Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for “The Forest King’s Daughter.”
New York Times bestselling author of the “Frostblood Saga,” Elly Blake, is back once more with her newest book “The Forest King’s Daughter,” released on Feb. 11. Readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, deceit, betrayal and tons of magic will find it’s hard to put this book down.
“The Forest King’s Daughter” is the first book of the “Thirstwood” trilogy, following Cassia, a Sylvan princess, and Zeru, a Dracu lieutenant. The two meet as children and become fast friends, even though their people do not get along at all. Zeru gives Cassia a magical artifact, which is later revealed to be the Solis Gemma, a ring with the power to kill Dracu. Years later, Cassia and Zeru meet again as enemies, their childhood friendship long behind them. Zeru wants to get the ring back and correct his childhood mistake, while Cassia wants to find out more about what the ring can do. As they go to the ancient sky island Welkincaster, the home of the Solis Gemma, the two become close again as they get to know the people they grew into. They must decide between choosing their people and the war that keeps them apart or following their hearts, which lead them to one another.
The summary on the back of the book states that it is great for fans of authors Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas. While there are occasional similarities to these authors, “The Forest King’s Daughter” feels like a completely different book with its own unique motives and storylines.
“The Forest King’s Daughter” is an incredibly engaging book and doesn’t take very long to dive into the plot. There are so many reveals readers can’t see coming, which adds so much character and fun to the book;it is almost impossible to put it down. The world-building is incredibly well done, as each realm differs from one another — both in physical appearance and what it represents. Along with the physical world-building is the more magical world-building, which establishes the different kinds of powers that characters have, including Cassia’s Solis Gemma ring.
Cassia — like many young adult (YA) female main characters — becomes the chosen one, of sorts, with the ring that was given to her by Zeru. Thus, a considerable amount of responsibility is placed on her shoulders to protect her people from the Dracu. Cassia is caring, determined and yet, extremely hard on herself, which brings nice depth to her character. As the book progresses, she acquires more confidence, finding her voice to stand up for herself and others. This is refreshing to see in a main character, even if it comes off as more cliché.
Another element of the novel that is done quite well is the relationship between Cassia and Zeru. Their dynamic defines enemies-to-lovers, as their peoples hate each other intensely and are at war. When the two meet again, there is nothing more than a mutual hatred and dislike which provides great banter for readers. Like any other enemies-to-lovers couple, the leap from mutual hatred to having feelings for each other is the most exciting part, even when Cassia is still trying to pull away from Zeru and her feelings. The enemies-to-lovers are enemies-to-lovering.
It would have been nice to see more of Zeru’s point of view as he only has two chapters — the prologue and epilogue — which are both fascinating. Having dual perspectives is always an added bonus to books, as it creates even more depth and tension. However, even with the majority of the book from Cassia’s perspective, it is consistently clear what Zeru is feeling.
Another relationship that completely takes over the book is Cassia’s bond with her sisters, which isn’t very common for many YA books. It is so refreshing to see them all so connected and protective of each other, very much like a real-world sister relationship. Despite everything, they look out for one another and are always at each other’s side for support.
“The Forest King’s Daughter” is an incredible read, with characters that readers can relate to and a world they can escape into. It is enchanting, and the main plot changes and morphs into something that readers can’t guess when starting the book. The characters and their relationships feel truly deep and real, even for a fictional story. There is so much that makes this book work seamlessly.
Even though “The Forest King’s Daughter” ends quite happily without a cliffhanger in sight, it will be exciting to see what Blake has in store for the rest of the “Thirstwood” series.
Jocelyn Cosgrove is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. She can be reached at jmcosgro@uci.edu.
Edited by Lillian Dunn and Mia Noergaard.