Fae Song

by Deonne Williams

Her music is magic, and she will need every note to save their lives.Gwynn has finally joined the ranks of the most prestigious guild of bards. Eager to explore the world and create her musical legacy, she heads to the dazzling city to impress with her skills. On the road she encounters an elite warrior wounded in an ambush, and fate demands they join forces to defeat the dark forces that have hijacked her past.​Can she free her world from enchantment before her soul shatters?Fae Song is book one of the enchanting fantasy series Ballads of Balahar. A magical world of mysterious forces, splendid Celtic mythology, and a friendship stronger than time. "This is a beautifully written fantasy novel that captures the best of European-inspired fantasy and magical lore. One of the main characters is Gwynn, a lady bard who spins magic with her music. This character is self-assured and wonderful. There's also Shae, a character who reminds me of Geralt from The Witcher in that he's a fighter. In addition to the detailed world building, I loved how the author drew from various languages to build her world. I geeked out at the mention of wergild and the use of medieval Welsh naming conventions. Great book for fantasy lovers!"— Anya Pavelle, Author of Moon HuntersFae Song does an amazing job of telling a story outside of the crazy high fantasy that permeates the genre recently. There is magic, but it dwells within the words themselves, as well as the wonderful character interactions, and the world-building that Williams leads readers through. This novel is a spectacular debut, and before long, its author is sure to be known far and wide as she, Gwynn and Shae continue their journeys."—The Tellest Fantasy Blog"This story is such a wonderful tale! The richness of the world Deonne Williams created is only eclipsed by the deep, loving friendship of Gwynn and Shae. I completely enjoyed my sojourn in Balahar. I hope there is a second book so that I can visit again, soon. I am extremely interested in what new adventures await our two friends. I highly recommend this magical story to anyone. Appropriate for YA or any lover of the fantasy genre A refreshing, beautifully crafted, and gripping read!"— Marisa Higgins, Goodreads Review"I absolutely love this book! The characters, the adventure, the relationships and the worldbuilding all work to create a beautiful symphony. I want to live in this world."— Amelia Nichole Defield, Goodreads Review

Genres: Fantasy, Friendship

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2020

About the author

Deonne lives on the sandbar known as Florida. She is happily married to Rory and blissfully owned by a stunning mare named Kay Kay and a demanding over-familiar tuxedo cat named Ritz.
She loves fantasy, RPGs, Star Wars and Jimmy Buffet. She hopes to take readers on an epic fantasy journey with her recently released book Fae Song and is currently neck-deep in Balahar writing her second book in the series.

Reviews

[Anya Pavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written fantasy novel that captures the best of European-inspired fantasy and magical lore. One of the main characters is Gwynn, a lady bard who spins magic with her music. This character is self-assured and wonderful. There's also Shae, a character who reminds me of Geralt from The Witcher in that he's a fighter. In addition to the detailed world building, I loved how the author drew from various languages to build her world. I geeked out at the mention of wergild and the use of medieval Welsh naming conventions. Great book for fantasy lovers!

[Abbi Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time! Not sure what else to say, but this was definitely worth the read :)

[Marisa Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Read

This story is such a wonderful tale! The richness of the world Deonne William's created is only eclipsed by the deep, loving friendship of Gwynn and Shae. I completely enjoyed my sojourn in Balahar. I hope there is a second book so that I can visit again, soon. I am extremely interested in what new adventures await our two friends. I highly recommend this magical story to anyone. Appropriate for YA or any lover of the fantasy genre.

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent writing though it was rather boring for me. I liked the characters however. It felt like a dnd plot, as well as a very weak attempt at a Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman book. I probably would have loved this if I read it at a much earlier age.

[Amanda at Bookish Brews · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 30%

I feel bad rating this so low (especially since I so gratefully received this for free from the author), but I was so excited for this. It promised everything I love: fantasy, fae, action, princes, and so much more... or so it seemed.

I really really kept trying. I kept picking it up to read a little between other books just hoping the action would pick up, but literally it feels like nothing has happened at all yet. It doesn't seem like it has even gotten to the point where the summary that I read begins?

The only point of interest for me was that there seems to be some integration of magic and music. How cute! I love that idea! But again... we don't know anything about it really besides that there is a relationship there. We've only seen them play together once so far, and I'm 1/3 through. I... dont want to read anymore because I don't want to hate this book. So I'll leave while my feeling is simply "bored."

[Sandra Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently reading this epic tale of adventure. I love the fact the main character is a bard. Most fantasies center around the Warrior Type.... this has a beauty to it from the bards perspective that I really am enjoying. How can anyone not love this book... I highly recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

If you've read any of my more recent reviews, you'll notice that I have started mentioning typos and grammatical or formatting errors in my reviews. My standards aren't becoming more exacting; the errors are becoming FAR more prevalent. This book had far more than its fair share.

Mostly for my own edification, I've started tracking errors in the books I read in my Kindle app, and this book had close to 100 if not more. Most of them were formatting errors, which I blame on the fact that the document did not seem to have been formatted for Kindle. It looked like a Word document was just shoved into the Kindle format, without thought for the fact that those two are not compatible in that way. This resulted in a lot of weird paragraphs and line breaks and page numbers randomly showing up in the middle of the text, as well as the title showing randomly in the middle of sentences, at points roughly to what I think is equivalent to the length of a "page" in a Word doc.

Almost ALL of the words with double Ls in this book were missing one. It was generally just an empty space. For example, the word "following" might read as "fol owing". Where are all the Ls?!

A trend I've noticed is that authors a) don't understand how to use semicolons or b) use far too many. Williams generally uses them correctly, but she OVERuses them. I'd estimate that 90 percent of her semicolons were completely unnecessary. Semicolons are actually meant to be used sparingly, not in every other sentence.

As for the story, I feel like I'm being generous in rating it 2 stars, but since I didn't actively hate the book, it's okay. The biggest problem I had with the story is that there are absolutely ZERO high stakes. Nothing feels dangerous, no problem looks like it might not be overcome. There is no suspense, no feeling of trepidation. Any issues that arise are easily remedied; anything that could potentially be dangerous is glossed over and ignored.

For instance, Gwynn and Shae's trip to Heralith. We all know the stories of how dangerous the world of Fae is for mortals. And while the beings who live in Heralith are not called "Fae," that is what they are. Yet, there are no rules for how they interact, and the cardinal sin of not accepting food or drink from a fae is brazenly overlooked. The special drink that Darion gives Gwynn is hinted at as being dangerous to mortals. Darion is secretive about giving it to Gwynn. But nothing comes of it! There are no side effects, no illness, nothing!

When Gwynn turns back time for her father, the biggest repercussion? She falls asleep for a day or two. Really? She just meddled with time and all reality and she fell ASLEEP?

The only event that remotely looks like danger or action doesn't occur until you're more than halfway through the book. Literally nothing happens for the first sixty-ish percent of this book, except for the two lead characters meeting each other. And they become best friends in about five minutes with barely a conversation between them.

As for the characters themselves, they are pretty one-dimensional. Gwynn is a bard, tasked with traveling the road and bringing music where it is needed. Therefore, she is flighty and impulsive, generous to a fault with a smart mouth. Shae is a Southron whose life path is that of being a Lifeguard, essentially a life-long bodyguard. And so he is big and strong, stoic, a man of few words. The characters are woefully without depth.

Truthfully, I'm surprised I managed to finish this book because I found it pretty boring. It did take me longer than normal to read due to that fact, as well as to the fact that I kept pausing to highlight errors (my own choice).

[Melissa D Welsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful Fantasy

I confess I downloaded this book because the cover is lovely and the title intrigued me. I don’t typically read fantasy novels, preferring crime thrillers and detective stories. I was very pleasantly surprised when I was hooked on this story before I was finished with the first page!
Fae Song is a beautifully written story about a young lady bard named Gwynn who saves a strong young man’s life and they become best friends. The young man, Shae, also becomes her protector and together they go on the adventures that Gwynn craves. The world Deonne Williams creates is magical, melodious, and utterly charming. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series, because leaving the gorgeous world of Balahar behind was jarring! If you’re looking for a complete escape from the stress and difficulties of today’s world, this is the book for you.

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure to unknown lands.

Deonne Williams brings us the adventures of a bard in this take of the Fae. I found this to be a fascinating take with many turns. It kept me enthralled from the beginning.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! The characters, the adventure, the relationships and the worldbuilding all work to create a beautiful symphony. I want to live in this world!

[M.J. Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warming, calm, and imaginative read. I love the use of music as magic. The relationships are believable and mature.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a far book. It’s hard to find ones that grip me. The cover alone intrigued me so I clicked the book. I’m so happy I did! This was a great read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[connie deloach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic

I enjoyed this book so much. Full of fantasy and adventure. Kept me enthralled all through the story. Can't wait for this one to continue. 😁

[Jellybean70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this sweet story! The world that Deonne Williams created is absolutely precious! I can only hope that we have more of this Amazing world to read about in the future!

[Melissa Millar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through voracious readers.

I absolutely loved this book, the characters are funny and lovable, and it had me captivated!
The story of Gwynn and Shae very faintly reminded me of a lighter, happier version of Elizabeth Haydon's symphony of ages.

My only issue with this book was the layout. You would see pages numbers halfway down a pages and a lot of the L's were missing.

I really hope there is going to be a sequel to this book!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was refreshing to have a main character who has embraced her femininity as well as her flaws and is not ashamed. The power and magic of music is demonstrated alongside the journey of two unlikely friends. The characters relatable and realistic while being in an imagined land. Williams has created a wonderful, feel-good story that readers will enjoy.

[Teegz · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, first of all I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Voracious Readers Only. With that being said I wasn’t a big fan of this book. The main reason was it felt like more of a collection of short stories than it did one cohesive book. Which is fine if that’s what the author was going for but that’s not how this book was marketed. This really felt like a first or second draft where the story was still coming together and the author hadn’t quite figured out which parts to cut and which parts to explore more. There was very little action until the final act of the book and even that was maybe 10 pages worth.

Also I wasn’t a big fan for Shea. I felt like he was condescending and kind of creepy. I did enjoy the bard magic though. I thought that was an interesting take on magic that I hadn’t seen before.

Overall, I give this book two stars because while it has potential to be an interesting series it just fell flat.

[Jason Gerringer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slooooow

For me this was slow as molasses . For what ever reason I thought this would be more of a romance and it wasn’t at all.

I really struggled to finish this book .

[Nikki Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately captivated by this story. It starts off with action ready to get your heart pumping and your nerves on high alert, before you even know who these characters are or who you should be rooting for. A formidable Southron–a race known for their warrior ways and harsh demeanors–named Shae is on the run from foes aplenty. Atop his steed Talon, his manages to get away, but not without a mortal wound. Luckily, Talon takes him to a bard within the woods. A bard known as Gwynn with a golden heart, and who can heal just about anything with her voice and her Harp.

Even after the immediate action had faded, and the normal character- and world-building began in this fantasy book, I was smitten. The two main characters, Shae and Gwynn, were absolutely adorable as well as entertaining. Their sharp wit and playful bantering kept me swiping the page, even as nothing of great import happened for a few chapters. It was enough that I was getting to know these two strangers, and watch as their bond grew.

Just as a bard wanders wherever the road takes her and shows up right at the time when you need her most, so too was my reading experience. Many times, I had absolutely no idea where this book was taking me. There were no great stakes nor need for adventure, but rather the reader follows the mundane lives of two friends. But, just as I would settle into a comfortable position that night, something would change.

Shae and Gwynn face many enemies and trials throughout the book–perhaps not of the Good vs. Evil sort that epitomize most fantasy books currently–but that makes this novel even more unique. It is more like a collection of short stories, a collection of overcome struggles, strung together in novel form. I felt as if I was actually living within the world, side-by-side with the characters, because it was normal enough that I could place myself beside them. There was no Evil to conquer (although there was plenty of evil), nor righteous Good that would be the only hope. No, this was everyday characters living life to the fullest.

One thing that bothered me about this quirk was that Gwynn seemed to overcome her problems with complete ease. There was not much suspense-building, nor did I ever have any fear that she would lose. Each obstacle was tackled within a chapter or two, with minimal deliberating or rising action.

Another thing that irked me was the overuse of Shae’s nationality. It seemed a bit overdone that the characters mentioned his being a Southron and stereotyping all of his habits–especially when I could see none of those idioms present in Shae. In fact, he claims that Southrons do not give their friendship away easily, and yet every character that Shae meets, he seems to become instant friends.

However, despite these trifling matters, this book was exactly what I needed amidst a global pandemic and a fiery national election. It allowed me to leave my own world and troubles behind, and instead gain several friends to enjoy walking beside within their own world. I went to bed each night excited to pick up another few chapters and see where the music took me.

[KC Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only for review*
Deonne Williams builds a fantastical, whimsical, and overall beautiful world through the words of the lady bard Gwynn, Southron Shae, and all the companions they come across in their travels. With a fascinating twist on magical manipulation and a bard's duties, Williams crafts a tale that keeps you entranced, much like the songs of Gwynn. That is, if you can make it past the first hundred pages. Those hundred or so pages before Gwynn and Shae truly start on their journey do great things to establish the characters and the world, but much of it ends up irrelevant and is simply a chore to get through. Personally, it felt like everything the reader needed to know could have been summed up in a quarter of the time that it takes in the book.
I took another star off of my rating due to the uncomfortable way that most of the characters, mainly male, treat Gwynn throughout the story. Gwynn is quickly established as a Master Bard, the youngest and most powerful of her time, from the beginning, and yet it seems like every character they come across treats Gwynn like a child. This could have been a personal preference thing, but it certainly rubbed me the wrong way and took away from my enjoyment of the story. Also, I'm fairly certain that how much Shae eats is mentioned upwards of 50 times throughout the story. The joke gets very old, very quickly.
Overall though, I greatly enjoyed spending time in the world of Balahar. The characters and relationships are well-rounded, the world is beautiful, and the main plot is gripping. Reading Gwynn and Shae's adventures feels like catching up with old friends.

[Suzy Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original story about a female bard and singer who has a magical harp. Such are the powers of her music, that she can tune into Nature itself, and bend the wind. She understands people's life journeys, not least that of her long-lost father, who she finds in the magical realm. A likeable heroine, her empathy for others means she would sacrifice her own future, her own life, for those whom she loves. Her guardian who she has rescued, repays her bravery and kindness and the two forge an enduring, loyal bond. The challenges they face bring them together. Over time, they learn each other's history, they respect their similarities and differences. The love between them is slow-burning and steady.

The descriptive detail in this book is excellent, and makes the world the author weaves believable and magical. Character development is good, especially interior psychological developments in the bard's relationship with her protector. And the female protagonist grows in stature to reveal a steadfast strength of her own. The repartee between the two creates humor. They feel relatable and likeable, ideal for Y.A readers.

My only criticism, apart from a few minor editing slips, is that I feel the pace in this story could be improved a little with more action and shorter sentences for action passages.

The ending to this book is satisfying and happy.

I rate this book at 4.5 stars, but since Amazon does not have a half-stars system, I have rounded my rating up to 5-stars.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay for me. I expected a book about the Fae to be so much better. At the beginning of the book, Shea is being pursued by men who mean him harm and he is injured pretty badly. His horse brings him to where Gwynn, a bard is camped. Gwynn can heal people with her music and heals Shea completely. So, it a mystery who was pursuing Shea and why. I don't believe that question was ever sufficiently answered in the course of the book. But the book is mostly about the relationship between Gwynn and Shea. I couldn't decide if this was going to develop into a romantic relationship between the two of them or if it was just going to be a sort of platonic relationship. Shea becomes a hired protector of Gwynn and he kind of treats her like a child, although she is only a few years younger than him.
The rules for visiting the Fae world also were different than what I have read in many previous books, so I guess the author just decided to make up new rules for how humans should interact with them in their own world.
Shea and Gwynn had a couple of adventures, but I never got the impression that they were in any sort of real danger at any point in the book. Either Gwynn by using her special harp, or Shea with his strength and ability to use his sword and bow could get them out of any danger or difficulty they encountered.

[Julie Furman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not clear what age the intended audience is meant to be, but this seems like a good junior high level book. I would say that it's pretty good if assessing based on this assumption.

As a purely adult-level book, it meets expectations in a solid "C" way. You may think that meeting expectations would make me rate it higher, but the world and character development were just "meh". Average. It was there, just really average and still kind of flat. I liked the characters, but everyone aside from Gwyn and Shae felt like they were props to support the two main characters.

I enjoyed the Emerald Isles influenced fantasy setting with musical-based magic. It was an interesting take on the Fair Folk, but as mentioned previously, they felt like props for Gwynn. I was hoping for more emotional development or some sort of increased maturity from her by the end, but Shae took the spotlight on that one. It felt like the whole story was about her musical ability increasing by several point

Overall, an interesting Irish and Scottish based medieval fantasy story with an interesting take on magic and the Fair Folk. It was just what I was looking for but overall felt "flat".

[Amanda Hallam-Taillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I need part stars for. I would’ve liked to rate it slightly higher but not quite a 4. I did like this book! After an initial bumpy beginning (imo), it quickly smoothed into a easy read. I very much liked the characters, and the gist of the story was fab. I definitely would’ve liked more action, a heightened rush? A sense of danger and urgency? I found it long but short in that, it took me a longer than usual time to read it, lots of backstory, but not enough elements that made returning to read more. I feel like it was all the lead up to something amazing that just never happened.

All in all I did like it, I feel it’s pretty unique and a great world, I’m just left wanting more, but not in the right way. Rating for me: 5 stars is OMG LOVED IT, 4 is it was a good solid read but I wasn’t necessarily racing to finish it. Usually 3 is, yeah it was a decent read but I could take it or leave it. This is why I say that it’s almost a 4 for me.

I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.

[Susanne Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fae Song was an enjoyable read, with some great beyond-the-hill moments later on, which I always love in a book. There is a lot to like. The two main characters, Gwynn and Shae, are believable, they are likeable and they have interesting chemistry. The bard and Southron cultures both were unique and engaging.
If I had to critize one aspect of this book, I would say the worldbuilding was perhaps not as thorough as I would have loved it to be. That's not to say it wasn't there, only that I had a lot of questions that weren't answered. For example, the Southrons breed warriors, and the bards obviously breed bards, but what happens to people on either side who are unable to fit into that role? The other thing I personally found a bit annoying was the constant inability of Gwynn to take care of herself to the point where I asked myself how she survived this long without Shae.
Neither one of these criticisms prevented me from enjoying Fae Song, however, and I'll be looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

[Cathleen Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fae Song by Deonne Williams is a rollicking fun read. First, start with a warrior, Shae, who’s definitely had better days. In fact, it’s been so bad that any future days are not a good money bet until he (or rather his horse) runs into a bard named Gwynne.

Gwynne not only makes music, she infuses it with magic as well. Fortunately for Shae, she can use her gifts to heal. But it’s also fortunate for Gwynne because even though she’s a talented bard, she’s not nearly as prepared as she thought for the dangers of living on the road.

The two of them cover for each other’s weaknesses and occasionally get on each other’s nerves. Some witty dialogue and unique world-building round out the requirements for a fun fantasy romance.

This is not the best tale for readers who are in the mood for symbolism or deep literary themes. The characters, at least in this volume, don’t get brought to their knees and have to rebuild themselves like Frodo or Katniss. But if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted adventure with likeable characters and a cohesive plot, Fae Song should fit the bill.

[Sherie Novotny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the best book I have read. The strengths were the character development and dialog, however the writing overall was mediocre at best. The story had potential that was never fulfilled. There was too much telling, not enough showing. The events took too long to unfold, and when they did they were simply not anywhere near realistic (conforming to the realities of the world that they were set in). Granted this was a fantasy novel, but even in fantasy, one has to be consistent. A character can not go back in time and expect only localized changes. I was hoping for more. There is potential, but this author will need to have much better editing for any future books if I am going to read them.

[Shivani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book talked about a simpler world, by no means the lives and the challenges faced by the characters were easy, but it was a world where there was black and there was white, which were clearly separated with no grey shades lurking.

It started off with Gwynn and Shae separately, but quickly they joined hands on their journey as they found their destination was common. Their friendship was beautiful. The concept of music as magic was just perfect and the logic that everything was made of notes of a song, so anything that was broken could just be sung back into shape - cool. That was certainly unique!
I loved it. <3

[Meghan Brownjohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

Set in a world of high fantasy with it's own legends you are dropped into the life of a lady bard who yearns for adventure; to finally have a story of her own. She soon learns that the road of 'adventure' is full of unexpected twists and turns. I enjoyed the feel of it as I learned more about our protagonists, but had points where I was wishing for a bit more brevity. I can't help wanting to know more about what the future has in store for our two epic main characters.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book, one to savour, it is a gentle paced, lyrical, musical journey following Gwynn the bard and her warrior guardian as they travel, meeting humans, immortals and gods. A story full of magic in every way. The narration is some of the best I have ever heard with the perfect voice for the story. The story finished but does not end leaving the reader desperate for more. I hope the next book is out soon and the .same narrator is used. Fabulous I would happily give 10 stars if I could.