ebookreview | Entries tagged with author: s.l. prater

Court of Tricksters (Fae Tricksters #1) by S.L. Prater

Sypnosis
The fae Duke of Night doesn't believe in love—but he'll claim his mate nonetheless.

Mating is a matter of politics for Night, not the heart. To prevent a forced union that will plunge the Lunar Court into war, he must find and bond his true mate.

When he lays eyes on Rain, he knows the shy forest witch is the bond mate he's been searching for. Unprepared for the intensity of his attraction, Night makes an offer that would keep his priorities straight and his court safe: a marriage of convenience. Any eligible woman—mortal and immortal alike—would leap at the chance to become the powerful duke's bride.

But Rain isn't interested.

She's lived outside of society too long to ever fit into Night's world of shapeshifting tricksters and back-stabbing politicians. And Rain demands more than the trappings of marriage. She wants a match with heart.

Night doesn't have the luxury of time to change his mate's mind. War looms closer and the Lunar Court is caught in the middle. Out of options, the fae duke sees only one choice.

Kidnap his bride.

Review:
Okay, I just finished crying ugly in the middle of this book. I blame the author for that. I mean, I was not expecting any sort of attachment to any of the characters be they the main leads or the secondary characters, but I did.

This is the first book of the Fae Trickster series. I don't know how big of a series this plans to be but I am truly excited to see the direction this series goes because I am truly invested in the storyline, characters, and world-building. This book has hooked me since the first page and I know I need to find the author either on Instagram or Tik Tok so I may follow her on her journey for the progression of this series.

The romance between Night and Rain is slow and realistic. Night breaks the mold of the alpha male and doesn't feel the need to force her to stay by his side. No, he is the complete opposite- he is sweet and always concerned for Rain's happiness rather than his own. When he kidnaps her, he does not force himself on her, but only explains that he feels she is his mate. Rain, who has lived her life with no real attachments to any human or fae, is not quite sure what to feel about him. She knows that she feels the bond between them, but Rain wants what Night cannot give her - love. It is the most important thing to her. She doesn't want to have some marriage of convenience. Things do change but it is slow and doesn't feel forced and that is the type of romance I love - a slow-burn romance that is sweet and savory.

The secondary characters - the women of the tavern are great secondary characters that you also become invested in. Despite the hardships of their own lives, they love Rain and seem to treat her like family. They are genuine in their feelings and you can feel that through the pages.

Also, let us not forgot Bernard, Rain's familiar. He is funny and yet he is always concerned when it comes to the importance of Rain's feelings. It does not matter that they are bonded by the soul, but he does love her in his own way. But he is the best character sidekick. He made the scenes with him hilarious. I loved the bits of sarcasm that dripped from his words and the desire to kill anyone who would harm Rain.

This is a fantasy romance. It is beautiful. It has world-building that is lush and well-structured. You do get glimpses of other parts of the world as well as other characters. We know that there are other realms and each one is held by either King or Queen. I do hope we get more of the history between the two realms and their rulers a bit more.

I love this story. I am glad I picked it up on a whim. I was not expecting to do so because I have been burned by a lot of fae romances but this one put that love right back on the map for me. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Genre:
Fantasy, Romance, the Fae, Adult, Magical Realism, Demons, Witches, High Fantasy, Fated Mates, Slow Burn, Fated Mates

Stars:

5 out of 5