I discovered this series a few years ago, via Netgalley, and it was a huge « coup de cœur » as we say in French (I never found any translation in English; a read that one have loved and which intimately touched their heart 3>). I thank the author for her trust, as she has since send me an ARC of each sequel, as this fourth and last installment of the series!

As usual, I treated myself with a rereading of the first books before beginning « The king of faerie », but it won’t be necessary if you don’t feel like it: the author takes pains to re introduce, lightly and neatly, all the facts the reader should know about.

If you’re looking after a short review of the book, you may be assured that if you loved the first books you’ll very probably be enthusiastic about this one, which does beautifully its job as a sequel and also as the ending of the series. The only frustration you may have would be about wanting to read more about many secondary characters, especially Marius – but be reassured, the author is currently writing a spin-off about him!

I really loved the generosity of this book: adventures, mysteries’ revelations, characters development and the pleasure of meeting again many characters, while getting to know some others. I loved how the author have found an elegant solution for each difficulty she sowed along the series, and how she dealt with the prolongation of the love story, which is always tricky. One of her strong points, for the reader I am, is to never give in to easy options, to stereotypes. The characters’ feelings are never caricatural, but realistically in half-hearted tones. For instance Hetty doesn’t hate her treacherous neighbour; she finds rather difficult to overlay the new features of Win; her new responsibilities are not this easy to manage, even if she’s clearly up to them. Behind the entertaining and fascinating story there always are considerations about how a real person would think and behave in such situations, which gave the whole a sense of truthfulness, instead of being just another story following the usual ways of literary tropes.

A wonderful series in which I’ll be happy to dive again, for any spin off and for many rereadings!