Halayda

This novel was an enjoyable read. It combines magic with romance and adventure as the characters of this story try to stop the star-fae from recreating the world. The plot moves smoothly, which allows you to get know the characters but not all their secrets are revealed.
Sylvie Imanthiya is part fae and is an alchemist. She is able to make stronger potions that others. Her talents attracted the attention of Casimir, who began to mold her. When Sylvie discovered his agenda, she destroyed all her research and fled. She takes in orphans, especially those who are half-fae and helps the Faerie king, whom she is in love with.
King Taylan Ashkalabek has been ruling for centuries, trying to keep the balance between fae and mortals. He has a dark past and tries not to let it taint him. He is a shadow-fae, which all fear. He met Sylvie and looks forward to the times of the year where they meet. He cares for Sylvie and will do anything to protect her, but his people are are cruel to half-fae. He also fears when Sylvie discover the truth about him, she will turn away from him, which is something be cannot bear since he also loves her.
When Taylan is portrayed to be responsible for an attack, it sets into motion several events. Sylvie develops wings, which defines her as the Dragonfly, who only appear in desperate times. Taylan knows his people will never accept her, but knows she is their only hope to save the faerie. Sylvie is a kind and caring person, but is afraid and is more of a peacemaker, whereas Taylan is a leader and a warrior. When Casimir finds out the Sylvie is the Dragonfly, he will do anything to get her is his grasp. Taylan and Sylvie must work together to stop Casimir. They receive help from Sylvie's friends, who are more than they appear to be. However, there are those in Taylan's kingdom who want him dead and/or disagree with his choices to help the Dragonfly, since Dragonflies have been killed when they are found. Will Taylan and Sylvie be able to stop Casimir's plans and restore the dying faerie kingdom?

Sylvie is an part-fae alchemist who also takes in the half-fae waifs and strays of her society while trading in illegal alchemy goods on the side. King Taylan, her friend and potential love interest, hides a dark secret in order to protect Sylvie. However, when poison destroys the kingdom, the two must unite, and risk secrets being exposed, in order to restore the realm.
This was an intricate world, with so much to explore, and for that I loved the story. Sarah Delena White clearly cares about these characters, and this is reflected in how well developed they are. There is a richness to the story that can only come from a writer who is heavily involved in the world they're trying to create.

Having said that, I found the pace of the story slow, with a lot of background information given between characters. While this helped with the world building, it did slow down the pace significantly to the point where I really wanted some action. I felt like the characters spent most of their time explain events that had already happened instead of being 'in the moment'. I'm also not a massive fan of multiple points of views in books. I get easily confused, and find I get attached to one character in particular and want to hear more from them than the other characters. In this case, Sylvie was by far my favourite and her character development was the most well defined. However, I wasn't overly convinced by her relationship with Taylan. Clearly I thought she could do better!

In conclusion, this was an interesting high fantasy world, with some great characters. I look forward to seeing what the writer comes up with in the future.