Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had such a fun time with this read!
It is great for anyone who loves a cozy, unique, fairytale retelling.
Imagine Rumpelstiltskin but in a cottagecore, fantasy, romantic comedy kind of way.
Our FMC isn’t our usually teenager or 20 something year old, she’s a 40 year old woman who’s had enough of waiting and takes her life into her own hands. And she does an amazing job of it.
And our Mal, he’s such a unique, forgetful cinnamon roll character! I just adore him.
I hope we get another book with these in the future as I would love to learn more about Apfela and Nissa.
It is great for anyone who loves a cozy, unique, fairytale retelling.
Imagine Rumpelstiltskin but in a cottagecore, fantasy, romantic comedy kind of way.
Our FMC isn’t our usually teenager or 20 something year old, she’s a 40 year old woman who’s had enough of waiting and takes her life into her own hands. And she does an amazing job of it.
And our Mal, he’s such a unique, forgetful cinnamon roll character! I just adore him.
I hope we get another book with these in the future as I would love to learn more about Apfela and Nissa.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A.J. Lancaster's How to Find a Nameless Fae is a stunning reminder of why I love to read. It was fantastic—not just for its powerful storytelling, but also for its brilliant moments of social commentary.
At its core, the book champions the courage to live authentically, free from the weight of external expectations. It's a call to action—to define our own lives, seek our own freedoms, and combat the loneliness of isolation through the strength of new relationships and community. It beautifully illustrates that personal growth knows no age, reminding us that we can flourish at any stage of life if we are willing to take a step in that direction.
Also, I was delighted by the novel's perspective on a woman's choice to remain child-free: “Children aren't the only way to find fulfillment in life...”
Furthermore, the intimacy is handled with remarkable skill, serving as a meaningful layer of character and plot development rather than mere filler.
This is a beautiful retelling of Rumpelstiltskin with sensibilities that will resonate deeply with modern readers.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Princess Gisele just turned 40, and she's done. Done waiting for the evil nameless fairy sorcerer to come collect her as his firstborn bargain prize. She has worked her ass off to be the perfect... whatever he needs from her. How DARE this surely horrible, monstrous being stand HER up? No matter! Gisele will go find him herself and demand he explain himself. And free her, damn it. Because her curse has gotten so bad, no one in her own realm wants to even be near her. That's not a life. And after decades of waiting, hasn't she suffered long enough? Although the title of the book is "How to Find a Nameless Fae", she locates him spectacularly easily. Briefly traversing through Fairyland, she feels herself pulled almost directly to his mishmash home, Skymallow. And when he opens the door, he's utterly, terribly-
...actually, not so bad looking? Handsome even? Are those cat ears? And his whole set-up with his magical house is... cute? Huh. OK. Gisele can maybe roll with it. But then he has the gall to tell her he'd simply... forgotten about her. FORGOTTEN?!?! The nerve-
...actually, not so bad looking? Handsome even? Are those cat ears? And his whole set-up with his magical house is... cute? Huh. OK. Gisele can maybe roll with it. But then he has the gall to tell her he'd simply... forgotten about her. FORGOTTEN?!?! The nerve-
AJ Lancaster's retelling of a long-existing, well-known fairy tale had me in absolute stitches. Rather than retell it as a story about a beautiful, world-strange, doe-eyed 16 year-old princess in danger of being taken away by an actual meanie, Lancaster changes the entire dynamic by giving us a hilariously indignant 40 year-old who positively fumes about being forgotten by a really cute guy who has feline ears, a tail and a sentient house. I was thoroughly amused throughout. This book had me at "premise".
I love the representation in this book. The LGBTQ+ community is represented well: for example, the MMC is bisexual. Not only that, but heroines in their forties are in short supply in romance novels as it is, so Gisele's age is a massive plus. Add to it that she's written with gumption, well... That's not a hard decision to make: yes, I'll read the heck out of a book that offers this! I also adored our hero, referred to by Gisele as Mal (as in: her curse, her Malediction). He stumbles a little, here and there. He isn't always the bravest. He is chaotic and antisocial and at times deliciously submissive when compared to Gisele. A breath of fresh air!
Lovable characters are a must for me, and I feel pretty spoiled by How to Find a Nameless Fae's additionally fun side characters. Female characters Apfela and Niressa both have take-no-shit personalities of their own, and readers can count on even more levity by way of a demanding, lazy, chatty cat named Zingiber. But my favorite character (after Gisele) is Mal's house, Skymallow: a sentient house who takes care of its occupants... and dabbles in interior design. I'm a goner for magical houses; it instantly checks off "cozy" on my list of ways to describe a story (and this book is so cozy even without a magical house). Some of the book's sweetest moments are related to Skymallow.
The other sweeter moments are of course found in Gisele and Mal's romance. One of my favorite tropes is forced-proximity-because-of-a-bond-we-can't-shake (be it fated mates, or a curse): there is a quickly apparent reason Gisele finds Mal so easily. Things can only go up from here. And they do. And I love a take-charge heroine, both in moving the plot and the romance forward, and we get an exciting build-up and - because of their refreshing personalities and dynamic - some titillating scenes between these two.
I'm glad to learn there is a preceding standalone novel in this universe: How to Marry a Winged King (a Cinderella retelling). The main characters from this first book do make an appearance in How to Find a Nameless Fae, but these books are legit standalone: you don't need book 01 in order to read 02. That said, I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy more of Lancaster's enjoyable takes on known fairy tales, and I've already put the book on my "to read" list.
How to Find a Nameless Fae is a truly lovely, light, fun read. Mal may once have accidentally forgotten all about Gisele, but I sure won't.
Thank you NetGalley and Camberion Press for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was so much fun!! Perfect for fans of Holly Black and Heather Fawcett. Mal is incredibly endearing and I found myself disappointed that he and Gisele's story ended so soon. Thank you so much to AJ Lancaster and the team at Victory Editing for sending me an ARC of this book! I'm looking forward to reading more by the author.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How to Find a Nameless Fae is a story that follows our protagonist (Princess Gisele) trying to undo a Firstborn curse placed upon her due to a bargain her mother struck with a Fae before she was born.
When we meet Gisele, she is well into adulthood and pondering why the evil fae sourcerer who bargained for her has not yet claimed her. As the ramifications of the agreement not being met progress every day, Gisele decides to take matters into her own hands and travels to Faeirie, demanding the bargain be fulfilled.
However, she learns that executing the bargain is far more complicated than she could have imagined.
I loved this book. A retelling of a classic fairy tale (Rumpelstiltskin) that truly felt unique and kept me entertained the entire time. I often find retellings of classic stories hard to do right, and often too gimecky, however, this book did not cross that line for me at all. Not to mention how mesmerising and easy to follow the world-building was.
This is a classic enemies-to-lovers that I am certain fans of Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries will love and devour. The tension, the pining, the will-they-wont-they of the book was addictive, and I could not have asked for anything more.
Overall, a book that I highly enjoyed, and I cannot wait to dive into more of A.J Lancaster's novels.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
A fun romantic retelling of Rumplestiltskin!
How to Find a Nameless Fae was so cozy and cute! I loved that the FMC was a 40 year-old woman who was ready to take her life into her own hands. Gisele was kind and smart but also tough and no nonsense when she needed to be. The Nameless Fae, dubbed Malediction by Gisele, has cat ears and a tail and was a very interesting character. The banter between them was amazing and I loved watching their relationship grow.
Also, there is a talking cat, and I am always a sucker for a good talking cat!
How to Find a Nameless Fae was so cozy and cute! I loved that the FMC was a 40 year-old woman who was ready to take her life into her own hands. Gisele was kind and smart but also tough and no nonsense when she needed to be. The Nameless Fae, dubbed Malediction by Gisele, has cat ears and a tail and was a very interesting character. The banter between them was amazing and I loved watching their relationship grow.
Also, there is a talking cat, and I am always a sucker for a good talking cat!
How to Find a Nameless Fae was everything I didn’t know I needed — clever, cozy, and deeply heartfelt. A.J. Lancaster creates a world that feels like stepping into an enchanted forest where magic lingers in every shadow and words carry weight.
The banter is sharp and funny, but beneath the humor is an emotional depth that quietly sneaks up on you. I found myself tearing up in one moment and grinning in the next. The romance is slow-burn perfection — full of tension, vulnerability, and genuine care.
What I especially loved was how naturally inclusive this story was. The representation felt authentic and unforced, making the world feel richer and more welcoming.
This book is for anyone who loves fantasy with charm, wit, and a whole lot of heart. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
The banter is sharp and funny, but beneath the humor is an emotional depth that quietly sneaks up on you. I found myself tearing up in one moment and grinning in the next. The romance is slow-burn perfection — full of tension, vulnerability, and genuine care.
What I especially loved was how naturally inclusive this story was. The representation felt authentic and unforced, making the world feel richer and more welcoming.
This book is for anyone who loves fantasy with charm, wit, and a whole lot of heart. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced