Prince of Foxes

Bright Spear Trilogy #1

by H.L. Macfarlane

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.


Sometimes a fox is not a fox, and a man is not what he seems.

When Lachlan, the golden Prince of Faeries, is transformed into a fox and banished from the forest on the eve of his mother’s funeral, the last creature he expects to seek help from is a human.

But Sorcha Darrow is not so easily enchanted by the wily faerie. Only after discovering her father means to marry her to a wealthy Londoner does she decide to help him, seeking the power of a being even Lachlan is wary of: a kelpie. In finding one Sorcha hopes that she may just avoid her own dire fate in the process.

With Sorcha’s dreams being their only true form of communication, Lachlan has to race against time to break his curse and take his place as king before he’s doomed to live as a fox forever.

But someone else is after the throne, and may just use Sorcha’s growing connection to Lachlan to reach it.

The first book in the stunning Bright Spear trilogy, Prince of Foxes is loosely based on the Celtic fairy tale of Gold-tree and Silver-tree, and features a cameo from Julian and Evie from The Tower Without a Door (Chronicles of Curses book 3).

NOTE: Prince of Foxes is written in UK (British) English, not American English.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Fiction, Magic, Fairy Tales, Mythology

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2019

About the author

Follow me on Bookbub! https://bit.ly/HLBookb

NOTE: H. L. Macfarlane is currently on a publishing hiatus to focus on her mental health. She hopes to return with new titles in early 2026 and appreciates your understanding in the meantime.

Hayley Louise Macfarlane hails from the very tiny hamlet of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. After graduating with a PhD in molecular genetics she did a complete 180 and moved into writing fiction. Though she loves writing multiple genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, psychological fiction and horror so far!) she is most widely known for her enemies-to-lovers STEM rom-com, The Unbalanced Equation, and her Gothic, Scottish fairy tale, Prince of Foxes – book one of the Bright Spear trilogy.

Reviews

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 39%

I'm sad not to finish this, because I was really looking forward to it, and the beginning was really good.

After the amazing beginning, the book just got silly. That's not what I was expecting at all. First, Sorcha meets Lachlan once. There's an attraction, but she remains cautious because he's a faerie. Then he comes to her in a dream asking for help and she's all "Welp, better gather up the ol' camping supplies and set off on a dangerous journey to help this faerie guy!" Yeah... Which brings me to another point, why does she just have a tent and other camping supplies in her room?

When Lachlan is traveling with her in fox form, he feels her up by pawing her breasts, and she tells herself not to get too excited. From a fox. Feeling her up. O_O

Their relationship was a little too familiar for my taste, by which I mean there was no relationship development whatsoever. I thought it was going to be more of a slow build, judging from the beginning, but the quick way they just fell into trusting each other and sleeping next to each other annoyed me. Lachlan burrowed under her clothes while she slept so he could be next to her skin, and later she undressed in front of him because she wanted him to watch, even as a fox. Good grief. Speaking of which, why did Sorcha only bring her dad's old shirt to sleep in if she expected to go on a journey by herself? What year does this take place in? This just seemed not only anachronistic, but unwise on her part.

Anyway, I've been DNFing a lot of books lately, and this one joins the ranks. I don't like it enough at this point to continue.

[Jesse Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spellbinding tale of betrayal and revenge that incites an unexpected alliance between the exiled Prince of Faeries and an enchanting Scottish maiden of his desires

Whimsical does not even begin to describe the atmosphere of H.L Macfarlane's transcendent and refreshing take on Scottish folklore. From the onset, the chemistry between our two main protagonists, Lachlan and Sorcha, is undeniably electric. And while the rapport begins as a mischievous game of cat-and-mouse, it develops into something genuine as the trajectory of their paths brings them closer together. Both are stricken with tragedy, as Lachlan is transformed into a fox by a usurper and Sorcha is pressured to accept a marriage proposal to a mysterious and intimidating stranger. In desperation, they seek eachother out, driven by the memory of a spark inexplicably between them on the day they met. This is a beautifully written tale of a hesitant partnership turned passionate romance between two unlikely heroes and the steps they take to free eachother from a tragic fate.

From the first page to the last, this is a captivating read. The pace is balanced throughout, and the setting and characters are beautifully articulated. Their personalities are unique and substantial, with Sorcha's fiery, effervescent spirit and Lachlan's roguish charisma bringing life to the story. The banter between them is smart and natural, and the swapping points of view give the reader a front row seat to their growing affections. All in all, the execution of this tale was pure magic, and I'm eagerly anticipating the second installment, Lord of Horses.

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

[T.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting and worldbuilding of this were pretty strong and I loved the faerie and Scottish mythology woven into it. The writing style works well and is easy to follow, and the story as a whole was fine. The first 1/4 and last 1/4 of the book were more engaging for me. I had a difficult time with the middle. Overall I just really wanted some more depth from the characters and their relationships as I thought those had potential that weren't fully explored. I also sometimes found myself really questioning the characters' decisions and motives. The writing and worldbuilding were solid so I'd definitely be willing to consider a different book by this author, but I probably won't be continuing with this particular series.

[Sara Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked it up this evening planning to just read a few chapters... 4 hours later I've read the entire book and have to immediately go put the sequel in my Amazon cart. The writing is beautiful and the worldbuilding is sublime. The author's love for the land and the folklore comes through on every page.

[OldBird · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a stand-out cover. It says fairy tale with a hint of Celtic, and it's got that right. In a crowded field of over-hormonal fairy tale reworkings, this one stands out for being both more adult and more atmospheric than it's YA cousins. It also... wasn't quite what I was expecting.

We follow the unfortunate tale of Lachlan, Prince of the Seelie Court of Scotland, fae playboy extraordinaire and about to ascend to the throne... Until his Unseelie-aligned half-brother curses him to be trapped in the body of a fox. He finds help in the form of a human girl who had taken his fancy yet resisted his attempts to spirit her away, one Miss Sorcha Darrow. She has her own problems, not least that her parents are arranging to marry her off to a Londoner with good intentions but darkness in his eyes. She decided to run away in search of the kelpie of Loch Lomand to ask for it's aid for Lochlan's little shapeshifting problem. It has nothing at all to do with getting away from the frighteningly attractive Murdoch Buchanon, nor to allow her to spend more time with the (formerly) handsome prince.

There's something ethereal about the sparse setting and the fairy-tale narration. It sets the scene perfectly as somewhere between romanticised Celtic fae dreams and a more bleak reality. Everything from the sooty villages and icy black waters of the loch to the swirling court of the fae gets the tone spot on.

What confused me a little was the "romantic" description of the story. Sorcha's attentions are very much lustful and dominated by her numerous "impure" thoughts rather than the more emotional relationships I'd anticipated. Her relationship with Lachlan was interesting in that you could never be sure how much was mutual attraction and how much was supernatural in origin. There's something faintly uncomfortable in how early on he makes it clear he wants to own her, and how she's pretty fine with that.

I'd hoped that during their slow-paced journey together they might get to know each other without the pesky sexy fae energy getting in the way - after all, he's physically a fox. Maybe even wring some humour from some of their situations, given that he's in the habit of pawing her with literal paws. That... wasn't how the story played it. I also just didn't understand Sorcha's flip-flopping need to get close to Lachlan (when he was mean but hot) or Murdoch (when he was terrifying and possessive, but hot). Like I say, this one's more adult and gothic than I anticipated, but it's not a full on steam-a-thon either.

It is quite a slow paced affair, and it took a long time for things to really get going. I was surprised at how long it took for our heroes to work out what was really going on with the antagonists.

Overall it's a well-written, good reworking of an unfamiliar tale with its root firmly in the Scottish mythology. Just don't expect sweet romance and you'll probably enjoy it more than I did.

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

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince of Foxes hooked me from page 1! I loved...

..the world. The author is from Scotland, so it’s easy to be transported into the world of lochs and forests. (I suspect H.L. may have even visited the land of the faeries.)

...the characters. Sorcha is strong and a little wild and so much fun. Lachlan is a wily faerie, and I’ll admit he enchanted me. Murdoch is...well, it would be too spoilerish for me to say much besides that he’s a verg interesting character.

...the romance. I love a good slow burn! The romance is compelling (without being super explicit).

This book is also just-plain well written. It’s smooth, descriptive, and paced well.

I immediately started Book 2 and am about to go back to it after I post this review!

[Liliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always looking for a good fae book that will feel immersive and have good characters I can root for. This was just the thing, and I'm glad it was a fae fantasy romance to boot, with plenty of chemistry! On top of that, it was set in the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland, a familiar place to me. I will continue with the series.

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I was worried it would be too contemporary with all the talk of tourists, but it wasn't. The strangest thing happened as I read, though.. I didn't like the kelpie until *the very end* and now I just feel all kinds of bad for him. I loved Lachlan for most of the book and now.. I think he's kind of a jerk? So many conflicted feelings.. which I guess means I need to read the next book in the series!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little underwhelmed by this series, so much so that I only read the first two books and a little of the third. The first book, Prince of Foxes, follows Sorcha, a Scottish girl whose parents are ready to marry her off to a businessman to preserve their land, as she tries to rescue Lachlan, the future king of the Seelie court, who has been cursed into the form of a fox. The second book follows Sorcha and the kelpie villain from the first book as they travel to London to try to save the land and loch they love. I did not get far enough into the third book to get a solid sense of the story for a one sentence synopsis.

The story premises overall were pretty interesting. This is probably aided by the fact that the stories are based on classic stories. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the series after the first book, so I gave the second one a shot. By the third book, I realized I didn’t really care how it ended for the bizarre trio of protagonists. I was pretty ambivalent about most aspects of the stories, so each element has its pros and cons.

I appreciated the integration of Scottish mythology into the narrative of the story. I have definitely read many stories about the Seelie and Unseelie Courts and their encounters with generally unlucky humans. I haven’t read many stories with kelpies as protagonists though and I enjoyed the author’s exploration of how the kelpie’s magic works in the second book.

The setting is nice, though I feel that for how central it is to the conflict in the story, it would have been highlighted a little more. The story does weave in how influential the land and the loch are to Sorcha’s life and upbringing, but I feel like there were opportunities for a little more description of the environment. Given that Lachlan and Murdoch (the kelpie) are essentially embodiments of the land and water respectively, there were opportunities to really reflect them off of each other more often.

The characters had personalities that were pretty equally endearing and annoying. Sorcha is a headstrong, independent girl with a good heart. I liked her in general; however, the fact that she was so cavalier in her interactions with the fae was a little difficult to believe. A girl who was raised to be cautious of the fae might still be intrigued enough to get wrapped up in saving them from curses or punishments, but her brazenness came off as needlessly reckless instead of empowering. While I understand that the fae are flighty, fickle creatures, Lachlan came off as almost creepily horny rather than a strong candidate for love interest. Out of the three main characters, Murdoch struck me as the most realistic in his reactions to the events of the story, and he was supposed to be the bad guy.

More than anything, the events in the first two books just seemed rushed and the relationships between the characters too convenient. Had the author taken her time to really develop the love interest between Sorcha and Lachlan, it would have made for a more interesting and natural progression and added some needed substance to the story.

Overall, this was a middle of the road set of books. I didn’t dislike it enough to stop after book one, but I didn’t like it enough to read through book three. If you’re interested in fairy tale and fae mythology, this might be for you.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like love triangles. That is why this dropped to a 3 star instead of a 4.


The characters are likable and I enjoyed the book immensely, until the last chapter. I understand why the Kelpie would have a fascination with Clara/Sorcha, but why does she feel similar to him? I guess I was just rooting for her and Lachlan to be together and that was that. I don't know if the tale it is based from goes like this, but I am unsure I want to continue the series. It is a real shame. Faeries intrigue me and I enjoy the books I have read about them.

[DancingMarshmallow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 3.75 stars

This was a charming and unique fantasy romance that really drew heavily from Scottish folklore; these are not your typical prancing pretty boy fae. These faeries are scary!

Straight out of the gate, I'd like to say that while the hero, Lachlan, spends a lot of his time stuck as a fox, there's no weird furry action going on. Other reviews mention being weirded out by a reference to Lachlan's pawing at Sorcha's breasts, but it's more a means for him to annoy her (enemies-to-lovers), and for the two characters to later wish for him to be humanoid again. Lachlan and Sorcha can also communicate while he's a fox, so they develop their relationship through conversation. If you've read Swordheart by T. Kingfisher, you'll get the idea.

Many of the supporting characters and side plots are a bit weak (like Sorcha's family), but that's not really the point of the book. We're going on an enemy-to-lovers road trip through the Scottish countryside in order to break a curse and save the day, and the real character development is the romance between Lachlan and Sorcha.

The setting details spoke to me. I enjoyed the dialogue and romance/friendship. I appreciated the Celtic folklore. Overall, I'm going to say this one is a pretty good read if you're also interested in those things.

[Helen Whistberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this first book in a trilogy, we follow the adventures of Sorcha as she meets Lachlan, the Prince of the Faeries, who has been transformed into a fox by a jealous usurper of the throne. The two have an instant attraction which is complicated by the entrance of the enigmatic Murdoch, who's been promised Sorcha's hand in marriage by her father. Torn between the attentions of these two strong personalities, Sorcha is not afraid to assert herself to find a solution to Lachlan's plight even if it means confronting the dangerous water horse of legend, a kelpie. This is the kind of fantasy novel I really enjoy: based on familiar folklore, very character-centered, and full of action. It was a page turner, especially toward the middle and end as the plot thickened and twisted. The author does a great job of creating complicated characters so that you're never quite sure who's a hero and who's a villain. Some timely themes about the environment and conservation issues are also woven into the narrative as an interesting motivation behind the actions of some of the characters. A very entertaining read for fans of Faerie and other folklore.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertaining Scottish fantasy romance tale

I enjoyed this book as I read more deeply into the story. I liked the theme of preserving the lochs from development.
I also enjoyed the banter between Sorcha and Lachlan. You can easily see the comparison of the faerie Prince and the fox that he becomes are closely aligned. They are both clever, resourceful, and cute! And surprisingly, I grew to like the kelpie, Murdoch, and could understand why he wanted to change things amongst the faery worlds. But also that he was wrong to choose this path in order to bring about change. So I felt sorry for him at the end.
What I didn’t like was the groping of Lachlan whilst he was a fox. It was perhaps represented as cute but was inappropriate even for him. I was indeed uncomfortable with those scenes. Also that Sorcha was torn between the two for a while was quite lustful on her part. She almost had relations with both of them at different times, and that was just not right. She seemed indecisive whereas each man sotospeak wanted only her exclusively without a doubt,
I liked how it ended and I will continue the trilogy in the future.

[Kaity ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loves fairy tales and is interested in Scottish lore, this was a fun read! I thought it was a page turner and exciting. I love foxes so reading Lachlan’s journey as a fox was so interesting - he is quite the sly one! Also, I never fully looked into what a kelpie was and wowww, he was quite alluring with Sorcha and equally as creepy! His descriptions gave me chills! I figured out the twist early on but was still shocked at the reveal. I really liked Sorcha too but she was a bit too.. I don’t know how to explain it. She was quite brazen and I was never sure if it was because of who she was in the presence of or if that’s how she was. Still! I am looking forward to the next book! 4 stars! 🦊✨

[Patrycja Krystyna McConnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book and after a good start it was nothing but disappointing.
I feel like the story had a lot of potential, which only adds to how dissatisfied I feel... Characters weren’t believable and their actions seemed to make no sense. The plot was all over the place and by the second half of the book I completely lost interest.

[Dora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a lot of potential, but in the end it all fell flat - from the characters to the world they inhabited, everything seemed hollow and unfinished. It felt more like a first draft then a finished story tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️
Murdock has so much antihero potential but that is not enough to tempt to suffer through the sequel ☹

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prince of Foxes is an easy to read fantasy story told like a classic fairy tale. Sorcha knows what it is like to live near the Faerie realm, and in this story she runs into multiple Fae creatures and gets entangled into their hearts and plans. I read this on Kindle Unlimited and feel it is the perfect Kindle book; quick, easy to read and has all of the fairy tale elements I love.

[Karen Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book! I'm excited to read the rest in the series! Love the characters and the Scottish reference!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

"A fox?!" Lachlan cried out, though the words were strange in his new throat. He bolted for the closest mirror, dismayed beyond reckoning to see russet fur, dark, pointed ears and a white underbelly. His eyes were small and beady, though his golden irises remained. There were no two ways about it; his new appearance wasn't a glamour or an illusion or a trick of the light. Lachlan really was a fox.

And so begins the journey of a betrayed Faerie prince named Lachlan, magicked into the body of a fox (one that can still speak), with a throne on the line and an unknown amount of time before he may be forever trapped as a fox.

Prince of Foxes is a short, fun read involving faeries, kelpie, and, of course, an enchanting human that drives the plot forward. Readers familiar with books involving fae will see a lot of familiar ground here. Any tropes this book follows was easily forgiven by me, however, because I found the writing engaging and the characters interesting. Macfarlane is a writer whose style draws you in even if you've been down this sort of road before, like comfort food with a bit of a unique twist.

Sorcha, who uses the anglicized name of Clara with the fae, is seemingly flawless, but rises above the Mary Sue trope for me by being smart, a little off-beat, and concerned about her environment. Sorcha finds herself drawn to both the forests and the lochs of her Scottish land, for which her eyes are a nice allusion, and the need to protect it and the people who inhabit it are foundational to her character.

...Sorcha was happy with the promise of wet, cold days and wetter, colder nights. For though the creeping autumn weather and the inevitable winter that followed caused damage to roofs and fields and sometimes livestock, it also signalled a blessed end to the slew of tourists that had bombarded the tiny town of Darach since April.

Environmentalism and the imperialism of capitalism are themes that run throughout the book, driving plot and character. It's not exactly Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest levels of messaging, but the issues of land use, tourism, and rural livelihoods are motivating issues in the text, and I like the book all the more for it.

The main plot essentials can be found in the book summary, so I won't go further into the basic plot. I would like to have seen more world-building and character building, but I also enjoyed the fast pace of the book; I consumed it in one day. It is told in alternating POV, between Lachlan, the Faerie Prince, and Sorcha, the human girl.

Although it is part of a trilogy and does have a bit of an open ending, it is certainly resolved enough to stand on its own and is not cliffhanger bait. I know I will be jumping into the second one with anticipation.

Thank you to Booksprout and the author for a review copy of this book.

[Klui Joesween · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It was exactly what I’d been craving and it was mostly well written. It may have been translated into English from another language because some words were misspelled or misused, such as "me" and "my" sometimes got switched. I read the whole book in a single day because I couldn’t put it down haha. I LOVE the British/Scottish flavor and all the folklore.

[Adrien Lockheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is certainly interesting to see & read. The plot is an odd combination of fairytales and lustful romance. However, the concept sounded so.. unique, I decided to give it a try. Now, I don’t really regret reading this book. It was a very fun read all in all. However, some parts of it could have been a bit better. The character and romance development happened either not at all or all too quickly. Sorcha, the protagonist, goes from being extremely cautious and wary of men & faeries attempting to win her over to falling head-over-heels for them almost immediately. There’s not much character development of Sorcha suggesting how or why this happens, rather she switches personalities instantly less than halfway through the book. The other characters barely even talk to Sorcha before deciding they want to be in a relationship with her. I feel more could have been done with the plot of the story, as nothing that suspenseful happens until the very end of the book. Despite its shortcomings, Prince of Foxes was an entertaining read. It’s descriptions of emotions, landscapes, and overall concept mostly made up for the lack of character development and suspense. I’m happy to induct it into The Good Place.

[My book reviews are divided into 3 sections: Concept, Writing Style, and Plot, the three things I look for in a perfect book. Each section is given a one to five star score, and the totals are averaged for the final book star total, rounding up for books I generally liked, and rounding down for books I generally didn’t like.]

Concept: 4 Stars [What the book is supposed to be about.]

I must credit this book with having one of the most curiously unique concepts I have ever seen. Lachlan, the prince of the faeries, has been poisoned and transformed into a fox by his not-of-blood family. I like how both Sorcha & Lachlan have a motive to help the latter become a humanoid entity again. I also found the large twists entertaining. However, most of the romance was fueled by lust, rather than actual connection. I couldn’t really understand why Sorcha decided to be in a relationship with both Lachlan and Murdoch at the same time. I mean, you do you, Sorcha, but your relationship with the latter man has absolutely no motive. Because of this, and the aforementioned lack of suspense in the middle of the book, I have deducted a star. Overall, however, the concept was curiously entertaining to read.

Writing Style: 4 Stars [How the author writes the book, chooses words, and describes the story.]

I absolutely admire Macfarlane’s writing style. I love the descriptions of the beautifully scenic lochs and forests, the depiction of emotion in the characters, and the diversity of emotion in the characters. Macfarlane did a wonderful job fleshing out the emotions in all of the characters, specifically Lachlan’s frustration at becoming a fox, Sorcha’s confusion and mild terror towards her suitors, and Fergus and Ignis’s unhinged anger towards Lachlan. Macfarlane also was wonderful at writing manipulative dialogue that the characters, mostly Lachlan & Murdoch, used to enchant Sorcha and others to trust them. However, even after finishing the book, some characters’ motives behind their decisions are still unclear to me. While Macfarlane was great at descriptions, she lacked in character development and motivation. Because of this, I have deducted a star from this portion. In general, though, I liked the writing style used in this book.

Plot: 3 Stars [How the author executes the concept. What happens? How does the first sentence lead to the last?]

The plot in this book was okay, but it could have certainly used more character development and suspense. Other than the beginning and the end of the book, I was never that intrigued in the storyline. Lachlan, the prince of the faeries, has been poisoned and transformed into a fox by his not-of-blood family, Fergus & Ignis. These two have a lot of anger towards Lachlan, and if we never get to see why , I really need them to bring down their energy level. At this point, Fergus & Ignis really remind me of these two:



The resemblance is striking, really. Lachlan then enlists the human he met the morning before his betrayal, Sorcha, to help him regain his humanoid form. Sorcha decides to immediately fall in love with him, even though he keeps hinting, or even outright demanding that he own her later.

Spoilers for Middle of Book:
Sorcha decides to run away from Murdoch, a man attempting to marry her, but then later falls in love with him too. It would be nice if she and Lachlan had to go on some large, fantastical quest to find a cure for him, but they just take a glorified nature hike to find a horse willing to give Sorcha his bridle. Spoiler alert: Sorcha falls in love with the horse, too.

Spoilers for Ending of Book:
I also don’t like how Sorcha just gives up on pretty much all of her love interests at the end and goes back to her parents. After all of those romantic encounters, it felt quite anticlimactic to end the book this way.

However, despite the shortcomings in character development and suspense, the curious concept made up for it a bit. The beginning and ending were quite suspenseful, and I overall enjoyed reading the book.

If you like reading romance or shapeshifting, I would totally recommend this book to you. Otherwise, it might be a bit dull. It’s hard to regret reading this book, though. It takes you on a journey through Scottish mythology, adds a bit of romance, and reads smoothly.

Total: 4 + 4 + 3 = 11 ||| 11 / 3 = ~3.5

3.5 has been rounded to 4 Stars , as I generally liked the book.

[Riv Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join us as we discover the many ways to use the word ‘burn’!

No, this isn’t a how-to guide, rather a twist of folklore that slips through the fingers like a Scottish stream. We can’t all live on the shores of Loch Lomond, but thankfully, one who does, H. L. Macfarlane, wrote the utterly brilliant Prince of Foxes to sate our appetites.

“So they disappeared, in one fashion or another, and they only had themselves to blame. They had been warned, after all, and they didn’t listen.”
– Sorcha, Prince of Foxes

Taking us to the water’s edge was easy with Macfarlane’s smooth, rhythmic pace. She unfolds for us the ways of the lore first—the power of a name—the bindings and enchantments that lurk beneath the trees. She spears that against the press of outsiders, the slow trickle of development into peaceful, magical glens—until the tourists outnumber the locals—the concerns for everyone’s way of life outnumbering both.

“Her father was a smart man. He had raised a clever daughter. Sorcha would not be caught by a faerie so easily.”
– Sorcha, Prince of Foxes

Sorcha was born to the loch. Her family shore up the land’s traditions. She sways with the trees and sings for each rock. So what happens if she is pursued by the faeries? Perhaps even, their prince? We follow this enigmatic character on her quest to save everything that matters, including herself.

“The advancements made in human medicine, and human technology, meant that humans were beginning to forget what it felt like to fear ‘otherness’.”
– Lachlan, Prince of Foxes

Lachlan knows just how to deal with humans. Take what you wish, make pets of the best. The Seelie Court has its own traditions for the Crown Prince to follow, but why even entertain those notions when you’ve lived hundreds of years and can enchant your way from throne room to bedroom? We long to whack this entitled lad around the ear, even if Sorcha does a bang up job to begin with. We smile in turmoil as her cunning experience shields her soul—at least until Lachlan finds a new angle entirely.

In the ways of love and war, their struggles are beautifully scripted. Tension, heartache, pain, and fear. Macfarlane lets us walk with both of these characters as we unwind the truth. Between Sorcha’s spontaneous instincts and the fae’s perverted intentions, this story takes us from myth to legend, scattering their facets across fresh new forests.

“The feeling of singing to him was achingly nostalgic, as if she truly was sitting upon the loch-side watching the sun set across the water.”
– Sorcha, Prince of Foxes

Once I fell into the ebb and flow of these words, I couldn’t stop. Sorcha provided that sass and uncertainty that builds instant fondness, Lachlan the swift fall from grace we all needed to befriend him. Together, their relationship is the slow burn to keep the plot pulling. There’s others; political, family, responsibility to heath and hearth, the unknown gentleman, the lost love. It all spins a delicate web we are happy to be ensnared by.

Keep this one on your bedside table for some heart restoration. Recommend it to all of your friends who need the thrum of deep magic in their bones. I cannot wait to read the next two installments of this tale! I just hope you’ll join me in celebrating the Scottish use of ‘burn’ from here on out.

By the burn, Hearties!

Riv ♡

[Jennifer Moreland · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, so I love Scotland, and my favorite fantasies feel otherworldly in tone and texture as well as setting, so I really thought we had something here, even though the plot — falling in love with a cursed fae prince — is not out of the ordinary (sometimes I just enjoy a beloved story told well in a new voice).

However — HOWEVER ***spoilers below*** the author seems to be juggling two story ideas and, instead of picking which plot (and man) to go with, she decided to just mash them into one, and it didn't work for me.

I got within 10% of being done with this book and then DNF, because I could tell things were going to stay unfinished from my perspective as a reader. And then, when I checked the complete series, sure enough, reviews and synopses indicate it has morphed into a sort of unresolved, semi-polyamory situation.

I understand that my views are not everyone's views, but I love men, particularly in their distinctness.

And I am a competitive reader, dear author.

I needed one of these men to win, and I knew which one it should be. But... things got murky fast. I read on! I read on. If things had taken a decisive turn toward the end, I would have hung in there.

But it seems no decision will be made, and no winner will be chosen.

So — again, spoilers — if you, like I, need your heroine to choose between:

1. The big, dark, handsome, brawny, flawed-yet-so-appealing, intense man who is literally formed from the lochs and hills of Scotland and has loved her, and only her, from afar, waiting for his moment to capture her heart and then moving decisively to stake his claim
2. And the golden fae prince with a tender heart who may be in love with someone else and never really develops beyond a cute guy who wants to see her naked

...then you will be disappointed.

Stars note: I enjoyed the writing and would have been absolutely enthralled with this book IF it had been about one idea. I would have then loved her next series that was about the next idea. Or, even better, if she had tricked me into wanting "the villain" and it turned out he was really The Guy all along (I thought she was doing that, and I was thrilled.)

I won't pretend I didn't enjoy my time with the book — I did. That's why it hurts so bad that Murdoch won't get his girl, at least not in a way that feels satisfying to me.

[Jessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prince of Foxes
HL MacFarlane
6 Hours, 50 Minutes

Prince of Foxes is the first installment in the Bright Spear Trilogy from HL MacFarlane, and it's a fun, magic-filled, flexible retelling of the "Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree" Celtic fairytale. The story introduces us to Sorcha, and we follow her path as she crosses with Lachlan, a fae prince who was cursed and turned into a fox. I enjoyed the story written for us by HL MacFarlane and the way they put their spin on the folklore. Sorcha was an easy character to feel an affinity for as the story went on, hoping she would find the answers she sought. I wasn't sure how my feelings about Lachlan would end up; his selfish nature and penchant for trickery made it more difficult to identify with Lachlan as a character. Sorcha's strength in character despite her fears and everything unknown to her was commendable. One thing I love about HL MacFarlane's books is how other characters sneak in and make surprise visits in the stories. We got to see Julian and Evie again!

I read this book as an audiobook, and HL MacFarlane does a great job at writing books that grip you and pull you into a story constantly moving forward. You're always trying to figure out who the villain is, and the rollercoaster of emotions and reactions to get there is perfectly done. I loved all of the folklore that was a part of the book, the faerie history, the kelpie, and how the author added bits and pieces into the story that spoke to the necessity to preserve the environment around us. Alexander Bevan is a familiar narrator for HL MacFarlane and did a great job with Prince of Foxes. He has a spectacular singing voice, which came in handy with Prince of Foxes, and he does potentially morally gray, "wondering if this is right" characters well. He is on my list of great narrators!

Everything was seamless in its presentation and led to a great story. I am excited to read the next book in the series! Thank you, HL MacFarlane, for a great first book in a trilogy!

[Evie Childs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enchanting, if in places a little baffling, read that was seeped in the whimsy of folktales and Celtic charm. It drew me in, enchanted me and gripped me tight until the end section where things became a little foggy and unclear in terms of characters reasonings and intentions. A character who had previously been portrayed as cunning became subdued and controlled by emotion and that felt a little off. Though that could be chalked up to lingering attraction and emotional enhancement, and it didn’t pull me utterly out of the story; I definitely wanted to keep reading. There were a couple of blunders concerning plot holes in the form of a characters age being twenty for most of the story and then them celebrating a twentieth birthday. Also how was the Kelpie able to use it’s enchanting powers and mind reading abilities within the water, if Murdoch was out if it at the exact same time; given that he was the Kelpie how was it possible for that scene to even happen? Perhaps I have to read it again? The earring being cursed felt a little random, why did no one pick up on it if faeries can sense things? Then again it was cursed by another faerie so that could explain it. The ending let this book down for me, but overall didn’t stop my enjoyment of it and so I’m giving it four stars despite this flaw. It was the perfect magical escapism I needed; now to ponder whether I should buy the next book in the tribology, and allow myself to be whisked away on another whimsical journey.

[Geraldine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable Gothic Romance

This novel is set in a version of 19th century Scotland in which human and supernatural realms uneasily coexist. Spirited Sorcha, who lives close to Loch Lomond, is hostile towards English tourists and wary of the local faeries but she soon finds herself involved with a mysterious suitor from London and a Faerie Prince who has been turned into a fox. The complex love triangle which develops is really well handled so if you love supernatural romances this trilogy could be for you.

There are elements from Scottish folklore in the plot, such as the belief in kelpies (dangerous water-horses), but not as many as I was hoping for. Oddly - since the author is Scottish - I found the historical setting rather unconvincing. The dialogue is bland and often sounds too modern. I found it hard to believe in a 19th century young woman who, when glimpsing a Faerie palace, can only say "Wow!". I longed for the rich and distinctive language to be found in other novels based on Scottish folklore, such as K.M.Briggs' `Kate Crackernuts'.

[Lara (Atlas Of Stories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince of Foxes is an interesting start to a trilogy about Fae, the Bright Spear Trilogy. It was a unique story, about a subject I recently fall into. Especially after reading another book by this author (All I Want for Christmas is a Faerie Assassin?!).

The story is about a Fae Prince cursed as a fox, and a human girl trying to help him regain his body and his throne. It is closely based on the Celtic fairy tale of Gold-tree and Silver-tree. I am not familiar with that tale, but the story created in Prince of Foxes was very interesting and original to read.

I enjoyed their adventures together and their band that grew as the story unfolded. I already have the next book in the trilogy ready to be explored. Hopefully, it will be as entertaining and enchanting as the first book.

I recommend this book to people who are into Fae, fantasy-romance, and fairy tales.

[Mandy Schimelpfenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up
Sorcha lives near Loch Lomond, Scotland, a land of beauty that's being invaded by tourists. She hates that her beloved land may disappear, and she's determined to keep her family's home. But when her parents bring home a stranger from the city and tells get they're betrothed, she runs away. She doesn't want to be tied to a husband, especially one she inexplicably fears.
But there are more than animals in the woods. Sorcha knows about the faeries, how thet enchant people into doing their bidding. So when she meets a cursed prince, she doesn't give him her name. She however agrees to help him break the curse that's turned him into a fox so he can claim his throne. A throne someone else is after.
A fairy tale that breaks the rules. Sorcha isn't a damsel in distress and the bad guys aren't all bad. I like how the author portrays the uncertainty of the situation, the conflicting feelings Sorcha struggles with, and the decision she ultimately makes. The scenery is lovely and the tension high. I would definitely pick up the next book in the series.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so I really wanted to like this one. I made it 150 pages in before I had to DNF.
I bought this because the sample chapter I read in the beginning was sooo visually enthralling and intriguing. Unfortunately for me it was a bit downhill from there.

The overall vibe of this story -which has a confusing time period...is it modern? is it pseudo victorian? who can say - reminds me of that fanfic famous for a girl coming downstairs to find out that her parents sold her to One Direction. That's how Sorcha's arranged betrothal feels. The actual characterization of the characters involved insta-love and other weirdness.

The dialogue intermingles modern and more antique methods of phrasing, which is quite jarring.

I try not to nitpick about formatting, but that needs some work as well. It doesn't matter if you avoid typos if the actual flow of words on the page is separated by odd gaps.

I hate to give this one a bad review. I really do. But it quite disappointed me. :(

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always a sucker for drawn-out fairy tale reinventions and am curious about Scottish mythos, so I had to check this out when I saw the simple yet elegant cover and read the summary.

I quite enjoyed it. I mostly breezed through it over several days, listening to it on long walks and drives (basically, I found excuses to indulge in it). The two male leads are quite interesting yet flawed in that dashing way of a good Gothic romantic hero. I feel for both of them by the ending, even as one is revealed to be quite terrible.

I also want to give a shoutout to the narrator, who not only differentiates between the cast quite well but sings beautifully when it's called for by the text.

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review. And I'm excited to start on the next book in the series.