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beckyrendon's review
3.0
I love the idea of the Skeleton Key series. I think that having different authors offer up their own stories is a wonderful way to learn about new authors and have a link that binds them.
Dark Fae is the second book of the Skeleton series I have read. It's got such great potential, but I feel like the author lost her way while writing it. I have never read this author before.
I felt that the story was progressing well but hit a point where everything started to be rushed. Plot points were being made with no lead in, no transitions, and no clue as to why.
It was an ok read.
Dark Fae is the second book of the Skeleton series I have read. It's got such great potential, but I feel like the author lost her way while writing it. I have never read this author before.
I felt that the story was progressing well but hit a point where everything started to be rushed. Plot points were being made with no lead in, no transitions, and no clue as to why.
It was an ok read.
lauraew333's review
3.0
Thank you to the author, Lillian Cartier, and Shannon @Once Upon An Alpha for gifting me with a copy of Dark Fae in exchange for an honest review!
I'm a sucker for fantasy. So when I saw that Shannon was covering a fantasy/romance book, I jumped to sign up to review it. I read this book/novella about 4 times before I got my thoughts together enough to write a review. The thing was that I had forgotten that this is a novella. So the first time I read it, I thought it was way too short and there was no development whatsoever. However, when I reread it, I realized that it is, in fact a novella so it isn't supposed to be that long at all. With that in mind, let's get into the review!
1. The plot. So, like I said, this is a novella/short story. With that short of a time frame to outline a clear plot, I thought the author did a commendable job. In my opinion, the first half is definitely the best half. The author took a bit more time to detail Tessa's life before she comes into contact with the fae and it was really intruiging to me and helped build up her character. But more on that in the next bullet! The second half of the plot was slightly rushed. Something you have to know going in is that this book is mainly focused on the romance plot line and not really about Tessa. There is some of her learning about the fae world put in too. All in all, the plot was all right for me. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't terrible either. With the short word count the author had, it was good.
2. The characters. The best character, in my opinion, by far is Tessa. We have so much more time with her to learn about her past and her thoughts and dreams. For a novella, we actually get a pretty good picture of her and what kind of person she is. The other characters were all more flat (naturally, again given the short word count). I would definitely be interested in a more extended story to learn more about the fae characters that are introduced.
3. The romance. The main focus of this book is the romance that develops between Tessa and Nyx. When I say develops, I mean that it happens within 2 pages. This, of course, isn't ideal and would fall under the category of insta-love in a regularly-sized book. However, in a novella, I'm a bit more forgiving although the book would have been much improved if the romance was developed over more pages.
4. The world-building. Again (I feel like I've said this so many times but I want to be clear!), because this is so short, there wasn't much world-building to be had. However, I do feel that a little more explanation could have happened in terms of what the deal was with Nyx's 'friend' that kept randomly popping in and what the significance and meaning of things was. I felt like everything just was happening rapid-fire in the last half of the book and none of the events were explained with anything more than a line of dialogue.
The Final Verdict:
While this review seems rather negative, I think the author did a wonderful job crafting a story with the word count available. I'm still keeping my rating at a 3 however because of the pacing issues at the end, the crazy insta, insta romance, and the unexplained events. Tessa, our MC, however was a wonderful bright spot.
3 stars
I'm a sucker for fantasy. So when I saw that Shannon was covering a fantasy/romance book, I jumped to sign up to review it. I read this book/novella about 4 times before I got my thoughts together enough to write a review. The thing was that I had forgotten that this is a novella. So the first time I read it, I thought it was way too short and there was no development whatsoever. However, when I reread it, I realized that it is, in fact a novella so it isn't supposed to be that long at all. With that in mind, let's get into the review!
1. The plot. So, like I said, this is a novella/short story. With that short of a time frame to outline a clear plot, I thought the author did a commendable job. In my opinion, the first half is definitely the best half. The author took a bit more time to detail Tessa's life before she comes into contact with the fae and it was really intruiging to me and helped build up her character. But more on that in the next bullet! The second half of the plot was slightly rushed. Something you have to know going in is that this book is mainly focused on the romance plot line and not really about Tessa. There is some of her learning about the fae world put in too. All in all, the plot was all right for me. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't terrible either. With the short word count the author had, it was good.
2. The characters. The best character, in my opinion, by far is Tessa. We have so much more time with her to learn about her past and her thoughts and dreams. For a novella, we actually get a pretty good picture of her and what kind of person she is. The other characters were all more flat (naturally, again given the short word count). I would definitely be interested in a more extended story to learn more about the fae characters that are introduced.
3. The romance. The main focus of this book is the romance that develops between Tessa and Nyx. When I say develops, I mean that it happens within 2 pages. This, of course, isn't ideal and would fall under the category of insta-love in a regularly-sized book. However, in a novella, I'm a bit more forgiving although the book would have been much improved if the romance was developed over more pages.
4. The world-building. Again (I feel like I've said this so many times but I want to be clear!), because this is so short, there wasn't much world-building to be had. However, I do feel that a little more explanation could have happened in terms of what the deal was with Nyx's 'friend' that kept randomly popping in and what the significance and meaning of things was. I felt like everything just was happening rapid-fire in the last half of the book and none of the events were explained with anything more than a line of dialogue.
The Final Verdict:
While this review seems rather negative, I think the author did a wonderful job crafting a story with the word count available. I'm still keeping my rating at a 3 however because of the pacing issues at the end, the crazy insta, insta romance, and the unexplained events. Tessa, our MC, however was a wonderful bright spot.
3 stars
momwithareadingproblem's review
4.0
I received an eARC of this novella via the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of this review.
Dark Fae by Lillian Cartier is one of 30 novellas in the Skeleton Key collection. I love the idea of this series! In each novella, a glass skeleton key appears and whisks the main character to a new realm, a new life, providing an escape from their troubles. In Dark Fae, Tessa James is a former foster care child. She bounced from home to home, never feeling complete. When a man shows up with news that her long-lost aunt has died and left everything to her, she finds herself in a secluded cabin with a locked closet.
Tessa was an interesting character. She’s lonely, a bit lost and when she finds out about her aunt her world is turned upside down. Someone cared for her, she wasn’t just tossed away as she had always thought. It’s an eye-opening experience for her. When the skeleton key turns up and opens the locked closet into a realm of fae. To say she handles it better than I would is an understatement. She is the epitome of understanding.
This novella focuses on Nyx and Tessa. Nyx is the leader of the fae and it is his job to protect his realm from humans like Tessa. The two make an interesting pair. However it lost a star due to the insta-love, which is more appropriately named lust. The world-building made up for it though. I found it interesting to see how the fae realm worked, Nyx’s fae traits and the politics associated with his position.
Overall I found the novella ok. It’s a quick, easy read. Perfect for someone looking for a paranormal romance fix. FYI it is not for anyone under 18. Sorry friends, adults only! There are some pretty steamy sex scenes and some foul language, which I personally could have done without.
Dark Fae by Lillian Cartier is one of 30 novellas in the Skeleton Key collection. I love the idea of this series! In each novella, a glass skeleton key appears and whisks the main character to a new realm, a new life, providing an escape from their troubles. In Dark Fae, Tessa James is a former foster care child. She bounced from home to home, never feeling complete. When a man shows up with news that her long-lost aunt has died and left everything to her, she finds herself in a secluded cabin with a locked closet.
Tessa was an interesting character. She’s lonely, a bit lost and when she finds out about her aunt her world is turned upside down. Someone cared for her, she wasn’t just tossed away as she had always thought. It’s an eye-opening experience for her. When the skeleton key turns up and opens the locked closet into a realm of fae. To say she handles it better than I would is an understatement. She is the epitome of understanding.
This novella focuses on Nyx and Tessa. Nyx is the leader of the fae and it is his job to protect his realm from humans like Tessa. The two make an interesting pair. However it lost a star due to the insta-love, which is more appropriately named lust. The world-building made up for it though. I found it interesting to see how the fae realm worked, Nyx’s fae traits and the politics associated with his position.
Overall I found the novella ok. It’s a quick, easy read. Perfect for someone looking for a paranormal romance fix. FYI it is not for anyone under 18. Sorry friends, adults only! There are some pretty steamy sex scenes and some foul language, which I personally could have done without.
thewitchybibliophile's review
4.0
The Fae have always been my obsessions when it comes to PNR and Lillian Cartier did not disappoint. Granted it felt fast at some points, it made the flow of the story perfect and you could not put it down. I devoured this one and left me begging for more!
I felt so bad for Tessa, finding out she had family then didn't. The discovering of everything was so intense for her. Enter Nyx. Holy Alpha on Wings! He is sin in the air. These two have an explosive chemistry right from the start. The concept behind this storyline was amazing too. I honestly do wish I could have had more.
I felt so bad for Tessa, finding out she had family then didn't. The discovering of everything was so intense for her. Enter Nyx. Holy Alpha on Wings! He is sin in the air. These two have an explosive chemistry right from the start. The concept behind this storyline was amazing too. I honestly do wish I could have had more.
bookbriefs's review
2.0
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Dark Fae is part of the Skeleton Key book series. I really love the set up of this series. It is a group of almost 30 authors, each one writing a book featuring a skeleton key that unlocks a secret world. But all of the books are vastly different. Different themes, different age groups and different sub genres. I just love that idea. So whether you like young adult, new adult or adult, you will be able to find a book for you. If you want to know more information about the series you can check out the website dedicated to the books.
Skeleton Key Book Series
One Skeleton Key. Endless Adventures.
https://skeletonkeybookseries.com
Dark Fae is an adult fae novella by Lillian Cartier. A woman who thinks she has no family, discovers that a long lost aunt has left her a house and strange key. When she unlocks a door in her aunt's house she is brought to the world of the Fae, where she meets Nyx. I really loved Nyx and his steel wings. Actually the description of his wings was my favorite aspect of Dark Fae. I think this book has the potential to be a 5 star story for me. I loved the set up and I love the idea of mates and fae are some of my favorite creatures. But at 81 pages long,this book was simply too short to have the kind of development I was looking for. Everything felt too rushed and too fast. I felt like Tessa and Nxy met, and then they were obsessed with each other, and then the book ended. I wanted more. Lillian Cartier is clearly a really great writer and I can't wait to read some of her full length stories, but this one was just too rushed for me to really believe their connection.
If you love fae noevllas and don't mind short fast paced stories, Dark Fae is one that you will want to check out. And further, the skeleton key series is one that I would recommend to all fans of fantasy and magic stories. I think you will be hard pressed to not find at least one of the books that appeals to you. I particularly love that there are a mix of age groups in the series. Something for fans of clean YA and adult alike. Royal Enchantment by Lia Davis is still my favorite read in the series, but I am excited because I think I will love Lillian Cartier's full length books. And it is exciting to me to discover a new author.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Dark Fae is part of the Skeleton Key book series. I really love the set up of this series. It is a group of almost 30 authors, each one writing a book featuring a skeleton key that unlocks a secret world. But all of the books are vastly different. Different themes, different age groups and different sub genres. I just love that idea. So whether you like young adult, new adult or adult, you will be able to find a book for you. If you want to know more information about the series you can check out the website dedicated to the books.
Skeleton Key Book Series
One Skeleton Key. Endless Adventures.
https://skeletonkeybookseries.com
Dark Fae is an adult fae novella by Lillian Cartier. A woman who thinks she has no family, discovers that a long lost aunt has left her a house and strange key. When she unlocks a door in her aunt's house she is brought to the world of the Fae, where she meets Nyx. I really loved Nyx and his steel wings. Actually the description of his wings was my favorite aspect of Dark Fae. I think this book has the potential to be a 5 star story for me. I loved the set up and I love the idea of mates and fae are some of my favorite creatures. But at 81 pages long,this book was simply too short to have the kind of development I was looking for. Everything felt too rushed and too fast. I felt like Tessa and Nxy met, and then they were obsessed with each other, and then the book ended. I wanted more. Lillian Cartier is clearly a really great writer and I can't wait to read some of her full length stories, but this one was just too rushed for me to really believe their connection.
If you love fae noevllas and don't mind short fast paced stories, Dark Fae is one that you will want to check out. And further, the skeleton key series is one that I would recommend to all fans of fantasy and magic stories. I think you will be hard pressed to not find at least one of the books that appeals to you. I particularly love that there are a mix of age groups in the series. Something for fans of clean YA and adult alike. Royal Enchantment by Lia Davis is still my favorite read in the series, but I am excited because I think I will love Lillian Cartier's full length books. And it is exciting to me to discover a new author.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
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