The Great Tree of Iris

by Jess Skultety

7 Unlikely Companions.

5 Libraries.

1 Hidden Prophecy.

The Great Tree of Iris: a place of unmatched healing power for humans. Top scholar Lia Tovar protects the Tree in honor of her dead father, but she has visions of its tragic demise. When Rory Elatha, an elf from the hidden city of Kyrali, arrives seeking experts to save the decaying, sacred sunflower fields, Lia suspects their situations are connected. For once, her books cannot help, and she answers the call.

To save the Tree, Lia must learn to trust six allies:

- A youthful jeweler

- A haunted scholar

- A vibrant secret-keeper

- An inkdelver on a mission

- A wizard seeking a friend

- A dragon looking for home

When they discover one part of a deadly prophecy, Lia, Rory, and their party search desperately for a way to challenge fate. But as more natural disasters arise in their race across the continent, Lia must decide if she can let Rory into her heart, and if that will free or destroy her.

An epic romantic fantasy standalone for adults, The Great Tree of Iris combines a 30-year-old FMC's map-crossing quest with fade-to-black sapphic romance in a queernormative world. Perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon, L.R. Lam, S.A. Chakraborty, Saara El-Arifi, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Adult, Magic, Dragons, Lesbian

490 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2025

About the author

Jess Skultety is a fantasy author, poet, and quilter. Her favorite writing subjects include strong women, found family, sapphic relationships, queer joy, and crafting. She is proudly bisexual and lives in New Jersey with her alpha reader husband and cat-shadow-writing buddy. @jessskultetyauthor

Reviews

[Nikolett Ungor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. As someone who loves supporting indie authors, I always aim to share thoughtful, fair feedback. While I have personal reading preferences like a love for fantasy, horses, or specific tropes, I never let that impact my rating unless it is relevant to the book’s intent or audience. I review with the genre and readership in mind.

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice rating: -
Darkness/Bloodiness: -

I was captivated by the cover, so beautiful and colorful, I just had to pick up the book. As always I didn't check anything else apart from the cover and the tropes so I was incredibly pleasantly surprised to see its an LGBTQ+ book. When I realized I kid you not I was squealing like a mini pig.

The journey is grand with a ton at stakes, the party is incredibly colorful and it really reminded me of a big dnd group, so if you happen to enjoy dnd I would give the book a chance for sure, it might even inspire a new campaign. I was so happy that even with a new world and so many characters I could still easily follow, it wasn't too long until I felt like I am in the saddle and I understand all.

I loved the plot, the romance is adorable and the journey is great with those characters, but I loved the mystery, piecing together broken history and uncovering what on earth happened before that brought those consequences to the main characters. I definitely had many surprises along the way, that will be I think highlights for many readers.

I don't want to babble here more, I loved the book and I think those who love colorful characters that are incredibly well written and are in love with great plots will love the book, you should absolutely give it a chance!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story this is! The Great Tree of Iris is an epic romantasy by Jess Skultety. Set in a queernormative world, the protagonists face many challenges, but their queer identities are not among them. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not discussed, labeled, or questioned—they simply are.
There are dragons and elves, as well as many other magical elements. A prophecy must first be discovered and then fulfilled. Evil dragons, prejudice, environmental challenges, and assassins make the journey perilous.
Skultety creates a beautiful yet dangerous world, rich in lore and populated by diverse, well-developed characters. This fully realized fantasy is complex and multilayered, addressing real-world issues while providing a compelling, world-saving quest. The romances are significant but well balanced within the plot. I love the addition of the glossary, pronunciation guide, historical timeline, character guide, and map!
The pairings are sweet and fun, and I love them all. We have bi and nonbinary rep, body positivity, strong female leads, and healthy masculinity.
I enjoy the twists, suspenseful moments, tender interactions, and vivid imagery. The writing is clear, engaging, and easy to follow.
I recommend this immersive romantasy, which gifts us a detailed and satisfying conclusion.
#fantasy #romance #quest #adventure #suspense #birep #nonbinary #bodypositivity #oppositesattract #magic #dragons #wizards #elves #prophecy #phoenix #gods #prejudice #assassins #scholar #queen #emissary #POC
I received a free ARC from the author. This is my honest opinion.

[Chyna Geib · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Was. Fun! 

Did I immediately connect in some way with all of the characters? Absolutely! Did I LOVE the multi-POV and all of the small moments and gestures we got to see because of it? Double absolutely! A smirking elf, a grumpy scholar, and a sassy wizard walk into a bar… and what an adventure they had. The Great Tree of Iris had me laughing, almost crying, and rooting for all kinds of love. Representation matters, and I saw myself in several of the characters in a way I don't usually see myself in novels. Overall, it was a lovely experience.

If you're looking for a magical time with romance, adventure, and mystery, this story is for you! 5 stars!

Thanks to the lovely author, I received an ARC for this book.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Tree of Iris was a fun read! At first, it felt intimidating to jump between character POVs, but I got used to it quickly and enjoyed being able to actually know what different characters were thinking in certain moments (unlike some other books!). It was artfully done and beautifully written.

There are so many intricate details, from the landscape descriptions to how the elves’ powers work to side characters like the lunalis. And, it feels like the characters truly explored every place on the map. Highly recommended to other fantasy lovers!

[Barbara Moreda · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thanks to Jess for picking me to receive an ARC of this book. Second, I’m not typically a fantasy reader. Romantasy? Yes. Romance? Yes. This was a new genre for me.

There is quite a cast of characters. Wizards. Elves. Half elves. Humans. Dragons. There is intrigue. Betrayals. Assassinations. Jealousy. Petulance. Blight.

Our hero’s begin a quest to save the Great Tree of Iris, which is used to help heal folks who contract flameblight. The origin is unknown. How it spreads is unknown. There is a prophecy that is spread throughout the lands they need to find an interpret in order to save the dying lands. If they don’t, evil drains will rule the world with flame and terror.

There is great world building and character development. The book is third person yet is told from seven points of view.

This is a debut novel and I look forward to watching Jess’ growth and development as a budding author.

[Claire]

I had the opportunity to be part of the ARC team for this book and I was so happy to be chosen, even before I saw the gorgeous cover. THE GREAT TREE OF IRIS is about a thirty-something plus-size bisexual scholar named Lia; I mention all those adjectives because I've never seen a character quite like her leading an epic fantasy before, and it made me feel warm and fuzzy. Her anxiety and panic attacks pulled at my heart because they reminded me so much of my own. She's joined by quite a few friends and newcomers alike, including an elf named Rory whom Lia finds herself drawn towards (and who can blame her?) I have a hard time keeping up with multiple POVs, so I reluctantly decided to DNF, but this is very much a case of personal taste. I highly recommend checking this one out if you like ensemble casts, epic quests, and queernormative worlds.

[Jess Skultety]

Hi Goodreads! This book contains: a 30-year-old scholar FMC learning what love really is, an epic quest with a big twist on the prophecy and chosen one tropes, a sapphic (FF) slow burn and an MX fast(er) burn, a queer-normative world, a doughnut-baking dragon who is really good with numbers, solar magic, a romantic lantern festival, a sexy masquerade, a cranky female wizard, and a whole lot of hope.

I wanted to write a book that was like Lord of the Rings, but what if women and nonbinary people (and a couple of great guys as well) save the world?

I hope you finish THE GREAT TREE OF IRIS, sit back, and think, "Wow. That was an adventure." Welcome to Erienva.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a privilege being chosen to receive an ARC of The Great Tree of Iris. This epic novel is not my typical genre so I was excited to branch out and read something different. The story radiates with love, inclusiveness, and characters I want as my friends. An epic tale that will not disappoint you.

[Siobhán]

Let's go!!!! So excited to see this finally drop after all the social media teases for the plot and characters!

[Meine01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've got the opportunity to join as arc reader!
My review is delayed by a few reasons.
As I received my copy and the knowledge I'll have one and a half month time, I was already a bit intimidated since I only recently got into reading. I don't consider myself a bookworm, next thing is, English is not my native language so I was surprised by the writing style, it was difficult to say the least. Not that I have trouble with English but this really tested me.

The story itself is amazing! I love the concept and the general vibe. Facing obstacles and resolving issues, travelling and character growth. Them growing together to a big family of friends.

The characters were all unique and lovely in their own special ways, it's great how about everything of the queer community is represents and that love and care know no physical limitations.

Yet it's not getting 5 stars from me because it's written in a way that reminds me of my native language, where I tend to re-read stuff just to understand what's going on, it's not a enjoyable process if you have to re-read every now and then (and I had to re-read a lot).

It uses a lot of visual descriptions, which isn't a bad thing at all, but made me easily loose what a scene was about. On top it used a slightly "older" or more sophisticated type of language with many, until then to me, unknown words and descriptions.

I love fantasy and I know fantasy brings its own rules and laws same as names, another thing I struggled with was all the different names and terms used throughout the book. I liked that there was a pronounciation and character guide in the back, even if I discovered it quite late.

Another thing that was well made is how the perspective changed and you would follow each of the characters to get their perspective on things, their feelings and thoughts.

A sad thing in my opinion was that there's many, seemingly random moments where out of nowhere a twist or revelation happens that didn't fit the context quite well or sounded straight up like a benefit to the situation just to fix it. Most of them made sense later on, but it hits you in the face like a branch from a tree you didn't knew was there to begin with.
Perhaps it got lost between all the fantasy and location names I had to keep track of.

Overall a great story and I'm happy I could finish it despite delayed, I hope others can enjoy the story as well.


For me it'll probably stay a one time read😔

[Illiriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book, and I'm so glad I got to be an ARC reader for it.

Erienva is a world where there is magic, but the races live largely separated. Our MCs start out the book having never seen en elf or half elf or wizard or dragon, despite the close proximity to the edge of the Dragonlands and the Queendom of the elves.

But as the Great Tree of the humans and the Sunflowers of the elves start to fade, a group must come together to find out why, and stop it before it risks wiping out all life on the continent.

We have humans, elves, half elves and a cranky wizard who are all searching for the answers, and they are all great characters.
I enjoyed the sibling dynamics of Lia and Sol, and Rory and Icarion. Lia and Rhael struggle with the past getting in the way of the present, which is very realistic, but their friendship is still the main bond between them. I appreciate that there are so many friendships in the story, as well as blossoming love interests.

The story I think maybe felt a little slower at the start, but that is often to be expected with an epic fantasy, where there is world building to set up alongside the characters. It quickly sped up and continued on at a good pace, and by 50% I was eager to keep going to see where the story led.

There is decent representation in the story, with the humans having a good amount of diversity, plus this world is one where love is love and there are queer relationships aplenty.

The world mythology is interesting, and I enjoyed what was created for the elven magic system, and how it relates to half elves especially. I had loads of questions about the wizards and would love to hear more about them, possibly in a short story.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a standalone epic fantasy, queer fantasy, or elven fantasy. While there's dragons in it... You should probably leave the dragons alone. It's in everyone's best interests

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy of The Great Tree of Iris by author Jess Skultety. Thank you Jess for the chance to be an ARC reader.

If you like sapphic fantasy romance that goes in depth with world building while following the adventure of seven characters, this is a definite book to read. Jess has done an amazing job with this book in building a world that you can almost see, but not in a way that can be overwhelming to the reader. She also has some how introduced seven characters in this story with alternating veiw points, but does so in a way that I did not get lost as I have with other books that have had several characters.

The Great Tree of Iris is about Lia, a first class scholar of the Tree of Iris, and her six allies she meets along her journey to solve a hidden prophecy that may end in great tragedy if not solved in time. The cast of characters are unique and provide plenty of banter and sillyness mixed in with the seriousness of saving their world. There is Icarion (an inkdelver and emissary for the elven city Kyrali), Sol (younger sibling of Lia and jeweler), Rhael (associate scholar of the Tree of Iris), Rory (emissary for elven city Kyrali), Aishagi ( wind wizzard), and Hippa (young firedragon and friend of Aishagi). Together they face trails and tribulations in changing the fate set centuries ago. During this some of the group find new beginnings in love. Lia and Rory's love story is a slow burn and one of learning to trust eachother.

Overall this book was a joy to read. It is a long book, but it has to be to fully explore the world and prophecy Jess has created. I enjoyed the various interactions between the characters and seeing them grow as the journey unravels. I found myself chuckling at Hippa and her love for baking a certain yummy baked good. Definitely recommend reading this epic story.

[Desi]

The Great Tree of Iris is a beautiful story encompassing family, friendship, found family, love, and the characters’ connections with the world around them. I was invested in these characters before I even started the book. They all have distinct personalities and backstories that make them easy to relate to. The relationships they form are even better.
I really enjoyed the emphasis on animal (creature?) companions as well. I love when an author isn’t afraid to write about and elaborate on the different animal species in their world and the deep bonds the main characters can form with them.
The world-building, setting, and overall plot were interesting as well. I mean how can you go wrong with a quest to visit a bunch of different libraries? The entire time I was reading, I was thinking how fun it would be to visit this world in a TTRPG setting. With the different POVs, it was entertaining to picture myself playing that character at a table and questioning if I would have made the same decisions they did.
While there were a lot of tense moments in the story, I would still say this book was mostly comforting. The author mentions wanting to write a queer-normative fantasy world that’s inclusive of all different types of people and I personally think she did a great job. It was nice to feel represented in a lot of ways I don’t usually have the opportunity to experience in the books I read.
The ending wrapped everything together quite nicely but left a little wiggle room for sequels or novellas if the author ever wanted to revisit the world.

Thank you to the author for allowing me access to an ARC of this book! (Sorry I didn’t get my review in before the release date)

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Jess Skultety for this ARC! The Great Tree of Iris is a cozy-ish queer fantasy book. It has elves, dragons, giants, and various other mythical creatures. I say cozy-ish because there is a little more action than most cozy fantasys, but no where the amount as an epic fantasy. It was the perfect mix. The world Jess built is queer-normative, and one of the main characters is nonbinary. There were a few plot twists that I saw coming, and I found a few characters to be annoying/useless, but overall this was a great read!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel because it's really an wild amount of worldbuilding and it's done so well. If epic sapphic romantasy is your jam, you should definitely check this one out because it hits on all points. It's got fun and interesting magic, a prophesy, DRAGONS. I love that romance isn't the only dynamic focus though, as there is a large focus on friends, family, and the friends who have become family along the way. There was times where it was a little slow, but overall this was one that was definitely worth the read.

[ReedRyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Queer amd Non Binary epic of Tolkien Proportions!

An incredible cast of characters, and multiple P's OV wind their way through the length and breadth of their world.

Events unfold in an incredible melange of intrigue and emotion.

bringing it all together for a resounding Finale, Jess has Created Something that will last for ages to come!

[Marcella Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh take on epic fantasy with some amazing romances! You don’t want to miss this adventure. I had so much fun getting to know this large cast of characters and follow along on the mystery solving, secret keeping, and donut eating 😋

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit that I'm not much of a fantasy reader, but this book had me at queer representation and the careful handling of mental health. Jess weaves a vivid world with intriguing characters that you can believe in.

[Jasmine Shouse]

I love the premise. I think this story has a lot of potential to be wonderful. It's very queer-inclusive right up front, and that makes me happy. Unfortunately, I could not get into it, which saddens me because I think I would love it. Probably a matter of wrong timing for me.

[Alba Dorado · Rating 5 out of 5]

So genuine as relatable and refreshing characters, fantastic story and hopeful - adventurous and mysteries but relaxing enough - pace: I've loved this book