Cover Image: The Warrior Midwife

The Warrior Midwife

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Member Reviews

I very much enjoyed this book. The cover and title had initially grabbed my attention and it didn’t disappoint. It’s almost like a Mulan, royalty, fae crossover and i couldn’t put it down!

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The novel introduces an intriguing concept: a warrior princess named Saraya who, in addition to her martial prowess, serves her subjects as a midwife. This unique blend of roles showcases Saraya as a multifaceted protagonist, exuding strength and compassion in equal measure. The author's adeptness in weaving a tapestry of diverse concepts ensures that readers remain captivated throughout the narrative. Furthermore, the incorporation of midwifery into the storyline adds a layer of depth and authenticity, reflecting the author's commitment to blending traditional roles with fantastical elements. The tale culminates in a suspenseful cliff-hanger, leaving readers eagerly anticipating further exploration of both the story and the richly crafted world within which it unfolds.

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dnf @ 45% - but not for the reasons you might think.

here's the thing, this isn't a "i hate this" dnf, or a "this sucks" dnf. if I finished this book it would probably end up being a 3 star read- simply because it's fine.

it kind of has the half-cooked verything that is pretty standard for novels of this genre, so I don't hold that against it. I kind of know what to expect from the writing style and worldbuilding of the romance fantasy genre. What I do want from these books is for them to be fun.

This book is fun, I read almost the first half of it in one sitting, but something essential about reading this type of book is being into the tropes it has, and I have never been drawn to "woman has to disguise herself as a man" I think there's a lot of layers of suspending disbelief that that trope requires that I just can't do. Also, the inherit danger of a woman alone among men is almost never addressed as part of this trope and is kind of why I can't buy into it.

like genuinely, good luck convincing the majority of women alive to accept the risk of doing that. i think the trope can work for YA/middle grade, particularly because male and female children aren't all that different. but in an adult story there's a lot more layers to the trope that I feel don't work super well. even if sara was an actual trans ftm character, it would still be a wildly unsafe decision, and idk this particular trope always pulls me out of a story.

Sometimes there's tropes or plot devices you just can't get around- this is one of mine. If I hadn't been lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from netgalley I likely wouldn't have picked it up because that "girl in disguise" trope just does not work for me.

Otherwise, this was a fun read but the kindle app estimated it would take me two hours to read the rest of the book, and I just didn't like that a lot of that was going to be the "girl in disguise" at the fae male academy (which btw kind of amusing that they make men stay in school till their 25 because fae males are so volatile) - and basically, I'd rather do something else with those two hours.

I don't want to completely knock the book, I'm not- this just isn't for me and that's okay!

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A riveting, fast-paced adventure full of romance and political intrigue. You will love this if you are a fan of Holly Black or Sarah J Maas.

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This was so freaking amazing!! I loved how it took topics, such as childbirth, sexuality, and mental illness and made them points of interest in the book. Going into the book I wasn’t sure what to really expect but I was absolutely blown away. I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy, which is stunning by the way. I loved how strong of a female lead the MC was, and I loved how she didn’t immediately fall in love. I really appreciated that part. Saraya was fierce, powerful, and managed to keep in touch with her humanity in caring for her people. The world building was also great! That’s one of the biggest things I look for in fantasy novels and I’m always disappointed when its only mediocre. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the series!

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This sat in my TBR list for a while, which if I'm perfectly honest is not surprising given the cover is not particularly appealing.

When I finally got into it, I found myself rolling my eyes. Very YA vibes. Especially when Saraya was pretending to be a fae male at a fae school and the other students did not notice despite one of them seeing her naked...

The romance was not believable. I had no idea why Drake was supposedly into Saraya. The marriage and stepmother twists were painfully obvious from the start.

I'm 30% through book 2 and still not entirely feeling it. It seems like in some ways the author is throwing lots of popular fantasy/ romance tropes at the series but not quite managing to pull them off. Undecided whether I'll continue with this series but many thanks to the author/ publisher/ Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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Unique worldbuilding, mutli-faceted characters with depth and a story that keeps me turning page after page, this is a book I devoured.

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I want to thank Netgalley and the author E.P.Bali for this ARC. this is my honest opinion

Not knowing the author, I didn’t know what to expect about the writing style or the story. After a long start, because there is a whole invented world to explain, I totally plunged into the history.
Our protagonist is sure a princess but believes me, she does not let go despite a difficult childhood and is ready to do anything to save her people, even to marry a fae prince that she does not know and with whom the feeling will not pass.

But don’t worry, the romance is present and you will adore this man, who knows how to be gentle with our protagonist but makes the rest of the world tremble ( and we love this! :D )

I liked the course of the story, with a good mix of explanations, action, and suspense. I also loved this book so much that I jumped directly on amazon to read book 2!

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I liked this book as it started with a different premise - a midwife was a warrior - whether or not trained with weapons or not. although it this case, the warrior midwife was both - trained in sword fighting and combat . I rather liked the world building with the multiple Dark Fae kingdoms rather than just one Dark and the light Fae being Solar - but we only learn about this kingdom in later books.
This is the first of a trilogy and I did acquire the following two as well, but nonetheless the first book is, in my opinion, the best of the 3 as it sets the scene and we learn most about the characters involved.
The characters are detailed best in the women involved - Glacine the step-mother, Agatha the elderly midwife and trainer in the skill and then we have the actual Warrior - the Princess Saraya. Altara, the sister is slighter in characterisation but she has her own trilogy which follows the events in book one.
This is a story about power and how the want for power, the desire for power turns dark and corrupts and dark deeds follow. A true morality play.

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The Warrior Midwife by E.P Bali
“Always get permission first, she had said. Invading someone’s body is neither ethical nor polite. A person’s body is their own. Never forget that.”
~~~~
First thank you E.P Bali, NetGalley, and Blue Moon Rising Publishing for a copy of this.
I’ll be honest with y’all, it took me a long long time to get into this. I liked the characters and the detailing was great. The plot line is really cool, it just for me didn’t pick up till about the middle. But wow! I had to have it all then, I got addicted! The badass FMC, the plot twists, the action. Also I knew there was something fishy about that character; I knew it! (No I won’t spoil it)
I am rushing for the second one! I need to know the rest of it!

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This is a fun read and has a lot of cool world building, I enjoyed reading it. My biggest complaint is how little time we spend with Sara in the academy. Lots of time was skipped over and I don’t even know what classes she was taking aside from fighting. I was really looking forward to the academy shenanigans. I’ll probably keep reading the series, it’s pretty good! Thanks Netgalley for the advance copy.

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This book follows Saraya, our female main character, from her beginnings as a princess who uses her magic to heal others and practice midwifery. However, women as often used as meer pawns and Saraya is no exception. She is promised to the son of the Dark Fae King. Saraya, however, doesn't let this deter her long. The story follows her journey to adapt and help her kingdom to the best of her abilities. This enemies to lovers fantasy story is worth the read and I would recommend to anyone who loves strong female leads!

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In this first book of the trilogy Saraya is a princess and midwife who learns that she’s to marry the Dark Fae Kings son, as was agreed in a peace agreement before her birth. On top of this she learns about ‘The Order of Temari’ and so to help her get strong enough to do what’s required, she disguises herself as a male and goes to train alongside the male fae at their academy.

I started this not really knowing where it was going because it was such an unusual concept. I’ve read a lot of books but can honestly say that warrior midwives is a first for me and I found it really refreshing. The book still has classic tropes like arranged marriage, what I believe will become enemies to lovers, and the typical fae elements. Saraya is also biracial and curvy and represented really well.

It had good pacing and quite a lot happened considering it isn’t huge. However the book finishes with a cliffhanger and plot twist that annoyingly I had already guessed so it wasn’t much of a dramatic ending for me.

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E. P. Bali has crafted an intriguing world of romance, politics and magic in a rich fantasy setting.

I loved this concept of a warrior princess who helps her subjects as a midwife. Saraya is a strong and fascinating main character who you can really connect to. The author has employed a wonderful array of concepts to keep the reader gripped right until the cliff-hanger ending and leaving you wanting to know more about the story and the world it is set in. It was also really interesting how the author incorporated midwifery into the story.

I would call this a mix of <i>Call the Midwife</i> meets <i>Mulan</i> meets <i>ACOTAR</i> mixed with a good dose of plot twists, secrets and mysteries, brooding fae males, and bad ass women characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Sometimes the story line was kinda choppy but I really liked the concept and the world building. I truly hope book 2 will contain more spice, more births and more blood.
Thank you Netgalley for gifting me this book.

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Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read The Warrior Midwife.

This book was shockingly good. I was hooked from the start and loved Saraya. The premise of this book was unique and so was the magic. I also loved the romance and that it seemed realistic (not insta love). I have already ordered the next books in the series and I can’t wait to read them.

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Thank you so much Netgalley for sharing an advanced copy of The Warrior Midwife with me.

I was super intrigued by the title and eager to find out more. And I was not disappointed at all when I met Princess Saraya, who uses her powers to help her subjects. However, when it is announced that she must marry a fae prince, she is devastated that she will not be able to continue helping her kingdom.

In an attempt to continue saving the people she loves, Saraya disguises herself and joins an academy where male fae become warriors. It's giving Mulan!

I am excited for the second book to see further development with our love interest.

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I really enjoyed this book, a solid 3.5 stars!

Overall rating: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Plot and themes: 3.5/5
Engagement: 4/5

I really enjoyed The Warrior Midwife. If you like arranged marriages, sister bonds, evil stepmothers, blood oaths, strong physically, mentally and emotionally capable woman, the preciousness of birth and secret identities then check this one out.

The idea of a Princess who was a trained Midwife, devoting her life to helping and healing women while training for the day that she would be asked to also defend them and her kingdom was intriguing, and I had no idea how it could all be woven together. Bali brought all these ideas together seemlessly into a great story where I enjoyed the spunky nature of Saraya.

The pacing was good, I never strayed from the story always keen to know what was coming next. There was a lot going on yet it didn’t feel forced.

Saraya’s adventure taking us on a journey to many places where she needed to become a different version of herself at each place. In each experience we were able to see her strength and depth of kindness endearing her more and more. In the final showdown all the different aspects of Saraya came together to become The princess warrior midwife.

Although I liked this read, I do like my magical fantasy stories sprinkled with a good dose of realism, I need to believe it is possible within the magical system and the world described otherwise it grates on me. There were a few moments in this book where I didn’t believe, the details which could make it believable weren’t written into the experience and left me feeling that it was added to aid the plot without feeling true to the story. Almost a glossing over some of the more complex magical ideas, which left this element of the writing fall a little flat for me.

This was a good start to the YA series and I look forward to seeing where our MC, her future husband and her family and friends get up to after this cliffhanger of an ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

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I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

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Really enjoyed this read! Interesting fantasy world, fae politics and dynamics. Loved the strong female characters.

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