Genre: Urban Fantasy Audience: YA ... leaning a bit spicy though :) (mild)
I went with the audiobook for this one and really liked the narrator (Jane Fox). She has a very calm voice, which is, as I figured over time, combined with being British a key component for me to be drawn to an audiobook narrator. “And she wondered: if he were a painting, could she read him better?” It, of course, helps, that the book is beautifully written as well, transporting all the dark academia, art and museum vibes smoothly from the page to the reader. We get dual PoV: Nicole as our fmc and Kyan as the mmc (plus one single chapter from another character). The chapters are rather short - that and the fast pacing makes this book a quick read. At the very beginning I had some minor difficulties understanding the lore behind all the creatures and their abilities and I wasn't quite sure who knows about them and who doesn't. But that quickly resolved. I do own the FairyLoot special edition and there is bonus content at the end that includes some lexicon-ish information about some creatures - you may be able to find it online. I do think the characters in here are quite charming. Kyan immediately promised potential for good tension. “Go to bed, Nicole,’ Kyan said roughly against her mouth.” I was a bit worried though because their love appears doomed due to the set-up of the story (no spoiler, it's synopsis/explained early on): Empyrials are bloodbound to an organisation called Wake and have to turn other Empyrials in, once they stumble onto one. When an Empyrial transforms for the first time, others will unavoidably be able to sniff them out. So, as soon as Nicole transforms - and she will, that much is obvious - Kyan will know about her and have no choice but to take her to the Wake. “Kyan turned and there she was, coming out of the luxurious dark of the house into the kitchen, wearing only her pyjamas, her hair loose around her shoulders - all that metamorphic colour gleaming in the dim. He suddenly wanted to sink his hands into it. He gripped the countertop instead.” That being said - the way this situation appears to be resolved in this book wasn't for my liking. The set-up was so interesting and promised lots of drama, conflict and problems to be overcome, and the solution felt very disappointing and too convenient. I'm not sure though, if it will hold up in the end - it hasn't actually been tested yet by them and there will be a sequel ... That aside. Kyan was nice and with him we got lots of tension and "he falls first" - I ate that up. “Kyan wasn’t sure he should move. He stared, shirtless, at the dark doorway Nicole had gone through, and he had to force himself not to follow, not to haul her back towards him and continue feeling every curve, every toned inch.” The book focuses heavily on the romance and I enjoyed that, since I haven't had that in a while. Admittedly, their attraction came very early on, yet nothing truly happened for a while, apart from Kyan wanting to bite her haha (no, he is not a vampire). And when I read that, suddenly I wanted to be bitten ...? “I am dragged along by a strange new force. Desire and reason are pulling in different directions. I see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong.” I felt it so much! The want and longing, the desire and tension between the characters ... unfortunately the romance included a trope I don't like because I think its boring, forced into so many stories and it reads lazy. “Trust me when I tell you, I want you. The amount I want you ... would make you blush.” Overall: I really liked this story. I liked the premise, the vibes, the setting. The focus on art and academia. I liked the tension, the kisses, the proximity. I liked the family dynamics. I liked the characters in general - Nicole and Kyan, Dylan, Lynch, Callum ... all of them actually (even though not all of them are on the good side). “Are you telling me to bend the rules?’ Callum grinned. ‘I’m always telling you to bend the rules. Maybe you should actually listen.” Callum. I especially liked him. “The last catch-up led to you seducing one of the Fae princes and nearly burning down their gardens,’ Kyan said instead. ‘I regret nothing. They needed it relandscaping anyway - that really was a terrible place for a lantern.” I have to mention though, nothing really happens in this book. The first actual action happens at about 70%. Somehow I didn't mind that. I was fine with the discovery- and romance plot and with the focus on the characters. I wasn't entirely convinced by the ending (felt too easy) but it was satisfying and it isn't the end of the story. I think it's a trilogy, so lots of time to get our characters in actual trouble. At the very end, the main goal of our characters is also finally revealed, so now we know a little bit better why we are fighting whom and how we are going to do that. I will definitely continue!
