Book Review: Fantasyland
Series details
What this series is about
High-spice MF fantasy romance series: A parallel realm mirrors the real world with the same faces and names, but not the same personalities. Each book follows a new couple where one of them crosses over from our world into the parallel one, stepping into the life of their parallel self, and landing right in the middle of an alpha hero, a very strong plot, and a very, very spicy romance.
World setting
Genres
Relationship tropes
Rating & review
My review
This series sits in “how many times have I reread this?” territory.
Few series have been or will be this good. This is the series I had been searching for before I found it. I was looking for something like Dragon Bound, Burn, Feral Sins, and I just couldn’t find it until I stumbled onto Wildest Dreams.
The parallel world is very, very well built. Some animals can talk, there’s magic, there are kingdoms and dragons, and this whole feeling of a world that has real depth to it. Each book has its own distinct plot, completely different from the others, but they all live in the same world, which gives you that escapism feeling you can keep coming back to.
Books one through three I have reread so many times. Book four didn’t land for me the same way, and book five I haven’t gotten to yet. But those first three? I can’t say enough.
WHO WILL LOVE THIS SERIES
- alpha, morally grey heroes who fall hard for their women
- high heat that stops just short of erotica
- immersive fantasy world-building: magic, kingdoms, dragons, talking animals
- books like Dragon Bound, Burn, or Feral Sins
- series where each book feels completely different while staying in the same world
- at least one damsel in distress or warrior hero moment per book
- heroines who each bring something completely different to the table
- heroes who will do questionable things for love
This series sits in “how many times have I reread this?” territory.
Few series have been or will be this good. This is the series I had been searching for before I found it. I was looking for something like Dragon Bound, Burn, Feral Sins, and I just couldn’t find it until I stumbled onto Wildest Dreams.
The parallel world is very, very well built. Some animals can talk, there’s magic, there are kingdoms and dragons, and this whole feeling of a world that has real depth to it. Each book has its own distinct plot, completely different from the others, but they all live in the same world, which gives you that escapism feeling you can keep coming back to.
Books one through three I have reread so many times. Book four didn’t land for me the same way, and book five I haven’t gotten to yet. But those first three? I can’t say enough.
WHO WILL LOVE THIS SERIES
- alpha, morally grey heroes who fall hard for their women
- high heat that stops just short of erotica
- immersive fantasy world-building: magic, kingdoms, dragons, talking animals
- books like Dragon Bound, Burn, or Feral Sins
- series where each book feels completely different while staying in the same world
- at least one damsel in distress or warrior hero moment per book
- heroines who each bring something completely different to the table
- heroes who will do questionable things for love
If I had to critique something
Book four didn’t work for me as well as the first three. That’s worth knowing before you get there.
Kristen Ashley has a specific writing style that you either click with or you don’t. She writes the heroine’s inner thoughts the way real thoughts actually work: repetitive, chaotic, all over the place. Her heroines also tend to have outbursts with the alpha heroes that can read as a little childish sometimes. Personally, the plot, the spice, and the heroes are more than enough for me. But if the style bothers you in book one, it does get better. Book two’s writing and inner monologues are noticeably stronger.
Book two also contains content that is genuinely triggering: consent, women’s rights, and what it means to exist in a primitive world where men hold most of the power. Things happen to Circe at the start that are very difficult, and then the book moves past them quickly when she is somewhat seduced by Dax. If that progression doesn’t work for you, skip this one. But if you can go with it, the journey is one of the best in the series.
Book four didn’t work for me as well as the first three. That’s worth knowing before you get there.
Kristen Ashley has a specific writing style that you either click with or you don’t. She writes the heroine’s inner thoughts the way real thoughts actually work: repetitive, chaotic, all over the place. Her heroines also tend to have outbursts with the alpha heroes that can read as a little childish sometimes. Personally, the plot, the spice, and the heroes are more than enough for me. But if the style bothers you in book one, it does get better. Book two’s writing and inner monologues are noticeably stronger.
Book two also contains content that is genuinely triggering: consent, women’s rights, and what it means to exist in a primitive world where men hold most of the power. Things happen to Circe at the start that are very difficult, and then the book moves past them quickly when she is somewhat seduced by Dax. If that progression doesn’t work for you, skip this one. But if you can go with it, the journey is one of the best in the series.
The romance
4
MF
New Couple Each Installment
Relationship tropes
Romance on the Fantasyland series
The heroes in this series are alpha macho men through and through. They fall hard, they have a touch of morally grey, and they are absolutely willing to do questionable things to keep their women with them. Frey, from book one, is possessive and controlling. Dax, from book two, barely speaks, and when he does it’s single words that are essentially orders, like “sleep.” Both are tough on the exterior, but when they fall, watching that journey is just so beautiful.
The heroines are not copies of each other, which sounds like it should be a given but isn’t always. Finnie has this thirst for adventure, she’s fearless about trying new things, very free in the way she speaks, and genuinely good at playing cards. Circe is vivacious and resilient, she doesn’t conform to what’s happening to her even when things get very difficult, and she’s kind of funny in a hyperbolic way.
Kristen Ashley knows how to write tension, and she knows how to make each couple’s story feel completely unique. The spice is very, very high without ever crossing into erotica, and you never want to skip anything. In book two specifically, I was sweating. She also has this technique where sometimes she skips a scene rather than writing it out, so you never feel oversaturated. And there is at least one damsel in distress moment per book, or a scene where the hero shows up as a capable, powerful warrior. As a fan of that, those moments deliver every single time.
The heroes in this series are alpha macho men through and through. They fall hard, they have a touch of morally grey, and they are absolutely willing to do questionable things to keep their women with them. Frey, from book one, is possessive and controlling. Dax, from book two, barely speaks, and when he does it’s single words that are essentially orders, like “sleep.” Both are tough on the exterior, but when they fall, watching that journey is just so beautiful.
The heroines are not copies of each other, which sounds like it should be a given but isn’t always. Finnie has this thirst for adventure, she’s fearless about trying new things, very free in the way she speaks, and genuinely good at playing cards. Circe is vivacious and resilient, she doesn’t conform to what’s happening to her even when things get very difficult, and she’s kind of funny in a hyperbolic way.
Kristen Ashley knows how to write tension, and she knows how to make each couple’s story feel completely unique. The spice is very, very high without ever crossing into erotica, and you never want to skip anything. In book two specifically, I was sweating. She also has this technique where sometimes she skips a scene rather than writing it out, so you never feel oversaturated. And there is at least one damsel in distress moment per book, or a scene where the hero shows up as a capable, powerful warrior. As a fan of that, those moments deliver every single time.
Reading order
Books I've reviewed from this series
Series similar to Fantasyland
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Oh hey! I’m Becky, book hugger and the one-woman team behind RBM. I hope my reviews help you find a story you’ll love.