This may have been slightly cringe but that’s ok because I enjoyed it. This was actually pretty interesting. It’s your very typical YA Romantasy, but it also has a hint of dystopian. It also has very clear messaging against misogyny and propaganda, though I don’t think it was very well done. The author very much struggled with the concept of showing rather than telling, choosing to directly tell us “Women can do great things too!!” It was a little irritating actually because I think the messaging would have been pretty well done if it hadn’t been so spelled out.
I also didn’t like any of the characters. I didn’t dislike any of them, but I didn’t connect to any of them either. Isadora was very much a girlboss stereotype but it was interesting to see her unlearn her beliefs. Everyone else was pretty boring and honestly really underdeveloped. A lot of the side characters were really inconsistent too, especially Liam. His personality was literally flipflopping the entire time. Tristan and Isadora were boring together and didn’t really have any chemistry together.
I think the main issue was that this entire book was underdeveloped. The characters, the plot, the romance. I would be willing to read the authors other works though because I do think she has a lot of potential. And this was pretty easy and fun read. I literally started it yesterday and I’m already done (keep in mind I had a final today and I have another tomorrow). A lot fantasy books will really struggle with making the worldbuilding understandable, but I didn’t have that issue with this book. It was a pretty good experience.

This book was a joy to read, the plot, characters, slow burn, and complex character relationships and backstories were great. Not my fave but would definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed this Tristian and Isolde retelling/reimagining. I feel like lately, I have been getting a lot of misses when it comes to retellings/reimaginings, so I will admit I was initially hesitant about this one. But this was fantastic. I also liked that this was dystopian. I feel like I've started to bore of the classic romance fantasy tropes and genre, but this was a spin that was novel and refreshing. The characters and the plot were *chef's kiss* and I cannot wait for more from this author!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

unfortunately, dnf @ 48%

the enemy’s daughter is a reimagining of the love story of tristan and isolde — one that i am unfamiliar with. despite my unfamiliarity, i do feel that the author’s world-building/expansion should have been better since she’s not working entirely from scratch, and yet i found myself extremely bored with both plot and characters.

This story started out really good for me. I think that the premise is very interesting, and I liked that we got to see a new take on a dystopian world. I will say that at some points, the world building was a little confusing, but the bits I did catch were very interesting and felt new. I think that there was nice chemistry between the MCs, and I liked that this was a different take on the Tristan and Isolde tale. I think at about the halfway point, I was starting to lose a little interest as the story felt like it was losing some momentum. Overall, I think that this was entertaining, and reminiscent of the early 2010s YA dystopian boom I enjoyed when I was in high school.

I will be honest in saying that I really struggled to continue reading this book.
I refused to DNF it though, so I powered through.
At chapter 6, things did start to get interesting and by the midway point, I was invested enough that I didn't struggle as much in wanting to pick up the book and continue the story.
Overall, I do like Tristan and Isadora together, but I think that having their relationship based on a connection that is made between people who are married (she is actively dying when they get married) and therefore has romantic connotations (only met the previous day), makes the feelings that Isadora develops for Tristan less genuine.
As times goes by, and secrets are and truths are revealed, they do (mostly Isadora because Tristan already loves her) grow to genuinely love each other.
One thing that I can praise this book for is having dramatic moments where you think, "how are they getting out of this one?" or "they can't catch a break".
Even with my struggles, I think this is a good book. I would recommend it for sure, with the suggestion to stick around until they at least reach chapter 6.

In a world where civilization has been destroyed by bombs and much of what remains is contaminated by poison, two settlements fight to control an area of untainted land - five clans versus the Kingsland. Isadora, the daughter of the Saraf, the leader who unites the five clans, stops Tristan, a Kingsland soldier from attacking her home, but gets shot with a poisoned arrow in the process. As Isadora faces death, Tristan offers to do the unthinkable - save her life using a rare magic that will bind them together.

I do have to preface by saying that this is touted as a Tristan and Isolde retelling. If you've read other versions, you might be disappointed. I would say this is more loosely inspired by the tale. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. Poett's writing style was descriptive without being overly flowery, and easy to read.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the unique magic based on the emotional and physical connection between two people. The magic not only allows them to share emotions and thoughts, but also physical pain and wounds. Although Tristan and Isadora don't know each other for a long time, having this magical connection allows them to grow and strengthen their bond with each other more quickly.

I do wish there had been a little bit more worldbuilding. Poett drops hints as to what happened in the past - the Republic was destroyed by bombs and much of the world (or at least the area they live near) is toxic. I would have loved to get a better sense for this post-apocalyptic world they're living in.

Read if you like:
YA fantasy
Tristan & Isolde retelling
Post-apocalyptic setting
Rebellious FMC
Enemies to lovers
Marriage of convenience
Magic based on intimacy
He falls first

I really enjoyed this one! I thought that the world in this book was really interesting and unique! I enjoyed the characters in this one but did struggle to connect with them in the beginning. I also found that the romance was very insta lovey and most of the time that trope is a bit hit or miss for me so it took me a minute to get on board with the romance in this one. Overall thought this was an enjoyable read that I definitely recommend reading!

3.5 out of 5 stars!

I really enjoyed this! I’m not normally the biggest YA girl but this was well written so it worked. This is going to be a hit this summer for sure. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC !

I don’t pick up many young adult fantasy books anymore and even more rarely do I pick up a young adult fantasy romance. The Enemy’s Daughter is a Tristan and Isolde retelling, which is what ultimately sold me on it. I like the forbidden love aspect of that tale and the idea of a dystopian version of the story sounded interesting.
The Enemy’s Daughter is set nearly 40 years after what seems to have been a large-scale nuclear bombing that tainted the land and resulted in the crumbling of society. Groups of survivors banded together and formed two major groups in this story - the inhabitants of Kingsland and the clans. Isadora is a healer and daughter to the Saraf, leader of the five clans, a group of people living primitively, eschewing the knowledge of the old, destroyed society. It’s patriarchal and the women are expected to keep to the villages where they can be ‘kept safe’ while the men hunt and fight. As the story kicks off, Isadora is being offered as the bride to whichever clan leader can kill the leader of Kingsland. Before she can be wed, Isadora is shot with a poisoned arrow and whisked away to Kingsland where they save her life with a secret magic.
As Isadora heals and learns more about Kingsland, which is a much more advanced town that utilizes the remnants of the fallen society, she begins to question what she’s been taught her whole life. There’s enough internal strife in this book for a whole village. She is falling for Tristan, but he’s the enemy. The Kingslanders seem to be keeping tech and things like electricity and plumbing from the clans, but also the clans reject anything from the previous society and deem it corrupt. She wants to stay, but she also should leave and tell her father about the settlement. To make it even more complicated, when Tristan saved Isadora from the poisoned arrow he formed a magical bond with her that allows them to share feelings and memories. On one hand, she could use this to get valuable information and on the other she enjoys the sense of closeness it brings as she begins to fall for him.
This book has a lot of elements that I liked as pieces, but as a whole it didn’t quite work for me. First of all, worldbuilding is just too underdeveloped. I didn’t care much about the clans and while I found the Kingslanders interesting, I really just wanted to know more about the past and why society was destroyed. For goodness sake, there are people living on both sides that were working adults when it all happened! What was so corrupt that it was preferable to live like it's the 1700s? How did certain families of the Kingslanders get this magical bond? Was it the radiation? Additionally, I just didn’t get invested in the relationship between Isadora and Tristan. I know the bond was supposed to make things move a bit more quickly, so I can see the insta-infatuation but there really wasn’t any chemistry or enough yearning. Overall, this story had a lot of cool ideas and it was a quick, fun read but ultimately I found it to be just okay.

I don't know anything about Tristan and Isolde, so I can't speak on the reimagining aspect, but I love that this was a dystopian romance WITH magic. There was a lot of fun tropes in this one. Excited to see what else this author writes

This dystopian setting illustrates that fact that progress isn't linear. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if our society crumbled. But The Enemy's Daughter offers a vision of the world where our progressive society could crumble alongside the world we know. The Enemy's Daughter is a Tristan and Isolde retelling - think mortal enemy to lovers - in a world where she lives in a sexist society after some sort of cataclysmic event which ends the world we know today. It's a world of war, retribution, and laws decided upon by our own cruelty hardened by loss.

4.5 a wonderful retelling of the Tristan & Isolde universe with elements of a modern war. I loved how strong of a character that Isadora was and how compelling it was for her to enter in the other city with modern technologies while she seemed to be in an entirely different world where modernity was not easily accessed. The romance seemed to come as an instant connection, the magic connection even more evident as it helps Isadora escape death. The politics, the dynamics, and the sub characters were also very well fleshed out.

I really wish the author had spent more time unpacking the politics and logistics of this world. It felt as if everything was sketched out rather than actually detailed and it was frustrating to not really have a sense of how the world worked

I absolutely love diving into retellings, especially when the original is an old classic. I also thoroughly enjoy a good dystopian tale, so naturally this book sounded great. It ended up just being okay for me though. I felt like so much of the world building was told to the reader, which is not my favorite way to get to know the setting. The relationship also seemed too convenient and contrived so I never connected with the characters. This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. I did, but it felt like it could have been so much more.

If you're looking for current market romantsy this is a great option. It's got the forbidden love, the emotional intimacy and minimal world building.

There were a few places it got repetitive, especially in the main character's inner monolouge. A few of the storyline solutions weren't my favorite and I wanted some things fleshed out more.

Overall though, I think this is an addictive addition to the YA romantsy genre.

Content: voilence, gore, death, kisses and suggestions of more.

“Don’t break his heart? But I don’t have his heart. I’m his prisoner.”

This story is a retelling inspired by Tristan and Isolde. Set in a dystopian world after the fall of the Republic, eighteen-year-old healer Isadora and her best friend, Liam, kill Kingsland's leader, Farron, forcing the two into an arranged marriage. After hearing of a gruesome battle, Isadora ventures to save her people and Liam’s life. On her journey, she meets Tristan, Farron’s son. After being injected with poison, the two struggle in a matter of life and death, where the only way for them to live is to complete a ritual that binds the two magically and physically. During her time with the enemy and in Kingsland, Isadora makes several attempts to escape but soon learns the truth about the war being fought and spends more time getting to know Tristan—leading her to question everything she’s ever known.

I was very excited to pick this book up, especially with its beautiful cover. Unfortunately, I knew from the first sentence I wasn’t going to like it. I was hoping I’d get into it, but the writing style felt very bland, and there were rarely any descriptions of the setting, so I had no idea where or when the story took place. The world-building was flawed, particularly because there was no explanation about the beginning of the war and the fall of the Republic. The story also felt more like a fantasy than a dystopian. Characters felt underdeveloped as well, since there were very few descriptions of them and they lacked depth. The romance wasn’t swoon-worthy at all—it was more confusing than anything. Tristan and Isadora knew each other for a few days and then claimed to be in love. Their conversations always felt surface level, and their only true connection was the magical bond they created so that they could survive. Though this was marketed as enemies-to-lovers, the two were never really enemies; their families were. I was actually very upset by the way that trope was mishandled. Another thing I was very uncomfortable with while reading was the lack of feminism. The story definitely didn’t live up to my expectations at all. I wouldn’t recommend this personally, but I think fantasy fans who are just starting to read within the genre might like this one, especially since it’s very easy to follow along.

“‘You still think we’re enemies.’ It’s not bitter. He’s simply stating a fact….’I don’t want to be enemies’ Tristan's eyes track over me, like a finger trialing across my skin. ‘Then let’s not be. 3.5 ⭐

As a whole, I had a good time with this book! I really liked the idea of having two feuding groups due to propaganda from one side. The marriage for survival was a lot of fun (especially with a good side of enemies to lovers). Tristan was an absolute sweetheart. However, I do wish that the romance had progressed more slowly, as it felt a bit insta-love at times. I would have also enjoyed even more depth into the worldbuilding and history. Why is the world the way it is? Why did the villain become evil, and what are the true repercussions of their actions? I would recommend it for younger YA readers, as it lacks the depth and emotional drive needed for older audiences. As a whole though, it was solid read!

I adored this book so freaking much. From the moment I saw its gorgeous cover to the final word on the last page, I was completely captivated.

The writing was immersive and beautiful. Every character in this book was so well developed. Both Isadora and Tristan will have your heart from the very start. At first I was sad we didn’t get a POV from Tristan but then I kept reading and the way their bond is set up it leaves the reader feeling satisfied. My favorite part about this book was the magic system in Kingsland. I love how the author uses marriage to strengthen their bond/magic. This book sends a strong message of the sanctity of marriage and how together they can take on anything. They not only share each other’s passion but also share each other’s burdens and physical pain. Everything about this retelling was perfection!!

4.5⭐️

A standalone YA dystopian romantasy perfect for fans of Mary E. Pearsons’ Dance of Thieves duology!

The Enemy’s Daughter follows Isadora, the daughter of the Saraf—the leader of the Clans—who works as a healer in a post-nuclear warfare landscape. After an unexpected encounter with a soldier named Tristan, she finds herself imprisoned in enemy territory: Kingsland. Known for their brutal practices and rumored to harbor sinister magic, the Kingsland people have long terrorized the Clans since the fall of the Old World. As Isadora grows closer to Tristan and begins interacting with the people of Kingsland, her long-held beliefs are challenged. She must sift through fact and fiction from the stories she’s been taught all her life and uncover the truth—before war breaks out between the two sides.

I had such a blast reading this! It’s a Tristan and Isolde retelling (though I wasn’t familiar with the original legend before diving into The Enemy’s Daughter). The romance between Isadora and Tristan gave me the same giddy feeling I had while reading Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth) and Once Upon a Broken Heart. However, the story was more reminiscent of Mary E. Pearson’s The Remnant Chronicles and Dance of Thieves series—another favorite of mine. While the book leaned more dystopian than fantasy (which I didn’t expect), I wasn’t mad about it.

The touch-based magic system was a clever device for building romantic tension suitable for a wide audience. It allowed the story to focus on the emotional and magical connection between characters rather than simply on the physical intimacy, making the romance accessible and enjoyable for both a young adult audience and adults who prefer a more subtle, slow-burn style.

I would have loved to learn more about the historical context that led to the post-apocalyptic setting, as well as the origins of the magic. The brief suggestion that it might be a side effect of radiation felt a bit underdeveloped. Still, this was an enjoyable and promising debut from Melissa Poett, and I’m excited to see what she writes next!

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for access to an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review!