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Dragon's Gift: The Dark Fae #1
Trial by Fae
My fated mate is a powerful Fae king.
He must never realize who I am.
I lead a humble life slaughtering monsters. As long as no one learns that I’m descended from a line of forbidden Dragon Bloods, I can keep my job and my life.
But when a fiercely sexy Fae king realizes I’m his fated mate, I’ve got problems. Especially since A), he hates me and B), he learns my secret. It puts my whole life at risk. I want to kill my mate.
The stars align when my job sends me to the Fae Court as an undercover agent to investigate him. Did the king kill hundreds?
Even when I’m in disguise, he only has eyes only for me. He senses that I’m his mate, and our attraction is irresistible. Despite our mistrust, we can't stay apart. But when he realizes what I’m up to, there will be hell to pay. That is, if I survive.
He must never realize who I am.
I lead a humble life slaughtering monsters. As long as no one learns that I’m descended from a line of forbidden Dragon Bloods, I can keep my job and my life.
But when a fiercely sexy Fae king realizes I’m his fated mate, I’ve got problems. Especially since A), he hates me and B), he learns my secret. It puts my whole life at risk. I want to kill my mate.
The stars align when my job sends me to the Fae Court as an undercover agent to investigate him. Did the king kill hundreds?
Even when I’m in disguise, he only has eyes only for me. He senses that I’m his mate, and our attraction is irresistible. Despite our mistrust, we can't stay apart. But when he realizes what I’m up to, there will be hell to pay. That is, if I survive.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2019
5303 people are currently reading
6148 people want to read
About the author
Linsey Hall
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Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
For giveaways, contests and book discussion join my Facebook group
here!
Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
July 29, 2019
I think it should have been made more clear from the beginning that this series fits into an overall larger universe, particularly when I started it and there were all these references to Mari's sister and her significant other. It was easy to figure things out without reading others in this series but is nice to know that before hand. You don't have to be...um, (looking around to see if anyone else is in the same boat), am I missing something that is obvious to everyone else?
Also, this book is part of a series about Mari and Tarron. It doesn't end in a cliffhanger but their relationship isn't a sure thing yet. Good, because they didn't have enough time to develop a relationship in the book. Instalove or fated mates aren't my thing unless you get to read about how their relationship grows. Otherwise, what is the point of romance.
The good characterization is good. Mari shows you can be girly and still get the job done. Big hair and all that goes with it won't stop her from slaying her share of monsters. But she also has a brain which she uses. Sometimes it is better to neutralize an enemy instead of killing. That's how she becomes friends with a thornwolf. Who LOVES bacon. Great addition. Tarron needs a bit more fleshing out.
There was some good action and I enjoyed the competition. All those monsters, so many ways to die. The relationship between Mari and her sister was a strong point. But parts felt flat. Not sure if it was the lack of development in the relationship or what. But I'm interested enough in reading another in the series.
Also, this book is part of a series about Mari and Tarron. It doesn't end in a cliffhanger but their relationship isn't a sure thing yet. Good, because they didn't have enough time to develop a relationship in the book. Instalove or fated mates aren't my thing unless you get to read about how their relationship grows. Otherwise, what is the point of romance.
The good characterization is good. Mari shows you can be girly and still get the job done. Big hair and all that goes with it won't stop her from slaying her share of monsters. But she also has a brain which she uses. Sometimes it is better to neutralize an enemy instead of killing. That's how she becomes friends with a thornwolf. Who LOVES bacon. Great addition. Tarron needs a bit more fleshing out.
There was some good action and I enjoyed the competition. All those monsters, so many ways to die. The relationship between Mari and her sister was a strong point. But parts felt flat. Not sure if it was the lack of development in the relationship or what. But I'm interested enough in reading another in the series.
November 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! Nothing was boring about this book. I greedily read it in a day! I couldn’t put it down so well written.
January 15, 2022
World Build: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storyline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat🔥🔥
Strong start to a series. I found it to be a little too informative. Did not really feel like filler so this information may come in handy as the series goes.
Tarron is very mysterious. We do not get to know him in this book. You will see what he lets you see but you can tell there is sooooo much more. I’m dying to find it all out!
Mari has an unknown origin which she is piecing together. Her road to answers is exciting and a little shocking at times. Her power I believe is about to burst and she will be a complete bad ass.
No strong love story here or heat. Plenty of implications and flirtations but the way it ends…..it may be book 3 before this comes to fruition.
Happy reading,
DD💕
Storyline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat🔥🔥
Strong start to a series. I found it to be a little too informative. Did not really feel like filler so this information may come in handy as the series goes.
Tarron is very mysterious. We do not get to know him in this book. You will see what he lets you see but you can tell there is sooooo much more. I’m dying to find it all out!
Mari has an unknown origin which she is piecing together. Her road to answers is exciting and a little shocking at times. Her power I believe is about to burst and she will be a complete bad ass.
No strong love story here or heat. Plenty of implications and flirtations but the way it ends…..it may be book 3 before this comes to fruition.
Happy reading,
DD💕
July 15, 2019
Mari finally gets her own series and its clearly going to be a blast. Not only is she a Blood Sorceress but she's also a Demon Slayer although truthfully that's not something she shouts about. Now you would think that's enough going on for anyone but oh no because Mari just happens to meet a Fae King who not only realises that she has Dragon blood but and here's the kicker Mari is meant to be his Mate !
The latest hunt that Mari is sent on takes her deep into the secretive land of the Fae because something is very wrong with the balance between light and dark. Everything points to Tarron the murderous King and yet Mari cannot make either heads or tails of him ! Cold one minute, protective the next but with a job to do and her own secrets to keep Mari does what she does best , jump in wholeheartedly because no one is going to get the better of her !
I really like Mari with her tough exterior and strong personality. She's fearless and yet so full of compassion although that's something she certainly tries to conceal. Tarron appears so cold and yet at times there's a glimpse of something so steadfast in him that its hard to align the two. There is thankfully an epilogue available as this ends which helps give insight into how he thinks. This book had action, historical settings and has certainly set up for what I'm sure will be a very interesting series as Mari and Tarron butt heads and obviously that's going to be fun to read about.
This voluntary take is of a copy advanced to me and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
The latest hunt that Mari is sent on takes her deep into the secretive land of the Fae because something is very wrong with the balance between light and dark. Everything points to Tarron the murderous King and yet Mari cannot make either heads or tails of him ! Cold one minute, protective the next but with a job to do and her own secrets to keep Mari does what she does best , jump in wholeheartedly because no one is going to get the better of her !
I really like Mari with her tough exterior and strong personality. She's fearless and yet so full of compassion although that's something she certainly tries to conceal. Tarron appears so cold and yet at times there's a glimpse of something so steadfast in him that its hard to align the two. There is thankfully an epilogue available as this ends which helps give insight into how he thinks. This book had action, historical settings and has certainly set up for what I'm sure will be a very interesting series as Mari and Tarron butt heads and obviously that's going to be fun to read about.
This voluntary take is of a copy advanced to me and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
October 21, 2020
Oh, this looks promising!
It's nothing special yet, but it has potential.
The only annoying thing: it was too short to actually have too many things in it or for us to get to know the characters a bit better.
Still, it has potential, and it's a fast, fun, relaxing read, so let's see how it turns out.
It's nothing special yet, but it has potential.
The only annoying thing: it was too short to actually have too many things in it or for us to get to know the characters a bit better.
Still, it has potential, and it's a fast, fun, relaxing read, so let's see how it turns out.
August 17, 2019
I got to this book super pumped to read it. I had seen an except on my Facebook ads and bought it shortly after seeing the ad. I came in with a good amount of high expectations the premise and the except I read were awesome. The book itself is not good. I admit I got bored shortly after the first three or four pages. I didn't care about either the Heroine or the Hero and ended up skimming the rest of the book. I didn't think there was much in the way of plot and the way the Heroine speaks made me want to throttle her. The hero is 1 dimensional at best, and lacked any chemistry between him and the heroine. It was in short very disappointing. It seemed like this was the authors first book ever published, I don't know if it is, and that showed. I ended up donating the book to my local library and hope someone else enjoys it
gave-up
August 28, 2019Interesting premise and I wasn't expecting anything deep, but I cant get into it.
The writing style is awkward:
The entire thing, characters, plot, world building, romance, felt very two dimensional. Big magical competition happens but no one knows about it until it's convenient to the plot? Where did the medallions come from? You find out your fated mate is a seelie king and yoou don't think about any of the ramifications? Nothing made sense.
The writing style is awkward:
The stones themselves were thousands of years old, laid down by the ancient Fae to mark the entrance to their world. Humans thought that their own ancestors had created the huge monuments, though they’d never been able to figure out exactly why.
They were wrong.
These were Fae stones, though humans had taken to worshiping them almost as soon as the Fae had put them up.
The entire thing, characters, plot, world building, romance, felt very two dimensional. Big magical competition happens but no one knows about it until it's convenient to the plot? Where did the medallions come from? You find out your fated mate is a seelie king and yoou don't think about any of the ramifications? Nothing made sense.
July 15, 2019
I always love it when this author writes another series. I knew this one was going to be great, and I loved every minute of it. Mari is so different than her sister Aeri, and I love how this author can make two characters so different. Not only that, Tarron is a fascinating character. Add in the revelations about some of Mari’s history, and this is a book you can’t put down. I loved the action, adventure, romance, and getting to know Mari. If you loved the other series in this universe, you will definitely love this one. You don’t need to have read the other books to read this series first, so dive in if you haven’t. Highly recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
Read
September 29, 2021Hoooooly info dumps, Batman.
This is a rich world that has a lot of potential, but it was all thrown at me so fast and deep and haphazardly that I didn't enjoy it. Another 100 pages to slow things down and develop the plot and characters would have helped significantly. There's a much bigger universe at play here, but I just don't know that I'm willing to go down the rabbit hole.
This is a rich world that has a lot of potential, but it was all thrown at me so fast and deep and haphazardly that I didn't enjoy it. Another 100 pages to slow things down and develop the plot and characters would have helped significantly. There's a much bigger universe at play here, but I just don't know that I'm willing to go down the rabbit hole.
November 9, 2019
A More Mature Tale Than Other's In This World. Thoroughly Enjoyable!!🌟
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Trial by Fae (Dragon's Gift: The Dark Fae #1)
This book is about Mordaca, one of the the sexy & powerful blood magic using sisters that all of the other main characters from the interconnected series have visited when in dire need. She loves her black silk sexy dresses, Mortia style hair & black makeup.😉💅 What we find out is that both sister's use these contrived looks as a disguise!😱 They're hiding what they really are from the World & they're in hiding from from family that kept them prisoners & slaves until their escape in their teens!!😭💔😡
This book takes Mari (Mordaca) on an urgent & undercover mission for the Demon Slayer Council to the Seelie Fae Kingdom. She'll need to find out what dark energy is infecting it & stop it before it destroys their Realm & starts to infect Earth too!!😳😟💥
This is fascinating, exciting & quite an emotive read. It's fantastic getting to know these two sister's better at long last, they've always intrigued me!😍✨ She's fiesty, strong & determined but also has some surprising emotional vulnerabilities.💕 I loved Burn, found the Fae King to be quite a character, in a good way I hope 🙏😕 I also respected Luna!! I'll definitely continue this series!🌟💥
Debbie, 1970, UK
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Trial by Fae (Dragon's Gift: The Dark Fae #1)
This book is about Mordaca, one of the the sexy & powerful blood magic using sisters that all of the other main characters from the interconnected series have visited when in dire need. She loves her black silk sexy dresses, Mortia style hair & black makeup.😉💅 What we find out is that both sister's use these contrived looks as a disguise!😱 They're hiding what they really are from the World & they're in hiding from from family that kept them prisoners & slaves until their escape in their teens!!😭💔😡
This book takes Mari (Mordaca) on an urgent & undercover mission for the Demon Slayer Council to the Seelie Fae Kingdom. She'll need to find out what dark energy is infecting it & stop it before it destroys their Realm & starts to infect Earth too!!😳😟💥
This is fascinating, exciting & quite an emotive read. It's fantastic getting to know these two sister's better at long last, they've always intrigued me!😍✨ She's fiesty, strong & determined but also has some surprising emotional vulnerabilities.💕 I loved Burn, found the Fae King to be quite a character, in a good way I hope 🙏😕 I also respected Luna!! I'll definitely continue this series!🌟💥
Debbie, 1970, UK
July 19, 2021
2.5 stars (right in the middle like my opinions about this book)
*SPOILERS*
That was .....
I don't even know to be honest so I'll just make a list.
- fast paste (like incredibly fast)
- confusing
- enjoyable
- even more confusing
You see how torn I am right now?
First off, I had no idea this book was book 35 (35!) of a universe. It was indicated so in a way I am to blame for not knowing.
But the 35th book? That's a hell of a lot of books that part of me wants to read and the other part of me is very intimidated by it.
This is probably why I was so confused because we are introduced to our main character and her sister without much information.
Mari (our MC) speaks of her sister Aeri as if we know her, which of course we would, had we read her series included in the previous 34 books.
I was so confused as to why we were talking about Aeri and her boyfriend Declan like we knew them.
This brings me to Mari. I think all I know about Mari by the half way point of the book is that she has dark hair, likes makeup over her eyes, likes showing cleavage, is part dragon blood from her father and part (unknown) from her mother. Oh and her aunt tortured her and Aeri when they were kids.
The fact that I can summarize that in a short paragraph really shows that there's a problem doesn't it?
BUT AGAIN it's probably because all this information about Mari and Aeri's past were most likely mentioned in Aeri's book.
Now onto the romance (the most important part of a book, for me)
I don't think I've ever read a romance so intense so quickly, yet slow... But also fast (yes I'm really conflicted)
There is nothing I hate more than insta love
I also prefer when the MC has no idea that there is a mating bond (if a mating bond is included)
So I was disappointed.
The love interests meet in the second scene (already that's pretty early on) The man comes to Mari for a potion. Instantly she's attracted to him (I mean hey, why not I guess) She can sense that he's very powerful, as can he, but they are still wary of each other.
Anyways there's tension in the air since they're obviously both powerful, attracted to each other and have only known each other for five minutes.
And the next thing I know, they're making out. As I love to say when things progress too quickly, WE JUST GOT HERE!
No but seriously it's been five minutes slow down.
The mysterious and apparently irresistible (literally) man looks shocked and goes "Mograh?"
You don't have to be a genius to know that that means "my mate" or something along those lines.
Apparently our MC isn't stupid either and she figures it out (this is all within the first 3 chapters btw)
Bla bla bla, there's a competition that she must enter, you know hunger games level kind of dangerous. The majority of the plot is fighting or participating in this game, which isn't my favorite part of books because I usually get bored and get tempted to skip to the dialogue so that wasn't great for me. But that is just my personal preference and I know a lot of people enjoy those type of scenes so I won't label it as a bad thing.
Oh and did mention that the Seelie king that runs this competition is the man Mari had her make out sesh with? Again, anyone with common sense would've seen that coming.
Mari performs a spell to hide the mating bond from the king as she is here to spy on him and rid the Seelie kingdom of a plague brought upon them by the Unseelie, the notoriously evil fae. (This plague's magic signature is the same as her unidentified mother according to Mari)
But she obviously doesn't do a very good job because in order to win the competition, she preforms very well which attracts the attention of the king.
During the second trial, which happens two days after her kiss with the king, she ends up kissing him again, allowing him to recognize her and the hidden mating bond.
Turns out the king wanted one of the other contestants to win the competition because the prize for the winner, a wish, is one of the ingredients he needed to cure his lands from the plague.
So in other words, Mari and him had the same goal.
At this point there is only 10% of the book left and it feels like there should be about 60%. Most likely because everything has happened in like 2 days.
Mari, the king, Aeri and the council go to rid the land of the Seelie curse. And in a battle that I didn't pay much attention to, they manage to succeed.
That was probably my biggest problem excluding the romance. Because the entire mission was for her to get rid of the curse and I feel like it all happens in one chapter.
Hooray they got rid of the curse now Mari has figured out that her mother is an Unseelie Fae (which wasn't a big shock considering the Unseelie curse had her mother's magic signature)
She tells Aeri about her secret and they have a heartwarming three line long conversation about how Aeri would always accept her for who she was. Once again I felt like I was missing something about Aeri and Mari's relationship from not having read the previous books.
In the final chapter, The king, who's name is Tarron btw, comes to find Mari back in the normal world to tell her how he felt for her. He says how he tried to ignore the bond (and obviously was doing a really shit job at it. I mean come on! I could last longer than that even if I was soulbound to Nikolai Lantsov and that's saying something)
They kiss (what a surprise they seem to be doing a lot of that, don't they?)
And something triggers in Mari, turning on the dormant Unseelie Fae side of her.
Tarron, being the Seelie Fae that he is, is obviously shocked (and probably disgusted) by it.
The end.
Yep, the end.
Now what bothers me so much is that Tarron had a full on declaration about liking Mari after 6 days, 3 of which we did not see. Like yes, it was at the end of a book so is that really insta love? But at the same time it felt so quick.
I don't know whether or not I will read the next book (I most likely will if I'm being honest)
But I'm hoping that if I continue, Mari and Tarron's relationship will be a bit more complicated than it has been, at least a little.
*SPOILERS*
That was .....
I don't even know to be honest so I'll just make a list.
- fast paste (like incredibly fast)
- confusing
- enjoyable
- even more confusing
You see how torn I am right now?
First off, I had no idea this book was book 35 (35!) of a universe. It was indicated so in a way I am to blame for not knowing.
But the 35th book? That's a hell of a lot of books that part of me wants to read and the other part of me is very intimidated by it.
This is probably why I was so confused because we are introduced to our main character and her sister without much information.
Mari (our MC) speaks of her sister Aeri as if we know her, which of course we would, had we read her series included in the previous 34 books.
I was so confused as to why we were talking about Aeri and her boyfriend Declan like we knew them.
This brings me to Mari. I think all I know about Mari by the half way point of the book is that she has dark hair, likes makeup over her eyes, likes showing cleavage, is part dragon blood from her father and part (unknown) from her mother. Oh and her aunt tortured her and Aeri when they were kids.
The fact that I can summarize that in a short paragraph really shows that there's a problem doesn't it?
BUT AGAIN it's probably because all this information about Mari and Aeri's past were most likely mentioned in Aeri's book.
Now onto the romance (the most important part of a book, for me)
I don't think I've ever read a romance so intense so quickly, yet slow... But also fast (yes I'm really conflicted)
There is nothing I hate more than insta love
I also prefer when the MC has no idea that there is a mating bond (if a mating bond is included)
So I was disappointed.
The love interests meet in the second scene (already that's pretty early on) The man comes to Mari for a potion. Instantly she's attracted to him (I mean hey, why not I guess) She can sense that he's very powerful, as can he, but they are still wary of each other.
Anyways there's tension in the air since they're obviously both powerful, attracted to each other and have only known each other for five minutes.
And the next thing I know, they're making out. As I love to say when things progress too quickly, WE JUST GOT HERE!
No but seriously it's been five minutes slow down.
The mysterious and apparently irresistible (literally) man looks shocked and goes "Mograh?"
You don't have to be a genius to know that that means "my mate" or something along those lines.
Apparently our MC isn't stupid either and she figures it out (this is all within the first 3 chapters btw)
Bla bla bla, there's a competition that she must enter, you know hunger games level kind of dangerous. The majority of the plot is fighting or participating in this game, which isn't my favorite part of books because I usually get bored and get tempted to skip to the dialogue so that wasn't great for me. But that is just my personal preference and I know a lot of people enjoy those type of scenes so I won't label it as a bad thing.
Oh and did mention that the Seelie king that runs this competition is the man Mari had her make out sesh with? Again, anyone with common sense would've seen that coming.
Mari performs a spell to hide the mating bond from the king as she is here to spy on him and rid the Seelie kingdom of a plague brought upon them by the Unseelie, the notoriously evil fae. (This plague's magic signature is the same as her unidentified mother according to Mari)
But she obviously doesn't do a very good job because in order to win the competition, she preforms very well which attracts the attention of the king.
During the second trial, which happens two days after her kiss with the king, she ends up kissing him again, allowing him to recognize her and the hidden mating bond.
Turns out the king wanted one of the other contestants to win the competition because the prize for the winner, a wish, is one of the ingredients he needed to cure his lands from the plague.
So in other words, Mari and him had the same goal.
At this point there is only 10% of the book left and it feels like there should be about 60%. Most likely because everything has happened in like 2 days.
Mari, the king, Aeri and the council go to rid the land of the Seelie curse. And in a battle that I didn't pay much attention to, they manage to succeed.
That was probably my biggest problem excluding the romance. Because the entire mission was for her to get rid of the curse and I feel like it all happens in one chapter.
Hooray they got rid of the curse now Mari has figured out that her mother is an Unseelie Fae (which wasn't a big shock considering the Unseelie curse had her mother's magic signature)
She tells Aeri about her secret and they have a heartwarming three line long conversation about how Aeri would always accept her for who she was. Once again I felt like I was missing something about Aeri and Mari's relationship from not having read the previous books.
In the final chapter, The king, who's name is Tarron btw, comes to find Mari back in the normal world to tell her how he felt for her. He says how he tried to ignore the bond (and obviously was doing a really shit job at it. I mean come on! I could last longer than that even if I was soulbound to Nikolai Lantsov and that's saying something)
They kiss (what a surprise they seem to be doing a lot of that, don't they?)
And something triggers in Mari, turning on the dormant Unseelie Fae side of her.
Tarron, being the Seelie Fae that he is, is obviously shocked (and probably disgusted) by it.
The end.
Yep, the end.
Now what bothers me so much is that Tarron had a full on declaration about liking Mari after 6 days, 3 of which we did not see. Like yes, it was at the end of a book so is that really insta love? But at the same time it felt so quick.
I don't know whether or not I will read the next book (I most likely will if I'm being honest)
But I'm hoping that if I continue, Mari and Tarron's relationship will be a bit more complicated than it has been, at least a little.
April 13, 2020
To be honest, I'm very surprised by how much I liked this book. I know this sounds bad, but my experience with urban fantasy novels is less than great, so I had really low expectations for this. Turns out it's fun, fast-paced and the heroine is a cheeky kickass, all which makes for a really entertaining book. What made me shave off a star is the absolutely uninteresting hero and the pretty obvious exposition dump in the beginning. Off to the sequel.
August 20, 2019
The real hook is at the end.
I had a difficult time getting into this one, though I think the fault was my own. Read a different book, then came back to it. It went smoothly after that. Finished in one sitting! Haha!
I enjoyed (the protagonist) Mari's style and attitude. She had a rough past and a secret that she still hides from her twin sister, because Mari believes that her sister will hate her if she finds out. There's this big mystery surrounding the other half of her heritage. Mari believes that her mystery half is evil, and the real challenge with that presents itself when she figures out what that is.
Tarron, the H, is somewhat of a mystery, too. He has his own secrets, and his dislike of Mari because she's his "Morgah" is a little off-putting from the start. He seems to struggle with it as if that would somehow be detrimental to his kingdom. Even though his secrets are revealed later, and his true depth of character shines, his disregard for his mate during the trials sends mixed signals.
As far as steam goes, there is some passionate kisses and not much more. It's for sure a slow burn type romance with a hint of enemies -to-lovers trope.
I'm definitely going to check out the next in series, because I'd really love to see Mari prove the Fae King wrong!
I had a difficult time getting into this one, though I think the fault was my own. Read a different book, then came back to it. It went smoothly after that. Finished in one sitting! Haha!
I enjoyed (the protagonist) Mari's style and attitude. She had a rough past and a secret that she still hides from her twin sister, because Mari believes that her sister will hate her if she finds out. There's this big mystery surrounding the other half of her heritage. Mari believes that her mystery half is evil, and the real challenge with that presents itself when she figures out what that is.
Tarron, the H, is somewhat of a mystery, too. He has his own secrets, and his dislike of Mari because she's his "Morgah" is a little off-putting from the start. He seems to struggle with it as if that would somehow be detrimental to his kingdom. Even though his secrets are revealed later, and his true depth of character shines, his disregard for his mate during the trials sends mixed signals.
As far as steam goes, there is some passionate kisses and not much more. It's for sure a slow burn type romance with a hint of enemies -to-lovers trope.
I'm definitely going to check out the next in series, because I'd really love to see Mari prove the Fae King wrong!
May 8, 2021
I picked this up because it was supposed to be a hate-to-love troupe...or so I thought.
It was a super quick read.
I do believe this author has potential, her writing was pretty good and it flow fast and easy. I wish there was just more to the story, you know? MOOOORE. this book and story had loads of potential, I want more story, not a quick adventure and be done. I wanted more depth more everything. It was that good!
The romance had SOOOOOOO much potential, but it was too quick and too fast for my tastes, some people like that, I wanted it stretched out I wanted to see real tension and progress, the one that requires time and effort not just some attraction and fated love, you know?
Anyway it was fun, I don't regret reading it and I'll check out the next book.
It was a super quick read.
I do believe this author has potential, her writing was pretty good and it flow fast and easy. I wish there was just more to the story, you know? MOOOORE. this book and story had loads of potential, I want more story, not a quick adventure and be done. I wanted more depth more everything. It was that good!
The romance had SOOOOOOO much potential, but it was too quick and too fast for my tastes, some people like that, I wanted it stretched out I wanted to see real tension and progress, the one that requires time and effort not just some attraction and fated love, you know?
Anyway it was fun, I don't regret reading it and I'll check out the next book.
August 17, 2019
DNF: I just can’t deal with this author’s writing style. It feels like she’s telling me how to view the story instead of describing the story and letting me make up my own mind. “Her outfit was badass.” “He was sexy.” Just describe a badass outfit or a sexy body and let the reader come to that conclusion themselves.
Everything felt too convenient, not well described, details glossed over. A few chapters in and I can’t go on.
Everything felt too convenient, not well described, details glossed over. A few chapters in and I can’t go on.
July 31, 2019
I'm quite surprised that I liked this book as much as I did! I was thinking this would be a DNF, but I got so into tracking down the sequel release date, I stalked Linsey Hall's website for updates! I just love all things fae and this one left on a scrumptious cliffhanger.
November 17, 2019
My first Linsey Hall book!
I really enjoyed this book. Mari is a skilled and fierce warrior. Tarron, hubba hubba. When they get together, it's delightfully magnetic and the heat comes off the page. I want more of their story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I really enjoyed this book. Mari is a skilled and fierce warrior. Tarron, hubba hubba. When they get together, it's delightfully magnetic and the heat comes off the page. I want more of their story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
April 27, 2020
Really Good!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book as it was by an author I had not read before. The story, characters, and writing kept me intrigued. Well done Linsey. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book as it was by an author I had not read before. The story, characters, and writing kept me intrigued. Well done Linsey. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
September 29, 2020
3.5
I'm on a fae kick rn.
I'm on a fae kick rn.
December 24, 2019
Actually really enjoyed this story. Good pace, great world building, kick-ass heroine - ding ding ding!
November 12, 2020
Good casual read, can’t wait to get more into story in book 2!
August 25, 2025
Good book
I'm severely ADHD and dnf more books than I finish but this one held my attention throughout the book. Good writing and a great plot and storyline. It was interesting and I really liked the characters.
I'm severely ADHD and dnf more books than I finish but this one held my attention throughout the book. Good writing and a great plot and storyline. It was interesting and I really liked the characters.
March 28, 2020
3.5 Stars, not a bad start to a series, I will continue with it..
May 19, 2020
Decent, inoffensive, and not really memorable. Didn't feel very strongly about anything in it.
August 7, 2023
This was way better than I thought It would be, loved it very much
September 23, 2020
2.6*
Good story, weak writing.
Good story, weak writing.
December 11, 2021
Good story
Omg that ending .. right onto book 2 no waiting around for this one.
I loved catching up with some favorites , The storyline was pretty good
Omg that ending .. right onto book 2 no waiting around for this one.
I loved catching up with some favorites , The storyline was pretty good
July 24, 2019
Overview
Would I Recommend?
This review and all my others posted on: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot....
Interesting but convenient. That sums up everything that happens in this book pretty well. Like that's pretty much the definition of Mari's powers, she cuts her finger and bam she can have any magic that she wants in the world. I think that's a little bit unfair, I don't like it when characters feel so omnipotent, but it didn't make the book unreadable like it does with a lot of other books.
Her romance with the Fae king is also pretty convenient and surface level, we haven't seen a lot of communications between the two that make it feel like anything deeper than infatuation. I liked the idea of a competition, but again it ended too conveniently and too quickly. I do like paranormal books like this when there's a ton of magical creatures which have their own places in society. Like I know that the series that Mari was initially featured in had similar themes, maybe I'm not feeling the depth of the characters because I haven't read that series. I don't think it's a requirement to read the other series though, so I think there should've been a little bit more to this as it's the first novel in Mari's perspective.
Would I Recommend?
It's short and it has potential, I'd recommend it for that. If you like super complex plot lines, like more like high fantasy stuff, this isn't really going to be what you're looking for. I hope that the next book goes deeper into Mari's parentage and everything, we'll see if it's a series worth reading.
This review and all my others posted on: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot....
July 16, 2019
It wasn't until I read this book that I realised that while I like Aeri's books, and don't get me wrong they are good, I didn't have a strong connection to them. When I started Mari's book I fell instantly in love with Mari and who she is, what she is and her journey to both save the world and find her truth. Add in one devilishly good looking, but also incredibly sneaky, maybe not entirely trustworthy far king, plus an adorable, bacon loving thorn wolf and you have a match made in heaven. I liked that there were twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and history of Mari's that I could have never imagined, as it's never hinted at Aeri's books. I am beyond excited to see what comes next and how things develop.
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