Reviewed: May 4th, 2021
Release Date: August 1st, 2020
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Book one of the Faerie Warrior
Tattoo magic. Rival brothers. Lost fae. A war full of betrayals.
Nothing is as it seems.
Fifteen-year-old Mina didn’t ask to become the center of a feud between two monster wielding, near immortal warriors and their faerie followers. Nor did she ask to be a faerie. Everything changes the night a dragon sends her nana’s home up in flames.
Mina is forced into a life of lies, monsters, and magic. But as she searches for answers that might end the fighting, an enemy threatens Mina and the lives of those she loves.
Helen’s thoughts:
A complex YA urban fantasy, where all is not as it seems. Mina is a socially awkward teenager struggling to finish school and cope with her parents confining her beloved Nana in a care home. When they put her nana’s home up for sale she is horrified and plans a party to end all parties in a fit of rebellion.
Her party doesn’t go to plan and a dragon destroys her nana’s home and thrusts her into a magical world where faeries have monstrous companions, and a war that has been fought for centuries continues as two brothers refuse to back down.
An intriguing story line, where fifteen year old Mina knows she can never live up to their impossible expectations, like usual, and she has to battle her own insecurities as well as everyone else’s disdain. It would help if someone would actually explain what is going on instead of assuming she knows!
Curtis has created some wonderful characters who motives are not so clear cut. It is difficult to tell what is truth and what are lies, even though faeries are supposedly unable to lie, they seem good at misdirection and deception.
Plenty of teenage angst, action and love interests combined with a wonderful magical system that keeps life interesting and the reader gripped. I enjoyed the snippets of Nana’s advice which kept Mina on the straight and narrow, nice touch.
About the Author:
JA Curtis has always loved writing stories. One of her greatest dreams as a child was to have a book published. She never knew if that dream would become a reality. There were times when she stopped writing and thought she had given it up for good, but she always found herself coming back to it. So she has decided to share those stories in the hope that others might enjoy them as much as she does!
When she’s not writing or re-watching ATLA for the 100th time, she is spending time with her husband and two daughters, or trying to live her life with half as much determination as Mina.
You can find more about the J A Curtis via:
You can purchase Lies of the Haven from Amazon:
As an Amazon Affiliate, I may benefit from qualifying purchases.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my book which is available in eBook or paperback: Sentinals Awaken. My second novel Sentinals Rising released March 17th 2021. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Helen Garraway 