Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Faery royalty have always married for duty rather than love. Prince Chrysanths should be no different—except with a human for a father, the prince known as Puck already is different. When he is betrothed against his will to Prince Sky, Puck flees to his father in the human world, only to have Sky follow.

Prince Sky Song of the Clouds isn’t thrilled with the prospect of marriage either, but is bound by duty to follow through. If he can’t win Puck over, the faery realm might very well dissolve into utter chaos. Too busy arguing, Puck and Sky are unaware there are others with a vested interest in seeing the betrothal fail. In a bid for Puck’s crown, they’ll seek to keep them apart, even as Puck and Sky realize that duty and love don’t always have to be mutually exclusive.

 

Book Review

Sometimes it is tough to be a royal. Specifically when arranged marriages are the norm, as they are in the world of ‘Betrothed’. Neither of the two selected grooms is happy about the fact they have to get married, even though they have seen it coming. They are even less enthusiastic about the partner who has been chosen for them. And while Prince Sky pulls himself together and is ready to do his duty, Prince Puck is far less mature – and runs. What follows is a suspenseful adventure that had me turning the pages, wanting to find out if Puck is going to grow up before Sky loses his temper. There is a lot at stake – the fate of the faery realm and peace depends on their tying their kingdoms to maintain the peace.

Puck, whose real name is Prince Chrysanths, does his name honor. He is irreverent, couldn’t care less about court protocol, and has no intention whatsoever to get married to some snobbish Sky fairy. He is very unusual as princes go, what with a human father, but he is the only heir and there is no way out of the arrangement without throwing the entire faery realm into chaos. Even knowing the possible consequences, Puck decides to run for it and crosses into the human world to see his father. He never expected Sky to follow – and is shocked when he does. But it also means they have time away from prying eyes, time to get to know each other. And even though Puck does not expect his opinion to change, he accepts the opportunity, if somewhat grudgingly.

Sky is not ready either, if for different reasons. He does not want to leave his home, and he does not want to marry someone he doesn’t know. The fact that Puck is half human does not enter the equation for him, the bigger issue for Sky is that he hates the unknown. He is in for a shock when he finds out that Puck has run, but he is too stubborn to give up and follows him to the human realm. Talk about stepping from the frying pan into the fire! Sky has never been to the human world, so he has a lot to learn. All while trying not to strangle Puck who is less than ready to keep an open mind.

As expected, with all the animosity, the relationship between Puck and Sky is not comfortable. But much is preconceptions that quickly dissolve as they get to know each other. Both have grown up without the presence of a father, and both know about the pressures of being royal. They share being stubborn, and their banter quickly changes from being serious fighting to more of a fun exchange of barbs. And when feelings develop between them, neither knows what to do with them. Very cute!

If you like stories about faeries and their interaction with the human world, if potent threats by mysterious enemies and the fate of whole kingdoms hanging in the balance are your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is funny, emotional, suspenseful and full of adventure, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Drea,spinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 200 pages/62366 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	23-September-2015
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/betrothed-a-faery-tale-by-therese-woodson-1761-b