Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Culinary school is hard enough for Aimes Cully without mixing in an utterly underwhelming physical appearance—too small, too delicate, too red-haired, too freckled, too human—added with the inability to magically improve the food—still too human—and facing the too beautiful, too fae-looking Aleksi’s teases and taunts. When rumors surface that Aimes’s older brother’s success is a lie, Aimes is determined to prove them wrong and show that pure-blooded humans are the equal of anyone with mixed blood.

But things get worse after Aimes is caught in a faerie ring and transported to the fae hollow of Lord Keanewyeth Ordioral. As the attraction heats up, it becomes obvious that there’s something wrong in the magical home. A cursed creature appears, and everything becomes jumbled as the secrets of their lives collide into a painful concoction of Aimes’s past and Keanewyeth’s present. But if they can meld their talents, they might be able to save each other.

Book Review

The idea of a “mere human” trying to make it through culinary school without the most important ability in this story’s world – magic – made me curious to read this novella. Mainly because anyone who tries to achieve things without having all the necessary tools, whatever they are, fascinates me. It’s like the underdog trying to win the race, and I am all about supporting the underdog. So Aimes, with his need to prove that he is a good chef even without being able to enhance his dishes magically, had my support before the story even started. Then I found out there are other factors that work against him, and I was glued to the pages.

Aimes lives in a world that admires the fae, and where most people have at least some fae blood running in their veins. Aimes doesn’t. He is a pure-blooded human and his peers despise him. But when they attack his older brother’s honor by saying that Markl wasn’t as successful as Aimes says, that he never made it to the palace, Aimes gets angry and determined to prove them wrong. It makes him desperate enough to attempt the retrieval of fae mushrooms for a particular dish – instead he ends up in a fae hollow, prisoner of Lord Keanewyeth Ordioral.

Lord Keane has been a prisoner in his hollow for centuries. There are certain rules he cannot break, but he is determined to protect Aimes anyway. Contrary to what Aimes and his cohorts believe, pure-blooded humans are rare and precious. Lord Keane is immediately attracted to Aimes’s beauty – but fights his feelings because he doesn’t want to get too closely involved and endanger Aimes. Lord Keane has very powerful enemies and when they come looking, it will take everything he has plus everything Aimes has plus their working together for them to survive. All while not breaking several fae rules that make it almost impossible for them to succeed. Very suspenseful!

If you like stories about humans struggling in a world filled with magic, if two men who might have never met but for the stubbornness of one of them to prove his worth, and if you’re looking for a read that is suspenseful, set in an imaginary world, and full of surprises, then you will probably like this novella.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 52 pages/17990 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	20-April-2016
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/lord-of-hearth-lord-of-hollow-by-sera-kane-5663-b