When I applied for this I didn't realise it was a sequel... I still tried to read it, but this is one of those books that are really difficult to get into if you haven't read the first one, so I don't feel that I am really in a position to give a proper review.
What I can say, however, is that it goes right into the issues, and I thought it was very well written.

I have yo say this...I expected more from this book than what I got.
The plot was fine but sad sadly to say the book had a lot of slow moments and it was super rushed at the end.
It was not memorable reading I am afraid.

I was sent this book to review but unfortunately I did not receive the first book so I am unable to review this book.

I have often seen reviewers say that they really didn’t want to write certain reviews and this would be one of those for me. Queen of Sea and Stars by Anna McKerrow is a book that I never should have picked up, why you ask? Well, because I wasn’t a fan of the first book of this series.

Advertised as a fantasy series and with beautiful covers I was suckered into picking up the first of the series, Daughter of Light and Shadows, only to find that the fantasy side was a bit cookie cutter and nothing overly original and the romance side was insta-hop into bed-love. There really wasn’t any depth to the characters or anything that would have made me want to come back.

Now having said all of that I’m sure you are curious as to why I ended up with book two, well when picking it up it wasn’t marked as part of a series and I was thinking it was all new, nope. The blurb now mentions that this is book two however it also mentions you don’t need to have read the first and I don’t really agree with that myself. Both are dealing with the same characters and book two takes no time at all hoping right into the erotica so I can’t imagine not having the slim amount of character depth from the first. Regardless though this obviously wasn’t for me but I’m sure if the right readers pick these up they may love them.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What I liked:
+ the writing
+ worldbuilding and magic system
+ side characters, espacially Annie

What I didn't care for that much:
- our main character
- the ending. It felt rushed and not satisfying
- politics.

3.5 stars
ohhh well.
I didn't realize this was a sequel when I requested it.
I had no idea what was going on. But I am so grateful that the author took the time to explain slowly in the book what happened in the first book.
Not what I expected... but I did enjoy it

The premise sounded interesting because it seems like a fantasy that involves witchcraft, fairies, and folklore. However, this novel half the novel to get started. I also found this novel to be very uncomfortable. There are many graphic images and mature content involving abuse. Thus, this novel is hard to get through, and I recommend this read for mature readers.

I wish I had known there was a previous story when I started the queen of sea and stars since the events are connected to this novel. However the author does a great job of filling you in a brisk way and intertwines the events from the first book without bogging down the story with facts and replaying events too much.
I really enjoyed the way Anna McKerrow brought witches and fairies together in a creative way. And the story was hard to put down even through the slower parts. This novel also left a few questions unanswered that keep you wanting more for another book while not just suddenly stopping this story on a direct cliff hanger.
Personally I wish the book wasn't so rushed towards the end. It skips months that could have had some filler and less in the earlier part of the story. But overall this was an interesting story that you could still enjoy without reading the first one. I still plan on reading it but as I said I didn't need it to enjoy this one. If you are intrigued by the synopsis and don't mind adult content I would reccomend giving queen of sea and stars a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of Anna McKerrow’s, Queen of Sea and Stars.

I have mixed feelings about Queen of Sea and Stars.

Anna McKerrow builds her Fae realms with great depiction, and goes between them and the human London life with ease. There is also some great writing about fantasy Fae World, its practices and a variety of characters besides the main characters Fae and Rav.

It was a little too heavy in the graphic sex scenes, which I found offensive – I skipped those parts. That is just my opinion.

I did not read the first book, so at times I was at a bit of a loss, but I filled in the gaps best I could.

I have to be honest, I could not recommend this for our library.

The opinions expressed in my review are my own.

Queen of Sea and Stars by Anna McKerrow is a supernatural tale that mixes witchcraft and the world of faerie. It features Faye Morgan, a witch and half blood faerie who has recently returned to the human world having escaped from a Faerie king and struck a bargain with a powerful queen. She is struggling with her romantic relationship and unsure of where she belongs, and soon it seems like she may become a pawn in a brewing faerie war.
Although the blurb says that this book can be read as a stand alone, it would definitely make more sense to someone who has read the first book in the series, I was often confused, especially early in the book as there were many references to events that too place in the earlier book. Aside from that the book itself was pretty ordinary, the writing perfectly adequate but not particularly beautiful or descriptive and the ending felt both rushed and a little flat. In fact pacing was a problem throughout the book as the first half was very slow. The modern witch idea was really interesting but once the story moved into the faerie realm I found myself losing interest, it became very political, with numerous factions and alliances to keep track of.
I read and reviewed an arc courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of Anna McKerrow’s ‘Queen of Sea and Stars’ in exchange for an honest review.

Following a series of traumatic events linked to encounters within the Faerie realm, Faye Morgan, who is descended from a line of witches and is also half-Fae herself, relocates to London with her partner, Rav. He also was emotionally scarred by his time in Scotland. However, while Rav tries to forget and dismiss his experiences, Faye finds that the blood bond with Faerie is too strong and she is driven to embrace her own power and face the elemental forces of Faerie.

I admit that I was initially drawn to this novel by its stunning cover art. I was a bit concerned when I started reading to find that it was the second in a series but was quickly able to gain a sense of the background and characters from the information provided. While probably better to read them in order I found that the book worked fine on its own.

The opening chapter certainly hits the ground running (or the mattress bouncing) via a steamy scene between Faye Morgan and boyfriend, Rav, with a guest appearance via memory (or psychic intrusion) by her former Faerie King lover, Finn, who presumably played an important role in the first book.

Anna McKerrow clearly has a solid understanding of both traditional and modern pagan witchcraft, which instantly scored high marks with me. It was also abundantly clear that she has a strong grasp of magic, folklore, myth and legend including that of Faerie. This gave her novel a powerful sense of authenticity and made me very happy.

Faye’s journey of self-discovery and sense of being part of two worlds and yet an outsider in both was very relatable.

I read this in a single sitting and was completely enchanted by it. I happily purchased my own copy along with the first book, ‘Daughter of Light and Shadow’, which I intend to read soon. I also plan to look at her other novels.

Hopefully there is a future book (or more) planned in this series and I certainly will be on the lookout for this and future projects by this talented author.

Ok. So things I loved about this book : the cover is gorgeous!
That’s about it. I received this as an ARC via netgalley. I didn’t realize this was a sequel, it does say it can be read alone but I didn’t find that to be the case. The first few chapters I literally had no idea what was going on. Besides that, I just didn’t love the writing style.

This is the second book in this series, which I didn’t realise when I requested it.
Whilst I really enjoyed this book, at times I found myself wondering about the first book especially as Faye’s experience in the Faerie world was so intense.
So whilst it’s not essential to have read ‘Daughter of light and shadows’, I think the reading of the second book would have been enhanced by it.
This is an enchanting book that centres around Faye who is half human and half Fae/Faerie.
Faye has moved to London with her boyfriend Rav following a terrifying experience in the Faerie world.
Tensions are starting to come to the surface as Faye can’t ignore her past or her roots, and Rav wants her to put it behind her.
Faye joins a local coven as she is also a witch, and what appears, comes as a huge shock to them all.
This sends shockwaves through both worlds and Faye has to come to terms with what she has discovered.
This is a magical fantasy novel that had me hooked from the first few pages.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

In exchange for an honest review, I received a free eARC copy of Queen of Sea and Stars by Anna McKerrow, courtesy of NetGalley.

Book Blurb – Courtesy of NetGalley

As a child, Faye Morgan was always an outsider, shunned for the ancient and powerful magic that runs through her veins. 

Ever since she was a little girl, growing up in the village of Abercolme on the wild coast of Scotland, Faye Morgan’s life has been steeped in the old ways – witchcraft, herbal lore and a blood connection to the dangerous and unpredictable world of Faerie. 

But magic is both a gift and a burden, and Faye has more than paid the price of living between two worlds. Neither accepted by the villagers, nor welcome in the Faerie Kingdom of Murias after rebuffing the fickle and attractive Faerie warrior king, Finn Beatha, Faye runs from Abercolme, hoping to leave that life behind.

However, even in the twisted, cobbled streets of London, Faye finds her blood bond with Faerie won’t be broken. A Faerie War of the Elements is brewing and, though she doesn’t yet know it, Faye is fated to play a terrible part. If she is to survive, she must learn to embrace her own dark power and face Finn Beatha once more… but in doing so Faye will discover secrets in her own past that never should have been disturbed. 

A gripping, magical, action-packed novel, perfect for fans of K.F. Breene’s Natural Witch, Shannon Mayer and Laini Taylor.

Queen of Sea and Stars can be read as a standalone. 

My Thoughts

First, there is a first book called Daughter of Light and Shadows, even though the blurb states Queen of Sea and Stars can be read as a standalone, Most of the time when authors or publishers state this, it’s because the author will usually do a brief summary in the book. I like getting the full story, however, so I went ahead and bought a copy of Daughter just so I can keep my stories straight.

Queen of Sea and Stars should not be read as a stand-alone. If I hadn’t read the first book, all of the references thrown into the first 15 or so chapters, kind of haphazardly, would be enough to get me to go ahead and stop and go read the first book. As someone who has read the first book, the haphazard references seem a little sloppy and annoying. I feel the author could have done away with those references and just encouraged her readers to just read the first book.

I will say that after slugging through the first 16 chapters, the story starts to get a little more interesting and we start to get into a typical fantasy storyline where prophecy and sacrifice takes hold.

What I Liked

1) I honestly loved the support characters in this novel more than those of the first novel. Gabriel and Ruby were a great support system for Faye. I mean, Annie was alright, but she kind of got on my nerves. Why was she the only one with a strong Scottish accent when the entire first novel took place in Scotland?
2) I enjoy reading about the Fae, the dark and the light sides of them.

What I Didn’t Like

1) While I love a good witch or Fae storyline, and I think that mixing them is fantastic, I don’t think it really worked for this story. Faye becoming involved with the Fae as she did just made her appear, to me at least, a weaker character. She continuously makes the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to the Fae and her love life, even if her intentions are pure. She really got on my nerves.

2) I think if this story would have focused more on a witch coming into her half-Fae heritage and purely learning from the Faerie queens instead of focusing on her love life, this would have been an incredible story. I’m not against romance, but I’m tired of love triangles and I honestly thought both Finn and Rav were terrible men and love interests. One was abusive and the other oblivious and negligent to Faye.

In Conclusion

As much as I wanted to like this story, I really didn’t. I always hate saying that when reviewing books, especially when I know how much work, energy, and love goes into a story. But I also want to be honest. I definitely enjoyed the characters Gabriel and Ruby more than any other character in the story, but I really didn’t care for the others. I wanted to smack Faye up against the head for her choices and tell her to just forget about men and just be a strong women.

I rated the first book, Daughter of Light and Shadows 3 stars in Goodreads. Honestly, I don’t feel that Queen of Sea and Stars was any better. I will give this one 3 stars since it did become more interesting after chapter 16 and I loved the London Coven, Gabriel, and Ruby. I don’t think I’ll pick up the next book of this series though if there is one.

I really enjoyed this story and outlook on the fairy realm . Faye Morgan is a strong leading lady who is faced with indifference within herself, love , friendship , and moral decisions through this journey. I was apprehensive at first as the story started slow for me , but was quickly enthralled with the lovely portrayal of the Fae World and all the traditions . I loved the intertwining of characters throughout the book . I grew to love the characters quickly and love the portrait painted of the fairy Kings and Queens . I enjoyed this book very much and cannot wait to see what lies next for this series ! Thanks !

Sighh. Okay, I won't lie, I didn't finish this one because it didn't say anywhere on Goodreads (or anywhere?) that this was the second book in a series. Therefore I was SUPER confused about everything that was happening, and I kept feeling like I was missing stuff. Clearly, that was exactly the case! I don't want to detract points for that though, because it's my fault I hadn't read the first book (though I would suggest that needs to be made a little more clear when this is marketed). My rating is therefore based on the writing style and characterization as far as I read, which I wasn't a huge fan of. The writing was just okay, and the dialogue felt a bit forced, which made the story not naturally easy to sink into. I'm also not a big romance fan. I would still consider reading something else by this author, but I suspect this just wasn't for me.

(I will not be posting this review on my website, I don't like to do that if I haven't finished the book).

This is exactly the kind of book I tend to go for so I thought I'd love it. But I wasn't keen. It felt awkward and took a very long time to get going.

OK I will admit that I didn't read this book. I was commissioned to read it, and then I realized that this was the second book in the series, but I do have to still review since NetGalley gave me the chance to read it. Normally in these circumstances I would get the book from the library or try to find it in a bookstore or something. I could not find the first book anywhere, without having to pay 15+ dollars for it. (one thing you should know about me, I don't buy books unless I know that I will really love them) Anyway, if you read the first book I would recommend trying the second. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the first one, but I hope those of you that like this series will read and enjoy the second book.

This book is NOT YA. And that's okay, but, it is certainly mislabeled when it is clearly an Adult Supernatural/fantasy romance novel. It is heavy on the love scenes, but, I don't mind that, it was just not what I was expecting. Another thing to note, this is actually the second book in the series which I didn't realize when I read the synopsis on NetGalley -and to be fair I don't think it states that but if just looking it up on GoodReads will reveal it as second in a series-.

The book was entertaining and enjoyable, it was something that I also wished I had read the first book because I think that would have made things clearer but that was my own fault. The problems I have with the book have to do more with pacing, and wanting more depth out of Faye. I thought there was enough going between faeries and the real world to keep me interested and Faye's friends are just fantastic. I also had a huge issue with was the fact that though Faye and Annie grew up in the same town, somehow Faye has no Scots to her speech while Annie has it in trifold.

I enjoyed the use of modern-day witchcraft and the shout out to Wiccans, that was nice, and I think that McKerrow did a great job capturing the darkness of the faerie court.

I hated Rav, I don't know if I would have had more sympathy for him if I had read the first book but the things that Faye does for him just make me want to shake her. I think this will be judged harshly under the fact that it's not YA and it will throw many off to see the amount of sex scenes. But I also felt like in the end I still wanted to like Finn, maybe because I felt he had excuses for his behaviour being a being that wasn't human and wasn't tied down to human morals. Either way, it was an enjoyable read once I reconciled what it was in comparison as to how it was labelled, and the 2.5 would have been a full 3 if there hadn't been so much ridiculousness with Rav and Faye, and with the awkward pacing.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

The book introduces Faye and Rav as they start their lives in London to try and move on from some disastrous events in the fae realm of Murias. Rav is in his element and seemingly trying to move on from events and live a normal life. Faye seems less settled and begins to socialise with members of a London based coven. However, for Faye nothing seems to go right. No matter what decision she makes, and how much she agonises over any decision more problems seem to continually arise. I kind of connected with Faye as she seemed to be juggling so much and always seemed to be trying to put other’s needs, feelings and problems before her own.

Despite being a sequel, the world building was good with Faye moving between London and various Fae realms. This allows for the introduction of numerous side characters all of whom are fun to read and well developed. I enjoyed getting to see a modern interpretation and application of witchcraft practices in known settings like London and Fife, Scotland. I also loved the combination of witchcraft and fae and how the darker, more intoxicating side of magic was also introduced. One of my favourite quotes below:
‘Yet the power of faerie was destructive as well as beautiful: it was shadow and light, one unable to exist without the other’.

I did find the start of the book to be slow going with nothing much seeming to happen. Faye moved around London seemingly lost and not sure what to do. However, about mid-way through the pacing rapidly picked up and a lot of things seemed to happen in quick succession which did make the ending feel a little rushed. Also, that last sentence, I am honestly not sure what to say and I absolutely want to know more and where the story will now go.

Overall this was defiantly an enjoyable read and I would certainly pick up another book in this series.