VeganCleopatra

There may be a number of similarities to KMM's Fever series, but I felt as though The Falconer stood on its own. The similarities do appear rather obvious in the beginning but by the middle the similarities dwindle and the humor and the storyline shines through.

Aileana is a strong, likable main character and I loved that she was such a realist. She had a true strength of character and sense of self. She nor the book had an emphasis on romance, which can often overtake books such as these. Yes, there are elements near the end, which hints that the next book will contain more, but overall the romance was light to non-existent and I enjoyed the focus on the fae troubles. Even though she is betrothed to a specific man, she readily admits a lack of love for the man and does not bemoan the situation. So, no love triangle either! Win!

Lord Linlithgow said all the appropriate things and listened politely. A perfect gentleman, the product of what must have been impeccable etiquette lessons. The Aileana of last year would have considered how he’d age, and if we married how we would get on, what our children would look like. She would have found him an attractive match, certainly worthy of a second visit. The Aileana of last year was a complete and utter ninny. Loc1560

“What, exactly, is the purpose of pledging your life to someone you don’t want?” “Duty first,” I say bitterly. “That’s what my father always says. Few ladies who shame their families are lucky enough to receive an offer from the gentlemen who helped ruin them.” He goes deadly calm. “Ruined you, did he?” “Of course not. He saved my life last night, and fate was not kind to him for it.” “Couldn’t you choose not to marry him?” he asks. “If you didn’t want it?” “Women in my world don’t have many choices, MacKay. My life has already been decided for me.” “Such a prison you live in,” he murmurs without a hint of sarcasm. “I wonder how you breathe.” Loc3225

I’m like him. I’m a monster, too. For the briefest moment, I wish I was the girl I used to be. I’d wear frivolous white dresses and attend dances and never worry about anything ever again. But I had to destroy the girl who wore white dresses because she wasn’t capable of murder. And now I have to live with my choice. Loc3670

Kiaran plays a Barrons-esque role in the novel, though he has less of a role than Barrons does in the Fever series. Barrons is also more of an ass, but that is to be expected. However, I failed to get a full grasp of Kiaran as a character, he was too elusive and it added to the cliffhanger ending being somewhat confusing.

Kiaran is daoine sìth, the most powerful breed of faery in existence, and they are not known for their empathy. Rather, they are infamous for being cruel, unfeeling, destructive creatures who crave power above all else. Loc780

One bonus of this series that cannot be compared to the Fever series is Derrick. That little pixy is absolutely entertaining and I loved his character. Derrick drunk on honey is quite memorable and I have difficulty deciding if Aileana or Derrick was my favorite character. The book as a whole had a nice level of humor throughout and I rather enjoyed it.

Derrick giggles into my ear. “She’s silly. So siiiiilly.” He pats my ear. “Aileana. Aileana! Can you hear me? I know you can hear me. You can hear me. You’re hearing me. Say something. Smile. Twitch. Cough once.” Loc1726

"Daaaaaancing,” Derrick cries. “I love daaaancing! Tell him to toss you over his head!” Loc1730

The doorknob twists and catches on the lock. Kiaran swears softly. “Open the door, Kam.” Derrick dives from the windowsill, a red halo of light surrounding him. “Oh, good. He’s finally here. I believe I vowed to tear out his innards.” “I swear, I am going to kill that damn pixie,” I hear Kiaran mutter. Loc3550

Catherine studies my hair, my face, then the awkward state of my dress. “Forgive me for being so blunt, but you look ghastly.” Unconcerned, I wave a hand between us. Hair arrangement is not a great talent of mine. Nor, apparently, is tying bows over my dress to hide my injuries. “That’s a horrible thing to say,” I tell her. “What if I’d just escaped a perilous situation?” Catherine examines me from head to toe again. “Barely, I assume.” “Your confidence in me is inspiring.” Loc391

Overall I really enjoyed The Falconer and look forward to book two.