In the Jaded Grove

~~~~~ 3.5 Stars ~~~~~This Fae, Fairy, Pixie, Troll, Human Fantasy was exactly the book I was looking for to jump back into the genre after a brief hiatus... it surely hit the spot. It commanded my attention the entire time and before I knew it BAM, it's 4:00 a.m. and I had blown right through it. I don't want to jinx things but I have been super lucky with my biblio-choices of late and this one met my expectations.In The Jaded Grove ticked all the right Fantasy boxes. There was action and a slow burn. It had a simple Magic System, decent world building, solid writing plus cool characters. Yes there was a central insta-love BUT the book had a valid explanation for it so that annoying fauxpas gets a pass... this time. The Magic System was a hierarchy of magical power divied up amongst the different species which seems like pretty standard fare but it did have a few one-off aspects of its own like where their power came from, how it was wielded and who possessed the lion's share of it. The story's path was fairly easy to suss out ahead of time in certain areas but it was still fun watching it all play out. There was an easy plot manipulator that helped move the plot along at an accelerated pace requiring little effort from our MCs while allowing the characters to easily traverse some sticky spots... THAT always niggles.Overall:This book was a rather tame (for a book mostly taking place in the middle of a war zone), quick, Fae Fantasy with fun characters, a slightly excusable insta-love, detailed world building and proficient writing.All in all this read is a solid 3.5 Stars.~ Enjoy

I am a consummate Anela Deen fan at this point, so I was expecting to enjoy this story anyhow, but I was absolutely swept away by the heartache and struggle and hope of this story. Simith is a pixie knight with a fully earned and bloody reputation on the battlefield, in a war between the faerie and the trolls that has led to immense losses on both sides. Jessa is a young Filipino-American poet who lost her family in a tragic accident, and is struggling through her days, her poetry lost to her. They are both broken and hurting, no matter what front they may put on before others (Simith especially).Simith knows he can't atone for what he's done, but he doesn't want to continue fighting either when peace might be possible. But when he attempts to organize a secret meeting to establish a truce, he's betrayed and chased through the Jaded Grove, up through the branches of ancient trees... and into a sunflower field in Skylark, Michigan. When Jessa stumbles across Simith and his attackers, their lives are irrevocably intertwined.This story has so many poignant moments, so much hurt and so much healing. But our characters don't save each other so much as help the other see that they are deserving of saving. That they are loved and supported, and can find a new way forward because they aren't alone. And that really spoke to me.We also have the BEST settings folks--ancient magical groves, sunflower fields, creepy Fae house, hidden cities within the hills, a creepy house filled with ancient magic on an island at the center of a cursed lake, do I even need to go on? This story has <i>ambiance</i>.And... just in case you weren't convinced, we have some truly fabulous side characters, a secondary romance line that's adorably sweet, and female friendships that are EVERYTHING.So yeah, stop reading this review and go read the book. ;)

I wish more places would let you use 1/2 stars, because I would give this book 3.5 stars. It was good, but I couldn't bump it up to a 4. The main reasons being:1. There was just too much self loathing/blame going on with both main characters. I realize that past tragedy/pain is kind of a theme, but omg. I skimmed through quite a bit of that stuff because it just got so tiresome.2. I don't really understand why she is pregnant. I personally felt that if she wasn't pregnant the story could be the same. ******Spoiler****** the author could have found a way for Simith to give up a part of his life force or whatever to her without the baby. I feel like that is literally the only reason she is pregnant.3. The ending felt rushed. After the 'big bad' was defeated, it just felt hurried and it would have been cool to explore everyones fates a little more thoroughly.So there were things I did actually like about the book. I enjoyed the overall story and Simith was a cool character despite his self loathing. It was neat how the author made a group that are usually defined as rough and tumble killers into the good guys, while making another group that are usually valiant and brave into shady killers.Overall it was a pleasant and easy read. If you are a fast reader you can definitely finish this in a weekend. I think I finished this in 4 days, reading on lunch breaks, before bed, etc. *I received a free copy in exchange for my honest voluntary review.*

I loved Anela Deen since I first read Beneath Cruel Fathoms and was excited to see that she was releasing a novel into the fairy realm. I finished the book in a single day; Deen’s storytelling delves deeply catching her readers attention from the start. Her deftness at creating relatable characters with a strong plot is fresh and cleanses my palate after many many fae stories that I’ve succumbed to. Thank you for releasing a refreshing novel that I could lose myself in.