The Shattered Lands

I really enjoyed The Shattered Lands by Brenna Nation!
My favourite thing about this book was definitely the two main characters, Sapphire and Ashes.
It was also really well written and I really liked the magic and world.
I definitely hope there will be a sequel as that ending hurt!
I really do highly recommend this book!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Coming from Penguin on 16 March, The Shattered Lands by Brenna Nation is a bewitching tale of a lost princess, forbidden love and a magical country divided.

When Sapphire finds herself mysteriously transported to a foreign land, she is initially shunned as an outsider and considered a threat. Her violet eyes cause panic and intrigue.

She is soon accosted and taken to the Queen and King where her true lineage is discovered - she is the lost princess of Eriobis.

Finding herself as the heir to crown of a country shrouded in secrets and in possession of powerful magic she is yet to master, Sapphire soon becomes a pawn in a century long feud which has the potential to destroy the world as she knows it.

Whilst unravelling the secrets of her past, she finds herself drawn to the elusive Ashes, a dark witch that can control shadow creatures with the ability to rip flesh from bone within seconds. Ashes plagues her thoughts and dreams. She is her enemy, her undoing and an obsession she cannot escape.

This enchanting story of sacrifice and forbidden love completely blew me away. With little over a month until its release, I'm already craving a sequel.

The Shattered Lands is beautifully written and fast-paced. Ashes is a dangerously seductive character that I look forward to learning more about while Saphire is fiercely determined and strong willed. I adored both characters and the romance that develops between them is alluring and simply magical.

The ending was unexpected and carefully crafted. A fantastic read packed with potential and promise.

this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and by god it did not disappoint.

the premise of this book is one of my favourites: princess x witch, enemies to lovers, and while in this book the romance is definitely not the focal point of the story, the parts with the romance absolutely shine.

Sapphire is an absolute ray of sunshine (with a darker side) and her character arc throughout this book constantly had me on the edge of my seat. i regularly found myself going “just one more chapter”. she is the perfect character to follow on the journey in this book because much like the reader, she hasn’t got a clue what is going on. this meant that when information was revealed I was having the same reactions as Sapphire. I absolutely adore her and the way she is written means it’s absolutely impossible for you to not fall in love with her.

As for Ashes, where does one start? there’s a tension between the two main characters straight away, but after the initial meeting it takes a while before we see Ashes again. But once her character gets going, wow. It’s hard to talk about her without spoiling the book. But the way she’s written is incredibly. her motivations and her inner workings are phenomenal, and by the time you reach the last chapter your jaw will drop and you will be so overcome with so many conflicting emotions. i cannot wait to talk about Ashes and that ending with people once this book is out. also, i would have killed for an Ashes POV but the fact that this book is only told from one perspective does not detract from how good the book is at all.

the side characters also hold a special place in my heart. Evera is the best friend we all need. Kaian is brilliant. he exceeded my expectations because i thoroughly doubted him at every twist and turn yet he did not falter. Sapphire’s mother was another character i fell in love with she is the ultimate book mother and i cannot wait to see more of her in the next book.

The one error i have made when reading this book is reading it now. i don’t think i can wait an undecided amount of time for book two with that ending. i’m going to be ripping my hair follicles out by the time it is released. i cannot wait to see where this story goes next.

And a big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc so that i could read this one early!

I could not put this book down! I really enjoyed the magic system and world building in this story. The twists and turns kept me hooked and I also enjoyed and appreciated the sapphic romance and strong friendships. The ending left me heartbroken and I’m already looking forward to a sequel!

A sapphic fantasy book about a princess and a witch do I need to say more. This debut book was very well written. I really loved the writing style which for me is extremely important because if it’s not good I can’t get into the reading but I really like the descriptions and everything. The tension between Sapphire and Ashes was everything. This was truly great sapphic representation that we need. I definitely need the second book as soon as possible the cliffhanger emotionally destroyed me. Cannot wait to read more books from Brenna.

Sapphire is a lost Princess, who meets and falls for a witch when she is reinstated on the throne. What follows is a dark, magical story of forbidden love and secrets.

This was a good, easy read with a creepy atmosphere that kept me guessing right to the end. Loved Sapphire and Ashes, and their growing relationship. Can't wait for the next book!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to Brenna Nation, Penguin Random House Childrens UK, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. The Shattered Lands comes out March 16, 2023

Sapphire has spent 18 years in Witrotean, a waste land that was ravaged by beasts and famine, and expects to spend the rest of her maybe short life there. That is until one night during what she thinks is a dream she is transported to Eriobis, a land full of magic and secrets. Not only was she born in this new lands, but she is the lost princess they have been looking for. While searching for answers to the history of Eriobis and the war that split the kingdom 1000 years ago, she meets Ashes, a Shadow Witch. Shadow witches are rumored to be monsters that control the shadow beasts, they were the side of the war that lost those many years ago. Though they are enemies, Sapphire and Ashes cannot ignore the buring attraction between themselves. They will have to question wiether or not the truth that is revealed will start the end of a kingdom.

I am going to be completely honest I almost stopped reading this book 30% in, there was alot of world building and alot of Sapphire getting used to her new position. I cannot even tell you how happy I was that I stuck to it, because the last 50% of the book was amazing. Full of revealed secrets, blooming powers and scorching attraction. Be warned this is the first book of a series, so it leaves off on a pretty big cliff hanger. But before that cliffhanger you start to see Sapphires confidence and curiosity grow. you really started to getr a feel of the world and magic, plus throughout the book new things come to light that build its complexity. This is Brenna Nation's first book and I can't wait to read the next book and really see not only the story but also her skill develop. If you are looking for a saphic fantasy full of enimies-to-lovers, and knife to throat goodness, The Shattered Lands is for you!

Calling all Romantasy lovers. This book is a great mix of political intrigue, who do I trust, lost princess/chosen one, and some rocking enemies to lovers between a princess and a witch.

I had some issues with our main character at times because of her immaturity and naïveté. It does serve a purpose in the book but it infuriated me at times. She appeared also very easily accept her new fate. Maybe that’s because of the life she was leaving behind was one of war and famine.

Ashes and Sapphire is a super well written enemies to lovers and “touch her and I’ll hurt you” type vibe.

I loved her friendships with Evers and Kaian. They balanced out each other and helped the MC with some of her impulsivity.

I loved that throughout the story it is encouraged to question history because “those writing history know the dead won’t come back to correct them”. It’s often the “victor” that gets the write and more accurately rewrite history.

I thought some of the world building wasn’t fully fleshed out but this is the first book in a series so I’m sure a lot will continue to unfold! I for one want to see how the story progresses.

A really great YA romance and fantasy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me for an ARC!

Review posted on Jensatt.shelves instagram coming this week.

THIS BOOK IS DARN ADDICTIVE. Once I started it I just couldn’t put it down, it’s filled with secrets and betrayal, an enemies to lovers romance where our MC would BURN THE WORLD FOR HER and elemental magic.

BUT MY do I need book two immediately. I AM INVESTED.

This sapphic YA fantasy is honestly just PERFECT. And my heart, the enemies to lovers/ forbidden romance in this honestly on another level, the way Sapphire would honestly break the world for Ashes is just ARGHHH. It perfectly captures what the things we will do for love.

At the stroke of midnight on Sapphire’s 18th, she is pulled from the orphanage to a kingdom she doesn’t know, finding parents she never knew she had. Oh and they happen to be the King and Queen of this magical land, who have been searching for her since she was taken moments after she was born. But can she truly believe them? In a land ruled by magic and secrets where will she stand?

As soon as I saw the cover for this book I was intrigued. A sapphic fantasy with witches and elemental magic.. I was sold! And this books didn’t disappoint. I loved the characters, but never quite knew who to trust. Or which side was the right side to root for. I can’t wait for the sequel to this book!

‘The Shattered Lands’ was a book I couldn’t put down. I craved more, turning page after page wanting to know what happened next. Brenna Nation will be the next new author to look out for.

Wowww! This book is everything I want in a YA romantasy. Sorry for the ramblings but I need to squeal.

Sapphire has visions before her 18th birthday that transport her to a new world. She quickly learns she is the long lost daughter and heir to the kingdom who must adapt to learn her away around a magical land, understand her special powers and her past.

She’s strong willed, impulsive, curious and loyal. What I loved about Sapphire are her questions and anxieties match the readers as the story unfolds, I didn’t find her naïveté annoying or frustrating like I often do with FMC’s blind to their situation. She’s anxious but there is depth and realness to her emotions that felt believable to me. Appropriately so, Sapphire doesn’t trust everything she’s told and there are lots of twists and turns in Eriobis.

Luckily, she quickly finds her people and I loved reading about her friendship with Evera and Kaian. They’re the perfect balance, offering her guidance and questioning her when she’s ornery. The unfolding relationship with Araxia is written beautifully and covers tough feelings of belonging and family.

Ashes, the Shadow witch that Sapphire can’t stop thinking about, has her own agenda and coven to think about, but that doesn’t stop her from encountering the princess in the woods on many occasions. Their banter and flirtations had me *sweating*

This book questions ruling legacies and the where the stories we are told come from. There is plenty of political conflict and intrigue, a cast of side characters that really round out the story, and an enemies to lovers romance to *die* for.

Read this for:
🗡️The chosen one navigating a new magical world
🗡️Magic powers and training
🗡️Lesbian romance
🗡️A tall, mysterious, red haired witch with “I’ll kill you vibes”
🗡️A blonde boy who gives off alternative universe Malfoy vibes
🗡️”Good girl”
🗡️Burn it all down FMC energy
🗡️”If they touch you, they die”

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and my thoughts are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one early!

This was such an addictive book! I have been looking forward to reading this for so long, and was so excited when I got approved on NetGalley. This is an enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance surrounded by political intrigue and an elemental magic system.

On her eighteenth birthday Sapphire is transported to a different world where they tell her that she is the lost princess, who disappeared eighteen years prior. Sapphire is thrown right into the kingdom that seems to be full of secrets that nobody is talking about. While trying to discover more about the kingdom that she will one day inherit, Sapphire keeps running into the alluringly beautiful but dangerous witch Ashes. Sapphire and Ashes are at the centre of a history of secrets, political intrigue and a teetering power balance between the dark witches and elementals.

This is everything I wanted to read as a queer teen looking for YA fantasy. While I think the setting and relationships could definitely be more developed (hopefully in book two), it was such an exciting and addictive read. The author just knows how to build up so much tension between Sapphire and Ashes, I was pretty much bursting by the end. On top of that, the magic system was interesting and I can see it going so much further in a sequel as our characters get to know their power.

The characters were engaging, deeply flawed but loveable, and had such amazing chemistry it’s unbelievable. I can’t wait to read more of these characters and more from this author.

Sapphic YA fantasy with elemental magic, witches, and delicious, delicious betrayal

I loved this one. It has ruined me and I need more now.

This is a debut and the world building, characters, magic, and intricate plot read like a seasoned writer.

It was incredible.