First Light (Forever After Series) by Michele Paige Holmes + win a copy of this book!

Seventeen-year-old Adrielle doesn’t believe in magic; she merely possesses it, though no one has ever mentioned that her unusual gifts—exceptional speed, a flair for fire, and an intimate knowledge of flora—aren’t things she was born with. When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection.

While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.

From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.

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Here is where I admit, yet again, that I don't always read the blurbs for books.  Or, I just skim them a bit for a general feel and I don't really, really commit it to memory.  So, yes, I didn't read the blurb and was so surprised at the course this book took.  Ha.  I know.  I really should read the blurbs.  But, sometimes it's fun to be surprised by an author you know and love.  This book isn't like the other books that I've read by Michele Holmes but I've loved her books so far and I knew I wanted to read this one.  Simple as that.

The words that keeps coming to mind for this book is "mish mash".  There were so many connections to fairy tales and moments of familiarity but they were just that- moments, because it all felt very new and fresh and nothing like the old fairy tales.  I wasn't expecting that.  I just thought this was a book with some magic in it.

I loved Adrielle and I loved the handsome prince.  (oh, I feel a love paragraph coming on. . .)  I also loved how all the characters were woven together as part of that mish mash.  It gave the book a fun edge.  I loved the fairies.  The twist at the end was clever and I loved that too.

It took me a few chapters to really get into this book but once I was there, I couldn't read fast enough.  I had to purposefully slow myself down because I was trying to race through it get to the end.  Yeah, I was invested.  So good!

This is a book I'll pass off to my teenagers.  It was clean and full of magical, fairy tale fun.  The ending will feel perfect.  I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Content:  Mild romance, some kissing.  Some violence. 

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.