“A deadly danger abruptly ends the peaceful life of the young countess Marla. She is forced to flee into the hidden realm of the elves, where she quickly realises how little she knows about her own elven roots.
Soon, the centuries-long war between humans, elves, and dragons pulls Marla into a whirlwind of events. Will her ability to communicate with animals come into play? And will she succeed in breaking free from the shackles imposed by her class and human upbringing to redefine herself?”
Marla is an all ages (14 and up) fantasy read in a medieval setting. The book deals with loss, death, and romantic encounters, but has set no explicit spice and not overly gruesome or gory. It is described as a “cozy fantasy” and “feel-good series” by many readers. The world building is easy to follow and will slowly build up as the series progresses. Suitable for both seasoned fantasy readers and those new to the genre.
Marla: The Awakening is a cozy fantasy with a medieval setting, blending elves, humans, and dragons in an enchanting world that is as easy to immerse in as it is to follow. As an ARC reader for the translated version, I was captivated by the worldbuilding, which had a comforting flow despite its complex elements. Simone Wolfe's writing drew me in, making it a joy to experience the unfolding of Marla's journey.
At its heart, this is a story about growth and self-development. Marla's personal evolution is compelling, especially her slow-burn romance with Philipe, her teacher. Watching their relationship shift from a simple crush to a deep friendship and eventually to a "friends to lovers" arc felt authentic and heartwarming. Their connection was built gradually, making it all the more satisfying when it finally blossomed.
The book is full of unexpected twists, keeping you engaged and turning the pages. There are secrets revealed that change the way you view the story, along with glimpses of what Philipe is truly thinking, which added layers to the narrative. I loved seeing Marla's inner strength grow—her journey from doubt to confidence was particularly inspiring. A couple of lines stood out to me, reflecting the themes of healing and growth: "A wounded heart needs time" and "Her self-confidence grew with each step."
While the book is marketed for readers 14+, the spice level is very mild, making it suitable for a younger audience. The romance develops slowly, and the emphasis is more on emotional connection and personal growth rather than physical intimacy.
Overall, Marla: The Awakening is a captivating read for anyone who enjoys cozy fantasy with a strong, evolving protagonist and a touch of romance. I highly recommend it for fans of slow-burn relationships and intricate worldbuilding!
**** What is it about? **** Marla has always been brave, but when danger is right at her doorstep, her world begins to shake. From one moment to the next, she finds herself at the heart of a conflict between humans and elves. Her unique ability to communicate with animals is both a blessing and a curse. Will Marla find her place in this war, torn between her elvish roots and her human upbringing?
**** My impression **** I am absolutely captivated by the author's writing and narrative style. The writing is fluid, vivid, and mostly descriptive. Combined with the classic storytelling style, I experienced a thrilling adventure while also being able to relax. The world-building is fantastic: I could vividly imagine the world and its creatures and connect with the characters' emotions. The different characters brought the world to life, and despite the large number of characters, I never felt lost. The plot alternates between journey segments and smaller battles, so there is never a dull moment, and the tension builds continuously. Marla is a fantastic protagonist: strong yet emotional, approachable and clever, curious and always in the thick of things. Her emerging emotions in the chaos are more than understandable, and I repeatedly admired her courage. The narrative is straightforward, with many interesting twists. The story is complex and rich, leaving plenty of material for the upcoming volumes. The conflict is highly intriguing, and I am very excited to see where it goes – both in the plot and with our protagonist.
**** Recommendation? **** A classic high fantasy beginning with a strong protagonist and an engaging world-building. A definite recommendation!
Thank you to the author for the ebook English translation of this story. These are my honest opinions.
If you enjoy: no spice, slightly taboo relationships, rebellion, and high fantasy this is a book you should read.
It is an easy to read and enjoyable book about a conflict between elves and humans, with a sprinkle of romance with NO SPICE. I truly appreciated that this book was not spicy and I didn't miss the spice at all. The story really focused on setting up the world and introducing the characters, which made the book a bit tedious for me at times. While there were things happening (the FMCs house was attacked, they ran through the woods, discovered a traitor in their midst, rescued her father from captivity, and survived another attack), the story fell a bit flat for me. The FMC is a pampered girl with parents that were secretly helping Elves escape humans, think Underground railroad fantasy style, who falls in love with her teacher. There is definitely potential for this series and I think the next book will be better as this one spent a lot of time setting up the world.
While this was a good read and the ending left me interested in continuing the series, I am not sure I will continue reading the next book. The romance did not interest me and the fact that the MMC was a distant relation to the FMC bothered me. The FMCs father was a major disappointment at the end of the book and her grandfather was not much better. The dragons also do not make an appearance in book one, but they are strongly hinted at for future books.
I am interested in the dragons and how Marla's affinity for communicating with animals will play out in future books.
Tropes: Forbidden love Elvish Rebellion Hidden past Mental Health (Panic Attack) Rep One Bed Chosen one
I had the pleasure of reading an English translation of this book which was kindly gifted to me by the author. As a fantasy lover, the world system appealed to me immensely.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning of the conflicts between the elves and the humans, as well as the conflicts either the dragons towards the end. Although I would have liked to have seen more reasoning as to why the humans were so brutal towards the elves, it does a good job of showing the lines of morality.
Marla as a character was brilliant. She began off as what seemed like a young girl, but matured and grew huge amounts in the book. She became confident, and more sure of who she was and her skills. I enjoyed this the most and I look forward to reading about her in the next.
I was mildly alarmed by the relationship between Marla and Philipe at first- a young girl and her teacher? It initially didn’t sit right with me. Although in human years, it would be agreed that he was far too old for her, both are elves and it is demonstrated how different aging is for elves. Perhaps this along with Marla’s growth made it more acceptable. However, I do think I was rather rooting for Jahrvis more!!
I think my only note is the relationship Marla has with her father. We don’t see too much of it in the book and seemingly, Marla adores and loves him. But when we get the first proper interaction, he’s nothing but abusive and only sees her as a young girl. It seems like a toxic relationship, but I do get the sense that this is not supposed to quite come off like that. Perhaps delving more into her relationship with her father at the beginning of the story may clarify her relationship with her father.
I am rather hoping the author gifts me book number 2!
“Perhaps it was the drastic changes, both in appearance and character, that she had undergone in the last few days alone that had caused him to waver in his own resolutions and steadfastness. He had become much more self-confident and courageous, and her wild temperament had emerged more clearly.”
I haven’t read a ton of elvish books, but I definitely picked a great one to start with! Marla is a story about a girl who has to flee her home, in order to evade danger. She ends up taking refuge in the hidden realm of the elves, where she realizes that there is more to who she is than she knows.
Marla’s self-discovery and coming-of-age are inspiring to read about, but don’t worry there’s romance too! This is a YA book, so it’s not explicit or open-door, but it’s still there and it’s a slooooooooow burn.
I would consider this a cozy fantasy, with easy to follow world building that is super fun and unique. This book is a perfect one for readers who are new to fantasy, as well as seasoned fantasy lovers like me!
Marla is the first book in 4-book series, but also the only one currently translated into English. There are some questions that aren’t answered at the end of the book, so it hooks you in to get hyped for book 2 and beyond!! I, personally, cannot WAIT to keep reading this series!!
This was such a fun read! I enjoyed the world that was created, and the characters and the relationships between them.
I curious to see how she approaches the subject of her parents lying to her with her father, and considering he was married to an elf I don’t get his reasons for being upset that Marla would want to learn how to defend herself. Don’t get me wrong I know back In the day it was not considered okay, but again he was married to an elf and they were both part of the manantena so with all that knowledge of everything going on and with Marla being a half elf? If I were her parents I would want to give her the best chance at surviving.
I at first had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of her and Phillpe, the blood relation had confused me quite a bit and through me off, but the more and more I kind of pieced everything together I could understand it better. Although I do find Jahvis very cute and loved their interaction with each other.
The ending surprised me I honestly wasn’t expecting it and am wondering the reasoning a certain character had to do what they did… I definitely excited to read the next one and see where everything goes!
Marla - the awakening is the first book out of the Marla Universe by Simone Wolfe. Out of a sudden, Marla has to flee and leave her castle because there is danger awaiting her. Together with Philippe, Gustav and their three horses, they can manage to leave the castle just in time. After a short time, Marla has to learn, that her whole life has been a lie and that she knows nothing about her roots. The ongoing war between the elves and the humans are the starting point for a few disasters, which are about to happen.
I have to say, I have little knowledge in reading fantasy novels. BUT - Simone somehow made it very easy, to follow a fantasy world and the strong protagonist Marla. The world building is very easy and I was able to really take a look into her world. If you like dragons, elves, slow burn and don't mind having a lot of open questions after reading the first novel - then this book is for you!!
It has long chapters, which I'm not really a fan of - but that is just personal preference and might not be a bic deal for you.
I easily fell into this cozy fantasy and found it quick and easy to read. It has a natural flow to the writing and storyline. It was super enjoyable following Marla’s journey of self-development and the slow-burning romance/friends-to-lovers relationship brewing between her tutor, Philipe. I am a huge fan of the tropes and themes in this book- it has so much to offer for fantasy lovers.
🤍Elves and dragons 🤍Powers 🤍Secret/hidden heritage 🤍Coming-of-age 🤍The mentor archetype 🤍Sword fighting/training 🤍Friends-to-lovers 🤍Slow-burn romance 🤍Age gap/Forbidden love
This is the first story in the series and introduces readers to a fantasy world with easy-to-follow worldbuilding. It would be great for readers who are just entering the fantasy genre, and it will also appeal to more seasoned fantasy lovers looking for a cozy, fun, and feel-good read.
It's a sweet story about Marla, half-elf, who lives with her father. They have money, servants, guards... Then one day her world changes. There's a war going on between the humans and elves. Prejudices runs deep. Marla's tutor helps her run away because their home was attacked by humans and most of the people living there were killed. Her tutor takes Marla to the side of her family that she knows very little about - the elves.
Secrets are discovered, relationships are formed, and battles happen.
I'll admit, I'm struggling a little with the age difference between Marla and one of the possible romantic interests. I'm rooting for the other guy. 😂😂 I always choose the guy the author doesn't though, so we will see what happens.
I’d recommend this book to all my friends and family who would like a nice cozy fantasy read. There is still a lot of action, mystery and adventure that gets the blood pumping but it’s not soul crushing — hence cozy, fun fantasy!! Also a bit of romance! No open door scenes. I’d say one pepper 🌶️
Truly such a cute story! Easy reading, easy world build, fun character dialogue and banter, and easy plot to follow. Also, the plot twists are perfect! That ending, I did not see that coming.
The author is working on translating the series into English. This is Book 1 and I am so excited for Book 2 coming soon!
4 Stars ⭐️ 1 Spice 🌶️ Marla our FMC is a young, naive girl who grows over the book into a confident, strong woman. We also had Phillipe our MMC who seems like a straight forward character at first but he’s hiding complicated secrets beneath those bright green eyes. I would recommend for 13+ This bewitching tale is of a half elf half human girl by the Name of Marla who gets everything she’s always known be ripped away from her. This story has secrets at every turn and action that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time, including a slow burn friends to lovers romance.
The only note I have is it is a bit busy, I mean there was a lot of stuff happening in the one book. But other than that I absolutely loved it! 😁
I had the opportunity to review the English translation of Marla—The Awakening, the first book in an upcoming series set for release in February 2025. Described as a cozy fantasy, this label feels spot-on, as the story offers a blend of warmth, magic, and personal growth.
Summary Marla—The Awakening follows Marla, the half-elf, half-human daughter of a nobleman. Having led a sheltered life, Marla knows little about her elven heritage. When her home is attacked, she escapes with the help of her loyal tutor, Philipe (a friends-to-lovers dynamic), and Gustav, the stableman. They flee to the Manantena, a hidden valley stronghold in the mountains. In the safety of the valley, Marla uncovers her elven roots and discovers her unique ability to communicate with animals (Chosen One and Coming of Age themes). However, it soon becomes clear that the attack on her castle was a human ruse to uncover the location of the stronghold (Betrayal).
What I Loved 1. Compelling Characters The main cast is well-developed, likable, and relatable. My favorite characters included: o Rorek, the forthright and honest figure who provides grounding wisdom. o Philipe, whose caring nature shines in his devotion to others. o Tjarven, the swordmaster, whose strength and discipline add depth to the story. o Marla, the protagonist, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and begins to shape her own destiny. 2. Cultural Nuances The cultural differences between humans and elves are vividly portrayed. One memorable example is the elves’ comfort with bathing naked, a detail that highlights their alternate worldview and contrasts beautifully with human societal norms. 3. Foreshadowing and Pacing The story does a great job setting up Marla’s Chosen One role, laying clear groundwork for Book 2. The foreshadowing is woven seamlessly into the narrative without feeling heavy-handed. 4. The Cliffhanger Ending The final twist caught me completely off guard—I didn’t realize who the real traitor was until the very last page. It’s an effective hook that left me eager to read the next installment.
Final Thoughts If you enjoy stories featuring dragons, elves, and a mix of Coming of Age and Chosen One themes, I highly recommend giving Marla—The Awakening a try. It’s a fast, enjoyable read with charming characters and a rich, immersive world.