Reviews

The Fey of Castle Garden by Naomi P. Cohen

k_fairii's review

4.0

3.5, sweet!

kayshiddenshelf's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

4.5/5 Stars

The Fey of Castle Garden will whisk readers away on an enchanting tale to a time of hardship shared by both human and fey alike. 

The story is told through multiple POVs and follows a young woman named Sofia De Benedetti. An immigrant to N.Y.C. trying her best to make a living performing her music within the court of the fey. When a mage of the Wild Hunt is murdered, tensions between the Hunt and Queen Triona’s court threaten their delicate peace. Sofia finds the life she built at risk. With a fey war at hand, Sofia and her companions must find the murderer before war consumes the city. 

The main character Sofia quickly became a favourite for me, along with Ciaran, the fey often found at her side. Facing difficult odds and striving for a better life, she was a compelling character that kept her head high. Seeing her navigate the tensions of the fey court, working to support herself and attempting to help women less fortunate, it was clear to see the passion that went into her character work and developments. Ultimately, I found her character to be compelling and realistic throughout the story. 

The side cast also features a variety of characters and relationship dynamics. Many of which are endearing from a cait sidhe, storm fey, naive and menacing mages to name a few. Their dialogue added a charming touch to interactions and the subplots surrounding a few of the side cast were blended seamlessly within the main plot. 

Now, it did take me some time to settle into the romantic subplot as romance in fantasy can be hit or miss for me. However, it does keep the integrity of the characters involved and flowed well with their arcs. 

I also appreciated that Naomi P. Cohen manages to maintain a wholesome feeling throughout the story, alongside the high stakes, intrigue, and political tensions. 

In addition, the setting takes place in 1859 and captures the struggles immigrants face thoughtfully. Cohen handles this theme from multiple perspectives which helped create engaging scenes and invested me further into the characters. 

The world itself takes inspirations from Celtic lore with fey of all kinds and mages. The worldbuilding and magic felt both familiar and unique. I also appreciated the simplicity of it all, allowing readers to get lost in the world and story without in-depth explanations of the world or magic. 

From internal struggles, intrigue, political tensions, loveable characters, friendships, romantic subplots, high stakes, magic and feel-good moments, there is plenty to love in this. 

The Fey of Castle Garden is my new go to comfort read and I highly recommend it for fans of fantasy and fey stories. 

andrewdmth's review

5.0

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.
A historical fey story is not my normal choice, but that’s a lie, isn’t it? Because I consider Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorite books! This is lighter fair, to the tune of Dresden Files with no Harry Dresden (and this is not a bad thing!). This is a book that could be read and enjoyed at any age (whether you’re 14 or 65+), and was just a good clean “Fey Immigrant” story in late 19th Century NYC.
If any of this sounds fun, then you should give Naomi P. Cohen a try!

wynwicket's review

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 

This book was so unique and cool: historical fantasy set in New York in 1859 with competing Fey courts. Our Heroine, Sofia De Benedetti, is a fiddler for the faerie queen Triona’s court. She's a former courtesan and musician from Venice as well as a mage, who now seeks to defend women in need.

Tensions with a rival court led by Faolan and his Wild Hunt flare when another mage is murdered and we get to see that these Fey are NOT nice. What follows is a good fantasy murder mystery (with a side of Feelings between Sofia and the cait sidhe (cat fey) Ciaran).

The Fey themselves are presented as mercurial: sometimes kind, often cold, and always dangerous. I loved the way the story dealt with the darker aspects of the time: the treatment of immigrants, the struggles of those living in the tenements. The pacing is a little slow at times but there's some good tension, and the characters are definitely intriguing. A good read!