Romantasy novels are dominating my reading list this year. There’s something about romantasy that makes the stresses of a high-stakes election, the absolutely insane capitalistic nightmare that is wedding planning, and the day-to-day stresses of being an adult just disappear for a while. Of all the romantasies I’ve read this year so far, Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana stands out among the pack.
This book appeared in my social media algorithms and I immediately preordered it because it sounded like all the things I normally love in a romantasy but also a new and exciting take.
Lore of the Wilds opens with a truly excellent opening line, “Lore Alemeyu collected stories like the Raven that lived above the apothecary hoarded shiny pebbles.” I was immediately hooked. There is a lot of this kind of poetic language, mixed with lush descriptions which make this book a little bit of a slow read, but worth every page.
The main character, Lore, is such a wonderful character. She is a true heroine, and every step of the way you want to root for her. She may not be as fierce or as physically badass as other fantasy heroines, but she has a hero’s heart.
Later in the book, the readers are introduced to Isla and her twin brother. Isla had one of the most detailed character descriptions that I can remember reading in quite some time and in such a beautiful way. I can picture her as though I know her, and she’s gorgeous.
This story takes the old fae legends, like not eating faerie food, that fuel many of our fantasies and infuses them with new ideas and perspectives. Lore of the Wilds has light enemies-to-lovers themes, a tension-filled love triangle, and a glorious magical library.
The plot did not at all go in the direction I thought it would, and I love that. There was a shocking twist and the perfect style of cliffhanger at the end that I did not see coming at all, which is always fun.
Look, there are some writing issues with this book. There are some things I wish were better explained, or introduced much earlier in the book. In some ways this was a slow read for me, in others I wish it was longer, to really dig into what was happening in this world and why. However, as far as issues go, wishing there was more isn’t the worst thing in the world.
That said, I am all about vibes in a book. And the vibe of this book was fantastic. I liked the characters, I liked the overall story, and I will be reading the next in the series as soon as it’s available.
Spice: 1.5
Writing: 3.5
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