Thank you to NetGalley for providing the eARC edition of Faerie Silver, Iron Cold in return for a fair and honest review!

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Content Warnings: Fantasy Racism/Discrimination, Brief War Themes, Brief and Casual mentions of Blood, Minor Violence, (Non-vulgar/Graphic) Implications and Conversations involving Sex, Kidnapping/Imprisonment, Violence against (Fictional) Animals/Creatures

**Disclaimer: This list may/may not include all content warnings for Faerie Silver, Iron Cold. However, any warnings listed are all mild, brief, or vague in description.

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First off, I absolutely loved this book. I, admittedly, have not read very many Faerie themed books, including ACOTAR, so I was not quite sure what I was in for. However, the cover grabbed me, the book description grabbed tighter, and then the story took me for an entire spin. I was entirely wrapped around this story to the point of thinking about it while at work.

I think the play with Faerie/Fae was very well done. There were a lot of the classic nods towards the culture of Faerie including being unable to lie, having names in high regard, as well as their aptitude towards magic and perfection. There was a line in the book that referred to the Fae as being vain due to their intricate braids and hair designs, but what I find interesting, is that later on, the idea of the entire race of people being vain is never brought up again, nor is obviously displayed in the behaviors from the later characters.

I adore Ciar and her character. I was a little unsure about the beginning, especially with it starting as the main characters when they're children, but it really roped me in and convinced me to stick along for the ride. She grows from this mischievous little heathen, into a teenage who does her best and wants to succeed and return to her friend, to an independent and free-thinking grown woman who means well, does well, and isn't afraid to throw attitude and her own opinions in the face of opposing characters. It's very refreshing to see a main character that can stand on her own two feet and carry herself alone.

Each of the side characters had quirky and fun personalities, all of them distinguishable from one another, which helped to add to the depth of the background. I liked the split between Seelie and Unseelie, and enjoyed the different imagery and traits that each of the groups (kingdoms?) had.

I do think that a couple characters could have had a little more fleshing out, but given that they were side characters, it's not enough for me to warrant taking away a star. Additionally, there was a child character left behind later in the book, and I do wish we had also learned about what her fate was. But, again, I didn't see it as that much of an oversight, considering the book is about Ciar and Mael. Which, their relationship from childhood to adulthood is very well done, and refreshingly healthy. It is very obvious that Mael cares for Ciar even through the differences in Faerie/Human culture, but is done in a way that is not overbearing, possessive, or anything extreme beyond the ideal in Fae culture of "being promised to one another" and "bondmates."

Beyond that, the pair agree and disagree, have fleshed out conversations involving each other's worlds, and later on, through the theme of love in the book, I believe that Mael feels that even if it is not expressed in the same manner as the other characters. As someone who struggles with wording emotions, I think I appreciated the idea of "giving gifts" and taking actions, even if there were small "ulterior motives" or "a gift is never a gift, the fae always want something in return" nods, given that the affection between Ciar and Mael is more silent, and physical, than it is outwardly spoken.

I think the final chapter was maybe a little rushed, especially towards the end? It did feel a bit abrupt, given I had to go back and reread a couple of times just to make sure it didn't end as quickly as I'd imagined. Maybe that was more to do with my enjoyment of the book, rather than its actual purpose in its ending. Who's to say?

Additionally, I appreciated that the discrimination towards the Fae continued on throughout the book. It kept up the frustration towards certain characters, as opinions changing so quickly is simply unrealistic and would've been odd to have such a violent 180 shift. Across the board, the author did a gorgeous job of building up the world, the environment, and all the little nitty-gritty details that made the book what it is, even down to the creatures, fruits, foods, and general atmosphere. As someone who pours themselves over worldbuilding, this really scratched an itch that I had in a lovely way. Good on the author! It shows that they really cared a great deal for this world and for their characters.

Overall, I would give the book approximately a 4.5/5 stars, rounded up! I'm very happy with this one, and I'm very grateful to NetGalley for offering this title as an eARC. As my first eARC read and reviewed, I look forward to doing more now that my expectations have been set! I look forward to purchasing this one when it hits the shelves, so it can sit prettily on mine.

Overall, I started out very excited for this book. It felt like refreshing new twist on a fantasy book. However, I personally felt like this book fell flat towards the end. The writing and world building was wonderful. I just felt that the plot was missing some zap.

A well thought out and descriptive Fae love story. I enjoyed seeing the characters grow from children to adult. Seelie and Unseelie alike are interesting. Yhe underlying current if what we expect from girls as a society is an important thread.

A gorgeously written and engaging book about faeries, connections and friendship. This had me hooked right up until the final page. I would love to see more of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Author @vicmalachai for allowing me to read this gem in exchange for a review.
Here’s my spoiler free thoughts ❤️
I am obsessed and fascinated with all things Fae at the moment and this book did not disappoint. It was really good! It was fast paced and featured strong and engaging characters.
I enjoyed how the plot developed and found myself constantly wanting to read more to see where things were going to go.
Would love there to be more in this world, particularly more details on what happens with Torc’an and his daughter.
Young girls stuck in a world of traditional customs meet the magic of Fairie. I totally recommend this to all YA & fantasy readers!
Book is published 31 July 2022 ✨
4.5/5

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgV5r8mrb1R/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Ciar moves to Brinley to live with her grandparents after the death of her mother, her ears still so full of her mother’s stories about Faerie that she doesn’t heed the warnings about dangerous Fae. The town’s children play games near the border between the human world and Faerie, marked by a stream, and they dare each other to get as close as they can to crossing. Only Ciar is brave (and foolish) enough. On the other side she meets Mael, a Fae boy recently escaped from a coup in the Unseelie Court. Ciar and Mael grow up together, despite the concern and pity from the people of Brinley who think Ciar will be lost to Faerie forever. The Ciar goes away to school and, despite Mael’s promises that they will have a place to live together once she finished her schooling, they do not see each other again.

Until the day Mael comes to collect her—fae promises do not come without a price.

This scratch as very specific fae itch for me. The world is incredibly vivid and the faerie lore is rooted in a mix of Irish and Scottish traditions. There’s also a great flip on usual takes of the Seelie and Unseelie courts - the sympathetic side is the Unseelie, who are usually portrayed as the “bad guys.”

Ciar’s character development follows her from spoiled, naive child to reckless but well-meaning teenager to independent young woman. I love the contrast with Mael, because they are both caring in their own way, but the cultural differences of fae and human means this comes across very differently. Their relationship is beautiful in the way it grew from the foundations formed when they were children. There was a moment towards the end when Ciar is looking at a series of wood carvings that show a human girl falling in love with a faerie, and “In every panel the Seelie lord was looking at her.” That made me a bit teary, since it perfectly sums up Mael - everything he does, he does for Ciar (even if there’s a lot of faerie logic involved).

While Ciar and Mael are the focus (deservedly) there isn’t a single character in the cast that feels one-dimensional, from the baker who gives Ciar iced buns for free to Ciar’s gaggle of school friends. It’s such a rounded, deep book, and I adored it.

I really liked this book!

The plot was really well written. The descriptions used made it so easy to envision myself part of the story

So were the characters. Ciar was such a well written main character. From the very beginning, I was rooting for her.

Clean read
I like how this story starts in childhood and goes until the main characters are grown.
I love the dynamic of friendship between the too.
I love how the interaction of the main characters as children is what shapes their future.

I do wish that we got closure on the Seelie court and the daughter that was left behind.
It’s saddens me that we got to meet these characters at the other court but then never hear about the.m again.
We never find out why that mother got sick and died.
We never find out if the Seelie court had a change of heart since the human girls came.
Also

Overall great read and I enjoyed it.

I loved this book. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and didn't let go until I read the final page.

The setting just teems with life. There are fully developed superstitions and beliefs. Even the townspeople, no matter how small of a role they play, Ciar deals with have a bit of flavor and don't come across as two-dimensional. The Faerie and the creatures in it are incredibly detailed and the world that Ciar interacts with comes to life. Any detail that is pertinent to the plot is painstakingly rendered so that readers can become immersed in the world Malachai created.

One of the aspects of the book that caught my eye was how the Unseelie Fae were the good guys and the Seelie Fae were the bad guys. For those of you who may not know the difference, Unseelie Fae control the air and water elements. So, their piece of Faerie is like winter, with plenty of ice. Unseelie Fae control the earth and fire elements, and their piece of Faerie is green and warm.

Ciar herself is just an amazing character. At first, she comes across as a bit of a spoiled brat; however, as she matures, she becomes a wonderful, selfless young adult. Mael is just as wonderful, he comes across as cold in the beginning, then he develops into this amazing, caring character. I grew to like other characters in the book who stand on their own with interesting backgrounds, but Ciar and Mael are definitely the stars of the story.

Faerie Silver, Iron Cold is definitely a new twist on Fae-human relationships. If you love all things Fae, this is the book for you.

This was the first book I found on Net Galley and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to read it! I finished this book within a few hours and I absolutely loved every part of it. The main character is relatable, and I loved seeing how she changes throughout the book. The plot was interesting and executed really well. I loved getting to know the other characters and I loved that Ciar didn’t let anyone influence her decisions. She made her own decisions and formed her own opinions. I loved how independent she strived to be and I loved her caring nature. The world building was fun to read about and I absolutely loved the portrayal of the fae. This was such a great book and it was impossible to put down!