[Moodboard Review] The Falconer by Elizabeth May

ABOUT

Title: The Falconer

Author: Elizabeth May

Series: The Falconer #1

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Release Date: May 6th 2014

Get it Here: Indigo Amazon BookDepository B&N

GoodReads Page

Source: The Library

Synopsis:
Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

This book is fantastic. Let me just list some things that are in this book so that I can try to entice you to read it

• a kickass heroine
• a hot, swoony faery. 
• steampunk 
• balls (as in the parties, not balls) 
• witty banter 
• lots and lots of action 

I really enjoy this book and I kind of need this book in my collection. That's bad news for my wallet. It's a really nice book, physically, and it's kind of heavy since it's made with really nice paper. I appreciate nice paper in books. I kind of really hate that gray, grainy paper in mass market paperbacks.

Anyways, back on topic, man is Aileana kickass! She's a debutante by day and a fairy slayer by night. If that isn't enough to draw you in, I don't know what will. When I started this book, I didn't expect it to have steampunk elements, but I like the way it was added into the story. Aieleana is a bit of an inventor and she tinkers with bits to make weapons to kill the faeries.

The lore that was incorporated into this book was really interesting, though it took me a while to understand all the fae names and such. This is a different sort of faery book in the sense that there is none of it that takes place in the faery world with the traditional Seelie and Unseelie courts. This story takes place entirely in Edinburgh.

Aileana learned how to kill and hunt faeries after her mother was killed by one. She's so fierce and full of rage. And also really kickass. I think I love her badassery as much as I love Celaena's. Maybe even more? (I'M SORRY CELAENA. I STILL LOVE YOU.) She's intelligent as well, in the book sense. She does make some questionable decisions. Seriously, she calculated the distance she should run away in her head, after she throws a bomb at a faery.

I quite liked Kiaran's character as well. I never really know what his motivations are and what he's going to do, mostly because he's fae and they always have ulterior motives. Also, I must say, he's quite swoony. Derrick is an adorable little bugger of a pixie. I adore his love of honey and how protective he is of Aileana. He has some of the funniest things to say sometimes, and his distaste for Kieran is amusing to say the least. Gavin is also adorable. I love his conversations with Aileana. They're so funny!

"'Of course not. What on earth am I going to do with a revenant's head?' He brightens more, skin glowing golden. ''Take it as a trophy, put it on a stake, and display it in the back garden where everyone can appreciate it.' ' Derrick, that's disgusting.'"

"'When I was young we showed off our trophies, danced around them, and gorged ourselves on fruits.' 'I don't know how to respond to that.'"

"Honey and dirt and pure nature, a thousand flavors that are difficult to describe. The taste of the wild -- running through trees with wind in my hair as my feet pound soft dirt. The sea on a misty morning, with sand and water swirling around my legs. A taste that conjures images that look real and significant."

"His eyes are depthless, as though they hold an endless expanse of space, deep and dark. except for the gold flecks, cinders burning within the infinite abyss. Kiaran's age is reflected there. he has seen centuries come and go, seen countless people live and die, the birth and destruction of whole civilizations. He is a living relic." 

I kind of just want the next book in my hands right now, especially with how this book ended. I adore this book and it does not bode well for my wallet.

Here's my moodboard for this book with a couple of the things that are in THE FALCONER. Pictures are taken from the Creative Commons section of Flickr and stock photos from DeviantArt.

Happy Reading!