Editorial Review: Wailing Tempest: Blossom of the Fae, Book 1
In an action-packed and fast-paced adventure with a refreshing new take on Irish fairies and the lore surrounding them, Alistaria is charged with a quest into the human realm to save their world.
Opening on a battle where Alistaria, granddaughter to the throne despite her mother’s shame, takes a dangerous risk to heal her cousin from the brink of death. This action angers the Síth who have dominion over the dead and dying - but this is just the beginning of her troubles. Alistaria is accompanied by her cousin Restarian and Torian – with whom even she shares a bond even she does not understand – into the world of Piotr and Boyd, humans, and her father.
Alistaria, like all the children of her world, is taught the history of her people by their elders. The balance must be maintained, for both the Fae and humankind’s sake, but this balance relies upon the Bláth de Fainne – the Blossom. The Blossom of the Fainne was wrenched from Alistaria’s realm when the shrub was stolen and taken through the portal by Radviken. This man, known by several less than flattering sobriquets – Radviken the Vile, the Purloiner, and the Fashioner of Lies – is also Alistaria’s father.
When he crossed through the portal Radviken seduced Nastauria, left her pregnant with Alistaria, robbed them of their most precious possession, and left them to fend off a horde attack. This act of betrayal and thievery severed the realms from each other, so that the Fae can no longer travel to the human realm outside of the mystical storm called the Tempest which rages for six days every thirty.
As with any story handed down, and any story relying on accounts of a forbidden love affair, there are several versions. One each for the people involved – and the truth. The many versions of the events that took place in those fateful days are retold and influence the reader's understanding of the plot. Wailing Tempest: Blossom of the Fae is a genuinely complex and intense story with layers of plot, handed down hatred, and lore – not to mention a brilliant magic system and intricate world-building which makes it a perfect first installation in what promises to be a thrilling series.
T. B. Phillips has created an enjoyable and multi-faceted fantasy story that skilfully combines the classic lore surrounding Irish Fae, other creatures, and fairy tales in general. Readers of fantasy and these genres will find interest in Wailing Tempest - if not for the action-packed plot, then for the fresh and interesting work around the fairy lore.
A phenomenally active read, Wailing Tempest is an engrossing story complete with well-developed characters and a plot to keep you guessing from beginning to end.
