Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: A DANCE WITH THE FAE PRINCE by Elise Kova
Jamie @ Books and Ladders
20 January
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Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!
A DANCE WITH THE FAE PRINCE
Author: Elise Kova
Series: Married to Magic #2
Source: Audiobook via Audible
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: August 19, 2021
Summary:
She knew her hand in marriage would be sold. She had no idea a fae prince was the buyer.
Katria swore she'd never fall in love. She's seen what "love" means through the cruelty of her family. So when she's married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she's leaving. Feelings are off the table.
But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.
As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.
Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings - magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne - and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.
The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?
A Dance with the Fae Prince is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Psyche and Eros, as well as Cinderella, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.
Purchase:
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Content Warnings: Abuse (physical and emotional, past), Animal death (on page), Arranged marriage, Attempted murder, Child abuse, Death, Death of parents (past), Emesis, Gaslighting, Physical assault, Self harm (ritual purposes), Torture, War Themes
I have a feeling that all these Married to Magic books are going to be mid. There are a lot of really good parts to them and I like slow burn romance novels, but the retelling and the magic is never nuanced enough for me to fully enjoy them.
I enjoyed the slow burn in the romance, but unfortunately, I feel like the building up to their romance fell short as I couldn't feel a strong connection between the two.
I am glad there is always a happy ending to them, but the in between is always rife with abuse. And while the romances are never classified that way, sometimes they end up being borderline abusive. Katria doesn't even know her husband's name for a good portion of this novel. He doesn't explain a lot about the world and magic to her, which ends up putting her in harms way a few times.
I just wish there was a bit more "magic" and more emphasis on how the marriage works rather than "arranged marriage, girl can do magic, the end" throughout these. Maybe that will change with the next two, but this was mostly meh for me.
If you enjoy Elise's books, especially when they focus more on the romance portion, then this is for you!
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