You'll die that way.
Heart of Silk and Shadows
Lisette Marshall
Fae Isles, book 0.5
ebook, 217 pages
First published May 2, 2022
ASIN B09WCTKX29
Stealing from a fae lord is a desperate plan…
As a human servant at the Crimson Court, Allie knows better than to anger the fae. Cunning and politics are her tools of survival. But when an unwanted suitor threatens her younger sister, Allie can think of only one way to protect her family…
Steal from the fae.
Agenor, Lord Protector of the Fae Isles and right hand of the Mother herself, doesn’t expect anything to still surprise him after twelve centuries of life. Finding a taunting note from an anonymous thief in his wardrobe is enough to rouse his curiosity, though. Enough to do the unthinkable – write back.
Then he finds out he’s been exchanging letters with a humble human. Worse, a human challenging him to his face.
A simple bargain is supposed to teach her a lesson. But the harder he tries to put her in her place, the harder she defies him… Soon their game sparks an unexpected romance – but will even love be enough when their loyalties collide?
Heart of Silk and Shadows is a prequel novel to the upcoming Fae Isles series. It can be read as a standalone, but the characters’ journey continues in the main series.
Note: this adult fae romance contains a generous dose of smouldering glances, passionate longing, and midnight meetings of the illicit type. It is recommended for a mature audience.
A thief leaves behind a note, scolding Agenor for the horrid condition of his wardrobe...and I couldn't be happier to be a fantasy romance reader.
Our FMC is a bit of a loon.
Gurl, what.are.you.doing?
Only to be quickly followed by-Oh shi-! What did you do?!
Agenor is all about that 'act first, wonder later' life. His response to Allie's efforts is that of intrigue which then turns playful. And then, at the first whim of shock and shame and subsequent anger...his retaliation is swift and brutal.
And what a spectacular introduction to Creon!
This author and her outside the box gift for naming MMCs.
This is basically a story of a woman who sees something and says something and a man who gets woken up to a whole new view of the world.
And this is where Smoke and Scar and Kissed by the Gods fell short for me. It's a mutual awakening with Allie and Agenor. They both listen. They both learn. And they both grow into better versions of themselves as a result of this open communication. It's not a one-sided eclipse that villainizes one over the other. Although... Agenor does beat himself up pretty well over the revelation of how willfully blind he has been to matters that were certainly his responsibility to oversee.
The world has given Allie a bias but it's not one that has locked her out of common sense. She's certainly a force all her own. When the unexpected happens, she enters full panic mode. The woman knows no chill.
As warned in the blurb, there's no resolution. Which was fine by me. Because what, they flee? Then what becomes of the humans left behind? Oh her sister? Of the nymphs? How could they make the world a better place for anyone with her plan? How plausible was his?
For all the "Did you ask?" and "But, did you ask?" that Allie was harping on, it was quite the irony that Agenor's Plan A was to ask and Allie's response was a scramble to do anything but that.
Also, Agenor's begging of Allie to let him change the world for her.. only to be brought to the point where to do that would be to burn down his world... Poetic.
5 out of 5 stars. Credit to Creon for the quote of the post. He's a man of few words, but my, what words they are.
Other favored quotes:
This was to be the start of it, then. This was where he became a traitor.
Surprise me. Scandalise me. But for the love of the gods, please don’t ever surrender to me.’
‘You’re here. You’re talking to me. If you tried to chop off my hand and set your nails into my eyes in a minute, I would still be having a pretty fine day on average.’That last one has Cardan painted all over it. Those letters begging her forgiveness especially.
Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook
Next in the series:
2026/02