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Faerie Tales #2
Warrior Tithe
Over five hundred years ago, Tam Lin betrayed the Queen of the Fae, leaving her to be with his human lover Janet. Tom, a literature professor, knew the story. Adopted, he spent his life studying the stories of others and their families, never knowing his own.
When his boyfriend, Ariel, gifted Tom an all expense paid trip to Ireland to seek out his Ulster-Scots roots, he never expected to find out how his story tied into the legendary Ballad of Tam Lin.
When his boyfriend, Ariel, gifted Tom an all expense paid trip to Ireland to seek out his Ulster-Scots roots, he never expected to find out how his story tied into the legendary Ballad of Tam Lin.
- GenresFantasy
78 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Deschamps
21 books196 followersAfter living all over the U.S., T.J. Deschamps made the Pacific Northwest her home. There she raises three precocious teens. T.J. likes to lift weights, read, draw, dance, and collect oddities. Loves building worlds with words. Might be a dragon. Definitely a bog witch.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 21, 2021
A pleasant surprise!
When I first saw the synopsis of this short story, I had apprehensions. There are a lot of romance books with faeries, princesses, and love interests floating around. But, I decided to curb my prejudices and past disappointments, and I am glad I did. One of the most wonderful things about this story is the overall setting: Celtic, through and through. That, in my opinion, is the way any Fae story should be told. We have Ireland during its early Christian days, while plague and starvation are common, and that, by itself, is vastly more superior in its honesty than the manufactured trends out there. The romance is sweet and slow building, which is refreshing. There is just so much here that I think enhances the genre it's made for, and maybe that makes it the kind of book where others should take notes. But don't make a trend of it. I think part of its genuine nature would be it's individuality. Anyway, there is much more than this short story, and while romance is not my usual genre, I think this series has depth and awesome conflict to explore
When I first saw the synopsis of this short story, I had apprehensions. There are a lot of romance books with faeries, princesses, and love interests floating around. But, I decided to curb my prejudices and past disappointments, and I am glad I did. One of the most wonderful things about this story is the overall setting: Celtic, through and through. That, in my opinion, is the way any Fae story should be told. We have Ireland during its early Christian days, while plague and starvation are common, and that, by itself, is vastly more superior in its honesty than the manufactured trends out there. The romance is sweet and slow building, which is refreshing. There is just so much here that I think enhances the genre it's made for, and maybe that makes it the kind of book where others should take notes. But don't make a trend of it. I think part of its genuine nature would be it's individuality. Anyway, there is much more than this short story, and while romance is not my usual genre, I think this series has depth and awesome conflict to explore
March 13, 2021
I was given a free copy of Warrior Tithe: Faerie Tales by T.J. Deschamps (author), T.J. Deschamps (publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This review will not contain any spoilers.
I would characterize this story as Celtic-based fantasy/fairy tale.
The story takes place, I think, in Ireland before industrialization, the fairy world, and in between.
The main characters are a kelpie and a poor young man who just buried his dead brother. I found the two main characters to be engaging and interesting while seeing their budding relationship develop under trying and extenuating circumstances.
Warrior Tithe: Faerie Tales is a novella, and it is a short read. At the end of the story, I wanted to read what happens next.
I rate Spellmaker 4 stars.
I would like to thank T.J. Deschamps and Netgalley for the free ARC.
This review will not contain any spoilers.
I would characterize this story as Celtic-based fantasy/fairy tale.
The story takes place, I think, in Ireland before industrialization, the fairy world, and in between.
The main characters are a kelpie and a poor young man who just buried his dead brother. I found the two main characters to be engaging and interesting while seeing their budding relationship develop under trying and extenuating circumstances.
Warrior Tithe: Faerie Tales is a novella, and it is a short read. At the end of the story, I wanted to read what happens next.
I rate Spellmaker 4 stars.
I would like to thank T.J. Deschamps and Netgalley for the free ARC.
April 5, 2021
Super-fresh new take on classic fairy tale lore
Warrior Tithe, a novella, revolves around Aoife, a kelpie, and a curse to capture reincarnated Tamlin and bring him to the Queen of the Faeries.
Aoife is running from an arranged marriage to Cu Roi mac Daire, but she falls into an iron trap in the human world. When a Fagan, a poor farmer, stumbles upon the trap, he helps Aoife escape, and she promises to take him to the Queen of the Faries as a reward. Poor Fagan has no clue Cu Roi mac Daire is determined to reclaim his betrothed.
I really enjoyed the writing style—especially the dialogue with they old-world dialect. The romantic elements added some snaz to this adventure. If you love the nostalgia of classic fairy tales but need something fresh, this is a story for you.
Warrior Tithe, a novella, revolves around Aoife, a kelpie, and a curse to capture reincarnated Tamlin and bring him to the Queen of the Faeries.
Aoife is running from an arranged marriage to Cu Roi mac Daire, but she falls into an iron trap in the human world. When a Fagan, a poor farmer, stumbles upon the trap, he helps Aoife escape, and she promises to take him to the Queen of the Faries as a reward. Poor Fagan has no clue Cu Roi mac Daire is determined to reclaim his betrothed.
I really enjoyed the writing style—especially the dialogue with they old-world dialect. The romantic elements added some snaz to this adventure. If you love the nostalgia of classic fairy tales but need something fresh, this is a story for you.
March 1, 2021
Things I loved about this book:
Amazing ambiance and world building— a dark, intricate, and engrossing interplay of familiar and novel mythology.
Complex, compelling characters more than capable of holding readers’ attention.
Things I did not love:
Eventually, it ended, and now I must wait for the next book in the series. This is not really a critique, but I honestly could not think of a single legitimate criticism, so cut me some slack.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amazing ambiance and world building— a dark, intricate, and engrossing interplay of familiar and novel mythology.
Complex, compelling characters more than capable of holding readers’ attention.
Things I did not love:
Eventually, it ended, and now I must wait for the next book in the series. This is not really a critique, but I honestly could not think of a single legitimate criticism, so cut me some slack.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 23, 2021
Passionate, mysterious, dark and scenic, this was the perfect escape after a busy day. All characters have depth, purpose, and super sexy vibes too. I loved Warrior Tithe and I can't wait for more Faerie Tales!!
March 23, 2021
Fun, fast faerie read!
Gorgeous worldbuilding takes us into the Celtic landscape and mythology that sets the scene for a disastrous love story between human and fae, and of course, not is all as it seems. We will have to read the sequel to find out what happens next for Aoife.
Gorgeous worldbuilding takes us into the Celtic landscape and mythology that sets the scene for a disastrous love story between human and fae, and of course, not is all as it seems. We will have to read the sequel to find out what happens next for Aoife.
April 5, 2021
A lovely and riveting tale
I love the authors easy, descriptive and enchanting style. This story is well worth the read. It's compelling and tugs at the heart strings.
I love the authors easy, descriptive and enchanting style. This story is well worth the read. It's compelling and tugs at the heart strings.
November 28, 2022
It was okay
It was alright, not the greatest. I felt the characters were a little on the flat side and the plot was missing big holes that made it confusing to read the first and last chapter.
It was alright, not the greatest. I felt the characters were a little on the flat side and the plot was missing big holes that made it confusing to read the first and last chapter.
February 22, 2021
3.5 stars
An adventure story infused with Celtic (Irish) legend and myth!
And in the prologue/epilogue there is a nice flavor reminiscent of Highlander (yes, I mean that cheesy 90’s show about immortals gallivanting around in modernity; and yes, I mean this comparison as a compliment).
[What I liked:]
•Out of the gate, the narrative is dropping interesting backstory hints without veering into infodumping territory, which kept me engaged & wanting to read more. In fact, I read this in one sitting.
•The story is well written, both in terms of prose & narrative development. There is touching character emotional growth & relationship growth, which is hard to accomplish in the length of a novella.
•There are lots of fun magical facts & folklore from Celtic mythology woven in.
•The plot is kept exciting with danger & betrayal chasing the main characters. I liked the pacing. There is a good balance between emotional development, action, & world building.
•The character motivations & the stakes are clear & developed more over the course of the story.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•The prologue & epilogue are confusing, because they feature different characters & plotlines than the main story does.
•The book doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, but there isn’t a plot line that has an arc resolution by the end. The novella feels like the 1st third of a full length novel that ends abruptly mid-story, rather than a contained story. I’m sure why it’s being serialized instead of published as one book. It would help if the title makes it clear this book isn’t standalone, but part of a series. But I do want to continue reading the series!
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!]
An adventure story infused with Celtic (Irish) legend and myth!
And in the prologue/epilogue there is a nice flavor reminiscent of Highlander (yes, I mean that cheesy 90’s show about immortals gallivanting around in modernity; and yes, I mean this comparison as a compliment).
[What I liked:]
•Out of the gate, the narrative is dropping interesting backstory hints without veering into infodumping territory, which kept me engaged & wanting to read more. In fact, I read this in one sitting.
•The story is well written, both in terms of prose & narrative development. There is touching character emotional growth & relationship growth, which is hard to accomplish in the length of a novella.
•There are lots of fun magical facts & folklore from Celtic mythology woven in.
•The plot is kept exciting with danger & betrayal chasing the main characters. I liked the pacing. There is a good balance between emotional development, action, & world building.
•The character motivations & the stakes are clear & developed more over the course of the story.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•The prologue & epilogue are confusing, because they feature different characters & plotlines than the main story does.
•The book doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, but there isn’t a plot line that has an arc resolution by the end. The novella feels like the 1st third of a full length novel that ends abruptly mid-story, rather than a contained story. I’m sure why it’s being serialized instead of published as one book. It would help if the title makes it clear this book isn’t standalone, but part of a series. But I do want to continue reading the series!
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!]
March 12, 2021
This is a quick read, as this story is part of the episodic series Faerie Tales.
Aoife is a kelpie and a daughter to the god of the sea, Mannan mac Lir. She's on the run from her betrothed a human sorcerer that only wants to use her. In her bid for freedom she's injured and persuades her rescuer to go with her to the Sidhe court, intended to trade him for protection. She never counted on falling for a human.
I liked where this story was going and then it ended to be continued in 'Vow Unbroken' to be released in May 2021.
I received a free copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review. If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
Aoife is a kelpie and a daughter to the god of the sea, Mannan mac Lir. She's on the run from her betrothed a human sorcerer that only wants to use her. In her bid for freedom she's injured and persuades her rescuer to go with her to the Sidhe court, intended to trade him for protection. She never counted on falling for a human.
I liked where this story was going and then it ended to be continued in 'Vow Unbroken' to be released in May 2021.
I received a free copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review. If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Fantastic take on the old tales of the fae. I love that they are not presented as "good/bad" and are truely as capricious and morally grey as the were originally believed to be.
My only drawback with this is that when changing between time there isn't really any indication that a change has occured, so it is a bit jarring for sure until you figure it out.
I also wish this was longer, I feel like its a good novella length, but I want more! Very excited for the second book!
Fantastic take on the old tales of the fae. I love that they are not presented as "good/bad" and are truely as capricious and morally grey as the were originally believed to be.
My only drawback with this is that when changing between time there isn't really any indication that a change has occured, so it is a bit jarring for sure until you figure it out.
I also wish this was longer, I feel like its a good novella length, but I want more! Very excited for the second book!
April 25, 2021
I haven’t read novellas before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. A lot happens in a small period of time, and I must say I’m curious about what’s happening next.
Because English isn’t my native language, I had some trouble with the dialogues. It was in a phonetic style, and I always have some difficulties with that (Gone with the Wind e.g. is full of that and really gave me a hard time).
All and all I did enjoy this novella and am curious about the next one!
Because English isn’t my native language, I had some trouble with the dialogues. It was in a phonetic style, and I always have some difficulties with that (Gone with the Wind e.g. is full of that and really gave me a hard time).
All and all I did enjoy this novella and am curious about the next one!
March 5, 2021
I hope everyone enjoys reading Warrior Tithe as much as I enjoyed writing the story. The next book in the series, Vow Unbroken is in the works and will be coming out in May or June 2021.
May 28, 2021
Very good book
I like that it wasn’t the typical fae meeting a human tale, but instead a unique fae twist on a princess betrothal tale.
I like that it wasn’t the typical fae meeting a human tale, but instead a unique fae twist on a princess betrothal tale.
June 5, 2021
I read the first book, and just had to read the second. This was an improvement on the first, the storyline didn’t feel as
rushed. When will I learn though not to buy short stories - ugh.
rushed. When will I learn though not to buy short stories - ugh.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews