Faire Eve by Catherine Stovall

By: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Today I'd like to welcome Catherine Stovall and her recently published YA fantasy Faire Eve to Pure Jonel.

Title:  Faire Eve

Author:  Catherine Stovall

Published:  May 31/13 by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing

Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★

Book Blurb:

Under the watchful eye of her over protective mother, Eve grew up in a world without magic and fancy. She never cared about riding a unicorn, dancing at balls or being a princess. Now, all the things she never desired are hers and every other girl's dream is her nightmare"

The Sidhe ruled over fairy magic from the twilight city, Trig Na nOg, until a beast cast a dark spell to send them into a death-like sleep. In an attempt to reap revenge on the fairy people, Tiritchiq hunts Eve and her entourage as they campaign to place the halfling princess on the throne.

In order to save the world of Evalon and a family she has never known, Eve travels through dimensions, crosses dangerous landscapes, and learns to accept the Sidhe blood within. With the moody and handsome Daione Warrior Eldon by her side, she must embrace the darkness inside of her and face down a powerful foe.

Excerpt:

No one spoke and Eldon seemed hyper-alert. The sound came as a low rumble, as if somewhere in the distance, a train hurtled towards them on worn tracks. Quickly, it grew louder and the temperature dropped in a sudden plunge. As peril filled the air around them, the Ki’Lin broke into a run. Faster than the wind itself, they plummeted toward the boulders.

Eve screamed with the sudden burst of speed. She locked her legs tight to Bai’s sides and gripped his mane fiercely to try to stay abreast. The stallion made no protest but Eve felt guilty about her own brutality but not guilty enough to slacken her hold and risk taking a fall. Eve focused on the boulders, hoping they reached whatever safe haven lay within them. She did not know if it was merely a safe place or another gate, but she knew they must make it in order to escape the darkness.

Eve leaned low over Bai’s strong neck. Her face nearly touched her hands as she fought to keep herself out of the chilling wind. She turned her head to the side to prevent his mane from assaulting her eyes and nose. Eldon sat high on Heian’s back with his silver blade drawn. His hair blew back in the wind and his face wore a mask of bravery. Eve felt safer knowing he would defend her. He was a Daione Warrior, and his duty was to the queen.

Eldon shouted, “When we reach the passage, do not slow. Hit it full force.”

Eve tensed. She knew they must be nearing their destination but the roaring drowned out the sound of the unicorns. She couldn’t help wanting to rise up and witness what happened when they crossed the spot in the road. Even as frightened as she was, she expected it to be nothing more than miraculous. As she started to rise, she saw the eyes.

To the right of the road, a forest stood. It did not seem special, an area full of tall trees. Deep within the darkest shadows, Eve saw two glowing blue eyes, much bigger than any animal in her world. When she looked into them, it felt as if a hand of ice reached in and covered her heart. She trembled violently and when she opened her mouth to scream, her voice froze in her chest. Almost at the same moment, the group slammed through the passage.

A dizzying and blinding change instantly overcame her. Eve, Bai, Eldon, and Heian were the first ones through. The passage led them from an empty countryside into the heart of a bustling village. Anyone who traveled the way often would know to do so slowly but the group had no choice but to charge through at full speed in order to escape the demon in the woods.

Bai and Heian reared up, front hooves filleting the sky above the cowering pedestrians. Those who were lucky enough to be safely out of harm’s way seemed too stunned by the presence of Ki’Lin to be afraid for their fellow townspeople. Some shouted angry screams, while others emitted gasps of awe. The rest of Eve’s escorts barreled through the gate and skidded to a halt but not soon enough to keep from colliding painfully with each other.

Eve’s grip faltered and she fell. No strong arms were there to catch her. She and Eldon were separated during the chaos. She slammed down hard onto the cobblestone street and cried out in pain. Stamping hooves pounded all around her and she choked on the cloud of dust they brought with them through the pass. Curling herself in a protective ball and covering her head with her hands, Eve screamed for Eldon.

My Review:

This is a unique story. Stovall creates a cast of phenomenal characters and creatures. She melds together the modern world and the fantasy world. She borrows parts from others and creates many new creatures and even more new situations. She takes the ‘known’ commodities of the fantasy world and gives them a twist. All the while, this story remains completely and truly fae.

In this novel the world of the Sidhe is a unique mix of fantasy and modernity. It’s the best of both worlds. Stovall twists and turns with the plot in her story, all the while painting a brilliant picture for her readers to wander through. Not only were Stovall’s descriptions extremely vivid (which made this world pop right off of the page), but her storyline was also very solid. Everything progressed towards a given ending, with just enough twists and turns along the way to keep things interesting. I appreciated the fact that light was not necessarily good, nor was dark necessarily evil, but rather that it was the balance and the decisions that an individual made that shifted the tide.

The characters in this novel were quite remarkable. Each was individually and fully developed. I appreciated that Stovall spent more time developing the main characters, but that we also got to know the supporting cast as if they were individuals that we’d met in real life. Not only were the individual characters well laid out, but so were the different fae creatures. By the end of the story you knew a great deal about each of the species and races that you encountered along the way. It made for an exciting and informative ride.

This is a story about more than just fairie circles. It’s a story about magic. It’s a story about believing. About believing in more than just what you can see. It’s about believing in the world around you. It’s about believing in yourself.

Buy your copy online here today!

About the Author:

Catherine Stovall is the author of Faire Eve, The Requiem of Humanity Series, Fearful Day, Sweet Sally Slasher, and Bloody Freedom. Stovall is a member of the International Thriller Writers and the creator of International Bug Your Library Day, an operation to spread awareness for Indie and Small Press Authors.