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Caledonia Fae #5

Elder Druid

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As the Druid Hall celebrates the completion of the Mistgate, their leader Munro is abducted, leaving them in disarray. Queen Eilidh declares Munro dead, which threatens the fragile balance of power in the Halls of Mist. With the druids crippled by grief and uncertainty, no one notices the insidious force influencing them from a dark mirror realm.

That force has a voice, a sinister whisper in Lord Druid Douglas’ ear, compelling him to feed the Source Stone and driving a wedge between him and his companions. Trath's magic could protect the druid lord, but the prince has fled heartbreak in search of a different life. But will his quest bring redemption or ruin?

399 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2013

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341 people want to read

About the author

India Drummond

21 books204 followers
Readers should feel free to contact me via my website.

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Alysha.
16 reviews
January 16, 2019
Not a massive fan of this cover, maybe it’s the blood, maybe it’s the Spider. Who knows. It does have reverence to the plot of the book though.



Let me start by saying this. The series has not exactly been a drag for me, it’s been a time passer. With that being said, if you ever do start to read this series and you find you can’t stand it, tough it out until at least the fifth book. Having just liked the previous four, I had neutral expectation for this one. I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as i did.

Queen Eilidh and Munro have welcomed their new daughter. One of the things I found a bit weird is that the Fae do not raise their children. They barely see them, and choose the nurses to raise them in the Nursery. Obviously, being raised in the human world, Quinn doesn’t like that very much. Much to everyone’s dismay, he chooses to see his daughter whenever he gets the chance.

This story takes place around Trath and Aaron’s POV for the most part. Of course we also see much of Munro. Trath and Aaron travel to a neighboring Queendom to negotiate trade details. Trath also has to fight his bond with Douglas as it’s causing him great pain. They are both in love with one another, Trath finally trying to take the first step in their relationship scares Douglas away. Apparently, he’s pretty much antigay. He says some pretty hurtful things to his bondmate, so when the chance comes to distance himself from Douglas, Trath couldn’t agree quick enough. He takes Aaron, along with another astral Fae along for the journey.

As they are arrive and start to settle, Trath has to decide what’s more important: his Queendom or his heart, and if it could be possibly to have both. Aaron, goes along as a friend, but also goes to inspect and learn more of the new Queedoms Runes and texts. Because this Queendom is so independent it’s rare for a scholar to know the knowledge inside their walls. Aaron also bonds with a Spirit Fae named Joy. Once meeting Joy, we see and understand the full abuse the Azuri Fae have endured. For Centuries. It’s not pretty. Once it’s proven that they are Azuri Fae, their throats are sliced so that they may never speak incantations. When they learn sign language and attempt to use incantations that way, their fingers are cut off and then blinded so they may never seen the Runes again. It’s brutal. It’s really fucking sad. With the help of Trath, the Princess, once she takes the Throne, wants to do her best to help these Fae. So she claims.

Munro gets kidnapped by and “Evil” centuries old Druid. Apparently, he was so evil that they locked him up in some type of Prison and cut that part of the world from the Source Stone. In cutting off the Power, he is limited to his area, and he is solely alone. At least, that’s the gist of what I got from the prison. Queen Eilidh, thinking her Mate is dead completely shuts off from the world. Our good Prince Consort momentarily takes over the crown. Everyone believes Munro is dead, and when they find out a shred of his soul remains, they have to decide if the risk of saving him is worth taking.



***Spoilers***

Okay, Trath is now my favorite character. I loved him. He made this entire series worthwhile for me. He made me laugh, he almost made me cry. There is the one scene, Munro tosses his daughter into the air (planning to catch her, as most parents do) and Trath, never having seen the game played before, freaks out. He has an instant to react, freezes time, and runs under his sister to hold her up. He unfreezes time and everyone’s super confused for a moment. His sister grabs onto his nose, and Munro tells her to put his nose back, and she complies. Oh my gosh, it was just so heartfelt and cute.

Aaron surprisingly, is such a gentleman in this installment. I always kind of pegged him to be a dick, and I’m glad to see another side of him in this one. When I learned what had been done to the Azuri Fae on the Island, I was shocked, but I was so terrified for poor Joy. I honestly thought Aaron was going to be disgusted or disappointed. I was gearing up to feel so sorry for Joy, that I almost cried when Aaron said she was the most beautiful thing he had ever saw. Was really sweet.

One of the things I didn’t like in this one was the same thing I didn’t like in the last one. Prince Koen was pretty much ignored. I thought he was going to be super important, now it seems he’s not even worth mentioning. I mean, he does make an appearance. I’ll just say, I knew he was a snake the moment he chose to lay down at Eildh’s feet.



I’m going to give this book a 3.5. I wanted to give it four stars, just for Trath, but alas i couldn’t. Like the previous books, I found so many parts of this confusing. Although it’s confusing, I didn’t find that it really interfered that much with the book. It’s more of a slight inconvenience more than anything. Like i said, If you do start this book, make sure you read at least until this one. It’s by far been the best storyline. You can also read these books out of order if you prefer. I haven’t found many cliffhangers or much foreshadowing. You could even read it as a standalone if you wanted.
Profile Image for jess  (bibliophilicjester).
935 reviews20 followers
February 1, 2018
3.75 stars? I’d give it 4, but I put it down for a few days and didn’t think much about it, so I’m hesitant.

These books just keep getting better! I feel like each book has a huge revelation or discovery, but it also seems like there’s so much left to learn and there should be more books in the series than the one I have left?! I don’t think I want it to end!

It was nice to learn more about Jago, Maiya, and Tràth - even more about Aaron toward the last third or so. There are definitely some loose ends and things that happen conveniently (Huck and Demi are gone most of the book, and why has everyone forgotten about Koen’s father?), and I didn’t like that a sort of villain was essentially American -______- but still. Very enjoyable!

I think I’d go so far as to say I’m now fae trash, lol. I really love learning about these faeries and the druids! I’m a way, it feels like two separate trilogies - the first three focus on learning about all the fae, and the next three seem more geared toward druids. But they all fit together too. It’s hard to describe.

I also want to note...AND THIS IS A BIT OF A SPOILER that I don’t want to mark...I was really nervous about what happened in the argument Douglas and Tràth had at the beginning of the book. Douglas bursts out with something like “I’m not a queer” and I was like HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT. But probably less than a page later, Munro pulls Tràth aside and explains that Douglas is young and stupid and definitely didn’t mean what he said. He also said something I highlighted about being too young to realize what his parents taught him might be wrong. And that felt like a really generalized statement that I spent days thinking about. It also kind of set the tone for the book. That things are changing rapidly in this world and they all need to accept that what they’ve been taught (or what they’ve previously known to be true) might actually be incomplete or even false. I also liked that Douglas corrected his harsh words later on with the story about his male friend and their double date adventures. And not only did Douglas fuck up royally and apologize for it, but he flat out told Tràth he loved him and would follow him anywhere/do anything for him. Which is a really brave thing to do in the real world, never mind with crazy magic and old prejudices to deal with and overcome. I never really cared about Douglas, but that bit really endeared him to me.

I also can’t wait to read more about Joy!!!! I’m excited and also sad to see how it all ends. I now understand why some urban fantasy sort of stories have massively long series. I’d be happy if this one lasted 10+ books, honestly. Especially since they keep getting better!!

<3

Profile Image for Nicole.
174 reviews8 followers
September 20, 2017
When I first started this series, I had had this book on my Kindle for quite some time. I had thought it was just one book, and I didn't realize it was a series. After I read the first book, I thought it was good enough to give the second one a go. Now, here I am, ready to move on to the last book in the series.
I really do appreciate that I never know what to expect with each new book. There really isn't any foreshadowing at the end of each book, but the story keeps building on itself in a way that keeps me interested and wanting to read more.
I feel like the author's writing style became more refined throughout the first few books, and I do enjoy how I get to experience the story from more than one point of view. I did not have to re-read any parts of the book to understand what was going on, and the vocabulary was easy to interpret if I did not know the definition of a word. Overall, I enjoy the writing style.
I think that it's crucial to feel something for the characters in a story; whether that be a strong dislike or like. I find myself caring about these characters, and I hope that things turn out well in the last installment.
Overall, I give this book four stars. I really enjoy the series, and I am excited to read the last book. I don't think this series is one I would be expecting to re-read. But if for some reason another book comes out, I would be buying it to continue the series. On to book six!
Profile Image for Carrie.
2,529 reviews19 followers
July 11, 2022
These books, I think, are getting better and better. While Munro and Eilidh’s relationship may be headed into bad places, the overall story is rich and engaging.

This book revolves primarily around Trath. He’s the misunderstood guy who has suffered with a mate who doesn’t broadcast that they’re mates. Douglas has some baggage around hooking up with a guy, but Trath’s poor heart is so broken that when he is tasked with wooing a princess for political reasons, he accepts. This book changed my entire opinion of him, making me a true Trath fan. As a bonus side story, we get to see a little bit of a softer side for Aaron. I think if asked what I knew about him I’d only really remember that he was the only one never stopped standing up for Rory throughout his ordeal. Now that he’s got his own responsibilities and baggage, he’s a lot more interesting as a maybe main character.

The big events of this book are all rolled into the ending, which leaves us hanging a bit. So many changes! So many things we thought were set in stone (haha-druids-etc) were not and I can’t believe we only have one more book to wrap things up. Also – are we changing our minds about the possibility of Rory really having feelings again? Are we undoing it all? I’m better with that than where we left things when they reunited.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Padro.
607 reviews3 followers
June 25, 2017
One of the series where you just want to keep reading. Love the characters!
113 reviews
March 4, 2018
That got dark quick. I thought things were going to get a lot gritter but it tied up nice and neat.
Profile Image for Debra.
647 reviews6 followers
November 16, 2018
Holy Wow!

I don't know how to put into words how I feel about this book. All I do know is it is really good!! I highly recommend it!!
Profile Image for Lu.
500 reviews118 followers
July 27, 2014
Set in the fantastic world where fae and druids live together, not in perfect harmony, but in a world where they are trying to get used to one another and figure out their new lives together. The druids are not the only adjustment, Eilidh, their queen takes multiple husbands and is pushing the boundaries of known magic.

This was a very exciting story from beginning to end. Things are switched up quite a bit when something happens to Munro and Eilidh can’t feel him anymore. She falls into a deep depression, and it is up to the other druids to find out what happened and who or what is to blame! At the same time Eilidh’s condition is hidden from the public.

The story takes place from various points of views of the druids and fae. Aaron’s was particularly of interest as he travels to a different realm, Zalia, with Trath for inter-marriage talks with the princess (Imena) of this realm. Here he discovers something very disturbing, a remnant of past ways that needs to be eradicated and something he was not prepared for!

Trath and Douglas’ story gets a much needed development and there is a whole host of new characters, Ewain, being the most interesting of all and a betrayal that was expected, but still a intriguing side-story.

As always this series continues to be fantastic and does not disappoint! The lore is great, the druids and fae are realistic and the story flows seamlessly. I will most definitely read the next in the series, as so far I have given each of the books in this series 5 stars!
Profile Image for Ohboof#inghoo!.
20 reviews
August 2, 2014
I loved EVERY ONE of these books. Blood Faerie was my VERY FIRST trip to a faerie world (the fantasy genre is fairly new to me). I knew as soon as I finished it that, without a doubt, I wanted to read the rest of the series. I enjoyed getting acquainted with so many interesting characters. I REALLY, REALLY appreciate that the author wrote them so that they were ALL stand-alone books. I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't WANT to read the whole series. But I am SO STINKING TIRED of authors who just END a book in what seems to be the middle of an event, ostensibly to insure that we are forced to read the next installment. That doesn't always work for me. Sometimes it just pisses me off, insuring that I DON'T read the sequel. Anyhoo.. My only real disappointment is that the series has ended. I can only hope that Ms. Drummond will write a spin-off series to this one. I'll be watching for it.
Profile Image for Stacey.
968 reviews13 followers
August 21, 2016
this an ARC review
so what happens when a mysterious being takes one of the Druids ? and what happens when Aaron meets his bonded Fae ? and what of the rift between Traith and Douglas can they mend their relationship .? and what of a Princess who has her eye set on Traith and what of the truth as to why she wants him as her consort . ? and what the Azuri Fae who are mistreated due to the fact they are not Earth Fae . to find this and more and to see if the druid who is taken is brought back or the things mentioned as well as many that were not even stated in this review buy and read and review this book and see what happens then stay tuned for book six to find out the final book of the series yes i know i so wish there was more after the sixth book but there is not . though in my opinion i believe there could be at least a spin off .
Profile Image for Jenn.
99 reviews4 followers
September 19, 2013
I was enthralled from the moment I picked it up. This has been the most fun series I have read in a long time. I can't put them down once I pick them up.

I dont' want to give anything away as spoilers, but one of the main characters is abducted, leaving the Druid Hall in upheaval. The story takes off from there, with each character trying to find his or her own way with the changes in the kingdom.

It takes a direct change of plot midway through. The prince decides to make a new life for himself, away from his bonded druid, with almost dire consequences. He finally comes into his own, and his frivolous life seems to have ended.

The elder druid definitely puts a different spin on the outcome of the story.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.
Profile Image for Pamela.
210 reviews2 followers
July 17, 2014
Munro has been taken through unusual circumstances. Eilidh feels that her bond with Munro is gone. Koen, Eilidh's third mate, is up to no good. And if everything isn't in enough turmoil Trath is given an ultimatem by a visiting Princess looking for her future consort.

This was an exciting continuation of the series. I love the interaction between characters as they are being developed in the story. The continuing discoveries of the druids' abilities are so interesting, along with the individual problems that they all face. This was an incredible addition to the stories. Can't wait to read the next book.












Profile Image for Carly West.
135 reviews12 followers
Read
May 8, 2013
Not just this book but the series so far is so good! I found the 1st book free on ibooks and I cannot believe it. I would gladly have paid full price! The series cannot be explained, it has to be experienced. I've never really been one for fantasy books, BUT I was drawn in like a month to a flame within the first couple pages. I devoured all 5 books in less then a week and I am anxiously awaiting the next one!! Eeeeepppp
Profile Image for Jessica.
7 reviews
February 27, 2015
The Elder Druid

Book 5 of this series had me engulfed from beginning to end with twist and turns love faith New talents being unlocked bonds being made love lasting thru the best and worse ..This is a must read .
Profile Image for Olivia Prefontaine.
18 reviews
February 15, 2015
I am really enjoying India Drummond's writing! Each book in her Caledonia Fae series just seems to get better and better. Each book has fresh new ideas and challenges for the characters to face so the story stays fresh.
Profile Image for Gaynell.
619 reviews
April 18, 2013
Really enjoyed this book. Can't wait to find out more about the early druids. Also, want to know more about the "Father of the Sky".
22 reviews6 followers
June 24, 2013
Such a good book! I found the characters in this one really endearing and really enjoyed the descriptions of different faerie realms.
Profile Image for Paulette Webb.
63 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2013
I liked this book of the series particularly. It deals with Munroe, my favorite character on the series. His trials and tribulations prove his value to the Fae and the Druids. Great read.
Profile Image for Mindy.
155 reviews
September 24, 2015
I like this series - lots of portent, nice pacing and some pretty complex relationships.
Profile Image for william  Goodrow.
195 reviews2 followers
November 15, 2015
Elder Druid(Caledonia Fae, Book 5)

Entertaining all the way through from beginning to end. A different perspective from other Fae tales I have read. Well done India.
3 reviews
July 27, 2018
enjoyed it as usual. The characters are still as strong even though it is the 5th in the series. Would
recommend.
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