Rating: 3/5
Back for another book review, the first physical read of 2021 (well its an ebook, but that's physical enough). This is also my first ARC review of 2021 and I'm excited to be back in the swing of things! As this is an ARC, I was sent this ebook for free in exchange for an honest review. So, let's get into it.
Summary from Amazon:
"Awakening the handsome prince is supposed to end the fairy tale, not begin it. But the Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they're supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue.
Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm on a quest to stop Ula Kana and restore harmony to their island."
As a whole, I generally enjoyed the book. It has some fun elements, but all the brushes with death that occur make it far from a light read. It certainly made me a bit emotional at times, as I was attached to the characters (particularly Larkin and Merrick). There was some great world-building by the author, you really were able to get a feel of everything Eidolonia encompassed. It felt like an island straight out of a fairy tale, which makes sense given that it's so hidden away. All of the different elements of the Pacific Islands that Ringle interwove into the basis of the island and the people (fae and human alike) was well-done, it helped add depth to the environment. The magic system on the island, and the lore of Eidolonia felt refreshing. It took a moment to get used to, but it felt solid (if not a tad convenient). We're kind of spoon-fed information all throughout, so it didn't leave very much up for interpretation. There were some 2D side characters that were really only around to move the story forward at times.
I loved Larkin and Merrick, they had the depth that I want out of my protagonists, even if their romance felt kind of rushed. It felt rushed, but not unwelcome. I love a good "character doesn't understand modern life" trope, which means that Larkin is pretty much golden in my book. Larkin also underwent some good character development during their journey. Speaking of the journey, the story itself takes some time to get into; to be frank, the adventure aspect of the story didn't really start until 50% into the book. Not that nothing happened in the first 50%, just that it was kind of Merrick blundering around, being chaotic for the first half. It didn't get really interesting until they set out on their quest. Their quest also got a touch repetitive near the middle, which made it a bit predictable at times.
I have some specific qualms with the story as well. Particularly, that of an argument that takes place between Merrick and Larkin. Their rage-fueled argument felt so shallow as to be pointless. Why were they arguing over the prospect of the mission, when they had just been discussing Larkin's antiquated views on Fae and humans? They had mentioned circling back to whether or not Fae could love and that would've been a much more interesting argument that would've made sense given the circumstances. It also would've made Larkin's character development more sensible. As it stands, that whole fight scene felt like a missed opportunity. Also, on the topic of antiquated ideals. It seemed to me as though Larkin took Cassidy's gender identity at face value and never asked any questions. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with being non-binary, it seemed like a missed opportunity for a discussion on gender. It could've certainly been a very positive discussion that could've been illuminating for readers. I only say that there could've been some discussion regarding gender, because we weren't given much to signify that any gender identity was accepted in Larkin's time as sexuality was. I didn't want anybody to be rude to Cassidy or anything, it just seemed as though it could've been discussed out of curiosity. So basically, this was a book with missed opportunity for deeper conversation.
I think this was a pretty good book, I'd recommend it. It wasn't my favorite, but I certainly didn't dislike it. I hope to read more from Ringle, I've seen where she has published other books and the little excerpt in the back of this book for that short story certainly has my attention. Thank you so much to Central Avenue Publishing for giving me this ebook in exchange for a review! Lava Red Feather Blue is available everywhere as of today! If you're into a fairytale type of fantasy novel with LGBTQIA+ elements and an interesting premise, then check this one out! I think you'll enjoy it!
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