This is a paranormal fantasy with a transgender main character.

I love that the author wanted to include trans representation but I don’t feel it was successful. It was so prominent in the storyline the plot got lost to me. It was like 2 books going at a the same time. It could be more relatable to someone who is trans or in the LGBTQ community. I think people outside the community will have a hard time connecting with the main character and their situation.

Pacing was very slow. World building was strange. Narration was sub-par and i did not enjoy it. It’s possible I could have connected with the character and story better with a different narrator.

I was provided with a review copy of the audiobook and this is my honest opinion. I gave this book 2.5 stars. (If I am unable to leave partial stars, I will always round up.)

I will not be continuing the series at this time. Thank you NetGalley and Margaret Killjoy.

I enjoyed this book but I had some reservations. Chiefly I wish certain events had been described more fully rather than quickly summarized by Lorel. There was also a lot of time spent describing the world and the various factions though this was made easier to get through with Lorel being an active participant and not just a passive observer. When the plot really got going the quality of the book improved greatly and it came to a satisfying end. It was good enough that I will continue with the trilogy.

This story was interesting and I did enjoy it in the end
I really like Lorel and enjoy the way she observes the world. I also enjoyed the personalities of the various witches though there were so many I feel like I didn’t get enough time with some of them. I think this authors strength lies in human observation which is really beautiful.

I do think it reads as a YA coming of age but seeing as it’s got additional books I’ll admit it has the potential to become more adult as it goes. I also think that at several points the resolutions felt too convenient like Lorel didn’t have to work for information at all this got especially frustrating the further in I read.

The premise of The Sapling Cage is so cool a trans girl leaves her village to become a witch, but unfortunately a new kind of magical danger has appeared. Overall, I thought the story was pretty decent and will resonate with a lot of teens.

Beyond the actual story, the audiobook narration was phenomenally well done. The story has a wide cast of characters, but the style and delivery of narration makes the story far more immersive.

Actual rating: 2.5☆

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I'm so sad, I read the description for this book and it sounded so perfect for me and I'm truly devastated by the fact that I didn't love it.

I will start my all the things I really enjoyed. Mainly the main character, from the very beginning I was invested and rooting for Lorei, I wanted her to accomplish her dream of being a witch so badly. I think the author did a great job at quickly getting you situated and into the world and plot.

Now my complaints. There were soooooo many characters and besides Lorei I never felt like we got the time to actually develop everyone. The found family sprinkles were there but I feel like I never got to actually know anyone besides maybe some of the other welps. The plot of the book also felt very repetitive as soon as Lorei joins the witches the plot felt very cyclical it the same baseline events happening over and over. My main take is that I think the first book tried to do to much, establish the entire world building, develop a lot of characters backgrounds motives and their growth throughout the story and it still had this big bad evil that "kind of" got resolved all in 320 pages. Some aspects just were bound to not be as good as others.

Even though this book felt a lot like middle of the road I think there is potential for the next installments to improve on what already has been done, so I plan on checking the next book.

The narrator did a really good job, the spells part were horrifying in the best way

It was great, the trans representation is so refreshing to read in fantasy book !
I expected to be more "adult", with more actions and stakes BUT it's going to be a series so I'm hopeful to see that in the sequel.
With that saying, I received the audiobook version. I was disappointed with the choice for the narration, which is a male voice, except the character is a woman. As if trans women necessarily have a male voice. It is borderline transphobic but it's simply my opinion.

thank you netgalley for the copy.

Story 5/5 stars
Narration 5/5 stars

I loved this book! Lorel’s journey in her gender exploration and the acceptance and support around her was heart warming- even as a cis person some parts of it made me tear up. Lorel’s peers and community are interesting and fun. Pacing was good.

I would not call this book adult, it’s more so young adult with a coming of age theme.

Jackie was a great choice for the narration of this story and delivered the emotions perfectly.

Overall, I’m excited to read the next edition of this series and hope to hear Jackie narrate again.

Thank you to Dreamscape and Margaret Killjoy for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Lore for the ALC! This is out 09/24/2024!

Wow I really enjoyed this one! Kinda went into it not sure what I’d think since this isn’t the typically genre I go for.

Loved the fall vibes. Loved the queerness and transness that is in this world. The found family, the adventure, the journey of discovering who you are and your own confidence was wonderful. The world building was great and I enjoyed the scenery that was being described. I really loved getting to know these characters, especially Lorel, and I can’t wait to see where they all go in the next books. Great narration too!!

Very happy that there will be more books in this world. If you’re on the fence about picking this up, here are a few themes to help pull you in:

- forest, ponds, mist, hiking, and travels outdoors

- witches and fantasy characters who aren’t defined by gender

- found family

- Learning to have confidence in yourself and be able to rely on friends

This book was an amazing read. The premise was very intriguing and the book delivered on it. The narrator was amazing and made me enjoy the book more

This was such an enjoyable book! It doesn't say on here whether it's adult or YA, but Goodreads has it categorized as Adult and I'd disagree and say YA. It's a coming of age story, and while I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult, I think it's well suited to a YA audience! This is the kid of book I'd love people in the actual YA age range to read. The OwnVoices author of a trans witch on a journey of self discovery and chasing her dreams, and the adventure and perils along the way was an equally moving and fun listen. I look forward to continuing the series!

The narrator, Jackie Meloche was great! The use of certain sound techniques and the heart and personality that was put into the characters was wonderful to listen to.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC!

Someone AMAB dreams of being a woman and being a witch. His best friend is a girl promised to the witches and dreams of being a night. Disguising himself in dresses and staying at his friend's house until the witches come, Laurel leaves for an education in witchcraft, a life with the witches, and hopefully a spell that will help her live as her true self. Unfortunately the witches are trying to stop a blight from taking over the land and their own covens.
I loved the concept of this book; trans character, coming of age, witches, trying to make the world a better place. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I had a hard time getting into the plot. Thankfully the MC was interesting enough to keep me going.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media | Dreamscape Lore and Margaret Killjoy for this ALC.

I absolutely loved the story and the main character. Lorel I enjoyed following her journey and introspection in this book was top notch. The magic system felt fresh and easy to understand. The setting and lore were nicely elaborated upon. The conflict and politics of the world we're immersed in are complex yet well explained. Overall even though it is epic fantasy this book was a lot of fun to read with the quirky dialogue and quite fast pace of the events.
The narrator Jackie Meloche in the audiobook did a great job.

I would probably not class it as Adult, but rather as YA and coming of age, but this does not take from the story, just something to keep in mind going into it.

Interesting premise and worldbuilding, but the writing style and narrative pacing leaves a lot to be desired. There's entirely too much telling and not enough showing. The foundational fantasy framework and the emotional grounding necessary for a story about being trans in a magical world misses many steps and made it difficult to be immersed for way too long or care about any of the characters. Will circle back to the author once they are more established in their style in the genre.