Blood Faerie (Caledonia Fae #1)India Drummond
Page Count: 254
Release Date: 1 June 2011
Publisher: Trindlemoss Publishing (self-published)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)
When magic crosses the boundaries...
Unjustly sentenced to death, Eilidh ran—away from the 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.Recognizing 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.
Review
Eilidh possesses skills of the Path, a high form of dark magic, which bestows her with great power that is unpredictable and even deadly. She was born with it, but she is still unjustly exiled from Caledonia; her crime is not casting the forbidden Azure... it is her ability to.
She now lives in hiding in the human world, staying low to go unnoticed, until a series of gruesome murders in which the victims get their hearts torn out, crosses her path. She senses immediately with her regular fae powers, the Ways of Earth, that this is a blood faerie—an evil faerie's—doing. Even though she is prohibited from entering the faerie world and cannot risk getting involved with anything that involves the fae, her morals and instincts draw her to the crimes inflicted upon the humans.
Quinton Munro, a Perth officer, by fate, is also tangled up in this fantastical mess, even though he has no relations whatsoever to the fae. The blood faerie seems to be targeting a group of people in order to fulfill a dark ritual, but Quinton's entirely human—he can't be a part of the plan. Or can he?
I really loved Quinton as a character. His confusion and reaction upon being introduced to fae is very relatable, and further, his willingness to help Eilidh and risk his life to stop the evil that isn't even within his own world, is noble and admirable. Eilidh is also likable. She's clumsy with human customs, but sharp and quick with fae knowledge, showing that she indeed is an intelligent character. Since being shunned to the human world, she has been infected by humanity, which she only realizes when faeries of her past suddenly come back into her life and disdainfully point the change out. But humanity is not a curse, she has slowly and surely learned; being human, even with flaws and error, is one of the best things one can be.
Eilidh's evolution in ethics that comes with her growing sympathy for and understanding of the human race makes her learn being "acceptable" sometimes isn't worth the cost. The fae race is ruled by power and mirth that surpasses that of humans, but also by shallowness and vanity; they have no ethics, no openness, no emotions, and no individuality like us unstable, imperfect humans do. The blood faerie's serial killing spree plunges Eilidh into a struggle between staying faithful to the race that betrayed her, or an unfamiliar and even more frightening world she is only beginning to become accustomed to. In the end, she learns that no matter what the race and what the circumstance, there are some values—regarding friendship, loyalty, and love—that are universal to anyone.
I love Drummond's writing style. It can get kind of flat at times (for example, during long stories from wise fae Eilidh seeks out for advice), but for the most part, it is lush, well-composed, and well-structured. Eilidh and Quinton's relationship is sensual in the most thrilling way; not explicitly sexual or romantic, but the chemistry is definitely there, and the author's lyrical diction brightens it up even more.
She now lives in hiding in the human world, staying low to go unnoticed, until a series of gruesome murders in which the victims get their hearts torn out, crosses her path. She senses immediately with her regular fae powers, the Ways of Earth, that this is a blood faerie—an evil faerie's—doing. Even though she is prohibited from entering the faerie world and cannot risk getting involved with anything that involves the fae, her morals and instincts draw her to the crimes inflicted upon the humans.
Quinton Munro, a Perth officer, by fate, is also tangled up in this fantastical mess, even though he has no relations whatsoever to the fae. The blood faerie seems to be targeting a group of people in order to fulfill a dark ritual, but Quinton's entirely human—he can't be a part of the plan. Or can he?
I really loved Quinton as a character. His confusion and reaction upon being introduced to fae is very relatable, and further, his willingness to help Eilidh and risk his life to stop the evil that isn't even within his own world, is noble and admirable. Eilidh is also likable. She's clumsy with human customs, but sharp and quick with fae knowledge, showing that she indeed is an intelligent character. Since being shunned to the human world, she has been infected by humanity, which she only realizes when faeries of her past suddenly come back into her life and disdainfully point the change out. But humanity is not a curse, she has slowly and surely learned; being human, even with flaws and error, is one of the best things one can be.
Eilidh's evolution in ethics that comes with her growing sympathy for and understanding of the human race makes her learn being "acceptable" sometimes isn't worth the cost. The fae race is ruled by power and mirth that surpasses that of humans, but also by shallowness and vanity; they have no ethics, no openness, no emotions, and no individuality like us unstable, imperfect humans do. The blood faerie's serial killing spree plunges Eilidh into a struggle between staying faithful to the race that betrayed her, or an unfamiliar and even more frightening world she is only beginning to become accustomed to. In the end, she learns that no matter what the race and what the circumstance, there are some values—regarding friendship, loyalty, and love—that are universal to anyone.
Pros
Writing quality: vivid diction with great flow // Riveting action // Fascinating, gory details // Sensual undertone // Perfect amount of romance // Well-strategized mystery plot // World of Fae is magical and intriguing // Realistic contemporary Scottish setting
Cons
Starts off very slow // Sometimes writing turns bland // Not enough background on the villain, the blood faerie // While I am looking forward to the next book, the ending isn't a cliffhanger so I'm not dying to know what happens next
Verdict
The importance of an open mind and open heart are illuminated in India Drummond's magical, spirited Blood Faerie. Add a dangerous murderer to a faerie world, crush in a few cubes of romance and stir in a little bit of adventure—oh yes, and don't forget to top it off with an intense bloodbath of a fight!—and you've got the recipe for this fabulous urban fantasy read.
8 hearts: An engaging read; highly recommended. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
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