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Cover of The Warrior Midwife (The Warrior Midwife #1)

The Warrior Midwife (The Warrior Midwife #1)

by E.P. Bali

🌶️🌶️mild·The Warrior Midwife #1
4.0 on Goodreads (6,754)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

She's the Man meets Sarah J. Maas — a princess-midwife goes undercover at a fae warrior academy and has to share a dorm room with the prince she's been forced to marry.

Synopsis

"The fae are no joke, girl. Be wise. Be smart. Be cunning if you can…" PRINCESS. MIDWIFE. WARRIOR What are you supposed to do when your father reveals that he made a binding agreement to marry you off to the Dark Fae Prince across the mountains? He’d done it to save our kingdom, that was fair. But what was not fair was that I have to leave everything I ever knew to marry a monster. Under the cover of night I escape the palace to use my secret magic and be a midwife to the city’s women, and now I just have to leave them all behind. The fae prince is an arrogant jerk and a dirty fighter. The commander of their elite forces is a terrifying enigma. And when they arrive to take me away, what happens next is nothing I could have ever dreamed of. I end up at the fae warrior academy for their males, disguised as a male and have to share a dorm room with my fae fiancé. There are big powers at play here and I'm the only person with the power to make a difference. Could things get any worse? The answer is yes. She's the Man meets Sarah J Maas in this romantic fantasy adventure #fae #slowburn #biracialMC #enemiestolovers #magic #girlpretendingtobeboy

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

E.P. Bali packs an absurd number of beloved tropes into one book and somehow makes them all work. The girl-disguised-as-a-boy setup at the fae academy gives you peak tension—especially when the FMC is rooming with her fae fiance who doesn't know who she is. The midwife angle is genuinely unique and grounds the story in something real amid all the magic. Book 1 is all buildup and world-building with zero on-page spice, so come for the tropes and the training montages, not the steam. Have the sequel ready.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

3.98 ★ (6.8k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

335 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2022

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Romantasy

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

First Person

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Dual Narration (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Katie Anvil Rich, Austin Rising

Narrator Count

Dual

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
enemies to loversslow burnarranged marriagefae romancehidden identityforced proximityfated matessecret powerfound familytraining partners to lovers
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

adventurousmysteriousromanticintensemagical

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

conversationalengagingimmersivedramatic

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

moderate

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

comfort read vibes

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

warrior/fighterhealerdeceptively deadlyrunaway / on the run

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

fae princebrooding princemorally gray MMCwarrior/fighter

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

enemies to loverslove/hate tensionbanterfated matespush and pullreluctant allies to lovers

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
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Spice Level 2

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Book 1 is a slow burn with no on-page spice — the romance is all tension and stolen glances while the FMC is disguised as a boy at the fae academy. Spice begins in book 2 of the series.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

tensionanticipationlonging glancestouch starvation

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (5)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
violenceparental abusepregnancy loss / miscarriageforced institutionalizationwar
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

high fantasyfae realm / faerie courtsacademy / school

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

academy / campusroyal court / palaceforest / wilderness

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

fae

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

BIPOC MC

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

adrenaline rushferal brain activatedaddictive read

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

cozy eveningcan't sleepvacationbedtime

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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️mild
PagesHow long the commitment is.335
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2022
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.3.98 ★ (6.8k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

The Warrior Midwife #1
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