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bluebell499's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death
Minor: War
chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, and War
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My best friend marathoned this trilogy last summer and has been desperate for me to read it ever since. Now that I finally have, I can definitely understand why she loves The Falconer. I really enjoyed it, too.
May’s steampunk Scotland is a world unlike any I’ve read before, both because I’ve yet to read a book set in Scotland and because of the fascinating gadgets. Not only are there many present in the world, but the protagonist Aileana is an inventor; we frequently see her tinkering and, even though it’s not something I could ever do, I found it quite interesting.
I also found May’s take on the fae very interesting. There are the traditional human-like creatures that can’t lie, as well as hounds and dragons and one brilliant, snarky pixie. I enjoyed seeing how she took traditional myths and made them her own, adding tidbits of intriguing information throughout the story.
The characters, though—they steal the show. Aileana is an upper class girl different from her peers and often scorned because of it. She prefers inventing to partying and, ever since her mother died a year prior, hunting fae to socializing. I liked her, and I especially liked that, even though she personally has no interest in ball gowns and marriage and the like, she didn’t look down on those who did.
The love interest, Kiaran, is a faery that trains Aileana and helps her hunt other fae. He’s quite mysterious and aloof, and it took some time for him to grow on me. But he did, and by the end of the book I wanted to hide him and keep him safe from both worlds. He’s a very complex character, and I look forward to falling more in love with him as I continue the series. (For a lesbian, I have a surprisingly long list of fictional guys I love, and he’s the newest addition.)
All of the side characters were well-written too. My favorite is, without a doubt, Derrick. He’s a sassy little pixie obsessed with honey and clothes and I would like him to be my friend. It’s also really sweet how much he cares about Aileana. Their friendship is my new favorite thing.
And Aileana and Kiaran’s relationship? Gold. I haven’t read many allies to lovers stories, but these two have me wanting more. I will say that the romance is scarcely present in this book, though, with the exception of Aileana crushing on Kiaran. No matter what she says, that’s what she was doing, and no one can convince me otherwise. Their dynamic was a lot of fun, and as the story progressed it got more emotional than I was expecting. I ship them so much and I hope things work out for them.
The story starts off on a quick note and hardly slows down. I sped through this in less than a day because I was constantly wanting to know what happened next. As the end approached I was more and more nervous, and rightfully so. While the book doesn’t end on a massive cliffhanger, it does end in a way that has me very eager to read but very concerned for the second installment. I’m going to go start that now. I definitely recommend this book; it’s a hidden gem in the YA fantasy genre.
May’s steampunk Scotland is a world unlike any I’ve read before, both because I’ve yet to read a book set in Scotland and because of the fascinating gadgets. Not only are there many present in the world, but the protagonist Aileana is an inventor; we frequently see her tinkering and, even though it’s not something I could ever do, I found it quite interesting.
I also found May’s take on the fae very interesting. There are the traditional human-like creatures that can’t lie, as well as hounds and dragons and one brilliant, snarky pixie. I enjoyed seeing how she took traditional myths and made them her own, adding tidbits of intriguing information throughout the story.
The characters, though—they steal the show. Aileana is an upper class girl different from her peers and often scorned because of it. She prefers inventing to partying and, ever since her mother died a year prior, hunting fae to socializing. I liked her, and I especially liked that, even though she personally has no interest in ball gowns and marriage and the like, she didn’t look down on those who did.
The love interest, Kiaran, is a faery that trains Aileana and helps her hunt other fae. He’s quite mysterious and aloof, and it took some time for him to grow on me. But he did, and by the end of the book I wanted to hide him and keep him safe from both worlds. He’s a very complex character, and I look forward to falling more in love with him as I continue the series. (For a lesbian, I have a surprisingly long list of fictional guys I love, and he’s the newest addition.)
All of the side characters were well-written too. My favorite is, without a doubt, Derrick. He’s a sassy little pixie obsessed with honey and clothes and I would like him to be my friend. It’s also really sweet how much he cares about Aileana. Their friendship is my new favorite thing.
And Aileana and Kiaran’s relationship? Gold. I haven’t read many allies to lovers stories, but these two have me wanting more. I will say that the romance is scarcely present in this book, though, with the exception of Aileana crushing on Kiaran. No matter what she says, that’s what she was doing, and no one can convince me otherwise. Their dynamic was a lot of fun, and as the story progressed it got more emotional than I was expecting. I ship them so much and I hope things work out for them.
The story starts off on a quick note and hardly slows down. I sped through this in less than a day because I was constantly wanting to know what happened next. As the end approached I was more and more nervous, and rightfully so. While the book doesn’t end on a massive cliffhanger, it does end in a way that has me very eager to read but very concerned for the second installment. I’m going to go start that now. I definitely recommend this book; it’s a hidden gem in the YA fantasy genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny
the protagonist has PTSD
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