Review: Fairies are intense!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2014
received a free copy of this book form the author in exchange for an honest review.The first book in this series was filled with secrets, and the second instalment was full of disagreements. Both were equally frustrating and equally entertaining.I finally got my answers to a lot of the questions that I had while reading the first book. I know more about Owen, Teague, and the mysteries surrounding them. I also have a better idea of what happened to Cailin's mother, and why Lennox Moon hate's Nolkrin and the entire Willow family so much. Once I realized that I would actually get answers this time, I thought that I wouldn't have to deal with that frustrating feeling of wanting everyone to just be honest and straight forward with one another, but that wasn't true. In fact everyone seemed to trust each other less than they used to!Some of the characters kept secrets because they were trying to protect someone, and others just had evil intentions. I'm not sure why Owen and Nolkrin think that they need to keep their children in the dark. They are in very real and ever-present danger, and nothing bad would happen as a result of them knowing certain things, it would only help them to be better prepared. There were quite a few times that some major secret would be revealed only after Cailin or Teague begged or threw a tantrum, but after someone told them what they wanted to know, they handled it very well. Cailin might have had a moment of fear and Teague was skeptical, but considering what they were learning, those reactions were very reasonable and relatively tame. There was simply no good reason offered as to why Owen and Nolkrin felt they needed to keep these secrets. I knew what they feared would happen, but it never did happen so I at least expected them to trust them in the future!.Because of centuries of betrayal and mistreatment, the pixie race is very, distrusting of anyone who is not a pixie. a few new creatures were introduced in this book. One was called a Mazikeen, and even though Mazikeen's have a lot in common with pixies, the pixies ostracize them. Druids are also in this part of the series, and although Druids protect pixies, the pixies treat them like they are monsters. And don't even get me started on what they think of humans. After I got a little back story about the history of pixies, I completely understood why they naturally distrusted certain beings, but Teague and Owen had done more than enough to deserve the trust of Nolkrin and Cailin so when even they questioned Teague and Owen's motivations, I didn't like it. It was strange because I know that Cailin and her father, Nolkrin love Teague and Owen so their moments of doubt just didn't go along with all of the times they trusted them. I suppose that is realistic though. People are not very consistent after all. The politics of pixies is also very fascinating. I already mentioned their distrust of everyone who is not a pixie, but they also value honesty and life above all else. At least the best of them do.I think this books strong suit is how well thought out the world of the pixies is. It doesn't focus so much on the scenery, but rather it highlights what it would feel like to be a pixie. Cailin spent a lot of time sitting on Teague's lap or in  the crook of his elbow, and that is exactly how I would travel if I were one foot tall, on the arm of a six-foot tall, handsome man!The relationship between Cailin and Teague developed somewhat in this story, but in many ways it stayed exactly where it was before the events of this novel took place. They care for one another a lot, but she is still a pixie, and he--well he's not. Even if their size difference was not a problem, Teague is still something she has been raised to fear and hate. In her heart she knows that she can trust him, but it is difficult for her to deny what she has believed for centuries and that lack of trust does absolutely nothing to help Teague's insecurities. He already had a lot of problems when he met her, and knowing that the minor relief her presence in his life provides could be snatched from him at any moment, terrifies him. At first I didn't like Teague that much because he is so angry and childish, but now I feel compassionate for him. He is also growing up, and that doesn't hurt.There were some love triangle elements this time. Both Teague and Cailin have people who were a part of their lives before they met each other, and they have feelings for these people. As always, I am not a fan of love triangles. I think it is an unnecessary distraction in books like these. Teague and Cailin have enough problems and forces working against their love already. There is no real question that those other people would just be consolation prizes, but for some reason they are still there. This is what keeps me from being able to truly invest in Teague and Cailin's relationship. Once the Annoying buzz that those other people are creating in the background while I'm reading is gone, I'll be able to root for Cailin and Teague to beat all the odds and be together.By the end of the story, all of the characters were in positions to become stronger or weaker depending on the choices they make. I am beyond frustrated with the villains and very satisfied with where things are headed. It's the type of cliffhanger that doesn't piss you off, but gets you excited about the sequel.Because this series is about pixies, it would be easy to assume that it is all light fluff, but that isn't the case. There are some dark elements, plenty of mystery, and tons of character development. I always enjoy stories like that, and this one was not an exception.! :DBecause of language and violence, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.