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Lies that Bind
A FAE PRINCE. A DESPERATE WITCH. A PLAN THAT WILL UNDO THEM BOTH.
When a warlock abducts her sister, Mikayla Keyes does what any loving sibling would do; she steps into a mushroom circle and gets trapped in Faerie.
Mikayla doesn’t have the power to defeat a warlock, and neither does her family. When it comes to the dark dealings of a warlock, no witch can win.
But the fae can, and if Mikayla seduces one of them into surrendering
their True Name, then she can use their power to defeat the warlock and bring her sister home.
Only Faerie is nothing like the stories Mikayla grew up with. The strikingly handsome Prince Wren, who pulls her from the mushroom circle, treats her like a threat. And while Mikayla expected him to be handsome, nothing else about the prince makes any sense at all.
Caught between Faerie politics, the desperate need to secure power, and her growing affections for the fae prince she plans to use, Mikayla must untangle a web of conflicting desires, and keep her heart from shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.
When a warlock abducts her sister, Mikayla Keyes does what any loving sibling would do; she steps into a mushroom circle and gets trapped in Faerie.
Mikayla doesn’t have the power to defeat a warlock, and neither does her family. When it comes to the dark dealings of a warlock, no witch can win.
But the fae can, and if Mikayla seduces one of them into surrendering
their True Name, then she can use their power to defeat the warlock and bring her sister home.
Only Faerie is nothing like the stories Mikayla grew up with. The strikingly handsome Prince Wren, who pulls her from the mushroom circle, treats her like a threat. And while Mikayla expected him to be handsome, nothing else about the prince makes any sense at all.
Caught between Faerie politics, the desperate need to secure power, and her growing affections for the fae prince she plans to use, Mikayla must untangle a web of conflicting desires, and keep her heart from shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2025
3 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Acton
1 book4 followersAmanda Acton was born and raised in South Africa where she completed a Diploma in Fine Arts, majoring in painting and sculpture. She has since moved to a quiet, beach-side town in Australia.
While Amanda works in software development, her true love is storytelling. She spends her days desperately pursuing a creative career amidst the chaos of life.
Hobbies include: trying to do too many things with too little time, starting projects that never quite seem to get finished and learning new things.
She shares her house with a husband, child, Siberian Husky, Australian Kelpie, a foster cat that never left, and a cockatiel.
While Amanda works in software development, her true love is storytelling. She spends her days desperately pursuing a creative career amidst the chaos of life.
Hobbies include: trying to do too many things with too little time, starting projects that never quite seem to get finished and learning new things.
She shares her house with a husband, child, Siberian Husky, Australian Kelpie, a foster cat that never left, and a cockatiel.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 28, 2025
Okay, THIS BOOK. I swear it grabbed me by the ankle like some chaotic little fae creature and dragged me straight into the forest—and honestly? I didn’t even fight it.
We’ve got:
✨ A witch with zero chill but maximum determination
✨ A fae prince who is way too pretty to be this confusing
✨ Mushroom circles doing what mushroom circles do best (ruining your whole day)
✨ Politics, danger, and feelings—ugh, the feelings
Mikayla goes to save her sister and ends up in Faerie, where nothing works the way it’s supposed to. Every plan she makes falls apart, every rule she thought she understood gets laughed at, and every time Prince Wren opens his mouth she gets both more annoyed and more attached. It’s a problem. For her. (Not for me. I loved every second.)
The chemistry? Chef’s kiss.
The worldbuilding? Rich, weird, and beautifully fae-like in all the “this place will definitely murder you” ways.
The emotional chaos? DELIGHTFUL.
This book feels like being lured into the woods by a pretty man with questionable intentions—and knowing full well you’re going anyway.
Absolutely adored it.
We’ve got:
✨ A witch with zero chill but maximum determination
✨ A fae prince who is way too pretty to be this confusing
✨ Mushroom circles doing what mushroom circles do best (ruining your whole day)
✨ Politics, danger, and feelings—ugh, the feelings
Mikayla goes to save her sister and ends up in Faerie, where nothing works the way it’s supposed to. Every plan she makes falls apart, every rule she thought she understood gets laughed at, and every time Prince Wren opens his mouth she gets both more annoyed and more attached. It’s a problem. For her. (Not for me. I loved every second.)
The chemistry? Chef’s kiss.
The worldbuilding? Rich, weird, and beautifully fae-like in all the “this place will definitely murder you” ways.
The emotional chaos? DELIGHTFUL.
This book feels like being lured into the woods by a pretty man with questionable intentions—and knowing full well you’re going anyway.
Absolutely adored it.
June 25, 2025
It was a slow start for me. In fact, I started reading the first page a few times, got confused and opted out. But the blurb intrigued me so when I finally decided to plunge in, I am happy to report I was hooked by page 4.
The characters are well defined and thankfully not cliché. The plot and twists were surprising but grounded and not "over the top". There is an element of "comfort" when reading this book. It's like biting into and eating delicious, warm scones dripping with butter.
I do feel the start of the book is awkward - it stumbles - perhaps why I didn't connect with it at first. I did want more information from the inciting incident that happens "off screen/ off page" that kicks off the action. Though it read at a nice pace, I did feel a lack of urgency at times and wanted more emotion (panic) from the MC.
There were also some small missed opportunities with some situations and character interactions. I felt the author could have spiced up the drama to a higher level. More tension is needed, higher stakes - more clearly defined stakes! More conflict.
The ending was unpredictable and clever. This is Book 1 and it has made me eager for the next installment.
I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's a strong entry for a new author and a new series. I am excited to continue the journey.
The characters are well defined and thankfully not cliché. The plot and twists were surprising but grounded and not "over the top". There is an element of "comfort" when reading this book. It's like biting into and eating delicious, warm scones dripping with butter.
I do feel the start of the book is awkward - it stumbles - perhaps why I didn't connect with it at first. I did want more information from the inciting incident that happens "off screen/ off page" that kicks off the action. Though it read at a nice pace, I did feel a lack of urgency at times and wanted more emotion (panic) from the MC.
There were also some small missed opportunities with some situations and character interactions. I felt the author could have spiced up the drama to a higher level. More tension is needed, higher stakes - more clearly defined stakes! More conflict.
The ending was unpredictable and clever. This is Book 1 and it has made me eager for the next installment.
I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's a strong entry for a new author and a new series. I am excited to continue the journey.
April 30, 2025
Thank you to Book Sirens and Amanda Acton for the ARC.
Plot 3/5
Characters 3.5/5
Ending 4/5
Interest 3.5/5
Overall 3.5/5
-There’s something about the writing style that didn’t feel right. It felt quite juvenile and didn’t really feel like a good story to read along. Instead it took me out of it because sometimes it felt like I was reading an unedited book I found somewhere online. The story itself was good. It wasn’t particularly original and it doesn’t concern just this book but I feel like I keep reading the same book over and over again. I would have preferred it if there was more betrayal instead of a sort of insta attraction.
-The characters, same as the plot line, didn’t feel deep or complexe enough. They felt quite 2 dimensional and I think that is because of the writing style. It kind of introduced them and then they became sort of one character and I couldn’t really pin point their individual personalities.
-The ending was actually quite good. I didn’t exactly expect and it earned a lot of points for that. It leaves so much to be curious about and that is exactly what I need in an ending to remember the book. The ending is everything. And in this case, it worked very well with the story it was telling and it leaves a lot for a sequel.
Plot 3/5
Characters 3.5/5
Ending 4/5
Interest 3.5/5
Overall 3.5/5
-There’s something about the writing style that didn’t feel right. It felt quite juvenile and didn’t really feel like a good story to read along. Instead it took me out of it because sometimes it felt like I was reading an unedited book I found somewhere online. The story itself was good. It wasn’t particularly original and it doesn’t concern just this book but I feel like I keep reading the same book over and over again. I would have preferred it if there was more betrayal instead of a sort of insta attraction.
-The characters, same as the plot line, didn’t feel deep or complexe enough. They felt quite 2 dimensional and I think that is because of the writing style. It kind of introduced them and then they became sort of one character and I couldn’t really pin point their individual personalities.
-The ending was actually quite good. I didn’t exactly expect and it earned a lot of points for that. It leaves so much to be curious about and that is exactly what I need in an ending to remember the book. The ending is everything. And in this case, it worked very well with the story it was telling and it leaves a lot for a sequel.
June 11, 2025
This ARC was kindly suggested to me by the site BookSirens as my first ARC and I dare say I couldn't pick up another more fitting for me.
🪄 The author @actonwrites has given me such a gift. This book, this story, (I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK!) It's so nostalgic. It reminded me of a personal favorite movie called Faeries (1999) and it was amazing.
So, spoiler-free review...
🪄 The story follows Kay, a human girl, a witch who wants to find a fae and force its help to save her sister from an evil warlock. Things don't go as planned, as always, and she finds herself in the fae kingdom, beyond the fairy ring. There she meets Wren, a fae that will follow her on her adventures and will try to help her.
🪄 There are also many plot twists! The characters are very well-written and have amazing background stories! My favourite character was indeed the male protagonist, Wren, but I also felt connected to Kay in many ways.
🪄 The book is a solid 5 ⭐️ for me and I would suggest you read it if you are into romantasy, fae magic, old and traditional magic, and classic fae stuff like true names and superstitions around fae because this book covers them all!
P.S.
Please, please I can't wait to see what will happen next.
🪄 The author @actonwrites has given me such a gift. This book, this story, (I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK!) It's so nostalgic. It reminded me of a personal favorite movie called Faeries (1999) and it was amazing.
So, spoiler-free review...
🪄 The story follows Kay, a human girl, a witch who wants to find a fae and force its help to save her sister from an evil warlock. Things don't go as planned, as always, and she finds herself in the fae kingdom, beyond the fairy ring. There she meets Wren, a fae that will follow her on her adventures and will try to help her.
🪄 There are also many plot twists! The characters are very well-written and have amazing background stories! My favourite character was indeed the male protagonist, Wren, but I also felt connected to Kay in many ways.
🪄 The book is a solid 5 ⭐️ for me and I would suggest you read it if you are into romantasy, fae magic, old and traditional magic, and classic fae stuff like true names and superstitions around fae because this book covers them all!
P.S.
Please, please I can't wait to see what will happen next.
June 13, 2025
I read this book as an ARC and really liked it.
I really liked Wren and Kay. Kay wants to save her sister from a warlock and will do anything to help her even if it means breaking their grandmother’s one rule. Wren finds Kay when she steps into the circle and while he is suspicious of why she stepped in to the circle in the first place he protects her and is trying to help her. I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the book. They had some challenges but I was happy with how their relationship was at the end of the book.
The little twists we get throughout the book had me needing to know what happened next. I’m not going to go into any details and risk spoilers but I will say I was right about not trusting some characters. I also can’t write this without mentioning Tallow because I loved that dog. His name is funny especially the story behind why he got that name. Don’t blame Wren for the name because it wasn’t him.
Overall I really liked this book and can’t wait to see what happens next because while it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger necessarily it does but it doesn’t I don’t know how to explain it without spoiling anything so I’ll just say it leaves you needing more.
I really liked Wren and Kay. Kay wants to save her sister from a warlock and will do anything to help her even if it means breaking their grandmother’s one rule. Wren finds Kay when she steps into the circle and while he is suspicious of why she stepped in to the circle in the first place he protects her and is trying to help her. I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the book. They had some challenges but I was happy with how their relationship was at the end of the book.
The little twists we get throughout the book had me needing to know what happened next. I’m not going to go into any details and risk spoilers but I will say I was right about not trusting some characters. I also can’t write this without mentioning Tallow because I loved that dog. His name is funny especially the story behind why he got that name. Don’t blame Wren for the name because it wasn’t him.
Overall I really liked this book and can’t wait to see what happens next because while it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger necessarily it does but it doesn’t I don’t know how to explain it without spoiling anything so I’ll just say it leaves you needing more.
October 22, 2025
I enjoyed the world the author crafted especially in bringing back an older part of Fae stories. Faerie Circles. I have a liking for both very complex stories and some that I can just sit back and enjoy and doesn't require me to constantly re-think things like wait.... what? did that really happen previously and having to flip back. This book gave me that relaxing kind of read that I could just vibe along with and I appreciated that. I read a variety of stories, and I enjoy them for all different reasons. It was also nice to delve back into the roots of the Fae and the little things that we humans always say.... the Fae cannot lie. Don't accept food from the Fae. Don't make a deal with the Fae. The power of the True Name. I have always loved those types of things when it comes to the world of Faeries and the Fae.
I also would like to point out that I loved Wren and his uniqueness along with puppies. plain and simple. puppies. If you're looking for a nice step into the world of the Fae filled with Faerie Circle mishaps, warlock kidnappers, puppies, and a story that is relaxing and also engrossing I would recommend this book.
I also would like to point out that I loved Wren and his uniqueness along with puppies. plain and simple. puppies. If you're looking for a nice step into the world of the Fae filled with Faerie Circle mishaps, warlock kidnappers, puppies, and a story that is relaxing and also engrossing I would recommend this book.
April 28, 2025
This book is great! Mikayla "Kay" is a human witch who wants to save her sister from a warlock. The problem is she doesn't have enough power. She's never been a good student of her grandmother's at learning how to create spells. So, she decides to violate her grandmother's number one rule: don't mess with the fae in order to get their power. Mikayla launches herself into Faerie and finds herself trapped. How can she get the power she needs to save her sister? How can she get home? Kay learns how wrong she was about the fae and the stories that have been passed down. She makes friends with the fae and realizes they're not really very different…
I don't normally read a lot of fantasy or books about fae but I fell in love with these characters and the world that was described in the book. I didn't want to stop reading and couldn't wait to see what happened in the next chapter. And now I have to wait for the next book! Read this book - you won't be able to put it down.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I don't normally read a lot of fantasy or books about fae but I fell in love with these characters and the world that was described in the book. I didn't want to stop reading and couldn't wait to see what happened in the next chapter. And now I have to wait for the next book! Read this book - you won't be able to put it down.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 3, 2025
ARC REVIEW
Mikayla is a witch. One day, a warlock kidnapped her sister, and there was only one way to save her. She needs the help of a fae. In order to arrange the fae's help, she needs one thing, his True Name. So she decides to step in a mushroom circle. That transferred her to Faerie land of faes.
I liked it. Mikayla was a really interesting and sometimes funny FMC. Wren, on the other hand, was too serious in the beginning, but then he changed. I liked how their relationship changed.
Faerie was an interesting world. I enjoyed the trip, and I'm waiting for the next book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mikayla is a witch. One day, a warlock kidnapped her sister, and there was only one way to save her. She needs the help of a fae. In order to arrange the fae's help, she needs one thing, his True Name. So she decides to step in a mushroom circle. That transferred her to Faerie land of faes.
I liked it. Mikayla was a really interesting and sometimes funny FMC. Wren, on the other hand, was too serious in the beginning, but then he changed. I liked how their relationship changed.
Faerie was an interesting world. I enjoyed the trip, and I'm waiting for the next book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 13, 2025
I received an advanced review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this ARC. The story started a bit too YA for me, and at times the nuances between the human world and faerie were a bit weird. However I was enticed to keep reading and I wanted to know what happened with Wren and Kay!
I loved the wittiness of Kay and the humour she brought into stoic Wren’s POV. Aunt Melva reminded me of an ever-knowing grandmother.
Overall I look forward to book two.
I really enjoyed this ARC. The story started a bit too YA for me, and at times the nuances between the human world and faerie were a bit weird. However I was enticed to keep reading and I wanted to know what happened with Wren and Kay!
I loved the wittiness of Kay and the humour she brought into stoic Wren’s POV. Aunt Melva reminded me of an ever-knowing grandmother.
Overall I look forward to book two.
June 4, 2025
*I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really like the FMC. I liked the pacing of the story. I can't believe the story only spans ten days. It feels like longer because of how much we learn. Good for Kay to finally realize that what she used to think of as weaknesses are actually her strengths. I can't wait to see how far she grows. That cliff hanger though… I NEED the next book. Like right now.
I really like the FMC. I liked the pacing of the story. I can't believe the story only spans ten days. It feels like longer because of how much we learn. Good for Kay to finally realize that what she used to think of as weaknesses are actually her strengths. I can't wait to see how far she grows. That cliff hanger though… I NEED the next book. Like right now.
June 9, 2025
Great book and it was a page turner and the suspense was so intense. I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't even put it down. These characters was captivating of romance and passion. I highly recommend this book and you won't be disappointed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Trina Jones
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Trina Jones
June 25, 2025
Prince Wren meets Mikayla, who has just entered the Fae realm, he thinks she might be a threat. She isn't, she just wants help to rescue her sister. Well worth reading for the suspense, surprises and intrigue.
While this not a standalone story, I am excited for the sequel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
While this not a standalone story, I am excited for the sequel.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 3, 2025
Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but overall a very fun romantasy with fun a d quirky characters! Would read more by this author!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 17, 2025
A solid 3.5, this one was a slow start for me, I'm not usually into this much fantasy, but once things got established and I feel for the characters I quite enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews