The Forbidden Fae

by K.J. McPike

Half fae. Half caster. Traitor to both.

Eden Hale has spent seventeen years hiding. Desperate to stay in the caster realm with the only family she has left, the defiant half fae uses an illegal glamour to conceal her true bloodline. But when she’s caught defending herself with forbidden magic, she faces a terrifying ultimatum: infiltrate the fae domain as a spy or condemn herself and her beloved aunt to life in prison.

Determined to protect the woman who raised her, Eden accepts the mission to uncover the fae’s most guarded secrets. Yet inside the dying land she expected to hate, she begins to question everything she was taught. And the longer she spends with the brooding fae warrior assigned to watch her every move, the more she struggles to remember which side she’s supposed to betray.

From USA Today bestselling author K.J. McPike, The Forbidden Fae is Book One in a gripping new fantasy series that pulls a divided seventeen-year-old into a dangerous world of lies, sacrifice, and loyalties she was never meant to question.

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2026

About the author

Award-winning author K.J. McPike lives out of a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. (Mostly the backpack.) After growing up in rural Virginia, she embraced the nomad life and has since lived in nearly two dozen countries across five continents. No matter where she is around the globe, she is likely consuming too much caffeine and spending more time in coffee shops than her own apartment.


Want a free story from K.J.? Visit: www.kjmcpike.com/freebie

Reviews

[Courtneyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the complexity of the world building in this book. Multiple worlds two of which have magic at first were introduced to the castors where we meet Eden who has had to hide her fae side to live in a castors world. But she ends up being exposed and makes a deal to save her aunt who raised her and helped her hide. Then she gets sent to the fae world where she quickly realizes she hasn’t been told the full truth and the fae aren't all to blame.

Once I picked up this book I didn’t want to put it down. It made me laugh cry and gasp in shock. I cant wait for the next book in the series

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shruti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelly has artfully built a super cool world! :)



There are humans, casters, and fae—each with their own realm. The fae are split into five types based on the elements they manipulate, but each power comes with a side effect, earning them names like cursebringers, hatebringers, warbringers, fearbringers, and sickbringers. The casters, on the other hand, rely on artifacts like crystals and wands to channel their magic (reminiscent of traditional witches and wizards). This book takes us straight into the heart of the conflict as our half-fae female lead, Eden, is forced to infiltrate the fae domain as a spy. Watching her uncover the secrets of both worlds while navigating a dangerous power struggle was incredibly gripping, and there is still so much left to discover!

I'm especially excited since the next book involves fae magic training, and I absolutely love academy tropes! If my guess is correct, the king plans to use Eden to orb into the caster world due to her blood relations there. There's also a lot we don't know about her lineage yet—maybe her fae father is trapped at The Council? And who knows, maybe her half-sister will come in handy later on, too!

The story is fast-paced and flows beautifully, with zero lulls between scenes. However, the plot often felt predictable, as I had already guessed most of the key elements a few chapters ahead. Yet, the way the events unfolded involved enough surprises to keep the plot engaging—especially towards the end, where the fast-paced nature of the book added to the thrill and spiked my interest during the trials. I deeply appreciated that the book offered a stable, satisfying conclusion that wrapped up the current arc while perfectly setting the stage for what's to come. It leaves you excited for the sequel without throwing you into a desperate cliffhanger frenzy! :p



My one critique throughout was that I didn’t feel a strong, immediate emotional attachment to the characters early on. Because it’s only book one, and having read Kelly’s previous work, I’m confident the character depth will grow. However, for a new reader, this initial disconnect might be a slight bummer. It could stem from the fact that the characters are quite mature and the romance develops very smoothly in a relatively short timeframe. On the plus side, I loved the total absence of the cringe-worthy drama typical of many paranormal teen romances. It was only after seeing the leads' reactions to surviving the trials near the end that I began to feel a true connection to them. They remained remarkably self-aware and compassionate, acknowledging their rift and respecting each other's need for space, understanding that some things can't be instantly forgiven or forgotten.

Overall, this was a great start. I'm hoping the next book will feel even more immersive and high-stakes as the plot thickens!

Thanks a lot, Kelly, for the review copy! I can't wait to see where the story leads next. :)

[T.L. McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

K.J. McPike has created an intriguing universe and complex magical system in The Forbidden Fae, and I am here for it. The story revolves around Eden who’s both caster and fae, and as such, she belongs to both realms while at the same time never truly belonging to either. Forced to hide half of who she is to survive, she convinces herself a half life is better than nothing, but when the truth is revealed, and her life falls into the hands of everyone but her, she’s faced with the ultimate questions: Who am I? Who do I want to be? And am I willing to fight to change my fate?

This book truly pulled me in from the beginning, and had me hooked with the struggles Eden goes through, the twists, the hints dropped, the conflict between the realms—where there’s definitely more than what meets the eye—and the heartbreaking betrayals set to either destroy or give reason to fight.

I need book two, stat. I have so many questions, and can’t wait to see Eden come into her own.

[Iampikalu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was honestly caught off guard with this one, at first it was just a easy read after a heavier book, but I actually got sucked into Eden's story, and Garrett's, I could of done with more world building, I feel like there was alot that wasn't explained but I will say I quickly got invested half way through and it really picked up, you had me with Garrett and Eden finally getting together and then you ripped it right out of our hands, the cliffhanger was also intriguing what does it all mean it made me wish I could read book two in the series right now, it had me hooked, and I will definitely be picking up book two when it comes out! The only reason I give it 3 stars is because I wanted more backstory, why certain things happened but I'm hopeful we'll get some clarification in the next book.

[Rachel Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forbidden Fae is an exciting fantasy that blends magic, political intrigue, and slow-burning romance into a captivating story. K.J. McPike creates a richly imagined world where divided loyalties and hidden truths keep the tension high from beginning to end.

Eden is a strong and relatable heroine whose struggle to balance her identity as both fae and caster makes her journey especially compelling. As she uncovers the truth about both worlds, her growth feels natural and rewarding. The chemistry between Eden and the brooding fae warrior adds emotional depth without overshadowing the main story.

The world-building is immersive, the pacing is steady, and the plot is filled with twists that kept me eager to see what would happen next. Themes of identity, sacrifice, and choosing your own path make the story even more engaging.

Overall, The Forbidden Fae is a fantastic start to a new fantasy series and a great choice for readers who enjoy magical worlds, strong heroines, and enemies-to-allies romance.

[Antoinette Labuschagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forbidden Fae takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with the stakes high. Eden learns alot about the heritage she tried to suppress for most of her life because of a life she wanted so badly.

The writing was not dragged out and everything flowed throughout the book with details to every surrounding given. And the detailed discriptions of the caracters were very detailed and easily imagined how they would look like.

The magic system is very unique and how to see the difference between them in the faes appearance is also a nice detail.

Being that this is my firts read of fae book i really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what the rest of the series holds for us.

I have received a free copy of this book and am very glad to anyone that can buy the book to do so. I am eager to be buying my own copy in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[BlueFalkon95 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forbidden Fae is a very interesting read which I enjoyed immensely and found that it was very difficult to put down. I was drawn into the story to find out how someone can look so normal yet look like a fae. I was intrigued to learn more about the young lady and who she is. I was surprised and amazed by the events near the end of the book and now I am looking forward to reading the next book. The ending chapter I am left with wanting to learn more of the relationships between the two of the characters.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forbidden Fee is Book 1 in the Rift in the Realms Cursebringer by K J McPike. This fantasy is excellent. Eden is half fae and half caster. Eden is sent to elf realm to uncover the elf secrets. Garrett is supposed to watch her. The story puts Eden in an impossible choice… betrayal is never pretty. But, who will Eden betray and what is the cost. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.