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Tanaquill
On a visit to London in 1802 Princess Tanaquill meets a stranger who brings her a glimpse of the love she'll never have in her arranged marriage. EPIC eBook awards finalist.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
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343 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 22, 2014
Here's an interesting story that combines elements of historical romance, fairy tales, erotic romance, and strange witchcraft and demon rituals.
At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting into, as the beginning seemed a little, well, overly polite and drawn out to me. Tanaquill, a fairy princess, visits her human cousins in Regency London and they decide to go to the ball. Tanaquill disguise her fairy form by growing to human size and hiding her wings and pointy ears. I had to push on, but I was glad I did, because I soon got to the good stuff, with the introduction of a shapeshifter, a failed assassination attempt, and mysterious witch covens.
I'm intrigued enough to read the sequel, "His Grey Attire to Green." In fact, green happens to be my favorite color.
At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting into, as the beginning seemed a little, well, overly polite and drawn out to me. Tanaquill, a fairy princess, visits her human cousins in Regency London and they decide to go to the ball. Tanaquill disguise her fairy form by growing to human size and hiding her wings and pointy ears. I had to push on, but I was glad I did, because I soon got to the good stuff, with the introduction of a shapeshifter, a failed assassination attempt, and mysterious witch covens.
I'm intrigued enough to read the sequel, "His Grey Attire to Green." In fact, green happens to be my favorite color.
February 9, 2014
Taking a leap of faith into the world of fairyland fantasy because it was a free download onto my kindle I was impressed by this book. It kept me riveted so much so I was that annoying commuter reading her phone walking through midtown. (sorry, everyone). There was much more than just a romp in fairyland. It's based in old London and incorporates a variety of worlds all explained through not condescending dialogue so I could keep up. What kept me hooked was the central relationship between the Fairy Princess Tanaquill and the shapeshifter, Gavin. It seemed flawed and real while keeping her relevant and not all "Ooooh, my strong handsome other is here to save me from all that is awful. hooray!". :)
If you want a light-ish read and an intro to fantasy this is pretty much the ticket.
If you want a light-ish read and an intro to fantasy this is pretty much the ticket.
June 12, 2011
It's an interesting premise,..... I got lost a good deal,.. but I really liked the whole different dimension fairy and other being twists. Honestly their were too many twists and rules that it was hard to follow, but I did like it
March 9, 2017
4.5 stars
This is a tale about a fairy princess coming to the human realm to visit her cousins before going home to be married to a prince she doesn't want. While at a ball, she meets a not-human man who has been looking for another of his kind for centuries and pursues her because he believes she's the one he's been looking for. What happens next is a story brimming with fairy creatures and magic: a fairy princess, shape-changers, witches, spells...
I really loved this book. It's like a fairy tale for adults that brings into play romance and magic and imagination in a way I haven't seen in a long time in books. It's hard to explain what I mean, but it feels like it brings back the beauty inherent in magic itself rather than just using magic as a means to an end. It wove a sort of spell around me where the world itself became alive with magic, where a fairy princess has eyes that swirl with color, spells cannot be completed without riddles being solved, witches come to balls armed with spells, and having your cousin shrunk is simply another spell that must be broken. Not to mention that the romance between the characters is sweet and undeniable.
Maybe I just haven't found them, but I feel like I haven't read a book like this in a long time, if ever (Patricia McKillip's might be the closest because of her lyrical way of writing). This is the type of story that pulled me so completely into another world and mixes the fantastical with the real so easily that I didn't so much suspend my disbelief so much as I just totally forgot that it's not normal. So much so that when I left it and came back, this sentence made me start laughing because only coming back from the 'real world' did I realize how funny beastie hybrids darting about the parlor is: "The demons having been fed and sequestered, for the time being, in the solarium..."
The writing is beautiful with lovely turns of phrases and descriptions. The scenery is enchanting, the sensations are described perfectly, the characters are full of magic, and you can feel the pull of the romance between the characters. I wish I would have picked out some sentences, but I was too wrapped up in the story to willingly take myself out of it. Here is one part that I quite liked, though, and went back through to find because of the image it evoked:
"Tanaquill wove a pixie enchantment through her thoughts that would obscure them from the peering eyes of the other guests in the ballroom, to make them look away as she kissed him in the dark recess. He was warm and strong, and she was falling into something, someone, that was unlike what she had ever known. Powerful, made of claws and wings and hooves, a thousand beasts— she took in a breath as he pulled her closer. A force akin to nothing she had encountered and felt like she would never recognize..."
There are three sex scenes in the book, but I quite liked them because they, too, are full of magic and wonder and show how magical creatures transform when caught up in passion.
On the down side, parts of the story do seem a bit rambling and some scenes could do with some tightening up. I didn't feel that everything quite made sense, or that everything was explained, and a few of the events seemed to just a bit like deus ex machina. Hence my rating of not quite 5 stars.
But that still doesn't make me any less in love with this book!
This is a tale about a fairy princess coming to the human realm to visit her cousins before going home to be married to a prince she doesn't want. While at a ball, she meets a not-human man who has been looking for another of his kind for centuries and pursues her because he believes she's the one he's been looking for. What happens next is a story brimming with fairy creatures and magic: a fairy princess, shape-changers, witches, spells...
I really loved this book. It's like a fairy tale for adults that brings into play romance and magic and imagination in a way I haven't seen in a long time in books. It's hard to explain what I mean, but it feels like it brings back the beauty inherent in magic itself rather than just using magic as a means to an end. It wove a sort of spell around me where the world itself became alive with magic, where a fairy princess has eyes that swirl with color, spells cannot be completed without riddles being solved, witches come to balls armed with spells, and having your cousin shrunk is simply another spell that must be broken. Not to mention that the romance between the characters is sweet and undeniable.
Maybe I just haven't found them, but I feel like I haven't read a book like this in a long time, if ever (Patricia McKillip's might be the closest because of her lyrical way of writing). This is the type of story that pulled me so completely into another world and mixes the fantastical with the real so easily that I didn't so much suspend my disbelief so much as I just totally forgot that it's not normal. So much so that when I left it and came back, this sentence made me start laughing because only coming back from the 'real world' did I realize how funny beastie hybrids darting about the parlor is: "The demons having been fed and sequestered, for the time being, in the solarium..."
The writing is beautiful with lovely turns of phrases and descriptions. The scenery is enchanting, the sensations are described perfectly, the characters are full of magic, and you can feel the pull of the romance between the characters. I wish I would have picked out some sentences, but I was too wrapped up in the story to willingly take myself out of it. Here is one part that I quite liked, though, and went back through to find because of the image it evoked:
"Tanaquill wove a pixie enchantment through her thoughts that would obscure them from the peering eyes of the other guests in the ballroom, to make them look away as she kissed him in the dark recess. He was warm and strong, and she was falling into something, someone, that was unlike what she had ever known. Powerful, made of claws and wings and hooves, a thousand beasts— she took in a breath as he pulled her closer. A force akin to nothing she had encountered and felt like she would never recognize..."
There are three sex scenes in the book, but I quite liked them because they, too, are full of magic and wonder and show how magical creatures transform when caught up in passion.
On the down side, parts of the story do seem a bit rambling and some scenes could do with some tightening up. I didn't feel that everything quite made sense, or that everything was explained, and a few of the events seemed to just a bit like deus ex machina. Hence my rating of not quite 5 stars.
But that still doesn't make me any less in love with this book!
March 20, 2020
I started reading this book with the preconception that it was more fantasy than romance.... boy was I wrong. Although the premise of the book and character background are very interesting, the romance is laid on TOO thick. I found myself trying to skip parts of the book where the main characters couldnt keep their hands or thoughts off each other. Despite this, I did find the dimensions, history (real and not), that was incorporated into the storyline very interesting. In the end, if you enjoy romance and fantasy, this is for yoU.
( 2.7/5)
( 2.7/5)
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January 19, 2015Ok read. Fairy & shapeshifter Romance
You got your fairy princess, a shapeshifter, some coven of witches try to take her out and just a different realm of a story going on I the human world.
So Tanaquill is the fairy princess who comes to earth for the first time to experience it before she gets married when she meets Vagina shapeshifter who thinks she's his kind that he's been waiting hundreds of years for but they have supposedly gone extinct.
Tranquil falls for him . He gets poisoned saving her from the witches and the cousins who are housing her while she's on earth, one gets shrunk. It's a spell to be broken in both cases.
The sex scenes not bad. Three in all. Not overly done. I don't see myself intrigues enough to read the next book but that's just me. Every book isn't fair every one.
I just has a hard time getting really into it and it seemed a bit ramble to me.
But if you like the old England type stories with the supernatural twist you might like this.
You got your fairy princess, a shapeshifter, some coven of witches try to take her out and just a different realm of a story going on I the human world.
So Tanaquill is the fairy princess who comes to earth for the first time to experience it before she gets married when she meets Vagina shapeshifter who thinks she's his kind that he's been waiting hundreds of years for but they have supposedly gone extinct.
Tranquil falls for him . He gets poisoned saving her from the witches and the cousins who are housing her while she's on earth, one gets shrunk. It's a spell to be broken in both cases.
The sex scenes not bad. Three in all. Not overly done. I don't see myself intrigues enough to read the next book but that's just me. Every book isn't fair every one.
I just has a hard time getting really into it and it seemed a bit ramble to me.
But if you like the old England type stories with the supernatural twist you might like this.
July 27, 2013
Review taken from my Blog Post #387 in July 2013. (Please see the blog post for details on Errors/Bug Bears if you are interested).
You will definitely have to suspend normal thought process with this book.
It's billed as an historical romance, but other than the fact that it's set in years gone by, it's more fairy story than anything else.
I have to admit that I remain still a little bit confused by it in places. At times it was muddled, and a little on the slow side. Then the pace quickened, and it had quite an energy about it. Some pieces of plot needed further clarification, but other bits were too vague.
Anyway, it's free at the moment, so why not try it and see what you think. I'd love to know if I am the only one that felt that way about it.
It was okay, but not mind-blowing, on the whole fairly well written, but there were a couple of errors, so 4 Star **** would the the way to go with this one.
You will definitely have to suspend normal thought process with this book.
It's billed as an historical romance, but other than the fact that it's set in years gone by, it's more fairy story than anything else.
I have to admit that I remain still a little bit confused by it in places. At times it was muddled, and a little on the slow side. Then the pace quickened, and it had quite an energy about it. Some pieces of plot needed further clarification, but other bits were too vague.
Anyway, it's free at the moment, so why not try it and see what you think. I'd love to know if I am the only one that felt that way about it.
It was okay, but not mind-blowing, on the whole fairly well written, but there were a couple of errors, so 4 Star **** would the the way to go with this one.
May 25, 2017
Not at all what I expected from the description. A very fantastical book with fairies, shape shifters, witches and more. A magical love story with many strange twists and turns. At times the language trips over itself and detracts, becomes to flowery. And still, a fun book for fantasy and romance readers alike.
October 2, 2017
This really just wasn't my type of book at all. It's written well enough, with suitable plot and character development but it just wasn't my cup of tea. All this fairies and shapeshifter stuff wasn't what I expected really when I first downloaded the book.
March 5, 2010
A unique romantic fantasy, richly imagined and heartfelt.
August 31, 2019
Fairies, shapeshifters, witches and sex
Not bad yet the sex was unnecessary and seemed to be just interspersed randomly . At times the story was hard to follow. And what happened to the little demons?
Not bad yet the sex was unnecessary and seemed to be just interspersed randomly . At times the story was hard to follow. And what happened to the little demons?
June 1, 2021
Not a genre that I have ever read.
But, gosh I really enjoyed this story.
Fairies, Fay, shapeshifters and humans.
Such a great story.
Romance, death, revenge, mystery and magic.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Thankyou.
But, gosh I really enjoyed this story.
Fairies, Fay, shapeshifters and humans.
Such a great story.
Romance, death, revenge, mystery and magic.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Thankyou.
July 17, 2025
Although the magic system is pretty vague, it has a very mystical, innate, and untold quality in this book that I like. Sex itself in the book has magical meaning and consequence, which is interesting. Overall, I enjoyed the story.
January 26, 2019
The Reckoning
A mesmerizing tale of the fairy world interfacing with ours and the power plays on all sides. A can't put down book to fascinate anyone who loves the fairy world.
A mesmerizing tale of the fairy world interfacing with ours and the power plays on all sides. A can't put down book to fascinate anyone who loves the fairy world.
May 7, 2020
Beautiful!
I seldom give a 5 star review. Poetic prose with characters you care about. If you likes The Last Unicorn or Robin McKinley's Beauty, you'll love this book!
I seldom give a 5 star review. Poetic prose with characters you care about. If you likes The Last Unicorn or Robin McKinley's Beauty, you'll love this book!
July 9, 2022
So different than anything I have encountered before, and quite entertaining. Unhumans, faires, witches, old London, Viking myths, this book has those and more. Great freebie!
July 26, 2015
For whatever reason it seemed to take me a really long time to finish this story. I did find myself skimming a lot of it. The author could have made this story a lot shorter without all the random details and yadda, yadda, yadda. It got to be boring at times as well.
I felt at times that the story was all over the place. So I'd put the story (tablet) down and try again later. Well I ended up doing numerous times and each time retrying, it just got worse and worse.
Questions/Comments:
So Tanaquil goes from being fairy size to human size. She still looks like a fairy, albeit larger. Why then does she constantly refer to her body parts, arms, hands, etc as human? Ex: "...getting used to her human arms." They were her arms, just larger. Or better yet, "this is what a woman's body feels like when it is upset. How do I calm it?" Huh? So now she's referring to her 'womanly' body. Was she not a female before? Hello...Did she never get upset before when she was in fairyland? I'm sure she did.
Why exacly was Tanaquill so sheltered compared to her siblings?
Who was Fairbain? At the end Gavin gave back the little box, Fairbain had given to Tanaquill. What was in it?
Considering Tanaquill saves Gavin's life, how did he have trouble believing that she might care for him?
At one point Tanaquill and Gavin were in a carriage. When Tanaquill shows what she really is, how are her wings actually fitting in the carriage? If they're spread out and beating?
There were several times were I was completely confused and definitely had no picture in my head to go along with what I was reading. One such example was when Gavin gave Tanaquill hr heart back and the spiders were using their thread to keep it in and hold it in place. Huh? How did they get in her body?
Melanie tells Gavin that the witches had put the bad perfume on her, "to hide me from the gentleman sitting in the Lockwood's drawing room." Again, who was Fairbane?
January 20, 2015
You got your fairy princess, a shapeshifter, some coven of witches try to take her out and just a different realm of a story going on I the human world.
So Tanaquill is the fairy princess who comes to earth for the first time to experience it before she gets married when she meets Vagina shapeshifter who thinks she's his kind that he's been waiting hundreds of years for but they have supposedly gone extinct.
Tranquil falls for him . He gets poisoned saving her from the witches and the cousins who are housing her while she's on earth, one gets shrunk. It's a spell to be broken in both cases.
The sex scenes not bad. Three in all. Not overly done. I don't see myself intrigues enough to read the next book but that's just me. Every book isn't fair every one.
I just has a hard time getting really into it and it seemed a bit ramble to me.
But if you like the old England type stories with the supernatural twist you might like this.
So Tanaquill is the fairy princess who comes to earth for the first time to experience it before she gets married when she meets Vagina shapeshifter who thinks she's his kind that he's been waiting hundreds of years for but they have supposedly gone extinct.
Tranquil falls for him . He gets poisoned saving her from the witches and the cousins who are housing her while she's on earth, one gets shrunk. It's a spell to be broken in both cases.
The sex scenes not bad. Three in all. Not overly done. I don't see myself intrigues enough to read the next book but that's just me. Every book isn't fair every one.
I just has a hard time getting really into it and it seemed a bit ramble to me.
But if you like the old England type stories with the supernatural twist you might like this.
August 29, 2015
I want to give this strange, beautiful tale four stars, but due to the fact that it was too over-the-top for me, it gets 3.5 stars.
Overall, I loved it. The author had an amazing, magical story to tell, with a loving happy ending. The writing was good (with few editorial issues), and the characters were fleshed out. I didn't mind the sensual sex scenes (which weren't explicit to me), or all of the other-worldly creatures.
For me, there was just TOO MUCH, i.e. magic, magical realms, gods and goddesses, abilities that just popped up out of nowhere, etc. I actually got lost several times while reading. Explanations for all that was going on were later revealed, in layers, but still...for me, there was just too much going on.
I know that everyone's taste is different, and many others may have loved all of the things that were crammed into the story. For me, if there was less magic and a bit more realism, I would have enjoyed the book a great deal more.
Overall, I loved it. The author had an amazing, magical story to tell, with a loving happy ending. The writing was good (with few editorial issues), and the characters were fleshed out. I didn't mind the sensual sex scenes (which weren't explicit to me), or all of the other-worldly creatures.
For me, there was just TOO MUCH, i.e. magic, magical realms, gods and goddesses, abilities that just popped up out of nowhere, etc. I actually got lost several times while reading. Explanations for all that was going on were later revealed, in layers, but still...for me, there was just too much going on.
I know that everyone's taste is different, and many others may have loved all of the things that were crammed into the story. For me, if there was less magic and a bit more realism, I would have enjoyed the book a great deal more.
December 16, 2012
Princess Tanaquill visited her cousins in the human realm since her wedding is looming. While attending the ball she meets a stranger named Gavin who's looking his mate for a thousand years.
Gavin thinks that Princess Tanaquill was the mate he was looking for until he founds out that she's not one of his kind. Now, they both can't undone what they did. The only thing that can set free of Tanaquill's binding love for Gavin was for him to find another mate.
When Tanaquill's cousin Chloe was in peril they have to obtain that amulet from the witch's assassin who turned Chloe into a mouse. But to secure that amulet in the consecrated coven of witches to Eris, Goddess of Strife......Princess Tanaquill and Gavin has to descend the coven with their power combine.
Gavin thinks that Princess Tanaquill was the mate he was looking for until he founds out that she's not one of his kind. Now, they both can't undone what they did. The only thing that can set free of Tanaquill's binding love for Gavin was for him to find another mate.
When Tanaquill's cousin Chloe was in peril they have to obtain that amulet from the witch's assassin who turned Chloe into a mouse. But to secure that amulet in the consecrated coven of witches to Eris, Goddess of Strife......Princess Tanaquill and Gavin has to descend the coven with their power combine.
January 17, 2015
Refreshingly unique
Do you just LOVE Regency Romances and ADORE books with paranormal creatures who have as complicated lifestyles, expectations, hopes, dreams and society rules as you or l? If so, then you will enjoy this uniquely creative combination that was entirely satisfying despite the complicated storyline and plots. The characters are well developed and even the villains have redeeming qualities and in the world is stark black or white. It is in these multiple shades in between that become the strength of this story....
It is because of the less than interesting cover art that l did not pick up this book before now, although l have looked passed it many times before!!!
I can not wait for the next one!
Do you just LOVE Regency Romances and ADORE books with paranormal creatures who have as complicated lifestyles, expectations, hopes, dreams and society rules as you or l? If so, then you will enjoy this uniquely creative combination that was entirely satisfying despite the complicated storyline and plots. The characters are well developed and even the villains have redeeming qualities and in the world is stark black or white. It is in these multiple shades in between that become the strength of this story....
It is because of the less than interesting cover art that l did not pick up this book before now, although l have looked passed it many times before!!!
I can not wait for the next one!
December 26, 2012
The setting and premise of this book are engaging. (Spoilers) Fairy Princess meets lonely outcast Shapeshifter. Near death experiences, beautiful language, love conquers all, it has everything you would want to be spellbound on a rainy day. The only problem...girl escapes confines of palace, meets boy, near death experience, explicit sex scene, interesting quest, explicit sex scene, near death experience, wandering, explicit sex scene, love conquers, wandering, tie it all up, and the end.
The story really was quite interesting, but the "darting" "seed spilling" random acts of porn kinda ruined it for me.
If you are not bothered by those three scenes, the book is really good.
The story really was quite interesting, but the "darting" "seed spilling" random acts of porn kinda ruined it for me.
If you are not bothered by those three scenes, the book is really good.
October 1, 2015
I really enjoyed this story but felt the writing was too vague. There were many times I was confused and unsure what the author was trying to convey and many times I also could not understand what the characters meant as well. I don't believe it is my lack of understanding as much as the authors lack of skill in conveying her thoughts, visions and message clearly to the reader. I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs a few times in order to grasp the intention.
Otherwise, it was a good story. Unique. Lovable characters. I wanted more. I also read the epilogue "His Gray Attire to Green" which is 8 pages long (found on Nook). It was cute ut left me wanting more!!!
Otherwise, it was a good story. Unique. Lovable characters. I wanted more. I also read the epilogue "His Gray Attire to Green" which is 8 pages long (found on Nook). It was cute ut left me wanting more!!!
August 2, 2014
I was expecting a story more substantial than sheer fairy porn, for all the good reviews. I almost gave up on several occasions as it got more ridiculous and confusing. The plot was almost nonexistent, lost between endless pages of furtive glances, trembling loins, and drawn out decision making. I kept waiting for something more interesting to happen, but it never did. Oh, well, I guess this isn't the genre for me.
October 6, 2011
This was an interesting fantasy-romance. There were quite a few plot twists...some were hard to follow, but over all it flowed well. I read this on my nook- I tnink there may have been some format issues, as some words showed as '----' and such. While frustrating, I don't think it was too much of a distraction. One side note - I would not let a child read this, as there are some sex scenes.
July 29, 2012
Want to escape into another world! This is the book for you. Akalle writes wonderful descriptive stories with beautiful settings and complex characters. The hero is deep, brooding and brave. The heroine is beautiful, honorable and enchanting. This page turner includes lots of interesting secondary characters. Enjoy!
October 26, 2012
At first, it was difficult to get into the author's writing style, as there were errors in the sentence structure - however, I am beyond thrilled that I stuck with it. I have never read a book even remotely similar to this one, which is a great accomplishment. It is full of twists, action, the supernatural, and romance. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS STORY. It is just my cup of tea.
February 5, 2013
I got this book, having a hunger for pixie dust and all things Fae. I thought it was the same old story. How so wrong I was! I LOVE TANAQUILL! I read this book lots of times and I never get tired of it. I love the riddles and the poem. I love the authors descriptions and the how she wove the plot. Akalle sated my appetite like no other fairytale write could. 5 Star for me.
February 17, 2015
I absolutely adored this book and am astounded it was free. I don't need to go into a description since you can read that for yourself under the details, but certainly recommend this very chaming, clever little read. Having enjoyed the writing style of this author, I will definitely pay for the other book listed on Amazon, Annabelle (which is not free - but a steal at $2.99).
August 16, 2016
Absolutely brilliant story telling. The storyline is like no other I've ever read. It's set in the 1930's and is so original and just plain breathtaking. I'd recommend to anyone, especially those interested in the fae and are a bit over the rehash's of the Sidhe storylines. I couldn't put it down. Just marvellous.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews