By
May Dawson

It’s time for me to reclaim my memories…and my throne.

My twin brother, Faer, wants to see me either dead or married to the sea prince and dragged into the deep. He doesn’t care which, as long I lose my claim on our throne. But I can’t abandon our people to his cruelty.

At least I have three of the best knights in the four Fae kingdoms on my side:

Azrael, the charming prince who hates to love me.

Duncan, the grouchy warrior who loves to hate me.

And Tiron, my true friend—who has his own secrets that just might drown us.

Despite the dark, tangled threads that bind these princes to me—threads that I don’t even remember—can we save the Four Kingdoms?

I gambled and lost them—and a kingdom—once before. This time, I have to win.

Because if I break their hearts again, or if they break mine, the four of us will all disappear under the waves forever.

If you haven’t read the previous book in this series, STOP, go back and read it first. This book begins where that one left off.

In the prologue we get to see what was happening before Alisa woke in the human realm. Her father’s wishes and Faer’s changing personality. This is followed throughout this book with Duncan recalling their relationship much the same as Azrael did in the last book.

At the end of the last book, Alisa escorted by Azrael, Duncan and Tiron sneak away from Faer to go to the Cursed Caves. She needs her memories back sooner rather than later.

After helping a village with some monsters that escaped from the Rift, they continue their journey to the caves. They are hoping to get to them before anyone in the Spring court realizes they’re passing through. Unfortunately, that is not the case as they are stopped almost permanently.

Rauna, Arlen and Lake are spring court knights and it’s Arlen who recognizes Alisa and Rauna orders them be seized. It’s Azrael who calls out Rauna, accusing her of staging a coup against her father Turin. A restless peace ensues, and they agree to stay the night at the Keep where they can speak with Fenig and the Delphin.

Alisa does get to see her memories about the key to Azrael’s court and she’s heartbroken to realize she did in fact give the key to her father Herrick. In the aftermath of this Azrael’s nightmares return and Alisa has to face both him and Duncan with her guilt. This is interrupted by the entrance of a shadow fae, an assassin.

This is a favorite scene.

“Shadow monsters,” Tiron managed. “Part of the Shadow Man. The Shadow Man is sending them ahead to track us down.”

“The Shadow Man is a story,” Azrael said dismissively.

“Really?” Duncan’s gaze was still steady on the shadow monster that clung to the ceiling as the three of us closed around Tiron, making sure we could protect him. “Then is it a story that has us surrounded?”

The first monster dropped toward us. I stepped forward, slashing the sword through it, but it moved in such a rapid blur that my first blow missed.

“Get back,” Duncan growled at me. “They’re here for you.”

The shadow slipped toward me, so fast it was a blur, but I was fast too. Our swords clashed once, twice, then it feinted toward me. I twisted away from the blade by instinct, even though the second I did, I knew it was a feint. It stuck with the blade in its left hand, but the feint had left an opening for a split-second, and Azrael kicked it. It stumbled back, the blade just missing my side, and I followed it up, lopping its head off. The shadow rippled and disappeared.

And more shadows were dropping all around us.

“Does that matter to you?” I demanded.

Duncan stabbed a shadow, kicked it off his sword. As it fell back, Azrael slashed, and the thing’s head fell off before both disappeared. Duncan moved onto the next monster with hardly a pause, but between them, he shot me a dark look.

I killed another shadow, but as I pulled back my blade, I felt a creeping feeling up my spine as another dropped from the ceiling right before me. I whirled just as Tiron called, “Alisa look out!”

As I yanked my sword free and whirled, I splattered the wall with the shadow’s blood. But I was going to be too late; I could already feel a premonition of the strike along my kidneys or under my ribs.

The shadow was still when I turned. I didn’t hesitate, slashing it across the chest. But when it hit its knees, there was a dagger buried in its back.

“You’re welcome,” Raura called from down the doorway, where she stood framed, another throwing blade gripped lightly between her fingertips.

She threw the blade at the monster Duncan was fighting, and the dagger struck true, hitting the thing in the eye.

Even Duncan looked impressed.

Then she raced toward us, flanked by Arlen and Lake. The three of them joined us in fighting the shadows, making it a far fairer fight. Sword clashed upon sword, the only other sounds the quiet grunting of our breath. The shadows were eerily silent.

And then the last of the shadows were dead, and the hall was silent.

“What kind of trouble did you bring with you?” Arlen demanded, staring around at all of us.

“Faer’s trying to reach her,” Azrael said. “Trying to stop her before she can get her memories back.”

The conversation faded for me as I turned to find Tiron still lying with his back against the wall. His eyes were heavy-lidded, but he tried to smile when I dropped to my knees beside him.

“We’ve got to heal him,” I said urgently.

“Tried,” he said, his fingers pressed into the bloody gouge, which was still pumping blood steadily. “Something poisonous… slowing the healing. But it did a little.”

“I’ll go get Fenig,” Raura said. “She’ll want to know what happened here.”

Azrael nodded, watching her go, then gave Arlen a hard look. “How is it that the three of you happened to be so close when we needed help?”

Arlen gave him a cold smile. “I was on watch, walking the defenses and heard a girlish scream.”

Duncan shoved him against the wall.

“Relax,” Azrael said. “They’re friends. Assholes, but friends.”

Tiron smiled faintly at the thought. Duncan reluctantly nodded an apology at Arlen—barely moving his head—and Arlen nodded just as faintly back.

Duncan raked his hand through his hair, his face still livid. He hated seeing Tiron hurt, no matter how glib he always was.

“Hang in there,” I told Tiron, covering his hand with mine.

I raised my magic, forming a warm golden glow under my fingers that melted into his skin. He said softly, “Feels like summer.”

“Yeah, so did those shadow knights with the poisoned blades,” Lake said.

“What does that mean?” I demanded. “The shadow knights are definitely Faer’s? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Azrael said reluctantly. “If the stories are true…”

Duncan scoffed at that. Right now we had pretty convincing evidence that the stories were true; Tiron was bleeding uncontrollably right in front of us.

“Then the shadows are the dark side of summer’s power,” Azrael finished. “All that light creates darkness too. The summer king is supposed to be able to call on the shadows and the Shadow Man according to the old legends but…”

“But some of us would rather not believe in them,” Duncan finished.

“The Shadow Man and his knights haven’t been seen in hundreds of years,” Azrael said. “Scholars thought even if they were real—and there was some doubt—that no one was strong enough to call on them.”

Great. Faer as an even-more powerful enemy; what a lovely idea.

“But Herrick did terrible things to extend his magic,” Azrael added, “and Faer seems to have inherited all that power somehow. So perhaps he can control the Shadow Man.”

“Faer doesn’t want you to get your memories back,” Tiron told me. “He must know you’ll be on our side.”

Even now, when my magic wasn’t enough to staunch his bleeding, he was trying to take care of me. He spoke to the biggest fear we all had; that with my memories restored, I’d take Faer’s side. That I could be as much a villain as he was.

“Stop worrying about me,” I said, his face blurring as tears welled in my eyes. I hated seeing Tiron hurt.

“Hey, hey,” he said, his hand cupping my cheek. “Come here.”

He wrapped his arm around me. Duncan looked away, a muscle fluttering his cheek as if he were about to lose his mind.

“Don’t let guilt crush you,” Tiron whispered in my ear.

“But this is my fault,” I whispered. “All of it. The autumn court. Azrael’s nightmares. You…”

“We all make our choices,” Tiron whispered. “Whatever you did in the past doesn’t mean anything to me. You just have to make the best choice you can now.”

“You got hurt protecting me.”

“That was my best choice.” He winked at me. “You’re worth it.”
Dawson, May. Fallen Queen (Lost Fae Book 2) Kindle Locations (1825-1882). Kindle Edition.

With Tiron not only injured but also poisoned battling the shadows, we get to see his past through nightmares. Meeting Peron and Dala who seem to be very important in Tiron’s life. Only Azrael and Duncan will continue on with Alisa to the caves. She is their hope for defeating the Shadow Man and his shadows, once she has her memories.

The Shadow man himself shows just before the caves, and Alisa runs in to get her memories so they can defeat him. Once there she discovers an uncomfortable truth, she took her own memories and didn’t defeat past her to get them back. She did however realize she doesn’t need the past to defeat the present.

We know something is up with Faer, but we still don’t know what that is. Then there is the Raile problem is he friend or foe? Faer still wants them wed and Raile still seems to care for her even though she’s now chained in the brig on his ship. It’s Raile who clarifies some of her past. It seems if she only marries one man she loses the throne, but if she marries multiple she becomes High Queen. Herrick wants Faer on the throne and there is still the issue of Faer turning from a loving brother to one who hates her.

I very much love the way this story is unfolding. There is still much to be resolved but the ending of this one truly a surprise. I’m already reading the next book.

5 Contented Purrs for May!

May Dawson

May Dawson writes reverse harem romance about magic, strong women, and the men who love them. A native New Yorker, she’s settled in Virginia, where she is raising two red-headed troublemakers and a passel of cats.