Did you ever see a cover and think “I know I’m going to love this book”? That’s what happened when I saw an early review of Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves. I immediately went and bought it, and I’m very happy to say that I was right!

Prince of the Sorrows

Prince of the Sorrows tells the tale of a human man desperately trying to remain in the Fairy world. Saffron has grown up behind the veil, protected by the Fae who took him and is now a servant to the Morrígan Accademy. Unfortunately, the moment is getting close when he will have to return to the human world, even though he has no attachment to that realm at all. Therefore, he’s doing whatever he can to be granted an academic endorsement as that would enable him to stay. Enter Prince Cylvan. Saffron accidently discovers Cylvan’s true name. Unwilling to allow others to have such power over him, Cylvan agrees to endorse Saffron if he manages to find a way to strip the power from his name.

A captivating tale

I truly loved this novel. The characters are captivating and the plot was entertaining. I loved the banter and romance between Saffron and Cylvan. There’s nothing I love as much as a good Enemies-to-lovers story <3 I also greatly appreciated the diversity of the characters regarding sexuality and gender identity.

Furthermore, the cover art is simply stunning <3

Research is a central theme of the novel, giving it Dark Academia meets Fae vibes, which I really loved too.

I also liked that the author added a note at the start of the story, mentioning that the book contains tropes commonly found in Fantasy-Romance books for a New Adult Audience and then listing several of these. Check out the trigger warning section below for more information or check out the trope list on the author’s website.

The pronunciation guide also came in very handy as there were many words that were impossible to pronounce otherwise (e.g. “Beantighe”).

This book was independently published and it’s also the author’s first novel, so you won’t be surprised that it’s still a bit of a diamond in the rough. The characters would need a bit of polishing to make them a bit more coherent (sometimes, they go out-of-character a bit) and some additional editing would help to make the narrative a bit less dense in some places. Nevertheless, none of this bothered me as the novel’s potential is so apparent and I got sucked into the story as of the very beginning. If you want my honest opinion? I could very well see Kellen Graves become as popular as Holly Black. I truly believe I’ve just reviewed the first work of one of the new great names in NA Fantasy.

A well-deserved four out of five gemstones:

Age Category: New adult, but suitable for a broad audience

Representation:  M/M relationship between main characters. Non-binary supporting characters

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Warnings for mental & physical abuse/bullying, torture, non-consensual drugging, sexual harassment.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.

Amazon.nl: Paperback edition

Amzaon.nl: eBook edition

Desperately in need of goodies? The author also has an Etsy Shop with stickers.

Similar to this

Prince of the Sorrows is book one of the Rowan Blood Octology. Part two, Lord of Silver Ashes, is expected to be published in September 2022 already <3 I’m so looking forward to it!

If we are discussing Fae books, I cannot not mention The Folk of the Air Series by the amazing Holly Black. This series is simply the best. It tells the tale of a human girl living at the Faerie court and trying desperately to find her place in life. Which turns out to be quite…prominent 😉 As of the start, there’s serious tension between her and the youngest of the Fae princes. If you are looking for a magical enemies-to-lovers, check out my spoiler-free series review here.

Another great series about faeries is, of course, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This series starts off as a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, casting a human girl in the role of Belle and a Fae lord in the role of the Beast. It took me a while to be fully convinced, but as of book two, I was slightly obsessed. Check out my spoiler-free review of the first 3,5 books here.

Last but not least, I’d like to also mention an upcoming novel by one of my favourite authors, Heather Fawcett. Her new book, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, is set to be published in January 2023! Cannot wait to read this one!

Recap: Prince of the Sorrows

In the following section, you’ll find a recap that you can use to prepare for the next book when it is published. Of course, this is by definition full of spoilers, so it is hidden behind a spoiler tag. Enter at your own risk!

Want a recap before starting the next part? (click here, contains spoilers)

World: : The Faerie world is called Afidel. There are different types of Faeries (e.g. High Fae, lesser faeries) and there are multiple courts. The story takes place at Morrígan Academy for High Fey where Cylvan is a student and Saffron is a servant. Changelings are brought beyond the veil for a certain period of time to serve as veiled ‘Beantighes’ at the Academy. They can remain longer if they get a patronage to study, for example. Access to different areas is managed via different types of magical rings.

Main characters: Saffron is the protagonist. He’s a Beantighe who is almost going to be sent back to the human world. He’s desperately looking for a patron to endorse his studies so that he would be able to stay. Cylvan is a High Fae prince who will become the king.

Plot: Saffron learns Cylvan’s true name, which gives him the power to control him. Cylvan threatens to remove his tongue, but they manage to strike a less violent deal. In return for an academic endorsement, Saffron will help Cylvan to find a spell that would lift the power off his name. Cylvan desperately wants this because he fears that his evil intended and classmate, Lord Taran, would otherwise control him and force him to propose. Cylvan and Saffron fall in love, but things go south when a wolf starts killing off humans on campus. To make matters worse, Saffron is caught doing arid magic (= forbidden human magic. Fae magic is called opulence). He pretends to be dead to save himself. Then, he reveals himself to the prince and uses his true name to make him fall asleep. He then strikes a deal with Lord Taran: he’ll find the berries that will allow him to control his intended and in return, Lord Taran will stop the attacks on the humans (which he’s orchestrating in an attempt to get his hands on the berries). Saffron is also forced to become Lord Kaelar’s servant (who is a friend of Lord Taran and an evil person).