The concept of an adult take on a queer Fae story set around a quest into the dangerous magical land seemed to me more than thrilling.

The passionate and a little careless Merrick Highvalley has mostly good intentions when he accidently wakes up Larkin, a prince who was lay to enchanted sleep two hundred years before, in order to secure a truce between people and Fae living on Eidolonia. But the prince isn't the only one that awakens. Ula Kana, a powerful Fae who's set to destroy the humans that she believes are a threat to the magical inhabitans of the island, comes back as well, full of rage and ready to set everything in her path on fire. As it turns out, the only way to save the island might be a dangerous journey to the heart of the Fae realm.

Both Merrick and Larkin were really enjoyable leads, and it didn't take long for me to grow fond of them. They're motivated and lost, adorable and stubborn, humanly flawed - which we know should be obvious, but auuthors happen to fail at that sometimes. Rooting for the protagonists definitely helped me enjoy the story, and I like how there was no chosen ones or super extraordinary abilities they would posess. The chemistry between characters appeared quickly, but without cliche insta-lovey scenes - their interactions had a realistic edge of awkwardness to them, as well as maturity, and, for the most time, lacked overly dramatic parts. A truly lovely romance to follow, it was hard not to cheer for them, and nice not to have needless "obstacles" create annoying angst and misunderstandings. Not that there weren't any, but the point is to make them realistic, and that the author succeeded at. Most of the relationships and characterisation was actually handled well, and was the main reason I enjoyed the book.

The fae world was creatively set up - I particularly appreciate the fae taking differing forms for a change (aka not only ubergorgeous human-like creatures that are so popular right now). I wished their realm was painted more vividly though - supposedly it was such a beautiful image, but I had difficulty conjuring it in my mind.

The writing style generally was far too simple. You're very much aware of every instance the author is Introducing Information™, because it either appears in a form of awkward descriptions or artificial dialogue. It wouldn't make much difference if there had been a "We're doing the worldbuliding now" sign there.
To be fair the entire story felt dragged at times - it could do with a bunch of edits. Some parts were redundant, some long-winded, and often telling instead of showing. The entire ending was but a summary of recent events, boring and forced, as if the author really wanted us to now how each storyline ended, but didn't feel like actually writing it.

Despite the high stakes the story also failed to keep me concerned - at some point it became rather obvious that whatever obstacle the characters came across, some magical help or solution would soon appear. The entire quest felt structured like a children's movie or game.

"Go to point A, villain appears, they barely manage to escape (likely with some deus ex machina help or other equally bizarre thing), they reach A and they have to do X. "
Repeat.

And, you see - I am sentimental, childish at times. I love hope and appealing to higher values and light-hearted stories. But the power of love and a speeches defending the dark forces is not something I can take seriously in an adult fantasy. And that's probably my biggest issue with the book - I could ignore the lacking worldbuilding, and the writing style, and simply have fun with the plot. But adventure needs to keep you on the edge of your seat, and not make you roll your eyes.
Honestly, if it wasn't for the sex, this would have felt like a MG. Which in itself wouldn't be bad, but you do except more than helpful magical animals appearing just in time for rescue from an adult novel. Instead it feels like an "epic" Hollywood fantasy movie, entartaining and naive.

Oh, the villain! I would have forgot. Which, honestly, is rather telling. Ula Kana was straight up a cardboard character - a Disney villain, one could say, except they have cool songs and actual motif, so pick some worse kind of children movies instead. I think I just accepted that at some point, and started treating her like a inanimate obstacle rather than antagonist. She's just Evil™, if you know what I mean.

Overall, the truly well rounded characters, the banter, and an engaging plot held potential for a far better final effect. It wasn't a bad story, rather an unpolished one - with some work on the writing style and perhaps the design of the plot the author could create a book that's really awesome. I hope her future stories will live up to the potential.
I felt like I should have lowered the rating more, and yet I don't really want to - I did have fun, and I'm genuinely curious for how the author develops in the future.

(Also beware that it's a romance, after all. So traditionally - the world is falling apart, but a make out session won't hurt anyone, huh? ^^
i didn't mind, but it's something you should be aware of going into it )

It’s 1799, and on the magically hidden South Pacific island of Eidolonia, the humans are locked in a war with the fae. The fae were already on the island when humans arrived, and the relationship between them has always been uneasy. Now, a group of fae led by Ula Kana seeks to destroy the humans and get rid of them once and for all. The only way for the humans to elicit the help of the other fae is to agree to a truce: Ula Kana will be put into a magical sleep — and in return, a human royal must be put to sleep as well. Prince Larkin is that human, but he didn’t volunteer. Instead, he is being secretly compelled to go along by witch Rosamund Highvalley, in order to create peace between the humans and fae.

In 2020, Merrick Highvalley is a modern-day witch and descendant of Rosamund. Merrick finds himself frequently in trouble for using his magic in violation of the government rules, but the current leaders are a corrupt bunch and Merrick has a rebellious streak. Prince Larkin has now been asleep since 1799, and is a national hero for the way he saved the country. When Merrick stumbles upon some of Rosamund’s old notes and magical artifacts, he can’t help but be intrigued. He hopes that something in there might help him cure his father’s illness. Instead, Merrick finds a portal that leads to the very bower where Larkin rests in his magical sleep. And before he knows it, Merrick has managed to accidental awaken Larkin. The only problem is that once Larkin awakens… so will Ula Kana.

Fearing trouble for both of them, Merrick hides Larkin while the prince adjusts to life over 200 years after he first went to sleep. Larkin is disoriented by modern life, but he also is wary about reporting to the authorities; none of them noticed when he was magically compelled to agree to sleep and he isn’t sure he trusts them now. But Ula Kana is back to her old ways, terrorizing the Eidolonian cities and wreaking havoc. Merrick feels incredibly guilty, knowing that he inadvertently put this all into motion, and he is determined to do something about it. When he realizes that Rosamund’s notes include her plan for containing Ula Kana without the need for a human counterpart, Merrick decides to venture into the fae realm and try to implement the plan himself. With the authorities on his back, and determined to do something to help his people, Larkin goes along.

The world of the fae is a dangerous place, and Larkin and Merrick must undertake three complex negotiations with the fae in order to secure Ula Kana’s capture. Not to mention that there are plenty of creatures in the fae realm that would more likely kill them than not. On top of that, it doesn’t take long for Ula Kana to discover their plans and she continues to hunt them through the fae realm. But Merrick and Larkin are determined to see their quest to the end and save the people of Eidolonia — if they can make it out alive.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a story that combines the fantasy and modern worlds together in an interesting way, with a bit of a Sleeping Beaty twist. Unlike most fantasy I have read, this story largely takes place in present day, except for some early scenes where we see Larkin being compelled into his magical sleep. We spend about half of the book in the human side of Eidolonia, as the story sets up and we see Merrick and Larkin try to navigate keeping the prince hidden, as well as Larkin attempting to adjust to the modern world. Eidononia is a magically hidden island, but it exists within our real, contemporary world, just with a lot of magic users. The second half of the story then takes the men into the fae realm where there is more of a traditional fantasy feel, yet still with a sense of modern life (Merrick has a cell phone that allows him to magically check in with the human side, for example). This combination makes for an interesting setting and some nice world building. I enjoyed the wide variety of creatures the men encounter in the fae realm, as well as the way magic is worked into the human side of things.

As you may have noted from my lengthy introduction, this is a story that takes a lot of set up, and the early part of the book feels like it is laying a lot of groundwork. Given that this is a longer book, it does take a while to get going into the action, but I did really like seeing Merrick and Larkin get to know one another, deal with government threats, and figure out how to implement Rosamund’s plan. When the story shifts to the fae realm, it takes on somewhat of a road trip feel as they embark on their quest. There are three fae with whom they must negotiate to get their help capturing Ula Kana and each require their own trials before they agree. I found the fae realm to be creative with all the various creatures, as well as challenges the men face, and it is a good chance to see Merrick and Larkin bond and begin to fall for each other. That said, I felt that the encounters with the fae didn’t seem quite as intense as I would have expected. Instead, things seemed a little repetitious and not to have quite the urgency I wanted. This holds true for Ula Kana as well, who is supposed to be this terrifying, almost all powerful fae, but who mostly flies in and out scaring them before being chased off by other fae. We do learn a little bit just why Ula Kana is so much more hostile than the other fae, but there wasn’t enough substance to her character to make her really feel like the big bad threat that is presented.

I enjoyed both Merrick and Larkin as characters and think their relationship development felt natural. They are forced to depend upon each other almost from the start, and there is a nice connection that grows as they follow their quest. These guys are both willing to risk themselves for others and manage to be brave and resourceful when it counts, but also not too perfect. They feel real and I liked the juxtaposition of Larkin as this 18th century royal paired with Merrick as a modern day witch.

A couple of other notes. This story brings up some nice themes around the rights of indigenous people. In this case, the fae allowed the humans to settle, but found themselves on the losing end of land deals and shady practices from humans who wanted increasingly more territory. While Ula Kana’s methods are clearly wrong, the story does recognize that the humans have played a big role in creating this conflict as well. I also appreciated that Eidolonia is presented as a totally LGBTQ-friendly place (even in 1799, where Larkin has a male partner). Not only are same sex relationships commonplace, but those outside the gender binary are also totally accepted during both time periods (Merrick’s sibling is nonbinary).

Overall, I found this one an interesting fantasy with a somewhat different style than most I have read. I enjoyed getting to spend time in both the human and faery realms, as well as having a fantasy that largely takes place in the modern day world. I think the story is a little too long and there feels like a lot of set up to get things going. At times, the quest seemed a little slow and the threats not quite intense enough. But in the end, I found this one engaging and enjoyed the story and the characters.

3 hmmm stars

Straight upfront, I have to say that I'm a tad bit underwhelmed by this book, and I won't lie, I find that I am rather disappointed by that.

But before I get into the nitty gritty of everything that made this book fall flat for me, allow me to introduce the characters to you- we have our first protagonist, Merrick Highvalley (or "Hoi-valley" if you're an 18th century person displaced in time), a descendant of the most celebrated witch in history, who also happens to have trapped our prince, the second protagonist, Larkin Dasdemir, in a suspended sleep (much like the sleeping beauty) to protect the country from a murderous fae, who then happened to get accidentally awoken by our dear first protagonist 200 years after the event.

Still with me? Oh good, let's continue then.

The story goes so that Larkin had to be put to sleep so that the Ula Kana, said murderous fae could also be put to sleep, and thus stopped, but the condition remained that for as long one slept, the other would sleep too, so when Merrick accidentally awakens Larkin, he also unleashes Ula Kana upon the greater world, and now they must stop her before she destroys their country, Eidolonia, which can I say is the most fantastical name on the history of all fantasy names? No? Okay, moving on.

And so Larkin, who now refused to sleep for centuries again, and Merrick, who had brought upon the Eidolonian definition of the apocalypse upon everyone, thus set out to attempt to implement the method that Rosamund Highvalley, the aforementioned all powerful witch who had trapped Larkin, had later devised to successfully stop Ula Kana.

But for this they had to do the most dangerous thing of all- tread into the feyland!

*shocked in sarcasm*

The story this far was quite interesting, and I had incredibly high hopes, and then they went into the feyland, and the story, like their now nightmarish reality, devolved into a mess.

To put it in short, they had to visit the three current rulers of the different territories in feyland, and give them gifts, do something they want you to do, and then give them a blade that they would then plunge into the land and create a cage for Ula Kana. And that went about as well as you can image.

The first one, Sia Fia, was your quintessential faery, who drinks and revels and dances the night away in pleasures, and our boys were made to join her, which was kind of expected. They also kind of made out when in her realm, and then immediately fought when they left it, because her realm amplifies your lust and lowers your inhibitions and stuff, which I found stupid to be honest, their fighting that is, and not the powers of Sia Fia. I kept thinking that maybe it was the effects of the next realm, which amplifies your anger, making them fight like kids, but no, it was all them.

So the next one was like I said, a realm where you get irrationally angry, because the fae living there were all hunters and loved fighting and wars, and so the ruler, Arlanuk, wanted them to dun dun dun, fight with each other, which they were already geared up to do. So first they argued, like idiots if I might be allowed to say, and then proceeded to fight physically, again like utter idiots. And in the process, somehow Larkin dies, and Merrick immediately freaks out, and brings him to life using the power plot halo, *coughs*, I meant an all healing potion, or some shit.

And then they have sex. Because of course they do.

And then they reach the land of sadness and sorrow, ruled over by Vowri, an overgrown leaf? A sky blanket with voice? A cloud with voice? I honestly don't know. But what I do know is that Vowri gets totally fucked over in the story, and I, defender of just antagonists, am completely disgusted by the humans who do a total 180 on her when the deal they AGREED upon, doesn't go to their liking, and lay a siege on her and... kill her? I think?

The book completely devolves by this point and I was just rolling my eyes at the events that occur. It has a happy ending, so obviously they manage to trap Ula Kana in her desert cage, and Merrick somehow ends up dead in the process, but is then revived because, I reiterate, this book has an happy ending and the author has a sad inability to kill characters, and I was honestly like, did you just kill the protagonist and bring them back to life? DID YOU JUST DO THAT AGAIN with the other protagonist?! Like who the fuck even does that? ٩(ఠ益ఠ)۶

Long story short-

I wanted to enjoy this book, and for a while I did as well, but then my mind just ran off analyzing everything, and the story then, was quick to fall apart unfortunately.

LAVA RED FEATHER BLUE and I got off to a rocky start. The eARC was poorly formatted (something I’ve seen a lot of reviewers mention) which didn’t help matters, but more than that, the first few chapters just didn’t really click for me. It felt flat and overly full of exposition. I very nearly DNFed it.
Things started to pick once the protagonists crossed paths and kept improving from there.
For me, the most exciting part of the story wasn’t the modern/magic blended world of Eidolonia but Larkin and Merrick’s quest and journey through the fae realm (which luckily is the majority of the story). For the part, LAVA RED FEATHER BLUE was a five-star read, with a climactic ending that had me all wrapped up in emotions.
As I say, I loved the journey through different parts of fae territories, where each ruler has challenges for the protagonists to overcome and partake in. The world was rich and exciting, and the pace moved quickly without either getting bogged down or missing details. It’s a vivid story.
LAVA RED FEATHER BLUE has two protagonists – newly awakened Prince Larkin and awkward half-fae Merrick. Both characters are utterly charming and the romance between them feels completely natural and well-developed as it weaves through their adventure. Both characters have flaws and weakness, but the way they butt-head and work together gives both them and the journey depth.
I’m really, incredibly glad I stuck with this one. I’d give LAVA RED FEATHER BLUE five-stars but for the shaky start and, as it’s a standalone with a nicely rounded out ending, I recommend it to any fans of faeries, quests or fantasy in general.

This a wonderful queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty, set in a magically hidden Island named Eidolonia. When the witch Merrick accidentally wakes up the Fae Larkin, put to sleep as a part of a truce between humans and Fae, everything changes and it wakes also Ula Lana, a faery who wants to destroy humans from the Island. Merrick and Larkin are forced to work together and save everything, while dealing with their own feelings.

Amazing and intriguing. The worldbuilding is great, the writing so lush and vivid I could see the characters and the Island!

Review based on ARC provided by the publisher

I wanted to really like this queer fantasy, but....
The world-building is pretty generic. The dialogue felt stilted and was weighed down with information during the first part of the book. When the two MCs finally met and went on their quest the pacing was a bit better and the story was easier to follow, but it was peppered with unreasonable decisions by the MCs.

I should mention that the author stated that queer is not the focal point of the story and she managed this very well.

Gorgeous world-building in this YA fantasy novel that includes both queer and POC representation. Unfortunately it suffers a little bit from very heavy exposition at the start, and the main characters come across as a bit immature and unlikeable at times, which is unfortunate, as with a little tightening this could have been a five-star book. Without spoilers, the fae witch (whose actions ostensibly create a lot of the current world) is given only the most vague description, and Merrick seems to shoot down everyone's ideas, hopes, and dreams, and comes across as younger (and whinier) than I think we're supposed to believe. Still, there's a lot to like here if you can forgive it its flaws. If nothing else, immerse yourself in a really unique and stunning world, clearly written with a lot of love.

Advance reader copy kindly provided by Central Avenue Publishing.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a fun fantasy book set in the modern world, which is nice to see. It has a diverse cast of characters who were all very well written and I loved reading about them. The only character I didn't really like was the villain, I felt she had no real depth.

I would have rated this book higher if I had connected more to the writing, but I just could not get into it, it felt too formal. There was a lot of info-dumping in the beginning, and I wish we could have learned about the world another way. The beginning dragged on and I had to keep putting it down, I don't think it was paced well overall.

Even though this book wasn't really for me, I know that it is something many will enjoy, so I recommend it if you like fae fantasies with diverse characters.

3.75 stars

The magic in this book is phenomenal. Both the one from the fae world and the human witchcraft was... Chef's kiss. Amazing. I also loved the fantastical elements and the humor that didn't let me get out of the story especially because although this may look like a light read, its not. I did cry once or twice while reading this. Other thing that I liked was the magic system on the island, and the lore of Eidolonia, both felt refreshing elements.
Now, although I did like the pacing of the book, the amount of info dumping in this one... things could have been edited from it. While reading this, it reminded me a bit of lost and LOTR and like those two, this could be an amazing tv series or movie because it has all the elements for an amazing show/movie.
The romance was a bit rush and instalovey but I liked it. It was really nice to read a book about queen characters  that didn't centre around the struggles on being queer. It was actually refreshing.
Overall i had a very good time reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

The priest and priestess chanted prayers. Rosamund placed her hands on the sides of his head. He locked gazes with her. Fury blazed within his heart.”

⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars!

Yay! To my first review of the year! Starting off strong with a fun, exciting queer fae fantasy about being brave, being a hero, and how love makes you both.

Merrick is a half-fae perfumer who tries to lie low, help his dad, and stay out of trouble. But when he discovers old artifacts from an ancestor who laid to sleep an (attractive) ancient prince, one who still lives to this day, his recklessness accidently upsets a centuries long truce between humans and fae. Now it’s up to him and the Prince to heal every mistake they’ve made.

To start, I really loved this book. It’s fantasy, adventure, romance, and humor mixed into one really satisfying read. I’m a huge fan of worlds that mix modern day and fae.

I think the world was really satisfying to read about. It had classic elements of faery worlds that I love. Including mentions of different creatures and elemental magic. I also thought the human witchcraft system was interesting to read about. It was easy to follow and fun to think about.

I did however, think that the book just kind of flings you into the story and I really didn’t know what was going on for a while there. It starts off really suddenly and I had to re-read it after already finishing the book in order to really get it.

The book does sometimes seem to skimp out of descriptions or general exposition. I wish the writing could be more clear and easy to read. It’s the only thing that really halted me from giving this book my whole heart.

But the story does make up for it. I loved the pacing, which felt always on beat. It’s the kind of book that would make a great mini-series, just because something interesting was always happening and developing.

Needless to say, I loved Merrick and Larkin. I loved that they weren’t perfect for each other at first. I love that they stepped on each others toes a bit, didn’t quite get along. I also love the way they came to depend on each other.

I definitely wanted to see more silliness and happy moments between them when they aren’t suffering so darn much (and they do suffer, I cried). I want more of Larkin learning technology and more of Merrick feeling confident in himself. Bless these two, truly.

TL;DR: A book like this just makes me happy. I won’t pretend that I don’t wish the writing was the tiniest bit more clear and consise, but it’s a great read.

E-galley provided by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.

DNF’ed at 20%
Felt overly infodumping - not even in one go but every few sentences. Wonderful premise but I think it just felt very young and a little confusing.

Rated only as needed.

TO the ones contemplating on reading this book. GO FOR IT. Its a fantasy tale and for me it was one of the top 10 reads of 2020. I'm lost for words on how to give this one a review (without giving out spoilers). So this story has fairies and LGBTQ romance too, so what's not to love about this book.

As a whole, I generally enjoyed the book. It has some fun elements, but all the brushes with death that occur make it far from a light read. It certainly made me a bit emotional at times, as I was attached to the characters (particularly Larkin and Merrick). There was some great world-building by the author, you really were able to get a feel of everything Eidolonia encompassed. It felt like an island straight out of a fairy tale, which makes sense given that it's so hidden away. All of the different elements of the Pacific Islands that Ringle interwove into the basis of the island and the people (fae and human alike) was well-done, it helped add depth to the environment. The magic system on the island, and the lore of Eidolonia felt refreshing. It took a moment to get used to, but it felt solid (if not a tad convenient). We're kind of spoon-fed information all throughout, so it didn't leave very much up for interpretation. There were some 2D side characters that were really only around to move the story forward at times.

I loved Larkin and Merrick, they had the depth that I want out of my protagonists, even if their romance felt kind of rushed. It felt rushed, but not unwelcome. I love a good "character doesn't understand modern life" trope, which means that Larkin is pretty much golden in my book. Larkin also underwent some good character development during their journey. Speaking of the journey, the story itself takes some time to get into; to be frank, the adventure aspect of the story didn't really start until 50% into the book. Not that nothing happened in the first 50%, just that it was kind of Merrick blundering around, being chaotic for the first half. It didn't get really interesting until they set out on their quest. Their quest also got a touch repetitive near the middle, which made it a bit predictable at times.

I have some specific qualms with the story as well. Particularly, that of an argument that takes place between Merrick and Larkin. Their rage-fueled argument felt so shallow as to be pointless. Why were they arguing over the prospect of the mission, when they had just been discussing Larkin's antiquated views on Fae and humans? They had mentioned circling back to whether or not Fae could love and that would've been a much more interesting argument that would've made sense given the circumstances. It also would've made Larkin's character development more sensible. As it stands, that whole fight scene felt like a missed opportunity. Also, on the topic of antiquated ideals. It seemed to me as though Larkin took Cassidy's gender identity at face value and never asked any questions. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with being non-binary, it seemed like a missed opportunity for a discussion on gender. It could've certainly been a very positive discussion that could've been illuminating for readers. I only say that there could've been some discussion regarding gender, because we weren't given much to signify that any gender identity was accepted in Larkin's time as sexuality was. I didn't want anybody to be rude to Cassidy or anything, it just seemed as though it could've been discussed out of curiosity. So basically, this was a book with missed opportunity for deeper conversation.

I think this was a pretty good book, I'd recommend it. It wasn't my favorite, but I certainly didn't dislike it. I hope to read more from Ringle, I've seen where she has published other books and the little excerpt in the back of this book for that short story certainly has my attention. Thank you so much to Central Avenue Publishing for giving me this ebook in exchange for a review! Lava Red Feather Blue is available everywhere as of today! If you're into a fairytale type of fantasy novel with LGBTQIA+ elements and an interesting premise, then check this one out! I think you'll enjoy it!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (3.5 stars)

Lava Red Feather Blue is a modern-day, urban fantasy, queer re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. But unlike in the fairy tale, this story doesn’t end when the princess – or in this case, the prince – awakens. In fact, that’s where the story begins.

Merrick Highvalley is an endo witch (a witch who can alter only himself), and a descendent of the infamous Rosamund Highvalley, the only witch to ever possess all three magical abilities (endo, exo, and matter); the witch who famously put Prince Larkin into a deep sleep over 200 years ago. But what history books don’t know is that Prince Larkin – hailed as being the most benevolent prince to ever exist after sacrificing himself to help put Ula Kana, a evil fire fae, to rest as well – was entrapped against his will by Rosamund Highvalley herself.

When Merrick stumbles upon his ancestors old notes, he soon learns as much. And while tinkering around with them – looking for a cure to aid his ailing father – he accidentally awakens the sleeping prince. Which in turn awakens Ula Kana. Now Merrick and Larkin must team up to stop her reign of terror on the human realm once more. But to do so they must venture into the faerie realm, where nothing is quite as straightforward as it seems.

- 🧚‍♀️ -

I haven’t read many urban fantasy novels, let alone a queer urban fantasy novel, so I was definitely excited to get the chance to read Lava Red Feather Blue. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this story, and even still it definitely went in a different direction than I anticipated!

Lava Red Feather Blue is told from the perspective of both Merrick and Larkin as they deal with the repercussions of Merrick accidentally waking up Larkin, and Larkin being awake now in a world 200 years in the future from when he last opened his eyes.

Ringle very evidently follows the hero’s journey template both to the benefit and jeopardy of this story itself. A someone who is very familiar with Joseph Campbell’s archetype and similarly formatted novels – The Hobbit for example – I was both pleased, and a little disappointed with this rendition.

The hero’s journey story template is a commonly used tool, especially in regards to fantasy novels. However, a certain amount of flexibility and willingness to break the well-established model is necessary, I believe, to really make a story stand out from the crowd. Ringle does a very good job at developing characters, their motives, and the incredible world this novel is set in, Eidolonia. However, I couldn’t help but feel that this story wound up being a little formulaic at times.

Nevertheless, it’s a very exciting tale of faeries, magic, adventure and romance. And I also appreciated that while it was a novel with queer side characters and pairings, and the two main protagonists do fall in love, that the focus on the plot was always about the adventure at hand.

Both Merrick and Larkin were comfortable with their identities as gay men, and as a queer woman myself, this was something I definitely admired. Not every queer story needs to centre around the struggles on being queer, and it’s evident Ringle understands that.

If you’re in the mood for an adventure-packed urban fantasy novel, you should check it out for yourself and see what you think!

Thank you to the publisher, Central Avenue Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Absolutely captivating. I was enraptured by this read from the beginning and had stars in my eyes the whole time.

So much so, I didn’t write down any notes as I was too greedy to keep reading! So please pardon my lack of quotes, however, you should wish to discover them yourselves.

A Prince awoken by a curious Highvalley, that he calls Merrick by last name I swoon, completely by accident yet causing the biggest catastrophe Eidolonia could ever hope to never encounter.

This is the LGBT, Romance, Fantasy gorgeousness I never knew I needed but certainly we all deserve it.

To go on an adventure to right the problems they have caused, not only will you fall enamoured with the main men of the show, but by each and every character around them. They have their flaws and they make mistakes. All this cumulates in them feeling real, relatable even.

I don’t often root for the good guys, and as much as I loved the villain, I awaited each encounter with baited breath and I can only try to entice you into wanting to do the same.

The world building is rich and you never feel lost, each character and location with their own fountain of information backing them that never feels overwhelming, only exciting and intriguing. I enjoyed being able to sit and imagine the creatures and places in my mind thanks to the descriptions and this book only furthers my intent to have ginger hair.

I’m going to keep thinking about this read for a long time to come. This was the perfect note to end 2020 on and I’m excited to read more by the wonderful author!

I absolutely adored this beautiful story about Merrick and Larkin. It was full of whimsy and love, with some great adventure and fantasy all swirled into one great book.

Merrick is a witch who accidentally awakens Larkin from the magical slumber he has been under since 1799. The young prince was put under this spell as part of a magical truce between Fae and humans, something entirely NOT beneficial for Larkin as the truce was one sided. Now, Larkin is awake and in an unfamiliar time: the year 2020. Unfortunately, as Larkin awakes, so does Ula Kana, an evil Faery who wants to eliminate all humankind on their island of Eidolonia.

What I loved most was the complete and instantaneous trust Larkin and Merrick put into one another. What starts as a trust, quickly becomes a beautiful romance that literally made this book for me. With forces closing in on the two men, they have to work fast to stop Ula Kana.

I love that while this is an LGBT read, their sexuality is not part of the plot. It is just there organically. The world building was fantastic, the politics and conflicts were beautifully written, and the two main characters were realistically flawed.

I am an absolute sucker for a good fairy-tale retelling - especially a queer re-retelling - and while this isn't EXACTLY a re-telling the Sleeping Beauty vibes were there from the start. I will say that the beginning of the book was a bit of a struggle to get through. The reader is dropped into this major conflict without any sort of build-up or background information. However, once it got to present day, things were a lot smoother. I really ended up falling in love with the characters and the romance between them. All in all, I thought it was a beautiful story and I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Thank you, NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing, for the chance to read and review this book.

On a magically hidden North Pacific island of Eidolonia, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep, as one side of a truce between humans and Fae. That's until, accidentally, an Highvalley witch, Merrick, wakes him up. But waking the prince up means also releases a dangerous peril in the figure of Ula Kana, a faery who wants to eradicate humans from Eidolonia. Forced to work together and slowly building their relationship, Merrick and Larkin have to do anything in their power to stop Ula Kana and restore peace and harmony.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a captivating urban fantasy, a sweet and intriguing fairytale and, also, a queer one, tender and really beautifully written. As fairytales fan, I couldn't not want to read a sort of queer retelling of the Sleeping Beauty, set in a world with Fae, humans, witches and so much more. The worldbuilding is so incredible, it feels like you're there with them, following our amazing main characters in their adventures and freaking out about their building bond and relationship.
The writing is compelling and evocative and I love the island of Eidolonia, Larkin and Merrick! Everything is so real and lush and vivid!
A fairytale, a fantasy, a story about magic, love, forgiviness and so much more!

I had high hopes for this book, both because I have enjoyed several of the author's other books, and because I thought a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty sounded like such a cool idea. Sadly, I just could not get into this book. I found the opening confusing and the language hard to follow, and the story just didn't grab my attention. I wasn’t fond of any of the characters. Perhaps it gets better, but I was not enjoying it enough to keep trying, so I didn't finish. I don’t think it’s a bad book, it just wasn’t working for me.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley, and I volunteered to review this book. The ARC read like a very rough draft, and I'm sure that hindered my enjoyment. Perhaps the finished version is a more enjoyable read.

I love all kinds of retellings and this book gave me sleeping beauty vibes. Fairytales and Fae really are the best mix for story telling and I loved the dynamic relationship between Maverick and Larkin