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A review by rosebayreads
Ora and the Old God by Sarah Day
4.0
i received an arc through reedsy discovery in exchange for an honest review! this has not affected my review in any way, all my opinions are my own.
Ora has always wanted to be a part of the yearly Tabas hunt, despite her mother's paranoia about the woods. She manages to convince her mother to let her go with her older brother, until her brother shoots one of the fae and everything goes sideways. Her brother is turned into a brush pig and Ora is kidnapped and brought to the fae realm, where they bind her with her name. Under the eyes of Tyg, a cruel dren with an agenda of her own, Ora must figure out how to not only return home, but also how to restore her brother.
This story is an easy and fast paced read that I couldn't put down. Ora's determination and strength as a character, as well as her devotion to her brother, were powerful, especially set against a world that saw her as nothing but a servant. The world is complex—perhaps a little too complex at times, as I never felt like everything was properly explained to me—and grabs you. The bit of politics and religion we got to see were really interesting, and I hope they'll be explored more in the future. I enjoyed a lot of the side characters, some of my favorite characters were side characters who felt like they were gone too soon, who I hope will be showing up in future books. Ora and Tyg's contrasting POVs were intriguing, especially with Tyg's ruthlessness.
At times, it seemed like there was a little too much exposition, or the plot twists were a bit too obvious, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I think the ending happened maybe a bit too fast, a little more set up for some of the events would have been appreciated and things felt like they wrapped up at lightning speed, but I still greatly enjoyed reading them.
For younger fans of fae stories, or people who just want something fae but a little lower YA, and fans of fast action and familial devotion.
3.5/5
ORIGINAL REVIEW ON REEDSY
Ora has always wanted to be a part of the yearly Tabas hunt, despite her mother's paranoia about the woods. She manages to convince her mother to let her go with her older brother, until her brother shoots one of the fae and everything goes sideways. Her brother is turned into a brush pig and Ora is kidnapped and brought to the fae realm, where they bind her with her name. Under the eyes of Tyg, a cruel dren with an agenda of her own, Ora must figure out how to not only return home, but also how to restore her brother.
This story is an easy and fast paced read that I couldn't put down. Ora's determination and strength as a character, as well as her devotion to her brother, were powerful, especially set against a world that saw her as nothing but a servant. The world is complex—perhaps a little too complex at times, as I never felt like everything was properly explained to me—and grabs you. The bit of politics and religion we got to see were really interesting, and I hope they'll be explored more in the future. I enjoyed a lot of the side characters, some of my favorite characters were side characters who felt like they were gone too soon, who I hope will be showing up in future books. Ora and Tyg's contrasting POVs were intriguing, especially with Tyg's ruthlessness.
At times, it seemed like there was a little too much exposition, or the plot twists were a bit too obvious, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I think the ending happened maybe a bit too fast, a little more set up for some of the events would have been appreciated and things felt like they wrapped up at lightning speed, but I still greatly enjoyed reading them.
For younger fans of fae stories, or people who just want something fae but a little lower YA, and fans of fast action and familial devotion.