Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 5 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

DNF at 38%

Nothing pains me more than DNF’ing a book, if anything it’s not something I normally do. However, I just cannot keep going with this book at the moment. I might pick it up again at some point but right now I’m finding it boring to be completely honest.

I was initially really intrigued by this book especially as it’s Irish folklore in a dystopian world. What didn’t work for me with this book was the lack of depth. Everything felt very superficial in terms of world building, character relationships, even the plot. I had no idea how things had gotten to be how they were because there was no backstory or history. Even the romance was bland.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not. But this doesn’t mean that others won’t enjoy this book, it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I did not get on with this one as much as I had hoped. This could be down to the genre of being YA and maybe I’m a little too familiar and comfortable with more of the complex romantasy reads. For a new YA looking to explore fantasy I think this might be ticking your box but for me I didn’t make it to the end unfortunately.

Thankyou xx

Thank you to HarperCollins Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy

unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I dnf at the middle of the book.

I really liked the idea of the story and I see potential in it. Unfortunately, the circumstances of the clans were explained far too little and the background story of the old republic remained rather open.
Unfortunately, the love story also went far too quickly for me

The idea was good, but the realisation needs work

Enemies to Lovers trope at it's best. I couldn't put it down and had to slow my reading down as I could't turn the pages fast enough to read the next page, or chapter!

“𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚, 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩”

it’s been nearly four decades since the republic crumbled, and now the five clans and the kingsland are locked in a struggle for power. isadora, daughter of the clans’ leader, risks her life healing injured soldiers on the frontlines. when she intervenes during an attack led by tristan, a deadly kingsland assassin, she’s struck by a poisoned arrow. to her surprise, tristan offers to save her using a rare kind of magic. but survival comes at a cost a a bond is formed between them, one that ties their minds and emotions in ways neither of them fully understands… and it might just lead to the downfall of everything isadora holds dear

what a cosy whimsical read! isadora and tristan had a cute chemistry going on but i wish their romance unraveled a little slower. i’m a sucker for a slow burn, and i feel like the relationship just ignited way too quickly for my liking. tristan is a walking green flag – the way he treats her from day one didn’t go unnoticed

the other thing i struggled with is the world building – i needed MORE! the characters had a good description but i struggled to grasp the surroundings – i didn’t get that this was supposed to be a dystopian setting until almost half way through the book

overall, this was a cosy fun read but i just wanted a little more – more world depth, more tension, and a little more time for the romance to breathe

“𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧? 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙞 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩. 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙… 𝙞 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪”

This book was really good. It was short and fast paced. I would recommend it for getting out of a reading slump. It was a perfect balance between romance and plot. This book was mostly clean except for a few kiss scenes.

This book was from Isadora's perspective. Isadora (the FMC) works as a healer for the clans and is also the clan leader's daughter. After being fatally injured by an enemy soldier of the Kingsland, she is taken prisoner and unable to escape. In order to survive, Isadora must enter into a marriage with Tristan - the handsome acting mayor of Kingsland.

The chemistry between Isadora and Tristan was amazing. The plot was interesting and there were lots of twists and turns. The world building had dystopian vibes and was quite unique.

This was a really great YA dystopian fantasy straight from the start I found myself so invested in the characters storyline that I devoured it rather quickly as I just couldn't put it down.

I loved that it had a unique magic system based on bonds between two people and I feel like this helped the insta love feeling you see developing between Tristan and Isolde though as the story unfolds it becomes a little more easier to understand and except.

Some parts did feel a little too repetitive and I would of liked just a little more world building at the start as I found it a little hard to fully understand the world and how it became like it was until the end, though I will say it has one of the best endings I've read in a very long time.

Overall it was a really enjoyable read that was so easy to loose yourself in.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review before publication. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I absolutely love the premise of this book. The writing is simple but i feel like that fits the dystopian genre fine. Unfortunately I had to DNF at 40% because it feels like none of the characters are very 3D except for Tristain. As well, the world isn't described very clearly so its almost white-room syndrome.

Thank you for my review copy.

The enemy’s daughter
By Melissa Poett

Thanks @harpercollinsuk @indie_thinking indiethinking for this one!

This was a great YA set in a dystopian world with magic between those who fall in love . It was easy to read and I devoured it in a day.
In the future, after the world as we know it has been destroyed by nuclear bombs, two settlements are at war. One, the five clans, and the other - The kingsland.
After the leader of the Kingsland is killed, Isadora- a healer for the clans, is captured by the kingsland. What continues is a story of betrayal by those she thought she knew and loved, and loved that burns deeply with a magical connection.
Isadora battles to save all those she loves from both sides of the war and find a way to bring peace.

Thanks also to @netgalley !

3.5 stars

This book surprised me honestly, I went into it completely blind and I devoured it in one night. I hope we get a sequel to it to develop their relationship more and the towns. I would’ve preferred more world building and I do think the angst and tension could’ve lasted more than a few chapters but I honestly did enjoy the book.

i don’t think they should’ve called this dystopian when it was mostly just fantasy romance.. i was trying really hard to find dystopian-ish elements. i guess it is a post apocalyptic work, but how we got there is never explored, and no one seems concerned about it either. it’s mostly just white men fighting over our fmc, Isadora.

the romance is a huge part of the book, but i didn’t like it much because it’s insta-love and i couldn’t really care how they ended up together.

the writing itself is good, no complaints there, but the plot just didn’t pull me in.

an okay read, i don’t know what else to say. if you like insta-love romance and a bit of political drama, then go for it!

Unfortunately this story fell flat for me, I just couldn't get immersed in the world and the characters were predictable and one dimensional.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for approving me to read this book early, I’m rating it 4.5 stars.

I’m obsessed with the setting of the story, the unique plot and the enemies to lovers doing its thingggg.

The author definitely did hurt my heart and points, but I lowkey loved it. The story flows really well in this dystopian/post apocalyptic world as we meet two warring groups, the story follows the FMC and we get to see where she fits in this world and how her future changes from one moment to the next with catastrophic consequences.

A retelling of the famous play. The cover is beautiful. It's enemies to lovers where it's petty or they banter a lot. They're sworn enemies to the point of forbidden love. I am obsessed.

Thank you, Net Galley and Quill Tree Books for an ARC of this amazing book!
I was in love with this world from the first page. Nowadays, there are not many dystopian authors who are still writing dystopian. Melissa Poett? She is a legend. This book was such a banger that I had to take several breaks, not out of boredom but because I was in shock and had to stare at the fake cameras there for a minute.
Let me say that Isolde and Tristen are unmatched.
It's been 37 years since the republic was destroyed. Two settlements fight over the unaffected land and resources. The five clans, and the Kingsland.
The five clans-though smaller, attacked the brutal Kingsland leader and killed him, resulting in an oncoming war.
Isadora (Our MC) an eighteen-year-old healer risks her life to help injured soldiers. But when she stops an attack from Tristan, a Kingsland assassin his soldiers shoot her with a poisoned arrow. Isadora lies dying Tristan offers to save her life by using a rare magic.
Isadora is then unknowingly bound to the mysterious Tristan.
Let's start with our MC who is amazing! She was a strong MC for sure! And unlike most dystopian YA novels she wasn't annoying!!!!!! I hate an annoying MC who I can't get behind, but Isadora was amazing! I understood where she was coming from in her decisions and thought processes. Let's not forget the amazing MMC (drumroll please) ... TRISTAN!!!!! Their dynamic was so unique and adorable had me blushing and kicking my feet multiple times!
The writing was very immersive I felt like I was Isadora! The plot twists were perfectly executed, and I can't believe I had the honor of reading this as an ARC!!!!
This is my honest review, I am not biased toward this book for any reason I just genuinely loved it!
I will 100% recommend it to all!

ARC review

“The Enemy’s Daughter” by Melissa Poett is reimagining of Tristan and Isolde's story set in a dystopian world woven with magic.

Thank you HarperCollins UK for the advance digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Isadora is the daughter of a clan leader that offered her as a 'prize' to the man that manages to kill the enemy, the leader of Kingsland.
She is wounded by a poisoned arrow and Tristan, an assassin from the Kingsland, saves her life using a rare magic that binds them together.
Through this magic they can share memories, emotions, pain and wounds.

I liked the world building, the magic and the romance.
The connection between Tristan and Isadora is enhanced by magic, but they are attracted to each other from the start.
This is not a slow burn and they turn from enemies to lovers after she finds out that her father lies to her about Kingsland.

The story is beautifully written and even if there is only one POV (Isadora's), we get to know Tristan well through his actions.
They are both well developed characters and I especially liked the way Isadora acted.

If you like books with fantasy, magic, romance and strong heroines, you will like this book.

I just finished The Enemy’s Daughter, and I’m still trying to catch my breath. This book was NOT what I expected. A dystopian retelling of Tristan and Isolde? With magic, war, and enemies-to-lovers romance? Sign me up.

The story follows Isadora, the daughter of a ruthless clan leader, who’s basically been raised to hate the Kingsland,the enemy. But when she’s fatally wounded by a poisoned arrow, Tristan, an assassin from the Kingsland, saves her life using a rare magic that binds them together. And by “binds,” I mean they’re suddenly sharing emotions, memories, and a lot of unresolved tension.

First off, the world-building is chef’s kiss. It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where two factions, the clans and the Kingsland, are locked in a brutal war. One side clings to tradition, while the other salvages old-world tech. The contrast is fascinating, and the political intrigue adds so much depth to the story. I will say, though, I wish we got a little more backstory on how the world ended up this way. But honestly, I was too invested in the characters to care much.

Speaking of characters—Isadora and Tristan? SWOOOOOON! Isadora is a healer, smart and brave, but also painfully naive thanks to her upbringing. Watching her unravel the lies she’s been fed and question everything she knows was so satisfying. And Tristan? Oh, Tristan. Brooding, morally gray, and way too charming for his own good. The way he falls first and hard for Isadora had me kicking my feet. Their magical bond is such a cool twist on forced proximity. Imagine being mentally linked to your enemy and feeling their emotions? The angst! The pining! The tension!

The Enemy’s Daughter was a wild ride. Perfect for fantasy romance fans craving high stakes and swoony tension.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read The Enemy’s Daughter by Melissa Poett in exchange for an honest review.

( Potential Spoilers )

I went into this novel unfamiliar with the tale of Tristan and Isolde, and I feel that actually enriched my experience. The story stands on its own with an imaginative setting, well-paced plot, and deeply compelling characters.

The worldbuilding is done in a really interesting way, you get hints of what came before (the Republic, old technology, the poisonous land), but it’s not over-explained. That vagueness actually worked for me, as it gave room for imagination and kept the focus on the characters and the story unfolding around them.

Isadora was such a great main character to follow. She’s brave and determined, but also soft and thoughtful, her interest in medicine, reading, and wanting to help others made her really easy to root for (also, she's got some mean knife-throwing skills 🗡️). And then there’s Tristan, the enemy assassin who ends up saving her life using rare magic. Their connection binds them in a way that’s both emotional and magical, and I really liked how it played out. While I was expecting more of a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc, it leaned more into forbidden romance (which happens to be one of my favourites, so no complaints here!). What's more forbidden then saving the enemy of your clan 😉

One thing I really appreciated was the lack of miscommunication. Thanks to the magical bond they share, they’re forced to face their feelings and truths head-on, which made their relationship feel more genuine and less frustrating than some romance plots. Melissa I love you for this!

The themes around how women are treated in the clans compared to Kingsland genuinely made my blood boil at times, but in a good way. It added depth and realism to the world, and although it was frustrating to read, I think it was done purposefully and thoughtfully by the author.

that ending? Did not see it coming.

Highly recommend this if you’re into:

➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ Touch of Magic
➼ A Strong, Clever FMC
➼ He Falls First

Overall, I this book was such a pleasant surprise. If you love forbidden romance, strong heroines, magic, and stories with emotional weight, I’d absolutely recommend The Enemy’s Daughter. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Melissa Poett writes next!

Enemies to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes, so I went into The Enemy’s Daughter with high hopes—and no real idea what to expect. I purposely dove in blind, excited to see how the story would unfold.

The book leans into several familiar and beloved tropes: arranged marriage, forced proximity, rival clans, and a heroine caught between love and loyalty. Isadora’s complex relationship with her father—and the betrayal that unfolds—is a strong emotional thread. Watching her uncover the truth about his role in the ongoing conflict was one of the more compelling aspects of the plot.

The stakes are high from the start: Isadora is already betrothed to another man, the winner of a brutal competition held with the goal of assassinating the enemy clan's leader. The prize? Her hand in marriage and a future seat of power. This adds another layer of tension, especially as she begins to question everything—including the man she's promised to.

The world-building, however, didn’t quite hook me. Set after a devastating war, the story follows two fractured communities trying to rebuild. One side has regressed to a more medieval existence, while the other has salvaged old technology and lives in relative comfort. There’s a simmering hatred between them, and constant accusations about who truly started the war. While the setup had potential, it felt a bit flat and didn’t fully capture my imagination.

The romance had its sweet moments, and I enjoyed the magical bond shared by couples in Kingsland. That said, the development felt a little rushed. There wasn’t enough of the “enemy” dynamic I was hoping for—very little hate or emotional tension before the love story unfolded. It lacked the slow-burn intensity I associate with standout enemies-to-lovers stories.

Overall, The Enemy’s Daughter was a decent read with an interesting premise and emotional moments, but it didn’t leave a strong impression. Enjoyable, but not especially memorable.