Review: Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Synopsis from Amazon:

Since the dawn of time, the Faerie have taken.....

For 17 year old actress Kelley Winslow, faeries are just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery, whose steel grey eyes mask an equally steely determination to protect her.

Sonny guards the Samhain Gate, which connects the mortal realm with the Faerie's enchanted, dangerous Otherworld. Usually kept shut by order of icy King Auberon, the gate stands open but once a year.

This year, as the time approaches when the Samhain Gate will swing wide and nightmarish Fae will fight their way into an unsuspecting human world, something different is happening...something wondrous and strange. And Kelley's eyes a re opening not just to the Faerie that surround her but to the heritage that awaits her.

Now Kelley must navigate deadly Faerie treachery - and her growing feelings for Sonny - in this dazzling page-turner filled with luminous romance.

Wondrous Strange is a richly layered tale of love between faerie and mortal, betrayal between kings and queens, and magic...between author and reader.

Review:

Wow, after a synopsis like that how can anyone resist reading it.

I really enjoyed this story and can pretty much sum it up in one sentence (although I will embellish) this story provides a fantasy world to lose yourself in.

It is very similar to Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr in respect of the build up of the Faerie courts however, Wondrous Strange concentrates more on the interaction of the courts with the seasons than Wicked Lovely and there is not as much interaction between the mortal realm and the Faery realm. There is also a parallel with the element of the Wild Hunt in both stories.

The characters are well balanced and their interactions believable. The story is beautifully written with enchanting & ethereal imagery. Shakespeare quotes and references abound, reinforcing the storyline, adding depth and dimension to the plot. Adding to my education via osmosis again! The plot twists are built up slowly and are believable, although I would not say the twists were predictable neither were they completely unexpected.

Although this book is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone story.

In conclusion, an entertaining story, an escape from reality, a fantasy world to lose yourself in. Enjoy.