In this week’s Tuesday Treasures, I’m back to Bexhill, where I was on a writing retreat with my sister in law. We’d been writing hard all day, when there had been a number of showers. And in the late afternoon, it brightened up so we decided to go for a walk. And this is what I found… And yes, those are rocks that have been sculpted by the sea. They are covered at high tide. On the return journey, the sun was starting to sink in the sky and that is why the statue is tinged pink – it isn’t that my camera is on the blink!
I stumbled across Jean’s amazing blog a while ago and have been a regular visitor ever since. Her writing leaps off the page, and over the years I’ve got to know this warmhearted, clever woman, who manages to keep writing while running a home, mothering three children, including twins, and holding down a demanding job. I loved her first book – see my review of Fallen Princeborn: Stolen and her novella Night Tooth, as I very much enjoy her immersive, sensory style.
BLURB: CHARLOTTE’S FAMILY MAY NO LONGER REMEMBER HER NAME, BUT HER ENEMIES WILL NEVER FORGET.
Charlotte just wanted to start a new life with her sister Anna out of the reaches of their abusive uncle. When their journey led to Anna’s disappearance from human memory, Charlotte hunted for her sister and the mysterious creatures that took her behind an ancient Wall that hid a land of magic the world had long forgotten. Charlotte woke the Princeborn Liam Artair, and with his return the conflict between factions of the magical Velidevour turned cursed and deadly.
Now Charlotte must end this conflict before the land of River Vine and the inhabitants she’s befriended are consumed by Orna, Lady of the Pits, who is still very, very eager to see her beloved return. And Orna is not the only one who wants hold of the Princeborn Liam’s heart. These Velidevour come armed with firey wings, crimson claws, and pale fire, and like dead magic, they know no kindness. The Bloody Days are soon returning, and they will not end until a choice is made, a choice that could tear the heart of River Vine apart.
REVIEW: Firstly, if you have stumbled across a copy of this one without first reading Fallen Princeborn: Stolen, I strongly advise you to put it down and get hold of the first book. This book is essentially a continuation of the story and you will spend far too much time floundering, rather than simply enjoying the story.
I fell in love with Lee’s immersive, richly sensuous style from the first time I read her work. So we have a strong sense of the tastes, smells, and the feel of her world, as well as richly vivid images for the world beneath the lake and the amazing Rose House. But though I admire accomplished writing, I wouldn’t have gone on turning the pages if there isn’t also a great story and strong, nuanced characters. Charlotte’s traumatic past has informed her penchant for violence, and she is regularly spiky, rude and provocative. That could become annoying really quickly, if she isn’t also fiercely loyal to those who she has come to admire and love within this alternate magical world. Her cussed refusal to yield or negotiate with those she regards as evil and her dogged determination to protect the shattered heir, Liam, runs through her core. I love Charlie!
Liam, the fallen princeborn of the title, was raised to be a monster by a monstrous family. And this book really leaps to life once we get to see his vile relations and just how sick they are. There isn’t anything gratuitous or unduly gory – but the vividness of Lee’s prose seeped into my inscape, such that Rose House and Liam’s truly terrifying mother had me holding my breath. The action scenes are well written and there is plenty of them, as the Lady of the Pits wants Liam back and Charlie dead, so a variety of monsters come after them. I also love shapeshifting Dorjan of the odd eyes and Arlen, Liam’s tutor who managed to teach him slivers of kindness and humanity, amongst the vile lessons his truly awful parents demanded that he learn.
In short, this second book took the story forward with all the richness and depth I’ve come to expect from Lee’s punchy, readable prose. This book finishes on a major cliffhanger, and I’m now impatiently waiting to discover how two of my favourite mismatched couples prevail against terrible odds. Highly recommended for fantasy readers who enjoy something genuinely different. The author provided me with an arc of Fallen Princeborn: Chosen in return for an honest, unbiased review. 9/10
Brainfluff 