Hello r/books! I'm a professional editor who does reviews of fantasy romance novels for fun. Because I am reviewing one of my absolute favorite novels, I wanted to join this way and share it with you all. I hope you like the review and are interested enough to give the book a try.
Disclaimer: These reviews are to help with understanding the editorial perspective and my notes mean nothing when it comes to the enjoyability of a book – as one Redditer told me, the world is a dumpster fire and sometimes we just need our trashy fun. Furthermore, a book with no editorial “flaws” can be a snoozefest (see the majority of textbooks for proof!). Please have fun, be kind to others, and tell me what you like/dislike about this book in the comments!
Book Details:
Title: Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson
Series Name: Tairen Soul (Book 1 of 5)
Page Count: 401
Publish Date: January 1, 2008
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Co. (Re-released in 2024 through Avon/Harper Collions)
Publisher’s Plot Description: “Once, driven wild with grief over the murder of his beloved, the majestic Fey King Rain Tairen Soul had laid waste to the world before vanishing into the Fading Lands. Now, a thousand years later, a new threat draws him back into the world—and a new love reawakens the heart he thought long-dead.
Ellysetta, a woodcarver’s daughter, calls to Rain in a way no other ever has. Mysterious and magical, her soul beckons him with a compelling, seductive song—and no matter the cost, the wildness in his blood will not be denied. As an ancient, familiar evil regains its strength, causing centuries-old alliances to crumble and threatening doom for Rain and his people, he must claim his true mate to embrace the destiny woven for them both in the mists of time.”
My Means of Reading: Paperback (the Avon rerelease version).
Fantasy Style: High Fantasy (Not anything like Earth, has Tolkien-esque vibes)
Review TLDR: This isn’t just one of my favorite romantasy books, it’s one of my favorite books of all time. If you like beautiful prose, steady pacing with world building and character development in equal measure, and a love story that will make your knees weak, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. I cannot say enough nice things – give it a go and see for yourself why Wilson is considered a master of fantasy romance novels.
Spice Level: 3/5; Open door, details aplenty. One of the best things about being one of the creators of the “fated Fey mates” trope is that Wilson gets to do whatever she wants with it – including have the couple accept their reality right away. There isn’t a need for the MMC to play the “I want her, but I can’t” game here, because to him fate is FATE. I feel a lot of authors these days try to create false tension or drag out a “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic that just doesn’t work with this trope. Here, Rain and Ellie decide early and unashamedly that they are meant to be, with the tension coming from external sources rather than contrived internal ones. It keeps the romance grounded, as it has no choice but to remain a part of the world rather than a separate element that is occasionally interrupted by plot (looking at you, When the Moon Hatched and Quicksilver).
As for spice, it comes later on in the story as Rain is very respectful of Ellie’s boundaries. She’s a good religious girl who has never been in a relationship before, let alone one like this. That doesn’t mean she’s not very into it though! But be prepared for yearning, angst, and a bit of slow-burn on the smut – Wilson doesn’t trash her characters’ development to shoehorn in some sexy times, and I am here for it.
Pacing/Filler: Wilson wrote this book with the larger series in mind, meaning that a lot of time is spent on world building, character development, and generally just setting the mood. There is plenty of plot (court intrigue, the machinations of the villains, and the romance itself), but it will definitely feel like set up once you’ve gotten deeper into the series. That said, the book moves quickly and you’d better be ready for lots of information thrown your way because Wilson has a lot to do in a short amount of time. I was never bored, but then this is exactly my kind of story: epic, detailed, and with characters who feel like actual people and not living tropes designed to move a plot along.
Character Development: Ellie, the FMC, starts the story with the typical hero’s journey issues for woman in fantasy: she’s too tall, too skinny, too old (24! Gasp!), and too poor to ever be loved by a man. And somehow, having super pale skin, flaming red hair, and big green eyes are also bad things? Look, I know it’s fantasy, and we are supposed to suspend disbelief, but if you’re going to dangle a baddie in front of me, I’m gonna notice. Just saying. In terms of personality, she’s no doormat, but she is an obedient (and, in my opinion, emotionally abused) daughter who is trying her best for her family. I would even describe her as sweet and thoughtful, without a girl-boss bone in her body. But she has nightmares that lead to strange events around her, leading her family to think she’s cursed. She doesn’t quite overcome her insecurities in this book (and with her whole country hellbent on reinforcing them, I guess I can’t blame her), but the groundwork is there – courtesy of one MMC who will not accept anything but the highest praise for his new favorite person.
Said MMC is what by now is an overdone (but at the time it was published, quite new) trope of the millennia-old legendary Fey king with amazing powers, trauma, and a certainty that Ellie is the girl for him. I want to stress that this was not a common trope at the time, because this story may lose some of its luster if you go in with a jaded eye. From the very first page we learn that Rain (as a born and bred Washingtonian, I cannot call him Rainier. He ain’t a mountain or a shitty lager) is desperate to save his people, so much so that he is willing to risk his life on a gamble, and will do anything to see his mission through. I like that he starts the story with strong relationships with other women, making him more well-rounded than a lot of other MMCs in romantasy. He’s also a widower, who loved his wife to the point of (literally) burning down the world for her; I think this adds a nice dimension to him, as most shadow daddies we meet are emotionally stunted, wouldn’t-know-what-healthy-love-is-if-it-jumped-up-and-bit-them-in-the-oversized-dong, raging assholes. Rain is not the most even-tempered man, but he’s pretty damn nice all things considered. His arc over this first book is to learn to cope with his grief, accept that love comes when we least expect, and to tame his inner kitty cat before it mauls anyone who lays a finger on his fiancée.
Our side characters deserve a shout out as well, as this story cannot be told without them (think about how many books use their side characters as peanut galleries for their FMC/MMCs and you’ll understand what I mean). Marissya, Rain’s cousin, is his voice of reason without making him seem like an idiot – I also liked that she is unashamedly feminine in a way that is not portrayed as weak or helpless. It’s not a crime to like dresses, folks. Ellie’s mother is another standout character for just how complicated she is: religious and intolerant, but loving and protective at the same time. Her arc in the later books is one that I both love and hate as it feels so real and so painful – imagine the nicest person you know is also a Klansman, and no amount of reason will talk them down. There are a lot of amazing characters in this story and I cannot wait to read in the comments who you all have as your favorites. I myself would kill for a story about Gaelen, for example.
World Building: The world building in this book, and the whole series for that matter, is next level. It has enough familiar elements in it that no veteran of fantasy will feel out of place, but it gives us so much fresh material to work with as well: giant werecats called “Tairen,” a unique magic system based on the elements but with its own twists, strong relationships that flesh out the world without overwhelming the plot, evil mind-controlling mages that intrigue against the Fey, and so much more. I loved the way Wilson would pepper in details about her world that seemed innocuous at first, but become important later. It gives this series a wonderful sense of intention and purpose that so many other fantasy worlds seem to lack these days. And she doesn’t treat the readers like we’re stupid – Ellie is obviously more than she knows and the big reveals are less about her heritage then about how she comes to terms with them. Also, I could literally spend this entire review talking about the magic system and the way Wilson made the now-ubiquitous-in-modern-romantasy Fey seem special, but then I wouldn’t get to gush about my one of my favorite things about this Fey-heavy, Western fantasy-styled world…
Work with me: Rain is a pale-skinned, dark (long!) haired man who has a magic system based on the elements Air, Earth, Water, Fire, and Spirit. His native language is described as lyrical and uses a lot of vowel-heavy phonemes. His cousin has a fondness for large hats with thick veils. At one point, a character makes a nasty comment about silk purses and sow’s ears. For those of you who watched Mulan, you know that’s a Chinese way of saying “you look like shit, but we can make you pretty anyway.” Several times in the book characters even say “aiyah” as an affirming sound – which is hilarious because that is also common sound of frustration in Chinese. There’s no way Wilson didn’t know what she was doing and it makes me feel very “wwheeee!” every time I see a reference to Chinese culture, language, or customs sneaky-sneak their way into this otherwise very Western novel. Chinese fantasy wasn’t nearly as trendy then as now, so seeing a fantasy author from back in the day show some love to our fellow romantasy addicts from across the ocean is very meaningful, in my opinion. I have decided that, given Rain’s height, Liu Yuning or Zhang Linghe are my fancast. No one does barely-suppressed rage or tormented angst quite like those two.
Obvious Errors an Author/Editor Should Have Caught: Another case of a book that went through a proper editing process before being released to the general public. I have no complaints on the grammar, the editing, or the continuity of the story. If anything, I want to give props to both the author and the editing team for creating a beautifully written book that isn’t weighed down by all the detail they managed to stuff in such a small space.
Bechdel Test Survivor: Yes, Ellie and her mom/siblings chat quite a bit. There’s also Ellie relationships with the Fey women, who are very independent of their male counterparts. Easy clear for this test.
Content Warnings: Sexual harassment and assault (not rape, not from the MMC), parental emotional abuse, and a bedroom scene of questionable consent (not between the FMC/MMC). Is the FMC/MMC Unfaithful: Nope. This is a fated mates story. Rain was ride-or-die from the beginning, and it didn’t take Ellie long to match that energy.
If You Like This, Try: Radiance by Grace Draven for the loving romance between a soft female lead and a warrior MMC, Kushiel’s Dart for the expansive world building, and (if you’re feeling hardcore) The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien for the beautiful prose, epic storytelling, and amazing characters.
Thank you for reading – I hope you find the premise of the book engaging and give it a chance. It's a wonderful read.
by XusBookReviews