A mysterious fae-shifter. A battle royale. A chance of a lifetime.
I’ve always been different. Awkward. Horrible at magic. A square peg shoved into a round hole.
But when I arrive in Faerie, I have a chance to start over, to help people who have it worse than me, and to finally get to know my father—the King of Lyonesse.
In Faerie I have friends and a fae guard who fancies me. Crazily … fae guard who fancies me. Crazily enough, for once in my life my bloody magic is cooperating.
There’s one hitch.
To get what I want most, I have to fight—gladiator style—and I must win.
The others are infinitely more powerful than me and a thousand times more charming. Cunning and competitive to boot. And they all want to be tops too. But when I really want something, I’ve never been one to give up.
And I won’t start now.
If you like the atmosphere of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince and the action of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, you’ll love Ashley McLeo’s dark and twisted Bonegates Series.
more
Wow, This Is An Adrenaline Fuelled Thrilling Read!!
Lana & her bestfriend since early childhood, Finn, bonded over Hawks. Lana is a Witch, she isn’t very strong in her chosen power of a Light Wealder. She also struggles in social situations & although Finn has no magic, he is gorgeous & outgoing, so helps keep her from becoming a complete loner throughout her childhood & whilst they attend Trinity College, Dublin. Their Hawks, Naela & Kane, are uncannily clever and deeply bonded to them both too!!
Both only have one natural parent in their lives. Finn’s Father died & he has no memory of him. Lana’s Dad, however, abandoned her Mum, a Witch Healer, before Lana was even born. It’s left her feeling a burning need to find him and get answers – she’s desperate for approval from the man she’s never met!!
After being told by a Shifter that her Father has left a trail of clues with a way to find him, Lana can’t resist the desire to finally meet the man that sired her. So with the help of Finn, they follow the clues & end up going through a portal – Bonegate – to Fairie!! Here they are faced with some shocking & uncomfortable truths and she discovers not just her Dad but other siblings!!
This is when the story really starts ….
The drama & tension ratchets up continuously as the story of the Fae Lands unfolds. They discover that the land Lana is from is dying. It’s because of its ailing magic and it is badly effecting the ordinary working class Fae & it’s wildlife the most Friendship & kinship is found and lost Loyalty & betrayal run alongside hope & fear in the Court of Fullfeather as the stakes get laid out for Lana & her newly acquired siblings!!
I absolutely loved this book!! It has such a vast array of characters. Some are lovely others are not and others are yet to show us themselves fully one-way or the other Lana’s constant need for her Father’s approval & time, above all else, annoyed me greatly. I was so relieved when she finally started to see the bigger picture at stake towards the end & let that motivate her as much, if not more, than just getting to know him. Other than that she’s a great main character, she has flaws but strives to ‘be better’!Finn finally stepped up too, poor guy, he’s really had his head messed with. I really like Garrett, Sai, Ebba & Ryker, I’m hopeful they’re all loyal!! Prince Casimir, I fear, is a huge danger for the future
This is an absolutely unmissable series starter in my opinion. it’s full of magic, intrigue & pulse pounding tension! I can’t wait for book #2 Assassin Witch!!
Debbie, 1970, UK
I love this book!!! Finished in 2 days and it took me that long because of work.
I started reading Ashley MeLeo’s books after seeing the 1st book for the spellcaster series on bookbub. After that I was hooked and knew I had to read everything she writes.
Lana is so relatable even to me at the age of 38. Anti-social teen that just want good friends, be good at magic and to get to know her father. Little do she know that her dreams come true. Even if you have not lived a life similar to Lanas’ Ashley makes you feel as if you know exactly what Lana is going through.
Both Lana and Fin shows us that things are not always as they seem. Wuth hard work, believing in yourself and love ones we can over come anything, even those you believe are more powerful and have better skills.
There are going to characters that you love and some that you hate, but if you love fantasy you will love this book.
Lana Shea meets a Fae hawk/woman, Ellette, when her goshawk, Naela, tries to defend her. Ellette brings an invitation and challenge from her father, whom she’s never met. Challenge accepted and done, Lana and Finn meet the King, Oberon Fullfeather, who introduces himself as her father, and father of the rest of the crowd. Many unexpected truths are revealed as the training to the Successional progresses. The Successional itself turns out to be an unexpectedly brutal challenge as exciting, unexpected developments make a risky event deadly.
I freaking love this cover!
After graduating from Trinity College in Dublin, Lana, who is a witch, drives home to her Mam. Not long after she arrives home, with her Mam at work, Lana meets her first Elf. The Elf has a message from her father. The message is in the form of a riddle so Lana asks her best friend, Finnegan, for help since he loves puzzles. When Finn figures out the puzzle, he and Lana end up in the land of Fae and being the King’s children, have to enter a gladiator-style contest to see who will rank lowest to highest of hes 13 offspring. This story has infighting, backstabbing, and lots of violence. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lana get a note one day from her absent father. Lana and her friend Finn take in the land of Faerie and find out her father is king. Solving puzzles becomes par for the course now before they get to meet him.
The characters are strong and determined. The storyline is unexpected and fun, with Lana building her magic, along with the magic of the witches, fae, shifters, etc. Loved how it ended and can not wait for the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fun, adventurous and magical read with touches of mystery and intrigue. A great fantasy premise that takes our lead, Lana, on a series of rollercoaster trials leading her towards Tom of action, her missing magic and family. Exciting series starter.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.