Oh man, was I so looking forward to an adult book from this author! I was not captivated by the world-building. I was shocked at how incredibly bored I was. It didn't give me the depth I was hoping for, especially considering how long it is. 2.5 rounded up. The narrator was fantastic - listening to the audio was probably the only way I was able to push through as long as I did.

I thought the synopsis and opening chapters of this book were really great. It reminded me of early 2000-10s fae fantasy and I enjoyed that bit of a throwback.

We meet Bristol and her sisters as they navigate life after their father’s death. Trying to make ends meet by selling his artwork and working minimum wage jobs. A mysterious aunt surfaces out of the blue and the news of her father being alive sets Bristol on a new path that’s quite literally out of her world.

The audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley is what got me through this book. She delivers great voice and pitch changes, with fun accents thrown in, that make the story pleasing to the ear.

I really liked the atmosphere of the book overall, it had many fantasy aspects I like, as well as good world building…

However, for the most part the pacing didn’t work for me and made the book a huge drag. There was a lot of filler in a sense that Bristol joins what’s basically a fae school. It leans very heavy YA with some minor adult content thrown in, an insta-love relationship, and just not enough character development.

Truth is, not a whole lot happens in the plot. There was a great scene around the 50-60% mark that had some tension and action, but other than telling us “fae world = big bad scary” - it doesn’t show any of it. This book should have been much shorter and concise, with a better climax or juicer cliffhanger to set up the next story. I wish there were flashback scenes of the parents, instead of some of these random POVs, I think the book would have benefited from that extra history.

Ultimately, this was a bit average for me but it has interesting potential to become a series.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook to review.

[3.5 stars]

The writing here was fantastic as was the delivery of the narrator but I just wasn’t invested in any of the characters. The romance also just felt lackluster and I did not see any chemistry between the MCs. I wish I could say I loved it because I loved the Dance of Thieves duology so much. But when Tyghan manipulates Bristol’s emotions, after they’re already in a relationship, so she’d be less angry and they wouldn’t argue, that was a hard no for me. He also goes from I’m attracted to her but annoyed by her existence to “I love her” in a complete 180 spin. Because we get his POV and he was nowhere near that realization when it happens. Bristol I loved. She handles the things that are thrown at her as best she can and considers things from others’ perspectives as well.

The plot is intriguing and I was honestly more invested in that than the romance and I think it would’ve worked better if that was the main focus. The ending was so abrupt and an interesting choice. It felt like a chapter was left off.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the audiobook review copy.

Bristol Keats and her family have always lived life on the run. When they finally stop to settle in a small town, Bristol and her sisters lose both of their parents in a short period of time.

Now struggling to keep their lives afloat, Bristol agrees to meet with a mysterious “aunt,” whom she has never heard of before, in hopes that she may find a way to support her sisters with what the aunt is offering.

As things turn out, though, the “aunt” she encounters is not what she expected, and she soon learns that the world, her family, and even Bristol herself are not what she always believed.

Travel to a world filled with gods, monsters, and fae along with Bristol as she finds herself pulled into the power struggle between fae kingdoms and works to find her footing amidst her own conflicting loyalties.

I devoured this one. I did not want to put it down. It’s 17+ hours on audio (at 1x speed), and I started and finished it in three days time. (I tend to listen at a speeds between 1.8x and 2.3x most of the time, but that’s still a lot of book in a short period of time.) It had me hooked to the very last moment.

I loved the forbidden romance aspect, the multiple POVs, the world-building, the growing friendships and bonds among the recruits, and the heat between Bristol and Tyghan.

Plus this one is narrated by Brittany Pressley. That is always a win in my book. I enjoyed all of the accents she used and vocal choices she made. She captured the multiple POVs well. Her narration is a big part of how I was easily able to consume this one so quickly.

My main complaint: This one is book 1 in a series, but even for a fantasy series, the ending felt abrupt to me. Book 2 can’t come quickly enough.

4.75⭐️ for the story
5⭐️ for the narration

I will gladly reread this one again before book 2 comes out.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

This is a perfect set up for a series of novels. The world building was rich and complex, but still allowed it have a small town feel for the main character. This falls more under romance than fantasy, in my opinion, if that's your thing. The narration was good, if you can get past the odd pronunciation of the word "troll."

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this <i>immensely</i>. So thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy. All my incoherent ramblings are obviously my own because no one would script this.

Hey friends, were you not into the "enemies" part of enemies to lovers in The Cruel Prince? You know, the kind that are, in fact, enemies that try to kill each other? Cool, might I recommend this book instead?

This book isn't like TCP but it also kind of it. Like maybe cousins.

And let me tell you, in a world inundated with fae stories, this is the only kind I like to read. The kind that are, you know, based on actual fae, and not the path SJM has taken them (no shade, just not for me).

Bristol is just a normal girl with her normal sisters trying to survive after losing both of her parents. They're trying to keep the lights on when a mysterious "aunt" starts sending them letters telling them she's got a hefty inheritance for them. Knowing her dad was an only child makes this unbelievable to them, but in a desperate move, Bristol decides to take the meeting.

That's when she discovers the world of Elfame.

She strikes a deal to keep her sisters safe and afloat while she searches for her dad, who she doesn't believe is dead (plot twist!), and she's supposed to join a group of recruits that are believed to have the power to save Tyghan's world. Tyghan, the king, was not supposed to be king. He was more like the spare, but then his brother got kidnapped and now he's trying to rule a kingdom all while not going mad because yes, his best friend betrayed him and stabbed him with a demon blade and now demons are trying to take over his mind.

Y'all these two are having a ROUGH TIME.

And we get to watch them slowly fall in love. And honestly major shout out to Mary E. Pearson because she managed to make an age gap not actually an age gap (claps all around), she made everyone a bit in the wrong and a bit in the right, and she made all the girlies a team. I love.

Also massive shout out to the one and only Brittany Pressley because she can do no wrong with her narrations.

The major issue with this book is that it's not even out yet which means I'm going to have to wait eons for book 2 and that makes me want to throw a tantrum.

It's going to take me a bit to fully process this book. Some parts I really enjoyed and then others it just kind of lost me. I was constantly trying to remember exactly what each monster or fae or character actually looked like and what their abilities were. I did enjoy Bristol's character and her relationship with her sisters and her new friends. The slow burn relationship between Bristol and Tyghan was fun. But then the ending of the book just kind of ruined it for me. I get that we'll eventually get another book but it was really an abrupt ending. I will probably read the next one because I really do want to find out what happens but I'll probably still be frustrated about the ending.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

*3.5 stars*

I really enjoyed the Dance of Thieves duology and the Remnant Chronicles, so I was beyond excited to receive an audio arc of this book! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters and the story to life, and I really enjoyed her performance. However, this book did not live up to the excitement that I had for it.
The plot was intriguing enough - I was instantly reminded of The Cruel Prince, as Bristol arrived in Faerie from the (modern) mortal world and tried to adjust to her new life. However, the worldbuilding was really sparse and never fleshed out. The case was the same with the political drama - we never got any kind of strategy or buildup to the major plot events, so the story ended up being more romance/family drama than fantasy.
The characters were also extremely bland. Bristol had almost no development throughout the story and I felt mostly secondhand embarrassment for her throughout the book. While Tyghan had potential to be another Cardan, I found the romance really rushed and unfulfilling. I also thought it was weird that Tyghan was best friends with Bristol's father, and completely lost interest in the romance during a scene where Tyghan bragged to Bristol's father that he was sleeping with her. I found it gross and unnecessary to include that kind of romantic plotline. Readers should know that this is Pearson's adult debut, so the spice level is higher than her previous YA books.
If the romance had been different and the characters a little more compelling, I might have enjoyed this book more. As it is, I think it's a fun and vibey read for the coming fall season, but I don't know if I want to read the sequel.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the arc!

I’m giving this 3.5 rounded down simple for that confusing ending?? Like I’m going to checkout the physical book to make sure that is really how this ends because it feels like it’s not right…

The story itself is nothing new, “human” girl finds out she has mysterious lineage and now she’s needed for a task only she can do. We get a moody Fae King (love him) and lots of court drama!

I’ve read Mary E Pearson YA before and this story did not hit the same for me. I could see she was trying to make it sound more adult and it lost some of the charm Dance of Thieves had.

Overall, I did enjoy the narrator and how everything was pieced together. I’ll probably read book 2

I was so excited when I heard Brittany Pressley as the narrator, I knew I would enjoy the book. She is a fantastic narrator and gives each person their own unique voice. The author, Mary E, Person, creates a new world of the fae taking some traditional ideas and flipping them on their heads The world is expanded, and Bristol finds out the land of the Fae is something she can’t get out of her. I enjoyed the world and the characters. I thought the book was a bit long but the constant twists kept me going. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Bristol Keats has never stayed in one place for very long. Even when her sisters convince her nomadic parents to call Bowskeep, Bri only agrees to settle once her parents have both passed away. Having fallen on hard times after their parents' deaths, the girls struggle to make ends meet until they are given an offer they can't refuse-but offers from Faeries are more than they seem. To help support her sisters, Bristol is drawn into the troubled world of the Fae. What she doesn't know is that her parents were constantly on the run from the very people she is now trying to help save. The narrator does an excellent job delineating the characters and keeping the listener engaged. She does not give them each separate voices, which is a hit or miss for me, but I did not have trouble following whose perspective we were listening to at any point. Pearson's book is a little slow at the beginning as she begins setting up the world building and characters. Once we get into the Fae realm, the action picks up a bit as we see the story both from Bri's perspective learning the world as well as from Tyghan's who knows exactly who she is and how her family betrayed his. For readers who often yell things like "Just tell her already!" at their books, this might be a pass for you, but overall, I think the story is well worth the listen.

This was amazing, the narrator was amazing. I love the cover. A phenomenal story and fantastic world building. I can’t wait to buy the physical book when it comes out

A must read for fans of ACOTAR and Holly Black!

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. This has everything a romantasy reader would want - an immersive universe with mysteries to be solved, lots of whimsy & magic, and a great love story. I’m already looking forward to the second book!

Bristol is an enjoyable FMC for the most part, she quite isn’t the typical damsel in distress or badass FMC, but something all her own. She definitely irritated me with her stubbornness at some points but overall she is an enjoyable character. Tyghan gave me the slightest Tamlin vibes at first but I ended up liking him quite a bit, too. I’d love to learn more about our side characters in the second book but I don’t think it’s a detriment, I just want to know more.

The audio narration for this book is 10/10. Every character was distinguishable and their personalities were depicted wonderfully.

The book’s pacing is a little slow at first but once I got to around 25% I was very into it. This story has an abrupt ending but I assume this was to leave us wanting the second book, which worked on me honestly. I will be shocked if this book doesn’t blow up in the romantasy reader community!

*ARC REVIEW/AUDIBLE*

It took me a bit before I was fully transfixed and I’m so glad i kept with it. Pearsons new world drags you into fairies, with love, friends, betrayals and complicated family dynamics.

The audible narrator is AMAZING. All of her different voices she used for the multitude of different characters was outstanding.

This review will be only for the narration and I’ll post my book review on the separate e-book page.
This narrator was phenomenal. She truly gave a unique voice to all of the characters and fully immerses us into the story.
She absolutely deserves 5 stars for her performance and I hope to listen to more of her narrations in the future.

I had to DNF the book at 45% in but that was in no part due to the narrator but instead the story itself. I’ll write more on that on the review section for the e-book.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was fun! Everything you want in a fantasy with some spice. I was really happy that the author had some of the basic tropes that we normally see but did bring some fresh ideas to the mix. Took off a star because the audio book was a bit confusing at times. If you weren't paying attention you might get confused on who was talking. Not only does it not tell you whos perspective it is each chapter it can change in the middle. Other than that I really loved the audio book and the narrator was great! Would absolutely recommend and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here!

I enjoyed this story and will be looking forward for the next one. I hope we get more of the sisters in the future.

The storyline about Bristol venturing into a fae realm to locate her supposedly deceased father was engaging and well-executed. As the main character enters the Fae realm, she unravels mysteries involving trolls, her father's disappearance, and complex kingdom politics. ..This book features monsters, fae, sinister villains, a charismatic king who initially opposes the female main character. The romance element was endearing, particularly as it blossomed during the latter part of the book when they are united. I appreciated the narrator's skill in switching voices effectively, which helped me follow the characters and scenes without confusion. Despite that, the ending was unique, leaving me curious about what unfolds next in the story.

This is a very immersive world. Bristol finds herself in the realm of the Fae. I loved the details found there. There is a rug in her room with living creatures that eat the crumbs she drops, I’ll take one please!

I really can’t give many details about the characters because everything is spoilery!

There is a romance and it contains several detailed bedroom scenes. There are also multiple swear words.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The narration was excellent.

Okay I’m really not sure where I fall with this book! It’s been over a week since I finished and I cannot make up my mind.

I think it was just okay. I didn’t feel as invested in the story as I wanted to be. The structure was a bit odd to me with the varying short chapters — felt a bit disjointed (could be an audio problem).

I didn’t love the whole bug section (trying to be vague to avoid spoilers). I just get the creeps thinking about it!

The audiobook was well done and the narrator was great! I do know others who enjoyed it so it may have just been poor timing or not for me! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!!