Heir of Bitter Thorn

The Fae of Bitter Thorn #0.5

by Kay L. Moody

A lost prince. A deadly bargain. A memory she can't afford to lose.

Elora is a master with a blade, but in her village, sword fighting is just a hobby for a girl destined for an arranged marriage. When a dryad offers her an escape, she accepts the bargain: rescue a cursed prince in Faerie or stay trapped in a mundane life forever.

But Brannick isn’t a damsel in distress. He’s a powerful fae prince held captive by an evil queen.

To save him, Elora must trade her iron for cunning and her heart for a promise she might not even remember.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Young Adult, Novella, Magic, Romantasy

136 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 12, 2026

About the author

Kay L. Moody is proud to be an epic fantasy romance author who gets to create worlds for a living. 😉 Her books feature strong female characters, court intrigue, royalty, magic, and slow burn romance with men who fall first.

With 17 romantasy books across 4 complete series, she’s no stranger to hidden princesses, deadly competitions, or couples who go from enemies to lovers. Her books have sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide and have earned accolades including Best Fantasy Book (Many Books, Dec 2023) and Bestseller: Fantasy (BookRaid, Apr 2024).

Her favorite non bookish things are pizza, summertime, the color pink, and having pretty nails. She lives in the western USA with her husband and four sons. Follow her on social media to stay in touch (@kaylmoody).

Visit her website to learn more. KayLMoody.com

Reviews

[The Half-blood Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Never bargain with a fae.

Elora dreams of adventure. With her unwanted marriage approaching, she is desperate to have some excitement before it arrives. A dryad appears and asks for help with saving a lost fae prince from the clutches of an evil queen. Believing it’s nothing more than a dream, Elora agrees willingly.
 
But Faerie is more dangerous than she imagined. Alongside iridescent clouds and frosted beauty, it also has dangerous enchantments, scheming fae, and frightening trolls. Even with her experienced sword skills, the land challenges her courage and wit to their breaking points.
 
Unfortunately, she already broke the first rule of Faerie: Never enter a bargain. Now she has no choice. She must save the prince… or die.

See, this is what I'm talking about! This is an adventure in a fae world and fae people, not fae who are basically humans with magic and pointy ears!

Elora and Prince Brannick, the eponymous heir, have a fun dangerous time. Btw, Brannick is that dude who knows he sets people's pheromones on fire and he has no qualms spraying the charm.

If you couldn't tell from the blurb I included, provided in the arc I received of the anthology Realms of Fae and Shadow, the story is set in the past - this is not an urban fantasy -, which makes Elora being a swordmaster even cooler!

There's some magic, but mostly it is physical action that keeps them moving forward, not spells or enchantments or whatever. There's actual fights, everyone, where the female mc is the adventurer, the so to speak knight, and the prince is the one in distress.

I also liked Blaz's overall existence. Some authors forget animals are as much a part of the fae world as more humanoid fae and not so humanoid, like trolls (seelie and unseelie, anyone? Except I don't know if that terminology is going to be used in the series, so don't quote me on that). Who is Blaz, you ask? No spoilers!

[Vanessa (bookfairy.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely novella! I'm happy I read this after book 1, because this way I already had a clearer picture of the characters and their personalities in mind.
I'm also curious to see whether the dagger will play another role somewhere in the series.👀

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely novella. A great prequel which sets the tone for the series. This author always draws me in, I'm always enchanted by her stories. We get to meet a lovely young girl, whose only wish is to be able to participate in sword fighting tournaments. Elora is loathe to accept that as a woman, she cannot be a warrior. When she is tricked into saving a prince in the Faerie realm, she is in her element and dreams of the adventures she will have. The reality is very different but somehow, it still leaves her energised. We get to see what a strong character Elora is and have no doubt of her will and stubborn nature. The Faerie realm is magnificently depicted, where she uses all her wits to survive, even fighting a troll. A fun book with fun characters

[Alyssa ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This added much needed context to the first book, I wish I had been able to read this before it.
This is such a quick, fun read.
I think it's immensely different from the author's other series and more mature in a way.

I really enjoyed this and I like Elora a lot more than I did initially.
I'm looking forward to continuing Castle of Bitter Thorn and hopefully a following book.
Prince Brannick is a jerk, but he's a jerk that I love 🥵

[Quinty [ikleesveel] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine prequel, I enjoyed it. ✨
Loved reading this after Court of Bitter Thorn and recommend reading it AFTER that one, not before. It was way nicer to see stuff from book 1 being explained than to already know all that stuff before reading book 1. If you've read the Fae of Bitter Thorn books, I 100% tell you to read this.

[Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little backstory to Elora and Brannick. It adds context to the rest of the series, and it fills in some blanks.
Action-packed and straight to the point. There’s not much else to really say about it.

[Jill Bridgeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this Novella first before starting the series. I enjoyed this read as it was simple and easy to understand. Elora was presented with a challenge, well bargain, and accepted. She's smart, quick on her feet, and doesn't back down easily from a challenge. She went after the Queen swiftly and thoroughly. She saved the Prince only to be told she would never remember him and he would never remember her. I look forward to reading the story of Elora and Prince Brannick.

[Joy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excited to see where things go!

[Shia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting seeing this prequel story! I loved how it ties in to the series.

[Kreela · Rating 5 out of 5]

With all the snarky reverse harems out there, it is refreshing to find a more traditional type of fantasy but without the traditional wilting-flower lady. Her father taught her the skills he knows: tournament fighting. This reminds me of my own father taking me hunting. Elora learned that courtly fighting and longs to have the associated adventures, at least in theory. Life doesn't work that way, and her parents have arranged a marriage for Elora. As a last ode to freedom, Elora decides to climb a tree. I know this sounds corny and simple, but having a small goal in life gives me the feeling of control.

Besides, a Dryad notices her sword and offers Elora her life's dream: an adventure. Rescue a prince from his binding with the Queen by poisoning her. Elora is not trained in espionage, spying, or murder. She is totally out of her depth, but the goal is heroic. While I thought the actual act of poisoning was abrupt and too pat, it worked for a short story as a preview for the main attraction. And I love one-offs.

I was wondering why the dryad would need a human, but the humans in the fae realm really are enspelled and have no control over their actions, no thoughts. It really emphasizes that small amount of control that Elora experienced over her life. She has freedom to make those decisions. Her fight with the trolls later shows why naive humans were required: she doesn't have any agreements or knowledge of the politics to interfere with the mission.

Elora overhears something about another prince waiting in the parlor. But I was disappointed that Elora doesn't meet the other prince by accident. She finds a prince in the parlor. How is it that the prince is the one she is rescuing? Why didn't such a naive person make a mistake in identification? Why didn't this hero feel guilty, at least, for not telling him to watch out? Or telling someone about it? She just ignores the situation.

Well, obviously I was engrossed in the plot. I love a strong plot, strong action, with romance. I love good world-building. I think the world, the plot, and the action deserve checking out the series.

[Caesara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loved it ❤️
I love Kay's writing and surely I will read this new fae series too.
The way she described the tree fae was like seeing her in front of my eyes 🤩
The story is about a young mortal girl that enters in bargain with a fae to save the prince of Bitter Thorn.
During their escape they have to fight against some trolls and she proves to be a strong fighter and succeeds in protecting the prince. Who during the battle with the trolls made think that he acts a little like Loki 😂 (love Loki by the way ♥️)
Can't wait to read the first book in the series💚🧡❤️

ARC received from the author 💖

[Jan Niblock · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first 2 books of the Bitter Thorn, reading this pre-quel answered some of the questions that I had from those stories. Like how did Brannick know about Elora’s sword skill? How did he know where she would be? How did she get a scar that looked like a troll bite to Brannick? To name a few.

It was very interesting to see Kaia’s role in helping Brannick escape from Fairfrost and who knew that Elora played a part? The entire time while I was reading it, I was wondering how could this happen and Brannick and Elora not know about it. I am not going to tell you the answer, you will have to read it to find out.

[Ksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

This is a nice little intro into the world of Faerie created by Kay L. Moody. There are some aspects that are reminiscent of what we know along with elements that are her own.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quick read that draws you in from the first page and leaves you wanting more. This had all the usual fae elements and felt right in line with stories like those by Holly Black. As much as I love books like Quicksilver (and I do *love* those books), there's just something about the more traditional takes on the fae that pulls me in and leaves me feeling enchanted in a way the others don't. They just have a specific tone and feel to them that I never tire of, and Heir of Bitter Thorn fits right in.

"How would you like to fight with your sword instead of just train with it?"
We start with a human girl who excels at the sword but lives in a society that frowns on women having such pastimes - and that's all it could ever be. As a girl, she could never hope to compete or do more with her swords than practice for herself. Even finding a husband who would allow her to keep this hobby isn't a given. However, her father promises to do his best to find her such a man as he considers the suitors who have offered money for her hand - it turns out he needs her to marry, as he can no longer support the family on his own. Feeling her time as an independent woman coming to an end, when she is offered the chance to go on an adventure to save a fae prince, she takes it, not realizing that once she entered into the bargain to do so, there was no going home again until she had completed her mission. Because, as always with the fae, nothing is as simple as it seems.

I loved this story and the characters. Elora is cunning and strong, and Prince Brannick seems devoted to his Court and completely aware of the effect he has on the opposite sex. And I always love an animal companion, so Blaz was certainly enjoyable. It was also nice to have a strong, stubborn girl save the guy, to be the one to do the fighting and the reassuring/encouraging.

I will admit I read this before any of the rest of the series, so I don't know as much as other readers seem to, but I can't wait to catch up and read the rest!

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a fair and honest review.

[Amyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dream or not, this might be her only chance for a real adventure before she’d be forced to marry a stranger. How could she say no to that?

Elora dreams of adventure, of testing her sword skills against opponents in tournaments, but that’s just not something girls do. Instead, with her family in desperate times, she will be forced to marry. A chance meeting with a dryad may be her last opportunity. All she has to do is rescue the heir of Bitter Thorn and there is no going back until it is done. First rule of Faerie: Never enter a bargain…

This is a short introduction to the world of Faerie by author Kay L Moody. A young adult fantasy, I enjoy these even though I don’t qualify anymore… And the covers for this series are beautiful.

Elora is a sword-fighting young woman who is not afraid to stand up to a troll… or six. I mean, if you are going to die if you don’t save the price or die fighting a troll to save the prince, you might as well fight. The prince only seemed a little ungrateful, but to make up for that, he has a wolf companion! Anytime a character has a wolf companion, I just like them more. A little adventure, a little magic, and a little humour all make for a good story. I will have to add another four books to my TBR list.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elora dreams of taking part in tournaments, but is only allowed to train with her sword against her father. She dreams of adventures yet at seventeen is now expected to marry a chosen stranger in order to keep her family out of poverty. She dares herself to climb the highest tree during the night calling it her last adventure before accepting her fate, but she is lured into a much bigger adventure than she bargained for. A dryad comes out of a tree, and forces her to make a bargain with her, obviously Elora has no clue that making a bargain with a creature from the faerie realm comes with it's own consequences. She is tasked by Kaia the dryad, to enter into Fairfrost the realm of Queen Alessandra who had kidnapped Prince Brannick of Bitter Thorn. She was then to administer a vial of memory loss to the queen then help the prince escape before dawn broke. All this she was expected to do on her own as the dryad could not leave her tree. But if Elora was anything she was no coward, so she ventured forth to save a prince whilst the clock was ticking and knowing she could not afford to fail, no pressure, right!! I really enjoyed this magical escapade into the realm of faerie, the encounters with the trolls, the lovely wolf and Elora's courage but was sad that she had to forget her biggest adventure at the end! I would love to read further into the series as I am sure Elora's encounter with Brannick does not end here!

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is perfect for teens or young adults who:

✨ are new to fantasy
✨ want to dive into a five-book series
✨ love a good enemies-to-lovers trope

This is a quick, easy read that introduces a strong-willed 17-year-old FMC and sets the stage for the series.

Elora loves sword fighting and is just finding her place in the world and ready to prove herself. She travels to a mysterious Fae land. Will she prove herself and rescue a handsome fae prince from an evil queen?

Overall, I think this book is best suited for readers who are just starting to dip their toes into fantasy and prefer reading for the vibes rather than a complex plot. I found myself wanting deeper character development, though since this is a prequel to an already established series, that may come more in the first book. At times, parts of the story felt a bit too coincidental as people or items appeared exactly when needed, which made things feel a little too easy.

Despite that, it does a good job of setting up the series and giving readers a clearer understanding of why the characters feel the way they do about each other. It really helps complete the bigger picture.

Happy reading!

[Emma]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

Let me start by saying this isn't my usual type of book, I hadn't realised when I requested it on NetGalley that it was YA. I would say from the writing style that this was aimed at mid teens/early YA. The writing is very straight forwards, often using dialogue to explain (sometimes overly so) the world building. Being a novella things do happen quickly, that's to be expected in this shorter format. For me I struggled with how easily/conveniently things fell into place for our two characters, which of course makes sense given that it is meant for a younger audience.

I do believe that this would be a good start for a younger reader in the world of fantasy books as the story is easy to follow and requires very little effort on the readers part to follow/understand what is happening. The setting, characters and scenes are well described making it easy to "picture" events. While I won't be reading more of these books, I do believe they will appeal to their target audience. For this reason I am not leaving a star rating as I don't think it would be fair of me to do this.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elora wants nothing more than an adventure, especially when she learns her parents are arranging a marriage for her. So she sets out to accomplish a task she’s meant to do for years - climb a large tree right to the top. But when she meets a dryad who offers her a chance at real a adventure she takes the opportunity to travel to Faerie and rescue a fae prince from his bondage to a queen of a different court. But it might be more than Elora anticipated but she has no choice - succeed or die.

This is a really fun novella. It’s a prequel to the new Fae of Bitter Thorn series by Kay L Moody, and if it’s anything to go by, the rest of the series is going to be great! This is an easy, short read and while the main conflict is wrapped up fairly quickly, that’s to be expected from a short novella. As with other books by Kay L Moody, this is well written and it gives a good taste of the world and it’s magic. I very much enjoyed meeting Elora and this story has definitely made me want to continue the series!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for the author for the arc!

I’d been wanting to start this series for a while and thoroughly enjoyed this prequel! I loved Elora’s character so much, she’s super likeable and I love books with such strong female leads like her. I loved her interactions with Brannick so much and definitely excited to see more of them in the next book as their dynamic together worked so well! Brannick is super loyal to his court and I love when characters have an animal companion!! The plot itself was really interesting and I felt that despite it being a shorter book, the author still managed to pack so much in without it feeling overwhelming or dragging. I really love the authors writing style as it’s super easy to read and also written in a way that makes it so easy to visualise everything. I definitely want to continue this series and so happy to have read the arc for this prequel! This was an amazing start to the series and the perfect introduction to the world and characters, I’d recommend it to anyone!

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read I liked the writing and the characters it got me flipping the pages it was addicting it was neatly pace the story didn’t rush it had a good conflict the main character Elora needs to save a fae prince in order to go back home we follow her as she tries to do this we get set into the world we’ll introduced to it pretty well the romance was also good it wasn’t insta love, and the characters had chemistry this was a short story, but it was an enjoyable one each chapter had tension that gripped you in every page the characters were well developed they stood out as nice characters they moved the story along well I think people who like faeries, and romance would like this it was fast to read, and not at all slow.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher for the arc.

[Mrs. G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elora is an excellent swordsman and longs for adventure, but being a woman in her kingdom does not come with such privileges. She is approached by a tree goddess to save a prince. Elora has no idea what awaits, but she knows this is exactly the adventure she needs.

This is a prequel to a series and can be read first. If you enjoy strong female leads, swords and fae princes, then this is your book. It’s a fast read with funny banter and obstacle courses.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick story with character development, foreshadowing, and a clear budding romance. I have already ordered the first book in the series. Looking forward to seeing Elora, Brannick, and the wolf again.

***NetGalley ARC Review ***

[Danielle Hood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and Book Funnel for providing me with an ARC for review.

A short, sweet novella that introduces readers to a world beyond the mortal realm. We meet Elora, a witty, sassy FMC who longs for an adventurous life. Her desire for more leads her to make a deal with a Fae, without realizing the consequences that come with it. Along the way, we meet a reluctant, witty Fae prince who, thanks to a curse, can do little more than hinder the mission. And did I mention that there's a wolf companion?!

I really enjoyed this novella and found myself wanting even more by the end. I had to remind myself that this is a prequel and I'm sure the books that follow will bring even more action, banter, and yearning. I'll definitely be adding the rest of this series to my TBR.

[M.L. Dunker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun fast story. It reads like a late middle grade or young YA with a brave and noble girl quick with the sword and yearning for adventure. Prince Brannick is clever and oh so handsome and Blaz is his trusty sidekick. I found myself smiling through much of the adventure. The dryad, Kaia, is just a joy with her, "Oh, I should have told you, the first rule is never to make a bargain with the fae." I could almost hear Elora's facepalm through the pages.

Great for fans of Tamora Pierce's world of Tortall (The Lady Knight and The Will of the Empress) and Jonathan Stroud's Heroes of the Valley.

[Chaptersxchill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a strong start to the series. I went in curious and ended up completely hooked.

Elora is exactly the kind of heroine I love, skilled, determined, and unwilling to simply accept the life chosen for her. The fae bargain, the cursed prince, and the underlying tension pulled me in right away. It’s fast-paced, but still builds an intriguing foundation for what’s to come.

I especially enjoyed the hints of enemies to lovers and the stakes tied to memory and sacrifice. There’s a sense that something much bigger is unfolding beneath the surface, which makes me even more excited to continue.

A really enjoyable prequel that did its job perfectly and left me wanting more.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author's team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Elora is masterfully trained with a sword but she is supposed to marry and live a mundane life to help her family. When she gets sucked into a bargain with a fae, she must save a prince in order to ever get back home even though she has always dreamed of adventure. Elora bravely, and sometimes foolishly, faces every challenge and is a lovable, tough heroine - something the prince surely notices!

I haven't read the series yet so this novella prequel was my first introduction to this world and characters, and I am looking forward to reading more!

[Drie Corley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heir of Bitter Thorn completely pulled me in from the very first chapter. The story has the perfect mix of dark fantasy, romance, and tension that keeps you hooked the entire time. I loved the emotional depth of the characters, especially the main character’s inner struggles and growth throughout the book. The world-building felt immersive without being overwhelming, and the chemistry between the characters was intense in the best way. Every twist made me want to keep reading “just one more chapter.” If you enjoy fantasy with danger, betrayal, and addictive romance, Heir of Bitter Thorn is definitely worth picking up.

[Jill Gauger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elora’s dream is to fight in a sword tournament but it will never happen because she is a woman. She trains with her father every day. Her father is a master swordsman now retired. Now she finds out that her father is looking for a husband for her to save the family. One night she decides to climb the big tree all the way to the top as her other dream is shattered. At the tree she meets a Dryad and makes a bargain to save Prince Brannick from Queen Alessandra. Adventure here Elora comes.
I really enjoyed this book.

[Susana Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel of the serie is amazing even though it is almost as a parallel story for the serie, as Elora, our heroine, will not remember any of the amazing adventure she has in this book and book one starts as a clean slate (or so we think).
This story tell us how the first real meeting of Elora and the cursed prince occurred and a lot of little details and background stuff you will love to know.
I recommend to read to read after book one even though the order ends up not being really important.

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elora desires a life filled with adventure where she can utilize her sword skills instead mastering the skills that would make a desire to marry. She just wasn't expecting to be rescuing a far prince from a beautiful yet dangerous Fae Queen. This is the bargain Flora strikes with a dryad, finding herself transported into a wintry world that is deadly to any mortal that ventures in. Elora's skills and sanity is about to be tested as never before... Enter a world where you can't always trust what you see filled with magic that can change destinies. Highly recommended.