What do you think?
Rate this book
Outcast
A Kingdom of Exiles
The brightest of stars are always born on the darkest of nights.
Serena Smith is unusual.
Growing up in a backwoods village, her life is lonely and dull. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she's gifted a magical heirloom only to be snatched by fae and condemned to a lifetime in chains.
Dragged to Aldar, a fae kingdom ruled by a tyrant witch, Serena discovers a forbidden love, and meets fellow outcasts, each with their own dark secrets.
As the lives of warriors, rebels, and witches clash, they find a shared destiny. For only together, and with Serena's unique gifts, can they survive long enough to build the flames of a revolution. Only together can they go to war ...
Serena Smith is unusual.
Growing up in a backwoods village, her life is lonely and dull. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she's gifted a magical heirloom only to be snatched by fae and condemned to a lifetime in chains.
Dragged to Aldar, a fae kingdom ruled by a tyrant witch, Serena discovers a forbidden love, and meets fellow outcasts, each with their own dark secrets.
As the lives of warriors, rebels, and witches clash, they find a shared destiny. For only together, and with Serena's unique gifts, can they survive long enough to build the flames of a revolution. Only together can they go to war ...
600 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2017
1857 people are currently reading
15715 people want to read
About the author
S.B. Nova
8 books883 followersI’m a fantasy writer. I imagine places that don’t exist. I love to create weird and wonderful characters. I drink entirely too much tea.
Here's a longer, more official sounding version:
S.B. Nova is an English author of epic fantasy novels that focus on themes of found family, courage in the face of adversity, power and violence, oppressive authority figures, confining social norms, and sexual awakening. In other words, the horrors of growing up and the difficulties involved in finding one’s way in the world. The magic, ogres, dragons, and possessive fae are all just for fun.
Nova spends her time reading, writing, and dancing. She enjoys watching tarot pick-a-cards, wrestling matches, wuxia and xianxia shows, and street dance battles. The soundtracks to her life as a writer are heavy metal, hip-hop, and classical music. If she could be better at anything, it would be surfing.
The best way to stay in touch and learn about book updates is via her newsletter. Alternatively, you can visit her social media pages.
Here's a longer, more official sounding version:
S.B. Nova is an English author of epic fantasy novels that focus on themes of found family, courage in the face of adversity, power and violence, oppressive authority figures, confining social norms, and sexual awakening. In other words, the horrors of growing up and the difficulties involved in finding one’s way in the world. The magic, ogres, dragons, and possessive fae are all just for fun.
Nova spends her time reading, writing, and dancing. She enjoys watching tarot pick-a-cards, wrestling matches, wuxia and xianxia shows, and street dance battles. The soundtracks to her life as a writer are heavy metal, hip-hop, and classical music. If she could be better at anything, it would be surfing.
The best way to stay in touch and learn about book updates is via her newsletter. Alternatively, you can visit her social media pages.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 761 reviews
February 17, 2023
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Action / Pace
✅ Friendship / Found family
✅ Betrayal and lies
✅ World-building
✅ Secondary characters
✅(🆗) Plot (good overall, but too many ideas at times)
✅🆗 Romance
🆗 Evolution of the main character
Strong 4 stars
I gave this book 4.5 stars the first time I read it 3 years ago, but reading it again now, after reading and reviewing so many fantasy books, I am more tempted to give it 4 strong stars.
I didn't really know what to expect when I first picked up this book. I thought it might be kind of a Cinderella retelling with the evil stepmother. It started off that way, but it quickly changes from the sad orphan abused by her stepmother to the survivor learning to fight and thrive. Even though it's a long book, it kept me hooked the whole way through. I honestly couldn't put it down.
The story follows Serena, a young human who is wrongly accused of horrible crimes by her jealous and callous stepmother and is found guilty by her village. Saved from her death by the Wild Hunt, and taken against her will, she is thrust into the world of the faes and left with only one option if she wants to survive: to embrace her new life and train to become a soldier in the army of the ruthless Queen. While training in her camp, Serena will forge strong bonds, and realize that even though she felt like an outcast all her life, she has a place among the faes and witches in the training camp. She will go through grief and betrayal and will try to figure out the truth about her past and her family, while also trying to survive her training.
I know that many readers are complaining about Serena's character. How useless and boring she is, and I partially agree. I really liked her at the beginning of the book, she was strong and resilient, but she became more annoying as the story went on. I was expecting her to rely more on her intelligence and cleverness to beat the other faes in the camp, instead of always doubting herself and thinking she is useless simply because her allies are stronger than she is. She did become a good warrior, thanks to hours and hours of training, but it seems that a part of her always remained clueless about the fae lands and their creatures. I would have liked her training to also include reading and learning about the dangerous creatures she might encounter during her trials, instead of just building her stamina and perfecting her fighting techniques. Overall, she is not a bad main character, but her character development was not the best, and I hope it will be more explored in the next book.
Another little downside of this story is the almost insta-love between Serena and the love interest (although I don’t know if he will remain the love interest?). She somehow managed to seduce and tear down the emotional defenses of one of the best and most renowned fae warriors there is, all in the span of a few weeks, while she wasn’t even trying to seduce him... There is also a strange connection between her and Hunter the slaver who took a liking to her even though he never really cared about humans. Serena clearly has some magnetic pull to her, and I don’t know if it will be explained later, or if it’s just one of those weird fae things, but it was weird to see all those males being drawn to her after she complained on many occasions about how no one in her village ever found her attractive or wanted to even spend time with her. She went from being the weird outcast to having a potential harem of very powerful males (and not in a sexual way). Somehow every fae that she meets falls under her spell, but I still enjoyed her different bonds with the males very much.
Also about the romance, while I enjoyed the slow building of the relationship between Serena and the love interest, she kind of screwed it up for me in the last 15%. She let her feelings lead her around, and she became a little stupid at times to be honest. She tried to be all seductive to get the males to stop fighting, and she just blurted out the famous 3 words to the male she’s been lusting after for weeks, but have been “officially” involved with for a few days only, and then felt hurt when he explained to her that faes didn’t utter those words easily or after only a few days together… On one hand, it fits with the young woman never having experienced romantic love, but on the other hand, it felt so juvenile in the middle of the trials and life-threatening situations, it annoyed me a little bit.
I liked the secondary characters, and the “band of misfit/found family” dynamic they developed. I like that they all had their own personality, and honestly most of the time they were more level-headed and likable than Serena. While I was a little annoyed with the way Serena and Frazer’s connection seemed almost too fast and easy, I did love their strong bond. I also loved Adi’s no-shit-taken attitude and her ruthless side that slowly gave way to friendship and care as she spent more time with her team. Cai and Liora were also kind, sweet, and were more relatable than the faes so it was hard not to like them.
I know that Elain, Serena’s stepmother, is only relevant in the first 20% of the book or so, but she is so easy to hate and I find it unsatisfying that we have no idea yet what happened to her after Serena was taken. I don’t care about her, but at the same time, I want to know that she suffered and that she got what she deserved. I would love an extra chapter, an epilogue, or a novella showing us how she became an outcast herself, or how her life became miserable for one reason or another. It would be useless to the plot, but so satisfying.
The story is really good besides the at-times bland main character and her seemingly irresistible persona. This book is a great mix of everything I like in fantasy series: there is action and adventure, fighting, mystery, a dash of romance, strong friendship, an interesting villain, and humor. The downside is that at times it felt like the author tried to cram too many ideas in the same book, and it became almost too much, but it is still a good and interesting book and I will definitely read the second one.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
✅ Action / Pace
✅ Friendship / Found family
✅ Betrayal and lies
✅ World-building
✅ Secondary characters
✅(🆗) Plot (good overall, but too many ideas at times)
✅🆗 Romance
🆗 Evolution of the main character
Strong 4 stars
I gave this book 4.5 stars the first time I read it 3 years ago, but reading it again now, after reading and reviewing so many fantasy books, I am more tempted to give it 4 strong stars.
"They won’t tell you fairy tales of how girls can be dangerous and still win. They will only tell you stories where girls are sweet and kind and reject all sin. I guess to them it’s a terrifying thought, a red riding hood who knew exactly what she was doing when she invited the wild in."
-Nikita Gill-
I didn't really know what to expect when I first picked up this book. I thought it might be kind of a Cinderella retelling with the evil stepmother. It started off that way, but it quickly changes from the sad orphan abused by her stepmother to the survivor learning to fight and thrive. Even though it's a long book, it kept me hooked the whole way through. I honestly couldn't put it down.
The story follows Serena, a young human who is wrongly accused of horrible crimes by her jealous and callous stepmother and is found guilty by her village. Saved from her death by the Wild Hunt, and taken against her will, she is thrust into the world of the faes and left with only one option if she wants to survive: to embrace her new life and train to become a soldier in the army of the ruthless Queen. While training in her camp, Serena will forge strong bonds, and realize that even though she felt like an outcast all her life, she has a place among the faes and witches in the training camp. She will go through grief and betrayal and will try to figure out the truth about her past and her family, while also trying to survive her training.
I know that many readers are complaining about Serena's character. How useless and boring she is, and I partially agree. I really liked her at the beginning of the book, she was strong and resilient, but she became more annoying as the story went on. I was expecting her to rely more on her intelligence and cleverness to beat the other faes in the camp, instead of always doubting herself and thinking she is useless simply because her allies are stronger than she is. She did become a good warrior, thanks to hours and hours of training, but it seems that a part of her always remained clueless about the fae lands and their creatures. I would have liked her training to also include reading and learning about the dangerous creatures she might encounter during her trials, instead of just building her stamina and perfecting her fighting techniques. Overall, she is not a bad main character, but her character development was not the best, and I hope it will be more explored in the next book.
“Your lives may be shorter, but you love more fiercely because of it.”
Another little downside of this story is the almost insta-love between Serena and the love interest (although I don’t know if he will remain the love interest?). She somehow managed to seduce and tear down the emotional defenses of one of the best and most renowned fae warriors there is, all in the span of a few weeks, while she wasn’t even trying to seduce him... There is also a strange connection between her and Hunter the slaver who took a liking to her even though he never really cared about humans. Serena clearly has some magnetic pull to her, and I don’t know if it will be explained later, or if it’s just one of those weird fae things, but it was weird to see all those males being drawn to her after she complained on many occasions about how no one in her village ever found her attractive or wanted to even spend time with her. She went from being the weird outcast to having a potential harem of very powerful males (and not in a sexual way). Somehow every fae that she meets falls under her spell, but I still enjoyed her different bonds with the males very much.
Also about the romance, while I enjoyed the slow building of the relationship between Serena and the love interest, she kind of screwed it up for me in the last 15%. She let her feelings lead her around, and she became a little stupid at times to be honest. She tried to be all seductive to get the males to stop fighting, and she just blurted out the famous 3 words to the male she’s been lusting after for weeks, but have been “officially” involved with for a few days only, and then felt hurt when he explained to her that faes didn’t utter those words easily or after only a few days together… On one hand, it fits with the young woman never having experienced romantic love, but on the other hand, it felt so juvenile in the middle of the trials and life-threatening situations, it annoyed me a little bit.
I liked the secondary characters, and the “band of misfit/found family” dynamic they developed. I like that they all had their own personality, and honestly most of the time they were more level-headed and likable than Serena. While I was a little annoyed with the way Serena and Frazer’s connection seemed almost too fast and easy, I did love their strong bond. I also loved Adi’s no-shit-taken attitude and her ruthless side that slowly gave way to friendship and care as she spent more time with her team. Cai and Liora were also kind, sweet, and were more relatable than the faes so it was hard not to like them.
I know that Elain, Serena’s stepmother, is only relevant in the first 20% of the book or so, but she is so easy to hate and I find it unsatisfying that we have no idea yet what happened to her after Serena was taken. I don’t care about her, but at the same time, I want to know that she suffered and that she got what she deserved. I would love an extra chapter, an epilogue, or a novella showing us how she became an outcast herself, or how her life became miserable for one reason or another. It would be useless to the plot, but so satisfying.
The story is really good besides the at-times bland main character and her seemingly irresistible persona. This book is a great mix of everything I like in fantasy series: there is action and adventure, fighting, mystery, a dash of romance, strong friendship, an interesting villain, and humor. The downside is that at times it felt like the author tried to cram too many ideas in the same book, and it became almost too much, but it is still a good and interesting book and I will definitely read the second one.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
February 8, 2020
*stares impassively at Serena*
*gives her three consecutive girly slaps*
All I can say is Lord save us from useless heroines, and the dreaded love-quadrangle. *deep sigh*
*gives her three consecutive girly slaps*
All I can say is Lord save us from useless heroines, and the dreaded love-quadrangle. *deep sigh*
May 24, 2018
DNF @ 53%.
I'm doing 2 things that I don't normally do: rating a dnf AND giving a 1-star review. I really don't like doing either of those things, but there are times that I must make an exception. This is one of those cases as this book made me stabby.
Man, there are so many reasons why, but the biggest reason has to be Serena, the useless human. She's really the worst, but also the best, but really the worst. I have absolutely no idea why these people (basically everyone she meets in fairyland) are so besotted and enamored with her that one helps her despite the threat of torture and death (and the fact that he's part of The Wild Hunt who historically never helps the humans), another, the fiercest warrior in all the lands, submits to the puny human because the best I can see, she dared to call him by his name ***gasp!*** (and also happens to be the potential love interest who of course has never been interested romantically in a recruit until meeting her), and there's yet another that binds his freaking life to her in a matter of days. And when I say for no reason, I really mean FOR. NO. REASON. She's helpless and useless and kind of petulant. Take one of the last scenes I read, for instance.
They are camped in the woods and have to wake up and pack in a hurry. What does Serena do? Why, she stands there asking inane questions while Frazer (the brooding fae who totally platonically bound himself to her because reasons), packs up all of her shit for her and literally dresses her, from tying on her sword belt to putting her pack on her back. WTF? Why? Gah!
Maybe there is an overall plan, maybe there is a reason for it all, but I don't have the time nor the inclination to find out.
I'm doing 2 things that I don't normally do: rating a dnf AND giving a 1-star review. I really don't like doing either of those things, but there are times that I must make an exception. This is one of those cases as this book made me stabby.
Man, there are so many reasons why, but the biggest reason has to be Serena, the useless human. She's really the worst, but also the best, but really the worst. I have absolutely no idea why these people (basically everyone she meets in fairyland) are so besotted and enamored with her that one helps her despite the threat of torture and death (and the fact that he's part of The Wild Hunt who historically never helps the humans), another, the fiercest warrior in all the lands, submits to the puny human because the best I can see, she dared to call him by his name ***gasp!*** (and also happens to be the potential love interest who of course has never been interested romantically in a recruit until meeting her), and there's yet another that binds his freaking life to her in a matter of days. And when I say for no reason, I really mean FOR. NO. REASON. She's helpless and useless and kind of petulant. Take one of the last scenes I read, for instance.
They are camped in the woods and have to wake up and pack in a hurry. What does Serena do? Why, she stands there asking inane questions while Frazer (the brooding fae who totally platonically bound himself to her because reasons), packs up all of her shit for her and literally dresses her, from tying on her sword belt to putting her pack on her back. WTF? Why? Gah!
Maybe there is an overall plan, maybe there is a reason for it all, but I don't have the time nor the inclination to find out.
Want to read
January 28, 2018that cover
March 18, 2018
Must read
What started off as a typical Cinderella story quickly turned into a wonderful fantasy read perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas
What started off as a typical Cinderella story quickly turned into a wonderful fantasy read perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas
September 4, 2018
Well, that was exciting, with lots of interesting character-dynamics, gorgeous writing, and great world-building!
March 28, 2019
*Reread March 2019*
“Because he understood what it was to be a lost soul in the world. A fallen star, exiled from home.”
I decided to give this one a reread in preparation for the next book and omg, I think I adored it even more than the first time! I'm completely in love with the story and the characters, I cannot wait to read more! Definitely give this one a go, you won't regret it!
————————————————————————
*First read March 2018*
“When I saw you … dying, it was … I never thought I’d feel fear like that again. But you’ve given me so much of yourself, all your memories—all of you. It’s been like absorbing a whole other person. So when that eerie crushed the air from your lungs, it felt like my heart stopped. Like it would stop the second yours did.”
The world tilted, went askew. I dared to utter, “That’s a bad thing, right?”
Omg I absolutely adored this book!❤️
Definitely a great fantasy read, with wonderful characters, some complicated romance(totally digging it😂), and beautiful writing! The story took some very interesting twists and turns and it literally kept me guessing the whole time! Now I just hope the next book comes out soon because I NEED more!
4.5/5★★★★
“Because he understood what it was to be a lost soul in the world. A fallen star, exiled from home.”
I decided to give this one a reread in preparation for the next book and omg, I think I adored it even more than the first time! I'm completely in love with the story and the characters, I cannot wait to read more! Definitely give this one a go, you won't regret it!
————————————————————————
*First read March 2018*
“When I saw you … dying, it was … I never thought I’d feel fear like that again. But you’ve given me so much of yourself, all your memories—all of you. It’s been like absorbing a whole other person. So when that eerie crushed the air from your lungs, it felt like my heart stopped. Like it would stop the second yours did.”
The world tilted, went askew. I dared to utter, “That’s a bad thing, right?”
Omg I absolutely adored this book!❤️
Definitely a great fantasy read, with wonderful characters, some complicated romance
4.5/5★★★★
January 10, 2018
Fantastic Fae Fantasy! I was pleasantly surprised at the turn this story took. I read the first two chapters when I was asked to beta read, so I knew I’d be hooked when I picked up the published copy. But, I had no idea what kind of action-packed adventure I was getting myself into. Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, they did. When I thought the characters would get a break, the stakes rose, keeping me enthralled.
S.B. Nova did a brilliant job of weaving in characters, twists, and detailed backstory without overwhelming me or dragging the pace. Each character (and there are a lot) is unique with their own voice and motives, adding to the overall tension and conflict.
I love Frazer most–a brooding, darker Fae you don’t anticipate to take on such a huge role in Serena’s life. Their vulnerability as individuals is intensified by their friendship and their characters strengthened by it. This is so well done! I was taken completely off guard by the uniqueness of their relationship.
There are a few instances I thought I might be able to predict, but a kink in the characters’ plans or their reactions threw me off every time. I do think I know what will happen with Serena’s love interest issue, though. However, I’m glad the book ended the way it did, and that the issues of romance are stalled in more ways than one.
I’m anxious to continue this story, and will have a book hangover for a while!
S.B. Nova did a brilliant job of weaving in characters, twists, and detailed backstory without overwhelming me or dragging the pace. Each character (and there are a lot) is unique with their own voice and motives, adding to the overall tension and conflict.
I love Frazer most–a brooding, darker Fae you don’t anticipate to take on such a huge role in Serena’s life. Their vulnerability as individuals is intensified by their friendship and their characters strengthened by it. This is so well done! I was taken completely off guard by the uniqueness of their relationship.
There are a few instances I thought I might be able to predict, but a kink in the characters’ plans or their reactions threw me off every time. I do think I know what will happen with Serena’s love interest issue, though. However, I’m glad the book ended the way it did, and that the issues of romance are stalled in more ways than one.
I’m anxious to continue this story, and will have a book hangover for a while!
July 27, 2018
Overall Rating: 2 stars
Heroine: Homegirl takes love at first sight to a whole new level
Dudes: Holy love quadrangle batman!
Steaminess: Why do authors think caves are an aphrodisiac?
Long Windedness: Reading War & Peace was easier than this
I don’t like writing negative reviews but I mistakenly read this book due to the high Goodreads ratings and rave reviews and feel like the book world needs an alternative perspective so readers don’t get hoodwinked like I did. My whole experience with Kingdom of Exiles can be summed up with this GIF:
I was basically Little Brother chasing a bone that I’d never get the entire book. Nova kept dangling interesting plotlines in front of me and throwing out mysteries like who is Serena’s mate and what is Serena? And instead of contributing to a cohesive and interesting plot, it just seemed more like a cruel exercise of trying to keep me engaged with this book.
I’m not a monster, so of course when an author throws out the existence of a mysterious mate, I’m gonna keep flipping pages to find out who it is and hope it’s Rhys’ long lost twin. But Nova overdid it and dangled too many bones at me, leaving me with a book that was more a military soap opera than the fantasy adventure I wanted.
While Nova’s writing itself has promise, she’s one of those authors that draaaaaagggs things out seemingly without a real purpose. This, plus the lack of a cohesive plot, made Kingdom of Exiles a long winded experience I had no where it was going. It would’ve been a stronger novel at half the size and if it capitalized on the original (and interesting!!) premises of the novel and not copycating Sarah J. Maas’ and other popular fantasy works. Additionally, Nova insists on forcing feelings down your throat instead of letting readers’ use their own brains to determine that wow, yeah, getting wings ripped from your body would be a painful experience. It was like being mansplained to for 600 pages.
All that aside, the most challenging experience of this book was surviving the protagonist, Serena. I don’t need my female protagonists to be asskicking warriors (a la Aelin) but I do need them to have at least one redeeming factor. Serena was fairly…. Useless. She experienced no character growth and spent the whole book crying, whining, and passively letting terrible things happen to her. Add to this the fact that she falls in love with every male she meets and Serena ends up being one of the most frustrating characters I’ve experienced in a while.
The romance in this book was non-existent despite the fact that Serena insta-loves every male that she encounters. The males do not allow Serena any agency and it turns into a tortured experience of “I love you, but refuse to be with you for your own safety despite your wishes” with all the angst of a junior high relationship. Plus, the only real steam happens in a cave and I’m seriously wondering if I have been missing out on these magical steamy caves because every cave I’ve been in is decidedly unromantic. Unless, the risk of getting rabies from a bat is romantic?
Heroine: Homegirl takes love at first sight to a whole new level
Dudes: Holy love quadrangle batman!
Steaminess: Why do authors think caves are an aphrodisiac?
Long Windedness: Reading War & Peace was easier than this
I don’t like writing negative reviews but I mistakenly read this book due to the high Goodreads ratings and rave reviews and feel like the book world needs an alternative perspective so readers don’t get hoodwinked like I did. My whole experience with Kingdom of Exiles can be summed up with this GIF:
I was basically Little Brother chasing a bone that I’d never get the entire book. Nova kept dangling interesting plotlines in front of me and throwing out mysteries like who is Serena’s mate and what is Serena? And instead of contributing to a cohesive and interesting plot, it just seemed more like a cruel exercise of trying to keep me engaged with this book.
I’m not a monster, so of course when an author throws out the existence of a mysterious mate, I’m gonna keep flipping pages to find out who it is and hope it’s Rhys’ long lost twin. But Nova overdid it and dangled too many bones at me, leaving me with a book that was more a military soap opera than the fantasy adventure I wanted.
While Nova’s writing itself has promise, she’s one of those authors that draaaaaagggs things out seemingly without a real purpose. This, plus the lack of a cohesive plot, made Kingdom of Exiles a long winded experience I had no where it was going. It would’ve been a stronger novel at half the size and if it capitalized on the original (and interesting!!) premises of the novel and not copycating Sarah J. Maas’ and other popular fantasy works. Additionally, Nova insists on forcing feelings down your throat instead of letting readers’ use their own brains to determine that wow, yeah, getting wings ripped from your body would be a painful experience. It was like being mansplained to for 600 pages.
All that aside, the most challenging experience of this book was surviving the protagonist, Serena. I don’t need my female protagonists to be asskicking warriors (a la Aelin) but I do need them to have at least one redeeming factor. Serena was fairly…. Useless. She experienced no character growth and spent the whole book crying, whining, and passively letting terrible things happen to her. Add to this the fact that she falls in love with every male she meets and Serena ends up being one of the most frustrating characters I’ve experienced in a while.
The romance in this book was non-existent despite the fact that Serena insta-loves every male that she encounters. The males do not allow Serena any agency and it turns into a tortured experience of “I love you, but refuse to be with you for your own safety despite your wishes” with all the angst of a junior high relationship. Plus, the only real steam happens in a cave and I’m seriously wondering if I have been missing out on these magical steamy caves because every cave I’ve been in is decidedly unromantic. Unless, the risk of getting rabies from a bat is romantic?
April 6, 2018
Ok where to start. I think I have seen this before. Mortal kidnapped to the fay lands. Hot fay warriors with wings. Mates. Hardcore elimination competition. Mortal turning into fay. Long lost princess... Author is clearly a big fan of SJ Maas. Anyway I am not complaining, I will read the next book.
Want to read
May 18, 2018The cover is lovely.
February 6, 2023
2023 Reread: review still stands. 5 stars.
I don’t give very many 5-star reviews, but this book and this author are something very special. If you are a fan of Sarah J Maas, Lesley Livingston, Cassandra Clare or Sabaa Tahir, you will thoroughly enjoy this work. For a relatively newly published author, her writing is breathtaking. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so entranced just by the description of fireflies. But while it is beautifully written, none of it it gratuitous or overdone to the point of taking away from the plot. If you read the summary, you may think you know where this story will take you. You are wrong. As the book develops, the story spins and grows more and more complex. She has anchored such a captivating story with so many storylines to sustain what I hope will be a long and captivating series. These characters are complex and evolve, as well as their relationships, throughout the story. You will root for them, agonize with them and at times even want to beat them over the head and point them in the right direction. The author weaves mythology into the story in a wonderfully natural way that adds to her world building without feeling like a knock-off or academic lesson. The story does start a bit slow but by the time I hit the 50% mark I could not put this book down - all my household chores and responsibilities were neglected until I finished. I am completely invested in Serena and her merry gang of misfits’ story. I hope the author writes quickly because I am eager to read more!
I don’t give very many 5-star reviews, but this book and this author are something very special. If you are a fan of Sarah J Maas, Lesley Livingston, Cassandra Clare or Sabaa Tahir, you will thoroughly enjoy this work. For a relatively newly published author, her writing is breathtaking. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so entranced just by the description of fireflies. But while it is beautifully written, none of it it gratuitous or overdone to the point of taking away from the plot. If you read the summary, you may think you know where this story will take you. You are wrong. As the book develops, the story spins and grows more and more complex. She has anchored such a captivating story with so many storylines to sustain what I hope will be a long and captivating series. These characters are complex and evolve, as well as their relationships, throughout the story. You will root for them, agonize with them and at times even want to beat them over the head and point them in the right direction. The author weaves mythology into the story in a wonderfully natural way that adds to her world building without feeling like a knock-off or academic lesson. The story does start a bit slow but by the time I hit the 50% mark I could not put this book down - all my household chores and responsibilities were neglected until I finished. I am completely invested in Serena and her merry gang of misfits’ story. I hope the author writes quickly because I am eager to read more!
January 3, 2019
First read of 2019!
This was so good! I’ve seen this compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses, but honestly - despite some similarities in plot, it was definitely something different altogether too. At almost 600 pages, I was very wary of the length, especially for a book from an indie author. However, it kept me hooked the whole way through. I was loving this so much, I even purchased the audiobook so I could listen to it while I couldn’t sit and read.
A Kingdom of Exiles follows Serena, a young human woman who is thrust into the world of the fae after she is wrongly accused of unspeakable crimes. Saved, then simultaneously taken against her will, Serena finds her only choice is to embrace her new life and train to be a soldier in the army of a ruthless fae Queen.
Guided by an unknowable force within a family heirloom, Serena forges unbreakable bonds and friendships, finds comfort and solace in the most surprising of beings, experiences unsurmountable grief and betrayal and follows a path to discover familial secrets she never could have anticipated.
This book has a little of everything: action and adventure, mystery, healthy friendships (female friendships even!), steamy romance, humor, a well crafted world and history and an intriguing villain.
If you are a fan of stories with fae such as A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Falconer or just enjoy fantasy in general, this is a book you do not want to miss. It definitely deserves more readers and more hype than it’s garnered! I am DYING to read the next one!
This was so good! I’ve seen this compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses, but honestly - despite some similarities in plot, it was definitely something different altogether too. At almost 600 pages, I was very wary of the length, especially for a book from an indie author. However, it kept me hooked the whole way through. I was loving this so much, I even purchased the audiobook so I could listen to it while I couldn’t sit and read.
A Kingdom of Exiles follows Serena, a young human woman who is thrust into the world of the fae after she is wrongly accused of unspeakable crimes. Saved, then simultaneously taken against her will, Serena finds her only choice is to embrace her new life and train to be a soldier in the army of a ruthless fae Queen.
Guided by an unknowable force within a family heirloom, Serena forges unbreakable bonds and friendships, finds comfort and solace in the most surprising of beings, experiences unsurmountable grief and betrayal and follows a path to discover familial secrets she never could have anticipated.
This book has a little of everything: action and adventure, mystery, healthy friendships (female friendships even!), steamy romance, humor, a well crafted world and history and an intriguing villain.
If you are a fan of stories with fae such as A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Falconer or just enjoy fantasy in general, this is a book you do not want to miss. It definitely deserves more readers and more hype than it’s garnered! I am DYING to read the next one!
Want to read
December 15, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (12/15/2018)!💝
Blurb:
The brightest of stars are always born on the darkest of nights.
Serena Smith is unusual.
Growing up in a backwoods village, her life is lonely and dull. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she's gifted a magical heirloom only to be snatched by fae and condemned to a lifetime in chains.
Dragged to Aldar, a fae kingdom ruled by a tyrant witch, Serena discovers a forbidden love, and meets fellow outcasts, each with their own dark secrets.
As the lives of warriors, rebels, and witches clash, they find a shared destiny. For only together, and with Serena's unique gifts, can they survive long enough to build the flames of a revolution. Only together can they go to war ...
Blurb:
The brightest of stars are always born on the darkest of nights.
Serena Smith is unusual.
Growing up in a backwoods village, her life is lonely and dull. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she's gifted a magical heirloom only to be snatched by fae and condemned to a lifetime in chains.
Dragged to Aldar, a fae kingdom ruled by a tyrant witch, Serena discovers a forbidden love, and meets fellow outcasts, each with their own dark secrets.
As the lives of warriors, rebels, and witches clash, they find a shared destiny. For only together, and with Serena's unique gifts, can they survive long enough to build the flames of a revolution. Only together can they go to war ...
March 9, 2021
I genuinely have never wanted a book to end so much. Do you know how many times I scoffed or rolled my eyes?? I have so much to rant/criticize, so buckle up. There are spoilers so read at your own risk.
The beginning was beautiful!! I had so much hope going into it. It was gorgeous, sad, and the details were just on point. Perfect. I was so ready for a five-star read, because it definitely started that way. Then, everything went downhill.
First and foremost, the characters are awful. Absolutely unbearably annoying to read about. Let's start off with Miss. Serena, our resident hunky-fae magnet and the ultimate Mary Sue character. I hated her. There was not a single redeeming quality. She started off docile and shy, but at one point in the book, she turned into a completely different character. She's vulgar, lustful, and a 'badass'. There's NOTHING wrong with those traits. However, her character isn't set up to be that way initially. I'd buy into it if there was development that showed her changing, but there was none! Zero, zip, nada!! And of course, she's soo special and a princess and just very powerful as well and the antagonist is after her because she's so special, blah blah blah. NEXT.
Now, we have hunky Hunter. Ohhh, he's soooo mean and neeeever is nice to humans, EXCEPT FOR SERENA! He kidnaps her and then has sooo much interested vested in her. He wants the best for her. Why?? Where in the hell did this interest come from! I don't understand!! Then, he asks Serena to OPEN UP about her LIFE two seconds after the kidnapping? And you know what, Serena does it! She starts to fall in lust with him. What in the Stockholm Syndrome is this! I'm so done.
Then, our next hot fae is Wilder. Yes. The instructor. There is zero build-up to Serena and Wilder's relationship. One second he's her instructor and the literal next second, they're lusting after each other like two horny high schoolers. He does a lot of... uh... growling, biting, and "carnal" sounds (not my words). He starts to call Serena, "darling" and "my love" randomly. And then she says, "I love you" to him. Where the fuck did this come from! Weren't y'all supposed to be keeping "attraction" to each other low-key? Again, I'm so done.
Ohh, then NEXT, we have our THIRD! Yes, you heard me right: THIRD love interest, Frazer. He's quiet, dark, and brooding and is celibate. Yes, the author included this. He never, EVER talks to anyone, except our Miss. Serena of course. I mean, she's sooo attractive and all the fae males fall at her feet. Also, yes, males. Cause fae males aren't men and the author has made that very clear. Frazer goes from ignoring Serena one second to literally swapping BLOOD with her to create a KIN BOND and they start calling each other BROTHER AND SISTER. WHAT THE FUCK!! Didn't you hate her two pages ago?? WherE IS THE DEVELOPMENT? NOT ONLY DOES THIS HAPPEN, Serena goes and says that she LOVES HIM. What the actual fuckity fuck.
Alright, now, the supporting characters. Let me tell you-- just as bland and stupid as the main four in the love quadrangle. The twins Cai and Li literally fall at Serena's feet to help her. They share a very important secret with her TWO SECONDS after meeting her. What compels people in this realm to spill their secrets that could have them killed to Serena? I wanna know.
Then, we have the dialogue between these characters which is all so unnatural. It's as if the author was planning her book and used the "who, what, where, why, when" questions and answered them, but didn't rewrite her answers and just threw them in the book. Does that make sense?? There are so many moments when someone is explaining something and another character replies with, "Why's that?" Then they answer, and the other character will reply with another "wh" question. It's so boring to read! I want to see, not be told everything. The entire plot is carried by talk and almost no action.
Also, 90% of the book is composed of the stupid trials these characters go through to join the army?? There are literally six trials and YOU HAVE TO READ THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE. IT'S PAINFUL, because it's so boring!! I don't care about Serena running laps and swimming with Adrianna for five pages! That's not that relevant!
Then, we have the world-building which felt so off. In the beginning, it's clear we're in a small village in a high-fantasy set world. However, as we move into the fae realm and the characters start training, the language, food, slang gets so modern. Even the setting is so modern and feels more dystopian than high-fantasy.
The plot is also so so predictable. I saw many reviews saying it was a lot like SJM's series and I'd have to agree. Going in, I knew this, but I didn't care. People are allowed to have similar ideas. But, this plot... The antagonist in this book is named Morgan. We have a character in SJM's book called Morrigan. It's just very uncanny.
I'm so frustrated. I can't believe I sat through 585 pages of pure blagh. However, I like to end my reviews with the fact that we all have different tastes. What I like, you may not and what I dislike, you may like. And as always, it's hard work writing a book, so the author's work should not be discredited.
The beginning was beautiful!! I had so much hope going into it. It was gorgeous, sad, and the details were just on point. Perfect. I was so ready for a five-star read, because it definitely started that way. Then, everything went downhill.
First and foremost, the characters are awful. Absolutely unbearably annoying to read about. Let's start off with Miss. Serena, our resident hunky-fae magnet and the ultimate Mary Sue character. I hated her. There was not a single redeeming quality. She started off docile and shy, but at one point in the book, she turned into a completely different character. She's vulgar, lustful, and a 'badass'. There's NOTHING wrong with those traits. However, her character isn't set up to be that way initially. I'd buy into it if there was development that showed her changing, but there was none! Zero, zip, nada!! And of course, she's soo special and a princess and just very powerful as well and the antagonist is after her because she's so special, blah blah blah. NEXT.
Now, we have hunky Hunter. Ohhh, he's soooo mean and neeeever is nice to humans, EXCEPT FOR SERENA! He kidnaps her and then has sooo much interested vested in her. He wants the best for her. Why?? Where in the hell did this interest come from! I don't understand!! Then, he asks Serena to OPEN UP about her LIFE two seconds after the kidnapping? And you know what, Serena does it! She starts to fall in lust with him. What in the Stockholm Syndrome is this! I'm so done.
Then, our next hot fae is Wilder. Yes. The instructor. There is zero build-up to Serena and Wilder's relationship. One second he's her instructor and the literal next second, they're lusting after each other like two horny high schoolers. He does a lot of... uh... growling, biting, and "carnal" sounds (not my words). He starts to call Serena, "darling" and "my love" randomly. And then she says, "I love you" to him. Where the fuck did this come from! Weren't y'all supposed to be keeping "attraction" to each other low-key? Again, I'm so done.
Ohh, then NEXT, we have our THIRD! Yes, you heard me right: THIRD love interest, Frazer. He's quiet, dark, and brooding and is celibate. Yes, the author included this. He never, EVER talks to anyone, except our Miss. Serena of course. I mean, she's sooo attractive and all the fae males fall at her feet. Also, yes, males. Cause fae males aren't men and the author has made that very clear. Frazer goes from ignoring Serena one second to literally swapping BLOOD with her to create a KIN BOND and they start calling each other BROTHER AND SISTER. WHAT THE FUCK!! Didn't you hate her two pages ago?? WherE IS THE DEVELOPMENT? NOT ONLY DOES THIS HAPPEN, Serena goes and says that she LOVES HIM. What the actual fuckity fuck.
Alright, now, the supporting characters. Let me tell you-- just as bland and stupid as the main four in the love quadrangle. The twins Cai and Li literally fall at Serena's feet to help her. They share a very important secret with her TWO SECONDS after meeting her. What compels people in this realm to spill their secrets that could have them killed to Serena? I wanna know.
Then, we have the dialogue between these characters which is all so unnatural. It's as if the author was planning her book and used the "who, what, where, why, when" questions and answered them, but didn't rewrite her answers and just threw them in the book. Does that make sense?? There are so many moments when someone is explaining something and another character replies with, "Why's that?" Then they answer, and the other character will reply with another "wh" question. It's so boring to read! I want to see, not be told everything. The entire plot is carried by talk and almost no action.
Also, 90% of the book is composed of the stupid trials these characters go through to join the army?? There are literally six trials and YOU HAVE TO READ THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE. IT'S PAINFUL, because it's so boring!! I don't care about Serena running laps and swimming with Adrianna for five pages! That's not that relevant!
Then, we have the world-building which felt so off. In the beginning, it's clear we're in a small village in a high-fantasy set world. However, as we move into the fae realm and the characters start training, the language, food, slang gets so modern. Even the setting is so modern and feels more dystopian than high-fantasy.
The plot is also so so predictable. I saw many reviews saying it was a lot like SJM's series and I'd have to agree. Going in, I knew this, but I didn't care. People are allowed to have similar ideas. But, this plot... The antagonist in this book is named Morgan. We have a character in SJM's book called Morrigan. It's just very uncanny.
I'm so frustrated. I can't believe I sat through 585 pages of pure blagh. However, I like to end my reviews with the fact that we all have different tastes. What I like, you may not and what I dislike, you may like. And as always, it's hard work writing a book, so the author's work should not be discredited.
August 15, 2019
4.5 Stars
Wow this was so much better than I had expected. Although, the cover had appealed me even before I downloaded it, I decided not to get my hopes up too high, well cuz' you know "Never judge a book by its cover."
How the hell did they not guess the betrayal beforehand???
I definitely liked Frazer and Adrianna's relationship the most... Frazer was probably my fav character. I really really wish he had been Serena's mate.
The character development in this book is amazing. The background stories are actually good.
Liora and Cai are both so so very sweet.
I can't believe the next book isn't here, yet!!
Wow this was so much better than I had expected. Although, the cover had appealed me even before I downloaded it, I decided not to get my hopes up too high, well cuz' you know "Never judge a book by its cover."
How the hell did they not guess the betrayal beforehand???
I definitely liked Frazer and Adrianna's relationship the most... Frazer was probably my fav character. I really really wish he had been Serena's mate.
The character development in this book is amazing. The background stories are actually good.
Liora and Cai are both so so very sweet.
I can't believe the next book isn't here, yet!!
November 30, 2020
I was going back and forth on how exactly rate this book, but in the end I decided on 4 stars :) even though I did have some issues with it, I also did enjoy it quite a lot :) the writing style was good, entertaining and got me hooked on the story from the start… the beginning was a bit slow, but I didn’t mind it… especially since after like the first 20-30% the pacing got accelerated a lot… and I wasn’t the biggest fan of that… that’s actually my main issue with this book… quite a few parts felt like they happened way too fast… especially when it comes to all sorts of relationships formed between Serena and others, which made it that much harder for me to really get behind those friendships and romances… it felt like that level of connections belonged in at least the second or even third one in a series… but I did liked the action and different twists and turns of the story… I am very curious about the rest of Serena’s journey and I will absolutely continue on with the sequels when they are published :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
June 10, 2018
It needed to be, like, half the size it is.
Read
June 11, 2020Putting this shitshow on hold for now. I want to keep reading. I want this to get better.
But wtf is going on anymore 😂😂😭
But wtf is going on anymore 😂😂😭
December 22, 2018
If you want to read a much less compelling, less interesting version of Sarah J. Maas — with a weird Cinderella beginning that doesn’t factor into the story much at all — then this is the book for you!
Here are just a few things that could be generously described as “mirroring” Maas:
- ~sensitive~ fae bat wings
- purrrring (in this book, literally!)
- fae have super physical capabilities and sharp teeth and animalistic instincts and prettier faces and are female/male, not women/men because technicalities are really important for readers to tell the difference between fae and humans, right? Right??
- fae courts (some even named after times of day!)
- the wall (North = fae, South = human)
- fae have human slaves
- evil empire takeover
- trials (which are unreasonably difficult in this book, considering that their purpose is to select common soldiers)
- neck biting
- the mating bond
- blood oaths (and blood oath-ish vows)
- [uncompelling] sexy sex (side note: I found the romantic subplot rushed and a little gross)
- mental connection/mind reading shit (which is never really explained?)
- kidnappings and subsequent rescues
- the most annoying censored cuss word ever, “rutting” (also, the author uses “fuck” sometimes, which renders the annoyance pointless) (also also, the rest of the cursing in the book is equally stupid: characters randomly swear on the moon, the rivers, the stars, etc. for no specific reason)
- a more boring, less ballsily written version of Tamlin (and hints of an upcoming Rhysand)
- “we can’t be together because it would put you in danger ... but let’s fuck”
- tragic pasts in general
- attempted [read: failed] moral complexity
- it’s the family you make that counts (i.e. there’s a tight friend squad) (also, the tight friend squad is called a “pack” in this book, which is utterly ridiculous)
- unrequited love within the tight friend squad
- a human is actually a fae princess with lots of magical powers (gasp!) (sorry if this is a mild spoiler)
In sum, Nova pretty much stole most of her world-building and character ideas from Sarah J. Maas. I get that some of these things are just plot devices or characteristics that aren’t exclusive to Maas, but come on. All of them, together?
Furthermore, the main character is not compelling (most of the characters aren’t, at least to me); the writing is mediocre at best (and if you’re a grammar nazi like me, you’ll notice plenty of irritating little errors); and the plot is predictably boring (though thankfully, it’s one of the few things that aren’t plagiarized from Maas). And I haven’t even covered the weird, unexplained things that crop up, because some of those things would spoil this stupid novel.
Anyway, on top of all this, some of the prose is pretty much stolen from Sarah J. Maas. Here are just a few of the instances when this book “mirrors” A Court of Mist and Fury:
Nova: “Such a deafening silence in my head.”
Maas: “There was such silence in my head.”
Nova: “Frazer’s beauty ... was close to terrifying. A cold mask, hard-edged and hollow cheeked. Nightmare made flesh.”
Maas: “At first interpretation, he’d look terrifying, vengeance and wrath incarnate.” “The face of dreams and nightmares ... the sheer beauty of him.”
Nova: “‘I’d want to die.’ ‘Stop. Never think that. Never say that ... I wanted to die too. To take my life and leave this sorry, rutting world for good.’”
Maas: “‘It should have been me.’ ‘You will feel that way every day for the rest of your life ... And I know this because I have felt that way.’”
Honestly, I think the biggest problem with this book is the storytelling. At so many points, it felt like the author was telling me to care, telling me that characters experienced hardship, telling me that this was a life-or-death situation. And maybe if this weren’t written in the first person (not at all like A Court of Thorns and Roses), that would be acceptable. But as it stands, the main character’s inner monologue doesn’t adequately reflect any of the emotions the author tries to invoke; it felt like the main character was just rattling off events and then adding, “That made me sad/tired/heartbroken/whatever.” And that’s just the nail in the coffin for the fact that I just didn’t see any compelling demonstrations of those emotions. I couldn’t empathize with the characters, because the author just didn’t seem to want to write feelings other than by occasionally spelling them out. That, in turn, took away from my immersion in the story. These issues, along with the emulation of Sarah J. Maas, left me unable to take this book seriously.
All this being said, if you want a mindless fantasy novel to distract you, involving characters to whom you will not get attached, then this book is perfect for you!
Here are just a few things that could be generously described as “mirroring” Maas:
- ~sensitive~ fae bat wings
- purrrring (in this book, literally!)
- fae have super physical capabilities and sharp teeth and animalistic instincts and prettier faces and are female/male, not women/men because technicalities are really important for readers to tell the difference between fae and humans, right? Right??
- fae courts (some even named after times of day!)
- the wall (North = fae, South = human)
- fae have human slaves
- evil empire takeover
- trials (which are unreasonably difficult in this book, considering that their purpose is to select common soldiers)
- neck biting
- the mating bond
- blood oaths (and blood oath-ish vows)
- [uncompelling] sexy sex (side note: I found the romantic subplot rushed and a little gross)
- mental connection/mind reading shit (which is never really explained?)
- kidnappings and subsequent rescues
- the most annoying censored cuss word ever, “rutting” (also, the author uses “fuck” sometimes, which renders the annoyance pointless) (also also, the rest of the cursing in the book is equally stupid: characters randomly swear on the moon, the rivers, the stars, etc. for no specific reason)
- a more boring, less ballsily written version of Tamlin (and hints of an upcoming Rhysand)
- “we can’t be together because it would put you in danger ... but let’s fuck”
- tragic pasts in general
- attempted [read: failed] moral complexity
- it’s the family you make that counts (i.e. there’s a tight friend squad) (also, the tight friend squad is called a “pack” in this book, which is utterly ridiculous)
- unrequited love within the tight friend squad
- a human is actually a fae princess with lots of magical powers (gasp!) (sorry if this is a mild spoiler)
In sum, Nova pretty much stole most of her world-building and character ideas from Sarah J. Maas. I get that some of these things are just plot devices or characteristics that aren’t exclusive to Maas, but come on. All of them, together?
Furthermore, the main character is not compelling (most of the characters aren’t, at least to me); the writing is mediocre at best (and if you’re a grammar nazi like me, you’ll notice plenty of irritating little errors); and the plot is predictably boring (though thankfully, it’s one of the few things that aren’t plagiarized from Maas). And I haven’t even covered the weird, unexplained things that crop up, because some of those things would spoil this stupid novel.
Anyway, on top of all this, some of the prose is pretty much stolen from Sarah J. Maas. Here are just a few of the instances when this book “mirrors” A Court of Mist and Fury:
Nova: “Such a deafening silence in my head.”
Maas: “There was such silence in my head.”
Nova: “Frazer’s beauty ... was close to terrifying. A cold mask, hard-edged and hollow cheeked. Nightmare made flesh.”
Maas: “At first interpretation, he’d look terrifying, vengeance and wrath incarnate.” “The face of dreams and nightmares ... the sheer beauty of him.”
Nova: “‘I’d want to die.’ ‘Stop. Never think that. Never say that ... I wanted to die too. To take my life and leave this sorry, rutting world for good.’”
Maas: “‘It should have been me.’ ‘You will feel that way every day for the rest of your life ... And I know this because I have felt that way.’”
Honestly, I think the biggest problem with this book is the storytelling. At so many points, it felt like the author was telling me to care, telling me that characters experienced hardship, telling me that this was a life-or-death situation. And maybe if this weren’t written in the first person (not at all like A Court of Thorns and Roses), that would be acceptable. But as it stands, the main character’s inner monologue doesn’t adequately reflect any of the emotions the author tries to invoke; it felt like the main character was just rattling off events and then adding, “That made me sad/tired/heartbroken/whatever.” And that’s just the nail in the coffin for the fact that I just didn’t see any compelling demonstrations of those emotions. I couldn’t empathize with the characters, because the author just didn’t seem to want to write feelings other than by occasionally spelling them out. That, in turn, took away from my immersion in the story. These issues, along with the emulation of Sarah J. Maas, left me unable to take this book seriously.
All this being said, if you want a mindless fantasy novel to distract you, involving characters to whom you will not get attached, then this book is perfect for you!
April 4, 2019
A thoroughly enjoyable dystopian fantasy
This is one of the best dystopian fantasy books I’ve read in a very long while. If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas’ series Throne of Glass then you’ll really enjoy this book.
This is one of the best dystopian fantasy books I’ve read in a very long while. If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas’ series Throne of Glass then you’ll really enjoy this book.
February 4, 2023
5 stars! WOW! I LOVED this book! You can tell that this series is going to be beautifully complex. I re-discovered my love for fantasy/romance after reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, and have found myself chasing that same high. Well, I've found my fix in this book. While I've noticed other reviewers thought these books were too similar, I actually found it to be distinct on its own. Where ACOTAR starts off with a Beauty and the Beast start, this one takes the Cinderalla track. There are parallels: fae courts and human realms, a war is on the horizon, multiple potential love interests, and hero vs. villain storyline.
The beginning of this book starts a little slow, but after Serena finds herself in the realm of Aldar, it picks up pretty fast. It moves in a direction that's difficult to predict, and left me wanting more! I'm assuming we're going to get some answers in the next books, but I thought everything in this book was fantastic.
This book focuses highly on relationships. Relationships between siblings, friends, parents, and of course, lovers. There is a love quadrangle of sorts, but I'd still recommend this book for people who don't like that sort of thing. I have a feeling it'll be straightened out in the following books. My only regret is knowing how long I'm going to have to wait to finish the series (I think it's going to be 4-6 books). Still, HIGHLY recommend!
Unrelated to the story itself: this book compelled me to create a new tag for beautiful covers. LOVE the artistry behind it!
The beginning of this book starts a little slow, but after Serena finds herself in the realm of Aldar, it picks up pretty fast. It moves in a direction that's difficult to predict, and left me wanting more! I'm assuming we're going to get some answers in the next books, but I thought everything in this book was fantastic.
This book focuses highly on relationships. Relationships between siblings, friends, parents, and of course, lovers. There is a love quadrangle of sorts, but I'd still recommend this book for people who don't like that sort of thing. I have a feeling it'll be straightened out in the following books. My only regret is knowing how long I'm going to have to wait to finish the series (I think it's going to be 4-6 books). Still, HIGHLY recommend!
Unrelated to the story itself: this book compelled me to create a new tag for beautiful covers. LOVE the artistry behind it!
May 20, 2018
Hmmmm….
It was a very intriguing story, with a semi-different plot.
An MC who was lied to her whole life, who lost her mother at a young age and raised by her father and a tyrant step mother. Due to Serena’s oddities and some other circumstances she was outcast by her towns people.
She was later found by a Fae hunter and so forth the story goes.
This story toes the line between teen and young adult. With the most vulgar thing being the word ‘rutting’ – which is used almost every other sentence.
Though the book kept me semi interested, I got aggravated with Serena. Her “I suck at life” attitude and the constant need of approval from everyone made the book that much harder to get through.
This story was also, SO LONG WINDED, 589 pages of long windedness. I felt like the author dragged out things that could have easily been wrapped up with 2 sentences.
Don’t get me wrong, the book was good and well written, but reminded me why I steer clear of teen/young adult genre.
It was a very intriguing story, with a semi-different plot.
An MC who was lied to her whole life, who lost her mother at a young age and raised by her father and a tyrant step mother. Due to Serena’s oddities and some other circumstances she was outcast by her towns people.
She was later found by a Fae hunter and so forth the story goes.
This story toes the line between teen and young adult. With the most vulgar thing being the word ‘rutting’ – which is used almost every other sentence.
Though the book kept me semi interested, I got aggravated with Serena. Her “I suck at life” attitude and the constant need of approval from everyone made the book that much harder to get through.
This story was also, SO LONG WINDED, 589 pages of long windedness. I felt like the author dragged out things that could have easily been wrapped up with 2 sentences.
Don’t get me wrong, the book was good and well written, but reminded me why I steer clear of teen/young adult genre.
April 6, 2018
¿Es un libro "perfecto"?
NO. De hecho, hay un par
de cosillas que podrían haber
estado mejor, como el haber
eliminado alguna que otra
escena o descripción y haber
desarrollado de una forma un
poco más pausada tanto las
relaciones de amistad como la
amorosa, ya que queda todo muy
instantáneo. Aunque, por contradictorio
que parezca, esas relaciones se acaben
convirtiendo en una de las mejores cosas
de la novela.
¿Por qué le pongo 5★ entonces? Pues...
1.— Porque me ha tenido enganchadísima y me ha sorprendido, en tanto a que no me vi venir más de una cosa pese a que las señales estaban ahí. Y eso me encanta.
2.– Sus personajes y, como dije arriba, el vínculo que se forma entre ellos. SOBRE TODO entre Serena (la protagonista) y cierto personaje. O sea, lo que surge entre ellos dos me ha derretido el corazón, el alma y todo XD (y no, no es una relación amorosa 😋).
NO. De hecho, hay un par
de cosillas que podrían haber
estado mejor, como el haber
eliminado alguna que otra
escena o descripción y haber
desarrollado de una forma un
poco más pausada tanto las
relaciones de amistad como la
amorosa, ya que queda todo muy
instantáneo. Aunque, por contradictorio
que parezca, esas relaciones se acaben
convirtiendo en una de las mejores cosas
de la novela.
¿Por qué le pongo 5★ entonces? Pues...
1.— Porque me ha tenido enganchadísima y me ha sorprendido, en tanto a que no me vi venir más de una cosa pese a que las señales estaban ahí. Y eso me encanta.
2.– Sus personajes y, como dije arriba, el vínculo que se forma entre ellos. SOBRE TODO entre Serena (la protagonista) y cierto personaje. O sea, lo que surge entre ellos dos me ha derretido el corazón, el alma y todo XD (y no, no es una relación amorosa 😋).
January 4, 2018
Surprisingly good read
This book was better than I thought it would be. It’s sort of on the borderline between YA/NA. In the beginning, it was hard to get a feel for where the author was going with the story, but once you grasp the plot, it’s really hard to put down. Lots of action with only a few lulls. My only complaint is that I have a feeling it’s going to take a while for the next installment.
This book was better than I thought it would be. It’s sort of on the borderline between YA/NA. In the beginning, it was hard to get a feel for where the author was going with the story, but once you grasp the plot, it’s really hard to put down. Lots of action with only a few lulls. My only complaint is that I have a feeling it’s going to take a while for the next installment.
May 23, 2018
So far is the best book I've read this year, soon I will post my review ^^
https://blogderesenas.blogspot.com.es...
https://blogderesenas.blogspot.com.es...
May 13, 2018
S.B. Nova you are a wonderful author !
You don't get bored one second in this book, there's always a plot twist or action leaving you with a mouth hanging wide open.
This book is about Serena, a human who lives in the human realm. The beginning made me think of cinderella with the mean mother outlaw and all -> But I swear it's the only thing that look alike between the two, this is not a cinderella story, it's a fae one. Indeed, after a plot twist and awful events, Serena finds herself in the fae realm. I really like how fae were described, beautiful with wings and all (it reminded me of angels).
The rest of the story takes place in a soldier camp where Serena has to learn how to fight in order to survive the trials at the end. This camp is for fae and human training and Serena bonds with few people which becomes her pack. What I really liked is that each characters has it's own story and background described and I cared deeply for all of them --> at the end of the book they are like family.
About the romance (because yes, it's important for me in a story :P), there is kind of of a romance but one that didn't do it for me and we get why at the end but I have great hopes for the next book.
The waiting for the next book (December 2018 ?) will be very hard for me!! I give 5 beautiful stars for a perfect story and a perfect writing.
You don't get bored one second in this book, there's always a plot twist or action leaving you with a mouth hanging wide open.
This book is about Serena, a human who lives in the human realm. The beginning made me think of cinderella with the mean mother outlaw and all -> But I swear it's the only thing that look alike between the two, this is not a cinderella story, it's a fae one. Indeed, after a plot twist and awful events, Serena finds herself in the fae realm. I really like how fae were described, beautiful with wings and all (it reminded me of angels).
The rest of the story takes place in a soldier camp where Serena has to learn how to fight in order to survive the trials at the end. This camp is for fae and human training and Serena bonds with few people which becomes her pack. What I really liked is that each characters has it's own story and background described and I cared deeply for all of them --> at the end of the book they are like family.
About the romance (because yes, it's important for me in a story :P), there is kind of of a romance but one that didn't do it for me and we get why at the end but I have great hopes for the next book.
The waiting for the next book (December 2018 ?) will be very hard for me!! I give 5 beautiful stars for a perfect story and a perfect writing.
September 24, 2019
At first I was going to hold out on reading this, because I had a feeling I was going to love it and I'm super impatient when it comes to waiting for sequels. Turns out I was right, read it in one sitting because I COULD NOT put this book down. S.B. Nova is the first author that has gotten me just as invested in the characters and the story as Sara J Maas. Serena is a lovable and badass main character, and I ended up loving her squad just as much as her. The pacing of the story is great, and I can just tell this series is going to end up being as epic as TOG or ACOTAR, and it is perfect for fans of Maas's writing style (but I definitely would say that Nova has a writing style of her own and it is FANTASTIC). That being said, S.B. Nova has set a great foundation for the series, and I'm so excited to see Serena's story play out. I absolutely can't wait for the next book, because I can tell that this series is going to be one of my favorites.
January 3, 2021
This was genuinely such an enjoyable read— I didn’t want it to end as I came to the close!
Serena is a character who has faced so many hardships in her short life— death, assault, subjugation. But she rises above it all through sheer will. Her emotions and struggles are so very relatable, and you will easily find yourself rooting for her as you read.
Now that I look back, the plot and sequence of events was very dense (as in MANY things happen) but it’s very easy to follow along with (aka no snooze worthy fight scenes or confusing order of events). I think this book laid out a lot of the details and events that will be a base for the upcoming book(s). I’m excited about many elements that were left unanswered in this book!
The main flaw I saw while reading centered around pacing— I felt Serena jumped into making bonds too quickly (I understand it was necessary for the plot though). While I enjoyed every page of this, I can understand some readers being lost in the events and tuning out around 25% in. It takes some time to adjust to the pace of the story, and that it has both slow and fast paced points sporadically.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book—for my love of these characters and fascinating story— but a big part of me just wants to see who Serena’s mate truly is!
Serena is a character who has faced so many hardships in her short life— death, assault, subjugation. But she rises above it all through sheer will. Her emotions and struggles are so very relatable, and you will easily find yourself rooting for her as you read.
Now that I look back, the plot and sequence of events was very dense (as in MANY things happen) but it’s very easy to follow along with (aka no snooze worthy fight scenes or confusing order of events). I think this book laid out a lot of the details and events that will be a base for the upcoming book(s). I’m excited about many elements that were left unanswered in this book!
The main flaw I saw while reading centered around pacing— I felt Serena jumped into making bonds too quickly (I understand it was necessary for the plot though). While I enjoyed every page of this, I can understand some readers being lost in the events and tuning out around 25% in. It takes some time to adjust to the pace of the story, and that it has both slow and fast paced points sporadically.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book—for my love of these characters and fascinating story— but a big part of me just wants to see who Serena’s mate truly is!
August 2, 2022
1.5/5
So I think I'll begin by saying that the idea and story itself were interesting enough. There were a few points where I was actually eager to continue reading. However, I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.
For the most part, I couldn't stand the book. The writing was terrible. There were too many fragmented sentences that ruined its flow. "A whoosh of guilt." - "A demand." - "A promise and an offering." - "A prompt." - "A vain attempt to make a joke." - "A careful question." These are all direct quotes. Like, what?
Also, there was a constant tendency to start each sentence with a short clause then comma before getting to the point. "Grabbing two linen napkins, I placed them over my lap." - "Absorbing his words, I struggled to align them with my mortal knowledge." or "Heart in my mouth, we approached the door to my barracks." I've seen sentences like this before (written a few myself) but there were just too many and by the second chapter I started noticing their overusage.
There were other issues as well, chiefly that there was far more telling than showing going on. And I mean, to the point where it was irritating and almost offensive as a reader. I think I can figure out what the characters intend myself through their actions. We don't need to be told what each character's reaction meant to portray at every point.
I generally don't rate books too harshly, but more than halfway through the book I was almost tearing my hair out in irritation. I only forced myself to finish because of all the time I'd already put into reading it.
Other than the writing, I didn't like most of the characters (excluding Adrianna and Frazer, before he went and became kin with Serena - which, I have to ask, what the -?).
Serena as a main character was so incredibly dull and annoying that I wanted to just choke her. Liora was such a push-over and Cai tried too hard. Wilder was a bit creepy - normally I can deal with ships like Feyre and Rhysand in ACOTAR - but I don't know what it was about him that I just didn't like. I did love Goldwyn.
Cai and Adi's relationship build-up was far more interesting than Serena and Wilder's. Serena and Frazer's kin bond was more like mates than siblings, it was off putting to say the least. As a group though, the five were nice and I liked their friendship.
I'll end with this: the book had potential. The idea itself was great and I was genuinely interested at some bits in between the bad writing. I just think it needed a lot -and I mean A LOT - more editing. Of course writing is hard and I have all the hope in the world that S. B. Nova will improve with the sequel. I dnf-ed Throne of Glass for similar reasons but SJM's ACOTAR is one of my favorite series.
So I think I'll begin by saying that the idea and story itself were interesting enough. There were a few points where I was actually eager to continue reading. However, I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.
For the most part, I couldn't stand the book. The writing was terrible. There were too many fragmented sentences that ruined its flow. "A whoosh of guilt." - "A demand." - "A promise and an offering." - "A prompt." - "A vain attempt to make a joke." - "A careful question." These are all direct quotes. Like, what?
Also, there was a constant tendency to start each sentence with a short clause then comma before getting to the point. "Grabbing two linen napkins, I placed them over my lap." - "Absorbing his words, I struggled to align them with my mortal knowledge." or "Heart in my mouth, we approached the door to my barracks." I've seen sentences like this before (written a few myself) but there were just too many and by the second chapter I started noticing their overusage.
There were other issues as well, chiefly that there was far more telling than showing going on. And I mean, to the point where it was irritating and almost offensive as a reader. I think I can figure out what the characters intend myself through their actions. We don't need to be told what each character's reaction meant to portray at every point.
I generally don't rate books too harshly, but more than halfway through the book I was almost tearing my hair out in irritation. I only forced myself to finish because of all the time I'd already put into reading it.
Other than the writing, I didn't like most of the characters (excluding Adrianna and Frazer, before he went and became kin with Serena - which, I have to ask, what the -?).
Serena as a main character was so incredibly dull and annoying that I wanted to just choke her. Liora was such a push-over and Cai tried too hard. Wilder was a bit creepy - normally I can deal with ships like Feyre and Rhysand in ACOTAR - but I don't know what it was about him that I just didn't like. I did love Goldwyn.
Cai and Adi's relationship build-up was far more interesting than Serena and Wilder's. Serena and Frazer's kin bond was more like mates than siblings, it was off putting to say the least. As a group though, the five were nice and I liked their friendship.
I'll end with this: the book had potential. The idea itself was great and I was genuinely interested at some bits in between the bad writing. I just think it needed a lot -and I mean A LOT - more editing. Of course writing is hard and I have all the hope in the world that S. B. Nova will improve with the sequel. I dnf-ed Throne of Glass for similar reasons but SJM's ACOTAR is one of my favorite series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 761 reviews