Author Tricia Copeland is back with her latest addition to the Realm Chronicles series – To Be a Fae Guardian. Young Queen Titania’s story progresses forward and things are about to get rocky for our fledgling queen. Titania survived the threat of the kobold. She helped to eliminate them from the realm, but in doing so…she broke edicts set down by the High Counsel. Now? She’ll learn that there is a price to be paid…and it’s going to be a heavy one. Prepare yourself. To be a Fae Guardian is a page-turner.
To be a Fae Guardian draws the eye of readers with an image depicting Queen Titania. This beautiful fae is front and center of the cover. Looking off to the left her wings shimmer slightly behind her. Her fiery hair arches above her head and off the cover. Her face is adorned with the stones that have become a part of her features. Glitter and crystals sparkle across her brow. Looking off into the distance she appears to be taking a breath. It seems pertinent…especially in light of the fact that chaos is about to erupt.
To Be a Fae Guardian picks up where To Be a Fae Queen (Check out our review here) left off. Queen Titania was successful in her fight against the kobold. She defeated them in the lower realm and managed to escape back to the Middle Realm. Unfortunately, she broke two edicts set down by the High Counsel, and they are intent on punishing someone.
You’d think that the High Counsel would celebrate Queen Titania’s successes, but instead, In To Be a Fae Guardian, what they see is a young girl with “too much power.” Cue eyebrow raises and irritated eye twitch. The High Counsel doesn’t believe Titania’s retelling of what transpired. The kobold having magic and being smarter than they typically should have been? Absolutely impossible.
Author Copeland gives hints that the High Counsel is about to do something drastic in To Be a Fae Guardian and that Titania is not going to like it. Someone must pay for her “brashness” so that they can control what she does. Removing a monarch is something that is difficult to do, so they do the next “best” thing. They hamstring her.
As To Be a Fae Guardian continues we get to see the fallout for Queen Titania’s actions. The man she loves is called before the High Counsel, but author Copeland has a twist in store for us readers. You’ll get a hint of it when Titania herself is ordered (yes, ORDERED) before the High Counsel. Can you say that these men are insecure about themselves in the face of a strong young woman?
One by one throughout To Be a Fae Guardian author Copeland leads readers to believe that Titania is meant to go this road alone. Her freedom is pulled away from her by having her wings clipped (not literally…breathe). LOL! The evil that she seeks to protect her people from still exists. It is somewhere below plotting and planning. But there is no way for her to keep an eye on it. In the darkest hours, it taunts her. Lucifer reaches out and haunts her nightmares with his whispered words.
Told from the first person POV To Be a Fae Guardian quickly ties the title to the story with a passing comment from one of the side characters of this story. That is truly what Titania is becoming a fae guardian for her people, her kingdom, and her world. While others are less concerned about what is going on, she has a direct interest in the danger that is lurking just beneath the surface.
Readers looking for the big bad guy to make an appearance in To Be a Fae Guardian? Well, the surprise with this installment to the series is that author Copeland takes it in a different direction. Shocking, right? LOL! But it works! It really does! The villain in this book is still there. Lucifer, Sonia, and the rest of her coven are still a threat. They are amassing their power, but author Copeland shows us this in a truly unique manner.
If you’re looking for the next threat in To Be a Fae Guardian it comes in a small package. Has six legs. It is technically considered a pest and breeds like crazy. Can you guess what it is? Well, if you have author Copeland once again, it keeps us readers on our toes. You’d think that it’s pretty simple and easy to deal with such a pest. Guess again. This book is packed with twists and you’re going to love it.
To Be a Fae Guardian really sees Titania put through the paces. She can’t check what is going on in the lower realm. Her allies are being stripped from her one by one, and she is feeling isolated and alone. Her mother is still catatonic for the majority of the time. But every now and then she has a mildly lucid moment of where she gives her daughter one “small” warning – “You need them.” What does it mean?
A good portion of To Be a Fae Guardian will have you and Titania struggling to decipher the meaning of these simple words. Who is the “them”? Titania believes that her mother means two specific individuals, but when they leave…where does that leave her? Wait for it. The revelation will come, and it will surprise you.
When it comes to the pacing of To Be a Fae Guardian this book is a page-turner. It’s so hard to put down! Every turn of the page the question lingers – “Who will walk away next?” You just wonder…will someone else be taken from Titania in some form or another? As you read this book you’ll want the best, but will still know that Titania has a tough hill to climb with the Counsel watching her to ensure she “behaves.”
If there was any negative we had to say about this book it’s the “grudge” that Titania is holding against her father and Kane. Her father only wants the best for her, so for her to still be angry about his “scheming” from book one is honestly surprising. However, it lends itself to keeping Titania as realistic a character as possible. So, some may view her resentment as a negative, while others may view it as a positive aspect of her personality.
Readers will appreciate the amount of character growth that author Copeland gives us concerning Titania. She still has her “immature” moments, but they can be viewed more as “rash” than her simply being childish or petulant. But throughout To Be a Fae Guardian we get to see her recognize this about herself and work to do and be better. It’s honestly refreshing.
So, did you enjoy To Be a Fae Queen? If the answer is yes, then you’re not going to want to miss out on To Be a Fae Guardian. This next installment in the series will have you devouring the pages. Packed with drama, chaos, magic, and twists you’ll not want to put this book down until you reach the final page. Honestly, even after that, you’ll find yourself reaching for book 3 to find out what happens next.
Readers who enjoy YA fantasy books with strong female characters will definitely want to grab up To Be a Fae Guardian to cheer on a young queen looking to do what is best for her kingdom. If you’re not reading the Realm Chronicles…you’re missing out.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Full of twists and surprises
- Nice amount of character growth
- Hard to put down
- Nicely detailed
Cons:
- None of merit
Scribble's Worth 