What do you think?
Rate this book
Betrayal Prophecies #1
The Third Daughter
Book 1 in a sweeping YA duology about legacy, betrayal, sisterhood, and politicizing emotion in the quest for power—all balanced by a slow-burn LGBTQ romance.
For centuries, the citizens of Velle have waited for their New Maiden to return. The prophecy states she will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter. When the fabled child is finally born to Velle’s reigning queen all rejoice except for Elodie, the queen’s eldest child, who has lost her claim to the crown. The only way for Elodie to protect Velle is to retake the throne. To do so, she must debilitate the Third Daughter—her youngest sister, Brianne.
Desperate, Elodie purchases a sleeping potion from Sabine, who sells sadness. But the apothecary mistakenly sends the princess away with a vial of tears instead of a harmless sleeping brew. Sabine’s sadness is dangerously powerful, and Brianne slips into a slumber from which she will not wake. With the fates of their families and country hanging in the balance, Sabine and Elodie hurry to revive the Third Daughter while a slow-burning attraction between the two girls erupts in full force.
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
For centuries, the citizens of Velle have waited for their New Maiden to return. The prophecy states she will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter. When the fabled child is finally born to Velle’s reigning queen all rejoice except for Elodie, the queen’s eldest child, who has lost her claim to the crown. The only way for Elodie to protect Velle is to retake the throne. To do so, she must debilitate the Third Daughter—her youngest sister, Brianne.
Desperate, Elodie purchases a sleeping potion from Sabine, who sells sadness. But the apothecary mistakenly sends the princess away with a vial of tears instead of a harmless sleeping brew. Sabine’s sadness is dangerously powerful, and Brianne slips into a slumber from which she will not wake. With the fates of their families and country hanging in the balance, Sabine and Elodie hurry to revive the Third Daughter while a slow-burning attraction between the two girls erupts in full force.
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2023
80 people are currently reading
12243 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Tooley
5 books749 followersAdrienne Tooley grew up in Southern California, majored in musical theater in Pittsburgh, and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife and dog, six guitars, and a banjo. In addition to writing novels, she is an occasional singer/songwriter who has currently released three indie-folk EPs. Find her @adriennetooley.
author photo by Jaclyn Le
https://www.lejaclyn.com
author photo by Jaclyn Le
https://www.lejaclyn.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
January 21, 2024
rep: lesbian mcs, achillean side character
just let me see her blaze them all to the ground, please
3.5 ☆
just let me see her blaze them all to the ground, please
3.5 ☆
Want to read
December 3, 202102.12.2021 i'm here for the ruthless antiheroine and the slow-burning romance.
August 6, 2024
The Third Daughter by Adrienne Tooley
Betrayal Prophecies series #1. YA fantasy. Slow burn romance.
A prophecy rules the citizens of Velle. It’s said the third daughter of the third daughter will be the New Maiden all powerful ruler. Eloise, the eldest of the current ruler feels cheated from the crown when the prophecy child is born. Elodie also wants to protect the child, her sister, and finds a way to put her to sleep for years. Sabine didn’t mean for the treatment to be for years. It was a mistake. Sabine and Elodie work together and discover there is more to the prophecy.
I’ve never been a fan of political manipulation. While this may start out that way, there is a lot below the surface that is positive and well meaning. This is not a betrayal of family but rather protective. Besides the nasty father, of course.
Much of the plot twists and story is wrapped up in this first of series, with the exception of the additional detail from the prophecy at the end, so it will be interesting to see what direction the series may go.
Betrayal Prophecies series #1. YA fantasy. Slow burn romance.
A prophecy rules the citizens of Velle. It’s said the third daughter of the third daughter will be the New Maiden all powerful ruler. Eloise, the eldest of the current ruler feels cheated from the crown when the prophecy child is born. Elodie also wants to protect the child, her sister, and finds a way to put her to sleep for years. Sabine didn’t mean for the treatment to be for years. It was a mistake. Sabine and Elodie work together and discover there is more to the prophecy.
I’ve never been a fan of political manipulation. While this may start out that way, there is a lot below the surface that is positive and well meaning. This is not a betrayal of family but rather protective. Besides the nasty father, of course.
Much of the plot twists and story is wrapped up in this first of series, with the exception of the additional detail from the prophecy at the end, so it will be interesting to see what direction the series may go.
Want to read
December 16, 2021I'm always here for antiheroes 🙌 add slowburn sapphic romance AND TAKE ALL MY MONEY I AM SO HYPED.
(edit) the fact that this is releasing in 2023 and not TOMORROW is a crime hjhdjkahdasdas
prereview written 2nd dec and edited 16th dec
Goodreads | My blog | Storygraph | Pinterest | Instagram
(edit) the fact that this is releasing in 2023 and not TOMORROW is a crime hjhdjkahdasdas
prereview written 2nd dec and edited 16th dec
Goodreads | My blog | Storygraph | Pinterest | Instagram
February 16, 2025
If your friendgroup is not discussing legacy, betrayal, sisterhood, and politicizing emotion in the quest for power , you're in the wrong group.
June 30, 2023
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mcs, bi side character
Galley provided by publisher
The Third Daughter is a book that I felt, with a little more depth to it, could have been so good. As it was, I sadly found it just a little lacking. I still enjoyed it!, I want to stress. I’ve given it 3 stars and that’s a positive rating. I also feel that it could have been so much more.
The main issue I had was that it was all, for the most part, just a little predictable. If anyone saw my first (and only) status update, it was to say that, after the first chapter, I had guessed two of the major plot twists. There was a third, that I didn’t see coming, but this is where my issue with depth came in, primarily.
However, let me start with what’s good about this. Namely, the writing! Adrienne Tooley’s writing is so lovely that I think I could read anything she writes and enjoy it. There’s a kind of ethereal quality to it, that makes everything seem very gentle and welcoming (and perhaps that didn’t always suit this book, but I loved it nonetheless). It makes you feel that, even in the tensest moments, everything is going to be okay.
The main characters, too, are equally good. From page one, they’re who you’re rooting for. This is always a good sign — no one wants to dislike the main characters of the book they’re reading, after all, not least when it’s a series. Elodie and Sabine are two characters who you’ll never have that issue with and their relationship to one another is left poised very intriguingly.
I think my major issue then, regarding the depth, is that a few of the twists at the end seemed to come out of nowhere, or relied on an emotional connection that wasn’t there. Namely, regarding Tal, Elodie’s best friend. Or, so we’re told. Because the problem here was, you didn’t actually see him to be shown their relationship before the point that’s supposed to have emotional impact. So it has none! Similarly, the twist that I didn’t predict at the end had no foreshadowing to it. There were never any hints that something like this might happen — or even hints of the constituent parts to what happened actually existing in the world (if that makes sense) and, again, because you never met Tal before this point, it was neither expected nor unexpected in relation to him — so it felt unearned.
The ending, then, began to feel a little forced. Based on how Elodie’s character had been established prior to it, it didn’t make sense to me for her to do what she did (I’m trying to be very vague here!). She never felt like a character who wanted power for the sake of power — she always wanted to protect her sister first, albeit with the desired result of getting power. So her actions didn’t make sense! Her character did a sudden flip on its head, but then later it’s almost like it has to be dragged back in the other direction to return her to her original characterisation. Hence, why it seemed forced. And, personally, all that might have been solved by a simple shuffling of events just in terms of when they happen. Certain aspects of it wouldn’t have been surprising still (see: the plot twists I guessed in the first chapter), but I can deal with guessing plot twists. It was the way the ending seemed to go against the grain totally that got me.
However, I have to say I am intrigued as to where the story will go in the next book. Especially with that little bit of prophecy at the end of this one. I do feel that, having got the more obvious plot twists out of the way, I might find myself a bit more surprised by where the next book takes us.
Rep: lesbian mcs, bi side character
Galley provided by publisher
The Third Daughter is a book that I felt, with a little more depth to it, could have been so good. As it was, I sadly found it just a little lacking. I still enjoyed it!, I want to stress. I’ve given it 3 stars and that’s a positive rating. I also feel that it could have been so much more.
The main issue I had was that it was all, for the most part, just a little predictable. If anyone saw my first (and only) status update, it was to say that, after the first chapter, I had guessed two of the major plot twists. There was a third, that I didn’t see coming, but this is where my issue with depth came in, primarily.
However, let me start with what’s good about this. Namely, the writing! Adrienne Tooley’s writing is so lovely that I think I could read anything she writes and enjoy it. There’s a kind of ethereal quality to it, that makes everything seem very gentle and welcoming (and perhaps that didn’t always suit this book, but I loved it nonetheless). It makes you feel that, even in the tensest moments, everything is going to be okay.
The main characters, too, are equally good. From page one, they’re who you’re rooting for. This is always a good sign — no one wants to dislike the main characters of the book they’re reading, after all, not least when it’s a series. Elodie and Sabine are two characters who you’ll never have that issue with and their relationship to one another is left poised very intriguingly.
I think my major issue then, regarding the depth, is that a few of the twists at the end seemed to come out of nowhere, or relied on an emotional connection that wasn’t there. Namely, regarding Tal, Elodie’s best friend. Or, so we’re told. Because the problem here was, you didn’t actually see him to be shown their relationship before the point that’s supposed to have emotional impact. So it has none! Similarly, the twist that I didn’t predict at the end had no foreshadowing to it. There were never any hints that something like this might happen — or even hints of the constituent parts to what happened actually existing in the world (if that makes sense) and, again, because you never met Tal before this point, it was neither expected nor unexpected in relation to him — so it felt unearned.
The ending, then, began to feel a little forced. Based on how Elodie’s character had been established prior to it, it didn’t make sense to me for her to do what she did (I’m trying to be very vague here!). She never felt like a character who wanted power for the sake of power — she always wanted to protect her sister first, albeit with the desired result of getting power. So her actions didn’t make sense! Her character did a sudden flip on its head, but then later it’s almost like it has to be dragged back in the other direction to return her to her original characterisation. Hence, why it seemed forced. And, personally, all that might have been solved by a simple shuffling of events just in terms of when they happen. Certain aspects of it wouldn’t have been surprising still (see: the plot twists I guessed in the first chapter), but I can deal with guessing plot twists. It was the way the ending seemed to go against the grain totally that got me.
However, I have to say I am intrigued as to where the story will go in the next book. Especially with that little bit of prophecy at the end of this one. I do feel that, having got the more obvious plot twists out of the way, I might find myself a bit more surprised by where the next book takes us.
October 9, 2024
3.5 Stars for The Third Daughter (audiobook) by Adrienne Tooley read by Rebecca Lee.
This was a fun YA adventure with a little slow burn romance thrown in. But whole third daughter thing that kept getting explained, it got to be a bit much for me. It’s probably better to read this one so you can skip over these parts and not have to listen to them.
This was a fun YA adventure with a little slow burn romance thrown in. But whole third daughter thing that kept getting explained, it got to be a bit much for me. It’s probably better to read this one so you can skip over these parts and not have to listen to them.
May 20, 2023
I loved seeing the father-daughter relationship between Elodie and her real father. There was funny moments and banter passed around.
A book has never single handedly given me so much rage like this one. The first few chapters made me want to jump into the book and scream at Chaplain, Brianne's real father. The "advice" he gives Brianne is only to deceive her.
When there is so much hatred you can only expect someone to strike. In comes Sabrine, her tears are said to hold magic. Coming from a poor background, she wants to make ends meet even if she has to be in pain. Elodie so desperate for anything goes to Sabine by fate.
Trying to save herself and her nation, she makes it worse. Now not only has her sister been put under a deep sleep but now Chaplain is in control. Now the fate of the nation is doomed.
This book goes through many twists and turns. Watch out for the cliff hanger ending! I can't wait for book two to come out!
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.
Full review on my blog!
https://ivanislittlelibrary.blogspot....
A book has never single handedly given me so much rage like this one. The first few chapters made me want to jump into the book and scream at Chaplain, Brianne's real father. The "advice" he gives Brianne is only to deceive her.
When there is so much hatred you can only expect someone to strike. In comes Sabrine, her tears are said to hold magic. Coming from a poor background, she wants to make ends meet even if she has to be in pain. Elodie so desperate for anything goes to Sabine by fate.
Trying to save herself and her nation, she makes it worse. Now not only has her sister been put under a deep sleep but now Chaplain is in control. Now the fate of the nation is doomed.
This book goes through many twists and turns. Watch out for the cliff hanger ending! I can't wait for book two to come out!
A must-read for fans of the BookTok sensations Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, and These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.
Full review on my blog!
https://ivanislittlelibrary.blogspot....
July 12, 2023
Man this was an amazing premise! The characters, the relationships, the politics — everything was very compelling and well done.
The reason I deducted a star was because I felt for the amount of information there was, the book was too short. This could have easily been a 500 page book without feeling like it was too drawn out.
I would have loved to get more depth on literally everything— it would have made me much more invested in each character and given a great opportunity to connect further with the plot. I do understand that YA tends to need to be shorter, but I think this should have been an exception.
There is a deep but twisted bond between two sets of siblings in two different classes that come together to fulfill a destiny greater than they could have imagined! This book is full of emotion, pushing limits, uncovering secrets, and learning about how far someone will go for what they think is right.
Highly recommend for lovers of high-stakes YA fantasy novels
The reason I deducted a star was because I felt for the amount of information there was, the book was too short. This could have easily been a 500 page book without feeling like it was too drawn out.
I would have loved to get more depth on literally everything— it would have made me much more invested in each character and given a great opportunity to connect further with the plot. I do understand that YA tends to need to be shorter, but I think this should have been an exception.
There is a deep but twisted bond between two sets of siblings in two different classes that come together to fulfill a destiny greater than they could have imagined! This book is full of emotion, pushing limits, uncovering secrets, and learning about how far someone will go for what they think is right.
Highly recommend for lovers of high-stakes YA fantasy novels
July 13, 2023
Got an ARC from work, 4.5/5!
High fantasy is very hit or miss for me and this was a HIT, extremely compelling with an anxiety/depression rep/metaphor that rang painfully true. This is my second book by Tooley and definitely my favorite so far, I found this one to be immediately engaging and I can’t wait to know what happens next!
Mild spoiler below:
.
.
.
My one question/sorta complaint is WHY did Elodie’s mom screw the church guy if 1) she knew there was a fifty-fifty chance of having a prophecy baby which it sounds like she wasn’t too thrilled about, being nothing more than “the new maiden’s mom!!” And 2) he was SUCH A DICK. Like there was a throwaway line about how he was nicer before Brianne was born but I didn’t feel like we saw enough indication of that for it to be believable when it was mentioned how much she fought with him about Brianne’s education. Just WHY WOULD YOU LET HIM SMASH, I KNOW YOURE DEAD BUT YOU SEEM LIKE A SMART LADY
High fantasy is very hit or miss for me and this was a HIT, extremely compelling with an anxiety/depression rep/metaphor that rang painfully true. This is my second book by Tooley and definitely my favorite so far, I found this one to be immediately engaging and I can’t wait to know what happens next!
Mild spoiler below:
.
.
.
My one question/sorta complaint is WHY did Elodie’s mom screw the church guy if 1) she knew there was a fifty-fifty chance of having a prophecy baby which it sounds like she wasn’t too thrilled about, being nothing more than “the new maiden’s mom!!” And 2) he was SUCH A DICK. Like there was a throwaway line about how he was nicer before Brianne was born but I didn’t feel like we saw enough indication of that for it to be believable when it was mentioned how much she fought with him about Brianne’s education. Just WHY WOULD YOU LET HIM SMASH, I KNOW YOURE DEAD BUT YOU SEEM LIKE A SMART LADY
July 26, 2023
This starts out playing on your emotions, helping you understand how angry Elodie is after her sister's father, the head of the church, plays everyone and plans to rule through his daughter. He's cunning and awful and I just wanted to punch him in the face. Elodie has some good quips and I was glad she refused to back down to him, I love an independent girl in fantasy.
The other main character is Sabine and she offsets Elodie nicely. She's from a poor family and has a mysterious magic that she's learned to bottle and sell to try to keep from drowning in debt. Both girls care a lot about their family, but where Elodie has ambition to rule the country, Sabine just wants to make it to the next meal. The romance is a slow burn and I appreciated how it developed over the story.
I was mostly interested in the history behind the third daughter and the church's involvement. We did get to learn about some nefarious things happening, but I want more about the maiden and how the magic works. I think Tooley set things up for the sequel nicely and I'm excited for that to come out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Christy Ottaviano Books and NetGalley for the copy.
The other main character is Sabine and she offsets Elodie nicely. She's from a poor family and has a mysterious magic that she's learned to bottle and sell to try to keep from drowning in debt. Both girls care a lot about their family, but where Elodie has ambition to rule the country, Sabine just wants to make it to the next meal. The romance is a slow burn and I appreciated how it developed over the story.
I was mostly interested in the history behind the third daughter and the church's involvement. We did get to learn about some nefarious things happening, but I want more about the maiden and how the magic works. I think Tooley set things up for the sequel nicely and I'm excited for that to come out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Christy Ottaviano Books and NetGalley for the copy.
June 28, 2023
RTC for the book tour
January 14, 2024
I love Tooley's writing but this story wasn't as strong as Sweet & Bitter Magic.
August 16, 2024
I have been so excited for this book and it DID NOT disappoint
Adrienne’s writing is so beautiful. I’ve loved her work since her first book came out and I’m so glad she is finally writing a series. I can’t wait for book 2 next year!!!
I absolutely loved this book. It’s a mixture of slow and fast paced reading. It’s a beautiful world and she depicts the Church trying to take power from the crown SO WELL.
The truth behind Sabine’s magic definitely was t something I had seen coming until right before you find out. Let me just saw, she had me stunned.
I need the Second SoN NOW
Adrienne’s writing is so beautiful. I’ve loved her work since her first book came out and I’m so glad she is finally writing a series. I can’t wait for book 2 next year!!!
I absolutely loved this book. It’s a mixture of slow and fast paced reading. It’s a beautiful world and she depicts the Church trying to take power from the crown SO WELL.
The truth behind Sabine’s magic definitely was t something I had seen coming until right before you find out. Let me just saw, she had me stunned.
I need the Second SoN NOW
July 17, 2023
I always want to branch out and read different genres but somehow I'm always reading thrillers. When the email came up for the Blog Tour of The Third Daughter, I decided to take a chance. I'm so happy I did. I ended u really enjoying this book.
The Third Daughter is told from the point of you of mainly two characters. (You get a third pov at the end of each part) Elodie is the eldest daughter of the queen. When she finds out that her younger sister is the new maiden that everyone's been waiting for, she comes up with a plan to attempt to stop that. She goes to this midnight market and purchasing a sleeping potion from Sabine. Sabine makes a harmless sleeping potion for Elodie. However, once Elodie leaves with the potion, Sabine realizes she's given her, her tears instead of the potion. Sabine's tears put Elodie's in a deep sleep. Sabine's mistake ends up costing her family and she ends up having to give up her sister to gambling boat. Sabine is determined to find Elodie, just like Elodie is determined to find Sabine. They need to work together and fix the mess that was created.
This was such an enjoyable story. I had no idea what was going to happen for these two. Were they going to succed? I had no clue. I was ready to be taken on this wild ready. Along the way so many secerts are discovered. Plus one moment you think you can trust someone then turns out you can't. This book has so many twists and turns. I was so upset when I got to the end. I needed more. Adrienne ends things on a nice cliffhanger. I really can't wait for book two to come out. I really can't wait to see what Sabine and Elodie get up to in the next book!
The Third Daughter is told from the point of you of mainly two characters. (You get a third pov at the end of each part) Elodie is the eldest daughter of the queen. When she finds out that her younger sister is the new maiden that everyone's been waiting for, she comes up with a plan to attempt to stop that. She goes to this midnight market and purchasing a sleeping potion from Sabine. Sabine makes a harmless sleeping potion for Elodie. However, once Elodie leaves with the potion, Sabine realizes she's given her, her tears instead of the potion. Sabine's tears put Elodie's in a deep sleep. Sabine's mistake ends up costing her family and she ends up having to give up her sister to gambling boat. Sabine is determined to find Elodie, just like Elodie is determined to find Sabine. They need to work together and fix the mess that was created.
This was such an enjoyable story. I had no idea what was going to happen for these two. Were they going to succed? I had no clue. I was ready to be taken on this wild ready. Along the way so many secerts are discovered. Plus one moment you think you can trust someone then turns out you can't. This book has so many twists and turns. I was so upset when I got to the end. I needed more. Adrienne ends things on a nice cliffhanger. I really can't wait for book two to come out. I really can't wait to see what Sabine and Elodie get up to in the next book!
August 25, 2023
3.75 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a really cool take on antiheroes and I loved how depression/anxiety fed into the magic system. I found it to be really compelling, particularly the politics of this world and how the New Maiden was interpreted in such different ways by different groups of people, and the history behind the New Maiden - I could have read a whole book on that aspect of the story. I also really liked our two main characters Elodie and Sabine, and found their POVs easily distinguishable.
I did think that the book could've done with being even 50 pages longer, just to flesh out the development of the characters and of the storyline; a childhood friend of one of the main characters ends up playing a bigger role than you would expect, but it felt like it came out of nowhere, and because he wasn't really present in the story at all until then, I couldn't connect with the emotions surrounding this. There were other moments that happened in the second half that felt quite out of character, and I think that had the book been a bit longer, these moments wouldn't have felt so jarring as we could've come to understand the characters even a tiny bit better.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a really cool take on antiheroes and I loved how depression/anxiety fed into the magic system. I found it to be really compelling, particularly the politics of this world and how the New Maiden was interpreted in such different ways by different groups of people, and the history behind the New Maiden - I could have read a whole book on that aspect of the story. I also really liked our two main characters Elodie and Sabine, and found their POVs easily distinguishable.
I did think that the book could've done with being even 50 pages longer, just to flesh out the development of the characters and of the storyline; a childhood friend of one of the main characters ends up playing a bigger role than you would expect, but it felt like it came out of nowhere, and because he wasn't really present in the story at all until then, I couldn't connect with the emotions surrounding this. There were other moments that happened in the second half that felt quite out of character, and I think that had the book been a bit longer, these moments wouldn't have felt so jarring as we could've come to understand the characters even a tiny bit better.
January 13, 2024
This was a disappointment. Part of the problem may have been that I read it immediately after the Jasad Heir, which was everything this wasn't. But also this was just.... bland.
The characters felt very one-dimensional. Elodie was very "I know everything and am just better" but really just made a bunch of stupid decisions and didn't actually know anything about the people in her kingdom. Sabine was just sad and depressed (but this results in magic which is leveraged for money? which felt weird?) and guilty. Also I spotted the twist about Sabine from the very first time she was introduced.
The worldbuilding was barely there to the point of being nonexistent. The antagonists were cartoon levels of evil. It was too on-the-nose with its attempt to twist the Sleeping Beauty tale.
I didn't feel any connection between Elodie and Sabine. Maybe that developed after I gave up (around 40%)? But I somehow doubt it. Nothing else had any depth.
*Thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Christy Ottaviano Books for providing an early copy for review.
The characters felt very one-dimensional. Elodie was very "I know everything and am just better" but really just made a bunch of stupid decisions and didn't actually know anything about the people in her kingdom. Sabine was just sad and depressed (but this results in magic which is leveraged for money? which felt weird?) and guilty. Also I spotted the twist about Sabine from the very first time she was introduced.
The worldbuilding was barely there to the point of being nonexistent. The antagonists were cartoon levels of evil. It was too on-the-nose with its attempt to twist the Sleeping Beauty tale.
I didn't feel any connection between Elodie and Sabine. Maybe that developed after I gave up (around 40%)? But I somehow doubt it. Nothing else had any depth.
*Thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Christy Ottaviano Books for providing an early copy for review.
June 28, 2023
I liked this book a lot. The premise was really interesting and it had a strong start with two POVs (something I always enjoy). I liked the theme of First, Second, etc. that was repeated throughout the world building as well as the idea of the relationship between the Church and the Crown.
I had a bit of an issue with the middle of the story. I got to about 60% and pretty much nothing had happened. There wasn’t really a “villain” yet and our main characters hadn’t accomplished much of anything.
But, the book was saved by the last 25%. The story really picked up and some interesting twists were thrown in there. I’d definitely read the second book in this series (IYKYK 😂).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had a bit of an issue with the middle of the story. I got to about 60% and pretty much nothing had happened. There wasn’t really a “villain” yet and our main characters hadn’t accomplished much of anything.
But, the book was saved by the last 25%. The story really picked up and some interesting twists were thrown in there. I’d definitely read the second book in this series (IYKYK 😂).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 21, 2025
3.5 - some things in this book don't make sense- like Sabine's family makes potions and they barely have enough money to pay rent but they sell fortune potions? why cant they just use them idk they'll be rich instantly- and Elodie had 2 older sisters who died (they were mentioned in the beginning of the book) so doesn't that make her also the third daughter of a third daughter? Unless Sabine was born a lil before her or something idk. Maybe that's gonna be like a plot twist in the second book but I'll probably not read it- otherwise this book was okk 👍
August 31, 2023
I loved it! It was awesome. Elodie and Sabines stories are different but they were both really good, and the magic was really good. The world building was really well done. There were lots of plot twists that were really good but the cliff hanger at the end!!!!
September 27, 2023
This book was so bad it put me into a month long reading slump just to avoid finishing it. Read it if you like a painfully predictable plot and insta love between two characters with zero on page chemistry. That is it. That's the review.
January 3, 2024
Adrienne Tooley writes the best sapphic fantasies!!
I absolutely adored The Third Daughter! The magic system and world were so unique and captivating and the characters were a joy to read about.
We follow a dual POV - Elodie and Sabine. Elodie is the First Daughter and after her mother, the queen, passes she loses her claim to the crown when her little sister Brianne takes the throne as the Third Daughter. In their country of Velle, they have a prophecy that the New Maiden, a deity, will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter and they all believe that to be Brianne. But Brianne's father, leader of the Church, is after power over Velle so Elodie takes matters into her own hands to protect Velle and retake the throne ... but to do so, she must debilitate Brianne. This is where she meets Sabine who is an apothecary that sells sadness. However, Elodie's plans fail when Brianne's father twists the narrative to fit his motives and Elodie must partner Sabine to revert the potion and save Velle.
The relationship between Elodie and Sabine is so lovely and the slow-burn of their romance is perfect! Elodie is such a fierce character with questionable morals and high ambitions while Sabine is strong in spite of her sadness and has such growth over her own capabilities and self-respect over the course of the novel. They were a treat to read about!
The New Maiden was such an interesting concept and I cannot wait to find more out about this "Second Son" in the sequel. I also can't wait to learn more about this unique magic system that works on Sabine's sadness and tears. I highly recommend checking this one out!
I absolutely adored The Third Daughter! The magic system and world were so unique and captivating and the characters were a joy to read about.
We follow a dual POV - Elodie and Sabine. Elodie is the First Daughter and after her mother, the queen, passes she loses her claim to the crown when her little sister Brianne takes the throne as the Third Daughter. In their country of Velle, they have a prophecy that the New Maiden, a deity, will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter and they all believe that to be Brianne. But Brianne's father, leader of the Church, is after power over Velle so Elodie takes matters into her own hands to protect Velle and retake the throne ... but to do so, she must debilitate Brianne. This is where she meets Sabine who is an apothecary that sells sadness. However, Elodie's plans fail when Brianne's father twists the narrative to fit his motives and Elodie must partner Sabine to revert the potion and save Velle.
The relationship between Elodie and Sabine is so lovely and the slow-burn of their romance is perfect! Elodie is such a fierce character with questionable morals and high ambitions while Sabine is strong in spite of her sadness and has such growth over her own capabilities and self-respect over the course of the novel. They were a treat to read about!
The New Maiden was such an interesting concept and I cannot wait to find more out about this "Second Son" in the sequel. I also can't wait to learn more about this unique magic system that works on Sabine's sadness and tears. I highly recommend checking this one out!
June 17, 2023
3.5 stars
Arc via NetGalley
Arc via NetGalley
March 29, 2024
3.5 - 3.75 ☆
SOOOO GOODDDDDD
love a sweet lesbian romance admist a crazy plot.
SOOOO GOODDDDDD
love a sweet lesbian romance admist a crazy plot.
August 26, 2023
I recieved an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Third Daughter was a fine, but underwhelming read for me. Tooley's prose was servicable, but not standout- something about the pacing chafed with me- and the plot was, at least for me, irritatingly predictable. I certainly don't want twists and turns without an ounce of foreshadowing, but I- and a friend I spoke to who happened to get the same ARC- saw things coming from so far off that we didn't even concieve of one of the big, end of novel reveals *as* a reveal, until all the characters were dramatically gasping over it- we thought we were already supposed to have worked it out. The worldbuilding was very much "generic fantasy world," with a couple of frustrating- at least for me- obsfucations: for example, it was very ambiguous how common magic actually was, and how it was culturally regarded and engaged with.
Tooley's lead characters carried me through this read- they weren't showstopping, but I did care enough about them to finish this novel. Elodie is an entertaining protagonist- morally grey, shrewd, and ambitious, and dangerous in an intellectual way rather than a sword-wielding way, and I would love to see more girls like her in YA fantasy. Sabine was more interesting as a vehicle for the themes she brought to the table, but I wish we'd had a little more depth on these fronts. I was invested in their unfolding relationship to begin with, but somewhere along the way, these two lost me. Additonally, whilst Elodie and Sabine were believable, the rest of the cast felt like absolute ciphers: bland, interchangable, with surface-level motivations and unconvincing relationships with the protagonists. Elodie's relationship with her childhood friend was particularly egregious on this front for me: I don't feel like it had the neccesary establishment early on for the emotional pay-off Tooley was trying to deliver towards the end of this novel.
I also think it's worth mentioning that The Third Daughter being marketed as a matriarchy is a disservice to it. I was excited for worldbuilding that did something interesting with this idea, but the only matriarchy in this fantasy setting is within the royal family, where women inherit. Otherwise, in the church, in the home, in business, and in criminal underworlds, it's clear that women defer to men and men are expected to lead, and men and women are expected to embody the same traits, dress in the same ways, and adhere to the same rules as they did/do in the real world. This was dissapointing to me personally- I was hopeful, picking up a sapphic book, with a gender-based prophecy, and with two nonbinary characters within the first few pages (neither of whom return or do anything significant) that there would be sometruly interesting exploration of gender roles in this novel, but besides the specific inheritance laws within the royal family, this is another patriarchal fantasy world.
I started out really engaged with this novel, but sadly, that investment ebbed away as the plot awkardly unspooled itself. I think this is very much a totally, middle-of-the-road read for me: defintiley a 2.5, but I'll round up for the sake of the sapphics. I don't think I could personally recommend The Third Daughter, but nor would I really warn someone away from it- there's nothingfundamentally wrong with it, but there's so many novels that execute on very similar premises much more succesfully.
The Third Daughter was a fine, but underwhelming read for me. Tooley's prose was servicable, but not standout- something about the pacing chafed with me- and the plot was, at least for me, irritatingly predictable. I certainly don't want twists and turns without an ounce of foreshadowing, but I- and a friend I spoke to who happened to get the same ARC- saw things coming from so far off that we didn't even concieve of one of the big, end of novel reveals *as* a reveal, until all the characters were dramatically gasping over it- we thought we were already supposed to have worked it out. The worldbuilding was very much "generic fantasy world," with a couple of frustrating- at least for me- obsfucations: for example, it was very ambiguous how common magic actually was, and how it was culturally regarded and engaged with.
Tooley's lead characters carried me through this read- they weren't showstopping, but I did care enough about them to finish this novel. Elodie is an entertaining protagonist- morally grey, shrewd, and ambitious, and dangerous in an intellectual way rather than a sword-wielding way, and I would love to see more girls like her in YA fantasy. Sabine was more interesting as a vehicle for the themes she brought to the table, but I wish we'd had a little more depth on these fronts. I was invested in their unfolding relationship to begin with, but somewhere along the way, these two lost me. Additonally, whilst Elodie and Sabine were believable, the rest of the cast felt like absolute ciphers: bland, interchangable, with surface-level motivations and unconvincing relationships with the protagonists. Elodie's relationship with her childhood friend was particularly egregious on this front for me: I don't feel like it had the neccesary establishment early on for the emotional pay-off Tooley was trying to deliver towards the end of this novel.
I also think it's worth mentioning that The Third Daughter being marketed as a matriarchy is a disservice to it. I was excited for worldbuilding that did something interesting with this idea, but the only matriarchy in this fantasy setting is within the royal family, where women inherit. Otherwise, in the church, in the home, in business, and in criminal underworlds, it's clear that women defer to men and men are expected to lead, and men and women are expected to embody the same traits, dress in the same ways, and adhere to the same rules as they did/do in the real world. This was dissapointing to me personally- I was hopeful, picking up a sapphic book, with a gender-based prophecy, and with two nonbinary characters within the first few pages (neither of whom return or do anything significant) that there would be sometruly interesting exploration of gender roles in this novel, but besides the specific inheritance laws within the royal family, this is another patriarchal fantasy world.
I started out really engaged with this novel, but sadly, that investment ebbed away as the plot awkardly unspooled itself. I think this is very much a totally, middle-of-the-road read for me: defintiley a 2.5, but I'll round up for the sake of the sapphics. I don't think I could personally recommend The Third Daughter, but nor would I really warn someone away from it- there's nothingfundamentally wrong with it, but there's so many novels that execute on very similar premises much more succesfully.
July 21, 2023
It’s a dual-pov with slight appearances by the youngest sister, Brianne, who’s under the sleeping curse (slight here meaning like 3? chapters at the most). So not a true multi-pov which makes sense as to why everyone’s saying dual-pov. I liked both main characters but I probably would say I preferred Sabine’s chapters more. Not to say that I didn’t like Elodie – I did. I just didn’t agree with her thoughts and actions all the time. Also (and obviously this is the whole royal vs. commoner differences) she was a bit naive now and then? She’s hasty in her decisions – which isn’t really her fault. The book is very fast-paced. Mom dies a few days before the book starts and then the youngest sister is crowned and then boom she goes to sleep. So it’s hard to fault her for making rash decisions when there are deadlines on various matters. Even though I was keeping that in mind it didn’t help me in forgiving her carelessness all that much.
This further showed in how she treated Sabine and acted around her (more of the royal vs. commoner differences). I won’t say anything really about the end of the book, obviously, but it will be interesting to see how the sequel changes in these terms. I related more so to Sabine than Elodie. Interestingly enough, even though both had siblings, I felt Elodie’s relationships with hers is more believable. Nothing entirely wrong with Sabine’s relationships with her brother and sister, it just didn’t feel as real as Elodie’s did.
I really liked how Tooley took the church and made us look at the darker side of it. Like it or not, whatever feelings you have on the church; unfortunately there is a darker side. The Chaplain in here definitely represents that. I sussed him out the first time we meet him on page and I wanted to go inside the book and just punch his annoying face. He knows exactly what to say to get what he wants and he has no problem in manipulating everyone to get his way. I wanted to drag his greasy hands away from Brianne and throw them into the ocean or something. And then, you know, might as well carry on with throwing the rest of his body in the ocean.
It’s a fast-paced book and the action is well mixed up with the silent moments. Tooley did a good job in writing and balancing them. I think a lot of writers are usually focused on the action scenes and creating a believable romance, adding witty banter (if they choose). I think they forget that you can have silent moments and it can be good. There’s sadness in both girls – sadness that actually is the same when you look at the heart of it all. I hope Tooley carries that into the sequel. If her other books also have it that definitely makes me want to read it more.
This further showed in how she treated Sabine and acted around her (more of the royal vs. commoner differences). I won’t say anything really about the end of the book, obviously, but it will be interesting to see how the sequel changes in these terms. I related more so to Sabine than Elodie. Interestingly enough, even though both had siblings, I felt Elodie’s relationships with hers is more believable. Nothing entirely wrong with Sabine’s relationships with her brother and sister, it just didn’t feel as real as Elodie’s did.
I really liked how Tooley took the church and made us look at the darker side of it. Like it or not, whatever feelings you have on the church; unfortunately there is a darker side. The Chaplain in here definitely represents that. I sussed him out the first time we meet him on page and I wanted to go inside the book and just punch his annoying face. He knows exactly what to say to get what he wants and he has no problem in manipulating everyone to get his way. I wanted to drag his greasy hands away from Brianne and throw them into the ocean or something. And then, you know, might as well carry on with throwing the rest of his body in the ocean.
It’s a fast-paced book and the action is well mixed up with the silent moments. Tooley did a good job in writing and balancing them. I think a lot of writers are usually focused on the action scenes and creating a believable romance, adding witty banter (if they choose). I think they forget that you can have silent moments and it can be good. There’s sadness in both girls – sadness that actually is the same when you look at the heart of it all. I hope Tooley carries that into the sequel. If her other books also have it that definitely makes me want to read it more.
June 30, 2023
I read this as an e-arc from netgalley in exchange for honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It had great political intrigue, a super slow burn Sapphic romance, and a lot of twists and turns I didn't see coming. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was it got kind of slow in the second quarter of the book. The ending cliff hanger also really leaves you wanting to read the second book!
July 26, 2023
I couldn't put this book down, and when I absolutely had to for sleep and adulting I was cursing life because I just wanted to sit down and finish reading it.
It's a story about two girls from very different walks of life who are destined for more than either of them could have dreamed.
Sabine and her sadness. Elodie and her fierceness.
The way the bonds of friendship was written gripped my heart, it reminded me so much of the bond I share with my best friend.
The storyline itself was beautifully paced, and the way the worldbuilding is written astonishes me, it's like I've always known this world and I was being reintroduced to it all as I read.
I cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next book. I NEED IT IMMEDIATELY!
⇢ Quotes I adored: "It was disheartening, the way their endless work never quite paid off. The way life always demanded just a little bit more."
"But sadness is like a splinter. You've got to root around inside to find it. Hell to extract, but it's the only way you'll be able to properly heal."
It's a story about two girls from very different walks of life who are destined for more than either of them could have dreamed.
Sabine and her sadness. Elodie and her fierceness.
The way the bonds of friendship was written gripped my heart, it reminded me so much of the bond I share with my best friend.
The storyline itself was beautifully paced, and the way the worldbuilding is written astonishes me, it's like I've always known this world and I was being reintroduced to it all as I read.
I cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next book. I NEED IT IMMEDIATELY!
⇢ Quotes I adored: "It was disheartening, the way their endless work never quite paid off. The way life always demanded just a little bit more."
"But sadness is like a splinter. You've got to root around inside to find it. Hell to extract, but it's the only way you'll be able to properly heal."
Want to read
May 19, 2023I don’t think I’ll ever come out of an Adrienne Tooley book feeling anything other than awed and emotionally vulnerable.
I love that I get to place The Third Daughter next to Sweet & Bitter Magic and Sofi And The Bone Song as some of my favorite books. The way the Adrienne writes about emotion is just special. There is something so achingly REAL about them, and paired with how stunning her prose is, it creates an effect that is almost, delicately beautiful I want to say? Nevertheless, the way that sadness, depression, mental illness, EMOTION are inserted into a fantasy world is so brilliant, and my absolute favorite kind of story.
It is a just a part of Sabine and Elodie, but it also ties into a story of complicated politics and an even more complicated religion. It’s about two girls (screaming it’s gay too) and it’s also about a kingdom. The intimacy and the vastness tie together so wonderfully. It makes me want to swallow the entire book whole.
I love that I get to place The Third Daughter next to Sweet & Bitter Magic and Sofi And The Bone Song as some of my favorite books. The way the Adrienne writes about emotion is just special. There is something so achingly REAL about them, and paired with how stunning her prose is, it creates an effect that is almost, delicately beautiful I want to say? Nevertheless, the way that sadness, depression, mental illness, EMOTION are inserted into a fantasy world is so brilliant, and my absolute favorite kind of story.
It is a just a part of Sabine and Elodie, but it also ties into a story of complicated politics and an even more complicated religion. It’s about two girls (screaming it’s gay too) and it’s also about a kingdom. The intimacy and the vastness tie together so wonderfully. It makes me want to swallow the entire book whole.
June 15, 2023
I loved this book!!!! The political intrigue was absolutely cool and the very soft sapphic romance was the best 😭
The world building and character journeys were amazing, and the I was freaking out about the twists and turns and betrayals at the end 😭 I had a lot of fun tabbing this book, I started off with light pink tabs and progressively moved to darker colors ending with a dark maroon in accordance with the vibes of the book 🥲
The ending was satisfying and it opened up a huge new plotline for book 2, I can't wait to read it!
-- ty to the author and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy at yallwest and via Netgalley!
The world building and character journeys were amazing, and the I was freaking out about the twists and turns and betrayals at the end 😭 I had a lot of fun tabbing this book, I started off with light pink tabs and progressively moved to darker colors ending with a dark maroon in accordance with the vibes of the book 🥲
The ending was satisfying and it opened up a huge new plotline for book 2, I can't wait to read it!
-- ty to the author and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy at yallwest and via Netgalley!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews