The King of Faerie
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- Create Date：2021-07-26 04:18:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：A.J. Lancaster
- ISBN：B08GB36HDM
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
M
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Wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the series！Sometimes， I put off reading the end of a series。 Not only because I don't want it to be over， but the final book tends to be more serious and have very different tone and pacing from the rest of the series。 I thought this ending was a great balance of the epic finale moments that wrapped up the main storyline and the quieter side plots and domestic details that were so charming in the beginning of the series。 The remaining mysteries are resolved Wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the series！Sometimes， I put off reading the end of a series。 Not only because I don't want it to be over， but the final book tends to be more serious and have very different tone and pacing from the rest of the series。 I thought this ending was a great balance of the epic finale moments that wrapped up the main storyline and the quieter side plots and domestic details that were so charming in the beginning of the series。 The remaining mysteries are resolved - at least， the ones that would bug you if this was the last book set in this world。 There are a couple small things I'm still curious about， and I suspect they'll be given more time in the spin-off book that's been announced。 Overall， this book gives Hetta and Wyn the ending they deserve， while making the world feel like it's still worth exploring from a different perspective。If you like to wait until a series is finished before starting it， read these books now！ This is by far the best series I've read in a while， especially of self-published books。 Hetta is a relatable protagonist who could be someone you know， and Wyn is a much more believable version of the self-sacrificing， sensitive， warrior elf/fae type that's popular now。 Hetta and Wyn are， first and foremost， friends who've known each other for years， which makes their relationship natural and makes it so the storyline doesn't get consumed trying to justify how these two are together。 The supporting characters， especially Hetta's and Wyn's families， aren't just thrown in as plot devices and filler。 They're fully fleshed out characters who add a lot to the charm and coziness of the story， in between all the fantasy action。 I'm looking forward to reading more about Marius in the new book！I received a copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elizabeth Hail
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The Stariel series was a surprise favorites and The King of Faerie is a great ending。 AJ Lancaster outdid himself with the ending that ties the three books tie together nicely The world created in the Stariel series still has so much to see and discover I am glad the author has decided to wrap up Marius's story with a stand alone book。 The Stariel series was a surprise favorites and The King of Faerie is a great ending。 AJ Lancaster outdid himself with the ending that ties the three books tie together nicely The world created in the Stariel series still has so much to see and discover I am glad the author has decided to wrap up Marius's story with a stand alone book。 。。。more
Rae Else
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This has been without a doubt one of my fave reads of the year， and now is one of my fave series of all time！ I was so happy to get an ARC to read and review of this。 It is truly such a unique series with its relationships between the characters and the faelands。 The fourth and final book does not disappoint， and proves to be the culmination of everything that Wyn and Hetta have been working towards in their battle to be together。 I loved the deeper look into faerie and finally meeting the High This has been without a doubt one of my fave reads of the year， and now is one of my fave series of all time！ I was so happy to get an ARC to read and review of this。 It is truly such a unique series with its relationships between the characters and the faelands。 The fourth and final book does not disappoint， and proves to be the culmination of everything that Wyn and Hetta have been working towards in their battle to be together。 I loved the deeper look into faerie and finally meeting the High King （no spoilers！） I adored the other characters too， and definitely felt as if Marius and Rakken almost hogged the limelight， in a good way， and am so excited for them to get their own spin-off story！If you're looking for a truly unique fae story try out Stariel。 。。。more
Kelsey
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The rural Gaslamp Fantasy we love with way more cool， mythical creatures！Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review。A。J。 Lancaster’s The King of Faerie exceeded my （very high） expectations。 The plot is fantastic。 The characters are fantastical。 Hetta and Wyn race against the clock to right ThousandSpire， maintain peace in the mortal realm following the lifting of the Iron Law， and keep their family safe， all while dealing with a cryptic High King and stuffy The rural Gaslamp Fantasy we love with way more cool， mythical creatures！Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review。A。J。 Lancaster’s The King of Faerie exceeded my （very high） expectations。 The plot is fantastic。 The characters are fantastical。 Hetta and Wyn race against the clock to right ThousandSpire， maintain peace in the mortal realm following the lifting of the Iron Law， and keep their family safe， all while dealing with a cryptic High King and stuffy mortal lords。Lancaster had a difficult task when writing this book with so much ground to cover and three books worth of loose ends to tie up。 This resulted in a longer book （a win for the reader！） and an amazingly intricate plot。 The book starts off at a moderate pace and speeds up as time runs out and the stakes get higher。 Hetta is put to the test as every decision she makes affects Stariel， Faerie， and her family。 I loved watching her dive deeper into Fae politics and her own magic。 As the book goes on， Wyn deals with his own shifting powers and increasingly relevant family， much to his annoyance and my enjoyment。 Even more exciting to me is the increasing tension between Marius and Rakken！ Lancaster also gives us more time with Jack and Irokoi， two of the most interesting family members in my opinion。It is worth mentioning Lancaster’s use of the somewhat controversial surprise pregnancy trope （book three’s cliffhanger）。 I have always been a fan of it when done well， and Lancaster did it extremely well。 Hetta doesn’t turn into a character with only one thing on her mind; she remains a risk-taker whose ultimate goal is the good of Stariel。 The pregnancy adds a new dimension to Hetta and Wyn’s relationship along with some more pressure to move the plot along。 Lancaster even uses it to expand on the universe’s magic system。I literally could not put this book down and read it in one 7-hour-long sitting！ It should be noted that I have been in somewhat of a reading slump and The King of Faerie pulled me right out of it。 It is a five-star read and I am sooooo excited for the spin-off novel Lancaster is writing。 This was an incredible end to the quartet！Bonus: we have expanded from sheep to DRAGONS 。。。more
Tiffany Magnolia
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Jeanette Winterson famously said that “the world of the book is a total world and in a total world we fall in love。” Such a sentiment is the perfect way to describe the world that AJ Lancaster has created in her Stariel series， of which the 4th installment， The King of Faerie， will be released on July 25th。 This is a world close enough to our own to tug at our recognition （women almost seen as equal， but not quite， double standards for urban sophistication and rural knowledge， as just two such e Jeanette Winterson famously said that “the world of the book is a total world and in a total world we fall in love。” Such a sentiment is the perfect way to describe the world that AJ Lancaster has created in her Stariel series， of which the 4th installment， The King of Faerie， will be released on July 25th。 This is a world close enough to our own to tug at our recognition （women almost seen as equal， but not quite， double standards for urban sophistication and rural knowledge， as just two such examples） but fantastic enough to stir our imaginations （magic fueling the boiler， for instance）。 In books 1-3 （The Lord of Stariel， The Prince of Secrets， and The Court of Mortals）， Lancaster has established the relationship between the realms of Mortal and Faerie and how magic connects the two and revealed the presence of the Fae in the realm of Mortal， in the person of Hallowyn Tempestren， prince of Ten Thousand Spires and Hetta Valstar’s true love。 As readers， we have been drawn in to both their relationship as well as their exploration of roles in Mortal and Faerie， and how their magic compliments each other。 This all takes place in Mortal， though， and this is where King departs。 In The King of Faerie， the reader finally journeys to the dreamlike realm of Faerie through a scene reminiscent of Alice’s rabbit hole。 Dreamlike and terrifying， powerful and intuitive， Faerie becomes its own character in this installment。 The King of Faerie’s shape shifting， gender bending qualities are finally explained （no spoilers in this review）， and the source of Hetta’s and Stariel’s magic is explored。 This world is rendered in painterly language that sets the reader’s imaginations turning （a library surrounded by an ocean， but which isn’t underwater） to the limitations of physics and the ways that magic can ignore or maybe expand such limitations。 What makes this 4th installment so complete， though， isn’t the plot points it clarifies from the cliffhangers of the previous installments or even the surreal settings。 Instead， what makes it a fitting culmination for the series （Lancaster has said that there will be spinoffs， but that this is the final installment） is that each of the characters comes to some form of self-knowledge of their place in the world， a type of personal epiphany of their own rightness in Mortal as Fae or Fae descended。 Hetta’s willingness to accept all the power that Stariel can provide is handled with the sensitivity that all mothers feel when they try and separate out the sacrifices inherent in either losing themselves to their role or forcing their own needs before their child’s。 Wyn’s choice to remain in mortal was the worry at the end of Court， and his peace with this decision is rendered in a nuanced and intricate scene where the reader is left not with the romantic version of “I will leave everything for you， Hetta，” but rather the much more realistic， “We all make sacrifices for those we love， and we live with those sacrifices daily。” Both Hetta and Wynn conclude this 4th installment as fully realized characters who struggle like we all do， who find love and companionship amidst the same choices and compromises we all do， and who happen to have magic and Fae as a complication along the way。 At it’s heart， the Stariel series is a fantastic exploration of the “outsider，” which offers those of us who have never “fit the mold” the opportunity to see our place as both powerful and magical。 And what reader doesn’t want to see in Hetta and Wyn’s love story and the shenanigans （Lancaster’s word） that play out along the way， a roadmap for the best sort of relationship， the kind that is self-determined rather than socially determined， and one to last throughout the ages。 。。。more
Béatrice
，
A great series！ Like many readers， I was impatiently waiting for Stariel Quartet last volume， and I was very lucky to receive an ARC， thanks to AJ Lancaster。 I read （once again， these are favourites！） The Lord of Stariel， and The Prince of Secrets， and The Court of Mortals （beautiful books， with great covers）， before I began The King of Faerie， and I took a great delight in the high quality writing， throughout the whole four volumes。 The last volume is a long one， but I found it very hard to put A great series！ Like many readers， I was impatiently waiting for Stariel Quartet last volume， and I was very lucky to receive an ARC， thanks to AJ Lancaster。 I read （once again， these are favourites！） The Lord of Stariel， and The Prince of Secrets， and The Court of Mortals （beautiful books， with great covers）， before I began The King of Faerie， and I took a great delight in the high quality writing， throughout the whole four volumes。 The last volume is a long one， but I found it very hard to put down once I began it， and I spent two quite late nights reading in bed。 I really liked the enthralling story， the great creativity， main as well as minor characters’ very rewarding evolution （and don’t forget Stariel）， the always there delightful sense of humour， and a quite fulfilling end， with a extremely satisfying wrapping up of Hetta and Wyn’s story。 I am waiting now for my trade paperback edition。 A great series！What more could any reader want？ Another Stariel story？ But “Marius Valstar is getting a book！” was last AJ Lancaster’s announcement in her blog。 Great news！La série Stariel est une de mes préférées， une que je relis régulièrement， avec un plaisir toujours renouvelé。 J’attendais avec beaucoup d’impatience la sortie du dernier tome， The King of Faerie， et j’ai eu l’immense plaisir de recevoir une ARC de la part de l’auteur （merci encore ！）。 Pour mieux apprécier encore ce dernier volume de la série， j’avais décidé de relire à la suite les trois premiers tomes （The Lord of Stariel， The Prince of Secrets， The Court of Mortals） avant d’aborder The King of Faerie。 Quels beaux livres， aux couvertures si bien choisies dans leur unité comme dans leurs différences ！ Cette relecture suivie m’a permis d’apprécier davantage encore la qualité de l’écriture， constante d’un bout à l’autre de la série。 The King of Faerie est plus long （environ 150 pages de plus que le tome 3）， mais j’ai eu beaucoup de mal à abandonner ma liseuse， et j’ai passé deux nuits fort courtes， toute à ma lecture， sans pouvoir m’éloigner d’Hetta et de Wyn。L’intrigue， toujours aussi passionnante， m’a enthousiasmée， tout comme l’imaginaire foisonnant de l’auteure， l’évolution si satisfaisante des personnages， principaux et secondaires （sans oublier Stariel， un quasi-personnage）， l’humour toujours aussi présent， et la délicatesse avec laquelle certaines situations sont évoquées。 Enfin， j’ai particulièrement apprécié la résolution finale， profondément satisfaisante。 J’ai hâte à présent de tenir en main la version papier。 Quelle belle série， à recommander tout particulièrement ！Que pourrait demander de plus un amateur de belles histoires ？ Une autre incursion dans Stariel ？ Mais « Marius Valstar va lui aussi avoir son roman ！ » vient d’annoncer tout dernièrement AJ Lancaster dans son blog。 Quelle bonne nouvelle ！ 。。。more
Nicola
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The King of Faerie is the fourth and final instalment of the Stariel series and potentially my favourite so far。From the last book we know that ThousandSpire （Wyn’s old fae court） is without a king or queen and his sister has died trying to put it in statis until a ruler can be found。 In addition Wyn and Hetta are secretly pregnant and also trying to get married but need approval from both the King of Faerie and mortal queen， which is a tricky task to say the least。Unlike most fantasy novels the The King of Faerie is the fourth and final instalment of the Stariel series and potentially my favourite so far。From the last book we know that ThousandSpire （Wyn’s old fae court） is without a king or queen and his sister has died trying to put it in statis until a ruler can be found。 In addition Wyn and Hetta are secretly pregnant and also trying to get married but need approval from both the King of Faerie and mortal queen， which is a tricky task to say the least。Unlike most fantasy novels the setting for this book is on a small piece a fae land in a mortal world。 This means that whilst many of the characters are mortal and ‘normal’ the lead protagonists are fae or have magic elements。 I really like the mix of mortals with magic and the fae and the way this is perceived in the mortal world。For me， this novel cemented my love for Hetta as a strong female in a male dominated world。 There is a strong sense of what society deems as appropriate and at almost every turn Hetta is trying to break down these stereotypes。 The love between Hetta and Wyn jumps off the page and yet is not over the top or in your face; it just feels real。 This book also shows how the characters in the series have developed throughout the duration of the novels and the changing of opinions amongst them。 There is some really good character development across all four books。Although it is the final book in the series and some questions were answered （in very Fae and confusing fantasy ways at times） it also reintroduced some characters from other books and brought up more questions or implied certain feelings or outcomes。 Although that can sometimes be frustrating I like that the book isn’t perfectly tied up and you are left to sort of make your own decisions or assumptions about characters of scenarios。I really enjoyed that Wyn’s siblings also feature in this book and the sexual frustration between Marius and Rakken was explosive。 It was also incredibly frustrating as that’s a subplot and it sort of gets sidelined to focus on the action of the main characters。 Luckily， Lancaster has said there will be a spin off book exploring these two。 Hallelujah！ That was one big old question mark I couldn’t have got over otherwise’I would recommend this book as a great finish to a fantasy quartet and give it 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Hélène Louise
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I discovered this series a few years ago， via Netgalley， and it was a huge « coup de cœur » as we say in French （I never found any translation in English; a read that one have loved and which intimately touched their heart 3>）。 I thank the author for her trust， as she has since send me an ARC of each sequel， as this fourth and last installment of the series！As usual， I treated myself with a rereading of the first books before beginning « The king of faerie »， but it won’t be necessary if you don I discovered this series a few years ago， via Netgalley， and it was a huge « coup de cœur » as we say in French （I never found any translation in English; a read that one have loved and which intimately touched their heart 3>）。 I thank the author for her trust， as she has since send me an ARC of each sequel， as this fourth and last installment of the series！As usual， I treated myself with a rereading of the first books before beginning « The king of faerie »， but it won’t be necessary if you don’t feel like it: the author takes pains to re introduce， lightly and neatly， all the facts the reader should know about。If you’re looking after a short review of the book， you may be assured that if you loved the first books you’ll very probably be enthusiastic about this one， which does beautifully its job as a sequel and also as the ending of the series。 The only frustration you may have would be about wanting to read more about many secondary characters， especially Marius – but be reassured， the author is currently writing a spin-off about him！I really loved the generosity of this book: adventures， mysteries’ revelations， characters development and the pleasure of meeting again many characters， while getting to know some others。 I loved how the author have found an elegant solution for each difficulty she sowed along the series， and how she dealt with the prolongation of the love story， which is always tricky。 One of her strong points， for the reader I am， is to never give in to easy options， to stereotypes。 The characters’ feelings are never caricatural， but realistically in half-hearted tones。 For instance Hetty doesn’t hate her treacherous neighbour; she finds rather difficult to overlay the new features of Win; her new responsibilities are not this easy to manage， even if she’s clearly up to them。 Behind the entertaining and fascinating story there always are considerations about how a real person would think and behave in such situations， which gave the whole a sense of truthfulness， instead of being just another story following the usual ways of literary tropes。A wonderful series in which I’ll be happy to dive again， for any spin off and for many rereadings！ 。。。more
Mariana Hristova
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Nothing short of amazing。I knew it would be tense but I had no idea how much！ Hetta， Wyn and their new challenges were great and heartbreaking to it。 I was rather surprised （and pleased） to see that Wyn's old world does hold a grip of his heart， to some extent。 I thought it was rather sad that he could only hate or at least dislike everything about it， save for his mother and SOME of his siblings。Speaking of siblings。。。 they were an interesting bunch， for sure！ Irokoi， with his constant surprise Nothing short of amazing。I knew it would be tense but I had no idea how much！ Hetta， Wyn and their new challenges were great and heartbreaking to it。 I was rather surprised （and pleased） to see that Wyn's old world does hold a grip of his heart， to some extent。 I thought it was rather sad that he could only hate or at least dislike everything about it， save for his mother and SOME of his siblings。Speaking of siblings。。。 they were an interesting bunch， for sure！ Irokoi， with his constant surprises， Cat who is a force unto her own。。。 And the great surprise， of course。 Wyn has certainly foisted an interesting family on Hetta！But the game of politics in the mortal world are no less fascinatiing。 I found myself admiring Queen Matilda and being intrigued by a certain earl - I sure hope we get to see him in March 2022！Marius' story was very interesting but incomplete to me。 I'm beyond thrilled that he's getting a book of his own - I do hope the Prince of Plants （hehe， I couldn't resist， given their plot in Book 4） is the one I think he is！ I am drawn to him as well。 He isn't as unfeeling as he wants to project。 AND I want to know why the Crown Prince of DuskRose died。 It isn't fair to be left with a cliffhanger！I do hope we see more of the secondary characters from both faelands and Stariel through Marius' eyes。 They are deserving of making more appearances。All in all， a wonderful book。 。。。more
A。 _____
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— 15 July 2021 — So wonderful， comforting and fun！ Reading Stariel always feels like coming home ♥️Full RTC。— 23 July 2021 — [Review for the series as a whole。 Some spoilers for books 1 & 2]I absolutely， unequivocally love this series。 Stariel is so much fun， it is sweet and delightful， chock full of charm and a wry sense of humour。 The series has so many elements of my favourite comfort reads: fantasy， romance， a unique magic system， the whole vibe of a 19th century （ish） historical （ish）， stro — 15 July 2021 — So wonderful， comforting and fun！ Reading Stariel always feels like coming home ♥️Full RTC。— 23 July 2021 — [Review for the series as a whole。 Some spoilers for books 1 & 2]I absolutely， unequivocally love this series。 Stariel is so much fun， it is sweet and delightful， chock full of charm and a wry sense of humour。 The series has so many elements of my favourite comfort reads: fantasy， romance， a unique magic system， the whole vibe of a 19th century （ish） historical （ish）， strong female characters， sweet male characters， found family AND fun sibling relationships （multiple sets！）， all that， and happy endings 🙂 I like almost every character in the series。 （The ones I’m meant to like anyway。） Stariel has a large cast of characters， many of whom show up in all four books， and all of whom feel like individuals， none of whom are cliches。 Hetta， our hero， is magnificent。 She is a proper Strong Female Character ™ with agency and a no-nonsense attitude， strong， feminine and （even through her insecurities） she is self-assured in the most wonderful way。 Wyn is…adorable and charming and most of the time his internal monologue makes me want to hug him。 He’s soft， gentle and Hetta and Wyn are a great foil for each other。 The focus of Book 4 is Wyn’s personal and familial struggles， and we see both Hetta and Wyn coming into their power and an acceptance of it。 They’re supportive of each other， and thanks to Hetta they don’t have hundreds of pages of not discussing their issues and communicating。 This is a couple I can well believe will stay together a lifetime， growing and changing， and supporting each other as they do。 This is who Hetta is: she’s tired， worried， stressed， but her instinct is to dwell on how to fix things。 I love this interaction between the two 🙂 She shook her head。 “[…] This isn’t your fault， Wyn， and you fretting over it isn’t going to solve anything。”“Are you not worried？” She sighed against him。 “Of course I am， but I’d rather not dwell on it right now。 I’d rather dwell on how we’re going to fix it。” And wthen there’s Wyn， gently charming all of the time。 So adorable！He smiled at the Valstars， and despite their astonishment， several smiled back。 Wyn had a singularly charming smile。 ♥️Marius and Rakken have a big role to play in the last two books， and their interactions （with each other and with their sibilings） are So。 Much。 Fun！ We get to know Marius through the series， and I am thrilled that he’s going to get his own book。 Poor Marius definitely deserves it！ Rakken is fantastic， I love where his character arc is going， the more we see of his true self， the more I like him。 Also， there’s this: She’d grown resigned to the fact that Rakken oozed sensuality in the same way pigs couldn’t help their stench。 It was simply a mildly irritating fact of life， or possibly a character defect。 Like Hetta， I am also quite resigned to the fact that Rakken is sexy af 😉 Having said all this， my favourite thing about the series is Stariel itself。 I love the world and the worldbuilding — this combination of Victorian-steampunk-but-fae-and-truly-unique is something I didn’t even know I needed， and now I can’t get enough of it。 Throw in an overenthusiastic， overprotective sentient land （which， in my heads， is basically a husky pup who constantly wants to be pet） is so fucking adorable！ And， we finally get to spend some proper time in Faerie！ These books are not low on plot or action， but they’re not fast paced。 We get a lot of dialogue， internal dialogue， worldbuilding， politics （both mortal and faerie） and strategising （both political and familial）。 We are in Wyn’s PoV as we understand him and watch him learn to understand and accept himself。 We follow Hetta as she learns to communicate with Stariel and land agents， while occasionally railing against the patriarchy。 We find ourselves in so many different PoV’s without being overwhelmed—fae， mortal， aristocrats and farmers。 AJ Lancaster doesn’t resort to cliches to take the easy way out。 Things are not what you expect， and characters are not （for the most part） black and white。 She shows you enough for you to empathise with heroes and would-be villains; and to cheer them on as they change and grow through the seriesThere is a lot going on， and it’s never boring。 But this is not the series to read if you’re expecting fast paced action and adventure。 This is a series to sink into and savour， to revel in， and to read for joy。 The King of Faerie is a joyful conclusion to the series。 This is not a series you read for angst， this is a series whose flavour is sweet and a bit tart， without any hint of bitterness。 It’s a big book， almost twice as long as Book 1。 Book 1 had lots of plot threads that seemed to go nowhere， and it felt longer than it was。 There is no such problem with Book 4。 There was a lot of Rakken and Marius setup in this book， so it wasn’t perhaps as focused as books 2&3， but I am definitely not complaining。 If AJ Lancaster wants to send a few thousand pages of Stariel my way， I will happily take it and count my blessings。[I received an ARC， but that has no bearing on my review。] 。。。more
K
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A great ending to a great series。 Everything was wonderfully wrapped up with a shiny bow on top。 There was still so much to unravel and figure out the mystery of， that I'm glad the author took the time to make this one longer than the rest。 We needed that。 And even so， I want more！ In a good way！ I'm so grateful there will be a story for Marius！ I definitely need more there。 I'm so excited！ A great ending to a great series。 Everything was wonderfully wrapped up with a shiny bow on top。 There was still so much to unravel and figure out the mystery of， that I'm glad the author took the time to make this one longer than the rest。 We needed that。 And even so， I want more！ In a good way！ I'm so grateful there will be a story for Marius！ I definitely need more there。 I'm so excited！ 。。。more
Kathryn
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I loved this end to Hetta and Wyn’s story， even though， as with any series， I was a little sad to see it come to a close！ （Learning I won an ARC copy was honestly one of the most exciting moments。）There is a lot - and I do mean a LOT - happening in this story。 More than once I found myself wondering how Wyn and Hetta were possibly going to juggle all their ongoing responsibilities and plot points…and there were definitely some I wish we’d had more time with （what really happened with N and E？ An I loved this end to Hetta and Wyn’s story， even though， as with any series， I was a little sad to see it come to a close！ （Learning I won an ARC copy was honestly one of the most exciting moments。）There is a lot - and I do mean a LOT - happening in this story。 More than once I found myself wondering how Wyn and Hetta were possibly going to juggle all their ongoing responsibilities and plot points…and there were definitely some I wish we’d had more time with （what really happened with N and E？ And oh man， what about the bank loan？？） even though all the important bits got resolved。 （I suspect several of the lingering issues will be addressed in Marius’ book， which I am SO excited about。）Brilliant （and often hilarious） dialogue， a delightful expansion into the faerie side of things， all of the best Rakken snark， some excellent new characters， some deeply unexpected twists…honestly， if you’ve loved the series as much as I have， you will not be disappointed！ 。。。more
Cari
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My only complaint - that I couldn’t stop reading。I was awake until 3:00am reading this book and I regret nothing！ So much happens in it: repercussions and family revelations， unexpected （though not unwanted） obstacles and challenging social mores; the path before Hetta and Wyn is certainly not a smooth one。 And I am happy to say that with so many wonderful and dynamic characters， theirs is not the only story being told。 Marius features quite a bit in this book。 He has always been one of my favor My only complaint - that I couldn’t stop reading。I was awake until 3:00am reading this book and I regret nothing！ So much happens in it: repercussions and family revelations， unexpected （though not unwanted） obstacles and challenging social mores; the path before Hetta and Wyn is certainly not a smooth one。 And I am happy to say that with so many wonderful and dynamic characters， theirs is not the only story being told。 Marius features quite a bit in this book。 He has always been one of my favorites and has only grown more so。 Another is Stariel itself， and though Hetta we come to know it even better。 Also， there is no lack of curious and beautiful creatures to found in the form of the lesser and wyldfae。 The mixture of the mundane and the fantastical is another aspect I greatly enjoy this world which is in its own way very real， and its people are in turns frustrating and endearing， with multifaceted personalities of their own。 Simply put， I love the way these books are written。Sadly， when I started this book， I realized that I have been completely remiss in writing reviews for this series， which is something I plan to rectify。 It is an immensely enjoyable series and King of Faerie brings a very satisfying end to Hetta and Wyn’s story， though thankfully not to the series as a whole as I was extremely glad to learn in the author’s ending notes。 I did receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 Though to be fair， I had already preordered it beforehand。 。。。more
Carro
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Edwardian-ish magic fantasy with a hint of romance - well， initially more attraction - that one plays out over several books。 Several sorts of magic in the story。 There are some non-human characters and otherworld creatures。Really well written。 Some clever world building - especially the estate of Stariel。 Characters who get on and fix things - both primary and secondary。 Even bit parts like a couple of the maids have definite characters to them and opinions。 Fun world to explore。 Have read all Edwardian-ish magic fantasy with a hint of romance - well， initially more attraction - that one plays out over several books。 Several sorts of magic in the story。 There are some non-human characters and otherworld creatures。Really well written。 Some clever world building - especially the estate of Stariel。 Characters who get on and fix things - both primary and secondary。 Even bit parts like a couple of the maids have definite characters to them and opinions。 Fun world to explore。 Have read all four that are currently in print - July 2021 -one after the other and am now waiting for the fifth。 Good plot twists that are in keeping with the world building and story。 。。。more
Claire
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The King of Faerie is a successful and accomplished conclusion to the Stariel Quartet and I devoured it。 I highly recommend it， but don’t start here as the books do not really stand alone。 NB: I received an ARC in return for a review but this hasn't influenced my enjoyment of the book。Stariel is a grand estate situated in the very North of an alternative Britain。 The world has a 1930’s feel， at least to me， with recognisable technology - steam trains， the introduction of elektricity and kinetica The King of Faerie is a successful and accomplished conclusion to the Stariel Quartet and I devoured it。 I highly recommend it， but don’t start here as the books do not really stand alone。 NB: I received an ARC in return for a review but this hasn't influenced my enjoyment of the book。Stariel is a grand estate situated in the very North of an alternative Britain。 The world has a 1930’s feel， at least to me， with recognisable technology - steam trains， the introduction of elektricity and kineticars - the beginnings of women’s lib but old-fashioned traditions and customs， but in addition the reality of magic and the （long concealed） presence of the Fae。In Lord of Stariel we were introduced to Hetta， the independent scion of a grand， if impoverished， family， who is reluctantly drawn back to her family home after the death of her father。 Hetta’s family are like a Mitford or Waugh novel， racketing around in a down at heels stately home， and are both delightful and infuriating in turn。 Wyn， the family’s steward who grew up with Hetta， is revealed to be one of the Fae who are now increasingly able to travel between Faerie and the mortal lands after the Iron Law was revoked。 Prince of Secrets deals with Hetta and Wyn coming to terms with their various families and powers， whilst falling in love， and Court of Mortals deals with the political fall out from the events of the first two books。In this final instalment the stakes are raised as Hetta and Wyn have to reconcile the warring Fae courts， the Fae and mortal realms， Wyn’s family， and Hetta and Stariel’s status in the human world， before Hetta and Wyn’s relationship can be accepted by both the mortal and the Fae worlds。 All of the dangling plot threads from the previous books， such as the matter of Wyn’s missing or dead mother， are successfully woven together to form a satisfying and well-plotted conclusion that is lengthy but never drags and makes perfect sense， leaving both the Fae and the mortal realms better places。 In addition we get to see large parts of the Fae realms which are as enchanting and dangerous as you would imagine。 In addition the arc’s of the minor characters are not forgotten， although room is left for future books to develop。Hetta and Wyn are rare literary examples of a couple who manage to support each other without one dominating， and whose relationship is supportive and believable， and who are friends above everything else。 Their romance is integral to the plot but not heavy handed or off putting。 They are the heart of the quartet but there is also a large and varied supporting human and Fae cast which subtly updates the traditional period setting。 Wyn’s family have brown skin， the human Duke of Callasham is described as being dark skinned with tightly curled hair， evidence of the strong Noorish （alt Persia or India？） blood， and Marius， Hetta’s brother is gay。 This is prohibited in the mortal world， although Hetta is not judgemental， but the Fae have no such laws and enjoy a much wider and more modern range of relationships and sexuality。 。。。more
Sharade
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These books are too cute。 Way too cute。 Full review to come！
Lita Acevedo
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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。I really enjoyed this book - eventually。 I would have liked a recap of what had happened in the other books， perhaps in a prologue。 I felt lost at times trying to remember what had happened， having completely forgotten Hetta was pregnant among other things。 The first part was very slow and at times boring for me。 It seemed so long and felt like it was taking forever to get through。 Then it picked up and kept getting better and bette I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。I really enjoyed this book - eventually。 I would have liked a recap of what had happened in the other books， perhaps in a prologue。 I felt lost at times trying to remember what had happened， having completely forgotten Hetta was pregnant among other things。 The first part was very slow and at times boring for me。 It seemed so long and felt like it was taking forever to get through。 Then it picked up and kept getting better and better。 I won't give away spoilers but there was a lot going on in this book。 The characters have grown and are well developed。 The world building is excellent。 I admit was pleasantly surprised by some of things that happened。 Overall a good book and one I recommend。 。。。more
StruckTea
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I freaking love this series。 This final book really capped a lovely， fantastical story in a satisfying manner。 After the cliff hanger from the last book， I couldn't wait for The King of Faerie to be published。 AJ Lancaster is a fantastic writer - the characters are all very real and human （despite any faeness）。 The change in narration from one character to another was never jarring， something that most authors cannot accomplish so elegantly。 The story itself was *chef's kiss*。 There was plenty o I freaking love this series。 This final book really capped a lovely， fantastical story in a satisfying manner。 After the cliff hanger from the last book， I couldn't wait for The King of Faerie to be published。 AJ Lancaster is a fantastic writer - the characters are all very real and human （despite any faeness）。 The change in narration from one character to another was never jarring， something that most authors cannot accomplish so elegantly。 The story itself was *chef's kiss*。 There was plenty of drama， action， and suspense even though I had strong suspicions about how it was going to end。 The ending of this series is so bittersweet; I enjoyed every moment of the adventure。 There's a very Diana Wynne Jones style to Lancaster's writing that I enjoy immensely and I will miss until Lancaster's next book is published。 This series is definitely one I will return to time and time again。 。。。more
Rachael A
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I greatly enjoyed the first three Stariel books so was happy to have a chance to read the fourth early。 The world building remains rich and detailed。 This book does a great job of bringing together the various threads from its predecessors and resolves them in coherent and satisfying fashion。 While Hetta and Wyn remain the main protagonists， we also get scenes from Jack and Marius’ point of view which I enjoyed。 Hetta’s interactions with her extended family continue to be fun， and I like that ev I greatly enjoyed the first three Stariel books so was happy to have a chance to read the fourth early。 The world building remains rich and detailed。 This book does a great job of bringing together the various threads from its predecessors and resolves them in coherent and satisfying fashion。 While Hetta and Wyn remain the main protagonists， we also get scenes from Jack and Marius’ point of view which I enjoyed。 Hetta’s interactions with her extended family continue to be fun， and I like that even these more minor characters feel like fully realised individuals。 Overall， despite the trials Wyn and Hetta face there is still a lightness of touch and some really funny moments throughout the book， and I enjoyed it very much。I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Melanie Harding-Shaw
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Delightful ominousness， a decadent exploration of faerie， and satisfaction all round！Lancaster's flare for endearingly self-aware melodrama and truly delightful prose shines through in the wonderful completion* of the Stariel series。 We see more of faerie than ever before and it is as dangerously magical as one could hope。 Hetta and Wyn's relationship with themselves， each other， their family and the land is deftly woven into a fulfilling conclusion。 Shout out to Marius and Rakken for almost， bu Delightful ominousness， a decadent exploration of faerie， and satisfaction all round！Lancaster's flare for endearingly self-aware melodrama and truly delightful prose shines through in the wonderful completion* of the Stariel series。 We see more of faerie than ever before and it is as dangerously magical as one could hope。 Hetta and Wyn's relationship with themselves， each other， their family and the land is deftly woven into a fulfilling conclusion。 Shout out to Marius and Rakken for almost， but not quite， stealing the show with their promise of things to come。 *So excited for the stand-alone book 5， Of Plants and Princes！As per every other book in this awesome series， I am left smiling。 。。。more
laurel [the suspected bibliophile]
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Okay， this was fantastic and wonderful and even though it was 550-something pages I still want another 100 or 1000 more of my favorites。 This was the perfect end* of the quartet， and I'm so， so happy。The Lord of Stariel was one of my surprise favorites， and the Stariel quartet has continued to surprise and enthrall me with each installation。 I loved the twists and turns， even when I saw them coming， and I loved the characters and setting and Stariel itself。*there is going to be a *technical* boo Okay， this was fantastic and wonderful and even though it was 550-something pages I still want another 100 or 1000 more of my favorites。 This was the perfect end* of the quartet， and I'm so， so happy。The Lord of Stariel was one of my surprise favorites， and the Stariel quartet has continued to surprise and enthrall me with each installation。 I loved the twists and turns， even when I saw them coming， and I loved the characters and setting and Stariel itself。*there is going to be a *technical* book five， with Marius and Rakken and murder and mayhem。 But Hetta and Wyn's storyline is set。I received this ARC from the author for an honest review 。。。more
Carrie
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