The Falconer: A sweeping historical fantasy like you’ve never read before, full of magic, mystery and slow-burn romance (Falconer, #1)

by Elizabeth May

Set in Victorian-era Scotland and filled to the brim with fae, this is an historical steampunk fantasy adventure that will sweep you away.

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh's social events - right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it's the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She's determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city's many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana's father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose - and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

Readers love The Falconer:

'I LOVED IT. I swallowed this book. Plain and simple. The quick pace was captivating, the descriptions and landscapes breathtaking and the heroine really badass!!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This book is so different in terms of what's out there in the YA market. I loved the historical aspect . . . Besides the bloody awesome fight scenes, if you guys know me, I'm all about the romance and the romance in this book is one of my favourite kinds' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I found the storyline unique . . . I liked everyone in this book which usually doesn't happen . . . I loved the relationships . . . Overall, this was a great book' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I was only a few pages into this book when I knew it was going to become a part of me . . . Elizabeth May has such a way with words, and she has woven a gorgeous tale full of adventure, magic, and romance' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Annnnnnnd this book enters my top ten of favourites . . . Read this for the angsty fae goodness' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'THE FALCONER was PHENOMENAL!!! From its Scotland lure, to its vengeance and murder, to its THRILLING, action-packed adventure, and heart-pounding, slow burning romance' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This book is action-packed with excellent character and relationship development, world-building, and witty repartee' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

• ISBN10: 0575130431
• ISBN13: 9780575130432
• Publish Date: 26 September 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[ladygrey]

I'm not entirely sure what to think of this book. I was really anticipating reading it. And it wasn't quiets as good as I'd hoped it would be, but once your expectations reach a certain level a thing can only really let you down. So part of it is on me.

Some things I really liked. It was funny and cute and witty. There were certainly some great moments.

But also it felt like Buffy and Supernatural and [b:The Season|3751593|The Season|Sarah MacLean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1297370321l/3751593._SY75_.jpg|3795453] and I don't know if those are places she drew inspiration from or if they just left such an imprint on me that I'm conjuring the comparison. I'd like to think it's the latter because I'd hate to think once someone does something in a story, no matter what any does thereafter it will draw comparisons no matter how original they're trying to be.

I think my main issue was not connecting with the characters motivations. Elizabeth May did a fine job of explaining them, I just didn't understand them because they're not the choices I would have made. I don't understand why Gavin walked out of the room.

And I don't understand why she said she only had platonic affection for him when they flirted and were literally perfect for each other and moved in perfect harmony. And were so good together.

Though I suppose if I was the eighteen year old version of myself I might have preferred the alluring, mysterious guy I fought with.

Kieran made sense to me. He's like that line from Pirates of the Caribbean. "I'm dishonest. And you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you have to watch out for. You never know when they're going to do something stupid." Kieran had secrets and dodged the truth and had more character consistency than any of them. Except maybe Derrick.

And for most of the story I had no idea WHY they had to wait. It made sense in the end, but the way it was played there's no way any of the people insisting they had to wait would have known they had to wait. And even then, why wait until everyone's out? Why not just repair it as soon as possible? She tried to explain that but the plausibility was flimsy.

In the end, I think I would have liked it considerably more if I'd believed any of those things (the plot bit or Gavin). Or the clock bit - why running into a clock helped at all I didn't catch.

But I did like 85% of the characters and that one moment and a lot of the dialog. I'm curious to read the next one to see if it makes me like it all more or less. I didn't even mind the gigantic cliffhanger, though I think I'd seen that mentioned somewhere so I'd steeled myself.

[celinenyx]

The Falconer has been on the periphery of my radar since its release. It has an cool steampunk premise of an alternative version of history set in Edinburgh. Since Aileana's mother's murder it has been difficult for her to care about high society - since, you know, the fae are real and they're killing people left and right.

Aileana is a main character often seen in upper YA fiction: damaged, traumatized, and hell-bent on finding revenge. Although Aileana is not given much depth beyond this, I felt like her focus on violence and revenge was better explained than in other books, giving her a decent background for her violent and self-destructive actions. Additionally, it was nice to have her be an engineer on the side. We need more tech ladies in fiction, and steampunk is an ideal setting for it.

The beginning was not particularly gripping - The Falconer falls into the "cool supernatural dude trains young woman" trope. After just having abandoned Halfway to the Grave which has this exact some narrative device, I was not particularly excited to be reading about yet another young adult falling in lust with a violent male elder. Luckily, The Falconer manages to spice things up by introducting a male friend (without love triangle! *gasp*).

The Falconer features plenty of well-written action and ass-kicking, if you're into that sort of thing. I'm quite fascinated to see where this story goes, as the ending was rather unconventional.

[nightingalereads]

3.75 stars

Though wary at the start, I needed up enjoying this book a lot! Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely not a disappointment. If you're unsure whether or not to give this book a try, I would say it's worth picking up!

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: This book wasn't on my TBR pile because it specifically interested me. No. I picked it up because it's in Crini's dreadful series jail and Sana and I bet Crini we would break her resolution not to read those books until their series are complete. So, it is under those circumstances that I came to read The Falconer with no expectations at all.

I ended up listening to The Falconer because I had no other unheard audiobooks left on my phone while travelling this month. I must say, it turned out glorious. It took me a while to get used to listening to the Scottish accent without losing concentration. I'm so used to American audiobooks, which are so effortless to listen to in comparison, the maximum speed I could set The Falconer to was 1.25x. In any case, the narration lent it more authenticity and taught me how all these words, cù sìth, seilgflùr, sìthichean and so are supposed to be pronounced. That was a huge plus to me. Had I read these words myself, I wouldn't have remembered the distinctions between all these creatures.

Aileana's journey was a whirlwind adventure set in historical Scotland where a woman's sole duty was to be married. Yet marriage was the last thing Aileana wanted. Instead, she was much more consumed with revenge. This struggle that she faced between who she wanted to be and the who she had a duty to be propelled a huge part of the plot. And while there was romance in The Falconer, it boiled under the surface and spiralled Aileana into confusion, regardless of who was involved. I liked the friendship between Aileana and Catherine, as well as Catherine's brother, Gavin.

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

"Crimson suits you best."

Such a seemingly innocuous comment haunts Aileana Kameron both waking and sleeping, because it was spoken to her by the faery that killed her mother. Traumatized and hungry for revenge, she takes comfort only in hunting, killing, and devising weapons against the faeries loose in the world. Of which there seem to be more and more...

First of all, can we talk about the cover? I am absolutely in love with this cover. I want her hair. And I'm going to steal her lovely little dagger to double as a letter opener. The cover set my expectations for this book extremely high.


Expectations that were...kind of sort of met? First of all, the setting. Edinburgh. I kind of have a love affair with Scotland. Or at least the idea of Scotland that's in my mind, since I've never actually been there (sadly). I think Elizabeth May loves Scotland too, because her descriptions of Edinburgh make it sound lovely - even with the bloodthirsty faeries thrown in. Also, Aileana has this amazing, ship cabin imitation room with hidden compartments and a pixie in residence. I am supremely jealous.

Aileana herself...I kind of want to smack over the head with a 2x4. While at the same time I want to go hunt faeries with her. Every time I thought I was going to get to really like her, she would say or do something else that left me like:

And she was so, so full of herself. Confidence? She has it in spades. In fucking spades. Arrogance. Bravado. Foolhardiness. Also tendencies to the dramatic. See above face.

This is who I am: a night creature who thrives on death and destruction.

Oh, really? Even though your buddy Kiaran (more on him in a minute) has to save your ass every time we turn around? I guess it could be argued that throwing herself in death's way constantly is her way of dealing with her mother's death. But she is just so annoyingly full of herself.

I don't yield. I don't retreat from him or let him intimidate me.

Aileana. Word of advice, darling. Let someone else sing your praises, for once. No one is having a pissing contest with you. Anyway, even aside from all that - I like Aileana, for her sheer stubbornness. Also she vacillates between wanting to be a BAMF and what her 19th century high-class society expects of her. For example, at one point she's wounded rather badly and holed up in her bedroom, bleeding and fevered. Kiaran manages to make it to her with medicine and stitches - and she is so freaking worried about him being in her room and the impropriety of him sitting on her bed while he stitches her up.


Of course she gets all hot and bothered about it, despite Kiaran being a walking big red flag. Oh yeah. Getting to him in a sec, I promise...

Sidetone: have I mentioned how much I hate love triangles? I. Despise. Love triangles. So overused, so stupid, so dramatic. Drama llama go home to mama. Bye. I didn't think this book had one, until I got almost to the end and I had a "Wait, what?!?" moment. Aileana, of course, can't be happy with the sweet guy next door, Gavin, - who also happens to be one of, oh, two people who understand and support her obsession with killing faeries - and instead can only see him as a friend. Sigh. To the author's credit, neither one is actually taken with the other, so this isn't a true love triangle, I guess. I just felt like the suggestion was there and expected. Or maybe I'm just pouting because this was yet another moment in time where Aileana's face needed to meet a 2x4. Because bad boys - especially when they are, in fact, faeries - are really not good for you.

Especially not when they are Kiaran. Kiaran, a fae himself who hunts his own kind for reasons unknown and still not entirely revealed by the end of the book (at least not to my satisfaction). Kiaran, a complete badass with a heart of ice and who always believes the end justifies the means. Kiaran, with more secrets than Aileana could ever dream, even though she likes to compare herself with him.

I'm beginning to realize how much our secrets define us. A few days ago, he and I would have hunted together and returned to our respective lives, the same as always. Now our boundaries are fading, and we grasp those last few secrets we still do have, because baring one's soul is so much more difficult than pretending.

Aileana, darling...you DO realize you're only 18, right? And until a year ago you were a pampered, sheltered little society girl? There are only so many secrets you can cram into a year. But of course secrets make Kiaran so much more appealing.

He is a compelling character. Especially the closer the end comes and a teensy tiny crack or two appears in his stony faery heart and we learn a little more about his past and what compels him. He still seems like a completely self-serving ass though. I say seems, because I have a hope that he will change. I highly doubt he will ever lose the habit of pointing out the uncomfortable feelings Aileana tries to ignore.

"In the end, they couldn't avoid their true nature any more than you'd be able to. Unless I'm wrong. When you imagine yourself years from now, is it the Seer you're with? Or is it you and me, planning our next slaughter?"

Oh, he also manages to be the comic relief at times, as he has no concept of Victorian propriety and even when he does manage to remember manners...really just doesn't care.

The storyline moves along at a good clip. Aileana, Kiaran and company have to try to save the world from the impending fae attack, each compelled by different motives. The hot and bothered-ness Aileana feels for Kiaran increase. They are inches from saving the world. And then...then shit happens. And...CLIFFHANGER. I was literally left with my jaw hanging open. I went back and read the last chapter, thinking surely I missed something. But no. NO.

Overall I gave this 3.5/5 stars. Due to my near-constant annoyance with Aileana, I couldn't pull it up to 4. Despite that, I'm really looking forward to the sequel and (again) have very high hopes for it!

Also, I kind of feel like this should be a mid grade novel as opposed to a YA. As in appropriate for about 12 and up. I probably would have read it at about 8 and loved it. It just feels very tame, and while there is definite attraction (and a few British-type swears) between the characters, the descriptions are not even close to R-rated. Or maybe I would just be a horrible parent, haha.

[melanchalina]

Элизабет Мэй "Охотницы" (Охотницы 1/3)

10 из 10

Перевод: официальный перевод
Экранизация: нет
Жанр: стимпанк, фэнтези
POV: женский, от первого лица
Любовная линия: прямая (парень-девушка), намеки на треугольник
Отличительные черты: викторианская эпоха, фейри, охотницы на фейри
Рекомендовано к прочтению, если вам нравятся: Кассандра Клэр "Адские механизмы", Кристина Кашор "Проклятый дар"

РЕЦЕНЗИЯ:
«Охотницы» - это прекрасный представитель своего жанра. Изысканное подростковое фэнтези, сочетание Шотландии 19 века, стим-панка и фейри. Потрясающий, вкусный язык? Идеальное сочетание мифологии, описаний, диалогов и экшна, яркие герои. О да, я влюблена.

У леди Айлиэн Кэмерон есть секрет. Под маской придворной дамы, под пышными платьями и вежливыми улыбками – скрывается монстр. Скрывается девушка, что создает оружие и не может жить без охоты на темных фейри. Все началось с того момента, как она стала свидетельницей убийства своей матери. Теперь каждый миг ее существования наполнен жаждой мести.

Вот кто я, ночная тварь, которая пирует на смерти и разрушении.

Впервые за очень долго время меня порадовала главная героиня. Я знаю, что многие сравнивают «Охотниц» с серией «Стеклянный трон», и они действительно схожи. Но если честно я не переношу серию Маас и считаю, что Селена Сардотин – позор для боевых героинь экш-фэнтези. С Айлиэн иначе. Она действительно заслуживает звания война. Девушка - тренированный боец, изобретатель. Прекрасный пример боевой героини, которая не падает в обморок при появлении сексуальных мужчин, и главное, в отличие от Селены не страдает от неуместной самовлюбленности. Ее девиз «меньше слов, больше дела». Я была рада, что любовная линия тонкой линией переплеталась с сюжетом и не перетягивала на себя внимание и сюжет. Да, романтика в книге важна, она сыграла важную роль в конце, но ее было в меру, она была уместна и герои не теряли рассудок и весь свой ум ради чувств. «Вначале мир спасем, а потом о любви подумаем» - так можно это описать, и да – это прекрасно!

Необходимость прежде чести. Всегда.

Киаран Маккей. Вот такой тип героев я обожаю. Холодный, сдержанный, рассудительный. Окруженный таинственной, мрачностью. Не лишенный сарказма. Он фейри, который тренирует Айлиэн убивать других фейри. И на это у него свои причины. Мне нравилось то, как он совершенно не жалел героиню при тренировках. Потому что обычно, давайте будем честными, все тренировки героев книгах заканчиваются страстными обнимашками и поцелуйчиками. Что лично меня раздражает неимоверно.

Я влюбилась в ожесточенных героев, то как мифы и легенды о фейри переплетены с шотландским фоном. Мир был удивительный. И да… здесь были сражения, кровь, горы, секреты. Отлично, просто отлично. Но я предупреждаю вас! Если вы не страдаете мазохистскими наклонностями, то дождетесь выхода второй книги, прежде чем взяться за первую. Концовка первой книги… оставит вас голодными. Разбитыми. Вы будете жаждать продолжения, терзаться теориями.

Моя оценка: 10/10

[Stephanie]

I'm not the biggest fan of faerie books, but this one interested me enough, considering the main character is killing the faeries instead of finding out she's one of them like most faeries books I've read are about AND it's set in Scotland in the 1800's. This book was pretty much screaming at me to read it because I have a slight obsession with Scotland.

I have to say my favorite part of the book was Derrick. He is the best and I want him as my pixie. He is definitely the comic relief and I love him for it. I also feel like he made the book a lot more interesting for me. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book when he was in a scene.

My one problem was that I didn't really connect with the story all that well. It's a good story, I just was distracted by all the other books I wanted to read. I can't really explain why I feel somewhat 'meh' towards the book, because I did enjoy it for the most part. I think I read it at the wrong time.

I am glad I pushed through, because it is very good, even though the ending leaves you hanging. It's a serious cliffhanger. It pretty much ends in the middle of a scene, which is quite annoying.

I want to note that right after finishing this book I loaned it to a friend and she loved it, read it in 2 days. I do think I would have loved the book if I concentrated on this book alone and wasn't reading 2 other books at the same time.

[ellieroth]

Publicado originalmente: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Antes de leer el libro me tope con algunas opiniones del libro un tanto acusatorias, sobre que este libro se parecía mucho a otro, pero como no leí ese libro (del cuál no recuerdo el nombre ahora) no fue tan aterradora la afirmación, pero aún así decidí posponer su lectura. Hasta que me di cuenta que se me pasó la fecha de publicación xD

Las hadas y el steampunk era una combinación a la cual no me iba a resistir, sobre todo si me lleva a la tierra misma dónde todas las historias comenzaron, Escocia. Últimamente estoy buscando nuevos escenarios reales para mis lecturas, casi siempre son algún lugar de USA, ya siento que puedo a ese país y no perderme en ninguna de las ciudades. Escocia fue un lugar genial para hacer turismo librero, sin duda ha retado a mi imaginación, la necesidad de variar era abrumadora.

Y no me decepcionó, me tuvo buscando imágenes de las ciudades, las cuáles había visto muy por encima, sin prestarle mucho atención. Sobre todo al querer adaptar la Escocia de 1840 real a la Escocia de 1840 según Elizabeth May, una en la cuál existen maquinas voladoras, electricidad y bombas hechas por la protagonista que pueden hacer caer a grandes hadas y todo un puente.

The Falconer me ha gustado mucho, es una historia que se ha catalogado en lo Young Adult pero lo sentí un poco más maduro, quizá sea por la protagonista quién no es una damisela en apuros, a pesar de las circunstancias que llevaron a Aileana a conocer el mundo Faerie, no puede negar que ese lado oscuro es parte de ella, quizá incluso desde mucho antes que ella lo supiera. Y eso es lo que me gustó, una protagonista que disfrute con el peligro y no ande lloriqueando por las esquinas lo cruel oh cruel de su destino. Siendo yo una persona bastante fría, encontrar una protagonista que disfrute como yo de la aventura y matanza me hace feliz. El romance, o la casi ausencia de este, es otro punto de que me encantó, es algo más de segundo plano, y es más un efecto que una consecuencia.

Sólo que a pesar de todo lo bueno que pude encontrar en el libro, el final no me convenció del todo. Soy muy mala imaginando batallas y peleas, a pesar de que me gustan verlas, por lo que de vez en cuando se me hacía bastante difícil meterme del todo en la piel de Aileana. Y además todo ese de "Eres el elegido" por alguna razón, por más que era algo que ya sabía, me decepcionó un poco, creo que estaba tan contenta con la personalidad de Aileana y distraída por el lindo de Kiaran y el adorable de Derrick que en algún momento olvidé por donde es que iba la historia.

Es un buen debut, de la escritora modelo. Elizabeth May ha salido en varias portadas de libros por lo que no solo los escribe, está en ellos xD

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Original review found on Oh, For the Love of Books!

From the first moment I saw this blurb I knew this book and I were made for each other. I was a bit skeptical of the whole faery thing because really the only faery books I've read (that I recall) are Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series. They were good, but faerie stories don't exactly blow me away. However, the historical setting (SCOTLAND!) with its balls and pretty dresses coupled with the promise of a vengeaful and badass heroine, I was game.

So. Did it deliver?
HECK YES! AND MORE!!

Oh, Aileana. You may be vengeful and full of blood-lust, yet I adore you anyways. Not only do you have every reason to be the way you are (AVENGE YOUR MOTHER!) but I adored you because you were never beyond redemption. Though you want your vengeance, you still had heart and cared for your friends. You were witty and crass. And you're intelligent! You're a tinkerer who makes her own awesome steam-punkery weapons! Can't get much cooler than that!But I also totally feel your apathy towards balls and societal manners in the wake of your tragedy. It's hard to try and be the society girl everyone expects while hunting faeries on the side. Ooooo. Debutante by day, fae hunter by night. It's got a nice ring to it, no?

Also, these faeries are bad news. They aren't you sweet little faeries with with beautiful iridescent wings. Oh no. There is a whole class system dealing with these buggers and some of them are some ugly sons of guns. And deadly. With claws. And teeth. They maim and destroy humans. Aileana is just doing her civic duty and destroying them before they destroy her. Ya know, self-defense and all. That's justified, right?

And now to talk about the REAL reason I love this book.
KIARAN!!!
Okay, I didn't love this book solely based on him, but Kiaran was definitely a welcome addition. He's hard to describe exactly, but oh so delicious all the same. All the swoon worthy moments and passing touches were just... *fans self*. A stoic, deadly, mysterious fae who teaches Aileana all she needs to know about hunting his kind. If I told you why, that'd be spoilers. So read the book to find out. Also, KIARAN.

ANDDDDDDDD
something else that I really adore in books....
An awesome BFF! Catherine is as awesome as a book BFF gets. This girl knows something is going on and even though she doesn't know what exactly, she sticks up for Aileana anyways. She's always saving Aileana's hide and lying about where she's been so people don't get suspicious (though it's hard when you come back in tatters). That's true friendship right there.

Also, Derikk. Adored him too. Yes, I seem to adore all the characters. FOR GOOD REASON! He's a tiny faerie who lives in Aileana's closet and hems her clothes. He's feisty and always speaks his mind, especially when it pertains to Kiaran. Oh, and he gets drunk off honey, hilariously so.

Okay, so this book isn't all about the characters. There is also a plot full of non-stop, gory faerie butt-whooping. And it is glorious. While Aileana is hell-bent on revenge, there is SO much more going on here than she realizes. Add in the awesome setting with it's lushness and the steampunk aspects, and you've got a novel as glorious as Elizabeth May's hair.
Seriously, have you seen her hair? GORGEOUS!

And then came the end....believe me, I was warned. I knew that this book had a hard ending with a massive cliffhanger. The fact that EVERYONE was blowing their tops over it meant it was a doozy. I thought I was prepared.
I was not.

YOU CAN'T END A BOOK LIKE THAT!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!

WEFJHAOIFJWOEFJAOWEFJWOEFIJWIOEF!!!!

NO! JUST NO! I CAN'T.....I CAN'T DEAL!!!! KIARANNN!!! AILEANA!!!!
EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! I REFUSE!!!!!

Got that off my chest.
Just.....guys, even if I warn you, it's still a doozy. As I was reading through the last couple pages, I was thinking of all these scenarios in which it could be a horrible cliffhanger. This wasn't just a cliffhanger. THIS WAS ENDING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARAGRAPH! THE MIDDLE OF A SCENE! It's like if the last Harry Potter movie cut off right in the middle of the BIG EPIC battle between Voldemort and Harry and you have no idea what's going to happen if you didn't read the books. Shame on you. And they're like
PSYCHHHH!!!!!
Gotta wait a year to see if Harry's going to make it!!!!
NO. JUST NO. I NEED BOOK TWO NOW! No, make that YESTERDAY!

Overall:
Pure awesomeness. I love that Aileana isn't perfect and is moved by grief and revenge. I feel for her. I wanted to hug her and then go kick some faerie butt. But she's not all vengeance. She's witty, stubborn and intelligent! All the secondary characters were spot on (here's to looking at you Kiaran). The setting was lush and beautiful and was made all the more wonderful with its slight steampunk elements (most of which Aileana made. Her weapons are AWESOME!). The plot was full of awesome steampunkery, bloody, actiony goodness that I couldn't get enough of. And, though that ending had me sitting there with my mouth hanging open and seriously contemplating throwing the book across the room, I forgive it because everything else is so awesome. Also, the author's got beautiful hair. Seriously though. I wish I had her hair.