The Falconer: Review

Synopsis:

Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

***

It's official. I. Love. This. Book.

First is the whole steampunk setting. I always like for a historical YA fiction because the past just seems... kind of mysterious to me. The place is chosen perfectly. Scotland is an enchanting and dark place with all the fae tales going around. Oh and faeries that are even darker than those in The Iron Fey, which is one of my all time favorite series? That pretty much seals the deal for me.

Aileana is a great heroine. For some reason she reminds me of Celaena Sardothien, a heroine that I love in Throne of Glass. Maybe because both of them are some kind of assassins? The concept of the Falconer is brilliant. A human, yet is chosen to be a faerie killer. As if it's not good enough, the plot is well-developed with a pretty hard edge and the book is detailed without seemingly like littering information. I don't know how the author manage that, but it's pretty clear that she's awesome.

The best parts are the romance and the rage. Romance, because it's hard not to like Kiaran, even though he's sometimes (though not often) a first-class jerk and a really dangerous fae. He's mysterious, dark and utterly compelling. I always have a soft spot for a fictional boy with a dark (maybe even brutal) past. And it's obvious Kiaran fits. The rage... well, let's say that the rage makes everything more fiery hot. It's the basic component of the story because rage is what triggers Aileana's decision of becoming a faerie killer. The spark and the burn of anger is like a real touchable thing. I can't imagine The Falconer without the rage and hatred.

Read this. Seriously. It's awesome in a brutal way. 

Rating: 8/10