I was drawn in by the blurb and cover, but this book completely exceeded my expectations- I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down! I wasn’t familiar with the legend of Tristan and Isolde, so I did a quick Google, and I loved spotting the subtle nods to that myth woven throughout the story.

Isadora, the daughter of a clan leader, is thrust into the heart of the action from the very beginning. Her hand in marriage, and the position as heir, is offered as a reward for the capture and killing of their greatest enemy. I loved being dropped straight into the tension, trying to decipher what would unfold next. The clan’s world is primitive, with misogyny baked into its foundations. Though Isadora enjoys a few privileges as the leader’s daughter, her life has been sheltered, confined to the village. She’s trained as a healer, using herbs and traditional medicine, and as the story progresses, we begin to uncover hints of the “old world.” I especially appreciated how the dystopian setting slowly revealed itself- it felt medieval at first, but clever breadcrumbs (like references to the ‘old ways’) made the shift feel intriguing.

The way Isadora and Tristan meet was one of my favourite parts. Despite being seen as a ‘weak’ woman, Isadora manages to capture Tristan, and the circumstances that force them together felt fresh and believable, even with the magical elements of this romantasy.

Some readers have called this instalove, but I disagree. While Tristan has known of Isadora for years and clearly harboured feelings before they met, she doesn’t fall for him immediately. Her loyalty to her betrothed and her hesitation about their situation made it feel more like a slow burn to me.

I love a strong FMC, and Isadora fits the bill. She’s not flawless or overpowered, but she’s intelligent, hardworking, and easy to root for. Tristan, meanwhile, is the perfect book boyfriend. I’m a sucker for a ‘he falls first’, and I loved how he respected Isadora’s pace, supported her curiosity about his town, and never pushed her. He may have trusted her a little too quickly, but that was nicely balanced by the scepticism of his people, who understandably struggled to accept her.

The side characters, especially Enola, were a standout. Tristan’s friends formed a wonderful found family, offering support while also challenging decisions with care and nuance.

The conflict near the end was brilliantly executed. Without spoiling anything, the tension felt real, and the final 20% had me staying up way too late just to see how it all played out.

I’m absolutely buying a trophy copy of this one. It’s already earned a spot as one of my comfort reads- I just wish it wasn’t a standalone!

A standalone romantasy where the children of two opposing faction leaders cross paths, with danger, treason, and magic. I enjoyed this book and following Isadora and Tristan's rocky relationship. I can't say I was particularly gripped, and felt that the plot needed some fine tuning and development to really draw me in but it was an easy read and the pace kept moving enough to keep my attention til the end. I really liked the concept, and the magic element was intriguing, though I would have liked to see more of it as there was clearly more potential there.

Certain parts of the book were completely hitting the mark for me, and brought the kind of tension and uncertainty I want in an enemies to lovers fantasy, so it had potential and I'm interested to see how this author's writing develops in the future!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an early copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice surprise for me. I inniatilly requested this book, because I liked the cover and because it was a retelling of Tristan and Isolde set in a fantasy/dystopian world. But then I learned this was a romantasy. And given my luck with newly published romantasy, my expections went downhill.

So imagine my shock when I started reading and immediately liked both the writing style and our main character Isadora. The story is written in first person (Isadora's POV) in present tense. I was kind of sad that we did not get Tristan's POV as well, I think that was a missed oportunity. Because if we had both POVs, the author could really highlight the differences between the rival nations. But overall, I really enjoyed the writing. I am a very visual reader and this was very easy for me to get lost in (in a good way!) and see everything come to life as a movie before my eyes. The language flowed very nicely for me.

The pacing was also very well balanced. This book is on the shorter side (around 360 pages), but the author takes time to develop our main character Isadora and gives us enough time to get to know her and her world, before the inciting incident happens. So we care about her and are scared for her when inevitably, something bad is going to happen to her. I very much appreciate that, because sometimes I just feel like I am thrown into the middle of a story with action from the start and somehow I am supposed to care for the characters that I do not know. Only the ending (specifically the epilogue) felt a bit rushed for me. I would love more time to check-in with all the side characters and see how they ended up.

Speaking of the characters, as I already mentioned, I very much enjoyed both Isadora and Tristan. I was kind of worried that Isadora will be one of those "strong female characters" that know everything the best, can fight with every weapon imaginable... You know what I am talking about. But thankfully she is none of those things. She is strong yes, but not in a physical way. Isadora is a healer, compassionate, kind and loving. She is easily lovable and you want see her succed. Tristan is also someone I rooted for very much. Which does not happen often in romantasy. Usually the love interest gives me the ick and I despise him throughout the whole book. I was afraid this would happen with The Enemy's Daughter as well, but thankfully not. Tristan is also a fully developed character, he is not here just to be a love interest, he has his own story to tell. I would just love, if the side characters were a bit more developed. We have Isadora's best friend Freia and Isadora's brother Percy for example. Freia is here to be the best friend, but she herself does not do much apart from moving the plot when needed. We do not really know much about her. Percy is the same. We see him a little bit in the beginning and in the end. As I said, he is Isadora's brother and it is kind of funny to me that we are told, Percy supposedly cares about Isadora, but we actually see them interact once throughout the whole book (and only very shortly). I could not really glean from that what sort of a relationship they have.

The romance between Tristan and Isadora was a little bit insta love I will admit, but I enjoyed it nonetherless. I loved their chemistry and I liked that there was no insta lust. Isadora actually only described Tristan as handsome after she admitted she has feelings for him.

Now for the story itself and why this did not get five stars from me. First and foremost, this story is a romantasy, so the romance between Tristan and Isadora takes the center stage through most of the book, up until the last 130 pages, where the plot takes over. As I mentioned I enjoyed the romance so I am not complaining about that. I just would love to see more of the world and learn more about its history. We get a very basic layout of the world - we are set in a postapocalyptic future where most of the technologies were lost and people returned to more of a medieval (at least Isadora's people) way of life. They use horses, fight with swords and arrows etc. And I love that as a setting, so I am sad that for most of the book we are set in one place and we do not get to explore the rest of the world.

There were also some things in the plot that did not make sense to me or would need a bit more work in my opinion. I do not want give away spoilers, so I will give only one example, from the beginning of the book. Isadora gets captured abd shot with a poisoned arrow and is dying. But she is also the only person at the moment who can give information to Tristan's people about her own people and what happened with Kingsland's leader. And they know who Isadora is, that she could have the information they seek. I think it is objectively stupid to kill your only source of information about your enemy and the characters should know that.

So in the end, I would definitely reccomend giving The Enemy's Daughter a chance. It discusses some interesting themes about power and how you can very easily control people when you control and limit their education and the information they are given. The romance is of course first and the plot comes second, and the themes are just touched on. But this is a solid 4 star for me and a big surprise.

3.5 stars

A dystopian twist on the Tristan and Isolde legend had me really intrigued and the book nicely blends romance, political tension and magic. The world building was simple and easy to understand but complexity came a bit later in the book. I will say some side characters felt a bit flat and the pacing was off. Also there was an element of a slow burn, although I wouldn’t say true enemies to lovers, more forbidden romance as they only hated each other due to their upbringing and still had a sort of insta love,
Overall there was lots of intrigue and legend which made it an engaging standalone, especially if you enjoy character driven fantasy.

A retelling of Tristan and Isolde with a dystopian twist, The Enemy’s Daughter blends romance, political tension, and a hint of magic into a high-stakes standalone. Even if you don’t know the original legend well, Melissa Poett delivers a fresh take that feels both familiar and unpredictable.

We follow Isadora, the daughter of a clan leader in a harsh, patriarchal society that feels medieval in culture yet is set against a dystopian backdrop. Her people are locked in ongoing conflict with Kingsland—a rival settlement boasting more advanced living standards. When she crosses paths with Tristan, a key figure from the enemy side, she’s soon captured and brought to his world.

Isadora’s perspective shapes the narrative entirely, and her sheltered upbringing means we learn about the wider world at the same slow pace she does. This creates an immersive sense of discovery, but also means a lot of the worldbuilding—especially about the magic system—arrives late in the story. The magic itself is intriguing, though sometimes underexplained, and occasionally makes plot resolutions feel a bit too convenient.

The romance is complicated and slow to ignite. While some readers might see it as instalove, it’s more nuanced—built on tension, conflicting loyalties, and moments of unexpected tenderness. Tristan is both a threat and a source of protection, and Isadora’s internal struggle between duty to her people and her growing feelings for him is one of the book’s strongest threads.

Side characters are a mix of vivid and archetypal—the jealous ex, the kind maternal figure, the power-hungry leader—but flashes of unexpected loyalty help keep the dynamics interesting. The pacing, however, can be uneven: the central “disagreement” between Isadora and Tristan lingers a bit too long, while the ending feels rushed, with an epilogue that tells us the world has changed rather than letting us witness the transformation.

Still, this is a gripping debut with more brutality and moral complexity than you might expect from a romance-driven retelling. It delivers on tension, blends dystopian grit with medieval flavor, and offers a fresh spin on a classic tale. Imperfect but engaging, it’s a standalone worth picking up if you enjoy slow-burn alliances, political intrigue, and high-stakes conflict with a dash of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a retelling of the legend of Tristan and Isolde, I don’t know much about the legend, so I’m sure there are details that I haven’t spotted, but to me, this didn’t feel like a legend. Also, really minor point, but why is Tristan still Tristan, but Isolde because Isadora? If you are only changing one name, just don’t, and at least change more than the second half of the other name.

The world building in this is interesting, because we as the reader really don’t know anything. Isadora has been sheltered in a really patriarchal society, and because she knows nothing, we know nothing. We learned a lot about the world really really late into the book, with most of the exposition happening at the 75% mark. It was interesting to revisit the dystopian genre in a new way too.

So character dynamics in this were really hit or miss for me. I quite liked the relationship that developed between Tristan and Isadora though it did definitely take a moment before it stopped feeling forced. However, a lot of the other characters felt so flat. There were really just the archetypal characters, the mean jealous ex, the toxic man in power, and the kind older mother like figure. It just didn’t feel as though it was fully fleshed out for me.

The pacing in this was also not quite to my taste, the ‘disagreement’ aspect of this lasted for way too long for me to find it enjoyable and then we only got a few chapters of them actually communicating before the main action. This meant that the slow build up felt even slower because of the lack of development. The ending was also wrapped up so quickly and then just concluded in the epilogue where there is a literal walk through of all the changes and how different the world was, instead of seeing them make these changes we just saw them changed.

Thank you so much to Harper Fire and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review!

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3,75-4 stars - lots of potential with a just okay execution

With the dystopian genre coming back in trend we’re seeing a lot of varying degrees of successful executions. My expectations for this one was only medium high, and that was about what I got served. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, it was just… Fine, I guess. The potential was very much there, and I loved the inclusion of magic, but most of the potential was left lying on the table. The only thing that pulled my opinion up a bit was the ending, which I did enjoy and find satisfying.
I did also like that everything was happening on a relatively small scale, in tightknit communities. So often dystopian YA spirals into a big story spanning a whole country/society, and it was refreshing to see a story on a smaller, more local scale.

A decently quick read with enjoyable main characters, in a world I would have loved to learn more about and explore more.

When I saw this cover, combined with the title, I knew I had to have this book. I pre-ordered a copy and then discovered that I could request a digital copy through Netgalley. I was really happy when HarperFire granted me one.

Let me state the obvious at the beginning: This book does have its flaws. The love is insanely instant. There are moments developments seem to happen overnight and sometimes situations escalate really quickly. But let me state the most important thing: Eventually that didn't bother me one bit. I was sucked into this story, I was invested, I cared about these characters, I yearned for a happy ending and those flaws were instantly forgiven.

In this world of fae-romances it was kinda refreshing to stumble upon a romantic dystopia again. And this is a true dystopia. Loads of knowledge have been lost, equipment has been destroyed and basically the people who've survived have been thrown back in time. The author did an amazing job creating two micro-societies, each with their own rules, habit, faith and customs. And considering our world, I can easily see both of them happening if the world would be destroyed now.

The true star of the book is the romance, of course. Yes, this is very much insta-love. However, the author created the perfect catalyst to develop this relationship, to deepen it and to make it more meaningful in record time. The book is filled with emotional moments, romantic moments and epic fights. Sometimes my heart was destroyed and into a million different pieces. Quite often it was also healed afterwards.

It works perfectly as a stand-alone, but the world would be a great background for other stories! I hope the author will write some!

This story had a lot of promise with its Tristan and Isolde inspired roots, a magical bond, and a post apocalyptic setting where two people from opposing sides are forced together. Isadora is a clan healer who takes part in an assassination attempt and ends up magically bound to Tristan, the son of the man she helped kill. As she spends time in Kingsland, she begins to question everything she has been told about her people and the world beyond.

The plot explores interesting themes like truth versus propaganda, freedom versus duty, and progress versus tradition. I liked the way the magical bond symbolised intimacy and vulnerability and the romance itself had sweet moments. However, it never truly felt like enemies to lovers. Their animosity seemed to be more about their peoples rather than each other, which made the romance feel closer to insta love. The pacing was quick and at times a little rushed, leaving some of the worldbuilding and emotional development underexplored.

Despite these points, it was still an enjoyable read. It had emotional moments, an engaging central romance, and some compelling ideas at its heart. For me, it was a solid three stars.

2 - DNF

The Enemy’s Daughter has one of the most stunning covers I’ve seen in a while, which I was drawn to immediately and had high hopes going in. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t deliver on that initial excitement.

Everything felt rushed, when I first picked up this book I had to put it down and try again, as I felt like I was already confused within the first 5-10 pages. Crucial moments were brushed over, with important scenes often wrapped up within one singular page, leaving little room for impact. The angst and yearning that should have been central, given its inspiration from the Tristan and Isolde legend, were disappointingly absent.

Tristan and Isadora were likable enough to keep me reading for a while, but both lacked depth and I had to DNF around 28%. I did go back and skim through the last quarter of the book and the ending seemed a little more gripping than the previous chapters, but I can't fully comment on this as I didn't manage to get "the full experience." They’re positioned as characters who stand for what they believe in, yet their actions often contradicted that. The romance between them was too quick and underdeveloped to be convincing, especially since it’s a major part of the plot. The "magical connection" that supposedly bonds them from the beginning was never explained or explored in any meaningful way, which made it feel like a forced shortcut to intimacy rather than earned chemistry.

The worldbuilding was thin, and while the post-apocalyptic setting had potential, it lacked explanation. There’s a mention of a world-ending war, but the aftermath is only vaguely sketched out. As someone who was only vaguely familiar with the myth, I had to look up some of the original Tristan and Isolde lore just to give it a fair chance, but sadly I feel like it was a case of "the less I know the better," maybe I would've liked the book more if I hadn't read up on anything beforehand.

Overall, this was a book with a beautiful cover, an intriguing premise, but the execution left me wanting a lot more. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Fire/Harper Collins for this early copy!

As soon as I saw this book it was the cover and the title that did it for me.
I know that this book straight away was a romantasy and my favourite trope (enemies to lovers) so I was sold instantly.
I was so happy that my instincts were correct. I dived in knowing nothing at all and I loved it.

This is about a girl who her father the seif to a clan (one of five) he sets a challenge for who will take his place as leader. If they kill his enemy (the leader of Kingsland a place that is still connected to the old work, using their ways and methods) who ever can kill him will win his daughters hand and will become the next Seif. she becomes tangled up in politics and society restraints and becomes a pawn for this world not breaking into war. she comes across an enemy of Kingsland and takes him prisoner to bring back to her clan. She is set on trying to stop a civil war. but she becomes injured by the Kingsland and the only way to survive is to enter into a magical bargain/marriage with her enemy capture to stay alive. There is heartbonds and magical elements. She gets taken back to Kingsland and this is where she is stuck behind enemy territory. Unwelcome by all and betrothed to one. One she should have never even met. Finding herself and her place, is this who she was supposed to be all along, can she change what is to come, would she want to. What happens to her clan betrothal. All becomes twisted and she needs to fight to rise above it all and fight for her love.

This is a slow burn with book boyfriend classic moves that we all love ( open collar, roll-up sleeves, learning against the door frame book boyfriend moves that make us all putty in the authors hands) so much angsts, I can tell already half way through that there is more then he is letting on and I’m hoping for a fated or written in the stars moment. Time will tell but I’m really enjoying the ride, and the characters draw you in. this is giving me subtle 'Feysand' (ACOTAR) vibes and I’m devouring it page but page. I know I’m going to be shouting it from the rooftops, how good it is! This is an easy read in the best way not complicated but has managed to get catnip in those addictive pages.
I liked the magical connection elements, and the last 80 pages were action packed. I really enjoyed this overall. This is a very good dystopian YA book with closed door, fade to black, no spice scenes.
I’m giving this a solid 4* as I would recommend to lovers of the following - Forced marriage/marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers (obviously), magical elements and bonds, he falls first, closed door spice, dystopian worlds.

You know when you pick up a book and suddenly it's 2am and you're like “just one more chapter” but you’ve been saying that since 10pm? Yeah. That was me with The Enemy’s Daughter.

This debut YA is an absolute banger. It was addictive – fast-paced, dramatic, and lowkey feral in the best way possible. Think:
⚔️ Enemies-to-lovers (with actual tension)
💍 Forced marriage (but like... magically bound and emotionally devastating)
🗡 Girlboss healer who accidentally becomes a war criminal (we love that for her)
🔥 “This boy is so very dangerous.” SAME, bestie. SAME.

Let’s talk about the MEET-CUTE (aka attempted murder): Isadora literally ties Tristan to a tree. 🪢 She’s all, “stay put,” and he’s over there trying to flirt through the ropes:
“Then explain to me how this is going to work because it’s kind of a hands-on job — or… were you hoping you could help?"
I choked. The audacity. The CHAOS.

Then BOOM 💥 poisoned arrow to the chest, and what does our grumpy assassin boi do? He saves her. Uses forbidden magic. MARRIES HER. And now they’re soul-bonded. Enemies? Where?? Not anymore, babes.
“There is no betrothal, Isadora. You’re married now. To me.”
So...that was unnecessarily hot.

And can we TALK about the emotional angst? The slow-burn trauma sharing??
“Is it possible for us to share your grief the same way we shared the poison?”
I was SOBBING. Actual goosebumps. The way this book balances action and emotional gut-punches??? Chef’s kiss.

✨CHARACTERS I’M OBSESSED WITH✨
💜Isadora – soft but savage, stuck in a world that wants her silent. She said no thanks and burned the rulebook.
🖤Tristan – morally grey assassin with a cinnamon roll centre. Protective, tormented, obsessed with her since before she captured him.
“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.”
Tell me why I’m screaming into my pillow at midnight.

👑Enola – literal queen. She deserves sainthood for the way she welcomed Isadora when everyone else was out for blood.
☠️Annette & Caro – I have hands. Come at me.
🤢Gerald and Isadora's dad – deserve to be dropkicked into next week.
👀Liam – not a bad guy tbh, but sorry babe, there’s only one spot on the love interest podium and it’s already taken.

The plot twists at the end? I was GASPING. Pages were flying. I had whiplash.
And the politics? The secrets? The lies Isadora’s grown up believing?? Everything she thought was true gets ripped apart and it’s deliciously painful to watch her start questioning everything:
“How am I supposed to go back to a place where my voice doesn’t matter? Where my future isn’t my own?”
SHE IS THE MOMENT.

⚔️ THEMES I LOVED
👊 Questioning tradition : Isadora’s entire arc is about unlearning what she’s been force-fed her whole life – about her place as a woman, about war, about Kingsland. Watching her grow?? Phenomenal.
💔 Trauma bonding but make it emotional maturity : The way they’re tied to each other through literal shared wounds… and how that forces them to be honest. Powerful.
✨ The healing power of choice: Isadora could’ve stayed in the clans, obeyed, married Liam. But she chooses something harder. Something real.
“I fear he's ruined for me the things I used to accept.”

“Our attraction was instant and seismic.”
Same babe, SAME.

🎤 Final thoughts:

Would I sell my soul to see this as a Netflix series? Yes.
Did this book ruin me for all future enemies-to-lovers romances? Also yes.
Would I love to see another book written in this world? ABSOLUTELY.
“I don’t want to be enemies.”
“Then let’s not be.”
UGHHHH. KILL ME WITH KINDNESS AND TENSION WHY DON’T YOU.

4.5/5
💭 Have you read The Enemy’s Daughter yet? And if not… why are you still here? GO.

Thank you so much to Melissa Poett, Harperfire (for sending me the beautiful proof copy!), and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I went into this one a bit blind and it turned out to be a fast paced, really enjoyable YA Romantasy set in a dystopian future. I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing it felt as a story, being quite different to a lot of other fantasy/Romantasy I read.

Both of the MCs are likeable despite being enemies. This felt true enemies to lovers that led to confused learning complicated by the marriage of necessity and shared magic.

There's clearly a lot of secrets to uncover that spur you on through the book with little Easter eggs and snippets throughout.

The dystopian future was very easy to imagine and explained well, it was interesting to see humanities varying ways of coping and moving forward after a huge destructive event.

Lots of morally grey side characters and devastation which made the story feel more real and like the MCs were in serious danger with a real possibility of a bleak outcome.

Even the opposing characters who seek to destroy everything have kind of understandable motives when you finally uncover them despite them being clearly the wrong choices.

There wasn't information overload in this book, it came as and when needed always building upon what you already knew as a reader.

Overall this was a easy read, fast paced, MCs you could invest in, emotional and lots of twists and turns! Enjoyable!

A lovely YA romance, this one. Based on Tristan and Isolde, I knew vaguely what to expect from the plot, and it didn't disappoint.
The romance is sweet, and the connection between characters is heartfelt.

I loved the setting - a dystopian version of the world where they're rebuilding with the remnants of a bombed out civilisation. Nods to a (semi)modern world are found throughout, and its interesting to see the things that have been prioritised once technology is lost - medicine, plumbing, power which we take for granted.
The social dynamics, including the patriarchal elements of the clans were also interesting.

For a YA read - note that this includes some violence and torture, forced marriage and women treated as lower citizens than men. Nothing hugely graphic in description, but substantial injury to main characters.

I was lucky enough to read this ahead of wider publication, so thanks to Poett, NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me arc access.

3.75 stars rounded up

I am unfamiliar with the medieval story of tristan and Isolde so I am unsure how accurate this retelling is, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. in fact, it has convinced me to read the medieval tale. for those who were wondering, this book is a standalone, which kinda makes me sad because I would've read 100 books about these two if they were written because I loved their characters and the writing style of the book.

I was hooked from the start of the book (I cannot thank Melissa Poett enough because I was in a HUGE reading slump and this pulled me right out of it). I love Tristan, he was sweet, kind and considerate. the only thing I would've loved a bit more was is their romance was a bit more of a slow burn because it seemed a bit quick for my liking. I loved seeing the book through Isadora's perspective as it added a bit more depth to the book as we saw the conflicting between what she thought she knew and the reality of the situation.

this book is a dystopia fantasy, however, I did not figure out it was a dystopia until maybe the middle of the book. it missed out some crucial world building which would've made this stronger. I couldn't really visualise much of the setting, but I could with the characters, so if the world was a bit more fleshed out then that would've made the dystopia more prevalent. Not only that, but it could have pushed more with the dystopia, it was a bit more of a sub-plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK + Harper Fire for this ARC!

This was cute. Gorgeous covers too.

The book did drag for the first half but I was quickly invested by the second half and time flew by. Though I don't know if dystopian adequately describes this story.

Not the most intricate world building and quite basic character work but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. This was easy to read and had many cheesy, cliche and tropey moments which I liked it, and their actions made sense for 18 and 20 year old characters. I giggled and kicked my feet at the healing scenes and how the MMC stands up for the FMC.

I liked the whole enemies-to-lovers set up and how the FMC grappled with her new reality but I felt she folded pretty quickly and they were declaring their love literally after first kissing one another. The ending was rushed and too neatly tied together for what the stakes were but understandable since it's a standalone book.

Characters were likeable, albeit not really fully fleshed out. Wanted more of the romance to be genuinely built outside of their forced proximity and the bond. Wanted more on the magical elements of the world but that was glossed over and only seemed to apply to the bond between partners. The twists and reveals weren't that surprising since the foreshadowing and info-dumping was quite heavy-handed.

Lol at how the antagonist (and basically the whole enemy dynamic between the two settlements) basically did all they did because they were a bitter and misogynistic incel.

Would read again if the mood strikes. This book would probably be loved by YA readers looking for a quick romantasy read.

Overall rating: 3.75/5

I am not usually a big dystopian reader and I am also not too familiar with the story of Tristan and Isolde so cannot comment on it from a retelling side, but I was absolutely gripped by this from the get go and couldn't put it down.

I am only familiar with the basic premise of Tristan & Isolde so I cannot say how this retelling compares, but it was definitely a fun, interesting and also unexpectedly dark read at times. We follow Isadora who is the daughter of a clan leader in a dystopian setting - while there are remnants of our world, their lifestyle and social norms feel quite medieval. Her people are continuously fighting off attacks from Kingsland, another settlement but with more advanced living standards.

The story is entirely told from Isadora's point of view but we are introduced to Tristan fairly early on where the two cross paths which eventually also leads to Isadora's capture and being brought back to Kingsland. Although I have seen some call this insa love, I would beg to differ. I think, beyond physical attraction, there's certainly more background to these two that needs to be taken into account and I think Isadora wars with herself quite a lot. She is a caring character who fiercely wants to protect her people but who also doesn't want anyone hurt, friend or otherwise. She finds herself in a new environment that shakes a lot of her world views and she has to start questioning many of her convictions whilst also still wanting to protect her people. Tristan appears unexpectedly caring and tender towards her whilst still posing a threat to all the people she cares for. It's complicated, and I think it is really well done.

The dystopian worldbuilding reminds me a little of The Hunger Games [excluding the games] and Station Eleven, with the exception that there's a hint of magic. The magic system is intreresting, albeit not entirey my favourite, it almost felt like it made certain aspects too easy. On the other hand, a lot of the plot and conflict depended on this magic (which I'd also argue felt a little underexplained as to its origins) so it was probably necesary to have it in place.

The side characters were largely interesting although we didn't get to know them all that well beyond Isadora and Tristan. I did nonetheless enjoy some of the unexpected loyalties shown later down the line given that trust was probably one of the biggest conficts in this tale. The two parties are constantly pitched together and there's a bit of a mystery as to how things got to where they are. There was more brutality than I had anticipated - I do think the conflict was well presented, deep rooted and difficult to solve which makes this feel like the stakes are set quite high.

While not perfect, I think this was a gripping and nicely crafted debute and it's nice to see more fantasy and/or dystopian standalones.

I was hooked for the start and i devoured it in one sitting ! I adored how well the dystopian world blended perfectly with the magical element ! And speaking of the characters.. the chemistry and the tension between them were fantastic and I also really really loved how their relationship build up around their loyalties, duty and news feelings.
So yes, i definitely recommend it if you want a fast paced and compelling enemies to lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've been reading a lot of romantasy books over the last few years and have now got to the stage where if your writing is full of cliches and the characters aren't strong enough to overcome that for me, I will just lose interest. Unfortunately this was one of those books for me. It was fairly obvious what the twist was going to be from the beginning, and neither Tristan or Isadora were captivating enough to make me care about their love story. It was fine, and I'm sure younger readers might find more in it, but not for me.