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Gifted Fae Academy #1
The Fae and the Fallen
My first kiss nearly killed me—literally.
When 80% of the population is gifted with touch magic, it’s best to keep your hands—and your lips—to yourself. Especially if you’re an ungifted serf like I am.
The problem is, the most dangerous guy at Gifted Fae Academy is the one I want to touch more than anything, even as I draw the attention of the school’s most gorgeous Apprentice Fae.
When my entry exam leads to the revelation that I may not be as Ungifted as I previously believed… well… surviving until graduation might prove harder than I thought—particularly when a certain fatal touch may be worth the risk.
This Upper YA/NA series will eventually be three books and is intended for mature audiences. It contains cursing, sexual situations, and violence.
When 80% of the population is gifted with touch magic, it’s best to keep your hands—and your lips—to yourself. Especially if you’re an ungifted serf like I am.
The problem is, the most dangerous guy at Gifted Fae Academy is the one I want to touch more than anything, even as I draw the attention of the school’s most gorgeous Apprentice Fae.
When my entry exam leads to the revelation that I may not be as Ungifted as I previously believed… well… surviving until graduation might prove harder than I thought—particularly when a certain fatal touch may be worth the risk.
This Upper YA/NA series will eventually be three books and is intended for mature audiences. It contains cursing, sexual situations, and violence.
Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2019
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About the author
Brittni Chenelle
29 books822 followersBrittni Chenelle is a USA Today Bestselling Multicultural Fantasy Author who specializes in multi-POV romances and the angsty enemies-to-lovers trope. She loves to explore the blurred lines between good and evil and believes wholeheartedly in a great story's ability to bring people together.
When she's not writing, she can be found at her home in South Korea where she spends far too much time consuming coffee, dark chocolate, and videos of animals doing human things.
Visit www.BrittniChenelle.com to browse her complete catalog, including upcoming books.
When she's not writing, she can be found at her home in South Korea where she spends far too much time consuming coffee, dark chocolate, and videos of animals doing human things.
Visit www.BrittniChenelle.com to browse her complete catalog, including upcoming books.
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September 3, 2022*FREE AUDIOBOOK* The Fae and The Fallen audiobook is now FREE on my YouTube channel! <3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-axf...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-axf...
April 26, 2021
Hmm this was a short fun read but it very much gave me My Hero Academia vibes. Reina = Deku Kai = Bakugo/Uraraka Yemoja = All Might
You can’t change my mind
You can’t change my mind
July 28, 2020
*I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway*
This book was a mess.
First off, am I the only one who thought this was basically My Hero Academia but instead of two boy main characters, it's one boy and one girl and the world and characters are no where near as well thought out? The parallels are painfully obvious. I'm wondering if this might have started out as a fanfiction?
On to the book itself. Let's start with the levels of power (Serf, Common, Elite, Fae) - these words don't line up in a way that makes sense. And you can't take common words like Serf and Fae, use them in an entirely different way, and not EXPLAIN what they mean at the start. The entire society didn't make sense - nor did how the powers were used. Why can Reina's power of "truth" be turned into a blade, and Briara's power to intercept radio waves can't, or Kaito's levitation power? I'll tell you why, because it makes Reina more powerful. That is the only reason. Some powers make logical sense, but not our main character or the one Fae everyone is obsessed with because they're sooooo special.
"The Noble Four": Are there only powerful people in sophomore year? Duplication and Speed aren't even impressive gifts, no offense. And why are they even nicknamed? Someone help me understand how people aren't laughing at them.
Moving on to the romance. NO. That is an abusive relationship. CAN WE PLEASE STOP GLORIFYING THAT FOR TEENAGERS? If you want to turn that into a romance, you need to make that a very slow burn where both characters grow up, change their behavior and slowly regain trust.
The constant sex talk. Teenagers have sex, that's fine. Even some conversations would be fine. But someone you just met telling you about hook up spots and then being able to tell you are a virgin by how you look is not a regular conversation. Also why would this matter in a world where you can be killed by a touch? I'd wager that would put a pretty big dimmer on sex. In fact, it would make more sense for people to avoid even kissing in this society. Also I'm sorry but the majority of people don't shame virgins nor are they shocked when the person is 15. At 17/18 - pre college, pressure might be on but not as a sophomore. And the part where Kai thought about how he "almost took her there" - in public...no teenager thinks like that. Also, why does this dominate almost every characters thoughts. PEOPLE CAN KILL OR SERIOUSLY INJURE YOU WITH A TOUCH! Why is anyone willing to have sex with the "nobles"? And also no, the whole school of girls would not be so obsessed with the same four guys that they get violent with new girls. It's such a painfully childish viewpoint.
Then we have the bad guys. I'm sorry, but I don't understand the logic there either. There was talk about "survival of the fittest" so it was okay the Fallen killed the Fae. But if that's the case, is it not the same when the Fae kill weaker people? This makes no sense. The reasoning behind the Fallen's origin and rise wasn't well explained.
I honestly can't tell you a single thing I liked about this book other than some of the powers seemed cool. Carter's gift was interesting. Reina's could've been if didn't develop into a blade.
This book was a mess.
First off, am I the only one who thought this was basically My Hero Academia but instead of two boy main characters, it's one boy and one girl and the world and characters are no where near as well thought out? The parallels are painfully obvious. I'm wondering if this might have started out as a fanfiction?
On to the book itself. Let's start with the levels of power (Serf, Common, Elite, Fae) - these words don't line up in a way that makes sense. And you can't take common words like Serf and Fae, use them in an entirely different way, and not EXPLAIN what they mean at the start. The entire society didn't make sense - nor did how the powers were used. Why can Reina's power of "truth" be turned into a blade, and Briara's power to intercept radio waves can't, or Kaito's levitation power? I'll tell you why, because it makes Reina more powerful. That is the only reason. Some powers make logical sense, but not our main character or the one Fae everyone is obsessed with because they're sooooo special.
"The Noble Four": Are there only powerful people in sophomore year? Duplication and Speed aren't even impressive gifts, no offense. And why are they even nicknamed? Someone help me understand how people aren't laughing at them.
Moving on to the romance. NO. That is an abusive relationship. CAN WE PLEASE STOP GLORIFYING THAT FOR TEENAGERS? If you want to turn that into a romance, you need to make that a very slow burn where both characters grow up, change their behavior and slowly regain trust.
The constant sex talk. Teenagers have sex, that's fine. Even some conversations would be fine. But someone you just met telling you about hook up spots and then being able to tell you are a virgin by how you look is not a regular conversation. Also why would this matter in a world where you can be killed by a touch? I'd wager that would put a pretty big dimmer on sex. In fact, it would make more sense for people to avoid even kissing in this society. Also I'm sorry but the majority of people don't shame virgins nor are they shocked when the person is 15. At 17/18 - pre college, pressure might be on but not as a sophomore. And the part where Kai thought about how he "almost took her there" - in public...no teenager thinks like that. Also, why does this dominate almost every characters thoughts. PEOPLE CAN KILL OR SERIOUSLY INJURE YOU WITH A TOUCH! Why is anyone willing to have sex with the "nobles"? And also no, the whole school of girls would not be so obsessed with the same four guys that they get violent with new girls. It's such a painfully childish viewpoint.
Then we have the bad guys. I'm sorry, but I don't understand the logic there either. There was talk about "survival of the fittest" so it was okay the Fallen killed the Fae. But if that's the case, is it not the same when the Fae kill weaker people? This makes no sense. The reasoning behind the Fallen's origin and rise wasn't well explained.
I honestly can't tell you a single thing I liked about this book other than some of the powers seemed cool. Carter's gift was interesting. Reina's could've been if didn't develop into a blade.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2022
This whole series is avaiable as free audiobooks on Youtube, the author uploaded them herself.
I found them coincidentally, and I listen to audiobooks while working, so I started this book without reading the blurb, because I liked the cover.
And to put it nicely, I did not like this one much. The plot is all over the place, the characters are boring at best and down right stupid and toxic at worst.
But at first I want to start with the things I liked:
This book has a lot of POC representation, which I loved! There are not enough books out there with this much representation in the YA/fae/Fantasy genre, and I do not know why these stories are predominentley white.
Also I want to give a shoutout that Brittni tried something completley new in the fae and academy genre. She did some things I never read anywhere before, like that it is normal here that humans can become fae. I found this quite interesting.
So the plot is weirdly structured. We start of with Reina and Kai being in High School, then they get into GFA (this elite-training school for future fae) and then they are just there.. In the background Brittni starts to build the, I guess, future main conflict of the series, but that doesn't lead to anything right now, except the last chapter. And usually the characters start uncovering some things, that get revealed at the last part in the first book, here they do nothing. There are even only mildly concerned that fae get murdered. It felt very disconnected from the plot of Reina and Kai thus I as a reader did not care much either.
The world-building happens almost exclusivley in the first part of the book, when we are still in High School. The way the world-building is done is not bad. It did not feel like information dumping just so we have it, it was woven into what Reina or Kai were experiencing or thinking about. So that was good. But this world has a lot of questionmarks that should not be there. Some withheld information can make the plot more interesting, or is part of the big reveal-part of the plot, but here there are no reasons to withhold the information.
One thing is, how does the "becoming" fae thing work and what does it mean exactly? Are you immortal now? Do they have pointed ears or canines or is their power stronger than before? Do you age just slowly or not at all?
One small conversation between Reina and her idol fae hints that the becoming fae is reverseable and that the life span is defineteley longer than normal. What it still does not say is, is that normal or just special to her, that she has a longer life span? And how does one reverse being fae? Didn't you become a new species to say??
And that is just one part of the world!
The magic system, too, confuses me!! It is all based on touch-magic which was a new thing to me, I think I even like the initial idea, that you have to touch the object or person before you can use whatever power you have on them. But it didn't make sense to me for some powers. Like this Odin guy, his power is Hercules-like strengh. Shouldn't he as a person be so strong that he can punch through a wall? And how does it work for him, does he first have to touch you normally before you'd feel the full punch? If yes, what happens if he just punches you right away, is it normal punch-strengh or supernatural because he "touched" you while punching? I am so confused...
And another thing I didn't get, what I felt was important to the story, how does this school system even work?? Because Reina and Kai get kicked out of High School during their Junior Year (?), I think, I cant quite remember.. and they immedietley get into GFA and start classes right away as well. Is it not the middle of the school year? And Kai tried getting into GFA while being in High School, lets say he got in, would he have transferred immedietley or started attending it after High School graduation like college? Make it make sense! The only thing I could gather, was that GFA is attended by all kind of age groups and it seems they don't have normal classes, so I don't think Reina and Kai get their High School degree there.
Now what infuriated me most where Reina and Kai themselves.
The story is told by both their POV, switching each chapter. The idea behind that was good, as this book was supposed to be more focused on them as characters than the big conflict. Which did not work because these two and Kai in particular are awful!
Lets start with Reina, because I liked her more than Kai. She is not a bad person and the most fleshed out in her backstory and reasoning. Reina is one of these people who do not give up on their dreams. For example she thinks she doesn't have powers but still believes they are just manifesting late. She is a believer. And that part is adorable about her, also the part with her parents and she losing them had a lot of good developments in how to handle grief. I thought that was written very well and I could see Reina growing from it too.
What I hated was how naive and gullible she was in everything to do with Kai. Yes, she was crushing on him in middle school and he liked her back, they were best friends, too. There are memories and feelings I know. BUT you were 13/14? And for at least 4 years Kai was only an asshole to you and you still love him?? WHY? She makes excuses for his behavior because of the "history" between them, all throughout this book and I don't get it. Yes, she is still a teenager, a kid but still, Kai never tries to ammend either, so no, I don't like nor do I believe that she would still like him, and I don't care how hot he is either.
With that let's jump into Kai. So I read from the author that wrote Kai as an ass on purpose, to have him change and grow over the course of the story. If that happened I would not be so harsh on him or Reina still liking him, I like these kind of stories. But Kai doesn't change or grow.
In middle school his powers develop and they are very strong and unique in this world. So his status grows from 'surf' who is powerless to 'elite', these are people with strong powers. And in this society the elites rule, and it is normal that they bully and hurt the surfs. And as a new elite Kai revels in the fact he is now the one with power and the one who sends others in the infirmary. I kinda get this because wanting to be popular and accepted and loved by the cool kids is what I wanted at that age too. What I don't get is the overnight switch from him liking Reina romantically and torturing her the next day just because now he has powers. I would have loved to have it shown at least a little more gradually that he was conflicted of being seen with her now or him saying only "stop bully her" and not him stepping in completley to help. Just something that reflects him wanting to be a fully accepted elite but still the guy who was besties with Reina. But no, nothing like that, he says himself that he likes torturing and bullying her and that she deserves it all because she still believes she will get powers at some point too. We get his POV, we get his feelings unfiltered through another character and he LOVES hating Reina, without a reason what so ever!
And later when they get into GFA, he kisses Reina and starts liking her again, but WHY? What changed after your test to get into GFA? There was no moment of friendship where only she could help or him seeing he was awful to her. No, he kissed her and decides he likes her again, while still thinking awful things about her.
And later when Reina has a nice boyfriend he is a dick, because someone else took the toy he abondend and now he wants that toy again. HE DOESN'T EVEN REFLECT! There is never a moment when he apologizes to Reina, never! And I am to believe he likes her and has grown as a character just because he does not go out of his way to torture Reina daily again?
The only time I agreed with him was when he said he was too good for her.
So with all this negativity why did I give this book two stars?
One because the two voice actors for the audiobook were great, listening to them was easy, even though I was cringing so hard by the book sometimes.
Two because I liked the new things Brittni tried in the book and she at least made me curious of the second book. Not because of the ending (this is not even a real cliffhanger, because it is so predictable what happened I wasn't even shocked) but I want to find out if maybe Reina and Kai could grow on me.
And I have a lot of time while working to listen to the audiobooks. If I would've read this as an actual book I would not have finished it..
I am really sorry for this negative review!
I found them coincidentally, and I listen to audiobooks while working, so I started this book without reading the blurb, because I liked the cover.
And to put it nicely, I did not like this one much. The plot is all over the place, the characters are boring at best and down right stupid and toxic at worst.
But at first I want to start with the things I liked:
This book has a lot of POC representation, which I loved! There are not enough books out there with this much representation in the YA/fae/Fantasy genre, and I do not know why these stories are predominentley white.
Also I want to give a shoutout that Brittni tried something completley new in the fae and academy genre. She did some things I never read anywhere before, like that it is normal here that humans can become fae. I found this quite interesting.
So the plot is weirdly structured. We start of with Reina and Kai being in High School, then they get into GFA (this elite-training school for future fae) and then they are just there.. In the background Brittni starts to build the, I guess, future main conflict of the series, but that doesn't lead to anything right now, except the last chapter. And usually the characters start uncovering some things, that get revealed at the last part in the first book, here they do nothing. There are even only mildly concerned that fae get murdered. It felt very disconnected from the plot of Reina and Kai thus I as a reader did not care much either.
The world-building happens almost exclusivley in the first part of the book, when we are still in High School. The way the world-building is done is not bad. It did not feel like information dumping just so we have it, it was woven into what Reina or Kai were experiencing or thinking about. So that was good. But this world has a lot of questionmarks that should not be there. Some withheld information can make the plot more interesting, or is part of the big reveal-part of the plot, but here there are no reasons to withhold the information.
One thing is, how does the "becoming" fae thing work and what does it mean exactly? Are you immortal now? Do they have pointed ears or canines or is their power stronger than before? Do you age just slowly or not at all?
One small conversation between Reina and her idol fae hints that the becoming fae is reverseable and that the life span is defineteley longer than normal. What it still does not say is, is that normal or just special to her, that she has a longer life span? And how does one reverse being fae? Didn't you become a new species to say??
And that is just one part of the world!
The magic system, too, confuses me!! It is all based on touch-magic which was a new thing to me, I think I even like the initial idea, that you have to touch the object or person before you can use whatever power you have on them. But it didn't make sense to me for some powers. Like this Odin guy, his power is Hercules-like strengh. Shouldn't he as a person be so strong that he can punch through a wall? And how does it work for him, does he first have to touch you normally before you'd feel the full punch? If yes, what happens if he just punches you right away, is it normal punch-strengh or supernatural because he "touched" you while punching? I am so confused...
And another thing I didn't get, what I felt was important to the story, how does this school system even work?? Because Reina and Kai get kicked out of High School during their Junior Year (?), I think, I cant quite remember.. and they immedietley get into GFA and start classes right away as well. Is it not the middle of the school year? And Kai tried getting into GFA while being in High School, lets say he got in, would he have transferred immedietley or started attending it after High School graduation like college? Make it make sense! The only thing I could gather, was that GFA is attended by all kind of age groups and it seems they don't have normal classes, so I don't think Reina and Kai get their High School degree there.
Now what infuriated me most where Reina and Kai themselves.
The story is told by both their POV, switching each chapter. The idea behind that was good, as this book was supposed to be more focused on them as characters than the big conflict. Which did not work because these two and Kai in particular are awful!
Lets start with Reina, because I liked her more than Kai. She is not a bad person and the most fleshed out in her backstory and reasoning. Reina is one of these people who do not give up on their dreams. For example she thinks she doesn't have powers but still believes they are just manifesting late. She is a believer. And that part is adorable about her, also the part with her parents and she losing them had a lot of good developments in how to handle grief. I thought that was written very well and I could see Reina growing from it too.
What I hated was how naive and gullible she was in everything to do with Kai. Yes, she was crushing on him in middle school and he liked her back, they were best friends, too. There are memories and feelings I know. BUT you were 13/14? And for at least 4 years Kai was only an asshole to you and you still love him?? WHY? She makes excuses for his behavior because of the "history" between them, all throughout this book and I don't get it. Yes, she is still a teenager, a kid but still, Kai never tries to ammend either, so no, I don't like nor do I believe that she would still like him, and I don't care how hot he is either.
With that let's jump into Kai. So I read from the author that wrote Kai as an ass on purpose, to have him change and grow over the course of the story. If that happened I would not be so harsh on him or Reina still liking him, I like these kind of stories. But Kai doesn't change or grow.
In middle school his powers develop and they are very strong and unique in this world. So his status grows from 'surf' who is powerless to 'elite', these are people with strong powers. And in this society the elites rule, and it is normal that they bully and hurt the surfs. And as a new elite Kai revels in the fact he is now the one with power and the one who sends others in the infirmary. I kinda get this because wanting to be popular and accepted and loved by the cool kids is what I wanted at that age too. What I don't get is the overnight switch from him liking Reina romantically and torturing her the next day just because now he has powers. I would have loved to have it shown at least a little more gradually that he was conflicted of being seen with her now or him saying only "stop bully her" and not him stepping in completley to help. Just something that reflects him wanting to be a fully accepted elite but still the guy who was besties with Reina. But no, nothing like that, he says himself that he likes torturing and bullying her and that she deserves it all because she still believes she will get powers at some point too. We get his POV, we get his feelings unfiltered through another character and he LOVES hating Reina, without a reason what so ever!
And later when they get into GFA, he kisses Reina and starts liking her again, but WHY? What changed after your test to get into GFA? There was no moment of friendship where only she could help or him seeing he was awful to her. No, he kissed her and decides he likes her again, while still thinking awful things about her.
And later when Reina has a nice boyfriend he is a dick, because someone else took the toy he abondend and now he wants that toy again. HE DOESN'T EVEN REFLECT! There is never a moment when he apologizes to Reina, never! And I am to believe he likes her and has grown as a character just because he does not go out of his way to torture Reina daily again?
The only time I agreed with him was when he said he was too good for her.
So with all this negativity why did I give this book two stars?
One because the two voice actors for the audiobook were great, listening to them was easy, even though I was cringing so hard by the book sometimes.
Two because I liked the new things Brittni tried in the book and she at least made me curious of the second book. Not because of the ending (this is not even a real cliffhanger, because it is so predictable what happened I wasn't even shocked) but I want to find out if maybe Reina and Kai could grow on me.
And I have a lot of time while working to listen to the audiobooks. If I would've read this as an actual book I would not have finished it..
I am really sorry for this negative review!
June 20, 2020
I won The Fae and the Fallen in a Goodreads Giveaway recently and loved it. This urban fantasy alternates between Reina and Kai’s perspective. I like that the chapters alternate in narration between Reina and Kai, especially because Kai comes across as so unlikeable at the start of the story. When reading from his perspective, I gained much more understanding and sympathy for his character.
Kai is an ass, a bully, and his ego is huge. He definitely has issues, what with his parents high and demanding expectations, their continual absence, and their obvious disappointment in him. However, Kai continues to try to live up to their expectations. He also seems impulsive and quick to react based on emotions. Unfortunately, he is not in tune with his emotions and often acts out.
I was the ultimate dickhead, a failure…I understood why my parents never came home. I understood why I was always alone. Something was broken inside me. There was a darkness I couldn’t seem to keep at bay. If I let myself slip up again with Reina, eventually I’d break her too.”
The love triangle between Kai, Reina, and another student only seems to exacerbate Kai’s unpredictability. Though he is a mess of conflicting emotions, Kai shows moments of tenderness and affection that make you sympathize with his character. You can see the insecure and abandoned young man who puts on a tough exterior because he’s been so wounded by those he loves. Reina is the only one who sees through this facade.
Reina is a fascinating protagonist. She seems passive, especially when Kai (and others) treat her poorly. However, she’s very intuitive, especially with Kai, and she seems to know him better than he knows himself. At least, that’s why I think she doesn’t react to his taunting.
Her passivity could be construed as weakness, but I think it’s her strength. She is understanding, empathetic, compassionate, and strong. She’s idealistic and kind. This is a young woman who has experienced major trauma, including the tragic death of her parents and the constant abuse by gifted peers. However, she perseveres.
I also think she deeply loves Kai. I think he loves her too, but he struggles to define his feelings for her and instead tries to push her away. He often expresses feelings of unworthiness. Take a look at this quote, which sums up Kai’s insecurities:
"How could I ask her to choose me when I’m so unworthy? She had the chance to be with someone whole. Someone who was programmed for kindness, and I was planning on asking her to wreck it. For me. I was asking her to choose her tormentor over her savior."
Reina is the opposite. She holds onto their past relationship and the goodness she saw in him when they were younger. She’s a better person than me. I would never have defended him and become his champion. He’s selfish, arrogant, and entitled, and the ways that he tormented her were rotten and mean. I would not have been able to look past the years of abuse to understand the reasoning behind his torment.
When the pair tests to get into the academy, one of the professors sums up the difference between Raina and Kai perfectly:
“One looking out for himself, the other striving to protect others…” She tilted her head. “Which of those sound like Fae to you?”
Another aspect of the story that I found fascinating is the interesting way the author presented differing views of their society. The people with power are revered by many. Rewarded for their gifts, they have more power, money, and influence than the serfs. This story examines the societal inequities and makes you wonder who is truly good. The line between good and evil is often blurred, and I questioned the unfair ways of their society more than once.
Some people, both fae and serfs, disagree with how society is run and want to evoke change. Though I definitely don’t agree with their methods, I can understand their desire for change. I also like that Reina and Kai see things from different perspectives. Reina is more willing to accept the ways of society, whereas Kai questions. I love books that make me think about things in new and different ways, and this part of the story did just that.
The story ends in a cliffhanger that made me immediately look for the next book in the series. I’m curious to see what happens to Reina and Kai as their paths move in different directions. I also want to learn more about Reina’s power. I have a feeling she has not experienced the full extent of her power yet and am curious how she will grow and change in the subsequent books.
https://onebookmore.com/2020/06/20/re...
Kai is an ass, a bully, and his ego is huge. He definitely has issues, what with his parents high and demanding expectations, their continual absence, and their obvious disappointment in him. However, Kai continues to try to live up to their expectations. He also seems impulsive and quick to react based on emotions. Unfortunately, he is not in tune with his emotions and often acts out.
I was the ultimate dickhead, a failure…I understood why my parents never came home. I understood why I was always alone. Something was broken inside me. There was a darkness I couldn’t seem to keep at bay. If I let myself slip up again with Reina, eventually I’d break her too.”
The love triangle between Kai, Reina, and another student only seems to exacerbate Kai’s unpredictability. Though he is a mess of conflicting emotions, Kai shows moments of tenderness and affection that make you sympathize with his character. You can see the insecure and abandoned young man who puts on a tough exterior because he’s been so wounded by those he loves. Reina is the only one who sees through this facade.
Reina is a fascinating protagonist. She seems passive, especially when Kai (and others) treat her poorly. However, she’s very intuitive, especially with Kai, and she seems to know him better than he knows himself. At least, that’s why I think she doesn’t react to his taunting.
Her passivity could be construed as weakness, but I think it’s her strength. She is understanding, empathetic, compassionate, and strong. She’s idealistic and kind. This is a young woman who has experienced major trauma, including the tragic death of her parents and the constant abuse by gifted peers. However, she perseveres.
I also think she deeply loves Kai. I think he loves her too, but he struggles to define his feelings for her and instead tries to push her away. He often expresses feelings of unworthiness. Take a look at this quote, which sums up Kai’s insecurities:
"How could I ask her to choose me when I’m so unworthy? She had the chance to be with someone whole. Someone who was programmed for kindness, and I was planning on asking her to wreck it. For me. I was asking her to choose her tormentor over her savior."
Reina is the opposite. She holds onto their past relationship and the goodness she saw in him when they were younger. She’s a better person than me. I would never have defended him and become his champion. He’s selfish, arrogant, and entitled, and the ways that he tormented her were rotten and mean. I would not have been able to look past the years of abuse to understand the reasoning behind his torment.
When the pair tests to get into the academy, one of the professors sums up the difference between Raina and Kai perfectly:
“One looking out for himself, the other striving to protect others…” She tilted her head. “Which of those sound like Fae to you?”
Another aspect of the story that I found fascinating is the interesting way the author presented differing views of their society. The people with power are revered by many. Rewarded for their gifts, they have more power, money, and influence than the serfs. This story examines the societal inequities and makes you wonder who is truly good. The line between good and evil is often blurred, and I questioned the unfair ways of their society more than once.
Some people, both fae and serfs, disagree with how society is run and want to evoke change. Though I definitely don’t agree with their methods, I can understand their desire for change. I also like that Reina and Kai see things from different perspectives. Reina is more willing to accept the ways of society, whereas Kai questions. I love books that make me think about things in new and different ways, and this part of the story did just that.
The story ends in a cliffhanger that made me immediately look for the next book in the series. I’m curious to see what happens to Reina and Kai as their paths move in different directions. I also want to learn more about Reina’s power. I have a feeling she has not experienced the full extent of her power yet and am curious how she will grow and change in the subsequent books.
https://onebookmore.com/2020/06/20/re...
August 9, 2022
I thought that this book was good
October 17, 2022
3.5 stars:
This series feels like watching a fantasy shoujo anime
I was pleasantly surprised by this YA Fae Fantasy Book. I discovered this series for free on YouTube (the author has uploaded the whole series), and I really enjoyed it.
The story takes place in an Academy, where only People with special abilities can attend. Their goal is to become Fae and protect the world.
But not everything is what it seems...
The first half hour of the book gave me bully romance vibes, but it didn't turn into one.
I really liked the POV of Reina and Kai. Both struggle differently, have mixed feelings towards each other, but still rely on one another.
The Romance aspect of the story is not the complete focus here, but still present. There is much room to grow, tough. And I hope we'll get that in the other books.
→ Tropes ←
- Upper YA Fantasy
- Fae Academy
- Childhood Friends to Enemies to Friends
- Hate to Love
- BIPOC rep
- No spice here (but maybe in the later books)
⚠️Safety: Mention of death of parents (FMC is an orphan), OMD/ FMC has a relationship with someone else, no cheating, MMC slightly bullied FMC at the beginning
📖Free Audiobook: 1st person, dual POV, and narration
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrittniChen...
___Reviews:___
Book 1: The Fae & The Fallen
Book 2: The Brave & The Broken
Book 3: The Strong & The Stolen
I was pleasantly surprised by this YA Fae Fantasy Book. I discovered this series for free on YouTube (the author has uploaded the whole series), and I really enjoyed it.
The story takes place in an Academy, where only People with special abilities can attend. Their goal is to become Fae and protect the world.
But not everything is what it seems...
The first half hour of the book gave me bully romance vibes, but it didn't turn into one.
I really liked the POV of Reina and Kai. Both struggle differently, have mixed feelings towards each other, but still rely on one another.
The Romance aspect of the story is not the complete focus here, but still present. There is much room to grow, tough. And I hope we'll get that in the other books.
→ Tropes ←
- Upper YA Fantasy
- Fae Academy
- Childhood Friends to Enemies to Friends
- Hate to Love
- BIPOC rep
- No spice here (but maybe in the later books)
⚠️Safety: Mention of death of parents (FMC is an orphan), OMD/ FMC has a relationship with someone else, no cheating, MMC slightly bullied FMC at the beginning
📖Free Audiobook: 1st person, dual POV, and narration
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrittniChen...
___Reviews:___
Book 1: The Fae & The Fallen
Book 2: The Brave & The Broken
Book 3: The Strong & The Stolen
March 18, 2020
Ok, where to begin. First, let me say that as my first taste of an Academy book, I had a lot of fun with this one. The characters were well developed, which helps any book, but Academy books in particular. And the storyline was different from what you'd expect from an Academy book, which also helped to make it unusual enough that it definitely held my attention once it got going.
Academy books have become such a *thing* that you would have to wonder, what can be done that's new? Well, I'll tell you. You can take the idea of an Academy for the powerful and make it yours. And this Academy did just this. Not only is it an Academy that creates the Fae (nope, not telling you what I mean by that!), but one that just may not have the best interests of the students in mind. Ahhh...ulterior motives. Gotta love them!
Take 2 kids who have known each other since they were young, give them similar ambitions, but have one be Gifted and one be a Serf (normal, ungifted human), and there's no way we can expect that to go well...or can we? Does childhood friendship mean friendship forever? These 2, Reina and Kaito, certainly put this to the test. These are our main characters, but by no means our only characters. There is a wonderful phalanx of teens coming into their own, each in their own way.
The Gifted Fae Academy is unusual in that it isn't just for teaching our youth how to control their powers. There's so much more to it than that. The Fae are revered in the world outside, and the Academy is there to make sure that stays the case. And while life seems to begin and end at their gate, and the outside world not allowed past, that doesn't stop the outside world from moving on in its own way. Not everyone is enamored with the Fae. Some feel perhaps they've been given too much power, too much autonomy. Some who have come to be known as the Fallen.
There are intrigue, controversy, and personalities galore in this first book of a new series. And being outside the genre the author originally chose as her own, Fantasy, hasn't stopped her from giving a new genre a chance. The characters, in particular, pulled me in and wouldn't let go until I got to the end. I didn't think I'd like Academy books. This book showed me there is always another's perspective to consider. That not all Academy books are created equally. And thank the gods for that!
This was decidedly well done! Well done indeed! I'm going to have fun with book 2!
This was given to me as an ARC. This review is done of my own volition and in my own words. As Always.
Academy books have become such a *thing* that you would have to wonder, what can be done that's new? Well, I'll tell you. You can take the idea of an Academy for the powerful and make it yours. And this Academy did just this. Not only is it an Academy that creates the Fae (nope, not telling you what I mean by that!), but one that just may not have the best interests of the students in mind. Ahhh...ulterior motives. Gotta love them!
Take 2 kids who have known each other since they were young, give them similar ambitions, but have one be Gifted and one be a Serf (normal, ungifted human), and there's no way we can expect that to go well...or can we? Does childhood friendship mean friendship forever? These 2, Reina and Kaito, certainly put this to the test. These are our main characters, but by no means our only characters. There is a wonderful phalanx of teens coming into their own, each in their own way.
The Gifted Fae Academy is unusual in that it isn't just for teaching our youth how to control their powers. There's so much more to it than that. The Fae are revered in the world outside, and the Academy is there to make sure that stays the case. And while life seems to begin and end at their gate, and the outside world not allowed past, that doesn't stop the outside world from moving on in its own way. Not everyone is enamored with the Fae. Some feel perhaps they've been given too much power, too much autonomy. Some who have come to be known as the Fallen.
There are intrigue, controversy, and personalities galore in this first book of a new series. And being outside the genre the author originally chose as her own, Fantasy, hasn't stopped her from giving a new genre a chance. The characters, in particular, pulled me in and wouldn't let go until I got to the end. I didn't think I'd like Academy books. This book showed me there is always another's perspective to consider. That not all Academy books are created equally. And thank the gods for that!
This was decidedly well done! Well done indeed! I'm going to have fun with book 2!
This was given to me as an ARC. This review is done of my own volition and in my own words. As Always.
January 2, 2020
This book was just ok for me. I couldn’t really get into it. But I do love the authors writing in her other series, so this won’t deter me from reading more of her books.
October 8, 2020
entertaining as hell
June 27, 2020
I received a free audiobook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!
When a majority of the population is gifted with touch magic, it's best to keep your hands to yourself. But that's much easier said than done, especially for Reina who is an ungifted serf. Reina is also warring with her own passion for her childhood best friend turned bully, Kaito and the school's most gorgeous magical apprentice.
After taking the entrance exams to Gifted Fae Academy, Reina finds out she's not as ungifted as she thought. But navigating classes, relationships and strange new powers is already complicated enough without adding a hero complex all fae seem to possess. Kaito and Reina find out that things may not be as well as they seem with the fae in charge: but who is right the insurgents or the fae?
I loved this academy book. Reina was such a relatable main character. She's always looking on the bright side and is really funny. I enjoyed her POV so much, as well as seeing her be more confident in herself. Also this cover slays. Kaito was a bit more complicated for me. I could tell that he cared for Reina, but he had a weird way of expressing/repressing it. I wouldn't call this a bully romance, but there are some similar aspects.
The ending really shook me up. I want to know what the heck happened!! There's not much I can say here without wading into spoiler territory. So I'll leave it at I need answers and I can't wait for book 2!
When a majority of the population is gifted with touch magic, it's best to keep your hands to yourself. But that's much easier said than done, especially for Reina who is an ungifted serf. Reina is also warring with her own passion for her childhood best friend turned bully, Kaito and the school's most gorgeous magical apprentice.
After taking the entrance exams to Gifted Fae Academy, Reina finds out she's not as ungifted as she thought. But navigating classes, relationships and strange new powers is already complicated enough without adding a hero complex all fae seem to possess. Kaito and Reina find out that things may not be as well as they seem with the fae in charge: but who is right the insurgents or the fae?
I loved this academy book. Reina was such a relatable main character. She's always looking on the bright side and is really funny. I enjoyed her POV so much, as well as seeing her be more confident in herself. Also this cover slays. Kaito was a bit more complicated for me. I could tell that he cared for Reina, but he had a weird way of expressing/repressing it. I wouldn't call this a bully romance, but there are some similar aspects.
The ending really shook me up. I want to know what the heck happened!! There's not much I can say here without wading into spoiler territory. So I'll leave it at I need answers and I can't wait for book 2!
October 18, 2020
A truly breathtaking experience!
**Presented with an ARC by the author via BookFunnel in exchange for an honest review.**
There are so many things I could comment on, innumerable focuses I could craft this review around. I could tell you about the richness of the world building, with the structure and equal struggles of society at large. I could tell you about the littlest details that make this book special, that bring you into the minds of Reina and Kaito. I could even lament the poetic flow of Britini’s writing, how it’s almost as though the words are being whispered and sung into your very psyche, to hold you and haunt you long after you’ve completed the book.
I could even tell you how I only put this book down because I needed to sleep, only to pick it up again at my next opportunity. But in truth, what held me so captivated was the warmth and depth of her characters. Reina and Kaito comes through in such a way that you forget you’re reading. You forget that these people are fictional characters living in a world of one woman’s amazing creation.
One thing I truly love is how the ending of this book leads you into the beginning of the next. It sets up the conflict and premise for the next installment in the series. I am not a fan of books that wrap themselves up in neat little bows at the end to be read independently of the series at large. I want a series that leads me from one story to the next, that builds upon the past and gives you a tease into the future, and this book does that perfectly.
This book was, hands down, a perfect 5-star experience. I know that I will read this book again and again.
If you love Mary Fan, Megan Blackwood, A.D. Winter, or Jessica Feyden, you will love this book!!
**Presented with an ARC by the author via BookFunnel in exchange for an honest review.**
There are so many things I could comment on, innumerable focuses I could craft this review around. I could tell you about the richness of the world building, with the structure and equal struggles of society at large. I could tell you about the littlest details that make this book special, that bring you into the minds of Reina and Kaito. I could even lament the poetic flow of Britini’s writing, how it’s almost as though the words are being whispered and sung into your very psyche, to hold you and haunt you long after you’ve completed the book.
I could even tell you how I only put this book down because I needed to sleep, only to pick it up again at my next opportunity. But in truth, what held me so captivated was the warmth and depth of her characters. Reina and Kaito comes through in such a way that you forget you’re reading. You forget that these people are fictional characters living in a world of one woman’s amazing creation.
One thing I truly love is how the ending of this book leads you into the beginning of the next. It sets up the conflict and premise for the next installment in the series. I am not a fan of books that wrap themselves up in neat little bows at the end to be read independently of the series at large. I want a series that leads me from one story to the next, that builds upon the past and gives you a tease into the future, and this book does that perfectly.
This book was, hands down, a perfect 5-star experience. I know that I will read this book again and again.
If you love Mary Fan, Megan Blackwood, A.D. Winter, or Jessica Feyden, you will love this book!!
July 24, 2025
here not so much for the romance/enmity but for the plot
June 8, 2020
This book was really good. The characters were relatable, the story line was well written, it was a unique twist on fae, and the power system was very interesting. Can't wait to read more by a new fave author
December 15, 2020
My Rating: 4.8⭐️
So I was given the awesome opportunity to read this YA Fae Academy book, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I wasn’t actually going to be taking on anymore ARC books at the time, just because of health and stuff…but when I saw the potential this book had, let’s just say I’m glad I read it. So now here I am to bring you my review. Yes, yes I know its another Academy book sorry about that lol…it totally wasn’t deliberate. I pinky promise haha. But anyway if you love Academy books and love stories with Fae and an almost Dystopian like system – where everything looks perfect, but you know deep down has some serious flaws. This book is totally for you.
First, I am going to have to apologise…I’m in a bit of a flare health wise and on top of that I have a cold…so yay good times. So it I fail to make sense I am 90% blaming that and the other 10% goes to this book lol…
Hmm where to start…can I start at the end? no? Whatever I’m starting there anyway. So I didn’t realise that I was at the end until I saw the sneak peak for book two and I was like YAAASSS I NEED to know more. And that led to me reading that and then I was like…
So then I did the only thing I could lol…I ran straight off to message the chick who had my brain like we NEEDS more…
Funnily enough she wasn’t scared off by my crazy book nerdy ways. She embraced it which I loved!
Sooo all I will say, if you have the willpower to avoid reading the sneak peak of book two, hold off because the ending of book one is easier to handle than that as an ending….not having the answer of what is said and done next is HARD. That’s just me though lol. Clearly I didn’t have the willpower, but I’m blaming the lack of brain power from the cold that’s taking all my energy.
I’m the blondy and your the one looking a wee bit stressed out by the temptation haha.
Okay but aside from that, I REALLY loved that ending…it really snatches you by the hands and makes you want more, which is kinda the whole point of an ending so…that was totally achieved.
Okay, I’m moving onto the story now lol. I really loved the pace that was set in this story and the world setup, it felt like it was constructed extremely well. Although not a huge amount of stuff went down per se, it was written in a way that still grabbed your attention and showed all necessary information needed for story development. It was a book that has been well setup to allow for great story expansion and I honestly feel book two will only get better from here.
I absolutely love the characters and I really enjoyed how we got both POV’s, I felt for this story it was 100% necessary. Also it was just nice at the same time knowing what both parties were thinking and what was happening. A lot of character growth went on for particularly Reina and I feel Kaito although a little behind will do a lot of his growth in book two.
As for the story…hmm what can I offer. Well, basically we are in a world where there are the gifted and the ungifted (known as Serf). These gifted have what is known as touch magic. So if they touch you or an object they can make it react to whatever their gift is. So for example, Kai his ability is levitation, so if he touches objects, people etc he can remove the gravity and wallah things start levitating.
But the thing is, those with no abilities, Serf’s, aren’t treated nicely because those that have gifts think they are better than everyone.
And then we need to introduce our main characters. Reina and Kaito. They have been long time friends, until Kaito’s powers arise and then he changes and becomes just like the rest of them…a bully and especially a bully to Reina. He would literally make it his life mission to show her, her place. But Reina was not one to be kept down uh-uh. Nope she fought back and never lost hope. But as she gets older and no power shows up everyone was done believing she’d manifest…Reina still kept her hope. Holding onto it like a lifeline. She was determined she would get into Gifted Fae Academy, an Academy that raises the best gifted students to fight the bad on the streets. But with every year that passes that chance is slowly slipping away.
After Kai takes one of his “lessons” too far Reina finds herself with a special confectionary that may offer some payback. At this I was like
Anywho, that also ends up going a little too far and well they both find themselves expelled.
Reina being the beautiful, determined soul she is finds a way to get both of them in to take the exam, to gain entrance into GFA… cos we all know she’s gotto have some power right?
Well she does, just nobody knows what it is…so that makes things interesting when they do get accepted into the school…and Kai is right back to his old ways trying to become an Elite again.
Meanwhile in between being accepted into the school, these like top Fae beings have begun to be offed by these people that are basically trying to change the whole system. Going by the name the Fallen.
Erm yeah happy news…um well, Reina may just have had her dreams come true and may have just scored the best teacher to find what lies just beneath Reina’s surface.
This novel is more setting the scene in my opinion…I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning all about this world and seeing the possibilities open wide…Just like those pop up books lol.
I loved so much about this book and I loved the uniqueness of the story and characters. I didn’t feel strongly connected to some of the characters which was disappointing but it didn’t change my opinion of the book…I also took my time connecting to Kaito, but really do you want to like a guy that’s been a douche-bucket to our girl like forever? This is my brain as I tried to settle my opinion of him haha.
I was completely sold though when he said…
“…Something about physical books always charmed me”
And when he finally decided that he had to win Reina back… but I dunno pal you got a lot of work to do to fix that bridge. Hopefully he has some Magneto abilities lol…cos that’s some serious bridge mending going on lol.
I think you will enjoy this book, it really shows great potential to get even better and I honestly can’t wait to see where this world will take us.
Now I’m just chilling around like an everyday book nerdy person and will probably be keeping in touch with Brittni and be like
Then I imagine something like this lol
Then me 😂😂
Hehe and I can imagine then something akin to her thinking Book Nerds are a pushy bunch. Its true lol…Sorry about that. I’m a patient person but when it comes to books
Okay now that I’ve chatted everyones ear off I’m going to leave it at that.
Happy Readings My Nerdy Friends
So I was given the awesome opportunity to read this YA Fae Academy book, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I wasn’t actually going to be taking on anymore ARC books at the time, just because of health and stuff…but when I saw the potential this book had, let’s just say I’m glad I read it. So now here I am to bring you my review. Yes, yes I know its another Academy book sorry about that lol…it totally wasn’t deliberate. I pinky promise haha. But anyway if you love Academy books and love stories with Fae and an almost Dystopian like system – where everything looks perfect, but you know deep down has some serious flaws. This book is totally for you.
First, I am going to have to apologise…I’m in a bit of a flare health wise and on top of that I have a cold…so yay good times. So it I fail to make sense I am 90% blaming that and the other 10% goes to this book lol…
Hmm where to start…can I start at the end? no? Whatever I’m starting there anyway. So I didn’t realise that I was at the end until I saw the sneak peak for book two and I was like YAAASSS I NEED to know more. And that led to me reading that and then I was like…
So then I did the only thing I could lol…I ran straight off to message the chick who had my brain like we NEEDS more…
Funnily enough she wasn’t scared off by my crazy book nerdy ways. She embraced it which I loved!
Sooo all I will say, if you have the willpower to avoid reading the sneak peak of book two, hold off because the ending of book one is easier to handle than that as an ending….not having the answer of what is said and done next is HARD. That’s just me though lol. Clearly I didn’t have the willpower, but I’m blaming the lack of brain power from the cold that’s taking all my energy.
I’m the blondy and your the one looking a wee bit stressed out by the temptation haha.
Okay but aside from that, I REALLY loved that ending…it really snatches you by the hands and makes you want more, which is kinda the whole point of an ending so…that was totally achieved.
Okay, I’m moving onto the story now lol. I really loved the pace that was set in this story and the world setup, it felt like it was constructed extremely well. Although not a huge amount of stuff went down per se, it was written in a way that still grabbed your attention and showed all necessary information needed for story development. It was a book that has been well setup to allow for great story expansion and I honestly feel book two will only get better from here.
I absolutely love the characters and I really enjoyed how we got both POV’s, I felt for this story it was 100% necessary. Also it was just nice at the same time knowing what both parties were thinking and what was happening. A lot of character growth went on for particularly Reina and I feel Kaito although a little behind will do a lot of his growth in book two.
As for the story…hmm what can I offer. Well, basically we are in a world where there are the gifted and the ungifted (known as Serf). These gifted have what is known as touch magic. So if they touch you or an object they can make it react to whatever their gift is. So for example, Kai his ability is levitation, so if he touches objects, people etc he can remove the gravity and wallah things start levitating.
But the thing is, those with no abilities, Serf’s, aren’t treated nicely because those that have gifts think they are better than everyone.
And then we need to introduce our main characters. Reina and Kaito. They have been long time friends, until Kaito’s powers arise and then he changes and becomes just like the rest of them…a bully and especially a bully to Reina. He would literally make it his life mission to show her, her place. But Reina was not one to be kept down uh-uh. Nope she fought back and never lost hope. But as she gets older and no power shows up everyone was done believing she’d manifest…Reina still kept her hope. Holding onto it like a lifeline. She was determined she would get into Gifted Fae Academy, an Academy that raises the best gifted students to fight the bad on the streets. But with every year that passes that chance is slowly slipping away.
After Kai takes one of his “lessons” too far Reina finds herself with a special confectionary that may offer some payback. At this I was like
Anywho, that also ends up going a little too far and well they both find themselves expelled.
Reina being the beautiful, determined soul she is finds a way to get both of them in to take the exam, to gain entrance into GFA… cos we all know she’s gotto have some power right?
Well she does, just nobody knows what it is…so that makes things interesting when they do get accepted into the school…and Kai is right back to his old ways trying to become an Elite again.
Meanwhile in between being accepted into the school, these like top Fae beings have begun to be offed by these people that are basically trying to change the whole system. Going by the name the Fallen.
Erm yeah happy news…um well, Reina may just have had her dreams come true and may have just scored the best teacher to find what lies just beneath Reina’s surface.
This novel is more setting the scene in my opinion…I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning all about this world and seeing the possibilities open wide…Just like those pop up books lol.
I loved so much about this book and I loved the uniqueness of the story and characters. I didn’t feel strongly connected to some of the characters which was disappointing but it didn’t change my opinion of the book…I also took my time connecting to Kaito, but really do you want to like a guy that’s been a douche-bucket to our girl like forever? This is my brain as I tried to settle my opinion of him haha.
I was completely sold though when he said…
“…Something about physical books always charmed me”
And when he finally decided that he had to win Reina back… but I dunno pal you got a lot of work to do to fix that bridge. Hopefully he has some Magneto abilities lol…cos that’s some serious bridge mending going on lol.
I think you will enjoy this book, it really shows great potential to get even better and I honestly can’t wait to see where this world will take us.
Now I’m just chilling around like an everyday book nerdy person and will probably be keeping in touch with Brittni and be like
Then I imagine something like this lol
Then me 😂😂
Hehe and I can imagine then something akin to her thinking Book Nerds are a pushy bunch. Its true lol…Sorry about that. I’m a patient person but when it comes to books
Okay now that I’ve chatted everyones ear off I’m going to leave it at that.
Happy Readings My Nerdy Friends
December 18, 2020
Full review and others on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Brittni Chenelle for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
I’ve been wanting to read this series for a while now, and I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to do so! I’m really excited to write my review for you here, and work through the rest of the trilogy afterwards. Brittni Chenelle is definitely one of my favorite authors since I first read her Kingdom Cold series, and I’ve been happy with everything that I read from her so far!
I still can’t believe that Reina took so much crap from so many people at her school! And the worst was from Kai for sure. The more you go through the book, the more you see that Kai just had this bully mentality where he didn’t want Reina to be happy unless it was because of him. He even says something like that in the book too. And he even says something along the lines of him taking much satisfaction in teaching her and the other serfs what their place is. Ugh that bothered me so much about Kai, and honestly that ending as well was pretty damn terrible! I still don’t know what to think about that, but I know that I need to read the second book to find out if everything that happened with *ahem* is actually true!
Don’t you just love when a book can keep you on the edge of your seat and still make you surprised at the very ending? I love it when a book does that. I also think that Brittni Chenelle ended it with such a perfect cliffhanger that it is really making me nervous just thinking about what is going to happen next.
All in all – which I feel like I’ve said this in almost every review – I really enjoyed this book! I’m loving the opportunity to seeing how this trilogy ends, and I’m so glad that I have another trilogy to read from Brittni Chenelle and I can’t wait to read all of her novels!
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Brittni Chenelle for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
I’ve been wanting to read this series for a while now, and I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to do so! I’m really excited to write my review for you here, and work through the rest of the trilogy afterwards. Brittni Chenelle is definitely one of my favorite authors since I first read her Kingdom Cold series, and I’ve been happy with everything that I read from her so far!
I still can’t believe that Reina took so much crap from so many people at her school! And the worst was from Kai for sure. The more you go through the book, the more you see that Kai just had this bully mentality where he didn’t want Reina to be happy unless it was because of him. He even says something like that in the book too. And he even says something along the lines of him taking much satisfaction in teaching her and the other serfs what their place is. Ugh that bothered me so much about Kai, and honestly that ending as well was pretty damn terrible! I still don’t know what to think about that, but I know that I need to read the second book to find out if everything that happened with *ahem* is actually true!
Don’t you just love when a book can keep you on the edge of your seat and still make you surprised at the very ending? I love it when a book does that. I also think that Brittni Chenelle ended it with such a perfect cliffhanger that it is really making me nervous just thinking about what is going to happen next.
All in all – which I feel like I’ve said this in almost every review – I really enjoyed this book! I’m loving the opportunity to seeing how this trilogy ends, and I’m so glad that I have another trilogy to read from Brittni Chenelle and I can’t wait to read all of her novels!
December 22, 2019
The Fae & The Fallen: Gifted Fae Academy - Year One by Brittni Chenelle is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series writen by a brand new author for me to read. I can not wait to read book number two in this wonderful series and I highly recommend this to all.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
December 1, 2019
This world in this book's setting is really well built and I got sucked in very quickly. I found it difficult to get through at first when I didn't understand why one character behaved as he did but the more I read the more I got it.
It goes back and forth between a male and female character, which took a little getting used to, however, I loved the story and can't wait for book two.
I was really routing for one character in particular wondering how things could work out for them as they wanted and as the book needed, there were a number of shocks along the way too. There is another character who I both love and hate.
How could the author finish it there?
I really enjoyed this book thank you.
This is a great story if you like slow burn, bully and supernatural academy romance.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in return for an honest review.
It goes back and forth between a male and female character, which took a little getting used to, however, I loved the story and can't wait for book two.
I was really routing for one character in particular wondering how things could work out for them as they wanted and as the book needed, there were a number of shocks along the way too. There is another character who I both love and hate.
How could the author finish it there?
I really enjoyed this book thank you.
This is a great story if you like slow burn, bully and supernatural academy romance.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in return for an honest review.
October 20, 2022
This was a fun read with a fast moving plot and intrigue. I loved the dynamics between the main characters and though there were some questionable moments, I overall really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to diving into the next one in the series.
February 24, 2020
WOW! This was... mindblowing!
Forget what you know about Fae, Brittni's Fae are a completely different story altogether! She has created a unique universe, where people are divided in gifted and non gifted. The gifted have the potential to become Fae, protectors who use their powers for the greater good.
Reina and Kai go back a long way, when their gifts hadn't still manifested. But when Kai's does, everything changes. He becomes a bully, with Reina his favorite target. With Reina losing her parents, she ends up in foster care, still giftless, still being bullied. And then they're both admited to the Gifted Fae Academy. Reina's gift manifests, and it's one of the rarest. And then the Fallen get into the picture...
Both Reina and Kai carry their respective emotional baggage. Their relationship is one of love-hate, with said baggage getting in their way. Is there a future for them? Or will Reina choose Oden?
The story itself is amazing! Well written from a dual POV, the characters are well fleshed out, the world building brilliant. Once started, I couldn't put the book down. And the ending? Explosive! The story continues in the next book and I can't wait to sink my fangs in it!!!
I received an advance reader copy from Hidden Gems and this is my voluntary review.
Forget what you know about Fae, Brittni's Fae are a completely different story altogether! She has created a unique universe, where people are divided in gifted and non gifted. The gifted have the potential to become Fae, protectors who use their powers for the greater good.
Reina and Kai go back a long way, when their gifts hadn't still manifested. But when Kai's does, everything changes. He becomes a bully, with Reina his favorite target. With Reina losing her parents, she ends up in foster care, still giftless, still being bullied. And then they're both admited to the Gifted Fae Academy. Reina's gift manifests, and it's one of the rarest. And then the Fallen get into the picture...
Both Reina and Kai carry their respective emotional baggage. Their relationship is one of love-hate, with said baggage getting in their way. Is there a future for them? Or will Reina choose Oden?
The story itself is amazing! Well written from a dual POV, the characters are well fleshed out, the world building brilliant. Once started, I couldn't put the book down. And the ending? Explosive! The story continues in the next book and I can't wait to sink my fangs in it!!!
I received an advance reader copy from Hidden Gems and this is my voluntary review.
April 13, 2020
Mini-Review:
4 Stars for Audiobook, 2 Stars for Story
4.5 Stars for Narration by Lessa James & Matthew H. Longoria (They definitely made the characters have more life.)
2 Stars for Lack of Defined Setting & Plot
2.5 Stars for 2D Cookie Cutter Characters
The narration was great. That made the story seem to be a lot more than the words by themselves. There's potential for a decent series but the author is taking a lot for granted:
- The characters are not well defined or established. You're given minor details & setting. It is assumed that the reader will fill in the huge holes where short descriptions would have filled out place, time, background, etc.
- Events happen and you're suppose to just go with it. It doesn't actually make sense and I let it go because I figured it could be answered later. Nah. You just have to go with it.
- Fae is a well known word. I thought the way it was used in the story could be cool. Except there's no real explanation for the term or how it's used. There's more "readers will just KNOW" what to think and go with it.
- The relationship between the main characters was terrible. It's basically emotional & physical abuse because one of them can't deal with their feelings. Except they're meant to be together. Just erase all the crappy stuff the dude did and fall into a passionate screw. No. I read all sorts of stories. This one doesn't cut it.
A Story Needs:
- Established Characters & Setting
- Active Scenes for Plot Progress
- Start at Point A, Make Points in Between and End Book Arc towards the end.
Cliffhanger endings are meant to be done well or avoided at all cost because it comes across as either bad writing or poor editing.
4 Stars for Audiobook, 2 Stars for Story
4.5 Stars for Narration by Lessa James & Matthew H. Longoria (They definitely made the characters have more life.)
2 Stars for Lack of Defined Setting & Plot
2.5 Stars for 2D Cookie Cutter Characters
The narration was great. That made the story seem to be a lot more than the words by themselves. There's potential for a decent series but the author is taking a lot for granted:
- The characters are not well defined or established. You're given minor details & setting. It is assumed that the reader will fill in the huge holes where short descriptions would have filled out place, time, background, etc.
- Events happen and you're suppose to just go with it. It doesn't actually make sense and I let it go because I figured it could be answered later. Nah. You just have to go with it.
- Fae is a well known word. I thought the way it was used in the story could be cool. Except there's no real explanation for the term or how it's used. There's more "readers will just KNOW" what to think and go with it.
- The relationship between the main characters was terrible. It's basically emotional & physical abuse because one of them can't deal with their feelings. Except they're meant to be together. Just erase all the crappy stuff the dude did and fall into a passionate screw. No. I read all sorts of stories. This one doesn't cut it.
A Story Needs:
- Established Characters & Setting
- Active Scenes for Plot Progress
- Start at Point A, Make Points in Between and End Book Arc towards the end.
Cliffhanger endings are meant to be done well or avoided at all cost because it comes across as either bad writing or poor editing.
January 19, 2020
The Fae & The Fallen was a task to get into, by the end I still felt like I couldn't get a feel for this world or the characters or their lacklustre relationship.
The story starts off with a scene between the main characters when they are in middle school and frankly I found no difference in their tone or interaction with high school scenes. Both of them feel so young for an "upper YA/NA" series whatever the upper YA is supposed to be because their POVs just read too childish for my taste. Kai is an unlikeable LI, dude has the most vague bullshit reasons to bullying Reina and their interactions always lacked any kind of romantic chemistry, it's just too bland. Reina really has no reason to be this hung up over Kai and feel any kind of conflict when he really doesn't do enough shit to get those feels. The way they go gaga over this Yemoja Roux character just makes them feel like 12 years old kids.
The plot itself doesn't move beyond getting into the academy and then has vague mentions of things to add towards an actual plot that takes till the very end to be interesting. This magic powers, hierarchy system and Fae fighters brought a lot of potential that stays shallow at best, I expected a lot of action scenes than what we get, frankly the whole academy setting stays so underwhelming.
I really had nothing to latch on to and get more than a lukewarm feeling especially when we finally do see Reina's power only to rush/fast forward through those scenes of her learning to use them, what's the point of it? I was just glad for the short length that I was able to finish it.
The story starts off with a scene between the main characters when they are in middle school and frankly I found no difference in their tone or interaction with high school scenes. Both of them feel so young for an "upper YA/NA" series whatever the upper YA is supposed to be because their POVs just read too childish for my taste. Kai is an unlikeable LI, dude has the most vague bullshit reasons to bullying Reina and their interactions always lacked any kind of romantic chemistry, it's just too bland. Reina really has no reason to be this hung up over Kai and feel any kind of conflict when he really doesn't do enough shit to get those feels. The way they go gaga over this Yemoja Roux character just makes them feel like 12 years old kids.
The plot itself doesn't move beyond getting into the academy and then has vague mentions of things to add towards an actual plot that takes till the very end to be interesting. This magic powers, hierarchy system and Fae fighters brought a lot of potential that stays shallow at best, I expected a lot of action scenes than what we get, frankly the whole academy setting stays so underwhelming.
I really had nothing to latch on to and get more than a lukewarm feeling especially when we finally do see Reina's power only to rush/fast forward through those scenes of her learning to use them, what's the point of it? I was just glad for the short length that I was able to finish it.
February 22, 2020
At an academy where talents are found, tested, revered, the Fae are the law, the protectors and superior. Then a faction comes to light that casts doubt, suspicion on beliefs, facts, truths are they all lies. Hmmm not sure yet but this the beginning of this series has now sparked my interest to see where this all leads. Will stay tuned for more from Brittni and Gifted Fae Academy.
I was gifted this audible book for a fair and review from Lessa Lamb one of the talented narrators. The other narrator was Matthew H. Longoria who also did a fantastic job.
I was gifted this audible book for a fair and review from Lessa Lamb one of the talented narrators. The other narrator was Matthew H. Longoria who also did a fantastic job.
May 18, 2020
I am conflicted about rating this book, because there were so many good things about it but I struggled with the love triangle so much, that it took me a long time to finish.
To be fair, I just don't particularly like love triangles but that's just me personally and as this is YA perhaps readers haven't read as many as me and still find them enjoyable. It was just disappointing to me that it was such the main focus when there were so many more exciting and interesting things happening, to be so focused on their internal feelings and brooding about each other. It was just sort of tedious.
However aside from that I liked the book, it was fantastically written and I want to know what happens next. Also, the entire time all I could think was how great of anime this would make with the powers, imagery and the academy setting.
- I received this book as a promotional item in exchange for an honest review-
To be fair, I just don't particularly like love triangles but that's just me personally and as this is YA perhaps readers haven't read as many as me and still find them enjoyable. It was just disappointing to me that it was such the main focus when there were so many more exciting and interesting things happening, to be so focused on their internal feelings and brooding about each other. It was just sort of tedious.
However aside from that I liked the book, it was fantastically written and I want to know what happens next. Also, the entire time all I could think was how great of anime this would make with the powers, imagery and the academy setting.
- I received this book as a promotional item in exchange for an honest review-
October 20, 2020
Interesting
This was another book that was hard for me to rate. On the positive side, I loved the overall world and setting. The superhero feel was fun and exploring the various gifts was intriguing. I liked the insinuations of possible corruption or neglect from the fae and the idea that the fallen may have reasonable motives. What I had trouble with was the writing. There are just some writing styles that are hard to connect with and that was the case for me here. I felt like I was being told a story instead of living inside of it. This is usually caused when the author does more telling than showing however this author did not suffer from this issue. Honestly, I am not sure what it was but I do know this was just a personal issue. I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this story and think that many would love it.
This was another book that was hard for me to rate. On the positive side, I loved the overall world and setting. The superhero feel was fun and exploring the various gifts was intriguing. I liked the insinuations of possible corruption or neglect from the fae and the idea that the fallen may have reasonable motives. What I had trouble with was the writing. There are just some writing styles that are hard to connect with and that was the case for me here. I felt like I was being told a story instead of living inside of it. This is usually caused when the author does more telling than showing however this author did not suffer from this issue. Honestly, I am not sure what it was but I do know this was just a personal issue. I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this story and think that many would love it.
December 20, 2019
I greatly enjoyed this book
I went into this book with the expectation of fae being.. well Fae. Brittni's fae are unlike any fae you've ever encountered before.
the entire world she's created for Kai and Reina to evolve and grow in.. the friends they interact with, the lessons they learn about their world and about themselves. it's all powerful and unique. A look on what people do and how they act when they have power compared to others, and how we face the world when dealing with those who have power over us.
I am eagerly awaiting the release of the next book so I can see what happens next.
I went into this book with the expectation of fae being.. well Fae. Brittni's fae are unlike any fae you've ever encountered before.
the entire world she's created for Kai and Reina to evolve and grow in.. the friends they interact with, the lessons they learn about their world and about themselves. it's all powerful and unique. A look on what people do and how they act when they have power compared to others, and how we face the world when dealing with those who have power over us.
I am eagerly awaiting the release of the next book so I can see what happens next.
January 6, 2020
*I received this book free for my honest review*
This is definitely worth picking up if you like academy stories, magic, or friends to enemies to .......maybe lovers? story lines. With a darkest minds vibe this quick read should be on your TBR for sure.
In a world where we think we know who the good guys are, we are led to question what makes one side good and one side "bad". Brittni casts doubts on both sides of the line and ends us without knowing where our alliances should lie.
Are the Fallen bad? Are the Fae good? Will Reiana and Kai be end game? Or will Oden truly be a better fit for her? 🤔 Guess we will have to wait impatiently for book 2 to find out.
This is definitely worth picking up if you like academy stories, magic, or friends to enemies to .......maybe lovers? story lines. With a darkest minds vibe this quick read should be on your TBR for sure.
In a world where we think we know who the good guys are, we are led to question what makes one side good and one side "bad". Brittni casts doubts on both sides of the line and ends us without knowing where our alliances should lie.
Are the Fallen bad? Are the Fae good? Will Reiana and Kai be end game? Or will Oden truly be a better fit for her? 🤔 Guess we will have to wait impatiently for book 2 to find out.
March 3, 2020
The Fae & The Fallen is good on so many levels. You have an original and interesting world. You have diverse and complicated characters. You have a fast paced story line made even more fun by having the point of views of both Reina and Kaito. The writing style is engaging. Plus the ending is explosive.
I definitely recommend Gifted Fae Academy as I plan to see this one to the end.
I definitely recommend Gifted Fae Academy as I plan to see this one to the end.
December 2, 2020
Finished the whole book in one sitting! Multicultural characters, great world building, multiple POV- what’s not to love? Britt’s out here doing it for the culture and damn if she ain’t doing it well 💃🏾 We love to see it! Grab a copy, support a talented black author and enjoy a great read! You won’t regret it ❤️
December 1, 2019
Read the whole book in one day because I couldn't put it down! This is a strong start to a new magical academy series that your aren't going to want to miss!!
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