The Falconer by Elizabeth May Series: The Falconer #1
Published by Chronicle Books on September 19th, 2013
Source: Purchased
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy & Magic, Steampunk, Young Adult
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
One girl's nightmare is this girl's faery tale
She's a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.She's a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she's leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.She's a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.She's a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother's murder—but she'll have to save the world first.The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller combines romance and action, steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.
The Good Things
- I’m finally rereading this so I can finish the series! It was one of my favourite reads (and my first ever Edelweiss eARC) in 2013 or 2014.
- Fast-paced, action packed YA historical fantasy set in 1840s Scotland. I couldn’t put it down!
- Aileana is a badass!
- SO MUCH STEAMPUNK! Aileana invents some epic weapons to kill faeries in her quest for vengeance.
- So many sassy side characters! They made me laugh a lot. Especially Derrick.
- Who can say no to a broody mysterious fae? I loved Kiaran and want to know more about him.
- The faery lore is super interesting! Based in traditional tales, but with some interesting new takes.
- I hate making comparisons, but this is terribly underrated and deserves more attention. So. I think that if you love the Infernal Devices you would enjoy this! It has a similar setting and plot elements.
The Not-So-Good Things
- I wanted another 100 pages just of smaller scenes getting to know more of the side characters! They all seem so interesting, but I feel like we barely got to know them, especially Catherine and Gavin.
- The cliff-hanger, as epic of an ending as it is, feels like it ends MID SCENE. I knew it was coming and it still left me screaming when I turned the last page only to see a glossary! I don’t mind a good cliff-hanger that turns a story on its head but ending in the middle of a scene is mean. Especially a scene like this one!
This fast paced, action packed YA historical fantasy is SO GOOD. I loved it even more than I remembered. The steampunk elements and characters were particularly great. I am so excited and terrified to see where the plot goes next!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Ahh your review reminds me of this book! I remember the hype and always wanted to read it… It’s always nice to reread your favorite series and find it still as amazing as you remember it 🙂
Tasya @ The Literary Huntress recently posted…4 Reasons I want to read these books before 2021 ends