What is better than a regency romance novel, you ask? Why, a regency romance novel with faeries, of course! Join me in the amazing world of the Regency Faerie Tales by Olivia Atwater.

Attention:  I will be reviewing all books of the series in this post (gradually), but as this is a series of standalone books, you won’t risk encountering any spoilers.

Book 1: Half a Soul

Half a Soul

Half a Soul tells the story of Dora, a young woman who was faerie cursed as a child. Due to this, she no longer has any strong emotions, which leads her often to behave “inappropriately” in the eyes of society. When she joins her cousin in London for the season, she accidently crosses paths with the Lord Sorcier. Elias Wilder might be a handsome and important figure, his social skills lack almost as much finesse as Dora’s. Fascinated by Dora’s condition, he agrees to form an alliance with her.

Historical fantasy

I hadn’t realised it prior to reading this book, but Historical Fantasy might be one of the most amazing genres ever. I loved every second of this book. First and foremost, I loved the dynamics between Dora and Elias. They were simply superb together. Furthermore, there was also something quite recognizable about Dora’s “weird” behaviour. Somehow, it made me think of my own personal brand of autism. Does that mean I am faerie cursed too?

I also loved the way in which the reader is invited to slowly fall in love with Elias, to the point that you cannot help but swoon every time he appears. The romance is very clean, but oh my, it made my heart flutter. The story truly feels like a fairytale.

There’s also something poetically pleasing about reading a Regency novel. It made me feel like I was a lady in Jane Austen’s time, spending my hours reading indoors or in my gardens…Loved it! Adding fantasy elements to the story only made it an even better experience.

“Oh, dear lord, don’t tell it all to me now!” Elias snapped. At Dora’s confused look, he added, “You should never tell your full name to a magician. Nor to a faerie, for that matter. It gives them power over you.”

At some points, I had the feeling the story was a bit rushed. However, that didn’t bother me much, as it was a relief to read a relatively short book for once.

I also quite appreciated the critical way certain subjects were addressed, like the relationship between rich and poor. The general story might be fairytale-like, it also addresses several difficult topics in a very clear way that leaves little to nothing to the imagination. It’s like a mirror, providing a reflection on society and the way in which we treat people who are different.

The pile of ugliness at the bottom of her mind was bigger than it had ever been before, pressing dangerously at the surface of her consciousness. Dora knew it was becoming a problem, but she continued to ignore it mostly because she did not know what else to do with it.

Last but not least, I loved the way the story was wrapped up in the final page. It tells the reader the future and fate of all the characters, which was something I haven’t often encountered before.

I debated long between four and five gemstones, but I loved it so very much that I decided on five:

Book 0.5: The Lord Sorcier

The Lord Sorcier

This novella was included in my Fairyloot edition and serves as a prequel to Half a Soul. It tells the tale of how Elias and Albert met and became the great friends they are, and how Elias became the Lord Sorcier of the Prince Regent of England.

I quite appreciated this short story, as it gave some interesting additional insights. I would definitely recommend reading it AFTER book one, even though it’s a prequel. It’ll make you appreciate it more, and you get enough of Elias’ background in Half a Soul that it is not required to understand book one.

Four out of five gemstones:

Series

Age Category: Suitable for a broad audience

Representation: Supporting character with a disability

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Mild. Warnings for being shunned/blamed for being different.

Do you want to discover more?

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

Amazon.nl: Paperback Edition

Amazon.nl: eBook Edition

If you are looking for special editions, I would recommend the Fairyloot edition of book one, which was not part of either of their monthly subscriptions boxes but which was sold separately. This edition has an alternative cover, foiling on the hardcover, sprayed edges, and was signed by the author. It’s a very refined and elegant edition, which fits the story perfectly. As mentioned before, this edition also contains the prequel novella, which I found a great addition. This edition seems to be rather rare on the second hand market, so I would expect prices to be around € 50. Fairyloot has recently announced that they were going to publish special editions of the next two books as well (price for both: € 46), so it might be worth looking for book one now still, before the prices go up.

Similar to this

Personally, I cannot wait to discover more of this author’s work. Next on my TBR list is Echoes of the Imperium, the start to a steampunk fantasy series by Olivia and Nicholas Atwater (her husband).

If you like regency tales, you naturally must read The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn. Or watch the amazing television series based on these books. Swoonworthy!

If you like historical fantasy, I would recommend The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, which starts off with A Natural History of Dragons. My review of the first book can be found here.