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Hollow and Hill #1
О звере и фейри
На побережье Джорджии находится городок, расположенный на границе царства фейри. Еще в детстве, Фэй потеряла свою мать из-за жестокости коварных созданий, но всю свою жизнь желала хоть на мгновение заглянуть за завесу темного и загадочного мира, который всегда взывал к ней. Ведь она – полукровка и наследница Неблагого двора.
Но прежде чем сесть на трон, ей предстоит обратиться за помощью к нимфе с волосами цвета полуночи и выдержать испытания в смертельно опасном Лабиринте, который, знает все ее слабости.
Чтобы выжить ей придется довериться Темному королю, встретиться с фоморами – древней расой Народца, и отыскать монстров не только в лабиринте, но и внутри себя.
Но прежде чем сесть на трон, ей предстоит обратиться за помощью к нимфе с волосами цвета полуночи и выдержать испытания в смертельно опасном Лабиринте, который, знает все ее слабости.
Чтобы выжить ей придется довериться Темному королю, встретиться с фоморами – древней расой Народца, и отыскать монстров не только в лабиринте, но и внутри себя.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2022
35 people are currently reading
1344 people want to read
About the author
Kelsey Kicklighter
1 book44 followersKelsey Kicklighter grew up in libraries. She built forts in the only section of her mother's college library that was even vaguely set up for children: Non-fiction section 398.2. Fairy tales.
She was raised in a small southern town on the coast of Georgia with an absurd amount of sisters, and misses midnight trips to the beach.
She has an excessive amount of tattoos with plans for more and has never met a hair color she doesn't like. She loves to read, grow things, and eats an unreasonable amount of jalapeños.
She is a librarian living in another small town with the love of her life, their abnormally cute kid, two cats, and one three-legged dog. She writes stories for anyone who still believes in 398.2.
She was raised in a small southern town on the coast of Georgia with an absurd amount of sisters, and misses midnight trips to the beach.
She has an excessive amount of tattoos with plans for more and has never met a hair color she doesn't like. She loves to read, grow things, and eats an unreasonable amount of jalapeños.
She is a librarian living in another small town with the love of her life, their abnormally cute kid, two cats, and one three-legged dog. She writes stories for anyone who still believes in 398.2.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
May 1, 2022
This debut novel by Kelsey Kicklighter has all the elements of a promising new series!
It had elements of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland, but it also had fae!
What I liked about the book:
1. Totally not relevant to the book in any way but the title, BUT I couldn’t help but get “Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones stuck in my head every time I picked up this book. That’s totally fine with me given it’s one of my favorites songs by them.
2. I liked that Faye wasn’t great at everything she did and she made mistakes often. She definitely had to go through learning how to fight, how to harness her magic, hell, even how to dance properly. She also just couldn’t shake those “Thank yous” that are super dangerous in the fae world. She definitely wasn’t a Mary Sue and that was refreshing.
I also felt that she started to come into her own in this book, but I hope there is a lot more progress on that front in the next. At the beginning of the book, she was only friends with a “wild-child” named Delia because “Delia gives me permission to be as reckless as I want to be.” When she wasn’t with Delia, she appeared to live a rather reserved life, taking no chances and thinking too much to actually act without Delia’s influence. However, after Ellie was taken, she acted and thought quickly, as well as made sacrifices. Throughout the story, we saw her embrace change, accept life beyond the veil, and start to come into her own. I want this progress to continue so she can evolve into the Queen we know she can be.
3. All of the other characters had a lot of promise!
Gage - I really liked Gage. He wasn’t the typical grumpy MMC, but he definitely had his underdog/dark side. He reminded me of a mix of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and Li Shang from Mulan which is basically my ideal man. He was stupid sexy with his smirks, grunts, and ability to wield a sword, he checked all my boxes and I love him.
Kellan – Kellan was such a hopeless flirt who you couldn’t help but feel sorry for despite some of his decisions. It was fun to read his lines and his little sexy nicknames for Faye, but ultimately, he just couldn’t hold a candle to Gage for me.
Isla – I liked that Isla definitely stuck to her guns, whether that was about which court she wanted to belong to, wanting to obtain knighthood, or following the rules of the court she was loyal to. I found her a bit boring at times, but I can’t wait for her to come into her own. Maybe in the next book?
Ellie – I loved Ellie’s spirit! I have a feeling she is going to “find” a lot of interesting things to help bring down the Seelie Court.
Soliel – She was definitely Glinda the Good Witch, if Glinda was a sadist. Can’t wait to see the evil she unveils because I know her plan is still in motion!
4. I liked that this book is from the perspective that the “monstrous” Unseelie are just misunderstood and actually way better fae than the glimmering and polished, usually seen as the "good guys” Seelie.
5. I liked the twists around her parents, Gage’s involvement in getting the throne, and how the next ruler is crowned. It definitely gave this book full of typical fae elements its own edge that I really appreciated!
6. There were some pretty great lines in this book.
“Elation and fear, strange bedfellows.” – Interesting, and true.
“No. I am having emotions, and I am going to hide until they go away again.” – I feel so seen…
“You have to be the monster’s monster.” – Well, that’s dark and definitely going to come back around at some point.
“It’s been a considerably long time since you glared at me. I was starting to miss it.” – Just one of the beautiful lines out of Gage’s mouth.
“You should never tell a queen what she cannot do.” – YESSSSS! Own that title babe!
What didn’t do it for me:
1. My biggest problem with this book was the love triangle. Typically, when we see a love triangle, I feel there is a clear winner and a clear schmo. There is one person who we are more invested in and the writer definitely writes them better than the other. They’re hotter or smarter or better in bed. Something that makes them the end goal in the little competition. However, that was not the case in this story.
Gage and Isla are the two individuals in Faye’s love triangle, and while I am bias and love Gage, there is no clear winner. They are both great and Faye seems to have about the same level of feelings for them both, which is SUPER BOTHERSOME TO ME! Either push her together with Isla and make me burn with disagreement or push her together with Gage and make me want Isla to find another Queen more her speed! Do not leave me hanging like this though!
2. Despite the love triangle, I felt the romance was more told to us that experienced by us. There were a lot of references to “when we hung out the last few days, [insert thing] happened”. I don’t want to hear about [insert thing] in passing, I want to experience [insert thing].
Because of this, I felt irrationally upset about the things that were focused on in the book, while the romance aspect was rushed over. Honestly, this is a case where the book could have been longer to accommodate this and I would have gobbled up every damn word. Please don’t leave me out of [insert thing]. Insert all the things!!!
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley, Independent Publishers Group, The Parliament House, and Kelsey Kicklighter in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommend you check it out!
3.5 promising stars!
It had elements of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland, but it also had fae!
What I liked about the book:
1. Totally not relevant to the book in any way but the title, BUT I couldn’t help but get “Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones stuck in my head every time I picked up this book. That’s totally fine with me given it’s one of my favorites songs by them.
2. I liked that Faye wasn’t great at everything she did and she made mistakes often. She definitely had to go through learning how to fight, how to harness her magic, hell, even how to dance properly. She also just couldn’t shake those “Thank yous” that are super dangerous in the fae world. She definitely wasn’t a Mary Sue and that was refreshing.
I also felt that she started to come into her own in this book, but I hope there is a lot more progress on that front in the next. At the beginning of the book, she was only friends with a “wild-child” named Delia because “Delia gives me permission to be as reckless as I want to be.” When she wasn’t with Delia, she appeared to live a rather reserved life, taking no chances and thinking too much to actually act without Delia’s influence. However, after Ellie was taken, she acted and thought quickly, as well as made sacrifices. Throughout the story, we saw her embrace change, accept life beyond the veil, and start to come into her own. I want this progress to continue so she can evolve into the Queen we know she can be.
3. All of the other characters had a lot of promise!
Gage - I really liked Gage. He wasn’t the typical grumpy MMC, but he definitely had his underdog/dark side. He reminded me of a mix of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and Li Shang from Mulan which is basically my ideal man. He was stupid sexy with his smirks, grunts, and ability to wield a sword, he checked all my boxes and I love him.
Kellan – Kellan was such a hopeless flirt who you couldn’t help but feel sorry for despite some of his decisions. It was fun to read his lines and his little sexy nicknames for Faye, but ultimately, he just couldn’t hold a candle to Gage for me.
Isla – I liked that Isla definitely stuck to her guns, whether that was about which court she wanted to belong to, wanting to obtain knighthood, or following the rules of the court she was loyal to. I found her a bit boring at times, but I can’t wait for her to come into her own. Maybe in the next book?
Ellie – I loved Ellie’s spirit! I have a feeling she is going to “find” a lot of interesting things to help bring down the Seelie Court.
Soliel – She was definitely Glinda the Good Witch, if Glinda was a sadist. Can’t wait to see the evil she unveils because I know her plan is still in motion!
4. I liked that this book is from the perspective that the “monstrous” Unseelie are just misunderstood and actually way better fae than the glimmering and polished, usually seen as the "good guys” Seelie.
5. I liked the twists around her parents, Gage’s involvement in getting the throne, and how the next ruler is crowned. It definitely gave this book full of typical fae elements its own edge that I really appreciated!
6. There were some pretty great lines in this book.
“Elation and fear, strange bedfellows.” – Interesting, and true.
“No. I am having emotions, and I am going to hide until they go away again.” – I feel so seen…
“You have to be the monster’s monster.” – Well, that’s dark and definitely going to come back around at some point.
“It’s been a considerably long time since you glared at me. I was starting to miss it.” – Just one of the beautiful lines out of Gage’s mouth.
“You should never tell a queen what she cannot do.” – YESSSSS! Own that title babe!
What didn’t do it for me:
1. My biggest problem with this book was the love triangle. Typically, when we see a love triangle, I feel there is a clear winner and a clear schmo. There is one person who we are more invested in and the writer definitely writes them better than the other. They’re hotter or smarter or better in bed. Something that makes them the end goal in the little competition. However, that was not the case in this story.
Gage and Isla are the two individuals in Faye’s love triangle, and while I am bias and love Gage, there is no clear winner. They are both great and Faye seems to have about the same level of feelings for them both, which is SUPER BOTHERSOME TO ME! Either push her together with Isla and make me burn with disagreement or push her together with Gage and make me want Isla to find another Queen more her speed! Do not leave me hanging like this though!
2. Despite the love triangle, I felt the romance was more told to us that experienced by us. There were a lot of references to “when we hung out the last few days, [insert thing] happened”. I don’t want to hear about [insert thing] in passing, I want to experience [insert thing].
Because of this, I felt irrationally upset about the things that were focused on in the book, while the romance aspect was rushed over. Honestly, this is a case where the book could have been longer to accommodate this and I would have gobbled up every damn word. Please don’t leave me out of [insert thing]. Insert all the things!!!
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley, Independent Publishers Group, The Parliament House, and Kelsey Kicklighter in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommend you check it out!
3.5 promising stars!
February 25, 2023
Я так і не змогла розібратися з любовною лінією або лініями. Я навіть невпевнена чи здалось чи насправді так і є. Відчувався зв'язок головної героїні з двома героями, а може навіть з трьома. Якщо брати за увагу назву, то підходить один конкретний персонаж. Але ж це може бути такий хід, що наступна частина матиме іншу назву і половину героїв з цієї вже не існуватиме.
Багатообіцяюче фентезі, ви подивіться на саму обкладинку. Вже щось пішло не так ближче до фіналу книги. На останніх 20% бажання дочитувати зникло, змусила себе закінчити почате. Спочатку історія рухалась динамічно, щось відбувалося нового в кожному розділі. А далі все як в тумані, наче і не стоїть на місці, та і сильного руху нема. Нудновато, можна було би краще. Жодного поцілунку, тільки її емоційні реакції на певних персонажей. Навіть змагання, щоб стати королевою проходило повз, якось взагалі без змагальної напруги.
Багатообіцяюче фентезі, ви подивіться на саму обкладинку. Вже щось пішло не так ближче до фіналу книги. На останніх 20% бажання дочитувати зникло, змусила себе закінчити почате. Спочатку історія рухалась динамічно, щось відбувалося нового в кожному розділі. А далі все як в тумані, наче і не стоїть на місці, та і сильного руху нема. Нудновато, можна було би краще. Жодного поцілунку, тільки її емоційні реакції на певних персонажей. Навіть змагання, щоб стати королевою проходило повз, якось взагалі без змагальної напруги.
December 21, 2025
Of Beast and Burden (Hollow and Hill, #1) ♦ Kelsey Kicklighter | Review
Of Beast and Burden is a debut novel written by Kelsey Kicklighter . This first book of the new Hollow and Hill series comes with all the needed ingredients for a new fantasy series. We have magic, we have a lot of fantastic creatures including my favorite ones, the fae.
When I saw the cover and read the blurb, I was blown away and crossed my fingers I won’t be disappointed in the end. But my curiosity was strong enough to request an ARC copy of the novel.
Of Beast and Burden ♦ Kelsey Kicklighter
Synopsis
We pretty much rush into the plot by Faye stumbling through the veil, following her friend Delia and two mysterious guys. Her whole short life long, Faye was drawn to the faerie realm. Not just because her Gran told her all kind of stories of the fae, no she also dived into the folklore, and her mother spend some in the other world behind the veil before she got lost to her. But the longing for this world seems to come from deep inside her, a feeling she could never explain. And during her first, mostly unwilling, visit she discovers the truth. Faye was more than just a young human woman, Faye was half-faerie. But that’s not it. She is also the heiress of the throne to the Unseelie court.
After this first encounter with the Folk, the plot comes to a developing halt in some way. Until Faye has to face her legacy to save her best friend Ellie, who was taken by Soliel, the Queen of the Seelie court. A bargain is made and Faye finds herself at her father’s court, learning and training for a trail to take her crown from the current Unseelie king Gage. Instead of throwing rocks in her way, Gage and his first knight Isla help her to prepare for it all. But also Kellan, the Seelie prince and brother to Soliel, has an agenda and throws himself in the mix.
Opinion
All things considered, I can clearly state I enjoyed this book and my worries of a possible disappointment were unjustified. There was more about the book that I liked than dislike.
But first things first. Nowadays, most fantasy series are about a heroine who is strong, courageous, and a fighter. But Faye is different. She may be stubborn, but she’s not a born warrior, nor does she know how to handle her birthright. But she is not above asking for help. Faye makes mistakes, a lot of them, while she has to learn how things in the realm work, how to fight and dance, and most important, how to master her magic. It was exciting to see how Faye gradually finds herself, mastering her abilities and even magical ones that no one has ever been able to do before.
In the beginning of the book, Faye seemed to be a bit reckless, when under the influence of her friend Delia. But once she returned into the human world and in the company of Ellie, she seemed to be more introvert and thoughtful. Yet, she immediately jumped into action once her lovely Ellie has been taken by the fae, and she knew she would do anything to get her back. Even though she had to ask for help within the Folk, which she never wanted to visit again after her first encounter.
A huge part for me liking this novel have been the characters. Yes, they were not perfect, but they still have a lot of room to improve, which makes me long for the sequel. Next to our heroine Faye and her little weird, in a cute way, Ellie, we have Gage. He seems to be the villain at first, but turns out he is just a lone fighter with a dark side and a pure, loyal heart. For the most part, Isla seemed rather pale and listless to me, though her loyalty to her chivalric task was deeply rooted in her. Unlike Isla, Kellan was just a bit too much for me. Too much flirting, too much sweet talk and a tad too much arrogance. I rolled my eyes at him once too many times, and in the end his fate didn’t exactly surprise me either. It is well known that pride always comes before a fall. But his character was needed and fitted perfectly into the plot. While the Seelie are seen as the good fae, with Soliel I quickly realized what a fake little snake in the grass she really is and that her court must be dripping with intrigue. I’m excited to see which of her plans, which she’s guaranteed to be planning, will be uncovered in the second book.
Now that I’ve found enough of the good words for this novel, let’s talk about some negative points.
It wasn’t always clear to me in which periods the plot was taking place. It was once said that Faye had been at Unseelie court for weeks, but those weeks were not apparent. Reading it felt more like just a few days. The timeline was just too imprecise.
And then there was this love triangle, which Kellan expanded into a square in part. This was just a bit too much for me. Which probably also has to do with the missing or rather misleading times of the plot. As a result, Faye threw himself on Isla and Gage emotionally too quickly. Because Isla looked so pale to me, my love interest for the brooding dark Gage was far more developed.
Bottom Line
Of Beast and Burden is a really promising first volume of a new fantasy series penned by Kelsey Kicklighter. With magic rendered impressively, emotions so pure and twists towards the end that couldn’t be more surprising, this is an absolute must-read for any fantasy fan.
Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
I would like to thank Independent Publishers Group, The Parliament House and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this novel.
This review was first published at The Art of Reading.
Of Beast and Burden is a debut novel written by Kelsey Kicklighter . This first book of the new Hollow and Hill series comes with all the needed ingredients for a new fantasy series. We have magic, we have a lot of fantastic creatures including my favorite ones, the fae.
When I saw the cover and read the blurb, I was blown away and crossed my fingers I won’t be disappointed in the end. But my curiosity was strong enough to request an ARC copy of the novel.
Of Beast and Burden ♦ Kelsey Kicklighter
Synopsis
We pretty much rush into the plot by Faye stumbling through the veil, following her friend Delia and two mysterious guys. Her whole short life long, Faye was drawn to the faerie realm. Not just because her Gran told her all kind of stories of the fae, no she also dived into the folklore, and her mother spend some in the other world behind the veil before she got lost to her. But the longing for this world seems to come from deep inside her, a feeling she could never explain. And during her first, mostly unwilling, visit she discovers the truth. Faye was more than just a young human woman, Faye was half-faerie. But that’s not it. She is also the heiress of the throne to the Unseelie court.
After this first encounter with the Folk, the plot comes to a developing halt in some way. Until Faye has to face her legacy to save her best friend Ellie, who was taken by Soliel, the Queen of the Seelie court. A bargain is made and Faye finds herself at her father’s court, learning and training for a trail to take her crown from the current Unseelie king Gage. Instead of throwing rocks in her way, Gage and his first knight Isla help her to prepare for it all. But also Kellan, the Seelie prince and brother to Soliel, has an agenda and throws himself in the mix.
Opinion
All things considered, I can clearly state I enjoyed this book and my worries of a possible disappointment were unjustified. There was more about the book that I liked than dislike.
But first things first. Nowadays, most fantasy series are about a heroine who is strong, courageous, and a fighter. But Faye is different. She may be stubborn, but she’s not a born warrior, nor does she know how to handle her birthright. But she is not above asking for help. Faye makes mistakes, a lot of them, while she has to learn how things in the realm work, how to fight and dance, and most important, how to master her magic. It was exciting to see how Faye gradually finds herself, mastering her abilities and even magical ones that no one has ever been able to do before.
In the beginning of the book, Faye seemed to be a bit reckless, when under the influence of her friend Delia. But once she returned into the human world and in the company of Ellie, she seemed to be more introvert and thoughtful. Yet, she immediately jumped into action once her lovely Ellie has been taken by the fae, and she knew she would do anything to get her back. Even though she had to ask for help within the Folk, which she never wanted to visit again after her first encounter.
A huge part for me liking this novel have been the characters. Yes, they were not perfect, but they still have a lot of room to improve, which makes me long for the sequel. Next to our heroine Faye and her little weird, in a cute way, Ellie, we have Gage. He seems to be the villain at first, but turns out he is just a lone fighter with a dark side and a pure, loyal heart. For the most part, Isla seemed rather pale and listless to me, though her loyalty to her chivalric task was deeply rooted in her. Unlike Isla, Kellan was just a bit too much for me. Too much flirting, too much sweet talk and a tad too much arrogance. I rolled my eyes at him once too many times, and in the end his fate didn’t exactly surprise me either. It is well known that pride always comes before a fall. But his character was needed and fitted perfectly into the plot. While the Seelie are seen as the good fae, with Soliel I quickly realized what a fake little snake in the grass she really is and that her court must be dripping with intrigue. I’m excited to see which of her plans, which she’s guaranteed to be planning, will be uncovered in the second book.
Now that I’ve found enough of the good words for this novel, let’s talk about some negative points.
It wasn’t always clear to me in which periods the plot was taking place. It was once said that Faye had been at Unseelie court for weeks, but those weeks were not apparent. Reading it felt more like just a few days. The timeline was just too imprecise.
And then there was this love triangle, which Kellan expanded into a square in part. This was just a bit too much for me. Which probably also has to do with the missing or rather misleading times of the plot. As a result, Faye threw himself on Isla and Gage emotionally too quickly. Because Isla looked so pale to me, my love interest for the brooding dark Gage was far more developed.
Bottom Line
Of Beast and Burden is a really promising first volume of a new fantasy series penned by Kelsey Kicklighter. With magic rendered impressively, emotions so pure and twists towards the end that couldn’t be more surprising, this is an absolute must-read for any fantasy fan.
Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
I would like to thank Independent Publishers Group, The Parliament House and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this novel.
This review was first published at The Art of Reading.
April 27, 2022
Rating: 2.5
I wanted to read this because I really like the cover and typically like books about fae. This wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special. It was a quick and easy read and the characters were ok. I didn't really like the writing and nothing really happened until the end. It is supposed to be a series, but I don't think I'll be reading the the next one.
I wanted to read this because I really like the cover and typically like books about fae. This wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special. It was a quick and easy read and the characters were ok. I didn't really like the writing and nothing really happened until the end. It is supposed to be a series, but I don't think I'll be reading the the next one.
December 1, 2022
Начать стоит с того, что книгу я купила только из-за красивейшей обложки, поэтому ожиданий у меня никаких не было, но даже в таких условиях я умудрилась сильно разочароваться.
Во многих отзывах отмечают, что это фанфик на Двор шипов и роз и на Жестокого принца, но для меня это скорее Дворы + Десятина, ведь в самом начале книги Фэйралинн узнает, что она не простая смертная, но наполовину фейри и ее привычная внешность – не более, чем ширма для истинного обличья. Только в отличие от героини Холли Блэк, она не какая-то там пикси, а целая наследница Неблагого двора, поэтому прямехонько из своего дома девушка попадает в самое сердце интриг двух дворов.
Так как Фэйлинн привлекают лица обоих полов, читатель может спокойно ее шипперить с кем угодно, не противореча канону. Проблема только в том, что сценки, разыгрываемые детьми с бумажными куклами, обладают большим эмоциональным накалом, чем четверо героев, копошащихся на странице книги.
Еще лет восемь назад среди героинь были крайне распространены серые мышки, считающие себя дурнушками, но в глазах местного красавчика оказывающиеся самыми расчудесными, теперь же очевиден тренд на сильных и независимых героинь, которые по задумке должны надрать всем зад, утереть всем нос и вызвать бесконечное восхищение у читателей. Вот только в подавляющем большинстве книг такой тип героинь выписан столь же паршиво. В основном вся сила и доблесть таких персонажей заключается в умении хамить, язвить, картинно помахивать ножичком и при первой же возможности с негодованием менять платье на штаны. Почему сильная и храбрая девушка не может носить юбки, для меня загадка. Так вот, Фэйлинн ничем не отличается от сонма ей подобных.
Еще у нас есть два представителя фейского нобилитета, принц Благих и король Неблагих, Келлан и Гейдж соответственно. Скажите, меня одну покоробило, что фейри, которым по паре сотне лет, писательница решила назвать именами современных американских школьников? Впрочем, поведение у них на уровне, так что в этом может быть потаенный смысл. Есть еще Исла, рыцарь-дриада, с которой у героини выстраиваются самые адекватные отношения.
Из этой троицы автор чуть-чуть описала повесу Келлана; мрачного и темноволосого Гейджа и Ислу она явно приберегла на вторую часть, решив сохранить интригу, вот только в итоге читателю приходится жевать пресный картон, который по идее должен вызывать симпатию, а вызывает только несварение.
В материале автор совсем не разбирается. Следите за пальцами. Из текста можно понять, что есть фейри, есть гоблины, которые как фейри, но с рогами и со стихийной магией (а какая тогда магия у фейри – вопрос), есть сидхэ, которые типа принцев и принцесс крови и выглядят как фейри, но красивее и с лишней фалангой на пальцах, в одной части их же и называют эльфами, в другой – эльфы вполне отдельный вид. А вот как выглядят эльфы и чем отличаются они, знает, наверное, один только чёрт. Всем понятен бестиарий и широта полета авторской фантазии? Вот и мне тоже.
Дворы обозначены очень схематично, из авторских зарисовок мы можем понять, что в Благом вся челядь заглядывает в рот королевы, а в Неблагом все живут как и где хотят и собираются вместе просто побухать.
Написана книга ни на что не претендующим слогом, но авторское косноязычие внезапно испаряется, когда кто-то и персонажей начинает расхваливать Фэйлинн, уверяя ее, что она станет самой великой королевой. С чего такие выводы большой вопрос, ведь в отличие от птицы говорун, наша барышня умом и сообразительностью не отличается. Впрочем, возможно придворные чувствуют, куда ветер тянет, вот и стараются заранее прогнуться и подлизать. Ох уж эти дворцовые интриги.
В конечном итоге вся книга выглядит как самый первый авторский черновик, опубликованный в попытке заскочить на поезд популярности темы фейри. Ведь не стоит отрицать, что ушастые заняли ту лакуну, оставленные позабытыми клыкастыми и вот уже несколько лет всецело правят балом в фэнтези. Правда, последние сейчас явно восстали из пыльных склепов и хотят реванша.
На данный момент «О звере и фейри» имеет все шансы выиграть в номинации на худшую книгу года, если я не нарвусь на что-то еще более невнятное. Жаль, что на гудридс можно оценивать только по пятибалльной шкале, потому что это однозначно 1/10.
Во многих отзывах отмечают, что это фанфик на Двор шипов и роз и на Жестокого принца, но для меня это скорее Дворы + Десятина, ведь в самом начале книги Фэй
Так как Фэйлинн привлекают лица обоих полов, читатель может спокойно ее шипперить с кем угодно, не противореча канону. Проблема только в том, что сценки, разыгрываемые детьми с бумажными куклами, обладают большим эмоциональным накалом, чем четверо героев, копошащихся на странице книги.
Еще лет восемь назад среди героинь были крайне распространены серые мышки, считающие себя дурнушками, но в глазах местного красавчика оказывающиеся самыми расчудесными, теперь же очевиден тренд на сильных и независимых героинь, которые по задумке должны надрать всем зад, утереть всем нос и вызвать бесконечное восхищение у читателей. Вот только в подавляющем большинстве книг такой тип героинь выписан столь же паршиво. В основном вся сила и доблесть таких персонажей заключается в умении хамить, язвить, картинно помахивать ножичком и при первой же возможности с негодованием менять платье на штаны. Почему сильная и храбрая девушка не может носить юбки, для меня загадка. Так вот, Фэйлинн ничем не отличается от сонма ей подобных.
Еще у нас есть два представителя фейского нобилитета, принц Благих и король Неблагих, Келлан и Гейдж соответственно. Скажите, меня одну покоробило, что фейри, которым по паре сотне лет, писательница решила назвать именами современных американских школьников? Впрочем, поведение у них на уровне, так что в этом может быть потаенный смысл. Есть еще Исла, рыцарь-дриада, с которой у героини выстраиваются самые адекватные отношения.
Из этой троицы автор чуть-чуть описала повесу Келлана; мрачного и темноволосого Гейджа и Ислу она явно приберегла на вторую часть, решив сохранить интригу, вот только в итоге читателю приходится жевать пресный картон, который по идее должен вызывать симпатию, а вызывает только несварение.
В материале автор совсем не разбирается. Следите за пальцами. Из текста можно понять, что есть фейри, есть гоблины, которые как фейри, но с рогами и со стихийной магией (а какая тогда магия у фейри – вопрос), есть сидхэ, которые типа принцев и принцесс крови и выглядят как фейри, но красивее и с лишней фалангой на пальцах, в одной части их же и называют эльфами, в другой – эльфы вполне отдельный вид. А вот как выглядят эльфы и чем отличаются они, знает, наверное, один только чёрт. Всем понятен бестиарий и широта полета авторской фантазии? Вот и мне тоже.
Дворы обозначены очень схематично, из авторских зарисовок мы можем понять, что в Благом вся челядь заглядывает в рот королевы, а в Неблагом все живут как и где хотят и собираются вместе просто побухать.
Написана книга ни на что не претендующим слогом, но авторское косноязычие внезапно испаряется, когда кто-то и персонажей начинает расхваливать Фэйлинн, уверяя ее, что она станет самой великой королевой. С чего такие выводы большой вопрос, ведь в отличие от птицы говорун, наша барышня умом и сообразительностью не отличается. Впрочем, возможно придворные чувствуют, куда ветер тянет, вот и стараются заранее прогнуться и подлизать. Ох уж эти дворцовые интриги.
В конечном итоге вся книга выглядит как самый первый авторский черновик, опубликованный в попытке заскочить на поезд популярности темы фейри. Ведь не стоит отрицать, что ушастые заняли ту лакуну, оставленные позабытыми клыкастыми и вот уже несколько лет всецело правят балом в фэнтези. Правда, последние сейчас явно восстали из пыльных склепов и хотят реванша.
На данный момент «О звере и фейри» имеет все шансы выиграть в номинации на худшую книгу года, если я не нарвусь на что-то еще более невнятное. Жаль, что на гудридс можно оценивать только по пятибалльной шкале, потому что это однозначно 1/10.
May 9, 2022
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚, 𝐅𝐚𝐲𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫.” 𝐀 𝐩𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐇𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞. “𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭?”
___________________________
Faye is 18 years old and living on the coast of Georgia with her Gran and her cousin Ellie. She should be focused on everything a normal 18 year old would be…bonfires, parties, friends, love interests, and yet she finds herself taken with the darkness and the Folk who lurk in the shadows waiting to steal humans away. She knows the tales, the stories, the nightmares, and yet she’s spent her whole life tempting fate until one night she and her best friend Delia are whisked away by two insanely attractive and dangerous Fae. What follows turns Faye’s world upside down as she finds out the truth about who and what she is, what her heritage is, who her parents were, and who the people closest to her truly are. Now challenged with accepting her true self and her rightful place as Queen of the Unseelie, Faye makes unlikely enemies and allies and embraces what she has to in order to protect those she loves and find what has been missing in herself all along. She just has to survive 3 trials and take the throne from the Goblin King in order to claim it!
**TW/CW at the bottom of the review**
This book was yet another take on the Fae, ancient Fae lore, the Folk, and the Seelie/Unseelie courts and I am here to tell you this is a stand out read for me!! I tend to sway more to the side of Fae retellings that draw heavily from actual Celtic lore and this story did just that. Beyond that the thing that sets this story apart from the others were truly the characters, so if you appreciate character driven books this just might be one for your TBR!
Faye was very young but not too trite. Her situation was very unique and I love how her lineage was explained. As the story develops so did her character and it shows clearly where the Fae in her truly lurked all along and I loved that. The fact that she was always so drawn to the darkness, and how “weird” and “different” that was to the human world but how perfectly it fit her people/place in the Unseelie Court was SO well done and I loved the aspect of found family and found home that it brought.
My only criticism here was her sexuality…it was just slightly confusing. She clearly identifies herself as bisexual, and then she proceeds to have strong feelings for both a female and a male in the book. On the page I would say she has a deeper connection and stronger budding love with the female in question, but she almost never seems serious about it. However as she finds herself in nearly parallel situations with the male character you see chemistry and sparks fly and she almost starts to lose herself willingly in the attraction despite her feelings for the other female character. Both are what I’d consider to be forbidden love, so that really doesn’t factor into her reaction to each interest. It just almost read to me like she was unsure of her sexuality and her wants/desires as opposed to just being attracted to an individual regardless of their gender identification. Granted I do not identify as bisexual so I’m not really qualified to weigh in on the accuracy of this, I just know as an outsider how it read to me vs other books I’ve read where the MC has identified as bisexual. With the growth we see in Faye by the end of the book I hope this indicates a bit more inner strength and confidence from her and that it in turn leads to her choosing what she truly wants for herself and her love life in the next book.
Ellie was adorable and I absolutely loved her. I loved that she played a bigger part in the story as well but it also broke my heart. I enjoyed the “between the lines” story examining “greater” and “lesser” Fae and how hateful class, racial, and social structures are, and how they fuel so much damage and negativity. It’s a good lesson to learn and remember regardless of the world you live in!!
Isla was one of my all time favorite characters. She stands out in this story as a Nymph but also a female knight and I absolutely adored everything about her and her closeness with Faye!! Kellan and Gage’s easy arrogance and grumpy/sunshine natures jumped off the page from the first moment we met them and I couldn’t help but love them. Their friendship and banter, crazy as it was, earned them a spot as one of my favorite duos and I loved how Faye just fit so perfectly in their world.
Kellan was so complex and his character arc was something I did NOT expect, but one that was also SO good!! And Gage, the fierce cinnamon roll of a Goblin King that he is, straight up stole my dang heart. Give me a man who rocks shadow tattoos, a motorcycle, can play the violin, and can teach a girl how to dance ANY DAY OF THE WEEK🔥
I will say there were things in this story that I saw coming from a mile away and some things that took me by surprise. The story itself was average and I almost wish it would have gone a bit deeper as things like the trials were somewhat glossed over, but given the questions left at the end of the book I have a feeling the story will be expanding ten fold in book 2. I look forward to learning more about this world and seeing where the characters and the story go as things progress. Overall this was a solid debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, The Parliament House, and the author for sending me a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story
+⭐️ for stand out characters
=
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW/CW: Implied SA of side character, implied incest, some non-sexual dubious consent (primarily magic related, with MC), racism/prejudice, blood/violence, alcohol usage, underage drinking.
___________________________
Faye is 18 years old and living on the coast of Georgia with her Gran and her cousin Ellie. She should be focused on everything a normal 18 year old would be…bonfires, parties, friends, love interests, and yet she finds herself taken with the darkness and the Folk who lurk in the shadows waiting to steal humans away. She knows the tales, the stories, the nightmares, and yet she’s spent her whole life tempting fate until one night she and her best friend Delia are whisked away by two insanely attractive and dangerous Fae. What follows turns Faye’s world upside down as she finds out the truth about who and what she is, what her heritage is, who her parents were, and who the people closest to her truly are. Now challenged with accepting her true self and her rightful place as Queen of the Unseelie, Faye makes unlikely enemies and allies and embraces what she has to in order to protect those she loves and find what has been missing in herself all along. She just has to survive 3 trials and take the throne from the Goblin King in order to claim it!
**TW/CW at the bottom of the review**
This book was yet another take on the Fae, ancient Fae lore, the Folk, and the Seelie/Unseelie courts and I am here to tell you this is a stand out read for me!! I tend to sway more to the side of Fae retellings that draw heavily from actual Celtic lore and this story did just that. Beyond that the thing that sets this story apart from the others were truly the characters, so if you appreciate character driven books this just might be one for your TBR!
Faye was very young but not too trite. Her situation was very unique and I love how her lineage was explained. As the story develops so did her character and it shows clearly where the Fae in her truly lurked all along and I loved that. The fact that she was always so drawn to the darkness, and how “weird” and “different” that was to the human world but how perfectly it fit her people/place in the Unseelie Court was SO well done and I loved the aspect of found family and found home that it brought.
My only criticism here was her sexuality…it was just slightly confusing. She clearly identifies herself as bisexual, and then she proceeds to have strong feelings for both a female and a male in the book. On the page I would say she has a deeper connection and stronger budding love with the female in question, but she almost never seems serious about it. However as she finds herself in nearly parallel situations with the male character you see chemistry and sparks fly and she almost starts to lose herself willingly in the attraction despite her feelings for the other female character. Both are what I’d consider to be forbidden love, so that really doesn’t factor into her reaction to each interest. It just almost read to me like she was unsure of her sexuality and her wants/desires as opposed to just being attracted to an individual regardless of their gender identification. Granted I do not identify as bisexual so I’m not really qualified to weigh in on the accuracy of this, I just know as an outsider how it read to me vs other books I’ve read where the MC has identified as bisexual. With the growth we see in Faye by the end of the book I hope this indicates a bit more inner strength and confidence from her and that it in turn leads to her choosing what she truly wants for herself and her love life in the next book.
Ellie was adorable and I absolutely loved her. I loved that she played a bigger part in the story as well but it also broke my heart. I enjoyed the “between the lines” story examining “greater” and “lesser” Fae and how hateful class, racial, and social structures are, and how they fuel so much damage and negativity. It’s a good lesson to learn and remember regardless of the world you live in!!
Isla was one of my all time favorite characters. She stands out in this story as a Nymph but also a female knight and I absolutely adored everything about her and her closeness with Faye!! Kellan and Gage’s easy arrogance and grumpy/sunshine natures jumped off the page from the first moment we met them and I couldn’t help but love them. Their friendship and banter, crazy as it was, earned them a spot as one of my favorite duos and I loved how Faye just fit so perfectly in their world.
Kellan was so complex and his character arc was something I did NOT expect, but one that was also SO good!! And Gage, the fierce cinnamon roll of a Goblin King that he is, straight up stole my dang heart. Give me a man who rocks shadow tattoos, a motorcycle, can play the violin, and can teach a girl how to dance ANY DAY OF THE WEEK🔥
I will say there were things in this story that I saw coming from a mile away and some things that took me by surprise. The story itself was average and I almost wish it would have gone a bit deeper as things like the trials were somewhat glossed over, but given the questions left at the end of the book I have a feeling the story will be expanding ten fold in book 2. I look forward to learning more about this world and seeing where the characters and the story go as things progress. Overall this was a solid debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, The Parliament House, and the author for sending me a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story
+⭐️ for stand out characters
=
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW/CW: Implied SA of side character, implied incest, some non-sexual dubious consent (primarily magic related, with MC), racism/prejudice, blood/violence, alcohol usage, underage drinking.
Read
May 4, 2022It was such a pleasure reading this ARC. From the very start I knew I was in the hands of an author who was carefully crafting her own world of fae and magic. The characters were interesting, each in their own right, and the romance element really had me excited at every turn.
I thought the ending was great and it has me excited to read the next book which is the feeling I’m always chasing when reading something new!
I thought the ending was great and it has me excited to read the next book which is the feeling I’m always chasing when reading something new!
June 17, 2022
The book was good. Usually i like Fae and their world buildings. But we also got Seelie Queen and Unseelie King so heck yea, i love it.
I got intrigued just by reading Synopsis and found out it got Love triangle. The heroine lost her mother to the Folk and wanted to know behind the veil so she got a chance to explore when her best friend was kidnapped. She soon found out the secret that made her world turned upside down. She caught between Dark, Broody King and Nymph turned Knight. She is trying to learn whatever she can and only then she would be able to save her friend.
I like the story, world building, magic, characters, plot twists and i love both the male characters who are handsome and Nymph female warrior. I'm really looking forward for second installment cause I want to know what happens next !!!
- Slow burn
- Royalty
- Long lost Princess
- Dark and Broody MMC
- Half fae FMC
- Fae and Humans
- Lies and Betrayal
- Love Triangle
- Actions/Adventure
- Seelie and Unseelie courts
- Court intrigue
- Trials
4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I got intrigued just by reading Synopsis and found out it got Love triangle. The heroine lost her mother to the Folk and wanted to know behind the veil so she got a chance to explore when her best friend was kidnapped. She soon found out the secret that made her world turned upside down. She caught between Dark, Broody King and Nymph turned Knight. She is trying to learn whatever she can and only then she would be able to save her friend.
I like the story, world building, magic, characters, plot twists and i love both the male characters who are handsome and Nymph female warrior. I'm really looking forward for second installment cause I want to know what happens next !!!
- Slow burn
- Royalty
- Long lost Princess
- Dark and Broody MMC
- Half fae FMC
- Fae and Humans
- Lies and Betrayal
- Love Triangle
- Actions/Adventure
- Seelie and Unseelie courts
- Court intrigue
- Trials
4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 9, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and The Parliament House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
make sure to check out my blog!
rating: 2 stars
I was really excited to read this book but sadly it didn't turn out the way I wanted. It was in no way that bad of a book but I expected a little more.
What didn't sit well with me the most about this book were the characters because I couldn't connect with any of them. This is always the aspect of a book that I care the most about and if the book is lacking in this department it's almost immediately a no from me.
Faye, whose name alone is so overused in books already, was written out to be like any other female main character and I didn't find even one thing about her likable. Her relationship with the other characters in this book was also lacking chemistry. I have to mention that I actually like to read books that feature the love triangle trope, as strange as it may sound, but the love triangle we get to read about in this book was so underdeveloped. As a reader I didn't feel like there were any flirty or romantic moments before the main characters went straight to kissing and saying they care deeply for each other.
When it comes to the story I will say that I felt some potential there but I'm not sure if I will ever continue this series and read the second book.
make sure to check out my blog!
rating: 2 stars
I was really excited to read this book but sadly it didn't turn out the way I wanted. It was in no way that bad of a book but I expected a little more.
What didn't sit well with me the most about this book were the characters because I couldn't connect with any of them. This is always the aspect of a book that I care the most about and if the book is lacking in this department it's almost immediately a no from me.
Faye, whose name alone is so overused in books already, was written out to be like any other female main character and I didn't find even one thing about her likable. Her relationship with the other characters in this book was also lacking chemistry. I have to mention that I actually like to read books that feature the love triangle trope, as strange as it may sound, but the love triangle we get to read about in this book was so underdeveloped. As a reader I didn't feel like there were any flirty or romantic moments before the main characters went straight to kissing and saying they care deeply for each other.
When it comes to the story I will say that I felt some potential there but I'm not sure if I will ever continue this series and read the second book.
September 23, 2024
Погана книга.
1/5
1/5
May 13, 2022
Thoughts
Congratulations on this debut novel by Kelsey Kicklighter! What a promising start to a new
series about a human girl with a hidden birthright.
Faye has always had an attraction to the Fae realm, growing up with stories and lore about the
Fae warned about their unsavory ways and always told to be careful. Little did she know, she was half-Fae and a long-lost Fae princess.
This book was filled with all the premises for a promising journey into the Unseelie and Seelie court politics, coming into the MC's power, and the discovery of a life and world hidden beyond our own.
And that ending, what a cliffhanger!!
Read this book if you love:
Bi rep
Changelings
Grumpy/Sunshine trope
Love triangles
Discovery of hidden powers
Fae in general
Lost princesses
Congratulations on this debut novel by Kelsey Kicklighter! What a promising start to a new
series about a human girl with a hidden birthright.
Faye has always had an attraction to the Fae realm, growing up with stories and lore about the
Fae warned about their unsavory ways and always told to be careful. Little did she know, she was half-Fae and a long-lost Fae princess.
This book was filled with all the premises for a promising journey into the Unseelie and Seelie court politics, coming into the MC's power, and the discovery of a life and world hidden beyond our own.
And that ending, what a cliffhanger!!
Read this book if you love:
Bi rep
Changelings
Grumpy/Sunshine trope
Love triangles
Discovery of hidden powers
Fae in general
Lost princesses
September 16, 2025
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Of Beast and Burder was an interesting start to the Hollow and Hill series. Though, it has been a few years since this book came out and I don't see a sequel (yet). Anyways, in this you will meet Faye. For most of her life, things were normal. Until they weren't. She knew about the fae but then one night changed everything. Sure, we could blame her finding out her entire life was based on lies on the sort of person she called a friend. BUT WILL I? No.
One, that girl was not even a friend. Two, I figured it was bound to happen. I mean, Gage and Kellan probably felt her power or fae-likeness. Or something like that. Either way, I think she was going to follow that non-friend into the realm and try to save her dumb butt. Then somehow find her way back into that world.
It has been a while since I've read an unseelie/seelie kind of book. This was okay, sort of hit the spot, but for people talking about the upcoming trial for so freaking long... it was a short-ass trial. Maybe a few chapters. I think it started around 80% of this book.
Then there's the romance, if someone could call it that. Sure, there was a kiss between two people but eh. It did nothing for me. Go back to bantering, please. Maybe the next book will jazz it up a bit more (the romance, that is) and maybe have more action? I'm hearing talks of war after that ending, but that's all hearsay until I see the actual action.
In the end, the little twists were a bit predictable, but I have no complaints. It was an easy book to read.
"And that kiss. That wasn't the start of anything, no glimmering spark of future. That kiss was an ending. The regret makes sense now."
Of Beast and Burder was an interesting start to the Hollow and Hill series. Though, it has been a few years since this book came out and I don't see a sequel (yet). Anyways, in this you will meet Faye. For most of her life, things were normal. Until they weren't. She knew about the fae but then one night changed everything. Sure, we could blame her finding out her entire life was based on lies on the sort of person she called a friend. BUT WILL I? No.
One, that girl was not even a friend. Two, I figured it was bound to happen. I mean, Gage and Kellan probably felt her power or fae-likeness. Or something like that. Either way, I think she was going to follow that non-friend into the realm and try to save her dumb butt. Then somehow find her way back into that world.
It has been a while since I've read an unseelie/seelie kind of book. This was okay, sort of hit the spot, but for people talking about the upcoming trial for so freaking long... it was a short-ass trial. Maybe a few chapters. I think it started around 80% of this book.
Then there's the romance, if someone could call it that. Sure, there was a kiss between two people but eh. It did nothing for me. Go back to bantering, please. Maybe the next book will jazz it up a bit more (the romance, that is) and maybe have more action? I'm hearing talks of war after that ending, but that's all hearsay until I see the actual action.
In the end, the little twists were a bit predictable, but I have no complaints. It was an easy book to read.
May 28, 2022
Of Beast and Burden is a beautifully written story of the fae, folklore and magic. The writing and rich imagery were the absolute highlights for me.
Faye as a character was impossible not to like. Imperfect, real and goes through so much self-growth over the course of the novel.
Nothing new was executed in this novel but it was written so well for a debut and the imagery was simply gorgeous. It had such a whimsical feel.
Thank you so much NetGalley and The Parliament House for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Faye as a character was impossible not to like. Imperfect, real and goes through so much self-growth over the course of the novel.
Nothing new was executed in this novel but it was written so well for a debut and the imagery was simply gorgeous. It had such a whimsical feel.
Thank you so much NetGalley and The Parliament House for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2022
For more of my reviews, check out my blog.
Thank you to Netgalley and Independent Publishers Group for providing an ARC copy of this novel.
To start off, let me just say that Of Beast and Burden reminded me a lot of The Cruel Prince, and a tiny bit of A Court of Thrones and Roses. Thankfully, I liked Of Beast and Burden quite a bit more than I liked The Cruel Prince. (I was not a fan of that series at all, sad to say.) ANYWAY, the comparisons will absolutely be made, and with good reason.
Of Beast and Burden is about a girl named Faye (Insert a tiny eyeroll here) who grows up believing herself to be completely human. Her, her grandmother and her cousin live in a tiny town on the Georgia coast. In this town, all the humans are well aware that the Fae live close by, and that they must be careful. These are old-school cruel Fae.
The novel starts off with Faye and her friend, Delia, throwing a party by the edge (or inside of? I can’t remember) of the woods. They’ve been told to never go here because the Fae dwell near by. So, of course, they do what any good teenagers do, and do the complete opposite of what they’ve been told. Two Fae show up at this party, and take Delia. Faye follows, because she’s not about to let the Fae steal her friend without at least trying to save her.
Long story short, she saves her friend, and finds out that she’s half-Fae. Her dad was the Mad-King of the Unseelie Court. She goes home to find out that her Grandmother isn’t really her grandmother, and that she knew Faye was half-fae the entire time. Her cousin isn’t her cousin, she was a changeling. Her “cousin” gets kidnapped, and Faye makes a bargain to get her back. This is what really starts the plot of the novel.
Of Beast and Burden does a lot of things right — the characters all have their very own distinct personalities, the world-building is pretty good, and the plot is semi-decent to decent. There are a few things I have to nit-pick, though. The Trials she has to go through in order to get her crown are mentioned all throughout the book. I got to 80% of the way through the book and the trials STILL hadn’t happened. It honestly left me wondering if they were going to be in the second book. When the trials did finally kick off, I swear they lasted less than twenty pages. If you’re going to put some hype into something, at least spend some time there!
There’s a love-triangle which is completely unnecessary — but I will say it was refreshing to have both a female and male love interest. The resolution to the main problem at the end of the novel felt shoved in at the last second. Very little foreshadowing to the solution, not to the problem. I’m not going to spoil it, even though it’s ridiculously obvious what’s supposed to happen.
Overall, I enjoyed most of Of Beast and Burden. A solid three-and-a-half stars for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Independent Publishers Group for providing an ARC copy of this novel.
To start off, let me just say that Of Beast and Burden reminded me a lot of The Cruel Prince, and a tiny bit of A Court of Thrones and Roses. Thankfully, I liked Of Beast and Burden quite a bit more than I liked The Cruel Prince. (I was not a fan of that series at all, sad to say.) ANYWAY, the comparisons will absolutely be made, and with good reason.
Of Beast and Burden is about a girl named Faye (Insert a tiny eyeroll here) who grows up believing herself to be completely human. Her, her grandmother and her cousin live in a tiny town on the Georgia coast. In this town, all the humans are well aware that the Fae live close by, and that they must be careful. These are old-school cruel Fae.
The novel starts off with Faye and her friend, Delia, throwing a party by the edge (or inside of? I can’t remember) of the woods. They’ve been told to never go here because the Fae dwell near by. So, of course, they do what any good teenagers do, and do the complete opposite of what they’ve been told. Two Fae show up at this party, and take Delia. Faye follows, because she’s not about to let the Fae steal her friend without at least trying to save her.
Long story short, she saves her friend, and finds out that she’s half-Fae. Her dad was the Mad-King of the Unseelie Court. She goes home to find out that her Grandmother isn’t really her grandmother, and that she knew Faye was half-fae the entire time. Her cousin isn’t her cousin, she was a changeling. Her “cousin” gets kidnapped, and Faye makes a bargain to get her back. This is what really starts the plot of the novel.
Of Beast and Burden does a lot of things right — the characters all have their very own distinct personalities, the world-building is pretty good, and the plot is semi-decent to decent. There are a few things I have to nit-pick, though. The Trials she has to go through in order to get her crown are mentioned all throughout the book. I got to 80% of the way through the book and the trials STILL hadn’t happened. It honestly left me wondering if they were going to be in the second book. When the trials did finally kick off, I swear they lasted less than twenty pages. If you’re going to put some hype into something, at least spend some time there!
There’s a love-triangle which is completely unnecessary — but I will say it was refreshing to have both a female and male love interest. The resolution to the main problem at the end of the novel felt shoved in at the last second. Very little foreshadowing to the solution, not to the problem. I’m not going to spoil it, even though it’s ridiculously obvious what’s supposed to happen.
Overall, I enjoyed most of Of Beast and Burden. A solid three-and-a-half stars for me.
May 14, 2022
Of Beast and Burden follows Faye, an 18 year old from Georgia, as she crossed the veil to the Unseelie Court to find her friend. She learns she’s half-fae with a big future ahead of her.
The cover is beautiful and eye catching. It’s the biggest reason I requested the title.
Everything happens very quickly. There isn’t much intro before we’re thrown into the story, especially with Gran. I like that we learn more along. It helps the story move along quickly, but can get a little confusing in development.
Very YA in the writing. Simple in a way that feels like a teenage girl is narrating. Faye’s biggest challenge before this was her SATs, and you can tell how upside down her world is. It makes the ending more exciting and surprising.
World building is good. Felt fantastical and magical, well though out. I love the details to sidhe and Celtic mythology.
I love Faye being bisexual, but her love interest isn’t totally defined because she has a stronger connection to Isla, but more romance to Gage.
The characters were all individual, and each one contributed well to story. I loved all their interactions and how they developed through the book.
Overall, it was a good and exciting debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2.
Thanks Netgalley and Parliament House for an ARC of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.
The cover is beautiful and eye catching. It’s the biggest reason I requested the title.
Everything happens very quickly. There isn’t much intro before we’re thrown into the story, especially with Gran. I like that we learn more along. It helps the story move along quickly, but can get a little confusing in development.
Very YA in the writing. Simple in a way that feels like a teenage girl is narrating. Faye’s biggest challenge before this was her SATs, and you can tell how upside down her world is. It makes the ending more exciting and surprising.
World building is good. Felt fantastical and magical, well though out. I love the details to sidhe and Celtic mythology.
I love Faye being bisexual, but her love interest isn’t totally defined because she has a stronger connection to Isla, but more romance to Gage.
The characters were all individual, and each one contributed well to story. I loved all their interactions and how they developed through the book.
Overall, it was a good and exciting debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2.
Thanks Netgalley and Parliament House for an ARC of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.
May 9, 2022
** quick edit - it’s been a couple days & I can’t stop thinking about this book, it’s become like the equivalent of an ear worm. I sort of need the next book now cause I need to know what happens **
3.5 stars (I’m still petitioning GoodReads let’s us do half stars because sometimes books aren’t quite a 3 but nor is it a 4)
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC for my honest review. This was the perfect cozy book to read in one sitting on a rainy Saturday. It definitely is great for any fan of These Hollow Vows, Fortuna Sworn, or the Cruel Prince. However, I will say that most of the book kept me thinking it was like a sweeter version of the cruel prince, but then we hit a few game of throne moments. And they’re not the sweet moments.
I did give it 3.5 stars because it felt like at times the story was sort of going “and then this happened.” Like we were missing the whys or even a connecting scene between events. Like it was missing something.
Overall, it was a quick, fun read that satisfied my desire to read something whimsical and involving faes. Plus I love when there are multiple viable love interests and I can’t decide who to root for. And the plot twists at the end were great. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.
3.5 stars (I’m still petitioning GoodReads let’s us do half stars because sometimes books aren’t quite a 3 but nor is it a 4)
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC for my honest review. This was the perfect cozy book to read in one sitting on a rainy Saturday. It definitely is great for any fan of These Hollow Vows, Fortuna Sworn, or the Cruel Prince. However, I will say that most of the book kept me thinking it was like a sweeter version of the cruel prince, but then we hit a few game of throne moments. And they’re not the sweet moments.
I did give it 3.5 stars because it felt like at times the story was sort of going “and then this happened.” Like we were missing the whys or even a connecting scene between events. Like it was missing something.
Overall, it was a quick, fun read that satisfied my desire to read something whimsical and involving faes. Plus I love when there are multiple viable love interests and I can’t decide who to root for. And the plot twists at the end were great. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.
April 25, 2022
What a fantastic adventure this story was! This book will carry you through the story of Faye, our main character, and the magical world around her. Faye is a half faerie, half human girl who grew up in the human world but is thrust into the faerie world and their strange ways when she discovers the truth of her heritage. When her best friend is taken, Faye make a bargain, challenging the Unseelie king for his throne.
I loved the high stakes that kept the plot moving while still taking the time to dive into the characters and the relationships between the human and the faerie world. The world building itself was breathtaking and the diverse and unique cast of characters brought it to life so wonderfully (I'm probably biased but Ellie was my favorite secondary character). Definitely a must read for fans of Holly Black. I can't wait to read book two!
Thank you Independent Publishers Group for the ARC!
I loved the high stakes that kept the plot moving while still taking the time to dive into the characters and the relationships between the human and the faerie world. The world building itself was breathtaking and the diverse and unique cast of characters brought it to life so wonderfully (I'm probably biased but Ellie was my favorite secondary character). Definitely a must read for fans of Holly Black. I can't wait to read book two!
Thank you Independent Publishers Group for the ARC!
May 2, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Of Beast and Burden is a book steeped in fae lore and tales. However, despite the mystique and diving straight into the action at the beginning the majority of the book is spent over court politics and deep world-building which honestly doesn't feel like it drags on as much as it sounds.
The fae world is mostly split into 2 courts, Unseelie and Seelie but both being a monarchy. Faye, a half-human half-fae who's grown up as a human their whole life so far gets suddenly thrown into inter-court politics to save her cousin(?)/best friend.
Honestly the relationships in this book where seriously confusing. I couldn't work out if it was sorta queerbaiting, or if everyone's just polygamous, or what. But in the end I kinda just resolved it to "everyone flirts with everyone" and romance is on the backburner?
The ending though left me wanting more, it got into the action again and the stakes ramped up high, the ending left on a massive cliffhanger. Due to this, I'm holding off on fully reccomending it right away just because I feel like this is something you need to read alongside the rest of the series (or this might be a duology, but still) to understand it better. I think reading this one now and having to wait ages for the next book might have many readers need to go back to this one to re-read on all the politics and stories and relationships. A lot happens in one book, and we learn with Faye, unfortunatly she's not told too much and left in the dark about many things, which leaves us in the same situation.
I will be reading the next book, and I am looking forward to it, the story is super intriguing. And honestly, I think my opinion of this book is going to be made better once I read the next book and I'll change this review if necessary to reflect that.
Of Beast and Burden is a book steeped in fae lore and tales. However, despite the mystique and diving straight into the action at the beginning the majority of the book is spent over court politics and deep world-building which honestly doesn't feel like it drags on as much as it sounds.
The fae world is mostly split into 2 courts, Unseelie and Seelie but both being a monarchy. Faye, a half-human half-fae who's grown up as a human their whole life so far gets suddenly thrown into inter-court politics to save her cousin(?)/best friend.
Honestly the relationships in this book where seriously confusing. I couldn't work out if it was sorta queerbaiting, or if everyone's just polygamous, or what. But in the end I kinda just resolved it to "everyone flirts with everyone" and romance is on the backburner?
The ending though left me wanting more, it got into the action again and the stakes ramped up high, the ending left on a massive cliffhanger. Due to this, I'm holding off on fully reccomending it right away just because I feel like this is something you need to read alongside the rest of the series (or this might be a duology, but still) to understand it better. I think reading this one now and having to wait ages for the next book might have many readers need to go back to this one to re-read on all the politics and stories and relationships. A lot happens in one book, and we learn with Faye, unfortunatly she's not told too much and left in the dark about many things, which leaves us in the same situation.
I will be reading the next book, and I am looking forward to it, the story is super intriguing. And honestly, I think my opinion of this book is going to be made better once I read the next book and I'll change this review if necessary to reflect that.
July 30, 2022
Pick up this book if you love any of the following!
✨Fae/changelings
✨Bi Rep
✨Love triangles
✨Lost princesses
✨Grump sunshine trope
Promising premise, I can never say no to anything fae. The synopsis felt a bit like something I’ve read to many times- Faye that has always been attracted to the fae realms even as she was told stories of the fae and to be careful of their tricky ways. As we all could have guessed, she was half fae it turns out, and also a long-lost fae princess ( as per usual)
Our MC comes into power and learns to embrace this whole new side of herself.
The only part that really grabbed my attention was the cliffhanger, that was WILD. Good enough to maybe keep me curious for book two.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
✨Fae/changelings
✨Bi Rep
✨Love triangles
✨Lost princesses
✨Grump sunshine trope
Promising premise, I can never say no to anything fae. The synopsis felt a bit like something I’ve read to many times- Faye that has always been attracted to the fae realms even as she was told stories of the fae and to be careful of their tricky ways. As we all could have guessed, she was half fae it turns out, and also a long-lost fae princess ( as per usual)
Our MC comes into power and learns to embrace this whole new side of herself.
The only part that really grabbed my attention was the cliffhanger, that was WILD. Good enough to maybe keep me curious for book two.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
May 17, 2022
This was exactly what I needed and perfect for those who love all of the world building like ACOTAR. I was so engrossed by everything happening in this book. It did start off FAST and I would've liked it to be a little bit more slow with a little bit more background/introduction, but with it starting so fast, it kept me hooked from the beginning. The ending was a major cliffhanger-actually even more like you think there should be more pages but it just suddenly ends. I will be anxiously awaiting the next one!
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 24, 2022
WOW. 5 out of 5 stars.
I cannot WAIT to see what happens next in this story. I absolutely devoured this book. The writing was captivating. The story unfolded at the perfect pace.
This is about Faye, a half-human half-fae teen, as she discovers her true identity and her destiny. She is snarky, honest, true to herself, and funny. The supporting characters are well fleshed out and I also found myself invested in their stories.
Love triangles, destiny, human and fae friendships, magic, and a TRIAL. I'm a sucker for a good trial.
This is a MUST READ of 2022.
I cannot WAIT to see what happens next in this story. I absolutely devoured this book. The writing was captivating. The story unfolded at the perfect pace.
This is about Faye, a half-human half-fae teen, as she discovers her true identity and her destiny. She is snarky, honest, true to herself, and funny. The supporting characters are well fleshed out and I also found myself invested in their stories.
Love triangles, destiny, human and fae friendships, magic, and a TRIAL. I'm a sucker for a good trial.
This is a MUST READ of 2022.
April 20, 2022
The only downside to reviving an ARC is that you have to wait that much longer for book 2 to come out - and oh man how I wish I could just jump into book 2 right now. I’ve seen a lot of comparisons of the writing in this book to thag of Holly Black and SJM and I couldn’t agree more. The inspiration from both those authors is evident and it translated to the story beautifully. Of Beasts and Burden was everything a YA fantasy should be and all I want now is to know what happens next!
May 29, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book.
3.5/5 Stars
This book follows Faye and her journey into the fey realm, and her discovery that she is not fully human like she believed. I fairly enjoyed reading this book, it was quick read and fast paced. While this book follows similar world of many fey books, the story is different and intriguing. The main character is part of the LGTBQ+ community, and has a few different love interests within the book.
The book gives enough information about each character to get a grasp of who they are. But I would like to have gone more in depth with some of the characters. To get a stronger connection and relationship with Faye and the other characters.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about Faye and her journey in the Unseliee court.
If you are a fan of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa or fey books in general; Of Beasts and Burden is right up your alley!
3.5/5 Stars
This book follows Faye and her journey into the fey realm, and her discovery that she is not fully human like she believed. I fairly enjoyed reading this book, it was quick read and fast paced. While this book follows similar world of many fey books, the story is different and intriguing. The main character is part of the LGTBQ+ community, and has a few different love interests within the book.
The book gives enough information about each character to get a grasp of who they are. But I would like to have gone more in depth with some of the characters. To get a stronger connection and relationship with Faye and the other characters.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about Faye and her journey in the Unseliee court.
If you are a fan of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa or fey books in general; Of Beasts and Burden is right up your alley!
April 15, 2022
Thanks, Netgalley, and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I'm impressed with the unique and imaginative Celtic lore that is the base of the world-building of the book. It's described really well and woven so well into the plot that the story really draws you in chapter after chapter!
I'm impressed with the unique and imaginative Celtic lore that is the base of the world-building of the book. It's described really well and woven so well into the plot that the story really draws you in chapter after chapter!
June 13, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for giving me an eARC via NetGalley
3.5/5 stars
This was an entertaining read. I was drawn in from the beginning with how quickly it introduced the Folk and the intrigue, but I found that it slowed down a lot towards the middle. It picked up again in the last 10% with the trials, but I struggled to get through the middle. The pacing seemed a bit off to me. The writing style was easy to follow, and the author described the world of the Folk really well.
I liked the idea of the book, and I think the author did a good job with creating Faye’s character. She felt realistic and relatable, but I didn’t really enjoy the love triangle. It felt really awkward for the most part, and it came off more as Faye just having crushes on Isla and Gage than actual possible romances.
I think I expected this to focus more on the trials and be a little bit more political Faerie court intrigue than it was. The trials didn’t begin until about 90% and they were over by the end of the book. Instead it was more of Faye crushing on Isla and Gage and learning how to use her glamour. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as exciting as I hoped.
Overall it was a good read. I enjoyed most of it, and I think younger readers who are new to the YA fantasy genre will really enjoy this Faerie story.
3.5/5 stars
This was an entertaining read. I was drawn in from the beginning with how quickly it introduced the Folk and the intrigue, but I found that it slowed down a lot towards the middle. It picked up again in the last 10% with the trials, but I struggled to get through the middle. The pacing seemed a bit off to me. The writing style was easy to follow, and the author described the world of the Folk really well.
I liked the idea of the book, and I think the author did a good job with creating Faye’s character. She felt realistic and relatable, but I didn’t really enjoy the love triangle. It felt really awkward for the most part, and it came off more as Faye just having crushes on Isla and Gage than actual possible romances.
I think I expected this to focus more on the trials and be a little bit more political Faerie court intrigue than it was. The trials didn’t begin until about 90% and they were over by the end of the book. Instead it was more of Faye crushing on Isla and Gage and learning how to use her glamour. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as exciting as I hoped.
Overall it was a good read. I enjoyed most of it, and I think younger readers who are new to the YA fantasy genre will really enjoy this Faerie story.
May 25, 2022
This book really surprised me! For the first quarter I really wasn't all that interested but then all of a sudden I was hooked and read the rest in one sitting desperate to know how it was going to end.
I really loved the depiction of the Faerie Realm in this book, while it pulled on things from common folklore it still felt so fresh and the author did such a great job of making everything seem so vivid. Almost felt like I was there with them all at the revels.
I would have liked a little more development on some of the characters but as there are more books to come I'm sure things will be expanded in those and I'm really excited to see where all the characters go next!
Will definitely be picking up the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved the depiction of the Faerie Realm in this book, while it pulled on things from common folklore it still felt so fresh and the author did such a great job of making everything seem so vivid. Almost felt like I was there with them all at the revels.
I would have liked a little more development on some of the characters but as there are more books to come I'm sure things will be expanded in those and I'm really excited to see where all the characters go next!
Will definitely be picking up the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2022
Of Beast and Burden was a mixed-bag read for me, with both positive and negative aspects. First off the positives... The story was mostly entertaining and I liked several of the characters. For those who prefer their reads to meet expectations without too many surprises, this one crosses off plenty of the favoured tropes for the genre. Also, the protagonist is bisexual, and it's great to see that representation. On the negative side, I never really felt the spark in the FF relationship and wondered if it was just there to make the point of Faye being bisexual. For me, the story followed the usual tropes so well that nothing was a surprise. I guessed every twist so far ahead it amazed me that Faye couldn't pick up on them, especially the one involving Gage, which he hinted at pretty pointedly in his dialogue. The three trials were conquered a little too easily for my liking, so there was a lack of tension behind the action, even in fight scenes, and a character introduced heavily at the start completely disappeared from the story once she'd served as a plot device. Overall, I didn't hate this book; it was enjoyable enough. However, it wasn't original enough to fully captivate me, feeling more like a familiar narrative than something new and intriguing. But that close following of tropes may well appeal to some readers who want all their genre-expectation boxes ticked in every new read, so others could feel differently. For me, it was a three-star read.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2022
This started out as at least a solid 4 star read. I absolutely loved the story, writing, and the world-building, but unfortunately, the book lost me a bit in the last third because of pacing and a hasty and stereotypical love triangle.
The love triangle felt like it came completely out of nowhere. Faye didn't seem to express more than basic attraction to anyone and then suddenly, bam, two love interests. And to make matters worse, it was my absolutely least favorite type of a love triangle where the main character likes two characters simultaneously and decides between them. Mild spoilery quote:
The pacing of the last half of the book felt off to me. Most of the book is a slow build up to Faye's trials, but when the trials finally arrive, they're rushed through in just a few pages. I actually really liked the end of the trials, but everything felt too rushed for it to have as much of a punch as it could have.
I still liked the writing and the story enough that I would be interested in reading another book by this author, but I'm not sure if I'll continue this particular series.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
The love triangle felt like it came completely out of nowhere. Faye didn't seem to express more than basic attraction to anyone and then suddenly, bam, two love interests. And to make matters worse, it was my absolutely least favorite type of a love triangle where the main character likes two characters simultaneously and decides between them. Mild spoilery quote:
The pacing of the last half of the book felt off to me. Most of the book is a slow build up to Faye's trials, but when the trials finally arrive, they're rushed through in just a few pages. I actually really liked the end of the trials, but everything felt too rushed for it to have as much of a punch as it could have.
I still liked the writing and the story enough that I would be interested in reading another book by this author, but I'm not sure if I'll continue this particular series.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
November 5, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a free review
*3 stars*
This was a great debut story. Anything that includes the fae or fae royalty will always suck me in immediately. The world-building was well done and it really dove into the history of the fae and the world they live in. The last 5 or so chapters are what really pulled me in and brought my rating up to 3 stars. The pace of the book was really slow and that is my biggest complaint. It felt like the plot was progressing but also not at the same time and this made it hard to finish. I also felt confused at times, maybe because I do not know enough fae lore but at certain points, I felt quite lost for several pages. I have seen several people comment that they didn't feel connected to the characters and I can agree with this. Besides Gage, I wasn't really fond of or felt connected to the characters. I may be biased though because Gage reminded me of Cardan a little... and we all know how I feel about Cardan.
As I said above, the ending was the best part of this story. Action-packed, slow-burn romance, and plot twists. I couldn't put the book down for the last 10 chapters. I thought this debut was well done and I am grateful for this addition to the YA fae community. I will be looking forward to the second book.
*3 stars*
This was a great debut story. Anything that includes the fae or fae royalty will always suck me in immediately. The world-building was well done and it really dove into the history of the fae and the world they live in. The last 5 or so chapters are what really pulled me in and brought my rating up to 3 stars. The pace of the book was really slow and that is my biggest complaint. It felt like the plot was progressing but also not at the same time and this made it hard to finish. I also felt confused at times, maybe because I do not know enough fae lore but at certain points, I felt quite lost for several pages. I have seen several people comment that they didn't feel connected to the characters and I can agree with this. Besides Gage, I wasn't really fond of or felt connected to the characters. I may be biased though because Gage reminded me of Cardan a little... and we all know how I feel about Cardan.
As I said above, the ending was the best part of this story. Action-packed, slow-burn romance, and plot twists. I couldn't put the book down for the last 10 chapters. I thought this debut was well done and I am grateful for this addition to the YA fae community. I will be looking forward to the second book.
May 4, 2022
Of Beast And Burden Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Faye is a 18 year old girl who is pulled into the Fae realm where she discovers that she is half Faerie and half Human.
She tells herself she doesn’t want anything to do with that side of her heritage but when her Bestfriend/cousin gets taken back into that world, she promises she will do whatever it takes to get her back, even if it means reclaiming what is rightfully hers.
She struggles with unleashing her magic but works alongside the current Unseelie Goblin King and her female Knight to get herself ready for the trials that await her.
The cover and the description of the book is what pulled me in. In all honesty I feel like the series has potential but for the majority of the 1st book it felt like it was dragging a bit, where nothing major was happening until the last 92% of the book. I would have loved more time reading about the trials but instead it felt rushed where it left me with a wtf moment. I am all for reading book 2 to see where is goes from there.
Thank you to Kelsey Kicklighter and Independent Publishers Group for supplying a digital ARC for exchange of an honest review.
Release date: May 10th, 2022
Author: Kelsey Kicklighter
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Faye is a 18 year old girl who is pulled into the Fae realm where she discovers that she is half Faerie and half Human.
She tells herself she doesn’t want anything to do with that side of her heritage but when her Bestfriend/cousin gets taken back into that world, she promises she will do whatever it takes to get her back, even if it means reclaiming what is rightfully hers.
She struggles with unleashing her magic but works alongside the current Unseelie Goblin King and her female Knight to get herself ready for the trials that await her.
The cover and the description of the book is what pulled me in. In all honesty I feel like the series has potential but for the majority of the 1st book it felt like it was dragging a bit, where nothing major was happening until the last 92% of the book. I would have loved more time reading about the trials but instead it felt rushed where it left me with a wtf moment. I am all for reading book 2 to see where is goes from there.
Thank you to Kelsey Kicklighter and Independent Publishers Group for supplying a digital ARC for exchange of an honest review.
Release date: May 10th, 2022
Author: Kelsey Kicklighter
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