...(book review) prince of foxes by h l macfarlaine

 

Sometimes a fox is not a fox, and a man is not what he seems. 

When Lachlan, the golden prince of the faeries, is transformed into a fox and banished from the forest on the eve of his mother's funeral, the last creature he expects to seek help from is a human. 

But Sorcha Darrow is not so easily enchanted by the wily faerie. It is only after discovering that her father means to marry her to a wealthy Londoner that she decides to help him, by seeking the power of a being even Larchlan is wary of: a kelpie. Sorcha hopes that, in finding one, she may avoid her own dire fate in the process. 

With Sorcha's dreams being their only true form of communication, Lachlan has to race against time to break his curse and take his place as king before he's doomed to live as a fox forever. 

But someone else is after the throne, and may just use 

Sorcha's growing connection to Lachlan to reach it.

PRINCE OF FOXES by H. L. Macfarlane

PUBLISHED: 2019

GENRE: Fantasy > Faerie, Fantasy Romance

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I adore foxes and I'm as enamoured with the fae now as I was in my childhood - how could I resist this book?

And it simply has to be said, any story that addresses the significance of names in the first few sentences has my vote of confidence no matter what comes next. I blame reading Rumpelstiltskin for my genuine belief that names have magic and power when revealed.

"So they disappeared in one fashion or another, and they only had themselves to blame. They had been warned, after all, and they didn't listen. Never give your real name to a faerie."

This is a tale of magic and mischief, of preserving and admiring the beauty of nature as untouched by human hands. This book is the soul of Scotland wrapped up in Loches and folklore that will entice and beguile. I loved it!

Lachlan is the prince of the fae who, on the cusp of being crowned king, by some traitorous turn of events, finds himself running through the forest in fox form, fated to remain as such until he can break his curse. What he doesn't expect however, is the willing assistance of a human, one he hasn't even successfully managed to enchant. Sorcha comes to him willingly, but she is no fool, and she knows not to give the fae her true name, but then again she is only human...

Though "fairy-tales" and "faerie tales" are popular and some may even say overdone, I found something quirky and refreshing in this novel, as well as familiarity that felt like greeting an old friend. I found themes and characters I recognised to empathise with, and some that were a surprise along the way. Sorcha, for example. She was wilful and fiery and felt very modern in her understanding of herself.

One of my favourite components of this book was the essence of Scottish pride, carried not only on the backs of the fae and the kelpie, but also the human characters. Throughout, the environmental protection of a land so well written with history and culture sang through in a way that felt respectful rather than preachy. I understood what was driving Sorcha's character in her decisions and felt her love of her home in my bones. It's a nod to current issues, cleverly plaited into the story. 

This was a quick read with a writing style all of its own that caught my attention. 

As the first book in the Bright Spear trilogy, this Prince of Foxes was a brilliant introduction to a new Scottish fairy-tale. It would stand on it's own, but I feel drawn to read more and see where the author will continue to lead us. I believe Sorcha's involvement with the fae is not quite over...

If you have the opportunity to read Prince of Foxes, let me know your thoughts!

Happy Reading, 

Zuzu 🖋

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...(book review) near the bone by christina henry

 Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all.

There's something in the woods that wasn't there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. 

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for a creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.

NEAR THE BONE by Christina Henry

PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Horror > Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Fiction, Fantasy

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Here's a book that had me gripping the cover tight enough to leave finger-marks, turning pages frantically, and yelling "run!" loud enough to frighten my cat from my lap more than once.

Christina Henry has a way of chilling me with her books. Near The Bone was the perfect cocktail of suspense, horror, blind fear, and atmospheric storytelling that leaves you jumping at every small sound. 

From page one we're led to believe that the cold, Amish-like existence Mattie lives is not by choice, and the flickerings of memory her husband dismisses as dreams may in fact be something more. 

"William said that place isn't real, it's a dream, a dream sent by the devil to tempt you away."

I began to have my suspicions about her past, but never did I expect the extent of what was gradually revealed to us. The truth is critically timed and when it is revealed the tension swells, getting bigger and bigger like a snowball running down a mountain.

Her husband, William, is as much a monster as the one that roams the woods surrounding their cabin, abusive, possessive and controlling to the point where Mattie isn't allowed to roam beyond a certain perimeter of their cabin without his permission - even their food store is off limits. It's a situation made worse by the sudden appearance of a creature that is not only killing the animals in the woods, but stringing them from the trees in a sinisterly deliberate warning. It's clear this is no ordinary creature, and William quickly decides to take the hunting of it into his own hands, not for the glory, but to keep strangers from coming in pursuit of it and drawing too close to their cabin. Mattie isn't meant to engage with people - and the reason soon becomes painfully clear. 

        "He's angry because now I know what he's really afraid of is people. He doesn't 

care about the creature in the woods or what it might do. He just doesn't want 

anyone else to come looking for it and to find us."

I honestly didn't know which monster I wanted her to run from fastest, the creature or her husband. And in this way Christina Henry has created a multi-layered horror story, not exchanging one nightmare for another, but making them overlap into one life-threatening chase! 

Mattie could in so many ways have been presented as a victim, but instead her strength and capacity for endurance is what I admired in her character. It made me will her to survive with greater fervour. 

The ending was a little open ended, but concussive enough to make me realise I'd been holding my breath since page one and could now justify letting it go. I don't know if a follow up book is necessary, but I would run to bookstores to buy it if it was ever written!

Let me know your thoughts if you've read this nerve-wracking book!

If you haven't, happy reading!

Zuzu

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