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The Unbroken Tales #1
Target
The fairytales never mentioned this.
Pressured to choose a bride before his eighteenth birthday, Prince Lex is determined to do things the way he's read about in legends: run away to find his true love. But soon he is at the mercy of a band of outlaws who know more about his kingdom than he does. Traveling with them, he is forced to face the reality--and naïveté--of his privileged palace life. His people suffer at the hands of greedy nobility, and they look not to Lex's parents for help, but to this band of outlaws led by a girl named Robyn.
Their problems grow worse when they discover a plot to assassinate Lex's parents. But while they race to save the kingdom, Lex's heart begins to race for Robyn. And the more time he spends with her, the closer he gets to falling. But when she finally shares her story, Lex finds himself wanting something he's never wanted before: revenge.
Pressured to choose a bride before his eighteenth birthday, Prince Lex is determined to do things the way he's read about in legends: run away to find his true love. But soon he is at the mercy of a band of outlaws who know more about his kingdom than he does. Traveling with them, he is forced to face the reality--and naïveté--of his privileged palace life. His people suffer at the hands of greedy nobility, and they look not to Lex's parents for help, but to this band of outlaws led by a girl named Robyn.
Their problems grow worse when they discover a plot to assassinate Lex's parents. But while they race to save the kingdom, Lex's heart begins to race for Robyn. And the more time he spends with her, the closer he gets to falling. But when she finally shares her story, Lex finds himself wanting something he's never wanted before: revenge.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2021
23 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 11, 2021
Oh my goodness, I LOVE a well-drawn fantasy world! This is an exquisitely beautiful book, from the cover to the maps and every attention to detail. You can tell the author’s whole heart is in this book.
From the very beginning, I felt for Lex. I almost got Princess Jasmine vibes from his situation – he’s literally been in the castle for like 99% of his life. He rules a kingdom he’s never seen! Add that to the fact that he’s missing an eye (see what Cole did there?) that makes most women recoil, and he feels completely unprepared for marriage. Understandably. The problem is that his parents want him to get married, so he runs away. Really mature, Lex.
Now, on to Lex and Robyn. You could tell right away that sparks would fly between those two, and I was one hundred percent there for it. The Princess Jasmine vibes continued as Lex got caught up in Robyn’s plot to redistribute resources to make the Kingdom a more equitable place, solving a pervasive problem that Lex had been blind (!) to his whole life. Robyn changes Lex from someone who symbolically cares about his kingdom to someone deeply invested on making it better on a ground level. She is singlemindedly on mission – until Lex’s parents are in danger. Lex’s bougie education comes in handy while helping the merry band more than once. It’s a good balance. She makes him forget about his scars, And I really love that he calls her “Lady Outlaw.” 😊
Carina’s POV was a tough one to read, and I was glad that Cole added trigger warnings to the beginning of the book. However, it was necessary for the story to work. I love a villain that I truly feel sorry for on some level - especially if I understand her motivation a little. Having the threat of Carina and her father lurking in the background of the main story really helped build that sense of dread that I like to keep interested in a book. I think Cole tied up this particular chapter of her story in a way that felt fair, which I appreciated.
Despite being grumpy and often mean, Robyn is a good person who doesn’t want anyone to die – even the oppressors. I really liked that about her. Lex didn’t know he had a lot to learn, but he went along for the ride anyway. This story is richly drawn with two main characters that are easy to root for. I can’t recommend it enough.
From the very beginning, I felt for Lex. I almost got Princess Jasmine vibes from his situation – he’s literally been in the castle for like 99% of his life. He rules a kingdom he’s never seen! Add that to the fact that he’s missing an eye (see what Cole did there?) that makes most women recoil, and he feels completely unprepared for marriage. Understandably. The problem is that his parents want him to get married, so he runs away. Really mature, Lex.
Now, on to Lex and Robyn. You could tell right away that sparks would fly between those two, and I was one hundred percent there for it. The Princess Jasmine vibes continued as Lex got caught up in Robyn’s plot to redistribute resources to make the Kingdom a more equitable place, solving a pervasive problem that Lex had been blind (!) to his whole life. Robyn changes Lex from someone who symbolically cares about his kingdom to someone deeply invested on making it better on a ground level. She is singlemindedly on mission – until Lex’s parents are in danger. Lex’s bougie education comes in handy while helping the merry band more than once. It’s a good balance. She makes him forget about his scars, And I really love that he calls her “Lady Outlaw.” 😊
Carina’s POV was a tough one to read, and I was glad that Cole added trigger warnings to the beginning of the book. However, it was necessary for the story to work. I love a villain that I truly feel sorry for on some level - especially if I understand her motivation a little. Having the threat of Carina and her father lurking in the background of the main story really helped build that sense of dread that I like to keep interested in a book. I think Cole tied up this particular chapter of her story in a way that felt fair, which I appreciated.
Despite being grumpy and often mean, Robyn is a good person who doesn’t want anyone to die – even the oppressors. I really liked that about her. Lex didn’t know he had a lot to learn, but he went along for the ride anyway. This story is richly drawn with two main characters that are easy to root for. I can’t recommend it enough.
January 18, 2025
Little John and Robin Hood walking through the forest
June 22, 2021
I loved this book, I really loved the world and I throughly enjoyed and felt and understood the characters. I absolutely love books with adventure and a brilliant retelling and this book is outstanding!
The plot is fast paced but not rushed. I read this book in less than 2 days and I rate it 5 stars!!
The plot is fast paced but not rushed. I read this book in less than 2 days and I rate it 5 stars!!
October 17, 2021
Fantastic Adventure
Meet royalty, villains, heroes, and heroines. Good versus evil. Lots of adventure as you read this story. Tragedy and triumph. Happy Reading!
Meet royalty, villains, heroes, and heroines. Good versus evil. Lots of adventure as you read this story. Tragedy and triumph. Happy Reading!
August 3, 2021
Wow has it been a while since I dipped back into the reviewing world (years? it's been years) but Darci Cole is wonderful and gave me an ARC in exchange for an honest review so here I am dusting off my reviewer hat and putting it back on my head.
Firstly, on a very superficial note - the cover. Gorgeous, stunning, amazing.
The book itself is a vague retelling of Robin Hood but set in a world that felt very ancient Roman empire. It follows three main characters: Lex, the naive runaway prince; Robyn, the outcast organizer with a Past; and Carina, the quiet noble with a secret strength (and a lot of problems at home). For the majority of the book, Lex annoyed me more than I think he was supposed to - yes, he's a naive prince, but has the only son of a king really never been forced to learn about how the taxes of his kingdom were organized? He's not THAT young. He grew on me as the book progressed, though, and by the middle of the book he had grown enough to not be such of an idiot. From that point on, his further character growth was great to see, and his blossoming relationship with Robyn was wonderful. Robyn herself was a great character, with what I found to be a more appropriate balance of skill, knowledge, baggage, and flaws. Her friends Jianna and Mitalo have deep back stories that are always important in any good side character.
This book includes a content warning list, and rightly so - it tackles a LOT of issues, and sometimes I felt like maybe there were too many being taken on at once? The domestic violence plotline is particularly intense but also, I believe, well handled throughout. The transitions from Lex's sometimes too-stupid moments that felt a little too childlike to scenes of domestic abuse felt jarring and made me question the intended audience, but I think the flaw was on the side of the younger-feeling scenes and not the handling of more dark topics.
I know Darci is a fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I could see his influence shine through in this book. Usually, it was a good thing (because I love Sanderson too), but sometimes it was a little too obvious.
I am a big fan of fun formatting in books. Target has handwritten snippets from journals sprinkled throughout (usually Lex's) and at first I was excited. But no offence to Darci if she handwrote them but I literally could not make out the majority of them... so I just gave up. I'm the kind of person who wants to read every footnote and every marginalia, so I was kind of annoyed by this. I'm also not sure why Lex's handwriting changes so dramatically sometimes that some of his entries are very readable and some are unintelligible. It might be feature of his haste when writing but I'd hope that the final version has fully readable handwriting (because I do really love when books have these kinds of fun inserts).
In summary, Target was a fun book but also a very intense book, filled with a well-handled balance of adventure, banter, romance, and social commentary. Highly recommended, though do heed the content warnings.
Thank you Darci for the ARC!
Firstly, on a very superficial note - the cover. Gorgeous, stunning, amazing.
The book itself is a vague retelling of Robin Hood but set in a world that felt very ancient Roman empire. It follows three main characters: Lex, the naive runaway prince; Robyn, the outcast organizer with a Past; and Carina, the quiet noble with a secret strength (and a lot of problems at home). For the majority of the book, Lex annoyed me more than I think he was supposed to - yes, he's a naive prince, but has the only son of a king really never been forced to learn about how the taxes of his kingdom were organized? He's not THAT young. He grew on me as the book progressed, though, and by the middle of the book he had grown enough to not be such of an idiot. From that point on, his further character growth was great to see, and his blossoming relationship with Robyn was wonderful. Robyn herself was a great character, with what I found to be a more appropriate balance of skill, knowledge, baggage, and flaws. Her friends Jianna and Mitalo have deep back stories that are always important in any good side character.
This book includes a content warning list, and rightly so - it tackles a LOT of issues, and sometimes I felt like maybe there were too many being taken on at once? The domestic violence plotline is particularly intense but also, I believe, well handled throughout. The transitions from Lex's sometimes too-stupid moments that felt a little too childlike to scenes of domestic abuse felt jarring and made me question the intended audience, but I think the flaw was on the side of the younger-feeling scenes and not the handling of more dark topics.
I know Darci is a fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I could see his influence shine through in this book. Usually, it was a good thing (because I love Sanderson too), but sometimes it was a little too obvious.
I am a big fan of fun formatting in books. Target has handwritten snippets from journals sprinkled throughout (usually Lex's) and at first I was excited. But no offence to Darci if she handwrote them but I literally could not make out the majority of them... so I just gave up. I'm the kind of person who wants to read every footnote and every marginalia, so I was kind of annoyed by this. I'm also not sure why Lex's handwriting changes so dramatically sometimes that some of his entries are very readable and some are unintelligible. It might be feature of his haste when writing but I'd hope that the final version has fully readable handwriting (because I do really love when books have these kinds of fun inserts).
In summary, Target was a fun book but also a very intense book, filled with a well-handled balance of adventure, banter, romance, and social commentary. Highly recommended, though do heed the content warnings.
Thank you Darci for the ARC!
July 15, 2021
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I'd been looking forward to reading this one. A gender-swapped Robin Hood sounded fun, and I haven't read much like that lately. It did take me a couple days to read the first few chapters because I wasn't in the right mood, and I was afraid Carina was going to cause some love triangle mess that I didn't want, but I kept going and it definitely picked up after that for me.
I really liked Lex's and Robyn's relationship. The way it progressed felt very natural to me, with the way they were both afraid of being vulnerable but working through it. Robyn made a great Robin Hood type, and I liked how proactive and ambitious she was. She worked hard to get where she is now and is proud of her accomplishments, as she should be.
Lex was also really interesting to me, particularly because of his burn. I was also burned and scarred by cooking oil earlier this year, and while it was just three fingers and the back of my hand and not nearly as bad as his, I could definitely sympathize with that. (Thankfully mine doesn't really hurt at all anymore, it just turns red when I'm dehydrated haha. Still super painful when it happened and while it was healing though.) I appreciated that even though there is magical healing in this world, there were still lasting effects and limitations that he had to work around.
Plus I felt like he had a really good reason for not wanting to marry anyone at court, instead of the usual kind of spoiled "I don't want to." Granted, there is SOME of that, but he would be miserable. There's no working past being married to someone who can only look at you with pity. He's naïve when he runs off, but he quickly realizes how much and works hard to grow.
Which brings us to Carina, who I ended up liking a lot despite my first impression. She's in a very abusive position with her father , but I thought it was handled well, especially addressing "Why don't you just leave?" I'm looking forward to watching her grow more in the next book.
I'd definitely recommend this to readers who like the retellings, political scheming, enemies to lovers, and imperfect characters. The world-building was cool, too, ancient Roman/Greek-esque in clothing and architecture, and an interesting magic system with cool healing tokens. There are real consequences to every action and the writing is solid. Can't wait for the next one!
I'd been looking forward to reading this one. A gender-swapped Robin Hood sounded fun, and I haven't read much like that lately. It did take me a couple days to read the first few chapters because I wasn't in the right mood, and I was afraid Carina was going to cause some love triangle mess that I didn't want, but I kept going and it definitely picked up after that for me.
I really liked Lex's and Robyn's relationship. The way it progressed felt very natural to me, with the way they were both afraid of being vulnerable but working through it. Robyn made a great Robin Hood type, and I liked how proactive and ambitious she was. She worked hard to get where she is now and is proud of her accomplishments, as she should be.
Lex was also really interesting to me, particularly because of his burn. I was also burned and scarred by cooking oil earlier this year, and while it was just three fingers and the back of my hand and not nearly as bad as his, I could definitely sympathize with that. (Thankfully mine doesn't really hurt at all anymore, it just turns red when I'm dehydrated haha. Still super painful when it happened and while it was healing though.) I appreciated that even though there is magical healing in this world, there were still lasting effects and limitations that he had to work around.
Plus I felt like he had a really good reason for not wanting to marry anyone at court, instead of the usual kind of spoiled "I don't want to." Granted, there is SOME of that, but he would be miserable. There's no working past being married to someone who can only look at you with pity. He's naïve when he runs off, but he quickly realizes how much and works hard to grow.
Which brings us to Carina, who I ended up liking a lot despite my first impression. She's in a very abusive position with her father , but I thought it was handled well, especially addressing "Why don't you just leave?" I'm looking forward to watching her grow more in the next book.
I'd definitely recommend this to readers who like the retellings, political scheming, enemies to lovers, and imperfect characters. The world-building was cool, too, ancient Roman/Greek-esque in clothing and architecture, and an interesting magic system with cool healing tokens. There are real consequences to every action and the writing is solid. Can't wait for the next one!
November 10, 2021
Hooray for Darci’s book! First off, the cover is gorgeous. And then you take off that slipcover and it’s *still* pretty. And feels nice in the hand. But really, you want to know about what’s inside…
I love a good fairy tale retelling, and this genderbent Robin Hood was pretty great. The main characters and most of the secondary characters were really well actualized as people. The world was interesting, the magic was pretty soft but used well and sparingly. The first page has a trigger warning which I thought was interesting but was actually good to know. Because while a lot of it felt like almost middle-grade level of story there were some serious depictions of much more adult themes. Not to the level where I’m not sharing with my kids, but the younger ones will have to wait. Especially the one who has burn scars. There is some seriously fantastic writing here. Oh, and did I mention there are maps? Gotta be a good book if it has a map in it!
The only part that seemed like “first book” to me was some of the scenes changed too quickly and the timeline in general was a bit fuzzy. How much time does the book cover? A few weeks at least, maybe as much as a few months. I’m not really sure. But in general it wasn’t too difficult to figure out where we were and where we were heading.
I love a good fairy tale retelling, and this genderbent Robin Hood was pretty great. The main characters and most of the secondary characters were really well actualized as people. The world was interesting, the magic was pretty soft but used well and sparingly. The first page has a trigger warning which I thought was interesting but was actually good to know. Because while a lot of it felt like almost middle-grade level of story there were some serious depictions of much more adult themes. Not to the level where I’m not sharing with my kids, but the younger ones will have to wait. Especially the one who has burn scars. There is some seriously fantastic writing here. Oh, and did I mention there are maps? Gotta be a good book if it has a map in it!
The only part that seemed like “first book” to me was some of the scenes changed too quickly and the timeline in general was a bit fuzzy. How much time does the book cover? A few weeks at least, maybe as much as a few months. I’m not really sure. But in general it wasn’t too difficult to figure out where we were and where we were heading.
July 7, 2021
I started reading this knowing that my demographic probably wasn't the target audience. In spite of that, the author does a good job of keeping things entertaining throughout and I found myself wanting to return to the book world to continue the story until it was finished.
The world in which the story takes place is fun and exciting. It feels like a place where many adventures can happen, and this just happens to be one of them.
The characters are fun, if not a bit predictable. They tend to act and speak the way you'd expect these types of characters to act and speak. But they are still enjoyable to journey with and experience an adventure with. The companionship that various characters have with one another is pleasant and at times amusing.
And despite my early predictions when first starting to read, I was still surprised at some of the twists and reveals that happened toward the end.
All in all it was a satisfactory read. A fun adventure to be on.
The world in which the story takes place is fun and exciting. It feels like a place where many adventures can happen, and this just happens to be one of them.
The characters are fun, if not a bit predictable. They tend to act and speak the way you'd expect these types of characters to act and speak. But they are still enjoyable to journey with and experience an adventure with. The companionship that various characters have with one another is pleasant and at times amusing.
And despite my early predictions when first starting to read, I was still surprised at some of the twists and reveals that happened toward the end.
All in all it was a satisfactory read. A fun adventure to be on.
November 15, 2021
So, I'm gonna be honest. I'm not a big reader of YA fantasy romance and most of the ones I've read have had super cheesy or gross moments between the main characters that are super cringeworthy. THIS book however is not like that. The main characters are more relatable (as in emotionally broken and still trying to do their best) and the awkward moments are realistic and funny. So even as a reader going outside of my chosen genres, I really enjoyed Target. So, if you are really into this particular genre, you are going to LOVE it! Additionally I felt the way that the author treats mental illness and childhood trauma was accurate, tactful, and hopeful.
July 7, 2021
An interesting twist on the Robin Hood concept, Target is an engaging story that reads very quickly once the story gets going. The book's side characters add a good bit of levity to a story that can need it at times (particularly at some of its darker points). The main plot centering around Lex clearly drives the book forward, though I did find myself wanting to know more about some of the secondary characters -- in particular Jianna, Nick, and Oliver -- as the book progressed. I'm very curious to see where the series goes from here.
November 7, 2021
It's not what I typically read — I'm a hardened cynical reader, and I usually pick things that have a fairly sharp and dark edge to them. This book has an inherent optimism to it (and don't get me wrong, there is darkness and trauma here! Esp with Carina's plotline, but definitely not limited to her) and it has a lot of romance as well. That could have turned me away from it. But it swallowed me up whole. I did NOT want to put it down, not ever, and now that I've reached the end, I'm at a bit of a loss about what to do with myself.
I loved being in this world. I loved the characters and their interactions and their limitations and fears. Lex is ridiculous and romantic and awkward, and more than a little bit of a fool, but I was on his side immediately.
And, though I can't believe I'm saying this, I loved the romance. The way it developed was absolutely believable and, though I tried in my world-weary pessimistic way to not be swayed by it, I was. It was a slow burn that completely worked for me.
And the religion—! I adored the religion! I am fascinated by the Gods, the priests, the Powers, and I want to know more about all of it.
This book deserves a sequel, and I'm so happy there is more to come. I'm excited to spend more time in this world!
I loved being in this world. I loved the characters and their interactions and their limitations and fears. Lex is ridiculous and romantic and awkward, and more than a little bit of a fool, but I was on his side immediately.
And, though I can't believe I'm saying this, I loved the romance. The way it developed was absolutely believable and, though I tried in my world-weary pessimistic way to not be swayed by it, I was. It was a slow burn that completely worked for me.
And the religion—! I adored the religion! I am fascinated by the Gods, the priests, the Powers, and I want to know more about all of it.
This book deserves a sequel, and I'm so happy there is more to come. I'm excited to spend more time in this world!
September 15, 2021
THIS BOOK!!!!!!! AHHHH!!! okay I flew through this book. The writing style is very easy to read and absorb (which I need because sometimes the wildling steals my sleep)
A beautiful reimagining and gender swap of Robin Hood. I found myself particularly drawn to the character of Carina. Her quiet strength and the moments of tension she faced were absolute page turning moments!
Now I need to go shoot some archery and hang out in my woods because this book is a total mood!!♡♡♡
A beautiful reimagining and gender swap of Robin Hood. I found myself particularly drawn to the character of Carina. Her quiet strength and the moments of tension she faced were absolute page turning moments!
Now I need to go shoot some archery and hang out in my woods because this book is a total mood!!♡♡♡
June 27, 2021
I truly enjoyed this story of strength and friendship. I loved that the main character who is a prince, is flawed. Giving this story a beautiful twist. I looked forward to picking this read up everyday. It’s fast paced, smooth and brings a great imagery. I’m very much looking forward to the next one in the series.
July 19, 2021
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am not one to scrutinize characters or plot lines or any of that, I just know I like a book if I am drawn to it's story, feel a connected to the characters, and can't predict every little thing that is going to happen. I really enjoyed this book. It definitely has that "couldn't put it down" feel and I loved the characters [and was heartbroken when some died]. I also appreciate that this doesn't leave with a huge cliffhanger, but also leads you to want to read the next book. This is one I feel good about recommending to friends.
I am not one to scrutinize characters or plot lines or any of that, I just know I like a book if I am drawn to it's story, feel a connected to the characters, and can't predict every little thing that is going to happen. I really enjoyed this book. It definitely has that "couldn't put it down" feel and I loved the characters [and was heartbroken when some died]. I also appreciate that this doesn't leave with a huge cliffhanger, but also leads you to want to read the next book. This is one I feel good about recommending to friends.
July 29, 2021
I loved this book so much. I can't wait to read the next one to see what kinds of shenanigans the characters get up to. I know only surface level things about the story of Robin Hood, but I was still able to enjoy this book. If you like friendship driven, fast-paced stories of princes trying to save their kingdom, you'll love this one.
July 11, 2021
This was a fun read, filled with a cast of believable characters and set in a vivid, lush world. In my mind, one of the marks of good teen or YA fiction is the characters act like … well … teens … full of spark, impulse and a slight guileless view of life that jaded adults have reluctantly left behind. Target gives you this.
I loved the clever spin on the Robin Hood legends - good social commentary woven into a good adventure. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of this genre. It does not disappoint.
I loved the clever spin on the Robin Hood legends - good social commentary woven into a good adventure. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of this genre. It does not disappoint.
July 21, 2021
An easy read, though some characters felt a little difficult to connect with. A good book for a simple love story build with an underlying political plot. I was more interested in the magical aspects and world building. Hopefully those will be delved further in the next book!
October 12, 2021
Lex, Crown Prince of Regania and Carina, the only child of an important nobleman, end up on a quest to save their kingdom with the help of outlaw Robyn and her gang.
At its core Target is a gender-swapped Robin Hood retelling with some twists.
In it's heart, though, Target is an important exploration of deep, rounded characters with real problems and relatable issues.
Firstly, it would be criminal to neglect to mention how beautifully this book is put together. From the cover to the interior, handwritten notes and layout this is the standard of design for an indie book that all self pub authors should be striving for. It is absolutely perfect.
As far as the story goes, the plot follows some well-travelled paths: a prince looking for more from life, a young noblewoman with a dead mother and a cruel father looking to exploit her and a band of outlaws robbing the rich to give to the poor. Somewhere between we have an assassin with a life-debt, a loyal knight best friend, an inseparable brother-sister team, poison and a coup. Oh, and some magic for good measure! Everything needed to make a YA faerie tale complete (without the faeries).
What makes this one special, then? (Because it is undoubtedly special.)
It's the characters.
Lex is not just a spoiled prince looking for an adventure, but a scarred, emotionally damaged young man with real reasons to doubt the sincerity of his suitors. Carina is not just treated poorly by her father, but severely beaten and groomed to a creepy level. Robyn and her band are not just anarchistic do-gooders, but conflicted, aware and afraid. Robyn herself is a delight to read, from a writer's point of view: a maelstrom of realistically portrayed conflictions, struggling with her own identity and wrestling with her principles.
Although the story is targeted (see what I did there?) at older teens, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it to tweens as well, provided they are prepared for the trigger warnings. The story is very easily digested and the author handles all the difficult topics with sensitivity and aplomb.
Overall, this is a very strong debut from an author who is going places fast. Keep an eye out for this one.
At its core Target is a gender-swapped Robin Hood retelling with some twists.
In it's heart, though, Target is an important exploration of deep, rounded characters with real problems and relatable issues.
Firstly, it would be criminal to neglect to mention how beautifully this book is put together. From the cover to the interior, handwritten notes and layout this is the standard of design for an indie book that all self pub authors should be striving for. It is absolutely perfect.
As far as the story goes, the plot follows some well-travelled paths: a prince looking for more from life, a young noblewoman with a dead mother and a cruel father looking to exploit her and a band of outlaws robbing the rich to give to the poor. Somewhere between we have an assassin with a life-debt, a loyal knight best friend, an inseparable brother-sister team, poison and a coup. Oh, and some magic for good measure! Everything needed to make a YA faerie tale complete (without the faeries).
What makes this one special, then? (Because it is undoubtedly special.)
It's the characters.
Lex is not just a spoiled prince looking for an adventure, but a scarred, emotionally damaged young man with real reasons to doubt the sincerity of his suitors. Carina is not just treated poorly by her father, but severely beaten and groomed to a creepy level. Robyn and her band are not just anarchistic do-gooders, but conflicted, aware and afraid. Robyn herself is a delight to read, from a writer's point of view: a maelstrom of realistically portrayed conflictions, struggling with her own identity and wrestling with her principles.
Although the story is targeted (see what I did there?) at older teens, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it to tweens as well, provided they are prepared for the trigger warnings. The story is very easily digested and the author handles all the difficult topics with sensitivity and aplomb.
Overall, this is a very strong debut from an author who is going places fast. Keep an eye out for this one.
October 12, 2021
This was a fantastic combination hero's journey, romance, and portrait of a revolution, set against a *dark* (but nonetheless realistic) rendition of the standard western medieval-setting fantasy world. It featured a nice trope inversion, to boot!
Read
November 10, 2021I don't read a lot of fantasy anymore, but you know I had to make an exception for this. I mean, look at the cover! Then tell me it's loosely based on the Robin Hood story and I am here for it.
This book had such deep and vividly portrayed characters that you can't help but root for them. And they're up against such a strong villain that the stakes always are high and immediate. I felt each of the losses and love the way this one ended. Can't wait for the next book in the Unbroken Tales!
This book had such deep and vividly portrayed characters that you can't help but root for them. And they're up against such a strong villain that the stakes always are high and immediate. I felt each of the losses and love the way this one ended. Can't wait for the next book in the Unbroken Tales!
September 11, 2021
TARGET is an enjoyable read with just the right amount of worldbuilding, compelling characters, and a fast paced plot. Looking forward to reading more from Cole in the future!
November 12, 2021
I don't normally give 5 stars but my grandbabies (age 6 reading level 11th grade) loved it. Our read-along on Zoom was wonderful. I'd say more but I won't give anything away. JUST READ IT!!!
February 10, 2022
I love the idea of a Robyn Hood retelling. You could really feel the characters emotions and bonds change and grow throughout the story. I always love a story where you must see where your alliances lie.
Even though it is a series, it did have closure.
Can't wait for book 2.
Even though it is a series, it did have closure.
Can't wait for book 2.
February 9, 2022
Fantastic. I do wish the magic was a bigger part of the story though. There were a couple places in the book that didn't quite feel right, but otherwise, it is a really good book.
February 7, 2022
This is Darci Cole’s debut novel and I went into it, not exactly knowing what to expect. That being said…I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s a YA fairy tale type of story. You feel so much love AND hate when reading this! I can’t wait for book two of The Unbroken Tales!!!
August 2, 2021
3.5/5 stars: TARGET was a fun fantasy adventure, a story about young people finding their way and their destiny in their world. While this book started off a bit slow, I really found myself enjoying this book as it picks up. One of the strongest parts of this novel is the character development. I could tell that the target audience was a demographic younger than me, which is more than okay, but the author manages to develop her characters in a really substantive way. I really liked all of the female characters, particularly Robyn and Carina, whose growth in these novels was something I was cheering for. I also found all of the second characters to be a lot of fun and they added a good amount of color to this story. I love how this book is a loose gender swapped retelling of Robin Hood but yet has a story that stands independently of the legend. TARGET is a solid fantasy story full of adventure, romance and intrigue, and I am interested to see where the author goes from here.
December 5, 2021
Overall I did enjoy this book. This is a first book and I feel like the author is trying to find out exactly who her audience will be. It's a good storyline with likeable even characters. It reads like most mid-evil like fantasy, clueless royal meets amazing warrior outlaw with a disdain for nobles. You can imagine where it will go from there. But overall it was an enjoyable light read. Though I did not care for muckin... Just saying.
October 13, 2021
This book is an absolute delight. Darci Cole is a stunning writer with a mastery of character, world building, and plot. This book is somewhere between a Tamara Pierce and Brandon Sanderson novel. I love the way it turns Robin Hood on its head. This book is especially great for advanced young readers. It does tackle difficult concepts, but with a gentleness that doesn’t feel overwhelmingly dark. I loved it!!!
November 3, 2021
I can’t wait to read the next in the series!
Loved the characters and seeing them grow and go on through their challenges. Kept me up at night cause I had to know what was happening!
Loved the characters and seeing them grow and go on through their challenges. Kept me up at night cause I had to know what was happening!
May 21, 2022
Not going to lie. I had different expectations or different ideas on how this book would play out before reading it based on the description. So it took me a second to get rerouted lol. Once I found the groove of this book I found it pretty enjoyable. There were times that dragged on a bit but overall the story wasn't bad.
While I expected Lex to have his point of view be a main part of the story, I was really disappointed that Robyn's wasn't. With this being a Robin Hood retelling it seemed like a missed opportunity. Robin Hood is one of my favorite stores that I like to see retold so this was a bit different to be. Not that Lex was a bad character or anything. He was pretty likable albeit a bit awkward at times. I thought the romance between him and Robyn was awkward for the most part in general. It didn't flow very well or felt natural.
One thing I also wish was this book wasn't a young adult novel. While I absolutely love the young adult genre, I think this book would have been better if Lex and Robyn were older. Robyn is the leader of an outlaw group, but they are all older than her. I mean I guess it is possible for her to garner respect still but just felt a bit unrealistic even if this is a fantasy novel. Personally, this should have been like New Adult as I think the story would have benefitted from it.
Carina was hands down my favorite character. At first, I was like, "why should I care about her point of view?" I liked seeing her grow throughout the book and making her own decisions despite the tough situation she was in. At some points I even found myself skimming Lex's chapters just so I could get to Carina faster.
The plot itself isn't bad. I do like that royalty is involved instead of the typical Robin Hood vs Sheriff of Nottingham. It was definitely a different take that I enjoyed. Some things were a bit predictable but there were enough surprises that it was still enjoyable.
Overall, If you're looking for a different Robin Hood retelling you will definitely enjoy this but if you're looking for Robyn to be at the forefront, then try not to be too disappointed like I was. I haven't decided if I'll read the next book. I originally wasn't until I fell in love with Carina. I may just read it solely because of her.
While I expected Lex to have his point of view be a main part of the story, I was really disappointed that Robyn's wasn't. With this being a Robin Hood retelling it seemed like a missed opportunity. Robin Hood is one of my favorite stores that I like to see retold so this was a bit different to be. Not that Lex was a bad character or anything. He was pretty likable albeit a bit awkward at times. I thought the romance between him and Robyn was awkward for the most part in general. It didn't flow very well or felt natural.
One thing I also wish was this book wasn't a young adult novel. While I absolutely love the young adult genre, I think this book would have been better if Lex and Robyn were older. Robyn is the leader of an outlaw group, but they are all older than her. I mean I guess it is possible for her to garner respect still but just felt a bit unrealistic even if this is a fantasy novel. Personally, this should have been like New Adult as I think the story would have benefitted from it.
Carina was hands down my favorite character. At first, I was like, "why should I care about her point of view?" I liked seeing her grow throughout the book and making her own decisions despite the tough situation she was in. At some points I even found myself skimming Lex's chapters just so I could get to Carina faster.
The plot itself isn't bad. I do like that royalty is involved instead of the typical Robin Hood vs Sheriff of Nottingham. It was definitely a different take that I enjoyed. Some things were a bit predictable but there were enough surprises that it was still enjoyable.
Overall, If you're looking for a different Robin Hood retelling you will definitely enjoy this but if you're looking for Robyn to be at the forefront, then try not to be too disappointed like I was. I haven't decided if I'll read the next book. I originally wasn't until I fell in love with Carina. I may just read it solely because of her.
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