Fallen (Crowns of Twelve: Book 3) by Ann Hunter

17-year-old Prince Sylas of Killeagh wants what everyone else wants: control over his own life. When he tries to run away from home and escape an arranged marriage, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a robber in the woods. Hiding behind a mask, the robber girl seems to lead a life of freedom Sylas has only dreamed of. Their adventure comes to an end when the Castle Killeagh guards hunt Sylas down and he’s forced to return home. He convinces his parents to allow him to find the girl again and consider her as a candidate for marriage, but he only has until the next full moon to find her, or all bets are off.

Death has a name, and it is Crwys. As a ban sidhe, her job is to visit the great houses of The Summer Isle and keen out the living to prepare them for death. King Sionnach has far outlived his days and it is time he crosses the Unliving World. When she arrives, a young prince named Sylas intervenes and offers to go in his grandfather’s stead. This break with tradition, and selfless sacrifice, move Crwys into loving Sylas, who looks so much like a shadow from her past. But when he crosses her to be with his true love, he invokes the wrath of a woman scorned.

Rós is just a little, aura-seeing, red hen whose master believes she is chosen by the gods. Her arrival at King Sionnach’s court is insignificant to Sylas at the time, but their destinies are interwoven. Can she help Sylas save himself from the curse Crwys has planned for him? Or will he become a fallen frog prince?

As stated in the synopsis, this book is a fantastic retelling of The Frog Prince, and what a retelling it is. The author did something that I have rarely seen while reading books. She took a villain and told HIS side of the story. And guess what, he wasn’t as bad as he was made out to be in the other books!!!

I loved Sylas Mortas’s story, and what made me love it was that it had Ros in it. Ros had her own story in A Piece of Sky, where she carried a magical acorn to safety. I was excited when I saw that she reappeared (and was a major factor) in this book. I loved her character in that book, and her character didn’t disappoint in this book, either.

The story was awesome too. The story is about a prince who sacrifices three times for the people he loves.

I did feel bad for Crwys at points in the book. All she wanted was to be loved, and she made an enemy by forcing Sylas to love her.

If you enjoyed reading Fallen, you will enjoy reading these books:

Moonlight (Crowns of the Twelve: Book 2) by Ann Hunter

On 2016-03-162022-11-07 By JolieIn Afterglow Productions, book review, Non ARC3 Comments

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: March 3, 2014

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic, Fantasy Romance

Series: Crowns of the Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1 (review here)

Moonlight—Book 2

Fallen—Book 3 (review here)

A Piece of Sky—Book 4 (review here)

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

One vow. One curse. One thousand moons.

While Princess Aowyn’s six brothers are favored by their father, Aowyn is the jewel in her mother’s crown. When the Queen dies, Aowyn takes a vow to protect her brothers and father from the hungry eyes of the queen’s handmaiden, Ciatlllait – who is more than she seems.

In order to save her family, Aowyn risks a dangerous deal with the dark creature Sylas Mortas. But magic comes with a price: and Aowyn soon realizes the one she has paid is too steep.

Only true love can reverse the spell…but it will take one thousand moons.

Set in a Celtic world, “Moonlight” is the story of faith and true love woven through a breathtaking retelling of the classic folktale “The Swan Princess”.

Another fantastic book by Ann Hunter!!!

As said in the synopsis, this is a retelling of The Swan Princess, and what a retelling it is!!! It is also the love story of Xander and Aowyn (told in her first book of the series: The Subtle Beauty).

I loved that again; the story featured Celtic lore. If I haven’t mentioned before, I love anything Celtic. This obsession started in my teens, and I haven’t lost my love for it over the years.

I loved Aowyn’s devotion to her brothers and her mother’s memory.

If you enjoyed reading Moonlight, you will enjoy reading these books:

A Piece Of Sky (Crowns of the Twelve: Book 4) by Ann Hunter

On 2016-03-142022-11-07 By JolieIn Afterglow Productions, book review, Non ARC3 Comments

A Piece of Sky: A fractured retelling of CHICKEN LITTLE (Crowns of the Twelve Book 4) by [Hunter, Ann]

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: December 1, 2014

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

Series: Crowns of the Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1 (review here)

Moonlight—Book 2 (review here)

Fallen—Book 3 (review here)

A Piece of Sky—Book 4

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

From Whitney Award-nominated author, Ann Hunter comes a story of magic, heroism, and embracing who you truly are.

The most powerful force in creation has been stolen from the Tree of Life. Nurgal, Lord of Decay, is convinced the golden seed he possesses will help him end man’s time on earth. The last thing he expects is for a little red hen to try and stop him.

When the magic acorn strikes Rós in the head and changes how she sees the entire world, she believes the sky is falling. Determined to discover the identity of the seed, she strikes out into the big, wide world to find her answers. Many factions are in play and lives are at stake when she learns that an even greater evil is at hand. Life as she knows it is at its end.

Can one little red hen save the world?

In this twist on the classic tale of Chicken Little, no one is too small to make a difference.

What a great and imaginative retelling of Chicken Little!!!!

Ros’s character was great. I didn’t think I would love a chicken as the main character, but I loved her. She was plucky and had tons of courage. Her friends weren’t that bad either. How they started the quest was pretty funny.

There were a few twists in the story that I didn’t expect. It was a great read. Very fast-paced.

I would let my ten-year-old read this book. It is the perfect age level for my daughter. Not too scary (even with the battle with the Lord of Decay), with no bad language, and no sexual situations.

If you enjoyed reading A Piece of Sky, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Subtle Beauty (Crowns of The Twelve: Book 1) by Ann Hunter

On 2016-03-102022-11-07 By JolieIn Afterglow Productions, book review, Non ARC3 Comments

The Subtle Beauty: A fractured Beauty & the Beast retelling (Crowns of the Twelve Book 1) by [Hunter, Ann]

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: January 2nd, 2014

Series: Crowns of The Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1

Moonlight—Book 2 (review here)

Fallen—Book 3 (review here)

A Piece of Sky—Book 4 (review here)

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Beauty and The Beast, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy Romance, Magic

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo |Apple Books

Goodreads synopsis:

A cursed prince. A vain beauty. Glory is the seventh daughter of Balthazar, High King of the Twelve Kingdoms. Glory hopes that – of all her sisters – she can escape the fate of a loveless marriage. But on the night she plans to elope with the royal falconer, her world comes crashing down: Her father announces Glory’s betrothal to Eoghan of the Blood Realm – a prince no one has ever seen. The prince is said to be a recluse, cursed and deformed by the gods for the sins of his power-hungry father. Yet when Glory is trapped in Blackthorn Keep she discovers that not everything is what she expected. An insulting gryphon, a persistent ghost, and a secret plan to usurp the prince keep Glory reeling.

In this retelling of BEAUTY & THE BEAST, can Glory overcome her vanity to learn that what she wants isn’t what she needs—and save the cursed prince?

I enjoyed reading this book. The first chapter (where we meet Xander and Aowynn) hooked me. Put it this way; I finished the book in a day, which never happens these days.

The combo of it being a retelling of a fairy tale and the fact that it takes place in Ireland made me love it. The author included Gaelic phrases and put a directory at the end of the book so you could reference it.

The Colin/Eoghan/Glory triangle was heartbreaking. I did like seeing Glory’s character change. It was a huge transformation.

Oh, and Colin got what was coming to him; just saying.

The ending made me cry. I mean, who wouldn’t? It was the perfect ending to the book.

If you enjoyed reading The Subtle Beauty, you will enjoy reading these books: