I read this book in two days. I honestly could not put it down. The main character is a biracial and curvy woman who is no damsel in distress and I loved seeing her grow over the course of the book. The world building and character development were definitely where this story shone and the plot kept me hooked throughout. It also does a fantastic job with the enemies to lovers and "who did this to you" tropes that I adore. Overall, I loved it and will definitely be picking up the sequels.

I loved reading this book, and I am excited for the next book in the trilogy!
They main character Saraya, has been training to be a midwife since the age of 12. She’s no ordinary midwife though. She has magic abilities to look into and manipulate bodies with her mind, which makes her extremely valuable during the labor and birthing process. The accuracy of labor and delivery described in this book is beautifully done.
The plot was unique and gripping and kept me invested in the story. The end of the book drops a huge twist, but it was seemingly out of nowhere. I think drakes unexpected revelation could have been built up a little bit and maybe elaborated and executed in a way that wasn’t so abrupt.
The cliffhanger has me itching to get the next book ASAP. I definitely would recommend this book!

This book was phenomenal! I loved the backstory and the lore built into it and the characters! I was drawn in from the very first page and to be left at the ending like that like🤯🤯 I wish I could read the rest of it already! Definitely 5/5 and heavily recommend! Love love love this story!

Holy, I‘m a bit blown away. I read most of this in one sitting because I simply couldn‘t put it down.

Okay, so here are my thoughts.

CHARACTERS
I‘m absolutely in love with Saraya. She‘s a refreshingly active MC and her background as a midwife is really unique and interesting, I don’t think I‘ve ever seen anything similar and I was immediately hooked to see where this is going. I also really enjoyed the way she grew over the course of this book, especially in her beliefs of how to use her magic. I also liked her sister a lot and was wondering if we get to explore her storyline in the next book. Apparently, we do not, but she will get her own series later on, so that’s okay. As for Saraya‘s spectral guardian, she fell a little flat for me, but I believe this is because we don’t know a lot of her order yet in general. I hope we‘ll see more of them/their background in the other books.
About the men - I struggled a lot to find out who the love interest is going to be, but in a good way! I don’t think it was obvious and I had a lot of fun guessing. I even suspected Skelton for a hot second, though I‘m hoping now that he‘ll get an mlm romance.

PLOT
Loved it. I was promised She‘s the Man meets ACOTAR and that’s exactly what I got. I also think the build-up to the final scene in the palace was really well done and I particularly enjoyed that I as a reader could pick up little crumbs over the course of the book hinting at the reveal. Having that „I knew something was off with XY“ moment was quite satisfying.

WRITING
Overall, I think the writing style is good. The pacing was a bit slow for the first third of the book, but after that it picked up and I flew through the story. What I didn’t like that much however was that a lot of the world-building felt like it was info-dumped on me. It could have been done a little more „show, don’t tell“. The world-building itself was really good though!

Going into this knowing absolutely nothing, I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. Rating it 4 Stars and will definitely pick up the sequels!

First, let me say that I was really excited about the premise of this book. An order of warrior midwives that prevent demons from stealing magic? An arranged marriage to a mortal enemy? Say less.

But I really wanted to DNF this book. I finished it, but grudgingly. And I don’t think I’m going to bust my butt keeping up with the rest of the series.

The writing style was a little off-putting. Very “first I do this and then I do this”, which isn’t the end of the world, just annoying. I was also thrown off by the medical knowledge/terminology. The world that was built is very high fantasy/low-tech. So there’s no believable reason for why so much would be known about modern terminology for anatomy/birth. It threw me right out of the story that was being told.

I think a lot of time was also wasted in the middle of the book that should have either been cut, or the sole focus of this book.

Idk, overall it was disappointing and sloppy.

4 1/2 stars

This is a terrific start to a new series. So many times, fantasy novels seem to be the same plot line rewritten with some minor changes. Basically, it seems originality is a challenge at times to come up with an original fantasy plot, Even though the reader could easily make comparisons about similarities to other books or movies, the storyline itself is still unique.

Saraya is a princess, but also has mystical talents that help her in midwifery. It's a gift she inherited from her mother so she is passionate about it and feels it's one of the few things balancing her most of the time. As this story kicks off, she finds out she's been pledged to marry the prince of the Fae kingdom. Having been told horrific nightmares about the fae and how they do things, Soraya is a bit hesitant about the match but has no choice since its purpose is to keep the peace with the fae.

The plot line for this story was detailed and creative. It's not just another story about the fae. It's got its own original twists and was a fun and quick read. I'm eagerly waiting for the next one in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Mulan meets fae, absolutely amazing concept!! I really liked this! I loved the magic system in this book and I thought it was pretty badass that the main character used her powers as a midwife, but was also this badass woman who could kick all the fae princes' asses from the get go. The awkward moments while she is pretending to be a man made me laugh. And I am completely obsessed with the lumzen, I wish I had one for myself!!

I did think there were some slower times that I wish were a little bit more filled and I didn't quite like the ghost midwife warrior part. I would definitely keep reading from this series and author! Rated 3.5/5 stars.

The Warrior Midwife by E.P. Bali

Enemies-to-lovers, fae kingdoms, She’s the Man…. UMMMM SAY LESS!

One of my best booksta friends started raving when she stumbled onto this book in the “read now” section of Netgalley. She and I have similar tastes and let me tell ya, this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!

This is such a solid start to a series- it was full of intrigue, plot shifts, and lots of twists. I am so excited to see where this series leads as now it has me wrapped around its finger!! I loved the characters, the storyline, and this slow-burn romance is executed so well- I can’t wait to see it develop. I loved that the thick of this plot was not based on romance necessarily, but on turning the female into this bad-ass, go-getter.

I am thrilled that I don’t have to wait very long for books 2 or 3 as they are getting released in the next two months and I have already preordered them!!

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book did an absolute wonderful job of portraying a strong female character, and I am so excited to recommend this book to all of my friends. Saraya is fierce, spunky and relatable. I want to be her, and I think that the characters are what makes this an easy book to recommend to others.
Another reason I am recommending this book to others is it has all of the best tropes, and they are well done! Enemies to lovers, "touch her and you die", secret societies. It is even has one I haven't read before (but will now), girl pretending to be a boy.
Lastly, the story and world building are fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning and found the magic system to be intriguing and unique. I am so glad a fellow reader recommended I find this book on NetGalley. It doesn't fit my profile as an educator, but I found a favorite read and cannot wait to read the second!

Rating: 4 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This was honestly a really great fantasy book with great world building, magic system, old secret societies, and much more. I do, however, have some critiques.

The world building was honestly really great. The distinct lands and relationships between the Fae and mortal lands were well established.

Plot wise, I have a lot to say. The build up to the engagement took WAY too long. A good chunk of the book was simply dedicated to that build up, when it really did not need to. Of all the events in the book, Saraya going to the academy was hands down the best part of this whole book and I wish there was more focus on that and the events that happened in there. Saraya risked A LOT going there, so I think we should focus more on what she learned and how that risk she took was worth it. It is also mentioned later on how Drake was never fooled, I wish there were more clues that he knew throughout her time in the Academy so it was not just such a sudden reveal. Same goes for the final plot twist/reveal between Saraya and Drake. There should have been some clues throughout the book about it, like maybe one of them having an ominous dream that they didn’t understand, something that can make us go “oh shit that’s what it meant this whole time.” I feel like a reveal that big is too sudden and out of the blue to just drop on the reader without any clues left behind throughout the book.

That is not to say I did not like the plot, I did. I love her being a Warrior, midwife, and a princess. Saraya is a bad ass woman. I loved her time in the Academy and the friends she made (I hope we see them again). I loved the Drake and Saraya moments near the end.

I do wish there was more development between Drake and Saraya’s relationship. It says slow burn but if they only start interacting and acknowledging with each other more frequently after half the book is already finished, that’s barely a slow burn. Once again, the Academy has a lot of potential to build Drake and Saraya’s relationship. Drake is swoon and the things he says to Saraya has me panting at times. I definitely hope there is more development in their relationship in the next book though!

Zaria is a midwife and helps those in her kingdom Who are less fortunate give birth to their babies. Her stepmom doesn’t like her at all as a matter of a fact she is very abusive to Zaria The only reason the princess put up with it is so she doesn’t start taking it out on her sister who she loves very much. So it is with glee that her stepmom tells her she will be marrying the dark prince Drake in. She is devastated if she marries him she can no longer help the women in her kingdom, But what can she do her father promised her hand. When she thinks things cannot get worse and she has resigned herself to the Maura she gets help from an ancient warrior but can she defeat the demons that are coming to her wedding? I really enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. When I read the summary I thought it sounded like a cute book but it was way more than cute and I can’t wait for Brooke to that sounds just as good as book one I think this is setting out to be an awesome trilogy. If you love fairy’s, fee’s and familiar you love this book. It is the ultimate good against evil and the story is not done yet. I highly recommend this book! I was given this book by Net Gally and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

The characters were not very intriguing. It often went in-depth about topics that were not relevant to the plot. I could not find myself caring for any of the characters or the plot. The beginning dragged a bit and I found myself having difficulty getting into the book.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

The concept behind The Warrior Midwife and the juxtaposition between the two professions had me intrigued and for the most part, the author executed it quite well. However, I did have trouble with the first few chapters which felt like a struggle to get through but picked up around chapter five and managed to keep me engaged enough to continue. The pacing was a little off at some points with time jumps where very little was mentioned about what had happened in that period which I would have loved to have seen more of the main character's development. Despite having a few negative thoughts due to the slow start the ending had me gripped and wanting to jump straight into book two.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 follows Saraya, a princess of the human realm, with the magical ability to heal, which she uses for midwifery. And in order to protect the newborn babies of her kingdom from the demons of the Astral realm, Saraya has risked the blood oath that ties her to the Crown Fae Prince but does her obligation as a royal or her duty to an ancient order fall first... especially when the entire human existence is at risk?

- ~ -

Let's just start off by saying, I'm highly impatient for the next installment.

Saraya has been trained to be a midwife ever since she was a child and also trained in combat under her mother's supervision. She's grown up fierce, kind, brave, and loyally devoted to her people (It's a killer mix).

And the love interest? Swoon because despite the, "Who did this to you? I'll kill them." vibes, he's first and foremost, "I'll hold back for she's my Princess and her word is my command."
If you don't understand what I mean, read the book (spoiler: it's amazing).

The plot has fairly simple world-building, it was well done and wasn't unnecessarily complicated. The pacing was also not rushed or congested as happens in most fantasy novels (atleast for me).
Each character has distinct personalities with a tinge of sass and savagness which worked well and the high stakes, thrill, and the intense atmosphere resulted in a gripping story.

All in all, I hope the next book holds up to how good the first is.

- ~ -

4.21 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘎𝘰𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

When I tell you I could not put this book down, I mean I devoured it in less than a day, it was so freaking fantastic!
Aussie author, E.P. Bali comes through with a knock-out in her first NA novel!

Saraya is a princess with a magical gift for healing and midwifery. The book opens on a birth scene and you can just tell the author has a medical background with the level of accuracy here. Saraya helps the women of her kingdom to safely birth their children, despite her stepmother, the Queen, trying to stop her at every turn.
In a devastating turn of events, it transpires that Saraya's father promised her hand to the son of the Dark Fae King in exchange for a peace agreement between the two kingdoms. Saraya worries how she will leave the women of her kingdom to marry an evil, brutish monster, but when the fae retinue arrives, they aren't as she had first thought. Crown Prince Draxian is an arrogant ass, but he doesn't appear to be evil. And the commander of the King's forces, Drakus, comes with a bad reputation, but his actions don't match the rumours which perplexes Saraya. The fae are about to find out they got more than they bargained for with this princess.

But there is more at work than Saraya realises, when she is approached by the spectral form of a Warrior of Temari, an ancient sacred order of women who had all been massacred long ago. In order to become strong enough to fight the evil that plagues her kingdom, Saraya must disguise herself as a fae male and train with them at their mountain academy. She must decide between her duty to her blood oath, and her duty to her people in this fast-paced, kick-ass adventure.

There is so much to love about this story. Saraya and her sister Altara are biracial, curvy young women who are so strong of character, they impressed me so much. Their relationship reminded me of the Sharma sisters on Bridgerton.
There is also a great and influential non-binary character who I love.
There is enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, a cute (and useful) animal sidekick, and a twist that had my jaw on the floor!

I am so excited for the rest of this trilogy, it's going to be a favourite, I can tell!

Fans of From Blood and Ash, The Prison Healer, ACOTAR, Mulan, Song of the Lioness and Protector of the Small, and so many more will love this, I promise!

This was a very refreshing and empowering read! To this day, I haven't come across a book that sheds light on the injustice women are dealt with in society. I could relate with every single character and, at the same time, sympathize with their pain. A very raw and emotional story that explores the importance of women's roles in the world and places an emphasis on equality. The magical system was also beautifully flushed out!

Overall I found that I enjoyed the book, however, I found the writing style hard to get into at first and the pacing was incredibly slow at times which made for really hard reading. I am glad I kept with it though as I did enjoy it

Slow start, slow middle, I would have DNFed it if it weren’t from NetGalley and needed a review. I enjoyed the story but I won’t be picking up book 2.
This needs to be edited A LOT! So many grammatical errors it was frustrating.

4.25 stars
I stumbled onto this book and was like, hey. I love she's the man. I'll give it a try.

I'm so glad I did. While the book did get a bit slow in the middle, I really enjoyed it a ton. In fact, I finished it in a day and tried to jump straight into the next book.

Read it! It's fun!

Saraya finds herself as a midwife with an extra special magical power that makes her midwifery even better than a regular human. What she doesn’t know is that her father has signed a contract for her in the event of her 19th birthday. Saraya goes on the run to find out what her meaning of life is outside of being married off to the fae. She discovers age-old stories that help shape her into the woman she becomes.

I loved the storyline of this book. This is the first book that I’ve read that includes faes and humans, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The way the story is written around Saraya is amazing. The adventures that go into detail about what she’s doing is awesome as well.

The only downside I’d have to say about the book is that there are a lot of grammatical errors in it, which made some parts hard to read. Once you can figure out what’s trying to be said, it’s not as bad, but it does make it harder to read.

Overall, this is a great book with good content. If you’re into books about faes and humans, I would definitely recommend this one!