A Fellowship of Games & Fables

Adenashire #3

by J. Penner

From cold rivalry to hot cocoa and warm hearts.

Jez, a grumpy fennex, wants nothing to do with the cold, snow or bustling winter games descending on the charming town of Adenashire. She’d rather curl up for a nap. But a drunken boast lands her smack in the middle of the festivities and, even worse, fake dating her friend, Taenya, a woodland elf.

Plagued by chronic fatigue and past heartbreak, Jez has long guarded her heart. Not to mention she has a secret she’d rather not share. Yet, Taenya’s warmth and patience begin to melt her icy exterior. Together, the two women tackle challenges (from ice sculpting to scavenger hunts) and their pretend relationship sparks genuine feelings.

With the unwavering support of her friends, and amidst the cozy, festive cheer of winter, Jez discovers that love and acceptance are within reach, even for those who would rather hibernate in the shadows.

Escape to Adenashire for a heartwarming tale of friendship, romance, resilience, and the magical spirit of the season.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Fiction, Romantasy, Queer

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2024

Reviews

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sapphic Cozy Fantasy

☕ Bookish Thoughts
I absolutely adore this series. A Fellowship of Games & Fables is pure cozy fantasy comfort filled with warmth, gentle magic, and that perfect read under a blanket feeling. Jez and Taenya completely stole my heart. 🥰 🥰 🥰

I will never say no to a fake dating romance and this sapphic story delivered in the sweetest way. Low angst, soft love, and all the cozy charm I could want. Five stars all around.

🤎What to Expect
• Cozy fantasy
• Sapphic romance
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Winter festival
• Found family
• Chronic illness rep
• Fake dating
_ _ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 5 stars
📅 Pub Date: September 9, 2025 (Deluxe Edition)
📝 Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jez is a crabby fennix, one of a group of friends (including orcs, elves, and gargoyles) in Adenashire. After too many glasses of rum, she makes a bet that she can win the Yule games. Her friend Taenya the elf will partner with her, and they decide to pretend that they are a couple since cute back stories generate more crowd support. Jez hates the spotlight and the cold, but she doesn't want to let Taenya down. Often it's tough to understand why anyone would bother with Jez, but her friends prove Mr. Rogers's observation that "people can like you exactly the way you are." Will Jez and Taenya be able to complete the competition, despite a huge misstep by Jez? Will the fake romance become real? The world building in this cozy fantasy is so enjoyable--a visit to Adenashire is a wonderful escape, and recipes are included. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wholesome and cozy little romantasy read!

Great if you love:
- Sapphic romance
- Slow burn romance
-Fake dating
- Low stakes
- Wintery/Christmas Vibes

This story features Jez- a somewhat grumpy Fennex (Think human & fox combined), and Taenya- a bright and happy woodland elf.
In the town of Adenashire, the famous Yule games are set to start soon. In this competition, teams compete against each other in a bunch of winter themed challenges.
Jez has absolutely no interest in playing games, but ends up teaming up with Taenya, and accidentally becoming her fake girlfriend.
Now the two must keep up their appearances, fake-dating to win the tournament. But they may just win over each other instead.

This was a very simple and quick read.
While it is fantasy, it does not have the typical heaviness that you usually get from the genre. Personally, I really love this.
I think this is perfect if you are looking for something light, cozy and comforting! Especially for the upcoming holiday season!
The romance is clean and pretty adorable, and I so so so loved seeing Taenya take care of Jez!
She was so kind and gentle, even when Jez was being a bit grumpy, and I thought it was so cute.

I do think that the characters could have been a little bit more developed.
I have not read the other books in this series, but I do believe this acts as a stand-alone, so I am not sure if reading the others first would help or not.
It really was not a problem, I just think I would have connected to them more if it was a bit less surface level.

I did really enjoy it though. I thought the energy and warmth was great and I will definitely be reading the previous 2 books!

Thank you to Netgalley, Poison Pen Press and author J. Penner for providing me with the eARC of "A Fellowship of Games & Fables", in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 09, 2025

[Stuffl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy read, perfect for a day on the couch. A beautiful magical world with many different creatures: orcs, dwarves, elves, humans,.. and a fennex. In addition to a sweet romance between the fennex lady Jez and the elf Taenya, the story also revolves around the famous Winter Games in Adenashire.

The games were really fun! The various competitions were original and funny. Baking is also a big theme, and I was especially happy about the great recipes at the end!

But I also liked the message: it's okay to make mistakes and you can make up for them. And also that friends are always there for each other. Oh, just great!

The love between Jez and Taenya was very slow burn based on fake dating. One of my favorite tropes! I liked Jez's grumpy nature and Taenya's patience and the time she took to help Jez recognize her feelings. That was really sweet. I missed the tingling and longing a little.

If you like romantasy, sweet love, and holiday vibes, this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[TrixieB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was lovely!

Penner does a really good job showing how isolating disability can be.

This series, every book, is so full of love and found family it's wonderful. They're all wonderful.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute, so well done, everything I needed it to be. I might love this one as much as the first one.

[Kassyreadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A fellowship Of Games And Fables

Author: J. Penner

Synopsis: Jez, a grumpy fennex, wants nothing to do with the cold, snow or bustling winter games descending on the charming town of Adenashire. She’d rather curl up for a nap. But a drunken boast lands her smack in the middle of the festivities and, even worse, fake dating her friend, Taenya, a woodland elf.

Plagued by chronic fatigue and past heartbreak, Jez has long guarded her heart. Not to mention she has a secret she’d rather not share. Yet, Taenya’s warmth and patience begin to melt her icy exterior. Together, the two women tackle challenges (from ice sculpting to scavenger hunts) and their pretend relationship sparks genuine feelings.

With the unwavering support of her friends, and amidst the cozy, festive cheer of winter, Jez discovers that love and acceptance are within reach, even for those who would rather hibernate in the shadows.

Escape to Adenashire for a heartwarming tale of friendship, romance, resilience, and the magical spirit of the season.

Review: I’m so happy we got a book on Jez and was happy to see her story! I’m a sucker for winters settings but it could be because I was born in the winter so I might be biased! It was cute and fluffy! The found family aspect is chef’s kiss! This series overall is like having a warm hug with lovable characters!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not even know that A Fellowship of Games and Fables was out, let alone that it appears it was published last year?! I missed a memo

This is the third book in a cozy fantasy series - each book follows a character from a found family, and how they find love. A fellowship of games and fables features the grump/sunshine pairing, as well as the fake dating trope!

I liked the competition throughline of this story, as Jaz and Taenya compete to win and grow closer. It was fun, visualizing all the winter festivities with warm baked goods and tea.

I am a big fan of communication between love interests, and this book gets an A+ from me

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great addition to the Adenashire series. I loved following Jez and Taenya in this story as they fake dated and competed in a winter games competition. I enjoyed this book as much as the other two books in this series. This was a wonderful grumpy/sunshine romantasy and perfect if you are looking for a cozy read.

Read this if you like:

📖 Cozy romantasy
📖 Fake dating
📖 Grumpy/sunshine
📖 Winter vibes
📖 Lgbt reps

[Christine]

I'm not interested in same sex romance. Marking this one now.

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third instalment in the Adenashire series and I was heavily waiting for this to get to know Jez and Taenya better.
In this story we follow Jez as she plans to avoid the Yule games at all costs. However after a drunken night out she bets she can win and who’s supposed to be her partner if non other than Taenya. I really enjoyed having the Yule winter games as a background because they were super fun. However the love story was the weakest one so far which is slightly disappointing since we had glimpses of these two in the first few books. I wish we had the revelations about the past earlier on so to focus more on the relationship the rest of the book. It felt like Jez was defat he’d the entire time and then suddenly changed her mind at the end.
Nevertheless this still is one of my favorite cosy romantic series. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review

[Stacey Beane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just adore this little series & all our little friends & this book is no exception! If you love super cozy fantasy then you just need to read this series! That’s all ☺️

[Dayna Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure what I was expecting this book to be, but it definitely didn't appeal to me. I should have read the dust jacket a bit more thoroughly. All of the anthropomorphism of fennex, fox, gargoyles and such is just not my style. Too fantasyland for me. Upon further consideration of my review I have decided that this book not only had interesting illustration, it had good speech syntax and interesting descriptions etc. Basically good writing. It just wasn't my pic of genre.

[Katie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary early release copy of A Fellowship of Games & Fables by J. Penner.

I was very excited to get reintroduced to the world of Adenashire, I really missed these characters and their cozy fantasy world! I was very excited for book three: A Fellowship of Games & Fables in particular since it focuses on a Sapphic pairing! I enjoyed this addition to the series, the Yule competition games were fun and interesting to follow. I liked how the characters played the games and supported one another during them. It’s always so sweet to see these characters come together, I truly adore this found family group of friends.

The fake dating troupe between Jez and Taenya made for an interesting addition to pair with the Yule games. I like the idea of these two together, they have a bit of a polar opposites type of thing going on and I enjoyed it. They have some cute scenes together and I was definitely routing for them.

I did find that during my read Jez’s character did annoy me a bit, there were some times that I just thought she was being a little too snappy or avoidant about things. I do understand it’s in her nature but it did become a bit repetitive. Taenya did a good job with Jez, I felt that she was very understanding, patient, and a good listener. I am very happy with how things had ended between them and I’m curious to know how their relationship will develop in future books. I was kind of hoping to get more of Jez’s backstory in here, when it does come up I feel that it’s a bit last minute but I’m hopeful that it will come up again. I liked the bonus chapter included, this little snippet into Jez’s life was interesting and cute. I’d love to see more of her family and how they are doing!

These cozy fantasy stories have all been very pleasant and I’m always excited to see what the next book is going to be about! The epilogue definitely has me intrigued for the next installment in this series! If you love cozy low stakes fantasy centered around baking and a loving found family that you’d never forget I’d recommend the Adenashire series!

[Julia Clopton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gonna be honest, this was an extremely rare Did Not Finish for me. I tried, I really did, but 50 pages in and I'm throwing in the towel. I love the Great British Bakeoff show and having a whole fantasy world revolve around that theme was such a lovely invention by the author. But this book... ugh... The protagonist here, Jez, was a favorite supporting character from the first two books. Came across as grumpy but having a heart of gold. However, once we get to this book and you know what her thoughts actually are, she becomes really unlikable. The grumpiness doesn't seem to cover affection like I'd previously assumed. Instead she's whiny, insecure, keeps unnecessary secrets, and has been deliberately making her life much more difficult for *no good reason*. Also the set up for her romantic attraction to another of the former baking competition gals is laughable. It's truly a feat for the author to have made a crush/set up for a love story less believable than than the existence of the wizards, dragons, elves and talking cats that exist in this novel. So... maybe it gets better, but I think I'm done with the series now. Book 2 was fun, book 1 was a slog, and book 3 was a DNF. Time to find another author to read.

[Heather Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this third book in the “A Fellowship…” series!!! Again, it can be read as a standalone but is just more fun if you have read the previous books in the series. Full of humor, heart, & acceptance. Fantastic world building and wonderful characters make this a greatly entertaining novel. I cannot recommend this series enough-you will smile, laugh, and will totally relate to these characters! TOP book and a favorite fantasy of the year!!!!! Bummer though….now I have to wait for the next book in the series!!!!! Argh!

“Jez, a grumpy fennex, wants nothing to do with the cold, snow or bustling winter games descending on the charming town of Adenashire. She’d rather curl up for a nap. But a drunken boast lands her smack in the middle of the festivities and, even worse, fake dating her friend, Taenya, a woodland elf.
Plagued by chronic fatigue and past heartbreak, Jez has long guarded her heart. Not to mention she has a secret she’d rather not share. Yet, Taenya’s warmth and patience begin to melt her icy exterior. Together, the two women tackle challenges (from ice sculpting to scavenger hunts) and their pretend relationship sparks genuine feelings.” (From the book blurb)

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

A Fellowship of Games and Fables is already the third book in the cozy fantasy Adenashire series. It focuses on the group of friends that meet in the first book. This one focuses on Jez, a grumpy fennex (humanoid fox).

What I liked about this book was that we went a little deeper into Jez. Her need for naps is more explained. Her magic overwhelms her but shutting out her magic also overwhelms her. She struggles to find a balance. A lot of her experience seems to be similar to those who are neurodiverse. I certainly saw some of myself in her.

Her backstory however, the reason that she left and has not at all returned to her family, is flimsy at best. Because it was all in her head. I don't think this part was done justice. I did appreciate the small look back at the second book, where she was very very suspicious of her friends love interest and wasn't very nice because of it. In this book she actually connects as friends with that person and I thought that was a great step forward for Jez.

Having said that, this wasn't really my book. I didn't care much for the actual plot of the competition. It is not an element in books that I enjoyed. The romance was also one that didn't really care for. The author already tried to set it up in the previous book but it was still a little flimsy in places. There were also things that were being said that didn't make sense. Like they are friends, good friends is alluded. And then one says: I'm finally getting to know you better. Like aren't you already good friends? And if there is a reason to feel like that, please explain it.

It was a decent read but I wanted a little more out of it.

[Symantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

I love this little world and I am honored to receive another ARC in this series. Third times the charm. That being said, I felt like most of this book could be summarized with character 1 saying: I really like you, then character 2 saying: gosh idk why they would like me, I'm not very likeable. Then we get to the actual competition/games in the last 10% of the book. I wished there was more of the games in this book like others in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so fun and cute. It's like a big hug in book form, making it perfect if you want something easy but sweet.

I loved finding out more about Jez and seeing her relationship develop. I would have liked to find out more about her family but appreciated the focus on the games.

You can easily read this book as a standalone, but I'd say it's worth giving the first two a try as well. As with the previous books, this is a quick read and you get exactly what you expect - super cosy vibes with very low stakes.

This book was exactly what I needed right now and I enjoyed every page.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I spent the last two books thinking Jez was a fully feline cat person, until I saw the alternate book cover for this book and no, she’s just a cute girl with cat ears and a tail. But I find that more boring, so I went right back to picturing her as a Khajiit from The Elder Scrolls. Second of all…this is easily my least favorite of the Adenashire books so far. It was nice getting some perspective from Jez, that she’s not just “the grumpy one” of the group, and her chronic fatigue is revealed to be actually a result of trying to suppress her magical abilities. But the plot was not so interesting, and the events that lead to the “fake dating” scenario were so contrived (Jez was drunk so she just randomly says they’re dating and now they have to play it up for reasons). And Taenya hasn’t been an interesting character since the first book. AND the ending was pretty abrupt. I wish the epilogue had been spent on wrapping up this book rather than to set up the next one.

One more thing that I hesitate to even mention l, because it’s more of an editing issue than anything to do with the story…I don’t know if it’s just the Kindle version I was reading or what, but there were multiple typos, including calling characters by the wrong name or pronouns, and misspellings. I probably wouldn’t have noticed except there were several of them. A bit disappointing.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third instalment of this delightful series didn’t disappoint. Lots of charm and lightness as has been the vibe of whole series as well as some really good character growth that hope to see continue through next couple books. Quick, fun and cosy. Perfect books if want something easy and sweet.

[Jaclyn Workentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few typos but love the vibe!

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queers fake dating, playing winter games and eating pastries 😍❤️

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!! the vibes were great! This is a really easy read if you want something that you don't need to think much about

[Samantha Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhhh!!

Okay literally, I say this every time I finish a a book in this series but I absolutely loved this one. Jez is so relatable, I totally called it, but at the same time I didn't care that I could call it, still such a cute little story.

[Becky Dalessandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this adorable series but the books need better editors 🙄

[Michael Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t discuss it without spoilers, but there was a single thing that kept this from being a 4.5 or 5 star (round up). So happy but a little frustrated!

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally could not love these books more. Cozy fantasy is rapidly becoming one of my favorite genres to read, and I am devouring the Adenashire series. The characters are all so lovable in their own ways, and the stories are so heartfelt. Low stakes, these books are the perfect palate cleansers for thriller readers like myself. On to book 4!

[Becky Hogle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first book in the series, the second was ok, and this one was by far the worst. It feels very rushed and like it wasn't edited in places. For example, characters seemed to have been mixed up in a few places (Ervash and Verdreth were both described as sliding first in the sledding competition for example, despite being on the same team). The story line is rushed and honestly, feels a little phoned in like the first book did so well the author is trying to keep the narrative going even though it doesn't need to.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Adenashire series has been cozying up to each of the friends who ‘conquered’ the legendary Langheim Baking Battle since the first delightful book in the series, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic.

At the delicious end of the Baking Battle, although Taenya won the competition, it was the fellowship of Arleta, Doli, Taenya and Jez that collectively walked away with the real prize in that contest – each other’s lifelong friendship.

So they all followed Arleta back to her home in Adenashire. Both because it sounded charming, AND because each of them – except Arleta of course – had a strong desire to make a fresh start somewhere far away from the homes they sorta/kinda ran away from to enter the Baking Battle in the first place.

They’re all adults, so they didn’t EXACTLY run away from home. But they didn’t exactly not, either. They each wanted to start over, on their own, outside the influence of well-meaning but overbearing and VERY influential families who loved them but had made it entirely too clear that they’d be more acceptable if they followed in the family footsteps and remained under the family thumb.

The second book in the series, A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons, is the dwarf Doli Butterbuckle’s discovery of her happily ever after. That the dwarf falls in love with a librarian who happens to be a gargoyle just added to the story’s charm – especially for this reader.

This third story circles back around to the actual winner of the Baking Battle, the elf Taenya, and the other remaining unmatched member of the Baking Battle fellowship, grumpy fennex Jez. Who begins this entry in the series even grumpier than she usually is.

It’s not merely winter, but it’s winter in Adenashire and the Yule Games are just about to begin – much to Jez’ EXTREME consternation.

As a desert creature, Jez simply hates winter. It’s cold. It’s really, really cold. It snows. The paths ice over. And did I – or rather Jez – mention that it’s COLD?

As if that’s not enough to make a fennex grumpier than usual, Adenashire’s Yule Games are a really big deal, drawing vast numbers of visitors to the cozy little town to either participate or spectate – or speculate – on which team will win the Games this year.

Jez has made very firm plans for this year’s Yule Games. She’s planning to hide her antisocial self inside the bookstore for the entire length of the Games, staying out of the way of the crowds that have invaded her sanctuary, clogging up every street and all of her usual haunts.

That the increased crowds are making her secret and oversensitive ‘scent magic’ so reactive that she’s constantly bombarded with headaches and chronic exhaustion couldn’t possibly be influencing her mood. At all.

Which is why it’s a complete, not so much surprise as outright shock, when a drunken Jez refuses to back down from the challenge of some blowhard, out-of-town Games participants to not just participate but actually win at the side of the elf she’s trying to pretend doesn’t make her feel better just by entering the room.

And that’s how Jez and Taenya decide to take that bet, not just to participate in the Games, but to fake-date their way through the competition. They’ll still be friends – just friends – when the games are over, won’t they?

Sure they will.

Escape Rating B: It may be a bit early for OUR holiday season, but I couldn’t resist the coziness of Adenashire this week. The earlier books this week had plenty of dark moments – although not the same kind of dark – and I was looking for something light and cozy. Places don’t come much lighter and cozier than Adenashire.

(Although Thune in Legends & Lattes and Tawney in Tomes & Tea absolutely are right up there with it, along with Shady Hollow. Also, we’re just at the beginning of fall, and it got hot again around here. The descriptions of Adenashire’s picture perfect chilly winter sounded delightful in comparison.)

The thing I enjoy about series like Adenashire is that it’s a nice visit with friends. I start out wanting to see how everyone is doing. The chance to catch up with the ‘gang’ is ALWAYS worthwhile no matter what else is happening around them. That there’s a lovely story to sink into while catching up is the icing on a very tasty cake. (They’re all bakers. ALL the cakes are tasty. Do NOT read this series while hungry. It comes with recipes!)

The romance this time around is a bit low-key. It takes Taenya and Jez the whole story to admit that they’re in love with each other. Jez has a bit of a case of the “I’m not worthies” of the “I screw up all my relationships” variety, so her part in that is figuring out that her friends accept her as she is – and that Taenya loves her as she is. Also that nobody’s perfect, no matter how together they appear.

Jez’ variety of this particular romantic tangle was interesting in its own way, as she’s suffering from the magical equivalent of chronic fatigue syndrome. Her magic is overwhelming when she uses it (everybody smells all the time, after all) and painful and debilitating when she suppresses it. Her attempts at self-medication have had their own consequences, which is how she gets herself into this mess in the first place.

The games were cute and very winter-appropriate, but what gave the story that extra bit of zing was the little touch of infuriating irritation at the blowhards that tempted her into that bet. Jez was sure that they were cheating the whole way – but she’s naturally suspicious to begin with. Because cozy fantasy tends to be refreshingly light on violence and other forms of criminality, the discovery of what those ‘blowhards’ really were manipulating turned out in the end to be a surprising and delightful bit of business after all of Jez’ signature grumpiness.

Of course the story ends in a happy ever after for all concerned, as well as a marvelous bit of news that is sure to be at the heart of the next book in the series, A Fellowship of Curses & Cats. Arleta’s ‘Fated’, Theo, is planning to open a cat cafe next door to Arleta’s bakery – under the ‘supurrvision’ of his magical feline friend Faylin. What could possibly go wrong?

We’ll certainly see later this season!

Originally published at Reading Reality