Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for an EARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

I am sooooo sad I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. This story has a lot of potential and I will read book two when it comes out. The writing flows well and the characters are likeable and it’s overall a good read however I just wanted more. This read more like a YA novel then adult and the honestly the love interests just didn't work for me. I think with a little more editing and more character building this novel would be a 4 stars. I am excited to see what else this author comes out with though

Lore and the people of Duskmere are trapped in their village by a magical forest. After a natural disaster reeks havoc, Lore makes a deal with a Fae Lord in a desperate attempt to save her village. In exchange for rebuilding her village, she must catalogue his mysterious library that no fae has been able to enter. When she finds a magical grimoire, she harnesses its magic, and learns that her village is still suffering. She decides to take matters into her own hands, utilize her new found magic, and save her village on her own.

I was initially drawn to this book because I thought the cover was gorgeous. I think this story had so much potential, but fell a bit flat for me. The ending was by far the best part, I did not see the twist coming, so I am intrigued to see where it goes in the next book. Did it make sense...? no... but I'm just going to go along with it. I wasn't the biggest fan of either romances, they felt a bit forced in my opinion. Asher was major insta-love, which I very rarely enjoy. I did like Finn more than Asher, but I'm always a sucker for enemies to lovers. I wish there were more scenes of him showing affection towards her though, so it felt a bit more believable that he actually cared for her. I'm also a bit bummed about the fox companion... it was brought into the story then completely dismissed for the majority of the book and randomly brought back in at the end. The author could have done so much with it. This is marketed as an adult fantasy, but other then 1 spicy scene, I think this could have easily been targeted toward a YA audience. The enchanted library was my favourite part, and I wanted more time in there, but I understand why Lore had to get out of there. The magic system was intriguing, and I am interested to see how it develops more in the next book.

Loved the importance of knowledge as power in this world. It a very compulsive read and easily accessible for readers who are not familiar with fantasy. The romance felt a bit rushed; not a true love triangle. The twist at the end was quite stellar.

I don’t think there was one thing I enjoyed about this book.

I went in expecting a lush world, rich characters and a fantasy romance that was different than any other I had read, and this was the complete opposite.

We have a world that isn’t explained at all. Starting with humans secluded in a town because they’re “dangerous” even though the first scene in this book is their town getting wrecked by an earthquake that essentially destroys them. What is dangerous about them? Especially when they are surrounded by fae with powers?

These characters had no depth to them, and this writing read like a rough outline of who the characters should be. Our main character Lore was hypocritical in every decision and feeling she had that I had whiplash.

And finally, the plot. Where was it? Our character Lore just wants to help her town but also craves leaving her town but just wants to return? It was all over the place.

I would not recommend this book.

Analeigh Sbrana's "Lore of the Wilds" presents an enticing premise: a romantasy featuring black characters set in a fantastical world. However, while the novel holds potential, it ultimately falls short due to its juvenile writing style, leaving readers like myself feeling disconnected and ultimately disappointed.

From the outset, there's a sense of anticipation as the story promises to immerse readers in a richly imagined world filled with magic and adventure. Unfortunately, the novel's downfall lies in its execution. The writing style comes across as immature and lacking the depth and sophistication needed to fully engage readers. Instead of being drawn into the intricacies of the world and the lives of its characters, I found myself struggling to connect with the story, feeling as though I was reading a work better suited for a younger audience.

While I applaud Sbrana's efforts to introduce diversity into the genre, representation alone cannot carry a story if the writing fails to captivate and hold the reader's attention. In my experience, I reached a point after just 100 pages where I realized that "Lore of the Wilds" simply wasn't the book for me.

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)**
When I saw enchanted libraries and deadly Fae in the description, I knew I had to read *Lore of the Wilds*!

❤️What I loved: I thought this was such ann exciting adventure! I’m definitely intrigued by the world Sbrana is creating, and I think it was a good balance of world-building in the fantasy with a romantic plot line throughout. I was personally a fan of the romance and enjoyed seeing Lore’s relationship with both potential love interests develop throughout the course of the story. I also always enjoy a portrayal of the Fae as darker and more deadly, which Sbrana leans into in here. The book is capped off with ann action-packed, cliffhanger ending that definitely has me excited for more in the series!
💔What I didn’t love: I was initially surprised when I saw the ratings for this book once I started it, because I was really enjoying it. As I went on, I did feel there was some tension between what this book was trying to be—at times, it felt like a cozy fantasy, then it felt like it was trying to be a sort of spicy romantasy, and then more of a high-stakes fantasy. I’m typically down for some spice, but while I was reading I actually found the inclusion of the “spicy” scenes sort of awkward—they didn’t feel like they fit with the tone of the book overall or contribute to the relationship development of the characters. This dissonance may be why I think the book’s reviews are lower, as I think people’s expectations might be all over the map and it may be trying to hit too many notes for people. However, I do think it would be cool to see this mix pulled off, and I hope they’re integrated a little more successfully in Book 2.

Lore of the Wilds has a lot to offer romantasy lovers, especially those who like a love triangle and an adventure. I would recommend giving this book a try if you’re a fan of books like the *Emily Wilde* series and *The Cruel Prince* series. Personally, I had a great time reading *Lore of the Wilds* and I’m looking forward to continuing the series!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Analeigh Sbrana, and Avon and Harper Voyager, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

💬:Suddenly the page changed before her eyes, the ink bleeding together and reforming into new pictures, faster than she could register. Words appeared and disappeared in languages she couldn’t read. A ringing filled her ears, and she could hear her blood rushing in time with her heartbeat.

Sbrana, Analeigh. Lore of the Wilds: A Novel (pp. 165-166). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, fae, romantasy, adult, magic,

📚Page Count: 339

🎧Audiobook Length: 10:51

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5 - 2.5/5

Lore of the Wilds is the first in the series of the same title by Analeigh Sbrana. This story is about Lore, a human who lives in a society of fae. Her village falls on disaster and she has no choice but to surrenders herself to the dark fae Syrelle. Syrelle instructs her to tend to his library in the castle they're in. It's not long before Lore runs away with one of the castle guards, a fae named Asher. Later on Lore ends up meeting and becoming enthralled with another fae named Finn.

This book has so much potential but the pacing is off, there's little character development, there's close to no romance and very little chemistry between the romantic interests and the main character even though there are TWO romantic interests, and this fantasy crosses over from being a fantasy drama to being a cozy fantasy to wanting to be high fantasy, and the spicy scene at the end wasn't gotten to with build up or banter or any sort of romantic development.

Overall, the pacing felt off and there was very little character development when it came to Lore, herself. There was also very little romantic development despite this being marketed as a "romantasy" or romance fantasy. I'm giving this 2.5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️.5 - 2.5/5 Stars

Thank you [NetGalley.com], the author, and publisher for the arc (advanced reader's copy.)

I was SO bored. There is so little explanation of the world building or of the magic that I truly felt like I wasn't even following the plot. She's taken by Fae who are hated to clean up their library...and she wants magic? But then at like 30% she leaves the library...? the romance felt stilted and confusing...not to mention the FMC was so immature for someone who was in her 20s. A big swing and a miss for me. DNF @ 51%.

A cute read! There were some parts that did disappoint me and I wish they were better built up but I appreciated the book for what it was! The fantasy aspect kept me captivated.

this was one of my anticipated reads of 2024 and i am so bummed and disappointed by it. i think one of the mainnissues with it for me was pacing, it started out very fast paced but towards the middle started dragging. her relationship with findrel was very speediky written compared to the buildup with asher that was given. i did really enjoy lore as a character but the romance parts of this fell a little flat for me.

Would be good for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses. I do think the "insta-love" and love triangle were not the best use of tropes in the story. A little disappointing.

I so wanted Lore of the Wilds to be a slam dunk, and while there are certainly parts of the book that I loved, I don’t think that as a cohesive whole it was as good as it could have been.

The first 40% or so of Lore of the Wilds was the best part of the book. Lore was exploring the library, figuring out the fae and trying to make sense of the world around her. This part was also where I best understood Lore’s motivation, as she wanted to help her village and her family, which made sense for what we know of her character thus far. There was a lot of world-building in this section that was interesting, and though I didn't feel it got fully fleshed out, the concepts were interesting and original.

However, as the story developed, there were some major issues. The pacing is totally off for a lot of the second half of the book. It felt kind of jumpy, not giving some scenes the time to develop before moving on to the next exciting moment. Additionally, there’s a love triangle, and I’ll be honest - at the end of the book, I still didn’t really understand why either of the men liked Lore.

I think the main issue I had with Lore of the Wilds is that it really felt like it was written for a young adult audience, and then shoehorned into the “romantasy” genre by adding an explicit oral sex scene. The rest of the action, even including the violence, definitely would have felt at home in any YA fantasy novel, and Lore herself acted like a teenager in some major parts of the book. She kept doing really dumb things in the second half of the book, when she was supposed to be hiding from the fae authorities, which felt contradictory to the characterization of an organized, methodical and hard-working young woman that had been built up in the first third of the book.

Lore of the Wilds ends in a cliffhanger with a twist that I felt was fairly obvious, but I will still likely pick up the second book, just to see how it’s resolved. There were so many open questions at the end of the book that I am curious about how they all get answered. If you’re a romantasy reader looking for new material, you might enjoy Lore of the Wilds, but don’t go in expecting a ton of romance - the main plotline is definitely Lore’s attempt to save her village. For a book advertised as romantasy, I can only hope for more romance in the second book.

Content notes: Violence, implied rape (brief mention, not of the main character)

I had really high expectations for this romantasy as the premise sounded promising. But it actually took a while for me to get sucked in, and even then, I sadly had to DNF at 60%. I just never found myself invested in the characters nor found the romance to be credible. We will still get the book because even though I personally wasn't a fan, I'm sure other readers will enjoy this,.

my rating is based on enjoyment
3.5

I enjoyed the mystical aspect of this book. The history of the world and all. Lore is our typical rebellious teenager and a part of me loves her for it because though she is faced with adversity, her thoughts aren’t to run and hide, it’s to fight. Empowerment is a different level when you are a teen and it’s definitely something I believe young ladies need to see.

Now with that said I am not a teen so some things just didn’t brush over for me but I recognize I am not the target audience. However, me at 16 would’ve rolled over twice lol.

In Lore of the Wilds we follow Lore Alemeyu, a young woman who lives within the confines of Duskmere, a town that houses all the humans in the fae world of Alytheria. Humans historically aren’t allowed to leave Duskmere—its borders are guarded by fae soldiers intent on keeping the humans inside and without access to magic—but, after an unexpected disaster hits the people she loves, Lore finds herself forcefully escorted to Wyndlin Castle. There, Lord Syrelle wants her to work in a library that no fae has been able to enter in a thousand years due to an ancient curse. Lore, as a human not from this fae world (legend has it that her ancestors came from the sky a few hundred years ago), would be able to walk through its doors and, since she can read the Alytherian language, find certain texts that Syrelle wants.

From there, the story has Lore working in the library under the guard of a fae soldier named Asher. After several chapters focused on her time in the castle, the tale then jumps to her finding a grimoire that only responds to her—a shocking development as she is human, someone who isn’t supposed to be able to wield magic. She flees the castle with the book, with Asher coming with her, as the two have exchanged lustful glances while Lore was forced to work in the library. Without getting too much into spoilers, she miraculously gets help from some of her former guard’s old companions, including another fae male named Finn, who hates Asher but grudgingly grows a rapport with Lore. The plot skips and jumps along, slowing down at some points and then whizzing by so fast at others that I had to double-check to make sure I didn’t miss a chapter. The book ends on a major cliffhanger and a shocking reveal (to Lore, at least), making clear that this novel is just the first in a series. [more on link below]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this advanced e-book.

I actually went and bought this book rather than reading it on NetGalley - don't ask me why - but I can't get over how nice the cover is, I was immediately drawn to it.

As far as debut novels go, this one was decent! Debut fantasies can be tough, where the pacing can get funky, but the general plot had me hooked. I loved the turn this took at the end, it was a smart choice by Analeigh because now we can dive into these characters more and it's got me anticipating the next book!

I had such high hopes for this one but ended up setting it down around 70%. The world the author built was so cool but the pacing of the story was off. The story was so fast at times and then would drag for several chapters. I just wasn't invested enough to finish it.

"Lore of the Wilds" by Analeigh Sbrana is an enchanting journey into a world where magic thrums through the air and mystical creatures roam the untamed wilderness. From the first page to the last, this book captivates with its lush prose, vibrant characters, and intricate world-building, offering readers an immersive fantasy experience they won't remember.

Sbrana weaves a spellbinding tale that follows the adventures of a young protagonist who discovers she possesses a rare and powerful gift that could change her world's fate forever. I was swept along on a whirlwind of excitement and discovery as she navigated treacherous forests, encountered mythical beasts, and confronted dark forces.

What sets "Lore of the Wilds" apart is its unique blend of familiar fantasy elements with fresh, innovative twists. While there may be echoes of other fey-based fantasies, Sbrana infuses her story with a sense of originality and depth that keeps readers eagerly turning pages. From the intricate lore of the fey to the intricacies of court politics, every aspect of this world feels meticulously crafted and brimming with possibility.

Lore of the Wilds is a fun romantic fantasy with a colorful cast of amazing characters. Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses, or anyone who enjoys a good fae inspired fantasy. The magic system is unique and interesting, the setting feels rich and alive, the characters are lovable. It is overall a good start for a new series!

This was a great debut novel and solid start to a new series. I loved the characters and the character development. The world building was phenomenal. The author describes such a beautiful, cozy, and magical world.
But the pacing was really off for me. I found it hard to stay interested. I am a mood reader so I think I was just wanting more intense things than this book has. The big parts felt rushed and the small parts felt like they went on and on.
The plot twist were also slightly predictable so it didn’t have the payoff I was hoping for.
All in all I think this is a really good book for someone who loves cozy, less intense fantasy