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, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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.
