A romantic fantasy set in a small coastal Scottish village with a modern witch and a Faery King sounded like something I would enjoy. However, it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Faye Morgan, a witch from a long line of witches runs a magic shop with her two friends Annie and Aisha. All three are looking for love and one evening decide to cast a spell to bring them each that perfect partner. Into Faye's life steps not one but two gorgeous men, Rav who is organising a midsummer music festival and Finn Beatha, a charismatic musician in a band who also just happens to be a Faery King. Although Faye finds herself attracted to Rav she is soon seduced by Finn and led into the dangerous world of faery.

Although the plot sounded promising, it was let down by poor character development and a rather cliched depiction of the world of faery. While there was lots of wild and passionate sex, there was little romance and neither Rav's nor Finn's personalities were well developed. Faye's friends Anna and Aisha were also poorly characterised and did not contribute to a tale that could have been so much more. I did like the Faery band being used to drive women wild and the ending was good, but alas too little to change my rating.

Rating 3/5

I was super excited when I got this ARC - a paranormal fantasy romance in the world of Fae?!? The first in a series I expected a slow start and it was. The pacing remained slow and unmoving throughout. The characters had no depth or intrigue - I mean its Fae and fantasy! The author could have dreamed up so much good creatures that I was disappointed by lack thereof. I really hope the second book picks up and has more adventure and romance. It was a great start with a pretty good plot line (if I think it's going in the direction it's going), but the characters need to develop more substance fast to keep me interested.

Anyone that has read even a few of my reviews may have noticed that I absolutely adore Bookouture and their titles but normally those fall into the mystery/thriller category. Seeing Daughter of Light and Shadows by Anna McKerrow listed I was quite intrigued since this one is a romantic paranormal fantasy read but unfortunately as one may guess from my rating this didn’t win me over the way other titles from the publisher have.

The story introduces the reader to Faye Morgan who is living in her family home and running her family shop leading a somewhat ordinary life. Faye is a bit lonely however so she decides to cast a love spell to find herself a man not realizing just how powerful a witch she is coming from a long line of witches.

Well Faye’s spell does the charm so to speak when in walks Finn Beatha who is not only a faerie but the faerie king. Insert some very steamy moments between Faye and Finn and then you wonder who is under who’s spell as Finn takes Faye into his own faerie world.

Now, first let me say the author does seem to show strong writing but regardless I still felt this had several issues that kept me from becoming totally engaged and enjoying the story. The first I noticed is there really doesn’t seem to be any depth to anyone or anything other than Faye herself but things just kind of added in instead. Then the start left a bit to be desired to me just putting the two together when I would prefer maybe a tad bit of “romance” to the relationship.

Not getting overly interested in the beginning is a red flag but not necessarily a complete turn off if a book picks up for me in the second half. However, once the fantasy side of the story began to shape up I couldn’t help but think that the story seemed to blend in with a lot of other tales with not giving anything new or fresh to the magic or the faerie world creation which left me with a rather meh feeling to that side also. So while this may not have been for me I do see others liking the book so you may want to give this one a try for yourself to decide.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

DNF @ 32%

I don't tend to read a lot of romance in general, and this has all the tropes that I'm really not a big fan of:

- Insta-love (not with one guy, but two, of course)
- Super attractive female who doesn't think she's attractive
- Love triangle with two super hot guys
- Totally enlightened MC who wishes everyone else could be as enlightened
- Love spell to find true love, even though she doesn't think it'll work or know if she wants love, and it obviously works, even though she convinces herself she doesn't (despite believing in magic and the power of spells?)
- MC who insists all men are evil and love is a lie

If any of these tropes are your favorites, you might enjoy this book. I'm personally just really not a fan of them, and I thought this book would be lighter on the romance and heavier on the fantasy/lore. I guess, in the end, what I was expecting was a romance more along the lines of Wintersong or The Star-Touched Queen, which is a problem more with my expectation than with the book.

Despite everything, though, there were things I did enjoy.

I'm a sucker for Scottish lore, and the way that lore and fairies and witchcraft and magic were all knitted together was interesting and grabbed my attention. Actually, if I'm honest, I picked it up because of the promise of Scottish lore because, as I said, I'm a sucker for it. It wasn't as pervasive in the parts I read as I had hoped, but it was there and still lovely, and I really enjoyed the supernatural vibe in general.

The witch representation was also brilliant. The description of spells and beliefs was great, and it was interesting to see witchcraft portrayed in a positive light, for a change.

And some of the things that really tripped me up:

The names are a bit spot-on, yeah? Faye, which obviously relates to the faeries (aka Fae), granddaughter of Grainne. Her love interest Finn, meaning fair/handsome (can you guess what he looks like?), surname Beatha (life). Reminds me of the tale of Finn and Gráinne. Maybe that's where it was heading? I don't know.

I wasn't too fond of Faye as a character, either, as she seemed a bit wishy-washy, unable to make up her mind about what she wanted, and very self-centered. She realizes that her friends are struggling (her monologues mention it repeatedly), yet when she finds a young man who strikes me as remarkably like what one of her friends was looking for in a love interest, her friend never once crosses her mind. Even as I'm sitting there thinking surely it will and you'll introduce them, yeah? Even after she sees her friend after meeting this guy. Nope. Instead, we go for a love triangle.

Faye also has all this righteous fury about her ancestor being convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake, which rightfully she should. But this anger is so pervasive that it overshadows everything else. When the minister wants to build a statue of King James in town, Faye flies into a fit of rage because he was responsible for witch hunts and her ancestor's death and the deaths of so many, regardless of what else he's done, so she won't stand for this. It never occurs to her to ask what anyone else in town thinks or what they might want to see. She just decides that it should be a statue of her ancestor because reasons, and she implies that of course everyone else should just go with that over King James.

There are plenty of other characters in the book, and I was waiting, at some point, for Faye to put someone else first for a change, to think of someone else, but in the end, her character struck me as just very selfish, and it was frustrating. Even during the sex scene, which was sort of the final straw for me.

In the end, the book is an easy read and not unenjoyable, but it's just not my cup of tea, personally. If anything above piques your interest as something that you enjoy in a book, though, I'd recommend giving it a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC of this in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I was sold on this book as soon as I found out in was set in Scotland and about faeries (I’m from Scotland and love so it was meant to be) and I was not disappointed.

This novel follows Faye Morgan, who comes from a line of witches dating back to the 1600s, and runs a witchcraft shop with the help of Annie, an aspiring actress and Aisha, a university student. One day they decide to perform a spell from Faye’s grandmother’s Grimoire that will bring love to them. Not long after this two new men turn up one being Rav, who is planning a music festival in Faye’s village and Finn Bertha, who is a member of a Celtic band in the line up to play at the festival. However, Finn has a secret he is a Faerie King and Faye is quickly drawn under his spell.

I liked the characters, Faye is strong and independent and I liked reading from her POV. Rav and Finn were both interesting characters though I wish they had had a little more depth to them, and Annie was my favourite character in the book.

My favourite parts of this book were those that took place in the undersea faerie world. I loved watching Faye interact with the fey and I hope to learn more about the different types of few in the next books. I also liked that you get to see both the beauty and danger of Faerie.

Ever since I was young I felt drawn to witchcraft so I  really enjoyed learning more about it in this book.

Warning – this is an adult fantasy and contains sex scenes.

Overall, this was a great fey book full of witchy vibes that I really enjoyed and gave 4 out of 5 stars.

The cover of this book was the only thing that I liked.
The characters were one dimensional, without any background and explanation about them. Main character was a drama queen so to speak. All in all I didn’t like any of them.
The plot was... bizarre. Some parts of the story were too much even for a fantasy book. Seemed like hallucinations written on a paper.
I’m sure I won’t continue with this series.

Daughter of Lights and Shadows is the first installment in a new series by the hand of Anna McKerrow. I have never read anything by her, but I felt immediately drawn to this book. No doubt this has everything to do with the main character being a real witch with a family history going back centuries. I really didn't care what the book was further about. My pagan heart was singing with this short description. But being pagan it could be a close call. Would this book once again make fun of modern day witches and get it all wrong? Or would it do justice to modern paganism and their covens and rituals. 

I am so relieved to say that Anna McKerrow has done justice to the story and I as a pagan really enjoyed it. She made it her own thing of course and added some magic to the story. Our heroine Faye can actually practice magic, so that is of course a fantasy element. But it was executed in a very believable way. The magic sparks weren't flying around and that made it very elegant and convincing to read.

As I said I was in it for the witchcraft, but of course the story had more to offer. There was the whole Fae setting and the relationship between Faye and the fairy-king. For me the story went a little lacking there. Whenever Faye descended into the Fae world the story got a little hysterical  and overboard. It was a really big contrast with how well executed her magic history and her human village felt. Maybe it had to be this way to show how different the fairy-world was? But for me it didn't work. It was all over the place and it needed plot devices everywhere to keep the story going in the Fae world. 

The two male characters were underdeveloped and that made the story drag a little. I like the idea of Faye being torn between a human and a Fae man. But the story should have been fleshed out more. Now they are just two conveniently placed pawns on a chest board. There is some sex involved, which I absolutely love. (Yes, I am one of those readers who likes it when it gets hot and steamy in novels.) But I would have liked it more if I would have experienced any connection between the characters.

The only character that really feels like she is developed, is our heroine Faye. I loved how she was morally grey and not the standard heroine who makes all the right choice and is this virgin type girl. Faye is sometimes a really bitch and she can treat other people really bad. But she has a very good heart and she will fight for what she believes in. I honestly would like to see more characters like her in adult fantasy! 

All in all I loved the witchcraft element in this story and I absolutely adored Faye as a main character. But the story in de Fae world was completely off balance and the characters were underdeveloped. I hope the second installment will do better! 

review will be posted on 29/10/2018.

I was fascinated by this entertaining and enjoyable dark fantasy.
I loved the world building, the characters and their evolution the plot.
The book is well written and keep you hooked till the end.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book. The content was not something that held my interest. I was unable to finish it or give a review of this book.

I went into this excited to read a story about the notorious tricky yet beautiful Fae. The cover and indeed the synopsis had me expecting a magical and enthralling story that would captivate and entertain me. I will state that I found the ideas extremely interesting and I loved that the author took old Scottish legends and gave them a new lease of life .
The heroine Faye is a descendant of what I can only describe as Witches although I’m sure some would describe them as village wise women. When we meet Faye she’s quite lonely really but with her two friends egging her on she sets in motion a spell to bring love to her door. Faye has no idea just how special she is and whilst she’s quite intrigued by Rav the newest inhabitant of her village it’s mysterious musician Finn who really captures her attention. Faye slowly grows closer to the friendly Rav but she’s totally enamoured by Finn who whisks her away to a world so dreamy Faye struggles to remember reality. Yes Finn is Fae and he’s both beguiling and demanding but soon Faye is way out of her depth !
This didn’t play out as I’d hoped unfortunately and honestly I couldn’t understand the connection between Faye and Rav. It’s easier to believe in the tangled relationship with Finn as he’s powerful, cunning and capable of showing Faye all that her heritage entails. This author clearly has talent and there is a resolution to what could have been a messy and dangerous triangle but she’s left herself a way to continue writing about these characters should she wish. There’s sex but very little character development which probably explains why I never understood why Faye was suddenly in such demand. What did come across quite strongly though was the dangerous nature of the Fae in this book and that making deals is never a good idea.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect balance of mystic and romance. I loved the way you floated in and out of the human and fairy realm. This book was great and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

A magical, romantic novel about three friends who work a spell from the family grimoire to find their true loves. Two eligible gentlemen promptly appear, as desired, and our heroine finds herself being wooed by both of them. One happens to be a faerie.... Full of small town village drama, long walks looking for hagstones on windy beaches, a house haunted by the fae and the lead singer of a band. Really enjoyed this.

When I first saw the cover for this book, I knew I had to read it. Add to that the fact that I love anything to do with fairies, magic, and Celtic myths, and Bookouture already had a winner in my opinion.

The story starts deep in the past and then moves to the present where we get to meet Faye Morgan, our main character. Faye runs the local witchcraft and gift shop which has been in her family for generations. Faye and her friends Annie and Aisha cast a love spell and this is where things get interesting.

First off, Faye meets Rav who she is instantly attracted to. He has just bought what is locally referred to as the Glass House, an architecturally designed building that overlooks the Black Sands, a place Faye loves to visit and reflect. When Rav mentions strange occurrences in his house Faye agrees to take a look. What she sees is something she never expected. She sees the faerie pathway filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes.

Rav's house is built on the pathway to Faerie and this explains the strange disturbances and why no one ever stays in it very long.

A night at the beach see Faye finding her way into Faerie and the arms of Finn Beatha, the King. Faerie magic takes over and the pull to Finn is too great for her to resist. She finds herself drawn to him and a desire that she has never felt before takes over. She also finds out that she herself is half faerie and that is why she could see the pathway and enter Faerie with ease.

Back in the real world a night of passion with Rav enrages Finn and he warns Faye that there will be consequences should she be unfaithful to him again.

The plot thickens from this point on and the book is filled with action and angst as Faye realises that all is not what is seem in Faerie or with the King who commands them all. Faye makes a deal with the queen in return for learning Faerie magic so that she can protect Rav.

This book started off a little slow and it was hard to get to know the characters, but by 50% I was hooked and didn't want to put it down. The last half of this book is fast-paced and full of angst as Faye realises the danger she has put herself and Rav in. We get to see the real Finn in all his glory and the dark side of the Faerie world. It is also where we really get to see Faye's character come to life as she searches for a way to protect her world.

The writing was a little weak at the beginning of the book with some very long, drawn out sentences, and I was afraid I wasn't going to like it as much as I did the cover and description. In the end, I ended up really enjoying the story and the ending set things up beautifully for the next book in the series. I will say that anyone who reads this and finds it a little slow at the start or that they can't get a feel for the characters, keep going. There is so much in this story and before you know it, you too will be sucked into the world of Faerie and all the vivid descriptions and magical elements, that you won't want the story to end either.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next book and how Faye will find her way back to Faerie. I'm also excited to see what Finn Beatha will do to regain his control.

All in all, I've given this book 4 out of 5 stars and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

I did not like the book. There is no character development, and the plot was confusing as well. The ending was promising, but as the story progressed, I struggled with relating to the story. I love faerie fantasy worlds, but this one fell flat for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture and author Anna McKerrow; for providing me a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

May be spoilers below: I love in depth stories about faeries and their interactions with humans so I jumped at the chance to read this novel. Faye was a rather likable character and I enjoyed the knowledge and acceptance of her witch heritage. However, as the story got on, I was not a fan of how she jumped right into sex with two different men. I get that one was a faerie King and there was enchantment involved but it was rather quick. The way she treated Rav after their first sexual encounter was extremely immature and all her interactions with him after seemed so forced. There’s even a point where she get called on it by a faerie queen so I have a hard time with the ending. It was a decent story and while it didn’t really end in a cliffhanger, it’s obvious there will be more to come. Not sure if I will read the rest, but we shall see.

An intricate, uncomfortable read....but in a completely appropriate manner. I loved the melding of fae, witch, and magic lore and life. A well-told tale.

Daughter of Light and Shadows is a warm story of magic and witchcraft featuring Faye Morgan, a local witch and the two men that come into her life around the same time. The book starts out with an intense scene from the past. Faye's ancestor is accused of being a witch and the riveting scene is written so well that it felt like I was there. That obviously held my attention and led me to the next section of the book in present time. Faye and her friends decide to call on magic to request love to come into their lives. They craft dolls using their imagination and list out qualities they want their men to have. What they do not realize is that someone has heard their requests and decides to play with fate.

Enter two men for Faye.... handsome Rav, a musician and business owner that Faye meets while strolling the same beach where she made a wish during the Solstice. She is drawn to him and they seem to have a connection but then Finn walks into her shop. Finn seems so mysterious and he opens up a new realm of magic to Faye. Soon she is caught up in living a magical fae life with Finn....but is it really what she wants? Two men and suddenly she is overwhelmed with magic and romance, sex and danger. The plot twists and turns and takes a few detours to get to the ending.... A very enjoyable read!!! I really like the way that Ana McKerrow explores the theme of destiny in this first book in a new Light and Shadows series.

Thank you to Anna McKerrow, NetGalley, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this advanced readers copy. As always, my opinions are my own.

This is the first book in a new series written by Anna McKerrow. In it we meet Faye Morgan, and her female ancestors who have all been involved in witchcraft for centuries. The book’s prologue opens with a bang. It’s a dramatic scene from 1590 Scotland, featuring Faye’s great-great-great, (etc) grandmother, Grainne Morgan, who being tortured for being a witch. The story then switches to the present day where we are introduced to Fay Morgan who is the proprietress of a shop called, Mistress of Magic, in the small coastal town of Abercolme. The shop is in the house that generations of Morgan women have lived in, and dispensed herbal remedies and witchcraft potions.

Faye is persuaded by the two women who help run the shop with her to hold a ceremony using her grandmother’s grimoire (spell book) to conjure up true love for themselves. After the love spell is cast, the action takes off, and ratchets up quite quickly. Soon, Faye is incredibly having a hard time choosing between TWO new men that enter her heretofore quiet, single life. There is Rav, who is a music promoter, and Finn Beatha who is the charismatic leader of a Celtic band that is quickly rising to fame because of the mesmerizing music the band produces. Coincidentally, Finn looks just like the doll that Faye created as part of the love spell.

It turns out that Finn Beatha is so charismatic because he is the King of the Faeries. He can easily seduce and captivate people, thereby bending them to his will. Faye falls in with Finn, pulled in by his energy, and then held there by his powers. There is a fair bit of sex, and eroticism in the book. Along the way, Faye discovers that in addition to her witchcraft skills, she is half faerie, hence her ability to see things that mere humans can’t. There are ongoing battles for supremacy in the human world, and faerie world that Faye becomes involved in.

I liked the descriptions of the undersea faerie world, and the myriad kinds of faeries Faye saw. As the story continued, it seemed like the pace got more frenetic, and everything but the kitchen sink was thrown in as plot devices. Neither of the male characters was fleshed out much. I thought that they were both too one-dimensional. I couldn’t figure out why Faye would be so strongly attracted to Rav, and was it just faerie magic that gave Finn his charisma? I know that this is a book is a fantasy, but at times even my suspension of disbelief, precisely because this is a fantasy, was tested because of the book’s pace and plotline.

The story was wrapped up enough not to be a cliffhanger. (Thank goodness!) There were plenty of breadcrumbs left as to where book two in the series will go. I’m still on the fence as to whether or not I’m going to be enticed enough to follow the breadcrumb trail a second time. I’d suggest this for readers who really like fantasy and are interested in the intersection of witchcraft and faerie.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Anna McKerrow; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a struggle for me. It fell flat and it was hard to engage in the book. I don't mind tropes when they are done well or there come something unexpected but this just didn't do that for me. I tried hard with this one and finding things that were worth it to me, but it just didn't do that.

An interesting take on a fairy style tale. I am a huge fan of fairy tales and this was one that definitely has a unique twist.

It was entertaining and had a lot of great characters. The only part I felt let down with is that it seemed not to have everything nearly wrapped up.