Cassandra Fear

Fans of conspiracy, magic and, above all, fae, are sure to enjoy this fast paced read.

Brinna lives in a world at war, humans against fae. While physical battle is constantly brewing, the human leaders capture fae and throw them into camps, where Brinna knows they suffer horrible deaths. In either case, she decides it's best to ignore it as best she can and carry out her simple life of work and attending college. On the way home one evening, she's attacked and breaks a binding spell..something humans can't do. Before she knows it, a secret her parents have been keeping from her comes to light—she's the fae princess and has been living in hiding. When her foster parents are now forced to return her to her rightful, royal parents, Brinna learns so much more about the war and can't stay empathetic anymore.

The author does a wonderful job at mixing real life with that of fae and conspiracy. At first, Brinna and her life come across extremely familiar, and it's easy to connect with her and her surroundings. Even with the explanation of the surrounding war with the fae, it's set in a world not so different from reality. As Brinna discovers the secret, the magic side oozes in and takes the tale off in a fantastic direction.

Brinna has a lot of decisions to make and despite several mistakes, has her heart in the right place. Her moral compass and determination make her easy to root for. Several decisions were a bit quick and not as well-founded as they could have been, but this tale also holds such a quick pace and many layers, that it doesn't hurt the tale. There is a lot going on which Brinna still needs to discover, and this book only takes the first steps into a larger conspiracy.

The writing is definitely entertaining and there are so many tense moments that it's hard to put the book down. At times, things did come across a little superficial or rushed, but it wasn't enough to make me want to put the book down. It was a lot of fun to follow Brinna as she tries to save everyone as best she could, and it will be a treat to see where all of this goes next.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed reading the story very much.… (mere)