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The Feyfolk Trilogy #2
A Bird in the Snow
Can even the worst mistakes be forgiven?
Ean Cochall has lived in the wilderness for two years, providing for the needy by day and assassinating rogues by night. It's all in pursuit of one thing: justice. So when he's approached by a mysterious figure and asked to kill a fae accused of crimes against the Gwyns, he readily accepts.
Murrin has fled to the wilderness to hide from someone who seeks her life. She has the name of a fey who can protect her: Ean Cochall, leader of the outlaw band the Green Company. What she doesn't know is that Ean already knows about her--and he was just hired to kill her.
As dark secrets come to light and old ghosts rise from the dead, will Ean uncover the truth? Or will his own mistakes come back to haunt him, making justice something not even he wants to achieve?
Ean Cochall has lived in the wilderness for two years, providing for the needy by day and assassinating rogues by night. It's all in pursuit of one thing: justice. So when he's approached by a mysterious figure and asked to kill a fae accused of crimes against the Gwyns, he readily accepts.
Murrin has fled to the wilderness to hide from someone who seeks her life. She has the name of a fey who can protect her: Ean Cochall, leader of the outlaw band the Green Company. What she doesn't know is that Ean already knows about her--and he was just hired to kill her.
As dark secrets come to light and old ghosts rise from the dead, will Ean uncover the truth? Or will his own mistakes come back to haunt him, making justice something not even he wants to achieve?
- GenresFantasy
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2023
33 people want to read
About the author
M.C. Kennedy
5 books46 followersM. C. Kennedy fell in love with fantasy at nine years old after reading The Lord of the Rings. She now strives to reflect her Creator by dreaming up fictional realms that point readers to His truths in the real world. When she’s not roaming through fanciful forests, struggling to understand Greek and Hebrew, or geeking out over one of her many fandoms, she loves to connect with readers on her website or her various social media platforms.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 22, 2023
Eeek, this was such a good book! I loved reading about Ean!
Characters:
Ean was the main MC of the book. Most of the chapters took place in his POV, and he was both arrogant and somehow not annoying. He knew he was good with a bow, and yet he was lovable, and boy, did I grow to love this character and his struggles and his guilt. *hugs my boy*
Murrin was our other POV and I enjoyed her character, she was sweet!
Side character wise Sean and Liam were amazing!! I loved the humor and just everything! And we can't forget Fwaylin! I want him!!!! He's so blooming adorable!!!!!
Themes:
Pro-life themes were beautifully woven into the story, outlining the heartache and guilt that come after making the decision to end an unborn life. The ways it can eat at you and twist your soul....but also how taking the lives of adults can change us too, how looking at life as if it was worth nothing distorts the beauty of it and changes us as a person. It was so BEAUTIFUL! And I love every second of it! And also, the powerful message of forgiveness and God's redemption that reaches to lowest of us and pulls us from the mire of our own making!
Language:
N/A
Magic:
There is some but it's not chanting spells, more of a Gnome thing, though Feyfolk can learn how to use it. It's not anything weird though. Like the level of Gandalf in LotR.
Romance:
Subtle but beautiful!
Overall:
This story is powerful! Shining much-needed light on a dark area in our society. Spreading a message that more need to hear. Letting us know that God forgives us, no matter what we've done, and that every life is precious!
Kennedy has woven a beautiful tale that I won't soon forget!
*I received a ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Characters:
Ean was the main MC of the book. Most of the chapters took place in his POV, and he was both arrogant and somehow not annoying. He knew he was good with a bow, and yet he was lovable, and boy, did I grow to love this character and his struggles and his guilt. *hugs my boy*
Murrin was our other POV and I enjoyed her character, she was sweet!
Side character wise Sean and Liam were amazing!! I loved the humor and just everything! And we can't forget Fwaylin! I want him!!!! He's so blooming adorable!!!!!
Themes:
Pro-life themes were beautifully woven into the story, outlining the heartache and guilt that come after making the decision to end an unborn life. The ways it can eat at you and twist your soul....but also how taking the lives of adults can change us too, how looking at life as if it was worth nothing distorts the beauty of it and changes us as a person. It was so BEAUTIFUL! And I love every second of it! And also, the powerful message of forgiveness and God's redemption that reaches to lowest of us and pulls us from the mire of our own making!
Language:
N/A
Magic:
There is some but it's not chanting spells, more of a Gnome thing, though Feyfolk can learn how to use it. It's not anything weird though. Like the level of Gandalf in LotR.
Romance:
Subtle but beautiful!
Overall:
This story is powerful! Shining much-needed light on a dark area in our society. Spreading a message that more need to hear. Letting us know that God forgives us, no matter what we've done, and that every life is precious!
Kennedy has woven a beautiful tale that I won't soon forget!
*I received a ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
September 28, 2023
3.5 stars
A Bird in the Snow takes a fearless look at the value of life and the power of forgiveness, accenting these themes with a varied cast, a starlit wintry world, and a dash of magic. If you're looking for approachable fantasy with hard-hitting themes, A Bird in the Snow will be the perfect fit.
A Bird in the Snow takes a fearless look at the value of life and the power of forgiveness, accenting these themes with a varied cast, a starlit wintry world, and a dash of magic. If you're looking for approachable fantasy with hard-hitting themes, A Bird in the Snow will be the perfect fit.
July 17, 2023
UPDATE: A Bird in the Snow is almost ready to launch! I'm currently looking for reviewers, and I'm shooting for a September release date.
August 2, 2025
Ean, that rascal, was the full star of the show for me. Full review to come!
Review:
To start off with what I liked about this fantasy book, let's start with Ean. Because Ean was such a fun, snarky character character lol. You come to see the snark hides pain, but nonetheless I liked him even when he was doing *cough* questionable *cough* things. His sense of justice was skewed, but I still admired that aspect of him. All in all, he was probably my favorite part of the whole book.
Murrin I had a harder time connecting to. She was more cold, it felt like to me. I didn't dislike her, I just didn't really connect with her.
And we have some side characters that were fun too, lol. Specifically dwarves lol.
For plot, things definitely moved fast. It pretty much just jumped right in and kept moving. There were some twists thrown in there.
I love the theme that even though you have committed some of the worst sins (and Ean and Murrin each have), they can still be forgiven. They can even be redeemed. And that justice isn't to be taken into your hands and judged by you, for only God himself can judge accurately. Only God himself can give true justice.
There was definitely some fun banter between side characters and main characters, which I enjoyed of course lol.
Overall, if you're someone who likes a snarky, smart main character, and characters who are very flawed and in need of redemption, and snow, and a wolf pup, and a fast paced plot... this might be the book for you ;)
Review:
To start off with what I liked about this fantasy book, let's start with Ean. Because Ean was such a fun, snarky character character lol. You come to see the snark hides pain, but nonetheless I liked him even when he was doing *cough* questionable *cough* things. His sense of justice was skewed, but I still admired that aspect of him. All in all, he was probably my favorite part of the whole book.
Murrin I had a harder time connecting to. She was more cold, it felt like to me. I didn't dislike her, I just didn't really connect with her.
And we have some side characters that were fun too, lol. Specifically dwarves lol.
For plot, things definitely moved fast. It pretty much just jumped right in and kept moving. There were some twists thrown in there.
I love the theme that even though you have committed some of the worst sins (and Ean and Murrin each have), they can still be forgiven. They can even be redeemed. And that justice isn't to be taken into your hands and judged by you, for only God himself can judge accurately. Only God himself can give true justice.
There was definitely some fun banter between side characters and main characters, which I enjoyed of course lol.
Overall, if you're someone who likes a snarky, smart main character, and characters who are very flawed and in need of redemption, and snow, and a wolf pup, and a fast paced plot... this might be the book for you ;)
August 27, 2023
This Christian Fantasy book moved me to tears!
Ean and Murrin were intriguing protagonists because as the story develops, more is revealed about them that makes them more and more likable. They are flawed, vulnerable, and their reactions are realistic and relatable. Not only are the characters well-developed, but the plot is as well. The plot builds slowly, creating suspense with each ensuing chapter. By the end, I was eagerly reading the book, wanting to know if my precious characters would make it out alive.
This book is also one of the few which addressed hard topics like murder and abortion in a Christian light. I have not seen many fantasy books do so, and in an especially relatable way that presented the true consequences of both. The discussion about both topics was not graphic, but realistic and without blame or accusation. I really appreciated the treatment of this particular topic in a fantasy novel. Finally, having read Kennedy's previous book, I can tell you that some favorite characters reappear in this one, but they can be read independently. You do not have to have read the previous book to read this one and understand it. I eagerly look forward to the next!
Ean and Murrin were intriguing protagonists because as the story develops, more is revealed about them that makes them more and more likable. They are flawed, vulnerable, and their reactions are realistic and relatable. Not only are the characters well-developed, but the plot is as well. The plot builds slowly, creating suspense with each ensuing chapter. By the end, I was eagerly reading the book, wanting to know if my precious characters would make it out alive.
This book is also one of the few which addressed hard topics like murder and abortion in a Christian light. I have not seen many fantasy books do so, and in an especially relatable way that presented the true consequences of both. The discussion about both topics was not graphic, but realistic and without blame or accusation. I really appreciated the treatment of this particular topic in a fantasy novel. Finally, having read Kennedy's previous book, I can tell you that some favorite characters reappear in this one, but they can be read independently. You do not have to have read the previous book to read this one and understand it. I eagerly look forward to the next!
December 28, 2025
A Bird in the Snow maintained the same wintry world as A Wolf's Rose, and it emphasized mostly the same themes of guilt and forgiveness.
Admittedly, the topic of abortion is a pretty weighty subject to be featured so prominently in a book for somewhat younger audiences, but I think it was handled well enough. As the father of a little baby myself, I wish the subject of fatherhood was emphasized a little more than it was — I felt more connected to the potential surrogate fatherhood relationship than the potential brewing romance, but that may just be me. I did also identify with some of the ways Ean coped with his shame, which makes happy endings all the sweeter.
Overall, I think I liked the pacing and characters better this time around, and I look forward to finishing the trilogy soon.
Admittedly, the topic of abortion is a pretty weighty subject to be featured so prominently in a book for somewhat younger audiences, but I think it was handled well enough. As the father of a little baby myself, I wish the subject of fatherhood was emphasized a little more than it was — I felt more connected to the potential surrogate fatherhood relationship than the potential brewing romance, but that may just be me. I did also identify with some of the ways Ean coped with his shame, which makes happy endings all the sweeter.
Overall, I think I liked the pacing and characters better this time around, and I look forward to finishing the trilogy soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2025
“Maybe the ones who don’t deserve forgiveness are the very ones who need it.”
I think this book was better than the first! It has deeper, more hard-hitting themes and more complex characters.
Loved getting Ean’s POV, and I loved that all of the main characters had their own arcs. (Hoping B maybe comes back in the next book and we get some kind of closure for that storyline???)
I never realized how well fantasy works for Christian fiction themes and storylines, but these books are some of the best Christian fiction I’ve read. I really like the distinct difference between the Gwyn and Neyfal, and how the Gwyn affect the public’s view of Neyfal.
Also liking the twist on Snow White.
I think this book was better than the first! It has deeper, more hard-hitting themes and more complex characters.
Loved getting Ean’s POV, and I loved that all of the main characters had their own arcs. (Hoping B maybe comes back in the next book and we get some kind of closure for that storyline???)
I never realized how well fantasy works for Christian fiction themes and storylines, but these books are some of the best Christian fiction I’ve read. I really like the distinct difference between the Gwyn and Neyfal, and how the Gwyn affect the public’s view of Neyfal.
Also liking the twist on Snow White.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews