From a young age, Ayla has known her gift.Dedicated to become a Guardian of Childfey, she has spent her young years in the Temple, studying magic and ancient rites. There, she also learns about the mortal enemy of all Fey of the Light: the Reviled.Gairynzvl is a Fey of the Light, abducted by the Reviled when he was young. Now, fifteen years later, he is a Dark One: lurking in the shadows, … in the shadows, lingering near Ayla.
After Gairynzvl commits treason against his own kind, Ayla listens to him when no others will – and the conflict that unfolds will change their world forever.
Praise from readers:
★★★★★ – “The Reviled has everything you could want from an epic fantasy adventure.”
★★★★★ – “This author has an incredibly visceral and intense writing style… I loved the interplay between the light and the darkness.”
★★★★★ – “Morgan is a master of description. If you want something fresh, try out the Dark Fey Series.”
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If you’re looking for a Fey fantasy book with a well rounded blend of good and evil, all warped into one climatic adventure… then look no further than The Reviled, by Cynthia A. Morgan. It’s the first book in a series, and I look forward to reading the next books in the set! This author has been on my to read list for some time, and now that I’ve dove in, I’m a little disappointed in myself to have taken so long to pick up one of her books!
The characters in this book are well developed, especially the main character Ayla. I really like her. She has a kind heart and a brave soul. Being a particularly gifted Fey of the light, she’s been blessed with sight that goes beyond that of the average Fey. She can feel the presence of those around her on a different level, her telepathy is unique and her magic runs deep. She’s been given the job of watching over the young Fey, as to do her part in protecting them from those of the darkness and shadows.
You see, there’s another dimension that contains the Dark Fey and in the protection of the shadows they lerk, waiting to snatch up the young Fey and turn them to their dark side. But what happens when they take a Fey of the Light that is a bit older than usual, who is stubborn and possesses a certain incomparable strength?? Gairynzvl is what happens, and he’s possibly my favorite character. He spent a lifetime being tortured and forced to perform acts of unspeakable evil. However, his determination to return the light cannot and will not be brushed aside.
Gairynzvl went behind the backs of the Dark Fey Legion, and found a way to access Ayla. He watched her for months from beyond the shadows, feeling her power, and longing for her help. One night he crossed a portal and surprised a frightened and ignorant Ayla. She’d known she was being watched and followed all along. She’d felt his presence and known that he wasn’t a threat to her, yet brought with him great danger. Together, and with the help of Ayla’s friend, they worked their taxing magic and fought hard to bring his presence back to the light, but at what cost??
The Reviled offered sacrifice, love, battle, and heart thumping action. It has it all, and I highly recommend it to all fantasy readers!
A dark fantasy about the Light and Dark Fey of a magical realm called Jyndari, the story centers on a rather naive, yet gifted, Light Fey name Ayla, and her unusual relationship with a member of the Dark Fey, Gairynzvl. (Dark Fey are stolen Light Fey children who are abused and tortured until they become as vicious and violent as their captors.) Though she has a relationship with a Light Fey Celebrant named Marden, Ayla is drawn to Gairynzvl, especially when they meet face-to-face and she learns of his desire to become a Light Fey again.
Ms. Morgan’s prose is lush and vivid. The story started out as “village of the people” and evolved into something much more interesting. I appreciated the character arc that Ayla went through from a young naive Fey who bought into the Elders Party Line about who and what the Dark Fey were to a person who discovered that there was more to them than she realized. Also, seeing that the Light Fey were capable of cruelty also opened her eyes. Overall, it was a well paced and enjoyable story.
I suspect Book 2 will focus on Gairynzvl, which should be intriguing.
The Reviled: by Cynthia Morgan.
“The night deepened, then faded as lavender predawn sparked the horizon with fair and then brilliant shades of roses, and when the splendour of the sun stepped beyond the sill of the world, its grace was magnified by choruses of birds.”
This book enthralled me from the first page – and I should say that this is not my usual genre of reading. However, Morgan drew me in with her beautiful writing style. She has a way of encapsulating an entire descriptive scene in a single sentence. I found myself stopping to read pieces a second time, just for the pleasure of revelling in it again.
I particularly liked her explanation at the beginning of the book as to why she felt drawn to write this particular story in the first place, and throughout the novel, I found myself reverting back to her reasons and linking her descriptions to it.
The story is appealing and deals with the Light Fey, living in fear of being attacked and abducted by the Dark Fey. There is a love triangle between three very different characters and it all makes for an enthralling tale.
Lovers of Fantasy books will adore this novel and those who have ever thought about dipping a toe into this world should start with this book. In fact, EVERYONE should read this book!
Highly recommend this book.
Brilliant twist on the battle of good and evil!
I enjoyed this story very much – the ultimate war between dark and light, good and evil, and how things aren’t always what they seem to be.
Ayla is a powerful fey of the light, her abilities rare even among her peers. She was kept isolated growing up, being trained to use her abilities and become a guardian. The author gives us an introductory insight of the background fairly early on in the story, so when I started reading, I had a good idea of how each side, the dark fey and the light fey, worked.
That said, I’m not quite sure how to write this review. I both liked and disliked the main characters – admired Ayla (light fey) her tenacity and disliked the way she froze in the face of danger; Admired Gairynszvl (dark fey) and his need to leave the legion, disliked the way he seemed unbalanced at times, wanting to cause Ayla harm but being compassionate at the same time. I suppose he was meant to be portrayed this way, as he was both fighting the dark and the light within himself.
There’s a brush over a love triangle in this story, and like any other love triangle, you end up feeling sorry for the one left out.
I liked the way the story ended up in an optimist note, the way you get an idea of what’s coming on book two.
The writing was dramatic, vivid, and with a lot of original flourish, the pacing fast at times (the kind that makes you flip page after page), slow at others, but it’s only a 170 pages book, so it’s a quick read all around.
THE REVILED is the first book in The Dark Fey trilogy and we are introduced to a world where fairies exist. The Light fairies are the ones most people think of when you talk about fairies. But they have an enemy – the Dark Fey. Unable to procreate, they steal Light Fey in the middle of the night when they are at their strongest and light can’t touch them. The Light Fey fight this by having lights in every room. Every year, more Light Fey are taken, never to return.
In this story, we have three main characters – Ayla, the main female (Light Fey), Marden, one of the main males (Light Fey), and Gairunzvl, the other main male (Dark Fey). From the onset, you can see a triangle forming which I don’t like. Ayla is a bit of an anomaly to me. She has a lot of power, immense empathy, and has been raised to use her powers to protect the Fey. However, in the face of danger, she seems to freeze every single time. Marden seems to be the perfect male, so obviously, you think she won’t end up with him. And Gairunzvl, he is the Dark Fey that has managed to keep hold of his “humanity” despite the tortures he has been put through. All the characters are well developed with their own sets of foibles and insecurities.
The world-building is brilliant and the pacing is perfect for the story. There is no big battle like the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Instead, it is more like Sam and Frodo trying to sneak around and do their thing.
It does end on a sort-of cliffhanger which really is just a teaser for the next book and designed to leave you wanting more. Trust me, it worked. All in all, this was a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Cynthia A. Morgan’s Dark Fey Trilogy has found a permanent home on my bookshelves. That says a lot about my feelings toward this first book, The Reviled. Because stories have so many elements to them, I feel it’s only fair to break down my review into four categories: Plot, Prose, Character Development, and Originality. Overall, The Reviled has earned a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
• Plot 4/5
First off, this plot is fast moving. It starts out very mysteriously, with Ayla having the sense that someone is watching her. He is an unfamiliar, dark presence. Almost like a shadow, for she can never make out his shape in the treeline of the forest. She’s guardian to the childfey. It’s her job to protect them, but she often finds herself distracted by this recently detected “dark presence.”
As Ayla discovers the awkwardness and joys of “first love,” with Mardan, the dark presence continues to press in, getting braver and braver. He eventually reveals himself to Ayla. And he’s nothing like what she had imagined. Just when he discloses what he wants from Ayla, the Reviled find their way to Ayla’s home. They mean to frighten her into giving over what they came for.
I was on the edge of my seat, for the last half of this book. Truly, it was a joy to both listen to and read. Yes! I listened to the audiobook and read the paperback. It was that good. 🙂
• Prose/Style & Grammar 4/5
Morgan did such a great job with the names she used, such as the character names, cities, and clips of their spoken language. There is a distinct difference between Celebrae and Dlalth. It really helped me feel immersed in the world of the Fey.
Her style reminds me of classical writing. Very reminiscent to Jane Austen, but in the genre of Fantasy. She wonderfully describes characters’ emotions in the classical way, where it gets to the point, but is written with the intent to stream together effortlessly like music.
Though there are typos in the paperback (that were hardly distracting), these typos do not exist in the audiobook version. Yay! Oh, and to warn you, it might take some time for the narrator’s voice to grow on you, but it should after a few chapters or so. I began to love how crisp and controlled the narrator’s voice is. I was able to take in more of the book than I had anticipated, because her voice isn’t as fast as others I’ve heard.
• Character Development 4/5
The main character, Ayla, is perhaps a favorite of mine, out of the many books I’ve read over the years. She comes off as shy, at first, but then guarded. Once her abilities are shown later on in the story, it becomes clearer why she behaves the way she does. Though the character cast is short, in this first book of the trilogy, I didn’t mind. Morgan did very well, fleshing her characters out. Each one acted in a realistic way. I never got the feeling that the characters were rushing ahead of the story, acting in ways that were stinted or forced. Their progression was satisfactory.
• Originality 5/5
I love the originality of The Reviled. There are enough familiar themes to be reminded of mainstream stories, but it is certainly different enough to stand on its own merit. It’s apparent that Cynthia A. Morgan has worked hard to build the world Ayla lives in. And what a beautiful, mysterious, and, at times, dark world it is. I’m left with a craving to hear the continuation on audiobook.
Thanks for reading my review all the way to the end. I urge you, if you don’t have the time to read these days, try out the audiobook version of The Reviled.
Good characters with deep emotions that you seem to feel once you get more into the book. Very different type of Fey in their own unique world.
Wow, is my first word. Cynthia A Morgan renders a beautiful story while the characters live and breathe as though they are right next to us. This story is well-worth the late night read, even with my busy day beginning at the crack of dawn.
The fantasy tale grabs you from the first page and pulls you into the world of Fey. Dark Fey and Fey of Light.Â
The people we meet are gentle and honed in the arts of casting their thoughts while exercising compassion and friendship to all.
AylaYna lives in the land of the Fey of Light and is educated by scholars because of the gifts she possessed at birth. She practices incantations and magic that Elders hide from other Fey.
Later in life, she meets up with Mardan a male fey who promises friendship and more, should Ayla wish to receive this.
I found the language the author uses does an excellent job with the tone, the voice and the phraseology that portrays how the Fey react, what they might say, and how they might express themselves.
A Dark Fey crosses path one day and begins to unravel danger, excitement, testing her curiosity as well as her strength and acceptance. Her friend Nayna understand why she report the intrusion to the Elders. Somehow, Ayla know herself why she waits for the voice of a stranger to echo softly inside her head and misses him when she no longer feels his presence.
A must read for anyone who loves the fantasy genre. Quite tame, and superbly done, I know you will enjoy this novel.
Who can resist a bad hoy dark fairy full of angst?
I rarely read fantasy novels but after finding myself absorbed with the life of Ayla & the characters of the Light & Dark Fey, I’ve definitely got a taste for it. Beautifully descriptive & enchanting, the reader is gently introduced to the plot, which gently flows back & forth as evil forces attempt to sway Ayla towards the dark side. I felt that it was easy to imagine the scenery, so wonderful was the author’s telling of the story & the cliffhanger ending has ensured that I’ll be downloading book two in the series very soon.