Realm of Lore and Lies: Fair Ones Book 1

Product Information

Same Ash, same. And talking about Aisling, welcome to this honest review of Realm of Lore and Lies, a book I had the opportunity to read as an advance copy. Talking about the characters I can’t talk about one of them, letting the others behind so, what can I say without spoiling you? That I loved them and I really need them happy and living their best life. Another thing I can say is #leaveMaebhbehappy please, this girl has been through a lot; also I can say that I loved that Ash fangirled with ancient symbols, and I’ve never been so identified with a character, in terms of their love for the past, like I was with Ash. And of course, I can’t forget that Tiernan is so smart, I love how clever he is, and also how cute Setanta is, I mean he could kill me, but I think he is like a big teddy bear ready to kill. I immediately fell in love with this book because for one of the first times a book, based in Ireland, with Irish mythos and Irish culture was written by an IRISH PERSON! And it's not cringe-worthy because Claire obviously knows what she's writing about.

Going into this book, I already knew I'd be biased towards liking it just because of it's location and the fact that it was high fantasy. However, since it's a debut novel from this author, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. It had absolutely everything that I require from a fantasy novel! 10/10 recommend. An amazing start to a series and a great debut for the author. It ended with me feeling exactly as I should've: overwhelmed with many questions, predictions, and wanting to know what happens next. There's a lot of world building, different species of fae and other mythical creatures, a pronunciation guide at the end (which I really appreciated), and many familiar and unfamiliar legends. I simply cannot talk about the characters without wanting to get into spoilers so just know that at the end, the author made me laugh, cry, and root for each main one! Aisling, Tiernan, and Set were my absolute favorite characters! The levels of sympathy I have for them is off the charts, and that's all I'll say on that. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read the arc of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Maebh? She is THE ICON, THE MOMENT. She is the reason why I loved that this was a multi POV book. She uses her easy going, care free, bad b*tch attitude as a shield to hide how she really is and it makes me wanna give her the biggest hug. IF anyone deserves a HEA it is her!

Advance Praise

A murder leaves Aisling motherless, thrusting her into the position of matriarch in a world she thought she'd never return to. Teaming up with an unlikely band of allies for a competition steeped in peril, she can't resist the distraction warrior Setanta offers. Brooding, gorgeous and impossibly strong, he gives her a chance to be something she never could before-herself.

There are romantic subplots in this story that I think are appropriate for the YA genre! I’m interested to see what directions things go in as the plot continues. Now, what I think is the strongest point of this book, the characters, this story follows multiple points of view, and every single one of them was really good, but my favorite was Ash’s POV. But the four of them were fascinating. I love that every one of the four main characters, Ash, Set, Maebh, and Tier; had their own adventure and space to grow through the story, to feel their fears and to make their own choices.The characters are well developed and relatable! I found myself cheering Maebh on and my heart hurting for her simultaneously! Aisling is so complex and I can’t wait for us to continue to get to know her character and dive deeper into her complex relationships with her heritage and commitments and her perspectives after spending 7 years among modern society. I need to know more of Conor’s story. My heart breaks for him and his journey and experiences.

Bonded by troubled pasts and deadly circumstances, the team of misfits must face damaging truths as they try to stop their worlds from colliding.’ While I thought the beginning was a little slow getting to know all the characters, the writing is excellent and it was really enjoyable and easy to read. The murder mystery plot was excellent and we get politics, adventure, and plot twists along the way. Realm of Lore and Lies is phenomenal and I’d definitely recommend it! I loved all the culture and lore and really found the world building to be so rich and beautifully written. The twists and turns and secrets were perfect and I honestly can’t wait for the next book in the series.Setanta McQuillan - Set - Maebh’s twin brother who is part human, part monster. Think the Hulk but fae-style. Experimented and doted on by his mother as the favorite of her two children. Nothing is ever as it seems, especially when Fair Ones are involved. In a land that harbours two realms, magical creatures and dangerous games are a way of life and death for the travelling Fianna clans. It is an honour to visit Tir na nOg, even if the price is pretending Fair Ones don’t hunt humans for sport. Ireland native Aisling never imagined she’d be alone, living a double life. But when your family shares the ability to see through Fae glamour, keeping secrets isn’t something you do for fun. You do it to stay alive. A murder leaves Aisling motherless, thrusting her into the position of matriarch in a world she thought she’d never return to. Teaming up with an unlikely band of allies for a competition steeped in peril, she can’t resist the distraction warrior Setanta offers. Brooding, gorgeous and impossibly strong, he gives her a chance to be something she never could before–herself. Bonded by troubled pasts and deadly circumstances, the team of misfits must face damaging truths as they try to stop their worlds from colliding. Realm of Lore and Lies (Fair Ones, #1) by Claire Wright – eBook Details I've read a lot of fae-related books this year, but I found this story to be incredibly refreshing because it wasn't the romantasy story I expected. Instead, the book delivers a mystery-filled adventure story, steeped in Irish lore. The world building was so realistic and well written, I feel like I could travel to the faerie realm if I were in Ireland. And the Irish mythology was magical! I loved the clan politics, it’s so different than anything I’ve read before.