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on February 15, 2014
I could not finish this book. I can't remember the last time I have not finished a fiction novel. Some of this might be my fault. I didn't realize how much of a romance novel this would be. I thought it would be some fantasy action with some romance to deepen it. However, it is dripping with it--so much so that I am choked on it.
It is not the amount of romance, it is the type. The main character is placed on a pedestal as only a medieval setting can really do. Sure, she is trying to break the mold, but half the story is written through the eyes of her lover interest. He is a sexist as the rest of the society of which the character is trying to break out. I almost feel like I am reading a novel based on Pixar's Brave with painful romance overlaid.
Perhaps, my overall viewpoints on romance colored my view on the story. However, the book wasn't really saved by anything else. The plot was not that original and the characters are not that interesting. In the end, I just put this book down and moved on to something better.
It is not the amount of romance, it is the type. The main character is placed on a pedestal as only a medieval setting can really do. Sure, she is trying to break the mold, but half the story is written through the eyes of her lover interest. He is a sexist as the rest of the society of which the character is trying to break out. I almost feel like I am reading a novel based on Pixar's Brave with painful romance overlaid.
Perhaps, my overall viewpoints on romance colored my view on the story. However, the book wasn't really saved by anything else. The plot was not that original and the characters are not that interesting. In the end, I just put this book down and moved on to something better.
on August 23, 2013
I have never before read such a perfect example of a fantasy romance set in an actual Earth-historical setting. I love fantasy romance, and it is so hard to find. I want magic. I want settings that feel historical, but not necessarily set in our world. I want the romance to be shared 50/50 with the plot. I want danger. Adventure. Wondrous self-discoveries. Pretty dresses. Honorable men with enormous swords (wink, wink). Faerie had it all.
I am now a Delle Jacobs fan. She has moved right up there into my favorite author ranks with Karen Marie Moning (Fever Series) and Amy Raby (Hearts and Thrones).
What I loved:
The romance. Doomed from the start but destined to be. The tension between the hero and heroine was constant and kept me flying through the pages.
The heroine. Leonie is a refreshing historical heroine who accepts her place as a noble woman. She knows she was never going to have the opportunity to marry for love, and she exercises the sort of mental self-control that shows much wisdom for a young woman in her position.
She knows her place. She strives to perform her duties as lady to a politically important estate to the best of her ability. That's not to say she always fits well in her place or even stays in her place. Oh, Leonie often finds herself called upon, not by men or her king, but by things beyond her ability to explain, to act outside of the dictates of her position. And when she does, it's always entertaining and moving.
The hero. The Peregrine too is more than he seems, especially to Leonie who has felt drawn to him since she was a child. He is a wandering knight, a friend of the king of England, and honorable to a fault. He's the perfect tortured hero and the perfect foil and eventual mate to Leonie.
The supporting characters. A young blacksmith apprentice who longs to be a knight, a bushy-bearded black-hearted earl, a rotund king who speaks with faeries. So many wonderfully drawn characters!
The setting. Northern England is lushly described, not just in physical detail but also in political importance. If you like the historical accuracy and detail of Gabaldon, but compacted into a shorter work with characters and story just as captivating, you'll love Faerie.
The plot. Faerie held mystery and intrigue, murder and demon possession, ghols and shifters, and a dog who can fly. Best of all were the powers Leonie had that she could never quite rely on but always seemed to be there when she needed them most.
This is a keeper for me. Now I have to go run and buy more Delle Jacobs!
I am now a Delle Jacobs fan. She has moved right up there into my favorite author ranks with Karen Marie Moning (Fever Series) and Amy Raby (Hearts and Thrones).
What I loved:
The romance. Doomed from the start but destined to be. The tension between the hero and heroine was constant and kept me flying through the pages.
The heroine. Leonie is a refreshing historical heroine who accepts her place as a noble woman. She knows she was never going to have the opportunity to marry for love, and she exercises the sort of mental self-control that shows much wisdom for a young woman in her position.
She knows her place. She strives to perform her duties as lady to a politically important estate to the best of her ability. That's not to say she always fits well in her place or even stays in her place. Oh, Leonie often finds herself called upon, not by men or her king, but by things beyond her ability to explain, to act outside of the dictates of her position. And when she does, it's always entertaining and moving.
The hero. The Peregrine too is more than he seems, especially to Leonie who has felt drawn to him since she was a child. He is a wandering knight, a friend of the king of England, and honorable to a fault. He's the perfect tortured hero and the perfect foil and eventual mate to Leonie.
The supporting characters. A young blacksmith apprentice who longs to be a knight, a bushy-bearded black-hearted earl, a rotund king who speaks with faeries. So many wonderfully drawn characters!
The setting. Northern England is lushly described, not just in physical detail but also in political importance. If you like the historical accuracy and detail of Gabaldon, but compacted into a shorter work with characters and story just as captivating, you'll love Faerie.
The plot. Faerie held mystery and intrigue, murder and demon possession, ghols and shifters, and a dog who can fly. Best of all were the powers Leonie had that she could never quite rely on but always seemed to be there when she needed them most.
This is a keeper for me. Now I have to go run and buy more Delle Jacobs!
on February 8, 2014
When you buy a book for 2.99, you're never entirely sure what you're going to get and whether or not it'll be worth it. This book was worth it and more. I picked this book really at random from the "other customers looked at" while I was looking at a Jessica Day George book. I picked it for the cover and the spelling of "Faerie" and not for many other reasons.
I'm glad I picked it. Delle Jacobs puts together a very nice story set in Norman-run England, at a time just after William the Conqueror, when the land is still generally shrouded in Celtic myth, where the Scots and the Saxons and the Normans exist. The story is that of Leonie, orphan and heiress to a politically significant castle, and Peregrine, a knight who has sworn allegiance to his king and who has vowed to have no lands or no wife. Both have secrets - hers is mystical and his more practical.
The love story is predictable, but Jacobs does more than that. She interweaves some unusual Celtic myths together in the story, which is what drew me in, since I'm a sucker for those myths. Additionally, Jacobs does a very good job of making Leonie and Peregrine unique characters, each with a clear voice - a necessity when moving POV between characters. She also makes the fears and concerns of the characters very real given the time period. On top of that, the magic is subtle - not a "deus ex machina" type, just something that can help but not save everything.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all perfect. I'm not sure why William II was called "Rufus" throughout the entire novel, except in a couple of odd places. Some of the explanations - like that of Northumbria - were a little too "pat" and didn't work or get resolved.
That said, it was enjoyable and the character development was solid. I will be checking out more of Jacobs' books
I'm glad I picked it. Delle Jacobs puts together a very nice story set in Norman-run England, at a time just after William the Conqueror, when the land is still generally shrouded in Celtic myth, where the Scots and the Saxons and the Normans exist. The story is that of Leonie, orphan and heiress to a politically significant castle, and Peregrine, a knight who has sworn allegiance to his king and who has vowed to have no lands or no wife. Both have secrets - hers is mystical and his more practical.
The love story is predictable, but Jacobs does more than that. She interweaves some unusual Celtic myths together in the story, which is what drew me in, since I'm a sucker for those myths. Additionally, Jacobs does a very good job of making Leonie and Peregrine unique characters, each with a clear voice - a necessity when moving POV between characters. She also makes the fears and concerns of the characters very real given the time period. On top of that, the magic is subtle - not a "deus ex machina" type, just something that can help but not save everything.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all perfect. I'm not sure why William II was called "Rufus" throughout the entire novel, except in a couple of odd places. Some of the explanations - like that of Northumbria - were a little too "pat" and didn't work or get resolved.
That said, it was enjoyable and the character development was solid. I will be checking out more of Jacobs' books
on March 29, 2015
I hate to say this about anything that takes as much work as writing a book, but this was truly awful. The characters were bizarre, the dialogue was stilted, and the plot was beyond shallow. I would not recommend this to anyone. Graphic, gratuitous and boring sex - easily avoided though.
on October 29, 2013
Leonie is half human and half faerie. She must keep her magical side hidden as she would be tried as a witch if she did not. Her love interest is Philippe who is cursed. He is not supposed to see her, but is strangely drawn to her. The romance of bringing the two together is the major plot of the book (being a romance this shouldn't be surprising); however, figuring out the magical aspect does play a main part as well. As all good paranormals there is a mixture of hot and heavy passion, comedy, mystery, and magic. This mix is what makes paranormal romance so much fun.
Overall there is a lot revealed to the characters and the reader at the same time. The secrets that are held by both characters are not revealed to the reader through inner monologue or through other actions until they are revealed to the characters. This leads to a quick read as you are trying to figure things out. It definitely is a page turner as well as an excellent way to build characters.
Overall there is a lot revealed to the characters and the reader at the same time. The secrets that are held by both characters are not revealed to the reader through inner monologue or through other actions until they are revealed to the characters. This leads to a quick read as you are trying to figure things out. It definitely is a page turner as well as an excellent way to build characters.
on October 16, 2013
Too much sex and dreaming of sex. Plot was good, but there could have been so much more to the story if the author had stuck with the story instead of making sure she got all the "fantasies" and sex in. I wanted deeper characters and to know more about other characters, their back stories, and more about the knights and king. This was a waste of my time to read.
on May 29, 2017
I chose this book for the jacket and am glad that I did! The author did a great job of weaving the different aspects of the story together. The different characters and their abilities are introduced and intertwined so delicately the you never know when the next twist to the story will be shown. I look forward to more books from this author. Thank you, Delle!!
on November 14, 2012
I normally love Delle Jacobs and can't wait until the next book comes out, but this book was so poorly written I wondered several times if Delle was OK.
First are the repetitions. 'Haps' happened so many times that it just became irritating after a very short while. There were a couple scenes where multiple characters said it multiple times within just a few pages. Then, there was 'Smirk' which Leone does way too often.
But, my biggest complaint was the confusing scenes and the convoluted story progression. At times I wondered if my book was missing whole paragraphs, lines or chapters.
Here's an example: At first Phillipe leaves Leone's uncle's castle to take care of property given to him by the king. Leone watches him leave with all his knights. You are given to understand that he will be gone for a rather long time since there is no one to oversee his new property, not to mention it is several days away. The next morning Leone heads to the forest to gather dye making materials...and in the next paragraph Phillipe is alone in the forest and finds Leone. What?!? He was leaving the territory! He was with a contingent of knights! How is it possible that he is back and alone?!? Then, later in the story, both Phillipe and Leone and a group of vassals go to the property and find it trashed, and he's surprised. What?!? Didn't he do as his king told him to do? Was he ignoring a royal edict and doing whatever he wanted to do? Is that why he's never been to his property? Neither scenario was ever explained as to why and how they happened.
Or, how about when the heroes finally overcome the villain; I'm still trying to figure out what happened there. I know they won. I know the villain ended up dead. But, other than that, it's a big, confusing blur.
Things like that happened over and over again. There were more than a dozen places where the story would move at a snail's pace, and then in the blink of an eye, it was rushing so fast that parts of the narration were dropped, forgot or lost in the frenzy. There were more than a dozen places where I still have no idea what happened because it just wasn't explained properly or completely. I found myself reading and rereading whole sections and still never figuring out what actually happened or how.
My last complaint was about the sex in the book. Now, I don't care how steamy a novel is, the steamier the better in my opinion, and Delle has always provided hot, steamy and wonderfully detailed sex scenes...but, a virgin doesn't do what she did (and rather well, I might add)! Yes, I know, she technically wasn't a virgin at the time, but please, they had only been 'together' once or twice, so she was still virginal in her thinking.
I was very disappointed in this book. This is a first effort from a first-time author, not the wonderful immersion in a well-told story that we expect from Delle. Which brings me back to...I wonder if Delle is OK?
First are the repetitions. 'Haps' happened so many times that it just became irritating after a very short while. There were a couple scenes where multiple characters said it multiple times within just a few pages. Then, there was 'Smirk' which Leone does way too often.
But, my biggest complaint was the confusing scenes and the convoluted story progression. At times I wondered if my book was missing whole paragraphs, lines or chapters.
Here's an example: At first Phillipe leaves Leone's uncle's castle to take care of property given to him by the king. Leone watches him leave with all his knights. You are given to understand that he will be gone for a rather long time since there is no one to oversee his new property, not to mention it is several days away. The next morning Leone heads to the forest to gather dye making materials...and in the next paragraph Phillipe is alone in the forest and finds Leone. What?!? He was leaving the territory! He was with a contingent of knights! How is it possible that he is back and alone?!? Then, later in the story, both Phillipe and Leone and a group of vassals go to the property and find it trashed, and he's surprised. What?!? Didn't he do as his king told him to do? Was he ignoring a royal edict and doing whatever he wanted to do? Is that why he's never been to his property? Neither scenario was ever explained as to why and how they happened.
Or, how about when the heroes finally overcome the villain; I'm still trying to figure out what happened there. I know they won. I know the villain ended up dead. But, other than that, it's a big, confusing blur.
Things like that happened over and over again. There were more than a dozen places where the story would move at a snail's pace, and then in the blink of an eye, it was rushing so fast that parts of the narration were dropped, forgot or lost in the frenzy. There were more than a dozen places where I still have no idea what happened because it just wasn't explained properly or completely. I found myself reading and rereading whole sections and still never figuring out what actually happened or how.
My last complaint was about the sex in the book. Now, I don't care how steamy a novel is, the steamier the better in my opinion, and Delle has always provided hot, steamy and wonderfully detailed sex scenes...but, a virgin doesn't do what she did (and rather well, I might add)! Yes, I know, she technically wasn't a virgin at the time, but please, they had only been 'together' once or twice, so she was still virginal in her thinking.
I was very disappointed in this book. This is a first effort from a first-time author, not the wonderful immersion in a well-told story that we expect from Delle. Which brings me back to...I wonder if Delle is OK?
on March 18, 2017
I wasn't really sure about the supernatural aspects of this book, but Delle Jacobs is the author of one of my favorite historical romance books ever (His Majesty, the Prince of Toads), and it was 99 cents, so I gave it a shot.
Yes, I guess the supernatural stuff was too much for me. It's not just faeries, but all sorts of "otherworldly" things, and I just wasn't feeling it.
Leonie was a strong heroine, and I loved that she was the best archer around, but it's doubtful that would have really gone over well during the time period. Peregrine suffered from "she's better off without me" syndrome, which I hate, so it was hard like him very much.
I think I'll stick with this author's non-supernatural stuff from now on.
Yes, I guess the supernatural stuff was too much for me. It's not just faeries, but all sorts of "otherworldly" things, and I just wasn't feeling it.
Leonie was a strong heroine, and I loved that she was the best archer around, but it's doubtful that would have really gone over well during the time period. Peregrine suffered from "she's better off without me" syndrome, which I hate, so it was hard like him very much.
I think I'll stick with this author's non-supernatural stuff from now on.
