A Kingdom of Exiles: The Outcast Fantasy Series Kindle Edition

I haven’t read Sara Maas - I just want to get that out of the way because it does get compared to her writing. However, I read a lot of urban fantasy and fantasy, as well as young adult fantasy books.When I downloaded the sample, I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t completely surprised the writing was great because of all the good reviews. Her step mom was hateful along with her dad’s apprentice. Lots of suspense. I got to the point where the sample ended and with no hesitation bought the book.Suddenly, after she gets taken by the fae, the writing becomes really young adult. Teen angst, crushes/in love/lust. Hunter’s character made no sense to me. He was described as “childlike” but the main character has flutters when describing his physique. She has flutters when she describes the other male characters, though. Culminating with her heated sparring with the fae instructor in the training area where she is sold by Hunter. This could be every other popular young adult book, but specifically Hunger Games with a fae twist. Even Twilight comes to mind, with all the angst/lust and biting. And the Chosen One trope is strong, specially in a “school/instruction” setting where she learns what to do in this new fae world.I feel a little tricked, to be honest. The promise of the first few chapters never materialized. The writing changed. I thought I would read something... different, but I also feel like the actual writing became different. And later there are typos and errors in the book that were a little distracting.I’m a little less than halfway done but I won’t be able to finish this.

I initially borrowed this on kindle unlimited, and have since purchased it because it was so good. I was expecting this story to have a good plot, but to follow the writing style of many kindle unlimited books, which is usually filled with awkward streams of consciousness and forced character development that lacks depth. Luckily, I was surprised to find that this was not only well written, but the story and characters were so finely crafted that I literally feel like I'm dying because the next book isn't out yet. The characters are complex and fully fleshed out even if they are only secondary. This is an epic fantasy in young adult style similar to Maria V Snyder's Poison Study series, but with a little more grittiness and sexiness that tends to be found in the new adult genre. The story's focus is on the "coming of age" of the main character whose evolution mentally and physically is the focal point of a political conflict set in a fantasy realm with a focus on relationships whether they be friendships, kinships, or romantic relationships. There's enough action and magic for fantasy lovers as well as enough romance for romance lovers, though the romance for the main character can seem somewhat ambiguous. There's a really equitable focus on the fantasy and romantic elements. The story is well balanced. I highly recommend this book. Gahhhh I can't handle the wait for the next one!

Despite some small reservations I enjoyed this book. The character development was pretty solid and the world was filled out and lush. It dealt with some very real and relavant issues, such as family, prejudice, self confidence and more. And beaudes some parts, It also had great pacing overall.The writing is where it got weird. The first half of the book where the h is in the Gauntlet read very much like a German fairytale with it's environment, culture, and writing style. Then, once the h goes to Aldar, the writing and general feel becomes almost a urban fantasy with more vernacular dialogue and modern-styles of cursing. I almost felt I was reading a different book, but not necessarily in a bad way. If the writer had recognized and embraced the writing's evolution, this book could've been really quite interesting, purposefully benchmarking change in atmosphere and the h's personal growth. Instead, it felt accidental which took away from the story. Also, the h's relationship with Wilder felt pretty abrupt and almost entirely undeveloped. He is this amazing warrior and leader but we get no understanding as to why he is attracted to this semi-pitiful human woman. And while I really enjoyed the h's relationship with Frazer, it seemed strange that when she shared her whole life story, he only shared one memory. I would have liked to see Frazer's past as a method to further develop their relationship.Overall, I liked it and thought it was a solid read. I plan on getting the second book.

I downloaded a sample of this book and after finishing it I immediately bought it. I loved this book for several reasons: the writing was detailed and fluid, the characters were complex and engaging and the world building was believable and yet different enough. This book did have striking similarities to Sara Mass' novels which drew me in. Several times however, I felt like it was a little too similar.Another plus about this book was the mystery about Serena and her powers. I loved that I could not figure out what was going on with her till much later in the book. Over all great story and plot line.My only complaint was the love interest with Wilder. I felt like she threw herself at him again and again and then he would be all "I want you, but...". After he locked her in the room and brought up the mate crap.... I started to wonder how long I would have to put up with him in the story and immediately though of Tamlin from C of T. Serena needs Auntie to give her some advice on men. Beside that I would highly recommend this book. It kept me gussing, engaged and wanting to know when the sequel comes out.

Serena Smith lives in a small village on the farthest outlying area of her land. An 18 year old young woman, her life had been stricken with grief since her mother’s death, and only went downhill from there with the introduction of an evil stepmother, then the death of her father, a molesting friend of the stepmother, then having to go through witch trials where she faced being burnt at the stake. The judges make a concession for her and she is exiled to the forest in a cage with little food and water and warm clothes. Here she faces a murderous rapist who is about to rape her but she gets rescued in the last minute by two fae who are slavers of humans for the fae realm.Serena, despite so many tragedies and misfortune, so much grief and abuse, seems never to change. The whole point of adding trails and tribulations is to change the way the character develops but Serena never grows up. Her mental and emotional age is that of a 15 year old, and temprement is that of a spoilt high school girl with little imagination.The author tries to make her sassy but it comes off as naive and silly. Her remarks and thoughts are very girly and childish. After all the treachery she saw and the injustice of her village, she is constantly craving to go back there, where she knows her return would jeopardise the lives of the only two people (the baker and his wife) who ever cared for her besides her parents.After being kidnapped but also saved from rape and murder, I think anyone would be just a little relieved to live another day, knowing she won’t be sacrificed or killed by the fae, but Serena was utterly appalled at the fact that her rapist was killed and gutted. Frankly I would have been thankful, she complained incessantly to her captor and this didn’t stop even when he put his life on the line for her and saved her from the slave market to be in the safest and most tolerant place for her.So starts Serena’s life in the Riverlands where she is training to become a solider alongside other fae, humans and human witches. She immediately makes friends and allies, and there are threats from three known bullies, but she is protected after a scuffle with the bullies by her new friends.A series of elimination trials begin after she trained intensively. She luckily gets grouped up with all her friends and allies, most of whom having formidable skills and strength. The trails are reminiscent of Hunger Games but a lot less violent and with much fewer danger to life, so they are more like an upgraded Scouts challenges, with magic involved, a swamp witch, sprites, the standard bullies of the camp, etc.I’m now about 70% through the book and there is a huge revelation for Serena. It feels abrupt and I realise that the book won’t be finished but is a part of a series given the pace of the plot and all that is prophesied for her by a swamp witch and the revelations by a Priestess. Even at this point, Serena is a nervous, twitchy, frightened high school girl. She falls for an instructor and has the emotional maturity of a 15 year old girl, getting wobbly at the knees over a buff handsome noteworthy fae warrior then insanely jealous over any female who so much as smiles at him, blushing at every mention of him. The character could have been kept so naive and girly to appeal to a younger audience but it was getting boring and I just wasn’t buying it. How can a character remain so jittery, scared, frightened and suspicious of most things, so immature, at the brink of fainting at every new revelation and swooning so much with her crush.Compared to many fantasy characters, serenas life after the kidnapped by the fae seems positively blessed especially given her life in the village, though there are challenges, enough to have hardened her a tad and given her more gumption, her character more edge, a sharper mind, more imagination, etc. This so far has not come to pass. It’s just seems impossible for a mind not to have matured even a little or changed in some interesting ways, when I’d expect any psyche to undergo some very interesting arcs and developments after having gone through so many challenges.If Serena was a side character, I’d like to have seen her get killed off because she is uninteresting. In fact, the side characters are given more grit and personality than the protagonist, and some undergo good arcs eg. frazer. I always want to know more about the side characters than about Serena herself, even after now knowing her origins which are revealed about 60% through the book.Since I haven’t finished the book yet, I’ll come back and write another review if anything has changed and suddenly things are developing in an interesting way inside Serena’s head. Since it’s a first person narrative from Serena’s perspective, I’m pretty much stuck inside just her mind, and wish that this book was written a little like Game of Thrones where different chapters have different perspectives from other characters and so decentralising the book a bit more, especially since it looks to be one in series. Being inside Serena’s brain is one hell of a dull flat ride, moreover it’s not convincing.

I’ve just finished this book and I’m so desperate to read the second volume!! I could not put this down!! I loved it so much!! It’s a beautiful, painful, gut wrenching, enthralling and fascinating tale of deception, adventure, love .... I can’t fully describe as it’s literally got everything I love in a fantasy novel!!! I’m so sad I’ve finished reading it and I’ve not got volume 2! I believe there’s going to be a volume 2, well I truly hope so.

I Purchased this book on a whim, not thinking it would be more than another YA Novel! Boy, was I wrong!!!! I have read so many books this year some were prize winning and others bestsellers but this book.......was Award wining for me! It was gripping from the first page. A truly magical world with so much feeling and passion. The author did a fantastic job with the characters. They were all flawed in their own way but perfect at the same time. Loved the plot, the theme, the love, the angst and the adventure. S. B. Nova, thank you so much for this wonderful book. I truly loved it. Waiting for the second installment, cannot come fast enough!

Fantastic novel. This story seemed to completely consume me. I read this book in just a few days as I couldn’t bring myself to put it down though when I had to, I spent every minute thinking about the characters and the twisting plots. Very enjoyable, gripping read. I will be buying this book for my 15 year old niece and 37 year old sister as I know they will both equally enjoy and with me being 30 it just shows the age range that will surely enjoy the story and the read

I’m halfway through this and felt compelled to write a review so far. I will update if and when I finish.I have read a lot of self-published books recently and I am still to find one that is well written. I didn’t realise this was self published before I purchased otherwise I probably wouldn’t have bothered. The writing is clunky and there is just way too much prose that should have been cut out that is not intrinsic to the plot. Eg the prologue - totally unnecessary and added nothing to the storyline. There is no time spent developing the reader’s relationship to the characters and things seem to be thrown in seemingly at random. For example, Serena has to run laps at the training camp - suddenly we’re told that (despite the fact that she lives in a small village where people go missing) she apparently liked to run through the forest when she was younger, therefore the laps are no problem for her. Dues ex machina much? And she seems to bounce from male to male - what is with that? She formed a bond with Hunter that I was just starting to get behind and then poof, he’s gone and she’s making gooey eyes at Wilder who she has no connection to whatsoever. And from reading other reviews she later gets into a relationship with Frazer? For a loner who was ostracised her whole life she is very good at making friends, particularly with men.For a self published book it’s not the worst writing I’ve ever read but it would have benefitted from a much more substantial edit.