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The Perished Woods #2
Enthralling the Orc
Desperate to find answers to the whereabouts of her niece, Ellyn does the unthinkable and releases a criminal brought in from the Perished Woods. Believing him to be nothing more than a man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, she enlists his aid as a tracker.
But the dark night can only shield his true form from her view for so long and when Ellyn finally looks into Ash’s ghostly eyes, she knows exactly what type of monster she’s released. An orc… the same fearsome beast responsible for the burning of her niece’s village.
Forced into the cursed woods with a traveling companion he never meant to keep, Ash wants nothing more than to lose the girl, but the longer he walks with Ellyn at his side, he realizes he’s more apt to lose himself.
But the dark night can only shield his true form from her view for so long and when Ellyn finally looks into Ash’s ghostly eyes, she knows exactly what type of monster she’s released. An orc… the same fearsome beast responsible for the burning of her niece’s village.
Forced into the cursed woods with a traveling companion he never meant to keep, Ash wants nothing more than to lose the girl, but the longer he walks with Ellyn at his side, he realizes he’s more apt to lose himself.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
277 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Lauren
31 books355 followersTracy Lauren is a loving wife to her gorgeous but weird husband Greg, and a dedicated mother to her two wonderful children. She has her M.S. in Clinical/Counseling Psychology and during her time as a therapist she provided counseling services specializing in grief and trauma as well as attachment focused parenting. She is now taking time off from her career to focus on her family and explore life as an indie author.
Tracy’s interests have always been in the human experience, and in her writing she aims to capture just that. If you love the thrill of adventure to go with your science fiction romance, then Tracy’s books are for you.
Tracy’s interests have always been in the human experience, and in her writing she aims to capture just that. If you love the thrill of adventure to go with your science fiction romance, then Tracy’s books are for you.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
December 21, 2020
4.5 "boss" stars
Wohoo, totally devoured this!!
Popped my "orc-human romance" cherry with this book and I want more. I loved both Ash and Ellyn, and I adored their relationship. Its a slow burn love, at first she is very scared of him, because of what he is and because of prejudice about orcs(understandable so),but as they get to know eachother better on the course of their adventure in the Perished Woods they realize they enjoy echothers company very much so.
Ash is my kind of man( half man actually, half orc): charismatic, flirty, sexy , possessive and totally lovable and Ellyn is a strong, independent woman that made just the perfect match for him.
Plot, character development, good writing, world building, this book has it all in spades.
Anddd oh my!! The freaking villain ( that I thought is dead at the end of the book😲) is gonna get his own book !! this girl says FUCK YASS! oh how I love a troubled dark anti hero and his path to redemption. Redeeming his character is not gonna be easy, after everything he's done, so I hopeee he really had a good motive cos otherwise he is totally unforgivable. No matter tho, BRING ME THAT BABY !
Wohoo, totally devoured this!!
Popped my "orc-human romance" cherry with this book and I want more. I loved both Ash and Ellyn, and I adored their relationship. Its a slow burn love, at first she is very scared of him, because of what he is and because of prejudice about orcs(understandable so),but as they get to know eachother better on the course of their adventure in the Perished Woods they realize they enjoy echothers company very much so.
Ash is my kind of man( half man actually, half orc): charismatic, flirty, sexy , possessive and totally lovable and Ellyn is a strong, independent woman that made just the perfect match for him.
Plot, character development, good writing, world building, this book has it all in spades.
Anddd oh my!! The freaking villain ( that I thought is dead at the end of the book😲) is gonna get his own book !! this girl says FUCK YASS! oh how I love a troubled dark anti hero and his path to redemption. Redeeming his character is not gonna be easy, after everything he's done, so I hopeee he really had a good motive cos otherwise he is totally unforgivable. No matter tho, BRING ME THAT BABY !
December 16, 2019
Very good fantasy romance. I tried the first one of this series and I couldn't get past the first 2 pages. Something about the voice of the heroine. But I decided to give this one a go and really enjoyed it. Caveat though: I wish it had not been written in first person present tense. So unnecessary.
Okay so I loved both the hero and the heroine. He was a charming scoundrel but lonely. She was sensible but yearning for adventure. They both were well developed and seemed real people. Beyond the slow building romance there was a lot of story here. This was the type of fantasy that I like. The people here were not the ones "destined to save the world". Just two people going about their own concerns while the kings and queens waged war over the countryside.
The road trip element was well done. They met a lot of travelers on their search for the heroine's niece. The story took some quite unexpected turns so kudos to the author for no going the obvious route and surprising me.
Based on my feelings for this book I'm going to go back and try the first one again. I hope there are more books to come based in this world.
Okay so I loved both the hero and the heroine. He was a charming scoundrel but lonely. She was sensible but yearning for adventure. They both were well developed and seemed real people. Beyond the slow building romance there was a lot of story here. This was the type of fantasy that I like. The people here were not the ones "destined to save the world". Just two people going about their own concerns while the kings and queens waged war over the countryside.
The road trip element was well done. They met a lot of travelers on their search for the heroine's niece. The story took some quite unexpected turns so kudos to the author for no going the obvious route and surprising me.
Based on my feelings for this book I'm going to go back and try the first one again. I hope there are more books to come based in this world.
November 8, 2019
4½⭐︎ rounded up.
Oh, my.
This second installment of The Perished Woods is equally as good as—if not better than—the first.
Enthralling the Orc is the story of Ash—the half orc Tracker we met at the tavern in the first book—and Ellyn—Adelaide's aunt she was trying to reach in the city. And they are a delightful pairing, blessed with great senses of humor and snark...but both cursed with the worst luck ever.
Ellyn is the not-much-older-than aunt of Adelaide. Having run away from her brother's home at age 16, Ellyn made her way to the ruling city in their area, immediately found a good job due to being level-headed and competent, and settled in there as the manager of their local tavern and boarding house. Ellyn is a seriously organized and focused woman whom the entire community adores. One night after hearing her niece's town was raided by the orc army, she goes off to vent her frustrations at the beasts brought in from the Perished Woods for the mage. There, she finds something she never expected: a well-spoken, kind man who offers his services as a tracker to aid her in finding the fate of her niece. She helps him escape and quickly discovers this man is not quite who she thought he was.
Ash is the son of a human witch and orc who he never knew. Heavily favoring his human side in temperament but his orc side in looks, he leads a lonely but lucrative existence as a Tracker. His life is one misadventure after another, and Ash is particularly focused on saving humans in the Woods from the same fate as his mother: enthrallment. On one such thankless task, Ash is captured outside of the royal city and confined in a cage to be presented to the mage for...well, no one knows at this point. The next evening he's surprised to hear a beautiful female voice outside of his cage that belongs to an equally beautiful face, and he convinces her to free him in exchange for his tracking services. But he has no intention of following through: he removes humans from the Woods, not take them in. Fate doesn't allow Ash to leave Ellyn in the safety of her city, and soon they're entwined together in a series of misadventures in the Wood.
Ash soon discovers that his orc nature maybe isn't as under control as he thought, as he slowly becomes consumed by the desire to possess and hoard his treasure. Ellyn finds she's equally as enthralled with her beast and increasingly taking risks she would never have imagined. It makes for some great reading. But their luck. It is something.
While I enjoy the majority of Lauren's work, I find The Perished Woods to be her at her best. Well-developed characters with clear points of view, villains who are damaged but complex enough to give the reader many feelings for them, lots of adventure and peril to keep the story moving, and a colorful world to set it all in, these are some fine stories.
And that mention in the afterward about the next installment? I was very much hoping that was the case. I can not wait to see what happens.
Oh, my.
This second installment of The Perished Woods is equally as good as—if not better than—the first.
Enthralling the Orc is the story of Ash—the half orc Tracker we met at the tavern in the first book—and Ellyn—Adelaide's aunt she was trying to reach in the city. And they are a delightful pairing, blessed with great senses of humor and snark...but both cursed with the worst luck ever.
Ellyn is the not-much-older-than aunt of Adelaide. Having run away from her brother's home at age 16, Ellyn made her way to the ruling city in their area, immediately found a good job due to being level-headed and competent, and settled in there as the manager of their local tavern and boarding house. Ellyn is a seriously organized and focused woman whom the entire community adores. One night after hearing her niece's town was raided by the orc army, she goes off to vent her frustrations at the beasts brought in from the Perished Woods for the mage. There, she finds something she never expected: a well-spoken, kind man who offers his services as a tracker to aid her in finding the fate of her niece. She helps him escape and quickly discovers this man is not quite who she thought he was.
Ash is the son of a human witch and orc who he never knew. Heavily favoring his human side in temperament but his orc side in looks, he leads a lonely but lucrative existence as a Tracker. His life is one misadventure after another, and Ash is particularly focused on saving humans in the Woods from the same fate as his mother: enthrallment. On one such thankless task, Ash is captured outside of the royal city and confined in a cage to be presented to the mage for...well, no one knows at this point. The next evening he's surprised to hear a beautiful female voice outside of his cage that belongs to an equally beautiful face, and he convinces her to free him in exchange for his tracking services. But he has no intention of following through: he removes humans from the Woods, not take them in. Fate doesn't allow Ash to leave Ellyn in the safety of her city, and soon they're entwined together in a series of misadventures in the Wood.
Ash soon discovers that his orc nature maybe isn't as under control as he thought, as he slowly becomes consumed by the desire to possess and hoard his treasure. Ellyn finds she's equally as enthralled with her beast and increasingly taking risks she would never have imagined. It makes for some great reading. But their luck. It is something.
While I enjoy the majority of Lauren's work, I find The Perished Woods to be her at her best. Well-developed characters with clear points of view, villains who are damaged but complex enough to give the reader many feelings for them, lots of adventure and peril to keep the story moving, and a colorful world to set it all in, these are some fine stories.
And that mention in the afterward about the next installment? I was very much hoping that was the case. I can not wait to see what happens.
July 17, 2025
A Journey Through Guilt, Monsters, and Unexpected Kinship
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚🩶
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 🙃🙁😀😋
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
In this captivating fantasy romance, the author takes a familiar concept—beauty meets beast—and filters it through a more emotionally grounded lens. Ellyn and Ash, our unlikely pair, are not just star-crossed; they’re caught in a tangle of trauma, political unrest, and personal redemption.
🌿 The Heroine: Ellyn
Ellyn, a city-dwelling inn manager with a mind for numbers and a heart heavy with familial guilt, finds her orderly world shattered when refugees from the Perished Woods arrive with harrowing stories—one of which hits disturbingly close to home. Her sense of duty, tinged with a longing to atone for past choices, drives her into unknown territory both literally and emotionally.
The narrative paints Ellyn with a balanced mix of competence and vulnerability. While she’s initially sympathetic, her decision-making takes a sharp dive into “too naïve to survive” territory midway through. It’s a frustrating lapse that undercuts her earlier credibility and shifts the tension from “will she survive?” to “will she learn anything?”.
🌲 The Hero: Ash
Ash is a half-Orc tracker—a figure of contradiction. Neither accepted by human society nor aligned with the brutal Orc horde, he lives on the fringes, both socially and geographically. His moral compass leans toward protection over violence, yet the world sees his appearance and assumes the worst.
Physically, Ash breaks the mold. Readers expecting a traditional green-skinned brute may be surprised by his gray complexion and fang-bearing, tuskless face. This detail adds plausibility to his early concealment from Ellyn, and hints at a more nuanced take on orcish identity within the genre.
🗺️ Plot and Political Intrigue
What begins as a personal search-and-rescue quickly scales into a broader political drama. The realm of Pontheugh simmers with unrest: a passive king, a manipulative Mage, and an ambitious Witch-Queen allied with the Orc King. These elements heighten the stakes beyond mere romance or survival, giving the narrative an added layer of depth.
Ellyn’s emotional tether to her missing niece—intertwined with her complex relationship with her cruel sister Celia—grounds the narrative in grief and longing. Meanwhile, Ash’s sense of otherness parallels Ellyn’s growing distrust in the institutions she once believed in, making their alliance more layered than your typical fated-pair trope.
That said, one major turning point hinges on Ellyn’s questionable judgment, which creates a jarring tonal shift. Readers invested in strong, competent heroines might find this moment difficult to reconcile.
❤️ Romance and Pacing
The romance simmers before igniting. Ash’s initial reluctance to take Ellyn with him—followed by his fierce protectiveness—feels earned rather than rushed. Their chemistry builds through survival scenarios and mutual vulnerability, culminating in steamy but emotionally resonant scenes. The story doesn’t rely on spice alone to move the plot forward, which is refreshing in a genre sometimes heavy on heat, light on substance.
🎧 Audiobook Performance
The dual narration—Allison River for Ellyn, John Masterson for Ash—adds a welcome texture to the listening experience. River’s delivery is gentle, though it occasionally misses the emotional intensity of high-stakes scenes. Masterson, on the other hand, embodies Ash’s calm strength with gravitas, lending the Orc hero a powerful sense of presence.
---
Final Thoughts
This story delivers a compelling blend of romantic tension, high fantasy world-building, and socio-political intrigue. While Ellyn’s lapse in judgment may leave some readers shaking their heads, the overall arc—especially Ash’s quiet strength and the textured exploration of prejudice and trust—makes this an engrossing read.
For fans of Tamed by the Troll, this installment expands the universe while maintaining the emotional core that made the earlier book resonate. If you’re drawn to morally gray landscapes, misunderstood monsters, and slow-burning redemption, this one’s worth the trek into the Perished Woods.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚🩶
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 🙃🙁😀😋
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
In this captivating fantasy romance, the author takes a familiar concept—beauty meets beast—and filters it through a more emotionally grounded lens. Ellyn and Ash, our unlikely pair, are not just star-crossed; they’re caught in a tangle of trauma, political unrest, and personal redemption.
🌿 The Heroine: Ellyn
Ellyn, a city-dwelling inn manager with a mind for numbers and a heart heavy with familial guilt, finds her orderly world shattered when refugees from the Perished Woods arrive with harrowing stories—one of which hits disturbingly close to home. Her sense of duty, tinged with a longing to atone for past choices, drives her into unknown territory both literally and emotionally.
The narrative paints Ellyn with a balanced mix of competence and vulnerability. While she’s initially sympathetic, her decision-making takes a sharp dive into “too naïve to survive” territory midway through. It’s a frustrating lapse that undercuts her earlier credibility and shifts the tension from “will she survive?” to “will she learn anything?”.
🌲 The Hero: Ash
Ash is a half-Orc tracker—a figure of contradiction. Neither accepted by human society nor aligned with the brutal Orc horde, he lives on the fringes, both socially and geographically. His moral compass leans toward protection over violence, yet the world sees his appearance and assumes the worst.
Physically, Ash breaks the mold. Readers expecting a traditional green-skinned brute may be surprised by his gray complexion and fang-bearing, tuskless face. This detail adds plausibility to his early concealment from Ellyn, and hints at a more nuanced take on orcish identity within the genre.
🗺️ Plot and Political Intrigue
What begins as a personal search-and-rescue quickly scales into a broader political drama. The realm of Pontheugh simmers with unrest: a passive king, a manipulative Mage, and an ambitious Witch-Queen allied with the Orc King. These elements heighten the stakes beyond mere romance or survival, giving the narrative an added layer of depth.
Ellyn’s emotional tether to her missing niece—intertwined with her complex relationship with her cruel sister Celia—grounds the narrative in grief and longing. Meanwhile, Ash’s sense of otherness parallels Ellyn’s growing distrust in the institutions she once believed in, making their alliance more layered than your typical fated-pair trope.
That said, one major turning point hinges on Ellyn’s questionable judgment, which creates a jarring tonal shift. Readers invested in strong, competent heroines might find this moment difficult to reconcile.
❤️ Romance and Pacing
The romance simmers before igniting. Ash’s initial reluctance to take Ellyn with him—followed by his fierce protectiveness—feels earned rather than rushed. Their chemistry builds through survival scenarios and mutual vulnerability, culminating in steamy but emotionally resonant scenes. The story doesn’t rely on spice alone to move the plot forward, which is refreshing in a genre sometimes heavy on heat, light on substance.
🎧 Audiobook Performance
The dual narration—Allison River for Ellyn, John Masterson for Ash—adds a welcome texture to the listening experience. River’s delivery is gentle, though it occasionally misses the emotional intensity of high-stakes scenes. Masterson, on the other hand, embodies Ash’s calm strength with gravitas, lending the Orc hero a powerful sense of presence.
---
Final Thoughts
This story delivers a compelling blend of romantic tension, high fantasy world-building, and socio-political intrigue. While Ellyn’s lapse in judgment may leave some readers shaking their heads, the overall arc—especially Ash’s quiet strength and the textured exploration of prejudice and trust—makes this an engrossing read.
For fans of Tamed by the Troll, this installment expands the universe while maintaining the emotional core that made the earlier book resonate. If you’re drawn to morally gray landscapes, misunderstood monsters, and slow-burning redemption, this one’s worth the trek into the Perished Woods.
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May 19, 2020
I’m torn...2.5 stars
I hated Ellyn for the first half of this book. She starts strong, then despite her recent experience she turns into a screaming idiot. Honestly, she instantly becomes TSTL. From there I almost stopped reading because every word from her is vile trash talk. Even when her behavior is pointed out to her, her moment of soul-searching ends with, “no, I’m not like that!” (Eye-roll).
Honestly, I believe Ellyn could have been written much better. Ash should’ve tossed her head first out of his life. She finally comes around but I still didn’t like her. The ending mollified me and I’ll be reading the next book...but honestly I don’t think I’d recommend this one.
I hated Ellyn for the first half of this book. She starts strong, then despite her recent experience she turns into a screaming idiot. Honestly, she instantly becomes TSTL. From there I almost stopped reading because every word from her is vile trash talk. Even when her behavior is pointed out to her, her moment of soul-searching ends with, “no, I’m not like that!” (Eye-roll).
Honestly, I believe Ellyn could have been written much better. Ash should’ve tossed her head first out of his life. She finally comes around but I still didn’t like her. The ending mollified me and I’ll be reading the next book...but honestly I don’t think I’d recommend this one.
March 7, 2023
I’m SO here for Thorns story.
Cause I’m a sicko like that 😍
Give me all that bad-boy gloriousness.
Will be doubling back and reading the first book now (the blurb for this sounded more interesting... reading out of order is just what I do, heh).
Cause I’m a sicko like that 😍
Give me all that bad-boy gloriousness.
Will be doubling back and reading the first book now (the blurb for this sounded more interesting... reading out of order is just what I do, heh).
April 21, 2020
Just skip book 1
This book was definitely better than the first (FYI you don'thave to read book one to start this one). I almost felt like it was a different writer altogether. I really liked Ash up until he started making sexual innuendos about his member.....the dialogue between the two after that became very corny. Their outrageous flirtation back and forth didn't really do it for me most the time. There should have been more scenes like when she flicked the mud on his leathers I about died lol.
I will say though that Ellyn was way smarter than her niece in the first book. Omg her niece everytime I heard the name Adelaide I wanted to stop reading she was such a dummy in the few chapters I read of her. And when they said out of anyone Adelaide could survive in the woods I nearly choked. That airhead please.
Honestly I liked Thorn the Orc king most of all. I felt like the story should have took a twist when they met him. The plot kept suggesting dark magic and he had a medallion around his neck so I was trying to put the two together. I just think the story would have been better if that's was the reason for his big change because to me when Thorn and Ash were children he seemed to be very caring. I felt bad for him and I think he deserved a better outcome. The black magic could have been a reason for his callousness but I believe he wanted to find his way back to humanity. Thorn just needed someone to care for him.
This book was definitely better than the first (FYI you don'thave to read book one to start this one). I almost felt like it was a different writer altogether. I really liked Ash up until he started making sexual innuendos about his member.....the dialogue between the two after that became very corny. Their outrageous flirtation back and forth didn't really do it for me most the time. There should have been more scenes like when she flicked the mud on his leathers I about died lol.
I will say though that Ellyn was way smarter than her niece in the first book. Omg her niece everytime I heard the name Adelaide I wanted to stop reading she was such a dummy in the few chapters I read of her. And when they said out of anyone Adelaide could survive in the woods I nearly choked. That airhead please.
Honestly I liked Thorn the Orc king most of all. I felt like the story should have took a twist when they met him. The plot kept suggesting dark magic and he had a medallion around his neck so I was trying to put the two together. I just think the story would have been better if that's was the reason for his big change because to me when Thorn and Ash were children he seemed to be very caring. I felt bad for him and I think he deserved a better outcome. The black magic could have been a reason for his callousness but I believe he wanted to find his way back to humanity. Thorn just needed someone to care for him.
November 8, 2019
I'm loving the perished woods so much! I will definitely would like to get lost there LOL well if a handsome orc is just by my side. I thought that I liked the first book but OMG this story is soo good! The strong female character and the fun and lovable hero is just perfection. Can't wait to read the next one and the note at the end of the book just made my day. I love damaged and sexy characters give me more please and soon if it is not too much to ask. 5-Perished woods forever-stars
October 17, 2021
2.5 stars. Doesn't flow well. I liked Ash but Ellyn is such a Mary Sue and not in a fun way, like she's naive and not that great but everyone who meets her thinks she's amazing. Meh.
December 18, 2019
This is actually the second book in a series, and I did read the first book, but I absolutely LOVED the second book, which is unusual. I lost sleep over this book, which is not unusual.
Honestly, what really made this book sing was that the author did a great job of investing the reader with deep characters and complex situations. There were tough moral decisions that often had characters trying to decide what was right when survival was on one side of the equation. That's not an easy decision and it definitely had me practically chewing my fingernails on what they were going to do next.
And honest to God, at the end, it had me forgetting this was a romance and it was going to have an HEA. I was so worried, agonizing over the outcome, and getting entirely too invested. All in total, it was intense, emotionally gripping, and had me looking forward to the next book in the series (which I won't say any more about even though I really wanted to because it’s a spoiler).
Honestly, what really made this book sing was that the author did a great job of investing the reader with deep characters and complex situations. There were tough moral decisions that often had characters trying to decide what was right when survival was on one side of the equation. That's not an easy decision and it definitely had me practically chewing my fingernails on what they were going to do next.
And honest to God, at the end, it had me forgetting this was a romance and it was going to have an HEA. I was so worried, agonizing over the outcome, and getting entirely too invested. All in total, it was intense, emotionally gripping, and had me looking forward to the next book in the series (which I won't say any more about even though I really wanted to because it’s a spoiler).
November 23, 2022
I wanted to like this one. Like a lot. I was ready for Ash's story after reading the first book (though I forgot about that until I reread my review of the first book) but it didn't work for me like I'd hoped it would.
Elynn and I did not vibe. It was told to us she was a "city girl" who was always on top of her game, always the person with the answers, the person others turned to get shit done. Aside from work, she had little time for anything else. Even at the end of the book, she is still "working" at bookkeeping...but for the life of me, I have no idea what/who she'd be keeping books for. Anyhoo. This is what is told to us, but honestly, I didn't see the "take charge, no-nonsense, I can handle whatever life throws at me" character. I saw someone who would have died two minutes into her search and rescue mission if it weren't for Ash. She made really dumb decisions and had no clue about life outside the city. I get that the author wrote her the way she did intentionally, but I wasn't a fan. She gets a little more palatable towards the end but not enough to make up for the first 80% of the book.
I also had the same problem with this book as I did the last in that the characters' voices seemed a little off. Ellyn would randomly drop curse words that didn't seem to suit the rest of her dialogue, and Ash would read a little softer in some scenarios than I would expect. I don't mind women cursing and I definitely don't mind seeing the softer side of our male mains, but only when it feels genuine. I noticed it almost immediately with some dialogue with Ash. He did not sound like himself. I can't explain it any other way. Not that it was extremely problematic, but it did keep me distanced somewhat from the story.
Overall, unlike most others, I wasn't enthralled with this Book 2.
Elynn and I did not vibe. It was told to us she was a "city girl" who was always on top of her game, always the person with the answers, the person others turned to get shit done. Aside from work, she had little time for anything else. Even at the end of the book, she is still "working" at bookkeeping...but for the life of me, I have no idea what/who she'd be keeping books for. Anyhoo. This is what is told to us, but honestly, I didn't see the "take charge, no-nonsense, I can handle whatever life throws at me" character. I saw someone who would have died two minutes into her search and rescue mission if it weren't for Ash. She made really dumb decisions and had no clue about life outside the city. I get that the author wrote her the way she did intentionally, but I wasn't a fan. She gets a little more palatable towards the end but not enough to make up for the first 80% of the book.
I also had the same problem with this book as I did the last in that the characters' voices seemed a little off. Ellyn would randomly drop curse words that didn't seem to suit the rest of her dialogue, and Ash would read a little softer in some scenarios than I would expect. I don't mind women cursing and I definitely don't mind seeing the softer side of our male mains, but only when it feels genuine. I noticed it almost immediately with some dialogue with Ash. He did not sound like himself. I can't explain it any other way. Not that it was extremely problematic, but it did keep me distanced somewhat from the story.
Overall, unlike most others, I wasn't enthralled with this Book 2.
February 27, 2020
I enjoyed this one much more than the first one!
I liked both Ellyn and Ash as individuals, and thought they made a really solid couple!
Also, thumbs up for Orcs (especially cocky flirtatious half-orcs)
I liked both Ellyn and Ash as individuals, and thought they made a really solid couple!
Also, thumbs up for Orcs (especially cocky flirtatious half-orcs)
gave-up
September 2, 2020The concept is good, but the dialogue is awkward to me, characters seem two dimensional, and the fantasy is lighter than expected.
Maybe I'll give it another try later on.
Maybe I'll give it another try later on.
May 31, 2023
better than the 1st one…
4.5 / 5.0 or should I say, it makes the 1st one better? This one is darker than the first book, but it has a much more transitional story to it. The plot is pretty shallow, which is fine because it’s more about the characters, and there is no SMUT in this.
The tension and petting is good, the final act is anti-climactic, and the world building is a little lack-luster, BUT the characters are so well done. Even the brother and his dual personalities (if you didn’t see that reading it the first time, go back and look at the way that character is written, he is under a spell) has so much depth and conflicting emotions. We never get a POV for him but the whole next book is his story, and I would put money down that the camp witch in the orc army plays heavily into it as well. At least, I can see her being instrumental.
Overall, this was good. Less of a mood read and more of a “setting the stage” book. I will grab the next one for sure.
Also, does the cover art remind anyone else of The Four Horsemen books by Laura Thalassa? Now that I think of it, the whole story and the first one have the same feel as those books.
Until Next Time
MC
4.5 / 5.0 or should I say, it makes the 1st one better? This one is darker than the first book, but it has a much more transitional story to it. The plot is pretty shallow, which is fine because it’s more about the characters, and there is no SMUT in this.
The tension and petting is good, the final act is anti-climactic, and the world building is a little lack-luster, BUT the characters are so well done. Even the brother and his dual personalities (if you didn’t see that reading it the first time, go back and look at the way that character is written, he is under a spell) has so much depth and conflicting emotions. We never get a POV for him but the whole next book is his story, and I would put money down that the camp witch in the orc army plays heavily into it as well. At least, I can see her being instrumental.
Overall, this was good. Less of a mood read and more of a “setting the stage” book. I will grab the next one for sure.
Also, does the cover art remind anyone else of The Four Horsemen books by Laura Thalassa? Now that I think of it, the whole story and the first one have the same feel as those books.
Until Next Time
MC
July 19, 2022
First book was okay, good enough to try the next one. Sadly got worse though? Like the first book, the plot falls short, the climax peaks too soon and it just becomes a never ending tale that I end up skipping through just to finish. I really enjoyed the world building and the characters themselves (especially the banter between Ash and Ellyn!) but that was about it. Even the really ONE single smutty scene was good but that was it. Again, a lot of build-up with just meh results. Will I read the next book in the series? Probably. I have high hopes for this author in the long run!
October 23, 2025
This shaped up to be FANTASTIC! Once they entered the camp I was enthralled myself. I love a protective man and that’s exactly what Ash is. Storyline was perfection (we deserved at least another spice scene though come onnnn)
At first it was hard to get past Ellyn’s prejudice against Ash (for existing) but by the end she redeemed herself.
Ash is such a lovable and flirty character! His banter with her was adorable but when he went into protective mode? HOT HOT HOT. Introducing his brother added another layer to his character and made the story SO much deeper.
TEAM HALF ORCS NOW
At first it was hard to get past Ellyn’s prejudice against Ash (for existing) but by the end she redeemed herself.
Ash is such a lovable and flirty character! His banter with her was adorable but when he went into protective mode? HOT HOT HOT. Introducing his brother added another layer to his character and made the story SO much deeper.
TEAM HALF ORCS NOW
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2020
It is so refreshing to find good fantasy stories that are well written and the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat. They are rare gems. I loved these 2 characters and wanted to start back over at the beginning and read it again. Loved it.
May 22, 2021
This was darker than the first but also much deeper story and therefore overall it felt like a better book than the first book which felt more like a more easy read but a simple romance which i think was needed to establish the series and not be such a info dump of a first book.
November 12, 2019
Into the woods again!
I just LOVED the first book. This one reads different than the first, but the love story is better. It also had a lot of action! I’m going to reread again right now.
I just LOVED the first book. This one reads different than the first, but the love story is better. It also had a lot of action! I’m going to reread again right now.
November 8, 2019
5 stars
I had a hard time putting this one down! Ash is such a good man/monster and his interactions with Ellyn were super cute. He is a white knight in the body of a half orc. Ellyn is a good female lead and has a lot of good moments where she shows her loyalty and compassion. I would recommend this book!
I had a hard time putting this one down! Ash is such a good man/monster and his interactions with Ellyn were super cute. He is a white knight in the body of a half orc. Ellyn is a good female lead and has a lot of good moments where she shows her loyalty and compassion. I would recommend this book!
November 7, 2019
Loving the Perished Woods
I enjoyed this book as much as the first, which if you haven't read yet I highly suggest, but it's not necessary to follow the events of this story. The writing is wonderful and it's not an insta-love, which I appreciate. The Perished Woods is a series which I hope continues to provide many adventures to come! :)
I enjoyed this book as much as the first, which if you haven't read yet I highly suggest, but it's not necessary to follow the events of this story. The writing is wonderful and it's not an insta-love, which I appreciate. The Perished Woods is a series which I hope continues to provide many adventures to come! :)
November 24, 2019
Oh I was hoping the half-breed Orc from Troll would get his story!!!
LOVE Ash! How such a sweet, strong man could grow up from such a dismal, abusive childhood, just wow. And I think my favorite was his HEA line, in fact, the entire epilogue. Looking forward to Thorn’s tale, good lord how are you going to get him in line??
I’m only disappointed you didn’t give us more sexy times with an Orc on the hunt.....
LOVE Ash! How such a sweet, strong man could grow up from such a dismal, abusive childhood, just wow. And I think my favorite was his HEA line, in fact, the entire epilogue. Looking forward to Thorn’s tale, good lord how are you going to get him in line??
I’m only disappointed you didn’t give us more sexy times with an Orc on the hunt.....
February 15, 2020
In a dangerous time of war between kingdoms, Elin worries about her niece's fate. So she decides to look for her. Destiny takes her to the tracker from Perished Woods who is held captive. He convinces her to help him in exchange for assistance trough the forest journey. In the dark without to see clearly, she frees him from his cage and their journey starts.
I like the world-building in Perished Woods. There are so many interesting characters. Ash is an orc with clever wit and a noble heart. Elin has a strong will and many good intentions, and they both make many mistakes, and in finding solutions we see how their feelings are built. It was a wonderful read. I hope this series will have at least a few more books.
I like the world-building in Perished Woods. There are so many interesting characters. Ash is an orc with clever wit and a noble heart. Elin has a strong will and many good intentions, and they both make many mistakes, and in finding solutions we see how their feelings are built. It was a wonderful read. I hope this series will have at least a few more books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2020
Surprisingly good!
It is currently 4:10 am. I am nursing a pretty nasty cold and to pass the time from insomnia I just finished reading this book. I started it this morning at 11. I read this entire book in one day. To be honest when I first downloaded it, I didn't think it would be that good. For one, I am NOT a fan of first person format in writing. Admittedly, because of the preference it took a bit to get me into the story, but once I did, apparently I didnt stop seeing as how I can hear my neighbor start his car getting ready to head to work. Another reason is, I got it from Kindle Unlimited. I hate to say this but kindle unlimited selections are kind of hit or miss. Some are really really bad, and then you happen apon a diamond in the rough. Like this.
I think I was intrigued in the first place because I cut my proverbial teeth on fantasy books. Mainly Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance. Drizzt Do'Urden is my favorite character ever. Hell, I even named my son Erevis after a character from a fantasy novel. So when I saw this with the word "Orc" in the title, lets just say my curiosity was aroused. Glad I took the chance. It was great! The action scenes were amazing. The banter was great.
Good lord I need to sleep.
Ok. Gonna look for Thorn's book next.
You've got a new fan kid. Good job.
It is currently 4:10 am. I am nursing a pretty nasty cold and to pass the time from insomnia I just finished reading this book. I started it this morning at 11. I read this entire book in one day. To be honest when I first downloaded it, I didn't think it would be that good. For one, I am NOT a fan of first person format in writing. Admittedly, because of the preference it took a bit to get me into the story, but once I did, apparently I didnt stop seeing as how I can hear my neighbor start his car getting ready to head to work. Another reason is, I got it from Kindle Unlimited. I hate to say this but kindle unlimited selections are kind of hit or miss. Some are really really bad, and then you happen apon a diamond in the rough. Like this.
I think I was intrigued in the first place because I cut my proverbial teeth on fantasy books. Mainly Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance. Drizzt Do'Urden is my favorite character ever. Hell, I even named my son Erevis after a character from a fantasy novel. So when I saw this with the word "Orc" in the title, lets just say my curiosity was aroused. Glad I took the chance. It was great! The action scenes were amazing. The banter was great.
Good lord I need to sleep.
Ok. Gonna look for Thorn's book next.
You've got a new fan kid. Good job.
November 14, 2019
Really good
I really liked this book. Honestly I hope thorn doesn't get a book because he was discusting . However I do like a good redemption book, but he would have a long way to go.
I really liked this book. Honestly I hope thorn doesn't get a book because he was discusting . However I do like a good redemption book, but he would have a long way to go.
December 7, 2019
🙄🙄🙄
It is well written and nice storyline but by 67% I couldn’t bring myself to care anymore and stopped reading...
I suppose I got partly exasperated by all their misadventures that did not seem to serve any purpose other than filling blank pages...
It is well written and nice storyline but by 67% I couldn’t bring myself to care anymore and stopped reading...
I suppose I got partly exasperated by all their misadventures that did not seem to serve any purpose other than filling blank pages...
April 8, 2022
I tried.
The first act moves at a glacial pace, and I didn't see any worthwhile character development. Then I had a major ick moment when the hero told the heroine that her guy friend must be "deviant" if he didn't find her attractive and noped out.
The first act moves at a glacial pace, and I didn't see any worthwhile character development. Then I had a major ick moment when the hero told the heroine that her guy friend must be "deviant" if he didn't find her attractive and noped out.
January 3, 2022
A really entertaining read. I loved the characters. It was a little less sex than I'd hoped for but it was still sexy. And the action had me stressed the fuck out (in a good, suspenseful way).
April 20, 2024
For starters, I didn't love the way the book was written. For example there's this on page 10: "My morning began as any other. One would have hardly thought it’d be a life changing day. I rose before dawn, dressed and brushed out my blonde hair". That puts me in mind of a teenager writing fanfics. But in the author's defense that juvenile writing style did seem to get better as the book went on.
‼️‼️SPOILERS AHEAD‼️‼️
I didn't like Ellyn. She had some growth toward the end, but her character was tainted as far as I was concerned. She hated and distrusted orcs as they ravaged the world outside of her city's walls. Understandable and I didn't fault her for that. She gets all tingly and has this urge to follow a covered caravan in the middle of the night to take out her frustration via rocks on whatever caged creature she finds. Unbeknownst to her, she converses and strikes up a deal with an orc and ultimately sets him free from his cage.
They travel through the dark together and have an amicable relationship at the very beginning. She eventually sees that he is an orc and starts screaming and runs off into the evil enchanted forest. She screams nonstop as she runs. I was deeply annoyed and filed her under TDTL. She was inconsolable and fought with Ash while hurling insults at him. A nasty habit of hers. 3/4 of the book is her being unfair, bitchy, or cruel to Ash who has done not a single thing to harm her.
Another character flaw of hers (which isn't abated until nearly the end of the book) is her need to know everything. She frees Ash because she knows nothing about the forest and can't survive out there as a woman alone and yet the entire journey she is telling herself or Ash how she is a city girl who everyone comes to with their problems and she takes care of it. She handles business and can take on anything because she's from Pontheugh 🙄.
Ash left her to her own devices to pack for the journey and all she packed was soap, dresses, a couple pairs of shoes, a brush, potpourri and money (to which she informed a stranger she had, got herself abducted ['voluntarily'] for sale and robbed). When Ash confronted her about her lack of useful items, she got upset and asked how she should know and she expected her seasoned guide to be able to source the rest. She lets the boat's oars float away with her still in the boat, gets poisoned by plants immediately, ends up in quicksand, and abducted by an elderly spiderman who was going to sell her to monsters while he spent all her money early into their trek. She clearly needs guidance which Ash happily gives, but she is always rude and persistent in explaining that she has skills in her tavern as a bookkeeper/barmaid/nurse and they are transferable to their adventure. She doesn't listen, and Ash comes to the rescue every single time. She's mean as hell to Ash, and is crushed when she finds out he plans on leaving her someplace safe as she isn't fit for the journey. Is bitchy and sulks constantly about him abandoning her. Ash is nice to her the majority of the time, but when he gets his feelings hurt or isn't happy she is internally complaining about the journey being too much and he's not nearly who she thought he was??
Ash is too sweet for his own good. He should have reneged on his deal immediately. She supposedly was great company to him, but she was awful and quite frankly a burden. Poor thing must have been so unbearably lonely to prefer her company as she was for most of the book. He's sweet and flirty in the face of her insults, and even tries to correct her behavior which she took extreme offense to and was indignant that she wasn't a bigot. He was supposedly a skilled fighter and per his own words people didn't often get the jump on him, but people, even humans, got the jump on him every time there was a skirmish. He bails her out of every mistake, even if it means getting banged up in the process or having to kill others.
The one full spice scene was weird, and not in a good way. The time, place, and circumstance of being prisoners of Ash's evil warlord older brother wasn't giving sexy, but perhaps that's just me. The author kept bringing up dark magic and an amulet that Ash's brother Thorn wore, but was never explained. Ellyn escapes with a critically wounded Ash to a village ran by trolls. Coincidentally where her niece is. The reunion between the two was... Lackluster at best. Ash and Ellyn decide to stay together. Some time passes with very little info about their life post Thorn and boom; they're going to be parents.
‼️‼️SPOILERS AHEAD‼️‼️
I didn't like Ellyn. She had some growth toward the end, but her character was tainted as far as I was concerned. She hated and distrusted orcs as they ravaged the world outside of her city's walls. Understandable and I didn't fault her for that. She gets all tingly and has this urge to follow a covered caravan in the middle of the night to take out her frustration via rocks on whatever caged creature she finds. Unbeknownst to her, she converses and strikes up a deal with an orc and ultimately sets him free from his cage.
They travel through the dark together and have an amicable relationship at the very beginning. She eventually sees that he is an orc and starts screaming and runs off into the evil enchanted forest. She screams nonstop as she runs. I was deeply annoyed and filed her under TDTL. She was inconsolable and fought with Ash while hurling insults at him. A nasty habit of hers. 3/4 of the book is her being unfair, bitchy, or cruel to Ash who has done not a single thing to harm her.
Another character flaw of hers (which isn't abated until nearly the end of the book) is her need to know everything. She frees Ash because she knows nothing about the forest and can't survive out there as a woman alone and yet the entire journey she is telling herself or Ash how she is a city girl who everyone comes to with their problems and she takes care of it. She handles business and can take on anything because she's from Pontheugh 🙄.
Ash left her to her own devices to pack for the journey and all she packed was soap, dresses, a couple pairs of shoes, a brush, potpourri and money (to which she informed a stranger she had, got herself abducted ['voluntarily'] for sale and robbed). When Ash confronted her about her lack of useful items, she got upset and asked how she should know and she expected her seasoned guide to be able to source the rest. She lets the boat's oars float away with her still in the boat, gets poisoned by plants immediately, ends up in quicksand, and abducted by an elderly spiderman who was going to sell her to monsters while he spent all her money early into their trek. She clearly needs guidance which Ash happily gives, but she is always rude and persistent in explaining that she has skills in her tavern as a bookkeeper/barmaid/nurse and they are transferable to their adventure. She doesn't listen, and Ash comes to the rescue every single time. She's mean as hell to Ash, and is crushed when she finds out he plans on leaving her someplace safe as she isn't fit for the journey. Is bitchy and sulks constantly about him abandoning her. Ash is nice to her the majority of the time, but when he gets his feelings hurt or isn't happy she is internally complaining about the journey being too much and he's not nearly who she thought he was??
Ash is too sweet for his own good. He should have reneged on his deal immediately. She supposedly was great company to him, but she was awful and quite frankly a burden. Poor thing must have been so unbearably lonely to prefer her company as she was for most of the book. He's sweet and flirty in the face of her insults, and even tries to correct her behavior which she took extreme offense to and was indignant that she wasn't a bigot. He was supposedly a skilled fighter and per his own words people didn't often get the jump on him, but people, even humans, got the jump on him every time there was a skirmish. He bails her out of every mistake, even if it means getting banged up in the process or having to kill others.
The one full spice scene was weird, and not in a good way. The time, place, and circumstance of being prisoners of Ash's evil warlord older brother wasn't giving sexy, but perhaps that's just me. The author kept bringing up dark magic and an amulet that Ash's brother Thorn wore, but was never explained. Ellyn escapes with a critically wounded Ash to a village ran by trolls. Coincidentally where her niece is. The reunion between the two was... Lackluster at best. Ash and Ellyn decide to stay together. Some time passes with very little info about their life post Thorn and boom; they're going to be parents.
March 31, 2021
Sweet talker Ash.
The 2nd in the Perished Woods series and even though the romance was a slow boil with this one I no less enjoyed myself. It starts off with Ellyn Adelaide's aunt going out in search of her once she finds out that the town she lived in had been attacked by Orc's. So she enlists the help from our half-blood Orc Ash who was imprisoned at the time, he agrees to help her in return for his release. Ash was incredibly sexy, big and tall with his shoulder length raven hair, muscles galore and cheeky smiles. His flirty character was right up my street and he always had a sexually loaded remark to knock our leading lady off her feet which I just loved. He had a heart of gold and was an absolute sweetheart I just adored him and it pained me to read what a low opinion he had of himself because of how others viewed him judging him before they even knew him. That's why the romance was such a slow simmer, he just kept such a tight reign on his lust that only once did he loose control and pushed her up against a tree in a very steamy foreplay scene (faning myself). There were two scenes where their lust was about to boil over when something unexpected would happen to ruin the moment (pulls hair). Our heroine Ellyn was a no nonsense woman, brave, steadfast and so sweetly naive. Even though she was harsh towards Ash for what he was at first, she quickly released what a kind soul he was when she really needed him. After that things changed quickly between them and their platonic relationship started to change into something more. In was satisfying seeing Ellyn finally convincing Ash that he was who she wanted and pushing him over the edge. It lead to a very STEAMY though short passionate scene between them. There's plenty of action all throughout this book with an unexpected surprise thrown in that will shock you. My only critique about this story is that I would have definitely liked way MORE sexy times between our characters, it took way too long for anything remotely sexual to happen between them. The author though at the end of her books adds a sweet epilogue that wraps up the story so beautifully and if your like me that always wants to know what happens after their HEA then these snippets will leave you very happy indeed.
The 2nd in the Perished Woods series and even though the romance was a slow boil with this one I no less enjoyed myself. It starts off with Ellyn Adelaide's aunt going out in search of her once she finds out that the town she lived in had been attacked by Orc's. So she enlists the help from our half-blood Orc Ash who was imprisoned at the time, he agrees to help her in return for his release. Ash was incredibly sexy, big and tall with his shoulder length raven hair, muscles galore and cheeky smiles. His flirty character was right up my street and he always had a sexually loaded remark to knock our leading lady off her feet which I just loved. He had a heart of gold and was an absolute sweetheart I just adored him and it pained me to read what a low opinion he had of himself because of how others viewed him judging him before they even knew him. That's why the romance was such a slow simmer, he just kept such a tight reign on his lust that only once did he loose control and pushed her up against a tree in a very steamy foreplay scene (faning myself). There were two scenes where their lust was about to boil over when something unexpected would happen to ruin the moment (pulls hair). Our heroine Ellyn was a no nonsense woman, brave, steadfast and so sweetly naive. Even though she was harsh towards Ash for what he was at first, she quickly released what a kind soul he was when she really needed him. After that things changed quickly between them and their platonic relationship started to change into something more. In was satisfying seeing Ellyn finally convincing Ash that he was who she wanted and pushing him over the edge. It lead to a very STEAMY though short passionate scene between them. There's plenty of action all throughout this book with an unexpected surprise thrown in that will shock you. My only critique about this story is that I would have definitely liked way MORE sexy times between our characters, it took way too long for anything remotely sexual to happen between them. The author though at the end of her books adds a sweet epilogue that wraps up the story so beautifully and if your like me that always wants to know what happens after their HEA then these snippets will leave you very happy indeed.
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