Lava Red Feather Blue is a fun fantasy book set in the modern world, which is nice to see. It has a diverse cast of characters who were all very well written and I loved reading about them. The only character I didn't really like was the villain, I felt she had no real depth.

I would have rated this book higher if I had connected more to the writing, but I just could not get into it, it felt too formal. There was a lot of info-dumping in the beginning, and I wish we could have learned about the world another way. The beginning dragged on and I had to keep putting it down, I don't think it was paced well overall.

Even though this book wasn't really for me, I know that it is something many will enjoy, so I recommend it if you like fae fantasies with diverse characters.

3.75 stars

The magic in this book is phenomenal. Both the one from the fae world and the human witchcraft was... Chef's kiss. Amazing. I also loved the fantastical elements and the humor that didn't let me get out of the story especially because although this may look like a light read, its not. I did cry once or twice while reading this. Other thing that I liked was the magic system on the island, and the lore of Eidolonia, both felt refreshing elements.
Now, although I did like the pacing of the book, the amount of info dumping in this one... things could have been edited from it. While reading this, it reminded me a bit of lost and LOTR and like those two, this could be an amazing tv series or movie because it has all the elements for an amazing show/movie.
The romance was a bit rush and instalovey but I liked it. It was really nice to read a book about queen characters  that didn't centre around the struggles on being queer. It was actually refreshing.
Overall i had a very good time reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

The priest and priestess chanted prayers. Rosamund placed her hands on the sides of his head. He locked gazes with her. Fury blazed within his heart.”

⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars!

Yay! To my first review of the year! Starting off strong with a fun, exciting queer fae fantasy about being brave, being a hero, and how love makes you both.

Merrick is a half-fae perfumer who tries to lie low, help his dad, and stay out of trouble. But when he discovers old artifacts from an ancestor who laid to sleep an (attractive) ancient prince, one who still lives to this day, his recklessness accidently upsets a centuries long truce between humans and fae. Now it’s up to him and the Prince to heal every mistake they’ve made.

To start, I really loved this book. It’s fantasy, adventure, romance, and humor mixed into one really satisfying read. I’m a huge fan of worlds that mix modern day and fae.

I think the world was really satisfying to read about. It had classic elements of faery worlds that I love. Including mentions of different creatures and elemental magic. I also thought the human witchcraft system was interesting to read about. It was easy to follow and fun to think about.

I did however, think that the book just kind of flings you into the story and I really didn’t know what was going on for a while there. It starts off really suddenly and I had to re-read it after already finishing the book in order to really get it.

The book does sometimes seem to skimp out of descriptions or general exposition. I wish the writing could be more clear and easy to read. It’s the only thing that really halted me from giving this book my whole heart.

But the story does make up for it. I loved the pacing, which felt always on beat. It’s the kind of book that would make a great mini-series, just because something interesting was always happening and developing.

Needless to say, I loved Merrick and Larkin. I loved that they weren’t perfect for each other at first. I love that they stepped on each others toes a bit, didn’t quite get along. I also love the way they came to depend on each other.

I definitely wanted to see more silliness and happy moments between them when they aren’t suffering so darn much (and they do suffer, I cried). I want more of Larkin learning technology and more of Merrick feeling confident in himself. Bless these two, truly.

TL;DR: A book like this just makes me happy. I won’t pretend that I don’t wish the writing was the tiniest bit more clear and consise, but it’s a great read.

E-galley provided by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.

DNF’ed at 20%
Felt overly infodumping - not even in one go but every few sentences. Wonderful premise but I think it just felt very young and a little confusing.

Rated only as needed.

TO the ones contemplating on reading this book. GO FOR IT. Its a fantasy tale and for me it was one of the top 10 reads of 2020. I'm lost for words on how to give this one a review (without giving out spoilers). So this story has fairies and LGBTQ romance too, so what's not to love about this book.

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!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (3.5 stars)

Lava Red Feather Blue is a modern-day, urban fantasy, queer re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. But unlike in the fairy tale, this story doesn’t end when the princess – or in this case, the prince – awakens. In fact, that’s where the story begins.

Merrick Highvalley is an endo witch (a witch who can alter only himself), and a descendent of the infamous Rosamund Highvalley, the only witch to ever possess all three magical abilities (endo, exo, and matter); the witch who famously put Prince Larkin into a deep sleep over 200 years ago. But what history books don’t know is that Prince Larkin – hailed as being the most benevolent prince to ever exist after sacrificing himself to help put Ula Kana, a evil fire fae, to rest as well – was entrapped against his will by Rosamund Highvalley herself.

When Merrick stumbles upon his ancestors old notes, he soon learns as much. And while tinkering around with them – looking for a cure to aid his ailing father – he accidentally awakens the sleeping prince. Which in turn awakens Ula Kana. Now Merrick and Larkin must team up to stop her reign of terror on the human realm once more. But to do so they must venture into the faerie realm, where nothing is quite as straightforward as it seems.

- 🧚‍♀️ -

I haven’t read many urban fantasy novels, let alone a queer urban fantasy novel, so I was definitely excited to get the chance to read Lava Red Feather Blue. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this story, and even still it definitely went in a different direction than I anticipated!

Lava Red Feather Blue is told from the perspective of both Merrick and Larkin as they deal with the repercussions of Merrick accidentally waking up Larkin, and Larkin being awake now in a world 200 years in the future from when he last opened his eyes.

Ringle very evidently follows the hero’s journey template both to the benefit and jeopardy of this story itself. A someone who is very familiar with Joseph Campbell’s archetype and similarly formatted novels – The Hobbit for example – I was both pleased, and a little disappointed with this rendition.

The hero’s journey story template is a commonly used tool, especially in regards to fantasy novels. However, a certain amount of flexibility and willingness to break the well-established model is necessary, I believe, to really make a story stand out from the crowd. Ringle does a very good job at developing characters, their motives, and the incredible world this novel is set in, Eidolonia. However, I couldn’t help but feel that this story wound up being a little formulaic at times.

Nevertheless, it’s a very exciting tale of faeries, magic, adventure and romance. And I also appreciated that while it was a novel with queer side characters and pairings, and the two main protagonists do fall in love, that the focus on the plot was always about the adventure at hand.

Both Merrick and Larkin were comfortable with their identities as gay men, and as a queer woman myself, this was something I definitely admired. Not every queer story needs to centre around the struggles on being queer, and it’s evident Ringle understands that.

If you’re in the mood for an adventure-packed urban fantasy novel, you should check it out for yourself and see what you think!

Thank you to the publisher, Central Avenue Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Absolutely captivating. I was enraptured by this read from the beginning and had stars in my eyes the whole time.

So much so, I didn’t write down any notes as I was too greedy to keep reading! So please pardon my lack of quotes, however, you should wish to discover them yourselves.

A Prince awoken by a curious Highvalley, that he calls Merrick by last name I swoon, completely by accident yet causing the biggest catastrophe Eidolonia could ever hope to never encounter.

This is the LGBT, Romance, Fantasy gorgeousness I never knew I needed but certainly we all deserve it.

To go on an adventure to right the problems they have caused, not only will you fall enamoured with the main men of the show, but by each and every character around them. They have their flaws and they make mistakes. All this cumulates in them feeling real, relatable even.

I don’t often root for the good guys, and as much as I loved the villain, I awaited each encounter with baited breath and I can only try to entice you into wanting to do the same.

The world building is rich and you never feel lost, each character and location with their own fountain of information backing them that never feels overwhelming, only exciting and intriguing. I enjoyed being able to sit and imagine the creatures and places in my mind thanks to the descriptions and this book only furthers my intent to have ginger hair.

I’m going to keep thinking about this read for a long time to come. This was the perfect note to end 2020 on and I’m excited to read more by the wonderful author!

I absolutely adored this beautiful story about Merrick and Larkin. It was full of whimsy and love, with some great adventure and fantasy all swirled into one great book.

Merrick is a witch who accidentally awakens Larkin from the magical slumber he has been under since 1799. The young prince was put under this spell as part of a magical truce between Fae and humans, something entirely NOT beneficial for Larkin as the truce was one sided. Now, Larkin is awake and in an unfamiliar time: the year 2020. Unfortunately, as Larkin awakes, so does Ula Kana, an evil Faery who wants to eliminate all humankind on their island of Eidolonia.

What I loved most was the complete and instantaneous trust Larkin and Merrick put into one another. What starts as a trust, quickly becomes a beautiful romance that literally made this book for me. With forces closing in on the two men, they have to work fast to stop Ula Kana.

I love that while this is an LGBT read, their sexuality is not part of the plot. It is just there organically. The world building was fantastic, the politics and conflicts were beautifully written, and the two main characters were realistically flawed.

I am an absolute sucker for a good fairy-tale retelling - especially a queer re-retelling - and while this isn't EXACTLY a re-telling the Sleeping Beauty vibes were there from the start. I will say that the beginning of the book was a bit of a struggle to get through. The reader is dropped into this major conflict without any sort of build-up or background information. However, once it got to present day, things were a lot smoother. I really ended up falling in love with the characters and the romance between them. All in all, I thought it was a beautiful story and I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Thank you, NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing, for the chance to read and review this book.

On a magically hidden North Pacific island of Eidolonia, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep, as one side of a truce between humans and Fae. That's until, accidentally, an Highvalley witch, Merrick, wakes him up. But waking the prince up means also releases a dangerous peril in the figure of Ula Kana, a faery who wants to eradicate humans from Eidolonia. Forced to work together and slowly building their relationship, Merrick and Larkin have to do anything in their power to stop Ula Kana and restore peace and harmony.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a captivating urban fantasy, a sweet and intriguing fairytale and, also, a queer one, tender and really beautifully written. As fairytales fan, I couldn't not want to read a sort of queer retelling of the Sleeping Beauty, set in a world with Fae, humans, witches and so much more. The worldbuilding is so incredible, it feels like you're there with them, following our amazing main characters in their adventures and freaking out about their building bond and relationship.
The writing is compelling and evocative and I love the island of Eidolonia, Larkin and Merrick! Everything is so real and lush and vivid!
A fairytale, a fantasy, a story about magic, love, forgiviness and so much more!

I had high hopes for this book, both because I have enjoyed several of the author's other books, and because I thought a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty sounded like such a cool idea. Sadly, I just could not get into this book. I found the opening confusing and the language hard to follow, and the story just didn't grab my attention. I wasn’t fond of any of the characters. Perhaps it gets better, but I was not enjoying it enough to keep trying, so I didn't finish. I don’t think it’s a bad book, it just wasn’t working for me.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley, and I volunteered to review this book. The ARC read like a very rough draft, and I'm sure that hindered my enjoyment. Perhaps the finished version is a more enjoyable read.

I love all kinds of retellings and this book gave me sleeping beauty vibes. Fairytales and Fae really are the best mix for story telling and I loved the dynamic relationship between Maverick and Larkin

Lava Red, Feather Blue takes the Sleeping Beauty tale and tweaks it to involve ancient battles between the fae and humans, along with an LGBTQ cast and a happily ever after that begins with the waking "kiss."

Prince Larkin is forced into an eternal sleep as part of a truce between the humans and the fae on the hidden, magical island of Eidolonia. Lying somewhere in the north Pacific, the island has been kept secret by the native fae. But a destructive battle between the fae Ula Kana and the humans who co-populate the island leads to a peace treaty unlike any other. Larkin will slumber as long as Ula Kana, and if Larkin should wake, the treaty would be void.

Set in modern times, where magic continues to conceal the island from prying satellites, Merrick Highvalley is the descendant of the mighty magician who placed Larkin in his centuries-long slumber. He is also the one who will, accidentally, wake him. Often mixed up with the law and burdened by feeling as if he isn't enough, a mysterious box leads Merrick to wake Larkin, thereby endangering the entire island. In an already tumultuous environment, where the current government wishes to build a highway through the fae territory, the threat of Ula Kana is the last thing any inhabitant of Eidolonia needs.

Lava Red, Feather Blue is a well-paced story about love and honor. Prince Larkin is a rich character dealing with pride, being idolized, and duty. Merrick's character matches Larkins well, and their relationship builds without dragging. Ringle wraps readers up in a world that is vibrant and real. She maintains the fairy tale atmosphere even as cell phones and motor vehicles populate the story. There may be a commentary on our world's current political circus, class structure, and global warming, but they aren't thrown in the reader's face, if they are at all intentional.

With a quest structure like The Hobbit, a touch of Sleeping Beauty, and an authentic queer romance, Lava Red, Feather Blue is a must-read addition to anyone's TBR.

It comes as no surprise to anyone that I'm giving a fantasy book with queer characters a high rating. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and I had a hard time getting into it at first, but after the first few chapters, I became addicted and will surely be picking up other works by Molly Ringle in the future.

Lava Red Feather Blue is not only a book about fae and witches, but a warning about bigotry. It gives a subtle nod to Pacific Islanders, Turkish, Japanese and a few other cultures. World building is often difficult to write, but Ringle does an excellent job weaving this story together, and I appreciate how she portrays the relationship between Larkin and Merrick gives all of the characters the ending they deserve. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to read this one.

Unfortunately this was not for me, but bear in mind its my fault not the book's as its quite hard for me to get into adult books. I really wish i could push through but alas, the writing felt sort of dense and info-dumpy to me. Hopefully others may appreciate the story more than i could.

Urban Fantasy/ LGBTQ Romance/ Fairytale

Lava Red Feather Blue is a feel-good, modern day fairytale filled with quirky magical creatures, all kinds of fae, set on a magical north-Pacific island.

Prince Larkin is accidentally awakened from his 220 year sleep by Merrick, a half-faery, half-human witch. But the spell binding Larkin also kept the evil faery, Ula Kana, at bay. Once Ula Kana is free, she wreaks havoc on the secret island that is home to both humans and faery. Merrick and Larkin form an unusual alliance and travel into the faery lands to restore balance.

I loved the magical island, the mix of cultures, and the whimsical feeling I had through the whole book. Its set in modern times, but feels very much like a fairytale.

It reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film, with a style of story that flows like a pleasant, meandering river. There is plenty of conflict, but it usually resolved in a positive, feel-good way. I enjoyed the quest/ adventure and found it to be a fun lighthearted read.

Merrick and Larkin were great main characters and their dynamic and romance was really fun.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun urban fantasy/romance with a bit of adventure.

The formatting of the ARC was really weird, and there were no capitalizations, so I put it down. Nothing against the story, characters, or writing, I just had a hard time reading it so I didn't finish it.

"Lava Red Feather Blue" is centered around a prince named Larkin who has been asleep for a long time due to a spell that was cast to create a truce between the humans and fae on an island called Eidolonia. Merrick - a witch - accidentally finds Larkin and wakes him up, and in doing so, the spell breaks, which results in Ula Kana (a fae who wishes to get humans out of Eidolonia) returning. Over the course of the story, Merrick and Larkin learn more about the magic on their island and work together to try and bring peace and harmony to everyone that lives there.

I loved watching the two main characters grow closer together as they began to work together, and I felt like the plot reminded me slightly of "Sleeping Beauty," but with its own unique twist. Overall, I thought that it was a very enjoyable read, and I would definitely recommend it to fellow fantasy readers.

Before jumping into this review, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a unique fantasy novel that has an interesting twist to the Sleeping Beauty narrative. The story mainly focuses on the two male leads. Larkin, the young prince forced into an eternal sleep to keep the antagonist from harming his people. In the modern time period, Merrick, a half-human/half-fae accidentally wakes him up and undoing an ancient spell that ties Larkin to the villain in his deep slumber.

Genuinely, the blur did capture my interest when I request this book a year ago, that being said, it took me a while to actually finish reading it. The thing was, the book is just right in the middle. It has so much potential for me to be this really fascinating plot, however, it failed to really hook me in as well.

Lava Red Feather Blue just stands in the middle ground, where it could've shown more to be captivating, and not quite there yet in terms of world-building. Often times, I wished the author placed in more details on certain elements in the world she built, rather than telling the readers this or that especially with how it is a country where faes and humans sort of co-exist. There was a lot going on, and I had been irked by some parts where the narration glossed over how things work, especially considering that the book goes between the use of magic and a system of governance between fae/human laws in the first half of the book.

I'm rounding it off that this story is a 2.5 stars for me. The start of the novel really drawn me to read it, but the pacing, as I go further slowed down a lot that it took me way longer to actually finish the book, but I still feel that there's room for improvement in the story.