Tag Archives: Fae

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Book Review: Splintered Sight, by W.R. Gingell

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I contributed to the Kickstarter for W.R. Gingell‘s Splintered Sight and therefore got an early e-copy of it. It is book three of the Shattered World Series. Here you can find reviews of books one and two.

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Viv has been living alongside behindkind and fae in the Historic Renner Tea House in Melbourne for nearly a month now. In that time, she’s been almost killed by friends and enemies alike, discovered that the human world is not the only world on the edges of her reality, and become a glorified babysitter for Luca, an unstable assassin of otherworldly creatures who has nightmares that are a bit too…real. She has uncovered mysteries and murderers—and discovered just a bit too much about herself into the bargain.

Now a small selkie has turned up on her windowsill, while a nightmare has begun stalking the floors of the Tea House, and Viv is certain the two things are connected. The selkie’s human sponsor has disappeared, as has his pelt, and there’s no help to be had from the selkies, who won’t interfere with a traditional sojourn of one of their own on solid land.

Between her boss Jasper’s dislike of doing anything he doesn’t get paid for, and Luca’s disinclination to do anything to help behindkind rather than humans, Viv is finding it hard to get to the bottom of the disappearance. But if she doesn’t, the nightmare that has infiltrated the Tea House might burgeon into daylight reality, and the little selkie won’t get his pelt back. And without his pelt, it’s just a matter of time before Kyma crumbles away into dust…

my review

There are very few authors whose books I enjoy so much that I am willing to read them as they are published, rather than wait for the series to be complete so that I can binge (my preferred reading method). Gingell is one such author. I contribute to the Kickstarters for her books as soon as they are posted, so that I can get them as quickly as possible, and then I devour them. Which is what I did with Splintered Sight.

I love Viv and Luca as a duo. I like all the sundry side characters and get a little thrill when there is a bit of crossover from Gingell’s other related series. I’m invested in the secrets that are slowly being revealed, and I like the bit of mystery each book presents. And I adore Gingell’s sense of humor and writing style. All in all, I was thrilled with this book and am now back on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one.

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Book Review: Kingdom of Briars & Roses, by Heather Hildenbrand

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I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Heather Hildenbrand‘s Kingdom of Briars and Roses.

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I’m caught between two powerful fae princes. One will be my savior. The other will be my death.

I’ve spent years trapped behind these walls—cursed to live among the sleeping for eternity. When trespassers find their way into my castle, it’s both a dream and a nightmare.

Prince Callan is the first outsider I’ve met in years—and the realm’s most arrogant prick. He’s also the only one with the power to break this wretched curse and restore my kingdom.

Unfortunately, Callan’s assistance comes at a price. If I want his help, I’ll have to belong to him.

A sacrifice I’m willing to make for the people I love.

Until I lay eyes on Rydian.

The second fae prince is everything the elder heir is not. Strong, wise—lethal. He is a distraction I can’t afford.

And he hates me on sight.

In a realm where evil disguises itself as friendship, I am forced to rely on two men whose disgust for each other is only outweighed by their obsession with me.

One of them will save me, the other will tear me apart. I just wish I knew which to trust with my life—and my heart.

my review

I’m torn on how to feel about this book. On the one hand, I really liked Aurelia. And I think I’d like Rydian. But he remained little more than a shadow (pun intended) in this book. On the other hand, however, I was eternally frustrated that the solution to the problem (the twist to come, so to speak) was so glaringly apparent that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief far enough to believe none of the characters figured it out.

kingdom of briars and roses photoWhat’s more, this book covers a lot of ground before the real plot finally starts. It makes the pacing inconsistent. I suspect that’s a first-book problem that might not continue in the series. However, I can’t be sure of that.

All in all, I’d call this a middle-of-the-road read. But I’d have bought and read the second book, Prince of Secrets & Shadows, if it were out yet. I’d gambled that the series would improve. So, that’s a sign it wasn’t a complete flop.

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Book Review: The Haven, the Hallow, & the Highborn, by Jessa Grey

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I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of The Haven, the Hallow, & the Highborn, by Jessa Grey.

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In facing her finest opponent, she will uncover her greatest strength.

Eedy Blackthorn wields a rare and mystical witch magic—she can become a conduit to harness the raw forces of lightning itself. But her abilities do not make up for her painful past. After a tragic accident claims her beloved father, Eedy inherits his seat on the mage-led council. Consumed by guilt over her father’s death and determined to honor his legacy, she refuses to be silenced, no matter how often the male-dominated council disregards her suggestions.

When a mysterious disruption in magic threatens the kingdom’s balance, Prince Caelum is sent to join the council. Discovering Eedy’s identity reawakens a grudge tied to her late father, who ridiculed his family for years. With old wounds resurfacing, every council debate between them crackles with tension. As they clash over how to restore the magical order, their arguments become charged with something neither of them is willing to name.

With duty and destiny colliding, Eedy and Caelum must navigate their forbidden feelings for each other while racing to restore the kingdom’s magic before the winter solstice. As the solution to the magical crisis becomes clear, the couple is faced with an impossible decision, one that will test the limits of Eedy’s power and the depths of Caelum’s heart.

my review

I was really pleasantly surprised by this. I didn’t initially realize that it was a prequel to something else, and (sadly) prequels often feel ad hoc and incomplete, like the add-on they are. But not The Haven, the Hallow, & the Highborn. While it does end on something of a cliffhanger or, maybe better described as a happyish for now, HEA in the making, it feels like a complete arc. I adored Eedy from the first page. She’s practical, and I do so love a practical heroine. It took me a bit longer to warm up to Caelum. Smug always rubs me the wrong way. But as Eedy (and, by extension, I) got to know him, I came to like him quite a lot by the end. The world is fascinating, and the story circles back to its beginning in a satisfying way by the end. I’ll look forward to Grey‘s Roots of Magic series when it comes out later in the year.

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