The Falconer: Book One of the Falconer Trilogy

I grabbed this from the local library because it's steampunk set in Edinburgh! Awesome! And those parts were awesome. The fairy magic was also really well done.
The main characters have depth, the pacing is good, the plot is fairly predictable but interesting.
But the end.
Ugh!
It's not just a cliff-hanger; it's a confusing cliff-hanger. Seriously, May does not let her protagonist solve even one of her conflicts, and the book just stops mid-battle scene, leaving the reader unclear as to what just happened or didn't happen as the protagonist is distracted.
It is possibly the worst ending I've read in a a while. I took off a full star for the non-ending of this book.
However, I suspect that if a reader waits until the author has finished the series and then has the whole series on hand, it won't be that bad.
I, for one, won't be doing that. I am now soured on what looked like a promising book.

Set in Scotland, 1844, a year ago Aileana, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was found standing over the dead body of her mother, covered in blood. Society believes she did the deed, but that her rank saved her from paying for the crime. The truth is a fae ripped out her mother's heart. Now she's training night after night, with Kiaran, a member of the fae himself. Confident in her skills she tracks and kills fae so that one day soon she can avenge her mother's killer, hiding from her friends and father her double life.

The short review...

Fae stories are all about the details, this is because the fae world is pretty much established... i.e. the entire back history of the fae pretty much doesn't change. Only the details do. In this rendition we are set in an alternate steampunk version of historical Scotland. Hidden in the shadows are the fae. The details of the world building all come together simply but work well together to create an unexpected and unusual version of the fae. There are some great characters that flesh out the story... Derrick the drunk honey loving tiny fae! Charlotte the innocent but complicit BFF! Gavin, the returned crush who can share the burden! I love fae. And if you love fae too then I'm pretty confident this is a series opener you will enjoy.

And a series opener it certainly is. The book ends on a massive cliffhanger that gives the story a feeling of incompleteness. This aside, what it is (setup for the rest of the series) it does well. The story is tight, centered around meeting Aileana and Kiaran and learning about the situation with the fae. Kiaran is a mystery we want to crack as its not clear why he's helping train a human or hunt his own kind. And you feel for Aileana who can no longer fit in her world and lost her mother, the one person who was everything to her. The idea of a falconer who deal with the fae is an intriguing one and is a great central idea to direct the series.

Cover & Title grade -> A-

A gorgeous cover that draws your eye immediately, especially if you enjoy a historical setting even a little bit. It gives a fantasy vibe plus you know this girl is a fighter. It practically SCREAMS to be picked up... What caused me to drop the rating a tad is the fact it doesn't scream fae... in fact there is ZERO indication of supernatural leanings of any sort, so readers naturally drawn to those stories wouldn't think to pick it up for that reason. I still think you'd want to check it out, but its a lost opportunity to slam dunk the target audience.

How does Scotland, 1844, steampunk and fae work together?

Scotland provides a magical wild setting.
England during this time was a little more staid and developed. Scotland was considered more rugged and wild. Setting the story here allows there to be high society to influence Aileana and her life but also have a location where wild fae would perhaps be locked up and when freed roam around without causing an immediate panic.

The historical time period a feminist agenda.
This isn't exactly a book for staunch feminists, but it does use the fact it's set in 1844 to pit Aileana against the male chauvinism of the day. Women today whether you are a traditional sort or more modern one have to fight for their place in the world. And Aileana has to fight to be allowed to avenge her mother. She can't be swayed by the priorities of her position, her sex or her society.

Steampunk adds the fire power.
It's not really believable in the least that a human female can beat a male fae. Not only because of the racial differences but because of the differences in strength between the sexes. Adding steampunk though and a propensity to tinker with it is fun AND it allows Aileana the fire power to even the playing field, at least enough to be believable.

The fae brings the sex appeal.
The best thing to combat feminism is a gorgeous, hot, supernatural male. And who wants an easy sell?! So, of course, he's a bit of an ass... Plus add in his role as your trainer and the one who has all the answers... he becomes this irritating draw that keeps sucking you in no matter how you try to escape! It's fun and root worthy.

When we start a new fantasy series we want the world to stand apart from what we've read before. The details can do that and with this fae world it creates a great steampunk, alternate history, supernatural punch! Aileana and Kiaran take us on a wild, battle filled ride through that world and I'm anxious to follow them deeper in the Seelie and Unseelie territories...

The concept of this book is what really attracted my attention. I know there has been a streak of fantasy books with the fae, but I’ve never read them this is my very first book and well I did like it. Aileana, while a bit too stubborn and hellbent on revenge for her mother, is a very strong female character. Aileana can make her own weapons, dress and act the part of a aristocrat, and knows her vulnerabilities. It’s been a while that I have instantly liked a character in a YA fantasy book. I do wish that the book had started a bit before Aileana’s mothers dead so we can see the character change and what has brought her to this dark place.

The beginning of the book did confuse me a bit, as I though for a quick second that I may have been reading the first book. This was quickly remedied as I got the background of Aileana and why she was a bit of an outcast now. I really liked each side characters. Derrick, Catherine and Gavin were great. The one thing I had a problem with was Kieran. It’s obvious that he is the love interest to Aileana, but I am just tired of brooding, mysterious men or I guess Fae in this book. The action and fight scenes were great though and fast paced but not to the point where I couldn’t follow along.

I may take a while before I read the second book as I felt I read this one somewhat slowly.

One year ago, society Lady Aileana Kameron watched as her mother was murdered by a bloodthirsty faery. Ever since, then Aileana has been plotting vengeance. Training to become the best weapon she can be, hunting down the faery murderer, and killing any fae who get in the way. All while pretending to be the perfect Victorian Lady. Only two know her secret - the pixie who lives in her closet and the faery man who trains her and shows her her destiny as a Falconer. But Aileana soon discovers that the murderer is the least of her problems. A race of the most powerful fae were sealed underneath the city centuries ago. And the seal is about to break.

The Falconer was pretty good. It is a bit darker than I expected, what with the blood-sucking fae, murders, and vengeance. Yikes. I would not want to get in Aileana's way, much less the stronger fae man who trains her. There was something almost feral in their brutality.

It is set in Scotland during the Victorian Age. Think rigid society rules paired with brutal magic and a little bit of steampunk. In general, I love the Victorian Age as a setting. All the coded words bearing insults in designers, the unspoken rules, and the scandals that can result from a tiny misconstrued mistake. So it was interesting to see it combined with faery magic. The Lady has a secret life people can only guess at. She's a terrible liar, though.

Which brings me to the love triangle. The fae man training her is the person Aileana is most interested in. However, he is inhuman in many ways. Too many for me to wish the, together. He's hiding dangerous secrets from her, and yet she trusts him with little reservation. And even if he wasn't, the gap between the cold, emotionless faery and the passionate Falconer is too great to bridge, in my opinion. The other individual in the love triangle is the Seer, a childhood friend Aileana once had a crush on. He returns from college and almost immediately discovers her secrets and enters her group. He seems a little weak, unfortunately. But in other ways, he is a perfect match for her. And they run straight into the perfect excuse to get married, historical sexism aside. Still, Aileana likes the faery man, though the last words of the book have me doubting everything he professes to be. I guess I'll have to read book two to find out.

If anything in this review intrigues you, I encourage you to read it yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May is the best kind of fantasy involving faeries: the kind where the MC is on a mission to kill the evil buggers! The Falconer combines an awesome steampunk version of Scotland with all my favorite evil faery legends to make a fun and action-packed book. While The Falconer stumbled a bit at the end, it is an addictive read and I’m dying a bit for the sequel.
Note: I received The Falconer through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program for an honest review. Some things may have changed in the final version.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May (The Falconer #1)
Published by Chronicle Books on May 6th, 2014 (US)
Genres: Historical Fantasy, Steampunk, YA
Length: 336 pages
How I got my copy: Publisher

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?

Strengths:
I can’t get over how much I loved the setting of The Falconer. There are fun steampunk inventions all over the place and Aileana likes to tinker on top of it all. Aileana also uses a nice amount of Scottish words/slang that most readers will recognize, so I easily gave her a Scottish accent in my head. All of this combines to bring to life this alternative Scotland and it is just too much fun.
I’m a fan of broken main characters and Aileana is rather broken. She saw her mother die in front of her a year ago and the rumor mill likes to blame her for the murder. This event has affected Aileana pretty deeply, which I found refreshing since it seems too many MCs these days are able to just shrug off those sorts of things.
The writing of The Falconer is fast and action-packed. It often will fade to black on any scenes that are mundane and instead skip straight to the next bit of action. I blew through this one and enjoyed having an easier read.
May is exceptionally talented at writing banter! I was laughing frequently despite the gruesomeness of events because Aileana and her various companions are just so snarky. None of her companions much like each other either, making the snark even better.
Secondary characters can really shape a book and The Falconer has some great secondary characters. There is a pixie, Derrick, who loves honey and hates Aileana’s fighting partner, Kiaran. Then there are Aileana’s human friends who have no idea what is causing her to disappear from every ball they take her to, but try their best to cover for her. I also really enjoyed Aileana’s maid and butler even though they are only on the periphery since even in their few scenes, May is able to convey their personalities strongly.

Weaknesses:
When you first start The Falconer, you’ll think the romance is going one way, then you’ll get confused and eventually things become clearer. I really didn’t like how the romance ended up and found it annoying when big battles were happening. We really need to force all MCs to go through priorities training…. Kill first, kiss second is all I’m saying.
The Falconer has the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers and not in a good way (is there a good way? I don’t know). I knew it was coming because there was no way the action could wrap up in the page that was left and, surprise! It didn’t. The ending of The Falconer is literally smack dab in the middle of the big epic battle with nothing resolved. If you can’t take that, wait for book two.
While The Falconer is nicely action-oriented, I felt that the smaller details were sacrificed for the action. I wanted more details about Aileana’s inventions or the fae and the main conflict. As action scenes were playing out, I found myself not able to remember why things had to play out this way to begin with.
The Falconer doesn’t quite jump into love triangle territory since Aileana clearly states that she isn’t in anyway interested in one of the guys in her life, but it still seems like dangerous territory. I really hope that a love triangle does not end up manifesting, but it easily could in subsequent books.

Summary:
I was sure that The Falconer was going to be at least a four-star book when I was in the middle of it. Then it tripped right before the finish line and broke my heart. If you don’t mind slightly annoying romances and cliffhangers, you definitely should read The Falconer because the rest is awesome. If cliffhangers or romances of annoyance are a pet peeve of yours, The Falconer might not be the book for you. However, I am still really excited for the sequel because I must know what happens next!

Aileana Kameron saw the thing that killed her mother and she's been able to see the faeries ever since. Their deadly and she makes it her mission to destroy each and every last one of them. But she is restricted by the rules of propriety and society looks down upon every step she takes out of line. And when you're fighting for your life, you can't help but get a bit disheveled. Propriety takes a backseat to necessity though, as Aileana learns she is the only one left--the last Falconer--who can even attempt to destroy the fae before they destroy everyone she's ever known.

Aileana is a badass, don't-back-down kind of girl stuck in corsets and long skirts. She wants nothing more than to avenge her mother but she is stuck in the tedious trials of pretending to be normal among Edinburgh society. Her two main hobbies are inventing weapons and killing faeries with said weaponry. She even has her own pixie that darns her clothes in exchange for sips of honey.

Kieran MacKay is the handsome fae that has been training her as a Falconer for the past year. He flits in and out of her life, usually enticing her into a fight or challenging her. The tension between them is crazy good.

I loved that this book is such a collection of genres. There's fantasy, historical fiction, and romance, with steampunk thrown in to kick it up a notch. There's more action than anything and that's a big plus in my book.

There wasn't a whole lot to the plot in this book but I expect that's because it's a trilogy and there's a bigger picture to be considered. I'm also really peeved about the extremely abrupt ending. It made me feel like I literally didn't get a few pages that were supposed to be there (which is entirely possible since this was an e-arc). I'm definitely looking forward to continuing this series, though.

I received a free ecopy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I greatly enjoyed the first book of the Falconer trilogy and I devoured it in just a couple of days. The battle scenes were well done, both inventive and exciting while also easy to follow. The heroine is feisty and bloodthirsty, something so many writers shy away from with strong women, not wanting to make them too rough around the edges. And, lore is exquisite and fascinating.

Now, for the downsides. The love triangle is silly. I didn't mind the quickness of the true romance's start (They're going to die. Wouldn't you just go for it too?) but the earl would be much better as just a friend looking out for Aileana than another love interest. Her lack of feelings for him would also strengthen the case for how she's changed since her mother's death. Then there is the cliff-hanger, which is a doozy. I get that it sells books but I already liked it based on the merits of the story. Instead, I sat there at the end wondering if my copy was complete (It's that abrupt.) which wasn't a great way to end the reading. There are some passages that are kind of repetitive as well which makes me think more editing might have been useful.

All in all though, I enjoyed the read and I already purchased books two and three. (Must know what happens to Derrick, above all else!) Despite my criticisms, the good parts of the book far outweigh them. It wouldn't be YA fiction if I didn't roll my eyes at a love triangle at least once.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Chronicle Books, and the author Elizabeth May, for the opportunity to do so.

A steampunk fantasy set in Edinburgh in 1844 this exciting novel begins with eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana at a ball hoping it will be as boring as it seems and trying to ignore the gossip about her over her mother's death a year ago where she found the body.  Since she has been found disheveled and with blood on her clothing at other balls.  It seems that she is hunting fairies or sithichean as they prefer to be called.  A faery killed her mother by taking her heart out and she plans on hunting down and killing her. She has been trained by a rogue fairy named Kiaran to fight them. With a bit of seilgffiur about her neck, she is able to see them. Also with it she is able to kill them.  Her weapons like her gun contain bullets with it in it. But Aileana is also an inventor and she creates various devices to use such as a tiny bomb.  Kiaran isn't the only fairy she has helping her. There is also Derrick a pixie who repairs her dresses and lives in her wardrobe in exchange for a spot of honey a day.  He also provides her with information on the fairy that killed her mother.  Derrick and Kiaran do not get along.

Aileana takes care of the fairy at the ball and her devoted friend Catherine who refuses to believe the ugly rumors about her covers for her at the ball saying she has a sick headache and needed to rest in the ladies room even when she sees her friend in the private area of the owners of the house a place no lady would be caught at.  Later when Aileana and Kiaran are out fighting they come up against some Red Caps, which are very dangerous fairies and not supposed to be around anymore but locked up in a realm below grounds.  She dispatches with two of them by herself and Kiaran gets rid of the last one. This is when Kiaran finds out that she has been hunting without him.  All this time he has been disguising her kills as his. But now the faires know that there is a falconer about because she let them know by killing on her own.  A falconer is one who hunts down and kills fairies and is also the ones who locked up the fairies below ground.  Of course right now the seal is weakening and about to come undone. It was only a temporary measure when it was put in place as a permenant one could not be thought of.  Now all of the falconers have been hunted down and killed and Aileana is the last of her kind.  She needs to be the one to figure out how to fix the seal.

Catherine's brother Gavin has come home to see that she gets married off well.  At a ball held by Catherine's family Aileana finds out that Gavin can see Derrick who now follows her around to help her at Kiaran's insistence she is now a target for the fairies who want to take down the falconer.  Gavin hates fairies because he is a Seer and what he sees is the future and the horrible things fairies do and how hopeless he is to stop them.  But he is there to help Aileana when she needs him and is attacked by a group of vicious fairy wolves and loses her seilgffiur necklace and needs his eyes to see the fairies.

This is the first book in a trilogy and it gets off to a rip-roaring start. It will be only Aileana and Kiaran against an army of fairies coming out of the gate until Aileana can reseal it. But Aileana has to also figure out how to reseal it and do it in less than two minutes because that is all the time Kiaran can fight them off by himself.  Will she be able to do it? These fairies have the ability to use mind control on her and make her see what they want her to see, like painful memories of her mother's death or compel her to want to be near them and do what they want her to do.  This is a compelling start to the trilogy and I must read the next one because this one leaves the ending on such a cliff hanger I have to find out what happens next.  

Kam is not your ordinary Victorian debutante. She was quite an eligible catch in Edinburgh society—that is until the grisly murder of her mother. Now Kam lives under dual shadows of pity and suspicion. But Kam cares little about how others see her—much less than she once would have—for with her mother’s murder she discovered another world, a world that changed her life. Now Kam spends her evenings battling and killing faeries, and her greatest challenge is how to hide her new badass self in the façade of the demure debutante she once was.

Ironically, the only ones who know Kam for her new faerie-slaying self are her partner and trainer, an uber-powerful faerie and the pixie who inhabits her closet, fixes her clothes, and drinks all the honey he can get his little hands on. Soon, Kam’s going to have to get beyond her one-faerie-a-night killing spree because the most powerful faeries, the ones that have been safely locked away for thousands of years, are about to get free, and if Kam doesn’t stop them, they’ll be coming for her and for everything she loves best.

I requested this book from NetGalley because the title led me to believe I’d be delving into a world of medieval bird wielders. Well, not so much, but I certainly was not disappointed. A strong heroine is exactly what appeals to me in a Victorian setting. I much prefer the young woman whose main concern is hiding her weapons in her ball gown than the one who’s agonizing about how to fill her dance card. The steam punk elements are great fun to contemplate, and the main characters’ histories and personalities are complicated enough to be mused over in the times one must stop reading to attend to real-world responsibilities.

I went from this book straight to The Vanishing Throne, the second book in the series which did not disappoint. The Fallen Kingdom, the third book in the series, is out in June. I’ve got the ARC waiting in my reader, and I’m eagerly awaiting the moment that it rises to the top of my to be read list!

A must read debut! Elizabeth May's The Falconer has it all. A fierce heroine, an exciting storyline, unforgettable characters, romance, a rich history, and an enchanting faery lore. Unlike any other fae book I've before, this book is just awesome! I LOVED it!

Lady Aileana has become one of my favorite heroine's from this year. She is fierce, loyal, and will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, as well as avenge the murder of her mother. In the process, this brave fighter risks her life, her status in high society and so much more. Aileana would much rather be out hunting faeries than be stuck in a stuffy ball room, or attend picnics in the park. She has an incredible gift, she's a Falconer. The last in line of incredible women who were also faery assassins. One of the things I loved about Aileana is how strong she is. Despite the fact that she's a women in a society where choices were made for them, her gift/power allows her a secret freedom to do otherwise.

The characters in this book are fabulous! Lady Aileana has three men who all play important, and very different roles in her life. Her ever present side kick, Derrick, a pixie and lives in her dress room, is often times her voice of reason, but more importantly he's helped her see that not all fae are bad. Then there's Gavin, the brother of her best friend, and the boy she's grown up with. No, there's no love triangle in this story, but I loved how these two came back into each other's lives, and the love they have for each other. Both have secrets, with Gavin being a Seer, someone who can see the far, and Aileana's abilities, these two learn to rely on each other in a much different way. Then there's Kiaran.

Oh Kiaran! I loved his character. There's so much to him. He's the complex character we learn enough about in this story, and yet there's so much more I'm dying to find out. There's this element of danger, and excitement about Kiaran. Being a fae, who not only trains Aileana, he also hunts fae with her. The chemistry these two have is awesome! It's intoxicating as it leaves me feeling satisfied and leaves me wanting more of them. I love finding out about the history he and Kam (Lady Aileana) have. It was evident from the moment he's introduced into the story, that these two have something unique. There's also a mutual respect, and a bit of danger mixed into it.

Oh my romantic heart. I loved the romance! It's one that makes you yearn to have the characters together, and when they are, I wanted more. It's a slow burning romance that has snark, sizzling chemistry, history, and danger. It's the kind of romance that fans of Cassandra Clare and Jennifer L. Armentout will love!

You know you've read the perfect book for you when you get to the end and find yourself craving more. The Falconer has a beautiful mix of paranormal, steampunk, and historical elements. Elizabeth May does such an awesome job at mixing all these elements together. I loved how they were all infused to tell Aileana's story. The setting was fabulous! Steampunk historical Scotland! I absolutely loved it! The rich history this beautiful country has was the perfect back drop for the story and the romance. I can not wait for book two. I NEED MORE!

Be sure to check out my interview with Elizabeth May here.

Warning: Before you begin reading this book, make sure to have the sequel readily available because you will want it right away. I didn't have the second book and spent a few minutes staring at a wall after turning the last page. The Falconer originally lured me in with the promise of steampunk, Scotland, and fae. It absolutely delivered on every single one of those promises. This series is incredibly addictive and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Aileana is such a wonderfully broken character. When we first meet her, her world has been torn apart by her mother's death and the knowledge of what she witnessed that night. Aileana revels in her nightly hunts of the fae, savoring the power and sense of revenge each death brings her. What I particularly liked about this book is that she still conformed to (or at least attempted to) the standard of high society. While she didn't like them, she still accepted the power they had over her life. Many books gloss over the social repercussions of being different in that time period and I loved that this one didn't.

The world building was a little skimpy and left me with many questions (and the need to read the second book to find out more). I hope to see the world fleshed out in the rest of the trilogy. Most of the explanations about the world came up as Aileana learned about them. Since she doesn't know much herself, the reader is left wondering about some things (such as her powers, what's special about her bloodline, etc). However, there was enough world-building to allow me to enjoy the novel without feeling as if I was missing essential pieces of information.

Onto my favorite character. Derrick was funny, warm-hearted, and good (as well as sassy and honey-obsessed). The inclusion of a good fae to contrast with the morally ambiguous and evil ones was a brilliant idea of the authors. I loved his relationships with both Aileana and Kiaran. Now I just need to figure out how to lure him (or a pixie like him) into my closet to take care of my clothes....

The romance was one of the weaker aspects of this book for me. Aileana seemed to flip-flop between her feelings for the two men in her life, occassionally giving me whip-lash. Also, Kiaran's romantic history was too shadowed in mystery to make me truly root for him. I can see the chemistry between them but would have liked a little bit more detail/fleshing out of their relationship.

The Falconer is definitely worth a read if you enjoy this genre. The author made some excellent character choices across the board that allowed it to stand out from some similar novels I've read recently. I was so engrossed in the characters and the excellently paced plot that I didn't realize I had finished the book before turning the last page. I am definitely going to continue with this series (particularly after that absolutely brutal cliffhanger!!)

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I would like to thank NetGalley, Chronicle Books and the author, Elizabeth May, for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review. The cover art is what initially drew me to this series, a strong woman heroine with red hair, a sword and beauty. What more could a woman want?

There were so many things I loved about this book, of course Aileana was a magnificent, strong, inventive young woman who suffered a tragedy and who was virtually a prisoner of an era when a woman was expected to marry! I was right there with her as she fought the bounds of “accepted societal roles and rules”. She was a true feminist at heart and another thing that drew me to the book. I loved the setting in Scotland and the interplay of the Gaelic language, something I’ve always wanted to study as it’s so lyrical. The fae, oh my goodness, such beautiful descriptions and so many different kinds! The author has a spectacular imagination and her descriptors allowed me to meet each one of the fae, good or bad.

I was sucked in immediately by the story line and couldn’t put the book down! No, I’m not a YA either, much more of an older mature woman but the story was still very appealing to me. The romance is also lovely to read about and I certainly wanted to know what was going to happen in future books! As a matter of fact, when I finished the book (in record time by the way) I had to go out and purchase book 2 of the series immediately! I was so glad I did as the story only continues to get better!
I was quite surprised at the negative reviews I’ve seen of this book, what’s not to like? I’m glad that there were others who loved the book as much as I did. If you like faeries, strong women, a bit of sci-fi, a great romance and lots of action then this book is definitely for you!

*I received a free copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I waver between 4 stars and 5, so I'm going with 4.5 to account for a couple of complaints I have regarding the love story.

But wow, this book was great! Elizabeth May's writing style was engaging and enjoyable. She provided the right amount of detail, giving me a clear picture of scenes, things, and people without overwhelming me with unimportant minutiae. The characters were well developed.

I really liked Aileana; she was strong but also vulnerable and imperfect. My feelings about Kiaran and Gavin are mixed. As characters, I like them. Kiaran is dangerous and unpredictable but also caring, in a way. Gavin is more outwardly good natured, and he's a good, loyal friend; however, he does not tend toward bravery. Still, I liked him a lot. Initially I had hoped Kiaran and Aileana would develop a relationship. And then Gavin came into the picture, and I really wanted her to be with him instead of Kiaran. It's like I was cheering for Team Jacob in Twilight (but this is NOT Twilight). I kind of went back and forth. And I really enjoyed the scene when Gavin acted as Aileana's eyes and helped her fight the cu sith. But ultimately, there is no love triangle. That does not bother me--I'm no fan of love triangles. I just feel like the love story teased at one and then drew back with a "nope, never mind!"

Note: Some gentlemanly swearing. A girl who kills faeries.

This was such and interesting and unique book. The author took the myths and legends of the fae and such and molded them all into a fast paced story that keeps you on your toes through a good bit of the book.

This book is highly enjoyable. It mixes myth and legend with a bit of some good ol' steampunk thrown in as well. The author did a tremendous job setting up the scenery whether it be the towns or greeneries of Scotland or the inside of a ball or manor house. The vivid descriptions make it so easy to bring the story to life in your mind. The storyline is quite in depth and leads you on a bit of a journey from the beginning to the end. I really don't want to give more away than what you get by reading the synopsis of the book because it's really all you need to know to jump into this one without being spoiled.

If you like a bit of fantasy with a side of steampunk, go on and give this a chance. It's worth checking out. I'm going to be moving on to the second in the series next!

I don’t normally read steampunk, but this book was $1.99 on kindle so I decided to give it a try. It was definitely interesting.

Aileana was awesome. I loved her so much. Her frustration with society and her attempts to balance both sides of her life were entertaining and engaging. I loved that she was constantly working on little devices in order to hunt fae better.

It was a pretty unique concept, even if a little hard to keep track of all the fae (there’s a glossary, but who has time for a glossary in an ebook? Not me.) But the whole concept of the falconer was engaging enough to keep reading. And hot fae? Count me in.

Over all, this story was fun to read, and I’m curious to read the next book, because holy cow that ending was not what I was expecting and left me with so many questions and just what????? Really, if you’re going to read this one, you might want to have the second book at hand, because this end will leave you with so many questions.

Also, hot fae dude man is hot.

Just saying

The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Published by Chronicle Books on September 19, 2013
378 pages
YA, fantasy, steam punk, historical
Tags: girls who kick ass, swoony boy alert, fairies, cover love, magic
Cover: 5
Characters: 5
Writing: 5
Plot: 4
Swoon: 4
Overall: 4.6
The 411:
Lady Aileana Kameron is the daughter of a Marquess. But instead of attending balls, shopping for fancy gowns or searching for her future husband she would rather be crafting her own weapons and hunting faeries. Aileana witnessed her mother’s death at the hands of a vicious faery and has made it her duty to hunt them tirelessly since that fateful night.
What We Loved:
Strong female heroine not looking for a man to come to her rescue! Aileana forges her own weapons for faery hunting and even more inventions besides that. She was mighty impressive for a Lady and I loved her independence despite the times she lived in. Aileana was fierce and fearless and a heroine that I was rooting for.
I did love Aileana’s banter with Derrick and Kiaran. The steampunk Victorian era is always a delight to read as well.
As soon as I finished I was dying to start the second book because it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so many questions!
All in all I just really enjoyed this book.
Um…Not So Much:
The ending left so many questions and if I hadn’t read the synopsis of book 2 I would probably have been pretty confused as to what was happening next *possible spoiler alert* though it was obvious that things hadn’t happened as they were supposed to and there’s lots of hell to come in book 2.

Combine romance, steampunk technology and Scottish lore into a mesmerizing and exciting fantasy and you have "The Falconer" by Elizabeth May that begins after Aileana Kameron witnesses the cruel slaying of her mother by a vicious faery. Her heart darkened by vengeance she joins forces with Kiaran MacKay training, hunting and killing faeries, biding her time until her mother's killer returns to Edinburgh.

But her need to reap bloody retaliation becomes further complicated not only by the return of her father the Marquess of Douglas who wants her to do her duty and marry but by the weakening of a seal that keeps the most powerful faeries imprisoned under the city. Last in a line of Falconers she must reset the lock during an eclipse or the world she knows will be destroyed.

Set in 1844 in Edinburgh England Aileana's world is governed by staid tradition that does not accept her odd behaviour, her love of engineering or her forays into dirty, crowded Old Town to kill faeries. Fast-paced and action-packed the plot revolves around the Falconer who's mentored by the secretive daoine sith Kiaran McKay, a powerful faery who survived a war that left his kind imprisoned underneath Edinburgh. The mood is darkly intoxicating and thrilling in its intensity, building emotional tension as Aileana not only stalks the night defying convention and jeopardizing her reputation but struggles to control a painful memory, her lust for faery blood, and her father's desperate plan to marry her off.

The characters are complex and imperfect, each one with flaws and faults that infuse the plot with passion, depth and drama. Aileana Kameron haunted by her mother's bloody death is resilient, smart but self-defensive. A beauty she lives a double life with lies and deception savoring her addiction to killing the brutal and inhumane faeries feeding on humans. Kiaran Mackay (aka Kadamach) once cruel, heartless, destructive and power-hungry made an oath, revealing none of the details as he dutifully trains the only Falconer left. Sparks ignite when they're together but any romance is doomed between a lady of society and the compelling faery warrior. Gavin, Lord Galloway haunted by his visions after being awakened from death as a Seer appears vulnerable and weak, but strives to be strong, noble and caring around Aileana. Derrick her friend and a pixie compliments a cast of unforgettable characters with his sarcasm, drunken antics and humor.

I liked "The Falconer" with its powerful heroine, steampunk inventions like the ornithopter, and a mesmerizing plot that keeps you enthralled from the first page to a surprising cliff-hanger at the end. I rate it highly and look forward to reading the next book in this exciting young adult trilogy.

Originally reviewed at [..]

Put everything on hold and read The Falconer. I don’t care what you’ve heard, and I don’t care what hangups you think you might have. In fact, I think I can answer every concern you might have. Look!

1. Ugh, but it’s steampunk. I don’t like steampunk.

Okay, you’re a crazy person, and crazy isn’t something I can fix. Steampunk is awesome. But I guess you’re allowed your tastes, so whatever. Even still, I think The Falconer‘s version of steampunk is palatable for just about everyone. First of all, it’s a steampunk set in Scotland. SCOTLAND! Not once do we step foot in London or even England proper. They don’t even like the British up there. Even better, the steampunk Elizabeth May employs is so delightfully restrained. To quote my pal Gillian Berry, it’s a “subtle steampunk that just serves to boost the world, not define it.”

Aileana’s world has delightful contraptions like stitcher spiders and ornithopters and flying carriages, all of which set my heart a-fluttering, but Ms. May does a great job of keeping the steampunk elements from overwhelming the story. The inventions are used to bolster the plot and make the world-building shine, but the story would remain both feasible and intelligible without them. The reader gets all of the balls and pretty gowns and social constraints that we’ve come to expect from books of this time period, just with some fantastic mechanical baubles thrown in.

2. There are fairies. I don’t do fairies.

Faeries. They’re faeries, not fairies. My gosh. But you know what? I can’t STAND faeries/fairies/fae/whatever. Every book I’ve ever tried with those odd beasties were complete duds for me. Really, the faeries were my biggest hangup prior to starting The Falconer. But then I read this book, and now I’m a believer. Ms. May manages to squeeze in each type of faerie typically found in YA lit (scary, sexy, funny) and make it work. We get everything from the generally harmless pixies to the seductive and dangerous daoine sith and everything in between—fae that fly, howl, bark, and charm their way through piles of dead Scots.

Interestingly, though each type of faerie also has a nearly incomprehensible Scottish name for itself, I didn’t have trouble keeping the types separated. Each kind was on the page long enough and the titles used consistently enough that I was able to tell a sluag apart from a baobhan sith, for example. Which is great, because then I didn’t miss out on the rest of faerie lore. There’s more to enjoy concerning men with the Sight and women Falconers and bloodlines and herbs and fighting techniques. As with the faerie types, I was able to follow along easily, which I appreciated.

3 . There’s a fighter girl. I’m so over fighter girls.

I get that. Fighter girls can be fun, but there are so many of them that the standard, kick-butt version does less and less for me each time. That being said, Aileana is a variation that I completely enjoyed. First of all, she’s wicked smart. Even before her mother’s death, Aileana was an avid tinkerer. She built her family’s ornithopter and was always inventing some new gadget. After her mother’s death, however, she dismantled all her fobs and fripperies and started converting them into weapons to hunt the faeries.

She’s also remarkably unapologetic about her thirst for vengeance. Since her mother’s death a year prior, this young noblewoman has murdered 158 faeries. She has gone from a wide-eyed, innocent young thing with a head full of love and marriage to a seasoned liar and hunter with a thirst for blood. Indeed, she’s become addicted to the rush of power and untainted joy she gets with each kill. Watching her struggle in an attempt to reconcile the girl that she was with what she has become is both an interesting read and a heartbreaking one. In the end, these two traits—Aileana’s brains and her drive—are what make her strong, not her ability to kill.

4. There’s a love triangle. I HAAAAAATE love triangles.

No! No love triangle! Not really. What Ms. May does here is tricky, because it sort of looks like Aileana is being prepped for a whopper of a love triangle (or even a love trident), but it never comes to pass. There are actually three wonderful boys in The Falconer, and each deserves a mention, because they’re just that wonderful.

First, there’s Derrick. Derrick is a pixie, a tiny Tinker Bell-sized faerie that lives in Aileana’s dressing room and mends her clothes in exchange for honey (too much of which makes him hilariously drunk). Of the three boys, he’s mostly played for comic relief, but he’s also a true and loyal friend to Aileana, which is pretty incredible considering her vow to kill as many faeries as she can find. All of the best quotes come from Derrick, and I would dearly like to have one of my own. (Except for one comment about an old love of his, Derrick fits the standard trope of Loyal Gay Friend pretty well.)

Next, there’s Gavin. Gavin is a human and the elder brother of Aileana’s best friend. He represents Aileana’s past and the hopes and dreams she’s set aside in exchange for revenge. If this were Shadow and Bone, he’d be Mal; if Unhinged, he’d be Jeb. I can’t say too much more about Gavin, but I truly enjoyed him and the role he filled.

Lastly, there’s Kiaran, or as Gillian and I like to call him, “KIAAAAARAAAAAAAAAN.” What a dreamboat. He’s the bad-boy side of this supposed love triangle. If Gavin is Aileana’s pure and innocent past, Kiaran is her dark and dangerous future. Kiaran is one of the most powerful types of faerie, a daoine sith, and hunts down his own kind for reasons of his own. Nowhere is Kiaran framed as the safe choice or even necessarily the best choice. However, he offers what Gavin cannot. He sees Aileana’s rage and thirst for revenge and accepts them in a way that Gavin simply can’t. In this equation, Kiaran is the best parts of the Darkling, Warner, Jack Dandy, and Morpheus, Aileana’s guide as she does what must be done.

Despite how it appears, I must stress again that this book does not contain an actual love triangle. The storyline may trend that way in later books, but it does not do so now. Even if it did, I still think readers will enjoy this book. Each boy plays his part (Loyal Friend, Good Boy, Bad Boy), but each part contains pleasant deviations from the standard form. You might think you know how each boy will react—who will be jealous of whom and how, who will attempt to control Aileana, etc.—but you can’t. Aileana is not the one to change Kiaran’s black heart. Gavin isn’t constantly playing the white knight and saving her from danger. Aileana doesn’t whine, wheedle, or manipulate the boys to do what she wants. It’s wonderful!

5. The ending. I’ve heard other people didn’t like how abrupt it was.

I’ll give you this one. The ending was rather abrupt. I liked it, because it left me with a jolt of character development that I wasn’t expecting, but it definitely killed me in the “Oh my gosh, give me the next book NOW” sort of way. What can ya do?

I strongly encourage you all to read this book. If I may quote my own Goodreads status, this book is like popcorn. Delicious, adrenaline-laced, pixie dust-flavored popcorn. It’s ridiculously addictive in the best way. The moment I have money to spend, it will go toward obtaining this book, and from me, there’s no higher praise.

Points Added For: Aileana, Derrick, Kiaran, Gavin; a fresh, less stereotypical twist on character tropes; Aileana’s inventive streak; subtle steampunkery; a great mix of humor, tension, and sexiness.

Points Subtracted For: A really abrupt ending, I guess.

Good For Fans Of: Faeries, bad boys, good boys, funny and supportive boys, girls who kick butt, smart girls, historical Scotland, light steampunk.

Notes For Parents: Language (I think), making out, death.

THE FALCONER is a beautiful blend of steampunk and fantasy! Aileana was like any other young lady of the upper classes until she sees her mother being murdered by one of the sithichean. Now her goal is to kill as many of them as she possibly can while still playing at being a lady.

This book quickly swept me back to the 1800s but an 1800s with a couple of twists. Aileana.or Kam as she is sometimes called, is easy to emphasize with and she will keep the readers on their toes. The secondary characters be they her human or fairy friends add much to the story from needed humor to a touch of wild darkness.

The writing in this book is tight with excellent pacing, the dialogue witty and the conclusion satisfying while making me anxious to get my hands on the second book in the series. I do recommend THE FALCONER to any of my readers who enjoy fantasy or streampunk.

*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Spoiler-free Review: When I first started this book it seemed like your run of the mill historical fiction filled with romance and witty banter- but then the killing began. Set in 1844 Edinburgh, this story does contain Victorian-era elements such as balls and stringent social expectations, but it is definitely not your typical historical fiction. It’s a world filled with evil faeries and exciting steampunk inventions. And Aileana, the protagonist, isn’t you average debutante either. She has recently witnessed the death of her mother and this has left her filled with a desire for retribution against the fae responsible.

Aileana is the type of strong female lead I love. She’s intelligent, witty, and kicks ass. However, she is not made out to be invincible, altruistic, or heroic. She’s not perfect and at times even fails. There’s a depth to her that feels real, not contrived or cliché.
She relishes in vengeance- in killing. And although she may question whether she is a monster, she is ultimately un- apologetic about it. She’s determined in her goal, and creates steampunk-esque inventions of death to aid her endeavors.

But it takes more than a lust for killing and innovative weapons to defeat the fae (also called sìthichean) in this world. They are a formidable race that ranges from seemingly harmless pixies to the bloodsucking Baobhan Sith. Luckily, Aileana is not alone- introduce Kieran. The only thing I like more than tall, dark, and brooding is tall, dark, brooding AND fae. Kieran is dedicated to wiping out his kind and acts as Aileana’s mentor. He’s aloof and hard to read, but we do get rare glimpses of emotion. Glimpses that intrigue the reader as we are left pondering his motivations for most of the book.

Likewise, Aileana questions Kieren’s behaviors and past as she struggles with her growing feelings- feelings that come to conflict with her need for vengeance. And while romance may not be the main focus of the book, there is a sweet undercurrent. It’s a drawn out tension that makes your heart ache wondering what will happen next between the main characters.

However, as mentioned, this is not the main focus of the story. This book is action-packed with excellent character and relationship development, world-building, and witty repartee. All the characters are varied with distinct personalities, although some are more likeable than others.

And while I’m singing my praises- it’s worth mentioning the writing. It’s amazing. I was shocked to find out this is Elizabeth May’s first novel. It doesn’t read like a new writer, rather someone who has already mastered their field. And it extends beyond just a keen grasp of the written word. The storyline intertwines perfectly with attention to detail and world-building that incorporates what seems like extensively researched fae folklore.

My one complaint is the ending. It isn’t just a cliffhanger- it’s abrupt. It literally ends mid-scene. I was confused and wondered if I had a faulty download at first. While this is an amazing book- I wouldn’t recommend reading this until you have the sequel, A Vanishing Throne, close at hand.

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For whatever reason, it took me multiple attempts to really get involved in the story and not keeping picking it up and putting it down again and again. One day, I picked it up, decided to start from the beginning, and VOILA! I was entranced. Every single thing about this book, from the amazingly well-written and wonderfully relate-able characters, to the impressive world-building, had me glued to these pages. The banter between characters, the different relationships.... It was all so beautifully told.

I can honestly say that, though I am definitely late to this party, I am so happy to be on board this series. If this first book managed to thoroughly awe me, I can only imagine what will happen in the sequels!

Thank you to Edelweiss and the Publisher for allowing me to review this book. I know it is way past the time for it, and I apologize for that. But I am still thankful!

The ending of a novel can certainly influence what I rate it. A great ending can save a ho-hum book for me, and an awful ending can put a sour note on an otherwise decent novel. The Falconer was a 3-star book until I got to the end. It was decent, it wasn't really pulling me in fully, but I was committed to reading to the end. I assumed it would interest others a lot more than me, but I had no great desire to finish it other than for the sake of my book count. Still, there was nothing really wrong with it.

Until the end.

There is none. I mean, I've seen cliffhangers before, but this wasn't a cliffhanger. This was me looking to see if I missed a page because it felt like I could be a page or two from the end, but somehow I was in an appendix. I flipped back...no, it went from page 373 with story to page 374 with an appendix. The story just stopped in the middle of what seemed to be the climax!

Combine the anger-inducing non-ending with the lackluster rest of the story, and I had to demote the rating to 2 stars.

As for the rest. I was pretty intrigued by the beginning, with the judgmental girls in Victorian(?) society, set in Scotland. I have to admit, I've grown kinda weary of fairies, and I didn't see Aleana's relationship with Kiaran as any different from any number of human girl-fairy relationships in YA.

I enjoyed Derrick and Gavin as characters, and I also liked her friendship with Catherine. I felt like more could have been done with Gavin. It felt a little like, Hey, I need a love rival right here, let's introduce this guy. Oh, hey, I just introduced him to the readers (although Aileana's known him forever) and--ooh, twist--he can see fairies. Except it doesn't seem like much of a twist because we hadn't even known he existed for more than a second. It also wasn't much of a love triangle, since Aileana spent all of her time with Gavin telling herself and him how she didn't love him.

One of the things that drew me to the beginning was Aileana and Catherine's chat at a dance, how Aileana was being judged by the women of society and how she had to hide the truth. She and Catherine seemed to accept this and judge those women right back. It seemed like Aileana was willing to suffer their judgement, strong in her own knowledge of what was going on, unknown to the rest of society. Unfortunately, that strength disappeared after that initial scene, and the rest of the book is full of her whining about having to fit into society. And then, when she is given the easiest out of all of her societal problems--marriage to a man who understands and supports her fairy fighting and doesn't expect her to love him, the freedom to go off unchaperoned, and salvage of her tattered reputation from going off unchaperoned before marriage--she does nothing but complain about it.

There's plenty of action, surrounded by having to deal with society's expectations. Lots of fairy types, although keeping them straight with similar-looking names in italics could be difficult. And, oh, by the way, there was steampunk too.

Recommended for fans of: books that don't have anything resembling an ending, YA steampunk fantasy, fairies, battles with fairies, Scotland setting, Buffy if she had to fit in to Victorian times instead of modern high school, honey-addicted pixies.

The story:
In 1844 Scotland, Aileana Kameron, is living a double life. After witnessing a faery violently murder her mother, she's has never been the same. She's seeking revenge, taking the the streets at night to take down any dangerous fae in her path. All the while searching for the one that cut her mother's life short. With the help of the mysterious and dangerous fae, Kiaran MacKay, she's becoming the warrior she was born to be. But as the sole remaining Falconer the responsibility of protecting the world from a deadly army of faeries rests of her shoulders.

What is great about this story is that it's perfect for both fans and newbies to the faery genre. It's such a different approach to the regular faery courts etc that fans will find this new and refreshing. While the storyline doesn't get to complicated or bogged down in faery lore to put off new readers.

The characters:
Aileana Kameron (or Kam as Kiaran calls her) is one feisty and kick ass heroine. Lady by day, fae slayer by night. She thrives on the power and thrill of killing deadly fae, and it's become a way of dealing with the anger of seeing her mother murdered by one. Not only is she strong, she's also intelligent, tinkering with gadgets to create new weapons for her hunts. But we do see a vulnerable side underneath her fierce exterior, something I hope we get to see more of in the next book.

Kiaran MacKay, a daoine sith, one of the most powerful and deadly type of fae, is an extremely mysterious character. He doesn't like to share anything personal about himself and it's clear he has secrets. He's closed off and very good and making it appear he doesn't care about anything or anyone, but there where a few moments and gestures that suggested otherwise.

I also have to make mention of the pixie fae, Derrick, who lives in Aileana's closet, mending her clothes and helping her hunt down the fae that killed her mother. Derrick is a scene stealer, he has all the best lines and the most vibrant personalities. FYI drunk pixies are hilarious!

The romance:
At first I was a little concerned that there was going to be a love triangle, but it never eventuated thankfully. The relationship between Aileana & Kiaran was all about the unspoken moments. Slow burning, with stolen glances and the occasional meaningful touch. The romance was not the centre of attention, but it was slowly developing in the background.

The writing:
The world building was really well done. With lot's of different types of Fae, it could have easily gotten confusing, but each Fae is slowly introduced over numerous scenes, meaning no major info dumping occurs. The pacing was steady throughout, apart from the ending, which felt rather abrupt, but it has me extremely excited for book two! I also loved the Scottish language and accents that where sprinkled throughout, such as "Aye", it gave all the characters excellent, realistic voices.

FINAL WORD:
The Falconer is an exciting new Fae series that stands out from the crowd of YA fiction. With a unique storyline and a strong heroine, this should appeal to both teens and older YA audiences.

CONTENT:
Sexuality: mild
Violence: medium-strong / several bloody far battles/murder scenes
Language: mild / occasional 'bastard'
Drugs & alcohol: mild / some secondary characters drink

The Falconer is an exciting, compelling novel from debut author, Elizabeth May and it's one of my favorite novels of the year so far. I can definitely see why so there's much buzz surrounding this book among my blogger friends and why so many people have fallen in love with this book. This book is a perfect mix of steampunk, paranormal, and historical elements; needless to say, I loved The Falconer and I'm extremely eager to read the next book in this series.

Aileana is the falconer and it is her duty to curb the faery population in Scotland and to protect humans from the paranormal world. When Aileana's mother is murdered, Aielana swears to get revenge on the murderer and she is determined to complete her mission. With the weapons that Aileana has created and her need for vengeance, Aileana is ready to combat an army of fae.

The Falconer takes place in Scotland during the 1800's and May successfully incorporates this backdrop to create an intriguing, historical-fiction novel. There's an emphasis on society and status in this novel as the case usually is with these types of novels; Aileana struggles with maintaining her "lady-like" image and avoiding public shame. I loved how Aileana doesn't really fit the part of the docile maiden who needs to rely on a man and her character doesn't fit in with the traditional gender roles of that time period.

I personally feel that steam-punk is such an under-appreciated genre and so, I was so glad that May decided to integrate steampunk elements in the world she created in The Falconer. Aileana creates so many intricate inventions in this novel and I absolutely loved seeing how each invention had it's own unique purpose; I especially loved the scene in which Aileana decided to go for a flight in the flying machine she created. I would love to see even more steampunk inventions in this series and I truly hope that automatons make an appearance in the next book.

The love triangle in The Falconer was much better than the romances in a majority of the YA novels I've read this year. I actually have an inkling why Kiaran and Gavin each appeal to Aileana, but personally I don't feel like I prefer either character enough to choose who I think Aileana should end up with. I definitely enjoyed how the romance didn't overshadow the plot and action scenes; in so many novels the romance seems to be driving the plot forward, but in The Falconer, that's not the case.

There are tons of action scenes in The Falconer and May truly knows how to write make these scenes so fast-paced and engaging. I truly loved how kick-ass of a character Aileana was and how she was incredibly strong and powerful. I did want to see more of Aileana's training because I felt that would've been an interesting addition to the plot-line. The ending ends on a painful cliffhanger and I know that I'll immediately read the sequel once I can get my hands on it.

The Falconer took everything I love about Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Clockwork Angel and combined these elements into one incredible novel. I really enjoyed The Falconer and I really look forward to read more of May's future novels. I truly hope that there's more steampunk elements in the sequel and I'm definitely prepared for all of the feels in book 2.

Part steampunk, part historical fiction, part urban fantasy, I suppose you could say there's something for everyone in THE FALCONER by Elizabeth May. Especially when you add in all the action and the killing. Because that's what Aileana Kameron does -- she kills faeries.

It wasn't always that way. At one point she was a fairly typical girl, living with her well-to-do parents in Edinburgh in the 1840s. Typical, if you don't count the inventions she was always working on with her mother. Or the fact that her relationship with her father left a lot to be desired. But her life then has little in common with her life since the violent death of her mother at the hands of what she's since come to realize was a faery.

Having since met up with Kiaran McKay -- one of the most dangerous faeries in Scotland -- Aileana has spent most of her time training to seek revenge and hiding her true nature from her closest friends. She doesn't know why a faery like Kiaran would agree to help her, to teach her everything he knows about his secret world, but she doesn't really care. As long as she gets to kill.

But it's more dangerous now than ever, with what could very well turn out to be an apocalypse on the horizon. And Aileana's secrets are coming unravelled. Her reputation is at risk, but, with so much more at stake than her social life, she's going to need all the help she can get.

With a colorful cast of socialites, faeries, and one lovely honey-addicted pixie, THE FALCONER is a not-to-be-missed title this summer. Fans of Holly Black will love it for its faery mythology, and Hunger Games aficionados will dig the kick-ass heroine. I'm so looking forward to the next books in the series!

I got a copy of this book through Librarything’s Early Reviewers program to review. So thank you to Librarything and Chronicle Books for making this available for review. This book was a super fun read and I really really loved it. It was just such a fast-paced fun story.

Aileana Kameron is the daughter of a Marquess...and she is also a Falconer. Falconers have special abilities (think Buffy the Vampire Slayer) that allow them to combat the evil and dangerous Fey. For the last year a rebellious Fey named Kiaran has been training Aileana to fight, but more and more Fey are appearing. When Kiaran tells Aileana that the seal that holds the Fey prisoner is about to break, Aileana is concerned that her training won’t be good enough to reseal the prison containing the Fey. Aileana is forced to put aside her obligations to polite society to save the city.

I loved this book. It was a fun and quick read about a young girl who has special powers and hunts fey. She does all of this while trying to maintain a proper upbringing as a young lady of privilege. It reminded me a lot of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles in tone but with fey instead of vampires...and it is aimed at YA not adults. It also reminds some of Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series (but it is set in Victorian times and aimed at YA). Additionally Aileana’s power are a bit Buffy the Vampire Slayerish.

Aileana is delightfully tough, while still being somewhat vulnerable at times. I enjoyed her spunk and wit throughout. She was a lot of fun to read about.

There are also some absolutely stunning male leads too. Kiaran is delightfully mysterious and surprisingly tender towards Aileana at times. Aileana also has a suitor named Gavin who has special powers of his own. The three of them end up working as a somewhat dysfunctional team to combat these vicious fey.

The story is fairly simple but still very engaging. I was just automatically pulled into it and really loved all of the characters right away.

I will say that this book isn't a masterpiece, or even anything all that ground-breaking, but it was just so much fun to read that I adored it. The writing flows effortlessly and I love reading about fey.

Pretty much this book had a ton of things I like in stories: a young woman secretly fighting monsters, Victorian society, a mysterious male lead, some well done romance, steampunk, fey, and tons of action. So it was just one of those books that was just an absolute delight for me to read.

The only huge disappointment for me was that the story ends pretty much in the middle of a battle and end with a horrible cliffhanger...now I am dying to know what happens next! I am also not a huge fan of authors who end their books with giant cliffhangers…authors shouldn’t have to bait their readers to keep them reading a series.

Overall I would definitely recommend reading if you like to read books about Fey. It was a very fun read with engaging characters, lots of action, and lots of evil Fey. Just keep in mind this is a pretty fluffy and fun read, there’s not a lot ground-breaking or spectacular here...but it’s a solid book that is a fun read. I will definitely be reading more books in the series.

Lady Aileana Kameron witnessed her mother's death but because she never seemed to grieve for her mother others think she killed her. What they don’t know is that a faery killed her mother and ever since that day she has took to the streets with Kiaran another faery and trains. She kills faeries right along side Kiaran, but she must never forget that he is not human but also fae. Aileana will do anything to kill the fae that killed her mother, but now she has been told she is a falconer and it changes things a little bit. Now the fate of her country is in her hands. As a falconer she has the ability to seal back the door that is cracking open between her world and the faes.

Aileana is one kick ass heroine and I love her. She is out for revenge and she has the scars to prove it. She attends the balls and tries to act like the debutante she is suppose to be but she will never be the same as them, she has a killer instinct when it comes to fae. She craves it. Though she does have a few fae allies it’s best that she remembers in the end they are all fae. Kiaran is a very strong fae and you really want to know why he kills his own. He wasn’t always this way but why did he make a vow to not kill humans anymore. As most fae are he is very handsome but as a falconer Aileana is a bit more immune to being faestruck than others so it hits her a bit off guard when she realizes she has come to care for him.

Derrick is a little pixie with a lot of attitude and a love for honey. He lives in her dressing room and mends her clothing for honey. Derrick lends a bit of humor to the story and I love him.

Aileana is really forced to try and balance her duties as an heiress and her duties as a falconer. When her friends brother comes back home, someone she use to have a crush on, she finds out he is a seer. She doesn’t want to get him into the battle with the fae but she has no choice when they are attacked. Gavin, is very aristocratic in his demeanor but because he is a seer he understand Aileana a bit more than others might.

I really enjoyed this first installment of the Falconer series and I can’t wait to see what happens next. The pacing of the story to me was really fast and it was so action packed. I just had to know what happens next so the cliffhanger ending is killing me!! I was a bit confused at first because it just cuts off at a most crucial time in the story and then has Aileana’s diary of fae and I sat there for a moment thinking..is that it..is it over..wait..but what happens!!!! I hate cliffhangers!!! Other than that it was a great read and if you like fae and fantasy with a kick ass heroine then I think you will enjoy this one!

I surprisingly enjoyed reading this book. I was hooked from the beginning and struggled putting it down. The book is set back in the 1840's. Aileana Kameron (Kam) is fierce in her fight for vengeance. She thinks finding and killing Sorcha, a baobhan sith, that killed her mother right before her eyes, will be worth everything she has lost. She is wrong in her assumptions. In order to carry out her mission Kam is trained by one of their own, Kiaran MacKay, a Daoine Sith. His goal is to trap himself with a mass of bad fae, and free his sister. There is much more to Kam's story you must read to find out. I will definitely read the next two books to find out who conquers.

When I first learned about Falconer more than a year ago. I was incredibly intrigued by the premise. The whole Regency girl goes out every night and kills faeries was incredibly unique and I felt that on that basis alone it was a winner. Then I found out that Elizabeth May was a PhD candidate and her thesis was on Scottish Folklore. Anyone reading the Falconer will be immediately struck by how authentic all of her creatures are and how interesting her world is. Well, there is your culprit, real information! Very impressive indeed. But all of this is nothing if you don’t have a good story. Seems, the author has that one covered as well. There is the typical love triangle that plagues so many YA books but it seems our main character isn’t having much of it. There is the Regency atmosphere but our main character only cares about keeping up the appearance of propriety. Also, fascinating…

Falconer is, as I’ve commented to more than one of my friends. Gail Carriger crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If that doesn’t get you interested you’ve either never heard of the subject matter being crossed or you’re dead. If you’re the former please familiarize yourself with the subject matter and return. If you’re the latter, reading this review please contact me via social media and let me know how it is you’ve managed thus far. Falconer is an incredibly unique and well written book. I think everyone who loves fantasy should give it a shot. Also, the ending is a cliffhanger so we all have to read book 2 now. I may have to order the UK version just to find out what happens. Thanks a lot Elizabeth!

The Falconer: Book One of the Falconer Trilogy
By Elizabeth May
1452128774
December 15, 2015

Absolutely wonderful read! This book has everything to grab you and keep you reading as you set foot in another time and place. Imagine a beautiful well mannered young lady who takes tea in the afternoon and seeks revenge for the murder of her mother by the fairies at night. A historical setting, some steampunk tech, with romance and humor. My kind of book. This is now out in paperback and the next in the series is in hardcover. I think it is one of the best YA’s I have read in awhile. 4-½ Stars

This book was full of such awesomeness and it all started with the wonderful character that was Aileana. She was fierce,loyal and most of all a kick butt chick and I loved her from the start. We start out this book by meeting Aileana at a party with her friend and you can tell that despite the fact that she is the Lady of Douglas she has no interest in being there. I was instantly drawn to her because I wanted to see what she was up to and what she would rather be doing and I found out soon enough. Yes this lady was not a shrinking violet but rather a chick that hunted bad fairies. Yes you heard that right and once this revelation comes out I was so drawn to this book. The author spins a tale of grief for Aileana when we soon learn why she hunts fairies and I felt so bad for her and my heart-ached for what was stolen from her.

As the story continues we get to meet some pretty cool people along the one of them being a pixie that lives in her closet, Kiaran who is pure hotness and Gavin. I liked the pixie from the start because he was so cute but yet so smart and resourceful and I loved the way he protected Aileana. Kiaran we learn is her mentor and the one that is teaching her to hone her skills to be able to take down fairies. He is also broody and oh so sexy and I loved him from the start. I think his snark and wit is what made me like him and I started to hope for a romance between him and Aileana. We also got to meet Gavin who is her best friends brother and he has the sight to see fairies so pretty soon her is roped into the world of Aileana and learns what she does. I thought he was a great friend to her and they are some events that take place that make you wonder if he will become more.

Overall this was a great read as the author created the perfect story to be set in the perfect setting of Edinburgh. The descriptions she created made me become enthralled with this world and I was interested in learning more about it. The characters draw you in and there are some major events that happen in the second half of this book that make you wonder what will happen next and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series as this one blew me away and had me wanting more. The author created such action and mystery into this book that it kept you guessing until the very end how it all will play out and I for one am left gutted after that ending and hope things somehow find a way to turn around into a positive way. I highly recommend this one and if you haven’t read this one what are you waiting on.

Loved, this book, loved, LOVED, LOVED this story! I must own in hardback, I loved it that much!

I think this is my first "steampunk" book. Steampunk is fantasy where there are crazy cool inventions in a time where there quite possibly can't have, because in real history they were no where near that advanced. So the setting is 1844 and as you can tell by the picture this heroine has some cool/funky looking gun = "steampunk."

So we have Aileana who is a gorgeous debutante by day but by night a cold-hearted assassin of fae as she seeks revenge on the one who murdered her mother. I rather liked her as a character I like characters who have 2 sides to them a "day and night" where they role play but have to keep the other side of themselves hidden. Which is the real Aileana well that's what so great about these kinds of stories. :) At night she trains with a very old fae named Kiaran. A icy, stubborn, guarded character who is often blunt which is refreshing. He trains and helps Aileana hunt down and kill fae. Hmmm interesting a fae who turns on his own kind, why? add more mystery to the story.

The fae themselves are freaking cool, on one hand you've got these nasty, evil, smelly creatures who are obviously bad. Then on the other hand you've got fae who are frighteningly beautiful but overall the fae are not good. Which again brings in a lot of mystery and something new to the table in regards to the fae.

I liked that there is a very nice, slow, undertone of romance. One that is subtle, always there but not one that overwhelms the story. With this however is a possible love triangle as Aileana life during the day intertwines with her desires of what goes on at night and how she has to face feelings for one now, and one she had a long time ago that could possibly be hers now.

If you like strong female characters who kick butt and a story that is fun and action packed this is it. I loved this book-I think I said that already and highly recommend this story!

Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild
Violence: moderate (fighting scenes and killings of mythological creatures of the fae)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none

I sometimes have a hard time really getting into books with super heavy faerie elements, guys. I don’t know what it is, but that particular sub-genre is very hit-or-miss for me. I’ve read faerie books and LOOOOVED THEM, but I’ve also read—or not even finished—others. For whatever reason, I approached Elizabeth May’s THE FALCONER with very little trepidation. I think that had something to do with being set in a historical period, specifically in Scotland, a setting that is Amy-nip. Whatever the reasons for my excitement to read THE FALCONER, it lived up to all of the great things I was hearing from other bloggers as well as my super excitement to read a historical fantasy. BEST.

THE FALCONER is the story of Lady Aileana Kameron, a young Scottish lady who is living not just on the brink of womanhood and marriage, but also under the terrible grief of the brutal death of her mother at the hands of a vicious faery. Juggling her social responsibilities as the daughter of a Marquess and her secret life as a faery assassin is not easy for Aileana. So she helps her own self out by manufacturing her own weapons, specially designed to take out all the faeries. Of course, she is not alone in her quest for revenge against the faery who killed her mother. Aileana has been training with a mysterious and beautiful faery named Kiaran, who is harboring his own secrets about the faeries in Edinburgh, and Lady Aileana will play a much larger role in their story than she ever realized.

First of all, I know I’ve mentioned before how much I endlessly heart books set in Scotland. THE FALCONER was no exception. Historical fiction Scotland is one of my favorite places, and Elizabeth May brings all of that city’s great atmosphere to bear on Alieana’s story. The mists and the city and the dark nights all make THE FALCONER extra special.

But of course, Alieana is the centerpiece of THE FALCONER, and I was constantly blown away by her badassery. She lives to avenge her mother’s death, tracking the faery who killed her–in front of Alieana, taunting her all the while–across Scotland, making her own weapons to kill any faery she finds in the meantime. Alieana is fearless most of the time, and even when she is afraid–of the faeries, of her feelings for Kiaran, of her future, of things about herself that she is only just learning–she doesn’t shy away from it. Plus she’s got a quick wit and a sharp tongue. Big fan of her.

Since faeries are the backbone of THE FALCONER, it stands to reason that the most important relationship is between Alieana and her faery teacher, Kiaran. Kiaran is a powerful fae himself who has been teaching Alieana how to slaughter his own kind for reasons that he keeps to himself. They have a powerful connection that sometimes appears to go beyond a student-teacher relationship. Whatever their relationship is, it’s complicated to start and only becomes more so when the truth about Aileana’s gifts for killing faeries comes to light, and again when the events at the end of THE FALCONER make things incredibly complicated for everyone. Obviously I’m really DYING to know what happens with them. There’s another guy as well, but I’m not getting super strong triangle vibes from that end, which is good. But he’s an excellent character himself.

Another thing that I enjoyed a great deal in THE FALCONER was the steampunk element. Aileana has all kinds of gadgets in her room, and she’s incredibly adept and manufacturing them. She often longs to sit at her worktable tinkering with her weapons. I LOVED THIS. I loved her affinity for engineering, which isn’t something often encountered in YA, and I loved that Aileana had not only an aptitude but a fondness for it because she’d always done it with her mother.

There’s a ton of action in THE FALCONER and I thought it was wonderful. The end was very fast and had a lot of things going on that sometimes got muddled in my brain, but the big picture is pretty intense. Relationships are made more difficult, lives are in danger, and Aileana and Kiaran have not yet seen the worst of what’s to come. But the end was SUPER abrupt.

I enjoyed the CRAP out of THE FALCONER, friends, despite my love-hate relationship with faeries. Elizabeth May’s debut was fun and dramatic and dangerous and all the good things. Can’t wait for book 2!

Very interesting read. I was hooked and read it in one day! However, for those who do not like language (and there really is no need for profanity especially in teen books), I caution you when you read this. I try to read books before my children read them. With this book, I read with a black ink pen so I could mark out the profanity. My son wants to read the book and I really don't want his head filled with profanity. Most of you will roll your eyes at this point, but for those of us who want to know what their child is reading--there you have it. My kids get bombarded by the world too often and too much as it is. What they read really sinks in their whole being.

Now that I'm off my soapbox, I enjoyed the book. If the language wasn't so prevalent I would have given this book five stars. May's ideas were fresh and new. She has a strong female character that I enjoyed. The ending leaves you hanging so if you haven't read it yet, wait until the next one is about to come out!

Lady Aileana Kameron is leading a double life in 1844 Edinburgh. By day she is a sheltered aristocrat who is on the marriage market but whose reputation is tarnished by the possibility that she had something to do with her mother's brutal death. By night, she is fighting and killing the faeries who are stealing energy from humans but whom most humans can not see. She is searching for the faery who killed her mother.

Aileana is being trained by Kiaran MacKay who is one very powerful faery who wasn't imprisoned beneath Edinburgh after an epic battle that occurred 2000 years before. Aileana's relationship with Kiaran is a difficult one as she moves between liking him and trusting him and realizing that he is not at all human and that he is alson one of her enemies.

However, unfortunately for Aileana, the 2000 year old seal is weakening and is scheduled to fail within days if she can't do something to reinforce it. It was made by a number of falconers working together but Aileana is the only remaining falconer and has had just a year of training.

I loved the steampunk aspects of this story as Aileana is an engineer who has made a number of weapons that will let her defeat the faeries. I loved her ornithopter and the locomotive that she made along with her lightning gun and sonic cannon. The bomb that she used on the Red Caps was particularly effective and destructive too.

Aileana was an intriguing character whose life changed immeasurably when her mother was killed. She is haunted by the memory of her mother's death and by her need for vengeance. Kiaran is also an intriguing character who is very mysterious. Aileana's pixie protector Derrick adds some much needed lightness to this very intense story.

I can't wait to see what is going to happen next in this trilogy.

I first noticed this book when I heard the author was British, as I like to support 'local' authors when I can, and when I heard it was a historical fantasy set in Edinburgh (where I go to university) it really piqued my interest.

Aileana is attending her first ball after spending a year in mourning for her mother. The other ladies gossip when they think she isn't listening, speculating over the fact Aileana was found covered in blood beside her mother's body: a fact she has never explained. Aileana has changed a lot since then, learning how to hunt down and kill the faeries who most people can't see, alongside her mentor Kiaran. But now she's back in the limelight of society, with her every move scrutinised as she theoretically looks for a husband, it becomes much harder to keep hunting the fae. The action of the story kicks off straight away, with Aileana realising a faery is there at the party and going in search of it.

I love the world Elizabeth May creates in this book: part historic Scotland, filled with half-believed folklore, elaborate balls, and a city well on the way to becoming the Edinburgh we know today, and part alternate-world, with mechanical punch dispensers, flying ornithopters, and modified guns.

Something that surprised me about it was the length of time the story takes place over. I believe there's something like a week, or just over that, from the start to the finish. Sometimes this annoys me in books, but I think Ms May pulls it off in The Falconer - any relationships (family/friendship/other) that change or develop aren't sudden things - we're very much thrown in to the middle of Aileana's life, and the changes were more like instances of Aileana realising something that has been true for a while. There is enough of her past, pre-faery-fighting life worked in to the story that you can see how she has changed, and how that has affected her view of the people around her. There were a couple of times where I thought the action felt a little rushed with one thing happening after another, but it kept the tension high and made me keep turning the pages until the end.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot, because it really does go very quickly and it's more fun to read if you're trying to figure out what's coming next. I will give you a cliffhanger warning for the ending though - I went in to this book not knowing if it was a stand alone book or part of a series, and the ending is very abrupt. The first in a trilogy, I'm going to be very impatient waiting for the rest of this series!

'The Falconer' is a fantastic debut novel from Elizabeth May, leading the reader through a dark alternate-history Edinburgh full of things that will grab you in the night. I give this book 8 out of 10, and I'm very much looking forward to book 2.

~Ailsa [Review originally posted by me at my book blog, link in profile.]

The Falconer (The Falconer, #1)
by Elizabeth May
A powerful story of coming of age. Young Kam has been haunted by her mothers death, but its the secrets that she was keeping and what she was willing to risk for her daughter caused Kam the most struggle. Kam has had hard training for the last 6 months, she has learned to kill. The fae have comeback into the world their violent natures, and their appetite is unleashed on the world, and Kam is the last person who can stand up to them. But the book does not let it be a simple manner. A great book with lots of Steampunk twists and techniques.

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I love books where a high society girl goes to fancy dances and fights evil while still being able to get to ‘afternoon tea’ with the disapproving relative. THE FALCONER was right up my alley with the fancy dances and dresses in startling contrast to very bloody and violent battles with Scottish fairies. The writing is amazingly fluid and the plot rushed forward that I didn’t believe the book actually ended. Another aspect I enjoyed was the little touches of steampunk in the weapons that Aileana used to kill fairies. I kept forgetting that steampunk was an element in this book due to the lack of steampunk in any other part of THE FALCONER aside from the weapons.

There is romance in this book and while I tend to get very annoyed at love triangles, I kind of liked the interaction between Aileana and the two rather uniquely resourceful men in her life. They all seem to fit well into their roles helping her out with the fairies battles and I am glad that a potential love triangle is hopefully not going to happen. My favorite secondary character is Derrick, Aileana’s little pixie friend who lives in her closet and help mend her clothes. He’s adorable, funny, and is addicted to honey. He brings most of the humor to the story which lightens up a pretty serious and dark leaning book.

THE FALCONER is a pretty great book if you are looking for that perfect blend of Scottish high society and fairy ass kicking. The story is a little abrupt and end in a confusing cliffhanger. I kind of don’t know where the story is going but so far it looks to have potential to be a pretty good series. .

I purchased this book because I really liked the cover and the premise even though I haven’t ever been a huge fan of faery books. I wasn’t entirely sure how much I would like the book but I was excited to give it a try. In the end, I’m happy to say that I enjoyed it. There were some not great moments for me. Especially the huge cliffhanger ending and the sort-of love triangle. I seriously thought my book might have been missing a few pages at the end with how abruptly it cut off! I was not happy at that moment and I’m glad I can help prepare you for that moment in case you do decide to read it. Also, there isn’t really a love triangle, but it sure does try to be one. I did like that the romance was not the center of the story and was also not insta-love. But I can’t say that I was a huge fan of either of the guys. I did very much enjoy Derrick the pixie, though. And in spite of those small issues, I did really enjoy the book. It has a really great setting, interesting characters, humor, and steampunk. The main character, Aileana, is strong-willed and a very good fighter. She’s a bit harsh and I wasn’t a huge fan of hers and her thirst for blood but I loved how much she hated all of the proper high society events and how determined she was to get what she wanted. While it wasn’t my favorite book ever, I did enjoy the story overall and am looking forward to the next book. I just hope the ending for that one won’t be nearly as quick as this one.

Wow this book is amazing! I received it free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review so let's get into it!

This book has everything I want in a fun, easy, and fast-paced read. The book has action, romance, Scotland, magic, steampunk, and friendship. The book is filled with humor, the banter between Aileana and Derrick, is amazing. Reminds me of Tink in the Wicked Series by Jennifer Armentrout.
The main character Aileana is well established. The book starts out after the tragedy that affected her life, so we don't see that development but we as readers can deeply connect with her journey despite that. I love that this book has a strong female character who can also be vulnerable. Her vengeance is understandable, and her pain is relatable.
The romance is complex. You think it's going one way, then suddenly it goes another, only to have it change again. This part was confusing to read. It was not confusing because of the changes but because of how the character feels. She clearly is attracted to one character her mentor early on. Yet when another suitor comes into the picture she likes him as well.
I wont say how this plays out but basically, she ends up not being interested in one anymore, despite the fact that it was previously stated she did like the person early on in the book. The romance with the one she picks is a slow burn that then all at once happens too fast. But I got an early ARC copy so much of this could have changed in the final version.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'm excited to read the rest of the series. I highly recommend it to readers who love YA and just want a fast-paced easy fun read.

This was a great read! Aileana was a great female character and she is one of the most badass assassins out there! I suppose I could call her an assassin because she kills faeries that threaten to kill humans. She also has to deal with the challenges of being a lady in Edinburgh and having an arranged marriage. I thought that her discoveries throughout the book and about herself tied together very well, as well as learning about her mother and the past she knew nothing about. The end has a fantastic cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the sequel!

This book was fabulous! Definitely one of my favorites of 2014. The characters; Aileana: loved every angry, strong but damaged bit of her! Kiaran: Swoon! But what made him so attractive wasn't a endless description of how beautiful he was as he was Fae (like is done in a lot of Fairy books) it was how his personality unfolds throughout the story that made him gorgeous. Derrick & his honey so hilarious!! Sign me up, I want my own closet pixie! The Edinburgh setting was perfect. The streampunk element was fun. The action had me gripping my kindle for dear life! I loved the Gaelic sprinkled throughout the story. "Aoram dhuit" so beautiful. The writing was wonderful. This is a debut author I will definitely be following. Now to survive the wait until the sequel comes out ....

This is, as other reviewers have stated, rather like Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with fae. I wanted to like it, and I enjoyed some elements of it, but I just couldn't care for the protagonist. At the start of the book she's been in training for a year with Kieran, an evil-but-not-evil faery. Their rapport really didn't work for me. Kieran is a jerk (and everyone knows it) and Aileana wants revenge for her mother's death. There isn't much else that she cares for, save for tinkering with machinery and weapons. Her life is consumed by killing fae and taking pleasure in their deaths--a bit much for me, personally, though I am not sure what I expected.

The Falconer gets points for steampunk (fun!) and a pixie character named Derrick. As for the rest, I could do without.

Unbelievably good! You would never know that this is the author's debut novel because the writing is superb and quite a page-turner. This is beautifully set in Scotland with steampunk and paranormal elements that took me by surprise. Aileana is a strong female protagonist who is only eighteen, and boy does she kick butt. Those who love a great YA novel and paranormal will absolutely enjoy this. The ending is awesome and I cannot wait to delve into book two soon.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Book One of The Falconer series
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

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?

What I Liked:

Another historical fantasy novel! I just read and reviewed Chantress Alchemy by Amy Butler Greenfield, which is historical fantasy (it takes place in England, but around the same time as this novel, I believe). I really enjoyed that book, and I really enjoyed this book! I can definitely see why this book is so wildly popular in the UK and other countries overseas - it really does have a sense of magic and uniqueness to it. It will be one of my favorite YA historical fiction novels of 2014!

Aileana is a Falconer, born with abilities that enable her to fight and kill faeries - yes, they do exist in the 1800s in Scotland. But she must also play the part of a dutiful daughter and heiress, a proper lady, a debutante searching for the proper husband, and so on. It's not easy keeping your reputation intact when you're tasked with killing faeries (so they don't suck out the energy of humans). And there is a bigger problem - even more faeries and creatures are pouring into Edinburgh, endangering the city and its inhabitants. Aileana must find a way to stop the creatures, while trying to maintain her reputation.

There is just something about Aileana. She isn't your typical YA heroine. She can't be, I suppose, because she is a woman of historical times. She is a debutante, a warrior, a murderer, an avenger. She seeks vengeance for her dead mother, who was killed by a faery. Aileana trains with the heartless Kiaran, in order to become stronger, to avenge her mother's death. Aileana's personality, her being, her character, is very raw. She is driven, motivated, tunnel-visioned, hell-bent on revenge. I don't know how to describe her other than that - and raw. Raw comes to mind when I think of Aileana.

I really like Aileana. It's not enough to say that she kicks some serious butt. She is, overall, a strong and fearless fighter, one who values her revenge, but also cares very much about the welfare of other humans. She risks her reputation and societal status many times, in order to hunt faeries that want to prey on humans.

This actually brings me to another point that I really liked - the author did an excellent job of mixing historical fiction with fantasy elements. I love how May combines the two. For example, a faery attacks a human during a ball, one that was important for Aileana's social status, and for "her" quest for a husband. As with most eligible girls in the nineteenth century (especially the heiresses), Aileana must find an eligible suitor to marry, per her father's request.

I guess I should talk about the romance... well, Aileana's heart clearly belongs to one person, and one person only. I'm not going to say who that is (although I'm sure the world knows about the romance by now), but I will say that I LOVE the romance in this book. It is subtle, and if you know nothing about the book (which, honestly, I didn't), then you might not see it coming. I can't wait to see how the romance develops in the next book.

The faery aspect is... interesting. I'm not a huge fan of faery-related stories in general, but I liked this one. Perhaps it is because the overall genre is historical fiction, and I like how the faery aspect is woven into the historical fiction aspect. I don't necessary like the plot of the story (involving the faeries), but I did enjoy the story. If that makes sense.

The supporting characters were so fun to read. I really liked Derrick, the faery friend of Aileana who lives in her dressing room. Catherine, a friend of Aileana, grew on me slowly - I think her role in the next books will be important. Gavin... I really like Gavin. His role will be crucial in the next books. I hope he gets what he deserves! In a good way. And Kiaran. I don't even know where to start when it comes to Kiaran. He is such a complex and intriguing character. As a powerful faery, he seems emotionless and contained, all the time. There is so much to him, and I really want to discover more!

Overall, I seriously loved this book. I love historical fiction, so that drew me right away, but the rawness of the protagonist, the simplicity of the romance, the hardcore fantasy aspect... this book had so many things that I absolutely enjoyed. You all know I love historical fiction. And fantasy. And beautiful romances.

What I Did Not Like:

I mentioned this above, but I actually wasn't a huge fan of the plot, in terms of the faeries. Maybe it was because I missed something obvious or important? But in general, there is seal over Edinburgh that keeps the faeries and other bad creatures out of Edinburgh. I think it was broken, or fading, or something. So Ailean must reseal the seal. But there are consequences to resealing the seal.

I just feel like this plot twist was a bit forced? I don't know how to describe my problem with this particular aspect of the structure of the story. Like, I don't really understand what unsealed the seal. Why did it become unsealed? I'm hoping that my questions will be answered in the next book or two.

Would I Recommend It:

Um. YES! This book had so many parts to it that I personally LOVE. Historical fiction? Check. Fantasy? Check (though I usually dislike faery-related books). Gorgeous writing style? Check. Beautiful romance? Check. Unique and interesting heroine? Check. Check check check. Go read it.

Rating:

4 stars. I enjoyed this historical fiction novel! I definitely cannot wait to read the second book (ahhh, 2015. So far away)!

Since the day that Aileana witnessed her mother's murder she has been aware of the faeries that walk amongst us unseen by most humans. At a time in her life when she should be focusing on attending balls and attracting a wealthy husband she is leading a secret double life. While pretending to act like the young lady she was brought up to be she sneaks out at night to hunt and kill the fae with the help of her mentor Kiaran. What she wants most is to track down the faery who killed her mother so that she can have her revenge. It isn't easy keeping her night time activities a secret and she knows that if she is caught she will lose her reputation and be shunned by polite society but that's a risk she is willing to take if it means stopping the fae from killing more innocent victims.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Elizabeth May's debut novel The Falconer and it's been at the top of my wish list since I first heard about it. Just one look at that stunning cover and I was sold but the blurb hooked me even more especially when I heard Aileana compared to one of Buffy's ancestors who fights the fae instead of vampires. I'll admit I was a little nervous that it wouldn't live up to my expectations but I'm very happy to say that this is a fabulous start to a new series and it's one I can't wait to continue. The Falconer is historical urban fantasy at it's best with a strong, kick-ass heroine, a rich historical setting and plenty of action. It also has a hint of steampunk in the weapons and gadgets that Aileana has designed to help her fight the much stronger, faster fae.

Aileana is a fabulous heroine, she has changed a lot since witnessing her mother's murder and is no longer the spoilt young lady that she once was. She has started to realise how trivial her life used to be, how unimportant balls and afternoon teas really are and how little she cares about finding a suitable husband and getting married. She has more important things to worry about like protecting the city from the murderous fae that seem to be arriving in greater numbers every day. It is very difficult for her to keep quiet about her secret life, especially when the gossips are all talking about her behind her back because of the circumstances surrounding her mother's death. She finds it difficult to hold her tongue but knows that nobody would believe her even if she did tell them what really happened. Aileana has had to learn to become tough, she has put a lot of effort into learning to fight and into creating the weapons she now uses to hunt. Her mentor Kiaran has secrets of his own and she isn't sure how much she can trust him but she didn't have anyone else to turn to for help so they have formed an uneasy alliance.

As much as I loved Aileana I also really enjoyed getting to know the side characters too. I'm incredibly curious about Kiaran and can't wait to learn more about him but I think Derrick, the honey drinking pixie, was probably my favourite, he was always amusing and added a nice bit of comic relief to the story. Where The Falconer really excels is in it's fight scenes, the fae that Aileana must battle against were creepy and well described and it was easy to picture yourself in the middle of the story. I don't want to say too much about the plot because I think it's better to let things unfold as you're reading but I really enjoyed Elizabeth May's take on faerie mythology and I'm definitely looking forward to finding out how events unfold as the series continues. I will warn you now that the story has quite an evil cliffhanger but I was enjoying the book so much that I can't really mark it down for that. The Falconer really is a fantastic debut and one I'd highly recommend to fans of urban fantasy with a historical setting, Elizabeth May is definitely an author to watch out for!

Loved it! This book has it all: plenty of action, humour, romance and intrigue. I could not put it down. I loved the historical setting, where Aileana has to balance two separate lives - the one that she wants and the one that is expected of her. I am not a big fan of steampunk, but I loved how it was intertwined in the plot. Loved the characters: the banter between Aileana and Gavin, the mysterious Kieran and cheeky pixie, Derek. And what an ending!

A long, long time ago (okay, back in 2014), Bibliomancy for Beginners did a hangout on Elizabeth May’s The Falconer. To say that Michaela–and especially Taylor–didn’t like it would be an understatement. I remember enjoying it, even if I didn’t love-love it. But, once the camera started going and we all started chatting, something about what I had loved got lost. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a HILARIOUS hangout and you should totally watch it. But almost two years later I have realized something important: I don’t think I was fair.

I didn’t magically have this revelation. NetGalley approved me for an ARC of the second book, The Vanishing Throne, and I re-read the book (and watched the hangout) to prep for it. Why, you ask, did I request that book in the first place? I honestly have no bloody idea. But if the first 60% are any indication, I’m really, really glad I did.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

This book is not perfect, but it sure is a fun ride. Something that can shock you–and I know this bothered other Bibliomancers–is that this is no historical fiction injected with fae. (I guess the new description of this book tells you that, but the one above is what I bought the book based on.) This world is basically steampunk, although the whys and wherefores of why it’s steampunk are never explained. It just is–possibly just so Aileana can shoot AND stab things as opposed to just stab things. I don’t know.

But if you can get past that and enjoy the vaguely steampunkish scenery, like I did, then you’re in for a nice treat with our main character. Yes, she is a little one-dimensional with her quest for vengeance, but I do like her ferocity and her determination to always look after herself. Yes, her fighting prowess comes through magic, not lifelong practice, but May makes sure that Aileana isn’t automatically badass. She does have to work at her powers. She isn’t very good at using them sometimes. Also important to me is the fact that while Aileana talks about not being like “all those other girls” at parties and such, she doesn’t say it with the admonishment and condescension that often accompany an attempt at the Strong Female Protagonist. Aileana misses that life. She wants it back. But she’s also become unabashedly violent, and thriving. I like.

The other characters in the story are fairly generic. Aileana’s best friend Catherine is the typical lady who knows nothing of Aileana’s life, and Aileana’s father pops in and out when the plot needs him to. Catherine’s mother is your typical Proper Mom. I do still love Derrick, Aileana’s friend pixie who spends a great deal of the book drunk on honey.

I go back and forth on the romance in the book, because it does things that I like and don’t like. There’s Kiaran, the dark and brooding fairy who taught her to hunt, and then Gavin, Catherine’s older brother and childhood friend of Aileana. It’s not a total love triangle, though, which is why I held out small hope when I read this the first time. Aileana loved Gavin once, but she doesn’t anymore, but she’s into Kiaran. Kiaran keeps reminding her that no matter how much she tries to humanize him, he isn’t human and she shouldn’t trust him. The fact that she does continues to bug me, but whatever. Gavin and Aileana also have an interesting relationship that differs from the cliche–at least for now–and that makes me happy.

The plot of this book is action packed, and it makes it a really fast read. Aileana is always fighting something, whether she should be or not. She really does love to go on the hunt. The ending, however, gets to me because–without spoiling anything–it shouldn’t have ended like that. There are good cliffhangers and then there’s … that. Like there should have been a next chapter but wasn’t. It wasn’t at the end of the climax, but RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, leaving the final battle sequence feeling chopped in half and unfulfilled.

When I finished reading this book for the first time, before the Hangout, I enjoyed it a lot. I think I rated it three stars on Goodreads. I hold to that three and a half rating, mostly because there are some issues and flatness within this book that keep me from loving it completely. But I did like it. In the hangout, however, I think that I was unfair from mentioning all the potential I saw in this book. There’s A LOT OF IT, and I should have mentioned that then instead of riffing off all it’s problems. So I’m doing it now.

Also, like I said, I’m 60% of the way through the second book and (as long as the last 40% doesn’t tank horribly) I CANNOT WAIT TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. So far, the potential that I saw in the first book has PAID OFF. So. Yet another reason I was inspired to re-review this.

So there you have it. Taylor can fight me all he wants.

I loved this book. The heroine was mostly competent. ( I hate where the heroine can't run without falling and drags everyone else into unnecessary trouble.) The love triangle was quickly resolved, I think. (I hate love triangles.) My only complaint was that IT ENDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION. It stopped right at the Oh Sh*t part of the climax. I knew there would be more books and I am DEFINITELY interested in reading them. This book is terrific! But dang I feel cheated. I only wish I had discovered this series after more books had been published.
Also this book was clean.

Lady Aileana Kameron has run on pure rage and hatred since the night she watched her mother's gruesome murder at the hands of a ruthless and deadly sìthichean. Covered in her mother's blood and armed with only an iron blade she had gone in search of vengeance only to be met by an unlikely savior, Kiaran McKay, a faery of the same race that murdered her mother.

Smothering her grief beneath her seething anger, Aileana enters into a bitter alliance with Kiaran in which he teaches her how to kill his kind. Aileana doesn't understand him or his motives because Kiaran is hiding from her the real reason why he is training her. And it is not for her own personal vengeance.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May is a vibrant, fast-paced steampunk novel that will hold you captive from the first moment and leave you breathless at the end. I loved ever single second of this novel. It was one of those books that as soon as I finish it, I immediately open it up and begin it again. It deserves an encore!

The characters are atypical and interesting, the lore surrounding the story is sound, and the prose is precise and quick. I loved the depth and personalities of the characters. I was cheering for Aileana the whole time and sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would become of Kiaran. Too often in YA fantasy the supposedly feral and sexy mythical hero turns out to be far too predictable and boring. Kiaran, however, remained a wildcard up to the very end, and I loved that.

The end, by the way, is absolutely wretched. The kind of cliffhanger that haunts you and leaves you making up fanfic plots as you desperately wait for the next book.

Elizabeth May has fashioned a marvelous fantasy with a kick-ass heroine in a dark steampunk world with a plot that will keep you flipping the pages. I look forward to so much more from this brilliant debut author! The Falconer is, by far, my favorite book this year.

**This novel was sent to me for review by Chronicle Books. My opinions are completely unbiased. I would like to take a moment to say that Chronicle Books does an amazing job with their bindings. This book, like all the others I have received from them, is absolutely exquisite. No only is the jacket pretty, but the engravings on the book itself are beautiful as well.

Find more review at my blog http://seaofpages.blogspot.com!

Great book for an introduction to steam punk. Not too overwhelming on the gadgets. Interesting storyline. Fast-paced read. Really grew to love the characters. Minor love triangle. Not the focus of the story though. I'll admit that with the title falconer I expected something much different. I did not read what this book was about, it was recommended to me by a coworker. I literally thought it was about a real falconer. However, with the ferry storyline, it is something much different in this book.

Although I have never been much of a fantasy reader and have never read anything from the steampunk genre, I thoroughly enjoyed The Falconer. In fact, I read the majority of the novel in one sitting. Aileana is a great character with impressive depth, and Kiaran and Derrick, despite their fantastical natures, seemed authentic as well. The Scottish/faery language was a bit of a barrier to me, and I wished there was maybe a pronunciation guide somewhere, but overall the plot was intriguing, and I do look forward to the next book in what is planned as a trilogy. I am hoping for more romance in the next installment, as I was a bit disappointed that there was not more in this book. I would have preferred that Gavin wanted our heroine much more than he does, and of course, there is the problem of Kiaran. A Twilight-style triangle would be really interesting. It took me quite a while to get rolling with this book, but that was mainly due to my own preconceptions. Pick this one up and give it a try!