Singer of Death: Court of the Banished book 2 (Court of Annwyn 5) by Shona Husk

Singer of Death: Court of the Banished book 2 (Court of Annwyn 5)

by Shona Husk
Published June 23rd 2015
Seductive…

An acid attack left Bronwyn scarred, but when she sings she is beautiful again. Her voice is hypnotic and powerful. For those moments she has control, no one can hurt her and no one is immune. Or so she thought.

Dangerous…

Jonah Sheppard is a thief on the run. When he meets Bronwyn his life begins to make sense. He isn’t human. He is a changeling like her. Their fairy blood has given them magic and he thinks they should use it. It’s a game she wants to play.

Intoxicating…

Bronwyn knows he only wants her for her voice, but she doesn’t care. And he knows that she could do so much better than a career criminal. A fragile trust grows but when they draw the attention of human and fairy authorities everything they know is torn away.

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I’ve been reading this series since the beginning. The first three books are about the fairy side of the veil called Annwyn. Starting with book #4 the series, now called The Court of the Banished, the stories are about fairies who were forced to live on the human side of the veil, and the aftermath the war in Annwyn had in the human realm. The world is recovering from an apocalyptic disease epidemic. There is a strong series arc, but the books are definitely paranormal romances. I find most straight-forward PNR silly, but these books push enough of my fae and forbidden love buttons I am willing to go with the PNR troupes.

This book is about two changelings born on the human side of the veil. Jonah doesn’t know he is a changeling and has had a hard life because people thought he was crazy for seeing “monsters.” To survive he turned to thieving. Bronwyn knows she is a changeling and all about fairies, but was encourage to never use her gift. She doesn’t even know what her gift truly is and the power she holds. She had one side of her face disfigured when an ex-boyfriend threw acid on her. When Jonah and Bronwyn meet they have serious trust issues to work through. He learns what he is and she learns what she can do, but this attracts the attention of Annwyn and using certain fae talents on the human side carries a penalty of death.

Unlike all the other books in this series, I didn’t connect with this couple. It was mainly Bronwyn I had trouble with. I think they were so wrapped up in their own internal struggles that the passion between them wasn’t as intense. The main story arc moved forward so it was worth the read for me from that perspective. And I have my fingers crossed that the next book is about Kaid, the Kelpie with a dark side, RAWR.Review: To Love a King (Court of Annwyn #3)
Review: The Darkling Lord: Court of the Banished book 1 (Annwyn Series 4)

3 “let me sing you a song” Sheep

SharonS

About the Author: 

website-fb-blog-newletter
Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn't looked back. Drawing on history and myth, she weaves new worlds and writes heroes who aren't afraid to get hurt while falling in love.

With stories ranging from sensual to scorching, she is published with Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, Carina Press and Sourcebooks. She is represented by the Ruben Agency.

Book Review: The Darkling Lord: Court of the Banished book 1 (Annwyn Series 4) by Shona Husk

The Darkling Lord: Court of the Banished book 1 (Annwyn Series 4)

by Shona Husk
Paperback, 219 pages
Published March 19th 2015
A darkling with a lust for power…

Henry Saint shouldn’t exist. Every year on his birthday, he kills someone and takes their soul so that he may live another year. He is a darkling, not fairy… but not human either. Yet he is bound by the laws of both worlds. With a new King on the throne of Annwyn and the mortal world trying to rebuild after plagues killed so many, Henry seizes the opportunity to carve out a place of his own. He wants Detroit.

A spy without a soul…

Darah was Felan’s spy before he became King of Annwyn. Now he has one last mission for her. He wants her to join the darkling’s Court and discover what Henry’s endgame is. No one trusts the Banished when they gather in great numbers. As Darah gets drawn into Henry’s world she realizes he can give her the one thing she could never find in Annwyn—love. But is love worth betraying her King?

I’ve always loved stories about the Fae and what happens when the mortal world collides with the fairy one. Fae are morally gray and that makes them such great characters. You can’t predict what they will do. Husk’s Court of Annwyn series is pure paranormal romance with all the basic tropes, including forbidden romances…which is my romance drug of choice. But Husk has also created an intriguing fairy world for her characters to play in. Forbidden romance + world building + fairy = Happy reader!

This book introduces a new type of fairy into Husk’s world. Henry is a darkling, the son of a Grey (a banished fairy) and a human mother. There are so many complexities to the story and I can’t talk about one without having to explain another and another and…you know. Henry and Darah come from completely different backgrounds, but both suffer the same problems with deep seeded mistrust issues and fear of showing vulnerability. This is where the PNR aspects of the story are. They fight the attraction, deny the attraction, while everyone warns them to not get involved. But accepting each other means betraying their individual causes. There’s a little angst, and a heartbreaking loss, but also some humor in the form of Henry’s right-hand man Kaid, that sexy beast, who I hope we see again!

If you like interesting twists on fae mythos, an anti-hero and a good dose of romance then give this one a try. All the books can be read as a stand-alone, but if you want to experience the progression of the series arc world building you should read them all.

“He walked back into the bar and ordered three more glasses of whisky which he intended to drink faster than was wise. One to wash the taste out of his mouth. One to celebrate having a new soul. And one to forget the price.

When you were even part fairy, nothing came for free.”

Review: To Love a King (Court of Annwyn #3)

4 “dice throwing” sheep

SharonS

About the Author: 

website-fb-blog-newletter
Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn't looked back. Drawing on history and myth, she weaves new worlds and writes heroes who aren't afraid to get hurt while falling in love.

With stories ranging from sensual to scorching, she is published with Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, Carina Press and Sourcebooks. She is represented by the Ruben Agency.

Book Review: To Love a King (Court of Annwyn #3) by Shona Husk

To Love a King (Court of Annwyn #3)
by Shona Husk
Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
October 7th 2014

by Sourcebooks Casablanca
HE'S TRYING TO RECLAIM THE PAST

To keep the balance between good and evil at the court of Annwyn, Prince Felan ap Gwyn has two weeks to marry and take the crown. But he wants more than just power—he wants love; a love he once had but was too stubborn to hold on to.

SHE'S STRUGGLING TO FACE THE FUTURE

It took years for Jacqueline Ara to put her life back together after Felan abandoned her. She's moved on, even if her heart still burns for him. But with war in Annwyn looming and death bleeding into the mortal world, Felan and Jacquie will need to heal old wounds and rekindle the passion that once welled between them . . . or face losing everything.

Shona Husk’s Court of Annwyn series is a nice mix of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I’ve read the first two books and have been waiting to read Price Falen’s story. We learn bits and pieces about him and his predicament in the first two books. Now the fate of Annwyn (Fairy realm) depends on every decision he makes from this point on. His father, the King, is dying and if Falen wants to claim the throne he must present a human queen carrying his child. He knows who he wants to be his queen but there are a few hurdles he must overcome.

The first problem is he screwed her over pretty freaking bad seven human years ago, but for Falen it has only been months. And by screwed over I mean she got pregnant so he had to tell her he is a fairy then gave her the ability to see fairies, even the bad ones. He disappeared for 6 human weeks, during which she lost the pregnancy. He thought she terminated it and went back to Annwyn without talking to her. She thought he abandoned her and then her family committed her to a hospital for a while because she was talking about fairies. It has been seven years since she last saw Falen and she has her life back together and moved on, but she still sees the occasional monster.

The second problem is he only has two weeks to get her to agree to be his queen and get pregnant. Yeah, I honestly didn’t know how Husk was going to pull this one off. How could Jacqui ever forgive Falen? While some of their problems were due to miscommunication, some are because he puts Annwyn first.

The third problem is there is another fairy wanting the crown and she is already pregnant with a human consort. All she has to do is get Annwyn to back her and officially challenge Falen. She isn’t a nice person…at all. And won’t hesitate to kill any human woman Falen intends to make his queen.

I really enjoyed this story. Everything from the fairy politics to the heart breaking choices the characters had to make along the way. The romance has some angst, but it isn’t a clichéd type. There is also plenty of suspense. You can read this as a stand-alone paranormal romance or you can enjoy the urban fantasy world building elements by starting with book one. I suggest the latter.

4.25 “Summer is coming” Sheep

SharonStogner

About the Author: 

website-fb-blog-newletter
Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn't looked back. Drawing on history and myth, she weaves new worlds and writes heroes who aren't afraid to get hurt while falling in love.

With stories ranging from sensual to scorching, she is published with Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, Carina Press and Sourcebooks. She is represented by the Ruben Agency.