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The Otherworld #1

Heart of the Fae

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Beauty and the Beast meets Irish Mythology in this sweeping retelling of the beloved fairytale....

Once upon a time…

A plague sweeps across the emerald hills of Uí Néill, leaving a young midwife’s father with months to live. To save her people, Sorcha makes a deal with a dangerous Fae. She must travel across the sea, through merrow and kelpie lands, to find a forgotten king on a crumbling throne.

Born king of the Seelie Fae, Eamonn fought battles unnumbered to uphold honor, duty, and freedom… until his twin brother sank a blade between his shoulders. Crystals grew from the wound, splitting open skin and bone. His people banished him to a cursed isle for his disfigurement, now king of criminals and fools.

With the help of brownies, pixies, and will-o’-the-wisps, Sorcha battles to break through his crystalline shell and persuade him to take back his stolen throne.

This determined beauty could come dangerously close to stealing his beastly heart.

350 pages, ebook

First published November 17, 2017

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About the author

Emma Hamm

54 books2,497 followers


We all know you don't really care about reading my background. Enjoy Cap instead.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,181 reviews
756 reviews2,559 followers
July 30, 2018
I'm so shook by how beautifully written, gorgeous and utterly magical this book is. From the beginning to the end I was so mesmerized by the gorgeous writing and world building in this book. The romance had me screaming with feels and all the characters in this book are so wonderful that I just want to wrap them all up in warm blankets.

Sorcha is a healer and mid wife in her town, Uí Néill, where she lives with her father and sisters in their brothel. In her town, the plague of black beetles is growing worse and worse and threatening to take her father's life. Sorcha is desperate to find a cure and crosses path with the Fae with who she makes a bargain with. And so she goes on a quest to Ireland, or island of Hy Brasil, to find a banished prince.

Sorcha is such an amazing character. She's the most kind, strong, clever, loving and loyal person. She's a fucking Queen and I'm so head over heels in love with her. I'm deadass a love struck lil boi when it comes to Sorcha. She can ask me to get the moon for her and I FUCKING WOULD (i would probably die but whatever). In a time period where women are expected to marry, stay home, and have children, Sorcha spoke up against sexist men and voiced her thoughts and opinions. She never let piece of shit man to stop her from pursuing her career or dream as a healer nor stop them from doing what she wants.

AND SHE DIDN'T FALL FOR A ""HANDSOME"" GUY WITH A SHIT PERSONALITY!!! Raise your hand if you're tired of girls going mush for handsome guy with a disgusting personality? Don't worry this doesn't happen in this book!!! In the beginning there's this oh so handsome, sexy, take-my-panties-off-daddy guy who is sexist as fuck and was telling Sorcha to just marry him and stop thinking about being a healer because OH it's not job for a woman!!!! But our girl here brushed him tf off and told him to fuck off whenever he tried making a move on her. Yes Queen.

“I would dare much, sir, against a man who seemingly does not understand boundaries. You must ask a woman if you may enter her abode and, when granted approval, you may do so. If they request you leave, then you remove yourself.


She's also such a strong minded and clever character. Sorcha might not be physically strong and able to slice fuckers with a sword, but that doesn't make her character any less Strong or Badass. She's a kind woman who treats the lesser Fae with respect and manners and always wants to help those in need. She knows what she has to do to get what she wants and she does not let people walk over her and demand things of her. She is her own boss, bitch.

Oh my god, I can literally go on and on about how fucking amazing Sorcha is, but we need to talk about the world building and the beautiful Irish mythology!!! There are so many creatures in this book!!! Fae, gnomes, dwarves, pixies, mermaids/mermen, half whale and half female whale creatures, to magical horses and so much more. It was so magical and beautiful to read about it all. When Sorcha met them she was so amazed and heart eyes and I felt that. Like,,,, that was Me when read about the world building and whatever. And the good thing is that this is mentioned so much!

The romance is......whoo boy it's heated and hot and I fucking loved it. I don't know why, but I went into this thinking this was Young Adult, but it's not. The romance is explicit and there is an explicit sex scene, which may not be to everyone's liking, but I LOVED IT LMAO. Anyways, Eamonn was a bitter, angry asshole because he was banished to this island for centuries so he was not kind to Sorcha when they first met, but that doesn't mean he was a gross sexist asshole. Sure, he was rude, but that's because of his Tragic PastTM and I love how he grew into such a sweet and soft little cinnamon roll.

Their romance is so sweet, hot, but most of all built with respect and loyalty for each other. Never once did they disrespect each other despite their arguments. There was this one scene where Eamonn said something like, "I will not always agree with you, but that doesn't mean I would disregard your opinions and silence your thoughts" and I was fucking crying because aklhdwqda yes we need more Healthy Relationships.

Eamonn's inner Alpha Male came out and he was all like,"you're mine" (yes that bullshit), but Sorcha our Feminist Queen said "oh hell no, I do not belong to anyone but myself. I am not Yours." and then Eamonn shut the fuck up and respected that and holy shit i love them.

Anyways, Eamonn can keep me imprisoned on that island. 💦💦💦💦💦

The story is so intriguing and I wasn't bored once! I don't want to say much because spoilers, but so much happens and alkbdqklqjsbdv I was just like "what the fuck" and saying that over and over again.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are a few typos in this book and tbh that would have bothered me, but I was so invested in the story that I didn't even care.

Also, there's this really cute raven in the book and you guys should read the book for him because he's precious.

Obviously, I love this book and I would recommend it. Please read this underrated gem. It deserves so much hype!!!


reaction right after reading this masterpiece:
what a fantastic fucking retelling of beauty and the beast with Irish mythology and fae folk!!!! the main character is such a feminist queen and she's the most kind, strong and loving person. i stan a fucking Queen. 💘😩❤️

there's also scary Mermaids and dangerous half female, half whale creatures that can easily eat you in one bite.

anyways, this was so fucking good. i am shaking. my body is on the floor and I AM FUCKING SHAKING.
Profile Image for Elaine.
340 reviews55 followers
May 29, 2018
If you want Irish Beauty & the Beast, go read Marillier's Heart's Blood . (I was a touch underwhelmed by that one, but cripes, at least it had some sense of the Irish landscape and history.)

God, where to start with this one...

I'll say what I enjoyed first, since it's a shorter list: the imagery of geode crystals in place of blood filling wounds is interesting and, to me, original! Some of the quips and snark were amusing (most, come to think of it -- just not employed nearly enough). Also, nice cover art! Oh, and the concept of the blood beetle plague is suitably horrifying!

Really long review ahead! Because good books are all alike; every bad book is bad in its own way.

0. It's part of a perspective-swapping series, but this part of the plot is actually a duology, which means this particular book ends of a cliffhanger btw. It's half the story.

1. Lots of clunky, repetitive dialog that didn't sound natural. Replies didn't always map well to the last thing said by the person they're replying to, making a lot of seeming or actual non-sequiturs.

2. Unclear setting. Lots of modern or out of place phrases. The start of the book talks about minstrels and guilds, which felt more Middle Ages, but later on I tend to think Victorian period. Sorcha crosses herself at one point, so it's definitely post-Christianization. Who knows! Women wear skirts and they use chamberpots; there's not much to narrow it down beyond that. Her dresses fasten in the back, but it's even odds whether that's indicative of period or just plain Hollywood-derived inaccuracy. Is this even Ireland? Who can say! Why is Dame Agatha praising someone for being "progressive"? See #5 about Sorcha's creepy pimp/whore family.

➡️ You can't have your cake and eat it, too. If you want to tie your story to reality (e.g. by setting it in Ireland, using the real Irish pantheon), you can't have a whitewashed modern, progressive version of history to suit your needs. If you want to have Celtic-flavored fantasy, you need to do more to divorce the story from reality than having faeries be real and a creepy blood beetle plague.

Speaking of misplaced progressiveness, I cringed a bit whenever the word "deformities" came up, namely in how Sorcha would use this term to describe the otherworldly/non-human aspects of the faes' appearances. Kind of insensitivite in light the "hero" and his hangups, and also, just by the loaded nature of that word, really subverts the frequent "beauty in the eye of the beholder/skin deep" thing that ties in to BatB. Just because someone looks like a half-spider half-person doesn't mean they're deformed if they're faerie royals!

And that's not to mention to the faux feminist (let's say fauxminist) touches. Want to make your character a strong feminist character? Have other male characters tell her outright "You're useless because you're a woman!" That's exactly what sexism sounds like, in all times and in all places, and that's how you know it's sexist -- it self-identifies. This is actually one of my hot button missteps, because it ignores benevolent -isms while also eradicating all nuance to people as people. Sexists: not great! But also usually not so outright either, and plenty of women would share the same sexist attitudes depicted in this book (which is hidden by having male characters saying women suck). That's what makes bigotry so insidious and ubiquitous! Sexism is less telling women "you're a woman therefore shut up," it's telling women "I appreciate you're worried about this thing, but highly trained people [drawn from a pool exclusively male] are working to solve it! Women's soft hearts are a noble thing [benevolent sexism], and it's good that you care. Don't let yourself get hysterical over it [dismissive gaslighting]. Tell you what, if you want to help out so much, why don't you focus on comforting the ailing using your natural nurturing touch [benevelolent sexism, gendered labor, belittling contributions as 'help' not 'work']?"

3. You know how you're supposed to solve maze puzzles by drawing a line through and around all the obstacles, and you are not supposed to just draw a straight line from Start to End to "win" faster? Well, the relationship building in this book takes the latter option. It's a tempting trap to fall into with BatB adapatations, it seems: you know what beats you want to hit (angry intial meeting, more tenseness, some eye-opening sensitivity, some life-saving, some falling in love, etc) and it's very easy to not do the legwork to earn each moment. In this case, the characters are having personality revelations and falling in love like flipping a switch. It doesn't help that days/weeks/months path and the two leads have a total of like 2 interactions in that time.

4. Canon Sue main character. I know there's backlash against the freehanded labeling of freehanded characters as Mary Sues, but Sorcha is ✔️exotic in appearance, ✔️so feisty and sassy!, ✔️wins over everybody not because she's just plain kind but because she's kindest most unusual human to ever be nice to a fae creature and she's the one person in Ireland/the world to honor the old ways at all, and ✔️all the characters, even the enemy, go out of their way to sing her praises about how smart and wise and lovely and different and special she is. Oh and some ✔️Too Stupid To Live tendencies but she's always just so correct in how she handles things, how dare you shout at her.

5. Mixed characterization and creepiness! Let's talk about Sorcha's family.
- The narrative goes back and forth between how much Sorcha loves her sisters and her feeling all put upon for apparently being the one sensible person who keeps their household running and no one else could possibly omg. And of course she starts off on a bit of a deadline, which she mostly doesn't think about. Does her family love her back, or do they think she's a weirdo like everyone else? Who knows! What kind of angst is called for on that page?
-- She's got all these "sisters" whom she loves (usually)... but literally only 2 of the 13 are named or described. One is the cutesy sweetheart, and the other is the older, sterner type. Apparently there's a set of twins. That's it. That's what we know about this big creepy whored-out family that is totally so close and functional. Totally.
- Her family is a bunch of orphans (apparently) picked off the street... and turned into prostitutes. And oh, they blub about how nice and gentle their "Papa" (pimp) is, and another man might not be as nice to them... but they are girls raised to be prostitutes. Sorcha eyes the marks on the wall where she tracked the height/growth of one girl, who is now a prostitute. Ack ack ack ack.
-- And Sorcha, special Sorcha, is the one girl the pimp picked out as too good to be a whore, ergo she gets to focus on herbal lore/book learning.
-- The author tries to minimize this by being weirdly sex-positive [not that sex positivity is weird in general, just in this particular case] about how they're just hard-working girls (when they aren't frivolous burdens, ahem), but uh no, that's not what prostitution is typically like, and especially not in this quasi-historical setting we're apparently in. (Also undermined by Sorcha being singled out for non-whore work because she's So Special.) For some reason the author (and by extent, the sisters), seem to labor under the misapprenhension that a whore would ever even have the option of marrying a nobleman who came in as a john. And that when/if that happened (the prostitute in question was indifferent to the idea), the former sex worker would still be visiting them all!

➡️ This is a book with fairies and mermaids and magic, and that's probably the most fantastic element of all. 🙄

- Why does it feel like we're supposed to look down on Dame Agatha for never visiting the brothel to get her midwifery needs tended? Again, if we're in a chamberpot period of history, there were a lot of very clear, very conservative class lines about those kinds of things. Chances are, Agatha wouldn't dream of using a widwife who also tended to prostitutes if she could help it.


6. Disney's BatB adapatation is the elephant in the room for telling this story, and it's something authors have to choose to work with or around: either finding entirely new spins or hewing closer to the original materials, and dropping in homages as desired. This tale, I feel, had some good "loose adaptation" feelings (e.g. the lead is still trying to save her father, but not from captivity), but I got way too many Disney winks. Geralt/Gaston, Oona/Mrs. Potts, the enchanted mirror with a rose motif (I did like the snark about that, though), the torn painting, the servants bringing the heroine out of her "cell" to wine and dine her... there was even a scene early in the book that reminded me of Belle's stroll through town with the "Bonjour" lyrics.


Good news, if you've made it this far: if you need more convincing, apparently I made well over 100 notes and highlights wherever things bugged me. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.
Profile Image for NAT.orious reads ☾.
878 reviews383 followers
April 5, 2022
3.5 fairytale-enchanted ★★★✬✩ (3.75 before the reread)
This book is for you if… you suspect an intricate combination of Celtic fairytale x beauty & beast is the retelling you've needed all your life. Be aware that it gives quite a lot of room to romance.

Overall.
Edit for the reread: I'm not sure why I thought I'd enjoy this more the second time around. Alas, at least I now know enough to continue with Veins of Magic

My heart started pounding in anticipation of a beauty-&-the-beast x Irish-Celtic-mythology crossover when I discovered Heart of the Fae. At least to my knowledge, Celtic mythology and fiction don't mix well in the literary world yet, mostly because authors rip the scarce evidence we have about the civilizations in question apart and then put it back together, the results excruciating. I knew this of course but my silly heart still hoped for the best.

Altogether, I am very happy with the audiobook. Both the world-building and the style of story-telling agreed with me. It definitely carries typical elements of fairytales but also allows for a strong female character and a less creepy version of Beauty and the Beast. Although it's still one of my favourite childhood movies I feel increasing discomfort over the depiction of romance in the conventional story. Here, on the other hand, the Stockholm-Syndrome factor has not crossed my mind once. The narrator was Irish voice artist Siobhan Waring and I absolutely loved her. She narrated both the chapters from Sorcha and Eamon's point of view and did a great impression of the different voices, including the side characters.

Even though I was satisfied to a large extent, I felt that Emma missed out on a bit of the potential that Celtic mythology (and even archaeological facts) offers to make for a realistic fairytale. I'm aware it sounds like an oxymoron but I truly believe it is possible to smartly weave facts and fiction together in a way that satisfies both a Celtic civilizations enthusiast and a fairytale lover. I guess to make for a convincing romance, she had to drop a bit of that and give more time to the development of Sorcha's and Aemon's feelings. I suppose we had it coming but I still understand reactions such as this one. I wish some of that on-page-time would have been sacrificed in favour of a more adventure-driven plot. I'm excited to see how the story of Sorcha continues. I still believe Emma's story has the capacity to incorporate both aspects.

What’s happening.
‘The disgraced prince was sent away to a phantom isle which could only be seen once every 7 years. He begged his family to allow him to remain but they had no petty for the man who had hidden his true nature. The firstborn son of the seelie king faded into myth, then legend, then nothing at all.’

Sorcha knows nothing of this tragedy as she sets out to find a cure that will save her people from the blood beetle plague. It is quite a personal quest. Sorcha's father, the man who put superstition and judgement aside to raise a little girl that grew into a confident, kind and self-sufficient woman, is suffering from the plague. The trouble is, how can you win a race that seems to have different finishing lines and obstacles on the way, each of them potentially fatal?
Con:
(un-)seelie are tricky people not to be messed with
already sorta messing with a couple of fairies
moody prince with pretty stones all over his body
Pro:
women are the better druids
them irish vibes
moody prince with prety stones all over his body

_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 4*

pace = 4*

plot development = 3*

characters = 5*

enjoyability = 4*

insightfulness = 3*
_____________________
This audioArc was provided by Emma Hamm in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!
Profile Image for Sara.
1,228 reviews383 followers
January 30, 2020
This was, rather unfortunately, not for me. I was expecting Celtic mythology, sweeping atmospheric tension and a slow building romance. Instead this felt like the most contrived relationship I’ve ever read, with a plot that plays second place to the rather bland main characters.

Sorcha is a midwife, who lives above a brothel, who somehow makes a random deal with the Fae to save her family from a beetle plague and ends up living on an island with the brooding Eamonn. Eamonn is the former high prince of the Seelies, but he’s been banished due to somehow being ‘cursed’ with an usual appearance that leaves his body covered in crystals. Yeah, explain that. Because the book doesn’t. Somehow after two conversations the pair decide that they love each other, and Sorcha casually forgets her promise to her family to snog Eamonn and brood over his lost kingdom. Sorcha seems to only have two emotions - angry and naively happy, while Eamonn is firmly the one dimensional broody tough guy with a heart of gold. That’s it. Their relationship has no build up, no angst, and as a result it just didn’t feel genuine. And at times incredibly cliche and cringy. Don’t get me started on the awful sexy times.

The plot is also lacking in depth, with lots of telling instead of showing. It felt simplistic and predictable and, for me, very average. Plot ‘twists’ and reveals are just thrown into the text in a very heavy handed and unexplained way, lessening their effect and adding to my frustration. Also, what there is of a plot makes NO SENSE. There’s hardly any world building, with 90% of the plot taking place on the island, meaning I had no real idea what the world was like, or the politics of the various courts in any great depth. This meant I just didn’t really care. On top of that the ending felt incredibly rushed, and poorly concluded. In fact there was nothing concluded, instead ending on an incredibly irritating cliffhanger.

I think the only redeeming feature was the secondary characters on the island, who at least brought a little bit of the mythology to life, and kept me reading. Honestly, this is why I don’t read much romance focused fantasy. It all just feels way too overdone and underwritten for me to care. I’ll stick to Maas if I want grumpy territorial Fae (and I’ve realised I really don’t).
Profile Image for Melanie A..
1,145 reviews468 followers
April 11, 2019
4 STARS!
"Who am I to judge others for the choices they make?"
This was really good. Emma Hamm is a great writer who has a seriously creepy imagination, lol.

The positives:

(1) The heroine had a backbone made of steel and a truly generous heart, which made reading this one a real pleasure.
"One must decide whether to live in fear, or courage."
(2) The banter between Sorcha and Eamonn had some stellar moments.
"Have you no care nor discretion for your own survival? You berate a creature of superior strength?"

"Superior? Sir, I find you lacking in every sense of the word."
(3) The fantasy aspects were top-notch. The pages were filled with unique, well-developed, fantastical characters, including the hero.
Eamonn was a creature bred for war and destruction.
(4) The central message of the story was wonderful.
"You can't change the world, Sorcha."

"I would if I could."
So where are the 5 stars?

The negatives:

(1) The pacing felt a bit off. In parts, I thought the story lacked a much needed sense of urgency.

(2) The romance. The relationship between these two had such huge potential . . . but I felt like it was squandered and never really went anywhere.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one as long as romance is not your key ingredient to making a story great. Happy reading!
Profile Image for Dianne.
6,790 reviews586 followers
November 20, 2017
We never outgrow fairytales. There’s nothing better than believing in the fantastic, in the impossible, and especially believing in a love that can conquer all, even if it’s only for a few hours.
Emma Hamm’s HEART OF THE FAE is one of those love stories and like all great fairytales, it began, once upon a time…

When a plague ravages Sorcha’s land, as a healer and midwife, Sorcha will do anything to save her people and her family from certain death. She strikes a bargain with a powerful dark Fae with her own agenda and that will send her on a journey to a cursed island that few humans will ever see, a land that holds magic and a scorned, young Fae prince. Eamonn is the rightful heir to the Seeley throne, betrayed by his twin brother, abandoned by his family and cursed with a disfigurement that makes touch near impossible, he keeps his distance from his subjects, and is slowly losing his hope, his trust in the world and believes he is the monster he has been turned into.

In spite of Eamonn’s attempts to assure that Sorcha knows she is not welcome, her inner strength, determination and kind heart reaches beyond his hardened shell and plucks at the fading strings of hope, justice and love in his heart.

Emma Hamm has created a special grown-up version of Beauty and the Beast, filled with painful memories, secret dreams and the need we all have for help and support from those we trust. Time is running out for Sorcha to save her family and her people, but first she must save Eamonn from himself and the curse he never deserved, because sometimes, all you need is one special person to believe in you.

Beautiful details make picturing the creatures of this cursed island, the lands they live on and even the hag’s cottage come to life, reminiscent of so many fairytales that we have grown to love. Emma Hamm has created her own special magic for us to believe in, in a land far, far away that can be as amazing as it is special. I read this twice, that's how good it is!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC edition from Emma Hamm.

Series: The Otherworld - Book 1
Publication Date: November 26, 2017
Publisher: Emma Hamm
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Emma Hamm.
Author 54 books2,497 followers
October 2, 2017


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Profile Image for chaity.
167 reviews431 followers
March 17, 2022
meanwhile in an alternate universe:

police: why did you hurt your boyfriend, ma'am?

the girlfriend, probably a gold-digger: i just, um uh, you know, wanted to see if crystals grew from his wound hehehe—
Profile Image for Elena.
124 reviews1,062 followers
October 18, 2018
Fantasía ambientada en una tierra parecida a la Irlanda medieval, con todo el folklore Celta como protagonista.
Es una historia entretenida, muy ligera y amena a la hora de leerla pero se ha ido demasiado al terreno romántico para mi gusto personal (entiendo que es un retelling de la Bella y la Bestia, pero aún así).
El final no me ha dado sensación de algo cerrado, acaba en un cliffhanger para que leas la segunda parte al momento. Por cosas como esa y otras creo que le falta algo más de trabajo de edición.
Como puntos positivos, la ambientación me ha gustado bastante a pesar de que he leído críticas de gente que conoce más a fondo el folklore irlandés y que tenía bastante que decir sobre el tema.
También me ha generado debates internos sobre la situación familiar de la protagonista: Sorcha vive en un burdel con otras chicas, a las que llama hermanas, y su "padre" que las recogió de la calle. Las chicas trabajan voluntariamente en el burdel. Es inevitable cuestionarte esta situación familiar, y me ha gustado la intención de la autora para generar debate sobre el tema de la prostitución. Y tengo que decir que habría estado de acuerdo con sus argumentos si no fuera porque la figura del "padre" es lo que me desestabiliza la ecuación (me sobra totalmente, vaya, creo que habría estado mucho mejor que las hermanas vivieran solas organizándose entre ellas).
No descarto leer sus siguientes partes (además están en amazon para kindle a un precio súper asequible).
Profile Image for Viktoria Winter.
111 reviews439 followers
January 15, 2018
"Spirits of the East and Air, I welcome you into our circle and bid you well tidings. On this sacred night of Samhain, come dance with us. Spirits of the South and Fire, I welcome you to feast with us on this sacred night. Spirits of the West and Water, I welcome you to drink and be merry with us tonight. Join our revelries on this sacred eve. Spirits of the North and Earth, I welcome you to this hall and ask that you tell us stories from ages past. Speak easy and loosen thy tongue on this sacred night."

I’m always looking for faerie/elven stories to read so you could imagine how excited I was to find Heart of the Fae by Emma Hamm. Its a lovely retelling of Beauty and the Beast with an Irish folklore twist. Sorcha, a young midwife, is deep in peril when a plague sweeps across her village and takes root in her father. She had always been respectful of the Fae—leaving them offerings and praying to their deities—so when faced with such tragedy, she turns to them for a favor. In return, Sorcha finds herself sent on a suicidal mission across realms to the Otherworld where the Fae reside.

description

It is there she will meet Eamonn, a banished king with a curse that allows for crystals to grow beneath his skin instead of flesh and blood. He is your typical brooding male protagonist, set on being miserable and sulking for eternity. Because the Seelie don't take to deformities kindly, Eamonn was considered a monster and was tortured by his twin brother so that he wouldn't stand a chance coming king. His people turned against him, and now he surrounds himself with simpler Fae that become like a family to the wayward prince.

description

Together, they will need to rely upon one another in order to save her family and reclaim his throne.

I enjoyed this story. The world-building was rich and lyrical, the characters were beautifully described in their own gruesome makings, and the amount of references to Fae folklore made me beyond happy. Instead of just using the Fae as her mythical creatures, Hamm included beings like selkies, brownies, nymphs, and boggarts. And those are only a few. I think that when an author attempts to write a story about these specific beings they should always try to include a varying array of them, because, after all, the Fae are only one branch of species in relation to their thousands of kin. Its an entire spectrum of earth spirits we’re referencing.

Hamm even touched upon a favorite element of mine—the Seelie and the Unseelie. Often times, the Unseelie are described as the “dark” Fae (usually autumn and winter), and the Seelie are the “light” (spring and summer). In this book, the seasons don't play any role but the notion of good and evil certainly does. Lesser Fae are those that don't appear humanoid by Seelie standards, or don't appear grotesque enough by Unseelie standards. There is a social contract within both major realms, and the political intrigue on the Seelie side will throw in a few plot twists that will make you question whether you’re reading about the right Fae.

The writing was easy to follow, simply put it was straight forward with a sprinkling of poetic moments here and there. I prefer more emotion and prose in the books I read, but maybe I’m biased because I still enjoyed this one very much. Another slight issue I had with it was the romance. Of course, I was rooting for the two main characters to get hitched since the first page because of the way the synopsis promises them to be lovers…but it somehow still felt forced. Thankfully it didn't feel rushed, but there were a few times that I had to contemplate why the one character was confessing their emotions to the other when it felt like their wasn't a basis to their emotional ties just yet.

The plot was decent, but you can surmise a great deal of what will happen because this is a loose retelling of a story that has been retold millions of times. People even draw parallels to another Beauty and the Beast inspired story that also includes the Fae and, yes, you guessed it: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Even though I’ve already begun to see people compare the two, I will just put my two cents out there and say that while they share glaringly obvious similarities, these stories are highly different and unique in their own ways.

All that being said, if you’re in the mood for a cute romance, or (like me) in the mood to always read about the Fae—here’s your next book! I’m currently reading the sequel and thus far it’s even better than the first.
September 9, 2021
“I am not a woman, but sword and shield. I will carve my own path, or I will force others to create it for me.”



I hate this book with fierce passion. I didn't read the last two chapters but I honestly doubt it would have redeemed itself in 50 pages and I just couldn't stomach any more of this. Jeez. I usually don't have such strong feelings for books, but this is my second time trying with this book (the retelling and the Irish mythology thing made me want to give this book another chance), so maybe I'm just frustrated because I forced myself to go through it, when I should have just DNF'd it. But heck was this a trainwreck. I wish I could take back the hours of my life I spent reading this.

First of all, the protagonist it insufferable. She is so "not like the other girls" that she is "not like the other humans". She keeps preaching about how everyone does things the wrong way apart from her, and every other character in this book agrees with her and enables her delusions. The world building is basically 50 whole pages of info-dumping that make the first quarter of this book even more boring than the rest. It is so slow and full of unnecessary fillers (people that we meet for like two seconds but for some reasons require pages and pages of character description; rants about how we all suck compared to saint Sorcha - name which, on a side note, means p*ssy in my dialect, so that was awkward; random info about the world which we do not need, etc) that we actually meet the love interest only 30% in.

Now, you might want to ask: how can an enemies-to-lovers romance develop naturally in such a short amount of time? Spoiler alert - it can't. The romance in this book is one of the most unnatural, forced and unbelievable I ever read; these guys have zero chemistry, the sex is incredibly awkward, the male character is basically a god but he thinks he is repulsive, while the female character is a no one who the hero covets like the last woman on earth. In other words, everything you don't want to see in a romance, this book has it. Now I know writing a book takes a lot of effort, and I apologize for sh*tting all over someone else's hard work. However, I cannot lie to myself. I wish I never spent 6 hours reading this. Even more, I wish this book was actually good because I would have loved to go on with the series. I guess it was just a cover buy after all. Sorry for the rant lol.

Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,168 reviews794 followers
March 27, 2019
When Sorcha’s father is nearing death and her family is in danger from the same fate, she makes a bargain with an ancient Tuatha De Danann. Knowing the dangers of such an arrangement, she sets out to find a hidden isle that houses a banished king.

description

Eamonn’s rightful place is King of the Seelie Fae but when his body becomes disfigured, he is tortured then sent to Hy-brasil where he hides away with his anger and rage. When the fiery human woman washes upon the shore he finds himself both tormented and captivated by her presence.

description

This is a loose re-telling of Beauty and the Beast and one that I instantly fell in love with. It’s a slow moving story filled with all things Fae, and creatures that stretched far beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the first part where Sorcha is seeing first hand all that she had believed in but had never seen with her own eyes. It’s a story filled with magic and wonder that balances out the dark presence of Eamonn and his disfigurement. The relationship between these two evolves from dislike, to friends, to more. I loved watching as Eamonn slowly came to accept that his little human accepted him for what and who he was.

description


The second half seemed to slow down and I began to struggle to stay engaged. Realising the author was setting up the background for what would come in later books I forced myself to pay attention to the details. It did get a bit dragged down here and there. However, once we moved from that, it picks back up and we are thrust towards the end of the book but not the story. This ends in a pretty big cliffhanger and I’m just glad I knew about it before starting or things could’ve gotten ugly.

Dual POV
Safe
Triggers


Profile Image for Sentranced Jem.
1,134 reviews601 followers
April 14, 2018
This is it!
I've found it...
I cannot believe I haven't read this book before yesterday.
A Beauty and The Beast re-telling? Are you kidding me?!
I loved this book! It combined my love of classic fairytale and Irish mythology. Wohoo! ❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon).
1,671 reviews254 followers
March 26, 2019
March Theme BotM at the URR™ -- Theme: Mod Flava 2019 - Maraya's Choice



WHAT THIS BOOK WANTED TO BE:
“I, too, have been at the mercy of men, more times than I wish to recount. My mother would tell you the best way to answer them is to remain steadfast, quiet, and continue doing the right thing.” Macha’s eyes flashed brilliant green. “I am not a woman, but sword and shield. I will carve my own path or I will force others to create it for me.”
[....]
Their gazes met and Macha smiled. “You are the same, little human. They tell you time and time again you are a pool of still water. Yet, we both know underneath the surface a tempest rages. I will enjoy seeing your claws grow.”

@11%


WHAT THIS BOOK ENDED UP BEING:
She swallowed the scream rising in her throat, and instead stared in horror at the dead body trapped in a white blanket of webbing. “Lovely to meet you.”
“Is it?” The woman cocked her head to the side. “You look positively terrified.”
“I am.”
“Then why don’t you scream?”
“I do not wish to offend.”
“A scream is a gift.”

@60%


I am in the minority here.
Everyone loved this.
I wanted to. But. I couldn't do it.


What this books wanted to be: A fierce, sass filled, mythology infused, feminist retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

What this book ended up being however was an undeveloped, illogical, mythology lacking, unfeminist retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The worst part is that it could have made it! It had great potential, it did, but it wasn't developed, not anywhere near enough.


First we have the Length: It was *at the very least* ~150 pages shorter. The book read like a fucking butchered summary! It absolutely needed those pages to tell the story - not flesh out but actually tell it, cause let me tell you there were a lot of stuff not mentioned when yhey should have been and quite a few things brushed off where they mattered.


Then we have Editing: This wasn't edited. Typos, words were they didn't belong, words missing, sentences and whole paragraphs making no sense, things said to be one way and on the next page the same things been another way.


Descriptions: Extremely Vague on most and then explicit on specific others. Repeated descriptions of the aforementioned specific others. Also vague use of Mythology elements.


Writing: The writing was lacking. L A C K I N G. All the above factor here as well. It tried to be mystical and ethereal - it failed. It made no sense at times. The way half the book was written was so confusing. It dropped and picked up things whenever it suited it. It existed in a vacuum, time didn't matter but when it was used as a plot furthering device. Mish mash & vagueness on the myths.


Creepy Factor: One of the things that were there to set the story was turned into a major creepy factor. As an idea it was a great one, an original one. Twas not ment to be.


Romance: It was used and abused. There wasn't one really. At the very end, it was whipped out of nowhere with no leg to stand on and it was used as a way to draw people to the next book.


Character Development: None. As characters go, these were good in their respective "starting points". They could have been great but they never moved towards it.


Let me give you a few specific examples of what I mean.
🚨 Attention: Here be spoilers! 🚨
▶ Don't read if you haven't read the book. ◀



So, here you have it.

There are positive things I have from this:
• The characters (in a half mast capacity. If they had improved, oh if they had..)
• Some of the dialogue
• The Blood Beetle Plague
• Eammon's physical "Beast" version

And those ⤴ are the reason this isn't a 1 Star thingy.


I also have a fucking headache from thinking about this. *sigh*



These are the few Quotes that were somewhat good:
Profile Image for Leslie ☆︎.
113 reviews64 followers
April 27, 2023
Beauty and the Beast in medieval Ireland? Yes, please.

You know those people who refer to their partner as their “other half” or “better half”? Sorcha and Eamonn are *not* those people, and their relationship is all the more interesting and heartbreaking for it. They’re two complete individuals with their own distinct purposes — which ultimately drive them apart in a very natural way.

I appreciate that Sorcha is a strong female character without being a “strong female character.” She’s a tough, world-hardened woman who also has believable flaws and relatable wants.

(Also, female domination. ‘Nuff said.)

So, why only four stars? Well, the first 100 pages felt like they were from a completely different book than the next 250 (we were introduced to *so* many characters who were never referenced again, but I appreciated their role in building Sorcha’s world), and I would have benefitted from some additional explanation about faerie lore. A fair bit of background knowledge is assumed.

If you enjoyed this book as much as I did, you’ll love “Honor Among Orcs” by Amalia Dillin and “The Black Beast of Belleterre” by Mary Jo Putney.
Profile Image for Somia.
2,064 reviews152 followers
March 24, 2019
I wasn’t sure what to expect, downloaded this somewhat unsure if the sneak peek I'd taken was a promise of a great afternoon read or a tempting morsel sending me down a path of disappointment. Happy to report that I completely enjoyed this read, the story and characters had me engaged so much so that I lost track of time, and started book 2 immediately after finishing this one.

This book introduces us to the tale of human healer and midwife Sorcha, and Eamonn, a fierce warrior and a banished Fae, who happens to also be the rightful heir to the Seelie Fae throne.

Sorcha is one strong woman, she is heavily underestimated by those in her community and fails to receive the respect she should from the male healers, who continuously send her away, because she happens to be female, and in doing so they shun her wisdom/knowledge.

Sorcha is also the only one who continues to believe and follow the old ways, as the others in her community consider the Fae and all the customs that go with respecting the Fae, to be hogwash, myths and nothing more. With her father deadly sick, and due to her knowledge of the Fae, Sorcha makes a deal in order to save her family, one that has her going on a journey to locate the banished warrior King Eamonn, and as things progress it becomes clear her destiny is so much more than she could imagine.

Eamonn, sigh, banished for a ridiculously vain reason by his family and the Fae court, considers himself to be a disgusting being not to be glanced at – and since the lesser Fae in his domain fear him and keep away for the most part, when Sorcha arrives, he is in for one heck of a surprise – she neither cowers nor does she turn away from him in revulsion.

Their romance is a gentle build - sweet and hot – the bond between Sorcha and Eamonn is built on a foundation of respect/loyalty. Even in their arguments they are not unjustly cruel to one another. There were times however where I wanted a little more depth/layering to the development of their relationship.

This book was acquired via KU but purchased once finished, and luckily all the books in the series are available via KU, a fact that has me smiling in delight.

Book 2 in the series concludes the story of Sorcha and Eamonn, as they battle to regain his crown, save the lesser Fae and vanquish Eamonn's wicked brother.
Profile Image for m i l o u ✨ (Grumpy Hobbit).
464 reviews35 followers
June 26, 2019
1.) Heart of the Fae ★★★★★
2.) Veins of Magic ★★★★

“Something, or someone, uncurled deep within her soul. A woman she barely recognized, who knew how to take what she wanted and asked for the world.”

All of the stars 🌟

Sorcha works as a midwife in Uí Néill where she lives in a brothel with her family. A curse of black beetles has grown worse over the years and a lot of innocent people are suffering from the curse. When her father becomes a victim to the black beetles Sorcha decides to leave behind everything that she knows to try and find a cure to heal her father and her people. Her path crosses with Fae and she strucks a bargain with very particular one. . She must undertake a quest through Ireland to find a banished king who has been living there for centuries.

I'm going to make a list of the things that I liked in this book so that it will be easier for everyone to read.

THE MYTHOLOGY

I adored the Irish Mythology elements in this story which were unique. We are shown all sorts of different costumes that people in these days had and would practice. There is no shortage of magical creatures like Fea and Unseelie. There are also Brownies, Boggarts, pixies and gnomes to name a few. When Sorcha has to cross the water she encounters all sort of merfolk including Merrows! How incredible is that! I caught myself sighing in amazement countless of times every time


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Even the mentions and prayers to different Goddesses will be mentioned and some of their tales will be told which is something I really appreciated. If you have zero knowledge about Celtic Gods and all of the mythology everything gets properly explained which makes it super easy for everyone to understand it. I was a huge fan of all of this.


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Even certain Goddesses get prayed to like Danu!

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LOCATIONS

I am in love with Ireland. I've sold my heart to Ireland about four years ago when I first went there on holiday with my mother. I've lived in Ireland for a year in Dublin where I've traveled all through the Republic. That was another reason why this book drew me in so much because everything about Ireland is just immensely fascinating and magical in every way.


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THE PLOT

This is is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and you could recognize the elements from it. Despite that the story felt entirely different than any ordinary retelling of this classic tale that I've read before. Perhaps it was because this took place in Ireland and all the mythological elements and the fae were strong. I adored all of the characters in it and this story drew me in from the very first page which made it almost impossible for me to put it down.

SORCHA

I only have heart eyes for Sorcha. She has been working as a midwife in Uí Néill for years but has the passion and the knowledge to become a healer. Because she's a woman the guild in her town shuns her and Sorcha is eager to proof everyone of what she's worth. She has a feisty spirit and a kind hearted soul and is raised to honor the way of the fae. She is anything but weak and this quest that she has partaken to try and save people that she cares about proves just that. Also keep in mind that the romance is more adult!

Mountain View

THE ROMANCE

“Heat flashed in his gaze, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “Perhaps you have never danced with a man.”

“Boys, yes. A man?” Sorcha’s eyes followed the ragged edge of crystals, the barbaric braid swaying from the peak of his head to his waist, the linen tunic belted by sheep skin. “Never a man such as you.”


What is a Beauty and the Beast retelling without the romance? Right from the beginning we get introduced to Eamonn and his story about his banishment becomes clear to us. He is a complex character but he has every right to be that because of his troublesome past which makes your heart shatter. I have to say that I adored the romance between Sorcha and Eamonn even though it felt kind of cheesy from time to time. I didn't bother me for a second and I was a fan of how it developed.

Mountain View

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:

Absolutely nothing


Perhaps maybe the very sudden cliffhanger that made me drop my already diseased ereader on the floor but thankfully the second book is already released so I can continue with this story right after I finish writing this review which is very fortunate.

I've read my fair share of Beauty and the Beast retellings in my life but Emma Hamm has succeeded in twisting this tale that we all know with celtic and Irish mythology which makes it a hundred times better than the original story in my eyes. Some people might say that it's similar to ACOMAF because they're both retellings of the same story and they consist of fae's, but I wouldn't say they're similar. In my eyes this very is a lot better. I think that everyone should give this book a chance because it managed to surprise me in every possible way.
Profile Image for Sarah Eliza.
100 reviews39 followers
April 18, 2022
This book made me violent ❤️

Ok strap in because this is going to be harsh. This is one of the poorest representations of Irish mythology I have ever read, seen or heard. It made me so mad I couldn't even format a review in a readable manner.

The Cons:

The Mythology: The Mish mash of mythology from different origins (Irish, Pagan, Scottish, German, Scandinavian, English)- the Tuatha dé Danann, Gnomes, selkies, Boggarts, pixies.
At one point it's said that Sorcha is pagan but then she makes the sign of the cross across her chest??

The setting: What time period is this? Minstrels playing flutes? Butlers on marble floors? Poultices and leeches?

The language: Any bit of research at all would have gone a long way here. The bare minimum would have helped, Emma!
The majority of the names used are anglicisations of Irish names. (Sorcha, Morrighan, Aileen, Nola, Oona)
The name Eamonn is an Irish translation of an English name
Wherever Irish words are used, they're generally used wrong. (a mháthair, not mathair, Sorcha of Ui Neill, Ui Neill translayed as 'daughter of' Saoirse not Saorsa, Saorsa is Scots Gaelic! Bealtaine not Beltane!)

Sorcha: Ah yes, the stereotype of the fiery Irish redheaded lass with freckles and pale skin from the big family. She's a Mary Sue character through and through. All of her sisters work in the brothel and she loves and respects them but she would also never do that because she's better than that.

'Feminism': So heavy handed! You shouldn't need to surround your female character with men calling her a useless woman and have her prove them wrong to make her 'strong'.
And she doesn't need to be 'not like other girls'!
Her 'Papa' has taken in these vulnerable girls and set them working in his brothel and their aspiration is to marry a client? And they adore him and it's never addressed that he's...pimping them out?

The Plot: Nobody seems to have any real motive for anything. The similes are.. bizzare, it's repeatedly said that Sorcha tastes like sunshine. It doesn't even hold up as a Beauty and the beast retelling because she finds him attractive straight away.

The Pros: The cover art for all of Emma Hamm's books is absolutely beautiful so props to whoever did that

The Takeaway: Do your research if you're going to write about the mythology of another country. Ireland suffers enough from tokenism.
September 5, 2018
First Read 05/09/2018
5 perfect, shining, sparkling, glimmering I can't believe a book this beautiful exists STARS

Reality crashes against Fairytales, and my heart just can't take it.

I love faes.
I love fantasy books.
I love the Otherworld and every creature in it.
And I love this book, so much.

Beautiful beyond words, I never expected this kind of writing, the easy flow of storytelling, this fantastic execution, the smoothness of the character's development, so fluid and coherent.

I'm in love. I'm high on this book.

I don't have the right words to describe it, just praises, the story hooked me from the very first page and then I got sucked in the world of Irish Mythology, everything felt REAL to me.
Fairies, Faes, Pixies, Gnomes, Villains, Boggarts, freaking Merrows and merrow-men: everything seemed to make sense, curiosity always got the best of me and made me keep reading and reading just to know more, more, more.
I didn't know any of these creatures and lands with weird names, Seelie and Unseelie, but somehow Emma Hamm explains all of it without making it look like a boring class lesson, or like this knowledge is necessary so the reader has to go through the explaining, no no, her storytelling is energic, it's flow so free and engaging, I thought I was hallucinating.

It felt great. Reading this book felt real and I'm in awe.

You start questioning and wondering where fantasy starts and when does our world end; it's all so clear and the knowledge is there, the author knows what she's talking about and she uses it to captivate and make the reader stand on tiptoes.

This book is magical, the story enchanted, and the characters are, without doubt, made to steal your heart.

It had at first a Beauty and The Beast feel to it, but it was so much more.
So much more.

I loved it, and certainly am going to read it again.

Sorcha is a valid, strong, and sassy heroine. I loved her the second she's introduced: she's like a salmon, always going in the opposite direction, fierce but caring, strong but delicate, stubborn but sweet. An amazing combo, a combo that drives our dark, troubled and moody Hero crazy.

Eamonn is one of those characters you instantly, absolutely want to get to know, you want to discover what has made him this way, why he does the things he does, what goes on his mind, why is he so tormented.

The love story in here is a slow burn to me, their banter and bickering makes it simmer slowly, slowly, slowly bringing it to a subtle, scorching boiling attraction.

Guys, this is my shit. I LIVE for this shit. I feed on the tension between two people who are desperately trying to keep their hands to each other.

The best part is when they fail.

And I'm there for that part too. I'm so in.

Recommended to whoever loves adventure, discovering worlds, traditions and folklore. Love, dreams and patience. This book is for you.
Profile Image for Cheesecake.
2,785 reviews433 followers
May 10, 2021
Sorcha the special snowflake and Eamonn the self-pitying beast

Honestly... I didn't actually finish it.
I got to 90% and just didn't care anymore.


I confess, I was underwhelmed and disappointed on the lack of followthrough.
The author paints a stage of intrigue with many players of dubious intent. She suggests complexity in motives...

But, what I read was pretty much good vs evil with very little grey in between.
What I read, was a book about a girl who is tiresomely tirelessly out to save humanity from a plague of flesh-eating beetles. She makes a deal (or several?) with the Fae and ends up stranded on a hidden island with Eamonn the outcast king.

Blah blah blah.... she uses her goody two shoes powers to make all the sad fairies folk on the island happy, eventually extending her munificence to Eamonn as well.

I decided to call it quits when

Anyhow, a lot of telling and very little showing.
The complexity seemed to rely more on a large cast of characters, than on depth of character or politics.
The world building was pretty straightforward in general except when it came to the Fairy-folk. What is the difference between Fae/Seelie fae/dark/light?/tua-du-whatever/pixies/brownies etc. I still found myself confused as to who was Fae and who wasn't.

I suspect the ending is at best an HFN as I know the second book is about these MCs as well.
Safety was good except for
258 reviews169 followers
August 23, 2019
(I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)

CHARACTERS

I extremely enjoyed reading about the feisty and driven Sorcha who is the main character in the book. She’s a midwife but wants to be a proper healer. Living in a man’s world, her opinions on the plague ravaging their world is ignored and her ideas fall on deaf ears. It was wonderful to see our driven heroine constantly challenging this, a trait that stands out among other characters in the book.

Eamonn, our beast is quite the intriguing character with a temper to match his gigantic form. While I found him an intriguing character and wanted to know more, I wasn’t the biggest fan of him. He’s been through a lot but how he keeps clinging to the sadness and his anger towards Sorcha was something I couldn’t quite get past. I would like to see more development of him in the sequels! I know there’s more to his character than the angry and wistful beast, and I want to see it.

I loved LOVED all the different types of fae in the book. It made the world so rich. I’m in love with the blend of Irish mythology into the book which results in so many wonderful kinds of fae all over the human world and the Otherworld.

PLOT

The story loosely follows the Beauty and the Beast story. Sorcha is a midwife looking to cure the plague that is killing people in hordes including her father. When she’s given a mission in exchange for a cure, she jumps at the chance. This part of the story felt a little rushed to be but her travel to Hy-Brasil is nevertheless eventful and one of my favorite parts of the book.

It is at Hy-Brasil, the isle on the edge of the Otherworld that she meets the beast, a brooding man, disfigured and angry at the world at large. The rest of the story follows Sorcha convincing the beast to come back from his exile, which was the mission bestowed upon her.

I needed a little more plot. Towards the end especially. Certain events happened that felt slightly random and I’d have loved to see them more detailed. Although I believe we will see more reasons for why things happened the way they did in the sequel.

WRITING

Holy mother the writing was glorious. I’ve read Emma’s previous books and her writing has always been gorgeous. In Heart of Fae it reaches a whole new level. I loved the descriptions of the Ireland inspired world of the book and wanted more. There is so much diversity among the fae and this is described beautifully by the author. I also enjoyed the dialogue a lot and the wonderful lines that Sorcha delivers. The writing made sure I couldn’t put down the book at all.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK

- The writing
- The Irish connect
- The different kinds of fae
- The overall outline of the plot

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK

- The slightly forced feminism at certain points
- The certain abrupt happenings in the plot

CONCLUSION

If you love Beauty and the Beast and would like to read a more diverse, complex and darker retelling with fae, Heart of the Fae is for you. I absolutely can't wait to know what happens next because cliffhanger!
Profile Image for rowanthorn ✨.
124 reviews103 followers
April 21, 2018
4/5 STARS!!!

Heart of the Fae is a beautifully written Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I'm so happy to have discovered it (and this author!)

description

I asked my friends to recommend me great self-published books, and this was one of the top recommendations! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. Retelling? Check! Beauty and the Beast? Check! Amazing romance, dangerous Fae, Irish mythology, and unique twists? Check, check, check, check!

description

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing was great, and the Irish mythology seemed to me to be meticulously researched, so that even in the midst of magic and Fae, the characters and world seemed very real. And the faeries/mythology twist on Beauty and the Beast made it much more unique than many other retellings I've read.

Although the romance began as a littttttle predictable/insta-lusty, the amazing characters made up for it. No one seemed "flat," even the secondary characters. Sorcha, the protagonist, was strong-willed, independent, family-oriented, and incredibly kind. I loved her character so much!

description

There were a couple grammar mistakes and spelling errors, but these didn't impact the readability of the story at all. I can't wait to purchase the next book and see how the drama plays out, and would definitely recommend to fans of fairytale retellings, romance, strong heroines, Fae, or Irish lore!
Profile Image for mo.
198 reviews98 followers
August 20, 2018
little mini-review, since i don't know when i'll have the time to give this a full review:

if you like your fairytale retellings creative, character-focused, and with a bit of the sexytimes, you'll very likely enjoy heart of the fae. hamm's vision of medieval ireland and the faerie lands are wonderfully depicted, and i really, really loved sorcha - a great example of a character committed to healing and pacifism while also appreciating moral complexity.



a few plot/pacing things didn't fully work for me, and that's why i gave it a 4 rather than a 5 star rating, but honestly, this book is a wonderful example of how to do historical fantasy retellings of fairytales.

(also, because i'm that binch who immediately latched on to bran as their favorite character, i went and bought the book that features him as the romantic lead, the faceless woman, immediately after i read the last page of this book. if hamm keeps this up, she'll become one of my for-sure indie auto-buy authors.)

---

i have a bunch of arcs to read, but i just started school again for the first time in 8 years. so i'm gonna take refuge in (what i've heard is) a good-ass beauty and the beast retelling in whatever free time i can eke out :-)
Profile Image for Maria Dimitrova.
745 reviews146 followers
November 8, 2018
A retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale Heart of the Fae is a great way to unwind after a long day. It's not something very original but it has its charm. Mostly in the face of Sorcha who has a heart too big for her own good. I particularly liked her background and her "family" because those make it even more impressive that she's such a nice person - one willing to help even someone who tried to kill her. And she seems to have more secrets to tell so I hope i'll soon have the time to read the second part of this story.
Profile Image for Linaria.
696 reviews46 followers
April 9, 2018
This is a bit of a weird one for me to rate. This book SHOULD have been a slam-dunk. This book has:

*Irish mythology
*Fae
*BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
*A prince with a curse

This should have been the PERFECT book for me....but I kept comparing it to Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier . I think that was about half of the problem I had with the book, the other were the odd choices for the book.

Sorcha (I love this name) is a healer to a house of prostitutes. Her 'father' is sick. By father, I mean the man who adopted her and runs the brothel. There is a plague of blood beetles that is sweeping the land. Sorcha needs to save her father who has the plague, but she is a woman, and woman cannot be doctors. So Sorcha makes a deal with the Fae to find a cure.

I wanted to love this. The cover is so adorable. It's just Sorcha spends so much time justifying the fact that she's a woman who wants to heal and that she and her sisters are so much better off than the other prostitutes that work on the docks. It came off as kind of weird. I mean, each to their own, but there is an inherit instability to that line of work (As evidenced when Sorcha's father gets sick) so it's not exactly ideal.

The curse that Eamonn is under is interesting, but I feel like it could have been expanded upon more. Also, how does he move? Has he never injured a joint? What about internal bleeding? It just didn't seem so well thought out.
Profile Image for Joleen (starlightbooktales).
366 reviews297 followers
April 10, 2018
5 Stars

A brilliant retelling of a classic fairytale. Sorcha, a midwife is on a mission to save her people and on this mission, she meets Eamonn, a king of the fae. No matter how much both Sorcha and Eamonn try to stay away from each other, their fates seemed tied together.

I was blown away by this book, Emma Hamm created not one but two strong main characters. I am in love with Sorcha, she is smart, strong-willed, and doesn't take crap from anyone. And Eamonn, he is beautiful, sweet, and so stubborn. Together they create a beautiful relationship and I cannot wait to see where this goes.

I already know this series is going to be amazing. I am for this journey. If you are a fan of fae and retellings, then this book is for you!


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