9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 Klovers! Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques, January 28, 2007
This review is from: Faery Queen: Realm Immortal Book Two (Paperback)
Queen Tania and Hugh first meet in King of the Unblessed, Book one of Michelle M. Pillow's Realm Immortal series when Queen Tania and her faeries hold Hugh and his brothers captive while she aids the Unblessed King Merrick in his bid for the Lady Juliana's heart.
As the Lord of Bellemare in the mortal realm, Hugh has responsibilities to his family, his subjects, and the land he holds. And yet he can not forget the Faery Queen Tania, in spite of her betrayal that cost him his sister Juliana.
Queen Tania grows tired of waiting for Hugh to fulfill his promise to her, and resolves to bring about his return herself. When she facilitates a plan to return him to her, will it destroy both Hugh's family and his love for Tania?
Having read Book One of the Realm Immortal series, King of the Unblessed, I was excited to learn of this sequel. Pillow's Realm Immortal world is fraught with intrigue and captivating characters, each of whom entices the reader's interest with the promise of secrets yet unraveled. In fact, the writer spins even more mystery surrounding Book One's Merrick and Juliana, promising that couple's return in future sequels.
When Book One ended, the Blessed Kingdom and the Unblessed Kingdom had begun a war, with the brothers King Ean & King Merrick reluctantly battling each other, while also defending against the Damned King Lucien's evil machinations. In Book Two, Faery Queen, the war continues, but is a background piece to King Lucien's plotting against the Bellemare line and Queen Tania. While centering Lucien very firmly as the villain, the author still manages to deftly engender sympathy for both Lucien and the nymph Mia, who torments him, hinting at a future tale exploring their story more fully.
Pillow has created a complex world and a heartbreaking love story filled with friction, angst, and deep love. While most definitely a fantasy piece, both the lead characters and the supporting characters are very real.
Michelle M. Pillow has swiftly become an author whose work I trust implicitly. I've not read a story by her that I haven't enjoyed, and would purchase any of her work without even reading the blurb first, if necessary. She never fails to create a completely fascinating story.
Series Order:
King of the Unblessed (Realm Immortal)
Faery Queen: Realm Immortal Book Two (Realm Immortal)
Stone Queen (Realm Immortal)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Return to the Realm Immortal, January 25, 2008
This review is from: Faery Queen: Realm Immortal Book Two (Paperback)
While the relationship between Hugh and Faery Queen Tania was every bit as tormented and driven by anger and lust as the one in Pillow's previous book, there was sense of weaving the story here into a larger story that takes these books beyond simple steamy romance.
Love in the Immortal Realm is not light and happy, but shadowed with darker emotions such as obsession. Honorable and responsible Hugh, Lord of the blessed land of Bellemare hates the otherword and blames Faery Tania first for plaguing his thoughts and dreams as he can't forget the time he spent in her company and now for drawing his siblings into danger yet again. He thinks that she merely toys with him and he first slakes his obsessive lust for her in anger and then rejects her. He doesn't realise the damage her love for him and his abandonment is causing, draining the magic and happiness from Tania and her kingdom of Faia until Tania's very life is appears to be forfeit -- Heartbreak is a fatal injury to one of the Faery who are built to know only beauty and light.
Truly the fantasy tale and the larger plotting and pieces being pulled forward from past story and foundation laid for future ones adds interest to Faery Queen: Realm Immortal. After two books we have a cast and developed characters to draw on. The dark relationship between Lucien and his slave Mia continues to twist and give glimpses of the almost lost humanity of the Demon King that allows Mia to love him even as she hates him for his cruelty. This time Mia is not nearly so powerless and acts beyond the mere manipulations of the last book, even though it is hard to tell which of her actions were orchestrated and served Lucien's purpose.
Though Faery Queen: Realm Immortal could probably be read as a standalone, Hugh and Tania's relationship begins in the previous book and while Pillow does a decent job of bringing us up to date, the details of the relationship and knowing how the misunderstandings from their time together color Hugh's interactions with Tania make the story richer. Also reading the previous book added such poignacy to sections of the story with Merrick and Juliana here that I definitely recommend reading The King of the Unblessed first. And while Faia is saved here by honor, strength of character and love, the state of the Unblessed Kingdom lets us know that 'happily ever after' doesn't last long in the Realm.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
;0), June 15, 2010
Very entertaining book 2 in this series was enjoyable. The book didn't only focus on the main characters Tania and Huge it gave us a bit of everyone and i liked that very entertaining felt as though and was watching a movie, dont worry the sex was good between Tania and Huge.
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