Night Elves of Ardani

Elves of Ardani #1

by Nina K. Westra

When she’s taken prisoner by the enemies of her people, her elven captor is the only person standing between her and death at the hands of his bloodthirsty kin...

Novikke has no love for night elves. Her people and theirs have been at odds for centuries thanks to the elves’ penchant for violence and hatred of humans.

So when she’s caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and taken captive by a night elf warrior, she has little hope for mercy, especially since they don’t even speak the same language. Trapped in his unforgiving homeland, a vast forest of shadows and magic, she’ll have to rely on her wits and her sword in order to survive.

But she never expected her captor to be so devastatingly attractive. Or so polite. As Novikke begins to see him in a new light, she starts to question everything she thought she knew about his mysterious people… and she’s beginning to think that he feels the same troublesome attraction between them that she does.

Now, as a deadly magic and the threat of war loom, they are forced to decide where their loyalties truly lie. With the fate of their nations in their hands, will they betray their own people to protect each other?

Night Elves of Ardani is an enemies to lovers high fantasy romance for readers who love worldbuilding, action and adventure, spice, and HEAs. Books in the Elves of Ardani series each follow a different couple and can be read as standalones.

This book comprises all three previously published parts of Night Elves of Ardani (Captive, Sacrifice, and Invocation). This book is intended for adults and contains steamy scenes and violence. Please visit the author’s website for more content info.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Fae, Elves

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2021

About the author

Nina K. Westra is an elf enthusiast and fantasy romance author with a love of antiheroes, outsiders, and feminist men. Her books feature sweetness and spice, action and adventure, and heart-wrenching (usually forbidden, always angsty) romance with non-human men.

She lives in the ridiculously beautiful Pacific Northwest, and when she’s not writing, she can usually be found petting someone’s cat.

For news, ARCs, and free stories, sign up for her newsletter at ninakwestra.com.

Reviews

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

((★★★/5 stars & 🌶🌶/5 spice but DNFed at 40%.))

Unfortunately, the Night Elves of Ardani just wasn't a romantasy I could get into. I know when I'm feeling like I'm in a book slump where all the characters and plot lines start running together, and that's just not where I'm at. This story just took a realllllly long time to develop!

Some Things I Loved:
- rich Avatar-level world building
- Forbidden Romance
- Gorgeous cover
- I feel like I really never knew what was coming next and that's a first for me in a while. (Especially in fantasy romance.)
- True enemies to lovers trope (literal knives at throats.. not staplers being thrown in an office ya know? lol)

A Few Things That Need Editing:
- The story takes a really long time to pick up. The first 20% is about their journey(s) through part of the Night Elves' forest.

Extra Notes:
- Mental health & panic attacks representation
- Miscommunication/ Language barriers
- Slow Burn
- Elves, humans, mages (felt a little like the Shadow & Bone series with mages thrown in the mix and their abilities)
**TW: Attempted se.xual as.sault

[abi]

DNF @ 62%

I really don’t care about this book, and I honestly haven’t the entire book. I think I should have DNF’ed sooner, especially after the two MC’s sleep together in the first 20% 🙄. I feel like they have no chemistry, and also no personality. The only positive thing I can say about this book is it actually has world building (which is rare to find in fantasy romance. The bar is in hell guys), and decent world building at that. But I just couldn’t care less what happens to these characters and I have a lot of other books I want to get to. I’m just going to move on!


* * *

Pre reading thoughts:

Elves > Faeries, I said what I said.

[Tyenasaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Elves over Shadow Daddies

I said what I said.

This book had all of my favorite content, and I won't dismiss the great story by just listing tropes.

Novikke and Aruna were great characters, and even the small glimpses of side or minor characters had depth to them. They all existed in a rich, fleshed out world that I want to continue to explore.

And I appreciated that the characters were people so much. Not just another "badass" female mc, or suave and mysterious male mc. They were complex and relatable, they struggled and had their values questioned, they came in to conflict with their cultures, world views and with each other.

The dynamic of bonding with someone who is truly an enemy of your people and not having it be a misuse of the trope to sell books was so refreshing and nostalgic. When it's true high fantasy, and true enemies to lovers with the true complexity of a situation like that??

CHEF'S KISS 🤌🤌

This author just became an automatic buy for me and I will be diving in to the other books immediately.

[Andrea]

DNF 76%

Well this was a bit disappointing. I accidentally ended up reading the second book in the series first and really enjoyed that story--So eventually I went back to read about this couple's journey.... but after they got recaptured I found myself loosing interest, and ultimately ended up skimming the majority before I had to call it quits.



You may have better luck than me, but I at least would recommend reading the 2nd book though (Rogue Elves of Ardani) as it can be deemed as a stand alone without needing much background info bc this one is kind of vague in the first place.

[Allison ☾]

DNF @ 30%

I feel so awful giving this a DNF because I realllllly wanted to like it but I simply cannot continue. Barely anything has happened so far and I have a million other books on my TBR.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of romance fantasy and sci fi on Kindle Unlimited. After a while they all blur into one and become forgettable immediately after reading, as if there’s an unofficial formula to stick to. I have a thing for interspecies romance, but the stories usually come with horrible tropes (insta-mate, alpha barbarians, kidnapping, noble savages, etc) that I often stop reading and try another author. I know why they’re popular, but it’s never been my cup of tea; unfortunately if you like elves and orcs and aliens as a love interest, you’ll be scraping the barrel for your preferred Earl Grey.

This series is handily my cup of tea; the KU romances that truly stick out are the ones with enormous potential, or do something different with the genre. Though I really enjoyed Norvikke and Aruna’s story, it does have flaws- but they’re minimal enough to enjoy as it is. The characters have truly stayed with me after reading despite my issues, and I am left wanting more from the writer and the universe.

List of the good, bad and okay after the cut:

THE GOOD:

--Likeable, warm characters, even the background ones are interesting. The leads are solidly working class people -not a prince or a chosen one- who everyone underestimates and considers unimportant. They are on the edge of both of their people- Norvikke especially. Aruna might be a hair more useful as he can scout and fight, but he’s still a lowly ranger.

--Neiryn is a fantastic snobby, scalded cat of a supporting character, who I want to see more of. I also want to see what he sees in a socially awkward, short little human mage from an army he’s meant to be fighting against. We never really got to see that side of them, mainly as Norvikke was doing something else or half-dying at the time. I usually roll my eyes at pairing the spares, but here it somehow works.

--The setting and story felt like a war, even if it was only at skirmish levels and ducking and diving in shadows. Every side is mentioned at being a bastard, no one is idealised or painted as good.

--I liked the casual mentions of same sex relationships and women in positions of power, on both sides. Still oddly not a thing in most fantasy, and ignored.

--Their romance is lust at first sight, not love. The sex scenes were both realistic and oddly hopeless. A strange thing to have as a positive, but it worked for the plot and is actually refreshing to read in a romance. It was awkward stiffies, quick handjobs in the back of an alley and Brain Is Not Thinking fucking in old ruins- not instant love. I felt sad for them both and wanted them to work out, especially considering the weight of the plot.

--The author did a good job at both ignoring and not ignoring the power balance between Aruna and Norvikke, thanks to the main character. She's his prisoner in the first book, and the consent issues around their attraction is tenuously explained. I was uncomfortable when she was brought to the ranger outpost and the subsequent sex scene in the ruins a chapter after, which I’m assuming was intentional; the prison breakout and the way roles are reversed later shifts the balance, but only at the beginning of book three did I feel it level out completely.

--Zaiur is a truly disgusting villain, 100% Grade A piece of shit. I know he was written to reflect how different Aruna is in the beginning, but it worked. He deserved the stabbing and fireball, that’s for sure.

--The trade talk/text-based speaking was used well, and liked that it was a hindrance in the end for both of them, and made them overthink their answers.

--Aruna’s little casual mention of a pain kink was a delightful aside rarely seen in male leads! How dare you leave me hanging, come back here and explain-

THE OKAY:

--Norvikke is a wonderful lead and I loved her, but I think this book would’ve exceeded itself with more POV shifts- especially considering the Everyone Is A Bastard theme and opposing sides.

--Playing with the familiarity of the genre is a gamble, but it worked on me. The very inviting purple covers, calling the elves night elves that live in a magical twilight forest with giant trees, an actual Goddess in the plot... I was expecting a World of Warcraft fanfiction with the serial numbers scraped off, and I was very much delighted when it wasn’t.

THE BAD:

--The war itself is just there. Not once is it explained why people are fighting each other, aside from: “because they’re bastard elves, that’s why.” Why are the sun elves and the humans even fighting anyway, and the night elves are between them? Why even drag the night elves into it if everyone hates each other? Why did the humans think it would be a good idea to destroy a magical axis, despite having mages themselves? I know the story is through the eyes of a lowly courier, but still. Some more crumbs to the setting would be nice, and for it to be fleshed out into a sharper, overarching plot.

--I read the series originally as novellas despite this review, and it was annoying they were split. As standalones, they were weakened by the cut; it works much better as one book, that’s for sure.

--A couple of scenes dragged, mostly by the middle; when they were captured by Norvikke’s army, for example. A few more of those aforementioned plot and setting crumbs would’ve been nice there.

--The story has very bareboned worldbuilding that relies on the reader knowing fantasy settings and tropes. My favourite authors (Joe Abercrombie and recently, Holly Black and Scott Lynch) are infamous for being vague on this too, but still tell cracking, whip smart fantasy. A little more plot and background would’ve set this series to another level; just because it’s primarily a romance novel doesn't mean a bit of war intrigue and political shenanigans would be unwelcome.

--The prose itself is mostly basic writing. I saw several repeated words and clumsy dialogue tags, and bareboned descriptions where I struggled to imagine the characters. I don’t mind simplistic, and actually dislike overly flowery writing- but the writer needs a little more work in making their prose interesting; that’s a thing that improves with more novels.



TLDR:
Despite my quibbles, I loved this series and the characters- and hope to see more from the author. I was left with a lot of questions and hope to see the world again, and look forward to what comes next in Ardani.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is high fantasy romance with an emphasis on the fantasy the romance being more of a background thing. It’s enemies to lovers and has some decent world-building. I found it enjoyable and well written but it was also at times slightly slow and plodding. I definitely would have liked a bit more of the focus to be on Novikee and Aruna’s emerging bond as at times it did come across as slightly tentative both of them lacking the commitment to lay their cards on the table. There was also too much of the oh no we can’t be together vibe which I did find a bit irritating.

Aruna is a night elf and Novikee a human when she trespasses into the forest called Kuda Varia the domain of the night elves she finds herself captured by the enemy as a suspected spy. These two begin this story as sworn enemies both with so many prior preconceptions about each other. As they continue onwards both soon realise there is much more to the other than just their species and a fierce growing attraction exists between them that they know no one else will ever understand. They are from two different worlds and If they ever want to be together there literally on their own and soon a choice will have to be made that will change everything for Aruna.

This is filled with danger magic friendship and a forbidden passion that is against all of the odds. Novikee and Aruna will have to go up against both of their people and be labelled traitors by many if they ever want to have a chance at a life together. I would recommend this if you like a more fantasy action-based focus in your romance. Also if you like your romance less graphic as this one isn’t really a steamy one it does has spice scenes but it is quite lacking in detail. I wasn’t completely convinced of the bond these two shared it was there but maybe the lack of steam muted it for me as the romance did feel a bit disconnected at times. I also do like my males a tad more alpha than Aruna and that did affect my overall enjoyment here though I definitely can’t fault the writing which was superb. This was an intriguing read which some slight niggles but I mostly appreciated it.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/63435390

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love being pleasantly surprised by a random KU book find. This series was recommended on a fantasy romance Reddit sub and I took a chance (KU books really can be hit or miss) and was so glad I did.

This isn’t an original plot but the writing was really good and I was sucked in almost from the first chapter. I love that the two main characters, who are natural enemies (elf and human) don’t even speak the same language but find a way to communicate and realize their people aren’t so different.

The writing is good, the world building is strong and the steamy scenes are tastefully done while still being hot. I thought the next book in the series was going to be a continuation of the same main characters but just realized it’s another set of characters in the same world and I’m actually really disappointed. I loved Novikke and Aruna and would have loved more of them. I guess I’ll have to settle for the epilogue Westra sends if you sign up for her newsletter. And I’ll be checking out the next book in the series as well.

I’m withholding a star because there were a few things that pulled me out of the fantasy world too much. For example, using the term “shag” as in one elf saying that the other wanted to shag the human. That is too specific a regional colloquialism to work in a story like this. And there were a few others similar. But not so many that it wrecked the story for me.

Edited to add - boy, so many reviewers DNF this. I’m surprised how many thought it was boring or long. I think maybe about 50 pages could’ve been shaved but I never lost interest in the story itself. To each their own. 😊

4 stars

[Jimena Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Espectacular 😍
Mi único error fue leermelo mientras me leía los de TOG y por eso me costó mas! Pero Neiryn se ganó mi corazón <3 i love him

[Kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the beginning but the rest I had to slog through

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started really slow, with underwhelming writing and a pretty boring plot. But I did enjoy the latter half somewhat.

For a fantasy the world building wasn’t there for me and it seemed like the author wasn’t sure exactly on their world either at times.

The plot in the first half or so was nothing special, a lot of walking through woods with major injuries that happened to the MCs every 50 pages that seemed like changing but not ever for these characters. Due to the lack of characters that speak the same language as the MC, it’s also just an internal monologue for the first part of the book which combined with the underwhelming world building was pretty dire.

It gets two stars because it did improve towards the end in both the writing and the plot, and there were some elements that were enjoyable surprises.

[Klara V.?¿? · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why was this book so long ?! (2.75 stars)

I really don’t understand because I loved most of the characters and the book had a very interesting premise. It was just way too long. I felt like the first 150 pages were kinda useless. I don't have to know every single thing they did on their journey. I just felt like the author was just shoving a bunch of cute scenes in my face and she hoped that because of that I would think that the two mc have chemistry, but that did not happen.
I just couldn’t find the chemistry between them and don’t even get me started on the back and forth of “we shouldn’t be doing this.” and then in the next chapter they would say “ok let’s do this… But it’s a one time thing” spoiler alert it was NOT a one time thing and she’s going to regret that they did it every single time until the very end, when she finally realizes that she can do whatever she wants.
Btw this book was marketed as an enemies to lovers and they were like enemies for maybe a full 50 pages and even then they just disliked each other and would just glare at one another. And magically they fall for each other WITHOUT EVEN SPEAKING.

The ending… Ok so it isn’t just the ending that I disliked it was the hole second half. Because I just felt like it was not completed there were SO many plot holes that I was just lost. We were also introduced to so many characters but then they would just be forgotten after they ‘served there purpose’ And I felt like the ending was SUPER rushed. It was so anticlimactic that I just wanted to throw my kindle at a wall. I seriously think that was one of the biggest deus ex machinas I’ve ever read …

But now onto the reasons why I didn’t rate this a one star.
1) Neiryn. Need I say more I swear without him this book would have been so bland.

2)Aruna. I didn’t dislike Aruna. Do I think he’s the best book boyfriend ever? No. But he was very decent and has WAY more patience than me. If I were him I would have given Novikke some kind of sleeping potion to stop her from being so annoying. But you know, good for him. There were also a few instances were I kinda liked the dynamic between Novikke and Aruna but those were usually followed with smut. Also WHY was the smut always so public. I was fr stressing for them.

So…
It wasn’t my favourite read of the year but it wasn’t bad.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews re-written and moved from the single books to the combined edition. I initially received a free copy of all three through Booksprout and/or Booksirens, and left reviews voluntarily!

This was a great surprise. I think this is a case of a book catching me at the right time, when my investment and excitement was just waiting for something to sink its teeth into.

It packs in a lot of keen worldbuilding, eerily beautiful atmosphere, and a little steam. It played to its strengths, in a way that made me appreciate those strengths even if I have so many rigid pet peeves when it comes to fantasy romance: a dangerous and sudden attraction, namely. It also did a nice job sculpting side characters in so little time (I mentioned Neiryn in every single review as if how much I loved him kept catching me by surprise!).

Although I’m reviewing the combined edition, I have to mention that with the “trilogy,” I raced to the next book each time and couldn’t wait to keep reading and see what happened.

I wanted to know more about this strange and difficult world—and lucky me, since Westra recently expanded the world with the companion, Rogue Elves of Ardani. Overall I enjoyed this little gem of a story. Solid and complete and detailed but not overwhelming, especially when it was being read in three short entries. Coming back after Rogue Elves of Ardani, I appreciate Westra’s tight, no-nonsense prose style even more, as well.

[Angela Plumeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 Nina Westra is a great writer. This was full of longing, action packed with heavy, serious themes and a wonderful love story. It is a little unbalanced in that I wish we got to see more happy times for the couple as the sadness and tragedy overweigh it a bit.

Good introduction to the universe with the warring inhabitants: Night elves, humans and Sun elves. I loved a lot of the characters, they were unpredictable and the story was engaging. It could have kicked up the spice a bit and toned down the sadness, but otherwise I am glad I read it.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a palate cleanser of a story.

True enemies to lovers, none of that abusive possessive instalust bs I unwillingly find myself reading and dnf-ing.

Novikke and Aruna's attraction grows organically, but the mistrust and preconceptions are prevalent throughout the book. They just keep proving eachother wrong at (almost) every turn.

No kings, no queens, just your ordinary army courier prone to panic attacks, and her conflicted captor, caught between two sides on the verge of war.

There's a language barrier between the two mc's but they overcome it in the most wholesome way. I ate it up. I love them.

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5! Aruna is the love of my life :p

[ashlyn (gansey’s version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 81% i tried so hard to convince myself to read the last 6 chapters but i hate everyone and it’s so boring.

[marie stephenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture this: A band of four walk along a dirt as darkness descends: an older couple, a soldier, and a courier. A tree bars their way. Do they take the path that leads them through the forest? The forest is home to the Night Elves, known for their cruelty and bloodlust; they won’t hesitate to kill them all. So, of course, the reckless soldier signs them up for a walk through the forest of their enemies.

What follows is a fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers, Romantasy that I found tough to put down. The world in which the characters find themselves are well described with terrors to beware of and foes both human and Elven. I found the characters to be well-rounded and their reactions to the things going on around them realistic. The world itself is well envisioned without being too bogged down by details. The tension between the two leads is good, not quite a slow-burn as the action of the story takes place over a week, but the buildup is definitely there and when they finally turn physical *chef’s kiss*. I particularly liked the fact that the characters couldn’t verbally understand each other, they relied on facial expressions before shifting to writing in the dirt in an old language that used to be the common tongue. Also, for those of you who like a little roughhousing with a dagger to the throat scene, this book is for you.

Format: Kindle

Pros:

I love the cover art. I honestly wish this was in hardback because I want this on my shelf! The trilogy is available in paperback.

Quick read 127 pages.

Good world-building for its size.

Well fleshed out main characters

Cons: I thought the ending could be smoothed out a bit. It picks up rather quickly and though I wasn’t lost, I felt like some details could’ve been added.

Overall rating: 3.5 Stars

Closing thoughts: This book is recommended for SJM enemies-to-lovers fans and I will say I can see why. The night elements and the fact that the leading man kinda reminds me of a certain Shadowsinger…yeah, I’ll allow it.lol All-in-all, a solid read with Elves and a magical world system. There is a love scene however is not overly descriptive. Violent fight scenes and the killing of a horse which was a little graphic but again, not overly descriptive.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75*

I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance story when the hero/heroine are true enemies; the knives-to-the-throat kind that really sell the “enemies” premise. And thankfully, that’s exactly what Novikee and Aruna are. Novikee is a human whereas Aruna is a Night Elf and their people have been enemies long before the two of them come to meet. When Novikee trespasses on Night Elf territory, her party is attacked and she’s taken prisoner, thus beginning the journey the two characters go on together.

Novikee and Aruna don’t speak the same language, so communication is difficult for a lot of the novel. Although they eventually do find common ground through writing, this made conversations short and slow. When a charmed scarf is introduced later on (allowing the wearer to understand what those around them are saying and for the listeners to understand when spoken to in kind as they “hear” their own language thanks to the scarfs translation abilities), I both loved it (because our characters were finally getting to talk to one another) while also hating how convenient this plot device felt. It also didn’t make a lot of sense because the scarf needs to be “charged” by a mage, so it quickly ran out of juice when Novikee and Aruna could speak their first time having it. Conversely (after it was charged once more), by the end, there’s no concern about getting it recharged (which seems like an important thing to consider).

I did enjoy the fact that Novikee and Aruna’s feelings for one another developed slowly. There was a lot of mistrust, doubt, and anger toward one another, so their relationship progression felt believable and real. There was no insta-love (it was insta-lust if anything) and there was always a sense of hopelessness regarding their relationship. You’re always rooting for them, but it’s hard to see how a relationship could possibly work out between them. As feelings started to come into play, I also loved the fact that “love” didn’t solve all of their problems within their forbidden romance. Their people were still enemies and, by the end, both Aruna and Novikee are going to have a hard time finding somewhere safe for them to go. Neither of them will be welcome amongst their people anymore because of the choices they’ve had to make along the way. If anything, their relationship made their lives harder instead of easier. Too often, authors are tempted to soften the consequences or add a twist where everything (not just love) works out. That’s not what this author chose to do, and I really admire this decision when it comes to the realism displayed.

I also really liked the fact that Novikee is a bottom-of-the-rung soldier (a courier) who suffers from Anxiety/Panic attacks and Aruna is a simple scout. Neither character is deemed “important,” neither is from the upper class, and neither of them become all-powerful along the way. They’re basically just two ordinary people among a crowd that happen to have a run-in and wind up somehow falling in love.

The plot was a bit plodding and clumsy and the writing style was simplistic. There was a lot of emphasis put on the journey the characters were on and there was hardly a moment within the story that they weren’t traveling from one point to another. Because of this, the story started to drag in certain places (especially in the middle).

However, I never seemed to know what was going to come next. There were twists and results I didn’t anticipate and that made for an enticing and engaging read that kept me hooked to the story.

The world-building felt almost like Avatar within the Night Elves’ forest but with less depth. There were several areas where depth felt lacking within this novel as a whole. There were times when characters, relationships, and world-building all felt very surface level. Layers and complexities were much needed and very missed to really round out the world and people.

Because of this, I wasn’t always convinced by the bonds the characters formed among themselves. First and foremost being Novikee and Aruna, but also the bonds between Novikee and Neiryn (a Sun Elf), or the hint of a bond between Neiryn and Kadaki (a mage).

Speaking of this (and maybe I’ve just read one too many RH books lately), but I thought that Novikee and Neiryn would make a nice relationship too (i.e. that Novikee could be with both Neiryn and Aruna). With them having each others’ backs and saving one another’s lives, not to mention the comradery and humor that develops between them, they seemed to be a better match together than Neiryn and Kadaki. I also think this book pressed too hard to set up the hint for Neiryn and Kadaki to get together in book #3 (which I only know because I looked at the synopses of the next couple books). Neiryn seemed to have a random and surprising instant connection to Kadaki but because our focus was turned toward Novikee and Aruna, the comments hinting at this felt pushy and nonsensical, especially with the personalities of each of those characters.

There are 3 different groups represented within this story: Night Elves, Humans, and Sun Elves. Each group/territory is an enemy with one another. Despite us spending so much time in the Night Elves’ forest, the author did build an environment where tension is high between all three parties. It felt like everyone was on the edge of war. Additionally, all sides were held accountable for the awful actions against one another. No one side/group was idealized above the rest. Each group had committed atrocities and that gets mentioned. No one group was wholly “good” or wholly “bad,” which I really liked as well.

However, the world-building really fell apart when it came to explaining to readers why everyone is at war. It was something that was completely ignored and skipped over. We are introduced to a world where these enemies exist, but other than “just because” reasoning that they’re Night Elves, humans, or Sun Elves, we don’t get any further explanation.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. I liked the characters and the journey they went on together. Nevertheless, I won’t be reading additional books in this series. Novikee and Aruna’s story is finished (although I’m not sure you could fully call their ending “happy”) and I don’t have a lot of interest in reading the side characters’ stories.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. This is a reread, the first time I read this one on the 3 separate volumes.

I loved when the elves talked in their own language and Novikke was unable to understand, that made the whole situation more real. Would have liked Novikke to be a bit different. Still, the fact she is not an amazing soldier with all the skills and actually has a mental condition makes her believable and not just another Katniss/Feyre/...

I enjoyed the politic/social/ethical issues the characters went through in the book when faced with the realities of different cultures and races.

I'm looking forward to the next books in the series. Especially learning more about Kadaki's and Neiryn's relationship, as well as further development in what Ravi entering Novikke meant, what Ravi watching over her from the start in the forest was and if both she and Aruna will be able to go back to Vondh Rah on hero status.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did finish this book although it was a slog. I expect a formulaic plot in the romantasy genre, but the characters were generic and lacked depth as well. It’s always a bad sign when I’m struggling to believe that they fell for each other… their love is doomed because their peoples hate each other, he’s not like all the other dark scary elves, her main personality trait is being self sacrificial… it’s more a concept of a romance.
I appreciated the lack of non-con spice and the inclusion of queer side characters. All of the settings, characters, plot points, world building elements are familiar enough that this just felt like reading a mashup of expected romantasy with nothing compelling to make it unique or engaging.

[Diesel Reads Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine but not a lot happened. Won't be continuing the series

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main feeling about this book .. conflicted. This story did things that were simultaneously interesting and boring all at once. The end result is that I feel completely neutral about this story, which has a lot of potential, but probably not the best springboard for a series.

The Good:
- World-building was good. It was refreshing to see the beginnings of an interesting world and civilization with high-fantasy races, magics, and gods. Our main character lives with the harsh reality of prejudice and discrimination. Far from the idealistic fantasy epic of "let's get along to save the world." The main cast of characters has to navigate the hate stemming from generations of conflict and still manage to save their piece of the world by being better than all of that.
- The romance was pretty cute. Aruna and Novikke are the two main characters and they spend most of their time communicating via body language and written notes. The fact that the romance was still believable despite such a barrier is extremely impressive. I also really like that Aruna is a soft and tender boi as opposed to the ubiquitous tall-dark-and-handsome male leads who growl too much.
- The side characters are also written well, with compelling personalities and backgrounds, which was good and bad. I'll get to in a second ...


The Bad:
- The main character, Novikke, is boring, with few qualities besides that she's "kind." While this may be a breath of fresh air for some, I admit that I wanted SOME interesting qualities in the main character whose POV I'm forced to follow for an entire book. She is a character who has no special skills, who happens to get drawn into a nefarious plot and manages to save the day. She gets through her trials by recruiting the help of other characters who are more accomplished than her and they decide to help her because she's ... nice? This gets old fast when you realize that Novikke is just getting by due to sheer luck and plot armor. The whole thing about her suffering from panic attacks also seems to come and go when it's convenient.

The weakest part of the story being the main character is a bummer, since the rest of the world around her is so interesting. I'm just glad I was able to make it to the end and hopefully the next few books will feature more interesting main characters.

[Emily Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really something. Very different from your typical paranormal/fantasy romances, and much different from the elven based novels I’ve read in the past. I love that there was an enemies to loves aspect to it, although it seemed they weren’t exactly enemies, so much as reluctant companions in my opinion (for the most part anyways). The world building was fantastic, and really made you feel as if you were right there in the forest along with Novikke and Aruna. He’s much different from many MMC’s in enemies to lover novels. Instead of the typical “alpha hole” mindset, he’s caring although cautious and mistrusting. He doesn’t seem happy with the situation, and definitely doesn’t trust Novikke at first, but he is very clearly a compassionate man who realizes all Ardanians (humans) aren’t evil, and makes her realize that all night elves aren’t evil either. The character development around Novikke, Aruna, Nieryn, and Kadaka was well thought out and portrayed equally well. They went from reluctant companions, to tentative ally’s, to what I’d consider friends at the least. The plot was extremely well written and didn’t read as if it was crammed into three short novels (or one if you read this version). This felt like a multi part series with each book being hundreds of pages long. It was drawn out enough to keep you guessing and to keep it from feeling rushed, but not so much that it got boring to read. The themes of betrayal and self sacrifice in this book were portrayed extremely thoroughly, and had me to the brink of tears a few times.

A few things I wish we got more of :

- the Ardanian child, Zara. She is extremely clever and insightful beyond her years. Picking up on things even before the adults seemingly had.

- Aruna & Novikke’s past. Namely, what caused “the Panic” as Novikke calls it, that randomly creeps up on her. It reads to me as PTSD or panic attacks, and I have to wonder what caused them to start and almost wish we could have had a scene where she tells Aruna what happened to her to cause it.

Overall I’m thoroughly impressed with this novel and can’t wait to read the next stand alone in the series.

[Drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book and a strong start to the Elves of Ardani series. You can definitely tell it’s setting up a larger world, with a lot of world-building woven into the story. I liked both Novikke and Aruna, and their characterizations stayed consistent throughout, which made their dynamic feel solid.

One of the things I really enjoyed was how the book focused on the here and now at the beginning. The setup of prejudices and tensions between the different races felt natural, and I understood the war’s context while also getting a clear picture of the two main characters. The way the author built up their relationship through the evolution of their forced proximity from captor/captive to survival was really well done.

That said, because the entire story is from Novikke’s POV, we don’t get much insight into Aruna’s background or true motivations. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I did wish we got just a little more to explain his choices beyond assuming he’s in love.

The biggest selling point of this book, though, is the language barrier. Watching them learn to communicate and develop feelings despite being literal enemies was fantastic. I will say though, there were a few moments where the shift in tension felt abrupt—like, suddenly, she’s just horny? It threw me off a bit.

🌶️ Spice Rating: 1/5

The smut was good but very blink and you’ll miss it. It’s mainly there to show their connection, I think. Given the circumstances—captivity, survival, and the fact that they don’t speak the same language—I think the balance made sense. But I still wouldn’t have minded just a little more.

Final Thoughts: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Overall, I had a good time with this one. It was a relatively short read, had characters I was invested in, and worked well as a standalone while also setting up future books. It had some minor pitfalls, but in the end, I wanted more, which isn’t a bad thing.

If you enjoy the romantasy genre with mild spice, a solid enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and an evolving plot, I’d recommend giving this one a shot!

[Sarah D · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - 50% - So technically partway through part 2. This isn't the worst written book I've ever read, but it's pretty dull.

Here are the problems as I see it. They spend most of the first and second parts just walking through the woods. They have one or two interesting encounters, but for the most part, even the dark and foreboding woods are boring.

The characters are ordinary. An ordinary messenger and an ordinary scout. There is a minor amount of conflict in the first part with a bad (but still ordinary) scout, and later a fairly ordinary Sun elf joins them as an ally. Like... it's a book about really normal people with no real power (socio-economic power or magical power). The FMC is boring. She has no friends, no hobbies, no family, no real loyalty to her homeland, no powers, she's not particularly smart, she's not good at combat. The MMC doesn't speak her language, but I'm pretty sure he's boring and ordinary too.

There are moments in the dialogue with the Sun elf that makes me think this is intentional. That the author wanted to write about ordinary people who are caught in the middle of various wars. It just fails to be interesting.

The various political factions aren't well developed. We don't know why they're all at war. We don't know what it's like to live in these kingdoms. The brief encounters we have with their leadership are all very similar. Again, I think this might be intentional, because the message might be that all the people are the same, but it just makes it all seem dull.

And finally - the worse crime this book commits is that the romance, such as it is, is also dull.It's barely a romance. There's nothing really tying these two people together, and I don't know if they really like each other. If this book was more interesting, I could buy that they might be friends. But lovers? Meh.

[Melissa Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just gonna come out and admit that I didn't think much of this book going in. I had low expectations to say the least.
WOW! was I wrong! This book is a sleeper. By far one of the better fantasy romances I've read in a long, long time. and the best one I've read this year hands down. The story is simple enough, but I think what made it so great to me was that this is a first-person, single-POV book that I really, really enjoyed.
If you know anything about me, you know that I HATE single POV and I really dislike first person. They are both very hard to do well and almost no one can do it well enough for me to enjoy it. Yet, for some reason, this one did it for me.
It started off a bit strange, in that it's almost right in the middle of a scene. This might put some people off right away. I liked it, but I did have a moment where I thought I must have skipped over a chapter in my Ebook, but no...we're right in the middle of the choice that changes everything for our FMC.
Because it was single POV the MMC was pretty mysterious. Which, I assume is the point of single POV. to keep everyone else a mysterious friend or foe. Single POV is usually so boring, but there is SO MUCH happening in this book that I didn't have time to be bored. The world building is wonderful and the magic system was never explained too deeply, (Which I love) yet was easy enough to understand the rules.
I'm probably going to buy the physical books for this and the rest of the series. If this first book is anything to go by, then I know the others will be great reads as well. I'm excited to learn more about this universe.

[Kimberly Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another random KU find. This felt like a fantasy retelling of Last of the Mohicans, or something to that effect. I get frustrated with these small published titles that would benefit from quality editors to let the writer know what isn’t working and what needs to be expanded.

There are two races of elves—Sun Elves and Night Elves. Then the humans in the middle. And they all hate each other. No explanation. Sun Elves are tolerated by humans. Night Elves are the equivalent of boogeymen.

The protagonist is a simple courier for the Royal human army with no special abilities or talents. She suffers from severe panic attacks, which is why she has been relegated to a “kids’ job” of being an official postal worker. She wants to do more and is a genuinely good person. When Night Elves ambush the wagon she was hitching a ride on through their territory, she’s taken captive.

The rest of the book is the extremely slow burn of her attraction to one of her kidnappers, and dealing with the reality of being among people who just won’t get over their prejudices. Why do they all hate each other? Don’t really know. Why does this human general want to destroy the magic forest the Night Elves just want to live alone in? No explanation other than the implication that they are at war and this way the Night Elves can be defeated.

The characters were done well, but the plot was an afterthought with … not much thought. It has “happy” ending but again, what happens? The sequel isn’t a sequel, so maybe it’s mentioned where the characters end up later?

Please hire me as a beta reader, please. Lol!

[Sierra Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enemies to Lovers and All. The. Feels.

I’ll note that I originally started this series with book 2, Rogue Elves of Ardani. I have since also completed book 3, Sun Elves of Ardani before finally coming back to book 1. I can’t say why it took so long for me to pick this one up, but I’m so glad I did and honestly, wishing I would have started with this one as some of the character revelations from the other books were happening in reverse for me. Don’t be like me, start with this one!

This series is really one of the best examples of ‘Enemies to Lovers’ I’ve read. There are a lot of novels that slide into that category, but few that execute the feelings that go along with falling for someone that you shouldn’t and do it well. And this novel (and the rest of the series) does it well. Nearly start to finish these characters have that sense that what they’re doing is going to have major repercussions and can’t possibly last, but yet they continue to fight on. This is no sappy love novel, it’s not pretty nor fluffy romance. It’s dark, it’s messy and it’s difficult.

Night Elves of Ardani isn’t only enemies to lovers, it’s really got a lot going on - war, destruction, racial tension, magic and gods to name a few. This story really resonated with me, a fantasy bordering on reality, and I just couldn’t put it down - finishing it, quite literally, overnight.

Novikke and Aruna really couldn’t catch a break and every time I thought the conflict must be peaking, something else came along and threw them right back into folds. In the end you have characters that have known each other for a matter of weeks, but have really experienced it all for better or worse. It’s full of messy feelings, guilt and shame, but each time we find these two realizing they would really do whatever they have to for each other, even if it goes against everything they’ve known.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on June 20 for free on one of those “stuff your kindle days”. So far I haven’t expected a lot from the free books as they’re usually badly written and end up as a DNF. So I can honestly say this book really took me by surprise.

I really really liked it! I loved reading about elves. This is a high fantasy with a romance.
I loved the world building and I also really enjoyed that it wasn’t insta love. It is a slow burn for a standalone. I enjoyed that it didn’t span over a short week. I really liked the take on miscommunication due to them not speaking the same language. The way they manage to communicate gives room for understandable miscommunication and makes sense as they’re more careful with their words.

They truly are enemies to lovers with it starting as lust and then growing into more. The power balance during some scenes is brought up by the characters in a later stage which as a reader is very satisfying to read.

I loved how every single characters had their flaws and there was no obvious good or bad. They were constantly being called out to think about their point of views as you as reader are as well.

Neiryn might be one of my favourite side characters and I honestly want to read more about him. We got some depth about him but I need more!!

Edit: Just discovered book 3 is about Neiryn!!

I’m writing this the day after and honestly can say I miss the characters. Even though I prefer reading standalones I would have devoured any other book if this were to continue in a series with these two.