All That Glows (All That Glows, #1)

by Ryan Graudin

[bookishzelda]

I love stories about the Fae because you can be so creative with them. Even though there are often basics like Mab (Maeve), Oberon and Titania you can often move them around and fit them into your own tale. That is how it was in All that Glows. We have Mab who is Queen of the Fairies because as succession goes it’s the oldest faery that takes the crown. The reason that there are not as many “old ones” is because of all the electronics and things are making them sick. The older the fae the less resistant they are to things like the bustling city of London. It can actually make them crazy and then they have to be taken care of. The Fae also has a deal to protect the royal line of England that dates back to King Arthur. Even though the Fae are protecting the kings and queens, the humans are not aware of their presence.

This story is about Emrys and Prince Richard. Emrys has just been reassigned to rejoin the faery guard that protects the Royals. She is one of the more powerful fae, even though she is not as old as some. Prince Richard is a bad boy trying to find an out of his duties that come upon him more quickly than he expects. Using his drinking as an escape is not going to work the way it was before.

I loved Emrys. She’s kind of a no nonsense bad ass chic. I like when the female lead is a strong character that can fight off and take out the enemy. She wields magic like a warrior wields a sword. Even though there is some insta love with her Richard they explain the reasoning for that later on. Besides that even when Emrys says she has feelings for Richard she also admits to not being ready to commit to the idea of giving up her immortality and powers to be with him.

I really liked Ryan’s writing style in the book. It had that darker edge that I love to be incorporated into my Fae/London stories. I know I’m describing that weird. The story had a nice flow but for some reason I felt it get a little sluggish in the middle. I’m not sure why because I was still enjoying the story but it can felt like there needed to be a little more action to move events along. Something was missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. There was a lot more focus on the romance then I think you sometimes see but this is having to put all the romance into one book instead of three. I was fine with the heavy romance and enjoyed it. I liked the parts where Emrys would go off on her own to investigate too. I wouldn’t have minded seeing that happen a little more and have her follow maybe a longer trail.

I really loved how this book was actually modern but also had a historical fiction feel to it. The blending of the worlds was done so seamlessly in my opinion. If you think about how many traditions that the royals still follow it makes perfect sense. I really loved the setting and the descriptions of the different places. Just going through the city or being on the subway. Emrys explaining how things have gotten so far from nature and that’s why the fae have a hard time thriving in the newer world.

Even though I admit that there was a little bit of lag at one point in the book I really liked it. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I liked being submerged in the world of the Fae/Royals. I think if like Fae stories you will enjoy this book.