This is a spoiler-free review! Faelorehn is currently available for free on iBooks and Kindle.
The cover definitely drew me to this story, but the plot of a Celtic lore fantasy really pulled me in -- it is few and far between that we see Celtic lore take the forefront of young adult novels, so I was interested to see how this story played out.
Almost right away, I could tell that the writings style was not one of my favorites -- told in first person, I often find myself wishing for a third person perspective, or at least a dual perspective if the story absolutely must be told in first person. It is just a little irk of mine that does not take away from the story, but does make it harder for me to get into the book. Meghan's thought processes throughout this first installment are certainly something... she deals with the stereotypical highs and lows of high school while also being plagued by nightmares and strange creatures in the woods.
Meghan's group of friends are certainly an interesting bunch, and provide just a touch of benefit to the plot of the story -- I felt as though their presence, for the most part, was only to sprinkle in details of Celtic lore that normally would not have flowed well into the plot otherwise. When Meghan is researching Celtic lore, it gave me a flashback of Bella googling vampires in Twilight in the best way possible. A majority of the time, her friends are used to move the plot forward in the sense that Meghan is noticed to be distant or hiding things from them. Thomas, Tulip, Robyn, and Will are just present enough that you learn a little about their personalities without them overtaking the story.
Every single time a new little creature spawned itself in front of Meghan, I could not help but laugh -- her survival skills are not the best, but she has the spirit and that is what counts. I wish the author spent more time going into detail about these creatures or have their scenes more action-packed instead of one-offing their presence once Cade would appear. Cade's introduction into the story was well-fit for his character, maintaining that mysterious aura while still having a presence in Meghan's development. He was honestly more interesting to read about than Meghan was, as her character felt two-dimensional at times and was always conflicted on what to do.
As someone who is not a fan of insta-love, especially after having only a handful of interactions with the male lead, Meghan falling in love with Cade after only knowing of him for a little over a month was not my cup of tea. Yes, he is a handsome, mysterious guy that shows up out of nowhere and starts to protect you, but girl stand up and process everything else that is going on with you before you decide you love someone after speaking to them three times.
I was excited to get into a new fantasy series, any this is a great selection for someone looking for a quick read that sets up the world for future conflict. Regarding the pacing of the book, it moves a touch too slow for my liking and does not have a ton of action compared to other young adult fantasy novels. Given that it is the first installment, I will give it a pass, but even towards the end of the story, I felt as though nothing truly groundbreaking was happening. I may revisit the series on a rainy day, but for now, I am content with this introduction.
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