Welcome to my tour stop! This is a new-to-me author, but the book sounded good and it's
been a while since I read a book with fairies, so I took a chance. Check out my review below...
In the Jaded Grove
(Kindred Realms #1)
By Anela Deen
New Adult Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 335 Pages
April 15, 2021 by Fine Fables Press
Summary
Simith of Drifthorn is tired of war. After years of conflict between the Thistle court and the troll kingdom, even a pixie knight known for his bloodlust longs for peace. Hoping to secure a ceasefire, Simith arranges a meeting with the troll king—and is ambushed instead. Escape lies in the Jaded Grove, but the trees of the ancient Fae woodland aren’t what they seem, and in place of sanctuary, Simith tumbles through a doorway to another world.
Cutting through her neighbor’s sunflower farm in Skylark, Michigan, Jessa runs into a battle between creatures straight out of a fantasy novel. Only the blood is very real. When a lone fighter falls to his attackers, Jessa intervenes. She’s known too much death to stand idly by, but an act of kindness leads to consequences even a poet like her couldn’t imagine.
With their fates bound by magic, Simith and Jessa must keep the strife of his world from spilling into hers—except the war isn’t what it appears and neither are their enemies. Countless lives depend on whether they can face the truths of their pasts and untangle the web of lies around them. But grief casts long shadows, and even their deepening bond may not be enough to save them from its reach.
On-page Representation:
Filipino (main character)
Secondary sapphic characters
Trigger and Content Warnings:
Violence
Trauma
Grief
Death of a loved one (in the past - not on page)
My Review
IN THE JADED GROVE is a story of a pixie who is tired of war and seeks peace and the human who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and mixes her future with his. It's set in the human and fairy worlds with plenty of fantasy elements that fans of the genre will enjoy, and twists that make for a well written story. An enjoyable read!
Jessa is a woman who has suffered great loss and in the process has lost herself. She's closed off her heart to everyone and secludes herself. Simith is a pixie who has savagely fought an enemy who sought to destroy his people, but wants to leave the violence behind and forge peace. As Simith seeks that peace, Jessa stumbles upon a fight and they meet. I liked both of these characters as well as the other side characters, but I love Simith. I liked how easy it was to connect with him and that he felt genuine. The banter was also a great part of this story. Jessa I liked, but sometimes she kind of got on my nerves. Things do get better though, and I liked her more in the end.
I really enjoyed the plot and pace of this story. There were so many great twists and they all worked for me, which has been an issue for me in other stories. The author did a great job in working in the different elements and the twists so that everything pulled on my emotions and made me invested in this story. I also really liked the slow build of the romance and the bits of humor here and there.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an enjoyable story with likable characters and an engaging plot. Definitely recommended for fans who enjoy stories with fairies
Content: Some violence, references to a one-night stand (completely off page), a lesbian couple (side characters).
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Caffeine Book Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
A child of two cultures, this hapa haole Hawaiian girl is currently landlocked in the Midwest. After exploring the world for a chunk of years, she hunkered down in Minnesota and now fills her days with family, fiction, and the occasional snowstorm. With a house full of lovable toddlers, a three-legged cat, and one handsome Dutchman, she prowls the keyboard late at night while the minions sleep. Coffee? Nah, she prefers tea with a generous spoonful of sarcasm.
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