I bought this partly on a whim in Waterstones and partly because it had been recommended to me by a great many people. I was hesitant to read because when I was a teenager I read a lot of stories based on the Fey and ended up getting bored with the repetitive nature. I made myself read with an open mind because I wanted to give this book a chance.

Synopsis (as taken from the back of the book) is as follows:

Every enchantment has a price.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the immortal fair folk. But when she receives her first royal patron – Rook, the autumn prince – she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious, Rook spirits Isobel away to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously amiss in his world, and they are attacked from every side. Forced to depend upon each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, perhaps even love…a forbidden emotion that would render both their lives forfeit. What force could Isobel’s paintings conjure that is powerful enough to defy the ancient malice of the fairy courts?

Ability to read – I didn’t have any difficulty getting into this book or following what was happening. The book started with a strong beginning and I found myself falling through the pages to the world beyond. However, my attention waned in the middle of the book.

Characterisation – I found it difficult to get behind Isobel as a character because of her emotional scope and how quickly she jumped from one emotion to the next. I didn’t believe that she could go against everything she’d trained herself to survive and quickly became annoyed with how she was conducting her life.

Rook, was an interesting character to start with and had a lot of mystery surrounding him. The further I read, the more I started to see him as a slightly pathetic whiny child. There were moments where he triumphed that adhered me to him but where Isobel fluttered between emotions, I felt that Rook fluttered between different personalities.

Visualisation – For the most part, I had no difficulty in visualising what was going on. The language of the book was easy to understand and therefore I was easily able to get a good vision of what was happening and use my own imagination to create a unique image.

Uniqueness – I’m afraid that I didn’t feel like this was very unique at all. I was really into the book for the first ten chapters or though but the moment they entered the Fair Folk realm, my interest diminished and it became a chore to read on. I just think it was too similar to so many stories I’d previously read about Fey. I didn’t think there was anything new that I was gaining as I read.

Emotions, personalities and actions seemed to move too fast and without proper explanation or thought. I needed to understand why Isobel was essentially going against everything I’d learned about her because of Rook and I felt that I didn’t get that pay out.

This is a perfectly fine book and if you’re someone who devours Fey books, then I’m sure this one will tick all the boxes for you. It just wasn’t my cup of tea!

Hannah xoxo