Reviewed by Sarina
This is a Series Review of The Faire Folk Series (Books 1 – 2 )
AUTHOR: Madeleine Ribbon
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
SERIES REVIEW:
I officially love this series! I found the entire concept to be intriguing and unique and it was super easy to get drawn into the stories and those that have been caught up in the magic of the faire. While the first story was a little more laid back, comparatively speaking, the author has really managed to bring a depth of character to the star of the second book that I wasn’t expecting and it really made the entire book that much more fulfilling. Filled with an imaginative twist on magic and fascinating characters, I was hooked the entire way through and couldn’t help but wish I had a little faire magic of my own.
SERIES RATING: 
TITLE: Faire Fugitive
LENGTH: 201 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2013
BLURB:
Devin visits the Renaissance Faire with one goal in mind: to pickpocket enough money for another cross-country dash. His would-be killer is on his tail again, and he needs to get the hell out of town. Once inside the gates, he finds himself under the scrutiny of Ezra, the handsome bartender. But Devin is on a mission, and while he relieves the costumed masses of their money, he also steals a magical amulet from a seemingly-abandoned jewelry case.
An amulet that happens to be Ezra’s.
Devin’s hunter corners him before he can skip town, but Devin escapes with his life and a nasty bullet wound to one arm. He passes out in his car. When he regains consciousness, he finds himself at the mercy of the man he’d stolen from. A man interested in a lot more than the return of his property…
LGBT, Fantasy & Paranormal
REVIEW:
Devin’s life has been anything but easy but the last four years have been especially nerve wracking. On the run from his brother, who wants to kill him for Devin putting him in prison, Devin rarely gets to stay in one place for very long and trusting others with more than the little things is completely out of the question. When his luck runs out, Devin finds himself running to the one place he’d never before considered; the local renfaire. Filled with a bunch of people he’s pretty sure are crazy, including a man he can’t stop thinking about, Devin’s only thought is to how quickly he can cut and run again. The Faire and its inhabitants are more than meets the eye, however, and soon Devin will have to decide whether he’s going to leave everything he wants behind or if he’s ready to make a stand and believe in the unbelievable.
While I’ve read a ton of books featuring magic, I’ve never read anything quite like this one. The concept of the Faire was just so unique and intriguing and I loved it! I also really liked how the magical abilities that people possess were so different than I was expecting and it was nice seeing how they worked with the overall magic of the faire. (There wasn’t a huge explanation about them but you do get more of an explanation in the second book.) While I’ve never been to a Renaissance Faire of any kind, I’ve heard quite a bit about them (mostly from my husband) and the author did a good job of setting up the, well, setting of the book and even though you don’t get an in depth look at an extensive part of the faire, you can still easily picture everything.
The cast was diverse and I loved how the secondary characters were so well thought out; they really enhanced the entire story. Devin and Ezra, however, were the main focus of the book and while they came from such radically different backgrounds, they seemed to fit so very well together. Devin isn’t used to trusting anyone and he’s been on the run for so long that he barely even remembers what it feels like to be safe anymore. Ezra isn’t perfect but he’s perfect for Devin. Strong when Devin needed him to be but willing to back away if that was what was better for Devin’s well being, Ezra was a great character. I especially enjoyed his magical ability and how it manifested itself in a variety of ways, sometimes ways unknown even to Ezra. The end itself was a surprise for me and I love how things were resolved; it really sets up for the next book and made for a great ending.
RATING: 
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TITLE: Faire Protector
LENGTH: 263 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014
BLURB:
Max’s soul has become a virtual slave to the magical Renaissance Faire, and he can’t leave the grounds. He’s very, very attracted to the Faire’s brewmaster, but Shepherd wants nothing to do with him. Shepherd thinks Max is the reason his cousin got back into drugs, and Max has a bad history—dealing, a prison term, and last but not least, a little four-year stint as the personal assassin of a drug kingpin. For once, Max didn’t do it, but Shepherd isn’t about to believe him.
When Max’s old boss becomes a threat, the Faire that had been his prison becomes his protection. Max hides out at the brewery. As he deals with Shepherd’s bad attitude, the physical and mental side effects of having his soul imprisoned, and guilt over the people he’s killed, he finds himself falling for the sexiest man to ever hate him. But the only way he can keep Shepherd is if he can find some sort of magical redemption for his past.
REVIEW:
Oh man, words cannot express the love I have for this series! While I thought the first book was unique, and I loved the concept, this second book has now replaced the first as my favorite so far. Max is a great character; he’s done horrible things in his past, and he makes no excuses for it, but he has been trying (in his own way) to be a better person. Max is, in a nutshell, tortured throughout the story, in many different ways, and there were times where I just hurt for him so badly that I couldn’t read fast enough to get to his happy ending. (I stayed up later than I should’ve just to finish this because I couldn’t leave the story without knowing how it all worked out.)
Shepherd and Max’s ‘relationship’ gets off to a bad start right away and I mean, really bad. In Max’s defense, however, it wasn’t actually his fault. Despite the overwhelming hostility and crappy circumstances he finds himself in, Max is still determined to do his best and prove Shepherd wrong about him. Through worsening issues surrounding the events of the previous story, and an unforeseen complication involving his imprisonment, Max still manages to persevere and shows just how strong an individual he really is. The way he and Shepherd eventually come together was a little bit of a surprise but the turn the relationship takes later was completely unexpected. While there was a lot of lust pinging around between the two men, I was almost as shocked as Max to realize they were developing something more.
There is definitely more angst and drama surrounding Max’s story but that’s what made it so great. This story was just SO damn good! While it was overall a story full of magic and the repercussions of using it, it was also one of redemption and how even those who don’t think they deserve it can find love and happiness. It was so well put together that I felt as though I was struggling along with Max at times and while I didn’t think I would like him at first, Max has definitely made my top ten list of protagonists. I seriously can’t wait to read the next book and I highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys a little magic in their lives.
RATING:
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