Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts as part of the blog tour hosted by Toppling Stacks Tours for The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni.

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

^{Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!}

TL;DR: This is for those who enjoy complex, morally grey, and somewhat unlikeable MCs that will make you work to appreciate them. It’s for those who enjoy the intertwining of real history with mythological faerie tales and folklore and magic. And it’s for those who enjoy reading about sibling bonds, a taste of a hate-to-love romance, and a coming-of-age story about a bitter, tired, and scared young woman who longs to live as big a life as she possibly can. I feel like Habren has become one of my favourite YA FMCs and I think she’s going to stick around in my head for a while! Overall, I found The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire a surprisingly touching and heartwarming story, even if at first, I was a bit uncertain about it. I would recommend this to those who enjoyed stories like The Cruel Prince, and darkly whimsical faerie tales centering family and friendship, such as those by Emily Lloyd-Jones (The Bone Houses, The Drowned Woods).

Well, colour me very shocked to be giving this a 4-star rating because when I started it I was a bit worried that it’d end up being a DNF. 🤯 There was something about the writing that didn’t entirely work for me at first and I found it difficult to focus and absorb what was happening in the story. That said, I’m so glad that I kept reading because I wound up being so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this mythology-rich coming-of-age story. I loved that it ended up being quite different to what I expected!

WHAT I ENJOYED

• Habren Faire. Our utterly complex and morally grey FMC. I’ve mentioned how my appreciation for complex and unlikeable characters has grown over the years, but I feel like Habren was someone who really tested the limits for me! 🤣 I went on such an intense hate-to-love journey with her character and for a while there, it was almost unbearable reading from her perspective that was so full of anger, jealousy, and bitterness. She steals, lies, and thrives on being argumentative. She’s confrontational to a fault and is so sharp-tongued she wounds her self-respect as much as she wounds others. And yet, despite finding her penchant for cruel thoughts abhorrent, I also somehow found myself sympathising, and even empathising, with her over the course of the story. She is a young woman coping (badly) with loss and grief, burdened with the responsibility to care for her family that she loves deeply but also sometimes resents. She’s terrified by the idea that she will never experience a life beyond the borders of Llanadwen, the small village that’s home and yet not. She’s filled with a longing that borders on desperation for friendship, understanding, and acceptance, not in spite of her faults but for how they make her who she is. So much of her anger and bitterness stems from self-loathing, and the more we understood that and saw her confront that, the more I appreciated her character. We get to see her allow herself to soften, while still being true to her prickly nature, and I just loved how her arc progressed and was so pleased by how her story ended!

• The faerie world-building and the weaving of Welsh mythology into the story was so well done! The author managed to evoke such vivid imagery as she described the settings, fae folk, and various faerie monsters that lurk (quite literally) beyond sight. As much as we’re treated to the timeless wonder and mystifying magic of faerie, the author also showed the much darker side of it. There were certain encounters that raised the hairs on the back of my neck and I’m glad that the author didn’t go into more detail about these horrifying creatures of lore because talk about nightmare fuel! 🤣 I also loved how the author explored the concept of time and space in faerie and that the chances of meeting people lost in these lands from the far distant future was just as likely as encountering those from a distant past.

• The surprising Welsh history that’s woven into the storyline. I didn’t expect to learn actual history by reading this, but Fiteni introduces the dark history of mining in Wales, and how the British exploited communities for their own gain. It was included in the story in such a way that had a surprisingly emotional impact on me (like, I really didn’t expect to tear up while reading this in public) but it also gave the story more depth.

• The exploration of complex families and sisterly bonds. I love a story that explores the complex feelings that come with being a sister or sibling, and I think Fiteni does a job of it with Habren and Ceridwen. Their bond runs deep and so does the love they have for each other, but there’s also bitterness and jealousy, that felt so realistic to how sibling relationships can be.

• I grew to enjoy the dynamic between Habren and Nieren! This was “mean girl meets mean boy and their companionship built on minimal trust somehow nurtures, encourages growth, and heals both sides, and turns a fragile friendship into genuine romantic feelings.” There is definitely an insta-love element to their romance, but with the way this story plays out, I actually didn’t mind it and it made me appreciate the author so much for writing it this way! I’m certain this opinion will be divisive based on what you expect from this story, lol.

WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH

• As I mentioned before, I initially struggled with the writing. It felt disjointed and I found it difficult to absorb what was happening. I’m not sure if it was just a “me” thing, but I will say that it improved the further I read!

• What it mostly comes down to is that I wish that certain elements were explored in further detail. This could’ve benefitted from a more consistent weaving of the “main” historical aspect throughout the storyline, especially during the quest. I also wish that certain relationships were given more time to be explored, including the romance between Habren and Neirin, as it would’ve made certain moments even more impactful, I think. As much as this was Habren’s story, it would’ve been nice to learn more about Neirin. I understand the initial secrecy to his character—he’s fae after all and they are masters of trickery and word play—but I would’ve loved for Habren to learn more about him at the end.a

• As much as I loved Habren by the end, she will not be everyone’s cuppa and at the beginning, it really was painful to read from the perspective of someone fueled by such bitter hatred and anger. To this I would say be patient because, clearly, I wound up loving her arc and it was worth it.

Is Elvira Vance and the Monster Mystery on your TBR or does it sound like something you’d enjoy reading?

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