I read the first line of the synopsis - Game of Thrones meets The Name of the Wind in this exuberant, character-driven epic fantasy - and was sold! This initially gave me the five star feels the former two fantasy novels mentioned also gave me, and I thought I had found a new favourite. The split perspectives also appealed and I was eager to learn where they all fit into the story. I'm not sure where this adoration dwindled but, sadly, it did, and I found myself longing to return to the initial storyline and not loving the others inbetween quite as much. Maybe this is a case of right book wrong time and I'm eager to retry it at a later date, for how much I ardently loved the first half.

I really wanted to love this book—it had all the right ingredients for me. An epic fantasy with multiple characters, a mystical ancient tree, and dragons should have been a perfect fit. But in the end, the execution just didn’t click.

The three main characters never truly came to life for me. They felt too one-dimensional, as if I only caught glimpses of their personalities and ambitions without ever really knowing them.

The plot had so much potential, but it left me feeling underwhelmed, and the pacing felt uneven, making it hard to stay engaged.

Ultimately, reading this book felt more like an obligation than an adventure. I was turning the pages, but I was never fully transported into the world.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I mainly picked this book as I found the title quite intriguing and the book cover very nicely done and O M G! This books was everything you could ever ask for, especially for a fantasy book lover girlie like myself!!

I loved the story, it was intriguing, rich, immersive and epic; the characters were all quite lovable and with a nice personality; the writing style so so amazing and multiple character POV so well done!

Absolutely stunning!
My rating: 5!

I loved this book thanks so much for giving me the opertunity to read it. It's definitely give me game of thrones/witcher vibes. All characters were relatable and it kept me gripped from the start. I have done a couple of videos on this on tiktok and I hope everyone loves it as much as I did. Excellent auther

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. Thank you Net Galley and Knock Knee Books!**

I really loved this book. The very first chapter captured my attention and the book didn’t let go until the last page. The first chapter details the process of collecting the Yubriy leaves and it follows the journey of the three leaves that get carried away. Then we jump straight into meeting our main three characters, around whom I presumed that the lost prophecies would revolve. It was a perfect introduction into the story.

So because we have these three main characters that means we have three ongoing narratives that revolve around different aspects of this world. Johanna is the daughter of a high lord whom the king is asking for assistance in squashing a rebellion. She was amazing. I loved her character, her story and her spunk. The first time we’re introduced to her was unforgettable and I loved her for every page after. Silas is a musician who desperately wants to get a patronage somewhere, but he gets caught up with an unexpected ally while running from soldiers who are trying to murder them. He was a little harder to enjoy, he’s a sullen musician after all. But eventually he warmed my heart too, and his story turned out to be incredibly important to events that happen later in the book. And Gregor, the bastard half brother of the king who acts as his counsel and his sage. Gregor’s story was probably the most compelling of the bunch. He introduces us to so many beautiful and important parts of the story.

I couldn’t get enough of this book. I dreamed about it a few times, trying to work out how it would end and what the missing prophecies were. The world was wonderfully crafted. The characters were realistic and likeable. The magic of this world was fascinating and unique. I just loved it. This is definitely a series I will be following.

You could feel the influence of Game of Thrones and Name of the Wind in a good way. Adventure and mystery surrounding a prophecy affecting and told by 3 pov's. I enjoyed all the protagonists, all different and engaging, all from different backgrounds. Big world building, politics and history but never info dumpy. Excellent side characters, humour, a budding romance, family hierarchy, magic, religious fractions and the promise of more dragons made this a fun addictive read. Atmospheric and poetic at times. Really looking forward to the rest of this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Knock-Knee Books for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

The story weaves a rich tapestry of magic and mythology, centered around a young protagonist tasked with uncovering the truth behind a powerful prophecy.

I really enjoyed the intricate plot and the unique characters, each with their own quirks and backstories. However, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, especially in the middle, where it slowed down a little too much for my taste.

Overall, The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree is a captivating read that offers adventure and mystery. It’s perfect for fans of fantasy looking for a story filled with twists and memorable moments.

This book exceeded my expectations! I requested it on NetGalley on a whim because of the unique title and beautiful cover, but boy did it deliver. In the mere 300 pages, the author conveyed a vast amount of worldbuilding - history, mythology and political scheming - in a way that never felt info-dumpy. The characters were well fleshed out and there were plenty of mysteries to be solved (many still remaining at the end so I can’t wait for book 2). There were lots of tense moments and great reveals! I’m a person who reads multiple books at once but this was the one I settled on over the last few days; it has it all and I couldn’t put it down from start to finish. Can’t wait to read more!!

I know for many people, the idea of this book being similar to Game of Thrones was the appeal. However, I think Spencer is able to do what Martin couldn't: write a great series that doesn't focus on the pain of women. This book has amazing lore, three POVs that are all interesting, a prophecy that needs to be met, and an high fantasy setting that feels like being in Middle Earth.

This book is amazing, and I need a physical copy for my library ASAP.

The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree is an unexpected triumph in epic fantasy writing.

I was completely swept away into Ragar Or and this magical world of prophecies and deception,

I adored the multi-POVs; the character were masterfully woven together in a stunning tapestry. I particularly enjoyed Silas and Wyn’s dynamic: “ Silas was too busy taking in the smell of the sea to respond to Wyn’s latest Wynicism”. I loved learning more about the interesting magic system and hope we will explore that aspect further as the series progresses.

Overall, this was an excellent first installment and I cannot wait to read the rest of The Song of the Burning Heart series!

A prophecy-foretelling, possibly-maniacal tree, dragons and magic? If it sounds like you’ve heard a story like it before—you haven’t.

The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree was a refreshing take on aspects that are prevalent in a lot of fantasy books today. The world is immersive and beautifully crafted, and even though I remember wishing there was a glossary on more than one occasion (there is a map!), I suspect this was intentional as was the fact that the dragons are in the background as this is the beginning of a series. The worldbuilding was done in a subtle way (no huge info dumps) through character interactions and lore unfolding as the story progressed. There’s not an overwhelming amount of violence, but as expected from high fantasy it’s definitely there. I really enjoyed the destiny/prophecy aspect of the story and the fact that the characters’ stories intersect at one point or another in a way reminiscent of GoT. Some passages were written so beautifully that I’ve got a ton of highlights already!! The multiple POVs work well with a story of this scope and each character’s story was enthralling. Silas ‘O the Songs was lovable and Johanna + Easton <3 - need I say more? Most importantly, this is one of those books that has scrumptious food descriptions 🤤 they’re not overdone or overwhelmingly present for the people who don’t like to read about jam glazed meats and trenchers of bread swimming with gravy. I had fun reading this captivating story set in an original fantasy world, and I’m excited to see where the story goes as the series continues!

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing and Ben Spencer for the opportunity to review this eARC!

This was an interesting read and a nice fantasy book. I would probably trial it in my store, to see how it works for the Dutch audiences.

For fans of Game of Thrones!
Three lives will be forever changed by the undetected prophecy leaf.
The art work and the title won me over straight away and then I started reading it and liked it even more! Multiple POVs worked very well for this book and the world building was epic! An easy read and great story line and a fantastic start to a series, I will look forward to reading the next books.

The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree is written as a very atmospheric fantasy novel and I was a big fan of the way the author painted exquisite pictures with his gorgeous words.

The existence of ancient history of dragons and royalty made the book feel alive and I could almost feel myself diving right into it. I was personally a big fan of the mutliple perspectives we got with the fierce daugter of a powerful family, the king's enigmatic half-brother and a struggling musician. Their distinctive voices made the book a very compelling and unpredictable read for me.

Althought this is a typical struggle for fantasy readers, I will say that we are thrown a lot of unknown words and they are very slowly explained throughout the novel. This aspect can make it or break it for however decides to give this book a chance.

Actual rating: 2.5☆

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, it had so much for me to like. It is an epic fantasy that follows multiple characters, a magical old tree and dragons. Unfortunately the execution just wasn't for me.

I don't really feel like I got to know our three main characters, they just felt to flat I knew one or two aspects about their personality and ambitions and that was basically it.

The plot felt quite underwhelming which obviously wasn't the point and the pacing just felt really disjointed.

The best way to describe my reading experience is that I felt a lot like I was reading a book in physical way of it. I wasn't immersed in it.

this was not just epic this was so much more saying that I loved this book and story is not enough.. It is high fantasy and not everyone actually connects with it I personally did and I'm beyond words on how fantastic the book was. This has more than one POV and it actually fits just great like this because we can see the perspectives properly

Rating: 3 stars

I just don't think that this book was for me. I pushed through, but I felt like the author was just choosing large words because they could, not because they fit and it really took me away from the story. The narrative was hard to follow with the author introducing us to numerous characters with little backstory. There was something lacking that I just couldn't put my finger on and I think I would have enjoyed it had I not been so confused a majority of the time.

I really enjoyed taking my time with this read. We follow three characters who slowly start to cross paths throughout this high fantasy. As the prophecy starts the unfold the characters have to face many challenges and obstacles. Personally, I enjoy Silas’ POV the most. I don’t know why by his character was always so fun to read from, there was always something going on with him. I found all three POVs to be enjoyable to read from, I was excited to read from each one. The pacing was great, I wasn’t bored at all and I thought the length was perfect.

There’s so much politicking, scheming, and fighting in this there’s no way to ever be bored while reading. The little bit of romance we got was so good and I couldn’t wait for the next scrap of it during their POV! I really did enjoy this read and loved that I took my time reading through this. I cannot wait for the next book (I hope we get more dragons in it). I think this will be a great series and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Final rating: 4 stars ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and author Ben Spencer for the opportunity to read the ARC, I loved it!

Reading The Prophecy of the Yubriy Tree was such a fun experience! It perfectly satisfied my craving for a well-written fantasy.

A tree with leaves that hold prophecies?! I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to learn more. The author’s ability to weave together lore, politics, and everyday life to create such a rich, immersive world was masterfully done.

The story follows three characters: Johanna, Silas, and Gregor. And each of their perspectives pulls the reader deeper into the world and its magic, making it easy to get immersed. It also does a great job of filling in the gaps in each POV. It is done very very well. And the way they slowly started meeting each other, I screeched. I never suspected it until it was happening on the page.

One of the highlights for me was the tension surrounding religion—who follows the “right” practices, and the conflict between beliefs. It felt so realistic and added a lot of depth, allowing me to easily understand the mindset and backgrounds of each character.

On top of that, the added tension between the royal family and a brewing rebellion had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Silas is my favorite character. Unlike Johanna and Gregor, he doesn’t have royal ties and is navigating the world as a storyteller, someone who wants to turn stories into song. His adventures alongside a character named Wyn were so fun to follow and easily some of my favorite moments.

Johanna is a fascinating character, dealing with the consequences of being the “lesser twin.” Her journey was so compelling that I couldn’t help but root for her the whole way through.

And then there’s Gregor—so clever! I loved reading about how he manipulates people’s religious superstitions and fears to his advantage. He is just so smart. And the ability to navigate through the tension so well… wow! If I was in this world, I would want to be on his good side haha Also the ability to see skulls is so creepy and not anything I’ve ever read and it was genius. I am obsessed!

This was a fantastic read, and it’s definitely going to stay with me for a while. Excited for the next book in the series.

It's been ages since I found a new High Fantasy book that I enjoyed SO much.
The Yubriy Tree was a highly addictive and amazing read! The imagery the author is able to weave in their writing is exceptional. Highly descriptive in a way that is immersive without becoming boring or longwinded and overwhelming. The pacing and prose is perfect with multiple POV's that twist and interconnect and work well together. I especially loved Gregor's story. Character's feel fleshed out and complex, with their own motivations, flaws and strengths.

I can see why this story has been compared to Game of Thrones. The plot itself is similarly twisty, dark with a whole lot of politicking and intrigue.

Overall this was an exceptionally well written book with enjoyable characters and a wonderfully exciting plot. I would recommend this to any readers who enjoy High Fantasy that tends to lean on the darker side. Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the Advanced Copy. All opinions are my own and I am posting them voluntarily.