Book: The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May
My Rating: 4 Steampunk Stars
Hey fellow bookworms! So, my sister told me about this book, The Falconer. She said I would love it because the main character is this awesome chick who hunts faeries at night, but is a lady during the day. Obviously, I read it and loved it.
Aileana is a young lady who wears pretty gowns and goes to balls, but also she’s a faerie hunter/engineer who makes all these cool faerie killing contraptions and hunts them down with her mysterious mentor, Kiaran. Spoiler alert: there is some GREAT angsty romance and banter between these two. Aileana is the last in a line of Falconers – female warriors born to for faerie killing – and after her mother’s death she’s out for revenge…but also to save the world…and also she has to be a proper lady in high society. Basically, the girl has a lot on her plate, and this is only the first book in the series. So prepare yourself for a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers.
I loved several things about this book. First, Aileana is perfect. She’s like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but steampunk and set in 19th century Scotland. Perfect amount of sarcasm and lethal combat skills, but also is beautiful and appreciates good fashion. I also loved that she was an inventor. The descriptions of all her weapons and machines were so well written, it was easy to see them while reading about them. I also loved Kiaran – the broody mysterious tough guy, and Gavin – her childhood friend who came home all dashing good looks and charm. There was kind of a love triangle if you squint, and I HATE love triangles, but fear not! Aileana is way to decisive to get stuck in a love triangle, so it doesn’t last long.
If you’re looking for a fun series to jump into, if you enjoy steampunk, or if you like great female protagonists, I highly recommend The Falconer series. And word to the wise, have book two on standby because this ending is textbook cliffhanger.
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.