Review: The Unseelie King's Rebel by Alisha Klapheke
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Introduction:
Bronwyn is desperate to escape. After four years trapped in a temple watching the world pass her by and suffering at the hand of her cruel House Mother, she is willing to risk entering the Seelie Fae forest and whatever monsters lie within to experience the wondrous realm beyond the Veil. At least, she thinks she’s up to the challenge until she’s face-to-face with the silver-eyed, claw-fingered king of the Unseelie. And he has a bargain for her. King Toren must return home to his people. But he needs a willing soul to invite him past the temple wards so he can reach a forgotten portal. So when a human female with absolutely no worldly knowledge comes tumbling into his life, it’s almost too easy. Or, it would be, if she weren’t watched day and night. And if the stakes of losing weren’t quite so high. This dangerous alliance might just be the only way out for both of them, if it doesn’t get them killed first.
Review:
Reviewed by Nethra Deckland
Reviewer note:
I understand that some of you are not happy with what’s being reviewed currently on Dee’s site as most of them happen to be romantacy or contemporary romance genre. However please note that it was Dee’s wish that Cody (Dakota) and I continue this blog when she passed (may she ever soar high!) and she was fully aware what genres we were into and she never belittled us for our choices when she was alive. She always sent us bunch of books that we are into, randomly every week and She always encouraged us to keep on reading. sometimes, she even reluctantly (lol) participated in our buddy reads. I know I am not regal and steely like Dee was or calm and graceful like Cody is. I am loud and shallow. However, just like the lone predatory hawk (Dee) or the head turning swan (Cody), this garbage eating crow thrives just fine. If you don’t like what I read and review, then it’s a ‘you’ problem, not a ‘me’ problem.
Review:
I am not gonna lie, I purchased this book because of it’s beautiful cover lol. Yes, I fall for the cover first. The Unseely King’s Rebel is a very short stand alone book set in a world that spreads over three books (so far). This book had so much potential to be a great book. The storyline, the plot and the characters were really good. However it was sooooooooo short and felt really rushed. It almost felt like the first manuscript you’d submit to a publisher to show what the story is going to be. I really didn’t understand why Alisha kept on rushing through the book when she could have expanded on her details to give the reader a satisfactory reading experience.
The world building was fuzzy and minimal at best. The author sometimes randomly went into details about food and games, so it felt kind of weird. The Seelie court and the Unseelie court could have been explained further and the treaty between the Seelie and the humans and why Unseelie was excluded from that treaty. While the character concepts were great, they were two dimensional and mediocre when put into words.
Bronwyn was portrayed good as she was supposed to be a naive sheltered young woman who has been raised as an acolyte in a secluded temple dedicated to Star Goddess. Author tried to inject some character development into Bronwyn once she got away from the temple but I can’t say I was impressed.
Toren was a great disappointment for me. He was the ruler of the most feared and ruthless kingdom in fae realms. He was supposed to exude power, cunning and brutality which would come along with the title of Unseelie King. However he read as an immature young boy who was infatuated with a human woman who couldn’t control his own kingdom and could get easy be trapped in another kingdom.
Their romance was so rushed just like everything else in this book was. Within a week’s time, at least from what I could glean, they were in love.
I was really disappointed in this book because it had so much potential but fell flat.
Book Cover:
