*2.5 - 3 stars *
I am not really sure where to begin this review, but I finished reading this book a few days ago and believe I have most of my thoughts gathered.
If anyone read my review for book one, I mentioned that although there were some developmental issues with the plot and word usage, I still really enjoyed the story and was eager to read more. I wanted to give the author a fair shot and not sweep their efforts under the rug immediately.
Looking through reviews of this book, I noticed that other reviewers were enjoying this book more than the first and that is where I have to respectfully disagree.
I will start by saying that I feel both books in the series thus far are entirely too short and lack a good solid foundation of world building. Book one flew by so quickly, I was hoping that Dana LeeAnn would dial it back a bit and rework Lady of the Lost Fae from the ground up since Crown of Blood and Stars(book one) started in such a commanding fashion. Unfortunately, the reader doesn't get any of that. I wanted to know more about the lands, the different courts and why the dynamics amongst courts is so hostile and unwilling to work together for the greater good of the people. I almost feel as if both books so far could have been combined to create a larger and more impactful punch. This story line felt exceptionally flat and missed the mark in my opinion. The plot didn't drive the overall story further or set the reader up for what to expect/look forward to, in the remainder of this series.
In the beginning of Lady of the Lost Fae, the author showed great promise and I began to notice some growth in the writing style from book one to book two. However, the further I read, that strength and power behind the words began to crumble.
Beyond the insufficient amount of world building, the main issue I had with this book was the dynamic between the two MC's. For a large portion of the book, they just bickered and whined about each other. Their communication was exceptionally poor and it was written as if they absolutely hated each other, unless they were having sex.
Adeena was only concerned for the people and Dreyden (who I really liked in book one) was only concerned about himself and having Adeena do anything he commands without complaint. He didn't exude the qualities I saw in him throughout book one. In the end, their whole relationship left a sour taste in my mouth, especially the forced ending.
I will also mention the inconsistencies of the time period and modern tongue usage. I mentioned it in my review for book one, but the phrases, clothing choice (why is she wearing a thong but also a tunic?), and honorifics do not match across the board. I have ZERO issue with smut being mixed with my fantasy novels, but phrases like, "Hop on, and take what you need, baby" and "sopping-wet pu**y" don't seem appropriate for this type of writing or time in which this story is taking place.
There were also some words that were overused, but I don't base my reviews off of spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
This was not the review I was expecting to write for this book, but as with all of my reviews, these are my true and honest thoughts. I hope Dana LeeAnn finds a powerhouse alpha/beta team that can help her knock this series out of the park because I see the potential and I see the impact the author wants to have with her story telling.