The Lure of Wolves and Whispers

The Martyred Isle #1

by Amanda Connolly

A darkly addictive romantasy debut about a girl who sacrifices everything to buy the dangerous magic that could save her sister—the first in a trilogy perfect for fans of Powerless and Throne of Glass.



On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, buying magic comes with a price.



But when her beloved older sister is gravely injured, Maeve risks everything to buy the forbidden magic that might save her. In exchange, Maeve trades her life to a ruthless and dangerously alluring rebel leader. Bound to do his bidding, Maeve finds herself thrown into a deadly competition to become the next queen and stand beside a prince rumored to be more brutal than his tyrannical father.



With the isle on the brink of war, trust and survival come at a terrible cost—one that will tear Maeve’s world, and her heart, in two.



What would you sacrifice to survive?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Enemies To Lovers

453 pages, Hardcover

First published July 7, 2026

About the author

Amanda Connolly is the debut author of THE LURE OF WOLVES AND WHISPERS, the darkly addictive and propulsive first book in a new crossover romantasy/dark fantasy series launching on July 7, 2026.

She is also an award-winning Canadian political journalist and editor, and was the 2015 Canada-EU Young Journalist Fellow.

She is a dual citizen of both Canada and Ireland.

Reviews

[ellen]

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for this arc!

DNF @ 45%
sadly, i don’t feel like i can get through the rest of this book - although the concept itself is interesting to me, i am yet to feel hooked, and there are too many things irking me to make me feel like pushing through is worth it. i am finding the romance(s) to be very rushed and unbelievable, the writing feels clunky to me, the world building (particularly at the start of this book) was incredibly heavy-handed, and i just don’t feel like i have enough intrigue to keep me reading. i wish i’d loved this one!

[Sophie]

DNF @ 39%

The first thing that bothered me was the slow start. The FMC was not interesting enough to sit through this much inner monologue, and it didn't help that most of it was just an info dump of world building. I also didn’t love the writing style, and the dialogue didn’t feel natural.

The characters also felt tropey. The love interest #1 managed to be the flattest Shadow Daddy ever. Love interest #2, just as boring. From their looks to their dialogue and mannerisms, it felt like a trope checklist.

I also think Maeve’s character was poorly handled. She starts as a regular nineteen year old trying to stay out of trouble, but turns out she’s as fast with a knife as the rebel leader. Then she's forced into being an assassin and instantly wears the role like she was born for it. Hum, what?

There is also no logic to why she was chosen as the assassin. If you're trying to overthrow a king, are you really picking someone because they’re not bad with a blade and everyone else is too useful to risk? Ergh. I thought that we’d probably get a better explanation later on, but I read a review saying that anyone could have stepped into that role, so I assume that didn’t happen.

Then we get to the deadly competition… which isn't deadly at all. The first trial is to showcase their cunning, and when asked, "what skills make you worthy of our throne?" the FMC decides to present a riddle for the royal family to solve. A riddle. I swear I remember her saying this was a contest where they fought to the death.

Overall, I felt disconnected from the story and with so many inconsistencies, I lost any interest I had left.

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: ngl, i’m not loving the reviews i’ve seen so far and the first chapter didn’t convince me. but let’s see if it improves 🤞🥲

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[DianaRose]

the lure of wolves and whispers was a good start to a new romantasy series!

we follow our fmc maeve, whose beloved older sister finn has been gravely injured, on her journey to buy the forbidden magic that might save her sister. maeve is forced to sell her life to the rebellion leader and finds herself in the deadly tournament to become the kingdom's next queen...

this kind of reminded me of early 00s/10s ya dystopian series like the selection, where there’s a tournament to become the bride of the prince and the future queen, but always with some sort of ulterior motive on either side.

my fairyloot edition is also gorgeous! i know a lot of people had mixed opinions, but i really rather like it!

i also listened to the audiobook through libby and the narrator did a good job!

[tahaslibrary]

the number of useless characters, especially men, in this story is groundbreaking, earth shattering and phenomenal. is everyone stupid? i'm genuinely asking. they're all just doing shit with their eyes closed and arms tied behind their backs on purpose.

you dumbasses have some semblance of a rebel coalition and yet you send a 19 year old girl into a political situation she has NO knowledge of and equip her with thoughts and prayers. her sister is part of your league basically and somehow that leads to you kidnapping her and throwing her into the stupidest set of trial by death monarchy games i've ever seen? she's reportedly chosen because she has the eyes of someone the bloody prince (who doesn't even live up to that name because he's a WEENIE) loved. this doesn't even end up being a serious factor because i think the author forgot it was mentioned at all. don't worry though, i remember every loose end.

the stupid, evil king is sick so he's been locked away to heal. why wouldnt the idiot prince know where his stupid, idiot king father was being kept during his illness? also, why is the king the main point of attack here for the rebels if he's basically a dementia patient? give bro like a powerful sedative and get rid of him. the queen is the one who's from a hostile neighboring country with plans to overthrow your current government? why would SHE not be the target?

the queen is also so half baked evil. she's got this pet dog, sorry pet assassin, she sends off to kill, maim and torture people - the usual killer's appetite. it's truly the equivalent of a "beware of dog" sign, but in front of a castle. EVERYONE knows she and her pet assassin are crazy evil and yet NO ONE in this rebel coalition has prepare for this fact or equipped the 19 year old fmc to be ready to handle that.

the mmc has actual rocks for brains and thinks with the rock in his pants. i would have actually choked him out if i was the fmc. she gave you one job you piece of garbage idiot in return for signing her life over to your cause.

talon is my favourite character. they're just an employed guard, vibing and trying to keep the fmc and themselves alive. the only person actually attempting to stick to their goals!

the ending actually pissed me off so bad. i was vibing until the 50% mark and then i was flabbergasted at the sheer idiocy of every single person on paper.

there's a character named CASH in this? who do you think you are? also, there are NO WOLVES. i think i'm more mad about that than anything else.

i wish someone whispered in my ear and told me not to read this doodoo, dusty, half baked romantasy.

[✨Julie✨]

✩ 1 star ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Deadly Trials
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Mild Love Triangle
➼ Forbidden Magic
➼ Count Politics
➼ Rebellion
➼ Tyrannical King
➼ Narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano
➼ First Person POV

If I didn’t finish 99% of the books I started, I never would have finished this one. I really can’t put my finger on exactly what was missing from this story, but I struggled to stay engaged or follow the main thread of the plot. I think it mainly came down to poor pacing and a lack of chemistry between the characters. I was honestly a lot more interested in her relationship with the Prince than Wolf, which is unfortunate since it doesn’t look like the story is heading in that direction. I suppose he could still end up being the main love interest, but up to this point, Wolf was her clear preference. I know fantasy FMC’s overlook a lot, but I had a hard time understanding how she would so easily forgive Wolf for sending her directly into harms way. In my opinion, none of his actions so far have absolved him of this.

The FMC said “old ones” about a million times and it drove me completely nuts. There are quite a few info dumps throughout the book, but I feel like the author mainly relied on surface details like “old ones” rather than fully diving in and fleshing out the world building. I also thought calling the trials the “Assay” was very odd considering it’s pronounced just like “S.A.” Listening to the audio, I couldn’t help but feel like this was an insensitive choice on the authors part. It is mentioned A LOT.

If a book is well written, I don’t mind seeing similarities in a story, but if an author is hell bent on doing “deadly trials,”I think they need to bring something new to the table. Unfortunately, I don’t think this author did that. Sad to say it, but this was a pretty disappointing Fairyloot pick. I wish I had skipped it. 🙃

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: Starting another Fairyloot read! Really trying to catch up!

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

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[Zoë Ann Book Queen]

My Fairyloot edition is fucking stunning how dare they

[KC]

I really wanted to love this but it fell a little short for me. It’s a well-written story but the tropes and storylines were just too familiar to other romantasy stories. I was definitely hoping for it to be a little more unique.

After Maeve strikes a bargain for magic to save her sister, she’s thrown into the assay - the deadly competition to marry the prince. Part of her bargain is assassinating the king to help bring magic back to the land. But things are more complicated when she’s targeted for being a peasant and must also sort her feelings for the rebel leader and the prince.

I thought the pacing of this book was really solid. The last 15% of the book really kept me hooked and has me interested in possibly picking up the next one. I am intrigued by the restoration of magic but feel like there were some fantasy elements that came out of nowhere and were too convenient. I also had difficulty with some of the info-dumping. There was so much information but at the same time I’m still left confused about the politics of the world.

The characters in the story were also a mixed bag. I found Maeve to be quite unlikable. She comes off as being combative rather than sassy. I’m also confused as to how she’s successful in these trials when she has no training as an assassin or anything. Wolf is more interesting, especially when more of his backstory is revealed. I’m definitely curious to learn more about him.

While this didn’t completely work for me, I do think new adult romantasy lovers who don’t mind a familiar story will find this more enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the advanced copy.

[Luce]

I listened to the audiobook for this one and found myself entirely immersed in the story.

I had a really good time, classic kind of romantasy story but I enjoyed the mix of magic and trials and seeing where the romance was going to go or should I say which direction 👀

[Lia Carstairs]

DNF @ 39%

I actually expected this to have a slow start as that's what a lot of reviews mentioned but I surprisingly didn't run into that issue. If anything, it got my attention right away because of the first few chapters.

My problem is that I just don't care enough to continue. I liked Maeve in the beginning and thought she'd be an interesting character but she's lowkey annoying me now... and I know I haven't seen too much of the MMC but he's pretty boring so far. I even skimmed a bit ahead to see if there'd be anything to change my mind and it doesn't appear so. Also, this has your typical tropes which I don't mind but it reads very YA (so like why is it labeled as adult in the UK???) and it's super obvious how the end will play out in those aspects (which yes, I looked ahead to confirm and I was right), and all of this just seems boring and not worth continuing to read in my opinion. Though I definitely agree with other reviews that the writing is really good.

Disappointed but I'm sure this book will find its audience!

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacey | read.with.stacey]

DNF at 40%

Thank you Harper Collin’s Canada for the gifted paperback arc 🫶

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. I thought it sounded really interesting based on the synopsis, but the execution wasn’t there in my opinion. The writing felt a bit clunky to me and the story just didn’t feel like it was flowing well. I felt like we got almost no world building outside of a brief “info dumping” situation in the first few chapters. I understand that certain tropes and concepts are present in many romantasy books but this one just felt like a compilation of things I’d read before. I did not feel connected to the FMC and the story just wasn’t holding my interest.

I hope the book finds its intended audience! Might work better for people new to the genre.

[Clarissa Labue-Pham]

While The Lure of Wolves and Whispers is compulsively readable, it's not particularly memorable.

In the Lure of Wolves and Whispers Maeve makes a deal in which, for the magic to save her sister, she must assassinate the king and fight in a deadly tournament.

I didn't find any of the characters particularly interesting or likable. These are some of the most forgettable characters. The romance is very trope-heavy and lacks passion and yearning. She likes the rebel leader she's working for, but we're not sure why.

Like I said, it's not a bad novel and is a fun read, but not a single thing in this book is stand out or exceptional in any way.

[The Chapter Chaser]

3.25 ⭐ “Familiar, immersive, and undeniably readable, this story delivers many of the elements readers love.....yet it never quite finds the spark, twist, or revelation that would make it truly its own and impossible to forget.”

First of all, I think this is a solid debut from Amanda Connelly. It’s easy to tell that a lot of care went into the editing. The writing is immersive, the narrative flows smoothly, and overall it’s a very pleasant reading experience.
I’ve seen quite a few readers wondering whether this should be classified as YA. Between the explicit scenes, the violence, the torture, and the fact that the FMC is nineteen years old, this feels much closer to New Adult or Adult fantasy. The writing itself also feels mature enough to fit comfortably within those categories.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC

✨ What worked for me

• The atmosphere

It took me a little while to settle into the atmosphere because the opening felt almost too familiar. During the first 20–30% of the book, I couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu, as many of the elements seemed heavily inspired by the romantasy books that have dominated the genre over the last few years. Fortunately, the story gradually finds its footing and develops enough of its own identity to stand apart. While it clearly borrows from successful romantasy trends, it ultimately delivers an enjoyable reading experience in its own right.

• Accessible worldbuilding

The world isn’t described in extensive detail, but it’s easy to understand and navigate. The author gives readers just enough information to stay immersed without becoming overwhelmed.

• Intriguing characters

The characters kept me engaged, particularly the MMC (hello, Shadow Daddy 👀,), who was easily the most compelling part of the story for me.

That said, I feel like several characters are still waiting for their moment to shine. We get glimpses of interesting backstories and motivations, but many of them still need room to grow and develop their own arcs. Hopefully, that’s something the next books will explore further.

• The romance dynamics

I’m still wondering whether we’re heading toward a love triangle. It seems obvious that the FMC’s feelings are firmly pointed in one direction, but the marriage arrangement adds enough tension to make me curious about where the series is going.

As of now, we simply don’t know enough about the prince to fully judge his role in the story. However, there are enough hints throughout the book to make me wonder whether there’s more to him than meets the eye. It’s difficult to predict where that dynamic is heading, but I definitely found myself wanting to learn more about him by the end.

⚠️ What didn’t work for me

• A lack of depth and a strong central storyline

My biggest issue was that the story never fully gave me a gripping challenge, mystery, or central objective to latch onto. There wasn’t a strong narrative thread pulling me forward and making me desperate to turn the pages. I kept waiting for higher stakes, a major twist, or a stronger sense of purpose driving the story forward, but it never quite happened.

Ironically, the pacing itself doesn’t lag much. Had it been slower, I probably would have DNF’d the book. I think that’s a testament to Connelly’s writing skills. The problem isn’t the writing—it’s that the story itself never becomes compelling enough to feel truly unputdownable.

• Too many familiar elements without enough originality

The book contains a little bit of everything successful in romantasy over the past few years: challenge games, hints of a love triangle, a dark love interest, and a romance that escalates into something steamy toward the end.

At times, it felt like the book was offering readers a collection of popular romantasy ingredients rather than building something distinctly its own. The challenges aren’t especially engaging, the FMC’s mission often feels flat, and even the betrayals that caught me by surprise were resolved so quickly that they lost much of their impact.

I also would have traded a few balls and dress descriptions for a little more intrigue, stronger twists, and a plot that dug deeper into its own mysteries.

And while we’re told that the villain is dangerous, I never truly felt her presence. She never becomes a memorable threat because she’s rarely in direct conflict with the FMC, making it difficult to feel invested in her as an antagonist.

[liz]

If you’re a fan of court intrigue, trials for the seat on the throne, and a secret society leading a rebellion — this book is for you.

Set in a land where a tyrant monarchy destroyed the source of magic, Maeve agrees to a bargain to save her sister. With the help of a rebel outlaw, she goes to the castle & enters the deadly trials to become the prince’s betrothed, all while trying to assassinate the king.

*PSA I thought there was going to be werewolves in this book based on the book title but it’s a metaphor so sadly no actual wolves are frolicking in these pages :(*

I see a lot of discourse wondering if this book is YA or not considering the fact it’s published under Simon & Schuster Children’s. I don’t think it’s YA but it’s definitely not fully adult in my opinion. The word “f*ck” is used consistentlyyyyy throughout the story and there is one open door spice scene - so it’s definitely not fully YA. Fans of Powerless and Lightlark would like this story.

Me personally? I had a hard time with this one unfortunately. I will say the last 20% was very good.
The info dump world building at the start of this story was a lot to try to take in and I’m still not 150% sure what is going all the way on with the locations but I did not have a map with the ARC so it might not be a challenge for others. Pushing past that, I enjoyed the initial meeting and banter of the main characters. Then all of the sudden the chemistry / connection between the main characters goes from 0 to 100 considering they hardly spend any time together before he’s very much “touch her and you die”.

My biggest pet peeve was the phrase “Old ones” (which is used in this world like someone would mutter the phrase “Gods” or “Lord”) is used at least 3-5 times every single chapter to the point where I searched for it consistently. And I’m not exaggerating. It was my where’s Waldo and pulled me out of the story every single time.

I think a lot of people will enjoy this book but there’s nothing about this world or this storyline that necessarily stands out to me personally that pulls me into wanting to continue the story.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

[➸Anastasia]

I did really like this even though it started off a bit slow and I didn’t understand a single thing about the magic but it was surprisingly good!!

[Amanda Blanche]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this title releasing in July 2026.

Not even judging this as a debut novel, it’s impressive. The writing has such good flow and ease. The pacing is consistent and keeps you hooked. The characters are interesting and compelling. Like I all around, had a good time. Some of the magic/plot points I probably couldn’t explain into great minute details - but I am more of a vibes reader.

What would you give to save the life of the person you love most? In Maeve’s case, she would do anything to save the life of her gravely injured sister. Even make a deal for some dangerous illegal magic and promise her life in exchange. But what she doesn’t know, is that her end of the deal brings her to the Array - to compete in a deadly competition as the only peasant among brutal nobles to become the next queen. Chances of survival? Slim. Chances of raising some hell and maybe helping a rebellion? Little more likely. Add in a dark and mysterious MMC and you got a story!

[Nadja]

DNF

I really wanted to get into The Lure of Wolves and Whispers, but from the very beginning I felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of its world without enough grounding to actually care about what was happening. I know plenty of fantasy books take time to find their footing, and it's entirely possible things improve later on, but I never made it to the point where I felt connected to either the world or the characters.

I didn't particularly care about our FMC or any of the people she'd met, and instead of looking forward to picking the book back up, I found myself finding every possible excuse to do literally anything else. That's usually the biggest sign for me that a book just isn't clicking.

The world-building also didn't work for me. It's relatively sparse in some areas while simultaneously overwhelming you with an avalanche of information right at the start. The balance just felt off. Simple pieces of information were repeated over and over again, while concepts that actually needed proper explanation were mentioned once in passing, as if the reader was just expected to nod along and somehow already understand everything.

The dialogue didn't help either. Most of the conversations felt very wooden and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters or believe their relationships.

I have considered giving the audiobook a chance once it's released, just to see if the different format helps the story click for me. But if I'm being realistic, my TBR is already far too overwhelming, so I honestly doubt I'll end up revisiting it.

[Joann]

This came in my Fairyloot and I was so excited by the summary and gorgeous cover. I fear this may have been a cash grab…

That’s the thing with this book—it’s basic, formulaic, and tropey. It follows a lot of the same patterns we’ve seen, such as the trials, winner takes the crown, evil ruler, rebel MMC, and possibly a love triangle.

As someone who’s read 150+ romantasies, my standards are a bit different. I felt like this book was trying to be a jack of all trades but a master of none. The MMC + FMC had no chemistry or even a resemblance of a relationship. They talked maybe a handful of times, and then they were madly in love. The side characters were decent but lacked layers. The trials were boring, and our FMC was your run-of-the-mill “watch me be this badass assassin with no training whatsoever.”

What would’ve worked better is nixing the romance story altogether and marketing this as a YA. (Nothing wrong with YAs, this just feels like it’s for a younger audience).

[Helena]

3,5/5 rounded down - the book read easily and I wasn’t overly bored, I even liked the end.
I have real trial fatigue though those weren’t the main point. The story didn’t bring anything fresh in my opinion but I think there’s real potential in the next book! I still don’t understand the title though. I get why the mention of wolves but it’s a bit deceiving in my opinion.
The romance was pretty weak and I was honestly not interested in it.
I think I will read book 2 !

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading]

I had a bit of a hard time with this romantasy. I didn’t love the characters, slow start, info dumps, or the romantic connections. The rest of the story was nothing new in the genre.
The FMC being so young made this feel more YA than adult fiction. She just ended up annoying me the entire time.

Ultimately, I did not connect with this story, but others might, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from checking it out.

Thank you anyways to the author, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Canada for a copy.

[Nancy Weiler]

4.5⭐️

Give me book two immediately 😭 This was such an epic read - dark fantasy romance with mages, court politics and a slow burn that’s perfection.

The world building in this story was so immersive and interesting, gives off dark elements with a creepy twist and a seriously sadistic villain. The whole isle population are not allowed to either touch, use or be seen with magic. The mages have been destroyed and no magic shall ever be used - if you are caught then you will be sentenced by treason. Our FMC’s sister has a wound that needs healing as it’s been laced with poison, she finds out some mages are still alive and in hiding so she makes a deal with the devil in exchange for her life to save her sister.

She is entered into the Assay (the trials). The trials themselves weren’t overly interesting and they weren’t actually the forefront of the plot, the plot itself is a mission and is laced intricately within court politics. There is so much to unpack within the plot - it’s layered beautifully with complexity.

The MMC aligns with the mages and wishes a better future without the Queen of shadows and the king ruling. He has the FMC with her life in the palms of his hands. He’s so mysterious and alluring, we didn’t get a resolution to his name or find out more about his past and felt it was slightly glossed over which is why I immediately need book two.

We also have the Prince, who is a dangerous character in himself and I wasn’t at all sure whether to trust his intentions or not. He had me sweating at the edge of my seat.

This is not a YA by any means, there are extreme dark elements of torture, murder and spice. The black rock, as dark as it is was super intense however, intriguing as it’s something I’ve never read before.

And the slow burn was absolutely delicious - timed and written exactly how I love to read.

Thank you so much Hodderscape for the advanced copy.

[Kristel Zuidmulder]

Okay, I’m sorry but… this one just wasn’t for me. 😭

This book came with my FairyLoot Romantasy subscription, and honestly, I went into it hoping I’d discover a new romantasy obsession. Instead, I spent most of the book waiting for it to become one.

My biggest issue was the romance. I was really hoping the two main characters would slowly grow towards each other and that we’d get that gradual progression. But… nope. The romance just stayed so flat for me. I never really felt the chemistry, and I kept waiting for something to finally make me feel SOMETHING about these two. It never happened.

The whole book also felt very YA to me, and while that isn't inherently a bad thing, it definitely wasn't what I was looking for. And I’m sorry, but I also felt like this book was trying a little TOO hard to be a romantasy, if that makes sense?😂 It's almost like the book was going through some sort of romantasy checklist. Because of that, a big part of the book kinda felt same-old-story to me.

The writing itself was fine. Easy to follow, and I never struggled with the actual prose. But the story just… didn’t grab me. Oh, and 'Old Ones' is mentioned a little too much throughout the entire book.. 🥲

I REALLY tried to get into this one, too. I even did an immersive read for most of it. And guess what?

Even that didn't work 😭

I kept waiting for the moment where everything would pick up and I’d suddenly become invested, but that moment never came. And honestly? I just didn't care. I didn't really care what happened to the characters, I wasn't particularly invested in the romance, and the plot wasn't enough to keep me hooked.

Which is especially disappointing because I WANTED to like this one.

And then there’s the biggest crime of all:

THE BOOK IS SO PRETTY

Like, FairyLoot absolutely understood the assignment aesthetically. She is GORGEOUS. Stunning. A work of art.

Unfortunately, the story did not get the memo.

Very much a case of "don’t judge a book by its cover” because the cover had me fooled.💀

2 stars because it wasn't badly written or completely unenjoyable, but unfortunately, I just never found myself caring enough about the story to give it more.

[🌙henny✨]

I don’t think this book was for me, but I still appreciate being granted an ARC to read and review! I had to wait until it released on audiobook before I could finish it because my brain isn’t working correctly as of late 😅

There’s nothing wrong with this book particularly, I just found it quite boring for the most part. It read as very YA, even with a fairly steamy open door sex scene. The fmc, I wasn’t crazy about her. She’s far from the worst fmc to exist, and it’s mostly because of the audio performance tbh, but she irritated me a bit. For one thing, she swears CONSTANTLY. Not like fuck this and shit that, she says this book’s version of a swear word, which is just invoking the ‘old ones’. Every other sentence she was saying it. Old ones, I was sick of it by the end.

The plot itself was nothing groundbreaking. I read a couple of reviews before I started that said this book was very much like every other romantasy and that there was nothing special about it. I got excited when I read that though because I love romantasy and I love whatever the romantasy formula is. But I just didn’t feel it with this one. I struggled to connect with the characters and the world, I found the world building really boring and tiresome.

I can’t think of any moments where I was locked into the story and desperate to finish so I could see how it ended, but I obviously didn’t dislike it that much because I was able to finish it 😅 I just don’t think it was written to satisfy me personally, which is fine. It would be weird if it were 🥴

So yeah, thank you again for the arc! I’m happy for the opportunity to review 😊

[Kim (readerbydusk)]

This ended up being a generous three stars for me. I already soft‑DNF’d it once, and even though I decided to give it another try, I’m not sure picking it back up was the right call. The book has all the makes of recent romantasy hits with games, a hint of a love triangle, a dark love interest, and a romance that eventually turns steamy, but instead of feeling fresh, it felt like a collection of popular tropes rather than a fresh take on the genre.

The world-building didn’t help that feeling. The opening leans heavily on info‑dumping, and instead of easing me into the setting, it felt like being dropped straight into the middle of a fully formed world without enough grounding to understand why anything mattered yet. I kept waiting for the story to slow down long enough for me to connect with it, but that moment never fully arrived.

There are glimpses of potentially interesting ideas, atmospheric scenes, and a romance that could have landed more strongly with a bit more development; but the pacing and structure made it hard to stay invested. By the time I reached the end, I realized I’d spent more time pushing myself through the book than actually enjoying it.

↪ 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyssa Brannon]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC!

I really had to push myself to finish this one. The concept was there, but the execution was lacking. I didn’t understand the relationship between the two main characters at all. They met for maybe a total of an hour over a few meetings and then just fell for each other? Y’all don’t know each other at all!! Don’t even know this mans full government name. I expect more with the prince as well, but there was nothing outstanding there either. I also hate when nothing happens up until the last 20% cause why did I read the first 80%??

[Emmy]

This was an entertaining read! I enjoyed the concept and the story overall, but I do feel like it could’ve been shorter as some parts dragged and lost my attention. I’m curious to see what’s to come with this series!

[Tedy Cristal]

Just a basic romantasy, already read so many that I’m bored af 🥱

[Elizabeth]

DNF Immediately

I was looking for a break from darkness and the beginning is so gruesome.

[†‪ ˚ ˙⟡ 𓂃𖤓🕊️𖤓&#x1308]

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

DISCLAIMER: *I did DNF this book at 90% because of the spice content. The following review shows my thoughts about the book up until then.*

The story starts with a bargain: illegal, lifesaving magic in exchange for the freedom of our main character, Maeve. Her new master throws her into the middle of a deadly competition. Everyone else is competing for the hand of the kingdom’s heir. She is there as an assassin.

This was the classic fantasy, and in many ways I liked it, but I have read this story too many times before. While the writing was good and the characters weren’t bad, nothing about the plot was new, unique, or even surprising. I think the author tried to make it “woke” enough that it felt more modern, but it obviously didn’t work as well as she wanted. It wasn’t bland, it was just a taste I’m sick of.

And then there is the reason I had to DNF this book: the spice!! I thought I was safe until at 90 FRICKING PERCENT when the characters started doing things I was not comfortable reading about. Was I sad? Yes! But only because I’m behind on my reading goal and this book would have helped. I could not care less that I missed the ending.

[Vi]

The story was easy to read but very stereotypical typeset characters in a romantasy.
For love, the heroine is forced to sacrifice peace to save her sister and doing so compromises herself into a competition.
Her side mission to be an assassin to kill the king. If this is the attribute that makes this story similar to Throne of Glass this is a severe overstatement.
She is nothing like Aelin.

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers has all the elements of popular titles. Shadow daddy. A mysterious leader. Some unnecessary spice that had me rolling my eyes. I think I am inundated by so much romantasy that compare to so many stories in this explosive genre, this title is subpar.

Perhaps to a new reader introduced to this genre, they may find this story but refreshing so it might be a me thing.

Average.

[AOKayy]

Thank you, NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Amanda Connolly for the ARC of The Lure of Wolves and Whispers.

This story is set in a kingdom where magic has long been forbidden and is ruled by a king who has done everything in his power to execute anyone with magic and eradicate the magic that remains in their wells. The book follows Maeve, who must make a bargain with rumored rebels who are trying to bring magic back in order to save her sister’s life. As part of her bargain, she is forced to join the Assay, a trial that the neighboring kingdom’s eligible daughters must compete in for the opportunity to marry the crown prince.

I thought the concept of the trials to determine the future queen was really interesting, as was the rebellion’s goal of bringing magic back into the realm. However, I felt like the execution was pretty half-baked. The trials were underwhelming, and you never really get a good grasp on what the magic actually was or what it could do.

The romance was very minimal until the end, and when the love interest was revealed, I didn’t feel much chemistry between them. I also went into this thinking it was YA, but there is an open-door spice scene toward the end that felt a little out of place with the rest of the book.

The plotting and twists felt predictable to me, but there were also reveals that made me wonder how this information had been hidden for so long without anyone apparently knowing. It just didn’t feel particularly realistic within the world that had been established.

I did finish this book because so many reviews mentioned that the last 20% really picked up, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite do it for me. There were some interesting ideas here, especially the magic and rebellion elements, but I ultimately felt that the execution didn’t live up to the potential of the premise. For me, this ended up being a book with a great concept that just didn’t fully come together.