Member Reviews
"The Song of the Faerie Prince" by Tay LaRoi is magical! It's got all those faerie vibes mixed with epic adventures. The characters are amazing, especially the faerie prince – he's like the ultimate fantasy crush. The plot is wild and takes you to a fun new world of mystical creatures. If you're into fantasy and love a bit of romance, this book delivers. It's a real-life fairy tale, and I couldn't put it down. So, grab it, read it, and get lost in the faerie realm!
This was not the first in the series so I had a hard time grasping the world as I did not read the first 2 books and I was not aware that it was part of one, though it was okay as a standalone. I enjoyed the epic fantasy aspect of the book. It was a quick read but the plot was just not selling it to me.
I usually love Faerie books but this one just wasn’t for me unfortunately so had to not continue with it.
The story revolves around a girl named Gia, but when certain events occur, Gia finds herself dragged into the world of Faerie and right into the Seelie Court. She then has to Rely on a Prince of Faerie named oliver - however Oliver is Trans.
LaRoi really does a great in in capturing the different perceptions towards the LGBT community and brings an element of understanding to her readers they may not have had before as well as keeping a captivating story that keeps you gripped throughout.
Overall, i think the book is a really good reach and touches on sensitive subjects and a subtle way. LaRoi's writing style is great and the story throughout has really great potential for a future series.
I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for sending me a copy =]
Sixteen-year-old Gia Johnson is comfortable in the background, but when dark magic looms over her town, her beautiful voice will put her in a spotlight she never imagined: the Seelie Court. To get out alive and save her childhood friend, she’ll have to trust Oliver O’Brian, a trans classmate and a Prince of Faerie, especially when an ancient evil rears its ugly head from the depths of Lake Michigan. All the while, Gia finds herself drawn to Oliver, but what does that mean if she’s always liked girls?
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
This is my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book which I received
through Netgalley.
This is the third book in the series, but can be read as a standalone.
I really liked it
This is am enjoyable and quick read and one of the most diverse fantasy books I've ever read. When I requested this I was not aware that it was part of a series but this reads well as a standalone.
This follows the story of Gia who gets dragged into the world of Faerie after she accidently stumbles upon a secret that her classmate Oliver has been trying to keep, he is the Prince of Faerie. When an ancient enemy of Faerie returns and threatens the lives of their classmates Oliver and Gia must band together to save the fate of their town and maybe fall in love in the process.
While the plot felt a little superficial at times it was enjoyable and I really liked the characters especially Gia and Oliver. Gia struggles a lot with coming to terms with her sexuality which I can really relate to as a lot if the thoughts she had were ones I also experienced and she also struggles a lot with her weight and I really loved grow and start the journey to accepting herself even though she doesn't fit nicely into specific boxes. I also liked Oliver journey and struggle of learning to fit into both the human world and the faerie world.
One of the things I loved most about this book is the diversity as Oliver is transgendered, Gia pansexual and biracial (white and black), her best friends Zoe is Korean and Miguel is Mexican. This is the first book I've read where one of the main characters were trans and while I can't comment on the representation I really enjoyed how it was done.
Overall I enjoyed this though it was a little superficial at times and I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Great book! I loved the story and characters! I cannot wait for this book to go mainstream so others can enjoy it he way I did.
I was really excited that I was chosen to read this book in exchange for a review. I did like the concept, storyline, and overall feel of the plotline. I
THANK YOU FOR WRITING A STORY ABOUT A HEROINE THAT IS NOT A SKINNY, SUPER FIT "IT" GIRL! I loved how the female characters were portrayed and how they fit into real-world situations. Body issues are always a plague for young women and often drive how they live their lives! Gia is a great example of how to overcome your own woes with your body images! Bravo!
I would totally recommend this series to anyone who loves Fae and fantastically written prose!
Thank you for allowing me access to this title!
I have not read the other books in the series but know that it can be read as a standalone, so I gave it a go mainly because it deals with faerie, and I'm so glad I read this book as it was a lot more than I expected and loved it completely. I would highly recommend it, the characters are so good!
I had previously read the first book in this series but not the second. I think they are all basically standalones set in the same world though because this one had completely different characters than the first one [except for a few small cameos] and I definitely didn't feel like I was missing anything because I hadn't gotten to the second one yet.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this one definitely didn't disappoint either. The ongoing plot line with the faerie world is interesting and engaging, but what I really love about this series are the characters. It is so rare to have an actual fat female protagonist that I could probably count all the books I've seen on two hands. I really liked Gia and thought that her body image struggles were portrayed really accurately [from my own experience at least] and liked how she managed to become more accepting of herself and her body as the story went along. I also really liked her relationship with Oliver because it shows that sexuality is fluid and you shouldn't be afraid to change your 'label' if you feel like it doesn't suit you anymore.
Overall it was just a really fun book and had a lot of really good representation [race, sexuality, trans character, fat character, etc]. I'll definitely have to go back and read the second book sometime soon because I'm sure it was just as good as the other two!
Anything Fae related, you have me hooked. I am OBSESSED with anything to do with the realm. And this book was FANTASTIC.
Format: eBook.
Six Word Summary: QUILTBAG* representation + fairies = an amazing read!
My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I liked this book so much that I finished the 210 pages within a day and a half, despite working both days. I found myself just smiling and enjoying pretty much every moment of the book.
The Song of the Fairy Prince is the third book of The Faerie Court Chronicles, however I read the book completely out of order. I didn't find any huge gaps in my knowledge and I easily read this as a stand alone. There were some allusions to and appearances of past events and characters but if anything, they made me want to read the two earlier books.
The characters of The Song of the Fairy Prince were a real highlight for me. The two characters Gia and Oliver were amazing. I found each to be so individual and so compelling and so cute and it's my review I can use poor grammar if I want to.
I felt particularly close to Gia, she seemed so real with her insecurities and struggles to find a place for herself. While I'm not biracial, I found Gia's inner conflict to find a space for herself incredibly compelling. Minor spoiler alerts ahead - My love for Gia was cemented when she discussed her desire to find a 'square' that she fit completely in, namely by identifying as a lesbian. The frank and open discussion of how she felt like an outsider within her two racial identities, coupled with how her feelings for Oliver challenged her idea of herself, was incredibly powerful. It was so great getting to see this struggle represented in a a character.
Oliver was also an incredible character. I really enjoyed how, once again, there was this internal struggle for the character. Oliver had to reconcile the idea of 'burdening' his parents with accepting his trans identity and then revealing to them his true Faerie parentage. It was great to see his quiet confidence and his desire to prove himself. Coupled with Gia, these two were such a pleasure to read.
I know I haven't talked about the plot of The Song of the Fairy Prince, but I cannot get over my love for Gia and Oliver. To see Gia recognise her feelings for Oliver, to see her come to grips with her sexuality and admit to herself that it's okay to evolve as a person, was so amazing. To see the two characters think through and experience these issues in a young adult book was so refreshing and important. Where were these books when I was a teenager?!
Best Bits: I'm not going to lie, I got the warm fuzzies whenever Gia and Oliver had moments together. I think their relationship was so cute and honestly, I would love to see more of these two <3
Another thing I loved,was when Gia and Oliver discus their previous dating history. I usually hate when characters talks about their past sexual/romantic relationships (no judgements :P ) but I really enjoyed seeing Oliver as a sexual being. That voice ;)
Recommendations: If you're an avid young adult or fantasy reader then this book is a must. If you're not an 'avid' reader but still like Young Adult and fantasy, I still think this book is a must!
Also if you're someone who's interested in reading more books with QUILTBAG* characters, definitely give this book a read.
Also also, if you're a fan of Holly Black, you should really try reading this book!
*QUILTBAG = Acronym of Queer/Questioning, Undecided, Intersex, Lesbian, Trans, Bisexual, Asexual, and Gay/Genderqueer.
I found this one sweet but sad. This one I’d say is about acceptance. Plenty of insecurities and mommy issues. I liked the support between the characters. It’s not just high school teenage drama. There are Fairies to add a supernatural twist. Plenty of character growth for all characters. Can be read as a stand-alone (good thing since I haven’t read the previous two). Wrapped up nicely. I liked Ollie but I’d say my favourites were the pixie brothers, they were entertaining and you couldn’t tell if they were serious or not. Partly relaxing, partly full on action. An enjoyable read.