Lava Red Feather Blue by Molly Ringle

Synopsis
The Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they’re supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue. Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm on a quest to stop Ula Kana and restore harmony to their island.

Review
Lava Red Feather Blue is the new enchanting read from Molly Ringle. A different take on the Sleeping Beauty theme, this is an action packed and beautifully imagined book. 1799, and the Island of Eidolonia is at war as fae Ula Kana is rebelling against the humans taking some of the fae lands. The only way to stop her is for Prince Larkin to go into an enchanted sleep that would also enchant Ula Kana. For centuries peace has remained until in the present day when witch Merrick Highvalley, descendent of the witch who enchanted Prince Larkin, accidently awakens the Prince, which also releases Ula Kana who begins her attacks again. Merrick and Larkin, two unlikely heroes, have to cross into the fae realm to try and stop Ula Kana before she destroys the Island.

In Lava Red Feather Blue Molly Ringle has created a wonderfully enchanting world in Eidolonia, an Island hidden with enchantments. From 1700 the fae have allowed humans to reside there in certain parts of the Island, and for some humans the Island has invested it’s magic in themselves, making them witches with three different powers; Exo Witches can manipulate other things, but not themselves, Endo Witches can magically alter their own appearance and Matter Witches who can alter non living materials. There are also the many wonderful magical creatures in the fae realm, huge dragon flies, Kelpie built like horses that travel the rivers, Woodstriders, huge hairy creatures like bears and the fae themselves who change shape and appearance. The different fae realms are based on the elements, earth, air, fire and water, and each realm inspires strong emotions like anger, fear, and love that can overwhelm human visitors. Add to that the beautiful rich colours, the stunning landscape and you have an enchanting new world.

Molly Ringle has also created some wonderfully colourful characters, and a society that is diverse and inclusive. When I first started this book, the thought of Merrick being any kind of hero seemed a bit strange. When we meet him he is helping to make a costume of Prince Larkin for the upcoming Water Festival. He obviously has a wonderful relationship with his sister Cassidy and her young daughter Elemi to whom he is a father figure. But away from that he seems a bit feckless, always getting in trouble with his magic, using it when he shouldn’t, and not always considering the consequences, and it is his sister who is his voice of reason. Merrick’s obsession is with his ancestor Rosamund Highvalley, the witch who enchanted Prince Larkin to trap Ula Kana. It is this inquisitiveness that leads him to accidentally open a portal in the house that leads to the Bower where Prince Larkin has been kept for over two hundred years. Not just content to open the portal, Merrick has to touch the Prince’s face, to remove dust, and ultimately wake him up and free Ula Kana. It may not be loves first kiss from Sleeping Beauty, but it had the same effect. They find themselves in danger, wanted by the authorities, and the only thing to do is go the fae realm and try to stop Ula Kana. Two hundred years is a long time to be away from the world, and I loved watching his reactions to a changed world, the technology, the amount of people now living on Eidolonis, and the fast pace of life. The chemistry between Larkin and Merrick pulses off the page, and no matter how they try to ignore it, and go about their mission, it just follows them around, adding an extra dimension to the book. I did feel that the characters could have had more detail to them, at times they did feel a bit flat, especially at the beginning, but as the book progresses I found myself more invested in them and their story.

Red Lava Blue Feather took me on an adventure to a stunning and fascinating new world, full of colour and magic. The new take on the Sleeping Beauty plot was origional and refreshing, I loved the buff and sexy sword wielding prince and the hapless young witch prone to trouble. Packed full of adventure romance,and danger mixed with folklore this is a heady cocktail of a book that left me feeling nice and warm and fuzzy after I finished it. I really wish this wasn’t a stand alone book, as I would love to return to Eidolonia to catch up with the characters again. An enchanting and charming read, that you can’t help but be seduced by.