A disc of blue agate lies on the earth, scrawling black runes swirling into his surface. To one side a scythe like dagger curves following the natural sphere of the disc. A small teardrop shape of gold lies at the bottom of the disc while nature creeps in around the sides of the page.
Eilidh has the spent the last century trying to survive in a world that is not her own, alone and even afraid at times. The dark and grimy streets of Perth are nothing compared to the beauty of the faerie lands she hails from, and can never return to, her banishment the sentence for just being who she is. But when another faerie exile commits a ghastly murder just steps from her front door, she can't turn a blind eye to his crimes or the danger to the people of her city.
What I liked:
- The author manages to convey the otherworldly sense of Eilidh and Saor very well. They don't act like humans and they don't recognize human customs, which as true magical beings they probably shouldn't.
- The reasons for Eilidh exile weave a compelling and interesting note into the story. Sentenced for being who she is not what she has done, never given the chance to prove she's not the evil the others think she is.
- The relationship between Saor and Eilidh though complex feels
real. His sense of possession, jealously, bitterness, and even ego flow
like the natural reactions of someone with no concept of anything but
what they want, which historically faeries have also been prone to. His
desire to sever her from her powers just to keep her to himself makes me
loath him.
- The addition of police officer Quinton turns Blood Faerie from a simple fantasy tale into a murder mystery with flare.
- I can't help but think that the villain was just a little too crazed to be taken seriously. Sure it makes him a baddie and unpredictable but then he becomes a surface character, I like my villains with a little meat on their bones.
- How is it that the blood faerie has found all these druids if they are considered so rare?
- How have the azuri faeries reproduced so quickly?
- How did Quinton know the oath before he even knew she was fey?
- As you can see they are alot of unanswered questions but the true drawback is the anti-climatic climax. It felt flat and emotionless. Lives are snuffed out in a sentence without regard for buildup or emotion. It should have been heart pounding page turning tear wrenching, but it just fell short. Which is a real shame after a spectacular leadup.
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| 4.5 out of 5 crowns |
Recommended for urban fantasy readers, those with an interest in Faeries, and Scotland. If you like Jim Butcher you may very well like India Drummond. Mature teen readers and up due to a small amount of nudity/sexual situations.
Synopsis: "Unjustly sentenced to death, Eilidh ran--away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognising the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee, or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything."
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