Member Reviews

I thought I was getting over fairy fantasy books but the Realm of Lore and Lies sucked me right back in. I really feel like there's not enough Irish-based mythology books. The story felt very well-researched and I could tell the author did her homework. Since it is well-researched, I think the author did too much of an information dump in the beginning that could've been edited down. It made the book have a pacing issue but it resolves itself by 50 percent. I liked the romances and I thought the chemistry was good between the leads. I would read the next book in the series because I only picture the story getting better.

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I really liked the Irish background and the group of travelers in the story, but it was too slow for me. The story had too many different parts with too many people in it, so it was confusing and didn't make sense. All the pieces are great, but when they are put together, something doesn't seem right.
Aisling was a good main character, but I didn't believe that she and Setanta could fell in love so quickly, which made the story less enjoyable for me.

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Completely obsessed with this book. it has everything I love in a book, some slow burn romance, folklore, mystery, magic and brilliant witty banter that had me laughing out loud. Cannot wait for more

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When I heard about fae and Irish folklore I just knew that I had to request the book!
Sadly it didn’t really meet all of my expectations, but still a good read

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This one didn't work for me.

The story started out promising. I liked the fae-world and the irish mythology.
It gave an original spin on the many fae stories out there.
However, the slow pacing unfortunately didn't work for me.
It was simply too slow and made it hard for me to finish the chapter I was reading sometimes,

I would definitely try another book in the future by this author though.

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This book started out just ok, but it get better the more I read. By the end of it, I was quite invested in the story. I liked that It had multiple POVs, always a favorite for me. Plus a mischievous Puca pretending to be a cat. Always a good time. the Irish mythology was magical. I liked that each of the characters seem to have some type of development over the course of the book. This book definitely feels like the story is only just beginning.

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I wanted to love this book. Irish folklore. Dark and tormented characters. A dangerous competition. I'm into that real bad, however... the pace was too slow and I didn't finish it.

I struggled reading the first quarter of the book and yet I pushed myself to keep on reading because I could see the potential. Maybe it wasn't the right time for me and I needed something lighter and with a little bit more action.

I DNF it and I'm truly sad about it. I'm a fan of novels that revolve around mythical creatures and mysterious and macabre legends, but this one simply didn't hook me.

I encourage you to give it a try, though, because I've seen other reviews and there are other people who have enjoyed it.

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I did not finish this book. The premise and the world-building intrigued me but it felt like the book dragged on too long without any actual action going on. It took a long time to introduce the characters and their backstories, and nothing really happened in the first half of the book. I assume that eventually the characters were going to travel to this other world for the competition and to find her mother but I felt this needed to happen a bit earlier in the book to grip my interest. Perhaps some of the character's development could come a bit later.

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Thank you netgalley for an e-arc to this book in exchange for an honest review.

While this book has an interesting premise, I really struggled with the pacing. A lot of the action felt very surface level, and there was a lot of exposition in the early parts of the book. Not much happens until past the 50% mark which made it a bit of a slog for me to get through.

I was not a fan of the POV characters. They all felt much younger than the book tells you they are and honestly quite whiny. The dialogue also felt disjointed and stunted at times.

Overall I felt this was a pretty mediocre fantasy book, which will definitely appeal more to other people compared to me, and I likely will not continue with this series.

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Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and amazing author for giving me an ARC of this book.

I love that the author wanted to bring Fantasy’s to Ireland and this book does just that. It also is cool that there are a timelines and stories and then merged together. I really enjoyed this book while a little long I’m excited to see what else the author brings to the fantasy world.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author has really done her research on Irish mythology and wove it into a fantastic story. I really liked the characters and premise of the story and I *love* the emphasis on women leaders. However, at times, there was some pacing issues and I would've liked a bit more world building. Even though, I cannot wait for the next book to come out, I need to know what happens next!

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I read this on Holiday and it was just so different to the normal kind of Fae lore it was intriguing.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Leannán Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

Plot-intricately engaging and fantastically written. It's something that stands out in the current Fae fantasy settings as this one is based more on the irish mythology and intricate way they impact humans in a modern setting than the normal "kidnapped by a handsome Fae" a lot of the newer fantasy books aim for. It was well written overall, twisted enough to keep me invested and I really liked the writing style.

World building-This part was not as strong, but it's more along the lines of the pacing being really slow than anything else.

Characters-Might be just me but they all felt....fine. Like the four main characters all had their own POV's but none really stood out in any way. They all get developed throughout, but none really stand out as main characters.

Final Thoughts,
A beautifully written story, but i fear the pacing may make people stop too early when the plot is genuinely fantastic.

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I have been pleased with how good this book has been. I just knew it was a fantasy book, I didn't really have any other knowledge or expectations, except that it was based on Irish mythology. The first few chapters were a bit slow to read as the world and characters were being established. But then it picked up quickly. You'll be reading until 3am, so make sure you have plenty of sleep prior. There's romanticism, family history, murder and mysteries. I would have liked to see more depth in the characters, but that may be something that will be explored in the second book of this series, we'll see. I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues.

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I was enthralled by the world building and Irish folklore throughout this read. The author does a beautiful job setting the scene for this novel and introducing characters you fall in love with. I find multiple POVs usually a distraction and really hit or miss for most authors, but the author did a wonderful job keeping the reader engaged and wanting to find out more about each characters' personal feelings.

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I haven't read a whole lot of fantasy romance and from what I've read, this one did a good job. I thought the world building and plot were really interesting and were intriguing enough to keep reading. However, I think that this book could benefit from a little bit more editing (however, that might be because this is an arc copy and not a final edition).

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Are you FREAKING kidding me?! Bravo!! The brilliance, the world building, the characters, the STORY! I dove head first into this one and didn't come up for air until the end. I love Irish/Scottish lore and this novel delivered. Cannot wait for more!

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Thank you so much for the copy to review

I felt this story was so good! I was immersed and couldn’t put it down. The characters were relatable and interesting. All the details made this so great and I could picture everything in my head. I love multiple POV stories so it really made the story enjoyable to read

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Hi, NO DISRESPECT to the author or the book; this is my opinion and how I viewed the book in question!

This book starts with one of the Main characters and slowly explains her life, her beliefs and her family secrets (only a bit). The story continues about why she is where she is in life and how she got there. As we learn about this, she hears about a tragedy in her family. As she tries to uncover what is going on, she is reunited with her brother and clan. She is also set to go into a "battle" and discovers the secrets her elders and mother have kept.

This had a good start on things. I liked the flow and how to story was unfolded, but there was some flaw to this book. There were too many things going on and a lot of going back and forth with the POVs and storyline that it was hard to keep up with. I would probably maybe recommend this to people but with a warning of getting whiplashed a bit. I liked where this was going and would probably read the second book as well, but more carefully.

I would say I liked the book and where it was heading but tell the author to probably stick to 2 or 3 POVs if there are too many storylines.

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The story was interesting. It took me awhile to get into the book. It was a fun blend of more modern day and folk lore

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I am SO HAPPY that I read this book.

Perhaps it's because these are stories that I was raised on, but I found the magic systems and lore really easy to understand. Still this book is full of twists and turns and a number of solid plot points to keep things interesting.

I thought enjoyed reading this book and fell in love with these characters. I cannot wait for part two. I think this will be my new favourite fantasy series.

THANKS: Received from Met Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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