Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
The Exile (Fae #1)
C.T. Adams
Published: March 10, 2015 (Tor)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: purchased
Reviewed by: Krista
Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars
So when I found out C.T. Adams was starting up a new series I have to admit that my interest was piqued. (C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp Hunter’s Moon
Brianna Hai is the half-fae daughter of the High King of Faerie. At the beginning of The Exile she is happily living in self-imposed exile in the mortal realm. She has built a successful magic shop selling herbs, magical objects, and the occasional spell. Unfortunately for her and her friends, the Fae realm is far from done with her.
At the same time as Brianna is having Fae troubles in the mortal realm, her father is facing his impending death and the knowledge that it will be at the hand of a traitor. For the first part of the book we are jumping between the Fae and mortal realm until Brianna is forced to attempt a rescue mission into her father’s homeland to rescue a litter of kittens. Really, it was more heroic than it first seems. As soon as she arrives Brianna and her friends are quickly embroiled into sidhe politics.
Here’s the thing, there is a lot going on in The Exile, which is to be expected in a first in a series. Adams has started a lot of threads that she will hopefully develop throughout the series but in one book it became somewhat jarring. I was never able to completely submerge myself in the book because I was always trying to keep track of the story lines. The best world development occurs without the reader even being aware that the author is laying foundation. The end of the book also seemed rushed as the author tried to wrap the things up. I found myself flipping back pages trying to figure out what just happened and how it happened.
There still is a lot to recommend The Exile and hopefully the proceeding sequels. Brianna is a strong, charismatic heroine who you can’t help but root for. There are also some excellent side characters that charm everyone every time they appear on the page. There is a lot of potential in The Exile, and for that reason I am happy to recommend it to any urban fantasy fan.
Sexual content: Kissing
