Castle of Dusk and Shadows: A Fae Pride and Prejudice Retelling (Fae of Brytwilde)

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Ok, here’s the deal…I generally liked the book, so maybe more than 3 stars, and I know it’s YA, so I also understand the general angstiness of the female protagonist, but OMG! The day of Grace's wedding, Ellie makes a split-second decision to save her older sister from marrying the dark and broody crown prince, Fitz and hides herself under the magical veil, marrying him instead. Obwohl mir gegen Ende des Buches bei den Thematiken Trauer und der Akzeptanz des Todes ein wenig die Tränen kamen, war das Buch im allgemeinen sehr einnehmend und herzerwärmend. Which I personally am a big fan of because a lot of fae in books are very civilized and nice (not that I don’t enjoy that as well) but it was great to see the more brutal/savage side of the fae.

This is fantasy book that has some romantic elements and those elements are really only there to further the plot. NOTE: other restrictions can be a result of our security platform detecting potential malicious activity.I loved the twists and turns this journey takes you on and I can honestly say, there were some paths that completely took me by surprise. Slown burn full of tension and angst had me turning the pages quickly to find out what would happen next, not only with the mystery, but for their relationship too. This book definitely lived up to the expectations that I created after watching all of Rachel's marketing reels (if you do not follow her on Instagram, please do). Of course, the only question is, can their newly established feelings for each other survive the onslaught of doubt and pressure from those who would seek to tear them apart? As any good character inspired by Darcy should be, Fitz is equal parts broody and devotedly fierce to the ones he loves.

It takes the Fae that we all know and love but gives it a fresh twist and adds in creepy ghosts which just take it to another level! Castle of Dusk and Shadows is the first book in Schade's Fae of Brytwilde series and in it she weaves a dark and dangerous world of royal fae politics that is upturned when Elle Blackford, a human woman determined to save her family, goes against the Queen's bargain and marries the Ashwood heir, Prince Fitz, much to his surprise and initial disappointment. So think Pride and Prejudice but add in a fresh take on fae, magic, ghosts, murder, mystery, and so much more.

As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family. As far as the audiobook goes, it was wonderful to come back to this story and listen to it all over again. I don't think there's going to be a direct sequel either, but hopefully we get to see more of Elle and Fitz in Schade's future books. I didn't much care for the heroine, as I found her straight out of YA Heroine Central Casting with her uncontrollable rage, impulsivity, and inability to not crack wise when in dangerous situations. I read across the 'spice' continuum and while this book is a 'no spice' rating there is plenty of fantastic banter, conflict and tension between our main couple.