Posts
Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Miss Ada Quicksilver, a student of London's Lovelace Academy for Promising Young Women, is spending her holiday in Ireland to pursue her anthropological study of fairies. She visits Dublin's absinthe bars to investigate a supposed association between the bittersweet spirit and fairy sightings.
One night a handsome Irishman approaches her, introducing himself as Edward Donoghue. Edward takes absinthe to relieve his sleepwalking, and she is eager to hear whether he has experience with fairies. Instead, she discovers that he's the earl of Meath, and that he will soon visit a mysterious ruin at Newgrange on the orders of his cousin, the beautiful, half-mad Queen Isolde. On learning about Ada's area of study, he invites her to accompany him.
Ada is torn between a sensible fear of becoming entangled with the clearly troubled gentleman and her compelling desire to ease his suffering. Finally she accepts his invitation, and they arrive in time for the winter solstice. That night, the secret of Edward's affliction is revealed: he is, in fact, a lord in two worlds and can no longer suppress his shadow self.
Little does either of them realize that their blossoming friendship and slowly kindling passion will lead to discoveries that wrench open a door sealed for centuries, throwing them into a war that will change Ireland forever.
Review:
Having been to Ireland in the past year, the premise for this book really drew me in. Irish lords, the Fey, some romance... I was really hoping for a fun faerie story set in Ireland. But, I should have guessed by the cover that this was more of a hunky Lord bodice-ripper (i.e. erotic fiction) than fantasy historical fiction. That being said, this was a fun little romp in the hay.
What I Liked:
Irish Folklore: I really enjoyed the use of all the Irish myths and folklore. The author must have spent considerable time researching this to incorporate these legends into the faerie characters. Each plays an important role in the war between the Fomorians (ancient foes of the Fey) and the Irish.
Characters:
I liked all of the Irish characters, particularly the Irish Queen, Isolde. She is a totally made-up character (as the last king of Ireland ruled in the late twelfth-century), but so fun and fearless, that I wanted to believe she was a real person. But all the Irish characters reminded me of why I loved visiting the Emerald Isle. They were all friendly, open people. No wonder Ada felt so at ease there.
Faerie Story:
The story centers around how each of the central Irish characters has an alter-ego historical Fey spirit who inhabits them. I loved the concept of their ancestors taking over their bodies to replay ancient rivalries and passions.
What I Was Mixed About:
There was something that really bothered me about the story. I wish the author had made it clear earlier in the novel that this is an alternate reality Ireland. I was wondering why there was no mention of British oppression or even the terrible Irish potato famine of the mid-eighteen hundreds. Then, about a third of the way in, it became apparent that this Ireland had seen none of those hardships. While this served the story well, it also took away some of the core elements of what has shaped the Irish spirit. What I Didn't Like:
Generally speaking, I am not a fan of erotic fiction. I just think it doesn't add much to the story to include a blow by blow of who touched whom where. But in the case of this historical fiction, it seemed completely implausible to have Ada, a young, orphaned student, fall into bed with a relative stranger. Even in an alternate reality, she would be labeled a wanton woman. And that would be not just scandalous, but disastrous for a single woman at that time.
FYI: Explicit sex scenes
Rating:
Release Date: October 15th, 2019
Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance
Page Length: 288 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: If you enjoy erotic fiction with plenty of fantasy and alternate Irish history, this is a fun book.
0 comments :
Post a Comment