I really appreciate the use of fae lore in this book. I was nervous starting it but honestly it was the best thing about it and refreshing to read.

But I also found myself struggling to focus. It was definitely a me thing and I think on reread I'd enjoy this more.

I'd definitely recommend this book though for people looking for Irish fae books.

This story is set in Ireland, with Irish mythology. The world building in this book was absolutely fantastic!

I devoured this book!
Give me anything to do with Irish mythology and the Tuatha Dé Danann and I’m hooked.
Aisling left her Fianna clan for unknown reasons but circumstances bring her back into that world whether she wants to or not. While her family is still reeling from recent events, an ancient competition is upon them and Aisling and her clan must take part in the dangerous rite, but at what risk? What will happen? Who will win?

Aisling is everything you could want in a heroine. Headstrong, brave, smart, and also relatable.
There is action, romance, mystery and magic. There are different types of family, there is diversity, there is LGBTQ+ representation.
If you’re after a great story with memorable characters, than I can’t recommend this book enough! I honestly can’t wait to read more!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read the arc of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

From the back of the book:

‘Nothing is ever as it seems, especially when Fair Ones are involved.

In a land that harbours two realms, magical creatures and dangerous games are a way of life and death for the travelling Fianna clans. It is an honour to visit Tír na nÓg, even if the price is pretending Fair Ones don't hunt humans for sport.

Ireland native Aisling never imagined she'd be alone, living a double life. But when your family shares the ability to see through fae glamour, keeping secrets isn't something you do for fun. You do it to stay alive.

A murder leaves Aisling motherless, thrusting her into the position of matriarch in a world she thought she'd never return to. Teaming up with unlikely allies for a competition steeped in peril, she can't resist the distraction warrior Setanta offers. Brooding, gorgeous, and impossibly strong, he gives her a chance to be something she never could before—herself.

Bonded by troubled pasts and deadly circumstances, the team of misfits must face damaging truths as they try to stop their worlds from colliding.’

Review:

A realm of Lore and Lies breathes life into Irish Folklore. We follow the points of view of four different characters whose lives are tangled together in mystery and loss. The first 40% of this book introduces us to each of the four protagonists and we are shown the world of the travelling Fianna and what it means to live as one.

The pacing was a little slow at first with occasional bursts of action that propelled the story very quickly forwards. The death of Aisling’s mother was brutal and my heart was in my throat by the end. There were so many wonderful and clever twists in this book that allowed the true villain to feel like a huge shock. I truly can’t wait for the next book to come out. My absolute favourite character will forever be Maebh, she is unapologetically herself, a confident and strong bisexual Queen. And Tiernan holds my heart. What you expect from this book after the first half compared to where it takes you by the end is such a journey. Each characters perspective is so well done (with no crossovers in timeline which is always a win). I’m suspicious as to why four of the main characters have a special ability and I can’t wait to learn more about it in the next book. As a debut novel and the first of a series I’m hooked.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

In a land that harbors two realms, magical creatures and dangerous games are a way of life and death for the travelling Fianna clans. It is an honor to visit Tír na nÓg the land of the forever young, even if the price is pretending Fair Ones don't hunt humans for sport. Ashling, had left that world behind but now after the death of her mother she's dragged back in to try and figure out what's going on.

This book has a lot going on that made it hard to follow at certain points. Particularly at the first jump to a new POV. We hadn't been introduced to Tiernan at this point but we are thrust into his POV that where something entirely new is going on. This happens again when we are introduced to Setanta's POV in chapter 8 and Maebh in chapter 9. Eventually it all works out, but its a bit disconcerting.

I did really like the dichotomy between Ashling and Maebh. Both are the next in line as matriarch for their respective clans, with neither clan being particularly happy about the fact. They are both fraternal twins. Other than that they are extremely different with Maebh being head strong and determined and Ashling being much more passive with her only goal being to save/ be by her brother's side.

There is a lot of Irish folk lore and mythology woven in which I really enjoyed. The fair ones themselves are, tritonal. As in not nice, mischievous and pick on/ harm humans, I like seeing them less watered down. I hope in the next book we get to see more of the fair ones.

Over all I liked the book, I will look into the sequel when it comes out because it does leave of on a heck off a cliffhanger. I'm just hoping that it will be a bit easier to get through knowing about the world from the first book.

Set in Ireland, with Irish mythos and culture, the culture and worldbuilding that went into Realm of Lore and Lies is outstanding!

In a land that harbours two realms, magical creatures and dangerous games are a way of life and death for the travelling Fianna clans. Fair Ones don’t hunt humans for sport. Ireland native Aisling never imagined she’d be alone, living a double life. But when your family shares the ability to see through Fae glamour, keeping secrets isn’t something you do for fun. You do it to stay alive.

I loved that the book was written in third person, each chapter focused primarily on a different character and their thoughts. Aisling is clearly the main character, but I enjoyed the other characters also. Aisling discovers so many secrets! While the romance wasn't really for me it didn't distract from the plot, and overall I liked the quest, the murder mystery, and that surprise ending!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read Realm of Lore and Lies by Claire Wright before publishing.
All thoughts spoken are my own.

GR rating: 4 ⭐s
My rating: 3.5 ⭐s

Ash left the Fianna clan 7 years ago, only to discover her mom murdered at her place of work, and she sets out to find her killer. Loaded with Irish Mythology and Folklore, Realm of Lore and Lies deals with death, mystery, trials and romance during the course of the story.

Open reading the blurb I was excited for this book. And while it was good, I struggled to get through it, and it took me much longer than anticipated. I hate to say I almost DMFd it.

It had it's high points that I did enjoy (the Lore, friendships, setting, the banter), but overall it fell flat for me. I struggled to connect with the characters, and would have liked to say maybe only two POVs instead.

Releasing October 3rd 2022

*review posted to Goodreads. Will also be posted to my instagram upon release day.

I did enjoy reading this book! It's such an interesting way to look at the magical realm. I wish more was explained in a sense with certain characters or scenes that happened but thats what the other books will be for right?!
The world building was so interesting i love seeing authors ways of building a fantasy world and this didn't disappoint me. You follow Ash(Aisling), Set(Setana), Maebh, and Tiernan in this book and man going from each person and seeing their lives and how their relationships grew over time. Murder, mystery, love, and finding one's self! I loved how Ash and Meabh's friendship grew, love to see women support women! The ending definitely out here breaking my heart but I am excited to see where things go in book 2!

First off, I want to thank NetGalley for an arc of this book. I really do appreciate it.

Now onto my review. For the most part, this is not a bad book. I like the idea behind it and the overall story. However, I do have one or two … problems is the wrong word and so is issues. It’s just that this took me over a week to read. I kept putting it down and doing something else. The characters didn’t have that much depth to it. There was a lot of service level stuff going on and there were too many perspectives and not enough time with a lot of the characters, ie Set and Tiernan. Aisling did grow quite a bit throughout the book, but she didn’t get off to the right foot at the start. It is a little slow in the beginning (ok a lot slow), but it does quicken towards the end. Despite this, it does have a lot of potential. I think maybe if she focused on maybe two characters rather than the three or more that the author had written about. Like I said, it’s not a bad book. I think I would recommend it, even just to see what others thought of it.

ARC with thanks to NetGalley and publisher in return of an honest review
The book tells the tale of Ash who is an ex member of a Fianna clan having walked out 7 years earlier only to discover her mum murdered where she works.
To fight for the truth and discover who murdered her Mum, Ash takes on the role of matriarch of her former clan and meets her brother who is clearly not telling everything.
Along the way we discover about the Macquillan clan with Mae( pain in the arse) Setana ( yes please! Although maybe not the evil monster within him) and Tieranan.
The group ends up in an alternative world to fight in the Cath organised by the High King and a dodgy Druid sidekick.
Without giving anything away. The story is mostly setting you up for the first half of the book . Second half gets more interesting and it’s definitely setting you up for the next book.
I struggled with is the book good or great???. It’s more of a 3.8-3.9 Good but not quite great.
I would read book two to see if Ash stops complaining, Mae starts listening and to see how Tieranan gets out of the mess he’s in and the end.
I think it would have been better with the encyclopaedia at the front ( especially if digital version ) as I didn’t know it was there and I was guessing some pronunciation all way through.

Thank you for letting me review this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25

Thank you to NetGalley for providing with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a captivating read using Irish mythology and fairytales to embrace a story of travellers embracing their roots and protecting their clan.

Set in the modern world, the characters find themselves surrounded by death, trials and mystery as they try to navigate the politics of their clans and the rules of the faerie land.

I liked the found family aspects (as anyone knows I’m a sucker for this), and there were some humorous dialogue exchanges between the characters which made it fun.
The plot was fast-paced and action-packed.

However, I do wish there were more aspects of the mythology included such as more monsters, fae creatures and those sorts of interactions.
I did love the mischievous pucca though!

I loved the dreary Irish backdrop in this book, super cozy for fall! I also especially loved the modern day aspect, but with all of the Irish folklore tied in. This book was a fun read and I definitely felt myself caught up in the warrior clan culture and family drama. This made me want to go to Ireland even more now, sans evil magical creatures. Overall, great debut novel!

My first ARC from NetGalley for an honest review, and WOW. I feel so fortunate to have such a great florist experience with an ARC.

After reading the premise, I was immediately interested in diving headfirst into Realm of Lore and Lies. I love to learn and read about many regions of folklore and mythology, with most experience being Norse, Greek, and Arthurian. The story elements from Irish Folklore were new and exciting - I can’t wait to learn more.

The plot was slow to start, but once it picked up I was hooked.

My only criticism would be the too-quick onset of romantic feelings between characters.

I can’t wait for book 2!

Thank you BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
REALM OF LORE AND LIES by Claire Wright is a multiple POV story steeped in Irish lore and settings. After Aisling finds her mother murdered, she returns to her Fianna clan in search of the killer. She finds herself allied with people from her own clan and another clan for a competition in Tír na nÓg (the otherworld where the Fair Ones reside) that turns deadly.
The Irish based myth and lore this story offers is exceptional. It's unique in this aspect because I have never read a book featuring Irish mythology. Following badass female main characters is always a plus for me too. Oh, and the Fianna Clans have matriarchies! The murder mystery plot kept me interested, and the twist makes me want to continue the series.
That being said, I'm unsure if I will. Despite loving the concept of the plot and learning more about Irish lore, I struggled to get through this book (not because of the length). The pacing, I think, is what I struggled with the most. It dragged in too many places and the characters weren't making me fall in love enough to make up for that. We get four POVs, which naturally can hinder how much depth you get from chatacters. There were aspects of the characters I liked, but I didn't find myself really enjoying them.
Based on the synopsis saying this is slow burn fantasy romance, I knew there would be romance in here. But when our characters just witnessed someone close to them die, and another character has to focus on not looking at another's private area, it's a bit unrealistic. I semi-enjoyed the relationships that developed, but again, I just didn't feel 100% into it. The trauma bond aspect was probably my favorite part about it, because I'm a sucker for those. Now on the other hand, I enjoyed the friendship developments SO much more! They were much more believable and I'm definitely rooting for the friendships in future installments.
I think something that hindered the pacing was much of the book felt over-written. I understand detailing the world building and creature aspects, but certain descriptions and actions were over explained. We don't need 3 sentences about a character moving from one place to another and what they see before they respond to another character all the time.
I enjoyed the short chapters, they helped push the pacing a bit. The intrigue was definitely there, and I am interested to see what the sequel has to offer.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Claire Wright for the ARC of this book.

I think this was a great start to what is clearly going to be an epic fantasy series. Going into it, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed the story of the fae offset with modern-day humans in Ireland. The battle between the stereotypes and prejudices was an interesting take I think.

This story follows our four main misfits:

Aisling Breen - Ash - the girl who ran from her clan to live a “normal” life, only to be forced into matriarchy after her mother’s death. A formidable force and leader of the Breen clan.

Maebh McQuillan - the badass who ran from her clan to escape her abusive mother for the opportunity to prove herself in the legendary Cath trials. Basically a bisexual, gender swapped Loki.

Tiernan Cassidy - a lean, witty hacker often misunderstood and underestimated. After his mother’s disappearance, joins the Breen clan.

Setanta McQuillan - Set - Maebh’s twin brother who is part human, part monster. Think the Hulk but fae-style. Experimented and doted on by his mother as the favorite of her two children.

As the story develops, we learn more about each character from their points of view. Normally I’m not a huge fan of more than two POVs, but I think this story really worked. I enjoyed how interconnected their lives were, and I can guarantee that we haven’t even seen the extent of that interconnectedness yet.

Overall, this book was long and there were some character mishaps occasionally (ie thoughts didn’t always line up with actions), but I am thankful to have read it. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and see where all the story goes.

Honestly, I love a good fantasy book and this one really drew me in. I loved how it was set in Ireland, the fae lore and the murder mystery.

Following these characters truly was a whirlwind. At first it did take me a bit to get into which is expected as the story is set up. But as the story progresses to Tír na nÓg I began to get invested. Especially around the last thirty percent of the book, I couldn't stop reading.

I do hope to see a lot more character development in the next book! With an ending like that I can't want for book two!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Gyspys, fae, kings, evil moms, and romance. LGTBQ representation. Murder Mystery. Seriously you fall in love with these characters and try to figure out who murdered who and why... all while on a quest with their found families.

~ARC Review~
This book had so much potential. The world-building was so unique, the writing so atmospheric, the characters dynamic. I really wanted to like it. But, it was pretty hard to get through. I almost DNFed it because of how much the middle dragged. It’s really a shame because with a good editor this book could have been a new favorite.

I loved the setting and how all the magic was steeped in legends. I loved the relationships between the characters and the mystery at the core of the book but it was just so long. From about the 30%-70% mark I was genuinely bored. The ending picked up really quickly and I was really into it, so I know this series has a lot of potential.

I think fans of Sarah J. Maas might like this one, because I often have the same feelings about her books(too slow, too long, needs a better editor). And, the characters in Realm of Lore and Lies reminded me a lot of the core group of characters present in all of her series.

All that being said, I would be interested in continuing this series to see where the author takes it!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this ARC
This book comes out October 3 2022!

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book but I was delightfully surprised. I loved it !

Set in Ireland, Realm of Lore and Lies is a tale of human Fianna clans and the creatures that live among them and in the otherworld. While keeping their eye out for púca, white-haired druids, and trifling family, there are also grisly murders and missing loved ones. after that ending, I absolutely need to know what happens next!!

I wanted to like this, but in the end it was another fae story that let me down.
It started off pretty well. The writing isn't *amazing* but it is easy to read, and there was a decent hook to begin with.

I think the first mistake the author made was making this multi-POV. It just... didn't need to be. Aisling is clearly the main character, and also this story would 100% still have worked with just her POV. Introducing the other POVs completely slammed the breaks on the pacing, and after a fairly gripping opening, nothing happened. This could have been condensed by a lot too.

Also, nothing much actually happened plot wise. This feeling was exacerbated by how passive the four main characters were. They barely made a single plan the whole time, just reacted to other stuff happening. And then when they did have plans, they didn't make any sense?

The druid, Ethne was also annoying af. She was clearly OP, knew everything, and just kept appearing and being vague, but also made the characters do things instead of them having any of their own agency. There's not necessarily anything wrong with having an OP kind of character manipulating others from behind the scenes, but it's certainly more interesting when it's not so obvious (including to the characters themselves) that they're being manipulated.

The romance in this also wasn't for me. They both felt forced, and there was just way too much internal dialogue about feelings and how hot everyone was. Ew. I was also wish we got to see more actual fae, and more of the fae world. There was very little faerie screen time. Maybe that will change in future books, but I won't be sticking around to find out.