The Falconer: The sweeping historical fantasy now reimagined for adult romantasy fans

Ever since I first read this book in April last year I have wanted to re-read it. Yet I would not let myself until I could read the sequel as well, which I can finally do now. Because oh my. The ending of The Falconer is the cruelest cliffhanger. Which I adore so much. I loved re-reading this book. I was nervous about it, because I feared I wouldn't love it just as much as the first time I read it. But I did. And I might have loved it more. Sigh. This book is amazing. And such a fast read too. I couldn't put it down. I do not know what to say about it, though. My mind is going a bit blank. I'm busy remembering that evil ending, lol. But I will think of something. Like those gorgeous covers. They are stunning. This time I read the UK paperback, and I adore it. Fits so well with the plot. And oh, I must mention that I adore the author. Elizabeth is all kinds of kind and amazing and awesome. I simply cannot wait to read more books by her. She's the best. I'm so glad that I get to read The Vanishing Throne tomorrow. So excited to start. There is so much about this book that I love. I love that it is told from the point of view of Aileana. She is fierce. And amazing. I loved how she wanted vengeance after her mom got murdered by a faery a year ago. I love how she trained to kill them, how none of her friends know about it. I love how she fights. How angry she is. Though I love that she gets more soft near the end of the book. I just loved her the most. She's brave and sweet and kind and fierce. Also, her dad is the worst. I did not like him. I adored getting to know Aileana's few friends. Like the very lovely Catherine. I hope there is more of her in the sequel. I thought she was an awesome friend. And I want to know more about her, please. She also has a brother, Gavin. They were all great friends. Some things happen. It may seem like a love triangle will form, but it does not, not even one bit. So I'm not worried about that in the next book. Okay, a little worried, but trying not to be. I did like Gavin a lot too. He was a great friend as well. Then there was that very cute and tiny pixie, Derrick. Whom lives in Aileana's dressing room. He was all kinds of adorable. I love his love for honey. I adore their friendship, and how he wishes to protect her. He was pretty sweet. I just, I liked reading about Aileana's life. The time the book is set in, with so much historical things, like being improper and getting ruined. It was fun to read about. I loved it lots. Though hated how some talked about her. Hmph. Not okay. Mostly I just love this book a lot. So good. <i>I close my eyes and - just this once, in my ill state - I allow myself to briefly take comfort in his touch, the way his fingertips linger along my spine. I begin to understand why people seek intimacy, why they long for it. Why it compels them to forget every awful, destructive memory they've ever had.</i> There is this other boy. Kiaran. And I adore reading about him. He is a faery. And more than two thousand years old. Ack. Yet he is the cutest. And I ship him and Aileana the most. Though he has a lot of secrets. And he's not good at sharing them. And he can be a bit mean sometimes, yet also charming. I adored him the most. And I loved their friendship. And seeing her fall for him. It was so cute. They have been fighting together for a year. And I loved that. They fit together so well. Sigh. I love it lots. The Falconer is all kinds of exciting. And I'm not sure how else to describe it. There is a lot of killing of faeries. And I loved it a lot. It was thrilling to read about. I loved getting to know Aileana so much. She's the best. And I loved her relationship with everyone around her. Except with her dad. Hmph. I'm worried how that will work out in the sequel. I hope he will be better. Fingers crossed for that. I loved how this book is in the past, yet not the past as I know it. I just adored the steampunk of it. It was so well done. There is so much about this book. And I could probably write a lot more about it. But I will not. I just wish to say that I adored it so much. And I'm so glad that I re-read it. Because The Falconer is amazing. Such a stunning book. Small romance, yet so perfect. There are faeries. They are awesome and brutal. I loved reading every moment of this book. And I simply cannot wait to read more about these characters. Yet I'm worried. Eeek. But the most excited too. Have you read this precious book yet? If not, you must. --- I first read this book on April 25th 2014. See my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2014/04/review-falconer-by-elizabeth-may.html I read this book for the second time on December 7th 2015. See my book recommendation here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2015/12/book-recommendation-falconer-by.html

"Blood. My need for vengeance exists because of the night I was baptized in it. I've always considered that to be my night of lasts---the last time I saw my mother alive, the last time I was a girl who had never seen violence. Now the darkness inside me wants little else than to kill again. I can't help but wonder if this is all I have left: the nightly hunt, all for that singular moment of intoxicating, all-consuming joy at the end." Lady Aileana Kameron, the daughter of a Scottish marquess, has little to worry about in life. She has position and comfort, but also beauty and smarts. Living a life of extravagance can be set to ruin when something cruel, tragic, and terrifying happens. She witnessed her mother's death by a faerie. Encourage by revenge, Aileana funnels her emotions into hunting down not only her mother's killer, but faeries in general. Set in the Victorian era, steampunk gadgets and folklore collide in a battle between humankind and faerie folk. ------------------------------- I had so much fun with this read. Was it absolutely perfect? No. However, it's entertainment value was simply undeniable---and sort of bizarre. But oddity is a famed thing. Aileana is the exact replica of what I imagine as the main character in a steampunk novel (even though this is the first "steampunk" book that I've read.) She is sweet, as little sassy, and very resourceful. Gliding around in opulent Victorian dresses by day, blood-seeking fae hunter by night. Aileana leads us through a storybook of Scottish and Celtic folklore. From her pixie "friend" Derrick, to Kiaran theDaoine Sith, there are redcaps, revenants, and the like. We quickly get the picture that the fae are creatures not to be trifled with. Yet, that's exactly what Aileana does. With the help of Kiaran, a not friend, but also not a foe, Aileana learns how to track and fight the different types of fae. However, Aileana's attraction to Kiaran is undeniable---but causes some obvious attention, seeing how he's a fae, and she human. Luckily, there is no love triangle in this book. For a bit, I thought there would be, but the risk tamped down. I really liked Kiaran's character. He reminds me a lot of Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses series, but way better in my opinion. This book is more Young Adult reader appropriate than ACOTAR, as it was able to stay true to it's genre. Kiaran and Aileana's relationship is full of all different types of tension, and you don't quite know what will happen because of the many complications standing between them. In regards to the steampunk aspect of it, I thought it was appropriately proportioned to the rest of the tale. Instead of taking the focus away from the main plot line, as I thought it would, it was a nice little icing that added some kicks to the overall plot. I mean, there was a steampunk metal horse and flying machines, fae-hunting gadgets, and Victorian ensembles!? It was pretty cool. I didn't find that the overall plot wasn't extremely complex, but I didn't seem to care much about that, because I was so caught up with just enjoying each facet of this book (especially the creatures of folklore.) The only part that really bothered me was the "war" towards the end...because there just wasn't much detail given about it. It seemed rushed, and somewhat forced. This is the main reason why I'm rating this 4 out of 5 stars. I needed more build up, backing, and complexity. Overall, I liked this read, and am looking next to The Vanishing Throne. Violence: Quite a bit - seeing how Aileana's main quest is to hunt and kill fae. Vulgarity: I think there is some. Sexual content: Kissing. 4 stars.

I've been sitting in front of my computer for a while now wondering how it is that I am going to start this review. I still haven't found a way. This was just one of those books. The kind that you hate and also really like. Those contradicting books that though you enjoy they never become memorable. I honestly forgot the main character's name not thirty minutes after reading it. I reread the Goodreads summery and was surprised what the girls name was because I has actually forgotten. The tricky thing about this book is that it tries to get you to like it. The characters all kick butt, there is lots of action, a deep yet subtle romance and bad a** love interest. With a quick and action filled plot how could you not love it? I'll tell you how. Though the premise is cool it falls short of something. Something that fails to grab your complete attention. This is not the kind of book that you will remember reading and even less remember that you enjoyed it. So the story is about Aileana, a marquees' daughter who just so happen to also be a faerie slayer. Having witnessed her mother's murder at the hand of an evil faerie, Aileana vows to exact her revenge. This means killing every and any faerie that comes in her way until she finds the one that killed her mother. But to learn how to kill a faerie you need help from a faerie. That is where Kiaran MacKay comes in. Tall, beautiful, graceful and deadly, he is a faerie who vows to kill his own kind. Together he and Aileana with the help of their pixie friend Derrick and the seer, Gavin, they will try to save the world from the evil faeries within it. The only problem is that they now have less than a week to find a new seal before the one keeping the most dangerous fae looked away breaks open and they all leak into the earth. If that doesn't sound cool, I don't know what does. So why don't I love it?!?! I have a feeling that this review is going to greatly contradict itself. Let's talk about the characters. Aileana was the epitome of badassery. She was a warrior and she acted like it. She didn't whine and complain when things didn't go her way. No, she realized that she had a job to do and did it fully not paying much attention to the consequences. She was an inventor always look for different ways to defeat the bad guys. She had her head in the game all through out. Then there was Kiaran. He was the typical faerie love interest: cold, dark and mysterious. And I love it! There was something more to him. Though he was cold, he was never cruel. Though he was dark, there was also still good in him that came out on (rare) occasion. And though he was mysterious he was also very familiar with Aileana. He was a fighter just like her and someone who despite his efforts not to show it truly did care for her. Now the romance between these two. There is so much sexual tension between them yet it never really shows. I was beginning to wonder if Kiaran even was a love interest. I just wanted them to kiss already! They were partners in action, they fought, trained and hunted together. They talked about killing and weapons with one another. There was never a lovy-dovy interaction with the two and yet the romance worked so well. The main focus of the story was the action and hem saving the world. The romance never got in the way and it was great. Lastly the action. There is so much fighting in this book. There is fighting and killing and explosions and a whole bunch of other cool actiony things. Never was there a dull moment because even in the moments when Aileana was having tee and going to balls there was always the shadow of danger looming behind them. There was also mystery. So many questions going through my head, about the characters and the plan and the history behind it. It was all very well done. And yet I had problems with it. As I said, it's a very contradicting review. But as I'm writing this I realize that I actually like it a bit more than originally though and have decided to bump it to a 3.5! So is it worth the read? I sure think so. Elizabeth May creates a magical alternate world and fills it with fae, action and steampunk. She weaves a bit of romance in the grand scheme of things but leaves it hidden as to not ruin the picture. She brings up many questions which she then leaves unanswered thus making us think in utter frustration. Lastly she build a cliff a hundred feet in the air and dangles us from it. Promising to help only when the next book in the series is released. That is The Falconer. How to make sure people buy the sequel? End a book like that. This review is also in Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1009411072?book_show_action=false

I see that there are a lot of conflicting reviews on this book, but I do think that they are mostly related to the ending. So first things first, if you haven't read this and hate cliffhanger endings, prepare to buy the next book(s) because this is one of the cliffiest hanging books ever! In spite of that, and in spite of the fact that I totally hate cliffhanger endings, I absolutely loved this book. It engaged me right from the peek inside, through the beginning and all the way to the end... which of course will take me into the next books. I thought that the characters were very realistic and well developed. Yes, the heroine is not the typical one. She is angrier than some, deadlier than most. She not only has to kill (done a lot) she enjoys it (much less done). She revels in it. Thrives in it. This lust to kill is a new aspect for a heroine - at least for me. Ms. May does this so well that you have both sympathy and respect for the heroine at the same time. It's masterfully done, and wonderfully written. As even those who hated the ending have noted, the romantic tension is super-potent! I'm not a fan of mushy romance. I like romance that is more subtle, or more involved... basically more realistic. Not easy. And this romance is anything but easy. It's virtually impossible. And conflict? Really? I don't think I've read a book with MORE conflict. This one has the fast pace, the amazing fight scenes, the thrilling nail-biting moments, and add a healthy dose of invention, engineering and science. Not only does the book have steampunk qualities, it delves into why. Into how the creating of a steam engine relates to the ability to fight the evil fae creatures. Pure genius. And I'm not generally even a steampunk fan. I may be now. This alternate-history, fantasy-reality blend is enchanting. It looks at the world and roles of women in historic Scotland and England, and turns it on its ear. This is like a new age suffragette coming-of-age blended with the best that fantasy has to offer. Now a note to Mom's, this does have its share of violence and gore, although it's not so gruesome that I would call it gratuitous violence. I truly dislike books that are violent purely for the sake of violence, but this is not that. I would say it's more PG-13. The idea that a girl had something violent happen so young is a difficult topic, but May uses this to show how difficult grief and relationships can be. I truly can't say enough good things about it. I'm eager to read everything else May has written.

I had extra time on my hands this lazy spring Sunday, thus I was able to read The Falconer all in one sitting. I enjoyed it. It is very reminiscent of the Faefever series but enjoyable in its own different way. For starters, there was the steampunk aspect. I loved that Aileana was an engineer and had all these wonderful Fae killing gadgets: a sonic cannon, a dart pistol, explosives. She even has an ornithopter (which I still can't pronounce) likened to Leonardo Da Vinci's bat winged flying machine. I could very much picture this version of Edinburgh with elite flying machines and motorized carriages. It was a lovely place to be. Except for all the murderous Fae. Here, they are imagined in all shapes and forms. There are flying dragon like creatures called sluagh, wolf like creatures: du sithe (don't quote me on that), troll like Fae called red caps, pixies, and a few others I can't pronounce or spell. There is a bestiary included at the end of the book with Aileana and Kiaran's notes on each type. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses and Aileana makes full use of her gadgets on them. The beginning of the book is very fast paced. Aileana fights Fae after Fae, including one long battle in the middle where a couple types of Fae are chasing after her and she is mostly blind to them. Aileana's weakness against the Fae is an interesting one, in that she can't see them without the use of a special flower. If the necklace is removed, or if she is forced to use it as her only weapon, she can't see or hear them, and must sense them and their magic. It's odd to say this, but I hope we see more blind Fae battles in the next book, because that's when they got really interesting. I enjoyed the characters for the most part. Aileana is a hero who is strong and broken and vulnerable all at once. Kiaran is her mysterious Fae trainer, but as he has so many secrets, and shows so little emotion, it was hard to get a real feel for him. Gavin is an old friend with an ability to see the Fae and he is a true gentleman. There is going to be an inevitable love triangle here, and I feel like I'm supposed to root for Kiaran, but in truth I felt Gavin was a better character. Then there's Derrick. The honey drunk, foul mouthed, tailoring, mending, thief of a pixie. If I'm being honest, Derrick outshines them all. I absolutely loved and adored him and found myself smiling at everything he did. If this trilogy ever gets a spin off, I hope Derrick is the MC. My biggest critique for the book seems to be the same critique I have for all YA fiction, it can be redundant at times. "Kiaran is not human." "Kiaran keeps secrets." "Never trust a fae." "I'm a murdering liar." There were an additional two lines that were repeated frequently that I think did actually work well here, "Crimson suits you best," and "Can you name the stars, Aileana?" And the reason they worked was because they were more meaningful than being an 18 year old's inner boy crush monologue. They were being used to highlight the horror of that moment when Aileana's mother was murdered, and simultaneously to remind Aileana's of the memories and the love she shared with her mother. They also have a significant impact in the "end" of the book that I won't share because spoilers. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any fans of Fae fantasy. It also ended on a huge cliff hanger so I'll be on the lookout for the next two books!

I was very much intrigued by “The Falconer.” I started listening to it on audible and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I was having a bit of an issue trying to get into the story. “The Falconer” is the perfect blend of history and fantasy. As the story went on I became more addicted to the story. This story definitely blew me away. Aileana is a strong female heroine. I love how this book focuses on how much strength Aileana has with everything she had to go through as a character. One day Aileana Kameron was a young girl who didn’t have a care in the world. She just needed to go to social galas and get ready to find life with a husband. When Aileana witnesses the murder of her mother, her life changed forever. What Aileana didn’t know is that she comes from a line of women that can kill fairies. Unfortunately she cant see these fairies without special tools. Aileana partners with a pixie and a fae, Kiaran McKay, in order to train to defeat the fae that killed her mother. The one thing that Aileana can’t do is tell anyone about what she does. It does it questioned all of the time as to why she misses galas or disappears in the middle of parties. What people don’t know is that when Aileana disappears, she is fighting off a fae that is harming another human. I really liked what May did with these characters. In the beginning I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, but as the story went on I became more and more invested in the characters. Aileana is the girl whose life has completely changed that you just want to hug her and tell her that everything will be all right however I would be afraid that she would kill me for hugging her. Kiaran McKay is the fae that is helping Aileana out by training her, but Kiaran has a secret that no one knows. A lot of the women that have read this book are swooning over Kiaran. I on the other hand have not. Kiaran is a big jerk in my eyes and I think Aileana deserves so much more than him. May created personality to each one of her characters which kept me interested as the reader. I really enjoyed this book. I think the narrator did a great job at reading this book. Susan Duerden kept the reader entertained the whole way. I really loved the accent. I think the accent really made the story because it fit where the characters were at a totally went with the story. If you really want a good book to listen too then I would try “The Falconer.” The take on the fae is very interesting and I think many will really enjoy it. My biggest advice is just give this book a chance. It may take a few chapters before you really get drawn into the story but you definitely won’t regret it. [...]

full review [...]... thoroughly enjoyed how the author described this dystopian future of a world without freshwater on the surface. AQUIFER is a story of highly controlled society, lack of water, children educated by government, lies, family secrets, and betrayal. It’s also a story of friendship and learning to trust. There is violence, death, and dead bodies in this story but it creates a sadness in the reader instead of horror. It was nice to find that the plot takes place around the coast of Australia and it's center New Pert. There is none explanation how the world came to be so dry, but that was likely due to the lack of knowledge of Luca, who tells the story in first person narrative. In this world, the written word had all but been destroyed, as it is seen as a method that could incite rebellion. The control of the society rests with the Council of nine above ground, a group that has people following without hesitation, and which has forbidden all emotion in the name of keeping the peace. Everyone had been told lies to keep their emotions in check and daily lifestyle uniform for the greater good of peace and harmony. In a world that demands conformity there are the fearsome Amongus (the council "Law enforcers") tasked with stamping out any hint of individuality or emotion. Every one fear the Amongus who go around with Emotional Detectors ( the Dails). The consequences of these "crimes" warrant either a debriefing, which is a brainwashing, the result of which makes one a numb, walking slave; or the March of the Undone, where the targeted person/persons are marched to the docks, board a boat, row to a certain point of the ocean, clap weighted shackles to their wrists and ankles, and jump overboard. Any reference to a dead person, or to death at all, is referred to as undone. The only people who can go under the dials - are the Wishers, with their faith in the prophecy. They help Luca with whispers into his head. Luca is a Deliver's son and when he is 16, he is a Deliverer. Generations of one family that goes below once a year to form an agreement to supply water to the "toppers". He will one day have to descend to the underground Aquifer each year and negotiate with the reportedly ratlike miners who harvest the world's fresh water. One day everything changes and all that has been becomes the biggest "wrinkle" (emotion create wrinkles). When his dad, Massa, disappears Luca knows that something is wrong. His father always knows the way back. As he investigates, someone tries to kill him. Luca suspect that someone decides to force Massa to give up the route. He know that his father never will give the secret and this is why he probably held alive somewhere. He must complete the task of going underground and bringing water to his world or everything will turn to chaos and everyone will die. He also must find him, because, the only thing that he is missing for being deliver is the start point to the Aquifer. Along the way, he finds a lot about his history and his family. The life of a deliverer is not all it appears. The Council tried to break his father's spirit, while also forcing Luca to hide every feeling that rules his heart. Seward, is a pirate and one who occasionally works for the government, retrieving the ones who have been undone. he and Luca meet when Luca need help in retrieving stash of books that he found. Luca then find that Seward is on an expedition for recovery of a body that is dressed like Luca's dad, but they found that it doesn't have the same markings. the council tried to prove the Massa is undone. Seward is both clever and sneaky, he’s also the comic relief in the story. I felt like he was one of the few adults in the book who risks his life to protect Luca and only cares about Luca’s best interest. Seward is not afraid of Amongus and he’s good at tricking them. Wren - the museum director with her own secrets. She helps Luca and also has no fear of the government. She inspires Luca and teaches him to read. Walery - One day, when Luca is about to witness the undone of some people, he saves one of them: Walery. He doesn't know Walery that well, but he still decides that it's not right for him to die. Luca keeps Walery in his house and tries to keep him alive whilst his father makes the agreement with the Water Rats. Lendi, one of Luca's friends from school. Lendi was really awesome and was there for Luca most of the time. Talya, the daughter of a Water Rat, was pretty nice. When Luca meets Talya (Her), a Rat girl, she stirs feelings inside him he’s never before felt. She fell for him too and her trust in him didn't waver till they meet Walery .

Edinburgh. Faeries. Steampunk. What more could you ask for in a book? Aileana Kameron was raised to be a perfect aristocratic lady- posied, polite, and dedicated to duty. But all of that changes when she witnesses her mother being killed by an evil Faery. Determined to extract her revenge on the one who tore out her mother's heart, she embarks on a journey of vengance. She is trained by Kiaran, a powerful Faery who murders members of his own kind because of a mysterious vow. By day, Aileana performs social niceties like tea, chaperoned walks in the park, and attending balls, but by night, she is a huntress... and nothing fills her with the overwhelming sense of satisfaction and power than the moment of her latest kill. As if her life wasn't complicated enough, Aileana discovers that she is a Falconer, and the last of her kind. These women are endowed with supernatural abilities to combat Faeries. Not only that, the seal that traps the most vicious and powerful Faeries underground is weakening, and will give out in a short time. Add to that the fact that her reputation is in tatters (suddenly disappearing from too many balls in order to kill evil faeries will do that)and her father's insistance that she marry by the end of the season... Aileana's world is in turmoil. Well written, imaginative, and action-packed, this steampunk novel is defintiely five out of five stars! Some of my favorite parts included the mischevious pixie who lives in Aileana's dressing room, Aileana's inventions (she is so bad ass!), and the fight scenes. That being said, I was seriousy bummed by the ending. I can understand wanting to leave readers on a cliff hanger so that they'll want to read the next book, I just felt like the ending was poorly done. Still! I can't wait for the next book to come out, because this one was such an excellent read! (This review was originally posted on Goodreads.)

I tried and tried but could not finish the book. There are some good ideas, but nothing happens, only those two dancing around each other, it is all empty., no story to read.

Review originally posted at Jet Black Ink: The Falconer, by Elizabeth May, is probably my second or third favourite book of the whole year. It's difficult enough to force my whirling fanboying thoughts into one cohesive vein in order to review the book, rather than talking myself in circles about just how perfect this book was. Yep, I said perfect. Some people don't like to throw it around so casually, but I'm not one of them. As much as I am easily pleased by fantasy, I have very specific tastes that I tend to stick with most of the time, explaining why I don't often happen across a book I don't like much. But this, this is perfect. Lady Aileana Kameron is the heir to her family's name and fortune and much is expected of her. She is willing to give it, after all, she is quite content to attend assemblies and wear pretty dresses. That is until her mother is murdered by a faery her life changes. Caught up in a vicious rage, Aileana is determined to exact revenge upon the creatures who haunt and hunt Scotland. She is skilled and deadly and beautiful and intelligent--she is precisely the kind of heroine we need. She also has her softer sides and is not dismissive of men, their help, or friendship. She is a realistic young woman and a pure pleasure to accompany on her journey of vengeance and self-discovery.16046550 Prior to reading The Falconer, I noticed May Tweeting about her character's PTSD. This piqued my interest and I wanted nothing more than to jump in and enjoy. The way Aileana's PTSD manifests and rules her is a perfect demonstration of a writer doing their research: nothing about Aileana's trauma is staged or ill-executed. In fact, it gave her a layer of personality that was both exiting and touching to read. Exciting, because it adds both an inner and outer conflict that does, at times, rule the story, guiding her actions through rage and frustration; touching, because the vulnerability it reveals within Aileana is deep and real. What she witnessed was horrific and through her flashbacks and memories, we experience it, too. The writing is exceptional. What I liked best about The Falconer was how the romance was threaded into the main plot. Affection is built through tension and the varying encounters between Kiaran and Aileana. He is fae and she should hate him, mistrust him to the core, and certainly not ally with him. Yet... she does not hate him, trusts him in her own way, and allies with him every night when they hunt together. May does an excellent job of showing the different kinds of mythic faery and revealing the exciting parts of Scottish folklore. I was fairly clued up about the faeries encountered, through extensive research on Irish folklore and faeries, and many kinds of fae cross over. I loved that. Everything felt authentic. The fae are monsters; they are beautiful and cold; they are small and impish. Many depictions of the fae swing either one way or the other: monsters that go bump in the night, or alluring elf-like (Tolkien's elves, not wee pixies) creatures who are beautiful and perfect. May shows both sides of the fae and this creates layer upon layer of story and plot and an insight into the setting and world. Reading about Scotland instead of one of the many overused settings for historical urban fantasy was ideal. I adore the wealth of Gaelic mythology--Scottish or Irish, it doesn't matter. The setting is certainly an alternative vision of Scotland for the time, with various inventions and electricity of a basic sort. People have, as people are wont to do with anything historical with machines etc, dubbed it steampunk. I actually hate the term. If there is no steam it not steampunk. This feels more like clockwork-punk, or gear-punk, or brass/copper-punk (except how on earth Lady Aileana could be classed as `punk' is beyond me. The original term of cyberpunk, which gave the "punk" suffix to settings, referred to a sense of `low life, hi-tech'. So to randomly attach `punk' to an idea is pointless.), even though that setting still doesn't quite hit it. May's reimagined Scotland is rich with vision and scope and Aileana's contributions of inventions and science should not automatically afford the `punk' suffix. I'm waffling (bee in bonnet over the `steampunk' thing); I'll stop. Regardless of term, May invites you to a richly alternative version of Scotland that is vibrant, dark and filled with the proper society of its time versus the chaos the faeries secretly wreak. The balance is perfect between Aileana's life as a noble lady and her night time escapades hunting her mother's murderer--and whichever faery gets in her way in the meantime. I couldn't put this book down. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the writing is sharp and beautiful and full of emotion that grabs and sucks you into Aileana's world. I have no complaints, no niggles, nothing. I cannot find a single fault. No, really. There is something about this book that sets it apart from other YA novels with a strong female lead. Most YA seems to feature a female protagonist (I can count on one hand the books I've read with a teenage boy instead of a teenage girl) so it takes something special for a protagonist to really stand out for me. Aileana is on a pedestal. The fact that May does not take away her protagonist's need to blend into society and to act the lady when on ceremony makes for a realistic presentation of a young girl with a conflicted heart. She does not throw off her pretty dresses and rush headlong into a new life of swords and faerie-hunting. She does not try to become strong by becoming more "male", like many characters in her place often do. Aileana remains who and what she is, true to herself. From a feminist perspective (yep, boys can be feminists, too *waves flag*) Aileana is so right a character it hurts. The Falconer was exciting and moreish and, and, and-- Perfect. It ended so suddenly, with so fabulous a cliffhanger that I wanted to take a plane to Scotland (it's quicker than the car) and hammer on May's door until she surrendered at least the first chapter of the manuscript for the sequel. Not in a creepy, stalker kind of way, though... More in a `this was practically my favourite book of the year' kind of way. It has actually been difficult to write a good review for this book, because so many of my thoughts when compiling an opinion generally become a garble of fanboying uselessness. I want more books like this; I want more Elizabeth May. She's smart and funny and writes like an angel--bit of a writer-crush here? Yep, I think so.

I simply loved this book. The story is thrilling, the world is fascinating, but the best part are the characters. Each of them has its role, its development, its challenges, its features that the reader loves and also hates. Nobody is good, nobody is bad. Everybody suffers from something, has to struggle with its past or its decisions. They are so authentic I could truely feel with them. Furthermore, I liked the discussions and the sarcasm that leaven the story from time to time and make me laugh. Sometimes the fightings could be shorter but this is a matter of taste. The end is sudden, hence I am so excited, I want to read book 2, now! Thank you, Elizabeth May, for the great book, but please, don't let us wait so long for the next one!

Questa storia ci porta a Edimburgo nel 1844, città ben diversa dalla realtà; un mix di stile steampunk, con invenzioni sorprendenti e pericolose leggende folkloristiche. Aileana, una giovane debuttante in società conduce una doppia vita, uccidendo creature magiche assassine. Una di quelle fate uccise sua madre davanti ai suoi occhi e da quel giorno la sua vita cambiò completamente. Dopo la morte di sua madre, incontra Kiaran, un essere misterioso che la sostiene e la allena per affrontare il mondo fatato in modo che possa vendicarsi. Con una narrazione in prima persona dal punto di vista di Aileana, The Falconer è pieno di tutto ciò che mi piace in un young adult: azione, fantasia e romanticismo, con molta tensione tra i protagonisti che matura lentamente fino a quando non esplode. Mi sono piaciuti tutti i personaggi. Aileana è forte, coraggiosa, un po' sarcastica, nonostante le sue debolezze. Ha un amico folletto che vive nel suo armadio, Derrick che dà un tocco di umorismo nei momenti difficili. Kiaran, fa parte di una razza di fate molto potente, è misterioso e nasconde molti segreti. Aileana e Kiaran completano bene la storia, e sono certa che regaleranno belle emozioni. «Lo sapevo fin dal giorno che ti ho tirato fuori di quel fiume.» «Che cosa?» «Che per me saresti sempre stata una sfida.» L'autrice ha saputo creare una storia per niente noiosa. Ti cattura rapidamente poiché è pieno di azione e mistero in ogni capitolo, il che ti fa venire voglia di saperne di più.

Non capisco perchè questa serie sia così sottovalutata e non abbia più popolarità. Io stessa ne sono venuta a conoscenza solo qualche settimana fa. Ha davvero tutto quello che si può volere in un libro fantasy: bellissime ambientazioni (parliamo della Scozia dell'Ottocento), una storia coinvolgente e scorrevolissima, azione, e una bellissima storia d'amore. Kiaran è da mozzare il fiato, e ho apprezzato molto anche la protagonista Aileana: una ragazza forte e indipendente, che non tollera le restrizioni e le regole a cui sono soggette le donne del tempo. La consiglio assolutamente, e spero di continuare a leggere il resto della serie al più presto!