Welcome to Refracted Light’s
sponsored by Rachel Morgan
Guardian trainee Violet Fairdale is just weeks away from one of the most important occasions of her life: graduation. After messing up big time by bringing a human into the fae realm, Vi needs to step up her game and forget about Nate if she hopes to graduate as the top guardian of her year. Everything would be fine if she wasn’t forced to partner with Ryn, her ex-friend, ex-enemy, current ‘sort of friend’. They might be trying to patch up their relationship, but does she really want to spend a week undercover with him for their final assignment? On top of that, the possibly insane Unseelie Prince is still on the loose, free to ‘collect’ as many specially talented faeries as he can find—and Vi is still at the top of his list. Add in faerie queens, enchanted storms, complicated not-just-friends feelings, and a murder within the Guild itself, and graduation is about to become the least of Vi’s problems.
Ever read a book that you found so utterly fantastic that you just can’t find the right words to explain why it was so utterly fantastic?
That is me in this moment. Right here.
But, nevertheless, I’m going to give it my very best shot.
So, here I go… <ahem> Reasons why The Faerie Prince is so utterly fantastic:
#1. Violet Fairdale
Violet is strong, a survivor, she can take whatever you throw her way and dish it right back to you and usually better. She’s tough. She’s had to be, never having had the easiest go of it. First Vi’s mother died, then her father, then she lost one of her childhood best friends, Reed. Out of his grief and anger, her other best friend and Reed’s brother, Ryn, abandoned their friendship, seeming to make it his mission to make Vi’s life from there on out, hell. When she met Nate, a human she was supposed to protect, Vi opened up her heart for the first time in a long time, but he ended up betraying her to a prince of the Unseelie court.
Yeah. Vi was dealt a rough hand… and that was only the first book.
In The Faerie Prince, Violet is tested even more, stretched even further, her limits pushed to the breaking point. And excuse me for sounding like a horrible Meanie McMeaniepants, but it is awesome. To her credit, I find it interesting that though Vi has been hurt so recently and so terribly by a certain halfling, she’s still not as emotionally closed off as she was pre-Nate. He hasn’t ruined her completely, (See? Survivor.) and I just love where Rachel takes Vi’s character in this story.
#2. Ryn
Um. Where do I start?
This boy. THIS BOY. I love him. He and Violet had a rocky beginning in this series – each hating the other’s guts and constantly at war with each other. But when Ryn asked Vi for her help in rescuing his sister in The Faerie Guardian, a subtle shift occurred between the two of them, and the reader got the chance to glimpse Ryn – what he was like under the calloused exterior, and why he hated Vi so much.
Fierce, determined, stubborn and very protective of the people he loves, it’s no wonder that he and Vi butt heads so often sharing as many of the same traits that they do, conversely, it’s also no wonder that once upon a time they used to be friends. When Rachel gave us the chance to discover more of Ryn’s character at the end of The Faerie Guardian, I was absolutely ecstatic, and Rachel continues that exploration in The Faerie Prince.
And we get to see a lot of Ryn.
A lot, as he is now more of a main character in this second novel, and his growth and his and Vi’s interactions with each other are some of my favorite parts of the entire book.
#3. Vi + Ryn = ?
Love? Marriage? Baby carriage?
Are you kidding me? No. <crosses fingers anyway>
At the end of The Faerie Guardian, Vi & Ryn come to an uneasy truce after they both worked together to rescue Calla, Ryn’s little sister. They even agree to try being friends again. It’s weird, but nothing a little forced proximity can’t fix, right?
Or, maybe not.
When Vi & Ryn discover they’ve been partnered up for their last training mission before graduation, neither of them are exactly jumping for joy despite their “cease fire.” But still, old friendships die hard, and those feelings (though they might’ve morphed into something negative for awhile) never quite diminish. I loved watching them work through their various issues, be rivals and allies, try to re-establish a tenuous friendship, and navigate an inconvenient attraction to each other all while still competing for that coveted spot at the top of their class.
Oh! The tension! The suspense! The FEEEEEEELS.
Rachel can certainly bring the funny, the awkward, the sarcastic, the passionate, the romantic, the sweet, the vulnerable, the heartbreak. The relationship between these two strong but fragile characters is so complicated and delicate, but Morgan did a fantastic job of pacing and developing Vi & Ryn’s relationship to one another. It was, as I said, one of my favorite parts of the book.
#4. Nate.
<mumbles incoherently from behind the hand I slapped over my own mouth> !!!!! (Translation: I love where Rachel is going with his character.)
#5. Story.
There’s something definitely rotten in the state of…. Faerie, and Violet, because of her special ability to find any fey, has found herself caught right in the middle of said rotteness.
Whew! Excuse me while I catch my breath, because this book just didn’t stop. It was intense, shocking, suspenseful, non-stop and action-packed. Not to mention extremely interesting, well-plotted and well-paced. Two thumbs up.
#6. World.
I’m loathe to compare a book to another book, but in this case I have to, but I’ll do it vaguely. Rachel’s world-building of Creepy Hollow is very pleasantly reminiscent in tone to another world of pumpkin juice and butter beer – whimsical, slightly tongue-in-cheek while also being terrifyingly dangerous and full of mystery and secrets. And in this book the world of Creepy Hollow expands with new places, new players, new eccentricities, new cultural revelations and curiosities, new threats – the scope of the world has broadened considerably. And I’m always a fan of that.
Overall. With more edge-of-your-seat excitement, more non-stop action, more magical adventures, more heart-stopping danger, more gasp-worthy revelations, more of Vi’s kick-butt awesomeness, and one incredibly swoonworthy romance, The Faerie Prince and the world of Creepy Hollow has never been more enchanting.
Author: Rachel Morgan Title: The Faerie Prince Published: Published May 30, 2013 Series: Creepy Hollow (Book #2) Format: ebook; Kindle; Nook; Smashwords Website: www.creepyhollowbooks.com Source: ARC received from author
Rachel Morgan was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. After completing a degree in genetics, she decided science wasn’t for her—after all, they didn’t approve of made-up facts. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults.
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter
ONE (1) follower will win a copy of BOTH The Faerie Guardian & The Faerie Prince
AND… that’s not all!
Click on the image below to enter Rachel’s awesome Creepy Hollow Giveaway…
Surrounded by Books (book review)
Gwen Gardner (guest post: Flawed Characters in Fiction)
Cally Jackson Writes (book review)
.
.

Hehe, thank you! Your reviews are always so totally pee-in-your-pants awesome!! And thank you so much for doing your own giveaway alongside my own. That is completely fabulous of you!
xx
Oooo… “pee-in-your-pants awesome,” eh? High praise, indeed. lol
Thank you and you are very welcome. I just love your books so very much!
It is the very highest praise 😉
I love the post. This sounds like a great read. Thank you.
Thank you! And it’s fantastic!
Wow, sounds like you loved this book! And look at the awesome prizes…. 😀
I did. And I know!
The cover is really lovely, and moody looking.
I’m pretty sure I felt that same speechless enthusiasm when I read Mortal Instruments, I can’t even begin to describe its awesomeness, so if you feel that way about this series, I look forward to reading it!
What a gorgeous cover, so mesmerizing. Ive gotten sucked into so many books just by a good looking cover lol. Thanks for the chance, hope you have a good week
Faeries have always intrigued me–add in the excitement of boys and being hunted down. What more could a reader want?? I just added it to my TBR shelf on goodreads:)
Thanks for the awesome giveaway. I can’t wait to read this series. It sounds really good.
Great giveaway! This book sounds really good! I can’t wait to read this series!
looks and sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing 😉
I’m going to go with excitement!!
Lovely review! This sounds so good! I’d love to read the series! 😀 Thanks for the chance to win!
I like the simple yet beautiful cover. And, I can’t resist a prince. so pick me as winner ;p
I also love the simple elegance of the cover! I can’t wait to read this after your extreme gushing!
Wow, great review! I totally want to read this series
Thanks for sharing!