I thought this was a fun read. I liked the world and how the fae characters were the focused. I also really loved how this story took place in scotland and thought it also had a regency air to it. I also thought the this book also a fun romance but it was def not my favorite read. I struggled a little bit with the the pacing and the plot of this story it was quick listen!! Hope to tackle the rest of this season soon! ( )

I thought this was a fun read. I liked the world and how the fae characters were the focused. I also really loved how this story took place in scotland and thought it also had a regency air to it. I also thought the this book also a fun romance but it was def not my favorite read. I struggled a little bit with the the pacing and the plot of this story it was quick listen!! Hope to tackle the rest of this season soon! ( )

The concept of this book is what really attracted my attention. I know there has been a streak of fantasy books with the fae, but I’ve never read them this is my very first book and well I did like it. Aileana, while a bit too stubborn and hellbent on revenge for her mother, is a very strong female character. Aileana can make her own weapons, dress and act the part of a aristocrat, and knows her vulnerabilities. It’s been a while that I have instantly liked a character in a YA fantasy book. I do wish that the book had started a bit before Aileana’s mothers dead so we can see the character change and what has brought her to this dark place.

The beginning of the book did confuse me a bit, as I though for a quick second that I may have been reading the first book. This was quickly remedied as I got the background of Aileana and why she was a bit of an outcast now. I really liked each side characters. Derrick, Catherine and Gavin were great. The one thing I had a problem with was Kieran. It’s obvious that he is the love interest to Aileana, but I am just tired of brooding, mysterious men or I guess Fae in this book. The action and fight scenes were great though and fast paced but not to the point where I couldn’t follow along.

I may take a while before I read the second book as I felt I read this one somewhat slowly. ( )

The Falconertook me over a month to finish. Typically, a young adult fantasy takes me less than a week, if not just two or three days. Why it took me so long, I honestly can't put my finger on it, other than to say that I didn't love it as much as I thought and hoped I would. All the pieces were there that usually equate to literary obsession for me: fierce female heroine, faeries, a Scottish setting, steampunk elements, etc, but I just wasn't hooked.

Protagonist Aileana is likeable enough, though difficult to relate to, and her prowess in fighting killer Scottish faeries of lore is explained reasonably enough. The love story is pretty obvious and predictable and the love triangle contrived and unbelievable. The cliffhanger is terrific, but a little mean, so now I must keep reading a trilogy I might have otherwise abandoned.

But, and it's a big but, Elizabeth can write, and write very well. Any potential plot and character development shortcomings are more than compensated for with exquisite writing. May's knowledge of Scottish lore is beyond compare and she weaves such knowledge (and vocabulary) expertly into her fantastical story. Here's to hoping the second book is just as well written and the character's more developed. ( )

Bah. Steampunky, faeries and a strong girl hunter -- that seemed so appealing to me! But the main character is so completely overwhelmed by her need to hunt and so dramatically helpless against her need to hunt that I got really freaking tired of her need to hunt and stopped reading the book. ( )