For a debut novel this was stunning! But also had a few things that I think could have been improved on that would have blown it out of the water.

The Enemy’s Daughter takes place in a dystopian setting 30 years after a bombing of the Republic wipes out nearly 90% of the countries population. Isolde is the daughter of a clan leader, and a healer by trade. When the leader of the enemy territory is killed, Isolde is promised to the one who killed him as a prize. Until Isolde interacts with Tristian, someone who is supposed to be an enemy and ends up being something more. Now in enemy lands, Isolde is learning that everything she has been taught may not be what it seems and the connection she feels for Tristian might be the answer she needs.

First and foremost - marriage for SURVIVAL? I was holding my breath during that entire exchanged. I loved seeing Isolde and Tristian form and connection and what that meant for them as enemies. I loved Tristian from the get go. You could tell there was something soft about him - especially for Isolde. He was ready to tear his life apart for her the moment they met. The forced proximity in this was so well done - you could tell the tie between these two was more than the secretive magic between them.

What didn’t work for me: the world building. Really the lack there of. I was so confused on how in 3o years the clans had resorted to such primitive behavior - especially after seeing how Kingsland was set up. It made it hard for me to like Isolde as a character because while she was smart and cunning - I hated seeing how looked down upon she was (and a little judgemental). I wanted to learn more about the bombings and the environment that they were residing in. This is answered a bit when the big reveal happens - but honestly that infuriated me even more, but mostly in a political kind of way.

Overall, this was a fast and engaging read and like I said earlier, a stunning debut. Sometimes it’s hard to get invested in standalones that are packed like this one, but this was honestly so enjoyable.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Melissa Poett, and HarperCollins Children’s for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.