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The Archer Princess #1
The Archer Princess
PRINCESS. HEALER. REBEL
When a dangerous ancient king and his warriors are unexpectedly released from an eternal sleep, one girl is forced into a situation she’s done everything in her power to avoid: marriage.
For her own safety, second-born princess Altara has made a run for it, across the sea to a school for young ladies, deep in the tropical forests of her mother’s native home, the Ellythian Isles.
Keeping her name and title secret she goes undercover to try to live a normal life at the school. But not everything is as it seems and cracks begin to appear in the school’s facade.
Worse, four bloodthirsty warriors have suddenly appeared at her doorstep and are demanding to re-claim their kingdom. Drawn to the self-proclaimed, ruthless King Ashzale Boneweaver, Altara must navigate her own growing powers, forced weddings and the political machinations of the terrifying, alluring magical warriors they call the Old Ones.
This is an 18+ New Adult Fantasy Romance and is recommended for mature audiences. Each book has a cliffhanger ending but the trilogy will finish with a HEA. Please check the author's website for TWs
Tropes: Fated mates, hidden identity, break a curse, enemies to lovers, the villain gets the girl, healing magic
When a dangerous ancient king and his warriors are unexpectedly released from an eternal sleep, one girl is forced into a situation she’s done everything in her power to avoid: marriage.
For her own safety, second-born princess Altara has made a run for it, across the sea to a school for young ladies, deep in the tropical forests of her mother’s native home, the Ellythian Isles.
Keeping her name and title secret she goes undercover to try to live a normal life at the school. But not everything is as it seems and cracks begin to appear in the school’s facade.
Worse, four bloodthirsty warriors have suddenly appeared at her doorstep and are demanding to re-claim their kingdom. Drawn to the self-proclaimed, ruthless King Ashzale Boneweaver, Altara must navigate her own growing powers, forced weddings and the political machinations of the terrifying, alluring magical warriors they call the Old Ones.
This is an 18+ New Adult Fantasy Romance and is recommended for mature audiences. Each book has a cliffhanger ending but the trilogy will finish with a HEA. Please check the author's website for TWs
Tropes: Fated mates, hidden identity, break a curse, enemies to lovers, the villain gets the girl, healing magic
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2022
251 people are currently reading
1204 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
December 9, 2022
This was a fast read for me and I enjoyed it. The adventure really pulls you in with it but the romance melts you. I loved the characters and the way they come together. This was just the right book for me.
October 26, 2022
Every time I think Bali has done her best work, she proves me wrong by writing another book, and she has done it again! The Archer Princess is my new favourite E.P. Bali book!
- Enemies to lovers
- Dual POV
- Sexy shifter dudes
- Curvy, bipoc, sassy, horny, kickass female MC
- Fated mates
- Blue demon dick
- Mild spice (but this will pick up in subsequent books!)
The Archer Princess follows princess Altara, sister of Saraya from The Warrior Midwife trilogy, as she escapes to Ellythia, the island home of her mother, in a bid to escape the evil taking over her kingdom of Lobrathia. Once there, she is enrolled into the jungle school for girls, but things on the island are not as she expected, and the arrival of some suspicious and dangerous males suddenly make her life even more interesting.
We also follow Zale, king of Boneweaver Island, and leader of the aforementioned sexy shifter dudes, who has just been awakened after having been locked in sleep for the past two centuries with his brothers. Zale will stop at nothing to reclaim his kingdom and bring the water-dwelling demons back under control. His ruthlessness is made all the easier due to the fact that his heart has been locked away in shadow, so he is not bothered by emotions like love or empathy. That is, until a certain green-eyed princess crosses his path.
This book perfectly balances the light and humorous with the heavy. There were times where I was crying with laughter, and times when I was holding my breath because I was so horrified at what was happening (please note that trigger warnings can be found on Bali's website). The character interactions were so entertaining and the tension between Altara and Zale was so palpable, I loved it! Altara is so much more free-spirited than her sister, which I loved seeing. She doesn't have the weight of a kingdom on her shoulders which has allowed her to be more carefree, but her sassy, bubbly exterior is also hiding deep pain and trauma, making for a fantastically layered character. I loved all the secondary characters in this story too, they all brought their own things to the table, creating the wonderful potential for a found family that I am very much hoping will happen in the sequels!
As with The Warrior Midwife trilogy, The Archer Princess is positively oozing with feminine power and I am here for every second of it. I love watching the women of Bali's stories just disregard traditional gender roles and just do whatever the heck makes them happy. And even though we saw Altara and Zale in The Warrior Queen, the ending of this book still crushed me, and I am in desperate need for the second book in order to ease my despair.
- Enemies to lovers
- Dual POV
- Sexy shifter dudes
- Curvy, bipoc, sassy, horny, kickass female MC
- Fated mates
- Blue demon dick
- Mild spice (but this will pick up in subsequent books!)
The Archer Princess follows princess Altara, sister of Saraya from The Warrior Midwife trilogy, as she escapes to Ellythia, the island home of her mother, in a bid to escape the evil taking over her kingdom of Lobrathia. Once there, she is enrolled into the jungle school for girls, but things on the island are not as she expected, and the arrival of some suspicious and dangerous males suddenly make her life even more interesting.
We also follow Zale, king of Boneweaver Island, and leader of the aforementioned sexy shifter dudes, who has just been awakened after having been locked in sleep for the past two centuries with his brothers. Zale will stop at nothing to reclaim his kingdom and bring the water-dwelling demons back under control. His ruthlessness is made all the easier due to the fact that his heart has been locked away in shadow, so he is not bothered by emotions like love or empathy. That is, until a certain green-eyed princess crosses his path.
This book perfectly balances the light and humorous with the heavy. There were times where I was crying with laughter, and times when I was holding my breath because I was so horrified at what was happening (please note that trigger warnings can be found on Bali's website). The character interactions were so entertaining and the tension between Altara and Zale was so palpable, I loved it! Altara is so much more free-spirited than her sister, which I loved seeing. She doesn't have the weight of a kingdom on her shoulders which has allowed her to be more carefree, but her sassy, bubbly exterior is also hiding deep pain and trauma, making for a fantastically layered character. I loved all the secondary characters in this story too, they all brought their own things to the table, creating the wonderful potential for a found family that I am very much hoping will happen in the sequels!
As with The Warrior Midwife trilogy, The Archer Princess is positively oozing with feminine power and I am here for every second of it. I love watching the women of Bali's stories just disregard traditional gender roles and just do whatever the heck makes them happy. And even though we saw Altara and Zale in The Warrior Queen, the ending of this book still crushed me, and I am in desperate need for the second book in order to ease my despair.
September 12, 2023
🏹
If you like adventure fantasy with romance, this is it. A complex magical system with a dose of mystery, I'm eating it up. Altara is also a mess with how she views marriage/men, it just has me cackling.
There's one issue of her magic where she gets male parts that felt unnecessary but creates an opening to ratchet up the cliffhanger. I immediately started book 2 even though I hated that storyline.
CN: torture, child abuse/neglect, mentions if herbal tea to prompt a miscarriage, violence
If you like adventure fantasy with romance, this is it. A complex magical system with a dose of mystery, I'm eating it up. Altara is also a mess with how she views marriage/men, it just has me cackling.
There's one issue of her magic where she gets male parts that felt unnecessary but creates an opening to ratchet up the cliffhanger. I immediately started book 2 even though I hated that storyline.
CN: torture, child abuse/neglect, mentions if herbal tea to prompt a miscarriage, violence
November 3, 2022
Genre: Fantasy/Romantasy
Format: eARC.
Age Recommendation: 18+
Expected Publication: 19th November, 2022.
The Archer Princess, sister series to Bali's The Warrior Midwife series, follows Altara as she escapes to Ellythia in avoidance of her horrible stepmother. When she arrives, things are not as expected and Altara finds herself in the company of some very shady, and blue, males. Told in a dual POV with Zale, recently reawakened shifter, ready to take back his kingdom from the blue water demons. Altara and Zale's paths intertwine, leaving you breathless and wanting more as we follow along with their journey.
E. P. Bali has once again proven that each book is better than the last. Altara is written completely different to her sister Saraya. While Saraya has a separate strength of the weight of the world on her shoulders as the next Queen, Altara has a more carefree and relaxed approach to her life but don't let that fool you, her own powers are still unmatched. There was a lightheartedness to this story, that left me laughing and holding my breath all the same. It was wonderful to have so many beautiful characters involved in shaping this story, with not a single one seeming irrelevant in anyway and each exhibiting their own stories, holding their own ground as support characters for the main two. The Archer Princess has a lot of tension, slowly building into what I would hope to be a wonderful romance in later books. It is a quite realistic approach to a romantic fantasy story that has me completely shipping the "zaltara" already - even though we know the final outcome from The Warrior Queen ending, it has taken nothing away from the burn of budding romance.
Give this one a try if you are here for;
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Fated mates
✔️ Ancient shifters
✔️ Strong, female leads.
✔️ BIPOC, curvy main characters.
✔️ Crude humor (blue members anyone?)
✔️ Slow burn
As always, check any trigger warnings you may need - all can be found on Bali's own website.
Format: eARC.
Age Recommendation: 18+
Expected Publication: 19th November, 2022.
The Archer Princess, sister series to Bali's The Warrior Midwife series, follows Altara as she escapes to Ellythia in avoidance of her horrible stepmother. When she arrives, things are not as expected and Altara finds herself in the company of some very shady, and blue, males. Told in a dual POV with Zale, recently reawakened shifter, ready to take back his kingdom from the blue water demons. Altara and Zale's paths intertwine, leaving you breathless and wanting more as we follow along with their journey.
E. P. Bali has once again proven that each book is better than the last. Altara is written completely different to her sister Saraya. While Saraya has a separate strength of the weight of the world on her shoulders as the next Queen, Altara has a more carefree and relaxed approach to her life but don't let that fool you, her own powers are still unmatched. There was a lightheartedness to this story, that left me laughing and holding my breath all the same. It was wonderful to have so many beautiful characters involved in shaping this story, with not a single one seeming irrelevant in anyway and each exhibiting their own stories, holding their own ground as support characters for the main two. The Archer Princess has a lot of tension, slowly building into what I would hope to be a wonderful romance in later books. It is a quite realistic approach to a romantic fantasy story that has me completely shipping the "zaltara" already - even though we know the final outcome from The Warrior Queen ending, it has taken nothing away from the burn of budding romance.
Give this one a try if you are here for;
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Fated mates
✔️ Ancient shifters
✔️ Strong, female leads.
✔️ BIPOC, curvy main characters.
✔️ Crude humor (blue members anyone?)
✔️ Slow burn
As always, check any trigger warnings you may need - all can be found on Bali's own website.
Read
November 10, 2022After reading the Warrior Midwife Trilogy by Ektaa Bali, I had high expectations for this new series, and I wasn't at all disappointed!
The Archer Princess is served up from two perspectives: Princess Altara of Lobrathia and the Boneweaver King, Zale from Boneweaver Island.
We briefly met Saraya's little sister Altara in the Warrior Midwife Trilogy. The Archer Princess begins with Altara fleeing to Ellythia to escape the horror that is happening in Lobrathia, but we soon start to wonder if she has come out of the frying pan, only to go into the fire as Altara's arrival on Boneweaver Island coincides with the awakening of the Boneweaver Zale, who's single motivator is reclaiming his kingdom.
Altara is beautiful, fierce, knows what she wants and is a marvel with a bow and arrow. Zale is a ruthless warrior who has been cursed at birth by a shadow around his heart, rendering him unable to feel love or compassion. When Zale sees Altara and claims her as his bride, he sets off a chain of events that even he could never have seen coming!
The Archer Princess is the ultimate fantasy story with love, betrayal, friends, enemies and so many layers you find yourself questioning what you think you know! We get to peek inside the minds of Altara and Zale as Altara works to protects those she loves, and Zale so ruthlessly pursues those standing in his way. Will Altara be able to free the Boneweaver King from his shadow and save the island from the darkness that has taken over? Or will Zale destroy everything that is good in the world with his corrupting power?
This book will have you laughing, crying, holding your breath and screaming out loud before the end and will leave you wanting so much more!
The Archer Princess is served up from two perspectives: Princess Altara of Lobrathia and the Boneweaver King, Zale from Boneweaver Island.
We briefly met Saraya's little sister Altara in the Warrior Midwife Trilogy. The Archer Princess begins with Altara fleeing to Ellythia to escape the horror that is happening in Lobrathia, but we soon start to wonder if she has come out of the frying pan, only to go into the fire as Altara's arrival on Boneweaver Island coincides with the awakening of the Boneweaver Zale, who's single motivator is reclaiming his kingdom.
Altara is beautiful, fierce, knows what she wants and is a marvel with a bow and arrow. Zale is a ruthless warrior who has been cursed at birth by a shadow around his heart, rendering him unable to feel love or compassion. When Zale sees Altara and claims her as his bride, he sets off a chain of events that even he could never have seen coming!
The Archer Princess is the ultimate fantasy story with love, betrayal, friends, enemies and so many layers you find yourself questioning what you think you know! We get to peek inside the minds of Altara and Zale as Altara works to protects those she loves, and Zale so ruthlessly pursues those standing in his way. Will Altara be able to free the Boneweaver King from his shadow and save the island from the darkness that has taken over? Or will Zale destroy everything that is good in the world with his corrupting power?
This book will have you laughing, crying, holding your breath and screaming out loud before the end and will leave you wanting so much more!
November 13, 2022
I received a copy of this book for free from Net Galley.
Overall, I did enjoy this story. The main character is a princess named Altara, and she is fleeing from her home to avoid her cruel stepmother and a marriage she does not wish to enter into. She travels to the island home of her mother, who passed away some time ago. Refreshingly, this main character is not written to be bland or weak. Altara has a strong personality in my opinion, full of confidence in herself. Physically, she is strong and skilled in combat, but she has also withstood torture and cruelty and come out the other side of it still an empathetic and kind person. That being said, there are some themes that could be triggering, so I encourage everyone to check the author’s content warnings.
I wish we would have seen more of Altara’s life before running away. Understanding just how cruel her stepmother was, as well as her relationship with her sister, might have set things up and helped me understand the stakes a bit better.
It took me a long time to finally decide that I liked Altara, however. I felt that at times, she verged on the edge of being too perfect- the magic that she has allows her to take on the illnesses and injuries of other people, literally transferring wounds and sicknesses into her own body to heal, which only takes a short time for her to recover from. She is a perfect shot with any weapon she picks up, trained to be perfect in anything that she does when it comes to manners and behavior expected of her as a royal. Not only that, but she is written to seem beautiful, with perfect curves and breasts. While I did love that a character had been written to be confident and strong, all of it together, and the way she narrates and talks about herself at times, made me roll my eyes a little bit. I was willing to overlook it, though, and was happy that it didn’t seem to be so heavily referenced towards the end of the story. In that same sort of vein, the magic that some characters possessed seemed a little bit too convenient for the story- for example, if I remember correctly, they were able to conjure weapons out of thin air and that just seemed a little too easy for me.
Altara becomes friends with three other women throughout the story. Refreshingly, there is no competition or rivalry between them, a trope I’ve grown tired of over the years. They all support each other and I really hope this continues into the next story. Also appreciated is the sex positive vibe that was apparent, literally, from the very first page. There is no shame put on Altara for her interest in sex and to me, she seems pretty confident in her sexuality. I was a little worried that the story would devolve into smut, especially once the idea of a Vayashi came into play, but to my relief, it did not.
The love interest is named Zale, and he definitely does not start off as someone I would root for. Even now, knowing the reasons why he is so cruel and, frankly, sexist, I’m not totally sold on him. I do love enemies-to-lovers story and I was not disappointed in their slow burn. I liked the common ground that they were able to find and hope that they will be able to work through their traumas together. I’m hoping that the next story will let us learn more about Zale and make him a more likable character.
And yes, I liked this book enough to be looking forward to the sequel, and was excited to see that it’s going to be coming out in February of next year. I totally forgot that the book was supposed to end with a cliffhanger and it was exciting to see that I wouldn’t have to wait too long! Despite the things that got on my nerves a little bit, I liked the world that was built, the magic and the romantic relationship that was started. I love the friendships as well and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Overall, I did enjoy this story. The main character is a princess named Altara, and she is fleeing from her home to avoid her cruel stepmother and a marriage she does not wish to enter into. She travels to the island home of her mother, who passed away some time ago. Refreshingly, this main character is not written to be bland or weak. Altara has a strong personality in my opinion, full of confidence in herself. Physically, she is strong and skilled in combat, but she has also withstood torture and cruelty and come out the other side of it still an empathetic and kind person. That being said, there are some themes that could be triggering, so I encourage everyone to check the author’s content warnings.
I wish we would have seen more of Altara’s life before running away. Understanding just how cruel her stepmother was, as well as her relationship with her sister, might have set things up and helped me understand the stakes a bit better.
It took me a long time to finally decide that I liked Altara, however. I felt that at times, she verged on the edge of being too perfect- the magic that she has allows her to take on the illnesses and injuries of other people, literally transferring wounds and sicknesses into her own body to heal, which only takes a short time for her to recover from. She is a perfect shot with any weapon she picks up, trained to be perfect in anything that she does when it comes to manners and behavior expected of her as a royal. Not only that, but she is written to seem beautiful, with perfect curves and breasts. While I did love that a character had been written to be confident and strong, all of it together, and the way she narrates and talks about herself at times, made me roll my eyes a little bit. I was willing to overlook it, though, and was happy that it didn’t seem to be so heavily referenced towards the end of the story. In that same sort of vein, the magic that some characters possessed seemed a little bit too convenient for the story- for example, if I remember correctly, they were able to conjure weapons out of thin air and that just seemed a little too easy for me.
Altara becomes friends with three other women throughout the story. Refreshingly, there is no competition or rivalry between them, a trope I’ve grown tired of over the years. They all support each other and I really hope this continues into the next story. Also appreciated is the sex positive vibe that was apparent, literally, from the very first page. There is no shame put on Altara for her interest in sex and to me, she seems pretty confident in her sexuality. I was a little worried that the story would devolve into smut, especially once the idea of a Vayashi came into play, but to my relief, it did not.
The love interest is named Zale, and he definitely does not start off as someone I would root for. Even now, knowing the reasons why he is so cruel and, frankly, sexist, I’m not totally sold on him. I do love enemies-to-lovers story and I was not disappointed in their slow burn. I liked the common ground that they were able to find and hope that they will be able to work through their traumas together. I’m hoping that the next story will let us learn more about Zale and make him a more likable character.
And yes, I liked this book enough to be looking forward to the sequel, and was excited to see that it’s going to be coming out in February of next year. I totally forgot that the book was supposed to end with a cliffhanger and it was exciting to see that I wouldn’t have to wait too long! Despite the things that got on my nerves a little bit, I liked the world that was built, the magic and the romantic relationship that was started. I love the friendships as well and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2022
*ARC Review*
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for having this available as an ARC.
I was instantly drawn in by the cover as I thought “looks like an awesome warrior princess”. I didn’t realise that this was a sister series to the warrior midwife trilogy, so now I have to backtrack and read those also. Luckily on Ektaa’s website, she mentioned that this could be read as a standalone.
The opening two sentences had me like woah! It engaged me from the beginning and I loved where the story took Altara. She’s a fierce, independent, strong individual who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. It does get her in trouble as we saw in her double marriage.
The situation at the bride school was a bit messed up but I liked how Altara, Malika, Rani and Pia all supported one another. The Old Ones are hot and although we should hate them, we don’t! Kai is just an all round lovely person, so they aren’t all bad.
Can I just say that spicy scene at about 57-58% was one of the most hilarious scenes I’ve ever read! I was just like OMG OMG OMG WTF NO NO, NO WAY! I loved all the humour that came after with the girls in this very unique situation that Altara’s magic got her in.
I loved that this had so much going on - there’s magic, curses, prophecy, shifters, demons, god like men, goddesses, friendship, adventure, mystery, humour and fun. I’ve probably missed some too! Loved that the MC was POC and it’s mentioned on Ektaa’s website that Altara is biracial - it’s awesome having representation in books! It’s the first that I’ve read of Ektaa’s work and now I want to read more! Can’t wait for book 2&3!
Do check your trigger warnings on this.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for having this available as an ARC.
I was instantly drawn in by the cover as I thought “looks like an awesome warrior princess”. I didn’t realise that this was a sister series to the warrior midwife trilogy, so now I have to backtrack and read those also. Luckily on Ektaa’s website, she mentioned that this could be read as a standalone.
The opening two sentences had me like woah! It engaged me from the beginning and I loved where the story took Altara. She’s a fierce, independent, strong individual who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. It does get her in trouble as we saw in her double marriage.
The situation at the bride school was a bit messed up but I liked how Altara, Malika, Rani and Pia all supported one another. The Old Ones are hot and although we should hate them, we don’t! Kai is just an all round lovely person, so they aren’t all bad.
Can I just say that spicy scene at about 57-58% was one of the most hilarious scenes I’ve ever read! I was just like OMG OMG OMG WTF NO NO, NO WAY! I loved all the humour that came after with the girls in this very unique situation that Altara’s magic got her in.
I loved that this had so much going on - there’s magic, curses, prophecy, shifters, demons, god like men, goddesses, friendship, adventure, mystery, humour and fun. I’ve probably missed some too! Loved that the MC was POC and it’s mentioned on Ektaa’s website that Altara is biracial - it’s awesome having representation in books! It’s the first that I’ve read of Ektaa’s work and now I want to read more! Can’t wait for book 2&3!
Do check your trigger warnings on this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2022
3.5/5
This book is fantastically written. I love a book with strong female characters and it is refreshing that there wasn't any rivalry between them, they all just wanted to help each other. I also liked how sexually positive this book was. Altara liked sex and she wasn't afraid to enjoy it. I also enjoyed how there was a diverse group of characters. One of her friends is engaged to a women and no one was shamed for their preference.
The world that Bali created was wonderful to dive into and learn about. There were so many aspects that I enjoyed reading about and I'm excited to learn more about it in the next two books.
There were a few areas that bothered me which is the reason I gave it a 3.5. The first is I wish we had gotten more of a backstory of Altara's life to understand how cruel her stepmother was. I just felt like a piece was missing for me. It left me with more questions, even if it was scenes where she was looking back at her life with her sister I think would have helped. I have also heard there is a whole series about Saraya after I finished reading this book so maybe that would have answered questions and if so i wish she had recommended that we read that first.
The second was how Altara was written for the first half of the book, she was so obnoxious. All she cared about was getting laid she didn't listen to any one when they told her of the danger she just thought she knew best. Through out the book I did start to like her more but she still irked me.
Thank you Netgalley and E. P. Bali for the advanced copy of this book. This is my honest thoughts and review.
This book is fantastically written. I love a book with strong female characters and it is refreshing that there wasn't any rivalry between them, they all just wanted to help each other. I also liked how sexually positive this book was. Altara liked sex and she wasn't afraid to enjoy it. I also enjoyed how there was a diverse group of characters. One of her friends is engaged to a women and no one was shamed for their preference.
The world that Bali created was wonderful to dive into and learn about. There were so many aspects that I enjoyed reading about and I'm excited to learn more about it in the next two books.
There were a few areas that bothered me which is the reason I gave it a 3.5. The first is I wish we had gotten more of a backstory of Altara's life to understand how cruel her stepmother was. I just felt like a piece was missing for me. It left me with more questions, even if it was scenes where she was looking back at her life with her sister I think would have helped. I have also heard there is a whole series about Saraya after I finished reading this book so maybe that would have answered questions and if so i wish she had recommended that we read that first.
The second was how Altara was written for the first half of the book, she was so obnoxious. All she cared about was getting laid she didn't listen to any one when they told her of the danger she just thought she knew best. Through out the book I did start to like her more but she still irked me.
Thank you Netgalley and E. P. Bali for the advanced copy of this book. This is my honest thoughts and review.
November 28, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I haven't read anything quite like it. I adored the enemies to lover trope in this book. Th beginning was a bit slow and I didn't understand much but I kept reading and the story became more interesting. That one thing that happened caught me off guard. It was rather interesting….
Overall, I really liked the flow in the book I found it easy to read. And I enjoyed the magic aspect of the book as well. I recommend this book to those that wants; a strong heroine, an enemies to lovers romance, a bit of a mystery and strong friendships.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I haven't read anything quite like it. I adored the enemies to lover trope in this book. Th beginning was a bit slow and I didn't understand much but I kept reading and the story became more interesting. That one thing that happened caught me off guard. It was rather interesting….
Overall, I really liked the flow in the book I found it easy to read. And I enjoyed the magic aspect of the book as well. I recommend this book to those that wants; a strong heroine, an enemies to lovers romance, a bit of a mystery and strong friendships.
November 14, 2022
Thank you for this book which I received as E-ARC for an honest review.
3.5 ⭐️
The story is definitely new adult fantasy romance, the main character knew what she wanted sexually, which felt empowering.
There was one point where she used her power with a very strange outcome and this took me back a lot and I felt it was put in for shock factor maybe, I didn’t get it but I persevered and ignored this aspect of the story so it lost some stars there for me.
There is plenty of action and fantasy based tropes, which I loved. Overall I really enjoyed it and will be continuing the series and checking out other work by this author.
3.5 ⭐️
The story is definitely new adult fantasy romance, the main character knew what she wanted sexually, which felt empowering.
There was one point where she used her power with a very strange outcome and this took me back a lot and I felt it was put in for shock factor maybe, I didn’t get it but I persevered and ignored this aspect of the story so it lost some stars there for me.
There is plenty of action and fantasy based tropes, which I loved. Overall I really enjoyed it and will be continuing the series and checking out other work by this author.
June 9, 2025
1.5 stars
Honestly couldn’t really even tell you what the actual plot of this was supposed to be, we basically spent the entire story travelling from village to village with nothing else happening and no character development occurring and then boom, all the plot furthering action happened in the last 40 pages. Undeserved. To give credit where credit is due, I’ve never seen an accidental genital reassignment as the reason the love interests can’t get together. Kind of impressed by how much this series almost directly mirrors everything that happened in her sister’s trilogy. She def reheated Saraya’s nachos.
Honestly couldn’t really even tell you what the actual plot of this was supposed to be, we basically spent the entire story travelling from village to village with nothing else happening and no character development occurring and then boom, all the plot furthering action happened in the last 40 pages. Undeserved. To give credit where credit is due, I’ve never seen an accidental genital reassignment as the reason the love interests can’t get together. Kind of impressed by how much this series almost directly mirrors everything that happened in her sister’s trilogy. She def reheated Saraya’s nachos.
April 28, 2024
I found the writing in this book easy to read. It’s a fairly simple fantasy book to follow, considering how fantasy is known to be complex, with the world building and such. Perhaps a good starting point for new fantasy readers.
I kept changing my mind as to how much I liked this book, or not. It certainly kept me coming back to read more, which is a good sign, but honestly, something was missing for me. It was a little too simplistic for what I was looking for.
There is some weird scenes in the book, which of course fantasy can hold and I did get a little irritated that the princess had to do certain things that I didn’t agree with, but then a book that creates an emotional response is meant to be a good sign, right?
I was gutted with the cliffhanger, I did want more of an ending after I’d read the book. I understand this is a series, however, I won’t be reading the next book, so I guess I’ll never know. My conclusion is it was okay, it just wasn’t really for me.
I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and all involved in giving me the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I kept changing my mind as to how much I liked this book, or not. It certainly kept me coming back to read more, which is a good sign, but honestly, something was missing for me. It was a little too simplistic for what I was looking for.
There is some weird scenes in the book, which of course fantasy can hold and I did get a little irritated that the princess had to do certain things that I didn’t agree with, but then a book that creates an emotional response is meant to be a good sign, right?
I was gutted with the cliffhanger, I did want more of an ending after I’d read the book. I understand this is a series, however, I won’t be reading the next book, so I guess I’ll never know. My conclusion is it was okay, it just wasn’t really for me.
I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and all involved in giving me the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2023
This is a spinoff series from the Warrior Midwife series and features Saraya's sister Altara! This also picks up right where we last saw her in the Warrior Midwife book where she heads off to the finishing school in their mother's homeland. Altara is travelling with her nursemaid and when they land on the island where the school is located, the find things are off. They immediately get told they need to leave as the island has been conquered by another kingdom. Which I believe is the same kingdom that the armsmaster from the warrior midwife came from?
When Altara joins the school under a false name, she finds out there are demons that wander the town at night, collecting tithe payments, and that this finishing school's goal is to marry off the women. In addition to that, 4 large warriors show up that get called Old Ones by the locals and one of them, the MMC, calls himself a king.
There are some overlapping characters from the previous series so while this does run parallel with the previous series, I would recommend reading this after it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and excited to continue the series!
When Altara joins the school under a false name, she finds out there are demons that wander the town at night, collecting tithe payments, and that this finishing school's goal is to marry off the women. In addition to that, 4 large warriors show up that get called Old Ones by the locals and one of them, the MMC, calls himself a king.
There are some overlapping characters from the previous series so while this does run parallel with the previous series, I would recommend reading this after it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and excited to continue the series!
April 11, 2025
I greatly enjoyed this story, even moreso than the first series that this one is a spin-off of which is about her older sisters journey. The humour in this and the unexpected wholesomeness in some chapters really hit it home for me on how enjoyable it is. One of my favourite things the author does is infuse her medical knowledge into her stories so it not only sounds believable, she makes it make sense to the reader. It's a much harder skill than many realise. It was such a bingeable read.
November 26, 2022
Gracias BooksGoSocial, E.P. Bali y NetGalley por el ejemplar en digital.
Este es un libro que tuvo un cambio rotundo a mitad del libro, y ese cambio fue más que positivo.
Comencé con muchísimas ganas este libro, apenas lo comencé a leer vi que la autora advertía a quien lo estuviera leyendo sobre que se iban a tocar temas delicados y que podían saber cuales eran siguiendo un link. Eso me parece increíble y creo que TODOS los libros deberían brindar la posibilidad de que la persona elija saber qué temáticas sensibles se van a tratar.
Más allá de esto (que no es menor), cuando leí la sinopsis me tiré de cabeza a leerlo.
El puntaje son 3 estrellas y media. Y voy a comenzar explicando porqué no son realmente cuatro estrellas o cinco.
Ya desde el comienzo este libro intenta ser spicy, dar ese tono de adulto a la lectura, que a mi no me gusta, que lo sentí forzado. Y es por eso que no me gusta, porque lo sentía descolocado, fuera de lugar y que se obligaban los pensamientos o acciones de la protagonista para que hubieran cada dos capítulos algo spicy (aunque sea solo la mención de algo). No me molestan los libros spicy, pero acá lo noté forzado (y no es algo que haya visto solo acá, van varios libros de fantasía que intentan meter ALGO de eso y no logro verlo natural).
Por otro lado, sentí que realmente costó que arrancara la historia (aunque también esto me gustó porque nos da contexto y nos sitúa) y no vi una conexión tan interesante entre nuestra protagonista y sus nuevas amigas como me hubiera gustado leer. Pero los tres motivos son realmente muy personales y si me pregunta "¿me lo recomendas?" sería un SI.
Esta historia tiene un mundo de fantasía muy interesante, protagonistas interesantes y bien construidos, aunque un par de páginas mas para poder conocerlos bien bien a fondo me hubieran encantado. Siento que eran muchos y aprendimos poquito de ellos, pero estoy segura que en los próximos libros esto se verá revertido.
Me gustó mucho como se fue llevando la relación entre nuestros protagonistas principales, no lo sentí forzado, ni rápido, sino... preciso, interesante y mega atrapante. Y los otros protagonistas que conocemos hicieron que la lectura sea mucho más rica.
Otro tema interesante es la manera en que se manifiesta la magia de Altara y sus amigas. Y que nos muestre que no todo en color de rosas al tener poderes. Especialmente el poder de Altara me fascino, super original.
ESE FINAL, POR DIOS QUE ES ESE FINAL. Necesito YA MISMO el segundo, AHORA. AHORA MISMO!
Una lectura que comenzó siendo meh y se convirtió en una historia más que interesante.
Más reseñas y recomendaciones 👉 https://www.instagram.com/magui.world/
Este es un libro que tuvo un cambio rotundo a mitad del libro, y ese cambio fue más que positivo.
Comencé con muchísimas ganas este libro, apenas lo comencé a leer vi que la autora advertía a quien lo estuviera leyendo sobre que se iban a tocar temas delicados y que podían saber cuales eran siguiendo un link. Eso me parece increíble y creo que TODOS los libros deberían brindar la posibilidad de que la persona elija saber qué temáticas sensibles se van a tratar.
Más allá de esto (que no es menor), cuando leí la sinopsis me tiré de cabeza a leerlo.
El puntaje son 3 estrellas y media. Y voy a comenzar explicando porqué no son realmente cuatro estrellas o cinco.
Ya desde el comienzo este libro intenta ser spicy, dar ese tono de adulto a la lectura, que a mi no me gusta, que lo sentí forzado. Y es por eso que no me gusta, porque lo sentía descolocado, fuera de lugar y que se obligaban los pensamientos o acciones de la protagonista para que hubieran cada dos capítulos algo spicy (aunque sea solo la mención de algo). No me molestan los libros spicy, pero acá lo noté forzado (y no es algo que haya visto solo acá, van varios libros de fantasía que intentan meter ALGO de eso y no logro verlo natural).
Por otro lado, sentí que realmente costó que arrancara la historia (aunque también esto me gustó porque nos da contexto y nos sitúa) y no vi una conexión tan interesante entre nuestra protagonista y sus nuevas amigas como me hubiera gustado leer. Pero los tres motivos son realmente muy personales y si me pregunta "¿me lo recomendas?" sería un SI.
Esta historia tiene un mundo de fantasía muy interesante, protagonistas interesantes y bien construidos, aunque un par de páginas mas para poder conocerlos bien bien a fondo me hubieran encantado. Siento que eran muchos y aprendimos poquito de ellos, pero estoy segura que en los próximos libros esto se verá revertido.
Me gustó mucho como se fue llevando la relación entre nuestros protagonistas principales, no lo sentí forzado, ni rápido, sino... preciso, interesante y mega atrapante. Y los otros protagonistas que conocemos hicieron que la lectura sea mucho más rica.
Otro tema interesante es la manera en que se manifiesta la magia de Altara y sus amigas. Y que nos muestre que no todo en color de rosas al tener poderes. Especialmente el poder de Altara me fascino, super original.
ESE FINAL, POR DIOS QUE ES ESE FINAL. Necesito YA MISMO el segundo, AHORA. AHORA MISMO!
Una lectura que comenzó siendo meh y se convirtió en una historia más que interesante.
Más reseñas y recomendaciones 👉 https://www.instagram.com/magui.world/
November 26, 2022
Really loved this! The Archer Princess is about Altara, a healer princess on the run after escaping her evil stepmother and venturing to where her mother was originally from. She takes on a new name to hide her identity and starts to go to a finishing school but it turns out there’s dark forces at play, including the Old Ones, a quartet of warriors, who are awakened after a two hundred year slumber and are ready to take back the kingdom that belongs to their leader - King Ashzale Boneweaver. Tara is forced to marry Zale and despite their hatred for each other, there’s a bond and attraction between neither of them can deny.
I absolutely loved how powerful and sex positive Tara was from the start, though she did sometimes let her needs get the better of her at inopportune moments - which gets her engaged to not only a bloodthirsty warrior king, but to a gross demon as well. But, it was pretty funny how she got into these predicaments and was forced to deal with some consequences.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Zale - possessive, grumpy, a downright dick at times….. but soft for Tara despite having a shadow heart that makes him the best warrior ever. The way he logically doesn’t want to want Tara but she gets under his skin and makes him gentle with her had me giddy and wanting more.
I really loved the side characters as well - Rani, Malika and Pia were all such a fun group on Tara’s side, and I also really enjoyed Kai, Raen and Atax from Zale’s side.
Spice was mild but I have seen that it will get spicier through the series which I’m excited for because the tension between Tara and Zale had me ready to beg them to just fuck already and then stupid demons had to ruin the moment 😭😅
This book ended on a major cliffhanger so I am DISTRAUGHT that the second and third won’t be out until next year so I’m going to have to impatiently wait for them, but I am definitely going to be checking out the sister series by the author which focuses on Tara’s sister, because I am now slightly obsessed with this world that EP Bali has created!
If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, villains who get the girl, stories where a curse needs to be broken, feisty main characters and their monstrous love interests…. You’ll enjoy this!!!
Trigger warning: grief/loss of parent, depression, suicidal ideation, murder, violence, gore, torture, mutilation/body horror, assault, and mentions of child illness.
Thank you to Netgalley & BooksGoSocial for the e-ARC and opportunity for this amazing read in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved how powerful and sex positive Tara was from the start, though she did sometimes let her needs get the better of her at inopportune moments - which gets her engaged to not only a bloodthirsty warrior king, but to a gross demon as well. But, it was pretty funny how she got into these predicaments and was forced to deal with some consequences.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Zale - possessive, grumpy, a downright dick at times….. but soft for Tara despite having a shadow heart that makes him the best warrior ever. The way he logically doesn’t want to want Tara but she gets under his skin and makes him gentle with her had me giddy and wanting more.
I really loved the side characters as well - Rani, Malika and Pia were all such a fun group on Tara’s side, and I also really enjoyed Kai, Raen and Atax from Zale’s side.
Spice was mild but I have seen that it will get spicier through the series which I’m excited for because the tension between Tara and Zale had me ready to beg them to just fuck already and then stupid demons had to ruin the moment 😭😅
This book ended on a major cliffhanger so I am DISTRAUGHT that the second and third won’t be out until next year so I’m going to have to impatiently wait for them, but I am definitely going to be checking out the sister series by the author which focuses on Tara’s sister, because I am now slightly obsessed with this world that EP Bali has created!
If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, villains who get the girl, stories where a curse needs to be broken, feisty main characters and their monstrous love interests…. You’ll enjoy this!!!
Trigger warning: grief/loss of parent, depression, suicidal ideation, murder, violence, gore, torture, mutilation/body horror, assault, and mentions of child illness.
Thank you to Netgalley & BooksGoSocial for the e-ARC and opportunity for this amazing read in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 6, 2023
Rating: 4.5/5
I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
The Archer Princess follows Altara as she flees her country with her wetnurse/only family left after her sister’s marriage to the Fae prince, she cannot live with her nasty stepmother anymore and her father who is too far gone to see what her stepmother is doing to her. . However, once on the new island, she finds out that the all girl school is not what it seems to be and honestly now the weirdness of the island is making sense…Kind of. There seems to be an underlying evil feeling, and things just keep getting worse and worse as the night falls and Zale, a shifter king awakens and is ready to take his kingdom back.
This was my first E.P. Bali book, but it will most certainly not be my last. I cannot wait to read The Warrior Midwife trilogy now, I loved the writing style of E.P. Bali. In her writing you can feel every word that you’re reading and can clearly see/understand any scene that you're reading.
This book was fast-paced and packed with a lot of action, drama, humor, magic, strong female characters and some spice. (I would rate this book at a spice level 1.5-2)
In this book, you get dual POV Altara and Zales, no worries the author does a great job with making sure that with having the dual POV you will not get confused on what is going on instead you get a beautiful mash. The world building was done beautifully, you will see attention to details from the smallest to biggest things. The fast-pace of the book will keep you on your toes and wanting to know more all the way up to the end and wow what an ending to a book. Yes, you will have a cliffhanger in this book, I REALLY need the next one to come out soon. I must know if Tara and Zale are okay. The character growth in this book was good, for me it has a lot to do with watching Zale react to his feelings and having a “Ah, OH” moment for his feelings for Tara and what he knew he had to do. I do love seeing a strong female character in a book, but there were times I was like “girl what are you doing? Come on, you're smarter than that”!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves: enemies to lovers, fated mates, hot sexy male shifters, strong female characters, magic, humor, and spice.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to review this book.
I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
The Archer Princess follows Altara as she flees her country with her wetnurse/only family left after her sister’s marriage to the Fae prince, she cannot live with her nasty stepmother anymore and her father who is too far gone to see what her stepmother is doing to her. . However, once on the new island, she finds out that the all girl school is not what it seems to be and honestly now the weirdness of the island is making sense…Kind of. There seems to be an underlying evil feeling, and things just keep getting worse and worse as the night falls and Zale, a shifter king awakens and is ready to take his kingdom back.
This was my first E.P. Bali book, but it will most certainly not be my last. I cannot wait to read The Warrior Midwife trilogy now, I loved the writing style of E.P. Bali. In her writing you can feel every word that you’re reading and can clearly see/understand any scene that you're reading.
This book was fast-paced and packed with a lot of action, drama, humor, magic, strong female characters and some spice. (I would rate this book at a spice level 1.5-2)
In this book, you get dual POV Altara and Zales, no worries the author does a great job with making sure that with having the dual POV you will not get confused on what is going on instead you get a beautiful mash. The world building was done beautifully, you will see attention to details from the smallest to biggest things. The fast-pace of the book will keep you on your toes and wanting to know more all the way up to the end and wow what an ending to a book. Yes, you will have a cliffhanger in this book, I REALLY need the next one to come out soon. I must know if Tara and Zale are okay. The character growth in this book was good, for me it has a lot to do with watching Zale react to his feelings and having a “Ah, OH” moment for his feelings for Tara and what he knew he had to do. I do love seeing a strong female character in a book, but there were times I was like “girl what are you doing? Come on, you're smarter than that”!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves: enemies to lovers, fated mates, hot sexy male shifters, strong female characters, magic, humor, and spice.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to review this book.
November 18, 2022
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and E.P. Bali for the advanced copy of The Archer Princess via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
This was a fun read that ended up really drawing me in. There are some lovely cultural nuances featured in the story which I’ve not encountered in fantasy before, which were a joy to explore. It was really interesting to read the author’s notes at the end of the book, detailing her Fijian and Indian heritage, elements of which she has woven into this series.
I did have a little annoyance of the sex-crazed attitude of the protagonist at time. Don’t get me wrong, I love a spicy fantasy book, but reading a strong female protagonist saying her mind is ruled by her clitoris does put me off a bit. But as the story went on, this evened out and found a smoother, more sensual cadence.
The world building was promising, and the character development was very good. The author kept a lot back until the very end of the book, developing an excellent cliff hanger, not only in plot but also in character development. My reading pathway is character development, so this truly hooked me into wanting to read the next book in the trilogy: The Archer Witch, which is due to be published in January 2023.
Moods: adventurous, dark, mysterious, tense
Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, hidden identity, peril, redemption/dark past, soulmates/fated mates, villain get the girl
Pace: medium
Character development: medium-strong
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium
Spice: 3/5
Trigger warnings: Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, Physical illness, Profanity, Suicidal ideation, Torture
Rating 4/5
This review will be featured on my blog at www.mymentalshelf.com on the publication date
This was a fun read that ended up really drawing me in. There are some lovely cultural nuances featured in the story which I’ve not encountered in fantasy before, which were a joy to explore. It was really interesting to read the author’s notes at the end of the book, detailing her Fijian and Indian heritage, elements of which she has woven into this series.
I did have a little annoyance of the sex-crazed attitude of the protagonist at time. Don’t get me wrong, I love a spicy fantasy book, but reading a strong female protagonist saying her mind is ruled by her clitoris does put me off a bit. But as the story went on, this evened out and found a smoother, more sensual cadence.
The world building was promising, and the character development was very good. The author kept a lot back until the very end of the book, developing an excellent cliff hanger, not only in plot but also in character development. My reading pathway is character development, so this truly hooked me into wanting to read the next book in the trilogy: The Archer Witch, which is due to be published in January 2023.
Moods: adventurous, dark, mysterious, tense
Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, hidden identity, peril, redemption/dark past, soulmates/fated mates, villain get the girl
Pace: medium
Character development: medium-strong
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium
Spice: 3/5
Trigger warnings: Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, Physical illness, Profanity, Suicidal ideation, Torture
Rating 4/5
This review will be featured on my blog at www.mymentalshelf.com on the publication date
November 22, 2022
Feminism Meets Fantasy in this Slow-Burn Magical Adventure!
After reading E.P. Bali's Warrior Midwife, I was hoping I would enjoy this book and it did not disappoint. This book is a feminist manifesto wrapped in fantasy, magic, and intrigue. There is bipoc representation and the main character is strong and sassy, although sometimes annoying. Early on she gave me vibes of that "I make stupid decisions without thinking them through," that I don't enjoy in books when it's the character's whole personality. But what is great with Bali's work is that Altara grows and develops and you realize it was an intentional choice by the author. She is easy to root for and you are drawn into the story from the beginning.
I have a thing for fictional bad boys, especially when they have been wronged and are seeking revenge, so Zale checked every box for me. Fans of Valen from "Court of Shadows and Thorns" or Warwick from "Savage Lands" will love Zale and his crew of warriors. As with so many other great fantasy series, there is a curse to be broken but it still feels unique and personal to this storyline. Would highly recommend everyone read this series and I cannot wait for book two to release.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After reading E.P. Bali's Warrior Midwife, I was hoping I would enjoy this book and it did not disappoint. This book is a feminist manifesto wrapped in fantasy, magic, and intrigue. There is bipoc representation and the main character is strong and sassy, although sometimes annoying. Early on she gave me vibes of that "I make stupid decisions without thinking them through," that I don't enjoy in books when it's the character's whole personality. But what is great with Bali's work is that Altara grows and develops and you realize it was an intentional choice by the author. She is easy to root for and you are drawn into the story from the beginning.
I have a thing for fictional bad boys, especially when they have been wronged and are seeking revenge, so Zale checked every box for me. Fans of Valen from "Court of Shadows and Thorns" or Warwick from "Savage Lands" will love Zale and his crew of warriors. As with so many other great fantasy series, there is a curse to be broken but it still feels unique and personal to this storyline. Would highly recommend everyone read this series and I cannot wait for book two to release.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 20, 2022
Genre: Fantasy/Romantasy
Format: eBook (ARC)
Age recommendation: 18+
Expected publication: 19th November 2022
A big thank you to Ektaa P Bali for sending me an advanced copy of her book in exchange for an honest review
“The Archer Princess” is a sister series to Bali’s “The Warrior Midwife’s Trilogy”. I believe this book will be most enjoyed after reading “The Warrior Midwife Trilogy”. We may end up knowing Altara’s fate this way, but it didn’t retract from the enjoyment of this book one bit.
This book is the most hilarious book I’ve ever read in my life. I couldn’t stop laughing and I don’t mean the breaths or snorts you make or release from your mouth or nose when your mildly amused. This book had me chuckling and laughing out loud throughout its entirety and I can not recommend it enough, good job Bali.
Bali has once again created a strong female MC who is strong and will do anything to protect those she loves. The world building is once again top notch and the characters are all amazing and you can’t help but love them. They all have depth and personality and they are more than just side characters.
This book did touch on themes of mental health so search trigger warnings if need be.
I certainly cannot recommend this book enough but if you need more convincing, check it out if you enjoy:
~ Enemies to Lovers
~ Fated Mates
~ Ancient Shifters
~ Strong Female Lead
~ BIPOC, Curvy main character
~ Crude Humour
~ Slow Burn
~ Found Family
Format: eBook (ARC)
Age recommendation: 18+
Expected publication: 19th November 2022
A big thank you to Ektaa P Bali for sending me an advanced copy of her book in exchange for an honest review
“The Archer Princess” is a sister series to Bali’s “The Warrior Midwife’s Trilogy”. I believe this book will be most enjoyed after reading “The Warrior Midwife Trilogy”. We may end up knowing Altara’s fate this way, but it didn’t retract from the enjoyment of this book one bit.
This book is the most hilarious book I’ve ever read in my life. I couldn’t stop laughing and I don’t mean the breaths or snorts you make or release from your mouth or nose when your mildly amused. This book had me chuckling and laughing out loud throughout its entirety and I can not recommend it enough, good job Bali.
Bali has once again created a strong female MC who is strong and will do anything to protect those she loves. The world building is once again top notch and the characters are all amazing and you can’t help but love them. They all have depth and personality and they are more than just side characters.
This book did touch on themes of mental health so search trigger warnings if need be.
I certainly cannot recommend this book enough but if you need more convincing, check it out if you enjoy:
~ Enemies to Lovers
~ Fated Mates
~ Ancient Shifters
~ Strong Female Lead
~ BIPOC, Curvy main character
~ Crude Humour
~ Slow Burn
~ Found Family
November 24, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, just wow. When I saw this beautifully done cover art, I had to pick this book up immediately, and what can I say? It was one of my best book decisions, and I'm so happy I found this gem. This was my first read from this author, and you bet it won't be my last, especially after I found out there already is a trilogy revolving around Altara's sister.
E.P. Bali's writing is fantastic and made this book such a pleasure to read. Altara is now part of my favorite female characters of all time. I love that she is such a powerful woman that knows exactly what she wants and how she will get it. Now Zale and his brothers? I can't tell you which one of these hot men I'd want for myself but the choice would probably be all. Altara's girl group has my heart, and I can't wait to read more about them, especially Pia. And can we just talk about the diversity in this book? It was amazing to see so much rep in this, and I am desperate to read the next installment of this trilogy!
Thank you E.P. Bali, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy, all opinions on this book are mine.
Wow, just wow. When I saw this beautifully done cover art, I had to pick this book up immediately, and what can I say? It was one of my best book decisions, and I'm so happy I found this gem. This was my first read from this author, and you bet it won't be my last, especially after I found out there already is a trilogy revolving around Altara's sister.
E.P. Bali's writing is fantastic and made this book such a pleasure to read. Altara is now part of my favorite female characters of all time. I love that she is such a powerful woman that knows exactly what she wants and how she will get it. Now Zale and his brothers? I can't tell you which one of these hot men I'd want for myself but the choice would probably be all. Altara's girl group has my heart, and I can't wait to read more about them, especially Pia. And can we just talk about the diversity in this book? It was amazing to see so much rep in this, and I am desperate to read the next installment of this trilogy!
Thank you E.P. Bali, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy, all opinions on this book are mine.
November 16, 2022
Coming into this book, I didn't really know what to expect and whether I'd vibe with it or not. The first 20% of the book was slow but caught my attention easily, and the rest of it was history. I am very picky when it comes to fantasy books, and I can say with a happy heart that I can't wait for the rest of this series to be published because I will be eating it up. Altara's personality and fire was unrelenting throughout the entire book, but I do wish her character progression was a little more prevalent in the writing. You can tell it's there, but I think it only skims the surface after everything she has gone through thus far. I didn't quite understand Zale at first, with the writing being very emotionless when he is first introduced, but as the story plays out and we understand why, I feel for him. And as a reader, seeing even those small changes towards the end of the book made my heart flutter. I do wish there was some spice in this first book, but I'm excited to see where it goes in the second and I will definitely be reading more from this author!
October 29, 2022
Ektaa how you have done it again!
The Archer Princess is the first book a new trilogy And walks along side Bali’s other trilogy The Midwife Warrior series. I. This one we follow Sarayas sister Altara and see how she fares in the Ellythian Isles.
When she gets to the Island things start to rumble and an ancient prince and his warrior brothers wake up after two hundred years imprisonment and nothing is quite what it seems.
Altara is such a different protagonist compared to her sister, not burdened with being a crown princess, Tara is much more free spirited, but also strong, clever, witty and an amazing shot. She is a delight to read and the whole book is a roller coaster of emotions, you will laugh, you will cry and it will leave you wanting more! Everytime Ektaa brings us better and better writing and storytelling!
There are a few trigger warnings and this book is fairly low on spice but not devoid (blue members anyone?) but the next ones promise lots more 🌶🔥
November 29, 2022
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me access this book!
This was just interesting enough for me to finish it, but frustrating enough for me to constantly want to DNF or just read the end. I enjoyed the basic plot and the characters were well fleshed-out, for the most part. I struggled, however, with the pacing of the plot and the inconsistencies with characterizations and plot points. There were multiple times where someone mentions something seemingly important, but no one talks about it or brings it up again despite it clearly being something they should talk about.
I also didn’t love that both love interests treat the opposite gender as expendable—she “doesn’t need their mind” just their body that’s interchangeable with the next cute, strong boy while he needs a “vessel” for his power (*vomit*). I didn’t get the instalust either.
I doubt I’ll read the sequels, though I did like where the author took things in the last few chapters.
This was just interesting enough for me to finish it, but frustrating enough for me to constantly want to DNF or just read the end. I enjoyed the basic plot and the characters were well fleshed-out, for the most part. I struggled, however, with the pacing of the plot and the inconsistencies with characterizations and plot points. There were multiple times where someone mentions something seemingly important, but no one talks about it or brings it up again despite it clearly being something they should talk about.
I also didn’t love that both love interests treat the opposite gender as expendable—she “doesn’t need their mind” just their body that’s interchangeable with the next cute, strong boy while he needs a “vessel” for his power (*vomit*). I didn’t get the instalust either.
I doubt I’ll read the sequels, though I did like where the author took things in the last few chapters.
November 9, 2022
THE ARCHER PRINCESS
by @ektaabaliauthor
👸A warrior princess fantasy romance.
👸I only recently stumbled across this #aussieindieauthor and I am so glad I did!
🤴This is the 1st book I have read (although I do have The Warrior Midwife waiting to be read, another trilogy involving Altara's sister) and I loved Altara and her cheeky and sassy ways, her desire to protect others, and to protect her true identity and whereabouts from her mother-in-law gave this book a well rounded storyline. And she is a kick ass female lead too!
I admit that Ashzale Boneweaver and his pack had me from the moment they were introduced and their ways had me enthralled and the romance aspect is heating up 💥
👸This may be a New Adult Fantasy Romance but this old girl 🤣🤣 still enjoys reading all about new love, and considering I dont read much of the romance genre that is definitely a win for this book!
👸
by @ektaabaliauthor
👸A warrior princess fantasy romance.
👸I only recently stumbled across this #aussieindieauthor and I am so glad I did!
🤴This is the 1st book I have read (although I do have The Warrior Midwife waiting to be read, another trilogy involving Altara's sister) and I loved Altara and her cheeky and sassy ways, her desire to protect others, and to protect her true identity and whereabouts from her mother-in-law gave this book a well rounded storyline. And she is a kick ass female lead too!
I admit that Ashzale Boneweaver and his pack had me from the moment they were introduced and their ways had me enthralled and the romance aspect is heating up 💥
👸This may be a New Adult Fantasy Romance but this old girl 🤣🤣 still enjoys reading all about new love, and considering I dont read much of the romance genre that is definitely a win for this book!
👸
November 25, 2022
What a surprise... this is a new to me author and i just loved this book. The writingstyle is very easy and likable ,reads like a YA. It does have NA content but a very mild spice lvl.
The things i absolutely loved are;
- Strong female main character
- Smoking hot shifters with a definite rough edge
- Interesting magic system
- It does have some darker gritty content.
- Enemy to lovers
- Fated mates
- Wicked sense of humor (blue dingdong)
When starting the book you see the spoiled princess, the one who is very rash, does wat she wants. But the further the story goes you find out there are way more layers to this young female. And that she is not that ignorant and is fighting her own inner demons. She is a strong, fierce and loyal friend. Putting others before her. She is also not afraid to show her sexuality out there, its clearly a female who loves and ownes up to that. Making it very empowering! Overal this mix of all makes for a great start to this series. It makes me even want to pick up the previous serie about her sister. I cannot wait for the sequel to this!
The things i absolutely loved are;
- Strong female main character
- Smoking hot shifters with a definite rough edge
- Interesting magic system
- It does have some darker gritty content.
- Enemy to lovers
- Fated mates
- Wicked sense of humor (blue dingdong)
When starting the book you see the spoiled princess, the one who is very rash, does wat she wants. But the further the story goes you find out there are way more layers to this young female. And that she is not that ignorant and is fighting her own inner demons. She is a strong, fierce and loyal friend. Putting others before her. She is also not afraid to show her sexuality out there, its clearly a female who loves and ownes up to that. Making it very empowering! Overal this mix of all makes for a great start to this series. It makes me even want to pick up the previous serie about her sister. I cannot wait for the sequel to this!
December 18, 2022
I really liked this book's premise and the cover art was what really initially drew me in, it is a beautiful cover. Plus, it sounded like the main character was going to be fierce and a warrior, which I suppose she is. But, I could not stand the main character. I found that she used people, was selfish, and was just obnoxious. Plus, I didn't like her love interest either, he was disturbing to be with at times. I ended up DNFing the book a little less than halfway, there was just too much cringe and juvenile decisions for a book that was meant to be new adult. I skimmed through the rest and was glad that I abandoned fully reading it when I did, it would not have been worth it.
This book was a disappointment and a letdown since I had high hopes initially.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was a disappointment and a letdown since I had high hopes initially.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 7, 2023
This was a great read! I really enjoy Altara as a main character and love her personality and growth throughout the book. I love the side characters in this one - I think overall the side character cast here is stronger than in Saraya's series simply because we are spending more time with them and they're all more fleshed out. I love all of her friends, the pixies, and Kai (and the other Old Ones too, but I want more background on all of them)!!! Zale looks like he will be a good love interest, but we didn't get a tonnn of content between him and Altara due to his curse and the whole no emotion situation. I think that will change in the next two books. The end of this book was crazyyy and I can't wait to see what will happen. Also apparently starting at the next book the series is new adult? Ok spice!! On to the next!
December 8, 2022
This was an interesting title. It had everything in it I enjoy. Strong female characters, archery, powerful magic, shifters, sari’s, different races and exotic settings. Yet somehow it fell a little flat for me. The story follows a princess who escapes her home and is forced to marry a cursed ancient man. The main character Altara seems to spend of lot of the time talking about her multiple sexual exploits and it comes across as random rather than part of her character. I also think there are not enough plot details early on giving the reader a sense of confusion. I still enjoyed parts of it and maybe things will make sense with the next book. I adored the islander feel of the book and will definitely read the next book.
February 25, 2023
I freaking love this book! I cannot wait to read more and to read Ekta's other books!!
It was so funny, so exciting, and oh so delicious! She left me wanting so much more.
I really like the world building so far and the lore. Not everything is known because our FMC is somewhat sheltered and doesn't know much about the outside world other than what she was told from various people.
Honestly, it is a great book please consider reading it! I highly recommend it!!!
🖋This is a voluntary review in exchange for the ARC I received from Netgalley and BooksGoSocial!❥
It was so funny, so exciting, and oh so delicious! She left me wanting so much more.
I really like the world building so far and the lore. Not everything is known because our FMC is somewhat sheltered and doesn't know much about the outside world other than what she was told from various people.
Honestly, it is a great book please consider reading it! I highly recommend it!!!
🖋This is a voluntary review in exchange for the ARC I received from Netgalley and BooksGoSocial!❥
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