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Kara lived a life full of hardships. Her father abandoned his family when Kara was a young girl, her mother remarried a drunk monster and when her mother was near death, Kara fought back and landed herself in a mental hospital. Finding solace in silence, she refused to speak for years, her lack of words being the only thing she had control over. The only comfort in her unstable life was the knowledge of the unseen world and the alluring man that haunted her dreams. Beginning to give up hope of ever leaving the asylum, one night of the unseen creatures of the fae realm changed everything. Taken from her prison and her mundane human life, she was thrust down the rabbit hole into an unimaginable world of chaos and magic with the man she only knew from her dreams. Using her knowledge of the fae and everything she had been taught by her great aunt, Kara must find the strength to face the darkest parts of the fae realm, and of herself.
Available on #KindleUnlimited
4 out of 5 (very good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Ok so! As far as I can see this book is the only book currently written by this author. And if this is her FIRST book?? Oh my days, I cannot wait to see what she delivers next!
Because, bar two things, I bloody LOVED this book.
It's dark and deadly, with so much going on sometimes, I had to double back to check I fully understood. And that, for ME, is a good thing! I didn't find it especially explicit, for Kara and Alak, but for the Fae in general, it is. There is a lot of violence here too, but I think it is needed to get the way these folk live across. It's a truly multi-layered story and it takes time to get to where it's going.
Or rather, it takes time to get the whole point of the story across. And again, for ME, a very good thing. It kept me fully engaged from start to finish.
BUT.
It is a long LONG book, some 500 pages and it's not all easy reading. As I said, it takes time to build up to things. Some peeps don't like such long books. I did here, but it did take me a long time to finish. Mostly because of my next point.
AND.
Only Kara has a say. And if Alak had been given a voice, it would have broken this up a bit and made it not seem quite so long. Because I really needed to hear from him at points along the way, especially when Kara is in danger.
Having said all that, I really REALLY enjoyed it, and I really REALLY hope we get a second book. Because while there is a HFN ending, Kara and Alak's story is by no means finished. And some other characters need a HEA, too!
So, for a first-time author, I'd say Ms Speelman nailed it!
4 most excellent stars
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Alak
In what situation is your self-esteem most at risk?
When my father calls upon me to make me an example in front of the fae court. He believes me to be nothing.
What are you keeping a secret?
My inner turmoil, and my fear of my own powers becoming too much to handle.
What are you lying to yourself about? To others?
That I am actually a person of depth and I want more than I think I deserve.
Is there anyone in your life that you are attracted to?
I have an insatiable attraction to Kara, whom claims every piece of me
What scares you about this person?
Her control that she has over me, unbeknownst to her.
What do you think he/she can do for you that no one else can?
She has the power to help me control my powers when I’m at my weakest. She is everything that I want and need but also everything that I don’t deserve.
What does this person know about you that no one else does?
She sees through the harsh shell I have put myself in. She knows my weaknesses and everything that makes me feel vulnerable.
How do you decide if you can trust someone?
It’s a difficult task that not many have accomplished. It takes that person to do something truly remarkable.
How do you know you love someone?
The undying pain that I feel with the thought of ever losing them.
What parts of loving come easy to you? Hard?
Physical touch is second nature to me. The hardest part of love is opening myself fully and becoming vulnerable.
When you walk into a room what do you notice first? Second?
Firstly, threats. Secondly, the energy.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?
I allowed my mind to be clouded with an unrequited love and allowed myself to be controlled in the most pathetic ways.
How would you change the world? The things around you? The people around you?
I would learn to control my powers to help the world, my kingdom and help my subjects and those that I love.
How do you learn best?
Visually and physically
What are your goals in life?
To control the power within me. To be nothing like the man who stole me from my birth mother, and to be everything that Kara deserves.
What unusual hobbies or interests do you have?
I calculate the weather, keeping a log of the natural disasters around the world.
What are you most afraid of?
Honestly, everything, including myself. I do not know how to be the better version of myself.
If you had one wish, what would it be?
To have never obtained these powers. To be human, and live out my life in peace with the woman that I love.
What do you like best about yourself?
There is very little that I like about myself.
What do you like least about yourself?
There is too many traits to count.
What do you like best about your best friend?
Kara does not allow me to get away with treating anyone poorly. She puts me in my place and shows me the true meaning of caring about someone.
What do you like least about your best friend?
She has a habit of invading my dreams, though not all of that is such a bad thing.
What do you think other people think of you?
Teachers: They are afraid of the powers I hold, and even though they have tried to help me control them, they still fear what I can do.
Other kids: I am not a child, though when looking at my childhood, they, too, were afraid of me.
Best friends: They find me a stubborn ass that needs to learn to control my temper.
Parents: My father hates my existence. My mother… I never got to meet her.
Siblings: I have yet to meet my twin. One day I hope to see what kind of life he has lived outside of our realm.
Other family members: They want my throne, my birthright, and will do anything to take it.
What’s your greatest source of frustration?
My own faults, my stubbornness, and the way that Kara is always right.
What’s your greatest source of joy?
The woman I love. She makes the harshest of my realities so much easier to bear.
What are you especially proud of in your life?
Finding the woman in my dreams, and ruling my kingdom.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I would choose to be rid of the powers within me to live a more simpler life, rule over the fae kingdom without the fear of losing control, and lose the fear of being exactly like my father.
At a very young age, I discovered that I loved books and have read anything that I can get my hands on, especially fantasy. I discovered that I was also very good at writing my own stories and have been doing that for just as long. When I'm not swept up in literature, you can find me on the hiking trails in Pennsylvania where I live with my fiancé and my three children.