This book was just absolutely, and I loved it so much! Lore of the Wilds has definitely been one of my top read of January. The world is just so whimsical and enchanted, and it completely immersed me. I loved how the magic system just felt completely interwoven with the world and nature around them. But the characters are really what got me. Lore is just such an amazing, resilient, and has the most amazing character development into finding her strength. Really though, I think Isla had to be my favorite. Just the way she came to life on the page I was instantly in love with her charm and character. I cannot believe I'm going have to wait for the second book to come out while the first hasn't published yet, but I will be so ready when it does!

I really wanted to enjoy this book - however, I'm feeling burnt out with the current "romantasy" craze. I love the genre, and think it can be done really well. However, with an over-reliance on tropes, it feels like I'm reading the same story with a different skin over and over again. At the end of the day, I think this will be enjoyed by a lot of readers, and I'm so glad to have more diverse representation in fantasy. But this story was hard for me to get into, and I found myself not invested in the characters, the story, or the world. At this stage, I'm looking for a little more innovation in the fantasy books I read, and this didn't have it.

Lore of the Wilds!

I adored this book! Absolutely adored it!

I will say that the beginning of the book was a bit slow, however that doesn't bother me.

It's well written and the attention to detail is great, I love being able to imagine exactly what's written on the page. I really enjoy the characters and unique magic system.

Lore is a human from a desolate town called Duskmere that's cut off from the Fae world, the humans have no magic and live very poorly. After an earthquake, Fae came into her town and forced her to go with them. She made a deal with the royals that she would help them find what they were looking for in their library (a library that no one can enter except for a human) if they helped her town.

Lore finds a magical book that changes everything and she finds herself in situations she never saw coming. Now she has to figure out how to use this magical book and save her town.

I just really enjoyed this book and definitely would recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a magical and beautifully written DEBUT fantasy romance that is about family, friendships, love, duty and loyalty!! It has your forbidden romance, touch her and die, whimsical forests, cozy cottage vibes, suspense, adventure, tension, secrets, brooding fae, enchanted library/books, diverse characters, unexpected twists and a limited amount of spice!! The atmospheric setting, rich character development, intriguing magic system and the phenomenal world building all attribute to this INCREDIBLE book! Can we pause to appreciate this stunning cover?!! I absolutely loved this book so much!! 💜💜💜💜

Lore, a human girl, is trapped in a forested prison along with the people of her village. She knows that attempting to escape is futile because of her scars that are testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened she makes a desperate deal with a fae lord in order to save her family. She convinces him that she's after wealth but really she just wants magic of her own. As Lore navigates the hostile fae world, she is forced to rely on a fae male to survive. Can she trust her heart to this fae?

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! Ok, let this be your warning ⚠️ because it does end on a HUGE cliffhanger!! I am not really sure how I am supposed to wait for the sequel?! OH MY GOSH, I need to know what happens next!! I definitely recommend if you enjoy fantasy romance!!! 💫💫💫💫

This was a highly recommend book to me, but unfortunately it missed the mark. It had a lot going for it - a very diverse world, a cottage core vibe, and a unique magic system. However, the writing style was really tough for me to get into. I had a hard time caring about the characters, and especially the romance. There was a whole lot of telling instead of showing. Some of the transitions I had to literally flip back and forth to make sure I hadn’t skipped a page, they were so abrupt. It should have just leaned into a YA audience and gotten rid of the one (very mediocre imo) spicy scene.

Oh my gosh!! First off thank you to NetGalley and Happer Collins for this ARC!!

Wow!!! What can I say… this was so wonderfully written , with such depth and development! I fell in love with these characters. Lore is extremely resourceful and just powerful!

That twist at the end though.. can’t say I saw that coming and the cliffhanger at the end… ugh….

Such a great book!!

What an absolutely incredible debut! Lore of the Wilds sucked me in and grasped me tight. I fell in love with the world, the characters, and the story fully. Magic, Fae, Romance, and an ending that will blow you away and leave you wanting the next book ASAP. Preordered and so excited to add this book to my shelf!

This was an interesting one for me - I fell in love with the MC almost immediately. She had strength and resilience that was easy to root for. The plot was a little slow for me, but I've also been reading a lot of fast-paced fantasy romances recently, so that could definitely be on me.

I have a love hate relationship with the fact that i have weaseled my way into being an arc reviewer. thanks for the PAIN.

THAT ENDING THO??? I had to literally get up and do a lap around my room before i could finish the last page because i was feeling all of the things. i adore lore and her desire to save her people, i adore finn for all that he is. how am i supposed to wait for the second book when the first one isn't technically even out yet? why did i do this to myself. i was just so drawn to the beautiful cover and magic and fae and now im just heart broken on a monday night

however, thank yall so much for allowing me to be an arc reviewer for this masterpiece of a book. i hope the story continues on and harnesses the magic i know is there

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana is everything you want in a YA fantasy novel about magical libraries and handsome Fae. It delivers twists and turns, beautiful descriptive language, a fascinating world with a rich backstory, and unique characters. I love the unfolding pacing, which picks up steam until barreling towards the conclusion. The characters have true development, going on interesting journeys. I would definitely recommend this to any fantasy or YA fan.

This book is so beautifully written. And the main character Lore is so sweet. I can see this becoming a huge booktok book. If you enjoy cozy fantasy with a kind black female lead. You will love this.

I wish I was coming here to give this book a 5 star review. I had such high hopes but at 30% 4 days in I think it’s time to put it down. I’m a fast reader but this just didn’t capture me like I had hope. Maybe when book 2 comes out I’ll give it another go.

This was such a lovely read. The romance was utterly beautiful. The found family was done really well. I went into this without knowing much and I was enthralled by the writing. I look forward to reading more in this series and from this author in general.

Honestly, I think this book would have been much better off if it was marketed as a YA fantasy romance. The writing, the worldbuilding, and the characters just read so much more YA than adult in a way that really hindered the story. I don't think any of it was bad, per se, but not really what I was expecting or looking for.

I also felt like it was kind of boring and took so long for anything really to happen. The romance also kind of popped up out of nowhere, with no real build-up or actual tension.

I'm sure this will find its audience and I'm sure people will love it. I am just not one of those people.

This book starts so beautifully! By about 35% of the way in, I was raving about it. I wish it had held that standard, but unfortunately, for me, it did not.

The premise is a good one. Oppressed humans being forced to stay in their destitute village by the cruel fae. One girl dreams of a better life and, miraculously, has the opportunity to help her people by heading to the land of the fae. There’s a magical library, mention of dumplings, and the interesting dilemma of managing your curl pattern in a fantasy world.

After that wonderful setup, it went south for me. It felt like a mashup of popular romantasy books but where none of the ideas were really fleshed out. The pacing was quick, but the characters - both main and side - didn’t really develop for me. The book read like a YA with one spicy-ish scene thrown in (that felt really out of place), and I found myself just confused by the jumble of events.

I will say that I am a world building and character building centered reader. If you’re looking for a good story: this could still be a good fit for you! Definitely give it a read. With all my disappointment, it still receives 3 stars because the story itself was interesting. It just felt flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this copy to review. All opinions contained are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins/Harper Voyager for sending me this ARC!

This was truly a fun read. I went into this knowing practically nothing about this book, but oh my goodness I’m glad I got the chance to read it.

Lore is a human trapped in a prejudiced world of fae where her kind is looked down upon. She gets thrown into the fae world causing a ton of adventures and hijinks to ensue including her discovering magic in a seemingly innocent blank book she finds in a great library spelled against fae from entering for a whole millennium.

There is romance (the one bed trope, hello!!), found family, friendships, magic, finding oneself, sword fights, fae, new worlds, twists, and so much more.

The plot is laid out perfectly, the pacing is incredible, and you as the reader learn as much as the main character does throughout the book. All of the characters are so deep, complicated, and bring such vastly different personalities to this rag tag bunch.

This is set up for a sequel in the future, and I honestly need it in my hands right now! As a debut author, I feel like this is going to be huge. Her penmanship is as sharp as the swords depicted in her book. I devoured this story and loved it SO MUCH!

Absolutely immaculate. Perfection. It comes out February 27th of this year, so PLEASE go preorder it!! I am definitely going to buy a physical copy once it comes out!

Excellent first installment that had me interested for more. Has the potential to be an incredible series with an exciting plot and characters you care about. Just needs a bit more meat in the next book with some expanding on the world (ie political structure- knowing it will make a rebellion that much more impactful)

The Lore of The Wilds is a fresh first debut from author Analeigh Sbrana. I was uber excited to read this book, mainly due to the fabulous illustrations on the cover!!! Like many, I love BIPOC Fantasy books, especially ones with Black fae characters! The world within this book feels fun and whimsical. I thoroughly enjoyed the enchanted library and the cast of diverse characters. Unfortunately, I did not connect with the MCs as strongly as I had hoped, and the pacing sometimes felt too slow and, at other times, too rushed. After concluding the book, my expectations for content were skewed because of my preconceived notion that I was reading a new adult fiction book when, in reality, The Lore of the Wilds feels like a book for YA readers and not quite a "new adult." Thank you so much to Net Galley and Harper Voyager for this arc and the chance to give an honest review!

I was instantly pulled in by the cover and description of this book and it did not disappoint!
This book has one of my favorite things, a human in a fae world full of dangerous beings who discovers that maybe she isn't so powerless after all. Lore is a young human woman who is taken by the fae to their castle to sort through a magical library that none of the fae can enter. While there, she begins to befriend (or maybe more than befriend) her guard Asher. BUT, when they have to run away from the castle, they also meet Finn. Now there are two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males that have Lore's attention while she discovery's the mysteries inside a magical book she stole and tries to harness the one thing that might be able to help her and the rest of the humans - power.

I loved the world building, magic, and characters. It is wonderfully diverse across the board! I would say its fantasy WITH romance because there is romance but in terms of spice- there isn't an overwhelming amount because the story is just getting started!

I do think the pacing was a bit off in places (jumping weeks and days) and it felt rushed at the end, especially with the big twist. But, it also left me excited for what comes next.

I want to thank NetGalley and the Publishers Avon Books and Harper Voyager for the ARC of the book. First off what a stunning cover. I hate when the cover characters look nothing like the people described in the book and this cover is pretty accurate. Asher’s hairstyle though in a bun, yes, but top knot, no but anyways I digress. I enjoyed the journey of this story. I really liked the way everyone was there for Lore despite really not needing to be. Now when it comes to Asher and Lore, idk if I was feeling that relationship. I’m always partial to a Grumpy, so I liked her with Finndryl more, but that’s me. Not a fan of cliff hangers, but it’s okay I’ll be excited for book 2.

Favorite Quote: “Draw a picture. I’m sure it will last longer.” The hint of a smirk danced along his lips and a dimple almost showed itself. Lore’s cheeks heated. Caught.”