The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Description:

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Epic Wins:

• The setting-  The Faerie Ring Set in the lovely (or so I imagine) city of London, England. Hamilton makes this city fly off the pages and into your mind, creating a blissful picture. 
• The time period- The eighteen-hundreds always seems like the perfect time  period for faerie tales to occur in, which is fitting for The Faerie Ring because THAT is exactly what it is.
• Tiki is hard to pin down but at her most basic she is a survivor and heroine. She is tough enough to pull through some hard times both physically and mentally. She kind of rocks, a lot. I will always root for her.
• The handsome but aloof Rieker is almost Darcy-like. Sometimes he is infuriating but most of the time he is... *goes to thesaurus and looks up amazing* SMASHING!! (Yeah I went there and I did it with a British accent)
• Seamus, Finona, Toots, and Clara are all apart of Tiki's mock-family. She really acts as the mother, protecting them at all costs. 
• This book is VERY fairy-tale like, part Cinderella and Pride and Prejudice and other wonderful stories that I just can't remember now. 
• This book is soaked in Faerie lore and is presented in such a fierce and beautiful way. 
• It has that twisted history thing going for it. A plot surrounding actual historical people and places. It offers the 'Well, what if?' question. 
• Message scrambled: Sometimes you have to trust people, even when there is so much you are risking and have so much to lose. 
• Message in an omelet (uh... I might be craving some eggs. No?): Life has a funny way of working all it's kinks out, smoothing into something better. 

Epic Fails:

• I didn't really like Markus (I think this is his name, I could be off but I KNOW it starts with an M). However I actually LIKED Larkin despite the fact that she was evil and dangerous.

Overall:
A completely unique story about a girl, her make-shift family, and the lengths she will go for them. SMASHING!! (You think that's too much? Yeah me too.)


just sayin, 
-Kare