I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lave Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle. Honestly, I requested this because of the cover and title. The description intrigued me a bit.

It kind of gave a slightly Sleeping Beauty genderbent vibe, which I am here for.

Prince Larkin is placed in an enchanted slumber alongside a wicked fae Queen. It is a truce between humans and fae to ensure peace for both realms. If one is awoken so shall the other. So pretty much in order to the human race to live on, Prince Larkin is supposed to sleep basically forever. Yet as we know with most fairy tales, there's always a problem that ends peaceful times.

A man who has no business messing with magic awakens Larkin more than 2oo years since he first slumbered. oops.
I think whenever a story has a character that wakes up in a different time, I love reading their emotions and how they handle certain situations.

Also the romance aspect wasn't forced and felt natural. Sometimes authors struggle to balance the story and romantic aspect, but I dont think was an issue at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In 1799, Prince Larkin of Eidolonia - a kingdom hidden from the world by enchantments - is forced into an enchanted sleep as part of an agreement between the humans and the far and has remained that way. Until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, accidentally wakes him after finding magical possessions from a long-lost relative - the sorceress who enchanted Larkin. Waking Larkin isn’t without consequences as it also releases Ula Kana, a faery who despises humans and is hell-bent on eradicating them. With the truce between human and fae rapidly breaking down, Larkin and Merrick must work together and embark on a quest into the fae realm to trap Ula Kana and save the world.

Merrick Highvalley is an interesting character. He seems rather immature for his age - late twenties - so often I found myself picturing him as someone in their early twenties, staggering around trying to find their way in life. There were a lot of moments where Merrick seemed to suddenly switch in his emotions and I feel this may be down to there not being enough transition in those moments - allowing the reader to understand why he is experiencing such emotion. I can understand his confusion and frustration with this emotions regarding Larkin since they are on a quest to save everyone, however I felt their relationship and admittance of feelings came rather out of the blue, hashing down any character flaws we were introduced to with Merrick.
Prince Larkin is certainly a spoiled little prince. I was not entirely convinced by his character as his feelings towards Merrick seemed forced. He’s reeling over modern day technology and the fact he spent a few centuries in an enchanted sleep, then suddenly he’s over losing his previous love and is pining for the guy who accidentally work him up. There were redeemable qualities to Larkin’s character - being outspoken and wanting to find peaceful alternatives to situations, watching him adapt to modern day life - however, I just didn’t feel much of a connection with his character which is sad for me as I really hoped I would.

In general, I found this book rather difficult to read. I had to push myself to get through it which is never something you want to do with a book. A third of the way through, I contemplated DNFing the book because I couldn’t remain interested. Since that point, it was a lot of wishing it would end. The idea is brilliant but the execution of the book overall is what’s lacking. The events of the second half are described in the first half, leaving very little room for any form of surprise or mystery. The pacing throughout I think just feels a bit off - most moments feel drawn out far longer than it needs to be.
I’d love to rate this book higher but sadly, it only just scrapes 3 stars.

Overall, Lava Red Feather Blue is an interesting book with a twist on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty and brilliant LGBTQ+ rep.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for a copy of this book.

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

An island in modern world, unknown to the rest of the world, where humans live mingled with fae. Some humans develop magic powers, one of the three types, so they are witches.
A sleeping prince, enchanted to do so to protect the fae-human truce. An accidental awakening by a witch.
Thus start an amazing adventure!
Faeries and LGTBQ+ romance - what's not to love?

5 stars!

Magicked into slumber to save his kingdom, Prince Larkin is awakened over 200 years later by Merrick, a half fae witch. But Ula Kana, the dreaded enemy Fae who was the reason for the slumber is awakened too. The truce is now broken and they must find a way to stop Ula Kana and prevent their world from being destroyed.

I so enjoyed that the fae and humans (a lot of them being witches), are in a modern day setting with magic being regulated. An interesting magic system for the witches, a kind that I have not read before. Also the faerie mythology is quite intriguing. The world building feels natural, organic in the narrative, the reactions of the characters realistic. Great embellishments and those lovely little details that makes this word wonderous and almost tangible.

The fish out of water context for Prince Larking in our century is as entertaining as expected and more. But it is not only funny encounters with technology, people etc but also the bittersweet sadness of a person out of his time. In my opinion it was done with the humanity appropriate for the situation. Also the story isn't just filled with out of time gags. There is actually a plot, a very good one.

This book has great characters which you cheer on as they make their way in this captivating story. I loved both our unlikely heroes, Merrick and Larkin, plus the fact that they evolve separately and together. There are moments when they are freaking adorable.

With a finale that took my breath away and joyous tearful surprises at the end, I read this full of glee. There were moments where I laughed out loud, I gasped, loving the adventure, loving the imagination, absolutely adoring this book.

I really wanted to love this, since having more LGBTQ representation is extremely necessary. Unfortunately, this book felt very unbalanced to me. For all the time spent on the magic system in the first half, I still don't understand how this world works. All the action was crammed into the second half of the book, making it difficult to absorb what happened before the reader is hit with yet another plot point to adjust to.

Neither Merrick nor Larkin seem like fleshed-out characters, which made it pretty much impossible for me to connect to them as the main protagonists of the story. There were some interesting moments and dialogue, but overall I found myself confused and uninterested.

Gay fae, nonbinary witches, & a strangers-to-lovers trope, oh my!

Set in a magical island in the Pacific where fae and human (tentatively) live next to each other, Lava Red Feather Blue follows the tale of the distant ancestor of the most powerful human witch to have lived on the island Eidolonia. Eidolonia exists in relative peace due to a truce set between humans and fae dating back to the late 1700s, when human Prince Larkin was put into an Aurora-esque sleep to bind the evil faery Ula Kana. Over 200 years later, Merrick Highvalley, the distant nephew of the powerful witch that put Prince Larkin into his sleep and half-fae himself, accidentally wakes him from his slumber, releasing the evil faery as well. The book follows their journey as they combat human and fae foe alike to bind Ula Kana once more, restore relationships between human and fae, and maybe find love along the way.

I oscillated wildly in my feelings towards this book as I read it. The beginning is confusing and slow as it sets up the story and characters, though that is a trademark of most fantasy, world-building novels. If you're confused as hell in the beginning, don't worry, you'll understand later. The writing and characterization is clunky in some parts, rushing some serious scenes with almost comical dialogue, while other parts of the book move you to tears. Though inconsistent, the overall story is good and will stick around with you for quite some time. It's unique world-building and I wouldn't be surprised if Ringle wrote more stories within this rich world she has created.

Now, let's talk representation. Eidolonia does not have strict gender and sexuality rules like the rest of the world, the first humans deciding that they would take a different approach than the countries they came from. As such, same-sex relationships are common and treated as complete non-issues even back in 1799, and nonbinary characters exist and are badass. It's always refreshing to have a fantasy novel where sexuality is treated as a nonissue and doesn't replicate the patterns of the world we currently inhabit. The gender roles and fluidity of both fae and human are refreshing and a great addition, and I am deeply thankful to Ringle for that.

I also really appreciated the author's note at the end that explained where Ringle got the names for fae, human names, and locations. Fae names span different mythologies, from kelpies to jinn, and it's always a delicate balance when white people borrow any kind of mythology from other cultures. She explains that the humans, coming from all over the world, gave the fae names that made the most sense to them from their own backgrounds, which leads to a mishmash of names and mythology references that span countries and millennia. I appreciated the inclusion of Pacific Islander influence on names and places, especially as the island itself is set in the Pacific north.

Overall, I think Ringle did a good job crafting a unique story with great queer rep. We need to see more of this, and I'll be checking out her other stories for sure.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Molly Ringle for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the relationships between each of the characters and the fantastical fae realm that Molly created. My only wish is that this book had been made into a series so we could have spent more time with Merrick and Larkin on their adventure in each of the territories. I really do hope that there are more stories to come of this island and the faeries that surround the humans.

This is a story of love, heroism, perseverance, triumph and complete magic. I would absolutely recommend Lava Red Feather Blue to any fantasy reader. This book holds it's grip on you from the second you open it until the very last sentence I will absolutely reread it any time I feel like I need a reminder that when life gets you down, you can make it through with a little love, and a lot of help from your friends.

I adored this! Easily the strongest aspect of this book were the characters. Both Merrick and Larkin found their way into my heart immediately, and their relationship was so sweet and wholesome. The world Molly Ringle created was so interesting and fresh, and I loved learning about the history and the interactions between the fae and humans. There's nothing I love more than a story that involves a quest, and this delivered exactly that. Overall, a very fun and enjoyable read filled with some serious heart-eye moments. Highly recommend!

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley & Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with the e-ARC for Lava Red, Feather Blue in exchange for an unbiased review.

Definitely a slow burn to begin with, but Merrick and Larkin as the protagonists were engaging and pulled me into the story, plus it was fabulous to see a single sex couple, rather than the usual princess and pauper relationship.

The book played on the prince/pauper trope, but the relationship between Merrick and Larkin saved it and it didn’t feel overly done. The intimate scenes were well managed and their relationship, whilst fast to develop still felt so bloody lovely.

The world building was interesting, not forced but still quite complex, but well handled and not forced. I got enough of a sense of the world and its magic without any info dumping or boring exposition.

The pace gradually built throughout the first half of the book, but definitely notched up the pace and from that point moved at pace. A great story with all the key facets of a great adventure and resolution as a stand alone.

Lava Red Feather Blue was a pleasantly surprising fantasy tale. Part sleeping beauty re-imagined, part royalty and fae magic, I had an admittedly fun time reading.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★

To halt an oncoming war, prince Larkin is put into an enchanted slumber along with a wicked fae queen. One can not be woken without also waking the other, ensuring temporary peace amidst human and fae realms.
Conflict arises when Larkin is woken more than 200 years later by a man who definitely shouldn't have messed with magic. The two are forced to face the consequences: the fae queen is back with a vengeance, destroying the world as they know it.

~★~

Objectively, this was a pretty solid book. The writing was elegant, encompassing the atmosphere of this story in a way that I think worked well. Merrick and Larkin are both really loveable protagonists that readers will want to root for as well. I enjoyed their adventures through different fae realms, as the descriptions provided a really whimsical and unique aspect to the story.

My favourite thing about Lava Red Feather Blue was the author’s portrayal of Larkin. It was really intriguing to see a prince from the 1700’s navigating 21st century customs and technology. Molly Ringle definitely did well in terms of laying out his emotions for readers.

I never thought this would be a complaint of mine, but it seemed that almost too much was included into the second portion of this story. The protagonists endure a lot in terms of travel, hardship and danger. While I did enjoy the different settings and creatures we were introduced to, there was a point where things moved really fast and without enough time to adjust.

I really took a liking to the romance. The protagonists love feels natural and in tune with the story; I think others will truly come to love their development and personal journey.

I certainly won’t forget the intricate magical world and the dreamy haze that is this book. Ringle really made the fantasy elements charming and believable as they were weaved into important aspects of ‘both’ worlds via government, politics, and everyday life. Order and chaos go hand in hand after all.

Merrick and Larkin’s relationship started out strong for me - I’m a fan of the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Their relationship seemed more genuine to me before they entered the fae realm - I was surprised that they ‘fell in love’ so quickly and I think there wasn’t enough progression in their interactions once they crossed over the border to make a deepening relationship believable. I liked both of them though.

I also just want to say that I loved the descriptive language used for Ula Kana - I cultivated a sufficiently terrifying and smolderingly beautiful mental image for her over the length of the story.

I was really interested when i read the blurb plus the cover was so beautiful. But i was just not invested? The characters fell flat, and story was boring.

This was delightful!

<i>Lava Red Feather Blue</i> is a <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> reimagining, set in a fictional island in the Pacific where humans co-exist with fae, not entirely peacefully. Prince Larkin is the Beauty who awakens after 220 years and Merrick is the half-fae witch who awoke him accidentally. This action sets off a domino of other effects: the evil fae who wanted to eliminate humans from the island also rouses, she immediately starts destroying and killing, and the politicians are using her as an excuse to further anti-fae sentiment. Larkin and Merrick decide to undertake a journey in the land of fae to imprison this foe once and for all. In the process, they make allies, risk their lives, and fall in love.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The pacing is good, flowing smoothly to the end. The dialogue is well done and the descriptions lush. I enjoyed the banter between our two leads. There were a couple of moments that I didn't see coming, plot-wise, so kudos for surprising me. I honestly thought for a moment that <spoiler> Larkin would remain a ghost after he died at the duel</spoiler> and was very relieved that it wasn't so. Ditto for Merrick later on.

There were a couple of things that prevented me from giving this a full-5 star rating. One is that there was a little bit too much telling (rather than showing) at some points. Not so prominent in the middle of the story, but the last chapter was full telling. Second, although overall the relationship progression was good, the transition to the love declarations felt rushed to me. Finally, the battle was long with several things happening and I'd have liked the chapter to be accordingly much longer. I'd have preferred it if the battle was given the space it needed so it could be more vivid and clear in my head.

But these are small things that didn't stop me from enjoying this story. I often caught myself smiling while reading, which is a thing that doesn't happen often, and I appreciated it enormously, especially during this awful year. The story made me all warm and fuzzy, I loved the unique setting mixing the modern world with the fae, and had fun spending time with our two boys. It's a very heart-warming story, effortlessly inclusive and well-paced, and I can see it becoming very popular.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review!

This book was something that I desperately needed in my life, but I didn't know it until I had it.

There are so many things I loved about this book that I honestly don't know where to start. The worldbuilding in it is fantastic and flows so well, because information gets presented naturally as you move along the story and this world and its logistics become clearer. The characters are well fleshed out and lovable, even when they mess up or act selfishly because they feel real and flawed. The writing style is beautiful and very easy to follow -it's lyrical without being complicated, and as the saying goes: easy reading is damn hard writing!

But most of all I loved that this book is delightfully and casually queer .

If you know me then you know that I don't often dabble in fantasy, as I never see a place for me in it. I read several fantasy books throughout my life, and all of them were variations on a theme when it came to the main characters. All of the books I previously read were led by heterosexual and (most often) white characters with little diversity, which starts to get frustrating after a while if you're a queer person of color like me. To see fantasy books were dragons can exist but you cannot is pretty disheartening. And so, I had stopped reading fantasy books for the longest time. Up until I saw Lava Red Feather Blue listed under Fantasy AND LGBT+ categories and felt the first rush of excitement to read a fantasy book in a long while. I had such high hopes diving into this story, and it honestly didn't disappoint at all. And now, there will be no stopping me as I went looking for more lgbt+ fantasy books after finishing this read. Thank you Molly Ringle for gently but firmly pulling me back into the Fantasy genre!

I adored that Merrick and Larkin's sexuality was just a casual part of the story that was never put to question or treated as an issue, which is the most refreshing/beautiful thing to read. Cassidy -Merrik's non-binary sibling- also gets to be their gender in peace and they're never once misgendered or questioned about it. Background characters are allowed to be queer and just exist in the background, adding more depth and love to the story by virtue of being mentioned. It isn't often that you find a book that allows its queer characters the luxury of a normal undisturbed existence when it comes to gender and/or sexuality, and so this story was a breath of fresh air in that regard.

Another thing I appreciated is that this book treats its characters well and allows them to develop while still having flaws and acting foolish at times. Each characters is allowed their motives, their flaws, the consequences of their actions, and eventually their growth. It takes some real skill to get me to care about background characters, but this book really did it! The writing is witty and funny, and the dynamics work so well that I wouldn't mind reading a book about the characters' every day lives on this magical island. Furthermore the pace of the book feels right, where you get proper build-up, followed by tension and release, and the book wraps up every plot point nicely by the end.

All I can say at the end is that this book was such a wonderful, fun read, and the nicest bit of escapism I've had this month. I can't wait to buy my own copy when it comes out, and I would recommend it to any lgbt+ or poc friends looking for a great read!

A fantasy-adventure for adults with just a touch of modern-day realism. "Lava Red Feather Blue" definitely reads like a modern-day Charmed.

While I do think the style of world-building takes a while to get used to, the actual story itself is quite interesting. Merrick and Larkin were an absolute delight to read and the story focus' mainly on their interactions with each other. It is also important to note how positive the lgbt+ experience is in this book and none of the queer characters has sexuality as the forefront of their struggles.

Eidolonia, the island which the book is set on, is also quite interesting as it melds modern-day technology with magic. There is also mention of how the island itself is a melting pot of cultures but apart from characters not being white, very little of it is explored in a meaningful way to mean much in terms of representation and visibility.

I think where this book fails, for me, was that the plot itself would have been wonderful as a middle-grade or even YA story. The characters read like aged-up versions of what would have been brilliant younger characters. While there are many moments that pushed this book into an adult space, I don't think the characters or stakes made it seem like that was the space this story wanted to be in.

All that being said, I am a huge fan of tv series that use magical-realism and if this gets adapted I'm going to be so hyped because this is the kind of story I think would be brilliant on-screen as a mini-series,

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me an e-arc to read in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars.

Lava Red Feather Blue was a wonderful read and I enjoyed it immensely. The writing and characters were amazing, and the story was captivating, very well paced but also easily captured in one book rather than stretched out into a series.

The worldbuilding was great - I loved Eidolonia, it seemed like a fascinating place, and I really liked the mix of technology and magic and how they infused together, as many fantasy novels would totally reject the notion of regular tech. It also made sense to include the tech, considering Larkin felt out of his element in the 21st century. The magic was well detailed and explained too, which I appreciated so much as it was easy to understand - from the exo and endo witches, to the different types of fae, it was well described and understandable. Also, this is an adjacent point, I liked that this world was so open and accepting of lgbtq+ identities; it was so casual, there was no question to it, with lots of references to same gender relationships and a nonbinary sidecharacter, and I really loved that.

Larkin and Merrick were wonderful characters, so different and distinct from each other with an electric dynamic that I enjoyed reading. I thought they were both super well rounded, and I felt for both of them when they experienced hardships and guilt - they both had such good hearts, despite doubting that, and there's nothing I love more than unlikely heroes.

My only gripe with this book is that the antagonist, Ula Kana, does not appear much in the book and there is little known about her character. While her objectives of creating havoc are explained (and make sense because who wouldn't hate the havoc humans have created out of our selfishness), but that is very surface level and I wish we could know more about when these motives of hers developed. Not to mention, she's incredibly powerful, and that is not explained much either.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and appreciate receiving this arc.

3,5 stars.

i really liked this! the e-ark wasn’t the best in terms of formatting, but i got used to it after a while. the world building wasn’t that strong at times, but some of the time i really liked it too.

the best part of this book (for me) was definitely the characters! i loved both merrick and larkin, both individually and together. and i absolutely love that them being lgbtq+ isn’t a problem to anyone — they just are. lgbtq+ romances like that are too rare.

The writing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I feel conflicted on this one, because I loved the world Molly Ringle has created, but I am unsure about her development of her characters.

I loved Eidolonia, the blend of old magic and new technology and the way that the different fae realms affect our heroes emotionally as they travel through them. The LGBTQ representation - without making that a major plot point, and the ages of our heroes, it's nice to read fantasy that isn't about teenagers. Ringle's use of scents, which felt more natural than other fantasy novels I have read were a plus for me too, as well as the poetry included, which surprised me as I'm not normally a fan, but I did feel that they fit well within the story.

But the characters, in comparison, didn't receive the same amount of development. We know very little about Merrick, other than the fact he comes across as immature (he might be older, but I did feel like he was the 'teen' of this fantasy novel...) and pretty self centred. Larkin comes across as a bit of a snob but I did feel in some way that this was for self preservation, he's gone through an incredibly traumatic event and he seems really quick to brush it off and start fantasising and flirting with Merrick. Similarly their romance felt a bit rushed, I did enjoy that they seemed to bicker like an old married couple pretty early on, but I felt that we could have done with a slow burn romance on this one, and their expressions of love irritated me because I felt like I barely knew them, how could they know each other well enough to love one another?

Then Ula Kana, the antagonist, is barely in it. Which normally wouldn't be an issue, but once Larkin and Merrick entered the fae realm and became disconnected from their world I also felt disconnected from the peril Ula Kana was supposed to present. The frequent check ins via Merricks phone just wasn't really enough to keep that momentum flowing. I also found it odd that when they reach the verge to enter the fae realm Ula Kana just suddenly appears, I assume the idea is that she has spies everywhere, but with the time difference between realms... I just don't see how this would work.

But the end for me, that I really liked, there's no 'happily ever after...' leave off here, you're kept around for the grim reality of a world needing to be rebuilt, Larkin struggling to acclimatise to modern life and Merrick suffering from the trauma of his experiences. That felt much more real.

All in all though I did really like this, I feel that the world would be a perfect setting for more adventures, some of the supporting characters would be interesting to read more of, and Ringle has a style of writing that I enjoyed.

Fave quote - 'We smile at our weak candle flames, sing together, to remember that we are lucky
To remind ourselves of our delicacy
Our good fortune
To live a quiver, a breath, away from such power.'

Fave moment - In the hollow with the whitefingers, incredibly creepy, however I wish this had been a drawn out a little more and made to be creepier!

Lava Red Feather Blue follows Merrick who accidently awakens Larkin, a prince put to sleep as part of an agreement between humans and fae to stop Ula, who wants to get rid of humans. With the truce broken, they both team up to try and defeat Ula by venturing into the Fae side of the Island.

The first half of the book was quite hard to get into, not a lot happens in terms of the plot and it is very slow paced with the focus more on world building and the history of the characters. I did however enjoy the world building of the story at the start and throughout the book and also the setting of the book with a magical Island where humans could develop magical abilities was interesting. In general, the first half was boring and did feel dragged out for most parts however the second half of the book was much better. The second half focuses more on the characters teaming up and going into the Fae place, the plot was more fun and action packed with the characters visiting different places and characters on their journey – it was interesting to see the Fae world and different abilities each side character had. However, I just felt like the writing style of the book was not for me, even though so much was happening and the plot followed the adventures the characters were undertaking, I was really bored because the writing style felt really flat for me and personally I felt like there was so much unnecessary information that made the book drag on and it felt like a longer read than it actually was.

I did like the main characters in the book, they had their flaws but were honest to each other and themselves about their issues. It was also fun to read their interactions in the first half because they are both from different times and so it was interesting to see how they adapted to each other and formed an alliance. I did like how their relationship was built up throughout the book, it was slow paced at first and they slowly started to trust each other more as they relied on each other to survive their journey.

The ending of the book was quite disappointing, the first half of the book sets up the plan on how to defeat Ula and then the second half is about the characters carrying out this plan, so there was nothing surprising about the plot and the build up to the final fight was disappointing.

2/5

This read was a 3 solid stars for me.

I would normally be jumping from joy, I mean, a fantasy and also queer? Yes, please! But alas, I was a little bit disappointed.

I felt very lost at the beginning, the story throws a lot of information and terms at you in ways of world building and it takes a while to get the hang of it.

The pace was very fast and I had very little time to get attached to the characters and because I was bombarded with so much information, Larkin and Merrick’s meeting was entirely predictable and the romance not believable for me.

The actions scenes descriptions were also very vague and while they were entertaining to read, I still don’t understand how the participants looked and moved.

Now with the good.

While I didn’t get the chance to get attached to the characters, the story was entertaining and had a lot of potential. The world, while confusing at first, was very interesting and intricate and I wish I could have read more about it.

I liked that I was never sure about the ending and even if it was in the range of possibilities it surprised me.

—-
Thanks to NetGalley for supplying me with an ARC.