Savage Lands
Savage Lands, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Eva Kaminsky
Almost 20 years after the barrier between Earth and the Otherworld fell in the Fae Wars, Budapest is balancing on the precipice.
A battle for dominance is brewing between the elite fae and the privileged humans in Eastern Europe. The prejudice between the sides is bubbling with hate and violence.
Nineteen-year-old human, Brexley, has grown up in privilege, but not without heartbreak. After being orphaned, she is taken in by General Markos, living in a walled city rife with power grabs and ruthless political games. Then, one night, the course of her life changes, and Brexley is thrown into the most feared prison in the east. Halalhaz, the House of Death - where you go in but don’t come out. She must learn to live with the worst of fae and human criminals. The rule of hierarchy puts humans on the bottom, where the only way to survive each day is to make alliances with the fae.
Here, she meets the sexy, vicious legend, Warwick Farkas; a myth among man and fae. He is as brutal, cruel, arrogant, and as lethal as the lore says he is. He rules the prison with unchallenged authority. Brexley can’t deny an intense draw to him, one that might cost her life...if The Games - a fight to the death where only one survives - don’t take her out first.
Savage Lands is set in the same world as the Darkness, Collector and Lightness Saga series, but can be listened to as a stand-alone.
©2021 Stacey Marie Brown (P)2021 Podium AudioContinue the series
entertaining with a little spice
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Gripping
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What a ride!
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loveeeee
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This book completely surprised me.
I picked it up because it was free and went in with fairly low expectations, but it quickly proved me wrong. From the opening chapters I was invested, and by the end I was desperate to continue the series.
The worldbuilding was one of the biggest strengths. I enjoyed discovering the divide between the human and fae worlds, and Halálház prison was a fascinating setting. Every chapter seemed to raise another question about the world’s history, its magic, and the secrets surrounding the war.
Brexley was an easy protagonist to root for. She is resilient and determined, but her time in prison clearly changes her in ways she can’t fully control. She often reflects on how the environment twists even good people, and you can see her hardening as she adapts to survive. At the same time, she gains a new awareness of how sheltered and privileged her life in the castle had been, even beginning to view her former betrothal as its own kind of prison. That internal shift made her feel more complex and realistic as a character.
Warwick was exactly the kind of mysterious character I enjoy reading. The author reveals just enough to keep you intrigued without giving away too much too soon. The chemistry between him and Brexley is driven more by tension and conflict than anything soft or romantic—there’s a clear pull between them, but neither of them seems to want it, and it often comes out as frustration or anger. It doesn’t feel like a true slow burn yet, more like the groundwork for one, especially since Warwick is still very much his own person and not remotely devoted to her at this stage.
The romance never overshadowed the larger mystery, which I really appreciated. That said, there were a couple of moments where the intensity of the attraction felt slightly overdone, especially considering they are still very much in the hate stage. At times the lust seemed to escalate a bit too quickly compared to the level of trust or understanding between them, which pulled me out of the dynamic slightly. Overall though, I was still just as invested in uncovering the truth behind the world’s magic, Warwick’s past, and Brexley’s connection to everything that was happening.
The ending left me with far more questions than answers, but in the best possible way. I immediately wanted to start book two.
******** SPOILERS BELOW ********
Genre
* Dark Fantasy
* Romantic Fantasy
* Fae Fantasy
Favourite Characters
* Warwick
* Brexley
* Tad
* Lynx
Favourite Moments
* Every interaction between Brexley and Warwick.
* The moment she was going to prison and I realised she wasn’t going to have to marry that creep.
* Brexley and Warwick escaping Halálház together.
Thoughts & Twists
* I appreciated that the author made me genuinely care about Caden before introducing Warwick. It made Brexley’s loss of her old life feel real rather than simply clearing the way for a new romance.
* Warwick’s ability to seemingly ease Brexley’s pain, and their growing awareness that they could feel one another, became one of the most intriguing mysteries in the book.
* I loved trying to piece together what happened the night Warwick died and Brexley was born, especially knowing something changed in the world’s magic at that exact moment.
* Lynx repeatedly telling Brexley, “You can’t die,” felt like it carried a much deeper meaning.
* Zevander admitting he felt inexplicably drawn to Brexley made me even more curious about who—or what—she really is.
* Warwick’s reveal that he had been acting as a spy for the Killian before handing Brexley over felt like a genuine betrayal, but the emotions Brexley sensed from him suggested there is much more to the story.
* The final reveal left me questioning everything I thought I knew about Warwick’s motivations.
Final Thoughts
This was one of those books that exceeded every expectation I had.
It balanced mystery, romance, and worldbuilding incredibly well, and while the connection between Brexley and Warwick is clearly building toward something bigger, it still feels messy, conflicted, and far from a true slow burn at this stage.
Book two couldn’t come soon enough.
Savage Lands — ★★★★½
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