Overview and thoughts on The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Overview and thoughts on The Falconer by Elizabeth May  

When looking at the cover of this book (the kindle edition, which is the cover pictured in my Jan TBR List) I see a young maiden with fiery locks hand grasping a traditional Scottish Dirk. I personal love all things Scottish/Irish/Welsh, hell I even married an Irishman. My thoughts going in where “this is going to take place somewhere close to Edinburgh and have something to do with growing up.” Keep in mind I did not read the back of the book or the reviews on Amazon or GoodReads. I simply picked it because it was a series ( I am sucker for series) and it kept coming up in my GoodReads and Amazon because of past books I’ve read. 

I will be one hundred present honest reading the first chapter I did not like the book at all. I was completely thrown off by the amount of technology happening at every turn. I am used a much different style/take on this age of Scottish/Irish time (que awesome romance novel by Julie Garwood). I was not excepting this steampunk take of technology in Edinburgh where your clan tartan was not proudly displayed across your evening gown. I also found it odd how long it took me to figure out her name, even once I figured out she was Lady Aileana I still referred to her as “The Falconer” though out the rest of the book.  

At this point this is how I view Aileana. A mad red head in an evening gown. 

However, by chapter three I was in deep and didn’t want to put it down. It was such an easy read with some natural stopping points that allows you as the reader to be able to put the book down and get some work done then come right back to it. The quote “Crimson suites you best” is shown through out the book. This quote has strong hold over the falconer for many reasons. Its her source of great anger which drives her vengeance and therefore drives her relationship with Kiaran. The quote runs through the book but it also morphs into something soothing towards the end. I’ll leave it at that in case you haven’t read the book yet. 

“Crimson suites you best”

The relationships in The Falconer are unique. I would say that the relationships with Kiaran and Gavin are 100% necessary for Aileana but not in the way one would think. I personal like to think of it like this, Gavin is the angel on Aileana’s shoulder where as Kiaran is the devil on her other shoulder. For the falconer to be what she needs to be she needs to see the world from both points. I love that Derriek is her constant sounding rock. Someone she bounces ideas off of but is also the soothing comfort she needs at times. I don’t think it would have been a good idea to have Cathrine turn into that in this storyline. Having Cathrine and her father as the constant human figures in her life are stark contrast with Kiaran and Derriek.  I would have loved to see the relationship with her father played out some more, but we do have two more books to read so I look forward to reading more about it soon. 

All in all this turned out to be a great first book in a series. There is a little bit of everything so you’ll get hooked no mater your preferred reading material. Want Sci-fi the falconer has Fairies. Want romance the falconer has a possible love triangle between Gavin, Aileana and Kiaran. Want some tech in reading material the falconer has that steampunk edge that with hook you. I can not wait to start reading book two, I made myself sit down and write this review before reading book two. So as soon as this is posted I am hopping into The Vanishing Throne.  

I hope you enjoyed my somewhat compounded book review….I swear they will get better once I get the hang of it. If there is more you’d like to hear in the future just comment and I will do my best to add it to my next review or even add to this one! Please read along with me in the next in the series which is called The Vanishing Throne! 

P.S…..I enjoyed a glass of Blush Wine with this book and quite a few snickerdoodle cookies!  

 P.P.S…..I may have finished the entire bottle…..