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Eight Kingdoms #1
The Dark Side of the Sun
An ancient pact was once broken by the theft of Summer’s prince. Now, the Red King has found him. To live, to love, they seek the dark side of the sun…
A thousand years ago, Milesian invaders gained ownership of Ireland from Summer’s Queen through trickery. Since that day, the green isle’s native sidhe have been imprisoned in their hidden kingdom, bound by their ancient pact with the Milesians. Now, the treaty has been violated.
A thousand years ago, Milesian invaders gained ownership of Ireland from Summer’s Queen through trickery. Since that day, the green isle’s native sidhe have been imprisoned in their hidden kingdom, bound by their ancient pact with the Milesians. Now, the treaty has been violated.
The Milesians have stolen Bran Fionnan, the son of Summer’s queen. Trapped in the human world with no way of returning home, Bran is held under a death threat that forces him to work for his captors. He must forge weapons the Milesian huntresses can use to slay their new foe—the Red King.
The Red King is Macsen Cadoc, a vampire—a hunter who cannot stand being hunted. He seeks vengeance for the Milesian attacks in spilled blood—Milesian blood, and the blood of the sidhe traitor who has forged their weapons. When the one he finds is a victim, not a traitor, everything changes.
Bran Fionnan is the Milesians’ most valuable prize, but from the moment Macsen sees him, he wants him…and the Red King is not accustomed to being denied—by anyone. What begins with desire may end in extraordinary ways, but first, there are questions that must be answered.
What is love? Can it help Bran overcome lost ties and a lifetime’s worth of anger? Can it help the Red King gain more than the satisfaction of his lusts?
198 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2014
7 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Belinda Burke
53 books33 followersWelcome!
I am author, storyteller, poet - property of one cat, perpetual insomniac, and resident of the New England coast of the United States! In my spare time I bemoan the state of the economy, read anything I can get my hands on, and continue my erstwhile pursuit of a double major in Philosophy and English literature.
I'm currently writing for Totally Bound publishing, fulfilling my primary dream of authoring my own books after many years of reading. Currently, Amazon is host to my debut novel, book one of the Eight Kingdoms series. Book two should be out later this year, with plenty more on the horizon, so there's much excitement to be had!
I welcome reviews, comments, critique, suggestions and even just friendly messages with no purpose, so don't be shy!
I am author, storyteller, poet - property of one cat, perpetual insomniac, and resident of the New England coast of the United States! In my spare time I bemoan the state of the economy, read anything I can get my hands on, and continue my erstwhile pursuit of a double major in Philosophy and English literature.
I'm currently writing for Totally Bound publishing, fulfilling my primary dream of authoring my own books after many years of reading. Currently, Amazon is host to my debut novel, book one of the Eight Kingdoms series. Book two should be out later this year, with plenty more on the horizon, so there's much excitement to be had!
I welcome reviews, comments, critique, suggestions and even just friendly messages with no purpose, so don't be shy!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 18, 2014
This had some head-hopping but not enough to keep me from really enjoying this book. The author has a wonderful voice, which is a pleasure to read. The story was beautiful, the descriptives had me there, in the scene. This appears to be the first of a series and I look forward to reading more in this world.
June 22, 2014
The trouble with most period romances is that the authors seem to think that simply penning in a random date from the far past, a few fancy dresses, and a bit of ye olde butchered English = authentic historical flavour. I picked up this book on a whim. I mean, fairies? Gay fairies? That’s a really un-politically correct bad pun waiting to happen, which it just did. But it piqued my interest for precisely that reason, and after reading it, I have to admit. Belinda Burke knows what she’s talking about.
The plot at first glance seems to be a fairly standard distressed-dude-gets-involved-with-dark-saviour routine. But perhaps Burke kept it that way on purpose, because the layers of lore that form the foundation of her plot are rock-solid and need no embellishing to make the story work. The usual tropes of one character needing rescue, a lost child who turns out to be royalty, a saviour whom you’d have doubts about walking off into the night with – they all exist and drive this novel like many others before it, but you barely even realise the fact. Burke has structured her story so firmly around traditional Celtic mythology, that even when her characters are following accepted romantic roads, they’re doing it differently – because they are otherworldly themselves.
And that’s the way it should be, because she isn’t writing about human beings, in the main. She is writing, as is asserted from the get-go, about fairies. But she isn’t writing about Tinkerbell, or the nice motherly women from Grimm’s tome. She’s writing about a very precise sub-section of magical beings, about whom exists an entire mythology and sagas – the fae people of ancient Ireland. And since in myth they were a fierce, alien race that existed to screw with humans for amusement when poked, and sometimes even when not poked, that’s precisely what they are in her novel as well.
But the biggest plus for me? Not only is the portrayal of fae completely accurate – so is the history of their time. In fact, the book more or less begins with a reference to a fae myth, a myth that later turns out to be one of the driving forces of the plot, and foreshadows lots of interesting things for future books. When an author manages to work their history into their story like THAT, they’ve not just got my attention, but also my respect. I’ve read good books by good authors who did their research and then discarded in favour of telling the story they wanted to tell, and thus saved themselves many inconveniences, I’m betting. But Burke works strictly within the limits of what her history allows. If the history outlaws a course of action – or dictates a choice, then so it is in her book. That’s why the essential simplicity of the plot doesn’t make any difference – because she’s writing it to match an extremely complicated and oft-senseless mythological history. And as the cover notes that this is part of the Eight Kingdoms series, I’m guessing she’s doing so deliberately, because she needs to maintain the status for at least...seven more (?) books to come.
Personally, I’m hoping they do come. Fascinating plot depth aside, the characters are a joy to read. The hero, Bran, is a truly vulnerable figure of softness that has been jaded by ill-use, and by a life no one would want to live. He’s one of the few distressed-type of romantic protagonists who don’t annoy you by being weak, or stupid, or god help us, “feisty” in the face of their circumstances. Bran faces his life with a quiet sort of dignity, knowing that while he has to stoop a lot to have things be bearable, there are still lines he won’t cross, for the sake of his soul. You’re going to want to cuddle him. A lot.
And Macsen as the morally ambiguous, bloodthirsty Red King is exactly what an authentic fae ought to be. He’s pure bestial instinct moulded into a beautiful form and then sharpened on the rather odd restraint of boredom. He’s not like us, and he doesn’t walk, talk, act, or even think like us. He is supposed to take our breath away and bewilder us – and he does so superbly, making the reader feel one with the hero, Bran, who IS more like us, and is therefore equally fascinated and jarred by Macsen as a human being would be.
And yet the book is not a clash of opposites, it is an enmeshing of them, almost as two halves of a picture, complementing each other. There are no stupid misunderstandings or fights to build up sexual tension or drama – the drama is already present in the setting and circumstances of the characters, and the sex...well. The novel breathes sex when it has to, and when it’s done, it’s still there, simmering in the background without distracting from the plot. The secondary characters are equally well-defined, and you’ll gain sympathy for more than a couple of them.
My only complaint with the characters is that one of the villains seems a little flat – insane and ruthless and as crazy and a walking horror show of terrifying moral decay, yes, but we never find out why they’re doing what they are. Perhaps Burke plans to elaborate on this further in the coming books. Looking at the way the other characters are written, and most of them are no saints, I’m hoping that’s the case, and that she left it like this simply to whet our appetites for installment number 2. Another flaw I noticed was that in some places the dialogue is a little too elaborate and theatrical, but considering that it’s the author’s first book, some little stiffness in form is to be expected.
Overall, I would call this book an excellent example of an intelligent and thoughtfully planned romance. It’s got plot, it’s got a truly likeable protagonist, it’s got love, it’s got sex in appropriate and non-frustrating measures, and bets of all, it’s backed by a mythology that hasn’t been explored in fiction all that well. Capricious as well as enchanting, Dark Side of the Sun embodies the fae it is portraying, and while the book has its few flaws, as a first offering from a new author, it’s truly promising of what she’s going to put out in the future.
Plus, it’s a book that you wouldn’t be ashamed to be found reading in public. How many sexy romances can you say THAT about?
The plot at first glance seems to be a fairly standard distressed-dude-gets-involved-with-dark-saviour routine. But perhaps Burke kept it that way on purpose, because the layers of lore that form the foundation of her plot are rock-solid and need no embellishing to make the story work. The usual tropes of one character needing rescue, a lost child who turns out to be royalty, a saviour whom you’d have doubts about walking off into the night with – they all exist and drive this novel like many others before it, but you barely even realise the fact. Burke has structured her story so firmly around traditional Celtic mythology, that even when her characters are following accepted romantic roads, they’re doing it differently – because they are otherworldly themselves.
And that’s the way it should be, because she isn’t writing about human beings, in the main. She is writing, as is asserted from the get-go, about fairies. But she isn’t writing about Tinkerbell, or the nice motherly women from Grimm’s tome. She’s writing about a very precise sub-section of magical beings, about whom exists an entire mythology and sagas – the fae people of ancient Ireland. And since in myth they were a fierce, alien race that existed to screw with humans for amusement when poked, and sometimes even when not poked, that’s precisely what they are in her novel as well.
But the biggest plus for me? Not only is the portrayal of fae completely accurate – so is the history of their time. In fact, the book more or less begins with a reference to a fae myth, a myth that later turns out to be one of the driving forces of the plot, and foreshadows lots of interesting things for future books. When an author manages to work their history into their story like THAT, they’ve not just got my attention, but also my respect. I’ve read good books by good authors who did their research and then discarded in favour of telling the story they wanted to tell, and thus saved themselves many inconveniences, I’m betting. But Burke works strictly within the limits of what her history allows. If the history outlaws a course of action – or dictates a choice, then so it is in her book. That’s why the essential simplicity of the plot doesn’t make any difference – because she’s writing it to match an extremely complicated and oft-senseless mythological history. And as the cover notes that this is part of the Eight Kingdoms series, I’m guessing she’s doing so deliberately, because she needs to maintain the status for at least...seven more (?) books to come.
Personally, I’m hoping they do come. Fascinating plot depth aside, the characters are a joy to read. The hero, Bran, is a truly vulnerable figure of softness that has been jaded by ill-use, and by a life no one would want to live. He’s one of the few distressed-type of romantic protagonists who don’t annoy you by being weak, or stupid, or god help us, “feisty” in the face of their circumstances. Bran faces his life with a quiet sort of dignity, knowing that while he has to stoop a lot to have things be bearable, there are still lines he won’t cross, for the sake of his soul. You’re going to want to cuddle him. A lot.
And Macsen as the morally ambiguous, bloodthirsty Red King is exactly what an authentic fae ought to be. He’s pure bestial instinct moulded into a beautiful form and then sharpened on the rather odd restraint of boredom. He’s not like us, and he doesn’t walk, talk, act, or even think like us. He is supposed to take our breath away and bewilder us – and he does so superbly, making the reader feel one with the hero, Bran, who IS more like us, and is therefore equally fascinated and jarred by Macsen as a human being would be.
And yet the book is not a clash of opposites, it is an enmeshing of them, almost as two halves of a picture, complementing each other. There are no stupid misunderstandings or fights to build up sexual tension or drama – the drama is already present in the setting and circumstances of the characters, and the sex...well. The novel breathes sex when it has to, and when it’s done, it’s still there, simmering in the background without distracting from the plot. The secondary characters are equally well-defined, and you’ll gain sympathy for more than a couple of them.
My only complaint with the characters is that one of the villains seems a little flat – insane and ruthless and as crazy and a walking horror show of terrifying moral decay, yes, but we never find out why they’re doing what they are. Perhaps Burke plans to elaborate on this further in the coming books. Looking at the way the other characters are written, and most of them are no saints, I’m hoping that’s the case, and that she left it like this simply to whet our appetites for installment number 2. Another flaw I noticed was that in some places the dialogue is a little too elaborate and theatrical, but considering that it’s the author’s first book, some little stiffness in form is to be expected.
Overall, I would call this book an excellent example of an intelligent and thoughtfully planned romance. It’s got plot, it’s got a truly likeable protagonist, it’s got love, it’s got sex in appropriate and non-frustrating measures, and bets of all, it’s backed by a mythology that hasn’t been explored in fiction all that well. Capricious as well as enchanting, Dark Side of the Sun embodies the fae it is portraying, and while the book has its few flaws, as a first offering from a new author, it’s truly promising of what she’s going to put out in the future.
Plus, it’s a book that you wouldn’t be ashamed to be found reading in public. How many sexy romances can you say THAT about?
May 22, 2014
3.5 stars
Pretty interesting start to a new series but clearly we've just scratched the surface here because by the end of the book there were still a lot of characters we had yet to hear from. I loved the world-building because it was so vivid and imaginative. We learned things like how the eight kingdoms were divided into light and dark halves for each of the four seasons and that Macsen, the Red King, ruled the dark half of winter. And other things like how a night in the Red Kingdom was equivalent to a month in the mortal/human realm (which was an important detail to remember later). And still more things like how some sidhe (like Macsen) could freely cross realms while others (like Bran's people) were oath-bound to remain hidden in their kingdom. Oh and that human huntresses hated them all. Yep, definitely setting things up for future books but also detracting a wee bit IMO from Macsen and Bran's relationship setup. I liked how Macsen and Bran's bond allowed them to experience each other's dreams and memories while separated between realms, but the dream flashbacks at times disrupted the flow of the story for me. My focus had been elsewhere (like absorbing some of the details listed above) and suddenly I'd be back reading the same event through a different perspective or wondering the relevance and/or timing of it. Then Macsen often forgot everything once he woke up so when you factored in how apparently months were going by for Bran when it was only days for Macsen, it became a bit frustrating and too much missing time. But I definitely like the Red King and Summer's Son together. Should be interesting how Bran, as a creature of the sun, fares living in a realm of darkness. Favorite part of the story was the Red King calling for the Wild Hunt. I could just picture all the creepy boo-wigglies coming out of the woodwork, howling and shrieking, and hear the horns blowing to signal the start of it. Made me want to grab the horn of Gondor and join in.
Pretty interesting start to a new series but clearly we've just scratched the surface here because by the end of the book there were still a lot of characters we had yet to hear from. I loved the world-building because it was so vivid and imaginative. We learned things like how the eight kingdoms were divided into light and dark halves for each of the four seasons and that Macsen, the Red King, ruled the dark half of winter. And other things like how a night in the Red Kingdom was equivalent to a month in the mortal/human realm (which was an important detail to remember later). And still more things like how some sidhe (like Macsen) could freely cross realms while others (like Bran's people) were oath-bound to remain hidden in their kingdom. Oh and that human huntresses hated them all. Yep, definitely setting things up for future books but also detracting a wee bit IMO from Macsen and Bran's relationship setup. I liked how Macsen and Bran's bond allowed them to experience each other's dreams and memories while separated between realms, but the dream flashbacks at times disrupted the flow of the story for me. My focus had been elsewhere (like absorbing some of the details listed above) and suddenly I'd be back reading the same event through a different perspective or wondering the relevance and/or timing of it. Then Macsen often forgot everything once he woke up so when you factored in how apparently months were going by for Bran when it was only days for Macsen, it became a bit frustrating and too much missing time. But I definitely like the Red King and Summer's Son together. Should be interesting how Bran, as a creature of the sun, fares living in a realm of darkness. Favorite part of the story was the Red King calling for the Wild Hunt. I could just picture all the creepy boo-wigglies coming out of the woodwork, howling and shrieking, and hear the horns blowing to signal the start of it. Made me want to grab the horn of Gondor and join in.
May 18, 2014
Synopsis:
An ancient pact was once broken by the theft of Summer’s prince. Now, the Red King has found him. To live, to love, they seek the dark side of the sun…
A thousand years ago, Milesian invaders gained ownership of Ireland from Summer’s Queen through trickery. Since that day, the green isle’s native sidhe have been imprisoned in their hidden kingdom, bound by their ancient pact with the Milesians.
Now, the treaty has been violated. The Milesians have stolen Bran Fionnan, the son of Summer’s queen. Trapped in the human world with no way of returning home, Bran is held under a death threat that forces him to work for his captors. He must forge weapons the Milesian huntresses can use to slay their new foe—the Red King.
The Red King is Macsen Cadoc, a vampire—a hunter who cannot stand being hunted. He seeks vengeance for the Milesian attacks in spilled blood—Milesian blood, and the blood of the sidhe traitor who has forged their weapons.
When the one he finds is a victim, not a traitor, everything changes.
Bran Fionnan is the Milesians’ most valuable prize, but from the moment Macsen sees him, he wants him…and the Red King is not accustomed to being denied—by anyone. What begins with desire may end in extraordinary ways, but first there are questions that must be answered.
What is love? Can it help Bran overcome lost ties and a lifetime’s worth of anger? Can it help the Red King gain more than the satisfaction of his lusts?
My Thoughts:
An ancient pact was once broken by the theft of Summer’s prince. Now, the Red King has found him. To live, to love, they seek the dark side of the sun…
A thousand years ago, Milesian invaders gained ownership of Ireland from Summer’s Queen through trickery. Since that day, the green isle’s native sidhe have been imprisoned in their hidden kingdom, bound by their ancient pact with the Milesians.
Now, the treaty has been violated. The Milesians have stolen Bran Fionnan, the son of Summer’s queen. Trapped in the human world with no way of returning home, Bran is held under a death threat that forces him to work for his captors. He must forge weapons the Milesian huntresses can use to slay their new foe—the Red King.
The Red King is Macsen Cadoc, a vampire—a hunter who cannot stand being hunted. He seeks vengeance for the Milesian attacks in spilled blood—Milesian blood, and the blood of the sidhe traitor who has forged their weapons.
When the one he finds is a victim, not a traitor, everything changes.
Bran Fionnan is the Milesians’ most valuable prize, but from the moment Macsen sees him, he wants him…and the Red King is not accustomed to being denied—by anyone. What begins with desire may end in extraordinary ways, but first there are questions that must be answered.
What is love? Can it help Bran overcome lost ties and a lifetime’s worth of anger? Can it help the Red King gain more than the satisfaction of his lusts?
My Thoughts:
May 20, 2014
Very interesting. Took a while to get into this, world building wise, but I enjoyed it.
September 21, 2014
This review can be found at The Blogger Girls.
When yet another Milesian huntress comes to his kingdom and tries to slay him, Macsen Cadoc, “The Red King”, has had enough and takes matters into his own hands. First he’s determined to hunt the sidhe traitor who’s making the magical weapons for the Milesians. Unfortunately, the traitor is nothing more than a victim who must make the weapons or die. This victim is Bran Fionnan, Summer Queen’s son, who was kidnapped over twenty years ago and who also formed a blood bond with Macsen when he was a toddler. With his focus now changed, Macsen sets his sights on bringing Bran home except Macsen’s visits don’t go unnoticed by the Milesians and Bran’s captivity just might go from bad to worse.
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised by this book! As this author’s debut novel, I was hoping for something enjoyable but got something way more intriguing. There’s a lot of depth to the characters and the world and I loved exploring a bit of the eight kingdoms. While the majority is focused on the Red Kingdom, the author did a great job of giving enough details about the other kingdoms to understand them. I loved that there was so many different creatures, enemies and allies, pacts and promises. It made for a very interesting story that had a lot of layers to it. One thing I really liked in this fae story was that a sidhe’s word bound them to their promise so part of the conflict with Macsen and Bran was that Macsen couldn’t bring Bran back to his kingdom without his permission.
As for the characters, I really loved them and their connection. Macsen is the typical arrogant, terrifying vampire who’s been alive long enough to realize he’s stronger than almost everyone. As such, he can manipulate or frighten just about everyone BUT when it comes to Bran, he’s gentle and caring but can also be hard and aggressive. Bran is the exact opposite. As the son of Summer’s Queen, he’s the light to Macsen’s darkness. Bran is innocent but stubborn, bold but shy. They’re a good mix and I adored them together. I can’t stress how much I loved their connection. The fact that they were able to see through the other’s eyes while they dreamed was an interesting development.
While this book was definitely intriguing, I had two issues with it. There was the constant use of the characters whole name during mundane talking. I felt like 90% of the time Macsen was thinking or speaking Bran’s name it was as “Bran Fionnan” or when Bran would think or say Macsen’s name is was “Macsen Cadoc”. I found that a little awkward as these two were having sex, I would have thought they’d be on a first name basis. Another thing that bugged me was how much Bran and Macsen spoke their thoughts out loud when no one was around, which I also found a little weird since it happened so often. Granted, I don’t make a habit of saying my thoughts out loud when I’m alone so maybe that’s normal for others, I don’t know LOL.
Overall, this was a great start to a new series. I enjoyed the details around the sidhe and the characters. I also loved the connection between Bran and Macsen and the bond that they created. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and seeing where things head. There’s a hint at what will happen next but only time will tell which direction the author takes the series in!
When yet another Milesian huntress comes to his kingdom and tries to slay him, Macsen Cadoc, “The Red King”, has had enough and takes matters into his own hands. First he’s determined to hunt the sidhe traitor who’s making the magical weapons for the Milesians. Unfortunately, the traitor is nothing more than a victim who must make the weapons or die. This victim is Bran Fionnan, Summer Queen’s son, who was kidnapped over twenty years ago and who also formed a blood bond with Macsen when he was a toddler. With his focus now changed, Macsen sets his sights on bringing Bran home except Macsen’s visits don’t go unnoticed by the Milesians and Bran’s captivity just might go from bad to worse.
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised by this book! As this author’s debut novel, I was hoping for something enjoyable but got something way more intriguing. There’s a lot of depth to the characters and the world and I loved exploring a bit of the eight kingdoms. While the majority is focused on the Red Kingdom, the author did a great job of giving enough details about the other kingdoms to understand them. I loved that there was so many different creatures, enemies and allies, pacts and promises. It made for a very interesting story that had a lot of layers to it. One thing I really liked in this fae story was that a sidhe’s word bound them to their promise so part of the conflict with Macsen and Bran was that Macsen couldn’t bring Bran back to his kingdom without his permission.
As for the characters, I really loved them and their connection. Macsen is the typical arrogant, terrifying vampire who’s been alive long enough to realize he’s stronger than almost everyone. As such, he can manipulate or frighten just about everyone BUT when it comes to Bran, he’s gentle and caring but can also be hard and aggressive. Bran is the exact opposite. As the son of Summer’s Queen, he’s the light to Macsen’s darkness. Bran is innocent but stubborn, bold but shy. They’re a good mix and I adored them together. I can’t stress how much I loved their connection. The fact that they were able to see through the other’s eyes while they dreamed was an interesting development.
While this book was definitely intriguing, I had two issues with it. There was the constant use of the characters whole name during mundane talking. I felt like 90% of the time Macsen was thinking or speaking Bran’s name it was as “Bran Fionnan” or when Bran would think or say Macsen’s name is was “Macsen Cadoc”. I found that a little awkward as these two were having sex, I would have thought they’d be on a first name basis. Another thing that bugged me was how much Bran and Macsen spoke their thoughts out loud when no one was around, which I also found a little weird since it happened so often. Granted, I don’t make a habit of saying my thoughts out loud when I’m alone so maybe that’s normal for others, I don’t know LOL.
Overall, this was a great start to a new series. I enjoyed the details around the sidhe and the characters. I also loved the connection between Bran and Macsen and the bond that they created. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and seeing where things head. There’s a hint at what will happen next but only time will tell which direction the author takes the series in!
May 25, 2014
I was unsure what I was getting into with Belinda Burke’s debut novel ‘Dark Side of the Sun’, since most stories involving the fae that are also very romantically inclined are sadly disappointing –written by authors who have done no research and could care less about the historical accuracy of their prose in favor of more sex and drama centered around loving a magical creature that is in no way human- but I was very, very pleasantly surprised with this novel. Belinda Burke was written a captivating, spellbinding tale, with promise of so much more to come with the rest of its series. It is a novel rich with Fae lore, and accuracy to the time period it is set. There is romance, yes. Actually a very steamy romance between two men, Macsen the Red King of Winters Darkness and Bran the son of Summer’s Queen who was stolen by the Milesian’s to forge for them magic weapons, which was surprisingly… natural. It was neither rushed nor forced, and exactly what I look for in a romance. I would have wished for a slower build was there time, but I also understand this this is a romance novel, and so the relationships do move faster. But what I love most about this book, is that the romance isn’t everything there is; there is a plot –and a deeply interesting one- there. Belinda very quickly introduces us to the fae and the idea of the 8 realms based on the light and dark halves of the seasons; The Red Kingdom being the first place in the novel you visit –a shadowy winter land where the sun never rises and magical creatures from another time dance in celebration. She also introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. Some deliciously bad, like Dealla the Milesian huntress-princess, hell bent on destroying The Red King and all those who follow him. And some so very loveable, Like Saoirse the young huntress-in-training who’s kindness toward the Sidhe nearly costs her everything. Belinda paints a vivid world with characters who draw real emotion out of you. I grew to care about the characters, the heroes, yes, but almost more about her side characters. I am waiting very impatiently for the rest of this series to be released, and I don’t know if the author will read this, but I can only hope that she includes more of this mysterious world she’s building for us, and the other characters she’s hinted at and teased us with. I know I for one am very emotionally tied with the fate of Saoirse, and am so desperate to know what’s going to happen to this little girl spirited away by the fae. I want to meet the Summer Queen, and see the other realms. I want to get to know the Red Court, and I want to watch Bran fall in love –not just with his smitten king, but with the world around him. This is a series I’ll be following closely, and I recommend it to anyone looking for Historical fantasy, Fae Magic, LGBTQ Romance, or just Romance at all. 10/10, would read again.
May 25, 2014
I was unsure what I was getting into with Belinda Burke’s debut novel ‘Dark Side of the Sun’, since most stories involving the fae that are also very romantically inclined are sadly disappointing –written by authors who have done no research and could care less about the historical accuracy of their prose in favor of more sex and drama centered around loving a magical creature that is in no way human- but I was very, very pleasantly surprised with this novel. Belinda Burke was written a captivating, spellbinding tale, with promise of so much more to come with the rest of its series. It is a novel rich with Fae lore, and accuracy to the time period it is set. There is romance, yes. Actually a very steamy romance between two men, Macsen the Red King of Winters Darkness and Bran the son of Summer’s Queen who was stolen by the Milesian’s to forge for them magic weapons, which was surprisingly… natural. It was neither rushed nor forced, and exactly what I look for in a romance. I would have wished for a slower build was there time, but I also understand this this is a romance novel, and so the relationships do move faster. But what I love most about this book, is that the romance isn’t everything there is; there is a plot –and a deeply interesting one- there. Belinda very quickly introduces us to the fae and the idea of the 8 realms based on the light and dark halves of the seasons; The Red Kingdom being the first place in the novel you visit –a shadowy winter land where the sun never rises and magical creatures from another time dance in celebration. She also introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters. Some deliciously bad, like Dealla the Milesian huntress-princess, hell bent on destroying The Red King and all those who follow him. And some so very loveable, Like Saoirse the young huntress-in-training who’s kindness toward the Sidhe nearly costs her everything. Belinda paints a vivid world with characters who draw real emotion out of you. I grew to care about the characters, the heroes, yes, but almost more about her side characters. I am waiting very impatiently for the rest of this series to be released, and I don’t know if the author will read this, but I can only hope that she includes more of this mysterious world she’s building for us, and the other characters she’s hinted at and teased us with. I know I for one am very emotionally tied with the fate of Saoirse, and am so desperate to know what’s going to happen to this little girl spirited away by the fae. I want to meet the Summer Queen, and see the other realms. I want to get to know the Red Court, and I want to watch Bran fall in love –not just with his smitten king, but with the world around him. This is a series I’ll be following closely, and I recommend it to anyone looking for Historical fantasy, Fae Magic, LGBTQ Romance, or just Romance at all. 10/10, would read again.
December 19, 2014
I'm 50 pages into the book and I can't help but be enraptured by it. I'm drawn into the dangerous beauty of The Red King. I can feel a shiver of dark pleasure sliding down my spine as I'm drawn into his seduction of his chosen prey, the Prince of Summer. I'm nearly finished with the book now and I can't help but feel darkly satisfied when Macsen looses his wrath upon the Milesians.
It is a beautifully written book, so descriptive that you sink into its pages. The book sucks you in and you just want more, more, more and once you get to the end you're sad that it's the end because you want to know what happens next! I can't wait to read the rest of her series.
It is a beautifully written book, so descriptive that you sink into its pages. The book sucks you in and you just want more, more, more and once you get to the end you're sad that it's the end because you want to know what happens next! I can't wait to read the rest of her series.
December 14, 2014
THE AUTHOR WHO WROTE THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING, IT WAS INTERESTING AND I READ IT IN 2 DAYS. CANT WAIT FOR THE 2ND ONE TO COME OUT IN OCTOBER!
November 8, 2018
3.5 stars
October 14, 2019
I liked the intro world building
March 6, 2017
Re-read
June 6, 2015
3 Heart Review by Tammy
Every year the Red King, Madsen, has dreams of a man with blue eyes who he has never seen before. Though he has no idea whether the man exists, Madsen desires him and feels a connection between them. After a human huntress attempts to assassinate the Red King, Madsen ventures out into the human realm and finally encounters the man in his dreams. He knows right away that the man’s name is Bran, and that he is actually a prince of sidhe, although not the same type as Madsen who is a vampire. Bran is the son of the Summer Queen, a former enemy of the Red King. They are instantly drawn to one another, but before Madsen is able to steel Bran away to his realm, the danger lurking in the shadows comes to haunt them, and their love is put to the test.
I really liked the world building in this novel, but the amount of detail for this length of book appeared to weigh down the main storyline. With respect to the romance between Bran and Madsen, I really wanted to become attached and believe in them, but instead I was rooting against them. I have no problem with insta-love, but I had difficulty connecting with the main characters. Madsen came off as cruel and self-centered, and Bran appeared very bitter. When the two met by the water, Madsen’s intense desire for Bran made sense, but Bran appeared to be under some kind of compulsion. I found myself wanting Bran to run away from the scary, wicked Red King. I did not want them to be together. It’s possible this was the intention of the author, but feeling this way was strange when it seemed as if they were meant to be together. Despite my initial objection to their union, I thought their sexual encounters were hot. Though it all appeared consensual, sex between them made me think of a predator stunning his prey before taking advantage of him.
Overall, the book was sexy and pleasant. I am intrigued enough to want to know what happens in book two.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
Every year the Red King, Madsen, has dreams of a man with blue eyes who he has never seen before. Though he has no idea whether the man exists, Madsen desires him and feels a connection between them. After a human huntress attempts to assassinate the Red King, Madsen ventures out into the human realm and finally encounters the man in his dreams. He knows right away that the man’s name is Bran, and that he is actually a prince of sidhe, although not the same type as Madsen who is a vampire. Bran is the son of the Summer Queen, a former enemy of the Red King. They are instantly drawn to one another, but before Madsen is able to steel Bran away to his realm, the danger lurking in the shadows comes to haunt them, and their love is put to the test.
I really liked the world building in this novel, but the amount of detail for this length of book appeared to weigh down the main storyline. With respect to the romance between Bran and Madsen, I really wanted to become attached and believe in them, but instead I was rooting against them. I have no problem with insta-love, but I had difficulty connecting with the main characters. Madsen came off as cruel and self-centered, and Bran appeared very bitter. When the two met by the water, Madsen’s intense desire for Bran made sense, but Bran appeared to be under some kind of compulsion. I found myself wanting Bran to run away from the scary, wicked Red King. I did not want them to be together. It’s possible this was the intention of the author, but feeling this way was strange when it seemed as if they were meant to be together. Despite my initial objection to their union, I thought their sexual encounters were hot. Though it all appeared consensual, sex between them made me think of a predator stunning his prey before taking advantage of him.
Overall, the book was sexy and pleasant. I am intrigued enough to want to know what happens in book two.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
January 20, 2016
well written and compelling. beautifully graphic, can't wait to read the next one
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