There was a lot that I liked about this book, the FMC being confident, the diversity, and the idea of magical abilities having a consequence. However, the execution wasn’t there for me.

I definitely think this book needs to have trigger warnings because there was a lot of heavy content mentioned. Especially with it involving Religious figures doing questionable things. I can see others having an issue with it.

I do still recommend others give this book a try, especially if you love darker fantasy books. However, I personally had to DNF after a couple of hours (32%). The narrator is amazingly talented and great with accents, but I wasn’t a big fan of how the FMC came across and ultimately was the main reason I stopped listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Podium Publishing for an ALC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc for my honest review. Whole the plot had premise I just did not like the main female character. While I love a good book with feminist rage and I don’t need a man attitude, I found the main character rather annoying and the constant bragging of who she had begged was just a no for me. The main villain being a goof ball was a plus but even that wasn’t enough for me to keep going and I DNF’d at 23%.

This particular book was only okay for me. It was giving Rachel Gillig vibes, so I can definitely see this hitting with some people. I unfortunately, am not one of them. They’re were many areas in this book where I questioned certain choices that the characters made. But mainly the author being a white woman, the main fmc being depicted as a woman of color and a lot of discussion on how the character was sold into slavery at the beginning was a major turn off for me.
I did enjoy the general storyline and specifically the take a day away from a life aspect.

Truly my favorite genre is fantasy, but sometimes it just takes too much brain power to navigate the politics and intense magic systems. So I LOVE these fun fantasies that are so well written, have perfect ambiance, and are easy to read. This is the perfect edition to my fun fantasy recommendation list.

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A Holy Maiden's Guide to Getting Kidnapped: An Epic Fantasy Adventure by Katy Nyquist
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75

First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley for providing me an audio ARC.

Secondly. What a BOOK.

I loved almost everything about it. The narration was gorgeous, regardless of speed. The setting was fun and the characters were relatable and fleshed out.

It provided a fascinating twist on the general romantasy spin with a dominant holy maiden and a puppyish villain.

The cast was diverse and I adored how the author approached the trans representation.

Despite how fun it was, it also managed to address various societal issues.

Overall, it wasn't perfect but I loved every minute of it. (except for the smut. I skipped that, but that's just me not being a smut person)

Overall, a very solid 4.5 if not 4.75⭐

I absolutely loved everything about this book. I listed to the audiobook and was hooked 45 minutes in. So hooked I bought the physical book for my shelf. Such a gorgeous cover 😍.
I love all the different characters and personalities and all the representation. Such a fun read! I will definitely be recommending. The narration on the audio was phenomenal!

A Holy Maiden’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped stands out for its fresh take on romantasy tropes, with offbeat and memorable characters like a maiden who’s more dominatrix than damsel and a dark lord who’s more endearing goofball than villain. Ysabel, the FMC, lives with face blindness (prosopagnosia), which is thoughtfully portrayed as a part of her everyday life rather than a plot gimmick. The story also features strong trans representation that feels authentic and respectful. However, while the blurb and tone suggest a quirky, possibly angsty read, the book unexpectedly includes repeated references to rape and some mentions of pedophilia with no trigger warnings provided in the ARC or promotional material. While the story’s representation is a real strength, future editions should clearly flag sensitive content to better prepare readers and avoid harm.

This book was such a fun surprise! A Holy Maiden’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped delivers a unique blend of fantasy, satire, and slow-burn romance with a sharp, witty voice that immediately pulls you in. Katy Nyquist flips classic fantasy tropes on their head—virginal sacrifices, sacred rituals, chosen ones—and turns them into something hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly weird in the best way.

The heroine is feisty, self-aware, and delightfully unbothered about being a "holy maiden." The banter is gold, the worldbuilding is layered, and the pacing keeps you hooked. It's got that perfect mix of absurd humor and emotional depth.

🎧 The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job capturing the main character’s dry wit and sarcasm. Their performance added so much personality to the story—I genuinely don’t think I would’ve laughed out loud as often if I’d read it in print.

If you like:

Subversive fantasy
Slow-burn tension
Sass, sarcasm, and swordplay
Female leads who don’t play by the rules
You’ll definitely want to add this to your TBR.

I absolutely loved this story!!! It has everything and kept me laughing, aahing, and of course shouting at the worst villain ever (Head Cardinal Jiang) whose plans to gain immortality by sacrificing Holy Maiden Ysabel are awful enough but his other prejudices and plans made me hate him with a passion. Thank goodness for the arrival of Dark Lord Kaine! The banter between Ysabel and Kaine is so cute and witty and the progression to more is so wonderful! While there is much humor, good times and only the occasional calling down of meteors (though very useful at the end!), this story also deals very well with the heavier subjects of racism, xenophobia, sexism, the importance of permissions, and the acceptance of people as they see themselves. And while this story has a very wonderful ending after some dark times (Ysabel and Kaine deserve that it and it is so sweet!), I am so happy that this looks to be a first book in a series that I am already looking forward too!

This audiobook was perfect and the narrator, Hollie Jackson, did a wonderful job in portraying Ysabel and the other characters in a fascinating world that I hope to visit again and soon! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to fall in love with this wonderful audiobook!

What a fun story. If you like reverse grumpy /sunshine, found family fantasy books then this is for you. The main character’s have depth and bring enough drama to the story to keep things interesting without losing the plot. I appreciated the moments of levity mixed into times of series events in the book that just kept it balanced overall.
The narrator did a great job with pacing, voice acting, and vocal inflections. It was a great performance.

🎧Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
I’m having a hard time rating this book, because I’m not sure if the authors humor is my cup of tea, but now that I’ve finished it I’m invested in the story enough to want to listen to the next one.

To be completely honest, this one just wasn’t for me—and that’s no fault of the author’s. I simply couldn’t connect with the story. That said, it has a fun, tongue-in-cheek vibe that I can absolutely see many other readers enjoying. The world-building is solid and the writing is strong; it just wasn’t barking up my particular tree.

The representation throughout this was AMAZING.
*I don’t usually read synopsis, esp when the cover already piques my intrigue lol. It was just chef’s kiss, so well done. As a Trans Woman- They really expressed the inner thoughts of both parties & I was just gushing w/ how real, raw, & respectful this was. This gets all my love just off that alone 🫶🏽

Now for the story, I felt it drag a tad bit, but I was also sat ‘cause of the importance w/ what the characters were going through + how could you not want more time w/ our blockhead dark lord lol!!
BUT what really hooked me other than the representation was Alvira & their undying loyalty to each other.

“I can remain standing tall if the whole world turns on me, just as long as I never disappoint her.”
THIS HIT ME SO HARD.
If the friendship isn’t on this, I don’t want it 😤

“I’ll put bags over their heads first”

“One day, the Queen will step into a dark alleyway & I’ll be there.”
*Alvira had me cracking UP. She was w/ it all.

“If Alzira wasn’t my bodyguard, she’d be terrifyingly creepy.” 🤣 ‘Cause the way she always stalked her & always appeared behind people? How lmfaoo.

“I’ve noticed a certain type of religious people love God ‘cause there’s some part of them incapable of loving their fellow beings.
I wouldn’t even call it fate, more like justification to inflict their malice.”
*One thing Ysabel is gonna do is GAG us. She ate w/ this one 💅🏽

Kaine was so adorable, slow? Yes, but adorable ☠️
“I haven’t seen him since I was 15 & I only can draw stick figures.” How he managed to become a dark lord is beyond me lmfaoo.

“I’m going to make you want to live, for me.”
*But see, also the sweetest 🥹🤍

“The sheer power of my majestic gluttious maximus.”
*And then back to blockhead lmfao.
The transfigurations and topics on Trans bodies had me gushing, like I loved that they really took the time to sit down & really talk about these things, esp ‘cause it’s so rarely brought up, like at all!! 🏳️‍⚧️🤍

“I love how you always make my ideas even more diabolical, love.”
*Ysabel was the real dark lord lmfao. And her love for flowers? I totally get it sis 🙂‍↕️ But her patience & understanding, even though she didn’t always understand herself— Loved her & the support everyone always had for her, I just wished she left the council sooner like pls. They are so toxic & didn’t deserve a second of your time!!

Overall, this went beyond my expectations— I thought it was just going to be a cute fantasy, but it proved to be way more than that 🤍
Hollie Jackson did an amazing job!!