The Official Description: Awakening the handsome prince is supposed to end the fairy tale, not begin it. But the Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they’re supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue.
Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm on a quest to stop Ula Kana and restore harmony to their island.
Just the facts: Epic fantasy tale! Diverse cast, well written
What an epic ride! A Prince who has been awoken from a spell, a half-fae who is searching for his place in the world undertake an seemingly impossible quest to save … everyone.- Kinzie Things
My thoughts bit:
This book is a fantastic journey through a remarkable world. I have read Molly Ringle’s work before, but this book is something quite special. There is expansive world-building, great character development and an engaging story from start to finish! I would definitely recommend this book if you’re into stories that you can really get caught up in.
This tale begins in the past. Against his will, Prince Larkin is forced to sacrifice himself to eternal sleep in order to stop a large-scale battle that has been raging between humans and fae. As long as Prince Larkin stays asleep, so will his archenemy, Ula Kana. Then a modern-day witch, Merrick Highvalley accidentally wakes up prince Larkin. Unfortunately, when Larkin awakens, so does Ula Kana. The battle is reignited and the story amps up. This is a very simple explanation of the story… believe me, this is a complex and engaging tale!
One of my absolute favourite things about this book was the development of Prince Larkin’s character. Ringle strikes a wonderful balance with the Prince. Obviously, when he first awakens, he is confused and disoriented but throughout the book, he remains true to his royal upbringing. While he is bewildered and lost, he retains a curiosity about what is going on around him. the future is a place that Larkin doesn’t understand but he takes everything in stride. Left with few options, he trusts Merrick to guide him through a treacherous time.
Once the palace finds out that Prince Larkin has awoken, he finds himself a target on more than one front. I really enjoyed the exploration of politics in the book! War and politics have forced the hand of the modern government and they are making decisions based on fear. Prince Larkin quickly finds himself to be nothing more than a pawn in a game he can’t win.
Merrick is a wonderful character. he’s living a life he isn’t sure that he is right for. Unable to use his gift of flying because of laws governing magic, Merrick always seems to be fighting his invisible bonds. He is often in trouble with the law and struggles to find his place. He blunders into rescuing Larkin but tries his best to assist him.
The two men develop a connection as the story progresses and it is a lovely pace. the length of this book gave Larkin and Merrick time to get to know one another. The pacing was great, slow enough to be realistic and still moving forward. These two men are wonderful characters, and I was invested in their story from the beginning.
One last note… there are diverse characters in this book. I liked that there wasn’t a big emphasis on a character’s gender identity or sexual orientation. In this world, those things just are, and I greatly appreciated it. This is just a wonderful story that happens to have queer characters!
So. What would you do if sacrificing your freedom would stop a war? What would you do to save the world? More importantly, what would you do to save the people you care about? It turns out that Merrick and Larkin would undertake an insane quest to try and recapture Ula Kana and stop the fighting and death.
This book is a little bit Lord of the Rings, a smattering of Sleeping Beauty, an authentic queer romance all set in a gloriously detailed world. Add this to your must-read list.
Links: Goodreads // The Author // The Publisher
I received an ARC of Lave Red, Feather Blue by Molly Ringle from Central Avenue Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 