Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance
Age Range: Adult
These two tales are set in the world of the Regency Faerie Tales, focused around the characters of the first entry, HALF A SOUL. Some spoilers are involved below.
THE LORD SORCIER
Star Rating: 4 stars Series: book 0.5
Found at the back of HALF A SOUL, THE LORD SORCIER (Goodreads here) recounts Albert’s perspective of the war, expounding on the events we see in HALF A SOUL from Elias’ memories. It details how they met, how Albert lost his arm, and how the two became friends. It nicely expands your understanding of these two men and the horrors of the Napoleonic War.
I also liked seeing first hand the disconnect between Elias and the human word thanks to his experiences in Faerie, and then spending time in an orphanage. By the time of HALF A SOUL, her has more of less worked out humans and fits in well, so it adds more depth to his experiences and footing in faerie. Pus his lack of understanding about lying makes for an amusing near-running joke.
This novella/short story also helps explain why Albert started volunteering at workhouses in the first place, which is a key plot point in HALF A SOUL.
THE LATCH KEY
Star Rating: 4 stars Series: book 1.5
THE LATCH KEY (Goodreads here) is a short story that can be obtained by signing up to the author’s newsletter. It is set both after HALF A SOUL and long before it, told from Elias’ perspective as he comes to grapple with what it means to be a father to the orphans rescued from faerie and also with his own relationship to his father.
It is an interesting look into Elias’ fears and experience with faerie, and why that makes him so angry about injustice. He is trying to survive, but his routes keep getting blocked so he has to lash out. All the while he sees his father plan indirect cruelties in order to be allowed (by faerie magic) to harm people directly, using his power to hurt people with the same indifference he shows his son. But he keeps getting thwarted, which gives Elias hope.
That story alternates with the “present” day, and Elias trying to protect his study (and one of the children, Abigail, from it), and his struggle to understand what she wants because he doesn’t have that example. The alternation allows you to understand why he struggles to connect to the children and also why him finding a way to connect is a big moment for him.
It’s also a chance to see more of faerie, since HALF A SOUL doesn’t include much of that realm. There’s a chance to see what it means that the land choses the lord in the vicious Silverburn, that literally does burn time to time.
Regency Faerie Tales (this series):
- HALF A SOUL (#1)
- TEN THOUSAND STITCHES (#2)
- LONGSHADOW (#3)
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 