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Stariel #4
The King of Faerie
The fae are real, and Hetta Valstar is trying her best to marry one.
If Hetta and Wyn ever manage to marry, it will be the first union between Faerie and Mortal since the Iron Law was revoked. The mortal Queen has given them her blessing—sort of. Now, Wyn needs permission from the fae High King. There’s an intensely personal reason why they need to tie the knot as soon as possible, and time is not on their side.
The clock is ticking. Except in Wyn’s home court, which is trapped under magical stasis. To break the spell will mean venturing into the deepest realms of Faerie, where even fae princes—and definitely human lords—fear to tread.
Unfortunately, the fae problems aren’t limited to Faerie.
Public tension is rising, and the reveal of Wyn’s true identity makes him and Hetta the centre of the storm. On top of this, Stariel’s magic is going haywire, and Hetta is struggling with her intensifying powers—and she might not be the only one affected.
The High King might be the only one who can help, since he’s responsible for the fae returning to the Mortal Realm in the first place.
If only they knew where he was.
If Hetta and Wyn ever manage to marry, it will be the first union between Faerie and Mortal since the Iron Law was revoked. The mortal Queen has given them her blessing—sort of. Now, Wyn needs permission from the fae High King. There’s an intensely personal reason why they need to tie the knot as soon as possible, and time is not on their side.
The clock is ticking. Except in Wyn’s home court, which is trapped under magical stasis. To break the spell will mean venturing into the deepest realms of Faerie, where even fae princes—and definitely human lords—fear to tread.
Unfortunately, the fae problems aren’t limited to Faerie.
Public tension is rising, and the reveal of Wyn’s true identity makes him and Hetta the centre of the storm. On top of this, Stariel’s magic is going haywire, and Hetta is struggling with her intensifying powers—and she might not be the only one affected.
The High King might be the only one who can help, since he’s responsible for the fae returning to the Mortal Realm in the first place.
If only they knew where he was.
550 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2021
310 people are currently reading
1748 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Lancaster
10 books622 followersAJ Lancaster lives in New Zealand and writes romantic, whimsical fantasy in a house containing two ridiculous cats and many plants.
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July 20, 2021
Okay, this was fantastic and wonderful and even though it was 550-something pages I still want another 100 or 1000 more of my favorites. This was the perfect end* of the quartet, and I'm so, so happy.
The Lord of Stariel was one of my surprise favorites, and the Stariel quartet has continued to surprise and enthrall me with each installation. I loved the twists and turns, even when I saw them coming, and I loved the characters and setting and Stariel itself.
*there is going to be a *technical* book five, with Marius and Rakken and murder and mayhem. But Hetta and Wyn's storyline is set.
I received this ARC from the author for an honest review
The Lord of Stariel was one of my surprise favorites, and the Stariel quartet has continued to surprise and enthrall me with each installation. I loved the twists and turns, even when I saw them coming, and I loved the characters and setting and Stariel itself.
*there is going to be a *technical* book five, with Marius and Rakken and murder and mayhem. But Hetta and Wyn's storyline is set.
I received this ARC from the author for an honest review
August 13, 2021
This review will contain spoilers for the first three books of the series.
I had new glasses on when I started reading The King of Faerie, and it has been a while, so my head was killing me. Did I stop reading? Noo. That’s just how much I anticipated this book, and how much I enjoyed the experience of reading it.
The Court of Mortals ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, so it was such a joy to get back to the story. Wyn and Hetta are still trying to figure out a way to get married, with one additional source of pressure: Hetta is pregnant out of wedlock (gasp!). Beyond the scandal that could further threaten her status as Lord of Stariel, her child is half-Fae and half-human and their life is in danger unless the bond between their parents is secured.
I’d described this series as a mix between Downton Abbey and adult!The Cruel Prince before, and this new book is no exception. There’s something utterly charming about the mundane troubles of running an estate, while trying to figure out a way to safely lift a curse from a fae land (utterly charming but utterly stressful for the protagonists, I should guess).
I love Hetta and Wyn’s relationship. I am a romance reader first and foremost and I have a weak spot for established relationships. These two are a team, working together towards a common goal, respecting each other and trying to make each other’s lives easier, happier. It’s just so sweet and wholesome, how they care for each other but with a sense of trust and healthy boundaries.
And it’s good that Hetta is here, because Wyn isn’t having an easy time in this book. Suppressing his true nature, denying his fae powers for so long isn’t without consequences, and he’s paying for them in King of Faerie. It’s a reckoning – and it makes perfect sense for his character arc.
The King of Faerie was supposed to be the last book of the series – and it is, in a way, since Wyn and Hetta’s arc is finished. But we are getting a book featuring Marius, which will no doubt include Rakken. Those two…Well, Rake steal every scene he’s in (there’s a scene he has with Hetta that had me in stitches) so his book is bound to be very interesting. Marius and Rakken’s relationship evolved in The King of Faerie and it definitely needs more space. I am eagerly anticipating this new story.
There’s a lot going on in this story, and I very much enjoyed how AJ Lancaster mixed the private and intimate (Hetta and Wyn’s story) with a more global approach to the consequences of their relationship. Fae are back into the mortal realms and it’s disruptive, to say the least…
This series fills me with contentment. It’s the epitome of feel-good. It has enough action to keep readers on their toes, politics (both fae and human), enchanting worldbuilding (The King of Faerie had a quest-like storyline taking us into the deepest, strangest parts of faerie), two delicious romantic subplots, and writing laced with the kind of wry humor that makes it so damn readable (yes even through a new-glasses induced headache).
I am absolutely in love with this series, and if you haven’t read it yet, a) what are you doing, reading a review for the last book??? and b) do yourself a favor and pick it up asap!
I had new glasses on when I started reading The King of Faerie, and it has been a while, so my head was killing me. Did I stop reading? Noo. That’s just how much I anticipated this book, and how much I enjoyed the experience of reading it.
The Court of Mortals ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, so it was such a joy to get back to the story. Wyn and Hetta are still trying to figure out a way to get married, with one additional source of pressure: Hetta is pregnant out of wedlock (gasp!). Beyond the scandal that could further threaten her status as Lord of Stariel, her child is half-Fae and half-human and their life is in danger unless the bond between their parents is secured.
I’d described this series as a mix between Downton Abbey and adult!The Cruel Prince before, and this new book is no exception. There’s something utterly charming about the mundane troubles of running an estate, while trying to figure out a way to safely lift a curse from a fae land (utterly charming but utterly stressful for the protagonists, I should guess).
I love Hetta and Wyn’s relationship. I am a romance reader first and foremost and I have a weak spot for established relationships. These two are a team, working together towards a common goal, respecting each other and trying to make each other’s lives easier, happier. It’s just so sweet and wholesome, how they care for each other but with a sense of trust and healthy boundaries.
And it’s good that Hetta is here, because Wyn isn’t having an easy time in this book. Suppressing his true nature, denying his fae powers for so long isn’t without consequences, and he’s paying for them in King of Faerie. It’s a reckoning – and it makes perfect sense for his character arc.
The King of Faerie was supposed to be the last book of the series – and it is, in a way, since Wyn and Hetta’s arc is finished. But we are getting a book featuring Marius, which will no doubt include Rakken. Those two…Well, Rake steal every scene he’s in (there’s a scene he has with Hetta that had me in stitches) so his book is bound to be very interesting. Marius and Rakken’s relationship evolved in The King of Faerie and it definitely needs more space. I am eagerly anticipating this new story.
There’s a lot going on in this story, and I very much enjoyed how AJ Lancaster mixed the private and intimate (Hetta and Wyn’s story) with a more global approach to the consequences of their relationship. Fae are back into the mortal realms and it’s disruptive, to say the least…
This series fills me with contentment. It’s the epitome of feel-good. It has enough action to keep readers on their toes, politics (both fae and human), enchanting worldbuilding (The King of Faerie had a quest-like storyline taking us into the deepest, strangest parts of faerie), two delicious romantic subplots, and writing laced with the kind of wry humor that makes it so damn readable (yes even through a new-glasses induced headache).
I am absolutely in love with this series, and if you haven’t read it yet, a) what are you doing, reading a review for the last book??? and b) do yourself a favor and pick it up asap!
July 9, 2022
it just. Wouldn’t. END.
January 5, 2023
I discovered this series a few years ago, via Netgalley, and it was a huge « coup de cœur » as we say in French (I never found any translation in English; a read that one have loved and which intimately touched their heart 3>). I thank the author for her trust, as she has since send me an ARC of each sequel, as this fourth and last installment of the series!
As usual, I treated myself with a rereading of the first books before beginning « The king of faerie », but it won’t be necessary if you don’t feel like it: the author takes pains to re introduce, lightly and neatly, all the facts the reader should know about.
If you’re looking after a short review of the book, you may be assured that if you loved the first books you’ll very probably be enthusiastic about this one, which does beautifully its job as a sequel and also as the ending of the series. The only frustration you may have would be about wanting to read more about many secondary characters, especially Marius – but be reassured, the author has written a spin-off about him! (Which is as delightful as the main series)
I really loved the generosity of this book: adventures, mysteries’ revelations, characters development and the pleasure of meeting again many characters, while getting to know some others. I loved how the author have found an elegant solution for each difficulty she sowed along the series, and how she dealt with the prolongation of the love story, which is always tricky. One of her strong points, for the reader I am, is to never give in to easy options, to stereotypes. The characters’ feelings are never caricatural, but realistically in half-hearted tones. For instance Hetty doesn’t hate her treacherous neighbour; she finds rather difficult to overlay the new features of Win; her new responsibilities are not this easy to manage, even if she’s clearly up to them. Behind the entertaining and fascinating story there always are considerations about how a real person would think and behave in such situations, which gave the whole a sense of truthfulness, instead of being just another story following the usual ways of literary tropes.
A wonderful series in which I’ll be happy to dive again, for any spin off and for many rereadings!
As usual, I treated myself with a rereading of the first books before beginning « The king of faerie », but it won’t be necessary if you don’t feel like it: the author takes pains to re introduce, lightly and neatly, all the facts the reader should know about.
If you’re looking after a short review of the book, you may be assured that if you loved the first books you’ll very probably be enthusiastic about this one, which does beautifully its job as a sequel and also as the ending of the series. The only frustration you may have would be about wanting to read more about many secondary characters, especially Marius – but be reassured, the author has written a spin-off about him! (Which is as delightful as the main series)
I really loved the generosity of this book: adventures, mysteries’ revelations, characters development and the pleasure of meeting again many characters, while getting to know some others. I loved how the author have found an elegant solution for each difficulty she sowed along the series, and how she dealt with the prolongation of the love story, which is always tricky. One of her strong points, for the reader I am, is to never give in to easy options, to stereotypes. The characters’ feelings are never caricatural, but realistically in half-hearted tones. For instance Hetty doesn’t hate her treacherous neighbour; she finds rather difficult to overlay the new features of Win; her new responsibilities are not this easy to manage, even if she’s clearly up to them. Behind the entertaining and fascinating story there always are considerations about how a real person would think and behave in such situations, which gave the whole a sense of truthfulness, instead of being just another story following the usual ways of literary tropes.
A wonderful series in which I’ll be happy to dive again, for any spin off and for many rereadings!
September 14, 2021
2.5 stars
I didn't like this story as much as I liked the first 3 books in the series. This book was too long and not as tightly plotted as the previous installments. While I devoured the previous three in a few day, I could only read this one in small increments. In between, I read a bunch of other books. I'd have abandoned this novel altogether if I didn't read the previous books and desperately wanted to know how the overall plot arc ended.
I started this book caring about Hetta and Wyn, the protagonists of the first 3 novels, but this one added a couple more POV characters, which diluted the focus of the narrative. The story meandered almost aimlessly, jumping from head to head, and from location to location, which irritated me.
Furthermore, Hetta and Wyn have to deal with too many disasters, packed too closely together with no respite in sight, which lessened the impact of each 'disaster' considerably. My attention began wandering as wide as the plot-line.
It felt as if the author suddenly decided to up the stakes for her protagonists, but unfortunately, the switch from the intimate love story it had been from the book one towards a sweeping epic didn't quite work, except it lowered the overall quality. I felt cheated. After the first 3 books, I was in love with the story and its heroes. I expected something different: sweeter and less brutal. As it was, the characters became less alive than in the first 3 books. They are almost cartoonish here, their depth is gone, hence I developed an emotional distance from the story. I stopped caring.
Overall, a disappointing conclusion to the series.
Note: I'm still going to buy the next book from this writer. I'll give her one more chance. I hope the next book will read better, on par with the first 3.
I didn't like this story as much as I liked the first 3 books in the series. This book was too long and not as tightly plotted as the previous installments. While I devoured the previous three in a few day, I could only read this one in small increments. In between, I read a bunch of other books. I'd have abandoned this novel altogether if I didn't read the previous books and desperately wanted to know how the overall plot arc ended.
I started this book caring about Hetta and Wyn, the protagonists of the first 3 novels, but this one added a couple more POV characters, which diluted the focus of the narrative. The story meandered almost aimlessly, jumping from head to head, and from location to location, which irritated me.
Furthermore, Hetta and Wyn have to deal with too many disasters, packed too closely together with no respite in sight, which lessened the impact of each 'disaster' considerably. My attention began wandering as wide as the plot-line.
It felt as if the author suddenly decided to up the stakes for her protagonists, but unfortunately, the switch from the intimate love story it had been from the book one towards a sweeping epic didn't quite work, except it lowered the overall quality. I felt cheated. After the first 3 books, I was in love with the story and its heroes. I expected something different: sweeter and less brutal. As it was, the characters became less alive than in the first 3 books. They are almost cartoonish here, their depth is gone, hence I developed an emotional distance from the story. I stopped caring.
Overall, a disappointing conclusion to the series.
Note: I'm still going to buy the next book from this writer. I'll give her one more chance. I hope the next book will read better, on par with the first 3.
September 5, 2021
Magnificent conclusion to a clever, quirky fantasy series which is as much about domesticity and familial love as it is about grand, world-changing magic and politics.
July 22, 2021
— 15 July 2021 —
So wonderful, comforting and fun! Reading Stariel always feels like coming home ♥️
Full RTC.
— 23 July 2021 —
[Review for the series as a whole. Some spoilers for books 1 & 2]
I absolutely, unequivocally love this series. Stariel is so much fun, it is sweet and delightful, chock full of charm and a wry sense of humour.
The series has so many elements of my favourite comfort reads: fantasy, romance, a unique magic system, the whole vibe of a 19th century (ish) historical (ish), strong female characters, sweet male characters, found family AND fun sibling relationships (multiple sets!), all that, and happy endings 🙂
I like almost every character in the series. (The ones I’m meant to like anyway.) Stariel has a large cast of characters, many of whom show up in all four books, and all of whom feel like individuals, none of whom are cliches. Hetta, our hero, is magnificent. She is a proper Strong Female Character ™ with agency and a no-nonsense attitude, strong, feminine and (even through her insecurities) she is self-assured in the most wonderful way.
Wyn is…adorable and charming and most of the time his internal monologue makes me want to hug him. He’s soft, gentle and Hetta and Wyn are a great foil for each other. The focus of Book 4 is Wyn’s personal and familial struggles, and we see both Hetta and Wyn coming into their power and an acceptance of it. They’re supportive of each other, and thanks to Hetta they don’t have hundreds of pages of not discussing their issues and communicating. This is a couple I can well believe will stay together a lifetime, growing and changing, and supporting each other as they do.
This is who Hetta is: she’s tired, worried, stressed, but her instinct is to dwell on how to fix things. I love this interaction between the two 🙂
And wthen there’s Wyn, gently charming all of the time. So adorable!
♥️
Marius and Rakken have a big role to play in the last two books, and their interactions (with each other and with their sibilings) are So. Much. Fun! We get to know Marius through the series, and I am thrilled that he’s going to get his own book. Poor Marius definitely deserves it! Rakken is fantastic, I love where his character arc is going, the more we see of his true self, the more I like him. Also, there’s this:
Like Hetta, I am also quite resigned to the fact that Rakken is sexy af 😉
Having said all this, my favourite thing about the series is Stariel itself. I love the world and the worldbuilding — this combination of Victorian-steampunk-but-fae-and-truly-unique is something I didn’t even know I needed, and now I can’t get enough of it. Throw in an overenthusiastic, overprotective sentient land (which, in my heads, is basically a husky pup who constantly wants to be pet) is so fucking adorable!
And, we finally get to spend some proper time in Faerie!
These books are not low on plot or action, but they’re not fast paced. We get a lot of dialogue, internal dialogue, worldbuilding, politics (both mortal and faerie) and strategising (both political and familial). We are in Wyn’s PoV as we understand him and watch him learn to understand and accept himself. We follow Hetta as she learns to communicate with Stariel and land agents, while occasionally railing against the patriarchy. We find ourselves in so many different PoV’s without being overwhelmed—fae, mortal, aristocrats and farmers.
AJ Lancaster doesn’t resort to cliches to take the easy way out. Things are not what you expect, and characters are not (for the most part) black and white. She shows you enough for you to empathise with heroes and would-be villains; and to cheer them on as they change and grow through the series
There is a lot going on, and it’s never boring. But this is not the series to read if you’re expecting fast paced action and adventure. This is a series to sink into and savour, to revel in, and to read for joy.
The King of Faerie is a joyful conclusion to the series. This is not a series you read for angst, this is a series whose flavour is sweet and a bit tart, without any hint of bitterness. It’s a big book, almost twice as long as Book 1. Book 1 had lots of plot threads that seemed to go nowhere, and it felt longer than it was. There is no such problem with Book 4. There was a lot of Rakken and Marius setup in this book, so it wasn’t perhaps as focused as books 2&3, but I am definitely not complaining.
If AJ Lancaster wants to send a few thousand pages of Stariel my way, I will happily take it and count my blessings.
[I received an ARC, but that has no bearing on my review.]
So wonderful, comforting and fun! Reading Stariel always feels like coming home ♥️
Full RTC.
— 23 July 2021 —
[Review for the series as a whole. Some spoilers for books 1 & 2]
I absolutely, unequivocally love this series. Stariel is so much fun, it is sweet and delightful, chock full of charm and a wry sense of humour.
The series has so many elements of my favourite comfort reads: fantasy, romance, a unique magic system, the whole vibe of a 19th century (ish) historical (ish), strong female characters, sweet male characters, found family AND fun sibling relationships (multiple sets!), all that, and happy endings 🙂
I like almost every character in the series. (The ones I’m meant to like anyway.) Stariel has a large cast of characters, many of whom show up in all four books, and all of whom feel like individuals, none of whom are cliches. Hetta, our hero, is magnificent. She is a proper Strong Female Character ™ with agency and a no-nonsense attitude, strong, feminine and (even through her insecurities) she is self-assured in the most wonderful way.
Wyn is…adorable and charming and most of the time his internal monologue makes me want to hug him. He’s soft, gentle and Hetta and Wyn are a great foil for each other. The focus of Book 4 is Wyn’s personal and familial struggles, and we see both Hetta and Wyn coming into their power and an acceptance of it. They’re supportive of each other, and thanks to Hetta they don’t have hundreds of pages of not discussing their issues and communicating. This is a couple I can well believe will stay together a lifetime, growing and changing, and supporting each other as they do.
This is who Hetta is: she’s tired, worried, stressed, but her instinct is to dwell on how to fix things. I love this interaction between the two 🙂
She shook her head. “[…] This isn’t your fault, Wyn, and you fretting over it isn’t going to solve anything.”
“Are you not worried?” She sighed against him. “Of course I am, but I’d rather not dwell on it right now. I’d rather dwell on how we’re going to fix it.”
And wthen there’s Wyn, gently charming all of the time. So adorable!
He smiled at the Valstars, and despite their astonishment, several smiled back. Wyn had a singularly charming smile.
♥️
Marius and Rakken have a big role to play in the last two books, and their interactions (with each other and with their sibilings) are So. Much. Fun! We get to know Marius through the series, and I am thrilled that he’s going to get his own book. Poor Marius definitely deserves it! Rakken is fantastic, I love where his character arc is going, the more we see of his true self, the more I like him. Also, there’s this:
She’d grown resigned to the fact that Rakken oozed sensuality in the same way pigs couldn’t help their stench. It was simply a mildly irritating fact of life, or possibly a character defect.
Like Hetta, I am also quite resigned to the fact that Rakken is sexy af 😉
Having said all this, my favourite thing about the series is Stariel itself. I love the world and the worldbuilding — this combination of Victorian-steampunk-but-fae-and-truly-unique is something I didn’t even know I needed, and now I can’t get enough of it. Throw in an overenthusiastic, overprotective sentient land (which, in my heads, is basically a husky pup who constantly wants to be pet) is so fucking adorable!
And, we finally get to spend some proper time in Faerie!
These books are not low on plot or action, but they’re not fast paced. We get a lot of dialogue, internal dialogue, worldbuilding, politics (both mortal and faerie) and strategising (both political and familial). We are in Wyn’s PoV as we understand him and watch him learn to understand and accept himself. We follow Hetta as she learns to communicate with Stariel and land agents, while occasionally railing against the patriarchy. We find ourselves in so many different PoV’s without being overwhelmed—fae, mortal, aristocrats and farmers.
AJ Lancaster doesn’t resort to cliches to take the easy way out. Things are not what you expect, and characters are not (for the most part) black and white. She shows you enough for you to empathise with heroes and would-be villains; and to cheer them on as they change and grow through the series
There is a lot going on, and it’s never boring. But this is not the series to read if you’re expecting fast paced action and adventure. This is a series to sink into and savour, to revel in, and to read for joy.
The King of Faerie is a joyful conclusion to the series. This is not a series you read for angst, this is a series whose flavour is sweet and a bit tart, without any hint of bitterness. It’s a big book, almost twice as long as Book 1. Book 1 had lots of plot threads that seemed to go nowhere, and it felt longer than it was. There is no such problem with Book 4. There was a lot of Rakken and Marius setup in this book, so it wasn’t perhaps as focused as books 2&3, but I am definitely not complaining.
If AJ Lancaster wants to send a few thousand pages of Stariel my way, I will happily take it and count my blessings.
[I received an ARC, but that has no bearing on my review.]
February 11, 2024
Although still enjoyable, this series definitely lost steam by the last book. Part of this for me was because of the audiobook narrator - the narrator for the first 3 books was brilliant and was part of the reason I kept going with the series. Unfortunately, the narrator in the 4th book couldn’t quite pull off the MMC or any of the male voices well, to the point I stopped this book part way through. It took a while to pick it back up again.
This book also seemed to take a turn into being less of a ‘cozy fantasy’ and more of your typical fantasy story. In creating a huge cast of characters, it lost a bit what made it low-stakes and charming in the beginning. While this would have been fine if it had started this way, it just didn’t stay consistent. It also had no reason being as long as it was - take out about 40% and you’d probably have the same story. Throughout most of the book, I struggled to stay invested in the MMC and FMC’s relationship. I’m also personally not a fan of the pregnancy trope in romance and could have done without that.
Still a good series overall if you want a light romantasy, but it didn’t quite stick the landing.
This book also seemed to take a turn into being less of a ‘cozy fantasy’ and more of your typical fantasy story. In creating a huge cast of characters, it lost a bit what made it low-stakes and charming in the beginning. While this would have been fine if it had started this way, it just didn’t stay consistent. It also had no reason being as long as it was - take out about 40% and you’d probably have the same story. Throughout most of the book, I struggled to stay invested in the MMC and FMC’s relationship. I’m also personally not a fan of the pregnancy trope in romance and could have done without that.
Still a good series overall if you want a light romantasy, but it didn’t quite stick the landing.
July 2, 2022
Pretty decent wrap up and AMAZING set up for the next book. Give it to me now!!
(That sounds confusing. The next book is listed as book 5, but it's going to be more like a spin off. So I see this book as the end of the series.)
(That sounds confusing. The next book is listed as book 5, but it's going to be more like a spin off. So I see this book as the end of the series.)
August 30, 2024
The Loch Ness Monster played a bigger role in this one than I anticipated.
July 21, 2021
A great series!
Like many readers, I was impatiently waiting for Stariel Quartet last volume, and I was very lucky to receive an ARC, thanks to AJ Lancaster.
I read (once again, these are favourites!) The Lord of Stariel, and The Prince of Secrets, and The Court of Mortals (beautiful books, with great covers), before I began The King of Faerie, and I took a great delight in the high quality writing, throughout the whole four volumes. The last volume is a long one, but I found it very hard to put down once I began it, and I spent two quite late nights reading in bed.
I really liked the enthralling story, the great creativity, main as well as minor characters’ very rewarding evolution (and don’t forget Stariel), the always there delightful sense of humour, and a quite fulfilling end, with a extremely satisfying wrapping up of Hetta and Wyn’s story. I am waiting now for my trade paperback edition. A great series!
What more could any reader want? Another Stariel story? But “Marius Valstar is getting a book!” was last AJ Lancaster’s announcement in her blog. Great news!
La série Stariel est une de mes préférées, une que je relis régulièrement, avec un plaisir toujours renouvelé. J’attendais avec beaucoup d’impatience la sortie du dernier tome, The King of Faerie, et j’ai eu l’immense plaisir de recevoir une ARC de la part de l’auteur (merci encore !).
Pour mieux apprécier encore ce dernier volume de la série, j’avais décidé de relire à la suite les trois premiers tomes (The Lord of Stariel, The Prince of Secrets, The Court of Mortals) avant d’aborder The King of Faerie. Quels beaux livres, aux couvertures si bien choisies dans leur unité comme dans leurs différences ! Cette relecture suivie m’a permis d’apprécier davantage encore la qualité de l’écriture, constante d’un bout à l’autre de la série. The King of Faerie est plus long (environ 150 pages de plus que le tome 3), mais j’ai eu beaucoup de mal à abandonner ma liseuse, et j’ai passé deux nuits fort courtes, toute à ma lecture, sans pouvoir m’éloigner d’Hetta et de Wyn.
L’intrigue, toujours aussi passionnante, m’a enthousiasmée, tout comme l’imaginaire foisonnant de l’auteure, l’évolution si satisfaisante des personnages, principaux et secondaires (sans oublier Stariel, un quasi-personnage), l’humour toujours aussi présent, et la délicatesse avec laquelle certaines situations sont évoquées. Enfin, j’ai particulièrement apprécié la résolution finale, profondément satisfaisante. J’ai hâte à présent de tenir en main la version papier. Quelle belle série, à recommander tout particulièrement !
Que pourrait demander de plus un amateur de belles histoires ? Une autre incursion dans Stariel ? Mais « Marius Valstar va lui aussi avoir son roman ! » vient d’annoncer tout dernièrement AJ Lancaster dans son blog. Quelle bonne nouvelle !
Like many readers, I was impatiently waiting for Stariel Quartet last volume, and I was very lucky to receive an ARC, thanks to AJ Lancaster.
I read (once again, these are favourites!) The Lord of Stariel, and The Prince of Secrets, and The Court of Mortals (beautiful books, with great covers), before I began The King of Faerie, and I took a great delight in the high quality writing, throughout the whole four volumes. The last volume is a long one, but I found it very hard to put down once I began it, and I spent two quite late nights reading in bed.
I really liked the enthralling story, the great creativity, main as well as minor characters’ very rewarding evolution (and don’t forget Stariel), the always there delightful sense of humour, and a quite fulfilling end, with a extremely satisfying wrapping up of Hetta and Wyn’s story. I am waiting now for my trade paperback edition. A great series!
What more could any reader want? Another Stariel story? But “Marius Valstar is getting a book!” was last AJ Lancaster’s announcement in her blog. Great news!
La série Stariel est une de mes préférées, une que je relis régulièrement, avec un plaisir toujours renouvelé. J’attendais avec beaucoup d’impatience la sortie du dernier tome, The King of Faerie, et j’ai eu l’immense plaisir de recevoir une ARC de la part de l’auteur (merci encore !).
Pour mieux apprécier encore ce dernier volume de la série, j’avais décidé de relire à la suite les trois premiers tomes (The Lord of Stariel, The Prince of Secrets, The Court of Mortals) avant d’aborder The King of Faerie. Quels beaux livres, aux couvertures si bien choisies dans leur unité comme dans leurs différences ! Cette relecture suivie m’a permis d’apprécier davantage encore la qualité de l’écriture, constante d’un bout à l’autre de la série. The King of Faerie est plus long (environ 150 pages de plus que le tome 3), mais j’ai eu beaucoup de mal à abandonner ma liseuse, et j’ai passé deux nuits fort courtes, toute à ma lecture, sans pouvoir m’éloigner d’Hetta et de Wyn.
L’intrigue, toujours aussi passionnante, m’a enthousiasmée, tout comme l’imaginaire foisonnant de l’auteure, l’évolution si satisfaisante des personnages, principaux et secondaires (sans oublier Stariel, un quasi-personnage), l’humour toujours aussi présent, et la délicatesse avec laquelle certaines situations sont évoquées. Enfin, j’ai particulièrement apprécié la résolution finale, profondément satisfaisante. J’ai hâte à présent de tenir en main la version papier. Quelle belle série, à recommander tout particulièrement !
Que pourrait demander de plus un amateur de belles histoires ? Une autre incursion dans Stariel ? Mais « Marius Valstar va lui aussi avoir son roman ! » vient d’annoncer tout dernièrement AJ Lancaster dans son blog. Quelle bonne nouvelle !
March 9, 2022
The "Stariel” series stirred up a nest of longing inside me, for old sprawling houses in need of a little TLC and green growing things. It's the novel equivalent of a warm blanket or cup of chai — a brilliantly crafted, smartly written, feel-good story with stellar characters and humor in spades.
In vivid and witty prose, AJ Lancaster writes of love in its many forms, and the book seems to hum with the force of it all. I've loved seeing Hetta and Wyn gain confidence and strength through these four books, and watching them hit their stride as a couple was nothing short of delightful. All the members of the Valstar and Tempestren families have such unique and multi-faceted personalities, and the sex positivity and LGBTQ rep in this series is outstanding <3
Overall, The King of Faerie gets 5/5 star(iel)s
In vivid and witty prose, AJ Lancaster writes of love in its many forms, and the book seems to hum with the force of it all. I've loved seeing Hetta and Wyn gain confidence and strength through these four books, and watching them hit their stride as a couple was nothing short of delightful. All the members of the Valstar and Tempestren families have such unique and multi-faceted personalities, and the sex positivity and LGBTQ rep in this series is outstanding <3
Overall, The King of Faerie gets 5/5 star(iel)s
June 4, 2024
4⭐️
I‘m a bit sad that Wyn and Hetta‘s story has come to an end, even though this book is so long and drags a bit in the first half. The whole wedding plot started in the last book and I‘m just annoyed at everyone who‘s scandalised (aka just plain everyone). Like I get it, it‘s set in a different time/world, but still. Everyone‘s just clutching their pearls. It took them forever to get their HEA and I was annoyed on their behalf.
I liked that Wyn started accepting his true self and it was a process that was done really well. Hetta was really supportive, despite the fact that this is strange for her as well. Overall they have such a solid relationship, despite everyone else, and I‘m glad they got their HEA.
Now. Onto Marius and Rake‘s book!! I‘m feral for their story, their chemistry is through the roof. Rake is such a scene stealer, but Marius has my heart.
I‘m a bit sad that Wyn and Hetta‘s story has come to an end, even though this book is so long and drags a bit in the first half. The whole wedding plot started in the last book and I‘m just annoyed at everyone who‘s scandalised (aka just plain everyone). Like I get it, it‘s set in a different time/world, but still. Everyone‘s just clutching their pearls. It took them forever to get their HEA and I was annoyed on their behalf.
I liked that Wyn started accepting his true self and it was a process that was done really well. Hetta was really supportive, despite the fact that this is strange for her as well. Overall they have such a solid relationship, despite everyone else, and I‘m glad they got their HEA.
Now. Onto Marius and Rake‘s book!! I‘m feral for their story, their chemistry is through the roof. Rake is such a scene stealer, but Marius has my heart.
February 27, 2023
I think this might be the best book in the series yet!!! I loved getting to actually visit Faerie, learn more about the land and the people within it, and explore Wyn and his family’s backstory. I also loved all the Hetta/Wyn interactions in this one, which managed to feel fresh even though we’ve already been through three books with them.
July 22, 2021
Jeanette Winterson famously said that “the world of the book is a total world and in a total world we fall in love.” Such a sentiment is the perfect way to describe the world that AJ Lancaster has created in her Stariel series, of which the 4th installment, The King of Faerie, will be released on July 25th. This is a world close enough to our own to tug at our recognition (women almost seen as equal, but not quite, double standards for urban sophistication and rural knowledge, as just two such examples) but fantastic enough to stir our imaginations (magic fueling the boiler, for instance). In books 1-3 (The Lord of Stariel, The Prince of Secrets, and The Court of Mortals), Lancaster has established the relationship between the realms of Mortal and Faerie and how magic connects the two and revealed the presence of the Fae in the realm of Mortal, in the person of Hallowyn Tempestren, prince of Ten Thousand Spires and Hetta Valstar’s true love. As readers, we have been drawn in to both their relationship as well as their exploration of roles in Mortal and Faerie, and how their magic compliments each other. This all takes place in Mortal, though, and this is where King departs.
In The King of Faerie, the reader finally journeys to the dreamlike realm of Faerie through a scene reminiscent of Alice’s rabbit hole. Dreamlike and terrifying, powerful and intuitive, Faerie becomes its own character in this installment. The King of Faerie’s shape shifting, gender bending qualities are finally explained (no spoilers in this review), and the source of Hetta’s and Stariel’s magic is explored. This world is rendered in painterly language that sets the reader’s imaginations turning (a library surrounded by an ocean, but which isn’t underwater) to the limitations of physics and the ways that magic can ignore or maybe expand such limitations. What makes this 4th installment so complete, though, isn’t the plot points it clarifies from the cliffhangers of the previous installments or even the surreal settings. Instead, what makes it a fitting culmination for the series (Lancaster has said that there will be spinoffs, but that this is the final installment) is that each of the characters comes to some form of self-knowledge of their place in the world, a type of personal epiphany of their own rightness in Mortal as Fae or Fae descended. Hetta’s willingness to accept all the power that Stariel can provide is handled with the sensitivity that all mothers feel when they try and separate out the sacrifices inherent in either losing themselves to their role or forcing their own needs before their child’s. Wyn’s choice to remain in mortal was the worry at the end of Court, and his peace with this decision is rendered in a nuanced and intricate scene where the reader is left not with the romantic version of “I will leave everything for you, Hetta,” but rather the much more realistic, “We all make sacrifices for those we love, and we live with those sacrifices daily.” Both Hetta and Wynn conclude this 4th installment as fully realized characters who struggle like we all do, who find love and companionship amidst the same choices and compromises we all do, and who happen to have magic and Fae as a complication along the way.
At it’s heart, the Stariel series is a fantastic exploration of the “outsider,” which offers those of us who have never “fit the mold” the opportunity to see our place as both powerful and magical. And what reader doesn’t want to see in Hetta and Wyn’s love story and the shenanigans (Lancaster’s word) that play out along the way, a roadmap for the best sort of relationship, the kind that is self-determined rather than socially determined, and one to last throughout the ages.
In The King of Faerie, the reader finally journeys to the dreamlike realm of Faerie through a scene reminiscent of Alice’s rabbit hole. Dreamlike and terrifying, powerful and intuitive, Faerie becomes its own character in this installment. The King of Faerie’s shape shifting, gender bending qualities are finally explained (no spoilers in this review), and the source of Hetta’s and Stariel’s magic is explored. This world is rendered in painterly language that sets the reader’s imaginations turning (a library surrounded by an ocean, but which isn’t underwater) to the limitations of physics and the ways that magic can ignore or maybe expand such limitations. What makes this 4th installment so complete, though, isn’t the plot points it clarifies from the cliffhangers of the previous installments or even the surreal settings. Instead, what makes it a fitting culmination for the series (Lancaster has said that there will be spinoffs, but that this is the final installment) is that each of the characters comes to some form of self-knowledge of their place in the world, a type of personal epiphany of their own rightness in Mortal as Fae or Fae descended. Hetta’s willingness to accept all the power that Stariel can provide is handled with the sensitivity that all mothers feel when they try and separate out the sacrifices inherent in either losing themselves to their role or forcing their own needs before their child’s. Wyn’s choice to remain in mortal was the worry at the end of Court, and his peace with this decision is rendered in a nuanced and intricate scene where the reader is left not with the romantic version of “I will leave everything for you, Hetta,” but rather the much more realistic, “We all make sacrifices for those we love, and we live with those sacrifices daily.” Both Hetta and Wynn conclude this 4th installment as fully realized characters who struggle like we all do, who find love and companionship amidst the same choices and compromises we all do, and who happen to have magic and Fae as a complication along the way.
At it’s heart, the Stariel series is a fantastic exploration of the “outsider,” which offers those of us who have never “fit the mold” the opportunity to see our place as both powerful and magical. And what reader doesn’t want to see in Hetta and Wyn’s love story and the shenanigans (Lancaster’s word) that play out along the way, a roadmap for the best sort of relationship, the kind that is self-determined rather than socially determined, and one to last throughout the ages.
December 19, 2021
This has been a total "squee of delight" series for me and The King of Faerie was no exception. I found myself purposefully slowing down my reading because I didn't want it to end, always a sign that I've truly loved a book. Quick, possibly incoherent thoughts:
- I love the realism of character in this series. Everybody has shades of grey, there are no pure goodies or pure badies and even Hetta and Wyn both have weaknesses and flaws.
- The family dynamics are just excellently done
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- Once again, the secondary characters throughout this series are a pure delight and all of them so well built out. Marius, Rakken, Catsmere, Jack, Angus, Irokoi, the DuskRose fae, Alexandra, Aunt Sybil. . .. the list goes on and on, all of them were special in their own way and this was one of those rare series where even though it feels happily complete at the end of book 4, I want to just shout MORE at AJ Lancaster until everybody gets there own spin-off
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- Stariel is still in my head heavily reminiscent of an NZ high country station (I think it's all the references to sheep and mountains?) and that continues to make my heart happy
The King of Faerie will easily rank in my top books of the year, as will the entire series, and I am officially going to be in line for anything AJ Lancaster choses to write next.
- I love the realism of character in this series. Everybody has shades of grey, there are no pure goodies or pure badies and even Hetta and Wyn both have weaknesses and flaws.
- The family dynamics are just excellently done
-
- Once again, the secondary characters throughout this series are a pure delight and all of them so well built out. Marius, Rakken, Catsmere, Jack, Angus, Irokoi, the DuskRose fae, Alexandra, Aunt Sybil. . .. the list goes on and on, all of them were special in their own way and this was one of those rare series where even though it feels happily complete at the end of book 4, I want to just shout MORE at AJ Lancaster until everybody gets there own spin-off
-
- Stariel is still in my head heavily reminiscent of an NZ high country station (I think it's all the references to sheep and mountains?) and that continues to make my heart happy
The King of Faerie will easily rank in my top books of the year, as will the entire series, and I am officially going to be in line for anything AJ Lancaster choses to write next.
July 18, 2021
Nothing short of amazing.
I knew it would be tense but I had no idea how much! Hetta, Wyn and their new challenges were great and heartbreaking to it. I was rather surprised (and pleased) to see that Wyn's old world does hold a grip of his heart, to some extent. I thought it was rather sad that he could only hate or at least dislike everything about it, save for his mother and SOME of his siblings.
Speaking of siblings... they were an interesting bunch, for sure! Irokoi, with his constant surprises, Cat who is a force unto her own... And the great surprise, of course. Wyn has certainly foisted an interesting family on Hetta!
But the game of politics in the mortal world are no less fascinatiing. I found myself admiring Queen Matilda and being intrigued by a certain earl - I sure hope we get to see him in March 2022!
Marius' story was very interesting but incomplete to me. I'm beyond thrilled that he's getting a book of his own - I do hope the Prince of Plants (hehe, I couldn't resist, given their plot in Book 4) is the one I think he is! I am drawn to him as well. He isn't as unfeeling as he wants to project. AND I want to know why the Crown Prince of DuskRose died. It isn't fair to be left with a cliffhanger!
I do hope we see more of the secondary characters from both faelands and Stariel through Marius' eyes. They are deserving of making more appearances.
All in all, a wonderful book.
I knew it would be tense but I had no idea how much! Hetta, Wyn and their new challenges were great and heartbreaking to it. I was rather surprised (and pleased) to see that Wyn's old world does hold a grip of his heart, to some extent. I thought it was rather sad that he could only hate or at least dislike everything about it, save for his mother and SOME of his siblings.
Speaking of siblings... they were an interesting bunch, for sure! Irokoi, with his constant surprises, Cat who is a force unto her own... And the great surprise, of course. Wyn has certainly foisted an interesting family on Hetta!
But the game of politics in the mortal world are no less fascinatiing. I found myself admiring Queen Matilda and being intrigued by a certain earl - I sure hope we get to see him in March 2022!
Marius' story was very interesting but incomplete to me. I'm beyond thrilled that he's getting a book of his own - I do hope the Prince of Plants (hehe, I couldn't resist, given their plot in Book 4) is the one I think he is! I am drawn to him as well. He isn't as unfeeling as he wants to project. AND I want to know why the Crown Prince of DuskRose died. It isn't fair to be left with a cliffhanger!
I do hope we see more of the secondary characters from both faelands and Stariel through Marius' eyes. They are deserving of making more appearances.
All in all, a wonderful book.
June 17, 2022
I think the series was like a fantasy version of a bloody telenovela. There is no rest for the drama and unfortunate situations. I felt anxious to finish it and get it over with. Its that feeling where you are interested, not necessarily enjoying the ride, but you will always be wondering about what happened and the ins and outs of it all if you left it.
It was well done but it wasn't balanced enough for me. Granted my real life is a bit unbalanced at the moment too, so I might be projecting, but I think the constant revival of new dramatics and revelations and pressures for both Hetta and Wyn to deal with, on what felt was a daily basis, got too much for me. And this last book was loooooong..in the way the other three didnt feel..maybe because of the abrupt cliffhangers.
The characters, the magic, the intersecting worlds, the situations were all interesting. But I found the overarching morality quite confused. It meant that people who did grievously harmful things to the family were let off the hook in wishy washy or vague ways (like John Tidwell and his actions towards Marius or Penharrow and his machinations against the Stariel estate).
Also I really wanted to get to know more of Hetta's family. It felt like a lot of new characters were introduced to the plot, which while seeming necessary, pushed out other smaller characters.
Oh and the constant drama which led to Hetta and Wyn become annoyingly like the angsty lovers with them against the world...urgh. I cant take that crap constantly. And bloody hell..really if you're going to play around and get pregnant, WHY be worried about the whole reputation thing..
I wouldn't let these things they let get in the way of getting married...
I dont really agree with the moralistic views in this book in general because there is no particular cohesion to them.
So I mean it was a solid hook line sinker series as a whole for a fantasy, family drama etc but if you get easily annoyed by imbalance of plot or drama then stay away.
But I mean..I still liked the story and the new complications? Just...Maybe a bit less jarring rollercoaster ridey.
It was well done but it wasn't balanced enough for me. Granted my real life is a bit unbalanced at the moment too, so I might be projecting, but I think the constant revival of new dramatics and revelations and pressures for both Hetta and Wyn to deal with, on what felt was a daily basis, got too much for me. And this last book was loooooong..in the way the other three didnt feel..maybe because of the abrupt cliffhangers.
The characters, the magic, the intersecting worlds, the situations were all interesting. But I found the overarching morality quite confused. It meant that people who did grievously harmful things to the family were let off the hook in wishy washy or vague ways (like John Tidwell and his actions towards Marius or Penharrow and his machinations against the Stariel estate).
Also I really wanted to get to know more of Hetta's family. It felt like a lot of new characters were introduced to the plot, which while seeming necessary, pushed out other smaller characters.
Oh and the constant drama which led to Hetta and Wyn become annoyingly like the angsty lovers with them against the world...urgh. I cant take that crap constantly. And bloody hell..really if you're going to play around and get pregnant, WHY be worried about the whole reputation thing..
I wouldn't let these things they let get in the way of getting married...
I dont really agree with the moralistic views in this book in general because there is no particular cohesion to them.
So I mean it was a solid hook line sinker series as a whole for a fantasy, family drama etc but if you get easily annoyed by imbalance of plot or drama then stay away.
But I mean..I still liked the story and the new complications? Just...Maybe a bit less jarring rollercoaster ridey.
October 5, 2022
A.J. Lancaster is a great writer and I will definitely read more of her books, but I had a couple of issues with this one.
I devoured the first three books in this series and loved the audiobooks. When this came out on Kindle I immediately bought it and started it. But I had, for the first time, difficulty getting into the book. There was so much going on, too many switches of POV, too much internal monologing, and too much melodrama. I put it down. Recently I bought the audiobook in an Audible sale and tried again. First, while Fiona Hardingham is a very good narrator, she isn't quite as good as Finty Williams was. Ms. Hardingham had excellent character voices, but a rather flat delivery at times. Still, Ms. Hardingham's narration isn't the problem with the book (she good and I would listen to her again), the problem is it should have been 100 pages shorter.
I'm giving it a B because Lancaster writes beautifully and a lot of the book was interesting and engaging. But I found myself fast-forwarding through some rambling descriptions and internal monologues because they added nothing.
I'm looking forward to Marius's book, and I hope it will be less wordy and more like the first three books.
I devoured the first three books in this series and loved the audiobooks. When this came out on Kindle I immediately bought it and started it. But I had, for the first time, difficulty getting into the book. There was so much going on, too many switches of POV, too much internal monologing, and too much melodrama. I put it down. Recently I bought the audiobook in an Audible sale and tried again. First, while Fiona Hardingham is a very good narrator, she isn't quite as good as Finty Williams was. Ms. Hardingham had excellent character voices, but a rather flat delivery at times. Still, Ms. Hardingham's narration isn't the problem with the book (she good and I would listen to her again), the problem is it should have been 100 pages shorter.
I'm giving it a B because Lancaster writes beautifully and a lot of the book was interesting and engaging. But I found myself fast-forwarding through some rambling descriptions and internal monologues because they added nothing.
I'm looking forward to Marius's book, and I hope it will be less wordy and more like the first three books.
June 2, 2025
4.5 stars!!
Finishing this was kinda surreal, cause i’ve been so invested and it’s also 12AM
But really, considering how much fae and hot men are overdone in the fantasy/romantasy genre, this was such a good story with an actual “i can get behind this!!!” MMC
AND FMC
Like both of them were so charming and witty, having their own personalities but also having the sweetest bond
I liked the story a lot in this, it felt much different than a regular fae story
Like yeah the fae are kinda hot or whatever but this was political and intriguing!! Like hell yeah!!
Sometimes fantasy series can just get to be too much smut and romance, and this had more of a plot based style but I love how romance is a plot point but it’s not heavily overdone
Also the other characters tied it together too, it made it so much more fun and interesting to read about, knowing you can get a sense of what family is like with two different perspectives: mortal and fae
I also loved Marius and Rake’s relationship, while hot and cold, was kinda cute
I really enjoyed this series!! It had much higher stakes than anticipated and I loved that :3
Finishing this was kinda surreal, cause i’ve been so invested and it’s also 12AM
But really, considering how much fae and hot men are overdone in the fantasy/romantasy genre, this was such a good story with an actual “i can get behind this!!!” MMC
AND FMC
Like both of them were so charming and witty, having their own personalities but also having the sweetest bond
I liked the story a lot in this, it felt much different than a regular fae story
Like yeah the fae are kinda hot or whatever but this was political and intriguing!! Like hell yeah!!
Sometimes fantasy series can just get to be too much smut and romance, and this had more of a plot based style but I love how romance is a plot point but it’s not heavily overdone
Also the other characters tied it together too, it made it so much more fun and interesting to read about, knowing you can get a sense of what family is like with two different perspectives: mortal and fae
I also loved Marius and Rake’s relationship, while hot and cold, was kinda cute
I really enjoyed this series!! It had much higher stakes than anticipated and I loved that :3
April 16, 2025
This is okay. I wasn’t all that motivated to start this book but I really want to read Marius and Rake’s book at some point.
I do like the characters though and that is what keeps me going. The plot isn’t bad, it just drags a bit. And I do enjoy the audio. It is a comfortable listen.
I do like the characters though and that is what keeps me going. The plot isn’t bad, it just drags a bit. And I do enjoy the audio. It is a comfortable listen.
November 27, 2021
What a wonderful ending to the story <3
December 18, 2022
A very nice end to a fun series. Enjoyed the characters and plot! A little predictable at points but not in a bad way
April 28, 2022
I was going to say that in the year of our lord 2022 can there please be an emotional arc for a gay character other than shame and fear, BUT looks like there’s an upcoming book just for him so I have hope she’ll make up for it
July 6, 2021
My only complaint - that I couldn’t stop reading.
I was awake until 3:00am reading this book and I regret nothing! So much happens in it: repercussions and family revelations, unexpected (though not unwanted) obstacles and challenging social mores; the path before Hetta and Wyn is certainly not a smooth one. And I am happy to say that with so many wonderful and dynamic characters, theirs is not the only story being told. Marius features quite a bit in this book. He has always been one of my favorites and has only grown more so. Another is Stariel itself, and though Hetta we come to know it even better. Also, there is no lack of curious and beautiful creatures to found in the form of the lesser and wyldfae. The mixture of the mundane and the fantastical is another aspect I greatly enjoy this world which is in its own way very real, and its people are in turns frustrating and endearing, with multifaceted personalities of their own. Simply put, I love the way these books are written.
Sadly, when I started this book, I realized that I have been completely remiss in writing reviews for this series, which is something I plan to rectify. It is an immensely enjoyable series and King of Faerie brings a very satisfying end to Hetta and Wyn’s story, though thankfully not to the series as a whole as I was extremely glad to learn in the author’s ending notes.
I did receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Though to be fair, I had already preordered it beforehand.
I was awake until 3:00am reading this book and I regret nothing! So much happens in it: repercussions and family revelations, unexpected (though not unwanted) obstacles and challenging social mores; the path before Hetta and Wyn is certainly not a smooth one. And I am happy to say that with so many wonderful and dynamic characters, theirs is not the only story being told. Marius features quite a bit in this book. He has always been one of my favorites and has only grown more so. Another is Stariel itself, and though Hetta we come to know it even better. Also, there is no lack of curious and beautiful creatures to found in the form of the lesser and wyldfae. The mixture of the mundane and the fantastical is another aspect I greatly enjoy this world which is in its own way very real, and its people are in turns frustrating and endearing, with multifaceted personalities of their own. Simply put, I love the way these books are written.
Sadly, when I started this book, I realized that I have been completely remiss in writing reviews for this series, which is something I plan to rectify. It is an immensely enjoyable series and King of Faerie brings a very satisfying end to Hetta and Wyn’s story, though thankfully not to the series as a whole as I was extremely glad to learn in the author’s ending notes.
I did receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Though to be fair, I had already preordered it beforehand.
July 27, 2021
I loved this end to Hetta and Wyn’s story, even though, as with any series, I was a little sad to see it come to a close!
There is a lot - and I do mean a LOT - happening in this story. More than once I found myself wondering how Wyn and Hetta were possibly going to juggle all their ongoing responsibilities and plot points…and there were definitely some I wish we’d had more time with (what really happened with N and E? And oh man, what about the bank loan??) even though all the important bits got resolved.
(I suspect several of the lingering issues will be addressed in Marius’ book, which I am SO excited about.)
Brilliant (and often hilarious) dialogue, a delightful expansion into the faerie side of things, all of the best Rakken snark, some excellent new characters, some deeply unexpected twists…honestly, if you’ve loved the series as much as I have, you will not be disappointed!
There is a lot - and I do mean a LOT - happening in this story. More than once I found myself wondering how Wyn and Hetta were possibly going to juggle all their ongoing responsibilities and plot points…and there were definitely some I wish we’d had more time with (what really happened with N and E? And oh man, what about the bank loan??) even though all the important bits got resolved.
(I suspect several of the lingering issues will be addressed in Marius’ book, which I am SO excited about.)
Brilliant (and often hilarious) dialogue, a delightful expansion into the faerie side of things, all of the best Rakken snark, some excellent new characters, some deeply unexpected twists…honestly, if you’ve loved the series as much as I have, you will not be disappointed!
November 18, 2022
5 stars
A wonderful conclusion to the world of Hetta and Wyn. I enjoyed the journey they took both through Faerie and Prydein to ensure their relationship and positions were valued by those placing scrutiny and/or pressure on them. I also enjoyed getting more insight from other characters in this world, such as the side story with Marius and Rakken. A huge part of this read was around identity, who Hetta and Wyn were in this new world, now that Faeries were being acknowledged, and how things would change once they became parents. I liked how the author maintained the balance of addressing these tensions whilst keeping to what was at the heart of the story – Stariel, and the connection to the land and family dynamics.
A wonderful conclusion to the world of Hetta and Wyn. I enjoyed the journey they took both through Faerie and Prydein to ensure their relationship and positions were valued by those placing scrutiny and/or pressure on them. I also enjoyed getting more insight from other characters in this world, such as the side story with Marius and Rakken. A huge part of this read was around identity, who Hetta and Wyn were in this new world, now that Faeries were being acknowledged, and how things would change once they became parents. I liked how the author maintained the balance of addressing these tensions whilst keeping to what was at the heart of the story – Stariel, and the connection to the land and family dynamics.
August 5, 2021
Solid ending, if a slow start for me
3.8
I struggled through the first half of the book - I find pregnancies as the focus of a storyline boring and I didnt enjoy this one any better than expected - but the second half of the book ended in a very action-packed way that kept me turning the page. It was a satisfying ending to the story of Hetta and Wyn, with some good twists and turns along the way.
Some spoilers below...
I adored Koi and his quirkiness that frustrated the dickens out of his siblings; every time they ground their teeth I smiled wildly.
The aspiring author in me recognized the build-up to Marius and Rakken needing their own book immediately upon their first interactions in this book. I'm glad Ms. Lancaster is following the urge and giving us their story. I admit I would likely have been less satisfied in the ending of this book if I hadn't known we would be getting their story, because it was the only part of the ending that felt truly open-ended to me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book series and liked Ms. Lancaster's writing style. I intend to follow her and read any future series she can dream up. I am not always the fondest of fae-based fantasies, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did enjoy this and look forward to anything she brings us!
3.8
I struggled through the first half of the book - I find pregnancies as the focus of a storyline boring and I didnt enjoy this one any better than expected - but the second half of the book ended in a very action-packed way that kept me turning the page. It was a satisfying ending to the story of Hetta and Wyn, with some good twists and turns along the way.
Some spoilers below...
I adored Koi and his quirkiness that frustrated the dickens out of his siblings; every time they ground their teeth I smiled wildly.
The aspiring author in me recognized the build-up to Marius and Rakken needing their own book immediately upon their first interactions in this book. I'm glad Ms. Lancaster is following the urge and giving us their story. I admit I would likely have been less satisfied in the ending of this book if I hadn't known we would be getting their story, because it was the only part of the ending that felt truly open-ended to me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book series and liked Ms. Lancaster's writing style. I intend to follow her and read any future series she can dream up. I am not always the fondest of fae-based fantasies, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did enjoy this and look forward to anything she brings us!
January 4, 2023
A perfect ending to a perfect series. I can't get enough of these characters and am so happy there will be a spin-off, although Hetta and Wyn's story wrapped up better than one could hope for. I can't decide which of the eccentric and slightly homicidal fae I like more.
I can't believe this book is almost 600 pages long because it feels like it all flew by so quickly. Pacing is great, always exciting, and mysterious and funny and touching just when it needed to be.
The world-building is extraordinary. It's so rare to find such a rich unique world, where descriptions don't bog down and slow the plot but enhance it.
I can't believe this book is almost 600 pages long because it feels like it all flew by so quickly. Pacing is great, always exciting, and mysterious and funny and touching just when it needed to be.
The world-building is extraordinary. It's so rare to find such a rich unique world, where descriptions don't bog down and slow the plot but enhance it.
September 26, 2021
Oh man I really enjoyed this series and this absolutely hit the landing. The series went from pretty much a pure fantasy of manners to something which retains the interesting elements of that genre, but also has some pretty great action set pieces, all with really compelling characters and a couple of great plot twists. Wraps all those - and Hetta and Wynn's story - nicely, but leaves some scope for the apparently planned spinoff about which I am *entirely* here for.
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