Review: The Falconer

The Falconer by Elizabeth May
The Falconer #1
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Source: Library
Date Read: 10/6/14 to 10/12/14
288 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

One girl's nightmare is this girl's faery tale.

She's a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title — and drop-dead beauty.

She's a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. She's leading a double life: She has the rare ability to sense the sìthichean — the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans — and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She's a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her abilities and her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons — from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols — ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She's a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with the gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother's murder — but she'll have to save the world first

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Featuring Merida from Brave, because honestly, who else would you think of?

The Falconer was exactly what I expected it to be, since I read so many different reviews and reactions about it when it first came out. So when I saw it at the library (digital library of course), I immediately went for it, even though I had other books waiting for me on my shelves. Luckily for me, I did enjoy it a lot. And even more surprisingly, I think I've discovered what I want in a book boyfriend (muhahaha).

In my opinion, the best aspects of this book are by far the characters. Merida I mean Aileana is your average red-headed Scottish kickass girl that has been training and killing the fae for over a year now. Her mentor, the ever mysterious, swoon-worthy, Kiaran is fae himself, but he's the good kind, or one that doesn't feed on human energy. *cough* I like him a lot, and I love how different he is from some other love interests I've read recently. I could clearly distinguish him from Derrick, the little pixie, and also Gavin, Aileana's childhood friend.

I cannot help myself. I can only think of Merida.

There isn't a love triangle. At least I'm pretty sure there wasn't a love triangle.

The world itself was very creative, and it involved steampunk and machines (like the ornithopter) and unique devices that explode. And then you add in the Scottish nobility and whole historical fiction going on, and BANG, it's awesome. I'm a sucker for historical fantasy, so this was a big hit for me. (And also it's set in Edinburgh!)

However, I did have some confusing moments with the fae words, which I guess isn't a surprise. I either don't pay attention to these things, or 50% of it goes over my head.

And then there's the main problem. Yes, everyone who has read this knows what I'm talking about.

DUN DUN DUN. The ending.

First off. Is there a planned sequel?? Because I don't know what I'm going to do if there isn't. Also, are you allowed to end a book this way if it's the first in its series? LIKE HOW DID THIS GET THROUGH? Well, I guess their marketing technique worked, because it worked on me, and I now need the second book ASAP.

Here was my initial reaction after finishing:

• Why did the book just end?
• WHY
• Can't books even END IN THAT WAY?
• Kiaran is super hot. I want
• BUT THAT ENDING!!!! Is that EVEN ALLOWED??

I was also expecting this cliffhanger, since I read so many reviews on it last year. So I was actually turning the pages, expecting it to end at one chapter or another. And then when it did finally end, I could definitely see why everyone was upset.

Overall, I loved the Falconer. It was full of intense action, and romance (because Kiaran), and amazing characters. It was a great start to a series, and I honestly need the second book now because WHY WOULD YOU END IT LIKE THAT? gah.