“My madness recognizes yours; just like my essence recognizes yours. As individuals, we're semi-whole. Only together do we feel finally fulfilled. I know you've felt it before.” ~ Amon
In my recent search for more gothic fantasies, I discovered a surprising number of them but this one: Fairydale by Veronica Lancet caught my eye.
Two things stand out for me — the title of the book and the author. This is my first time reading this author and what intrigues me more was the title. My brain keeps reading it as Fairytale until I look closer and realise the ‘t’ was replaced with a ‘d’. Now, that's attention grabbing.
Series: Standalone
Genres: Adult, Gothic, Dark, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 772
Brief Synopsis Of The Book.
This fascinating gothic fantasy with tropes of fated mates, forbidden love and haunting paranormal elements starts with the female lead character, Darcy O’Sullivan. She's an orphaned teacher in Boston who receives a letter from a solicitor about her father's passing and his will.
The condition of the will states that she must attend the funeral in Fairydale, a small town in Massachusetts, and reside there for two months after which she gets her father's house and one million dollars.
When Darcy arrives at Fairydale, things begin to spiral out of control. First, she loses her luggage at the station and on arriving at the Fairydale, a heavy rain falls, getting everyone wet except her. She gets a note with a warning not to trust anyone. She seems to be in danger. Torn and unsure of whom to trust, she runs into her distant cousin, Caleb. From here, the dive into her mysterious past begins. Who is after her and why are they so desperate to end her life?
My Review And Rating
Fairydale is one of the best books I've read recently. It's original and creative, in my opinion. I wasn't prepared to fall in love with this author's writing and fantasy world. She entertains her readers with a gripping (yet devastating) love story that spans over centuries. It's a fated mates trope and I'll say this one is very well written. The pace is good and the plot pulls you in from the beginning to the end. I love the blend of magic, witchcraft and demons into the story.
Among the lives the lead characters led, I'm rooting for Amon and Sela. They started their romantic journey together but getting separated over the centuries and living different lives changed their personas on some levels. By the end of the book, the author brings Amon and Sela back together and it feels like a breath of cool air — a return to their original selves though in a modern world.
This book explores some themes and race stands out. Amon is a rare fantasy creature (Reva) and so is his fated mate, Sela. As such, they struggle and fight to be accepted in every timeline. Their love story shatters me and even more, the trials they face are heartbreaking, a depiction of the way we humans often hurt ourselves for ridiculous or uninteresting reasons.
I'll admit the structure of the story almost threw me off a quarter of the way in. We are dealing with lead characters who have always found each other in every time life. The author starts with the present life of Darcy while interlacing clues and intermittent flashbacks of past lives that readers are not yet aware of at that stage in the story. I see this might create a bit of confusion for some readers who have focus issues.
By the second half of the book, everything begins to snap in place as the past merges with the present and it all makes so much sense. There's less gothic horror and more on the lead characters’ relationship and romance. I don't think the author could have structured this story and the timelines any better than she did.
I'll say the depth, setting, worldbuilding and emotional intensity are strong and brilliant. It's like looking at pieces of puzzles of different sizes and shapes coming together to form a fascinating image that you'd never want to get out of your mind. I'll still be thinking about this book and the characters long after today.
Rating this book, I will give it a full 5 stars! I don't see Fairydale as a book but a beautiful experience worth reminiscing over again. It's on the list of my favourite books and I'll certainly reread it at some point.
I'd recommend this book to gothic fantasy fans but note that this is not the type of book you skim or rush. There are many layers to the story that once you skim a part or scene, you'll get confused along the way. The plot and characters are intricately woven over three timelines and every page is an important piece in the whole story.
If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts on it.
All images above are from my E-library
Header images compiled in Canva.
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