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Alicia's always known she's different--that she can recognize the mischievous fae when they show up to "play" with the humans. Only now she's faced with one highly annoyed dark fae and she's certain he knows the truth about her. She can see him, which means her life is forfeit.

Add to that, his sister arrives, who wants to play, too. And their mother, the queen of the Denkar, will want Alicia's head, once she learns what Alicia can do.

And all because Alicia was attempting to rescue her friend, Cassie, on their beach excursion at South Padre Island, from the wicked fae. Now, Alicia has really gone and done it--and she's thinking she should have let the fae have his fun. Her friend's broken heart would be a lot easier to deal with, than Alicia losing her life.

But it is too late for regrets. As soon as she threw the soda at the dark fae's chest, she had declared war on the fae. And he is happy to take up the challenge.

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2011

68 people are currently reading
1749 people want to read

About the author

Terry Spear

165 books1,628 followers
Love, love, love romance, the paranormal, hunky Highlanders with their delicious brogue and hot kilts, so Terry Spear writes about those hunky Highlanders both in medieval times and as wolves in contemporary times. Jaguar shifters too! And young adult urban fantasy. And romantic suspense.

She grew up reading mystery, adventure, mythologies from around the world, ghost stories, the paranormal, fell in love with Dracula and Wolfman, and felt they needed loving too. Everyone should have someone to love. Which means her stories always have a HEA.

USA Today Bestseller residing in Central Texas from Sacramento, California who creates award-winning teddy bears too!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
Profile Image for SubterraneanCatalyst.
127 reviews50 followers
January 17, 2012
2 Stars on Goodreads= it was ok, and that is what this book was.

This plot held some promise but much of that was wasted. I purchased this for the Kindle for $2.99 I think, I was looking for a quick good read with romance and Fae elements.

So you'll get the Fae in this novella (I suppose this is a novella because it's 149 pages, not sure) and you'll get an HEA and that's about it.

My gripes:

- Alicia seemed to accept the Fae and her circumstances too easily. In the beginning you realize that she was raised knowing that the Fae existed because of her father's notes, but then, when she ends up being inevitably involved in the Fae realm, I find that she's too accepting of certain developments of course. If it's a novella I'll grant that things need to move more rapidly but I don't think you should write a novella if you must sacrifice the quality of the story, no?

- When Deveron makes the turn to protect and ally himself with Alicia it seems too quick, too easy, but I'm not going to say it's completely unbelievable it just seems toooo easy.

- Dialogue, Alicia is supposed to be a mortal girl, 17, vacationing on South Padre Island in Texas. Ok, firstly, I live in Houston- I've been there and I know that place well. Secondly 17 year olds don't go on vacations alone (mine won't!) and thirdly they do not speak like they just walked off a Shakespeare set practically. A 17 year old girl in Texas will probably speak using at least contractions.

Anyway other than those things, this was a decent fun read. My favorite part are her shenanigans during the middle of the story, too bad the author didn't keep up the mojo.

Profile Image for Cassandra.
1,188 reviews110 followers
October 17, 2014
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***Received a code from the author to listen to and review the audio version of the book. I do own this book in ebook form, but haven't read it yet (I definitely will in the future though!)

The cover is awesome and beautiful, and I think it is intriguing to grab anyone’s attention.

Listening to audiobooks is now something my son and I love to do together in the car. He even gets upset if we have to stop it for any reason, or if I forget to charge my ipod. I have collected quite a few audiobooks through the Sync program, and I have won some too, but until Terry asked me to listen and review them, I just hadn’t done it yet. Now that I have tried it, I’m addicted :)

I love how strong Alicia is, and she sticks with her friends no matter what. Deveron (no idea if I’m spelling this right) is one of the guys you start out really wanting to smack, but he grows on you like moss :) lol At the end, I love his character too. The Fae are so fickle, and they do a lot of posturing like they are ….not evil but bullies I guess.

Terry’s stories are always so enthralling when I read or listen to them :) This was my Audible review:

Would you listen to The Dark Fae again? Why?
Yes, it was fun and had lots of action :) Also my son really liked it, so it is great for car rides :)

Who was your favorite character and why?
Alicia was my favorite because she was courageous and didn't let fear dictate what she knew was right. She was fiercely loyal and protects her friends. I love strong female characters :)

What about Jeanne Whitehouse’s performance did you like?
I love how she had several voices she used. Listening to audiobooks takes some getting used to. So you definitely want to listen to several before you decide you do or don't like them. I will definitely listen to more of Jeanne Whitehouse's recordings of audiobooks :)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes we both wanted to, but you know how things like work, school, and life tend to get in the way. I also had my car break down, and my grandma's car didn't have an adapter for my ipod....my son was not happy we had to wait a week to finish our story :)

Any additional comments?
Terry Spear is an awesome author, and I always enjoy her books. I will always get her books whether in audio or book format. She rocks!!


Profile Image for Kristin A.
378 reviews107 followers
December 1, 2011
Anyone who knows me, knows I love all things Fae. Heck, I even tease my daughters, telling them that my flower bed is a secret faerie garden. When asked by Terry Spears to review The Dark Fae, I jumped at the chance, not to be disappointed. I adored that part of the story took place at South Padre Island...I am from Texas after all, plus I adore the ocean. Deveron and Alicia were fun as guides in their crazy world.

Alicia has always known she can see Fae but she has never known how deeply her sight is implanted in her. When she sees "the evil" dark fae flirting with her best friend, Alicia throws ice cold coke on him. I would have paid to see his face...especially since he is fae royalty. Deveron realizes immediately that there is something different about Alicia. Through several laugh provoking experiments, he figures out that she can see even invisible fae. It doesn't take him long to figure out she needs protection and he is the only one who can help; neither of them know exactly what they are getting themselves into.

While I definitely enjoyed this fantastical tale, I didn't find the world as intriguing as I would have liked. There was something missing that didn't pull me deep into the story.

The Dark Fae was a quick and fun story. I loved the interaction between Deveron, Alicia, and Ritasia (Deveron's sister). They were quirky, quick-witted, and exciting.

*I was given an e-book copy of The Dark Fae by Terry Spear in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Shawna LeAnn.
128 reviews29 followers
June 17, 2011
I was a little nervous about buying this book. It was at an amazing price but I could not find very many reviews for it, so I followed my gut and bought it anyway. And I am glad I did!!

This was a fast read, but that is fine with me because it had me hooked from page one. Now, before I go on, I will tell you all that I am a series reader. I LOVE me some series because there is always so much more detail in them and I kinda like hanging at the end of a book and wondering what would come next....

This book was great. I loved the storyline and the characters, I just wish this would have been a series so I could have gotten to know the background of the different Fae kingdoms. Terry Spear just throws you into this fae world and you learn as you go. Sadly you do not learn too much about the fae background. Which in most of this book is okay, because you are getting the story from Alicia's point of view most of the time. And she really does not know much about this fae world except what her father wrote about in a diary for her. But other than that WOW!!

I loved the romance between Alicia and Deveron. At first you think he is nothing but a dark fae who wants to play some fun little games with Alicia. But throughout the book they get closer and closer with their steamy kisses and word play. I also LOVED Deverons sister. She was witty and forceful, and also had a loving side to her. The ending and resolution came fast for me though, but like I said, I love a series that will go into detail and have large problems with a big action twist to try and solve it all.

My only problem with this book was that it was not longer. I could have really grown closer to these characters more than I already did I should say. I would recommend this book to all those paranormal romance fans out there. It was worth my 3 bucks, I will tell you that much. [:
Profile Image for Paula.
61 reviews
December 10, 2014
I could not finish this book because it was so haphazardly thrown together.

The characters are completely one dimensional and they all have the exact same speech pattern. Everyone speaks so formal that it's difficult to even buy the dialog. Where is the personality? Where is the character traits that make you love or hate a character? I had no emotion towards any of these characters at all!

The story is just simply unbelievable. If you are raised knowing you can see the Fae, and knowing that your life is in perilous danger if you ever get discovered, I would think that someone would go to some lengths to avoid it. Yet once she gets taken to this world she's kissing him and all "I love him" and it was so unrealistic that i simply. could. NOT. [buy it].

The writing is just annoying. This author seems to completely ignore the Golden Rule of writing to SHOW, not TELL. We are told everything.

I was excited to read this book but I just couldn't buy the story. Maybe with some more background and build up it would have been a better novel but as is, it is little more than literary throw up.
Profile Image for Cassandra.
1,188 reviews110 followers
August 4, 2015
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***Received a code from the author to listen to and review the audio version of the book. I do own this book in ebook form, but haven't read it yet (I definitely will in the future though!)

The cover is awesome and beautiful, and I think it is intriguing to grab anyone’s attention.

Listening to audiobooks is now something my son and I love to do together in the car. He even gets upset if we have to stop it for any reason, or if I forget to charge my ipod. I have collected quite a few audiobooks through the Sync program, and I have won some too, but until Terry asked me to listen and review them, I just hadn’t done it yet. Now that I have tried it, I’m addicted :)

I love how strong Alicia is, and she sticks with her friends no matter what. Deveron (no idea if I’m spelling this right) is one of the guys you start out really wanting to smack, but he grows on you like moss :) lol At the end, I love his character too. The Fae are so fickle, and they do a lot of posturing like they are ….not evil but bullies I guess.

Terry’s stories are always so enthralling when I read or listen to them :) This was my Audible review:

Would you listen to The Dark Fae again? Why?
Yes, it was fun and had lots of action :) Also my son really liked it, so it is great for car rides :)

Who was your favorite character and why?
Alicia was my favorite because she was courageous and didn't let fear dictate what she knew was right. She was fiercely loyal and protects her friends. I love strong female characters :)

What about Jeanne Whitehouse’s performance did you like?
I love how she had several voices she used. Listening to audiobooks takes some getting used to. So you definitely want to listen to several before you decide you do or don't like them. I will definitely listen to more of Jeanne Whitehouse's recordings of audiobooks :)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes we both wanted to, but you know how things like work, school, and life tend to get in the way. I also had my car break down, and my grandma's car didn't have an adapter for my ipod....my son was not happy we had to wait a week to finish our story :)

Any additional comments?
Terry Spear is an awesome author, and I always enjoy her books. I will always get her books whether in audio or book format. She rocks!!
Profile Image for Jennifer Ashburn.
300 reviews4 followers
June 25, 2011
This was an absolutely awesome, well written book with a great storyline...completely not what I expected considering I got the download for free! so glad I read it and I wonder if there will be a sequel
Profile Image for Kelly.
40 reviews25 followers
March 5, 2017
It wasn't much of a story. I stumbled upon it on Amazon for 0.99€ and just gave it a go. something pleasant to spend your time but nothing more.
Profile Image for Darla Taylor.
1,856 reviews
February 26, 2020
I've been a Terry Spear fan for years but wasn't aware of her Young Adult series until I read one of the books for her. so, naturally, I'm catching up on the series.

Alicia is on a vacation with her best friend, Cassie, when she sees a dark fae flirting with Cassie. Trying to save Cassie from the tricks that the fae play while preserving her secret that she can see them soon becomes more than she bargained for. The fae takes an interest in her and brings in his sister and some bodyguards to look into Alicia as he becomes concerned that she can see them. He soon takes her with him as he's trying to protect her from harm. But things aren't always what they seem and there's more secrets involving her than just the fact that she can see the fae.

This book was a wonderful read and a great start to the series. I was hooked from the beginning and kept engaged throughout the book. I love the interactions between all the characters and the way Alicia is determined to do what's right for her and not let anyone rule her life. I'm eager to read the rest of the series. Terry Spear does Young Adult very well. I highly recommend this book.
1,286 reviews10 followers
August 21, 2017
Another great Terry Spear story and series

This is a very different series from all her shapechanger stories, but I loved it! The fae are very interesting. I really enjoyed this introduction to the world of the fae. Deveron is a great character and his sister Ritisa is a great sidekick. Alicia was the star, though. As a human who can see the fae, she tries to save her friend from the tricks of a dark fae. This dark fae, Deveron, turns his attention onto her and then things start really moving. Alicia takes it all in stride. I don't want to give any more of the storyline, as the twists and turns really make the story shine. I can't wait to see what happens in the next story.

If you like magic, fairies, competing kingdoms, many twists and turns along with some laughter, I think you will like this story. Try it and see!
Profile Image for Katie D.
107 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2017
DNF at 50%

I tried really hard to finish this, but I just couldn't. It is a short book so everything felt rushed.

There was definitely semi instalove/attraction, whatever you want to call it and I hated it.

It had a lot of potential, but it was so rushed..like forcibly rushed.

The characters didn't sound like believable 17 year-olds. They just said words that no seventeen year old would.

I rolled my eyes a few times.

The main character was so accepting of the situation she found herself in and honestly I could get past that, but not with all these other factors.
Profile Image for Chasity Nicole.
Author 26 books54 followers
January 29, 2019
I absolutely enjoyed reading this novel. It was fun and quirky. The characters were extremely well developed and you couldn't help but adore them. There were a few characters that as you go through the journey you grow fonder of and some you grow to despise. But they are all so well rounded.

And you never see what's coming next. I never saw it coming what happened in the end, and I absolutely cant wait to continue this series.
6,726 reviews5 followers
March 2, 2022
An entertaining read
he Dark Fae, book 1 in the World of the Fae, is a well written entertaining fast moving novel with well developed interesting characters. The story line is full of twists and turns with complex relationships between Fae. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a quick entertaining read. Enjoy reading 2016
Profile Image for Ronda .
147 reviews3 followers
July 28, 2017
Wonderful!

I loved the characters, and the story as it unwound. The many fae kingdoms, as well as the mystery of Alicia's parentage. Fae or human or half-fae. Look forward to the next in the series.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
316 reviews8 followers
June 13, 2018
Quick read with adorable characters

The story was fresh and highly entertaining. I was hooked from the very first page. The characters were smart, funny and loyal. It was a super cute read!
76 reviews
June 1, 2025
A simple read with lots of fluffs. The world building was barely there and everything got resolved too quickly. The idea was okay but it would be nice to have more details and the plot to be fleshed out. I like the cover, though.
Profile Image for Bookish Britt.
218 reviews5 followers
November 25, 2025
Love the concept of this story. It has all my favourite tropes such as hidden heritage, portals to another world, and enemies to lovers. It is a simple and short book that, perhaps due to the quantity, lacks detail. Still enjoyable for a light read!
Profile Image for Jess Cook.
19 reviews
May 20, 2017
This book wasn't pretty juvenile. Maybe a 12 or 13 year old would like it.
66 reviews29 followers
September 7, 2017
Entertaining and sweet. It's like active resting xDD but for reading.
39 reviews
July 10, 2018
Family secret

Family she never knew the secret until she met him, the dark fae who change her life forever... will she remain or leave world behind... read and find out..
814 reviews9 followers
July 30, 2018
A cute, quick romance read. Not seeing how it can be the start of a series but oh well. I was just surprised at how well the editing was done.
8 reviews
May 30, 2019
Amazing book!

I was caught from the first chapter. Can't wait to read the next book. Give this story a try, you'll be glad you did.
Profile Image for thefriendlybibliophile.
159 reviews16 followers
July 16, 2020
I was just looking for a light and quick read. This book and the rest of the series are really short so the plot could be a lot more developed, but it is a cute, clean, and fun fae world.

Profile Image for Joan Case.
109 reviews1 follower
July 10, 2024
I found this story unbelievable and the storyline somewhat aimless. Instead of developing a plot, the text TOLD us everything we were to discover. I read it through, but didn't really enjoy it.
Profile Image for Mnms.
1,633 reviews5 followers
April 16, 2018
Naive and confused dram-like teen drama
Profile Image for Beckie.
311 reviews64 followers
March 29, 2012
Review posted on blog: http://www.bittersweet-enchantment.co...



First Impressions: I was given a copy of Terry Spear's novel The Dark Fae back in January to read for review. The cover alone had me very intrigued to read her novel. I really love how it looks so dark and mysteries. It has been a while since I have read a story about fairies and these mythological creatures are one of my favorites. After reading more about the book from the synopsis, I figured why not give it a chance.


Review: First you must know that this book is not very long; with only 152 pages the story is tightly packed and makes for a short but captivating read. In the beginning of the book it take place in the here and now; present day. Within a short amount of time the story diverts and the reader is taken into the fae world. I really enjoyed the way the author describes this "hidden" fairy world and the fae living in it. There are divided parts of the world in which different fae kingdoms rule. Deveron a dark fae from the kingdom of Denkar where he is the crowned prince. Deveron decides to go into the human world one day and comes upon a girl who can see these fae when no other humans can. But why? Deveron must now find out what and who she really is.


Alicia has always been able to see fairies and does not completely understand why. On a vacation with her friend Cassie, Alicia see a gorgeous dark fae speaking with her friend and becomes worried. She knows he is not the good type of faerie. When she purposely spills some drinks on Deveron to try and make him leave, Deveron becomes very interested in Alicia only to later find out she is somehow able to see his kind. A plot turning event happens and Deveron will need to take Alicia into his world for her safety. From here the story plot advances with a exciting transformation which takes the reader into a magical world of fairies where both Deveron and Alicia soon come to learn who she really is. All the while forming a bond between both main character's. I felt that the love between Alicia and Deveron was quite romantic but for me a little to insta-love. Being a short novel I can understand why the author somewhat rushed the love between the character's but I would have liked the novel more if they had time to fall in love gradually and get to know each other better.


The story in itself was pretty good and well written with only a few typos but nothing so bad that I would have felt inclined to stop reading. I felt that some parts of the book where slower than others. I did really love how descriptive the author was about the world in which she created in the book. The Dark Fae is definitely full of plot twists and turns; mystery and romance. If you enjoy a good fantasy with fairies within the YA-Adult age groups. Then this book is perfect for you and is short novel to read but not withing a Happy Ending!


Final Thoughts: While I did not totally love this book I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. I really adore books about faeries and I knew I wanted to read Terry's novel as soon as I saw the cover. The lore in the book was very impressive but I felt a lacking in the character development. It would have been nice to know more in detail about each Royal fae kingdom and there traits. But otherwise the book "The Dark Fae" is a great fantasy novel and should definitely be given a chance to anyone who loves these type of books.
Profile Image for April.
117 reviews
March 12, 2016
Another good faery read! Not very long but still worth the read. Terry Spear has created a lovely fae world with a great group of characters. I was quickly drawn into the story and stayed up way too late finishing it. The three main characters, Alicia, Deveron, and Ritasia, are fun and witty and all grew to be likable. The story is full of magic, fun adventure, some twists, and some romance.

Alicia always knew she was different because she could see the fae that showed up to play with the humans. All she knows of the fae world came from a journal her dad left for her before he left when she was 5 yrs old. When Alicia and her friend Cassie are vacationing on South Padre Island a dark fae shows up and Alicia tries to protect Cassie from heartbreak he's sure to inflict on Cassie. Instead she finds herself thrown into the fae world and fearing for her life, for she's knows from her dad's journal that the fae kill her kind (humans that can see the fae). Will she be able to get back to he world? Will she find out more about herself and why she can see the fae?

It would have been nice to know more about the different fae kingdoms. We only get quick glimpses into a few of them. And the romance between Alicia and Deveron seemed rushed. It seems like the author could have made this a longer book (more of a full length novel) to develope these things more especially since this is the start of a series. Maybe we'll learn more about the kingdoms in the other books of the series. Despite these (and my spoiler below) I still enjoyed the story and think it's worth the read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing what happens next with Deveron, Alicia, and Ritasia.

*SPOILER ALERT* (sorry I don't know how to hide just a bit of the review.)
One thing that kind of bugged me was how at the end once Alicia's grandfather gave her permission to go back to hang out with Cassie for 3 days she figured out how to transport (which was fine) but then all of a sudden she knew how to use all the other fae magic too such as memory altering and persuation and could transport Cassie with her even though she'd only just done it once by herself. Earlier in the book they had stated that she wouldn't fully come into her fae powers until she turned 18. This just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story that she could all of a sudden use all this fae magic. I still enjoyed the story though.
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