Owl King by Bex Hogan is that perfect book you'll want to read on a cozy afternoon! I rated it 5 stars because I couldn't put it down for a second.

I really enjoyed Owl King.It’s the kind of book that pulls you into a world that feels both strange and fascinating, without overcomplicating things. The story follows two sisters, Ilsette and Lyla, who end up in the Owl King’s court—he’s powerful, mysterious, and not exactly someone you can trust. When Lyla is taken, Ilsette has to step up and try to rescue her, which leads to a lot of unpredictable fae magic and challenges.

The sister relationship was one of my favorite parts. It felt real and gave the story some heart. There’s also a magpie sidekick who was surprisingly fun and added a nice bit of humor. The pacing was steady, and I was curious to see where things would go next the whole way through.What I loved most was the blend of dark fairy tale elements with a heartfelt exploration of sisterhood and sacrifice. Ilsette's determination and Lyla's resilience made me root for them every step of the way. The prose is lyrical, painting vivid images of a world where magic is as beautiful as it is dangerous.

If you like fantasy that’s easy to get into, has a cool mix of magic and danger, and focuses on strong characters (without being too dark or too light), I’d say give this one a try. Definitely looking forward to the next book.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Wonderful whimsical fairy tale.

We follow Ilsette as she tries to save her sister from the Owl King. It is beautifully written, with fairytales intertwined with Ilsette and Lylas story. It was so easy to read as it flowed like a song. The setting was magical and mystical it was just lovely to read. A proper old fashioned fairytale told in such a wonderful way.

The characters were mysterious and it was so nice to see Nettle again. I couldn’t put it down and I really hope there is more in the series.

I LOVED Owl King by Bex Hogan ❤️💙💚🧡💜
Meeting new characters and visiting new realms in this amazing fantasy world
The lengths someone will go to try and help save someone they love no matter how dangerous that could be made my heart feel full
This brilliant sequel to Nettle is out in
October

Ilsette’s journey to rescue her sister from the enigmatic Owl King is a captivating tale woven with threads of classic fairytales and lyrical prose. The writing is enchanting—graceful and melodic, like a story passed down through generations. The world feels steeped in magic and mystery, evoking that timeless fairytale atmosphere that’s both comforting and haunting.

The characters carry a quiet depth, each cloaked in a touch of wonder, and it was such a delight to see Nettle make an appearance again. I was completely absorbed. I genuinely couldn’t put it down. Here's hoping this is just the beginning of a longer series, because I’m not ready to leave this world behind.

I haven’t read the first book in this series (Nettle) and didn’t find that to be an issue. There is an obvious crossover with some characters but the story stands well on its own.
Here we have a dark faery kingdom with a cruel ruler summoning his subjects to a ball to find his next bride. Not a role anyone is keen to take on as the brides soon disappear, never to be seen again. The main character, Ilsette, is at a disadvantage being a hated half faery and when her sister is taken as the Owl King’s new bride, she is forced to flee, setting off on a quest through other realms to save her sister.
All the elements of fairy tales are included- danger, challenges and trickery. It did seem a little too easy though to work out where what she was looking for was. I would have liked to see more visiting of different realms. The ending was fitting, not exactly the happy ever after that you may have expected, but worked well with this style of story. It is branded as being like ‘The Cruel Prince’, I was not a fan of that book, but did enjoy this.
I really enjoyed the short, traditional style fairy tales woven within the main story.

6 stars, I really loved this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Owl king is a dark and utterly gorgeous fairytale that I read in a single sitting. It is a beautifully told story of two sisters, both relying on their knowledge of stories of the faerie realm, Lyla is counting on telling compelling enough stories to the monstrous Owl King to distract him from killing her and Ilsette who is counting on the stories Lyla told her to help her navigate the treacherous Faerie realms to find the one thing that can save her sister.

I hadn’t read Nettle, an earlier book in this series before starting this (although it is now top of my to buy list) and thought it worked well as a standalone story even though characters from the earlier book make an appearance here.

What I loved in particular:
- the writing, Bex Hogan’s gorgeous descriptions made the faerie locations like the diamond river and the thorn lands come to life.
- Lyla’s stories, I liked that there were little stories that complemented the main plot scattered throughout the story.
- Pi, I liked him in both bird and faerie form.
- this book had the best depiction of wicked and trickster traditional fae that I have read in a really long time.

This book is for anyone who loved the folk of the air or Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of the Faeries.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was so excited when Bex announced another novel set in the Faery Realms; a sort of companion to Nettle. We do definitely get to see and interact with Nettle in this, but it’s also very definitely not a sequel and stands on its own well.

Owl King is a story about sisterly devotion. It’s about stories, quests and taking chances. And its (a little) about love (as all good stores should be).

One of the things I loved about this was that we get to see so much more of the Realms, and see how much difference there is between them all which was fascinating. I loved how we get to see the price of crossing, of being somewhere else.

While the book more frequently follows Ilsette and her quest to find the feather, I found myself intrigued by Lyra and the Owl King, and wishing we had more time with them as it felt a little rushed to progress how it does. I think it’s an element of being Faery and more fickle, and the lovely nature off how they can be affected by things like stories, but that’s not always clear. However that’s not necessarily all a bad thing, as I think it lends the story a subtlety. Plus it’s very much reads as an homage to fairytales and storytelling, and it’s hard not to love that.

This series is rapidly turning into a truly lovely comfort read and I find myself hoping we get more so I can spend more time immersed in it.

4.25 stars.

The Owl King was everything I hoped for and more. Emotionally rich, high stakes, and steeped in enchantment, it was effortless to lose myself in this beautiful world once again.

Although it can be read as a standalone, skipping Nettle would be a disservice.

Bex Hogan has a gift for weaving lush, emotionally resonant fantasy. Her storytelling is both accessible for younger readers and deeply satisfying for older ones. This is a shining example of what YA fantasy can be.

Owl King was a beautiful and lyrical story and I loved every moment. I was hooked from the start and loved the whole fantasy realm

I have been sitting with this beautiful tale for almost a fortnight, trying to find ways to describe it without going into a ton of detail and giving things away!

I read Nettle which I adored, and was very excited to be invited to read Owl King and you know what, I loved it even more.
All the things that I appreciated about Nettle was present in Owl King but it was also more. I am not sure how to explain that except by saying that whatever I hadn’t realised was potentially missing, whatever it was I didn’t feel, from Nettle was in abundance in Owl King.

The Swan and the Nightingale are such beautiful characters. They would do anything for each other, and Ilsette almost seems the villain rather than the hero in the way she would do anything to save her sister from the Owl Kings grasp.

We meet Pi who is a lovely companion during the story, as well as familiar faces and head to both strange and familiar places, along with characters who play important roles in Ilsette's journey.

Bex Hogan’s Faery Realms are true ‘Faery Tales’ complete with lessons to be learnt and Owl King teaches us (the readers) about hope, kindness, selflessness (and selfishness). It teaches us about redemption, about how simply showing kindness – even if it doesn’t seem like it is deserved – can heal, can save, and can altar a life course, granting a freedom that you may not have ever looked for but that you thrive with.

A solid 5 star read worth every minute you will spend in Faery.

I always enjoy reading books set in the world of faery and devoured this in one sitting. The world building is wonderful and the descriptions are so clear and vivid. I loved the characters of Ilsette, Lyra and the Owl King. They were beautifully described, their characters revealing their true thoughts and intentions. I particularly enjoyed the mini stories within the story which certainly tugged on my heart strings.
Highly recommended.