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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5-4 stars. Cute, queer, fun, and overall a good time, with a few things that I personally just don't like that much.
Rep: Merrick and his family are black (bronze skin with curly black hair), according to Larkin much of the islanders have brown skin and black hair, the main romance is mlm, Merrick's older sibling uses they/them pronouns, and it's a generally homophobia/transphobia/racism free world, except in the use of fae/human relations as an allegory for race and colonialism.
TWs: non graphic sex scene, violence, 16+
This book I think did best in the worldbuilding and character development; Merrick is delightful and hilarious, Larkin is adorable and sweet, and they have good chemistry. They're also both really funny with Cassidy, Merrick's sibling, their daughter Elemi, and Merrick's father Nye. I think the characterization of Rosamund was also done very well, especially in relation to Larkin. But the world! What I wouldn't give to live on Eidolonia, it's such a beautiful, magic island. The plot is also quite good, it's explained well and not confusing, and it's gripping throughout the whole book. Unlike a lot of fantasies, I think the author, for the most part, finds a pretty good balance between the characters/relationships and the plot, and both are written fairly well.
As far as things I didn't like, I personally prefer slow-burn romances and get kind of bored as soon as the characters are together, so while the romance was cute, I didn't love it since they were together for a lot of the book (also, it's a pretty short timeline and I felt like they were developing feelings pretty quickly). On that note, a lot of the relationship drama happened publicly (in front of the fae), which is something I just really hate as a concept. Additionally, a lot of the plot was dependent on their relationship, which was fine, but sometimes I think the solutions felt a little too easy, especially towards the end.
But, overall, the book was entertaining, I had a good time, and Larkin and Merrick are cute together; they have good chemistry.
Arc provided from netgalley.
Rep: Merrick and his family are black (bronze skin with curly black hair), according to Larkin much of the islanders have brown skin and black hair, the main romance is mlm, Merrick's older sibling uses they/them pronouns, and it's a generally homophobia/transphobia/racism free world, except in the use of fae/human relations as an allegory for race and colonialism.
TWs: non graphic sex scene, violence, 16+
This book I think did best in the worldbuilding and character development; Merrick is delightful and hilarious, Larkin is adorable and sweet, and they have good chemistry. They're also both really funny with Cassidy, Merrick's sibling, their daughter Elemi, and Merrick's father Nye. I think the characterization of Rosamund was also done very well, especially in relation to Larkin. But the world! What I wouldn't give to live on Eidolonia, it's such a beautiful, magic island. The plot is also quite good, it's explained well and not confusing, and it's gripping throughout the whole book. Unlike a lot of fantasies, I think the author, for the most part, finds a pretty good balance between the characters/relationships and the plot, and both are written fairly well.
As far as things I didn't like, I personally prefer slow-burn romances and get kind of bored as soon as the characters are together, so while the romance was cute, I didn't love it since they were together for a lot of the book (also, it's a pretty short timeline and I felt like they were developing feelings pretty quickly). On that note, a lot of the relationship drama happened publicly (in front of the fae), which is something I just really hate as a concept. Additionally, a lot of the plot was dependent on their relationship, which was fine, but sometimes I think the solutions felt a little too easy, especially towards the end.
But, overall, the book was entertaining, I had a good time, and Larkin and Merrick are cute together; they have good chemistry.
Arc provided from netgalley.
“The priest and priestess chanted prayers. Rosamund placed her hands on the sides of his head. He locked gazes with her. Fury blazed within his heart.”
⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars!
Yay! To my first review of the year! Starting off strong with a fun, exciting queer fae fantasy about being brave, being a hero, and how love makes you both.
Merrick is a half-fae perfumer who tries to lie low, help his dad, and stay out of trouble. But when he discovers old artifacts from an ancestor who laid to sleep an (attractive) ancient prince, one who still lives to this day, his recklessness accidently upsets a centuries long truce between humans and fae. Now it’s up to him and the Prince to heal every mistake they’ve made.
To start, I really loved this book. It’s fantasy, adventure, romance, and humor mixed into one really satisfying read. I’m a huge fan of worlds that mix modern day and fae.
I think the world was really satisfying to read about. It had classic elements of faery worlds that I love. Including mentions of different creatures and elemental magic. I also thought the human witchcraft system was interesting to read about. It was easy to follow and fun to think about.
I did however, think that the book just kind of flings you into the story and I really didn’t know what was going on for a while there. It starts off really suddenly and I had to re-read it after already finishing the book in order to really get it.
The book does sometimes seem to skimp out of descriptions or general exposition. I wish the writing could be more clear and easy to read. It’s the only thing that really halted me from giving this book my whole heart.
But the story does make up for it. I loved the pacing, which felt always on beat. It’s the kind of book that would make a great mini-series, just because something interesting was always happening and developing.
Needless to say, I loved Merrick and Larkin. I loved that they weren’t perfect for each other at first. I love that they stepped on each others toes a bit, didn’t quite get along. I also love the way they came to depend on each other.
I definitely wanted to see more silliness and happy moments between them when they aren’t suffering so darn much (and they do suffer, I cried). I want more of Larkin learning technology and more of Merrick feeling confident in himself. Bless these two, truly.
TL;DR: A book like this just makes me happy. I won’t pretend that I don’t wish the writing was the tiniest bit more clear and consise, but it’s a great read.
E-galley provided by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.
⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars!
Yay! To my first review of the year! Starting off strong with a fun, exciting queer fae fantasy about being brave, being a hero, and how love makes you both.
Merrick is a half-fae perfumer who tries to lie low, help his dad, and stay out of trouble. But when he discovers old artifacts from an ancestor who laid to sleep an (attractive) ancient prince, one who still lives to this day, his recklessness accidently upsets a centuries long truce between humans and fae. Now it’s up to him and the Prince to heal every mistake they’ve made.
To start, I really loved this book. It’s fantasy, adventure, romance, and humor mixed into one really satisfying read. I’m a huge fan of worlds that mix modern day and fae.
I think the world was really satisfying to read about. It had classic elements of faery worlds that I love. Including mentions of different creatures and elemental magic. I also thought the human witchcraft system was interesting to read about. It was easy to follow and fun to think about.
I did however, think that the book just kind of flings you into the story and I really didn’t know what was going on for a while there. It starts off really suddenly and I had to re-read it after already finishing the book in order to really get it.
The book does sometimes seem to skimp out of descriptions or general exposition. I wish the writing could be more clear and easy to read. It’s the only thing that really halted me from giving this book my whole heart.
But the story does make up for it. I loved the pacing, which felt always on beat. It’s the kind of book that would make a great mini-series, just because something interesting was always happening and developing.
Needless to say, I loved Merrick and Larkin. I loved that they weren’t perfect for each other at first. I love that they stepped on each others toes a bit, didn’t quite get along. I also love the way they came to depend on each other.
I definitely wanted to see more silliness and happy moments between them when they aren’t suffering so darn much (and they do suffer, I cried). I want more of Larkin learning technology and more of Merrick feeling confident in himself. Bless these two, truly.
TL;DR: A book like this just makes me happy. I won’t pretend that I don’t wish the writing was the tiniest bit more clear and consise, but it’s a great read.
E-galley provided by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Things I Liked:
- I REALLY liked the premise. I was so here for it. Sleeping Beauty elements? I’m game. Always itching to write one myself. Let’s go for it. Dangerous fae? Especially tackling fae with affinities that would challenge our main characters with extreme emotions such as desire, anger, and fear? Yeah, let’s GO!
- Larkin I think was my favorite character. I loved him from page 1. He was so compelling to me. And the twist they reveal in the prologue that he wasn’t put to sleep by choice? Juicy.
- I appreciated all the welcome LGBTQ+ presence here in this book. Nonbinary characters, several same-sex couples… lovely
Things I Didn’t Like:
- I’m devastated to admit this but oh my god. Somehow. I liked the first half of the book better than the second half. The first half felt so SOLID, like worldbuilding getting set up, characters and their abilities being established, the stakes being set. I adored it. And then the second half just… I don’t think followed through on all the promise from the first half. Which feels sad to me because I was giddy throughout that first half.
- I mostly feel really disappointed inwhat happened in Vowri’s domain. Like, a.) Larkin was way too chill around meeting Rosamund again after what she fucking did to him and b.) Why were anger and desire emotions our characters could face head-on to an extreme, but not fear? Why was fear treated as cruel? Something to be dismantled instead of faced? Like? Idk I had hopes for that part of the book, especially hoping it would be an EXCELLENT opportunity for these characters to quite literally face their greatest fears… I was looking forward to it. And then it turned into. Something else? A moment that was supposed to be inspiring and a sign of Larkin’s character growth? But felt really cheesy and a bit hammy to me. Like in that moment fae lost all their intimidation and wonder…
Anyway, I still liked it, hence the high 3 rating. I really do like the premise still, but finishing the book leaves me with that itchy feeling to write, HAHA, to make my own story, if that makes any sense at all.
- I REALLY liked the premise. I was so here for it. Sleeping Beauty elements? I’m game. Always itching to write one myself. Let’s go for it. Dangerous fae? Especially tackling fae with affinities that would challenge our main characters with extreme emotions such as desire, anger, and fear? Yeah, let’s GO!
- Larkin I think was my favorite character. I loved him from page 1. He was so compelling to me. And the twist they reveal in the prologue that he wasn’t put to sleep by choice? Juicy.
- I appreciated all the welcome LGBTQ+ presence here in this book. Nonbinary characters, several same-sex couples… lovely
Things I Didn’t Like:
- I’m devastated to admit this but oh my god. Somehow. I liked the first half of the book better than the second half. The first half felt so SOLID, like worldbuilding getting set up, characters and their abilities being established, the stakes being set. I adored it. And then the second half just… I don’t think followed through on all the promise from the first half. Which feels sad to me because I was giddy throughout that first half.
- I mostly feel really disappointed in
Anyway, I still liked it, hence the high 3 rating. I really do like the premise still, but finishing the book leaves me with that itchy feeling to write, HAHA, to make my own story, if that makes any sense at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death
fast-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lava Red Feather Blue is a fun fairytale-esque gay-themed fantasy that takes place in Eidolonia. In this world, the fae realm and the human realm are separated by a border, though many of the inhabitants intermingle. In this world, magic and faeries are commonplace, and peace between the two domains is maintained because of prince Larkin and the evil and powerful fae queen Ula Kana, both of whom were placed under an enchanted slumber in the year 1799. As long as they’re both asleep, the human realm is safe.
The story follows our main character, Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day-witch who is half-fae and a descendant of the original witch who cast the spell placing prince Larkin and Ula Kana into their slumber. When Merrick inadvertently awakens the sleeping prince, chaos ensues because when Larkin awoke, so did Ula Kana, and she is determined to destroy the human realm.
Larkin and Merrick then embark together on a potentially deadly plan to stop the evil queen, and as the story moves forward, their connection to each other deepens. I really loved the chemistry between these two very different characters, and it was fun watching them fall for each other while they both attempted to fight their attraction. I also enjoyed watching Larkin try to adjust to the new century, given that he’d been asleep for 200 years. It gave me a chuckle several times, watching him trying to differentiate between magic and technology. The banter and flirting between the two of them were also lighthearted and comical.
Another thing I enjoyed about the story was how there was no homophobia by either society or anyone’s family — being gay was just automatically accepted by everyone. Additionally, one of Merrick’s siblings was non-binary, which was also universally accepted, so I really enjoyed the representation.
Additionally, I thought the world-building and the magic system in this story were phenomenal. The author really brought the story to life because of the atmospheric and lush descriptions. The tale was moody and immersive, giving me the feeling that I was right there along with the characters.
Ringle has created here a cleverly crafted new world that I wanted to lose myself in. It’s a story featuring a great cast of believable characters, a compelling world, an intriguing political and magical system, and a satisfying conclusion. It’s a dark and fascinating tale — a beautifully woven magical adventure of two desperate souls who enter into a strange new world.
As an extra treat, the author included a section at the end of the book explaining the mythologies behind the names of the characters — both human and fae — as well
as the names for the various places in the story.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.
The story follows our main character, Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day-witch who is half-fae and a descendant of the original witch who cast the spell placing prince Larkin and Ula Kana into their slumber. When Merrick inadvertently awakens the sleeping prince, chaos ensues because when Larkin awoke, so did Ula Kana, and she is determined to destroy the human realm.
Larkin and Merrick then embark together on a potentially deadly plan to stop the evil queen, and as the story moves forward, their connection to each other deepens. I really loved the chemistry between these two very different characters, and it was fun watching them fall for each other while they both attempted to fight their attraction. I also enjoyed watching Larkin try to adjust to the new century, given that he’d been asleep for 200 years. It gave me a chuckle several times, watching him trying to differentiate between magic and technology. The banter and flirting between the two of them were also lighthearted and comical.
Another thing I enjoyed about the story was how there was no homophobia by either society or anyone’s family — being gay was just automatically accepted by everyone. Additionally, one of Merrick’s siblings was non-binary, which was also universally accepted, so I really enjoyed the representation.
Additionally, I thought the world-building and the magic system in this story were phenomenal. The author really brought the story to life because of the atmospheric and lush descriptions. The tale was moody and immersive, giving me the feeling that I was right there along with the characters.
Ringle has created here a cleverly crafted new world that I wanted to lose myself in. It’s a story featuring a great cast of believable characters, a compelling world, an intriguing political and magical system, and a satisfying conclusion. It’s a dark and fascinating tale — a beautifully woven magical adventure of two desperate souls who enter into a strange new world.
As an extra treat, the author included a section at the end of the book explaining the mythologies behind the names of the characters — both human and fae — as well
as the names for the various places in the story.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes