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Faerie Song Trilogy #1
Fire & Ice
Adventure wasn’t something Lorelei Alundra was interested in. Gifted with two other-worldly talents for singing and healing, she’s always shied away from her gifts and the spotlight, preferring quiet anonymity, over attention and fame. But when she meets the enigmatic Adrius, with his dark and dangerous mystique and eyes that could see into her soul, her uneventful life becomes irrevocably altered.
Adrius turns up in every one of her classes and knows more about her than any newcomer should. Including the condition of her mother who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Accepting his offer to help leads her into a terrifying and thrilling world, where Elves are even hotter than Legolas, and Faeries.... are nothing like Tinkerbell. The two magical beings are fire and ice opposites. One Lorelei can’t help falling for, and the other she's compelled to be with.
Now she’s trapped, expected to prevent a war between witches and faeries, or forfeit her mother’s life. Nothing is what it seems. Not her family. Not the Fey. Not even Adrius, whose feelings for her balance precariously between desire and danger. Despite her better judgment, she can’t say away from him. As secrets unravel and unsettling truths are revealed, Lorelei must fight to save much more than her mother’s life. One mistake could put the fate of his world, and her soul, in jeopardy.
But hey, no pressure… right.
Adrius turns up in every one of her classes and knows more about her than any newcomer should. Including the condition of her mother who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Accepting his offer to help leads her into a terrifying and thrilling world, where Elves are even hotter than Legolas, and Faeries.... are nothing like Tinkerbell. The two magical beings are fire and ice opposites. One Lorelei can’t help falling for, and the other she's compelled to be with.
Now she’s trapped, expected to prevent a war between witches and faeries, or forfeit her mother’s life. Nothing is what it seems. Not her family. Not the Fey. Not even Adrius, whose feelings for her balance precariously between desire and danger. Despite her better judgment, she can’t say away from him. As secrets unravel and unsettling truths are revealed, Lorelei must fight to save much more than her mother’s life. One mistake could put the fate of his world, and her soul, in jeopardy.
But hey, no pressure… right.
467 pages, ebook
First published July 4, 2013
509 people are currently reading
3650 people want to read
About the author
Michele Barrow-Belisle
30 books476 followersAuthor, artist, teacher, lover of chocolate...Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in the real world and one foot in the imaginary. So, it follows that she would grow up to write about characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well.
As a fan of romanticizing the mundane, Michele's young adult novels are populated with scintillating Witches, Elves and Fey, and her illustrated children's books reflect her otherworldly imaginings. Her bestselling debut series Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Saga) is currently in development for a major motion picture.
Michele is a USA Today bestselling author, residing in southern Canada with her husband and son who indulge her ever-growing obsession with reading, writing and most importantly... chocolate.
As a fan of romanticizing the mundane, Michele's young adult novels are populated with scintillating Witches, Elves and Fey, and her illustrated children's books reflect her otherworldly imaginings. Her bestselling debut series Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Saga) is currently in development for a major motion picture.
Michele is a USA Today bestselling author, residing in southern Canada with her husband and son who indulge her ever-growing obsession with reading, writing and most importantly... chocolate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
September 25, 2017
What a storyline!! This is a fun action pack suspenseful read. The characters and the scenery are so well written. I actually felt like I was in the story. I do hope this pops on a movie screen because it is so worth it. The Elvin prince vs the shadow prince is bittersweet. I love the connection with the characters. I'm off too start Book Two!!
October 29, 2013
My review can also be found on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.ca/2013/1...
Well…I’ve had some time to really contemplate this story and my feelings for it remain quite mixed. On one hand, I did like it…I love stories of the fey...and was mostly engaged with the author's writing, her world building and her premise. On the other hand, I got hung up on some other issues...most notably, too many similarities to other popular stories and I didn’t gel with the protagonist.
Fire and Ice represents the heroine’s (Lorelei’s) choices in this story….two extremes that often do not mix. Fire…emanating from the Summer/Seelie Court…would be Adrius. And ICE…you guessed it…represents the Winter/Unseelie Court and its representative in Lorelei’s life would be Zanthiel. And Lorelei has just learned she is a faerie princess with perhaps elements of both within her and something more.
It really took some time for me to warm up to Lorelei…but once her world started changing…I started to understand her a bit better and empathize with her…for a while. But Lorelei’s decisions were almost always impulsive and not well thought out throughout the story. I like to see a protagonist grow and learn from her mistakes but didn't feel satisfied that Lorelei was doing that as the story progressed. Granted, she did mostly have everyone’s best interests at heart…a definite plus…but had her actions resulted in working out well for everyone more often than they did, I could have accepted her more. However, more often than not, she needed rescuing…too much of a ‘damsel in distress’ for my liking. I had some other smaller issues with her, but suffice it to say, she wasn’t my favourite heroine.
Lorelei also had many suitors…some were adequately developed and some were just left hanging. The best friend, Davin, and Adrius’s brother, Julien, both felt underdeveloped and sort of pointless to me. Zanthiel’s relationship to Lorelei wasn’t very clear to me either…and not really a true equal in any way to Adrius’s relationship to her. I would have liked to see a lot more chemistry with Zanthiel if the love-triangle was going to be believable.
We DID get to know Adrius pretty well…and I liked him. He was beautiful—as noted many times by Lorelei—and he was kind and self-sacrificing. He was bound to his duties and the prophecies…but I understood his conflicts and felt his predicaments…however frustrating they were at times.
The other larger aspect of my issues with the story were the many instances of borrowing key scenes and character attributes from other well-known YA stories…specifically from Twilight and The Iron Fey. I took the first couple of instances as nods to these well-read and loved stories of mine…but it just began to bother and distract me as they kept popping up. Perhaps some readers who have not read those other popular books or were not overly familiar with them wouldn't have these issues that I did.
Having said all that, the premise was one of the things that hooked me and kept me reading. I really wanted to see where the author went with this…blending the worlds of faeries, elves and witches, as well as the prophecies affecting them all, and overall I thought her ideas were great! She also pulled me in with her descriptive writing so it was easy to visualize the beautiful and terrifying world of her Nevermore. These were two big positives in my books and were the driving force in my continuing with the story.
I really wanted to like this author's debut more than I did. It seemed to start off strong but began to lose some of its cohesion along the way in my mind with the issues I had described above and a few other niggly things. However, the one (positive) word that kept popping up in my mind throughout this story was the author’s POTENTIAL. I think her concepts were interesting and creative and I think she has a talent for painting a picture with her words, and had the ability to pull you into the story. I think her future novels will only get better! And it seems that although I initially thought this would be a stand-alone, the ending did not indicate that intention. I’m not sure if Michele plans on continuing the story.
I’d like to thank Michele Barrow-Belisle for the opportunity to read her story in exchange for my honest review.
unfinished
June 25, 2017Too cheesy for my liking.
DNF.
DNF.
July 10, 2013
The first thing I love about this book is its title. It sounds so tragic, romantic and magical and let me tell you that it gives you everything it promises.
Our heroine is a girl called Lorelei, who is ended a mystery. She doesnt love the way she look and she simply is a walking mystery. She has a beautiful voice but wont sing properly if a fairy doesnt allow her to. She doesnt consider hersel beautiful and to some point things her healing power just make things harder for her. To make this worse her best friend is dating a cheer leader and singer that just hates her. She wishes things would be different...and well u know what they say about being careful with what you wish for because it might come true. Well her wish did come true. She meets this handsome stranger that seems to know EVERYTHING about her. This mysterious Adrius turns out to be an elf prince and claims that she is a lost fairy princess, whose destiny is to say their world.
I have to say it was too much information to accept not only for Lorelei but for the author as well but for some reason the author made it fit the story perfectly without making it confusing for the reader. It is obvious that there is chemistry between our prince and princess but...for some reason they cant be together. The is this curse that he has and the prophecy she has to fulfill and then she isnt who they thought she was...well too many obstacles including a handsome fairy prince that has his eyes on her and a vain/mean witch that has her eyes on Adrius.
This novel tells the story of Lorelei's adventures while trying to find out who she is, how to get her powers back, how to save the people she loves and be with the man she loves while everything seems to go from bad for worse for her and her loved ones. This is an incredible beginning of a promising series :)
Great book 4 STARS! :D
Our heroine is a girl called Lorelei, who is ended a mystery. She doesnt love the way she look and she simply is a walking mystery. She has a beautiful voice but wont sing properly if a fairy doesnt allow her to. She doesnt consider hersel beautiful and to some point things her healing power just make things harder for her. To make this worse her best friend is dating a cheer leader and singer that just hates her. She wishes things would be different...and well u know what they say about being careful with what you wish for because it might come true. Well her wish did come true. She meets this handsome stranger that seems to know EVERYTHING about her. This mysterious Adrius turns out to be an elf prince and claims that she is a lost fairy princess, whose destiny is to say their world.
I have to say it was too much information to accept not only for Lorelei but for the author as well but for some reason the author made it fit the story perfectly without making it confusing for the reader. It is obvious that there is chemistry between our prince and princess but...for some reason they cant be together. The is this curse that he has and the prophecy she has to fulfill and then she isnt who they thought she was...well too many obstacles including a handsome fairy prince that has his eyes on her and a vain/mean witch that has her eyes on Adrius.
This novel tells the story of Lorelei's adventures while trying to find out who she is, how to get her powers back, how to save the people she loves and be with the man she loves while everything seems to go from bad for worse for her and her loved ones. This is an incredible beginning of a promising series :)
Great book 4 STARS! :D
November 17, 2013
Loralie is part faerie but she doesn't know it. Then her mother gets sick and she meets a boy who turns out to be an elf, blah blah blah. Romance ensues, but she is just so insecure and naive that you never really care if anything happens there for her. She has to go to the faerie realm to "save the world" (according to a prophecy that everyone knows but is never given to the reader) from an evil ice witch. Once there, nothing much happens except a lot of her wishy-washy "Do I love him or not" crap. Then she gets in trouble for being dumb in a land where she doesn't know the rules and no one fills her in on them. Finally the climax happens and she kind of sucks the essence of the witch out of her body. No grand battle or real power plays. Very underwhelming. There were huge loopholes in the plot line and the characters were underdeveloped. The concepts were interesting but it was underwritten and juvenile. Not to mention it left many things unresolved, for example, her mother is a witch- why did she hide it from her daughter and how could she not know her daughter would have powers. Her Elf boyfriend had to go back to his world- does he come back for her. Will she go back to the faerie realm to be their queen. Where is her father? Why was he caught and kept alive? Did the Elves do it? And what about the Dark UnSeelie Faerie who visited her all along and gave her the voice to sing and helped her find her magic. He predicted that she would come back to him. Ugh so many questions but so poorly written that I will not read another unless supremely bored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 28, 2015Abandoned. If I had to read one more sentence about how he is so beautiful I'm going to throw up. Lorelei is the most uninformed and least curious heroine I've ever read. If I was told I was to save the world and there is this prophecy, I would be very adamant about knowing what the prophecy said. I quit about halfway thru the book and she still hadn't asked to hear it. Or where it came from. There are quite a few things I didn't care for in the book but that must be the most aggravating. She is constantly getting into trouble but mostly because no one tells her anything!
September 4, 2017
This book is loosely based off The Phantom of the Opera which I am currently obsessed with so I think I may give this book another read.
September 12, 2013
When I started reading this book, I became very intrigued fast when I realized that we were going to wind up in another part of the story. I felt that any young teen from 13 up could really enjoy this book and how it was written. It kept my attention the whole time and I was pretty happy to see how it turned out. There were times where I just wanted Lorelei to sit back and enjoy what was being given to her, for someone who wanted to go unnoticed in her own world she sure was verbal and snoopy in one she didn't know about. With this being said, here is a brief review of what I read.
Lorelei Alundra is just a girl trying to get through High School unnoticed. You see Lorelei has the ability to not only see when a person is in pain, but she can heal them with only a touch of her hands. She grew up with a grandmother who has an Herbal Tea store and a Mother who has the gift of playing the piano. Her grandmother always told her not to touch anyone when she saw them in pain, since it is a rare gift that no one else has.
Adrius is drawn to Lorelei for reasons unknown. He has come into the Tea Shop that Lorelei is working at, and has seemed to have an effect on her, but he could not leave without making sure she is okay. He tried to stay hidden, he tried to stay away from her. Now he is here in her Realm and has taken over her daily life by being in all of her classes and has seemed to have cast his spell of charm on her.
Lorelei is at a performance that she is singing at and after the show is over, she gets a call that her mom is sick and dying in a hospital overseas. Lorelei knows what she must be done and she takes off running into the woods to look for some Vervain, that she knows will help heal her mom. Little does she know that Adrius is getting ready to take her on a journey of a lifetime. Adrius is a Prince from another realm and he has come to take her home to where she belongs. She is part of a Prophecy that was created millennia ago.
Once Adrius finally gets Lorelei into his realm where elves and fae do really exist. Lorelei is having a hard believing she is not in her world anymore and all she knows is that her mother needs her and she knows how to make her better before she dies. Adrius has spent most of his time fighting the feelings he has for Lorelei because he knows that deep down they are on opposite sides of the faerie world and they can not be as one. He is harboring a secret that could possibly change the way Lorelei feels for him, all he knows is that he is willing to risk his life to be with her and he hopes in the end she will still Love him.
Lorelei Alundra is just a girl trying to get through High School unnoticed. You see Lorelei has the ability to not only see when a person is in pain, but she can heal them with only a touch of her hands. She grew up with a grandmother who has an Herbal Tea store and a Mother who has the gift of playing the piano. Her grandmother always told her not to touch anyone when she saw them in pain, since it is a rare gift that no one else has.
Adrius is drawn to Lorelei for reasons unknown. He has come into the Tea Shop that Lorelei is working at, and has seemed to have an effect on her, but he could not leave without making sure she is okay. He tried to stay hidden, he tried to stay away from her. Now he is here in her Realm and has taken over her daily life by being in all of her classes and has seemed to have cast his spell of charm on her.
Lorelei is at a performance that she is singing at and after the show is over, she gets a call that her mom is sick and dying in a hospital overseas. Lorelei knows what she must be done and she takes off running into the woods to look for some Vervain, that she knows will help heal her mom. Little does she know that Adrius is getting ready to take her on a journey of a lifetime. Adrius is a Prince from another realm and he has come to take her home to where she belongs. She is part of a Prophecy that was created millennia ago.
Once Adrius finally gets Lorelei into his realm where elves and fae do really exist. Lorelei is having a hard believing she is not in her world anymore and all she knows is that her mother needs her and she knows how to make her better before she dies. Adrius has spent most of his time fighting the feelings he has for Lorelei because he knows that deep down they are on opposite sides of the faerie world and they can not be as one. He is harboring a secret that could possibly change the way Lorelei feels for him, all he knows is that he is willing to risk his life to be with her and he hopes in the end she will still Love him.
June 12, 2016
DNF at page 258
The author writes well but the plot is unoriginal and the heroine is one of stupidest characters ever written. She was so annoying I could not bear to finish the book. In fact, I want to curse the sh*t out of the author for wasting my time. Heroine is UNBELIEVABLY STUPID.
The author writes well but the plot is unoriginal and the heroine is one of stupidest characters ever written. She was so annoying I could not bear to finish the book. In fact, I want to curse the sh*t out of the author for wasting my time. Heroine is UNBELIEVABLY STUPID.
September 19, 2015
What a beautiful cover. It drew me in but didn't keep me. Honestly I didn't read that much. After the cliched mean cheerleader scene I lost interest. A little originality would be nice.
June 20, 2016
I really hated Lorelei but Adrius and Zanthiel were kind of fun. They were like Puck and Ash from the Iron Fey sereies. This book was really similar to Twilight and the Iron Fey
November 2, 2013
First off I wish to thank the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Receiving such does not factor into my review and does not sway me in any way.
The cover of this book is truly lovely to look at. The contrast from what is there and what is hidden from our sight. Being a book about fae and such, it gives you a magical feel before you even read the first the page. And the tag line, “Sometimes opposites aren’t supposed to attract…” brings the mystery of what is about to be read to the forefront.
The main character, Lorelei, is a very insecure girl. So many times I wanted to tell her to drop the act and just let the claws fly. Put the jerks in their place and stop letting herself get walked over because she didn’t want to be who she was. I was disappointed that the author didn’t evolve her in the way, especially after everything she went through.
I loved the fantasy feel of it all, even though it could have used a bit more development with the story, characters and set, but all-in-all it read well. There were times that the story dragged, but then there were times when it flew at a thunderous pace. There is a situation where you wonder why she isn’t freaking out more than she does, I know that I would have, but you just go along with it and with the story.
There is black magic, anger, secrecy, potions, legends, love, death, healing powers and so much more wrapped into this book. There is instalove and I know that many readers don’t like that, but it really fit well in this book. And the boys, there’s going to be a few readers coming out of this with a new book boyfriend!
I recommend this to any reader who likes fae, Sidhe and the fantasy realm. I don’t read many books twice, you should see my tbr pile, but I can honestly say that I would read this one again and I hope that the author comes out with a followup.
The cover of this book is truly lovely to look at. The contrast from what is there and what is hidden from our sight. Being a book about fae and such, it gives you a magical feel before you even read the first the page. And the tag line, “Sometimes opposites aren’t supposed to attract…” brings the mystery of what is about to be read to the forefront.
The main character, Lorelei, is a very insecure girl. So many times I wanted to tell her to drop the act and just let the claws fly. Put the jerks in their place and stop letting herself get walked over because she didn’t want to be who she was. I was disappointed that the author didn’t evolve her in the way, especially after everything she went through.
I loved the fantasy feel of it all, even though it could have used a bit more development with the story, characters and set, but all-in-all it read well. There were times that the story dragged, but then there were times when it flew at a thunderous pace. There is a situation where you wonder why she isn’t freaking out more than she does, I know that I would have, but you just go along with it and with the story.
There is black magic, anger, secrecy, potions, legends, love, death, healing powers and so much more wrapped into this book. There is instalove and I know that many readers don’t like that, but it really fit well in this book. And the boys, there’s going to be a few readers coming out of this with a new book boyfriend!
I recommend this to any reader who likes fae, Sidhe and the fantasy realm. I don’t read many books twice, you should see my tbr pile, but I can honestly say that I would read this one again and I hope that the author comes out with a followup.
August 19, 2014
4.5/5.0
Michelle Barrow-Belise has such an exquisite way with words! She paints a very wild and vivid picture throughout the entire story.
Read full review in the November 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Michelle Barrow-Belise has such an exquisite way with words! She paints a very wild and vivid picture throughout the entire story.
Read full review in the November 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.
October 31, 2013
This was a fantastically mystical read. kept me interested all the way to the end, and left me wanting more. Definitely different from other paranormal reads. Will definitely be reading the next book!
November 11, 2021
*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Fire & Ice is about a 17 year old girl that discovers that she is part Faerie. She is also a part of a prophecy that states that she will defeat the Ice Queen, and in turn become the Faerie Queen. The Summer Fae are supposed to represent the Fire and the Winter Fae/Shadow Fae represent the Ice. Lorelei does know that she is different, because she has the power to heal people, and she is frequently visited by a dark Fae that claims to have possession of her singing voice. But, she does not have any clue that she is Faerie or that the claims of the forest near her home being enchanted are true.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book from the start. I am usually a sucker for stories containing light and dark Fae, and I'm usually pretty drawn towards Fae books in general. So, I was excited to pick this book up from the beginning. The story is very well written, and the author definitely has a talent with word phrasing. There was vivid imagery and world building.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the main character Lorelei. She was too much of a damsel in distress. She couldn't do anything by herself without the help of the boys, and she was constantly nauseous or vomiting due to blood, creatures, and the Faerie world in general. Although the book was very well written, I found myself struggling to get through the story because of Lorelei. I didn't feel that she had any character development throughout the story and I just felt like her character weighed the story down. I hope in the sequel she grows as a character and becomes stronger and less obsessed with boys as she grows. On that note, I did enjoy the characters of Adrius and Zanthiel. Adrius's constant hot and cold was a bit off-putting, but he had his reasons so at least it was genuine in that sense. I wasn't sure about Zanthiel's character because it was a bit more hidden, and we didn't see a lot of him. But, he was my favorite out of all of them so far. I didn't understand the hinted romantic aspect between Julien and Davin with Lorelei. Maybe it was to show that boys liked her? I just wasn't sure, it was a little confusing.
Overall, the storyline is intriguing. The worldbuilding is great, and the book overall is very well written. I didn't like the main character, but that doesn't mean others won't. This is a young adult romance, so her maturity may correspond with her age. Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars, because even though the writing is wonderful, the main character bogs the story down. I hope to see that her character develops in the next two books.
https://coffeewanderbooks.blogspot.co...
Fire & Ice is about a 17 year old girl that discovers that she is part Faerie. She is also a part of a prophecy that states that she will defeat the Ice Queen, and in turn become the Faerie Queen. The Summer Fae are supposed to represent the Fire and the Winter Fae/Shadow Fae represent the Ice. Lorelei does know that she is different, because she has the power to heal people, and she is frequently visited by a dark Fae that claims to have possession of her singing voice. But, she does not have any clue that she is Faerie or that the claims of the forest near her home being enchanted are true.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book from the start. I am usually a sucker for stories containing light and dark Fae, and I'm usually pretty drawn towards Fae books in general. So, I was excited to pick this book up from the beginning. The story is very well written, and the author definitely has a talent with word phrasing. There was vivid imagery and world building.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the main character Lorelei. She was too much of a damsel in distress. She couldn't do anything by herself without the help of the boys, and she was constantly nauseous or vomiting due to blood, creatures, and the Faerie world in general. Although the book was very well written, I found myself struggling to get through the story because of Lorelei. I didn't feel that she had any character development throughout the story and I just felt like her character weighed the story down. I hope in the sequel she grows as a character and becomes stronger and less obsessed with boys as she grows. On that note, I did enjoy the characters of Adrius and Zanthiel. Adrius's constant hot and cold was a bit off-putting, but he had his reasons so at least it was genuine in that sense. I wasn't sure about Zanthiel's character because it was a bit more hidden, and we didn't see a lot of him. But, he was my favorite out of all of them so far. I didn't understand the hinted romantic aspect between Julien and Davin with Lorelei. Maybe it was to show that boys liked her? I just wasn't sure, it was a little confusing.
Overall, the storyline is intriguing. The worldbuilding is great, and the book overall is very well written. I didn't like the main character, but that doesn't mean others won't. This is a young adult romance, so her maturity may correspond with her age. Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars, because even though the writing is wonderful, the main character bogs the story down. I hope to see that her character develops in the next two books.
https://coffeewanderbooks.blogspot.co...
May 23, 2017
So, I enjoyed the last half of this book the most. It was a little less cliche for me and the action kept the pace up.
I thought this book was decent. Overall, three stars. I would definitely see what happened with the next book, but this one for me fell a little flat. I read it in small doses and it didn't keep my attention, but I have had a lot going on so that could be me. when the action got going I was enticed to keep reading, but it was slow in a lot of spots.
I will say this. The world building in this book was fantastic. The author did a great job painting a vivid picture in my head. Iverall, I rate this three stars because evwn with the flaws for me, I still enjoyed it and would read more by this author.
I thought this book was decent. Overall, three stars. I would definitely see what happened with the next book, but this one for me fell a little flat. I read it in small doses and it didn't keep my attention, but I have had a lot going on so that could be me. when the action got going I was enticed to keep reading, but it was slow in a lot of spots.
I will say this. The world building in this book was fantastic. The author did a great job painting a vivid picture in my head. Iverall, I rate this three stars because evwn with the flaws for me, I still enjoyed it and would read more by this author.
added-it
May 14, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/14/2022)! 🎁
January 5, 2014
Ahhhh I'm not even sure where to start this review. First off Michele is not only a talented and amazing writer, but I feel like I've really gotten to know her and I've loved "talking" to her and can only wish the very best for her with this book tour as well as future books!!!
Okay so not only did I absolutely and utterly fall in love with this book, but I need more. Like right now!!! And not only did I love the story line and characters and the entire world of Mythlandria and everything else about this book, but I want it as a movie!!! All I kept thinking through the entire book is how amazing this would be to watch. It's like Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland mixed with some awesomeness. And all I want to do is see what this world that Michele has created looks like.
The story starts of with Lorelei and we learn she has a special gift. I find her gift pretty cool, but I can understand why it might be difficult to handle. Anyways Lorelei's mom is kinda crazy and I honestly can't stand the woman. But Lorelei's life is kind of crazy and upside down most days and on one of those such days a stranger walks into her life. Beautiful sexy wonderful Adrius. This is one of the many favorite scenes from this book. And so begins the tornado "relationship" that is Adrius and Lorelei.
Lorelei basically finds out that she isn't just a human. She's also part fairy. And Adrius ends up taking her to his homeland in Mythlandria. Ohhh Mythlandria. This world is like nothing I've ever read or seen. It's filled with so much good and evil and magic and fae and elves and other creates that I've never even dreamed about. It's soooo not in the ordinary that it makes it nothing short of perfect amazingness. You really can't trust anyone in this world. Even our dear hero Adrius. Speaking of Adrius he has a complex issue or something because he is hot and cold the entire book. Not only that but he has love/hate relationship with pretty much everyone. His father, his brother....and let me tell you that is a whole other review in itself. One with Lorelei, Zantheil and (my term) the evil Queen. I got whiplash too many times to count with his constant shift of mood swings. But I think the one that got me the most was his relationship with Lorelei. I mean the entire book you are rooting for them to work it out and somehow make it work. You even laugh and have aww moments and sad moments and fearful moments and even some tear jerker moments when it comes to their relationship.
And what's a complicated relationship without drama and more complication? Not one worth talking about that's what. So that brings us to one of my favorite characters; Zanthiel. Now I will tell you...homeboy is brutal. I mean his mother is a horrid cow and he's fae and belongs to the darkest court and is the Prince of darkness and all and him and Adrius hate each other (again there's another whole review there) ohhh and he stalked Lorelei when she was a child and he's got a thing for her currently. I mean yeah again he's brutal...but I'm kinda rooting for him....I...I just have this feeling that he could be one of those guys that could truly change with the right tools. Regardless...I really like him and he only adds the the complexity and keeps the reader interested in this story.
So Lorelei is sent on a quest/journey to save Mythlandria. It's a challenging and interesting quest she is put on, especially when she doesn't even know her potential and need to channel magic and is in a land where things are just....odd. But hey let's be optimistic. Adrius and Zantheil end up helping her along the way and this trio is interesting and I found lots of humor in the awkwardness.
Overall, this book was EPIC!!! I was hooked from the first mention of pixies and fae and witches and magic. Michele created an amazing world and amazing characters that you just have to need to know more about. You can't wait to get more information and know how their lives are going to work out. You also can't trust anyone. Those who are "good" and you should trust...you find out you can't. And those that are supposed to be "evil" may not be so bad. I cannot wait till the next book because I'm pretty sure it's going to be even better than the first!!! This is not a quick read, but sooooo worth it. The detail and imaginary that go into this book is will capture your imagination and just take off. So make sure to go get your copy because it is sooooo worth it!!!!
Okay so not only did I absolutely and utterly fall in love with this book, but I need more. Like right now!!! And not only did I love the story line and characters and the entire world of Mythlandria and everything else about this book, but I want it as a movie!!! All I kept thinking through the entire book is how amazing this would be to watch. It's like Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland mixed with some awesomeness. And all I want to do is see what this world that Michele has created looks like.
The story starts of with Lorelei and we learn she has a special gift. I find her gift pretty cool, but I can understand why it might be difficult to handle. Anyways Lorelei's mom is kinda crazy and I honestly can't stand the woman. But Lorelei's life is kind of crazy and upside down most days and on one of those such days a stranger walks into her life. Beautiful sexy wonderful Adrius. This is one of the many favorite scenes from this book. And so begins the tornado "relationship" that is Adrius and Lorelei.
Lorelei basically finds out that she isn't just a human. She's also part fairy. And Adrius ends up taking her to his homeland in Mythlandria. Ohhh Mythlandria. This world is like nothing I've ever read or seen. It's filled with so much good and evil and magic and fae and elves and other creates that I've never even dreamed about. It's soooo not in the ordinary that it makes it nothing short of perfect amazingness. You really can't trust anyone in this world. Even our dear hero Adrius. Speaking of Adrius he has a complex issue or something because he is hot and cold the entire book. Not only that but he has love/hate relationship with pretty much everyone. His father, his brother....and let me tell you that is a whole other review in itself. One with Lorelei, Zantheil and (my term) the evil Queen. I got whiplash too many times to count with his constant shift of mood swings. But I think the one that got me the most was his relationship with Lorelei. I mean the entire book you are rooting for them to work it out and somehow make it work. You even laugh and have aww moments and sad moments and fearful moments and even some tear jerker moments when it comes to their relationship.
And what's a complicated relationship without drama and more complication? Not one worth talking about that's what. So that brings us to one of my favorite characters; Zanthiel. Now I will tell you...homeboy is brutal. I mean his mother is a horrid cow and he's fae and belongs to the darkest court and is the Prince of darkness and all and him and Adrius hate each other (again there's another whole review there) ohhh and he stalked Lorelei when she was a child and he's got a thing for her currently. I mean yeah again he's brutal...but I'm kinda rooting for him....I...I just have this feeling that he could be one of those guys that could truly change with the right tools. Regardless...I really like him and he only adds the the complexity and keeps the reader interested in this story.
So Lorelei is sent on a quest/journey to save Mythlandria. It's a challenging and interesting quest she is put on, especially when she doesn't even know her potential and need to channel magic and is in a land where things are just....odd. But hey let's be optimistic. Adrius and Zantheil end up helping her along the way and this trio is interesting and I found lots of humor in the awkwardness.
Overall, this book was EPIC!!! I was hooked from the first mention of pixies and fae and witches and magic. Michele created an amazing world and amazing characters that you just have to need to know more about. You can't wait to get more information and know how their lives are going to work out. You also can't trust anyone. Those who are "good" and you should trust...you find out you can't. And those that are supposed to be "evil" may not be so bad. I cannot wait till the next book because I'm pretty sure it's going to be even better than the first!!! This is not a quick read, but sooooo worth it. The detail and imaginary that go into this book is will capture your imagination and just take off. So make sure to go get your copy because it is sooooo worth it!!!!
September 23, 2015
I wanted to be wowed...
Let's start with what I liked. Overall, the writing was good. The scenes flowed smoothly and had the appropriate level of description.
I struggled a lot with the plotline and the lack of character development. The plotline was the typical savior story. What made it weak was the complete lack of agency in the main character. The first 250 pages of this book we listen to her whine and cry and throw fits and wait around to be rescued. I started skimming because it was just one scene of her being completely useless after another. The girl had no common sense. I am more of a fix your problems and save yourself sort of person so imagine my frustration as she plays dress up in a palace and whines about getting home to her mom while wandering gardens and eating breakfast. Seriously chica...your mom is dying and your focused on the details of your wardrobe in fairyland? And then she switches to wanting to be the savior in about two seconds flat? When she has no survival skills or even life skills? It was...more than disappointing watching her flail around without a clue. I wasn't even rooting for her anymore.
I also found the love story to be unimaginative and rather emotionless. One minute she was making goo goo eyes at him and the next she loves him? Why, exactly? It wasn't like she'd spent any significant time with him or as if they'd gone through something life changing together. Don't get me wrong, I liked Adrius. He at least had the complexity she was lacking. I felt his emotions more than hers.
My final pet peeve is that Lorelei spent the entire bookbinding, mumbling, whispering, looking down, and generally being as weak as possible. I don't need her to be an Amazon warrior, but I do need her to be more colorful than a white wall.
Sadly, despite my hopes for this novel, I am definitely not wowed. I will probably read book 2 just to see if it gets better. Still, I would not recommend this book and think the message it sends to young women (wait around to be rescued, it's ok to throw your common sense out the window when you see a pretty face, feel free to play the victim because it will get you guys, don't bother to save yourself, etc.) are not ones we should be giving them.
Let's start with what I liked. Overall, the writing was good. The scenes flowed smoothly and had the appropriate level of description.
I struggled a lot with the plotline and the lack of character development. The plotline was the typical savior story. What made it weak was the complete lack of agency in the main character. The first 250 pages of this book we listen to her whine and cry and throw fits and wait around to be rescued. I started skimming because it was just one scene of her being completely useless after another. The girl had no common sense. I am more of a fix your problems and save yourself sort of person so imagine my frustration as she plays dress up in a palace and whines about getting home to her mom while wandering gardens and eating breakfast. Seriously chica...your mom is dying and your focused on the details of your wardrobe in fairyland? And then she switches to wanting to be the savior in about two seconds flat? When she has no survival skills or even life skills? It was...more than disappointing watching her flail around without a clue. I wasn't even rooting for her anymore.
I also found the love story to be unimaginative and rather emotionless. One minute she was making goo goo eyes at him and the next she loves him? Why, exactly? It wasn't like she'd spent any significant time with him or as if they'd gone through something life changing together. Don't get me wrong, I liked Adrius. He at least had the complexity she was lacking. I felt his emotions more than hers.
My final pet peeve is that Lorelei spent the entire bookbinding, mumbling, whispering, looking down, and generally being as weak as possible. I don't need her to be an Amazon warrior, but I do need her to be more colorful than a white wall.
Sadly, despite my hopes for this novel, I am definitely not wowed. I will probably read book 2 just to see if it gets better. Still, I would not recommend this book and think the message it sends to young women (wait around to be rescued, it's ok to throw your common sense out the window when you see a pretty face, feel free to play the victim because it will get you guys, don't bother to save yourself, etc.) are not ones we should be giving them.
January 28, 2016
I received this book from the touring host for an honest review.
A tale of magic, fairies's and every fantasy creature you could think of. Lorelei, a frightened young seventeen year old, struggling with stage fright and the fear of blood, soon discovered she had more to worry about then pestering cheerleaders and been called a freak. What set her apart was her healing ability just by touching a person, working in the Tea Room with all its interesting herbs that were actually healing the people without their knowledge. When she met Adruis she had no idea that her world was about to change, forever.
Will full, stubborn, determined, not listening to anyone, with one goal to safe her mother she lands in the land of Mythlandria.
She discovered whom she was as secrets are revealed and a prophecy unfolds taking her deeper into this land with his strange but fascinating life. Always at the run from something with Adrius always at her side. His character, steadfast, willing to risk it all for her as sacrifices are made and lives saved. The budding romance had resistance from the start with the Icy Witch claiming what was hers.
The epic story of good versus evil in a land of make believe, when truths were revealed, hearts were broken, and this mystical land became not so mystical anymore. With many twists and turns in the plot, the author captures your imagination, wondering if the day will be saved. An entertaining fantasy story for people who believe that fairies, magic and witches are real. Descriptive in her storytelling the author will keep you at the edge till the very last page.
Well written the story will pull you into the pages as scene upon scene unfolds with plenty of adventure and action waiting for her. The characters were well crafted and believable. At the end a great story.
A tale of magic, fairies's and every fantasy creature you could think of. Lorelei, a frightened young seventeen year old, struggling with stage fright and the fear of blood, soon discovered she had more to worry about then pestering cheerleaders and been called a freak. What set her apart was her healing ability just by touching a person, working in the Tea Room with all its interesting herbs that were actually healing the people without their knowledge. When she met Adruis she had no idea that her world was about to change, forever.
Will full, stubborn, determined, not listening to anyone, with one goal to safe her mother she lands in the land of Mythlandria.
She discovered whom she was as secrets are revealed and a prophecy unfolds taking her deeper into this land with his strange but fascinating life. Always at the run from something with Adrius always at her side. His character, steadfast, willing to risk it all for her as sacrifices are made and lives saved. The budding romance had resistance from the start with the Icy Witch claiming what was hers.
The epic story of good versus evil in a land of make believe, when truths were revealed, hearts were broken, and this mystical land became not so mystical anymore. With many twists and turns in the plot, the author captures your imagination, wondering if the day will be saved. An entertaining fantasy story for people who believe that fairies, magic and witches are real. Descriptive in her storytelling the author will keep you at the edge till the very last page.
Well written the story will pull you into the pages as scene upon scene unfolds with plenty of adventure and action waiting for her. The characters were well crafted and believable. At the end a great story.
May 20, 2015
I received this book from Xpresso Reads in return for a fair and honest review.
When we first meet Lorelei she is quiet and unassuming, trying hard to remain that way as she works in her (deceased) Gran's cafe. However, things quickly start moving along as she invokes the wrath of a cheerleader who is dating her best friend, a boy appears out of nowhere and insinuates himself into her life (and she's completely okay with that) and we won't even got to the fact that when she was younger she thinks she did a deal with some sort of angel, except he had black raven's feathers on his wings, and he now controls her singing voice.
There is such a lot going on in this book and that is just the beginning. It all changes when she falls into Adrius' world and discovers that nothing is what it seems. I have to say that for someone who gives the impression of being unassuming in the 'normal' world, she certainly has a lot to say in a world she knows nothing about. I liked Lorelei but I did find her annoying at times with her 'quick wit' and complete disregard for anyone's opinion other than her own. And don't even get me started on how she can't do as she's told! Like I said, quiet and unassuming?!
The relationship between Lorelei and Adrius is complicated to say the least and certainly lives up to the title of the book. There is intensity and passion, along with a frisson of the forbidden. There is also, however, a strong hint of a love triangle which I'm really hoping doesn't come to anything. There is enough going on, and they have enough against them, without the need for a triangle. This would just add something completely unnecessary in my opinion but then I'm not a big fan of them anyway.
On the whole, this is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy novel that starts of a new series with oomph. Definitely recommended to all YA Fantasy fans out there.
When we first meet Lorelei she is quiet and unassuming, trying hard to remain that way as she works in her (deceased) Gran's cafe. However, things quickly start moving along as she invokes the wrath of a cheerleader who is dating her best friend, a boy appears out of nowhere and insinuates himself into her life (and she's completely okay with that) and we won't even got to the fact that when she was younger she thinks she did a deal with some sort of angel, except he had black raven's feathers on his wings, and he now controls her singing voice.
There is such a lot going on in this book and that is just the beginning. It all changes when she falls into Adrius' world and discovers that nothing is what it seems. I have to say that for someone who gives the impression of being unassuming in the 'normal' world, she certainly has a lot to say in a world she knows nothing about. I liked Lorelei but I did find her annoying at times with her 'quick wit' and complete disregard for anyone's opinion other than her own. And don't even get me started on how she can't do as she's told! Like I said, quiet and unassuming?!
The relationship between Lorelei and Adrius is complicated to say the least and certainly lives up to the title of the book. There is intensity and passion, along with a frisson of the forbidden. There is also, however, a strong hint of a love triangle which I'm really hoping doesn't come to anything. There is enough going on, and they have enough against them, without the need for a triangle. This would just add something completely unnecessary in my opinion but then I'm not a big fan of them anyway.
On the whole, this is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy novel that starts of a new series with oomph. Definitely recommended to all YA Fantasy fans out there.
November 19, 2015
The premise behind this book is my perfect mix - a nice blend of magic, mystery, drama, and all in a YA book.
The book starts off with a bit of world and character building, but a lot of stuff is thrown around - details - that aren't really explained. I like knowing the back story behind things, I kept feeling like I was missing a lot of information as the story unfolded slowly.
Unfortunately, the story continued to unfold slowly. Page after page after page of examining every thought that came Lorelei's way, before a few - all too brief pages - of action.
There's a lot of angst and will she or won't she when it comes to the romance story line- all too typical in a YA book - with some lies thrown in for good reason. I kept hoping the pace would pick up and that the story would start to progress, but the pacing just seemed too slow for my liking.
Why am I rating 4 stars? I really liked Lorelei and I really liked her healing abilities and the herbal remedies, and I really felt for her throughout the book. The book was well written, and there's a lot of nice description in the pages, so you can really see what's going on. I also really liked the fact that she was a healer who passed out at the sight - and smell - of blood - a little fact in a novel that just made Lorelei seem a little more real.
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I received an e-book as part of the blog tour, in exchange for participating in the tour & for my honest review. I was not paid for my review.
The book starts off with a bit of world and character building, but a lot of stuff is thrown around - details - that aren't really explained. I like knowing the back story behind things, I kept feeling like I was missing a lot of information as the story unfolded slowly.
Unfortunately, the story continued to unfold slowly. Page after page after page of examining every thought that came Lorelei's way, before a few - all too brief pages - of action.
There's a lot of angst and will she or won't she when it comes to the romance story line- all too typical in a YA book - with some lies thrown in for good reason. I kept hoping the pace would pick up and that the story would start to progress, but the pacing just seemed too slow for my liking.
Why am I rating 4 stars? I really liked Lorelei and I really liked her healing abilities and the herbal remedies, and I really felt for her throughout the book. The book was well written, and there's a lot of nice description in the pages, so you can really see what's going on. I also really liked the fact that she was a healer who passed out at the sight - and smell - of blood - a little fact in a novel that just made Lorelei seem a little more real.
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I received an e-book as part of the blog tour, in exchange for participating in the tour & for my honest review. I was not paid for my review.
July 23, 2013
Sassy heroine, sexy hero and a dangerous romance in another realm... what's not to love? The author created amazing characters who quite frankly I would love to meet. Between the turbulent relationship between Lorelei & Adrius, the hedonistic Faerie trying to control her, and the colorful beings they encounter, it's easy to fall in love with all of the characters in this story.
The worlds are so real, I feel as if I walked deep enough into a forest I might actually find Mythandria. And with such vivid descriptions you'd know exactly what you'd see if you did. Um, ya... did I mention the hot hero and the sexy anti-heroes, cause OMG, they totally bear repeating.
If you're looking for an epic fantasy filled with adventure, and forbidden love, then this is so the book for you! Plus to cover is gorgeous! Cannot WAIT for the sequel to come out. Until then I'll just have to keep rereading it!!!
I'd give it 10 stars if I could!!! :)
The worlds are so real, I feel as if I walked deep enough into a forest I might actually find Mythandria. And with such vivid descriptions you'd know exactly what you'd see if you did. Um, ya... did I mention the hot hero and the sexy anti-heroes, cause OMG, they totally bear repeating.
If you're looking for an epic fantasy filled with adventure, and forbidden love, then this is so the book for you! Plus to cover is gorgeous! Cannot WAIT for the sequel to come out. Until then I'll just have to keep rereading it!!!
I'd give it 10 stars if I could!!! :)
December 1, 2019
I started skimming this two chapters in - I have better ways to waste my life.
Lorelai is ~special~ - she can heal and she can sing beautifully - although that ability is under some strange person's control. She has a male best friend who is dating a spiteful girl who hates her (Brianne). One day, a gorgeous guy called Adrius shows up and for some reason, Adrius is interested in her. There are a lot of stalkerish vibes about how Adrius knows random details about Lorelai, but strangely enough, Lorelai doesn't run screaming in the other direction.
It's terribly cliched, and I have such a great appreciation for Lorelai's mom, who is clearly Trying To Be Helpful (but then becomes sick and a motivation for Lorelai to get to her and heal her). I'm not even going into the world of faerie (Mythlandria) and elves .
0/5 stars - terribly bad
Lorelai is ~special~ - she can heal and she can sing beautifully - although that ability is under some strange person's control. She has a male best friend who is dating a spiteful girl who hates her (Brianne). One day, a gorgeous guy called Adrius shows up and for some reason, Adrius is interested in her. There are a lot of stalkerish vibes about how Adrius knows random details about Lorelai, but strangely enough, Lorelai doesn't run screaming in the other direction.
It's terribly cliched, and I have such a great appreciation for Lorelai's mom, who is clearly Trying To Be Helpful (but then becomes sick and a motivation for Lorelai to get to her and heal her). I'm not even going into the world of faerie (Mythlandria) and elves .
0/5 stars - terribly bad
January 13, 2014
Who wouldn't want to be gifted with a magical voice and talent for healing, then travel to a world full of hot elves and fairies? Hitching a ride on Lorelei Alundra 's adventure in Michele Barrow-Belisle's debut novel delivers all this and more. And I absolutely adore the cover too. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
February 17, 2014
I was wanting to find something to read while waiting for 3 books from my library so I downloaded the book not really expecting much. It didn't take me long to get lost in it. It beat all expectations in just a few chapters. Can't wait for the 2nd one (since it is suppose to be a trilogy!)
Want to read
August 14, 2013I swear i will finish this! but I have a lot, alot going on! :(
September 18, 2013
I LOVED it!!! If you're into fantasy & fae and romance and YA, then this is the book for you! :) And when is the next book coming out???
November 16, 2013
Loved it!! 5 star worthy if I do say so myself! Ill be doing a full review 11/16 on my book blog come stop by and see why is a 5 star worthy book :)
http://two-tall-tales.blogspot.com
http://two-tall-tales.blogspot.com
September 17, 2016
One of the best books I have read this year!!!
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