3.5 stars. This read like a dark fairytale which was both great, and at times, frustrating. The story pulls you in immediately, but the pacing is so quick that we miss out on character development (so you feel pretty removed from the characters, making it hard to be invested). It was also hard to picture what they looked like so I wish a little more time was spent explaining what they were. Otherwise, a sweet and unique story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

The Forest King’s Daughter is a whimsical YA fantasy that will intrigue fans of Howl’s Moving Castle and Holly Black.

This one was fun, but unfortunately, it did not quite work for me. The story sometimes didn’t feel cohesive, and the pacing bounced back and forth. I found it difficult to connect to the main character, but I was fascinated by the world-building and whimsical settings reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle. The friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance was sweet and captivating, but the development of Zeru and Cassia’s relationship felt off. The writing was beautiful, and I enjoyed the adventure and magic of the story. The ending was wonderful, although this book feels more like a standalone and not the start of a series. The book is marketed for fans of Sarah J. Maas, but I think it feels more like a story for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle, especially since the characters felt more like lower YA characters. I agree it is great for fans of Holly Black’s fae-filled worlds and gripping romances. Overall, I’d recommend this to fans of cozy YA fantasy novels.

Eleanor Bennett was a beautiful narrator for this novel. Her voice and accents fit the characters well, making the story feel quite magical. As I listened, however, I found that the pauses between sentences were longer than I usually hear in audiobooks, which occasionally disconnected me from the story. I listened at the maximum speed available and still registered the long pauses. After a few hours of listening, I came to expect the pauses, but initially, the narration felt a little off. I’d still recommend the audiobook, however, especially if you have the physical copy to read along with.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!