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The Fair Chronicles #2

The Solitary King

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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

When Aria returns to the Fair Realm to attend a ball at the Salamander castle, it isn’t long before things take a turn for the deadly.

With her father’s home in ashes and her newfound family reduced to dust, Aria finds herself King Auberon’s captive once more. Deep within the mountains that border the Celeste Kingdom, Aria is powerless to fight back, her newly-discovered abilities suppressed by the weight of the rock that surrounds her. But when a Celeste guard whispers about rebellion and promises to help her escape, Aria is desperate to trust him.

Crown Prince Xander returns home to the Gnome castle, laden with grief for his brother and father, and dreading the day he will be crowned king. Preparations are underway for his marriage and coronation, but thoughts of the girl he betrayed trouble him day and night. Until the morning of his wedding, when a note arrives that Aria has been taken by Auberon once more, and Xander is forced to choose between his life of duty and obedience, and what he believes is right.

Return to the Fair Realm and lose yourself in book two of The Fair Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2022

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About the author

Lyndsey Hall

16 books160 followers
Lyndsey Hall lives on the edge of Sherwood Forest, one of the most magical places in England's history, and the inspiration for her debut novel, The Fair Queen. She grew up surrounded by books, and loved to write from a young age.

She loves to travel and try her hand at new things, but is most at home when curled up in a chair with a cup of tea and a good book, usually accompanied by at least one dog.

Get a FREE book when you join Lyndsey's email list: https://substack.com/@lyndseyhallwrites

Find her on social media: @lyndseyhall on Instagram and @lyndseyhall_ on TikTok

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5 stars
44 (61%)
4 stars
18 (25%)
3 stars
7 (9%)
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1 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Julia Blake.
Author 19 books177 followers
March 25, 2022
The Solitary King is book two in the Fair Chronicles and follows on from the events in book one, The Fair Queen. A fast read, it felt shorter than book one – possibly a little rushed in places – and continues the story of king-in-waiting, Xander, and Aria.

Raised as a human, Aria doesn’t discover until her eighteenth birthday that she is actually a Queen of the Fair Realm. Hidden away from enemies who wish her dead, she had to learn fast in book one how to survive in this strange new world.

Well-written and with some beautiful interplay between the characters, the author took the reader on some unexpected twists and turns that brought the relationship Xander has with Aria into sharp focus and made it more believable.

Although a YA read, the story does not hesitate to explore the darker side of life and has moments of real angst and heartbreak which add poignancy and pathos. Fans of YA paranormal will be entranced by this magical tale, and Aria is a true modern-day heroine.
Profile Image for Ilona Nurmela.
704 reviews18 followers
December 31, 2021
Loved this sequel to the Fair Queen! Lyndsey Hall is the queen of epic drama in the vein of Game of Thrones - carnage at a public event, picnics on a ritual altar? Yes, please! In a mix of modern vs epic Hall manages to enthrall with her tale of Aria and Xander. A few turncoat twists, a surprise one quite at the very end…pssst…ancient elements as well as tech - I loved this fast-paced read, slow-burn romance and the cliffhanger at the end….yum! Can’t wait for the finale in book 3! Recommended for lovers of epic fantasy, strong heroines, zero to heros and techy epic fantasy with a touch of Irish fae lore.
Profile Image for Elena Carter.
Author 38 books63 followers
November 21, 2022
Thrilling adventure

I’m so happy that book 3 is coming soon! The second book in the series was as much of a page turner as the first one. It was great to dive back into the amazing world of the Fair Realm and spend time with the characters I loved from the previous book.

It’s beautifully written and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the time. There are some very tragic moments, but there’s also so much love, and friendship, and kindness, and hope.

Really looking forward to reading the third book, and highly recommend this series.
Profile Image for Madeleine Booth-Smits.
883 reviews15 followers
January 26, 2022
Ohh the intrigue! The drama! Loved all the twists and turns!! Loved visiting all the different lands and meeting new people. There may have been tears! And breath holding as there is so much suspense. And the biggest question is will love conquer all?
Profile Image for Amber K.
1,335 reviews57 followers
February 8, 2023
The second book in this series did not disappoint!! Twists, turns and action to keep you on your toes, in suspense and turning pages!
And the ending... I was not expecting that outcome, wow!! I need the next book ASAP!
Terrific audio narration made listening very enjoyable!
1,612 reviews32 followers
February 27, 2022
The solitary king is an incredible book written by Lyndsey Hall . Ms Hall is perhaps one of the most gifted story tellers that I have had the opportunity to read. She is able to weave a story like an artist, weaves a tapestry. Each intricate line is carefully gathered and stitched into the story. As the pattern develops you begin to see the design, but she leaves a few strings unpulled as she goes, but she hints at what the picture on the tapestry will be. As a reader you are sure you know what that pattern will be but then Ms Hall adds a new thread and you know the picture you had formed was wrong. By the end of the novel Lyndsy has pulled all the threads together and you as the reader will know how the story was developed. I have to tell you that I was absolutely captivated. This book drew me in from the very first page and I admit I had a very difficult time putting it down. I can not recommend a book and author more highly. I intend to read more novels by this author, I received this novel through StoryOrigin and this is my honest opinion,
1,374 reviews28 followers
January 20, 2022
The second book was just as good as the first with Aria returning to the Fair Realm for the Winter Solstice festival. However, that happiness is short lived as she sees her father murdered in front of her eyes and she is kidnapped by her evil uncle for his own nefarious purpose!

Xander meanwhile is preparing to go through with a sham wedding to his betrothed but leaves when he hears that Aria has been captured and with his best friend travels to try and rescue her!

You really need to read The Fair Queen first to understand what has transpired up to this point; and I would suggest Fair Tales as well before The Fair Queen.

I recommend this book and series for everyone who loves a romantic, suspenseful, adventurous exciting tale that you’ll find hard to put down as love, friendship and betrayal all are displayed for our main characters, Aria and Xander.

Lyndsey has written a story that just gets better and better and I for one can’t wait until the next book comes out to see what happens next as the kingdoms prepare for a war against Aria’s “uncle”.

Why don’t you get these other two books as well as this one and settle back to read of a girl who always thought she was human until an event happens that changes her life for ever!
Profile Image for Kimberly #Audiofile.
2,569 reviews29 followers
January 27, 2023
This was better than book 1
World building was built upon, still not 100% on this characters.
3 star listen
Relationship between mmc and fmc progresses slightly.
Defo a ya listen
Narration is good tho.
Gifted audio
Profile Image for Vanessa Caron.
Author 2 books16 followers
February 17, 2022
A Satisfying Sequel

Lyndsey Hall has done it again! Returning to the Fair Realm was such a pleasurable experience for me as a reader. Without spoiling anything, I will just say this: I was wholly satisfied by “The Solitary King.” 4.5/5 Stars!
875 reviews4 followers
August 6, 2022
Xander, the crown prince of the Gnomes is about to get married when he hears that Aria, a Princess from another Realm, has been detained against her will by a psyco-king that also happens to be her cousin. Xander drops everything and leaves his fiancé literally at the altar to run to the rescue of Aria that he is and will always be very attached to. Only one problem, he is indirectly the one responsible for her predicament and he is in love with her. Auberon, the wicked cousin , has a simple wish. he must run the entire 5 Realms.
The author virtually takes her readers on one of the most epic adventure where the goal is, not only, to save the princess, but the future of the Realms (All 5 of them). Adventure, treachery, love, hate, sorcery, torture, and intimidation are the way to operate with this autocrat.
Some passages are too lengthy for my taste. However, the story is very well written and I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Meagan.
Author 2 books9 followers
March 12, 2022
What a great addition to book one! Just as thrilling and heart breaking and oh so good! I wish Dec 2022 would come sooner so I can read book 3
Profile Image for Sarah Hill.
Author 8 books65 followers
February 23, 2022
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book. The second in the Fair Chronicles series.
It's been a while since I read the first book, The Fair Queen, which I remember being a fun read.
I read so many fantasy books, it took me a bit to remember the characters and what happened when I was last with them in their adventures.
It all quickly came back to me and I am so glad I finally found out what's been happening in the Fair Realm.
Hall takes us into the darkness that is King Auberon and his city of the Celeste kingdom. We experience some pretty appalling treatment to so many characters by this evil king.
I don't want to give anything away, but I will say, each character grows and starts to understand what is most important and the end made me smile... though it's not truly the end. There will be a book 3!

Also, I have to say, this series has some the most gorgeous covers!

Thank you Lyndsey for allowing me to be an ARC reader!
Profile Image for Susan.
118 reviews
March 15, 2023
My review is for the Audible version.

I liked book 1 in the series, but this one is even better!

Book 2 sees Aria back in the Fair Realm. In fact she doesn't go back to the human realm for the entire book. We get to explore more of the 5 kingdoms (and queendom) and meet more of the Fair. There are secret alliances and hurtful betrayals to be discovered. The story continues and I don't want it to end.

The narration seemed to be better in this book but maybe that's because I went straight from Book 1 to Book 2 and I was already accustomed to it. Olivia Barnes-Brett isn't a bad narrator at all, but her male voices aren't that great (mostly Rainer's deep gravelly voice). There were a few mispronunciations, the most notable being "fox fur collar" instead of "faux fur collar," although I was listening instead of reading, so I can't be sure of how it was intended.

Overall I give it 4.5 stars. It's a fun fairy tale and now I'm waiting for the 3rd audiobook to be released.

Also, for anyone who may be wondering, these books are pretty clean. So far there have been a few scattered f-bombs (maybe 5 over both books) and no sex. I would rate it PG for violence and language, possibly PG-13 due to the f-bombs.

I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Profile Image for Paula Dyches.
855 reviews17 followers
February 17, 2023
Really Fun Fae YA Adventure

Parents- PG13- This is definitely geared towards the high school and young adult crowd.
Language- PG13- handful of f-bombs and a mild amount of other cuss words , however, they really didn't feel necessary.
Violence: Fairly typical to genre, some torture, but there are a couple pretty bloody scenes with enough detail that the squeamish may take issue with it.
Sexual Content- kissing and attraction but no sex scenes, LGBT relationships

I really enjoyed this one, they do need to be read in order. It has a bit of a LOTR feel to it with some of the five kingdoms beginning to war with each other and trying to get allies amongst the kingdoms. The element of romance in this one was pretty tame, mostly kissing but the over all style of the book is definitely geared for the older YA to adult crowd. NO spoilers but as for the ending it is not left on a cliffhanger per say but it set up for the next book and does leave you wanting more.

The narrator did a good job, had good differentiations between characters, I liked listening at 1.2x speed.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Profile Image for Jaclyn.
46 reviews4 followers
February 4, 2023
I was given a free copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.

I am going to give a content warning for this book, there is quite a bit of bloody violence, abuse, and suicidal thoughts.

So I am now two books into this series and I appreciate that this is a plot driven series as opposed to a romance. If you are here for smut this isn’t the book for you. There is love and couples, but the main focus is uniting the 5 kingdoms and defeating the (truly despicable) villain.
I also like that the main male character is struggling with more than just his feeling for the female lead. He is navigating his past poor decisions and working through big emotional baggage.

My main complaint with this book is that it felt rushed. I thought it could have been expanded on quite a bit, but I am a sucker for big long books so that might just be a me thing.

This narrator is great. You as the listener always know who is talking and she keeps you engaged.

I am very hopeful for the next book!
Profile Image for Ysobella Black.
Author 51 books3 followers
March 24, 2023
The second book sees us in the Fair Realm the whole time. There's a visit to a new kingdom, and more interesting world building.
Bad things happened in the first story, but poor Aria really suffers this time. She still doesn't turn into a damsel, though. Go, Aria! Her determination and strength make it easy for me to see her becoming Queen.
I wanted to dislike Xander after his shenanigans before, but I have to admit he redeemed himself. While he feels grief and guilt, he never crosses the line into self pity or angst. He accepts his decisions and grows from them.
The slowburn romance between Aria and Xander progresses a bit, but the pace feels natural, given everything else going on in the story. I like that the relationship isn't forced to happen between them.
There were more revelations and a twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but really appreciated.
Olivia Barnes-Brett returned as narrator for the second book and gave another wonderful performance bringing the story and characters to life.
Profile Image for Lyn Brownlie.
851 reviews19 followers
January 15, 2023
Great second instalment of The Fair Chronicles that I enjoyed immensely.
Aria returns to the Fair Realm and disaster strikes again when King Auberon appears at the ball she is attending and kidnaps her.
The cruelty she suffers at the hands of her captor leaves Aria’s body weak and unable to function properly.
Word spreads through the realms of the horrific actions of King Auberon at the ball and when Xander (soon to be crowned King) hears, he drops everything to race off and rescue Aria.
This book is a really well written dark romance with moments of cruelty and death but also kindness, loyalty and love.
I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook.
I purchased the ebook but was given the audiobook for my honest review.
Profile Image for Jill Gauger.
1,229 reviews13 followers
January 17, 2024
Heart Stopping

As Aria awaits what her Uncle has in store for her, she dreams of rescue and holding on to hope.
Xander dreams of Aria as he is being forced into a loveless marriage and being King. On the day of his wedding he hears about the slaughter of the Salamander royalty and the recapture of Aria.
Xander, Basyl and a few others race to rescue Aria hopeful they are successful.
This book has you holding your breath with non stop action. I need the next book NOW!
Profile Image for Tina Merritt.
676 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2023
Book 2 gives us some answers, some twist and surprises!! You will be shocked, moved, emotional and wanting to know what happens next by the end!
Profile Image for Ronel Janse van Vuuren.
Author 70 books55 followers
April 7, 2026
A thrilling romantasy with a few dark fantasy elements (Aria’s uncle abducting, torturing, and doing a blood sacrifice with her to resurrect her dead mother), great worldbuilding, a swoony hero, and lots of action and adventure.

I had so much fun reading this and enjoyed the various relationships, twists – and especially Rainer destroying a creature bent on harming his horse.

I’m so glad I finally got around to continuing Aria and Xander’s story.

Trigger warning: blood, murder, abduction, emotional torture, death of a loved one.
2,213 reviews11 followers
January 15, 2023
Audiobook: The 2nd book in "The Fair Chronicles" was great, and I was entertained by it. The plot in the second book was more intense. The characters' arcs developed and reached a deeper maturation that I appreciated. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Olivia Barnes-Brett's narration was good, and her performance kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.
Profile Image for Caroline Noe.
Author 10 books80 followers
February 16, 2024
Following heartbreaking betrayal, Aria grows closer to her new family and country. But her warped uncle and his unhinged plans haunt her happiness, even as her once beloved writhes in his own guilt.

I enjoyed the darkening tone as Aria faces her worst fears en route to war. Engrossing fantasy, touching on evil experimentation, torture, guilt and despotism, but not particularly delivered in a gruesome fashion.
Profile Image for Andra.
1,117 reviews15 followers
January 16, 2023
Book 2 in the Fair Chronicles series

Fantastical YA Read in a whimsical setting with detailed world building and well-developed characters in a continuing original storyline.

Prophecied to bring peace to the realm. Fleeing archaic blood ritual after being kidnapped. Magic fueled by anger. Abilities triggered by emotions. Choosing own destiny. Abilities arise. Hope abounds.
221 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2025
A wonderfully written continuation m book 1 with great descriptions of the kingdom and additional characters that are blended well. I felt like I was right there observing everything as I read. Full of adventure for all who read it. The feels are real!
I listened to this in audiobook form. This made the story even better!
Profile Image for The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V..
1,190 reviews30 followers
July 31, 2022
Loved it! What a gripping continuation of this action-packed, nail-bitingly intense series. There were so many unexpected twists that just hit the spot and I simply cannot wait to find out what happens next. And I still consider this series the best fae portal fantasy I've read!
569 reviews
February 27, 2023
Excellent. Choices must be made. Marriage and a throne, or chasing after someone who doesnt live in the realm. Then the future king hears that she has been captured and is once again in the hands of unstable madman of an uncle. Time to decide to follow expectations or his heart?
Profile Image for Sophy.
666 reviews7 followers
February 22, 2024
Book two was definitely a lot better then the first book. You get a little bit more into what's going on and it doesn't drag on as much. The characters get a little bit more character development but some not so much. Still a lot left in the air that hopefully is cleared up in the last book.
Profile Image for Todd Bliss.
415 reviews4 followers
March 19, 2023
This is a fantastic adventure of a young lady who found out she was from the realm of the fae and this is the second book of her adventures and it has left me ready for more
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews