Thirty-seven years ago, the Federated States of the Republic were destroyed by bombs, leaving land and water poisoned. Those who survived turned against each other in order to take whatever was left. Now, in a small part of the Republic, two factions within close proximity to each other fight to remain in existence: Kingsland and the five clans. Kingsland is governed by Farron Banks, while the clans are governed by their Saraf.

In an attack, members from the clans are able to capture and kill Farron. As a reward, the Saraf offers up his eighteen-year-old daughter, Isadora, to be married to the man who ended Farron’s life. That man will also become the Saraf of the clans, once he passes on. By no means is this something Isadora wants to do, or was asked about.

Shortly after, Isadora goes to help wounded soldiers battling Kingsland. Isadora gets separated from her guide, but then stumbles upon elite guard Tristan, whom she manages to capture and plans to take back to her home in Hanook. Before she makes it back, Tristan’s fellow guards stage a rescue where Isadora is shot with a poisonous arrow. With her death imminent, Tristan convinces her to marry him, thus allowing him to save her life. What she doesn’t know is that by doing so, they are now bound forever, and once they form a true connection, they will be able to see each other’s memories and share each other’s pain.

Melissa Poett’s The Enemy’s Daughter is a reimagining of Tristan and Isolde, set in a dystopian world. Told from Isadora’s point of view, this story immediately sucked me in. I loved the characters of Tristan and Isadora. While they came together under less than ideal circumstances, to say the least, these enemies-to-lovers learned how to trust each other. Their love shone through and was so strong that they each were willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. This is a story of forbidden love, friendship, betrayal, and found family. Death is heavily mentioned. Abuse of women is also mentioned in the book.

The Enemy’s Daughter is a book I will definitely read again.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Not all of us get a choice in the decisions that are made.”

“Weakness can be measured in many ways.”

“Two strands woven together will always be stronger than one.”

**Received a copy of the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased the international hardcover edition.**

5 Stars

I LOVED this. It moved quickly, dove straight into the plot and the pacing was great. The Enemy’s Daughter is a bit of a Tristian & Isolde retelling, with post-apocalyptic vibes of The 100. There is a really unique and intriguing magic at play that is never fully explained in HOW it came to be, but is a fun plot device as it allows two lovers to connect physically, emotionally and mentally, allowing each other to hear thoughts, see memories and heal each other’s wounds. It might come off a bit insta-love-y but for a standalone that gets right to the action, I’m not complaining!

4.5/5

Cute dystopian (post apocalyptic) story. Based on the Trisan and Iseult story. 2 clans at war. Great world building to understand what happened to the world and why they lived the way they do. The characters are interesting and the romance is kind of a marriage of convenience in a way and I absolutely love it. One of my favorite tropes. The characters don't seem immature or how young they are in the storyline and this story moves very quickly. There is a gives this story the extra hmph it needs. I absolutely enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley and Quill Tree Books for the opportunity to read this!

A haunting, hypnotic reimagining of Tristan and Isolde, this debut romantasy sinks its claws into you from page one and doesn’t let go. Lovers of enemies-to-lovers tension, morally gray assassins, and desperate, forbidden magic? You’ve found your new obsession.

Isadora is a fierce and compassionate healer trying to survive in a war-torn world where magic is rare, love is dangerous, and loyalty can be a death sentence. Enter Tristan: deadly, gorgeous, and exactly the kind of enemy she should run from. Instead, when she’s wounded by his soldiers, he saves her—with a magic that binds them together in a way neither of them can fully control.

What follows is a darkly romantic dance between enemies tethered by fate and driven by conflicting loyalties. Every stolen glance between Isadora and Tristan crackles with tension, and every whispered truth feels like it could change the course of the war. And the bond between them? It’s intimate, invasive, and achingly good—think Belladonna meets The Hurricane Wars with even higher emotional stakes.

The writing is lush and cinematic, the worldbuilding feels ancient and new all at once, and the twists will leave you breathless. This is a story of survival, sacrifice, and the unbearable choice between duty and desire.

Absolutely addictive. Stunningly written. Painfully romantic.

The writing is captivating, drawing me in from the very first page; the tale, beautifully spun.
The relationship between the lead characters was rife with tension, built from years of fighting between clans and conquerors. The politics in this story were two-fold. There is infighting between clans, as well as with Kingsland. The magic system is not complex, where magic is only accessible to wedded couples. There is a push-and-pull between Isadora and Tristan right from the beginning, even as magic is used to heal them both, neither of them wanting to be the reason for the death of the other. Being bound together forces a truce between them. The growth of the magic due to their bond is one of the things that I found most unique about this story. I found the plot unfolded nicely, characters developed genuinely, and the unknowing kept me engaged right until the very end. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and look forward to reading more by her.
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a story about personal growth, as much as one with enemies to lovers and a marriage of convenience.
Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an early digital copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely and are honest and my own.

⋆.˚✮ 1.5 stars ✮˚.⋆

⤿ Thank you to Quill Tree Books for the arc through netgalley and finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

it's really sad that i didn't enjoy this book becuase it has such a pretty cover and i was so looking forward to the release. i will say- i don't usually like dystopian books, and i've never heard of Tristan and Isolde so this book might have had some things stacked against it. but, this really just felt like that one meme of 'go girl give us nothing.' there was so much missing from this book that i wish was added and i think it definitely needed some more development.

my main problem with this book was the romance, which itself is one of the biggest parts of the book. it happens way too quickly, with no development, just hoping the reader will believe in the "magical connection" that's born between Tristan and Isadora (in the beginning she's dying and they form a 'connection' that allows him to take on her pain/injuries) after he decides to save the daughter of his ENEMY. it's casually thrown in there he's known about her existence for a few years and likes her enough to almost die himself for her, without ever actually meeting her. it wouldn't be as big of a deal to me if there had been actual chemistry, but the one-sided "love" from Tristan doesn't mean they had chemistry. especially when Isadora is his hostage, and she is being treated horribly by everyone around her- granted she comes from a culture where women cannot do anything, but it was just not well developed.

besides that, there was little to no worldbuilding that was deeply developed. we are told a story of the world essentially going into nuclear world-ending war, and only a few people surviving. the place where Tristan lives has access to ameneties from the "old world" while Isadora's people are living as if there has never been technology, without women's rights, and seperated into five distinct clans. i know that Isadora doesn't exactly have access to this information, but i would have loved to see even more explanation from someone in power in Tristan's world. we're told more about what happens AFTER the world-ending event, which wasn't hard to see coming, but it would've been much more impactful with more explanation. i also want to point out, there's no explanation ever for how the 'connection' came about or how people discovered it. i had to suspend by disbelief for that, and while it was okay because i thought the connection was interesting, it was frustrating to see so little development.

something that a good dystopian is supposed to do is give a comparison to the real world, and then commentary WITHIN the story about said piece from the real world. this book focuses on feminism, and it's Isadora's exploration of what it means to live with more freedom, but. it kind of stops there, when it shouldn't. a few of the characters in this book obviously live in Isadora's home, which is dominated by men ruling over the women "as it should be" becuase in the old world there wasn't room for "strong men." but, there's no further exploration of why this is a problem, beyond "it's bad for women." when there should have been discussions about how even men are affected by the patriarchy, how we can help them connect with other parts of themselves, and men's mental health. yes- most of the men who engage in this behavior are really horrible people, but it does come from a place of society expecting certain things from men and in the end, the expectations of the patriarchy helps no one. there was no emphasis on this, or exploration, when i feel there should have been.

unfortunately this book was just not for me, but i think the combination of it being dystopian and a debut novel made it not fully connect with me. i'm not turned off completely on other books by this author, i am willing to give her another chance, there was just too much missing for me.

↬ trigger warnings: death of parents and loved ones, murder and torture, blood and gore, serious injury, themes of war

Had me at Tristan and Isolde. 😍
Isadora is eager to learn and takes her healing abilities and knowledge quite seriously. Stumbling upon her enemy leads to her capture and a poisoned arrow to her forced marriage to her enemy, Tristan. He’s the only one who can save her.
This resurgence of dystopian novels has me absolutely tickled. And this retelling? It was a joy to read. I think Melissa’s twist on the age old story is clever and entertaining. It has the perfect blend of and enemies to lovers trope and a happy enough ending to forget the devastating conclusion of the original. This debut is one I won’t forget and I’m hopeful to see more of the same from this author.
Thank you HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 40% - 2 stars.

This cover is absolutely stunning - however the book is underdeveloped, and is just an overall mess. The premise is great - but the insta-love doesn't work for me, and the world-building is just a mess.

DNF @ 13%. The premise sounded SO good and I think it had potential to be a great book. I’m reality, I definitely felt like something was missing. It was the world-building for sure. There was a lot of action but little to no worldbuilding so I didn’t really find it necessary to care about the characters or the plot

The daughter of a clan chieftain is forced behind enemy lines when she is kidnapped by the heir of their enemy settlement. Armed with nothing but her wits and knack for healing, she must decide how to infiltrate her enemy to save her people.

Themes:
- propaganda and cult like behavior
- true love
- healer stuck in a perpetual war
- gang/clan
- post-apocalyptic survival
- the villains like in a sort of utopia town kinda of like the show Paradise
- white knight love interest

Maturity rating: 16+

This book is kinda pro-establishment which is sort of a rare POV in fantasy. Don't love that. The main character is also very whiny and I had a hard time liking her character because she is supposed to be some sort of genius, but the readers clearly can solve every "mystery" before she can. I also have a bit of a pet peeve where the MC gleans most of the information they have by accidentally eavesdropping on conversations. It feels pretty lazy imo.

The love interest is also very 2D, especially for someone who is supposed to be so complex and just. Side characters were woefully cartoonish and had no personality at all and were just there to bolster the MC. Also, the fantasy aspects of the story are extremely random and underdeveloped. Like Tristan and his people should have just been vampires at that point, it would have made more sense then radiation magic??? The comparison to the Hurricane Wars was so just so unbelievably off base, so don't expect much enemies to lovers scenes or galactic saving activities.

This isn't a bad book per say. Just underdeveloped and a bit boring.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Poett, and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

The Enemy’s Daughter is a Tristan and Isolde retelling set in a dystopian world with feuds, romance, magic, and so much more. The book follows Isadora and Tristan as they strive for a future filled with love and peace for both their people.
I really enjoyed this book. I have always thought the original Tristan and Isolde story was heartbreakingly beautiful, and I was very intrigued by a dystopian retelling. This book brought a new and entertaining take on the original tale, and I love every page of it. The relationship between Isadora and Tristan was beautiful, and I loved seeing them move past the hate and violence that had defined their lives and fall in love.
This book is a standalone, short, sweet, and easy to finish in a few sittings. The story was compelling, the romance adorable, and the ending well-deserved. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and if you are looking for a simple, sweet romance, well-written book, this is for you.

DNF at 36% - no rating - I’ve been trying to force myself to continue, but it’s honestly making me into a book slump). I didn’t like the insta love. Poor world building… it was pretty under developed. Not for me.

I love a star-crossed lovers/forbidden romance story, but the insta-love, my #1 most hated romance trope, killed this book for me. Maybe I read the synopses wrong? I don't know. Besides the romance, I also found this book really boring.
I'm sure it will be appealing for some readers but I am not one of them.

Thank you, HarperCollins and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
The Enemy’s Daughter by Melissa Poett follows the FMC, Isadora, as she risks her life healing soldiers, but runs into an enemy assassin, Tristan. Still, everything is not as it seems, and as Isadora tries to cling to the world she knew, Tristan may be the only steady thing she has to cling to.
This book was great, pure and simple. It was an easy stand-alone fantasy read with enough plot twists to keep the reader entertained throughout, but simple enough to follow without the headache that often comes with keeping the plot straight in fantasy books. The pacing at the beginning was a little slow, but after the initial hump, it was a well-placed read.
To my favorite part, the romance, Tristan is the definition of down bad, my guy was whipped from day one, but the enemy part of their romance comes from Isadora, but the tension was *chef's kiss*. Tristan and Isadora’s love was amazing, and the chemistry was there. The one thing that would have made it better would be dual POV, but I think that the writing was good enough, you could feel his emotions through her POV.
It was a great read, and one I see myself coming back to. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Enemy's Daughter is a Young Adult novel with an intriguing premise and plenty of untapped potential.

Though marketed as a romantasy, it leans more toward a dystopian tale with a light touch of magic. As someone who’s always been captivated by the legendary romance of Tristan and Isolde, I was a bit let down that the story didn’t draw more inspiration from the original myth—beyond the character names and their status as enemies. I would have loved to explore more about the magical bond between mates, as well as learning more about the Clans and Kingsland societies. These areas felt underdeveloped, and expanding on them could have benefited the story.

The main antagonists came across as predictable and flat, and many of the side characters failed to leave a lasting impression. While I did enjoy the romantic arc between Tristan and Isadora, it felt underexplored. Isadora’s continual doubts about Tristan, despite his consistent efforts to prove himself, took away from their growing connection and bond.

I believe The Enemy's Daughter might resonate more with a different audience. With more depth in character development, world-building, and romance, this book could have been a five-star read for me.

The Enemy's Daughter is a beautifully layered tale of forbidden love, loyalty, and the painful weight of legacy. From the very first page, the tension crackles between families, duty, desire, and most powerfully, between the two leads whose chemistry practically burns through the pages. The dystopian setting is richly drawn, immersing the reader in a world shaped by war, betrayal, and unspoken truths. But what truly elevates this novel is its emotional depth; the characters are flawed, vulnerable, and achingly real. With twists that hit hard and a romance that lingers long after the final page, this story is unforgettable, heart-wrenching and hopeful in equal measure.

A dystopian Tristan and Isolde retelling infused with magic, war, and an enemies-to-lovers romance—this book had me hooked from page one.

At its heart is Isadora, a healer torn between two warring factions, and Tristan, a mysterious assassin from the opposing side. Their fates become magically entangled after he saves her life, setting off a chain of events that’s as tense as it is captivating. Isadora is the kind of heroine you root for instantly—resilient, compassionate, and refreshingly flawed—while Tristan is the brooding, morally gray figure who keeps you both swooning and second-guessing.

Their romance is deliciously messy in the best way. Think “he falls first,” paired with just the right amount of slow burn—especially impressive in a standalone. The magical bond between them only raises the emotional stakes, adding an irresistible layer of tension to every interaction.

If you love your fantasy with high stakes, rich magic, emotional complexity, and a romance that’ll make you grin, gasp, and yell at the characters in frustration and joy, this one’s for you.

I'm a sucker for Tristan and Isolde retellings and I loved the dystopian twist on this one. It definitely makes it a unique concept! I enjoyed the story and found the characters sympathetic and compelling. My only real gripe is I wish the world had been expanded upon just a bit.

Unfortunately not for me. Insta love with no relationship building. She drops any thought of who she wanted to be with originally in a matter of a few chapters. I understand it’s YA but I was still expecting a little bit more of coming to terms with the political climate, world building, characters… all of it.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A dystopian stand-alone retelling of Tristan and Isolde? Say less!

Read for:
🗡️ “Do I hate you or love you?” vibes
🗡️ Addicting writing
🗡️ Sworn enemies
🗡️ Romantic magic system
🗡️ Debut novel

The writing in this one absolutely swept me in! I didn’t want to put it down, and I love that it was a stand-alone! I will always love a duology, but sometimes you want to be marked safe from a cliffhanger that will ruin your weekend.

I can’t wait to see what Melissa Poett writes next! This was a solid debut and I can’t wait to read more from her.

Thank you to Quill Tree Books for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.