Title: The FalconerSeries: The Falconer #1
Author: Elizabeth May
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: May 6th 2014
Pages: Hardcover, US, 336 pages
Source: EW
Summary from Goodreads:
Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844
Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.
Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.
But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?
Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844
Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.
Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.
But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?
What I Liked
- Aileana. One of my absolute favorite things about the book is the main character, Aileana. She is a fighter, she is full of sass and full of revenge. Aileana is far from perfect, making her a stronger character - not to mention she is a girl engineer during a era where that is not socially acceptable. **Cheers for smart girls!!!**
- The relationships. Both the romantic and non-romantic relationships where spot on. The tension between the Aileana and her love interests was great. The friendships were also a nice addition. Aileana had a best friend, Catherine, and a faery Derrick, who lived in her closet. Each character had a unique role in the story and kept me grinning throughout.
- The Scottish Lore. Having recently visited Scotland, I absolutely loved reading about places where I have been, like the Edinburgh Castle. The story takes place in a steampunk Scotland, so picture lots of greenery, castles, Victorian dresses, cool inventions, and fancy parties.
- The plot pacing. I felt instantly captured in the story; the plot was fast paced with plenty of action and fight scenes.
What I Didn't
- Some of the vocab. This is probably just a me issue but the story uses both Scottish and faery words that I just cannot pronounce. When I cannot pronounce a word it makes it harder for me to remember what they mean therefore I had to refer to the glossary quite frequently.
- The cliffhanger. HOLY MOLY! Although I thoroughly enjoyed the plot pacing once of the least favorite parts of the story was the ending. Granted I am excited for the next book but I would have loved just a bit more resolution.
Bottom Line
The Falconer reminded me of why faery books are awesome. I definitely recommend The Falconer if you want to read an awesome story that has faery fighting and a Scottish 'lady' that must save the city all while attempting to manage society's expectations; you have to be okay with a cliff hanger though!
