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Darkly Fae #1

When Magic Sleeps

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When magic sleeps, everything changes.


For as long as she can remember, Winnie Price has visited another world in her dreams, a magical fae realm caught up in a war of intrigue and sorcery. Where nature is all-powerful and a dark prince will do anything to save his dying clan. She thought this realm was pure imagination, until one midsummer’s eve when the owl who visits her window once a month transforms into a boy before her eyes. And not just any boy, the dark fae prince.


With his clan on the verge of extinction, Cathair O Cuana knows that his secret feelings for the human girl can never be more than fantasy. Caught between duty and emotion, he knows his responsibility to his people comes first. But when the magic sleeps and she sees his true form, the girl he yearns for finally feels within his reach—just as a traitor in the palace pushes the kingdom to the brink of war. Will disaster drive them apart or pull them together?


In a world where dreams, magic, and war collide, a human girl with a special ability and a fae prince with the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders must risk everything for a chance at happily ever after.

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2014

32 people are currently reading
822 people want to read

About the author

Tera Lynn Childs

59 books3,094 followers
Tera Lynn Childs may pretend to be a goddess, but she’s really just a normal person. Well, maybe not normal. She is a writer, after all. Her works include the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. series, the Forgive My Fins mermaid romance series, the kick-butt monster-hunting Sweet Venom trilogy, and the Darkly Fae fantasy series. Tera currently parks her laptop in the Seattle area and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. Learn more about her magical realms and find behind-the-book extras at teralynnchilds.com.

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5 stars
86 (33%)
4 stars
84 (33%)
3 stars
55 (21%)
2 stars
17 (6%)
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11 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣.
2,546 reviews19.2k followers
January 26, 2020
Lovely magical fantasy novelette.
Q:
Winnie. Short for Winifred. A name that meant blessed peace. It suited her. (с)
Q:
Winnie Price woke as she always did, aching to remain in the dream world she had inhabited for the space of a night. ...
Last night she had dreamed of the prince. (c)
Q:
The human’s eyes sparkled with a joy, an energy, a magic he had not felt in any of the countless days of his life. And they felt immediately familiar. (c)
Q:
She had imagined countless characters into her world over the years... (c)
Q:
Magic is real. You just have to believe.
If only that were true. She would be living in the fae realm with the dark prince at her side. Real life was all too boring. (c)
Profile Image for Rachel Patrick.
303 reviews235 followers
Want to read
October 3, 2014
She thought this realm was pure imagination, until one midsummer’s eve when the owl who visits her window once a month transforms into a boy before her eyes. And not just any boy, the dark fae prince.

description
Profile Image for chev ۫ ꣑ৎ.
290 reviews376 followers
March 16, 2022
Another good book by Tera Lynn Childs! Thank you for sending over a copy :) This is an interesting introduction to the fae world.

recommended for: anyone who loves lighthearted romance novels!

5/5 Chev's picks
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Profile Image for CB Loves Books.
67 reviews2 followers
August 7, 2017
Short book, so not a great deal of character development, but I'm hoping to see more in the next installment. Well written, sweet romance between a girl who has lost almost everyone she loves and a fae prince. Not much in the way of heated romance, but very likable characters who show a lot of potential for future stories.
Profile Image for Kelsey.
218 reviews36 followers
December 1, 2014
Oh. My. Gosh! I LOVED IT!!! At first I was disappointed that it was a novella and not a novel but I'm so beyond happy that I didn't let that discourage me! I love Tera's books- I own almost every one of them!- they're each so wonderful and amazing in their own way so I knew this one would be just as good. I just had to remind myself that Tera knows what she's doing!!! The world of Winnie and Cathair is painted so beautifully and so poetically captivating that I totally forgot it's lack of pages. Trust me, this Author knows exactly what she's doing, so don't let something as ridiculous as size keep you from reading this story because it would be a total loss on your part! I cannot wait to read the next one!!! Keep up the amazing work Tera! 5 stars!!! <3<3<3<3<3
Profile Image for Karen.
407 reviews8 followers
April 20, 2019
I’m very confused by this book. Reading the other reviews, it sounds great! But all it is is this snippet of something. Girl meets boy in her dreams. Boy is real but is fae. But he’s only 18 or something like that and acts just like a human. So there are all these hardened soldiers and the like who have been training for YEARS...but is 18. ....I feel like you aren’t old enough at 18 to say you are this experienced soldier or whatever. Please have a childhood. And I’m just confused still. The two main characters made no impression on me whatsoever. Again, another free book that really wasn’t worth it. (I hope it was free...)
Profile Image for Ambs ❤❤.
298 reviews46 followers
April 6, 2015
Nice short.

At first, I'm not sure what I was expecting. Each chapter alternated between the male main character, and the female main character, and I was confused as to the goings on at first. Then I realized each was from a different world. When fate brought them together, I was happy. Sometimes those obstacles are painful and unbelievable to read, but there was a nice balance in this story.
Profile Image for Mo.
350 reviews25 followers
July 6, 2016
I liked Cathair and Winnie. I was disappointed in the length of this novella, but Childs is a good writer. More pls!
Profile Image for Louise O'Connell .
230 reviews7 followers
May 21, 2017
I didn't know what to expect when I downloaded When Magic Sleeps, but I was pleasantly surprised as I really enjoyed the story. A short novella that combines fae magic, dreams and love. I can't wait to read the next installment in the series.
Profile Image for Micheala Dawn.
230 reviews8 followers
June 28, 2022
I absolutely love Tera Lynn Childs books. I have since I first read Forgive my fins years ago. I also loved this book as well it was just too short in my opinion. I wish it were longer and had more to it.
Profile Image for Diamond Keeling.
118 reviews14 followers
August 20, 2020
4.5 stars
It is so sweet, little angst and very short but that is all right because I freaking enjoy the first book.
Overall, cannot wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Brittany.
1,209 reviews4 followers
April 23, 2024
I'm giving it a 3.5 rounded up. It was a nice start to a larger whole. I hope that the world building gets stronger as the series progresses.
Profile Image for Carrie.
1,427 reviews85 followers
December 5, 2015
*Received a copy for an honest review.*



I'm very particular about my faerie stories, so it takes a lot for one to wow me. But I haven't been disappointed with a Tera Lynn Childs story yet, so I had plenty of faith. And when she asked if I wanted to review a copy for her, I may have shrieked just a little.



When Magic Sleeps follows Winnie who has had vivid dreams for years. It was all just stories her subconscious manifested until the moment her dark prince showed up at her window. Since the moment he saw her, Cathair has been mesmerized. There was something about Winnie that called to him, something about her that made him feel like he was home.



From the first page, I loved this story. Cathair was just wonderful. He was already enamored with Winnie when the story really picked up, but that did not lesson anything. We still got to see the relationship actually develop and watch his infatuation deepen. But Cathair was so much more than just a love sick boy, he was strong and determined. He was capable, and you could really believe that he was a prince capable of greatness.



I really liked Winnie. In addition to her really cool talent of dreaming, she was a loveable character. She was sweet and she had so much potential, that it was easy to see why Cathair would be drawn to her.



The romance was super cute. Both characters knew the other one, him with his visits and her with her dreams. There is not much I can say about this yet, since this was only the first novella episode. But I really think they have potential to be a great pairing.



I really liked the world Tera Lynn Childs created in this series. We had elements of our world mixed in with the paranormal. In order to maintain their magic, the fae must spend some time in their animal form. So they created a forest where they can roam without human detection. The world was fun and mysterious, and that is not counting the faerie side of the world. This world has so much potential.



Words To Live By


"She had imagined countless characters into her world over the years, but his distinctive , multi-hued hair set him apart from the first time she saw him, almost a year ago." (Winnie 6%)


"Magic is real. You just have to believe.
Only if that were true she would be living in the fae realm with the dark prince at her side. Real life was all too boring." (Winnie 9%)


"Now she knew he was no character. He was real. And his heart was aching...for her." (Winnie 23%)


Overall

I adored this novella. If you are a fan of cute stories and fascinating fae, then I highly recommend checking this one out. I really cannot wait for the second volume to be released.
Profile Image for Shirley.
991 reviews231 followers
September 25, 2024
Original review

When Magic Sleeps tells the story of Winnie and her dark fae prince, Cathair. Winnie has these strange dreams about a prince and she writes them down. One day she sees the owl, who visits her every month, turn into a guy, her prince. How can it be that the prince she dreams of, is now standing in front of her?

When Magic Sleeps is such a good short book! The story is interesting, I love reading books about fae, they're one of my favourite supernatural creatures. Winnie is such a sweet girl and I love that she writes her dreams down. I used to write in a diary, and it reminds me of that. Cathair is our typical prince, handsome looking and charming. I'm glad that When Magic Sleeps ends the way it ends.

I've read a book written by Tera Lynn Childs, Forgive My Fins, and I loved that one too! When Magic Sleeps is fast paced and the characters are amazing!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
218 reviews30 followers
June 9, 2015
I enjoyed this new world and the new characters that were brought with it. The beginning confused me a bit but once I got into a few chapters I understood roughly what was happening, I suppose a little background would have been nice for a few things but I get that with shorter novels that doesn't always happen. Nevertheless I really enjoyed reading this and read it all in one go (having to stay up past a decent hour just to finish it too!) as I couldn't stop myself from reading it.

I hope that maybe one day there'll be another short story about the fae, Winnie and Cathair just so I can get a little bit of closure of what would happen to them/happened to them/where they are now (?). Just you know a bit of closure.
Profile Image for Elen Tabita Bertoldi.
79 reviews5 followers
August 24, 2015
Lica Reads

This is very short, but I loved it...
The idea of a human dreaming about pretty much everything that happens in the fae world, is incredible.

I liked how both felt a connection with each other but they understood the problems that could create and I loved how things worked out in the end.

My only complain is that it's too short. I would love if this had some bigger plot.

Profile Image for Holly.
363 reviews22 followers
December 7, 2015
Since I read book 2 of this series first I think it may have spoiled me a bit as I really liked the fantasy world and characters in that one. I liked this one but didn't become as attached to Winnie and the Prince. Interesting premise though and I can't wait to read book 3 which I hope intertwines all these characters.
Profile Image for Sairaika.
913 reviews47 followers
May 31, 2016
At first, I was a bit hesitant to finish this book (I thought I wasn't going to enjoy it) but I'm so glad I did finish it! I fell in love with this book and the two main characters!

Full of magic, Fae and the romance *swoon*. Truly enjoyable book.

Fae book readers, be sure to check this series out!

Looking forward to When Magic Dares!
Profile Image for Melonie Hill.
807 reviews13 followers
January 11, 2015
Winnie has dreamed of the Fae world in her dreams and of the Dark Fae Prince. Once night she finds he is not a dream, but real.
Loved the story and cannot wait for the next in the series. I read it in one sitting could not put it down!
Profile Image for Angel.
325 reviews258 followers
November 18, 2014
I've always been a fan of Tara Lynn Child's books!! When Magic Sleeps was her usual fun story with extremely likable characters.
I love reading about the Fae and this first book did great at introducing us to the Fae world she is creating. I'm excited for more!
Profile Image for JusMe.
232 reviews
May 24, 2015
Even though it was a short quick read, there was a lot happening within the pages and it did not feel rushed and was well paced.
"Magic is real. You just have to believe."
"Greed for power corrupts the purest hearts."
Profile Image for River.
99 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2015
This was a lot of fun to read. Instantly I was pulled in to the magic. I love how full of imagination it is, and I loved the story behind the fae clan. I kept rooting for the two main characters. It did not disappoint.
Profile Image for Brittany Goodman.
920 reviews127 followers
November 10, 2016
Exciting and cute

This is a cute but exciting story. The ending, while completing this portion of the story promises much to come. I look forward to more from Cathair and Winnie. I am rooting for a HEA.
I received this book free from one of the book subscription emails.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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