Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Sorcerous Moons #4

The Forests of Dru

Rate this book
An Enemy Land

Once Princess Oria spun wicked daydreams from the legends of sorceresses kidnapped by the barbarian Destrye. Now, though she’s come willingly, she finds herself in a mirror of the old the king’s foreign trophy of war, starved of magic, surrounded by snowy forest and hostile strangers. But this place has secrets, too—and Oria must learn them quickly if she is to survive.

A Treacherous Court

Instead of the refuge he sought, King Lonen finds his homeland desperate and angry, simmering with distrust of his wife. With open challenge to his rule, he knows he and Oria—the warrior wounded and weak, the sorceress wrung dry of power—must somehow make a display of might. And despite the desire that threatens to undo them both, he still cannot so much as brush her skin.

A Fight for the Future

With war looming and nowhere left to run, Lonen and Oria must use every intrigue and instinct they can to plumb Dru’s mysteries, to protect their people—and to hold fast to each other. Because they know better than any what terrifying trial awaits…

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2017

38 people are currently reading
191 people want to read

About the author

Jeffe Kennedy

101 books1,342 followers
💙She/her💙 Award-winning Bestselling Author of epic fantasy romance. Taoist. Swiftie. Santa Fean. Cat lady @sfwa_inc Past-President. Rep by @seyitsme

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
148 (27%)
4 stars
221 (41%)
3 stars
138 (25%)
2 stars
26 (4%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Bambi Unbridled.
1,301 reviews139 followers
February 7, 2017
description

The Forests of Dru is the fourth installment of Jeffe Kennedy's Sorcerous Moons series, a fantasy romance saga involving two races - the magical Bara and the barbarian Destrye. You should start reading this series from the beginning, with Lonen's War, where the majority of the world-building occurs. The story follows the same arc in the following books, so I don't recommend that you skip any. This review may contain spoilers for earlier books in the series.

This book picks up where The Tides of Bara ended, with Lonen and Oria convalescing in his rooms inside Dru. The Destrye people, particularly Lonen's older brother, are distrustful of his foreign bride and think she has ensorcelled him for nefarious purposes. Oria is cut off from the magic of Bara, and has still not managed to harness the wild magic that she needs to replenish her stores. With Oria looking more wan by the day, and Lonen still suffering from a golem bite - he really does not need the drama from his family and people.

In the previous two books, I lost my love for Oria and the level-headed good judgment she exuded in Lonen's War. However, luckily for Lonen (and me), Oria is back to her calm collected self and she is now back in my good graces. I loved that she was a calming influence on Lonen and they were able to have rational conversations, and even flirt with one another.

The marriage between Oria and Lonen still has one major obstacle... they cannot touch skin to skin. While the marriage has yet to be officially consummated, Lonen is becoming inventive with ways for them to be intimate and share pleasure. I like that our couple is growing closer together, and are starting to present a united front of seemingly "us" against the world.

My favorite character continues to be Chuffta, a winged dragon/lizard that is Oria's familiar. Chuffta is always the sound of reason (unless he thinking of making fires). He has a dry personality, but the bond between he and Oria is strong. I am looking forward to things that have been foreshadowed for his character.

I still am not a fan of the format of the series. These last two books have not advanced the story arc very far, and the abrupt endings leave me feeling unsatisfied. I think I would have preferred two longer books rather than this split into shorter novellas. That being said, I think I will enjoy where this series ends up and I will definitely keep reading... I just hope we get some major action in the next installment.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the author.
Profile Image for Douglas Meeks.
896 reviews237 followers
February 8, 2017
Where to start? This series is getting frustrating for me, I feel like we are getting fed small pieces of this puzzle.

We spent the last book and this one also getting a lot of verbiage but not much forward movement in the plot for a reading investment of several hundred pages.

This time we get involved in Lonen and Oria's life in his land where he is supposed to be King and she his Queen but seems more than a few of his people and family will not accept her and not all are accepting him. Some palace type intrigue and more exploring their relationship which is pretty much what we did most of last book.

This is a great story but I feel I am being fed much too little story for the pages I have read. I enjoy their relationship but this is starting to feel like the old soap operas on TV where you could watch all week and the actual story moved in inches instead of miles :) The glacial pace of this story is wearing on my excitement of the story itself.

Bottom Line: I still love this story and can see great things in the future but the pace is killing my enjoyment since I feel like these last 2 book could/should have been combined into one slightly faster paced novel. I was really looking forward to this book and I would be lying if I did not say I was disappointed. So 3.5 Stars that we will round off to 4 Stars only because I expect this series to have a epic ending, I guess I will just have to keep waiting to see if the next one moves the story ahead at a better pace, there are so many things lined up now I can't see how it cannot be action packed, but then again I expected that from this book.
Profile Image for Maria Rose.
2,639 reviews278 followers
October 1, 2019
Another intriguing continuation of this fantasy romance saga! Lonen and Oria have made it back to Dru but things are anything but simple for them, with Lonen's brother challenging Lonen's right to kingship and Oria trying to figure out how to replenish her magic in a strange land. Married under Baran law, the people of Dru regard Oria with either suspicion (as a Sorceress who has enchanted their King and forced him into marriage) or curiosity. As they look for a way to save their peoples from another disastrous war, they discover some ancient ties that may hold the clue. Excited to continue the series!

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
Profile Image for Vicki Stiefel.
Author 16 books802 followers
February 13, 2017
If you're a fan of Lonen and Oria, The Forests of Dru will make your heart chime. The third book in Jeffe Kennedy’s continuing Sorcerous Moon saga is rich with events, albeit mellower ones then in the previous volumes. The novel deepens and enriches the relationship between this disparate pair, the magical Oria and the warrior Lonen. Their love burns brighter and truer, as they journey to save their world. The Forests of Dru warns of impending explosions, which sound terrible and mighty. Here, Lonen’s fractious relationship with his brother bubbles over, while Oria discovers a powerful secret, one that I suspect will guide her down a perilous path in the books to come. I love this series. The world-building is thrilling and their romance charms me, but I especially love spending time with these two unique and multifaceted characters. Kennedy's delightful embellishments include the irrepressible Chuffta and the stalwart Buttercup, two creatures as fully formed as any living, breathing human. While this book is a bridge to future adventures, do recall that bridges can be thrilling, daunting, and fraught with danger.
Profile Image for Blodeuedd Finland.
3,692 reviews310 followers
February 4, 2017
I just hate the Destrye! Poor Oria. Fine, there are nice people there too, but so many are just asshats. All she is a witch! She has bewitched him! Use her as a slave and marry one of your own kind! Asshats! She is lying there half dead, but of course she is at fault. Grrrrrr!

I guess I should be happy cos she is with Lonen, but they are just so mean! She is weak because she needs her magic. He is weak cos of their journey there. And people do not want her around so that is not exactly making them stronger.

The book is not long, it's a novella. They get better, there is drama and they try to figure out how to make her better.

But things are coming, I am intrigued by new events. Things will get dangerous too. I am looking forward to more.
Profile Image for Alison.
3,715 reviews146 followers
February 4, 2017
I heart Jeffe Kennedy, although the Sorcerous Moons series could go on forever!

Oria and Lonen have finally arrived in Dru and have been reunited. But Lonen's brothers, his sister-in-law and his ex-lover are still suspicious of Oria and concerned that she has Lonen under a spell. Also, Lonen's older brother is angry that he is not King because he was believed dead.

As family tensions escalate Oria becomes increasingly weak, cut off from the Baran magic and unable to access the wild magic without overloading herself.

I loved this, it was too short and I am desperate to find out what happens next ...
Profile Image for Marlene.
3,476 reviews244 followers
February 6, 2017
Originally published at Reading Reality

I love this series, but I’m not completely sold on this particular entry in it.

Let me explain…

This book picks up where The Tides of Bára leaves off, but it doesn’t really go anywhere until the very end. As the story begins, Lonen and Oria have finally reached Lonen’s kingdom, and all is not nearly as well as Lonen had hoped.

His people believe that Oria is an evil Baran sorceress who is controlling him with her magic. And while she certainly has bewitched Lonen, it isn’t with any nefarious power or sorcery. Against all odds, they have fallen in love with each other. And while love is certainly a kind of magic, if in this particular case it’s a snare, it’s a snare that has trapped them both.

But his people don’t see that. Particularly his older brother Nolan. Nolan should have been king, but when he and his troop fell into a mighty crevasse during the battle for Bara, all the way back in Lonen's War, everyone quite reasonably assumed he was dead. Considering that it took him two years to find his way back from under the earth, it wasn’t a totally ridiculous idea.

Especially since the Destrye needed a king right that very minute, and Lonen was the only prince available. Now they all have to live with the consequences of that moment. One of those consequences is that Lonen has brought Oria back from Bara to be his queen, whether his people like it or not.

And they mostly don’t.

Oria doesn’t believe that this is a long term problem. She is not the first of her people to be brought to Destrye, even if she is more willing than has usually been the case. She has nothing to go back to in Bara, not after the events of Oria’s Gambit. She is a fugitive and an exile.

But Baran sorceresses simply do not live long away from the magic that wells up under Bara. She believes that she will die of starvation, and relatively soon, unless she can find a way to reach the magic that exists within the forests of Dru, no matter how different that magic is from her own.

There might be a way, but not with all the forces of Destrye and Bara stacked against them. Unless they manage to outrun their fate yet again.

Escape Rating B-: The problem that I have with this entry in the series is that it feels like a chapter in a waiting game. Until the very end, it doesn’t move the action forward very much. For most of the book, Lonen and Oria are effectively held captive by their own need to recover, by the Destrye court, and by Lonen’s duties to his family and his doubts about his kingship. It takes most of the novella for them to get out from under all the burdens and back on the road again.

The individual entries in the Sorcerous Moons series are relatively short – less than 200 pages each. When there is a lot of action, as there was in the first two books, those pages really fly by. But now that the story has hit what feels like the equivalent of the “middle book”, those short pages continue the trough and don’t have enough time to get back to the action.

I still like Lonen and Oria quite a lot. They are still negotiating a difficult marriage, and it appropriately goes in fits and starts. They love each other, they need each other, but they began with no understanding of each other whatsoever, so reaching a place where they work together smoothly is a trial for them. As it should be.

Oria spends much of this book, and the last one, losing strength and heading towards her demise. Seeing her finally rally towards the end of this book made for an excellent scene, even if the result did cause even more problems.

The most interesting character in this whole story is Oria’s familiar, the derkesthai Chuffta. Chuffta is a small dragon with all the snark a reader could ever ask for in a long-term companion. He has been with Oria all her life, and not only knows all her weak spots, but also knows just when to tweak them. And he LOVES to start fires.

But it feels as if his fate as well as the humans, is peering over the edge of a dark precipice. Nothing will be the same after the battle to come. I just wish it would get here already!
Profile Image for D.
1,069 reviews
April 6, 2019
I discovered Jeffe Kennedy through a blog tour and I looked up some of her books on Amazon. Since I love reading reviews, but have a habit of reading the bad reviews first, which I think is a detriment to me because those reviews have kept me from purchasing a few of the books I was interested in. Well, anyway I signed up for Jeffe Kennedy's newsletter and received a complimentary book. The book was Lonen's War and thus began my journey on a wonderful adventure.

I'm going to try to sum up all 6 books in this review. Please forgive me it I fall short in some way. Jeffe Kennedy took us on a journey in the Sorcerous Moons series; a journey of love, adventure, intrigue, magic, vengeance, and restoration. Lonen and Oria were wonderful characters and I loved the banter between them. The author did a good job of showing how Lonen and Oria's love grew over time and how that created a strong bond between them.

Their relationship was unique in many ways and I wish I could say more, but I fear I would be giving too much away. What I will say is that the intimacy and sex, especially the first love scene, was done in an outstanding way and cemented the couple's bond. I also think Jeffe Kennedy is a genius in how she wrote that scene. The magic that Oria possessed, the mystery of the Trom and the mystery of the Ponen made this an exceptional series.

For those readers who don't like cliffhangers, this series may not be for you, but I would urge you to give it a chance because you will not be disappointed. To Jeffe Kennedy, I'm now a fan and I hope you will give us readers more Lonen and Oria. I want to know to know what happens to Gallia! I would love for her to get her own story. Will Salaya get a story too? I think the Sorcerous Moon series is a saga, not a series, because I feel there are more stories to be told.

As I close out this review, I don't think I adequately explained or conveyed how awesome, amazing, and beautiful this series is. If you love fantasy, romance, magic, and dragons, this series is for you. If you are new to fantasy and romance then this series is a great place to start with this genre.
Profile Image for The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V..
1,127 reviews28 followers
January 1, 2024
Getting the flip side of the coin with Oria needing to find her feet in the new culture while Lonan tries to make his kingship work was an interesting echo of book 2 in the series. Similar troubles arise, but with Lonan taking action things turn out quite differently, although still not as Lonan and Oria hope. The politics and scheming is very well done and exceptionally believable. I love how Oria tries to help, ends up pushing things forward in a way she didn't intend, and then begins to doubt herself--but Lonan is there to nudge her back into believing in herself and the rightness of her choices. They make for an excellent power couple and also believable people with flaws, doubts, and fears.

This series is a wonderful romantic fantasy adventure with excellent worldbuilding and most definitely has me hooked.
Profile Image for Jericho McKraven.
Author 1 book14 followers
December 18, 2019
Alright, I did it again, started the next book before writing my review.

The Forests of Dru takes us on a greatly needed adventure to Lonan's home. We see the places that shaped him and the people he fights for. We see a glimpse into his belief system and society- and of course watch he and Oria struggle with their differences while drawing closer together. The CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT YOU GUYS!!! Ug, I'm addicted...

These books are so hard to put down, I'm loath to walk away from them! If you love fantasy as much as I do, you will adore this series!

384 reviews3 followers
December 6, 2023
Not much to really comment about this book that's different from what I've said about the other ones. I'm still going to continue with the series just because it is such a short read and I feel like I'm already invested but I might as well see it through.
Profile Image for Alexis.
2,515 reviews
June 26, 2023
This is starting to feel less like a series and more like a single novel broken into short spurts.
Profile Image for Sybille.
212 reviews12 followers
August 15, 2023
As good as the previous ones. Still entertaining and still worth following the main characters around.
Profile Image for Zoe.
191 reviews
July 29, 2017
There were some interesting new revelations in this book, especially to do with Chuffta. A strong couple was good to see as well.
Profile Image for Molly Smith.
687 reviews12 followers
March 29, 2017
Initial Thoughts: Please note that I have hidden my thoughts due to spoilers - the novels build from one to the next. Overall I am really liking this series though it has a mini-series feel, each book ends in a cliffhanger, each episode only a partial glimpse/plot section in the overall scheme. That being said, I do find it gripping and like the characters immensely. Please click on the link to the full review by myself and my review partner, Gikany, posted at That's What I'm Talking About blog: http://twimom227.com/2017/01/review-t...
Profile Image for Make.
472 reviews7 followers
February 28, 2017
I'm excited to hear that there will probably be several more books in this series. The characters keep evolving and maturing, and I love not only who they were but also who they are becoming. Both Oria and Lonen have many fine qualities, and I love how they are turning so much effort to helping each other and to helping their two kingdoms. They have their foibles as well, which makes them fully fleshed out and realized characters, all the more engrossing for their imperfections. Brava to Kennedy for another fine addition to this wonderful fantasy series- THE FORESTS OF DRU is all that I would hope for Lonen and Oria's initial time in Lonen's kingdom.

See my full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id...

Submitted this review to Fresh Fiction 1/11/17.
Posted to Fresh Fiction site 2/27/17
Profile Image for Lynne Facer.
13 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2017
Like the prior book (Tides of Bara), I just wanna kick the series, like riding a black charger of a warhorse named Buttercup, and tell it, "Go! Go faster!"

I inhaled the book--as usual with this series--and wanted more. One cliched compatibility test for a couple is to build Ikea furniture together. Another is to take a road trip. If the couple survives the task, they are better set to continue their relationship. The prior book (The Tides of Bara) was this road trip. This book cashes in on the trust they've developed as they arrive in Dru, the hero Lonen's home. We get to see the daily life of the "barbarian" culture of Destrye, and the consequences of his choice of marriage partner, in the sorceress Oria. And we find the answers to the critical question: can Oria, the desert flower, survive in the cold of Dru's forest, or will the transplant die in a land without magic?

Profile Image for Bec.
131 reviews4 followers
October 15, 2017
A bit dull, but the characters are well described and it does feed from previous novels so It is ok that the book or short story is not powerful by itself. I would love to see more of her powers being used and a better explanation of the nature aspect.

Not the best book I have read, but they are fun and steamy in places.
Profile Image for mlady_rebecca.
2,447 reviews115 followers
October 24, 2017
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. Caught up & the next book isn't due to be published till December. Needless to say, after the first book, the story got better. After Oria and Lonen joined forces to save both of their kingdoms, the story got better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Moto Z.
350 reviews24 followers
January 1, 2023
Other like that’s it’s a small book, I don’t. It would be better if it was longer and a trilogy
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,223 reviews148 followers
March 27, 2017
Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.

So, this is the fourth books in the Sorcerous Moons series. It picks up right where The Tides of the Bara left us. Lonen wakes up back in Dru. He’s surprised by one of the people there with him. Someone that Lonen was sure was dead. He is also separated from Oria.

This story doesn’t move the plot along as much as I would’ve liked. This story we get to see the Destrye’s reactions to their king coming back with a “witch” and he’s calling her queen. This does not go over well with the Destrye to say the least. Lonen’s family isn’t any happier than the rest of the Destrye. They could even be taking it worse. Most believe that Oria has ensorceled him.

Oria doesn’t have a good time in Dru. She does make the best of it. She and Chuffta just go with the flow to try to fit in as much as possible. She does find some magic that she’s able to absorb, but not at the levels that she’s used to back in Bara.

We also meet a healer, Baeltya, who has some magic of her own. The young healer that helps Lonen and Oria was a bright light among the Destrye. She’s nice to Oria. She’s very curious to learn about things instead of just shunning things she doesn’t understand.

Pilaryh was another kind girl in the Destrye. She takes Oria to the aswae to get clean. It sounded wonderful. It was like a sauna and they would pour oil on the skin and the sweat out the grime. Then with a wooden scraper, scrape of all the dirt. As someone who has dry skin, this sounded amazing to me. Chuffta was even treated with the oil and he loved the heat of the aswae.

While this story was slower than I’m used to from Kennedy, I did enjoy getting to know the Destrye a little better, even if I wasn’t happy with how several of them acted to Oria. We did see that there were people who were kind, even as they were surrounded by people who hated Oria. The end of the story picks up quite a bit. We continue to learn more about Oria, Destrye’s past and more. I’m really interested to see what happens in the next book. I’m expecting it to be pretty exciting.

“And I am the Bringer of Fire! Chuffta added an evil cackle.
“I worry about you. I truly do.”
“I love you, too.” he replied


“I’m not going to lie about it. That’s our past. Yes, an abomination of one, but pretending things weren’t that way won’t magically make it as if it never happened. The Destry have a saying that a man who flinches from the shames of the past will never recognze the dark paths that lead back to them.”


**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.