This book isn't just a mystery, or a fairytale, or a romance, it is also a warning, an allegory and a prayer.
It is so easy to get used to live well. An easy life makes us take it for granted and forget the real meaning of hardship, even ignore the struggle of those living right next to us. We each have our problems, and they usually absorb all our attention and most of our efforts. We get lost in our own immediate world made of our entourage and prefer to turn a blind eye on the suffering of others. It is easy to ignore the torment of war when it happens somewhere else.
And then you pick up a talented author who can convey the horrors of war for those left behind the frontline - the old parents, the helpless children and the powerless young; the famine, the grief, the hopelessness, the betrayal, the cold, the illness, the despair. It is those people fighting tooth and nail to help others survive while cursing the hypocrisy of those who should lead for the people but rule for themselves - the anonymous heroes who bow their pride to save others, they are the angels who win the wars.
And Seph does not hesitate to risk her life to feed her family, she is ready to help the community survive against all odds. She gives her all and trudges forward despite her inner struggle against her limits. She is brave, she is strong, she never compromises her integrity and love is her only weakness. She is tired to the bone, and she is angry and bitter against the greed and carelessness of the baron.
And so it starts, this powerful story of the terrible punishment Fate bestows for the greed of those who turn evil in their quest for more. At the end of it, I learned to appreciate every little blessing in my life: the sea, the trees, the sun, the flowers, the food, the travelling, my friends, my home, my job and so much more.
It also made me remember the power of love, the drive which can make us or break us.

Well written, well built characters, interesting and complex world and a wealth of feelings and metaphors - there are a lot of lessons behind every chapter of this book. I love this author!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I give it 3.5 Stars

I enjoyed reading this human and fae enemies to lovers book. Josephine (Seph) is struggling to provide for her family while war wages between the kith (fae) and a monstrous enemy called the depraved. Her brothers and father were sent to front lines to fight in the war, leaving her to care for her family. Alder is a kith prince with many secrets. I did find myself kicking my feet at their early interactions, so cute! The book is dual POV from each of their perspectives. I appreciated that the dual POV was done well, and did not rehash the same scene from each character's perspective as some books do.

I was more enchanted by the romance than the fantasy aspect. I did finish the book with some lingering questions, and wishing some parts of the plot and lore were more fleshed out. However, this did not prevent me from enjoying the book. It is a standalone story, but I'm hoping Barbara Kloss will decide to do interconnected standalones because there are some characters I would be interested reading more about.

Sometimes, you just need a standalone book, and this really hit the spot.
There is a lot to unpack in the book and the one the action starts it just keeps going.
Seph grows so much from the beginning until when she discovers who she really is. Brave and strong she is a fmc that doesn't just sit back and let others fight for her.
Alder has been through so much and even though he feels like he's broken he still tries to do the right thing.
With gods and fates pulling invisible strings you never know what secrets will come out next.
Thank you to Net Galley for the arc and c these thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for this excellent book!
The Arrow & The Alder is a fantastic fantasy adventure with a beautiful love story between Alder and Seph. I adored Seph and her tenacity, without being overly sassy (a trope that is overdone in this genre). I loved the adventure and well developed side characters. And I also enjoyed that this is a standalone, not leaving us on a cliffhanger to wait an entire year for the next installment.

ACOTAR meets Stardust in this new YA fantasy!

The war between the Kith and the Depraved has taken everything from Sephie, her brothers, her father, her food, and even her happiness! But when the kith come looking for a magical treasure left in Sephie’s possession she is thrust into their war in a way she never could have imagined. Surrounded by kith, far from home, she must put her trust in the playboy prince if she ever wants to win the war and save her home.

This book was a bit too ACOTAR inspired for me. I think the premise was there and it had its own merits—the magical coat was a cool detail—but it became predictable very quickly and I think it needed a few more tweaks to stand on its own. Josephine and Alder were pretty typical protagonists, although I liked him a bit better than her. She started off a spitfire ready to take on the world but kind of mellowed a bit as the story went on. They were more reluctant allies to lovers than enemies—and to be quite honest he was far too kind to her from the start.

I was disappointed that the mischevious, can’t trust them, bargoning kith were all too welcoming to the strangers in their midst, especially a prince they thought abandoned them and a mortal that suddenly became their princess. I wanted to see more of the darker side; I guess the kith were a little too Disney-fied for me. Even the villains handled Josephine with kid gloves each time she was captured.

I think perhaps I have just read too much of the “beautiful playboy immortal prince falls for the down on her luck hut beautiful and snarky mortal girl” trope that seems to dominate the industry right now.

Overall a good intro to fantasy for someone who is looking to break into the genre.

A fae enemies to lovers...so perfectly up my alley!

I also think this cover is very pretty (I very much enjoy this kind of blue).

This was a pretty dang decent fantasy (it does lean more YA-feeling, so if that matters to you, now you have that information). We get cursed fae, spooky woods, a hunter FMC, and an entertaining MMC. We get both FMC and MMC POVs. And I really did like the MMC (I wasn't obsessed with our FMC, Josephine), I thought he was quite fun to read from and I really liked his storyline with the kith/fae people.

I did want more from this book though. I felt like the pacing of some parts of this book were a bit weird, especially the beginning chunk of the book. I don't know if it was rushed or if the writing style is what made it feel this way, but that was just something I noticed. I did find that it seemed to even out though, I didn't notice that weird pacing situation towards the end of the book. So there's that!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

3.5 stars rounded up.
This was an enjoyable read with an immersive atmosphere and beautiful setting, I have a soft spot for misty, cursed woods and fae lands. The kith in this book are basically fae: they bargain, use glamour, have pointy ears, and are inhumanly beautiful.

I adored Josephine and her white mane of hair, finally not an annoying FMC! She's smart and strong, she knows when to hold her tongue or speak her mind. Alder, on the other hand, was boring. Just another huge, muscular, broody type, nothing new, nothing interesting. He's kinda like Raihn from The Serpent and the Wings of Night (less playful, though), and I'm sure a lot of people will like him.

I enjoyed the descriptive writing, it was easy to envision characters and locations. The pacing, for the most part, was consistent, but there were times the story felt repetitive, and I found myself a bit bored during the second half. I wish Alder’s curse had been utilized and explored more, it felt underdeveloped and ultimately had no real impact on the story. And, unfortunately, the ending was too Disney-like for my liking.

But overall, this book kept me entertained, and I had a good time with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The blurb for this book is very interesting. It’s right up my alley— Closed door, enemies to lovers romance? Fae(kith) x human? Yes please.

However, the writing was just a bit disappointing to me. The beginning of this book feels like an incredibly long run on sentence. The author uses a lot of overly descriptive language that is difficult to follow, and quite often pointless. I feel like the same descriptors for the same people are used over and over again, when one time was plenty.

I really did like the overarching story for this. In some ways it is just a bit reminiscent of ACOTAR (girl in the woods hunting for her family, mean sister, fae with a curse) but the differences were stark enough that I did put that out of my head fairly quickly.

As far as FMC go, Josephine is just kind of alright. I understand what the author was going for but I think she falls a bit flat. I looked forward to the Alder chapters though. His characterization was much better and more entertaining. I cared more about the kith storyline than the poor humans.

Ultimately I would give this book a 3 stars out of 5. There’s nothing particularly bad about it, but as a whole it is underwhelming. Where it earns 3 stars, is the Alder as a character and that the background story actually is quite interesting.

I will post my review to
Amazon on publication date (May 6 2025)
Goodreads (April 16 2025) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7493706559

Thank you to NetGalley, Barbara Kloss, and Whimsical Publishing for the chance to read this book early and provide my feedback.

Rebellion, curses, and slow-burn tension—The Arrow & The Alder is a spellbinding romantic fantasy that stole my heart.

Barbara Kloss has crafted a lush, emotionally resonant tale filled with ancient magic, political tension, and a romance that builds beautifully from distrust to devotion. The atmospheric world of the kith is one I didn’t want to leave—shrouded in mist and mystery, threaded with folklore and danger.

Josephine is a standout protagonist: stubborn, clever, and fiercely loyal. I loved that she wasn’t willing to bow to power or tradition. Her refusal to simply hand over the enchanted coat without answers sets the tone for a story rooted in resistance and identity. And then there's Alder—guarded, wounded, and noble in the most reluctant of ways. The dynamic between them is captivating, full of sharp edges and soft moments.

Their journey together is as much about truth and healing as it is about survival, and the curse spreading across both kith and mortal lands adds a constant, simmering urgency. The story unfolds at a perfect pace, balancing heart-racing chases with intimate emotional beats. Kloss’s writing is lyrical without ever slowing the plot, and she handles the worldbuilding with finesse, letting it bloom through action and character rather than exposition.

This feels perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince or The Bridge Kingdom—romantic fantasy readers who crave deep character work, richly layered lore, and slow-burn intensity. While marketed as adult fantasy, it has strong YA crossover appeal and will resonate with readers who love character-driven romantasy with heart and teeth.

The Arrow & The Alder is the kind of book that lingers after the final page—a gorgeous, mythic fantasy about who we are, who we fight for, and what we’re willing to risk for love and truth. I’d love to see this book get the attention it deserves—it’s an ideal fit for fantasy readers looking for thoughtful themes alongside romantic tension.