Publishers Weekly
09/16/2024
Peterson (Vow of Thieves) underwhelms in this overly long, paint-by-numbers fae romantasy, the first in a duology. After a lifetime on the run from their parents’ unknown enemies, Bristol Keats and her sisters made a home in Bowskeep, but maintaining their run-down house has left them impoverished. With their mother and father dead, they have no hope for the future and no answers about their past, until a mysterious letter offers Bristol a rare piece of art belonging to her great-aunt. This, however, is actually a fae trick to make Bristol serve Tyghan, king of the Danu Nation. Tyghan and his court believe Bristol is bloodmarked and has the power “to navigate between worlds, to create portals, and to close them,” a skill they need to defend themselves against King Kormick, whose own bloodmarked monster has supplied him with an inexhaustible army. Bristol agrees to serve Tyghan after learning that her father isn’t dead after all—he’s been taken by trows, a type of wild fairy. Unfortunately, the secrets Bristol discovers about her parentage puts her blossoming relationship with Tyghan into an unsettling context and sours the romance, which plays out as a checklist of tired romantasy tropes. There’s little to make this stand out. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
With a descriptive narrative and fantastic characters, Pearson expertly draws readers into the world of Elfhame. Great for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Heather Fawcett.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Pearson's latest offering dishes up plenty of fun for romantasy fans…Readers looking for a well-researched fae novel with plenty of traditional fairy lore will delight in the little moments Bristol and Tyghan's story has in store for them. The worldbuilding is top-notch…A fun and sometimes steamy romp through fairyland.” —Kirkus
“The Courting of Bristol Keats is a sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of story, one that yanked me into the lush and dangerous world of fae and monsters from the first page. Make room on your shelves for this magical and compelling fantasy filled with long-kept secrets, devastating betrayals, and a swoony enemies-to-lovers romance.” —Isabel Ibañez, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“It was with great delight that I looked forward to a new series by Mary E. Pearson—and she did not disappoint. The fae world she creates that intersects ours is rich, lush, and full of the thorny moral conundrums you love about her writing.” —Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here
”Forbidden romance, deception, and a rich faerie world that's filled with equal parts magic and danger makes for the start of a highly addictive and fantastical new series. Pearson is at the top of her game in this richly satisfying debut that will leave readers hungry for more.” —Adalyn Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna
”Mary E. Pearson is the new queen of Faerie.” —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart
"The Courting of Bristol Keats is at once whimsical and romantic, full of court intrigue and sharp twists that leave us wanting to return to Pearson’s faerie realm." —Zoraida Córdova, USA Today bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
Library Journal
★ 08/01/2024
In Pearson's (Vow of Thieves) adult debut, Bristol has recently lost both of her parents and is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her two sisters. When a long-lost aunt comes to town, wanting to see her and gift her an invaluable piece of art, Bristol is forced to meet with her. Along the way, an eccentric local tells Bristol that her father was actually kidnapped, not killed. Now she will do anything to find her dad, including making a deal with Tyghan, a fae king. Tyghan needs Bristol to come to Elfhame and find a door. A door for what, he won't reveal, but he believes she has what it takes to find it. In return, he will help her search for her father, whom, unbeknownst to Bristol, Tyghan has been hunting for 26 years. VERDICT With a descriptive narrative and fantastic characters, Pearson expertly draws readers into the world of Elfhame. Great for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Heather Fawcett.—Leigh Verburg
