This book has been on my reading list for ages. I just adored the cover, I’s so striking, as soon as I saw it I knew I had to read it. The book did not disappoint. It is told from two different perspectives. The first is Sephora, she is a princess of Serebuel and the last forger of a powerful element called spectorium. When we first meet her, she is fleeing her kingdom from her father who wants to use her spectorium to wage war. The other perspective is Tarik, a prince from the neighbouring Theoria. A plague has erupted in his kingdom and spectroium is the only cure.
I found this book to be quite unique. The world building, while mainly focusing on these two kingdoms, was really good. All the kingdoms were very different, and you can really see how each kingdom shapes its people. Sephora and Tarik are very different people because of the worlds they have been brought up in, but I loved their romance. I especially loved how Theoria was like an Egyptian society, I feel like so many fantasy books just decide that medieval is the way to go and this was really refreshing.
My favourite character was probably Sephora. She was such a strong, brave character, and throughout the whole book she holds fast to her own beliefs. I like that she challenges Tarik even though it is not her place, it shows how she isn’t afraid. I love the way Sephora and Tarik work together, I am seriously shipping them, like they would rule so well together.
The only part I found at all disappointing was the ending. Throughout the book I expected the ending to be this big reveal, throwing Sephora and Tarik’s potential relationship into chaos. I was at least expecting some sort of action. Given these expectations the ending was a bit anti-climactic. There was a bit of a cliff-hanger, and I think the way Tarik and Sephora are left off at the end is really interesting, but I think I would have just liked it to be a bit more exciting.
I’m still very excited for the sequel, which will hopefully be here a lot sooner than its estimated delivery date of sometime in March! In the sequel I hope I see more of Tarik’s brother Sethos, I think he’s a really interesting character and would like to see more of the brother’s relationship.
This was such a different book to anything I had read before. I suppose maybe there are some similarities with kiss of deception. Mainly that there is a princess running away from her home and deceiving the guy she likes, but Sephora and Lia are very different characters, so it is not that similar. I would recommend this to anyone who likes YA fantasy, especially if you like quite a believable romance plot. I gave it a 4.5/5 rating – mainly just because the ending was slightly disappointing.
The London Faerie 