Prince Larkin has been trapped in an enchanted sleep, until bumbling half-fae Merrick awakens him.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Prince Larkin is famed for his sacrifice in the fight against the dangerous faerie Ula Kana. But it's all a lie, he was forced into an enchanted slumber by the court's witch.
Two hundred years later, he has to come to terms with the fact all of his family are long-dead, and he's lost in a world of technological advancements.

Merrick is descended from the witch who imprisoned Larkin, and a complete accident awakened the prince.
Merrick is half-fae, and feels at odds with society, not really knowing where he fits in or how to commit to anything in life. He finally has to step up and do something important, when he realises that only he and Larkin can trap Ula Kana and save Eidolonia.

I loved the idea of this book, a fairytale involving a sleeping prince, on a magical island that can't be found, unless you are invited in.
I feel like I know Eidolonia, and wish I could visit. An island that historically belonged to the fae, but has had a human settlement for a few centuries. Even though humans are the relative newcomers, there are individuals that are always pushing for more territory, and a government that has become corrupt.

The human settlements are at the edge of the faerie land, a place that even half-fa Merrick is not allowed to go. Even though the truce formed when Larkin and Ula Kana were forced into an enchanted sleep is still active, tensions are high between human and fae.

I really liked how the LGBTQ content was included. People (and fae) in Eidolonia are just accepted for who they are.
As the author states, this story doesn't focus on the fact that the main characters are gay. They just are.

Aside from the world-building, it didn't live up to my expectations, for two main reasons.
I didn't like the main characters.
Yes, they're flawed and relatable, but I found them extremely selfish.
Not the big stuff. I mean, I could understand why Larkin was against the first enchantment; and why he refused a second one. But I just felt that there were lots of little moments that just rubbed me up the wrong way. There was nothing positive about him, and I couldn't root for him.

I liked Merrick even less. I thought he was incredibly immature and self-centred. I was surprised he was in his twenties, with all the whining he does.
He has no dreams or ambitions of his own, and belittles everyone else's choices. From Larkin wanting to leave the island, to his sister running a perfumery (which Merrick works at for convenience - yes, he enjoys it too; but he doubts it's a long-term fix).
Merrick then stops supporting Larkin when the prince wants to go public, because he's too worried about how it will reflect on him.

The second reason is how heavy the narrative is with exposition. It slows everything down to a snail's pace. We get told so much about the world, and magic, and the fae.
Even the dialogue is very talky - we are being talked at and having everything explained, from matter witches to cars and computers.

Overall, it was a nice idea, but too slow for me.

Lava Red Feather Blue follows modern-day witch Merrick on his journey to save the magical island of Eidolonia from the evil Fae, Ula Kana, who has risen after a centuries long sleep. The sleep was induced as a truce between fae and humans in which both Ula Kana and human prince, Larkin were put to sleep. After accidentally awakening both of them, Merrick must partner with Larkin to save the magical island from the threat of Fae.

I found this read quick and enjoyable. It was definitely not the most creative urban fantasy I've ever read, but honestly that's never been very important to me! The magic system was unique (although didn't feel fully flushed out), the characters were mostly likable, and the writing itself was enjoyable. To me, the plot/story arch of this one felt a bit...redundant? trope-y? I'm not sure. But again, I'm not the kind of person who needs to read the most unique plot every time I open a book (I can't even count how many 'orphan turned hero' stories i've read). The novel was very mission-driven, with very clearly laid out tasks for our protagonists to accomplish, not dissimilar from the first Percy Jackson book.

In terms of characters, I wouldn't say I LOVED Larkin or Merrick. Sure, they were both likable and had interesting motives (I often pay close attention to the motivation of the characters, and it does appear that Ringle has thought about this a lot), but I also felt like their motivations were almost too well-explained to the point of bi. I'm certain I'm not wording this well, but it seemed like Ringle was so determined to make Merrick and Larkin's motivations logically sound that she ended up taking away from their personality? Like, it almost felt like Ringle was telling us everything we needed to know about Merrick/Larkin instead of showing us through their actions.

Overall, I would definitely recommend people to give this one a try; especially if you are looking for.a lighthearted romance with a little flair of magic!

I have read one other book by Ringle and really enjoyed it, so when I heard about this one, I knew I had to check it out - and it did not disappoint! The premise of the story - a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty, set on a magical island that sounds like it could very possibly exist in the PNW - sounded right up my alley.

Merrick Highvalley is a witch who's in a bit of trouble, so when he accidentally awakens the Crown Prince, who's been in a magically-induced sleep for the past two hundred years as part of a truce between humans and fae - he's determined to not get another strike against him. Unfortunately, awakening Prince Larkin means also awakening the faery Ula Kana, who is hellbent on getting rid of all humans from the island of Eidolonia. The two men must work together against a corrupt government (sound familiar?) and faeries and their allies who want to eradicate humans ... and it gets more complicated from there.

In addition to an adventurous story full of complex worlds and creatures, there is also a bit of a slow-burn romance aspect to this book, which was a delight. This book was creative, thoughtful, funny, and a little bit sad, and I hope that Ringle decides to write more about Larkin and Merrick and their magical world!

Unfortunately I have to DNF for now. The entirety of the books isn't holding my attention so I will hopefully come back to it later on. Love the cover and synopsis though.

To begin, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

Now, I love retellings. They are, in no uncertain terms, my favorite things to read. Add in that this is lgbtq+ and that makes me even more excited. It sounded like this book was going to be right up my alley.

That, unfortunately didn't happen.

The worldbuilding is very dense and on the page. Descriptions run on far passed the point where they should have ended. I mean they go on for a while. It isn't bad writing, it's just too much over it. And then there's the characters. I couldn't connect with them. In a world so richly described, the characters fell flat for me.

In the last parts of the book, the antagonist really does nothing when it comes to stopping the boys from getting away. I didn't feel any tension or concern that they would make it out okay. I could tell they would because the antagonist was just being kind of annoying, not actively trying to prevent them from doing anything.

It's a stand alone book which is nice, not everything needs to be a series. I just wanted more from this book and maybe I'm just not the intended reader which is fine.

What I do love is the fact that there isn't any homophobia. The characters are just who they are. It isn't a source of conflict like it would be in say, a coming of age contemporary book. It still something that pops up in some fantasy novels so to see that it was just a part of life was such a relief and even though I didn't love the book, I absolutely loved that.

I like this book, but I didn't love it.

The plot is really good, but somehow it was not well executed. there is too much of everything, if that's possible in a book.

overall the story is good, the characters are fun and relatable. the world is rich and magical.
Although it's not my thing

Now this book took me longer to finish than I wanted to. I was so excited to get my hands on it and for the first 40% it was interesting and promising. Ula Kana had me wondering though, because she is introduced as this great antagonist with overwhelming powers and therefore can`t be defeated easily, if at all – yet she is defeated within a few sentences and put to sleep pretty quick and easy. Uh … okay? But I thought it's just the beginning of the book and surely the rest will do better. And then Merrik was introduced and I liked him and the unexpected jump in time. Actually I loved the mix of old magic and modern technology. I didn't expect this book to take place in the present which was a nice surprise for me. So, I got excited again and thought this is going to be great! And for a while it was, but as soon as Larkin and Merrik went into the fae realm things started to go downhill.

Descriptions of surroundings and festivities got almost endless, the modern technology was mostly gone, things were repeated a lot, Merriks and Larkins relationship developed either rushed or not at all and again Ula Kana, the powerful fae, is defeated within the blink of an eye. In fact she doesn't seem too important to the story really. She is more like a troublemaker popping into view now and then but not an antagonist to fear. Overall I missed some emotions. There is a lot of telling but no emotional substance to it which renders the whole romance part pretty dull.

I don't think this book is all bad. It has a lot of good ideas to start with but it felt more like a draft to me than a finished book. As I received an ARC maybe there will be more editing before it gets published but as I can only review what it is now I can not recommend <i>Lava Red And Feather Blue</i> despite its beautiful cover and synopsis. I am giving it a 2.5 rating at this point.

*** My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher who provided me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. ***

Actual rating: 2.5 (rounded up)

A thousand thanks to NetGalley and Michelle at Central Avenue Publishing for granting me access to this ARC.

You know, I was so excited to get my hands on this. I love Fantasy to begin with, but make it queer and I’m sold! It’s far too uncommon these days. This is, too, my second time around with a work by Molly Ringle. My first foray with ‘All the Better Part of Me’ was (admittedly) not a success, but I chose the benefit of the doubt and requested this novel, hoping and praying it would prove my prior disappointment was merely a fluke. So, here we meet again, and I must admit I’m pleasantly surprised! Don’t get me wrong: the book is imperfect. For the first 20%, I was frequently considering DNF’ing it and being done with it, but it managed to sway me over in the end.

Let’s just get the negatives out of the way first:

This e-ARC is also one of the worst I’ve ever seen in terms of formatting. I know it’s an uncorrected proof, but trying to read it on my Kindle gave me a lasting migraine.

A lot of exposition is thrown at us from the very beginning under the guise of world building, and it was fairly vague and generic. There was no time to make me care about any of the characters. Also, the action is written poorly; The sequences stilted and clunky. Here’s a quote attempting to describe the antagonist: “...the form of a woman melded to a nightmare.” But that’s all we’re given (and some allusions to lava?). I... don’t know what this means? Or what that’s supposed to look like? This supposed battle at the start was confusingly brief. It was one or two paragraphs, and then it was over so abruptly? There was no sense of suspense of proper pacing. And then we proceeded to a large time-jump, wherein we’re struck with more info-dumping every couple of lines. I’ve seen a lot of other reviews say otherwise, but I guess it’s all a matter of opinion. Info-dumping to further world-building Just. Doesn’t. Work. I would’ve been okay with it, actually, if it happened more organically, but it’s mostly within the dialogue. It was way too early in the book for that to make me care. The story meanders forward with LOTS of telling rather than showing. I don’t know how to explain it other than much of the continuing exposition felt pointless, and much of the dialogue just seemed... off.

By the time Merrick and Larkin meet, it is altogether predictable, but the writing seemed to even out and the filler fell away. I will say this about Merrick and Larkin meeting: the pace picked up and the dialogue got slightly better, too. I wish their relationship bloomed more gradually, though. It wasn’t Instalove, but you still knew it was coming eventually. This is, of course, a stand-alone novel, and there is only one option for romantic pairing. A slower burn to the romance would’ve been more beneficial to the story. However, kudos for making it lgbtq.

There was one particular passage that really frustrated me, but it’s a spoiler, so I’ll tag it accordingly: *spoiler*[Merrick and Larkin are 75% done with their journey. They’ve heard bad news from home. They’re both exhausted, and should be pushing on because time moves quicker in the fae realm—an hour there is like 12 hours in the outside world—. They have no time to waste, and yet... they decide to have sex! *spoiler* Why in the heck?!?!?] I mean, it’s just so exceedingly DUMB!. “They did not in fact have all day. They had a quest to complete...” So why waste time on frivolous activities?

Frustration struck me once more when *spoiler* [Larkin chose to disregard their entire mission to save Merrick. Like, how very selfish!] *spoiler* and then towards the end *spoiler* [you’re telling me this man, Larkin, free-climbed hundreds of feet into the air up a sharp, glassy cliffside to get Merrick, grabbed him, AND climbed back down with his limp body, all the while the antagonist hovered around doing nothing but taunt him?!? There is no believable way that could happen.] *Spoiler*

This books gets most brownie points for diversity, inclusivity, and—as the author stated—not making being queer the central issue. There is no angst about being lgbtq, or any homophobia. The characters simply are who they are. That’s something to champion.

In short: Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No.

I loved the writing in this and the unique story! The characters grew with the story and the romantic elements were on point!

I have to admit this isn't my usual genre. I enjoy fantasy, but this seemed like a melting pot of different tropes and I found myself thoroughly entranced.

This book took me a while to read. There was so much imagery, information, monologues, speeches, and adventures taking place that I HAD to take breaks. It was actually quite refreshing to read such detailed literature that offered a breathtaking fantastical world and plot.

Told in 3rd person, from both Merrick and Larkin's mind, Lava Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle swept me away to a world with fae, witches, modern technology, ancient stories, magic, and at the heart of it all, a sweet romance between our two MMCs. BUT the romance was more "fade to black" and wasn't prevalent throughout most of the book.

This book was first and foremost a fantasy adventure with an amazing story. We are taken on a journey through a different history to what we know. A hidden island that both humans and fae inhabit. An evil fae trying to destroy the human world. A prince forced into slumber, a witch's descendant on a quest to save his father who then frees the slumbering prince and starts the chaos that follows. Across different environments full of magical flora and fauna, Ms. Ringle weaves together an enchanting and thrilling adventure for both Merrick and Larkin. They take us along on a quest full of danger, trickery, pain, and redemption.

Overall, I LOVED the cover and I enjoyed the story. I can definitely see this one on one of my fantasy shelves.

🌸 ARC provided to me in exchange for an honest review. 🌸

What a good book! From the main plot to every detail of each little creature or living being is so well described that it seems so alive.
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I don't know where to begin to describe this book. Lava Red Feather Blue is a fantasy book set on an island hidden by mist and enchantments in the North Pacific Ocean, near Japan and cut off from the world to hide the magical power of the earth and its inhabitants
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Like each magical land before order existed chaos and a civil war for those who whant the right to live and rule over others, this awakened a magical being that unleashed the fury of the elements on the island. It was then that humans and magical beings reached an agreement to keep the peace, put this magical being under a sleep spell and tied the human prince on her luck.
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Two hundred years later, one of the descendants of the powerful sorceress who make it possible, accidentally awakens the prince Larkin, and also the fury of this magical being that start to destroying everything in its path. Merrick can only do the unthinkable to make up for his mistakes. Without a doubt, it is the beginning of an adventure full of magical beings, stories, myths and love, especially love.
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I think it is a unique book full of fantasy, with unique characters, antiheroes that make one continue turning the pages one after the other, it kept me on edge for several moments and made me smile more than once. Beautifully written, I think it is a must of lgtb fantasy, and although it is a stand alone I hope there are many books like this.
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Thanks to #NetGalley and Molly Ringle, for letting me read #LavaRedFeatherBlue before it goes on sale 05 January 2021, I really enjoyed it very much

I knew nothing about Molly Ringle and her previous efforts until I read Lava Red, Feather Blue but I have to say I’m glad I did.

Prince Larkin is trapped in an endless sleep, designed to trap the foe from the fae portion of the island of Eidolonia when Merrick Highvalley, in an attempt to help his dad, accidentally wakes him up.

I appreciate that the premise sounds a little Sleeping Beauty but it is more nuanced than that for sure. The world building is impressive and, shockingly, plausible which makes reading it rather enjoyable. The characters have some depth and you learn enough about them to appreciate their drive and purpose, which again is good. The number of well written science fiction/fantasy worlds that have lacklustre 2D characters is just depressing.

I powered through the book in two days which at the moment, is extremely good speed. It then why did I only give it 4 stars? Honestly, it is hard to explain. I’m so proud of Ms Ringle for achieving a full story without needing to wait for a second or, shudder, a third. BUT in her valiant efforts, I feel it wraps up too satisfyingly and too damn quickly. A longer book, with more attention on those middle adventures, would not have gone amiss.

Nevertheless, an enjoyable read, a somewhat convincing romance (a little insta-rom, but nothing harmful) and a brilliant world.

This is a story set on an island in the Pacific Ocean where the fae and humans have a tenuous alliance. The book begins, in 1799, with one of the primary protagonists, Prince Larkin, being put into a magical sleep against his will. Over 200 years later he is accidentally freed by the other primary protagonist, Merrick. From here the heart of the tale begins.

I really liked that Merrick’s sibling uses they/them pronouns. I liked how this was introduced with little fanfare, only a reality not something to dwell upon. I did also find myself rooting for Larkin and Merrick to find love with each other.

At times I was a little confused why on an island in the pacific a pale red haired person named Larkin would be a part of the royal family. It just seems incongruous with the location. And made the “diversity” of the island feel more like just another place where imperialistic colonizers took over a culture for their own.

This was still a fun read in a world that I enjoyed being immersed in. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the copy of Lava Red Feather Blue. This is a voluntary review.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this story, but I certainly came out enamoured by the authors’ writing. Poetic (and there is lovely poetry inside!), medium-paced, and magical. Ringle adds detail to the story that creates a beautiful world of fae and creatures without being over-saturated or overwhelming. This is the best kind of fantasy to read if you want something light, fun, and beautiful. Was it predictable? Yes, at times it definitely was and you know it’s a feel-good adventure. But I enjoyed it thoroughly nonetheless.

There are multiple LGBTQ+ characters in the book, but they aren’t questioned and their sexuality isn’t brought up. So while there are queer characters, being LGBTQ+ isn’t a central point of this story. There are multiple romances, including queer ones.

While this is a pretty accessible story, there is some crude language and violent scenes. The violence doesn’t have too much detail, but as much as this is a sweet, feel-good fairytale adventure there are some mature discussions including sex. I didn’t always connect with Larkin and Merrick (the two MC’s) as they were shallow at times, but because of the pacing of the story I didn’t mind.

Lava Red Feather Blue felt like an exciting quest I had been sent to observe. I could picture the scenery and magic, and I liked the way the modern world interacted with the fae (although I enjoyed them going to fae world a lot more). A great tale!

CW: violence, magical violence, sexual themes, crude language, torture

You have no idea how much I thank to Netgally for letting me read this in advance.
Eidolonia is an island where live fairies and humans share their knowledge with each other and live in peace, that until Ula Kana, a fairy who despites humans, she brought chaos among the humans, destroyed their lands and killed innocents. That is the reason why one of the most powerful witches puts under a spell Ula kana and prince Larkin of the human folk in order to bring peace. After two centuries Larkin is awoken by accident and so is Ula kana. Now Merrick (a perfumer and the responsable of such mistake) and Larkin have to work together if they want to stop her and bring peace to their part of the land.

I have to say I felt in love with this book. The characters are really charming, you get angry, laugh and cry with them. Merrick is a little sunshine you want to protect and wish everything ends well for him. And Larkin is such a sweet prince with his own fears and regrets from his age.
The Magic system: Here apart from the fairies we have humans that are able to do magic (exo/endo witches) and also humans half Fae. But something peculiar is that the magic humans have is not so well seen. Eidolonia’s government has big restrictions about such use, they have three warnings after that they are caged and ripped from use of any kind of powers. Evidently most of the people disagree with this measures and we can see the first political problems, the corruption and discrimination.
The plot: To be honest is very simple. In the first part Larkin is awoken by accident due to this there is a stir in order to find him. Thanks to some incidents the prince is in the hands of the government and then rescued by Marrick from a terrible fate. In the second part we have these two getting into the Fae realm. Both need the cooperation of three Fae rulers in order to cage Ula kana.
I must say the second part is the one that blew my mind and my heart. Both push the limits of the other, they desire one another and the anger that is between them is so much for my being. Ohh and the part in the Arlanuk’s realm is Uffff I believe is my favorite part.
What I didn’t like: well the only thing I was not totally convinced was the development of Larking and Marrick feelings. Don’t get me wrong, they are my ship and I was happy to read all that sexual tension, buuuut the time it took them was so little and I couldn’t believe it. even though I enjoyed reading them.
To sum up, it was a long time ago I didn’t love a book as much as I love this one. I feel nostalgic to say goodbye to these characters, I don’t want to let them go. They stole a part of my heart. Lava red, feather blue has become one of those stories I will return when I need a literary hug. 4/5 stars.
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No saben lo mucho que agradezco que Netgally me aprobara este arc. Es la lectura más adorable que he tenido.
Antes de todo mi fangirleo vamos a poner un poco de contexto. En Lava red, feather blue tenemos un mundo de magia, hadas, brujas y humanos.
Eidolonia es una isla donde viven humanos y hadas en paz, eso hasta Ula kana, un hada que detesta a los humanos y trajo sobre ellos desastre, caos y muerte. Para poder detenerla, una de las brujas más poderosas puso bajo un hechizo a Ula Kana y al príncipe Larkin. Ambos estaban confinados bajo un sueño eterno, al menos así era hasta que Larkin es despertado por accidente y por consecuencia también Ula kana. Ahora el príncipe y Merrick (un perfumero y responsable del accidente) tienen que trabajar juntos para poder detener al hada y traer nuevamente paz a la isla.
Debo de decir que me enamoré por completo de este libro, los personajes son encantadores, te enojas, te ríes y lloras con ellos, Merrick es un panecito mitad hada que quieres proteger y deseas que todo salga bien. Y Larkin es todo un príncipe encantador con sus temores y arrepentimientos de su época.
El sistema de magia: Aquí aparte de las hadas tenemos que los que humanos pueden nacer con magia de algún tipo (endo/exo magic) y también tenemos los humanos mitad Fae. Pero la magia que los habitantes poseen no es del todo bien vista.El gobierno de Eidolonia tiene restricciones muy severas, tanto así que con tres infracciones, la persona puede ser encerrada y bloqueada de sus poderes. Esto evidentemente es algo que tiene en gran descontento a la población y es aqui dónde nosotros vemos los primeros deslices en como Eidolonia es manejada, la corrupción y la discriminación.
La trama: Para ser sinceros es muy simple de seguir. En la primera parte Larkin es despertado por accidente y se arma todo un revuelo para encontrarlo, pero gracias algunas diferencias con el gobierno de Eidolonia termina escapando de un terrible destino. En la segunda parte tenemos a Larkin y Merrick en una aventura en el reino de las hadas, ambos necesitan la cooperación de tres de ellas para poder encerrar a Ula Kana y traer paz a su parte de la isla. Déjenme decirles que la segunda parte es lo que más se llevó mi corazón, los roces intensos que tienes estos dos, el deseo que tratan de contener y el enojo que tienen el uno con el otro hace que todo sea demasiado para mi pobre ser y ahh la parte de Arlanuk’s realm es uuf creo que fue mi parte favorita.
Los puntos negativos, creo que lo único que no me terminó de convencer fue lo rápido que Larkin y Merrick desarrollaron sus sentimientos, ellos son mi ship y yo estaba feliz de leer tanta tensión sexual entre ellos, peeeeero el tiempo que les tomó fue tan poquito que no lo sentí del todo creíble, aún así disfrute de verlos juntos.
Ya para finalizar, hacía mucho que no amaba un libro cómo amé Lava red, Feather blue, y siento tanta nostalgia de despedirme de estos personajes, no quiero dejarlos ir, se robaron mi corazón. Definitivamente será una de esas historias a las que voy a volver cuando necesito un abrazo literario. 4/5 estrellas.

Molly Ringle’s ‘Lava Red Feather Blue’ follows Merrick, half-human, half-fae, who accidentally awakens Prince Larkin from his 200 years sleep, sleep that was protecting the north Pacific Island of Eidolonia from Ula Kana, a feary determined to eliminate humans from the island. When Merricks accidentally awakens Larkin, the truce between faeries and humans is broken, and Ula Kana threatens the island once again.

Fast-paced and full of obstacles, ‘Lava Red Feather Blue’ is full of action fantasy focusing on Merrick and Larkin’s quest to free the world of Ula Kana and find a peaceful co-existence between humans and faeries.

I have mixed feelings about ‘Lava Red Feather Blue’. I really liked the concept, and some elements of the world created by Molly Ringle have been fascinating. But I felt to connect with any characters in the book. Both Merrick and Larkin (as well as most of the secondary characters) have somehow felt flat, not full, not complex. While there have been a few interesting moments and potentials for all the depicted humans and fairies, I felt like there was something missing. The world and atmosphere have been the best part of ‘Lava Red Feather Blue’, but the romance between the main characters as well as their personalities failed to hold my interest fully. On the other hand, the world and society in Molly Ringle’s world have been incredibly inclusive, with LGBT romance and “they” pronounce being just the part of the norm, and that was great to see.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a curious tale following the intrepid witch Merrick and the stalwart Prince Larkin. On the magical island that they live on, humans and faeries coexist, though not always peacefully. When Merrick accidentally awakens Prince Larkin from an enchanted sleep, he also unleashes a fearsome faerie known as Ula Kana. As Ula Kana attempts to eradicate all the humans from the island, Merrick and Prince Larkin must work together to save the world as they know it.

Lava Red Feather Blue focuses intently on world-building in a way that I found very creative, but which faltered in the execution of merging modern-day technology with faerie magic. The island world gives the sense of being a magical Neverland, where anything can happen. However, the pace of the plot felt meandering and struggled to maintain momentum. Lava Red Feather Blue was very inclusive and featured several LGBTQ characters. This was done very well and I loved being in a fantasy world where being LGBTQ is simply accepted. I found it difficult to get attached to the two main characters, though they did grow on me.

I think if you are looking for an imaginative and inclusive fantasy, Lava Red Feather Blue could be the story for you! Lava Red Feather Blue releases on January 5, 2021. Thank you to Molly Ringle, Central Avenue Publishing, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

On a magically hidden North Pacific island, when a man awakens a sleeping beauty of a prince, it’s only the beginning of the fairy tale, as breaking the spell unleashes a dangerous force among the fae too.

Fairy tale retellings are like snuggling up in your favorite blanket and exploring a new mountain at the same time. it feels familiar and foreign at the same time, which is half the fun. This retelling of Sleeping Beauty is gender-swapped and is full of witches and magic and fae. I loved this queer story with so much magic I couldn't keep it all straight.
The consequences of waking the sleeping prince were not what I expected and the pace of the book quickly picks up. It was interesting and full of fun and terror at the same time.

This was such a fun read! LAVA RED FEATHER BLUE is set in Eidolonia, an island near Japan that's shielded from the human world with Fae magic. Fae, witches, and humans all live on the island together, Our main character, Merrick Highvalley, is the descendant of a powerful witch who trapped Prince Larkin in an enchanted sleep over two hundred years ago to keep an evil faery named Ula Kana from destroying Eidolonia. When Merrick accidentally wakes up Prince Larkin, he also awakens Ula Kana and must travel into the Fae realm with Larkin to kill her.
The world-building in this book was absolutely spectacular. I loved the incorporation of things like cars, cell phones, and social media into an island populated with mostly witches and the Fae. I also liked that since humans arrived on the island and began to live there, there was absolutely no homophobia or transphobia. Merrick and Larkin are both gay, and Merrick's older sibling Cassidy goes by they/them pronouns. There are also plenty mentions of other characters who aren't straight. This is completely accepted by everyone on Eidonlonia, and it was really nice to read a world without homophobia or transphobia.
The relationship between Merrick and Larkin was just fantastic. It's somewhat of a slow burn, and they have plenty of arguments along the way. However, as they get to know each other better and Larkin slowly becomes accustomed to having woken up over 200 years after he fell asleep, they fall in love!
LAVA RED FEATHER BLUE was such a strong standalone. I absolutely fell in love with the world and would be very excited to read another book set in Eidolonia.

I loved this book. I don't even know where to start because there are so many things I want to mention. First, the plot is amazing. From the moment I read the synopsis I knew this would be interesting and it was, it exceeded my expectations! I was so happy when I receive the ARC!!!

The characters are very well built, they are complex and imperfect but they try to improve over the course of the book. They make mistakes, fall and get back up. Merrick and Larkin are interesting, funny characters. I LOVED Merrick and Larkin and their dynamic, but I also loved the supporting characters... they have their role in the story, they are not just background noise which I loved.

And I have to mention the dialogues ... so good! I couldn't stop reading the conversations between the protagonists. Whether it's the light, fun conversations ... or the conversations with fights and drama.

The fae world was amazing. Within fantasy my favorite type is urban fantasy (especially with Fae). So imagine how happy I was reading this. Because both worlds (human and Fae) ​​are developed in great detail: the conflict between species, the politics, the royal family, the war, etc. Sooo goood!

And the adventures and problems that the protagonists meet along the way are amazing, full of action and tension. I couldn't stop reading, especially one of the first scenes inside the Fae world (which I won't say to avoid spoilers). I really enjoyed that part!

The romance is beautiful and no insta-love here honey (thanks Lord and Lady). Merrick and Larkin discover each other with patience and care... and they also say the wrong words to each other but at the same time they manage to step back and forgive the other. I loved their relationship and although I understand that this book is more focused on fantasy, I would have liked a little more romance (but that's because I'm a romantic at heart). So, take that into consideration: This book has romance, but it's not the center of the story. But, I assure you that you'll enjoy the book anyway because the adventure of this pair is amazing.

This book has humor, action, sad and dramatic scenes, conflicts and much more. And I'm sure I'll read something from this author again. An amazingly constructed world with characters full of life and colors... and magic.