The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
I am a total sucker for a good historical fiction piece. Toss in some fantasy elements and I'm hooked. Such was definitely the case with The Faerie Ring, Kiki Hamilton's debut. I was drawn by the cover (what else?) and hooked from page 1. Really, really enjoyed this one.
I think my favorite part was the mixture of historical accuracy and fantasy. I loved the mixing of Victorian England with the Faerie realms. We don't see into the realms in this book, but we do meet several faeries and others who are connected to them. I thought it was a really cool point that British royalty firmly believed in the Fae and would do anything to hold the truce intact.
I really liked Tiki. She was strong and clever. She was loyal to her 'family' and would do anything for them, including asking Rieker for help. She did what she had to do in order to survive and keep her family intact. She was resourceful and careful, but also indulged in her reading habit.
Rieker was intriguing. From the moment we met him, I suspected that there was more to him than met the eye. Sure enough. I won't tell you what it was, but rest assured, it blew me away. I had to read the reveal passage several times to make sure I got it. I so did not see that one coming. Not even a little bit.
I loved the idea that the tenuous truce between England and Faerie was bound up in a ring. It made a lot of sense to me. It just seemed like something that the Fae would do. It also made a lot more sense to have a lost object be the cause of a near-miss with the truce. A small thing, but something that would totally set the Fae off. It just seemed like they'd be all willing to go to war over something as trivial as a ring. Does that even make any sense? Don't worry, it totally does in my head. Hopefully outside of it too.
The story was fast-paced, entertaining, and enough to keep me coming back for more. I rather enjoyed it and am definitely looking forward to the next books in the series. Also putting them on my want to own list. Yep, I'll read them over and over.
Giving this one a 'Pick Me' reading for being a great mix of historical and fantasy!
I think my favorite part was the mixture of historical accuracy and fantasy. I loved the mixing of Victorian England with the Faerie realms. We don't see into the realms in this book, but we do meet several faeries and others who are connected to them. I thought it was a really cool point that British royalty firmly believed in the Fae and would do anything to hold the truce intact.
I really liked Tiki. She was strong and clever. She was loyal to her 'family' and would do anything for them, including asking Rieker for help. She did what she had to do in order to survive and keep her family intact. She was resourceful and careful, but also indulged in her reading habit.
Rieker was intriguing. From the moment we met him, I suspected that there was more to him than met the eye. Sure enough. I won't tell you what it was, but rest assured, it blew me away. I had to read the reveal passage several times to make sure I got it. I so did not see that one coming. Not even a little bit.
I loved the idea that the tenuous truce between England and Faerie was bound up in a ring. It made a lot of sense to me. It just seemed like something that the Fae would do. It also made a lot more sense to have a lost object be the cause of a near-miss with the truce. A small thing, but something that would totally set the Fae off. It just seemed like they'd be all willing to go to war over something as trivial as a ring. Does that even make any sense? Don't worry, it totally does in my head. Hopefully outside of it too.
The story was fast-paced, entertaining, and enough to keep me coming back for more. I rather enjoyed it and am definitely looking forward to the next books in the series. Also putting them on my want to own list. Yep, I'll read them over and over.
Giving this one a 'Pick Me' reading for being a great mix of historical and fantasy!
Content Advisory:
Language: Mild
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Mature Themes: orphans, death, crime
Find Kiki online:
