This was a DNF for me. I couldn't connect to the characters. I won't be finishing the series. Sorry for the delay in posting reviews, I'm attempting to catch up my netgalley backlog.

This was a really fast-paced story! I found the world-building to be well crafted! However, I found the characters hard to relate to!

I enjoyed this book allot! But there was something missing! I feel like the characters could have been elaborated more! Great beginning though! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is a good story which I could not put down.
Unfortunately some of the characters were really weak and lacked depth.

The Farrier's Daughter is the first book in the Irish Witch series. It follows the story of Alainn, a beautiful, young herb witch to a very powerful clan who was cursed. Furthermore, Alainn's relationship with Killian, a member of said clan, starts to evolve from friendship to forbidden love. Alainn's powers begin to grow and she discovers her magical heritage and she hopes she can use these powers for good, such as breaking the curse on the clan. I felt like there was very little action going on in this book considering how much character development there should have been for Alainn. I had a really hard time connecting with her as a female lead. Parts of the writing would go off on a very descriptive tangent that I would find distracting. I found the chapter breaks to be a bit awkward - some would happen in the middle of a major scene or conversations. Aspects of the book's writing is very derogatory towards women, basically making it sound like men rule this world and can have their way with any women they want. I felt like there are aspects of a good story, but they need to be better developed. Hopefully the other books in the series fare better.

“He snorted. "He fears you? Why ever would he fear a small girl like you, and his own daughter?"
She napped her eyes back up and whispered, "Because, I know of magic."
Killian smirked. "Of course you know of magic, everyone knows of magic. We live in Ireland. Everyone knows of fairies and druids, and the like. Magic cannot be disputed, even if the priests do not take kindly to these beliefs."
"Aye, but I can do magic.”

As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida, I discovered a new magical fantasy series set in sixteenth century Ireland featuring witches, a swoony hero, an evil curse and fairies. It’s planned to be a seven-book series with four books having been released so far. I inhaled all four in less than three days. The Farrier’s Daughter by Leigh Ann Edwards was the series’ debut and it absolutely whetted my appetite for more!

The Farrier’s Daughter introduces readers to seven-year-old Alainn McCreary and Killian O'Brien. She is the farrier’s daughter and a servant. He is the laird’s nephew and is set to be a laird himself of his family’s lands. My favorite scene is one of the first in the tale. Young Killian is near death when Alainn surprisingly heals him and engages him in an intriguing conversation which inspires a turning point in his recovery. Thus begins a deep friendship between the two. Because of their bond, she is educated and given benefits not normally afforded to those of the lower classes. As they grow up together, they share their hopes and dreams for the future. Their friendship evolves into love – but because they are from different social stations, there can be no future for them.

Alainn is a beautiful, feisty witch who has been raised to hide her gift. Killian is honorable and torn between his love for Alainn and his duty to his uncle. As Alainn’s power grows, she begins to question her past and her future and she becomes aware that she may be the key to removing the old curse on the O’Brien family. I was swept away by the setting and their story…

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from The Farrier’s Daughter:

“Tis a proud battle's scar you possess, Killian O'Brien," she murmured. He sat up higher at her praise. "But you've lived through the battle and now you must live on past the battle, for that is what warriors do.”
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“He fawns over ye like flies to a dung pile.”
---

“I may not have journeyed to other lands, but a trip through the fairy glade is a journey few others have taken, and fewer still have spoken of. I will look forward to taking you with me, Killian. You will see why I always feel the need to return."
He was not remotely certain he would ever share her sentiments.”

It’s hard to believe that this book marks the author’s debut as it’s very well written and edited. This series would make a fantastic movie or mini-series. It’s engrossing and fun with wonderful characters. There’s a cliffhanger ending, but, since the next book is already available, it’s not a big deal. Just know that you will want to have the next installment ready to go! If you enjoy historical romantic fantasies with magical elements galore, I’d highly recommend that you check out The Irish Witch series!



Suggested Reading Order:
The Farrier’s Daughter (Book #1)
The Witch’s Daughter (Book #2)
The Chieftain’s Daughter (Book #3)
A Chieftain’s Wife (Book #4)
A Witch’s Life (Book #5) – January 2018!
A Witch’s Quest (Book #6) – Estimated March/April 2018!
A Witch’s Destiny (Book #7) – The Conclusion! Estimated mid-2018!

After trying to read this one I don't think I'm going to read the rest of the series. It's not my cup of tea.

Step back in time with The Farrier’s Daughter to the reign of King Henry, to magic and witchcraft and two young people who will matter so much to each other as they grow up during very turbulent times. In a time period where the division between commoner and royalty was strictly drawn, the lives of Alainn and Killian seem to be forever intertwined in one fashion or another. Alainn is a young, learning healer (and a witch), and when she saves the life of the chieftain’s nephew, Killian their bond is forged. From childhood friendship through adulthood love, these two will face so much, and risk even more to be together.

The Farrier’s Daughter is full of magic, intrigue, good vs evil, a family curse and class separation. It took me a little bit to fall into the rhythm of the story, but once I did I enjoyed my time in this world. Alainn and Killian are both strong characters, I never doubted their affection to each other no matter the circumstances they found themselves in. If you enjoy fantasy, paranormal, and historical romance then you’ll find an interesting combination of them all in this story and the series. I’d recommend this one for readers who enjoy an alternative viewpoint, love solving mysteries, and traveling back in time is the ultimate enjoyment.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This was a freely given netgalley review.

So what interested me in this title to begin with was the fact that it was 16th century Ireland. To me the root of traditional and stereotypical paganism from the old world. I loved the concept of this old magic. There seemed to be some minute errors that brought me out of the setting some language and whatnot. I really enjoyed the first half of it. When Alainn grew up though her maturity seemed forced and therefore not very believable. I almost wish that this first book didn't have any serious romance in it to begin with/ none at all because I really felt that the longer Alainn's childhood period was developed, the less irritating she would have been as a young adult character. There just seemed to be a lot of force in making the characters, language, and setting fit. Especially when she got older.

Another thing I did like was the description. There were some good "shows" in the story. I very much would like this if it was re-worked so it flowed better, but generally speaking I liked it. I give it 3.5 stars.

Funny little book care of Net Galley. Didn't think I was going to like it as it was set in the reign of henry VIII but I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. Even the little feminist in me didn't mind some of the male attitude! Great story, really told well and will definitely be reading the second one straight away

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22881903-the-farrier-s-daughter

This was a fun and fairly frothy light fantasy romance that would be enjoyed by fans of Melanie Dickerson and Lecia Cornwall.. Most of the adventure is internal, not so much in terms of character development but in the sense that there is little real physical action. If you're in the mood for quiet fantasy then this is great.. I really enjoyed this first episode in a new series.

Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A great beginning to a new witchy series! Wonderfully written, you couldn't even tell that this was a debut! I couldn't part with this book until I finished it, bring on book 2!

Commoner, healer in training, witch who hasn't discovered her powers yet, all of these can describe Alainn McCreary as well as fallen in love with Killian O' Brien, the chieftain's eldest son. However, that is not her place, and he is definitely a few stations about her. Will love and her new found powers help the odds? And will they find the reason behind the curse on his family?

If you enjoy Irish stories, the start of the series will take you by surprise. Well written with delightfully fun characters and a mystery surrounding the entire family will keep guessing throughout. The Witch's Daughter is second in the series and continues Alainn's tale.

I just could not get in to this book. The writing was really choppy and didn't pull me in. The Farrier's Daughter is advertised as a historical fantasy, but is pretty light on the fantasy. I like a pretty high dose of fantasy in my novels. After this book, I just don't think historical fantasy is for me.

The Farrier's Daughter by Leigh-Ann Edwards is the debut book by this rising star writer. Ms. Edwards dedicates this book to two strong women in her life, of course so I expected that the main character, Aliann would be strong. What I didn’t expected was to fall so in love with this character while she was still a young child. The opening scene just between Aliann and Killian simply stole my heart and sealed support for these two not matter what else happened.

What else I didn’t expect was how the intricate weaving of the plot that connects everything., Starting with the beginning scene with events or people simply mentioned so that later you see the importance so that you say to yourself, “Oh, yeah, I remember that reference early in the story.” This also includes the actions of the characters, their secrets the magic, and how history is repeating itself.

Besides having characters to love there are several to loath and a few to even pity. While the readers cannot read auras like Aliann, you began to suspect that good may be covering for evil and what is thought to be evil is not always as it seems.

I was encouraged to read this series in order. Now I am so glad that I heeded that wisdom. The Farrier's Daughter ends with a parting that seems to be a finality but in reality is a major cliffhanger much in the way of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. (The stories are not anything like but the ending style is what is similar.)

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It's tough for me to start this review. I thought this was a YA book. The cover and the synopsis sounded very "YA" to me. Not that it's a bad thing, but this book isn't exactly YA. The main character, Alainn, is only 17 but her love interest Killian is I think supposed to be around 21. There is also a fair amount of sex and implied sex in this book. But it never gets overly descriptive to the point where it's smut.

The dialog was hard to follow sometimes because the author used slightly Old English for when people spoke. Which makes sense for the setting, but it was sometimes difficult to read, especially at night when I was slightly tired.

While the romance was mainly the focus of the book, it was in a way that made sense, and actually moved the plot along nicely. We all know and have read books where a romance is the focus and it just doesn't work and makes the story a little stagnant. *cough*twilight*cough*.

I wasn't sure how accurate the last names she chose for her characters are. She used a lot of names that started with O' and while that is how some Irish names are, that actually isn't the majority.

I am pretty excited to read this series. It's really interesting and well written.

A wonderful beginning to what promises to be a compelling new series.

I found it hard to believe that this was Leigh Ann Edwards’ debut novel. It was just so well written and polished it seemed to come from a much more experienced writer.

Other reviews have criticised this book for its lack of action. Yes, action wise there isn’t much until the last chapter. However, to me, this book serves as an introduction to the world and the characters that live in it. This book is dedicated to character development and exploring relationships between the characters. Not just between our two leads, but interactions between the whole community of personalities.
This author has done an amazing job of creating a world filled with interesting and complex characters. Depth of characterisation goes beyond the two leads and gives flavour and personality to the supporting cast too. There is a broad scope of characters too varying from those you love, to those you love to hate, and everything in between. There are no cardboard cut-outs, everyone is an individual.

This book was compelling! I couldn’t put it down and found myself promising ‘just one more page. .’ It may be an introductory book but it was never bogged down in detail and flowed so well. It has set up the following books so perfectly that I can’t imagine even trying to read them without having first read this book.

I haven’t enjoyed a fantasy book so much in ages. I can’t recommend it highly enough, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The first in Leigh Ann Edwards' Irish Witch trilogy, The Farrier's Daughter offers a fascinating insight into sixteenth century Ireland, while the twist of magic adds charm to this intriguing story.
The tale begins with seven year-old Alainn healing twelve year-old Killian and giving him a reason to live when he has lost the will to do so. As the story progresses their love for each other grows, though their different stations in life make this unlikely.
Although I don't normally read fantasy, I really enjoyed this book though the cliffhanger ending means I'll now have to dive into book two, The Witch's Daughter.

An example of a book with no direction.

Nothing happens in the book except self reflection and overly descriptive description and repetition. We know what Alaina thinks, what Killian thins, what the maid think, what the chieftain thinks, we know how many children the cook has, what kind of weapon the captain's son uses, things that in no way contribute to the story. We know Alaina grows herbs, just incase we forget, it's mention again and again and again. We know she likes to grows herbs!

When we have to deal with all that then comes preachy Alaina and also stubborn Alaina and then reckless Alaina. She had no sense of self preservation, she jumps into arguments without caution. When we are still struggling through all that, we have to go through the rigmarole of conversations that make absolutely no sense.

I cannot say what this book was about even after reading it all, there is a book two I will be reading since I have the arc, let's hope its better than this.