What a fun and easy dip into fantasy. After multiple high stakes series, this is beautiful and whimsical palate cleanser that leaves you wishing for more fairytales in real life. A stunning debute novel.

Lore, a human living in the only human territory on the planet, is coerced to leave her city to help fae royalty unlock the magic inside the library that has been warded against anyone with fae blood to enter. As Lore learns more about the library, a grimoire calls out to her and makes a bargain to protect her if she takes its magic within her. While on the run with her bodyguard, Lore begins to learn to harness the magic and cast spells, all while the fae are working on a plan of revenge to steal the grimoire and return it to it's owner.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 4.5/5
Spice: 🌶️ 1/5

Tropes:
Bodyguard
Hidden Powers
Magical Quest

Triggers:
Extreme Poverty
Kidnapping
Slavery
Assumed SA

My thoughts:
What an awesome book with great, easy-to-follow world building! Lore is no damsel in distress and instead works with those protecting her to keep herself and the human population safe. My only complaint is that there isn't a sequel release date yet!

I really enjoyed this book and am very excited for the sequel! The world building was strong and the characters had good depth. I think the pacing in the beginning was a little quick, but that could also be me wishing we spent more time cataloging the library! I love cataloging and was so excited on how a magic system would impact the workflow. That's likely a complaint more unique to me as someone in cataloging and libraries.

This book was not what I was expecting. It was a good first book but when I am given the premise of a magical library, I expect to be in the magical library for most of the book. The romance was also a bit off. At one point I thought the love interest might be the someone introduced later in the book. I did like the ending and while pick up the second book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year and overall it did not disappoint. I loved all the characters and the story and I cannot wait to continue this story and world. I will say some of the plot points were a little rushed and the pacing in the book was weird (there would be large times jumps randomly) but those things didn’t overly deter from my enjoyment of the book. This book is marketed as a love triangle and while yes there are two male leads I wouldn’t 100% consider it a love triangle at least not yet. The romance is also not the main focus of this story so if you are going into it with that mindset just know that this is more of a fantasy world with small glimpse of romance. If you are looking for spice there is really only one scene towards the end. These are not things though that bother me but I know some people will be disappointed if they are expecting heavy amounts of romance. Again so happy I read this book and can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Short Synopsis:
Lore is dragged from her poor human town to work for a fae lord. Her task: to find a magical book in the enchanted library. Through her tasks and journey, her paths cross with two very different fae males who she must trust.

My Thoughts:
I came for the gorgeous cover. I stayed for the enchanted library, fae love triangle and magic. This was such a lovely debut fantasy. I will say it has similar themes to a lot of fae books already out (a magicless human girl gets taken to live with the fae, torn between two fae males and learning about magic), but still done in a creative and captivating way. I really enjoyed it!

And the ending? It gutted me. How long do we need to wait until book two?

What You’ll Find in This Book:
📖 Magic
📖 Similar vibes to ACOTAR
📖 Love triangle
📖 Humans vs fae
📖 Enchanted library
📖 Twists

This was a great adult fantasy romance debut novel, with a twist ending! I would definitely recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

2.5 ⭐️

Well, on the outside this ticks a lot of boxes: a cottagecore romantic fantasy featuring an enchanted library and fae. I had to give it a shot, but oof. This was not it.

The first big offense here are major tone inconsistencies. One minute I'm thinking ah, this seems cozy! But then suddenly somebody's head is getting cut off and blood is everywhere. And then we're back to being cozy? In the span of a few pages? Help? Another minute I'm thinking that the writing style feels pretty juvenile, possibly geared towards a younger audience, and then suddenly there's out-of-place explicit spice. The whiplash... 😭 Please pick a lane.

Secondly there were a *ton* of structural issues. Pacing was all over the place. The plot developed in a very unnatural and unbelieveable way. The characters frequently instantly overcame obstacles in no time at all and faced zero consequences, which then made most of the plot points feel like irrelevant side quests. What was even the point of the fox? (We could've had a Barbie-like sidekick but didn't? 0/5 according to Ted Nivison's scale /j) And the sheer repetitiveness of the descriptions was eye-roll inducing. He's growling and smells like blackberries and honey, I get it (please make it stop)!! 😃

Romance wise, I was not sold on either love interest. On the one hand, you have instalove with zero chemistry and an awkward progression, and on the other you have the mean one who can't express any of his feelings unless it's aggression. Red flag much??

I honestly considered DNFing this a few times, but stuck it out for no pay off. This had a lot of potential but could've done with several more rounds of rewrites.

This book was so enchanting and mesmerizing. I never wanted to put it down. Page after page it kept getting better and better. Thank you so much netgalley for an arc of this book.

Thank you to netgalley and harper collins for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dnf

At first glance, I was so excited to pick this one up. The premise sounded right up my alley but the final product just didn’t live up to my expectations. The writing style wasn’t my favorite, and often felt like an overuse of unnecessary text that felt wordy and made it hard to get into the flow of the story enough to truly escape into this world.

I also felt like the pacing was off, moving much too fast in terms of important plot scenes that deserved more time and attention yet slow in certain scenes that felt unnecessarily long.

For these reasons i just don’t see myself enjoying the rest of this novel. While this wasn’t right for me, perhaps other readers may enjoy it.

I loved this book and am completely invested in the story and characters. This was a very readable fantasy where the world building was well done without being overwhelming. The romance aspects were a slow burn, but entirely worth it. And the ending left me ready for the second book immediately. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Collins for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this ARC! Perfect for cozy fantasy lovers and readers. I'm excited to see more from this author - can't wait for the sequel!

Diverse fantasy with cottagecore vibes. It’s definitely for me and fans of cozy fantasy. It does read like a YA with adult scenes which threw me off a bit. But I liked it! I would and did buy it.

Received a free copy to review from NetGalley. Final rating 2.5 stars.
This book confused the heck out of me. I started really enjoying it, around a 4 star read for the first 30-40ish percent. But then it just went downhill after Lore left the library and kept getting stranger from there. Some of the biggest issues I had were pacing and timing. The plot frequently had random time jumps where I would actually go back and make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped pages. The characters made dumb, impulsive decisions constantly. If they found out new information they would immediately act on it without verifying anything or having any sort of plan - which was frustrating when it happened again and again. By the end it also felt like random plot points were thrown in just to include them. Overall, good potential but disappointing.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I loved the cover, title, and premise. I tried to read through a few chapters, but this book really couldn’t draw me in. There was a fair amount of description and world-building at the beginning along with some emotional conversations with characters that didn’t feel quite earned yet. You have to show someone being a badass before you get into the feels. I ended up not finishing this book.

Overall I really enjoyed this fae fantasy romance story. It definitely leans heavier on the fantasy side with world building and the romance is not the main part of the story.

This book draws from traditional wild type fae and humans being enslaved by the fae. It has fairy wine making them want to dance and become addicted and magical tales and everything of that style. Lore is a human and her village is basically used by the fae for? taxes? I'm not sure why they won't let them leave their isolated village. She finds herself being taken by the dark fae to find a book in a library no fae can enter because of a curse.

I took away one star because the middle got a little be tedious and slow and then there were some weird transitions with a time lapse that I didn't love. I felt that it was fairly predictable and I have some questions about the "twist" that I just don't feel add up. Like things were thrown in to purposefully throw the reader off but overall do not make sense. I can't really say without giving anything away.

I liked that there were different types of fae and that they seemed to have their own prejudices against each other, it was interesting.

4 stars
1.5 chili peppers

I thought we were getting a love triangle (also because of the cover) and now I'm just not sure what is happening.

I will keep reading the series

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! I really loved the magical library Lore was exploring and the magic system in here is absolutely fascinating. What a cliffhanger too! l’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for the next book!

If I had to nitpick, I feel like the book is very fast-paced. It almost feels like YA but not really in that sense. I wish Lore spent more time in the cool magical library...

3.5 stars

I thought this was a pretty good debut with a lot of fun aspects - humans mysteriously trapped in the world of the fae, a girl tasked with sorting through an ancient and potentially deadly library, magical grimoires, and forbidden human/fae romances.

This was an easy read that kept my interest, and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would based on reviews. I appreciated Lore as the MC and I’m curious about what else she’s capable of. The romance/love triangle situation was just okay and I wasn’t really sold on either MMC, but one does have potential. I saw the betrayal coming from a mile away and I unfortunately wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending.

I did like the overall story though and will likely continue the series. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Analeigh Sbrana's Lore of the Wilds weaves a spellbinding tale of enchantment, romance, and adventure that captivated me. Set in a world where humans are trapped under the rule of ruthless Fae, protagonist Lore Alemeyu embarks on a perilous journey to save her village. Desperate, she strikes a risky deal with a Fae lord, agreeing to organize an enchanted library in exchange for her family's safety. But as Lore delves deeper into the treacherous fae world, she finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, forbidden romance, and unexpected twists.

Sbrana's debut novel masterfully combines elements of fantasy and romance, delivering a story brimming with whimsical forests, cozy cottage vibes, and richly developed characters. Lore's journey is one of self-discovery, as she navigates the complexities of love, duty, and loyalty amidst a backdrop of danger and intrigue. The atmospheric setting and intricate worldbuilding create an immersive reading experience, while the tantalizing magic system adds depth to the narrative.

While 'Lore of the Wilds' boasts a captivating plot and engaging characters, it's not without its flaws. I found the pacing to be a little uneven, with a slow start that eventually gives way to heart-pounding action. Additionally, the cliffhanger ending may leave readers clamoring for more, eagerly anticipating the sequel.

Overall, 'Lore of the Wilds' is a magical debut that will enchant readers from beginning to end. With its blend of romance, adventure, and mystery, it's sure to appeal to fans of fantasy romance looking for their next captivating read. Analeigh Sbrana has crafted a mesmerizing world filled with wonder and danger, leaving readers longing for more.