The Pittsburgh Writer Emily Blackwood
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House of Lies and Sorrow
Her fate was decided years ago, when her useless father made a deal with the greedy fae king to save his own life. Now, she is being sent to marry one of the five ruthless fae princes. The only problem is that she is not the first human to marry a fae prince. And like every human wife before her, Jade is going to be killed before she can find a way out.
Malachi Weyland is the heir to the fae throne. It’s the reason his brothers have despised him all these years, and it’s the reason his father is adamant on finding him a human wife. Malachi has one job, and that is to unite the fae and human lands. But Malachi has a secret, and it’s one that gives him his rightful name amongst both the human and fae lands: The Prince of Shadows.
Jade and Malachi are faced with life-or-death challenges as Jade is thrown into Malachi’s magical world. Will she die just like every wife before her? Or will Malachi, the same fae who is feared across all of Rewyth, be the one to save her life?
Prince of Sins and Shadows
Jade may have survived her wedding night in the ruthless kingdom of Rewyth, but her battle is far from over. Thrown into yet another new world, Jade is forced to fight between her heart and her intuition as humans and fae pull her in opposite directions. Jade is no longer the only human in sight, yet she finds herself defending the fae more and more.
Malachi’s life is thrown into a spiral as he learns more about his father’s lies, his mother’s secrets, and his wife’s destiny. He is willing to protect Jade at all costs, even if she’s in more danger with every passing day. Fighting his instincts as the Prince of Shadows, Malachi is forced to submit to human ruling, following his mother’s plan to unite humans and fae and create peace in the human kingdom of Fearford.
Jade and Malachi’s journey continues in Prince of Sins and Shadows as new enemies, ancient prophecies, and mythical creatures threaten them every step of the way. Will their bond defy the true nature of who they really are? Or will they succumb to the strong forces that pull them apart?
A Combined Review of House of Lies and Sorrow and Prince of Sins and Shadows
I’ve never really been one to pick up a Young Adult fantasy, especially not one centered around fae and complicated relationships. So you can only imagine my surprise when I added this to my “read later” list. It was one of those “can’t sleep at 2:00 AM so let me shop for books on my Kindle” moments. Don’t judge me. You know you’ve done it, too!
Have I always preferred more action packed historical fiction? Yes. Did I make a promise to myself this year to step outside my reading comfort zone? Also yes. That, and the book covers, is what prompted me to try a YA fantasy book for once in a blue moon. As Book 2 is a direct continuation of Book 1, I am going to review both as if they were one.
With YA Fantasy, the reader really must suspend themselves from reality for a time in order to make any fantasy make sense. This is why I could never be a true fantasy author: I like straight up facts a little too much! Sometimes, however, it is fun to take a break from something purely historical and indulge. Let’s face it: the Fae of Rewyth series is pure indulgence, and as a long time reader I could see where Ms. Blackwood took inspiration from Twilight and potentially even The Lord of the Rings. Let’s take a look at these comparisons through the characters and the tropes.
Spoilers ahead.
The Characters
The story follows fae Prince Malachi and his forced marriage bride, human Jade Farrow. There’s also the usual cast of characters: plotting, lying brothers, a once-loyal sister, an abusive father (or two), the fierce friends and skilled fighters, and those that will eventually betray the two main characters. Ms. Blackwood does do a really good job in keeping you guessing who will have the ultimate betrayer arc, but I am 98% positive I know who it’s going to be.
The Tropes
The coming-of-age “Chosen One.” This one I always have trouble with. While many love this coming-of-age moment, there are always – always – others who say they know the MC better than she knows herself. And isn’t that just a little bit creepy?
The forced marriage. This is more common in romance novels. Maybe not the “forced” part, but definitely marriages of conveniences. The author took a page from the romance world for this particular trope. At least she was able to work it so it didn’t feel too…creepy? I tried to get away from using that word again but it just, well, fits!
The single bed. I mean, we all know where this one goes, right?
The sexy clothing trope. Somehow everyone knows the MCs size. Like, I barely know my own clothing size these days. How can anyone – even fae – do this so well in books? Where everything fits like a glove? Yup. Total suspension of reality needed for this one, too. Fantasy novel or not! 🙂
Deer hunting. Okay I can’t help but bring to mind the opening scenes of the Twilight films, or even with The Hunger Games. Why does hunting always appear in novels such as these?
Classic training to fight trope. At one point or another, if the heroine doesn’t already know how to fight or have at least some promising skills, there will be a training-to-fight scene. At it’s always a device used to bridge two action packed scenes together with varying degrees of success.
There’s nothing new under the sun, they say, so I shouldn’t have been surprised at the combination of tropes used in a typical young adult tale. I think that’s why I read through these two stories as quickly as I did. As a writer myself, reading for the pure pleasure of it can be a hard switch from the analytical side of reading.
Really my only qualm with many YA fantasy tales is the amount of abuse the MCs suffer. While that’s a very classic thing to do to a main character, I have to wonder how far is too far, especially when it’s a MC that’s so young.
Will I end up reading the third book? Probably. I want to know if my who-betrays-whom guesses are correct. Overall, these stories were a bit short for fantasy writing, but then again this is the first book series I’ve ever read by this author. As such, I don’t know if this is her usual length or not. I guess we’ll just have to see with book number three.
