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Daughter of the Wood #1
Blessed by the Maiden
Three tests. Five Lords. Swear a blood oath, or die.
Born under the Hunter’s moon, Aereen is a cursed woman with a secret: fire burns hot inside of her. But, even the depths of this mysterious power isn't enough to save her. Tradition demands she is to the price of a failed human rebellion, raged centuries ago, with her freedom. Surrendering herself to the Lord of the Wolves, Aereen is whisked to the elven capital, Shaydenhall. There, she is forced to face death in three deadly trials, weaved to test her very soul. All to make a life-altering decision: Which of the five powerful, ancient lords will Aereen swear to?
Aereen soon finds herself caught in the arms of her captor, lured by both human and beastly desire. She was raised to hate his kind, but with each captured gaze, soft caress, and rapid beat of her heart that loathing transforms into a fiery flirtation. Burning through everything she once knew, for something new to bloom in the ashes. Love.
Just as the Lord of the Wolves begins to consume Aereen’s every waking thought, and his name on her tongue for her final choice. The mysterious Lord of the Shadows casts himself across her path. Aereen must decide if she can love the wild lord who is more beast than man, or if there is something darker lurking in the corridors of the glittering palace that calls for her heart.
Born under the Hunter’s moon, Aereen is a cursed woman with a secret: fire burns hot inside of her. But, even the depths of this mysterious power isn't enough to save her. Tradition demands she is to the price of a failed human rebellion, raged centuries ago, with her freedom. Surrendering herself to the Lord of the Wolves, Aereen is whisked to the elven capital, Shaydenhall. There, she is forced to face death in three deadly trials, weaved to test her very soul. All to make a life-altering decision: Which of the five powerful, ancient lords will Aereen swear to?
Aereen soon finds herself caught in the arms of her captor, lured by both human and beastly desire. She was raised to hate his kind, but with each captured gaze, soft caress, and rapid beat of her heart that loathing transforms into a fiery flirtation. Burning through everything she once knew, for something new to bloom in the ashes. Love.
Just as the Lord of the Wolves begins to consume Aereen’s every waking thought, and his name on her tongue for her final choice. The mysterious Lord of the Shadows casts himself across her path. Aereen must decide if she can love the wild lord who is more beast than man, or if there is something darker lurking in the corridors of the glittering palace that calls for her heart.
488 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2023
51 people are currently reading
1805 people want to read
About the author
Demi Clorissa
4 books89 followersI’m Demi Clorissa, a proud Wiradjuri woman, who writes heart breaking dark romantic fantasy. You will find body diverse FMCs, men who YEARN, and emotional damage (that will make you reach for the tissues) within the pages. I’m inspired by strong women, and those who they decide to love.
When I’m not writing you’ll find me reading anything I can get my hands on (mostly fantasy), reading BL, watching trashy TV shows, and spending my afternoons at the cinema. I love food (but I’m a self confessed awful cook!). I’m blessed to have a little dachshund, Della, who is often curled around my feet as I craft my next emotional scene.
When I’m not writing you’ll find me reading anything I can get my hands on (mostly fantasy), reading BL, watching trashy TV shows, and spending my afternoons at the cinema. I love food (but I’m a self confessed awful cook!). I’m blessed to have a little dachshund, Della, who is often curled around my feet as I craft my next emotional scene.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
May 15, 2023
I received an ARC of this book for honest review.
Some of my favorite books are romance and fantasy but this book was difficult to enjoy. From the start, the writing was not strong. It needed some refining, and did not paint a clear picture of the main character, Aereen. But once I did understand who she was, Aereen did not seem worth the amount of attention she was getting by everyone around her.
As the story progressed, the writing did improve, successfully pulling me into an interesting fantasy world of elves, magic, and intrigue. However, I was turned off by certain elements of the romance. It made for good drama up to a point, but it reached a place of being so infuriating, I had to skim through certain scenes.
Overall, I really liked the world this author created, but the writing could be improved upon.
Some of my favorite books are romance and fantasy but this book was difficult to enjoy. From the start, the writing was not strong. It needed some refining, and did not paint a clear picture of the main character, Aereen. But once I did understand who she was, Aereen did not seem worth the amount of attention she was getting by everyone around her.
As the story progressed, the writing did improve, successfully pulling me into an interesting fantasy world of elves, magic, and intrigue. However, I was turned off by certain elements of the romance. It made for good drama up to a point, but it reached a place of being so infuriating, I had to skim through certain scenes.
Overall, I really liked the world this author created, but the writing could be improved upon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
I feel kind of disappointed by this book. The writing needed a lot of refinement, and there were many grammatical errors in the kindle version.
While I enjoyed the concept behind this book, the way it was written felt confusing at times, and I feel the lack of world building really added to this confusion, as there was very little description of the magic systems and relations between elves and humans.
Aereen’s character didn’t feel complete, and I felt a real disconnect from her actions and how she is perceived. It was almost like the author did not have a super clear image of the character.
The trials were confusing, I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the headspace to read this, but I felt I had to reread many scenes to wrap my head around what happened due to things feeling very random and thrown around.
Overall, this was a good debut novel, and I am interested to read the second one, believing it will be written better as I could see the growth in the author from the first half, to the second half of book 1.
🌶️🌶️/5
I feel kind of disappointed by this book. The writing needed a lot of refinement, and there were many grammatical errors in the kindle version.
While I enjoyed the concept behind this book, the way it was written felt confusing at times, and I feel the lack of world building really added to this confusion, as there was very little description of the magic systems and relations between elves and humans.
Aereen’s character didn’t feel complete, and I felt a real disconnect from her actions and how she is perceived. It was almost like the author did not have a super clear image of the character.
The trials were confusing, I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the headspace to read this, but I felt I had to reread many scenes to wrap my head around what happened due to things feeling very random and thrown around.
Overall, this was a good debut novel, and I am interested to read the second one, believing it will be written better as I could see the growth in the author from the first half, to the second half of book 1.
August 15, 2023
Aereen is such a human character, she is a chosen one destained to be taken by the fae on her 21st birthday. After she is ripped away by Garrick and taken she feel immediately drawn to him. This is quite jarring but makes sense why later in the books.
As someone who has her mother abandon her and her father taken from her in the choosing along with the neglect, betrayal and secrets kept from her I find her reaction to all this so unbelievably human.
When Ruven comes into the picture as a dark haired shadow man with secrets I was like 😏 and the will they won’t they thing is so strong. While some things get answered I finished book 1 with so many more questions. Ending on a cliff hanger with mystery and longing involved make me desperate for book 2 and to see where Aereen magic and rage take her!
As someone who has her mother abandon her and her father taken from her in the choosing along with the neglect, betrayal and secrets kept from her I find her reaction to all this so unbelievably human.
When Ruven comes into the picture as a dark haired shadow man with secrets I was like 😏 and the will they won’t they thing is so strong. While some things get answered I finished book 1 with so many more questions. Ending on a cliff hanger with mystery and longing involved make me desperate for book 2 and to see where Aereen magic and rage take her!
August 6, 2023
I really enjoyed the plot of this book! There’s enemies to lovers, morally grey love interests, a little bit of a love triangle (which I normally don’t care for, but this was done well I thought), and an intriguing world with elves and magic. I liked Aereen as the FMC. A lot of reviews have said they thought she was very naive but I didn’t feel like she was. I’m looking forward to getting to know Ruven more in the next book 👀
I did feel like I got confused easily by the way some things were worded or explained and there were some typos on the kindle version.
Otherwise I thought this was a fantastic debut novel. I’m very excited for book two!
I did feel like I got confused easily by the way some things were worded or explained and there were some typos on the kindle version.
Otherwise I thought this was a fantastic debut novel. I’m very excited for book two!
July 12, 2023
Overall it was an intriguing storyline. I just felt confused about what was happening a lot of the times. I struggled with how naive the MFC was. But she was also technically forced to have a connection with one of the main MMC because of the manic manipulating her. I honestly struggled to finish the book.
April 25, 2023
This is a great debut novel - the writing is beautifully descriptive.
There’s fated mates, spice, mystery surrounding who the FMC really is and her powers, a shadow daddy and a soft love triangle.
I am interested to learn more about Aereen and what she is capable of in book 2!
There’s fated mates, spice, mystery surrounding who the FMC really is and her powers, a shadow daddy and a soft love triangle.
I am interested to learn more about Aereen and what she is capable of in book 2!
September 23, 2023
I demolished this book in one day, and I LOVED it. From the beginning I was drawn in, the world building was great, the characters, the mystery. Demi follows the pattern of NEVER falling for the first love interest! Which is great because some people really deserve to be stabbed in the chest and all us girls love a mysterious shadow man.
Reading this book I saw so much potential for the series, for the next books and the characters journeys. I am so excited for it. At the end of the book a lot of questions were answered, but a more came up. This only has me frothing for book 2.
This book was a great read. I laughed, I screamed, (who did this to you) and I teared up. Demi did a amazing job of taking the reader on a journey and letting them really feel this story. I lost myself in it, the sun set around me, but all I saw was the world Demi created. I love books like this, that are so good and enchanting you lose yourself in them
Reading this book I saw so much potential for the series, for the next books and the characters journeys. I am so excited for it. At the end of the book a lot of questions were answered, but a more came up. This only has me frothing for book 2.
This book was a great read. I laughed, I screamed, (who did this to you) and I teared up. Demi did a amazing job of taking the reader on a journey and letting them really feel this story. I lost myself in it, the sun set around me, but all I saw was the world Demi created. I love books like this, that are so good and enchanting you lose yourself in them
December 30, 2023
DNF at 51%.
1: the grammar and writing style in general make this hard to understand what's going on. There a lot of swapping in and out of dream space and the way it's written is just not very clear, especially fights.
2: lord save me from awful love triangles. At first I thought this was going to be some reverse harem thing and I was going to ditch it sooner, but then it just turned into 'virgin can't pick between two men' thing.
3: and the men are both gross. In the space of like 10 minis in the book, she rejects one who tells her that she'll come crawling back (what a winner) and then runs into the other who claims she's screwing everyone but him ands then tells her that she's his like a hunk of meat. Ew.
4: and then she's supposed to be a virgin but is all over two guys like she has no control over her own body and jerks off one like she knows what she's doing.
I have zero interest in finishing this. Aereen just isn't likable and neither are the lords.
1: the grammar and writing style in general make this hard to understand what's going on. There a lot of swapping in and out of dream space and the way it's written is just not very clear, especially fights.
2: lord save me from awful love triangles. At first I thought this was going to be some reverse harem thing and I was going to ditch it sooner, but then it just turned into 'virgin can't pick between two men' thing.
3: and the men are both gross. In the space of like 10 minis in the book, she rejects one who tells her that she'll come crawling back (what a winner) and then runs into the other who claims she's screwing everyone but him ands then tells her that she's his like a hunk of meat. Ew.
4: and then she's supposed to be a virgin but is all over two guys like she has no control over her own body and jerks off one like she knows what she's doing.
I have zero interest in finishing this. Aereen just isn't likable and neither are the lords.
June 20, 2023
My my my what a book…and that ending 🫠👀
This book reminds me why I love fantasy books with romance and strong female leads! Aereen was such an inspiration but also showed how naïve she really was when shown a sliver of care and love.
I’m proud to say I was team Ruven from the start…give me all the shadows 😩😍
That ending makes me need Book 2 now 😅
This book reminds me why I love fantasy books with romance and strong female leads! Aereen was such an inspiration but also showed how naïve she really was when shown a sliver of care and love.
I’m proud to say I was team Ruven from the start…give me all the shadows 😩😍
That ending makes me need Book 2 now 😅
May 3, 2023
Oh. My. God. I cannot, seriously, cannot deal with how incredible this book was. I was blessed (HA) enough to be gifted an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Blessed by the Maiden by Demi Clorissa. It is her debut novel of her debut series Daughter of the Wood.
The story, the world building, the characters, just everything had me completely hooked from the dedication. I am sitting here reeling every time I opened the book. I made myself take my time with it because I didn't want it to end, and now that I have finished the first book I am so excited to read the rest of the series as it comes out.
Demi put some kind of witchcraft into this because it was just beyond incredible.
Aereen is a Plus Size badass of a main character, and from the moment she was introduced I fell head over heels for her. Shes a powerhouse in loyalty and kindness, forced to witness all kinds of awful happening to the people she grew up with and is so fierce with her love for all that it blinds her in some ways.
She is one of the strongest FMC's I have read, and had me chanting "I will not break" alongside her and in moments she was struggling. She just fully pulled me into the story with her and I am so grateful I got to read this. Aereen struggled with understanding her place in the new world she was dragged too, while holding on to the beliefs and feelings she grew to understand. As someone who has been 20 years old, this story felt so real to me even though it is a fantasy world.
This story takes you on so many rollercoasters it should be nicknamed Six Flags or Luna Park or something. It pulled me in every single emotional direction I could think of and thank god I wrote out notes as I went, because I would have no words for how amazing this book was. There were enough twists and turns and angst in this book to give me all the feels.
The spice in the book was excellent and not ham-fisted which is always a bonus. The love interests were perfection, and the sweet sweet words they both spoke made you feel caught in the love triangle as well.
I loved that the side characters were just as important and just as well written as the main characters. A lot of books fall short on this but Alwin, Lili, Delana were all immaculately written. Her spirit guides were kind but still blunt and rude when needed which added a much appreciated balance to getting swept up in Aereen's mind. The pacing was brilliant from the first page, sucking you into the story and giving you little dribbles of world building from the prologue.
The prologue was really intriguing and adding enough mystery for you to want to know more about the world and about the beautiful Aereen. The prose was amazing, and the use of descriptive words was the perfect amount, allowing you to feel connected to the places you were placed in with the FMC. Aereen stays strong-willed and stubborn throughout the story and throughout every heartbreak she is introduced to.
You are given small amounts of insights into the mysteries that are splattered throughout, and are brought along with Aereen as she learns more about the life she was destined to lead. No matter how many new things came to light, she never once blamed Thomas for shielding her, and her fierce love for those who protect her is reciprocated. The characterisation of everyone was really interesting as well. I didn't feel that this book was too predictable in any instance, but you could clearly see where the inspiration of each character came from which made them familiar and therefore you felt like you were just being welcomed home to old friends. The possessive men helped ;).
My heart broke for Aereen and Lili over and over again throughout the story, but was quickly rebuilt with sweet words and adoring men. Aereen is bold and ready to look down her nose at people who deserve it, not in a snooty way, but she can put a fella in their place. She never feels shame with showing her emotions, and through her screams of pain she stands tall and proud. It never makes her weak, in fact it makes her stronger. She consistently stands up for injustice done unto others and would prefer to take their pain for them which is admirable. I loved this message through this, a lot of fantasy writes FMC as either unfeeling or as far too emotional and how shameful that is and how it is a fatal flaw for an FMC. But Aereen uses it to her advantage, and is better and stronger and prouder for it. The people around her hype her up and encourage her to lead with her feelings.
Ruven is like Daddy Phantom Hands, but spicer, and icier. He had me hooked from the first moment I met him. Gerrick is a beaut, but Ruven is like none other and like all my favourite dark, broody, mysterious shadow boys in the best possible ways. The amount of quotes I screenshotted throughout reading because they sent me into orbit is amazing.
My little bi heart could not take this book and I would not be mad if I was in a Ruven and Aereen sandwich. In fact I could die happy in that sandwich. I don't think I will ever stop talking about this book. It just blew me away with how amazing it is. It has to be on the top reads ever list.
Just every aspect of this book hit and I cannot get over how well it was written and how obsessed I am with this series. Demi has definitely become one of my favourite authors and I cannot wait to read more by her. There's another book of another series coming out this year that I am super pumped for as well.
The story, the world building, the characters, just everything had me completely hooked from the dedication. I am sitting here reeling every time I opened the book. I made myself take my time with it because I didn't want it to end, and now that I have finished the first book I am so excited to read the rest of the series as it comes out.
Demi put some kind of witchcraft into this because it was just beyond incredible.
Aereen is a Plus Size badass of a main character, and from the moment she was introduced I fell head over heels for her. Shes a powerhouse in loyalty and kindness, forced to witness all kinds of awful happening to the people she grew up with and is so fierce with her love for all that it blinds her in some ways.
She is one of the strongest FMC's I have read, and had me chanting "I will not break" alongside her and in moments she was struggling. She just fully pulled me into the story with her and I am so grateful I got to read this. Aereen struggled with understanding her place in the new world she was dragged too, while holding on to the beliefs and feelings she grew to understand. As someone who has been 20 years old, this story felt so real to me even though it is a fantasy world.
This story takes you on so many rollercoasters it should be nicknamed Six Flags or Luna Park or something. It pulled me in every single emotional direction I could think of and thank god I wrote out notes as I went, because I would have no words for how amazing this book was. There were enough twists and turns and angst in this book to give me all the feels.
The spice in the book was excellent and not ham-fisted which is always a bonus. The love interests were perfection, and the sweet sweet words they both spoke made you feel caught in the love triangle as well.
I loved that the side characters were just as important and just as well written as the main characters. A lot of books fall short on this but Alwin, Lili, Delana were all immaculately written. Her spirit guides were kind but still blunt and rude when needed which added a much appreciated balance to getting swept up in Aereen's mind. The pacing was brilliant from the first page, sucking you into the story and giving you little dribbles of world building from the prologue.
The prologue was really intriguing and adding enough mystery for you to want to know more about the world and about the beautiful Aereen. The prose was amazing, and the use of descriptive words was the perfect amount, allowing you to feel connected to the places you were placed in with the FMC. Aereen stays strong-willed and stubborn throughout the story and throughout every heartbreak she is introduced to.
You are given small amounts of insights into the mysteries that are splattered throughout, and are brought along with Aereen as she learns more about the life she was destined to lead. No matter how many new things came to light, she never once blamed Thomas for shielding her, and her fierce love for those who protect her is reciprocated. The characterisation of everyone was really interesting as well. I didn't feel that this book was too predictable in any instance, but you could clearly see where the inspiration of each character came from which made them familiar and therefore you felt like you were just being welcomed home to old friends. The possessive men helped ;).
My heart broke for Aereen and Lili over and over again throughout the story, but was quickly rebuilt with sweet words and adoring men. Aereen is bold and ready to look down her nose at people who deserve it, not in a snooty way, but she can put a fella in their place. She never feels shame with showing her emotions, and through her screams of pain she stands tall and proud. It never makes her weak, in fact it makes her stronger. She consistently stands up for injustice done unto others and would prefer to take their pain for them which is admirable. I loved this message through this, a lot of fantasy writes FMC as either unfeeling or as far too emotional and how shameful that is and how it is a fatal flaw for an FMC. But Aereen uses it to her advantage, and is better and stronger and prouder for it. The people around her hype her up and encourage her to lead with her feelings.
Ruven is like Daddy Phantom Hands, but spicer, and icier. He had me hooked from the first moment I met him. Gerrick is a beaut, but Ruven is like none other and like all my favourite dark, broody, mysterious shadow boys in the best possible ways. The amount of quotes I screenshotted throughout reading because they sent me into orbit is amazing.
My little bi heart could not take this book and I would not be mad if I was in a Ruven and Aereen sandwich. In fact I could die happy in that sandwich. I don't think I will ever stop talking about this book. It just blew me away with how amazing it is. It has to be on the top reads ever list.
Just every aspect of this book hit and I cannot get over how well it was written and how obsessed I am with this series. Demi has definitely become one of my favourite authors and I cannot wait to read more by her. There's another book of another series coming out this year that I am super pumped for as well.
August 23, 2023
I would definitely classify this book as “unputdownable.” The story follows a young woman, Aereen, who is one of the Chosen. The Chosen are human women born under the Hunter’s moon, destined to sacrifice their freedom in service to the elven King and his 5 Lords as amends for the humans who launched a rebellion long ago. The Chosen must complete a set of trials, ending with a ritual that links them to their Lord of choice. Aereen is special, though, and the powers at be are vying for her allegiance (and her heart), including a growing legion of rebels, preparing to rise again and fight against the darkness plaguing the lands.
This was a very enjoyable story that had me feeling ALL the feels and I will definitely be reading book 2, but there were just a few issues that kept this from being a 5 star read for me…
1. I felt a little disconnected from Aereen because of her naïveté which contrasted with the powerful woman that I think the author intended her to be. Obviously maturing and experiencing betrayal and heartbreak are a big part of her journey and growth, but her behavior—even near the end—tended towards juvenile.
2. The magic system needed more explanation to help with the world-building. I would’ve liked to learn more about the history of the relationship between the elves and humans and the so-called balance in magic (which I assume is the balance between light and dark magic). Why are the elves so feared and hated? What led to the human rebellion? We had to take the author’s word on a lot of things.
*** potential spoiler***
3. One of the side characters, Konar, felt underdeveloped. I’m hoping he makes a reappearance in the next book, otherwise I’m not sure why he was written as if he was going to be super important, only to fade into the background.
***
4. The book desperately needed a good edit. There are commas where there shouldn’t be commas and not commas where there should be. There was also a lot of repetitiveness in phrasing (much like my previous sentence 😜). Knowing this is an indie author and a debut novel, I did my best to not get too bogged down in the typos, but I do hope it improves in book 2.
Highly recommended if you like FBAA or What Lies Beyond the Veil.
2.5 🌶️ (spice - several PG-13 scenes building up to the big event 😉)
This was a very enjoyable story that had me feeling ALL the feels and I will definitely be reading book 2, but there were just a few issues that kept this from being a 5 star read for me…
1. I felt a little disconnected from Aereen because of her naïveté which contrasted with the powerful woman that I think the author intended her to be. Obviously maturing and experiencing betrayal and heartbreak are a big part of her journey and growth, but her behavior—even near the end—tended towards juvenile.
2. The magic system needed more explanation to help with the world-building. I would’ve liked to learn more about the history of the relationship between the elves and humans and the so-called balance in magic (which I assume is the balance between light and dark magic). Why are the elves so feared and hated? What led to the human rebellion? We had to take the author’s word on a lot of things.
*** potential spoiler***
3. One of the side characters, Konar, felt underdeveloped. I’m hoping he makes a reappearance in the next book, otherwise I’m not sure why he was written as if he was going to be super important, only to fade into the background.
***
4. The book desperately needed a good edit. There are commas where there shouldn’t be commas and not commas where there should be. There was also a lot of repetitiveness in phrasing (much like my previous sentence 😜). Knowing this is an indie author and a debut novel, I did my best to not get too bogged down in the typos, but I do hope it improves in book 2.
Highly recommended if you like FBAA or What Lies Beyond the Veil.
2.5 🌶️ (spice - several PG-13 scenes building up to the big event 😉)
January 23, 2024
This is the first book in a new adult romantasy series, Daughter of the Woods. A young human woman, and four women like her, are taken from their village to the elven capital to face three deadly trials. Then each woman will have to make a life-altering decision in swearing to one of the five ancient lords. Tropes include forbidden love, shadow daddy, fated mates, who did this to you and self discovery. Please check the content warnings, especially for violence and spicy scenes.
The Lovely: I loved the characters, especially the Chosen women. They each have their own story and personality. The FMC, one of the Chosen, is strong but still vulnerable (and frequently naive). Everything is new and uncomfortable in her world but she still holds to her values. I also liked the two MMCs. I struggled right along with the FMC (up until a point) to understand their true motivations and who would be the right choice.
Also Lovely: I also loved the plot and tension - I could stop reading as I tried to work out the mysteries, and the MMCs. Especially once I hit about the half way point I just could not put this down.
The Mundane: I would have liked more explanation of the magic system, and in regards to the world building. I don’t feel like I adequately understand the relationship between the humans and the elves, and how that ties in with who has magic. I also hope to better understand this balance required between light and dark as the series continues.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Flames
Recommendation: I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as it comes out (in 2024 I believe). I hope to see how the relationship between the FMC and MMC develops, and what happens in terms of this balance between light and dark. If you like new adult romantasy with an intriguing plot and complex characters, I think you would like this book.
The Lovely: I loved the characters, especially the Chosen women. They each have their own story and personality. The FMC, one of the Chosen, is strong but still vulnerable (and frequently naive). Everything is new and uncomfortable in her world but she still holds to her values. I also liked the two MMCs. I struggled right along with the FMC (up until a point) to understand their true motivations and who would be the right choice.
Also Lovely: I also loved the plot and tension - I could stop reading as I tried to work out the mysteries, and the MMCs. Especially once I hit about the half way point I just could not put this down.
The Mundane: I would have liked more explanation of the magic system, and in regards to the world building. I don’t feel like I adequately understand the relationship between the humans and the elves, and how that ties in with who has magic. I also hope to better understand this balance required between light and dark as the series continues.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Flames
Recommendation: I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as it comes out (in 2024 I believe). I hope to see how the relationship between the FMC and MMC develops, and what happens in terms of this balance between light and dark. If you like new adult romantasy with an intriguing plot and complex characters, I think you would like this book.
May 5, 2023
Blessed by the Maiden is Demi Clorissa's debut novel. Read it if you love:
✨️enemies to lovers
✨️humans and fae
✨️plus-sized heroine
✨️badass FMC
✨️trials
✨️characters that were relatable and utterly human, despite being in a fantasy setting
The story gave me instant vibes of dark red, forest green and gold. Vivid colours. I love it when I can see vivid colours in my head. It set the tone for the story and continues throughout the book.
This book follows the story of Aereen, a Chosen who is taken from her family and forced to submit to trials to choose which elf lord she will pledge her life to. Aereen is a plus-sized woman who loves herself and is written in a way where it isn't the focus. She has an inner strength that often shines through, but she is also fallible and makes mistakes, trusts the wrong people, makes the wrong connections, then owns it and learns from it. Her strength and resolve really shows in those moments and it was so refreshing (even though it was infuriating as a reader to see her make the mistakes we could see coming) to see her doing what so many of us do because hey, that's what humans do!
It took a while to get into this book, and there were a few typos that took me out of it. But as I got into it the book swept me away and I barely noticed them by the end. The book grabbed me in its talons and flew off with me when I was about halfway through and then all of a sudden it was finished and now I need to know more!!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
✨️enemies to lovers
✨️humans and fae
✨️plus-sized heroine
✨️badass FMC
✨️trials
✨️characters that were relatable and utterly human, despite being in a fantasy setting
The story gave me instant vibes of dark red, forest green and gold. Vivid colours. I love it when I can see vivid colours in my head. It set the tone for the story and continues throughout the book.
This book follows the story of Aereen, a Chosen who is taken from her family and forced to submit to trials to choose which elf lord she will pledge her life to. Aereen is a plus-sized woman who loves herself and is written in a way where it isn't the focus. She has an inner strength that often shines through, but she is also fallible and makes mistakes, trusts the wrong people, makes the wrong connections, then owns it and learns from it. Her strength and resolve really shows in those moments and it was so refreshing (even though it was infuriating as a reader to see her make the mistakes we could see coming) to see her doing what so many of us do because hey, that's what humans do!
It took a while to get into this book, and there were a few typos that took me out of it. But as I got into it the book swept me away and I barely noticed them by the end. The book grabbed me in its talons and flew off with me when I was about halfway through and then all of a sudden it was finished and now I need to know more!!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2023
This was a fun book and a great debut fantasy romance. It reminded me a bit of These Hollow Vows which I enjoyed! Took me a bit to get into at fist but past the 25% mark I was flyin. Overall 3.8 stars I’d say.
Aereen is a “Chosen” and must be taken to Shaydenhall on her birthday alongside 4 other women. Aereen is a hopeless romantic, who starts falling for her captor, Gerrick.
Whispers of sweet nothings and light kisses have Aereen trusting Gerrick before she must go through the trials of the choosing ceremony. One of the other Lords, Ruven catches her eye with his shadow magic and light touches.
Aereen is a “Chosen” and must be taken to Shaydenhall on her birthday alongside 4 other women. Aereen is a hopeless romantic, who starts falling for her captor, Gerrick.
Whispers of sweet nothings and light kisses have Aereen trusting Gerrick before she must go through the trials of the choosing ceremony. One of the other Lords, Ruven catches her eye with his shadow magic and light touches.
May 21, 2023
First, I’d like to thank Demi for letting me have an ARC of her debut novel Blessed by the Maiden. This is my first ARC I’ve received and what a great book to start with!
I loved this book, and I’m not just saying that because Demi has become a really close friend of mine. Honestly? I think when I went into this I had lifted the bar higher because she was my friend and I didn’t want to be bias but I genuinely loved every bit!!
Aereen is such a strong FMC and I think many will relate to her in one way or another. The MMC’s are just yummy and gave me ALL 👏🏼 THE 👏🏼 FEELS 👏🏼
(Seriously, I’ll share my reading vlog I did while reading Blessed there were a LOT of feels)
So much so that once I finished the book I had to track my husband down for cuddles. (So have the chocolate and tissues handy!)
And y’all know me, I love a little bit of ✨spice✨ and I ate up the first few spicy scenes. Unfortunately for me I was too busy in my feels to appreciate one of them and I blame _______ for that! 😂 (IYKYK 👀)
But overall, I love this and if you haven’t preordered it PLEASE jump over to Demi’s socials and preorder cause you won’t want to sit on this one. (Plus the cover is pretty, and who doesn’t want a pretty cover?)
Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 3.5 🌶️
I loved this book, and I’m not just saying that because Demi has become a really close friend of mine. Honestly? I think when I went into this I had lifted the bar higher because she was my friend and I didn’t want to be bias but I genuinely loved every bit!!
Aereen is such a strong FMC and I think many will relate to her in one way or another. The MMC’s are just yummy and gave me ALL 👏🏼 THE 👏🏼 FEELS 👏🏼
(Seriously, I’ll share my reading vlog I did while reading Blessed there were a LOT of feels)
So much so that once I finished the book I had to track my husband down for cuddles. (So have the chocolate and tissues handy!)
And y’all know me, I love a little bit of ✨spice✨ and I ate up the first few spicy scenes. Unfortunately for me I was too busy in my feels to appreciate one of them and I blame _______ for that! 😂 (IYKYK 👀)
But overall, I love this and if you haven’t preordered it PLEASE jump over to Demi’s socials and preorder cause you won’t want to sit on this one. (Plus the cover is pretty, and who doesn’t want a pretty cover?)
Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 3.5 🌶️
May 19, 2023
Great writing and plot. It was interesting,quite unexpected and steamy( even tho i hated that part). I must say that there were moments I loathed the main character because she was so stupid and naive I wanted to slap the shit out of her. The romance part was giving ACOTAR which i love ofc ( even tho i liked Tamlin way more than Gerrick). I really hope her and Ruven have a nice love story in the next book. Also can we take a moment and talk about Lili choosing the King?? I hope it’s because she has a plan how to escape or something because ew. And do I really have to wait till 2024 for the next book…come onnn I will forget what happened in the first book till then😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2023
2.5 I was actually liking this book but then I got so frustrated with the FMC and it was kind of meh in the end.
The world building and magic system was literally non existent. The trials were also kind of confusing.
I like all kinds of FMC that are flawed but the fucking stupidity and naivety of Aereen was actually ridiculous. I also don’t know why everyone seemed to like her. The guys were also nothing special.
I know people are saying there is a love triangle but I actually wouldn’t consider this a love triangle because of a certain dynamic between Aereen and one of the guys.
In the end I was skimming to finish it.
The world building and magic system was literally non existent. The trials were also kind of confusing.
I like all kinds of FMC that are flawed but the fucking stupidity and naivety of Aereen was actually ridiculous. I also don’t know why everyone seemed to like her. The guys were also nothing special.
I know people are saying there is a love triangle but I actually wouldn’t consider this a love triangle because of a certain dynamic between Aereen and one of the guys.
In the end I was skimming to finish it.
November 12, 2024
Trigger Warnings: attempted rape (the MFC and others), sexual assault (MFC), assault(MFC and others), murder, prostitution, child marriage and therefore rape since she was forced to try and bear his child every month, torture, whipping (the MFC and others), kidnapping (MFC and others), magical manipulation of body and mind (MFC)...I'm sure there's more
DNF page 400
Yeah, I made it 400 freaking pages before her stupidity made me throw the book.
This female character is the dumbest character I have ever read. A male character scares her; she wants to bone him. The same male character assaults her; she wants to bone him. He tells other guys how she's pathetic and he's going to impregnate her; she wants to bone him. He terrifies her and nearly kills her; she wants to bone him. See the pattern? Other characters tell her how terrible she is, even the evil freaking king, and she STILL goes after him. The voice in her head warns her, but she still wants him. He does literally everything wrong and is the very essence of a bad guy, and she still wants him. The worst part? The other male character is a prick, too. I didn't want her to end up with either of these douchebags.
I still don't know what the freaking point of this book is. Something about magic and it being evened out.
The writing is all over the place. Words are repeated, pros are constantly changed, dialogue isn't always paragraphed so that you know who is talking, and sentences just don't make sense. She'll be running through the forest and suddenly on the ground, groping grass. There are no in-between sentences to guide you and make it flow. About a million spelling and word mistakes make the reader stop and reread over and over.
When the character isn't being an idiot towards one of the guys, she cries. She is crying on nearly every page. I'm all for women crying when overwhelmed because it's good for you. But she never stops crying! She needs to freaking stand up and fight, and she just cries and flails around. It was so irritating.
The reader is told REPEATEDLY how chunky the character is. Her thighs are thick, her breasts are big, her ass is big...we get it. Why is this so important since all of the male characters clearly couldn't care less about the women they bone? The elves and the human males boned any and all females. Was it to make her unique or to make the reader feel closer to her? It would have if it had a purpose, but there wasn't any.
The back of the book sounded interesting, but the story just isn't built that way. The "trials" have no rules, winning, or reasons. You never find out what the other women are doing, and her trials make no sense. We have no idea how long she's been there, and the reason why is murky even after the explanation after 300 pages.
I had waited over a year for the library to carry this, and I was so disappointed. I don't say this often, but I don't recommend reading it; not for romance readers or fantasy readers.
DNF page 400
Yeah, I made it 400 freaking pages before her stupidity made me throw the book.
This female character is the dumbest character I have ever read. A male character scares her; she wants to bone him. The same male character assaults her; she wants to bone him. He tells other guys how she's pathetic and he's going to impregnate her; she wants to bone him. He terrifies her and nearly kills her; she wants to bone him. See the pattern? Other characters tell her how terrible she is, even the evil freaking king, and she STILL goes after him. The voice in her head warns her, but she still wants him. He does literally everything wrong and is the very essence of a bad guy, and she still wants him. The worst part? The other male character is a prick, too. I didn't want her to end up with either of these douchebags.
I still don't know what the freaking point of this book is. Something about magic and it being evened out.
The writing is all over the place. Words are repeated, pros are constantly changed, dialogue isn't always paragraphed so that you know who is talking, and sentences just don't make sense. She'll be running through the forest and suddenly on the ground, groping grass. There are no in-between sentences to guide you and make it flow. About a million spelling and word mistakes make the reader stop and reread over and over.
When the character isn't being an idiot towards one of the guys, she cries. She is crying on nearly every page. I'm all for women crying when overwhelmed because it's good for you. But she never stops crying! She needs to freaking stand up and fight, and she just cries and flails around. It was so irritating.
The reader is told REPEATEDLY how chunky the character is. Her thighs are thick, her breasts are big, her ass is big...we get it. Why is this so important since all of the male characters clearly couldn't care less about the women they bone? The elves and the human males boned any and all females. Was it to make her unique or to make the reader feel closer to her? It would have if it had a purpose, but there wasn't any.
The back of the book sounded interesting, but the story just isn't built that way. The "trials" have no rules, winning, or reasons. You never find out what the other women are doing, and her trials make no sense. We have no idea how long she's been there, and the reason why is murky even after the explanation after 300 pages.
I had waited over a year for the library to carry this, and I was so disappointed. I don't say this often, but I don't recommend reading it; not for romance readers or fantasy readers.
June 5, 2023
Demi’s debut novel ‘Blessed by the Maiden’ was a really lovely story.
Read it if you love:
⭐️ elves and humans
⭐️ trials / tests
⭐️ enemies to lovers (… to enemies again??)
⭐️ strong female relationships
⭐️ possessive MMC
⭐️ morally grey MMC
⭐️ love triangle
This is by no means an exhaustive list of tropes and Demi has seamlessly added them into her work.
We follow Aereen, our FMC who is proud of who she is and within herself. She is a Chosen, a woman who the elves state must give up her freedom to pay for a human rebellion that happened many, many years ago.
My favourite part of the story was the development of Aereen and Lilli’s relationship. It was so refreshing to see female friendships portrayed in a ‘fix her crown’ way instead of being rivals all the time (cough … Maryn).
While it did have a slow start, the pace of the book really picks up in the second half of the story and for that I’m really glad. The world building is solid and I really enjoyed that we were in Shaydenhall and not the human world for orettt much the entirety of the story, which definitely gives way to the epic fantasy vibe.
I will say I wanted to shake Aereen - many times - when she was with Gerrick and how she actively chose to ignore the voice guiding her against being with him. And all the red flags that surrounded him … but she kept going back. GIRL. Control yourself!!
Demi has done an excellent job with her first work of art and I look forward to reading more!
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Read it if you love:
⭐️ elves and humans
⭐️ trials / tests
⭐️ enemies to lovers (… to enemies again??)
⭐️ strong female relationships
⭐️ possessive MMC
⭐️ morally grey MMC
⭐️ love triangle
This is by no means an exhaustive list of tropes and Demi has seamlessly added them into her work.
We follow Aereen, our FMC who is proud of who she is and within herself. She is a Chosen, a woman who the elves state must give up her freedom to pay for a human rebellion that happened many, many years ago.
My favourite part of the story was the development of Aereen and Lilli’s relationship. It was so refreshing to see female friendships portrayed in a ‘fix her crown’ way instead of being rivals all the time (cough … Maryn).
While it did have a slow start, the pace of the book really picks up in the second half of the story and for that I’m really glad. The world building is solid and I really enjoyed that we were in Shaydenhall and not the human world for orettt much the entirety of the story, which definitely gives way to the epic fantasy vibe.
I will say I wanted to shake Aereen - many times - when she was with Gerrick and how she actively chose to ignore the voice guiding her against being with him. And all the red flags that surrounded him … but she kept going back. GIRL. Control yourself!!
Demi has done an excellent job with her first work of art and I look forward to reading more!
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2023
This book felt refreshing!! I did notice that some parts seemed to take inspiration from other popular books I’ve read but they were done in a unique way that didn’t feel like a copy and paste.
Another thing I loved about this book was that the first live interest that gets mentioned isn’t a blonde boring and soft. I feel like there’s so many books where the first interest is exactly how I described but then the second love interest is dark and brooding and inspires her to live!! I’ve read this a million times and I’m sick of it 😂 but Gerrick is dark and edgy and yet there’s many moments of tenderness, it feels genuine for a long time. His character was written brilliantly. He’s not the average first love interest.
The metaphor about the zapping… LOVED IT! At first I thought it was to describe the feeling of butterflies but then as time grew on, it felt more sinister and I really enjoyed the build up to the last 10% of the book.
I was warned that Aereen was naive when starting this book and it is true but in a way that is expected of her. What young sheltered girl doesn’t want to fall in love?! And when you do fall in love for the first time, you look back and you realise it was never love but instead just the idea of it and the feeling of being wanted. Aereen is incredibly human. She feels relatable even in a fantasy world and I’m looking forward to the next book to see how she develops. I have the feeling she’ll be amazing!!
Another thing I loved about this book was that the first live interest that gets mentioned isn’t a blonde boring and soft. I feel like there’s so many books where the first interest is exactly how I described but then the second love interest is dark and brooding and inspires her to live!! I’ve read this a million times and I’m sick of it 😂 but Gerrick is dark and edgy and yet there’s many moments of tenderness, it feels genuine for a long time. His character was written brilliantly. He’s not the average first love interest.
The metaphor about the zapping… LOVED IT! At first I thought it was to describe the feeling of butterflies but then as time grew on, it felt more sinister and I really enjoyed the build up to the last 10% of the book.
I was warned that Aereen was naive when starting this book and it is true but in a way that is expected of her. What young sheltered girl doesn’t want to fall in love?! And when you do fall in love for the first time, you look back and you realise it was never love but instead just the idea of it and the feeling of being wanted. Aereen is incredibly human. She feels relatable even in a fantasy world and I’m looking forward to the next book to see how she develops. I have the feeling she’ll be amazing!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2023
Have you ever read a book with a plus sized main character that wasn’t objectified or humiliated for their bodies? No me either. So let me tell you that when I picked up this book I got as an arc, I honest to god sobbed when I read how Aereen spoke about her body.
I have struggled with my body and weight my entire life and these past few years have been EXTREMELY hard with weight gain and to read about a FMC who loved how her body looked and to have it be similar to mine? Honestly it was one of the best feelings in the world to be seen.
The world in this book is rich and although you don’t get to see much of it as you are reading from Aereen’s POV, the parts you do get to uncover are interesting and give like natural wild magic🍂vibes
The romance, while spicy👀🌶️, did feel a little rushed to me especially with how Aereen felt towards the two characters at the beginning of the book I felt like there wasn’t enough of like a bridging moment between the characters. I definitely have a character that I prefer Aereen to end up with 🫢
The ending did also feel a bit rushed and kind of sudden but it makes for decent intrigue to continue the series.
Ultimately, for this to be a debut has me shook and inspired to continue my own WIPS. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel and the other book Demi releases and I just know that her craft will be even better. I gave this book 3⭐️’s
I have struggled with my body and weight my entire life and these past few years have been EXTREMELY hard with weight gain and to read about a FMC who loved how her body looked and to have it be similar to mine? Honestly it was one of the best feelings in the world to be seen.
The world in this book is rich and although you don’t get to see much of it as you are reading from Aereen’s POV, the parts you do get to uncover are interesting and give like natural wild magic🍂vibes
The romance, while spicy👀🌶️, did feel a little rushed to me especially with how Aereen felt towards the two characters at the beginning of the book I felt like there wasn’t enough of like a bridging moment between the characters. I definitely have a character that I prefer Aereen to end up with 🫢
The ending did also feel a bit rushed and kind of sudden but it makes for decent intrigue to continue the series.
Ultimately, for this to be a debut has me shook and inspired to continue my own WIPS. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel and the other book Demi releases and I just know that her craft will be even better. I gave this book 3⭐️’s
November 21, 2023
Giving this book 3 stars because of the world building. Everything else however was just not it.
The emotions didn’t fit the circumstances. And I don’t understand the facial expressions explained by eyebrows…
The girls who were there with Aereen, I honestly don’t see why Aereen had to apologize for her behavior or words which were just a comeback to how they were acting and speaking towards her yet they don’t need to say they’re sorry. No Aereen is the only person who needs to apologize, who gets shit from them and just have to accept it.
Also why did everything remain so vague while Aereen did know yet we the reader didn’t know? I honestly didn’t get this book up till 73% then we finally got snippets of answers to what everything meant what we already read that got concealed by just leaving out the conversations only mentions of those conversations but nothing more.
I also didn’t understand half the time where Aereen was when switching scene. We literally got dropped in the middle of another scene and I just needed to grasp what was going on without context… this book has confused me to the maximum.
I understand what the author was trying but sadly non of it made sense to me.
The emotions didn’t fit the circumstances. And I don’t understand the facial expressions explained by eyebrows…
The girls who were there with Aereen, I honestly don’t see why Aereen had to apologize for her behavior or words which were just a comeback to how they were acting and speaking towards her yet they don’t need to say they’re sorry. No Aereen is the only person who needs to apologize, who gets shit from them and just have to accept it.
Also why did everything remain so vague while Aereen did know yet we the reader didn’t know? I honestly didn’t get this book up till 73% then we finally got snippets of answers to what everything meant what we already read that got concealed by just leaving out the conversations only mentions of those conversations but nothing more.
I also didn’t understand half the time where Aereen was when switching scene. We literally got dropped in the middle of another scene and I just needed to grasp what was going on without context… this book has confused me to the maximum.
I understand what the author was trying but sadly non of it made sense to me.
April 17, 2023
ARC review
I love a good fantasy novel and Demi delivered!
Aereen, underestimated by a lot of people, is a beautifully written main character that is so relatable through her range of feelings and emotions. She is a complex character that keeps on developing throughout the book; it’s so easy to feel what she is going through, her need to trust, her pain, her hope.
The dynamics of the relationship between the Chosen is also interesting, how it grows, their choices. I also love Alwin’s character and his relationship with Aereen.
All through I wasn’t sure of Gerrick or Ruven; the setting and plot fall into place so beautifully that you can totally understand Aereen oscillating between the two men. The plot is fast paced and captivating, and kept me on my toes!I really enjoyed this book, l’m a bit gutted with the ending as I want to read what happens next!
Well done on your debut novel, can’t wait for more !
June 26, 2023
🩷 Fantasy
🖤 Romance
🩷 Magic
🖤 Action
🩷 Who did this to you?
I stayed up way past an acceptable bedtime to finish this book. I was so sucked into the story and just had to finish it. This romantasy has so many things to rave over. It's got romance, magic, action, and brooding sexy males. I absolutely could not stand the MMC, but that was part of the appeal of the book. Aereen is very naive, but while reading, it's important to remember where she comes from and the lack of exposure outside of her small community. I appreciate Aereen’s ability to see the good where it's nearly impossible to find. She is a frustratingly loveable character, and I was desperate to see her choose better. Aside from the story, I did not find any plot holes, and the detail used was great. It's so important in fantasy to use the right amount of detail, and Demi did a great job while not being overly detailed. That cliffhanger was amazing and I have to know what happens next!
My heat rating is based on the amount of occurrence, length of scenes, and how filthy/unconventional the scenes are. This rates somewhere in the 2-3 range. I think I will give this a 2/5 🌶.
🖤 Romance
🩷 Magic
🖤 Action
🩷 Who did this to you?
I stayed up way past an acceptable bedtime to finish this book. I was so sucked into the story and just had to finish it. This romantasy has so many things to rave over. It's got romance, magic, action, and brooding sexy males. I absolutely could not stand the MMC, but that was part of the appeal of the book. Aereen is very naive, but while reading, it's important to remember where she comes from and the lack of exposure outside of her small community. I appreciate Aereen’s ability to see the good where it's nearly impossible to find. She is a frustratingly loveable character, and I was desperate to see her choose better. Aside from the story, I did not find any plot holes, and the detail used was great. It's so important in fantasy to use the right amount of detail, and Demi did a great job while not being overly detailed. That cliffhanger was amazing and I have to know what happens next!
My heat rating is based on the amount of occurrence, length of scenes, and how filthy/unconventional the scenes are. This rates somewhere in the 2-3 range. I think I will give this a 2/5 🌶.
June 18, 2024
I rarely leave reviews. A book has to be very good, or a very bad experience.
I am not a writer. I applaud this author for following her dreams and don’t want to rain on her parade at all or take away her value as a person and woman.
That said, this book was not great. The absolute hot and cold of the characters went from someone beating her to practically having public sex to I hate you you’re awful in seconds. I had whiplash from her trying to draw out the “intrigue” and “keep us guessing” at her final choice.
I called every “shocking reveal” WAY before she unveiled it. The subtlety was closer to being smashed in the face with a hammer.
Kindle had SO many content errors I had to report. Her editor needed a bit more practice because I found over 20 errors in the back 40% alone.
Aereen was weak. Great powers, strong potential, but I found her unlikeable for her sheer desperation to be loved. Overlooking far too many red flags and warnings is not cute. I found myself disappointed in her. Value does not come from a man loving you.
Not sure I’ll read book two. I appreciate the effort but readers can not be that thick. I cannot believe this had a 3.7 rating…
I am not a writer. I applaud this author for following her dreams and don’t want to rain on her parade at all or take away her value as a person and woman.
That said, this book was not great. The absolute hot and cold of the characters went from someone beating her to practically having public sex to I hate you you’re awful in seconds. I had whiplash from her trying to draw out the “intrigue” and “keep us guessing” at her final choice.
I called every “shocking reveal” WAY before she unveiled it. The subtlety was closer to being smashed in the face with a hammer.
Kindle had SO many content errors I had to report. Her editor needed a bit more practice because I found over 20 errors in the back 40% alone.
Aereen was weak. Great powers, strong potential, but I found her unlikeable for her sheer desperation to be loved. Overlooking far too many red flags and warnings is not cute. I found myself disappointed in her. Value does not come from a man loving you.
Not sure I’ll read book two. I appreciate the effort but readers can not be that thick. I cannot believe this had a 3.7 rating…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2023
Aereen is such a strong FMC, she is other worldly. She's a hopeless romantic, falls too easy, and there were a few times I found myself rolling my eyes or wanting to shake her silly. Personally I love that about her. The connection between the character and the reader is something that Demi created so well, it was easy to forget the world around me and escape into Shaydenhall. The way she made me love Ruven, and created my burning hatred for Maryn is unbelievable.
I could not get enough of the spice! I need more Ruven in my life. There's just something about shadow magic... 🫠 Gerrick, I love yah babe but I got over it pretty quickly. 😏
This was a banger of a debut novel! I feel such a hangover with this book and I need book 2 in my life ASAP. This has been a wild ride, and while the beginning was a bit slow for me, the way it all comes together in the end made it all worth the wait! Demi's writing is great and I can't wait to see what other things she has up her sleeve! (Also book 2!? I need it now 😚)
I could not get enough of the spice! I need more Ruven in my life. There's just something about shadow magic... 🫠 Gerrick, I love yah babe but I got over it pretty quickly. 😏
This was a banger of a debut novel! I feel such a hangover with this book and I need book 2 in my life ASAP. This has been a wild ride, and while the beginning was a bit slow for me, the way it all comes together in the end made it all worth the wait! Demi's writing is great and I can't wait to see what other things she has up her sleeve! (Also book 2!? I need it now 😚)
April 29, 2023
I RECIEVED THIS NOVEL AS AN ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW:
This debut novel will have you yelling at the page - in frustration, in humour, in giddiness.
While our main character Aereen can be a little unlikeable at times (making decisions and saying things we as the reader wish she wouldn’t), ultimately her strength in herself shines through.
This novel has:
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Magic
✨ an enemies-to-lovers element
✨ soft love triangle
✨ “who did this to you”
The first 20% of the book is a little difficult, the writing maybe slightly unrefined but as the story picks up so does the quality/intensity. It’s almost like the story sweeps you away and even when you work out something that’s going to happen - the moment still gets you.
Now if only Aereen could just stop messing up a good thing when it’s right in front of her… IYKYK.
This debut novel will have you yelling at the page - in frustration, in humour, in giddiness.
While our main character Aereen can be a little unlikeable at times (making decisions and saying things we as the reader wish she wouldn’t), ultimately her strength in herself shines through.
This novel has:
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Magic
✨ an enemies-to-lovers element
✨ soft love triangle
✨ “who did this to you”
The first 20% of the book is a little difficult, the writing maybe slightly unrefined but as the story picks up so does the quality/intensity. It’s almost like the story sweeps you away and even when you work out something that’s going to happen - the moment still gets you.
Now if only Aereen could just stop messing up a good thing when it’s right in front of her… IYKYK.
August 5, 2023
🗡️Blessed by the Maiden - Demi Clorissa🗡️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
🌶️🌶️.5 Spice
‘I wonder what other filth I can draw from your lips’
Blessed by the Maiden is the book 1 in the Daughter of the wood series by Demi Clorissa. This book game be ‘These Hallow Vows’ vibes and though it was a little slow at the beginning I really enjoyed the journey.
If I had to sum this book up in one sentence it would be ‘it’s the ending for me’.
Aereen is a hopeless romantic who happens to be the chosen one. When taken to Shaydenhah she must go through trials in what’s called the choosing ceremony. How we Aereen begins to fall for her capturer, that is until she lays eyes on one of the lords with shadow magic!
Will you be team Gerrick or team Ruven?
If you like:
🗡️Enemies to lovers
🗡️Humans and Fae
🗡️Trials
🗡️Plus size heroine
🗡️Badass FMC
🗡️Fated Mates
Then this is the book for you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2023
BBTM was lush, hypnotic and just oozed romance. Aereen is a woman we’ve all been at some point in our lives — naive, quick to love and trust and full of hope. She is such a wonderful, REAL, character and she deserves so much love. I just, I love this book and it’s characters so, so, so much!!
The imagery was vivid and descriptive, we are easily transported to this word of beautiful Elves and rare roses. The world building was well rounded, and consistent — as were the characters. There was a lovely undercurrent of platonic, female friendship & love running through this story, I just wish there were more scenes with Jenissa and Maryn! The romantic interests are such interesting characters, with such unique and captivating backstories. I loved watching Aereen navigate these new experiences!
The imagery was vivid and descriptive, we are easily transported to this word of beautiful Elves and rare roses. The world building was well rounded, and consistent — as were the characters. There was a lovely undercurrent of platonic, female friendship & love running through this story, I just wish there were more scenes with Jenissa and Maryn! The romantic interests are such interesting characters, with such unique and captivating backstories. I loved watching Aereen navigate these new experiences!
August 3, 2024
Plot - 3/5🌟
Spice - 3/5🌶️
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forbidden Romance
✔️Slowburn
✔️Love triangle
Blessed by the Maiden by Demi Clorissa is a wild ride through a fantasy world where Aereen, cursed under the Hunter’s moon, gets tangled up in some serious drama. After being handed over to the Lord of the Wolves, she’s thrust into a series of intense trials that are meant to test her to the core. The whole setup is intriguing, and Aereen’s struggle to balance her fiery powers with her growing feelings for the Lord of the Wolves adds a lot of tension.
The romance between Aereen and the Lord of the Wolves is hot and complicated, and the chemistry is pretty intense. But just when you’re getting into that, the Lord of the Shadows shows up, and things get a bit chaotic. It’s like a plot twist that might make you wish there was a bit more time spent on this new dynamic.
Spice - 3/5🌶️
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forbidden Romance
✔️Slowburn
✔️Love triangle
Blessed by the Maiden by Demi Clorissa is a wild ride through a fantasy world where Aereen, cursed under the Hunter’s moon, gets tangled up in some serious drama. After being handed over to the Lord of the Wolves, she’s thrust into a series of intense trials that are meant to test her to the core. The whole setup is intriguing, and Aereen’s struggle to balance her fiery powers with her growing feelings for the Lord of the Wolves adds a lot of tension.
The romance between Aereen and the Lord of the Wolves is hot and complicated, and the chemistry is pretty intense. But just when you’re getting into that, the Lord of the Shadows shows up, and things get a bit chaotic. It’s like a plot twist that might make you wish there was a bit more time spent on this new dynamic.
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