's first book and I'm excited to see where their writing career takes them. The potential for greatness is here, in my opinion. They are definitely one to watch.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. This novel isn't bad. It's just... okay.

First of all, I'm not sure what category this is supposed to be for. Ora, the protagonist, is seventeen, but she acts a lot younger. The novel is also written more like a Middle Grade than a YA, so take heed. There isn't any romance either.

I really did enjoy the worldbuilding, and Day's writing style is lovely. Very atmospheric and magical. But the characters seemed flat and one-dimensional. The plot was predictable to the very end. Nothing about this novel was new.

Our protagonist Ora and her brother go out into the forbidden woods. Her brother accidentally kills a fae creature and is transformed into a pig as punishment. Now Ora is whisked away to the fae realm to serve as a human servant girl to an evil, human-hating lady mage named Tyg. As Ora is desperate to escape, she learns that she has magical powers, and there is a war brewing on the fae borders...

Does that summary sound familiar? Yes. You've read it a hundred times before.

I think this is my fault for expecting more out of that summary. Hot take: I think this novel would be greatly improved if Ora and our villain Tyg fell in love. Yes, you heard me. It had potential. Besides, doesn't their situation sort of remind you of The Cruel Prince? Just me?

I don't know. I think that would have been the ONE thing that this novel could have built up to so it could separate itself from the rest of the genre. Tyg pretty much hates Ora for no reason (other than that she's humaaan and she's disrespectful to her captor blah blah). And we got Tyg POV chapters so, hey, genre conventions...

If you've read as much YA fantasy as I have, then you should probably skip this.