lynseyisreading's review
5.0
Oh boy. This was so good! It was everything I loved about the first book, The Falconer, but on turbo steroids. Everything was upped. The level of imagination, already high for this series, was blown clear out of the water in comparison. Such an excellent sequel - I just loved it!
Aileana, having blipped through the portal she was attempting to seal shut in The Falconer, has been trapped in a mind-bending, twisty world of mirrors and magic enough to drive anyone insane, whilst slowly having her memories scoured by Lonnrach. During this same time, the human world has been all but obliterated. This was most certainly not the plan, but this is the situation, and Aileana must now deal with the consequences of her failure.
We see tremendous growth from Ailenana in this book and also get some much needed back story on Keiran. I also particularly enjoyed his sister, Aithinne's, contribution to the story. The world-building , which required some extra focus as it's essentially a completely new world Aileana is faced with outside of the portal, was excellent. All in all, this book had more of everything, including the feels!
Book 3 in this series, The Fallen Kingdom, has just been released and I can't wait to get to it. God damn you, TBR pile!
5 Stars ★★★★★ A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Aileana, having blipped through the portal she was attempting to seal shut in The Falconer, has been trapped in a mind-bending, twisty world of mirrors and magic enough to drive anyone insane, whilst slowly having her memories scoured by Lonnrach. During this same time, the human world has been all but obliterated. This was most certainly not the plan, but this is the situation, and Aileana must now deal with the consequences of her failure.
We see tremendous growth from Ailenana in this book and also get some much needed back story on Keiran. I also particularly enjoyed his sister, Aithinne's, contribution to the story. The world-building , which required some extra focus as it's essentially a completely new world Aileana is faced with outside of the portal, was excellent. All in all, this book had more of everything, including the feels!
Book 3 in this series, The Fallen Kingdom, has just been released and I can't wait to get to it. God damn you, TBR pile!
5 Stars ★★★★★ A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
moirwyn's review
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/10/17/the-vanishing-throne-by-elizabeth-may/
The Vanishing Throne is the second book in the Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May. It’s a series about a young woman who defies societal convention to fight the fae, who aren’t the pretty Disney type, but rather are evil incarnate.
If you read The Falconer back in 2014 like I did, you’ll probably have completely forgotten the plot. I recommend a re-read, or at least reading some reviews, because The Vanishing Throne picks up right where the first book leaves off, which was on a MAJOR cliffhanger. If you haven’t read The Falconer, I’m about to spoil you big time if you keep reading. You have been warned.
So, in a twist that’s completely unlike most YA novels I’ve ever read, The Falconer ended when Aileana failed to save the world. Instead, she was captured by a sadistic fae named Lonnrach, who imprisons and tortures her for what feels like an eternity, because the fae world doesn’t operate by the same rules of time and space as our own. Aileana thinks that she’s the only one left alive, and her guilt at failing is almost as bad as Lonnrach’s punishment. He’s torturing her because he thinks that she knows something that will help him take control of all of the fae kingdoms. Aileana is eventually rescued, but not before the survivor’s guilt and torture have seriously fucked with her psyche. Meanwhile, a few people have survived the fae apocalypse, and they’ve banded together and made their own bargains to try to stay alive.
The Vanishing Throne is hella dark, and it’s glorious. I love the fact that Aileana did not in fact succeed in the first book, because let’s face it, that’s how life is, and it makes a much better story. Rather than a la-dee-dah happy ending, we see Aileana get thrown down, and then pull herself back up and kick fae ass. But in this novel, it’s not so black-and-white, because we learn more of the backstory about why the fae are the way they are. It isn’t because they’re intrinsically evil, but because their entire world is broken, and there are systemic forces at work that have led to the current chaos. The violence didn’t happen in a vacuum. And the story in The Vanishing Throne is also reflection of our own world, and the way that things that happened many years ago can have repercussions for generations. And while force may feel like a solution, it doesn’t get at the root of the actual problem.
When I read The Falconer, I couldn’t get over how mind-blowingly awesome it was. The Vanishing Throne is even better, and I can’t wait for book three!
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/10/17/the-vanishing-throne-by-elizabeth-may/
The Vanishing Throne is the second book in the Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May. It’s a series about a young woman who defies societal convention to fight the fae, who aren’t the pretty Disney type, but rather are evil incarnate.
If you read The Falconer back in 2014 like I did, you’ll probably have completely forgotten the plot. I recommend a re-read, or at least reading some reviews, because The Vanishing Throne picks up right where the first book leaves off, which was on a MAJOR cliffhanger. If you haven’t read The Falconer, I’m about to spoil you big time if you keep reading. You have been warned.
So, in a twist that’s completely unlike most YA novels I’ve ever read, The Falconer ended when Aileana failed to save the world. Instead, she was captured by a sadistic fae named Lonnrach, who imprisons and tortures her for what feels like an eternity, because the fae world doesn’t operate by the same rules of time and space as our own. Aileana thinks that she’s the only one left alive, and her guilt at failing is almost as bad as Lonnrach’s punishment. He’s torturing her because he thinks that she knows something that will help him take control of all of the fae kingdoms. Aileana is eventually rescued, but not before the survivor’s guilt and torture have seriously fucked with her psyche. Meanwhile, a few people have survived the fae apocalypse, and they’ve banded together and made their own bargains to try to stay alive.
The Vanishing Throne is hella dark, and it’s glorious. I love the fact that Aileana did not in fact succeed in the first book, because let’s face it, that’s how life is, and it makes a much better story. Rather than a la-dee-dah happy ending, we see Aileana get thrown down, and then pull herself back up and kick fae ass. But in this novel, it’s not so black-and-white, because we learn more of the backstory about why the fae are the way they are. It isn’t because they’re intrinsically evil, but because their entire world is broken, and there are systemic forces at work that have led to the current chaos. The violence didn’t happen in a vacuum. And the story in The Vanishing Throne is also reflection of our own world, and the way that things that happened many years ago can have repercussions for generations. And while force may feel like a solution, it doesn’t get at the root of the actual problem.
When I read The Falconer, I couldn’t get over how mind-blowingly awesome it was. The Vanishing Throne is even better, and I can’t wait for book three!
mandykins007's review against another edition
4.0
I tore through this one in about a day. I really enjoyed this one. Much more so than the first. This book felt more directed, and the writing has absolutely improved. This is one of those series I consider ‘fluff’ for me since i can read about a book a day. I definitely find myself day dreaming of the characters while going out my dailies. I wasn’t sure about the third installment but find myself more curious than not so, on to the next one. Peace love and books 🖖🏻❤️📚
buffy_garden's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
I always get nervous when I read book two of a trilogy because so often it is a slog of boring filler. I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this book. The beginning of the book was a bit slow, but it picked up pretty quickly and had character development, good world building, and swoon worthy romance. I wish the romance included smut, but it's still enjoyable.
wrapmeupinplastic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bibispizzas's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the_bookato's review against another edition
4.0
A pretty solid sequel. Perhaps even stronger than the first book. Only the repetition of certain explanations makes it slow down. Although I understand the author wanted to re-explain certain things that happened in the first book.
Aileana is dealing with the aftermath of everything that went down in the first book. It felt real. Her struggle, survivor's guilt,... and those emotions don't just magically vanish through love and friendship.
It was great to delve more into the Fae world, and the dark side of them. In so many books Fae are just beautiful humanbeings but in the world of The Falconer, Fae are to be feared. Rightfully so.
The characters get more backstory. We get to understand them a lot better and the decisions they have made (Derrick is still my favorite and I want a Pixie like him).
Aileana is dealing with the aftermath of everything that went down in the first book. It felt real. Her struggle, survivor's guilt,... and those emotions don't just magically vanish through love and friendship.
It was great to delve more into the Fae world, and the dark side of them. In so many books Fae are just beautiful humanbeings but in the world of The Falconer, Fae are to be feared. Rightfully so.
The characters get more backstory. We get to understand them a lot better and the decisions they have made (Derrick is still my favorite and I want a Pixie like him).