Quick Thoughts: The Forest King's Daughter (Thirstwood #1) by Elly Blake

*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

The Forest King's Daughter

(Thirstwood #1)

by Elly Blake

February 11, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black, The Forest King's Daughter is an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Frostblood.

Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely demon boy. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket…or so he thought...because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the demon queen and forest king declared war.

Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of demons at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it's only a matter of time before the war they've escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest folk and demons alike grows in the shadows.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.

Review

Reading The Forest King's Daughter reminded me of how much I enjoy Elly Blake's writing. I settled easily into Thirstwood cheering the characters on as I flew through the pages.

What I Liked:

- smooth writing that kept the story flowing

- fast-paced

- exploring the parent/child dynamic

- a fierce sisterhood

- Cassia:

  - her gentle nature

  - the care she had for the forest/folks

  - watching her restore Welkincaster

  - the sacrifices she made to master the ring

- the adorable fox spirit

- Zeru's allures

- the growth in both Cassia and Zeru

- Zeru giving Cassia space while also protecting her

- the reluctant alliance that actually worked

The Not So Much:

- I was hoping for a more powerful climax

- Cassia's physical transformation felt abrupt

“Memories are images of the past as seen through rippling water.” (p. 266)

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.