Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Willow’s Way
SERIES: Dark Fairy Tales #1
AUTHOR: Cheryl Headford
PUBLISHER: eXtacy Books
RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2020
LENGTH: 305 pages
BLURB:
Cale always told Tay that fairy tales were dark. But they always have happy endings, right?
Taylor Preston is a normal sixteen-year-old whose biggest worries are his GCSE exams. He’s right in the middle of them, but he has a summer of fun with his parents to look forward to after. Or not.
Despite their promise to spend the summer focusing on their one and only son, Tay’s parents, Local Authority specialist foster carers, take on one more special case.
Willow’s arrival throws more than Tay’s summer into chaos. Suddenly, his best friend is possessed by a demon, his parents aren’t his parents after all, and he’s literally living a nightmare in a fairy tale world that as dark as anything Cale ever warned him about. All he has is Willow and a burning desire to save his friend before he succumbs to the demon and Willow kills him.
REVIEW:
Taylor, aged sixteen, is the son of a couple who fosters difficult children. After promising some quality time with him, Tay’s parents bring home an emergency case – Willow. As the young man in care, doesn’t speak. Taylor is told that Willow suffers from albinism and suspected autism. Despite the sting of being pushed aside, Tay is an old hand at welcoming traumatized children and does his best with Willow. Nevertheless, the fey-looking man makes Taylor feel uneasy. A sensation confirmed by his best friend, Cale.
When dark shadows seem to have a life of their own, Taylor gets scared, and Willow comes to his aid. Willow’s actions prove that, although he is a lost boy, he is not incapable. Later, Cale calls Taylor in a panic. Thus, the three head out on an adventure that will change their lives,
How could I not pick up a story whose main character’s nickname is the same as mine? Oh, and I loved the ethereal feel of the cover.
It has been a long time since I delved into the genre of magical fantasy adventure and I am happy to say that I enjoyed the ride, albeit I had a couple of bumps along the road.
Willow’s Way is the first of three stories set within the same human/fey universe. The arc within is solved by the end, and I hope the same happens with the other two. The tale is told in the third person, but I’m not going to comment on any technicalities as I am not sure whether the manuscript I received, is the final.
The opening chapters contain realistic reactions to Willow’s, out of the blue, presence. I felt for Willow and had a mixture of responses towards Taylor along the lines of – ass, aww and fair play. The style of conversation was familiar to me, and I found myself smiling at the phrases, especially the rationale between using a child’s full name and the shortened version. These familiarities immediately connected me to the story.
The story is a mixture of show and tell. During the occasional group conversation, I had some confusion separating who was talking as few descriptors are surrounding the dialogue.
Many of the main characters are young adults. Given the age group in this novel, LGBTQI issues are discussed, though minimally demonstrated, and rightly so. The M/M element is one of realization rather than experimentation. For much of the story, the mains insist that they are straight. So, for a long time, I wondered if the story’s one flame should have been zero flames. What will happen, flame wise, in future novels as the characters, get older, I don’t know, because there was some M/M suggested sizzle that could progress. Still, it was refreshing to read a story with no sexual encounters.
The story is a slow burn, and then some, with time dedicated to establishing the cast and worlds for this and future installments. The scene-setting was superb, with such a variety of fantasy creatures, for good, evil and everything between that I was spoiled for choice. I especially loved the underestimated Ethen – a populace of little beings that were naughty or nice depending on their mood. Also, the imagery behind the city of lights gave me glimpses of Lothlorien.
The soul brother’s element between Tay and Cale touched my heart. The dedication and loyalty they have towards the other were inspirational. The blurb says that a demon possesses Cale, and the quest of the group, is to get it removed – spearheaded by Tay. However, almost every sentient being the group met, lobbied to kill Cale, and told their story of why. Which I get, as the danger of a demon should be highlighted. But, each encounter, iterated the same arguments making for a few too many instances of repetition and me wanting to skim read over the scene. The duplication, coupled with the picture setting, further slowed the story. Had some of the repetition been relegated to the third person angle instead of dialogue, the story would have been slightly shorter and punchier.
Willow – Ah, the lovely Willow. He is a complicated being who is beautiful, brave, capable and a whole lot more. He keeps the quest moving and protected. At times he is a force of nature and at others the strength in the background. I pray that in this novel we have only seen the tip of what he is capable of and hope to have plenty to say about him in future reviews.
Okay, so how to give a rating to a story like this.
Willow’s Way is a fantasy adventure to sink yourself into. For me, this first installment was not a dramatic page-turner, but the creation of a world to be savored and enjoyed. It embodies the reinforcement of loyal friendship, the realization of sexuality, character development, the establishment of a new family and coming to terms with a different universe. To this end, I would happily give the story five hearts.
However, I had some issues with repetition affecting length, pace, and occasional conversation. I’m a Libra; therefore, I could argue for and against each element. Did they affect my reading enjoyment? Yes. To this end, I could give it three hearts.
Do I understand why the story is long and intricate? Yes. Did my emotions get a workout? Yes, I cried more than once and smiled. Am I excited to read what comes next? Hell, yes. So, I’ve gone down the middle.
RATING: 
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