What do you think?
Rate this book
Tairen Soul #2
Lady of Light and Shadows
Lady of Light and Shadows is the second book in the epic romantic adventure that combines sweeping fantasy with breathtaking paranormal romance.
C. L. Wilson continues the stirring, magical romance of Ellysetta, the woodcutter’s beautiful daughter, and the tormented Fey King Rain, as darkness rises up all around them, determined to destroy their love and their world.
C. L. Wilson continues the stirring, magical romance of Ellysetta, the woodcutter’s beautiful daughter, and the tormented Fey King Rain, as darkness rises up all around them, determined to destroy their love and their world.
386 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2007
About the author
C.L. Wilson
22 books3,901 followersC.L. Wilsons unique blend of pulse-pounding action, sweeping epic fantasy, and passionate romance has made her books a favorite read for romance and fantasy readers alike. Praised for exceptional worldbuilding and lyric prose, her critically acclaimed novels have regularly appeared on bestseller lists including the USA Today, the New York Times, and Publishers Weekly.
C.Ls novels have won numerous industry and reader-selected awards including, LifetimeTV.coms Best Paranormal debut of 2007, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, two National Readers Choice awards, the Colorado Award of Excellence, and the Holt Medallion. Ms. Wilson is the honored recipient of the PEARL award from Paranormal Romance as the best new author of 2007, and winner of the 2009 PEARL award for best Romantic Fantasy novel.
When not torturing her characters mercilessly, C.L. enjoys relaxing with her family in sunny Florida and daydreaming of a world where people exercise in their sleep and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a fat burning food.
"
C.Ls novels have won numerous industry and reader-selected awards including, LifetimeTV.coms Best Paranormal debut of 2007, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, two National Readers Choice awards, the Colorado Award of Excellence, and the Holt Medallion. Ms. Wilson is the honored recipient of the PEARL award from Paranormal Romance as the best new author of 2007, and winner of the 2009 PEARL award for best Romantic Fantasy novel.
When not torturing her characters mercilessly, C.L. enjoys relaxing with her family in sunny Florida and daydreaming of a world where people exercise in their sleep and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a fat burning food.
"
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 884 reviews
March 29, 2018
I’m just going to come out and say it C.L. Wilson has some of the cheesiest covers ever. She is really an accomplished builder of fantasy worlds but looking at her covers mostly I get the impression of a chincy romance novel. But don’t let that stop you from reading her books which I like to call Female FantasyRomantasy. There is a great fantasy world within the pages and the building of a romance between two characters that could be epic.
Lords of the Fading lands was a lot of set up and now in Lady of Light and Shadows we will finally get some pay offs on all that work. Still the first half of this moves a little slowly but second half of the book more than makes up for it as it is an intense culmination of many arcs.
ஐRain and Ellie:ஐ
I love the story between these two. Yes there is a truemate soulbond between them but that doesn’t make everything in their love story easy. They are both different and Ellie is so innocent while Rain once scorched the world and carries that torment with him. Both are still trying to learn who the other person is. Ellie has the added task of trying to discover her magical roots and come to terms with being magical herself.
Rain has a lot of prejudices due to the mage wars and must come to terms with Ellie’s heritage and what it might mean for his people. The bonds between them are building slowly and I like that everything isn’t lovey dovey perfect from the get go.
ஐThe Quintet and Other Fey:ஐ
I fell in love with this group of Fey willing to protect Ellie with their lives early on in book 1 and it is no different now. Bel was my favorite early on but add to him Gaelen, the Dark Lord, to the mix and wow I love the new dynamic, especially since Gaelen will use any and all magic at his disposal to help no matter if it is forbidden.
Adrial has a heartbreaking tale that begins in this installment and I’m not sure how it will work out for him. There are repercussions from the spirit weave Ellie made at the kings dinner and no one feels them more that Adrial. I’m very interested to see how him new situation plays out (I know I didn’t give you much but I really don’t want to ruin that story line)
The other beautifully tragic story line involves the two prisoners of the High Mage that helped smuggle Ellie out. That story slayed my heart as the layers were revealed. It was masterfully done and my emotions wavered every time we were given a glimpse of their tortured lives.
ஐThe Villains:ஐ
There are plenty of people who fall on this side of the line whether they are a willing participant or just a pawn moved into place. The Mages are cunning to say the least and there seem to me a lot of plots in place to try and steal Ellie away and deliver her to the High Mage. So many people are being maneuvered into place to be able to unwittingly help destroy her.
It was tense at all times and I felt the building horror as even her best friend is subjugated by the mages to hurt her lifelong companion. I think this showed beautifully how strong the mage magic and soul marks are. I hated many people in this and I think that is a sign of a great villain.
ஐThe World:ஐ
There is a little additional world building as the layers of the story are put together. We get a taste of a past battle and a glimpse into seeing the Elves and actual Tairen Soul. I’m sure there will be more fantasy characters revealed as the story continues. There was mention of Demon’s in the first book but in this one we actually get to see what it takes to fight them and who can become trapped in the demon world. It will be interesting to see more of that in the future books as well.
ஐOverall:ஐ
This was a better story than the first book and added a lot of depth to the world. This is one of those stories that I think I’d pick up more details on a second read but I’m getting enough that I enjoy and understand most things easily the first time through. I agree with some other reviewer’s statements that books 1 and 2 could have easily been combined and trimmed just a little but I’m enjoying my stay in this world and so I’m okay with them being separated. However know that more actually happens in this book than the first.
“All pearls begin as something unpleasant that the oysters cannot expel from themselves, even though they may want to. So they embrace these things that will not leave them, shaping them and smoothing away the sharp edges, until over time, they make of these unwanted things great treasures.”
Lords of the Fading lands was a lot of set up and now in Lady of Light and Shadows we will finally get some pay offs on all that work. Still the first half of this moves a little slowly but second half of the book more than makes up for it as it is an intense culmination of many arcs.
ஐRain and Ellie:ஐ
I love the story between these two. Yes there is a truemate soulbond between them but that doesn’t make everything in their love story easy. They are both different and Ellie is so innocent while Rain once scorched the world and carries that torment with him. Both are still trying to learn who the other person is. Ellie has the added task of trying to discover her magical roots and come to terms with being magical herself.
“For every great gift, the gods demand a great price,” she murmured.
“Aiyah. And it is only through our willingness to bear the price that we prove ourselves worthy of the gift.”
Rain has a lot of prejudices due to the mage wars and must come to terms with Ellie’s heritage and what it might mean for his people. The bonds between them are building slowly and I like that everything isn’t lovey dovey perfect from the get go.
ஐThe Quintet and Other Fey:ஐ
I fell in love with this group of Fey willing to protect Ellie with their lives early on in book 1 and it is no different now. Bel was my favorite early on but add to him Gaelen, the Dark Lord, to the mix and wow I love the new dynamic, especially since Gaelen will use any and all magic at his disposal to help no matter if it is forbidden.
“I’ll be watching you, dahl’reisen, with red never far from my fingertips.”
“It’s heartwarming to be the object of such affection,” Gaelen quipped when the door closed behind Rowan with a bang.
“What did you expect, vel Serranis?” Rain asked.
“Death,” he said simply. “But I received salvation in its stead.”
Adrial has a heartbreaking tale that begins in this installment and I’m not sure how it will work out for him. There are repercussions from the spirit weave Ellie made at the kings dinner and no one feels them more that Adrial. I’m very interested to see how him new situation plays out (I know I didn’t give you much but I really don’t want to ruin that story line)
The other beautifully tragic story line involves the two prisoners of the High Mage that helped smuggle Ellie out. That story slayed my heart as the layers were revealed. It was masterfully done and my emotions wavered every time we were given a glimpse of their tortured lives.
ஐThe Villains:ஐ
There are plenty of people who fall on this side of the line whether they are a willing participant or just a pawn moved into place. The Mages are cunning to say the least and there seem to me a lot of plots in place to try and steal Ellie away and deliver her to the High Mage. So many people are being maneuvered into place to be able to unwittingly help destroy her.
It was tense at all times and I felt the building horror as even her best friend is subjugated by the mages to hurt her lifelong companion. I think this showed beautifully how strong the mage magic and soul marks are. I hated many people in this and I think that is a sign of a great villain.
ஐThe World:ஐ
There is a little additional world building as the layers of the story are put together. We get a taste of a past battle and a glimpse into seeing the Elves and actual Tairen Soul. I’m sure there will be more fantasy characters revealed as the story continues. There was mention of Demon’s in the first book but in this one we actually get to see what it takes to fight them and who can become trapped in the demon world. It will be interesting to see more of that in the future books as well.
ஐOverall:ஐ
This was a better story than the first book and added a lot of depth to the world. This is one of those stories that I think I’d pick up more details on a second read but I’m getting enough that I enjoy and understand most things easily the first time through. I agree with some other reviewer’s statements that books 1 and 2 could have easily been combined and trimmed just a little but I’m enjoying my stay in this world and so I’m okay with them being separated. However know that more actually happens in this book than the first.
October 5, 2015
Final rating: 4.5/5 stars
This book was full of plot twists and actions - in the last 40% of the book. Until then, the pace was a bit slow like in the first book. When I read this book, I understood why people said it was a high fantasy for women - in a way, it is. It's mostly focused on romance, but it also has amazing world building.
In the first book, we were introduced to Eld Mages, Tairen and Fey races and humans. This time, however, it is said that they are not the only races in their world - there are Elves too! I have no doubt that they will be of vital significance in the next three books of this series. Oh, Demons were mentioned in the first book as well, but this time, we get to see them as well.
What started as a slow book, as expected, suddenly started picking up the pace, throwing a plot twist here and there, introducing new characters, developing the old ones a bit more and finally, including events that have made me try to read the book in the fastest way possible. All in all, it was satisfying continuation.
____________________________________________
CHARACTERS :
____________________________________________
※ WARNING: this section might contain a slight spoilers for this book. While i had hidden serious spoilers under the spoiler tags, if you don't like to spoil yourself, just skip this section of my review. If you like slight spoilers, then you can proceed :D
♦ Rain Tairen Soul:
Rain, our hero, is facing a challenge bigger than he hoped for. Will he run away, or will he face it? The thing is - just one thing could ruin him (one of the most powerful creatures - the Tairen soul) and that is his own truemate Ellie. His feelings for Ellie are genuine, he really loves her, even though he only met her. But, it's only the way of the Fey - once they meet their own true mate, their fates can no longer be separated easily. They are bound to be with them, no matter what the cost - and in this book there were examples of exactly how it feels like finding your own truemate, but being unable to be with them.
Some spoilers:
♦ Ellysetta Baristani:
Ellysetta is faced with the truth of her origins. Where did she come from? Why does she have magic? Who is the Shadow Man in her nightmares and who are the voices that defend her? It's not easy being her - the stress she is enduring because of all this, and because of the expectations of the Fey race, instead of weakening her, only made her stronger by the time the book ended. She slowly, but surely, falls in love with her own mate and it was written quite nicely. Rain and Ellie are truly the couple who fits together.
SERIOUS spoilers:
♦ Other characters:
Baristani family - Sol, as always was still one of the parents who supported his child, no matter what she decided. But even so, suspicions and evidences left him hesitating whether he should trust his daughter or trust in something else. His decisions though, proved to be the right ones, and he proved to be the great father figure. Lauriana is having a problem - torn by love and fear - her decisions only make situation worse. Even so, she still loves Ellie and her other two daughters. Lillis and Lorelle did not appear much, so i can't really say much on their development.
Selianne Pyerson , manipulated by Eld Mage, under the threat of death of her family (husband, mother and children), has no other choice to obey. It was sad though, considering how she was Ellie's best friend and support. But in the end, she did what her heart told was the right decision.
Den Brodson did not give up on Ellie, in fact he was working this time from the shadows, under the careful plot of an Eld Mage. His unhealthy obsession with Ellie is very distributing.
There is not much I can say about Queen Annoura and King Dorian , except that in the end, i think they were the rulers for their country, although most decisions are decided by the council and the Dorian.
As for the Fey - especially Ellie's Quintet - i can only say this: i loved them all! Belliard, Kieran, Kiel, Rowan, and Adrial were respectable and well developed characters and i loved each one of their interactions between themselves, between Ellie and their duty towards her, with their king and friend Rain... It was all great. But, most important of all, they break my heart. In this book, Adrial especially - going through something that could rip a Fey heart into shreds. And he could not bear it easily. SERIOUS spoilers:
Kolis Manza and High Mage Vadim Maur , the villains of this story, this time proved to be even sicker than i thought, playing with love of other people, destroying them, torturing them and playing with their feelings, only to crush them down in worst way possible, only to show that they could do anything they wanted, without being punished for it.
In this book, there were few significant appearances - first of all: Gaelen vel Serranis , The Dark Lord and Dahl’reisen, had his own POV this time and his character was very well developed. Being Dahl’reisen, one could have thought that he would not be honorable, or even one of the positive people. But he proved me wrong - even though he was banished from his kingdom, even though his soul was said to be corrupted, his heart wasn't - and he knows where his loyalties lie. I really loved reading about him, and hopefully, he will not disappoint me in the upcoming books.
Secondly, we were introduced to the legend of the Fey Lord Shanisorran v’En Celay by Devron Teleos, one of the lords. Shanis disappeared long time ago, and no one knows what happened to him. His fate turned out to be even worse than death. His only comfort lies in his truemate, Elfeya. Shanis and Elfeya - their story - broke my heart. It literally hurt to read of what they had to go through, what they had survived.
In the end, we were introduced to the Lords who might be very important in the upcoming books - especially Devron Teleos, who, even though was a human, had Fey ancestors. He also has a nice network of allies - and powerful ones as well. Another lord who is important is Cannevar Barrial, who has Elven ancestors. His associacion with the Elf King, Galad Hawksheart (who will be of big importance later on) might prove to be very significant. His daughter, Talisa, had a bigger role, and the one that was not easy.
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
I am falling in love with this series. A great worldbuilding, amazing characters and great development of secondary characters only make me even more interested in the story.
In other words, i am glad that all the books are out. I can read them in peace, without having to wait for the next book to come out.
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
MY TAIREN SOUL REVIEWS:
◉ Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul #1)
◉ Lady of Light and Shadows (Tairen Soul, #2)
◉ King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul, #3)
◉ Queen of Song and Souls (Tairen Soul, #4)
◉ Crown of Crystal Flame (Tairen Soul, #5)
“My heart has followed where my soul has led. Ke vo san, Ellysetta. I love you.”
This book was full of plot twists and actions - in the last 40% of the book. Until then, the pace was a bit slow like in the first book. When I read this book, I understood why people said it was a high fantasy for women - in a way, it is. It's mostly focused on romance, but it also has amazing world building.
In the first book, we were introduced to Eld Mages, Tairen and Fey races and humans. This time, however, it is said that they are not the only races in their world - there are Elves too! I have no doubt that they will be of vital significance in the next three books of this series. Oh, Demons were mentioned in the first book as well, but this time, we get to see them as well.
What started as a slow book, as expected, suddenly started picking up the pace, throwing a plot twist here and there, introducing new characters, developing the old ones a bit more and finally, including events that have made me try to read the book in the fastest way possible. All in all, it was satisfying continuation.
____________________________________________
CHARACTERS :
____________________________________________
※ WARNING: this section might contain a slight spoilers for this book. While i had hidden serious spoilers under the spoiler tags, if you don't like to spoil yourself, just skip this section of my review. If you like slight spoilers, then you can proceed :D
♦ Rain Tairen Soul:
Rain, our hero, is facing a challenge bigger than he hoped for. Will he run away, or will he face it? The thing is - just one thing could ruin him (one of the most powerful creatures - the Tairen soul) and that is his own truemate Ellie. His feelings for Ellie are genuine, he really loves her, even though he only met her. But, it's only the way of the Fey - once they meet their own true mate, their fates can no longer be separated easily. They are bound to be with them, no matter what the cost - and in this book there were examples of exactly how it feels like finding your own truemate, but being unable to be with them.
Some spoilers:
♦ Ellysetta Baristani:
Ellysetta is faced with the truth of her origins. Where did she come from? Why does she have magic? Who is the Shadow Man in her nightmares and who are the voices that defend her? It's not easy being her - the stress she is enduring because of all this, and because of the expectations of the Fey race, instead of weakening her, only made her stronger by the time the book ended. She slowly, but surely, falls in love with her own mate and it was written quite nicely. Rain and Ellie are truly the couple who fits together.
SERIOUS spoilers:
♦ Other characters:
Baristani family - Sol, as always was still one of the parents who supported his child, no matter what she decided. But even so, suspicions and evidences left him hesitating whether he should trust his daughter or trust in something else. His decisions though, proved to be the right ones, and he proved to be the great father figure. Lauriana is having a problem - torn by love and fear - her decisions only make situation worse. Even so, she still loves Ellie and her other two daughters. Lillis and Lorelle did not appear much, so i can't really say much on their development.
Selianne Pyerson , manipulated by Eld Mage, under the threat of death of her family (husband, mother and children), has no other choice to obey. It was sad though, considering how she was Ellie's best friend and support. But in the end, she did what her heart told was the right decision.
Den Brodson did not give up on Ellie, in fact he was working this time from the shadows, under the careful plot of an Eld Mage. His unhealthy obsession with Ellie is very distributing.
There is not much I can say about Queen Annoura and King Dorian , except that in the end, i think they were the rulers for their country, although most decisions are decided by the council and the Dorian.
As for the Fey - especially Ellie's Quintet - i can only say this: i loved them all! Belliard, Kieran, Kiel, Rowan, and Adrial were respectable and well developed characters and i loved each one of their interactions between themselves, between Ellie and their duty towards her, with their king and friend Rain... It was all great. But, most important of all, they break my heart. In this book, Adrial especially - going through something that could rip a Fey heart into shreds. And he could not bear it easily. SERIOUS spoilers:
Kolis Manza and High Mage Vadim Maur , the villains of this story, this time proved to be even sicker than i thought, playing with love of other people, destroying them, torturing them and playing with their feelings, only to crush them down in worst way possible, only to show that they could do anything they wanted, without being punished for it.
In this book, there were few significant appearances - first of all: Gaelen vel Serranis , The Dark Lord and Dahl’reisen, had his own POV this time and his character was very well developed. Being Dahl’reisen, one could have thought that he would not be honorable, or even one of the positive people. But he proved me wrong - even though he was banished from his kingdom, even though his soul was said to be corrupted, his heart wasn't - and he knows where his loyalties lie. I really loved reading about him, and hopefully, he will not disappoint me in the upcoming books.
Secondly, we were introduced to the legend of the Fey Lord Shanisorran v’En Celay by Devron Teleos, one of the lords. Shanis disappeared long time ago, and no one knows what happened to him. His fate turned out to be even worse than death. His only comfort lies in his truemate, Elfeya. Shanis and Elfeya - their story - broke my heart. It literally hurt to read of what they had to go through, what they had survived.
In the end, we were introduced to the Lords who might be very important in the upcoming books - especially Devron Teleos, who, even though was a human, had Fey ancestors. He also has a nice network of allies - and powerful ones as well. Another lord who is important is Cannevar Barrial, who has Elven ancestors. His associacion with the Elf King, Galad Hawksheart (who will be of big importance later on) might prove to be very significant. His daughter, Talisa, had a bigger role, and the one that was not easy.
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
I am falling in love with this series. A great worldbuilding, amazing characters and great development of secondary characters only make me even more interested in the story.
In other words, i am glad that all the books are out. I can read them in peace, without having to wait for the next book to come out.
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
MY TAIREN SOUL REVIEWS:
◉ Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul #1)
◉ Lady of Light and Shadows (Tairen Soul, #2)
◉ King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul, #3)
◉ Queen of Song and Souls (Tairen Soul, #4)
◉ Crown of Crystal Flame (Tairen Soul, #5)
March 29, 2015
Oh my god. This book was so! freaking! good! If you like sweeping epic romantic fantasy, you may wanna check this series out. For real.
I loved this. I sorta remember being mildly bored for large portions of the first half and even irritated at some things, but I'm not even going to talk about any of that now - it's pretty much been blasted from my memory cuz from the 55% mark in my kindle ALL THE WAY TILL THE END, it was absolute perfection. So many POVs! So many things going on! Action, intrigue, humor, heartbreak, intense edge-of-your-seat moments -- it had it ALL. And more.
I'm still really liking many of the characters, and I slowly started to really like Ellie too. My favorites though, are neither the hero nor the heroine.
And oh yeah - I'm finally on board with the romance now.
This book was so satisfying. Seriously. I LOVED IT.
I loved this. I sorta remember being mildly bored for large portions of the first half and even irritated at some things, but I'm not even going to talk about any of that now - it's pretty much been blasted from my memory cuz from the 55% mark in my kindle ALL THE WAY TILL THE END, it was absolute perfection. So many POVs! So many things going on! Action, intrigue, humor, heartbreak, intense edge-of-your-seat moments -- it had it ALL. And more.
I'm still really liking many of the characters, and I slowly started to really like Ellie too. My favorites though, are neither the hero nor the heroine.
And oh yeah - I'm finally on board with the romance now.
This book was so satisfying. Seriously. I LOVED IT.
May 2, 2018
It's all a matter of trust...
Bloody Hell!! Lady of Light and Shadows was a lot harder to follow than the first one. I think I've spent the whole time with my eyeballs just about jumping out of my head. My train trips were filled with listening to this story and becoming completely oblivious to my surroundings. Luckily, no mishaps occurred, but I think my body was on auto-pilot.
There's A LOT going on. Trust needs to be secured between Elysetta and Rain for their true-mating to be whole. Elysetta must learn to trust her guards, The Quintet so that she feels safe and they can guide her to safety if a need arose. This story's main focus is centred around a lack of trust between the Fey, Tairen Soul and the Celerians, as the Mage infiltrates and misleads the people. So basically, TRUST is the big issue in Lady of Light and Shadows.
Honestly, I didn't know who to trust and I was thinking Ellie should just tell them all to take a hike. I hated her family for what she put Ellie through...but then I got over it. I hated Rain for his lack of faith in his true-mate...but I got over that too. I even hated The Quintet for 2.5 seconds...because they fell down on the job. I hated her best friend, the smelly butcher's son, the Queen and her entourage, the King and the stupid Lords...ALL OF THEM NEEDED TO BUGGER OFF!! My head was spinning with all of the lies, manipulations and misunderstandings. I HATED THE MAGES!!
But, I ended on a high. I loved that Elysetta found her strength and started to follow her own path instead of the one made for her. I hated that she forgave Rain so easily when he turned his back on her. Rain was the one person she was meant to trust with her whole heart, and he walked away.
Rain, you've still got a wee bit of work to get back into my good graces.
I really enjoyed Lady of Light and Shadows. The pacing was OK for me, the narrator does a good job and I was desperate to get back to listening whenever I could. It wasn't as good as the first, but it was still bloody good.
Sorry, if this was a little mumbly jumbly, but I suppose, that was how I felt through most of this story. Maybe, I should have read this one instead of listened, which may have made it easier to follow. But, I kind of can't resist listening to an EPIC fantasy/paranormal, it makes it easier to watch the movie going on in my heads...and now I sound like a loony. I give up.
Onwards...
Bloody Hell!! Lady of Light and Shadows was a lot harder to follow than the first one. I think I've spent the whole time with my eyeballs just about jumping out of my head. My train trips were filled with listening to this story and becoming completely oblivious to my surroundings. Luckily, no mishaps occurred, but I think my body was on auto-pilot.
There's A LOT going on. Trust needs to be secured between Elysetta and Rain for their true-mating to be whole. Elysetta must learn to trust her guards, The Quintet so that she feels safe and they can guide her to safety if a need arose. This story's main focus is centred around a lack of trust between the Fey, Tairen Soul and the Celerians, as the Mage infiltrates and misleads the people. So basically, TRUST is the big issue in Lady of Light and Shadows.
Honestly, I didn't know who to trust and I was thinking Ellie should just tell them all to take a hike. I hated her family for what she put Ellie through...but then I got over it. I hated Rain for his lack of faith in his true-mate...but I got over that too. I even hated The Quintet for 2.5 seconds...because they fell down on the job. I hated her best friend, the smelly butcher's son, the Queen and her entourage, the King and the stupid Lords...ALL OF THEM NEEDED TO BUGGER OFF!! My head was spinning with all of the lies, manipulations and misunderstandings. I HATED THE MAGES!!
But, I ended on a high. I loved that Elysetta found her strength and started to follow her own path instead of the one made for her. I hated that she forgave Rain so easily when he turned his back on her. Rain was the one person she was meant to trust with her whole heart, and he walked away.
Rain, you've still got a wee bit of work to get back into my good graces.
I really enjoyed Lady of Light and Shadows. The pacing was OK for me, the narrator does a good job and I was desperate to get back to listening whenever I could. It wasn't as good as the first, but it was still bloody good.
Sorry, if this was a little mumbly jumbly, but I suppose, that was how I felt through most of this story. Maybe, I should have read this one instead of listened, which may have made it easier to follow. But, I kind of can't resist listening to an EPIC fantasy/paranormal, it makes it easier to watch the movie going on in my heads...and now I sound like a loony. I give up.
Onwards...
February 18, 2010
Second in C. L. Wilson's impressive Tairen Soul series, I couldn't get this one read fast enough. (At one point I was so anxious to see what happens next, I had to actually take a deep breath and slow myself down!)
Starting right where the first, (Lord of The Fading Lands), left off, we are thrust back into the intricately woven world Wilson has created, with every page an entertaining revelation.
The courtship between Ellysetta Baristani and the Fey Lord Rain, is moving along at a fast clip, but of course not fast enough for Rain. He's ready to complete the mating bonds and get her back to safety in the Fading Lands, for the evil mages known as the Eld are on the move and would like nothing more than to capture Elly. But he's made a vow to her mortal father that he will not touch her until they marry in the mortal tradition and he means to honor it.
Elly is helplessly drawn to Rain- they are destined to be mates- but the slow courtship works well for her as she is just coming into her powers. Powers long thought to be evil. (What's girl to do? She instinctively knows this isn't the case, but it's difficult getting past old mindsets, ya know?)
Little does she know how much the magic is ingrained in her and how powerful she really is! Not even Rain knows, though he suspects she is more than the common woodcarver's daughter everyone thinks she is, until one frightening moment when it all comes pouring out.
Along with her power, old superstitions come to the forefront, and the fall out is so moving- with loved ones running scared all around- it grabbed my heart and didn't let go. The way The Evilest of Mages uses the betrayals against her in the final battle scene is particularly effective.
Wilson weaves together many threads so masterfully you just can't help be in a bit of awe while reading it. I LOVED that aspect of this novel.
Second to that are the excellent characters that populate this novel. Their motivations ring true and make me anxious to read some of their stories sometime in the future! **hint, hint**
I even loved the political machinations going on around them, and you know how that can bog down a book!
This book does romance and fantasy the way I always dreamed it could be.
Starting right where the first, (Lord of The Fading Lands), left off, we are thrust back into the intricately woven world Wilson has created, with every page an entertaining revelation.
The courtship between Ellysetta Baristani and the Fey Lord Rain, is moving along at a fast clip, but of course not fast enough for Rain. He's ready to complete the mating bonds and get her back to safety in the Fading Lands, for the evil mages known as the Eld are on the move and would like nothing more than to capture Elly. But he's made a vow to her mortal father that he will not touch her until they marry in the mortal tradition and he means to honor it.
Elly is helplessly drawn to Rain- they are destined to be mates- but the slow courtship works well for her as she is just coming into her powers. Powers long thought to be evil. (What's girl to do? She instinctively knows this isn't the case, but it's difficult getting past old mindsets, ya know?)
Little does she know how much the magic is ingrained in her and how powerful she really is! Not even Rain knows, though he suspects she is more than the common woodcarver's daughter everyone thinks she is, until one frightening moment when it all comes pouring out.
Along with her power, old superstitions come to the forefront, and the fall out is so moving- with loved ones running scared all around- it grabbed my heart and didn't let go. The way The Evilest of Mages uses the betrayals against her in the final battle scene is particularly effective.
Wilson weaves together many threads so masterfully you just can't help be in a bit of awe while reading it. I LOVED that aspect of this novel.
Second to that are the excellent characters that populate this novel. Their motivations ring true and make me anxious to read some of their stories sometime in the future! **hint, hint**
I even loved the political machinations going on around them, and you know how that can bog down a book!
This book does romance and fantasy the way I always dreamed it could be.
August 3, 2019
I could've give this book a higher rating but I was quite disappointed. I was left mesmerized by the first book due to its romanticism and great plot building.
It's true that I had a hard time reading this book due to its dragging and repetitive plot which, honestly speaking, bordered on boring, but on the brighter side, after the book was at 60% the speed started to pick up and became much more interesting.
What I loved on the first book became what I disliked on this one: Rain and Ellie's courtship.
Oh, I still love Rain but the courtship between the two just kept on dragging on and on and on. There were so many obstacles that were presented as mountain high but were actually just a minute sand.
And I thought that Ellie was too... easy. After what Rain had done to her , she let him off too easy.
Overall, still a good read but too slow for my taste. But one good thing that happened was that Ellie became what she was always meant to be.
It's true that I had a hard time reading this book due to its dragging and repetitive plot which, honestly speaking, bordered on boring, but on the brighter side, after the book was at 60% the speed started to pick up and became much more interesting.
What I loved on the first book became what I disliked on this one: Rain and Ellie's courtship.
Oh, I still love Rain but the courtship between the two just kept on dragging on and on and on. There were so many obstacles that were presented as mountain high but were actually just a minute sand.
And I thought that Ellie was too... easy. After what Rain had done to her , she let him off too easy.
Overall, still a good read but too slow for my taste. But one good thing that happened was that Ellie became what she was always meant to be.
February 9, 2023
Love this series! I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to discover it! The story takes a while to get going in book 1, but this book was amazing! So much was happening. I loved that there were so many different POV’s. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
January 31, 2024
My heart has followed where my soul has led. Ke vo san, Ellysetta. I love you.
As the wedding date draws closer, and the relationship between Rain and Ellie is becoming more stronger by the day. Deep within Ellie is a powerful magic that is about to burst free, and even though Rain doesn't fully understand, he knows he must show her control so that accidents don't happen. Ellie is frightened of what is happening to her, and she doesn't have any idea on what she is fully capable of. In her mind she can hardly believe the this is real, she is just a humble woodcarvers daughter. But as her nightmares become stronger and more frightening, and certain truths are revealed of secrets of Rain, she becomes even more overwhelmed. She learns that there is a reason Rain was guided to her, and that she will help save the fey race. With the Mage becoming more deadly and stronger and threatening the borders of the Celerians, Rain knows that their time is running out, especially with the nobles of Celieran desiring to open the borders to a enemy, whose only desire is to destroy them all. There is a deeper darker secret of Ellie's parentage, and who she truly is and the power that she yields but lays undiscovered, a secret that could tear their connection apart. Only having faith and trust in each other will they have hope to defeat the enemy that is on their doorstep.
After I read the first book, I could barely contain my excitement to read the next book, so I went to the library and got the rest of the books in the series. The second book was a continuation of the first book. It starts off from the point that Lord of Fading Lands left off. I had heard before I started this series that the first two books kind of go hand in hand, and I definitely agree with that assessment. It almost felt like I hadn't started a new book. I found myself easily getting lost into the story just as I was able to with the first installment. We start to see more development into the relationship between Rain and Ellie. Rain begins to help Ellie reach out to the magic within in and teach her to slowly control it. It was interesting seeing another sub plot involving the fate of Ellie's parents (or I am assuming its her parents, and not wanting to reveal too much). There is also a sense of danger and peril that is easy to sense as you progress further into the story. We see the power of prejudices the people have toward magic, and how that makes Ellie doubt herself and her powers, and that she fears herself. I liked the take this author takes, and how Rain shows Ellie the beauty of the magic within her and surrounding her.
I had such a fun time seeing the bond between Rain and Ellie get stronger, gain a deeper understanding of both characters. The author digs a little deeper in the backgrounds of both, and you start to fall in love even more so with Rain and Ellie than the first book. Rain is having a harder time controlling the beat within him, wanting to claim his mate. Rain made a promise to Ellie and her father that he would wait until they were married, but it is starting to drive him crazy. You also see his devotion toward Ellie in the ways he tries to show her who she truly is and not what other would make her think of herself. Ellie is still the woodcarvers daughter, but with her powers getting stronger and she also gets stronger emotionally and you begin to see her inner strength become more bolder and I loved seeing her transformation and the beautiful relationship that is developing between Rain and Ellie. Overall I could help but find a emotionally driven epic of a love story that is exotic and enthralling! MAGNIFICENT!!!
As the wedding date draws closer, and the relationship between Rain and Ellie is becoming more stronger by the day. Deep within Ellie is a powerful magic that is about to burst free, and even though Rain doesn't fully understand, he knows he must show her control so that accidents don't happen. Ellie is frightened of what is happening to her, and she doesn't have any idea on what she is fully capable of. In her mind she can hardly believe the this is real, she is just a humble woodcarvers daughter. But as her nightmares become stronger and more frightening, and certain truths are revealed of secrets of Rain, she becomes even more overwhelmed. She learns that there is a reason Rain was guided to her, and that she will help save the fey race. With the Mage becoming more deadly and stronger and threatening the borders of the Celerians, Rain knows that their time is running out, especially with the nobles of Celieran desiring to open the borders to a enemy, whose only desire is to destroy them all. There is a deeper darker secret of Ellie's parentage, and who she truly is and the power that she yields but lays undiscovered, a secret that could tear their connection apart. Only having faith and trust in each other will they have hope to defeat the enemy that is on their doorstep.
After I read the first book, I could barely contain my excitement to read the next book, so I went to the library and got the rest of the books in the series. The second book was a continuation of the first book. It starts off from the point that Lord of Fading Lands left off. I had heard before I started this series that the first two books kind of go hand in hand, and I definitely agree with that assessment. It almost felt like I hadn't started a new book. I found myself easily getting lost into the story just as I was able to with the first installment. We start to see more development into the relationship between Rain and Ellie. Rain begins to help Ellie reach out to the magic within in and teach her to slowly control it. It was interesting seeing another sub plot involving the fate of Ellie's parents (or I am assuming its her parents, and not wanting to reveal too much). There is also a sense of danger and peril that is easy to sense as you progress further into the story. We see the power of prejudices the people have toward magic, and how that makes Ellie doubt herself and her powers, and that she fears herself. I liked the take this author takes, and how Rain shows Ellie the beauty of the magic within her and surrounding her.
I had such a fun time seeing the bond between Rain and Ellie get stronger, gain a deeper understanding of both characters. The author digs a little deeper in the backgrounds of both, and you start to fall in love even more so with Rain and Ellie than the first book. Rain is having a harder time controlling the beat within him, wanting to claim his mate. Rain made a promise to Ellie and her father that he would wait until they were married, but it is starting to drive him crazy. You also see his devotion toward Ellie in the ways he tries to show her who she truly is and not what other would make her think of herself. Ellie is still the woodcarvers daughter, but with her powers getting stronger and she also gets stronger emotionally and you begin to see her inner strength become more bolder and I loved seeing her transformation and the beautiful relationship that is developing between Rain and Ellie. Overall I could help but find a emotionally driven epic of a love story that is exotic and enthralling! MAGNIFICENT!!!
Read
September 7, 2007Always, she had feared the magic.
Always, she had fought the dark visions.
Always, she had dreamed of the lover who could save her…
Since her earliest memories, Ellysetta Baristani has feared magic, even as she has been inexorably drawn to all things Fey, especially the poetry and legends of Rain Tairen Soul.
Now claimed as Rain’s truemate and no longer able to deny her own magic, Ellysetta is swept into the very center of a struggle filled with the magic and darkness she has always feared. The High Mage of Eld wants to capture her. The most murderous dahl’reisen who ever lived wants her dead. And her enemies will corrupt even the people she loves most in their quest to claim her magic for themselves.
LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS is Book 2 in the Tairen Soul series and continues the story of Rain Tairen Soul and Ellysetta Baristani.
Always, she had fought the dark visions.
Always, she had dreamed of the lover who could save her…
Since her earliest memories, Ellysetta Baristani has feared magic, even as she has been inexorably drawn to all things Fey, especially the poetry and legends of Rain Tairen Soul.
Now claimed as Rain’s truemate and no longer able to deny her own magic, Ellysetta is swept into the very center of a struggle filled with the magic and darkness she has always feared. The High Mage of Eld wants to capture her. The most murderous dahl’reisen who ever lived wants her dead. And her enemies will corrupt even the people she loves most in their quest to claim her magic for themselves.
LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS is Book 2 in the Tairen Soul series and continues the story of Rain Tairen Soul and Ellysetta Baristani.
April 8, 2009
I just read #1 and #2 in a row and #2 moved a lot better I think. Lots of really good stuff happens in this book! The world is more developed, the bad guys get REALLY bad, I started to like the main character more because she grew into her own more. It was less Cinderella, more High Fantasy. Still juicy romance stuff though. Lots to offer, definitely liked it!
Reading #3 now.
Reading #3 now.
July 22, 2011
Reading this book the second time around made me want to write a review, but I couldn't figure out what to say.
Instead, I'll tell you what I loved rediscovering about this particular installment in the Tairen Soul series :
1. Strength of characters - I am amazed at Ellie's ability to balance her wants and insecurities with the need to protect those she loves the most. She could sit back and allow Rain and the warriors to continue to heal her emotional scars, but instead, she fights to care for the hurting around her.
2. Introduction of new characters to love - Gaelen is a force to be reckoned with. He's arrogant, pushy, and forceful. I had a love/hate thing for him in this book, but in time, it softened to love only. He is the driving force for change in the Fey universe. Going to give a secondary nod to Adrial and Talisa. Their story is heartbreakingly beautiful.
3. Redemption of characters I'd grown to hate - namely Ellie's mom. Even the hardest heart can be softened by love. The love that a mother has for a daughter can be one of the greatest loves of all.
4. Realization of self - Rain finally puts Sariel to rest and chooses his love for Ellie. Our feyreisa shines with a new identity. She chooses herself and reveals her purity of soul to the world.
Did I get teary eyed yet again? Yep. It happened. These books bring out my inner softie.
Instead, I'll tell you what I loved rediscovering about this particular installment in the Tairen Soul series :
1. Strength of characters - I am amazed at Ellie's ability to balance her wants and insecurities with the need to protect those she loves the most. She could sit back and allow Rain and the warriors to continue to heal her emotional scars, but instead, she fights to care for the hurting around her.
2. Introduction of new characters to love - Gaelen is a force to be reckoned with. He's arrogant, pushy, and forceful. I had a love/hate thing for him in this book, but in time, it softened to love only. He is the driving force for change in the Fey universe. Going to give a secondary nod to Adrial and Talisa. Their story is heartbreakingly beautiful.
3. Redemption of characters I'd grown to hate - namely Ellie's mom. Even the hardest heart can be softened by love. The love that a mother has for a daughter can be one of the greatest loves of all.
4. Realization of self - Rain finally puts Sariel to rest and chooses his love for Ellie. Our feyreisa shines with a new identity. She chooses herself and reveals her purity of soul to the world.
Did I get teary eyed yet again? Yep. It happened. These books bring out my inner softie.
May 17, 2016
For every light, there was a shadow. For every smile, there was a tear. For every gift, a sacrifice.
And the journey of the Fey King Rain Tairen Soul and his truemate Ellysetta continues, and just like Rain had been warned, Ellysetta would not need a tairen as her truemate, as her protector if the tasks that lay before her were not very dangerous.
Rain’s duty continues in trying to convince the King of Cilieria and his council that they should keep their borders closed to the Eld, to those susceptible to the darkness of the Mages. Because Rain has felt the return of the evil Mage.
Then there is Kolis Manza, the apprentice of the High Mage of Eld, who has infiltrated Cilieria under a disguise, who is brewing doubt and fear in those closest to Ellysetta, in order to put a stop to Rain and Ellysetta’s upcoming marriage, and to capture Ellysetta for the High Mage.
There were so many things happening in this book. The High Mage who continues to seek Ellysetta, who has ties to her that could destroy the budding feelings than Rain has for her, because there is a lot more to Ellysetta than being the adopted daughter of a woodcarver. The secret of who she really is lies in her parentage, in her soul.
Together with all the intrigue and danger were lots of normal and sweet moments: between Rain and Ellysetta, their building romance that I adored. There was also the quintet, the fey warriors that Rain assigned to protect Ellysetta, and I love them all. Especially Bel.
Additional danger to Ellysetta comes from the Dark Lord, Gaelen vel Serranis, a very dangerous dahl’reisen, who is also the brother of Marissya, a healer and Rain’s friend. And who has found out the truth about Ellysetta, and in order to protect his sister, and the Fading Lands, he needs to kill her.
"My heart has followed where my soul has led. Ke vo san, Ellysetta.”
There was never a dull moment in this book. I love the continued plot regarding the evil High Mage and his pursuit of Ellysetta, the intrigue regarding who Elysetta’s true parents are (and damn, that was so interesting), and the slow building romance between Rain and Ellysetta. The betrayal Ellysetta had to endure in this book was heartbreaking.
This is a truly excellent romantasy, and I cannot wait to find out what will happen next.
March 18, 2008
This book picks up right where Lord of the Fading Lands left off. Ellie is still participating in all the pre-wedding observances, the minion of the Eld Mage is still running around in various incarnations fomenting chaos, Rain is still trying to convince everyone the Eld Mages are returning to rain their dark magical terror and the fey are still surrounding Ellie in force trying to protect her.
The strengths and weaknesses of the first book are still evident in this follow up. This makes utter sense, because the two books together read like one whole book that was abruptly cut in half.
The strong point remains the writing. The writing is accessible and the author's voice is very engaging. The weak points, imo, remain the pace and the construction of the characters of the Evil Mages. They are so unremittingly evil, none of them work from a place of doubt, there are no twinges of conscious, no evidence of buried humanity, no struggle at all. This makes for a very flat villain and it makes reading about them un-enjoyable. There is no surprise, no ambivalence on the reader's part that could make the reading experience a bit richer.
Wilson does a much better job on the not-villains, especially Lauriana, Ellie's mother and Gaelen. From a reader's perspective, Lauriana is just plain annoying. But she makes sense as a flawed character. She is working from a place of utter belief that what she knows and what she is doing is right.
And then there is Gaelen. His arrival gave the book a much needed shot of adrenalin. I thought the first half of the book was still a lot of lead-up. Coming after what was pretty much all set up in the first book, this was pretty frustrating. And then at the mid-point of the book things start to cook. The pace picks up considerably, plot threads start to converge, and Gaelen arrives. Gaelen is a nicely realized character. He is not a good guy at all, but he has honor and purpose. And I love the sense of impatience and mild contempt that the author has given him for his own people. Given this character's background and experiences, it strikes just the right tone.
The second half of the book is superb. Tightly plotted, suspenseful and most of all there is some real forward momentum going into the next book.
The strengths and weaknesses of the first book are still evident in this follow up. This makes utter sense, because the two books together read like one whole book that was abruptly cut in half.
The strong point remains the writing. The writing is accessible and the author's voice is very engaging. The weak points, imo, remain the pace and the construction of the characters of the Evil Mages. They are so unremittingly evil, none of them work from a place of doubt, there are no twinges of conscious, no evidence of buried humanity, no struggle at all. This makes for a very flat villain and it makes reading about them un-enjoyable. There is no surprise, no ambivalence on the reader's part that could make the reading experience a bit richer.
Wilson does a much better job on the not-villains, especially Lauriana, Ellie's mother and Gaelen. From a reader's perspective, Lauriana is just plain annoying. But she makes sense as a flawed character. She is working from a place of utter belief that what she knows and what she is doing is right.
And then there is Gaelen. His arrival gave the book a much needed shot of adrenalin. I thought the first half of the book was still a lot of lead-up. Coming after what was pretty much all set up in the first book, this was pretty frustrating. And then at the mid-point of the book things start to cook. The pace picks up considerably, plot threads start to converge, and Gaelen arrives. Gaelen is a nicely realized character. He is not a good guy at all, but he has honor and purpose. And I love the sense of impatience and mild contempt that the author has given him for his own people. Given this character's background and experiences, it strikes just the right tone.
The second half of the book is superb. Tightly plotted, suspenseful and most of all there is some real forward momentum going into the next book.
June 16, 2019
I was about to complain about the repetitiveness of this book before I realized it has only been ten days since the length of two books.
That being nice and all but can things pick up a bit. I felt like I was reading book one with a little more characters. The story follows the same pattern.
I was irritated by her mom and even though it's explained how the Eld work, I was still irritated. The only good thing about this book is that Annouha got to shut up for once. Yay.
That being nice and all but can things pick up a bit. I felt like I was reading book one with a little more characters. The story follows the same pattern.
I was irritated by her mom and even though it's explained how the Eld work, I was still irritated. The only good thing about this book is that Annouha got to shut up for once. Yay.
January 6, 2012
I am torn about what to rate this. It took me forever to get through this book, and not just because it's long. There is a lot of explaining and world building. I mean a LOT. And while I suppose most of it is pretty necessary, it made for an extremely boring read at times. That being said, the parts that weren't boring were freaking amazing. I was fist pumping in my mind and grinning like an idiot. There are a couple of mini-battles that are so well-written, it felt like watching a movie in slow motion. Ms. Wilson really knows how to make you visualize her world. (Guess that's where the world-building comes in.)
Rain and Elysetta's soul mate love story is poetic and almost cheesy. But the cheesiness is welcomed in this case; in fact, it fits perfectly. They need this epic romance to go with the epic fantasy aspect. And this book furthers their relationship in major ways.
I love what Elysetta says to Rain when he feels ashamed for wishing for his his 'true mate' when he was a child. "Wanting love is not selfish, Rain. We are all born missing the connections that make us complete." Wow! What an insightful statement, and how true. It's the connection with people that truly makes us who we are.
There is also something to be said for the males protecting Elysetta. She constantly has new males pledging their life to her, though for most of the book, she's done nothing to deserve the honor. That changes, though, and she finally becomes a major player between the Fey and Eld war that is a-brewing. One more quote that I thought was great: Elysetta thanks Rain for honoring someone that is very important to her, though also very nearly betrays her. Rain says, "If honor were reserved only for those who never err, none of us would be worthy."
So, while I can't rate this a five, the potential for a five is there for the series. The last few chapters were enough to make up for the first few monotonous ones. I have a feeling that Rain and Elysetta will be one of those couples that I can't stop thinking about until I finish their story.
Rain and Elysetta's soul mate love story is poetic and almost cheesy. But the cheesiness is welcomed in this case; in fact, it fits perfectly. They need this epic romance to go with the epic fantasy aspect. And this book furthers their relationship in major ways.
I love what Elysetta says to Rain when he feels ashamed for wishing for his his 'true mate' when he was a child. "Wanting love is not selfish, Rain. We are all born missing the connections that make us complete." Wow! What an insightful statement, and how true. It's the connection with people that truly makes us who we are.
There is also something to be said for the males protecting Elysetta. She constantly has new males pledging their life to her, though for most of the book, she's done nothing to deserve the honor. That changes, though, and she finally becomes a major player between the Fey and Eld war that is a-brewing. One more quote that I thought was great: Elysetta thanks Rain for honoring someone that is very important to her, though also very nearly betrays her. Rain says, "If honor were reserved only for those who never err, none of us would be worthy."
So, while I can't rate this a five, the potential for a five is there for the series. The last few chapters were enough to make up for the first few monotonous ones. I have a feeling that Rain and Elysetta will be one of those couples that I can't stop thinking about until I finish their story.
May 18, 2019
4.5 stars
This book was even better then book one and had my anxiety at a level ten the whole damn time. It picks up immediately after book ones ending and then ratchets everything up like a ton. We have lies and plots and political intrigue. So so much goodness to go around. They’re assumptions and miscommunication and fights. All of the tension and fear from book one explode to really take you on a ride in book two. I will for sure be continuing this series.
This book was even better then book one and had my anxiety at a level ten the whole damn time. It picks up immediately after book ones ending and then ratchets everything up like a ton. We have lies and plots and political intrigue. So so much goodness to go around. They’re assumptions and miscommunication and fights. All of the tension and fear from book one explode to really take you on a ride in book two. I will for sure be continuing this series.
Read
April 19, 2016These books. Adult romance. High fantasy. Amazing plotting and world building. I am just in awe.
November 8, 2018
“Wanting love is not selfish, Rain. We're all born missing the connections that make us complete.”
I’m really enjoying my reread of the series! Ellysetta is my queen😍
4,25/5★★★★
I’m really enjoying my reread of the series! Ellysetta is my queen😍
4,25/5★★★★
June 1, 2021
As the nobles of Celeria foolishly contemplate opening borders for the traitorous Eld, Rain must find a way to show that the Eld are still as evil as they were 1000 years ago and keep his soul mate Ellie safe. Ellysetta also has her own battles to face as she discovers her origins that have the power to turn her truemate Rain away from her.
This series just gets better and better!
Rain and Ellysetta are fast becoming one of my favourite romantic couples. What I like about their romance is that although it is a fated-to-be-mated plot line they still have doubts, Ellie based in her insecurity about who she is and Rain through his past experience of love the consequences of which literally scorched the world. So, although they are soul mates I like the slow build up of trust between them and watching Ellie's feeling going from hero-worship and fear to something deeper. Having said that, the first two books are set over 10 days, it just feels much longer as those days are jam packed with life altering events!
Not only do Rain and Ellie make these books for me, but the secondary characters in this also come to vivid life from C.L. Wilson's fantastic writing. Ellie's quintet of Fey, her parents, the King & Queen they all have a role to play and Wilson manages to wrangle all sorts of emotions from you in this book through them.
As well as the romance between Rain and Ellie and the characters, what also draws me to this series is the pending war between the Eld and the Fey. I can't wait to see what happens next this book gives you a lot more details on the Mage's activities and I can't wait to see what happens next. I am particularly looking forward to see how Ellie is meant to heal the Tairen.
This is a great series a blend of romance and adventure, magic and swords and I can't wait to start on the next one.
Favourite Quote
They could not fight. They could not win. But with each moment left for them to live, they could love. That was the greatest gift the gods could ever give, and it was worth the price they would have to pay.
December 14, 2023
(Again, no original review, so these notes are from my Dec 2023 re-read.)
I enjoy this series, even as it stresses me out. The stress is just from good storytelling with legitimately scary possibilities looming, and awful things happening to our characters...or scary near-misses (but in a way justified by the story, not gratuitous bullshit).
Ellie is coming into her own, though she's been compelled to be afraid of her magic ... both literally (a weave cast on her as an infant, to hide her magic from the bad guys) and by her adoptive mother (she's a religious zealot asshole who equates all magic with evil). It means the parts where she's wobbly about it are justified, even if they are annoying. But it also means seeing her slowly embrace all that she is is a really gratifying story.
Some heartbreaking stuff happens in this book (hence the stress), so have some kleenex at hand.
Also, in case it isn't obvious from the "religious zealot asshole" comment above, I hate her mother. Nothing justifies what she does, how she acts, or what she brings about. Fuck her. Additionally, fuck the Celierians, across the board. They deserve what's coming, especially with their bitch of a queen doing her best to make things worse.
Anyway, enjoying the re-read of this one.
I enjoy this series, even as it stresses me out. The stress is just from good storytelling with legitimately scary possibilities looming, and awful things happening to our characters...or scary near-misses (but in a way justified by the story, not gratuitous bullshit).
Ellie is coming into her own, though she's been compelled to be afraid of her magic ... both literally (a weave cast on her as an infant, to hide her magic from the bad guys) and by her adoptive mother (she's a religious zealot asshole who equates all magic with evil). It means the parts where she's wobbly about it are justified, even if they are annoying. But it also means seeing her slowly embrace all that she is is a really gratifying story.
Some heartbreaking stuff happens in this book (hence the stress), so have some kleenex at hand.
Also, in case it isn't obvious from the "religious zealot asshole" comment above, I hate her mother. Nothing justifies what she does, how she acts, or what she brings about. Fuck her. Additionally, fuck the Celierians, across the board. They deserve what's coming, especially with their bitch of a queen doing her best to make things worse.
Anyway, enjoying the re-read of this one.
December 3, 2015
Enjoying the second book in this series really brings back some memories. It's amazing just how good i find the world created by C.L. Wilson in this series. It inspired me to faithfully wait for The Winter King, and sadly get heavily disappointed with the result. After a magical series of this epic caliber, we got saddled with an average fantasy with extremely limited supernatural elements. Seriously, it read like a bubblegum romance - a bodice ripper with some fish tossed in and a bit of magic of winter...kinda like Frozen with sushi...
I loved The concept of the Fay in Tairen Soul, i loved the dedication and drive that pushed an almost immortal race to look for fragility. I loved how they celebrated the loneliness of their long existence because they would have maybe gotten the chance of meeting who they were supposed to be with.
Wilson, really outdid herself with this one I have to say. One of my fave series of all time.
I loved The concept of the Fay in Tairen Soul, i loved the dedication and drive that pushed an almost immortal race to look for fragility. I loved how they celebrated the loneliness of their long existence because they would have maybe gotten the chance of meeting who they were supposed to be with.
Wilson, really outdid herself with this one I have to say. One of my fave series of all time.
October 16, 2014
I live..I fight..I bleed..I die..For love..I am Fey.
Intense. This book.
This book starts where the first left off because the first one ended in a way that would have been extremely cruel to anyone who had to wait!
The levels of emotions and desires of all of the characters has gone up in intensity and there are so many different schemes against Ellysetta that you are just wondering which one will be the one to get her first. She can't possibly survive all of it unscathed. Plus, we get the addition of some awesome characters, including an older couple where the woman has red hair and the man has green eyes. Familiar much? Of course, they are prisoners and being tortured. And, another Fey figures out that he has a soul mate, and finds her. Too bad she's already married...The troll of the butcher's son just won't go away. He's like telemarketer or freaking LinkedIn e-mail updates - enough already! And the queen is not getting any less bitchier.
Intense. This book.
This book starts where the first left off because the first one ended in a way that would have been extremely cruel to anyone who had to wait!
The levels of emotions and desires of all of the characters has gone up in intensity and there are so many different schemes against Ellysetta that you are just wondering which one will be the one to get her first. She can't possibly survive all of it unscathed. Plus, we get the addition of some awesome characters, including an older couple where the woman has red hair and the man has green eyes. Familiar much? Of course, they are prisoners and being tortured. And, another Fey figures out that he has a soul mate, and finds her. Too bad she's already married...The troll of the butcher's son just won't go away. He's like telemarketer or freaking LinkedIn e-mail updates - enough already! And the queen is not getting any less bitchier.
February 14, 2011
This book truly did amaze me. It was exciting, thrilling, emotional, imaginative and so much more. At the end of the book I had chill's all over and they actually stayed there for a short while, it was THAT good.
Those of you who like their romances with fantasy type paranormal elements with good verses evil would really enjoy this series.
Those of you who like their romances with fantasy type paranormal elements with good verses evil would really enjoy this series.
November 25, 2021
Read the first book years ago. The first half is still slow. I wanted to drop it but the world intrigued me and beginning to like the characters. By the 57mark the pace started picking up. Couldn't put it down anymore.
February 16, 2016
Buddy read with Aly!
March 17, 2022
4.5/5.0
SO… this is how the second installment in this amazing series went:
The book starts out with a bang and immediately gets the reader right back in to all the intrigue that was left to discover at the end of the first book… Then things slowed down considerably and, while nice, got a bit (dare I say) boring at times. But just at the point I start to really yawn, things kick in big time and from about the 50% point on, it is a heart-pounding race to the end! All the lip-biting intrigue and excitement one can wish for! So, by the time the last page turns, I’m rushing out to grab the next book!
SO… this is how the second installment in this amazing series went:
The book starts out with a bang and immediately gets the reader right back in to all the intrigue that was left to discover at the end of the first book… Then things slowed down considerably and, while nice, got a bit (dare I say) boring at times. But just at the point I start to really yawn, things kick in big time and from about the 50% point on, it is a heart-pounding race to the end! All the lip-biting intrigue and excitement one can wish for! So, by the time the last page turns, I’m rushing out to grab the next book!
June 16, 2021
Oops, I finished this like a week ago. It was good! It had more of a complete story feel than the first one--still very much part of a larger story, but it stood alone better--which was nice, but also left me less eager for book 3. I've started it, but it's going pretty slowly so far.
April 24, 2012
Bu yorum aynı zamanda Romancekolikte yayınlanmıştır.
Yorumumu okumadan önce ilk kitaptaki görüşlerimi okursanız, kurguyu daha iyi anlayacağınızı düşünüyorum;
Lord of the Fading Lands(Tairen Soul,#1)
--
Wow!
Kitap ilkine göre daha çok aksiyon, aşk ve entrika barındırıyordu. Dayanılmaz formülüm. :) Kızımız daha ağırlığını koyabilen, ne istediği bilen biri haline gelmeye başladı. E durum böyle olunca Eld'ler - kötü büyücü ırkı - şehirdeki tüm insanları Feylere - iyi büyü kullanan ırk - karşı döndürmek için elinden geleni arkasına koymuyor. Bu plana kraliçeyi, kızın annesini hatta en yakın arkadaşını bile katmaktan geri kalmıyorlar. Tüm entrikaların ortasında çiftimiz ilk kitabın bitiminde olan, kızımızın kraliçenin oyunuyla afrodizyak etkisi yaratan bir içki yüzünden tüm salona arzu yaymasının etkilerini yaşamaktalar. Kızımız yaptığı şeyden dolayı - elinde olmasada bu durum - utanç duyuyor. Aynı zamanda politik bir krizinde başlangıcını getirmekte.
Herkes Rain'in büyü yaptığını sanıyor ve insanlar toplam yedi saat boyunca iradeleri ellerinden alındığı için şaşkın, huzursuz ve sinirliler. Tamda Eld'lere sınırların açılmaması için yapılacak toplantının arifesinde bu olayın patlaması Feylere çok zarar veriyor. Eld'lerin saman altı işleriyle de sanki Eld'ler kötülenmeye çalışan bir grupmuş gibi gösteriliyor. Bu kadar entrikanın ortasında çiftimiz kur süreçlerini tamamlamaya çalışıyor. Kızımızın rüyaları gece Rain ile yattığından yok olsa da karanlık güçler hala Ellie'yi arama peşindeler.
Yazar kurguya yeni karakterlerde katmış bu arada. Kızımızın anne babası eşleşmiş bir Fey çifti. Baş bir Eld büyücüsü tarafından bin yıldır tutulmaktalar. Büyücü üzerlerinde her türlü işkence ve deneyi kullanmış. Ellie'de bu deneylerinden biri. Kızın annesi çocukla bir şekilde büyücünün elinden kaçmayı becerip kızı kurtarmış. Ama gücünden korkması, kullanmaması içinde çocuğa bir büyü yapmışlar. Eğer gücü ortaya çıkarsa Baş büyücü direk onu bulur diye bunu yapıyorlar.
Kurguya bir diğer katılan ise ilk kitapta adını çok duyduğumuz Karanlıklar Lordu. Bu adam bin yıl önce kardeşinin ölümü üzerine Büyü Savaşını başlatan ve ondan sonra da dahl'reisen - yani kayıp ruha - dönüşen bir Fey savaşçısı. Kendisinin muzur hallerini çok sevdim. :) Gaelen aynı zamanda Rain'in şehre beraber geldiği sırdaşının kardeşi. Karanlıklar Lordu ilk kitapta Rain'in Ellie'nin geçmişi araştırması için gönderdiği iki savaşçının gerçeği - Ellie'nin Baş Büyücü'nün kızı olduğunu - öğrenmesiyle beraber katledilmelerini okumuştuk ve Karanlıklar Lordu bu sahneye şahit oluyor. Hemen akabinde o yaralı haliyle, sırf kardeşini kurtarmak için dere tepe düz gidip şehre, Ellie'yi öldürmeye gidiyor.
Kızın etrafında onca adam varken bunu nasıl başaracak derken iş bu ki, Baş Büyücü kızın babasına öyle bir işkence yapıyor ki, adam kızdan duygularını gizleyemiyor. Aralarında kan bağı olduğundan bu durum söz konusu. Bu yüzden kızımız sanrı olarak tanımlayacağımız tuhaf nöbetler geçiyor. Kendini evinin yakındaki göle atıyor. Şans bu ki Karanlıklar Lordu orada öylece, halsizce yatmakta. Sudan kaldırıp karaya çektikten sonra daha Rain onu durduramadan Gaelen ne yapıyorsa yapıyor ve kıza dokunuyor. Tüm olaylar oradan sonra yeni bir anlam kazandırmaya başlıyor. Bu kitapta ihaneti yazar çok keskin hatlarıyla işlemiş. Annesinin ve Rain'in ihanetini sizde tüm canlılığıyla hissedebiliyorsunuz. Ne kadar aralarında ciddi bir bağlılık ve sevgi varsa da Ellie'nin bir Baş Büyücünün kızı olduğu söylentisi ikilinin aralarını açmasıyla bir sürü belalarda başlarına açıyor. Kitapta histeri krizleri geçirdiğim yerlerde yok değil. Hele bir yerde gülmek ile ağlamak arasında kaldım ki halim kareliktir. :D Ne denir ki? Yazar şaşırtmayı seviyor. Heyecanla okunan, okudukça karakterleri benimsediğiniz bir seri. Ben fazlasıyla benimsedim. :)
Dipnot: Sonunda evlendiler!
October 3, 2017
3.5 stars
I ended up really liking it. I'm glad I didn't abandon it.
Me at 39%:
Ok I get why I'm having a hard time with this book at the moment.
It's the same reason I couldn't fucking finish the Mists of Avalon. It's these holier than thou characters (particularly female characters) that believe so fiercely that they are right that they will do anything BUT TALK to the person they are afraid of/for. In Mists of Avalon it was Guinevere (or however the fuck Zimmer wanted to spell it), and in this it's Lauriana, Ellie's mother.
It is infuriating and for some reason it always needs to come in the form of religious beliefs. Really though, I have had to deal with people and their religious beliefs and how the beliefs of each individual conflict with one another (even within the same religion/denomination/congregation). And I am not exaggerating. My father is a pastor. I have had to deal with this shit for my Entire. Life. It is fucking impossible to talk to these people when you have a conflicting view. You can try and be conciliatory but if they think you are going to hell or that their entire framework of belief is based around these issues and values, and you deign to disagree, they have already dismissed every word that may or may not come out of your mouth.
However, the problem with these characters in all stories is that it is always used as a plot device to sow conflict. That's fine, as long as it is used well. I'm not saying anything about this book because I am really just ranting at this point, but the common thread among all of these characters is that they never do two things (AND THEY ABSOLUTELY MUST DO BOTH): One, they never talk to the person who makes them afraid, who they don't trust, OR the person they are afraid FOR (be it their soul, their safety, their health, whatever). And two, if by some miracle they do have a conversation about it that isn't just hints here and there, or completely wrapped up in double meanings, this devout person needs to listen and actually hear what the other person is saying instead of picking and choosing their words to essentially confirm their already-formed opinion.
And finally, when it's all said and done, the story ends up with the fearful devout person doing the exact opposite thing they should and then finally realizing their mistake until its too fucking late. I repeat: IT'S INFURIATING.
This was mostly just a giant-ass update because it wouldn't fit into the update box. I'll still try and read the rest of it tomorrow but I have a limited supply of patience at the moment and this is testing it.
<----- (Irony)
I ended up really liking it. I'm glad I didn't abandon it.
Me at 39%:
Ok I get why I'm having a hard time with this book at the moment.
It's the same reason I couldn't fucking finish the Mists of Avalon. It's these holier than thou characters (particularly female characters) that believe so fiercely that they are right that they will do anything BUT TALK to the person they are afraid of/for. In Mists of Avalon it was Guinevere (or however the fuck Zimmer wanted to spell it), and in this it's Lauriana, Ellie's mother.
It is infuriating and for some reason it always needs to come in the form of religious beliefs. Really though, I have had to deal with people and their religious beliefs and how the beliefs of each individual conflict with one another (even within the same religion/denomination/congregation). And I am not exaggerating. My father is a pastor. I have had to deal with this shit for my Entire. Life. It is fucking impossible to talk to these people when you have a conflicting view. You can try and be conciliatory but if they think you are going to hell or that their entire framework of belief is based around these issues and values, and you deign to disagree, they have already dismissed every word that may or may not come out of your mouth.
However, the problem with these characters in all stories is that it is always used as a plot device to sow conflict. That's fine, as long as it is used well. I'm not saying anything about this book because I am really just ranting at this point, but the common thread among all of these characters is that they never do two things (AND THEY ABSOLUTELY MUST DO BOTH): One, they never talk to the person who makes them afraid, who they don't trust, OR the person they are afraid FOR (be it their soul, their safety, their health, whatever). And two, if by some miracle they do have a conversation about it that isn't just hints here and there, or completely wrapped up in double meanings, this devout person needs to listen and actually hear what the other person is saying instead of picking and choosing their words to essentially confirm their already-formed opinion.
And finally, when it's all said and done, the story ends up with the fearful devout person doing the exact opposite thing they should and then finally realizing their mistake until its too fucking late. I repeat: IT'S INFURIATING.
This was mostly just a giant-ass update because it wouldn't fit into the update box. I'll still try and read the rest of it tomorrow but I have a limited supply of patience at the moment and this is testing it.
<----- (Irony)Displaying 1 - 30 of 884 reviews