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Shattered Sky Saga #1
The Forgotten Dawn
Where lies are currency, the price of truth is blood.
Brida Larrow has no right to be among the Fae Courts, but she’s willing to risk everything to save her dying father. Armed with a forged invitation and a fierce determination, she enters the treacherous Fae Trials, a deadly contest crafted to break even the strongest Fae. One misstep, and the truth of her identity could be her undoing—and cost her the cure she so desperately needs.
With enemies around every corner, Brida must rely on her wits and cunning to survive. But when Dainan, the enigmatic Prince of Shadows, takes notice of her, the stakes grow even higher. Betrothed to her most dangerous rival and a master of secrets himself, Dainan sees through her every deception. His dark allure stirs something within her, sparking a forbidden attraction that could either ruin her or become her greatest weapon.
Caught in a web of deception and desire, Brida walks a fine line between ambition and survival. In a world where alliances shift like shadows and betrayal is the currency of the Courts, she must find the strength to face not only the ruthless Trials but also the dangerous emotions Dainan awakens. One wrong move could doom her to failure—or reveal a side of herself she never knew existed.
The Forgotten Dawn is the spellbinding first book in The Shattered Sky Saga, an epic fantasy romance series brimming with rich world-building, slow burn chemistry, and pulse-pounding action. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Brida Larrow has no right to be among the Fae Courts, but she’s willing to risk everything to save her dying father. Armed with a forged invitation and a fierce determination, she enters the treacherous Fae Trials, a deadly contest crafted to break even the strongest Fae. One misstep, and the truth of her identity could be her undoing—and cost her the cure she so desperately needs.
With enemies around every corner, Brida must rely on her wits and cunning to survive. But when Dainan, the enigmatic Prince of Shadows, takes notice of her, the stakes grow even higher. Betrothed to her most dangerous rival and a master of secrets himself, Dainan sees through her every deception. His dark allure stirs something within her, sparking a forbidden attraction that could either ruin her or become her greatest weapon.
Caught in a web of deception and desire, Brida walks a fine line between ambition and survival. In a world where alliances shift like shadows and betrayal is the currency of the Courts, she must find the strength to face not only the ruthless Trials but also the dangerous emotions Dainan awakens. One wrong move could doom her to failure—or reveal a side of herself she never knew existed.
The Forgotten Dawn is the spellbinding first book in The Shattered Sky Saga, an epic fantasy romance series brimming with rich world-building, slow burn chemistry, and pulse-pounding action. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
524 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2025
About the author
Laura A. Blake
4 books155 followersHi! I’m Laura A. Blake, a fantasy romance author currently publishing my debut series,
The Shattered Sky Saga.
Though I’ve always been passionate about storytelling, my journey has taken me down many different paths. Along the way, I earned an MA in religion and classical history, became a teacher, and started a small business. After finally discovering the road that led me to writing, I’m thrilled to now share my worlds and stories with you.
Originally from Montreal, Canada, I now live in rural Maryland in a 200-year-old farmhouse with my husband, toddler, and five wild rescue cats. When I’m not reading or writing—or chasing a toddler or cat to see what they’ve gotten into—you can find me baking, exploring new restaurants and cafés, or searching for the next great bookstore.
If you want to connect, you can find her here:
Discord: https://discord.gg/Jt4wUpPD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurablakea...
Website: www.laurablakeauthor.com
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraablakeau...
The Shattered Sky Saga.
Though I’ve always been passionate about storytelling, my journey has taken me down many different paths. Along the way, I earned an MA in religion and classical history, became a teacher, and started a small business. After finally discovering the road that led me to writing, I’m thrilled to now share my worlds and stories with you.
Originally from Montreal, Canada, I now live in rural Maryland in a 200-year-old farmhouse with my husband, toddler, and five wild rescue cats. When I’m not reading or writing—or chasing a toddler or cat to see what they’ve gotten into—you can find me baking, exploring new restaurants and cafés, or searching for the next great bookstore.
If you want to connect, you can find her here:
Discord: https://discord.gg/Jt4wUpPD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurablakea...
Website: www.laurablakeauthor.com
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraablakeau...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 408 reviews
March 29, 2025
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
Hooooly smokes friends, The Forgotten Dawn had absolutely zero business shattering my heart and leaving me with such a brutal book hangover, but here we are. Brimming with riveting intrigue, sizzling tension, high-stakes action and soul-stirring emotion, this first instalment in The Shattered Sky Saga is one hell of an unforgettable journey that will keep you turning the pages from dusk till dawn.
Now, I am going to have to start this review off with a little disclaimer. See, not only did I have the absolute privilege and honour to read (almost) every single draft of The Forgotten Dawn as Laura is one of my best bookish friends, but this book is also dedicated to me (someone PINCH ME please). Does that make me biased? Probably, but I can honestly say that this book is just everything I love in epic fantasy romance, executed to perfection.
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s get to the gushing! You know those books that just make you completely forget time exists? That are so immersive that you feel like you are living and breathing the story yourself? That get you so deeply invested that you feel physically, mentally and emotionally unwell because of all the wicked twists and turns? Well, that is The Forgotten Dawn in a nutshell for you.
Through the eyes of our wonderfully relatable FMC Brida, we are drawn into the deceptively alluring city of Azmeer, the meeting place of the four Fae Courts. She is dead-set on finding a cure for her dying father, so armed with nothing but her sharp wits, strong ambition and crippling anxiety, she lies herself into the dangerous Fae Trials with the foolish hope of securing a place in one of the Courts to gain their coveted knowledge and magic. But as she gets caught in the webs of wonder, deception, mystery and desire, she soon starts to realise that she might find things much more valuable than just a cure for her dad; she finds a place where she belongs, a found family to die for, and a forbidden love that sets her heart and soul aflame.
From the very first page, Brida’s intimately vulnerable first person narration had me completely enthralled, and I just felt all her feels so deeply; her overwhelming anxiety, her worry for her father, her grief over her deceased mother, her love for her friends, her awe at all the magical marvels, and, of course, her inexplicable yet irresistible attraction to the wickedly handsome Fae men vying for her attention. I mean, if you thought you were done with love triangles, you better think again; this is the type of emotional turmoil that I live for!!
Now, I was absolutely 100% Team Dainan from the second this broody, mysterious Prince of Shadows graced us with his presence on the page. I mean, he isn’t just a shadow daddy, he is a BOOKISH shadow daddy… and he can COOK! Their deliciously dangerous slow-burn dynamic had me in an absolute chokehold, and all the tension, yearning and risky banter had me kicking my feet in giddy delight the entire way through.
But it’s not just the romantic elements that give The Forgotten Dawn so much heart, it’s all the beautifully complex and heartfelt relationships that lie at the core of this narrative. Every character, from the most loveable goofballs to the most morally grey enigmas, leap off the page with personality, and I am not exaggerating when I say that this story has the best found family since The Inner Court at Velaris. I mean, the almost sibling-like bond between Brida and her childhood best friend Kadian is pure gold, we need more of these strong platonic relationships in our stories! And then add to that my feisty half-Fae/half-Nymph girl Lil, the dynamic duo of the Fae Kadem twins, and the ever gallant Prince Alvar; they are such a fun and diverse bunch (be that in personality, race, cultural background, or sexuality), and I absolutely ate up all the light-hearted banter and unwavering support between them all.
And the best thing? All that exquisite character work doesn’t come at the expense of a gripping plot and solid world building. No plot hole galore, no flimsy fantasy world building that is little more than pretty window dressing; this world is complex, it’s rich, and it is brimming with mystifying mysteries, deadly secrets, intricate schemes, and ancient powers that are just waiting to be uncovered. The way that Blake brought these four different Courts, each with their own distinguishing (physical) traits, values and beliefs, unique magical affinities, and their own conflicting versions of history, to life at the Center Court in Azmeer through all her vivid, sensory descriptions had me so deeply immersed, and I loved how she managed to make this world feel so vastly epic despite the intimate setting of this story.
Moreover, Blake is just a master at knowing exactly when to trickle in just the right bit of foreshadowing and drop the next tantalising breadcrumb or shocking reveal, which is exactly what creates that utterly addictive ‘just one more chapter’ quality that had me burning through the pages. And then that ending… ooooh boy, talk about some jaw-dropping revelations and diabolical twists and turns. I mean, plot armour? We don’t know her… helloooo emotional destruction. Where is book 2? It’s not a want, it’s a primal need.
Forget ACOTAR, forget Throne of Glass, forget Fourth Wing, The Forgotten Dawn just single-handedly raised the bar for what epic fantasy romance can and should be, and I absolutely can’t wait to see what Blake has in store for the rest of The Shattered Sky Saga. Whether you come for the intricate world building, the cutthroat intrigue and action, the powerful friendships or the electrifying sloooow-burn romance, this story will deliver it all in spades and leave you desperate for more in the best way possible. I am calling it now, Laura A. Blake is going to be an author to watch, so don’t miss out.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Hooooly smokes friends, The Forgotten Dawn had absolutely zero business shattering my heart and leaving me with such a brutal book hangover, but here we are. Brimming with riveting intrigue, sizzling tension, high-stakes action and soul-stirring emotion, this first instalment in The Shattered Sky Saga is one hell of an unforgettable journey that will keep you turning the pages from dusk till dawn.
Now, I am going to have to start this review off with a little disclaimer. See, not only did I have the absolute privilege and honour to read (almost) every single draft of The Forgotten Dawn as Laura is one of my best bookish friends, but this book is also dedicated to me (someone PINCH ME please). Does that make me biased? Probably, but I can honestly say that this book is just everything I love in epic fantasy romance, executed to perfection.
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s get to the gushing! You know those books that just make you completely forget time exists? That are so immersive that you feel like you are living and breathing the story yourself? That get you so deeply invested that you feel physically, mentally and emotionally unwell because of all the wicked twists and turns? Well, that is The Forgotten Dawn in a nutshell for you.
Through the eyes of our wonderfully relatable FMC Brida, we are drawn into the deceptively alluring city of Azmeer, the meeting place of the four Fae Courts. She is dead-set on finding a cure for her dying father, so armed with nothing but her sharp wits, strong ambition and crippling anxiety, she lies herself into the dangerous Fae Trials with the foolish hope of securing a place in one of the Courts to gain their coveted knowledge and magic. But as she gets caught in the webs of wonder, deception, mystery and desire, she soon starts to realise that she might find things much more valuable than just a cure for her dad; she finds a place where she belongs, a found family to die for, and a forbidden love that sets her heart and soul aflame.
From the very first page, Brida’s intimately vulnerable first person narration had me completely enthralled, and I just felt all her feels so deeply; her overwhelming anxiety, her worry for her father, her grief over her deceased mother, her love for her friends, her awe at all the magical marvels, and, of course, her inexplicable yet irresistible attraction to the wickedly handsome Fae men vying for her attention. I mean, if you thought you were done with love triangles, you better think again; this is the type of emotional turmoil that I live for!!
Now, I was absolutely 100% Team Dainan from the second this broody, mysterious Prince of Shadows graced us with his presence on the page. I mean, he isn’t just a shadow daddy, he is a BOOKISH shadow daddy… and he can COOK! Their deliciously dangerous slow-burn dynamic had me in an absolute chokehold, and all the tension, yearning and risky banter had me kicking my feet in giddy delight the entire way through.
But it’s not just the romantic elements that give The Forgotten Dawn so much heart, it’s all the beautifully complex and heartfelt relationships that lie at the core of this narrative. Every character, from the most loveable goofballs to the most morally grey enigmas, leap off the page with personality, and I am not exaggerating when I say that this story has the best found family since The Inner Court at Velaris. I mean, the almost sibling-like bond between Brida and her childhood best friend Kadian is pure gold, we need more of these strong platonic relationships in our stories! And then add to that my feisty half-Fae/half-Nymph girl Lil, the dynamic duo of the Fae Kadem twins, and the ever gallant Prince Alvar; they are such a fun and diverse bunch (be that in personality, race, cultural background, or sexuality), and I absolutely ate up all the light-hearted banter and unwavering support between them all.
And the best thing? All that exquisite character work doesn’t come at the expense of a gripping plot and solid world building. No plot hole galore, no flimsy fantasy world building that is little more than pretty window dressing; this world is complex, it’s rich, and it is brimming with mystifying mysteries, deadly secrets, intricate schemes, and ancient powers that are just waiting to be uncovered. The way that Blake brought these four different Courts, each with their own distinguishing (physical) traits, values and beliefs, unique magical affinities, and their own conflicting versions of history, to life at the Center Court in Azmeer through all her vivid, sensory descriptions had me so deeply immersed, and I loved how she managed to make this world feel so vastly epic despite the intimate setting of this story.
Moreover, Blake is just a master at knowing exactly when to trickle in just the right bit of foreshadowing and drop the next tantalising breadcrumb or shocking reveal, which is exactly what creates that utterly addictive ‘just one more chapter’ quality that had me burning through the pages. And then that ending… ooooh boy, talk about some jaw-dropping revelations and diabolical twists and turns. I mean, plot armour? We don’t know her… helloooo emotional destruction. Where is book 2? It’s not a want, it’s a primal need.
Forget ACOTAR, forget Throne of Glass, forget Fourth Wing, The Forgotten Dawn just single-handedly raised the bar for what epic fantasy romance can and should be, and I absolutely can’t wait to see what Blake has in store for the rest of The Shattered Sky Saga. Whether you come for the intricate world building, the cutthroat intrigue and action, the powerful friendships or the electrifying sloooow-burn romance, this story will deliver it all in spades and leave you desperate for more in the best way possible. I am calling it now, Laura A. Blake is going to be an author to watch, so don’t miss out.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 3, 2025
my god, I feel awful about this rating, and it seems I'm in the minority but I actually had to dnf at 46%. I didnt wanna post it but infeel dishonest if I don't. I'll list my likes & dislikes below.
likes:
• Bridas friendships with the other contestants
• The concept of fae trials
• The ideology of Primals - I.e God's & Goddesses as we'd know them.
dislikes:
(I'm sorry this is gonna be lengthy)
• Brida is supposedly an outcast in her town, but I don't know why. It's briefly mentioned because her hair is black with red, but no mention as to why this is bad.
• No mention of how big the land is - loads of invites to the trials go out, but only 1 or 2 to each town, yet there are hundreds of contestants.
• I needed more details on what they're competing for. It says basically so they get to help decide laws/decrees etc, but there's literally no mention of why this would be a sought after place
• The trials are described as deadly/dangerous, but they're not. You just get taken home if you fail.
• I didn't feel a connection to a single character.
• The writing is far too descriptive for me. Sometimes, a breeze is just a breeze, and a sentence just needs to be "said." There was too much "as if"/"like"
• Something will happen and then it's forgotten about 2 minutes later. Like when Brida looked in the water and didn't get a vision, she panics briefly and then it's forgotten.
• Things happen with no context - I.e Kadians anger about Lil talking to other people? it supposedly happened the night before, yet we left the last chapter with him in Bridas room with no mention of prior events, then the next morning at breakfast he talks about the previous night's events.
• I'm not sure when a connection between Brida and Dainan is meant to have been made? Their interactions are brief, and I felt nothing from them. I think this goes back to the last point, too much telling and not enough showing.
• I dnf at 46%, but I no idea who Bridas' enemy is meant to be? there's one person who gave her a dirty look that one time, but surely it's not them? Iona or whatever, I think her name was.
okay I'm gonna stop there because I just look like a bitch at this point which I'm really not trying to be. I just did not gel with this book on any level and honestly felt like a gcse descriptive writing essay. I really hope other people enjoy it far more than I have (and judging by the reviews they will)
likes:
• Bridas friendships with the other contestants
• The concept of fae trials
• The ideology of Primals - I.e God's & Goddesses as we'd know them.
dislikes:
(I'm sorry this is gonna be lengthy)
• Brida is supposedly an outcast in her town, but I don't know why. It's briefly mentioned because her hair is black with red, but no mention as to why this is bad.
• No mention of how big the land is - loads of invites to the trials go out, but only 1 or 2 to each town, yet there are hundreds of contestants.
• I needed more details on what they're competing for. It says basically so they get to help decide laws/decrees etc, but there's literally no mention of why this would be a sought after place
• The trials are described as deadly/dangerous, but they're not. You just get taken home if you fail.
• I didn't feel a connection to a single character.
• The writing is far too descriptive for me. Sometimes, a breeze is just a breeze, and a sentence just needs to be "said." There was too much "as if"/"like"
• Something will happen and then it's forgotten about 2 minutes later. Like when Brida looked in the water and didn't get a vision, she panics briefly and then it's forgotten.
• Things happen with no context - I.e Kadians anger about Lil talking to other people? it supposedly happened the night before, yet we left the last chapter with him in Bridas room with no mention of prior events, then the next morning at breakfast he talks about the previous night's events.
• I'm not sure when a connection between Brida and Dainan is meant to have been made? Their interactions are brief, and I felt nothing from them. I think this goes back to the last point, too much telling and not enough showing.
• I dnf at 46%, but I no idea who Bridas' enemy is meant to be? there's one person who gave her a dirty look that one time, but surely it's not them? Iona or whatever, I think her name was.
okay I'm gonna stop there because I just look like a bitch at this point which I'm really not trying to be. I just did not gel with this book on any level and honestly felt like a gcse descriptive writing essay. I really hope other people enjoy it far more than I have (and judging by the reviews they will)
August 2, 2026
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
This held my attention pretty well! Considering I've been on a DNF streak for IDK how many weeks that is the highest of compliments!
There's a lot still up in the air with the story and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. It wasn't frustrating per se, but there came a point where I got tired of not knowing much. I've had books in the past do this, and they ended up being a favorite of mine. This one not so much. However, I'm hopeful that there will be answers in the next book so everything evens out in the long run.
The characters are pretty interesting and entertaining! There was rarely ever a dull moment, which was fantastic. The court intrigue and the political machinations of it all were fun and anger-inducing.
This held my attention pretty well! Considering I've been on a DNF streak for IDK how many weeks that is the highest of compliments!
There's a lot still up in the air with the story and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. It wasn't frustrating per se, but there came a point where I got tired of not knowing much. I've had books in the past do this, and they ended up being a favorite of mine. This one not so much. However, I'm hopeful that there will be answers in the next book so everything evens out in the long run.
The characters are pretty interesting and entertaining! There was rarely ever a dull moment, which was fantastic. The court intrigue and the political machinations of it all were fun and anger-inducing.
May 23, 2025
If you need to know anything it’s this - this book will take you out of any reading slump - it will make you dying to know more - and it will make you wish more books were like this.
The FMC is cunning and likable with secrets and charm - the supporting characters are interesting - there is enough mystery interwoven in this book to make you obsess over what will happen next.
I am grateful to have been given an advanced readers ARC from the author. I have a feeling people will be raving about this book in the next couple months.
When you have trials, powers, secrets revealed, and many more wonderful themes and tropes in here. Sometimes it can be obvious and hard to read. You will not find that in this book. This was well executed and I have such a good time reading it.
I am just eager for the next book to come out!
All my love to Laura A Blake. I will evermore be reading anything she writes.
The FMC is cunning and likable with secrets and charm - the supporting characters are interesting - there is enough mystery interwoven in this book to make you obsess over what will happen next.
I am grateful to have been given an advanced readers ARC from the author. I have a feeling people will be raving about this book in the next couple months.
When you have trials, powers, secrets revealed, and many more wonderful themes and tropes in here. Sometimes it can be obvious and hard to read. You will not find that in this book. This was well executed and I have such a good time reading it.
I am just eager for the next book to come out!
All my love to Laura A Blake. I will evermore be reading anything she writes.
June 16, 2025
DNF’d at 47%
This book is just not good. I don’t get all the positive reviews. It is completely disconnected and doesn’t know what it wants to be. Am I supposed to care about her and Dainan??? They have zero chemistry and hardly interact. And supposedly he’s engaged to another woman who’s our MFC mortal enemy but I’m almost halfway through the book and no one has mentioned this engagement and all the woman has done is glare at her one time…. Come on.
She’s competing in these trials that are supposed to be deadly but no one dies and the trials are so simple. They’re very boring.
The winner of these trials gets a position in court and a say in laws?? How does that make sense and how will that save her dad, which is the whole reason why she’s there?
This is what I mean by the book doesn’t know what it wants to be. Nothing connects. At this point in the book, clear connections between characters should be established and I should understand the plot. It had a ton of potential but it fell flat.
This book is just not good. I don’t get all the positive reviews. It is completely disconnected and doesn’t know what it wants to be. Am I supposed to care about her and Dainan??? They have zero chemistry and hardly interact. And supposedly he’s engaged to another woman who’s our MFC mortal enemy but I’m almost halfway through the book and no one has mentioned this engagement and all the woman has done is glare at her one time…. Come on.
She’s competing in these trials that are supposed to be deadly but no one dies and the trials are so simple. They’re very boring.
The winner of these trials gets a position in court and a say in laws?? How does that make sense and how will that save her dad, which is the whole reason why she’s there?
This is what I mean by the book doesn’t know what it wants to be. Nothing connects. At this point in the book, clear connections between characters should be established and I should understand the plot. It had a ton of potential but it fell flat.
June 17, 2025
I really wanted to love this book, but I ended up DNF-ing at 33%. The reason I DNF is I felt no connection to the FMC or the other characters. It felt like they had surface level personalities, and there was forced bonding/interactions between them that seemed unnatural and shallow. The first trial was very confusing to me, and I didn’t really understand the point of it.
A lot of people are loving this book, so it’s probably just not for me 🤷🏼♀️
A lot of people are loving this book, so it’s probably just not for me 🤷🏼♀️
March 24, 2025
It will take me a million years to make all of my thoughts about this book coherent, but let me start with this: If you like fantasy, if you like romance, if you like complex characters - READ IT.
'The Forgotten Dawn' has complex world-building. It has a cool magic system. It has trials. It has a badass FMC. It has found family. It has THE shadow daddy. It has mystery. It has healthy friendships. It has...honestly, everything I wanted.
The story is told from the POV of our FMC Brida, who is determined to join the Fae Courts in an attempt to save her ailing father's life. Full humans are very seldom invited to take part in the Fae trials, but it has become clear that this is her dad's best chance. So, she risks everything to enter, alongside her best friend. What she does expect is for her anxiety to be kicked up at every turn, for things to be difficult, and for her subterfuge to be discovered immediately. What she finds, however, is a place where she belongs, a friend group she would do anything for, and a forbidden attraction to the Prince of Shadows that threatens to undo everything.
I absolutely devoured this book. I cheered for Brida from the very beginning. I loved reading about the deep friendship between her and Kadian. Enough time was spent with our other characters for me to form a deep connection with them as well. I was left breathless at that ending and absolutely begging for book 2 ASAP. The way that this book is written, from the magic systems to character interaction, sucked me in immediately and had me absolutely bingeing 300+ pages in one day.
The slow burn tension is TAUT. The spice is SPICY. And, while I rate the romance in this book 10/10, I also enjoyed that just as much time was spent on Brida forming new friendships, finding her way, and finding out more about her own history. I cannot wait to spend more time with these characters, to see what happens next, and to dive right back into this world the second book 2 is available.
"I am more than my fear. I am the story I choose to write."
Thank you so much to Laura Blake for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
'The Forgotten Dawn' has complex world-building. It has a cool magic system. It has trials. It has a badass FMC. It has found family. It has THE shadow daddy. It has mystery. It has healthy friendships. It has...honestly, everything I wanted.
The story is told from the POV of our FMC Brida, who is determined to join the Fae Courts in an attempt to save her ailing father's life. Full humans are very seldom invited to take part in the Fae trials, but it has become clear that this is her dad's best chance. So, she risks everything to enter, alongside her best friend. What she does expect is for her anxiety to be kicked up at every turn, for things to be difficult, and for her subterfuge to be discovered immediately. What she finds, however, is a place where she belongs, a friend group she would do anything for, and a forbidden attraction to the Prince of Shadows that threatens to undo everything.
I absolutely devoured this book. I cheered for Brida from the very beginning. I loved reading about the deep friendship between her and Kadian. Enough time was spent with our other characters for me to form a deep connection with them as well. I was left breathless at that ending and absolutely begging for book 2 ASAP. The way that this book is written, from the magic systems to character interaction, sucked me in immediately and had me absolutely bingeing 300+ pages in one day.
The slow burn tension is TAUT. The spice is SPICY. And, while I rate the romance in this book 10/10, I also enjoyed that just as much time was spent on Brida forming new friendships, finding her way, and finding out more about her own history. I cannot wait to spend more time with these characters, to see what happens next, and to dive right back into this world the second book 2 is available.
"I am more than my fear. I am the story I choose to write."
Thank you so much to Laura Blake for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2026
*I read this book as a judge for Fanfiaddict for SPFBO XI. These are my personal thoughts and do not represent the thoughts of the whole team!*
Courtly intrigue, trials, romantic tension, oh my! The Forgotten Dawn is compulsively readable,
I was excited about this one and made sure it was on my SPFBO docket, mainly because my friend Esmay Rosalyne shouts about this book all the time. Also, the cover is awesome!
I ended up buddy reading this with my wife and we both really enjoyed it. We had a mini bookclub meeting about it and discussed all our theories!
The Forgotten Dawn by Laura A. Blake is a romantic fantasy that really hits the beats romance readers expect while also hitting all the epic fantasy moments as well.
We follow Brida, a young woman who wants nothing more than to save her sick father. She lies about having an invitation to the Courting, a yearly event where the Fae courts bring in prospective members and put them through trials to see if they have what it takes to join one of the four courts. For Brida, she doesn’t really care about the courts or her own ambition, she just wants to find a way to heal her father–and the fae might have a way. Brida is joined at the Courting by her best friend Kadian, as well as a group of other hopefuls.
Brida is relatable, bookish, and more interested in reading and researching than saving the world or becoming a hero. She’s an easy character to root for, and the supporting cast–especially Kaidan, Lil, and Alvar–are simply awesome.
There’s romance, definitely, but the friendships are where this book shines. I could read an entire book of Kaidan and Lil bantering–and I’m hearing they’re both POV characters in book two, which I’m excited for! The relationships between characters are well-rounded, complex, and full of heart–Blake writes friendship incredibly well.
The romance didn’t quite hit as hard for me. Dainan is a wielder of shadows and has the dark and brooding down pat, though he’s also a reader, can cook, and has a softer side. He’s perfectly fine, but I liked his brother Alvar a lot better. There was another possible romantic option that was fine as well, but I was much more interested in Brida and her friends.
The worldbuilding is incredibly cool and so well done. The four courts all have different types of magic and Azmeer, the central city of the Fae is so cool. Like, I want to visit! I felt like Blake did a fantastic job putting the world’s history, lore, religion, societies, and cities together. Some of my favorite scenes were just Brida and company exploring Azmeer, spending time together, and chatting. It was a great bit of character work in between the bigger conflicts.
In terms of the pacing, things take a bit to get going, but once Brida gets to the Fae realm, things start moving and the book gets really good. Both my wife and I binged the second half of the book–staying up way too late!
If I had to complain about anything, I did sometimes feel like the trials lacked the extra conflict of being deadly–sure, failing the trials means leaving the fae courts behind, but the characters were never in more danger than that. However, there’s danger galore as the book goes on–and based on the INSANE ending of book one, book two will have even more.
Overall, this is a really strong debut novel and the beginning of what I think will be a fantastic trilogy. I can’t wait for more!
Courtly intrigue, trials, romantic tension, oh my! The Forgotten Dawn is compulsively readable,
I was excited about this one and made sure it was on my SPFBO docket, mainly because my friend Esmay Rosalyne shouts about this book all the time. Also, the cover is awesome!
I ended up buddy reading this with my wife and we both really enjoyed it. We had a mini bookclub meeting about it and discussed all our theories!
The Forgotten Dawn by Laura A. Blake is a romantic fantasy that really hits the beats romance readers expect while also hitting all the epic fantasy moments as well.
We follow Brida, a young woman who wants nothing more than to save her sick father. She lies about having an invitation to the Courting, a yearly event where the Fae courts bring in prospective members and put them through trials to see if they have what it takes to join one of the four courts. For Brida, she doesn’t really care about the courts or her own ambition, she just wants to find a way to heal her father–and the fae might have a way. Brida is joined at the Courting by her best friend Kadian, as well as a group of other hopefuls.
Brida is relatable, bookish, and more interested in reading and researching than saving the world or becoming a hero. She’s an easy character to root for, and the supporting cast–especially Kaidan, Lil, and Alvar–are simply awesome.
There’s romance, definitely, but the friendships are where this book shines. I could read an entire book of Kaidan and Lil bantering–and I’m hearing they’re both POV characters in book two, which I’m excited for! The relationships between characters are well-rounded, complex, and full of heart–Blake writes friendship incredibly well.
The romance didn’t quite hit as hard for me. Dainan is a wielder of shadows and has the dark and brooding down pat, though he’s also a reader, can cook, and has a softer side. He’s perfectly fine, but I liked his brother Alvar a lot better. There was another possible romantic option that was fine as well, but I was much more interested in Brida and her friends.
The worldbuilding is incredibly cool and so well done. The four courts all have different types of magic and Azmeer, the central city of the Fae is so cool. Like, I want to visit! I felt like Blake did a fantastic job putting the world’s history, lore, religion, societies, and cities together. Some of my favorite scenes were just Brida and company exploring Azmeer, spending time together, and chatting. It was a great bit of character work in between the bigger conflicts.
In terms of the pacing, things take a bit to get going, but once Brida gets to the Fae realm, things start moving and the book gets really good. Both my wife and I binged the second half of the book–staying up way too late!
If I had to complain about anything, I did sometimes feel like the trials lacked the extra conflict of being deadly–sure, failing the trials means leaving the fae courts behind, but the characters were never in more danger than that. However, there’s danger galore as the book goes on–and based on the INSANE ending of book one, book two will have even more.
Overall, this is a really strong debut novel and the beginning of what I think will be a fantastic trilogy. I can’t wait for more!
Read
May 25, 2025I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reads this book, whether it resonates with you or not. I appreciate you taking a chance on a debut author. I hope in this book that you find characters that you connect with, a world you can burrow into, and a story that compels you to keep reading.
I hope you all enjoy Eldara, and will join me for the rest of the ride. It's going to be a wild one.
All my gratitude,
LAB
I hope you all enjoy Eldara, and will join me for the rest of the ride. It's going to be a wild one.
All my gratitude,
LAB
July 10, 2025
This was….messy. The book was massively unpolished, underdeveloped, and a painful slog.
The writing is, frankly, poor. Generic pronouns are used when a character arrives in a room or in a scene and it’s not made clear for several sentences who exactly it is. This happening once or twice would be fine, but it was constant. CONSTANT. It became so infuriating to read. It’s obvious the author has a clear image in her head of how the scene is playing out - but I do not. I do not know who “he” is. Or who “the blonde man” is and I don’t want or need to skip three or four sentences to figure out who the fuck you’re referring to. It got so bad that there were multiple instances where I couldn’t tell if she was introducing an entirely new character, or referring to one we’d all ready met with generic descriptions. It just added to the whole unpolished, roughly edited mess. There were multiple typos and formatting errors, and sometimes the grammar was really messy. It just feels unfinished and poorly executed. It needed to go through some intense editing before it saw the light of day.
In terms of actual content, there were some genuine moments of potential - Alvar, for one. And …..I honestly drew a blank trying to think of anything else. Marsh, maybe, because his betrayal was obvious but I am curious to see what he’s planning and why. THAT would be a fascinating enemies to lovers. Alas, we have Dainan and Brida.
And, Christ, I already despise the whole fated mate trope (and I am 99% sure this is what the book is driving towards, as well as some kind of goddess reincarnation trope) but somehow this book made it worse. Nothing and nobody can convince me that these bonds are healthy. There is nothing romantic about being driven mad, about becoming ill, when you are separated from your partner. It’s giving tragic codependency. It feels manipulative and gross. Kadian’s entire character is reduced to love sick puppy for the majority of the book. The man is insanely depressed because a woman he had known for a few weeks is no longer at his side 24/7. Come on. Really??? They’re supposed to be 25 - they act like teenagers. Brida and Dainan, whose interactions make up about 11% of the book and have no discernible chemistry or connection, are definitely, absolutely, positively meant for each other, not because they have anything in common, or have seen and supported each other, or connected beyond anything surface level, but “because they are just drawn to one another on some primal, intuitive, unexplainable level”. Gag. Please. It is simply a shorthand for writing love without placing any building blocks towards it. They have, at most, about four conversations, the first few Brida can barely get more than three words out. They both like books. Brida *sees* him, not just a prince. He fingers her in a library just before his wedding party. He also knows that she gets lost easily. And there you have it - enough of a connection to have both of them so desperately upset that he’s about to be married off to the typical Rich-girl-who-just-doesn’t-like-the-FMC-because-they-like-the-same-guy that you see in every fantasy romance. It’s just all so painfully shallow. WHY ARE THEY MOONING OVER EACH OTHER LIKE LOVESICK CHILDREN. YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO EACH OTHER THREE FUCKING TIMES. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH.
And don’t get me started on the trials. Dangerous trials? DANGEROUS trials???? Don’t make me laugh! You did a fucking summer camp and if you didn’t get through, you get to go home no problem. One of the trials was a fucking windy jungle gym. Get outta here.
Re-reading the synopsis makes me feel like I’m being gaslit. The way it’s described and the way it plays out are massively different. There is no web of politics. These trials are not even close to dangerous enough to break a toddler, let alone “even the strongest fae”. There’s no forbidden attraction. “Enemies around every corner”, “stakes”. Who? Where??? When???? It almost feels like false advertising.
Two stars for this is generous. I’m feeling merciful; I’ve had a good day. This book does not play with any tropes in a satisfying way, doesn’t turn them on their head, doesn’t play with them. It regurgitates the same tired tropes with nothing special to mark it out. It’s slop. It’s not even well written slop. Will I read the second book? Absolutely not. I don’t think anything could save it, at this point.
The writing is, frankly, poor. Generic pronouns are used when a character arrives in a room or in a scene and it’s not made clear for several sentences who exactly it is. This happening once or twice would be fine, but it was constant. CONSTANT. It became so infuriating to read. It’s obvious the author has a clear image in her head of how the scene is playing out - but I do not. I do not know who “he” is. Or who “the blonde man” is and I don’t want or need to skip three or four sentences to figure out who the fuck you’re referring to. It got so bad that there were multiple instances where I couldn’t tell if she was introducing an entirely new character, or referring to one we’d all ready met with generic descriptions. It just added to the whole unpolished, roughly edited mess. There were multiple typos and formatting errors, and sometimes the grammar was really messy. It just feels unfinished and poorly executed. It needed to go through some intense editing before it saw the light of day.
In terms of actual content, there were some genuine moments of potential - Alvar, for one. And …..I honestly drew a blank trying to think of anything else. Marsh, maybe, because his betrayal was obvious but I am curious to see what he’s planning and why. THAT would be a fascinating enemies to lovers. Alas, we have Dainan and Brida.
And, Christ, I already despise the whole fated mate trope (and I am 99% sure this is what the book is driving towards, as well as some kind of goddess reincarnation trope) but somehow this book made it worse. Nothing and nobody can convince me that these bonds are healthy. There is nothing romantic about being driven mad, about becoming ill, when you are separated from your partner. It’s giving tragic codependency. It feels manipulative and gross. Kadian’s entire character is reduced to love sick puppy for the majority of the book. The man is insanely depressed because a woman he had known for a few weeks is no longer at his side 24/7. Come on. Really??? They’re supposed to be 25 - they act like teenagers. Brida and Dainan, whose interactions make up about 11% of the book and have no discernible chemistry or connection, are definitely, absolutely, positively meant for each other, not because they have anything in common, or have seen and supported each other, or connected beyond anything surface level, but “because they are just drawn to one another on some primal, intuitive, unexplainable level”. Gag. Please. It is simply a shorthand for writing love without placing any building blocks towards it. They have, at most, about four conversations, the first few Brida can barely get more than three words out. They both like books. Brida *sees* him, not just a prince. He fingers her in a library just before his wedding party. He also knows that she gets lost easily. And there you have it - enough of a connection to have both of them so desperately upset that he’s about to be married off to the typical Rich-girl-who-just-doesn’t-like-the-FMC-because-they-like-the-same-guy that you see in every fantasy romance. It’s just all so painfully shallow. WHY ARE THEY MOONING OVER EACH OTHER LIKE LOVESICK CHILDREN. YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO EACH OTHER THREE FUCKING TIMES. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH.
And don’t get me started on the trials. Dangerous trials? DANGEROUS trials???? Don’t make me laugh! You did a fucking summer camp and if you didn’t get through, you get to go home no problem. One of the trials was a fucking windy jungle gym. Get outta here.
Re-reading the synopsis makes me feel like I’m being gaslit. The way it’s described and the way it plays out are massively different. There is no web of politics. These trials are not even close to dangerous enough to break a toddler, let alone “even the strongest fae”. There’s no forbidden attraction. “Enemies around every corner”, “stakes”. Who? Where??? When???? It almost feels like false advertising.
Two stars for this is generous. I’m feeling merciful; I’ve had a good day. This book does not play with any tropes in a satisfying way, doesn’t turn them on their head, doesn’t play with them. It regurgitates the same tired tropes with nothing special to mark it out. It’s slop. It’s not even well written slop. Will I read the second book? Absolutely not. I don’t think anything could save it, at this point.
March 25, 2025
A capable (but relatable) fierce fmc? ✔️
Fae trials ending in a sorting ceremony? ✔️
The most amazing found family? ✔️
Mysterious shadow daddy prince?! ✔️✔️✔️
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 follows Brida, a human who doesn't belong in the Fae Trials—an exclusive, treacherous tournament where the winners gain the magic and status of the Fae Courts.
But to save her father from a mysterious illness, Brida lies and cheats her way in, determined to do whatever it takes to win…
Even if she feels anxiety at every turn.
(girl, same)
On one hand this book feels nostalgic, we have:
•𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘛𝘖𝘎
•𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨
•𝘧𝘢𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘈𝘊𝘖𝘛𝘈𝘙
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚.
The fmc is so relatable that I could imagine myself in her place while also wanting to be her bestie.
And speaking of friends, the supporting cast is absolutely top-notch. Seriously, I miss my fictional book besties/new inner circle!
…and yeah okay, the swoony love interest with equal parts obsession and respect for boundaries sealed the deal for me.
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 “𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘣 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨” 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 🫠
It’s slow burn swoony romance, descriptive world building and wonder, character development and mystery, and I need to get my hands on book two STAT.
Fae trials ending in a sorting ceremony? ✔️
The most amazing found family? ✔️
Mysterious shadow daddy prince?! ✔️✔️✔️
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 follows Brida, a human who doesn't belong in the Fae Trials—an exclusive, treacherous tournament where the winners gain the magic and status of the Fae Courts.
But to save her father from a mysterious illness, Brida lies and cheats her way in, determined to do whatever it takes to win…
Even if she feels anxiety at every turn.
(girl, same)
On one hand this book feels nostalgic, we have:
•𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘛𝘖𝘎
•𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨
•𝘧𝘢𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘈𝘊𝘖𝘛𝘈𝘙
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚.
The fmc is so relatable that I could imagine myself in her place while also wanting to be her bestie.
And speaking of friends, the supporting cast is absolutely top-notch. Seriously, I miss my fictional book besties/new inner circle!
…and yeah okay, the swoony love interest with equal parts obsession and respect for boundaries sealed the deal for me.
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 “𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘣 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨” 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 🫠
It’s slow burn swoony romance, descriptive world building and wonder, character development and mystery, and I need to get my hands on book two STAT.
June 11, 2025
4.25 stars!
This turned out to be the quick & addicting read I'd been hoping for!
It took me a few chapters to get a feel for the characters and the world, but my interest was piqued from the very beginning. And once I hit the half-way point, there was no putting it down and I read the second half in one sitting.
The story had a reminiscent and familiar vibe to it, while also very much being its own thing. I really liked how the author put her own spin on tropes common in the romantasy genre. It was fun to step into a world with fae and court politics again, and get a fresh take on it. Having read quite a few books from this genre made parts of the story predictable, however, there were still enough surprises that kept me on my toes throughout.
In some places, I did find myself wanting a bit more depth to the word building as well as more of a build-up between the 2 main characters. But these are minor gripes considering my overall enjoyment. The more I read, the more I got sucked into the book and I'm sure book 2 will only continue to drag me in deeper. Also, side note: I switched to the audiobook as soon as it was available and I highly recommend going that route. The different narrators just add another level of immersion!
The Forgotten Dawn is a great debut and an absorbing first book in what promises to be an exciting new romantasy series! I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, especially after THAT ending!!
This turned out to be the quick & addicting read I'd been hoping for!
It took me a few chapters to get a feel for the characters and the world, but my interest was piqued from the very beginning. And once I hit the half-way point, there was no putting it down and I read the second half in one sitting.
The story had a reminiscent and familiar vibe to it, while also very much being its own thing. I really liked how the author put her own spin on tropes common in the romantasy genre. It was fun to step into a world with fae and court politics again, and get a fresh take on it. Having read quite a few books from this genre made parts of the story predictable, however, there were still enough surprises that kept me on my toes throughout.
In some places, I did find myself wanting a bit more depth to the word building as well as more of a build-up between the 2 main characters. But these are minor gripes considering my overall enjoyment. The more I read, the more I got sucked into the book and I'm sure book 2 will only continue to drag me in deeper. Also, side note: I switched to the audiobook as soon as it was available and I highly recommend going that route. The different narrators just add another level of immersion!
The Forgotten Dawn is a great debut and an absorbing first book in what promises to be an exciting new romantasy series! I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, especially after THAT ending!!
July 5, 2025
DNFed. I realized I'm not willing to waste my time on books that are not up to my standards.
Descriptions were sorely lacking, I didn't know what was going on or how things looked like half the time.
Lack of explanation of pretty important things (why were those princes there? why not others from other courts? etc.)
No chemistry between characters. It felt like they were randomly put together and forced into their roles.
Descriptions were sorely lacking, I didn't know what was going on or how things looked like half the time.
Lack of explanation of pretty important things (why were those princes there? why not others from other courts? etc.)
No chemistry between characters. It felt like they were randomly put together and forced into their roles.
January 16, 2025
Received an eARC of this book and wow just wow! This book was everything, I absolutely loved every second 😍
I cannot wait for the next one!
I cannot wait for the next one!
April 23, 2026
Genre: Romantacy
⭐️ 4/5
🌶 1/5
Cliffhanger: Yes
Noteworthy: Book 1 of and incomplete series. Single first-person POV. Available on KU.
This book gave me more than I expected but made me work really hard for it. I didn't get very far in before it became painfully obvious this story would be rife with secrets. Laura Blake gives us clue after clue in bite sized morsels. Not enough to satisfy but enough to get you ready to feast when the reveals hit. Sadly.. I'm still famished! We got no payoff at the end of book one. But what we did get is utter chaos so I guess it's forgiven for now.
There are trials in this book but it's non traditional at best. Much closer to personal, physical and mental tests that are designed to help capture the attention of a house. The whole goal is to be selected by one of these magical houses. There are fae, humans and and a hella lot of time spent giving us info on on gods/primals. Do with that what you will.
The romance is a quasi love triangle that is so lopsided that it's almost a straight line. There is so much air of mystery around both of these men that I had no clue what was going to happen with either of them. I wish Dainan had not been so resigned to his fate. I wanted more badassery from him. Book 2 please the people what they want!
After reading over 500 pages I am left with one point one billion questions. I'm gonna need some answers in book 2 or I may fight someone!
⭐️ 4/5
🌶 1/5
Cliffhanger: Yes
Noteworthy: Book 1 of and incomplete series. Single first-person POV. Available on KU.
This book gave me more than I expected but made me work really hard for it. I didn't get very far in before it became painfully obvious this story would be rife with secrets. Laura Blake gives us clue after clue in bite sized morsels. Not enough to satisfy but enough to get you ready to feast when the reveals hit. Sadly.. I'm still famished! We got no payoff at the end of book one. But what we did get is utter chaos so I guess it's forgiven for now.
There are trials in this book but it's non traditional at best. Much closer to personal, physical and mental tests that are designed to help capture the attention of a house. The whole goal is to be selected by one of these magical houses. There are fae, humans and and a hella lot of time spent giving us info on on gods/primals. Do with that what you will.
The romance is a quasi love triangle that is so lopsided that it's almost a straight line. There is so much air of mystery around both of these men that I had no clue what was going to happen with either of them. I wish Dainan had not been so resigned to his fate. I wanted more badassery from him. Book 2 please the people what they want!
After reading over 500 pages I am left with one point one billion questions. I'm gonna need some answers in book 2 or I may fight someone!
March 19, 2026
The forgotten dawn is a perfect title because I have already forgotten everything that happened in this book.
May 5, 2025
OH MY GOD THAT ENDING??? Laura please I need book two NOW 😭
“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
While I fear the romantasy genre has become redundant- and I will eat up every time tbh (but it becomes so, especially when fae, mortals and courts are involved) this is a unique and attention gripping story with delicious SLOW burn that I could not put down andddd I was just a bit distraught over at the end (seriously Laura, how dare you). Blake did an amazing job creating this world, the trials, the courts, the magic types, the deity’s, the characters and relationships. This is set up for an amazing series that I am so excited for.
In a world where Fae must earn their position in the courts in a treacherous and elusive tournament, our FMC Brida finds herself right the middle of it. The only problem is- Brida is human. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time but it was so enjoyable to read her journey in the trials and outside of them. She was a relatable, real and capable FMC.
The found family was so perfect and some of my favorite parts of this book. I fell in love with so many side characters (ALVAR FOREVER) that I genuinely could not pick a favorite and was so sad to leave this world and the characters till book two.
“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚. 𝙐𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.”
This was definitely a romance subplot kind of book but THE. SLOW. BURN. WITH. THE. SHADOW. DADDY ?! Im so sat, it was an achingly slow burn guys but its so worth it, the yearning, the little symbolisms between them. The nickname he gives her and what it originates from??? Again the ROMANCE, the YEARNING
Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to read this early, I cannot wait for book two!
“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
While I fear the romantasy genre has become redundant- and I will eat up every time tbh (but it becomes so, especially when fae, mortals and courts are involved) this is a unique and attention gripping story with delicious SLOW burn that I could not put down andddd I was just a bit distraught over at the end (seriously Laura, how dare you). Blake did an amazing job creating this world, the trials, the courts, the magic types, the deity’s, the characters and relationships. This is set up for an amazing series that I am so excited for.
In a world where Fae must earn their position in the courts in a treacherous and elusive tournament, our FMC Brida finds herself right the middle of it. The only problem is- Brida is human. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time but it was so enjoyable to read her journey in the trials and outside of them. She was a relatable, real and capable FMC.
The found family was so perfect and some of my favorite parts of this book. I fell in love with so many side characters (ALVAR FOREVER) that I genuinely could not pick a favorite and was so sad to leave this world and the characters till book two.
“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚. 𝙐𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.”
This was definitely a romance subplot kind of book but THE. SLOW. BURN. WITH. THE. SHADOW. DADDY ?! Im so sat, it was an achingly slow burn guys but its so worth it, the yearning, the little symbolisms between them. The nickname he gives her and what it originates from??? Again the ROMANCE, the YEARNING
Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to read this early, I cannot wait for book two!
June 8, 2025
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
To start, I want to extend a huge thank you to Laura Blake for this wonderful opportunity to join the ARC team. I never thought I would get to be apart of an exclusive community like this one. Obviously, I am providing an honest review of the novel because I’m not a liar.
I enjoyed this book a lot. We’ll start with my praise then briefly discuss my criticism. First, I must say that Laura is an absolutely fantastic writer with a knack for description. I enjoyed the world building of the courts and the detailing of the characters. Her elements of foreshadowing in the book were purposefully placed and tied into the later ‘aha’ moment. She truly had a vision for this story and I was pleasantly surprised. The romance between the two characters held a strong tension and I appreciated that it wasn’t a standard enemies to lovers, but a more passionate and raw development of the romance. My absolute favorite part of the book however, was the focus on familial and personal relationships. The sibling dynamic of Kadian (I’ve been reading his name wrong this whole time) and Brida was so incredibly realistic and loving that I couldn’t help but shed a tear at some of their more vulnerable moments. I felt Laura truly encapsulated the interactions of real young adults/teenagers and their immature goofiness. Not only that, the strength and focus Brida had for herself was outstanding. I appreciate that she wasn’t boy crazy, and rather knew how to set boundaries for herself (most of the time). I would also like to add that I didn’t see the main plot twist coming, and for someone who is a good predictor, that is an incredible feat.
Now onto the criticisms. To add a disclaimer, I rate books off my enjoyment, so this one will be receiving 4.5 stars, regardless of my literary criticisms. My biggest issue with this book was probably pacing and subject matter. The initial trials and start of the book went very quickly, and there were large chunks of time that were skipped. It was slightly frustrating at times, especially when she’d suddenly mentions that it’s been 3 weeks. The info dumping of said chunks and character backgrounds were also annoying. I do appreciate however, that the characters held substance and weren’t solely used as plot devices. I was also overwhelmed with the amount of world building and plots that occurred at once. There’s a lot to keep track of, so it makes it difficult to remember every character and the specific qualities of each court. That being said, I did enjoy the world building I simply wish it’d been more piece fed to the readers. There were a few cliques and easy twists to spot but I’m happy to report that I’m very pleasantly surprised.
Overall, this book was a wonderful read and if you enjoyed books like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR, I have no doubt you will enjoy this book as well. Only thing to keep in mind comparatively is that the spice levels are close to nonexistent, which is perfectly fine, and suits this book completely. I’d just like to say a final thank you to Laura A. Blake for choosing me for her ARC team, it was an incredible experience. I cannot wait for the next book and cannot wait to theorize with other fans.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
To start, I want to extend a huge thank you to Laura Blake for this wonderful opportunity to join the ARC team. I never thought I would get to be apart of an exclusive community like this one. Obviously, I am providing an honest review of the novel because I’m not a liar.
I enjoyed this book a lot. We’ll start with my praise then briefly discuss my criticism. First, I must say that Laura is an absolutely fantastic writer with a knack for description. I enjoyed the world building of the courts and the detailing of the characters. Her elements of foreshadowing in the book were purposefully placed and tied into the later ‘aha’ moment. She truly had a vision for this story and I was pleasantly surprised. The romance between the two characters held a strong tension and I appreciated that it wasn’t a standard enemies to lovers, but a more passionate and raw development of the romance. My absolute favorite part of the book however, was the focus on familial and personal relationships. The sibling dynamic of Kadian (I’ve been reading his name wrong this whole time) and Brida was so incredibly realistic and loving that I couldn’t help but shed a tear at some of their more vulnerable moments. I felt Laura truly encapsulated the interactions of real young adults/teenagers and their immature goofiness. Not only that, the strength and focus Brida had for herself was outstanding. I appreciate that she wasn’t boy crazy, and rather knew how to set boundaries for herself (most of the time). I would also like to add that I didn’t see the main plot twist coming, and for someone who is a good predictor, that is an incredible feat.
Now onto the criticisms. To add a disclaimer, I rate books off my enjoyment, so this one will be receiving 4.5 stars, regardless of my literary criticisms. My biggest issue with this book was probably pacing and subject matter. The initial trials and start of the book went very quickly, and there were large chunks of time that were skipped. It was slightly frustrating at times, especially when she’d suddenly mentions that it’s been 3 weeks. The info dumping of said chunks and character backgrounds were also annoying. I do appreciate however, that the characters held substance and weren’t solely used as plot devices. I was also overwhelmed with the amount of world building and plots that occurred at once. There’s a lot to keep track of, so it makes it difficult to remember every character and the specific qualities of each court. That being said, I did enjoy the world building I simply wish it’d been more piece fed to the readers. There were a few cliques and easy twists to spot but I’m happy to report that I’m very pleasantly surprised.
Overall, this book was a wonderful read and if you enjoyed books like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR, I have no doubt you will enjoy this book as well. Only thing to keep in mind comparatively is that the spice levels are close to nonexistent, which is perfectly fine, and suits this book completely. I’d just like to say a final thank you to Laura A. Blake for choosing me for her ARC team, it was an incredible experience. I cannot wait for the next book and cannot wait to theorize with other fans.
October 10, 2025
Gods, when will the second book be available?!
I need it now.
I need it now.
May 11, 2025
Definitely a slow start and a bit boring at times, but I found the story really interesting and the characters were good. there were times I thought I had something figured out but I ended up being wrong about it. Will absolutely read the next book and I can't wait to read more in this world.
May 3, 2025
I recived an ARC from the author and I have not read it...I ate it in one bite.
FMC is incredibly relatable, the mix of fantasy and chalenges is simply amazing. The twists kept my eyes open right through the night.
The book is also incredibly well writen and edited. I loved loved, loooooved it. I'm totaly doing a reread in a couple of weeks, just to get back in to this amazing world!
FMC is incredibly relatable, the mix of fantasy and chalenges is simply amazing. The twists kept my eyes open right through the night.
The book is also incredibly well writen and edited. I loved loved, loooooved it. I'm totaly doing a reread in a couple of weeks, just to get back in to this amazing world!
April 7, 2025
I received this book as an arc from the author, and joined the street team for this read- and I am so happy that I did. I was in a reading slump for ages, I mean my TBR was piling up sky-high and I just couldn't find a book I could really get into and thoroughly enjoy. When I started this book, I will admit I was skeptical- it's not often that authors are able to create a unique world and plot involing mortals, fae, and court trials without ripping off romantasy cult classics. The execution of this book, however, was flawless, unique, and honestly kept me guessing the entire book, gasping, and yes, crying at certain plot twists at the end of the book (When I catch you Laura- we shall have words). The fae courts, the magic types, the deity pantheon system, were all excellently done, and remained independent in their own right, and had me completely submersed into Brida's world. The slow-burn romance between Brida and a certain Lord of Shadows had me on the edge of my seat, and the love triangle kept me guessing who she would end up with. The mating system in this world was also unique and honestly had me yearning for a mate of my own. I also loved how the author was able to execute a completely platonic male and female relationship without making it weird, and kept it realistic. I also greatly appreciated the author coming out and saying she WILL NOT have a pregnancy trope (thank god).
This had me reeling until the very end, laughing, crying, anxiously turning the page, and longing to go home during the work day to finish the book. Everyone always says not to judge a book by its cover, but judge away because this book's gorgeous cover is just as detailed and beautiful as the story within.
This had me reeling until the very end, laughing, crying, anxiously turning the page, and longing to go home during the work day to finish the book. Everyone always says not to judge a book by its cover, but judge away because this book's gorgeous cover is just as detailed and beautiful as the story within.
September 30, 2025
Oh my GOSH what a tale. I was obsessed from the start. The trials were SO COOL and the world building was amazing. This is definitely a romantasy with fantasy first, but that was okay with me! I am obsessed with these characters and I cannot WAIT to get book two next spring.
I will put a note out there that the trials of this are very heavy in the beginning, but they slow down and are more substantial later in the story. This isn't your normal fantasy trial situation -- which impressed me significantly! This is VERY underrated.
I will put a note out there that the trials of this are very heavy in the beginning, but they slow down and are more substantial later in the story. This isn't your normal fantasy trial situation -- which impressed me significantly! This is VERY underrated.
August 13, 2025
If I could give this book 100 stars I would. It gave me that feeling of when I first started reading fantasy romance, and I did not want it to end. I fell in love with the plot, characters, this beautiful world that Laura has written how am I gonna wait a year for the next book?!?! 🏰🌅👑🔮
April 18, 2025
“𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.”
Holy moly, The Forgotten Dawn lit my romantasy-loving heart on fire!
From page one, I was hooked. This book is intense, heartwarming, gut wrenching, swoony, dangerous, and utterly addictive all at once. And the plot & worldbuilding? A feast for the imagination! We’ve got four fae courts (each with their own aesthetic and twisted rules), high-stakes trials, tons of mystifying mysteries, and a sorting ceremony to top it off.
Brida is the kind of heroine I love to root for: fierce, a briljant bookish researcher, and willing to risk it all for her loved ones.
Kadian is the best friend a girl can wish for and I loved the found family vibes between them and the new friends they meet at Azmeer; we all stan Lil!
And don’t even get me started on Dainan, the mysterious Shadow Prince with a devilish charm, a love of books, and some wickedly good cooking skills (sign me up please). Their slow-burn chemistry is deliciously intense, the kind that simmers until it ignites, but someone else is also obsessed with Dainan and is prepared to play dirty.
Plus, meddling gods, court politics including courtly backstabbers? It was all a recipe for an utterly captivating story. I don’t want to talk about the ending though, it left me angry, anxious, and 100% ready to bleed for the sequel.
Thanks to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Forgotten Dawn is scheduled for June 5th.
Holy moly, The Forgotten Dawn lit my romantasy-loving heart on fire!
From page one, I was hooked. This book is intense, heartwarming, gut wrenching, swoony, dangerous, and utterly addictive all at once. And the plot & worldbuilding? A feast for the imagination! We’ve got four fae courts (each with their own aesthetic and twisted rules), high-stakes trials, tons of mystifying mysteries, and a sorting ceremony to top it off.
Brida is the kind of heroine I love to root for: fierce, a briljant bookish researcher, and willing to risk it all for her loved ones.
Kadian is the best friend a girl can wish for and I loved the found family vibes between them and the new friends they meet at Azmeer; we all stan Lil!
And don’t even get me started on Dainan, the mysterious Shadow Prince with a devilish charm, a love of books, and some wickedly good cooking skills (sign me up please). Their slow-burn chemistry is deliciously intense, the kind that simmers until it ignites, but someone else is also obsessed with Dainan and is prepared to play dirty.
Plus, meddling gods, court politics including courtly backstabbers? It was all a recipe for an utterly captivating story. I don’t want to talk about the ending though, it left me angry, anxious, and 100% ready to bleed for the sequel.
Thanks to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Forgotten Dawn is scheduled for June 5th.
June 8, 2025
2.5 stars. Because I am nice and because this was the author's debut and the beta readers should've given a better feedback.
God, I tried. I tried so very hard to like this book! I've been looking forward to reading this since February because the synopsis wasright up my alley and the cover is drop dead gorgeous. 😍 So naturally , I was over the moon when I got the ARC. (Thankew to the author for that. ♥️)
But all my hopes and dreams came crashing down at once. It was so damned hard to get into this. And It took me 2 (exhausting) weeks to read the whole thing! Hence the late ARC review. It usually takes me 3-4 days max to finish books this size, so I started it later, hoping I'd be able to finish it in max 3 days. I could've DNF'd but it was ARC and I felt a responsibility. Anywho...
While the plot and world building is kinda unique and hold so much potential, the execution wasn't to the extent.
There was too much description, and not enough explanation. The conversations didn't flow. Everything felt forced. The most minor of the things were explained in detail. But the major ones were left out. Every moment is described with a metaphor. But the details that matter (like the environment, the characters, the colours, the clothes, etc) were just non existent.
Brida panicked a lot. But not enough. Valiant effort at trying to represent anxiety and panic attacks but it just falls short. Seems very excessive and forced. Idk. I mean one moment she's having a panic attack and the next she forgets all about it. One moment something very vital is happening or on the verge of being revealed and the next... "poof" gone, never to be mentioned again! I mean, come on! This, I believe, was an attempt at creating an air of mystery, but alas, the only thing it delivered was frustration.
There was no "soul" in the whole thing. The friendships, the connections, the love-traingle, the attraction... it all felt forced. There was no chemistry! No relationship felt genuine with how often Brida casually forgot about them. Kadian, Lil, Dainan, Marsh, even her father (who's the whole reason she started this) was forgetten at times. It was the perfect example of "out of focus, out of mind."
And for someone who has felt like an outcast her whole life (why was that BTW?) Brida sure made too many friends with such ease. I would've loved to see the character development in that sense. And also the "deadly" trials, were a let down. There was nothing happening. At all.
There's a lack of cohesion as well. In conversations. In events. In the flow of scenes. In the delivery of information. In everything.
This needed editing. LOTS OF EDITING. Yes, it was mentioned in the email that this was an uncorreted proof, but I'm not sure if that much heavy editing is possible in 2 weeks.
I wish this was executed in a better, more polished way. I would've loved this story. Let's see how the next book fares.
P.S. Hated Marsh as soon as he was introduced. His actions screamed "red flag"" since the very beginning. I'm glad I was right about him.
God, I tried. I tried so very hard to like this book! I've been looking forward to reading this since February because the synopsis wasright up my alley and the cover is drop dead gorgeous. 😍 So naturally , I was over the moon when I got the ARC. (Thankew to the author for that. ♥️)
But all my hopes and dreams came crashing down at once. It was so damned hard to get into this. And It took me 2 (exhausting) weeks to read the whole thing! Hence the late ARC review. It usually takes me 3-4 days max to finish books this size, so I started it later, hoping I'd be able to finish it in max 3 days. I could've DNF'd but it was ARC and I felt a responsibility. Anywho...
While the plot and world building is kinda unique and hold so much potential, the execution wasn't to the extent.
There was too much description, and not enough explanation. The conversations didn't flow. Everything felt forced. The most minor of the things were explained in detail. But the major ones were left out. Every moment is described with a metaphor. But the details that matter (like the environment, the characters, the colours, the clothes, etc) were just non existent.
Brida panicked a lot. But not enough. Valiant effort at trying to represent anxiety and panic attacks but it just falls short. Seems very excessive and forced. Idk. I mean one moment she's having a panic attack and the next she forgets all about it. One moment something very vital is happening or on the verge of being revealed and the next... "poof" gone, never to be mentioned again! I mean, come on! This, I believe, was an attempt at creating an air of mystery, but alas, the only thing it delivered was frustration.
There was no "soul" in the whole thing. The friendships, the connections, the love-traingle, the attraction... it all felt forced. There was no chemistry! No relationship felt genuine with how often Brida casually forgot about them. Kadian, Lil, Dainan, Marsh, even her father (who's the whole reason she started this) was forgetten at times. It was the perfect example of "out of focus, out of mind."
And for someone who has felt like an outcast her whole life (why was that BTW?) Brida sure made too many friends with such ease. I would've loved to see the character development in that sense. And also the "deadly" trials, were a let down. There was nothing happening. At all.
There's a lack of cohesion as well. In conversations. In events. In the flow of scenes. In the delivery of information. In everything.
This needed editing. LOTS OF EDITING. Yes, it was mentioned in the email that this was an uncorreted proof, but I'm not sure if that much heavy editing is possible in 2 weeks.
I wish this was executed in a better, more polished way. I would've loved this story. Let's see how the next book fares.
P.S. Hated Marsh as soon as he was introduced. His actions screamed "red flag"" since the very beginning. I'm glad I was right about him.
June 8, 2025
DNF at 22%
Unfortunately this one is just a little too unpolished. I love the idea, but am struggling with the execution.
The details of this world are poorly explained, the character relationships and dynamics and weak, and maybe I'm just a little slow and missing some hints but not much is making sense about what is happening or why Brida is going through these trials. What is her motivation? Is it political so she can help form the laws of the land? Is she trying to help her father get medicine? What's actually wrong with him? It's unclear.
Also, why is every single person's hair color mentioned in excruciating detail and should I be taking notes on that? It seems important because Brida was apparently shunned in her hometown because of her hair color (did I get that right?) but the reader has no idea why (as of 22%) that's the case.
There is a LOT of telling vs showing and ultimately that ends up making for a bit boring of a read.
Unfortunately this one is just a little too unpolished. I love the idea, but am struggling with the execution.
The details of this world are poorly explained, the character relationships and dynamics and weak, and maybe I'm just a little slow and missing some hints but not much is making sense about what is happening or why Brida is going through these trials. What is her motivation? Is it political so she can help form the laws of the land? Is she trying to help her father get medicine? What's actually wrong with him? It's unclear.
Also, why is every single person's hair color mentioned in excruciating detail and should I be taking notes on that? It seems important because Brida was apparently shunned in her hometown because of her hair color (did I get that right?) but the reader has no idea why (as of 22%) that's the case.
There is a LOT of telling vs showing and ultimately that ends up making for a bit boring of a read.
March 31, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because this very quickly made it into my favourite books ever list. A curse because now I have to wait EVEN longer than everyone else to read the next one and I’m going to fall apart.
The world building was beautiful. The lore was spectacular and easy to follow. I loved each character so dearly and they all truly felt like they had their own personalities.
I’m usually very good at picking up on potential plot twists and endings but this book really kept me guessing. So many things surprised and shocked me!
It was romantic, intense, heartbreaking and mysterious and I loved every minute. I’m already so jealous of people who get to experience this for the first time.
The world building was beautiful. The lore was spectacular and easy to follow. I loved each character so dearly and they all truly felt like they had their own personalities.
I’m usually very good at picking up on potential plot twists and endings but this book really kept me guessing. So many things surprised and shocked me!
It was romantic, intense, heartbreaking and mysterious and I loved every minute. I’m already so jealous of people who get to experience this for the first time.
June 14, 2025
♾⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Forgotten Dawn by Laura Blake
The Forgotten Dawn by Laura Blake was my most anticipated ARC of 2025, and going into it, I was both thrilled and a little apprehensive, wondering if it could possibly live up to the hype I’d built in my mind. Did it?
The answer: it didn’t just meet my expectations, it shattered them and took them to a whole other realm. After taking a few days to fully process this journey, I can say without hesitation that this is one of the most perfect romantasy books I’ve ever read. It’s easily contending for my top spot in the genre, possibly even being my #1 romantasy book with trials.
Think Divergent meets Fourth Wing, but with its own distinct magic and voice. Blake delivers a richly immersive world where humans and fae coexist under the rule of powerful Courts, each founded by one of the ancient Eternals. These divine beings shaped the qualities and values that each Court seeks in its initiates, therefore wanting certain qualities and attributes, and the result is a layered society governed by magic, politics, and deadly expectations. Each Court has it's own allure, and if I was in our FMC's shoes, idk where I would want to be.
What sets this book apart is the structure of the trials. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill, blood-sport challenges where only the physically strong candidates survive. They are mental, strategic, and multifaceted, requiring wit, combat skills, and political savvy. As candidates compete for a place in the Courts, they’re also navigating the complex and often dangerous world of palace intrigue, alliances, and betrayals.
Our FMC is thrust into the heart of this storm, caught between duty to save her ill father, desire, and a dangerously magnetic prince she’s supposed to avoid at all costs. She is finally navigating where she wants to be in this world and finding where she belongs. The slow-burning tension and love triangle dynamics are executed with just the right amount of angst and longing without overshadowing the broader plot. Did a mention shadow daddy yet? You don't want to miss this. And yes, the “mate” trope makes an appearance, and if you’ve read enough romantasy, you’ll see it coming a mile away, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying. In fact, part of the charm is wanting to shake the FMC and yell, “The answer is right there!”
The side characters are a major highlight that will make you fall in love. They are relatable, protective, complex, and incredibly lovable. Blake gives them the same care and depth as the protagonists, and the dynamic among them evokes strong Fourth Wing squad vibes: fiercely loyal, deeply bonded, and emotionally resonant. Whether it's the scribes reminiscent of Violet's academic allies or the shadowy male leads who redefine the term “shadow daddy,” every character adds richness to the story. While the main trials take place and we focus on the main characters, there are also a ton of little mini plots going on that are as epic as the main plot. I would honestly love some more from all of the side characters, and I hope we get as much of them in book 2 as we did in this one!
The magic system is unforgettable, with each Court having its own rules, traditions, and powers that are both beautiful and dangerous. The attention to detail in world-building is phenomenal. From the very first page, I felt like a part of the Court, swept up in its allure and intrigue. And let’s talk about the pacing...it’s impeccable. Time occasionally jumps forward by a few weeks, but transitions are smooth and purposeful, maintaining momentum without sacrificing development. It never feels like we are missing anything, and it also doesn't drag it out since they are in the palace for so long.
One of my favorite elements was the court and political intrigue, which was nothing short of masterful. It's rare to find a romantasy that balances emotional stakes with high-level political tension this well. Blake does both and makes it look effortless.
My one critique: I did try the audiobook mid-way through, and unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. The female narrator’s tone was overly upbeat and didn’t match the book’s darker, more intense themes. If you’re considering audio, I’d recommend reading it physically or digitally to preserve the full atmosphere.
In short: If you're on the hunt for your next romantasy obsession...stop looking. The Forgotten Dawn has everything: a compelling magic system, courtly drama, lovable characters, slow-burn romance, shadow daddy MMC, badass FMC, and plot twists that keep you on edge. Trust me, just dive in. You won’t want to leave.
Infinite thanks to Laura Blake for the ARC. I've shared this so many times on my IG, Threads, and TikTok because I KNEW it would be every single thing I needed in a romantasy, and I was not let down. I can't wait for book 2.
The Forgotten Dawn by Laura Blake was my most anticipated ARC of 2025, and going into it, I was both thrilled and a little apprehensive, wondering if it could possibly live up to the hype I’d built in my mind. Did it?
The answer: it didn’t just meet my expectations, it shattered them and took them to a whole other realm. After taking a few days to fully process this journey, I can say without hesitation that this is one of the most perfect romantasy books I’ve ever read. It’s easily contending for my top spot in the genre, possibly even being my #1 romantasy book with trials.
Think Divergent meets Fourth Wing, but with its own distinct magic and voice. Blake delivers a richly immersive world where humans and fae coexist under the rule of powerful Courts, each founded by one of the ancient Eternals. These divine beings shaped the qualities and values that each Court seeks in its initiates, therefore wanting certain qualities and attributes, and the result is a layered society governed by magic, politics, and deadly expectations. Each Court has it's own allure, and if I was in our FMC's shoes, idk where I would want to be.
What sets this book apart is the structure of the trials. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill, blood-sport challenges where only the physically strong candidates survive. They are mental, strategic, and multifaceted, requiring wit, combat skills, and political savvy. As candidates compete for a place in the Courts, they’re also navigating the complex and often dangerous world of palace intrigue, alliances, and betrayals.
Our FMC is thrust into the heart of this storm, caught between duty to save her ill father, desire, and a dangerously magnetic prince she’s supposed to avoid at all costs. She is finally navigating where she wants to be in this world and finding where she belongs. The slow-burning tension and love triangle dynamics are executed with just the right amount of angst and longing without overshadowing the broader plot. Did a mention shadow daddy yet? You don't want to miss this. And yes, the “mate” trope makes an appearance, and if you’ve read enough romantasy, you’ll see it coming a mile away, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying. In fact, part of the charm is wanting to shake the FMC and yell, “The answer is right there!”
The side characters are a major highlight that will make you fall in love. They are relatable, protective, complex, and incredibly lovable. Blake gives them the same care and depth as the protagonists, and the dynamic among them evokes strong Fourth Wing squad vibes: fiercely loyal, deeply bonded, and emotionally resonant. Whether it's the scribes reminiscent of Violet's academic allies or the shadowy male leads who redefine the term “shadow daddy,” every character adds richness to the story. While the main trials take place and we focus on the main characters, there are also a ton of little mini plots going on that are as epic as the main plot. I would honestly love some more from all of the side characters, and I hope we get as much of them in book 2 as we did in this one!
The magic system is unforgettable, with each Court having its own rules, traditions, and powers that are both beautiful and dangerous. The attention to detail in world-building is phenomenal. From the very first page, I felt like a part of the Court, swept up in its allure and intrigue. And let’s talk about the pacing...it’s impeccable. Time occasionally jumps forward by a few weeks, but transitions are smooth and purposeful, maintaining momentum without sacrificing development. It never feels like we are missing anything, and it also doesn't drag it out since they are in the palace for so long.
One of my favorite elements was the court and political intrigue, which was nothing short of masterful. It's rare to find a romantasy that balances emotional stakes with high-level political tension this well. Blake does both and makes it look effortless.
My one critique: I did try the audiobook mid-way through, and unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. The female narrator’s tone was overly upbeat and didn’t match the book’s darker, more intense themes. If you’re considering audio, I’d recommend reading it physically or digitally to preserve the full atmosphere.
In short: If you're on the hunt for your next romantasy obsession...stop looking. The Forgotten Dawn has everything: a compelling magic system, courtly drama, lovable characters, slow-burn romance, shadow daddy MMC, badass FMC, and plot twists that keep you on edge. Trust me, just dive in. You won’t want to leave.
Infinite thanks to Laura Blake for the ARC. I've shared this so many times on my IG, Threads, and TikTok because I KNEW it would be every single thing I needed in a romantasy, and I was not let down. I can't wait for book 2.
June 10, 2025
You can find this review of The Forgotten Dawn on my blog, Heart's Content!
A big big shout out and thank you to the author for gifting me a copy of her debut romantasy in exchange for an honest review!
The thing with romantasy is that it has my soul. Hook, line and sinker. There’s no other genre out that that speaks to my heart as well as romantasy does. It’s a choice-less choice; I’m both helpless and intentional in picking it. That’s the best way I can describe my experience with romantasy.
Laura A Blake’s debut romantasy, The Forgotten Dawn is quite frankly one such choice. (I swear I’m going to stop saying choice. That was the last one, promise.)
Once I stepped into the world Blake had created I couldn’t step out until the book ended. Which is such a wonderful experience to have when a book is as thick as TFD was. 🎵 “I like big books and I cannot lie!” 🎵
I usually start with a fairly predictable set of aspects to speak about in every review. But this time, I’m starting with my absolute favourite aspect of this book. The platonic relationships. The book introduces some primary relationships the protagonist has with the people around her almost as soon as the book begins. The fact that these relationships sustain throughout the book with the same level of importance they had when they began, is my favourite favourite part of this book. The secondary and tertiary characters were not props for the plot, but were a large part of the plot. The relationships the protagonist has when the book begins and those that she builds as the book progresses, both have all the room and time to explore, establish and develop. I love love loved all the platonic friendships, moments and the importance they were given. They were my absolute favourite aspect about this book.
Another aspect of the story that I’m going to slot under relationships was that finally finally, despite there being a competition, we see that the characters are not particularly interested in bringing the others down and more often than not develop a fond bond with one another and even with their mentors. Despite the tense undercurrent of politics and danger that slowly begins to reveal itself, the focus is so much more on the budding relationships and how much of respect they’re given.
There was an interesting pace to this book (I’m really winging it with the order of mentions in this review) with regard to how it was written. Yes, there are competitions and high stakes the protagonist was pit against, however, a large part of competitions are situated around the first perhaps 35-40% of the book. After that, the book takes its time to develop, introduce the world at leisure and allow us to remember and relate to the many characters, ideas and rules that were introduced thus far in the story. I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it took and enjoyed the change in pace and scene.
The world-building in this book initially happens nearly all together and at once. The characters are introduced swiftly one after another with the competitions following immediately after. I will admit that yes, it does take a bit to place everything and everyone. But I’d like to draw attention to the fact that this book has easily four hundred more pages to go. The author uses those four hundred pages wisely. Once all the characters and basic rules of the world are introduced, she lets the information simmer in her readers’ minds. She then begins to expand upon each character, rule and plot thread slowly. Surprisingly, despite the fact that this should typically change the pace of the story, it never does. The book remains as revetting—perhaps even more—than it was the first thirty to forty percent. Did I mention how much I loved the second half of the book? Because I did. I do. Loved it. Loved it.
I finally arrive to the aspect of this book that holds the true essence of The Forgotten Dawn: the writing. The absolute heart of TFD is chiseled, word by precious word, by Blake’s writing. I have never before experienced a book that intrigued me, captured my attention, kept my interest through every single word even in scenes that don’t seem to have any immediate urgency. I was rooted. Absolutely immersed. This is not to say that mysterious things were not happening or that subtle tensions were not rising, or stakes were not increasing; because they were. They absolutely were. However, the author still manages to capture you in the softer moments of the story; in the subtler emotions of the characters. It’s been a long time since I read a book where the male interest was not cruel. Somehow it’s become a pattern of sorts, to make the character harder, harsher and thus their evolution into their softer selves interesting, however Blake took a very different, more heart moving route. She chose to showcase vulnerability and kindness and I enjoyed those moments between the protagonists so so much.
I will say it’s been a long time that I haven’t been, one, annoyed when the main character didn’t ask questions and two, surprised by a plot twist. Both happened in TFD! I do think I’d like to slide this little experience under writing as well, simply because there was honestly no other reason I could have overlooked some of the moments where we’re left with more questions than answers (because of course, as readers we’re ever curious and never patient) and having missed such a simple but fantastic plot twist. I think with the former, I genuinely trusted the author with the journey she was taking us on and with the latter… that’s how lost in the moment I was that I never considered a ploy hidden beneath the surface I was so enamoured by.
The plot in this book is just beginning, my friends. It’s unique, unpredictable and so engaging! I think it has all the potential required for it to be something great. But I’m not going to say more so that you can find out for yourselves what’s going to happen.
Five thousand stars. Seven million stars. The book deserves it all. The Forgotten Dawn has everything I love in any kind of book: magic, mayhem, bonding, mystery, romance, tension, ensemble cast, betrayal and secrets!
Do check trigger warnings as always! Happy happy reading!
A big big shout out and thank you to the author for gifting me a copy of her debut romantasy in exchange for an honest review!
The thing with romantasy is that it has my soul. Hook, line and sinker. There’s no other genre out that that speaks to my heart as well as romantasy does. It’s a choice-less choice; I’m both helpless and intentional in picking it. That’s the best way I can describe my experience with romantasy.
Laura A Blake’s debut romantasy, The Forgotten Dawn is quite frankly one such choice. (I swear I’m going to stop saying choice. That was the last one, promise.)
Once I stepped into the world Blake had created I couldn’t step out until the book ended. Which is such a wonderful experience to have when a book is as thick as TFD was. 🎵 “I like big books and I cannot lie!” 🎵
I usually start with a fairly predictable set of aspects to speak about in every review. But this time, I’m starting with my absolute favourite aspect of this book. The platonic relationships. The book introduces some primary relationships the protagonist has with the people around her almost as soon as the book begins. The fact that these relationships sustain throughout the book with the same level of importance they had when they began, is my favourite favourite part of this book. The secondary and tertiary characters were not props for the plot, but were a large part of the plot. The relationships the protagonist has when the book begins and those that she builds as the book progresses, both have all the room and time to explore, establish and develop. I love love loved all the platonic friendships, moments and the importance they were given. They were my absolute favourite aspect about this book.
Another aspect of the story that I’m going to slot under relationships was that finally finally, despite there being a competition, we see that the characters are not particularly interested in bringing the others down and more often than not develop a fond bond with one another and even with their mentors. Despite the tense undercurrent of politics and danger that slowly begins to reveal itself, the focus is so much more on the budding relationships and how much of respect they’re given.
There was an interesting pace to this book (I’m really winging it with the order of mentions in this review) with regard to how it was written. Yes, there are competitions and high stakes the protagonist was pit against, however, a large part of competitions are situated around the first perhaps 35-40% of the book. After that, the book takes its time to develop, introduce the world at leisure and allow us to remember and relate to the many characters, ideas and rules that were introduced thus far in the story. I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it took and enjoyed the change in pace and scene.
The world-building in this book initially happens nearly all together and at once. The characters are introduced swiftly one after another with the competitions following immediately after. I will admit that yes, it does take a bit to place everything and everyone. But I’d like to draw attention to the fact that this book has easily four hundred more pages to go. The author uses those four hundred pages wisely. Once all the characters and basic rules of the world are introduced, she lets the information simmer in her readers’ minds. She then begins to expand upon each character, rule and plot thread slowly. Surprisingly, despite the fact that this should typically change the pace of the story, it never does. The book remains as revetting—perhaps even more—than it was the first thirty to forty percent. Did I mention how much I loved the second half of the book? Because I did. I do. Loved it. Loved it.
I finally arrive to the aspect of this book that holds the true essence of The Forgotten Dawn: the writing. The absolute heart of TFD is chiseled, word by precious word, by Blake’s writing. I have never before experienced a book that intrigued me, captured my attention, kept my interest through every single word even in scenes that don’t seem to have any immediate urgency. I was rooted. Absolutely immersed. This is not to say that mysterious things were not happening or that subtle tensions were not rising, or stakes were not increasing; because they were. They absolutely were. However, the author still manages to capture you in the softer moments of the story; in the subtler emotions of the characters. It’s been a long time since I read a book where the male interest was not cruel. Somehow it’s become a pattern of sorts, to make the character harder, harsher and thus their evolution into their softer selves interesting, however Blake took a very different, more heart moving route. She chose to showcase vulnerability and kindness and I enjoyed those moments between the protagonists so so much.
I will say it’s been a long time that I haven’t been, one, annoyed when the main character didn’t ask questions and two, surprised by a plot twist. Both happened in TFD! I do think I’d like to slide this little experience under writing as well, simply because there was honestly no other reason I could have overlooked some of the moments where we’re left with more questions than answers (because of course, as readers we’re ever curious and never patient) and having missed such a simple but fantastic plot twist. I think with the former, I genuinely trusted the author with the journey she was taking us on and with the latter… that’s how lost in the moment I was that I never considered a ploy hidden beneath the surface I was so enamoured by.
The plot in this book is just beginning, my friends. It’s unique, unpredictable and so engaging! I think it has all the potential required for it to be something great. But I’m not going to say more so that you can find out for yourselves what’s going to happen.
Five thousand stars. Seven million stars. The book deserves it all. The Forgotten Dawn has everything I love in any kind of book: magic, mayhem, bonding, mystery, romance, tension, ensemble cast, betrayal and secrets!
Do check trigger warnings as always! Happy happy reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 408 reviews