This debut novel by Lori Holmes is a tale with a strong, female lead taking centre stage. After experiencing the trauma of losing her tribe, Rebaa must fight to save ‘The Forbidden’. The story flows easily enough, and there are some interesting bits and pieces, but I was never hugely absorbed. I felt okay if I'd zoned out and missed things, because it never seemed like I was missing much. Plus, the magic seemed non-existent? A mention here and there, but really it was disappointingly absent. Love or loyalty? Her decision will mean the difference between survival and the utter extinction of all that she holds dear.

There’s just something about this cover that drew me to this novel, and then reading the blurb of it being set 4,000 years in our own dark forgotten past drew me in even more. There’s something that I find very interesting about stories of early-mankind, unfortunately, while that brought me in, the story and the characters, just weren’t captivating or memorable enough for me. In the years following the bloodbath, Nyriaana never forgives and never forgets her loss or what the raiders did to her people. But as the endless winter encroaches and starvation looms, Nyriaana's dying tribe is once again placed in mortal danger when an injured Wove raider becomes trapped within their territory. To her horror, Nyriaana discovers that the fate of this most hated enemy is irrevocably tied to hers. Will Rebaa find her salvation, or will crushing loss, hardship, and the burden of carrying The Forbidden first destroy her from the inside out?Not as good as number one, The Forbidden, yet better than number two, Daughter of Nimvah. The story is still tortuous and without more than tiny bits of hope but it is so well written that you are carried away with the story. It is involved with almost too many characters. The main ones are easy to understand as each follows their own cultural mores and is thrown when having to accept different ones. The world this author introduces us too is both familiar, and yet, absolutely, magically differs from what my mind would have imagined. All without being overly fanciful. It's feasible, and tangible enough to believe it could have been true. The story is simple enough to follow, though not something too fantastically original. Characters are nicely written and are either likable or unlikable as you would expect them to be. If someone is good, they're INHERITANTLY good, and if someone is evil, well...they're SUPER evil. There's nothing left to leave you feeling conflicted over the matter. There's nothing wrong with this per se, but...it does sometimes lead to unavoidable predictabilities to people's actions. Sometimes you could just see something coming from a mile away. Rebaa’s adopted tribe lies slaughtered behind her. Rebaa’s lover, Juran, lays down his life for hers, and now she must use all of her cunning and extraordinary powers to survive the inhospitable wilderness alone, ensuring that Juran’s sacrifice was not in vain.

It still had moments where I did find myself captivated, but not enough for me to be truly invested. I liked it, I followed the story easily enough and was entertained, but it wasn't anything particularly memorable. This book centres around Rebaa, who carries a 'Forbidden' child - descendant of two different races. Chased from her home and left to wander the wilds alone, she encounters Nen, and the two women must work together if they wish to survive. As his existence threatens to tear her every belief apart and his identity calls to her very soul, Nyriaana must make the impossible choice: sacrifice the Wove or betray the lives of her people. Hunted by savage predators and more terrifying still, the nightmarish Eldrax, a murderous chieftain who will stop at nothing to possess Rebaa’s mysterious powers for his own, her very existence becomes a life-or-death chase in the pursuit and quest to reach the one place that surely offers salvation and a safe haven she can call home. But what haven could possibly exist for one who bears The Forbidden?The story moves along in a decent pace with plenty of thrilling moments, chilling revelations, and violence to boot. My main complaint was the abruptness of the ending, especially given how it so obviously is meant to lead into the next book with an entirely new tale with entirely new challenges. But after joining main characters Revaa and Eldrax (both of whom share narrative duties), to arrive at the final act in the manner that it did was underwhelming. Any reader with a love of fantasy will adore this journey of adventure, romance, mythology and folklore. The characters are vibrant; fulfilling in their depth, without the cloying feeling of whininess I find authors often attributing to character's thought patterns. Their woes are true woes, their happiness hard-earned, and all the sweeter for their struggles. Both internal, and external. The fantasy elements were also intriguing, at least in general, though not fully fleshed out. Certain characters have inexplicable powers that are certainly utilized (and coveted), but you don't get why or how. I'd imagine further explanation will likely come in later books, though, which is fine and to be expected from a series. What's important is that those traits are nicely established in this first entry to the point of keeping my attention, which I can't complain about. Absolutely amazing. This entire series is one that will forever stay close to my heart and will soon be on my bookshelf to proudly display (usually read digital then buy physical copies of my favorite books/series) I'm literally counting down the time till the next two books come out.