I really enjoyed this book. It's easy to read and follow . It's written at quite a fast pace but that only added to my enjoyment.

If you love fantasy this is a definite go to book. This is my first by this author and it definitely won't be my last.

Enjoy!

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. DNF. I usually love fantasy novels but from the very beginning I felt like I was thrown into a new world with no idea how I got there and no understanding of what was going on. I made it to about 35 percent of this book when I couldn't go on any longer. I was so confused and not following anything. More backstory, something that would give me more information on what was going on would have me engaged more in the book. I have read Wright's books in the past and liked them but I just could not force myself to continue with this one.

Another fantastic fantasy novel by Wright. Tattered Lands is a standalone and provides an adventured filled story that sucks you right in.

Barbara Ann Wright is one of the few lesfic authors who consistently delivers strong fantasy and science fiction subbenres - or is she a strong fantasy and science fiction author who has lesbian main characters? Whichever way you look at it, she is adept at world building - creating places and worlds without having to resort to info dumps or distracting exposition. Things flow smoothly and the reader is completely immersed in the world without having a second thought.

In Tattered Lands, Vandra, an Alchemist, is trying to create element (syndrium) that is needed to keep the Tattered Lands, a land where mutated monsters live, at bay. Lilani is a Seelie who is looking for adventure and goes against her mother's wishes to help. Both characters are engaging and you get caught up in adventure, thrills and a bit of a romance (PG) to round things out.

If you enjoy fantasy novels - definitely pick this one up. If you aren't a fantasy reader I would still recommend this as it is well written and you'll find it easy to fall into the pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had everything I enjoy in a fantasy novel with the added bonus of a smart lesbian main character and a side of romance. Magic, science, elves, legitimately good and evil characters.
The author's world building was terrific and I look forward to reading more about this world and other books by this author.

(4.5 stars)

Alchemy is something I'm a huge fan of in fantasy books, so I was delighted when there were alchemy shenanigans on the very first page. In The Tattered Lands, however, alchemists don't attempt to turn lead into gold but rather transform a mixture of base metals into a mysterious, magical element called syndrium, which not only is used as a fuel but protects the land from an evil corruption that kills or transforms everything it touches. And now one of the syndrium pylons has gone out, something that was previously thought impossible.

This was a deftly written fantasy novel that I hugely enjoyed. Since Vandra and Lilani were often apart, the narrative was separated into their (3rd person) POVs, which can be a reasonably risky tactic as sometimes one of the characters is more interesting than the other, but not in this case! I found both of their chapters to be equally engaging.

The world-building was very good surrounding the seelie and their history, but there wasn't really an explantion for what the tatter/corruption actually was - it is speculated towards the end, and maybe it's supposed to be left mysterious and up in the air, but I still would have liked a definite explanation. Other than that, though, the fantasy aspects were very well thought out.

I'm definitely going to be looking at other books from this author!

Alchemist Vandra Singh is called upon to investigate when one of the pylons that protects her people goes out. Sure, there are more, but if this is a trend, humanity may be in danger. Daughter to the seelie empress, Lilani has a natural curiosity for humans. Though seelie typically avoid humans at all cost, when Lilani sees Vandra and her siblings near the borders of their lands, she’s intrigued, and after she saves Vandra’s life, the two’s courses seemed destined to intertwine. They must uncover the mystery behind the pylons and who is trying to kill key members involved in the search if they are to save both of their people, and they might just fall in love on the way.

This book was pretty good. It had me from the beginning, lost me a bit in the middle, and got me back toward the end. The world building was pretty solid, something I always appreciate, and I really did like Vandra and Lilani. I can appreciate that the story wasn’t strictly about their romance, but I wish there was more time to develop their growing feelings for one another as the majority of the book finds them separately fighting the evil they face.

It reads mostly like a YA fantasy, so there is some hanky panky, but it doesn’t get very graphic, so if steamy scenes aren’t you’re thing, this might be up your alley. Overall, good fantasy elements and solid tension building.

This started out so good! The setting is cool, the magic system's new and fresh. But the characters just didn't resonate with me. There was something about them that made them not that interesting, and I just didn't want to continue to read. I did finish it, but I skimmed a bit at the end I'll have to say.

This is one of those book that stays with you a long time after you have finished because the concept is so new and creative. I have read other books by this author so I knew that I would be disappointed but this book has to be my new favourite.

If you are looking for fantasy, adventure and romance with some added creativity then this is a definite must read.

I finished this book about a month ago and I can still remember every detail and I'll probably re-read it at some point.

*4.6 stars

A very interesting collision of different worlds. There was some great detail and parts of the book were thoroughly engrossing.

Unfortunately I think the book also suffered from a lot of telling rather than showing a developing - particularly the relationship between Lilani and Vandra.

Both main characters were interesting in their own right and I enjoyed the tale overall

The Tattered Lands is a techno-fantasy set in an un-named world. Humans are the people who harness magic through alchemy and what an RPG might call “artificing”. The magical element syndrium provides this power. The seelie are inherently magical elf-types who live in the magical forest. This story follows Lilani, a seelie princess, and Vandra Singh, a gifted human alchemist as they work to defeat evil and happen to fall in love.
That being said, this story is still unique and has some interesting twists. There is plenty of action, intrigue, battle and derring-do, and a charming romance between two strong-willed women. The writing style is very good, and the story flows well. What is perhaps missing is some sense of geography and world-building. Yes, the reader can use imagination, but fantasy books really need something to ground them to the author’s vision. Books in fantasy genres often include maps for a reason, or some sort of “historical” commentary.
I like this book very much and would read a sequel or another similar tale set in this world. But I didn’t quite love it this time. But recommended - especially for a fantasy or science-fantasy lover.

I’m stating a fact right at the beginning: I am not a fan of fantasy nor have I read very many fantasy books so I am not one of the converted. Tattered Lands is the story of a top scientist, Vandra, who is diligently working to keep her people safe from a toxic land that is slowly encroaching on their only remaining sanctuary. Nearby, Lilani, the daughter of the Empress of the Seeli (a magical people), feels empathy for the humans so she breaks rules and connects with Vandra to help.

There was action galore, fighting with an invisible army, scary creatures, political intrigue, and of course, some romance. The author gave very good detail to the story world and unique aspects that I had not read before. I always enjoy when books include descriptions that go beyond the senses of sight and sound. Vandra, Lalani, and the secondary characters were charming. The villains were distinctly nasty as they should be. I am genuinely happy I read this book and would continue to read any follow up books.

4.5 Stars. I really enjoyed this. I think this is now my favorite book by Wright. Nothing makes me happier when a good new lesfic fantasy book comes out, and I’m so glad this lived up to my expectations.

I would put this book in the category of high fantasy. For those that don’t know high fantasy books usually centers on a main group of characters and the story is finished in one book. Unlike epic fantasy which has a big cast of characters and is normally multiple books like Game of Thrones or Dragonoak. Even with this being high fantasy, I think someone not used to fantasy would still enjoy this. Wright built a new world here, but you settle into it easily. There are not a million names, places or new words you have to learn. The new differences in this world were very easy to pick up and the story begins quickly. No big info dumps to drive you crazy.

Vandra is an Alchemist working to duplicate an element that humans need to survive. This element, that humans can no longer find, is key to keeping out the Tattered Lands that sit at their border. A plague swept through the kingdoms killing people and destroying the earth. The only things that live in the Tattered Lands are mutated monsters waiting to eat anyone that steps foot there. Lilani is part of the Seelie race. They live away from humans in one of the only woods left untouched. Lilani is bored with her confined life and wishes for adventure. When she finds out the human race is in danger of being swallowed by the Tattered Lands, she wants to help them. Will Lilani go against her mother, the Empress of the Seelie, to save the humans?

This story was so easy to get hooked into. I had to read it in one sitting since I could not put it down. This book is filled with adventure and excitement and I loved every minute of it. While I love fantasy books, I always joke about all the boring travel scenes. While yes this book had traveling scenes, most of them ended up being exciting which was a really nice change. Wright’s imagination was working overtime on this one and it was just a lot of fun.

I loved all the characters in this book. From the scholarly Vandra to the adventurous Lilani, everyone had their unique personalities. Even the other Seelie, who don’t show much emotion, were all well done. You care about these characters as they go through an adventure of a life time.

There is a romance in this book. Lilani and Vandra have this strong connection that turns into something more. While their connection is strong, it is a lighter romance. There is talk of sex happening but there are no explicit sex scenes. My only small complaint, which stopped this from being a full 5 star rating, is I wish the mains had more time together. The romance was sweet and I believed in them as a potential couple, I just needed more one on one time for them.

I really enjoyed this read. I absolutely recommend it to fantasy fans, but also to people newer to the fantasy genre. This book has a bit of everything a good book has so I see its wider appeal. In my opinion this is one of Wright’s better books and I hope she has more fantasy stories in her.

I have to start by saying that I am not a fan of fantasy-themed books, so if you are one and you want to find a deep and comparative review with other books by this author or with books of similar characteristics, do not look for it here.

That said, the book, from my point of view and as profane in the subject, has been somewhat cumbersome, it took me a bit to understand the plot at the beginning and afterwards it was also a bit difficult to follow the story until the end.

There are many characters, of different types, some are better described than others, so the abilities and even the awareness of each one of them cost to retain. The environment is also difficult to imagine in some parts, especially when different regions are mixed.

The story itself is quite interesting, once you get hooked, it has its moments. So without taking into account the background, or the details, or other aspects that surely someone with more knowledge in this kind of stories will appreciate in the book, I have had some pretty entertaining days reading it and in some moments it has been difficult put it down, waiting to know what was going to happen next.