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Lies of the Haven

(Faerie Warriors #1)

J.A. Curtis (Goodreads Author)

4.78 · Rating details · 18 ratings · 15 reviews

They came from the Otherworld, living in the seclusion of the mountains. Somehow, they had managed to go undetected, despite their hatred for one another and their powerful faerie guardians occasionally locked in mortal combat…

Fifteen-year-old Mina didn’t ask to become the center of a feud between two tattoo bearing, near immortal brothers and their faerie followers. Nor d ...more

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Kindle Edition, 251 pages

Published August 31st 2020

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· 18 ratings · 15 reviews

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Aug 15, 2020 Dan Call rated it really liked it

I read this book together with a couple of my kids, and we discussed it as we went along. One thing we observed while reading is that we never would have guessed that this was a debut novel - it feels like a seasoned author with a loyal fan base is already behind the wheel. There's a lot to savor in this first book in the series.
Like many novels in this genre, we're looking at a variation on the standard theme of "unsuspecting novice is suddenly thrust into a storm of danger." With reader expect ...more

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Jul 31, 2020 Lara rated it it was amazing

Lies of the Haven hooked me in from the beginning.

Mina is stolen from her human home and forced into a life of lies, monsters, and magic. But as she searches for answers that might end the fighting between the faerie factions, she uncovers an enemy who threatens everything she has begun to care for. In order to expose those plotting against the last remaining faeries, and unite the factions, Mina must leave her human life behind. But none of it will matter if she can’t prove her rightful place ...more

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Oct 11, 2020 Chad rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

This should be kind of an exciting post. My wife, J. Curtis, is in the finishing stages of preparing her first book for publication, Lies of the Haven. The book follows the adventures of one Mina, a girl who discovers she is a faerie. She falls right into the middle of an extended conflict between rival faerie factions (that’s fun to say) filled with intrigue– and a little romance too, of course. I have to admit upfront, I had a little difficulty getting myself to read it at first. It had nothin This should be kind of an exciting post. My wife, J. Curtis, is in the finishing stages of preparing her first book for publication, Lies of the Haven. The book follows the adventures of one Mina, a girl who discovers she is a faerie. She falls right into the middle of an extended conflict between rival faerie factions (that’s fun to say) filled with intrigue– and a little romance too, of course. I have to admit upfront, I had a little difficulty getting myself to read it at first. It had nothing to do with the quality of the book at all, and all to do with my own failure complex (it seems built in, right?) How could someone I know, let alone my wife, publish a book? I’ve done it to myself, I’ve done it to my brothers growing up. You just get uncomfortable with the idea of someone close to you, well, being successful. It’s a weird mixture of low self-esteem, some mixed-up sense of propriety, and out-right jealousy. Let’s get some C. S. Lewis out in the open, as he always says some things just perfectly, this taken from Screwtape Proposes a Toast.

Democracy is the word with which you must lead them by the nose… You are to use the word purely as an incantation; if you like, purely for its selling power. It is a name they venerate. And of course you can connect it to the political ideal that men should be equally treated. You then make a stealthy transition in their minds from this political ideal to a factual belief that all men are equal. Especially the man you are working on. As a result, you can use the word democracy to sanction in his thought the most degrading (and also the least enjoyable) of human feelings. You can get him to practice, not only without shame, but with a positive glow of self-approval, conduct which, if undefended by the magic word, would be universally derided.

The feeling I mean is of course that which prompts a man to say I’m as good as you.

My wife is extremely talented. And being married to an extremely talented person can lead to unneeded heartache, if you are going to do nothing but compare yourself to them. Even when we are in very different fields with very different interests, I still manage to feel jealous. The funny thing is, I know it’s wrong. So I try to couch my jealousy in the most upstanding way possible. I don’t use the word democracy, like Screwtape here does. Instead, I have at various times said to my wife about her book, I’m not that interested in young adult fiction. It’s just not my taste or It needs to have more symbolism, more meaning. Like Brandon Sanderson or All young adult fiction is all kind of the same, anyways. Honestly, that bottom-looking up pride is the worst, and I hope I can write it out a little here by ‘fessing up.

As I have read the book before it is published, I don’t want to give any kind of spoilers here. In fact, I’ve been strictly instructed by J. not to do that. And that makes it hard for me to give the kind of reviews I usually do. Non-fiction books are maybe a little easier to review, because you can give quotes and your favorite ideas and maybe get away with a little summary. Not so here. I’ll do my best at telling exactly what I liked about J.’s book without giving anything away.

J. does a very good job at developing believable characters. I poked fun at her a little while reading that I didn’t like Mina. But the thing that J. adheres to in developing her characters is that all characters should be flawed. There is no room for knights in shining armor that are just too perfect. No Edwards and no Peetas (we had a laugh at that, because I happen to like both Edward and Peeta haha). But flaws are good, because really that is what makes a book worth reading, right? Any character development in real life is coming to terms that you aren’t perfect, and not even eventually necessarily overcoming your flaws, but owning them.

One thing I was grateful for that J. didn’t give into when writing her book is some kind of classification system. OK, we all liked Harry Potter’s houses. But it really started to seem like a substitute for a plot after we got factions in Divergent and districts in Hunger Games. It seems to dovetail with an obsession with personality quizzes and the like? Lies of the Haven does have a system of magic, and she explains how it works, but that’s different. Any fantasy book needs something of the kind, and exploring the implications and limitations of such systems gives room for a lot of creative development, even maybe a little bit of philosophy. J.’s book does move beyond the system of magic itself and explores some deeper questions, giving readers a good wrestle.

I was surprised at how well J. was able to build suspense throughout the book. When I tried my hand at writing, it was always difficult to get out of a very linear plot. Even if you don’t write and then such and such happened, if your plot is too linear, you won’t capture your audience. Another mantra J. lives by is show, don’t tell, and she’s done a really great job here in her book. I really think readers will like it. I was trying to compliment my wife that this book is as good as any you may find on the shelves of a bookstore, but it came out your book is interchangeable with any book by Brandon Mull, implying it was too derivative. Not what I meant! It’s very original and well-developed. Glad to give it a good review here. ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Quillen rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: people who want a fun and immersive fantasy, persons who like YA books

Lies of Haven was an enjoyable book. I found it easy to delve into this immersive fantasy that is based in our world. I would happily read future books by this author.   

Mina starts the book unhappy with her family. She enters into a unique world where she is a fish out of water. She has to figure out her true self. This can be hard when one doesn’t know who to trust… or if she wants to even have a unique destiny.   

There was some lovely suspense. The plot was nicely put together, the details an ...more

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Sep 23, 2020 Wendy Chittenden rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this story line. For being a first book I found that the writer had an excellent grasp of all of the elements that make a best selling novel. The plot was well written, the characters engaging, and the teen attitudes were on point. My teenage son was hogging the book so I bought a Kindle version just to finish it! I look forward to the rest of the series.

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Oct 30, 2020 Kameo Monson added it

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The storyline was unique enough to keep my interest. The important characters are well-rounded, best of all it's great for all ages. ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 A.M. Gilliam rated it it was amazing

Great story!

I enjoyed this a lot! I love the concept and how the story flowed. I won’t go into detail, you will have to read it. I can’t wait to see what comes from this book! ❤️❤️

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Sep 04, 2020 Adrianna rated it it was amazing

Excellent story line, it was hard to put down keeping me engaged through the whole story. I am eager for the sequel. I enjoyed that this story is one that I could confidently share with my family and not have to sensor or add disclaimers when suggesting to others. It's difficult to tell that JA Curtis is a new author, she writes as if she is seasoned with experience. ...more

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Aug 16, 2020 Brittany Zimmerman rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 31, 2020 Emily rated it really liked it

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Aug 18, 2020 Brandi Costello rated it really liked it

I thought this was a wonderful book with realistic character responses and great build up to the ending. I was a little disappointed in the climax of this book, mostly because I wanted to see more of a struggle between the main antagonist and protagonist than what I received. The fact that there was romance included in the book that was not rushed, made me extremely happy to see. The back story and plot of this faery novel was a interesting and fun idea that I can't wait to see develop further. ...more

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Aug 16, 2020 Barb Shumate rated it it was amazing

This is a fantastic read. I really enjoyed reading about the faeries and their faerie guardians and all of their exciting adventures. I am impatiently waiting for the sequel.

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Aug 11, 2020 Exclusively_Bookish rated it really liked it

Written beautifully and simplistic, Lies of the Haven was really good. The story follows a young girl called Mina, who when she was born was stolen from her real family. After it is revealed that she is actually a faerie, Mina struggles with finding who she really is. Mina is easy to relate to as she’s quickly thrown into a life and situation she never thought possible. My favourite character a faerie named Arius’ character development was amazing. The relationship between Mina and another faeri ...more

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Apr 02, 2021 Christie Powell rated it it was amazing

Captivating story

I was captivated by this story. I loved the worldbuilding and how the fae magic works. The twist of who the villains are is satisfying. I related with the main character and enjoyed getting to know the others. I did get a bit impatient, waiting for the whole truth to come out, but it was quite satisfying when it did.

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Dec 13, 2020 Karen Dimick rated it it was amazing

Great characters and plot with plenty of action, intrigue and a fantastic and well developed story line. The perfect mix of fantasy and a foot in the real world. I would recommend this book, and I can't wait for book 2! ...more

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