AUTHOR: Lyra Selene
SERIES: Fair Folk #1
GENRE: fantasy
AGE: adult
BLURB:
In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen’s daughter and retreated behind the locked gates of Tír na nÓg.
Most despise Fia’s fae blood. But the queen raises her as a daughter and trains her to be a spy. Meanwhile, the real princess Eala is bound to Tír na nÓg, cursed to become a swan by day and only returning to her true form at night.
When a hidden gate to the realm is discovered, Fia is tasked by the queen to retrieve the princess and break her curse. But she doesn’t go with her is prince Rogan, Fia’s dearest childhood friend—and Eala’s betrothed.
As they journey through the forests of the Folk, where magic winds through the roots of the trees and beauty can be a deadly illusion, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince…and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae lord holding Eala captive. Irian might be more monster than man, but he seems to understand Fia in a way no one ever has.
Soon, Fia begins to question the truth of her mission. But time is running out to break her sister’s curse. And unraveling the secrets of the past might destroy everything she has come to love.
Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
Holy – wowzers. I can’t decide what to rate this book! It was addictive is what it was. I really enjoyed the take on the fair folk. It definitely is a darker take, a more wild take. I would say more along the lines of The Cruel Prince and Emily Wilde fae than SJM fae.
I absolutely loved the writing in this book, it was SO good. The world that Selene spun was amazing, and it felt like it was placed in a historical place (but it was fantasy) so that gave a jumping off point without needing too much background. This was clearly steeped in the folklore of the British Isles, and I think it was done in a new and interesting way that I haven’t seen before.
The complicated familial and romantic relationships were some of the best parts of this book, there was much to dissect and figure out as you read. I don’t want to give too much away, but Fia, our main character, has a lovely blooming story arc that I feel like was a partial coming of age and partial not. It’s very hard to explain.
The atmosphere, the world building everything delighted me. There are some aspects I want to share about this book that definitely brought on interest.
-Swan Princess vibes (but darker)
-Celtic mythology
-curses
-fae
-shadow daddy
I cannot wait for the next book in this series! (I was shocked when I learned it was NOT a standalone.)