Tag: fairies

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde: Book 1) by Heather Fawcett

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, Del Rey, NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine2 Comments

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: January 10th, 2023

Series: Emily Wilde

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries—Book 1

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Historical Fiction, Fairies, Fae, Fiction, Historical, Paranormal, Magical Realism, Fantasy Romance

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | Alibris | Powells | IndieBound | Indigo | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

First Line:

Shadow is not at all happy with me. He lies by the fire while the chill wind rattles the door, tail inert, staring up at me from beneath that shaggy forelock of his with the sort of accusatory resignation peculiar to dogs, as if to say: Of all the stupid adventures you’ve dragged me on, this will surely be the death of us.

Emily Wilde’s Encycolpaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

When I got the email inviting me to read/review this book, I was immediately taken by two things. The first was the cover. Now, covers don’t usually get my attention or play into why I want to read a book. Mainly because I read using my Kindle Scribed. But this one caught my attention because of how simple it was. The other thing that grabbed my attention was the blurb. A female professor studying Faeries in an alternative Norway in the 1880s? That is when I decided that I wanted, no needed, to read this book. And I am glad that I did because it was a good read.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries takes place in the late 1800s in an alternative world where women could hold jobs and have the same rights as men at that time. 95% of the book is set in the fictional country of Ljosland. Now, I was curious, and I googled the country. It turns out that Ljosland is a village in Norway. The village is made up (I googled that too). I liked that the author created a whole country similar to Norway but simultaneously different.

The plotline for Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an interesting one. In this alternative world, fairies are real. Emily Wilde is an expert on Faeries and is writing an encyclopedia of fairie lore, which will be the first of its kind. She is almost finished and is traveling to Ljosland to study the most elusive and feared Faery of that area, the Hidden Ones. A loner by nature, Emily struggles to make connections in the village. Connections that she needs if she is going to finish her encyclopedia. Help, or a hindrance if she had her say, comes from Wendell Bambleby. Wendell is her rival in the world of Faery lore. But there is something about him that Emily can’t put her finger on. As the winter rages on and her studies continue, Emily learns that Wendell is more than he seems. And when The Hidden Ones start taking children and creating mischief, Emily takes it upon herself to help. That sets off a series of events that forces Emily to reevaluate everything she knows about Faeries, herself, and Wendell. What does Emily learn? What does she find out about Wendell? Will she finish her encyclopedia?

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is the first book in the Emily Wilde series. Usually, I would put in here if you need to read the other books in the series first or not. Well, since it’s the first book, it doesn’t apply.

The pacing of Emily Wilde (I am shortening the title for this review. Plus Encyclopaedia keeps getting autocorrected) is slow for the first 70% of the book. And when I mean slow, it was snail or turtle slow. There was a point in the book where I debated DNF’ing it. It was that slow. But, once certain things happened (I can’t say because of spoilers), the book picked up speed.

The characters of Emily Wilde were interesting and diverse. I liked that the author chose this alternative world to be LGBTQ-friendly (a lesbian couple is featured prominently in the middle and last half of the book). I enjoyed it. It was refreshing for the period it was in (as was Emily, 30 and unmarried).

  • Emily—She was an odd duck right from the beginning. She had zero people skills and managed to tick off not only her host but the unofficial chief of the village. Her only companion was an elderly dog named Shadow. She was able to win over a couple of the Fairy. One was a sprite who lived in a tree, and the other was a changeling who just wanted to go home to his mother. I did feel bad because she did try. I wasn’t prepared for what she did 70% through the book. I am not going to go into it much, except that it went against everything she had warned the villagers about during the first few days of her stay. But, in a way, it did make sense because she got the last bit of information she needed for her encyclopedia.
  • Wendell—Ok, so I figured him out from the beginning. I don’t know how Emily didn’t figure it out sooner. All the signs were there. I can’t get more into what I am talking about because of the spoilers. But it is something huge. One thing I can talk about is Wendell’s feelings for Emily. Even I could see that he loved her. He followed her to that snowy land and helped her with her research. And then, he stayed and helped her out when things went sideways. Wendell made me laugh because he did things to annoy Emily deliberately. Like adding entries into her journal or just being a pain in the butt. But he did have an alternative reason for being there. One that made me sad.

Emily Wilde fits perfectly into the fantasy genre. The author spun a world where Faeries were real and were studied. There were points in the book where I wished that it was true. But then I would read about the more dangerous Faery and say, “Nope, glad they’re fictional.“

There was a slight, very slight, sliver of romance in Emily Wilde. It was so small that I almost missed it. But, towards the end, it became more apparent.

The storyline with Emily, Wendell, and the research into her encyclopedia was interesting. I couldn’t believe the different kinds of Fairies that Emily had encountered on her research journies. I wondered how much of the folklore was true and how much the author made up. Usually, I google this stuff, but I didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole, so I didn’t. The Faeries that Emily met in the north were as cold-blooded as the weather. There was a point towards the end of the book (after the rescue mission) when I worried for Emily. There was a neat twist in the plotline that happened after the tree scene. I did laugh a little at Emily’s dismay (what did she think was going to happen!!), but my laughter did turn to concern for her. Everything did work out in the end.

The end of Emily Wilde was interesting. I was slightly put off by how it ended until I remembered it was a series. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and those annoy me. But it did its job and made me want to read book 2. I pray that it isn’t as slow as this one was. I couldn’t do that again.

I recommend Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries to anyone over 16. There is mild violence, no language, and no sex.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, and Heather Fawcett for allowing me to read and review Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Through a Dragon’s Eyes (Chronicles of the Four: Book 1) by Marissa Farrar

On By JolieIn book review, Warwick House1 Comment
Through A Dragon's Eyes: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Chronicles of the Four Book 1) by [Marissa Farrar]

Publisher: Warwick House Press

Date of publication: April 24th, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Reverse Harem, Romance

Series: Chronicles of the Four

Through a Dragon’s Eyes—Book 1

With a Dragon’s Heart—Book 2

Into a Dragon’s Soul—Book 3

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | AbeBooks | Alibris | IndieBound| Walmart eBooks

Format Read: eBook

Purchased from: Amazon as a free Kindle book

Trigger Warning: None

Goodreads Synopsis:

A magic long forgotten.Four races divided.An epic journey.

She lost her brother, now will she lose her life?

Ever since the Treaty was signed after the Great War, one hundred and fifty years earlier, the separate races of Xantearos have been divided. Only every six months do a select group come together for the Passover—a time to trade much needed produce.

In the human city of Anthoinia, Dela Stonebridge has already lost her brother to The Choosing, and now it is her turn. The grueling journey across the mountains, through the Southern Pass, is always dangerous, but when magic and madness descends, she discovers herself exiled with the leaders of the three other races—the Elvish, Moerians and Norcs.

With the Treaty broken, they learn the secret to the unity of Xantearos lies in a magic long thought dead… that of the Dragonstone and the Dragonsayer.

Can they put their differences aside and work together to make their way back to their homelands? Or will they be walking into a war between each of their races?Get the first book in this brand new, fantasy, reverse harem series!

First Line:

Dela Stonebridge couldn’t take any more of her mother’s tears.

Through a Dragon’s Eyes by Marissa Farrar

Beginning of Book Impressions:

Through a Dragon’s Eyes starts with Dela (the female main character) chosen to be part of an expedition that takes place twice a year. This expedition helps restate a peace treaty with the other three races that humans share their lands with. It also helps give much-needed resources that the other races might need. The Treaty has been ongoing for 150 years and is required to keep The Treaty in place. Also, part of The Treaty is that magic is outlawed. It would help if you kept this in mind as you read the first half of the book. It is important.

I liked that the author chose to highlight each race before continuing the story with Dela. The races were the Norcs, the Moerians, the Elves, and the Humans. Each race was different. The Norcs lived high in the mountains, were massive, wore little clothing, rode mountain goats, and had bison pulling their carts of coal. The Moerians lived on the plains, were smaller than the Norcs and but bigger than the Elves, and rode their horses bareback. The Elves were slight, aged very slowly, were magic users, and rode stags. And then there were the humans. The humans walked, had oxen pulling their carts, and were smaller than the Elves and were weak. Another thing that set the other races apart was that the Norcs, Moerians, and Elves sent their leaders on these twice-yearly missions while the sent humans were varied (but no leaders). So, it would help if you also kept this in mind while reading the book.

The end of the beginning of the book is when Dela and her group set off to the meeting place. Several things happen to the group before they arrive. Put it this way, people were dropping like flies, and it was making the group nervous. Dela was also having lucid dreams about flying. Those dreams were getting more and more vivid the more time she spent on the road.

Mid-Book Impressions:

The middle of the book is when it started getting interesting. See, once the humans arrived at the meeting place, the shit hit the fan. I am going to use bullet points for this because writing would take forever.

  1. Warsga (the Norc) hears the humans coming. He openly and silently mocks them. Once he sees Dela, he is impressed with her. He is also the first one to see the danger in The Long White Cloud and urges everyone to get moving.
  2. Orergon (the Moerian) is the quiet one of the group. I really couldn’t get a feel for him except that he was somewhat of a badass. I mean, he was the ruler of ALL the tribes, and you don’t get there by being soft. He also saved Dela when they were running from The Long White Cloud.
  3. Vehel (the Elf) was the youngest (or oldest…depends on how you look at it) of the group. His own family hated him (didn’t say why but I figured it was because of him being able to use magic). He used magic to shield Warsga, Orergon, Dela, and himself from The Long White Cloud. Doing so broke The Treaty.
  4. The Long White Cloud battle. Ok, so I had a WTF was that moment while reading this part. This whole group didn’t stand a chance against it. Put it this way, it was like a blizzard on steroids, and that had demons things that couldn’t be killed living inside it. Yeah, frightening. I didn’t blame Warsga urging everyone to run. He knew what it was. Once it overtook the group, it was carnage except for our main characters. Vehel used magic to shield them, and when Warsga tried to cut his way out, he teleported everyone across the continent!!

The end of the middle of the book is when the group wakes up in the middle of nowhere. After taking some time to recover, the group decides to start walking to well; they don’t know where. That is when a…….murder hornet takes Dela. There was a name for it in the book, but I am calling it a murder hornet. She is paralyzed by it and brought to the burrow, leaving the boys frantic.

Surprisingly, for a reverse harem book, there is no sex. Zero. There was some flirting between Warsga (and a memorable scene where he wondered if he would fit inside Dela, which made me giggle a little). There was sexual tension all over the place, but no one acted on it. Honestly, with everything going sideways, there wasn’t time for Dela to have sex with anyone. It was a refreshing change of pace.

End of Book Impressions:

The end of the book starts with Dela’s dramatic rescue from the murder hornets. Vehel risked his life to get Dela out of there. But there was a small, teeny-tiny problem. Dela was paralyzed. So, the boys decided to continue their trek and try to find help.

They did find help. They found a Fae village surrounded by a protective barrier. The author’s version of the Fae was horrifying. They had tiny wings and sharp pointed teeth. The only reason the Fae decided to help Dela was because of her ring. I am not going to get into it was an exciting twist. The Fae also suggested Dela go to a mountain and see what is there. I wasn’t surprised by what was revealed. I figured it out when Dela was dreaming. But it was still exciting to read!!

The end of the book was a cliffhanger. I’m not too fond of cliffhangers, and this one wasn’t any different in my eyes. But it did its job and made me want to read the next book!!

My Overall Thoughts on Through a Dragon’s Eyes:

I enjoyed reading Through a Dragon’s Eyes. The story kept my attention, and I loved the lore. The author did a great job of not adding any unnecessary details to the book. The book was a fast read. What I enjoyed was that there was NO SEX!!!!

I would recommend Through a Dragon’s Eyes to anyone over 16. But that is this book only!!! I have a feeling the other books are 21+. It is a clean book with minimal violence. There is one kissing scene with Vehel and one scene where Dela and Warsga eye fuck each other.

The Silver Thread (Annika Brisby: Book 2) by Emigh Cannaday

On By JolieIn ARC, Black Feather Publishing, book review5 Comments
The Silver Thread (Annika Brisby, #2)

Publisher: Black Feather Publishing

Date of publication: November 3rd, 2012

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fairies, Fae, Paranormal, Elves, Adult, Magic, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

Series: Annika Brisby

The Flame and The Arrow – Book 1 (review here)

The Silver Thread – Book 2

The Scarlet Tanager – Book 3 (review here)

The Darkest of Dreams—Book 4 (review here)

Song of the Samodiva—Book 5 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads Synopsis:

“You know, my parents didn’t give me much advice about relationships, but my mother told me that we should never go to bed upset with one another.” Talvi reached am arm out to invite Annika to curl up against his chest.

“Aww, that’s a sweet thing to say,” she said as she cozied up in the crook of his arm. “What did your dad tell you?”

“He said to make sure the sofa was comfortable, just in case.”

Talvi Marinossian has slain maenads and fought off vampire attacks, but nothing has prepared him for getting involved with one of these forbidden ‘Modern Girls’. When he finally tracks down Annika it’s obvious that she’s changed since her recent adventure in his homeland. It’s also clear that she’s not ready to embrace the next chapter in her life. He tries to persuade her to open up to him, but she finds it difficult since he won’t even explain how he earns a living, why he has a secret cell phone, or the reason he keeps another woman’s handkerchief in his pocket.

Instead of relying on Talvi to help her adjust, Annika delves into her music and her job, and it isn’t long before the new lovers find themselves completely out of sync with one another. Just when they start to find their rhythm, Talvi is called away on business and whisks Annika off to Paris for what is supposed to be a working vacation. But one bad decision leads to another, and the chaos that ensues may cost someone their life.

I can’t even begin to tell you guys how excited I was when Emigh approached me to review The Silver Thread. I was fangirl excited. I squeed like a young girl at a One Direction concert when I saw the email from her. I had reviewed The Flame and The Arrow and enjoyed reading them, so I had high expectations for this book.

I wasn’t disappointed.

The story begins with Talvi and Chivanni at Talvi’s family’s house. They are discussing trying to find Annika after she is pulled through the portal. Talvi is also mourning the loss of his sister, Yuri, well, what he considers a loss. Yuri was turned into a vampire by Konstantin.

After about 3 months of searching, Talvi finds Annika in Portland. She was living with her brother Charlie and his best friend, James. She had been depressed. The only thing she was doing was playing with her band, drinking, and going to bed. That’s it. When Talvi shows up, it’s like a switch has been thrown. She was thrown out of her depression.

This is where the book turned good. Instead of having an adventure, the author chose to examine Talvi and Annika’s relationship. Sure, they were married, but they were strangers. When they started living together, they found out that they were different. I hated that Annika came off as jealous for a few chapters.

Talvi was not good at communicating outside the bedroom. He never talked to Annika unless it was to be a smartass. I didn’t blame Annika when she starts questioning her relationship with Talvi.

I wished that Annika could figure out who she wanted. It drove me nuts when she was seesawing back and forth between Talvi and Finn. Her time with Finn in Paris was, interesting. I am glad the author went the way she did with the storyline.

The sex was as good in the first book. Just as toe-curling and just as hot!!!

I will say that I was a little disappointed that Yuri only made one appearance. Also that she seemed to change from the first book. I got very sad about that.

The ending was great, and I didn’t see the twist coming. It came out of the left field and left it wide open for a 3rd book.

I would recommend The Silver Threat to anyone over 21. There is graphic sex, violence, and language. There are also scenes of drug use.

If you enjoyed reading The Silver Thread, you will enjoy these books:

My Fair Assassin(Paranormal Misfits: Book 1) by C.J. Anaya

On By JolieIn book review, C.J. Anaya Publishing LLC, Non ARC2 Comments

Publisher: C.J. Anaya Publishing LLC

Date of publication: March 26th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairies, Fae, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Novella, Urban Fantasy

Series: Paranormal Misfits

My Fair Assassins—Book 1

My Fair Traitor—Book 2

My Fair Imposter—Book 3

My Fair Invader—Book 4

My Fair Princess—Book 5

Where you can find this book: Amazon | AbeBooks | Alibris | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads synopsis:

NEW AND EXTENDED VERSION

It’s not everyday a teenage girl is singled out for assassination.

Crysta has come to accept the fact that she is freakishly different. Her shocking white hair, creepy powers, and weird eating habits have prevented her from fitting in with her various foster families. Now that she is fully emancipated and providing for herself, she hopes that life will settle down and become something halfway normal.

Her hopes are shattered when a dangerous man with lethal intent breaks into her apartment, but this enticing stranger isn’t what he seems. Is he here to kill her or protect her from others who will?

My Fair Assassin is a romantic short story with elements of paranormal and urban fantasy woven in for an entertaining read. It also touches on social issues involving personal self-esteem and acceptance. Adults and teens alike will enjoy getting lost in the pages of Crysta’s story as she finally comes to accept who she is…or rather what she is.

When I started reading My Fair Assassin, I was “meh.” Who would be OK with a strange guy appearing in their apartment and announcing he was there to kill her? Not me. I would be running around the apartment, screaming my fool head off. Crysta was laid back about it. Once I got past that first chapter, the book gets much more interesting.

I liked Crysta’s character. She looks different, is a vegan, and she has powers. She is down-to-earth, funny, and sarcastic. She suffers from poor body image. She filed her ears down to fit in and dyed her hair blonde. I felt sad when she explained why she did that. It reflects what teenagers are going through in today’s society.  As a teen girl’s mother, it is refreshing to see these issues addressed.

Jareth is a hottie. Think of a male version of Crysta but with more powers. I didn’t like that he knew everything and let it trickle down to her. Considering her self-esteem/trust issues, it was a wise choice, and you could tell how much he cared about her.

I didn’t care for the Instalove BUT it went well with the story. Jareth had Instalove first. It made sense. You need to read the story to understand what I am saying.

The ending was interesting. Things came out that surprised me. One of those things, I figured out as soon as Jareth appeared in Crysta’s apartment. The other main thing surprised me and made me sad for Jareth.

I would recommend My Fair Assassin to anyone over 16. There is some violence, mild language, and some kissing.

If you enjoyed reading My Fair Assassin, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Flame and The Arrow (Annika Brisby: Book 1) by Emigh Cannaday

On By JolieIn ARC, Black Feather Publishing, book review12 Comments
The Flame and the Arrow: Fantasy Paranormal Romance (The Annika Brisby Series Book 1) by [Cannaday, Emigh]

Publisher: Black Feather Publishing

Date of publication: November 11, 2010

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Fae, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Magic, New Adult, Fairies

Series: The Annika Brisby Series

The Flame and The Arrow—Book 1

The Silver Thread—Book 2 (review here)

The Scarlet Tanager—Book 3 (review here)

The Darkest of Dreams—Book 4 (review here)

Song of the Samodiva—Book 5 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | Abebooks

Goodreads synopsis:

“Don’t do it, Annika,” he taunted. His eyes were no longer bright and charming but dark and intense, yet they still twinkled. He was tempting, but was he harmful?

Aspiring rock star Annika Brisby thinks she knows where her life is going until she steps through a broken portal that leaves her stranded in a realm of fairies, vampires, and other mythical beings. Unable to return until it’s repaired, she’s rescued by wood nymphs who believe her sudden arrival is no accident. After being taken in by a prominent family of elves, Annika finds herself struggling to resist the seductive spell of their youngest son, Talvi. Equal parts arrogant and alluring, the notorious heartbreaker seems like the perfect distraction for her homesickness. Her new friends warn her that she’ll probably regret ever laying eyes on him, and what begins as a casual fling quickly burns too hot to handle. By the time Annika learns the consequences of their forbidden trysts, Talvi’s already under her skin and dangerously close to her heart. But on the journey home, she discovers that there’s a mountain of secrets that he’s not telling her, and Annika can’t help wondering who’s really in danger.

I can’t say this enough…I love fantasy of all types. When I was approached with the opportunity to review The Flame and The Arrow, I jumped.

I wasn’t let down.

This book takes you on a journey through a parallel universe where you meet ogres, fairies, elves, vampires, wood nymphs, and druids. Annika herself finds out some very interesting information about herself during this journey.

I loved the love story between herself and Talvi. At some points very sexual and, at some points, sweet; I thought it was interesting to see their relationship evolve to where it did.

The other storylines were fun to read and added to the plot instead of taking away. Plus, there’s the matter of Talvi’s secrets. The author didn’t reveal them all at once. Instead, she dragged them all out throughout the book, which made it very, very, very interesting to read.

The ending was very bittersweet and was written exactly as I imagined it. I won’t say that I wasn’t surprised by it, though.

If you enjoyed reading The Flame and the Arrow, you will enjoy reading these books: