SandyM’s review of Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson
Fantasy/paranormal romance published Oct 2, 2007 by Leisure (Dorchester)
I have found my book of the year. Maybe even my book of the decade. C.L. Wilson’s LORD OF THE FADING LANDS is simply wonderful, fantastic, terrific. How easily I have to eat my words. When I first looked at the cover of this book, I thought, “Uh-oh, I have a feeling I’m not going to like this one, it’s fantasy.” Now, I don’t have a thing against fantasy books. I just love my historicals and paranormals more, so I don’t read many fantasies. Even as much as I loved LotFL, I don’t think I’m going to be a 100% lover of fantasies (I will give some a try here and there, however), but I’m definitely now a die-hard fan of C.L. Wilson’s.
After fighting in the Mage Wars a thousand years ago, losing his heartmate in those wars, and also losing himself in grief so deeply that he breathed fire on half the world, burning anything and everything in his wake, Rain Tairen Soul is coming out of his self-imposed reclusiveness to save his people, the fey, and the tairen.
Being a woodcarver’s daughter has brought a happy to life to Ellysetta Baristani. She has a long-standing fascination of all things fey, and has yet to meet the man who can capture her heart. Trying to put the wretch who is courting her out of her mind, she eagerly agrees to take her sisters to brave the crowds that will gather to see Rain Tairen Soul when he visits her town, Celieria, after so many years.
Once Rain finds Ellysetta, his body and soul respond to her as they never have for another and as hasn’t happened in over a thousand years. The more he knows of his truemate, the more he knows that she has hidden magic within her. Elly is definitely falling in love with Rain and all that he is.
C.L. Wilson is the best at painting a magical world that has never been seen before, at creating characters with depth and integrity, and giving readers true romance and a love story for all time. Rain and Elly are the most engaging and romantic hero and heroine that has come along in a very long time. The secondary characters are all wonderful, but Elly’s fey guards are my favorite.
This is a book that you will not be able to put down, literally. So much happens so quickly that I think if you blink, you’ll miss something! And LotFL is only the beginning; there are three more books scheduled. LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS is the second, out Oct 30, 2007. So if you hurry, you still have plenty of time to purchase the book (now books) of the decade!
Grade: A+
Back cover blurb:
Once he had loved with such passion, his name was legend — Tarien Soul. Now a thousand years later, a new threat calls him from the Fading Lands, back into the world that had cost him so dearly. Now an ancient, familiar evil is regaining its strength, and a new voice beckons him — more compelling, more seductive, more maddening than any before. As the power of his most bitter enemy grows and ancient alliances crumble, the wildness in his blood will not be denied. The tairen must claim his truemate and embrace the destiny woven for him in the mists of time.
Read an excerpt.
I was lucky to read get this book as an ARC and Wilson is a wonderful writer and Lord of the Fading Lands is a great read! I need to read the sequel ASAP.
Rain is an incredible hero and Elly is such an amazing heroine. Plus the sexual tension is thick enough to cut with a knife.
I won’t even tell you how long Gwen has had both and not read them. Really it is sad.
GACK! Gwen can give me Lady of Light and Shadows to make her reading lighter 🙂
Harumpf!
Katiebabs – I’d rather you came and cleaned my house, did some laundry, and shuttled the curtain climber to and fro. That would leave me time to READ THE BOOKS.
😉
Gwen as much as I can’t wait to read the second in this series and love to read, I detest cleaning – guess I’ll have to wait until the middle of October to get mine from Dorchester, lol.
I do like fantasy, Sandy, and loved this book. It’s a mix of powers and magic, the Fey, the villainous Eld Mage, shape-shifting (the tairen), and romance. She’s a new favorite author for me now.
You and me both Gwen! I need someone to clean my bathroom. Any takers?
Of course it is really hard to clean a toilet and read at the same time!
Wow, these books look awsome! I will have to go and pick them up . . .
Oh man. I’m building up so much anticipation for these books, I’m almost afraid to read them now.
I just finished this book over the weekend and I loved it as well. I was raving about it to my romance reading friends way before I was anywhere near the end! A true fantasy fairy tale romance for adults and so beautifully written… the words just flowed on the page. I’m thrilled there is only a few weeks wait for The Lady of the Light and Shadows!
the covers are beautiful. it’s interesting to me that i’m coming across/picking up many titles that are “recommended” by christine feehan, although i haven’t read a feehan title is quite a while….will keep an eye out for c.l. wilson at my local bookstore!