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Stolen Brides of the Fae #8
Stolen Mayfly Bride
Sometimes stealing a life is the only way to save it.
Elkhana is the Mayfly Seer. Ripped from her family, drowned, and set into a magical cage, she lives only one day a year to tell fortunes for her former people.
When Vidar meets her, he sees a resource he can use to save himself from his enemies and the torturous demands of his own liege and court.
But the bond between Elkhana and Vidar is growing. She’s slipping into his dreams and changing how he sees the world and he doesn’t know if he can keep on using her now that he sees her as a person.
Without her visions, he’s powerless against his enemies, but if he has the chance to steal her away from her cage, shouldn’t he take it?
To succeed, he’ll need a plan, a lot of nerve, and all the bargains he can strike. Will it be enough?
Elkhana is the Mayfly Seer. Ripped from her family, drowned, and set into a magical cage, she lives only one day a year to tell fortunes for her former people.
When Vidar meets her, he sees a resource he can use to save himself from his enemies and the torturous demands of his own liege and court.
But the bond between Elkhana and Vidar is growing. She’s slipping into his dreams and changing how he sees the world and he doesn’t know if he can keep on using her now that he sees her as a person.
Without her visions, he’s powerless against his enemies, but if he has the chance to steal her away from her cage, shouldn’t he take it?
To succeed, he’ll need a plan, a lot of nerve, and all the bargains he can strike. Will it be enough?
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2021
101 people are currently reading
1427 people want to read
About the author
Sarah K.L. Wilson
159 books1,094 followersSarah K. L. Wilson is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes fantasy stories featuring practical heroes & heroines in the most impractical circumstances. She loves writing because it is the only way to make a living and give back to the world when your primary skill is an overactive imagination and a tendency toward violent daydreams.
Sarah can be found in the outdoors of Northern Ontario with her young boys and beloved husband, reading a book, or fending off her husband's pet turkeys with a straw broom.
You can find Sarah's books in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook and they have also been translated into Italian, German, and (very soon) Turkish.
Please, do, enjoy the read!
*USA Today bestseller list, November 2, 2017
www.sarahklwilson.com
sarah@sarahklwilson.com
Instagram @sarahklwilson
Facebook @sarahklwilson
TikTok @sarahklwilson
Sarah can be found in the outdoors of Northern Ontario with her young boys and beloved husband, reading a book, or fending off her husband's pet turkeys with a straw broom.
You can find Sarah's books in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook and they have also been translated into Italian, German, and (very soon) Turkish.
Please, do, enjoy the read!
*USA Today bestseller list, November 2, 2017
www.sarahklwilson.com
sarah@sarahklwilson.com
Instagram @sarahklwilson
Facebook @sarahklwilson
TikTok @sarahklwilson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
June 28, 2021
I'm officially a Sarah K Wilson fan. This is my second read by Wilson, and she has yet again swept me away to another world, where the Fae live by their own rules, and love by them as well (or not). This little novella was gorgeously written--Wilson has such a lyrical voice--and a must-read for all you fantasy romance readers out there. Perfect for an evening read pretty much any day of the week. You won't regret it.
Actual rating 4.5 stars
Actual rating 4.5 stars
August 23, 2021
I knew Sarah K L Wilson was a fabulous writer, but I seriously wasn't ready for this novella. Mayfly Bride is, imho, something next-level. The writing is gorgeously lyrical, the setting is vivid, and the characters tore my heart out.
I also enjoyed Tara Grayce's and Kenley Davidson's entries in this series, and Sylvia Mercedes' was my favourite till now, but Wilson has outdone everyone easily - this is the sort of story that bursts out of its genre, a wonderful, desperate, dark story with bright gleams of hope and a core of deeper meaning. Think of Holly Black's take on Faerie, with a more epic fantasy flavour plus a pair of powerless, desperate protagonists. I loved it a lot.
I also enjoyed Tara Grayce's and Kenley Davidson's entries in this series, and Sylvia Mercedes' was my favourite till now, but Wilson has outdone everyone easily - this is the sort of story that bursts out of its genre, a wonderful, desperate, dark story with bright gleams of hope and a core of deeper meaning. Think of Holly Black's take on Faerie, with a more epic fantasy flavour plus a pair of powerless, desperate protagonists. I loved it a lot.
July 6, 2021
No author can write lush, atmospheric, dark-and-yet-hopeful fae worlds quite the way Sarah K.L. Wilson does! And this book is no different! If anything, her skills are on full display by how much worldbuilding, plot, character building, and romance the author manages to pack into this little book!
I had the pleasure of listening to an audiobook version of this book, and the narrator does a great job of bringing this book and these characters to life!
Even though I knew there was going to be a twist, I still didn't see the twist at the end of this book coming!
If you love clean fae romances, then this book should be at the top of your list!
I had the pleasure of listening to an audiobook version of this book, and the narrator does a great job of bringing this book and these characters to life!
Even though I knew there was going to be a twist, I still didn't see the twist at the end of this book coming!
If you love clean fae romances, then this book should be at the top of your list!
March 21, 2022
Oh, I liked that. This is the sort of story I was hoping for when I decided to give this series a try.
Wilson knows how to write fae. Some people write fae as humans with magic. Wilson writes them as they ought to be — human-like, certainly, but still other. They live their lives on a scale where a day is a breath and a year passes in a blink. A world of clever schemes and casual cruelty. To a fae, everything comes in extremes.
I dearly loved the characters here. Vidar and Elkhana are both caged, both forced by the powerful in their society to serve despite the harm to their own selves. And so they are initially connected, and their connection grows through meetings and dreams. (I am a BIG fan of romance via dreams. It's the perfect way to get around physical and magical barriers so two otherwise separated characters can have a courtship that convinces me.)
I also loved that Vidar is genuinely clever. He doesn't have the power of some, so he works by tricks and trades, even up to how he saves his True Love. And I loved that we see him transformed by his love for Elkhana, drawn out of selfishness and survival into something better and sweeter and seemingly impossible until it becomes real.
I will be deeply surprised if this doesn't end up being the best of this series . . . and I think I very well may want to go back and reread this later!
Wilson knows how to write fae. Some people write fae as humans with magic. Wilson writes them as they ought to be — human-like, certainly, but still other. They live their lives on a scale where a day is a breath and a year passes in a blink. A world of clever schemes and casual cruelty. To a fae, everything comes in extremes.
I dearly loved the characters here. Vidar and Elkhana are both caged, both forced by the powerful in their society to serve despite the harm to their own selves. And so they are initially connected, and their connection grows through meetings and dreams. (I am a BIG fan of romance via dreams. It's the perfect way to get around physical and magical barriers so two otherwise separated characters can have a courtship that convinces me.)
I also loved that Vidar is genuinely clever. He doesn't have the power of some, so he works by tricks and trades, even up to how he saves his True Love. And I loved that we see him transformed by his love for Elkhana, drawn out of selfishness and survival into something better and sweeter and seemingly impossible until it becomes real.
I will be deeply surprised if this doesn't end up being the best of this series . . . and I think I very well may want to go back and reread this later!
September 21, 2022
What a beautiful, whimsical and wholesome story.
I came across this book in one of my many quests for new books to endure insomniac sleepless nights, and oh boy did I found something beautiful.
This is a fairy tale I wish everyone would read, my heart is full of warmth emotions and my head is enamoured with the gorgeous gorgeous way of Sarah K.L. Wilson's writing... and I will surely recommend this to everyone who cross my path, please read it ✨
I came across this book in one of my many quests for new books to endure insomniac sleepless nights, and oh boy did I found something beautiful.
This is a fairy tale I wish everyone would read, my heart is full of warmth emotions and my head is enamoured with the gorgeous gorgeous way of Sarah K.L. Wilson's writing... and I will surely recommend this to everyone who cross my path, please read it ✨
December 12, 2024
I had this on my Kindle for way too long, and I wish I had read it sooner! I really enjoyed the longing and the unique storyline. Vidar is an absolute delight despite the hard life he's led.
July 3, 2021
A bit dark, but also sweet
The concept is a bit gross/creepy. The fae, other than Vidar, are truly awful. The style I think is meant to be lyrical, but that's not really my thing, and some sentences or turns or phrase just read slightly awkwardly to me. There's also some weird timeline things going on--it starts like future Vidar remembering/telling a story, but then is in present tense, and there are moments where it feels like future Vidar is remembering things in the past but then the past is the present. Some shifts to Vidar remembering his backstory were at points unclear if we were in the past or present. And there's at least one point where it's like "I do this thing but I've forgotten the details" and then later, he explains the details? Overall, it just often felt non-linear even though it was mostly linear, and sometimes there were multiple points on the timeline happening at once. While I suspect this was intentional to mirror Elkhana's experiences as a seer, I found it distracting and confusing, as well as some paragraphs I felt were just sort of confusingly written. But the story was really good, 5 stars for the overall story. The characters were good, and I felt for them and definitely shipped them. And the ending was extremely satisfying.
The concept is a bit gross/creepy. The fae, other than Vidar, are truly awful. The style I think is meant to be lyrical, but that's not really my thing, and some sentences or turns or phrase just read slightly awkwardly to me. There's also some weird timeline things going on--it starts like future Vidar remembering/telling a story, but then is in present tense, and there are moments where it feels like future Vidar is remembering things in the past but then the past is the present. Some shifts to Vidar remembering his backstory were at points unclear if we were in the past or present. And there's at least one point where it's like "I do this thing but I've forgotten the details" and then later, he explains the details? Overall, it just often felt non-linear even though it was mostly linear, and sometimes there were multiple points on the timeline happening at once. While I suspect this was intentional to mirror Elkhana's experiences as a seer, I found it distracting and confusing, as well as some paragraphs I felt were just sort of confusingly written. But the story was really good, 5 stars for the overall story. The characters were good, and I felt for them and definitely shipped them. And the ending was extremely satisfying.
October 31, 2021
4.5 stars // read October 2021- currently free on Kindle!
Descriptive, fluid writing; a dark, rich world with tricksy Fae and ancient magic. The shorter length worked well for this story, as it didn’t feel like the author tried to cram too much in or, alternatively, lengthen scenes- the pacing was just right.
Content: Mild. Some minor gross things (i.e. Fae licking a bleeding wound for fun), but I did detract a half star due to the vaguely-detailed-but-still-rather-a-lot amount of physical attraction/kissing. On the steamier edge of clean.
Bonus: Strangely enough, one song that came to mind after reading this was “Lovely” by twenty one pilots. The tone of the song is a total mismatch to the tone of the book, but there is one line that actually fits pretty well- “you say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out” and I think that’s kind of funny given that that literally happens in the book. 🤷♀️
Descriptive, fluid writing; a dark, rich world with tricksy Fae and ancient magic. The shorter length worked well for this story, as it didn’t feel like the author tried to cram too much in or, alternatively, lengthen scenes- the pacing was just right.
Content: Mild. Some minor gross things (i.e. Fae licking a bleeding wound for fun), but I did detract a half star due to the vaguely-detailed-but-still-rather-a-lot amount of physical attraction/kissing. On the steamier edge of clean.
Bonus: Strangely enough, one song that came to mind after reading this was “Lovely” by twenty one pilots. The tone of the song is a total mismatch to the tone of the book, but there is one line that actually fits pretty well- “you say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out” and I think that’s kind of funny given that that literally happens in the book. 🤷♀️
October 8, 2021
Wow that was different. That is like the books liked to read in my 20's. Juliette Marillier and a touch of Patricia McKillip. Authors like this are hard to find. They mix poetry in their writing, it is very lyrical and normally heartbreaking. It is hard to do and Wilson does it well. I wasn't sure if I would like this at first. Fay romances are also a hit or miss, the fay are not the nicest monsters. This one just got better and better. One of the best of this series.
This has mention of torture, bleeding and talk of killing. No sex scene, a couple of passionate kisses.
This has mention of torture, bleeding and talk of killing. No sex scene, a couple of passionate kisses.
March 1, 2022
2.5 stars…I thought the concept for this book was very interesting but it fell flat. It could have been a great story had it not been for a few things.
(1) The writing style is the first person present tense which I detest. That aside it’s also read as if it were written in the Victorian Era. The writing is poetic, yes, but that just made it difficult to understand what was taking place and made the story too verbose...while there were a lot of word, nothing much really happens).
(2) This story happens over a span of a few decades, 8/9 I think, which in itself was a bit weird, but I just couldn’t buy the romance. There wasn’t enough that convinced me Vidar & Elkhana actually loved each other. They only interacted all of 3 times and she didn’t even speak. There was more “telling” than “showing” so it seemed forced.
(3) I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Since the MCs only have a conversation at the end of the book, there’s a lot of inner monologues but there weren’t enough details to really understand the characters. I was halfway in and still didn’t know why Vidar was an outcast. More time was spent describing the scenery than on the MCs.
Due to these issues I basically skimmed the entire book.
Content: Clean
(1) The writing style is the first person present tense which I detest. That aside it’s also read as if it were written in the Victorian Era. The writing is poetic, yes, but that just made it difficult to understand what was taking place and made the story too verbose...while there were a lot of word, nothing much really happens).
(2) This story happens over a span of a few decades, 8/9 I think, which in itself was a bit weird, but I just couldn’t buy the romance. There wasn’t enough that convinced me Vidar & Elkhana actually loved each other. They only interacted all of 3 times and she didn’t even speak. There was more “telling” than “showing” so it seemed forced.
(3) I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Since the MCs only have a conversation at the end of the book, there’s a lot of inner monologues but there weren’t enough details to really understand the characters. I was halfway in and still didn’t know why Vidar was an outcast. More time was spent describing the scenery than on the MCs.
Due to these issues I basically skimmed the entire book.
Content: Clean
April 23, 2021
Mwahahahhaha, I got to read it early 😈 I had good reason to though. Here is the bare bones: you want it. Go preorder it now! It’s quick, devious, romantic, and very fabulously Fae. This was a lot of fun to read, and as usual I was left amazed by how she managed to tie everything up.
November 25, 2022
Well that wrapped itself up rather nicely! ;P
August 22, 2021
Oooh, so good...some mild spoilers down, by the way.
Admission time, I was slightly confused by the synopsis (I had the assumption he'd stolen her from her prison to use her), but I was wrong. The novella is short, speaking of, but very captivating. The pacing doesn't feel too off despite its length, and the atmosphere kind of reads like a dark fairy tale with a more depth and personality. I really enjoyed the story and its clever buildup to the end. I sort of wish it was a longer novel, but the fact that it's so short makes the stakes feel relaxed while still high - a stress free read, for me at least. The world is so colorful, even so, and I enjoyed the characters and the story they portrayed, and loved Wilson's twist of the Stolen Bride theme.
I do still have a bit of questions at the end (namely how long exactly is half their days) but I didn't really need it to feel satisfied with the story's end. So I definitely recommend.
Content: Nothing more than some kissing (heh...fiery kissing, that it) and a bit of stabby things.
Admission time, I was slightly confused by the synopsis (I had the assumption he'd stolen her from her prison to use her), but I was wrong. The novella is short, speaking of, but very captivating. The pacing doesn't feel too off despite its length, and the atmosphere kind of reads like a dark fairy tale with a more depth and personality. I really enjoyed the story and its clever buildup to the end. I sort of wish it was a longer novel, but the fact that it's so short makes the stakes feel relaxed while still high - a stress free read, for me at least. The world is so colorful, even so, and I enjoyed the characters and the story they portrayed, and loved Wilson's twist of the Stolen Bride theme.
I do still have a bit of questions at the end (namely how long exactly is half their days) but I didn't really need it to feel satisfied with the story's end. So I definitely recommend.
Content: Nothing more than some kissing (heh...fiery kissing, that it) and a bit of stabby things.
June 28, 2021
Weeeell, it was OK-ish and thankfully short. I must admit that I started the book only because Dominique Wesson had made all covers for the series and this one book in particular had the highest rating. I was hoping it would be enemies-to-lovers romance with a fae stealing the seer for his own benefit and their slow falling for each other. But no such luck. Instead they fall for each other nearly instantly and pine for the most part of the book until they have their HAE. And the book is chaste as hell, so not my jam at all :)
June 25, 2021
This is a fantastic timeless love story. It’s a quick read but a wonderful story as we follow Viden the Immortal Fae Lord using Elkhana the Mayfly Seer to help win his battles. Over time they fall in love but can the fae lord rescue Elkhana from her magical cage? It’s a sweet romance full of fae trickery and I loved it!
May 8, 2025
Beautiful
This was a bit dark, but it's that sort of darkness that produces a greater beauty when victory comes in the end. This was unique, the hero and heroine barely interact, but it is done so well that by the end, you won't even miss it. Beautiful!
This was a bit dark, but it's that sort of darkness that produces a greater beauty when victory comes in the end. This was unique, the hero and heroine barely interact, but it is done so well that by the end, you won't even miss it. Beautiful!
September 17, 2021
4 STARS
Really loved this one, it was beautifully written, sort of felt like reading a fairytale. I'll for sure be trying more books by this author!
Really loved this one, it was beautifully written, sort of felt like reading a fairytale. I'll for sure be trying more books by this author!
Read
September 26, 2021*Note: I read this series however I do not personally recommend it due to magic.
Creepy and too dark for me.
Creepy and too dark for me.
June 30, 2021
Overall: 3/5
Plot and themes: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing style: 4/5
Attention-grabbing: 2/5
This is the tenth and final novella of the Stolen Brides of the Fae but they don't have to be read in any order. This one was a little different than the other books, much less actual interactions between the characters and much more of a time jump through the relationship. It also didn't really feel like much of a stolen bride thing like the other ones did, but it was still interesting. Basically, Elkhana was sacrificed by her people to be their prophet. Condemned to a cage beneath the sea all but one day of the year. Vidar meets her and can't get her out of his head, for every year she only ages a day so time is nothing to them and every year brings them closer.
I think it was a bit difficult for me to get into because of how much time was passing with so little interaction. We'd lose fifty years and they didn't see each other at all. It was all part of the whimsy and worldbuilding but it still felt a bit like cheating. I wasn't mad at it, it just felt like despite the time going by they really weren't getting much done.
Yeah not much to say on it because it was so short. I wish we had gotten more background on the characters because it was hard to really fall in love with them while only knowing their horrible situations. Not the worst I've read in this series but also not my favorite.
This review and all my others can be found at: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot....
April 11, 2022
Y’all. This one is it. I went through mediocrity and awfulness and some good to get to this point. And it was worth it.
This is the final review of the final book in the Stolen Brides of the Fae series! Let’s go, bitches!
On paper, this book is everything that the other books were: a powerful and intimidating fae lord stealing a helpless human girl.
Except. It’s all completely different. These are just surface things that do not actually matter or inform who the characters are as people, tropes that are used as a stepping stone to something weird and wonderful and new.
This is the most unique and compelling and interesting short novels I’ve ever read, and compared to the other ones in the series, Sarah K. L. Wilson dunked on the rest of these authors so fucking hard.
She rolled up to the scene in a Benz, spat on everyone, then sped off into the sunset with her huge dick out and knocking over pedestrians.
Here’s the thing: if you’re here for a sweet fae romance, you will get it, eventually, but on your way there you will be left confused and distressed and possibly weirded out, maybe even slightly uncomfortable.
And. I. Loved it.
This book felt like reading a fever dream, weird and timeless and nebulous, and it worked, because a lot of the story is literally about dreams. It was written in a wordy, almost overwrought way, but it never felt like purple prose, because it was written to be like that on purpose, to add to the atmosphere and the legend of the story itself. Nobody talked like real people would, but it made the story feel like it was written a long time ago and has been retold through centuries.
Most of this book is actually told through the point of view of Vidar, the fae, which makes sense because Elkhana doesn’t exist for most of the time, and the time skips so frequently used in the other books in the series (sometimes a necessity of the length) actually work to the book’s advantage, because to Vidar, he lives such a long life and it passes so quickly that he actually has to recap everything that happened. We can’t see all of it because it’s both so long and because it straight-up doesn’t fucking matter to him. He goes through three generations of humans in this story and it feels like nothing because to him, it is nothing. He recaps it all, wars and politics and intrigue, his successes and defeats, with the same detached tone of voice, like none of it makes a difference, which adds to the sadness of his character and helps to highlight just how alive and present he seems whenever he thinks of Elkhana or speaks to her.
Their relationship develops in dreams, most of them nebulous and vague, recapped to us by one or the other as feelings more than memories, and sometimes Vidar doesn’t even remember what he saw but he feels their impact. They fall in love over the course of decades and all the while we see how much both of them suffer, both as a consequence of what’s been done to them and because they’re without the other. This book is dour and strange and sad, the fae around Vidar are cruel and feel unfathomable and inhuman, but in a way that paints them as monsters rather than aspirational or attractive, with Vidar being the exception as he, too, has suffered their cruelty.
Vidar is also clever and actually feels like a fae instead of just a handsome and rich human with pointy ears. He feels like a genuinely different species at times, even as he shows slightly more compassion than his fellows.
I can’t say much about Elkhana because she just wasn’t around that much, and I would’ve loved to see more of her and see her get more agency. That and the fact that the story sometimes dips into needlessly edgy territory are probably my main gripes, and that the writing sometimes does go over the top, mainly in the beginning where Vidar waxes poetic about how cool and edgy he is. I could have done without that personally, but it didn’t detract much from my later enjoyment of the work. As always I would’ve loved to see this as a longer novel, but this time it’s less because I didn’t think the length worked (it did), but because I just wanted more? I wanted more of this world and this strange story and the weird writing and the weird feelings I got while reading it.
The romance itself also feels more like a reprieve from the pain and misery of both characters than it does like a fun and cute story. I wanted them to end up together not because they had chemistry (I thought Elkhana needed more time and development for that), but because they seemed to need some type of relief after all the horrors they’ve been made to suffer. It’s that kind of story.
So even though I’m giving it five stars, I don’t think this book will be for everyone, and if you enjoyed the other books in the series because of their light and fluffy tones and strict adherence to genre norms and tropes and easy-to-digest writing, you might not enjoy this one. It’s weird and it’s sad and reading it feels hazy and odd, like you’re watching someone else’s memories through a thick mist, and the plot is unconventional, the characters are sparse and the dialogue is wordy and unrealistic, but to me, this was unique and new and compelling.
This book is such a short and strange read but it genuinely felt like I learned something from it, like I gained something from reading it, like I experienced something genuinely new. I can’t say that about any of the other books, not even the better ones. I might come back to this one day and wonder what the hell I was on about, but for now, this short novel weirded me out and delighted me and I love it for that.
This is the final review of the final book in the Stolen Brides of the Fae series! Let’s go, bitches!
On paper, this book is everything that the other books were: a powerful and intimidating fae lord stealing a helpless human girl.
Except. It’s all completely different. These are just surface things that do not actually matter or inform who the characters are as people, tropes that are used as a stepping stone to something weird and wonderful and new.
This is the most unique and compelling and interesting short novels I’ve ever read, and compared to the other ones in the series, Sarah K. L. Wilson dunked on the rest of these authors so fucking hard.
She rolled up to the scene in a Benz, spat on everyone, then sped off into the sunset with her huge dick out and knocking over pedestrians.
Here’s the thing: if you’re here for a sweet fae romance, you will get it, eventually, but on your way there you will be left confused and distressed and possibly weirded out, maybe even slightly uncomfortable.
And. I. Loved it.
This book felt like reading a fever dream, weird and timeless and nebulous, and it worked, because a lot of the story is literally about dreams. It was written in a wordy, almost overwrought way, but it never felt like purple prose, because it was written to be like that on purpose, to add to the atmosphere and the legend of the story itself. Nobody talked like real people would, but it made the story feel like it was written a long time ago and has been retold through centuries.
Most of this book is actually told through the point of view of Vidar, the fae, which makes sense because Elkhana doesn’t exist for most of the time, and the time skips so frequently used in the other books in the series (sometimes a necessity of the length) actually work to the book’s advantage, because to Vidar, he lives such a long life and it passes so quickly that he actually has to recap everything that happened. We can’t see all of it because it’s both so long and because it straight-up doesn’t fucking matter to him. He goes through three generations of humans in this story and it feels like nothing because to him, it is nothing. He recaps it all, wars and politics and intrigue, his successes and defeats, with the same detached tone of voice, like none of it makes a difference, which adds to the sadness of his character and helps to highlight just how alive and present he seems whenever he thinks of Elkhana or speaks to her.
Their relationship develops in dreams, most of them nebulous and vague, recapped to us by one or the other as feelings more than memories, and sometimes Vidar doesn’t even remember what he saw but he feels their impact. They fall in love over the course of decades and all the while we see how much both of them suffer, both as a consequence of what’s been done to them and because they’re without the other. This book is dour and strange and sad, the fae around Vidar are cruel and feel unfathomable and inhuman, but in a way that paints them as monsters rather than aspirational or attractive, with Vidar being the exception as he, too, has suffered their cruelty.
Vidar is also clever and actually feels like a fae instead of just a handsome and rich human with pointy ears. He feels like a genuinely different species at times, even as he shows slightly more compassion than his fellows.
I can’t say much about Elkhana because she just wasn’t around that much, and I would’ve loved to see more of her and see her get more agency. That and the fact that the story sometimes dips into needlessly edgy territory are probably my main gripes, and that the writing sometimes does go over the top, mainly in the beginning where Vidar waxes poetic about how cool and edgy he is. I could have done without that personally, but it didn’t detract much from my later enjoyment of the work. As always I would’ve loved to see this as a longer novel, but this time it’s less because I didn’t think the length worked (it did), but because I just wanted more? I wanted more of this world and this strange story and the weird writing and the weird feelings I got while reading it.
The romance itself also feels more like a reprieve from the pain and misery of both characters than it does like a fun and cute story. I wanted them to end up together not because they had chemistry (I thought Elkhana needed more time and development for that), but because they seemed to need some type of relief after all the horrors they’ve been made to suffer. It’s that kind of story.
So even though I’m giving it five stars, I don’t think this book will be for everyone, and if you enjoyed the other books in the series because of their light and fluffy tones and strict adherence to genre norms and tropes and easy-to-digest writing, you might not enjoy this one. It’s weird and it’s sad and reading it feels hazy and odd, like you’re watching someone else’s memories through a thick mist, and the plot is unconventional, the characters are sparse and the dialogue is wordy and unrealistic, but to me, this was unique and new and compelling.
This book is such a short and strange read but it genuinely felt like I learned something from it, like I gained something from reading it, like I experienced something genuinely new. I can’t say that about any of the other books, not even the better ones. I might come back to this one day and wonder what the hell I was on about, but for now, this short novel weirded me out and delighted me and I love it for that.
January 31, 2022
Heartbreakingly enchanted...
This story was so darkly beautiful, I couldn't put it down. The way the two main characters mirrored each other throughout was so heartbreaking and yet so deeply beautiful. Every second of torment was worth that ending. It was an incredibly rich, powerful and unforgettable story wrapped up in this small but mighty novella. I'm utterly entranced. I want to read it again.
This story was so darkly beautiful, I couldn't put it down. The way the two main characters mirrored each other throughout was so heartbreaking and yet so deeply beautiful. Every second of torment was worth that ending. It was an incredibly rich, powerful and unforgettable story wrapped up in this small but mighty novella. I'm utterly entranced. I want to read it again.
November 4, 2022
Great story and clean read. I enjoy reading stories about the Fae.
June 25, 2021
So romantic
I loved this. It was so romantic and lovely. It was an excellent end to the series. Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
I loved this. It was so romantic and lovely. It was an excellent end to the series. Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
August 18, 2023
This is so beautiful inside and out. I couldn’t stop reading this book. It grabbed me from page one and I couldn’t get it out of my head until I finished it the same day, and it still lingers with its haunting beauty and pain. The power of two broken people connecting and choosing to love each other despite the impossibility of their situation and how knowing the other changed them for the better.
Vidar was so fae yet so broken and human despite how much he ignored those parts of himself, and Elkhana was beautiful and strong despite the tragedy of her life, and seeing them come together was nothing but a joy even as their journey to there is filled with heartbreak and scars.
This story is dark and depressing in some ways yet full of light and hope that drives the ugly out and makes it that much more beautiful. The poetic writing style took me a bit to get into but once I did I really liked it and how it fit the story so well, though some sentences didn’t make a lot of sense sometimes due to their more lofty nature. I also loved how real the setting felt, like I was there experiencing the cold and each of the courts and the sea spray right alongside Vidar and Elkhana.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to try others by this author!
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a character nearly commits suicide in grief and later on does cut his heart and die to save another
Language: hell (as a place); damn
Violence: visions of torture (not detailed); a character is held down and beaten; fae drink another’s blood; in the past a girl was drowned; fighting hand to hand (not detailed); a character nearly commits suicide in grief and does later on cut his heart and die to save another
Sexual: a fae man has two wives; kissing (not to semi detailed); mild suggestive hints
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink; a fae poisons himself and his enemies
Other: magic; fae; a girl was taken and killed to come back immortal once a year as a seer; death and grief
Vidar was so fae yet so broken and human despite how much he ignored those parts of himself, and Elkhana was beautiful and strong despite the tragedy of her life, and seeing them come together was nothing but a joy even as their journey to there is filled with heartbreak and scars.
This story is dark and depressing in some ways yet full of light and hope that drives the ugly out and makes it that much more beautiful. The poetic writing style took me a bit to get into but once I did I really liked it and how it fit the story so well, though some sentences didn’t make a lot of sense sometimes due to their more lofty nature. I also loved how real the setting felt, like I was there experiencing the cold and each of the courts and the sea spray right alongside Vidar and Elkhana.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to try others by this author!
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a character nearly commits suicide in grief and later on does cut his heart and die to save another
Language: hell (as a place); damn
Violence: visions of torture (not detailed); a character is held down and beaten; fae drink another’s blood; in the past a girl was drowned; fighting hand to hand (not detailed); a character nearly commits suicide in grief and does later on cut his heart and die to save another
Sexual: a fae man has two wives; kissing (not to semi detailed); mild suggestive hints
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink; a fae poisons himself and his enemies
Other: magic; fae; a girl was taken and killed to come back immortal once a year as a seer; death and grief
October 27, 2021
Stolen Mayfly Bride by Sarah K.L. Wilson is Book 8 in the Stolen Brides of the Fae series. Each can be read as a standalone.
When a fae lord named Vidar has his first encounter with the human seer Elkhana, they are both deeply affected. He is trapped by his fae court and she is in a magical cage. Can they save each other?
Sarah K.L. Wilson has a way with words. The worldbuilding and characters are so descriptive. You get sucked in right from the beginning. It's a complete story in only 105 pages. It did feel rushed.
Here are two descriptive quotes:
1) "Even a broken arrow can strike unexpected targets."
2) I see cores - souls, I suppose - and his is bright and sharp and sleek.
When a fae lord named Vidar has his first encounter with the human seer Elkhana, they are both deeply affected. He is trapped by his fae court and she is in a magical cage. Can they save each other?
Sarah K.L. Wilson has a way with words. The worldbuilding and characters are so descriptive. You get sucked in right from the beginning. It's a complete story in only 105 pages. It did feel rushed.
Here are two descriptive quotes:
1) "Even a broken arrow can strike unexpected targets."
2) I see cores - souls, I suppose - and his is bright and sharp and sleek.
July 8, 2021
So, another of the stolen bride series. This was beautiful. Full Stop. Drop what you’re doing and read it. The prose was gorgeous and this was one of the very rare instances where I tumbled into a narrative written in first person present, which is no small feat, I am hardcore a third person reader.
It is gloomy and icy and atmospheric, dark and hopeful. I just…I loved it. And a very fast read at only 105 pages. Also, Sarah, MA’AM…I know what it must have taken to twist all those happenings and threads together (in so few pages no less) to get that ending and may I applaud you on your cunning.
It is gloomy and icy and atmospheric, dark and hopeful. I just…I loved it. And a very fast read at only 105 pages. Also, Sarah, MA’AM…I know what it must have taken to twist all those happenings and threads together (in so few pages no less) to get that ending and may I applaud you on your cunning.
July 30, 2021
world-building was fantastic but I would have liked more interaction between characters.
June 25, 2021
Stolen Mayfly Bride is Sarah K.L. Wilson's contribution to the Stolen Brides of the Fae series and this book is absolutely beautifully written. This is a nice evenly paced story that gradually builds toward the romance between the two characters a small gift at a time.
This book focuses on Elkhana, a young woman who was taken from her family, drowned and is now the new Mayfly Seer. People come to her and pay a price to see the things that they wish to see. Some survive...some don't. But things change when Vidar comes with another fae and some humans. He sees an opportunity to begin to manipulate his fate with his own kind. His life begins to change when the seer helps him see the world differently. The story is really well done and keeps me page-turning as a means of freeing her is shown. I begin to wonder...how will this work out? I love the twists in this book because they come in the most unexpected moments.
This book is short, but a must-read if you love reading anything by this author. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's so well done and I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and the other books in this series as well.
This book focuses on Elkhana, a young woman who was taken from her family, drowned and is now the new Mayfly Seer. People come to her and pay a price to see the things that they wish to see. Some survive...some don't. But things change when Vidar comes with another fae and some humans. He sees an opportunity to begin to manipulate his fate with his own kind. His life begins to change when the seer helps him see the world differently. The story is really well done and keeps me page-turning as a means of freeing her is shown. I begin to wonder...how will this work out? I love the twists in this book because they come in the most unexpected moments.
This book is short, but a must-read if you love reading anything by this author. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's so well done and I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and the other books in this series as well.
July 20, 2021
Once in a while you read a story that is so unbelievably amazing, you start to wonder how the author even came up with it. This is one of those books. With a unique storyline, this book had my complete attention from the first page itself.
I did not know what to expect when I started, but a few pages in I thought I knew what was going to happen next. I had this idea that the male protagonist would help the female MC escape and they'd be on the run throughout the book. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The book had so many twists and unexpected scenarios. I couldn't put it down despite it being 2 a.m. I had to finish it. I loved how the author had captured the emotions beautifully. I could feel everything the characters did. Since the story was written in dual POVs, I got an insight into the character's minds.
The ending was brilliantly done. It's like all the threats were taken care of with a single move. I couldn't have been happier with the way things turned out.
This is my first book by the author, but definitely not the last one. I'm excited to read more of her work. This is the last book in the series, and it concluded perfectly. I recommend it to all fantasy romance lovers.
I did not know what to expect when I started, but a few pages in I thought I knew what was going to happen next. I had this idea that the male protagonist would help the female MC escape and they'd be on the run throughout the book. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The book had so many twists and unexpected scenarios. I couldn't put it down despite it being 2 a.m. I had to finish it. I loved how the author had captured the emotions beautifully. I could feel everything the characters did. Since the story was written in dual POVs, I got an insight into the character's minds.
The ending was brilliantly done. It's like all the threats were taken care of with a single move. I couldn't have been happier with the way things turned out.
This is my first book by the author, but definitely not the last one. I'm excited to read more of her work. This is the last book in the series, and it concluded perfectly. I recommend it to all fantasy romance lovers.
July 28, 2022
Author Sarah K.L. Wilson brings us the tale of Vidar and his mayfly bride Elkhanna as over the course of a century we see these two come together. That all starts when Vidar visits the island where the mayfly seer is and from that moment he beings his quest to make her his by giving her an apple. Elkhana takes his apple but because of the mayfly magic that the mothers had put on her she can't eat it. Vidar then goes back to his court before coming back to her with a caged bird of which she sees and he doesn't understand how that makes her feel. Part of the magic that makes her the mayfly seer is that she is caged like an animal and people come to her to see either their future or their past. Butr Vidar saw her as his wife and he did what he had to make that happen. This is a great quick read and I highly recommend it to all fantasy fans.
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