To Kill a Fae King

The Fair Isle Trilogy #2.5

by Tessonja Odette

Seduced by a treacherous prince.
Lulled by false promises.
Ordered to do the unthinkable.

When my sister and I were forced to live in the fae realm as brides for the Autumn Court royals, I thought my life had hit rock bottom. But I was wrong. Things were about to get so much worse.

What first seemed like fresh start in a magical world of beauty and romance soon proved to be nothing more than a glamour. And the prince I thought would save my life became my captor instead.

If only I’d seen it coming.
If only I hadn’t trusted him.
If only my heart hadn’t been my undoing.

Now there’s blood on my hands, and it won’t be the last. For there’s one more life I’ve yet to claim, and I’ll stop at nothing until I do.

This isn’t a love story.
This is a tale of vengeance.

To Kill a Fae King is a short story from Amelie’s perspective set during books one and two of the Fair Isle Trilogy. It is best read after book two, To Wear a Fae Crown, and before book three, To Spark a Fae War. Discover the untold story that led Amelie to betray the person she loved most.

*Note: this story has a darker tone than the main trilogy and contains sexual situations, violence, and psychological manipulation/abuse.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Short Stories

126 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Tessonja Odette is a Seattle-based author of fantasy romance, epic romantasy, and fairytale retellings. Her different series range from cozy fae romcoms to dark and twisty fantasy. In her books you’ll find witty banter, sizzling romance, and breathtaking magic. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching anime, squeezing her pets, or dancing to the music only she can hear.

Reviews

[Lucie V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did I become this?
How did I let this happen?
How did I lose so much of myself?
The answer comes to me in the form of a single word. A word that used to bring me warmth and joy and a lightness of heart. A word that wove an undercurrent to my every motivation in everything I did. A word I used to be willing to fight for. To die for. To lie and betray for.
Now the word makes me sick with fury, and when I utter it, it feels like the most repulsive of explicit curses.
Love.

This short story about Amelie's time with Cobalt (or should I say Amelie's time as Cobalt's captive) can be downloaded here. It shows us how she fell in love with Cobalt and how everything went to hell once she fled the Autumn Court to be with him. This short story is a good complement to the series and it does help us understand a little more what happened to Amelie, especially since she reappeared at the end of the second book. It did not make me like her though.

Now it’s made clear that she is the victim here (at least that's how she is portrayed)... Cobalt stripped her of her freedom and her free will, but I can't help but feel like she kind of deserved it a little bit maybe for being way too gullible. I'm not saying that imprisoning her and controlling her is okay, just that if she hadn't been so vapid and selfish at first, she wouldn't have ended up in this mess.

I know I shouldn’t covet my sister’s fiancé, but it’s entirely unfair. I doubt she even finds him attractive. All her life, she’s never had a mind for matrimony, while I’ve spent nearly every waking hour considering the best way to snag a favorable husband. And where does that bring us? To be paired with the dourest male I could ever have conceived of, while my sister gets to marry a distinguished gentleman.

Wait… Am I reading Amelie’s story or Taryn’s? Yeah, both sisters gave me very similar vibes. The whole “I screwed up but it’s not my fault, I couldn’t resist his sweet promises and he said he loved me” situation is similar. And in both cases, reading a novella in their POV did not warm me to them at all. Sorry, Amelie, you will have to try harder.

I put my hand to my heart. “I can’t bear the thought of losing my sister. Oh, I do hope she wakes. Can you imagine what a dreary world it would be to never see her smile light a room again?”
His jaw shifts back and forth. “Considering I’ve never seen her smile do any such thing to a room, no, I’m unable to say I can imagine such a world.”

Oh, Aspen, he’s such a treat! 😅 I loved the reminder of how his relationship with Evie started with so many conflicted emotions.

0.5 To Rule a Fae Throne ⭐⭐⭐
1. To Carve a Fae Heart ⭐⭐⭐.5
2. To Wear a Fae Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐


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[Redhead Haze · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I know I shouldn’t covet my sister’s fiancé, but it’s entirely unfair. I doubt she even finds him attractive. All her life, she’s never had a mind for matrimony, while I’ve spent nearly every waking hour considering the best way to snag a favorable husband. And where does that bring us? To me paired with the dourest male I could ever have conceived of, while my sister gets to marry a distinguished gentleman."

This short novel is Amelie’s chance to share her story, narrating from her perspective everything that happened since she disappeared, up until she showed up in Lunar, offering Evelyn her true name. It's easy to read and, while I don't like her any better now, at least I understand.

This is better read after the second book of the trilogy, because it happens simultaneously with the action from the first two books. And it sets the tone pretty nicely for the third book, with her desire for revenge.

"Ready or not, my darling. I’m coming for you.
And when I do, I will bathe in your blood."

P.S. Can we take a moment to give Aspen a round of applause?

I put my hand to my heart. “I can’t bear the thought of losing my sister. Oh, I do hope she wakes. Can you imagine what a dreary world it would be to never see her smile light a room again?”
His jaw shifts back and forth. “Considering I’ve never seen her smile do any such thing to a room, no, I’m unable to say I can imagine such a world.”

The novel is clearly not about him, yet he still stole the show.

The Fair Isle Trilogy
0.5 To Rule A Fae Throne - 3.75 ⭐
1 To Carve a Fae Heart - 4.75 ⭐
2 To Wear a Fae Crown - 4.75 ⭐
2.5 To Kill a Fae King - 3.5 ⭐
3 To Spark a Fae War - 4.5 ⭐

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ .]

sometimes i don't particularly care for "other POV" side of a story, but this provided some really great insight with what was happening with amelie and cobalt. i think it probably helps to get more on amelie's side again before book 3 of the trilogy. it was darker and a bit emotional.

Ready or not, my darling. I’m coming for you. And when I do, I will bathe in your blood.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2/5 This short story is told from Amelie's POV and covers what Amelie was up do during To Carve a Fae Heart and To Wear a Fae Crown. I had hoped this book may redeem her for me but it only left me with conflicted emotions regarding her.


Book Details:
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Narration Type: 1st Person POV (Amelie)
Steam: 2/5
Reading Age: 14+
Trigger warnings: death, abuse, mental illness, non-consent

It feels wrong to judge a character for being too selfish and naïve when they are a victim of abuse. But It's tough to ignore the choices Amelie made that led her to where she is. Even had I known nothing of Cobalt going into this book nearly every single thing he said and did was throwing out major red flags. Also, his game was so weak! He's saying lines like, "I’m not sure I could survive never seeing your smile again." even though they've only just met. Amelie should know better.


Amelie does show herself to be perceptive when she realizes Aspen has feelings towards her sister. Her suggestion to speak with Evie and Aspen was a good idea. The minute it became a bad idea was when she let Cobalt convince her they had to do an extremely convoluted plan built on lies instead.

"We need Aspen to know it’s still possible for him to fulfill the treaty."
"With Evelyn."
"Yes, with Evelyn."
"You know, we could simply speak to the king and tell him how we feel about each other."
He halts, expression startled. "No."

Prior Reviews in Series:
To Rule a Fae Throne - Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
To Carve a Fae Heart - Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
To Wear a Fae Crown - Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

[Tessonja Odette]

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Surprise! This Fair Isle short story is live and available for download on my website. This features Amelie's untold story during books one and two, and is best read after To Wear a Fae Crown and To Spark a Fae War. It's the perfect bridge between the two books to hold you over while I finish writing book 3 :)

This one is quite darker than the main series, but offers deep insight into Amelie's motive and the truth behind the actions she's taken. I LOVED writing this one, probably because I got to tap into my inner thriller writer for the more intense scenes, but it was also heartbreaking at the same time.

And now I'm hard at work tying everything together in To Spark a Fae War. I'm loving how it's coming together so far!

You can download your copy here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/bafb0tlyqj

[Lilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who's guilty of judging Amelie too harshly before hearing her side of the story?


I feel like this novella provided some well-needed explanations. Part of the reason why I hated book 3 is because it left so many things unresolved and/or unexplained, especially with regard to Amelie and Cobalt. Their entire arc had been a huge letdown, and I'm still not over it.

I do still resent her for going after her sister's betrothed, but it is becoming easier to forgive her as she essentially didn't have any malicious intent. The only thing she was guilty of is being foolishly in love with a man she met like 5 seconds ago. All the rest in on him. She's a bad sister, not a bad person (in general).

Just wanted to get this off my chest lol

[Annika Unterberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sure To Kill a Fae King was supposed to make me care for Amelie, instead it made me hate her even more with every page I read.

I really liked the first book, To Carve a Fae Heart, but since then my enjoyment of the series declined more and more with each book. But I still hope the third and final book, To Spark a Fae War will somewhat save it.

[The Half-blood Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1st person, present tense.

This short story from Amelie's pov explains how her "romance" with Cobalt started and how everything unfolded on her front during To Carve a Fae Heart and To Wear a Fae Crown.

It is a great complement to the series, as it fills this hole of how exactly Cobalt manipulated her and how she, stupidly, started a relationship with her sister's intended while she was unconscious. We also get to know when exactly she finds out Cobalt's true nature.

I enjoyed getting to know more, yet unlike certain readers, I can't say my heart changed much for her. Read me out: I already suspected who Amelie's secret lover was even before she ran away; I didn't trust Cobalt as far as I could throw him; I knew she'd been commanded to do most of the awful things she did and that obviously she wasn't enjoying it, the abuse, the control, the betrayal; of her not actually being loved, like the most special cookie in the box should be. Nothing here was a surprise! She is a victim. And victims get to be unlikeable, no matter what people say.

Nevertheless, she did bring this on herself. She was a vapid, capricious, frivolous beautiful young woman. She says she lived for love, yet you could see how lasting *sarcasm* it was. Love or lust, it was so fleeting? She liked having attention doted on her and was selfish. If my sister was in Evelyn's situation, I would have no mind or emotional space for Cobalt's pecs, love, kissing! She didn't even stop to think Evie could've gained a romantic interest during the time she spent with her fiancé. She didn't wait until Evie was convalescing before jumping that piece of fae meat!

Amelie was used to doing and getting what she wanted, and she was a person of immediate ephemeral pleasures. She was used to being the center of attention and selfishly only thinking of herself. The short story makes that perfectly clear. Her own fiancé couldn't be more indifferent to her, and that was unthinkable. She couldn't stop herself from lusting after Cobalt, from flirting with him in front of her unconscious sister even! And for all her ego, idiocy, selfishness and hunger, she was willing to ignore all the clues that something wasn't right with that creepy f*cker and his behaviour. Just like she easily put her sick sister out of her mind, and tried to push her onto the arms of a man she herself found dull, just because she wanted to jump that sea water fish.

I'm still saying "Good for you, girl!" since she announced her desire for revenge. You go and slay that abusive loveless slimehead! *glub glub*

[ailish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the novella’s intent, this made me dislike Amelie waaaaaay more than I already did. Book one Evie sees Amelie in such a flattering light that it’s jarring to read this book through Amelie’s point of view and see that Evie gives her far more credit than she deserves. I had always thought throughout the series that no matter what Amelie only ever had Evie’s best interests at heart, but the novella proved her to be a lot more selfish than I realised. Still, I felt sorry for what she had to go through and it sets up the final book in the trilogy really well.

[Michelle Fritz PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Kill A Fae King has ripped out my heart and handed it to me! Amelie wasn't a character that I liked at all throughout the first two books of The Fair Isle Trilogy but in her own novella I've completely fallen for her. Her own words changed a lot for me. My 💙 hurts for all that she's endured and I no longer feel as if she's brought this fate all upon herself. Colbalt is evil! Have you read this yet? You have to! Faerwyvae awaits you!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Kill a Fae King is a novella set right after the events in the second Fair Isle book, To Wear A Fae Crown. This book is told from Evelyn's sister Amelie's perspective as we learn exactly what happened to her during the event in the first two books in the series. 

Honestly, I was hoping that somehow this book would soften my feelings for Amelie but it only reinforced what I thought of her. Amelie is selfish, she thinks of herself, doesn't care who she hurts. She doesn't listen to her sister, she's shallow and confused lust with love. The sad thing is if she thought about tumbling around with her sister's betrothed, thought about lying to her face then Amelie wouldn't have gotten into the trouble she did. 

I do feel bad about the abuse that she suffered, it was brutal in a way that I wasn't really considering but that doesn't change my feelings towards her, Amelie isn't the best person and now Karma is coming back on her. I do wonder if she's learned anything from her experiences and I am really curious what she's gonna be like in the final book, To Spark A Fae War.   
 

[Aizlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Amelie shows up at the end of To Wear a Fae Crown I was done with her. I had no sympathy in me for her despite her explanations. Such is the power of emotion that Ms. Odette continues to ring from me with her writing. Sympathy has been found through this dark little tale and now I wonder if Amelie can be salvaged after all.

[Jana P · Rating 3 out of 5]

She tried making Amelie a sympathetic character but honestly made me hate her more.

[Faye Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Kill A Fae King is a short story set during books 1 and 2 of The Fair Isle Trilogy. It is told from Amelie's perspective and helps fill in some of the blanks of the story. I read it after book 2 as advised by the author, and it was quite sad to see Amelie's side of the story, and how easily she was manipulated. She was foolishly naive and selfish, but I was surprised that I managed to feel sympathy for her, especially from so few pages! It left me completely ready to see how the trilogy ends in the final book, and to see whether she manages to get her revenge.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Ready or not, my darling. I’m coming for you.
And when I do, I will bathe in your blood”.

Relato que cuenta el punto de vista de Amelie, la hermana de la protagonista. Ha estado bastante bien pues ayuda a comprender sus acciones a lo largo de los dos primeros libros de la trilogía.

Completamente recomendable.

[Daniela Ovalle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es básicamente lo que Holly Black quizo hacer con The Lost Sister pero mucho mejor ejecutado, ya que si se sentí un poquito de lastima por Amelie.

[Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to see Amelie’s side of things, especially when she’s missing for a good chunk of the series.
I felt bad for her for maybe the last 10% of the novella, but she was just so naive and selfish that she kind of deserved it.
Although, learning that cobalt exchange his love for her lies made a lot of sense in the series and why he kept pursuing her till the end.

[Jamie Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ I agree with a lot of others comments - this short story only made me dislike Amelie more. I loved the FairIsle trilogy, and I’m really looking forward to reading more of the stand alones.

[Kimmi]

I think the writing is exceptional as always, so this isn't a criticism of Tessonja at all, but I always thought Amelie was really ditzy and dumb, which is incredibly odd for an older sibling. In the main series, she's missing for a lot of it and there are some minor gaps, that this novella fills.

I thought after reading this, I would sympathize with Amelie, but honestly I think it actually made me hate her even more. Multiple times, she has the thought, "My sister wouldn't like this" or "This is a bad idea" AND THEN DOES IT ANYWAYS WITH NO RATIONALE. She's careless, reckless, naive, and thoughtless. Evie literally has a near death experience, and she's sneaking around with her sister's fiance. WHAT???? And she's just OKAY with getting married and her mom and sister not being there? (I understand by this point she's under compulsion, but still. Not nearly enough resistance)

However, the biggest thing that this made me realize is that Cobalt is bonded by a bargain to love Amelie. That's a major shift from how I thought he viewed Amelie in the third book. I do think it's mentioned in the series, but it was a minor detail that I missed. This novella fully explains their relationship dynamics.

Did Ami deserve how Cobalt treated her? No, not at all, but if you're gonna be that stupid, then what do you expect? She had so many chances to think things through, to get to the bottom of things, and she doesn't just so she can be loved by a guy she just met???

Anyways, I do think she's redeemed herself by the end of the series, so I do like Ami and I'm excited to read her story in Married by Scandal. But damn, I can't believe she was this dumb.

[Night_owls_and_novels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story from Amelie's perspective. It goes into detail about the things she went through when she was with Cobalt. I read this after I finished the fair isle trilogy and I would urge everyone else to do the same because yes I wanted to know what happened to her but I don't think I would have enjoyed the suspense in the last book as much as I did if I had read this short story between the two. I'm glad I waited until the end but also thankful the answers to all the questions I had for this young lady! Great writing Tessonja Odette I can't wait to read the stand alone stories you have!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Amelie!!! Before this book I didn’t care much for Amelie but now I understand her so much better and I feel so bad for what she went through. Cobalt is completely despicable. This is an important addition to the series and I highly recommend it to anyone who has read the first 2 books of the Fair Isle Trilogy (don’t read it until after To Wear a Fae Crown to avoid spoilers). I love this series so much!

[Lana | Libraryofabibliotaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelie always seemed crazy and unreliable in the series in my opinion. Even though this image of her changes a little bit because of events in the 3rd book, it never goes away entirely. That's what made reading this book extra nice, because now you really get to know Amelie and as a reader you realise she can be just as stubborn, feisty and brave as her sister. This short story is really a valuable addition to the rest of the series.

[Martie Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this little novella!!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great addition to the series - will make you feel much more sympathetic to Amelie, who is virtually not likeable at all before you find out what was going on with her. There are trigger warnings in the front of the book which I appreciate, but it wasn't as graphic as I was worried about. Still feels like the lighter end of new adult to me. Thanks Tessonja!

[Jill Gauger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! You see a side of Amelie you don’t see in the first two books. The depth of Cobalt’s betrayal is really brought to the forefront in this book in Amelie’s POV.
I loved it and want the 3rd book now 😉

[Micheala · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting short story. Downside is, this redeems Amalie, and I was enjoying her as the villain. I enjoyed the idea of one sister being so power-hungry, it beat out family. But this does make more sense now. Excited to see how the final book plays out.

[Sarah Lapalme · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fast read and totally answers questions about how Amelie was feeling and how she could do what she did throughout the first two books. I enjoyed getting her perspective of things and I hope she gets what she wants in book 3!

[Laura Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, this short story isn't needed and in others, it was nice to see what happened when Amelie was away from Evie and also to get more of a sense of her character. It did make me like her more when she appeared in the Wolf King spin off.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made me dislike Amelie even more.... Which im not sure was the point of this novella. I am excited to see you know who get what he deserves in the last book but Amie didn't get any redemption in this story to me

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this was supposed to make me like or understand Amelie better... it didn't. I actually dislike her even more now.

But since I'm so bothered by a fictional character, it certainly proves how very well written this short story is.