Blog Tour - The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton Review

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

When Was It Released?: 27th September 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: As part of a blog tour from Jen Big Heart 
Who Published It?:  Tor 
Number Of Pages: 352 pages


Ever since reading The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa I have developed an interest, that perhaps borders slightly on obsession, about Fae. As soon as I became aware of The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton a few months ago I knew that this was a book that I needed to get my hands on. I mean after all what could be better than a mix of historical fiction with fae? Not much in my eyes! 

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. 

The Faerie ring is a novel where there is so much involved, you never for one second want to put the book down. Take a mix of enchanting history, beautiful descriptions, a love story and action and adventure and you end up with a book that has something for everyone. The plot was an excellent spin on Fae, which I really enjoyed, and was definatly something that I had not seen before. I particularly loved the way in which historical aspects were added to the novel, as this really enriched the story. The descriptions were done so beautifully that at times I felt I really could have been in London during this time. I almost felt as though there was an Oliver Twist aspect to this story which really made me feel for the characters. The pace of The Faerie Ring is fast and action packed, sweeping you away with thedrama and leaving you wanting to find exactly what is going to happen. I also really enjoyed the romance that is injected into the storyline. While the romance aspect is never at the forefront of the novel it still adds extra depth and is really interesting to read about.  

In terms of characters; I loved Tiki. I found her to be compassionate and generous, looking out for everyone else over herself, which made her really likeable. I really liked all the other orphans she lives with, finding myself feeling for them all. The interaction between all of them was really enjoyable to read, while being humourous at times. Reiker is definatly an interesting character, as there is a cloud of mystery over exactly who he is and what role he plays. I really enjoyed how his character evolved throughout the novel.  

Overall, I really enjoyed The Faerie Ring. I was on the edge of my seat wondering exactly what was going to happen. Who really is Reiker? and What is the significance of the Faerie Ring? This is an enchanting debut novel that I was unable to put down from beginning to end. I recently became aware that this will continue on  as a series and I cannot wait for the next book to be released.