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Fae Out of Water #3
Bad Boy's Bard
Old secrets, new lies, and fae behaving badly. What could go wrong? As far as rock star Gareth Kendrick, the last true bard in Faerie, is concerned, the only good Unseelie is . . . well . . . there’s no such thing. Two centuries ago, an Unseelie lord abducted Gareth’s human lover, Niall, and Gareth has neither forgotten nor forgiven. Niall O’Tierney, half-human son of the Unseelie King, had never lost a wager until the day he swore to rid the Seelie court of its bard. That bet cost him his freedom, his family—and his heart. When he’s suddenly face-to-face with Gareth at the ceremony to join the Seelie and Unseelie realms, Niall does the only thing inhumanly he fakes amnesia. Not his finest hour, perhaps, but he never revealed his Unseelie heritage, and to tell the truth now would be to risk Gareth’s revulsion—far harder to bear than two hundred years of imprisonment. Then a new threat to Gareth’s life arises, and he and Niall stage a mad escape into the Outer World, only to discover the fate of all fae resting on their shoulders. But before they can save the realm, they have to tackle something really mending their own broken relationship.
The story text of this second edition of Bad Boy's Bard is identical to the first edition.
The story text of this second edition of Bad Boy's Bard is identical to the first edition.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2017
108 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Russell
54 books421 followersE.J. Russell –grace, mother of three, recovering actor–writes romance in a rainbow of flavors. Count on high snark, low angst and happy endings.
Reality? Eh, not so much.
Reality? Eh, not so much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
September 11, 2017
This book was 'fine', but I must admit that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as book 2, which was rife with snark, longing, and giving over to some pretty inevitable feelings.
In contrast, this story was chock full of secrets, lies, and never-ending attempts for the MC's to not voice how they still feel about one another, which got old fairly quickly.
Let me be honest here, folks. Gareth was the baby of the Kendrick clan and, well, just as it had in the first two stories, it pretty much showed.
Gareth had been pissed off at the world for the past 200 years, since his lover disappeared with an Unseelie fae, and he'd since taken it out on everyone within spitting distance, including his own brothers.
I got that this story was the story where Gareth grew up and became less prejudiced and jaded, which he *finally* did, but it took a long time and didn't make for as enjoyable a read, as he at last put his "all about me and my past injustices" mentality to rest.
Then we have Gareth's past love, Niall, who after 200 years of imprisonment refused to be forthcoming in regards to his past deceptions and entrust Gareth with the truth. So he fakes amnesia to avoid any and all questions.
GAH! Faking memory loss is one of my absolute least favorite of all tropes.
As the story progressed, there was so much lying and hiding of critical information that the romantic aspect of the story suffered. Greatly.
Then when the truth finally, involuntarily, must be revealed, as the fate of both Fairie and the Outer World hung in the balance, of course, Gareth refused to listen to the *whole* truth. The critical parts that explained away any malicious intent behind Niall's questionable actions. Yep, completely crazy making for the reader, that one, guys.
So yes, even though their 200 year physical separation had passed, for nearly the entire book, there was still an emotional separation between the MC's, who should have been making up for lost time and reconnecting.
The overall storyline and its twists were very entertaining as a fantasy story; however, as for the romance, I'm not the biggest fan of books that wait until the clock is a few seconds until Midnight before the MC's truly connect once and for all. There's UST and then there's *THAT*.
I'd have to rate this one at 3 *highly-frustrating* stars, in large part because the bad guys do get their comeuppance as the Kendrick brothers' series drew to a close.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
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August 2, 2024
Gareth Kendrick, the last true bard in Faerie, has closed his heart off for centuries, ever since his human lover was abducted by the Unseelie Court. Much to his surprise, he stumbles on his long lost love at the wedding of the century: the union of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Overcome by emotion, Gareth drags his ex off into the human realm, against the Court's order for all fae folk to be present for the entirety of the wedding ceremony.
Fresh out of his centuries-long imprisonment, Niall O’Tierney is uncertain what role (if any) he can play in a newly united Faery. Despite being the half-brother of the new (Un)Seelie King, his lengthy imprisonment and torture have shredded his previously sky-high self-confidence. Coming face to face with the ex he had thought to be dead, definitely throws Niall into panic mode... and ends up escaping Faery with Gareth, despite being a key member of the royal wedding party.
I have a few veeeeery specific pet peeves when it comes to my reading material, and angst is among my top reasons for dropping books (and fanfiction). Admittedly, if a book is well-written and I'm a big fan of the characters I can fight my way through some truly wordy bouts of angst-ing (I'm looking at you, Afterimage), but I will never ever like it. Unfortunately for me, Bad Boy's Bard has been built on an incredibly angsty foundation and refuses to renege its roots until the very end.
I can of course appreciate the author's effort in choosing to fix a past relationship instead of going for the healing power of a new one, but I just didn't really resonate with the chemistry between Niall and Gareth. The narration style didn't help either, with past actions being constantly referenced before the flashbacks that explained the context were shown. All in all, the whole reading experience felt rather frustrating and confusing, making me constantly feel like I was missing a big chunk of context.
I also found out by complete chance that the story is meant to portray an asexual romance from one of the author's instagram posts supporting asexual week. Don't get me wrong, people are constantly calling me out for my lack of awareness, but... for the life of me I can't see/feel any ace vibes here. The characters' past antics hint towards the exact opposite as a matter of fact... So I'm rather miffed at this sudden revelation.
Score: 2.3/5 stars
Too much angst and not enough steam. It barely even deserves its place on the guilty-pleasure shelf.
===============
Review of book 1: Cutie and the Beast
Review of book 2: The Druid Next Door
Other books set in the Mythmatched World:
--------------------------------------
Review of Single White Incubus
Review of Vampire With Benefits
Review of Demon on the Down-Low
Fresh out of his centuries-long imprisonment, Niall O’Tierney is uncertain what role (if any) he can play in a newly united Faery. Despite being the half-brother of the new (Un)Seelie King, his lengthy imprisonment and torture have shredded his previously sky-high self-confidence. Coming face to face with the ex he had thought to be dead, definitely throws Niall into panic mode... and ends up escaping Faery with Gareth, despite being a key member of the royal wedding party.
I have a few veeeeery specific pet peeves when it comes to my reading material, and angst is among my top reasons for dropping books (and fanfiction). Admittedly, if a book is well-written and I'm a big fan of the characters I can fight my way through some truly wordy bouts of angst-ing (I'm looking at you, Afterimage), but I will never ever like it. Unfortunately for me, Bad Boy's Bard has been built on an incredibly angsty foundation and refuses to renege its roots until the very end.
I can of course appreciate the author's effort in choosing to fix a past relationship instead of going for the healing power of a new one, but I just didn't really resonate with the chemistry between Niall and Gareth. The narration style didn't help either, with past actions being constantly referenced before the flashbacks that explained the context were shown. All in all, the whole reading experience felt rather frustrating and confusing, making me constantly feel like I was missing a big chunk of context.
I also found out by complete chance that the story is meant to portray an asexual romance from one of the author's instagram posts supporting asexual week. Don't get me wrong, people are constantly calling me out for my lack of awareness, but... for the life of me I can't see/feel any ace vibes here. The characters' past antics hint towards the exact opposite as a matter of fact... So I'm rather miffed at this sudden revelation.
Score: 2.3/5 stars
Too much angst and not enough steam. It barely even deserves its place on the guilty-pleasure shelf.
===============
Review of book 1: Cutie and the Beast
Review of book 2: The Druid Next Door
Other books set in the Mythmatched World:
--------------------------------------
Review of Single White Incubus
Review of Vampire With Benefits
Review of Demon on the Down-Low
May 3, 2025
3.5 stars
There were moments I disliked this book, its clumsy grammar, it’s half-hearted world building, and its protagonists acting like adolescents. There were other times I was pleasantly surprised at its clever storyline and rich atmosphere. I’ll call it even at three and a half stars.
Reread AUG 2020: I liked it better this time around and now that I know Russell has engaged Joel Leslie to narrate the trilogy, I can hardly wait!
DEC 2020: I'm about 1/3 the way through the first audiobook Cutie and the Beast and couldn't be more pleased. I'm looking forward to listening to all three stories. Joel Leslie knocks it out of the park!
JULY 2021 (Audiobook): Great narration by Joel Leslie. The grammatical mistakes are mostly missing in the audio version, but Garreth and Niall are still dancing around each other to the point I want to throttle them. This third part of the story arc is brilliant and original, so I very much enjoyed the base story. Leaving it at four stars.
There were moments I disliked this book, its clumsy grammar, it’s half-hearted world building, and its protagonists acting like adolescents. There were other times I was pleasantly surprised at its clever storyline and rich atmosphere. I’ll call it even at three and a half stars.
Reread AUG 2020: I liked it better this time around and now that I know Russell has engaged Joel Leslie to narrate the trilogy, I can hardly wait!
DEC 2020: I'm about 1/3 the way through the first audiobook Cutie and the Beast and couldn't be more pleased. I'm looking forward to listening to all three stories. Joel Leslie knocks it out of the park!
JULY 2021 (Audiobook): Great narration by Joel Leslie. The grammatical mistakes are mostly missing in the audio version, but Garreth and Niall are still dancing around each other to the point I want to throttle them. This third part of the story arc is brilliant and original, so I very much enjoyed the base story. Leaving it at four stars.
March 10, 2022
Ugh, for a lot of this book I wanted to thump Gareth so hard but also give him a massive hug.
The overarching plot which has been running since the start of the series kicks I'm big time here and we finally get to know what exactly happened between Niall and Gareth 200 years ago.
Both men have spent centuries apart, living with the consequences of both the lies they were told and their own choices.
How they come to terms with that makes up the majority of this romance and at times it's both heartbreaking and immensely frustrating.
Unlike the first two books this one is very much focused on just the two men, with only sporadic appearances from Bryce and David and Alun and Mal trapped in Faerie.
It made for a more thriller style pacing as the hunt to find out what was going on interwove closely with Gareth and Niall's on-going problems.
Obviously, as it's a romance and not a thriller we know there's going to be a happy ending and I loved the way it was orchestrated.
I think Bryce and Mal are still my favourite couple but I enjoyed this one very much too.
The overarching plot which has been running since the start of the series kicks I'm big time here and we finally get to know what exactly happened between Niall and Gareth 200 years ago.
Both men have spent centuries apart, living with the consequences of both the lies they were told and their own choices.
How they come to terms with that makes up the majority of this romance and at times it's both heartbreaking and immensely frustrating.
Unlike the first two books this one is very much focused on just the two men, with only sporadic appearances from Bryce and David and Alun and Mal trapped in Faerie.
It made for a more thriller style pacing as the hunt to find out what was going on interwove closely with Gareth and Niall's on-going problems.
Obviously, as it's a romance and not a thriller we know there's going to be a happy ending and I loved the way it was orchestrated.
I think Bryce and Mal are still my favourite couple but I enjoyed this one very much too.
July 2, 2021
I liked this, and I think I liked it more because of Joel Leslie's narration. The number of voices he used, and the range, was phenomenal.
I liked seeing everyone in the book...From David and Alun to Mal and Bryce and even the Faerie Queen and Amon.
I liked the plot and how it was all wrapped up.
What I wanted more of was the relationship between Niall and Gareth. For a 200 year seperation, after both of them thought the other dead, I wanted more of them. More angst, more devotion and poning, more everything really.
All in all, it was ok, but I expected more.
I liked seeing everyone in the book...From David and Alun to Mal and Bryce and even the Faerie Queen and Amon.
I liked the plot and how it was all wrapped up.
What I wanted more of was the relationship between Niall and Gareth. For a 200 year seperation, after both of them thought the other dead, I wanted more of them. More angst, more devotion and poning, more everything really.
All in all, it was ok, but I expected more.
May 25, 2023
Best book of the series!
Wow.... What a way to wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable series!!! Absolute awesomeness populated with amazing characters and superb storytelling!
Wow.... What a way to wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable series!!! Absolute awesomeness populated with amazing characters and superb storytelling!
September 12, 2024
Weeeeeellllll...it took me forever to finally get to this one and I feel a little let down.
It wasn't a bad book but it wasn't a great book either. For the finale it was just too much story and not enough romance.
I hate the amnesia story line and well, although that was what this was it almost wasn't because there was just no time spent on the relationship! Gah! I felt so frustrated and on edge and couldn't read the words fast enough just so we could get to the good stuff and I don't know if I feel like we really did!
So yeah, I finally got to this one so I could read the spin-off and I can only hope I enjoy that a bit more than this.
It happens. Glad it all worked out for Faerie though.
It wasn't a bad book but it wasn't a great book either. For the finale it was just too much story and not enough romance.
I hate the amnesia story line and well, although that was what this was it almost wasn't because there was just no time spent on the relationship! Gah! I felt so frustrated and on edge and couldn't read the words fast enough just so we could get to the good stuff and I don't know if I feel like we really did!
So yeah, I finally got to this one so I could read the spin-off and I can only hope I enjoy that a bit more than this.
It happens. Glad it all worked out for Faerie though.
August 23, 2019
** 3.75 stars **
Out of the three Kendrick brothers I liked Gareth the least. Some of his behavior could be chalked up to his artistic temperament but his judgemental attitude is completely out of line, especially after he reunites with Niall. No wonder Niall was scared of telling him the truth about himself! Gareth reacted exactly as Niall expected. I think that being THE BARD went into Gareth head a little too much. He did redeemed himself in the end a bit but still.
I loved Niall from the start. I know that the whole debacle with Gareth started badly but he realized that early enough to try and fix it. What happened to him was truly horrible, and I just wanted to hug the stuffing out of him. He returned from exile a humbled man. He changed a lot and for the better while the same couldn't be said about Gareth. But I think Niall was a good influence on Gareth during their travels through Underworld.
I loved the mystery of Fae, the magic and the power of Gareth's song. I am glad to say Gareth was able to let go of his preconceived notions about the Unseelie Fae. As the bard who can inspire or incite people it was really a wonderful thing for both King and Queen of the Fae. The relationship between the brothers is on the mend, they all finally found the love they didn't know they needed. There was a bit less humor and more angst than in previous books that made me tear up a bit. I am a sucker for secretly tortured heroes! Overall, this was a series worth reading and talking about! I recommend it!
Out of the three Kendrick brothers I liked Gareth the least. Some of his behavior could be chalked up to his artistic temperament but his judgemental attitude is completely out of line, especially after he reunites with Niall. No wonder Niall was scared of telling him the truth about himself! Gareth reacted exactly as Niall expected. I think that being THE BARD went into Gareth head a little too much. He did redeemed himself in the end a bit but still.
I loved Niall from the start. I know that the whole debacle with Gareth started badly but he realized that early enough to try and fix it. What happened to him was truly horrible, and I just wanted to hug the stuffing out of him. He returned from exile a humbled man. He changed a lot and for the better while the same couldn't be said about Gareth. But I think Niall was a good influence on Gareth during their travels through Underworld.
I loved the mystery of Fae, the magic and the power of Gareth's song. I am glad to say Gareth was able to let go of his preconceived notions about the Unseelie Fae. As the bard who can inspire or incite people it was really a wonderful thing for both King and Queen of the Fae. The relationship between the brothers is on the mend, they all finally found the love they didn't know they needed. There was a bit less humor and more angst than in previous books that made me tear up a bit. I am a sucker for secretly tortured heroes! Overall, this was a series worth reading and talking about! I recommend it!
November 14, 2020
Nice ending to the series, but my favorite was still the first. David was too much. I did like that this had a lot of of plot and pulled all of the stories together.
Gareth was just too much of an ass to everyone for my liking though and the fact that he had been enabled for so long was not helpful.
Niall was a bit of the tragic character who was a rogue and a man of the little people which was kind of tiresome but fit in the the storyline.
I am glad I was able to read the series. It's nice to have some low-key angst and pure entertainment.
Gareth was just too much of an ass to everyone for my liking though and the fact that he had been enabled for so long was not helpful.
Niall was a bit of the tragic character who was a rogue and a man of the little people which was kind of tiresome but fit in the the storyline.
I am glad I was able to read the series. It's nice to have some low-key angst and pure entertainment.
March 23, 2021
4.5 stars?
This was good! The first two books was sort of dipping into formulaic territory and I didn’t enjoy book 2 for that reason. This however, was different! I’ve always wondered about Gareth and his human lover. To finally have their story and it actually being a pretty epic story? Awesome!
This was good! The first two books was sort of dipping into formulaic territory and I didn’t enjoy book 2 for that reason. This however, was different! I’ve always wondered about Gareth and his human lover. To finally have their story and it actually being a pretty epic story? Awesome!
March 28, 2023
Only downside to this story is the lack of communication between the protagonists over stuff that would have moved the plot along a lot faster. Otherwise, I enjoyed this reread.
January 23, 2018
After ‘Cutie and the Beast’, starring David and Alun, and ‘The Druid Next Door’, starring Bryce and Mal, it is now time for Niall and Gareth’s story. There have been a lot of hints along the way, so I had a rough idea of what might be happening with them, but I had no idea the roller coaster they’d be facing. And that after a relationship that has not exactly been easy so far. They have faced 200 years of separation, believing each other dead, and when they meet again they face the consequences of their past actions, deceit, betrayal, revelations, and the possible destruction of Faerie itself. This novel is the most eventful yet and definitely worthy of this series! A small word of warning: even if you believe you are familiar with the world of the Fae, don’t read this series out of order – the worldbuilding may have taken some of the known elements, but ends up creating its own world and a set of rules that will leave you lost if you don’t start at the beginning.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 16, 2017
Gareth, youngest of the three Kendrick brothers, fronts a band in the Outer World, which is easy, since he is the last true bard of the Fae. For 200 hundred years, Gareth has pined for his lost love.
The third book in this series revolves around Gareth and Niall, who were lovers 200 hundred years ago. They were separated. Through much misdirection, Niall thought Gareth dead. Now with something rotten in Fae World, Gareth is called upon to help right many wrongs and possibly find love again.
I think this is a terrific series. The world building is great and the characters interesting and fun. There is little sex, but that does not diminish the stories in any way. My only lament, is there was not as much humor in two and three as in the first one.
The third book in this series revolves around Gareth and Niall, who were lovers 200 hundred years ago. They were separated. Through much misdirection, Niall thought Gareth dead. Now with something rotten in Fae World, Gareth is called upon to help right many wrongs and possibly find love again.
I think this is a terrific series. The world building is great and the characters interesting and fun. There is little sex, but that does not diminish the stories in any way. My only lament, is there was not as much humor in two and three as in the first one.
December 13, 2017
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
BAD BOY’S BARD was always going to be a difficult novel. Like all Greater Fae, Gareth holds prejudiced views of Lesser Fae and other fantastical communities. Ever since his human lover was killed 200 years ago, Gareth has been morose, grumpy, and all other derivatives of broody. In the two previous books, he’s been cruel to his brothers, judging them harshly for their new love interests. Even though he’s the last bard of faerie, Gareth is reluctant to return to the realm and always holds back during his performances. Reversing that image is a tall order.
Plots that involve mistaken identity and past love can be fun. But when they hinge on one big, silly lie, it’s hard not to roll your eyes. Niall has a complicated past with Gareth. He’s both desperate to avoid the bard and also aching to see him again. When the two meet up, Niall fakes amnesia in order to bypass Gareth’s awkward questions and hide his true origins. All the characters remark on how ‘convenient’ Niall’s amnesia is, except for Gareth. Yes, yes, blinded by love and all. But come on.
BAD BOY’S BARD continues the set-up from the previous two novels. The fae world needs to be changed and dragged into modernism. Their prejudices are holding back their society, in order to progress the realm needs to be redrawn. The plot itself is well-done. Answering previous concerns about the magical world and wrapping up lingering questions. The character work in the novels has always been excellent. Previously, the character’s have matured, earning the love that they’ve been rejecting. That growth is lacking from this novel. Gareth’s switch from prejudice to acceptance isn’t believable. It happens, but I’m not sure it undos the emotional damage he’s caused.
It was great to see both David and Bryce also featured in the novel. But it really highlighted just how much of a jerk Gareth had been to both them and his brothers. It’s hard to root for Gareth when he’s constantly picking on Bryce. BAD BOY’s BARD was still an enjoyable novel, despite Gareth’s flaws. Niall was an interesting character and provided a different view of the fae. I wish there had been more romantic scenes that THE DRUID NEXT DOOR had, or the character growth from CUTIE AND THE BEAST. Perhaps Gareth will strike a different chord with other readers who are more likely to forgive all the treble he’s caused. Definitely read the BAD BOY’S BARD to finish the series and see how the fae world finally grows up. It’s a good send off to a fantastically enjoyable series.
Sexual content: explicit sex scenest
BAD BOY’S BARD was always going to be a difficult novel. Like all Greater Fae, Gareth holds prejudiced views of Lesser Fae and other fantastical communities. Ever since his human lover was killed 200 years ago, Gareth has been morose, grumpy, and all other derivatives of broody. In the two previous books, he’s been cruel to his brothers, judging them harshly for their new love interests. Even though he’s the last bard of faerie, Gareth is reluctant to return to the realm and always holds back during his performances. Reversing that image is a tall order.
Plots that involve mistaken identity and past love can be fun. But when they hinge on one big, silly lie, it’s hard not to roll your eyes. Niall has a complicated past with Gareth. He’s both desperate to avoid the bard and also aching to see him again. When the two meet up, Niall fakes amnesia in order to bypass Gareth’s awkward questions and hide his true origins. All the characters remark on how ‘convenient’ Niall’s amnesia is, except for Gareth. Yes, yes, blinded by love and all. But come on.
BAD BOY’S BARD continues the set-up from the previous two novels. The fae world needs to be changed and dragged into modernism. Their prejudices are holding back their society, in order to progress the realm needs to be redrawn. The plot itself is well-done. Answering previous concerns about the magical world and wrapping up lingering questions. The character work in the novels has always been excellent. Previously, the character’s have matured, earning the love that they’ve been rejecting. That growth is lacking from this novel. Gareth’s switch from prejudice to acceptance isn’t believable. It happens, but I’m not sure it undos the emotional damage he’s caused.
It was great to see both David and Bryce also featured in the novel. But it really highlighted just how much of a jerk Gareth had been to both them and his brothers. It’s hard to root for Gareth when he’s constantly picking on Bryce. BAD BOY’s BARD was still an enjoyable novel, despite Gareth’s flaws. Niall was an interesting character and provided a different view of the fae. I wish there had been more romantic scenes that THE DRUID NEXT DOOR had, or the character growth from CUTIE AND THE BEAST. Perhaps Gareth will strike a different chord with other readers who are more likely to forgive all the treble he’s caused. Definitely read the BAD BOY’S BARD to finish the series and see how the fae world finally grows up. It’s a good send off to a fantastically enjoyable series.
Sexual content: explicit sex scenest
September 14, 2025
3 stars bc i’m nice and the conclusion to the trilogy was satisfying (also as someone who read the quest investigations series before anything else in the mythmatched world i appreciated the foreshadowing)
but my GOD was the miscommunication here painful, i actually just wanted to take the mcs’ heads and smash them together, and i don’t mean that in the “make them kiss” way, but rather in the “i hope they both die” way.
but my GOD was the miscommunication here painful, i actually just wanted to take the mcs’ heads and smash them together, and i don’t mean that in the “make them kiss” way, but rather in the “i hope they both die” way.
September 12, 2017
Initial Thoughts 9-11-17- I'll be honest. This book was not as good as the first two. It was kind of meh and it wasn't just because of the use of the fake amnesia trope which is definitely my least favorite romance trope. Gah! The two main characters were wasted so many opportunities to communicate and it drove me crazy. There was so much lying and hiding of critical information that the romance part of the story suffered greatly for it.
Full review to come closer to the release date.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
Full review to come closer to the release date.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
December 4, 2021
This one was nice! I did think Gareth was a but of an ass, but unlike Mal, it never got to be too much (plus, he had a reason, even if it was a misguided one). Niall is who made the book for me. He's too sweet!
July 7, 2021
I could not tell apart all those characters and what they did 200 years ago.
I read to relax, not to memorize facts for a history exam.
I read to relax, not to memorize facts for a history exam.
November 27, 2017
2.5 stars
I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first two, due to the actions of the main characters, but it was still an overall enjoyable read. Check out the full review on my blog.
I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first two, due to the actions of the main characters, but it was still an overall enjoyable read. Check out the full review on my blog.
September 21, 2017
Ugh. This book. I'm crushed by the fact that it had some of my favorite hurt/comfort tropes and could've been great...but in the end, it was only okay.
Actually, in hindsight, there wasn't actually as much hurt/comfort as I'd expected. As is par for the course—unfortunately—the promise of realistic treatment of psychological issues is never really realized. At the beginning of the book, Gareth is described as mired in suicidal grief over Niall's "death," but he's completely fine as soon as Niall turns up alive again. Niall is described as being traumatized by 200 years of torture before it's quickly brushed over by his angst about deceiving/having deceived Gareth. And the fact that Niall deceives Gareth for half of the book, and Gareth refuses to hear the truth until he has to in the heat of the action, really detracted from their relationship, in my opinion. The thing is, I do understand why both characters reacted the way they did. But they needed a hell of a lot more time to actually sit down and talk through everything in order for me to accept that their relationship is fully mended. And the ending (the last scene) felt somewhat...anticlimactic to me.
The dialogue was pretty great, the plot was interesting enough, but the characterization was slightly lacking for me. I didn't love Niall as much as I felt I should've, and while I was sympathetic to Gareth, I felt like I had to do a lot of filling in the blanks to get there.
There was nothing outright terrible about the gray-aro+gray-ace representation. (I also appreciated that another minor character was described as ace as well.) However, I kind of question the decision to make Gareth, the gray-aro/gray-ace character, a sort of loner who was constantly pining after Niall, consumed with grief, and unable to move on, even though he'd assumed Niall had died long ago. I kept getting this weird feeling that the book treated Gareth being gray-aro+gray-ace as the reason why Niall was the linchpin of his universe, one he (literally) couldn't/wouldn't survive without. Maybe I was reading too much into it, though. And also there's a fair amount of not-exactly-aro-friendly language suggesting that Niall "enriched"/"showed what was missing" from Gareth's life, even though Gareth had never desired a romantic or sexual relationship before meeting him.
One last thing: All three books in this series have a pretty heavy "cure the disability" narrative, and that's disappointing.
Actually, in hindsight, there wasn't actually as much hurt/comfort as I'd expected. As is par for the course—unfortunately—the promise of realistic treatment of psychological issues is never really realized. At the beginning of the book, Gareth is described as mired in suicidal grief over Niall's "death," but he's completely fine as soon as Niall turns up alive again. Niall is described as being traumatized by 200 years of torture before it's quickly brushed over by his angst about deceiving/having deceived Gareth. And the fact that Niall deceives Gareth for half of the book, and Gareth refuses to hear the truth until he has to in the heat of the action, really detracted from their relationship, in my opinion. The thing is, I do understand why both characters reacted the way they did. But they needed a hell of a lot more time to actually sit down and talk through everything in order for me to accept that their relationship is fully mended. And the ending (the last scene) felt somewhat...anticlimactic to me.
The dialogue was pretty great, the plot was interesting enough, but the characterization was slightly lacking for me. I didn't love Niall as much as I felt I should've, and while I was sympathetic to Gareth, I felt like I had to do a lot of filling in the blanks to get there.
There was nothing outright terrible about the gray-aro+gray-ace representation. (I also appreciated that another minor character was described as ace as well.) However, I kind of question the decision to make Gareth, the gray-aro/gray-ace character, a sort of loner who was constantly pining after Niall, consumed with grief, and unable to move on, even though he'd assumed Niall had died long ago. I kept getting this weird feeling that the book treated Gareth being gray-aro+gray-ace as the reason why Niall was the linchpin of his universe, one he (literally) couldn't/wouldn't survive without. Maybe I was reading too much into it, though. And also there's a fair amount of not-exactly-aro-friendly language suggesting that Niall "enriched"/"showed what was missing" from Gareth's life, even though Gareth had never desired a romantic or sexual relationship before meeting him.
One last thing: All three books in this series have a pretty heavy "cure the disability" narrative, and that's disappointing.
July 6, 2021
I have to admit to dreading the major series hangover I'd have after completing the last book of the Fae Out of Water series beautifully narrated by Joel Leslie! In 'Bad Boy's Bard: Fae Out of Water Book 3' Naill O'Tierney, is the lover from Gareth Kendrick's past that was lost to the Unseelie lord two hundred years ago. Gareth had believed him lost all this time then come upon him at the joining ceremony for the Seelie and Unseelie realms and escapes with him to the outer world where he thought the human Naill belonged. But Naill has been keeping one secret from Gareth--he is the half-human son of the Unseelie King and knowing Gareth's negative feelings towards the Unseelie court, he was understandably reluctant to admit it. Gareth is understandably horrified when he discovers Naill's fae heritage yet he is even more shaken when he discovers Naill was imprisoned and whipped by his own father for failing to kill Garreth, the Seelie Queen's Bard. Making amends enough to join forces, they look to discover which current villains want to revert back to the Fairie days of old. Such a change will destroy the earth as we know it and Gareth and Naill's escape to the outer realm may have made a bad situation worse! Or does it? In this last of the Fae Out of Water series, we see the demisexual Bard Gareth regain a lover he thought lost so long ago. His disinterest in other lovers over the period of two centuries is remarkable and very touching. I wanted so desperately for Gareth to forgive Naill and he does. Once again the pacing and balance of the narrative are wonderful. The world-building, character development, and cohesion both within the book and throughout the series are awesome. The writer included enough information from the previous books for the reader to stay fully grounded in the universe and committed to the resolution of the major conflict in the series. Narrated by the simply incredible Joel Leslie, this series is one of the best EVER!
June 12, 2021
Gareth, the third and youngest Kendrick brother, lost his human lover 200 years ago when he was abducted by an Unseelie fae. He couldn't get over that loss, and 200 years later, he still mourned his lost lover. However, Niall was only half human, an Unseelie prince, and he was never kidnapped. He went willingly, intending to return with Gareth as his consort, but things went horribly wrong. His cruel father the King had him imprisoned and tortured.
After the events of the second book, Niall was set free, and he and Gareth met again. But they hdn't see each other in two hunderd years, and the emotional distance between them is seemingly unbreachable. It didn't help that there were lies and deception between them, that they were both pawns in a plot bigger than anything in Faerie. And that the future of their world depended on them.
I really liked this book, the Fae Out of Water series from E.J. Russell was a pleasant surprise: all three books were excellent, very plot driven, I couldn't put them down. This book was also very good - we read about Gareth and his lost lover Niall since the first book, so it was nice to finally have their story. Gareth was a great character: he was loving and brave and strong, but also had flaws: quick to anger, a bit judgemental, sometimes a total dick, and that made him interesting. Niall was also very likeable, he sacrificed so much to be able to be with Gareth, yet he remained loyal and steadfast.
I also enjoyed reading about the characters from the first books. All three the Kendrick brothers and their partners was needed to foil the plans of the villains, I especially enjoyed Mal a lot!!
Recommended for all fans of fantasy books, books about two gorgeous Fae finding each other again, Celtic mythologies, tragic rockstar Fae with a magical voices and Equality for all faerie races!!
After the events of the second book, Niall was set free, and he and Gareth met again. But they hdn't see each other in two hunderd years, and the emotional distance between them is seemingly unbreachable. It didn't help that there were lies and deception between them, that they were both pawns in a plot bigger than anything in Faerie. And that the future of their world depended on them.
I really liked this book, the Fae Out of Water series from E.J. Russell was a pleasant surprise: all three books were excellent, very plot driven, I couldn't put them down. This book was also very good - we read about Gareth and his lost lover Niall since the first book, so it was nice to finally have their story. Gareth was a great character: he was loving and brave and strong, but also had flaws: quick to anger, a bit judgemental, sometimes a total dick, and that made him interesting. Niall was also very likeable, he sacrificed so much to be able to be with Gareth, yet he remained loyal and steadfast.
I also enjoyed reading about the characters from the first books. All three the Kendrick brothers and their partners was needed to foil the plans of the villains, I especially enjoyed Mal a lot!!
Recommended for all fans of fantasy books, books about two gorgeous Fae finding each other again, Celtic mythologies, tragic rockstar Fae with a magical voices and Equality for all faerie races!!
October 24, 2019
This book concentrates on the story of Niall and Gareth and their fight to save faerie. There is a lot of Bryce and David and bandmates.
I enjoyed the book. Niall finally comes clean with Gareth about his heritage and yes there i9s a little angst but then the 2 of them are sent off to save faerie.
I am not sure if this is the last book in the series but I would enjoy another.
I enjoyed the book. Niall finally comes clean with Gareth about his heritage and yes there i9s a little angst but then the 2 of them are sent off to save faerie.
I am not sure if this is the last book in the series but I would enjoy another.
August 10, 2018
4.5 Stars
June 30, 2019
**3.5 Stars
I really liked Gareth and Niall's story but the secrets and miscommunication drove me as crazy as the secrets in The Druid Next Door did but that's really the only con. My favorite book of the series was the first one Cutie and the Beast. With all 3 books I had a hard time putting them down, I was compelled to read them until the end as fast as I could but now wish this wasn't the end. I want more!
Moving on to the sort of spin off or what I think should be called a spin off ... Single White Incubus, Vampire with Benefits, Demon on the Down-Low!
I really liked Gareth and Niall's story but the secrets and miscommunication drove me as crazy as the secrets in The Druid Next Door did but that's really the only con. My favorite book of the series was the first one Cutie and the Beast. With all 3 books I had a hard time putting them down, I was compelled to read them until the end as fast as I could but now wish this wasn't the end. I want more!
Moving on to the sort of spin off or what I think should be called a spin off ... Single White Incubus, Vampire with Benefits, Demon on the Down-Low!
October 23, 2017
3.5 stars - I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
The third book in this series throws readers straight back into the action. Having only read the second book a few weeks ago, I still found myself floundering through the first chapters trying to remember the characters and their relationships. There isn’t really any recap at the start of the book so this is probably best read directly after book two.
I almost put this story down at 30% because I couldn’t get my head around the complicated plot and I was tired of the pointless secrets and lies between the characters. But I’m glad I continued. Once Garreth and Niall get back to Faerie, the story becomes exciting and much more coherent.
In the Outerworld, I enjoyed David and Bryce’s efforts to care for Niall and their plans to rescue Alun and Mal. I also liked finding out more about Gareth and his band.
Unlike the couples in the first two books, Niall and Gareth have a long history - both together and apart. I struggled with the timelines and Niall’s secrets made it even more difficult for me to piece together their past. As a partnership, these two work well together - but only after a whole lot of angst and sulking more appropriate for teenagers than ancient Fae noblemen.
The first book is still my favourite in this series but I enjoyed this more than the second book. Readers with more experience of high fantasy will probably find this easier to follow and enjoy than I did.
The third book in this series throws readers straight back into the action. Having only read the second book a few weeks ago, I still found myself floundering through the first chapters trying to remember the characters and their relationships. There isn’t really any recap at the start of the book so this is probably best read directly after book two.
I almost put this story down at 30% because I couldn’t get my head around the complicated plot and I was tired of the pointless secrets and lies between the characters. But I’m glad I continued. Once Garreth and Niall get back to Faerie, the story becomes exciting and much more coherent.
In the Outerworld, I enjoyed David and Bryce’s efforts to care for Niall and their plans to rescue Alun and Mal. I also liked finding out more about Gareth and his band.
Unlike the couples in the first two books, Niall and Gareth have a long history - both together and apart. I struggled with the timelines and Niall’s secrets made it even more difficult for me to piece together their past. As a partnership, these two work well together - but only after a whole lot of angst and sulking more appropriate for teenagers than ancient Fae noblemen.
The first book is still my favourite in this series but I enjoyed this more than the second book. Readers with more experience of high fantasy will probably find this easier to follow and enjoy than I did.
June 1, 2025
4-⭐
I've given this score to the whole trilogy. Sometimes I feel it's a bit generous because all of these are a bit messy, possibly in different ways. But I enjoyed them quite a bit anyway.
I think this book is actually quite strong with the whole bigger plot. It's interesting and gets tied up nicely. I also really liked Niall, he's probably my favourite after David. I really felt for him, and who isn't charmed by an unseelie Robin Hood?
Niall has been lying and unfortunately keeps on lying most of this book. Though I get it. Gareth is a big baby and telling him anything would not go okay. I related with Niall a lot more even with all the deception, as Gareth was really insufferable at times.
Then again I did actually love the whole stracrossed thing here and the way they both really were effing dedicated.
I've given this score to the whole trilogy. Sometimes I feel it's a bit generous because all of these are a bit messy, possibly in different ways. But I enjoyed them quite a bit anyway.
I think this book is actually quite strong with the whole bigger plot. It's interesting and gets tied up nicely. I also really liked Niall, he's probably my favourite after David. I really felt for him, and who isn't charmed by an unseelie Robin Hood?
Niall has been lying and unfortunately keeps on lying most of this book. Though I get it. Gareth is a big baby and telling him anything would not go okay. I related with Niall a lot more even with all the deception, as Gareth was really insufferable at times.
Then again I did actually love the whole stracrossed thing here and the way they both really were effing dedicated.
November 11, 2017
This series man. The plot always seems so good but the execution is ok at best. Putting aside Gareth's creepy obsession with his 'dead' lover at the beginning of the book But both MCs really annoyed me this time with their flawed logic and irrational decisions. To this day I don't know why Gareth hated his brothers. It made no sense. Just two of the many nonsensical thought processes and decisions that made this book a chore to read. It's a shame because the plot idea was actually good but the characters? ugh. (Except you David 😋)
November 30, 2017
Book – Bad Boy's Bard (Fae Out of Water #3)
Author – E.J. Russell
Star rating - ★★★☆☆
No. of Pages – 301
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, dual character
Would I read it again – Unlikely.
Genre – LGBT, Fantasy, Fae, Contemporary, Romance
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
It's never a good sign when a book makes me angry before I even read it. Let me quickly explain – when I read and fell in love with book 1 in the series, I marked books 2 and 3 for my instant-buy list. I wanted to follow these brothers through their trials and the series, because I loved book 1 so much. Therefore, when both books appeared on Netgalley, I didn't bother to read the blurbs. I just knew I had to continue with this series. Now, I'm a little sad that I did, because it seems that book 1 is the anomaly. It's the only book of the series that I love and would willingly re-read in the future.
Why?
I'm so seriously, super disappointed that Niall's existence is revealed in the blurb. I suspected the big secret of who he was and why he'd been spirited away back in book 2, but there was no confirmation, not even a whisper of it being true that would make it okay to be exposed the way it is in the blurb for book 3. It was still a huge mystery and, now, before I even sit down to read book 3, I already know everything about why and how he disappeared and who he is, because it's not only in the blurb on Goodreads and Amazon, but it's in the blurb at the beginning of the book. And, since I read everything from front cover to 'The End' (including skimming for anything relevant after that point) I read the blurb. And I wish I hadn't. If I'd wanted to know the big reveal before I even started, I would have skipped to the end.
I was hoping for a big reveal, a huge emotional journey that Niall and Gareth could go on together, as they fell in love again, even just to see Gareth's reaction to Niall being alive and well. I didn't want to be told, in the blurb, before I even crack the book open, the entirety of Niall's story. It makes me far less interested to read the book and go on this journey with them. In fact, it makes me think that Gareth deserves better than Niall, so puts me off reading the book that will inevitably have them falling for each other again. Just knowing how deeply Niall betrayed and deceived Gareth makes me not want to go any further than reading the blurb.
Honestly, between you and me, I had hoped for the whole hurt/comfort thing. I had hoped that Gareth would stumble upon the truth of where Niall had been held captive all this time, used his Bard gifts to rescue him from the big bad, and it would be all broken/hurt Niall being comforted/saved by Gareth, who had to finally pull up his big-boy pants and be an adult, rather than the whiny teenager he'd been until now. Instead, what I got was a cocky/arrogant piece of snark who had put Gareth in the position to get hurt in the first place, showed little remorse for 90% of the book and still got his happily ever after, because instead of growing up and getting a backbone, Gareth laid himself down as a mat to walk on and told Niall to go ahead because it was his honour to roll over and be used. Not what I'd wanted or expected from a supposed romance story.
In truth, the blurb also caused another issue for me. It built upon an uneasy feeling that book 2 had already given me, but which I'd overlooked for the simple fact that I thought it was limited to Mal and Bryce's relationship, which already had some iffy topics. However, the blurb for this book reminded me that the Fae are excelling at lying and manipulating to get their way. I find it increasingly disturbing how easily it comes to them and how the author decides to portray that within their relationship. I let it slide in book 2, because of the Master/slave relationship – despite the fact that the balance of power really did feel off kilter – but I'm not sure I can let it slide here. The Fae have gone from wondrous, lazy, politically focused creatures who happen to be gorgeous and do nothing worthwhile to something much darker and more dangerous than they had ever been in book one. They manipulate others at every turn, are quick to be judgmental and prissy, yet never stop to question anything worth questioning. In fact, David is the only character in this entire series who makes sense to me and thinks like I do.
I have to admit, that because of that, I feel like my interest in this series has plummeted. Book 1 is the golden jewel of the series, book 2 was passable if you closed your eyes and squinted through the Master/slave stuff, but I'm now beginning to wonder if this author is for me. I don't like to have the entire book ruined – a plot that I've waited 2 books to find out about – by having every detail I'd want to “see” for myself laid out in the blurb as though it didn't matter. Well, it mattered to me. I wanted to be surprised, to read about it happening as Gareth discovered it, to go on that journey with him and discover it on my own, not be told in a simple two paragraph description. For me, having it so blatantly exposed like that made half of the story utterly pointless.
Niall is a completely unlikeable, unrelatable character. I found him utterly reprehensible and I don't care how badly he was tortured or for how long, because he can never make up for what he did or who he is, or the fact that he shows little remorse for it. Not only did he treat Gareth despicably, but he was more than willing to let all of Faerie implode, with his own brother and Gareth's two brothers inside it, all because he was too chicken to speak up and confess that he was a habitual, compulsive liar with absolutely no decency. He was so afraid of losing Gareth that he was willing to sacrifice everyone in Faerie, and Faerie itself, just to keep his secret.
Well, I'm sorry, but I'm a Scorpio and we don't forgive. Ever. So I spent half the book not caring or all that interested in the tentative relationship between Niall and Gareth, because I didn't want it to go anywhere. I knew it was inevitable that Gareth would forgive the unforgivable and that Niall would be redeemed, because the author wrote him that way. It was obvious from the start, with all those many, many excuses and reasons the author gave to try to make Niall more relatable, more sympathetic, but it just didn't work for me. I had no interest in forgiving him from the outset and it left me feeling lukewarm about the entire book. Niall was just utterly selfish for 80% of the book. It was only in the smallest of places that he showed any redeemable qualities whatsoever and they were so fleeting that it didn't change my mind about him in the least.
Gareth, the poor soul, was railroaded. I didn't want him to forgive Niall or get him back. I hoped he'd have spine enough to keep his distance and admit that he deserved better, but again, the author did a bang up job of making him out to be part-villain for the first two books, probably so that he and Niall would be better matched for each other. The way Gareth was continually used as a source of anger and discontent between the Kendrick brothers throughout the series meant that he'd made mistakes of his own and we, the readers, were supposed to equate the forgiveness his brothers offered him to the fact that Niall deserved forgiveness, too. But, I read it differently, I guess. Gareth's actions are perfectly understandable, to me, and to his brothers, because he was heartbroken and a prejudice was bred in him by his experiences from early youth. Niall has no such excuse – he willingly and knowingly went into his deception of Gareth and only grew a conscience when it concerned himself.
I also have to admit that I find it disturbing that the Seelie (or the author?) view rape as the only torture device known to man (Fae). It's used continually throughout the series as a threat, consequence and torture whenever the bad guys are around. The only deviation was when Niall was being punished and he was whipped instead. It reads so much like it's okay to threaten a character with rape, but that a main character would never be a main character if they'd actually gone through it. Yes, it's abhorrent, but it's treated with a strange kind of untouchable quality that means it's okay to threaten that it will happen, but if it ever did, either the author or the characters would never know how to handle it. I can't really put it into words, but there's a really strong sense throughout the series that it's a suitable threat, but it can never, ever happen.
I was a bit frustrated that we've been told in both previous books that people can't lie to David or Bryce without discovery, yet Niall does it persistently. He is never once caught out, until he's willing to reveal himself. I found it really off-putting and wasn't sure if it was some unexplained loophole or just a huge plot gap.
Besides the few editing/grammar issues I spotted throughout, I began to get really irritated by the constant use of “mate”, “oi” and “boyo”. To be honest, I presumed these were part of Mal's character, not a generalisation for both Mal and Gareth, who use them frequently, as does Niall. The more I read them, the more these brothers don't read Welsh. These three phrases are more Scottish or Irish than Welsh, in my experience, which totally goes against their heritage and the supposed American backdrop of the story.
I also had an issue with Gareth's logic – or rather, lack thereof. I get that he was happy to see Niall again, but there is no logic in the world that would reason an amnesia victim entering a relationship with someone who claimed to be their boyfriend, willingly. Most would question everything they were told by someone who had such a claim, not to mention they would definitely not seduce and willingly jump into bed with the person claiming to be their long lost love. That part alone should have woken Gareth up to Niall's lies, but so should the million other things that at least gave David and Bryce some pause, even if they weren't smart enough to put the pieces together themselves.
Overall, the scenes were short, constantly chopping and changing between Niall and Gareth, usually to show the same events through both eyes, which became a little laborious after a while. The story plot itself was thin and I really didn't like Niall, at all. He had a thousand chances to tell the truth – in the past and in the present – yet he never took them. Instead, he knowingly left Gareth to suffer, well aware of what he'd been through and what it would do to him, just because he was too scared to tell the truth and face the consequences. The fact that the author had to use flashbacks to show any kind of chemistry between them just says it all, really. The relationship was so thin that nothing, for me, could save it. Not even having the ray of sunshine that is David and Alun back, or seeing Bryce and Mal again, could fix what was wrong, here.
As someone who is disabled, I also have to mention the seriously disappointing theme of “cure the disability” within this series. In book 1, I loved that although it could be and was cure, David didn't want that other than for Alun's mental health. He didn't want to cure him as much as help him deal with a very painful condition. In book 2, I was marginally pleased that Mal “chose” not to cure his own disability, then disappointed when it was cured for him as some sort of “reward” for making the right choice. Here, again, Gareth's mental instability over losing Niall was the lynchpin of the entire story – everyone wanted to cure Gareth of his depression and, it was cured by Niall's return to his life, with no consequences, no treatment, no nothing. Alun and David were the only ones who even considered treatment of the kind that would actually be beneficial.
The ending was left open for another book, though I've read that the author doesn't intend to write one in this trilogy. In all honestly, even if they did, I wouldn't read it. However, I've heard that they're contemplating writing side stories about other characters, and I won't be reading them, either. I've learned my lesson. Book 1 is as far as this series will go, for me. I won't be re-reading any of the others in the future.
~
Favourite Quote
This isn't really my favourite for a good reason, but because Gareth finally questions Niall the way he should have in the beginning. He finally sees what should have been obvious all alone.
“Niall straightened his shoulders. “This isn’t about you and me anymore, Gareth. This is about Faerie. About my brother and yours. About all Celtic fae, greater and lesser. If you’re the man I’ve always believed you to be, you don’t have a choice.”
The anger shrieked through Gareth like a banshee wind. What of the man I’ve always believed you to be? Where is he? Gareth knew the answer: nowhere, because he’d never existed. But, Goddess, I want him back.”
Author – E.J. Russell
Star rating - ★★★☆☆
No. of Pages – 301
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, dual character
Would I read it again – Unlikely.
Genre – LGBT, Fantasy, Fae, Contemporary, Romance
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
It's never a good sign when a book makes me angry before I even read it. Let me quickly explain – when I read and fell in love with book 1 in the series, I marked books 2 and 3 for my instant-buy list. I wanted to follow these brothers through their trials and the series, because I loved book 1 so much. Therefore, when both books appeared on Netgalley, I didn't bother to read the blurbs. I just knew I had to continue with this series. Now, I'm a little sad that I did, because it seems that book 1 is the anomaly. It's the only book of the series that I love and would willingly re-read in the future.
Why?
I'm so seriously, super disappointed that Niall's existence is revealed in the blurb. I suspected the big secret of who he was and why he'd been spirited away back in book 2, but there was no confirmation, not even a whisper of it being true that would make it okay to be exposed the way it is in the blurb for book 3. It was still a huge mystery and, now, before I even sit down to read book 3, I already know everything about why and how he disappeared and who he is, because it's not only in the blurb on Goodreads and Amazon, but it's in the blurb at the beginning of the book. And, since I read everything from front cover to 'The End' (including skimming for anything relevant after that point) I read the blurb. And I wish I hadn't. If I'd wanted to know the big reveal before I even started, I would have skipped to the end.
I was hoping for a big reveal, a huge emotional journey that Niall and Gareth could go on together, as they fell in love again, even just to see Gareth's reaction to Niall being alive and well. I didn't want to be told, in the blurb, before I even crack the book open, the entirety of Niall's story. It makes me far less interested to read the book and go on this journey with them. In fact, it makes me think that Gareth deserves better than Niall, so puts me off reading the book that will inevitably have them falling for each other again. Just knowing how deeply Niall betrayed and deceived Gareth makes me not want to go any further than reading the blurb.
Honestly, between you and me, I had hoped for the whole hurt/comfort thing. I had hoped that Gareth would stumble upon the truth of where Niall had been held captive all this time, used his Bard gifts to rescue him from the big bad, and it would be all broken/hurt Niall being comforted/saved by Gareth, who had to finally pull up his big-boy pants and be an adult, rather than the whiny teenager he'd been until now. Instead, what I got was a cocky/arrogant piece of snark who had put Gareth in the position to get hurt in the first place, showed little remorse for 90% of the book and still got his happily ever after, because instead of growing up and getting a backbone, Gareth laid himself down as a mat to walk on and told Niall to go ahead because it was his honour to roll over and be used. Not what I'd wanted or expected from a supposed romance story.
In truth, the blurb also caused another issue for me. It built upon an uneasy feeling that book 2 had already given me, but which I'd overlooked for the simple fact that I thought it was limited to Mal and Bryce's relationship, which already had some iffy topics. However, the blurb for this book reminded me that the Fae are excelling at lying and manipulating to get their way. I find it increasingly disturbing how easily it comes to them and how the author decides to portray that within their relationship. I let it slide in book 2, because of the Master/slave relationship – despite the fact that the balance of power really did feel off kilter – but I'm not sure I can let it slide here. The Fae have gone from wondrous, lazy, politically focused creatures who happen to be gorgeous and do nothing worthwhile to something much darker and more dangerous than they had ever been in book one. They manipulate others at every turn, are quick to be judgmental and prissy, yet never stop to question anything worth questioning. In fact, David is the only character in this entire series who makes sense to me and thinks like I do.
I have to admit, that because of that, I feel like my interest in this series has plummeted. Book 1 is the golden jewel of the series, book 2 was passable if you closed your eyes and squinted through the Master/slave stuff, but I'm now beginning to wonder if this author is for me. I don't like to have the entire book ruined – a plot that I've waited 2 books to find out about – by having every detail I'd want to “see” for myself laid out in the blurb as though it didn't matter. Well, it mattered to me. I wanted to be surprised, to read about it happening as Gareth discovered it, to go on that journey with him and discover it on my own, not be told in a simple two paragraph description. For me, having it so blatantly exposed like that made half of the story utterly pointless.
Niall is a completely unlikeable, unrelatable character. I found him utterly reprehensible and I don't care how badly he was tortured or for how long, because he can never make up for what he did or who he is, or the fact that he shows little remorse for it. Not only did he treat Gareth despicably, but he was more than willing to let all of Faerie implode, with his own brother and Gareth's two brothers inside it, all because he was too chicken to speak up and confess that he was a habitual, compulsive liar with absolutely no decency. He was so afraid of losing Gareth that he was willing to sacrifice everyone in Faerie, and Faerie itself, just to keep his secret.
Well, I'm sorry, but I'm a Scorpio and we don't forgive. Ever. So I spent half the book not caring or all that interested in the tentative relationship between Niall and Gareth, because I didn't want it to go anywhere. I knew it was inevitable that Gareth would forgive the unforgivable and that Niall would be redeemed, because the author wrote him that way. It was obvious from the start, with all those many, many excuses and reasons the author gave to try to make Niall more relatable, more sympathetic, but it just didn't work for me. I had no interest in forgiving him from the outset and it left me feeling lukewarm about the entire book. Niall was just utterly selfish for 80% of the book. It was only in the smallest of places that he showed any redeemable qualities whatsoever and they were so fleeting that it didn't change my mind about him in the least.
Gareth, the poor soul, was railroaded. I didn't want him to forgive Niall or get him back. I hoped he'd have spine enough to keep his distance and admit that he deserved better, but again, the author did a bang up job of making him out to be part-villain for the first two books, probably so that he and Niall would be better matched for each other. The way Gareth was continually used as a source of anger and discontent between the Kendrick brothers throughout the series meant that he'd made mistakes of his own and we, the readers, were supposed to equate the forgiveness his brothers offered him to the fact that Niall deserved forgiveness, too. But, I read it differently, I guess. Gareth's actions are perfectly understandable, to me, and to his brothers, because he was heartbroken and a prejudice was bred in him by his experiences from early youth. Niall has no such excuse – he willingly and knowingly went into his deception of Gareth and only grew a conscience when it concerned himself.
I also have to admit that I find it disturbing that the Seelie (or the author?) view rape as the only torture device known to man (Fae). It's used continually throughout the series as a threat, consequence and torture whenever the bad guys are around. The only deviation was when Niall was being punished and he was whipped instead. It reads so much like it's okay to threaten a character with rape, but that a main character would never be a main character if they'd actually gone through it. Yes, it's abhorrent, but it's treated with a strange kind of untouchable quality that means it's okay to threaten that it will happen, but if it ever did, either the author or the characters would never know how to handle it. I can't really put it into words, but there's a really strong sense throughout the series that it's a suitable threat, but it can never, ever happen.
I was a bit frustrated that we've been told in both previous books that people can't lie to David or Bryce without discovery, yet Niall does it persistently. He is never once caught out, until he's willing to reveal himself. I found it really off-putting and wasn't sure if it was some unexplained loophole or just a huge plot gap.
Besides the few editing/grammar issues I spotted throughout, I began to get really irritated by the constant use of “mate”, “oi” and “boyo”. To be honest, I presumed these were part of Mal's character, not a generalisation for both Mal and Gareth, who use them frequently, as does Niall. The more I read them, the more these brothers don't read Welsh. These three phrases are more Scottish or Irish than Welsh, in my experience, which totally goes against their heritage and the supposed American backdrop of the story.
I also had an issue with Gareth's logic – or rather, lack thereof. I get that he was happy to see Niall again, but there is no logic in the world that would reason an amnesia victim entering a relationship with someone who claimed to be their boyfriend, willingly. Most would question everything they were told by someone who had such a claim, not to mention they would definitely not seduce and willingly jump into bed with the person claiming to be their long lost love. That part alone should have woken Gareth up to Niall's lies, but so should the million other things that at least gave David and Bryce some pause, even if they weren't smart enough to put the pieces together themselves.
Overall, the scenes were short, constantly chopping and changing between Niall and Gareth, usually to show the same events through both eyes, which became a little laborious after a while. The story plot itself was thin and I really didn't like Niall, at all. He had a thousand chances to tell the truth – in the past and in the present – yet he never took them. Instead, he knowingly left Gareth to suffer, well aware of what he'd been through and what it would do to him, just because he was too scared to tell the truth and face the consequences. The fact that the author had to use flashbacks to show any kind of chemistry between them just says it all, really. The relationship was so thin that nothing, for me, could save it. Not even having the ray of sunshine that is David and Alun back, or seeing Bryce and Mal again, could fix what was wrong, here.
As someone who is disabled, I also have to mention the seriously disappointing theme of “cure the disability” within this series. In book 1, I loved that although it could be and was cure, David didn't want that other than for Alun's mental health. He didn't want to cure him as much as help him deal with a very painful condition. In book 2, I was marginally pleased that Mal “chose” not to cure his own disability, then disappointed when it was cured for him as some sort of “reward” for making the right choice. Here, again, Gareth's mental instability over losing Niall was the lynchpin of the entire story – everyone wanted to cure Gareth of his depression and, it was cured by Niall's return to his life, with no consequences, no treatment, no nothing. Alun and David were the only ones who even considered treatment of the kind that would actually be beneficial.
The ending was left open for another book, though I've read that the author doesn't intend to write one in this trilogy. In all honestly, even if they did, I wouldn't read it. However, I've heard that they're contemplating writing side stories about other characters, and I won't be reading them, either. I've learned my lesson. Book 1 is as far as this series will go, for me. I won't be re-reading any of the others in the future.
~
Favourite Quote
This isn't really my favourite for a good reason, but because Gareth finally questions Niall the way he should have in the beginning. He finally sees what should have been obvious all alone.
“Niall straightened his shoulders. “This isn’t about you and me anymore, Gareth. This is about Faerie. About my brother and yours. About all Celtic fae, greater and lesser. If you’re the man I’ve always believed you to be, you don’t have a choice.”
The anger shrieked through Gareth like a banshee wind. What of the man I’ve always believed you to be? Where is he? Gareth knew the answer: nowhere, because he’d never existed. But, Goddess, I want him back.”
September 19, 2017
Reviewed for Night Owl Reviews
The finale of E.J. Russell's "Fae Out of Water" trilogy concludes with pomp and ceremony. And I mean in a literal sense. Following closely from where "The Druid Next Door" left off, this book brings the intrigues from the Faerie realm to the forefront. All of this has been building up since "Cutie and the Beast". With this book we get our climax.
"Bad Boy's Bard" reunites the youngest Kendrick, Gareth, with his long-lost lover, Niall. During the Convergence ceremony in the Faerie, a surprised Gareth saw Niall among the Unseelie contingent. A threat to Gareth's life had them fleeing into the Outer World, only to discover the fate of all they care rests on their shoulders. Locked out of Faerie, they must figure the way back and mend their broken relationship before the time runs out.
Having been following this trilogy from the start and noting how Gareth treated his older brothers, I'm all for disliking Gareth. He strikes me as a self-righteous and judgmental prick. Oh, I get his anguish over Niall's fate, believing his human lover suffered at the hand of an Unseelie. But it doesn't excuse the centuries old cold shoulders or fervent accusations he loves to throw about. It truly took a while for me to warm up to this character. I caved in later on. Much. Much later.
Niall might not be the traditional hero. He's a hellion through and through. Knowing Gareth's deep-seated hatred to the Unseelie and the guilt over his own deceptions drives him to further lie before circumstances forced the truth out of him.
The alternate POVs gives insights into both men's heads, but Gareth's damn-if-I-do-damn-if-I-don't struggle and longing are just so heartbreaking. I can't help but sympathize with him. I guess I just have a soft spot for a redeemed or troubled character.
Of all the installments to this trilogy, I found this book to be the most touching. There's all the healing process both MCs have to get through, emotionally and physically, that made Gareth and Niall's dancing around emotionally draining. Considering their history though, the love scenes in this book are barely there. Not that I'm complaining, I'm not a big fan of too much steamy scenes anyway. That saying, the MC's (inner) journey from Faerie and Underworld to Outer World and back to Faerie again are enlightening. The atonement subtle yet genuine.
I did feel as the finale that tie-up all loose ends, some of the supposedly epic (battle) scenes are cut off and relegated off-page. Still, of the author's books I've read so far, "Bad Boy's Bard" is her best yet. The world building and characterizations really pulled me into the story. This was not a bad way to close the chapters of the Kendricks and their partners.
Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The finale of E.J. Russell's "Fae Out of Water" trilogy concludes with pomp and ceremony. And I mean in a literal sense. Following closely from where "The Druid Next Door" left off, this book brings the intrigues from the Faerie realm to the forefront. All of this has been building up since "Cutie and the Beast". With this book we get our climax.
"Bad Boy's Bard" reunites the youngest Kendrick, Gareth, with his long-lost lover, Niall. During the Convergence ceremony in the Faerie, a surprised Gareth saw Niall among the Unseelie contingent. A threat to Gareth's life had them fleeing into the Outer World, only to discover the fate of all they care rests on their shoulders. Locked out of Faerie, they must figure the way back and mend their broken relationship before the time runs out.
Having been following this trilogy from the start and noting how Gareth treated his older brothers, I'm all for disliking Gareth. He strikes me as a self-righteous and judgmental prick. Oh, I get his anguish over Niall's fate, believing his human lover suffered at the hand of an Unseelie. But it doesn't excuse the centuries old cold shoulders or fervent accusations he loves to throw about. It truly took a while for me to warm up to this character. I caved in later on. Much. Much later.
Niall might not be the traditional hero. He's a hellion through and through. Knowing Gareth's deep-seated hatred to the Unseelie and the guilt over his own deceptions drives him to further lie before circumstances forced the truth out of him.
The alternate POVs gives insights into both men's heads, but Gareth's damn-if-I-do-damn-if-I-don't struggle and longing are just so heartbreaking. I can't help but sympathize with him. I guess I just have a soft spot for a redeemed or troubled character.
Of all the installments to this trilogy, I found this book to be the most touching. There's all the healing process both MCs have to get through, emotionally and physically, that made Gareth and Niall's dancing around emotionally draining. Considering their history though, the love scenes in this book are barely there. Not that I'm complaining, I'm not a big fan of too much steamy scenes anyway. That saying, the MC's (inner) journey from Faerie and Underworld to Outer World and back to Faerie again are enlightening. The atonement subtle yet genuine.
I did feel as the finale that tie-up all loose ends, some of the supposedly epic (battle) scenes are cut off and relegated off-page. Still, of the author's books I've read so far, "Bad Boy's Bard" is her best yet. The world building and characterizations really pulled me into the story. This was not a bad way to close the chapters of the Kendricks and their partners.
Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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